Nancy Clayburgh
Age: 56, yrs. in Portsmouth: 21
Public Experience: vice chair of School Board, chair of Athletic Comm., member of Policy Comm., member of Joint School Advisory Comm., co-chair of Portsmouth Middle School Feasibility Study Comm., member of Joint Budget Comm., member of Joint Building Comm. for Portsmouth High School

-What can be done to provide affordable housing for working families and people with moderate incomes?

 We recently became aware of an affordable housing project near the Atlantic Heights neighborhood, which is a collaboration with the Portsmouth Housing Authority and the Housing Partnership. More such plans must be made to make Portsmouth more affordable for all. We must work with the neighborhood groups to ensure that they feel these developments are positive.

-What would you do to manage growth in the city’s Northern Tier?

We again need to work with the citizens of Portsmouth to obtain their views on the Northern Tier issue. In the downtown area, we need to develop projects that bring revenue into our City Hall coffers. Let’s bring the tourists in and have them spend their money. Then our revenue base is expanded and all Portsmouth residents benefit.

-What kind of new businesses would you like to see opening in Portsmouth?

-What would you do to promote sustainable practices and green building in the city?

-What was the last cultural or artistic event you attended in Portsmouth?

 
-It was largely the artistic community that made Portsmouth a popular destination, but now most artists will tell you that they cannot afford to live or work here. Have we killed the goose that laid the golden egg?

 A recent study showed that Portsmouth is a cultural destination for 4 million people that live within four hours of Portsmouth. Patrons of the arts spend money here. We must continue to develop affordable housing so that these folks connected to the arts can live in our community. The arts are important, both as a cultural entity and a revenue-raising entity.