If elected, what will your top priority be for the city of Colorado Springs?
PROSPERITY – The American dream is alive and well! Our citizens have come to Colorado Springs to raise their families, enjoy good paying jobs, celebrate our great outdoor lifestyle and most importantly, be happy. We need to attract those jobs that bring people who aspire to make a better life and make our community vibrant while also retaining the magic we know as Colorado Springs.
What should city council implement to address the impacts of COVID-19?
As devastating as COVID-19 has been on our community and nation, much of the destruction has been caused by government actions. While the objective may have been honorable, the implications are many businesses have been permanently shuttered. The best City Council can do, is to remove regulatory constraints to allow businesses to reopen quickly, rehire their employees and generate sales. Though for some it may be too late, we need to resuscitate those businesses that have a fighting chance and return our communities to a level of normalcy.
What needs to be done to address the growth the city has been experiencing?
If we want a prosperous and vibrant community, we need to work together and make it economically advantageous to develop much needed housing for our citizens. I was recently told that it cost $30K more to build a home in the city than in the county and that the county needs to fall in line with the city. This is absurd! I would argue that perhaps the city is out of touch with citizen needs. a. City planners have been slow to offer compelling plans and have maintained regulations that stifle smart growth (e.g. multi-family housing, and density constraints) and have often made development nonviable. b. City Council needs to remove those obstacles that prevent development of critically needed housing, starting with the repeal of the Construction Defect Law which invites litigation and hurts those most in need. c. Infrastructure. It is more that roads, water and sewer. Our city planners need to also address mass transit access and proximity to sustaining businesses.
