Birmingham / City Commission - Vote for four. Four-year term.

Bill
Artzberger

Archie
Damman III

Master of business administration from
Wayne State University. Management
consultant specializing in business
process re-engineering and advanced
technology solutions. Part-time profes-
sor at Walsh College. Married with one
daughter. Birmingham resident for eight
years. Age 35.

Forty-three -
year-old vice
president and
co-founder of
ADCO Circuits
Inc. Bachelor
of arts/master
of arts, Michi-
gan State Uni-
versity.
Lifelong resi-
dent of Birm-
ingham, Beverly Hills and Bloomfield Hills.
Married with two daughters. Elected to
Birmingham City Commission in 1993.

The Candidates
On The Questions

Please
provide
biographical
information.

Why are
you
running?

What do
you see as
some of the
key issues?

How do you
plan to
address
these
issues?

I am running for city commissioner be-
cause i have the leadership ability, vision
and experience to move Birmingham
smoothly into the future. Birmingham
faces many challenges in the near future
and we need local leaders with the vision
and good business sense that are re-
sponsive to both residents and busi-
nesses.

Master of Architecture, University of Michi-
gan. President, Birmingham Villas Home-
owners Association, since 1993.
Birmingham
Board of Zon-
ing Appeals,
1 9 7 9-1 9 8 6 .
Birmingham
Historic District
Commission,
1 9 7 7-1 9 8 1 .
Frank Lloyd
Wright Foun-
dation 1970-
1971.

I am running for re-election to make a
continuing contribution toward the shap-
ing and implementation of the Birming-
ham Downtown Action Plan, which will
be the strategic vision for the future of
downtown Birmingham. Additionally, I
would like to personally meet more of the
people who make Birmingham a unique
community.

Costs of city services have gone up dra-
matically over the past few years. Our
downtown retailers face more competi-
tion than ever.

We should seriously consider privatiza-
tion of many more of these city services.
Our infrastructure must be rebuilt and re-
paired with the most long-term cost-ef-
fective methods. The building permit
system should be helping residents and
business build safe, economical and ap-
pealing buildings in Birmingham. We need
to help our retailers by keeping the city a
special place to shop with first-class fa-
cllities and services. The PSD is a good
start; it needs to concentrate on attract-
ing more customers from outside Birm-
ingham. Membership in the PSD should
be open to all business in Birmingham on
a voluntary basis.

Brian S.
Jennings

Russell
Dixon

Insurance
Broker, age
29. Eastern
Michigan
University
bachelor's
degree in po-
litical science.
Four years in
the commu-
nity. Married.
Affiliated with the Michigan Association
of Builders, Michigan Society of Hospi-
tal Risk Managers, Northville Youth As-
sistance volunteer, high-school football
and wrestling coach.

Since moving to Birmingham in 1991, I
The City of Birmingham.continues to ex-
feel that I have found a place where I want
perience difficulties in planning/environ-
to live, raise my family and enjoy all the
mental issues. The addition of a design
professional to the City Commissiopi;... benefits that this wonderful city has to
offer. I have made many friends in Birm-
would benefit the decision-making
ties of that body. My past experience as .. ingham and have a genuine and dedi-
Gated interest in the direction that this
a community advocate (having worked
community will take in the future.
keep the only remaining middle 513
—
o
the prottOt•
along with my experience as a.
of the Board of Zoning Appeals .
District.Com missio n,
Historic District
me expertise in the orkings of civi
ernment.

Since local property values are linked to
a healthy business district, the single most
critical issue is Birmingham's response to
the retail challenge of Somerset North.
Finding the correct balance between pub-
lic services and tax revenues in the face of
an aging infrastructure is also a critical point
of discussion.

I want to contribute to the shaping of the
Downtown Action Plan, which will be our
strategic blueprint for the next 20 years.
The implementation plans that result will
be a key commission focus in the near fu-
ture. This plan, which includes an eco-
nomic survey, will help attract and
strengthen local businesses through
streetscape improvements, signage, zon-
ing and market information. Budget choic-
es can be made easier through increased
privatization of work elements currently
performed by city personnel. The seri-
ousness of this effort should also help
dampen collective-bargaining cost in-
creases.

Binning
°omen.
This new
ly identify
, ;: .,. .
the city of B r ingbanl.
,,,,,f,, : 1 : .:t: base
that this
upon.
may be co roversial,•and its irnportin
that the plan is implemented without a
weakening of its concept. Additionally,
cut-through traffic continues to remain
a problem in many residential neighbor-
hoods.

,

The controversies of the Downtown At -
tion Plan will need to be specifically iden-
tified and analyzed. Alternate solutions
must be proposed, and the consequences
of both the original proposal and alter-
nates will have to be identified. Commu-
nity costs and benefits will need to be
considered, so that the plan can be en-
acted without undue compromise or
hardship on any one segment of the com-
munity. To alleviate unnecessary traffic,
a plan should be developed to identify
prototypical solutions that do not contin-
ually shift excess traffic from one neigh-
borhood to the next. Homeowners groups
then can request solutions which will be
more equitable to the entire city.

Like any progressive and thriving com-
munity, Birmingham will have growing
pains. The fundamental issue for this
community is twofold: to maintain the
traditional values that a close-knit com-
munity like Birmingham has, while mak-
ing room for all the advantages that come
with progressive technology and an ex-
panding economy. These must be inte-
grated into our citizenry. Meeting an ever
encroaching competition to our mer-
chants and businessmen, accessible
parking and maintaining a high and effi-
cient level of public services are all press-
ing issues. These concerns need to be
addressed and met at a price that the tax-
payers of Birmingham can afford.

If we can entice new business to settle
in Birmingham by maintaining a rea-
sonable tax base and excellence of local
government services, we will have little
to fear from outside competition. Seri-
ous thought should be given to the at-
traction of additional forms of
entertainment and stores that comple-
ment an already thriving downtown.
These will continue to promote the city
of Birmingham as a urban center of cul-
ture. Our schools and libraries should
continuously be upgraded to take ad-
vantage of the ever changing advances
in education.

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