Changing City Culture from Rules to Progress

by Councilman Scott Peters
for the La Jolla Village News
October 3, 2001

Now that I've gotten my feet wet (and a few teeth kicked) in this job, I want to share some of the things that are happening downtown that affect quality of life for La Jollans. This month, I want to offer some observations about innovations and obstacles in government.

In January, Mayor Murphy asked me to co-chair his Clean Water Task Force, to make sure that our world famous beaches are safe. This is the first effort by the City to put elected officials, environmentalists, scientists, business people and regulators in the same room to discuss water quality. Out of this innovative process come priorities and progress -- we will triple the amount of sewer pipes replaced each year, and will clean all 3,000 miles of the sewer system in the next two years. We are also developing a plan to cut down on contaminated stormwater runoff into the ocean. In these and other ways, our Task Force intends to cut sewer spills and beach closures by 50% by 2004.

There is innovation locally also. One of my first votes was to approve funding for the realignment of Fay Avenue. When combined with money from the 1998 school bond and the community's Project Splash, the road realignment will permit the construction of a new science center for La Jolla High School and an Olympic-sized pool for the school and the community. That work was finished, complete with underground power lines, in time for school. The project worked because two bureaucracies that aren't known for being creative -- the City and the School District -- decided to work together to overcome the obstacles that too often keep governments from solving problems.

We are also finally getting grass planted on the dirt fields at Torrey Pines Elementary, to improve sports fields for La Jolla's kids. The community donated money and La Jolla Youth, Inc. offered maintain the fields. Unfortunately, our City bureaucracy was not used to using private money to improve public parks on school property. I had to become personally involved in toppling the barriers the City initially thought were insurmountable. In the end, this will be a model for improving communities city wide.

Too often, however, what passes for innovation in the City administration detracts from our quality of life. I was surprised that the City staff is approving telecommunications towers in public parks, including Cliffridge, without City Council approval. At first, I figured it was just an antenna on a foul pole. I had no idea that a "cell tower" was really a 400-square foot building constructed in open park land. Selling precious park land for profit is a bad idea -- and probably illegal under the City Charter. We should just not do it. (On top of that, we've added insult to injury by selling Cliffridge Park for cheap.)

I do my best to anticipate and solve problems as they bubble up through the bureaucracy. I support community solutions to community problems, like the High School pool and the Torrey Pines fields, the beautiful plan proposed for Windansea Beach, and the expansion of our library. But to maximize the benefit we provide for our citizens, our City administration will have to change from a culture of rules and rationalizations to a culture of progress for our quality of life. In other words, we should maximize park space, not City budget revenues at the expense of park space. I work on that culture change every day and I would count its realization as my greatest accomplishment as your Councilmember.

In the future, I will update you on other citywide issues and on neighborhood issues like Ardath Road, the community plan and code enforcement. I know that La Jolla is the envy of neighborhoods Citywide and I am honored to serve and fight for you as your representative.