Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik wants to:
- Make your drinking water safe.
- Regulate the construction of 5G networks throughout Tucson.
- Protect historical buildings and small businesses on the Sunshine Mile Corridor.
- Expand the city recycling program and use the byproducts as tools in construction and landscaping.
Serving Ward Six since 2009, Councilman Kozachik wants to continue to advocate for the people and defend their quality of life by winning reelection to the Tucson City Council.
Councilman Kozachik graciously took the time to discuss his candidacy for reelection.
The questions and his responses are below.
1) Please tell the readers two reasons you would like to remain on the Tucson City Council.
“One reason is that I am knee-deep in so many significant issues in the region such as PFAS, the water contamination that’s out at Davis Monthan and Tucson International, the Sunshine Mile roadway expansion, and the preservation of historic buildings and small businesses
along with that corridor, and the region’s consideration of a regional transportation
authority with possible roadway/transportation expansion and funding.
along with that corridor, and the region’s consideration of a regional transportation
authority with possible roadway/transportation expansion and funding.
Another reason, and tied to the first is defending the quality of life issues for community residents such as what does appropriate infill development look like, the appropriate scale, and density. Also, fiscal support for our core services, the rollout and regulation of 5G networks, and long-term budget
stability.”
stability.”
2) Please tell the readers two accomplishments from your tenure on the Tucson City
Council.
Council.
* “I exposed the PFAS contamination and worked with the city attorney to initiate litigation against 3M, the manufacturer of the product. And working
with city staff, we’ve begun the clean-up effort with ADEQ (Arizona Department of Environmental Quality) and the Department of Defense.
with city staff, we’ve begun the clean-up effort with ADEQ (Arizona Department of Environmental Quality) and the Department of Defense.
* Permanent Preservation of the Benedictine Monastery, and while I was in the process of negotiating that rezoning I facilitated the use of the monastery to house over 20,000 asylum seekers from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala over the course of nine months.
* Working with animal welfare advocates, I was able to get the Tucson Greyhound park shut down and enacted a prohibition on administering anabolic steroids to racing animals. I also worked to adopt a local puppy mill ordinance, until the luminaries at the state legislature passed pre-emptive legislation that rendered ours moot. We also have also gotten a ban on wildlife killing contests in which people compete to kill as many animals as they can in a certain number of hours. Also, Tucson Fire does controlled burns and they were inadvertently catching wildlife in the burns. I put a stop to those controlled burns unless they get oversight from Tucson Wildlife Rescue Center.”
3) What are at least three issues you would like to work on if re-elected to the Tucson
City Council?
City Council?
* “PFAS is numbers one, two, and three. It is a regional existential issue. Right now, we
are serving Colorado River Water. But as Lake Mead drops, we are at some point going to start using our groundwater. I am not going to be like that guy from Flint, Michigan and tell people that they cannot use their groundwater. With regards to 3M, they produced a firefighting agent that contained PFAS that Davis Monthan admitted they hosed into the soil or dumped into the sewer system. They need to be held accountable.
are serving Colorado River Water. But as Lake Mead drops, we are at some point going to start using our groundwater. I am not going to be like that guy from Flint, Michigan and tell people that they cannot use their groundwater. With regards to 3M, they produced a firefighting agent that contained PFAS that Davis Monthan admitted they hosed into the soil or dumped into the sewer system. They need to be held accountable.
* 5G: the rollout of small wireless facilities, we want to preserve the character of
people’s communities. Right now the state says the poles can go anywhere. I’d like to see some of them placed in front of Finchem’s or Leach’s houses. That might change their perspective.
people’s communities. Right now the state says the poles can go anywhere. I’d like to see some of them placed in front of Finchem’s or Leach’s houses. That might change their perspective.
* We have a recycling program that we are focused on working towards zero waste in
the community. I have initiated a glass crusher and converting it to sand, and we
have now taken that city-wide. We take that sand and mix it to make construction-grade concrete. We also want to take plastic out of the waste stream and work with companies like
ByFusion, converting it to Building Blocks. We also have a composting program where
we will reuse our green waste that residents can use in their landscaping.”
the community. I have initiated a glass crusher and converting it to sand, and we
have now taken that city-wide. We take that sand and mix it to make construction-grade concrete. We also want to take plastic out of the waste stream and work with companies like
ByFusion, converting it to Building Blocks. We also have a composting program where
we will reuse our green waste that residents can use in their landscaping.”
4) Is there anything not covered in the first three questions that you would like the
readers to know? Please explain.
readers to know? Please explain.
“These are incredibly important positions to work on, not hobbies. They, like water
contamination, and combatting sex trafficking by working with survivors, combatting
racism at the Islamic Center, gun control laws, and 5G are both qualities of life, and in some cases are potentially life and death issues. Holding a title is meaningless unless you are not working for the common good.”For more information on Councilman Steve Kozachik and his candidacy for reelection,
please click on the below social media link.
contamination, and combatting sex trafficking by working with survivors, combatting
racism at the Islamic Center, gun control laws, and 5G are both qualities of life, and in some cases are potentially life and death issues. Holding a title is meaningless unless you are not working for the common good.”For more information on Councilman Steve Kozachik and his candidacy for reelection,
please click on the below social media link.
