Downtown Boulder has a very clever approach to this – their questionaire is filled out online. Here is their questionaire:
BOULDER CITY COUNCIL - CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Thank you for offering to invest your time, energy and talents to serve the Boulder community on City Council.
Downtown Boulder, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the vitality and sustainability of our downtown and the entire Boulder community. Our 360 members include small businesses, non-profits, churches and individuals.
The Downtown Boulder, Inc. board of directors is considering endorsing candidates in the upcoming city council election whose values, priorities and experience will benefit small businesses and residents in downtown and throughout Boulder.
Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions to help us gauge how closely your positions are aligned with those of our downtown constituents. If you need more space please email your answers to us at [email protected]
- Please enter the information indicated below.
First Name:
Last Name:
Work Phone:
Email Address: - What management experience qualifies you to sit on the "board" of a $230 million enterprise serving over 100,000 residents?
- Next year's city budget deficit is forecast at $5 million. Large budget gaps are likely to continue regardless of the general economy. Please share what you think of the BRC's recommendations and list at least three specific things you would do on both the revenue and expense side of the problem.
- The Compatible Development proposal and other recent issues have created friction in Boulder on the benefits vs. impacts of infill development. How would you balance individual property rights against development impacts in existing neighborhoods?
- The three-legged stool is generally accepted as a sustainable and balanced model for community development. However, many in Boulder feel that environmental initiatives have been emphasized at the expense of the social and economic legs of the stool. Do you agree? If so, what would you do to ensure more equitable investment in all three priorities?
- Many citizens have voiced frustration with council meetings that frequently go past midnight with few discernible outcomes. Some council members have said the job demands up to 25 hours a week. How would you rate the current council on leadership and time management? What (if any) changes would you implement to make council more efficient and productive?
- Affordable housing is important to all of us. However there are different views on how to achieve maximum benefit. In future downtown projects, do you think affordable housing should be required onsite or should cash-in-lieu payments be allowed? Are there areas of the city that you would treat differently than the downtown district on this issue?
- The FAR bonus for downtown residential development is under scrutiny by the current council. What is your position on encouraging density in downtown residential projects and on the current FAR bonus specifically.
- Over half of each sales tax dollar is earmarked for specific activities and departments. For example more than 25 cents of each dollar goes to Open Space alone. Meanwhile many basic services are facing dramatic cuts. As a council member, how will you meet the changing needs of our citizens in the future when so little of the budget is actually controlled by council? Would you support maintaining or reducing the level of dedicated sales taxes in the future?
- Relations between the city and the university are tense and there seems to be little cooperation in working toward common goals. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, please list at least two specific examples of where the city and CU can work more closely.
- The city currently funds an economic vitality program that includes business incentives to encourage companies to retain and create jobs in Boulder instead of moving to nearby communities. Is this program a good investment for the city? If elected, would you support cutting, maintaining or expanding economic vitality efforts?
