The Issues

District 4 sits in some of Santa Barbara's highest fire-hazard zones — and the threat is growing. I'll fight for the resources, planning, and infrastructure our hillside neighborhoods need to stay safe before the next fire, not after.

• Advocate for dedicated city funding for defensible space programs and fuel management in high-fire-hazard zones within District 4
• Push for updated evacuation route planning and community preparedness resources for Mission Canyon and Upper East neighborhoods
• Support expanded coordination between the city, county, and state on wildfire mitigation — including hardening utility infrastructure
• Ensure that new development in fire-prone areas meets the highest safety standards, with no exceptions for political convenience
• Push for streamlined city permitting for defensible space work on private property — homeowners should not have to fight red tape to protect their own homes.
• Call for a formal review of post-Thomas Fire lessons applied to current District 4 evacuation infrastructure — what's been fixed, what hasn't, and what's still at risk.

State Street is the spine of our city, and right now it's underperforming. I believe adaptive reuse of underutilized commercial space can deliver significant new housing while revitalizing the corridor — without sacrificing the character that makes Santa Barbara special.

• Crack down on reckless e-bike riding on State Street — the pedestrian zone should be safe for everyone, including seniors and families. I'll push for consistent enforcement and work with SBPD to address the ongoing problem of high-speed riding, wheelies, and dangerous behavior in areas shared with pedestrians.
• Champion adaptive reuse policies that convert vacant and underperforming commercial buildings on State Street into housing
• Support workforce housing policies so new development includes homes for nurses, teachers, firefighters, and the people who keep this city running
• Support transparency on city land sales — independent appraisals, public hearings, and council accountability before any deal is done
• Advocate for a State Street vision that balances retail, dining, housing, and public space — not a monoculture of any one use

District 4 residents deserve streets that are safe to walk, easy to navigate, and well-maintained — whether you're walking to the store, driving to an appointment, or out for a bike ride. I supported the Alisos Street bike lane on the Eastside and know what it takes to move a transportation project from idea to pavement.

• Improve pedestrian safety at high-risk intersections in residential areas and along Los Olivos, State Street, and Coast Village Road — including better lighting, crosswalk timing, and visibility for older pedestrians and those with mobility challenges
• Maintain and repair our streets and sidewalks so neighbors can walk safely without worrying about cracked pavement or poor maintenance
• Expand bike infrastructure thoughtfully, connecting neighborhoods to schools and parks without compromising street access or parking for residents and local businesses
• Advocate for reliable transit options — particularly for seniors and residents who no longer drive — so getting around District 4 doesn't depend on owning a car

Background

Growing up with the terrible air of Southern California in the 1970s — marked by stinging eyes, burning lungs, and Stage 3 smog alerts — deeply shaped my lifelong commitment to the environment. This led me to study environmental law at UC Berkeley and the University of Heidelberg. Later, I directed an environmental justice program for California Rural Legal Assistance and taught Environmental Law. Today, I continue this dedication by serving on a national marine sanctuary advisory council.

What I Did on Council

On the Santa Barbara City Council, I wrote a resolution banning offshore drilling that my colleagues passed — a measure since adopted by many cities across the state.

In 2017, when Trump ordered federal agencies to reopen the Pacific to new oil leasing for the first time in over 30 years, I wrote and passed a resolution making Santa Barbara the first city in California to fight back — banning new offshore drilling and fracking. It wasn't just environmentalists behind it — more than 20 local businesses and the commercial fishing industry stood with us. 69% of Californians opposed new offshore drilling. And it worked: at least 65 cities and counties across California followed our lead, from LA and San Francisco to towns up and down the coast.

I voted to bring Community Choice Energy to Santa Barbara, giving residents cleaner, more affordable power options. I served on the City's Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan Subcommittee with Councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman. We developed guiding principles that prioritized protection of human life, health, and safety, and critical facilities and public services, while working to minimize impacts to coastal-dependent development, shoreline access, and the local economy. These principles also call for adaptation strategies that use best available science, remain flexible, comply with legal requirements, and equitably share costs and benefits — especially for vulnerable populations.

If Elected, I Will —

Santa Barbara faces real environmental danger on every front: offshore pipelines with unresolved corrosion risks threaten another catastrophic spill, while rising temperatures, extreme wet-dry swings, and longer, more destructive fire seasons put our communities directly in harm's way. At the same time, rising seas endanger our coastline and infrastructure, and our marine ecosystems — kelp forests, fisheries, and the wildlife that depend on them — are collapsing.

I would like Santa Barbara to be a beacon for the rest of the state:

• Strengthen wildfire resilience through home hardening, defensible space, and regional coordination among fire agencies, and support Firewise Communities by organizing neighbors around zone-zero improvements and neighbor-to-neighbor preparedness
• Expand our urban tree canopy and green infrastructure, install solar power on more parking lots, and expand access to EV chargers
• Protect the coastline, creeks, parks, and open spaces that define Santa Barbara, and push for stronger emergency preparedness and wildfire prevention planning so our community is ready before the next crisis — not scrambling after it
• Focus on safety improvements and efforts to slow traffic where children travel, to increase the rates of students walking and biking to school
• Keep fighting to build more housing in our urban core — because walkable housing downtown means less sprawl, less driving, and fewer emissions — one of the most powerful environmental tools we have