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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.
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As a long-distance runner, I know that every race is an opportunity to push forward and aim higher. This City Council race provides that exact opportunity. An opportunity to help make El Segundo become the very best city it can be.
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I’m committed to preserving what we cherish most about El Segundo – our small-town charm, excellent schools, safety, and economic opportunity. But it’s time our City Council finally be more reflective of YOU, the community they represent.
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A community –
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who is far more diverse than the current council is
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who is far more open to new ideas
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where a majority of people support smart-on-crime measures and common sense housing solutions
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where a majority of people want to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety so we can all move about our City with comfort and ease
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and a community that wants to see the highest standards of transparency upheld throughout all our City institutions​
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I will bring this representation to our Council and make sure everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered. As chairperson of the City's Arts and Cultural Committee and an active community member, I've dedicated myself to uplifting voices that have long been overlooked. From persuading the City to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, to co-organizing the health survey after the Hyperion disaster, and holding our elected representatives accountable at every turn, I've consistently strived to foster a more inclusive and effective local government.
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The next step is for us to have a seat at the table. For us to have a voice on the dais. For us to have a vote on the Council so together we can cultivate a City where everyone feels represented and where everyone can thrive.
Join us and Pick Pick for City Council by Tuesday, November 5th.
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With hope and grit,
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​Pick
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GOALS
A CITY COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS YOU
The 2024 El Segundo City Council Election will be the first to be held during a presidential election year, following a history of low voter turnout in spring elections. This low turnout has resulted in a City Council that doesn’t fully reflect the community it serves. For instance, three out of five council members, including all incumbents running for reelection, are registered Republicans, while only 27% of registered voters in El Segundo identify as Republican. Meanwhile in the 2020 presidential election, 64.8% of El Segundo residents voted for Democrat Joe Biden, yet there are no registered Democrats on the City Council or among the candidates, except for me. Furthermore, although 60% of residents in El Segundo are renters, none of the current City Council members rent their homes, creating a significant representation imbalance that often excludes renters' interests from key policy discussions. I’m not asking for your vote just because I check a few boxes; I’m asking for your vote because I represent the values and life experiences of the majority of El Segundo residents and have a proven track record of advocating for those often left out of the conversation.
INCREASE DOWNTOWN VIBRANCY
The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for our City. While the crisis tested us in ways we never imagined, it also highlighted some silver linings. One bright spot was the rise of outdoor dining, which not only provided a safe way to enjoy meals but also served as a way to unite our community while supporting our beloved businesses in town. Although elements of pandemic-era outdoor dining remain, it’s not what it once was. I’m committed to working with every part of our community to find creative and sensible ways to restore the outdoor dining experience that our town cherished during the pandemic. What does that look like? Perhaps the first Friday of each month we close down some streets to create outdoor dining hubs. Maybe we do this every Saturday in the summer. There are plenty of options we can pursue to create a more vibrant downtown that benefits residents and businesses alike and helps our city create a community that feels like home.
DEVELOP EFFECTIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
We’re facing a critical housing shortage and rising costs here in town. Many of our neighbors are being priced out of their homes, including seniors who spent their whole life in El Segundo who can no longer afford to live here. Young adults who grew up in El Segundo now have little hope of staying in their community with such high housing costs. For decades El Segundo City Councils have ignored this problem by 1) refusing to allow enough housing to be built to meet increasing demand, and 2) opposing state initiatives to help housing get built, claiming they will do it on their own then continually failing to do so. Because of this, there hasn’t been an apartment complex built in El Segundo in 40 years and only 53 total housing units have been built since 2010. The City Council's reluctance to create housing solutions has led to this current failure. I propose a different approach: let's create thoughtful housing development that respects and protects our City’s unique charm. We can protect single-family areas and relieve the pressure on the overburdened Holly/Kansas neighborhood by examining potential developments east of Pacific Coast Highway. By exploring mixed-use housing, we can integrate residential units above local businesses and foster growth while preserving our community's character.
PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIAN AND E-BIKE SAFETY
In 2021, I was struck by a car at one of our poorly protected intersections while out for a run. Nearly every day, I watch from my balcony as motorists have close calls at another intersection that lacks stop signs. We need to increase the amount of four-way stops throughout town. Right now the process to get four way stops has been left to residents, rather than having the leadership we need on our City Council. Usually it starts with raising the issue in one of the El Segundo Facebook groups, writing a letter to the City, or making a public comment at a City Council meeting. Community involvement is wonderful but it shouldn’t take a slew of complaints or severe accidents to compel a response from our City Council. As Councilmember, I will immediately work to keep our community safe by examining high-risk intersections and making the appropriate safety enhancements before a tragedy occurs. E-bikes offer a practical solution for short to medium commutes, allowing residents to bypass crowded public transit and avoid the stress of driving in traffic. And there’s no denying the popularity of e-bikes, particularly among middle school and high school aged kids. Our kids’ affinity for e-bikes, however, is greatly outpacing the development of rules and regulations around them. We need leadership that is proactive in protecting our kids and our community. The fact is people are changing the way they move and we must make sure we are responding to this new reality. We need to integrate e-bikes and other neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) into our public safety planning to ensure that all residents can move throughout town safely. We can do this by implementing well-thought-out regulations and infrastructure improvements—such as dedicated e-bike lanes, clear signage, and safety training. By proactively addressing these concerns, we can harness the benefits of e-bikes while ensuring they contribute positively to mobility without compromising safety.
ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY & TRANSPARENCY
HOLD HYPERION ACCOUNTABLE
We choose to live in El Segundo for many reasons, and one of the most frequently mentioned is the sense of security in our neighborhoods. We are fortunate to have our own police and fire departments and that the men and women who make up 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 the City of El Segundo currently faces a lawsuit from a community member alleging racial profiling by our police. The details of this case echo the all-too-familiar stories we've heard repeatedly from Black and Brown people in El Segundo sharing their experiences with ESPD. We have a responsibility to stay informed about the operations and policies of our police department and to hold them accountable when necessary, just as we would with any other City department or elected official. Expecting high standards from our officers is not a sign of disrespect—it is, in fact, a profound show of respect. Holding them to these standards reflects our belief in their ability to uphold the values of justice and fairness that should define our community.
Three years after the catastrophic sewage spill at the Hyperion Reclamation Plant, which sent 17 million gallons of sewage into the ocean, poor maintenance and management have led to unnecessary odors that continue to negatively impact our community. Although the City championed Bill AB1216, now law, requiring Hyperion to monitor air quality for pollutants, it does little to actually curb the persistent odors that plague our community. The law has no teeth, yet we all still have noses. Instead of focusing on legislative solutions, we need to prioritize relationship-building with Hyperion personnel and shift away from an us-versus-them mentality. Effective collaboration with Hyperion is essential to ensure proper maintenance and management that truly improves our quality of life. In 2022, I called on the City to hire an environmental manager to lead this effort. A couple of months ago, they did just that. Now we must ensure we empower this staff member with the resources to get the job done. Living near a water treatment plant naturally comes with occasional unpleasant odors, but that doesn’t excuse neglecting basic preventative measures. Simple maintenance, such as replacing tank covers on time and ensuring facility doors that house waste are functioning properly, would significantly improve the situation. As Councilmember, I will continue to engage with all stakeholders, building relationships to ensure Hyperion adheres to a stricter maintenance schedule and improves communication on tests and repairs. My on-site visits to Hyperion and my involvement in organizing the health survey with USC researchers demonstrate my commitment. I won't stop until we see tangible results. However, it's important to recognize that not all odors come from Hyperion. Much of our City’s sewer system is in dire need of maintenance and often contributes to the foul smells. We must take a hard look at our own infrastructure and ensure that we, as a City, aren't adding to these persistent odor problems.