Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
I know the best spot in my ward for …
I know every best spot in my ward. I’ve got the best swimming holes. I’ve got the best happy hours. And I’ve also got the best long dirt alleys for thoughtful walks.
If loving this is wrong, I don’t want to be right
Honey in my coffee.
This year, I really want to achieve …
Getting Missoula City Council the responsive government representation that it deserves.
What I order for the table
Probably the calamari.
Never have I ever …
Tried lobster, due to my shellfish allergy.
How can we alleviate tax pressure on homeowners and renters?
One of the big things we need to look for is some grant programs for infill development, possibly even where a percentage of certain annual revenue for some of the properties in question could go back into the affordable housing trust fund, which could make a huge difference and generate a ton of revenue, especially for programs that could support fixed-income earners and promote affordable housing. I think that would be a pretty good way to do it.
Change my mind about …
I think fall is the best season in Montana.
I wind down by …
Well, I like to take a long hour or two bike ride after work. And then after that, I sit down with a nice cup of tea and probably do some reading.
What’s a specific approach or policy that a community elsewhere in the country has employed to reduce homelessness that you think might also work in Missoula?
I do know that Seattle has been facing some similar problems and have some interesting things. I don’t want to go as far necessarily as Seattle’s going, with their exploration of things like involuntary commitment. But what I would like to do is see our mental health addiction and job counseling services for people who are experiencing homelessness expanded to the point that we can offer that to everybody who qualifies and isn’t in need of those services.
I geek out on …
Cyclists’ rights.
My best dad joke
Oh my God, I was just telling these this morning because I have a four-year-old.
What do you call a flying turtle?
A shell-icopter.
Straight out of Ranger Rick.
Three infrastructure priorities?
One of my biggest infrastructure priorities right now is that our building codes and our design codes maintain flexibility and responsivity to the context where they take place. A lot of people have had run-ins with the city about the sidewalk code with the seven-foot berms and the setbacks. And basically having new sidewalks planned to be built pretty far into their property. And then also being required to pay back the city for sidewalk changes that actually detract from the value of their property.
My cry in the car song
Let’s go with “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses.
That fire levy though …
People are already pretty taxed. And I’m not using that word metaphorically. There’s not a lot we can do to reduce taxes at the local level, unfortunately, because a lot of that’s coming from the state. We do need to make sure that our fire department and other emergency responders are well-funded. But I don’t want to do that through more taxes on the people living here. We need to find other sources of funding for that.
Unusual skills
Well, I do stone carving as a hobby—marble and alabaster. I also like to occasionally build a little microcontroller Arduino projects. It’s kind of a tech thing. I do race on the Missoula Telemark Challenge, which is an unusual form of downhill skiing, I guess.
Together, we could …
Either choose to maintain the status quo, or we can choose representation in our ward who understands the daily struggles and is committed to working collaboratively.
