San Bruno CA: Council Candidate O'Connell - Closing Debate Comments

Michael Salazar and Marty Medina have been offered similar space here in San Bruno CA Patch.

Candidate O’Connell states:

I would like to thank the League of Woman voters for conducting this forum – it is no easy task keeping candidates to a time limit.

I would particularly like to thank everyone who has given me their time, energy, and support during this campaign. I couldn’t do this without you.

I was born and raised in San Bruno and have lived here my whole life. I have a B.A. and Master’s in Education.

San Bruno is where my husband and I choose to raise our three children; two of them still call it home.

The City of San Bruno has weathered a great recession and a devastating pipeline explosion.

Many lives have been forever changed, yet we remain a strong and vibrant community.

The council has worked hard locally and nationally to prevent this type of disaster from ever happening again, to anyone. We will continue to.

I have deep ties to this community and work hard to make it a place we all want to live.

I founded and chair the San Bruno Beautification Task Force.

We started and continue to manage Operation Clean Sweep;

The Beautification Awards event;

And the Holiday Lights program.

Last year, to commemorate our 100th anniversary as a city, we planted 99 trees, free, in residents’ front yards, to add ‘green’ to neighborhoods.

The 100th tree we planted at Capuchino High School in recognition of the city’s ties to the school.

With the recent passage of our Measure N, the upturn in the economy, new development downtown, and a proposed hotel that will generate revenue for many years, we are looking at a bright future.

We are excited that, after an extensive outreach and listening campaign, the San Bruno Community Foundation is in the process of formulating their next steps.

We look forward to cooperating with them In making major improvements to the city.

However, for all our progress, there is still much to be done.

We need to continue to invest wisely in our infrastructure and to replace our aging community buildings.

We need to explore ways to use technology, to work more effectively, and to engage our community more extensively.

We need, as a city, to expand our sustainable energy and xeriscaping options.

These are my goals.

Again, thank you to the League,

We appreciate your efforts in keeping our Voters informed of their choices.

While I am a ‘home grown’ product of San Bruno, I have represented this city on numerous regional boards and commission.

I served for two years as chair and two years a vice chair of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency,

Consisting of 26 members covering three counties;

I am the chair of the Advanced Life Support-Joint Powers Board, the organization that established having para-medics on fire engines.

And I am a member of C/CAG – the City/County Association of Governments;

The congestion management agency for the county.

The city realized several million dollars due to my participation

I hope to continue representing San Bruno on these regional boards, to look out for our interests, and to make our concerns known.

Twenty years ago, when I started on this Council a former mayor said to me:

1. Do your homework

2. Decide what you think is best for San Bruno

3. And vote your conscious.

I have done my best to follow his advice,

And will continue to do so.

Thank you for your support.

/s/ Irene O’Connell

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Robert Riechel

robertriechel@att.net

For San Bruno CA Patch

Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: San Bruno CA City Council Candidate Irene O’Connell

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