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Police Protection This is the priority issue for everyone in Citrus Heights. We all want to be safe in our homes, in our schools, in public places and on our streets. Two years ago, I voted to approve forming our very own Police Department and our own emergency response system. And after only two years, we now have (not in any particular order of importance):
I participated in the selection of Chief Christopher Boyd. He has created a team of incredible people who are registering incredible successes in our community. In the next few years, the city will be directing efforts toward developing stronger youth programs, increasing traffic enforcement, addressing domestic violence and strengthening community policing. I would also like to investigate the possibility of having our own local misdemeanor court – to save residents and officers the time to travel to the county facility. I hope you will let me serve to assist in this mission of continued and enhanced public safety.
Traffic We have accomplished a lot in the last four years.
We still have issues of cut-through traffic, excess noise, excess speed, and dangerous driving. It isn't just enforcement. There are many inexpensive methods that can be implemented. Above all, we need citizen and neighborhood input. We need to have broader and stricter traffic impact considerations when we approve new developments. I support housing programs that give incentive to people who purchase homes near public transit. I am a strong advocate of the Neighborhood Ride that gives all residents the opportunity to reach shopping areas and the major medical facilities at Mercy San Juan and in Roseville. Paratransit offers "Mobility Training" (I took the training) to residents to familiarize them with the system. We need to provide better transportation options for seniors as they “age in place” within our community.
Better Local Economy The largest source of general fund monies for the City is its sales tax. Business is the life-blood of our City. We must preserve and foster a friendly business climate if the City is to remain viable. I think the City has done a great job improving our business climate. Some businesses have left and new ones are arriving. We need to keep the balance of the types and variety of retail we offer our area residents. I participated in the visioning process for the Sunrise Marketplace. I support its proactive approach to be a center for community events. Some wonderful changes are proposed that will expand its prominent place in our city. The purchase and planned expansion of the Mall will bring new vitality to the Marketplace. The city will be updating its very old economic strategic plan in the coming months. In the coming months, we will begin implementation of the Auburn Blvd Specific Plan I would like to see Auburn Blvd. be a regional destination that draws people from far and wide to its unique offerings. I also see it as a neighborhood. I am an avid advocate of live/work land use. This is where a person lives in, say, a loft which is over his/her business. Auburn Blvd. offers a wonderful opportunity for this type of development. The City should have a program of incentives for developers who dare to be different in our city and build these types of projects on appropriate parcels. We need to get out of the "big box mentality" and encourage smaller businesses, restaurants, and professional services. We need top-notch office spaces. We have many strip malls that need revitalization. We are losing grocery stores. City Planning staff needs to understand the needs of the community and try to encourage those businesses to locate here in Citrus Heights. We need a diversity of businesses as well as more professional services. Combined with the concept of a live/work community, this may perhaps be the key to interfacing businesses with residential areas. Better Accountability for Our Tax Dollars Our city is financially stable. We owe this to good planning and policy setting by the City Council and good management by staff under the direction of our very talented City Manager, Henry Tingle. We have no debt. We are paying cash for our new community center. We have about $35 million in the bank designed to offset anticipated revenue decreases and increased expenses (we have a 10-year financial model). State law requires our Redevelopment Agency to borrow money to implement the improvements within the agency’s jurisdiction. Instead of the costly process of “bonds”, the council has chosen to borrow $7.3 million from our own savings and paying ourselves interest (which will total $5.2 million) over 15 years. (The interest is paid from the property tax increases realized by the investment. The council voted to oppose the sales tax increase proposed by County Supervisor Roger Dickinson that would have placed more dollars downtown to fund programs that would not directly benefit our city (and we would have little control over how it was spent). It is our policy to respond quickly to citizen concerns related to safety conditions, thereby decreasing our liability issues. So if you see potholes, light outages, hanging limbs over city easements or any other dangerous conditions, I urge you to report them to General Services at 727-4770. I still support pre-paying the City's revenue neutrality debt obligation. Important dollars are being lost to the County with little or no accounting. Under that agreement, we do not receive any of our property tax dollars until 2023. I support joint-use of facilities and joint-funding (eg with parks and schools). More Citizen Involvement As a prior Planning Commissioner and as a City Council Member, I have witnessed a growing tension between residents and businesses where the properties interface. The City needs to balance the needs of the residents whose properties interface with businesses with the needs of property owners who want to develop businesses. We need to actively involve the residents in the planning process when businesses first seek a conditional use permit or development plan review -- long before the public hearing stage. The confrontations look like lines in the sand. These lines need to be erased. I have a reputation for listening to the voices of the neighborhoods when large developments come before the council. I voted against the project proposed on the “triangle” on Stock Ranch Road (based on design). I voted against 5555 Mariposa (based on density and neighborhood compatibility). I voted against the high density proposal on Whyte Avenue (it was incompatible with the neighborhood). I urge people to keep track of these proposals and get involved early with the planners and developers and stay involved with the process. Most often you will make a difference in the end result. This year, we will be updating our General Plan. It is the embodiment of the community's vision for the future of Citrus Heights. There are many issues we must face as we look to the future of our economy, work force, housing stock, transportation systems, open spaces, and vacant lands. Our General Plan serves to guide these changes to ensure that the qualities that make Citrus Heights unique are preserved and enhanced. The General Plan serves as a basis for decisions that affect all aspects of our everyday lives from where we live and work to how we move about. It is implemented by decisions that direct the allocation of public resources and that shape private development. (see our current General Plan (www.ci.citrus-heights.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=684) For this update, I will insist on a process that involves greater public participation than the first one (I served on the Citizen Advisory Committee and was one of only two citizen representatives on a 16-member committee dominated by “stakeholders” and consultants.). It needs to be different this time. I would like to encourage more citizens to participate in their neighborhood associations. There are ongoing informational meetings that keep citizens updated on local issues and events. And you make new friends! I am passionate about establishing a “volunteer bank”. There are so many people in our community that want to volunteer for worthwhile causes and events. We need to create a mechanism where people can use their skills, passions, and time to make a difference in the lives of others. City staff is too lean to take on this task. I call upon a volunteer to help me organize this! Other Issues
You can contact Jayna Karpinski-Costa: by cell phone: 599-DOGS (599-3647) |
