A Vision For Modesto

By Bruce R Frohman

Here are some ideas about how Modesto can make decisions about land use. Also included are ideas on improving the quality of life in our community, including enhancement of job creation.

• Contact employers of Bay Area commuters to establish satellite offices for citizens to work locally.
• Establish a job creating Enterprise Zone recognized by the State of California, with tax incentives.
• Establish an Electric Vehicle Enterprise Zone to encourage development and use of electric vehicles. Enter into a partnership with Modesto Irrigation District to establish charging stations around town.
• Stabilize utility fees so that businesses looking to relocate won't be scared off.
• Support local businesses by managing competition so that mega companies from outside the area aren't able to use predatory tactics in the market place to put locally owned businesses out of business. Eighty percent of job growth comes from established businesses. Healthy local businesses mean greater job growth. Gallo and Savemart are two locally owned businesses that grew and generated a lot of jobs for our community.

• Synchronize traffic signals, with more one-way streets downtown.
• Improve our public transportation system to encourage ridership: increase frequency of service along the most popular lines, use smaller vehicles in residential areas and on less popular routes, post schedules at bus stops, use debit cards to collect fares, include bus passes with MJC and high school registration.
• Build the Performing Arts Center
• Build more skate parks around the community for our kids
• Make streets safer for children with a grid of bicycle lanes; use flashing warning lights around schools to indicate when children are present
• Find an entrepreneur to build and manage an ice skating rink
• Find an entrepreneur to build and manage a plunge for year round swimming
• Allow car clubs to sponser a daytime Graffiti festival on North Ninth Street and MJC West

• The City of Sunnyvale, California has been recognized as one of the best managed communities in the country. We should find out what they are doing right and try to emulate them. We should also look and see what works well elsewhere. New ideas bring opportunities for improvement.
• Lengthen most of the onramps entering Freeway 99
• Install electronic sensors farther from intersections so that traffic on expressways need not make quick stops
• Adjust speed limits based on frequency of accidents and post "Hazardous intersection" signs at the most dangerous intersections
• Build bridges over the railroad where traffic impacts are greatest
• Use a larger percentage of gas tax money for pavement overlay and maintenance
• Establish bicycle lanes on secondary routes not heavily used by cars and distribute a map so that riders will be encouraged to use the routes

I support growth that is orderly, affordable, and livable. Orderly means that each annexation is well planned, does not overcrowd our schools or deprive residents of high quality government services. Growing bigger and then imposing water rationing and brown outs is not my idea of growing better. Affordable means that new growth pays its own way: adequate capital facilities fees will be collected to pay for infrastructure required by new development so that service need not be cut back to the rest of the community. Livable means that jobs are available locally for those who move into the new part of our community AND for citizens who live here now. Modesto should be a great place to live for all residents.

New low density housing projects presently built on prime farm land primarily sell to Bay Area commuters. Our leaders' policy allows unlimited residential construction. Without local jobs, the council encourages long distance commuting, creating congestion on roadways to the Bay Area. Because of poor air quality, the Enviromental Protection Agency is threatening sanctions that would stop Stanislaus County's economic growth. By encouraging long distance air-polluting commuting, our Council invites sanctions that could have a devastating effect on our local economy. In fact, one of the reasons we don't have more manufacturing jobs in Modesto is businesses are worried about air pollution sanctions and prefer to set up in places with better air quality.

I have been interested in our local government, its policies, and the implications of the decisions our leaders have been making for the past 18 years. I recognize what we are doing right and what we are doing to harm ourselves. I now have the knowledge and experience to help guide our community, with your encouragement and consent, towards a better quality of life.

The third paper discusses my qualifications and experience.