Candidate’s Questionnaire: Rick Haskins

Duval Street and Downtown

  1. Do you favor funding the Duval Street Revitalization Study in the fiscal year 2021 budget? Will you fund the recommended improvements in the next year? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: If there is enough money in the budget and the community supports the study, yes. If the community is supportive of the recommended improvements, I will fund the improvements.

  1. What are your ideas for interim projects (before the Study makes recommendations) on Duval or Downtown that would make it more pedestrian friendly and people oriented? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I would have to hear what ideas are proposed and then query the community and people that would benefit and be affected to be sure that it has the support and feasibility necessary to complete.

  1. Do you think removing all parking on Duval Street would enhance the downtown environment? Would you support an ordinance that would allow parklets (benches or tables and chairs on a platform) to replace parking downtown? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I have not seen the plan for removing or the community’s response to removing parking on Duval. I would be interested to see how they feel and then I could support it if the community does. Would love to see then plan for park benches and how it could be safely implemented with community support.

Duval Loop and Public Transit

  1. Do you favor returning to a free Duval Loop for visitors to our island? Do you favor fare free rides on other City routes for everyone? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I would favor returning to a free Duval loop for the community and residents. I am not sure what the city could afford as far as providing the loop and other routes for free. If there is a sustainable plan, I would be happy to review it.

  1. Do you believe a third-party consulting firm should be retained to assist the City with branding and marketing the Duval Loop, Key West Transit and Lower Keys Shuttle programs? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I am not sure that we can afford a 3rd party firm to assist with marketing the shuttle programs right now but would support any feasible, sustainable plan that had community support

  1. Do you believe compensation of bus drivers should be increased to attract and retain a stable base of drivers? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I support compensation and benefits (including pensions that are already in place) for all city employees that coincides with the cost of living and is sustainable so that we can retain great employees in every part of the city.

Bicycle and Pedestrian

  1. Please name a few bicycle and/or pedestrian projects (they can be from the Bike/Ped Plan) you would vote to fund in your term. Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE:

  1. How often do you ride a bicycle and for what purposes? How do you propose we get more people to bike and walk in Key West? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I ride a bicycle primarily for exercise. More often since the onset of Covid-19

  1. Do you believe increased traffic enforcement (speeding) will improve public safety for pedestrians and people on bicycles? Or do you believe that infrastructure improvements will improve safety? Or Education? Perhaps nothing more is needed or perhaps all 3? Explain how public safety should be accomplished. Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I believe that enforcement as a whole on many different issues will improve public safety in many different and necessary ways

Parking Strategies

  • Do you favor raising the price on Residential Parking Permits to the $35 proposed in the FY21 budget? And even more for 2nd and 3rd vehicles? Do you favor going incrementally higher in future years? Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE  I am not in favor of raising any fees to any of our residents right now but certainly would: consider it if that became the only option for maintaining the program and if it has community support. If the fee has to be raised, it cannot be made so that it is out of reach to the residents that need it the most

  • Do you favor instituting Residential Permit Parking by Zone so that the permit allows one to park near one’s own home? Answer limited to 100 words.

I believe that this would be difficult to enact and enforce but look forward to reviewing any plan RESPONSE: that the affected parties could come up that would work.

  • Should the City hire more parking enforcement officers since it has been demonstrated that these positions are self-funding and that residents desire increased enforcement efforts. Answer limited to 100 words.

RESPONSE: I think that we should concentrate on enforcing the rules that we have now. I would defer to the experts to tell us if there is a need for more officers and how to pay for it.

GENERAL/CATCH ALL

  • What do you think of when you think of Car-Free Key West and its mission and how do you propose to make it easier and safer for more people to bike, walk, take the bus and use streets and why do you think this is important? Limit 300 words.

RESPONSE: I believe that Key West is already on track becoming safer to bike, walk and bus and would again defer to the experts to provide us with a plan to improve anything that is not operating at the highest level.

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