Clarissa
Spiller Ivan
Real Change Starts Here!
Ward 3
Olean City Council
The mission
Bring in city funding
Funnel available city money to where we need it most, to our underserved neighborhoods.
access to community services
Help homeowners offset the cost of repairs and turn renters into local homeowners.
invest in our parks
Increase health equity in nearby neighborhoods and create recreation destinations for the future.
CITY GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY
Share progress with our residents to build the support we need for a better Olean.
BRING BACK INDUSTRY
Make our city desirable for the future of the green economy.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Create a community that is safe and inclusive for all people.
Call to Serve
Hi, I’m Clarissa Spiller Ivan and I’m running for City Council Ward 3 in Olean. I am a sixth-generation Ward 3 resident and I choose to raise my family here.
In 2021, a deadly shooting occurred in South Olean. I was so angry with this murder that happened in my childhood neighborhood. Stray bullets marred houses only one block from my home, on a street where my newborn son lay sleeping. I knew right then that this murder had to be a catalyst for positive change.
This wasn't the first time I felt called to work on improving underserved neighborhoods. After the tragedy of 9/11, I felt compelled to get civically involved and joined an intensive community service program called AmeriCorps, a sister program to the Peace Corps. During my Americorps years, I worked in the areas of disaster relief, public safety, the environment, homeland security, and education. My team worked with non-profit organizations, tutored students in public schools, and built trails for various national and state parks.
It was here that I gained valuable civic leadership skills while giving back to American communities. I saw firsthand the impact that positive change can have on small communities and their residents. I learned that strengthening communities makes them better places to live and brings new opportunities for the future.
South Olean needs that kind of positive change because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I will bring to City Council the same energy and understanding that led me through Americorps. As a budding grant writer and social justice advocate, I want to bring available city funds and community services to our underserved South Olean neighborhoods.
For years, safety issues, poor infrastructure, and overall appearance have fractured our sense of community. Abandoned homes litter our neighborhoods. And let's be honest: even with its recent repaving, Green Street isn't green. South Olean is in desperate need of attention.
Making South Olean’s infrastructure a priority on the city’s agenda would increase safety for all Olean residents. An understanding of available community services and grants can help our homeowners offset the cost of repairs and make it possible for renters to become local first-time homeowners.
Investing in Franchot Park would not only increase the health of nearby neighborhoods but also make it a recreation destination for the future. This would be an economic benefit for the city as a whole. Our city has done a great job updating its parks but we need to keep that momentum going by investing in our most utilized parks that receive the least amount of funding. Even something as simple as neighborhood beautification can increase the quality of life for residents.
I understand what we are up against because I was raised on South 3rd Street and I live here now. Ward 3 deserves an energized leader who is willing to put in the work. Never in recent memory has a South Olean native been elected to represent the whole of Ward 3 on City Council. I am ready to change this. I am that candidate. Together we can create a safer and healthier South Olean.
As a Council member, I will work for the greatest good of this city and face pressing challenges head-on. I will be a persistent idealist for this community. Vote for me, Clarissa Spiller Ivan for City Council Ward 3 on November 8th, 2022. Real change starts here!
ready to put me to work?
Let's talk.