Mayor Claudia M. Frometa 2021 Mayoral Goals
CALIFORNIA
Mayor Claudia M. Frometa “I am honored to lead our great City of Downey during this historic time. I will lead through this time of adversity with strength, integrity, compassion and empathy. It is during these uncertain times, our collective effort must be focused on our strengths and we must come together in unity for all our residents. I’m honored, humbled and very grateful. Thank you Downey for allowing me to serve you.”
2021
Mayoral Goals
FISCAL LEGACY AND TRANSFORMATIVE PUBLIC SAFETY QUALITY OF LIFE
2
Fiscal
Refinancing CalPERS Pension Obligations The City has a strong commitment to fiscal sustainability and long term financial planning. As a proactive cost savings measure, in 2021, the City will be refinancing its CalPERS Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL) resulting in a gross savings of $55 million and increasing the City’s Pension Funding Level from 67.1% to 85%. Thanks to management’s foresight, this savings will help make future projects and goals a possibility.
Continue Prudent Financial Practices and Adopting a Balanced Budget The City will continue its financial stewardship by adopting the City’s 8th year of a balanced budget, and maintaining prudent financial practices as it navigates the pandemic.
3
2021 Mayoral Goals
Legacy and Transformative
Redevelopment of the Downey Promenade: Former NASA Vultee Building and Creation of a STEM Incubator & Conference Room Building upon the City’s legacy of engineering and technology, Downey will pursue the restoration of the former NASA Vultee Building. The site will be reimagined to retain it’s historic character while also creating a community conference center and STEM incubator. The incubator will serve as an important next step in the City’s evolution of being a STEM hub for the Downey community and LA region.
Metro Light Rail Station in Downey The West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor Project is a new 20-mile light rail transit line that would connect downtown Los Angeles to southeast LA County, serving the cities and communities of Arts District, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, unincorporated FlorenceGraham community of LA County, Vernon, Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Downey, Paramount, Bellflower, Cerritos and Artesia. The City of Downey will have a light rail station that will be located adjacent to the proposed Rancho Los Amigos development.
New Public Park in Downey - Rancho South Campus Complex The County of Los Angeles is building a sports complex at the Rancho South Campus, adjacent to Gardendale Street. Ultimately, the City will lease and operate the site. This new sports complex will add 5 acres of new open recreation space to the city. It will provide three new athletic fields: a 10 year-old and under soccer field; a 12 year-old and under soccer field; and a multi-use adult sized field for soccer, football and lacrosse. All the fields will be used in multiple directions during practices and trainings, thus providing an abundance of additional practice facilities for the community. Groundbreaking for this new project is planned for early 2021.
Columbia Memorial Space Center INSPIRATION Space Shuttle Expansion and Technology Improvements The Columbia Memorial Space Center expansion, made possible by a budget allocation of the State of California, spearheaded by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia will begin in 2021. The expansion will allow the Center to showcase more exhibits highlighting Downey’s aerospace history, including finalizing plans for the Space Shuttle mock-up, INSPIRATION, and making technological upgrades, including audio and visual improvements, to the existing 10-year-old Space Center building. 4
Public Safety Increase Los Angeles County Mental Health Staff assigned to the Downey Police Department The Downey Police Department is currently assigned two mental health professionals from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to ride along with two specially trained officers. The City plans to increase this number to three once it receives a third mental health professional from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Increase Tactical Medic Police Officers This past year the City initiated a Tactical Medic Officer program, sending six police officers through EMT and Paramedic training. This year, the City intends to send at least one, if not two, additional officers through this training, increasing its overall number to either seven or eight.
Downey Police Department Youth Academy The Downey Police Department holds a Citizens Academy each year. In addition to the traditional Citizens Academy, the City will hold a Downey Youth Academy, inviting high school age students to attend this program and learn about police operations in the City.
This will provide the City the capability to push out emergency notifications to residents’ cellphones using cellular tower technology. Once IPAWS is implemented, the City will be able to send messages and phone calls to all residents in the city who have a cellphone. To ensure this powerful tool is used properly, key staff will be trained on how and when to use it. Additionally, in 2020, the City developed a Mass Care and Shelter Plan to address the need of providing emergency shelter for those who are displaced from their homes during an emergency (i.e., earthquake, fire, flooding, etc.). To ensure city staff and volunteers are aware of the plan, training will be provided in 2021.
Upgrade the Fire Department's Records Management System The Fire Department is currently upgrading its records management software. Once testing has been successfully completed, the new software will ultimately enable more technological capabilities for firefighters such as: •
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and Mass Care and Shelter Plan In 2020, the City successfully pursued a memorandum of understanding with FEMA to obtain access to the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS). Starting in 2021, Downey will implement IPAWS into its existing mass notification system, Downey Alerts.
• • •
Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) which utilizes GPS coordinates to determine the closest units to an incident location Field units will use tablets to document fire prevention inspections that will wirelessly populate into the fire department’s database Incident report writing capabilities to units from the field (cab of fire truck vs. at the fire station) Detailed facility and property information readily available to on-scene field units, etc. 5
2021 Mayoral Goals
Mayor’s Pet Photo Fundraiser for SEAACA
Enhance Environmental Sustainability with Use of Solar Panels As part of the City of Downey’s on-going efforts to promote environmental sustainability, the City is proposing to install energy efficient upgrades, including solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, carport canopies and battery energy storage systems (BESS), at City Hall, Police Department, Downey City Library, Theatre, Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center and Columbia Memorial Space Center.
Food Distribution Event to Assist Families During the Pandemic
Girls on Fire Summer Camp The City of Downey offers a FREE summer workshop for 6th - 12th Grade girl students who reside in Downey. The Girls on Fire Summer Camp addresses the unique set of challenges facing young girls through a series of interactive presentations, physical fitness activities, and team building sessions led by female leaders in the community.
Benefits of implementing renewable energy sources and energy efficiency upgrades include: • Significant reductions in operational and maintenance costs • Significant reduction in greenhouse gases and carbon emissions • Savings of over $200,000 in annual energy bills
City of Downey Active Transportation Plan
Continue Senior Grab & Go Meal Program and Senior Wellness Checks
Pilot Program for City Fiber Optics Network The City will be exploring a pilot program to bring a Fiber Optics Network to Downey. Installing Fiber Optics in the city will provide high-speed reliable internet, video and phone connection to the community.
Create a Citywide 6 Volunteer Recognition Event
The City will finish implementing its Active Transportation Plan in 2021. Bike lanes and routes have been implemented along Gardendale St. and Brookshire Ave. The design of bike lanes/ routes at additional locations as recommended by the Bike Master Plan is currently in progress. Existing marked crosswalk on Brookshire Ave. at Everest St. was recently upgraded as a school crosswalk and supplemented by rapid flashing rectangular warning beacons. Walking trails have been constructed at Apollo and Furman Parks. Additional sidewalks and curb ramps will be constructed in 2021 along 10 residential streets in the vicinity of five school campuses in the southern half of the city.
Quality of Life
Rehabilitate 80,000 linear feet or 15 miles of Residential Streets The City of Downey budgets approximately $3 million annually to rehabilitate streets in residential neighborhoods. For fiscal year 2020-2021, the City is planning to repave or resurface more than 15 miles of streets in residential neighborhoods generally bounded by Lakewood Boulevard to the west, Stewart & Gray Road to the north, San Gabriel River to the east and Gardendale Street/Foster Road to the south. This will both extend the life of the asphalt pavement on these streets by more than 20 years, and increase the City’s overall network Pavement Condition Index (PCI).
Partnering with the Whole Child for Mental Health Outreach In early 2021, the City will be partnering with The Whole Child to staff a mental health professional at Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center. This in-person service will be done in a safe and social distant manner, and will be available for teens and young adults who are struggling during these challenging times.
Mayor's Champion Award
Mayor's Legacy Award
Mental Health Event with Youth Commissioners Measure S Community Thank You Event With the Measure S infrastructure improvement projects coming to a close, the City will hold a community thank you event to acknowledge the community’s contribution in making over $50 million dollars’ worth of upgrades to City parks, Downey City Library, Theatre and civic center, and all fire stations.
The Downey Youth Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Downey City Council and comprises of 15 high school student representatives who reside in the City of Downey. A key priority of the Youth Commission is Mental Health and Wellness. If COVID-19 restrictions permit, the Youth Commission plans to have a Mental Health Event in 2021 to help promote the importance of mental health and provide resources.
Rotating Art Pieces in Civic Center Breezeway
7
Claudia M. Frometa Mayor
Blanca Pacheco Mayor Pro Tem
Sean Ashton
Council Member
Catherine Alvarez Council Member
Mario Trujillo
Council Member
MISSION Proudly committed to continuously improving the quality of life for the Downey community by providing excellent service in a professional, ethical and responsible manner.
VALUES Integrity | Commitment | Respect Teamwork | Engagement Passion | Excellence
For up to date information on COVID-19 and resources, follow us on social media, visit www.downeyca.org/coronavirus or call the City’s COVID-19 hotline at (562) 299-6711.
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL 11111 Brookshire Avenue | Downey, CA 90241 562.904.7274 | www.downeyca.org