Two candidates are running for West Lafayette City Council District 6: Democratic candidate Laila Veidemanis and Republican candidate Aaron Abell. The seat is currently held by Democratic Nick DeBoer who announced he did not want to run for reelection.
Laila Veidemanis, 21, is currently a Purdue University student double majoring in Public Health and Political Science.
Aaron Abell, 24, works as a communications officer for Tippecanoe County. He’s currently pursuing his associate's degree in Business Administration from Ivy Tech.
Editor’s note: Candidate responses were edited for style and grammar, and any numbers used were checked for accuracy. When a statement required more clarification or could not be independently verified, WBAA reached out to candidates before publication. Those instances, and those candidate responses, are noted throughout in editors’ notes.
Laila Veidemanis
What are the top concerns that your district’s constituents have shared with you, and what are the issues that you foresee affecting them most in the next two to three years?
The top concern my district's constituents have shared with me is wanting cheaper housing and more of it, along with more parking. Issues I foresee affecting my constituents in the next two to three years is definitely the lack of affordable housing/finding affordable housing. Most of my constituents are students, so I see a lot of stress and worry about that in our community.
Housing has become a major issue in Greater Lafayette — both in terms of the number of affordable units and the conditions of units within the city. What do you believe the council should do, if anything, to address these problems?
I believe the council should work on collaborating with the [real estate] companies that own these student apartments to find a happy medium in which profit can be made, but students can actually afford these places.
The Lebanon LEAP industrial district could pipe as much as 100 million gallons of water per day from Tippecanoe County. What is your perspective on a potential pipeline and what, if anything, do you think should be done about it at the local level?
Personally, I believe a potential pipeline could be beneficial for residents if said pipeline doesn't impact housing communities and local business. I think city planning could work on developing a blueprint for a pipeline that doesn't interfere with houses.
The Greater Lafayette region is moving forward with implementing a climate action plan. What steps do you think the city should be taking to address local environmental concerns, and what is your perspective on the steps recommended in the regional plan?
Overall, climate change is an issue I'm really passionate about (considering I'm younger and have seen how catastrophic these effects can be), and I'm glad to see the city addressing local environmental concerns. I am in support of our regional plan and I love the idea of implementing sustainability within our community; focusing on recycling initiatives and reducing oil drilling/fracking are two steps I consider to be very important.
Companies are investing in large-scale developments in the Greater Lafayette area, part of a so-called “hard tech corridor” leading to Indianapolis. Some residents have raised concerns about how rapid growth could change the character of the region. How would you like to see growth throughout the region managed?
I understand and sympathize with my residents' concerns, but I believe growth is necessary. Like I mentioned before, I would focus on making housing prices stable (avoiding gentrification and steep increases in housing) and working to ensure local businesses have support and don't feel sequestered by the growth of the area.
AARON ABELL
What are the top concerns that your district’s constituents have shared with you, and what are the issues that you foresee affecting them most in the next two to three years?
Since I launched my campaign in December, I've spoken to hundreds of District 1's constituents. Time and again, the concerns I hear brought up most are about the cost-of-living situation and the environment. Without a doubt, they are absolutely correct, and these will be the biggest problems facing West Lafayette over the next few years. Additionally, I'm concerned about the dilution of District 1's voting power in the years to come. As the heart of the downtown revitalization efforts and the location of new large-scale housing developments, the most heavily populated area will outstrip others in population growth. With redistricting not due for nearly another decade, District 1 needs a dedicated public servant ready to fight for its interests.
Housing has become a major issue in Greater Lafayette — both in terms of the number of affordable units and the conditions of units within the city. What do you believe the council should do, if anything, to address these problems?
With Purdue admissions rising every year, our top-notch schools, and thriving businesses drawing an ever-increasing population, housing has turned from a problem to a crisis. The City Council's decisions over the past couple years have been a great start but not enough. Even though it'll take a herculean effort, the City Council needs to consider comprehensive zoning and development reforms. Vast swathes of the city sit in R1U zones restricting them from use for anything other than detached single-family homes*. Off-street parking requirements limit construction options. In addition to the large apartment buildings and mixed-use development recently approved, West Lafayette should build more "middle" level housing options such as duplexes, townhomes, multiplexes, and courtyard buildings. These will diversify choices to help students, recent graduates, families, and young professionals all find affordable arrangements that suit their needs.
*Editor’s note: candidate was asked to clarify what they meant by this. Here is their response: Let me slightly rephrase it to be a little more clear: Vast swathes of the city sit in R1U zones restricting them from use for anything other than detached single-family homes. Elsewhere, off-street parking requirements limit construction options.
It was meant to be two separate points in support of zoning reform. On one hand R1U is too restrictive in general, and that on the other hand some alternative zones limit options through requirements like off-street parking.
The Lebanon LEAP industrial district could pipe as much as 100 million gallons of water per day from Tippecanoe County. What is your perspective on a potential pipeline and what, if anything, do you think should be done about it at the local level?
Water supplies are some of the most precious resources available to a community. It's entirely understandable why Lebanon and the state want to tap into Tippecanoe County's abundance, but our community also needs to be able to preserve the water it depends on. I'm not convinced enough has been done to ensure the LEAP project won't irreparably damage our groundwater and hurt our farmers. If, and only if, the state has thoroughly investigated any potential impacts to the satisfaction of community experts would, I give my approval. City leaders should in the interim work with our legislators to ensure that Greater Lafayette isn't stripped of such a vital necessity without having a say in the matter.
The Greater Lafayette region is moving forward with implementing a climate action plan. What steps do you think the city should be taking to address local environmental concerns, and what is your perspective on the steps recommended in the regional plan?
The Greater Lafayette Climate Action Plan represents a great start in the fight to make our community more resilient and environmentally conscious, but there is always more work to be done. I'd like to pursue an increase of our use of renewable energy sources and to encourage private sector businesses to follow suit. Further, the city can slash emissions by convincing more residents to depend on walking, biking or public transit for everyday travel. Each of these options represent vast improvements over emissions caused by automobile use and can be spurred on by densifying neighborhoods, putting necessities within short distances of residences, creating pedestrian-friendly spaces, improving bike infrastructure and broadening City Bus services.
Companies are investing in large-scale developments in the Greater Lafayette area, part of a so-called “hard tech corridor” leading to Indianapolis. Some residents have raised concerns about how rapid growth could change the character of the region. How would you like to see growth throughout the region managed?
I disagree with the assertion that growing a high-tech industry in Central Indiana would change the character of our region. West Lafayette has been a place of innovation and learning from the very beginning, a nexus for people to gather from across the globe to share their knowledge and talents. Adding these well-paying jobs to our economy won't suddenly do away with our agricultural roots or our festivals. On the contrary, they will encourage more people to add their expertise and experience to the Greater Lafayette melting pot. By using the dense housing development types I espouse, our city will be able to manage its growth in a responsible, sustainable manner without resorting to the kind of sprawl that would pave over our rural communities and would harm the character of our region.
