Candidate for
Council Member; City of Calabasas

As Calabasas residents, we are fortunate to live in a wonderful community with exceptional schools, high property values, a strong business environment and bountiful natural resources. All these accolades aside, Calabasas can and must do better. I'm running for the Calabasas City Council because I have the leadership skills, the experience and the common sense decision making abilities to make Calabasas a truly incredible city.

• Return Civility and End Divisiveness

Beyond restoring civility, my goals are simple and straightforward - and my plans for Calabasas are tangible and achievable. Our city already does many things well, but we must do a better job of finishing what we start and improving the programs we already have before we take on anything else. I will make it a priority to work closely with my fellow Councilmembers on the following issues:

• Traffic and Transportation

Roadway Improvements and Beautifications: Our main roadway arteries, Mulholland Highway, Las Virgenes Road, Lost Hills, Parkway Calabasas, and Calabasas Road, all have different challenges but share common problems with traffic congestion and speeding. I will work closely with City staff, using the experience I gained as a field deputy to Assemblymember Fran Pavley, to aggressively pursue federal and state grants for traffic calming improvements while ensuring the rural character of our community is preserved.

• New Calabasas Civic Center and Library

Utilizing my business background, I will ensure that the building of our civic center and library adhere to a schedule and remain within budget. Further delays are unacceptable - and costly.

• Education

Fast-Track a New Elementary School: Calabasas and the Las Virgenes Unified School District need to work closely together within a short timeframe to begin planning for the development of a fourth elementary school. This new school will serve the new housing developments on the west side of the City. Overcrowding and traffic congestion at Bay Laurel, Lupin Hill and Chaparral will be dramatically reduced with the opening of this fourth school.

Improve School Health and Safety: As a member of the school district's Health Task Force, I will work to insure that Calabasas schools are well prepared, not only for individual student emergencies, but also for large scale emergencies. Currently, there is a very low school nurse-to-student ratio in California. I am working with our school district to find local solutions to this problem. I will also ensure that the Calabasas Emergency Response Program works in close collaboration with the school district and all Calabasas schools to make sure there is coordinated response to large scale emergencies, such as earthquakes or wild fires.

• Environment and Open Space

Support Responsible Growth: Although our City is nearly built-out, the few remaining developments should be consistent with Calabasas' look and feel and they must contain priority housing for senior citizens, teachers, public safety personnel and city staff.

Support the Soka/Gillette Ranch Purchase: I was the only City Council candidate to testify at a public hearing held by California State Parks to support the purchase of Soka University for protected parkland. This purchase would provide a new visitor center for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area headquarters and bring a wealth of outdoor activities and youth environmental programs to our community.