Color Fairport Green’s Questionnaire
Thank you to Color Fairport Green for your commitment to Fairport's future. I'm happy to respond to each question directly.
1. Do you support NYS and Monroe County emissions reduction goals?
Yes — Fairport is already leading the way. The Village has codified local sustainability plans which align with NYS's most ambitious climate goals. That's something to be proud of.
Sustainability is not an agenda item — it's a shared community value, and Fairport residents have already made clear they take it seriously. As mayor, my role is to build on that foundation, not start from scratch.
Moving forward, progress must be practical and inclusive. That means continuing to engage residents and small businesses in open dialogue, ensuring the steps we take are locally appropriate, economically realistic, and effective. A cleaner, more sustainable Fairport benefits every family, every business, and every generation to come.
2. Should the Fairport Municipal Commission implement a long-range electrical grid plan?
Long-range infrastructure planning is exactly the kind of work the Fairport Municipal Commission should be doing — and doing transparently. If energy demand is going to increase, we have a responsibility to plan for it. The Village Board's role is to direct that planning process and, critically, to ensure robust public participation at every stage. I believe deeply in the principle that the people most affected by these decisions must have a genuine voice in making them. I would prioritize open hearings, accessible information, and real dialogue — not plans handed down without community input.
3. Do you support building protected bike lanes in Fairport?
Expanding safe, accessible transportation options for cyclists — where conditions warrant — is something I strongly support. Well-designed bike infrastructure benefits our entire community, improving safety, promoting a green transportation alternative, and promoting healthy, active living.
An active, multi-modal transportation policy is the right approach, and it shouldn't be one-size-fits-all. Decisions about where to add or expand bike lanes should be data-driven — informed by usage patterns, road conditions, traffic volumes, and, most importantly, input from our residents.
Collaboration is key. Our village doesn't operate in isolation, and working closely with the Town of Perinton and our village residents is essential to building a cohesive, connected transportation network that serves everyone — whether they travel by bike, on foot, by car, or public transportation.
4a. Do you support revising building codes to require sustainable practices?
New York State's updated building and energy codes, effective December 31, 2025, set a rigorous new baseline for sustainable construction — and that's a meaningful step forward. I would be interested in researching additional building codes to support sustainable practices, ensuring that the studies are grounded in data and community input. Revising local requirements would need to be weighed honestly against their real-world impact and limiting unintended consequences: such as reduced housing affordability, and the financial pressure placed on property owners and small developers who build and invest here.
4b. Do you support evolving the village zoning code for more housing variety?
Zoning decisions are among the most consequential a Village Board makes — they shape the character of Fairport for generations, and they deserve to be treated that way.
Our zoning code must reflect where our community is today and where residents want it to go. That means conducting a rigorous, community-led review of housing zoning that looks at the full picture: affordability, neighborhood character, infrastructure capacity, and sustainability — not as competing priorities, but as interconnected ones that must be balanced together.
This isn't a process that should happen behind closed doors or be driven by outside pressure. It requires genuine public deliberation — structured, transparent, and accessible — where residents, property owners, and neighborhood stakeholders have a real voice in the outcome. The data and direction must come from the people of Fairport.
As candidate for mayor, my commitment is clear: no significant zoning change without meaningful community input, and no rubber-stamping of decisions that haven't earned broad public trust.
5. Do you support a volunteer Sustainability Advisory Board?
I would suggest that what Fairport needs is a well-structured advisory committee. Done right, this committee, made up of engaged, diverse residents who bring real expertise and a genuine stake in this community's future, becomes one of the Village Board's most valuable resources: a direct line to the perspectives, priorities, and on-the-ground knowledge of the people we serve.
It must reflect the full range of voices in Fairport — it must operate with full transparency, hold open meetings, and publish its findings. And critically, every recommendation it makes must go through proper public review before any action is taken by the Village Board.
6. Anything else to share?
I want Fairport to thrive — environmentally, economically, and as a community where every resident feels genuinely heard. Those goals are not in conflict. They never were.
Sustainability is not a partisan issue, and the false dichotomy between caring for our environment and respecting the democratic process should be rejected outright. The people of Fairport don't have to choose between a greener village and a government that answers to them.
The role of mayor is not to lead from the front with a predetermined agenda, but to listen deeply, build consensus, and make decisions that reflect the full community. Every decision, every vote, every policy will be made with one question at the center: is this truly in the best interest of the people of Fairport? That is the promise — and that is the job.
I look forward to earning your trust.
— Tracy Briggs, Candidate for Mayor, Village of Fairport