Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) Debate Format & Questions

Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA)
September 12, 2008


Dear Candidate:
Thank you for running for city council. We appreciate your interest in public service.

We invite you to participate in the annual CONA debate. It will be held on Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m. at the Activity Center. A reception will follow.

Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. We will provide a six feet long rectangular table for your campaign material. This table will be in the hall, and campaign workers are welcome to stand by your table. If you would like to bring yard signs for people to take home, you can lay them by your table. Please limit the number of signs in the hall to ten.

The debate will have a moderator and a timekeeper. The candidates will sit at tables in the front with a microphone available.


The debate rules are:

1. There is a 60 second time limit for questions.
2 There is a 60 second time limit for answers.
3. If a question is directed to one candidate in a race, the opponent in that race will also have an opportunity to respond.
4. Members of the audience will go to a microphone to ask questions.
5. Each individual audience member may ask one question at one time.
An individual may ask a second question only after all other audience members have asked their questions.
6. Each candidate may make a one minute opening speech and closing speech.
7. Only actual candidates may participate in the debate. If a candidate is unable to attend, no representative may participate in his or her place.

Below are three questions. You may choose to answer these in writing if you wish. Each answer can be up to 150 words. Please give us your answers by Friday, Sept. 26, so we can assemble the answers from all the candidates and photocopy them to be distributed at the debate.


CONA Debate Questions 2008

1. The city will soon adopt the Downtown Master Plan. If elected, how would you help to implement it? How long would you take to implement it?

2. Do you support the SF-6 limitation on the number of unrelated people living in a house in a single family neighborhood?
The Land Development Code states that an area zoned SF-6 is “restricted to occupancy by a family and up to one other person who is not related to any of the family members by blood, legal adoption, marriage, or conservatorship.” (Land Development Code Section 4.3.4.5, p. 89)

Yes No Why?

3. Do you think that the city should encourage and perhaps help small businesses that might be founded here or that might come here?
Yes No Why?

If your answer is yes, what suggestions do you have for encouraging and/or helping small businesses?