If elected, what will your top priority be for the city of Colorado Springs?
Roads and infrastructure continue to be priorities for our community and for our citizens. Working with City Staff, El Paso County and the State to fund the needed road and bridge projects will continue to be a top consideration of this Council and me. Public Safety and Community Building will always be a priority for me. A safe and stable environment directly impacts safe neighborhoods. As the son of a police officer, I wholeheartedly support our police and our first responders. For me, character counts. I do not believe that we can or should tolerate violence, racism or discrimination and after the events of this past summer and prior to my decision to run for City Council I applied to participate on the newly formed Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Commission. While I was not selected my goal, my pledge if elected will be to work to ensure that commission becomes part of the solution.
What should city council implement to address the impacts of COVID-19?
I am keenly aware of the impacts of the pandemic. I support opening business, restaurants, etc. today. Especially with the vaccines in play it should be feasible as we move into spring and summer to open Colorado Springs up for business again. Wearing masks and social distancing works and should continue to be part of the solution for the near term. The business community, nonprofits and local governments have stepped up and offered help to small business and restaurants including doing things like building outdoor dining opportunities etc. I support these public private partnerships and efforts as well as other incentives and relief where appropriate.
What needs to be done to address the growth the city has been experiencing?
Colorado Springs is top of many lists as a desirable place to live including for veterans like myself. As I did my research, including reviewing PlanCOS it is clear that managing the housing supply is a challenge. It is clear that the desire for more affordable housing is a shared view by our city leaders and our development community. Possible zoning changes, more infill development, less red tape and regulation and possibly a moratorium on certain fees will produce more affordable housing options. To address this ongoing growth, we will need to address roads and infrastructure, water, energy (renewable and other options) public safety needs, creating and protecting our parks and open space and working to ensure a healthy downtown and cultural center. It is important that we create a community that gives our younger citizens and college graduates a reason to stay filling the jobs that have come with our growth. I support the use of incentives and tax breaks to make this happen.
