Yes/No Questions:
1. Are you a homeowner?
Yes
2. If the City police force was fully staffed, would you advocate for adding more officers?
No
3. Do you believe there’s a need for more housing in Louisville?
Yes
4. Do you believe the City should spend more money on homelessness services?
No
General Questions (no more than 300 words):
1. Why do you want to be a council member?
City government is an important place for community members to come together to solve problems and make important decisions about our future. I have served on the Louisville City Council since being appointed earlier this year and, before that, served on Louisville’s Planning Commission since 2018. Through this experience, I have seen firsthand how the City can have a significant and direct impact on people’s lives. I want to continue to serve on the City Council to shape this process and to steward the sense of community that Louisville is known for.
2. When was the last time you paid rent, and where was that?
I rented in Boulder between 2010 and 2016.
3. Boulder County has experienced extreme natural disasters over the last decade, including flooding and wildfire. How do you plan to address these challenges?
Mitigation and preparedness will continue to be top priorities for the City. The City has recently hired a Mitigation Coordinator and Recovery and Resilience Manager to work on these critical issues. We will need to continue to devote funding, attention, and careful planning to ensure that the City is doing all it can to avoid another devastating event like the Marshall Fire.
4. How do you think you stand out from other candidates?
As a Councilmember, I prioritize a problem-solving approach to difficult issues and challenges facing the City. This means keeping an open mind, looking for creative and novel ways of addressing difficult topics, and ensuring that stakeholders are meaningfully engaged throughout the process. Careful and thorough preparation is also essential to this approach—making good decisions requires detailed consideration and thoughtful analysis. At the end of the day, the Council should endeavor to make sure that everyone has had an opportunity to be heard and that we have done our best to balance competing values and priorities.
5. What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?
I would ask whether they support the ballot issue regarding funding for parks and open space. Louisville has committed to dedicated tax funding for open space since 2002 and this ballot issue is our opportunity to renew that commitment for years to come. Louisville maintains hundreds of acres of open spaces as well as numerous park facilities that benefit residents and contribute to the overall quality of life. Ensuring a continued funding source is paramount to ensuring the future success of these City properties.
6. What are your solutions for the growing population of people experiencing homelessness?
Homelessness is an issue that we need to address in coordination with our neighboring and adjacent communities along the front range. While Louisville has a relatively small percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness compared to its larger neighbors (such as Boulder), we nevertheless have an important role to play in finding solutions to this regional challenge. Addressing the regional shortage of housing units, ensuring access to social services, and engaging with compassion will all be important parts of addressing this issue.
7. What’s your plan for creating more affordable housing in Louisville?
Louisville is currently in the process of developing a Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy Matrix Framework that will help us identify steps that can be taken in response to the region-wide shortage of housing. We will likely need to adopt an “all of the above” housing policy to identify thoughtful opportunities, including new residential development, gentle infill development, deed-restricted affordable housing, and other strategies. Like many of the issues facing the City, affordable housing is a region-wide concern that will need to be addressed in coordination with our neighboring jurisdictions and with the support of policymakers at the state and federal levels.
8. How will you address climate change? How do you plan to meet Louisville’s climate goal of zero carbon by 2030?
Climate change is a global threat that impacts us all, and every level of government has a role to play in addressing the problem. Louisville has recently worked with outside consultants to develop a plan to reduce and eventually eliminate the City’s carbon emissions, through a combination of renewable energy, building electrification, electric vehicles, and other strategies. We will need to carefully consider how to implement the elements of the plan in a way that delivers the greatest environmental benefits in the most cost-effective way possible. For example, the City should ensure that it is maximizing state and federal grant opportunities for clean energy and equipment upgrades wherever possible.
9. What are your goals for transportation and how will you achieve them?
Safety and reliability are the two biggest priorities for our transportation system. Whether traveling by car, bus, bicycle, wheelchair, or on foot, residents need to feel safe traveling through the City. A number of recent pedestrian accidents have highlighted the need to continue to pay close attention to this issue and to make street-design improvements to increase safety. We also need to ensure that the transportation system is reliable in terms of its ability to serve our growing and changing needs. For example, it is important that we continue to work with our partners on the planned improvements to Highway 42 that will make that corridor more effective for all users.
10. How do you plan to engage non-English speaking constituents?
The City provides on-demand language interpretation in Spanish and other languages for public-facing City facilities. Efforts like these (as well as efforts to ensure accessibility to individuals with disabilities) are an important function of the City and can help ensure that all constituents can be effectively engaged.
11. How does diversity factor into your policy making?
Diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences within our community are among our greatest assets in forming policies that serve all constituents effectively. The City must continue to strive to reach all groups and individuals “where they are” and to make outreach efforts into all parts of the community. These efforts should be reflected across the City’s operations, including in hiring decisions, appointments to boards and commissions, and public input gathering for key policy decisions.
12. How will you reach residents who have different lived experiences than you?
I strive to be available by email, phone, and in-person meetings so that any resident can easily reach me in a way that is most comfortable for them. It is crucial that everyone in Louisville feels they can communicate their concerns and suggestions effectively to the City Council.
13. Rank your top 5 issues in priority
- Comprehensive land-use planning. At the same time that home prices in the City continue to be unattainable for many, we also face significant commercial vacancies and underutilized spaces related in part to shifting trends around retail shopping. Finding a path forward will require creative thinking to ensure that Louisville continues to have a sustainable economic future while retaining its cherished small-town character. The City’s upcoming comprehensive plan process will be a crucial tool in addressing these issues.
- Economic vitality. Businesses are a key economic driver of the City and contribute to the community through jobs, retail and dining experiences, services, and a sense of place. Louisville should focus significant efforts on sustaining and growing a thriving business community that enhances the City and serves the needs of its residents.
- Transportation. Transportation patterns have shifted over time and Louisville must continue to work toward a truly multi-modal transportation system that is safe and works effectively for everyone.
- Fire recovery, rebuilding, and mitigation. Louisville has made tremendous progress in recovering from the Marshall Fire and we must continue to make sure that we prioritize rebuilding and recovery efforts. We also must face the reality of climate change more broadly and how it will shape Louisville’s future, including planning and implementing fire mitigation and resiliency measures.
- Community building and civic character. One of Louisville’s greatest strengths is its close community. Although we are in a time of significant change, we should look for opportunities to build on this strength. Louisville should be a place where all people feel welcome and included, have opportunities for connection, and have a voice in how we plan for the future.
Other Louisville Candidates:
City of Louisville Mayor (4-year term) (Vote for One)
City of Louisville City Council Ward 1 (4-year term)
Caleb Dickenson
City of Louisville City Council Ward 2 (4-year term) (Vote for One)
Deborah Fahey
City of Louisville City Council Ward 3 (Vote for not more than Two)
The candidate with the highest number of votes will serve a four-year term. The candidate with the second highest number of votes will serve a two-year term.
