Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

47 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 cleanups and other types of cleanups around town. The city will buy trash pickers, trashcans or trash bags, and gloves for participants. Our staff will help during their event. Any group that wants to volunteer and provide hours that make the community better, we will promote them,” he conveys. Maintaining top-quality streets is another priority, and Killebrew declares that he will buy dinner for anyone who can find a pothole or a lifted sidewalk in Dana Point. Taking a more serious tone, he says, “We pride ourselves on the condition of our streets. It’s in our strategic plan. It’s a core part of our annual budgeting process, to make sure that we’re funding what needs to be funded to maintain our streets, curbs, sidewalks, storm drains, parks, and medians. These efforts among others are paying off. In Dana Point’s latest community survey, respondents reported that they are more positive about the direction of the city and extremely satisfied with life in the city. Moreover, residents continue to overwhelmingly say that Dana Point is a place they want to share and where they are proud to live. As for other infrastructure projects, Killebrew remarks that some of the more exciting ones are coming from private investment. A major redevelopment now underway includes a full overhaul of the city’s popular harbor, replacing docks, walkways, and upgrading buildings. He recounts,“It’s a three to four-year project, bringing several new tenants. Two new hotels are replacing the older hotel that is down there now, which is a $400 million-plus investment, all private money. It’s not requiring any investment from the city.” The project is a partnership between Burnham Ward Properties, who will be overseeing the commercial aspects, Bellwether Financial Group, who will guide the marina side, and R.D. Olson Development, who have taken the lead on the hotel and hospitality components.“ “Private investment is flowing into the city. You will see several mixed-use developments going on and we are expecting a lot of new restaurants and other businesses move into the city with these new projects. It’s the private investment now that’s following the public investment,” says Killebrew, DANA POINT , CAL I FORNI A