Since moving to Gresham in 2000, Jenni Simonis has been active in Multnomah County and the city of Gresham.
In 2001, she began walking door to door, speaking with residents and voters in Gresham about the issues that mattered to them most. In 2002, her neighbors elected her a precinct committeeperson, and they have re-elected her twice since.
In 2006, she drove down to Salem in order to testify on the adverse affects an unregulated payday loan industry had on Gresham and its residents. She also spoke before the Gresham City Council on the issue.
In 2006, Jenni and her family moved from SW Gresham to NE Gresham. During the summer and fall of 2006 she worked to re-activate the NE Gresham Neighborhood Association, which has been inactive for some time. She currently serves as president. With one of the highest renter occupied household rates in the city, the neighborhood has unique problems, needs, and issues.
The city council
If elected to the city council, Jenni brings forth a unique view not available on the council currently.
Currently, the majority of our city council members live in the same area of town -- four of the seven members live in the same neighborhood (Gresham Butte). A fifth lives in the neighboring neighborhood (Southwest). The city has no representation from its east or northwest areas - they're all from the central part of the city and the southern buttes.
In a city like Gresham, it is very important that we have geographical diversity on our council. Each neighborhood within the city is different than the others -- the southern areas in the buttes are quite unlike the NW neighborhoods in Rockwood or the NE neighborhoods near the college and hospital. Traffic issues, crime, neighborhood complaints, etc. all vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and it is important that we account for this on our council.
Also, we have a large portion of our population that is living in rental units -- apartments, condos, duplexes, etc. -- almost 48% of the city's residents. With the amount of land available in the city limited, we're seeing an increase in the number of people living in rental units (a 4% increase between 2004 and 2005, and nearly 5% higher than Portland). These numbers don't include those living in condos and other such units where they have purchased the unit.
The needs, issues, and problems associated with living in rental units varies greatly from that of owner-occupied homes. It is very important that we have this population of the city represented in the council. Jenni and her family has lived in apartment complexes since moving into the city.
Watch the blog for postings about meetings, issues that are affecting the city, etc. We'll also post in advance about public meetings where Jenni will be speaking.
