My Five Major Priorities

By Michael Metcalf

The major challenges facing Moraga are in five areas: Public Safety; Infrastructure; Community Development; Parks & Recreation; and Financial Stability. These challenges dictate my priorities.

INFRASTRUCTURE: PUBLIC ROADS, DRAINAGE & BUILDINGS. Our 56 miles of roads are serviceable, but one third of them are in poor condition and some require rebuilding. Our pavement maintenance program must be pursued, and those streets that are in very poor condition should be rebuilt.

Many of the drainage pipes beneath our streets are quite old. During the New Years Day storm in January 2006 a huge sinkhole suddenly developed at the Rheem Center. This kind of drainage failure can be avoided through effective monitoring and preventive repair. We must direct spending on preventive programs to minimize the major repair costs.

Our most used public facility, the library has been our most neglected. Roof replacement, new HVAC, and other improvements are in the works. But these improvements are taking much too long to complete.

The 5-acre Hacienda complex is ineffectively utilized and is steadily deteriorating. The complex costs the town about $250,000 every year to operate. A process for improving utilization and operations is moving along, albeit slowly. I will insist that decisions on how to manage the Hacienda be in the wider interests of the Town.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. The Moraga Center Specific Plan is our best opportunity to define how to rejuvenate the aging commercial center, utilize undeveloped land appropriately, improve economic vitality, and provide housing for targeted residential groups. Yet the Specific Plan is misunderstood by many. An environmental assessment is nearly complete, and will help us make thoughtful decisions on land use and design regulation. This 187-acre area surrounding the Moraga Center can not be allowed to be developed without a cohesive plan that property owners and the public can accept.

Moraga is required by law to adopt regulations that encourage development of affordable housing. The Moraga Center Specific Plan provides an opportunity to meet our regional housing needs allocation (RHNA): Many of our senior residents would like to down-size from their single family dwellings; some of our work force (police, fire, teachers, and town employees) would prefer to live locally; and many of the St Mary's students who currently live out of town could live near the college.

Town government should focus on facilitating efforts to attract new businesses. Not "big box", no one wants that. I mean niche businesses that can provide goods and services people want. The Chamber of Commerce initiated Shop Moraga First, an excellent start. I will encourage our shopping center operators and the Chamber to attract potential businesses. I will strive to remove onerous regulations that repulse would-be local businesses, and contribute to the exodus of existing ones.

PARKS & RECREATION. Our Park & Recreation Master Plan lays out a long-term plan for development. Land availability, funding and community resolve must come together to provide the elements called out in the plan. We must seize opportunities for cooperative use of school and college facilities.

Community events--Summer Concerts, July Fourth, Pear Festival, Treeline Triathlon--help make Moraga a terrific place. Yet these events are threatened by isolated objectors, funding shortages, and limitations on Town staff. Volunteers have always turned out to stage these events and this volunteerism should be encouraged. I will search for novel ways to ensure that these events can thrive.

FINANCIAL STABILITY. Moraga revenues are predominantly property taxes, over which we have little control. Sales tax revenues remain flat and, without prospects for improved retail activity, won't be increasing any time soon. The majority of expenditures are payroll, driven mostly by prevailing wages, which are increasing faster than our revenues. Consequently, we have a looming deficit. This will necessitate some creative measures to raise revenues and reduce expenditures. We have always maintained a modest reserve, but this reserve is now being threatened.

Much attention has been given to financial stewardship over the past four years. I played a central role in establishing the Audit Finance Committee, engaging a new auditor, and recruiting competent finance staff. Our efforts have much improved the integrity of our financial records and processes. Some of the financial discoveries have not been especially pleasant, but it's essential that we come to grips with our financial condition. I will resist any temptation to relax the higher standards of financial stewardship that we have achieved.