ISSUES

By Nancy Knight

• Leadership
• Public Safety
• Business Development
• Controlled Spending
• Traffic Flow
• Affordable Housing
• Controlled Development
• Historic West Side
• Flood Control

True city leadership works within the confines of an established general plan to provide for the needs of its citizens. Changes and work-arounds have had a rippling effect with negative consequences. Lifting our target density, rezoning land for high-density low-income housing, detention basins for flood control are not examples of real leadership.

Public Safety

Quality Public Safety Service is my highest priority. We have room for improvement and I want to implement (1) victim restitution and enforcement of fines for violators of our laws and ordinances. (2) proactive officers who stop violators of our ordinances in our neighborhoods without waiting for the neighbors call for help. (3) screening services for apartment managers to help them obtain quality tenants. (4) fines to be collected from the landlords who profit from rents at the community's expense when they harbor those who create trouble or unsightly dwellings.

Business Development

High quality business development is needed to create jobs and fund services that protect a quality lifestyle and increase property values. Residential development is outpacing our industrial and commercial growth. New and existing residents want local jobs and business opportunities. This goal will increase the quality of the family oriented community that we all envision.

I want to encourage business development but on a level playing field. Competition is good when it is fair and equitable. The recent decision to provide $200,000 in tax dollar support to four restaurants as incentives to come here and compete with our small struggling restaurantuers was a bad and unfair decision. Using tax dollars to support construction of a restaurant row where all of our restaurant owners could compete for space would have been the better option. Citizens and businesses would all benefit from this type of tax paid incentive.

Controlled Spending

If elected, I will serve the community with diligence and make informed financial decisions. I will exercise fair and impartial judgment with moral as well as financial considerations. I will work to eliminate city assessment taxes. For some of our taxpayers, $140 is 3 weeks groceries and for others it is one night on the town. There is inequity here. As our commercial base generates more sales tax revenue we should eliminate assessment taxes before we look for new ways to spend money.

Traffic Flow

Getting our children safely and efficiently to and from school must be a high priority. We need to focus on residential traffic problems especially around schools and work with the school board to provide adequate parking lots, creative solutions to transportation needs, and safe routes for pedestrian children.

We need to focus city budgetary efforts to traffic signals for efficient flow into and out of our commercial centers and neighborhoods. Street widening, mass transit scheduling and car pool programs with incentives are all viable solutions to traffic congestion in Murrieta.

Affordable Housing

Every citizen should be given a choice in their housing opportunity. Apartment dwellings are an important part of a housing element. It is oftentimes the temporary solution for single individuals or long-term solution for some senior citizens. However, apartments are not the best option for growing families or for those seeking a return on their housing investment and a stable housing expense. Condominiums are a relatively low cost solution for those without an interest in yard maintenance, low density housing and privacy in their home recreation activities. A "good faith effort" by city officials to provide affordable housing has been limited to apartments and condominiums. One sector of our community has been left out of this housing element. Hard working families who want a simple affordable single home purchase with a private back yard for thier children is sorely absent in our housing strategy. An ordinance for inclusionary zoning is an answer to the needs of these families that has been successful in other cities. It is time to move forward and fulfill the needs of all of our citizens for their housing preferences.

Controlled Development

The aesthetic beauty of our rolling hills skyline must be preserved. Designs and conditions that are agreed to at our public meetings must be Documented and Enforced. Full-Disclosure must be provided at public hearings. Planning engineers have a responsibility to fully explain areas on developer plans that will or could negatively impact neighboring developments.

Commercial and industrial development designs need to include aesthetic screening of loading docks, pallets and waste dumpsters that are in public view.

Historic West Side

The historic West Side will someday have a museum. Where will it be located? The people's initiative measure to rezone a 10-acre site in Murrieta's Historic Specific Plan where Murrieta's train depot and first schoolhouse once stood may be the perfect location. While there is no purchase or taxpayer consequence tied to the rezoning, many believe that the citizens will come together after the zoning change to purchase and develop the historic site.

There is no cost to the taxpayer to rezone the land. Once zoned, development of the site will be in the hands of the landowner. Citizens for Historic Murrieta, city officials, and the landowner will have many options available for the future of this site but the zoning decision is critical.

Everyone is in agreement that we need to preserve our historical past for the enjoyment of future generations. It will take a community to make a museum successful and it will take a community to decide its best location. Measure H is an opportunity for the people to exercise its decision through a ballot vote on November 4, 2003. If approved, the citizens will have protected a historic site from residential development. Citizens will then have a wonderful opportunity to begin fundraising efforts for the purchase and development of the site.

Flood Control

Flood control channels have taken too long in coming and development has progressed mainly through the work-around strategy of earthen basins to contain and release water run off onto our streets. Experience has proven these measeures are inadequate and a public safety hazard and nuisance. The time has come to stop development that uses this alternative storm drain method. Public safety is more important to our future than a few more residential dwellings.