1. Freeport has turned a corner since dealing with a rash of theft by city staff. What would you
   do as a council member to keep the city on its current path and retain quality staff?
   • Commit to Higher Standards
     I’m a big believer in the adage “It always starts at the top”, in reflecting the culture and
     mindset of ANY organization; be it public, private, or governmental.
     We must continue to strive to improve the methods and tools for Communication and
     Transparency FROM our City Leadership, FOR our Citizens and Guests.
     It’s not enough to have ethical guidelines for staff alone. We must commit to higher
     standards city-wide.
     Every Council Member and Citizen must persist in demanding honest and ethical
     behavior of city staff by encouraging the free exchange of information and implementing
     more tools for transparency.
   • Accountability
     “It takes longer to build trust than to lose trust. “
     As Council members, not only must we have the Conviction of implementing ethical
     rules and behavior, but also have the Courage to enforce the rules and hold each staff
     member accountable.
     Additionally, every Freeport Citizen must remain committed to helping hold up the new
     standards of integrity within our City Hall!
   • Celebrate our Wins
     Lastly, we MUST PROMOTE Freeport’s Wins and Positives.
     A great example of that is the Outstanding Community Outreach our Police Chief, Chief
     Garivey, has undertaken via Social Media to help cultivate a trusting and accessible
     police department. The Freeport Community is super-proud of our men and women in
     Blue, because of their shared community involvement postings on FB which only
     enhances the community’s trust through their Accessibility.
   • 
     As a member of Council it is imperative that each member remain accessible and
     promote the needs and successes of their Respective Wards, to help in restoring the
     public’s faith in their tax dollars at work in their neighborhoods, and in turn, retain the
     public’s trust and perception of city staff. Using the Facebook for these positive
     communications has proven successful by our Chief.

2. With $17 million allocated for water and sewer capital projects, what streets, drainage and
   infrastructure projects would you prioritize?
   • Water and Sewer
     Water and Sewer Projects are at the top of the list of Infrastructure Must Do’s. And the
     ones that should be addressed first are the ones with greatest impact per dollar and days
     spent.
     But make no mistake, the fixes must not be stop gap fillers…but true near term and longterm
     enhancements that help us to grow and attract new families and businesses to our
     unique and thriving community.
   • Street Lights
     Additionally, I would be focused on ensuring that all Street Lighting Infrastructure is
     improved and maintained i.e., our main entry along 288, the major intersections in each
     Ward, and all along our river and park walkways.
     The lighting maintenance for Freeport is one of my personal priorities. Freeport is too
     dark at night. Our neighborhoods are too dark. It is a safety issue with an easy fix.
     There SHOULD NOT be any streetlamps with Non-working light bulbs. And there are
     TOO many.
     Citizens need to help remind City Hall which lights are out. And an information sharing
     forum, perhaps on the city’s Facebook page, would be a useful reminder/FYI tool to help
     ensure our streetlamps are maintained.
     All hands-on deck.
   • Technology Infrastructure
     Lastly, another infrastructure item that does not get enough attention is Wi-Fi and fiber
     optics.
     With the current Pandemic Student Distant Learning, it is important that the city helps
     our area school children to have access to free Wi-Fi and internet to keep pace in their
     academic growth. Freeport could potentially provide a discounted cable service utility
     along with free Wi-Fi for residents and local businesses.
     We gotta start thinking outside the box! Be creative and innovative in ways that keep
     Freeport’s future relevant and vibrant!
     We have to be diligent in improving Freeport’s basic functionality, overall safety, and
     valuable quality of life.

3. What role should the city take in Port Freeport’s plans to remove the final residents out
   of the East End?
   The East End is a highly charged topic with some deep-rooted emotions from many
   sides.
   No doubt, the Port is economically important to our city and county.
   And, no doubt the families that still live in the East End feel the same about their homes
   and history.
   Unfortunately, we find ourselves now at a place where previous planning and
   organization did not occur – and now the sins of our past leadership has come to bear,
   That said, there are laws in place to help to ensure the Port’s growth is possible yet
   responsible.
   And, the City of Freeport and remaining residents of the East End need to act deliberately
   to ensure those rules are followed.
   To what degree and in what manner…well the devil is in the details…but, as proven in the
   past, Everything is negotiable.
   It’s not a clear-cut issue without costs and sacrifices.
   But there can be a way forward for all parties.
   Though the City of Freeport has limited legal authority in the way of private property, it
   still owns the streets and controls the zoning.
   The stance that the City has a moral obligation to the remaining residents of the East End
   is not without merit. But I would argue that the City has an even greater obligation to
   clearly communicate its expectations of the Port, that establishes clear boundaries,
   guidelines, and precedents to help ensure mutually beneficial growth and allocation,
   while ensuring the residents of Freeport in other neighborhoods the long term security in
   their homestead.
   That said, even if tomorrow every remaining resident agreed to sell to the Port for a
   handsome price, the City should work to ensure that Freeport’s remaining interest are not
   sacrificed without sufficient compensation as well as preserving all future checks and
   balances on the Port.