JENN OLSEN ON THE ISSUES

A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO POLICY MAKING.

Decisions made throughout the city effect everyone, directly and indirectly. Promoting principles of safe, clean and prosperous neighborhoods will improve all of Davenport. I have helped to do so in my own neighborhood, and I will work hard to expand the process to all of Davenport.

In the past, the city has promoted the development of many low-income rental housing complexes in areas where the entry level employment, community services, and transportation so badly needed and wanted by folks who are just getting started, or starting over, did not exist. Concentrating poverty and hopelessness does not improve neighborhoods. It does create areas of crime and blight that infect the entire city. I will work hard to stop large dead-end housing complexes and promote needed, clean and affordable, deconcentrated housing throughout the city. I will work just as hard to keep and attract entry level jobs and opportunities so badly needed by those who want to work and learn, to improve their own lives.

WHY BASIC SERVICES MUST BE A PRIORITY.

The first job of Davenport’s city government is to provide a clean, well maintained city for all of us to live in. We need to make all of Davenport’s homes and businesses, in all of our neighborhoods safe.

With our current Chief of police resigning, the next Davenport City Council will have the opportunity to approve the appointment of his successor. I will work with my fellow councilmen to make sure we hire a new chief who is tough on crime and high on the organizational skills that are needed to free up our police officers to be on the streets fighting crime. 

I am a strong supporter of city wide community policing (www.communitypolicing.org/about2.html.). We are doing this on a small scale through our NETS (Neighborhoods Empowered Towards Success) Program. The program worked in the Goose Creek area. Unfortunately, the criminals only moved to other neighborhoods in Davenport without community policing. We need a city wide approach to drive the criminal elements out of town.

I want to increase the number of officers on street patrol. I will support the addition of a ninth beat to help ensure the safety of our city and citizens.

ADOPTING AND ENFORCING POLICY THAT WORKS.

Criminal elements often take the path of least resistance and live in areas of a town that are run down and in properties that are substandard. All too often, absentee landlords cater to and profit from such criminals. One key component of reducing crime is insuring that all Davenport neighborhoods are liveable and attractive. The main tool we have in place is our housing and environmental city codes concerning rental properties. To make all of Davenport cleaner, safer, and nicer, for residents and business, I support;

Adding a Nuisance Abatement Attorney and staff to develop better and more effective procedures and aggressively enforce minimum standards for all rental property.

Developing software so that all records (police and 911 calls, building code and other violations) are readily available by rental property and owner to assist in identification and enforcement of minimum rental and housing standards.

RESTORING TRUST IN STAFF AND COUNCIL AND ALLOWING CITY EMPLOYEES TO DO THEIR JOBS.

Davenport has many city employees who are skilled, dedicated, and take pride in their work. We need to let them focus on doing their jobs and encourage them to suggest needed changes/ improvements within their departments. A necessary first step is to replace the current city administrator with a better qualified person who will actively seek cooperation, not confrontation with employees, the council, and the public.

I support a regular audit process of staff time and city programs to better determine what works and what doesn’t for the City of Davenport. We need to ask hard questions about current and proposed projects, programs, and city spending. By regularly reviewing how All our tax dollars and staff time are being spent, we can eliminate waste and duplication, focusing on putting our time and money to the best possible use to improve our city.

WHY WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.

I believe in the process of Neighborhood Based Planning. We need to include local residents, churches, schools and businesses at the beginning of every new development or project, Not at the very end... as we have too often done in the past. I will work to add a Department of Neighborhoods. This department will work with city staff, local businesses, and developers, assisting local residents in developing their own vision of what they want their neighborhoods to be.

Safe streets requires the cooperation of citizens, businesses, schools, churches, and all city departments to work with our police to actively reduce and eliminate crime. I want to expand community policing to include all of Davenport. With improvements, I will also work to revive the Citywide Crime Committee. A committee that will meet regularly and will be supported by the city and staff.

MAKING EVERYONE A PART OF A BETTER DAVENPORT.

We must make economic development in our established neighborhoods and commercial areas a priority. Unless we act now, we will continue to see a serious decline in our population, jobs, and tax base. This decline will effect our neighborhoods, churches, schools, recreational activities, and all of the other things that make Davenport a liveable city. We must start focusing on plans to draw and retain business to the central areas. It is essential that our plans involve the residents and businesses that currently are in these neighborhoods.

As we work to make the areas South of Locust, including the entire West End, cleaner and safer, we create the conditions that will attract and retain residents, business, and industry. Economic diversity is the key to economic growth and revival. The city should discourage additional low income housing in the central neighborhoods. We Should encourage infill-housing to maintain the character of our older neighborhoods. We must be both strategic and selective with our public funding for all city projects. We have achieved some significant things with North East Davenport, we need to achieve equally significant and appropriate accomplishments in the rest of the city to enhance and improve our community.

We need All of Davenport to be clean, active, unique, and vibrant if we wish to keep our city attractive and enjoyable for ourselves, our children, and our future.