Patricia Morsillo: Salem City Council Candidate Profile

SALEM, MA — Patricia Morsillo is seeking re-election as a Salem City Councilor representing Ward 3.

The 59-year-old mother of two earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in computer science from Union College. She has worked as a software engineer for 30 years.

Morsillo told Patch she wants to return to the City Council to continue her work on affordable housing, traffic safety and the city's efforts to combat climate change.

Campaign website

www.pattiforsalem.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

One of the things I have enjoyed about being a city councilor is diving into research related to constituent concerns. A recent example of this was the discovery that a piece of private land under consideration for a solar farm had a Conservation Restriction on the deed. While this was plainly stated on the deed, I was curious how this property slipped through the cracks after the city paid for the restriction in 1980. This led to searching through City Council minutes to find when this was discussed and passed by the council.

Whatever the issue, I do not hesitate to ask questions and do the research needed to provide amendments to update our city ordinances or to bring creative solutions to the problems facing my constituents. We have so many great city employees who are there to help with issues, and I am grateful for the respectful relationships that I have created with members of city departments and Boards.

The next few years will bring important discussions and ordinance updates related to climate change and resiliency, through the Green Building Ordinance, the Urban Agriculture Ordinance, the Solar Ordinance, and the Wetlands Protection updates. Keeping on top of these issues, doing the research to understand the questions raised, and keeping constituents up to date on the progress for each one is very important.

I have proven over the past year as the chair of the Committee on Ordinances, Licenses, and Legal Affairs, that I can successfully run effective meetings and work in a congenial manner with all. My goal is to get to a consensus first, through respectful discussion. Once we have gotten to a consensus, working towards making the modifications necessary to gain unanimous approval is easier. Our discussions have been calm, informative, open, and above all respectful of each other's viewpoints.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Climate Change and Resiliency — as a city, this is the one item that affects every ward, and if not addressed, will have the highest cost and impact.

Joining forces with Beverly to address climate change is a win. By working together, we can have a greater impact through change, and we can more effectively apply for grant funds to help cover the costs of sustainability projects.

In Ward 3, I continue to advocate for funds to update the Ocean Ave. W Pump Station. The design for this update has been completed, the public meetings have been held, and now we need to fund the project. Also, the Rosie's Pond Flood Mitigation project needs to happen. The city will be putting it out to bid soon, with the hope to begin construction in the spring. These two projects together will bring much-needed peace of mind to the Castle Hill neighborhood, which has seen costly flooding in the past several years. I will continue to push for these two projects.

And tied for first place — speeding and aggressive driving in our neighborhoods. We need to work together as a city, the council, mayor's office, traffic and parking department, and police department, to approach this issue from all sides. It requires a combination of education, traffic enforcement, fixing our roads to bring driving lane widths down to standard sizes to encourage drivers to slow down, and adding traffic calming measures like speed bumps on roads that have become new cut-throughs.

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

I have great respect for anyone who runs for public office, including my opponent. It takes time and focus to not only run a good campaign but to then do the job well.

I have proven that I can do the work, and do it well. Every week, I provide my constituents will timely information on issues in the ward, city news and events, and upcoming meetings. I work respectfully with city staff and with my colleagues on the city council. I am not afraid to ask questions and do the work to get to a consensus on items in front of the Council.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Salem's Board of Health, mayor and city staff led the way for Massachusetts over and over. Being a tourist city, we needed to take extra precautions to protect our business and restaurant workers and support out front line workers last year and again this summer and fall.

Early in the pandemic, the city organized volunteers to check in on our older residents, to make sure they had the services needed and to provide a friendly voice during a very isolating time. I joined in by calling residents of the Fairweather Apartments. I also brought about 100 masks to the residents, donated by some crafty sewers in North Salem, and got a donation of hand sanitizer from Deacon Giles for the building. As a community, we stepped up to care for those who needed help.

The school food services department provided hundreds of meals every day to students, beginning on day one. Their ability to distribute these meals at the schools and deliver to the larger apartment buildings kept our students fed during the long months that students were learning at home. And the city worked with Root to deliver prepared meals to seniors. The Salem Food Pantry and Mack Park Food Farm really stepped up to provide food for so many families who suddenly found themselves in need.

Our Economic Development Recovery and Revitalization team worked with businesses to create outdoor restaurant spaces and safe shopping experiences, connected business owners to financial resources and provided PPE.

And a shout out to the DPS employees who were involved with all aspects of the city's response. They are often overlooked but were the backbone of the physical response to keeping Salem safe and healthy during the pandemic.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One thing I have been spending time thinking about and researching is the decreasing stock of 2- and 3-family houses in Salem. The decrease in these housing types results in a decreased number of naturally occurring affordable rental units. The loss is the result of the increased popularity and financial gain to be made from turning these units into condos, and in some cases, short-term rental units, which remove these units from the residential rental market.

As a member of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, I am working in a subcommittee to research a Condo Conversion Ordinance. The ordinance would not stop conversions, but it would require the owner to get a permit from the City. This would allow the City to ensure state laws regarding tenants; rights are being followed. There is certainly a place for condos in the housing market — for many it is an entry into the housing market, allowing them to build equity.

This is the same equity-building benefit of 2- and 3-family houses. Historically these types of houses have been bought by immigrant families and or first-time homeowners. Owner-occupied rental units in 2- and 3-family houses provide the naturally occurring affordable rents of which we are so badly in need, and the rental income gives the homeowner the financial flexibility required to purchase the home.

We need to find a way to rebuild our stock of 2- and 3-family working-class houses. This is an income equity issue, as homeownership is the foundation of generational wealth. Multi-family homes build community and family bonds. Very often, immigrant families will have 2 or 3 generations in one house, each in a separate unit. Families help with childcare and healthcare, and this helps to transition immigrants into the larger community more easily.

The solution requires creative thinking and financing. And we need to find the space to build these houses. One possibility is the Salem State University South Campus. Building new 2- or 3-family homes on that land, deed restricting them to require the homeowner to live in the home and rent at affordable rents, and in return, the price to buy is reasonable through very low-cost mortgages and subsidized housing prices. Clearly, there is a lot to work out, but this would provide desperately needed affordable rental units and homeownership for those who have been shut out of the housing market regionally.

Additionally, we need to focus on and pass some of the ordinance updates in the pipeline: the Green Building Ordinance, updates to our wetlands protections, the new Solar Ordinance, and the Urban Agriculture Ordinance. I am also advocating for and working on updates to our construction-related ordinances, and to the Tree Ordinance.

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

I have been active in the community for many years. When my children were in school, I was involved with School Council, PTOs, Band Boosters, and several district committees. I was also part of the group that saved the school lunch program from becoming privatized. I presented a plan to the school committee that demonstrated our ability to reorganize the department, train the staff, account for all low-income students, and pay down the debt. The success of the program was immediate and resulted in the district's ability to secure free breakfast and lunch at all schools and provide fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks.

I am also a founding member of the League of Women Voters of Salem (during the campaign season, I have stepped down from the Steering Committee). What drew me to the LWV was its non-partisan approach to the study of issues. I appreciate the consensus approach that the League uses in its decisions on whether to support legislation, allowing all voices to be heard in a respectful manner. These are the qualities and values that I bring to the city council, and demonstrate daily.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My mentor from my days as a Project Lead in a software company stressed the importance of communication and understanding how different people use different styles of communication. He taught me to take the time to listen to what the other person is trying to say. Sometimes it takes a little bit of listening to understand what the underlying issue really is, and it's worthwhile to take the time to really hear what the other person is saying. This is not only important in the business world in creating successful teams, but also in family dynamics and community advocacy and representation.

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

Above all else, we need to treat each other with respect. I will always bring a positive, respectful attitude to meetings of the Council, committees and working groups, and with constituents. I am always open to discussions about my positions on items before the Council.