I've invited all of our 8 council candidates to answer 4 interview questions. Our first candidate is two-term incumbent, Jan Robison.
1. Who are you?
Janis Robison
915 Montgomery Street
(H) 301-776-3026
(C) 301-580-2167
2. Why do you want the job of Laurel council member at this time?
This would be my third term on the Council. Experience at this time is so important and I have that experience. I’d like to see some of the programs we have started continue as well as see some of them finish, like the Senior Center. I’d also like to continue the work we have done on our emergency preparedness as well as continuing to educate our citizens on how they can help by being prepared themselves. The drop program needs some refining and I’d like to see an incentive program for the employees like the one offered to the Police.
3. What are the three most important things you want to accomplish if (re)elected?
Keeping our police force fully staffed and possibly adding some officers. Refining the Drop program. Preserve our Old Town area to show where we have come from and have the newer areas show where we are going. Neither area being more important that the other.
I’d like the neighborhoods to be safer by slowing the traffic down and finding a way to stop so much “cut through traffic”
4. What is your vision for Laurel 10 years from today?
I’d like Laurel to be what it always has been “The Jewel On The Patuxent”. I’d like Laurel to be the city that when someone’s says Prince George’s County they think Laurel what a great place. If a City or area has a problem I want them to think “let’s check with the City of Laurel” and see how they handled this we can’t go wrong following their lead. I want what I have always wanted; what is best for the City of Laurel and the people who live here.
10 comments:
what is the drop program?
I'm interested in the stragegy/ies that Jan, and all the candidates in fact, plan to use to "Preserve our Old Town area"
--Thanks,
Sue
To Anonymous:
Drop:
Deferred Retirement Option Plan. It is an option which offers a way to continue to work while accumulating funds in a special account to be distributed at retirement.
Sue,
The Council and Mayor have worked very hard on a set of guide lines concerning our historic district. The Historic District Commission is the body given the job of protecting our histoy. They have always had my full support. As long as we stay within the guidelines we will stay true to our ancestors and our grandchildren.
Jan
Have you ever disagreed with the Mayor on a law or voted no on anything he's proposed? If so can you give us an example?
It's not a big deal, just curious.
One of the major issues in the region is affordable housing. What are you doing to help those who are priced out of living in our community, such as beginning teachers?
Didn’t the proposed Bazzuto development include apartment housing with an eye towards teachers in particular?
Mr. Lazear,
The Mayor and I have disagreed on a number of subjects. When we do disagree we meet amd discuss our differences. I am not one to have arguments in public. I think it is counter productive to argue in front of the Public. We settle our differences and come to a compromise. In my opinion and it is just mine I think agruing in a public setting or meeting is unprofessional and seldom gets the job done. So while I may not have disagreed in the public eye the Mayor and I have disagreed on various matters, and have reached agreement. We are in fact currently trying to work through a difference of opinion at the moment.
Thank you for taking an interest.
Anonymous,
Affordable housing or worker force housing is something the Mayor and Council are exploring. In fact it did come up doing the discussions on Buzzuto. We found out at the time from the City Solicitor we needed legislation to make the practice cover more than one development. Before we could take any action the city was sued. Also during the hearings the residents in that area made it very clear they didn't want Affordable Housing or Work Force Housing in the neighborhood. Hopefully,if I am re-elected the legislation will be put into place.
When I read your last comment regarding the Bozzuto project I became very concerned. In one sentence you say that the "residents in that area made it very clear they didn't want Affordable Housing or Work Force Housing in the neighborhood." Yet, in the very next sentence you say that "Hopefully,if I am re-elected the legislation will be put into place." By your statements, you have made it clear that you are fully aware of how the current residents feel about this project, and yet you still hope to push this leglislation through. Were you not elected by the residents in this area? Can you explain yourself?
Anonymous
I caught that contradiction myself. What I meant to say was in future we need to look in to this process. Teachers, police, and nurses etc. are the back bone of every community. I also think we need to educate the public just what Work Force Housing entails. Sorry for the confustion. I confused myself. I've had the flu so please while not the best excuse it's the only one I have.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to straighten out any misunderstanding my answer may have caused.
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