Q1

The lack of affordable housing remains a top concern of Denver residents, and while we commend the city on increasing resources, more needs to be done. If you agree that more resources are needed to support affordable housing, what type of funds and how much are necessary to address this crisis, and how could you achieve this within the next two to three years? 

 

Yes, I agree more funding is needed to address the affordable housing crisis Denver is facing. I believe it is time to update the nexus study and raise the linkage fee to something some substantial particularly, on multifamily rental properties that are essentially business which was justified in the last nexus study. The target amount to should be enough so that the city can bond an additional of a minimum $160 - million, however, this capacity should be withheld until the state legislator successfully address the Telluride enabling us to leverage these dollars in a more productive way with public, private and non-profit developers.

 

Q2

Transit and mobility remain a top city priority without a dedicated local source of funding. Would you support creating a dedicated source of annual funding for citywide investments in transit, mobility and Vision Zero safety improvements, and if yes, how much money do you think is needed to properly address this need, how would you allocate these funds and how would you propose to fund this?

 

Yes, I would support a dedicated source of funding for infrastructure mobility infrastructure investments. Three sources would be the $14 million annually and parking meter revenue, and infrastructure fee on new development, and a ballot measure that Coincides with a charter amendment that would create a mobility and transportation division of public works. I would offer this in replacement for the transportation tax that was passed in Denver but failed state wide that would raise $100 million a year from Denver along. If it were up to me I would target about $80 million annually which would be sufficient to bond nearly $1 billion worth of infrastructure work that could transform mobility in the city. Other revenues would be portion from the mobility aspects of public works has current general fund allocation.

 

Q3

In the November 2018 election, Denver voters approved a sales tax to increase the yearly investment in parks by more than $40 million. How would you ensure that acquiring land for new parks is done in an equitable way and does not compete with other pressing city priorities, such as acquiring land for affordable housing? 

 

I believe a metric should be formulated that compares number of residents to to area of open space and parks, proximate to those residents. Similar metrics would need to be formulated for the daily visitor Population so that we don’t overburden resident serving parks. The metrics should also factor in unit density because often with greater density comes with A reduction in private open space such as backyards side yards in front yard and those losses need to be offset with a sufficient amount of community service open space. Similar metrics could be found for other aspects of equity which are somewhat subjective but the ratio of people to open space should drive acquisition.

 

Q4 

All In Denver was formed to respond to concerns that racial and social inequity is growing in the city. What do you think are the reasons that we have become a less equitable city and what are your priorities for ensuring Denver becomes more equitable in the future?

 

The primary reason for social and racial inequity in our city as it grows is market force displacement. A rational means to address this problem would be to offer those developments seeking to capitalize on the market with an incentive for reduced the permitting cost an expedited review along with flexible rules to accommodate affordable units that would offset the loss of similar size and price units in areas that are Gentrifying.

 

Q5

Running a city the size of Denver is a massive undertaking with a complex web of services, departments, budgets and trade-offs. From your understanding of the city and how it allocates its resources, are there areas of the city that you’d increase funding and if so, what are they? And likewise, are there areas of the city where you’d decrease funding?

 

No single member of council has the power to remove or add budgetary items alone, and And the majority of the budget is essentially non-discretionary spending. That said, If had the power of the mayor, I would increase funding for more police officers on patrol and in traffic safety. I would cut the $5 million being spent on the office of public private partnership‘s. And I would try to focus as many savings into mobility options, particularly near-neighborhoods to downtown circulator.

 

 

 

 

Q6

Let’s assume that the City of Denver ends the 2019 fiscal year with a budget surplus of $20 million. As a Councilmember or Mayor, please list up to three program priorities on how you would spend this money. Please provide specific line items and budget amounts.

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$7-million for nine (9) neighborhood planning consultant team to lead communites to design standards that can be adopted by council and address Denveright recommendations. $ 3-million for affordable ADU loans and subsidies, a portion would be used for construction of tiny homes for the homeless. $10-million for nine (9) free neighborhood circulators with routes similar to historic trolley routes, with maximum 15 min wait.