My positions on some of the key issues we face are as follows:
OPEN GOVERNMENT AND THE ROLE OF COUNCIL
Democratic society is strengthened by openness and accountability. Council members are policy makers and planners. They must always look to the future when making decisions. Vision is an important intangible that enables a council to make significant and long-lasting policy decisions.
- OPEN GOVERNMENT: Civil discourse is paramount in democratic society. Every voice deserves to be heard. I strongly believe in listening politely to all sides of an argument before making up my mind.
- OPEN RECORDS: It is the law that citizens have access to public documents because implicit in the democratic process is the belief that government should be accountable for its actions. To assist citizens in monitoring this accountability, full disclosure has become the public policy of American government at all levels. Disclosure is every citizen's right. If elected, I intend to press for a climate of full disclosure as an enthusiastically accepted policy of Claremont city government.
- THE ROLE OF COUNCIL: The Council must make policy, and the staff must work to accomplish that policy. We have dedicated and talented staff and we need to appreciate their expertise. Council members must have the judgment to evaluate staff's information and the courage to make forward thinking decisions.
- RESPECT: Respect will be the watchword of my campaign and of my actions on the Council if I am elected: respect for the validity of other people's concerns and experiences, for history and a willingness to preserve our cultural heritage, and for the sincerity and competence of our city staff.
- CLAREMONT GENERAL PLAN: After more than 20 years, we are finally working on updating our General Plan. I worked with the League of Women Voters for several years to convince the city that a new plan was needed. The community must craft a visionary development roadmap for the next decade. I would work to ensure the city approves and implements a new general plan that addresses sustainability as a crucial aspect. Once the General Plan is adopted, it is imperative that the Council be strong enough to make sure the plan is implemented.
VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY
Claremont offers a wide range of services and amenities for people of all ages and walks of life. A full service Senior Center, well designed Community Center, available open space and the hiking trails in the Wilderness Park and the ever popular Youth Activity Center are facilities that improve the quality of life for citizens of all ages. We must also work to make certain that all our residents are considered when we offer services.
- HISTORIC PRESERVATION: Claremont has a rich and worthy history. By making sure we do all we can to preserve resources from our past, we bring the history into the present and teach a new generation to appreciate what our predecessors accomplished. Our goal must be to preserve and respect the city's past by development sensitive to surroundings.
- HILLSIDES AND OPEN SPACE: I support making sure the Claremont hillsides are protected from future development. We must realize that the rights of landowners are also at stake. Claremont adopted a thorough hillside ordinance that has served us well. We have been able to protect nearly 90% of the open space while giving property owners credits for the value of their property (using a benefit called "development credits"). The city has pursued purchase of more land in the hillsides through grants from outside agencies. We should continue working with the Trust for Public Lands and Claremont Wildlands Conservancy to expand city ownership of the undeveloped land in the hillsides in order to preserve the hillsides in perpetuity.
- AFFORDABLE HOUSING: State law mandates that some affordable units be provided in each community since 20% of redevelopment money must be set aside for housing assistance. The question then is not whether we provide housing assistance but more a determination of the best way to use our limited set aside funds. In these days of super high housing costs, it is crucially important for Claremont to take a proactive role in making housing affordable for those who work in but cannot afford to live in town. Progressive cities have policies that recognize people of all walks of life make a city into a community. With citizen input, sensitive plans for housing assistance can be drafted to preserve neighborhood quality.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Claremont has grown to a population of 35,000 and is in excellent financial shape. Some changes may need to be made in dealing with aging facilities. A regional approach is mandatory when we tackle areas of mutual concern with other communities. Overall, we must remain cognizant of our environment and resources. A strong council with vision is needed at this crucial time.
- PUBLIC LIBRARY: Claremont needs a full service library that not only remains open nearly 60 hours per week (approximately twice as many hours as our library operates today) but also offers pertinent services and amenities. I pledge to continue to work with the Friends of Claremont Library (I am on the board) in efforts to collaborate with city and county governments to consider all governance options to make this goal a reality. In this way, we can assure that Claremont's public library offers proper service to all our citizens.
- POLICE STATION: Our current police station was built in the 70s when the population of Claremont was much smaller. The station has served the city well, but it is too small and outdated to continue to be effective. The jail cells are not up to code, and the infrastructure of the building is obsolete. We must pursue the idea of building a new state of the art police station as befits a community with the high standards of Claremont.
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: We must judiciously explore all avenues of economic development while making any expansion decision fiscally responsible. Planned development of the west side of Indian Hill is important. The area has long been under-utilized but it must now be developed wisely + simply searching for the tax dollar is not the way to keep Claremont distinctive. Our vibrant Village shopping area will be improved and become more of a destination to people who live in Claremont and other nearby communities when it is enlarged with amenities that are complementary to the existing Village. We must also consider renovation of aging strip centers along major streets in Claremont. We also need to look creatively at the hotels along the freeway and on Foothill Boulevard with the idea of better utilization of real property. Local neighborhood residents could contribute ideas for acceptable modified uses. I hope to revitalize aging commercial areas outside of the Village core with innovative approaches to blending retail and mixed uses. We should build upon the success of our vibrant pedestrian friendly commercial core with new, complementary amenities in the Village Expansion.
- ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Not all issues can be taken care of at the municipal level. For example, to ensure clean air for our residents, we must work on a regional basis with existing agencies, such as the AQMD, the Air Resources Board and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Committee. In addition, the city receives AB 2766 funds that can and should be used for clean air projects. To assure the groundwater is kept safe and secure, to remove contaminants in the groundwater supply and to make sure the supply remains clean, Claremont should work closely with Six Basins Watermaster, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Board. Claremont residents favor recycling and our community was able to meet the state standards for diverting trash from the landfill easily. I would like to work to expand our green-waste recycling program, perhaps by having a drop off center at the new community services yard. Since the disbandment of the Environmental Quality Commission in the mid 90s, no governmental body exists purely to perform Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). I would propose an ad hoc committee of knowledgeable commission representatives and community members that could be brought together when needed to perform EIRs so that particular expertise would be utilized to assure a fair and effective report.
Cindy Sullivan, Treasurer 1016 Emory Drive Claremont, CA 91711
Tel: (909)626-1801 Email: electellen@yahoo.com Website: electellen.org