What Does District 7 Need Most?

With 10 candidates filing papers by the Tuesday deadline, debate has officially opened on new leadership for the San Fernando Valley’s 7th District City Council seat.

The race, to fill the spot vacated by now-state Sen. Richard Alarcon, is predicted to be the Valley’s most hotly contested in the April primary. KARIMA A. HAYNES asked residents of the northeast Valley district what they want their new council member to do for the area.

THE REV. JORDAN DAVIS / Pacoima resident, pastor of Parks Chapel AME Church, San Fernando

I really believe that whoever is going to work with us in this council district is really going to have to be in touch with constituents on all levels. Whoever is in that council seat is really going to have to be able to humble himself or herself so that they can discuss and negotiate with all kinds of people in order to see progress. We need to redirect our priorities away from secession and address what we need to do to be more a part of the city.

As I throw out the names of people who are running for the 7th District seat to members of my congregation and to others I talk to in the Valley, people don’t appear to be enthused. I think we are ready for somebody who is willing to come to the table and do the necessary long-suffering to help us to make progress.

The major concern in the community is safety. We are a community plagued with gang violence and other types of violent crimes. We are also concerned with public transportation. Although we are in one of the major cities of the world, our public transportation system is like something you would find in a rural town. Economic development is another concern. Folks don’t want to negotiate because they feel that others have come into their neighborhood and taken over. And there are other folks who feel they are moving up and want to disassociate themselves. All those dynamics need to be dealt with. It’s a tall order. It’s going to take someone with energy and a fresh perspective.

YOLANDA NAJAR / Executive secretary, Mission Hills

I am really concerned with the gang activity in the community. We see gang members congregating in different areas. If you are at a park with your family and they are hanging around, it’s really threatening; you just want to pack up and leave. The new councilman should do something about the gang problem.

Graffiti is another problem. As soon as someone from the city comes to paint over graffiti, it’s back again the next day, and it stays there until the city can come out again. I would like to see a quicker turnaround [for removal]. Cruising is another problem. I would like to see stricter laws. Residents have to drive out of their way to get home because the cruisers block off the streets. These [issues] are all tied together.

We also need more street lighting. It’s amazing that in a lot of areas there is no lighting at all.

SANDY HUBBARD / Information systems manager, Lake View Terrace

I would like the new council member to be someone who empowers the community to get things done. When you have a series of meetings on a particular issue, it can be a positive experience, but it can be distressing when the councilman effectively ties the hands of the participants who have volunteered their time and puts through his own plan.

We have the ongoing issue of the Lopez Canyon Restoration Project, which is a 30-year process of winding down the landfill, making sure that it gets completely closed and that the land is returned to natural use.

We have smaller issues like people who park on street corners selling fruits, vegetables and whatever, and people who forage through blue recycling bins. We need to find out why we have street vendors and people who dig through blue barrels. Some people do it because they want to make their lives better; we need to get them on the right path so that they can do that. At the same time, we need to take appropriate actions for what is illegal. Both sides need to be treated with dignity. To be a well-rounded community we need to be able to focus on both social services and enforcement of laws.

The new councilman needs to understand the people resources in the district, pull them together and give them autonomy to get things done.