Platform

Dave Rollo re-election platform

My policy decisions are informed by the triple bottom line of enriching economic wellbeing, enhancing environmental preservation and expanding social equity. This has been the theme of my 16-year record of service on Bloomington’s City Council. Guided by this principle of sustainability, I have helped to develop a robust local economy with a vibrant downtown while strengthening neighborhoods, protecting our environment and providing the citizens of Bloomington with a high quality of life.

My priorities for the next four years will be to:

• Keep the downtown vibrant yet unique, diverse and pedestrian-scale. I will act to protect the character of our city by adopting code changes within our Unified Development Ordinance that reflect our community’s priorities such as proper scale, architecture and demographic mix.

• Promote a resilient local economy. I will continue to promote a broad view of economic development that recognizes locally generated goods, products and services as integral for our economic vitality. Supporting local business creates strong social networks and generates money in the local economy through the multiplier effect. A resilient economy is also diverse and broad-based, and I will continue to support our Certified Technology Park and IT, pharmaceutical, biotech and health services sectors. I will also work to attract new green technologies and services, such as the solar energy sector. A resilient local economy also supports non-profits and the arts and entertainment sector as key developers and drivers of our economy, and a local food sector that will re-circulate money, building local wealth and jobs.

• Preserve and enhance neighborhoods. I will continue to help neighborhoods establish sidewalks and trails, implement pedestrian safety measures, repair storm water systems, ensure code compliance and enhance safety. I will also continue my support of neighborhood improvement grants, signage, planting, and other projects that promote neighborhood cohesion, idea exchange, and aesthetics. I will continue my work to manage deer. I am committed to a management goal of low deer numbers for the health, safety and welfare of constituents.

• Protect and expand our natural areas and promote green infrastructure. Our natural areas are home to a variety of plants, birds and mammals, some rare and threatened. Preserving biological diversity is both an ethical and a quality of life issue. Natural areas and other green spaces are among the special assets that make Bloomington an attractive destination and home. Moreover, our green spaces constitute a “green infrastructure” that is just as important as our built infrastructure, providing our community with stormwater control, aesthetic enrichment and carbon sequestration among numerous other services. Green and built infrastructure should work in harmony for our collective wellbeing and quality of life, and I will continue to promote this goal.

I will also continue my commitment to:

• Support good transportation infrastructure. Compact urban design is based on coordination and cooperation between users of all modes of transportation. A good plan should be beneficial to everyone, whether it be pedestrians or users of public transportation, automobiles or bikes. As chair of the Bloomington Platinum Biking Task Force, I look forward to achieving platinum bike status for our city by 2020.

• Fund high-quality basic services and infrastructure. Fire and police protection, water supply, stormwater control and wastewater infrastructure require good city budgeting and constitute a key responsibility of the City Council. I will work on our sanitation system, with the aim of re-opening our local landfill so that we (and not a private company) have control over our waste stream. Furthermore, we should create our own materials recovery facility (MRF), that would minimize landfill materials, and maximize recycling and composting.

• Assist our most vulnerable citizens with support of social service agencies and affordable housing. I have consistently supported increases in our social service funding, and I will continue to promote material and service support from City government to keep our local agencies strong and effective. I have developed incentives for affordable housing in our Unified Development Ordinance, supported Habitat for Humanity petitions to place affordable housing close to downtown and championed cohousing projects that reduce housing costs through shared living arrangements.

• Recognize that our strength is in our diversity as a community. I support and promote race, gender and LGBT equality. Bloomington is a safe and civil city, and we all benefit by nurturing and celebrating our diversity. I supported inclusion of transgendered citizens as a protected class in city code, and co-sponsored a council resolution demanding a repeal of RFRA (the Religious Freedom Restoration Act).

• Support workers, workers’ rights, collective bargaining, a living wage and labor unions. I’ve been a strong union supporter, a co-sponsor of our living wage ordinance and a vocal proponent of linking economic development to fair wages.

• Maintain transparency and accountability of City policies and processes. I have always worked and advocated for government that is open and transparent.

• Give everyone a voice. My record shows that I invite all points of view in policy deliberations, by making the time and space for everyone to weigh in. I am a constituent-driven council member – establishing the priorities based on the needs of those I represent, and working to achieve these goals to increase our quality of life in Bloomington.

As in past campaigns, I take a strong stand against the excessive influence of money in politics by setting a maximum campaign contribution limit. My limit in this campaign is $25 per individual.
Please visit https://daverollo.com for more information. And feel free to contact me at 812-339-7916, or daverollobloomington@gmail.com