Alderman at Large Questionnaire: Jack Connolly

  1. What political or community activism accomplishments are you most proud of during your last term in office (or the last two years if you have not previously served)? What specific things do you want to accomplish during the coming term?

    My 20 plus years of public service is a record of the day-to-day work of constituent services, trying to help, in some small way, to make our city government more responsive to the needs of its citizens, and to make Somerville a better place to live and work. I am most proud of my role in shaping the development of Davis Square during the 1980s, and into this century. Working with other neighbors and business owners, our vision of a vibrant commercial area that respected the needs of the abutting neighborhoods has been realized.

    I continue to be involved with neighborhoods living with residential and commercial development to ensure that the proposed benefits of the development are realized and that any negative impacts are minimized. Recently, I have organized and attended many meetings with neighborhood groups regarding the condominium development at the corner of Willow Ave. and Morrison Ave., the commercial building at 1 Davis Square, and the new residential units on Morrison Ave. I also worked for well over a year standing with the Bowers Ave. and Cottage Ave. neighbors speaking in opposition to a restaurant planned to be located in the Citizens Bank building at 212 Elm St. Despite the efforts of the property owner to appeal the Zoning Board’s decision to back the neighborhood, our original objection WAS upheld by the Land Court, and offices now occupy that space, much to the relief of the abutting neighbors .I have also met with the Davis Sq. Task Force to deal with traffic and parking issues, as well as liquor licenses, in and around Davis Square.

  2. How will you balance business development with the needs of low-income residents as the Green Line comes to Somerville?

    I think my experience, as outlined in response #1, is ideally suited for this challenging problem. There is no doubt that property values and rents will increase as (or if) a Green Line stop for Union Square becomes a reality. Several strategies should be pursued to preserve affordable housing options for low-income residents. This would include enforcing affordable housing requirements as development proposals are approved for this area, as well as working with the Somerville Housing Authority to coordinate the availability of Section 8 vouchers There may also be a role for the Somerville Corporation in preserving the existing affordable housing stock. Along these same lines, I would encourage and support efforts by the City to seek federal or state programs that could be used to preserve affordable housing options in the Union Square neighborhood in advance of the development to minimize the impacts of private speculation of this neighborhood’s residential real estate.

  3. Would you support instant runoff voting (or similar voting reforms) for city elections? Why or why not?

    I would not support this type of electoral process. I believe its complicated counting procedures tend to make it a less transparent process for the average voter. I believe if instant runoff voting was viewed as an improvement over the current method, it would be more widely used in other Massachusetts communities.

  4. Why is the gang ordinance not enforced, and what do you plan to do about it?

    I have no reason to believe that the gang ordinance is not being enforced when needed. Gang activity can be devastating to a neighborhood. Most troubling is how gang recruitment and involvement preys on our children. Our police department should have all the tools permissible and necessary to ensure gangs do not take root in our community. A zero-tolerance approach to gangs can only work if our youth has access to safe, structured programs when school is not in session. I continue to support the efforts of the City and the school department to provide such programming, as well as supporting our network of community-based organizations that provide sports, recreational, and educational opportunities for Somerville’s youth.

  5. What specific steps will you take to strengthen the community policing program?

    I believe that for a police department to be effective, it must have the confidence and trust of the community. Community policing is a strategy that is consistent with this belief and I am supporting the implementation of this concept as developed in the reorganization plan for the Somerville Police Department currently being promoted by Acting Chief Bradley.

  6. What specific steps will you take to increase the civic involvement of immigrants?

    Somerville has long been a City of immigrants and this diversity adds richness to our quality of life. As Alderman, I would continue to encourage and support programs that remove barriers to participating in government and accessing City services. These would include the availability of translation services when using the City’s 311 system and maintaining access to affordable ESL classes.

  7. What specific steps will you take to promote pay equity in Somerville? (see http://www.mass.gov/women/payequity/payequity.htm#legislation)

    I do not believe local regulations promoting pay equity are effective. Requirements in this area must be done on a state-wide basis and apply equally to all communities and businesses. I do support our current system of requiring that most public bids use prevailing wages in developing cost proposals to ensure union shops can competed with non-union shops on a level playing field.

  8. What will you do about Somerville's budget crunch?

    I support responsible development to grow Somerville's tax base combined with prudent spending policies to efficiently deliver basic City services, provide a quality education for our children, and human service programs to support our elderly population and other needy citizens. In addition, I am encouraging all efforts to make the City energy and environmentally efficient, including conversion to alternative fuel and energy uses where possible within the City.

  9. How will you create a town-gown relationship with Tufts comparable to that of Cambridge and Boston with their universities?

    I'm not sure our situation can be validly compared with Boston and Cambridge. In these cities, deep-pocket universities with aggressive expansion plans that require a variety of local approvals are naturally eager to improve their bargaining power by bestowing cash and services on these cities. This is certainly not our situation. I worked closely with former Mayor Brunet to create the University Zoning district which currently limits University construction at the edge of the neighborhood, and provides for the maintenance of open recreational space between College Ave. and Powderhouse Blvd. I continue to support and require efforts by the University to provide sufficient on-campus housing for the majority of its students to alleviate market pressures on monthly rents and minimize the opportunities for late-night disruptions in our neighborhoods. I encourage and support community access to the University’s cultural and recreational assets. I support efforts of the school department to partner with Tufts to provide educational opportunities to our students and teaching staff.

  10. What else should we know about your candidacy?

    I was born and raised in Somerville, a 2nd generation son of Irish Immigrants. My wife Gail and I are raising my own family in Somerville. My three daughters all attended Somerville Schools, with my older two daughters having graduated from Somerville High. I earned my way through Boston College (BA '73) as an undergraduate and Graduate School (M. Ed '81) by working full-time summers and part-time while in school. I presently earn my living in Somerville as the owner of an award-winning insurance agency. I also have been a Basketball and Soccer official for over thirty years, and have officiated over 2000 High school and Amateur athletic contests, including post -season Tournaments, throughout Massachusetts. I have also maintained a rigorous personal fitness program that has allowed me the opportunity to compete in hundreds of road-running races, including eighteen marathons. I am also a Past President of the Somerville Kiwanis Club, where I have devoted many hours raising money to assist the youth of our City. I am an active supporter of many youth sports teams, and also support many deserving community non-profit organizations such as Respond, and the Somerville Homeless Coalition, in addition to others.

    I became involved in politics to make Somerville a great place to live and work. I know many of us share the view that the City must be run professionally and with integrity in the interest of its citizens. It is on this basis that I hope to earn your vote this November.