Grant Polson, Hood River City Council Candidate

 I trust the voters to decide who is best to serve on Council. I have served as Councilor or President on several volunteer boards, both public and private, and have served on the City’s budget committee for the last 5 years. I take the time to put in the work and will ask whatever questions are needed to reach a decision. I’m a local 3rd generation small business owner (we opened back in 1954) and desire to make our community a better place to live for everyone.

Q What projects should be at the top of the City’s priority list?

 A thoughtful reconsideration of zoning code would be beneficial long-term to enable building of a more diverse housing market to help affordability, a decision on moving forward with a new police station, an edit for the TSP to create better options for folks to get from place to place via bike, pedestrian, and smoother vehicle traffic. There are road projects that will continue to need monitoring, and public works has a number of sewer, water, and storm projects scheduled.

Q  How should Hood River address the homeless problem in the city?

 There are limitations and basic humanitarian realities that need to be addressed to find a solution. The recent Grant’s Pass decision backed up the Supreme Court’s established law (Martin v. Boise) and affirmed a few minimums we would need to provide. If we create those base options, then creating/enforcing camp/panhandling laws becomes easier. The cost of establishing those options may be less expensive for us than long-term enforcement needs.

Q How can Hood River fill the needs of locals, while also continuing to attract tourists to spur the economy?

 Hood River should be built to address the needs of our residents. The tourism industry will do what makes sense in attracting responsible visitors to spur the economy and support public services.

Q What area do you believe Hood River needs to improve the most and why?

 Hood River could desperately use a bit of vision regarding how we are going to address our future growth. Our community will continue to grow, and if we don’t acknowledge or address the needs or consequences of that growth early enough, we will get stuck with some dysfunction later.  This is evident with some of the issues we are currently fixing, and will be evident again in the future unless we have plans and contingencies in place to cope with the growth.

Q Will you accept the final results once all the votes are tallied?

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 Yes, of course.