Quality of life issues top City Council election forum

Candidates discuss previously overlooked topics

Ahmed Ali, Shawn Ali, Cathy Drzyzgula, Jud Ashman, Wilson Faris and Carlos Solis attended. The Alis are not related, while Drzyzgula and Ashman are running on a slate. Ahmed Ali, Solis and Ryan Spiegel, who did not attend the debate, are not running on a slate but say they support each other.

Spiegel’s campaign manager, Jake Waskey, read an opening statement for the candidate, who was expected to return from his honeymoon today, Oct. 24.

The three candidates who receive the most votes Nov. 6 are expected to be sworn in as Council members at a Nov. 7 meeting. According to city rules, the winners each must receive 40 percent of the votes.

The candidates varied little on addressing crime through a larger police force and the benefits of advancing the Olde Towne revitalization process.

Andrew Bove, a 27-year resident in the nearby Deer Park Place community, said he is bothered by places in his neighborhood where up to 20 people are living in a single-family home.

‘‘This is a systematic problem,” said Bove, president of the Brighton Homeowners Association.

He said the best candidate would improve code enforcement and overcrowding problems.

Drzyzgula said she would pursue hiring an after-hours code enforcement officer, but stressed that residents must continue to report violations.

A break down in communication is responsible for many quality of life issues, and can be resolved through greater outreach through homeowners associations to teach non-English speaking residents the rules, Shawn Ali said.

‘‘Enforcement comes down to a balance,” he said. ‘‘I’m not in favor of any heavy-handed” measures.

Solis said he wants to create a specific city ‘‘office” for language needs.

‘‘Sometimes they’re [breaking] the code because they don’t understand and don’t speak English,” Solis said.

The city could offer English classes for residents, possibly administered through the police, Drzyzgula said.

Ashman said Gaithersburg could better promote its translation services, while Shawn Ali said he would organize a multi-language manual for homeowners associations to distribute to new residents.

Harriet Cole, a 20-year Brighton East resident, said she felt the candidates ‘‘did a good job” responding to some‘‘complex” questions.

Cole said she wants better response time from the city’s Neighborhood Services Department, and said she opposes increasing the city police department too much.

For ReneVanessa Jefferson, a 2-year Brighton East resident, it is important that the new council members help the city recover from the vitriol stirred up by the contentious day-laborer debate. This forum was a step in the right direction, she said.

‘‘I’m pleased it wasn’t a hate fest,” Jefferson said.