Boulder City Council
Susan Peterson
Website: susanforcitycouncil.com Age: 63 Family: Son, Lucas, 26, lives in Boulder, parents 99 and 94, three siblings, one sweetheart How long have you lived in Boulder: 25 years Professional background: Recently retired professional engineer, business executive. 40-year successful career in structural engineering, electronic design automation, telecommunications and renewable energy. Political/community experience: PLAN-Boulder County board member, Thorne Ecological Institute chair, Boulder Blue Line co-founder, advocate for disadvantaged students at Columbine Elementary School. Education: BS Civil Engineer-
ing, Michigan State University, 1978, summa cum laude; Executive MBA, University of Denver, 1986 What kind of new funding mechanisms, if any, would you support the city exploring and implementing to finance transportation network improvements? •Public/private partnerships with large Boulder employers to fund an EcoPass for everyone in the city •Incoming tolls on 36 for incommuters, managed by ExpressToll, free for low-income workers •Explore an occupational “head tax,” similar to Denver’s and use revenue to “buy the fare box” for our local transit (Hop, Skip, etc). Start by having it apply to delivery vehicles, oil/gas trucks, etc. Do you think Boulder can build its way to better affordability? And if not, what kind of local regulations aimed at boosting affordable housing and limiting housing costs that
Aaron Brocket Benita Duran Rachel Friend Junie Joseph Mark McIntyre Bob Yates
would not require a change to state law to impose would you support? Over the last 19 years since we implemented the inclusionary housing policy, Boulder has become way more dense and way less affordable — so no, the data shows that Boulder cannot simply build its way to affordability. We need more local regulations to offset the unlimited demand for luxury housing in Boulder. Some checks and balances I would support include: •Supporting the Middle Income Down Payment Assistance Program •Increasing inclusionary housing requirements from 20% to 25% for low-income and 5% to 10% for middle-income. •Increasing the cash in lieu percentage from 75% to 100% of the cost to build on site to encourage desegregation. •Increasing the commercial linkage fees from $30 per square foot to $50 per square foot with
relief for small businesses. •Supporting a living wage to boost low-income residents’ ability to afford rent. •A statistically significant survey of Boulder workers to better define the types of housing we need in each income category, and then putting quantifiable programs in place to increase housing in the areas in which we are deficient. Do you support instituting some type of fee on users or vehicles entering open space properties to fund their maintenance, and if so, what kind? I do not support fees for Boulder residents who are already paying taxes to support open space. With over six million daily visitors per year, I do support fees for people from outside Boulder who enjoy our open space. We can use technology similar to ExpressToll’s to charge for parking, and can manage the ExpressToll accounts to provide reduced rates for low-income visitors.
The people you trust, trust Susan. “As an accomplished engineer, environmental visionary, and Boulder resident for 25 years, Susan has made numerous contributions to the community. Join me in putting her creativity, tenacity, and intellect to work for us on Boulder’s City Council.” - Lisa Morzel, 5-term Boulder City Council member
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Paid for by Susan For City Council.
BOULDER COUNTY VOTER GUIDE • OCTOBER 13, 2019 • 15