Cover Story: Creative Loafing City Council questionnaire - Council District 6

CL last month asked Atlanta City Council candidates to fill out a questionnaire related to the 2013 municipal election. We asked each individual about his or her opinions regarding public safety, the Falcons stadium, the Atlanta Beltline, homelessness, ethics, and other key issues. Many responded and some didn’t. We’ve compiled all the answers we received to give readers a deeper look at the candidates’ views. Note: These responses are unedited and directly what respondents sent our way.

Name: Alex Wan

Age: 46

Occupation: Director of Development, Emory University

Neighborhood: Morningside – Lenox Park

Hometown: Atlanta

Website: www.AlexWanforAtlanta.com

Name: Mike Boyle

Age: 44

Occupation: Activist, Boot ParkAtlanta

Neighborhood: Virginia Highland

Hometown: Atlanta

Website: www.mikeforatlanta.com

Name: Tracey Austin

Age: 36

Occupation: Mother & Business Owner

Hometown: Hempstead, New York

Website: www.VoteTraceyAustin.com

What is the most pressing issue facing your district? If elected (or re-elected), how would you try and address it?

Wan: Anyone traveling around our city can clearly see that our infrastructure (roads, bridges, sidewalks, etc.) is in disrepair and in need of significant investment. Streets are marked with potholes, sidewalks are in pieces, and numerous bridges are on the Georgia Department of Transportation’s list of dangerous structures. The backlog of infrastructure needs is estimated at approximately $1 billion, due largely to the city’s inability to invest the requisite $50-$100 million per year annually on maintenance because of Atlanta’s limited, but improving financial condition. This is clearly not sustainable and, if left unaddressed, negatively impacts our district’s quality of life and will ultimately hamper our city’s ability to grow and attract businesses, residents and visitors.

During the four years I have served on City Council, I have focused on maximizing the efficient deployment of our resources – namely tax dollars – to delivering quality city services. This has necessary partly due to declining property values and revenues, but also because we have had to focus our limited resources on the most critical and core city services. While this certainly includes investing in our infrastructure, it was not until this year that we were finally able to free up a modest amount of in our operating budget to apply toward these needs. That said, rather than continuing to chip away at the backlog with a few million here or there, a better solution may be a bond issuance to bring a more impactful, onetime investment in the magnitude of hundreds of millions of dollars. Fortunately, our improved fiscal condition has increased our creditworthiness (evidenced by our upgraded bond ratings) and, therefore, borrowing capacity. As a result, we are once again in a position to explore the option of taking on debt, albeit responsibly. The key will be selecting those projects that have the most impact and/or address the most critical needs.

Boyle: Terminating the failed ParkAtlanta contract and installing a more reasonable parking enforcement program in its place are my twin goals. This unfriendly group has harmed a lot of the intangibles of our neighborhoods—privacy, sanctuary, peace of mind, and has hurt local businesses. The public has expressed consistent and strong displeasure, yet this city council, including my incumbent opponent, has failed to put forth a termination proposal. My new program would derive from the desires and requirements as expressed by the neighborhoods and their NPU’s, and a best practice study of parking systems in similar cities. I am confident that once we eliminate ParkAtlanta, it won’t be difficult to find something better.

Austin: Our safety and efforts toward sustainability.

I am going to work with business owners and residents to put forth a collective effort in making District 6 a model district for Safety & Sustainability. We must update our infrastructure in a sustainable way – traffic solutions, green development, smart grid infrastructure, and water management – this will improve the quality of life for our families and as a result, our children. Also, efforts toward safety must be improved; we want to create a district which offers safe neighborhoods that are walkable and bikable. Our children need safe environments to play in and our parents need to feel supported by our city in their efforts to protect their families from environmental or physical harm.

Mayor Kasim Reed has claimed that the crime rate in Atlanta is the lowest it’s been in 50 years. But in many parts of the city, the perception of crime remains up. How would you address public safety in your district? What actions would you take as a councilmember to improve conditions?

Wan: While the crime rate may be significantly lower than when I joined Atlanta City Council four years ago, the perception of crime is still up. In fact, I too was a victim of crime when my house was broken into in August 2012, so I am particularly sensitive to this issue. My strategy to address public safety is twofold. First, I will continue to create financial capacity in our general fund through fiscal responsibility to be able to fund additional officers as well as more technology and equipment for the police force. Second, I will work to continue expanding our community partnerships with Atlanta Police through neighborhood watch and alert systems. A testament to how effective these networks can be, it was through the contributions from our community listserv that the perpetrator that robbed me and several of my neighbors was caught and successfully sentenced.

Boyle: Having promoted public safety as a Virginia Highland street team captain, and also having attended the Citizens Police Academy sponsored by APD, this is an important issue for me. In the short term you increase the force number and their capabilities, but the neighborhood is an important piece, too. A protective mesh of neighbors who spend time outside and who know one another and who look after one another is a great preventive barrier to criminal activity. It’s important the city seed this philosophy because it’s cheaper and more effective than always increasing force.

In the longer term, crime is a function of economic activity and so you have to take care of the economy. You can talk stiffer sentencing and such but I actually wouldn’t go that direction. I might even decriminalize in order that fewer individuals get caught up the prison system which, I believe, tends to produce a feedback loop of more alienation and more crime.

Austin: 1. I would like to see more community policing. We should know the officers by name and they should know us. Residents can be partners with law enforcement in our efforts toward reducing the incidents of crime. Officers should be walking and biking more in our neighborhoods.

2. I would create legislation that prioritizes the allocation of resources toward public safety in areas with higher concentrations of children. (e.g. in and around schools, parks, neighborhoods, and streets)

3. I will push for a “non-emergency” line to reach the police and report issues of importance or suspicion which can be helpful in preventing an incident from occurring but may not be urgent. Many times residents are reluctant to make a call to 911 but still have incidents that need and should be reported.

4. I will encourage the creation of Business Improvement Districts, where applicable, which can support the creation of a public safety force comprised of off duty police officers. Areas such as Cheshire Bridge Road and Piedmont Road would benefit from such a structure.

If you’re an incumbent and you voted for the proposed Falcons stadium, why did you do so? If you’re a challenger, how would you have voted and why?

Wan: N/A. I was one of the four Council members who voted against the Falcons stadium legislation.

Boyle: I would have voted against. I don’t believe public money should be used this way, in general, and in this case the new stadium is largely unnecessary because the existing stadium still has useful life. I understand Commissioner Goodell made clear Atlanta would not receive a Superbowl absent a new stadium but you have to take that in perspective. First, it’s essentially ventriloquy by Arthur Blank as the Commissioner represents the owners’ interests. Second, a Superbowl is a one time event with a one time payoff. In its place you could invest that money in things that generate returns to the community across time. How about shoring up our budget? Funding mass transit? Repairing broken sidewalks? All these are more practical public investments.

Austin: I would have voted in favor of the stadium if I could have successfully negotiated terms that would ensure revenue allocation, at least in part, to go toward our city’s children – in and around schools and parks for safety and upkeep; sports and other extracurricular programs; efforts toward enhancing the walkability and bikability of our streets and sidewalks.

Last year, metro Atlanta voters rejected the T-SPLOST, which would have raised billions of dollars in funding for large-scale transportation projects throughout the region and smaller projects inside the city limits. Mobility remains an issue in Atlanta. What ideas do you have for improving transportation?

Wan: The failed T-SPLOST referendum last summer was particularly disappointing to me, as I had campaigned extensively in support of it throughout District 6, which delivered the highest number of YES votes in the City of Atlanta. My neighbors are anxious to find solutions to our traffic and congestion problems, with particular support for transit-related projects.

Until we are able to secure significant funding sources for such initiatives, we must continue being creative in devising new ways to move residents, workers and visitors through our city. This year, we installed a two-way cycle track on 10th Street near Monroe Drive to offer additional bicycle facilities within the city, and given its popularity and use, there are now plans to extend this further on 10th Street. These are the types of approaches I support – identifying, assessing and adapting more streets in order to create similar facilities to make it more practical for cyclists to get to their destinations.

In addition to bicycle facilities, we must also continue making our communities better connected and more pedestrian friendly. I remain a staunch advocate of the Atlanta BeltLine and support additional investments when resources are available to the continued build out of the planned trails associated with the project. In District 6, many now use the BeltLine paths rather instead of their automobiles to make short trips. And we must continue seeking financial resources to maintain and improve our sidewalks, roads and crosswalks to support and encourage pedestrian traffic. The infrastructure bond that is currently being contemplated for 2014 could be a significant source of funds for this work.

Of course we mustn’t stop seeking funds for long-term transit solutions, either through state and federal transportation grants or perhaps a smaller geographic region sales tax, seeing as how a majority of City of Atlanta voters did support the T-SPLOST.

Boyle: Transportation should be a fixed or even declining percentage of an economy. The fact that sales taxes over the last three decades have consumed an increasing percentage of the economy means we’re seeing poor planning, some type of parasitic loss (ie non competitive bidding processes or corruption) or some other form of losses. Sales taxes have risen by 60% since the 1980’s AND that’s on a larger economic base and in an era of cheaper money. We really need greater transparency on bond issues, debt profiles and where the cash goes. In terms of funding new projects, we should do so from these identifiable sources of waste.

In terms of how to filter new projects, I think you should look at a couple criteria: does the project yield demonstrable benefits for Atlantan’s qualify of life in terms of shortening commute times? Does the project have sustainability attributes that make it attractive – does it help reduce our environmental footprint, reduce our dependence on petroleum, and provide clean air and water benefits? Does it make Atlanta an attractive place to invest? An attractive place for the young talent coming out of our many colleges and universities to stay and call it home?

Finally, in terms of addressing our traffic bottle necks, we should look at facilitating time-of-use-shifting of work in businesses where that could be viable, in order to better match transportation system supply and demand. So, for example, for businesses where it’s practical, change your work day from 9 to 5 to noon to 8, and you reduce hours lost in traffic for everyone’s benefit.

Austin: Atlanta must begin to match the quality and scope of transportation services to the city’s growth. According to the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, over the last 10 years, metro Atlanta’s traffic congestion has grown from the 15th to the 4th worst in the country, making it the region’s top challenge to attracting and retaining companies and the high-quality jobs that come with them.

Solution: Continue to identify creative and innovative sources of funding such as public-private partnerships to fund transportation projects. By doing so, projects can be fully funded, and brought to completion faster.

Solution: Continue high-accountability and transparency in transportation spending.

Solution: Create an ongoing method of collecting data – customer feedback, and traffic analysis locations/times of the day; and accidents; so the city can target the areas with the worst traffic problems and prioritize accordingly.

Solution: Through proper legislation, sustainable approaches should be encouraged by the council to address transportation such as creating incentives to purchase energy efficient and smaller vehicles; increasing the number of charging stations throughout the city. Encourage walking and biking over driving; and encourage the use of public transportation.

Homelessness in Atlanta remains a pressing problem. However, the city’s charter limits what it can do to fight the issue. What realistic options does the city have when it comes to tackling homelessness?

Wan: From 2009-2012, I was the Director of Development at a Jerusalem House, Atlanta’s largest provider of permanent, supportive housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Working firsthand with the men, women and children served by the organization gave me a clearer understanding of the challenges of homelessness as well as some effective approaches to addressing the issue.

I draw from this experience in believing that Atlanta’s solution most likely lies in establishing collaborative partnerships with the non-profit sector. There are many outstanding organizations working in this space, and their nimbleness and efficiency make them great soldiers in this fight, enabling them to leverage even further what limited resources the city is able to make available to them.

In the end, the key is to focus on not just providing a roof and a bed to someone in need, but also to providing all of the appropriate supportive services to address the underlying issues – substance addiction, physical or mental abuse, health, education, etc. – that led to the homelessness. Creating partnerships with various service providers can envelope the individual in the necessary blanket of treatments for a more sustainable, long-term solution.

Boyle: At the neighborhood level, you can grow our emotional capacity to deal with the homeless - by acknowledging and learning the names of those who cross our paths we humanize them and that’s very meaningful in terms of treating the alienation they feel. This is hard to do because it’s uncomfortable and we’re all chronically short on time.

In the long term, we have to take care of the economy as a healthy economy pulls more people into productive working situations. We also have to tackle other factors that drive homelessness. It seems we men are at far higher risk of ending up homeless, and so the first rule would be if you’re a man, take care of yourself and your relationships and make sure you don’t end up homeless. We have to look at our institutions as well. How do we take care of the family unit, no matter how you definite it? Why do we throw so many young men into the prison system? It’s so costly and disruptive and fuels the cycle of homelessness. We need to answer fundamental questions, some at the policy level and many at the community level.

Austin: As a city, we will have to identify funding sources at the federal and state level that are available to municipalities for housing assistance and create policy approving the application for and/or acceptance of these funds.

A recommendation that I will put forth is that a city trust fund be created, modeled after the (National Housing Trust Fund created in 2008 at the federal level) this trust fund can be both publicly and privately funded. Housing assistance should be prioritized toward families with children.

The city must also address issues related to substance abuse, mental health and employment in order to combat the factors that lead to higher incidence of homelessness.

Also fair-housing policies will have to be reviewed and strongly addressed to ensure that the city’s policies toward mixed income housing development, and rental practices are fair and compassionate.

Councilmembers are policymakers; they’re technically not supposed to serve as liaisons between constituents and city departments (for example, failure to pick-up trash or broken traffic lights). Yet they often fall into that role. How would you handle your job once the 311 call center, which is designed to address residents’ and businesses’ complaints, comes online?

Wan: Indeed, when the current City of Atlanta form of government was created, it was not anticipated that Council members would be as immersed and as responsible for constituent services as we find ourselves today. While my office has always welcomed assisting our constituents who need additional support in working with the city departments, the new 311 call center is expected to help significantly in processing these type requests and creating capacity in our office to focus back onto policy-related matters.

That said, it would be foolish to expect a complete transfer overnight of this activity from our office over to the 311 call center after its launch. Our office stands prepared to continue providing the same level and quality of services to our constituents as long as necessary for 311 users to adapt to the new system.

Further, I eagerly await the data that the 311 call center will be generating. The types of calls, the departments responsible for the service requested, and the number of contacts we receive will be extremely helpful data points to identify problem areas within different departments. I plan to use these metrics to inform my approach to budget deliberations as well as the subsequent policy decisions around how our funds should be deployed.

Boyle: If constituents need help, they need help and that will always be a part of the role. But I suppose any time freed up by the new 311 system should be spent on writing and passing smarter legislation. There is a quite a velocity of ordinances that goes through the system each year, and I don’t think it is as vetted as well as it should be.

Austin: Legislation must be passed that ensures accountability in performance of departments. The City must provide (a) prompt and thorough response to - constituent calls; written correspondences; and requests for service, and (b) Professional and courteous treatment of constituents.

1. In proportion to the city’s growth, the city council must ensure that it appropriately allocates resources to expand various Government Department’s capability and to improve customer service; prioritizing with the lowest performing departments first.

2. Create a customer service satisfaction survey to be optionally completed after each call or visit.

3. Create an process of accountability that includes the replacement or training of department heads (when a department is consistently underperforming) or employees (when employee performance rating is consistently low.)

What can you bring to the Atlanta City Council that it currently lacks?

Wan: N/A. However, I do occupy a unique space on Atlanta City Council as the first Asian-American as well as the first openly gay man to serve on this body, and I believe not having those perspectives in the Council’s deliberations would create a much less rich conversation.

Boyle: Independent thought vis-à-vis the mayor. Mayor Reed is a good mayor but that doesn’t make him always right. If you look at the votes at city council, they’re unanimous (ie 15-0) and in agreement with the mayor most of the time. When you have independent thinkers and people with the courage to push back, there is debate and ideas get aired, and every one benefits when that happens. I will stand up against the mayor on the ParkAtlanta issue and will stand up against him whenever I believe my constituents’ best interests are challenged.

Austin: Someone who is passionate about the children of Atlanta and willing to prioritize issues that are specifically related to our children and youth. When we speak of issues ranging from sidewalk repairs to homelessness we must specifically look at how our policy is addressing the effects or risk factors on the children of Atlanta.

What is a city issue in Atlanta that, in your opinion, very few people have paid attention to? Could you — and would you — address it?

Wan: Very few people realize that the City of Atlanta has tens of millions of dollars in unexpended trust funds and bond proceeds, and these funds remained effectively trapped and useless unless a way is found to either repurpose the funds to unwind the original action that obligated the fund. Understandably, that process is complicated and requires careful legal analysis. That said, if achieved, the city could have the funds to tackle many of the initiatives that we have had to postpone or abandon because of lack of resources.

I have been one of a small group of Council members who has been inquiring about the status of the administration’s research into the process of making those funds available for use. If re-elected, I absolutely plan to continue pushing on this issue.

Boyle: Sovereignty/Local control. Today the interconnectedness of the world economy provides immense opportunities for Atlanta but also risks. When you look at the nervousness the debt ceiling debate in Washington must cause our creditors, you have to think, for example, the Chinese government, with $1 trillion of exposure to US Treasuries, would want to make that more secure somehow. Right now foreign investors like China own a large percentage of US debt but a small percentage of municipal debt – the kind we use to fund our roads and schools. But if that changed, then you have to worry about influence on local governing institutions. For example, you could potentially have this odyssey of property taxes from Atlanta home owners flowing to China because they own our school debt. At that point you wonder are we educating our kids so that we can compete with the Chinese or are we educating them so that we can pay the Chinese back? Some metrics we should watch in the coming years are who owns Atlanta muni debt, what is the concentration level, and are we at risk of undue foreign influence as far as school board, city council and other governing units.

Austin: Our city needs to look at the number of families that move out of the city because of their concerns related to the schools, safety and services. Atlanta needs to make greater efforts toward incentivizing families to live, invest in and stay in our city. I will address it by promoting my quality of life agenda that prioritizes children.

Southeast Atlanta residents recently raised concerns about a big-box retail center along the Atlanta Beltline. As the Beltline continues along in its development, what steps would you take to make sure its vision — specifically, the one residents laid out in planning meetings — is fulfilled?

Wan: The Atlanta BeltLine vision was crafted and shaped through an extensive, collaborative process between the city and the community, through which the project’s stakeholders have developed a vested interest in that plan. In sections of the project, however, there remains a gap between the existing underlying land use and zoning of the parcels versus what the BeltLine vision prescribes, and such discrepancies create opportunities for developments inconsistent with the vision to arise.

My first strategy in making sure the BeltLine vision is fulfilled – one that I have already discussed directly with new president Paul Morris – is to accelerate the process of making outstanding land use and zoning changes consistent with the BeltLine vision to further minimize future conflicts from proposed developments. Another strategy is to further strengthen the zoning variance process such that neighborhoods and other stakeholders retain as strong a say as possible in proposed projects that don’t match the underlying zoning.

Boyle: My experience with the beltline has been superb. I’d say they’ve over-delivered on their vision so far. I am a regular user. On a good day I’ll drop my long board under foot and roll over to Piedmont Park, play some hoops, and shoot back home. It’s a great experience. A few years ago I helped Atlanta artist Gregory Turk install an earthworks exhibit along the east side trail. Really, I just moved a bunch of dirt for him, but he made it into something special.

My concerns would be on the financial side – do the folks who run and control Atlanta Beltline Inc (ABI) now have the best interest of Atlanta taxpayers at heart? Do they have proper cost controls in place? How much debt do they expect to issue to support this buildout? It’s only anecdotal but when I look at the work histories of the executive at ABI, there are several who worked on the notorious Big Dig in Boston. This $15B project was rife with cost overruns and other problems. The Beltline project thus requires closer financial oversight and more scrutiny.

One other note in terms of keeping the vision on track—young people—the way they view work and play and commuting, with a preference toward bicycling and with a built-in environmental ethos—they need to be a part of steering this project because I really believe they have insights that perhaps some of us (yes, I include myself) might not have. Let’s make sure students and young graduates are involved in this planning and roll-out, not just folks who built an expensive tunnel in Boston.

Austin: One of the biggest goals of the beltline is create and retain more green space throughout the city, and walkable and “bikable” trails. Limits on retail, development and other measures that impede upon the walkability and bikability of the beltline must by enacted. Continued public engagement and input throughout the process will be key. A process for transparency in decisions must be maintained.

What’s your favorite part of the district you want to represent? What’s your least favorite part that you hope to change?

Wan: District 6 has a unique and carefully preserved balance between its commercial, single and multi-family residential, and green space that truly drives the quality of life in our community. From the commercial corridors of Virginia-Highland to Cheshire Bridge Road, from the single family homes in Morningside-Lenox Park to the condominium high rises in Midtown, and from Gotham Park in Piedmont Heights to Piedmont Park, it is this thoughtful combination that is my favorite part of the district.

I look forward to continuing my work with all community stakeholders to help strengthen a couple of struggling commercial corridors within the District. These areas, once thriving with successful small shops and boutiques, are now sprinkled with vacancies and businesses barely making it by. Hopefully, as the city’s revenues rebound, we will have the financial resources to begin investing in such commercial corridors to help accelerate their recovery.

Boyle: Did not respond.

Austin: My favorite part of the city is Piedmont Park. It offers a centralized location for many of the neighborhoods in my district to meet, residents to interact, and for us to serve and host others from all over the country and the world.

My least favorite is Cheshire Bridge Road because it is lacking a collective effort toward beautification and economic development despite presenting a great opportunity for improvement. I hope to encourage the business owners of Cheshire Bridge to participate in a formal process toward business improvements and efforts toward safety. A collaborative approach between business owners and the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods to doing so should be adopted.

How would you feel about Atlanta’s current ethics and transparency practices? What, if anything, would you do to improve the current rules? If nothing, why?

Wan: The City of Atlanta has strong ethics and transparency guidelines that were enacted by the previous City Council and administration. In fact, these policies are stricter than the ones followed by our state legislators. In the four years I have served on Council, I have had no compliance issues with our rules, and I am comfortable with their continuing forward.

Boyle: A few years ago the city’s Chief Financial Officer either stepped down or was fired; I don’t think we ever found out which. Around the same time another top financial official was fired and filed a whistleblower lawsuit, and details to the public were again limited. We need greater financial transparency to make sure taxpayer cash is being managed with care. As an activist on the ParkAtlanta issue and an outsider, I will push for that transparency.

Austin: Open government epitomizes a health democracy as such greater efforts toward ethics and transparency should always be made in the city of Atlanta. I was a disappointed by efforts of the council to limit Public participation in meetings and by the thousands of dollars spent by the law department to defend the Council’s rights to conceal votes (which was later found to be unconstitutional). To improve the rules, I would improve the council’s communications efforts to the public as it relates to public notice of meetings – how and in what time period the public is being notified. Summarized results and a process of notification in change of legislation should be created and promoted.