Major Issues

By John H. Linn

Listed below are the major issues of my campaign. Please visit my website http://www.johnhlinn.com for complete details.

Our city government, by restricting information and providing "selected truth", has excluded its citizens from full participation. Citizen committees that cost the city nothing +have been replaced by consultants. The return to utilization of citizen committees is my first goal.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT

Conversations with over 100 citizens from all walks of life have named this department as a critical issue. I will establish a task force to identify the individual problems and recommend problem specific solutions.

CENTRAL AVENUE BRIDGE

The City Council has recently voted to use Measure D sales tax funds to study the bridge proposal. I believe there are more important uses for the funds and a much less expensive transportation alternative.

CITY SIGN ORDINANCE UPDATE

In 2005, the city paid a consultant to draft a terrible ordinance. I chaired a committee in 2006 that drafted revisions to the current ordinance and delivered them to council. Staff was instructed, by council, to call and work out any issues but staff never called. I will get it done.

DEVELOPMENT FEES FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION

These fees provide funds to the city for the impact of additional homes. Today, developers pay $7,000 for parks, $181 for police, and $163 for fire for each new dwelling unit. Although the state has strict requirements for setting the above fees, the consultant hired by the city did a poor job at establishing the impact fees. I will have the impact fees reviewed and adjustments made as necessary.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WORKS

While our neighboring cities of Buellton and Santa Maria have continued to add new jobs and businesses, Lompoc has not. I will lead in the creation of affective and measurable economic development plan. A key component of the plan will lead in the creation of an effective and measurable economic development plan. A key component of the plan will be to transform all city departments into business friendly service providers. Businesses tend to locate in areas where they are welcome and entry issues are minimal.

FEES AND TAXES

Some of our city fees have not been revised since 1996. Other fees do not reflect the cost of providing the service the fee is for. I will review the city fee structure and propose revisions to make the fee fit the service provided.

FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING

Our fire department has not had additional staff since 1986. Increasingly, we have relied on County and Vandenberg Fire Departments to back up our department. I believe that with an in-depth evaluation of city revenues and expenses we can find the funds to add six firemen and staff a third squad (ambulance). GENERAL PLAN UPDATE Our General Plan, created in 1996 by a citizen's committee, is undergoing an update. The City Council voted to spend $970,000 for a consultant to complete the update. Although I opposed the spending of funds for paid consultants, in favor of citizens committees, the process has proceeded too far to turn back. The General Plan task force in my campaign will submit text for the land use section and follow the consultants closely.

GRAFFITI-GANG AND OTHER

Graffiti makes our community look like a high crime area. Graffiti is an entry level crime to gangs that must be addressed.

PERSONNEL MANUAL

Our city personnel manual does not clearly reflect the fact that city government and it's departments exist to serve its citizens. The general spirit of the manual should reflect the welfare of the city and its citizens as the primary function. City staff are the employees of all citizens and should be guided to that end by the personnel manual.

POLICE

Our police department currently lacks the staff to provide the level of service the city needs. Like the fire department, I believe with in-depth analysis, we can find the funds for the needed officers.

SHOP IN LOMPOC

To help city sales tax revenue for police and fire, I have three times presented a `Shop Lompoc' program to the City Council and it was rejected. I am now, independent of the city, distributing business door and vehicle car stickers with the slogan "Please shop in Lompoc...local Sales Tax pays for your city services". I will carry this project forward.

SURF BEACH

Although the beach is in the county, it primarily serves the residents of Lompoc. I will lead the city in taking a more active