Mike Dever, 43, is the owner of GuideWire Consulting, which provides site assessments and testing for a variety of environmental issues. “I really believe that we need to expand our business and industrial tax base in town,” Dever said. “I think we have held off for too long in moving the burden from homeowners to businesses. We need to start making that transition.”

l3roy

Why should Lawrence Firefighters vote for you, instead of other candidates?

Thank you.

jade

Noted environmental economists Herman Daly, Thomas Prugh, and Robert Costanza, among many others, say free markets are responsible for our present, dramatic species extinction rates and the increasingly toxic environments we share with surviving species. What is your view and how would you apply it to plans for Lawrence’s future?

chocolateplease

Do you see any potential conflict of interest between your candidacy for the commission and your ownership of a consulting firm that seeks business from local developers, landowners, and business owners? If elected, will you recuse yourself from decisions related to any potential client of your company?

chocolateplease

When you refer to our need for expanding the tax base, do you believe that more retail development is what this city needs, or are you referring more to other types of businesses?

bmboyer

Where do you stand on the SLT?

lawrencian

Mike, what are your views about transit in Lawrence? Do you support the “T”? On the “T” website there are reports from a study about possible coordination of services with KU on Wheels — what do you think about this idea?

Meatwad

I posed this same question to Boog also…An issue most important to me is that Lawrence doesn’t turn into an ugly huge suburban chain and box-store-filled metropolis. Walkable neighborhoods developed and planned the right way are important to our future. Did you attend the Placemakers presentations and if so, what are your thoughts on their suggestions for Lawrence? And how can voters know if you are a candidate who prioritizes the kind of growth and development that doesn’t lead to urban sprawl?

HoosierPride

Any ideas about what should be done with the vacant Farmland Property? It really is quite an eyesore.

komorgan

What is your position on building a new library in Lawrence?

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus

Should growth and development be required to pay their own way for the increased infrastrucure and services that they necessitate, or is the
future growth of the city so important that rest of the city needs to continue subsidizing these costs?

Raider

Mike, What are your solutions to affordable housing in the citym and what do you think an “affordable” home is for most Lawrencians? Also, what are your plans to spur job growth?

Thank you

consumer1

I am concerned about the direction Lawrence has gone over the last few years. (1) The infrastructure seems to have been completely ignored. The improvements on Kasold eventually will be quite nice. However, the rest of city seems to be in seious neglect. Can you see yourself working to improve the city’s steets? And just to be clear, I don’t mean build more traffic calming / round a bouts. A few of these built to functioning standards would have been fine. However, the one’s we have are too small to really be effective where they have been built. Also, (2)Would you concentrate on doing productive work for the majority of voters as opposed to catering to the splinter groups who currently have almost destroyed Lawrence? I would like to see improvements to commerce, industry and other revenue producing jobs come to Lawrence. (3) Most importantly, what would you do to eliminate Lawrence as the HUB for gang bangers from KC and Topeka? (the last call) No caps because I don’t want to imply any respect for the business or it’s owner. This place needs to be closed and further laws be put into place to stop the downtown area from becoming a dirty, smelly, trashy area. Full of drunks and bars. (4) What can be done about stopping the enabling of the homeless and continued and unbridled influx into the homeless paradise called Lawrence?
Thank you.

justthefacts

How can someone voting for you be sure that you won’t automatically vote the way your many influential and/or wealthy contributors want you to vote? Put another way, are you able or can you promise to us that you will make completely independent decisions based upon what everyone in the community wants, and not just cast your votes based upon what the real estate brokers and/or land developers tell you is a good idea?

chic

Will you vote YES or NO on Walmart?

smgkag

What is your plan to bring professional, white-collar jobs to Lawrence?

Noweigh

There has already been negative campaigning and mudslinging in this election. What are the most important issues facing Lawrence and what kind of common ground can be found to help move this city forward?

MLS

What is your position on the SLT and the Wetlands?

WWoftheW

You views on tax abatements and the burden of paying for city services being mostly on the shoulders of residential owners?

ilovelucy

Mr. Dever: Many questions have been raised regarding your campaign contributions. Can you please clarify your position regarding your role in developing the community while maintaining the “uniqueness” of downtown and the “preservation” of neighborhoods? Thanks alot-

JrMints

I have heard you make some comments about the negative impacts of so many of our residents community to KC or Topeka. Could you please summarize your concerns and provide some suggestions for how you would address them?

Andini

Why should Lawrence Firefighters vote for you, instead of other candidates?

WWoftheW

You views on tax abatements and the burden of paying for city services being mostly on the shoulders of residential owners?

altarego

How would you reconcile the diference in opinion between local city experts (i.e., police/ fire/ emergency personnel) and outside consultants on city issues such as, say, roundabouts.

MLS

I would like to hear more about your position on the SLT. Please elaborate. Do you support building the SLT though the wetlands? Do you have an alternate solution?

Moderator

Hi folks. Joel Mathis, managing editor for convergence, here moderating. Mike Dever is here and ready to take questions.

Mike Dever

Hello Everyone.

justthefacts

I know the information is available through other sources, but if you could just tell me in a short reply, who is providing you with all the funds used to buy all the adverstisement I see with your name on it (TV, signs, etc) it would save some time. I’m not affiliated with any other candidate(s) – just wanting to know who is helping you pay for these things, to help determine if you are being supported by some particular group or agenda.

Mike Dever

Thanks for the question.
I am flattered by the response I have received while attempting to raise funds for my campaign. The majority of my support has been provided by a wide group of individuals who live in Lawrence. There are people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic areas. There is no particular group or agenda providing me money. Just hard working people who think I have the skills and abilities to be a good city commissioner.

kuhusker

Assuming the state Attorney General gives it his legal “OK”, what is your position on the proposed domestic partner registry ordinance that has been proposed here in Lawrence?

Mike Dever

I am against discrimination of any kind. I believe that we as a community must be prepared to defend the rights of our citizens. I need to become more informed on this issue to be able to make a sound decision as a commissioner if I am elected.

zimmerman

You were quoted in the Journal World as saying that you had seen data that suggested the community was not overbuilding it’s retail market. However, according to 2005 census data, in the last 15 years Lawrence’s retail sales (after adjusting for inflation) have increased only 1.6%, while the actual retail development has increased 4.1% It seems obvious that we are spreading our retail market thin. What data would lead you to believe otherwise?

Mike Dever

I am not sure what quote you were alluding to, but let me see if I can explain my views.
I believe that the current geographic location of the existing retail space is not consistent with the location of the population. If we are truly going to provide our citizens with an opportunity to walk to the retail areas of their community, we need to realign the location of the retail areas with the population. We need to focus on what makes downtown more vibrant and sustainable, without serving other parts of the community. I am not sure what the best way to accomplish that goal is, but with the professional input from the planning staff at the city and my background in land use planning and analysis, I can help achieve the goal.

JrMints

The Placemakers consultants suggested that our city government planning process is broken and that developers are frustrated and lack trust in our leaders. What is your opinion of these comments and how would you respond to them?

Mike Dever

I attended several sessions of the Placemakers process and have a number of views regarding our current city processes. First, I think we need to improve the way our current city staff serves the potential users of city services. We need to encourage a friendly, professional engaging process for applicants to follow, and hold them to it. We must demystify the process of applying for and planning for renovation, construction and development projects. As in any team effort, the city just needs to refocus itself and reenergize the staff to provide the best possible service to all applicants.
Clear rules, consistent application of the rules and fair assessment of compliance with the rules are all part of what I want to encourage at city hall.

couranna1

I live by what is called the drop in center in Lawrence and am disgusted with the place what do you think can be done about it and all the drugs fighting and drinking? Does it get city funds and can those be taken away?

Mike Dever

I am sorry to hear about your troubles, and would like to learn more about the challenges of living near the community drop in center. It is important to consider the impact of any such facility on the neighborhood when approving its location. I am a believer in enforcement and police presence. Perhaps we can increase the visibility of our police officers in the area t otry and discourage the negative behaviour.
I am uncertain as to the funding mechanism of the facility, but I will investigate it.

Thats_messed_up

what will you do to make the SLT a reality?

Mike Dever

The history of the SLT is long and storied. I am certain that when Lawrence city leaders first proposed the concept it seemed like a good idea. Twenty-eight years later it would be ambitious of me to think that I could single handedly finish the project. I do believe however, that I am uniquely qualified to help encourage the thoughtful completion of an east west bypass around our city. I am a trained environmental professional, I am passionate about the proper use of our resources to complete such a bypass and believe it is imperative that we as a city provide the infrastructure needed to attract new businesses to the city of Lawrence.

chocolateplease

What is your position on bringing another Wal-Mart to Lawrence?

Mike Dever

I am not a retail expert, nor am I particularly interested in having another Wal-Mart in our city. I must trust the research and expertise of the retail professionals that believe our REGION can support another Wal-Mart store. These professionals came to the city with a plan to build another store. Many years later our city is engaged in a lawsuit with the retailer, and we are spending taxpayer dollars to litigate. I want to be collecting tax dollars from retailers, not spending dollars on a lawsuit.

cowboy

What do you think the biggest mistake in process or policy the city has made in the past few years.

Mike Dever

I believe many people think that our city has displayed a pattern of hiring consultants to provide insight and expertise in our unique community. The problem is, often times the advice of the consultants is not followed, or the conclusions that they provide could have been provided for free from some local group of citizens. The end result is a waste of taxpayer dollars. The waste may be from the study that told us what we already knew, or the waste may be from not following the advice that we were given. Either way, the end result is money that has not been spent on infrastructure or enhancements. The commission needs to more often be more comfortable asking questions, reading reports and making a decision, without spending extra dollars on a third party opinion.

drake

Would you be willing to re-evaluate the living wage ordinance if elected?

Moderator

We’re winding down the chat; only another question or two will be posed to Mr. Dever.

Mike Dever

If I am elected, I am going to make it a priority to make Lawrence a place where businesses can thrive. Existing businesses and new businesses. I am not certain what effect the current living wage ordinance has had on our ability for new and existing businesses to thrive. It is fairly narrow in its scope and application. I want to focus my energy and attention of job growth. If I find the living wage is an impediment for Lawrence to compete on a regional and national scale, I would revisit it. However, we have a busy time ahead of us and I am in favor of moving forward with the processes we have in place and getting down to the business of creating a sustainable economy here in Lawrence.

Meatwad

I don’t believe the smoking ban is in any danger of being overturned, but I would like to know your opinion on this issue.

Mike Dever

I am in favor of keeping the existing smoking ban in place. Lawrence was a leader in the region, and there are entire countries where a smoking ban is now in place. I do think we must work with small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the ban to help them accommodate outside smoking areas. Helping our local businesses through the process of adapting to the changes put forth by the city, will improve the profile of the city government and allow for minimal impact of the ordinance on small business owners.

Moderator

Thanks to Mike Dever for joining us today. A reminder that we’ll be joined tomorrow by David Schauner … http://www2.ljworld.com/chats/2007/feb/22/david_schauner/ … and Sam Fields … http://www2.ljworld.com/chats/2007/feb/22/sam_fields/