By Councilmember Rick Loeffler
Well, it’s been three months since my appointment to the City Council. I was told by many who have held this position that every month would present a significant, unanticipated, challenge.
This seems to have rung true, because in the last three months we have seen the continuing emergency at the Casa Romantica, the process of hiring private security and implementing council voting districts.
We also must address the recurring issues of homeless management, crime suppression, maintenance of city facilities, sourcing revenue, employee retention and a myriad of other miscellaneous topics.
With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Duncan, Councilmembers Knoblock, Cabral and Enmeier, as well as City Manager Hall, City Attorney Mitchell, City Clerk Campagnolo and all their associated staff who have been so patient in making my transition as painless as possible. Their pain—not mine.
I would like to speak as to what I believe led to my appointment over so many highly qualified candidates.
First, it is my position that the issues facing the city are nonpartisan. Every decision made should be based on what will best serve the residents of our city, and political parties should have no bearing.
Second, public safety is my No. 1 priority. As a retired law enforcement officer, I am committed to ensuring that San Clemente maintains the safe family environment that we have come to expect.
We can do that by providing our public safety stakeholders (OCSD, OCFA, Marine Safety and Code Enforcement) with all the tools and resources required to accomplish their specific missions.
Third, I will not run for reelection in 2024. I am confident that we will have many qualified candidates to choose from even if districts become a factor.
Looking forward, there are several issues I would like to address in the coming months. We are in the process of enhancing our Park Ranger Program. We are in the process of hiring two full-time rangers who will have enforcement powers.
These rangers will be able to patrol our parks, beaches, train platforms and other areas of the city with the ability to write citations for municipal code violations.
We must continue to pursue access to shelters in order to provide services to those who will accept help, and enforce our laws pertaining to those individuals who are resistant to assistance.
We must continue to apply pressure to the state and county to step up and participate in securing services for those who are mentally impaired to the point that they are unable to care for themselves.
This burden should not be on a small town like ours. We need to support our local businesses and entice new businesses to come to our city in hopes that we can revitalize the northern and southern areas of our city.
We live in an incredible community with a phenomenal group of residents. We have a history of coming together to overcome any challenges we are presented with, and I am confident this will continue. Please contact me with any concerns at 949.361.8322.
Rick Loeffler was appointed to the City Council in May 2023 to serve out the remainder of a term for a vacant seat that expires in December 2024.
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