Meet the Candidate: Lisa Warnes

John Q: This is Meet the Candidate on KEPW News. Please tell us about yourself and why you’re running for city council.

Lisa Warnes (Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 2): You got it. Well, my name is Lisa Warnes, and I’m a longtime resident of Ward 2, and I have decided to run for Ward 2 because I want to bring back citizen involvement to the city planning process. I see this as a critical issue with the passing of House Bill 2001 and the city changing zones in single-family neighborhoods, then dropping parking requirements. Many older neighborhoods are currently experiencing this dynamic already.

[00:00:37] I have lived in Ward 2 for 44 years, and so I’m proud to call this community my home, and I’ve seen Eugene go through some very hard times back in the ‘80s, and I’ve watched it grow and become the Eugene it is today.

[00:00:50] I have been a residential remodeling contractor for the past 25 years, and I’ve served on the Southeast Neighbors board as vice chair, also served on the Planning Commission. I feel I have a very good working knowledge with my ward and with the city.

[00:01:06] And I have successfully led the fight to stop development out of a fragile 40-acre parcel of forested land in the Southeast Hills. And now this beautiful forest is public land and it’s added to the Eugene Parks inventory.

[00:01:21] I decided to run for City Council because I believe I have what it takes to truly represent the community. And I believe all the volunteer work I have done for this community speaks volumes to my commitment to my neighbors, to my community.

[00:01:35] My opponent has not shown an interest in Ward 2 issues. The overriding issue with Ward 2 residents is he does not reply to their emails or calls. I’ve discovered this in my canvassing.

[00:01:47] John Q: What’s the most important issue facing Ward 2 this election? How would you address it?

[00:01:55] Lisa Warnes (Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 2): You know, while I realize homelessness is a national crisis, I want people to know that I see homelessness as an overwhelming issue all over our community. With this comes public safety issues. I intend to make homelessness in our community a priority and I intend to watch where the tax dollars are going.

[00:02:13] The most negatively impacted issue for Ward 2 residents is infill and compatibility standards. Again, with the passing of House Bill 2001 and the fact that the city dropped parking restrictions and now allowing three-story buildings right next to single-family homes, drowning out sunlight and solar access into their lovely yards, and now there’s no privacy in their backyard. This is already proving to be a contentious topic in some areas in our ward right now.

[00:02:43] The first thing I would do is bringing back the citizen involvement to our community to give us a voice again. And the other point I want to go after is the planning part. As a builder by trade, I know there are mindful planning aspects to reduce privacy invasions.

[00:03:00] I’m hearing a lot of concern for wildfire, and that is the most pressing issue. For example, we could have a wildfire this summer that could conceivably level both Southeast and Southwest Hills. Then we’d have many casualties and a very serious housing crisis.

[00:03:17] So, those are the main issues that I’m hearing in this ward. As far as what to do about those things, one of the things we need to do is look at our budget. We’re subsidizing developments when we should be subsidizing basic programs and extending programs that are going to help with the wildfire situation in our community.

[00:03:38] That’s a community-wide issue, really, not just a Ward 2 issue.

[00:03:41] John Q: If elected, what would you do differently than your opponent, who is Matt Keating.

[00:03:50] Lisa Warnes (Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 2): Well, the first thing I’d do is call people back and get to their emails, respond to them in a timely manner.

[00:03:57] So yeah, bringing back a meaningful citizen involvement and to how our tax dollars are being spent, that’s number one priority, I think. And then, advocating for more citizen involvement into how the new infill developments will go.

[00:04:12] And I will advocate for affordable housing which is not middle housing, which is coming and it is being sold as affordable housing. I really kind of want to open that discussion for the public.

[00:04:26] For example, I firmly believe that spending $15 million on the Ems Stadium is 100% irresponsible when we have people living and dying on the streets of Eugene. Having said that, I will support the stadium with private funding, or if the city had ownership in the ballfield, but I don’t agree with the location either. It should not be in the middle of town where we have parking and traffic nightmares already and a beautiful piece of history with all the older craftsmen homes and such.

[00:04:59] So I intend to investigate the value of giving tax incentives to developers and other outside interests that extend any longer than two years, not 10 years. The extra money would most certainly help relieve the burden of taxpayers in Eugene and we’re already facing incredibly high property taxes. I am self-employed and that’s a real painful experience during tax time. So I feel that tax burden.

[00:05:29] John Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say to the voters?

[00:05:32] Lisa Warnes (Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 2): As a Choctaw Nation member, I really am in touch with socioeconomic issues. And I intend to be the councilor who comes prepared to meetings to do my own research and ask tough questions of the city manager and staff. I’m endorsed by former councilor Betty Taylor, George Brown, Bonny Bettman McCornack, and Paul Nicholson.

[00:05:56] John Q: Highlighting her endorsement from long time Ward 2 Councilor Betty Taylor:

[00:06:01] Lisa Warnes (Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 2): ‘Lisa has demonstrated strong leadership in environmental and neighborhood work for many years. I support Lisa because I believe she has the right values to represent the residents of Eugene.’

[00:06:14] Betty Taylor believes in me because she saw how I worked tirelessly on saving these parcels of property from being developed over the years. And she does see that I’m just a regular citizen of Eugene and that I just do care deeply about my community. And I just want to have a happy life here and I want to get along with my neighbors and I want people to just get along. So she knows that about me, that I’m not aspiring to some great place in Salem.

[00:06:46] Visit me at WarnesForCouncil.org and you can learn how to donate, how to volunteer, how to get involved and just see what the issues are that we’re working on. You could also visit my Facebook site.

[00:07:00] John Q: Ward 2 candidate Lisa Warnes. You can contact her through the website WarnesForCouncil.org.