I am running for re-election to Greenbelt City Council to continue as a voice helping bridge neighborhoods and further build community across all of Greenbelt. As a city, I believe we need to:
- Reduce the city’s carbon footprint and promote environmental sustainability while planning for resilience in the face of climate change.
- Plan for the City’s future in the face of economic challenges and uncertainty.
- Expand and improve parks and recreation opportunities, as well as bicycle and pedestrian accessibility, across the city.
- Proactively pursue equity, fair practices, and justice in city policies– including policing — and promote diversity and inclusion among leadership, staff, and others representing the city.
- Protect and support our residents in the face of the haphazard and cruel policies put forth by the current federal administration.
The city is already taking steps toward many aspects of these goals. I have been proud to have been part of the distribution of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funding through a variety of projects that support individual Greenbelters, businesses and non-profits, and catching up on infrastructure improvements delayed by the pandemic. However, those funds have all been allocated, and projects must be completed by December 2026.
Moving beyond the pandemic, we face new challenges with the economic and social disruption caused by the haphazard and cruel policies of the current federal administration, which will bring difficulties to Greenbelt and surrounding communities. The next challenges will have to be faced without the resources of ARPA, but will require creativity and fortitude in the face of economic uncertainty.
As liaison to the Greenbelt Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability, I have supported environmental causes such as the Better Bag ordinance and promoting electric vehicles and infrastructure, stormwater management, and other climate resilience issues as part of the City’s planning processes. The latest effort underway is Save as You Throw, a unit-based pricing model for city refuse collection that will distribute costs more equitably among residents, charging more for those who generate more trash, and promises to reduce trash generation overall, saving money on tipping fees for the city in the long run.
Read more about why Kristen is running for re-election to City Council.
