Voters Guide

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Sunday, October 20, 2019

VOTERS City Hall?

Three seats are up for grabs on the Lawrence City Commission this year, but only one incumbent is in the running. Find out about the candidates — incumbent Stuart Boley, Ken Easthouse, Brad Finkeldei, Joey Hentzler, Rob Sands and Courtney Shipley — inside. 2C

Stuart Boley

Ken Easthouse

Brad Finkeldei

Joey Hentzler

Rob Sands

More inside: l City Commission candidates in

Courtney Shipley

their own words: 3C l Get to know the Lawrence school board candidates: 5C l Lawrence school board candidates in their own words: 6C l A look at local government races in other communities in Douglas County: 7C

GUIDE 2019

New faces at

Sylas May/Journal-World Illustrations

VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Stuart Boley

Ken Easthouse

Sunday, October 20, 2019

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Brad Finkeldei

E C N E LAWR

Joey Hentzler

Rob Sands

Courtney Shipley

n o i s s i m m o C y t i C

By Rochelle Valverde lll

rvalverde@ljworld.com

A

t least two new faces will be joining the Lawrence City Commission soon.

Three seats are up for election, and only one member of the current commission, Stuart Boley, is seeking another term.

Here’s a look at the six candidates vying for those seats:

Stuart Boley Originally from Lenexa, Boley earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and modern European studies from the University of Kansas. After working

5 new faces, 1 incumbent in the running

in different areas of the country, he returned to Lawrence in 1983. Boley, 65, retired in 2009 after working as an IRS auditor for 32 years. He served as the administrative officer of the Douglas County Community Foundation from 2011 to 2017.

Boley was elected to the commission in 2015 and served as mayor last year. He said he was initially motivated to join the commission because he was concerned about the city’s finances. Over the past four years, he said, the city has become more transparent, budgeted more comprehensively and begun a new practice of rotating auditors after using the same firm for years. He

said that means mistakes have been found, but he sees that as progress.

Boley said the city needed to focus on continued improvement of its finances. He said the city should invest in better accounting software, replacing systems that he views as limited and outdated, and that the city budget should continue to be a priority.

Boley said he considered public safety, infrastructure, and parks and recreation the city’s core services, and that that the city needed to make sure those services were excellent and provided at reasonable costs. There are a lot of services to manage and infrastructure

to maintain, he said, and the city should focus its attention in those areas.

Boley said the city also needed to have good a relationship with Douglas County and the Lawrence school district and that funding agreements should be equitable for taxpayers. For instance, he said the city is paying $700,000 toward the community health department, which means city taxpayers essentially end up paying twice for that service, through both their city and county taxes.

Ken Easthouse

Lawrence High School and Emporia State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in management with a minor in journalism. He formerly worked as a supervisor at a local call center, Maximus. Easthouse said he’s not currently in the workforce but rather is focusing on the campaign.

Easthouse, 36, has been active in local government the past several years and ran unsuccessfully for the commission in 2017. Easthouse is a member of the Public Incentives Review Committee and president of the Prairie Park Neighborhood Association.

Easthouse said he wanted to make sure that commissioners fully debated issues that residents care about as opposed to city staff essentially making

Easthouse, who grew up in Lawrence, graduated from

> CITY, 4C

Vote for Rob Sands on November 5th.

WHY ROB SANDS? LEADERSHIP

Rob can provide the type of leadership that Lawrence needs.

As an active Lieutenant Colonel in the Kansas National Guard with three combat tours, he is comfortable making the hard decisions that affect others.

A lifelong student of leadership, he honed his personal leadership skills at the Kansas Leadership Center in Wichita.

EDUCATION Rob holds a Masters in Public Administration from KU’s top ranked program.

With the same educational background as members of our city staff—he can speak their language.

City policies shouldn’t be a barrier to our citizens, Rob can bridge the gap so that city hall to better represents all of us.

EXPERIENCE Rob has spent four years as a planning commissioner making “housing-positive” decisions that benefit all Lawrencians.

He listens to members of the public with respect and curiosity to correctly diagnose and address the situation.

He knows how to ask the right questions to get the most out of our city staff, and treats everyone with respect.

READY TO APPLY LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO LOCAL PROBLEMS. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL Enact policies that decrease housing costs for everyone in our community.

STRENGTHEN DOWNTOWN Preserve the character we love, while encouraging the creation of well-paying primary jobs, success of small businesses and the right mix of parking.

CITY & COUNTY INDEPENDENCE Maintain independent governance. Combining city and county government reduces local representation and services, without improving efficiencies.

Endorsed by: Lawrence Professional Firefighters IAFF 1596 Lawrence City Commissioner Matthew Herbert Lawrence Board of Realtors

LEARN MORE AT WWW.ROBSANDSFORLAWRENCE.COM Paid for by rob SandS for Lawrence, Kate white, treaSurer. Mention of rob’S MiLitary Service doeS not equaL an endorSeMent by the dePartMent of defenSe or dePartMent of the arMy.

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VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Sunday, October 20, 2019

City Commission candidates in their own words Stuart Boley My Vision: STRENGTHENED FOUNDATION and GREATER COORDINATION A renewed city wide strategic planning effort launches this fall. The resulting plan will provide guidance for decision making, expenditure of resources and the work of city staff. I anticipate the plan will focus on city core services, including police, fire and medical services, transportation infrastructure and public transit, water and wastewater services, storm water infrastructure, and parks and recreation.

We bring an open mind to the ideas and experience of our new city manager and successfully incorporate all voices in our community as we make decisions regarding programs and services.

About this feature The Journal-World asked the City Commission candidates to provide brief statements outlining their vision for the city. The candidates’ statements appear here as submitted, and have only been edited for spelling.

comes some realizations: if we are so great, why do we have so many problems? Our affordable housing shortfalls have been ongoing for years, our economic development is routinely underwhelming, and despite our enlightened ideals, we have a long way to go from living up to them.

In the next four years, I hope to address those problems and more. We need to address affordable housing, understanding we cannot simply force people to lower prices. We need to set a path for long term economic growth, to transform us from a bedroom community wedged between two larger metro areas into a regional economic power in our own right. And we need to plan for the future whatever it may be, and not the future we are hoping for with policies that only benefit the here and now.

where everyone has the opportunity to experience the arts — music, theatre, sculpture, murals, poetry — as well as recreational activities — youth and adult sports, hiking, cycling, running, and other outdoor experiences.

... my vision for Lawrence is that it is a thriving, caring, dynamic and welcoming community. A place where everyone who wants to work in Lawrence can and everyone who wants to live in Lawrence can afford to do so.”

The City should ensure working class families have access to safe, affordable housing. Lawrence should strengthen its rental inspection process and protections for tenants. We can help seniors, residents with disabilities, and low-income residents stay in their homes while making sure big developers and property managers pay their fair share. All neighborhoods in Lawrence should be a part of solving our housing problem.

Everything that City Commission considers should include analysis of racial and health disparities. The 2018 Health Equity report showed Black and Latinx residents live, on average, 5 and 4 years less than White residents, respectively. Residents in North and East Lawrence live 8 years less on average than residents in other parts of our community. This is an emergency. The City should recognize its historic disinvestment in these neighborhoods and communities and pursue policy and development agendas to make sure all residents can lead happy, healthy lives.

Together, we can build a more democratic economy and just systems for all our neighbors in Lawrence.

We bring an open mind to the ideas and experience of our new — Brad Finkeldei city manager and successfully inAnd I envision a community that cares for each other. corporate all voicOne in which we feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. es in our commuThat we have excellent health nity as we make care — both mental and physi- Rob Sands cal. And that we help each I think we are starting to decisions regardother in times of need. see some stark differences in will say this vision is candidates that ARE worried ing programs and Four years isn’t justSome an unattainable dream. about the issue of housing However, I would say that, affordability and availability, services.” enough time to although obtaining this vi- and those that are not. In the sion will be difficult, I look next two years, if the number — Stuart Boley solve all of our forward to partnering with of building permits hold, The those in the community that city WILL run out of infill big problems in The city and county have a similar vision, be- lots. During that time, prices come to a positive resolucause it is only with every- of lots inside the city, existLawrence.

But by tion of the issues that have one working together that ing home prices, rents, and divided us recently, result- acknowledging we can make this unattain- property taxes are all going ing in enhanced equity and able dream a reality. to climb higher than we have management efficiency. The them, we can beseen even in recent history. city/county relationship is strengthened because of gin the work that Joey Hentzler In the next four our willingness to engage in My vision for Lawrence these tough conversations won’t be finished is a community that lives years, the city and not because we simply in one political up to its professed progresignored our differences. sive values. City Commis- commission is The city’s budgeting and term.” sion should lead with smart, financial reporting processes going to have to — Ken Easthouse bold policies to take action continue to improve. The on Climate Change, invest make some seriwork of the past four years in a green economy, and has brought progress, espeFour years isn’t enough make sure we take care of ous housing posicially the new best practice time to solve all of our big of bringing in a new auditor problems in Lawrence. But by our neighbors as we enter every few years. The next au- acknowledging them, we can a future of increasingly ex- tive decisions that dit will reflect many fewer ad- begin the work that won’t be treme weather events. This allow citizens justments than the recent one. finished in one political term. includes common sense proFinancial reporting systems We need that kind of vision posals like solar panels on choice in where city buildings and a progresare upgraded to enhance staff for the future. sive utility rate structure. and how they capabilities.

Transparency continues to be a high priorwant to live.” ity for our management and Brad Finkeldei City Commisfinance staff.

— Rob Sands My vision for the City of sion should lead We will experience growth Lawrence for the next four as a community. Successes in In the next four years, the both economic development years is no different than my with smart, bold city commission is going to and in providing affordable vision for Lawrence over the policies to take next fifty years.

That is, my have to make some serious housing will result from the application and coordina- vision for Lawrence is that it action on Climate housing positive decisions that allow citizens choice in tion of effort and resources is a thriving, caring, dynamic where and how they want by the city, our citizens and and welcoming communi- Change, invest in ty.

A place where everyone to live. We have two years businesses. who wants to work in Law- a green economy, to hire a new Planning Dirence can and everyone who rector; adopt more flexible wants to live in Lawrence and make sure codes that encourage good, Ken Easthouse can afford to do so. It will appropriate, and slightly Lawrence is a unique also be a great place to raise we take care of more dense infill; write a city in all of the Midwest, your kids as well as a great plan with the new our neighbors as strategic let alone Kansas. We have place to retire. city manager that prioritiza love of arts and music, a I envision a community that es affordable and available slight obsession with bas- is walkable, bikeable and re- we enter a future housing; and determine what ketball, a soft spot for folks sponsive to changes in transpolicies are working and of increasingly who need help, and a com- portation. A community that which are failing. The next munity atmosphere that is has a variety of housing types, extreme weather two years after that, staff the envy of every other city densities and residential livand the city commission will in Kansas. We think we’re ing options. A community events.” have to scale those policies pretty great, and I happen with a downtown second to to agree. With that, though, none.

And a community

This takes commissioners that have experience in planning and zoning, the ability to work with others over the long term to achieve shared visions, the ability to speak the same language as staff to get at the heart of the problem, and the leadership skills to interact constructively with members of the public.

Courtney Shipley My vision for the next four years as a City Commissioner begins with my belief that our City can be accessible, welcoming, and affordable for all; promote engagement with its citizenry; and value its community partnerships.

My vision for the next four years as a City Commissioner begins with my belief that our City can be accessible, welcoming, and affordable for all; promote engagement with its citizenry; and value its community partnerships.”

— Courtney Shipley

When the new Commission implements an equitable, comprehensive Sidewalk Maintenance policy, by the second or third year we could see observable, functional change in neighborhoods where pedestrian traffic reaches downtown, schools, and public transportation.

The new Commission should direct a new Stormwater Masterplan be completed by 2020. Within four years we can begin implementing modern mitigation solutions based on updated floodplain information and, if feasible, extrapolations based on climate change impacts.

Although Plan 2040 will be a regular topic of commission meetings for years, its impact on growth in our community will be indefinite. Therefore, we should honor its intention to provide for sustainability, schools, greenspace, healthy built environment, economic development, and accessibility.

As a growing community we must also find new fiscal strategies to address infrastructure maintenance. A Cost of Growth Study will help identify the gaps that presently exist when new development occurs so that we can craft policy that accounts for generational maintenance.

The next commission must be vigilant in considering racial, gender, and health equity when crafting policy. Like homelessness, equity issues cannot be solved in four years, however the next commission can dedicate itself to working that worked, and continue with community partners to — Joey Hentzler to build on any successes. address systemic disparity.

Lawrence Public Schools has the opportunity to grow and thrive over the next four years. Shannon has the

Experience, Knowledge and Commitment

to guide our district in creating successful futures for our children.

Paid for by Kimball for School Board, Maley Wilkins, Treasurer | 4000 W. 6th Street #120, Lawrence KS 66049

VOTERS GUIDE 2019

City CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2C

Easthouse also wants local debates to be comprehensive.

He said the commission needed to make sure the city’s policies weren’t working against one another. For example, he said he thought the proposed annexation limitations in Plan 2040, meant to prioritize infill development, worked against historic preservation efforts as well as the city’s goal to increase the availability of affordable housing.

Easthouse said he would also like to see the city work with Douglas County to rebalance the funding agreements between the two local governing bodies. The city and county partner to provide several services, including the emergency dispatch center; fire and medical response; and the health department. Easthouse said that when it came to financing those shared services, the amount of money contributed by City of Lawrence taxpayers significantly exceeded the amount contributed by those who live in rural Douglas County.

Easthouse said he thought sidewalks should be considered city infrastructure and that the city should pay to maintain them. He said rebalancing the tax structure between the city and county could help provide additional funding that would enable the city to take on that responsibility.

Brad Finkeldei Finkeldei, a native of Wichita, graduated from the University of Kansas law school and has lived in Lawrence permanently since 2000. He is an attorney with Stevens & Brand law firm, where he focuses on litigation, banking and governmental law.

Finkeldei currently serves on the boards of four local organizations: Lawrence Family Promise, Ballard Community Services, the finance council at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, and the Ethel and Raymond F. Rice Foundation.

Finkeldei, 46, served on the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission from 2006 to 2012 and was the commission’s chair in 2008. He also served a year on the city’s Joint Economic Development Council and was a member of the Lawrence alcohol tax fund committee from 2005 to 2009.

Finkeldei said it was largely his nonprofit work that motivated him to join the commission. He said social services were core city services, and he thought the city could ultimately save money overall by better addressing those issues more directly through services such as Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center or the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.

Finkeldei said the city could also play a larger role with affordable housing. He said he was disappointed in the current method of distributing affordable housing funding, in which the Affordable Housing Advisory Board receives applications for potential projects and then makes a recommendation to the commission. He said the city would need to lead the process and propose specific projects if it wanted to make progress.

Finkeldei said he thought that over the last few years, many nonprofit organizations, businesses, neighborhoods and individuals had seen the city as more of an adversary than a partner. He said that instead of being a barrier, the city should form a clearer vision of what it wants and then actively work with other groups to accomplish that vision.

County Extension Council, which is part of the Douglas County K-State Research and Extension office.

Hentzler, 26, said the city needed to do more to live up to its progressive roots and provide for all residents. He pointed to the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department’s Health Equity report, which shows significantly worse outcomes in several health measurements, including life expectancy, for low-income people and minorities in the community.

He said one of his priorities would be fighting against systemic racial disparities, and that would mean no longer making decisions in a colorblind manner. He wants the city to do a racial disparity impact analysis that indicates how particular projects or policies would impact people of color.

Hentzler also wants to provide both affordable and adequate housing for Lawrence residents. He said the city needed a higher percentage of homes designated as permanently affordable, because only then would those home prices start influencing the broader market. Hentzler said the city needed to strengthen its rental inspection program, and that there should be a mechanism to address health and maintenance concerns that go unaddressed by landlords.

Hentzler said he would also like to make Lawrence a more sustainable and environmentally friendly city. He said he supported the city’s $11.3 million investment in energy-efficient upgrades and that the city should invest more in green energy. He also said the city needed to prepare for the impacts of climate Hentzler, originally from change, including the threats of Topeka, moved to Lawrence in flooding to both city infrastruc2011 and earned undergraduate ture and homes. degrees in political science and Latin American and Caribbean studies from KU. He is the director of advocacy for Kansas Sands, a native of Kansas Appleseed, a nonprofit, non- City, Kan., has lived in Lawpartisan advocacy organization rence since 2001. He is an that works to address social, active-duty lieutenant coloeconomic and political injus- nel in the Kansas Army Natice in Kansas, according to its tional Guard and has been dewebsite. He also serves on the ployed overseas three times. executive board of the Douglas He has served in several roles

Joey Hentzler

Rob Sands

VOTE

Stuart Boley for CITY COMMISSION

Sunday, October 20, 2019 throughout his career, including as a tank platoon leader, tank company commander, Afghan Army unit adviser, battalion operations officer and battalion executive officer.

Sands, 38, has served on the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission since 2015 and earned his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas in 2017.

Sands said one of his top priorities was broadly addressing the city’s affordable housing shortage by providing multiple types of affordable housing for various income levels. He said that would include addressing the “missing middle” of the housing market, or homes costing between $100,000 and $250,000.

Sands said city policies should not price people out of the market artificially or limit housing types. He said as the city worked to implement the new comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, it would be important to develop zoning regulations that encourage all housing types, not just single-family homes, and to ensure the city’s application process operates smoothly for builders.

Sands also said he did not support a merger between the city and county governments, as has previously been discussed by the commission.

He supports ongoing efforts to discuss city and county funding agreements, but said there needed to be better interactions and understanding among the city and county, as well as the school district.

Sands also wants the city to adopt policies that strengthen the downtown. He said downtown was the city’s cultural and economic center but that it would take effort from the city to keep it that way. He said that included providing the right mix of parking, encouraging some small development and supporting more community events.

in Slavic languages and literatures and currently works as a property manager.

Shipley, 40, is chair of the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, president of The Friends of Oak Hill Cemetery, member of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance board and serves on the Board of Zoning Appeals. She formerly served on the Transient Guest Tax Grant Program Advisory Board.

Shipley said providing more options for the generation of kids growing up in Lawrence today, including her own children, was one of the main factors driving her to run for the commission.

The city has an educated and willing workforce, Shipley said, so determining why more businesses don’t choose to locate in the city should be a priority.

She said the upcoming implementation of the new comprehensive plan, in addition to affecting land use, would also lead to economic changes and would be the most important task of the next commission.

Shipley said she thought another contributing factor causing businesses to locate elsewhere could be the city’s shortage of workforce housing.

She said the city should consider conducting a cost-of-growth study to better understand housing costs and the obstacles for building more workforce housing.

Shipley thinks sidewalk repairs should be the city’s responsibility. She said the commission should direct city staff to look at methods other cities have used to solve their sidewalk problems. She also said it would be reasonable for taxpayers to ask that part of the infrastructure sales tax be used to fund a city sidewalk repair program.

Shipley said the city also needed to revisit its stormwater master plan, which has not been updated for years. She said many people had flooded basements this year with all the rainfall and that stormwater management would Shipley, who moved to need to improve to prevent Lawrence as a child, gradu- those kinds of incidents in the ated from KU with a degree future.

Courtney Shipley

Join us in voting for Stuart Boley!

Experience • Independence • Commitment • Common Sense

Full Name Allen Belot Amos Hargrave Annika Zeisig Anthony Backus Audrey Kamp-Studdard B.J. Sabol Barbara Thompson Barbara J. Heeb Barbara W. Ballard Benjamin Chen Beth Chao Betty J. Baron Bill Tuttle Bill Wilson Bob Moody Brendy Latare Brower Burchill Bruce Menning Butch Moore Carey Maynard-Moody Carol Bowen Carol Eades Carrie Moore Cathy D. Jarrett Celia Smith Charles Epp Chris Holmer Claudia Olea Cole Browne Curtis Smith David Barrett David Berkowitz David Mosher Dean Palos Deb Rowden Deborah S. Burns Denise Stone Dennis Brown Dennis "Boog" Highberger Diane Low Diane Menzie Dixie Woltkamp Don Low Donald E. Chambers Doug McKay

Earl Nehring Ed Quick Edna Mosher Ellen Paulsen Ellen Reid Gold Emily Russell Erin Russell Erin Paden Evan Jorn fran beier Frank Baron G. Faye Watson Garth Burns Gene A. Dorsey Ginger Ellenbecker Graham Kreicker Heather Nelson Holli Joyce Ivan George Smith Jacob W. Kipp James Thompson James Wallace Jamie Jarrett Jane Live Jane W. Gibson Janet Majure Janet Mody Janet Mosser Jean Drumm Jen Carttar Jennifer Dropkin Jennifer Kimball Brown Jerry Harper Jerry Totten Jim Beach Jim Brooke Jim Carpenter Jim Jeans Joda Totten Joe Casad Joe Douglas Joe Patrick Joe Spradlin John Bowen John Brewer John Dardess

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John Paden John Roper Jolene Andersen Jon Heeb Jonathan Andrews Judy Keller Julia Thomas Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle Kelly Barth Ken Grotewiel Kevin Kelly Kirk McClure Laurie Culling Lawrence Bodle Lee Ketzel Lene Carttar Brooke Lin Stearns Linda Dean Linda Gwaltney Linda McKay Lisa Grossman Lisa Hallberg Lori R. Cessna Louise Hanson Louise Smith Lynne Bodle Maia Kipp Marci Francisco Marcos Markoulatos Margie Gaston Marilyn Hall Marilyn Hull Martha L. Souza Mary Jorn Mary Shambaugh Mary Frances Ellis Matthew Cohen Michael Logan Michele Berendsen Michele Bergman Nan Harper Nancy Jorn Nancy Ornburn Nora Murphy Norman Saul Pam Burkhead

Pat Phillips Pat Ransone Patricia Moody Paul Carttar Paul Jefferson Paula Schumacher Paulette Strong Peter Carttar Phil Collison Phil Minkin Ralph S. Bonner Ray Chao Ray Rowden Ray Souza Reid Nelson Richard S. Backus Richard S. Givens Rita Spradlin Robert J Smith Ronald Gaches Rosalea Carttar Ruth Hull Sally Howard Sheri Ellenbecker Sonya Bonner Stephen Maceli Steve Evans Steve Lopes Stuart Beals Susan Harper Susan Wheeler Tamara G. Cash Ted Boyle Teresa K. Ferguson Thad Holcombe Theresa Thompson Tim Keller Tim Miller Tom Gleason Travis Harrod Val Renault Valerie Roper Venida Chenault Vicki Douglas

Paid by Boley for City Commisioner, Lene Carttar Brooke, Treasurer, 3101 Riverview Rd., Lawrence KS 66049 voteboley.com

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VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Carole Cadue-Blackwood

Erica Hill

Thea Perry

Shannon Kimball

Paula Smith

E C N E R W LA d r a o b l o o h c s

By Dylan Lysen lll

dlysen@ljworld.com

T

his year, five candidates are in the running for four at-large positions on the Lawrence school board. Here’s a look at the candidates and their visions for the future of Lawrence Public Schools.

Carole CadueBlackwood When Carole CadueBlackwood was a fifthgrade student at Cordley Elementary School, a teacher told her she didn’t think Cadue-Blackwood would finish her education.

“I was really skinny, we were really poor, and I got bullied,” she said. “(The teacher) said, ‘I bet a dime to a dollar you won’t finish high school.’

And I believed it.”

However, that teacher was wrong, and CadueBlackwood now wants to be a voice on the Lawrence school board for underprivileged students in Lawrence who may be facing the same discouragement and struggles, she said.

“The ones who are falling through the cracks, I want to know why and I want to know how to support them,” she said.

Cadue-Blackwood’s entire K-12 education came from the Lawrence school district, where she met her husband, Dennis Blackwood. She also has three children, two of whom currently attend Lawrence High School and another who graduated.

Her most public involvement with the school

district was leading a successful campaign to change the name of South Middle School to Billy Mills Middle School — after a Native American Olympian who attended Haskell Institute and the University of Kansas.

Cadue-Blackwood said the district needed a larger voice for Native American students and someone to promote equity and inclusion. Part of ensuring an equitable educational environment would be “enforcing” a recently approved state education funding plan, she said.

But Cadue-Blackwood said the biggest issue for her personally was the mental health of students. As a recent graduate from KU’s School of Social Welfare, she is currently looking for a job as a social worker, she said. She is also a volunteer for the Willow Domestic Violence Center.

“I would wonder when and where a social worker could have intervened,” she said. “It always goes back to the schools.”

Erica Hill As a community health professional, Erica Hill has focused on ways to improve the health of the Lawrence community, and she recently realized the best place to start.

“What better way to make an impact on the community than investing in our youth?” Hill said.

To do that, Hill said she wanted to help create more partnerships between the Lawrence school district and community organizations that could offer additional learning opportunities for students.

Hill, who is a finance and operations manager

VOTE COURTNEY NOVEMBER 5TH

for LMH Health Foundation, led the creation of a paid summer mentorship program, the LMH Health Summer Leadership Academy, that invited three Lawrence students to shadow and learn from health professionals during their summer break.

She said the program was an example of how the school district could work with other organizations to improve the postsecondary success of its students because they can provide more real-world educational opportunities to students.

Along with postsecondary success, her other focuses are improving graduation rates and addressing achievement gaps among student groups.

Additionally, she said the school district should be offering opportunities to students that help them all find success after high school, whether that’s postsecondary education or entering the workforce in a new career.

Hill’s focus on postsecondary success is in line with the Kansas State Department of Education’s recent push to redesign public schools. Hill said she was serving on the committee to redesign Free State High School, one of four Lawrence schools participating in the program.

“We have an obligation and responsibility to prepare all students for lifelong success, whatever that means to the student,” she said.

Hill lives with her husband, Jeffrey Skar, their 20-month-old daughter and her 14-year-old son, who is a high school student in the school district. Skar also has a son, 20, and daughter, 24.

Shannon Kimball Since Shannon Kimball began serving in the Lawrence school district, the Lawrence school board has approved several construction projects to renovate buildings across the district.

While Kimball, who joined the board in July 2011, helped craft the plans for those renovation projects during her two terms on the board, she said she isn’t finished yet.

“We have transformed the majority of our buildings in our district over that time period through the fantastic generosity of our community,” Kimball said. “But we have work left to do.”

Kimball said the ongoing renovation of Lawrence High School was one of the projects that she would like to see to the

finish line during a third term on the board.

Another ongoing project that she wants to see through is a five-year strategic plan that was approved in June. The school district’s administration is charged with beginning the first steps of the plan this school year. Kimball said she had advocated for the plan and was excited to hold the district administration and staff accountable in conducting it.

Additionally, Kimball said she wanted to improve equity among students. Although the board has worked on the issue during her time, she said it has not improved as much as she would have liked.

“Continuing to advocate for that important work is something that has motivated me to continue serving on the board,” she said.

Outside of Lawrence,

Kimball is also the president of the Kansas Association of School Boards, an organization representing public school districts in Kansas.

She was also recently appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly to serve on the new state council on tax reform.

She and her husband, Dr. Jason Kimball, have two sons and a daughter, who are all enrolled in the school district.

Thea Perry Thea Perry has always been interested in public service, but she was too shy to run for office. That changed, however, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018.

Perry said the health issue motivated her to finally put herself out there.

“I believe education is a fundamental human right, not a privilege. Everyone deserves to achieve to their highest potential academically, socially and emotionally.”

The following are proud to endorse Erica: Brad Allen Jane and Kim Blocher Haley Bruns Tamara Cash Hannah Coash Sheryle D’ Amico Doug Dawson Jason Edmonds Matt Eichman Cynthia Eubanks Susanne Kohn Eyman Ranelle Fischer Mark Gonzales Al Hack Ernesto Hodison Joanne Hurst Danae Johnson Russ Johnson Cal and Jan Karlin Amy Kelly Tyler Lindquist

Christina Linville Pat McCandless Larry McElwain Leonard Ortiz Elwood Ott Andy Pitts Dr. Shari Quick Andy Ramirez Sarah and Jack Robertson Linda Robinson Njeri Shomari Rebecca Smith Shirley Martin-Smith Robin Smith Gary and Connie Sollars Deanell Tacha Rev. Verdell Taylor Bob Tryanski Kevan Vick Cindy and Mitch Yulich

Real practical issues need real practical leaders.

A leader like Courtney Shipley. courtneyforcommission.com Paid for by the Courtney Shipley Campaign, Bobette Puderbaugh treasurer.

> BOARD, 8C

Paid for by the Erica Hill for School Board Campaign Mark Gonzales, Treasurer Rev. Verdell Taylor and Cindy Yulich, Co-Chairs

VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Sunday, October 20, 2019

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School board candidates in their own words Carole Cadue-Blackwood I would like to focus on the district’s vision and mission statements on building relationships, seeking multiple perspectives, setting high expectations and holding each other accountable for equitable access to rigorous, culturally relevant and seamlessly aligned curriculum and ensure that we improve graduation rates and our students are college and career-ready. We are truly in a state of crisis. There is a national teacher shortage and our children are paying the price.

The Lawrence Journal-World reported that Lawrence teachers are earning less than neighboring districts.

I hope to use my skills as a social worker to implement the district’s five-year strategic plan and enforce the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to improve our educational services and increase mental health services. The decision ensured that we are closer to recruiting and retaining our high-quality teachers.

Teachers often cite pay as the number one reason for quitting. The decision to increase the salaries demonstrated to the community that our kids won’t suffer from losing high quality teachers and give them the respect that they deserve.

I am hopeful about the future for our school board and district. The district has partnered with the University of Kansas, Peaslee Technical Institute and can build an even stronger partnership with Haskell Indian Nations University. Our students are our greatest investment and will possess to graduate with skills that will help them transition from high school to their adult futures. Kansas is facing a labor shortage and our students will have potential to graduate with college credits and apprenticeships.

About this feature The Journal-World asked the Lawrence school board candidates to provide brief statements outlining their vision for the school district. The candidates’ statements appear here as submitted, and have only been edited for spelling.

Shannon Kimball

Erica Hill I believe education is a fundamental human right – not a privilege. Every scholar has the right to reach their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

My vision is for the district to continue engaging with the community to increase community commitment and support — together the board of education and community partners will create an improved system of public education for our scholars.”

— Erica Hill

My vision for Lawrence Public Schools is forward thinking and puts students’ needs at the center.

Children need a level of readiness to be successful when they begin their educational journey. Many families have resources, such as reading materials and time to spend with their children. Many do not. My vision is for all children to have equitable access to early childhood education.

My vision is for the district to continue engaging with the community to increase community commitment and support — together the board of education and community partners will create an improved system of public education for our scholars.

While educators are not primarily motivated by pay, they have important jobs, and should be compensated accordingly. Addressing pay equity will also position the district to attract and retain high-quality educators.

My vision is for our district to create and implement a com— Carole Cadue-Blackwood prehensive plan that addresses compensation.

I hope to use my skills as a social worker to implement the district’s five-year strategic plan and enforce the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to improve our educational services and increase mental health services.”

My vision is for all our scholars to be inspired to do their best, be exposed to multiple career paths, feel safe, have learning experiences designed uniquely for them, and be successful after they graduate.

As a school board member I will listen, question, advocate, learn and support our scholars and the work the school district is doing. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve my community in this capacity.

I want our community to proud of our schools, and to trust that the district is putting forward its best efforts to ensure that our children grow and thrive as learners, so that they are wellprepared for their futures.

My vision aligns with our recently adopted strategic plan — a cohesive curriculum, student-centered learning, safe and supportive schools, effective and valued employees, and data-driven decisions, all accomplished through an equity lens. During the next four years, I will: l Ensure our strategic plan is implemented, and hold our district accountable to meet the goals in the plan; l Work to address some of the biggest concerns I hear from staff and the community around teacher and classified staff compensation; l Continue my work on our facilities upgrades and successfully completing the $175mm+ in bond projects that our community has approved over the past 6 years; and l Continue my advocacy and policy work at the local, state, and national levels in support of equity, adequate funding, and special education needs, among other areas.

We have made progress in many areas during my tenure on the board — particularly in our offerings to support college

and career readiness, and in meeting the facilities needs of our district — but I still see much work to do and want to have a seat at the board table to ensure that our work in these priority areas moves forward to successfully meet the needs of our students, our staff, our families, and our community.

Thea Perry Our schools should provide a safe, supportive environment where goals are achieved and resources are available so that every student can have their needs met and perform to the best of their ability so they will have the education and tools required for a productive and positive future.

Our schools should provide a safe, supportive environment where goals are achieved and resources are available so that every student can have their needs met and perform to the best of their ability so they will have the education and tools required for a productive and positive future.”

— Thea Perry

We should strengthen existing and seek new partnerships that will reinforce our student-centered approach to improving post-graduate outcomes. To the district’s strategic My vision aligns support plan, we should expand our collaboration with the city and with our recently county governments to address adopted strategic issues of disparity and inequity.

As leaders, let’s make sure we plan — a coheare listening more than we are speaking and continue to ask sive curriculum, who else should be at the table.

As a former early childstudent-centered hood educator, I will advocate learning, safe for increased access to PreK education. Access to early and supportive learning would be a meaningful step toward closing the schools, effective achievement gap, is a valuable resource for families, is critiand valued emcal to early identification of ployees, and data- needs and intervention, and is a frequent factor in parendriven decisions, tal parity. Utilizing statewide connections built during all accomplished years of advocacy work, enwith decision makthrough an equity gagement ers will be needed at both the state and local levels. lens.”

Of the opportunities for — Shannon Kimball growth and improvement that

parents, students, and teachers have shared, many are related to communication, accountability, and equity.

These are some of the same concerns I have experienced as a parent in the district. I’d like to be part of a more engaged and available board of education, and I’m ready to have honest conversations and listen.

Paula Smith Over the next four years, I want to see the district become a trusted resource and community partner. In the first year, the district can begin to expand parent-led equity committees such as the Native American Student Services, Delta, and Equity Council into school board decision making.

Our district has the potential to be a leader for schoolintegrated mentoring programs across K-12 that will build stronger teacher-student relationships. I would like our district to grow our own teachers by setting high standards and expectations for all students regardless of their racial and socioeconomic background. This means we remove barriers to access and opportunities for all students.

Importantly, by year four, it is critical we ensure a quality education for all youth in our community and drive innovative efforts that narrow the achievement gap for students of color and historically marginalized students.

This will help our district deliver our promise that, “Lawrence Public Schools will ensure that students of all races, backgrounds, and abilities achieve at high levels, demonstrate proficiency in reading by the third grade and in math by the eighth grade, and graduate on time prepared for success in college and careers.”

I would like our district to grow our own teachers by setting high standards and expectations for all students regardless of their racial and socioeconomic background.

This means we remove barriers to access and opportunities for all students.”

— Paula Smith

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Sunday, October 20, 2019

VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Contested city government races in Baldwin City, Eudora

By Elvyn Jones lll

ejones@ljworld.com

V

oters in Baldwin City and Eudora will decide the makeup of their governing bodies as they cast ballots in the general election on Nov. 5.

Two incumbents, Tony Brown and A.J. Stevens, opted not to seek reelection to the Baldwin City Council, and Troy Squire chose not to seek another four years on the Eudora City Commission.

Running for the three Baldwin City Council seats on the ballot are Julie Constantinescu, Nicholas Goodman, Sean Hare, Scott Lauridsen, David Simmons, Jerry Smith and Cory Venable. Running for the three seats on the Eudora City Commission are incumbent Tim Bruce, incumbent Ruth Hughs, Peter Latta, Roberta Lehmann and Rex Tedrow.

Issues that have emerged during the campaign in Baldwin City are proposed water rate increases, which would raise the water use fee from $10 to $15 per 1,000 gallons and raise the basic meter fee from $6.50 per meter to $12. The increases would be the city’s first in a decade and are proposed to end a trend of the water department running in the red and depleting its reserve account. The other current issue is the fate of the historic gym on Chapel Street, which the City Council recently agreed to accept as a donation. It is estimated that the gym needs about $200,000 to structurally stabilize the building, including a $100,000 new roof.

In Eudora, the issues include moving forward with the old Nottingham school property that the city purchased in 2015 for $850,000. The city plans to work with private developers to attract retail development to the property just north of Kansas Highway 10 on Eudora’s main

gateway of Church Street. The plan is a subject of community debate about expanding the tax base and preserving the community’s small-town atmosphere.

Baldwin City Council candidates: Julie Constantinescu Julie Constantinescu is retired from a career that included stints at Baker University and in the health service field. She has been active in the community through her membership with the chamber of commerce, the Lumberyard Arts Center and her roles with the now disbanded Baldwin ComConstantinescu munity Theatre, where she served as president. She said she was running because she thought she could help the city move ahead.

Constantinescu said water rates needed to be adjusted but that enacting all proposed hikes would create hardships. The city should consider raising the meter rate first, then raise usage rates to ease the burden on residents, she said. She also said the council should consider using revenue from the 5% franchise fee applied to water bills for water department needs rather than transferring it to the city’s general fund, which is now the practice.

Constantinescu said she would not have voted to accept the donation of the gym. She has reservations about its value because of the lack of parking space nearby.

for City Council because he now views Baldwin City as his home.

“Everything I could ever need is right here,” he said.

Goodman Goodman said enacting all the proposed increases would be “unsustainable” because it would put too big of a burden on some customers. He favors a compromise that would dedicate the water franchise fee to the water department and raise water usage rates incrementally.

Goodman said he wanted to hear residents’ opinions on water rates and the gym so that he could get better informed and have a wider range of solutions.

Sean Hare

An IT consultant, Sean Hare said he was running for City Council out of gratitude for the community accepting him when he moved 15 years ago to his wife’s hometown.

As a Baldwin City Recreation Commission member, Hare attended recent meetings that preceded the City Council’s decision to accept the donation of the old gym.

He now calls for the city to Hare appoint an exploratory committee with members from the rec commission, school district and other stakeholder groups to help the City Council identify the highest value community uses for the gym. The committee should also lead the search for grants and private donations to renovate the building, he said.

Hare favors a phased-in approach to water-rate increases.

Nicholas Goodman Franchise tax revenue could Nicholas Goodman is the also be shared with the water director of residential life for department to make the transiBaker University. He is running tion easier, he said.

Scott Lauridsen

Jerry Smith

Scott Lauridsen, a technology salesman who served on the Baldwin City school board from 2004 to 2012, said he was running for City Council because he felt it was time again to serve his hometown.

He said the city needed water rates that recouped the water department’s costs but that it should phase in hikes over Lauridsen two or three years “to make it more palatable.” He would also consider using the franchise fee to cover water department red ink in the short term.

He supports the decision to buy the gym but said the city should not spend money on the building until there was a plan for its end uses. That should take about six months, he said.

Jerry Smith is retired from the Kansas Highway Patrol and from his position as a rural water district inspector, a job he still does on a part-time contractual basis. He is running because of his interest in the community and a desire to have greater public input in city decisions. He welcomes public input on how to bump up water rates, which he said needed to be increased.

He also advocates for the city looking for additional water suppliers beyond the Smith City of Lawrence, which currently supplies all of Baldwin City’s water. Overall, he said, his interest lies in the city carefully spending money to enhance and maintain its basic infrastructure.

On the gym, Smith said he wanted to hear residents’ views.

David Simmons First elected to the council four years ago, David Simmons, who works in human resources for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said he was running for reelection to provide continuity to city government, which has seen almost a complete turnover in staff positions.

A month ago, Simmons pressed his fellow council members to increase water Simmons usage rates to end the water department’s operating in the red. He remains committed to the usage-rate increase but not a base meter rate increase.

As for the gym, Simmons foresees the city repairing the roof and addressing other stablization needs but said there was no money to do more at this time.

Cory Venable Cory Venable is running because he thinks more young residents should get involved in the community. He said the City Council needed to do more research before moving ahead with projects. That view informs his opinion on the gym. He noted that there was widespread interest in saving the building, but any investment beyond the roof should be delayed until a solid plan for its use emerged, he said.

Venable said water rates Venable needed to go up but could be phased in. He said it was important to rebuild the reserve fund, which could be accomplished by raising the base meter rate.

> AREA, 8C

CAROLE CADUE-BLACKWOOD

ON NOVEMBER 5TH, BE HEARD

VOTE

An advocate who listens to YOU Focus on equity Better student outcomes through new partnerships Safe schools for students and staff Increase access to Pre-K education

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VOTERS GUIDE 2019

Ruth Hughs said she was seeking reelection because she was a “finisher.” There are a number of city projects, such as Nottingham, that she wants to see completed. The retired educator said the Not- Roberta Lehmann tingham project would Roberta Lehmann not only provide Eudora said she was running to

grants and funding to To encourage more further revitalize the residential development, area. the city should allow developers to spread out Rex Tedrow the cost of subdivision inRex Tedrow said he frastructure over several was mostly retired from years, Tedrow said.

Candidate Peter Latta a real estate career and as an owner/manager of did not respond to phone apartments. He is run- calls or texts requesting ning for City Commis- an interview. sion out of concern that Eudora is facing a future funding crisis from its over-reliance on residential property taxes.

The names of candiHe thinks the City Commission is chasing the dates for the Baldwin wrong solution by fo- City and Eudora school cusing on retail develop- boards will also be on ment to increase the tax the ballot; however, base. If Eudora contin- there are no contested ues to add new homes, races this election cyretail will naturally fol- cle. Baldwin City school low, he said. The city board candidates are Bethell-Smith, would be better served Kelley encouraging industrial Tony Brown, Phillip development, Tedrow Harvey, Ande Parks and said. He said the city Carrie Stevens. Eudora should have invested school board candidates in additional industrial are Mark Chrislip, Bryan parkland rather than the Maring, Becky Plate and Lynn Reazin.

Nottingham project.

universal preschool in Lawrence as part of the solution. Currently, the school district offers preschool only to certain underprivileged students who qualify.

“Access to universal (preschool) would be a very meaningful step toward closing the achievement gap that exists,” she said.

Perry also has previous experience serving the local school district and advocating for education at the state level. She said while she served on the PTO of her oldest daughter’s elementary school, from 2015 to 2017, she began to notice firsthand how state education funding cuts were affecting schools and students.

As a concerned parent,

students find pathways to success that best suit them.

“The way the program was geared to fit me better helped me succeed to graduate on time,” she said of her time at the Lawrence Alternative High School. “That was the success of that program.”

While the alternative school closed in 2004, the school district is currently exploring a new way to adapt education to help students succeed. Smith said she supports the school district’s participation in the Kansas State Department of Education’s school redesign program, which moves away from an approach of relying on standardized testing and instead

focuses on developing personalized education plans for students.

Smith has experience working on education issues in the Lawrence district. She said she was inspired to run for the school board because of her previous work as the committee chair for the district’s Native American Student Services program, which addresses issues facing Native American students.

Smith, who is Native American, said she noticed the school board was not an active participant in the group’s meetings and she reached out to the board to nurture a relationship between the two groups. She said she wanted to make sure the school district was aware of the academic

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7C

Tim Bruce Tim Bruce is seeking reelection for the same reason he first ran for City Commission four years ago: He believes his knowledge as a commercial contractor can be of value in helping the city with its building projects and those of developers, including the Nottingham project.

Progress on the Nottingham project has been slow in part because the City Commission is demanding it be done right, Bruce said. That not only means recruiting the right businesses but ensuring

Board CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5C

“I always say cancer is the best worst-thing to happen to me,” said Perry, who finished her treatment about a year ago and is currently cancer free. “When you face the real possibility that you might not be there to help your kids grow up, it brings everything important into focus and everything else falls away.”

For Perry, some of those important issues include improving equity and addressing achievement gaps in the local education system.

If elected, Perry said she would want to explore

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follow in the footsteps of her father, Tom Pyle, a longtime Eudora councilman and mayor. An assistant director of an adult care service provider, her interest is the city’s continued progressive growth in a way that retains the community’s small-town atmosphere.

She said the city must recruit new businesses to broaden its residentialdependent tax base. She supports the direction the city is moving with the Nottingham property but said she wanted to ensure businesses that were recruited were a good fit for Eudora. She wants to leverage the Nottingham project to increase connectivity between north and south Eudora through installation of a pedestrian bridge over K-10.

Lehmann said she was excited about recent developments downtown and would support

Area Eudora City Commission candidates:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Bruce

Hughs

Lehmann

needed upgrades are made to the property’s Church Street frontage of sidewalks, turn lanes and curbs and guttering.

“It may take off next year or 10 years from now, but that infrastructure has to be right,” he said.

Ruth Hughs

Tedrow

with badly needed retail development but would also allow the city to enhance its main entrance of Church Street and provide leverage to convince the state to install a pedestrian bridge over Kansas Highway 10.

Hughs said she was interested in providing the town’s youth with more recreational opportunities and making additional services available to seniors, such as the recently opened lunch meal site at the community center.

Perry began traveling to Topeka to advocate for increased education funding, she said.

Perry and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters, one of whom is in middle school in the district. Her younger daughter is currently attending private school where her “educational needs are being met,” Perry said. She declined to elaborate, citing the privacy of her daughter, but noted that she planned to move her daughter to the Lawrence school district in the future.

Paula Smith As a graduate of the former Lawrence Alternative High School, Paula Smith said she wants to help Lawrence

Area school board races:

achievement disparities of Native American students and other issues they may face.

Other issues Smith wants to focus on are school security, education funding, discipline disparities among students and exploring alternative methods of discipline.

Smith currently works for the Kansas Volunteer Commission, a state service commission that aims to provide support and funding to community-based initiatives. She has five children; three of them have graduated from Lawrence High School, and two are currently enrolled.

— Reporter Dylan Lysen can be reached at 832-6353. Follow him on Twitter: @DylanLysen

Lawrence citizens know the value of proven performance.

I would appreciate your vote so I can continue to serve Lawrence.

VOTE

Stuart Boley for CITY COMMISSION voteboley.com

Re-elect Stuart, your “Numbers Guy” with independence, commitment, experience, and common sense Paid by Boley for City Commisioner, Lene Carttar Brooke, Treasurer, 3101 Riverview Rd., Lawrence KS 66049