What Magda Janus Wants To Do As Framingham's D7 Councilor

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Voters in Framingham's downtown-area District 7 will get a new City Councilor after Nov. 2.

Councilor Margareth Shepard is stepping aside at the end of her second term, and two candidates are vying for the seat: Magda Janus and Leora Mallach.

We sent both Janus and Mallach a questionnaire ahead of Election Day so voters can get to know them a little better (even though they were both on the ballot in the Sept. 14 primary). Here's what Janus had to say:

Although you were a primary candidate, can you remind voters who you are and why you're running?

I moved to Framingham in 1989 and became a homeowner in 1996. I live with my husband and two kids (Zach who is a Sophomore in college, and Katy who is a Senior at FHS). I am running for City Council D7 because I believe that it is important to give a strong and clear voice to people who live in this district. I had many opportunities to talk to residents of D7 and have a good picture of what their needs, as well as wants, are.

They want someone who will keep Framingham affordable not just for new home buyers or renters but also for those who already live here and would love to live out their lives in Framingham. The city is growing very fast and many fear that the growth is going to affect many (if not all) services negatively. They worry about increasing traffic, road safety, the possibility of an insufficient number of firefighters, police officers, ambulances and many other services and amenities in Framingham. The City's budget is increasing every year. Many would like to see our government streamlined to create efficiencies. Everyone would like to see our Downtown become a safe and vibrant destination place in the Metrowest area.

If elected to City Council, what's the first thing you would want to accomplish?

Based on my answer to question No. 3 (see below) I would request that we increase the budget for the Framingham Police Department to address road safety in the entire city; enforcing traffic and parking laws; protecting our property (cars have been broken into in all parts of the city); making our downtown safer and more inviting, increased congested traffic throughout the city. The most common comments from residents of D7 as well as from all other Districts are about road traffic problems. The speeding, not paying attention while driving, unnecessarily loud cars, and people holding cell phones in their hands while driving. All of this contributes to accidents, anger, and frustration. This is not healthy. And anger is not productive. When we all start feeling safer we may actually be able to focus our energy on resolving other important issues in our city.

Several Patch readers have said they want to hear about plans to make downtown safer and more business-friendly. What would be your approach to tackling quality-of-life issues in the downtown area?

A few weeks ago I reached out to the Framingham Police Department to talk about various issues that are relevant to D7 as well as the entire City of Framingham. I have learned that one of the main problems is the insufficient number of police officers in our police department. Based on per capita requirements we should have 12 more officers. That number is based on the (most likely lower than actual) 2020 Census numbers. In reality, we may need to double that number. How does it factor into a safer downtown you may ask? We now have two foot patrol officers per day assigned to downtown. Our police department believes that having four officers per eight-hour shift, two shifts a day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.) would significantly improve the overall safety in the area. Increased police presence would give the downtown businesses an opportunity to develop a good rapport with officers and keep a closer eye on problematic issues. My part as a counselor would be to support an increased budget for our police department. Quality of life in our downtown is not the only issue in D7 that will require a larger police department in Framingham.

The City Council earlier this year eliminated the Framingham economic development director's job (the D7 Councilor did not vote in favor). How does that move impact downtown Framingham, and what's your vision for the city's economic development and planning department?

Downtown Framingham has the potential to be an amazing destination place. It is located in D7 but it belongs to the entire city and I believe that as long as the City Council can collaboratively work with the mayor’s office and the residents of Framingham, together we can create a vision and a plan to make it inviting and thriving. First, we need to make it safe, and provide adequate and easily accessible parking. Can it be done without the economic development director? I believe so. Anything is possible when people are motivated and the goal is to succeed. I know I am motivated. I have a multitude of ideas for businesses that would thrive in our Downtown. A fancy restaurant for a date night with a loved one (with live music and a dance floor), a sports bar or two, a yoga studio, a spa, an arcade, a mini-mall with one-of-a-kind boutiques, coffee and pastry shops. What about a history lesson for all ages? Our Historical Society can provide information about all the buildings and create a map of downtown; and a reason for a family outing is created. What about a farmer's market on Saturdays? Many who live in D7 work Monday to Friday and can’t make it to the Thursday market. We should all work together to make this happen.