The foundation of a healthy city is top-notch public safety, solid finances, and good infrastructure.  Sounds boring, but you've got to have them and take care of them.  If you do – and I think San Dimas does – then you can focus on the fun, fantastic, and future-oriented things that create a great small town and a wonderful community.

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So here are three "fun, fantastic, future-oriented things" that are high on my list:

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1.  A downtown that is vibrant, walkable, and inviting, with shops, restaurants, and things to do for everyone from babies to older folks, all with a small-town vibe.

 

2.  Making sure that any project fits the neighborhood and benefits the community.  This includes protecting neighborhoods from over-development, whether it's within the neighborhood or right next to it.  It means approving projects only if they fit into a cohesive, forward-looking vision.  Piecemeal planning is poor planning.

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3.  The “San Dimas environment".  This is about Quality of Life and covers things like our parks, trails, trees, and open space.  It includes safe streets and graffiti-free walls, historic preservation, good schools, and helping small businesses thrive.  It includes amenities like the Senior Center, the Via Verde Park walking path, the dog park, the skate park, horse trails, a dedicated Youth Center, and playground equipment that is accessible to all.  (You might notice that we don't have a dedicated Youth Center – yet.  It's one of my goals!)

 

These priorities – and others – help us focus on quality of life and making San Dimas the best it can be.