c7a8aa85_owell_Candidate_Questionnaires___13_Term_Limits
[Candidate Name] Hargis, Stacie [#1 Cas-ino] Yes but only if the casino could guarantee living wage jobs for all workers and would include a very large percentage of money going directly to our school system and other community programming to help offset documented negatives to gaming industries entering communities. [#2 Gar-age] Yes [#3 HS] No [#4 Sch. Funds] No [#5 Free Cash] Yes [#6 Plan E] Yes [#7 CM Cont.] Yes [#8 Retain Lynch] Yes [#9 Boards] I don't know enough about all the current appointments to the boards to fairly answer this question. I do think it is the responsibility of the City Council to encourage people in our community to participate on boards and to be active in our municipal activities. I think that many of the boards have term limits for a reason and it would be a sign of a vibrant, engaged city if more people took turns serving on boards. [#10 Dist. Votes] Yes [#11 IRV] No [#12 Vote 17] Yes [#14 Full-time Mayor] No [#15 Chick-ens] Yes I attended the Neighborhood Subcommittee meeting on Sept 17th to learn more about a possible ordinance as I've been hesitate to make a decision one way or another without more information on specifics. I've been asking people what they think, and have heard both support and opposition from people - especially around property values as well as both benefits and concerns on health issues. I've also heard a lot of middle ground as well. As I listened to those for and against, I heard the passion for wanting the opportunity to have better control over access to one's own food consumed. I also heard passionate pleas that sanitation and noise were serious quality of life concerns. In the end, I heard the Health and Animal Control departments say that the only reason why they were called to the houses that have backyard chickens was because of just that, they had them, and not because of unsanitary or noisy conditions. Since this is such a complicated ordinance with many implications to consider, I think the subcommittee had an opportunity to recommend a compromise that would allow a few special permits to the few that are shown prepared and responsible enough to take on owning their own chickens. It would have been an opportunity to find a middle ground to grant a few special permits to test out the conditions to see if a city wide ordinance is possible. It would have been an opportunity to assuage worries by limiting the numbers, until it could be proven to be a manageable situation within our city. I believe that issues around urban agriculture are not going to disappear, it would have been an opportunity for Lowell to prepare better to meet the future needs of Urban Living. [#16 Bar Hours] No [#17 Yard Waste] Yes [#18 Comm. Taxes] No [#19 Max Res. Factor] Yes [#20 West-view Rd] No [#21 Rogers St] The Council is waiting on the Planning Board to provide their recommendation. I also believe that the abutters and neighbors should have an opportunity for more involvement to figure out the impetus for changing the zoning. Are the main concerns for the area vehicular safety, pedestrian crossing, big box retail development? It seems more conversation around a strategic plan for the area is necessary in order to really understand what the best approach may be. [#13 Term Limits] 
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2013 Left in Lowell Candidate Questionnaires
#13 Term Limits