ShawneeDispatch.com

As an eight-year resident of Shawnee, Ward I City Council candidate Steven Corry will go up against a mountain of experience in incumbent Dan Pflumm, a lifelong Shawnee resident.

But Corry counters that he's got some experience of his own that may prove helpful.

"I worked for cities for over 20 years doing exactly the type of work that I think Shawnee needs, which is doing recreational and stormwater improvements," Corry said.

Corry, 47, who has worked for cities in Utah, Nevada and Arizona and now works for the city of Mission, will rely on his experience in city government when he goes up against Pflumm in the general election April 4.

Shawnee residents will go to the polls to decide three seats on the City Council, in Wards III and IV in addition to Ward I. The Ward II incumbent, Council member Frank Goode, is unopposed.

Pflumm, 44, said that when voters are at the polls, they will be able to put their trust in him because of his knowledge of the community.

"We have a lot of history here," Pflumm said, referring to his family. "I know a lot of people around town, and hopefully I know how they want (the Council) to vote. I think I'd have more of a citizen's view on things."

Both candidates said they are concerned with stimulating economic development in the next four years, as well as revitalizing some of the older neighborhoods in their ward and throughout the city.

Corry said he would like to ensure that Shawnee maintains the quality of its growth and economic development in the next four years, something he said he got experience in while working in Clark County, Nevada, the county that includes Las Vegas.

He said he especially would like to ensure that neighborhoods are "master-planned" to allow for quality roads and appropriate recreational facilities throughout the city.

"Shawnee's adding 400-500 homes per year, and that growth needs services," Corry said.

Pflumm said that in addition to increasing commercial development and reducing residential property taxes, the biggest issue he saw in the next four years was to revitalize the declining older areas.

The city has improved some older streets in Ward I, like 55th Street, Rosehill and the soon-to-be-reconstructed 51st Street, but Pflumm said he would make sure there was continued improvement in older infrastructure.

The reconstruction of 51st Street from Quivira Drive to Rosehill has especially become necessary with a number of new homes in the area. Corry said he hoped to make sure those new developments maintained a community neighborhood feeling and limit any other new neighborhoods coming to the area.

But one area that is definitely open for development are lands along Interstate 435. Pflumm said he has already taken a proactive role with the city's economic development council to attract commercial developments to the area.

"I've always been for residential development, but our percentage of commercial to residential areas is very low in comparison to what the city would like it to be," Pflumm said.

Now that Ward I includes the Deffenbaugh Landfill, both candidates said they thought the landfill company was taking appropriate measure to mitigate odors and work with the city.

Pflumm said that in talking with his constituents, another issue that he has discovered are worries about the security of the northern portions of the city.

"Some of the people have voiced a concern about safety in the older areas, and that's something I'd like to focus on," Pflumm said. "I think we done a some things already, but I think we need to do a little more, work with the police department to make all areas in our city safe."

Corry said he has largely heard concerns about storm water drainage while going door to door to campaign. He said he would not take a politician's role in these issues as a Council member and would work as city staff does to make sure that Shawnee citizens are given the best city possible.

"I look at it as a service," Corry said, "not that I represent them but that I serve them."