MESA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION and MESA PAPER CANDIDATE QUESTIONS 2013

By Cruzito Herrera Cruz

Candidate Cruzito Herrera Cruz's answers to the following MESA District questions and for publication with the MESA PAPER, thank you Ms. Alice...

Here is the information as per your request and thank you for your work, thank the other Staff at Mesa Paper and to the Mesa Neighborhood Association Forum organizers.

Blessings and adelante....

My summary statement- ( a brief paragraph):

I, Cruzito Herrera Cruz, was born, raised, and educated in SB. My elementary school of McKinley and some Monroe School gave the beautiful opportunity to meet a best friend from the Mesa as Roberto Esparza, Jr.. RIP. The many lovely memories I share with the Mesa area and Mohawk Lane Casa. In attending SBCC for Business Administration and UCSB for Political Science and Chicana & Chicano Studies and working in social services since graduating from the university, this overall educational and social service work experience has given me the leadership skills to politically-run to be a responsible and prudent public steward and public servant in the City of Santa Barbara, California. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz for SB City Council in 2013.

Response to the new question: How and when would you want the City to proceed with turning Cliff Drive into a safe Main Street for the Mesa community?

The moment in November 2013 when newly elected, I can begin to work for the Mesa's political needs at City Hall. I can begin working on a transition in turning Cliff Drive into a safe main street for pedestrians, workers, commuters, and residents of La Mesa district once elected. Three points. 1.) Work-hand-in-hand with the Mesa Neighborhood Association members to solve the issues of the residents that know what Cliff Drive circulation could be like in the near future. 2.) Make home visits to listen and take a personal survey of residents concerns and issues for a safe main street for Cliff Drive. 3.) Be a teamplayer with other City Council Colleagues to develop strategies and plans-of-action for the Mesa area and other area districts of the Eastside and Westside communities of Santa Barbara.

YES/NO questions
1. Are you in favor of Council elections by District? Yes / Si. Election Code 14,026(3)(b). CVRA law.
2. Do you agree with the improvements made to Cliff Drive? Yes / Si.
3. Should the City build a Roundabout at the intersection of Cliff Drive and Las Positas? Yes. However, majority of the decision should come from the stakeholders of Mesa, Las Positas Valley, and Hope Ranch Districts.

Detailed response questions:
1. What are you criteria for encouraging applicants and select members for Boards and Commissions?

As a newly elected SB City Councilmember Candidate Cruzito Herrera Cruz will "establish policy, approve programs, and oversee the financial affairs of the City to govern as a public servant and steward in the City of Santa Barbara." (City Budget P. 318) In making important civic appointments to advisory boards and commissions applicants should manifest the following traits and personable qualities of the Citizenry applicants. First criteria, Act / Action = Has to be a teamplayer and good listener. And has a responsibility to public service and civic activism. Second criteria, Forethought = Has a strong work-ethic, hard-worker, and has an overall life's educational experience. Person or applicant loves Santa Barbara. Is an engaged and concerned citizen of Sta. Barbara. And last quality or criteria to consider city board and commission(s) applicants should have Public Service = Can be a productive member or commissioner, team-player, deliberative and engaging. And have a specialization and personal interest for applying to be on a City Board or Commission. Like my political statements at the Upper East Association Forum, these three principles of criteria of Act/Action, Forethought, and Public Service are important because it is one of the project objectives a newly candidate is to adhere to and appoint twice annually, as per Mayor and City Council (Program No. 1111 + City Budget P. 321).

2. What do you think of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance adopted in 2007 by the City Council? How is it working for The Mesa?

Yes, this is a good question. The Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance (NPO) on the Mesa that facilitates forms of development growth that is reflective of the Mesa community district and creates compatibility with it's general neighborhood feel. This municipal ordinance is 22.82.131 (City Municipal Ordinance P. 672) and is important because it's gives Mesa residents and home-owners the ability to control property rights and the forms of project development. Referral are made to the Historic Landmark Commissions for a required finding that determines issues of under municipal ordinance code section title 22.69.050 that helps specify the project points of development for all approving projects. Mesa Residents and those residents on the Westside and Eastside districts should have the ability to determine the forms of property rights and land-use planning. We have reasonable City reviews standards for proposed development housing projects and are welcomed and needed for the Mesa district of SB.

3. If you are elected, how do you see your role as a council member as opposed to the role of the City Administrator. In other words, who should run the City?

The role and City Councilmember duties under City Program No. 1111 (City Budget P. 321) of the duties and responsibilities of the Mayor and City Council have six activities. My focus are two parts of these six councilmember activities to be performed that have my own-priority and are to provide governmental guidance in social services safety-net and public improvements on the City's aging overall infrastructure. The Santa Barbara City Council should take leadership in establishing city policy, approving programs, and overseeing the financial affairs of the City to govern the City of Santa Barbara, whereas, City Administrator is accountable to the City Council and conducting city operation business. We can not be mediocre, where City Council members find themselves at times not taking a leadership role and having the City Administrator taking some leadership role. There is a fine balance between those that lead and others just follow the flow. The City Administrator works for the SB City Council. Yes, there needs to be a greater visible manifestation displaying City Councilmember's leadership over the City Administrator. However, City Administrator has a hard job of operating City's business affairs and dealings. The city administrator performs at a high standard-job. My councilmember candidate commitment is to establish a work-ethic leadership that shall consist of my public-service hourly work commitment consisting of a sixty (60+) hour plus work week to be a effective, hard-working councilmember, and a member that adheres to the duties and scope of City Program No. 1111.

4. Do you consider yourself a fiscal conservative? If so, how?

Yes, I am a Fiscal Conservative when it comes to my philosophy of budgetary skills. As a SBCC and UCSB university community-grad student to be, I am still living within my low-economic resources and live within my financial resources. There is three reasons for my political platform during this election campaign of 2013 which is 1.) Increase the Budgetary Allotment of the City's Budget in Adult and Human Services. This component within the Community Development Block Grants that help the local non-profit and community-based organizations need increased budget to give better service for all Santa Barbarians. 2.) Improve and increased the budget for Public Works. As a councilmember candidate, improving our housing stock of affordable housing and city's streets and lighting are my priorities and the leadership which I shall politically work to solve and give attention to. 3.) My election campaign is focused on the most important aspect of City Council, to be a responsible and prudent member of City Council that oversees the City's operating budget. As someone that personably is a fiscal conservative, this same public tendency will be executed in my city duties. Thank you and Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz.

5. If elected would you be willing to work to regain and protect the public interest that has been lost at Las Positas Park via the tennis courts?

Yes, my councilmember term would highlight the support in the Las Positas Valley residents. The Las Positas Valley citizen residents and surrounding stakeholders from this general district(s) should have a civic-voice that determines the re-capture of Public Land used for Private Gain back on the Public Land roster. Public lands need to be accessible and readily-used by the public and not for private gain. The private ownership control that the City Council provided to the Elings newly formed group was a display of non-leadership on the part of the City Council and taking the easy-route to not deal with the real financial challenge of keeping and maintaining the park as a public park for public usage. This is not fair to the tennis players that come from the Las Positas Valley and the surrounding communities to enjoy tennis.
I would request and hold the Park Operations Management department to more accountable. Questions to why such a transfer and an interfering of citizenry recreational tennis activities at Las Positas Park needed to be asked. The City Program No. 6911 (City Budget P. 370) states in the mission statement the department is there to manage park maintenance operations, sports fields, etc...and oversees long-range planning, sets goals, and manage budget resources for parks and open space.... This department and staff of 2.25 authorized position(s) would require to answer hard-questions with respect to alternatives and methods for the tennis court to be public and not privately controlled. This is the lack of leadership from the City Council to not listen, act, and execute the wishes of the Las Positas Valley community members. Park usage should be for free because it is the taxpayers public resource. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks Mesa Paper for the public press and space to express these political concerns.

6. What are you going to do about the traffic on Carrillo Street heading from The Mesa to downtown? Every day I keep thinking I will get hit on it.

In traveling to get to today's candidates forum from the Eastside district to the Mesa district. I had traveled and witnessed the traffic jam on Carrillo Street. As the main freeway exit for Downtown Santa Barbara and main street artery to cross-town, we have to realize the demographic growth and the increased since car commuter modes of operation practices causes this to be our own local vehicle congestion, not including the highly expenses 101 freeway widening project that will cause more future car congestion. This Carrillo vehicle congestion happens in the morning hours and the hours between 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The car traffic is because of the people going or mostly likely getting-off work. To be accomplished is three-simple things: 1.) Work with the City's transportation department to improve the lighting efficiency of the lights, in order, for the traffic flow to have fluidity during the times with high traffic volume. Improve street light-timing mechanisms. 2.) SB should challenge itself to quickly reduce our car carbon-footprint by subsidizing for free the MTD Service. Car ridership will be reduced and be easier on the transportation corridor of SB, which means the West and East district of the community of Santa Barbara. 3.) Promote locally multi-car riderships and attempt to not drive as a single-car commuter. Muchas gracias to the Mesa Citizenry of the City of Santa Barbara and thank you Mesa Paper Staff for all the wonderful political coverage and for all your ganas and energias in displaying proudly as Santa Barbarians, your district of la Mesa Neighborhood. In prospective public service, Councilmember Candidate in 07, 09, 11, 13 de Cruzito Herrera Cruz...