CARRIE DOWNEY
Coronado Accomplishments
Carrie's leadership and consensus building resulted in the following accomplishments:
01-STREET LIGHTING
When the street lighting project for 3rd and 4th streets was removed from the 2016/2017 Capital Improvement Budget, Carrie went door to door with a petition to garner support from the residents on 3rd and 4th to put Pedestrian lighting back into the budget. After recieving overwhelming support from the 3rd and 4th street residents, Carrie convinced her fellow council members to put the lighting project back in the budget in time to be adopted before the Fiscal Year started in July 2016.
02-CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS
Even before being elected, Carrie championed posting entire Council Agenda packets on-line in 2003 so residents could become more involved in the development of City budgets, policies, and programs. Before Carrie's efforts, only one copy was available for viewing in the public library. Residents had to take turns to read the agenda packet information. When the City upgraded the webpage in 2006 the full agenda packets were finally available for public review.
03-RESTAURANT OPERATING HOURS COMPROMISE
In 2013, between her terms on the City Council, when a compromise could not be reached, Carrie helped negotiate a settlement agreement between 43 residents and a new restaurant opening on First and Orange, to allow the approval of a liquor license downgrade so the restaurant could open and in return the restaurant agreed to limit the hours of operation and live music noise to protect residents peace.
04-SUPPORT FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
As the economy and City revenue allowed, Carrie repeatedly voted to increase City yearly funds available to provide Mills Act Incentive Tax Benefits for owners of historically recognized properties while establishing a yearly tax benefit limit to keep the program sustainable. Shortening the Mills Act approval wait time encouraged saving old homes instead of allowing them to be replaced with more dense larger homes. Carrie was appointed to a City subcommittee to seek input from residents and draft recommendations to improve the Coronado statutes on qualifying for historic designation and Mills Act Funding. Clarifying the definitions for eligibility and requiring an outside expert review, insured homeowners, neighbors, and the public would have time to review evidence of historic import prior to historic determination.
05-BALANCED BUDGETS
For more than 12 years, Carrie worked with City staff to develop and approve fiscally conservative balanced budgets, including during the recession from 2007-2012, without cutting City services. She prudently approved a large one time payment to pay down outstanding pension liabiliies. this allowed a more transparent view of Coronado's balance sheet.
06-COUNCIL MEETINGS RESIDENT PARTICIPATION
At the request of residents in 2012 , Carrie championed for and ultimately built consensus on the City Council for unanimous approval to delay Council meeting start time from 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm to allow greater resident participation in Council meetings.
07-SANDAG
Shortly after being elected in 2004, Carrie was asked by the SANDAG Board of Directors to Establish and Chair the Environmental Mitigation Program Committee. The EMP was tasked with properly allocating millions of dollars of taxpayor funds generated each year from the TRANSNET 1/2 cent sales tax. The funds were to be used to acquire and preserve critical habitat in San Diego County to allow advancement of County highway transportation and Transit programs such as Trolley expansion to continue. For almost 9 years, even after she left office in 2012, Carrie led the group by developing consensus among city representatives, environmental groups, CALTRANS department staff and the US Fish and Wildlife on what projects should be funded each year and then convincing the SANDAG Board of Directors to approve the Committees proposed allocations. She was reappointed every year because she was effective at leading the Committee and building consensus for a plan of action.
08 -CREATE FACILITIES FOR CORONADO
Carrie shared the vision and worked to create facilities for all Coronado residents: the Community Center, Lawn Bowling Green, Animal Care Facility and John D. Spreckles Center and Bowling Green. Once built, she convinced the City Council and staff to allow use of a room in the new boathouse on the strand for free by Coronado nonprofits for monthly meetings. Coronado taxpayers should benefit from City facilities.
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