In photo at left, Santa Paula Mayor Krause meets with California Senator Barbara Boxer during the recent visit to Washington D.C. (Center photo) Santa Paula Mayor Krause meets with California Senator Diane Feinstein. (Right photo) Congressman Elton Gallegly (left) stands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with Santa Paula Mayor Krause and City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz.

SP Mayor Krause lobbies in Washington for various city needs

June 01, 2005
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula TimesSanta Paula Mayor Mary Ann Krause and City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz visited Washington, D.C. last week to lobby on issues related to the city’s construction of a new water reclamation facility and issues regarding Santa Paula Airport.The results were good but not what the city had hoped for due to budget constraints, noted Krause, who added that she was delighted to run into the group of Isbell Middle School students on the annual trip to the nation’s Capitol and other historical areas. “Overall, I was pleased with the trip, but I wish officials had been more encouraging” about the amount of funding needed to offset the cost of the city’s new $56 million wastewater treatment plant.Congressman Elton Gallegly, a frequent visitor to the city, has submitted on the city’s behalf an appropriations request for $3.82 million in FY 2006 to support the construction of the new facility. Krause met with the Congressman, and received his continued support for the city’s efforts.Krause also met with Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as members of their staffs, to discuss the appropriations request. Both pledged their active consideration of the request. Krause said that she made efforts to give those not familiar with Santa Paula a strong sense of the community.The Senators and Congressman Gallegly cautioned that it will be a tight budget year coming up, and that the city’s request is in competition with many other worthy projects. “It’s tough for them” to grapple with so many requests in fiscally challenged times, noted Krause. “We got something, but not the full amount” requested. “But we had great success in introducing the senators to Santa Paula.”Bobkiewicz said that the city’s Washington lobbyists, Marc Associates, would continue to follow up with the Members of Congress over the next several weeks as appropriation bills are considered.In order to broaden the City’s case for funding, Krause also met with the Deputy Director of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Washington office, who pledged to keep on eye on Santa Paula’s appropriations request and to keep the city’s infrastructure issues in mind as the Governor broadens his campaign to focus on non-transportation infrastructure issues around the state.
Krause also met with Ruben Barrales, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Relations at the White House. Barrales provided Krause with ideas on potential funding options for the wastewater treatment facility.The second issue of concern was repairs at Santa Paula Airport. “Congressman Gallegly has been very supportive of repair efforts,” and Krause briefed him on the current status of the project. Rep. Gallegly reaffirmed his support to get the airport needed funds from the federal government.Krause also met with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, including the Deputy Associate FAA Administrator for Airports and the Director of the FAA’s Office of Airport Planning and Programming, which manages all Federal capital funds for airports. Krause briefed the officials on the current status of the airport. While the FAA did not promise any resources immediately to help the airport, the meeting did raise several issues, which the FAA pledged to investigate.The Deputy Associate Administrator promised the Mayor that the FAA would conduct an internal review of potential future options for the airport and would report back to her in the next several weeks. “We had a good meeting,” that Krause had heavily prepared for. The FAA has planning funds that might be secured in the future, she added.Although not on the official agenda, Krause met with an official who had met last year with then Mayor Gabino Aguirre. “He had a good sense of who and what Santa Paula is,” and thought that the city could possibly be helped with job creation programs, said Krause.



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