Patch Candidate Profile: Lisa Shanahan, Norwalk Common Council

NORWALK, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Norwalk and there are plenty of local races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Norwalk Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Democrat Lisa Shanahan is a Norwalk resident running for the Common Council in District E.

Education

AB from Dartmouth College, JD from University of Pennsylvania.

What is your occupation?

Retired attorney.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

I have two grown daughters.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None of my children work in local government. One of them is an assistant US attorney.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I sat on Norwalk's Conservation Commission in 2018-2019. I was elected as the District E council person for the Norwalk Common Council in 2019 and 2021.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

Having grown up in Norwalk, I genuinely would like to volunteer my time and abilities to help continue to make Norwalk a more livable and workable city. I like helping my neighbors get needed city services. I especially like working on city policy to make lasting changes in Norwalk.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is helping to make this city more resilient and sustainable, both in terms of appropriate and smart development and in mitigating the impact that climate change will have on our coastal city. All cities need to continue to grow and develop so that the tax base stays healthy, but the addition of new apartments must be done in a way not to change our neighborhoods while adding density to parts of the city that can manage the density with transit and walking options so as not to increase our traffic load.

We need to attract new and younger people to come live and work in our city. We do that by continuing the work that makes Norwalk one of the 50 best places to raise a family as recognized by Fortune magazine. Smart development brings with it needed infrastructure improvements that will help Norwalk navigate the changes in our weather and expected sea level rise, but will also provide important upgrades in our sidewalks and roads. Right now, my Ordinance committee is working with our Traffic department to bring a Complete Streets initiative to make streets more welcoming to walkers, runner, bikers, strollers and dog walkers.

I am chair of the Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resiliency committee that is partnering with different departments within in the city to bring more sustainable practices to city government including advocating for more electric vehicles and equipment, the addition of trees to all of our city landscapes, and looking to state and federal partners to help provide funding for studies to help us to bring more resiliency to the city.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Primarily I bring the experience of having done this job well for the past 4 years. I have a proven record of responsiveness to my constituents' concerns and needs. My legal background provides me with the skills to understand the inner workings of city government, to properly write needed ordinances, and work on high level policy initiatives.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I am a two term incumbent.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Our voters ask most often about taxes, added density, and infrastructure improvements. I work hard to balance safeguarding the taxpayers' investment in our city with evaluating what funds are required to cover basic city services. While elected officials such as Council people have no say in what projects are approved for development in the city, I have been a strong advocate for Complete Streets which will make sure that the best traffic practices will be incorporated in all development across the city. As part of my sustainability and resilience advocacy in the city, I have worked hard to encourage infrastructure improvements to address issues of flooding (which affects a large portion of my district), the addition of sidewalks, and road improvements for safety to slow speeding.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I had a successful legal and banking career. After I retired, I have been a leader in many charitable and civic organizations. I have represented our District as one of its two council people since 2019. My District partner and I have championed safer streets and more sidewalks successfully. There are now new sidewalks around Fox Run, Brien McMahon and Raton Middle School as a result of our efforts. Shortly, a sidewalk leading from the village of Rowayton to the train station will be installed.

I have chaired both the Ordinance and Ad Hoc Sustainability Committees. In the Ordinance committee, we successfully passed a new Ethical code, an outdoor dining ordinance, noise ordinance, pesticide ordinance, firecracker sale ordinance, among many other important ordinances. In the Sustainability committee, we held a climate workshop that led to the engagement of a consultant that will report back to us as to how city departments can operate more sustainably.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Don't make a decision before that decision's deadline is due. Circumstances change. Additional information becomes available. Keep an open mind as you deliberate.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a fiscally conservative democrat that works hard to ensure that the taxpayers' investment in city government is well spent. I also believe that public engagement is critical to good government and that engagement starts with listening to concerns of District residents.