SPPNA Candidates Questionnaire & Rebuttals
- Each candidate was given the option to provide up to a total of three (3) rebuttals to other candidate responses.
- Rebuttals were to be made in writing, 150 words maximum per written rebuttal.
- To support the written rebuttals, candidates had the option to submit video rebuttals, 60 seconds maximum per video rebuttal.
- Written or video rebuttals that ran long were truncated and noted as such.
- Rebuttals are grouped by seat, with incumbents listed first, followed by candidates listed alphabetically.
- All rebuttals are in blue.
- All posted rebuttals were submitted on time according to the deadlines provided.
- If original answers that are now being rebutted originally were truncated, or if no written responses were provided, that has been noted.
- Any errors or omissions are accidental and regretted
- Thank you to all candidates for participating in the SPPNA Candidates Questionnaire, and thank you again for choosing to run in the upcoming Lake Worth Beach General Election.
1: Why have you chosen to run for office and what personal and professional experience do you bring?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
Lake Worth Beach is at a crossroads; the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) is draining money from the city’s budget because increased CRA property tax revenues are designated to the CRA, not the city’s general revenue. CRA money cannot be used for basic city services like fire and safety. The Lake Worth Beach Power Company needs modernization. The city needs to increase the use of solar energy. The success of downtown relies on maintaining the historic look downtown that attracts visitors. It’s our unique ambiance that brings visitors here along with the nearness of our beach and attractive amenities. We want to reduce litter by discouraging single use plastics which tend to be littered more often.
I was elected eight years to the Palm Beach County Soil and Water Conservation District. I have served on our city boards including Tree Board, Library Board and Climate Change Task Force. I worked on fundraising for our Lake Worth Library and writing Climate Change Recommendations. South Florida will experience sea level rise and increased hurricanes.
I’ve worked 25 years in technology and finance with a Masters in International Management and spent my lifetime advocating for wildlife and environmental protection.
Kim Stokes
I grew up in Lake Worth and attended Lake Worth High School. After getting my degree in Math from UF, I returned home and taught at my Alma Mater. I taught math there for 6 years, coached cheerleading, was a class sponsor, and launched AP Calculus BC. After leaving the classroom I entered a career in educational technology with the help of my Master’s Degree. In my profession I am known as a creative problem solver and excellent collaborator. My degree in math gives me an in-depth understanding of data analysis - I know the difference between correlation and causation.
My time working in the education field moved me to becoming more engaged in civic issues as I saw the impacts city decisions were having on the families who came through my classroom. Lake Worth is my hometown and I believe we need to take a more collaborative approach to enhancing our city and realizing its full potential. We have so many caring, creative and knowledgeable people in our city who are an untapped resource. We need to think outside of the box and explore new ideas instead of relying on out-of-town profit-driven developers to solve all our problems.
Question 2: What do you see as the long-term plan for the Lake Worth Casino building on the beach?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
The Casino Building should remain as it is. The building should host restaurants and shops on the first floor and the Ballroom on the second floor. I would restore the pool to attract more families. The pool was always a significant part of the Casino Complex. I would like to add solar panels to improve energy efficiency at the Casino. I would support a Tiki Bar at the pool area. This area would provide a view from the back of the casino where people could watch the sunset.
I would encourage vendors at the Casino to utilize takeout containers that are biodegradable rather than products made from polystyrene (Styrofoam) and to avoid single use plastic items that often end up as litter making the beach area unsightly.
The Casino and the beach need to be maintained with native plants selecting those that require less maintenance. Over time if the upstairs Casino is not able to be successfully rented, we could permit some upstairs dining. The upstairs would provide a better view of the ocean. Food could be brought upstairs if there are not adequate kitchen facilities.
Kim Stokes
I support the Casino building and beach property being kept 100% in public control. I also want to see the pool re-opened with a snack bar that we can use as an additional source of revenue. What we do with the casino building must reflect what the public has said time and again they want – a public beach with beach related amenities. Developer dreams of a convention center or large parking garage are not appropriate for our local beach.
This property is one of our greatest assets and we need to address the occupancy issue of the upstairs being vacant. We are currently using this premier public space with views of the ocean and intracoastal as a storage unit and that is a shame. We should also be renting out the ballroom during the week to groups that want to provide activities for residents. I remember as a kid sneaking up the stairs to watch the seniors take ballroom dancing lessons and have heard from seniors that they would like to have more opportunities for safe social interaction.
Question 3: Do you believe any of the penny sales tax should be spent on the oceanfront park? Please be very specific (for example, if you support spending on the pool, please indicate so).
Andy Amoroso - Incumbent (Rebuttal [1] by Drew Martin)
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Rebuttal by Drew Martin:
The pool centers the Beach Casino Complex. The Casino with a non-functioning pool gives the complex the appearance of being run-down. The pool today is a poorly-kept vacant area behind a fence. It looks like an abandoned construction site.
Using funds set aside to repair the pool for other expenditures is poor financial management and shows a misuse of funds, funds taken away from their intended purpose. The city has the funds to fix the pool area and it makes no sense to leave it as an eyesore diminishing the attractiveness of the Casino Building. Not repairing the pool will not save the city money. Demolishing the pool will cost just as much as repairing the pool and could damage the Casino Building. It makes sense to use the penny sales tax to repair the pool and open it to the public. Today the pool is an eyesore.
Drew Martin
Yes, I believe that we should use the penny sales tax to fix the pool and get it into operation. I would also make repairs to the Casino Building. The pool makes the beach more family friendly. The pool also generates parking revenue for the city as people come to visit the Beach Property. The pool locker rooms need to be upgraded and the pool should have solar heating to reduce the heating bill. The pool used to have swim competitions that brought large numbers of attendees.
With the remaining funds I would like to place solar panels over the public parking lots downtown to help generate money for the city. This would also shade the cars so they are more comfortable when people return to their cars. I also would like to modernize the sprinkler system at the Golf Course so it is more efficient. At the Golf Course we could add more native plants and native trees to make it more conducive to our migratory and native bird population. Plantings around the ponds could trap chemicals so that they do not get into the Lake Worth Lagoon where they can create harmful algal blooms.
Kim Stokes
Yes, I think we should use the penny sales tax for significant improvements and new public amenities, this includes our pool. I don’t think we need to spend any of the penny sales tax money on the upstairs of the casino. It is my understanding that we settled a lawsuit with the builder on that project and I would hope that it was enough to fix any outstanding issues with that area. Hopefully that’s already resolved, in that case we need to get someone in there. I would like to see the penny sales tax used to fix the pool with some upgrades, such as the 6 million plan that was reviewed by the City. These funds were agreed upon, but the pool remodel has not been given a project ID yet as the Commission has not moved the project forward on any timeline. We have bus service there now but should look for other alternative forms of transportation. I would like to look for ways to bring beachgoers into our downtown to frequent the businesses there.
Question 4: Do you support closing some street entrances into the South Palm Park neighborhood to vehicular traffic and why / why not?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
Yes, if that is what the residents would like. I would always leave those decisions up to the local neighborhood. I believe that we should discourage people driving through our neighborhoods who are traveling through the city. Traffic should be directed to our main arteries.
Traffic through neighborhoods increases litter, noise and air pollution. Speeding cars can be a danger to children and pets. Through traffic can also result in thefts and other crimes of opportunity.
Non-resident vehicles travelling through neighborhoods can add roadside litter. This is particularly true if vehicles use these shortcuts as commuter routes. It lowers the property values by turning quiet neighborhoods into thoroughfares. If people choose to live on a main artery they are prepared for through traffic, but people inside neighborhoods should not be subjected to heavy traffic through their neighborhood.
Kim Stokes
I am open to discussing any idea that neighborhood groups have about improving the quality of life for their neighborhoods. I would be interested to know what the reason would be for closing some of the street entrances – is it for traffic calming or crime concerns? I would like to meet with the neighborhood and explore solutions to the problems weighing the pros and cons of each proposal together. I would want to understand more about the effects it would have to the traffic pattern and would like to look at it holistically. Will it be better for some streets, but worse for others? This seems like a topic that warrants additional exploration.
Question 5: Do you support keeping the contract with PBSO and why / why not?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
At this point PBSO is our only option. The cost of reestablishing our own police force would be prohibitive and there are no private police forces other than PBSO that could operate in Lake Worth Beach. Further, PBSO is in all our surrounding communities and can operate with the same communication and policies as they move from one city to the next. They have the crime labs and other facilities that a public safety operation requires.
Over time we could possibly create a force under the city’s control that handles non-violent 911 calls. This has been done successfully in other parts of the country. We have to accept however that we cannot afford for our policing costs to increase annually. I also do not support the license reader system which Lake Worth Beach pays for at this time. I would remove this system to save the city money.
I know that we have problems with street prostitution in our city. I would like to see if the city could enlist ways to reduce prostitution through counselling and education. I would support efforts to end human trafficking that force individuals into prostitution.
Kim Stokes
I support keeping the contract with PBSO. Residents are happier with PBSO than they were with the previous city run police department. The PBSO contract is our largest funded department and has a significant impact on the quality of life of our residents. One thing that has been ingrained in me from working at a startup and in the field of technology is the importance of iteration. Each quarter we should review what is working well and what we must do better and then adjust and repeat that cycle, so we are in a continuous state of improvement. If there are things in the contract that are preventing us from doing so, then we should negotiate those changes into the contract.
Question 6: Do you support Lake Worth Beach keeping our electric utility and why / why not?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
I believe we should keep the Lake Worth Beach Utility. The utility is closely tied with the City’s Operating Budget. If the utility was removed it would create a shortfall because the utility covers some of the city’s overhead. The Utility also gives the citizens more control of their power system. If we relied on a large company we would be at the mercy of a large organization. Our power bills have been competitive when you remove the other expenses on the power bill that are not directly related to electricity.
The utility can also become a source of revenue for the city if we place roof top solar on parking lots and city buildings. Peak power needs in Florida come on sunny hot afternoons exactly the time solar energy produces the most power. The city could sell this excess power to the grid outside the city and reap a profit that could be returned to the city.
Selling our utility would not generate a significant amount of money and could result in the city being responsible for debts left from owning the utility. Selling could also result in a budget deficit because the utility provides the city with income.
Kim Stokes
I support keeping our electric utility because I will always be in favor of having more local control which gives us the potential to do more innovative things. I would actively engage with the existing, but stalled effort to create alternative energy options. I would also reinstate an updated version of the Energy Conservation Program the city used to have that offered education and incentives to homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. The City Charter sets out the legal requirement that a vote of the public (registered voters) is required in order to sell the Utility. Our publicly owned utility is an asset to the public if it is run efficiently with competitive rates, excellent customer service and energy conservation programs. I will work to ensure it does all of those things.
Question 7: What are your top two priorities should you be elected?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
I would like to restore the pool so that the Casino Project could be completed. The unused pool is an eyesore. It detracts from the Casino and I believe makes the beach property less attractive. The pool locker rooms need to be upgraded and solar heating used to keep the pool comfortable during the winter for swimming. We should also adopt an environmentally friendly pool cleaning system. I would like to add native plants around the pool area that are easy to maintain.
I would like to work on restoring the historic nature of the downtown rather than remove the historic cottages and I would like to complete the renovation of the Gulfstream Hotel. The Gulfstream Hotel had a functioning restaurant and a pool. It anchors the downtown area. Having an abandoned Hotel detracts from the city’s brand. I would also like to retain the historic buildings throughout the downtown as part of the renovation of the Gulfstream Hotel. In San Francisco the renovation of the Victorian Houses became a trademark of the city and improved its attractiveness rather than replacing these historic structures with modern buildings. We can upgrade our buildings and keep our historic image.
Kim Stokes
Ensure
the 22 million in penny sales tax funds are used in a responsible,
collaborative, visionary way to bring Lake Worth beach
destination-worthy amenities. Currently, the penny sales tax
funds are being used as if they were a capital-plan maintenance fund
for things such as replacing and repairing existing infrastructure.
My opponent has allocated 1.23 million of these funds for public
parking resurfacing. This is just one example of his short-sighted
use of these funds which other cities are using to bring a new level
of amenities to their residents. I would bring together stakeholders
to discuss use of these funds for a new, modern public library, major
upgrade of our parks including addition of a splash pad and
re-opening the public pool.
Improve collaboration with the county and non-profit agencies to address the underlying issues that can create public safety problems in our city. With a new administration in Washington we can expect to see an increase in funds available for cities to tackle issues of poverty, small business growth, housing and education. We must jump on these opportunities and act as a facilitator to connect our families and businesses to the funds and programs that are available
(Truncated)
Question 8: Are you supportive of legalizing AirBNB in Lake Worth Beach?
If so, under what circumstances?
If not, why not?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
Right now, the Florida Legislature is considering rules for Air BNB and other providers. Until we see what the legislature does, we cannot act; the legislature may pre-empt us, making the situation worse. We can wait until after the legislative session to act.
At this time, it is my understanding, that short term rentals are not permitted by our city ordinance. However, these businesses are operating here. Some are operating responsibly, some are not. I don’t believe that after the Florida Legislature gets done, we will be able to deny owners operating their properties as they wish, but this does not mean that we should permit Air BNB to dominate our neighborhoods or one area overall or push people out of their homes.
No business should be able to operate in a way that degrades the neighborhood. Loud noise and music, twenty-four-hour activities disrupting the peacefulness of the neighborhood or utilizing all the surrounding parking will need to be addressed. These businesses also need to pay a licensing fee like all other businesses in the city. They need to be registered and there needs to be a local contact who can be called when problems arise.
Kim Stokes
I watched the “workshop” on Airbnb’s live and was very disappointed. It is my understanding that we are grandfathered into a rule where short-term rentals are not allowed, but it’s hard to enforce. So by legalizing Airbnb’s, we could impose more regulations. There was a long list of proposed regulations presented during that workshop and I was hoping to hear a discussion about each one so we could weigh the pros and cons. But instead, I ended up listening to the mayor talk about her personal experience for far too long and Commissioner Maxwell talk about how this wasn’t a good situation to be in because both sides would end up unhappy and then propose a bunch of additional meetings that would delay the conversation. Commissioner Amoroso made a comment about how shocked he was that no one was at the meeting because there were no public comment cards. Speaking for myself, I could not possibly see a reason to submit a comment card before the meeting even began and we were presented with the different options. I think this is a perfect example of how hard it is to interact with the commission in a meaningful way.
Question 9: What would you do to champion South Federal Highway development other than halfway houses and recovery centers? Please provide details.
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
Zoning is a major way to benefit the South Federal Highway. Zoning determines what can and cannot be built there. I support having charrettes amongst the residents to come up with a plan. I think that there is room for multifamily housing and some of the motels in the area. The city cannot deny sober homes or congregate living facilities if they meet code. This has been established by the US Supreme Court. We can assure that these facilities operate legally as to not be a blight on the neighborhoods.
The existing properties cannot be down zoned. This means if they have the right to build multifamily housing or commercial you cannot take that away from them. However, we could work to get property owners to plant vegetation on the properties that are being left vacant to improve the look of the area. I do not support demolishing existing desirable structures to leave the property vacant. Over time if these property owners are not interested in developing these properties the city could consider purchasing them and selling them to someone interested in building on them.
Kim Stokes
Whenever we consider development along any of our major roads, I would like to engage with the residents and hear their ideas. Do we want to create pocket neighborhoods, do we want condos or townhouses, large infill projects or smaller ones? We can then discuss the pros and cons of each. Once we determine the kind of development that is best for our town, we can work with city staff to determine how to encourage it.
Question 10: What is the plan to maintain the mangroves that have been planted along the ICW in Bryant Park?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent (Rebuttal [2] by Drew Martin)
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Rebuttal by Drew Martin:
Mangroves protect, improve and maintain water quality. They are a line of defense against hurricane storm surge. The mangroves were originally intended to stop shoreline erosion that was undermining the sea wall. The mangroves are not tall trees so people can look over them. If the mangroves are removed the sea wall will erode. Not maintaining and permitting mangroves along the Bryant Park Seawall means greater expenses for the city.
There is a city outfall near the Bryant Park Seawall; monitoring is showing a higher nutrient level in this area. The mangroves, along with oysters are environmentally designed to capture this increased nutrient level. Too many nutrients can drive harmful algal blooms leading to serious water quality problems where there is no oxygen in the water and fish die. That smell is unpleasant and the water could become dangerous if someone fell into it.
Drew Martin
Just last week I worked with Lake Worth Lagoon Keepers and Lake Worth Waterkeepers; we cleaned and repaired the planters. They are actually in good condition and the plants are doing well. They are a tremendous benefit to the environment and keep our nearby lagoon from becoming a toxic algal bloom that could result in fish kills that would lead to hazardous breathing conditions and reduce our coastal property values. On the west coast of Florida fish kills devasted their economy.
Mangroves also provide tremendous value by capturing storm surge and protecting nearby properties that could be damaged in a severe hurricane. Studies have shown mangroves to be ideal at protecting shorelines. They also sequester carbon and capture pollutants in the water. Further, this ecosystem provides habitat for many of our gamefish that bring millions of tourist dollars.
The city can contract with the Lake Worth Lagoon Keepers and Lake Worth Waterkeepers to maintain and clean these mangroves to keep them healthy and to prevent litter from accumulating. The mangroves protect the seawall and are saving the city significant money with fewer repairs or replacement of the existing sea wall.
Kim Stokes
I believe that the Lake Worth Waterkeeper has taken over the maintenance of the mangroves in Bryant Park. The mangroves provide a lot of benefits to our city. They protect the seawall by softening the impact from storm surges. They pull out nutrient pollution and clean our water ways which will result in fewer algae blooms. They also use up carbon and are great at cleaning up our greenhouse gasses.
Question 11: Is the CRA doing a good job?
If not, what would you change?
If so, what would you do to promote their work and / or improve their effectiveness?
Andy Amoroso - Incumbent (Rebuttal [3] by Drew Martin)
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Rebuttal by Drew Martin:
The CRA is no longer functioning properly. The purpose of a CRA is to fight blight. The CRA in Lake Worth Beach is increasing blight by boarding up properties and driving people out of the cottages near the downtown. These cottages provide housing and enhance the historic downtown. It is destroying the historic downtown to replace it with traffic congestion and high-rises. Further, it is drawing money from the tax base by giving potential owners lower property taxes on CRA projects.
The CRA is concerned with propagating itself. It duplicates the city government and takes revenues from the general fund. The best way to reinvigorate the downtown is to restore the historic cottages and renovate the Gulfstream hotel. The Gulfstream would provide clients for the downtown without increasing congestion downtown. If we continue as we are, the CRA will drain funds because CRA taxes go to the CRA.
Drew Martin
No, I don’t think the CRA is doing a good job. I disagree with the CRA losing money on land transactions. I disagree with removing the historic cottages in the downtown. It would be like if San Francisco removed all the Victorian Houses. San Francisco would not be the beautiful city it is today. CRA Board Meetings have not been transparent to the public and public input has been ignored. The CRA Board should be replaced with the City Commission.
The CRA takes revenue from the city’s general fund because all increased property tax revenues in the CRA district go to the CRA, not the city. The CRA has added staff that fulfill many of the same functions as city staff. We do not need to duplicate staff in our city.
CRAs were never intended to be permanent entities. They were intended to serve a purpose. CRAs are not intended to last forever. Also, much of what a CRA does the city can do throughout the city without a CRA. It just means businesses would have to fund their own improvements. The downtown of our city is not a blighted region like, for example an abandoned neighborhood.
Kim Stokes
The CRA is not giving enough detail in their RFPs which leaves it up to each developer to bring their vision to the city. Developers will do whatever they can to maximize their profits and not necessarily what is best for our city. The CRA also needs to do a better job of setting up guardrails to make sure that once a project is complete it will actually contribute to the city.
The CRA listens to staff recommendations, so it’s important for the commissioners to set a clear vision for the staff to carry out. We need to have a better definition of what constitutes blight and criteria for success. There are many ways to eliminate blight, one of which is to tear down existing structures and bring in new construction. But there are other options we should explore that won’t jeopardize the character and diversity of our town.
The CRA must to do a survey of needs and have an open application process when deciding which nonprofits to support in order to avoid the appearance of favoring someone’s pet project and to make sure the community is getting access to the services it actually needs.
Question 12: What would you do to advance the improvement of the condition of our city streets?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
The city needs to keep a portion of the budget for street repair. One thing the city could do is to reduce cut-through traffic that degrades the roads. We can reduce wear by blocking off streets or adding street calming. If we could get more people to use alternative forms of transportation that will also reduce wear and tear on our streets.
Reducing heavyweight truck and bus traffic on side streets could enhance the life of our streets. Shade trees along our streets might reduce the heat that often dries out the pavement causing it to crack. There may be street surfaces that are more durable. The city might find alternative road surfaces with a longer lifetime.
Unfortunately, the city is nearing the end of its bond funds and will have to find other sources of funding. That is why sunsetting the CRA might give the city a new source of funding. Maintaining speed limits and enforcing speeds also can increase the longevity of our streets.
Kim Stokes
The city did pass the road bond and is repairing roads, however there are many roads that haven’t been repaired yet. I have heard complaints from people throughout the city about potholes damaging their cars which can be very costly. I would have the city be more proactive about addressing potholes instead of waiting for a complaint or a new road. Other cities have done pothole blitzes and I recommend we look into doing the same.
Question 13: We have many vacant storefronts downtown with some landlords charging high rents / making property too expensive to promote redevelopment. What would you do to fix this?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
We cannot tell landowners what to do with their property. We cannot tell them what they can charge. We can use code enforcement if their property is unsightly. If a landowner chooses not to rent their property then the city should ask them to consider working with local artists to put some art work in the window to make the downtown more attractive. We might put pictures of historic Lake Worth.
I don’t know if the city can assess a landlord for leaving property vacant but it can penalize a landlord for leaving it unsightly. The issue in downtown Lake Worth Beach is not a lack of money on the part of landowners; the problem is that they are so wealthy that they don’t need the rents and are holding these properties as speculative investments. The city could work with these landlords to try to reason with them, but I don’t think we have a legal recourse. Money will not solve the problem of landowners who have so much wealth they can leave a property vacant. Maybe we could find investors who would purchase some of these properties and rent them at reasonable rates.
Kim Stokes
I am in favor of implementing a vacancy tax or using other methods to discourage this kind of behavior. I also think we need to take a hard look at the kind of development we are encouraging. When the city is buying up land and selling it at a loss to a developer coupled with other tax incentives, and they build a 5-story complex on it, that artificially boosts the costs of surrounding areas and makes it hard for an average business to compete.
Question 14: Covid-19 has taken a toll on our country and our city. What initiatives would you propose the city make to help our residents and businesses recover?
Andy Amoroso - incumbent
No Written Response (Video Response Below)
Drew Martin
The best thing the city can do is encourage people to wear masks to stop the spread of the disease. People at the beach and downtown should be encouraged to wear a mask when not eating and social distance. Food giveaways have been providing food to those in need. We could ask landowners of vacant lots if neighborhood volunteers could grow some food crops on their property during the covid-19 crisis. After city events, let’s share left over food with those in need.
Because covid-19 may lead to temporary homelessness it might be wise to stop demolishing or removing houses that could provide temporary shelter. The city could lease these homes to needy families to keep families off the streets. We need a temporary location where people can get assistance who are faced with eviction. We are experiencing an extreme situation that requires us to look at out-of-the-box ways to help people. I believe that with the vaccine and proper mask wearing we can bring this pandemic under control. I would not support water cutoffs for nonpayment of bills. Water is essential for cleanliness. Water should not be disconnected unless there is a water leakage problem.
Kim Stokes
Again, I recommend a survey of needs. We have to find out what the needs are in the community and then work with existing non-profits and government programs to address them and get the information out to residents and businesses. I am proposing that we expand our volunteer boards and have one dedicated to outreach and advocacy. The city has its limitations, but I don’t believe in saying that something is not a city issue. Not only has Covid taken a financial toll on our city/country but also an emotional toll. Even before Covid we are seeing an increase in isolation and depression. There is a whole field of study about neighboring and I have enrolled in a course from the University of Missouri and watch the videos when I can. Towns all across the country are sharing cool ways to strengthen neighborhoods so that we can get to know each other and help each other out and I would like the NAPC to take charge in implementing some of the ideas.
Please note: the video responses to Questions #9, #10, #13 and #14 run long.
