Birmingham / City Commission - Vote for four. Four-year term.
The Candidates
On The Questions
Please
provide
biographical
information.
Why are
you
running?
What do
you see as
some of the
key issues?
Jeffrey
Jones
Randolph
Judd
Dante J.
La nzetta
Attorney, sole practitioner. Age 46. Mar-
ried, with one son. Birmingham resident
for 12 years. Member of West Maple
Nursery School Board of Directors for 14
years. Member of Friends of the Baldwin
Public Library. Staff member in Wash-
ington D.C. for two U.S. congressmen and
in Lansing for a state senator. Current
chair of a committee of the State Bar of
Michigan's Real Property Law Section.
Participant in civic/religious activities.
Age 48. Married, one child. Attorney.
President of the Lyon Foundation, Inc.
Bachelor of arts, Oakland University. Ju-
ris doctor, Detroit College of Law. Com-
missioner, 1986 to present; mayor,
1989-90; president, Birmingham Villas
Homeowners Association, 1983-86; Traf-
fic and Safety Board, 1985-85; Karst Wa-
ters Institute, director.
Bachelor of arts from Brown. Master of
arts from Chicago. Additional studies in
systems administration, market and opin-
ion research and strategic planning. Cur-
rently manager of International Research
Coordination in the Strategic Decision
Center of General Motors. Resident of
Birmingham for 21 years. Elected and re-
elected Birmingham city commissioner
in 1985, - 1988, 1991; mayor-pro tern in
1986-87,1993-94; mayor in 1987-88,
1994-95. Founding member of Birming-
ham Community Coalition. Member of
Birmingham Master Plan Committee,
Birmingham 2000 Committee and Com-
munity Values Task Force, among others.
Married with three children.
Life-long Birmingham resident. Graduat-
ed from Seaholm High School. Received
bachelor of science degree (magna cum
laude) from Western Michigan University.
Aftertwo years of teaching in London, Eng-
land, inner-city school system and subse-
quent graduation from the Detroit College
of Law, I entered private practice. I have
done graduate work at Andover-Newton
Seminary. I am an active member of First
Baptist Church of Birmingham, as well as
numerous local and national ecumenical
and legal organizations, including the De-
troit Interfaith Roundtable Lay Trialogue of
Muslims, Christians and Jews. I am mar-
ried to Joan and the father of Paige.
C/3
LU
41
■
My home is in Birmingham and I care
about its future. I want to serve the corn-
munity that has given so much to me and
my family. I believe my professional and
personal experiences give me an ability
to serve with an understanding of our
comm unity's needs, responsibilities and
opportunities.
I've been a city commissioner in Birm-
ingham for over nine years and feel that I
have contributed to my community. I wish
to continue in that capacity for at least an-
other four years. I have also recently vot-
ed for a new urban-design plan and want
to be in a position to participate in its study
and eventually implement the plan.
In my 10 years of commission service, we
have laid the groundwork for Birming-
ham's future, including: replacing most of
the city administration following retirement
of long-term employees in critical posi-
tions; guiding city government through
downsizing, mostly through attrition, while
maintaining unparalleled city services;
strategic planning; tackling the problems
of the city's aging infrastructure, includ-
ing the federal mandate to clean up the
Rouge while preserving our town; restor-
ing and preserving the historical munici-
pal building and replacing a failing public
works building; meeting the new com-
petitive realities for our CBD by creating
state legislation and then implementing
a Principal Shopping District.
I am seeking the
position because
I am concerned
about the future of
this city I love so
much. Our citi-
zens, neighbors,
community orga-
nizations and bus-
inesses deserve to
have a meaningful
role in determining our future, and I am con-
cerned that those voices are not being heard of
utilized. As I have watched the city commissior
respond to major issues over the past severe
years, I am troubled by the current pattern o
last-minute, high-cost decision making exhib•
ited by the current commission.
I believe a major issue is the residents'
self-definition of "community" in the face
of historically low voter turnouts for city
commission elections. The creation of the
addition to the Somerset shopping area
creates genuine concerns and opportu-
nities for not only the Principal Shopping
District, but for the city's residential ar-
eas. The planned formulation of a "strate-
gic plan" for the city creates the
opportunity for all residents to express
their views and define our "community."
Birmingham, like many cities, is trying to
maintain its level of services in a climate
of budget slashing on the state and fed-
eral levels. Birmingham has the prime cen-
tral business district in Oakland County,
but is feeling pressure from the new malls
to our north. We need to promote Birm-
ingham's image as a city that welcomes
everyone and is open to all.
The key is
"residential
community."
Everyone real-
izes our retail-
ers' success is
rooted in the
small-town
charm of a
friendly retail
area in a sta-
ble, famity-oriented community. More and
more, we understand our strengths lie in
community, in working together rather
than focusing on differences, and in part-
nerships based on common goals and
ideals.
The major issues facing our community
are continued economic strength, traffic
patterns, infrastructure and leadership. A
thriving downtown retail, financial and en-
tertainment district is necessary to com-
pete with neighboring communities and
to maintain our economic base. Traffic
patterns into Birmingham and through
residential areas must be evaluated to pro-
tect our neighborhoods from encroach-
ing commercial traffic. The design and
construction of our future infrastructure
must reflect the concerns of businesses
and residents alike. Finally, visionary, re-
sponsive, active leadership is necessary
to meet these demands.
I have no magic wand nor exclusive opin-
ion on the truth. I would actively support
the PSD's efforts, as it develops strate-
gies for the business area I would sup-
port a number of city-wide "town hall"
type meetings concerning the "strategic
plan" before its implementation. As an on-
going practice, I would listen, try to solicit
opinions and seek resident participation
in the actions of city government.
We have attempted to hold the line on tax
increases and maintain staff. Through nat-
ural attrition, we reduced staff in several
of our departments and combined de-
partments. We privatized many city ser-
vices for cheaper labor costs and to reduce
our stock of machinery. We have to be in
a position to market a Birmingham pro-
viding a market that augments the malls.
We have created a Principal Shopping Dis-
trict. Birmingham has a racial task force
to specifically encourage multi-diversity.
At my request, our open housing ordi-
nance was redrafted to include specific
offenses and punishment. I intend to con-
tinue these policies.
Outstanding city services are among the
reasons given for living here. Our down-
town succeeds by recruiting stores that
enhance the "in-town" character, offering
what malls 'can't, drawing "anti-mall"
shoppers, and out-retailing everyone. Vot-
ers must demand limits based on their
own "property rights" to adequate light
and air through the limitation of dispro-
portionately large buildings.
,
How do you
plan to
address
these
Lu
issues?
Scott
Moore
'
To encourage a strong downtown district,
I would push for implementation of the
new city Action Plan and associated strate-
gies. I would establish a "one-stop shop-
ping" for new business development and
promote greater cooperation with the PSD
and Chamber of Commerce. To address
traffic patterns and infrastructure design,
I would first work to encourage strong
neighborhood associations and develop-
ment of a neighborhood association coun-
cil to ensure residential participation in
assessment and design of responses to
these concerns. I would work as a leader
to anticipate needs and initiate solutions
rather than react with costly, late re-
sponses to known issues.