A4 PORTSMOUTH HERALD MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013

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PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL RACE

Candidates at a glance
The 23 residents running for the Portsmouth City Council answered a series of questions provided by the Portsmouth Herald for prole stories. As an additional help to readers, their answers (some reduced to t this space) will be detailed in this format this week. For their complete answers, visit www.seacoastonline.com.

Rick Becksted Jr.

Address: 1395 Islington St. Age: 42
I believe the rst question you have to ask is, why are we leasing out so many spaces in our current garage. Our fair city and its taxpayers built a garage some 28 years ago. Yes, even back then we had parking issues just like today. Building one more garage will only be a shortterm x. Then another will be needed. That would denitely ease the parking burden for now. Id rather be putting the $30 million or more into projects like our elementary schools that are desperate for change. Oh, and let us not forget about $70 million-plus in upgrades in our sewer treatment plant. So lets just tell the kids and residents of Portsmouth theyll just have to wait a little bit longer.

Justin Bethel
Address: 17 Dover St. Age: 31
Downtown needs another pay-by-hour parking garage. There should be a section for downtown residents to rent a space for a year if they do not have o -street. There should also be an allotment of free spaces specically for residents that work downtown so they dont need to feed meters all day while at work.

Mark Brighton
Address: 285 Union St. Age: 61
We need to give distributive parking an honest e ort before doing anything else. Chicken Little, we do not need. Perhaps the best illustration is the restaurateur who complained of losing reservation diners because of parking. The rest of the story is that the seats were lled immediately by walk-ins. Boston is a thriving city with phenomenal parking woes and with overowing restaurants. This issue is broader than the number of parking spaces we do or do not have.

Joe Caldarola
Address: 170 Dennett St. Age: 62
I support pursuing the alternatives to a downtown garage made by the Portsmouth Listens Study group, such as a distributed parking system, pricing incentives, waynding, etc., to reduce the tra c congestion downtown and to better manage the parking that exists. After all, these are the residents of Portsmouth, isnt it about time we start listening?

What is your solution to the current parking shortage in downtown?

Do you support the concepts of form-based zoning as a way to encourage responsible development?

To me, form-based zoning means having a controlled and appealing look, and is compatible with surrounding buildings. The HDC was created to protect the character of our city. In the past, it has always lived up to those responsibilities, safeguarding this character. The HDC has always been able to say how tall, how big and educating developers on how to make a building t with Portsmouth and its history. With that said, I fear the city has very little ground to stand on regarding future developments, given what has been approved in the Northern Tier. How do you say no to a building surrounded by big buildings? We need to protect whats left before its too late. If more public transportation is truly needed, then it is up to the city to encourage COAST and others to create more routes and more vehicles. Then we need to encourage the locals to use them.

Downtown development should be looked at on a case-by-case basis with signicant consideration to the form-based zoning codes as well as the environment and how it will benet the future of Portsmouth.

I like what I see with the proposed ordinance. The focus is on look and feel rather than just usage and dimensions. If we intend on preserving character, this may be the way to go. As a local architect stated to me, in essence, the devil will be in the details. We need a strong Historic District Commission with the vision to preserve and enhance our cityscape.

Yes, it requires that new buildings scale to neighboring buildings, but it is not su cient. The character of our city is being damaged by these new big-block buildings. The land use boards should protect our citys character. In my platform, I propose nine specic changes to the zoning ordinance to increase transparency, increase the opportunity for, and the e ectiveness of, public comment, and reform the proceedures of the land use boards.

Do you feel the city has enough public transportation?

Yes, I believe the citys public transportation is adequate; however, there is a shortage of taxi services. Portsmouth needs more cabs available, especially on nights and weekends.

A nearly 400-year-old city, with streets formed from cow paths, has no place on its streets for bicycle lanes or other innovations. We have to work with what we have, and not what we wish we had. The larger issue is a regional one, not just how we get around the city, but how we get from one city to the next. COAST Bus Service has been running regionally in one form or another since the 80s. If the public truly wants public transportation, then companies such as COAST or a competitor will ourish. If the public doesnt, then they wont. The decision is in the hands of the public and not the City Council.

The Portsmouth Listens Study Circles identied trolleys on the major streets as the next priority for public transportation. This could tie into distributed parking, with trolleys doubling as transport to parking during peak demand as well as to stores and services. Islington Street could be an interesting example.

Give us your philosophy on the budget and what your priorities are when it comes to funding education and public safety.

In my mind, these are the two most important items in our budget. Being a Portsmouth graduate myself, I take great pride in having both of my children in our school system. I truly believe my children will prosper as I have. It is all about the kids. Public safety has taken on a whole new meaning in the downtown with the largescale developments. While the tax base may be increased, I believe the services consumed will outstrip whatever revenue gain there will be. We need to fund this increased demand in our public safety without demanding more from the residents, such as using impact fees. I know I dont need a six-story ladder truck at my house. No, I see no benet for the city or the residents.

Education and public safety deserve to be two of the top recipients of budget allocations. They both need to be able to function at the highest of levels.

The budget has increased at double the rate of ination for several years. That has to stop. It has been stated that the budget is 85 percent personnel-driven. Union contracts will be coming up shortly. We have to address it with them. Priorities are police/re, schools, then the municipal departments.

Public safety, education, and infrastructure are all critical priorities for our city. At the same time, we need to control spending and stop the ever-upward creep of property taxes. These tax increases are a particular burden to those on xed incomes. I will work with my fellow councilors and city sta to ferret out savings wherever possible, reduce bureaucracy, and promote e ciencies.

Do you support extending last call for bars in Portsmouth until 2 a.m.?

Its an interesting question because if it were pushed to 2 a.m., it still remains the bar/restaurant owners discretion as to when to close their establishment. That said, yes, I support a 2 a.m. last call, which ties in to the need for more taxi services. The unused space where the old movie theater on Lafayette Road is would make a great senior center. It is a large, central location that is desperately in the need of a purpose.

No, the taxpayers would bear the burden of No! If the kids cant get drunk and nd a date by the increased costs for police protection for no 1 a.m., then too bad! benet. The increased meals tax would benet the state, not the city.

Where do you think the city should build a senior center and why?

The Doble Center is a good location, but for a community center for both seniors and children. A 2-for-1 concept would be the direction I would take: the bridge and interaction between the past and the future. The money raised by the sale of the Connie Bean Center would get us going in the right direction. It would also give us a true center for our kids, not just a gym. I grew up in the Connie Bean Center a long time ago. Where are your kids going to grow? This is a topic everyone avoids. Emergencies, be they weather or public safety, can never be predicted or prevented. We need to be prepared for all emergencies, while always watching the bottom line. The council will need to ensure the contracts are in the best interests of the city and its workers. The services are crucial and desired. We just need to make sure we are living within our means.

I view it as a necessary service. The where and why are less important than the funding, as the city owns nearly 200 properties, and one or two of those would provide appropriate space. Perhaps the money could come from the rainy day fund, as the set-up would be a one-time expense.

The Doble Center is the best location. It is a big property, large enough for a senior center and a recreation center, which would be mutually benecial to our seniors and youth. However, tra c to and from the center should be routed to Route 1, not to Woodbury Avenue through the residential neighborhood.

What is your overall position on overtime wages?

Overtime should be o ered when necessary on a volunteer basis. It needs to be monitored carefully and should not be abused.

The problem is not whether we pay overtime. It is not the councils place to micromanage. The problem is with the underlying wages and benets upon which this overtime is based. Each department should be given a budget amount and set its own priorities. Medical expenses have become a real driver. Change health plans to the less-expensive SchoolCare. If we assume that as a baseline, it does not seem unreasonable for employees to pay the cost that is greater than the rate of ination. That would line up with private sector insurance/retirement plans. It is, after all, the private sector that pays for these line items.

The council has a simple choice. We can either fully sta departments or pay overtime. The issue that makes fully sta ng so onerous is the pension and health insurance costs, which are controlled by the state, not the city or the union. Perhaps its time to take a look at that. In government, nonprots and business, Ive always worked to promote a culture of constant striving to increase quality and e ciency. I pay contractors a fair price and expect them to work with me to reduce errors, redundancies, and ine ciencies. My approach to collective bargaining would be the same. We need a fair and reasonable partnership with the unions, recognizing that that this is our city, and were all in this together. Recently, weve seen development and other issues impact many neighborhoods in the city. The widespread experience is that public comment is largely ignored. Public input from all of Portsmouths citizens and neighborhoods should be highly valued by all city boards. Citizens bring the greatest focus and depth of knowledge about current and future quality of life issues in their neighborhoods. I will be a erce advocate for citizen and neighborhood input. Sustainability: We should build on the ongoing e orts by adopting the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code for Region 6. This is a signicant step that we can take to reduce energy used in all new buildings in the near and long term. I have personally been building to this code for the last two years in Durham. It can be done, and the benets outweigh the costs. Also, the master plan needs to be rewritten for 2015. As in 2005, Portsmouth Listens would be an e ective conduit for public involvement.

With many union contracts expected to expire in 2014, what do you hope the city achieves through the collective bargaining process?

Hopefully, the city can save money where it can while still providing fair wages and benets to its union workers.

In what ways can the city bolster public participation and input?

Advance notice certainly comes to mind. We seem to react more defensively when brought into a project late, which is natural. Sometimes I wonder whose interests the city is looking out for. Being up-front goes a long way. Neighborhoods and residents are counting on the city and sta to truly secure their best interests, as well as all of Portsmouth, not just an area here or there on a map. Being transparent is key. As soon as the city knows, the residents should, too. I feel that everyone seems to be forgetting that our city is not just downtown. Portsmouth is made up of ve wards, a diverse collection of many wonderful neighborhoods surrounding the historic center. Weve managed to survive another recession and come out strong. Its great that our city attracts people from all over, but we need to start putting the residents rst. Meeting the needs of the tourist over the needs of the residents just doesnt make sense.

Through social media and availability of its council and board members.

Public participation cannot come from some city magic wand. There has been a devil of a time getting volunteers for city boards. We have a ne community, but people become complacent and believe someone else will do it. Civic duty should be a motivator. City government cannot (motivate participation).

Identify an issue not mentioned above that you feel should be a priority in the coming years.

The budget and development are inextricably linked. The budget has increased at twice the rate of ination for several years. Property taxes are less so. The di erence is the revenue that development of all shapes has generated. This development market will slow. Peter Francese, a demographer, says that as New Hampshire baby boomers go gray, retail may slow, causing a stagnation in commercial real estate among other problems. When these revenue sources the city has relied upon vanish, the local taxpayer will be stuck with the whole budget. The cautionary tale is in the cities and states already tipping into bankruptcy.