I recently declared my intention to seek re-election to the East Lansing City Council. Re-election campaigns are very competitive and I expect this one to be no different.
When I ran in 2005 I promoted an agenda of Renewal, Redevelopment, and Reinvestment. During my time on Council I have cast many votes I feel have helped our city maintain its quality of life and improve its services. We have repaired streets and sidewalks. We have more trails, better facilities, lower energy costs, and an attractive downtown. We have new single family housing in the Northern Tier and at the Avondale Square redevelopment project near Marble Elementary. We have new student-market apartments close to campus. We have new housing options for young professionals and empty nesters in the downtown condos. We have a new pocket park in the Southeast Marble neighborhood and the Hawks Nest neighborhood will see construction on their long awaited park begin next spring.
One of the first significant votes I cast was to protect wetlands in the City. This local ordinance allows us to regulate wetlands as small as ¼ acre. Though rarely applied, this law will become more significant as developers seek opportunities in our green fields of the Northern Tier. They will have to bring more creativity to their site planning process to preserve and protect our environment.
We have begun our second century as a city. Tough challenges lay ahead. Like all Michigan cities we have experienced significant declines in state revenue sharing, a depressed housing market, and reduced taxable values, all of which will continue to stress our budget. Yet by being frugal and disciplined we have, for the time being, maintained services and quality of life. This challenge will loom larger over the next four years. I believe I continue to offer the best combination of vision and energy to cope with our immediate needs and realize future goals.
