Let There Be Light!

During my East Palo Alto City Council campaign, I pledged to address our city's finances and put our $140 million reserve to better use. Our residents deserve to see their tax dollars invested in projects that improve our community, not just accumulating interest in bank accounts.

Webster Lincoln and I met with EPA's Finance Director yesterday to get an overview of our city's finances. In this meeting, we discovered that East Palo Alto has over $6 million specifically earmarked for lighting.

While campaigning door-to-door, I consistently heard residents express concerns about insufficient street lighting. They feel unsafe walking on dimly lit streets, where they are less visible to drivers and more vulnerable to crime.

This lighting fund could also be used to illuminate sports fields at Martin Luther King and Jack Farrell Parks. Just a short distance from MLK Park, Palo Alto's Baylands Athletic Center on Geng Road is consistently busy with softball and baseball practices, even after sunset. In contrast, I often see MLK Park empty. With sunsets around 5 p.m. in the winter, we need to provide lighting so our residents can enjoy these parks for after-work activities and youth sports leagues.

While still in the early stages, I'm optimistic that the city can make these lighting improvements a reality within the next year. Lighting for the sports fields will require an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), but given that Palo Alto has similar lighting in a nearby park, I believe East Palo Alto can achieve this as well.

I'm just one vote on a five person council, and will be working with other council members to get this prioritized and funded. I hope we can work together as a council to make this happen.