General:

1.  How many years have you live in Portland?

30

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

I bring a variety of experiences to this position.  They include being a husband, parent, employer, as well as someone with a great deal of public/community service experience.  I served for six years on the School Committee (including two years as chair), twelve years on the Council (including two years as mayor) and ecomaine Board, and five years on the Maine Municipal Association Board (including one year as president).  I’ve also served on the following boards:  Waterfront Alliance (two years as co-chair), Institute for Civic Leadership, Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Portland Public Library.  I was co-chair of the East End School Building Committee and the Middle Schools Building Committee.  In my professional life, I was for many years a boat captain and am currently Operations Manager and Acting General Manager at Casco Bay Lines.  I also spent several years as a union shop steward and negotiator.  My style includes a belief in balancing process, results and relationships when problem solving and making decisions.  I believe a careful review of my record will best demonstrate a successful and collaborative leadership style.          

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

My priorities have been relatively consistent during my tenure in elective office.  I support trying to keep the local tax burden as reasonable as possible, while, at the same time, maintaining those services that make Portland a welcoming and livable community.  However, one must always recognize that the provision of services costs money, and local property taxes generate the majority of those resources.  I will continue to work legislatively to support a local option tax and to ensure changes at the state level do not further erode the City’s revenue base. These efforts will help to keep Portland the popular and vibrant city that it is today.  I will continue to be a strong supporter of our local schools, school budget and public education in general.  I will also continue to be supportive of local economic development efforts.  These actions all support a variety of opportunities for those between the ages of 18 and 40 in our community.      

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

The biggest positive change on the Council has been a much improved working relationship between members compared to the prior year.  A positive change in the city has been a willingness by all, including City personnel, to work together during these extremely difficult economic times.  

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

As a member, I struggling to identify one particular frustrating change associated with the Council itself.  However, I was very frustrated when the Maine Health development in Bayside failed to move forward.  It would have had a significant impact on the revitalization of this neighborhood, as outlined in the Bayside Plan, and the city as a whole. 

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

I’m married and have a full time job.  However, my record will demonstrate that I have not had a problem balancing my personal and professional lives with being an elected official.

7.  Are you a homeowner or renter?

Homeowner

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

The role of the Council is reflected in the charter.  In addition to approving an annual budget and acting upon a variety of local codes and ordinances, the Council hires and evaluates the City Manager, City Clerk and Corporation Counsel.  If re-elected, I will continue to govern in the same manner that my record illustrates.  I will do my homework and listen carefully to the public, my colleagues and City administration when voting. I will continue to work in a professional and collaborative manner with fellow Councilors, members of the public and other elected officials.      

Transportation/Planning:

9.  Please answer and explain the following:

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

Yes.  Reducing parking requirements, where appropriate, makes development more affordable and also recognizes that not everyone owns a vehicle or uses one for transportation.  Policies that provide for multiple uses of existing garages and offsite parking lots also can reduce parking requirements in parts of the city.  

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

Yes.  Increasing density, where appropriate, also makes development more affordable and may significantly increase the number of housing units available in the city.   

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

I was co-chair of the committee that wrote the City’s housing plan.  I believe there needs to be a balance of housing types throughout the city.  My voting record will illustrate strong support for housing opportunities, including changes in zoning and density, where appropriate, throughout the city.  I’ve been very supportive of directing city resources toward those projects that include provisions for affordable housing as well.      

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

Automobile.  Funding and policy support for public transportation, as well as the recently completed Peninsula Transit Study, would help to improve transportation in the city. 

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

I believe support, in most instances, comes through the City budget and modifications to zoning and policy.  I’ve just voted to include to Study in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.  My record will demonstrate prior support for items, such as Transportation Demand Management and car share programs, consistent with recommendations contained in the Study.  

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?

I am open minded when it comes to community benefit agreements between the City and developers.  There are currently public/private partnership benefits in Tax Increment Financing agreements between the City and certain developers.  Stipulations in future agreements might be associated with housing, community programs, environmental issues, job creation or, perhaps, wages.  

Budget:

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

I’ve chaired the School Committee and Council Finance Committees on a number of occasions, so I’m quite familiar with this subject.  The City and School Department have made substantial budget reductions over the past few years.  Consequently, each year, cuts are felt much more deeply.  I suspect future reductions will be strongly influenced by public sentiment.  Historically, members of the public have been most vocal against cuts in police, fire, EMS, and school programs; however, given the current economy, which includes dwindling revenues, the City Council again will likely, and unfortunately, be forced to look at reductions in its workforce and/or programs during the upcoming budget cycle.      

14.  How will you go about increasing local revenue?

One way to increase local revenue is to ensure a strong local economy.  This will keep people employed, able to afford housing in the city and generate property tax revenues.  We also need to continue to work legislatively in support of a local option sales tax.  

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

We, as a Council, need to understand and carefully evaluate the recently completed energy audit of City buildings.  The City Council must then be willing to implement, which includes funding, those recommendations that are most beneficial to the community as a whole.  

Community:

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

This is a challenging question that has been pondered for many years.  The City needs to ensure its zoning and policy decisions are supportive of a working waterfront and, at the same time, recognize the tourism industry in Portland.  There needs to be a balance between providing opportunities for business owners, on both sides of Commercial Street, to do business, especially during a period of decline in the commercial fishing and associated industries, and preservation of our commercial wharves.  Tourism drives a great deal of the state and local economy; consequently, one must consider its impact when making local waterfront related decisions.  I do believe, as someone who works on Portland’s waterfront, that both tourism and a commercial working waterfront can and do coexist.  This has been true for decades.  

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

I hope to see a thoughtful dialogue, which will hopefully generate sound recommendations, by those we elected to the commission.  Ultimately, their recommendations will come before the voters; at that time that the community will decide which, if any, changes should be made to the charter.

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

I’ll do so in a manner consistent with my record as an elected official.  Budget decisions are illustrative of one’s values.  I’ve regularly supported programs that benefit these communities. 

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

Once again, I believe my record as an elected official will demonstrate my support for the arts and music communities.  I think it is important for the City Council to continue to be supportive of the creative economy.  It has a tremendous economic and cultural impact in our community.  We must remember that policies and budgetary decisions made by the Council can greatly impact these communities.