Candidate profile: Steve Walton

Steve Walton

Age: 59

Marital status: Married (37 years)

Family: Four children, 15 grandchildren

Education: Associate of Applied Science in fire technology, College of Southern Nevada; Bachelor of Science in public safety administration, Grand Canyon University

Occupation: Retired fire division chief

Length of Boulder City residency: 24 years (1998)

Previous experience serving Boulder City (appointed, elected or volunteer positions): Interim Fire Chief, Assistant to Fire Chief, Planning Commission, youth sports coach, scout leader, city volunteer to Fire Department

Club/organization affiliations: Trauma Intervention Program (former) Friends of the Desert, Feeding homeless (current)

Honors/awards/special qualifications: Professional responsibilities over fire department division budgeting, employee performance criteria, succession planning, promotional criteria, evaluations and ratings, supervision of multiple staff members, emergency planning, public resource allocation. Assistant program director five years over fire technology department at CSN. Founding partner in small business providing human resource development services. Interim Fire Chief of Boulder City Fire Department, Boulder City Planning Commissioner.

What is your vision for Boulder City in 10 years, taking into account the ongoing drought and efforts to boost historic preservation?

I’ve said it dozens of times, I’ll say it again: We all came to Boulder City for a reason, and we stay in Boulder City for a reason. We appreciate the sense of community, the small-town charm, the access to open space and recreational opportunities — within the city proper and beyond. We cherish our historic roots, we are a community for old and young to blend together. My vision and hope is that we move forward in preserving these reasons why we come and why we stay.

To specifically address our future in drought conditions, we need to consider water use and availability to the equation in our decisions. We need to understand the facts, and be an engaged and active partner with the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Our proactive decisions as a community should come into play to help limit any future restrictions placed on individuals and homes. Strong, productive relationships within the SNWA and the Clark County Commission will be vital into the future.

As far as historic preservation, I believe there are ways to encourage homes and businesses within the historic district to voluntarily seek to maintain the important historic nature of the structures, i.e. education for owners within the district, resources for materials which meet the historic preservation guidelines, and determining if there is a way that current owners can voluntarily accept restrictions for historic preservation. I would also like to see our ordinances updated for future purchasers in the historic district to be required to abide by historic preservation guidelines.

Additionally, the Boulder Dam Hotel and museum are nonprofit entities that play a major role in the historic preservation and education of our community, and we can support them at an even higher level with grants and inclusion in planning into the future.

City government can greatly aid in the positive efforts to maintain the community as we enjoy it. I envision that we will enhance our infrastructure to advancing technologies, and particularly seek greater progress toward electrical energy independence through those technologies.

As far as growth, the voters will decide what growth will look like in our future, and my expectation is that it will be minimal. I support the charter and ordinances in place that are part of the growth management of our community.

Finally, I envision that we will make the necessary changes to ensure that our city government, staff and elected officials truly serve the community and are responsive to the needs of residential as well as business well-being, proactively identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and acting in a planned manner to preserve the Boulder City we love.

City Council passed a resolution to put a question on the ballot asking voters if they would approve the sale of 16.3 acres of land southeast of Boulder City Parkway and Veterans Memorial Drive to develop a grocery store and associated retail shops. What are your thoughts on this proposal?

As indicated in our codes and ordinances, the land management process is the first step in designated land use and zoning. This process involves the Planning Commission reviewing land use, the council affirming their decision, then back to the Planning Commission for land zoning, and back to City Council to accept or reject the decision. Each of these meetings is open to the public, subject to the open meeting laws of the state and allow for citizens to weigh in on the matter. This process has not taken place, and therefore, putting this forward to the community as a ballot question is flawed in its process as well as its timing.

In addition, the city is the “applicant” seeking action on this land parcel; there is no grocery store actively seeking to come build on this land. Therefore, placing this land into the land management process really doesn’t make sense. The City Council should not be actively seeking to designate specific land use designation when there is no outside applicant.

All of that aside, if voters approve the potential sale of the land, only a grocery store and associated retail would be allowed to go onto the land, nothing else. The question would be both too specific for grocery store, as well as too vague for “associated retail.”

In conclusion, the plan is flawed and if there is truly a need, the land management process, as outlined by city ordinance, should be followed.