The Santa Monica Daily Press asked several civic leaders about their New Year's Resolutions. Their answers are below.
Mayor Kevin McKeown
What are your New Year's resolutions (personal, professional or civic) for 2015?
Make sure everyone is engaged and heard as we shape our City's future by hiring a new City Manager, adopting a new zoning code, and deciding the future of the airport.
What is your track record like with past resolutions?
Ask Hines.
What resolution do you hope most Santa Monican's make this year?
Listen, contribute, and trust the process.
Fire Chief Scott Ferguson
What are your New Year's resolutions (personal, professional or civic) for 2015?
Personal: painting has become a bit of a hobby; I would like to explore that a little more in the coming year. Staying fit has always been a priority, but I would like to change my routine up and commit to sticking with it even when time and workload becomes a challenge.
Professional: the fire department has had a number of well-respected members retire over the past couple years; my professional resolution is to help grow our new team as we strive to provide the best possible service to our community.
What is your track record like with past resolutions?
Track record: if I was honest with myself the answer would be that my resolutions have not stretched me too much; I have stuck to them fairly well but need to explore the fringes a bit more.
What resolution do you hope most Santa Monican's make this year?
Santa Monica is an amazing place with a whole lot going on - my resolution for our citizens and guests is for increased safety on the bike paths, sidewalks, and busy streets.
Matthew King, Communication Director with Heal the Bay
What are your New Year's resolutions (personal, professional or civic) for 2015?
Personal - Surf more and worry less.
Professional - Fight to keep oil drilling out of Santa Monica Bay. This March, voters in Hermosa Beach will decide the fate of a dangerous and ill-advised proposal to begin slant drilling for oil underneath the Hermosa seafloor. There is no drilling in the Bay right now and we need to keep Big Oil out of our local waters.
What is your track record like with past resolutions?
Win some. Lose some.
What resolution do you hope most Santa Monicans make this year As a native Santa Monican, I hope residents resolve to hold their elected leaders accountable for planning decisions made by city staff that are negatively affecting our quality of life. Development may bring in money to fill city coffers, but maddening gridlock, excessive density and cookie-cutter architecture are sapping our civic soul. It's too heavy a price to pay.
Jennifer Taylor
What are your New Year's resolutions (personal, professional or civic) for
2015?
My personal and civic resolution is to get rid of my grass lawn and replace with a sustainable garden in 2015.
What is your track record like with past resolutions?
Generally good, except for my resolution to keep my desk clean. That's a work in progress.
What resolution do you hope most Santa Monican's make this year?
To buy, eat and play local!
