SD U-T Article: Q&A: President, Chula Vista Civic Association
February 18, 2010 at 4:27 PM
By Tanya Sierra, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ed Herrera takes pride in civic engagement, and at 23, the UC San Diego graduate has become a familiar face on the Chula Vista activist and political scene. Herrera got his first taste of civics at age 16 when he served on the city’s Youth Advisory Commission for two years. By the time he was 20, he set his sights on bigger posts. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Sweetwater Union High School District board and applied unsuccessfully to be a Chula Vista port commissioner when a seat was open in 2006. These days, he is chairman of the city’s Human Relations Commission and co-founder and president of the Chula Vista Civic Association. He is also working with the budding South San Diego Chamber of Commerce. In a recent conversation, Herrera talked about the organizations he works with.
QUESTION: What is the Chula Vista Civic Association?
ANSWER: We’re a business and community organization and we’re dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic future of Chula Vista. We formed after the defeat of Proposition A (a 1-cent sales tax measure) in May 2009. We were all sitting around waiting for the results and we said we’ve only won the battle, we haven’t won the war. Government is always ready to transfer responsibility down to the taxpayer for its mistakes. But we said we must also be organized and make sure we hold government accountable. We advocate for efficient government.
QUESTION: What projects is the group focused on?
ANSWER: We’re working on the oversight development committee with the city. We’re trying to streamline the process for projects which encourage economic development and business. We’re also working on the five-year redevelopment plan. Every five years the redevelopment corporation has to create a redevelopment strategy. We’re advocating for responsible redevelopment. The big issue is whether to expand the redevelopment zone into the residential area. This has been a very divisive issue. We cannot support redevelopment without the proper checks and balances.
The other thing we are working on is the campaign for Chula Vista’s future. It’s a viral marketing campaign in which we highlight the city’s most precious gems and its historic landmarks to encourage tourism and local investment. We created a Web site, www.chulavistacentennial.com , so people can preview it. We want to put all of Chula Vista at the fingertips of the world. It was a response to the fact that the city is lacking funds and unable to fund these types of campaigns...
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