Jim Lawson - Town Council

JIM LAWSON - Town Council
24 Deer Meadow Road

Education:  BSEE - University of New Hampshire

Occupation:  Retired - Business Management and Engineering

Years as Durham Resident:  12 years

Previous Service on Governmental/Community/Civic Boards:

• Durham Town Council (2011-2014, 2015-2018)
• Durham Zoning Board of Adjustment (2014-2015)
• Durham Historic District Commission (2015-2016)
• Durham Planning Board - Town Council Representative or Alternate (2012-2014, 2016-2018)
• Durham Economic Development Committee (2010 – 2012)
• Berwick Academy - Trustee, Secretary and Co-Chair of the Financial Affairs Committee (2012-Present)
• McGregor Memorial EMS - Emergency Medical Technician & Treasurer (2007 – 2010)

Reason for Interest in Running for Elected Office:
The Town Council is one of many excellent ways to serve the Durham community, and if reelected I will continue to bring both my town and community experience to the council’s work.  The core of the council’s work, despite all of its responsibilities, must be to maintain and build upon the attributes that make our town unique and attractive to the people and families that call it home, including:

• Access to conserved land and Great Bay
• Recreational programs and opportunities for all ages
• Environmental and land stewardship
• Excellent and efficient municipal and emergency services
• Historic awareness and preservation
• An inclusive and engaged community
• An increasingly vibrant downtown
• Stabilized property taxes

I remain committed to fulfilling council responsibilities in an accessible, open minded and collaborative manner respecting that each Town Counselor offers unique and valuable expertise and perspectives.  I remain committed to addressing the evolving challenges facing our downtown neighborhoods while supporting the continuing revitalization and positive momentum of our downtown.  I remain committed to an excellent relationship with UNH and identifying new areas of collaboration between Durham and the University. Some of the challenges and opportunities facing Durham in the next several years where I will continue to help and provide expertise include:

• Durham’s Downtown Neighborhoods – Vibrant and family friendly downtown neighborhoods are vital to Durham, and will continue to be my priority.   I will continue to perform analytical work to evaluate housing trends and challenges in our neighborhoods.  I believe the Town Council must continue to develop, refine and fund strategies that effectively deal with disruptive rental properties and disruptive student behaviors in downtown neighborhoods.   See “Update on the Distribution of Durham Single Family Home Prices, Supply of Homes Meeting the Workforce Ownership Threshold, and the Trend in Single Family Home Rentals” for an example of my work:  

• A New Durham Fire Station - Durham has addressed aging or inadequate infrastructure by investing in projects such as the police station renovation, new library, new town hall and upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility.  However, our Fire Department still resides in an inadequate 30+ year old facility that fails to meet minimum standards for safety, training and maintenance for a fire department that responds to over 2,000 emergency calls per year. This will be an important area of collaboration with UNH, especially if the site identified by UNH on Water Works Road continues to be a viable location.

• Downtown Parking – During the past four years I have collected and analyzed parking data with the assistance of a fellow councilor and the Durham Police Department.  The data and my analytical work allow the town to identify parking trends, modify parking policies and evaluate the impact of future development and new parking infrastructure.   See “Public Parking Utilization and Analysis” for an example of my work: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/planning_board/page/15701/durham_parking_use_oct_17_final.pdf

• Budget Development and Refinement – Despite investing in new infrastructure, Durham has maintained a flat municipal tax rate for several years because of its increasing tax base, responsible budgets and the fiscal management of the administrator and business manager. I am knowledgeable about the budget process and Durham’s finances, and I am committed to working closely with the administrator, senior staff, councilors and the community to develop fiscally responsible and prudent budgets.

Additional Background Information:
My background in business, including co-founding a successful technology startup company, coupled with my non-profit work provides a good foundation of skills that complement the skills and backgrounds of other Town Councilors.   My broad experience in the town provides me with an excellent understanding of how services are delivered, town budgets are developed, and the important responsibilities undertaken by all of our town boards, commissions and committees.