  Update: Dr. Kaehr withdrew from the race.
Today, as part of our continuing coverage of the 2009 municipal elections, we interview Lewisville City Council candidate Shelley Kaehr (pronounced like “care”), who is challenging first-term incumbent David Thornhill for his seat on the Lewisville City Council.
Dr. Shelley Annette Kaehr, 41, is an 8 ½ year resident who resides in the Legends subdivision of Old Town Lewisville. Kaehr holds a Ph.D. in Parapsychic Science from the American Institute of Holistic Theology where she graduated in 2001. Her other educational background includes degrees in English and Broadcasting, and Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Kaehr is a business coach and author of novels and books on healing stones.
Kaehr’s campaign website is http://www.shelleykaehrforcouncil.com and you can connect with her on Facebook.
Kaehr lists the following as her experience in public and volunteer service:
• Citizen's Police Academy & Alumni Association
• Citizen's Fire Academy
• Leadership Lewisville Graduate 1998
• Lewisville Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Service Award recipient 1997
• Christian Community Action
• Habitat for Humanity
• Keep Lewisville Beautiful
• United Way
Kaehr lists the following as relevant training and work experience:
• Customer Relations Coordinator, Texas-New Mexico Power 1996-1999
• Membership Director for Lower Downtown Historic District, Denver CO 1999
• Community Development Institute Graduate 1997
• Economic Development Institute Graduate 1997
• Past member of Texas Economic Development Council
Kaehr’s Platform:
Economic Development
My main concern is Economic Development. As a resident, I am concerned about all the business we are losing to Flower Mound. I would like to work with the City to develop new initiatives and incentives for business to return to Lewisville.
Specifically, I am concerned when I see so many empty strip centers, knowing these businesses have packed their bags in favor of the town next door. I think it’s a rampant problem in the society in general to dump the old in favor for the new. When this happens, we leave a footprint on the environment and our town starts to look like a ghost town.
I know it isn’t easy right now economically with all that’s going on in the country, but I for one am an optimist and I believe if we start thinking about what we want to create rather than dwelling on the supposed “downed economy” things will get better. They have to! Life is cyclical.
Old Town is a focus for me. As a former Membership Director for a historical district, I believe we should continue to develop Old Town as we are to make it a destination for the future. When the Light Rail comes in late 2010, it will be neat to be able to park in Old Town, or walk to the station and go downtown for a Stars Game, etc.
In order to get more residential activity in Old Town, we need certain kinds of businesses there such as a grocery store, dry cleaner, etc, so the residents can walk to many of the services they need. Restaurants are needed. The ones already there such as Tierney’s are doing great. The more we have, the more people will want to visit.
Park Expansion
We have wonderful parks here in Lewisville. I would like to extend the trails system to connect Old Town with the west side so citizens will be able to walk safely around Lewisville, conserve fuel and enjoy all the city has to offer.
Interview
WhosPlayin: Dr. Kaehr, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. The most obvious question I have to ask is why are you running for Council?
Shelley Kaehr: I’ve been around our area now living and working since 1990 and I’ve participated in a lot of community activities through the years. I’ve been feeling the need lately to volunteer some time in an area where I feel I can make a difference and after considering this for over a year, I decided City Council would be where I could make the biggest impact on the city I love so much. I’ve had prior experience fielding concerns in my position as Customer Relations Coordinator for Texas-New Mexico Power, and as a former sales representative for what used to be known as GTE. The City of Lewisville is also a public utility, and in that regard, I feel I can properly represent the city when dealing with citizen concerns.
WhosPlayin: Are there specific policy differences between you and your opponent, David Thornhill?
Shelley Kaehr: After studying Mr. Thornhill’s positions on Economic Development, Immigration, Transportation and Drilling, I believe we both want the same things – a viable Lewisville.
WhosPlayin: You earned a PhD in Parapsychic Science. Can you give us a quick and dirty explanation of what that is, exactly? How does your educational background prepare you for this role?
Shelley Kaehr: Basically it’s another word for paranormal psychology, and it’s been a wonderful marketing tool for my non-fiction.
Personally, I believe my BA in English and my Economic Development and Community Development Institute certifications are more applicable to my role in the City Council. These programs enabled me to gain understanding of the key ingredients to make any city successful and stay that way.
Also when I worked as Customer Relations Coordinator for Texas-New Mexico Power many years ago, I sat on several boards, worked with city officials and sat in on planning and zoning meetings so I have a working knowledge now of the complex orchestration of all the departments in the city and how they work together to make things happen.
WhosPlayin: Looking at your website, it seems that you have so many things going on with your books in development, your coaching, your rock club, radio show and so forth. How will you juggle your current responsibilities with the new ones that would come with a Council seat?
Shelley Kaehr: As they say, the busy person always gets the most done! Look at Greg Tierney for example. He must be one of the busiest people I know! I am a good time manager; I have to be as a business owner since 2000. I will budget the time as I do with everything else. I worked in the newspaper business in my early career and now I spend most of my time writing novels. In these professions, deadline pressure is involved and personally, I thrive on that! When I was in newspapers, there was always pressure to get the story finished. Now I have a lot of fiction coming out this year and have editors on me daily to get changes back to them as soon as I can. I do like the pressure! Budgeting my time will be the key, and based on my past experience, I know I can do it.
WhosPlayin: You’ve stated that you would have a paperless campaign. Aside from your website, what else will you be doing to get your message out to the voters?
Shelley Kaehr: I enjoy using social networking interfaces such as Facebook and I will also be out and about town, talking to people in person and holding events in April for people to come out and meet me and other candidates. More details on these events coming soon…
WhosPlayin: What do you consider to be the most serious issues facing the City of Lewisville, and what is your approach in dealing with them?
Shelley Kaehr: Again, the loss of business to me is the major issue we are dealing with as a city. If we do not figure out a way to retain and attract business, everyone suffers. The businesses influence the way our city is perceived by potential homebuyers moving into our area, and that in turn trickles down to the school system and keeping it top notch. It seems as the energy and attention flows to Flower Mound as of late, Lewisville is getting behind and we need to take back control and re-establish ourselves as THE community to watch in this area.
We need to talk to the building owners about keeping rents low enough so business owners can afford them, offer incentives to everyone to develop new business, build our tax base so that money can be used to invest in our schools. This could be done with the City in a public forum or town hall kind of situation where everyone comes together to discuss the future of Lewisville.
WhosPlayin: Do you feel that the average Lewisville citizen is aware of these issues? What do you think matters most to them?
Shelley Kaehr: Whether consciously or not, yes, I do believe Lewisville residents are aware. When you drive over to Main Street to get something at Hobby Lobby, for example, and realize you now have to drive all the way to Flower Mound to go to that store (and others…) you realize all we’ve lost. I for one want to keep my money here in town whenever possible by patronizing our local businesses.
WhosPlayin: Land acquisition for the expansion of I-35 E through Lewisville is expected to begin in 2010. It is expected that we will lose some businesses as well as some residences along the right-of-way. How does Lewisville city government plan for this and make the best of the situation?
Shelley Kaehr: The 2010 Highway Expansion project in essence is no different than what the Old Town businesses faced back when they were turning Main Street into a one way street. It will be tough, but everyone will get through it.
My initial thought would be to talk to those businesses immediately affected and work with them to make accommodations in other currently vacant spaces we have around town.
After discussing this with city staff, I learned this is already being done, space is being reserved to minimize the impact this construction project will have on these businesses.
Eventually the I-35 expansion will create great opportunities for Lewisville because businesses along the I-35 corridor will thrive as our city becomes more easily accessible to the entire DFW metroplex.
WhosPlayin: Over the last year, many citizens of Lewisville have been approached by gas operators to lease their minerals. While some citizens are anxious for the royalty income, others are wary of the effects of this development on our quality of life and property values. How does City Hall help to strike a balance between these goals?
Shelley Kaehr: It is my understanding the city has limitations on what they can and cannot regulate in regards to these gas development projects: 1) Noise and 2) Aesthetics
This is a tough issue. I have friends who are excited about their residual incomes and others who by principal refuse to participate and are circulating petitions to stop these projects. The truth of the matter is the development of mineral rights for fuel is happening in our community whether we like it or not and I believe the city will do all it can to ensure minimal environmental impact, noise control and aesthetic concerns are addressed as the law allows.
WhosPlayin: Oil and gas is new to a lot of us here in Lewisville. If you look to the oil and gas industry for an education, you’ll get one view – with very little mention of risk. On the other hand, those who do point out the risks of oil and gas development cannot always quantify them. How do you approach an issue like this?
Shelley Kaehr: I believe there should be dialogue with those companies drilling in the area to clarify the issues of greatest concern to citizens, particularly when it comes to safety and environmental impact the drilling may have on our community. I believe this has already taken place, but if another meeting or forum is needed for the public to feel more comfortable, then so be it.
WhosPlayin: Lewisville City Council has been criticized from time to time (including by us) for not connecting with citizens effectively. Do you think this is fair criticism? What would you do to ensure that the council gets more citizen input and participation?
Shelley Kaehr: No, I don’t think so. As someone who is running an electronic campaign, I want to remind readers those Council Meetings are posted well in advance, and if you can’t make it, these days you can watch it online from the privacy of your own home. Everyone who shows up has a voice and always has had opportunities for community participation. The council members I’ve known in the past have always been wonderful about investing their time and energy to talk to me, answer questions. It’s a two-way street.
WhosPlayin: I understand that citizens need to take some responsibility to check up on what’s going on with their government, and we try to do that, and help others to do that. The city usually posts agendas for a Monday meeting on the Thursday evening before. Given that almost every ordinance passed contains an “emergency” clause, things get passed on a Monday night after only 4 days notice. Could the city post draft agendas even earlier than Thursday, and perhaps email them out like the LISD school board does in their “Flashpoints” emails?
Shelley Kaehr: By law, the city has to post agenda items 48 hours in advance. As I imagined, after talking to City Staff, agenda items are being worked on diligently right up until that deadline to ensure the most up-to-date information is released to the public. Agenda items go through a two week cycle so it would be tough to get information out there any sooner than what is already being done. There are two versions of the agendas posted online for citizens – one is a short version, the other is the full paperwork. Again, I think the citizens have ample time to react to things. Sadly, most citizens don’t care to get involved in our local government. Everyone I’ve talked to at the City is eager to work with anyone who shows interest and from what I can tell, they are all doing their best to serve.
WhosPlayin: As the city grows older, some neighborhoods that were once vital seem to be in decline. How do we reverse this trend?
Shelley Kaehr: Two things 1) Economic development and new business in Lewisville and 2) Remembering to protect and preserve the historic district of Lewisville which requires upkeep of our older buildings. I think the new Light Rail and development coming to Lewisville will make this area vibrant. The development we’ve seen so far has been amazing to watch. It’s only going to get better!
WhosPlayin: What about the non-historic, but declining neighborhoods with smaller, older homes? I hear of problems with street parking, nuisances, crime, and code violations that can really make a neighborhood look junky. Does the same formula work for them too?
Shelley Kaehr: This is a tough question. There are certain legal rights homeowners have and although we may want to judge others about the condition of their property, from a legal standpoint, it is my understanding there is little the city can do to people unless an actual code is being violated. In some neighborhoods, such as the one I live in, the Homeowners Association deals with these issues. You are talking about the older places where these organizations are non-existent and I don’t know what the city can do about this. It’s certainly worth discussing in greater detail!
WhosPlayin: What is your view of the proper role of city government, and is the Lewisville City Council getting it right? In other words, where would you do more, and what do you think the city council should avoid?
Shelley Kaehr: By law, there are only certain things the City Council has control over,
although hopefully a good City Council representative serves as a liaison to open dialogues with those who do have direct control over certain policy decisions. I believe current city council members are doing the best they can. There is no one right answer for all the issues facing Lewisville, and I alone don't have the answers. I believe it will take every one of us, working together to take Lewisville where we want to go in the future.
WhosPlayin: There seems to be great frustration by many with regards to the illegal immigration issue. At a recent well-publicized City Council meeting, a proposal to make English the official language died for lack of a second. What are your thoughts on the city’s role?
Shelley Kaehr: We need to see to it that English is the official language of our city! That said, we must also be aware of the fact that we live amongst an ever-growing Hispanic community, and personally, I believe we should be teaching Spanish in schools. When I was a kid growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I went to a bi-lingual school and I am all the better for it. European students learn multiple languages…Americans should too!
About the illegal immigration problem, unfortunately, this is a federal issue and for the city to act on it puts us in jeopardy of lawsuits which would raise our taxes. It is a sticky situation, for sure! It is not the role of a City Council person to direct policy on this aside from representing citizens’ opinions to federal lawmakers.
While on this campaign, I want to make sure I am not making up issues I am standing for when some things are simply out of the jurisdiction of a City Council member. I’ve heard stories about people running for these offices promising all kinds of outrageous things, getting the votes, but once in office, they can’t deliver because what they promised isn’t even part of the job.
If you want my opinion (although this is not a platform because as I said, this is beyond jurisdiction of City Council…)
This is a social problem that is depleting our country of our financial resources yet at the same time, Mexico is in turmoil with the drug cartels murdering innocent civilians. We must strengthen our borders and protect our citizens before the drug wars spill over into US soil. Yet at the same time we must be able to expedite the immigration process for the innocent citizens that are trying to escape the poverty and the brutality of the drug cartels. By getting them to enter legally, we increase our tax base and we can start the education process of our culture and laws which will allow them to take legal responsibility in our country as all of our other legal citizens do.
WhosPlayin: At a recent Council meeting, citizens voiced opposition to the re-opening of Milliken Middle School as the new Delay Middle School. As we know, Lewisville ISD makes those decisions, but these citizens seemed to be concerned about equity among schools, implying that Lewisville’s less affluent neighborhoods were being shorted. Do you think it was a fair criticism, and to what extent if any, do you think the City Council can or should affect education?
Shelley Kaehr: This is a School Board issue the Council has no direct control over. I understand as our community grows, we often outgrow our buildings and have a need for newer larger facilities. Also as a historical district, I understand the old Delay building will be used in another way, rather than tearing it down, which I think is great. I don’t think this is pointing a finger at any one neighborhood over another. They are doing what needs to be done to accommodate more students while trying to keep our taxes lower by using the space responsibly rather than building new space for LISD. New buildings mean more taxes and I think everyone is doing what they can to avoid raising our tax while keeping it intact. Delay, in my mind, is a historical building. I am happy it is staying put.
WhosPlayin: Any plans to make Lewisville the setting of any of your novels?
Shelley Kaehr: LOL Of course, Stephen! I have a great one about a woman who runs for City Council in a small Texas town and gets interviewed on a political website and then….stay tuned to find out more! Sounds exciting, huh? Seriously, I would consider a series on a small town but so far, none are in the works….I think of Lewisville as a small town, for some reason, but I know it’s not. 100K is hardly small, but I think that’s what I love about Lewisville. People here know each other and are friends with each other. It’s a neat place to live!
WhosPlayin: Ms Kaehr, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us, and thank you for your service to the city and the community.
Shelley Kaehr: Thanks, Stephen! I appreciate you doing this and providing a forum for a more detailed discussion of the issues!
WhosPlayin has extended interview invitations to the other candidate, David Thornhill as well as the candidates for Mayor and Council seat 4. We are unsure whether we will endorse any candidates for this municipal election, but we just may have a straw poll as the election grows closer.
Regardless, I would highly encourage our readers to check their voter registrations, and get out and make an informed vote on May 9th. Show your city’s leaders that you care by turning out in good numbers! Polling locations will be posted here.
Keywords:
- CouncilElections2009
- Lewisville |
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