Mark Ciommo Responds to the Crowdsourced A-B City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Allston-Brighton District 9 City Council Candidate Mark Ciommo responds to the crowdsourced questionnaire at the Brighton Centered Blog:

1. What could the city do about noisy parties, illegal parking (both on front lawns and streets), and tenant occupancy code issues, either by enforcing existing ordinances, increasing or changing penalties, or passing new ones?
   
   Response: I will work with other city officials to:
   
   • Implement stricter enforcement of existing ordinances
     
   • Educate residents about existing services such as the community party line which any resident can call to report a house party. (the number is 617-343-5500)
   
   
   
2. What will be your first three steps as the new A-B City Councilor to improve the infrastructure of Allston/Brighton?
   
   Response: I will work to:
   
   • Improve bike paths to take cars off the road and make biking safer in our community
     
   • Implement and expand traffic light timing devices to improve traffic flow on our main streets and the over-flow onto our side streets
     
   • Bring the commuter rail stop back to Allston-Brighton
   
   
   
3. What are the specific steps you will take in order to implement the needs of the community related to institutional expansion (Harvard, BC)?
   
   Response: I will work to:
   
   • Have Colleges and Universities house all of their students
     
   • Hold universities accountable for the commitments they make to the community
   
   
   
4. Do you support the goal that BC build dormitories for their juniors on the main campus and therefore eliminate undergraduate student rentals on neighborhood streets? If so, what steps would you take to accomplish this?
   
   Response: Yes, B.C. should have a plan to house all of their undergraduate students.
   
   I would encourage B.C. to build more dormitory beds on their main campus
   
   I would also encourage B.C. to have all of their students sign a contract with the university promising that they will not rent in any non-owner occupied two, three or four family houses.
   
   
5. What measures do you propose for improving the appearance of Allston-Brighton, particularly related to trash, street-cleaning, and graffiti?
   
   Response: I will work to improve trash pick-up and street cleaning as well as work to make graffiti clean-up faster.
   
   I will also work to educate people about the Graffiti Busters program which is run by the City of Boston. I have had great success with this program while working as the Executive Director of the Veronica B. Smith Multi-Service Senior Center.
   
   
6. While City Councilor, do you intend to work a second job, run a business, stand for another office, or leave for another job before your term expires?
   
   Response: I wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Allston-Brighton Tab regarding this issue that was printed in the September 7th edition. Below is an excerpt from it and a link to the full article.
   
   “I will not step down from office, nor will I seek higher office in the public or private sector. For me there is no higher office than serving the residents of Allston-Brighton.
   Furthermore, I will not work a second job. I will be a full-time city councilor because Allston-Brighton needs and deserves the representation of a full-time city councilor.”
   
   http://www.townonline.com/allston/opinions/x602893288
   
   
7. What are your plans to improve the Allston-Brighton school system without overhauling the whole Boston school system?
   
   Response: I understand the importance of quality education in a community. I am the only candidate in this race who is a product of the Boston Public School system from K-12. I was the first person in my family to earn a college degree, graduating with a B.S. from Suffolk University.
   
   I will:
   
   • Work to provide teachers with the resources and support they need to create a safe, productive and positive learning environment.
     
   • Work to promote universal pre-kindergarten education.
     
   • Work with Superintendent Carol Johnson on initiatives to lower the drop-out rate and close the achievement gap.