Chapel Hill Town Council candidates fielded questions centering on the town’s relationship with the University at a Thursday night forum held at UNC’s Campus Y.
All nine candidates attended the event, one of the last before election day on Tuesday. Candidates include incumbents Matt Czajkowski, Donna Bell and Jim Ward and challengers Lee Storrow, Jason Baker, Carl Schuler, Augustus Cho, John DeHart and Laney Dale.
The Campus Y hosted the forum, while junior Zaina Alsous, sophomore Shelby Hudspeth and junior Jagir Patel served as facilitators. Every candidate was allotted a few minutes for each question asked.
Questions from moderator:
Question: Please introduce yourself and briefly give your vision for Chapel Hill for the next for the next four years.
Bell said that Chapel Hill is a place where people are connected and her vision was to help promote that lifestyle.
“This is a place where people are able to have conversations,” she said.
Ward said he hopes to preserve the diversity of the town along with incorporating more interactions with interns and students in the future.
“I am personally engaged with the student body,” he said.
Baker said he hopes to focus thoughts about sustainability by promoting everyday projects.
Storrow said his vision focuses on strengthening the relationship between the town and the University.
“I want to be the bridge and the voice in those communities,” he said.
Schuler said he wanted to see more cooperation, transparency and openness among the town and the University.
DeHart said his vision focuses on making housing affordable and making the town more business friendly.
“We need to focus on cleaning up Franklin, to make it easier to do business down there,” he said.
Cho said he wants to initiate a more student friendly relationship with the town council, while also making UNC become more competitive nationally.
Dale said his focus is on making Chapel Hill better than it already is, while reaching out to those who are “working, living, and playing.”
Czajkowski said his vision is to protect the enthusiasm and atmosphere of the campus by pushing for more student-started business endeavors.
Question: What is your opinion on food trucks in Chapel Hill?
Ward said food trucks would work in Chapel Hill, but only with certain precautions.
“We do need to confirm that the health issues are being taken care of,” he said. “We need to nurture the local businesses we have now. To me, it doesn’t make any sense unless the sales tax goes to Orange County.”
Baker said he is a big supporter of food trucks.
“I don’t see them as competition. I see them as improving the vibrancy of Chapel Hill,” he said.
Storrow said Chapel Hill is late to the party and food trucks could be a great service to students looking for late night food options.
Schuler said the market should decide what it wants to have, but his main concern was the sanitation ratings.
DeHart said that he was pro-business and the market needs a say in the decision.
Cho said that there are still some issues that need to be worked out, but food trucks can provide cheap and healthy options for students.
Dale said that the town needs to support any business, food trucks and local businesses alike.
Czajkowski said that after living in New York City, he is all for food trucks in Chapel Hill and he found it disappointing that the Chamber of Commerce opposed them.
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