Mayor's Corner: October 2018

Hello Downey,

As my time as Mayor comes to an end, I wanted to share with you some of the improvements that will be happening over the next two years thanks to the Measure S funds that were approved in 2016.

The main focus for the Measure S funds was police, fire, parks, and roads. So far, we have added positions for 10 new sworn police officers, a fire training captain, an ambulance coordinator, and six new ambulance operator positions.

Still, we understand that Downey is what it is because of its quality of life. In order to maintain that standard that we are used to, the library and city parks will also receive much needed work. Since 2016 city staff has worked diligently to plan and design improvements for all city parks and the city library.

In the upcoming months you will see the most robust infrastructure improvements in the city’s history: $50 million worth of upgrades will be complete in the next two years. Now, I am happy to give you a preview of some of the new improvements that will be completed with the Measure S funds.

The library will be completely modernized and revamped. We will have to close the library from March 2019 to June 2020 to complete the process. There will be reconfiguring of interior spaces, replacement of interior finishes, new data storage furniture, installation of energy efficient lighting, completion of ADA improvements, new glass doors and vibrant signage and exterior painting of the building.

The architectural renderings of the library are impressive and once completed, everyone will be excited to use the new Downey Library.

The next set of Measure S improvements will be for all four city fire stations. The fire stations are over 60 years old and have been in need of improvements for quite some time.

Improvements included modernization of Stations 1 and 4 through completion of improvement to the interior spaces of the stations, and reconstruction of pavement. Stations 2 and 3 will be expanded by adding dormitories, shower facilities and new living quarters, as well as accessible front offices.

We have planned the modernizations of the fire stations so that there is minimal disruption of service while the construction is going on. The improvements will contribute to a huge increase in functionality and flexibility. The new design will show civic presence and identity. The new buildings will be huge assets to our city that will be used for numerous years.

My next Mayor’s corner will focus on the Measure S improvements at all of our city parks.

Lastly, I wanted to remind all voters to please don’t forget to vote on November 6. For information on ballot measures and where to see your polling location, visit lavote.org.

Go Dodgers!

Sean Ashton
Mayor

City Council Office: 562-904-7274
Email: sashton@downeyca.org
Twitter: @realseanashton
Instagram: realseanashton
Facebook: facebook.com/electsean4downey