Meet Salem City Council Candidate Joseph Cultrera

SALEM, MA — Joseph Cultrera, a film producer and co-founder of the Salem Film Fest who also launched the Greater Endicott Street Neighborhood Association, is challenging to be the Ward 3 representative on the City Council.

Cultrera told Patch that reining in "out-of-scale developments," curbing the expansion of the downtown "spooky" economy and being an independent voice who is responsive to residents will be his priorities if elected.

Cultrera is challenging incumbent Patti Morsillo for her seat on the Council.

Patch sent a series of questions to candidates in contested races in this fall's election with these Cultrera's responses:

Campaign website/social media page:

JoeCWard3.com

https://www.facebook.com/joe.cultrera

Share some details about yourself, your ties to the city, your career in public office and/or professional life.

I am both old and new Salem. I am a working-class guy who grew up in what was Salem's Italian-American neighborhood in the house my grandfather built after the Great Salem Fire. In 1977, at 18, I moved to New York City to attend the School of Visual Arts film program. In 1990, I started a film production company there which served a range of clients ranging from Human Rights Watch to Food Network, Discovery Channel to the Rolling Stones. I made my own documentaries about the Peabody tanning industry, the Salem witchcraft industry, and a FRONTLINE film, "Hand of God," about clergy sexual abuse told through the lens of my family.

I came back to Salem in 2007. Once again, I’m living in my grandfather's house. I have spent thousands of hours volunteering in Salem since my return. I co-created the Greater Endicott Street Neighborhood Association and a nonprofit that helped save St Mary's Italian Church. I co-founded and managed Salem Film Fest — the Fest is now 16 years old and brings content to Salem with challenging viewpoints from all parts of the world. I co-produced the Salem Sketches — a series of almost 70 short documentaries about the people and the place we live in. I’ve been involved on various levels with several other art, cultural and historic initiatives.

Why are you seeking this elected office?

In a nutshell, my neighbors and I feel our current ward councilor has been putting the interests of developers over Ward residents.

I sat in February meetings where a handful of my neighbors were presented with renditions of the plans by Lifebridge North Shore and Harborlight Homes to demolish St Mary's Italian Church, High Street Playground and other properties and build three hideous five-story buildings that would drop neighboring houses into the shadows. Ward 3 Councilor Morsillo and Ward 2 Councilor Watson-Felt attended, and we had a follow-up meeting with them. At those meetings, Councilor Morsillo supported the smaller park that was being proposed as a replacement for High Street Playground. She stated no objections to the height of the buildings, nor the bulldozing of St. Mary's. The project requires new zoning approval from the City Council and her newsletters have spoken positively about the 40R overlay that Harborlight wants to pursue. In fact, one of those newsletters made it sound like it was a done deal. I thought it was dangerous for her to run unopposed, so I stepped in.

I have subsequently heard from people in other parts of the ward that they feel ignored. In fact, as Council President, Councilor Morsillo has tried to push the Overlook Acres project on Highland Avenue over neighborhood objections, even after the issue of possible contamination was brought to her. I'm not a politician but I’ve been a community builder and community defender and that's what I see this position as.

What are the key issues facing Salem and how would address them, if elected?

Overdevelopment and the effect of Haunted Happenings are two things that have tax-paying residents on the edge of losing the city they love and have invested in.

Out-of-scale developments threaten Salem’s neighborhoods and its character. We need to push back against the tide of generic architecture that looks like everywhere else. We don't need to sacrifice what makes us unique for the temporary, the hideous, the too big.

I want to protect my city from the type of projects that don't fit Salem and that override zoning and environmental issues. We shouldn't be building in flood zones. We shouldn't be pushing projects ahead like Overlook Acres with the issues of traffic, wetland intrusion, and contamination threatening abutters — yet our Council did. I really don't understand how people can claim to be progressive when they push backward developments.

A lot of our problems can be tied to a downtown economy that has turned tragedy into comedy and murder into dollars. It has us tied in knots, creating traffic, straining our public works and our law enforcement, and even shrinking available housing. The ugly Hampton Inn building wouldn't be half as bad to accept if we knew it provided housing for residents instead of visitors. We are now seeing hundreds of residential rental units turned into Airbnb. We are on the road to becoming like Venice — a city where residents have fled, and most apartments are now vacation rentals. I have no issue with a short Halloween season, but if we can't control what businesses are selling, we can at least control the image that the city is. We have to emphasize our other histories over spooky world, limit signage, take more control and even some ownership of walking tours, and seriously invest and build on existing and new social, historical, arts and cultural offerings that take place beyond October.

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

I will be a true representative of the people, not a mouthpiece for mayors past and present; not as someone toeing the line for any one political party; not someone using Salem as some sort of social experiment. I'm an independent, creative thinker without political alliances or party loyalties. As a business owner, community organizer, cultural event organizer and filmmaker I've spent my career speaking truth to power. My documentary films have captured the stories of the unheard, misrepresented, abused — those pushed aside. Many of the films we have screened at Salem Film Fest have been unafraid to push the envelope to create dialogue.

The present Council has become too much of a singular voice — a voice not always reflective of the whole city. I will bring a more diverse and inclusive tone to City Hall. Even if there are people whose views I don't completely align with, I will not discount them — I will listen, find the places where we connect and build on that so that we can learn from each other and reach acceptable solutions. As a documentary director, I have learned that it is best not to pre-judge people or situations but to be open to listening, learning and having your opinion changed.

If you are a challenger, in what ways would you look to improve on the way the current elected official is performing duties of the office?

The difference between myself and anybody on the Council is that I want residents to lead me towards solutions, rather than me telling them what they need. I'm holding my own town hall on November 2 — it's an example of something I will do regularly when elected. It'll be a chance for people to hear about me, but more importantly, it's a chance for me to hear about their concerns and ideas.

The people know what's best for them, their neighborhoods, and their city. Councilors should be listening to those ideas and bringing them to the Council floor, not the reverse. In addition to regular town halls, I will create neighborhood advisory councils from all parts of my ward, including groups from Pequot Highlands, Salem Heights and Fairweather Apartments — communities that currently have little voice. I also will create student and senior advisory councils from the ward.

I also want more transparency and community involvement at all city meetings. There should not be any public meetings where the public is excluded from speaking. If officials are afraid to hear public comment, it suggests there is something flawed in what they are presenting.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Term limits are a must in local politics. Even our better local officials get too cozy in their positions. The longer they stay in their positions, the more removed they get from the people they represent. They form tight circles, controlled by political parties and other power brokers. They can also use name recognition more than accomplishments to stay in office. Part of the reason we see low voter turnout is a general feeling that the deck is stacked, and nothing will change. Term limits will change that perception and cycle new energy and voices through city leadership.

If we can afford multi-million-dollar tax breaks for wealthy business owners, let's share that generosity with working homeowners. We should build truly affordable units where they fit current zoning and income; we should also create incentives for homeowners to offer affordable apartments with stabilized rents.

We need to get a handle on homelessness by bolstering mental health services and pushing surrounding communities to carry some of the burden. I want to make our streets safe but not confusing; strengthen our infrastructure; create a more vibrant and diverse cultural scene; and reinvigorate our parks and playgrounds. We also should do a better job of honoring and tapping into the experience of our seniors and veterans.

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

I'm not afraid to speak my mind, stand up for residents, and take any hits that come with that action. I'm not in this race to join the political clubhouse that the City Council has become. I'm here to create good trouble and positive discourse, not to join the chorus. I haven't asked any politician to endorse me. I am running as a political independent who will be free to vote in a way that best reflects residents and protects this beautiful, historically significant place we love.

I've always been about hard work, helping people, making them feel safe and comfortable, being fiscally responsible, and trying to find a smile in everything I do. I am always thinking of inventive ways to make things better and I will do that when I am the Ward 3 Councilor.