If elected, what will your top priority be for the city of Colorado Springs?
While not an "issue", I have been consistent over the past 4 years in declaring my top priority is ensuring that the processes by which City Council makes decisions and enacts policy is predictable, fair, just and reliable. It is important that all citizens and stakeholders appearing before City Council know that the same processes and criteria are applied equally, in every situation, even if the determination is made adverse to their particular issue. As far as issues are concerned, I will continue to focus on finding ways to address the lack of affordable, attainable and workforce housing.
What should city council implement to address the impacts of COVID-19?
The single most important thing that we can do to address the impacts of the pandemic is to continue to take the necessary steps to reduce the risks of spiking infection rates. Representatives of our business community have consistently told me that doing this is the best way to ensure predictability in the immediate environment, which allows the businesses to remain open and sustainable while the pandemic continues. What is true for businesses is also true for schools, churches and all other areas of gathering; when the infection rates are low and there is little risk of spiking, we can be more "normal" than when our hospitals are full. In addition to this, City Council can continue to take the common sense sorts of steps we already have - providing sales tax rebates and easing of restrictions on outdoor dining and curbside retail - that our business community has requested.
What needs to be done to address the growth the city has been experiencing?
Unlike other major cities, there is lots of land, both within and immediately outside City limits, in Colorado Springs. Because this land is private property, and the owners are constitutionally entitled to use it in a lawful manner, additional development, with associated growth, is going to occur. If this property is made part of the City, then development can be regulated so as to ensure that it meets City development standards, and pay the associated development impact fees. In addition the development will have to abide by the rules and regulations imposed on customers of Colorado Springs Utilities, instead of hastening the depletion of the well water that is accessed in developments outside the City. Development is going to continue to occur. We need to do what we can to ensure that it is done in a manner which meets the requirements and objectives of Colorado Springs.
