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Tim Danahey on the Issues

Finally, a councilman for all the voices of Parker

Q: What is your approach to government service?

I believe politics are divisive and good government brings people together. Parker Town Government needs to be small, smart, and creative to establish and achieve its community and economic development goals.

Q: What do you mean by "community development?"

Community development means energizing the neighborhoods, increasing resident participation and representation in the issues and opportunities for Parker. If you look at successful towns and cities around the country, you'll see high levels of civic involvement and pride.

Q: That sounds like generalizations. Can you give specifics on what you'll do?

Absolutely. Foreclosures are a growing problem in Parker. Nationally, over 9% of all mortgages are in arrears or foreclosure proceedings. We cannot let repossessed home be a blight on our neighborhoods. HOAs need to be informed of their powerful redemption rights against the banks. These are rights that can assure the properties are maintained, fees and penalties can still be assessed and collected, and they have senior and junior positions in foreclosed properties. Conceivably, these rights may encourage a bank to work out new terms for struggling homeowners rather than foreclose.

Also, most planning commission agenda items do not receive citizen or HOA inputs. The Town doesn't even maintain a current list of HOAs and contact information. As a result, development and growth in Parker will not reflect what the citizens want and need. I've been trying to have developers install trees to protect the views of Clarke Farms from a large new assisted living center, make Douglas County Schools aware of the mile-long dangerous walks along Chambers Road that Horse Creek's children will face if changes aren't made in their plans (the kids will now get a neighborhood bus), and so forth. These are examples that I've advocated alone. We need more participation to assure growth is wise and sensitive to the community.

Recycling is an issue that current councilmen want to "let the free market decide." That's not good enough. Sometimes good government can lead by bringing neighborhoods together, working with schools to educate children (who can teach their parents) about recycling, placing monitored recycling collection points on city properties, and coordinating HOAs to negotiate more favorable trash collection and recycling rates. The current council cannot stand by and let the market decide – eventually, the State will mandate minimum recycling standards on all communities and I prefer the Town of Parker be pro-active and implement programs on our terms rather than rush to ask for the waste collection company terms.

There's more. Lots more. I have plans for residential developers to be accountable to their home buyers to keep their promises and assure quality construction. I have plans for joint neighborhood/Town of Parker park projects that will improve neighborhood open spaces and expand youth programs throughout the town.

I believe the Town can coordinate code enforcement with the HOAs which will make the HOAs more effective and actually save the town money. Every idea I have doesn't cost the Town a dime and greatly enhance the values of our neighborhoods.

Community development will spur spectacular economic development in Parker.

Q: What are your plans for economic development?

First, let me expand my on my approach to community development. I believe community development guarantees economic development. Any endeavor the citizens want to succeed will succeed. The opposite isn't necessarily true. You can pump untold amounts of Town money into economic development and, unless the citizens believe in it, have a vested interest in it, and participate in its success, the economic development will be doomed to fail. Employers will not come to a Town of disaffected citizens. Retailers will not survive for long in a brand new building unless they have engaged the population of the Town.

Now, let me elaborate on economic development. The first task we must achieve is also the easiest. We must adopt a "Live Parker, Buy Parker" philosophy in this Town. But that's just a slogan and slogans fail without action supporting them. When Parker elects me to the Town Council, I intend to go to every neighborhood as often as I can to explain the millions of dollars we lose when we spend our money in Lone Tree or Aurora. The Town is dependent upon sales tax revenue for over 60% of its funds. "Live Parker, Buy Parker" is not just a slogan, it's a matter of survival for the Town and the businesses who invest in our community.

The Town of Parker must modify its purchasing policies to assure Parker businesses participate. Oddly, this is more difficult that it sounds because it requires a door-to-door Town of Parker government outreach to small businesses to assure them they are a valued part of our community, to let businesses know they should be part of a Parker vendor database, and to teach how to get involved in purchasing opportunities. The businesses need to be low or equivalent bidders but, given the price of gas and labor, Parker businesses should have an inherent advantage.

That's a start. The Town is about to embark on building the cultural center, the police station, and (hopefully) a new library (these questions are answered later). The combined cost will be in the vicinity of $55 million. The Town needs to write its contracting procedures so the general contractors are encouraged to use Parker and, to a slightly lesser extent, Douglas County subcontractors and suppliers. Initially, I am suggesting we offer 1% over low bid for every 10% of their work which is performed by Parker and Douglas County businesses. Conceivably, if the projects were performed 100% by local contractors and suppliers, it would cost the Town $5.5 million more spread over the life of the financing but we would be creating a $55 million economic stimulus for the Town. There is economics term called "velocity" which means the number of times money changes hands. That initial $55 million would then be spent in the community and the benefit grows to a $110 million economic stimulus for the Town of Parker.

Granted, these are numbers to the extreme and the actual numbers will be less. However, it illustrates a principle of economic and community development working hand-in-hand. It would also encourage a vast number of new employers to come to Parker to participate in our success. If contractors used unemployed Parker citizens listed at the Food Bank, they would also get credit toward their proposal. All we need to do is create the Parker vendor database, mobilize and educate the local business community to the program, and extend the proposal due dates from one month after the bid announcement dates to three months. This extension will allow the potential bidders time to contact Parker businesses. Once again, the cost is virtually nothing. This is what I'll advocate as your new Town Councilman.

The economic development doesn't stop there. I have many more ideas that will create employment in Parker and invigorate the local economy. This includes creation of an Office of Business Development. This office will maintain communications with existing business and attracts smaller higher-paying professional employers to Parker. This also would not cost the Town a cent because I would work to cancel the $100,000 per year Small Business Economic Assistance expense (only one company has used this program in three years – only four companies have applied) and use this money to create the Office of Business Development. Once again, no increase in cost to the Town and the entire community benefits.

There's more. A major bookstore befitting the town's size and education is a priority that benefits the entire community and downtown business district. Bookstores are special places that create foot traffic, serve as casual places to meet, attract all demographics, and allow forums to exchange new ideas. Bookstores energize community and surrounding economic development and must be a priority when I am elected. Barnes and Noble said "no." Borders said "no." Tattered Cover (which started in Parker) is still upset with their experience here and said "no" to the current Town leaders. I have a plan that will try to break the current impasse and get this vital project back on track.

Once again, community development guarantees economic development. There are many more practical ideas and I look forward to working with the entire business community and neighborhoods to achieve our success.

Q: What do you think about the new police station and cultural facility?

The story is not that I favor both projects. The story is my bewilderment at the process by which the current Town Council approved these projects.

I am opposed to the fact that current Town Council has committed close to $1,000 for every man, woman, and child ($44,000,000) in Parker to two different projects that have no final construction plans, no business plans, and minimal public input on the final products. I don't understand the rush to get these projects approved two months before an election.

The police station is the highest priority. The current police station is too small and highly unsafe. It is, literally, a fire trap. If a fire were to start there, the design and materials of the old building will cause a central updraft that will quickly feed and spread the fire. The armaments room is in a building utility room, animal control consists of two dog travel crates squeezed in by the back door, buckets are in the lower hallways to collect leaking water, the computer technician has to work in the room with the motor pool manager, and the locker rooms lack privacy and little room to even sit. We have no room to comply with new evidence laws. The police force has to load their cars every day with the same volume, time, and intensity as a family would pack for a vacation once a year. We cannot house prisoners in our jail because we are unable to separate men, women, and youth. Therefore, we have to incur the expense of transporting prisoners to Douglas County.

Honestly, the current condition of the police station is shameful and should have been addressed years ago.

The project is now being planned in some scaled back format I will support and help to create an intelligent final plan but, as a resident of Parker, I am disappointed in current Council's rush to commit to an unknown result while committing $22,000,000 of taxpayers' money.

The cultural facility is a similar story. It is not an urgent need and, while walking and talking in all the neighborhoods during my campaign, I don't see any grassroots uproar for the facility. I understand the concept of it being an economic development catalyst but, once again, I don't know who the current Town Council is trying to appease by committing another $22,000,000 of taxpayers' money during difficult economic times for an unknown product.

The process and rush to approve these projects before the election is not good for Parker.

That being said, when I become your new member of Town Council, I have been committed to the projects and I will work to make these projects succeed. I will stress the prompt creation of reviewable business, operating, and marketing plans for the cultural facility. I will examine whether the old Town Council's rashness has precluded us from obtaining creative sources of financing such as those procured in other cities when they combined a senior center with their cultural facilities. I will make certain Parker businesses participate in the development to the fullest extent possible. I will review the relevant plans and work to see if the cultural facility can be developed into a revenue stream for the Town rather than a long-term cost burden.

Q: Is there more?

Lots more. I encourage neighbors, HOAs, and business groups to assemble small groups and invite me to share your thoughts. I can be reached at 720-331-7400.