Candidate Q&A: Jennifer Olsen
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By Times staff | Wednesday, September 26, 2007 |
Jennifer Olsen (FILE PHOTO) Buy this Photo
Office sought: Davenport, at-large
What are the most significant challenges facing neighborhoods? How would you address them?
The most significant challenges facing neighborhoods depends upon which neighborhood you are referring to. Some currently face few challenges and some suffer with blight, high crime and lack the small businesses that encourage sustainable neighborhoods.
The entire city benefits when we focus our resources and efforts on improving the conditions in our established neighborhoods. By revitalizing blighted neighborhoods, we restore our tax base, attract responsible homeowners and drive out the criminal elements.
We must recognize that housing code enforcement is a tool in fighting crime. Community policing is the key. By focusing on code enforcement and crime-reduction efforts, we can make a huge impact on the entire city of Davenport. If a neighborhood is blighted, it attracts crime and poverty, which drains the city resources and harms every single resident of this city.
What's most important, providing basic services or adding amenities for residents and visitors? What approach would you take?
The first job of city government is to provide a clean, well-maintained city for all of us to live in. This attracts private-sector development and encourages homeownership, which stabilizes neighborhoods and provides the increased tax base that supports added amenities. We cannot continue our current policy of trying to choose between amenities and basic services. We can't continue to pit development vs. basic services and expect taxpayers to choose. We all want a happier Davenport, with streets cleaned, garbage picked up, and safer streets on a daily basis. We need proper management of time and resources to do this, not increased spending. If we take care of basic services first, amenities will follow. If we take care of basic services first, then the general population will be happier and more willing to support the amenities.
What are the city's most important infrastructure needs?
The completion of the West Side Sewer Diversion Tunnel should be a major priority. Currently the sewers back up, which depresses property values and discourages growth in those areas. The completion of this project will allow for additional residential and commercial growth in the West End. This will result in a net revenue increase for the entire city, if we develop using smart growth principles.
How would you approach economic development?
We must develop a sustainable growth plan for all of Davenport. First, sustainable growth calls for us to re-energize commercial and residential development in our established neighborhoods. This adds to the tax base significantly without having to build new infrastructure, such as streets, sewers and bus routes. Secondly, in areas of Davenport suitable for new development, tax incentives given by the city must require high-energy efficiency and conservation in all construction and development. Meaning, if we as a city are giving tax incentives for new construction, we should require the developer to manage run off and waste so this responsibility and cost does not fall to the taxpayers. New construction in Davenport must be green. We cannot afford to support and promote new development that our children will have to pay for in the future. Third, we must use the natural assets we have in Davenport to attract growth and economic benefits. The riverfront is our most prized physical possession and we need to value it and use it as a major attraction in Davenport.
Does the city have enough police officers? Are they deployed properly? What is the council's role in promoting public safety?
We need to increase the number of police officers on patrol in Davenport. To some extent, this can be accomplished by reassignment of our current police force. Additionally, we must add more police officers to the Department for their own safety and for the public's safety. The selection of a proper police chief is key to this process. Davenport city council must provide the police department with tools and funding they need to implement citywide community policing. The city must also recognize that there are other tools available which will address our high crime rate. These tools are code enforcement activities. The city council must make enforcement of our housing codes a priority.
How would you handle situations in which you disagree with another council member or members? Or does it matter?
Disagreements are best defused by having solid knowledge of the facts of a situation and proper communication of those facts.
Should the Isle of Capri take over the RiverCenter South? If not, what should the city encourage the Isle to do?
The trend in Midwest gambling operations is toward large and expensive combination operations (casino, convention space, entertainment and hotel facilities) that are located on major highway connections. Central Davenport, at best, can offer a hotel, with very limited and not well-adapted facilities for the other amenities. If the IOC wants to remain downtown, it needs to be with great incentive to this city and needs to offer something different compared to its competition.
I do not support the IOC leasing the RiverCenter South because the proposal does not make economic sense for Davenport. In addition, the city would lose the current use and income from the existing facilities in the RiverCenter.
If the Isle of Capri moves inland, enough money has to be devoted to the project to make it competitive with existing and planned operations in the area, such as Riverside and Rock Island.
It may be time for Davenport to recognize that riverboat gambling is disappearing and we need to move on.
What is your vision for Davenport?
To make sustainable economic development in our established residential and commercial areas a priority. To make all of Davenport clean, active, unique and vibrant by providing quality basic services and listening to the citizens.
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