Question 1: Why are you running for Councilor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?
I am running for Councilor because the residents in Ward 3 deserve to be represented fairly and with transparency. Our current representation voted for a zoning change on 333-357 Highland Ave that would have brought approximately 170 units to Highland Ave. Four other councilors voted against this zoning change because it was bad for Ward 3. Just a few months later, Tropical Products (30+ year Salem company) decided to choose this plot as its new headquarters bringing well-paying jobs with a low construction and traffic impact to the community. This is smart development, and these are the types of developments we need in Ward 3.
Our current representation also ignored contamination complaints from residents for over 7 months on the Overlook Acres development (289 Units, Highland Ave). The neighborhood was clearly against such an unsuitable development being built in their backyards however that sentiment was not represented by our councilor. The development intruded on the buffer zone of wetlands and the plot of land is heavily contaminated to the point that the developer is now suing the landowner citing this land is so contaminated that it poses “significant and imminent risk of harm to the public and the environment”. Thank you to all the residents who fought against this. It would have been a catastrophic mistake if we did not speak up.
I plan to use the skills and experience described in my Bio to make sure our existing residents and our environment receive the protection and representation they deserve.
Question 2: What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?
The types of housing that we have allowed is raising the average cost of living across the city. These developments offer a small percentage of “affordable housing” according to a definition, that, if looked at closely, does not truly represent affordability for SALEM residents. We need to base our affordability definition exclusively on income of Salem residents. We can also require a higher percentage of affordable units for high density developments if we choose to continue to add to our population density. This will be a hit to developers’ profits, however that should be the cost of doing business in Salem. If we are going to allow more housing using the same criteria we have been using, affordability will get worse. Create a new definition for affordability, demand more from developers, and/or obtain federal funding for affordable housing.
Please see below Housing Density and % of subsidized housing in surrounding Municipalities. (Population numbers have been rounded to hundreds)
Salem 5,200 residents per square mile, 12.6% subsidized housing
Swampscott 4,800, 3.7%
Peabody 3,200, 10%
Beverly 2,800, 11.8%
Saugus 2,400, 7%
Danvers 2,100, 10.3%
In the simplest terms, Salem has significantly more affordable housing (based on our current definition) and the highest population density than all neighboring towns except for Lynn. Building more units will not solve anything. In fact, I believe Salem has reached a critical capacity based on our geographical & transportation constraints, available jobs, traffic & infrastructure issues. If you are middle class or lower and do not qualify for subsidized housing, you cannot afford to live in Salem because of our current development agenda.
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?
We are in the most vulnerable category since we are a coastal city. The implications for Salem if sea level continues to rise should be a top concern. It is our responsibility to preserve Salem for our kids and generations to come. There are plenty of areas in Salem that have already been filled in overtime. Topographically, Salem’s ledge outcrop on 107 slopes down towards the coast with many wetlands in between. These need to be preserved with the highest level protection possible.
Please visit my Wetlands Protection Vision website for more information
More details about my environmental concerns and solution can be heard in my interview with Salem Digest.
We can also adopt a solar program so that all new buildings in Salem will require Solar roof tops. This can also include our existing buildings like our schools.
Question 4: Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.
I plan to create a website which outlines anything and everything I would need to vote on as your councilor. On this site, residents will be able to vote in favor or not in favor of any proposals which will be voted on in the city council. There will be an option for residents’ comments and recommendations for each issue as well. Resident comments and recommendations will have the option to be kept private and confidential. I will use this as a tool to help gauge how ward 3 would like to me to represent their voice on the issues I will have to vote on. I will also share this tool with all other councilors who would like to use it. I feel this is important because not all residents have time to attend council meetings nor do all residents feel comfortable publicly commenting at council meetings.
Ward 3 can be divided into smaller sections of about 5-6 communities. I plan to hold 1 community meeting every 3 months with each smaller community in ward 3 to listen to concerns and discuss solutions to address those concerns. These meetings will be accessible over video conference and in-person. Meetings for important issues will be scheduled ad-hoc as they come up as well.
Lastly and most importantly, I will always be accessible through phone and email which will be provided to every ward 3 resident.
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?
Overall, I believe Salem does a great job with Race Equity. With that said, there are always ways we can improve, and I believe Salem establishing the Race Equity Task Force was a wonderful step. I plan to support this group, their research and their proposals on how we can continue to make Salem better.
One specific area we need to focus on is our school systems. Salem has large populations of students with very diverse backgrounds and English as a second language. The performance of our schools has been sub-par, at best. We need to figure out where we are missing the mark in educating our students, especially those with diverse backgrounds who may have unique learning needs.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
- Nelson Mandela
If we do not hold ourselves accountable and fix our poor school systems, then we are not properly supporting our racially diverse student populations.