Increasing community participation will take place on several fronts. Implementing several Civic Engagement Assessment recommendations in the Southwest Specific Plan will increase public dialogue. Special events leading up to the City's Centennial celebration in 2011, will provide more opportunities for community interaction. A biannual Citizens' Leadership Academy is another important effort to bring people together from around the City. Opening city government results in people being better informed, thereby fostering a partnership in addressing community issues. The curriculum will provide an in-depth look at city programs, services, policies and issues.

In preparing to establish a University Park and Research Center in southeastern Chula Vista, the City will recruit a four-year institution of higher learning, post-graduate schools and vocational education that will complement the already established High Tech High. We will intensify efforts to attract environmental and technology research firms and institutions as partners. When acquisition of acreage for the campus is finalized, a capital campaign will be launched to build a National Energy Center.

Piecing together the greenbelt that surrounds the entire city and supporting continuing efforts to clean up the Otay Valley Regional Park will help preserve the environment Chula Vistans enjoy. In order to protect the quality of life for residents, public access to parks should be improved and ways to add new parks in western Chula Vista should be explored.

Implementing the Urban Core Specific Plan and preparing the Southwest Specific Plan require that we take into account public opinion, transitions from current to future uses, and historic preservation. The Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation (CVRC) must be empowered to do its job. The CVRC's working relationship with the Redevelopment Advisory Committee (RAC) should be enhanced.

Around the county, residents are concerned about traffic. Although the opening of the South Bay Expressway should ease congestion in eastern neighborhoods, we must continue to explore options for new roads and improved public transportation. These options include working with federal, state and local officials and area Chambers of Commerce to support the construction of State Routes 11 and 905 and a second border crossing at Otay. As the City's SANDAG Board representative, I will encourage SANDAG to address South Bay transportation needs.

In order to strengthen economic development, I will ramp up efforts to attract new businesses, work to retain existing businesses and focus on expanding the local employment base. Reviving the Economic Development Commission and becoming a more active partner with the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce and South County EDC will reinforce this effort. In addition, the City must move forward expeditiously with the Eastern Urban Center and improve access and exposure to the Auto Park.

Working together, the City, Port, and local utility companies will facilitate decommissioning the South Bay Power Plant in 2010. We must consult with regional stakeholders to site energy generation that meets regional needs and state regulatory requirements. With Bayfront development moving forward, plans must be formulated to relocate the aging switchyard and to establish a satisfactory timeline for under-grounding power lines.

Assessing the impacts of bringing professional sports to Chula Vista is high on the list of priorities as we explore the possibilities of bringing a San Diego Chargers football stadium and a championship off-road racing venue to our City. If the Chargers select a stadium site in Chula Vista, a financing agreement with the Chargers for subsequent feasibility assessment and staff costs associated with the team's relocation is the next logical step. Voters may weigh in on this issue with an advisory vote in 2008. Evaluating a long-term championship off-road racing venue is another objective.

I will work with the City Manager to practice fiscal discipline across the board while maintaining budget principles and priorities. We must be open and forthright about current financial challenges and those that lie ahead. We should prioritize and implement selected recommendations of the Independent Financial Review, a report I initiated at the beginning of my term as Mayor. As part of our ongoing fiscal analysis, funding for future libraries and ongoing maintenance of facilities and infrastructure will be evaluated.