Kristina's Plan

Top Priorities

With my long-time business experience, involvement in community activities, and experience working in the 3rd District council office, I have developed a strong working knowledge of City departments, have relationships with City staff, and an understanding of the processes to get things done. My top three priorities are issues surrounding homelessness, public safety, and economic development.

Homelessness

Homelessness has become an issue that affects residents’ enjoyment and safety in the neighborhood and our business’s ability to thrive. There are so many edicts regarding the homeless population coming from the state and federal level; I would focus on what we can do in our municipality to create proactive change. I want to see the city's time, attention, and resources prioritized to improve this issue.

My policy priorities surrounding homelessness will be:

Support staffing one REACH team dedicated to each of the 9 districts in Long Beach as it is proven that multiple contacts from resources such as these teams are more successful in getting chronic homeless into temporary and long-term housing.
The Multi Service Center should be open 7 days a week with longer hours that will be helpful to those needing the services provided by MSC.
Law enforcement needs to be given back the ability to enforce the laws and arrest criminals, including those who are homeless. This needs to be a top priority. The homeless who threaten businesses are effectively using the system to get away with crimes that are ruining businesses and criminals should be held responsible for their crimes.
The CARES court should be considered. This program would mandate treatment for those who are mentally ill or struggling with substance abuse and could reduce homelessness, increase public safety, and give the unhoused their lives back.
Support Quality-of-Life officers, a division of the Long Beach Police Department
Support the enforcement of the City's anti-camping order.

There is not one solution to the problem, and the success of the solutions seem to be evolving. We can show humanity while not being victims in our own neighborhood. Our City could effectively reduce our homeless population with a reprioritization of funds and restructuring of programs.

Public Safety

The threat of crime is a threat to our feeling of security in our neighborhood. Public Safety and combating criminal activity will be my highest priority. With potential budget deficits over the next few years, it is essential that all departments are managing their funds wisely so the City can consistently fund public safety and ensure there is a long-term plan in place for police to hire and retain personnel as needed. We need to stop allowing criminals to be classified as victims. Prop 47 did us a terrible disservice – we need to hold criminals accountable.

As a part of my plan for Public Safety, I will:

Work with the City Manager and Police Chief to ensure our dollars are being spent as efficiently as possible. With potential budget deficits over the next few years, it is a top priority that all departments manage their funds wisely.
Work with police to schedule an increased patrol presence to deter crime before it happens - police vehicles act as a deterrent when seen on our streets and in our neighborhoods
Increase beat officer presence in our business districts and neighborhoods.
Promote community-oriented policing and increase Neighborhood Watch. Develop opportunities to strengthen the relationship between police and residents as well as business owners.

Small Business Development

As a small business owner for over 25 years, I know the challenges and dedication required to run a small business. Business owners are the lifeblood of our community, drawing visitors to our restaurants and shops and bringing in tax revenue. Outreach to our business community will be primarily conducted by a business liaison on staff with the council office. The top issues impacting small businesses are hiring and retaining qualified employees, the permitting/licensing process time with the City, inflation negatively impacting profit, and safety.

To support our businesses, I plan to:

Improve the process for businesses working with City Hall by reviewing the numerous regulations surrounding our business community, keeping those that make sense and eliminating those that add to the burden of running a business.
Connect small businesses who are currently not part of a Business Improvement District (BID) to form alliances that will help with communication, mutually shared information, marketing, safety, and cleanliness.
Work with the various City departments to develop a coherent plan for handling the homelessness issues that occur in business districts. One of the top concerns from business owners is the negative impact homelessness is having on their business.
Support small businesses from City Hall to the District level as economic development brings the City revenue, which can be directed to public safety and much needed infrastructure repairs.
Conduct a survey for every business in the district asking for input on their current issues, where they find their resources, what they would like to see changed both within the district as well as at City Hall and their vision for improvements over the next 10 years.
I consider it a priority to host a quarterly meeting for all business owners to participate. This would offer business owners the opportunity to share successes and struggles as well as pinpoint who to contact to resolve business issues.
Encourage a "Shop Local" mentality. Business spotlights, employee spotlights, and business awards get people talking which drives an undercurrent of excitement and increased business.