Candidate shares ideas for the city of Thousand Oaks
In my July 15 letter, I explained what I thought was wrong with the way the current City Council is spending money and sending city contracts out of town.
The new $2-million spending plan for a giant Auto Mall TV is exactly what this council does. Don’t let Andy Fox lead this last charge. Postpone the vote for the new council.
The auto dealers simply need to offer better prices.
What will Billy Martin do differently? Let’s start with The Lakes. I will turn The Lakes around, so they pay taxes. I did it with the North Ranch Mall in the ’80s. The Lakes needs more viable tenants. My T.O. Only store concept, selling “1000 OAKS LOVER” merchandise, supports local vendors. Or maybe some outlet stores that residents are driving to Camarillo for.
We can institute ideas that raise funds for our city.
Our hotel bed tax is among the state’s lowest. Launch a branding effort that will raise money, not cost money. We can utilize the city newsletter better and save money doing that, too.
Bring more shoppers to the City Center with more attractions.
How about the promised Discovery Center with an attached IMAX destination theater, not multiplexes that compete with The Promenade, Janss Marketplace and Muvico. How about a T.O. tour bus that begins and ends at the Civic Arts Plaza?
Preserve local history and build tourism among residents. How about a T.O. Matinee Film Fest with only movies shot here, beginning with “Birth of a Nation” and “Wuthering Heights?”
How about a tribute to the oak, our national tree—there’s one in front of the Civic Arts Plaza that’s been growing since George Washington took the oath of office.
How about returning a piece of Jungleland?
How about the Copper Curtain overlay idea I presented in 2000 featuring 1,000 oak trees at $1,000 each and raising a million dollars for our city?
My motto is, “If you believe you can make a difference, you are never wrong.”
Help me replace Andy Fox with fresh thinking from a businessman’s perspective. Billy Martin Thousand Oaks
Martin is a candidate for City Council in the Nov. 2 election.
