Dear Editor

There’s a lot at stake in the upcoming elections in Culver City. Our town, like every other in California, has been hit hard by the recent economic slump and the resulting budget constraints. Nevertheless, Culver City has weathered the storm better than most.

So many things go into making Culver City a great place to live; however, I think one of the most important aspects is something that can’t be reduced to any single service or amenity: the fact that Culver City feels more like a “small town in a big city” than most other places in Southern California. It’s the reason that our community attracts so many new residents and keeps so many of the residents already lucky enough to call Culver City home.

Protecting and enhancing the constellations of things that contribute to this small-town feel—the ability to walk or bike to great public schools, thriving local businesses catering to local customers, a dynamic downtown with restaurants and theaters, excellent parks, and so on—is one of the important tasks of our City Council.

And protecting the quality of life in Culver City is the main reason I’m so enthusiastic about the candidacy of Meghan Sahli-Wells. She has been intimately involved with so many of the issues that are essential to the quality of life in Culver City working for increased public participation in development decisions, Safe Routes to School, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and Fiesta La Ballona.

Her work on behalf of our community has been astonishing in its breadth and depth. Her leadership on important issues and her commitment to fiscal responsibility, smart development, and sustainability has won her the endorsements of a veritable “who’s who” of our city’s representatives, employees, and residents.

I’m convinced that Meghan will do more than protect the small-town feel of Culver City—she will enhance it. And, at the end of the day, that is perhaps the most important thing to consider when electing representatives to the City Council this April.

Brian Treanor

Culver City