If you say you have 10 top issues, that is the same as saying you have no top issue.
What is the number 1 issue you will concentrate on as a council member? Why this specific issue? What will you try to accomplish on this issue?
Crystal Gray
Arrived late
Andrew Harrison
Did not participate.
Philip Hernandez
I would focus on basic service needs for the City. The Council needs to spend time in addressing basic needs. This is important to regain the confidence of the voters who may be dissatisfied with the handling of parks and recreation, police, etc. issues, i.e. the Frazier Meadow pond, more police presence in our neighborhoods and downtown. We can't ignore other areas like the Climate Action Plan and other environmental concerns, but I think the best way to deal with those is to create an advisory group who would decide how best to address the issues and spend tax dollars.
Nabil Karkamaz
Did not participate.
Kathryn Kramer
I am concerned about the future economic vitality of Boulder. The Blue Ribbon report states that there is concern for future tax revenues. The baby boomers (of which I am one) and the lack of their slowing down their spending is listed as being one of the major factors. I know first hand that there is age discrimination in the work place and that if this continues it will throw the future of these "once great spenders" into being off kilter. So I think that the issue of facing the problem of the "boomers" and their employment (how about giving businesses incentives to hire older workers and also bridge the generation gap and have those who have experience). Boulder needs to recognize that the citizens are getting older and we need to really think about what this is going to mean and then address the problems head one.
Adam Massey
Did not participate.
Lisa Morzel
Did not participate.
Alan O'Hashi
i think the top issue that transcends all has to do with those that help folks get along better. if we want to be more engaging in disenfranchised communities. i can make that happen. we need a balanced economy that expands opportunities for all, not just to those who are already here and have 'made it.' there are plenty of new folks in town who drive the economy and they deserve to make a go of it too.
Susan Osborne
Did not participate.
Eugene Pearson
If absolutely limited in scope I would exclusively concentrate on the human services in the community – specifically finding increased funding for the non-profit community. They are most adept at finding the best market based solutions for the issues facing Boulder and are also the most efficient consumers of resources in the community. We can tackle a whole host of issues by taking the approach of finding and expanding the support of the non-profit and human services community. We can highlight them on the city website – send information through the communication apparatus of the city and ultimately tackle the issue that Boulderites give much less per capta than people in other communities of similar size and affluence. We need to ensure that we provide the best opportunities to our citizens with the lowest overhead. Supporting the non-profit community will achieve this goal – even the affordable housing quandary.
Susan Peterson
If you could see the range of question that have been posed to candidates as a part of this campaign, you would seriously doubt whether any council member will have the luxury of focusing on just ten issues, much less one.
That being said, the first issue I would focus on is improving Council and Staff efficiency and responsiveness. The impression that I get in talking with the various constituencies around Boulder is that the citizens of our town feel under-represented by our current staff and council. Evidence of this problem includes the extremely divisive outcome of the process to develop the Washington School property, and the continued disagreements about the appropriate use of Open Space. My approach to rectifying this situation would be to challenge staff to include more formalized citizen input resulting in more consensus building before decisions ever reach the council or board level. I will also challenge council to more actively manage staff, and to set a clear vision for Boulder against which expedient decisions can be more readily made.
The reason I choose this issue, is that it will impact our effectiveness to make progress against all of the other issues we tackle. I will know that we are making progress when more disagreements getting solved at the community and commission level, and when we have fewer completely polarized issues on the Council agenda – which will free us up to move onto focusing on the important issues that will impact future generations.
Larry Quilling
I am running as Larry The Water Guy. We must give our watershed the same policy priorities as we do our Open Space and Climate Action Plans. The Boulder Watershed is in trouble an needs our help:
- Restore flows in our creeks & rivers through cooperative diversion delays and water trades
- Increase our storage capacities
- Promote conservation
- Monitor our watershed water quality
- Find solutions to bio med wastes that morph our fish into bi-sex mutants
Tom Riley
Identity. I feel strongly that government, especially the idealistic Boulder government should strive to hear Boulder’s voice. Boulder’s voice should be one of diversity and every individual voice must be made to be heard.
By organizing our neighborhoods into districts if you will, made up of no more than 5,000 citizens, we will be able to educate and make aware everyone who is interested in being heard.
It would take very little money to fund such a program. The members of the board of each group, say 20 people, could get by on $5,000 a year. This would far exceed even the results of the misguided $100,000 survey sent out to 3,000 of Boulder’s residents.
I feel that an informed citizenry will help hold Boulder’s city government accountable to Boulder.
Eric Rutherford
As a City Council member I will take the very noble Environmental Action Plan and get all the commercial real estate and apartment building owners together to implement this crucial plan to help prevent the devastation on continued and increasing global warming. As a member of this business group, I am in a unique position to help drive this imperative effort.
Rob Smoke
Did not participate.
Ken Wilson
Did not participate.
Matt Appelbaum
Did not participate.
Philip Bradley
Wow 3 parts. issue economic health. the city can only provide the level of service that we all enjoy with a sound economy. I want to make sure that we can continue to support the business of the city drains (you probably know of one that is clogged, roads, open spaces, recreation, the arts all of these are provided for by the economy and our business base. I want to simplify government so that the cost of doing business in Boulder is lower and that more businesses will consider locating here. a year and 1/2 is too long for your permits to be a green contractor in Boulder. (real gripe from citizen)
Seth Brigham
Did not participate.
Shawn Coleman
Economic vitality. The reason this is paramount for me is that we must find more reliable ways that are also legal with the State constitution to finance our suite of municipal services. This is also important to ensure that we can maintain a vibrant and diverse community. Economic and ethnic diversity frequently go hand and hand so if we are serious about maintaining a diverse community we need to have opportunities for people to work, be self-sufficient and full members of our community. Open space, police, fire, libraries, and social sustainability are all tied into our economy, the national situation isn't getting better, we need to act locally.
Macon Cowles
Did not participate.
Angelique Espinoza
My answer to this question is the same as the biggest issue facing Boulder, the increasing fragmentation of our community into the wealthy and the poor, with all the social and environmental problems that entails. (see Question #2)
