Meet Salt Lake City Council candidate James Alfandre
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James Alfandre. Photo: Courtesy of James Alfandre
James Alfandre is running to represent District 6 in the Salt Lake City Council.
- Alfandre is the founding principal of the development group Urban Alfandre. He's also a board member of the Granary District Alliance, per his campaign website.
Of note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
📲 First tap in the morning: "My calendar."
😄 Hobbies: "Family. We love biking, skiing, camping, climbing, fishing, golf, surfing and traveling. I am also a huge urban planning and city design nerd."
🏠 What neighborhoods have you lived in? "Bonneville Hills."
🐋 What whale-sized sculpture belongs in your district and where would it go? "We need a large mountain Yeti sculpture near the Bonneville trail."
🤔 What's the top issue Salt Lakers face? "Growth. Growth is exciting but challenging."
- "We must harness the energy and plan for it accordingly so we have healthy and vibrant neighborhoods without compromising character and local architectural vernacular."
🏠 How would you address affordable housing in Salt Lake City? "Finding creative solutions to provide more diverse housing that is well designed, enhances the character of our neighborhoods, and creates inclusive communities and opportunities for everyone to put down roots in our city."
- "We need more lovable buildings for our residents to thrive in, while staying true to thoughtful, sensitive implementation."
🌊 As the Great Salt Lake dwindles, what policy solutions would you recommend to conserve water? "At the city level, we need to incentivize xeriscaping and native plantings.
- "We need to invest in infrastructure that preserves water and saves the city money."
- "If we really want to save the Great Salt Lake, we must work with state leaders to address agricultural and industrial water use."
🚩 What sets you apart as a candidate? "I am a local business owner and award-winning professional with 15 years of experience and expertise in urban design, housing policy, environmental planning and economic development."
☝ First action as a City Council member: "Ask the mayor where I can park my bike at City Hall. Establish a task force to get a Red Iguana in District 6. Extend Kyle Whittingham's contract. Too hard to pick just one."
🏛 Finally, why do you want to be a City Council member? "I want Salt Lake City to be a place my kids and grandkids want to live."