NEWSPRESS
Council incumbents outline next-term plan : Focus to be on sustainable, constituent-responsive goals
BEN SMITHWICK, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
October 12, 2011 6:25 AM
The three incumbent candidates for Santa Barbara City Council put forward a plan Tuesday outlining their goals for their next terms.
In a news conference at Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens, Dale Francisco, Randy Rowse and Michael Self joined in support of a list of priorities covering such issues as public safety, homelessness, transportation, environment and economic growth.
“We are on City Council because we care about Santa Barbara,” Mr. Francisco said as he stood on what was once slated to be a high-rise condominium complex.
The park was chosen by the candidates as a symbol of their plan, which focuses on sustainable goals.
“Our focus is on achievable goals and doing the things that the people of Santa Barbara want,” Mr. Francisco said.
The top priority for the incumbents is public safety. The candidates said they plan to continue to add new police officers each year and work with city staff to strengthen the department’s priorities.
“I believe that the increase in gang activity and the decline in feeling of safety downtown and on Milpas can be directly contributed to the police force,” said Mr. Francisco.
Previous city councils saw the Police Department as a “necessary evil” and reduced staffing, he said.
The incumbents said they have worked to reverse that by increasing the number of sworn officers and authorizing liaisons and outreach officers to assist in neighborhood patrolling.
“It’s not about arresting. It’s not about ticketing,” Mr. Rowse said. “It’s about being there.”
With respect to youth violence and gang activity, the incumbents’ plan involves promoting youth programs and family involvement.
“We need to promote more youth activities,” said Mr. Rowse, who is in favor of re-establishing Parks & Recreation activity programs that were cut due to budget pressure.
The incumbents agreed that the city can learn a lot from other jurisdictions on solutions to homelessness and aggressive panhandling.
Mr. Francisco praised Rick Feldman, owner of the Eyeglass Factory, for suggesting that the council reach out to officials in Santa Monica who have developed a collaborative approach to addressing homelessness.
“There are a variety of things that we can do, including getting homeless people back in touch with their families,” Mr. Francisco said.
Establishing a regional task force that works to effectively get people off the street is a priority for the incumbents. Members of the task force would include nonprofits, and nearby city and county officials.
“We will have measurable goals to know every year how good we are doing,” Mr. Francisco said.
Mrs. Self spoke about the importance of continuing to prevent bulb-outs and the installation of traffic calming devices without community support.
“I don’t feel any of us should endure government to the people,” Mrs. Self said. “It is government by the people.”
The incumbents’ plan calls for continuing the implementation of safe bike corridors and forming an ad hoc committee to address RV parking issues on Cabrillo Boulevard.
Regarding the city’s financial condition, Mr. Francisco remarked that although concessions from bargaining units were required after the economic downturn, the city should be commended for avoiding public employee layoffs.
The candidates have decided not to accept city employee union contributions in order to remain unbiased in labor negotiations.
The environmental component of the candidates’ plan focuses on providing a clean, safe and friendly environment to attract revenue into the city.
“We need to support and encourage the waste-to-energy project,” said Mr. Rowse, arguing that waste conversion technology is fundamental to maintaining a sustainable landfill at Tajiguas.
Mrs. Self said that planning is the issue on which she and her colleagues differ the most from other candidates in the race.
“Density does not create affordability,” Mrs. Self said, asserting that high density projects do nothing to preserve the character of the city’s neighborhoods.
The candidates plan to increase neighborhood engagement by providing liaisons on councils to neighborhood associations.
Mr. Francisco, Mr. Rowse and Mrs. Self are looking to retain their seats in a competitive 10-candidate race.
“You have an actual record of accomplishment here,” Mr. Francisco said. “Together, we form a great team.”
e-mail: bsmithwick@newspress.com
