Do you remember being engaged to be married and what a thrilling time that was? I have a proposition for you. What if you became engaged with the City of Chula Vista? It won’t be quite the same as being engaged to be married but it can be very rewarding to be involved in your own community. I know many of you are involved in a myriad of activities that benefit Chula Vista like youth sports, church groups and civic organizations, but I would like you to consider being more directly engaged with the City.
It wasn’t too many generations ago that neighbors would work together to get things done in the community ? like the old barn raising scenario. Nowadays, we look to government to use our tax funding to get things done. However, the last few years of recession have dramatically reduced the amount of taxes available to fund City functions. We have initiated our Continuous Improvement program in the City to be as efficient as possible but we think we could make things even better in our City through your direct engagement.
There are lots of ways our residents can be engaged. A number of you already are involved in City activities and we thank you for your contributions. But we can always use more help!
One of the primary ways to be involved is to volunteer in one of our departments. Almost every department has opportunities for volunteers. The Police Department has the Senior Volunteer Patrol, the Public Works Department has a volunteer Park Ranger Program or you could serve as a volunteer at our excellent Animal Care Facility. More information can be found at Human Resources Department/Volunteers at www.chulavistaca.gov. The City also has over 20 Boards and Commissions where members provide public input to City government and facilitate quality decision-making. We have a number of openings on the Boards and Commissions and we invite you to check the City’s website for more information.
Telling us what is going on in your neighborhoods is another way you can help. If you notice infrastructure problems like potholes, please go to Public Works Service Requests on our website or call (619) 397-6000. You also can help us reduce crime in the City by calling 911 or our Tip Hotline at (619) 422-8477 or by going to “Help us solve a crime” or San Diego CrimeStoppers on our website to report crimes you observe.
If you or an organization you are affiliated with is interested in projects, there are lots of opportunities. Our Public Works Department sponsors “Adopt-a-Park” programs as well as programs to clean up graffiti. We also need sponsors to provide additional trash receptacles for our parks and to purchase additional books and computers for our libraries. You also can participate through various non-profit, 501©3 organizations which supports an assortment of programming in Chula Vista.
I encourage you to consider becoming more engaged in your City. Who knows, you might even find it thrilling.
Sandoval is the Chula Vista City Manager.
