EVLYN ANDRADE-HEYMSFIELD
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
EVLYN ANDRADE-HEYMSFIELD
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
We need to protect Santee from overdevelopment and increased traffic congestion. Santee’s open spaces add value to our city and provide a unique scenic setting lost elsewhere in the region. I oppose the massive Fanita Ranch development for this and public safety reasons. We know residential development doesn’t pay for itself, so we need to slow it down and focus on revenue-producing projects that enhance our quality of life. Let’s invite Trader Joe’s to Santee, get a new library, build a community center and a movie theater. Let’s keep our parks and recreation second to none!
What do you believe the primary responsibility is of a city council member?
The primary responsibility of a City Council member is to represent the people of Santee. Making land-use and infrastructure decisions are an important responsibility of the City Council and residents rely on their elected officials to work on their behalf to make decisions based on facts that consider the voice of the people, business needs and environmental impact, among other factors. I want to put the needs of our residents first when decisions are made and do what is best for our city and quality of life.
What do you most hope to accomplish if elected to represent your district?
I want to put a check on out of control development and alleviate traffic congestion as much as possible. Let’s establish Community Choice Energy (CCE) to provide cleaner power at lower rates for our residents and break the SDG&E monopoly. Most importantly, let’s protect and enhance our quality of life.
RONN HALL
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
Traffic is clearly one of the main concerns of Santee residents. If you’ve sat on the 52 at rush hour you are convinced! The Mayor, Council and I have formed the Highway 52 Coalition because this issue is truly regional. Let’s all work with them to solve this to get a ‘Real Fix to the 52.’
What do you believe the primary responsibility is of a city council member?
The primary responsibility of a city council member is policy-making.
What do you most hope to accomplish if elected to represent your district?
I try to look at what benefits the entire city. A big request in 2014 was a movie theatre. Our council was able to accomplish this. I’d like to work to bring in a new grocery store, continue to repair infrastructure, finish digitizing our building services department, work on traffic light optimization making streets safer, continuing to fund proper equipment for public safety and help bring business entertainment district to Town Center with highlights Karl Strauss and Movie Studio Grill.
RUDY REYES
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
In my community of Santee the most pressing issues are the failing budget of the city regarding infrastructure or traffic and current council not listening to the citizens.
What do you believe the primary responsibility is of a city council member?
Although a council is responsible for making various governmental decisions, their primary responsibility is to listen to the will of their constituents.
What do you most hope to accomplish if elected to represent your district?
If elected to represent my district in Santee, I would like to help Santee find fiscal sustainability and return the voice of the people to Santee council.
ZACK GIANINO
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
San Diego Gas and Electric and Padre Dam have been gouging our community for far too long. Rising energy and water rates are severely hurting our fixed income seniors and working families. Let’s establish competition to SDG&E with Community Choice Energy that provides cleaner power at lower rates.
I oppose a massive development on Fanita Ranch that requires over 30,000 new vehicle trips per day to use existing streets. That would elevate fire risk and bring complete insanity to all commuters.
What do you believe the primary responsibility is of a city council member?
The public interest, including public safety and protecting Santee’s quality-of-life must be the highest priority for a city council member. The City Council’s responsibility is to make local land-use decisions that benefit all residents, decisions that are not heavily influenced by campaign contributions and rubber-stamped.
What do you most hope to accomplish if elected to represent your district?
We need to establish competition with SDG&E. I want to establish greater transparency by ‘livestream’ internet broadcasting of city council meetings. I plan to hold regular Santee/District 3 town halls, not just to inform my constituents, but also to pull from the incredible ideas that Santee residents have to offer. I plan to address our traffic challenges with the best technology available and work cooperatively for solutions to regional traffic impacts to our community. Most importantly, I plan to place local residents before out-of-town developers in our development process.
LAURA KOVAL
What do you think are the most pressing issues in your community?
I am running for Santee City Council District 3 because I have 30 years of executive leadership experience and am qualified to help resolve the city’s looming budget shortfalls, estimated to reach almost $7 million in the next five years.
I am a proven problem-solver and I know I can help.
While a hot button topic in Santee is the Fanita Ranch development, I feel the development has been used to divert the conversation away from what really matters: next year’s budget deficit. I hope voters understand that no decision will be made on Fanita Ranch during this two-year term.
What do you believe the primary responsibility is of a city council member?
I create and manage budgets that generate revenue, provide jobs, reinvest in Santee and implement change.
What do you most hope to accomplish if elected to represent your district?
Also important to me is to be a voice for seniors. I have spent a lot of time listening to our seniors and will be a strong and persuasive voice for them when I am on council. Their transportation concerns center around things like getting to and from doctor’s appointment, social outings and the store.
Santee is impacted by the 73 percent of the 200,000 living in East County commuting outside the area to work. Any solution to balance housing needs, traffic and environmental concerns should have a regional view. If Santee is the only community trying to resolve these issues, nothing will change. One way to reduce traffic and pollution is to create high wage jobs in Santee in order to produce counter flow traffic during rush hour.
Lynda Marrokal and Rob McNelis were reached for comment and did not respond.
