ISSUES

Traffic & Public Safety

The wellbeing and safety of residents should be the top priority of all elected leaders. From our roads, workplaces, homes, commercial neighborhoods, to our schools - no one should fear for their safety when going about their daily lives.

As an avid runner, walker, and dog owner, I know first-hand that too many of our roads and intersections are not always pedestrian friendly. Although we are taking measures such as increasing traffic enforcement, more permanent solutions need to be found. We need to focus on infrastructure and solutions that provide safe and effective transit for all users of the road.

But it is not just our roads impacting our safety. I believe that our city should take a holistic look at all factors that could put our residents in harm's way, including the increasing risk of natural disasters, such as wildfires. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that whether it’s a wildfire, earthquake or another virus our community needs to be better prepared.

As your Councilmember, I promise to:

Utilize new state laws that allow cities to take ownership of local traffic safety to reduce speeds and improve pedestrian safety
Work with residents and community groups calling for specific infrastructure and traffic changes to ensure these needed changes are made on our streets
Require a city review of high risk intersections
Increase our investment in protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure
Work with our local law enforcement to enforce local and state speeding laws and ensure that staff has the support they need to prevent future traffic-related injuries and deaths
Assess the permitting processes of and community risks posed by gun stores, limit the sales of ammunition and handguns, make the moratorium on new gun stores permanent, work with state partners to establish a city safe storage information campaign, build off state safe storage policies to further protect our community, and require that gun owners pay a yearly fee and carry liability insurance
Push for investments in our high-risk infrastructure, particularly in the hillsides, such as covered conductors and other emerging technologies to reduce the risk of an ignition event
Provide Burbank Fire with the resources and tools they need to not only respond to fire incidents, but to conduct inspections and wildfire prevention measures such as home hardening

Quality of Life

There is so much to love about our city. Our unique small-town charm with big-city opportunities provides an atmosphere that is special to Burbank.

Growing up here, my family benefitted from our abundant parks, community events, and numerous opportunities to grow and develop, including art classes at the Olive Recreation Center to unforgettable summer movies outside the old IKEA building. Unfortunately, recent economic hardships led to the loss of many of these key experiences.

Experiences, quality roads, safe streets, access to green space and public facilities, are crucial to the heart of a community. They foster a unique spirit and attract businesses and visitors to participate in our city.

As a lifelong resident, I’m running to ensure we prioritize being a city that puts quality of life, education, and connection of our community front and center. As your Councilmember, I will commit to:

Investing in a new, state-of-the-art central library & community center
Reinvigorating the community spirit of Burbank by returning city sponsorship and support of community-loved events such as summer movie nights and Magnolia Park food truck Fridays
Elevating new community events that are important to our residents, and reinforce our commitment to Burbank’s diverse and vibrant community - such as an official city-sponsored and recognized Juneteenth celebration and a city-wide Pride event
Incentivizing local businesses to participate in community initiatives and events that generate revenue, attract visitors, and uplift our community spirit
Create more green space by expanding our tree canopy, creating more dog parks and community gardens, and requiring more green space in all future developments
Work with community members to designate Magnolia Park as a Historic District and assist with affordable commercial rent in the area
To updated and add the Rancho Master plan into our official zoning code and Burbank 2035 general plan, thereby ensuring that the unique equine nature of the Rancho is preserved

Economy

As the daughter of a Teamster who works for the studios, and as a Magnolia Park resident, I understand that our high quality, unionized workforce and small businesses form the backbone of our economy.

As the media capital of the world, with over 1,000 media companies city-wide, the entertainment industry is one of the largest employers in Burbank. However, we have started to see an exodus of companies, like Disney Imagineering and Blizzard Entertainment, taking their business, jobs, and revenue elsewhere.

I believe Burbank is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, and we need to ensure a commitment to keeping both our entertainment and small businesses communities alive and flourishing. As your Councilmember, I will prioritize:

Working with the film and television industry to develop new incentives that bolster their hiring, producing, and business in Burbank
Creating a business concierge program that provides businesses and entrepreneurs with a single point of contact in the city that helps them navigate city bureaucracy and cuts unnecessary red tape
Collaborating with federal, state, and local partners to establish a multimedia technology incubator tasked with empowering startups, initiating partnerships, and working with local entertainment partners to develop cutting edge multimedia and entertainment technologies
Incentivizing an increase of women and people of color-owned businesses
Increasing City outreach to small business owners, and the Chamber of Commerce, to work on partnerships that strengthen and serve small businesses
Furthering the work of the Economic Development Task Force
Promoting awareness and increasing the accessibility of existing economic development resources to meet the needs of businesses in Burbank
Exploring zone changes that allow for creative mixed use, including commercial, office, and industrial space in underutilized nonresidential areas in our city
Building on the work of the “Save Magnolia Park” movement through measures that designate Magnolia Park as a historic district, ensuring further development meets the neighborhood character guidelines, and exploring solutions like a historical property tax incentive to keep rents affordable for small businesses
Integrating our major local economies so large media industries can incentivize tourism in our store front areas along Magnolia and San Fernando, increasing tourism and revenue for our city

Environment

One of my favorite ways to enjoy our city is to be outdoors. In 2020 we experienced clear skies and some of the best air quality LA County had seen in years. Unfortunately, we have seen that progress reversed, and continue to be plagued by a severe environmental concern for Burbank - emissions.

As a community member, I led the effort to establish a Burbank Green New Deal; a set of policies that robustly addressed our city’s environmental challenges. I remain committed to implementing a sustainability plan by Burbank, for Burbank. I want to ensure our readiness to meet the state’s 2045 emissions goal in a way that financially and structurally works for us.

I believe in a city that is not only safe and walkable, but also breathable for generations to come. As your Councilmember, I will commit to:

Pursuing an ordinance that mandates all new building constructions are all electric (no gas), significantly reducing building emissions
Collaborating with our major industries on incentives to adopt flex work week schedules, which will significantly reduce emissions and traffic congestion in Burbank
Forming a city-wide economic stimulus plan that prioritizes environmental progress including solar generation, waste reduction, and environmental innovation
Working with Burbank Water and Power to commit to being at 100% clean electricity by 2035, surpassing state and federal environmental goals
Increase the city’s investment and regional role in active transit infrastructure

Housing & Homelessness

As a Social Worker, I work with families experiencing homelessness every day. Through my work as the Program Manager for “Kids First”, I have developed strategies that help families find and maintain permanent housing. With about 200 reported homeless individuals in our city, some may feel this is a low priority for Burbank, however, many of our residents are only one paycheck away from losing the ability to keep food on the table and a roof over their head. We deserve a Burbank that is affordable, safe, and ready to handle the financial insecurity of our time.

As the only candidate who works directly with families experiencing homelessness and who has worked with state legislators on housing policy, I want to put my experience to work for our city. Policy and funding do not always translate to effective implementation, and I know how to put forward impactful solutions that work.

If elected, I will ensure we create our first comprehensive homelessness plan that makes efficient use of taxpayer dollars while providing much needed services. I will also focus on addressing needed housing affordability for our middle-and working-class families. As a lifelong renter in Burbank, I want to create a Burbank that is affordable for everyone who calls Burbank home. We all want the same thing, somewhere safe and within our means to live. As your Councilmember, I will commit to:

Approving a thorough homelessness plan for the city that outlines specific ways to address homelessness and creates concrete infrastructure to tackle this growing issue
Steering Burbank towards a proactive, not reactive, approach to state and federal housing legislation
Increasing affordable and working-class housing units that fit our City’s needs
Creating more opportunities for homeownership for renters who want to own in Burbank
Exploring the establishment of a homelessness resource center for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our city. There is no one size fits all solution, solving homelessness is a mixture of shelter, mental health, basic needs, and financial education resources
Fighting to establish rent stabilization and further tenant protections in our City

issuesLife

issuesEconomy

issuesTraffic

issuesEnvironment

issusHousing