|
|
 Issues City Finances
Open Government
Environmental Concerns City FinancesIssue: How to Balance the Budget?My Position: Cut the Fat; Limit Residential Development to Use-by-Right; Promote Retail DevelopmentDiscussion:Current Budget WoesThough our city's capital budget seems to be in good shape, we're upside down on our operating budget. We're going to have to cut expenses and bring moe retail sales tax into the city. Cutting expenses does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with cutting services. We need to find creative ways to offer the same level (or an even higher level) of services while keeping costs down. Cut the FatA careful, line by line review of budget items will probably reveal areas where we can cut expenses without reducing or compromising the quality of our current city services. A couple of examples follow. Do we really need a new, expensive logo to encourage people to shop in Louisville? Would a variation of our very well designed, and already paid for, city logo have sufficed? Do we really need large, expensive signs on the borders of our city to let people know they're here? While city signs are a nice touch, I don't think they're necessary. Limit Residential Development to Use-by-RightLimiting housing growth to use-by-right (the type and number of units allowed by current zoning) will help. As Mayor Sisk has said, houses cost the city more than they provide in fees and property taxes. Developers want to put in as many houses as they can--the more houses they put in an area, the more money they make. It's not in the citizens' best interest to allow developers more than the number of houses they are legally entitled to build. In addition to the costs to the city, there are costs to its citizens, crowded streets and air pollution from all the added vehicles that residential development will bring. Developers use all kinds of treats and tricks to convince citizens to allow them to build more homes. They promise to include more open space, parks, even a theater to accommodate a local theater company. They also tell the citizens that school closures threaten if they are not allowed to build more houses, which is just not true! Limiting residential development to use-by-right is just common sense. Promote Retail DevelopmentRetail development brings property and sales tax dollars into the city's coffers and that's the kind of development we need. The Sun/Storagek campus would be perfect for retail development. Louisville residents would shop there as well as folks from other areas who also shop at Flatirons Mall. Mixed use (retail and residential) development at the Sun/Storagetek campus would dilute the financial benefit of retail development (remember, houses cost more than they bring in). Let's just stick with retail development at Sun/Storagetek. Open GovernmentIssue: How Open is City Government?My Position: We're Getting ThereDiscussion:In 2004, despite opposition from the Mayor and City Council, the citizens of Louisville (with 92.4% of citizens voting) overwhelmingly passed Issue 200, which mandated amendments to the City Home Rule Charter setting standards for open government practices. Open government means that all city meetings and information (including printed documents and the city website) are open to the public and information can be easily accessed or obtained without excessive fees. Following the passage of Issue 200, Mayor Chuck Sisk City said he would embrace Issue 200's provisions. The City has done much to make meetings and information accessible to the public. All Council meetings (including study sessions) are now held in public places. Council Meetings are in Council chambers and study sessions are at the meeting room in the Louisville Library. The city website, having gone nearly three years without a search engine following the passage of Issue 200, finally has a search engine. As a web designer, I know how easy it is to implement a simple search engine. I have two questions: (1) What was the holdup? and (2) Can we get the search box at the top, rather than the bottom, of each page? What good is a search engine if we can't find it? Environmental ConcernsIssue: As a city, we are lagging behind other communities in using renewable energy.My Position: Update the building codes and give businesses and homeowners a modest break.Our quality of life is dependent upon good health. Our health is tied directly to our environment. Protecting our environment on a local level is good for us and sets a standard for other nearby communities. A good place to start would be with a green building program. Developing Green Building Programs, a Step by Step Guide for Local Governments, is a document that anyone can download for free from Global Green's website. No pricey consultants--just lots of good solid information. I would like to see the city's building standards updated to encourage environmentally friendly design for all new construction and substantial remodeling. For example, each building (whether residential, commercial, or retail) should have a roof somewhere on the premises with a south, east, or southeast facing slope suitable for photovoltaic solar panels large enough to meet the energy needs of that building. Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards program offers rebate programs for both residential and commercial buildings. The federal government offers a tax credit of 30% (with a cap of $2000) for residential buildings and 30% (with no cap) for commercial and retail buildings. Subject to budget constraints, perhaps the city could grant home owners a modest, one time, property tax rebate and provide developers with incentives (other than letting them build more houses) for installation of photovoltaics on new buildings. We have been looking at getting photovoltaics installed on the roof of our home. I have gotten numerous bids and, without promoting any one of them, I can tell you that there are many, many great local companies to choose from. These folks are willing to educate their potential customers and answer any questions they may have about the process, and most of them will front the Xcel rebate. Urban Renewal - Effects on Old TownIssue: Ensuring that urban renewal has a positive effect on Old TownMy Position: It's all in the design.I've lived in Ward 1 since 1992 and have seen a lot of changes in Louisville. Through them all, Old Town has remained the heart and soul of the city. Old Town's small town charm is what brings people here from other areas. We have great one-of-a kind, family-run restaurants and stores and a wonderful new library. The cookie-cutter mentality that has made so many cities look, feel, and taste the same has not taken over here. When you're in Louisville, you know you're in Louisville, not in "anywhere U.S.A." Urban renewal in the Highway 42 area should promote Old Town, not compete with it. Residents from other communities should be able to arrive on Highway 42 and be drawn, via appropriate building, street and path design, to Old Town to dine and shop. During construction (which will take years), urban renewal should not affect accessibility to Old Town from nearby neighborhoods or outlying areas. The current layout of the railroad tracks (to be used by FasTracks) and city streets will need some creative redesign to support Old Town. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. Annie Hughes for Louisville City Council, Ward 1. |