In August, we asked our readers about the issues you wanted to hear the candidates running for Shawnee City Council address. Based on your feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire touching on the most important issues to patrons of the district.
Each day this week, we will publish the candidates’ responses to one of five questions. Today, we are publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
The city has in recent years committed hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money to private business development projects in the downtown area through its Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development program. Do you support the use of public funds to try to spark the revitalization of downtown? Why or why not?
Below are the answers the Post received from the candidates on this issue:
Ward 1
Tony Gillette
The vision to revitalize downtown Shawnee infrastructure has begun to take shape in
small steps, and I would support projects that enhance the further development for
small businesses in our city’s core with the SEED Grant program. The key is to create a
stronger vision for the needs and development downtown that makes downtown a
destination for families that’s accessible and walkable, and keeps our hometown feel.
Our focus needs to be in supporting the commercial demands of local citizens and
families without destroying the fabric of what already makes Shawnee a great
community to live, work, and recreate – helping us all to achieve the American Dream.
Sophia Theodore
I do support the use of public funds to revitalize our downtown. Our downtown area had
become stagnant with businesses closing or moving for years. Couple that with the impact
that the Nieman Now project had on downtown, it was definitely time to revitalize our
downtown.
Already we are seeing businesses thriving and more moving into downtown.
Although significant public funds are being spent, it is clear that there will be a significant
positive economic impact for our city for many years to come. In addition to the economic
impact these projects will have, we are also creating a destination that our residents as well
as others outside our city can enjoy.
Ward 2
Mike Kemmling (incumbent)
I have opposed the spending of tax payer dollars in this manner. While all of the businesses are great and bring something to Shawnee, I have trouble allocating tax payer dollars directly to businesses when we have other needs in our city, such as curbs and gutters.
In addition, we should look into supporting current businesses who have been hurt by public road projects that disrupted their businesses for an extended period of time.
Eric Persson
I do support the SEED program when used responsibly. The SEED (Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development) program is an agreement between the City of Shawnee and the Johnson County Landfill where the contract provides that the landfill pay the city an annual impact fee. Half the money goes towards street maintenance and the other half to the SEED program which is currently used to encourage the expansion of existing businesses, attract new employers by supporting job creation and new payroll and support and encourage reinvestment and redevelopment of downtown Shawnee and the Nieman Road Corridor.
We need to keep these things in mind when looking at the use of these funds. Some of the uses for the SEED program in recent history included Transport and Servaes Breweries, McLain’s and Drastic Measures. All of these projects have fulfilled a need in the revitalization of Downtown Shawnee by providing our residents with unique businesses where we can spend our tax dollars locally and providing employment opportunities. In four months of knocking on doors I have not spoken to one resident that had anything negative to say about any of these businesses and the positive impact that they have had in our community.
Ward 3
Lisa Larson-Bunnell (incumbent)
Yes, I do support the targeted use of public funds to spark economic development. The SEED funds have proven very effective at helping local business owners with major renovations. Some examples include the renovations to the Aztec theater, the OK Garage (now McClain’s Market) and the bank building on the corner of Johnson Drive and Nieman. Revitalization is not something that happens on its own.
It requires years of planning and investment by the city. Our downtown is the gateway to Johnson County from Kansas City. A thriving downtown with opportunities to live, work, and play is vital to our city’s long term success. We invested millions of dollars on infrastructure projects to ensure downtown was not susceptible to regular flooding and businesses could thrive there. Now it is appropriate to make small, targeted investments to ensure the success of downtown.
Angela Stiens
It is certainly great to see that the Shawnee Downtown is flourishing. Regarding the commitment of public funds to private businesses, I think we have to be careful co-mingling public funds with private development, reserving it for special projects where the city believes the investment provides an overall public good, such as the Aztec Theatre which has a historical component. I am also open to helping businesses whose sales have been negatively impacted by ongoing road projects, such as Nieman Now. So, I will make this decision on a case by case basis.
Ward 4
Kevin Makalous
The short answer is yes. That being said, I have grown increasingly concerned that these funds, while well intentioned, aren’t always being thoroughly vetted and disbursed with an eye towards the “what if this project doesn’t go as planned?”. I try and be an outside-the-box thinker. I’ve been spending a lot of time this summer listening to Ward 4 residents and their concerns regarding the use of incentives in the development or re-development around Shawnee. Clearly what we’re doing right now doesn’t feel like it’s working quite as well as all had hoped.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I definitely would like to see us become more thoughtful in how these dollars are used and try and instill more transparency and accountability in funds being awarded going forward. I am eager to continue learning about this topic and finding pragmatic solutions that help keep Shawnee growing and moving forward, while making sure that the residents have a better understanding of where those funds are used and how they’re impacting our community.
Jacklynn Walters
They have used these funds in the past to revitalize areas of downtown like the Aztec Theater and the bank building. These will be beneficial in ensuring downtown Shawnee continues to be a place that attracts families, is walkable and aesthetically appealing. However, I also want to be careful to not just get in the habit of writing checks. I want to use discretionary judgment in allocating tax dollars that support the true revitalization that again makes our city a family friendly environment.
On Tuesday, we will publish the candidates’ responses to the following question:
People who run for elected office often have strong views about how things ought to be — views that may differ sharply from their colleagues on the city council. What steps would you take to ensure that you have positive, productive relationships with council peers who may have different views than your own?
