Campus/Area
. .
University Daily Kansan / Monday, April 1, 1991
3
Three-alarm fire
Nationwide search for vice chancellor will begin this fall
Firefighters search for hot spots on the roof of the European Tan, Health & Hair Salon, 2449 Iowa St. See story on Page 12.
By Eric Nelson
Kanson staff writer
Kansan staff writer
A national search for an executive vice chancellor will begin in the fall.
It was announced Friday that search committee will be formed this summer in consultation with University governance. Del Shankel, professor of biology, has filled the position since Judith Ramaley left last spring to become the president of Portland State University.
The search will follow guidelines in the faculty handbook, although it does not give procedures specifically for executive vice chancellor search.
Jim Scaly, assistant to the chancellor, said that he was unsure of the exact proceedings, but that the dean would consist of faculty, students and staff.
"We will conduct it, by and large, as we have conducted the last two." Scally said. "We hope the committee will be able to move expeditions."
In a released statement, Chancellor Gene A. Budig said, "I am confident that KU's strong national reputation will attract a number of excellent candidates."
Frances Ingemann, chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee, said that she had not heard any calls to such court but that she expected governance to be involved in the nomination of members to the search committee.
Shankel, who was the school's first executive vice chancellor from 1974-1980, served on the last search committee but was unsure whether he would be directly involved with the national search.
Although he said that he looked forward to continuing teaching, he is happy with his position in the chancellor's office.
Six candidates to aim for commission seats
"I'm enjoying the job," Shankel said. "I like the people I work with."
With the search beginning in m. fall, he expects to continue his duties in the chancellor's office for up to another academic year.
"We'll just kind of see how it goes," Shankel said.
By Vanessa Fuhrmans
Vanessa staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Tomorrow Lawrence voters will elect three candidates to the Lawrence City Commission.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The following six candidates are running for two four-year terms and one two-year term. The two candidates with the most votes will serve two four-year terms and one with the next highest votes will serve the two-year term.
Dudley: consensus can improve policy
Establishing a consensus on controversial issues is the key to an effective City Commission, Toni Dudley said.
"Whenever a city grows, change is never easy," she said. "Our city is in
Toni Dudley
state of transition. The changes that come about can sometimes divide the community When conflict becomes divisive, that's when the commission can take
a real lead and sit everyone down together."
Dudley, who is the director of children's ministries at Plymouth Congregational Church, said that establishing consistent policies, particularly for granting tax abatements would diminish some of that conflict.
"When citizens know that the city has followed set guidelines to grant a tax abatement, there will be less confusion," she said. "Any time we make a consistent decision, we have more credibility."
The biggest issue of the campaign is not simply the future growth of Lawrence but how the city will grow, she said.
Dudley she strongly supported Horizon 2020, the new comprehensive plan for Lawrence's growth into the 21st century, and the preservation of
downtown as the primary commercial district.
While commercial development needs to expand to fit the needs of Lawrence's population, she said, it is important not to diminish the value of downtown, which she called "the envy of cities across the country."
"If we build a suburban shopping mall, people from Topeka and Kansas City are not going to come to Lawrence to shop there," she said. "Where they're going to shop is downtown. I think we're smart enough to learn from the mistakes of other cities."
Horvath: city must
cut restrictive laws
cut restrictive laws
Paul Horvath says he wants to give government back to the people.
"Maybe I'm Jeffersonian in the sense that Jefferson said government that rules the least is the best," he said.
"The more laws you have, the more opportunity you have to abuse those laws, and the ones who get hurt are the citizens."
Laws such as some planning regulations and
the historical preservation ordinance inhibit people from exercising all of their rights, Horvath said. Providing basic services and protecting people from crime is how government best serves the people, he added.
Horvath, who manages Morning Star Management, said that as a property manager, he knew how to work cost-effectively.
When you're in business, you've got to make money efficiently," he said. "If you're a bureaucrat, you've work under rules and regulations."
Horvath said that if future commercial development slowed to preserve downtown as the primary shopping district, both downtown and the rest of the city eventually would suffer.
"A lot of people say they want downtown to remain the primary commercial district," he said. "You can't have both; you can't have vitality and stagnation. Effectively, that's what people are trying to do through things like the historical preservation ordinance."
choices loom ahead
Nalbandian: tough
The key question of the election is how to maintain a strong downtown and still provide for the city's commercial retail needs. John Nalbandian said.
edge the need for neighborhood shopping centers," he said. "And we're going to have to acknowledge the need to continue business growth."
"We're going to have to acknowl-
John Nalbandian
Nalbandian, JOHN Nalbandian professor of public administration at the University of Kansas, said that the city would be successful as long as city policies promoting downtown were for the good of the entire community.
"Those of us who believe in downtown concerns have to be conscious of decisions that solely protect downtown," he said. "We will lose it if we decide that appear to selfishly protect the downtown merchants."
"I think that acknowledges that a lot of people don't have a share in that," he said. "How do we broaden our sense of community? One way is through the appointments to boards and commissions. New people and people who haven't participated before are included more."
How to maintain a sense of community while Lawrence expands is an issue Nalbandian said had not been addressed enough during the election. As the city grows, people representing fewer segments of the community have a say in local decision-making, he said.
Establishing a simple, consistent tax-abatement policy would decrease debate among City Commission members, Nalandian said.
"On the new commission, there will be very much debate on tax athemates," he said. "It will be reasonable request for a tax abatement."
Penny: laws must not overregulate
When laws are inappropriate, it is up to the moral integrity of citizens to maintain stability within a community. David Penn said.
"The best parts of Lawrence that we have were done without zoning."
said Penny, who has deep roots in old W e st w Lawrence. "A lot of it depended on the moral integrity of the people. A lot of things you can't legislate, but it takes leadership within the community."
Penny said that just as rigid zoning laws were a symptom of overregulation, so was a historical preservation ordinance.
"We've been able to do a lot more historic preservation without a rigid ordinance," he said. "I don't know what its redeeming quality is."
During his campaign, Penny also has taken a strong stance against a gay rights amendment to Lawrence's human rights ordinance. An amendment, he said, would promote gays and bisexians to a special, privileged class.
"It's a moral issue, not a racial issue," he said.
The present ordinance prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color or nationality.
Penny, one of two incumbents running for re-election, said that his experience as the owner of Kaw Sand Company cost effectively as a commissioner.
"If we can produce a high-quality service and if we can keep that cost
down to a minimum, then the people will benefit," he said. "The problem is city government is a monopoly in several areas."
Penny was elected commissioner in 1989.
Schulte: city needs big tax abatements
Discontent within the community and divisiveness within the City Commission are reasons for which Bob Schute decided to run for commis-
"I heard a lot of dissatisfaction in
public with what has been going on in the commission," he said. "It made me think that a reasonable person could get on the commission and listen to all of the issues."
Much of the debate on the present commission stems from its taxabatement policy, said Schulte, vice president of Gene Fritzel Construction and a former announcer for Radio Tata abatements should be used to help reduce jobs but also lower paying jobs for unskilled workers, he said.
"We need to attract a variety of industries," he said. "We need some significant blue-collar jobs as well as white-collar jobs."
Schulte said an effective tax-abatement policy should be based on the number of jobs and the amount of seeking an abatement could provide.
“If we want to attract some larger industries, we should be prepared to exceed 50 percent,” he said, referring to the city's current policy of granting a maximum of 50 percent for a tax abatement.
Adhering to Plan '95 and Horizon 2020, the city's comprehensive plans for continued development, would guarantee the preservation of downtown streets in a commercial district, he said. Although small shopping centers would not threaten
downtown, a suburban shopping mall would, Schulte said.
"Any mall that we are going to construct is going to devastate the downtown," he said.
Schumm: leaders need experience
More than 12 years of local government experience have given Bob Schumm the opportunity to help develop some of the city's biggest projects and policies, Schumm said. Having that perspective is vital to the
future planning of Lawrence.
"That 12-year stretch will help me with bringing the history to the table when we draft those plans," he said.
One of the achievements
Schumm said he was most proud of was the ethics policy the commission adopted Tuesday. He and other commissioners have worked on the policy for almost a year.
"I was the original presenter of that idea and I took a lot of criticism for it," said Schumm, a local restaurant owner. "But I think everyone sees it as an important piece of literature."
Adhering to Horizon 2020, a comprehensive plan for the development of Lawrence into the 21st century, is a responsible future growth, he said.
"It will be very important to follow that plan," he said. "If we do a poor job, it will have a low credibility and will be set aside on many issues."
Another important issue facing the new commission will be development of a more effective tax-abatement policy, Schumm said.
A successful policy would be flexible to provide more incentive to attract companies that would generate a lot of economic activity, he said.
USE THE DAILY KANSAN ADS FOR BEST RESULTS!
JCCC
Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College has classes to suit your summer schedule. Fit yourself into a couple of our courses this summer and ease back into school next fall.
Courses are conveniently scheduled to blend with work, play and vacation schedules. And three credit hours cost only $84 for Kansas residents.
If you're coming home to Johnson County this summer, come to JCCC. You'll be glad you did! Call 469-3803 for admissions information.
Our Summer Will Suit You
Summer telephone registration is April 22 to May 3. Register early. Classes fill quickly
12345 College at Quivira, Overland Park, Kansas 66210-1299
(913)469-8500