Candidate for
Council Member; City of Santa Rosa

I've had the privilege of working with Santa Rosa's youth for 25 years as an instructor and administrator at Santa Rosa Junior College. My background focused on public safety -- as a sheriff's deputy and director of several police and fire academies. I hold a Ph.D. in criminal justice.

During the past four years we have accomplished a lot working together. For example --

Traffic conditions:
-We have completed plans for street widening and improved traffic flow on several busy city streets and highway 101.
-Work is in progress on our surface streets rebuilding pavement, replacing aging sewer and water lines, creating new intersections, and fixing the potholes on our 450 miles of streets.
-We've provided funding for Intelligent Transportation System (electronic traffic congestion control)
-Installed new traffic lights/radar speed control devices on Fountain Grove Parkway
-Purchased 35 new intersection count-down devices for pedestrian safety
-Installed five new pedestrian-activated safety traffic light flashers with three more to follow this year, and....
-Initiated the "Street Smart" safety program for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Public Safety: We`re making improvements in public safety. We authorized security guards at city parking facilities and the transit mall... added additional traffic and patrol police officers... returned police bike-patrol officers to downtown and bike paths... and established an Alcohol Ordinance to control noncompliant liquor sales.

Statistics show a drop in crime proving the good work our fine police officers are doing for you. We created the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force with a goal of cutting gang violence in half in five years... reorganized the police gang task force... authorized $900,000 in grants for gang prevention and intervention programs... and created the graffiti removal hot line.

We created a new fire station in the Southwest... authorized two additional fire stations to be built and one relocated... and added additional firefighters and Para-medic/EMT's.

Environment: We've purchased bus retrofit air-quality kits, established a policy for 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in city operations... developed a green building program for residential development... constructed two city-owned solar installations ( saving $400,000 annually in PG&E bills)... and purchased 45 alternative-fuel city vehicles to meet city Greenhouse Gas Standards. We are proud to be rated by the Greenbelt Alliance as 3rd out of 101 Bay area cities for Green Smart Growth city council policies.

Seniors and Youth: We allocated partial funding for a senior center at Finley Park, improved our Para-transit service for those who are most vulnerable... improved and created new parks... built 7 new ball fields for our children and adults... created a new 100-bed homeless shelter.. and implemented volunteer political campaign expenditure limitations.

This is a significant list of accomplishments by any standard, and our community has benefited. But we are not through; the work continues -- and projects still in process need oversight and supervision. That's the goal...continue the effort. That is why I am running for City Council -- to continue to work on the issues important to you ... traffic, gangs and violence; youth play fields, senior issues, affordable housing and environmental protection. Together, we can reach this goal.