PRIORITIES | Robert4CityCouncil

As times change, so too must our way of doing city government. The problems we have currently face-whether in the arena of economic development, public safety, or sustainability-demand new ideas and creative problem-solving. Our city government must be agile, responsive, forward-looking, adjusting to new realities but always true to the values that make our community special. By embracing change and pulling together, we can help make sure San Ramon remains a vibrant and expanding place for all residents. With that in mind, my priorities will be to drive::

Economic Growth

Sustainable Development

Public Safety and Awareness

Safety and Well-Being of our First Responders

Safeguarding Property Values

Community Engagement

I am fully aware of the hardships our local businesses are facing. I will make sure to create a climate that nurtures innovation, in the process ensuring that small businesses thrive, so that San Ramon becomes the vibrant economic center that it should be.

To develop an effective economic plan supportive of local businesses and ensuring San Ramon remains a vibrant economic center, I would have the following key strategies in mind:

1. Streamlining Regulations and Permitting: Streamline permitting processes for start-up businesses, as well as expansions. This decrease in bureaucratic red tape will enable business creation and expand existing ones with far less lost time and resources.

2. Foster Small Business Growth: Incentivize by establishing a Small Business Development Program that offers resources, mentorship, and financial resources. This would include access to low-interest loans, grants, and marketing, finance, and digital transformation workshops.

3. Empower Local Entrepreneurship: Lay more emphasis on local entrepreneurship while establishing an innovation hub in San Ramon. It shall include co-working spaces, networking opportunities, and partnerships with local universities and technology companies to advance the development of startups and small businesses.

4.Workforce Development: In tandem with local schools and universities, develop workforce training to meet business needs in San Ramon. Assuring a good supply of skilled workers and thus making local businesses more competitive.

5. Revitalize Underutilized Commercial Spaces: The revitalization of underutilized commercial areas in the community should be made possible through public-private partnerships. Improving infrastructure, beautifying the streetscape, and offering incentives for businesses to locate in these areas will attract more consumers into lively business districts.

6. Encourage Sustainable Practices: Encourage businesses to venture into sustainable practices by giving them tax breaks or grants promoting greening initiatives. This will help in the care for the environment and enable companies to cut down on some operational costs in the long term.

7. Encourage Public-Private Partnerships: Apply close coordination between the city and local business in jointly facing the challenges. This will be provided for through regular forums of consultations enabling business owners to express their concerns and ideas with the municipality.

8. Brand San Ramon as a Business Destination: Promote through a marketing campaign the idea that San Ramon is a destination for new businesses and investors. Highlight its strategic location, quality workforce, and great quality of life as the perfect place to do business.

To strengthen our community's safety measures and protect our neighborhoods, my plan would focus on the following initiatives:

1. More Police Presence/Community Policing: Highly visible police presence in our neighborhoods should be increased through more frequent patrols and support for community policing. Officers will be in regular contact with residents, helping to build trust and forge relationships that prevent crimes and facilitate cooperation between the police and our community.

2. Invest in Modern Technology: Provide modern technologies such as body cameras, drones for patrols, and advanced crime-mapping software to our police force. These will facilitate shorter response times, greater transparency, and lead to higher predictive and preventive practices by law enforcement.

3. Neighborhood Watch Programs: Continue to train and provide other resources, engaging neighborhood watch programs with the police to ensure direct lines of communication with local law enforcement. These programs will give residents an active part in keeping their communities safe while providing a crucial link to police.

4. Enhance Emergency Preparedness: Detail proper emergency preparedness on natural disasters, public health hazards, and other disasters. This shall involve periodic drills, community education programs, and proper equipment and training of our emergency services for immediate responses in a resourceful manner.

5. Treat Mental Health and Substance Abuse: Design programs that address mental health and substance abuse, commonly the underlying causes of crimes. Collaborate with local health organizations on intervention programs that treat problems before they become crimes.

6. Improve Public Lighting and Infrastructure: Increase the number of streets, parks, and public areas that are well-lit to discourage criminal activity. Besides that, invest in infrastructure improvements such as better sidewalks and traffic-calming measures that make neighborhoods safer to walk and bike within.

7. School Safety Initiatives: Engaging local schools in implementing updated safety protocols through expanded comprehensive safety drills, addition of school resource officers, and anti-bullying programs that reduce harm coming to our children.

8. Support for At-Risk Youth: Provide funding directed to at-risk youth through mentoring programs, job training, and sports/leisure activities. The activation of young people through positive activities reduces their chances of criminal lifestyles and contributes to a more cohesive and safer community.

9. Cybersecurity and Digital Safety: As more aspects of life are becoming online, so too is the responsibility to protect our residents from digital threats. Provide city-wide cybersecurity programs to educate residents on online safety, the prevention of cybercrimes, and how to protect their personal information.

10. Community Outreach and Education: Conduct safety awareness campaigns that help people learn how to protect themselves and their property. Samples of campaigns may include, but are not limited to, home security tips, emergency preparedness, and recognizing suspicious activities.

Even as we strive for safety and security in our community, we must make sure that our officers, firefighters, and first responders are well looked after. We must ensure that they are prepared to protect and serve our community and that they are cared for as valued members of our city. To do that, there is a need to commit to their health and safety in order to maintain a resilient and efficient emergency response system. My plan includes the following initiatives:

1. Mental Health Support: Comprehensive mental health programs will be instituted exclusively for the benefit of our first responders by offering them access to counseling services, peer support groups, and routine check-ins about their mental health. This will enable the responder to handle the occupational stress and trauma of the job.

2. Improved Training and Resources: Continue training to provide our first responders with the newest techniques and knowledge in responding to emergencies, public safety, and crisis situations. It is important that they receive the best tools and resources available to ensure their success and safety.

3. Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Foster salaries and benefits reflective of the critical work our first responders do, including retirement plans, health benefits, and opportunities for career advancement that keep the best talent.

4. Work-Life Balance Initiatives: Provide policies offering employees a healthy work-life balance, such as flex-time, adequate time off, and wellness programs. This accomplishes the dual purpose of taking care of their well-being outside the workplace, thus allowing them to perform better while they are on the job.

5. Community Support and Appreciation: Community events, recognition programs, and public outreach would help engender respect and appreciation for our first responders through highlighting their contributions to the community. That bond between our first responders and the community they are serving would be even more necessary for mutual support and trust.

To safeguard the value of our homes and maintain the character and appeal of our neighborhoods, my plan includes the following initiatives:

1. Zoning and Land Use Protections: Apply strict zoning regulations that eliminate overdevelopment; ensure new construction is consistent with the existing character of our neighborhoods by reducing high-density developments in residential areas and preserving green spaces.

2. Neighborhood Preservation Programs: Offer programs that assist homeowners in rehabbing and maintaining homes through home renovation grants, historic preservation tax credits, and other forms of neighborhood beautification support.

3. Development-Community Input: Retain the key decisions about all developments in the hands of residents through public forums, community surveys, and transparent planning processes. This is necessary to maintain the integrity and desirability of our neighborhoods, and any change that would come, should reflect the needs and desires of the community.

4. Infrastructure and Amenity Improvements: Invest in local infrastructure and amenities that enhance neighborhood appeal, such as parks, community centers, and road maintenance. Keeping our neighborhoods well-maintained and equipped with quality amenities is crucial for sustaining property values.

5. Property Standards Enforcement: Increase enforcement regarding property maintenance standards in regards to neglect, vandalism, and blight. Assure property within the neighborhood contributes positively to community aesthetic and property values.

6. Support for Local Schools: Advocate for close ties with the local schools; after all, a good school system keeps property values up. Support should include assistance in educational programs, infrastructure improvement, and other related community-based initiatives in improving the schools.

To ensure transparency in governance and make sure every resident’s voice is heard, I plan to implement the following strategies:

1. Open Town Halls and Forums: Availability of regular town hall meetings and community forums, where residents can raise their concerns, ask questions, and give feedback directly. In-person and virtual meetings will be held so that all are able to participate.

2. Web-based Interactive Platforms: Provide an easy-to-use web-based interactive platform for citizens where agendas, minutes, and updates of the city council are readily available. Residents can effortlessly forward their questions, comments, and suggestions to their respective representatives.

3. Community Advisory Committees: Form diverse community advisory committees that can represent the interests of many different neighborhoods and interest groups in San Ramon. Regularly meet with city officials to discuss community needs and share information between the Council and Residents.

4. Transparency in Decision-Making: Establish a scheme whereby major decisions of the city council are accompanied by much more elaborate explanations. The reports should be well presented and accessible, with explanations of the reasoning behind each decision taken, the expected impacts, and how public contribution has been considered.

5. Improved Communication Channels: Allow for an increase in the ways in which communication between city government and residents can be initiated through a variety of channels, including social media, newsletters, and local media. Through such channels, regular updates on running projects, initiatives, and decisions by the city will be communicated to keep residents informed.

6. Participatory Budgeting: Provide participatory budgeting processes in which active residents have a voice on the disposition of part of the city's annual budget. They have priority in determining where money is invested.

7. Public Feedback Surveys: Continue requesting periodic input via survey of residents regarding proposed policy, projects, and services. These survey results will be publicly shared and also serve to advise future policy decisions.

8. Transparent Reporting and Accountability: All the actions of the council in the city are supposed to be transparently recorded and open to all members of the public. Reports on progress towards initiatives and also the status of community concerns addressed will be published routinely and will make the council accountable for its commitments.

Encouraging Smart Growth: A Delicate Balance. Smart growth policies try to balance economic growth with natural resource stewardship. A comprehensive application of smart growth involves multidimensional activities.

1. Strategic Planning
Goals & Objectives: Firmly establish goals to address issues in sustainable development, economic growth, and protection of the environment.
Stakeholder Participation: The community, businesspeople, and environmentally conscious professionals should participate in planning activities.
Data-driven Decision Making: Data-supported decisions on where development or conservation should occur.

2. Land Use Planning
Zoning Regulations: Implement zoning laws that encourage mixed-use development and reduce urban sprawl.
Urban Infill: Fill in the vacant lots in the city through the redevelopment of those lots.
Green Spaces: Preserving and creating parks, green belts, and nature reserves will be highly useful.

3. Transportation and Infrastructure
Public Transit: Public transit should be efficient, affordable, and emulate environmental sustainability.
Walkability: Safe pedestrian and bicycle pathways can reduce car dependency.
Smart Infrastructure: Utilize technology for better use of energy, with simultaneous reduction of environmental degradation.

4. Sustainable Building Practices
Green Building Standards: Adopt green standards like LEED for new building projects.
Energy Efficiency: Incentivize buildings to run on renewable energy sources, with the use of energy-efficient appliances.
Waste Management: Implement programs within communities for recycling and composting.

5. Economic Incentives
Tax Credits: Avail tax credits to companies that engage in environment-friendly practices.
Grants & Loans: Provide grants and loans for green projects and startups.
Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborate on funding with private sectors for sustainable initiatives.

6. Education and Awareness
Community Workshops: Provide regular workshops and educate the public on the merits of smart growth.
School Programs: Incorporate environmental education into school programs.
Public Campaigns: Public awareness campaigns to teach about living sustainably.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation
Regular Assessments: Continuously adopt monitoring and evaluation of the strategies adopted.
Feedback Mechanisms: Establish a feedback mechanism within the community to make necessary adjustments.
Reporting: The progress and challenges of Smart Growth initiatives should be published in annual reports.

JOIN THE EFFORT

ROBERT JWEINAT

For San Ramon City Council
District One

JOIN THE EFFORT

ROBERT JWEINAT

For San Ramon City Council District One

JOIN THE EFFORT

For San Ramon City Council
District One