Issues
Environmental and Fiscal Sustainability
How can we improve the lives of Pacificans today with the resources we have, and how will we leave our town and our planet for the next generations? Below are a few of my priority issues.
Care for our Community
I will continue to advocate for a safe Pacifica for everyone in our community. Many Pacificans are struggling with the cost of living and with the lack of affordable housing.
Pacifica has built no affordable housing for over 25 years; we need a new more proactive approach. I have already built partnerships with non-profits, unions, and governmental agencies. Our recently adopted Housing Element identifies potential publicly available sites, such as the Sanchez Library and Public Works Corporation Yard that we are starting to plan with public input.
Environment and Climate Change
I will continue to advocate for Pacifica to be a leader in sustainable development while also protecting our greatest resources, our beautiful hillsides and beaches. I’m very proud that in my first term on Council we worked with community members to create a new Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and have recently formed a new committee to guide this work in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions!
Planning and Development
I will work to ensure our planning regulations are clearly communicated and followed, helping to streamline permitting procedures for residents and businesses, while reducing lengthy project appeals.
While new state laws severely limit our review criteria and timelines for projects that include housing, I will continue advocate for the city to do more to engage the public early on in planning issues, identifying concerns and solutions at the beginning design stages, while building consensus and support for the right projects.
Infrastructure
I will continue to advocate for the city to take a proactive approach to fixing our infrastructure. We need to fix our streets, sewers, and storm drains and plan for the future with increasing storms and sea level rise. Our budget deficit limits our current ability to do so outside of grants, so we need to look at other methods, including charges to developers to ensure they pay their fair share.
Economic Sustainability
After decades of balancing budgets by cutting staff and services, Pacifica is still facing a growing structural deficit. We are having trouble recruiting and retaining staff due to low pay and long overtime hours. We need to look at city spending holistically, set longer term priorities, value engineer our projects, and reduce unnecessary spending on consultants and lawsuits.
I believe we can improve our economy and our quality of life by focusing on our strengths: our environment, our outdoor recreation, our history, our arts, and our unique businesses, and by strategically bringing in new businesses and hotels.