After graduating from Notre Dame and becoming Miss Oregon, but before serving on the City Council and now the County Commission, Lynette Boggs McDonald was a journalist.
So who better to define the issues and propose some questions for the folks vying for the Ward 2 council seat she recently vacated?
The special election is June 22.
First, some data on Ward 2: Since 2000, it's grown 19 percent in population, added 6 million square feet of new commercial development and welcomed several thousand small businesses. It's home to an equal number of children under 18 and seniors 60 and older. In the eastern core, there are folks who've been neighbors for 30 years. On the western front, some people have been neighbors for 30 minutes. There are more than 8,000 acres yet to be built.
Boggs McDonald: "The biggest three issues facing my successor will be balancing growth and all of its related issues (neighborhood livability, transportation, public-safety concerns, recreational opportunities, scarce water resources); maintaining a high quality of life in the older areas that are impacted by growth to the west and aging infrastructure and public facilities; and balancing a the needs of a fast-growing ward, in a fiscal climate of finite resources, against the needs of the entire city."
Comments, candidates?
Robert Genzer
City of Las Vegas Planning Director
Balancing Growth
Two months ago, I participated in strategic planning sessions with the City Council, the city manager's office and my fellow department directors. At that meeting, the council adopted eight priorities designed to help the city accomplish its stated mission of "providing residents, visitors and the business community with the highest quality municipal services … to enhance the quality of life …" Four of the eight priorities deal specifically with issue No. 1.
Preserving Older Areas
The arterial street system was often not designed for today's traffic volumes. An example is Charleston Boulevard east of Hualapai, where the right of way narrows as we leave Summerlin. This becomes evident at the intersection of Charleston and Rampart/Fort Apache, possibly the worst intersection in Ward 2.
We need to create a catalyst for redevelopment adjacent to that corridor. It may also be time to explore grant opportunities through the Neighborhood Services Department that have been used in other parts of the city to help maintain properties.
Fiscal Climate/Finite Resources
Ward 2 residents are actually quite blessed, because it is the one ward within the city that really does not have to fight for recreational opportunities. The challenge is finding the dollars to maintain those facilities not maintained by homeowner's associations. We never like to talk about raising development fees, but that is certainly one possibility. We also need to explore creative ways of developing public/private partnerships such as has been done through the use of development agreements.
Steve Greco
Citibank analyst; member of city's Childcare Licensing Board
Balancing Growth
We can start by increasing awareness of the neighborhood community-watch program. As the ward continues to expand and gas prices escalate, we will have to address the increasing need for public transportation. I will become involved with state and federal transportation agencies to develop a plan to accommodate this need. Although the Summerlin board of directors voted "no" on the synthetic turf issue, I would like to explore alternative landscaping designs that will not only conserve water but maintain aesthetic standards and home values.
Preserving Older Areas
Our focus should be on the redevelopment of aging parks and community centers. Maintaining infrastructures and public facilities should also be a high priority. The longer repairs wait, the more costly it becomes, and it inconveniences our residents.
Fiscal Climate/Finite Resources
It is our responsibility as a unified council to work together to provide a service to all of the citizens of Las Vegas. We must maintain our tax base and act fiscally responsible while maintaining quality roads, providing recreational opportunities and increasing industry growth in the city.
John Hambrick
Chief investigator, Nevada Board of Osteopathic Medicine
Balancing Growth
I will zero in on specific areas, such as continued response to complaints about graffiti, abandoned vehicles and [providing] updates on traffic circles, traffic signals and school zones. We need to continue with plans to add parks [via] capital improvement project funds, which come from revenue generated by new development and are assigned by the ward in which it was generated. There was $1 million set aside from these funds for a park at Tenaya and Washington; however, the council just voted to set that plan aside. This would not have happened had Ward 2 been represented.
Preserving Older Areas
We need the use of revenues generated by new construction to maintain and upgrade older areas. We should let the growth support the maintenance and improvement. Community outreach and education may bring creative ideas to the table.
Fiscal Climate/Finite Resources
Government will always have budget problems. However, we need to continue to encourage productive public-private partnerships and look for creative ways to stretch the budget already in place.
Margarita Rebollal
Executive director of the East Las Vegas Community Development Corp.
Balancing Growth
There are various ways to improve neighborhood livability. Invite more businesses to take ownership of the ward via partnerships with homeowners. Create programs that promote civic pride. Activate the city's code-enforcement department to clean up the area. Encourage the development of neighborhood associations within Charleston Heights and other areas without homeowner associations. Hold absentee landlords accountable for neglecting properties, and use measures to enhance the beauty of the neighborhoods. On transportation, we need to develop creative linkages with the state, Clark County and other city wards to make recommendations as one unit to the corresponding governmental offices.
Preserving Older Areas
Ways to best serve the senior citizens and the young families residing within all four corners of Ward 2 need to be addressed.
Fiscal Climate/Finite Resources
Resources need to be prioritized. We must identify what is most important to the constituents and develop partnerships with the residents and businesses to reach common ground on the most effective ways to provide services.
Steve Wolfson
Attorney
Balancing Growth
For years, we've heard of "balancing growth and the quality of life." I believe quality of life is the key, and all other issues must follow. If water faucets go dry, if smog gets worse, if traffic clogs the streets even more, we don't have the quality of life I want for my family or for Ward 2. It's time to take a deep breath and say hold on a minute, let's look at this carefully.
Preserving Older Areas
Each new addition or new highway expansion affects the older areas. My first impression is that the Neighborhood Services Department can do a great job of helping areas improve. We need to see if there are ways to take deserted or underdeveloped areas and create parks, playgrounds or senior centers that are easily accessible.
Fiscal Climate/Finite Resources
The phrase "a fiscal climate of finite resources" is just a fancy way to say no one will raise taxes. When it comes to spending tax money, my first concern is to see that public safety—police and fire protection—is at a level where residents feel secure. After that, it's a question of how wisely do we spend money in other categories. I'll look closely at innovative ways to stretch those dollars.
There is one more issue just as pressing. If I become the next city councilman, I want to do what I can through my actions to assure citizens that they come first. Of course we must support businesses, we must make certain our local economy is strong, but we cannot do it by putting residents last.
(Richard Truesdell, a real estate executive and chairman of the city planning commission, didn't send responses before press time. Firouzeh Forouzmand, a coordinator of the West Charleston Library's performing arts center and member of the Nevada Arts Council, filed for the seat just after press deadlines).