Diana’s Goals for Sebastopol
Safe and Healthy: At the top of my priority list is the smooth and effective functioning of core City services, attention to traffic and congestion, bicycle lanes, bus accessibility, walking routes, our fragile eco-systems, and emergency preparedness.
Vital and Vibrant: We must focus on local jobs and support for local businesses, a balanced City budget, art, music, entertainment, and recreation, to give all of us a sense of pride and joy in our town.
Connected and Inclusive: We must make a reality of Sebastopol’s vision of itself as a family town, inviting to kids, families, seniors, and everyone in between, so that we all feel connected and included, valued and heard.
These goals will be harder to achieve in the current era, but not impossible. We face the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19, plus complicated social and economic issues. Good leadership will be essential as we seek to navigate these issues and move toward our goals.
A Collaborative Problem-Solver
During my campaign i was asked many times the following not-too-surprising question, "Diana, why are you the best choice? Why are you the one we need on the Sebastopol City Council? What makes you the collaborative problem-solver we should choose?"
The answer is easy. This town has formed who I am, and how I view the world. It has given me twenty years of life experiences that have taught me about leadership and collaboration and hard work. It has mentored me and taught me compassion, appreciation, and understanding for all issues and all people. For twenty years I have had one mini-lesson after another that connected me to every facet of this wonderful quirky town. Sebastopol has given me a gift of just the right mix of skills to do what Sebastopol needs from me now: strong and reliable leadership. My promise is to use these skills to move Sebastopol through the present into whatever the future holds. I will do all of the following (and more - I promise!):
- Be well prepared, effective, logical, organized, and proactive.
- Seek out new ideas, and be a collaborative and practical problem-solver.
- Prioritize core City services as a key consideration.
- Be fiscally responsible, in terms of the City budget as well as City policies.
- Always take into consideration the needs of our families and seniors.
- Work for protections for the environment and of our limited resources.
- Pursue new solutions to our traffic and congestion issues.
- Support non-car alternatives for our town.
- Advocate for local businesses and for jobs for locals.
- Support smart, responsible, and sustainable growth.
- Address productively and collaboratively each challenge that arises.
- Remember that we are a compassionate town, that cares for others.
- Never be a one-issue or one-interest person.
- Advocate for a healthy Sebastopol that meets the needs of all citizens, now and into the future.
I will do all that I can to help lead us through the challenges and issues that present themselves, and to keep us moving toward a Sebastopol that is safe and healthy, vital and vibrant, and connected and inclusive.
I thank Sebastopol for all it has given me, and I stand ready to give back.
