HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/12/1999, 3 - 1999-2001 FINANCIAL PLAN SUGGESTED CITY GOALS RESULTS OF COMMUNITY BUDGET BULLETIN SURVEY (2)1999 -01 Financial Plan
Suggested City Goals
RESULTS OF COMMUNITY BUDGET BULLETIN SURVEY
BACKGROUND
We inserted a "community budget bulletin" in our utility bills from November to December of
1998 informing our customers about the City's goal - setting process, the community forum on
January 12, and the goal- setting workshop on January 30. (The bulletin is provided in Section 9
of this workbook on page 9-47 of this notebook.)
As outlined in Section 9, this was just one of many actions we have taken to encourage
community participation in the goal- setting process.
In addition to encouraging participation in these workshops, this bulletin asked our customers to
share with us what they believed are the most 3 -5 most important things for the City to do over
the next two years.
SURVEY PARTICIPATION
Participation in this survey has been very high:
• As of December 1998, about 10,000 of 13,500 customers received this bulletin. (Due to our
bimonthly billing cycle, it was not possible to reach all of our customers by January 12,
1998.)
• By January 5, 1999, we received 382 replies. This response is especially notable since this
was an "open - ended" survey instrument (it did not provide pre-determined "check -off'
answers), so it required extra thought and effort on the part of respondents to complete the
survey.
SURVEY RESULTS
A Caveat —Not a Scientific Survey
It is important to stress that this is not a "scientific survey," and great caution should be used in
interpreting the results. Nonetheless, we believe the results are usef it —especially when viewed
in conjunction with the other forms of feedback the Council will receive in this process —in -
gaining additional insight into the concerns of our community.
But There Are "Themes"
We have transcribed all 382 responses and included them in this section of the workbook. Since
these are "open- ended" responses, it is not possible to provide a simple, analytical summary of
the results. Nonetheless, clear themes emerged.
The following is a summary of the top "themes," presented in order of the most common
responses:
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Results of Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 2
Q.,w q of Tnn "Tbomo" Ao_cnnnco_c lout Of 382 Resnondents)
Tlieme
•
Maintainh-epair sheets
Responses
93
•
Limiticontrol/stop growth
77
•
Preserve open space
76
•
Develop long -term water supply
61
•
`Big box," discount shopping opportunities:
t Discourage them
t Encourage them
49
46
•
Reduce/mitigate traffic
40
•
Improve recreational opportunities for youth (includes parks and sports fields)
40
•
Reducelcontain water and sewer fees
40
•
Develop more downtown parking
39
•
Protect/enhance downtown
37
•
Address student housing impacts in neighborhoods/build more housing on campus
31
•
Improve public safety (police, fire, paramedic)
30
•
Maintain/develop more bikeways
28
•
Annex the airport area
25
•
Maintain/improve public transportation
23
•
Revitalize the Central Coast Mall
22
•
Maintain/improve homeless services
22
•
Improve the business enviromment/enhance employment opportunities
18
•
Encourage affordable housing
14
•
Prevent the County from approving development on our borders
12
•
Reducelcontain taxes
12
•
Ensure the City is "Year 2000" compliant
12
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 7
1. We need more patrolling of our heavily traveled city streets —Broad, Tank Farm, Johnson, Los Osos
Valley Road. There are too many cars traveling at 50 -60-70 and up on these streets. Patrol more and
give tickets. Tank Farm is a hazardous road and there is very little patrol activity.
1. Traffic flow and parking.
2. Train problems on Orcutt Road.
3. Parking spots in new construction too small. Staples, as an example, is very poor.
1. Preserve natural streets, land, creeks, etc.
2. Do not expand shopping malls. Use all empty stores.
1. No urban sprawl. Limit new shopping centers. Instead reinvent, refurbish existing shopping areas.
Keep downtown viable, beautiful.
2. Protect the environment in our area. Protect farmland from development (other than ag related).
Continue to maintain, expand, "green" space.
3. Work with the County to achieve the above two goals.
4. Plan environmentally sound and attractive low to mid- income housing.
5. Traffic is becoming more congested all over the City. Focus attention on it and work out a plan to
alleviate some of the problems.
1. Get the automatic payment for water /sewer activated.
1. Expand greenbelt around city aggressively.
2. Stop County Board of Supervisors from permitting big box stores on the periphery of SLO City
limits.
3. Develop and implement a plan for mass transit system to serve junior and high school students so
that private cars are used minimally.
4. Change street tree planting policies to favor native species rather than "designer type" trees.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 8
5. Implement a program for sidewalk safety for pedestrians similar to the weed abatement program.
Notify homeowners of low- hanging shrubs or over-crowded sidewalks so that pedestrians don't have
to duck or jump over plants growing into the right -of -way.
6. Reduce speed limit on Johnson Avenue and enforce it.
7. Create median strip (planted) on parts of South Broad to give pedestrians a safe area to stand and to
visually break the mass effect of the asphalt.
1. Develop a new recreation center with activities such as ice skating. There are some excellent
opportunities to build a ice arena
2. Acquire more open space for parks and make the pedestrian/bike path a priority and a reality.
3. Have stricter building codes for high density housing developers.
4. Enforce no housing to be built on visible hills such as Islay Hill. The hill will forever change and the
environment and uniqueness of SLO will suffer.
1. The city should have a plan to handle water, sewer, and electrical needs in case Y2K becomes a
major problem.
2. More downtown parking; stop putting meters on the streets.
3. Implement a plan to rebuild the Central Coast Mall.
4. Permit development of property for Eagle Hardware.
1. Resurface highly traveled roads such as Tank Farm. Make Tank Farm a four- lane/2 on each side
road.
2. Increase the tax base (business) by allowing retailers like Target, Circuit City, etc., to be established
in the City.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 12
1. Development of more water sources.
2. Until more new water has been received by the city, no new building should be allowed.
3. Regardless of how much less water we use today than in some other year, we do not have nay new
water since the year of the drought Saving of water by conservation is not the same as new water.
4. Droughts will recta. Do not allow new development until new sources of water are a reality.
1. To keep the downtown viable and not allow uncontrolled growth or strip malls.
2. To keep the greenbelt process going.
3. To find a way to support completely all special events such as Mardi Gras and the Criterion.
4. To support the arts.
5. To encourage Cal Poly to build more on- campus housing.
1. Keeping growth to a minimum.
2. Keepftw mize growth within city limits. Avoid "sprawl" by utilizing space within city limits.
3. Continue to cooperate with environmental groups to preserve green space. Buy up land which would
otherwise get developed.
4. Continue to develop plans for alternative transportation. Too many cars, too few parking spaces. I
bicycle.to work every day and it's getting pretty busy out there.
5. Cooperate with neighborhoods to develop small, localized parks. Helps preserve open space and
develop a sense of community among neighbors.
1. Repair city streets so they are smooth and do not damage our cars.
2. Make sure we have plenty of city water. Recycle water for use as water for our gardens.
3. Get a better cable TV company or encourage other cable companies to come into the city.
4. Because traffic has become much heavier and faster, more city police needed to patrol traffic.
5. More parking spaces. Encourage people to use the bus system at reasonable rates.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 14
1. Reach agreement with County Board of Supervisors regarding decisions on use of lands bounding
SLO city limits, avoiding future conflict like that over Froom Ranch, maybe through impartial land
use expert as advisor — like planner brought in by County to help in Oceano?
2. Develop a more comprehensive plan for city growth using overall suggestions in `viewpoint" article
by Ira Winn on 10/31/98 in Telegram- Tribune. He may be impractical in some details, but his basic
ideas are correct.
3. Regarding economic development, be selective; look for high value, low impact companies, like
Austin, TX City Council's pledge to allow no tax breaks to attract new companies.
1. Parking — every time I go downtown I see parking meters and the metered area keeps growing. It
feels like I'm paying twice for each space. Dump the meters. Expand the garage.
2. City much be sure utility service is Y2K proof. City should also have contingency plans to provide
H2O and sewer service.
3. Have special locations where citizens can go to fill water containers if no water service is available.
4. Place to dump port-a- potties is no sewer service is available.
5. Enhanced neighborhood water programs if major power outages.
6. Street lights totally inadequate in my neighborhood (Laguna Lake — Atascadero Street). Improve
lighting to promote walking to stores.
7. Long -term. H2O supply.
1. A moratorium on business and residential growth
2. Turn the old Von's store on Broad into a modem and roomy senior citizens center.
3. Establish more greenbelt zones.
4. Tum Higuera into a pedestrian zone only.
5. Make bile paths truly bike paths, not just wider shoulders of some streets, like Tank Farm Road.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 16
1. More police on patrol. All four fire stations staffed with minimum of three personnel.
2. Better street surfaces. Too many rough areas and patches.
3. A larger tax base to pay for the above improvements (i.e., encourage business to come to SLo
instead of North or South County.
1. Parts of Higuera and Marsh Streets should be designated as pedestrian only (and that area should
receive "beautification').
2. Promote greater use of public transportation to the downtown area.
3. Traffic in this town has become unbearable with rude and dangerous drivers. Greater reliance on
electronic monitoring will pay for itself with fines and control red light runners and speeders.
4. Tough another parldng structure will not promote greater use of public transportation, our City's
growth to date already requires one.
5. Though population growth must become a national priority, in order to prevent congestion and other
ills of population density, as a City we can best limit growth. We are already overgrown.
1. Sport playing fields for our kids. My daughter is now in high school and this was promised when
she was four.
2. Planned growth. We don't need big box stores. I enjoy shopping with local retailers. This is what
makes the City unique.
3. Water — during the drought the price went up to make people conserve. Haven't seen the price come
back down. Why? .
4. Although it will not happen, I would like to see Garden Street (between Higuera and Marsh) closed
to traffic. I think this could really add to downtown. Look what the Downtown Center did.
1. Silence the noise at the Graduate bar at 1:45 am closing time, Industrial Way and Sacramento
adjacent to residential area on Bougainvillea The Graduate patrons have a long history of public
disturbance. The presence of a police car at closing time would have a great calming effect.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 22
1. Maintain small, quaint lifestyle.
2. Keep traffic slow. It makes you slow down, like it or not.
3. Clean up "traffic confusion" areas, Le, Madonna Road or post information. Street traffic should be
in far right lane."
4. Keep and enforce noise restriction to encourage residency and employment in SLO.
5. Enhance pedestrian use in downtown.
1. Take a more expansive view of business and shopping development than in the past and achieve
some balance between competing ideas.
2. Provide ample parking facilities in and around the City center.
3. Provide an organization paving maintenance and renewal program.
4. Attempt to solve long -term water needs.
1. Some decent street lights. These we have are so dim. The town is so dark at night many hate to
walk the streets. I've prayed for decent street lights for years. Let's have them. These we have are a
disgrace.
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1. Homeless — can we clean up the streets? I'm tired of cleaning up someone's alcohol containers,
having to constantly say no to their requests for money. I understand some people feel we need to
take care of them, can we not have them work for their free meals (e.g., empty garbage for one hour
a day to get three meals, sweep, clean highways, etc.). I think we (SLO) are becoming a magnet for
they type of person and once they are here we are powerless to hold them to the same standard of
conduct that the rest of the hardworking, tax- paying citizens of SLO adhere to.
2. Big box — please preserve the "SLO life". Can't we decide as a city how large a retail building can
be or are we going to bend over for big corporations or other money hungry individuals who have no
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 24
1. Water rights.
2. Try to reduce city taxes by permitting some big business into our area for more sales tax.
3. Expand airport to permit residents easier access to fly out of SLO.
1. Please keep SLO small town. Slow growth.
2. Traffic is becoming a major problem as well as parking. Tank Farm Road is like a freeway.
3. Police protection/crime.
1. Drainage on Wisteria lane
2. Control over pets; cats destroying all landscaping and vegetation in backyard and front -yard. Dog
waste on sidewalk.
1. Keep growth under control. Tax increase for more than two kids.
2. Fix streets.
3. Improve schools.
4. Make use of our old Mall before you allows another one.
5. Keep growth under control.
1. Police: Make them more visible. Increase cruiser budget.
2. Bicycle riders ignore traffic signs. Enforce the law.
1. Boutiques and Approve a so- called box store. Except for groceries, I shop out of town.
2. Restaurants are fine, but we need more stores for basic everyday needs.
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Responses to community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 27
1. Secure as much open space as possible to preserve the natural beauty of our city.
2. Encourage bicycling and use of public transportation.
3. No more parking garages in the downtown area.
4. Keep the library open as many hours as possible.
5. Assist downtown businesses in effort to maintain original buildings (i.e., retrofitting).
1. Water provisions in SLO.
2. Saving downtown viability.
3. preserving ag land surrounding SLO.
1. Put some kind of restraint on the uncontrolled suburbia and mega-industrial development on the
south end of town. Preserve this community's quality of lie and small town nature. Preserve the
beautiful downtown before the urban scrawl connects us to Santa Maria, Santa Maria to Santa
Barbara, Santa Barbara to Ventura, etc. When is it going to end? Let's make SLO the only place
from Tijuana to San Francisco that doesn't have a Wal -Mart. No Eagle Hardware. No Target. Tank
Farm Road looks like a war zone. I'm embarrassed when I tell friends I live on the south end of
town.
1. Repair and maintain our streets.
2. Provide good fire and police services. We could go broke on the numerous Public Works projects
being considered.
3. Keep costs to residences low enough so they can afford to continue to live in SLO.
4. We can't afford everything we would like to do. Say no occasionally.
5. Live within our water supply.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 28
1. Diligently strive in a cooperative manner to bring an adequate water supply to the city that will
accommodate the projected growth pattern.
2. Resurface the streets, particularly California Boulevard, so they can remain half way smooth.
Existing conditions are ridiculous and embarrassing.
3. Continue with downtown parking concept. Downtown is neat and will continue to be better with
adequate parking on the agenda
4. While Eagle Hardware is a sore spot for some, it would also fill a void in this area of competition.
We need this type of facility.
5. Glad to see Ken Schwartz on the Council. The Council is also doing a good job. Only wish we
could expedite decisions more rapidly. Fix the streets. Bicycles are not the answer.
1. Keep business in SLO (i.e., building larger stores — Target, Costco, etc. Relax and let the larger
developments into the city. I don't even shop in downtown SLO. No parking; no choices. Bike
lanes are a pain and dangerous. I shop in Santa Maria.
2. Allow affordable housing, not low- income, just affordable for the middle - -class income folks.
3. Get rid of the bike lanes downtown. They make traffic congestion worse.
4. Make it easier for business to open and permits to be issued at a lesser cost. There are too many
rules and regulations in order to pen a business or build or get permits.
5. Lower the water /sewer rates. Water rates were raised when we have the drought Now we have
water and we're still paying way too much.
6. Get competitive garbage and cable services. Both services are terrible and don't care about their
customers.
1. SLO needs some decent stores. It's a long drive to Santa Maria, Atascadero or Paso Robles, but we
do it because there is nothing in SLO. Foods4-Less was the greatest store to come into SLO in the
last few years. There are times that we spend up to $500 a month in Santa Maria, Atascadero or
Paso Robles. SLO is losing money.
2. Downtown SLO is a complete was of time for people that live in SLO. It is a tourist trap only.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 30
3. Appearance of rentals to students is awful. Try to remedy this. Make landlords responsible.
4. Do not expand mall area into prime farmland — Dalidio property.
5. Lucky/Rite Aid shopping area needs help. Too many vacant stores.
1. Keep out big box stores.
2. Make it a part of city policy to build affordable housing.
3. Scale back Farmers' market. It's so big, it's out of control and attracts the wrong kind of crowds.
4. Extend the route of downtown trolleys (e.g., to the Foothill area). I would be willing to pay to ride
on it.
5. Be vigilant about removing all graffiti, not only downtown.
6. Better enforcement of safe housing codes.
1. To see that we have uninterrupted water flow in the year 2000 and beyond.
2. To see that we have uninterrupted access to electric and gas power in the years 2000 and beyond.
3. To control costs and lower city taxes.
4. Crack down hard on gang activity via encouraging curfews, school education regarding drugs, no
loitering, after school activities.
5. See that our taxes are used primarily for protecting the citizens. Enlarge our police force. Eliminate
city `paper pushers ". They excel in private business. Our government needs to control costs and
stop the waste of tax money. This is crucial.
1. Re- evaluate your micro- management of home construction in the city.
2. Do abetter job of fixing city streets (potholes, etc. in residential areas).
3. Beyond the extension of the present Marsh parking lot, build another to the west -end of the city.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 32
1. Repave our streets.
2. Provide favorable environment for businesses so that they won't move to other larger cities.
1. With a new culvert under the freeway and a new culvert under Center Street, the A.nhohn track is no
longer in a flood zone. Can that be eliminated?
1. Control growth. Don't let SLO become another Fresno or Bakersfield.
2. Maintain the quality of life. Control the urge to commercialize.
3. Continue to revitalize downtown. It's a special place. Keep it that way.
4. Stop the airport expansion. We don't need larger airplanes flying over our town.
5. Keep the greenbelt process moving forward, it is important to our future.
1. Economic development with an eye to the future. Make SLO competitive in today's marketplace.
2. Affordable housing. Not subsidized housing, but homes that middle class families can purchase.
3. Maintenance of our roads. This project has just begun but there's more to do.
4. Water, water, water. Let's get a final water program going for the future of our community.
5. Water should not be used as a method of growth control. We need to provide a water program for
fimae generations.
Keep SLO as much as sensible/reasonable as it has been, i.e., a unique, uncomplicated town.
Meaning: No huge expansion within City limits.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 33
Do not allow large animal farmingtranching in our sector (such as proposed hog raising on Los Osos
Valley Road).
3. This City needs to encourage a hardware outlet where "Coast to Coast" used to be near Cal Poly.
Assessable area at University Square/Foothill.
4. We can't afford to see Cal Poly expand more and create larger student bodies. Athletic fields okay,
but keep Cal Poly as is in size of people.
5. Keep present open spaces such as Bishop's Peak area Encourage nature, especially birds for which
we are famous, but most preserve.
1. Find and develop new water supplies.
2. Annexation of airport area.
3. Continue to improve roads and other infrastructure.
1. One of the most important things for me and my neighbors is to have the city bus again run on
Chorro. With limited driving, that surely would help.
2. Please let me know what help we can expect from the City when we're sick.
3. It would help if our water bill was lowered in the summer.
1. Resurface major city roads, including clearly marked bike lanes.
2. Further development of the downtown area, including more walkways and fewer cars on Higuera
and Marsh Streets.
3. Continue allocation of land as open space preserves.
4. A conservative approach to growth and chain stores in order to maintain town's renowned charm and
tourism.
5. Avoid big box stores and new store construction. Revamp Madonna Plaza first (Central Coast Mall
is already on it's way).
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 34
1. More parking downtown.
2. More teen recreation activities.
1. Secure a permanent supply of additional water, preferably from Nacimiento. Fight North County for
it in court, if necessary.
2. Annex Cal Poly.
3. Help Cal Poly building additional dorms on campus.
4. Buy additional green space around the City so as to expand the City's greenbelt.
5. Keep reasonable controls on growth by keeping it planned growth, not haphazard growth.
1. Establish rent control.
2. Not to install a satellite surveillance system with using the light poles that the City paid to have
located on the satellite system (GIS).
3. Help Planned Parenthood to reduce their fees and/or eliminate them.
1. water
2. Parks
3. Affordable Housing
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1. Help homeless people by supporting the Prado Day Center.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 36
1. Work on street repair. Take a look at the curb and gutter on Couper Drive.
1. Bring in more jobs to the county. In particular, large companies which pay well.
2. Allowing larger stores/chains to locate in SLO. In particular, Costco, Wal -Mart, etc.
3. Rebuild roads on our city streets and outer county roads.
4. Work to restore relations with Cal Poly and trade resources with them.
5. Work with companies in the area to trade resourcesibuild better relations with them.
1. Fill in potholes on much - traveled streets such as Los Osos Valley Rod. On next survey ask if given
streets used most by citizens needs repairs, such as street where residence is or goes to work on.
2. Need a comprehensive computer superstore such as Frys', Comp USA, etc., so locals don't have to
leave SLO to purchase such equipment. Staples is not enough.
3. More public art venues.
1. Develop low- income housing.
2. Develop mid- income housing.
3. Continue free bus service for Poly students.
4. Negotiate in good faith with the Fire Department and abide by the contractual articles you already
agreed to rather than place them in a "side letter."
1. Block Madonna's development on SLO's border. It should be brought under City control.
2. Move to annex more surrounding land to preclude further County meddling.
3. Quit dragging feet and make annexations a priority.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 39
. Put more water on line so our bills can be reduced. It's way too expensive for water.
2. Add downtown parldng.
3. Do something with the Ghost Central Coast Mall.
4. Continue to improve our parks. One at the southend of town (Higuera area, Food- 4-Less area)
would be good.
5. We've lived here 22 years and love our area Please keep up the good work. We're please with the
planning efforts of the past and look forward to them in the future.
1. I'd like to see a Costco (not necessarily other big box stores, but specifically a Costco) so we don't
lose all that sales tax revenue to Santa Barbara County.
2. A legalized dog park.
1. Work toward allowing major store chains (Wal -Mart, etc.) to come into SLO. The taxes collected
could be tremendous.
2. Stop bleeding the SLO residents of outrageous utility (garbage, water, sewage) charges.
Implementing #1 would go a long way in relief.
3. Stop penalizing the Cal Poly community. Restricted parking near CP campus. Those "no parking"
spaces sit empty.. Cal Poly is the life blood of SLO. Appreciate the students and reward them-
4. Relating also to #2, the charges the City collects for building permits is criminal. No wonder there is
so much boot leg residence upgrades.
5. Keep seeking input such as this questionnaire. But, more important, listen and respond on trying to
make SLO the most caring and quality city in California
1. Continue acquisition of open space before it disappears. Continue informal dog park in Laguna,
maybe formalize, at lease don't cite unless a major complaint.
2. Protect sources of water but don't add enough for mega - development. But prepare for drought and
maintain safety and quality.
3. Work to get jet capability and ground transportation to Paso, so revenue is still in county, but don't
expand SLO airport I hear the engines at night all the way to Foothill. Paso close enough and
wants it.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 40
4. Creek habitat protection and enhancement. One of our best resources.
5. Save and enhance downtown. Rework Madonna Plaza before adding big box stores (hopefully
never). Leave Dalidio in ag. Gateway to our town. We have enough stores and stuff, but not
enough places to just walk and think.
1. Pursue frequent (every 15 minutes) trolley rims from various outlying areas to downtown, Madonna
and Marigold. Get us out of our cars.
2. Keep SLO on a "human" scale not an "auto" scale. Don't widen streets. Work with Cal Poly and
Regional Planning Dept. on ways to maintain quality of life.
3. Purchase as much open space greenbelt as possible.
4. Work with Cal Poly on housing solutions to get students out of single - family neighborhoods.
5. Require homeowners, particularly of rentals, to maintain yards and outside appearance of homes.
1. Reduce the pressures increasing density downtown.
2. Full-time enforcement of home appearance violations (couches in yards, parking on unimproved
yard areas, trash, junk).
3. Underground placement of downtown phone lines/power lines.
4. Defeat Eagle Hardware project.
5. Purchase greenbelt.
1. Traffic Flow. This city's infrastructure is inadequate for the number of people who are flocking to
this area. Streets and roads are more like a 3'd County's thoroughfare ... pot holes, etc.
2. Get the "feel goods" out of decision making positions. Fee sightseeing buses okay in paradise but
with `paradise lost", as SLO is becoming, they only clutter up the main traffic arteries.
3. Rethink the bicycle lanes you've carved out of the main streets. Just one of you go count the number
of users of said lanes. They simply don't justify the square feet allocated for their exclusive use.
Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 42
1. Improve streets in City.
2. Dump parldng structure.
3. Take care of residents of city.
4. Quit catering only to business owners.
5. Approve big boxes. First impression of City on 101 is sewer farm. Big boxes give better
impression.
1. Homeless housing. Emergency facilities for wintertime.
2. Homeless feeding Assist Peoples' Kitchen.
3. Expansion of SLO Shelter.
4. Survival bundles for homeless.
5. Organize city and church facilities to deal constructively with Y2K problems next fall.
1. Fix streets.
2. Stop inviting homeless into our community.
3. Get rid of biilce lanes where they are not connected.
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1. Reduce sewer and water rates so residents will maintain their landscaping. Before water rationing
and the increased water rates, to make up for lost revenue, the yards in the older parts of town were
more attractive. After water rationing, no one put them back in order because of the cost. Just look
around town It's so sad.
3 -Ny
Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 43
1. I'm not interested in living in a place like Santa Maria. Continue to update/preserve the
general/master plan and prevent big box stores, i.e., OSH (Madonna), from defacing our city.
Renovate/reuse what's already been used or is outdated. Put OSH in old Williams Bros.Nons.
2. Fix the roads, e.g., Broad Street between South and I iguera. Cheap chip seal sucks.
3. Learn from other "model city" governments and examples.
4. Keep the library open longer.
5. Public city issues/goals.
1. Saving neighborhoods. Students are important, and we are happy we have them, but their yards
should be monitored and zoning laws should not be changed for developers to put student housing in
quiet neighborhoods.
2. Why is someone who lives along paying the same sewer bill as a house with four or six Poly
students.
1. Acquisition of open space.
2. Opposing big -box stores.
3. Refiaining from building additional parking lots in the downtown.
1. Traffic control on Broad between South Street and Orcutt from speeders, including UPS trucks.
2. Repair black top once and for all on Broad and High Streets.
3. Limit commercial 18 wheelers traffic to 6 am. to 8 p.m. Staples, Rainbow, Producer's, Von's, and
UPS run up to 11 p.m. along our residential homes here on Broad Street.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 44
4. I've called the garbage company a couple of times because their drivers are always honking„ but
they still honk. Can you stop them?
5. Remove trees and brush from street for a clear view for visitors. Replace missing street name signs
and by law add street name signs on street signal signs.
1. Keep improving downtown retail area
2. Limit number of liquor/bars downtown.
3. Trim trees that are downtown.
Maintain our streets under better supervision. The crack - sealing machine should be running 24
hours a day. And you should kill weeks in cracks first because they just come back through and
cause the water to undermine the asphalt.
1. Improve business climate.
2. Allow for growth.
3. Cities are like trees. When they stop growing they start dying.
1. Supply of water during our next drought.
2. Reliable water for the coming drought.
3. Nacimiento water.
4. Enlarge Santa Margarita Dam/reservoir.
5. More water available so my landscaping won't die during next drought.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 45
1. Strictly adhere to our no water, no growth policy. No, "just outside city limits" developments to
bypass this issue.
2. Take great care in keeping business growth compatible with neighborhood quality of living.
3. Maintain the historic mission city atmosphere of SLO.
4. No box mall developments.
5. Please protect the beautiful environment we have here. Dare to do the right thing for our future
please.
1. Encourage projects for young people in the area plus self -help programs for them.
2. Low income housing.
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1. Prevent commercial sprawl along Highway 101 corridor.
2. Do not allow Daldio project to proceed. Rather, work to redesign/rebuild Madonna Plaza and the
existing Mall.
3. Develop a coherent vision for the lower Higuera area and devise an incentive program for owners to
implement it
4. Stick to the City's General Plan Avoid minor annexations.
5. Develop a code of ethics for the Planning Commission to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest
regarding real estate development
6. Purchase more open space around the City's edge.
7. Put fax and e-mail address of City Hall on official stationery.
1. The parldng. During events such as a parade, there is absolutely no place to park (garage is blocked
off?).
2. Crack down on yellow /red light runners. At most signals downtown, there is a dangerous problem.
3. Affordable housing.
Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 47
12. Preparing for possible service disruptions due to Y2K problems.
13. Communicating to the public possible implications of Y2K failures on service.
14. Providing plans/forums to let the community know about how `eve" can work together to live
through, have enough water during possible Y2K crisis.
15. Send out a newsletter informing community of Y2K compliance and questions your operation has
concerning Y2K-
16. Be honest and direct We can all work together around possible Y2K scenarios.
1. Keep crime out of the City.
2. Continue with lots of good alternatives for youth so that their energy is channeled for positive
purposes.
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1. Ensure water supply.
2. Abide by voters wishes and close General Hospital.
3. Keep growth moderate to slow.
1. Stop the growth of shopping centers and malls. We already have more merchandise than we can
buy.
2. Do not enlarge the airport. Anyone can drive to Paso Robles or Santa Maria to go on larger flights.
3. Do not allow Eagle Hardware type store. We can go to close -by areas for those stores.
4. Keep housing starts to a planned minimum so we do not have urban sprawl around us.
5. "Cnandfather out" billboards on approaches to City from the north and south. Ours is a city that
relies on its beauty for survival.
3 "11
Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 48
1. Repair our streets.
2. Stop sprawl (ex., Eagle Hardware).
3. Central Coast Mall is a ghost town. Add tenants that will be shopped at, even "box" stores.
4. Increase student housing on Cal Poly land.
5. Increase parking at edges of downtown. Not all in the middle. Congestion too great.
1. The City's employees are one of its most important assets. Your goal should be to treat them with
respect and negotiate their contracts fairly and with their interests in mind
2. Annex the airport area Quit stalling and get it done.
3. Annex the "Eagle Hardware" property now. By doing this, the City can have a say in the total
development, rather than inheriting it.
4. Continue the excellent street repairs you've started. Good work.
5. Promote and support more housing developments but don't go overboard on low- income housing.
We need nice, big houses, too.
1. Repair streets, especially the streets carrying the most traffic.
2. Establish "off lease" park for dogs/dog owners.
3. Purchasetretain open space adjacent to city limits.
4. Extend library hours.
5. Require bicycles to be licensed. Mandate lights/reflectors on bikes.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 50
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1. The city should work on its long -term fiscal health and stability by insuring adequate sales and
transient occupancy taxes to the City, pursing retail growth within City limits before it loses its
position as the most important retail center in the County.
1. Keep Alex Madonna from messing up this town any more than he already has.
1. Preserve open space around city. To maintain character of SLO and prevent permanent loss of our
unique setting as population increases.
2. Encourage efforts to maintain downtown area as a small- scale, pedestrian - friendly attraction.
3. Association with #2, don't permit big box influx. With increased consumers use of mail and Internet
for retail purchases, they will become dinosaurs.
4. Focus on neighborhood preservation via increased staff for police patrols of noise and traffic
violations; enforcement of ordinances covering inoperative vehicles, unsightly furniture in front, cars
on lawns, etc.
1. Preserve creeks, open space, endangered species, air quality, stop sprawl.
2. Provide more affordable housing for those who presently work here.
3. Upgrade child care and after - school recreation programs for children and teenagers.
4. Promote water conservation rather than increase supply and consumption.
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Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 51
1. Repair City streets.
2. Improve residential lighting. Numerous area are very dark.
3. Senior center needs parking. Also, some fans would help during the summer.
1. Preservation of small town feel as relevant to quality of life, i.e., no box stores in SLO City.
2. Promote and encourage alternate transportation such as bicycles and busses.
3. Work with Cal Poly to develop more student housing on or near campus.
4. SLO needs more parks! Look at all the beautiful parks that Santa Barbara has; we don't have one of
such quality.
1. Slow growth
2. Maintain the beautiful character of SLO —i.e., no big box stores! If people want such shopping, they
can move to Santa Maria!
3. We need to support locally owned businesses.
4. Encourage less drivinghraffic downtown.
5. Consider pedestrian -only for 2/4 blocks of I iguera downtown.
1. Street repair
2. Reduction of bicycle lanes. They are not being used and when they are bikes are not stopping or
following in the lane anyway.
1. Have Costco/Price Club come to town.
2. Have Toys R Us come to town.
3. Lower water rates!
Responses to Community Budget Bulletin Survey Page 52
1. Playing fields for youth.
2. Airport area annexation.
3. Water, water, water!
1. Fix the streets!
2. Get a new source of water.
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