Andra Vltavín
QUESTION 1: How will you engage with voters in SW Portland if elected? Please provide specifics on how your constituents will be able to communicate with you and how you will communicate with us.
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
I care very deeply about community participation, and I have intentions of expanding the opportunities for citizen engagement. I want to make testimonies at City Council meetings more friendly to working families by making at least some of them at 6 pm or later, ideally with some kind of daycare available. Additionally, I want to work out in the district in public spaces as much as possible to make sure that I am available to the people who would like to reach me. And, of course, you’ll be able to get a hold of me via phone and email. Given that we will have three times as many councilors, I think you will see more engagement from your leaders than previously.
QUESTION 2: The transition to a purely legislative city council with geographical representation is a major shift from the current structure in which councilors oversee city bureaus. Under the old government structure, concerns about transportation or traffic circulation issues would be addressed to the commissioner in charge of PBOT; concerns about parks would go to the commissioner overseeing the Parks bureau; etc. Given the shift away from administrative powers on the council, how will you make sure constituent concerns are addressed?
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
As people birthing this new form of government for Portland, we need to set a strong precedent for how the council will function, and for me that starts with collaboration. I have spent a great deal of my campaign helping and getting to know other candidates so that we can collaborate and share tasks effectively with each other. I think the first matter of business will be determining various committees and making sure they are representative of the changes citizens want us to make. Ideally, the three councilors in your district will have a diverse set of skills and there will be natural purviews that develop as a result. Ultimately, developing those systems for councilors to collaborate is going to be a big focus early on in this process, and given my ability to lead and manage large organizational projects, I believe I have a valuable skillset to offer here.
QUESTION 3: What role should neighborhood associations play in fostering residents’ engagement with city government and elected officials?
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
I would love to see neighborhood associations play a larger role in overall government process, supported by standardized training and improved with accessibility for diverse community members and parents. I believe that we need micro-government structures to function because even 12 councilors cannot adequately serve a city of hundreds of thousands of people. I would love to see neighborhood associations spreading information about what the local government is doing, garnering comments and engagement, listening to what the whole neighborhood wants and needs, and relaying those concerns to the City Council.
QUESTION 4: District 4 is large and covers many neighborhoods. What issues do you think are particularly important for SW Portland neighborhoods (not downtown)? What proposals would you make to address these issues?
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
In my term as councilor, I would like to see the Red Electric Trail move forward so that we have improved bike and pedestrian infrastructure and access to downtown. Additionally, I would like to see sidewalks and an updated stormwater infrastructure system such that it is possible to have denser housing in the proposed Alpenrose development. I would also like to see modernized zoning codes to allow for multi-use districts to create more walkable areas within the SW neighborhood.
QUESTION 5: How do you plan to work with your District 4 colleagues to ensure productive outcomes on district issues?
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
We need to be really clear about what each councilor is responsible for from the beginning and make sure that there is a specific set of standards for how and when to engage with constituents. I imagine we will have some kind of shared inbox that we each collaborate on to manage citizen concerns, divvying those up by skills and interests. Each of us will also serve on city-wide committees so we can each bring the concerns of District 4 to the greater discussion of city planning and legislation. And, we each need to spend time out in the community so we are experiencing firsthand what citizens are currently dealing with.
QUESTION 6: Why should voters in SW Portland give you a vote?
CANDIDATE RESPONSE:
Having volunteered at mutual aid groups and in the Columbia River Correctional Facility, I have a firsthand look at what our unhoused and incarcerated populations are going through. Additionally, having founded an eco-friendly co-op and a nonprofit here in Portland, I have experience setting up brand new organizations, which will serve me during this transition. Otherwise, I have been helping to mobilize the community around the issues of the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, which is currently putting Portland at risk of the biggest oil spill in US history. Furthermore, I have experience in class action lawsuit documentation and creative reuse strategies to reduce waste, both financially and materially. I have a deep sense of empathy and bring deep listening to the council based on my experience as a postpartum doula. I am eager to help Portland birth this new form of government.