Priorities
“I care deeply about this beautiful community that we are fortunate to call our home. During my service on the City Council, we have made great strides in confronting the challenges that face us but we have much more to do. I will work hard to ensure that Bend is livable, safe, and prosperous – not just for today, but for my kids and future generations. I hope to earn your vote so that together we can create more affordable housing, tackle homelessness, protect our unique and precious environment, ensure safe neighborhoods and streets, and grow in a way that broadens economic opportunity.”
Bend City Councilor Position 1
Affordable Housing
During my tenure on the City Council, we have worked hard to address the rising cost of housing – one of the greatest threats to Bend’s sustained prosperity and one of the biggest challenges faced by working families in our community. Among other things, we have supported hundreds of new affordable homes; aggressively pursued federal and state funding for affordable housing including obtaining a $5 million HUD grant; launched a new pilot Middle Housing program and taken other actions to provide housing opportunities for families earning between 80%-120% of the area median income; approved needed, high-quality market-rate housing; and made policy changes to facilitate the development of new housing. In the years to come, we need to re-double our efforts to create new incentives, remove unnecessary and costly impediments, and pursue funding to expand the supply of affordable housing. With my professional background in advocating for affordable housing and creating high-quality urban, infill development, I will roll up my sleeves in collaboration with my Council colleagues to continue and accelerate the progress we are making.
Livable, Walkable and Sustainable Neighborhoods
Before I accepted the position as the Central Oregon Childcare Accelerator, I was the part owner of a company that developed a sustainable, urban residential neighborhood that won over 30 awards from national, state, and local organizations for its design, parks and public spaces, and public art. I want to continue to apply the skills I have gained and my commitment to thoughtful, environmentally responsible development to ensure that, as Bend grows, we do so in a way that results in livable, walkable, and connected neighborhoods. On this score, we are making progress – we are creating a more robust bike and pedestrian network to allow people to move safely across our city; we are providing a critical new connection between neighborhoods with the Hawthorne bike/ped overcrossing; we have completed the Newport Avenue improvement project with bike lanes and improved sidewalks; we adopted amendments to the City Code to foster more sustainable development; and much more. As Bend grows, we need to constantly innovate and evolve to make sure that we are achieving our best vision for our community’s future.
Climate and the Environment
Given the natural beauty of our community and the grave and immediate threat posed by climate change, we need to re-double our efforts to protect our environment, contribute to efforts to combat climate change, and increase the resiliency of Bend as our climate warms. As the City Council’s liaison to the City’s Environment and Climate Committee, I am committed to accelerating our actions in this arena by, among other things, encouraging and supporting the development of renewable energy; increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions in our built environment; supporting the development of a robust electric vehicle charging network to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission light duty/passenger vehicles and medium and heavy-duty trucks; and funding adequate staff levels to execute on these goals and to seek and obtain state and federal funding for these critical initiatives. These efforts – along with a continued commitment to clean water, clean air, and protection of open spaces – will define the livability of Bend for generations to come.
Homelessness
One of the greatest challenges faced by Bend and communities around the nation is the human tragedy of homelessness that is devastating for so many families, individuals, and children and that tears at our social fabric. At the City Council, we are working on multiple fronts to reduce the number of homeless and those without a safe place to rest their heads at night. We have increased the number of shelter spaces by over 500 beds; increased behavioral health services, keeping people out of the elements, providing them meals, and helping them move out of homelessness; renovated and opened the Project Turnkey funded Stepping Stone Shelter; and broke ground on Cleveland Commons, Bend’s first permanent supportive housing project to which Bend and Deschutes County committed funds. We must continue to take actions to provide shelter to those in need, to move people out of homelessness, and to make sure that the public health and safety of our neighborhoods are protected.
Transparency, Accountability and Equity
To ensure that City government is effective, we must commit ourselves to continually earning the trust of our citizenry by adhering to the highest standards of transparency and fiscal accountability in an equitable way and by working collaboratively to find practical solutions to the pressing challenges that Bend faces in the years ahead. During my service on the Council, we have taken important steps in this regard. We passed a budget with the support of our resident budget committee; we set goals for 2023-2024 based on an extensive community engagement process; we held joint meetings with the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and the Redmond City Council to discuss issues of regional concern; and we launched Bend Works, a new app for residents to report issues and to receive information on what the City is doing on matters from potholes to public safety. Going forward, we need to continue to take steps to earn trust and ensure all voices are heard – the foundation for progressive and effective public policies and programs.