City Council candidate Pam Davis
(Ballot lines: Working Families)
1) What is your No. 1 priority, if elected?
I want to bring the voices and concerns of the under-represented populace of the City of Rochester into
City Hall. These would be the lower-income residents and the working poor, and all who struggle to
make ends meet. Their opinions and needs don't seem to get heard nor met by the current council. I will
ring the bell to wake our elected officials, and make certain that those in most need are aided by all
levels of our government.
2) What is the greatest strength and, conversely, the greatest weakness of the City Council?
The greatest strength of our City Council is that the council members have a great variety of networking
connections throughout our city, county, and region. The greatest weakness of our City Council is that,
unfortunately, this amazing resource of connections has not been properly utilized to make the quality
of life better for the vast majority of the residents of the City of Rochester.
3) What have you learned about this community during the campaign, and how will that affect your
service?
I have learned that our community is much more damaged than I expected. When I canvassed the entire
city, knocking on as many doors as I could, so many people expressed their dire need for an improved
level of safety. The quality of life issues like drug sales and use/addiction, as well as improving safety
through environmental design need to be a focus of our City Council. These issues are faced by me and
many of my neighbors on a daily basis, and will absolutely affect my service; this is one of the reasons I
wanted to run for an At Large seat on our City Council. I live with these same troubles and struggles, and
I want to help my fellow city residents have a brighter future in this wonderful hometown.
On Pages 2 and 3 are the responses to a questionnaire from August (prior to the Democratic primary).
Please refer to ballot lines above for those applicable in the general election.

City Council candidate Pam Davis
(Ballot lines: Working Families)

1) Do you support the RBTL/Morgan proposal for Parcel 5 Yes/No and why?

i do NOT support the current RBTL/Morgan proposal for Parcel 5 because this is not a project that is
supported, requested, or desired by the taxpayers of the City of Rochester. The events that have
recently been held on the Parcel 5 property have been very well attended, and people have given
favorable reviews oftheir experiences at the site, in its current state, as an open air meeting place. This
Parcel 5 space is a great opportunity to enhance the lives of both city residents, as well as other county
residents, who appreciate the green space, and the various future possibilities that the site holds. This
can be a real draw to get others to come and experience'a family?fun time in the center of our city,
which will bolster our local economy. This opportunity should not be wasted. And, full disclosure, I
worked for the RBTL in the past, and I truly appreciate the great work that the organization does, and I
really admire many of the people who still are in its employ. But, no matter how much I like these folks, I
cannotjustify spending tax dollars on a very costly project in which most residents of the city will not be
able to partake. The amazing shows that RBTL brings to Rochester are fabulous, but the ticket prices are
way out of reach for the majority of the area's residents. The very expensive high rise apartments are
not needed in our city, as there are enough currently available. It should be noted that the City of
Rochester has many wonderful old homes which are available to purchase and rehab, with excellent
bone structure and charming character features like decorative leaded glass windows, glass door knobs,
gum-wood (and other beautiful wood) trim, tin ceilings, large backyards, off-street parking, and
gorgeous hardwood floors that simply need some TLC to restore to their former glory. I encourage
people with the means to buy a home anywhere to look to my Lyell-Otis neighborhood first, as we have
many lovely homes available, some are ready to move into while others offerthe opportunity to do a
complete renovation and truly make it your own! We are always glad to welcome new families or empty
nesters to become home owners in our area. Settle in, put down roots, and grow with our diverse
community!

2) On what topic/issue do you most disagree with the current city administration, and why? On
which are you most aligned, and why?

I most disagree with our current administration's varying degrees of service to its citizens regarding
public projects and business developments that aren't brought to the people for proper vetting and
discussion. Plans are pushed through with little to no regard ofwhat the residents of Rochester actually
think, want, or need. This happens time and time again, and it happens all over the city. The city also
likes to divide citizens, pitting neighbor against neighbor, as we scramble for every little penny to try to
improve our individual neighborhoods. This is wrong, and must end. We are a city divided, and
therefore, not supporting the many varied talents and treasures that our wonderful city has to offer. I
joined the Many Neighbors Building Neighborhoods group, and together we are strong. The city wasn't
very receptive to us at first, but we are uniting, and breaking down barriers, so that all of our city
neighbors can benefit from quality services, raising our overall quality of life. There are many strong
leaders in our group, as we band together, and support each other, as it should be. We are all suffering
with troubling issues in the city, but these issues are also in our county's suburbs, too. Unfortunately,
due to the concentration of poverty in our city, the issues often are magnified, and people are vilified,

City Council candidate Pam Davis
(Ballot lines: Working Families)

rather than helped. But all is not lost! There are many things that the city is doing right! I appreciate the
activities that are offered to our youth, and to our elderly residents, however, many of these programs
should be expanded, and replicated, and reach more citizens. Communication is severely lacking in our
city, between citizens, between departments, and between our county leaders. We must demand better
use of technology to help make communications more efficient and timely, and focus on strengthening
our community as a whole.

3) Do you support or oppose the proposed redevelopment of Cobbs Hill Village, and why?

I oppose the proposed redevelopment of Cobbs Hill Village for many reasons. First, this housing
community was built on our parkland as a temporary solution in the 1960's. The current residents
should have the opportunity to live out their days peacefully in their homes, without worry. in the
current proposal, the Rochester Housing Authority who is pushing for this redevelopment has said that
the new homes would be at market rate or affordable, but the questions to ask should be: Which
market, and affordable for whom? As I understand it from attending their public informational meeting
a few months ago, the market rate is set by a designated geographic area. By including the nearby
Upper Monroe and Park Avenue addresses, the market rate would be higher, which will increase the
residents' rents, and these people are already on fixed incomes. They would effectively be forced out of
their homes. When the RHA mentions the term "affordable", again, there are different scales upon
which income can be measured. For some, the term applies to those making the national poverty
income line, for others it means that one is eligible for SNAP food assistance benefits. Others might
qualify if their children/grandchildren qualify for free or reduced school lunches. (This last measure 
might not apply to many of these people, as the majority of the Cobbs Hill Village residents are either
elderly or disabled.) Second, the Cobbs Hill Village residents have been subjected to tactics meant to pit
them against each other. Some may have been offered enticements of some kind to align with the RHA
on this matter. (I didn't get the resident's name that told me this, so unfortunately, I cannot go back to
them to get more details.) It was noted at the public meeting that the property is in need of
repairs/maintenance, such as updating the heating/cooling systems, plumbing, and other renovations
that would make the apartments nicer for the residents. There was a gentleman in attendance who had
run the numbers, and he explained that for approximately a very small fraction of the cost ofthe new
project, those repairs and maintenance issues could be'fixed, and the residents' quality of life would be
greatly enhanced. This should be a priority for the RHA, as these residents are their customers, and they
should be reinvesting in their properties. A good litmus test should be: Would the CEO of RHA want to
live their with his family? if not, then it shOuldn't be "good enough? for others. And lastly, this land was
loaned for a specific time?fra me, which was expanded just a few years ago. The land this temporary
housing is located upon was intended to revert back as parkland, and that land belongs to all of us, not
to the developers with deep pockets. Keep public land for the public.