With Mayor Moreno’s leadership, much is being achieved:

• Significant investment in public safety, including the addition of five police officer positions and one dispatcher position, and the acquisition of  a new computer-aided dispatch and records management system (CAD/RMS) to more efficiently and effectively manage emergency calls, and save over 2,000 personnel hours per year
• Secured $3 million of funding for the Downtown Infrastructure Enhancement project from the State budget, thanks to our strong working relationship with Sen. John Laird.
• Entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Paso Robles to develop a northern San Luis Obispo County Broadband Strategic Plan, with Atascadero taking the lead
• Established a Planned Development Overlay to City-owned lots on East Mall to incentivize the type of development our community wants to invigorate the downtown, particularly around Sunken Gardens
• Lead the way in implementing a new disaster notification and evacuation system that is becoming the gold standard for all jurisdictions in San Luis Obispo County
• Forming the Outreach for Underrepresented Residents (OUR) Team, partnering a police officer, a contract mental health worker and a community outreach representative into one team, focused on assisting underrepresented residents, including those who may be un-housed or in mental health crisis, to connect these individuals with solutions in order to decrease the number of people living on the streets
• Initiated the City’s General Plan update to include significant public outreach to all sectors of our community as we come together to plan the long-term future of Atascadero
• Provided a total of $250,000 in grant funds to qualified businesses during the pandemic shut down to help them bridge the gap and be able to continue operating their businesses once the State allowed them to re-open.
• Launched Talk on the Block, a citizen engagement initiative bringing your City to your neighborhood
• Heather brought together stakeholders to re-configure Del Rio to bring commerce and good paying jobs to Atascadero
• Reduced the need for roundabouts at Del Rio, reducing road improvement costs by 75%
• Approved a micro homes project in Atascadero, the first in the county, to provide affordable-by-design homes
• To reduce criminal activity in the Sunken Gardens area, we installed cameras to help law enforcement respond more quickly
• Heather successfully advocated for grant funding for ECHO and Transitional Food and Shelter, bringing much needed funding for Atascadero and North County homeless services
• During COVID, permit fees were reduced to zero to help struggling businesses operate safely outside
• Instituted cost saving measures, cutting internal red tape on things like map approvals, purchasing policy, permit processing, and the tree mitigation policy, making our City run more efficiently
• Paved nearly 40 miles of local and neighborhood roads since 2015!

On Council, Heather was part of a team that:

• Incentivized the La Plaza development downtown, through a road abandonment, height waiver, and investing in the community plaza using development impact fees
• Approved the now completed Zoo Garden Event Center
• Built the Footbridge between Sunken Gardens and Galaxy Theater complex to provide a walk-able connection and the ability to share parking
• Approved the now open Auntie Anne’s/Jamba Juice development, improving a prime downtown parcel that had been vacant for years
• Renovated the parking lot between old City Hall and Atascadero Creek, increasing parking spaces available in downtown
• Approved the Hilton Home 2 Suites Hotel, now open, near the Del Rio intersection, bringing in more revenue to the City
• Brought new activities and events in Sunken Garden, including the Tamale Festival, Farmer’s Market, and Dancing in the Streets, bringing our community together and providing a reason for visitors to stay and spend money in Atascadero
• Partnered with the Atascadero Land Preservation Society, building the trailhead and parking area for the Three Bridges Trail, enjoyed by residents and visitors of all ages
• Dredged Atascadero Lake to improve water quality, and approved a nearby well to add additional water to the Lake, keeping it healthy
• Replaced worn out playground equipment and made improvements to the Atascadero Lake Park and Zoo
• Modified zoning for future business development in the downtown, including East and West Mall
• Dedicated land at Colony Park for the Parents for Joy all-inclusive playground, matching their incredible fundraising efforts with $500,000 in development impact fees, to help bring this wonderful project to fruition