How the questionnaires were scored:
Each answer was awarded a score on a scale of -2 to +2, based on the level of agreement with Grow Green's position on that issue, for a maximum score of 14 points. Bonus points were awarded for extraordinarily thorough, detailed answers.

1. What do you think Athens-Clarke County’s growth issues will be in the next ten years?

The use and care of the water that flows through and around ACC is of paramount importance to us. In the future it will become a determining factor in our ability to maintain the quality of life we want as well as help define our relationship with our neighboring counties. It will also be the primary factor in attracting and retaining good jobs for our citizens and neighbors. I believe we need to begin the rational discussion on these points today.

Specifically, I would like to begin discussions for another reservoir in our area, this time on the east side of Athens-Clarke County. Oconee County is currently exploring ways to purchase water for its growing population. I believe it’s only a matter of time before Madison and Oglethorpe are going to be involved in the same process.

I’m a member of the Economic Development sub-committee of the Partners for a Prosperous Athens. In July’s meeting of this committee I am happy to report that I was instrumental in getting the water issue placed on the top four items necessary to our economic growth and development. The other members of the committee agreed that this is an issue that we should begin working on now. Pat Allen, the coordinator of this group, reminded us how long the process of a reservoir can take and agreed that it was a top priority for us.

I believe the issue of water is also of immediate interest in light of the Georgia Water Council. Some of you may be aware of the “Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act” here in Georgia. As is stated on their website, the goal for this act is to ensure that: "Georgia manages water resources in a sustainable manner to support the state’s economy, to protect public health and natural systems, and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens" (O.C.G.A. 12-5-522(a)).

2. What changes, if any, would you like to see in the Athens-Clarke County Comprehensive Land Use Plan to address these issues?

3. What will you do to increase the supply of accessible, affordable housing?

It seems to me that one of the first things we need to do is define what affordable housing is for our work force. Wages for secretaries, clerks, teachers, firemen, deputies, utility/maintenance workers all need to be included in this definition. The PPA’s Housing and Transportation committee is currently working on this issue. I believe they have identified some of the larger issues and will devise some choices for us to work with. If they haven’t already, defining what is affordable for the various sectors our citizen’s work within would be a good start. Our society would collapse if not for the work of our work-force citizens. They need to be allowed the opportunity to realize the American Dream they work so hard for and help so many of us achieve. Owning your own home is the first step, a key step in creating wealth. I don’t have the space here to talk about it, but wealth creation is an extremely important concept when building healthy, vibrant communities. The type of community that I know we all want Athens-Clarke to become.

As it happens I was discussing this issue yesterday with a friend who owns a large number of rental units in Athens-Clarke. He believes the costs of rentals are not going to get any more affordable than they are right now. For a 2/2 or a 2/1, $450 to $500 is about the floor. Mortgage, insurance, maintenance, etc. make this the fact. So, if $500 is the floor and that number represents 40% to 50% of many Athens’ household’s income, you’re going to need to increase the household incomes for many of the people in Athens. I have some ideas on how to accomplish this and I spell them out on my website in “Local Economy.”

I also outline my ideas on housing in A-CC on my website. As far as work-force housing is concerned, I believe it is time we have a rational discussion about the state of our real estate market. I would propose this discussion take place with the help of a staff member of the planning department, the Athens Apartment Owners Association and the Athens Area Association of Realtors amongst others. It should have as its expressed goal to provide us with some concrete ideas on how we can cope with the number of units on-line now and with those scheduled to come on-line in the near future. I would expect that some positive ideas on how to create more work-force housing would come out of this process.

4. How will you balance the interests of the community as a whole and the interests of individual property owners when making land use decisions?

My thoughts on land use in ACC can be best summarized in two words: fairness and responsibility. It’s incumbent on those in government to find the method to most effectively provide the general public the environmental protection and quality of life they want while at the same time providing the landowners the ability to realize the value and rights to quiet enjoyment they expect. I believe that’s a fair and responsible approach to this issue. Certainly Land Banks and the Land Trust exist to help communities acquire land they want to see protected. These are methods that may work in some cases. I would like to suggest we look at another method currently being explored for use here in Athens-Clarke County.

It seems to me that the best way to satisfy everyone’s best interests is to create a Transferable Development Rights (TDR) program. A well-built TDR program can be the best answer to this issue. A committee is currently meeting to define exactly what a TDR program would look like here in Athens-Clarke. Because this committee has not come out with any recommendations, it’s not possible to comment on their choice or choices. I’ve attended all of their meetings except for one and believe this committee is on the right track. Until this group puts a firm recommendation forward, I think they should be left alone to create a program without any outside interference. So, I won’t offer any further opinions on their specific work.

I would like to say that it seems that there should also be provisions to allow TDR units to be used for commercial purposes. Exactly how the units would be exchanged and for what ratio they might be traded at is a matter to be decided. However, the sitting committee seems to be in agreement that a commercial component is a necessity if this program is going to work in Athens-Clarke.

An idea that I’ve had concerning the land in the AR, that is maybe a little “outside-the-box” is to use some of the land in commercial organic farming. I recognize that we need to discuss this idea in more detail, but I think that there is a real opportunity to create organic farms out in the AR. I haven’t spoken to Skipper Stipemass about this, but perhaps she could help us with this project.

5. How would that balance impact the local environment?

I cover this topic in more detail on my website, but for here let me say that it seems to me transportation in A-CC can be best understood as two components. One, the local transportation situation within the county proper with many of these issues focused within the old city limits. The second component of transportation is the relationship between A-CC and the residents of the surrounding counties.

As part of this we are going to need to find the funding for more bus drivers, additional bus shelters and money for sidewalks. The issue of transportation gets complicated when we get to the matter of money and funding. However, like many issues facing us in A-CC, most all of them hinge on the money. We wrestle with these issues all the time and as a commissioner it would be a core aspect of the job. So we can’t run away from it simply because it’s going to require another discussion about priorities. If elected, I will take my place in this discussion and will gladly represent my constituents in the process. I will say that I don’t believe we need to increase taxes or create special taxes to accomplish what we need to do in A-CC. The regional system might require some special provisions, but I believe the issue in A-CC can be addressed without more taxes.

7. Does more need to be done to safeguard Athens-Clarke County’s environment and natural resource? If so, what? If not, why not?

Well, let’s see. I’ve written about the water issue. I believe the water issue is going to be “The Issue” in the coming years. The mechanics of our use and care of water will require a great deal of our attention. I also believe the particulars of this issue will stimulate a lot of discussion within not only our A-CC, but also within the neighboring counties. For this reason it seems to me that we need to keep an open mind about the topic while we learn more about the choices we have to accomplish our goals with water.

I believe we need to devise a system to help the AR landowners realize the value they have in their land. I think at some point it is simply a matter of fairness to them. I also believe that if we don’t fashion a fair and equitable system for the owners to realize this value, it says more about the type of people we are than about the type of actions they might take.

Working together to resolve this one issue can teach us many important lessons that we can use to build a future we all want. More than any other specific step we might take, learning how to work within the political process while creating ordinances that everyone can agree with is the single most important action we can take to safeguard Athens-Clarke County’s future.