Provincetown Select Board candidates say housing is top issue. Election May 9
PROVINCETOWN — Voters will have two ballot questions on the May 9 election. The first asks for approval of a debt exclusion for the bonds needed to pay for a waterline replacement on MacMillan Pier. The second seeks approval of an override to fund the transition to a full-time fire and emergency services department beginning July 1, 2023. Approval would give the town permission to assess an additional $1,058,476 in real estate and personal property taxes.
More: Town Meeting results
Four candidates are running for two Select Board seats. They all agree that the housing crisis is the town's top priority. The Times asked each candidate the same questions for an election preview. The candidates are presented in alphabetical order. The interviews have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Erik Borg:
Age: 38
Education: B.A. Journalism, University of Minnesota
Employment: Part owner of Provincetown Brewing Company
Political Experience: Currently serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals and vice chair of the Visitors Services Board
Other community service: Regular volunteer for three years at the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown.
Why are you running? What motivates you? I think I have the ability to move the needle on key issues that Provincetown is facing. I've been a part-time resident, a business owner. I understand staffing demands and the challenges therein, and I'm someone who lives at a market rate property called Harbor Hills. I think I understand it from a variety of perspectives. A friend and mentor imparted to me the notion that if you have the ability and capacity to contribute to the community you’re in, then you really should, and arguably must. When I moved here full-time in 2019 I joined the board and volunteered at the Soup Kitchen. A central mission of Provincetown Brewing is to promote and give back to causes we think promote the values of Provincetown. All of those combined have led me to believe I can make a difference on the Select Board.
What is the most pressing issue facing Provincetown and how would you address it? Housing. It's multifaceted issue and will require multifaceted solutions. That means a few things, including looking at zoning bylaws to see how we can encourage the kind of development that will create the housing that we need, whether that means increasing density in areas, or changing inclusionary bylaws so we’re building more of the types of housing we need. It means creating smart and responsible regulation around short-term rentals. It means looking at creative solutions like a deed buy-back program. It really means looking at most things that come to the board through the lens of housing because the ultimate goal is to create a year-round, vibrant community where people who live and work here can afford to make a home here.
More: Tax credits for housing in bills filed by Cape legislator
How do you differ from the other candidate? What sets you apart? First and foremost I’m not approaching this as a politician but as an act of public service. I think I'm in a position where I understand the issue from a variety of perspectives and therefore I‘m in a position where I can bring people to the table who can foster collaboration and build consensus. That's important because while everyone understands it's (housing) an issue, I think people understandably have different views on how it should be solved. It requires somebody who can bridge some of those divides and bring people to the table to work on collaborative solutions that can actually pass and move the needle.
What else would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions? Addressing Provincetown's climate resiliency plan of action is very important. We have work to do on solving and improving our water situation in collaboration with Truro. I want Provincetown to be a vibrant place to live and work year-round. I will be looking at issues with that in mind.
Austin Knight:
Age: 65
Education: Ledyard, Connecticut vocational agricultural high school and some college courses.
Employment: Semi-retired, currently does occasional handyman work.
Political Experience: Currently a member of the Water and Sewer Board. Select Board member from 2007 to 2014, and past member of the Historic Commission.
Other community service: Member of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners. Past board member and president of the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Member (2011-2014) Cape Cod Commission. Head of volunteers for Swim for Life.
More: Swim for Life
Why are you running? What motivates you? I'm running because I have the most service in municipal government than any other candidate. I’m a community and people-to-people person. My mother told me many years ago that when you move somewhere try to make it a little better. I’ve always been a community person in all the organizations I belong to, and I try to help make people’s lives better. I take great inspiration from that. I’ve been involved in self-help programs for over 42 years. Through that I’ve been able to help other people and received help myself. I believe in trying to give more than I take. We have to bring all parties into the conversation. To come up with solutions.
When I was elected (to the Select Board) the Department of Revenue brought us in and asked what we were going to do. We were on the watch list in 2007, not far from receivership. We had balanced budgets. We didn’t have rooms, meal, or cannabis taxes. We preserved the Town Hall and brought it up to code on time and on budget. We finished the library project, got Commercial Street paved, signed the first 99-year lease with Truro for water. I negotiated the deal to purchase the VFW property, and brought to the Select Board, and then town meeting for purchase in 2013.
What is the most pressing issue facing Provincetown and how would you address it? We are at a crisis situation between workforce housing, housing for emergency service workers, Outer Cape Health, teachers, and individuals working in the tourist industry, which is our number one industry. We have to come together. The solution has to come from everyone – you can’t pit one group against the other. Part-time taxpayers make up 75% of our second home owners and they pay 85% of taxes, so they have to be part of the conversation and part of the solution. That is something that needs to be worked. The tourism economy used to be four to five months out of the year. Now it's six to nine months. Times are changing and our infrastructure doesn’t support that.
How do you differ from the other candidate? What sets you apart? My longevity here and my time spent in government. We brought balanced budgets to seven town meetings. I was on the board when Province Lands was sold and got the project moving along. I started discussions about the VFW for housing. I think I can be part of solution working with other towns and help fulfill our housing needs. I don’t think its just a Provincetown problem. We have the economic engine that drives the Outer Cape. People from Provincetown to Harwich and Brewster come here to work.
What else would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions? I’m the type of person to get back up, to stay focused on whatever the goal is, whatever the mission is. I do whatever has to be done. I bring parties into the room, have clear discussions, and that’s important. As we go forward, we have to bring everyone into the room. We have to have concrete plans. We have to work aggressively and bring in all parties. Government can't just do it by itself.
Austin Miller:
Age: 32
Education: B.A. History, Portland State University
Employment: Vice President of Specialty Lending at NBT Bank (National Bank and Trust)
Political Experience: Currently vice chair of Community Housing Council, and vice chair of the Year-Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust.
Other community service: Active in the HIV prevention and AIDS support community in San Francisco, participated in the fundraising event AIDS Life Cycle twice.
Why are you running? What motivates you? I've been inside the workings of town government in housing for the past couple of years, and closely involved in town efforts to resolve the housing crisis, serving on the RFP review committee for 3 Jerome Smith Road, as well as working with the Select Board, town staff and two town boards, helping to put forward nine articles last year. I found once I got on the inside, and understood some of the detailed policy issues that are needed to resolve the housing crisis, I feel like I'd be well-positioned to bring that experience to the Select Board in a way that could be valuable, having someone who has been in the weeds of housing issues.
What is the most pressing issue facing Provincetown and how would you address it? Housing is a top concern for voters. We need to start working with Truro again to work through a new water deal to help manage both towns' growth in the future. Otherwise we could be in a worse housing crisis because we’re unable to access additional water resources. The third major topic is support for the build-out of the town's emergency medical services. I think the Select Board needs to be closely involved with that, and explore how can we attract folks to town. Are there opportunities for us to support programs that support critical staff, including emergency service workers from the town?
How do you differ from the other candidate? What sets you apart? I'm straightforward and no-nonsense. I've been in the background for years on detailed policy issues in town. I think that's the right experience to bring to the Select Board to help round out the experience they have on the board. I have a forward looking approach that applies some learning and best practices to the future without repeating mistakes of the past.
What else would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions? I want voters to know as a member of the Select Board I'd be committed to work collaboratively with voters, town staff and members of the board to identify the right solutions and policies to move our community forward.
Gordon Siegel:
Age: 59
Education: B.A. University of Southern Florida. Veteran U.S. Air Force, navigator
Employment: Semi-retired. Realtor, past owner of retail shop and guest house, partnered in a restaurant.
Political Experience: Served on Finance Committee in the late 1990s and around 2012-2013.
Other community service: Volunteer and member of the Board of Directors at the Provincetown AIDS Support Group, now the AIDS Support of Cape Cod.
Why are you running? What motivates you? First and foremost because I love Provincetown. I've been here 30 years. My different experiences show I work well with others, and can get the job done. I want a seat at the table
What is the most pressing issue facing Provincetown and how would you address it? Housing. Everyone has staffing issues, but as a town we need to talk about emergency services, police, fire and medical personnel, teachers, town staff. Without them we don’t have a town. I believe a philanthropic approach is needed. I think if we approach the housing crisis like we do our art or open space, we could make some headway outside of government funding. Our tax base is not going to solve our housing crisis in total. We could start with seed money, a donation from a major donor or a piece of land and build on that.
How do you differ from the other candidate? What sets you apart? I’ve been here a long time. I have a unique perspective of the nuances of Provincetown and the complexities of the boards, that things take time to get done. I also understand that we're a diverse community and need to stay a diverse community. I feel having that perspective is really good for the town.
What else would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions? I'd call for a housing workshop immediately to discuss short term rentals ideas for creating housing. We need to involve the community in the discussion. Right now coastal resilience is an advisory board; I’d like to see it be made a permanent board. Raising density by allowing 4-story heights is a slippery slope. If you put a fourth story on all these buildings it won’t be affordable housing. It won’t become market rate housing. It will become waterfront housing for people who can afford it. It won't fill the purpose of housing, and we’ll lose everything we have in historical integrity by doing so.
Denise Coffey writes about business and tourism. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Provincetown election: Select Board race, fire department override
