Keith Blackburn's Stand On Campaign Issues

	CITY EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATIONS “Carlsbad’s police officers and general city employees associations are not unions.” City employees are mandated by California state law to form bargaining units referred to as associations. This prevents hundreds of employees from bargaining individual contracts with the city. Additional benefits offered through these associations include group discounts on eye and dental care and the ability to make charitable donations as 501 (c) (3) charitable organizations. To label these city employee associations as unions is absolutely inaccurate and unfair. back to top PRESERVING OPEN SPACE “Although many people simply say they support preserving open space, I actively encourage the purchase, protection and preservation of our dwindling open space.” Carlsbad is the proud steward of three lagoons, miles of trails, clean beaches, and historical open space such as the Buena Vista Valley. Every neighborhood has open space that contributes to its resident’s quality of life and makes Carlsbad the city in which they choose to live. Our citizens understand that it isn’t realistic, or fiscally possible, for the City to purchase and maintain all of the remaining open space. The City, with recommendations from an open space committee, has identified some of the more critical open space areas that should be protected. I believe that we can’t go wrong protecting too much open space; it preserves our options to decide later whether or not that space should be developed or remain open. back to top EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION “I support maintaining a locally competitive compensation package for Carlsbad’s employees.” The fiscal concern is that city employee compensation, specifically retirement benefits, may become difficult to sustain in years to come. The most common solution seems to be the formation of a second-tier retirement plan that reduces retirement benefits for new employees, thus minimizing future retirement costs to the city. Another solution is to require employees to assume a greater percentage of the costs of their retirement plans. I do not oppose cost saving measures that include second-tier retirement or increased employee contributions. What concerns me, and should concern all Carlsbad residents, is that Carlsbad’s employee compensation remains competitive with those of the other San Diego County cities. If Carlsbad imposes a retirement plan that is not competitive with all the neighboring cities in the county, we will be unable to attract competent new-comers and lateral transfers from these other cities. Our city staff and employees provide the services and expertise that make Carlsbad such a desirable city. Without competitive compensation, future employees will apply to Carlsbad as a last resort. In a few years Carlsbad will have assembled the most mediocre workforce the county has to offer. The end result will be a decline in the beauty of our city and the safety of our citizens. back to top ALGA NORTE PARK “I aggressively support the immediate construction of Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility.” Throughout my 2008 Council campaign I listened to so many residents ask for the construction of the Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility. Their reasons for supporting the park were diverse: the need for swimming lessons, the southwest quadrant of the city is lacking in park and ball field facilities, children with nothing to do get into trouble and become less fit and unhealthy, Carlsbad residents must drive to other cities for their children’s activities, and the list goes on. During the televised council meeting of April 21, 2009, residents and City parks commissioners packed the council chambers and provided arguments in support of the immediate construction of the Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility. At the conclusion of that meeting I explained, in detail, that $50.4 million was set aside (partially in response to the 2002 Proposition C vote) for the construction of Alga Norte Park. In light of our current depressed economy, the City can construct the park for a considerable discount to the original estimate and use the conservative figure of more than $10.6 million (potentially more than $17 million) to maintain and operate the park for more than twelve years into the future. I encourage you to view this link to the April 21, 2009 council meeting. The council vote was three against and two in favor of approving the construction of the park. The council did, however, unanimously approve rough grading the property and will decide, sometime in the future, when to build the park. back to top CAR COUNTRY CARLSBAD “I support updating and improving Car Country.” Car Country’s car dealers have provided significant sales tax revenues to Carlsbad, not to mention the convenience to our residents to have the dealerships and their service centers located in our community. This year Car Country’s sales tax revenues to Carlsbad will drop below $4 million, down from $6 million. Carlsbad’s Car Country has lost market share and is no longer one of the top two auto malls in the county. Much of this decline is due to the depressed economy, but Carlsbad can do a lot to help bolster auto sales. I have met with many of the managers and owners of Car Country’s auto dealers. We discussed several areas in which the City can cooperate with the dealerships in helping to make them more attractive to car buyers. Some of these ideas included: Improve visibility from the I-5 Freeway Better and more modern signage Improve traffic circulation on Paseo Del Norte Provide more parking availability As a result of my leadership in this area, the council has unanimously authorized city staff to organize meetings with Car Country’s owners to identify ways the City can help these businesses improve sales. back to top WESTFIELD MALL “I support improving and renovating our mall.” Our Westfield Mall is no longer the jewel of Carlsbad that it once was. Westfield has developed beautiful plans for modernizing our mall, and then abandoned them in favor of modernizing other malls. Currently, Westfield is proposing improvement projects for the east end of the property. I am staying up-to-date on these plans and continue to support a more comprehensive facelift for the entire mall. Our Westfield Mall provides jobs, convenient shopping and sales tax revenues to our city. Unfortunately, as the mall gets older and less attractive to shoppers, the sales tax revenues that our city needs to provide services, is declining. For example, our Westfield Mall has more than triple the square feet of retail space as the Premium Outlets, yet has dropped below the Premium Outlets taxable sales. Westfield and the City are currently negotiating an $80 million dollar facelift that would include free-standing restaurants in the east parking lot. back to top

CITY EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATIONS

“Carlsbad’s police officers and general city employees associations are not unions.”

City employees are mandated by California state law to form bargaining units referred to as associations. This prevents hundreds of employees from bargaining individual contracts with the city. Additional benefits offered through these associations include group discounts on eye and dental care and the ability to make charitable donations as 501 (c) (3) charitable organizations. To label these city employee associations as unions is absolutely inaccurate and unfair.

PRESERVING OPEN SPACE

“Although many people simply say they support preserving open space, I actively encourage the purchase, protection and preservation of our dwindling open space.”

Carlsbad is the proud steward of three lagoons, miles of trails, clean beaches, and historical open space such as the Buena Vista Valley. Every neighborhood has open space that contributes to its resident’s quality of life and makes Carlsbad the city in which they choose to live. Our citizens understand that it isn’t realistic, or fiscally possible, for the City to purchase and maintain all of the remaining open space.
The City, with recommendations from an open space committee, has identified some of the more critical open space areas that should be protected. I believe that we can’t go wrong protecting too much open space; it preserves our options to decide later whether or not that space should be developed or remain open.

EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION

“I support maintaining a locally competitive compensation package for Carlsbad’s employees.”

The fiscal concern is that city employee compensation, specifically retirement benefits, may become difficult to sustain in years to come. The most common solution seems to be the formation of a second-tier retirement plan that reduces retirement benefits for new employees, thus minimizing future retirement costs to the city. Another solution is to require employees to assume a greater percentage of the costs of their retirement plans.

I do not oppose cost saving measures that include second-tier retirement or increased employee contributions. What concerns me, and should concern all Carlsbad residents, is that Carlsbad’s employee compensation remains competitive with those of the other San Diego County cities. If Carlsbad imposes a retirement plan that is not competitive with all the neighboring cities in the county, we will be unable to attract competent new-comers and lateral transfers from these other cities.

Our city staff and employees provide the services and expertise that make Carlsbad such a desirable city. Without competitive compensation, future employees will apply to Carlsbad as a last resort. In a few years Carlsbad will have assembled the most mediocre workforce the county has to offer. The end result will be a decline in the beauty of our city and the safety of our citizens.

ALGA NORTE PARK

“I aggressively support the immediate construction of Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility.”

Throughout my 2008 Council campaign I listened to so many residents ask for the construction of the Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility. Their reasons for supporting the park were diverse: the need for swimming lessons, the southwest quadrant of the city is lacking in park and ball field facilities, children with nothing to do get into trouble and become less fit and unhealthy, Carlsbad residents must drive to other cities for their children’s activities, and the list goes on.

During the televised council meeting of April 21, 2009, residents and City parks commissioners packed the council chambers and provided arguments in support of the immediate construction of the Alga Norte Park and aquatics facility. At the conclusion of that meeting I explained, in detail, that $50.4 million was set aside (partially in response to the 2002 Proposition C vote) for the construction of Alga Norte Park. In light of our current depressed economy, the City can construct the park for a considerable discount to the original estimate and use the conservative figure of more than $10.6 million (potentially more than $17 million) to maintain and operate the park for more than twelve years into the future.

I encourage you to view this link to the April 21, 2009 council meeting. The council vote was three against and two in favor of approving the construction of the park. The council did, however, unanimously approve rough grading the property and will decide, sometime in the future, when to build the park.

CAR COUNTRY CARLSBAD

“I support updating and improving Car Country.”

Car Country’s car dealers have provided significant sales tax revenues to Carlsbad, not to mention the convenience to our residents to have the dealerships and their service centers located in our community. This year Car Country’s sales tax revenues to Carlsbad will drop below $4 million, down from $6 million. Carlsbad’s Car Country has lost market share and is no longer one of the top two auto malls in the county.

Much of this decline is due to the depressed economy, but Carlsbad can do a lot to help bolster auto sales. I have met with many of the managers and owners of Car Country’s auto dealers. We discussed several areas in which the City can cooperate with the dealerships in helping to make them more attractive to car buyers. Some of these ideas included:

Improve visibility from the I-5 Freeway
Better and more modern signage
Improve traffic circulation on Paseo Del Norte
Provide more parking availability

As a result of my leadership in this area, the council has unanimously authorized city staff to organize meetings with Car Country’s owners to identify ways the City can help these businesses improve sales.

WESTFIELD MALL

“I support improving and renovating our mall.”

Our Westfield Mall is no longer the jewel of Carlsbad that it once was. Westfield has developed beautiful plans for modernizing our mall, and then abandoned them in favor of modernizing other malls.

Currently, Westfield is proposing improvement projects for the east end of the property. I am staying up-to-date on these plans and continue to support a more comprehensive facelift for the entire mall.

Our Westfield Mall provides jobs, convenient shopping and sales tax revenues to our city. Unfortunately, as the mall gets older and less attractive to shoppers, the sales tax revenues that our city needs to provide services, is declining. For example, our Westfield Mall has more than triple the square feet of retail space as the Premium Outlets, yet has dropped below the Premium Outlets taxable sales.

Westfield and the City are currently negotiating an $80 million dollar facelift that would include free-standing restaurants in the east parking lot.