Candidate Name: Casey Diana

Campaign Address: 401 W. Vermont Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801

Campaign Phone/Fax: 217 344-5285

Campaign Email: cdiana2@insightbb.com

1) What are your best environmental achievements so far?

1. Organic gardener-- helped found Vermont Avenue Garden Club
2. Withhold a space for bird sanctuary in backyard
3. Reduced lawn by 90%
4. Completed a novel that centers around environmental problems at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Colorado
5. Support Salt Fork river clean-up
6. Planted five trees

2) What environmental issues will you publicly support throughout your campaign?

Work to:
Reduce Urban sprawl; interconnect walkways and trails and maintain them at same level as streets; increase recycling by advocating for economic incentive to re-use plastic grocery bags; initiate composting program; maintain low-congestion levels; consider updating municipal codes to increase mix-use.

3) Why are you interested in environmental issues?

I want to leave a cleaner, greener planet for my grandchild.

4) Any personal environmental work, education, groups, hobbies, or habits (e.g. energy efficient home/cars/appliances; reduced consumption/driving; reuse; buy recycled/organic/local; vegetarian)?

Increased personal and family walking; buy organic vegetables and coffee; biodegradable cleaning products and cosmetics (I frequent Strawberry Fields); always check for "recycled" labels on products; assiduously separate recyclables; bring my grandchild (2) to Anita Purvis Center to impress on him early on the importance of natural environment; decreased family driving, keep gasoline consumption to a minimum and only buy gas with 10% ethanol.

5) What are the three most pressing environmental concerns in Urbana?

Urban sprawl; threat of increased auto congestion; lack of "walkable" interconnected sidewalks and trails.

6) What is your opinion about environmental protections in the recently proposed Urbana Comprehensive Plan?

Represents substantial movement in right direction if actually implemented.

7) Would you publicly oppose the proposed ring road around Urbana? If not, what would you do to prevent further sprawl and another slow flowing, low quality commercial corridor with desolate buildings?

Economic and social pressures centering on the Ring Road appear at present to be insurmountable but it is imperative to preserve unique natural environment areas in North Urbana, woods especially, and highly consider agricultural resources.

8) What would you do to encourage more varied shopping in central and eastern Urbana (e.g., Philo Road) to reduce sprawl and gasoline consumption?

Actively recruit small and medium locally-owned businesses by crafting economic incentives such as a TIF district.

9) Would you publicly support policies that discourage sprawl by recovering all infrastructure (roads/utilities) and service costs (schools/fire/police) of expanding into natural areas and farmland?

YES

10) What financial support would you give to create bike/hike trails that link Urbana together?

A portion of increased funds from commercial development could be funneled into this area.

11) Would you support sharing residential streets (walk/bike/drive) that slow traffic in Europe and traffic calming devices for smoother flow?

YES

12) Would you publicly support ending utility tax discounts for higher consumption and use the revenues as energy efficiency matching funds?

Good idea, but I'd like to hear more.

13) Would you publicly oppose another nuclear reactor in Clinton?

YES

14) Would you publicly support shifting street maintenance funding from property taxes on everyone to gas taxes on actual users?

Construction of highways, township roads and streets is already supported by gas tax funds and perhaps street maintenance could be shifted to gas tax.

15) How much will you increase Urbana's fleet of hybrid cars?

I would like to see 100% hybrid.

16) How will you increase Urbana's purchase of environmental products?

Detergents and toilet supplies should all be biodegradable; gardening supplies should be of natural origin (i.e. made from corn).

17) Would you publicly support adopting LEED building codes for energy efficiency in all future city government construction and remodeling?

Yes, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system should be highly considered as a goal in design criteria for new city government construction and remodeling.

18) Would you support shifting to sales taxes (slowing consumption of imports) from property taxes to keep housing affordable?

I'm afraid I don't find this question to be quite clear, but as a Democrat I instinctively feel opposed to the sales tax because it is a regressive tax.

19) Would you support increasing parking fees for SUVs and pickups?

Nice idea, but I wouldn't know how to enforce it.

20) Would you support requiring the equivalent of storm doors and windows on rental units to reduce fossil fuel imports?

YES

21) Would you enable residents to use the city's webpage to sign up for emailed newsletters and announcements, saving postage and paper?

YES

22) What would you do to protect the environment in Drainage Districts?

The City of Urbana is not involved in controlling drainage districts. However, a good argument can be made for replacing narrowly focused drainage districts to more fully include representation from all public interest groups.

23) Is there anything else you would like to add?

WALK, WALK, WALK