My Positions on Additional Issues

By David W. Brown

The following are my positions on other significant issues facing Marina:

ON THE JOBS-HOUSING IMBALANCE: Coming housing developments will make our jobs-housing imbalance even worse. We need to encourage job creation, not become more of a bedroom community for Monterey.

ON SENIORS AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS: At the same time, we must protect the most vulnerable in our city + seniors and those on fixed incomes, many who live in mobilehome parks and who need to be treated fairly. Senior programs and children's food programs should be spared the budget axe.

ON RENTS IN PRESTON AND ABRAMS PARKS: The city-owned rentals in Preston Park and Abrams Park should not be considered a cash cow. Marina residents live there. Some have insisted, at past Council meetings, that the City squeeze as much rent as possible out of Preston and Abrams Parks residents. I oppose that. A balance must be struck between a fair return to the City on this "investment" and being fair to those Marina residents. As a Council member I will scrutinize rent-increase requests very carefully, and I will monitor the performance of the City's management company.

ON MOBILEHOME PARK SPACE RENTS: The City needs to protect the mobile home owners in its five mobilehome parks. We cannot allow them to be subjected to one rent increase after another, so as to render mobile homes unsaleable and worthless + as has happened at Monte del Lago off Highway 156. Mobile homes are occupied mostly by senior citizens on fixed incomes. We cannot tolerate park owners imposing space-rent increases of $300+ per month, on seniors whose incomes are under $1000 a per month. We need to conclude the mediation process currently at a stalemate, and consider other options, including enforced model leases, a move undertaken by several other cities.