Platform and Accomplishments

By Linda Atkins

First term accomplishments and ideas for the future

Jobs. You work hard to make a living in Eureka. It's my job to encourage the growth of living-wage jobs for you to fill. Maintaining what remains of our historic job base is very important. During my first term on the Eureka City Council I found an innovative approach to secure the matching funds that leveraged millions of dollars of federal funds to build the Fishermen's Terminal, in support of one of our traditional businesses. Lost Coast Brewery plans an expansion which I have supported by voting for rezoning and encouraging the business to stay in our town. This Lost Coast Brewery expansion represents the type of growth industry that we all should support. It will provide more living-wage jobs and attract more tourists. One of the challenges to our growing local businesses is having only one way to ship goods. We should join other West Coast ports in developing the marine highway. The Harbor District says that this could be accomplished with the construction of one crane that will make our port compatible with the rest of the growing short-sea shipping industry. This is a goal that could be accomplished in the near future.

Dreams. Let's keep putting all the options out there for creating employment, to raise our standard of living, and improve our community. We should not discourage anyone from pursuing their dreams. It's only when we can respectfully discuss all the options that we will be able move forward with ideas that will improve all of our lives. Eureka citizens have many ideas and opinions. Good government takes advantage of all those points of view to make decisions that work well. This variety of viewpoints can be used to broaden the possibilities for creating decisions that advance our community. The more ideas you have, the more choices you have. You don't go to the grocery store and find only one kind of peanut butter. When making decisions, government should shop the choices available from the wide range of perspectives of our citizens.

Voting record. Fishermen's Terminal: yes. Street sweeping: yes. Enhancing police and fire department: yes. Balloon tract rezoning: yes. Firing the police chief: no. Multi-use bay front trails: yes. Community gardens: yes. Streamlining development: yes.

The challenge our City faces in the next four years is how to continue providing vital community services while working to stabilize shrinking City revenues. The experience I gained as your Councilmember when we had to make heartbreaking choices as our City suffered a massive budget shortfall in 2009 gives me the information to help keep that from happening again.

I have worked with the City, Caltrans, businesses and Keep Eureka Beautiful to combine our resources to revitalize the Broadway corridor. Working together, we can improve traffic flow, safety and create a gateway to our city while improving the business environment on our major commercial artery.

I have worked hard to streamline regulations to make it easier for businesses to create living wage jobs in Eureka. I brought the General Plan and Ordinance update into the City Council's Strategic Vision. This will allow us to make doing business in Eureka a welcoming experience, while also encouraging people to improve their property. I grew up in a family where planning and zoning were an everyday topic because my father was a Community Development Director who taught me that these regulations effect how cities prosper. I ask for your vote so that I can help complete this process and move Eureka into a brighter future.

Thank you for electing me in 2008. Your vote in 2012 will let me continue to be an independent, responsive voice on the Eureka City Council. I think it's important to listen to everyone in the debates about the future of our community. I am known as an elected official who listens to her constituents. I'm interested in your comments on city issues, big and small.