Positions

Top Priorities

1. We cannot allow the NCTD to fence off the bluffs, currently scheduled for 2019. They are trying to blame the recent collapses on pedestrians walking along the trails. It will be a terrible loss for the broad Del Mar community if this fence is built. The fence is also about minimizing liability related to accidents. A much better solution is improved signage, annual public safety and awareness campaigns, and messaging to use existing, legal crossings. Please sign the petition if you want your voice to be heard. 

2. I support burying utility lines. Little has been achieved in 2 years since the successful 2016 Measure Q vote, which I led. A transformer on 23rd Street recently exploded, highlighting the seriousness of fire risks.

3. I support energetically pursuing affordable housing solutions on the empty dirt lot on the Department of Public Works (DPW), and through a Fairgrounds partnership at the "Laydown" lot along Via de la Valle. Otherwise, the City will be continually presented with oversized development projects that include a small handful of affordable housing units. Del Mar's "22-in-5" affordable housing report is a must-read for anyone concerned about these issues.

4. I support policies that promote a more vibrant downtown and a more walkable and bike-friendly city, including optimized parking and targeted DRB/zoning changes.

5. I support use of an online survey tool (i.e. Survey Monkey) to enable robust and timely community feedback. Data generated from such a tool could significantly improve the process and amount of community time spent discussing issues and repeating those discussions. This idea alone could save tens of thousands of hours in collective community time in a given year.

6. I support the Del Mar Union School District Bond Measure. Many of the classrooms are crumbling portable structures and/or in bad disrepair. Our kids deserve better. Vote Yes on MM.

7. ​I support extending the walking path along the San Dieguito lagoon to the Crest Canyon trail-head. This would complete a 6-mile “Del Mar Loop” trail extending along the lagoon to Crest Canyon, across Del Mar Heights, down to Torrey Pines State Beach, and back to San Dieguito lagoon entrance via the beach. The City could encourage annual races which would promote community fun, exercise, greater lagoon awareness, and appreciation for Del Mar's natural beauty.

8. I support daily beach clean-ups, organized through lifeguards and dog-walkers.

9. I support the planting of trees and greenery throughout the City--downtown, medians, street-ends, parks. 
   
   ​​                                                                    Other Key Positions & Ideas

10. I support the proposed regulations on short term rentals (STRs). With regards to the Coastal Commission, the City should learn from the experience of other cities that have passed bans or tough regulations including Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Pasadena, and Anaheim. There is a lawsuit involving Santa Monica that we should all be closely following. San Diego also voted in July 2018 to implement a ban for all STRs except primary residences. STRs should be determined locally. I would support allowing single room-share STRs, where the owner is present full-time, as well as STRs by owner-occupied residents who legitimately live at the location for the majority of the year.

11. I support the design review board (DRB) guidelines, minimizing bulk and mass, with reasonable interpretations.

12. I support efficient and timely decision making processes. Too much repetitive analysis can lead to frustrations and ineffectiveness.

13. I support reviewing Brown Act compliance procedures, many of which seem to be out of date for modern technology, including teleconferencing and publicly recorded/disclosed email conversations.

14. I support parking optimization in the downtown area, specifically to promote these businesses. Del Mar should try to broker a city-wide deal between day-time and night-time businesses to share parking. The rise of e-bikes and ride-share apps like uber is changing the usage of parking. The City should adopt modern tracking and sensor technology to accurately assess parking supply and demand trends. We have significantly underutilized parking at the new civic center and Shores Park, as well as the Del Mar Plaza.

15. I support the usage of technologically "smart" parking meters, including mobile payments and apps.

16. I support the installation of "smart" traffic lights that can reduce wait times and decrease pollution.

17. I support the Shores Park redevelopment.

18. I enthusiastically support the new owners of the plaza in their efforts to revitalize. The design change for the previous Agave/Epazote's restaurant location is a great step in the right direction.

19. I support the residential hospitality development on 10th Street, "941 Camino Del Mar."

20. I support the Bully's property redevelopment project.

21. I do not support the Del Mar resort hotel at the current size.  It is much too large, violates the spirit of the Scripps preserve and directly conflicts with the restrictions of the Woodward property adjacent to the preserve. A much smaller boutique-style resort hotel that opens up access to the entirety of the cliffs and is effectively hidden behind native greenery could be a nice addition to the community. Any project would need to go to a vote of the residents. Affordable/employee housing should not be pursued at this location, as it promotes density and traffic at a sensitive location. Mitigation fees should be pursued instead to build affordable units in less sensitive areas. The community should push to relocate parking spots designated for employees to a fairgrounds location (with shuttle service), as it will reduce traffic, exhaust, and congestion. There is a substantial amount of parking at the fairgrounds that is underutilized on all but a handful of days throughout the year. 

22. I support construction of City-owned affordable housing units on the fairgrounds. Despite signing a partnership agreement with the Fairgrounds in February 2013, Del Mar has pursued and achieved very little in over five years.

23. I support construction of affordable housing on the large dirt lot on the Department of Public Works (DPW) land. The DPW project would be built on stilts or on top of carport to address flood concerns. The City should conduct an environmental impact review (EIR) on the location.

24. I support improving our service levels on the sheriff contract which costs about $2.3 million per year. We can live with it, but it could be better. The research into the Del Mar police department, which originated with the Del Mar finance committee, provided much valuable information about the requirements and possibilities. I thought the proposal presented by the consultants was comprehensive, but could have been tweaked in a few ways to lower the costs and better fit Del Mar's small size and unique profile. I think it is useful to think of a possible department as 9 Del Mar park rangers with an average all-in compensation cost of approximately $150,000. Since approximately 85% of the entire department cost  is related to labor, the math on 9 officers ($1.35 million) is pretty compelling compared to the $2.4 million cost of the sheriff contract and current ranger. You can find some details on my presentation here.

25. I support required trimming of trees, particularly Eucalyptus, that block views. We need to change the tree ordinance so that the owners of the tress are responsible for trimming and lacing.

26. I support the petition regarding dogs on the beach in early morning hours. I support registration and collars to improve enforcement and increase owner accountability. We could implement a program similar to the successful one in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.

27. I support removing the train tracks from the bluffs, adding access, and creating a beautiful coastal trail. The Citizens for Access to Del Mar Bluff/Beach/Trails has done a great job highlighting the problems, risks, and goals.

28. I support the climate Adaptation Plan regarding sea level rise that excludes managed retreat. I would vote to reject processing as an LCP amendment. It should be adopted only as part of the community plan. We now need to focus on sand replenishment initiatives. 

29. I support community choice energy. Del Mar has joined Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside in researching and potentially creating a joint program. Solana Beach has already gone ahead on its own with its Solana Energy Alliance program, and we should closely watch their results.

30. I believe in fiscal responsibility and support challenging the CALPERS technical definition of pension freezing for an individual client city. Its actions are inconsistent with how the investment assets of frozen private pension plans and the frozen City of San Diego pension plan are invested. The benefit would be increased flexibility for cities like Del Mar regarding pension costs. See details on the specifics of my idea here.

31. I am against Measure R, and believe there are better ways to deal with the calculation of the mean high tide line.

32. I support lobbying for local, SANDAG control of the 22nd Agricultural District.

33. I support bold ideas regarding homelessness. Homelessness isn't a major problem in Del Mar but we do have a camp, and for the county and state, the problem is at crisis levels. I volunteer at Father Joe's Villages and have been working on a cost-effective dorm-room inspired idea to build in downtown San Diego to get every single human being off the streets and into permanent, supportive housing that promotes human dignity.

34. I support creating volunteer opportunities, particularly regarding gardening and beautification projects.

35. I support civility, having fun, and promoting community!

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