university of maryland city affairs committee college park election guide 2015

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The University of Maryland Student Government Association's City Affairs Committee has put together a guide for this year's elections to help student voters increase their knowledge before heading to the polls.

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  • Release 1.0 10/28/15

    University of Maryland

    Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate

    Questionnaire Responses

  • Table of Contents Welcome statement... 3 City Council district map....... 4 Table of responses to candidate questionnaire.. 5 Sample questionnaire 6 Mayoral candidates Denise Mitchell 8 Patrick Wojahn 11 City Council District 1 candidates Fazlul Kabir.. 14 City Council District 2 candidates Monroe Dennis..... 17 City Council District 3 candidates Ryan Belcher..... 19 Robert Day... 22 John Rigg.. 25 Stephanie Stullich. 29 City Council District 4 candidates Mary Cook.... 33 Alan Hew...... 35 Meet the candidates.. 38

  • Student Government Association City Affairs Committee proud to release responses to City Candidate Questionnaire

    The Student Government Association City Affairs Committee is releasing all candidate responses to the City

    Candidate Questionnaire and the College Park City Elections Guide. This guide provides information for voters about the general election process, and a more specific overview of the candidates.

    I encourage all students to use the guide to educate themselves on the upcoming election. Specifically, I encourage

    students to read the candidate bios and answers to the questionnaire and determine the candidate that best represents their views for College Park, said City Affairs committee Chair Cole Holocker.

    Students on the committee crafted eight questions that candidates were asked to answer. These questions provided an

    open-ended forum for candidates to express their opinions about issues affecting students at the University of Maryland. Recognizing that students are a large part of every district constituency in the city, the questionnaire was sent to each candidate in the four council districts, as well as both candidates for Mayor.

    Young people aged 18-24 represent over 70% of the population in College Park, and many of these young people are students at the University of Maryland. With numerous enumerated goals for the coming years, this election is important for determining the future of the City of College Park. As all residents head to the polls, it is important that they have an understanding of the candidates stances on these important issues, and how the candidates plan to find solutions if elected. With students being such a large population within College Park, said SGA President Patrick Ronk, it is important that candidates be able to consider the student voice in decision making and be able to articulate their vision for making a better city for all of College Parks residents.

    # # #

    The Student Government Association City Affairs Committee, chaired by the Director of City Affairs, aims to engage a wide range of stakeholders in the University of Maryland community on matters that impact the City of College Park. Focus areas of the committee include development, housing, public safety, quality of life, and community engagement, among others. The committee works in conjunction with the Committee on Governmental Affairs on local, state, and federal legislation affecting the College Park community.

  • Candidates who have responded to City Candidate Questionnaire:

    First Name Last Name Candidate For Response to Questionnaire

    S.M. Fazlul Kabir City Council District 1 Received Christine Nagle City Council District 1 Cory Fitzgerald-

    Sanders City Council District 1

    Daniel C. Blasberg, Jr. City Council District 2 P.J. Brennan City Council District 2 Vivian M. Conway City Council District 2 Monroe S. Dennis City Council District 2 Received Ryan T. Belcher City Council District 3 Received Robert W. Day City Council District 3 Received Robert J. McCeney City Council District 3 John B. Rigg City Council District 3 Received Stephanie E. Stullich City Council District 3 Received Mary C. Cook City Council District 4 Received Oscar E. Gregory City Council District 4 Alan Y. Hew City Council District 4 Received Dustyn Burkart Kujawa City Council District 4 Denise C. Mitchell Mayor Received Patrick L. Wojahn Mayor Received

  • University of Maryland Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    Dear Candidate for City Office:

    The University of Maryland Student Government Association (SGA) City Affairs Committee, in an effort to inform and engage the student vote, is asking candidates to submit a questionnaire outlining some information about their candidacy and answer questions on issues that are important to students. This brief questionnaire is being sent to all candidates for office in the upcoming city election. Students make up a majority of College Parks population and live in all parts of the city. In fact, there are student housing complexes in each district in College Park and many more students live in the citys diverse neighborhoods. Put simply, every elected official has students among their constituencies.

    The City Affairs Committee humbly asks that you take the time to thoughtfully

    complete this questionnaire and provide students more information about your candidacy for elected office. The responses will be published on the Student Government Association social media outlets and be distributed via SGA press channels. Please kindly submit the questionnaire by close of business on Wednesday, October 28.

    On behalf of the committee, I thank you for your time and dedication to the City of

    College Park.

    Sincerely,

    Cole Holocker Director of City Affairs

    University of Maryland Student Government Association

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  • University of Maryland Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    Name:

    Candidate for:

    Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park.

    2) Why are you running for City Council?

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city?

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents?

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem?

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park?

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city?

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy?

    Please return the questionnaire electronically to Cole Holocker, Director of City Affairs, at [email protected] by close of business Wednesday, October 28. Electronic responses can be sent as a scanned copy of answers or as an edited word document/pdf. Please contact Cole with any questions or concerns. 7

  • University of Maryland Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    C:\Users\lealley\Desktop\SGA.docx

    Name: Denise Mitchell Candidate for: Mayor Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an elected official in College Park. I grew up in College Park, and have been a resident since 1975. I currently hold the office of Mayor Pro Tem and have been a Councilmember representing District 4 since 2009. District 4 includes a large segment of the University of Maryland campus. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the International Town and Gown Association, and as Vice Chair of the University Communities Council of the National League of Cities. I am a former Board Member of the Maryland Municipal League, and also Past President of the Prince Georges County Maryland Municipal Association. Prior to serving on the City Council I served as Chair of the College Park Educational Advisory Committee.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? I am running for the position of Mayor. In my current capacity as Mayor Pro Tem I have been able to shadow our current mayor. In the absence of the Mayor, I conduct the meetings of the City Council and I attend meetings with external stakeholders. In that role I have testified in Annapolis on behalf of the City and on issues of concern to residents. I feel that my experience over the past eight years as a Councilmember and as Mayor Pro Tem have prepared me for the role of Mayor. I am definitely looking forward to serving as Mayor and leading our City Council over the next two years. .

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? Of course, the cost of on-campus student housing is something that I cannot really address. On the other hand, there continues to be interest in new housing in our area, and our community still has many vacant and underutilized properties since the recession. For the most part, new housing construction and rehabilitation are managed by private developers and investors, although the City does play a role. I support a mix of housing and the construction of new housing where feasible, and I anticipate that improvements to transit systems will also

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    play a role. If people can move farther and faster, then our stock of available housing and options also increases.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and students? Thank you for this question. My theme is, Creating College Park with YOU in mind. We definitely need to work on relations between long-term residents and students. Currently, I serve as the Co-Chair of the Universities Communities Council for the National League of Cities. This committee includes representatives of many cities with major colleges and universities. We come together to discuss best practices, including the need for improved dialog. In addition to our current Student Liaison, I would like to see the City create a Student Ambassador for every district. The district ambassador would work with the student liaison and council representatives to promote better relations within their communities. I would also like to provide service hours for students working on capstone projects. I think that would be great addition for all concerned.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? I dont think I can narrow the question down to one concern, but the codes that continue to be most problematic for students and other residents involve our noise and property maintenance codes. I currently chair the Public Safety/Code Enforcement Committee in the Quality of Life Task force, and I wish there was just one thing for us to work on! But we have strengthened the reporting mechanism for consistency over the past year, and we have made other improvements to ensure greater fairness of enforcement. Perhaps the best approach would be to involve greater understanding of code problems and to informally promote better understanding and collaboration among students, property owners and residents. Our recent experience with Knock and Talk in the downtown area has been successful. I definitely see more opportunities, and I am open to reviewing codes that are problematic to any group within the City.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? First, I would take the time to listen to students to understand what they would like to see in College Park. In my first 90 days as Mayor I would work with the Council and the University to have a visioning session to discuss this very issue. We would need to work with SGA, IFC, Panhellenic Council and other student groups to look at the amenities we could offer to them, their parents and others.

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    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? . Id like to work with the university to offer monies for closing costs or maybe to offer an incentive for first time buyers who teach in a school within the city limits. In a City where most taxes come from residential and commercial property taxes on property, we have to be somewhat cautious with our expenditures, but I do believe we can explore the recommendations of the Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? You know, I have lived on the other side of University Boulevard for the past 40 years, and Ive seen a lot of change since 1975. The University is growing and changing very quickly, and I want to help guide that growth in a way that respects long-term residents and encourages positive change for everyone. I look forward to the City-wide visioning that I mentioned earlier, and I think the idea of neighborhood ambassadors would be great too. If I am elected Mayor Ill get two years. But really, we all have to take it one year at time because its not really all about me, but about building a shared vision. .

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  • University of Maryland Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    Name: Patrick Wojahn Candidate for: Mayor Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I have spent my life as a community organizer, advocating for social change and equity in our society. I first started as a student advocate and Vice Chair of the student government association at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, then as an environmental activist working with the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG). After graduating from law school, I continued my advocacy representing people with mental illness to ensure they receive proper services, then advocated in Congress for the rights of people with disabilities. I also fought for LGBT equality, serving first as a plaintiff in the marriage equality lawsuit in Maryland and then as Chair of the Board of the Equality Maryland Foundation at the time that Maryland passed marriage equality legislation. Since May 2014, I have served as Director of Government Relations at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, advocating in Congress for safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists across the country. I moved to College Park in 2003 and ran for City Council in 2007. Since running for City Council, I have worked with residents to start College Park Day in 2010 and to form the College Park Community Foundation, which gives thousands of dollars every year to charitable organizations in College Park.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? This is an exciting time for College Park - we have a great opportunity before us to transform the city into a top-notch college town, with the University of Maryland making a significant investment in improving the quality of life in our city. We need someone leading our city with a proving record of collaborating to get things done, who can guide this change so that it happens in a way that benefits residents and so that we maximize the potential benefit. I believe that I am that person.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? Having served for many months as chair of the Diversity of Student Housing Subcommittee of the Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee, I worked with several students from the Student Government Association and Resident Hall Association, and staff from the Office of Off-Campus Housing to explore ways to get this done. Moving forward, I believe it is important to work with developers to ensure that affordable housing is built into every residential project in our city. I 11

  • University of Maryland Student Government Association City Affairs Committee

    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    support working with the Cruz Development Corporation that is currently working on bringing an affordable housing project into College Park. Regarding student housing, we need to continue to work to address the long-standing housing shortage for students at the University of Maryland and work with the University, County, and developers to subsidize affordable student housing. I also support expansion of Cooperative Housing at the University of Maryland (CHUM) to provide another affordable option for students.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? I have worked to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents throughout my time on Council. One way I have done that is by starting College Park Day, meant to showcase the diversity of our community to the students that live here and to showcase student talent to the residents. I also spearheaded a community event grant program in our city meant to provide grants to residents who want to organize community-building activities, including events like block parties that can bring student residents and long-term residents together. I would like to start up a volunteer pool to collect a list of students and others who are interested in doing volunteer projects in our community, such as assisting seniors and people with disabilities in their homes, so that long-term residents can better realize the benefit of students in our community.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? I already led the effort to revoke the City Charter provision that I believe was most problematic to students - the restriction on residents under the age of 21 from running for Council and the restriction on residents under the age of 25 from running for Mayor. I believe that civic participation is one of the most important priviliges in our society, and the ability to run for office is an important part of civic participation. Otherwise, some of our city ordinances are out-of-date and are harmful to students when interpreted too broadly. For example, the prohibition on "disorderly houses" prohibits any person or group from keeping or maintaining a "disorderly house," which can include any building in which "immoral or illegal conduct" is carried on with the knowledge of the owner or occupant. I would like to work with the Council to update our code to at minimum clarify the type of conduct being restricted.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? I want to work to ensure that students see the city as an advocate for them and a way to ensure that they have a high quality of life. For example, I would like to promote the use of code enforcement and noise enforcement as a friend to students. If a student faces substandard or overcrowded living conditions, that student should see the city as a resource where he or she can go to make sure that his or her landlord properly maintains the property. Students should also see

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    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    noise enforcement as a place they can go to when their neighbors are disturbing their peace and quiet in their own homes.

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? Young professionals and graduate students often want different things than students do - higher quality restaurants, stores, and other amenities. Currently, the businesses in our city are mostly fast casual and fast food restaurants and bars that cater primarily to students. As we work with the University of Maryland to redevelop the city over the next few years, we should work to attract and retain high-quality businesses and restaurants like those going into the Hotel at the University of Maryland. We should also work to foster the growth of small businesses like the new start-ups that will be growing in the University's Innovation District and give them tax incentives to stay in College Park as they grow, and bring in large employers like the FBI, which I personally have been working with Steny Hoyer's office to bring to Greenbelt Station. Finally, we need a more diverse supply housing that caters to graduate students and young professionals, including affordable options.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? I have been a consistent advocate for a high quality of life for all College Park residents, and have worked directly with students on several initiatives. I worked with my colleagues to start the Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee because I thought it was time to put aside the years of tension and animosity that existed between students and our city government so that we could work together to build community in our city and create understanding between all of our residents. As Mayor, I will continue to make sure that students have a seat at our table - for example, I plan to hold town hall meetings and forums on campus so that students can communicate their concerns to the city government directly. We have found great success through collaboration in recent years - through everything from College Park Day to the on-campus tailgates. I look forward to continuing working with student leadership to make College Park a better place for all of its residents to live.

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    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    Name: Fazlul Kabir Candidate for: City Council, District 1 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. Dr. Fazlul Kabir is a two term City Council Member of the City of College Park District 1 representing north College Park. He lives in east Hollywood with his wife and two children. He works as the Director of Technology in a local software firm, managing multiple federal projects. He holds a doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester and also teaches at the University of Maryland, College Park. Before he became Council member, he served as a four-term Secretary of the North College Park Citizens Association (NCPCA). He is the co-founder of the College Park Day event, where he worked with community groups and local schools. Kabir enjoys helping with community projects. He helped organized several Hollywood neighborhood cleanup events with 50+ volunteers for the past five years, the Citys first winter clothing drive, the Committee for Better Environments tree planting event, National Night Out and winter snow shoveling projects. Kabir has led the effort and worked with a group of residents to establish the Hollywood Farmers Market in north College Park. Additionally, he has worked to improve pedestrian safety through the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) along Rhode Island Avenue. Kabir has written a daily community blog at KabirCares.org for over 2200 days consistently covering news and commentaries about north College Park. His accomplishments also include a safety camera at Davis Field Park, license plate readers (LPR) in Hollywood, and a new concessions building at Duvall Field and an internship program for community service. He has worked at citys Aging-in-Place task force to explore ways helping senior residents remain in their own homes in our community as they age. 14

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    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    2) Why are you running for City Council?

    In my last four years of service, we've accomplished a lot. However, I now see more opportunities in bringing amenities and services to our residents and also to bridge the gap between the students and longtime residents. If re-elected, I will work on those new opportunities.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? Recently, I've asked to hold a future City Council meeting to discuss the affordable housing issues in more details. We'll need to look at the existing housing market studies and work with our stakeholders, the UMD, County, State and the surrounding towns to come up with a comprehensive plan to build more diverse housing stock in College Park and the surrounding areas.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? I represent the only district which has the highest number of long-time residents, and I also teach at the UMD, I understand the gap between students and long-time residents. The UMD has a lot of untapped talents hiding in each and every department that have not been fully explored in order to bridge this gap. I will work to find the opportunities and use them to bring the gap between the students and long-time residents. In the past, I've worked with the group of students, fraternity groups and long time residents at a number of volunteering projects in the past. They include our cleanup and beautification projects and UMD's Good Neighbor Day event. I'll continue to work with them in future events.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? Thre are some opportunities to improve ordinances related to our Code Enforcement. Some City Code may need to be changed to make them more customer friendly to our students. In the end, our goal should be to improve the quality of life, and not necessarily to punish those who don't comply. We'll need to find ways to encourage our students and residents to be a better citizen of College Park.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? By improving quallity of life in the residential neighborhoods where students live. By improvng transportation and improving Route 1

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What

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    measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? I will work to implement the committees key recommendations, such as (1) Create a co-op housing task force (2) Publicize co-op housing in the community to expand awareness among UMD students, officials and the surrounding community. (3) Examine existing online rating systems that students can use to rate landlords and off-campus housing, explore ways to promote use of such a system, and if appropriate, explore development of an online rating system specific to U-MD students. (4) Educate students regarding role of code enforcement so they know who and when to contact when they need assistance

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? College Park is our shared home. Let's make it better, together.

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    between student-rental landlords, our COPS officers, our UMD and PG police officers, our civic\citizen association leaders and other stakeholders seem to gaining traction. I expect to be able to continue, and to expand these and related initiatives.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? Im not of the opinion that any particular ordinance is any more problematic than any other, so I cant propose any particular amendment. Having said that, I am open to discussion of any ordinance with any student or student organization in order to understand the direct impact on student life.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? I will attempt to be engaged! I believe that listening to student, or any other resident expression of needs related to living, working, and learning is critical in reaching solutions to ease everyday life.

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? I believe this question relates to the earlier question related to availability of affordable housing, and our housing stock. I believe that job opportunities is another factor necessary to attract and retain grad students, young professionals as well as other residents, and those seeking residency in College Park. I will strive to engage with stakeholders to make the local innovation zone initiatives an attractive feature.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy?

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    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    Name: Ryan Belcher Candidate for: City Council, District 3 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I graduated from the University of Maryland in May of this year with degrees in Government and Environmental Science. I work at a small start up company and Bethesda, spearheading the writing for the group. As an undergraduate, I served as a member of the Student Government Association and as the student representative on our Universitys Senate Executive Committee. Through these roles, I have gained valuable insight on the development of our city and have worked with both the city government and the University to enhance development. During my last year at UMD, I served on the board that standardized the IFC tailgates, recognizing the importance in mitigating noise issues in our neighborhoods. I am a member of the Neighborhood Quality of Life group. In this capacity, I provide insight on ways to turn College Park into a top college town.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? I have recognized and personally experienced the fundamental problems that hold our city back. The city and the University are reluctant partners. City council members stymie decision-making. Most importantly, residents do not trust one another. I am running because I want to fix these issues. I have the experience of working with the many parties in our city and have done my personal best as a private citizen to improve College Park. I want to take my commitment to the next level and create a city that includes everyone in its development and other key decisions.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? One of the great aspects of the University of Maryland is that it provides a great education at an affordable price to many students. It seems odd then that we do not have more quality, affordable housing. With that in mind, I think one of the first priorities is to work with developers that on housing initiatives that will be significantly lower than recent developments. This goal can be attained through competitive contracting, crafting policies and a city culture that favors smart

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    development, and by setting targets for an array of housing opportunities for students, faculty and staff, young professionals, and families. Another aspect of this issue is making sure that current housing is worth its price. We need to look at zoning ordinances and other laws and enact changes that allow landlords to upgrade their properties. Such actions can increase energy efficiency and, conversely, lower living costs.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? The first step needs to be stronger acknowledgement of our problems. I see my job as brining together key stakeholders to the table to solve our most important issues. I would encourage people coming up with innovative ideas not previously discussed, guiding the conversation and then working towards the groups determined goals. As we start to address our problems together, tensions will gradually decrease. From there, we need to work together in building our city. I want to work with these two groups to determine amenities our cities need. I plan to advocate for more holistic polling in concert with the University to determine those needs. On a more fundamental level, I hope to take progress made from bridging the divide between these two groups to come up with ideas to enhance safety in our neighborhoods.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? The current aspect of the city code that I find most problematic, not only for students but for all residents, are the policies pertaining to housing in College Park. I agree with maximum occupancy for our rental units, but I have strong issues with how these properties are maintained and how tenants are treated. I think the fallout from poor housing ordinances impacts our long-term residents as well. If I were elected, I would change the relevant ordinances to make sure properties can be more easily upgraded and fixed when needed. In the end, I would hope to have rental properties better capture sound and be worth their cost.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? The city should serve as reinforcement for your undergraduate experience. With that in mind, one of my goals is to construct more parking off campus, so students can more easily attend internships. I would advocate for affordable grocery options closer to campus that meet the budgets of more students. On the educational side, I want to reinvigorate the city internship program, so students can develop projects that concretely improve our community. I would also work with the University to turn College Park into an innovation center. 20

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    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing

    home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? As a recent graduate turned young professional, I am personally invested in making College Park an attractive home for not only them but graduate students as well. Referring back to a previous question on affordable housing, I think we need to include these groups in our decision-making. As our state moves to transit oriented development, we need to construct housing closer to the College Park Metro station, so young professionals are easily situated to work in DC or other parts of the Metro area. The housing ought to be complemented with amenities and grocery options on the other side of the College Park metro station. We also need to foster an economy that supports job growth in the area. Whether that is the innovation district or the FBI building, our city needs to streamline policies that encourage people to want to live and work in or near College Park.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. The election is November 3rd. District Three residents can vote at city hall, 4500 Knox Road. Make sure your voice is heard!

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    Name: Robert Day Candidate for: City Council District 3 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. My name is Robert Day and I am running for District 3 City Council seat. My wife and I made College Park Estates our home in 1997, raising our three children in College Park Estates. We feel very fortunate in the wonderful friends weve made here and for the opportunity to live in such a great community. Over the last 16 years, I have worked to represent resident and neighborhood interests to improve the Quality of Life in our community. Throughout all of my city board and committee roles, as well as being a councilmember, I have been a strong voice, asking the tough questions and focusing on representing the needs and desires of the community. 18-year resident of College Park Current National League of Cites University Communities Council Certified ITGA member in Town-Gown Relations College Park Academy Board Member - Current Former President, College Park Estates Civic Association Former Chair, College Park Rent Stabilization Board Chair, City Redistricting Commission, 2011 Former Member, College Park Noise Control Board Former Member and Chair, College Park Advisory Planning Commission Vice Chair, City Redistricting Commission, 2003 Member, Advisory Planning Group for 2002 US 1 Corridor Sector Plan

    2) Why are you running for City Council? My goal in running for re-election to the city council is to continue being a strong leader in building a better College Park for years to come. I have forged long-standing relationships with all community stakeholders who include residents, students, business owners and the University of Maryland to name a few. We are at a very important time in the growth of College Park, we need strong leaders that builds consensus with input from all members of our community.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? The city needs to work with County, State and Federal agencies along with local stakeholders to develop a clear plan for affordable housing within the city of 22

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    College Park. This affordable housing plan should include the needs of graduate students and young professionals with a full set of tools that can be used as an incentive for developers, property owners and investors to create the housing needed to address this issue. Some of those tools can be affordable housing zones and inclusionary zoning and affordable dwelling unit incentives. Create safe environments for graduate students and young professionals that will hopefully encourage them to become long-term residents.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? To strengthen the relationship within the community we need to develop as many opportunities for interaction between long-term residents and students both in the community and on campus. We must continue to work to involve more students in the boards and commissions of the city while working with the University administration to find ways for residents to be able to offer input into some UMD planning sessions. Sometimes that means just being able to sit in on meetings and learn the process used to address city and UMD issues. We need to find common ground and continue to build and expand the interaction and communication through-out our community.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? First let me say, City ordinances should be applied to all members of our community equally and fairly across the board. From my point of view I believe that the students see the noise ordnance as the most problematic. At this time I do not believe that this ordinance needs to be changed. I think we are just starting to make head way in addressing noise throughout our community. At this time I think there are only small changes that need to be made in the noise ordinance (City code Chapter 138). Such as the penalties enforced on properties should match the current lease for the household. Often times current tenants are held accountable for the actions of the previous tenants and this is unfair. Through education, communication and working together to identify more opportunity for students to enjoy themselves, we will start to build a mutual since of respect amongst students and residents. If we continue to work together we can make a major difference in the community relationship. Lets work together to better understand the issues of the residents and the students to make a difference in our community.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? We need to listen to all members of our community including the students. Often we will hold meetings to solve community issues and the students are not part of the process. We need to make sure the student resident voice is part of the discussion. We should not be making rules and setting boundaries for the students in our communities without student input. We need to hear the real

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    student needs and desires to make College Park a place that works for all. We all have to work together to make College Park a top 20 town.

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? We need to offer quality housing at affordable rates. This affordable transitional housing would allow young professionals and graduate students to live within the city of College Park. We need to offer increase city wide amenities which will attract young professionals and graduate students. This is where student input is greatly needed to develop the downtown environment that is needed to retain and attract young professional students.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? Over the last 4 years I have worked as the city council person for District three. I have worked hard to include students in the government process for the city of College Park. I believe students are a valuable resource for the city and I have always included their vision in the process. When others have tried to minimize the student voice, I have consistently fought for the student voice to be heard. I look forward to continue working with the young men and women in our community to make College Park a better place.

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    Name: John Rigg Candidate for: City Council, District 3 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I have been the Civic Association President for Calvert Hills for nearly four years. In that time, we have encouraged ALL residents of the neighborhood -- student and non-student -- to engage in our collective work of making the community better. This has paid out significant dividends. In collaboration with the CHUM co-op, we have established community garden plots, and student and non-student civic association members have together grappled with neighborhood quality of life issues such as noise and nusience abatement and development of the Calvert Road School site, and have worked together to plan various community events. In addition to being a long-tenured civic association leader, my personal and professional qualifications have also prepared me well to be a member of City Council. I have a Masters Degree in Public Administration, with a focus on Urban and Regional Affairs and have studied community engagement and revitalization extensively. I am a lifelong public servant with deep policy expertise; I have worked on Capitol Hill as a policy fellow for the House Ways and Means Committee, and currently direct the policy office at a large agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. I also understand neighborhood safety issues intimately; in addition to being a civic association leader, in my first career (before graduate school) I was a Firefighter/Paramedic in Atlanta and in Seattle where I worked closely with my law enforcement and Fire-rescue colleagues to make communities safer.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? It's about public service. Plain and simple. From the construction cranes rising on campus to the palpable sense of energy on campus and in the neighborhoods, College Park is clearly at a point of inflection, and I want to do what I can to help channel this energy into making the City an even better place for all of our residents. What the City needs at this important point in its history are strong, collaborative leaders, who have the vision to help shape new development as it occurs, while preserving the things that are best about our communities. I feel strongly that my background and leadership style can make a difference in bringing together stakeholders to make our City an even better place to live, work, study, pray, and play. 25

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    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? One of the things I love most about College Park is that it is an integral part of a vibrant national capital region. However, in addition to sharing in the region's vibrancy, College Park also shares in the region's economic realities, one of which is expensive housing. Despite this challenging economic environment, one model that has been quietly proving itself in our community is student cooperative housing. The CoOp Housing at the University of Maryland (CHUM) currently has five houses in two neighborhoods in College Park, including three houses in Calvert Hills. Students living in the houses live cooperatively, sharing meals and community chores, and have been an active, positive force in their neighborhoods. Importantly, the model has kept rents extremely reasonable; according to their website, rents for this academic year range from $260 to $515 per month. The City should join with the University to study this model with the goal of testing it at a larger scale. For example, one barrier CHUM has encountered has been instability in access to housing, as some landlords may be willing to rent to them one year, but may wish to rent to other, more lucrative tenants in subsequent years. Yet, CHUM itself has not been able to finance the purchase of a house to be the exclusive home of the co-op. The City and the University should work together to promote the model, and assist the co-op in finding financing that will give the organization the stability it deserves, as well as the opportunity to test their model for affordable student housing at scale. For students who may not be interested in the co-op model, the City should continue to look for opportunities to encourage development of market-rate student housing immediately adjacent to (or even on) campus, as well as multifamily housing developed near transit. Although complexes such as the Varsity and Camden College Park have emphasized "upscale" amenities, and large floorplans, there should also be ample demand for safe, comfortable, more compact and basic accommodations with fewer amenities and, importantly, lower rent. Should this housing be developed in our City, it would be crucial that it be put in the right place -- near transit and adjacent to Campus -- so that traffic related to new housing does not clog our already congested streets, and so that large, bulky buildings do not impinge on the character of our historic neighborhoods.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? A key element of strengthening relationships between long-term residents and student residents is through engagement and collaboration between City Council and University officials, including and especially the SGA. Through such collaboration, the City and the University have created an on-campus tailgating option for home game days, which has successfully reduced the frequency and 26

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    intensity of loud and occasionally destructive parties in the Old Town neighborhood. As a member of the City Council, I would work closely with my colleagues, with the SGA (including the Council liaison) and the administration to find ways such as these to reduce the magnitude of disruptive parties that place such stress on relationships between student residents and long-term residents, while also creating new opportunities, such as music festivals or community events, which would bring together residents of all walks of life.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? One city ordinance that is noticably absent from our city code and which, by nature of its absence could be potentially life-altering, is the lack of a city ordinance prohibiting city staff from inquiring about an individual's immigration status. In 2011, the general assembly passed the Maryland DREAM Act, which among other things provides in-state tuition for Maryland residents who are not lawfully present in the United States. This action by the general assembly was a clear symbol of Maryland's commitment to education for all Marylanders, regardless of their immigration status. It is illogical that the City of College Park, home to our state's flagship university, does not have the legal infrastructure in place to protect these students from persecution as they pursue their educational goals. To put a fine point on it; it does not make any sense that Maryland DREAMers who are here in College Park to get ahead by gaining a college degree could run the risk of City staff inquiring about their immigration status; an inquiry that could result in their detention or their being deported. The City of College Park should join other Maryland cities such as Baltimore and Takoma Park in enacting a city ordinance that prohibits city funds or resources from being used to enforce federal immigration laws, including making inquiries about an individuals' immigration status, unless the individual is under arrest for a violent crime or felony.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? I would work hard to make sure that students have access to world-class public transportation to help them get where they need to go in our area quickly and efficiently. I would continue to work with the University Police Department and with the Prince Georges County Police to make sure that our neighborhoods are safe. I would encourage biking and walking through improved sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure. And I would help facilitate the creation of a tenants' association to help empower students to better organize for higher-quality, safer, and less exploitative rental housing in our City. 27

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    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? I support the Committee's recommendation that increasing home ownership diversity is a key element to attracting and retaining graduate students, however this alone is not sufficient. Rather, since many young professionals and, especially many graduate students would not be able to purchase a home, the City of College Park should focus on developing and maintaining a diverse array of high-quality housing options, from market-rate multifamily complexes geared towards graduate students and young professionals, to moderately-priced homes in College Park's neighborhoods that are safe, affordable, and available to rent. Additionally, as graduate students and young professionals "settle down" in College Park and consider starting families, the City should continue to emphasize improvements to area schools. Although the City-University's partnership in founding the College Park Academy is commendable, it will only be able to serve a maximum of 700 students, and only includes middle school and high school. The City-University partnership should redouble its efforts in the local schools by promoting greater integration of university resources in the classroom, to sponsoring additional courses in our existing elementary schools, to co-founding additional school options in the area for middle and high school students. By presenting graduate students and young professionals with an array of housing options, and with a clear opportunity for their family to gain access to high-quality schools, the City of College Park could be an even better place to live as a graduate student, as a young professional, and eventually raise a family.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? My campaign is about inclusion and about collaboration. I take the responsibility of representing all residents of District 3 -- both student and non-student -- very seriously, and would love your ideas about ways to make our City an even better place. Please feel free to send me your ideas at [email protected], or by visiting http://jrigg.net.

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    Name: Stephanie Stullich Candidate for: City Council District 3 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I have been a City Councilmember for District 3 for almost 9 years, since January 2007, and I have lived in the Old Town neighborhood of College Park for over 20 years. Before joining the City Council in January 2007, I served as president of the Old Town Civic Association and in a variety of other committees and community groups, including the College Park Committee for a Better Environment. In 2005 I co-authored a book on the history of College Park, for which we compiled over 200 vintage photographs from the 1890s through the 1950s to tell the story of College Parks development, including the early history of the Maryland Agricultural College, the Wright Brothers work at the College Park Air Field, the history of Route 1, trains, and the Rhode Island Avenue trolley line, and many other facets of College Park history. I have worked at the U.S. Department of Education as a policy analyst for the past 24 years and have a strong interest in educational equity issues. As a City Councilmember, I have sought to work together with many different stakeholders to strengthen our community. I have been a vocal advocate for investing in police and public safety, building more student housing near the University campus, and decreasing traffic through smart growth and increased transit (especially the Purple Line). I am particularly proud of our work on the Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee, weve built a collaborative effort with University and City staff, students and long-term residents, landlords and city council members, to develop and implement creative strategies such as the on-campus tailgates that are making a real difference. I believe deeply in the importance of building partnerships between different parts of the community, including neighborhood civic associations, students, the university administration, the business community, and state and county partners. In talking with many different kinds of community members, it is clear to me that although we may not agree on everything, we do share many of the same goals for making College Park a better place to live, work, and study. Together I believe we can bring that vision to reality.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? This is an exciting time for College Park our efforts over the last several years to make College Park a better place to live are showing early successes and great promise for more to come. The University has become a great partner with the City, and that makes positive change much more possible than if we were

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    trying to do this on our own. Some of our recent successes and continuing efforts include: Weve been working together on public safety, and crime rates have declined by 28% (since 2006). Weve created the College Park Academy, which uses an innovative blended learning model, and test scores and parent satisfaction are high. Were making progress towards creating a thriving downtown we now have a wider range of restaurants and retail, and more on the way. We are looking to redevelop the City Hall site in partnership with the University, with a University office building, new City Hall, and a public plaza that will provide a gathering space in our downtown. We recently developed a 5-year strategic plan to guide the City Councils work in a thoughtful way. Weve also adopted a sustainability plan to reduce our carbon emissions and become a regional leader in responsible environmental practices. I am proud of the progress that College Park has been making, with the concerted efforts of so many stakeholders the University, county and state officials, property owners and business owners, and students and long-term residents, among others. I am eager to continue to be a part of this work to make College Park a more vibrant, safe, and attractive college town.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? Insufficient and inadequate housing for students has been a long-standing problem in College Park, and I consider it a major success that so much new student housing has been built over the past 5-10 years. Unfortunately these projects have provided relatively expensive new housing, in part due to the high cost of new construction. When the City created the Rent Stabilization program in 2005, the Council at that time decided to exempt large apartment buildings from those requirements in order to avoid discouraging developers from building badly-needed student housing which I think was the right decision. Affordable housing is a very tough challenge for the City, in part because of our modest financial resources and the fact that zoning authority lies with the County, not the City. My hope is that the increasing supply of new student housing will help to bring down prices due to the economics of supply and demand. Although this is a very difficult issue, I believe we should work with county and state representatives to look for ways to encourage the construction of affordable housing for diverse types of residents in College Park.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? Despite some tensions over noise and parties, overall I see a lot of common ground between students and older residents, who share a desire for a safe community, better restaurants and retail, more transit and less traffic, and a more 30

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    attractive Main Street. Our Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has been a very productive venue for bringing together students, long-term residents, and many others to work on comprehensive strategies for addressing quality of life concerns, increasing both student housing diversity and home ownership, and work together on community building. Id like to see more interaction between students and older residents through serving on city committees, volunteering in the community, and advocating for common goals at the city, county, and state levels. If any students are interested in getting involved in these ways, please let me know!

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? I dont have any proposals to amend any city codes at this time, but am open to suggestions about changes that could benefit our community. Code enforcement is an important tool for ensuring that neighborhoods provide a comfortable and attractive place for people of all ages to live in, and to ensure adequate living conditions in rental housing. I have often heard students expressing concerns about substandard living conditions in some rental housing, including lack of heat in the winter, lack of working showers, and non-locking doors or windows. Code enforcement staff can require landlords to fix these issues, and I would encourage students to call on them for help when needed (the phone number is 240-487-3570). I believe City and student leaders can do more to reach out to students to find out where problems exist and work together to address them.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? Revitalizing our downtown and building the Purple Line are two important ways to make everyday life easier and better for all residents of College Park.

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? Graduate students, young professionals, and University faculty and staff are often looking for communities that are safe, have interesting restaurants and shops in a pedestrian-friendly environment, high quality schools and daycare for their children, good access to public transit and bicycle paths, and other recreational and social amenities. The City Council has been working with the University to support revitalization of our downtown, and I am especially enthusiastic about our plans for jointly redeveloping the City Hall site and adjacent University property with a new City Hall, University office space, ground-floor retail (which we should fill with unique restaurants rather than chains), and a public plaza at the corner of Route 1 and Knox. The quality of K-12 schools is an issue that is particularly important to young families, and I believe the City-University Partnerships success in creating the College Park Academy is something that we should continue to support and grow. Bringing the Purple Line 31

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    to reality will also help to create the kind of interconnected community that will attract new residents of all ages. Nine years ago, one of my highest priorities was encouraging construction of new student housing because there was a severe shortage at that time. The situation is very different now new construction has added approximately 4,300 student beds off-campus since 2010, and an additional 1,500 beds are currently under construction at Terrapin Row. At this point I think we need new housing developments to focus on attracting faculty, staff, graduate students, and professionals, particularly in our downtown area, which will help support a more diverse mix of retail and restaurants and provide a more stable customer base during the summer and winter breaks in order to help those businesses thrive. Several property owners in the downtown and metro station areas are considering options for proposing new developments, and I want to encourage them to design housing that will appeal to graduate students and young professionals, as well as faculty and staff of all ages.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? My undergraduate degree was at Berkeley, and my years spent in that very unique and exciting community has definitely influenced my thinking about what a college town could look like. Berkeley has an extremely diverse array of businesses and business districts, and a lively and interesting environment. The residents of Berkeley include many faculty and staff members, professionals, working class people as well as students, and both students and non-students often mingle in the various business districts as they wander between bookstores, cafes, clothing and specialty stores, and a wide range of restaurants from cheap ethnic eateries to the world-class Chez Panisse. A premier college town like a Berkeley, Ann Arbor, or Boston takes time to create, but I see no reason why College Park cannot make substantial progress towards that goal in the next 3-6 years (and then keep going!).

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    Name: Mary C. Cook Candidate for: District 4, Councilmember Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I am a native of the Midwest and appreciate the strong work ethic I acquired growing up there. I left Kansas for a B.S. in Arabic from Georgetown University (when it wasn't even popular). Later I attained a M.S. in Student Personnel and Counseling from Kansas State University. Since moving to College Park in 2001, I have held multiple positions on City commissions and boards, including the Committee for a Better Environment, the Advisory Planning Commission and the Veterans Memorial Improvement Committee. In addition, I served as District 4 City Councilmember from 2006 - 2009. With this wide variety of experience, I have a comprehensive understanding of the City's issues from zoning to budgetary issues.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? I love College Park. Seriously, my husband and I bought our first home here in 2001 and later our second home in 2011 in Cherry Hill because we loved our neighborhood and our neighbors so much. A more traditional answer might be that I have the knowledge and expertise to help improve all aspects of the City, and am a considerable asset to the citizens.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? First, we must define affordable housing. Per the latest market feasibility study affordable housing can mean those fitting the category of Sec. 8 to a 3 bedroom apartment renting for nearly $1,500. Is that what we mean? Once it is clear we are all on the same page, we can encourage current entities in the City, including the University and those buildings now labelled as student housing to consider making some apartments/condos more affordable than they currently are now. Future developments could have MOU's stipulating a certain percentage of housing units be marketed as affordability.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents?

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    As I always do, I encourage student residents to become involved on our committees and boards. If student residents live in a neighborhood, join that area's civic association. The SGA could also have long-term residents as representatives like the City Council has student liasions.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? City ordinances should apply to everyone and every entity in the City. If the student population finds one to be problematic, they should approach their councilmembers and/or their SGA student liaison to the Council. Upon learning about the impacts of that ordinance on students, the City Council can then begin to explore the issue and ways to resolve the problem.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park? First, I would listen to what the students want, and then, implement their suggestions if feasible.

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city? We have always welcomed graduate students and young professionals. Many have chosen the City because of the proximity of the Metro stations. Currently, all of the new housing that is coming on board is geared toward these groups. These individuals could become involved with a civic association to make their voices heard. More amenities would always be nice such as coffeeshops, entertainment clubs, restaurants, small shops. The City Councilmembers and staff, particularly those involved with Economic Development can encourage new businesses to come to the City.

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy? I currently serve as the President, North College Park Civic Association, Chair, Advisory Planning Commission, Chair, Veterans Memorial Improvement Committee, and Cherry Hill Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. I am a person of strong integrity and passion for civic work. My leadership skills help me to lead the aforementioned committees and my previous terms on the City Council.

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    Name: Alan Y. Hew Candidate for: City of College Park Council District 4 Please fill out the below form. The form can be completed by typing in the gray boxes below each question. The form allows unlimited characters in each box and formatting will adjust to the length of your response

    1) Please provide a short bio of yourself and state your qualifications to be an

    elected official in College Park. I first came to know the City of College Park as a student at the University of Maryland, starting in 1991. After graduating in 1994 (with a B.S. in Natural Resources Management, focusing on Environmental Education & Parks Management), I stayed on as an employee at the university. Although I was living next door in Adelphi, I always felt College Park was my home. I became a resident of College Park in 2005. In 2007, Jefferson Properties, Inc. (JPI) proposed their site plan for the development of JPI West and East. The back end of the JPI West development extended into our neighborhood, just three doors across from me. With my neighbors, I ended up working closely with their developers to find a way for their development to fit into our neighborhood. As a result of our involvement, their Detailed Site Plan(DSP) was approved in 2008; however, with the shift in our economy it never got developed. Also in 2008, the County started the process of updating the 2002 Sector Plan for US Rt. 1. Again, my neighbors and I got involved in the process of defining our neighborhood and addressing issues in the Sector Plan that defined the accepted guidelines for developing in our community. Since then, I served first on the Animal Welfare Committee and then on the Committee for a Better Environment, and focused on Energy Efficiency workshops. I also served on the 2011 Redistricting Commission for College Park. And Since 2013 I have served on the College Park Day Committee. In the beginning of 2013, I became the community liaison for the Autoville neighborhood area, working on the new JPI West project being developed by Monument Realty. Monument Village at College Park had proposed changes to the approved DSP they purchased from JPI. In order to get their proposed changes approved, they needed to work with the Autoville community. Through a series negotiations working with the City Council, city planners, the County Council and developers, I managed to reach an agreement that benefits our community much better than the original DSP allowed. In the past couple of years Ive been attending conferences, talks and lectures pertaining to Smart Growth and Economic Development issues. A great community doesnt happen by chance and I want to be able to help College Park be the best community to live in that it can be.

    2) Why are you running for City Council? I believe community involvement is essential to any community worth living in. College Park is the current focus of the Countys redevelopment efforts. Assuring 35

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    smart growth and development that will complement its surrounding community is why I am running for City Council.

    3) An ongoing concern among College Park citizens is the cost of housing in College Park, both in student housing complexes and new multi-family developments. How do you propose to address affordable housing needs for all residents, including students, in the city? In my research for best practices for successful economic redevelopment and smart growth, Ive learned that affordable housing is an essential element for success. With the high levels of service jobs associated with the amenities of a successful community, those employees need to live close by in order to make public and alternative transportation options viable and not contribute to the burden of traffic and parking limitations. The best time to address affordable housing is when you start your economic redevelopment efforts as doing so later will lead to higher costs and challenges as property values rise and sites become limited. I will be encouraging of our planning staff and supportive our Citys efforts and strategies for attracting developers of affordable housing through tax credits or other assistance with the process.

    4) As an elected official in the city, how do you propose to strengthen relations between long-term residents and student residents? The key word is relations, as in any relationship there needs to be respect, consideration and understanding. Attending college is all about preparing yourself for the future, your career and success in life. That growth is not limited to your academic experience however personal growth is expected as well and not directly addressed. The University takes a passive approach to teaching their students that success in life. Living in dorms and student apartments RAs and Resident Life Staff begin to set boundaries and expectations for learning to be neighborly and well-adjusted in society. Working on group assignments and fulfilling internship requirements is another passive approach to teaching work relations. And in your own experience that passive approach works on some but not all. When it comes to living in our community the passive method of the University has not been as effective and puts the burden of teaching that relationship on the residents and City. I feel it is time that the University helps us with that burden of teaching those relationship building skills and requires certain exercises and activities of their students living in our community. I would work with the University on those requirements, like an assignment that includes students researching and reporting on issues that will put them in conflict with the residents and City. I would work with the City to better provide information for the completion of that assignment, identifying Codes and Ordinances put in place to reinforce those relations. I would encourage residents to be engaging with this assignment expecting to know the names of and studies of the students living next to them and exchanging contacts for better communication and conflict resolving. I would help promote more community events that provide opportunity for Students and Residents to mingle and get to know each other better. I would encourage landlords to include certain external maintenance of their properties 36

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    College Park Candidate Questionnaire

    alleviating that burden that often results in conflict from the student renters. I feel this assignment would lead to success of students living in our community and their overall success in life.

    5) Being specific, what city ordinance do you see as most problematic for students, and how do you propose to amend city code to resolve this problem? I would say Parking for more than 48 hrs on a City street. I realize some students may not require their car 7 days a week and may rely on alternative means of transportation or public transportation. Furthermore they might travel out of state for an extended trip during the winter break. A special permit that would allow for these issues and could help by setting some guidelines that would avoid complaints from residents and would provide a contact of the owner of the vehicle in the event that where theyre parked is an issue.

    6) As an elected official, how would you propose to make everyday life easier for students living, working and learning in College Park?

    7) The Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee has recommended increasing home ownership diversity as away to improve neighborhood climate. What measures would you take to attract and retain graduate students and young professionals as residents in the city?

    8) Is there anything else you would like to communicate to students about your candidacy?

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  • 2

    Denise C. Mitchell [email protected] for Mayor

    It has been my honor to serve as your City Councilmember over the last six years and as Mayor Pro Tem since 2011. Together,

    we have tackled some tough concerns and worked to enhance our community. I would like to continue to work together to make College Park the best town for families, students and retirees to live in and feel that I am well positioned to be the next Mayor of College Park!

    I have lived in the City of College Park with my family since 1975. I am a graduate of Rutgers University where I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and The University of the District of Columbia, with a Masters of Art degree in Early Childhood Education and Administration.

    As Mayor, my priorities will be City-wide, and I see many important goals ahead:

    Ensure fiscal responsibility and closely monitor ourbudget and taxes

    Boost occupancy of vacant properties and promotevitality in all our neighborhoods

    Increasing pedestrian safety and walkability throughall parts of College Park

    Ensure that revitalization of US Route 1 remains ourtop highway development priorityYou can call me at 301-660-8513, send an email at

    [email protected] or visit my web site: www.DeniseMitchell.us.

    Patrick L. Wojahn [email protected] for Mayor

    Patrick Wojahn is a community organizer and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and for safe

    infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, currently working as Director of Government Relations at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. He has lived with his husband Dave in north College Park for 12 years and has served on the City Council for eight years. In that time, he has made College Park safer, greener, and an overall better place to live. He has worked to build a stronger community in north College Park by establishing a community listserve, started the College Park Community Foundation, which has provided thousands of dollars for local charitable causes, established College Park Day, and strengthened city procedures and practices to fix up rental and vacant properties.

    Patrick has been a leader in the region and nationally on issues impacting our community. Patrick has obtained a certificate on local government leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, graduated from the Prince Georges County Citizens Police Academy, and was a member of the 2014 class of Leadership Greater Washington. Patrick has also served on the boards of Equality Maryland, the College Park Food Bank, and a variety of organizations advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.

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