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Age
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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50 |
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Family
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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Married with four adult sons and one grand-daughter. |
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Occupation/place of employment
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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Retired from the Olathe Police Department.
lparks171@yahoo.com |
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Number of years you have been a resident of the city
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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29 years |
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Education
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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Graduated from Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Ks.
Bachelors degree from Wichita State University in Administration of Justice.
Masters degree from The University of Kansas in Public Administration.
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Political experience
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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None |
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Civic involvement
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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Member of the Olathe Noon Optimist Club.
Technical Committee member for SkillsUSA.
Past Chair and assist with Leadership Olathe.
Chair for the Leadership Olathe Fund.
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Are you in basic agreement with the direction the City is currently taking to promote expansion and growth?
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General )
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Yes, I agree with the direction we are headed and should always welcome new residents and businesses when they want to make Olathe home. I would like to have a better plan as to how we continue or improve the level of service to the citizens and businesses as we grow. Those services (Police, Fire, Streets, Sanitation, etc.) continue to get stretched and coverage suffers. Olathe will continue to grow as long as the service and infrastructure meet the needs of those who live and work here. We need to plan for that on-going growth. |
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What suggestions, if any, would you have as a member of the City Council to promote collaboration between members of the Council, city staff, and the community in achieving strategic directions established for the City of Olathe?
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General )
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I believe the most important aspect as to direction should be from the community. The Direction Finders Survey is a good overall review of what those citizens surveyed find important. But community meetings, informational pamphlets, or even the creation of task forces may be needed to focus on specific plans of action. I also believe that community groups and other organizations need to have an active role in the process. It is key for the Council and City Staff to communicate when information is received and how it is best used. |
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What do you see as the major role of the City Council?
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General )
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The City Council should be implementing ordinances and policies that meet the needs of the citizens it serves. These decisions should be fair and impartial and serve the greater good. The City Council is the voice of the citizens that elected their representative to the Council. That Council Member has a responsibility to act in the best interest of all citizens. The ultimate goal of the City Council should be to provide the community a safe and healthy place to raise a family. |
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As a member of City Council, what would your major priorities be for the City for the next 10 to 15 years?
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General )
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1) To have a plan to meet the needs of a growing community without stretching those services to the limits.
2) To develop a budget plan that is not as dependent on sales tax when the economy has drastic changes.
3) To have a community center that meets the needs of the entire city.
4) To find ways to get more citizen involvement on city boards, civic organizations, and volunteer opportunities.
5) Have a quality of life in Olathe that will continue to attract new residents and businesses.
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Would you support additional sources of revenues to meet high priority needs of public safety, transportation, and economic development?
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General )
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I think all possible means to finance those three priority areas would need to be considered, but it would have to be carefully weighed against the increased taxes the citizens would incur. For example, the recent County-wide public safety tax will benefit Olathe in areas beyond public safety. That source of revenue replaced a previous tax and did not result in an increase. If there are sources of revenue that already exist and could be earmarked for other projects, that would not increase the tax burden a citizen feels. Meeting the needs of public safety, transportation, and economic development are reasons why Olathe has been successful in the in the past. We must be vigilant that we address those areas when needed, but careful not to increase the tax burden citizens are already carrying. |
What level of priority would you place on the following?
- Public safety
- Traffic and streets
- Consensus building and stability in leadership
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General )
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I think all three are of high priority, but for different reasons. Public Safety is often the first concern when people move here from another community or even from one neighborhood to another within Olathe. People want to feel safe and secure in their homes and places of business. They want to know when they call the Police Department, Fire Department, or Med-Act; that help will soon arrive. They want to know that public safety is being proactive in addressing those issues that negatively impact a community. But people don’t think of this until something happens and have a positive or negative experience. On traffic and streets, citizens are more directly impacted because it affects their ability to navigate through the city. This will create the most complaints and concerns because citizens see it everyday. On consensus building and leadership, I believe that as a council member you need to be available to those you serve and set an example. Stability in leadership should not be confused with changes in leadership. Having new people in leadership positions can bring a new perspective and energy to a group. That should be a priority to allow more people to get involved in more things. |
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What are the three biggest challenges the City of Olathe faces and what should be done to address them?
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General )
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1) The economy and budget over the next few years will change as to how the city does business. Creating a budget in these bleak financial times will require a sacrifice for all those who live and work in Olathe. The challenge will be maintaining or increasing the current levels of service with less. I believe this can be accomplished without tax increases, but will mean prioritizing what is most important.
2) To continue to build on the infrastructure needs of the city as it continues to grow in population and land mass. The city needs a plan to meet those basic needs (police, fire, streets, sanitation, etc.) as the number of citizens create greater demand and the land mass requires greater coverage.
3) To continue to work with the many partners in Olathe to attract new residents and businesses that will make Olathe a vibrant and diverse community. Maintaining open lines of communication, developing working relationships, and getting community involvement in decisions such as housing, code enforcement, planning and zoning, and other projects that will impact how Olathe looks in the future.
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Do you support current policy on economic development tax incentives? If no, please specify recommended additions or deletions to the policy.
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General )
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I support tax incentives if they are equal opportunity, available to local businesses, and have performance clauses that can be enforced. Olathe has too many vacant buildings around town that need to be filled. I have concerns when a new building goes up and there is a vacant building that could serve the same purpose. But when there are situations that can benefit the taxpayers, bring in new jobs, and build the tax base; those incentives are often better then an open field that brings in very little. |
