Meet Justin Armintrout, Ward 1

AGE: 31
OCCUPATION: Employment recruiter, owner of The Grady Group, Inc.
MARITAL OR PARTNERSHIP STATUS: Single
EDUCATION: University of Montana, bachelor of arts in communication studies with an emphasis in organizational communications
MILITARY EXPERIENCE: none
PUBLIC SERVICE: Worked with the Human Rights Campaign and the Western Montana Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Member of the Missoula Organization of Home Realtors. Volunteer member of the Missoula City-County Health Department’s HIV Advisory Committee and Montana Gay Men’s Task Force for HIV/AIDS. Co-founded the first gay and lesbian newspaper, “Outspoken,” in Montana.
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
ENDORSEMENTS: Missoula Organization of Realtors, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Missoula County Republican Central Committee; Chamber of Commerce rating: 2.5 of 3.0.
WEB SITE: http://www.backtobasicsmissoula.com/

Questions and Answers

What qualifies you to be on the City Council?

“I have a love for Missoula. I first moved here when I was eighteen and never looked back. The Missoula community has given me so much in terms of career, community, and family that I want to give something back. I feel like an accurate representation of the citizens in Ward 1. The citizens are highly educated, have a love for this community, and have a desire to preserve the Missoula we love while at the same time thinking about the Missoula of the future.”

What are the best and worst things the City Council has done in recent years?

“There are a lot of little issues I think the council has handled well. I have always been a strong backer of open space bonds. In the last six months to a year, we have seen some great strides in open space conservation. I don’t agree that the Missoula City Council should have voted to put the Iraq war referendum on the ballot. I don’t believe it’s the council’s business to be voting on something that should come directly from the people.”

What one thing would you most like to accomplish as a member of the City Council?

“Overall, my main focus is going to be on the growth strategy. I want to make it more simple and more concise for people to truly understand what they can and can’t do with their property. In the next two years, the city is planning on doing a rewrite of all the zoning ordinances in the city. One thing that I would like to do is whatever comes out of the commission that rewrites those ordinances is to make sure that it is clear and easy to read to allow all interested parties to understand what they are getting into when they buy a piece of property.”

What can the city do to attract better-paying jobs?

“Missoula has an astounding quality of life. One thing we don’t have is a lot of high-paying jobs. Oftentimes people have to leave to find a career that hopefully will one day land them back in Missoula. One thing we could do as a community would be to not only support the existing businesses, but also actively recruit industries. Some incentives we could give them could range from tax incentives to lower permitting fees to attract new business to develop here.”

What should the city do to encourage the development of more affordable housing?

“I think it’s in the city’s best interest to support affordable housing efforts. We need to be able to provide housing to teachers and police officers and other service-related industry employees. It is much like the open-space bonds (in that it) needs to come from the community. If there is truly support in this community, and the community really sees a need, I think the people could back an affordable housing bond that could help raise upwards of $20 million in housing aid.”

Should Missoula endorse a troop withdrawal from Iraq? Why or why not?

“I don’t think they should or they shouldn’t. To me, it’s up to the people. I know I will be voting in favor, but I’m not in the position to tell others how they should vote."

What is Missoula’s most pressing traffic problem and where should the city turn for the money to solve it?

“Traffic congestion is our number one transportation problem overall. Missoula has a very vibrant, active biking and pedestrian community, but that still means that 90 percent of our residents drive. One of the biggest issues revolves around Russell Street and Reserve Street. One thing I would like to see in an effort to improve congestion would be to make sure when we do developments, like the ones behind Reserve Street, is that we build outlets. … I would like to see something like biker or pedestrian credits that businesses could reward their employees with in an effort to promote alternative forms of transportation.”

Should the city encourage or discourage more housing in existing city neighborhoods? Why or why not?

“The city doesn’t have to right to tell people what to do with their property. Overall, I am not for infill, but what I am for is something called accessory dwelling units. Infill changes the characteristics of a neighborhood, especially established neighborhoods. Accessory dwelling units are something that would allow a sort of ‘mother-in-law’ apartment that is somehow attached to an existing structure. It is a win-win in the fact that it would provide the homeowner with a possible alternative source of income and it provides increased density without destroying the character of existing neighborhoods.”

Should the city limit the number of unrelated people who may share a house?

“I don’t care if people are related or not, but I do think there should be a limit on the number of people who can inhabit a dwelling unit. The amount of bedrooms and bathrooms should determine the amount of people in a specific unit.”

What specific problems in your ward would you like to see solved?

“My passion is rezoning and subdivisions. Two specific issues in the Rattlesnake involve Planned Unit Developments, or PUDs. PUDs have been used by developers as a loophole to squash public comment. One major concern of mine is the Lincoln School development. Lincoln School has been in the Rattlesnake for probably going on 100 years, and they are planning on not tearing it down, but building 12 houses in and around the school’s property. The issue for me in the Rattlesnake is closing up that PUD loophole and not allowing things like the Lincoln School development to happen without public comment. I am not opposed to developing land, but I do have a problem with doing it without public comment.”