Public Safety:
Our police and fire departments must be adequately staffed, resourced and trained to ensure safe response times, and to continue effective strategies for community policing, overdose prevention, and connecting individuals to recovery services. We must pursue innovative funding sources, including state and federal grants, to meet these needs.
Economic Development:
Lowell is an attractive place for businesses to locate, and we should be pitching ourselves to employers in order to create new jobs and spur development. We must also ensure sustainability through clear benefits for Lowell residents including quality wages, training opportunities, and partnerships with educational institutions. With a Master’s Degree from UML in Regional Economic Development, I will be an effective advocate for community benefits, and holding companies and developers accountable
Affordable housing:
Right now, housing units are not keeping up with job and population growth, driving up costs for both renters and home-buyers. We must encourage housing growth, with an emphasis on promoting density through multi-family developments. Additionally, as developers seek to build new housing in Lowell, I plan to advocate strongly for the inclusion of affordable units to maintain a mix of income levels in all of Lowell’s neighborhoods.
Improving our INFRASTRUCTURE:
Multiple schools and public safety facilities have immediate capital needs including new roofs, boilers, and major HVAC system repairs. Roads and bridges are in dire need of repair, and many intersections must be made safer for cars, bikes, and pedestrians alike. These projects will inevitably require borrowing, but there are funding sources that can ease the burden on taxpayers, including the MA School Building Authority, and state and federal transportation funding which we must aggressively pursue and work with our state and federal delegations to capture.
Enviroment:
Lowell should promote energy efficiency by developing and implementing strategies that improve the efficiency of municipal facilities and operations, set standards for energy efficiency in new developments, and encourage efficiency improvements in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. We must also continue to set ambitious goals in our utility contracts to increase the amount of ratepayer energy that is derived from clean energy sources such as solar and wind.
Public Schools:
My wife Julie and I are currently raising three kids who are in or heading into the Lowell Public Schools, and nothing is more important to us than making sure that they – and all the kids in Lowell – have every possible opportunity to succeed. We must invest in our schools to restore cuts to library aides and paraprofessionals, reduce class sizes, and create a clear plan to address pressing capital needs so that our schools are safe and healthy places to learn and work.
Parks and open space:
Lowell has many under-utilized public spaces, and many that need significant improvements in order for residents to see them as a quality place to spend time. Public spaces should have the look and feel of a place where people are encouraged to go: seating, plants, signage, art, and easy pedestrian access. As a dense city, even small areas of public space (ie "parklets") can greatly contribute to quality of life, and I will be looking for ways to utilize these spaces and beautify our city. I also support adopting the Community Preservation Act on the ballot this November, which can bring much needed revenue into the city for things like improving parks and open space.
Diverse and inclusive city government:
I believe the goal of "diversity & inclusion" should be included in all aspects of city government. From our city workforce, to our contracted workforce, to businesses receiving city grants or incentives, we must be holding them accountable to goals of a diverse workforce and leadership development.
Supporting small BUSINESS:
The city should do everything possible to ensure that business owners with good ideas -- especially those located in under-served areas or strategically important ones like Downtown -- are set up to be successful in the long term. This includes providing technical assistance with permitting, payroll, and accessing start-up grants offered by state, federal and non-profit entities.