What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?
1. Incorporation. After two years and more than $1.4 million, we have yet to see any proven value of incorporating. There is zero threat of annexation until November 2057 and therafter, s of the passage of 2017 Legislation, the voters must consent to any proposed annexation. Also, the initial trigger for incorporation planning was to stop The Woodalnds Parkway extension. Commissioner Riley provided a work-around so tht the Parkway will not be extended across 2978 and we have since learned that even within our city limits, a new city will not have exclusive authority for its roads as we were told. Not only the State of Texas, but Montgomery and Harris Counties have some authority within city boundaries. Incorporation will require a significant tax increase and more bureaucracy. This is not conservative and is just plain foolish when they provide no enhanced value. See lisiewski4township.com for further info.
2. Mobility, Traffic Control, Bicycling & Alternatives. Mobility, or the lack of mobility, remains a significant issue for The Woodlands as wel complete our growth phase. Mobility implies more than buding new roads or expanding old roads to ease congestion and slow traffic. Mobility can be greatly enhances by controlling the tarffic through optimal timing of traffic lights and studying the traffic flow at varying times of day. We need to acitvely participate with the counties and surrounding neighbors and we need to rejoin the working groups at the HGAC. Another way to reduce congestion is to provide reasonable alternatives to personal vehicle traffic, especially in the Town Center area and other more dense areas. The Township adopted a Pedestrian and Bicylce Master Plan in 2016 and has set aside monies to fund transporatation initiatives, but there has been no action since, See lisiewski4township.com for further info.
3. Public Safety. The public continues to seek a high level of services for public safety and this is one of the areas that they are willing to pay some higher taxes to achieve these levels. We should be very proud of our record of outstanding public safety in The Woodlands. With our revenues stabilizing and our expenses incresing, our challenge for the future is to maintain this high level of services without unnecessarly increasing taxes.
I see no conflicts of interest for me.
Do you think The Woodlands should become a city or remain unincorporated? Why or why not (what are some of the pro's and cons)? And if so, when should incorporation occur and why in that time frame?
There is no proven value in incorporating now or in the near future. See Q1 and lisiewski4township.com for further info.
As long as the residents and businesses are satisfied with the services provided by The Woodlands, and the resident surveys say they are, we should resist incorporating. The most recent survey to ask the question found that 83% of the residents do not want to pay higher taxes to incorporate and 70% do not favor it under any circumstance. Taxes WILL go up as we will lose county levey-provided services and be required to assume significant new financial responsibilities as well as increased organizational personnel.
With new legislation (HB347) prohibiting annexation of smaller communities by larger/adjacent cities unless approved by voters, is The Woodlands still obligated to pay-off Houston ($1 million) and Conroe ($500,000) for that purpose?
The controlling legislation was actually SB6 (2017). The two RPAs are still legally binding and if we should stop paying our obligated sales tax payments to Houston and Conroe, they could sue for specific performance, which means they would be entitled to the full amount owed under the contract. On the other hand, an attorney might advise The Township to enter into negotiaions with each city to determine whether the contracts could be amended to terminate at 2057 or to some other mutually agreeable result. Since RPAs are a legislative creation, the threat of the legislature weighing in on this issue might be enought to encourage meaningful negotiation.
What are the three main attributes that make you the most qualified for this position?
1. I am an Engaged Resident. As a 30 year resident, Louise and I raised our children here and enjoy having my daughter and her husband in The Woodlands. We hope our son will also return with his wife and 2 boys. I am Chair of the DRC, a job that requires many hours of research, communication on-site visits and meetings. The DSC is one of the many ways that George Mitchell's vision is perpetuated. I have also served 2 terms on MUD #1, where I have walked the flood drainage ditches for myself to see what work needs to be done to avoid flooding. In addition. I sit on my village association (PCVA) and previously sat on my RDRC. I am active in my church, St. Simon and Jude, volunteer for the 4th of July parade, the flea market, Insperity Golf Tournament and other community events. This experience and knowledge will translate well onto the Township Board. No one else in my race has this breadth of hands-on experience in governing in The Woodlands.
2. Business-like Approach. I have 35 years experience in Management, Maintenace, Construction, Engineering and Business Development in refining, petrochemical, pulp and paper mills, faciities, pipelines and power plant projects. I retired as a Senior Executive and believe that I have the necessary skills to analyze the facts and make hard decisions on budgets, personnel, projects, etc. I believe in data-driven decisions and will strive to bring forth the best information available and share that with the residents. I have learned that it is especially important to listen to your clients and I will listen to the residents' opinions, just as I did in business.
3. Community Uniter. Through my community and busines experience, I understand the value of good partners and will build strong working relationships with our partners. I strongly believe that our community should be managed by those truly interested in the future of The Woodlands. I am not a part of any political machine and I do not have any desire to achieve a higher office. Clearly, I would not have served as Chair of the DSC, if I wished to attain a political position. I have no agenda, other than to serve our community the best that I am able. For these reasons, and because of my past ability to do so in my community and business roles, I believe that I can be a force to unite the community.
What, in your view, are the positive and negative aspects of the Township's current governance structure?
The positive: We provide excellent services for a low cost. We remain flexible and relatively unrestricted by rules and regulations imposed on cities in Texas. The Board is elected and thus accountable to the people.
The negative: Because we are unique, sometimes people do not understand our role. Some people would say we should have the authority to adopt ordinances, but our Covenants and Deed Restriction Standards protect us from many of the same issues addressed by ordinances. There is a danger in ordinances, as we have seen with some cities pushing the boundaries of their authority to manage businesses or to pass other heavy-handed measures.
Are you in favor of allowing the residents to vote on the incorporation question once the incorporation planning process is complete? Why or why not?
As discussed above, we need to listen to the residents and their opinions once the study is complete and the full facts are known. However, based on what we know today, I think the Board should have a discussion about whether it make sense to call an election when the value of incorporation is unproven, the costs and risks of incorporating are great and the people do not seem to want to become a city. There is no requirement to vote if the Board knows and understands that it is a bad idea. My experience in business and on community boards has taught me that sometimes tough decisions need to be made.
Did you attend any of the Special Planning meetings on incorporation? If so, how many?
Yes. I attended the Town Hall meeting at the Marriott, 2 at the Township and watched a couple more online.
