In her opening statement, Serpe, who works for a nonprofit group in Long Island City and serves on the steering committee of Two Coves Community Garden, promised voters that “we can have a bright green future” and said she’d fight for “clean air, clean water, clean energy and clean streets.”
   Vallone, who has represented Astoria for the past eight years, spoke of his record in office, saying his priorities have been — and will continue to be — public safety, the environment and schools.
   Kann, who has run for the council unsuccessfully twice before and is currently doing temp work as a proofreader, complained that “rich people call the tune in this city” and said he wants to make the local government more democratic and open.
   When asked about making life better for the area’s seniors, Serpe spoke of seven-day library service and improvements in Access-A-Ride, and Vallone touted his accomplishments funding new senior housing. Kann, who repeatedly disregarded the questions at hand and simply picked his own topics to discuss, said he wanted to raise income taxes for individuals earning more than $500,000, promised to accept only half the salary allotted to council members and pledged to hold monthly meetings to gather input from constituents.
   As for improving street life in the district, Serpe advocated installing benches on Steinway Street, planting trees in the neighborhood and turning the intersection at Newtown Avenue and 30th Avenue into a pedestrian plaza.
   “I couldn’t agree more with everything Lynne just said,” said Vallone, adding that he has been pushing for a pedestrian plaza for some time and that he bikes around the district every weekend.
   Kann advocated raising the fines for littering so that “the word’ll get around that you can’t be a slob in Astoria.”
   On the topic of education, Vallone, whose two daughters attended public schools until high school, said he thinks kids get “way too much homework” and added that “we teach to the test too much.” Serpe agreed that testing is placing undue stress on children, said she wants kids to learn more about recycling and gardening and added that healthy school lunches should be a priority.
   One of the evening’s questions involved large-scale development, which has aroused the ire of many in the area who feel that new big buildings are out of context with the traditional feel of the neighborhood.
   Serpe praised the rezoning plan that Vallone spearheaded for the area. If approved, it would limit the size of allowable buildings on many blocks to ensure that new structures reflect the scale of older ones. Serpe added that she thinks environmental impact assessments, which have to be conducted before the city allows major new developments, should be done earlier in the process.
   Kann’s solution to curbing overdevelopment would be to put new construction projects to a vote, allowing area homeowners to decide what can move in.
   In one of the final questions of the evening, the candidates were asked what law they would pass, if they were guaranteed council support and mayoral approval. Vallone named three bills — one that would regulate cell phone towers, one that would phase out roll-down security gates in front of storefronts, replacing them with see-through barriers, and one that would call for gathering DNA from everyone convicted of a crime.
   Serpe said she would insist that anything decided by referendum in the city be binding and not be changed except by further referendum.
   Kann said he’d insist that all candidates join the campaign finance program and agree to limit their campaign spending.
   Election Day is Nov. 3.