Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• Lodi High cheerleader Stephanie Jones in critical condition after crash

• Lockeford man apprehended in connection with Stockton killing

• Woodbridge residents are worried about panhandlers in front of their businesses

• Vote today on Measure W

• Future still uncertain for Galt Boys and Girls Club

• Regional Roundup

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

• Locals pick best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials

• Regional Roundup

February 6th, 2010

• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch

• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

• Baboon business

• Regional Roundup

• Several Lodi venues let you watch the Super Bowl in style

• Lodi Library celebrates 100 years of serving the community

• Culinary craft

February 5th, 2010

• Kids, teachers help Haiti by collecting pennies for Learning Link

• Lodi, Galt students reach out to help Haiti earthquake survivors

• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam

• Hours of sweat and work go into putting on crab feeds

• Things looking up for state's real estate

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Stray bullet strikes Lodi home; police suspect gang activity may be factor

February 4th, 2010

• Managers at Geweke Toyota answer questions about recall

• Lodi City Council votes to replace play structure at Century Park

• Lodi extends ban on pot shops for another year

• Mokelumne River triathlon set for June

• Family, friends to run half-marathon in memory of Galt family

February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• Lodi-area senators Dave Cox, Lois Wolk admit to gifts; Tom Berryhill case pending

• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts

• Galt City Council avoids budget cuts — for now

• New Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency room opens to the public without a hitch

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

February 2nd, 2010

• Big rig plows 7 cars

• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future

• Former Lodian Erica Davis is first paraplegic woman to summit Kilimanjaro

• Jumpers across California

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

February 1st, 2010

• Find cuddly alpacas not too far from Lodi

• Public Meetings

• Patients can expect faster, better service when Lodi Memorial Hospital's new emergency room opens

• Man killed by Amtrak train in Lodi

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
• President Obama's first year (67)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future (60)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (49)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (43)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen (31)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (31)

ADVERTISEMENT

Redevelopment is the best hope for our east Lodi community

In my years as a police officer for the Lodi Police Department and later as chief, I saw first-hand the frustration Eastside residents had with blight, crime and gangs.

My authority then was limited to upholding the law and trying to mediate disputes between neighbors. As chief, I implemented community-oriented policing and built a partnership with Lodi's residents.

Now, as a member of the Lodi City Council in my seventh year, I have the opportunity to address these pleas for help in another way through the Lodi Community Improvement Project, the city's redevelopment plan.

But first, Lodi voters on Tuesday must approve Measure W. Passing measure W will put into motion a plan to help east Lodi more than anything that's been tried before. The redevelopment project area represents one-forth of the city's population, more that half (54 percent) of its crime and about three-fourths of its code enforcement cases. It requires a disproportionate amount of the city's resources to deal with these issues.

Redevelopment isn't the cure-all. It is, however, the best method available to us in fixing many of these problems. In many cases, it will take years before we have enough money to address these needs. But in time, we will have the money to make east Lodi a better place from which we will all benefit.

The City Council has taken the steps to keep and attract jobs in Lodi. We managed to keep Blue Shield in Lodi, and adopted an enterprise zone in which businesses receive state tax benefits.

We have taken steps to pull the city and the Lodi Electric Utility from the brink of insolvency. Although they were difficult decisions, they made the city more creditworthy and are beginning to pay dividends for the community.

Four of us on the City Council saw redevelopment as a good choice for Lodi when we adopted the Lodi Community Improvement Project on July 2, 2008. It's good when the city can provide better services to the community without a tax increase. That's why it's difficult to hear opponents make Chicken Little-type arguments in an attempt to defeat Measure W. The fact is, redevelopment is the best hope for east Lodi, and it doesn't cost taxpayers one dime.

Measure W opponents have distorted the issues and overlooked the many benefits that redevelopment will bring to our city. The plan specifically calls for improving water and sewer systems and storm drains, and upgrading street lighting. It also will provide funds for fixing sidewalks and repairing streets along commercial corridors.

The plan calls for the same improvements in neighborhoods, along with sound walls near railroad tracks, upgraded alleys and safer bicycle routes.

It calls for using redevelopment money to remediate contaminated groundwater, provide additional parks and recreation facilities, and possibly build a new library and/or animal shelter.

It calls for using new money to help low-and moderate-income residents find affordable housing. These methods include a down-payment assistance program, a housing rehabilitation loan program and finding additional affordable housing for seniors. The goal is to enhance economic vitality in east Lodi.

Those who oppose Measure W are working to defeat these programs. There is no other significant source of money available to accomplish these goals. The State of California has shifted nearly $30 million of Lodi property tax out of our city and into state programs in the last 15 years. Redevelopment is the best way for Lodi to capture a greater share of our property tax, and we will use these funds to help our city.

I have spent 37 years protecting Lodi and trying to make it a better place to live. I have not seen a better tool than redevelopment to accomplish that. The entire community will benefit by reducing the volume of police and code-enforcement calls to east Lodi. Redevelopment will free up money to provide services for all of Lodi, not just those needing extra attention. My fear is that these changes may never happen without the additional funding stream provided by redevelopment.

Measure W is an investment in the future of Lodi. It will provide funding for three-plus decades and will enable the city to greatly improve the level of service our citizens deserve. If you believe in doing what's best for Lodi's future and taking a step that helps stimulate a more vibrant community, you'll join me in voting "Yes on Measure W" on Tuesday, March 3.

Larry Hansen is the mayor of Lodi.