The League of Young Voters         2009 City Council Questionnaire

General:

1.  How many years have you live in Portland?

Eleven Years

 2.  What experiences, motivations, and leadership styles will make you an effective City Councilor?

The positive and effective leadership style that I have used over the past three years serving on the Portland City Council has lead to substantial change for Portland.  The motivation factors that drive me towards my second term include continuing responsive constituent service, furthering progressive policy development, and implementing the plans we developed in my first term (Peninsula Transit Study, Creative Economy Plan, Climate Action Plan).

3.  If elected, what will your top three priorities be?  How do they impact Portlanders aged 18-40?

Sustainability - Our generation and future generations will benefit from our sustainability efforts through investments in our municipal infrastructure that will lead to energy efficiency and long-term monetary savings.

Creative Economy - Our generation will benefit from our creative economy efforts through increased investments in space for creatives to live, work, and display while coordinating new cultural events and marketing Portland as an arts and cultural destination.

 Neighborhood Empowerment - Our generation will benefit from neighborhood empowerment through community organizing and investment to address our challenges.

4.  Please share one positive change you have seen on the City Council and in Portland over the past year?

The effort of the City Council to proceed with the Energy Service Contract is a positive change that will lead to over $10 million of investments into the energy efficiency of municipal buildings and infrastructure to realize long-term monetary savings and produce green jobs.

5.  Please share one frustrating change you have seen on the City Council and in Portland over the past year?

The prohibition of the performance of Shakespeare at the Wine Bar on Wharf Street is frustrating and is due to the Entertainment License Dispersal Ordinance, which prohibits new Entertainment Licenses at bars that are within 100 feet of each other.

6.  What competing responsibilities do you have professionally and personally?

Art and politics work well together from me as I live a holistic lifestyle that is flexible and allows me to coordinate my schedule to meet my responsibilities.

7.  Are you a homeowner or renter?

I am a homeowner.

8.  What do you see the role of the City Council to be?  If elected, how will you govern?

The City Council is the policy making wing of the City Government with the responsibilities of approving the budget, constituent service, and hiring the City Manager, Corporation Counsel, and the City Clerk.  When re-elected, I will  continuing responsive constituent service, furthering progressive policy development, and implementing the plans we developed in my first term (Peninsula Transit Study, Creative Economy Plan, Climate Action Plan).

Transportation/Planning:

9.  Please answer and explain the following:

        A.  Do you support reducing the parking requirements for new construction (Y/N)?  Explain.

Yes, I value the creation of homes and jobs over parking and will continue to create and support zoning amendments to reduce parking requirements in order to further smart growth development.

        B.  Do you support increasing housing density to build more units (Y/N)?  Explain.

Yes, the most sustainable housing development is with urban density and I will continue to create and support zoning amendment to increase housing density on the Portland Peninsula and the arterial streets.

        C.  What are your thoughts and ideas around housing in Portland?

We should continue to create energy efficient and smart growth housing that is located near the downtown and transit corridors.

10.  What is your primary mode of transportation?  How can we improve transportation in Portland?

Biking, walking, and taking the bus are the primary ways that I travel.  We can improve transportation in Portland by implementing the Peninsula Transit Study.

11.  If elected, what will you do to implement the recommendations of the Peninsula Transit Study?

Yes, this is one of my top priorities during my second term.

12.  Would you support or oppose community benefits agreements in contracts between the City and developers?  If so, what stipulations will you include in these agreements?

Yes and the stipulations should be informed by Portland residents through citizen-driven processes.

Budget:

13.  Given the state of the economy, continuing cuts will be part of the budgeting process.  What cuts will you make?

We should continue to consolidate departments and ask for wage freezes in order to balance our budget.

14.  How will you go about increasing local revenue?

 We should continue to make smart investments in public infrastructure in order to increase property values.

 15.  What are your plans for reducing the City's energy costs and consumption? 

We will reduce the City's energy costs and consumption by completing the energy service contract, decreasing our vehicle miles, and implementing best management practices for operating our municipal buildings.

 Community:

16.  How do you think that Portland should cope with the working waterfront/tourist dichotomy?

 Portland should strengthen the working waterfront by attracting businesses that will manufacture green products and ship them by boat and rail from the Western Waterfront while creating a transportation hub and growing local business in the Central and Eastern Waterfronts.

17.  What do you hope to see come out of the Charter Commission?

A new system of government with an Mayor that is an elected executive, a better relationship between the City Administration and the School Administration, and the right to vote for legal residents.

18.  How do you intend to represent the needs of low-income and New American community members?

Through neighborhood empowerment I will work with the low-income and New American community members to decrease crime, create affordable housing, and make creative economy and greens jobs.

 19.  If elected, how will you cultivate Portland's blossoming art and music communities?

 As a Professional Artist, Break Dancer, and the City Council's representative on the Creative Portland Corporation and the Public Art Committee; I will work to cultivate Portland's blossoming art and music communities by implementing the Plan of the Creative Economy Steering Committee and the Arts District Plan, by repealing or modifying the Entertainment License Dispersal Ordinance, and by defending our freedom expression in public places.