Biographical information

Name:

Kristen Cloutier

Office Sought:

Lewiston City Council, Ward 5

Home Street Address:

33 Charles Street, Lewiston, ME 04240

Campaign Phone Number:

207-807-1637

Campaign Email Address:

kristencloutier@yahoo.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristen-Cloutier-for-Lewiston-City-Council/296765250461347

Twitter Account:

N/A

YouTube Channel:

N/A

Occupation or primary source of income:

Assistant Director, Center Operations and Program Coordinator, Project Pericles/Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Bates College

Education:

Master of Leadership Studies, University of Southern Maine (LAC), 2009; Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, Northeastern University, 1997

Family:

I am married and have a five- year-old daughter and two rescue dogs.

Public offices sought or held?

Member, Comprehensive Plan Committee, City of Lewiston

Civic organizations:

Member, Community Advisory Board, University of Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College; Member, L-A Betterment Committee, Young People of the Lewiston-Auburn Area (YPLAA); Member,  Education and Development Committee, Advocates for Children; Member, Holiday Festival Committee, Advocates for Children; Member, Planning Committee, NOT HERE Conference on Human Trafficking; Volunteer, Lewiston Unites; Volunteer, Dempsey Challenge.

Ice breakers

What is your favorite food?

As I mention on my campaign palm cards, I love the L-A Greek Festival. Having just been, I am inclined to go with a gyro. And loukomades. Can I pick two?

What is your favorite movie?

“Elf.”

What is your favorite book?

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee

What is the best political advice you have received?

I wouldn’t say it is advice as much as it is good practice, but many people, both in and out of politics, have told me how important it is for me to get out there and meet my potential constituents. Knocking on doors is something that I was really afraid to do, but now that I have done it a few times, I have really come to enjoy it. Meeting my neighbors and sharing a conversation with them has been extremely motivating and enriching.

What Maine political figure do you admire most?

I am a pretty big fan of Mike Michaud. He comes from humble beginnings in East Millinocket and worked in a paper mill. In my opinion, he represents the spirit of what it means to be a “Mainer.” He got involved in politics because he wanted to clean up the Penobscot River, a river that was being polluted by the very paper mill that he worked for. That alone takes a lot of guts. He is a fierce advocate for our veterans and is deeply invested in the economic development of the State. His commitment to his Maine roots is evident is almost everything he does, like continuing to live in East Millinocket and remodeling his late grandmother’s house. I love that.

Local politics

What has Mayor Robert Macdonald done during the past two years that you agree with? What has he done that you disagree with?

I think that Mayor Macdonald has done an exceptional job working with and relating to the members of the Council. He has been open to conversation and I believe he has the ability to work well with others, even when his own beliefs on an issue are at odds with those being presented. He is able to respectfully agree to disagree. That being said, I think that sometimes he speaks before he has thoroughly thought through an issue. We may not always agree on things, but I look forward to the opportunity of getting to know him, whether or not either of us is elected.

What has the city council done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

I think the council that we have had for the past two years has done a great job of working collaboratively despite party affiliations, and I appreciate the fact that they spoke out against the Governor and his efforts to shift the tax burden of the state from income tax to property taxes, effectively shifting the tax burden from the wealthiest in the state to those in middle and low income tax brackets.

I am also appreciative of their support of improvements at Lewiston Middle School and Longley Elementary School (making it a complete elementary school).

As the parent of a young child who needs a lot of rest and goes to bed relatively early, and the owner of two dogs, I was disappointed that the Council did not enact an outright ban on fireworks. I cringe every time there is any kind of event that involves fireworks. It typically means that we have to take the dogs and migrate to a place that doesn’t have them so that the dogs aren’t terrified. This in turn usually means that my daughter does not get to bed at a reasonable hour because not only are the fireworks being set off after her bedtime, but we have to account for travel time to get home. In addition, even though there are laws about who should be setting off fireworks, where they should be set off, and when, there are always people who don’t abide by the law. An outright ban would have been much easier for everyone in my opinion.

What has the city administrator and the city staff done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

Given the recent fires that took place downtown, which the City was very responsive to, I think it is great that they have hired a full-time code enforcement officer and have been stepping up code enforcement efforts, including securing buildings that are vacant. These efforts should not only help in decreasing unsafe housing conditions for those living downtown, but should help reduce crime that is typically associated with vacant buildings. I have also been pleasantly surprised by the quick and personal responses that I have received from every city office that I have come into contact with recently.

I think the city administrator and staff try to do the best that they can with limited resources. I just don’t think that there is enough money or manpower to meet all the City’s needs efficiently and effectively. I think this sometimes causes the City to be reactive rather than proactive in its response to community needs.

What has the school committee done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

I really like that we have instituted Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports universally in the Lewiston school system. I think that holding all students accountable for their actions and starting all students off on the same playing field allows them to learn from each other. It also presents opportunities for early interventions with students who are experiencing behavioral problems or issues with academic achievement. PBIS allows us to meet the needs of students sooner, preventing them from developing intense, individual needs. This, in turn, allows us to reserve resources.

First of all, let me say that I understand that the idea of redistricting is fraught with problems and concerns on many levels, on both sides of the equation, and I want to be clear that I am not addressing the redistricting plan itself, but merely the process that was employed for creation of the redistricting subcommittee.

I believe in transparency and equal representation, and I don’t feel like the subcommittee was successful in employing either of those things early enough in the process. There was no parental representation on the subcommittee from some of the schools being most affected. Because of that, I think it created more tension in an already difficult conversation. While I feel the subcommittee remedied that to a certain degree by holding open meetings for parents and community members later on, I feel it may have been too late and that people were already feeling too left out of the process to focus solely on the issue at hand.

What should be done with Bates Mill No. 5?

I think that Grow L-A’s plans for an agricultural center in Mill No. 5 are intriguing. I think there is incredible opportunity there to do something in Lewiston that isn’t being done in many other places. By integrating hydroponic and aquaponic technology, we can strengthen and diversify our economic base, employing local people and increasing our own food security in the process.

Any last words?

I am really excited about the opportunity to serve the people of Ward 5. We may not always agree on how to get there, but I am certain that our destination is the same: a vibrant, healthy, thriving city that we are all proud to call home!

Election coverage:

• Lewiston candidates