Meet Salt Lake City Council candidate Alejandro "Ale" Puy

Details: Puy represents a minority-majority district that encompasses Fairpark, Glendale, Poplar Grove and a portion of downtown.

• He's the co-founder of the political consulting firm Landslide Political.

Of note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

📲 First tap in the morning: "NY Times/email."

😃 Hobbies: "Home improvements, yard work, drought-tolerant plants, brewing home beer."

🏠 What neighborhoods have you lived in? "Fairpark."

🐋 What whale-sized sculpture belongs in your district and where would it go? "The tale of the whale is my personal dream. Connecting our city, and we could probably make space in the Nueve & Nueve (9th West 9th South) or nearby."

🤔 What's the top issue Salt Lakers face? "Housing affordability, displacement and homelessness."

🏠 How would you address affordable housing in Salt Lake City? "Reducing the cost of housing by allowing gentle density in all neighborhoods and reducing the need for mandatory parking minimums."

🌊 As the Great Salt Lake dwindles, what policy solutions would you recommend to conserve water? "Improve our water efficiency: Rebates to SLC residents to update our smart sprinkler controllers (they don't water when it rains or when it's not needed), a stronger campaign to update our low water toilets, and mandate new development of tighter, more efficient appliances."

• "Set the example as a city: make sure our parks have dual irrigation so we can turn off watering the grass when in drought conditions while keeping our trees healthy. Have drought-resistant gardens in our city parks so neighbors can learn about the different plants and how pretty they look. Remove grass from parking strips in city-owned properties."

🚩 What sets you apart as a candidate: "I work very hard to respond to all calls, emails and messages, while sometimes it's very hard to keep up. I believe I've tried to show my neighbors I care, but I also try to show them that our city (in many cases unfortunately) doesn't have all the funds, authority or responsibility over all issues. But we can still work together to get things done."

☝️ First action as a City Council member: "I will keep on [knocking] on doors like I have been doing since I got elected. I am not just knocking to earn support, I am knocking to learn about the challenges we face and see if I can help answer them."

🏛️ Finally, why do you want to be a City Council member? "Because I hope to give my neighbors hope that when we work together, we can accomplish anything. I want us to keep hoping and pushing for a better community that answers the years of neglect by our leaders."