By Dan O’Brien
A common refrain anyone will hear coming from me is that I love living in Culver City because of the ability we have to actually speak with our community’s leaders.
Over the 14 years I have lived here, there have been many occasions where I have felt the need to personally contact one or more of our City Council members about an issue or an idea. Jeff Cooper and Jim Clarke are two Council members who take the time to listen.
I know they listen because they respond not with a rote, gratuitous response, but with thoughtfulness and questions of their own. If they disagree with me, they tell me so and give reasons why.
I greatly appreciate their support of our schools. Both men have been vocal in support of many issues that parents consider important to the improvement of Culver City’s public schools. I have personally seen them in attendance at many of our schools’ fundraisers, and I know that both of them support Measure CC, the general obligation bond to modernize the crumbling facilities and antiquated technology in our School District.
During one of the most challenging economic eras in memory, Mayor Cooper and Mr. Clarke have been at the forefront, guiding the city past obstacles that have left other cities in shambles.
After Gov. Brown eliminated local redevelopment agencies, critical retail projects were left hanging in the balance — downtown’s Parcel B, Market Hall at Centinela and Washington, the Habitat for Humanity affordable housing at Globe Avenue, and the transit-oriented development adjacent to the Expo Line Station. Through deft negotiations with the state’s Dept. of Finance and relationships with our state representatives, all of these projects recently have been given the green light to proceed. This was done while saving the city almost $20 million owed to the state in exchange.
Speaking of affordable housing, with the Globe Avenue project moving forward, Mayor Cooper and Mr. Clarke will have participated in the development of the only three affordable housing additions to Culver City in decades, including Tilden Terrace and Irving Place.
Finally, speaking anecdotally, when I recently heard that the Culver City 5K/10K Run for Autism was to be cancelled due to a misunderstanding between the race organizers and city staff, I immediately reached out to Mayor Cooper to voice my concern. This was a hugely successful event in 2013 that raised tens of thousands of dollars for Culver City schools and the battle against autism. Within a week of reaching out to the mayor, an accord was struck and the race was back on.
Mr. Cooper and Mr. Clarke are responsive, have years of critical experience in city government, and they care. I can speak with conviction when I say that they are the two best choices for City Council this year. Please vote next Tuesday for Mr. Cooper and Mr. Clarke for Culver City Council.
Mr. O’Brien may be contacted at beverlyanddan@aol.com
