| vote DORSEY .com |
| Bob's Thoughts on the ISSUES |
| Please watch this space for Bob's positions on Rockville issues. At any given time, these as well as other priorities will tend to change in focus and intensity. Today's issues are a snapshot. Real life is a motion picture. Rockville needs leaders who can adjust and change to lead in a changing region. We need leaders who can actually work with others. We need leaders who can sometimes follow. Among them, and in NO PARTICULAR ORDER... Traffic Safety / Congestion / Road Projects Town Center Parking Neighborhood Crime Pedestrian and Crosswalk Safety Town Center RORZOR Older Existing Neighborhoods Refuse and Recycling Environmental Concerns Civility Senior Citizens Affordable Housing/MPDU City Budget/Budget Process Staff Salaries _______________________________________________________ RORZOR Should be among our top priorities. Profound importance of zoning to Rockville's control of it's planning authority as an incorporated municipality. It is the basis of what makes us able to determine what gets built, how and when. These are the rules of engagement for our city. Requires extreme care to be certain we get it right. Traffic Safety / Congestion / Road Projects Traffic safety, congestion and road projects involve a mixture of technology, development standards and enforcement. We live in a community that has a legacy of automobile oriented development with suburban emphasis that is being transitioned into a more urban scene. This takes careful consideration because we certainly can't dig up the roads or redesign the built environment. We have to employ best practices for infill design, redevelopment and enforcement. Pedestrian and Crosswalk Safety Pedestrian safety is a huge factor in any quality of life equation. It is part of the overall traffic safety issue. As we work to make ours a more walk-able community, we must where we can, emphasize the infrastructure and educational aspects of our travelers who are on bicycles, skateboards, segues, or simply trying to run or walk. Older Existing Neighborhoods Mature housing stock, streets in need of repair, aggressive tree and shrubbery growth as well as old sewer, gas and electrical distribution lines make our older neighborhoods vulnerable to the ravages of age. We need to take better care of those who have been living here over the years. They have demonstrated faith in Rockville, made it their home and deserve the reward of well kept infrastructure. Senior Citizens People who have invested their lives and fortunes here, deserve and need to have their investments protected and be able to afford to live in Rockville as long as they wish. Town Center Ongoing focus is necessary to assure success. The first 12 acres included some city owned property and involvement as a financial partner. The next 50 acres will require our efforts more from a regulatory perspective. Town Center Parking $30 million dollar garages must generate adequate revenue to pay for themselves. Refuse and Recycling Misinformation about true cost of refuse and recyclable removal has been a persistent problem. Salvation rests in successful monitoring and implementation of refuse and recycling efforts over next 3 to 5 years. Trash and recycling commission will prove invaluable. to provide well vetted advise. Affordable Housing/MPDU Available and affordable housing is a regional issue, not unique to Rockville. There are not many more opportunities to build much new housing in Rockville. We need to be wise about how we permit home renovations, remodeling and rebuilding. We must look at available solutions like the Affordable housing Best Practices promoted by COG. Neighborhood Crime Concern for public comfort and freedom from fear. City is relatively safe as most crime concerns are not unique purview of Rockville, but more globally a county concern. Civility Most of what we need to know here, we learned about in kindergarten. Respectful interpersonal communications are not only necessary among Mayor and Council, but citizens and others associated with Rockville as well. We must model and demonstrate respect for everyone. Environmental Concerns Prevalence of global warming and other contemporary environmental concerns should be put into an appropriate perspective for city focus. Sincere application of green technology like LEEDS standards must be pursued, smart recycling and other environment emphasis should receive adequate attention. We need to develop a “Green Collar” workforce. City Budget/Budget Process No actual problem exists with the process. The current budget process is comprehensive and quite superior to what it has been in recent years. No major fix needed. We simply need to better understand and work within the established process. We need to also formalize the policies and procedures document. Staff Salaries Public perception of senior staff salaries being too large is a problem of perception. We must provide competitive salaries to hire and maintain top talent. |
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