THIRD TERM AGENDA; MAYOR OUTLINES CITY'S ECONOMIC PLANS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER- Mayor Frank Roberts says economic development, particularly in the Fox Field corridor, will be a major focus of his third term.

Trying to create more jobs for Antelope Valley residents, the mayor said the city will be looking to attract businesses to the stretch of land between the Fox Field airport and the Antelope Valley Freeway (14).

The city is trying to attract warehouse and distribution businesses and other industry to the area, which already holds distribution centers for the Michaels craft store and Rite Aid pharmacy chains to the corridor.

``We want to continue to entice as many manufacturers into the Antelope Valley as we possibly can,'' Roberts said. ``We want jobs with moderate- to high-paying wages.''

Roberts achieved an easy victory Tuesday over challenger David Abber for the city's mayoral post, gaining more than 81 percent of the vote - 3,581 votes to 776 votes.

Voters also returned council members Jim Jeffra and Andy Visokey to the City Council for second terms. Jeffra and Visokey were unopposed. Visokey received 3,666 votes and Jeffra 3,583.

With only one contested seat, and little campaign advertising from either Roberts or challenger David Abber, turnout was only 9.2 percent of the city's 48,900 registered voters.

Talking about his plans for the next two years, Roberts said he wants the city to continue its Target Oriented Policing, which directs patrols at particular areas of the city or at particular crimes, and undercover sting operations like the two ``Men in Black'' operations that resulted in the arrests of scores of suspected thieves and drug dealers.

Roberts said he will also continue to push for improvements to the Antelope Valley Freeway (14) and Highway 138; work to expand the city's soccer complex; and work to see the completion of the Prime Desert Woodlands, a preserve for Joshua trees and other native desert plants the city has been trying to establish for a decade.

In developing the Fox Field area, one drawback is that it is fractured into dozens of small parcels that would have to be cobbled together in order to attract large businesses. Roberts said he wants to encourage the development and real estate community to step in and make the property acquisitions needed to assemble those large, desirable parcels.

The city acquired 120 acres adjacent to Fox Field that is now being marketed to prospective companies. City officials said there is considerable interest in the land.

The mayor's post has a two-year term and does not have any special powers over the other council seats. However, the mayor does serve as the city's chief spokesman, signs city documents, and runs the council meetings.

Roberts became the city's first directly elected mayor in 1996 and was re-elected in 1998. Under the previous system of rotating the mayor's post among council members prior to 1996, Roberts served as mayor in 1994.

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Photo: (color) Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts, re-elected by more than 80 percent of the voters, said economic development will be a major focus of his third term, particularly along the corridor between Fox Field airport and the Antelope Valley Freeway (14).

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer