Thinkin' Topekan

September 27, 2018

A City Employee Is Only Citizen Review If You Allow It To Be …

The Mayor and City Manager have announced they are interested in a form of CitizenReview for instances where there may be police misconduct and/or use of force.

The idea itself is controversial, but worth community discussion. Most communities that have review boards have independent citizens that review these matters and report to their respective government bodies. Some do the review while the matter is under investigation, others review after the investigation is completed. There are multiple models.

But this type of model is not the one being considered by Topeka officials. Instead, they are proposing hiring a city employee to serve as “citizen layer”.

The pressing question from many then becomes: “Can a paid employee of the City be an impartial citizen layer?

This model has positives and negatives.

Among the positives:

• Provides a somewhat-independent watchdog that can serve a role in working with our police and citizens.
• Provides a conduit for information and oversight that assists citizens in getting information in a timely manner.
• Helps the police department put in place policies that are effective in building community trust and ensuring they can continue to do their job effectively.

Among the negatives:

• The individual in the job is at the mercy of the City Manager and elected officials in charge. They can only be effective if they are allowed to be.
• If the role is not well defined, it cannot be effective.
• If the position is not accepted by the Police Department or Community, it cannot be effective and can create more problems.

This may be just the step our community needs. However, as with many instances in our city, so far the idea has been put forth with minimal information and explanation.

I encourage you to read this article about the similar position in Denver. It does a great job of highlighting the pros and cons of the position.

I appreciate the Mayor and City Manager wanting to take steps to address recent concerns from the community, while also being respectful of the work our police officers put forth each day.

But before creating this position City officials must make sure the job is protected when solutions are put forth that some may not like; ensure the role of the position is well defined; make sure the individual has the resources they need to be effective; and let them do the job they are hired to do. 

We don’t need a position created for public relations purposes that simply makes people feel as if they City is working to solve a problem. We need real people, put in real positions that can make real differences in our community.

August 2018 - Thinkin' Topekan

August 28, 2018

Forget dedication of the old, focus on the new: A frustrating and common theme in our city …

    

Business Owner Chris Schultz must sue the City to get them to do the right thing. It’s issues like this that make it hard for people to support City Government.

City Manager Brent Trout has taken exception to comments made during a County Commission meeting that implied Topeka is “going backwards”. As City Manager he should come to the City’s defense and point out the forward momentum Topeka has working for it. But in the process, you can’t ignore and not want to talk about the struggles our City faces.

Time and time again, that seems to be the approach. Want to discuss a problem our city faces? You are "being negative and ignoring all the good" is the response. It’s become an all too common response from City leaders who hope if we don’t talk about problems or fully acknowledge them, they will either go away or can be minimized.

As a lifelong Topeka, I can fully support and champion our progress and positives as a city while also recognizing we have serious problems that need addressed. You do not have to pick one over the other, and in fact, if you do, you will fail to solve our problems or make progress.

Chris Schultz’ lawsuit against the City is an example of where the City had a hand in harming his downtown business, but refuses to correct it, in the hopes that it, and Chris, will go away, and instead we can all focus on the wonderful new businesses in Downtown.

Forget dedication of the old, instead focus on the new: A frustrating and common theme in our city.

In this case, it seems simple: the city engaged the work that was done, and therefore is the primary responsible party. If they have issues with those they contracted to do the work, that is between them and those they contracted. And, let's not forget, these contractors and the City all have insurance that should cover these problems.

 I understand, and sympathize, that the City does not want to accept responsibility for every little thing, because it can lead to cases brought forward that are not legitimate. But in this case, and in cases where old water pipes owned by the City explode and ruin a home, the City should stand up and take responsibility because they do have a part to play.

Many of us know owners in downtown who had various issues caused during this work downtown, but in some cases businesses could afford to repair the damage or own buildings that are empty and just don’t care.

The City has left Mr. Schultz, a man whose business has stayed strong when there was little else in Downtown, no other option then to take them to court. I fully support the City in instances where they have no fault, but that support comes with an understanding they must be called out and taken to task when they are responsible.

For all the incentives we taxpayers are providing those who already have means, our City needs to support small business owners working hard to keep the doors open, especially when City work causes harm.

                                  
 





August 8, 2018

Mall Its Own Worst Enemy …

It has been revealed Washington Prime, owner of West Ridge Mall, has lumped theTopeka mall with two other properties and reclassified them, indicating theyare not core properties of the company. The two other malls are in foreclosure.

This does not bode well for the future of the largest structure on Wanamaker Road, and primary reason that 30 years ago shopping was pulled from Downtown into the Wanamaker corridor.

We all know malls are struggling across the country. The buildings, once important cultural gathering spots, have been on the decline for years. The villains behind this decline range from increased online shopping to corporations wanting their own brick-and-mortar to mall owners being slow to react to changes in shopping habits.

All of that has had an impact on West Ridge Mall and should be considered. BUT…

The current owners of West Ridge Mall deserve substantial blame for their current woes. For years, they have refused to change with the times. They have, for reason illogical as they are frustrating, have simply believed if they continue to operate business as usual, society would come back around to them and things would be fine.

Among their issues:

·        They don’t market the property. So many Topekans have not been in the mall for so long they can’t tell you what stores there are. That’s poor marketing, not just in advertising but in bringing events to the facility to attract customers.

·        They have regularly refused to adjust rent rates to fit the marketplace. Instead of working with local businesses on rates that ensure those businesses can succeed, while also helping the Mall’s bottom line, they ask for rates that are too high for local businesses in the market, chain stores move away from mall properties.

·        Other malls have redesigned exteriors to include a mix of stores with outside entrances. This attracts those who want to shop at that store, but maybe think they do not want to enter the mall. Over time, this lures shoppers back into the larger facility.

·        They are slow to react! The owners have been talking about turning the facility into a mixed-use space for a long time now. Yet, nothing has taken place to put this plan into action. This would mean adding other businesses and attractions, such as doctors’ offices, fitness centers, etc.

The loss of West Ridge Mall as a viable facility on Wanamaker would be a blow to Topeka. Whether you like the area or not, the reality is having that building sitting empty would be a terrible blight and economic detriment.

This news seems to indicate we are headed down that path. It would be ideal if someone can purchase the property and put forth viable changes. Hopefully, current owners are willing to sell off the property at minimal cost to unburden it from their books, and a new developer can make some of the changes other malls are making that lead to prosperity.

Am I a mall lover? Not really. But we have it, it’s big, and we need to work to ensure it does not become a blighted albatross.

Full Disclosure: my brother owned a business that was in West Ridge Mall for several years. Our family has firsthand experience working with the current owners.