Question 1: Why are you running for Councillor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?
I am running for Councillor at Large because what affects our day to day quality of life, what we rely on the most, happens at the local level of government. I will bring an informed, in-touch voice to the Council with my strong connections to our Salem neighborhoods through my extensive volunteer work and community involvement that has given me the skills to advocate for all our community members. I have also been working for small, family owned businesses and/or running my own small business for over twenty years, which gives me a deep understanding of the importance and the needs of our small business community. I will be drawing on my community and public service experience to bring a unique, personal perspective to the Council. I am prepared to take action on the issues that affect our communities as we continue to recover from the COVID crisis, focusing on economic development, infrastructure and sustainability, affordable housing, racial justice, health/quality of life, historic preservation and thoughtful development.
Question 2: What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?
The cost of housing in Salem, as in many cities and towns in Massachusetts, has become increasingly unattainable for too many. And with the economic impact of the COVID crisis, the need for affordable housing will only increase. As we continue to face a shortage of affordable housing, there are many different “tools'' that can be considered to address this crisis. One option is to better utilize private development to create more affordable units. The challenge is to make it financially feasible for the developer and achieve a solid level of affordability. The Planning Board here in Salem already asks for a minimum of 10% of living spaces to be “affordable,” which is a price based on 60% of the AMI (Area Medium Income) for new or repurposed housing developments. The goal would be to create these units through an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance which would mandate that developers build these affordable units. I support resubmitting the previously proposed Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance to require the private sector to create a certain number of affordable living spaces in any new or repurposed housing development.
I will work with the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, and the North Shore Community Development Coalition to develop ideas and options for even lower AMI units. I also believe we should pursue the use of public land for creating affordable housing, and make every effort to pursue state and federal grants/incentives available such as Community Development Block Grant funds.
Question 3: How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem’s resiliency efforts?
Addressing the current climate crisis needs to be an absolute priority, and coastal resiliency is a huge concern. We currently have a “Working Group” developing and strengthening our local wetlands and coastal floodplain protections. This group includes members of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission as well as representation from the City Council, local environmental groups, and the general public (the next public forum is September 7, 2021). I support and encourage these efforts and will be committed to ensuring we adhere to all guidelines and regulations moving forward.
We need strong local infrastructure investment such as the Canal Street Project, which improved resilience against flooding, and pursue funds for coastal resiliency. One example is the state grant received for the Seawall Reconstruction Project on Columbus Avenue. We need strong “green” building standards and need to take a bold, creative approach to environmental sustainability and coastal resiliency. I support and will advocate for bringing the off-shore wind industry to Salem. I will work with our Sustainability, Energy and Resiliency Committee, SAFE, Salem Sound Coastwatch, and the Conservation Commission to proudly continue Salem’s commitment to coastal resiliency and reducing the environmental impact of the climate crisis.
Question 4: Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.
Encouraging civic engagement has always been a passion of mine! I especially love seeing young people getting involved in their community and local government. I’ve initiated voter registration efforts in various neighborhoods here in Salem and have advocated for automatic voter registration at our MA state house. Volunteering locally creates interest in political and non-political advocacy, and I work tirelessly to encourage involvement in our Salem communities and local government through social media, letters to the editor of our local paper, public events and talking with friends and neighbors. I will continue these efforts, and will also continue working to encourage all our community members to speak up and be heard not only through social media and letters to the editor, but also by reaching out to our elected officials and making public comments at city council and committee meetings. When our city meetings moved to zoom during the COVID crisis, they were more accessible to many of our residents that normally wouldn’t be heard. So many residents who are busy working, that have mobility and transportation challenges or are home with small children are often not heard. Since meetings have been on zoom, public comment and input has greatly increased. When meetings do return to in-person, I want to ensure we have a hybrid meeting plan in place that includes both in-person and online so our meetings are accessible and everyone has the availability to be heard.
Question 5: How do you think Salem should continue working on issues of race equity now that the city’s first Race Equity Task Force has submitted its report?
Establishing the Race Equity Task Force was an important step forward for Salem in identifying and addressing system and institutional racial inequities, and I was impressed with their report. The most important component to implementing strategies to overcome those disparities is to make a long-term commitment and be realistic that reversing the impacts of systemic racism will take serious work. The creation of a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion position will help guide this work at the city level and implement the recommendations from the five subcommittees; Community Culture, Economics, Education, Health, and Public Safety. Our City Council and government will need to properly fund and support their recommendations to diversify faculty and staff and expand diversity in curriculum for education, address inequities in public health including housing and food insecurity and healthcare, and create a more inclusive and equitable community through culturally inclusive public events and programming. For Salem Police operations, we need to provide an adequate budget for the implementation of body cams, continue community policing philosophy and yearly training in implicit bias and procedural justice, have Spanish speaking officers, and increase funding for a full-time mental health clinician. We also need to assist in addressing barriers to BIPOC business owners and increase access to small business loans and economic investments in neighborhoods like the Point.
Most importantly, we need to listen and gather feedback on racial equity concerns from our Salem community members and work together to build a more inclusive and equitable future for Salem.
For more information about Alice, visit the website: https://www.electalicemerkl.com/ or on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/electalicemerkl