YOUNG VOICES |
Editor’s Note: This November, Salinas voters will elect council members in four districts and the next mayor. With five seats at stake, the council’s make up could change dramatically.
In an effort to keep Salinas voters informed, Young Voices correspondent Isaac Díaz González has sent the same questionnaire to all the Salinas city council and Mayoral candidates. Voices of Monterey Bay will be publishing the responses as the candidates respond.
By Isaac Díaz González
JESÚS VALENZUELA, APPOINTED COUNCILMEMBER
VOICES: What is your position regarding the renters’ protections recently approved by a majority of the city council? Will you support a process to enforce them or will you advocate to repeal them?
I agree wholeheartedly with the recent renter protections recently voted on by Council. While I had to recuse myself because I had done work for one of the organizations that supported the protections, I am in support of the protections.
VOICES: Salinas is younger than other cities in California, as its proportion of youth is higher by 8 percentage points. What projects can be offered so children and youth can thrive and feel they belong in the city?
Programs for youth include strong after school-programs in our recreation centers. This is of particular importance for teens who do not want to commit to sports. Many times teens are involved in so many teams at school that they don’t need a structured after-school program but rather, a place for teens to drop in and just hang out. Our youth also needs more investment in apprenticeship programs in the trades.
VOICES: Is the city doing enough to build housing? What would be the solution to support people who don’t have stable housing?
The city is doing a lot to incentivize the construction of housing. An example of this is the development we just approved on the north end of Salinas. However, we can get more creative to purchase unused parcels of land and partner with a low-income developer to build more. Mixed use housing for the growing number of young families is also important. Adults around the age of 21-35 who do not have children may want to live in an apartment closer to Old Town. The city is working with a number of developers to bring those options.
VOICES: Business owners have been complaining about the permit process, arguing that it takes too long to open a business. The challenge has been pinpointed to a lack of employees. What can be done to recruit more city employees? What is your plan to recruit more people to work for the city?
The city needs to ensure that we are hiring at competitive wages. There is a staffing shortage in all areas of every city in our nation, and this has to be addressed by increasing wages. We also need to improve systems so that a permit that has to cross various departments can do so seamlessly.
VOICES: In which areas could the city work together with schools to improve services? How can they work together to improve student safety?
The biggest area where the city can work with schools is in roadway safety. There have been a number of pedestrian accidents lately that stem from distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians. There are ways to make our streets designed in a way that makes them safer to walk.
VOICES: What is the most important contribution that the immigrant population makes to the city of Salinas in particular and the Salinas Valley in general?
The immigrant population is the backbone of the Salinas Valley. There would be no Salinas Valley without the immigrant population. This includes the new immigrants like the old. The Salinas Valley is culturally diverse thanks to immigrants.
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