Colorado Springs City Council Voter Guide: District 1
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Dave Donelson and Lee Lehmkuhl are running for District 1 in Colorado Springs. KRDO13 asked candidates three questions about their platforms, and their answers are below.
DAVE DONELSON
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people of the Colorado Springs District 1?
"I have done the job for the last four years. I have a four year voting record and citizens know that they are re-electing a councilman who doesn’t take developer money (my opponent does). I have become known as “the honorable Dave Donelson, councilman for the people” because of my stellar voting record in support of citizens, citizen groups, and neighborhoods. As the Councilman for District 1, I have also served the last two years as the Chairman of the Board of Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), and was recently unanimously elected to be the President of the El Paso County Board of Health.
I have a proven record of voting in the interest of the citizens of District 1 - and really the entire city. I voted against the two large high density apartment complexes at a fire evacuation chokepoint in District 1(30th and Garden of the Gods). I worked with the citizens of District 1 to improve the Blodgett Open Space Master Plan. I fought to keep Rockrimmon Library open — and am fighting now to get a PPLD Library restored to the Rockrimmon area.
I have voted against the two large flag-pole annexations (Amara and Karman Line) that were proposed to council. I wrote the Resolution declaring Colorado Springs a non-sanctuary city, passing it 6-3 (a reporter from the border told us that the resolution put Colorado Springs on a list of cities for illegal immigrants to avoid). I proposed letting citizens vote on a downtown building height limit so that our downtown doesn’t become more like Denver. I worked with a neighborhood to keep a large four lane road (the Constitution extension) from cutting through their neighborhood. I will keep working with the citizens of District 1, and the entire city, on their behalf!
During my first four years on council I have also served as the vice-chair of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA), secretary of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), and a member of many other committees to include Lodging and Rental Tax (LART), Stormwater, Audit, and Independent Ethics Committee.
I am also a former US Army Green Beret, Iraq War Combat Veteran, Physician Assistant, U.S. Forest Service trail crewman and Wilderness Guard. My wife Holly and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this year and we have two adult children.
I am running for reelection to continue to be a strong representative for the citizens of District 1, and really the entire city."
What are your top priorities for change in Colorado Springs?
"1. Public Safety - this is the first responsibility of government — at any level. Part of this has to be an effort to influence the legislature and governor to end the soft on crime policies that have been harming our city and our entire state.
2. Infrastructure - this is something else that citizens can’t do for themselves. The quality of our roads, sidewalks, stormwater system, utilities, needs to be first class. These things impact our ability to attract and retain quality citizens and businesses. Citizens are paying their hard earned dollars in taxes and we need to focus on excellence in these areas.
3. Support for businesses — especially local, small businesses. These provide the jobs for our citizens and a tax base for city government to help fund the first two priorities.
Overall my philosophy is “clean and safe”. That is what citizens and businesses want — and that will attract and retain them to make our city prosperous."
Colorado Springs, like many cities, has seen an influx of growth. How do you plan to maintain responsible growth and balance resident concern?
"The answer here is a combination of logical extensions of the city boundary combined with infill. We have a large part of our current city footprint which is yet to be built out - Banning Lewis Ranch (BLR). Wastewater infrastructure is the limiting factor at the moment and that is being addressed. That will allow BLR to be developed. That will bring thousands of homes into the market.
City council also often hears land use items involving infill projects. These can be controversial when large high density apartment buildings are proposed adjacent to single family neighborhoods or along evacuation chokepoints. Council has to do a good job of balancing the need for more apartments with the concerns of neighborhoods.
To do a good job we need timely and accurate data. We need to have accurate demographic data and trends. How fast is our population in the county and city growing? It seems to be slowing. There are currently more than 6,000 apartment units available for rent in Colorado Springs on apartments.com. Thousands more are in the pipeline and will come to the market this year.
Townhome construction defect litigation has essentially halted the construction of townhomes in Colorado. This needs to be addressed by the state legislature. This would allow homebuyers to become first time homeowners at what will probably be the most competitive price point. They will then begin to develop equity in the property and move up to more expensive homes."
These are all parts of the solution."
LEE LEHMKUHL
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people of the Colorado Springs District 1?
"I was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelors in Math. After finishing college 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 analyzing issues ranging from inventory control to the real time movement of forces and materiel in combat theatres around the globe. My background is deeply steeped in mathematics, computer modeling, and operations research. It would bring a unique perspective to City Council that may not presently be fully captured as it gives me a technical skillset to tackle a range of issues from staffing our first responders to the complex, technical water and energy issues that face Colorado Springs Utilities.
While I have never held elected office I have served in leadership positions throughout my career, church, and in my volunteer work that I believe prepare me for a role on City Council. I led teams and remediated conflicts between departments during my time in the Air Force, served as a moderator for my church congregation, and have volunteered extensively in suicide prevention where I am currently the state commissioner for active US military and veterans on the State's Suicide Prevention Commission."
What are your top priorities for change in Colorado Springs?
"The issues I'm hearing most from residents relate to safe neighborhoods and cost of living. Particular issues that are unique to District 1 include wildfire mitigation and the recent closure of the Rockrimmon Library.
Public safety is an issue that is fully within City Council's purview and Council can work to address. I recently earned the endorsement of the Police Protective Association, former Sheriff Bill Elder, and our former Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly. Between my interview with our police officers and meetings with Chief Vasquez I understand the challenges our CSPD faces with recruitment/retention, wages and benefits, and continued training of our police officers. These are all issues that are within City Council's ability to control and I look forward to working with our Mayor and City Council to better understand the constraints facing the City from being able to better support our sworn officers and first responders. Additionally, a specific issue I've received from residents are concerns about enforcement for street racing and reckless driving. I am eager to work with my colleagues and Chief Vasquez to further explore what needs to be done to help our police and fire department reach full strength while improving the safety of our streets and sidewalks.
The second issue I want to prioritize is our affordability crisis in Colorado Springs that is in part driven by our housing crisis. This issue is personal for my family as my 93 year old mother moved in with my wife and me after my father passed away. Her move was partly due to the expense of her continuing to live on her own. I can also relate to the challenges facing our young and working class families in Colorado Springs through the experiences of my grandson, who is an Airman First Class stationed in Abilene, Texas. His BHA in Abilene allowed him and his wife to purchase their starter home. Even with the $800 increase in BHA he would receive if he was stationed here, his family wouldn't be able to afford a starter home in Colorado Springs. We need to work to identify solutions to our cost of living crisis that improve the financial outlook for our families while balancing the real concerns around safety, water, and protecting our city’s natural spaces.
The third issue that is at the top of minds, especially on the westside is fire mitigation and evacuation planning. As a resident of Mountain Shadows, I empathise with my neighbors who survived Waldo and have a justified fear of the threat of wildfires. In this arena, I believe my technical expertise in operations research allows me to serve as a trusted voice for communicating the solutions to these issues to our westside neighborhoods. I believe the city could work with CSFD to continue to research and evaluate our chipping and mitigation programs while more deeply studying our evacuation planning so residents feel confident in a plan in case of disaster."
Colorado Springs, like many cities, has seen an influx of growth. How do you plan to maintain responsible growth and balance resident concern?
"If you’ve heard me speak, you’ve probably heard me say “we don’t want our kids living in our basements, but we don’t want them living in Kansas either”. At the core of this idea is how do we remain a family friendly city and how do we better allow generations of families to live comfortably in the same city.
I empathize with the challenges facing our young professionals who are trying to build equity to get the same start in life as their parents, and with the challenges facing our elders who are wanting to retire with dignity.
With my background in mathematics and operations research, I have a deep appreciation for following the data and the facts. We can strategically balance our housing needs while ensuring we don’t jeopardize the safety and security of our existing neighborhoods, jeopardize our water supply and other natural resources, or harm our natural beauty. From my many conversations with voters, I believe this is what residents want to see. They want to address our housing affordability crisis, but want to have confidence in how we are creating housing for families while keeping our existing neighborhoods safe.
My vision for expanding housing options is simply to follow the facts, prioritize the voices of our families and neighborhoods, and ensure new housing is created in a way that lowers costs for families while keeping us safe."
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
