Pencilstorm Interviews: Nancy Drees for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our first candidate, Nancy Drees, is featured below.

NancyDrees.jpeg

Nancy Drees
http://uadrees.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations.  Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate for to keep our students and staff safer?
Safety of our students and staff has always been a top priority for our district. We are committed to continuously improve safety. Approved by the board in August, is our Strategic Plan for 2019-2022, it focuses on the well-being of our students and staff. We are fully committed to making our schools a safe learning environment where Upper Arlington students can thrive. 

To name a few recent improvements, we expanded the school resource officer program to include all Upper Arlington Schools through our partnership with the city of Upper Arlington and the Upper Arlington Police Division. We continuously review, update and coordinate our safety procedures with the City of Upper Arlington Police and Fire Division. This fall, we implemented a background check process for all contractors and a new visitor-management system that efficiently completes a background check for every visitor to our schools. We believe and raised awareness in the importance of “see something, say something”. 

Safety starts every board meeting and every board committee meeting – it has always been and will always be a top priority to continuously improve safety.   

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
Upper Arlington Schools was one of the first districts in Ohio to implement one-to -one technology for every student. I am very proud that my work on the board has placed iPads in the hands of every student from kindergarten to grade twelve. iPads have built in accessibility features that have been proven to provide students with enhanced features for personalized learning. Our teachers will be using iPads to help students integrate photography, video and drawing to all aspects of learning. iPads offer flexibility for anytime and anywhere learning. Not only will our students be prepared for the future, but our teachers will be better equipped with real-time data to improve every student’s achievement. Our teachers will also be able to develop learning apps that enhance our curriculum. The possibilities of learning with technology are endless and as a school board member I’m excited for our student’s future.  

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
We are currently doing a full scale study of all co-curricular and extra curricular activities and the financial impact on our students. We want every student to be able to participate in any activity and cost should NOT be a deciding factor.

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
I believe our whole learning focus in our Strategic Plan for 2019-2022 enhances our teachers to be better educators. Having a learning-centered culture and instructional framework improves our teachers. We are focusing on a shared understanding of what we believe and value. We want to give our teachers time to create, analyze, plan and develop. Our focus in the Strategic Plan is to create an school environment where professional learning is job-embedded, personalized and peer based. Better educators make better students!  

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support arts and music education at all of Upper Arlington’s schools?
I am a big supporter of the fine arts and the performing arts at Upper Arlington Schools. We have one of the finest programs in Ohio where our students excel in their passions. I am proud of our accomplishments and will support our teachers in any way to continue our student’s success. 

Pencilstorm would like to thank Nancy Drees for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Nancy at her website: http://uadrees.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interview: Carolyn Casper for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our last candidate, Carolyn Casper, is featured below.

Carolyn T. Casper
www.carolyncasperforua.com/

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
I have been involved with the discussion about a community center for some time. Even though the idea was rejected several times before, the need for a community center keeps resurfacing. I agree with many of our residents that our community needs a multigenerational center. To address this question, a feasibility study is being conducted by a Task Force formed by City Council composed of residents. I look forward to the report from this group. I do hope they see a way for us to have a center. If there is a center, it needs to have something for all residents. I imagine it will look like the centers in the surrounding communities but am very open to whatever results come from the study and then the work of the residents. I have learned there is a misunderstanding and some residents think of a community center as a workout facility. I see it as much more than that. There will be spaces to meet and interact with other residents, space for classes and events, areas for seniors and for small children. I personally look forward to having meeting space that one can book in advance. Perhaps a coffee shop, a year round pool, I am getting ahead of myself. I look forward to the report from the study and to supporting the decision. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure. How do we modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
As a member of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Board, I understand that the central Ohio area is growing rapidly and that Upper Arlington is positioned to benefit from this growth. It, the growth, within our city must be carefully planned and thought out. We currently let development happen without much planning. The patchwork quilt method it would appear is how it is currently done. With the expected influx of people, this could be a disaster. We need thoughtful redevelopment. There seems to be a rush to fill spaces without much thought.

Commercial development planning must address the needs of our community. We need a long term plan. In the case of the Lane Ave corridor, we have begun a study. The goal is to have a plan that will serve our city for years to come. There are several other areas in our city that need to have a plan developed as well. Traffic studies need to be completed for all development possibilities. Lane Avenue is very congested every weekday morning and afternoon. The traffic needs to flow smoothly. Mass transit would help relieve some of the congestion. Currently there is no Lane Ave bus to or from OSU. A city wide traffic study should be considered not just project by project. If we get the growth in population we are expecting, the congestion will increase if there is no planning.

The housing issue is another puzzle. The character of our neighborhoods must be maintained. The in-builds need to fit in not stand out. Our zoning laws are much too flexible and variances are granted more often than not. We are asking the wrong questions and we keep getting the wrong answers. The boxes are checked off but what we want doesn't happen. The destruction of our community continues. The River Ridge/ Kingsdale West Study was conducted with the input of many residents and one of their concerns was/is the practice of tearing down affordable homes and replacing them with homes that are priced higher than the average home in the area. In addition, often the new builds are not compatible with the rest of the homes in the neighborhood. These issues were raised but are being ignored. The demolition continues in the area. We depend on the lower priced homes for entry into the community and as places for empty nesters to retire. Those who helped build Upper Arlington should not have to leave the city because there is no available housing for them. There needs to be more design control in addition to what we already have if we are to maintain the character of our neighborhoods.. This takes planning.

When Compuserve was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
The former Tree of Life location is another area that needs thoughtful development. It is the largest piece of land currently available in our city. With the right plan, it will be a great asset. There could be an office park with an anchor restaurant and some green space. The location is excellent because it is on a busy road between to 315 and Route 33 on the edge of the city. The right configuration could allow more of our residents to both live and work in our city. I look forward to discussing the many possibilities with our new city manager.

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
I would like to find a way to make all city sponsored activities in our public parks affordable to all residents. Community pools need to be available to all of the community. Currently, the price is prohibitive for many.

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
I have attended many concerts but the best one so far was the Cher Concert in Columbus several years ago. I think it was supposed to be her last tour but that has changed. It may be my favorite because it brought back so many memories from long ago. I lived in Hollywood when she and Sonny were just starting out. She and he walked up and down Hollywood Blvd on a daily basis and no one paid much attention. Bell bottom pants and big vests. I have seen her since Hollywood Blvd. Once in London. To see her years later brought so many memories rushing back.

Pencilstorm would like to thank Carolyn Casper for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Carolyn at her website: https://www.carolyncasperforua.com/. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interview: Angela M. Lanctot for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our fourth candidate, Angela M. Lanctot, is featured below.

Angela M. Lanctot
www.UAForAngelaLanctot.com

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
Many of us as UA residents are excited about the ideas that we could include in a Community Recreation Center, including athletic amenities, meeting space, indoor pool, and a dedicated Senior Center. Since we have neither unlimited space or resources, we would need to have the proper research and community involvement to determine the features that would provide maximum utilization and benefit to the community for a right-sized community center. To this end, I support the City’s recent formation of a Community Center Feasibility Task Force to establish whether residents are in favor of a community center, whether it is feasible and if so, what options are available for location, funding, and management. In all cases, it would be crucial that any decision on moving forward would be properly voted on by residents. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure. How do modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
It is all about balance. While it is vitally important that we preserve the things about Upper Arlington that compel people to move to, return to or never leave this City, it may not be possible to meet the needs of today’s residents with the way things have always been. Our society desires greater access to amenities, recreation, shopping, and dining, among other things and this demand will only be greater for future generations. With the correct balance of responsible development and receiving and accounting for public input, particularly those neighboring potential development, we can meet these expectations. It is impossible to please everyone, but it is possible to give all residents a voice. This participation, coupled with professional and reliable resources, will allow City staff and council to make the appropriate recommendations concerning traffic and density. We have a great opportunity before us with the hiring of our new City Manager. The experience and expertise of Steve Schoeny in development will give us the best tools to make the right decisions for our community as a whole. 

When Compuserve was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
As a private landowner, Tree of Life has the ultimate decision-making power on how that property is utilized. Notwithstanding, the City should work with Tree of Life to provide opportunities on how it can have a better result for all parties. This prized piece of commercial property would supply needed revenue to support the needs and priorities of the City and its residents. Ideally, the space would again host high-end technology jobs. This discourse between the City and Tree of Life is another example of the benefit of our new City Manager, Steve Schoeny, who can facilitate these discussions and negotiations to achieve a way through the situation. 

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
For the amount of demand we have on our parks, we just don’t have enough of it. While we can’t fabricate more green space, we can continue to look for creative solutions to the problems. This could include annexing neighboring space or establishing connections to nearby amenities. The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks Quarry Trails on the west side of the Scioto River and north of Trabue Road will be 118 acres in phase one alone, with another 100 acres planned in total and will be awesomely close to Upper Arlington. It will be imperative that City Council and City Staff prioritize making a connection for Upper Arlington residents to utilize the vast resources that will be available in this development. The exact connection is yet to be determined but could include a pedestrian bridge, an underground tunnel or any configuration that the experts determine can safely get people access to the Park. Furthermore, the entire west side of Upper Arlington follows along the Scioto River with miles of recreation available. If additional connections are made from our neighborhoods to provide safe passage, it will multiply the space available for all generations to enjoy. 

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
It was actually two concerts, but the same artist. When I was in middle school, my father took my sisters and me to see Garth Brooks perform in Cleveland. At the time, I might have been the only of my sisters who truly listened to country music, and Garth, but we had the most memorable night together, even being stuck for hours in traffic leaving Cleveland on a school night. Flash forward, twenty-five years later, Garth Brooks was once again touring and my dad and sisters and I made a return trip to Cleveland to see the epic performance. Not only has his performance improved with time, it is one of those rare artists for me that I can sing all the lyrics to the songs – and this time we were all singing along! Time spent with my family and with Garth makes for the best concert I’ve ever been to!

Pencilstorm would like to thank Angela Lanctot for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Angela at her website: www.UAForAngelaLanctot.com. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interview: Brendan T. King for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our third candidate, Brendan T. King, is featured below.

Brendan T. King
www.uaforbrendanking.com

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
Personally, I would love to find a way to create additional indoor community space for families and individuals. However, any future Community Recreation Center cannot be about my vision or the vision of any single person, it has to be the vision of the community. As a member of Council, I have helped empanel a group of highly qualified residents to study the feasibility of a Community Recreation Center. This group will determine (a) whether the community needs a center, (b) whether the community will support a center and then (c) what a center would look like. If Upper Arlington has a vision for a Community Center, it will be determined though this transparent and community-driven process and, again, it cannot be the vision of a single individual. Furthermore, I support the initiative of a prior Council that promised that any decision on indoor recreation space would be placed before the voters. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure. How do modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
The pressure of development and its impact on UA is the single most difficult issue I’ve faced during my term on City Council. Change is happening in UA, and the City needs to lead the community through the changes in a responsive and collaborative way. The process of modernizing cannot be thrust upon the residents by the City and the byproducts and unintended consequences of modernization, such as increased traffic and impacted neighborhoods, must be carefully considered. Furthermore, because every development project is unique and every neighborhood is impacted differently, we cannot apply a one-size-fits-all approach to solving these problems. We must dive-in, study the particular project and work with the neighbors and the developers to achieve a balance between the interests of the neighbors, the developer and the City. Recently, we are proud to have hired a new City Manager that is uniquely qualified to help navigate these exact issues and through his experience in other roles we are excited to have his expertise to aid Council in creating a vision for development. 

When Compuserve was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
There is no debating that the CompuServe property is a great opportunity for the City to increase the income tax revenue. In order to maximize the income tax revenue on that property, we need to take our time and carefully consider all of the potential options. The worst mistake we could make would be to make a quick decision that results in a long-term under-utilization of the property. Let’s engage the community of residents and developers to help us realize the full potential of that space. When the property was generating 35% of our income tax, City leaders learned that UA was not properly diversified, and that has resulted in the increased emphasis on economic development in our other commercial corridors.  

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
Upper Arlington’s parks are, and will forever be, a source of pride for residents. We saw up-close a few years ago when the tension that bubbled that our parks are both community parks and neighborhood parks. The challenge for the City is to improve the parks while juggling the competing interests of the community at large and the neighbors. That being said, the one thing that I would fix is to find additional field space outside our current park footprint. The pressure that the ever-increasing need for fields puts on the existing parks makes it difficult to satisfy all of UA’s field sports demands while still preserving the neighborhood atmosphere and passive park spaces. 

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Finally, an easy question! The best concert I’ve ever been to is a three-way tie between my son Will’s choir concert at Jones, my daughter Ellie’s choir concert at Tremont and my daughter Annie’s second grade class play.

Pencilstorm would like to thank Brendan King for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Brendan at his website: www.uaforbrendanking.com. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interview: John J. Kulewicz for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our second candidate, John J. Kulewicz, is featured below.

John J. Kulewicz
http://www.jk4ua.com/

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
In going door-to-door (which is most of what I do in my City Council campaign), the concept of a community center is the subject about which people ask most frequently.  And they ordinarily pose the question in a hopeful way.   

My response is the same to everyone: I am in favor of a community center if there is a suitable location and acceptable way to pay for it.  A highly-experienced Community Center Study Group is at work on examining the subject in order to find and present the information necessary to let the community decide.  If we can find the right place and a fiscally-responsible way to build and manage such a center, I would support it.   

Recreation would be an important part of such a center, in my view, but not the only purpose.  We could significantly increase the space available for meetings, exhibitions, entertainment, lectures, classes and other programs and functions with such a facility.  Our senior citizens, who built this community, also need a new facility. With higher taxes and rising property values squeezing them, this could be a way to give them more value in the community.  And we could help to define the character and future of UA with a community center. 

Keeping up with other suburban communities is a factor, of course, but I do not  believe that it should be decisive.  We have a lot of things in Upper Arlington that are the envy of most other places -- the quality of our homes and schools, the talent of our population, the relative stability of our surroundings and the proximity to OSU and downtown Columbus.  As an already exceptional community with a bright future due to these attributes, we should go about any innovation proactively and not defensively. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure.  How do modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
The projected growth of Central Ohio’s population to three million people in the next decades will present great opportunities and challenges for Upper Arlington.  Our community will become increasingly attractive to new families and businesses due to the quality of our homes and schools and our proximity to OSU and downtown Columbus.  At the same time, the anticipated upsurge will pose increased demands on our basic city services and the aesthetics that we love here.  

Measures that we should consider to address increased vehicular traffic on the 346 miles of paved roads in UA include: (1) strict enforcement of speed limits; (2) one-side street parking (also a safety issue, to allow unimpeded fire and police access to homes and businesses); (3) development of systems for drone deliveries; (4) more and wider pedestrian sidewalks; (5) sensors that connect with apps to give us up-to-the-minute information as to traffic flow; (6) adaptive traffic signals and other means to improve timing at the fifty-two signalized intersections in UA; (7) more street lights; and (8) preparations for autonomous vehicle usage.    

The City Council can do its part in preserving the essential character of our neighborhoods by careful scrutiny and, if necessary, updating of the development ordinances and zoning codes.  We should always keep buffer zones and step-down areas between the specific commercial corridors of UA and our residential areas. It is no less important that the City Council keep an intensive focus on continued steady improvement of our fundamental municipal services. 

The one thing that we cannot do is fail to innovate.  To take no risks at all under these circumstances would be the biggest risk of all.  The best way to calculate the risks and take the appropriate ones is to engage the community as widely as possible before the die is cast on any significant change.  As one who has conducted most of his City Council campaign by going door-to-door in every neighborhood, I have seen first-hand the wealth of talent, insight, creativity and commitment that abounds in our community.  We have the solutions to the future right in our midst.      

When CompuServe was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
The Tree of Life property is the largest block of commercial real estate in the City of Upper Arlington.  And the courts have now confirmed the validity of local zoning ordinances and other home rule measures as applied to such premises.   In looking to maximize its future, we need to start by respecting the fact that the land is privately owned.  The City has considerable development tools at its disposal, including targeted infrastructure development and support, tax increment financing and other property tax incentives, development finance programs and additional means.  Because of the huge scale of the Tree of Life property and the unique now-or-never timing, the cost-effective use of these tools in a way that will maximize the net benefits to UA taxpayers should be the top priority of the UA Community Development Department.        

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
As an avid marathon swimmer who owes my love of the sport to the first morning swim laps that I took at the Tremont Pool years ago, I want to find out if there is any reason that the City cannot have a program, in our existing public pools, through which every child in UA learns to swim by age five (a public health and safety issue, because drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children age fourteen and under).  I also want to actively examine ways in which we can create convenient access to the new Quarry Trails Metro Park across Riverside Drive. 

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question.  What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
The Rolling Stones concert at Barclay Center in Brooklyn in December 2012.  My entire family was able to go.  If we decide to build a community center, we should play “Gimme Shelter” on opening day.  

Pencilstorm would like to thank John Kulewicz for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about John at his website: http://www.jk4ua.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interview: Michaela Burriss for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our first candidate, Michaela Burriss, is featured below.

Michaela Burriss
www.citizensforburriss.com

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
I’m very supportive of the goal of a community center in Upper Arlington and will be following the Task Force commissioned by Council to examine the feasibility of a community center very closely.  

Currently while canvassing, I rarely hear from members of our community about specific items within a center that would be desirable. Instead, I often hear about support for a center generally and programming options they would like to see. There are elements that would add value to a potential center (auditorium, indoor pool, meeting spaces, recreational courts, rooms for health screenings, etc.) that I support, and have heard from our neighbors that they support. I’d like to continue to formulate my vision around what residents want and need.  

Community Centers in theory could have anything and everything, but in Upper Arlington we will need to examine space and cost challenges.  We are landlocked. Seeing our city maximizing the land available and going to the public with feedback on land acquisition, private-public partnerships, location, and cost will be necessary if we wish to present a ballot item to voters and hope for its success. I’m eager to do more listening and supporting our Task Force as they work through some of these questions, which must include how to balance these competing interests. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure.  How do modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
In 2017, I proposed Neighborhood Commissions as a vehicle to consistently have engagement between residents and developers, allowing for more dialogue prior to plan submissions to BZAP. I stand by this or other proposals that will, in a proactive way, strengthen development projects and ensure they align with what UA wants to see within their community. 

The neighbors near Westmont had to hire an attorney, circulate petitions, and threaten ballot action to bring developers to the table. Having done so, they reached an agreement that allows for change and growth while addressing their greatest concerns, which included traffic.  This should have been Council’s role or could be the on going role of a Neighborhood Commission, sparing heartache, money, and time on both sides of the issue, thereby reaching a desirable outcome that grows our economic base. 

The issue of transportation, traffic, and safety was a motivator in my decision to run for office, and an area where my expertise and passion can add value to Council. If you are genuinely listening to our residents, it’s clear when development projects are proposed that this is their main concern (not building density and aesthetics). It’s our job to enhance the quality of life for UA residents. Whether they fear increased fuel and parking costs, carbon emissions, or automobile accidents, we must really listen to our residents when they voice their concerns about the traffic that will accompany growth. 

Fortunately, we are living in the most consequential region in the country when it comes to transportation technology. Central-Ohio’s receipt of the federal Smart Cities grant is bound to quickly change the way we move. Upper Arlington must have a seat at the table. As a Council Member, this will be a top priority for me. 

Mass transit is not just buses. We must partner with our residents’ major regional employers on automated ride sharing, shuttle services, etc. that will decrease traffic and put more money in our neighbors pockets. We must also work with COTA to provide information on routes and ridership interest. 

As community leaders, we have the opportunity to grow the perception of mass transit within UA and create a culture that improves our health and finances while making UA’s small businesses more accessible to a region becoming increasingly less dependent on cars.

When Compuserve was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
Having spent 4 years with Small Business Majority, a national nonprofit small business organization, I’m uniquely qualified and connected to Central Ohio’s entrepreneurial community. 

Because entrepreneurs and new, small businesses present the greatest economic growth potential, leveraging that space for tech (ideally bio) and startups could allow for great partnership opportunities with Ohio State University. Incubators and other entities that are focused on start up growth would be attracted to UA’s educated population and proximity to downtown/OSU. 

Additionally, our residents want more things to do nearby. This includes additional retail/entertainment options. Retail is changing, however. Because of this, and like all other future projects and opportunities, it would be great to first ask residents what they believe would be most sustainable and what they feel they would most likely consume if located there.

It is valuable to note that at this time the use and options for the building ultimately fall to the property owner, so long as they meet our zoning laws. 

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
Upper Arlington is a high achieving community with high expectations. While I’m thankful we have a center for our seniors, it does not meet the high standards our community expects for city facilities and services. “Fixing” the senior center as part of a plan for intergenerational recreation and facilities, while maintaining the great services and programming provided to seniors, would be a priority for me. 

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question.  What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Patrick’s first birthday after we were married, I surprised him at work in the afternoon. All his coworkers were in on my elaborate surprise: taking him to a Hall and Oates concert. They helped convince him to leave, and we went to one of his favorite places downtown (Nada). He was convinced we were going to The Avengers at the Arena Grand. I started worrying he would be upset when he found out otherwise. 

Concertgoers started arriving at the restaurant in black and white Hall and Oates t-shirts. He loved the shirts, and asked if WE were going to the concert. I panicked. Acting fast, I asked one of the t-shirt wearers, “Is there a Hall and Oates concert tonight??” Patrick, who never met a stranger, made conversation and fast friends. Meanwhile, I whispered to others nearby that he was being surprised with tickets. 

They sent birthday margaritas to our table. He was in such a joyful mood. It seemed everyone was in on it but Patrick, and everyone was working together to make sure his birthday was the best. We finished dinner and I asked, “Hey, do you want to see if they’re selling those shirts outside the venue?” He gleefully said, “YES!” 

We walked over, holding hands and laughing. We were at the intersection just before Express Live when I turned and said, “actually, honey, we’re going to the concert.” He was so overwhelmed and laughing so hard. When he finally could get a few words out, all he said was, “awww you’re a rich girl,” in reference to their popular song. 

That surprise concert for my husband’s 30th birthday is one of my fondest memories with him, my best friend. After all the singing and dancing to their hit songs, before heading home for the night, we bought two of those black and white Hall and Oates t-shirts.  We joke that it was more fun than our wedding!

Pencilstorm would like to thank Michaela Burriss for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Michaela at her website: www.citizensforburriss.com. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.