- Rebecca Kasen is one of eight candidates running for an open East Lansing city council seat in the November election.
- Kasen said her top two priorities is implementing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and affordable housing.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's a crowded race for the November election in East Lansing with three open city council seats. There are some big issues for the city to address. Over the course of the next week, we will be introducing you to all eight candidates with a series of four questions.
Our fifth candidate is Rebecca Kasen.
Background:
Kasen is an East Lansing resident raising two biological daughters and foster parent. She currently serves as the Women's Center of Greater Lansing's Executive Director. She is a long time activist and community service worker.
Kasen applied to fill Lisa Babcock's council seat in January, but was not appointed.
Question & Answer:
Q: What would be your top two priorities if elected to city council?
A: "First is implementing something called CPTED, which is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, because we will never have enough police officers to stop all the crime. And we have a situation where a lot of, for example, college students feel that they are being unfairly harassed or targeted. The first simple solution is, let's look at our design of our city. What can we do to just deter crime to begin with, and what can we do to maybe make some other things safer without putting the criminal element. For example, social districts where people can have open containers of alcohol and things like that. So, my first thing is trying to look at crime through a more holistic point to make the city safer. We don't have the kind of funding we need. We could put a police officer on every single street and we still wouldn't be able to get rid of all of the issues, but I think if we really work together and work on things like CPTED. The other point that I can kind of tie in there is, right across the street, we have some of the foremost experts in the world on these topics, including CPTED and we're not always using them as a city. We're bringing in consultants that are not experts sometimes. So I really want to utilize the experts at Michigan State for this.
My other priority is housing and I'm not talking about one specific project. Overall we need to look at housing. We do not have housing for the middle class in this city. Right now, one of my board members in my full time job is a full time tenure track professor at Michigan State University, is a single mom and told me that she cannot afford to find a house in East Lansing. What does that say? So that's my other thing is I want to look at holistically across the city. What are our housing options, what can we do for groups like the missing middle workforce and all the other groups that fall under this giant affordable housing umbrella."
Q: The turnover rate in the city has been high the last few years. What would you do as a council member to encourage employees to stay in the city?
A: "So I have a different perspective than I think anyone else who's running because my husband worked it for the city for what he refers to as the worst six months of his life and he was in that famed planning department. After his six months, they then hired him back as a consultant like two weeks later. So he spent over a year at City Hall working on things. There was a leadership problem at the top and this is from him and from his other colleagues who left. Now that that leadership problem has been resolved, our hope is that our hopefully strong City Manager can create policies, procedures systems, so that the city feels like a productive place to work where everyone's opinion is valued. So, I actually don't know that we need to make a significant change. I think City Council already made that change and I hope to support Mr. Belleman in hiring a strong city staff."
Q: Affordable housing and student housing are always hot topics in the city, but with downtown space so limited, how would you want to see those addressed?
A: "First thing, is let's listen to the students. I have a unique opportunity as the Executive Director of the Women's Center to have like 12 students on any given day in my office. They don't like the current housing options. They're too expensive, they're too far from campus. So the first thing is, the request I've had from dozens of students is let's talk to MSU about building more creative housing options on campus, so that might alleviate some of the issue. I hope to work with MSU's administration on this, I hope to work with the students to advocate for themselves. That's the first thing if we can get more kids on campus, that will alleviate some of that.
We also need to work together instead of screaming. So there's a lot about a block or two over that has been the hot topic. The developer reached out to me and I'm assuming he reached out to the other candidates looking for assistance, and instead of just saying I don't want the lot or I don't think it's appropriate, I gave him my advice. I connected him with some people after it was voted down. I advised the developer to drive up here and meet with every single business owner who is against it. He did that. They are now working out the funding and whatnot and there is going to be a full lot on that site if this is approved. And so instead of sitting here and I don't like this, I do like this, we need to just all come to the table because the solutions are there. If we are willing to say hey, the reason I don't like this is parking, but why can't we have parking and then create the parking. So that's one example, but I think overall if we all get together, work together we can find solutions."
Q: Why should people vote for you this November to serve on the city council?
A: "I'm willing to work with everyone. I'm a coalition builder. As I said, I just put that example with the parking lot. I'm also willing to listen to everybody and bring everyone's voices to the table. I always say, my advocacy work, I am not somebody's voice, I'm their microphone. I want to hold meetings throughout the city here with the residents, you know, what their concerns are and bring them back to council to see what we can do to make things happen."
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
