Climate Resiliency: Wildfire, Sea Level Rise & Undergrounding

As a forested and coastal city experiencing the worsening effects of climate change every year, we must continue to implement aggressive wildfire mitigation and hazardous fuel reduction, and be prepared for rapidly increasing coastal erosion and storm surges. As caretakers of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, we must explore nature-based adaptation strategies while preparing public infrastructure, private property and transportation networks for these hazards.

Monterey County ranks fifth for the most power outages in the PG&E system. Downed trees in heavily forested District 3 topple power lines and damage property every year. Neighbors in our district have called for investigation and strategy into undergrounding utilities throughout the city, especially in power outage and wildfire prone areas. I’d like to prioritize emergency evacuation routes so that we do not have downed utility lines blocking escape from our neighborhoods.

Not only does underground conversion safeguard electric and communications reliability, it can also increase property values, reduce blight, and improve pedestrian and vehicle safety.

I’d like to work with city staff and neighborhood experts to find solutions and funding strategies. We must make sure that the exorbitant costs of undergrounding do not heavily burden homeowners’ already-tight finances.

I have experience being on staff in both the City and County’s Emergency Operations Center, in charge of helping get the word out about disaster response and recovery.