How many years have you lived in Maine?: 20

What experiences,  motivations, and leadership styles will make you an effective Water Trustee?:
I've been in the construction business here in Maine since 1988.C. I have worked on many environmental construction projects to protect various watersheds here in Maine. Construction is a collaborative endeavor and I am at ease with building consensus to get the job done. I have the training and technical expertise to understand and motivate a public utility like the Portland Water District to maintain and enhance the valuable resource of fresh water here in Maine.

If elected, what would your top three priorities be?  How do they affect young people in Portland?:
My Number 1 priority would be to be a visible elected official who can problem solve. Water bill high? Not getting the service you want? Call me with questions. I would not be invisible.

My number two priority would be to get my arms around the City sewer rate structure and try to understand why it is part of a water bill and is not metered seperately?

My number three priority would be to get water rates down for the average homeowner and owner of residential properties in Portland.

Getting costs down benefit everyone, young and old alike.


Please share one positive change you have seen in Portland over the last year.:
The number of small businesses opening seems to be on the upswing. This shows people still want to live and work in the City. It also shows that people, particularily young people, are willing to accept financial risk to establish themselves here, as I did twenty years ago.

Please share one frustrating change you have seen in Portland over the last year.:
Crime is up. Streets are dirtier. It seems like city gov't isn't quite up to speed with what matters to people who live and work here.

What competing responsibilities do you have: professionally and personally?:
All of my responsibilities, like everyone's, compete for my time. Coaching kids in baseball or football takes me away, thankfully, from my business responsibilities for a little while. Public service is a professional responsibility that would compete for personal time, but helping the greater common good and my children's future is worth it.

Please evaluate the 2006 rate structure implemented by the Water District.  Both for Residential AND Commercial/Industrial.:
In a nutshell, it rewards heavy use of water with low average fees for commercial/municipal/industrial users, even though the minimums for these entities are higher than residential users. Residential users also recieve lower average fees for greater usage. If elected, I would work to simplify these fees and reward less usuage with better rates.

What are your thoughts of PWD rate structures?  Do you believe in a progressive or a regressive rate structure?:
I think you should have a regressive rate structure for usage above and beyond the average household use shown in the PWD tables. This would inspire people to conserve. Money talks!

What is your position on residential users subsidizing industrial and commercial users?:
I think residential users should pay a lower rate than large commercial or industrial users. I don't know if residential users are subsidizing the commercial sector, so I would have to look at more information once elected.

What do you think about the Water Trustee pushing the policy that automatically qualifies an individual for low income water rates if they're already qualified for the CMP low income rate?  Why?:
If they are receiving a water bill, they are likely the owner of a property. If you don't pay your cmp bill, they shut off your power. However, if you don't pay your water/sewer bill, they can foreclose on your home!! I would like to see low rates for all individual home owners anyway, so I don't have a problem with this policy

What is your take on businesses threatening to leave Portland if water rate structures increase?:
Businesses that use large amounts of water, such as paper mills and tanneries don't rally exist here in Portland anymore. Large ice manufacturers for the fishing fleet are mostly gone as well. I think it is mostly a non-issue with the businesses that exist in Portland today.

One of the Water District's stated goals is to make the organization more environmentally friendly.  If elected, what steps would you take to reach this goal?:
I'd start with the fleet of vehicles, not just two SUVs as claimed in the PWD 2006 annual report. Id begin a process to acquire trucks capable of burning bio-diesel. I'd then look at the large pumps and see what changes in fuel usage could happen there. Id also look at chemical usage and see what environmentally friendly alternatives were available and support switching to them

What is your stand on the Sebago Lake debate: do we increase the percentage of the lake for recreation or do we increase the percantage protected as a water source?  Why?:
We need to allow for recreation on the lake that also protects our water source. I think we need to look at restricting the number and size of fuel burning watercraft on the lake, while granting greater access to sailboats and other non-polluting water craft. There still needs to be a complete exclusion zone at the intakes, but I don't think we need to increase the size of the exclusion zone.

What do you think about the Water District selling access to private companies?  What are your thoughts about letting other municipalities tap into Sebago?:
When it comes to public utilities, a centralized system of control is preferable to a free for all. Quality and quantity control needs to stay with one governing body. I would encourage other municipalities to join the district to insure a uniform set of regulations. I don't believe that private companies needing access to Water District areas should be sold access as a commodity. But I am not opposed to having open discussion with private entities that would benefit the public.

What is your position on the Water District contracting with an outside insurance company to offer services like the 2006 mailing around water line breaks?:
I strongly disagree with sub-contracting water line repair. First off- A $5000.00 cap on repairs reflects an insurance mindset, not the proper mindset of a PUBLIC Utility. Its not a good deal for the average consumer and I would leave repairs to the PWD crews to perform.

What steps would you take to reduce the discharge of wastewater into Casco Bay from our East End Sewer Plant?:
Sewer rates have tripled over the past several years, yet we are still not in compliance 100%.You are currently billed on the water taken in to determine the sewer charge. The City of Portland sets this rate but the PWD controls the treatment plant. I believe that a discharge rate/credit structure should be implemented separate from the PWD water meter. I would promote credits for no water/compost system installation. Like everything else, we need to reduce our sewer usage.