We asked the candidates running for Irvine mayor and City Council these questions about local policy matters:

• Why are you running for office? 
• What is your vision of Irvine?
• Business Climate: In many ways, Irvine is the economic hub of Orange County. How would you ensure the business climate continues to grow and thrive? How do you see the city supporting local businesses especially as they recover from the Covid-induced economic hardship?
• Safety and Law Enforcement: Irvine has been named one of America’s safest cities numerous times. Considering the current social climate, how will you navigate the relationships between local law enforcement and local organizations calling to defund the police?
• Housing: Irvine is thought of as one of the best places to live in the United States. So, naturally, there is a demand for housing here. What is your position and vision for housing in Irvine? How does affordability in terms of housing play into your view?
• Traffic: Traffic is a way of life in Southern California. And, much like any city, some residents in Irvine list it as one of their concerns. What is your viewpoint on the matter?
• Green Space and Environment: Irvine is known for its open space and greenery. If elected to the council, do you have any ideas on how Irvine can continue this tradition?
• Veterans Cemetery: What is your position on plans to build a Veterans Cemetery in Irvine? Would you advocate for Irvine to build on a site without state funding?

Here are their answers:

Mayoral Candidates

Christina Shea

Christina Shea

Why are you running? I believe this pandemic requires experienced leadership as we move forward in the coming few years. My ability to problem solve and find reasonable solutions to difficult problems makes me the right person to lead Irvine in these difficult times.

Vision of Irvine: A city of peace and harmony, with an strong emphasis on fiscal strength, excellence in education, innovation, and continued focus on environmentally sound, sustainable programs, to ensure the health and well being of all our community members.

Business Climate: I will be creating a Mayor’s Business Council in January if I am elected. We can’t sustain the unemployment rates and business closures as our business sector is the hub and lifeline of our fiscal success as a city. We will need to be innovative, creative and as flexible as possible to kick-start new businesses and restart old businesses.

I am committed to making this my top priority.

Safety and Law Enforcement: I took a strong stand opposing defunding public safety. I do not support this suggestion, and I believe it is an unwise approach to sustaining a safe community.

Irvine is one of the safest cities in America for 15 years in a row, and I am very proud of this accomplishment.

We have a very comprehensive public safety department with a mental health unit, a sex trafficking unit and we adhere to a “community-based policing program” that is a successful model to cities across America.

I am proudly endorsed by the O.C. FireFighters and our Irvine police for my election.

Housing: Our city is closing in on build out.

I helped create our Community Land Trust and for years now we have been providing affordable housing for our veterans, developmentally disabled, single moms and dads and those on the verge of homelessness.

Irvine provides more affordable units than most cities in the O.C.

We have a blend of low income, moderate income and high-end housing, which is why so many people love to live in our community.

We can do more to provide affordability to many who want to call Irvine home, and I look forward to balancing our housing needs, with maintaining my history of balanced growth, yet providing workforce housing for our young people and struggling families.

Traffic: Over the years, our city has grown from an agricultural community to a thriving city of villages and two independent business centers.

Irvine is feeling the pain of that growth over these past few years.

One positive outcome of this pandemic has been the benefit for our employees to work remotely. I want to encourage and continue this practice not only at City Hall but in our business sectors.

I believe it will cut down on the morning traffic jams and evening gridlock.

My vision for more pedestrian bridges across the city will enhance mobility for cyclists, pedestrians and vehicle traffic.

Encouraging the use of bridges will allow less traffic stops at intersections and keep us moving safely and more quickly.

Green Space and Environment: In 2016, with the support of a small group of residents, I brought forward to council our Non-Toxic Pesticide Policy to protect our local parks, greenbelts and open space with non-toxic pesticides.

Over the past four years, over 160 cities across America have reached out to our city to follow a similar protocol. Additionally, many of our HOAs have followed the city example as well.

This year the California EPA honored the city of Irvine at an event in Sacramento for our Non Toxic Pesticide program, an award I was personally so proud to accept.

We are presently looking at the possibility of creating a Community Choice Energy plan, understanding the fiscal return needs to be a benefit to our residents and we will need to receive confirmation from other O.C. cities that they will join a JPA, to defray the cost of the 10 million upfront investment costs.

I am so proud of our excellent history of environmental stewardship.

Veterans Cemetery: I advocated for a veterans cemetery for years.

I brought forward the Strawberry Site which I believed was a superior location, but that idea was overturned by misinformation at the ballot box. Then I proposed the Golf Course Site as another superior site plan, to the ARDA site, a few years ago, as the most cost effective, and best location away from concerned residents.

The state law as of June 2019, now directs Cal Vet to come into Irvine and review both sites – the ARDA and the Golf Course Site – and give us a determination of which site they will recommend, no later than next May.

Cal Vet made it very clear the site which is the most cost effective will be chosen.

My hope is the Golf Course Site will be the final resting place for our veterans as this never-ending battle of misinformation and mischaracterization of facts has just continued to delay this much-needed project for years.

We can only move forward if we collaborate with the state and accept their determination as to  which site is superior, then we will be granted $25 million for startup construction costs.

It won’t succeed without state dollars.

Farrah Khan

Farrah Khan

Why are you running? I’m running for the office of mayor because we need leadership that is stable, understands the needs of our growing community and is ready to take on the challenges we face because of this pandemic and economic crisis. Irvine has drastically changed over the many years since 1971.

Vision of Irvine: I envision Irvine as a world-class city that is a model for innovation, sustainability and civic engagement. A hub of start-ups, small businesses and large corporations providing space for creativity and employment for our residents. A city where a few blocks away are parks, trails and open spaces for people to walk, hike, bike or run.  

Business Climate: There is so much opportunity to expand our business footprint and I look forward to working with the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce and many of our diverse Chambers of Commerce to attract businesses to our city. I have already worked closely on the Chamber’s World Trade Week, networking with our many consulates in L.A. and O.C. on business opportunities. However, before we continue to expand our horizon, we need to take care of our businesses that have been struggling during this pandemic. Just like I urged our county Board of Supervisors to provide funding for our Small Business Grant program, I will continue to push our state and federal representatives to get us the much needed funding from the CARES Act and HEROES Act to save our businesses from closing their doors. I brought together the business, health, education and development communities at the start of this pandemic, I will bring them together again, to map out a plan to safely open up according to state guidelines and provide the necessary support to keep our city moving forward.

Safety and Law Enforcement:  It’s not a matter of “how will I navigate.” I’m already navigating and building those bridges. When the BLM protests occurred in our city, all peaceful protests by the way, I met with many of our Black community members. I brought them together for a roundtable discussion on issues that they were facing. The first meeting we held included our Irvine police chief and assistant chief where residents shared their experiences.

From those discussions, we set out some action plans which included expediting the implementation of body cams and our chief stated that he was open to having a speakers’ series to further educate our officers in conjunction with the UCI African American Studies Department.

We have an amazing police department with dedicated officers that truly believe in working in partnership with the community, however, there’s always room for improvement. Other meetings with this group have included discussions on employment and housing equity. This is what the local community is asking for and I’m delivering it. In a time of unrest, this is how leadership provides stability.

Housing: Many people do not realize that many of our developers have land that is already entitled for development from years ago. In addition, we do have state requirements in housing that we have to fulfill. However, what the current council can do is determine what that looks like.

It is important for us to maintain our Master Plan to provide a diverse portfolio of housing options: affordable, apartments, condos, senior living and single family homes. I’m a huge supporter of workforce housing, providing housing for people that work in Irvine. One of the best ways for us to reduce our traffic is to make sure that as we attract new businesses to Irvine, we provide housing for their workforce, thereby reducing the commuter traffic that basically doubles our population during business hours. Additionally, I would seek development near transit, like the train station.

We are a growing city, but we need to grow responsibly. As a board member on the Irvine Community Land Trust, I fully support the development of affordable housing, especially those with support services for our homeless, veterans, people with disabilities and more. Irvine does an amazing job when it comes to providing affordable housing, however, we know the need is ever increasing. Recently, one of our projects with 68 units had over 5,000 people on the interest list.

Traffic: Like I mentioned earlier, we are a growing city. There’s no stopping development until we are fully built out and anyone promising that is giving out false hope. However, our city did conduct a traffic study a few years ago which resulted in a list of goals that would help us mitigate some of the traffic issues we face. I’m working with our city staff to make sure we complete those targets.

At the same time, we know that our population doubles during business hours because of commuters, and this pandemic has shown us that many of our jobs can be performed remotely. I hope to bring together many of our business leaders to discuss the extension of working remotely or offering reduced days of in-office work to help reduce some of our traffic congestion.

I have been a strong supporter of our iShuttle program which had 2 new routes added last year, but these iShuttles work best when we have populations of people who live and work in Irvine, which requires workforce housing. Prior to the pandemic, I was working with city staff to acquire a grant to develop a pilot program for public transportation shuttles/trolleys from our villages to destination spots like the Spectrum, the Marketplace, UCI, Diamond Jamboree, etc. I hope to continue this effort as well.

As you can see, there are a lot of various ways that we can work towards reducing our traffic in the city.

Green Space and Environment: One-third of our city is designated as parks/open spaces.

I fully support the development of parks for all our neighborhoods with plenty of shade and local flora. We already have an ordinance supporting non-toxic pesticides, but it’s important for our entire city to be free of toxic pesticides/herbicides. I have been working with our local groups and communicating with many of our HOAs in support of non-toxic and organic pesticides/herbicides to protect our community. In addition, I have been working to make sure that all our open space is designated by the state to remain as designated open spaces for perpetuity. And I have been a strong supporter of expanding our urban forestry program in the city.

Veterans Cemetery: Irvine leadership has failed our veterans. With years of flip-flopping, we have yet to deliver the promised veterans cemetery. I fully support the building of a veterans cemetery in Irvine and have worked hard to find solutions to move it forward, including meeting with our state representatives.

While I support the veterans cemetery, I also respect the cultural requirements of our residents, and there is no reason why we can’t accomplish both. However, I cannot support building without state funding. Our city would not be able to financially sustain such a cost.

Katherine Daigle

Katherine Daigle

Why are you running? The mayor of Irvine has failed to be responsive to the needs of the community in a time when prompt action by a leader is required. The same issues come up every year by our residents and still we have no successes with traffic, housing, increase in homeless, veterans cemetery, the Great Park and now our budget for the city is in arrears by at least 22 million dollars.

Vision of Irvine: Our vision is to continue to be the safest city in the United States and be one of the best-run cities in America. Irvine is one of the best places in which to live, work and play. 

I am a businesswoman with over 20 years of contract negotiations with the top healthcare industries in America and in this city. I will create new jobs for our economic security for our families in the O.C. – to get our kids back in school and create a safer city by working with a public/private partnership with our amazing healthcare and pharmaceutical businesses located in our great city, because there is no place like home.

Business Climate: I am a business person and I understand finance and the economic challenges from COVID-19. As an executive VP I was challenged with September 11, when businesses collapsed in the United States over the fear of terrorism.  

Fundamental to my thinking is the continuation of Irvine’s association with top universities like UCI and the many life science industries that provide economic strength and jobs when our city will need to ramp up to fill jobs in early 2021. I will work to develop more, value-added professional employment opportunities, ensuring a dependable healthy revenue stream to meet the city’s budget 

Businesses want to invest in cities such as Irvine with a young workforce and city officials – pragmatic leaders such as myself – that will recognize that our community may not thrive without the missing demographic such as a vibrant workforce. Irvine has a youthful demographic, but a limited amount of affordable housing for young entrepreneurs. We as leaders should utilize the business acumen used by companies that have survived this pandemic together as a benchmark against other U.S. cities with young working-age populations. In other words, what do they have that young people want to experience that we do not YET have. A walk-able city, downtown and arts and entertainment districts, a promenade. Generally young people are not ready for a house. They want central areas where they can meet, relax and have fun with friends.

The city can redesign itself to identify what would keep young professionals in the area and what could improve the city’s chances of attracting and retaining more of them. We do have sports attractions, Wild Rivers, Duck Ice, even a convention center. The proximity to John Wayne Airport positions Irvine as a hub and our universities are modern and international.

Safety and Law Enforcement: The new age of protests, rooted in anti-establishment sentiments propagated by shrewd politics, walks on the faint line that lies in proximity to the propagandizing of our youth. We need to pay close attention to the agenda that underlies the clamoring for a structural breakdown of the entire system.

The service offered by the police is much needed to check on violence and crimes in our neighborhoods and our communities – it is needed to secure the city’s integrity. You simply cannot dismiss the necessity of policing. For those aiming to destabilize the city and drive it down the road of anarchy and chaos, streets without a force to protect may be the ideal world or their “utopia.”

What needs to be done? Anything but defunding serves the purpose of bettering the system of policing for good. One can perhaps devise a well-suited method of hiring new recruits. An increase in pay will also attract the deserving candidates into the service. Police academies can be transformed into well-rounded centers for development. These are feasible solutions.

Housing: Identify a new design infrastructure for new communities and revitalize the old ones in ways that promote physical and mental health for our communities. Irvine needs a revitalization plan.

Promote effective transportation flow. Work with ICLT on affordable housing alternatives and state government land use for additional outreach projects utilized by the county.

Currently, the pandemic has caused so much personal, financial and economic hardship across Orange County, it will take time to recover. Irvine has retained a high quality of life but we also have seen disruption at the university level and first-time home buyers. We will come back because this city is a hub of economic boom even today. People want to live here and work here and business thrives. We will do well as we roar into 2021.

Traffic: Most residents think that traffic is out of control. In every election and in every social media outlet the chief complaint is traffic. The council insists that they are using a “czar” or they make promises that are never kept – year after year. The only way traffic is mitigated would be to elect a new person that has no allegiance to developers that have filled their political coffers with money and with a good understanding of how a city of 325,000 people commute to and from work – the idea that other cities have not come up with an idea on how to mitigate traffic flow is the best answer to swiftly make a measurable difference quickly. We are not reinventing the wheel – many other cities have had to contend with this issue. We need to get people moving and by doing so we can also reduce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. That is my strategy.

Green Space and Environment: We can continue to build with open space in mind. When approving designs and infrastructure, continuing this philosophy will keep the Master Plan alive. As stewards, we are responsible for preserving and protecting resources for future generations. The conservation of our environment is necessary. For me, preserving Irvine’s grand Master Plan takes precedence.

Veterans Cemetery: I will immediately begin working with the state of California to transfer the ARDA site to CalVet so that the Southern California Veterans Cemetery can be built without delay.

Luis Huang

Why are you running? I hope to inspire and motivate 50,000 Irvine voters who decided not to place a vote in 2018. There are countless tens of thousands who have made the conscious decision not to educate themselves on their local candidates, have no idea who their mayor or City Council members are.

Vision of Irvine: An Irvine that is not controlled by the Irvine Company and FivePoint, and is responsive to the needs of the good people working and living here.

Business Climate: I have endorsed Prop. 15. With the funding from Prop. 15, I am calling for a sales tax holiday here in Irvine to spur local economy and small businesses.

Safety and Law Enforcement:  Pilot program: Fewer armed police officers, hire additional part-time unarmed peace officers that patrol Irvine and get to build trust and relationships with neighbors and small businesses.

Housing: Creation of a Renters’ Rights Commission and more housing.

Traffic: Traffic in Irvine is fine, it is not my top priority.

I’m concerned about the housing crisis that is going to put thousands of my friends on the streets. In proper context, I couldn’t care less about “traffic.”

Green Space and Environment: Keep it the way it is. More solar for public properties.

Veterans Cemetery: n/a

City Council Candidates

Diana Jiang

Diana Jiang

Why are you running? I am running for City Council to be the independent voice for the people, to preserve and improve our great city.

Vision of Irvine: First, we must recover! Re-opening our economy safely will be a complicated and difficult process. But it is the only way we can begin to rebuild our city finances and restore our city services. It will be our most immediate challenge.

We should also view this process as an opportunity, an opportunity to take a fresh look at the way we perform city services and see if there are ways to be more efficient and cost effective as we rebuild. Maybe we should consolidate functions; contract for routine services and procure technology to simplify operations and better control personnel costs.

Next, we should assess what we have learned and how we can apply it to our future. Many things have changed for good. More people will work from home. That changes transportation needs. It reduces the demand for commercial space. Is there another, better use, for that space? What will happen to brick and mortar retail and the space it used to occupy? Will people travel less and use city amenities more? Will we have enough space for that? We will have to adapt to the behavior changes that this pandemic has produced.

We need to adapt to these changes in a smart way that preserves the qualities that brought us all here to Irvine in the first place. We have beautiful neighborhoods, amazing families, great recreational and cultural facilities, very desirable employment centers and high-quality commercial areas. We are the envy of many cities. Our overarching goal should be to keep Irvine as one of America’s safest cities and a “first choice” location to live, work and raise a family.   

Finally, we need to communicate better with our residents. We are a large city with only a few people setting policy and making decisions. As a technology expert I believe there are many things we could be doing to make it easier for our residents to monitor and participate in the operations of our city. Simple apps could allow our residents to access the data and status of projects in our city. I would like to bring my skills to City Hall to use technology to develop a more open and transparent government.  

Business Climate: Irvine is home to an estimated 15,000 businesses. Businesses create jobs and generate revenue for the city. Irvine is a technology and advanced education hub fed by upwardly mobile, trained graduates from University of California Irvine, Concordia University and Irvine Valley College. I believe the city should team with innovation and research centers in our universities and existing technology companies to advocate for “Silicon Orange” in Irvine. It will create more good-paying job opportunities, bring in more revenue to the city, and provide more community service programs for our residents. A positive cycle! 

We need to focus on helping our businesses who are struggling due to the pandemic. Government assistance can be difficult to navigate by those applying for the first time. The city should help guide businesses to the available federal and state relief programs, and also help them to apply. Some business sectors will no longer be in demand. During and after recovery, the city can sponsor workshops highlighting emerging job sectors and best practices for adapting to new realities and act as a resource for job training opportunities.

Safety and Law Enforcement: Irvine is one of the safest cities of its size, in large part because of our law enforcement team. I do not support defunding our police. Police officers are there for us and we should be there for them! Irvine has a great community engagement program, CERT. We should keep the program and provide diversity training to our officers.

Housing: Irvine already has the highest number of affordable units in the county. With only 6 percent of Orange County’s population, we are scheduled to have 32 percent of the county’s affordable housing units. The state asks us to do more and we should, for two good reasons. Without some entry-level housing, our own children will not be able to live in the city in which they were raised. Without the next tier of work-force housing, our teachers, nurses, firefighters and police can’t live in the community they protect. It would be a shame if we can’t fix that problem.

The challenge is to solve these needs and still preserve our neighborhoods, property values and quality of life. There are no easy answers. I don’t support turning single family neighborhoods into an ocean of triplexes. We can do more to streamline the permitting process for projects that conform to our plan. The state should share part of their sales tax as an incentive for cities that meet the housing goals. Changes in our city should complement, not disrupt, our careful planning.

To increase housing supply, we should stick to our city’s General Plan that outlines Irvine’s development goals. Housing affordability improves if there is more of it. Building what we promised in our General Plan will keep prices more affordable.

We should explore converting commercial offices that are vacant, because many people will continue working from home when the pandemic has ended. If feasible, converting some commercial space into residential has the potential to help with our housing shortage while preserving our existing neighborhoods.

We need to keep land use decisions local, but we can only do that if we creatively work together to address our housing needs.

Traffic: Traffic congestion is the bane of any popular area. Retail businesses want more traffic, as more people see and have access to their businesses, and residents want less of it, so they can move about more freely. I will seek to make sure we have proper traffic capacity for any new development.

Green Space and Environment: Many of us moved to Irvine because of its balance of development and open space. The coronavirus has taught us a new appreciation for the outdoors – slower transmission of the virus. I am committed to the Open Space initiative, and the 9,000 acres of protected wildlands and habitats it encompasses. Our trails provide excellent opportunities to maintain our health and teach our children to be good stewards of the environment.

As we periodically revisit our city’s General Plan, we can ensure our Parks and Recreation Element, as well as our Conservation and Open Space Element maintain the commitment that has served us well. Having green spaces and open spaces is a priority of mine. Additionally, while much of our open space is natural habitat populated with drought tolerant vegetation, I am committed to using recycled water for our city public spaces as is appropriate.

Veterans Cemetery: Our veterans, who have put their lives on the line for our country, deserve an appropriate resting place in honor of their sacrifices. The veterans cemetery was approved by the City Council and initial funding was approved by our governor. I do not advocate building any new amenity without a funding source identified to build or maintain it. I do commit to working with neighboring communities to make sure their voices are heard during the design and construction phases.

Lauren Norris-Johnson

Why are you running? I decided to run for office because I have a passion for solving problems that matter to all of us: public safety, traffic and rising housing costs. As a small-business owner, mother, attorney and Irvine Community Services Commissioner, I understand how these issues impact Irvine families. 

Vision of Irvine: Irvine is a special city, defined by both its brilliant master planning and its diversity of cultures. As we move into the future, we can model a serious and effective COVID-19 response, a strong economic climate that supports education and innovation, and the protection of open spaces and our environment. We can lead the region and the country as a city of the future that embraces diversity and inclusion as well as transparency and efficient government.

Business Climate: The city must take a strong leadership role in this time of crisis and make sure every small business has the equipment and supplies to reopen safely. There are few more important things elected officials could be doing right now. I stand with our small businesses and our workforce in protecting their physical and economic health. I will advocate for a greater share of CARES Act and, potentially, HEROES Act funds to bring them back to Irvine and provide this money as grants to our small businesses and struggling workforce. The city can do more to assist and advise small businesses as the pandemic and economic crisis continues. 

Safety and Law Enforcement: I will make sure that our diverse residents have a seat at the table and I will act as a liaison and promote open dialogue and collaboration. We already are the safest city of our size in the country, so let’s build on the strength of successful community policing and also provide social services to our most vulnerable residents. Through education and supportive services for homelessness, substance abuse and mental health, we can better meet our residents’ needs.

Housing: Our city, county and state face a housing crisis and our leaders must step up to help solve the problem. I support the master plan we have in Irvine, which includes a diversity of housing within each village and incorporates affordable housing. We should build on the successes of the Irvine Community Land Trust and provide middle-income and workforce housing. We also cannot leave state or federal money on the table and must bring funds back to Irvine to support these endeavors.

Traffic: The future of the great commute is in question now that so many workers have started working at home. However, our historical traffic problems are due to poor planning at the city and county level and a lack of green, public transportation options for our workforce and our residents. I am committed to bringing innovative and green transportation options to the city and to increasing active transportation opportunities in order to enhance the quality of life of our residents.

Green Space and Environment: As Irvine is one-third parks and open space, it is critical that we preserve these spaces for generations to come. We also must do everything in our power to combat climate change which is the greatest existential threat to our generation. While the state requires each city to do climate action planning, a plan alone, or the adoption of Community Choice Energy, is only part of what we can do. I have worked with UCI professors to devise a plan that can be implemented on day one and will work across sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We must set a goal to reduce emissions and track our progress. We also have the opportunity to engage our residents in promoting native planting, water conservation and the use of alternatives to fossil fuel. I would like to see Irvine lead the region in fighting climate change and serve as a template for other cities to follow.

Veterans Cemetery: My husband is a United State Coast Guard veteran and both of my grandfathers served in World War II. My mother will retire this year after 20 years working for the VA, serving our most vulnerable veterans. It is time for us to honor our promise to veterans through the building of a veterans cemetery and memorial park. The residents of Irvine have spoken and they overwhelmingly support the ARDA. site for the cemetery. We should begin demolition as soon as possible. Veterans are dying every day without a final resting place to be buried in Orange County. Should I have the honor to be elected to the Irvine City Council, I will see that we deliver on our promise to them.

Carrie O’Malley

Carrie O’Malley

Why are you running? As a 23-year Irvine resident, community leader and public policy expert, I am running for Irvine City Council to be an advocate and resource for ALL Irvine residents. I am running in order to utilize my talents to help keep Irvine the amazing city that over 280,000 of us call home.

Vision of Irvine: The Master Plan is the essence of Irvine. Many people have moved to Irvine to enjoy the many benefits of living in our world-renowned master planned community. The open spaces, parks, trails and recreational amenities are key. I will fight to preserve and protect the Master Plan of Irvine, open spaces, parks, villages and neighborhoods. My vision also is to keep Irvine as the Safest City of its size nationwide. We have retained this Safest City designation for 15 consecutive years. I also envision Irvine staying at the cutting edge in educational opportunities, innovation in learning, promoting a thriving business community, and being a city that leads, thrives and succeeds in all aspects. I envision Irvine with an Ethics Commission that I plan to initiate when I am on the City Council. The Ethics Commission will be key in vetting issues that arise and will ensure transparency and accountability in government. When I am on the City Council, I will ensure that we retain the amazing quality of life that Irvine is known for. I will represent ALL Irvine residents with inclusivity, kindness and respect.

Business Climate: I look forward to working with our local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce when I am on the City Council.

In order to ensure that the business climate continues to grow and thrive, especially as they recover from the Covid-induced economic hardship, I would initiate the following plans when I am on the City Council:

• I will initiate a Small Business Advisory Committee to communicate directly with businesses to share ideas as to how to get our businesses back on track and thriving.
• SBA loans and grants and other local relief measures — assist with making business aware of these and helping them with the application process.
• Making sure there are no extra fees or taxes levied on small businesses. Making sure our council is business friendly and working to help bolster our businesses. We can also defer financial burdens placed on small businesses.
• Actively communicating with business leaders and continuing to make services and information available to our businesses. I have an open door policy, and I am highly reachable and active in assisting with issues.
• Incentivizing and encouraging our consumers to utilize and patronize our local businesses. This can be done through getting the word out and encouraging residents to patronize our local businesses and by making sure our businesses get exposure throughout our city.

Safety and Law Enforcement: I will work hard to build good relationships between local organizations and the police department. To do this, it is vital that there is a forum for open communication and dialogue. I will initiate forums where these local organizations can meet with the police in an informal setting to discuss issues and continue to dialogue regarding any issues they may want addressed.

I believe the key to working together is to always have open lines of communication. I will foster these open communications between law enforcement and local organizations by scheduling sit-down meetings and forums to discuss any issues that the local organizations would like to discuss. I have strength in bringing people together. During my campaign, I have done a variety of public service zoom calls, online gatherings, and other virtual meetings and events.

Through my years working professionally in public policy at the local level, I have developed good working relationships with law enforcement and our public safety leaders. I have communicated well with our public safety leaders through the years. I also have very good relationships with many organizations. Through open communication, dialogue and meetings, we can all work together to promote unity and harmony in our city.

Housing: We are blessed in Irvine to have many options in the housing market. There are all types of housing and apartment options that currently exist throughout our city. It is important that Irvine offers this variety in types of housing so that there are options for residents to choose from. I strongly believe that we need to stay within our Master Plan of Irvine and that we should not over-develop. Affordability is also important. This is why Irvine has the Irvine Community Land Trust which designates a certain percentage of housing to affordable housing options throughout our city.

Traffic: I have a strong background in transportation. I worked for several years at the Orange County Transportation Authority. In addition, I worked for years at the Orange County Board of Supervisors where I focused much of my time on transportation matters. I also am the former chair woman of the Irvine Transportation Commission, where I was a commissioner for two years. In order to address traffic, we need to instill a multi-faceted approach. This would include:

1. Left-hand turn pocket elongation to prevent what I have coined “left-hand turn pocket bleed out.” This concept occurs when the left-hand turn pocket is too short and the cars spill out into the general purpose lane. This causes grid-lock and traffic problems. By elongating the left-hand turn pocket slightly to accommodate vehicles, we reduce traffic and open up the general purpose lanes. This also works conversely. By elongating certain left-hand turn pockets, it also prevents the general purpose lanes from blocking entrance into the left-hand turn pockets which also will help reduce traffic.
2. Signal synchronization: We did much of this when I was on the Transportation Commission. However, there is more to do. We must continue to work with CalTrans to ensure that our signals are synchronized throughout Irvine.
3. Intersection improvements: We did much of this as well when I was on the Transportation Commission; however, there is more we can do to help alleviate traffic.
4. Offering multiple options for transportation: We need to encourage our Active Transportation Plans and options so that residents can bike, walk or use other modes of transportation to get to their destinations.
5. I will also work with OCTA when I am on the council to bring the OC Flex option to Irvine. This is a mini-van style uber concept run by OCTA in conjunction with the cities. For $5 a day flat rate, residents can utilize the OC Flex as an option to get to their destinations throughout Irvine and adjacent cities. Not only is this cost effective, it is also a great way to reduce traffic by reducing the number of vehicles on our streets.

Green Space and Environment: The open space, trails, parks, natural reserves and fields are some of the reasons my husband and I moved to Irvine over two decades ago to start our family. Once elected, I will continue to advocate for preserving and protecting our open spaces, parks, trails and natural reserves.

One of the main reasons I ran for, and have served on, the Northpark HOA for six years is to preserve the trees. I have spoken publicly at the Irvine City Council and at the city’s Green Ribbon Committee in favor of the city’s Climate Action Plan. We also need to implement Community Choice Energy so that we have an environmentally friendly city. This will help keep our city green and thriving for generations to come.

In addition, as former Irvine Transportation Commission Chairperson, I worked hard to protect and preserve open space throughout Irvine such as protecting the open space at Rancho San Joaquin in Irvine. I will continue to champion environmentally friendly options for our city in order to protect our environment, our open space, and our natural reserve gems for many generations to come.

Veterans Cemetery: I am in favor of building a veterans cemetery in Irvine. It is important that we honor our veterans and their families. The Irvine voters have voted by a strong majority (68 percent) and have shown their preference for the ARDA/the original site. As a councilmember I will represent the will of the voters – those who are electing me. I will work hard to make the veterans cemetery in Irvine a reality. My long-time professional relationships with state and local officials and my policy know-how will enable me to work with our state and local leaders and entities to build a veterans cemetery in Irvine. I believe there will be some state funding; however, even if there was not immediate state funding, there are other funding mechanisms through grants sought, working with non-profit entities, and through working with the federal government in order to bring the veterans cemetery to fruition.

Mike Carroll

Mike Carroll

Why are you running? I am running for City Council because there is much more work left to do. We need someone who will fight for our residents, and now is not the time for experiments in leadership. I will continue aiding and assisting our residents during COVID-19, work on safely re-opening our community, ensure Irvine remains the Safest City in America, implement solutions to reduce traffic, and support our public schools.

Vision of Irvine: My vision of Irvine is a vibrant, diverse, innovative community where people love where they live, work, go to school and play. It’s a place that people are proud to call home.  A place where people feel safe in their homes, in their parks, and on their streets. It’s a place where people come together for the common good and respect each other with human dignity. It’s a place with award-winning schools and top-notch public safety. It’s a place that, with over 287,000 people, is literally the economic backbone of the sixth-largest county in the United States.

Business Climate: As vice mayor, I’ve been working hard to protect Irvine small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. We established the City of Irvine Small Business Relief Program, where we aided 506 local small businesses with monetary grants to help them safely re-open. I would work closely with our Chamber of Commerce to form a “business roundtable” to hear what our businesses need from us to thrive in this challenging environment.

Safety and Law Enforcement: Irvine is the safest city in America of its size, for the 15th year in a row. Ensuring we remain the safest city in America is a top priority.

I am the only candidate running for City Council that is endorsed by the Irvine Police Association. I am proud to have their endorsement. I am also endorsed by our firefighters.

The men and women of our Police Department are the reason we enjoy a safe community where we can thrive. They work to protect us 24/7. They are a caring organization, devoted to Irvine, and I fully support them. If elected, I’ll continue to work closely with our police chief and provide support whenever and wherever needed.

Cutting our public safety budget would undermine the investments our community has made, for many years, in making this city a safe place in which to live, work and play. That doesn’t mean we ignore transparency, mental health, homelessness and other concerns. For me, it means this: Let’s not undo something that’s working very well for this great city.

Housing: Homeownership affordability is one of the most critical concerns facing the residents of Irvine. For this city to remain vibrant and strong, young families need to be able to afford a home and raise their family and work here. The promise of Irvine depends on this city’s ability to attract and retain families to the community. If Irvine becomes a place too expensive to live in, before long people young and old will have to leave. Our record on encouraging builders to provide housing that working families can afford has been good, but we can and should do a lot more.

Traffic: We must address the growing traffic problem in our city before it’s too late. Traffic is an issue that threatens the quality of life that we all came here to enjoy.

Here’s what I say at the many community town halls I have held: It’s one thing to talk about percentage improvements here, and more cars getting through intersections there. But our residents need to “feel and experience” that they’re moving quicker and safely through previously congested areas.

Many people are surprised to learn two things that make traffic a problem in Irvine. First, the population of the city doubles during the day, as people come into our city to work. Second, one out of every five cars on our streets is using Irvine as a “pass-through.” They don’t live in Irvine. They’re getting off the 5 or the 405 Freeways and congesting our arterial roads, including Alton, Barranca, Culver, Jamboree (and more).

I have a 3-step traffic plan:

1. Increase use of our “Smart Traffic Control Systems” which use traffic data and machine learning to adjust traffic light timing to move more cars through our intersections. Our pilot has been a success but we need more.
2. Implement a successful traffic improvement tool: “Reversible Lanes.” These are lanes where traffic can travel in either direction, and they’re used in other cities to improve traffic flow during rush hour. Lanes are set up with lighting and street markings, and there’s also movable barriers that are moved during low-traffic periods to switch a central lane from one side of the road to another to increase traffic flow.
3. Create long-term plans and incentives to move non-residents in and out of our city’s job centers – Irvine Spectrum and Irvine Business Complex – in a way that gets commuters’ cars off of our streets.

I’m fully committed to easing the traffic congestion in our city. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Green Space and Environment: Open space is one of the most important parts of the Irvine Master Plan. We need to protect and defend our open space from any and all development. On the environment, I was instrumental in bringing forward Community Choice Energy to our city. Community Choice Energy provides local control on energy use to communities like Irvine, allows ratepayers to make environmentally friendly choices, saves on electric rates, and creates incredible incentives to improve our environment.

Veterans Cemetery: I fully support the establishment of a veterans cemetery on the grounds of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. There is no better place to honor the men and women who have served our country, than right here, in Irvine, on the former base. The people of the city of Irvine are contributing, by far, the largest and most valuable part of the puzzle: over $100 million worth of raw land. We are giving it to the state of California, for free, to construct the veterans cemetery. The state of California takes in over $100 billion in tax revenue a year. They have already earmarked funds for cemetery construction, and they must do their part.

John Park

John Park

Why are you running? As a 21-year resident and as one who considers Irvine our forever home, I felt compelled to run to preserve and protect Irvine’s way of life. Keeping Irvine, Irvine is a priority for me and that means adhering very closely to our original Master Plan for the city.

Vision of Irvine: My vision is for us to reopen and thrive again and that entails rebuilding our economy after Covid, a dedication and commitment towards the Master Plan, and making sure our public safety is fully supported. I want the city to be an ideal place to live, work and play for students, young professionals, families and seniors.

Business Climate: I am a pro business candidate and I have been a business owner for 17 years. I will continue to work with our business community to make Irvine grow and prosper in this area. Post Covid, we also need to actively support our small businesses. This is especially true for our retail businesses who bring in revenue via sales tax. I will launch a big “Buy Irvine” program and convince my council colleagues to invest in promoting a more aggressive buy within the city program. This program should also include vendors who do business with the city. We will truly need our business community at our side working together to reopen and thrive as a city.

Safety and Law Enforcement: I will NEVER defund the police. The Irvine police have earned our respect by their continuous level of excellence. They are great partners to the communities and residents. We should all work hard to keep it that way.

Housing: As you allude to in your question, it is a matter of supply and demand. Our average rent in the city is just under $2,000 a month. Considering what you get with that amount in Irvine, it is still a much better value than cities like Los Angeles. However, we do need to think about students, young professionals and seniors. I am for innovation in this area. As an example, we should explore micro apartments. These are apartments that are under 400 square feet. Another area we can innovate is possibly infill/redevelopment opportunities in some older parts of the city to bring in more housing without creating additional burden on traffic especially in residential areas. Irvine needs to welcome all people at all stages of life. I will work towards that goal.

Traffic: We are currently in the middle of 72 traffic improvement projects at a cost of $200 million. Examples include widening of University between MacArthur and Campus, a few pedestrian bridges at busy intersections, traffic light syncing, and build-out of extra lanes at onramps and offramps. These projects will help and we need to continue this surgical approach of implementing targeted solutions. We also need to work closely with our development partners to improve our infrastructure build-outs based on good predictability models. Traffic is a quality of life issue that is of serious concern so I will work to improve it anyway I can.

Green Space and Environment: I fully support keeping and growing our open spaces. We have nearly 300 parks and are committed to 16,000 acres of open space at full build-out. It’s what makes Irvine great. I will continue this tradition.

Veterans Cemetery: I fully support a veterans cemetery in Irvine but it is now in CalVet’s hands to determine which location – ARDA or the Golf Course Site. I do not support a veterans cemetery without state funding. Post-Covid, we cannot take on a project of such magnitude without State funding.

Mark Newgent

Mark Newgent

Why are you running? Out of loyalty to my city, colleagues and my family. We need to bring back honor and integrity to local government. For far too long people that lack basic values have and are using City Hall for their own personal gain, dishonoring our city.

Vision of Irvine: People in Irvine do NOT want drastic change. We need to simply maintain our best practices and make small adjustments based on the feedback from residents for quality of life issues. I have heard countless residents tell me when I get elected, don’t change anything! With the exception of working on the traffic problem. 

Business Climate: In many ways, Irvine is the economic hub of Orange County. How would you ensure the business climate continues to grow and thrive? How do you see the city supporting local businesses especially as they recover from the Covid-induced economic hardship? 

The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has left every city with budget troubles and cities are looking at how to bring in more revenue.

Raising taxes is NOT the answer!

We need to reopen business safely. That is the priority to raise revenue, attract new businesses and maintain/improve current business. We need to cut red tape for small and big businesses so they can open safely, properly function and generate more income/revenue. 

Safety and Law Enforcement: NEVER DEFUND POLICE!!! I SUPPORT OUR POLICE!!!

Groups that want to defund the police are radicals and do not represent our population at large. The overwhelming majority of people understand defunding the police, especially in Irvine, is wrong and ludicrous.

We shall maintain our current police force and improve as needed based on feedback from the residents of Irvine and the Irvine Police Department. The Irvine Police Department is regarded as one of the best in the country and I trust them to keep me and my family safe. I think Irvine police should look at exporting their best practices to other departments across the country to teach them how to be like Irvine.

I am a retired Military Police Captain with years of real-world law enforcement experience. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. In my professional opinion as a law enforcement expert I think Irvine police are doing far better than many departments across the country. I am continually impressed with the professionalism of our officers and their outstanding results in keeping us the safest city in America.

Housing: If we grow anymore, it needs to be very controlled so that the infrastructure and schools do not get more overwhelmed. In the past, Irvine grew too fast, causing traffic issues and school overcrowding.

My own son was displaced for three years to a school across town due to school overcrowding. After three years of waiting to get into the school across the street from our house we just ended up moving near the overflow school. During this time, we contributed to the traffic problem having to drive four miles one way to school for daily drop off/pick-ups for our kids. This also has a negative effect on the children themselves. It’s not fair to kids for them not to be able to attend school literally across the street from their own homes because of bad planning by corrupt politicians.

As of now, the community wants to slow growth. I have been told many times by countless residents to stop the out-of-control growth in the city. I agree we need to fix our traffic and school overcrowding first.

Traffic: In the past 10-20 years, Irvine grew too fast without improving roads, infrastructure or schools. It will take years of solid leadership and good traffic management to address our traffic issue that past leadership caused.

Green Space and Environment: Irvine is a city for families to enjoy our parks and green spaces as my family and I enjoy that too.

The people of Irvine will always want to maintain this! As a councilmember I will ensure we maintain and improve our parks and green spaces. Most council members and candidates understand this. I don’t see this being an issue. I think most council members would agree. However, if it becomes an issue, I will work with other council members to protect our parks and green spaces. A possible threat I see to Irvine’s parks and open/green spaces would be developers wanting to overdevelop Irvine.

Veterans Cemetery: As a veteran with over 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, many of my fellow veterans’ names are on our North Park Memorial Wall that did not make it back. I will work harder than you can imagine to get the cemetery done as fast as possible, whatever the location that the state decides on.

Certain political candidates in Irvine blatantly lie and say they can get the cemetery done at a location they decide, etc., etc. The fact is that as of now, the state is the decision maker on this issue.

As far as the funding questions, I would have to see the state’s final assessment and proposal before commenting.

Tammy Kim

Why are you running? I am running for Irvine City Council to bring my experience as a small business owner, nonprofit leader, community advocate and a mother to better serve our residents and businesses that help to make Irvine such a wonderful city. This is my opportunity to give back. 

Vision of Irvine: Both the city and I will turn 50 next year. It helps me appreciate the lifecycle of our planning horizon. Vision helped us become a global city recognized for our master planning, our natural assets, our educational resources, our business and economic success and our extraordinary cultural diversity, but we must stop resting on our laurels. My vision for Irvine is a city where planning is based on the most innovative and sustainable models for community design and where we produce housing for all income levels. We must strengthen our civic core. Better communication and community engagement in every aspect of civic life will build a positive culture of respect for the people, businesses, organizations and institutions that make up our city. I’m proud of our reputation as America’s Safest City, but that is not enough. We must address the complex health and safety needs of our residents with the kind of services and resources a city of 300,000 people requires. Relying on the county should not be our default position for public health, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse and other social service needs. Vision must come from our leaders and grow with our population. 

Business Climate: I am the only candidate for Irvine City Council who serves on the Finance Commission, has worked in the private sector leading large scale enterprises as a vice president of a Fortune 500 company, and who built a successful local nonprofit to serve and support immigrants, many of whom are part of our workforce. I understand the importance of a robust business environment from every angle. I am the only candidate who has worked directly with our Irvine Chamber of Commerce on programs to attract mulit-national companies into Irvine. 

Irvine is the business hub of Orange County. Our business community has been significantly impacted during this pandemic. We rely on sales tax for a significant part of our budget. As we confront our own municipal impacts, we must continue focusing on those elements of our community that are attractive to businesses for operations and attracting/retaining employees.

Public safety, well planned and well maintained roads, parks and neighborhoods and quality education will always be key factors in building back even stronger. 

My vision for Irvine is to be a leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by taking advantage of the resources that already exist with UCI, coupled with our highly educated workforce. I am committed to ensuring that Irvine is the hub of the Green Technology industry, biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence. 

Safety and Law Enforcement: Having leaders who respect our police department and the difficult work they are called to do, but who also understand and have the ability to work with the many local constituencies who want us to admit and address our weaknesses and strategically deploy resources to address issues like mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse and other social service needs. Currently 40 percent of our residents are foreign born and 50 percent speak a language other than English. Public safety is built on trust – trust between the community and its police. I want to make sure that we continue to build upon this trust by ensuring that they have strong relationships with our diverse residents. This means making sure they are hiring more police officers who can speak languages other than English and have cultural competency to work with our diverse global community.

I would hope that the Irvine Police Department, which has been a model in so many ways, would want to work with city leaders to explore how best we can meet these needs. Ignoring any challenge ensures it will become a bigger challenge. I’m an optimist. I always approach issues on the assumption that we are all working towards a common objective.

Housing: Land use decisions should be by design, not default. My vision for Irvine is a city where planning is based on the most innovative and sustainable models for community design and where we produce housing for all income levels. More than half our residents are renters and many of the young people who grew up in Irvine cannot afford to return. We need to create housing opportunities for every income level. We also need to create workforce housing programs for mid-salary professionals such as teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters and social workers, who add to our community, but are priced out of the existing housing market. We are a big city. We are a business hub. We need a vision that developers help us realize, not a strategy that allows developers to create impacts and leaves the city responsible for addressing them.

Traffic: I know people think we all love our cars, but the truth is one of the greatest challenges to the people who live and work in Irvine is traffic congestion and a lack of high-quality transit options. It’s hard to speak of silver linings with the impacts of Covid-19, but if there was one, it was the reduction in traffic. Of course, that was and remains an artificial reduction and when things inevitably return to some sort of normal, that is one of the things we will notice most.

It’s not just about sitting in traffic, it’s also about the public safety impacts of accidents, injuries and loss of life. There are a number of road improvement projects around town, but we cannot build our way out of the reality that development will always outpace infrastructure. What we can do, we must do. Ease of mobility used to be one of Irvine’s greatest assets. I am an advocate for improved transit to and through our business centers with expanded I-Shuttle routes and better coordination with the Orange County Transportation Authority on regional bus routes that serve Irvine. Irvine has a great network of bike trails which can be better utilized. Once we are beyond this public health crisis, I hope IUSD will continue the “Safe Routes to School” program to encourage kids to walk to school and I would also encourage the Irvine Unified School District to look at expanded school bus routes.

Green Space and Environment: We are lucky in Irvine. The 1988 Open Space Initiative, passed by local voters, has preserved over 16,000 acres of open space and parks throughout our city in perpetuity. We also have a history of being on the forefront of environmental protection measures from curbside recycling to banning the use of chlorofluorocarbons locally before national action was taken to protect the ozone layer. What we do at the local level has a huge impact, but we must do more.

Climate change is real, and our local policies, from planning and clean energy to transit access, trails, bike lanes and stewardship of public open space should all be measured against a vision for building a truly sustainable future. I am a strong advocate for Community Choice Energy and believe we need to put effort and resources behind the implementation of our Climate Action Plan.

Veterans Cemetery: Our veterans are an integral part of the history of El Toro – and their sacrifices should be honored. As a Korean American, I feel a personal connection to this project and am grateful for the support American servicemembers provided during the Korean War. The City Council has already adopted keeping the cemetery at ARDA into an ordinance.

Hai Liang

Hai Liang

Why are you running? I am a 27-year retired Army Master Sergeant and in the fortunate position to have a pension which gives me a lot of free time. I really miss being a leader of a great organization that takes care of its people. During that time, I had the opportunity to travel to many different countries and interact with many different kinds of people in a very diverse environment. Irvine is such a diverse environment. With my experience as a leader in the Army, I want our community to continue to thrive and move in a positive direction for our families and our future.

Vision of Irvine: Irvine is one of the most desirable places in the U.S. I want to be part of keeping it that way. To continue to remain one of the best-run cities in the United States. We will accomplish this feat by having a fiscally responsible budget, low unemployment, low crime, and increased investments in education for our youth and sustainability for the environment. I will be introducing this beautiful city to even more people, perhaps in increasing Irvine’s recognition as a tourist destination. 

Business Climate: Think global shop local. I would put together campaigns to encourage people to eat at local restaurants, hire local services and buy locally made products where possible. I would also look for ways to increase Irvine’s appeal as a tourist destination center where people would be likely to stay for two or three days, not just a day trip from L.A. The city can also help local businesses by assisting with COVID relief programs and not raising taxes. 

Safety and Law Enforcement: Irvine is a very safe community and our law enforcement has done a tremendous job of helping to keep our community safe. I understand the current social climate and can appreciate how our law enforcement has performed and maintained their professionalism. As a retired soldier, I believe in having local authority to enforce laws which contribute to local stability.

I must support the police budget and ensure our law enforcement professionals have all the training and tools necessary to accomplish their tasks safely. I will listen to local organizations and help local law enforcement improve trust and cooperation. The focus is our community and serving our community as a team. Therefore, it is important for more public engagement between the police and the community in order to build more trust. So, I would propose multiple events where the police could directly interact with the public with the main purpose being educating the public about police protocol and how the public should respond in order to avoid tension and conflict. At the same time, I would engage the “defund the police” community to learn their concerns and make sure police training is updated to reflect those concerns.

Housing: I envision an Irvine where anyone that wants to live here can. I don’t support artificially manipulating home prices, but I do support building more low income housing. But more importantly, I would support out-of-the-box options that loosen zoning requirements that would even allow dormitory-like living opportunities for people who are willing to pay less for less space as long, of course, that we consider the need for adequate parking.

Traffic: I think the city of Irvine has done a great job already dealing with traffic, but there are a few areas where I would support some street widening to alleviate current congestion. I would support a low-cost shuttle bus system around the city. It can help drivers spend less time in traffic and offer solutions to long commutes.

Green Space and Environment: Irvine has a lot of public parks already, but I do feel there is a lack of exercise equipment in those parks. So, the first thing I would do would be to push to install a good amount of exercise equipment in existing parks. Second, Irvine has a large amount of green spaces that we can enhance and protect. We will ensure more trails up into higher mountainous areas with more lookout areas and possibly places to stay that overlook the beautiful city.

Veterans Cemetery: My position is that I support our veterans and those that paid the ultimate sacrifice and deserving of our honor and respect. With or without state funding, this veterans cemetery is a worthwhile endeavor and must be built without delay. As an Army soldier, I have personally witnessed others sacrifice their lives for our country. But I would seek to secure funding for the cemetery, so it doesn’t add any extra burden to our local citizens, especially during this Covid climate.

Abigail Pole

Abigail Pole

Why are you running? The Veterans Cemetery has not been built, the Covid-19 response is wanting, and there have been policies put in place that harm the people that I love. In short, I am running for office because I am angry. I’m angry we have elected leaders who have forgotten they serve the people and have failed to serve us, the citizens of Irvine, in any meaningful way. I am running to show them that if they forget whom they serve, we the great people of Irvine will remind them. 

Vision of Irvine: I want an Irvine that is at the forefront of green technology, where everyone is able to flourish. I want our schools to be the best in the world, the city internationally recognized for the happiness of our citizens and quality of life. 

Business Climate: I don’t see supporting the businesses of Irvine recovering from COVID-induced hardship, supporting the citizens who are also recovering, and promoting, investing, and creating a green space and environment as isolated issues. I think we all tend to see issues in the lens of a vacuum as opposed to interconnected issues. For example, alleviating the congestion that plagues our city via green public transit will save not only citizens the cost of transport but it will save businesses the cost of time that is wasted in traffic. This investment in a green public transit system will put money back in the pockets of the citizens who can then spend it at local businesses. These local businesses that serve our communities should have had assistance from the city in filing for PPP grants from the federal government. The city leaders failed to provide any apparatus to help small business owners navigate the complicated federal forms and government. When elected, I would want to create an initiative that recruits lawyers in training from UCI Law School to provide legal guidance and advice to the local businesses pro-bono. In addition, I would like to see if we can offer some kind of tax relief and temporary grant for businesses struggling to stay afloat due to COVID-related expenses. 

Safety and Law Enforcement:  “Defund the Police” is such a hot button rallying cry, more than that: it’s unnecessarily divisive. We live in a city with amazing police officers who serve us, but it might be time to re-imagine their role. It doesn’t make sense to ask officers to be a social worker for the homeless people who show up in our community, a mentor for the kids who are simply running a muck, and a teacher for the people who don’t know any better, and asking them to be a caseworker for those with mental health issues. We need to prevent problems that create crime before they become problems in our city. That is why I’m committed to re-imagining our public safety budget. In addition, in the interest of transparency and accountability, I support the notion of requiring the police department to hold open meetings with the community. And a system that immediately removes an officer for wrongdoing.

Housing: I want to reimagine the zoning laws in Irvine. That way we are able to create more housing. That being said, as we continue to build we must do so in sustainable ways including using solar energy and protection of the environment.

Traffic: In order to alleviate public trafic we should create a free public transportation system for Irvine residents that is in line with the Green New Deal.

Green Space and Environment: I would like to incorporate the technology that was developed and implemented at UCI, the nation’s #1 campus in terms of sustainability. I’d like to create legislation to preserve and expand our parks and implement the latest green technology. I would like to incentivize not only homeowners, but also apartment buildings, to use the unused space above their buildings and parking stalls to install solar panels that could turn our city into a leader in terms of green energy production. I’ve said this before and I will reiterate it again: I think the people who say we can’t afford to do better and we can’t afford to invest in our future: you are being short-sighted. We simply cannot afford not to.

Veterans Cemetery: California has the second largest population of veterans. Our honored citizens deserve a place to rest in respect. I will not let it be taken from them, especially after the citizens of the city have voiced their support.

Dylan Green

Dylan Green

Why are you running? I’m running for City Council to make a government that works for all of us, and not just the wealthy developers or the well-off. In 2016, I went to watch Bernie Sanders speak at the Verizon Amphitheatre, an amphitheater that not only no longer exists, but its replacement was built and funded by FivePoint, a developer company with deep pockets of dark money that have been influencing our election for years.

Vision of Irvine: For my vision for the future of Irvine, I believe Irvine can become a major leader in terms of transparency, honesty, climate change, quality of life, and many many more categories. We have the absolute potential to do all of these things, we just need to commit. For example, our leaders need to commit to transparency, honesty and accountability, and need to be willing to take penalties when found in violation of law and regulation. Irvine needs to be a leader for renewable energy, especially when we have some of the brightest minds of our and future generations right here at UCI, a school that is consistently awarded and recognized for its sustainability. I’m also a strong advocate for working closer with UCI, not just for this but also for things like traffic, where we have some of the brightest minds in the world in social sciences who I have no doubt would be greatly willing to work with us. I’ve met dozens of people here in my time as a student of UCI that want to help and improve this city.

In terms of where I see Irvine right now, I see it doing very well in these fields, with huge room for improvement. I hope that we can move forward to meet these goals, but we have a huge transparency problem, a traffic problem, a COVID response problem, a development problem, and so much more. And these are the kind of things that I think are holding this city back from being its best self, so to speak. I have proposals to sort out all of these problems, because Irvine is near and dear to my heart and I love it. But we have to admit we have a problem before we can fix it. 

Business Climate: The business climate needs a lot of things to continue to grow right now. First and foremost, we need a workforce in Irvine that can work at these businesses. This means we need to focus on building affordable housing units for people who want to move to Irvine. In order to help businesses grow and thrive in the current climate we need to be doing everything in our power to help them reopen under the current COVID restrictions and hardships. This means that we should be providing PPE to essential businesses that are reopening first, and from there expand this PPE program to provide for all businesses as they reopen. This will help businesses feel confident to reopen, and will help keep the community safe. Some, if not all, small businesses do not have the finances or access to be able to open with the full PPE requirements we must work under, which is why I think that this is the perfect place for the city to step in and help out. The city has the resources and access to PPE supply chains that small businesses might not, and Irvine is built on the back of small business so it’s time we gave back.

Safety and Law Enforcement: In short, I believe that the IPD is operating at at least a serviceable level at the moment. For example, the police chief at a recent City Council meeting indicated, I believe, that there were only two officer-involved shootings in the past year. Two in a city of 300,000 is well, well, well below what many cities in the U.S. are experiencing. I’d like that number to be zero, if possible. What I would like to see is some oversight to ensure that police spending is going to the right places. Once we’ve done some oversight I see two courses of action:

1) IPD money is being spent effectively to cover the city. In this case I would be in favor of increasing the funds to IPD but only for the purpose of increasing police training, including racial sensitivity training. IPD officers already (unless I am mistaken) have to have a bachelor’s degree to become an officer, which is a good step.

2) If the funding is not being spent effectively, we decrease funding and reallocate it elsewhere, to programs to aid and assist the police department such that they can work efficiently. Things like social workers, mental health programs, and so on. I should note that case number 1 does not eliminate my proposal to fund these programs, it just would indicate that the funding for those programs would be in addition to rather than a replacement of.

This is my opinion on how to balance the efficacy of the police force with the calls to defund. Make sure the money is being spent well. If it isn’t, we reallocate it to improve the efficacy of the police force. If it is, then we fund additional improvement programs, so that in the future we may rely less on the police department. Irvine has an effective police force with well earned trust in the community. We just need to make sure that they’re spending their money as effectively as possible. And there’s always room for improvement. I would be fully in favor of funding social workers and mental health services not only for the purpose of reducing incidents of this type, but also so that they may ride along with officers when responding to call outs that would require these services. This is how we can even further improve our police force.

Housing: Affordability of housing is one of my main goals when it comes to houses. If I were to be elected to the City Council, one of my first and foremost goals would be increasing access to affordable housing. Part of this includes stemming development projects that take prime and quality land that could be used for affordable, low-income housing developments. I think the Irvine Master Plan absolutely has space for building these kinds of housing developments, and providing for our community at large.

Affordable housing actually ties in to my plans for the business climate of Irvine. We currently have half a dozen office buildings that currently lie empty and unrented, and businesses are constantly moving out of inner-city areas like UTC and the woodbridge center because the Irvine Company keeps raising rent, and now there are empty units! We need to start focusing on getting businesses to move in rather than out, to bring more economy and money into the city. This starts at the lowest level. If we want people to work at these buildings, in these shops, or for these companies, we need to make sure that they have access to affordable housing within Irvine. This benefits us two fold. Firstly, as the workforce will be here for companies that move into Irvine, companies will be more enticed to move here, and secondly, people that live in Irvine are much more likely to spend their hard-earned money back in the local economy, which helps the city in uncountable ways. Affordable housing is absolutely a must.

Traffic: We absolutely have a traffic problem in Irvine right now. And I see this as a multi-step process to fix. First and foremost, I would propose we halt new development until we’ve been able to fix the traffic problem, and we actually move forward with a plan. Irvine was founded on a master plan, and we should continue to live up to its legacy by planning what we’re going to be doing moving forward. I believe that most of our traffic problems are being caused by approving and moving forward with construction and development projects without coming up with some sort of plan for mitigating or managing the resulting traffic. So henceforth I would mandate traffic studies for all new development projects that cross my desk. I also would fix the traffic problem by focusing on that first for new development. Road widening and realignment where necessary, as well as restructuring intersections for maximum effectiveness.

I also am a strong advocate for a public/mass transit system that would help mitigate some of the traffic problems. Not only will it benefit the climate action plan for Irvine, it will reduce the traffic problem by taking cars off the road in majorly traveled throughways and byways if the system is well designed. Not only that, it will create hundreds of new jobs for the city, a huge boost in trying to recover from the economic impact that Covid has had on Irvine.

Green Space and Environment: Firstly, I believe that we should be focusing on restoring as much green space as possible, and preserving the wildlife areas we already have in place. If possible, I believe they should be expanded. In terms of improving local green-space, the Great Park is already a great opportunity for this! The site is currently laying a little barren, with few if any trees. We can start there to restore the hiking and walking trails that have been established through the park and local community to make them even better to visit. From there, I propose we expand our walking trail network throughout the city, as there are already many walking trails that are a little lackluster in terms of greenery and these are easy fixes to make!

Further, climate sustainability and going more green is vital to our survival as a human race but also as a city. This is why I support things like the Community Choice Energy plan, which is currently under review by the City Council. Under this plan the city would fund alternative energy companies to bring their electricity into Irvine, for purchase by residents. This has the two-fold effect of increasing adoption of alternative energy sources but also introducing competition that will both force SCE to innovate but also to reduce their costs, making it more affordable to the local customer. In addition, I would be in favor of introducing climate mandates through the City Council that would require carbon goals to be met in incremental stages. This is usually focused on at the state and national level but I see no reason not to do it at the local level too. Additionally, I would be willing to pledge to try to get Irvine City Hall and as many government buildings as possible powered by green energy by the time I leave office.

I also, as stated above, advocate a traffic reduction plan through mass and public transit. This has the double effect of reducing cars on the road and therefore carbon dioxide, but also helping to solve our traffic problem. Things like improving the iShuttle, and an above-ground shuttle between major Irvine locations, like John Wayne, the Great Park, UCI, and City Hall for example.

Veterans Cemetery: I am 100 percent for a veterans cemetery, and my primary goal for a VC would be building it at the ARDA site that has been approved multiple times at the city level. As far as I am aware, the state has pledged to manage and take over the site once it’s built, with the understanding that if they do not fund the demolition themselves, they will reimburse the city for the demolition and construction of the site. With that understanding, I would move forward with construction as soon as possible.

Our veterans deserve full honor and respect with a place to be laid to rest here in Irvine. The VC is one of the subjects that really pushed me to run, first two years ago when I first started to seriously consider running, and then again this year when I realized that I’ve just sat by and continued to watch the VC get stymied at the council level for years without doing anything. So I figured it was time to take matters into my own hands. Again, this plays into my hold on new development, as the VC has been approved half a dozen times at least, and yet we continue to give companies like FivePoint alternate contracts that they then focus on instead of building the VC like we should have done 5 years ago.

Larry Agran

Larry Agran

Why are you running? When I previously served as mayor and on the City Council, Irvine became the safest, smartest and greenest city in America. But in the past eight years, I’ve watched the City Council abandon good planning and good government, rubber-stamping massive development schemes and catering to the interests of developers rather than standing up for the best interests of Irvine residents.

Vision of Irvine: My vision of Irvine has not substantially changed since I was first elected to the Irvine City Council in 1978. I want Irvine to be a pioneer and leader in providing Irvine residents the highest quality of life by taking advantage of the incredible talent at our local world-class university and businesses.

For example, plans and policies adopted during my prior years of service as mayor and city councilmember were instrumental in making Irvine the greenest city in America. In the early 1980s, I led Irvine in adopting its curbside recycling program. A few years later, after consulting with Nobel Prize-winning UCI scientists Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina, I led Irvine in becoming the first American city to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), industrial chemicals that destroy the Earth’s ozone layer. Irvine’s ban on CFCs jump-started municipal, state, national and international efforts to craft legislation banning CFCs. 

As a result of Irvine’s leadership on that issue, local government officials representing 200 cities from 43 nations gathered at the UN the following year to create the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Today, ICLEI is a 2,000-member organization and the largest environmental city network on the planet.

If I am returned to the council, I will be working to restore Irvine’s proud history as a leader in innovation and public policies.

Business Climate: More than six months into this pandemic, the city has done little to protect and support our local businesses. The only assistance provided to the Irvine business community has come from the federal program, which the city simply administers.  

I have prepared a plan — written in the form of an official Irvine City Council Resolution — to address the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 in Irvine. (The full text of the plan is available on my website, LarryAgran.com, under the “Priorities” heading.) Under my plan, Irvine would use $10 million of the City’s $53 million Rainy Day Contingency Fund to establish three new offices, including the Office of Small Business Assistance.

The Office of Small Business Assistance would provide financial assistance, protective equipment and instruction in achieving the highest standards of health and safety in the workplace and in all areas open to the public. 

Safety and Law Enforcement: When I was previously mayor of Irvine (2000-2004), we made major improvements to the Irvine Police Department: All officers are now college-educated; we dramatically increased the number of women officers; we made sure that our police force reflected the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of our city; and we reinforced policies that emphasize community policing, respect for First Amendment freedoms, and de-escalation of potentially violent confrontations.

We should continue to earmark funds within our public safety budget for expanded social service programs, including treatment for mental health problems, as well as drug and alcohol addiction. In 2012, I wrote and personally gathered thousands of signatures in support of a city-wide initiative that continues to provide city funds to pay for resource officers in IUSD high schools. The program has been remarkably successful in helping to keep high school students on a positive path through counseling and public safety education. In fact, the program has been so successful that it has been extended to middle schools, and I continue to support the school resource officers program.

Housing: I have always been a strong advocate for a variety of affordable housing programs in Irvine, including the establishment of the Irvine Land Trust to ensure the availability of ample tracts of land on which affordable housing will be built.

No changes in the Irvine Master Plan are needed; instead, we need councilmembers who are determined to add to the 5,000+ affordable housing units (mostly apartments) in the city.  Historically, Irvine has done more than its regional “fair share” to provide affordable housing, but we need to do even more.

Traffic: One of the reasons I am running for City Council is because the current council has abandoned our city’s history of good planning and good government. They have rubber-stamped massive development schemes and catered to the interests of developers rather than standing up for the best interests of Irvine residents. As a result of poor planning over the past decade, we are facing horrendous traffic, failing intersections, and overburdened infrastructure throughout our city.

The city’s funding for purchasing and programming a modern traffic control system comes from Measure M2 funds, which trickle in at a rate too low for rapid improvement. And the current council has approved massive blocks of apartment housing instead of adhering to Irvine’s original Vision Plan which calls for mixed-use development.

If I am elected, I will lead the fight for the City Council to restore our Irvine Master Plan and reassert control over growth and development in Irvine.

Green Space and Environment: I am proud of the fact that, under my leadership, we preserved more than 10,000 acres of Open Space which will remain forever free of development for future generations to enjoy. We also became the first city in the nation to ban CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals. And we built our beautiful community parks system. We also preserved the quality of life for all Irvine residents by defeating the county’s proposed El Toro International Airport which would have resulted in massive traffic and pollution. I also am responsible for implementing Irvine’s recycling program.

Looking ahead to the future, it’s important that we once again collaborate with our scientific community at UCI and regionally to develop a strong Climate Action Plan to address climate changes that are already well underway, warming our city and exposing all of us to increased risks from wildfires, pollution, diseases and other environmental threats. The Climate Action Plan should include incentives to encourage more frequent use of non-polluting mass transit, installation of solar power, and a commitment to preserve more open spaces, create even more parks, and plant 1 million additional trees in the next five years.

Veterans Cemetery: In my final year on the council, I drafted and secured unanimous council approval for a plan to establish a beautiful state-built and state-operated Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS).

Since 2014, Irvine voters have repeatedly expressed their strong support for that plan.

Ignoring the will of the voters, the current council majority has spent years scheming with developers to delay, derail and defeat our veterans cemetery. They want the site for massive development projects that will add thousands of additional cars to our already overcrowded Irvine streets every day.

Our long-promised Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery was scheduled to become operational last Veterans Day (November 2019).

I’ve prepared a plan – written in the form of an official Irvine City Council Resolution – to address how we immediately move forward with our Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the ARDA site at the Great Park. (The full text of the plan is available on my website, LarryAgran.com, under the “Priorities” heading.)

If I am elected, I will be working on behalf of the citizens of Irvine, not huge corporate developers. I will fight to make sure that the policies coming out of City Hall are focused on improving the lives of Irvine residents, not increasing a developer’s bottom-line.

Laura Bratton

Why are you running? Clean air and traffic reduction, police accountability and public safety.

Vision of Irvine: My vision for Irvine is providing for the residents of Irvine; that local government is keeping their needs in mind when voting on issues. Also, as a City Council member we need to make sure we’re providing our residents with transparent communication on any question asked. I want Irvine to have clean air again where our children can walk to school or to the store with no hesitation. 

Business Climate: The city of Irvine can support local businesses by providing them with resources and nonprofit organizations that will help in these trying times. We should help educate and implement programs that will help businesses stay open.

Safety and Law Enforcement: I believe now is the time to have open effective communication with Irvine PD. If we as residents of Irvine must be accountable for our actions so does Irvine PD. Our talks need to end with real change, and I think having a committee to ensure change is happening is vital.

Housing: I came to Irvine on the low-income program. I do not believe there is an issue in Irvine right now. Irvine already allocates 10 percent of apartments to low-income families. Over building apartment complexes, shopping centers and office buildings is the primary issue. I think we should slow down on the building so we can figure out how we can improve things in the near future.

Traffic: The traffic in this great city is due to over-building. I believe the local government needs to start taking the residents of Irvine into account when voting on infrastructure. I believe building shopping centers, apartments and offices simultaneously is the problem. We should slow down and figure out what’s best for the residents and move accordingly.

Green Space and Environment: First, we should slow down with construction in all areas (offices, shopping centers and apartments), to figure out what direction we want to go in. The people of Irvine are tired of traffic and smoggy air.

Veterans Cemetery: Yes, I have no problem advocating for a veteran cemetery. Once I’m elected: Collectively we should brainstorm and come up with ways to fund the park if we do not have state funding that will not affect taxpayers.

Anshul Garg

Anshul Garg

Why are you running? Helping and working with people and communities has always been a passion of mine, whether in the job or in the business. To extend the same passion helping everyone, I decided to run for the local office so I can do more for every resident of Irvine, in terms of the benefits available to them throughout the city and how they can be part of the decision-making of the policies of their city.

Vision of Irvine: Irvine is one of the safest cities and known for its education standards – these are going to be my first priority to maintain, in the current pandemic we are going through. This effort will include how to keep up the safe environment for everyone, enough and reasonably priced supply of masks and other preventive gear we need for our front-line warriors, seniors and the rest of the people.

In addition, Irvine is attracting a lot of people and we need to make sure that everyone is safe. This is an opportunity for us to grow the economy of the city, and have a safe and secure environment for everyone, by supporting and expanding our IPD staff.

Next comes the support to the small businesses, which have closed down their doors because of financial hardship in this pandemic. As I indicated, small businesses are the backbone of every city and this is the time they need help. I will be working tirelessly to let the small businesses back on their feet.

Last but not least – I will be working with the residents to use renewable energy, stop using plastic and find new ways to recycle waste – which is really going to help us keep our environment safe and clean for us all and the generations to come!

Business Climate: Business grows when customers feel safe, secure and in a reasonable environment. The current pandemic has affected it all – people cannot go freely to anywhere they want. We have to work on making sure and enforcing laws to modify the strategies towards the “New Normal.” This will need the support from federal, state and city because this needs funding for the modifications needed to be done for the business. There are many businesses which are not affected much but are making profits because of the pandemic, where a big number of people can “work from home” and save on everyday business expenses. We will identify and reach out to other small businesses which cannot operate “from home” and will help them the way we can.

This is going to be a continuous and parallel process, while we are working to make the Irvine city greater.

As Indicated, we need to identify the issues and requirements of every small business that has been affected because of COVID-19. While not all the problems are the same, the resolutions for each need to be derived very carefully. There are many agencies already working with the affected one like the SBA and EDD and we will do our part to get the help reached in a timely manner. Currently, we are seeing delays in responses because these agencies are getting a lot of cases, but this cannot be a reason for a business to close down because of delay in the financial aid. 

We must continue to protect each other and cannot cut the corners in this pandemic. As we are adopting the “new normal,” I will make sure that people know where they need to go when they need help.

One of my main agenda items is to support small businesses in every way we can. I am a firm believer that “small businesses are the economic backbone of every city.”

Christine Dillard did not submit responses to our candidate questionnaire.

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