Groton Democrat Primary: Conrad Heede Seeks Nomination

GROTON, CT — Tuesday Sept. 14 is the Democratic Primary For Groton Town Council for a two-year term which runs from Dec. 7, 2021 to Dec. 5, 2023. Voters must be a registered Democrat in order to participate in the primary.

Groton Patch contacted primary candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Conrad Heede, 50, is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for Town Councilor.

Occupation: Hotel management / Area Director of Revenue Management

Experience: Town Council, City Council, and RTM

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Tough question. Many challenges. Short term, getting the kids back in school SAFELY and onto the path of recovery and personal growth. Long term, I think we face rising costs from climate change, impacts of EB growth and problems with waste disposal and run-off. We need to pursue smart growth with an eye to climate change as explained in our Town's Plan for Conservation and Development and in our revised zoning rules. Development should be focused on route one on the Western side of town including properties near the former Benny's parking lot, which is already highly developed if aged and with poor, flood-prone infrastructure. Thousands of new hires for EB along with various subsidiaries are considering coming into our region and I want them to call Groton home. If we do nothing, rents for existing apartments are likely going to skyrocket forcing lower paid individuals and family to spend more of their disposable income on housing and home values will increase at an unhealthy clip as investors compete with private, individual home buyers much the same way AirBnB investors are changing some o f our most picturesque neighborhoods. The investors will win and more homes could become rental properties with transient residents. I've witnessed this in both Boston and Washington D.C. Small, unique, mixed neighborhoods gentrify and those who live there are forced out creating a sterile neighborhood made up of people who don't know each other, care about the community or stay long enough to put down roots. I've also witnessed what happens if the community over-embraces growth and fails to protect it's open spaces. My original hometown of Grapevine, Texas went from mostly farmland to a blanket of suburban homes in a single generation. Open space and local farms are a thing of the past and will never return. The JLUS study indicates many people want stand alone housing, but in practice, end up renting due to lack of savings, high levels of debt, low income, lifestyle or simply because they are new to area and uncertain how long they will stay. If we do not accommodate them, there will be pressure to clear cut more forests in Groton and surrounding communities to build homes. Groton has several closed and closing school properties, most near EB along route one. We've already seen three of them move towards going back onto the tax rolls and becoming productive again including Groton Heights for a corporate headquarters, Colonel Ledyard and Sealy for condensed, modern apartments. While this effort began before I joined the Council, I was in support when I was on the RTM. This population demand driver provides an opportunity to grow our grand list, modernize surrounding infrastructure including storm water run-off, reduce carbon emissions from commuting by building close to EB and generate population density which is required to support growth for new and existing businesses, restaurants and bars. At the same time we are growing the grand list and enabling new housing to be built, I firmly believe protecting open space, enhancing passive use recreation opportunities and linking all corners of town with trails and 'smart streets' (safe sidewalks and bicycle lanes) we can create a community that spends more time outdoors and less time in cars, driving. We need to increase mature tree canopy in neighborhoods and meet the challenge of building pocket gardens and parks in every neighborhood which will help reduce street level heat and poor air quality. Not every school or underutilized property should be developed. Each one should be repurposed within the parameters of our existing, revised and updated P&Z regulations. Expenses for our town will continue to creep up as we struggle to adapt to rising sea-levels and increased health concerns over the coming decades. Another problem we have is waste generation. We produce too much waste and while some blows into the woods behind homes, along roads and into water ways, much more of it goes to trash incinerators. The need to ship over longer distances to landfills out of state along with the reduction in plastic waste actually being recycled with much of it turned away from places like China, and we are faced with rising trash disposal fees. We need to continue to evolve and adapt these efforts.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I've lived in several states, in suburban, city and country setting and have seen and experienced living in places undergoing either economic collapse or economic growth am educated in economics and have a keen interest in politics, and history and good government.

Accomplishments:

- Initiated plastics reduction ordinance. - Participate in Selection process for repurposing Groton - Public School properties. - Supported creation of Coastal Resiliency committee. - Supported funding for Coastal resiliency manager. - Supported GOSA grant application to purchase property abutting Sheep Farm. - Supporting purchase of Wolfbrooke property, adding 163 acres to protected open space. - Support development of data centers along route 95 on industrial property. - Participating in efforts to blaze trails on King Property. - Supported adoption of State Police radios for Town Police, and reducing costs and improving safety. Support funding to improve public safety efforts including support for diversity training and adding social worker and community policing officers. - Not afraid to challenge department heads to justify expenses. Supported budgets with modest increases while supporting or level services.

Other issues:

- Support funding for our schools. - Support efforts to improve health and social services in our community. - Bond interest payments will not start to decline until 2028. Debt is already at high levels due to school construction. Reducing dependence on bonding for roads and other projects until 20218, will help reduce expenses to then Town and protect our strong bond rating which also reduces interest costs. - Support addressing parking shortages and excessive traffic in Mystic by identifying satellite parking locations and supporting mass transit options. - Support waterfront access efforts and improved signage. - Support improving maintenance of existing sports fields and addressing shortages, BUT adamantly oppose use of plastic, and synthetic turfs. - Support improvements required to open our airport to commercial aviation. - Support spending federal dollars from recovery and infrastructure bills creatively to address infrastructure and social needs that previously may have been cut from the budget. - Support regional cooperation if those efforts will help reduce costs and enhance services. - Improving and hardening infrastructure to handle rising sea levels while respecting neighboring property owners needs and concerns. - Support efforts to transform Noank School property into tree canopy and a create a neighborhood park. Would like to add other parks across town.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am strong advocate for working together. We must recognize the uniqueness, diversity and special feel for each neighborhood and community within our town. Listening to and working with all corners to find common solutions rather than pit one group or corner against another is important. Politics is hard enough without people being angry. We must applaud residents for speaking up, listen and work through ideas, and challenges and problems.