Diane's Plan for Action

By Diane Harkey

Diane's Action Plan to problems of Pollution, Parks, Necessary Capital Improvements, Halfway Houses, Traffic, and all of the issues facing a growing, beachside community, combined with Responses to Recent Questions from the OC Register (Town Center Plan to be addressed in paper #2).

To ensure that my decisions remain fiduciary and not swayed by out-of-town- special interests, I will not accept Special Interest PAC money from those large interests doing business in Dana Point. I am a proponent of planned development considering the rights of all of the property owners, taxpayers and merchants in Dana Point. We have a marvelous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make Dana Point a place of pride, with a look toward the future without forgetting our wonderful past.

First: Establish Citizen Committees or Commissions

First and foremost, we need to re-establish the open link with the community, in the form of Citizen Volunteer Committees or Commissions. There are a lot of talented people living in our city, retired and still working. We should not rely on paid staff for our solutions. We can work together to address issues affecting our quality and way of life, as is the practice in other cities.

Throughout this campaign I have met people who will help work on legislation to present to County, State and National representatives on issues that require more than city action, such as halfway houses or other similar housing in neighborhoods. Pollution, traffic, crime, fire and police protection, and all of those issues that affect a growing city with a heavy tourist attraction require local as well as regional or State attention.

While I would like to promise that I will re-establish the commissions with city approval, I am only 1 vote. However, we can join together to take action together with or without city sanction. We are the "City" and we can form these committees. We are the people who live, work pay taxes and play here, and will be dealing with the issues affecting our quality of life now and in the future. We are the People of Dana Point and we can make a difference and a create a lasting impact.

Question #1 - What do you think are the 3 most important recreation amenities needed in the city?

First, clean beaches and second, Harbor should be an obvious focus of our community and business leaders. Our ocean orientation is the reason most of us chose to live here and why tourists visit.

Those of us who are long-time residents recall bringing our small children to the "Baby Beach", grabbing a hot dog for lunch, and then touring the Marine Institute (aka: Ocean Institute). It was a delightful, inexpensive way to spend the day without fear of disease. Later, I enrolled my daughter in the sailing camp and surfing lessons; we did not fear contamination.

We need to institute immediate action programs, while working with non-local bureaucracies for the longer range solutions. This would be an excellent opportunity for a citizen committee, formed of engineers, our surfing friends and others with experience to focus and pursue this goal. The city staff has too many other fires to put out to give beach pollution the solid focus it will require. We can help.

Catching and controlling urban run-off, the focus of our city's efforts to date, is important, but it is only part of the problem. Birds and their waste are also only part of the problem. What about the human factor?

1. The Baby Beach - exactly how much human waste is in this area from beach-goers? My guess is more than we care to consider. We need to find a way to get wave circulation into the harbor.

2. Harbor - we need more and consistent code enforcement to ensure that boaters use the disposal receptacles for their waste. We also need to be sure the pump station storage tanks are well-maintained and do not leak.

3. Doheny - both of the solutions described above would clean this area up as well.

Third, our community also needs a swimming pool and recreation facilities for children beyond the tot-lot years. We need a Parks Commission of concerned citizens to formulate a plan of action. We have great ballparks off of Del Obispo, and might want to consider working with the water district to enhance the facilities and parking. We might re-explore the possibility of purchasing (or even leasing) additional land in this area where the traffic impact and noise would be minimized. I am aware of legal issues surrounding the 30 acres, but the area which currently warehouses automobiles for the car dealers, might also facilitate some of our recreational needs. Never say die.

Question #2 - Should the city spend it's reserve money?

While the balance sheet shows over $40MM in cash, this is not actual "spendable" dollars. There are current liabilities, cash flow operating needs, emergency allocations and other prudent designations necessary to meet auditing standards and keep the city functioning smoothly.

What is discretionary, are primarily the roughly $25MM in the Capital Improvement budget, and excess dollars in the General Fund. Since I am a conservative banker, not an advocate of spending every last dollar, I will focus on the Capital Improvement budget.

We all know our city should be brought into the 21st century and underground utilities. However, cost estimates are over $50MM, and I think it would most likely run double that amount.

Unless we want to proceed at a snail's pace, I would propose that with the approval of the residents, we augment funds from the budget with establishment of special assessment districts in the communities affected and directly benefitting. This would be matching a long-term investment with a long-term repayment source.

Other issues such as parks, street improvements, and median beautification (Palm Trees in Capo, curbsides near Niguel Road and PCH) are constant needs of a growing city. We should also keep an eye on potential open space acquisitions, so we don't overspend for land as we did in the Pines Park area.

Questions #3 - Should the city finance a new library without a grant?

The cost of building the library is roughly $12MM and I have not heard that the grant request was a problem. However, to answer the question, we would all love to see a new library, but without the grant money, we may need to get creative. We might want to allocate annually some dollars from the Capital Improvement budget, hold fund raisers (similar to capital improvement drives for private facilities), and since we own the land, we might also consider financing a small portion with a mortgage (to be paid back with fundraisers, donations, etc.). It's always easier to raise money when donors see an actual structure. While I would be willing to allocate some funds from the budget, similar to under-grounding utilities, I would not want to build a library at the expense of all other capital improvements. I have no doubt, knowing the dedication of the "Friends of the Library" we will get it built, with or without the grant.

Question #4 - Should the city hire more code enforcement officers?

Yes. As we continue to grow code enforcement fills a very important need in ensuring our city is maintained. We have numerous halfway houses (or sober living homes, or other designated habitat) infiltrating our neighborhoods. At present, our only recourse is to ensure that the occupants respect the community rules and co-exist peacefully with surrounding residents. If elected, I would lobby with local assembly and other state representatives to provide stronger regulations to hopefully discourage this burgeoning industry. In addition, we continue to face overcrowding in housing units, abandoned vehicles, debris and other code enforcement issues that need to be addressed.

As I have stated in question #1, Code Enforcement is also needed to patrol the harbor to ensure that boat dump stations are used in lieu of midnight dumping into the harbor. We should be vigilant in this area in light of the pollution of our beaches.

Question #5 - Should the city take over the harbor?

No. Taking over the Harbor sounds like a great idea, because surely it must generate income, and would provide us with more control over our beaches + well, maybe not. From what I have been able to gather the Harbor has not historically been self supporting, and due to costs for dredging, harbor patrol, maintenance, liability for the bluffs, harbor, and pollution, the acquisition could be a huge cash drain on the City. I'm sure there are also State mandates, such as the Tidelands Fund, that I have not had a chance to explore. I am likewise doubtful that the County would acquiesce to city pressure to release anything that was or could generate income + unless they run out of money before the Harbor renovation is completed (10+ years from now).