Thank you President Gonzalez and good morning ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the State of the North County Address. It has been my tradition for the last five years to tailor a message specifically for North County. From our beautiful beaches to our pristine mountains, San Diego's North County has it all. We are truly lucky to live or work in what is one of the most diverse geographical areas in the world. From the flower fields in Carlsbad to the natural spring time bouquets in Borrego. We do have it all.
This growing campus of California State University San Marcos is an excellent example of the North County. Growing steadily, producing a healthy balance with business and education. This institution of higher learning is slated to enhance North County's growing high tech base.
I have called North County home for the past 23 years, it is a wonderful place to live and work. I have shared the growing pains associated with development and the increases in population.
There is no denying it, North County is growing. More people live here than in the states of Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming and our nation's capitol.
The upcoming 2000 Census could reveal that close to 1 million people call North San Diego County, home.
Before we go too far, I would like to introduce some people who make living and working in North County special.
Joining us today we have:
L I S T
As a San Diego County Supervisor, I see many issues brought before the Board.
The main issues affecting North County are Crime, Health and Traffic. I will highlight these important issues and also talk about some other ways we can make our quality of life more enjoyable in North County.
No other issue carries the same kind of consequences as crime.
When a crime is committed the damage to people's lives cannot be reversed. That is why I have worked hard with law enforcement agencies and the cities to reduce and prevent crime in our communities.
The North County Gang Task Force is a tremendous success. The Gang Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional force that uses the resources of the Sheriff's Department, the Police Departments of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Escondido, the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigations Services, U.S. Marshall Service, he California Dept. of Corrections and the INS.
This force works together to stop and prevent violent crimes from being committed by gangs against our citizens.
Oceanside Mayor Dick Lyon told me in his office a few days ago that the program has been so successful in Oceanside, that taxi and pizza delivery service has been restored to the north area of the City that have been non-existence for years.
This year the County Board of Supervisors plans to roll out this same task force throughout the entire County, to help take back our streets.
Now that's what I call success.
Crime rates are down in San Diego County in part because of the efforts of Alan Crogan and the Probation Department through programs such as Breaking Cycles, Reflections, and Choices for Juveniles.
The Breaking Cycles program helps children get back on the right path again by working with justice, health, social services, and the educational system to break the cycle of delinquency.
The care and concern of all individuals and groups associated with the Breaking Cycles program has turned many lives around.
The Reflections program focuses on children that are wards of the Courts and delinquents by providing intensive counseling and therapy in a day school setting.
My thanks to Mayor Corky Smith for his help in obtaining a site in San Marcos to provide a perfect setting for these children to learn and become productive citizens in society.
Probation also does a great job with handling adult probationers in San Diego County.
It is not easy dealing with individuals that have chosen the wrong path in life. The Officers must remain positive and focused to manage some very important programs that have made a positive impact on society.
One such program, Probationers in Recovery is designed to stop addicts from reverting to their old lifestyle of addiction and to get back on the right path.
All of the hard work that the Probation Department does is invaluable to the County of San Diego. They help keep our communities safe and are a big reason for the dropping crime rates.
It is for those reasons that I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire department and give them my sincerest thanks.
Last year, as part of an ongoing effort to fight and prevent crime, I had the tremendous honor of helping to bring about a helipad here in San Marcos for the Sheriff's ASTREA Unit.
The helipad was dedicated in memory of Deputy Pat Coyle, who lost his life in a helicopter accident while on duty serving us, the citizens of San Diego County. Deputy Tony Webber crusaded endlessly to have the helipad built in honor of his friend and fellow deputy.
I saw the need for this facility and helped make this helipad possible by allocating money from my office budget to make Deputy Webber's tribute a reality. Due to the efforts of Deputy Webber and the entire Sheriff's Department, San Marcos and the North County region is served more efficiently. Thanks to all who contributed.
The County is currently partnering with San Marcos, to construct a new Sheriffs station. North County will also receive two additional substations, one will be located in Valley Center and the other in Fallbrook. I have pushed hard for the sites to be found and acquisition of the land to be obtained as quickly as possible.
It is because of my commitment to safety and persistence at the Board of Supervisors that ground breaking on these two projects will occur in the next six months.
One more key for the drop in crime rates is the hard work of the District Attorney's Office. Every Deputy DA puts in long hours and does a great job prosecuting criminals.
All of the Deputy DA's deserve a hearty round of applause for their efforts. It is my job and the job of my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to continue to provide the DA's office with the resources they need to continue their efforts of reducing crime.
The prevention of crime and making our streets safe can only be achieved by us working as a team, and our team works.
A major part of that team are the Courts. The courts have helped facilitate the rapid drop in crime in North San Diego County. Judge Einhorn's sanctions on the gangs has been an invaluable tool in curbing their activities. The net result has made North County's neighborhoods and schools safer. I want to congratulate him as the Supervising Judge of the North County Superior Court.
Another prong of our attack is the North County Drug Court program. It has been so successful that it has now been expanded Countywide. Until recently the Drug Court, has been led by Judge Ryan, we want to thank him for the impact he has had on so many lives and I want to welcome Judge Harvey Hieber our new Drug Court Judge.
On behalf of the citizens of North County I would like to say thank you to our Sheriff's Department, District Attorney, the Probation Department, and the Courts for making our communities safer and for working together in a unified effort to stop crime in the North County.
Education is one deterrent to crime. Young people learn at home and at school how to become model citizens. One place kids can learn is the library and I am pleased to mention that a grant recently awarded by The Gates Library Foundation will allow the placement of 54 personal computers and 16 printers. Among the Libraries to receive the equipment this year, are Borrego Springs, San Marcos, Valley Center, Vista and Fallbrook.
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) will also upgrade 53 library PC's to Pentium 3's in order to run software efficiently.
Additionally 100 new PC's, free-of-charge, from the Pennant Alliance contract will provide increased access to the Library catalog, Internet and informational databases. 19 branch libraries will be the recipients of these PC's.
Last year we were able to provide $140,000 to North County libraries to purchase new books, up-to-date reference materials, books on tape, and computer work stations for all library users.
I obtained funding for a new 15,000 square foot library to replace the woefully undersized storefront branch located in Valley Center. The new library site will be at Cole Grade road and Horsecreek Trail. I expect groundbreaking this Fall. San Diego County is only place in the State that has plans to build five new libraries.
Let me touch on health for a moment.
One of our star players, Nick Macchione, whose wife is having their first baby right now, is the Deputy Director and General Manager for the Health and Human Services Agency. Because of him, significant improvements have been made in North County's mental health, child protection and alcohol and drug services.
Family and community resource centers have been added in Escondido and Fallbrook. An additional site will be added in March.
We plan to convert the Oceanside courthouse to yet another family resource center. These centers belong to you.
This year I am also exploring ways to provide incentives for Small Business Health Insurance. We need to improve access to health care by improving participation in existing programs by private employers. One option would be to create a pooled health insurance purchasing program that would minimize the numbers of employees who do not have insurance or are underinsured.
Last November, I approved a significant increase of $16 million covering mental health services for Medi-Cal eligible children. I plan to add new providers in North County that will address children's needs through early intervention, pediatric services and community based strategies.
As your North County Supervisor, I have been on the front lines of welfare reform since 1996 when Senator Dole carried my proposal in the U. S. Senate.
We recognize that dependence on welfare is not only costly to taxpayers, but also destructive to the human spirit. With that in mind, we have moved over 35,000 families from welfare to work, saving taxpayers nearly $500 million, and restoring confidence and self-respect for those individuals.
Last year, I provided housing on China Berry Lane, here in San Marcos, for foster care youth transitioning out of foster care and into adult life. These youth do not have mothers and fathers to teach them how to balance a checkbook, sign up for college, or any of the lifeskills we take for granted.
I am very supportive of making San Pasqual Academy a safe haven for foster care children that have bounced from family to family with no place to call home. These youth deserve to have a stable environment where they can be educated and become functioning members of society. By May we must exercise our option to purchase this 238 acre campus. My hope is that we can all pull together and do what is right for these kids. They don't need to be abandoned twice.
Two years ago I was able to provide $50,000 to create the North County Economic Development Council of which Bob Campbell is the Director. I am very pleased to announce that Bob was recently awarded a $100,000 challenge grant that I gave to the North County Collaborative.
We started the NCC to improve the working relationship among North County service providers in order to fulfill the vision for a healthy and safe community. NCC has advised the Board of Supervisors on key issues such as the Tobacco Settlement funds and Prop.10.
I am excited to tell you that today, the NCC membership includes over a hundred diverse groups and organizations all working together to build a healthy and prosperous North County.
All of us who live and work in the North County have felt the impact of increased traffic on our roads and highways. Probably nothing is more annoying for the daily commuter than your own personal pothole.
I have made sure that North County has received a fair share of funding for our roads in my tenure as Supervisor. I am proud to mention two projects that will be completed before the end of this year that affect many people in North County.
The widening project for south Mission Road in Fallbrook, will be completed in March. It extends from Winter Haven Road to Pepper Tree Lane in Fallbrook.
Cole Grade Road in Valley Center will be completely widened from a two-lane road to include a continuous left turn lane from Valley Center Road to Fruitvale by August of this year. I would like to see the Cole Grade road widened all the way up to the high school.
I have secured $4 million to fix a sinkhole problem adjacent to the runway at Palomar Airport. The subsidence problem exists because a portion of the airport was built on a landfill. This problem existed years before I became Supervisor in 1995 and I said I was going to do something about it and I am making good on that promise.
In May of 1999, I secured nearly $500,000 of Community Development Block Grants for North County. With these funds we paid for the installation of a new roof on the Boys & Girls Club in Fallbrook, replaced damaged interior lighting with newer, brighter lighting for the Fallbrook Community Center.
The County has stepped in to assist families by providing adult supervision for youth from the hours of 2:30pm to 6:00 in the afternoon, the time kids are most likely to come in contact with law enforcement. We call this Critical Hours.
In North County, 2 new critical hours sites were added to make a total of 9 sites. This enabled us to serve an additional 145 kids, who would otherwise have been without adult supervision in the afternoon. Many agencies worked together to make this possible and as a result, $5.4 million more dollars were attracted from the State to the program to expand educational programs over the next 5 years.
These youths are being armed with the tools to resist drugs, alcohol, tobacco and gangs. Every single young person involved in the Critical Hours programs has stayed out of trouble and out of the juvenile justice system! The evidence is in, prevention works.
To further enhance our after school programs, I would like to issue a challenge to the North County Boys and Girls Clubs, in my district. For every dollar you raise up to $10,000 within 90 days, to enhance your existing after school programs, I will match it.
In October, I was able to secure $190,000 for a fire truck for Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire District. This volunteer fire district was operating with a 40 year old fire truck which drove three miles per hour---down hill--- and broke down on more than one occasion on the way to emergencies. This new fire truck will serve the people of Palomar Mountain. This will also allow volunteers to assist others in crisis when a mutual response is needed.
This year the North County Transit District has embarked upon a business plan that will update bus routes for the first time in 20 years, so that we can better serve North County residents. This is called Fast Forward: 21st Century Transit Solutions for North County.
I appointed eight North County residents to represent my district on a steering committee for this endeavor. I want to thank the following individuals for taking the time to be on this steering committee: Bob Leonard, Harry Christensen, Jim Yerdon, Bob Campbell, Karen Sanchez, Alvin Buchholtz and Darren Cooper.
I am a representative on the SAFE Call Box Committee that manages the boxes and decides where they should be placed. As a member of this committee I have pushed for the installation of over 140 call boxes on over 200 miles of roads in North County from Fallbrook to Borrego Springs. I want to thank these organizations today: La Casa Del Zorro Resort, Palm Canyon Resort, De Anza County Club, and the Bank of Borrego for being partners with us.
Three communities in North County are being revitalized, Fallbrook, Valley Center and Borrego Springs. The Fallbrook Economic Revitalization Plan is well on its way. In Valley Center, I just recently selected a committee of 15 members and their first meeting was January 27th. The first community forum will be held at the Valley Center Community Hall on February 12th and February 19. I urge Valley Center residents to get involved in the revitalization movement and I value your input.
Borrego Springs has also developed subcommittees to discuss a focus for revitalization. The two meetings were well attended by the residents of Borrego Springs and the next one is planned for April 12th. To all those involved I want to thank you for your time and effort.
State Route 76 is a very important thoroughfare for commuters trying to get from I-15 to I-5. I have made it a top priority to fight for the funding to complete the widening of SR 76 from Melrose to I-15.
I've seen the traffic on SR 76 during rush hour and the only way we will be able to alleviate the traffic is by widening the entire length from Melrose to I-15. The growth in North County is booming and if Caltrans and SANDAG have their way, it will take twenty years to begin the process again.
Commuters are not the only ones gridlocked by poor decision making on the part of State Bureaucrats. Homeowners are held in limbo for years while they wait to learn whether they will have a freeway running through their backyards.
I plan to ask the Board of Supervisors to join me in urging state lawmakers to limit the time period a property owner is held captive to the route selection process. I will propose that length of time be kept to under a year, once an announcement is made.
After 17 years, the Valley Center Sewer Moratorium has at long last been lifted. This was another example of bureaucratic gridlock, which I shall continue to fight!
In 1994, I promised to computerize the County of San Diego. I am happy to report that that it is being done.
The road for the future of Government in San Diego County is going to be paved on the internet. My goal is simply, that County government better serve the citizens of North County. The County Administration Center in downtown San Diego is a long round trip drive for North County residents. I put forth a Pilot Program last year to make grading permits attainable through a County website. Last month we learned that the program was used successfully by SDG& E and others. Now we are ready to roll the program out Countywide.
These applications can be ramped up to include other functions of County business. Recently, at the County, we privatized our computer systems and have partnered with Computer Sciences Corporation. An alliance has been formed with La Jolla based Science Applications International Corporation, Pacific Bell, and Lucent Technologies to provide information technology services to the County of San Diego.
You are going to see e-government in action like you have never it before. We call it e-county @ work, and it will mean: Internet access to county offices 24 hours a day, Permits and licenses, Employment Information, Library Services, Plan Checks, Camping reservations and more.... All available from your computer at home.
Now that's what I call an e-fficient e-government.
One deterrent to crime, is getting a good education. Children learn in our schools and at home how to become model citizens. Another place of learning is our Libraries. I am a Big supporter of our Libraries and one reason is because I love to read. I have made it a life goal to read at least one hour per day.
Along with books and periodicals our Libraries are becoming a public resource for learning how to use computers. While the County and the world are ramping up onto the Internet, we all have to be aware of the pitfalls and dangers that are lurking on the web. Our county sites will continually be upgraded utilizing the latest technology available to keep transactions secure and protected but I feel we also have a responsibility to protect our children from dangers that are stalking them online.
Since new technology has given us better products to filter sites that contain pornography and hate-speech from the innocent eyes of our children.
According to Citizens for Community Values of San Diego over 700 pornographic sites go up on the web everyday.
I have sat down with Librarians, Community groups and staff to explore ways to shield our children from the evils of pornography at our County Libraries. A Pilot Program will soon go into effect in one of our North County Libraries and I plan to roll out the program countywide once the program is perfected.
You wouldn't send your children to the park with a pedophile, why would you send your kid to the Library with a pornographer?
North County does have it all and the future of North County looks brighter than ever. We have established the reputation of producing top notch, agricultural crops, and cutting edge technological products. We have built institutions of educational excellence that will help lead San Diego into our new century.
We will continue our efforts to keep our beaches, canyons and mountains pristine for the enjoyment of generations to come and we will pursue the goals of safe neighborhoods, affordable healthcare and free flowing traffic.
I am here to help you achieve your dreams for North County, but I can't do it alone. I need your help and your suggestions. As we gather afterwards on the patio for some great food provided by our sponsors, please take the time to fill out one of these yellow comment cards or take it home and then mail it back to my office. I am looking forward to your input so that together we can build the future of North County.
Yes, we may have it all, but that doesn't mean we can't make it better. Thank you for coming and God Bless you.
Once again thank you for coming to the State of the North County Address.