I was elected to the Portage City Council November 4th, 2003.  It is an honor to serve the residents of Portage. I have enjoyed the learning experience thus far. I hope anyone with questions or concerns will contact me.

I have been pro-active in dealing with issues. I have led the battle to eliminate special assessments. Special assessments were eliminated by the voters in November 2006. I have pushed for more openness with citizens and to make it easier for citizens to interact with the council. I have initiated an affordable housing initiative- advocating to make home ownership more affordable. These are just some of the issues I am working on or have worked on. Please see the Campaign Update below for more information.

2008 Council Meetings

	The meetings start at 7:30 and agendas can be found online at http://www.portagemi.com/government/council_agenda_and_minutes.asp.
	To keep up-to-date on other activities and Public Hearings, please visit the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes at http://www.portagemi.com/government/planning_commission.asp

Meetings

Campaign Update

When I was elected, I pledged to work with the citizens of the community.  Here is a progress report on what I have accomplished:

	1.	I pledged to work to have the agenda packets placed online: I worked with the City Manager and in June 2004, the complete agenda packets were available online.
	2.	I pledged to work with the citizens in Portage: I was the first City Council member to maintain an active web site. I am the only council member to regularly update my site monthly. I have talked with citizens on the phone, by email or met with them at their homes. I have advocated for residents and their concerns.
	3.	I pledged to work to have the council have more communication with the citizens and suggested having informal Saturday meetings:  The first of those was held in January 2006. The January 2006 workshop addressed snow removal and economic development. Citizens were able to address these council on these issues. The February 2006 workshop took public comment on special assessments. The March 2006 workshop included a meeting with Kalamazoo Gazette representatives and visioning. In 2006, the Portage City Council held the Portage 2025 Visioning Project. Hundreds of community volunteers came together to create a path for the future of our city. Council is using the 2025 Document as a planning tool for the future. Another meeting is scheduled for April 2008.
	4.	Special Assessments: for street improvements have become a key issue during the past few years.  I have worked to provide a voice for the property owners. In 2003, I was the only council member who felt this issue needed to discussed and possibly changed.  I made addressing these special assessments a priority. In 2005-2006, the current council had meaningful discussion and decided to place the question on the ballot. On November 7th, the ballot questions passed! Thank you to everyone who was involved.
	5.	Community Involvement: I serve on many committees in the community. I serve as Vice Chair of the Environmental Health Advisory Council, serve on the Kalamazoo County Sanitary Code Committee (updating sanitary codes), serve as Chair of the Portage Water/Sewer Rate Committee and serve on the City of Portage Property Committee. I have also served on the City Manager Evaluation Committee.
	6.	Community Safety: I worked with a coalition of concerned citizens to add a Methamphetamine Ordinance. We now have a county ordinance in place to help protect property owners, children, renters and concerned citizens. I worked with various groups and gained their input. I then worked with Senator Tom George to secure state funding for fighting meth. I also secured funding from the City of Portage for the 1st year of funding the program.
	7.	Portage Schools' Signs: In 2003-2004, I worked with the Portage Athletic Foundation who wanted to improve and update the signs located at I-94/Vincent and on Centre. I helped the group through the process as they designed the signs and looked for new locations. The Foundation placed amazing signs at Oakland/Milham and on Centre. The signs show the pride we have in our schools, and I am grateful I was able to help this dedicated group.
	8.	Working With Business Owners I have worked with various business owners who have encountered difficulties navigating the governmental process. I have helped them connect with the correct department and followed up on their concerns. I have been committed to keeping our community vibrant, and local businesses are a key part of the formula.
	9.	Youth Initiative In the summer of 2007, I advocated for youth to have a voice in local government. Youth will have the opportunity to become more involved in local government in two ways: serving on an existing advisory board as a youth liaison or serving on a youth advisory board. Through these mechanisms, youth will play a larger role in serving our community