Don Hansen: City needs to be a destination

RACE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL

Name: Don Hansen

Age: 30

Occupation: Commercial financial executive

Family: Married to Sara Hansen; daughter Bailey Hansen.

Community Activities: Huntington Beach Rotary; Sts. Simon and Jude

Church, Knights of Columbus; Southeast Huntington Beach Neighborhood

Associate; Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Education: Bachelor’s in international relations from the

University of Southern California.

Favorite leader: Ronald Reagan.

Contact information: Don Hansen-don@hansen4hb.com; (714) 964-3661;

PO Box 5981, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.

HANSEN ON:

* CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS:

I believe the Fair initiative deserves a vote and should have been

placed on the November ballot. The proponents of the initiative

followed all of the proper procedures and they have a right to be

heard. I am not opposed to districting, but there does seem to be

room for middle ground here. The main points of contention seem to be

the reduction of the number of council members and the elimination of

the at-large vote. If elected, I would like to work on a compromise

solution.

* PROPOSITION 50:

I believe Proposition 50 may be a solution that helps end the

Bolsa Chica debate. I believe most citizens are in favor of open

space, but raising taxes or putting up the money for land acquisition

is not widely embraced. Proposition 50 gives the voters the

opportunity to affirm their commitment to this issue and deliver the

dollars needed to purchase the property.

* DEVELOPMENT:

We have too many crumbling strip malls and too much vacant retail

space. I believe we can stimulate budget growth by working on those

properties. By improving and enhancing these areas, we can provide

more quality retail destinations for our own residents.

* WATER QUALITY:

Water quality and the protection or our coast will always be an

issue for the leadership of Huntington Beach. We must be ever

vigilant in our work to ensure our beaches are clean, safe and open.

We must also work with cities in our surrounding areas to eliminate

urban runoff and continue to aggressively pursue those contributing

to the problem. This is not an issue for the Huntington Beach

taxpayer to bear alone.

* BIGGEST ISSUE FACING HUNTINGTON BEACH:

Huntington Beach must become a destination for tourists and

residents. We must create new opportunities to grow our city budget

without increasing taxes or fees. Creating Huntington Beach as a

destination is the solution. Huntington Beach is a destination every

year for thousands of tourists, who come to visit its beaches, shops

and restaurants. With the new Hyatt Resort Hotel and Convention

Center, Huntington Beach will continue to be a top destination for

tourists from all over the world. We need to go one step further --

Huntington Beach must be a destination for Huntington Beach

residents, as well. Too many of our residents are taking their

dollars to Fountain Valley, Westminster, Costa Mesa and Newport

Beach. This costs our city valuable sales-tax commitment to quality

shops, restaurants and businesses that our residents will be proud of

and support. We must keep sales tax dollars at home and help the city

continue to provide outstanding services to its residents.