Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Rafael

Homeless, local economy , public safety and resident engagement are the key issues on which I'm focusing as a current San Rafael City Council member and on which I'll continue to work if elected.

I'm chair of the City's homeless subcommittee and I have brought my business skills to the group in terms of the framework and process the City is using to address this issue. I helped craft the City's Homeless Action Plan that is guiding our strategy implementation. I'm working with Staff to determine metrics so we can measure outcomes at the end of the year. I could write pages on what the City is doing but the short version is we are ensuring that we understand what the local non-profits are doing so that we can supplement their actions, realizing that there isn't a simple one-size-fits-all solution for this complex issue. In September, I participated on a county panel that will be distributing HUD funds to local non-profits. The City was not invited to participate but through participation in the Homeless Policy Steering Committee, I realized that we want the City to have both a voice and an understanding of this process. I participated as a City representative and it is this type of involvement I will continue to have as an elected City Councilmember.

Regarding the local economy, as a Council member voted for the BID assessment in spite of the fact it was a "negative vote" meaning there had to be a majority to opt out. So while I didn't agree with that process, I believe having a vibrant downtown is important. Our local economy includes businesses outside of the downtown and I hope to continue to meet with them to find out what are there impediments to doing business in San Rafael (if any) and work to eliminate those barriers.

Public safety is key as our most recent resident survey indicates that our community wants a reliable and fast public safety response when needed. My job is to ensure that those departments are appropriately staffed while being mindful of ongoing pension obligations.

And finally, the City of San Rafael can do better and must do better to engage its residents. We, the City, haven't determined how to maximize social media to inform, engage and hear from our community. Through my efforts, the City created a new adhoc subcommittee focused on this important issue. I am its chair and I am leading the initiative to begin the process of improving our transparency and dialogue with residents. There is already a large body of research about how to go about this so, in addition to educating myself as to the available tools, I'm reaching out to community members to get their ideas. I want to learn the community's solutions and not assume that the City "knows best".