Kimberly Krieger: Candidate for Common Council District B

Candidate for Common Council District C

Party Affiliation: Republican

What district are you running to represent, and what do you see as its biggest strengths and challenges?

I am running to represent District B, which covers most of South Norwalk. District B’s greatest strength is its location, right on the water, and central to the city. But this great location also means housing is tight, parking is at a premium, and traffic is terrible. We also have an industrial waterfront that needs to be carefully stewarded. 

How will you ensure the voices of your constituents are heard and reflected in city policy? 

I will listen carefully to my constituents and mark what they say. And then I will speak up for my district, and collaborate with my fellow council members to ensure the policies we pursue actually benefit my constituents and address their concerns.

What specific projects, services, or infrastructure improvements are most needed in your district? How would you advocate for them?

District B desperately needs to have its street parking rules enforced in its neighborhoods. Right now irresponsibly parked cars block streets and prevent residents from accessing their own properties. It’s only a matter of time before someone dies because a fire truck can’t get to their house in time, because it couldn’t make the turn, because cars were parked all the way to the corner on both sides of the street. At the minimum, our existing parking rules must be enforced. As a council member I would advocate for this. 

District B also needs flood mitigation. Water Street and Woodward flood at high tide, several times a month, every month. The problem could be fixed just by fitting baffles over the storm drains. Nothing fancy or expensive, just baffles to prevent water from the harbor from backwashing up through the drains into the streets.

Norwalk is a diverse city. How would you work to bridge divides and represent the full range of residents in your district, across race, income, age, etc.?

To represent people you need to know them. Hanging out at the playground after school talking to other parents. Asking local business owners how things are going, getting an earful from the clerks at local shops about what’s bugging them, and talking to cashiers at the grocery store. Attending religious services in the community, going to events at local clubs, answering your phone when people call and emailing when people write. And most of all, doing what you say you’re going to do. That’s how I would my represent my constituents, no matter how old or young they are, what their income or the color of their skin.

What are your top three priorities for Norwalk as a whole, and how does your district factor into those goals?

My top three priorities for Norwalk are smarter development, better communication between Common Council and the Board of Ed, and keeping Norwalk affordable.

Smarter development means not overbuilding in South Norwalk and making sure our new housing is compatible with our resources; better communication between Common Council and Board of Ed means I will actually attend Board of Ed meetings, ask questions and bring Council and District B concerns up earlier to solve problems before they spiral into crises; keeping Norwalk affordable is a huge topic, but everything I do as a Council member will be viewed through that lens and hopefully will ease costs for District B residents.

How would you address concerns about development, traffic, and preserving neighborhood character in your district?

These concerns tie directly to smarter development, one of my top three priorities. South Norwalk has great bones and a lovely downtown feel that blends into walkable and historic residential neighborhoods. There are many examples of cities around the world that successfully integrate density, walkability, and historic character. We can do this too! But we need discernment, and the ability to say no to development that doesn’t serve us and our city. 

What’s your position on affordable housing, and how should it be implemented in your district specifically?

Affordable housing is one of Norwalk’s strengths. About 14% of the housing stock in our city qualifies as affordable, and much of that is located in District B, which covers the densest part of South Norwalk. The “city” feel of the neighborhood is part of our district’s charm. But that density is beginning to strain District B’s resources. For example, if all the currently proposed apartment buildings are built, District B will run out of water supply capacity by 2030. 

I am firmly in favor of keeping local control over housing development decisions. And since housing prices are connected to housing supply, I do support new development–but we have to be smart about it. Attractive row houses instead of massive apartment buildings. Homes affordable for young people who want to move to our city and build the next generation. Housing accessible for seniors who want to stay in their home town but don’t want to take care of a four bedroom house and yard anymore. Every time a developer seeks to build new housing in District B, we need to ask a) will this enhance our neighborhood and truly be affordable for our residents, and b) can our resources handle it?

How do you see the Council’s role in shaping school funding?

The Council must partner with the Board of Education early and often! This last year’s funding debacle in particular showed us how damaging it is when the Board of Ed and the Common Council don’t discuss pressure points until it’s too late. We had teachers worried they would lose their jobs, parents worried Norwalk would lose its fantastic music education and paraprofessionals, and everyone stressing because the Council and Board of Ed didn’t work early enough to resolve a problem they should have seen coming. 

As a Council member, I would attend Board of Ed meetings regularly and ask questions as a citizen–and then take those insights back to Council meetings where we could work to address them before a crisis hits.

What city services do you believe need the most improvement in your district?

District B gets a lot of value from city services. However, people are upset about the change in garbage pick up. Particularly in multifamily homes that suddenly lost garbage service. They pay the same–or higher!–taxes this year, but lost their garbage pick up? That’s unacceptable.

We also need parking enforcement on residential streets. Just enforcement of basic rules, like no parking a certain distance from the corner. As a council member I would advocate all day long for that, as it is not just a quality of life issue, it’s a saving-a-life issue to ensure emergency vehicle access to our neighborhoods.

Do you support changes to the city’s budget process to increase transparency, public input, and council input?

Yes. We need to make agendas and proposed changes publicly available well in advance of meetings. This is not always done currently, and the process is unacceptably opaque. 

How will you collaborate with the other Council member representing your district and with At-Large members to get things done?

I would reach out both one-on-one to my fellow District council member, and have meetings with At-Large members to strategize on District B and citywide challenges. Whether or not we are of the same party or views would not matter–we represent the same district and city and we are addressing the same issues. I would also reach out to constituents, inviting them to meet with us and weigh in on potential resolutions to conflicts and challenges. 

What is your approach to resolving conflict or disagreement, either with fellow Council members or constituents?

In order to resolve disagreement, it helps to find common ground. In Norwalk, we literally share common ground–the city we live in. And we care about that city, often passionately. To resolve conflicts and disagreements with Council members or constituents, I will always keep in mind that the other person is coming from a good place, a place of caring about the same city I care about. If we disagree, I want to know why they feel the way they do, what their reasons are. We probably see the same underlying problem, and just want to solve it differently. Perhaps we share some views; perhaps we can each give a little bit and compromise. Maybe we can’t agree at all, but we can still respect each other and work together in the future.

How will you keep residents informed about city decisions and how they affect your district?

To keep residents informed, I will have a dedicated social media presence with news and links to important meetings and decisions. If there’s a particularly important or contentious issue brewing, I’ll hold an in-person meeting at a public venue in District B, and advertise them in advance both online and with posters in the district.

What experience, professional, civic, or lived, has prepared you to represent your district effectively?

I’ve lived in District B for the majority of my life, first as a child and teenager, and then as a middle aged mother. But I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time living elsewhere, in Montreal and in Washington D.C., and traveling in Japan and the Middle East, and have seen how other cities solve their problems. It gives me a unique perspective on urban life. I’ve worked as a journalist, a technical writer, and as a public relations specialist, and my superpower is being able to talk with anyone and see their point of view. If I am elected, I can guarantee my constituents that I will pick up the phone when they call, I will answer their emails, and I will keep their concerns in the front of my mind as I advocate for District B and look for creative solutions to the city’s challenges.

If elected, how will you remain accessible to residents and responsive to local concerns throughout your term?

Residents will be able to call me, email, or drop me a written note about what’s on their mind. I always reply. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve written to common council members and actually received a response. It’s incredibly valuable to have a representative who hears you, and responds. I promise I will.