Ripon and my role as City Council Member

By Carolyn S. Jensen

My philosophy of my role as council member, I will address what are Ripon's strengths and weaknesses. What would I do now we are faced with a $1 million deficit.

The city also provides community facilities such as, community centers, senior and youth facilities, child care facilities, sport facilities, parks and recreation programs. The city is the steward for all the cultural and historical resources that are within their domain. In Ripon, some services are provided by special districts such as, the School District and Fire District. San Joaquin County also provides services such as the library. My philosophy as a city council member is to see that the needs of the community are met in all of these areas.

Planning for future growth and economic development and adequate revenue to provide and maintain all the needed services, facilities and infrastructure I feel is a major responsibility of each Council Member. My personal goal is to see that the needs of the community are met in all areas.

The most positive program I have seen in the City of Ripon in the past years is the Give Ever Child a Chance program which is offered in all our schools. This program provides volunteer tutors from the community for all students that have a D or an F in one or more classes. Bringing this program to Ripon was by the efforts of the Family and Youth Commission established by the Ripon City Council in 2001. The commission worked with the school district to get their approval for the program to be offered in Ripon Schools. They facilitated meetings between the GECC program directors and the schools. The commission partnered with Heartland's Community Youth Center to provide a location to offer the program. They contacted and presented the program to local service organizations recruiting the first group of volunteers. Their next efforts are to have more counseling services and educational workshops available for teenagers, such as, life skills and anger management for our high school students. The South County Crisis and Education Center is developing this program in collaboration with University of Pacific, Stanislaus State University and Delta College.

One of Ripon's greatest weakness in services offered to the community is in the area of available facilities for services, such as before and after school programs and services for youth. The PAL Youth Center on Main Street was available to offer services to our youth was closed by recent City Council members because of budget short falls. I hope to reopen and revitalize the center and provide more needed services and activities.

Facilities are needed for indoor sports, such as, basketball and volleyball, and fine arts programs, such as, dance, music, theater. The city has purchased additional 20 acres to expand the Mistlin Sports Park, which I hope will include a state of the art indoor sports facility in the expansion plan. We still have much to accomplish and find the means to do them.

Ripon's city council in November will have the challenge now to replace Police Chief Dick Bull, who in his 10 year tenure revolutionized the police department, from communication via an outstanding user friendly website; to expanded police services to include drug and gang prevention, resource officers for our schools.

If I am in office in January 2011 and the city continues to be faced with a $1million budget deficit I would have to examine city plans for expansion of facilities and services funded out of the General Fund. Services such as, water, sewer, garbage which are self supporting will not be impacted by a budget deficit. First, capital expenditures for new parks and facilities would have to be suspended until additional funds were acquired. I feel that we need to maintain our current level of service to the community. Each year the city budget includes plans for expansion of city services and facilities. In addition, programs that have been impacted are recreation programs that will require higher fees to cover costs currently included in the budget. The annual fireworks show has been suspended or will have to find a sponsor. A continued budget deficit has impacted the quality of life we currently enjoy in Ripon which is already noticiable in the reduction of street and park maintenance.

We will have to be creative in how we address the needs of our community in the current economic climate. Partnering with other public agencies, non-profit organizations to create a synergy and efficiency of our resources is one way to maintain the quality of life that we enjoy in Ripon.

Thinking out of the box creatively is a ability that I excel. Vote for me in the November election and I can go to work to get Ripon back on track and improve our future.