My name is John Pickhaver. My friends call me Pick. And I’m asking to be your pick in the race for El Segundo City Council.
As a community organizer, nonprofit leader, and Chair of the Arts & Culture Committee, I've worked to solve problems, strengthen our community, and build trust between residents and City Hall.
I led the effort to bring greater transparency to the now-withdrawn charter city proposal, helped mobilize residents to defeat a planned data center, advocated for better pedestrian safety, and organized community events that brought neighbors together. Through this work, I've sought to ensure underrepresented voices aren't just heard, but included in the decisions that shape El Segundo because I believe local government works best when the people participate.
The strongest leaders don't just make policy. They create opportunities for residents to shape it. That's the kind of leadership I'll bring to City Hall. I'll listen before I act, consider competing perspectives, and make thoughtful, transparent decisions in collaboration with residents, businesses, local organizations, and my fellow elected officials.
With your support, we'll create an El Segundo that's a community of opportunity where young people can build their future, seniors can remain in the town they love, and teachers, first responders, and other essential workers can call El Segundo home.
With hope and grit,
Pick
PRIORITIES
A CITY COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS YOU
El Segundo is a community with a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences. Our City Council must reflect that diversity. Today, the City Council includes no registered Democrats, no Millennials, and no renters in a city where more than 60% of voters supported the Democratic candidate for President, where Millennials are the largest generation, and where nearly 60% of residents rent their homes. If elected, I would be the only registered Democrat, the only Millennial, and the only renter serving on the City Council. Now to be clear… I’m not asking for your vote because I check a few boxes. I'm asking for your vote because I represent values, priorities, and lived experiences that are not currently represented on the City Council, and because I've spent years turning those values into action through community organizing, nonprofit leadership, and public service. My values are rooted in expanding opportunity, protecting individual rights, strengthening partnerships with our local school districts, supporting working families, promoting environmental stewardship, fostering an inclusive community, and ensuring every resident has a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Every Councilmember brings valuable experience to the table. But when important perspectives are missing, important questions go unasked. A City Council that better reflects the community it serves is better equipped to solve problems, seize opportunities, and build a stronger future for every resident of El Segundo.
A MORE VIBRANT EL SEGUNDO
As we look toward Vision 2050, we have an opportunity to thoughtfully shape the future of El Segundo while preserving the character that makes our community special. That starts by creating places where people want to gather. The outdoor dining and public spaces that emerged during the pandemic reminded us how vibrant El Segundo can be when our streets are designed for people as much as cars. We should continue exploring creative ways to activate Downtown through expanded outdoor dining, community events, pedestrian-friendly streets, and public spaces that support local businesses while bringing neighbors together. We must also think beyond Downtown. As the City plans for the future, we should explore opportunities to create vibrant mixed-use districts east of Pacific Coast Highway that thoughtfully integrate businesses, restaurants, offices, housing, and public spaces into walkable neighborhoods. Done well, these areas can strengthen our local economy, reduce unnecessary car trips, and create destinations that serve both residents and visitors. Every major planning decision should answer one simple question: Will this improve the quality of life for current and future generations of El Segundo residents? Vision 2050 should be more than a planning document. It should be a roadmap for creating a more connected, vibrant, and resilient community for generations to come.
EFFECTIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
We're facing a critical housing shortage and rising housing costs in El Segundo. Many of our neighbors are being priced out of their homes, including seniors who have spent their lives in our community and can no longer afford to remain here. Young adults who grew up in El Segundo, along with the teachers, first responders, and other essential workers, who keep the City running, increasingly cannot afford to call El Segundo home. This challenge did not happen overnight. For decades, City Councils failed to update our zoning to allow enough housing to meet growing demand while insisting the City could solve the problem on its own. The results speak for themselves: no apartment complex has been built in El Segundo in more than 40 years, and only about 50 housing units have been constructed since 2010. We need a new approach. That does not mean sacrificing the character of our neighborhoods or pursuing growth for growth's sake. It means planning thoughtfully, protecting the single-family neighborhoods that define El Segundo, and identifying the right places for new housing before changing market conditions and evolving state housing laws leave us with fewer local options. California has responded to the statewide housing shortage with laws such as SB 9 and SB 79 that expand opportunities for new housing. Those laws are not the cause of our housing challenges. They are the consequence of decades of local governments across California failing to build enough homes to meet demand. I support local control, but local control comes with responsibility. We should explore opportunities for thoughtfully planned mixed-use development east of Pacific Coast Highway, creating housing near jobs, restaurants, shops, and transit while relieving development pressure on the Holly/Kansas neighborhood. Thoughtfully planned mixed-use communities can strengthen our local economy, reduce commuting distances, support local businesses, and create housing opportunities for young adults, seniors, teachers, first responders, and other essential workers.
SAFE STREETS FOR ALL
In 2021, I was struck by a car while out for a run at one of El Segundo's poorly protected intersections. Nearly every day, I watch from my balcony as motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists narrowly avoid collisions at another intersection with known safety concerns. Those experiences reinforced a simple belief: we shouldn't wait for a serious accident before making our streets safer. Too often, the burden falls on residents to identify dangerous intersections through Facebook posts, letters to the City, or public comment before action is taken. Community engagement is essential, but public safety shouldn't depend on who speaks the loudest or how many complaints are filed. As your Councilmember, I will launch a Safe Intersections Initiative to proactively identify high-risk intersections throughout El Segundo and implement safety improvements before tragedy strikes. Four-way stops should be considered far more often than they are today, but they are just one of many tools available to improve safety. Depending on the location, solutions may include four-way stops, flashing intersections, more visible crosswalks, improved signage, enhanced lighting, traffic-calming measures, or other infrastructure improvements. The goal is not to apply the same solution everywhere, but to make sure every intersection is as safe as it can be. The way people move through El Segundo is changing. E-bikes have become a popular way to get around for residents of all ages, while neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) are becoming increasingly common in our community. Yet while neighboring cities have worked together through the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan to plan for these changes, El Segundo has largely taken a wait-and-see approach. We need to be proactive, not reactive. That means establishing clear, common-sense rules, educating riders, enforcing existing laws, and making targeted infrastructure improvements where they're needed most. Whether someone is walking, driving, riding an e-bike, or using an NEV, everyone should be able to travel safely through our city.
PUBLIC SAFETY & PUBLIC TRUST
RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS
We choose to live in El Segundo for many reasons, and one of the most important is that it remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. We are fortunate to have our own police and fire departments, and the men and women who serve in ESPD and ESFD are deeply embedded in our community. I'm committed to ensuring we always maintain our own departments rather than outsourcing these essential services to Los Angeles County. As an alum of the ESPD Community Police Academy, I've witnessed the dedication of our officers and the department's commitment to staying at the forefront of modern policing. We cannot ignore, however, the fact that the City of El Segundo currently faces a lawsuit from a community member alleging racial profiling by our police. The allegations echo the experiences that Black and Brown residents and non-residents have shared for years. We have a responsibility to listen, learn, and continually evaluate our policies and practices to ensure every person is treated fairly and with dignity. Moreover, as policing rapidly evolves through the use of technologies such as automated license plate readers, drones, artificial intelligence, and other surveillance tools, we must ensure these technologies enhance public safety without compromising privacy, civil liberties, or the responsible stewardship of personal data. Innovation should strengthen public trust, not come at its expense. Holding our police department to the same high standards we expect of every public institution reflects our confidence in its professionalism and our shared commitment to justice, fairness, and earning the public's trust.
When a proposed 230,780-square-foot AI data center advanced relying on an Environmental Impact Report nearly a quarter-century old, I helped mobilize residents to demand greater scrutiny. The unprecedented public response ultimately led the developer to withdraw the project before the Planning Commission completed its hearing. It was a reminder that development should never move forward on outdated assumptions or without meaningful public engagement. That same principle applies across El Segundo. Our community is surrounded by critical infrastructure and major industrial partners, from Hyperion and Chevron to LAX and our growing aerospace sector. These facilities are central to our economy, but they also have a responsibility to operate safely, transparently, and with respect for the communities around them. As federal environmental oversight is scaled back under the Trump administration, including reductions in EPA enforcement and staffing, local leadership will play an even greater role in protecting public health and quality of life. We cannot assume someone else will be watching. It means holding Chevron accountable for protecting public safety and environmental standards, particularly as federal oversight diminishes under the Trump administration. It also means continuing to demand accountability from Hyperion for ongoing odor issues while working collaboratively to improve maintenance and communication. And with LAX preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games, we must proactively address increased concerns around traffic, noise, air quality, and emergency preparedness before they become larger problems.