Barnstable Candidate Profile: David Bogan For Town Council

BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable's town election will have contested races in four of the council's seven seats on the ballot. Following the death of Town Council President Jim Crocker, Town Council Candidate David Bogan will face a new challenger in Precinct 5. Matt Driscoll has enterd the race as a write-in candidate.

Patch asked the candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near. Here's a little about Bogan before the Barnstable town election on Nov. 5.

Are you running for office in Barnstable? Contact Jimmy Bentley at jimmy.bentley@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Braintree Patch.

Previously on Patch

• Barnstable Candidate Profile: Matt Driscoll For Town Council

The single most pressing issue facing Barnstable is ____, and this is what you intend to do about it?

Water drives our "blue economy," it attracts many of us to live here, and we also have to trust it very personally: we drink it, cook with it, mix baby formula with it. We must be laser focused on our water. How we handle getting to solutions is key.

The best decisions follow open, transparent processes and timely public engagement that leave residents feeling confident. I think we can do better on that score.

For example: the town recently gave residents and a village association less than a week's notice before voting to buy a home to use the property for a new sewer pump station. By the time residents had a chance to voice their views, it was too late: it was a done deal. It may be the right property and it may have been at the right price, but that’s not how good decisions are made. We have much more work to do on sewering. We need to do it efficiently, and in a way that lets residents be heard in a time frame where their views can matter.

This happens too often. I recall a 2019 Town Council meeting where many Barnstable residents showed up to talk about Lake Wequaquet’s toxic bacterial blooms. They were sent to another room to speak with Town staff. That's a fine opportunity — but it was offered in a way that took the place of them sharing their views before the Council, and letting those who could not attend hear the concerns on Channel 18.

Another example: in 2018, the town's Zoning Subcommittee, chaired by my opponent, considered changing business district zoning for six months with vague agendas and no minutes to let the public know what the Town was talking about. The law requires minutes. It's no surprise that there was no virtually no public comment on that significant zoning issue. Business district changes can have implications on our delicate water system as well; it needed public awareness and input. That wasn’t possible, because the public didn’t know it was happening until it was far down the road before the Town Council.

We need to trust our water and our political processes. We need a permanent commitment to solving our challenge and doing it in a way that leaves the public confident in our processes and our solutions.

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

My opponent has been a politician for decades, so has an impressive knowledge of Barnstable. I study hard, I listen hard, and am confident in my ability to do the job in a way that respects and reflects resident views. I have no other agenda.

My experience as an attorney means I’ve operated by a code of professional conduct for over 30 years. That means the very first thing I do is understand interests and perspectives. It means I prioritize keeping others informed and answering questions promptly. It means fairness and candor in all my interactions. That way of doing business is ingrained in me. It’s how I will do the public’s business as well.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Estuary protection is not an issue to be revisited every year; we should make a permanent commitment. While funding devoted to water protection is important, nothing is as important as the very physical, public policy actions we take.

Responsible development. Development can be great. But advocates for more development around Route 28 have the burden of proof that it won’t further degrade our environment or the quality of life for residents. Addressing our critical water issues should not be tied to development. And unless we address our water issues, tourism will suffer and property values will diminish. In short, yes, we will have built it — but no one will come.

Preserving neighborhoods. It’s time to decide what we want our neighborhoods to look like a year, a decade and a generation from now. We must stop "Airbnb profiteers" from making commercial use of single family-homes in residential zones. This is happening near me and near many long-term residents I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Coastal communities all around the country have banned investors from buying homes and running them as pay-per-night transient lodging. Why haven't we? This is entirely different use than the Cape tradition of families renting to other families from time to time. It’s time to join coastal and tourist communities all over the country that have acted.

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

I've been humbled by my selection for inclusion in the peer-driven The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2010. My success as a partner at Locke Lord LLP in is a reflects my delivery of results for clients. To do that I need to listen, and to understand how my clients define success. In this job — as a Town Councilor in Precinct 5 — the people will be my clients. I’ll listen to them to understand how they define success and work to deliver it.

In a legal practice, you never know what issue will come your way. You become adept at studying issues, getting to the nub of them quickly, and driving toward a good outcome. I'll bring those skills to bear for the citizens of the fifth precinct.

I’ve also spent a many years on boards of non-profit organizations, from human services to the arts. Those boards are defined by diversity of thought and experience. Even in leadership, I listen more than I talk and get to good outcomes by building trust through transparency and respect.

What's your favorite thing about Barnstable?

The people. I’ve lived in a number of places. Nowhere have the people been more welcoming and proud of their community.

Also, my mother-in-law lives a quarter mile down the road from us in Osterville Village. My sister-in-law and her family are a few hundred yards from there. And what a place to visit! My three grandchildren love it here, especially the ice cream. Our villages are jaw-dropping, beautiful places, each in their own way, and the rhythm changes from season to season. I’m lucky to enjoy Barnstable with my family. Life is short.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want my grandchildren to have the chance to enjoy the same Barnstable village that I enjoy today. That’s it. I have no other agenda, no business or financial interest associated with serving.

I’m the son of a single mom. My mom and I worked very hard for the life I get to enjoy today. I stand up for people who may not have the ability for whatever reason to stand up for themselves.

One more thing: study after study, from Gallup to the Harvard Business Review to the National Academy of Sciences, show that teams with diversity of experience create superior results. They are more objective, let go of assumptions and preconceived ideas faster, are more likely to innovate, and produce better financial results. I hope my election will make the Council work better for Osterville and everyone in Barnstable.