District 4

 

Back to Voter Guide

Candidates

John Ryan
Alison Maguire

 

Issues
1. Energy efficiency, weatherization, and resilience
2. Mitigating human-caused climate change
3. Renewable energy and protecting against winter storm price gouging
4. Expanding recycling and food composting access
5. Regional park at the former Gibbons Creek mine lands

 

Survey Responses

1. Energy efficiency, weatherization, and resilience

Question: Weatherizing homes and buildings to be more energy efficient can make our neighborhoods more resilient against inclement weather, reduce pollution that harms our health, and save residents money on utility bills. Increased energy efficiency could also help prevent future outages from severe weather. Do you support creating municipal policies that will hold our commercial and residential buildings to the highest energy and water efficiency standards and increase weatherization in order to eliminate climate and air pollution impacts from buildings? 

John Ryan
Alison Maguire
No
Yes

Question: As a Council Member, how would you work to help increase weatherization and energy efficiency in the community, especially for lower-income residents and people impacted by the February winter storm?

John Ryan:
Denton has several ways to help residents increase the energy efficiency. This includes funds for low-income residents to pay for home repairs and weatherization and DME energy audits and rebate programs for high efficiency equipment and solar panels. Policies on new construction and major remodels are already in place. I don’t believe we should force building and home owners to have to upgrade existing buildings when they are not doing a major remodel. I believe the key is education, true cost recovery timelines. As an example if a single speed pool pump costs is $800 and uses $120 worth of electricity per month and a variable speed is $1200 but only uses $60 worth of electricity, in month 7 the $800 pump had cost you more the the $1200. If you replace a working $800 pump with a $1200 pump it will pay for itself in 24 months.

Alison Maguire:
The city has a Homeowner Repair Assistance Program and a rebate program for homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to their homes. I would like to see the city expand both of these programs and also be more proactive in connecting residents with state and federal resources for folks whose homes were damaged in the winter storm.



2. Mitigating human-caused climate change

Question: Do you believe the City of Denton should prioritize solutions to mitigate human-caused climate change and make Denton more resilient against the impacts of climate change and inclement weather?

John Ryan
Alison Maguire
Yes
Yes

Question: What will you do to reduce climate emissions in Denton and to make the city more resilient, such as investing in local community solar or weatherizing power plants, against the effects of climate change and extreme weather?

John Ryan:
DME has one of the best rebate programs in Texas of Solar rebates. DME is also evaluating the best way to weatherize the Denton Energy Center and will be bringing those back to council in the near future. The fleet department continuously works at replacement vehicles that are hybrid or electric. The largest producer of GHG in the city is the landfill, we must continue to find diversion methods and educate the public on how the can reduce how much and what goes into our landfill.

Alison Maguire:
Our three biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions are in electricity, waste, and transportation. I would be very interested in exploring the feasibility of DME acquiring greater solar or wind generating capacity, either through the distributed generation program or the building of solar or wind farms. However, with or without generating capacity, we need to continue making progress toward our goal of DME going 100% renewable. We need to revisit some of the solid waste policy changes of the last few years to see how we can reduce landfill emissions and divert more trash from the landfill, including through commercial and multi family recycling and composting programs. On a small scale, the City of Denton can reduce vehicle emissions by transitioning our city’s fleet to low- or zero-emission vehicles where possible. However, we must also prioritize making it safe and convenient for residents to choose modes of transportation other than cars. That means promoting dense, mixed-use development and investing heavily in pedestrian, bike path, and public transportation infrastructure.



3. Renewable energy and protecting against winter storm price gouging

Question: Will you ensure Denton keeps its commitment to using 100% renewable energy (wind, solar, and battery storage) and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels for energy and heating?

John Ryan
Alison Maguire
Yes
Yes

Question: Denton Municipal Electric paid over $200 million to ERCOT due to price gouging during the February winter storm while many residents were without power or potable water. What will you do to protect DME ratepayers from excessive charges from the February storm?

John Ryan:
The final cost will most likely not be known until at least late summer. The $200 million is what DME paid for the electricity used but don’t not take into account what DME was paid for the electricity they put on the grid or what DME paid for the fuel to run the Denton Energy Center. When we get to the final number we will use long term revenue bonds so the ratepayers will see less of an increase than the decreases we have put in place the last several budget years.

Alison Maguire:
I am glad that the City of Denton has filed a lawsuit against ERCOT to protect us from further charges, and if elected I will pursue every available avenue to hold officials at ERCOT and other state-level agencies accountable for the man-made disaster we experienced and for the price gouging they engaged in or condoned. Due to the large amount of debt we were forced to take on after the storm, I can’t promise that rates won’t need to be raised keep DME financially viable. However, I can promise that I will place high priority on the concerns of DME ratepayers, and I will do everything I can to ensure that this debt is handled in a responsible and equitable manner.



4. Expanding recycling and food composting access

Question: Hundreds of Denton residents have written to the City Council in support of policies that would reduce solid waste by expanding recycling access and addressing food waste. Do you support creating solutions that would bring universal access to recycling and food composting to businesses and residences? 

John Ryan
Alison Maguire
Yes
Yes

Question: How will you work to ensure that the city reduces its solid waste and increase recycling access over the long term?

John Ryan:
Education of the residents is key. The “brown” carts we started using a couple of years ago help with some of the food waste for “pre-prepared” and spoiled produce. On the recycle side if a load is contaminated beyond 10% the recycle center has the right to refuse it which means it is haul to and buried in the landfill. Better education, especially of dumpster users, is the only way we can eliminate loads being refused.

Alison Maguire:
Commercial and multi-family recycling must be made available across the city right away, and I would like to run a pilot program to explore the feasibility of curbside compost pickup. I would also like the city to invest more heavily in recycling education programs, through communications and through Denton ISD, to work to reduce contamination in our recycling program.



5. Regional park at the former Gibbons Creek mine lands

Question: Will you support the creation of a regional park at the Gibbons Creek former mine lands that protects Texas wildlife and history while promoting local economic development and healthier communities?

John Ryan
Alison Maguire
No
Yes

Question: Additional comments you may have on question 5

John Ryan:
I may be open to it, but because there are several cities involved in the ownership it is a much more complex issue than just yes or no.

Alison Maguire:
The former mine lands surrounding the Gibbons Creek Power Plant are densely forested. Preserving forests and mature trees is a high priority when it comes to air quality and carbon sequestration, and as a City Council member I would fight to protect those trees.


Back to Voter Guide