Monday, February 27, 2006

District 1 City Council Candidates Q&A

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    District 1 responses
    1. Why are you running for office? What are your top priorities?
    2. Considering Santa Fe's water problems over the past decade, should city government take new action to limit development, building or growth? How much can Santa Fe grow?
    3. What, if anything should Santa Fe do to expand its water supply?
    4. Do you support Santa Fe's living wage ordinance? Do you believe it should be repealed or amended in any way?
    5. Do you support the city ordinance requiring 30 percent of most new homes to be sold at below-market prices as affordable housing? What else, if anything, should Santa Fe do to promote making housing more affordable?
    6. Have you— or your business, if you are a business owner— ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?
    7. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?
    8. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony? If so, please elaborate.
    9. Have you or your business been involved in any litigation with Santa Fe city government as the defendant or plaintiff?

NAME: Sandra Aguilar
    PLACE OF RESIDENCE: Calle Torreon, Santa Fe
    EDUCATION: B.A., education, from Northwest Missouri State College; M.A., architecture, from the College of Environmental Design at University of California, Berkeley.
    OCCUPATION: Designer
    FAMILY: Partner, family, extended family, of friends and a small dog.
    POLITICAL/GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE: Former co-chair of the Santa Fe Home Rule Commission, 1990; former director of Planning and Land Use Department, City of Santa Fe.
    1. I am running for office as a write-in candidate in District 1 because the residents of District 1 need strong representation on the city council. I am an independent thinker with academic qualifications and practical experience and I will be a strong voice for District 1. My priorities will include implementation of a joint city-county plan which ties with growth, affordable housing and economic development.
    2. Maintaining a strong development policy that ties smart growth and water availability will manage growth. Both the city and the county need to be in concert with water growth policies. Balancing the rate of growth with water demands, housing demands and economic development and city services.
    3. Continuing with Santa Fe's long-range water strategic plan is the starting point. Adding a very aggressive water conservation program with our existing conservation programs, we can improve our water use. And finally, implementing a plan for a regional water treatment plant would expand our water supply.
    4. Yes, the living wage is a means for economic justice for working families and individuals. The cost of living is soaring, making it difficult for residents to afford to live in Santa Fe. Beyond wages, education is a stepping stone to economic opportunity. Living wage amendments could include entry-level student employment and seasonal employment.
    5. Yes, the 30 percent affordable housing requirement will give home buyers direct access to asset-building opportunities. Santa Fe's land costs point to the need for amendments to the land use codes, drafted for housing development in the '40s and '50s when land was plentiful and affordable. Amendments will provide for smaller house design, co-habitational housing and mixed-use options.
    6. No.
    7. No.
    8. No.
    9. No.

NAME: Chris Calvert
    ADDRESS: Cibola Drive, Santa Fe
    EDUCATION: B.S., aeronautical engineering, USAF Academy Colorado; B.S., conservation of natural resources, U.C. Berkeley; master's degree in public policy, U.C. Berkeley.
    OCCUPATION: Letter carrier, U.S. Postal Service, Santa Fe
    FAMILY: Wife, Carol
    POLITICAL/GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE: 2005— Currently on Water Conservation Committee; 2004-05 Water Rate Policy Steering Committee; 2003-present, volunteer steward for the Adopt-the-River Program on the Santa Fe River; 2001-2005, Democratic ward vice-chair, County Central Committee; 1999-2001 president and board member, Cibola Homeowners Association; 1996-98, president, Historic Highlands Neighborhood Association, Pasadena, Calif.; 1994-98 commissioner, Code Enforcement Commission, City of Pasadena; 1985-88 planning commissioner, City of Agoura Hills, Calif.; 1983-1985 Planning Advisory Committee, City of Agoura Hills, Calif.
    1. Santa Fe appears to be in a reactive mode, responding to developer proposals, and this unplanned process is shaping the direction of Santa Fe. We need to be more proactive in determining our future, especially with regard to our water supply and planned growth, economic development, affordable housing and a living wage and transportation alternatives.
    2. A city ordinance requires that new development not create any net demand on our water system. City government needs to strictly enforce this ordinance. The city should reassure its residents that a portion of our water supply will be reserved to insure a certain quality of life.
    3. The Buckman Direct Diversion project is essential to the sustainability of the water supply. The water supply could be expanded through transfer of water rights but strict legal and moral criteria need to be applied. Conservation is our cheapest source of water and it could also benefit economic development.
    4. I fully support Santa Fe's Living Wage Ordinance. I do not think it should be modified over the next two years. This will ensure that the data are consistent and uniform for the evaluation required by the City Council before moving to $10.50 an hour.
    5. Yes. Support the Living Wage and the creation of even better paying jobs, because better pay means a better ability to afford housing. Require new housing to be energy and water efficient, because the costs of running a household are part of affordability. Maintain a mix of different housing models such as apartments, condos, duplexes, and shared-facilities housing.
    6. No.
    7. No.
    8. No.
    9. No.

NAME: Eric J. Lujan
    ADDRESS: Camino Alire, Santa Fe
    EDUCATION: Cristo Rey Catholic School, Santa Fe High School, Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, associate degree, general engineering.
    OCCUPATION: Civil engineer technician, New Mexico Transportation Department.
    FAMILY: Wife, Lisa Medina-Lujan; five daughters
    POLITICAL/GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE: Santa Fe City Planning Commission; chairman, Planning Commission Summary Committee.
    1. With 15 years in public service, I know I can make a difference. Top priorities: neighborhood empowerment, Santa Fe River revival, river and bike trails, smart growth, alternative energy, better fiscal management, public safety, affordable housing, improving infrastructure, including our access to state-of-the-art technology, and standards for measurable results.
    2. "Smart growth" should be our motto. Sustainability, conservation incentives, alternative energy development, open space preservation, and protection of existing neighborhoods— these are essential factors to consider. There is no easy answer, but clearly we cannot have unchecked growth that exceeds our resources.
    3. Our focus should be on water conservation, harvesting and recycling. Let's make Santa Fe the nation's water conservation capital. If ancient civilizations could build cities and orchards in the middle of the desert, so can we! We are a community of talented, creative people— together, we can achieve this goal.
    4. Absolutely, and I am determined to see the ordinance fully implemented. Everyone deserves a living wage, and the ability to live where they work. We also must create incentives that help Santa Fe's entrepreneurs and small-business owners thrive. Small business is the backbone of our creative community.
    5. I support the ordinance, but it has some flaws. For example, when an owner sells an affordable home, the home is sold at full price so our affordable housing stock is constantly diminishing. Also, we must make sure our neighborhoods remain economically integrated and diverse.
    6. No.
    7. No.
    8. Yes— In my 20s, I was arrested for DWI, a shameful incident from my youth that I will regret for the rest of my life.
    9. No.