total time: 15.89 minutes
total words: 1429
[Danielle Balocca]: The following interview is with Zach Bares. Information for the intro was taken from Zach's campaign website, which will be linked to in the show notes. Zach Bares is a lifelong resident of the Fulton Heights neighborhood in Medford and a graduate of the Medford Public Schools. Zach is in his first term as a city councilor and is running for re-election. During his first term, Zach is proud to have proposed 95 resolutions, 87 of which have passed or are still being worked on in committee. Zach has also worked to grow the movement of racial and social justice in Medford, pushing for racism to be declared a public health crisis. Zach continues to be a voice behind this declaration, pushing for transformative change to address systemic racism and create welcoming public schools and city government on principles of justice and equality. Hi, Zach. Thanks so much for joining me today. I know we're less than a week away from the election, so I really appreciate you making the time to talk with me.
[Unidentified]: Absolutely.
[Danielle Balocca]: And so, like, along with talking about city council and your reelection, I've been asking everybody about, like, kind of their favorite spot to eat in Medford, or if they have, like, a go-to, like, snack or drink that they would choose from a local place.
[Zac Bears]: Totally. I mean, I think favorite spot to eat is tough, because there's so many good ones. go-to snack slash drink is a raspberry lime Rickey at Colleen's, which I think is a long-term, since I was a kid, something that I just always liked. And it's nice after a long budget meeting at City Hall on a Saturday, go down to Colleen's and get a raspberry lime Rickey. So I love that. And I love Colleen's. It's just got such a great vibe.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, I think I've had ice cream there before. But yeah, it looks like a fun place to go into.
[Zac Bears]: Yeah, it's kind of like a diner-y feel. But it's just such a community hub and has been for a long time. And I'm just glad that it's still kicking.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, I know. And I was posting on Facebook about the podcast and seeing if folks had different businesses they wanted to talk about. Colleagues came up a lot. So hopefully we'll get to talk to them on the podcast at some point. That would be awesome. Cool. So we're going to talk a little bit about your race for re-election for city council. But if we could start out just kind of talking about your path to local politics in Redford, what's leading you here.
[Zac Bears]: Yeah, I mean, it really, when I decided to run, it was a pretty last minute decision, actually, which is not normal for, I think, most people. But I didn't really necessarily see myself running for office for a long time. I've always liked politics and thought it's incredibly important to be involved. But being elected and the work that that takes, I didn't really think it would happen so soon. And right before, you know, the summer before the 2019 election, I kind of looked around and For me, a big issue is cost of housing in Medford and what that means for people who have, you know, I grew up here, I'd love to stay here, I love it here, or people who want to move in. And I kind of looked around and didn't necessarily see you know, people that I thought were going to represent me and push that issue forward. So I had worked on mayoral campaigns in the city, been involved in issues, and decided that if anyone could do it, starting at the end of July, maybe I could do it. So it was a short on-ramp, but, you know, it worked out. It was an exciting campaign. And I've been glad that I made the decision because I think no one could have expected a pandemic and everything that has come with that, especially around housing. And I'm glad to have been able to be on the council at this time.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. And you're signing up to try to do it again. Yes. That says something, right?
[Zac Bears]: Yeah. I mean, we have a lot of work to do, so I would like to, I'd like to get to work even more. We've done quite a bit, but. There's so much we can do and so many things that I think are really no brainers that, you know, with the right counsel, we could get done quickly.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. Yeah. So it sounds like you're speaking to kind of like priorities you might have for change like to be continued to work on. Yeah. So what are those things? What does that look like for you?
[Zac Bears]: Yeah. I mean, I think so many around housing, passing an affordable housing trust, working on our zoning recodification, which we've been working on, but linking that into a comprehensive plan for the city, which we're finally on the path to having. long-term planning and really understanding our needs and assessing them and making sure that we're meeting them are things that we haven't done a great job of for a long time as a city. And I think a lot of people see the effects. It's streets and sidewalks in trouble. It's school buildings that need to be replaced. It's fire headquarters that needs to be replaced. That's not even talking about the day-to-day needing more people for code enforcement and needing more people for DPW. And all the other offices, I think, in City Hall could make a good argument for a few more people as well. So having that level of investment and making sure it's tied into a plan that residents in the community are involved in creating and see as a vision for the future. I think we still have time. But we've all seen what a lack of planning means when things are changing, when property values are going up so much and development is happening. But it's not happening based on our vision. It's just happening piecemeal and based on what big developers want. I think there's a huge opportunity and I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to get reelected and see some of those issues through to a, not necessarily to a solution, but at least to the beginning of a solution.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. Could you explain the Affordable Housing Trust?
[Zac Bears]: Sure, yeah. The state allows cities to create essentially a trust fund where money can be put into it from different sources, like linkage fees, which are fees that are paid by big developers on big developments. Or Community Preservation Act has a set aside for affordable housing. So you can kind of combine all of those sources. We know how expensive it is to build things and to have housing. pull all of those sources together and actually have the capital to do some construction or partnerships around building more affordable housing.
[Danielle Balocca]: That's helpful to know. I've heard some of these terms kind of like brought up in meetings and debates and things. That's helpful to have some explanation. Thank you. Absolutely. And like if this feels kind of related, I think we hear about like, like you're mentioning zoning and, you know, in some of the, the like kind of conversations I've heard about talks about like changes to policing policies, like how, how does that like relate to sort of how you see equity or maybe creating a Medford that's more equitable?
[Zac Bears]: Yeah. I mean, I think definitely. kind of a few different paths to go down there, making sure that if you are planning, you're including voices, especially voices that have been historically excluded by governments. The last time we updated our zoning was in the 1960s. A lot of communities updated their zoning in the 1960s to be exclusionary. So taking a look not just at what we have, but why do we have what we have, and making sure that we are trying to repair harms that have been caused over a long time is kind of one piece of it. And I think, you know, around policing, having civilian oversight and review, focusing on How are we not just you know, I think we focus a lot on anecdote and kind of the idea of what security might mean and not so much on safety and the outcomes of what it means for everyone to be safe, so Who can, if someone's in crisis, who's the best person to respond to that so that the responder is safe, so that the person who's in crisis is safe, and is coming to a resolution where you're not getting into a vicious cycle, where you have a mental health crisis, but then you end up in the criminal legal system, and then That is only going to make your mental health worse. And I think you can make a human argument for it. You can make a financial argument for it. You can make a lot of different arguments for it. But at the end of the day, it's about making sure that people are treated with dignity and that what we do as a government helps make things better and doesn't make things worse as a society, as a community, and for individual people.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. I appreciate that thoughtful response. My background is in social work, and that sounds like a lot of the elements that we consider in treating people like people. And it's nice to hear that from a government perspective, too.
[Zac Bears]: Yeah. I mean, I think that's one of the big failings of government at all levels. It's not human scale. It's not human centered. And it's not about, you know. Sometimes it's just not about making things better. And I think that that's why people can be so cynical about government. Because at the end of the day, it's a tool to make things better and solve problems that we can't solve by ourselves. And when it's not doing that or doing the opposite, I can see why people are disaffected by that.
[Danielle Balocca]: Sure, sure. And so in kind of preparing for this interview and reading through your website, it sounds like there's been a lot of resolutions that you've proposed. And so I'm wondering if there's any work that you're doing already on the council that you'd like to amplify or talk about how folks might be able to get involved.
[Zac Bears]: Yeah. I mean, I think definitely the zoning work that we've been doing, it's really important for people to get involved in. public hearings, and we've had 10, 12 public meetings already, but that was when we were designing the whole thing. So I think now we're presenting. an updated document. And this is how I consider this whole process is we're trying to take the structure and the framework of what we have and make it more understandable and readable and modern so that then when we have our comprehensive plan and when we have discussions around equity, we can go into it and know exactly where we need to go, what definitions do we need to look at, which sections do we need to look at. But I think that feedback. is still valuable even before that, as we pass this element of just getting us to a modern and readable zoning ordinance. And really, I think Right now, a lot of the work that we're doing has been kind of, you know, slowed down a little bit because of the election, because of the pandemic. And I'm really hoping that next January we're going to be hitting the ground running and there'll probably be something for everyone in that bundle of stuff that we want to get done.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, no, and I think, so it sounds like hearing from people is helpful and like, it's something that I've appreciated about folks I've reached out to, right, is like the response and, you know, talking about Medford being like a city, but like rather accessible too. And definitely appreciate that about having worked with you and stuff in the past. But so for you, like, what is, what can you talk about kind of like what you appreciate about Medford and like the Medford community?
[Zac Bears]: And I think that question, the thing I appreciate the most is the Medford community. Not to be derivative, but I think most of the time were, I think almost all the time, were better than what it looks like on Facebook, which is good. And even if people disagree, and sure, there's always going to be disagreements and differences of opinion. People tend to still be kind to each other and want to talk. And I think that one thing that's really always keeps me positive and hopeful is having in-person conversations, going around and knocking on doors or talking to someone on the phone, someone you'd probably never talk to otherwise, but knowing that they are willing to have a discussion. And honestly, most of the time that you share a lot of values and that what you want to see in Medford is similar enough that you could probably get to some sort of agreement. And beyond that, I think it's just a fun place to be. It could be more fun, and there's a lot we can do. But kind people getting together, going to a high school football game, or a Mystic River celebration, or you know, West Medford Open Studios or Clippership Day. I mean, you could go down, up and down the list and, you know, it's just good to see people and see people coming together and building connections and becoming friends. And I think we do a decent job of that right now and something we need to certainly not lose sight of and even enhance even more. And I think it's been nice this year with a little bit less pandemic since the vaccinations have come out. Having a little bit more of that, hopefully next year, especially the year after, we can really get back to the full schedule.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, I've been enjoying those events, too. And I think sometimes, since having kids, I think it feels a little bit easier to engage in the community. But I've also noticed lots of opportunities for people without kids, and having the theater now downtown, and all the great acts that were coming in before the pandemic. Really fun. Awesome. So this question is about something about you that you could share that might surprise us.
[Zac Bears]: I think, I mean, sometimes when people are, you know, their impression of me is from the internet, then they meet me, then they're just surprised immediately. Because I'm not, you know, steaming out of my ears. Horns on my head. But no, I think for me, something people probably just don't know, or some people do, I was a multi-instrumentalist at Medford High School and sang in chorus at Medford High and the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Program for little more than 10 years, sang at Carnegie Hall when I was 14 or 13. So that's something I think people don't know. I still sing in the car and in the shower, but it's not the path I took professionally. I think that might surprise people to know that that's an inclination that I have and definitely spent a lot of time on when I was younger.
[Danielle Balocca]: That's cool. Well, had I known, I would have adapted the podcast for them.
[Zac Bears]: Well, that would have been embarrassing. And that's why it's a surprise.
[Danielle Balocca]: That's really cool, though, yeah. No, thank you for sharing that. And so what advice would you have or have you received that you would want to pass on to other people?
[Zac Bears]: Sure. I mean, that's a big question. And honestly, it's funny, because I think my two big pools of advice that I would want to bring out are kind of in contrast to each other. One that I've always found really important and has kind of driven me is, and I learned this from my grandparents, my grandpa, and my dad, and my mom. And actually, one of my favorite teachers was Andy Milne, who's running for school committee. And he taught me a good lesson in this one too, which is just stand up for what you believe in and stand your ground. And I think that's really, really important when you're talking about big issues. and things that are above moral values, and helping people, and the idea of building a just community and a just world. So that's one side of it. And the other side of it is kind of passed down, especially from my grandma, which is try to suffer fools gladly, and also to turn the other cheek. And both of those are kind of biblical references, which basically, if someone's coming in and really just saying stuff that wants to make you mad, that is so infuriatingly inaccurate that you just want to lose it. Try to smile through it. Because you're never going to. build a bridge or build a connection with someone if you just get mad and then call them stupid. That's never a good idea. And certainly, it's happened to me. People have said that. It's come in my direction when people disagree with me. And I think that's one of the things that's kind of one area where we could use some improvement across the board. And then turning the other cheek is a pretty obvious one. If someone comes at you with, some sort of attack or insult, tell them, send another one. And I think it's kind of both sides of standing up for what you believe in. Sometimes you can't engage with the other side of it the way you want to. But trying to balance that and stand up for what you believe in without turning to anger and frustration, because that usually won't It doesn't make you happy. It doesn't make anyone else happy. And it probably doesn't lead to a productive answer to whatever you're mad about.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, it feels like a common struggle for the times. Yeah. That bit about calling someone stupid, my five-year-old could use that advice, too.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yeah.
[Danielle Balocca]: Great. Well, is there anything that I haven't asked you about that you think voters should know or that you'd want them to know?
[Zac Bears]: Just that, you know. Regardless of any of the spin and the social media back and forth, I definitely view my role as serving everybody in the city, helping anyone who reaches out for help, and listening to anyone who comes with a reasonable perspective around any of the issues that we work on. having conversation and maybe a little debate, but realizing that we're coming from a similar place and that we want to see the same community and city can help all of us avoid some of the less than pretty discussions and disagreements and screaming matches occasionally that we've seen. If you're listening to this and don't agree with me, give me a call.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, great. We've had some interactions about you being really helpful for me with stuff that was going on for us, and I appreciate that. So I can attest to that being a helpful resource. Awesome. Well, thank you so much, and I wish you luck in the election.
[Zac Bears]: Thank you so much, Danielle.
[Danielle Balocca]: Thanks, Zach. Thank you for listening to this interview. A link to the campaign website is listed in the show notes. For any feedback or questions about the podcast, please email medfordpod at gmail.com. You can also subscribe and rate the podcast on Spotify and follow the podcast on Instagram at medfordbitespodcast. That's M-E-D F-O-R-D B-Y-T-E-S P-O-D C-A-S-T for updates about upcoming episodes and other announcements. Thank you to all who have supported this podcast, but especially to my wife, Brittany. Guys, what's the name of the podcast? Never Bites.
[Unidentified]: Never Bites.
[Danielle Balocca]: Good job.
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total time: 15.89 minutes total words: 1429 |
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