City Commission vacancy applicant Lisa Larsen

Lisa Larsen first felt called to public office in the mid-2000s, back when she was operating her own environmental consulting firm, Larsen & Associates Inc., and had little time to spare.

Several years ago, Larsen gave up on the idea of running for the Douglas County Commission because of time constraints.

Now, with her business sold and time freed up, she saw the open City Commission position as a way “to give back” to the community in which she started and grew her business.

“It was a great place to run a business, and then also a great place to live because of the diversity and forward thinking,” Larsen said. “This is my opportunity to give back, and I have the time to do it.”

City Commission vacancy applicant Lisa Larsen

Larsen said she wants the chance to talk with sitting city commissioners about a variety of topics important to her, including the East Ninth project and what she’d look for in hiring a new city manager.

When asked at a public forum Sept. 24 what qualities she’d seek in a city manager, Larsen said she’d want someone who would give complete and detailed information to city commissioners.

On her application for the position, she listed hiring a new city manager as the commission’s top priority.

“Trust would be the first thing,” Larsen said. “But then also what comes along with that is the need to ensure that they have a background to provide info that’s accurate and that’s detailed to the City Commission. That’s one thing in the past that may have needed to be improved.”

Larsen brought up the East Ninth project after being asked at the forum to talk about a priority of hers that hadn’t already been mentioned.

She said the commission needed to review plans for the project to “make sure the flavor of East Lawrence is maintained.”

“I’m not sure that plan fully does that at this time,” she said of the arts corridor project.

Larsen, who mentioned Lawrence’s diversity during her opening statement and a later interview, also proposed during the forum the idea of shifting the city’s government to a precinct system in which each neighborhood has its own representation.

“We can help serve the diversity in Lawrence by looking at a different form of government,” she said.