Tim Barnes — 2023 Lafayette City Council Candidate Questionnaire

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Yes/No Questions:

1. Are you a homeowner? Yes

2. If the City police force was fully staffed, would you advocate for adding more officers? No

3. Do you believe there’s a need for more housing in Lafayette? Yes

4. Do you believe the City should spend more money on homelessness services? Yes

General Questions (no more than 300 words):

Replies to questions:

1. Why do you want to be a council member?  

To ensure policy adherence to City resilience and equity goals; encourage Council to bring more efficient Building and Planning processes; and synthesize balance between growth and services preparing for redevelopment.

2. When was the last time you paid rent, and where was that? 

2010

3. Boulder County has experienced extreme natural disasters over the last decade, including flooding and wildfire. How do you plan to address these challenges? 

Vulnerability and risk assessments of our open spaces and built infrastructure, encourage living surface revitalization and stormwater facilities upkeep

4. How do you think you stand out from other candidates? 

I was fortunate to learn from Tonya Briggs what it takes to understand residents, colleagues on Council, and city staff. 

5. What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?  

Do you love Lafayette?

6. What are your solutions for the growing population of people experiencing homelessness? 

Learning from and mimicking the human support interventions applied by the Circles USA program, providing authentic resident-staffed mentorship for each unhoused individual wanting to live in Lafayette. The Inflation Reduction Act, Lafayette HHS tax revenue, existing programs and services [like] Sister Carmen Center, coordinated to help those unhoused and those in housing stress.

7. What’s your plan for creating more affordable housing in Lafayette? 

Encouraging the City to follow the legacy developments in Lafayette using revenue already collected by the city then informed by new use-based land use code, and designed access to alternative transportation hubs

8. How will you address climate change? How do you plan to meet Lafayette’s climate goal of 100% renewable energy by 2023 and an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?

Continue to support and uphold the guidance of our Sustainability Resilience Advisory Commission and Climate Action Plan (CAP)

9. What are your goals for transportation and how will you achieve them?  

Encourage infusion of CAP (Commission and Climate Action Plan) equity and quality of life goals with the multi-modal Transportation Plan and an enhanced development of our biking facility

10. How do you plan to engage non-English speaking constituents?  

Encourage Council to continue to promote bilingual resources but also liaise with community leaders of our non-English speaking residents in culturally appropriate practices.

11. How does diversity factor into your policy making? 

By asking how Council’s actions impact disenfranchised and underrepresented people. I look to make City services accessible by supporting our staff culture brokers.

12. How will you reach residents who have different lived experiences than you? 

Invite them to volunteer on boards and commissions to influence Council, make public comment to Council, meet with them.

13. Rank your top 5 issues in priority:  

  1. Build upon the high quality of City Administration we have had, 
  2. nurture Councilor collaboration, 
  3. improve support for business through improved city services,
  4. promote policy that coun)ters the scarcity of affordable and 
  5. attainable housing, implement the CAP

Other Lafayette Candidates:

David Fridland

Crystal Gallegos

JD Mangat

Gala W. Orba

Erik Ryant

John W. Watson