Q&A: Gainesville City Commission At Large Seat 2 Editors note: Candidates Mark Venzke and Barbara Ruth did not respond to The Suns Q&A. 1. Do you support or oppose the University Corners developers application for tax incentives in the form of a rebate of 90 percent of the property tax revenues the project would generate for the citys Community Redevelopment Agency for 20 years? Explain your position. ANNIE ORLANDO: University Avenue and 13th Street is one of the busiest intersections in Gainesville. The original project was much smaller in scale and scope and more suitable to the site and the neighborhood behind it. The City apparently wasnt happy with the original plans. Instead of having a project that should have been completed by now, weve ended up with a project that is too big and too ambitious for the location and will have a very negative impact on a neighborhood already besieged by infill and high density development. A smaller project that doesnt need corporate welfare would generate more income for the city and have less impact on their neighbors. Bigger isnt always better. DONALD SHEPHERD SR.: I oppose giving that much of a tax break. Its hurt the city and citizens. I would favor a plan that everyone can be happy with it. HELEN K. WARREN: I oppose the developers request. The citys responsibility is to provide the infrastructure of utilities to the site. The funding source for CRA projects is limited as it is and is one way for business to give back to the community for the opportunity to expand their business. This particular location should be very attractive to developers because of its proximity to the University of Florida campus. Additional incentives are not necessary. 2. What style of governing board do you support for Gainesville Regional Utilities and why? ANNIE ORLANDO: For almost 100 years, the City of Gainesville has run a reliable and profitable utility. It wasnt until commissioners started to push their ideological agenda onto the utility, when we started down the road that has led us to GRU charging the highest rates in the state and almost a billion dollars in debt. Yet, some members of the commission doesnt even want to do an in depth audit and they continue to bury their heads in the sand. We have an opportunity to avoid intervention from Tallahassee, but we must act now. We need commissioners, who understand the basic principles of owning and operating a business. I dont want to lose control of GRU to a state appointed board, nor do I want to see someone from Duke Energy showing up to read my meter. DONALD SHEPHERD SR.: 2. A board that had checks, balances and accountability; so its decisions can be made in the best interest of the people. HELEN K. WARREN: I support local control of the governing board. The benefits of local ownership provide a better return with services put back into the community. It also gives the public a stronger voice to be effectively heard. The current structure has representation from the county. I support an effort to look at other models for improvement of services. I do know that I do not want Tallahassee making decisions for us in this regard. 3. What should the City Commission include on a project list for a potential transportation sales tax referendum and what mode of transportation, if any, should take priority? ANNIE ORLANDO: Voters will support a sales tax increase to fix our roads. If we complicate it with other issues the chances of passage are compromised. Credibility of local government is damaged by broken promises and broken roads. If we want streets fixed, we should narrow the focus of the referendum, and stop narrowing the width of our streets. DONALD SHEPHERD SR.: The list has to be given to the commissioners and staff to discuss. HELEN K. WARREN: Road repair needs to be a priority. I would also support plans that increase the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. There should be a cooperative plan with underground utilities to be replaced and upgraded as needed. The needs of public transportation should include designs for pull-outs for bus service and extended service to get more people to and from their jobs, seven days of the week. 4. As part of a larger road resurfacing project, the City Commission has voted to reduce an automobile travel lane and add bicycle lanes, a median and wider sidewalks to a stretch of Northwest Eighth Avenue near Loblolly Woods Nature Park. Do you support or oppose these changes and why? ANNIE ORLANDO: This is a classic example of fixing something that is not broken. NW Eighth Avenue was a free flowing, easily navigable thoroughfare that did not need to be narrowed. If speeding was a problem, reducing the speed limit is a cheaper and equally effective solution. In the meantime, there are many roads in Gainesville that are rapidly deteriorating and unsafe and are in much greater need of repairs and upgrades. DONALD SHEPHERD SR.: I support adding bicycle lanes and I support streetscape of roadways. Plus wider sidewalks. Getting rid of the roundabouts and medians; they do more harm than good. HELEN K. WARREN: I support the practice of narrowing roads when and where it can calm traffic, especially in areas close to schools and where others modes of transportation are frequent. Safety should always be a primary concern. It is my impression that more people would choose active and green transportation options if they felt safe doing so, and I think this project will demonstrate that. 5. What do you feel city government has done to help or hinder economic development in the city of Gainesville? ANNIE ORLANDO: The City and UF have focused a lot of attention on developing the new innovation economy and attracting hi-tech businesses to the area. The Chamber is seeing a revitalization and their new team is doing a great job reaching out to businesses, getting young professionals involved and making things happen. However, continued economic development in the city is now at grave risk, thanks to the disastrous 30 PPA with GREC for a biomass power plant that we didnt even need. GRU rates are now the highest in Florida and going up. Local small businesses and people on fixed incomes are the most impacted. Yet, some commissioners and other supporters of this bad deal continue to support it, while they tell the rest of we just need to conserve more. DONALD SHEPHERD SR.: By bringing in the biomass plant, tearing down Shands at AGH, putting workers out of a job, with no jobs to go to. By bringing in roundabouts and medians that hinder the fire departments and cause accidents that have killed people throughout the city and county. HELEN K. WARREN: The city has projected an image that welcomes diversity and that has a plan to handle the projected growth in ways that protects the quality of our environment. This image has brought recognition in national rankings for many reasons. Businesses are attracted to communities with the qualities that are seen in Gainesville. The city can work with the private sector in ways to improve the process by which new businesses come into the community. gainesville/article/20140302/ARTICLES/140229568
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 03:13:48 +0000
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