This article
features Boulder City Council candidates’ answers to six questions taken
from the Community Questionnaire, a unified questionnaire spearheaded
by The Blue Line that involved the participation of numerous local
organizations, including Boulder Weekly. The questionnaire, available at
www.boulderweekly.com, includes 57 key questions on local issues,
ranging from open space to arts to diversity, and is searchable by topic
and candidate. To find out what a candidate has to say on the topics
below, simply search for the corresponding number beneath each
candidate’s name. Their answers have been edited only for style and
typos.
1. How would you encourage property owners to provide more bike parking at places like shopping centers?
2. What can City Council do to facilitate the establishment and growth of more locally owned businesses?
3. What would you do to prevent racial profiling and to improve trust between the police and the Latino community?
4. What are the three most important
achievable goals that you would like to accomplish through the City
Council over the next two years?
5. What is your vision for long-term solutions to low-income and affordable housing options in Boulder?
6. What can City Council do to encourage
growth and consumption of locally grown food, especially in relationship
to land use policies?
Mark Gelband
Favors 2A
Opposes 2B, 2C, 2H
1. Go and speak with them directly with data in hand that
shows the community value. For new development I would have requirements
for bike racks — similar to parking spots.
2. Streamline the process from application to approval.
Encourage the development of more large-grade office space so that when
homegrown businesses grow, they are not choosing to go down 36.
3. First speak with Latino and Latina leaders in the
community to see what they believe would work. My inclination would be
to hire more Latinos and Latinas on the police force and engage in
greater community policing practices.
4. Move toward inclusionary zoning that encourages more
ADUs and OAUs, density in appropriate areas, and streamlines the
re-development opportunities and process for young families. Help find
Naropa University a centralized, larger home and keep this great place a
part of our community. Push a community art use for the civic pad.
5. We cannot have an honest discussion about affordable
housing without talking about how we build more housing. We need to
address the funding mechanism from development while we simultaneously
squash development. This doesn’t make sense. We need to reverse the
down-zoning of the Whittier and Goss-Grove neighborhoods and encourage
ADUs and OAUs and density.
6. Practice it themselves. Set examples in their own
lives. Encourage use of dead medians to plant food, as Scott Hoffenberg
has successfully pioneered on University and 7th. Loosen rules around
gardening in setbacks and having chicken coops in setbacks.
Fenno Hoffman
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C
Opposes 2H
1. The lack of bicycle facilities is NOT
why more people don’t bike to shopping centers. Our suburban land-use
patterns are designed for cars. Retailers sell in bulk and most people
don’t live near shopping centers. If it made more sense for families to
shop on bikes, rather than in mini-vans, they would, and property owners
would accommodate their customers with bike parking the way they
provide car parking today. The only way to get more people out of cars
and onto bikes is to change our land use patterns so bikes make more
sense than cars. That means more apartments and townhouses near shopping
centers, so people are close enough to bike and walk.
2. Allow markets to provide workforce
housing along our transit corridors. Increase the supply of more compact
neighborhood centers to lower lifestyle costs for people willing to
trade larger suburban houses (and “footprints”) for more compact housing
in livelier walkable neighborhoods with better transit service, more
shared amenities, better schools and less driving. This can help offset
the high land prices that make our housing so expensive compared to
neighboring communities. We could also lower the cost of energy for
businesses with co-generation that captures lost heat for process heat
and refrigeration cycles and with protection from the politicization of
their rates, if the voters choose municipalization. We can make the
culture here more business-friendly and less anti-corporate with better
outreach and education between our business leaders and everyone else.
The current polarized climate makes that a challenge.
3. Community policing, foot patrols,
school visits, patrol car ride-alongs and lots of engagement between
officers and neighborhood activists all help build trust. I have worked
in the public safety sector and on the whole, I think our police
officers do a good job of policing fairly. I know they treat this issue
very seriously. That said, I think it’s human nature to profile —
because it’s part of pattern recognition and how we try to anticipate
risks and rewards. We profile mountain lions, little old ladies,
students, politicians and corporations, even though we’re taught not to
judge a book by its cover. We ALL need to manage our tendency to see
patterns and work to be fair, rather than prejudiced, towards anyone we
perceive as part of any “community.”
4. Make our “Sustainable Streets and
Centers” a top priority. Create a street tree plan for our busiest
streets. Reduce the polarity in our divided community.
5. Long term: allow apartments,
townhouses and walkable neighborhood centers, along transit corridors,
to lower lifestyle and service costs, reduce car ownership and VMTs and
free up our existing single-family housing supply in neighborhood
interiors for the families with young children that thrive in that kind
of housing. In a nutshell, we need to better match our housing supply
and demand and better optimize the kind of housing choices we allow, to
fit the requirements of our population. Gangs of students, immobilized
seniors, young adults, empty nesters and many others without young
children, welcome alternatives to living in single-family houses and
quiet (dull) neighborhoods, if the alternatives are lively, walkable,
convenient, less expensive, more energy efficient and don’t require so
much driving. One car is worth about $50,000 in housing expense. What
are two hours a day of free time (not driving) worth?
6. Grow food on open space. Slaughter animals in
backyards. How far do you want to take this? Wheat and other staples are
very different than salad fixin’s. Local sounds groovy, but most of
what most people eat here isn’t local. Big topic.
Jonathan Hondorf
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H
1. I would revisit the ratio formula that is used to
determine auto spaces that can be offset with bike spaces. We need to be
more aggressive in encouraging more bike use and less auto use. I would
additionally allow more mixed use of housing within these clusters.
2. The greatest challenge to any startup business is the
cost and the timing. The lower the cost you have to invest at startup
the reduced risk associated with the break-even point and long-term
success. Timing is important in how much time (should be reduced) is
demanded through regulation. Regulation is important but needs not be
overbearing and daunting as to preclude entrepreneurs from trying.
Second part of retention has to do with more options in the
commercial/industrial spaces, allowing more flex spaces for expansion.
Cost of leases is the final breaking point for any business retention.
Many successful businesses have failed or given up simply because they
cannot afford the lease and have so few other options.
3. Community leaders need to lead by example. It is not
enough to talk about it if you do not practice equality in your speech
and actions. This is what I have taught the youth in all the areas that I
have been involved: tolerance and acceptance. We need to defend the
weak, feed the hungry, speak for the voiceless and tolerate and defend
those we disagree with.
4. Three goals will be: address our budget gap along with
improvement to our economic vitality, addressing energy issues, and more
common-sense leadership that bridges the gaps on divisive issues
through better collaborative community engagement. This includes working
to address our core values and how the city should be managing our
essential services.
5. We need a continued and broader income sourcing to fund
affordable housing (AH) by the community as a whole. More support for
affordable public rentals verses AH ownership where people can move
through and up out of the system should be encouraged. AH welfare where
people are trapped in the system without the ability to move up in
economic ability needs to be discouraged. More housing variety and
intensity in special areas of the city needs to be encouraged.
Development is not bad wherein it works to address these AH goals we
desire to provide.
6. I think we have laid the groundwork that encourages
more local production and consumption. We will need to continue
encouraging and be willing to adapt as issues and the economy change.
Kevin Hotaling
Favors 2A
Opposes 2B, 2C, 2H
1-7. Due to the complexity of these issues and limited
space/time provided for answers, please visit councilmanh.com to view my
answers to all of the questions here and any others that I feel are
important.
Suzanne Jones
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H
1. Typically the city requires bike racks as part of
redevelopment or new development, which is a requirement we should
continue. As bicycling increases and becomes a more widely practiced
form of transportation, we may need to increase this requirement and
perhaps reduce the city’s car parking requirement at the same time. The
city could also consider subsidizing new bike racks as needed, or
exploring having bike shops sponsor additional racks. The city
successfully partnered with a community nonprofit in helping to fund and
launch Boulder’s B-cycle program, which involved strategically locating
bike stations around town (e.g., at the 29th Street Mall), aided by the
sponsorship of B-stations by various Boulder businesses; for the next
phase of the program, the city should do an analysis of the best
locations for additional installations, and continue promoting this
public/private nonprofit partnership to pay for more bikes and stations
and to facilitate B-cycle use.
2. We should preserve and promote our
high quality of life and what is best and most unique about Boulder,
including our outstanding physical setting and recreational
opportunities, our federal labs and university, and our arts. Council
should prioritize funding for the city’s economic development program to
attract and retain businesses within our top priority sectors, and
foster Boulder’s “brand” as an incubator of innovation that draws new
entrepreneurs. Council should work closely with our Congressional
delegation to block proposed funding cuts to our federal labs, which are
the source of many spin-off start-ups. Council should also encourage
further investments by CU in its facilities and faculty — including
partnering with CU in building a conference center in a suitable
location that meets both city and university goals. Finally, Council
should monitor results of the city’s incentive and regulatory programs
and actively work to make improvements as needed to help homegrown
businesses.
3. Many racial conflicts are deeply rooted in a history of
economically and socially unjust policies and practices. That said,
there are important leadership roles for civic leaders to play in
building cultural understanding and in embracing and demonstrating
inclusiveness. Responsibility for increasing inclusion starts with the
City Council, and we must do more to solicit the needs and concerns of
Latinos and others marginalized in our community — for example, through
the Immigrant Advisory Committee for the city manager and the City/CU
Subcommittee on Inclusiveness and Diversity. This commitment in action
sets the tone for our work in building better understanding among law
enforcement about Latino culture. We must also be clear: racial
profiling will not be tolerated. Likewise, we can help immigrant
communities understand cultural expectations of host communities.
Programs like Dialogues on Immigrant Integration help facilitate safe
conversations that bring assumptions to light, while building personal
relationships between individuals.
4. Three top goals of mine that I believe are achievable
with the next two years include the following: 1) in response to the
vote of the people on ballot initiatives 2B and 2C, setting up and
implementing a framework for moving forward on achieving our energy
goals as a city; 2) exploring, and if feasible, establishing a
community-wide Eco Pass program for all Boulder residents and commuters
into the city — as our next great leap forward in transportation
sustainability; and 3) make additional progress on the city’s affordable
housing goals by relaxing standards in appropriate neighborhoods to
allow for more accessory dwelling units and owner-occupied units. I am
also excited to pursue creative redevelopment ideas for the South of
Downtown Area and the civic pad, and to explore measures to promote more
local food production.
5. I fundamentally support the city’s goal of having 10
percent of housing units be permanently affordable to support a diverse
workforce and community. Our nonprofit housing providers, in
collaboration with the city, have done a superb job of leveraging
funding from many sources to work towards this necessary community
asset. The failure of the affordable housing ballot initiative to
augment the inclusionary housing ordinance with a reliable revenue
stream has hampered progress. Council just received the Affordable
Housing Task Force report, which should help guide program improvements
and prompt a robust city dialogue about how to better reach our
affordable housing goals. Promising solutions could include establishing
a broader revenue stream, streamlining the development review process
and creating a “fast lane” for project applications which meet a high
level (e.g., 30-50 percent) of affordable housing, and relaxing
standards for allowing more accessory dwelling units.
6. I enthusiastically support the goal of promoting the
growing and consumption of locally grown food, in response to climate
concerns and rising energy costs, and in keeping with our localization
aspirations. Although most of the agricultural lands in our open space
program are used for grazing, I would review city lands to see if there
are any appropriate for organic farming. We should partner with the
county in exploring ways to promote local food production such as
investing in centralized refrigerated distribution and processing
facilities for local farmers, providing services such as affordable
irrigation for open space organic farmers, and pursuing efforts to
establish a year-round farmers’ market. The city should also foster
environmentally sustainable gardening and education programs such as
Growing Gardens and their Cultiva! youth-operated organic garden,
located at Longs Iris Gardens off north Broadway; this is a countywide
effort that the city should help nurture and expand.
George Karakehian
Favors 2A
Opposes 2B, 2C, 2H
1. Perhaps the City could make volume purchases of bike
parking racks and pass the discount on to property owners. The racks are
a relatively inexpensive amenity, and given the number of consuming
cyclists in Boulder, it seems like it would be in their own best
interest to do it.
2. There’s really no shortage of start-up and
entrepreneurial energy in Boulder. The city should always ask of itself
and its regulations, “Are we in the way?” Many regulatory mandates are
federal- or state-initiated, so anything we can do to reduce or limit
additional municipal requirements would be an aid to the formulation of
local businesses. Of course, anything we can do to keep current funding
(or increase it) of the Economic Vitality Program would be money well
spent. Maybe some of the Economic Vitality Funds could be moved to a
small business fund …
3. Obviously I am against profiling. I am not aware of any
profiling issues that have been brought to Council during my time, but
we need to remain vigilant and continually offer training in this
regard, to our police officers. I will always support hate-crime
enforcement, and hope that all of our citizens feel comfortable
reporting any problems.
4. Conference center; clarity and consensus in our
affordable housing policies; and a cleaner, safer, less divisive
University Hill environment
5. 10 percent of our inventory is OK as a
goal, but that will keep changing. I want to increase the stock of
affordable rental housing in town. Public/private partnerships will
become increasingly important because in this economic climate we can’t
depend on either the federal government to provide funds for
development, and the cash-in-lieu payments from developers will be
infrequent. I will not support any new taxes or fees to increase
revenues for the city’s housing program. I will support ADUs, OAUs and
corridor density increases in hopes that at least some of those will
serve an affordable housing candidate.
6. Investigate sharing city water with farmers that may
not have enough. Support the Farmers’ Market. Encourage farm-to-table
educational initiatives in the schools. More community gardens.
DAN KING
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C
Opposes 2H
1. I think the shopping center customers should be the
primary source of such encouragement. Businesses will respond to the
market and to their customers. As consumers we need to recognize that we
“vote” every time we make a purchase. Real change happens at a
grassroots level. I would encourage all of us to recognize our power and
use it to create change by rewarding businesses that are leaders in
positive change and avoiding businesses that are not.
2. Richard Florida, who wrote The Rise of the Creative Class
and studies why certain cities foster creativity, cites three crucial
factors: talented people and a high quality of life that keeps them
around, technological expertise and an open-mindedness about new ways of
doing things, which often comes from a strong counterculture (NYT
5/2010). Boulder enjoys many of these advantages. Organizations such as
the Boulder Independent Business Alliance and Transition Colorado have
been vocal advocates for the economic impact of local businesses.
Council should support, celebrate and promote these efforts. Ultimately
each of us as individuals can support these efforts through use of our
purchasing power.
3. I think that our police department does an excellent
job, both in general and in regard to respecting our various
communities. Profiling of any group can happen subtly and in barely
perceptible ways. As a community we need to be diligent and on guard to
the occurrence of profiling, not just by our public servants, but within
our own daily actions. Education and training are the best tools that
we have. The Boulder Police Department has taken a strong stance against
racial profiling. I support this stance, and I support the job done by
our police.
4. I will propose adding a 10-year forecast to our budget
process. In order to address our long-term funding gap, we need to
recognize the tradeoffs that we are making by our spending and revenue
decisions. Many of these tradeoffs will not be apparent in the current
year budget process. I would like us to develop and publish a report in
which each city department provides us with measurements of what they
have achieved. Some results are hard to measure, but this is not a
reason not to try. It will take time to refine these tools, but they can
become valuable in helping us manage our government. While the process
may not be complete in two years, it will be critical to conduct the
ongoing analysis for municipalization in a robust, comprehensive and
transparent manner.
5. Boulder’s affordable housing program has been a worthy
effort. Ultimately the price of housing is driven by the market. We must
look at the ancillary problems created by the lack of affordable
housing. Two areas on which the city could focus are allowing a higher
level of density in designated areas of town and a continued focus on
transportation. More on density in my answer to the next question. The
lack of affordable housing creates a lack of access to many of the
resources that we enjoy in Boulder. I live in South Boulder. It is
unlikely that I will ever be able to afford living within walking
distance of downtown Boulder. But excellent multi-modal transportation
alternatives give me access to the amenities in this section of town.
Similarly excellent regional transportation alternatives can give area
residents access to employment opportunities in the city limits.
6. There are some areas of city open space that may be
suitable for crop cultivation. Additional analysis in terms of soil
conditions and irrigation would be necessary to make this determination.
I would support this analysis. Expansion of the farmers’ market, and
policies that assist local growers would also be important. My business
was instrumental in hosting the first two pre-Thanksgiving farmers’
markets, which have now become an annual event on 13th Street. We have
many city programs designed to encourage and support changed behavior on
the part of our residents. Encouraging backyard “Victory” gardens would
be an appropriate focus of our efforts. Community gardens may also be
good uses for city-owned lands in flood zones and in some right of ways.
The city should provide the “seed” for these ideas and let community
groups like the Growing Gardens and Transition Colorado carry the ball.
Lisa Morzel
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H
1. I would consider incentives to encourage business
owners to provide creative solutions to bicycle access and parking, such
as a reduction in required auto parking spaces for increased bicycle
spaces. If the city does a commercial energy conservation ordinance, I
would advocate allowing bicycle parking to be included as part of the
formula. Bicyclists not only need safe access to shopping, but also
require adequate and convenient parking for bicycles and trailers, which
many cyclists use to transport children, goods and possibly dogs.
Sheltered parking in places would be another nice amenity. I will also
continue to encourage the expansion and vitality of the B-cycle program
throughout Boulder.
2. City Council can continue to support our economic
vitality program and make sure it contains a focus on the development
and prosperity of innovative start-ups and other locally grown
businesses while working to retain the businesses we enjoy currently. As
part of this program, Council has directed the city manager to retain a
full-time staff position dedicated to this important effort, and this
has already reaped many benefits. We also can make sure that new
development in areas like Boulder Junction creates space that is
appropriate for small, local businesses to thrive in a human-scale
attractive streetscape. In recent years, Council has implemented
policies that have allowed the development and growth of industries
focused on clean energy and associated technologies, zero waste, as well
as energy conservation. With the successful passage of ballot
initiatives 2B and 2C, the potential for more growth in renewable energy
source businesses will only flourish.
3. I have zero tolerance for racial profiling or
discrimination against anyone; this should not be tolerated.
Statistically, racial profiling in Boulder is low, which may be good,
but the fact that it’s reported at all is unacceptable. Some suggest it
is underreported, which may reflect fear of reprisal in the community.
The Hotline, independent of the city and established in 2005, is one way
to ensure reporting of racial profiling occurs. I’m not sure the best
way to improve trust but as a community, I think we can improve efforts
to be more inclusive in Boulder and ensure smaller communities do not
remain or feel isolated. This is one reason I fought for a safe
pedestrian crosswalk at 34th and Valmont and for well-developed
connectors to Boulder Junction: residents here and elsewhere must have
safe and easy access to the rest of Boulder.
4. Keep the municipalization and renewable energy efforts
on track and moving forward to the best solution for Boulder, finish
acquisition of Section 16 in Jefferson County, see a North Boulder
Library built, and establish an exciting addition to our community on
the Community Use site at 9th and Canyon.
5. I believe the path forward for affordable housing in
Boulder must include: 1) continued support of the IH program because of
the substantial income produced and the on-site requirement that
distributes affordable properties throughout the city, 2) new, creative
land-use policies and regulations that encourage ADUs/OAUs, mobile and
manufactured homes, duplexes and small houses, creative sweat-equity
development (possibly using recycled and reusable materials), incentive
programs for voluntary deed-restrictions when redevelopment is allowed,
and requirements for worker housing in mixed used developments, and 3)
consideration of a new tax such as a head tax that targets workers and
our commercial/industrial sector, with revenue dedicated to more
affordable housing.
6. City council should look carefully at this issue
because food production in the coming post-oil world will require use of
all of our local resources. Council should consider appointing a board
to look at this issue and should consider options for additional
agricultural operations on Open Space and Open Space purchases that have
agricultural potential. We could consider reducing water rates for
those producing food. We also might consider partnering with local
universities to encourage studies focused on agricultural innovations in
an oil-free world. Community shared agricultural programs should also
be encouraged. A year-round farmers’ market should be considered in a
centralized location such as on the Civic Plaza. This would require
construction of a sheltered space as well as consideration of a
permanent city-farmers’ market partnership. Other local venues and
farmers’ markets might also be supported through fairs, regular events,
or otherwise throughout the city.
Tim Plass
FAVORS 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H
1. I fully support making more bike parking available at
commercial areas in our community because the more convenient alternate
modes of transportation are, the more likely it is that we will get
people out of their cars. In new development, with proposals that go
through Planning Board review, we have the ability to require developers
to add extra bike parking to their project. As a member of Planning
Board, I have supported additional bike parking for many projects. For
existing shopping centers/commercial areas, we should provide incentives
to property owners. One potential incentive is to highlight places that
offer a certain level of bike parking on city bike path maps. Another
idea is to provide relief from minimum parking requirements if some of
the parking spaces are to be used for increased bike parking.
2. Locally owned businesses are a key component of
economic vitality in Boulder. One of the exciting programs that the city
offers is microloan assistance to help new businesses get off the
ground that otherwise might have trouble finding financing. Cafe Aion,
the great restaurant on the Hill, took advantage of the program. We can
also consider changing our city codes to reflect changing conditions.
For example, the city recently amended the code to allow for mobile food
trucks. I supported that change on Planning Board. We can also look to
better coordinate the resources we have here in town: CU, the federal
labs and Boulder’s entrepreneurial spirit, to promote new start-ups. As
for homegrown businesses that are growing we need to look for additional
opportunities to provide Class A office space.
3. There are multiple things that we can do. First, city
policy needs to prohibit racial profiling. Second, we need to have
continuing diversity and sensitivity training for our police officers.
Third, we need to have members of the police force who speak Spanish and
understand the Latino culture. Fourth, we need to get officers out of
their vehicles and on foot and interacting with the Latino community to
build relationships. And fifth, we need to make sure that the Boulder
police don’t act as an extension of ICE.
4. The three goals are: 1) To chart a course for a cleaner
energy future with regard to our electric supply; 2) To reevaluate and
improve our affordable housing program and 3) to make strides in the
University Hill neighborhood both in terms of addressing young people’s
behaviors and the revitalization of the commercial district.
5. I support our current affordable housing program and
its goal of 10 percent permanently affordable units. I also think that
it is appropriate to have a mix of both purchased and rental units to
target different percentages of AMI. I would keep the Inclusionary
Housing ordinance in place and also look for a broader-based funding
mechanism to support our affordable housing program. I look forward to
more fully exploring the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Task
Force.
6. We can rebuild our local foodshed. We need more
backyard — and front yard — gardens, more raising chickens and having
beehives. We should convert our publicly owned agricultural land to
growing food for local consumption. We should also look at having urban
spaces, such as street medians, be potential places for garden plots. We
need to rebuild our local food storage and distribution systems and
give local growers and ranchers access to markets for their products. We
also need more education to train a new generation of young farmers.
Ken Wilson
Favors 2A, 2H
Opposes 2B, 2C
1. I would encourage more bike parking at commercial
locations by looking at trading some car parking requirements for bike
parking requirements. For example, if the city regulations require 20
parking spaces for cars at a restaurant, we could reduce that to 18 if
they provide eight bicycle spaces.
2. Boulder is a hub for the incubation of new businesses.
We excel in technology, natural products and outdoor activity businesses
sectors. The city needs to continue to work with new and established
businesses, venture capital investors and business experts to keep
Boulder in its leadership position. Our biggest problem is finding
commercial and industrial space for new businesses. We need to be
innovative in using our land use to accommodate businesses without
changing the look and feel of Boulder as the city we all love.
3. I oppose racial profiling in any situation. The Latino
residents of Boulder are an important part of our community, and we need
to make sure that Boulder is a welcoming place for them to live and
work. Our police department works with Latino community leaders to make
sure officers have a good relationship with the community to assure they
share the same safety and respect as other groups in the city. We
should support the police department in this effort. We can all work to
be more welcoming to all immigrant communities, which in itself will
help stop racial profiling before it starts. We also need to press our
federal legislators to work on immigration reform.
4. 1. Set a carbon footprint reduction goal that we could
attain, with hard work, every year 2. Work with CU to align our goals
closely and work together better as a team to reach them 3. Partner with
Denver, Aurora and other cities to move the state in better directions
on energy conservation and renewable energy
5. We need to continue moving forward with our affordable
housing program. I would also like to see us work on housing for
lower/middle-income people such as teachers, firemen, police and others
who can’t afford homes in Boulder.
6. I would like to see us develop many more community
gardens. We have ag land in our open space portfolio, east of town, that
could be used for community gardens. I would also like to see us help
local farmers sell their products locally with an all-year farmers’
market.
DANIEL ZISKIN
Favors 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H
1. I support an additional requirement
that any permit application for new construction or significant repair
to a car parking facility also include adequate accommodation to bike
riders. The city should investigate what business owners consider their
barriers to installing bike racks (money, permitting, time, liability,
etc.) and work to remove those barriers. I would take photos of full
bike racks at places of business (especially those that offer enhanced
services such as Ideal Market) and to help show property owners that
bicyclists are a significant demographic. Fact: 12 percent of Boulder
commuters are on bike. At the Table Mesa shopping center there is bike
parking in front of the South Side Walnut Cafe and Caff%uFFFD Sole. These
businesses seem perpetually vibrant. There is no bike parking in front
of Mickey C’s Bagels. Despite their coffee being just as good and having
lovely patio seating, they are usually deserted. Coincidence?
2. 1) Add a preference for local and
independent vendors to all city purchases and procurements. When bids
are requested, the evaluation process of bids should weight local
businesses with a significant advantage. This is in contrast to merely
selecting the least cost 2) Stimulate an advertising campaign that
promotes local businesses (in the spirit of “Keep Boulder Weird”). We
can capitalize on our shared patriotism and pride of place with
advertising campaigns and publicity 3) Provide start-ups with access to
facilities. For example, sponsor a nonprofit such as Naturally Boulder
to purchase/lease a commercial kitchen to then sub-lease to local
start-ups on an hourly basis at favorable terms 4) Offer excess city
equipment (vehicles, photocopiers, computers, etc) to local businesses
for the first right of refusal for purchase.
3. First, I would ask the Latino
community what actions would earn their trust. Some of my suggestions
might include a bonus pay incentive to all bilingual police officers and
recognition of acts of cultural sensitivity in each officer’s
performance evaluation. I would also move to make one seat on the city’s
Human Relations Commission reserved for Hispanic representation.
4. 1) Dozens of start-up companies launched with support
from the city 2) 10 percent fewer single-occupancy vehicles commuting to
Boulder 3) On the path towards an affordable and reliable municipal
power company
5. I believe that housing assistance should serve as a
bridge out of poverty, rather than a sustained government handout. My
vision is for recipients of housing assistance to find that within a few
years their family circumstances have improved enough so that they no
longer qualify for the aid. They can then resell their unit or move to
an unsubsidized home. I would work with current beneficiaries of public
assistance to ensure that they have the tools necessary to pull
themselves out of the grip of poverty.
6. The city could designate more of the neighborhood
pocket parks as available land for community gardens. For example, there
is an awesome garden at 20th and Grove. The city could offer a letter
of support to any gardener who is in dispute with their HOA regarding
whether or not growing food is an appropriate use of land. The parks and
rec department could offer master gardener classes. The city could
require the schools to preferentially purchase locally. The City Council
should be briefed on the principles of permaculture.
Tom Johnston and Steve Keenan did not respond to the Community Questionnaire. Ronald Chase withdrew from the race.
Respond: [email protected]
