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Page 1 of 21 Report on Results of El Cerrito Strategic Plan Online Survey Prepared by: Suzanne Iarla, Community Outreach Specialist (510) 215-4318 As part of the City of El Cerrito’s strategic planning process, community members were encouraged to complete a brief (5 question) online survey. The following is a report of the responses received as of October 30, 2012. 1. List three words to describe El Cerrito (right now): 1 2 3 A best kept secret in Bay Area The overall educational level of the adults-very high A police force that is very proud of their job a good feel of neighborhood needs change needs "face lift" affordable convenient pleasant Aging Low-end Parks attractive eco-friendly evolving bad schools good friendly people poor traffic enforcement Bay view homes Bart! Strip Mall Berkeley light Upcoming VIEWS Bleak Noisy (BART) Low quality boring suburban sleepy boring old dirty calm friendly safe Changing Community bad school reputation Changing Tired Safe changing diverse suburban close-knit neighborly forward-thinking comfortable nice roads good neighborhoods comfortable welcoming neighborly Community Progressive Clean Community Family oriented Diverse Community Family-oriented Politically-engaged Confused Convenient Improving convenient not heritage aware staff-driven Convenient Livable Concerned Convenient Progressive Down to earth cramped/ugly/plain hostile population stifled business environment, boring business choices crowded noisy transient declining Diverse Community Fun ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 of 21 diverse potential Diverse Safe Family-oriented Diverse Auto-dominant Evolving diverse high SES nice roads diverse friendly middle-class Diverse Progressive Convenient Diverse Crime-ridden Up-and-coming diverse safe kid-friendly diverse friendly quiet Diverse Outdated Convenient Dumpy Disengaged High tax/low service Eco-conscious Upbeat Well maintained ecological cooperative safe empty storefronts suburbia quiet Enlightened Improving Home! Family friendly Charming Peaceful Family-friendly Small Transit-oriented family-friendly transitional full of potential fragmented/disengaged community people in El Cerrito leave the city for too many things too small to solve big problems - need to partner with other communities friendly comfortable convenient Friendly Families Middle-class Friendly Peaceful Liberal friendly town-like dispersed friendly status quo uninspired Friendly Clean Slow-moving Friendly Amazing views Small-town atmosphere Friendly convenient well managed Friendly Down to Earth Underutilized Friendly Nice place to grow up in in need of infrastructure repairs friendly artistic community-minded friendly bedroom community needs more restaurants, cafes, bookstores, neighborhood groceries, walkable san pablo potential friendly community beautiful natural settings and parks close to BART friendly family small Gem Great views Threatened Green Imaginative Energetic citizens doing things on their own Green Peaceful Friendly Green Attractive Responsible gritty and not very clean too many vacant buildings lacking charm has potential historic relaxed safe Home Safety Convenient ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 3 of 21 Homes Views Accessible Homes Community Convenience Ignores its assets Wants to demolish its historic buildings Has good recreation programs improving spread-out Involved Attractive Easygoing Lacking center, downtown Boring, dead at night Horrible schools local home functional location families facilities natural setting/open space clean/inviting multi-racial neighborly too much crime good schools Nice bedroom community Under appreciated Exposed - very little vegetation compared to neighboring cities No civic leadership Lousy businesses High taxes not enough businesses on the rise looking forward building community Onerous Super expensive Overpaid city employees who overspend open space transit views Overdeveloped (not enough open space) Unattractive to small business Overpaid upper-level Staff parks views diversity physically - a hodge podge along San Pablo Ave gentrified City Hall hard to navigate Pleasant Comfortable-sized Great amenities Pleasant Friendly convenient poor public school performance few local jobs not enough retail businesses, empty store fronts progressive relaxed quiet Quaint Pedestrian Open (No tall buildings) quaint transforming easy quaint changing cold quiet clean sleepy quiet inconsequential barren quiet small convenient quiet cool peaceful Quiet Boring Isolated quiet safe aging suburbia Quiet Efficient Good government quiet no city center great views quirky arts friendly wonderful parks Recycling Small Home Residential Quiet Dull Residential Boring Expensive Retiree dense Safe Quiet ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 of 21 revitalizing improving uncertain right thinking, green small town; homey proactive safe centrally-located small safe small community Safe Convenient Comfortable safe calm quiet safe family focused lots of parks and green spaces Safe Clean Arts and Culture friendly Safety level is decreasing In flux congested Sleepy Unpretentious Convenient small friendly safe small growing friendly small town accessible government strip malls Small Town Accessible Varied Small town atmosphere Quiet Diverse Small town atmosphere Quiet Diverse small town feel stable unsafe beautiful Stagnant Outdated Complacent strung-out transit-rich outlands suburb centerless likeable suburb conventional under-financed suburb young urban Suburban Fragmented Improving suburban strip malls suburban incohesive in-transition Sucks Lonely Jail surburban & lacking character & central commercial area bicycle, outdoor & family friendly pre-school & private school overly abundant; public school poor & lacking resources Thriving Friendly underdeveloped dull beautiful undiscovered-- yeah! Unsafe Suburb up and coming mellow and nice can get better Variety Suburban Scenic vibrant homey well situated Warm Shopper-friendly Neighboring city ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 5 of 21 2. List three words to describe your vision of El Cerrito ten years from now: 1 2 3 Active Unique Cohesive affordable safe bed room community aging population needs no homeless An unique design for the city; to make it outstanding A well kept system of community parks/open space City input into the ed system makes it better then now artsy foodie connected to water and to Tilden Park As it is now keep and maintain what we have more community Attractive Active Nature Attractive Vibrant economy Quieter Best schools in the Bay Area. Progressive green programs including a city to bike in. Shopping mecca. better quality stores safest place to live cats contained on property equal to dog restrictions better schools better schools better schools Better schools and school facilities More unified community More retail amenities Booming small business community Walkable Accessible Bright Diverse Respect built-up loud overcrowded Burgeoning Engaged Cost-effective clean vibrant family-friendly comfortable pedestrian-friendly communal convenient quiet Community Progressive Clean Community Family oriented Diverse community oriented green culturally vibrant Community-focused Bicycle-friendly Vibrant crime ridden (from outsider criminals) suburban likeable Depressed economically Even less open space desired place to live full of businesses strong community Destination Clean Safe Diverse Community Fun Diverse Family Friendly Green Diverse Safe Family-oriented Diverse Safe Beautiful diverse self-sustaining friendly Diverse Resourceful Srable ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 of 21 diverse (ethnic, racial, socio- economic) safe sense of community diverse, friendly, quiet verdant clean Ecological. Educational. Responsive. educated cultured hip Engaged Democratic Equity Environmentally and socially progressive Having it own school district like Albany Culturally alive Environmentally progressive (Still) small Visionary Even better walkability paths Exciting Quality businesses Lower taxes Family Foodie Green Family dense Walkable Safe family oriented strong community great schools family-oriented interesting thriving friendlier still well managed home of a new library, public safety building & Sr Center friendly comfortable convenient Friendly Green Friendly Peaceful Liberal friendly family community friendly green recognized fun busy creative good place for kids economically stable community Good schools Low crime Economically sound great schools low crime nice shopping Green Great place for families Imaginative and energetic, as above green bike friendly renewable energy green safe fun Green energy leader More art green-environmental excellence accessible for disabled residents! revitalized business district and improved schools Greener Diverse Community-oriented Greener Diverse Community-oriented greener more small shops with local business open community space greener popular thriving greener & cleaner a destination city - unique & charming community oriented - high civic engagement Growing Lively Honest heritage-aware walkable new library highrise with views hip, with cool stuff to do green modern and vibrant Historic assets are preserved it showcases the old and new Has a new library ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 7 of 21 history museum in old chamber building no overhead wires same home reasonable berkeley-esque Home Safety Convenient Home Good walking shopping Safe Homes Views Crowded inclusive friendly artistic inclusive cooperative dynamic Intellectual Beautiful Safe interesting good places to eat/drink Leader in Arts and Culture in the East Bay Top Schools Higher quality Restaurants and bars Literate Educated Redeveloped Lively Green Friendly More and better public space More green (verdant and energy efficient) Visible community identity More shopping More restaurants more trees all schools open for neighborhood children to play after and on weekends. manage traffic around Madera, Arlington Park neighborhood organizations reduced appropriately paid public employees usable parks Neighborhood-oriented Vibrant Sustainable New Library Attract more businesses to El Cerrito Make San Pablo Ave more attractive to businesses new library to be proud of low cost after school care more money spent on schools new library to provide a real community center parks views small town peaceful clean physically - a common visual identity - commercially resident friendly government focus on locally owned retailers preserve hillside homes housing density on San Pablo A park / Plaza amenity central to the downtown preserving historical places natural/open space new library pretty, charming "downtown" areas with choice of places to eat friendly to walkers, bikers, dogs, families more independent shops, no big box stores Progressive Sensible Gracious public transportation good schools trendy cafe Quaint Pedestrian Open quiet safe solar Quiet Beautiful Fun quirky arts friendly fiscally sound Residences Commerce Nature Residential Sustainable Entertaining Restaurants Utilities Retail ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 of 21 revitalizED improvED established right thinking diverse commercial elements walkable riparian preservation fun safe accessible financially-stable safe attractive well managed safe friendly environmentally friendly Safe Updated Good schools safe healthy neighborly schools safety emergency/disaster preparation Shopping venues Street trees There is a there there. Similar Proactive lively Small community Safe small town bicycle friendly model of sustainability Sociability Entertainment Parks stability crime-free beauty starlit (dark night skies) carbon-neutral-bound walkable strong interactive community more local opportunities (jobs, food, recreation, arts, etc.) energy/environmental leader Strong sense of place Cohesive and quality architecture Interconnected and multi- modal transit network Stronger Cohesive Famous suburb under-financed sustainable accessibility community Sustainable Beautiful Progressive thriving green walkable, friendly business/ retail /restaurant district thriving (business community) diverse (population) green Upscale Friendly Dynamic upscale desirable safe Urban Diversified Integrated Variety Sustainable Scenic vibrant safe great schools Vibrant Lively Destination vibrant tree-lined community-driven vibrant homey well situated Vibrant Youthful Green vibrant active interesting vibrant personal hip vibrant walkable downtown nightlife green space worse economically unlivably crowded expensively unlivable tax wise with no return on service. younger active small business-friendly ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 9 of 21 Question 1 & 2 Word Clouds A “word cloud” is a way to graphically show the survey responses. The word cloud gives greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the responses. These word clouds were generated based on the responses to Question 1 and 2 as of 9/5/12, and do not include responses received after that date. EL CERRITO TODAY: EL CERRITO TEN YEARS FROM NOW: ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 10 of 21 3. List three of El Cerrito's greatest attributes: Attribute 1 Attribute 2 Attribute 3 access to public transit Accessibility to San Francisco and Berkeley Good housing stock Responsive citizenry Active and forward-thinking civic government and city staff Robust parks and recreation programs BART stations and green infrastructure affordability community diversity Animal ordinance 2 BART stations Recycling center animal ordinance Two BART Stations recycling center BART potential people Bart Hillside area Thoughtful people Bart Hillside Homes Development opportunity on San Pablo Bart accessible Pedestrian friendly - attributed to density really El Cerrito Community Grocery BART Stations Hillside Natural Area San Pablo Avenue BART stations Proximity to Berkeley Trader Joe's BART stations Hillside Natural Area Location beautiful diverse location beautiful views and maintaining them beautiful parks and maintaining them non-bankruptcy Climate Safe well run Close knit, friendly neighborhoods Great playgrounds & parks Close to a lot of things (SF, Berkeley, Marin) Close to Berkeley Views Green areas in the hills Close to Berkeley and San Francisco Good transit Hillside Park closeness to parks closeness to transit walkable affordable neighborhoods community center recycling center parks Community-minded development (greenway, pool, Cerrito Theater, Hillside Natural area, Recycling Center) Small-town accessibility Solid vision for city's future concerned citizens grass roots effort civic pride Contra Costa Civic Theatre The new high school El Cerrito Plaza Contra Costa Civic Theatre Green City Staff Contra Costa Civic Theatre Parks Schools Convenient Small Family oriented convenient Convenient East Bay Setting Down to earth, unpretentious community Progressive government Convenient public transportation Sense of community Weather Diversity Community Based Fun ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 11 of 21 Diversity Scenic Welcoming diversity of consumer options and local merchants forward thinking staff (sustainability, revenue streams, community needs) parks/natural areas Diversity of people: open to everyone Diversity of age and design of homes Placement in Bay Area: climate Diversity of the population Proximity to SF and the university Caring citizens easy parking Relatively light traffic Relatively low crime rate Educated & diverse population Well-managed government Proximity to SF and transit El Cerrito Plaza BART station El Cerrito Del Norte Bart station Proximity to Albany and Berkeley Engaged citizens Cerrito Cinema responsible City Council and staff environmental initiatives low crime Cerrito theater & Elevation 66 fairly safe existing multiethnic communities accessible family friendly small town feel good services friendly people community spaces sense of history with several historical sites good senior services great police force - outreach to community public transportation & shopping are good Good transit access to sf by bart Views from hills Clean air good weather good public transportation Trader Joe's, El Cerrito Plaza Great City staff, including police & fire protection Good fiscal management Great pool, recycling center Great neighbors, no sense of entitlement Excellent access to many cultural events in Bay Area Interesting and diverse history Great open space Great views Great swimming pool great police and fire department lots of trees going up wonderful small town feeling great progressive city leaders nice relaxed lifestyle close to everything you need, without needing to drive much Great streets Good government Nice place to live great views nice parks quiet Green Reasonable cost Open to new ideas, citizens take responsibility hills weather creeks hills/views parks young/active community Hillside Natural Area BART-public transportation access responsive city government Improved streets Community Center services for families Theater Infrastructure to support Excellent public parks Great delivery of public ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 12 of 21 walkability/downtown services Intelligent well-educated population Transit access Excellent recycling Involved citizens Diverse citizens Views It genuinely feels like a community responsive public servants (incl. police & city staff) concern about environmental quality/conservation It is a neighborly town (Quaint). It is a great town to walk in. Great visibility of the Bay Area land and water scapes. its strong support of the arts its small-town feel with proximity to urban experiences its open spaces and outdoor areas Location Access Diversity Location Safety Convenience location hills creeks location community center law enforcement personnel location schools location location location location services charm location influx of new positive energy/population location two BART stations low density neighborhoods Location Great environmental awareness Relative affordability location people potential location location location location services proactive government Location Weather Livability lots of public transport community spirit good civic leadership medium density near to transportation shopping New City Hall New Plaza Contra Civic Theatre New high school Good Elementary Schools Good communities nice neighborhoods lots of friendly people good schools and local government ohlone path BART quiet neighborhoods one world 4th of july festival parks private schools open space areas Bart / public transportation options open space, parks, bicycle friendly, 2 BART stations recycling center, 4th of July, swim center El Cerrito Grocery, performing arts Our recycle center! Two BART stations - excellent mass transit Around the year community events parks tennis courts community center parks shopping Parks Diversity Community part of Bay Area city seems genuinely interested in its inhabitants People Arlington Avenue Parks Playland Not at the Beach more community than city diversity ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 13 of 21 Pride Spirit Hope progressive cooperative acceptive proximity to BART stations can walk or ride bike around town recycling center Proximity to BART, SF and Berkeley Mostly free of serious crime. Progressive city government that cares and is forward looking. Proximity to Berkeley Access to open spaces Relatively safe public transportation ohlone greenway good streets - no potholes, sinkholes, etc. Public transportation Hillside natural area Recycling center quiet swimming pool 2 BART stations Recreation choices Concerned citizens Good infrastructure Recreation choices Concerned citizens Good infrastructure recycle center/ green emphasis location to SF good open space Recycling Center Fourth of July Celebration Lower cost of living recycling center safe buena vista park Recycling Center El Cerrito Plaza Cerrito Vista Park Recycling/Reuse Center BART/Plaza Safety Relatively safe Diversity Community based relatively safe + affordable easy access to other, more interesting spots in Bay Area great neighbors safe centrally-located small Safety Easy Open space safety natural beauty Bart sense of community location weather Shopping Location Size San Pablo Ave Bart Size Proximity to Bart, downtown Oakland, sf Natural beauty- the bay and hills Small Recycling Environmentally aware Solid housing stock Vibrant businesses Open space, creeks & parks streets city hall building safety strong community family friendly accessible strong green community/recycling center easy access to transportation access to open space and hiking strong, ethical, moral city leadership some of the better quality schools in WCCC potential to keep standards high that attract residents (unfortunately criminals too) Swim center Parks El Cerrito Plaza swim center World One Festival Night Out the businesses the community center/parks/ events the people The recycling center The Ohlone greenway Chinese food ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 14 of 21 Trader Joes BART Moderate climate Variety of affordable housing. Lively community identity expressed by events, services. Beautiful natural setting, location. very well run city - good fiscal management, good citizen outreach wonderful public resources - lots of parks, pool, great rec leagues, summer camps nice mix of people - older, younger, ethno-racial diversity, economic diversity vibrantly diverse homey and affordable (by and large) located close to major transportation hubs *and* the Golden Gate view san francisco sorry, can only think of two Views People who live here Easy commute to Berkeley, Oakland, and SF views diversity small town views roads recreation weather diversity recycling center Well kept neighborhoods of well designed houses Semi-wilderness open spaces Cultural opportunities, theaters, opera well managed great parks and recreation programs great weather Well preserved intact neighborhoods Natural open space Educated, active populace wonderful people weather wonderful weather convenient transportation variety of shopping younger homeowners looking for community, eager to support local businesses san pablo corridor has potential to be a thriving, walkable "main street" with with local shops, arts, food, pocket parks, awesome city planning & development & building people make it REALLY easy and pleasant ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 15 of 21 4. Finish this sentence: The greatest challenge City leaders will face in the next ten years is... Addressing needs of its community with insufficient state resources. adequate funding to run the city as well as for innovative programs. attracting and retaining suitable sources of commercial income while keeping crime rates low (esp. mugging and breaking/entering). attracting high quality destination restaurants and stores, and building a new library attracting more interesting businesses (small, not big box stores), restaurants, and recreational activities for city residents to enjoy. Balancing budget with maintaining or expanding services Balancing projected revenues with goals and desires of community residents. balancing the budget with all that it wants to accomplish. balancing the fiscal pressures with the importance of building a sustainable, green community with a community center including a better schools and less crime bringing crime down bringing in businesses that my neighbors want to shop and eat at budget concerns (employee benefits/pensions, state money grabs, etc.). budget deficit Budget overrun - overspending on the part of city government Building a new library and improving city services to retain young couples who now feel obliged to move out when their children reach school age (or at least high school age). building a strong social and business community in the shadow of SF, Berkeley, and Oakland. Building a truly engaged community leadership changing the image and reputation of the city so that businesses are eager to locate and invest in el cerrito, WITHOUT continuing to increase local tax rates City funding, crime conservation, protection of open space & wildlife habitat, and education re: climate change & over-population continuing budget problems, with potentially reduced police force unable to protect us from Richmond thugs. continuing to grow as a City in this economic climate. continuing to improve the city in the face of budget restrictions continuing to pay the unjustified high salaries and benefits for the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager, and other high level City Staff. Cost to maintain the benefits we have and the wonderful community events/resources creating a town center and a strong community identity. Creating an economically vibrant, sustainable, optimistic City. declining revenues from the state to maintain city services and public education. demonstrating leadership to advance community priorities like a new library & better schools disaster preparedness/response doing more with less and engaging partners for larger action economic development as population ages and the state funds dwindle economic growth and revenue retention educating our children appropriately. El Cerrito employee pensions and health care costs. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 16 of 21 Employees leaving for better paying jobs and growth opportunities which cut down on current services encourage renewable energy, greener landscaping, and bike/ped transportation encouraging economic growth while preserving and enhancing the city's neighborhoods, historic and architecturally significant buildings, and wildlife habitat and open space. energy transition excellent schools-high academic standards+crime creeping into E.C. from the north; code enforcement; homeless falling living standards of the middle class. Finances financial and its struggle to keep the city clean, safe, maintain the infrastructure, and provide services. financial find a way to maintain beautifying the city scape with plants/trees/art in areas with higher crime and undesirable retail find qualified candidates to run for city council finding its unique posture in east bay life while attracting appropriate businesses to serve the families of the future and developing a central community space Finding ways to reliably support the public school and establishing a more secure/sustainable school district. fiscal growth. Fiscal solvency. Functioning as one part of a greater whole, i.e. the Bay Area. Glaring disparities between rich and poor Growing the local economy and attracting new businesses and quality development having great public schools having great schools for our kids to go to having the political courage to approve projects that are met with controversy, though beneficial to the greater good. Horrible students that are soley alive to disrupt the positive aspect of El Cerrito as a city. How to create a walkable "town center" with great retail amenities. how to improve the liveability of the city, beautify it's commercial areas, and keep crime at a minimum, with limited funds. How to increase the number of families and children living the City in order to replace the aging demographic, spur growth, and revitalize existing businesses. How to use the funds they have or get bonds to provide needed library facility. improve schools--not just bigger, but better instruction and improved educational results Improvement of the schools Improving El Cerrito's schools to make El Cerrito a desirable place to buy a home. improving school system & offer aftercare at low prices for single mothers is to turn it's focus away from development and to serve the people who already live here. To maintain the small town feeling I think we all moved here for. Keep a balanced budget and the state out of its coffers keeping a budget to pay for all the amenities that make a city great - schools, infrastructure, open space, thriving business community, fire/police keeping all of the qualities mentioned above. keeping families with children in the city, rather than moving to Albany or Berkeley for (supposedly better) public schools. We lose lots of great families worried about local schools. keeping on top of the economy: attracting businesses to make it continue to flourish ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 17 of 21 keeping storefronts open and residents employed keeping strong, open books, ethical, and moral city leadership where residents are willing to pay their taxes to support the leadership's goals. keeping these good qualities at reasonable cost, without being overwhelmed; keeping energy, not entitlement keeping transit oriented development to a reasonable level Maintain the City Infrastructure and Public Services in good condition. maintaining a balanced budget and reduce the crime rate in burglaries and home invasion robberies. maintaining a growing city while safeguarding quality of schools, infrastructure and parks/open space areas. Maintaining and growing sense of Community. maintaining and upgrading services in a period of shrinking budgets & continuing to develop in environmentally and economically sustainable ways. maintaining momentum maintaining progress in the face of the budget crisis. maintaining quality staff & working with school district to support high quality schools, education, and programs for kids Maintaining services in face of State takeaways and tax resistance. Maintaining the safety of all residents and having property owners maintain yards, including not blocking views of neighbors which decreases property values and thus property taxes, and sidewalks cleared of debris and sidewalks level so no one is injured and handicapped and/or elderly can walk safely maintaining the small town sense without mega tall housing units. Making El Cerrito a place people want to hang out in. Making El Cerrito a regional destination Making it a place people stay to spend money-better shops and restaurants Making the EC accessible for walking and biking. matching resources to their civic responsibilities and the wants/desires of the community. Money Money moving ahead with current budget constraints not screwing up the city we now enjoy Over population, crowding, increased crime and crumbling infrastructure. Pension reform Pension reform preserving and enhancing its neighborhoods, open space and historical sites while facing growth, climate change and financial challenges. preserving historic sites preserving our historic sites and creeks promoting dense growth while increasing the "green" amenities such as parks and protecting natural areas including creeks Provide services given tighter budgets Providing excellent public services with limited means, lower tax base. Public safety realigning the cities priorities to meet the demands of a new, younger population as opposed to being stuck catering to an aging population that does not bring much dynamism to the city Rebranding EC from "bedrooms + auto lots" to a place where you can get everything you need, instead of going to berkeley or sf to eat, emeryville to shop, etc. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 18 of 21 recruiting new, young, leaders for City Council and building a stronger small business community. Reforming the unsustainable public sector pension mess retaining young people and families; supporting good schools; making the city vibrant and environmentally friendly returning the city to its former level of high quality life. Revitalizing San Pablo avenue Reviving San Pablo Ave without creating too much traffic congestion safety, balanced budget Schools Schools!!! Shifting demographics shrinking government tax revenues from state/federal budgets Sprucing up San Pablo avenue and dealing with Richmond crime/blight/foreclosure market Staying fiscally stable during this crisis in California. strengthening local social and economic bonds. Surviving the economic downturning and global warming teaching the community the value of our historic resources and then capitalizing on them the city being run down, attracting businesses, better schools the unsavory elements (home/car invasions/thefts) coming from "nearby" neighbors. to accept projects which benefit the tax base without degrading our homes, historic or natural features to build a new library, public safety building and senior center. to continue sustained growth and renovation in the face of continued economic uncertainty to create a true sense of place that rivals Albany and Berkeley to do more with less funding. to have better public schools, library and options for shopping, dining and outside time to inspire El Cerrito residents to work together to create a healthier, greener town with sustaining local businesses and activities; and to create a REAL TOWN CENTER with a REAL PLAZA to not turn El Cerrito into a high-rise urban, high density community. to remain fiscally solvent while continuing the city's reputation as a haven for culture and the arts to remain fiscally sound. traffic and paying pensions Transitioning from being passive, insular, and secretive to being ambitious, showing true leadership, and engaging honestly with the public unknown ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 19 of 21 5. As the City identifies key goals and areas of focus for the next 3-5 years, we would like your input. Please rate the following on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being extremely important and 1 being not a priority for the next 3-5 years (unimportant) Question 5 Open Ended Responses: 5 - preserving our historic resources and creeks a new library A New Library building to support sense of place & community identity a new library is a"5" on my list Appreciate the emphasis on bringing the arts to the community and supporting the city's greatest contribution to the arts for over 40 years the Contra Costa Theatre- a real treasure for me and my family for decades. build a new library Build a WONDERFUL NEW LIBRARY to replace the current sad one Climate change mitigation policies PACE, CCA, energy efficiency and conservation behavior programs Concern with bias in police actions Create ordinance and commission to preserve historic, architecturally significant buildings and neighborhood character Economic Development should be neighborhood scale Economic sustainability (distinct from environmental sustainability and equity) El Cerrito Elder resources encourage more renewable energy and organic/sustainable land maintenance/urban farming ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 20 of 21 Encourage more small businesses to start and grow so that people want to shop in El Cerrito. The City also has an aging population. I'd like to see more children and families living in El Cerrito, but real estate is too expensive. enforcing the creek ordinance, carefully planning new development so that it is not destructive to the environment and the natural surrounds Fixing up San Pablo Ave; working with Richmond to fill vacant spaces Flexibility in building inspections, accountability in public employees. Hey guys, upgrade the library! If you build it they will come! Historic Preservation and new library I love the idea of San Pablo becoming a dense neighborhood of service retail and housing I want El Cerrito to be the first city with an online Access Guide for people with disabilities and mobility issues; an interactive way-finding website that gives complete information on how to navigate our city streets, public buildings, and economic centers in the safest way. This would be the practical, useful counterpart to the Transition Plan and would be a profound example to set for other communities and would show our disabled citizens, aging population, and young families with kids in strollers that we support them and have their best interests in mind. Improve San Pablo Avenue...Don't invite Goodwill, Walmart, Kentucky Fried Chicken, auto sales, etc...Work to attract upscale business only!! Improving Portola should be a priority. Keeping property tax down Last question is misleading, we do not currently have "high quality schools" but creating them should be a highest priority for the city Leadership development and community building library library rated 5 library!!! Make BART quieter. More business clusters away from San Pablo More trees in residential neighborhoods!!! A visibly greener city is a more pleasant city to live and will attract interesting people and businesses. Need a new library, current one is obsolete, not inviting. neighborhood traffic calming New Library new library New library New library New library extremely important new library, public safety building and senior center. Please try to save anything historical (see sense of place) Preservation of historic and cultural resources and neighborhood character Preserve historic resources preserve historical sites Promotion of Neighborhood Events and Need Major Dept. Store public library! Recreation options, cohesive bike plan including road riding in the hills and trail networks in the hillside for mountain biking, youth biking programs Reducing local taxes reducing number of undesirable retail stores (adult stores, check cashing, liquour stores, etc.) that invite less wholesome individuals into what should be a safe, family-oriented community save historic buildings, build new library Sense of identity in city design ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 21 of 21 set a limit on population, instead of this rampant attempt to turn El Cerrito especially San Pablo Ave corridor into another Emeryville. Sidewalks and yards cleaned up, including blocking of views which reduces property values Start planning for the undergrounding of utilities Stop trying to put EC "on the map". If we wanted to be on the map, we would have moved to SF, NY, or London strong police reputation and law enforcement to scare criminals away tennis courts , restrooms transparency - keeping citizens informed Walkability! Get sidewalks filled in. Clear and name pathways. Huber park renovation. we don't have "quality schools and education" so can't "maintain" We need to convince young families that El Cerrito is a place to stay and not just a stepping stone. wetlands restoration; education re: urgency of reducing our contributions to global warming