Rochester 2023 City Council candidate Kevin Sullivan
Name: Kevin Sullivan
Education: Bachelor of science in marine and freshwater biology and master of science in zoology from the University of New Hampshire.
Occupation: Marine biologist, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department; part-time police officer, Northwood Police Department.
Political or civic experience highlights: I've been a civil servant in New Hampshire for most of my professional career. I have worked for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department as a marine biologist for more than 20 years. I previously worked as a state of New Hampshire Department of Safety Marine Patrol officer for three years and a part-time police officer for the town of Northwood for eight years. I have been a member of Rochester Conservation Commission for nine years and have been the vice chair of that commission for much of that.
What would be your top three priorities if you are elected?: If elected as city councilor for Ward 6 my top three priorities would be to:
1) Work towards ensuring a responsible and transparent use of Rochester residents’ tax money on needed infrastructure repair and development that benefits the entire residential and business community.
2) Promote business growth in Rochester to provide jobs and economic opportunity to Rochester residents, while also keeping in mind the value of conserving parcels of land that are vital to natural resources and wildlife and maintaining a balance with outdoor recreation opportunities in Rochester.
3) Work with city resources to address the homeless situation in Rochester, find alternatives to eliminate encampments on private property, and provide resources to help those struggling with drug problems.
What is the biggest problem Rochester is facing and how you would solve it?: I think in recent years, the biggest problem that Rochester has been facing and has challenges dealing with is affordable housing and the homeless population. There is no quick and easy fix to either, but it is going to take continued efforts to provide people with access to city and state resources that can help them better their personal economic and health situations. It also must be clear that establishing encampments on properties of Rochester residents and the littering and activities that result from those encampments should not continue unchecked.
Should the city work to create below market rate housing, and where is the best site?: I do feel that the surge in home prices and lack of availability in Rochester and similarly the corresponding increases in rent in the post-COVID time has put many people in economic hardship, including Rochester citizens. As the interest rates remain high in an attempt to stem inflation pressure, families trying to purchase homes are priced-out of the market with the combination of elevated home prices and interest rates on their potential mortgage. Affordable, below market or low-income housing would benefit the people of Rochester. Through my experience as a serving member of the Rochester Conservation Commission, I have seen plans for this type of development in Rochester but none of those I have been aware of, like the Catholic Charities proposed work force housing site in Gonic, have been built for various reasons including the ability for the Rochester School in that area of the development to handle the increase in students and the needed change in infrastructure for the traffic pattern changes. I think the City needs to continue to encourage affordable housing in Rochester and work with the municipal boards and commissions to find well thought out locations that can best absorb the impacts, including the capacity of our schools and is for the purpose of housing Rochester residents rather than bringing in people from outside New Hampshire. A potential under utilized location could be the Rochester Fairgrounds area, but that would require a sale of the property.
Should the council address the pace and type of development in the city? If yes, how?: I think the council has been and is still addressing the pace and type of development in Rochester, but I think the opinion on how they should do it varies widely from person to person. My involvement with the city’s Conservation Commission has given me experience with seeing not only the developments and projects that are constructed but also those that are still in the approval phase or are approved and have not or may not ever be built. I think that Rochester has tried to find a balance of growth in business with the Granite Ridge Development on Route 11, the approval of housing developments in other parts of the city, a revitalization of the downtown area while trying to preserve the historic aesthetics of Rochester, and even the continued construction of the River Walk along the Cocheco River. I am glad to see the initiation of the traffic circle construction at the Washington Street/ Walnut Street/ North Main Street intersection that took a lot of planning and feels long overdue, but I would like to see the completion of the next phases of the Granite Ridge development solidified and move forward and with that a bypass road or some other design to address the congested traffic along Route 11. I also think the city needs to continue to work towards finding new occupants or uses for buildings, primarily near downtown Rochester (e.g. the old Ben Franklin’s building) to revitalize that part of the community and dissuade unwanted activity.
Does the city need to make changes to its approach to parking as development increases?: Rochester does have city owned parking lots and I use them when I am visiting businesses and restaurants downtown, but I do feel like they are limited in the number of spaces available and some residents may not even be aware of some of the locations. I feel that as Rochester continues to promote and recruit new commercial business and develop a thriving downtown community it will have to incorporate more free public parking and I would like to see more capacity in single locations for the busiest areas. The current Ben Franklin’s building that has been vacant for years could provide a great opportunity for restaurant or retail development, and possibly the city could negotiate some of that lot be used for public parking access for other downtown businesses.
What is the city doing well and where is there room for improvement?: As a resident for the past 18 years, I think Rochester has been making great strides in revitalizing the downtown area, encouraging business growth, and trying to embrace the need for maintaining green spaces and embracing advances in renewable energy. If elected for City Council I would enthusiastically encourage the continuation of that work, but I also think an increased focus needs to be placed on vehicle and pedestrian traffic concerns around growth in the city. Additionally, I think that the recent need to close some schools in Rochester and build a new school has thankfully shined the light on Rochester’s need to put some consideration into the number and locations of schools moving forward in Rochester.
What is the city’s responsibility to its homeless population, both this winter and long term?: All people deserve access to housing and nobody should be put in a situation where their only option is to sleep outside in the cold New Hampshire winter. I think a multi-city or county warming shelter is a good way to assist the homeless community in times of cold weather, but I also in no way think that it is addressing the problem of reducing the homeless population and providing them with resources to provide for themselves. I have served as a part-time police officer for several years and for a few years in the Emergency Department of Frisbie Memorial Hospital with involuntary emergency admission patients. In these jobs, I interact with the homeless community first hand and know that not all, but many of the people in the homeless community in Rochester and throughout the state are struggling with both mental health and drug abuse issues that make it difficult for them to get back on their feet. The state provides resources to assist with both, but they fall far short of what is needed for the growing issue in New Hampshire. As city councilor I believe that Rochester needs to continue to work with the state and local nonprofit resources to help not only the homeless community but all of those that need help locating the resources that are available to them to help them better their life situations.
Does the city need to do more to enforce codes regarding apartments in disrepair? If yes, what?: From my current experience I have lived in my own home in Rochester for 18 years, and thus have not been directly impacted by apartments in disrepair in Rochester but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that it exists. I have had friends and coworkers that have told me about the condition of their rentals in both Rochester and the surrounding towns and as a resident of Rochester have observed the conditions of some of the rental properties in our city. Not only should a hard working tenant who pays rent for an apartment or house expect to have it be up to code for their own adequate safety and sanitary conditions, all residents of Rochester deserve to live in a clean, vibrant, and scenic community, and housing in various states of disrepair throughout the community take away from that. As a Rochester city councilor, I would welcome conversations with residents of Ward 6, where I am a resident, as well as all other wards on these issues they were facing with their rentals and how they can be better addressed through city resources such as the code enforcement office.
Is the ethics policy recently approved by the council necessary and why?: It’s important for the citizens of Rochester to have complete trust and confidence in the members of their local government and their ability to represent them in an independent, impartial, and fair way, while making decisions that benefit their constituents and the city. Having a code of conduct creates guidelines around the expected values, behaviors, and decision-making qualities of elected officials. Having this agreed to by all members in writing helps to ensure that everyone understands and can be held accountable to the expectations, which ultimately upholds the integrity of the City Council as a whole.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester 2023 City Council candidate Kevin Sullivan
