ABOUT MICHAEL RIVERA
My Wife and I are 50 year residents of the Central Coast and Paso Robles. I have served in various Civic positions and several School District committees. I have both a wide understanding of issues facing our City and the experience to work with others to find solutions. Paso Roblans have been overlooked. We need to focus on our permanent residents and their needs. Crime, Roads, and Water are now major concerns in our City as is increasing taxation. Explosive growth is beginning and our infrastructure is not prepared. I will have Proactive rather than reactive solutions to what at times are complex issues like Chronic Homelessness. Being reactive has put our City into Chaos and caused negative impacts on our quality of life. We have already begun to see those impacts. Supporting public Safety, especially law enforcement, is my first priority. Looking for solutions to housing and education choices continue to be priorities. I am committed to keeping traditional Family Values that Paso Robles is known and loved for. Please help me in my run for District 3 Councilman, I respectfully ask for your vote.
Service- Performing the following always (Pro Bono)
Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Commission
Chairman and Commission Member
As Chair oversaw the completion of the 5 Million Dollar youth Center providing
youth in the City of Santa Maria recreation and educational resources working with
the School District and Community College
Oversaw the Study which set the course for how the City of Santa Maria's Park
system would be used to provide the most efficient use of our park resources for the
lowest cost. Making sure that Families would have the proper covering on
playground equipment as well as picnic areas throughout the City for our Families
and many other choices for our families and youth recreation choices
Lobbied successfully, as a parks commissioner, to have the City and School District
to work together to complete two Gymnasiums at two local Junior High Schools.
Combining Financial resources through grants, Fesler Junior High and El Camino
Junior High were able to complete the long awaited and needed gymnasiums. This
provided the City two more facilities that allowed our community additional
recreation resources. This agreement is still in effect and successful
Founded along with my wife Lindia the Santa Maria Valley Striders a youth
running club which allowed children 8 to 12 years old the opportunity to run cross
country in a competitive environment at the Local and National level. We provided
this program at no cost to the youth participating and with out regard to their
financial status. We also sponsored many running events such as the Fields to the
Fair Run, the Elks parade 5K run and other events providing fund raising
opportunity and additional fun family centered activities
These along with many other accomplishments gives me a clear understanding how
working together we can accomplish great things for our City here in Paso Robles.
City of Guadalupe Planning Commissioner
Lobbied successfully LAFCO and the City Council in Guadalupe to Annex 220
acres of property which was not in the AG preserve. This annexation is now being
used as this is being written to provide a planned and beautiful development for
housing and shopping. I am truly proud of this and wish the City of Guadalupe all
success.
Santa Barbara County Private Industry Council
Chairman, Chief Financial Officer and Board Member
We took this once dysfunctional Federally Mandated organization from a 3 million
dollar per year under-performing operation to an 11 million dollar per year
successful operation. We provided 1000s of people employment and training
services which was our Charter. It was then replaced by Federal legislation to the
Workforce Investment Board after my departure.
During my time on the PIC we funded the Guadalupe Educational and Technology
alliance. This alliance with the Guadalupe School District and Hancock Community
College was the first Computer Lab for the students in Guadalupe as well as the
community at large. I was the project manager (Pro Bono) and successfully lobbied
the PIC Board for the Funding. Working with the City of Guadalupe we completed
this very successful project in co-operation with the representatives from the
Community colleges and local community members who gave and volunteered their
services to complete this project.
During my service on the PIC I also lobbied successfully our board to provide.
Grants to the then fledgling California Space Alliance. This was an effort to create
commercial space flight out of Vandenberg Air Force Base. I ran into one of their
original board members in Lompoc where he told me about their effort and said
they had little money and were running out of steam. I asked him to come and speak
to the PIC as we had money and wanted to create more employment opportunities
for the People of the County. This effort grew to a statewide organization headed up
by their executive Director Andrea Seastrand. We now have Commercial Space
launches at Vandenberg on a regular basis. It’s amazing what a little “seed” money
can grow into. I am so proud of this and the economic engine this effort by so many
people has created for our region.
My service on the PIC gave me a great understanding of how Government must be
more creative and efficient when using taxpayer money. We must as Paso Robles do
the same.
Paso Robles Unified School District 7/11 Committee
This Committee Was Formed to evaluate properties which the school District owned
and determine if they were needed. We identified property which was indeed not
needed and made the recommendation to sell the property. This would have
provided the district additional resources for other projects in the district. We
should always be looking at resources our Government has in excess to determine
what the most efficient use of those resources are for the benefit of the Tax Payer.
E-Verify in Paso Robles City Hiring
I lobbied and convinced the Paso Robles City Council to set the example and
implement E-Verify. This system which is set up by the Department of Labor,
certifies workers who are checked through this system do have a legal right to work
in the United States. Although a symbolic gesture it sends the message that we as a
City stand by our workers to insure their wages benefits and job opportunities are
not being undermined by workers who do not have a right to Legally work here. I
think this should be used by all our businesses however it is a voluntary system.
Past Committee Work
Paso Robles Unified School Districts Facility naming committee
Paso Robles Unified School District Measure M Committee
My continued Activism
I will always be active in the Protection of Paso Robles our Values and way of life.
Working to remember Roblans heritage from long ago to the present. As my
family’s heritage goes back 1000 years and 400 years respectively to My Native
American and Spanish Lineage the wonderful thing about our great republic is the
fact that we all stand as Americans no matter where we are from and how long we
have been here. I will always work to be a council member for all the people in our City
looking at their interests first.