My Plan
I am asking for your support for my campaign to become Mayor of the City of St. Helena.
I have extensive experience in managing people and processes in the corporate and non-profit world. I have previously held elected positions in St. Helena, and I know how to create meaningful goals and build plans to reach those goals, while also making informed decisions to move us through short-term challenges.
I believe we need leadership that can succeed in four distinct areas:
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Determine where St Helena wants to be in 5 to 10 years and specifying the steps needed to get there
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Maximize ongoing City revenue streams and increase local private business opportunities.
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Acknowledge how the wheels of government operate – work toward more efficient and effect governance but know the confines of the system.
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Be decisive– listen to all opinions, seek local subject matter expertise, decide what is best for the whole community and then do it.
See below for more specific information on my plans for Finance, Governance, Infrastructure, Housing and Economic Development
Finance
1 | Transparency, consistency, accuracy
2 | Everyone using the same play book
3 | Adequate historical and real time data and the ability to analyze it effectively
4 | Deal with near-term challenges but plan for the future
5 | Develop sustainable long term revenue streams
Housing
1 | Build housing for working families making from $50K to $250K.
2 | Provide a housing ladder that moves residents from apartments to family homes to down-sized senior housing thus reinstating fluidity in our existing housing inventory.
3 | Balance full-time and part-time resident housing units with incentives and vacancy fees.
4 | Revise city codes and budgets to make it possible for market-rate developers to build the housing we need within their profit goals and the parameters of state mandates.
5 | Develop ongoing dedicated revenue streams to support housing development and preservation long term.
Governance
1 | Complete six-month Staff recommendations for Phase One Planning as approved by Council in September.
2 | Hire City Manager with equal amounts of experience and vision.
3 | Review and refine General Plan, Housing Element and City Codes to achieve our specific local goals while meeting compliance mandates.
4 | Continue to invest in high-caliber people and technology and in the Human Resource and Internet Technology disciplines needed to assure good hiring, training and retention.
5 | Utilize Volunteer Community Committees to work with staff on specific subjects (i.e. Finance Committee, Water Committee, etc.).
Economic Development
1 | Move at least one hotel into construction mode.
2 | Determine how public and private land allocation can best serve us economically in the long term.
3 | Develop a strategy for mixed-used developments (retail and housing) near the core business district.
4 | Embrace tourism revenue in ways that are advantageous to our resident population.
5 | Investigate wine and tourist adjacent business opportunities that could boost local revenues and generate
Infrastructure
1 | Figure out the dam water issues!
2 | Complete current CIP plan to close deferred maintenance issues and keep our systems in good repair.
3 | Establish a public works knowledge base and deeper execution plan that provides accurate information and survives staff transition.
4 | Coordinate with Calistoga, the County and others to achieve efficiencies and economies of scale where feasible.
5 | Create a plan for infrastructure, circulation and community amenities that can serve the future population goals of the strategic plan.