1. As the City Budget tightens in response to the economic downturn, and in response to a projected long-term revenue gap, which programs and services should receive the highest priority?
Those which provide access to safety net services ensured through full funding of the human services fund should be the services receiving the highest priority.
Boulder has adopted the Boulder County Human Services Strategic Plan which provides a guiding document for service provision, in partnership with Boulder’s HHS Master Plan. This should be used as a blueprint when considering program priorities. Cuts to those who are already struggling in our community often times end up costing us more long term.
The City recently engaged its community members in determining priorities for services. It was an affirmation of our community’s values that health and human services are top prioritizes. Educating residents on the consequences of cuts is essential, especially when those consequences often hit community members who don’t have a voice or opportunity to weigh in.
2. The current City Council has identified as one of its priorities creating a welcoming, inclusive and safe community for all. How can our police department best support this vision?
There are several ways that our police department can support an inclusive and safe community: They should rigorously enforce anti-discrimination policies and provide on-going anti-bias training for officers and administration. An effective program of recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting people of color and who are bilingual is tremendously effective. Having Spanish or bicultural officers can make some of our residents feel much safer calling police and asking for assistance. Partnering with agencies like Intercambio de Comunicades can help officers learn more about immigrants’ needs and perceptions of police. Utilizing training such as Dialogues on Immigrant Integration can also be an effective way to help both our police force and residents understand issues and experiences that can lead to an environment that is not inclusive.
3. The City has made many fine efforts to solicit input from underrepresented communities, such as the “Meetings-in-a-Box” component of the last community survey. Participants often feel, however, that they do not know what happens as a result. How can the City do a better job of following up with those underrepresented communities on their input?
City staff can host presentations at different community centers like San Juan del Centro and Boulder Housing Partner or churches like Sacred Heart of Jesus, and senior centers to communicate information gathered and keep the citizens informed of next steps. These meetings should be advertised through word of mouth, not just email or a notice in the newspaper. Asking participants of past meetings how they would like to be informed and kept up to date is essential, since “business as usual” is not often an effective communication vehicle. There is some new research that suggests under represented populations are cell-phone users and social marketing efforts should be investigated as a method. Perhaps a pilot with one of the aforementioned groups would be useful.
4. What is your position relative to the City’s diversity initiative and what more can or should the City do to support expanded leadership representation for underrepresented communities on Boards and Commissions and on City staff? Would you, for example, support a City Charter amendment to allow resident non-citizens to serve on Boards and Commissions?
Although I understand and support the idea behind this proposed amendment, I probably would not support it because I don’t think it will achieve what it intends. We do need representation from the immigrants in our community, but a system is not in place to protect non-citizens or make them feel welcome. Also, we have major barriers to even getting people involved and letting them know that they can be involved and that are things for them to help with.
There also needs to be a better understanding of what are the barriers to service for immigrants. Do Boards and Commissions need training on diversity and inclusion Dialogues would be a good resource for this. City staff should ask immigrant leaders what they view as the barriers, and then attend to those.
City staff should meet with leaders of organizations who represent immigrant and minority interests and ask them to recommend candidates. Outreach to these candidates could better ensure that potential recruits actually apply. Also, better publication of the procedures and due dates, like at community centers, libraries, and non-profit organizations could lead to higher numbers of underrepresented groups applying. The People Engaged in Raising Leaders program (PERL), which is a collaboration between the Community Action Program and Community Foundation, trains people from underrepresented communities on how to serve on a board. The City should consult with them when recruiting representatives for city boards and commissions.
5. Mobile homes provide some of the most affordable housing in Boulder, but mobile home residents are quite vulnerable because landlords control pad rent and park management. What should the City's role be in preserving this form of housing and protecting mobile home residents?
The city can do a lot to protect mobile home owners. Given the fact that mobile home residents own their “house” but not the land on which it sits, and given the fact that mobile homes are not easily or quickly moved, mobile home residents to deserve some special consideration by the legislature. I currently serve on the City of Boulder’s Planning Board and I voted to protect Orchard Grove residents from a sale that would have forced them to move. Several weeks ago, I met with residents of Orchard Grove to hear more about their efforts to buy their mobile home park. They raised several important legal efforts that could be made to better protect their rights that I support. First, mobile park residents should be given a right of first refusal before a mobile home park is sold that could displace residents. Second, mobile home owners could be required to provided “just cause” notice before eviction. This is important because they can’t easily move when evicted. Third, mobile home park owners could be required to guarantee a minimum pad rent period, instead of the month-to-month lease that most residents are on. Lastly, the city could require licensing for mobile home park owners to guarantee that owners are providing the necessary infrastructure and safe site needs that would be required of any other landowner.
In regards to non-legislative solutions, the city can provide mediation services to a mobile park owner and the residents to help facilitate mutually beneficial results.
5. Many in the community feel that the contamination issue at Valmont Butte, a sacred Arapaho site and home to an historic settler’s cemetery, remains unresolved. How would you propose to address this issue?
My understanding is that the city is pursuing clean up efforts through the federal Brownfields program and Colorado’s Voluntary Clean Up Program. They city is also contacting Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP’s) to determine their responsibility for cleanup. I am not sure how the contamination issue is unresolved, but I think these efforts to clean I up and make PRP’s pay for their part of the clean up are the right steps to take.
If the city needs to further address community concerns, the city has mediation services. Those that feel concerned about the contamination issue could be brought together with the city or previous landowners to come up with a solution.
6. Would you consider ensuring access to recreational and sports activities for children and youth of all backgrounds a priority? If so, how would you accomplish this?
Yes I absolutely think this is a priority. There is a correlation between children and youth who participate in recreational activities and sports and greater engagement in school. Students who are engaged are much more likely to stay in school and stay focused on goals and successful behaviors. Free or reduced-fee passes for those who live in Boulder Housing Partner or Thistle Community Housing properties are a good way to ensure access. And Recreation Center staff should be trained about how to involve and interact with minorities in a way that engages them and makes them feel welcomed.
