This information was initially prepared for the GreaterBrunswick Area Chamber of Commerce and is republished here in an expanded format.
1. We have been working on downtown revitalization for over thirty years. Some progress has been made. What steps would you suggest to continue or improve the process?
One thing that we must absolutely do is to cast off the false assertion that historic preservation is at odds with prosperity and growth. It is this mode of thinking that will continue to have us approving projects that don’t match the aesthetic of our historic downtown. If we look to our neighbors in Sykesville and Ellicott City we can see a firsthand account of prosperous historic downtown districts. We should be learning from leaders in these cities, and doing what they do. Another critical step is to complete the process of designating downtown as a Historic Preservation District. This designation along with supporting processes and procedures will allow us to do the work of encouraging investment while at the same time honoring and protecting our history. The business of reviewing and approving new development downtown must be clear, repeatable, efficient, open and helpful.
2. What is your opinion of our local police department? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
The Brunswick Police Department is a model for community policing, and it has everything to do with the compassionate, professional leadership of Police Chief Milt Frech (who incidentally will politely refuse any credit or compliment that you bestow on him). I had a chance to sit down with him twice over the last two months. I learned about his department’s approach to community policing and the current challenges that his department is facing. I was impressed with his commitment to operational transparency and customer service. One of my top priorities on city council will be to help facilitate Chief Frech’s plan to further improve the Brunswick Police Department. This plan includes increasing veteran officer retention, investigating an affordable option for body cameras and adjusting our retirement benefits to match other departments in the area.
3. Water and sewer service and costs: do you have any suggestions about improvements?
Historically Brunswick has failed to provide our residents with safe, clean, affordable drinking water. Yourtee Springs is one of Brunswick’s two water sources (the other being the Potomac River). Yourtee has been offline for several years now, which means that we have been getting all of our water from the Potomac. This water costs three hundred times more to treat. It is literally costing each and every one of us money every day that we don’t have Yourtee back online. What is the current project status? I have heard that we are “waiting on the State Of Maryland” for the last two months but have not heard on what exactly and have no insight into who is in contact with the state to get updates and to push this project along. The fact that we don’t have a publically available project plan with updates, milestones, challenges and a completion date means that we are not properly managing the project and/or not fulfilling our promise to have an open government. This and all other city projects should have a project plan that is updated regularly and published on our city’s website for everyone to see. In addition to Yourtee, we need to complete the rollout of the new water meters. Specifically we need infrastructure in-place that will detect spikes in usage quickly so that we can communicate issues to residents in real-time (vs waiting for the next water bill). We also need to modernize our water and sewer infrastructure and in some cases either provide or negotiate a low price on whole-house water filters (especially for homes impacted by brown water / sediment due to hydrant flushing). The answer when customers complain about discolored water can not continue to be ‘run your water at your expense until it clears up.’
4. Do you feel that Galyn Manor and Brunswick Crossing are fully neighborhoods of greater Brunswick? If not, how would you suggest accomplishing that?
Over the last two months I have been asking residents across Brunswick if they feel like they are a part of the community. Many feel disconnected from the community at large. Many view people in other neighborhoods as being separate and different from them. Rather than framing this question as a one-time problem to be solved (it isn’t), I feel like this is a challenge that we should always be working to meet with our words and our deeds. One step that we can take towards strengthening our community is to engage in regular communication with Community Organizations and HOA boards. Secondly we should be coordinating events calendars with Brunswick Crossing to prevent scheduling conflicts. Thirdly we should look for opportunities to forge or strengthen partnerships with organizations throughout Brunswick. I had an opportunity to meet with the Events Committee at Brunswick Crossing last month. They expressed an interest in partnering with the city to co-host city-wide events. We should absolutely be exploring that, and should consider assigning a liaison to help make it happen. Another important thing that we can do to bring the community together is to create events that celebrate the arts and the artists in our community. Brunswick’s best kept secret is it’s wealth of artists. Our events, our Historic Downtown, our neighborhoods and our city as a whole should be overflowing with arts and music.
5. If a motion comes before the new Council to repeal or modify the current ordinance that forbids the keeping of chickens in Brunswick, will you support or oppose it?
It’s no secret that I have been a long-time supporter of restoring our right to bear hens. Having said that, it is not my top priority and I will only support a change to the ordinance if it is safe, self-funding (fees pay for inspections), reasonable (will require yards of a certain size, limited number of hens, no roosters), clean and neighborly. Before we even begin the discussion of “do we make hens legal again?” we need to complete the discussion of “what is the best possible plan?”. There are literally tens of thousands of eggcellent ordinances that allow hens in various cities across America. We should reach out to other municipalities and review their laws and discuss their outcomes and lessons learned. Additionally, a vast majority of residents who live in non-HOA sections of Brunswick are either in favor of keeping hens or are neutral on the issue. With this and other issues, crafting sensible legislation requires the public at large to lend their voices to the conversation. This includes those who support this issue as well as those who are opposed. Everyone is a valuable part of these conversations, and the more participants we have the better job that we can do at hatching legislation that addresses concerns. Lastly, I have committed to getting a chicken tattoo on my arm when this legislation passes.
6. What other question or topic do you think should have the Mayor and Council’s attention in the next two years?
It is vital that the next mayor and council explore how we can improve and support city staff. Our challenges are growing, our population is growing and both of these dynamics are putting an increased strain on city staff. Additionally, I will advocate for a complete charter rewrite, replacing archaic, unclear and ambiguous language with clear, focused and human-readable language. Further, I will foster a culture of collaboration and information sharing. By working smarter and working together we will face the challenges that our city faces and create an efficient government that we can all be proud of.