Up For A Third Term . . .

I went down to the County Office Building yesterday and signed up to run for a third term as your West Lafayette City Councilman for District #2. 

Here's the first thing you need to know:

THE COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES HAVE CHANGED

Old/Current Council District #2

New/Class 2 Council District #2

New Council District #2 Detail

Once West Lafayette became a class #2 city, the number of council districts increased from five to six, and the "at-large" positions went from two to three. The Second District "moved" south and west. The city's population overall has moved south and west.

Here's the second thing you need you know:

I LOVE THIS JOB

We have done some good things together over the last four years.

1) The New Chauncey Land Use Plan
Technically an amendment to the Tippecanoe County "Comprehensive Plan", the New Chauncey Land Use Plan was passed by the city council in May of 2013. Work on the plan had begun four years earlier (May 2009), and became more timely as Wang Hall and 720 Northwestern became part of the West Lafayette street scape. Many thanks to Carl Griffin, Jay McCann, and a host of others who persevered through a long and sometimes bitter process. It is essential to the preservation of our multi-class, multi-generational near campus neighborhood.

2) The New Chauncey Historic Preservation District

While Lafayette had created a Historic Preservation Commission in 1993, and while New Chauncey had been a National Historic District since 2002, this neighborhood enjoyed none of the protections or city planning assistance available to it in state law. Beginning in September of 2010, we worked to create the first West Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission (May 2011). We established boundaries for the city's first historic district (New Chauncey) in 2013. The commission is chaired by our neighbor Susan Curtis.

3) Student Health and Safety
The death of Scott Notary in a November 2013 fire at 111 W. Lutz, and the August 2014 WLFI report on the appalling conditions at a B&K rental property at 410 N. Salisbury, are a reminder of the special obligation the city has for its student community. I publicly and repeatedly pressed city officials to examine the role the city rental inspection program in the fire death. The city negotiated a $10,000 fine for occupancy violations with the owners.  My thanks to the Purdue students who have been my 'day job' for 30 years, and recent alumna Emily Bunder, for making me particularly sensitive to these twin issues in a city whose major for-profit industry is rental ownership and management.

Here's the final thing you need to know:

NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE OURS REGULARLY DISAPPEAR. 

There is always something to work on. Here's a list of issues for the next four years. Let me know your favorites. Suggest one of your own.

- neighborhood redevelopment; zoning, overlay zoning, and the land use plan . . .
- rental signs; Councilor Dietrich and I will work together here . . .
- municipal buildings; how many, where, and what should they do  . . .
- State St. Corridor; what will it mean for New Chauncey . . .
- TIF money; we all live in a TIF -  will the residents ever see any benefit; streetlights?
- "PILOTS" Payments In Lieu Of Taxes Thanks Westminster ! The rest of you ?

It has been a privilege to serve as your Councilman for the last eight years.
I am asking for your vote again this November.