Steve Kapantais: Salem City Council Candidate Profile

SALEM, MA — Steve Kapantais is seeking his first term representing Ward 5 on the Salem City Council.

The 53-year-old father of three graduated from UMass-Lowell with an engineering degree and is the technical director with more than 20 years of experience working for Novolex, a packaging choice and sustainability company.

He told Patch he wants to bring transparency and accessibility to the Salem City Council with a focus on affordable housing.

The citywide election is on Nov. 2.

Campaign website

stevekapantais.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Ward 5 because I want every resident to have their voices heard and concerns addressed. Our governmental process needs to be open, transparent and accessible to every resident. I would like to live in a city that puts people first and creates opportunities for a great future for everyone. We should dream big in Salem and realize that we can achieve our dreams.

My vision for Ward 5 is derived from the working-class values that were instilled in me by my parents: equality of opportunities. respect and acceptance. and bringing people together on common ground to solve problems. Those values were reinforced in my professional career, and more recently during my advocacy for accessibility during the last few years.

I am confident that now is the right time for me to put all my experiences together and work for you as Ward 5 Councilor. My voice will be outspoken; I will always put the constituents of Ward 5 first and I will ensure that together our voices are heard.

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

Without a doubt, the most pressing issue in Salem is affordable housing.

Although the housing shortage affects all income levels, I would particularly like the city to focus on affordable housing for seniors, veterans and our population earning $65,000 per year and less. This truly is where the housing crisis exists. There are no simple solutions and no one silver bullet to resolve the housing affordability crisis. Salem must focus on concrete and creative measures. It will require us to work together in innovative ways.

Below are several steps that the city of Salem must either continue or start to implement in order to solve the affordable housing crisis.

1. Create and support the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF). Salem has already taken the step of creating an AHTF and has made progress. However, we need to continue to increase public investment in funds to assist non-profit community developers.

2. Offer incentives and tax breaks for developing affordable housing. Salem has entered into contracts and offered tax breaks and public land to projects that require market-rate development. We need to partner with developers that are offering affordable housing at 60 percent AMI and at a minimum of 30 percent of the units.

3. Municipal bonds (via ballot) for affordable housing. Salem can propose allocating funds to specific projects or developments via municipal bond ballot questions. This provides residents with the opportunity to approve or deny spending by way of the ballot box.

4. Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. City Council needs to bring back the IZ ordinance for affordable homes with a sliding scale on increasing density. Small development projects (less than 8) should be allowed a 25 percent increase in density bonus. The density bonus must decrease as the size of the project increases. This will allow for smaller projects to provide affordable units.

5. Innovation. Salem needs to be on the cutting edge of development focused on faster building, increased productivity, and lower costs.

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

The biggest difference between my opponent and myself is the manner in which we propose creating solutions. Mr. (Jeff) Cohen's proposal to mimic the Portland, Oregon ordinance related to 90 days notice and one-month rent rebate for tenants is an acute proposal to a chronic problem. If you followed the process in Portland, you would know that it has been a four-year court battle costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation and has created barriers between landlords and tenants rather than common ground. In addition, the approach of jumping directly to an ordinance that would affect 9,000 homes, further strengthens the barriers being created and would require resources to manage and enforce that the city does not currently have.

When we face chronic issues it is important to take a pragmatic and continuous improvement approach to solve the issue. Instead of creating barriers and forcing litigation for years, you must create common ground and make incremental improvements over a period of time.

My approach to solving issues like this is to create programs that are beneficial to both tenants and landlords, create a program that does not strain city resources and payroll. Instead of trying to change laws that affect 9,000 apartments immediately, take the time to identify the problem and create solutions that can be implemented over a period of time and constantly improve until said goal is reached.

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

COVID 19 was something the city has never faced before and it was quite dynamic in nature. As a city councilor, it is important to listen to our medical officials and allow them to lead and provide guidance for steps to be taken. Overall, I would say that the city of Salem did an excellent and is continuing to do an excellent job. The only thing that I would have done differently is I would have pushed to have the marketing campaign run in August 2020 telling people to "Make Salem Your Destination this October" canceled.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Constituent service should be the largest role for a ward councillor. Ward 5 residents want their trash picked up on time, potholes fixed, sidewalks level and snow removed. They want to be able to call their city councilor and know that their issues are being resolved. A commitment to provide constituent service is more than a campaign promise, it is exactly what I will do when working for you.

As Ward 5 councilor, I will bring that same tenacity, passion and commitment to representing and advocating for every resident in Ward 5. I promise to work for you and deliver solutions that connect residents with the resources and services they deserve in Ward 5.

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

My advocacy for accessibility, improved education and my work as a Lion is the driving force behind my desire to represent the residents of Ward 5. Below is a list of just some of the projects that I was very involved in within the last four years. After being part of the reason for these improvements, I am asking that you vote for me for Ward 5 Councillor and allow him to work for you.

Met with Mass DOT and had them increase all clearances around poles and electrical boxes to minimum 36” on Canal Street.

After Forest River construction was completed, I worked with the city to amend and finish the walkway, removing the chains near the beach and making the beach accessible

Helped Ward 3 residents with the Overlook Acres Development regarding wetland buffer zones and land contamination

Successfully worked with the city to create and pass an ADA compliance resolution.

Worked with city and state election officials to resolve issues with voting machines and booths.

Worked with City to ensure parklets were accessible.

Started petition to protect our wetlands; the city is currently hiring an expert to help write an improved ordinance.

Worked with the city on a program that would require all outside dining to be accessible.

Worked with a private donor to install accessibility mat providing access to beach.

Worked with the school committee in developing a true two-way communication between the school committee, schools and parents.

Worked with the city on correcting the location of accessible parking at Bertram Field.

Discovered and brought to light the inappropriate hiring practices by the former school superintendent.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I had the opportunity during my career to work with a mentor and learn a process called "rational thinking" and what he meant by that was logically separating issues into solutions. I accomplish this by…
1. Having intentional conversations to solve problems, not circular arguments.
2. Be open, honest, forthright in a productive spirit.
3. Be willing to enable breakthroughs, actively listen to other views.
4. Look at yourself and accept coaching and self-improvement.
5. Stand for integrity, maintain accountability.
6. Remain loyal to those absent and grant trust.
7. Stay on the field, not in the stands.

This process has not only helped me become a better professional but has also helped me become a better person as well.

It is these key points coupled with my engineering background that allow me to successfully deliver solutions.

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

It has always been difficult for me to talk about what I believe are my strongest characteristics, however, I will give it a shot. First, perseverance when something is right I never give up the fight until the correct results are achieved. Second, determination and resiliency, my personal battle of losing my vision, losing over 80 percent of my income at the age of 48 and the ability to accept new challenges, accept help from others, learn new skills and within a few years return to work full time, lead service organizations, become active and successful in local improvements demonstrates what I can accomplish.

I will always support Ward 5 and make the decisions that my constituents want.