The Issues And My Intentions For La Habra As Your Councilman

Often missed by the general public are the fiscal and cognitive impacts of the professional standard demands of peace officers and their agencies throughout California. The challenges stem from proposed police reforms, passing of new legislation, and critiquing of critical incidents that after review suggest a more standardized approach would be needed to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. In just the last 5 years, several state assembly and senate bills have and are becoming mandatory for law enforcement agencies to implement that dramatically increases the responsibilities and duties of the police agency, and its officers. This includes more training, the development of a more transparent records system for peace officers who engage in misconduct, minimum standards of use-of-force polices, both restrictions and upgrading of less-lethal tools mainly to address civil unrest, increase in minimum education levels and age of peace officers, restrictions on the procurement of safety equipment, and decertification processes increasing liability exposure of officers and their agency.

The current fact is that we do need to create salaries that are competitive to other police agencies to prevent our officers from leaving after we have invested tens of thousands of dollars recruiting and training them. However while the conversation of the increase in police budget for the City of La Habra often leans towards surface level concerns of staffing and adequate pay, the items previously mentioned highlight a deeper conversation to which I am personally addressing everyday in my own law enforcement career and with police agencies across California. If the La Habra Police Department is being asked to implement all of these mandates, who pays for the technology and staffing of these new demands? What budget exist for replacements needed to cover an officer who is not patrolling because they are scheduled for training? Does La Habra PD have the infrastructure, trainers, and technology to provide “in-house” training to keep up with the new demands of the California Department of Justice, Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), and the people they serve or are they sent to outside entities, taking them away from their city they serve? What additional funds exist within the cities set budget when these new mandates become law? The answer to all of these questions is the police department is being asked to do more with the same or less administrative resources.

Public safety has been a top priority for residents, business owners and visitors of the City of La Habra. Part of that includes confidence that we have the most highly training and compliant officers possible. I bring to you a continued 23 years of experience in providing a wide range of law enforcement and public safety to communities, including nearly a decade of educating law enforcement professionals across California. I know and recognize how crucial it is to have a competitive salary and even more importantly employee satisfaction through training opportunities that demonstrate employees matter and are valued. When we have a police department where all of its employees feel psychologically and physical safe due to adequate staffing and education, employee rentention increases translating to seasoned veterans who know all aspects of the community.

It is with these thoughts in mind coupled with my personal experience of growing up in a contrasting dangerously high crime community, I will support with empathy a resilient, professional, and community oriented La Habra Police Department. This includes:

• As a former Explorer, supporting the La Habra Police Explorer Program to help promote and employee future leaders of our city to job opportunities within our city.
• Provide more professional development opportunities to officers that help them be better prepared to respond to critical incidents and build stronger relationships with the community they serve.
• Boost the morale of all personnel by listening to and support command staff in implementing strategies to address concerns of burnout and current staff shortages.

The La Habra Police Department plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety and security of our community. As first responders, they are committed to protecting residents and upholding the law with integrity and professionalism. To continue delivering high-quality services, the department relies on strong public support. This includes funding for advanced training, equipment, and community outreach programs to not become complacent and to better serve you. Public support helps ensure that officers are well-prepared to handle emergencies, foster positive relationships with residents, and address the unique challenges facing our city. By backing the police department, the community invests in a safer, more secure La Habra for all its citizens.

A responsible city government is one that anticipates the expectation of paying its fair share for fire service or at a minimum conduct contingency planning for when discounted services may no longer be discounted. The "sweet heart agreement" of discounted fire service was amended on April 4, 2006 and again on December 9, 2014, to extend the terms of agreement for an additional 10-years. It was at this time levels of fire service were already being reduced by agreement between the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the City of La Habra.  The Los Angeles County Fire Department like all other public agencies have seen operational cost increase over the years commonly due to workers compensation liability, recruitment shortfalls, and increase in the number of employees injured and on leave. Much of the shortfall of the LA County Fire Department has been supplemented by one-time revenue partly coming from the use of their own reserves while maintaining its original 20 year agreement with La Habra. A common sense approach is to see modifications to the agreement in 2014 and the increased cost of services to all public agencies across California as a harbinger of things to come triggering the need to conduct contingency planning for the new agreement that has now gone into effect June 30, 2024.

I've heard the increase in fire service be classified as a surprise to our city. But empowered with this knowledge, it should be no surprise that our city (should it choose to maintain a contract with Los Angeles County Fire) be asked to pay 100% of our share like all other contract cities.

Now that we are here, what do we do about it?

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is a world class fire department. Now that we are paying full cost, I want to ensure that we continue to support our fire fighters while too ensuring that what we pay for is readily available within our city. My personal responsibility to you, the residents, is to not ignore a 10 years in advance signs of cost increase. I will collaborate with city personnel to plan ahead for scenarios that we are seeing today with the increase in fire service. With my experience in countywide emergency and incident management, I will also network with our fire service to develop a strategic plan that ensures our fire services are not disproportionately providing fire services between our city and surrounding Los Angeles County cities that may result in delays in responses to our city needs.

A fiscally responsible city government is one that prioritizes the judicious use of taxpayer funds to ensure the long-term financial health and sustainability of the community. Should tax increases be proposed, the city government should not only be prepared to justify such necessity but also prepare a thorough and sensible strategic path to present to its constituents clearly detailing how the increase in venue will put the city back on a net positive balance. This plan should include:

• An imposed timeline (ie: 8 months) with bench marks between of when the constituents of the city should see a correction of the budget.
• An oversight committee of interested community members selected by lottery to monitor spending.
• An expiration of the sales tax so that constituents can have a say in the reevaluation of its need.

This can be described as a promise of accountability, transparency, and careful planning that can clearly show when the proposed tax measure expires, there will be no foreseen need for an extension, renewal, or additional request of a sales tax measure immediately after especially as other revenue sources are identified and increased throughout the years.

In city council meetings that I have attended where the budget is discussed, I often hear particular council members attempt to ease the minds of constituents by first stating the amount of revenue Measure T is generating. The number confusingly stated over time has been approximately 6 million or 7 million. In the most recent statement made when discussing how much the city would loose if the measure expires, the number has coincidently now become 8 million. In addition to this, particular members often compare our sales taxes to that of Whittier, a neighboring city with a sales tax of 10.25%. This is highly convenient and misleading to those who may not be aware that the City of Whittier as a city in  Los Angeles County has its own tax levels differing from Orange County cities due to other measures in place at that  counties level. If we as an Orange County city cite our neighbor to the east Brea, another Orange County city like us, we will see their sales tax is 7.75%, a sales tax lower that ours. Other neighboring Orange County cities we can include but are never mentioned by the current city council are:

• Fullerton at 7.75%
• Buena Park at 7.75%

With this knowledge, the perception is that the comparisons made by specific members of city council are made disingenuous especially when they add in between the conversation statements to imply that if we do not implement a sales tax, we are going to loose essential police, fire, and public works services. Advocating for a new or higher sales tax does not have to be this way.

A more genuine approach to gaining support for a sales tax measure...

The reality is that we as a city will always have police, fire, and public works services but the quality of that service is what suffers. Assuming our government is not entangled in corruptive spending, a more meaningful way to garner support for a sales tax or even a sales tax increase is to go beneath the surface and share how the increased revenue will improve the quality of service that we current have. As a law enforcement professional and consultant to a significant number of city governments in California, I recognize that there are state and federal mandates continually being imposed on the departments within our government. Some of these include the development of a workplace violence prevention plan, new forms of tracking employee records, OSHA safety standards, procedural regulations for procurement of equipment, and new training and education standards to name a few. These compliance requirements can not be met without additional funds and in some cases personnel. When we ask our residents to consider a new tax measure, we should be informing our constituents of the unseen challenges within our government that in some cases are asking personnel to do more with the same or less.

In March, I shared with city council my thoughts on tax increases. To repeat; while I may personally be financially stable to bare the burden of such increases, it does not mean that my fellow residents are. In exercising what is suppose to be a non-partisan approach to governing, I have and will continue to express my thoughts of a sales tax increase in a non-partisan manner as I believe my decisions will be influenced by the feedback provided by our residents and government departments most impacted; not my own personal situation. It is important that feedback is gained from residents of La Habra even before such tax increase measures are put on the ballot and well before the council calls to order a meeting to decide rather it should be put on the ballot. We have had this opportunity in surveys that were published and sent to residents of La Habra but we missed the mark in asking more genuine and deeper level questions. What was produced was a surface level priority questionnaire surveys that was disseminated in the community. Of the approximate 64,000 residents residing in La Habra, less than 500 responded. In receiving my own survey, I found the topics that we the residents were being asked to prioritized to be obviously important with the survey lacking tougher, more city accountable request for feedback such as:

• Support or opposition of renewing or increasing local sales tax measure (Measure T).
• City government providing more frequent comprehensive updates of how current efforts are helping reduce the likelihood of a renewal or additional sales tax initiatives in the city.
• Response times of non-emergency city services such as city permit approval, repairs, and traffic studies.
• How do you believe the city government has managed the city budget?
• How do you think we (the city government) can better balance the budget?
• What services do you believe the city government can enhance, eliminate, or provide to help senior citizens and retirees support their budget?
• Do you have alternative suggestions on how the city can raise revenue?

As a business owner of 8 years, I too have had to annually balance a budget to ensure the sustainability of its existence even through the worst of times. My business started as a 100% "in-person" consulting firm with all of its money generating practices consisting of filling rooms with dozens and even hundreds of people. When the COVID pandemic in 2020 came to our shores with central California reporting some of the first cases, those practices came to an immediate halt. I recall in and around March of 2000 countless calls of customers informing us of their desire to cancel our pre-scheduled services due to isolation precautions and mandates being imposed.

As the CEO of the company, I recognized a pivot needed to occur otherwise, like so many other small businesses of that time, we would be forced to shut our doors with no guarantees of returning. I made a promise that no one would would loose their job and that we would all suffer a little so that no one would have to suffer a lot. My organizational leadership skills and fiscal planning was put to the test. Application of a business loan was made and granted, our operation location was moved to in-home where I build a virtual studio to conduct virtual meetings and sessions. Personnel were educated on film production with assistance from film production experts. We got to work, creating online video content and remarketed to inform and provide virtual presentations to our clients. This caused an expansion of our services, reaching an even wider audience as we saw ourselves presenting in local community colleges, Europe and Philipsburg, Saint Maarten.

As part of our strategic budgeting response plan, cost cuts were made to marketing, travel, and vehicle maintenance. Course materials were made available online via QR code instead of on paper. A shifting of overhead cost went to technology to maintain the studio. As the firm began to see net positive revenue, a promise was made within the strategic plan to pay off a 5 year loan in 2 years. In 2022, this was accomplished. As a company who weathered the storm through strategic fiscal responsibility, the company continues to thrive post pandemic making what was once a contingency plan to stay in business, now an additional component and option of services provided to our clients.

This synopsis of personal experience demonstrates an understanding and willingness to address fiscal challenges during difficult circumstances with empathy and tenacity to thrive.

Homelessness is a critical issue affecting La Habra, with visible consequences for both individuals and the community. As a small city, recent estimates indicate that approximately 50 known people in our city are experiencing homelessness. This crisis in part underscores systemic failures in housing, mental health support, substance abuse, and economic opportunity. My life is directly impacted by the need to address homelessness as the son of an estranged father who faced years of homelessness despite his years of service and honorable discharge in the United States Army during the Vietnam era.

Homeless individuals face extreme vulnerability, often struggling with inadequate access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and medical care. This exacerbates existing health issues and hinders efforts to secure stable housing and employment. The visible presence of homelessness in public spaces impacts the quality of life for all residents, leading to increased safety concerns and a strained social fabric.

The United States Supreme Court on June 28th, 2024 has upheld a cities right to ban sleeping and camping in public spaces, including sidewalks, streets, and city parks. This decision can be very helpful to not just public safety but to preventing homeless from committing acts that endanger their own lives such as occupying railroad right-of-ways and lighting fires in dry brush areas within the city. For those facing homelessness and want help, we can strongly encourage them to use the shelters available to us within our neighboring cities. We can also strategically utilize military veterans that are employed by our city to encourage homeless veterans to seek veteran assistance as they can best relate to their military experiences. Lastly, addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach that includes encouraging the use of mental health and addiction services, and providing job training and support programs. Investing in these solutions is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move to improve public safety and overall community well-being. By taking decisive action, La Habra can work towards ending homelessness and fostering a more equitable and compassionate city for everyone.

La Habra faces a significant affordable housing crisis, exacerbated by California’s soaring housing costs, insufficient, and unreasonable regulatory measures. Despite state laws aimed at increasing housing availability, such as the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (AB 1482) and Senate Bill 330, which are designed to streamline housing development and protect tenants, local control measures are most sensible for La Habra in planning how to address affordable housing options because its local government that can and should always be most knowledgeable about the housing needs of its city.

The city’s housing market is characterized by skyrocketing rents and a lack of low-income units, making it increasingly difficult for working families, seniors, and individuals with low incomes to find stable, affordable living arrangements. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) mandates that cities address housing needs through Regional Housing Needs Allocations (RHNA). Many of you have known the saying "pick and choose your battles." With this in mind, I want to educate my fellow La Habrans of a bigger battle we currently face where the state has imposed unrealistic housing demands that has in turn created a divide between our residents when they see multi story, multi unit housing complexes go up in what is already in some areas an congested and high density part of our community. We are seeing the consequences of city's like Huntington Beach who are defying these state mandates and we as a community have to collectively come to a consensus as to rather we are willing and ready to take on this battle in the same manner as cities like Huntington Beach and Buena Park. As you know, I am not one who is afraid (even when I was a teen) to challenge the state of California when I find their practices to be unequal or unreasonable but this can not be done without the support and majority consensus of our residents.

This conflict is an ongoing and rapidly evolving matter which on one end puts a strain on our roadways and resources while on the other welcomes more revenue in the form of property taxes to the community. The in between of this is looking at how we as residents can stay unified by promoting local control against the demands of state officials who do not know our city while also identifying more reasonable locations and design plans within the city that do not have unintended consequences that impact current residents. In finding middle ground, I intend on supporting current initiatives by the city employees including the cities Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that requires developments with 10 or more housing units to provide a percentage of affordable housing. While in office, I will explore a cost / benefits analysis to determine what is the best approach to obtaining local control while demonstrating an effort to meet housing needs. By doing so, La Habra can build a more inclusive and resilient community for all its residents.

Small and local businesses in La Habra are integral to our economy, yet they often face significant challenges in meeting state compliance laws like workplace harassment prevention and workplace violence awareness requirements. State regulations, including the Civil Rights Department of California and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, mandate that employers with 5 or more employees implement robust measures to prevent harassment and as of July 1, 2024 ensure that businesses with 10 or more employees maintain a safe work environment. For many small businesses, navigating these complex regulations can be both financially and administratively burdensome. When cohesive workplaces are not maintained, we see:

• High turnover rates
• Low morale
• High stress
• Staff shortages
• Disgruntled employees
• Loss of revenue
• Low trust in supervision and management

My contribution to businesses in La Habra is to work with our La Habra Chamber of Commerce to provide and seek cost effective professional development opportunities for their employees. This can be accomplished through hosting local seminars exclusive to La Habra businesses. Providing targeted resources and support is crucial for these businesses to stay compliant and thrive. Professional development opportunities, such as training programs on harassment prevention and violence awareness, are essential not only for regulatory compliance but also for fostering a positive workplace culture, and providing education on how business employees can take proactive steps to protect themselves should they face a violent encounter in the workplace. These programs equip employees with the knowledge and skills to address and prevent workplace issues, ultimately enhancing their morale and overall wellness.

When employees feel safe and valued, they are more engaged, productive, and committed to their work. Investing in these professional development opportunities helps reduce turnover, enhances job satisfaction, and strengthens the organization’s reputation. As a law enforcement professional, human resource practitioner, and workplace violence expert who has educated and responded to workplace violence, I want to share my knowledge with small and local businesses within La Habra as an added incentive to contributing to our economy. Supporting small and local businesses with the necessary resources to comply with workplace regulations is therefore a strategic investment by the city in both employee well-being and long-term business success. When businesses win, we win together.

My city government experience isn’t from political appointment but instead as a highly sought-after solution for city governments, providing compliance, instructional design concepts, and professional development opportunities that help them uphold ethical and behavioral practices both within the organization and to its clients. Over the years, I've been sought by over 100 city governments to improve service quality and professional standards, aiding them in becoming better community stewards. Many of the city governments and businesses I have served are making a proactive approach to address:

• Low morale
• High turnover rate
• Increases in workplace harassment claims
• Maintaining state mandated training compliance
• Educating personnel on active-shooter preparedness and other forms of workplace violence
• Team building and communication
• Stress management
• Understanding cultural diversity in the workplace
• Workplace incivility

I deeply value the relationships between residents and city government. When city governments are challenged with addressing these issues, the people that it serves suffers. Because of this fact, I aim to not only enhance public safety and small business development but to also be a resource to our own city government using the wealth of knowledge, skills, experiences, and traits I've acquired over a lifetime to improve and maintain a healthy La Habra city government. A healthy work environment within a city government translates to a higher quality of service to its constituents. 

Compared to other schools statewide, schools within La Habra have mixed rankings. Here are some examples according to Public School Review

• La Habra High School is ranked in the top 50% of public schools in California, specifically #4685 out of 9,602 schools. It has a graduation rate of 97%, which is higher than the state average of 87%. However, its proficiency rates in standardized tests are below the state average, with 22% of students achieving proficiency in math (state average is 33%) and 49% in reading (state average is 47%). The student to teacher ratio is 24:1, higher than the California state level of 21:1
• Sonora High School fares better, ranking in the top 20% of public schools in California at #1555 out of 9,602 schools. It has a graduation rate of 92%. In standardized tests, 43% of students achieved proficiency in math and 78% in reading, both above the state averages. Despite this higher performance comparison, it has a student to teacher ratio of 25:1, higher than the California state level of 21:1

Examples of performances from some elementary and middle schools include:

• El Cerrito Elementary School: Ranked in the top 50% with 31% of students achieving math proficiency and 40% achieving reading proficiency.
• El Portal Elementary School: Ranked in the top 30%, with 52% of students achieving math proficiency and 58% in reading.
• Washington Middle School: Also in the top 50%, with 23% proficiency in math and 50% in reading according to School Digger.

I know first hand the experience of attending low performing schools that failed to provide adequate resources, credentialed teachers, and stable facilities. Much description can be comparable to experiences of a third world country. My education plan set forth by the school district I was apart of failed to prepare me for fundamental knowledge, eligibility for college, or a competitive adult life. At the age of 15, I along with approximately 100 students across California stood up for those who were unable to stand up for themselves and challenged the state of California and its department of education in the landmark case Williams v. California. Despite the states attempts over approximately 4 years to discredit, shame, and intimidate me and other youth, we prevailed with the state settling the case with several state allocations totaling nearly $1 Billion dollars. I now share a winning record of challenging the state to create equitable K-12 educational opportunities for all Californians. While the lawsuit has brought accountability and sweeping changes to the states education system, I recognize that even as an adult, my obligation is to continue to be one voice among the collective of partnership of teachers and parents and concerned La Habrans for every child in providing decent education for our future leaders in my community.

I will work with La Habra City School District, Lowell Joint School District, and Fullerton Joint Union High School District increase and exceed state level performances, making ALL of our schools equally stand as the highest performing schools in reading comprehension, science, technology, engineering, and math.