Editors note: Port City Daily reached out to all nine Wilmington City Council candidates for responses to the same eight questions. A full list of the candidates, with links, is available at the end of this article.
With all the growth happening in the City of Wilmington and the announcement of new major developments, what do you think is the best way to accommodate the new residents, without paving over every bit of green space in the city?
We live in a vibrant city. Do we have challenges … absolutely, what thriving community does not have issues and areas for improvement? The city is growing and reaching a critical point in its vision and plan for the future. Leaders need to be aware and on the forefront to insure proper and appropriate planning is adhered to and our quality of life is protected.
The City of Wilmington spent three (3) years working on the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan and I am the only candidate to serve on this committee. It is an excellent, award-winning plan for moving forward with protective and thoughtful growth; maintaining the integrity of our neighborhoods, protecting our delicate eco systems, providing for parks and open green space while meeting the needs of all our citizens. This plan was created by reaching out to thousands of citizens and gaining their input as to how they want to see the future for Wilmington. Critical components of this plan are the basis for redevelopment, infill, repurposing … alternatives that need to be part of our city. As a Leader, I fully understand, am engaged, knowledgeable, and committed to this plan … it is our future.
How can the City of Wilmington help alleviate traffic concerns, specifically on major roadways that are already overburdened?
Traffic and transportation issues will always be at the forefront of our city’s agenda. With water on both sides of Wilmington, we have unique challenges in crossing our area. Since road building is both a city and ctate responsibility, I will work closely with our local delegation in Raleigh to ensure Wilmington is a top priority in the state legislature and Department of Transportation. We must be creative in looking for future opportunities to reduce vehicle usage: making our city more walkable, bike-able, and pedestrian friendly; multi-facet transportation options with reliable, clean, and serviceable transit; build complete streets that are pedestrian friendly; and maximize connectivity by providing areas of supportive services adjacent to or surrounding our neighborhoods. This gives an alternative access of walking or biking (or stopping on the way home) rather than getting back into the car and making another trip to the store. All the while maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood.
What are your goals you hope to achieve if elected to office?
We live in an exceptional city that continues to attract new residents. We are growing and are responsible to our current and long standing citizens as well. Traffic/transportation issues, quality and quantity of jobs/pay scale, safety/crime concerns, and affordable/workforce housing continue to concern our citizens. These are our citizens’ issues, so they are my goals.
I take the responsibility seriously of enhancing and preserving that which makes Wilmington unique while providing for our citizens’ needs. We must look for creative options that add to the beauty and character of our city; plan wisely while enhancing our quality of life and protecting neighborhoods and private property rights for all citizens in all areas.
What are your three biggest concerns with the City of Wilmington, and how do you plan to address them?
My concerns are the citizen’s concerns and have mostly been referenced within the other questions.
Traffic/transportation: look for infill options, redevelopment projects, and repurposing to make the most of the investments and infrastructure already in place. Alternative transportation modes – walk, bike, blueways, greenways. Service nodes to support communities. Creative and outside the box thinking.
Safety – water quality – City Council is the voice of its citizens with the purpose of initiating action and promoting change by requesting evaluation, accountability, benchmarks and documented progress from our state and national elected officials. We must work together – local, state, agencies, educators and researchers in order to provide clean water for our citizens. We need to have local involvement to ensure our water quality but cannot do this alone as our water sources from other areas outside of our jurisdiction. Let’s set the politics aside and work together for the greater good of the citizens.
Opioid epidemic – see below in question No. 5.
Jobs/pay scale – We have a trades job shortage as companies are in critical need of trained professional plumbers, electricians, and heating/cooling (HVAC) personnel. A positive start is the joint project with the city/county/New Hanover County School Board/Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) for the new tech/trade school on the north campus of CFCC.
An evaluation of the salary survey that is due out in mid-November will shed light on the pay scale of our service personnel and first responders. We have the best trained first responders in the state, but are losing them to other higher paying communities; this is costly and unnecessary.
I am committed to attracting new business and clean industry as well as supporting and improving our existing business structure, so our citizens and our families will have long-term quality jobs and careers. This will go a long way to assisting in the affordable/workforce housing issue as well.
What is your opinion on the opioid epidemic? How can city leaders not only address the issue (because it has been talked about at length) but take some sort of action against the crisis?
New avenues are needed to address this epidemic … it crosses all socio-economic boundaries and is non-discriminatory in its devastating effects. I believe the focus moving forward should be twofold.
First, we need to provide extensive training for our first responders in order to clinically assess the situation and provide supportive services immediately to address the addiction; get the individual into a drug treatment program first before going through the legal process and jail, which gives them a chance to get clean and free from the drugs rather than drying out in a cell and (going) back on the streets.
Second, we need to focus on the cause … the abuse and overuse of pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs. This will take support from every level of government and will be a difficult ongoing battle. Our basic medical methodologies will need to be enhanced to a focus on the overall well-being of the complete person – emotionally, physically, mentally – and move away from the band-aid of drugs to alleviate the pain rather than look to fixing all the underlying problem.
What do you do professionally, would there be any conflict of interest with you serving the city of Wilmington?
I believe it is important to be connected to the pulse of the city and I accomplish this through full-time employment and meaningful volunteer work. I am a full-time professional Realtor®, I promote Wilmington every day in my professional life and in my private/volunteer life.
What previous experience do you have in serving the public if any?
Chairwoman of Wilmington Planning Commission – appointed in 2011
Steering Committee for Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan – appointed in 2013
Past chairwoman and current commissioner of Wilmington Housing Authority – appointed in 2006
Airlie Foundation Board – appointed in 2015
Parks Bond Steering Committee – 2016
Wilmington Downtown INC. – 2016 (Treasurer)
NC Realtors regional vice president – 2016
Cape Fear Realtors president – 2006
Azalea Festival Committee chairwoman (multiple committees) since 2008
Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors – 2011
Lump to Laughter Board – 2014
Given the concerns with GenX, do you think it is time to reevaluate how the CFPUA Board is appointed?
In order to achieve success in providing clean water to the citizens, this must be a combined effort of local (city and county), state and national officials along with agencies (including educators and researchers) working together. There are four elected officials that serve on the CFPUA board; and the City Council and county commissioners appoint the remainder of the board. If there is a change that the citizens feel needs to be made, work through the election process.
You can find the full list of Wilmington City Council candidate interview below:
