KRCC News sent detailed surveys about some of the most critical issues facing city leaders to the candidates running for Colorado Springs City Council. Here's how District 1 candidate Lee Lehmkuhl responded, in his own words.
What is your elevator pitch for why you are running, and why someone should vote for you?
I was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelors in Math and eventually earned a Doctor of Science in operations research from George Washington University.
I was commissioned into the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant where I served as a Scientific Analyst. During my time in the Air Force I put my mathematics background to work conducting analysis for issues ranging from inventory control to the movement and deployment of forces in combat theatres across the globe. I believe my background that is deeply steeped in mathematics, computer modeling, and analysis would bring a unique perspective to City Council that may not presently be fully captured. My professional experience gives me a technical skillset to tackle a range of issues from understanding the challenges with staffing our first responders to the technical water and energy issues that are wrestled with at Colorado Springs Utilities.
I'm running because, like many, I've become dismayed with the way some members of our current City Council have carried themselves and seem to prioritize rhetoric and grandstanding over conducting the work of the people. The consequences of that behavior result in a less effective government that makes it more difficult for our city to tackle the challenges facing residents such as public safety, cost of living, and disaster planning for emergencies such as wildfires. As I've knocked on doors and held meet and greets, it's pretty clear that residents feel like their needs aren't being met when it comes to these key issues and we need voices on City Council who can restore collegiality and work together to create solutions to the issues facing our residents.
Development & Growth
Should growth happen by expanding the city’s boundaries through annexation or by focusing on infill? And why do you think this is appropriate for the city’s future?
Both options should be considered to ensure our city's growth is managed as healthily as possible.
Annexation should be a tool that's used only when the data and science back a project as a logical expansion of our city. We need to fully understand the impacts on our water and other natural resources, impacts on public safety, and whether the annexation would place a strain on our city budget or utilities infrastructure.
With respect to infill, we need to acknowledge that not every neighborhood in Colorado Springs can safely handle more housing, especially our neighborhoods in our wildland urban interface that back up against Pike National Forrest on the western side of the city. However, I do believe there are neighborhoods where residents desire more of an urban life. There are also portions of town that are blighted and lots that have sat vacant for years. These areas of town would provide an excellent opportunity for revitalizing portions of town and increasing the quality of life for the surrounding neighborhoods.
Colorado Springs city council members also serve as the board of the city's utility company. Considering the impact of growth and development–think Arrowswest, Karman Line– do you believe both the utility board and council can effectively act impartially when it comes to decision making?
I believe it's fundamentally a good thing that Colorado Springs City Council also serves as the board of Utilities. It gives citizens direct input into the job performance of our Utilities. This is a unique tool Colorado Springs residents have that not many other cities across the country have at their disposal.
I would be open to a model of governance that allows for the appointment of 3-5 industry experts to serve on the board in addition to City Council. This would ensure that while the people of Colorado Springs maintain their control over the board of our publicly owned Utilities, they can also have confidence that decisions can be made with the added subject matter expertise of industry experts.
The city has been growing with new restaurants and high-end apartment complexes springing up downtown. Yet, some initiatives have faced widespread opposition. How would you work to balance PlanCOS’ “Vibrant Neighborhoods” with the small-city feel that many residents think makes Colorado Springs a wonderful place to live?
It is important that we're putting the needs of our current families and neighborhoods first.
From my conversations with voters, it's clear many feel like the changes to the city are happening to them without their participation in the decision making process.
We can protect the small-city feel by getting back to where our City Councilors are more accessible to the public. To me, this comes back to ensuring we have leadership on City Council that doesn't wait for input during public comment at Council meetings that start at 10am during the work week, but is actively going to our neighborhoods, sitting with our neighborhood associations, and finding other creative ways of soliciting more feedback from constituents.
Public Health & Safety
Is the city doing enough to address homelessness? What approach would you take?
My faith teaches me that we are all children of God. I believe our families need to know they are safe in their parks and neighborhoods, our businesses deserve to operate without disruption, and our homeless deserve to be treated with dignity.
I believe we are doing better than most cities on the front range and across the country when it comes to handling this crisis. I support the work our CSPD and CSFD are doing to connect the homeless to non-profits and other services that can help them get back on their feet.
I am a supporter of the sit/lie ordinance that recently came before city council. However, I am curious if there are ways we can achieve a similar effect to sit/lie without placing people into the criminal justice system. We need to be strong and have a zero tolerance policy in dealing with those who commit crimes and are violent or unstable, to make sure our families are safe and our public spaces are welcoming. However, it's incredibly expensive to taxpayers to process people through the criminal justice system. I would like to identify the nuances in homelessness that ensure good people who are experiencing a tough time in their lives, but have otherwise been productive citizens, aren’t unnecessarily processed through the justice system. We need to understand the various degrees and reasons why people are homeless and make sure we aren’t inadvertently making it more difficult for those who are working towards getting back on their feet to reclaim their place in society.
What is the most pressing public safety issue facing the city and how would you address it?
The staffing issues that permeate our public safety infrastructure are well documented. We're presently short approximately 60 police officers, 30 firefighters, and our 911 call center is also experiencing staffing issues. Those numbers are just to get us to what we need today and don't take into account future population growth.
To reduce our response times and ensure we have proper coverage across the city we need to tackle our staffing issues. This starts with ensuring we are providing market rate pay/benefits across the board. Colorado Springs is recognized for it's training of first responders, but too often our police and firefighters are recruited away to another city that pays better or is more affordable.
In light of the Waldo Canyon fire and other major fires in Colorado and throughout the West, is the city proactive enough in the face of development to ensure the safety of its residents and their properties? Is there anything you would change?
My background in analyzing large military operations convinces me that we can have a broader and deeper understanding of the relationships between wildfire behavior, mitigation, and evacuation.
I believe we can do more to scientifically study our wildfire preparedness to give residents the peace of mind knowing their neighborhoods are safe and prepared. Most of the attention for wildfire has been on the western side of the city in our wildland urban interface. However, as the Marshall Fire and the Meridian Fire have taught us, our grassland prairies can also pose significant wildfire threats.
With this knowledge at hand we can better plan for evacuations in the face of widely varying wildland fire behavior and target our mitigation efforts where they enhance evacuation effectiveness.
Governance
The city council just approved the use of some e-bikes in the city but are still figuring out policy around it. Should all types of e-bikes be allowed on all of the city’s trails, open spaces and parks? And should it be up to the voters or city council to decide?
The city has struck the right balance with the approval of class 1 ebikes. I believe this ordinance was originally put in place before ebikes existed and was targeted towards bikes with internal combustion engines.
Class 1 ebikes require the rider to peddle the bike and the electric motor cuts off at 20mph. This change will allow our parks to be more accessible to people in our community without jeopardizing the safety of our parks.
How do you assure all of your constituents that you're listening to them, even if you vote contrary to what they express?
I think this starts with being openminded and willing to change your mind in the face of new information. In all aspects of life we are asked to negotiate, compromise, and make decisions in spaces where not everyone aligns. In our personal and work relationships, if we are unwilling to hear others out and compromise, those relationships will likely be short lived. Politics should be no exception and I welcome conversations with those who see the world through a different lens.
This comes back to my earlier comment about being accessible outside of the regularly scheduled City Council meetings. Our neighborhoods deserve City Councilors who will sit down with them, have hard conversations, and work with them to create solutions that work for our families.
If the people vote in favor of a citizen-led initiative, how do you navigate carrying out their wishes even if you disagree with the measure?
Plain and simple. The ballot box is a sacred space and is the only tool where citizens can directly tell their government what they wish to see for their community. If the citizens vote for or against an initiative, the government should respect the will of the voters.
