My Vision for Seaside

“California is a place of invention, a place of courage, a place of vision, a place of the future. People who made California what it is were willing to take risks, think outside convention and build.” – Nicolas Berggruen

Working to Keep the Community Safe

As part of our reciprocal agreement with other communities,  Seaside Firefighters were at the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.

Over the last three years, we have seen significant positive changes in our police and fire departments. Using drone technology to detect illegal fireworks, license plate readers, and a gunshot program, the police have made Seaside safer. The fire department building on Broadway was remodeled, and a beautiful mural was painted on one of the outside walls. In addition, plans are well underway for the second fire station.  I worked on programs to keep the public safe by limiting the population of unwanted cats and dogs through low-cost spay and neuter clinics. As chair of the Neighborhood Improvement Commission, I helped revitalize the Neighborhood Watch program. I am committed to supporting the commissions that make life better and, therefore, safer for our community.

My plan:

  • Vote for increases in the police and fire budgets as appropriate
  • Support the police and fire departments by attending their outreach events
  • To support the low-cost  spay and neuter clinics
  • Publicly recognize and support our commissions.

Working to Complete the Vision for a Better Seaside

Oaxaca by the Sea-a yearly festival honoring our sister city in Mexico

I am fully committed to supporting the Campus Town and Grand Hyatt projects. In addition, I am committed to improving the quality of life of our citizens by supporting the Friends of Seaside Park Association (FOSPA) in upgrading our parks and both professional and amateur sports. The other major issue is our downtown area, and I believe that Seaside has to provide an attraction to lure tourists into the downtown area. The attraction can be a Fort Ord Museum, the Oaxaca/Seaside Center, or a movie/live stage theater.  I have not been able to convince other council members as to the value of this, so I plan to work at the grassroots level.

My Plan:

  • Try to speed up the Grand Hyatt project by asking questions at council meetings.
  • Continue to support the Football league and youth soccer programs.
  • Work with our economic director and business leaders to form a downtown association.
  • Continue to lobby for an attraction that will bring people to the downtown.

Working to Make  City Agencies  More Responsive 

One of many contests sponsored by the
Neighborhood Improvement Commission.
They won the five-star award in my newsletter.

I have had great success using my newsletter to feature city agencies and individuals doing an exceptional job. In addition, my response within forty-eight hours policy is working. We have to do more by letting city agencies know exactly what the public wants. To this end, I sponsored a contest asking citizens for items they want the council to address, and during my final year on the council, I will be teaming up with Council member Dave Pacheco for town halls.

My plan

  • Use my monthly newsletter to highlight city agencies and individuals doing an exceptional job.
  • Respond to inquiries within forty-eight hours
  • Co-sponsor town halls to determine what the public wants
  • Use my monthly newsletter to discuss issues that involve our city.