Campaign Phone
386-259-0167
I continue to work to change our current development pattern which is causing flooding all over the County. We can do that when the majority on the Council join me in saying NO to zoning changes that are allowing high density housing and apartments in low density and rural zones. The second most important issue is related to the first which is county wide flooding. I vote consistently to end the current practice of clear cutting, draining wetlands, bringing in thousands of cubic yards of fill and then developing on top of it. The result is flooding on the existing neighborhoods all around them. I proposed Low Impact Development (LID) standards to replace the current requirements that are clearly not working. LID is finally being considered
Part of my answer is above. I am the leading voice drawing attention to local government that the only way to stop the flooding is to change our development pattern. That is supported by scholars around the country. Wherever the damage is already done, the developer must make the necessary adjustments to retain their own water. Their retention ponds are contributing to the rising water table and their water is moving both underground and through the sides of their retention ponds to the existing neighborhoods. Many of the retention ponds will need outlets to city and county stormwater outlets. The place to start is to admit the current standards are not working. We should stop until effective stormwater and drainage plans are created.
The County is currently undertaking a long term study that will result in a comprehensive coastal preservation plan. However, there are two very important steps that must be taken immediately to protect our coast. 1. All beachfront construction must comply with the Coastal Construction Control Line. Construction is often East of that line. We should work with the State to ensure the line is adequately set back and then every coastal community must comply with it. 2. I have proposed and am calling on the Coastal cities and County to work together with the DEP for local control where timely decisions can be made for temporary emergency armoring on unprotected sections of our beach. Otherwise, we will lose more properties and infrastructure.
The Roundtable of Elected Officials is a great place for all of us to come together. The County has the legal responsibility to create ordinances that apply to every city and the county for issues that affect the health and safety of our residents. For issues like flooding and water pollution I will work with each of our municipalities to come to an agreement on the changes we need to make improvements. Being elected by my peers from the State of Florida to Chair the Indian River Lagoon Council gives Volusia a unique opportunity for grants and timely information on the best water quality efforts that can be made. The County is implementing an effective Affordable Housing program with the help of a wide section of our community.
I serve on the Transportation Planning Organization with three other council members. That gives us the opportunity to set priorities and request funding. I was also elected Chair of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission by four Counties and the City of Orlando. This allows me to work directly with the Sec. of Transportation on the future of SunRail for our county. During my first term I have been able to work with Votran and secure a unanimous votes for VORIDE which greatly improves service and reduces cost. I placed pedestrian safety measures offered by an outside organization on the agenda and the Council voted unanimously to support a one year program at no cost to Volusia taxpayers. We are also adding miles of safe bike lanes.
Campaign Phone
386-473-1560
The most pressing issue is providing effective, stable leadership that ends the political chaos and restores trust and transparency in government. We have many priorities, including economic diversification and jobs creation, infrastructure backlog and responsible growth management. The common thread that runs through all of them is effective leadership. To solve problems, you need effective leadership that’s solution-based and not politically motivated. With my business background and record of civic involvement, I know how to lead an organization, solve problems, work respectfully and collaboratively with people who have diverse opinions and help forge unity, consensus and, compromise, when needed. That’s how I will govern if elected.
Flooding is an issue that doesn’t respect jurisdictional boundaries. No jurisdiction can solve the problem alone. It’s also an issue that doesn’t seem to be well understood in terms of causes and solutions. One thing’s for sure: just talking about it and politicizing it won’t solve the problem. First, I would seek expert data on causes and solutions. Then I would engage the County Council, staff and the cities in a collaborative dialogue on how we can better work together to address the issue. I would also review our building codes to see if they need to be strengthened. Finally, I would work to prioritize and re-direct the county’s resources into addressing its core responsibilities. Flood control should be high on that priority list.
The beach is one of our most important natural resources. But I also consider the coast to include everything east of the river. We have to be proactive in managing our coastline and controlling what does and doesn’t get built to ensure that development doesn’t negatively impact our quality of life and the natural beauty of our coastal areas. Beach restoration and renourishment need to be high priorities. If elected, I will also be a strong voice in working cooperatively with the state on coastal issues, communicating the needs and desires of our county and, when necessary, strenuously objecting to efforts to remove local control over decisions affecting our coast and our community.
The County Chair should be a leader in fostering collaboration with our cities on all issues. Unfortunately, our mayors advise they’ve had little or no substantive collaboration or communication with the County Chair. I will change that if elected so that our cities are equal partners with a real voice. I have established relationships with the mayors that I will take into office with me and expand on to ensure a true collaboration that works to find solutions to our common problems. I also will be a very visible, approachable and responsive County Chair and will initiate joint meetings with our municipalities to ensure there is clear communications and that we’re truly working together to solve problems and not just talking about them.
I’ve consistently advocated that the county re-focus its budget resources to tackle infrastructure deficiencies and other core responsibilities. In my view, we should look at funding other programs and services only after the core responsibilities are adequately addressed. That would direct more existing resources to needed transportation improvements. I also believe the county’s development standards should undergo a top-to-bottom review in order to identify building requirements that need to be updated and strengthened to better protect the community from future negative impacts. We also need to say no to land use changes and requests for density increases and do a better job of ensuring that any new growth addresses transportation needs.
