DAVID NADEAU:
Background and personal information to include family,
professional memberships, volunteer efforts, etc.
David Nadeau significant other Marge Govoni, the love of
my life for 38 years, 4 children, 19 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Retired
as an Electronic Engineer.
Why are you qualified to represent the citizens of
Windham and what inspired you to run?
I was a Town Councilor for six years, on the Planning
Board for ten years. We were making great progress moving forward, a strategic
plan (Town first), a 5-year budget plan. These plans all went out the window
over the last year. We have to get back on track with long term planning and
get away from knee jerk reactions. Creating ideas like the elderly tax
assistance program that I put in front of the council when I was there which is
now in place. Backing revenue sharing out of the budget as revenue, over three
years, and using it to fund elderly tax relief and start to fund the million
dollar plus short fall in capital funding.
What do you feel are the most important challenges facing
the Town of Windham? What positive steps forward do you believe will help
overcome those challenges.
The most important challenge to Windham is its growth. To
deal with this growth we have to put long term plans in place, along with how
they are going to be funded. Windham has had two moratoriums put in place
recently both due to growth and this is due to poor planning. The town has done
a lot of the planning but hasn’t come up with funding, this can be accomplished
with long term budgeting not year to year.
What is your perspective on Broadband internet?
Broadband now looks like one of your standard utilities
which is what creates the problem Windham has. The state only wants to look at
broadband in the rural areas and refuses to look at a town like Windham. Our
cable provider has a large investment in copper wires as does our phone service.
They will not upgrade any time soon. We all know the need is starting to hit
all of us, especially those who try to work at home. The question becomes do we
wait for someone else to deal with it or do we go the route of many other towns
and create our own. Windham, Gray, Raymond, along with Saint Joseph’s College
are looking at this problem. The need is already there.
What course of actions do you think should be taken to
balance the growth of Windham and how that growth affects taxes?
Number one in the comp plan is to “Keep Windham Rural”,
sadly two acre lots in the farm zone will prevent this. Cluster subdivisions
will not create this. We have to set up a program to buy development right on
large parcels and allow greater density in planned growth areas. The problem
with this theory is the only place in Windham that would support higher density
is South Windham, due to sewer. To use this theory in other growth areas, high
tech septic or satellite sewer systems would need to be mandated.
Why should voters cast their ballots for you? AND/OR - If
you’d like to comment on other Town issues not mentioned above, please feel
free to add them here.
We need to put differences aside and Put Windham First.
The old Windham sadly has gone and only long-term planning and budgeting will
allow us to do this. To do nothing and keep being reactive will only put the
burden on our children and grandchildren. Help me help Windham move forward. If
you have any questions, please contact me at 892-7192. It is hard to give
details in such a short forum.
CHARLES HAWKINS
Please provide a
little background/personal information to include family, professional
memberships, volunteer efforts, etc.
My wife, two daughters (2 and 7) and I moved to Maine
from Virginia to pursue my dream of owning a medical marijuana dispensary. I
have a fairly extensive collage background in several disciplines. I have and
currently still do own several successful businesses, two of which are located
in Windham and employ over 15 people and growing. I have also worked with
business and towns in both Colorado and Oregon to find common ground in
developing tasteful cannabis business regulations, an issue at the forefront of
the town’s issues.
Why are you
qualified to represent the citizens of Windham and what inspired you to run?
I’m not sure “qualified” is the correct term. My personal
background, my educational and professional backgrounds, my desire to live in a
town where the representatives actually listen, respect and get something done
on behalf of the citizens they represent, my age allowing me to be in touch
with the heart of this community, my love for this community and my personal
drive for success are what make me capable of representing the citizens of
Windham. My business and personal interactions, since being a part of Windham,
have given me the opportunity to experience unprofessional Town Council leaders
and their bullying tactics and hear from many other business owners and
concerned citizens that feel they are not having their voices heard and are not
being properly represented. I’m just not the type to sit around and have myself
or others treated unfairly, especially when they receive this treatment from
some of the same council members that they elected into office.
What do you feel are
the most important challenges facing the Town of Windham? What positive steps
forward do you believe will help overcome those challenges.
I think Windham is
facing several challenges. Among the biggest of those is lack of professional
leadership amongst some within our current Town Council. I think having a
majority of “get ‘er done” types amongst the council might inspire everyone to
work a little harder and more efficiently for the people of Windham.
We are the fastest growing community in the state and the
three-year plan put together by Tony Plante has hardly been addressed by the
council and now we have to wait longer for action while we find a new town
manager and catch them up to speed. Hiring a new town manager that understands
and comes prepared to quickly fall into Mr. Plante’s role is essential, and I
encourage everyone in the town to be active in the selection process.
Our town leadership dropped the ball on medical marijuana
storefront definitions and tried to sneak in a moratorium under a different
name. What we have now is a free for all where caregivers can open up stores
and/or other industry related businesses nearly anywhere in town without any
regulation or code definitions by the town. Social responsibility has been left
uncontrolled and only in the hands of these business owners, such as myself.
Quickly adopting definitions and regulations via code amendments is necessary
to keep this industry tasteful within our community.
We just extended a moratorium on mineral rights
extraction, which myself and many others see as a lazy attempt towards a
solution which, given a little effort and creativity, could have already had a
solution that worked well for all interested parties. Instead investments on
unrelated operations are being held hostage.
I am concerned with the thought of class sizes within our
elementary school growing to unattractive numbers in the years to come and
would like to see a serious discussion addressing this sooner rather than
later. With Windham already being an attractive community, I would like to see
our growth account for maximum tax dollars. This starts with attractive
schools. Windham schools are great and among some of the best in the state. I
would hate to see growth diminish that and would instead prefer to see ideas
being generated to make our schools even better in the face of this growth.
In addition to schools I am concerned that our town
infrastructure lacks the ability to attract the type of business to Windham
needed to provide for this growth. A solution to town sewer has to be generated
ASAP. This is just an issue that is silly to even have to address. It’s common
sense and has me shaking my head. Residentially, town sewer would benefit the
protection of our lakes greatly.
What is your
perspective on Broadband internet?
I believe that in this day and age Broadband internet is
an essential utility and a service that has to be offered to all of our
residents and businesses. Businesses rely on fast internet speeds to be
competitive and children are often required to complete homework assignments
and projects via the internet. Again, this is another issue that seems like a
no brainer to me.
What course of
actions do you think should be taken to balance the growth of Windham and how
that growth affects taxes?
Growth, if handled properly, should bring about more
taxes for the town, providing the resources necessary to balance said growth. I
would like to see North Windham have sewer installed to at least provide better
opportunities for businesses to move into town. Again, I think a serious
discussion needs to be had regarding the size of our school classrooms as we
grow. I think that we need to take a hard look at current zoning and see how we
can change existing zones to allow development in certain areas while
protecting our more rural areas and lakes.
Why should voters
cast their ballots for you? AND/OR - If you’d like to comment on other Town
issues not mentioned above, please feel free to add them here.
I am a 35-year-old, hardworking, intelligent and driven
individual. I own two businesses in town, a commercial rental building and have
chosen Windham as the place to raise my family. I am well vested in the success
of Windham as a town and would love the opportunity to represent others in this
community that also have their lives vested here. I am a common-sense
candidate, not swinging any direction on an issue other than the one that
presents the best results for everyone. I am not the type to drop the ball or
sit around. I like to listen to and gain insight from all sides, try not to see
issues as only black or white and work on forming solutions that are pleasing
to all interested parties. I am willing to vote against my own personal beliefs
should the majority of the people I represent request that of me. I’d like the
opportunity to take some of these roadblocks we see in town progression and
turn them into hurdles that we are able to make it over. God willing, I am
going to be here for a while, giving me an opportunity to have years to work
towards progression on behalf of the Town of Windham.
DENNIS WELCH
Please provide a
little background/personal information to include family, professional
memberships, volunteer efforts, etc.
Age: 49
Family: Single, one adult son
Occupation: Corrections officer, Cumberland County
Sherriff’s Office
Education: Windham High School, Maine Criminal Justice
Academy
Political/civic experience: Town Council since 2011,
appointed by governor Lepage to the Maine Labor Relations board, member of the
Maine Municipal Association’s Legislative Policy Committee, past president of the
local chapter of the National Correctional Employee Union.
Why are you
qualified to represent the citizens of Windham and what inspired you to run?
I have been a counselor in the town of Windham since
2011. I am a conservative when it comes to the town’s budget. I am very
respectful of other elected officials as well as the citizens who come up to
the podium and voice their concerns.
I tend to do research of both sides of an issue before I
make a final decision.
What do you feel are
the most important challenges facing the Town of Windham? What positive steps
forward do you believe will help overcome those challenges.
I feel that growth is a major concern for the town of
Windham. I would like to limit building permits in the town of Windham. Some
people might feel that growth is an economic development, I do Not! With more
growth of the town of Windham we need to spend more money on police, fire,
rescues, and schools. Our comp plan has growth and non-growth areas. I would
like to get an adhoc committee started to look at the growth issues. They may
be able to come up with a better Solution to the growth issues of the town.
What is your
perspective on Broadband internet?
I feel that municipalities should not get into the
internet business. The cost, I believe, is about 3 million dollars. We would
then have to sell it to businesses to get our money back. I feel that
businesses aren’t interested. I feel we should leave it up to the other
internet businesses.
What course of
actions do you think should be taken to balance the growth of Windham and how
that growth affects taxes?
I would love to have an adhoc committee look at our
growth in the town of Windham. I believe we need waste water to attract
businesses to offset our tax base.
Why should voters
cast their ballots for you? AND/OR - If you’d like to comment on other Town
issues not mentioned above, please feel free to add them here.
I feel that I work very hard for the people of the town
of Windham. I feel we need to look back at our ordinances and would also like
to keep the town of Windham moving forward in a positive way.
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