1.

1-10 scale rating County:

a. Affordable Housing: 6

Affordable housing is a pressing issue for every community in our County, and it is important to me as a
Supervisor. I strongly advocated for the allocation of $4.4 million in grant funds to support our local non-
profit organizations for the construction of low/middle income housing projects.

I supported HOME funds ($1.4 million) to assist People’s Self-Help housing in the construction of 30 units of
very low income housing. I voted in support of $826,000 to partner with Transitions Mental Health Services
(TMHA) to house mental health clients in San Luis Obispo County.

Not only do we need affordable housing, but we also need workforce housing units, and this must also be our
priority. It is important that our teachers, firefighters, and our local police officers can afford to live in the
communities that they represent. It is also important that our construction workers, servers, electricians, and
hospitality workers can also afford to live in their own hometown.

I supported partnerships and funding for projects including the Courtyard at the Meadows (HASLO),
Templeton Place (People’s Self Help), Elm Street Housing Rehab (Family Care Network) and CAPSLO,
CDBG and HOME grants for home repairs to keep people in their homes.

Additionally, we have streamlined the process for building secondary units on residential properties, and we
have approved amendments to the Inland Zoning Ordinance to encourage the development of houses that are
affordable to “working professionals” within the county.

I have voted to reduce impact fees that are a barrier to affordability, and have worked toward having
reasonable regulations to enable projects to move forward in an economical manner. If re-elected I will
continue to look for innovative ideas to increase the number of affordable homes we produce and for areas in
which we can build these given our constraints.

b. Homeless Services: 6

This is an area where I believe most of the Supervisors agree. No one in a country as wealthy as ours should
be homeless, and we all need to do our part to help the less fortunate.

In 2015, our homeless population count was 1515. In 2017, the population decreased to 1125. While these
numbers are probably undercounted, they still show a downward trend in our county. I believe this decrease
indicates that the policies and programs we have put into place are having a positive impact, however there is
always room for improvement.

The 40 Prado Homeless Services Center is due to open this year, and will be a temporary shelter to
consolidate services. The facility will have beds for 150, have after school programs, drug and alcohol
programs and support services. The largest financial contribution for the site came from the County. The 40
Prado Detox Center was a project moved forward by our Board unanimously.

1
 We have many local services that help our homeless including the Homeless Services Oversight Council
(HSOC), Transitions Mental Health, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, ECHO, the Food Bank Coalition,
Five Cities Homeless Coalition, etc. that we support financially, and in other ways.

The 50 Now Program, which we just voted to expand, is intended to provide housing to the top 50 of the
County’s most chronically homeless, and to move them into housing first, then into treatment. The current
Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1.9M, three year contract with Transitions Mental Health
Assn., to get these 50 vulnerable individuals the help they need. I will continue to advocate for, and support
this program.

If re-elected, I will continue to support programs such as these, as I have done in the past, as long as the
results are measurable and positive, as they have been in the past. I would continue to vote to expand upon
the successes of the 50 Now program.

c. Mental health services, particularly for jail inmates: 5

Jails are not mental health facilities. We need to take care of those people who are the most vulnerable in our
society…and we don’t need to incarcerate them. As a society we can certainly do a lot better in how we deal
with mental health issues in both in the jails and in our society. The County just opened the new $1.2 million
Crisis Stabilization Unit. This was a much needed addition to the current system and we voted unanimously
to allocate $300K to this endeavor.

The Board voted to approve the proposed Behavioral Health Facility in Templeton. This is a proactive step to
keep families together and the facility will have approximately 90 psychiatric and 55 memory care beds.

Today there are almost 10 times as many mentally ill people in prisons and jails, than there are in mental
hospitals. Unfortunately, this dilemma is not unique to San Luis Obispo. Since the tragic death of Andrew
Holland, much needed changes were made to the County’s mental health services for jail inmates. These
were outlined in a press release, but included adopting the Stepping Up initiative. The Board hired an
independent evaluation of our jail medical and mental health services which recommended the need for
oversight and outsourcing of health care services. We hired a Chief Medical Officer for the jail who will
oversee services directly at the jail. We expanded mental health screenings, and increased deputy training.
We implemented a program to determine how to restore competency to individuals who are deemed
incompetent to stand trial, and we changed our protocol to ensure individuals who need to be accepted to the
Psychiatric Health Facility will indeed be accepted, rather than turned away to stay in the jail.

Unfortunately, while I don’t believe these changes are going to solve every crisis involving inmates with
mental health issues, I believe these changes will make the situation better for those inmates and for their
families who, no doubt love them. If re-elected, I will continue to advocate for positive changes that
minimize the risks to these inmates and that facilitate the path to better mental health for this population of
individuals.

2
d. Preparing For The Closure of The Diablo Canyon Power Plant - 6

PGE announced the permanent closure of DCPP in 2024-2025. DCPP is the largest private employer in the
county, employing 1500 people with an average salary over $150k/year. The overall economic impact is
$1B/year. I believe we need some sort of a “bridge” for our economy in light of the announced DCPP
closure. I support SB 1090 that would ensure SLO County receive the full $85 million settlement for
economic mitigation that was initially proposed by PG&E. This bill would protect our region during the
critical economic time post closure.

While we need to economically prepare for the closure, there should also be a shift in our thought process for
this facility and county in terms of local energy needs. I will support renewable energy projects as they come
forward as a replacement for the closing plant.

Additionally, it will take a collaboration between both the public and private sector to develop strategies
aimed at mitigating this revenue loss. The County has partnered with the EVC to assist in managing the
overall economic planning for the closure. I am the designated appointment from the Board of Supervisors to
the EVC, so will be involved in the process. The County of SLO is the lead sponsor of the EVC and donated
$150K to this endeavor.

With that said, I am mindful of every vote that I take on the Board and how that vote will affect the County. I
always try to vote to promote a healthy economy that produces jobs, and try to vote to oppose fees and
regulations that hurt job opportunities, as I want small businesses to prosper.

In addition to the DCPP closure, I believe the Board of Supervisors has wisely decided to go forward with a
new $39M airport terminal in order to help bring new businesses and employers to our area. An airport is
critical to the regional economy of an area, and to the successes of our local businesses.

We voted to establish a Tourism Marketing District that raises approximately $3M/year to be used to promote
hotel stays in our county. Additionally, I voted (along with other Board members) to streamline our
workforce housing permitting process which can only help to make homes more affordable for our local
businesses, or for individuals or businesses thinking about relocating here.
If re-elected, I will continue to be mindful of decisions that I make, and will continue to evaluate each one on
the basis of being helpful or hurtful to our local business atmosphere, given the predicted loss of DCPP to our
economy.

3
e. Long term budget management, including financing of employee pensions: 8

Overall, I want the County to pay down our pension debt as quickly as possible. I believe it is our
responsibility use our reserves, if necessary, to pay down pension debts. In years where there are excess
revenues, I believe it is better to pay down pension debts with these excesses in order that our long term
pension debt liabilities decrease.

In order to pay for the services that constituents desire, we prioritize our limited resources. The largest
portion of the approximately $600M budget comes from either state/federal aid, or secondarily taxes.
SLO County’s expenditures are roughly split between 1/3 Health and Human Services, 1/3 Public
Protection and ½ other. Our Board has ranked our budget priorities in order of importance: Meeting
legal mandates, meeting debt service, public safety, and roads.

SLO County’s retirement system is an independent system which provides us with more flexibility and
local control. SLO County has a “three tiered” pension program which is why I give us an “8” as my
rating. The county has successfully negotiated a tiered pension benefit plan and 50/50 cost increase
sharing with all of our bargaining units for all tiers.

Our county pension “problem” (small) is a Tier 1 issue, and not an overall problem with all of the tiers.
Tier 1 currently has approximately 1600 employees in it, and is closed to any new employees. Tier 2 has
approximately 300 employees, and Tier 3 has approximately 800. The benefit formulas decrease as you
move from Tier 1 to Tier 3. The good news is that in 10 years 73% of employees will be in Tier 3 and in
20 years, 91% of employees will be in Tier 3.

With regard to SLO County, basically our unfunded actuarial accrued liability debt is forecast to increase
until the year 2022, and then it will be fully funded by the year 2040. This prediction assumes a 7.125%
rate of return. The unfunded liabilities are projected to spike in peak liability in the years 2020-2021, but
then level out until fully funding in 2041. So, overall, while we do have pension liabilities, which will
increase and spike in the future, we can anticipate full pension funding by 2041. If there is a way to
accomplish this sooner I would evaluate it. Additionally, we have refinanced pension bonds early, saving
hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments.

If reelected, I will continue to support the current board priorities, and evaluate each departmental request,
as presented given the fact that our budget is increasingly tighter this year.

4
 f. Air Quality Violations on the Nipomo Mesa –

The APCD is pursuing the mitigation efforts on the Nipomo Mesa in conjunction with State Parks and a
technical team to decrease the number of occurrences. I believe we need to look at different options to re-
vegetate the front dune and there seems to be consensus on this issue. I am also open to evaluating other
options for decreasing emissions, such as designating a different entrance leading to the riding area. I am
encouraged by the new ways (mapping) to collect timely data, and the ability to input this data to make
meaningful changes in mitigation efforts. All sides need to work together using the best science to
accomplish this and the processes should be transparent to promote trust between all interested parties
that are involved.

On the bright side, air quality violations on the Nipomo Mesa appear to be trending downward. I believe
that the more we can learn about the wind patterns, and how they affect the dune complex, the better we
(APCD, State Parks, CARB, technical team) can target specific mitigation measures that will increase
their efficacy. It is my sincere hope that under the direction of a new APCO and Board trust will improve
and all sides will feel that true progress is being made.

2. Current board and partisanship, divided, unable to get along. How to improve it? 7

I truly believe in collaboration and compromise and honestly, although we live in one big world, our
community is a small, friendly one, and many of us that live here share the same interests and values,
even if we don’t agree on everything. As Supervisors we should all work together, even though we
represent different and very diverse regions, to promote our shared visions and values, including our
people, our tourism businesses, our diverse agricultural regions, our educational opportunities, our local
business, and our newly flourishing high tech industry. I am willing to work with each and every member
on the Board of Supervisors who is willing to promote these shared values that promote our County.
Votes which cross philosophical lines include Laetitia, the Phillips 66 rail spur, and most aspects of the
past legislative platforms. Annual budgets have been adopted unanimously, and all members have
supported developmental activities such as cultural attractions and promotions, homeless services, and
other similar issue.
The bottom line is that I come to work to serve my constituents. My goal is to do it in an effective and
efficient manner. If re-elected, I will continue to advocate for their needs and the needs of those in the
unincorporated areas to make this the best place to live in CA.

5
3. Reforms in place after Holland death. Public calling for employees to be held accountable. What is my
position and should employees have been disciplined?

I am very sad about Andrew’s death, both for him and his loved ones. I have children and personally I
can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child. I wish we could bring Andrew back but that is
impossible. However, I am working to make sure incidents like Andrew’s death never happen again. No
parent should have to bury a child.
We need to do everything we can to ensure no similar tragedy occurs in our County. With regard to
Andrew Holland’s death, as you are aware, there is an ongoing FBI investigation. I do know, as a
member of the Board of Supervisors, that I take that investigation seriously, and will look to their
investigative report for follow up actions. While the Board does have responsibility for some
departmental heads, we do not have authority down to the individual employee levels.
Voters approved the Civil Service ordinance creating the Civil Service Commission. The details how
disciplinary actions are handled. Personnel files, by law, are private, and disciplinary hearings are closed.
So, while I hear the frustration from the public on this issue, and share the desire for transparency and the
need to hold people accountable for their actions, this has to be done in a legal manner.

4. How do I communicate with my constituents?

I do my best to meet with as many constituents as possible. There are numerous ways in which I communicate
with them. I hold office hours three days a week, mornings and afternoons, in South County, scheduling
appointments through my legislative aid. Office hours are held at the Nipomo library, the Oceano Sheriff
Substation, or the Arroyo Grande library. If it is a land-use based issue, I make site visits. I welcome
communication and am always available by e:mail and have a great legislative aid who is always responsive.

Additionally, we organize groups of constituents to hold a meeting, in order to discuss the issues and to hear all
the concerns at once, rather than individually. Recently, we brought a group of constituents together to address
concerns over a road issue, and to move forward to develop a solution which would be acceptable to all. I do
attend advisory council meetings when available, and speak at many events which also affords me the
opportunity to communicate with constituents. I meet with everyone that requests a meeting, and often times
meet more than once on complicated issues.

Most constituent issues come to our office via a phone call, or e:mail.

6
5. Do I support oil exploration & drilling off the coast, and/or increased onshore production?

I am opposed to drilling for oil off our coast. Additionally, Measure A, voted on by the people of this county,
prohibits the onshore infrastructure necessary for offshore oil projects, unless approved by a vote of the people.

In March 2017, the Board of Supervisors wrote a letter to the US Dept. of Interior, noting our opposition to any
offshore oil drilling.

In a few weeks a resolution in opposition to offshore oil drilling will be brought back to our Board. I have been
consistent in my opposition on this issue.

With regard to onshore production, at least 95% of this county would be considered “off limits” for additional
drilling, according to our County General Plan.

While no one disagrees with the need to transition to more renewable sources of energy, until that time arrives
when it is fully feasible, we are left with the choice of using what we minimally produce here, domestically, with
the strictest environmental regulations in the world, or importing our current uses from foreign countries with lax
environmental standards. The oil and gas industry here in CA is very limited and very heavily regulated by at
least 20 different local, state and federal entities. Thus, as long as onshore facilities operate safely and follow all
the laws that the state of CA and our local jurisdictions have established, I believe they should be allowed to
continue in the areas where they are already established.

I believe that our economy is very fragile at this point, especially considering the future closure of the DCPP and
other businesses. I am not sure it is in the best interest of our economy to entirely shut down current operations
that have been in operation for decades and that produce products safely without the use of any fracking.

6. SB 1:
SB 1 is a state issue, but let’s face it, our roads and infrastructure need to be fixed. My preference would be that
the state tax surplus go toward making these necessary fixes, rather than taxing our citizens any more.
I have remained neutral as to this question and believe the voters should decide if the proposed measure in
opposition to SB1 survives at the ballot box in November. I think I can safely say we all believe there are many
infrastructure and transportation needs that remain unfulfilled at this time and Sacramento has a spending
problem.
SB1 included a 12 cent per gallon increase in the gas tax which went into effect in November, and the conversion
of a floating excise tax on gas to a permanent tax of another 17.3 cents per gallon to occur July 2019. It also
included similar taxes on diesel fuel, and a vehicle surcharge of $25-$175 per year depending on the value of the
vehicle. There was also a $100 annual fee for zero emission vehicles because they don’t incur fuel taxes but do
use the roads. Many of my constituents feel, and I agree, there was never any meaningful discussion about
AB 496, authored by Assemblyman Vince Fong, as a proposed alternative without raising taxes.

7
7. Biggest needs in my district?
We have many needs and priorities in South County. All of these are on my list (not in prioritized order). Most
will require finding funding sources and I am committed to working to move these ahead with the help of my
peers. Many of the below issues have already been started, or are in process.

 Sheriff Substation – Move forward with this project on Tefft Ave.

 Diablo Canyon Power Plant – Work to secure future economic opportunities to replace the $1B/year loss.
 Parks – Complete the needs assessment and move forward with the completion of at least one major park
project in South County.
 Flooding issues in Oceano – Work to complete the flood control projects already initiated including 13th
street.
 Continue to move forward and work with the redevelopment plans in Oceano and Front St.
 Continue to work on homeless issues with the sheriff and other agencies in the dunes.
 Move forward with mapping plans to determine mitigation efforts in ODSVRA.
 Jail/medical – Ensure the reforms we have recently established are being followed and move forward with
outsourcing jail medical.
 Roads – Continue to fund and maintain our roads and infrastructure. Since my election I have opted to
allocate $9.5M to fix roads and prioritize repairs (over opposition from two supervisors). However, if not
maintained they fall behind with the pavement index.
 Work to develop a plan with the Five Cities Fire Authority to address Oceano concerns and the Authority
concerns.
 Continue to streamline processes in the Building & Planning department.
 Hire a Building and Planning Director.
 Work to find a long term water solution involving Desal, locally.
 Bring new businesses to South County to spur economic development.
 Move forward with county Animal Shelter construction.