Andy Pease is running for her second term as a San Luis Obispo City Council member.
Pease officially announced her campaign for re-election August 6 on her Facebook page with a video addressing challenges the city is facing and the hope she has to overcome them.
“I’m so proud of this community and you inspire me every single day,” Pease said in a video on Facebook. “That is why I’m running for re-election to city council.”
Depending on whether or not restrictions lighten and in-person gatherings are deemed safer, Pease said her campaign will have to adapt to a safe and accessible virtual platform.
Peas is planning for virtual meet and greets and is relying on social media to make up for a lack of in-person presence.
Despite the circumstances, Pease said she sees the silver lining of the situation, as a virtual platform is more accessible to constituents who are usually unable to participate due to time and location restrictions. This means that anyone with access to social media can engage with her campaign now, she said.
Pease’s campaign has five priorities: economic recovery, housing, homelessness, climate action and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Although, Pease said her main focus is on economic recovery due to the ongoing pandemic.
As a current City Council member, Pease said she is already addressing this issue by working to provide services to offset job losses and a loss of income in San Luis Obispo.
She said she has worked with businesses to be creative in their services, such as waiving on-site parking requirements to allow for additional outdoor seating in parking lots.
Although students living on campus are unable to vote in the city’s election, she said students are still affected by her policies and are capable of voting with an off-campus address.
With economic hardships impacting students as well, Pease said her economic recovery plan includes students too, as the city is dependent on students to fill job openings.
Pease said she has students in mind as well when it comes to housing concerns. For example, she said she plans to increase affordable housing options through solutions such as higher density housing units which are more affordable by design.
In addition to her work as a current City Council member, Pease is also an architect that practices green building. This special skill has helped her better understand housing developments while tying in her mission for climate action, she said.
Due to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Pease said that now more than ever it is important that government officials are capable of fulfilling their position.
“There’s a steep learning curve if you haven’t done this before,” Pease said. “I really think that this is a really important time to have somebody who is experienced in order to effectively manage the challenges of the economic crisis.”
As Pease is wrapping up her first term, she said she has not only learned how to be a City Council member, but she has also developed the skills to work with a diverse group of people.
“When you’re on Council, you really do hear from everybody,” Pease said. “I think I understand a lot of different perspectives that people have and that helps me to be able to balance an approach — to be able to not kind of go from one extreme or another but be able to really incorporate as much as I can to find shared solutions.”
With two City Council seats up for election, Pease is competing against four other candidates for a seat. The other City Council position is currently occupied by Aaron Gomez, who has not submitted a Candidate Intent Form for re-election.
The election will take place Nov. 3, including voting for the two city council member seats and mayor. Voters will have the option to vote for two candidates. The two candidates with the most votes will be granted the seats on the city council.