HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/23/2025 Item Funding Priorities, ConradKalea C.
93401
To the Councilmembers of San Luis Obispo,
I have been a resident of San Luis Obispo for 7 years now. I have received two Environmental
Sciences degrees at Cal Poly, work in the city, recreate throughout the county, and want to
contribute to envisioning and materializing the very best living conditions for the SLO community
(and county at large). I want to express my unequivocal support for Climate Action as my #1
priority for the SLO community. Given that only 31.8% of all respondents recorded Climate
Action as one of their top 5 priorities, you may be inclined to make this less of aprioritiy.
However, given the higher frequency of more extreme and less predictable weather events,
allocatiog budget to prepare for the impacts of climate change could not be more important.
These three fiscal years are arguably the most integral years in history to implement
comprehensive effective climate change mitigation measures, as the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change has once again signaled a loud alarm about the level of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere, with the monthly mean recorded at 426 ppm CO2 in early 2025
(https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/). San Luis Obispo is no stranger to intense rains and
flooding, as seen with the 2023 winter season, which devastated agriculture across the state. It
would be incredibly shortsighted to move climate action lower on the list of priorities, as there
are countless examples of climate disasters occurring throughout the state (most recently with
the LA fires), country (Hurricane Rafael, Milton, etc.), and globally. Climate action and
preparedness can only make SLO city/county more resilient; there are no drawbacks.
True sustainability requires an intersectional approach, that prioritzes environmental, social, and
economic sustainability. One must consider that every single issue item that is listed is
inextricably linked to and dependent on a stable climate. Given that the global population is
living through an unprecedented period teetering on irreversible damage to our life-sustaining
ecosystems and their services, clean air, water, and energy must be pursued with rigor unseen
before. This begins on the city and county level, especially when the federal government
chooses to ignore the excessively clear and sound science that indicates the urgency of this
decade for significant changes to energy infrastructure, carbon sequestration agricultural
adaptations, equitable districubtion of basic needs including housing, better waste management,
etc. The increasingly unstable climate is an exceedingly large warning sign that every lovel of
governance must heed. It would be ignorant and wasteful not to do so.
59.9% of total respondents listed the address of homelessness as a major priority in the city. As
mentioned previously, climate change and its array of devastating impacts are inextricably linked
to every priority item the city is pursuing. Climate-related unnatural disasters are already
increasing instances of climate displacement, as seen in the LA fires. Should displaced Los
Angeleans choose to move to the central coast, it is critical to have affordable housing.
Homelessness will never be addressed if the condition is criminalized. There must be solutions
that are comprehensive, crisis-infromed (with mental health professionals, not police), and
long-term. TMHA has many incredible programs to address homelessness sustainably. They
are a great model and deserve for funding for expanded services. Increasibng climate instability
will inevitably contribute o insecure housing for many, further validating the need to make
climate action the #1 priority.
My #2 priority is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. SLO county must continubte expanding its
DEI programs to enhance accessibloity to all community members. This includes the agricultural
community that is currently being targeted, livelihoods jeopardized, and criminalized for living on
and working the land. There must be utmost protection offered to agricultural workers, especially
now, when citizenship status is threatened greatly. Our agriculturalists are invaluable; they feed
us. There are few people that would choose to substitute themselves into that skilled hard labor
space. We need to continue uplifiting and protecting undocumented immigrants’ rights to
sanctuary spaces, and be loud in advocating for the large undocumented community that pick
our crops throughout the county.
My #3 priority is Sustainable and Multi-Modal Transportation. Recentering pedestrians in a
city space instead of cars does wonders for local business. Increasing the accessibility for
pedestrians, bikers, and public transit must remain a priority while the US energy infrastructure
attempts to pivot away form fossil fuel reliance. And the country needs all the help it can get on
this front. SLO County has the opportunity to be a leader in sustainable transportation, and
should take the opportunity to invest in clean energy infrastructure, electric buses, and stop
creatin gmore parking lots (such as the one on Nipomo).
#4 is Open Space. Inseparable from climate action and emergency response preparedness,
open space is necessary to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. These spaces have
potential to increase their carbon storage capacity, and thanks to many NGOs in SLO County,
including The Nature Conservancy, Land Conservancy SLO, Sierra Club, Eco Slo, etc, many of
these sequestration practices are already in progress. These entities can always use more
support and collaboration with the city government on community engaement with climate
action.
#5 is Fiscal Sustainability and Responsibility is absolutely critical to the success and
expansion of community empowerment and climate action programs. Considering that
“more than $68 million from the County’s general fund is going towards the Sheriff’s
Office…That’s about 23% of the general fund’s more than $295 million”
(https://www.kcbx.org/government-and-politics/2024-06-11/slo-county-sheriffs-office-will-receive-
the-most-funding-from-fiscal-budget). It is integral that the county critically assess/audit/track
this allocation and find effective metrics to assess if it is effective in enhancing public safety.
Increased militarization throughout the United States (and ever-inflated police budgets) are
proving that antiquated systems of policing do not enhance community safety, but often
introduce fear and criminalize desperate people (who instead need mental health and social
services, which police never provide in response to mental health crisis calls). A greater portion
of the total budget must be reallocated to climat exchange mitigation measures than ever
before. Reassessment of the police budget is a main and necessary avenue for funding
reallocation.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kalea