Response to Questions form the Spotlight

I received an email request on Friday from The Spotlight to respond to five questions. The response deadline was 5:00 pm Monday with a request to limit each response to 150 words or less. The responses will likely be edited. Complete responses are below.

1. How would you describe the city’s level of public transparency? What are the strengths and weaknesses? 

 

The city’s  level of public transparency is uneven. 

 

I think that the city makes a good faith effort to communicate with residents but there is always room for improvement. In my personal experience, city staff usually respond in a timely manner to question when I email or call. The city has a presence on social media including Facebook Twitter. Notices of meetings are made according to legal requirements.

 

I think that one improvement needed is to find a way to provide clearer information about city finances. Our city is audited every year. The audits have not shown any major issues about how city finances are managed. Yet I would like to explore ways to communicate more clearly to a lay person how revenues are used without having to refer to the city budget document.

 

2. How can the city of St. Helens help local businesses recover from losses associated with the pandemic and attract new businesses? 

 

This should be a priority. Strategies that the city council should consider: Personal contact by councilors to business owners, in particular small business owners. Collaboration with the South County Chamber of Commerce, SHEDCO, Keep It Local, and the Columbia County Economic Team to coordinate recovery efforts. Creation of a city staff position focused on business and community development or revise the job description of another position to include this goal.

 

          

3. What formal or informal involvement have you had with St. Helens government and community in the past four years? 

 

 Formal government involvement includes serving on the city budget committee and library board and the Friends of Dalton Lake Nature Preserve steering committee. Informal government  involvement has been attendance and participation in numerous meetings and hearings of the city council, city boards and commissions, and community meetings hosted by the city. 

 

Involvement with the community includes volunteering with the Friends of Nob Hill Nature Park  and as a SOLVE project leader.  I have worked with the St. Helens School District to provide outreach and translation services for  Spanish-speaking families. I’ve been a performer and director with the ShoeString Community Players. This spring I participated in a citizen science project to identify areas of Scotch Broom infestation in St. Helens. I have spent dozens of hours removing invasive plants and rescuing native plants from city parks.

 

4. What are the three biggest issues facing St. Helens? What would you do to address those issues? 

 

The three biggest issues are: 1. Recovery of our community from effects of the pandemic. 2. Responsible development of city-owned properties. 3. Inadequate revenues to fully provide essential city services.

 

All three issues should be addressed with as much public input as possible. In addition to the channels of communication already in place. I would hope to have more frequent public informational meetings and “town halls”. I would seek out individuals with expertise or interest in a topic and invite them to give public testimony at meetings of the council, boards and commissions.

 

5. What is your take on calls for racial justice and policing reforms across the United States, particularly in St. Helens? 

 

It is necessary to promote and work for justice, equity and inclusion for all St. Helens residents. I am proud to have participated in the June 3rd event in St. Helens in support of Black Lives Matter and the Juneteenth event with my family. I want the City to go beyond making statements and policies against racism. I want to work to ensure that the statements and policies are put into practice.

 

We are all responsible for public safety and I believe that the St. Helens Police Depart plays an important role in this community effort. There issues for which a police response is not what is needed but for which other community resources are lacking including mental health crises and homelessness. I want to see the formation of a group of residents to work with the police to examine the role of policing in St. Helens.