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I am an electrical engineer and physicist and owner of two Laramie businesses (including the world's first wireless ISP). I am also an author, singer/songwriter, Extra Class ham radio operator, lover of good coffee and chocolate, and advocate of ethical, transparent, fair, efficient, responsive government. I co-founded the Laramie Film Society. I've served on Laramie's Zoning Board of Adjustment and Traffic Safety Commission and the Wyoming Telecom Council. As a businessperson and engineer, I have a head for numbers and an intuitive sense for when they don't add up. I've lived in Laramie continuously for 32 years and have a deep understanding of its history, economy, and character. For more detail, see my Web page at http://voteglass.org

Housing affordability isn't just a Laramie problem. 300% increases in costs of materials, as well wage hikes, have made newly built housing unaffordable everywhere. We in Laramie have no control over the costs of these inputs. However, we have a secret weapon we are not exploiting: a large stock of older housing that can be refurbished for a fraction of the cost of new construction. This requires time, effort, care, and craftsmanship. To do it we must amend or repeal regulations which have put skilled contractors out of business; simplify the Uniform Development Code; and remove bureaucratic obstacles to housing redevelopment. We must also repeal overly restrictive regulations that have needlessly removed affordable housing from the market.

Housing and business development go hand in hand, and we should promote both. As mentioned above, the former is currently extremely expensive. Buyers of newly built homes will get less for their money if they buy new, and may have trouble affording homes with enough space to contain them. We can help by removing red tape and simplifying the UDC without compromising things that are important to quality of life (e.g. requiring adequate residential parking). Likewise, we should encourage business development by removing obstacles such as overly restrictive zoning, onerous licensing requirements, unnecessary fees and taxes, long permitting delays, and ordinances that reduce the availability of contractors.

Downtown Laramie needs more parking. Following Cheyenne's lead, we should put plans in motion now to place a multi-level parking ramp, with at least one level underground, on the site of the Bolton lot. Laramie's city government should spend less on exorbitant salaries for middle managers and more on maintenance of streets, water lines, and sewer systems. Sidewalk, curb, and gutter subsidies should be extended to commercial and non-owner-occupied properties. We should implement adequate flood control and stormwater drainage on the West Side and extend pavement another block from Snowy Range Road in West Laramie. We should catch up on deferred maintenance at the Rec Center and make it financially sustainable without unaffordable fees.

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