The Platform

Today's Foundation, Solvang's Future

Proven leadership for the next four years — and the twenty after them.

Elizabeth's record on the City Council is built on listening to the experts, analysts, the data and Solvang neighbors and determining practical results that we can deliver.

This Platform continues that work.

Each priority comes with specific commitments you can hold her to — and a clear statement of what it means for Solvang and for District 4.

Elizabeth Orona in front of the City of Solvang seal

Affordability

Housing, energy, water, and daily living costs touch every household and should be weighed in every partnership, contract award, and budgetary decision. Many Solvang residents live on fixed incomes, and families and young people worry they will never afford a home here. Solvang is also facing major updates to bridges, roads, parks, the WWTP and existing water infratructure. And we are at the starting wave of dramatic housing growth - even as the state takes much of the planning control out of our hands, we must find creative ways to govern expansion plans while we add housing units within the city boundary.

Weigh housing, energy, water, and waste-collection costs in every partnership and contract decision.
Find creative ways to perform traditional planning while adding housing units within the city boundary.
Sustain the civic organizations, non-profits, churches, and service organizations that keep Solvang thriving.

That means protecting the residents on fixed incomes and the families who already call these neighborhoods home, while pressing for responsible housing growth our district can absorb.

Business Growth & Fiscal Responsibility

Solvang is enjoying a moment of solid fiscal health. However, major infrastructure updating needs must be answered and will require sizable investments. This trend is common all around us — schools, roads, grids, and water infrastructure are all competing for the natural cyclical attention that translates to stacking costs. Constant evaluation of where we strategically dedicate dollars - from to BDD projects, tourism investment, and Chamber and small-business relationships - combined with smart investing, grant pursuits, and detailed budget governance, is the work of the truly dedicated.

Strategically direct dollars toward BDD projects, tourism investment, and Chamber and small-business relationships.
Pursue grants and practice detailed budget governance as the city faces sizable infrastructure investment.
Conduct discreet evaluations of financing options for all capital investments.

That means key coming capital investments for the new WWTP, roads and parks, and that BDD, marketing and tourism contract renewals, the contributions of the Chamber of Commerce performs gets dedicated focus.

Public Safety

With Elizabeth's leadership, Solvang and our neighborhoods were out front in early promoting FireWise certification, leading the city and key high risk fire zone neighborhoods into it. Fire response and readiness remain a vigilant priority. In addition, putting a high focus on improving relationships and service levels in our policing contracts; strengthening ordinances to empower to stave off homeless encampments; keeping Solvang cannabis-shop-free; and driving more tools in the hands of our enforcement resources to maximize effiencient and preventative approaches to public safety.

Keep fire response and readiness a vigilant, standing priority and building on FireWise certification.
Improve relationships and service levels in our policing contracts.
Continued work on strengthen ordinances, policies and enforcement tools to make public safety best in class, efficient and cost effective.

That means the district's neighborhoods stay FireWise-ready, enforcement has the tools it needs, and code updates happen often, and at a cost the City can sustain.

Resilience & Sustainability

Aging road, bridge, water, and sewer infrastructure needs rebuilding, not just maintenance, to last for the next 30–40 years. This is necessary work over the next four years and beyond. We must face deferred infrastructure, park, and road maintenance now, ahead of pending new growth. These decisions and commitments will position the City for lasting resiliency for the next 20 years.

Rebuild roads, bridges, and water and sewer systems sized for the next 30–40 years, not just patched.
Address deferred infrastructure, park, and road maintenance ahead of new growth and plan capital spend carefully.
Continue the work established with the Eastern Management GSA to govern Solvang's water wells for the long term.

That means making sure the district's roads, bridges, and water systems are rebuilt on a schedule residents can see — and that our wells are governed for decades, not seasons.

Health & Well-Being

Research suggests investments in civic and commercial constructs for social connection, recreation and arts are disappearing and that correlates with diminished social connection - this is a municipality's most impactful priority for it's community. Actively working to define the Parks & Recreation Master Plan for the next 20 years; maintaining open green space; and investing in recreation, arts, culture, and youth programs - these are too often deprioritized over more pressing decisions But these are the very services residents expect but get the last budgetary considerations. Elizabeth's work will be creative and diligent to keep these as highest goals and objectives..

Shape the Parks & Recreation Master Plan for the next 20 years.
Maintain open green space and invest in recreation, arts, culture, and youth programs.
Build on serving on the Aquatics Foundation and SYVHSUSD JUA and the Co-founding of Solvang Cinema Arts.

That means the parks, green space, senior and youth programs our residents use every day are protected and invested in for the long term.

The Throughline

The next two to four years define the next twenty.

Decisions we make over the next two to four years will define Solvang for the next fifteen to twenty. Groundwater sustainability plans lock in multi-decade extraction and recharge targets. Water, sewer, treatment-plant, bridge, and road infrastructure rebuilt now is sized to serve Solvang for the next thirty to forty years — deferred again, it becomes a costlier crisis.

Growth, housing, and affordability decisions this term decide whether Solvang's workforce can still afford to live here. This is an immediate problem. We are positioned to do this work, and Elizabeth is ready to do this work.

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