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Photo - Brax Valley Publishing |
Photo - Brax - Valley Publishing Ric Schecter |
Photo - Brax - Valley Publishing Wildwood Arroyo Blockage |
Photo - Brax Valley Publishing |
Interview: Richard Schecter: Candidate
Ric Schecter, 56, is a retired engineer and former associate professor of finance. He ran two years ago and has been instrumental in the “Mountain Arroyo Association “We began discussing the issue of zoning and developers attempting to build residential construction in the arroyos. One in particular is the Wildwood Arroyo.
Schecter: The city gave (the developers) a permit. And it could not be restricted to doing soil samples... but (the city) knew they were doing soil samples and so their were restrictions attached. One was that (the developers) could not block the flow of the arroyo. Which they blocked... and their is more than one..... and they blocked off both (channels). And we complained about it and they raised the barrier on one but didn’t do anything about the other side.
(Schecter is showing the arroyo with roads carved out and areas that are flattened or cleared with some blockage of the flow. Apparently, the neighborhood complained once before when a developer sought to build. The developer was seeking higher density than what the land was zoned and the developer finally quit. The neighborhood group thought that was the end of that. But then another developer comes along without seeking any special restrictions or higher density and so a permit is granted.)
Schecter: I spoke with the city engineer and complained that they were disrupting the arroyo. (The city engineer said that they could do samples).
Upper Valley Beacon: Did you complain to Susan Austin about this?
Schecter: Yes, and her response is always the same. “We can’t save the arroyos. And we have been told now that the city engineer has turned the matter over to the city attorney’s office and so his (city engineer) responsibility ends... and they (city attorney’s office) still reports to the Mayor and so there is a good chance that city attorney’s office isn’t going to do anything... as far as filing penalties or sanctions for the developer. If the neighborhood group were forced to file suit... we would file suit against the city for non-enforcement.
The City has sent engineers or personnel out here to verify that there are violations because we forced them to. The city engineer’s office couldn’t get the developer to make corrections and so they didn’t know what else to do and thus they turned it over to the city attorney.
I’ll probably be branded in this campaign as an environmental wacko. And, I will be called “Anti-Ric”, because they will say that I’m anti-developers, anti-business, anti-builders. But the fact of the matter is that I’m not anti anything. Everything that our association has done and what my basic position is that not that we shouldn’t have things but that we should have equal representation on the decisions.
UVB: Are you saying your not against proper development on land that is well suited for that type of development?
Schecter: That’s true. We haven’t said that we want you (the city) to take this developers land and to not compensate them. We said “We don’t want it developed and we’d like to work out a way where it doesn’t get developed”. We are willing to trade land with ‘em and come to a reasonable negotiation and pay them for the land. We have talked to the city about other incentives that (the city) could give to the developers... like giving them higher density somewhere else. My position has never been that we will take the land away from somebody. We feel that it should be preserved and we feel that the developer should be fairly compensated for it. The key word is fairly.
The arroyos are part of an environmentally friendly 2025 Plan that the city developed. The land was developed and the arroyos were left alone because of cost. So we are already at 2025... right now. But what are we (the city) doing... their letting them develop in the arroyos which takes us out of compliance of the 2025 Plan.
And there is an ordinance “subsection H” (19.16.050 Stormwater design. H.: “Preservation of Natural Arroyos. Arroyos shall be preserved in their natural state....) that says that “you shall not build in arroyos”. And that is what we have been arguing about. And that has been on the books since 1997.
UVB: What type of elected official will you be?
Schecter: For example, Austin views her job as a trustee. She is elected and she doesn’t need any input from anybody and she will decide based upon her vast knowledge what is best for the Westside.
I see myself more as a delegate. I listen to what people have to say. I make sure that what they say is valid. I formulate a plan on how to get their (what the residents want) and I then make their views known at city council. I would be a delegate for the people.
UVB: What makes you qualified for public service?
Schecter: I have been involved in the neighborhood association movement since the beginning. I have supported many groups. I will continue to work to insure that the people have equal representation.
UVB: How will you compensate for Austin’s huge financial backing from developers estimated by some to be 30-40%?
Schecter: I don’t have to compensate at all. I am not accepting campaign contributions. I am working directly through the people of neighborhood associations and through my testimony and presentations at City Council over the past two and a half years. And through my involvement in the community and so forth. I don’t have the money that Ms. Austin has. I don’t want to be mean .... but I guess I will be.
I think we have “Can’t do Austin”, every time we have a meeting on an issue the first thing out of Ms. Austin’s mouth is “I don’t think we can do that”. “Coulda-Woulda Gray”, (Roy Gray) has put out a letter sent out to voters and it goes paragraph by paragraph taking apart what Susan Austin has done. Then he says that he would do it differently. The thing is, that he says he "could'a" done it or "would"a done it... except that he wasn’t there. I think we have “Who is Ms. Lilly” running. Ms. Lilly has been involved with the Rim Road Neighborhood Association but her involvement has been limited. And then we have Ric. And I think people understand who I am and in the past 2 years what I have done and I have roots in the community that go way back and that my style of representation is the right style for the Westside.
UVB: Do you feel confident that you will win the election for City Representative?
Schecter: I feel confident that if I don’t win outright... I will win in a run-off.
UVB: How would you delegate for one view versus another view held by your constituents?
Schecter: I don’t think any of my views are on one side of the spectrum or the other. And I know that on the Westside their many opposing views. I don’t believe that any good solution to our problems lies on any of the extremes. A good compromise or a consensus comes about when everyone accepts the proposal but nobody is particularly happy. They accepting of where they are and they realize that they are not where they wanted to be... but that they can live with the solution. And that is what I try to do?
You have public hearings and you see what the alternatives are and so that you can come up with a solution. With land, you look at maybe a compromise plan. If that is not going to work... you look at a land swap, park credits, putting the land in trust and compensating the owners for the value.... or using that value as a tax write-off. A preservation fund is also a possibility. I will have an item on the agenda soon to direct city staff to develop a bond ordinance to establish a $10 million fund.
UVB: What would you do about health care in El Paso?
Schecter: I think we can do better. We could modify the City-County Health to improve it. Also, by improving the environment health we help our citizens. In order to improve the health care we need to increase the tax base and as such I don’t believe in giving tax incentives that reduce our tax base. Las Palmas is a for-profit corporation and any reduction of taxes goes directly to profit. We shouldn’t give it (tax incentives to established corporations). We can use them to attract new businesses. Las Palmas should be a good corporate citizen. They should pay their taxes like everyone else.
UVB: What is you position on ASARCO obtaining a new permit?
Schecter: I don’t think that ASARCO will ever re-open. We should fight it. I am not sure if we will win. The owners have several copper refineries that are in mothballs. They could choose another site to re-open.
The Public Service Board is taking up valley water and in some cases they are providing water and sewer service outside of the city limits while residents within the city limits don’t have those services. How do you respond to that?
The PSB holds land in trust for the City of El Paso and the taxpayers pay provide the funds which buys the land. If the PSB is in effect working against the taxpayers ... then it needs to stop.
UVB: Any closing thought?
Schecter: I will be a full-time representative. I am the Coordinator of what has become the Westside Voters Coalition. This was formed because Ms. Austin and Mr. Cobos don’t have morning meetings anymore. It includes residents from District #1 and District # 8. I will hold meetings... whether they are in the morning or the evening.... I don’t care. We will make time to have voter input and face-to-face contact.
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Editor, Upper Valley Beacon
Copyright 2004 Valley Publishing Company
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