Q + A

What qualifies me for this position, both personally and professionally?

Personally, I’m home now but when I was a little girl I moved a lot. I longed for a sense of community and the charm of small town life where people looked out for each other. In 2005 my husband and I started looking for a house in Fair Haven, it wasn’t until 2013 that we were able to make it happen. As the saying goes, I wasn't born here. But, I got here as soon as I could! 

Over six years ago, out of a sense of concern for my community, I began attending public meetings: Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Shade Tree Commission, Environmental Commission and Historic Preservation Commission meetings. In that time I learned about the structure and function of Fair Haven's local government. This, in combination with my training and professional experience helped prepare me to serve our community as an elected official. 

Professionally, I have a B.S. in Planning from Penn State University and a Master of Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University School of Design. The bulk of my professional work has been in downtown revitalization starting with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program, then Red Bank RiverCenter and consulting throughout New Jersey. 

I am well read on Fair Haven's Master Plan, and served as a member of Fair Haven’s bicycle and pedestrian planning team (ATP/Active Transportation Plan). Given my background, I have continued to focus on our business district to further understand the issues related to opening a new business and or making an investment in our commercial buildings, both can be very challenging in Fair Haven. And, I have developed a deeper understanding of the conditions of Fair Haven's many parks, open space, wooded areas, ponds and creeks. Although in need of attention, these areas have the potential to be lovely amenities.

Additionally, I have a working understanding of Fair Haven’s role with both county and state levels of government. Throughout my career I have been a technical advisor to non-profit community groups, quasi-governmental groups, and local governments in the area of downtown management revitalization. My area of work includes strategic planning and visioning work, real estate development, design, retail recruitment, economic development, marketing, local planning related to land use and transportation, general advocacy work, and place making. 

What are the major challenges facing our community and how would I  propose to address them if elected?

Reestablish Public Trust

We all love Fair Haven and it's time to work together to create a shared vision for the community. We can reestablish public trust through community engagement, transparency and accountability. When we as elected officials hire professionals that employ community outreach and engagement processes we give our residents a voice in local initiatives. In this way our goals and plans for Fair Haven reflect our shared values. 

Control taxes

First, only bond, build or buy when prudent, necessary and demonstratively benefits the greater good.

Second, strengthen our ratable base by improving our business district, maintain the condition of our public spaces and manage our natural resources. Nobody wants to live next to a neglected public space whether that is a pond, a street or sidewalk, a wooded area, a creek or river. The residents of Fair Haven take good care their personal property and it's reasonable to expect local government to have a similar approach to the care and keeping our our public spaces. A well maintain public space is an amenity and helps preserve and enhance property values, leverages investor confidence and improves overall quality of life. 

Above all preserve and protect our quality of life

We have challenges, but they are not insurmountable. By working together and agreeing on what matters most, we can meet those challenges. Fair Haven is a small, built out community. As a Councilwoman, I work for the residents and businesses to preserve our quality of life while controlling taxes.  Local government should work in partnership with all stakeholders to enhance the livability of Fair Haven for everyone and control taxes costs. 

Take care of what we have

Attention to scheduled maintenance on existing assets pays in the long run. The existing parks, sidewalks and facilities that we have here in Fair Haven are truly good. We need to be good stewards of taxpayer money and take care of what we have to preserve it for future generations. With limited exceptions, I don’t believe that anything in Fair Haven is so broken that we can’t take less invasive measures than an expensive, large scale project to maintain the assets for their intended purpose – providing services or recreation to the residents.    

Guard against overdevelopment

In a small town like Fair Haven, overdevelopment is an unforced error that once committed it is not easily corrected. We can’t escape the fact that our town is a desirable place to live that attracts new residents and new construction. But we can do a better job of guiding development. On Council, I will continue to review our existing ordinances with Borough professionals to determine what steps can be taken to better protect the special quality of life we enjoy.

A tax dollar well spent should leverage private investment

Every tax dollar spent should be considered an investment wherever it is spent to maintain and preserve existing facilities or, where appropriate and warranted, add new facilities. Like all investments, those dollars should be spent with the idea that it will leverage private investment. This guiding principle should be front of mind as we undertake any improvements especially in the case of new construction, such as our Police Department and Department of Public Works.

Be a good neighbor, especially if you are the government

The borough owns various properties throughout our small town. Like any good neighbor, living next to or near a borough owned property should be an asset to the neighborhood. A borough property should be the best neighbor in your neighborhood. On Council, I will always think about the Department of Public Works, brush grinding site, Fair Haven dock, parks and other Borough property fits into a neighborhood and how we as a town can always be the best neighbor.

Honor the pedestrian

Fair Haven is a walking and bicycling town. Close to one third of our population is made up of children who are not old enough to drive or vote. In addition, people value the health and social benefits of walking or biking. Walking slows life down a little and gives us an opportunity to connect with each other, nature, our neighborhoods. A walkable community is a strong indicator of a livable community. We are very fortunate to have a charming mix of businesses to which we can walk or ride our bikes. Whether it’s a quick trip to the Pauline’s Papery, River Road Books, Distinctive Toys, the Hardware store, Post Office, Acme or maybe take out from Tavolo, you or someone in your family will likely visit our business district daily. That makes our business community an integral aspect of community life in Fair Haven, and merits an elevated working relationship. As a community, it’s important that we remain mindful and creative about how we continue to enhance the pedestrian environment in our business district and throughout Fair Haven.

Practice enlightened self interest 

A rising tide floats all boats. No one neighborhood should disproportionally shoulder the burdens associated with a service that is enjoyed by all residents. In such a case, every effort should be made to mitigate those burdens and when those are exhausted consider improvements that will add value. This for example is the way I suggest we think about the brush grinding site, the Department of Public Works and other areas of similar concern. 

Protect our environment

A healthy environment adds beauty. Fair Haven is situated along the Navesink River and it is a significant part of our lives; whether it be boating, sunset watching, crabbing, paddle boarding etc., the list is long. The river is intrinsically tied to our quality of life and our identity. I think most people agree we can do more to honor our obligation to care for the river.  Our obligation also extends to our creeks and inland waters such as Schwenker’s, McCarter and Shippee’s Ponds as well. In addition, trees are the only town-wide infrastructure that improves with age. The benefits provided by trees increase in value as they mature provide shade, and add to the charm of our residential neighborhoods. We can do more to ensure that trees on remain healthy and preserved for future generations.