Jodi King proposes shared housing mandates and open governance for Owen Sound mayor race.

Full Transcript

00:00:15 SPEAKER_1095: Hello there, everyone.

00:00:16 SPEAKER_1095: I'm here with Jodi King.

00:00:17 SPEAKER_1095: She is going to be candidate for mayor right now, and along with a few other people, I am here with an interview with her.

00:00:24 SPEAKER_1095: Just let her tell the public what she is going to be doing, and I will give it over to her.

00:00:33 SPEAKER_1095: Thank you, James.

00:00:33 SPEAKER_1095: How was today?

00:00:33 SPEAKER_1095: Good.

00:00:36 SPEAKER_1095: Good.

00:00:43 SPEAKER_1095: Thank you so much for inviting me at this beautiful location, small park here in town.

00:00:52 SPEAKER_1095: I do not have years of experience in politics, and that's not a bad thing.

00:00:58 SPEAKER_1095: I believe it is like... a good thing because I am a clean slate.

00:01:03 SPEAKER_1095: My vision is a new chapter, a new beginning, a fresh start.

00:01:13 SPEAKER_1095: I want to make Owen Sound great and safe and beautiful once again.

00:01:25 SPEAKER_1095: I want to help keep Owen Sound safe and secure.

00:01:31 SPEAKER_1095: I was raised on a farm outside Ames in 1979, and then the King family moved to Ames.

00:01:40 SPEAKER_1095: So I know what hard work is.

00:01:53 SPEAKER_1095: I am not afraid to get my hands dirty.

00:01:57 SPEAKER_1095: We will no longer be afraid to open our car doors or walk down the streets.

00:02:03 SPEAKER_1095: As mayor, I will serve as a spokesperson for Owen Sound by continuing my daily interaction with everyone, and I will make time with all members of the community.

00:02:12 SPEAKER_1095: Your concerns will no longer be ignored.

00:02:17 SPEAKER_1095: We will sit down together and come up with a workable solution.

00:02:24 SPEAKER_1095: The number one topic I've heard every day from the citizens of Owen Sound is the homeless population, the drug situation.

00:02:35 SPEAKER_1095: I am about 100 feet from Safe and Sound doors.

00:02:42 SPEAKER_1095: I see this going on every single day.

00:02:58 SPEAKER_1474: I see the drug dealers.

00:03:06 SPEAKER_1474: I see those who are using fentanyl and meth, and I see them overdosing.

00:03:06 SPEAKER_1474: My heart breaks because there has to be a solution.

00:03:22 SPEAKER_1474: My solution, my thoughts, my plan, my vision is to have our own county services continue to focus on Motoring in the River District and empty storefronts.

00:03:28 SPEAKER_1474: Now, the housing situation for the homeless is a big problem.

00:03:33 SPEAKER_1474: Would you agree?

00:03:38 SPEAKER_1474: Yes.

00:03:50 SPEAKER_1474: So I believe that Owen Sound has several empty lots that can be used on a short-term basis.

00:03:56 SPEAKER_1474: I'm not going to say within a year's time.

00:04:10 SPEAKER_1474: I am going to say give us two years to work on a better solution for housing for the homeless.

00:04:15 SPEAKER_1474: Now, you cannot put an active addict in a home by themselves without proper support, without counseling, without a crisis worker in place.

00:04:26 SPEAKER_1474: Putting an addict in a home by themselves and saying "good luck to you" and closing the door is only going to allow that person to fail.

00:04:38 SPEAKER_1474: Those homeless people are still part of this community.

00:04:56 SPEAKER_1474: Now I'm going to say this: there are three categories of people who use and sell, and people can disagree about it, but that's fine.

00:05:04 SPEAKER_1474: There are the ones that sell drugs; they're the ones that use the drugs and overdose, and it breaks my heart.

00:05:07 SPEAKER_1474: And then there are the ones you see walking out on the streets with carts full of pop cans, beer cans, scrap metal, and they are actually helping to clean up the city,

00:05:18 SPEAKER_1474: and they have the change from the empties to buy whatever they need or want.

00:05:27 SPEAKER_1474: Okay, so I hear many people bashing the homeless.

00:05:42 SPEAKER_1474: I have a problem with the ones that sell drugs.

00:05:46 SPEAKER_1474: Some of the clients that stay with us call me Mama Bill because I have a heart for some of them who actually want help.

00:05:57 SPEAKER_1474: My husband and I have offered it to them: come work with us.

00:06:04 SPEAKER_1474: Not a problem.

00:06:10 SPEAKER_1474: We say, "Come meet us at my house, in my truck," this day, this time, but they don't show up; that's okay.

00:06:16 SPEAKER_1474: We give them another chance.

00:06:20 SPEAKER_1474: Okay?

00:06:21 SPEAKER_1474: They get chances, but when I worked in security at bars and banks and grocery stores... let me go with the bar situation.

00:06:27 SPEAKER_1474: I know there are people in the bar scene who have connections with drug dealers from bigger cities.

00:06:36 SPEAKER_1474: Owen Sound will no longer be a safe haven for you to come to our city and sell your drugs.

00:06:48 SPEAKER_1474: We cannot stop drug trafficking one hundred percent; that's just a fairy tale.

00:06:54 SPEAKER_1474: It is going to continue, but we can stop it together with the Ozone [sic], please crisis workers, with all these supports that we have.

00:07:03 SPEAKER_1474: I'm just making my... goosebumps?

00:07:12 SPEAKER_1474: No, let me rephrase: We are not going to break this cycle one hundred percent immediately.

00:07:17 SPEAKER_1474: But at least by tackling this situation together, we can stop the bleed.

00:07:22 SPEAKER_1474: At one time, one unit at a time.

00:07:26 SPEAKER_1474: Now, thank you all for the Owen Sound police services; God bless you.

00:07:29 SPEAKER_1474: You work hard day and night.

00:07:30 SPEAKER_1474: And I know how frustrated some of them are.

00:07:38 SPEAKER_1474: Last week working for a long day... eight more?

00:07:41 SPEAKER_1474: That's fabulous.

00:07:42 SPEAKER_1474: Thank you so much for helping us keep our city streets safe.

00:07:44 SPEAKER_1474: Right?

00:07:45 SPEAKER_1474: Let's do eight more next week, let's do eight more after that.

00:07:55 SPEAKER_1474: Let's keep going.

00:07:58 SPEAKER_1474: I know we can keep going, James.

00:08:03 SPEAKER_1474: I know that.

00:08:04 SPEAKER_1474: So when the homeless who have mental illness continue with mental health services... that helps them with counseling.

00:08:08 SPEAKER_1474: Let's not give up on them anymore.

00:08:20 SPEAKER_1474: Right?

00:08:21 SPEAKER_1474: And with housing, let's put them in a program with trained staff.

00:08:33 SPEAKER_1474: Trained staff, right?

00:08:33 SPEAKER_1474: Let's open up a different, better building for them—maybe away from downtown so they have bigger space and are not shunned by the rest of our community where they can take a deep breath.

00:08:38 SPEAKER_1474: Okay, now I can access housing, but here is step one: Step one is counseling.

00:08:57 SPEAKER_1474: Step two is drug addiction strategies to come off those drugs; it may take time.

00:09:07 SPEAKER_1474: That's give them time.

00:09:11 SPEAKER_1474: And yes, they must want it in order to go from step three, to step four, to get a house by themselves or with a roommate, but still have that access to counseling and support.

00:09:21 SPEAKER_1474: That is how someone—a crisis worker—says: "You know what, Charlie, this is your home, but there are rules."

00:09:21 SPEAKER_1474: Just like I have rules in my house; if I mess up, if I miss a payment, if I damage my home, there are consequences.

00:09:24 SPEAKER_1474: Absolutely, there are consequences for the homeless people too.

00:09:25 SPEAKER_1474: But that's give them a chance, one step at a time.

00:09:36 SPEAKER_1474: I think that is feasible, right?

00:09:44 SPEAKER_1474: I want to be able to walk down the street downtown in front of the storefronts that my husband and I look after in winter time—not hoping it will not see anything all last year—but anyways,

00:09:48 SPEAKER_1474: I want to be able to walk downtown without seeing someone who overdosed or a drug dealer.

00:09:51 SPEAKER_1474: Let's change hometown...

00:09:55 SPEAKER_1474: All Sound together?

00:09:57 SPEAKER_1474: I'm not looking to be paid for this if that happens; I am going to be there anyway.

00:10:00 SPEAKER_1474: I want to work with the community.

00:10:01 SPEAKER_1474: I want to work with the police, the EMTs, the SOS [sic], mental health workers and crisis workers.

00:10:04 SPEAKER_1474: We need to work together because if we can change one life tomorrow, then that person will say: "Okay, nobody is giving up on me.

00:10:18 SPEAKER_1474: I can get clean.

00:10:20 SPEAKER_1474: I can get a job in five hours a day.

00:10:24 SPEAKER_1474: I can have my own place.

00:10:27 SPEAKER_1474: I can be a better person."

00:10:30 SPEAKER_1474: But some people say, "Well, they have a chance."

00:10:30 SPEAKER_1474: Well, they do have chances.

00:10:32 SPEAKER_1474: Some of them want to change; I see the ones that want to make a difference in their lives.

00:10:32 SPEAKER_1474: So let's give them a chance.

00:10:36 SPEAKER_1474: Another thing I was wanting to see continue is the garbage question.

00:10:38 SPEAKER_1474: I know people are thinking: "Oh my gosh, here we go again."

00:10:47 SPEAKER_1474: Let's focus on downtown, shall we?

00:10:55 SPEAKER_1474: The garbage collecting people... no disgrace; God bless you for what you do five days a week.

00:10:59 SPEAKER_1474: Thank you so much for keeping Elm Sound clean.

00:11:01 SPEAKER_1474: Let's extend that to Sundays and then one more day with holidays.

00:11:06 SPEAKER_1474: When people come up to Elm Sound on their vacations or visiting their families, they see garbage.

00:11:13 SPEAKER_1474: Let's keep our sound clean seven days a week, including holidays.

00:11:17 SPEAKER_1474: I used to work for DIA [sic].

00:11:25 SPEAKER_1474: I think how many years ago?

00:11:32 SPEAKER_1474: There were two of us, and we had the River District area to clean eight hours a day five days a week.

00:11:34 SPEAKER_1474: People would thank us: "Thank you so much."

00:11:49 SPEAKER_1474: Not a problem because I wanted my city again; I want to see incentives for property owners to make their properties beautiful again.

00:11:53 SPEAKER_1474: Let's have a contest!

00:11:57 SPEAKER_1474: There are five categories on how you keep your gardens, how you keep your lawns... let's take pride again.

00:11:59 SPEAKER_1474: Let's do this.

00:12:02 SPEAKER_1474: Let's get our elbows greased up and ready to go.

00:12:03 SPEAKER_1474: What's another thing I was thinking?

00:12:04 SPEAKER_1474: Encourage new and updated housing projects here in town.

00:12:09 SPEAKER_1474: So, when there's a big company that wants to come to Olmsted or current companies of housing want to build another building in Olmsted...

00:12:11 SPEAKER_1474: Perfect.

00:12:12 SPEAKER_1474: Well, let's set aside ten to twenty percent of that new billing for low-income families, with conditions, with rules, just like everyone else has rules.

00:12:15 SPEAKER_1474: There is a housing crisis in our own town, and we have to deal with that.

00:12:17 SPEAKER_1474: We can't just say, "Well, let's look at that in a year or two years time."

00:12:28 SPEAKER_1474: No, no, no, it has to be now; it has to change today.

00:12:29 SPEAKER_1474: The changes are happening today.

00:12:42 SPEAKER_1474: Oh goodness!

00:12:54 SPEAKER_1474: There's a lot of things that my vision for myself is a whole community.

00:13:00 SPEAKER_1474: When I say vision, I'm thinking like me and people who know me here.

00:13:01 SPEAKER_1474: I like the club.

00:13:02 SPEAKER_1474: I feel wonderful about it.

00:13:08 SPEAKER_1474: Like when someone gives me a really great recipe, ingredient by ingredient...

00:13:12 SPEAKER_1474: "Well, I'll just give you five ingredients to start with."

00:13:12 SPEAKER_1474: This recipe here is precious.

00:13:28 SPEAKER_1474: It's not a secret; I don't think anybody should have secrets.

00:13:32 SPEAKER_1474: But this is very dear to me.

00:13:35 SPEAKER_1474: My vision is very dear to my heart.

00:13:37 SPEAKER_1474: Oh, my God!

00:13:42 SPEAKER_1474: It's like a recipe here.

00:13:48 SPEAKER_1474: Let me share a little bit of what I'm wanting to see change... sound?

00:13:50 SPEAKER_1474: I'll continue to change.

00:14:01 SPEAKER_1474: Here's a little tidbit for you.

00:14:04 SPEAKER_1474: And when it comes down to debating and whatever that is in August and October, I have more ingredients to the recipe to share with whoever again.

00:14:07 SPEAKER_1474: Again, I don't have all this experience with politics, but again, I'm a new slate, a new beginning, a new chapter, clean start.

00:14:07 SPEAKER_1474: But we need to change something; it has to change.

00:14:17 SPEAKER_1474: I'm just an ordinary citizen.

00:14:20 SPEAKER_1474: I was a bouncer.

00:14:26 SPEAKER_1474: I play pool.

00:14:28 SPEAKER_1474: I sing karaoke, and I've sometimes done stand-up comedy.

00:14:30 SPEAKER_1474: But I have a serious side of me too.

00:14:32 SPEAKER_1474: I have a stern side of me.

00:14:35 SPEAKER_1474: When I do security, I'm always looking for what we can do to keep somebody safe.

00:14:37 SPEAKER_1474: What can I do to make sure the bank is safe, the grocery store is safe from whatever chaos?

00:14:43 SPEAKER_1474: All we see is chaos right now.

00:14:52 SPEAKER_1474: Whether you want to believe it or not, we're in chaos.

00:15:01 SPEAKER_1474: How do we stop chaos?

00:15:04 SPEAKER_1474: We work together.

00:15:04 SPEAKER_1474: Yep.

00:15:06 SPEAKER_1474: We need each other.

00:15:08 SPEAKER_1474: So if I repeat myself... great.

00:15:08 SPEAKER_1474: My message is: I'm clear.

00:15:14 SPEAKER_1474: Yep.

00:15:14 SPEAKER_1474: And I'm ready to go.

00:15:16 SPEAKER_1474: We're done.

00:15:20 SPEAKER_1474: Do you have any questions?

00:15:20 SPEAKER_1474: Um, just one question about the transmissions.

00:15:21 SPEAKER_1474: Yes.

00:15:22 SPEAKER_1474: Let me think about that.

00:15:22 SPEAKER_1474: Master Holmes.

00:15:24 SPEAKER_1474: Okay, there we go again.

00:15:25 SPEAKER_1474: Okay, so again, people can argue, disagree, and that's fine; I still love myself.

00:15:33 SPEAKER_1474: So let's say on Sound City Council they have closed-door meetings.

00:15:34 SPEAKER_1474: That's going to change.

00:15:35 SPEAKER_1474: If elected—and it will probably be a long stretch—that's fine.

00:15:43 SPEAKER_1474: I have people who love me and want to support me and help with this vision... but it'll be an open door policy.

00:15:46 SPEAKER_1474: Let's see, if a casino wants to come downtown—just as an example—if a casino comes downtown and we have a spot ready to work on this... there is an appointment, and some people say, "Well, no,

00:15:55 SPEAKER_1474: this is a retirement community," which it is one hundred percent.

00:16:07 SPEAKER_1474: I can't wait; I want to retire fully in Long Sound.

00:16:10 SPEAKER_1474: But if a state casino comes in, that's how the citizens of Long Sound vote.

00:16:11 SPEAKER_1474: That's not just for City Hall or City Council to decide.

00:16:26 SPEAKER_1474: No, no, no. Their city council has a part in this community one hundred percent, but so do you and me.

00:16:35 SPEAKER_1474: If we think—if the citizens of Onondaga think—that a casino is a good idea to bring in income, visitors, tourists... that's going on.

00:16:43 SPEAKER_1474: If someone has a concern about what's happening in Onondaga, here's my email; here's my number.

00:16:57 SPEAKER_1474: That's all.

00:16:58 SPEAKER_1474: Well, we can put that on the agenda next time?

00:17:01 SPEAKER_1474: No, let's talk about it today.

00:17:03 SPEAKER_1474: My phone is open; my email is ready to go.

00:17:04 SPEAKER_1474: Let's talk!

00:17:07 SPEAKER_1474: We're not going to hide anything anymore.

00:17:09 SPEAKER_1474: We're not going to have any more secrets, City Council.

00:17:11 SPEAKER_1474: We're not going to say, "Well, we decided to vote against this."

00:17:13 SPEAKER_1474: Well, that...

00:17:17 SPEAKER_1474: I believe that's wrong.

00:17:23 SPEAKER_1474: That's how you should vote; have you voted?

00:17:24 SPEAKER_1474: That's how those people out there vote.

00:17:27 SPEAKER_1474: What do you think?

00:17:32 SPEAKER_1474: Does that work?

00:17:35 SPEAKER_1474: Yes!

00:17:35 SPEAKER_1474: Does that answer your question?

00:17:37 SPEAKER_1474: Perfect.

00:17:38 SPEAKER_1474: Is that all?

00:17:39 SPEAKER_1474: If you have any more questions, I'm here.

00:17:42 SPEAKER_1474: No, that's good for now.

00:17:43 SPEAKER_1474: Thank you.

00:17:43 SPEAKER_1474: Okay folks, tell me what you think; as you said, number or email—give us a shout—and...

00:17:57 SPEAKER_1474: I got two more minutes to go if they want to have an interview.

00:17:59 SPEAKER_1474: All right, OS out.