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Name: Christina Bergbower
What office are you seeking? Alderperson of the 3rd Ward
What is your political party? Independent
What is your current age? 57
Occupation and employer: Self employed
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Alderperson
City: Lockport
Campaign Website: ChristinaforLockport.com
Education: B.A. in Marketing and Advertising
Community Involvement: Rotary, Moose, and Chamber of Commerce
Marital status/Immediate family: Widow - 3 children
Questions:
What is your vision for the city’s future development?
We are fortunate to have excellent city staff, helping council create master plans for the City of Lockport. We have created these “guidebooks” to map out the Star Innovation Park, the Historical area of Lockport, and up and coming development on Rt. 171 and 9th St, which are the most visible gateways to the city. Beyond that, my vision is to have more affordable housing for our senior citizens and perhaps young families, by removing some of the building requirements we currently have for the city. I envision a senior citizen subdivision that is more manageable, less costly to maintain, and a strong community. Additionally, I would like to continue my work on keeping the city green with services like AYD (Waste Management), Urban Canopy & Simple Recycling. Working with Bloom Lockport, it would be wonderful to see in the future our parkways filled with native plants.
Housing affordability and shortage of quality multifamily housing has been labeled a county-wide problem. How can your city address this locally?
We are addressing this! After the elections, myself, the other council members, city staff and the mayor are going to take a serious look at how we can develop more affordable housing. I have been an advocate of this and look forward to working on this.
What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?
As a mother of 3, I think we are currently doing and working on some really great things: bike paths that are connected to each other and other communities, fun activities like movie nights at the ISM, Old Canal Days, Fire Fest, Military Days, the Cookie Walk, and Sweets and Savory. As a business owner, I think we should require all business owners to pay yearly for a business license. This would allow the city to have a master list of all of the key holders. When covid hit and businesses were shut down, the mayor created a web page for the community to see what businesses were open and who delivered etc.. I helped with getting the businesses information by going store to store, but that information changes yearly because of turnover. As a homeowner, as messy as it is, I am happy that our infrastructure is being taken care of by our great team at public works. I would also like to come up with a solution to our perceived parking problems in the downtown area. I am hopeful we will get a solar field and a data center in the Star Innovation Park
How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?
Planning and Zoning does a great job working with the city to ensure that there is an abundance of green space when a developer comes in. As a council member we continue to ensure that the developer is bringing to the community a subdivision that is walkable, safe, and green.
What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?
The City of Lockport has a grant program for facade renovations paid out of our gaming funds. We were able to help several businesses such as Villa Nova, The Opera House, Cornolo Travel, etc., just this year. As any good community does, we have tif funding, building and tax incentives.
What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?
Lockport has been blessed with a remarkable police force that truly cares about the community. Under the guidance Chief Harang, the community Outreach program run by Officer Debbie and Officer Andy, The Citizens and Youth Police Academy and the Too Good For Drugs Program are just some of the things that the police officers are involved in besides patrolling the beat. Our officers are definitely the good guys. As far as the council, this year the council has banned all synthetic hallucinate drugs from being sold at liquor stores and convenient stores.
How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?
The mayor, the staff, and the council members have always had an open door policy. The mayor has said on several occasions if you have a concern, come to the meetings.
Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?
Yes I support that. Every year we have to submit forms to the clerks office ensuring that there are no potential conflicts of interest.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I run a business in town, and they stop by. I also have my number on the city’s web site.