We are growing and that means change – both good and bad. We need to do a better job with planning to help good development happen where it should and stop bad development from happening anywhere. The bottom line is that we must make sure that Austin stays Austin rather than becoming Anytown, USA.
Traffic: Growth means traffic problems. There are no easy answers. This is one of the few topics I’ve discovered where people seem to hate the solutions even more than they hate the problem. When we talk about traffic, we’re really talking about land use in general, so the first step I’d suggest is that we do more to link land use decisions with transportation planning. If we are to build a truly transit-oriented community where it is not necessary to get in a car to do everything, we have to include transportation planning in zoning and neighborhood planning discussions in a broader, more meaningful way. We should also look for ways to involve our community’s biggest traffic generators (i.e. major employers, UT, state government) to see if there are ways to “stage” arrivals and departures to change the traffic patterns so we can use our existing transportation capacity more efficiently. We must work together with the County and State to explore options for funding mass transit and to make sure we’re getting our City’s fair share of federal dollars. Given the reality that toll roads are part of the transportation equation, we must make sure that every dollar spent on tolls in Austin stays in Austin. I also support increasing investment in sidewalk repairs and promoting biking and walking wherever possible, but especially in the central neighborhoods where it can pay the most dividends in terms of traffic (and pollution) reduction. Creating and maintaining viable bicycling infrastructure citywide is largely a function of funding, and if elected I would explore options for devoting more resources to the task. I think there are also symbolic victories we can achieve in Austin to help promote the idea of bicycling as a viable form of transit, such as completing the cross-town central city Lance Armstrong Bikeway.
Toll Roads: I’m not for tolling any road that has already been paid for with gas tax revenue in any way, shape or form, period. But I don’t and won’t categorically oppose tolls as a way to finance the construction of needed roads when there is no other viable financing method and when tolling is transparent and accountable, and revenue distribution is equitable. Tolls would always be my last choice to relieve traffic congestion.
Neighborhood Planning: Too many people I’ve spoken with seem to feel “duped” after engaging in the neighborhood planning process. They feel their time and energy may have been wasted. We need to reboot the neighborhood planning process to be more inclusive and predictable. Currently, code enforcement is complaint-driven, and Future Land Use Plans are taken only as recommendations. People are surprised to learn that their plan makes recommendations, but a newly proposed project that conforms to zoning requirements but not the intent of the neighborhood plan can and is still often pursued. We can and should find ways to better implement the recommendations generated by neighborhood plans, as well as methods for connecting the dots between one neighborhood’s plan and the next. I’d like to increase the availability of training, planning, research, and survey tools so that all neighborhoods have equal opportunity for success. I will seek ways to better utilize email and text messaging as a city-wide communication tool and do greater outreach to educate and include more citizens in the process. I’d like to see the City’s website offer more mechanisms for feedback and virtual neighborhood forums. As a matter of policy, I believe that City staff should be instructed to encourage developers (even single family home-owners) to dialogue with their neighbors before entering into the permitting process as part of their permitting application. I would also explore the creation of a user-friendly guide to development regulations and seek distribution support from local realtors during the home and property sales process.
Valid Petitions: A valid petition is an important tool for preventing inappropriate zoning changes. It often represents the desires of a significant portion of the residents in a given area of town. In almost every case, I would expect to strongly support a neighborhood’s valid petition. But, I can’t know exactly what the future holds, and I've learned in life that absolutes can get you in trouble. I can’t make the pledge that I will never vote against a valid petition, but I can make the pledge that if I ever do it will be in the name of a clear, compelling, broad community value.
Affordable Housing: I supported the 2006 affordable housing bond program, and I supported the creation of the Community Land Trust as a Board Member with PeopleFund. Creating mechanisms that encourage private sector investment in addressing our affordable housing challenges is important, as is strengthening the relationship the City has with leading local nonprofits working successfully in this arena. We need to create a clear and transparent method for reporting and performance review to ensure we’re getting the results we expect from the bond program, which is a first of its kind, as well as from the downtown development incentives program. Regarding other affordability strategies, we should explore targeted exemptions and tax relief for original residents, and also seek ways to influence the legislature with respect to its over-reliance on property taxes, which is contributing directly to our affordable housing challenges.
Business and Economic Development: I want to keep Austin Austin. Economic vitality and local business success are critical to that notion. We must do everything we can to feed the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven Dell, National Instruments, Whole Foods and others to become international giants; that has helped Chuy’s, Whole Earth Provisions, Alamo Drafthouse and others to become regional successes; ;and that has fueled local businesses like The Hoffbrau, Benold’s and Waterloo Records through good times and bad. Having run small businesses in Austin in the past, and having had the experience of selling a company I founded to a San Diego-based public company, I will bring a unique perspective to the Council. Where many local business owners are concerned, sometimes the biggest challenges aren’t solved by new programs, but rather increased focus and attention on the basics such as ensuring the City has reliable and affordable utilities, quick and predictable permitting process, fair and stable regulatory functions, safe neighborhoods, strong infrastructure, and overall economic strength. Besides focusing on these things, I will look for ways the City can enhance its services to small and minority-run businesses while reducing utility rates and/or fees for local businesses. And I’d include local nonprofit organizations in the mix as they operate as businesses, too, just with a different tax status. I would strengthen the relationship the City has with organizations like the Austin Independent Business Alliance and support organizations like BiG and PeopleFund which support local entrepreneurs with special technical assistance and financing needs. I will also support the efforts of Opportunity Austin and all our local chambers of commerce. These organizations provide critical resources to thousands of local businesses while also having a direct impact on our community’s talent pool and ability to recruit and retain important businesses, especially in the areas of technology, clean energy, and medical R&D. I will also seek ways to work more effectively with UT. I believe strongly that we must be able to verify the results of our City’s economic development activity, so I will be a strong advocate for transparency, including the use of an independent auditor to ensure that job creation, salaries, and other performance requirements are being met before any City-granted economic benefit is received. From a planning perspective, I believe it is important to promote and facilitate sustainable economic growth in the Desired Development Zone.
Environmental Protection: I support improved water quality protections for new development and support the Austin Climate Protection Plan. I will promote all City policies that reduce waste, water and electricity use and that accelerate the use of green technologies and conservation. Convenience and public awareness are essential for success on the path to zero solid waste, so I will ensure public outreach and broad community involvement are parts of any implementation plans. Too often people operate in individual silos, preventing maximum impact from any single initiative. That’s why I will also explore the role of Chief Sustainability Officer and find ways to make sure sustainability planning is taken seriously from an operations perspective city-wide, from department to department. I believe we should continue buying as much land as possible over the Edwards Aquifer and protect what we already have. I will be an advocate for strict enforcement of the SOS ordinance and will work to advance policies that result in the reduction of pollutants flowing into the Barton Springs watershed. We should safeguard East Austin rivers and creeks, too.
Nuclear Energy: I am against the City’s involvement in the expansion of the STP, and supported the City Council’s decision not to pursue it. Until science and industry create cost-effective and safe way to generate nuclear energy, I am opposed to it.
Renewable Energy: In 2001 I was a co-founder of the Austin Clean Energy Initiative because I believed then, as I do today, that Austin is a natural home for clean energy innovation and can and should be recognized as a national center of the renewable energy sector. We are in a strong position to successfully compete for the title of “Renewable Energy Capital.” To move us forward in the renewable energy sector and to help meet Austin’s future energy needs, my decision-making on the City Council would always prioritize the generation and distribution of renewable energy over coal or nuclear. I would push to continue to improve the City’s residential and commercial energy efficiency programs, to help us conserve more. I would champion efforts to expand and streamline residential and business recycling programs. And, I would work directly with community groups to promote strategies and economic policies that help energy entrepreneurs succeed in our community.
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