Guest Opinion | Justin Jones: Why I should Be Chosen to Represent District 3 – Pasadena Now

The applicant chosen to characterize District 3 will be part of a various group of seven extremely educated and achieved professionals who function representatives of the constituents they serve. These people are accountable for arriving at every assembly ready to debate necessary and complicated points. To collaborate meaningfully and successfully, the applicant for this seat must shortly research and familiarize themselves with these points. This particular person doesn’t have the luxurious of a transition or grace interval.

I consider I can hit the bottom working and assist the council proceed its worthwhile work for our metropolis.

I’m knowledgeable civil engineer, who has labored in native authorities my total profession. At the moment, I assist administer the Los Angeles County Protected, Clear Water Program, which is a $230M annual initiative that makes use of parcel tax income to offer funding for packages and initiatives to extend stormwater and concrete runoff seize air pollution within the District, together with initiatives and packages offering a water provide profit, water high quality profit, and neighborhood funding profit.

Nobody will fill the footwear of Councilmember John Kennedy, however the applicant chosen could also be tasked to fill his committee seats. My service on the Metropolis of Pasadena Human Relations Fee and collaboration with the neighborhood and patrolling officers will assist me serve on the Public Security Committee; and my expertise managing municipal budgets and initiatives will assist me if I’m tasked with filling Councilmember Kennedy’s seat on the Finance committee.

The function of an engineer is to take a look at a posh subject, search not solely the enter from specialists, but in addition the impacted stakeholders, internalize the knowledge gathered and synthesize an answer that addresses the difficulty and stakeholder issues – that is how I’ll strategy the job of a Metropolis Councilmember.

Along with my skilled profession, I’ve devoted my time and abilities to the Pasadena neighborhood. I’m the present chair of the Metropolis of Pasadena Environmental Advisory Fee, a member of the Stakeholder Technical Advisory Group for the Metropolis of Pasadena Water and Energy Built-in Useful resource Plan, and former chair and District 3 consultant on the Metropolis of Pasadena Human Relations Fee; outdoors of my civic work, I’ve offered math tutoring to college students in Pasadena and all through our area. Via my previous work with town and background as an engineer, I’ve participated in discussions of advanced subjects to assist flip them into nice alternatives.  

District 3 is a various district which covers a number of neighborhoods and enterprise pursuits.

My mission for the district and metropolis is to hit the bottom working on points most urgent to us. Along with my concepts on a number of points outlined here, please enable me to elaborate on a number of extra:

Metropolis Funds: Nothing occurs within the metropolis with out clearly figuring out a income supply inside the funds. Town seems to be in good fiscal form due to the sturdy key income funding the final fund; nevertheless, inflationary stress and rising rates of interest turns my consideration to making sure our metropolis maintains its quality-of-life providers. We’ll should proceed to steadiness the final fund and forecast funding wants for CIP and income supply for retrofitting the library.

Sundown Complicated Venture: Along with making certain the success of the Sundown Complicated Venture due to the need of secure, clear, and dependable water, I plan to work with PWP in direction of addressing the encircling residents’ issues.

Financial Improvement: I’m occupied with increasing our first supply database to incorporate different professions outdoors of development, so companies can recruit from this listing. We ought to take a look at creating a way for an individual to let the database know they’re out there to work once more. I consider we have to proceed to give attention to associated native companies, maybe we are able to analyze extra bidding alternatives to native companies, who in return might rent our neighbors.

Central Library: It’s necessary we protect the Central Library. Let’s give attention to the subsequent steps of the seismic restore. The engineer in me is keenly within the seismic stability of the library, on the identical time, the resident in me is drawn to the concept of getting the neighborhood concerned to reimagine among the library area for neighborhood programming and advantages.

Transportation Security: Make sure the neighborhood is concerned within the pilot initiatives for the secure system strategy previous to laying down the laborious infrastructure.

Rose Bowl: Make sure the Rose Bowl is round for an additional 100 years. Along with the sturdy occasion calendar for the Rose Bowl, let’s develop a method to create income from all the space and never simply the stadium.

My imaginative and prescient for the district is to make sure that no neighborhood or particular person feels left behind and that we middle fairness within the work we do.  Additionally, that we advocate for one another the place we are able to and respectfully compromise when crucial. I used to be born and raised on this neighborhood, my spouse and I are establishing our household right here, and I hope that I’m given the chance to serve within the capability of a metropolis councilmember.

Thanks for the chance to share my imaginative and prescient and hope that as you learn this you think about lending your assist. 

Justin Jones, P.E.