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PORTSMOUTH HERALD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2013 A7

PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL RACE

Candidates at a glance
The 23 residents running for the Portsmouth City Council answered a series of questions provided by the Portsmouth Herald for prole stories. As an additional help to readers, their answers (some reduced to t this space) will be detailed in this format this week. For their complete answers, visit www.seacoastonline.com.

Duncan MacCallum
Address: 536 State St. Age: 62
I will oppose any Worth lot parking garage. I will oppose any Parrott Avenue parking garage. I will oppose any aboveground parking garage in the downtown, period. I favor underground parking garages, but the cost of same should be borne primarily by those who would primarily benet from them: the hotels, bars and restaurants, and the downtown businesses, generally.

Zelita F. Morgan
Address: 39 Richards Ave. Age: 51
Much of the parking shortage owes to our citys increased popularity among tourists. The logical response would be to construct one or more parking facilities in the North End so as to intercept visitors before they drive from Interstate 95 to the city center. The cost of such facilities should be borne by real estate developers, and not by Portsmouth residents. The Worth lot is a poor site for a garage because the adjacent segment of Maplewood Avenue is already congested. The Parrott Avenue lot is an even worse location because it would require visitors coming o of I-95 to drive through downtown and nearby neighborhoods in order to access the site.

Devin Murphy
Address: 621 Islington St., Suite F Age: 26
I dont believe there is a single solution to the shortage of parking in the downtown. The combination of a new parking garage, and the creation of a satellite parking space with shuttle service to the downtown area and even permit only areas for downtown employees are all viable options toward solving this issue.

Shelley Saunders
Address: 15 Oak St. Age: 39
We need another parking garage built as soon as possible. We simply cant have another summer high-tra c season like we did this past summer. It is dangerous to pedestrians and drivers who do not have knowledge of our downtown searching for parking spots. The garage is needed for employees of our restaurants, retail shops, hair salons and local businesses that have relocated to the downtown area. I think we should not just build any garage, it has to be sustainable, safe, (and) bicyclist- and moped-friendly. It should have 24-hour security patrol for public safety.

What is your solution to the current parking shortage in downtown?

Do you support the concepts of form-based zoning as a way to encourage responsible development?

I am extremely leery of form-based zoning because I feel it has not been properly vetted. I am uneasy with a holistic system that depends primarily on character, rather than objective criteria, for it introduces too much subjectivity and, ergo, the potential for abuse. I am amenable to implementing it, but only with a sunset clause, so that we can see how well it works.

My support for form-based zoning is tentative, as this tool has not much of a track record in environments similar to downtown Portsmouth. In the event that it fails to deliver, the city should have a solid Plan B in place, e.g. straightforward dimensional limitations in the zoning ordinance, written in plain English. It is also critically important that city o cials insist on urban design of a much higher quality than we have seen in the North End and at 51 Islington St. and at the new CVS on Lafayette Road. We can, and we must, do better. The local public bus system (COAST) reports record ridership numbers. The city should continue to work closely with COAST so as to provide more frequent bus and trolley service. The trolley would really take o if it ran at 15-minute intervals. Portsmouth should also be more aggressive in e orts to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure so as to provide a healthy alternative to our reliance on motor vehicles. The utilization of such alternatives would have a positive impact on tra c congestion that plagues downtown and the Islington Street corridor. I am a scal conservative. Overtime in the police and re departments has been abused in the past. Going forward, such practices should be curbed in every instance. The citys spending on its public schools is grossly out of alignment in that far too much is spent on constructing new school buildings that are much larger than well ever need, while at the same time, the curriculum is antiquated. In that respect, we must do a better job preparing our young people for an increasingly competitive global economy. Better schools (not larger ones) are in every homeowners interest, because in such communities, property values rise. Absolutely not. There are already far too many drunken hooligans running around. We should be able to enjoy tranquility and safety on our public streets.

I do support the concept. I believe zoning is more e ective and logical when based on regulations rather than guidelines. Form-based zoning allows the city to clearly illustrate the use and separation of every part of a parcel, taking into consideration the types of buildings, buildto lines and frontage, rather than looking at the parcel as one single block of space. While it can be a bit more time-consuming, I believe it is more e ective in the long term.

I completely support form-based zoning, and think we need to immediately have a board or person working on developing our land use codes, ASAP. Form-based zoning would allow the city to advise and mandate specic building/design types, suited for the appropriate land use, versus our now traditional and a little outdated land-use zoning that is too broad and leaves a lot of wiggle room for developers to abuse their design, not taking into consideration the immediate abutters and the surrounding design/feel of the neighborhood. I feel the city does have enough public transportation. But, I feel we are lacking in transportation for the seniors. I also feel that we need more taxis on the streets available on Friday and Saturday nights.

Do you feel the city has enough public transportation?

I would have said the city should expand the number and location of its bus and trolley routes and double or triple the frequency of runs, but the fact is, that the buses and trolleys are barely being utilized as it is. Expansion of shuttle service to satellite parking lots is one of the obvious incidentals that will go handin-hand with solving the parking problem. Hopefully, it will also stimulate an enhancement of overall service and more widespread use.

Portsmouth does a good job with public transportation throughout the city and to neighboring areas, but we can do a better job with the downtown area. We could organize a park-andride system for employees who work downtown by setting up a parking area outside of the downtown and having the trolleys bring people back and forth. I also believe at the height of summer, there arent enough taxis in the city when people are leaving the restaurants and bars in the evening.

Give us your philosophy on the budget and what your priorities are when it comes to funding education and public safety.

If you had come to me with the combined $80 million that we spent on the Portsmouth High School extension and the middle school renovation and said to me, I think we should use those funds to raise incoming teachers salaries, so that we can attract the best and brightest talent, I probably would have said, Well, at $80 million, I still think thats way too much, but at least I would have taken that proposal seriously, for it is teachers, not lavish new physical facilities, that drive student achievement.

Maintaining our fantastic education system is hands down my top priority. Keeping the town within the guidelines of the budget while keeping taxes from going up is important to me as well. Portsmouth is an expensive place to live and it is important to keep the costs down for residents while delivering a top-class living experience.

The proposed FY14 budget breakdown is: 54 percent to schools, 10 percent to re, 13 percent to police, 23 percent to general government. I believe our school system is well deserving of the 54 percent, with New Franklin Elementary School ranking No. 2 best elementary school in New Hampshire (out of 216 schools). We can generate more money inside the well-deserving police department by allowing police employees to opt out of the citys health insurance for $3,500 payment back into their paychecks, just like the Fire Department does, as long as that employee can provide proof of insurance on a spouse. No. With Portsmouth being a destination for University of New Hampshire students, bar patrons from surrounding cities and Massachusetts, I do not think it is necessary. As it is, bartenders after closing dont leave work until 2:30 to 3 a.m. Why do this to the restaurant employees and the police o cers on patrol?

Do you support extending last call for bars in Portsmouth until 2 a.m.?

I grew up in upstate New York, where the bars closing time was 2 a.m., and I dont see that it ever hurt anything. That circumstance, plus my basic a ection for freedom, inclines me to say a 2 a.m. closing time should be allowed. Drunken revelry, alcohol-fueled disorderly conduct and general unruliness are a function of overall alcohol consumption and overcrowded population, not closing times, and I do not consider that changing last call from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. is going to make much di erence. I am in favor of establishing a senior center, for I am well aware of the problems that senior citizens face. As for a proposed site, the former military reserve center on Cottage Street is the obvious front-runner, but I do not feel sufcient information has been gathered for me to express an opinion as to whether that facility is the most appropriate one. I was quite shocked at the news that we spent over $1 million in overtime to our policemen and remen last year. The last time I checked, we had four assistant re chiefs each earning $100,000 or more a year, in addition to the re chief himself. It seems to me that if those re chiefs are worth their salt, let alone $100,000, they ought to be able to gure out some way to curb excessive overtime and save the taxpayers some money. As a starting point for discussion, I would suggest implementing staggered shifts. Over the past 10 years, city spending has expanded annually at roughly double the rate of ination. My property taxes are now triple what they were when I rst moved here, with little to show for it. It is unrealistic to expect city union employees to accept pay cuts in the name of reducing the budget, but their wage increases can at least be kept in line with those of the taxpayers who pay them. I am amenable to wage increases that match the rate of ination, but nothing more. Transparency, and greater accountability. In recent years, the citys usual modus operandi has been to allow an idea or proposal to percolate behind closed doors at City Hall for a year and then to spring it on the citizens, urging that it be passed and implemented immediately because of some perceived emergency. Proposals are rushed through the City Council without fair opportunity for the citizens to familiarize themselves with them and give informed input. For the past eight years, development has been permitted to run amok in the downtown, destroying the citys essential charm and character; and the past four city councils have stood silently by, allowing it to happen. I have a lengthy track record of vigorously opposing runaway development, and if elected to the City Council, I will continue to ght ercely to preserve whatever is left of that charm and character.

I do support the extension of last call until 2 a.m. in Portsmouth and I believe it could be a well-deserved boost in revenue, especially in the summer. Restaurants and bars are a signicant factor bringing people into our city and if we can keep them here longer and have them spend more money, then it is an obvious choice. I also believe if the bars stayed open until 2 a.m., there would be less of a mass exodus from downtown during closing time, leaving taxis open for patrons to be driven home rather than taking a chance and driving. I think the city should create a senior center as near to the downtown area as possible. The senior community deserves a place where they can involve themselves in fellowship and various activities while also being within easy walking distance to all that downtown o ers.

Where do you think the city should build a senior center and why?

Downtown, in a location that is close to the city center, Prescott Park and the Memorial Bridge. In such a location, seniors would have ready access to co ee shops, sidewalk seating, bookstores, the tranquility of Prescott Park, and the scenic vistas provided by the Memorial Bridge. The old Connie Bean Center would have been an ideal location. Perhaps we should o er to buy it back. See response to Question No. 4, above.

I think the old Connie Bean center could be reconstructed and a perfect place for a senior center, with appropriate transportation. This would allow seniors to enjoy all of what downtown has to o er The Music Hall, Prescott Park, restaurants and more. The bricks are up, and the building is part of our history, why tear it down? Lets put it to good use. I believe overtime wages are necessary for the hard work our city workers perform.

What is your overall position on overtime wages?

Overtime should be managed closely and approved only in cases of necessity. It should not be a bargaining tool, but instead a reward for extra hard work.

With many union contracts expected to expire in 2014, what do you hope the city achieves through the collective bargaining process?

I will do everything in my power to prevent a relapse into the pension abuses that were rampant during the late 20th century. As for overtime, see my response to Question No. 4, above.

Collective bargaining is an historic and vital right of the working class in the U.S. and N.H. to simply have a seat at the table, and since the workers are the backbone of this citys economy, they must have a voice regarding their working conditions. I hope through collective bargaining we will be able to continue our reputation for great public education by fullling the needs of our educators, and make sure we cover the pensions of our reghters and police. Greater use of social media to promote community events and to aid in the discourse surrounding the issues that will a ect the city. Our Web site could use an update and our social media presence is lacking. There has also been a great lack of representation for the younger generation in Portsmouth, which has played a major role in my deciding to run for o ce. The 18- to 35-year-olds who keep this city running day in and day out deserve someone to speak for them, and that is what I hope to be. A ordability is a top priority for me. There is a perception among many of those who work downtown that Portsmouth takes them for granted and doesnt give them the support they might need to a ord to live and park in the very city they help to prosper. I want to explore ways to help make living in Portsmouth more a ordable for the people who work in our restaurants and shops downtown.

I hope the city can work with the unions to renew contracts, but, I believe there has to be a hard look at the current contracts. Again, I think an outside consultant should be brought in to take a look at contracts and give a fresh perspective if these unions are in the appropriate contracts.

In what ways can the city bolster public participation and input?

City councilors can, and should, be doing a better job at listening to the citizenry. In particular, councilors should keep an open mind, at least until the public has nished speaking.

This election will be a game changer, with more residents wanting to come out and vote, and vote for a council member who will most represent their voice. Direct residents to the city of Portsmouths Web site, view the boards and what the boards do. Boards always have seats open for citizens to join, that is exactly how I joined the Conservation Commission in August 2012. I think most residents think the process of city politics is scary, and I want to change that. Portsmouth is made up of over 30 percent wetlands. There needs to be more education about preserving our wetlands and the Great Bay estuary system. Starting with the (re)construction of our current very outdated wastewater treatment plant, we need to make sure the new facility is cutting edge when it comes to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for nitrogen level emissions, so very important to the beautiful body of water the plant sits on. Incentivize residents who use best practices accordingly, preserving wetlands and controlling storm water runo .

Identify an issue not mentioned above that you feel should be a priority in the coming years.

Climate change should be moved to the front burner. Climatologists advise that municipal investments in preparation are far less costly than responding to extreme weather events after the fact. Its time to get serious in regard to planning and preparation. We owe it to our children to prepare as best we can. At the risk of stating the obvious, ours is a low-lying coastal community.