Thomas: Voters want smart urban planning
January 27, 2008
By Steve Klinger
With a resounding victory on Jan. 15, Sharon Thomas took the District 6 seat on City Council, expressing optimism that she can help chart a more progressive course for Las Cruces. Despite some backlash in area media after the November city election that unseated Councilor Jose Frietze and Mayor William Mattiace, voters in Dist. 6 showed that the earlier contest wasn’t a fluke, giving Thomas a 54 percent majority and a better-than-two-to-one advantage over her closest opponent, Karen Trujillo.
After the election, Thomas responded by e-mail to a list of questions from Grassroots Press.
Do you think the mood of voters in Dist. 6 was vigorously in favor of change, putting the brakes on rapid growth, or more a reaction to the specific candidates?
I think the voters in Dist. 6 are ready for the City Council to step up and be leaders in the planning of our community. That was my campaign message, and we consistently received positive reactions. And I don’t think people want to stop growth; they just want the city to plan ahead for the growth we know is coming.
How much can you attribute your victory to hard work and an effective campaign?
I’d like to say that hard work and an effective campaign were key. I believe they were. We worked very hard. Over 90 people volunteered to help in one way or another. We walked both on weekends and during the week. We covered every precinct twice.
Could you enumerate some priorities that you have set for yourself/your district, and also citywide issues you’d like to see the council address?
People in Dist. 6 want to see the Las Cruces Country Club retained as a golf course (public) or made into a park or some combination of those two. They are also concerned about traffic congestion, lack of parks and trails, bike lanes, neighborhood services, public transit, and safe routes to schools. In some areas, residents are concerned about neighborhood noise and crime. Many residents are also concerned about the design of the new Aquatic Center and the lack of a “green” plan for the new city hall. These concerns are all priorities for District 6.
Citywide, I’d like to see an assessment of infrastructure needs and a study of activity centers and connecting corridors that we could use as a tool to build neighborhood communities in both existing and new areas.
How do you feel about curbside recycling, which many feel was handled poorly by staff and ultimately jettisoned in favor of drop-off recycling bins and an eastside location?
I heard over and over again from Dist. 6 residents that they want curbside recycling. I have read that curbside recycling now serves half of the U.S. population. Surely we can figure out how to do it in Las Cruces.
We talked about the importance of a coordinated comprehensive plan (Vision 2040). What can the city do now to pull its weight?
The new regional, comprehensive plan (VISION 2040) will not be ready for another 1-½ to 2 years. In the meantime, the city council needs to develop some policies that will help us contain sprawl; balance commercial, industrial, and residential growth; provide more open space, trails, wildlife corridors, bike lanes, and parks; and address sustainability issues.
The council recently approved a (Tax Incremental Development District) TIDD for downtown… Do you support TIDDs for revitalization; how about for new development, and are you concerned about safeguards or oversight?
I do support TIDDs for revitalization. The use of TIDDs for new development is another matter. Safeguards and oversight are both sorely missing from current state legislation and widespread use of TIDDs for huge new developments (by mega, out-of-state developers) in several locations across the state could prove disastrous for the state’s general fund.
Is it your impression that factions with deep divides will be a big issue in city government? Are you encountering any continuing acrimony between “pro-growth” and “slo-growth”?
The kind of growing pains we are experiencing have already happened to many cities and towns across the country. Yes, factions emerge in these situations, but solutions have also been found. We need to focus on the good models and best practices other cities have developed to bring those factions together to work toward building sustainable, livable cities.
Steve Klinger is editor and publisher of Grassroots Press.
Comments
Got something to say?
