FORECLOSURE CRISIS IN DISTRICT 2

Folks, listen up.  I've got some serious stuff to share with you.  I have walked from Olive Road to Fairfield and from N. Davis Highway to 12th Ave., knocking on doors. What I am seeing is pretty darn scary.  I have seen empty houses, houses in foreclosure, a lot of new residents moving in to certain neighborhoods as a result of foreclosure sales (this is what I suspect).

On E. Burgess Rd., just around the corner from where I live, a house sold for $48,000.  Another house on the same block sold for $65,000 (it just sold four years ago for $139,000). Property values in some neighborhoods have plummeted. People tell me they want to sell their homes, but they are know they can't get the price they need.  I wouldn't think of selling my house right now.

It is imperative that we have someone on City Council who can work with the Chamber of Commerce, the executive mayor and the City's Community Development Department to start promoting Uptown Pensacola as the most desirable place to live in Escambia County.  BECAUSE IT IS!! YOU KNOW WHO THE PERSON IS  WHO HAS THE VISION AND KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!! IT IS ME, OF COURSE!   We need to get me on that council come hell or high water.

DISTRICT 2 RACE IN THE NEWS

Today the Pensacola News Journal ran a lengthy article on the District 2 race.  I thought it was a fair and balanced article.  It portrayed me as a "civil rights, "tree hugging" Democrat."  I plead guilty to all three charges. 

This is a tree in McClay Gardens in Tallahassee.  I love McClay Gardens - it is pristine and gives one a glimpse of what beauty was once here probably in Pensacola.  Trees are vital to life on this earth.  I love the poem "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree".

If I am elected to the City Council I am committed to assuring the City Council will  implement the conservation portion  of the city's Comprehensive plan.  I love trees as many other residents do.  As I  walk from one end of the district to the other people express to me their desire to have more trees in their neighborhoods.  The residents who are fortunate to have a lot of trees in their neighborhoods express their joy at living in and a round the beauty of trees.

PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL ENDORSEMENT

On Sunday, October 9th, the Pensacola News Journal endorsed me for City Council District 2, citing my energy and ideas as one reason for the endorsement.  I am appreciative of the endorsement, but most of all delighted that someone is listening to my ideas for improving and promoting Uptown Pensacola.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

The League of Women Voters has been empowering the voters for many years with knowledge about local, state and national political issues.  This week the League sent a list of questions to all of the City Council candidates.  Most of the questions were about City wide issues; I wished they had been more specific to each district.  However, I answered the questions and want to share my answers with you.  

Biographical information: occupation, family, current residence, education/degrees, address, web site, email address and community involvement. 

Occupation: Attorney - Member of the Florida and Kentucky Bar - specializing in disability rights law.

Residence: 526 Parker Dr.

Education: BA degree and JD degree

Web site: http://sherrimyersfordistrict2.blogspot.com

e-mail address: sfmada@aol.com

Community involvement:

1. Served on the Escambia – Pensacola Human Relations Commission for 3 years.

2. Served on the ECAT Citizens Advisory Committee for the Escambia County Board of Commissioners.

3. Presently serve on the Escambia County Mass Transit Advisory Committee for the Escambia County Board of Commissioners

4. Presently serve on the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee of the Florida Transportation Planning Organization.

5. I work on a number of environmental issues and have created a blog http://greeningpensacola.blogspot.com. I promote green janitorial supply policies, building LEED certified buildings, reforestation with the City’s tree fund (most of it coming from District 2), speak on children’s environmental health issues, urge the City to attract green industries to Pensacola especially on the old Escambia Wood Treating site. 

1) Please identify the most pressing problems you see in Pensacola and what you would do to alleviate them. (300 word limit)

Problem No. 1: Public officials lack of vision and inability to see beyond the interest of downtown. Such lack of vision stifles economic development, effective mass transportation, improvement of forgotten neighborhoods, and generates a sense by citizens that they are disconnected from their government.

I am running to represent the interest of residents and businesses in District 2. District 2 is the economic engine of Pensacola. It comprises a large business district including Cordova Mall, Sacred Heart Hospital, all of the development from Davis Highway going east along Airport Blvd, Bayou Blvd, to 12th Ave. District 2 includes neighborhoods from Fairfield to Olive Rd. District 2 has the largest workforce of any area in Escambia County other than the military. The economic demographics of the neighborhoods is working class to poor with a few pockets of upscale neighborhoods. 

District 2 produces the most tax revenue from property and sales tax then any another district, yet we get the least in return. Our communities are dying, deteriorating and property values are plummeting. 

The City’s Comprehensive Plan was re-evaluated in 2008 and proposed draft of a revised Comprehensive Plan refers to my district as UPTOWN PENSACOLA. It recommends the creation of an Uptown/Downtown Connection Plan facilitated by an effective mass transit system. It recommends establishing a Local Improvement District (LID) in UPTOWN.

A revitalized District 2, could greatly enhance economic development opportunities, by promoting our many businesses, restaurants, stores, medical center, Pensacola State, and improving our streets, sidewalks, slowing traffic along certain corridors such as Creighton Rd, Airport Blvd, 9th Ave, and addressing unsafe streets such as East Burgess Rd by adding sidewalks and bike lanes. We need to address serious deterioration of the storm water system in many neighborhoods.

If elected I will create an Uptown Roundtable comprised of our businesses, property owners and residents to collectively develop strategies for addressing the many issues we face in district 2. A revitalized Uptown will benefit all of Pensacola.

2) Many financial resources have been used for projects in the downtown area. Please discuss how the area north of Cervantes can be given equal attention, including your rationale for these decisions. (300 word limit)

1. The only way any area north of Cervantes will be given equal attention is to have council members who are committed to representing their districts as their primary focus, rather than acting as though they are at large members of the council. This is why I regret that the question Number 1 is not specific to my District .

2. The City must follow the Proposed Revised Comprehensive Plan which is a legally binding document required by the state of Florida to receive funding. The citizens must be engaged in the development of the Comprehensive Plan. It recommends providing equal resources for all neighborhoods.

3. The Chamber of Commerce should develop a plan to promote UPTOWN Pensacola in the same manner the Chamber promotes DOWNTOWN. These areas should not be in competition, but should compliment each other.

4. The City must adopt a reforestation program as recommended by the revised Comprehensive Plan. The million-dollar tree fund should be used primarily for tree remediation and reforestation in District 2 as those funds were generated primarily from clear cutting over 17,000 trees in District 2. 

5. I will create an UPTOWN ROUNDTABLE that will bring together the many resources in district 2 to meet with the new Mayor and the CRS director, Thaddeus Cohen to strategize on developing a plan to revitalize and promote District 2. While I cannot predict the outcome, I did not create the idea of an Uptown Pensacola: it is an idea that was developed by Mr. Cohen and it resonated with me, therefore, I think he would be open and supportive of my efforts.

3) Please explain the criteria to be used to evaluate the ‘highest and best’ use of waterfront property and how that determination is made. (300 word limit) 

In all due respect, I find the term “highest and best use” vague. To a developer the “highest and best use” could be measured in profitability, to the public “highest and best use” could be measured by increased access and recreation. The question also asks for an explanation of the criteria, which implies there is already a criterion. However, I have lived in Memphis, Nashville, Montgomery, and Louisville, Kentucky. All of these cities have revitalized waterfront properties that are very successful; that allows for both commercial development and public development that is oriented toward providing access to the waterfronts by the public. I believe that the best use of waterfront property is mixed use, with development that increases accessibility to the water by the public. I do not want to have waterfront property become the exclusive habitat of the wealthy and well connected.

The Community Redevelopment Agency has developed a Waterfront Redevelopment Plan that purposes a mixed-use development of the waterfront. That plan is accessible by going to the City’s website to the Community Redevelopment Agency plans. The Community Redevelopment Agency also purposes mixed use planning for the Port of Pensacola. That plan can be access by going to the City’s website.

Pensacola will soon have an executive mayor and I will be looking to that person to formulate a strategy for implementing the CRA and Comprehensive Plan to address the issue of developing a mixed use for the waterfront and the Port of Pensacola. 

4) If Amendments 5 & 6 are approved by the voters, standards will be in place in the constitution for legislative and congressional redistricting. What standards would you propose be used to draw council lines? Please explain. (300 word limit) 

I purpose using the same standards set forth in Amendments 5 & 6 pertaining to legislative and congressional redistricting and which are:

Both Amendments set forth the following standards.

(1) No apportionment plan or district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous territory. 

(2) Unless compliance with the standards in this subsection conflicts with the standards in subsection (1) or with federal law, districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is practicable; districts shall be compact; and districts shall, where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical boundaries.

(3) The order in which the standards within sub-sections (1) and (2) of this section are set forth shall not be read to establish any priority of one standard over the other within that subsection.

When one looks at the geographic boundaries of District 2, it is extremely difficult to understand, as the boundaries are rambling and disjointed. The purpose of the above standards is to prevent gerrymandering to favor certain political parties and politicians who often represent powerful special interest. If I am elected the issue of restricting will be an issue that needs to be addressed collectively by the Uptown Roundtable that I will create.

5) The recent efforts at consolidation of the City of Pensacola, Century and Escambia County failed. What services or functions of government, if any, would you propose be consolidated. Please identify potential advantages and/or disadvantages of these actions. (300 word limit) 

I applaud the noble efforts of the Escambia All for One organization and the Consolidation Commission for their efforts in attempting to improve upon governmental accountability, fair taxation, creation of more effective government, revitalization of economic development and human rights. However, I believe the cause they championed is not on the table for discussion at this time. I have walked from one end of District 2 to the other and not one citizen has asked me what I think about consolidation. For the most part, people in District 2 are concerned about fair taxation, declining property values, property foreclosures, and qualify of place issues.

I do not propose consolidation of any major services at this time. For a while, the City and the County were conducting joint meetings. There have not been any joint meetings in sometime. I propose joint meetings be reconvened with a public forum component. The joint meetings should provide a forum for discussing regional economic development and cooperation.

I would not be in favor of any type of consolidation that would diminish the quality of services in the City such as fire, police, park maintenance, street and sidewalk repairs, and other such services. However, I can envision consolidation of payroll services as a benefit to both the city and the county that would not diminish the City’s essential services. 

6) The Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) , Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City Community Development Department have missions in common. Please discuss the advantages of consolidation of these 4 groups.

The City of Pensacola has a Community Development Department, whose function includes neighborhood and economic development, code enforcement, permitting, building inspections, planning and zoning. Thaddeus Cohen is the Director of this Department. The Community Development Department includes all of the City of Pensacola. 

The Community Redevelopment Agency was established by Florida Statute for the specific purpose of establishing a strategy for improving and revitalizing certain designated urban core areas, including downtown Pensacola. Thaddeus Cohen is also the director of the CRA and in that, sense there is no duplication of services. 

The Downtown Improvement Board has the same stated mission as the CRA.

“The Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board exists to continue the removal of commercial blight; enhance property values; encourage economic development; attract commercial and residential development into the urban core; and beautify Downtown Pensacola.

1. Implement the Downtown Retail Strategy 

2. Increase visits to downtown by tourist and non-residents 

3. Increase residential offerings and occupancy 

4. Increase community awareness about the value of Downtown and the DIB “

It appears that there is certainly a duplication of mission with the CRA. The CRA also promotes events, and does much of the same types of planning and promotion the DIB has done. The DIB has a parking enforcement role that could be accomplished by the City Police Department. The DIB also operates the City’s parking garage and parking lots. This function could also be absorbed into the Community Development Department.

Having stated all of the above, I do not want to appear presumptuous. I am open to discussion on this issue.