In a joint effort to serve the community in transparency and communication Los Banos Mayor Paul Llanez has agreed to inform in The Westside Express local residents about his efforts to help improve the City of Los Banos.
One of the current challenges city leaders face is in offering clear and comprehensive communication to community members. Mayor Llanez is making an effort to close the communication gap by providing regular updates.
Another innovative way to connect with the public is already flowing. Los Banos residents who receive their water bill may note a QR code. By scanning the code with a smart phone, residents can see updates on city projects and get a clear understanding of how their tax dollars are being used to improve the city.
In an interview with The Westside Express, when asked what sort of changes community members can look forward to in the next few months, Llanez expressed excitement about the recent budget approval that will allow several infrastructure-based projects to begin.
City Council meetings are ongoing. Llanez says, “We’ve passed a lot of resolutions recently.” One of the recently passed resolutions will ensure future community developments will have wider streets (53 feet wide).
During the interview, Mayor Llanez further shared that he was preparing for a council meeting where he hoped to pass a light synchronization project. This project would enact a program wherein the lights along Pacheco Boulevard would sync up and ease the flow of traffic.
In his last interview with the Westside Express, Mayor Llanez stated that his three biggest priorities are in “executing strategic plans for assisting the homeless population, the animal shelter, and the cities infrastructure.” Plans to update the city’s infrastructure have begun and will continue to roll out in coming months.
Regarding the need to assist the homeless population, Llanez admitted “I knew I would have to learn a lot.” It turns out that one of the things he would learn is that the state government’s funding programs to addresses homelessness are explicitly designated for use on permanent housing rather than on Llanez’ desired shelter.
Earlier this year, Mayor Llanez joined the San Joaquin One Voice advocacy program on a trip to Washington DC where he met with representatives to tell the story of Los Banos and bring the communities unique needs to the members of congress who can help prioritize funding for this city.
Llanez shares his seriousness about communicating with the people of Los Banos. Llanez’ message to the city is “We hear you loud and clear. I heard a lot about the roads coming into this, now we are working on the roads. Keep sharing your concerns and ideas to help move Los Banos in the right direction.”
The Westside Express anticipates the mayor will communicate additional ideas with the community via an article each month in this newspaper.
