One of the first things residents and visitors notice when driving through California City is the overgrowth of weeds throughout our community. From streets and medians to public spaces, many areas have been allowed to deteriorate to the point where they are not only unattractive—they have become a public safety concern.

Overgrown weeds in medians and along roadways can obstruct visibility for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. This creates unnecessary risks and increases the potential for accidents. At the same time, deteriorating infrastructure throughout our city sends the wrong message to families, businesses, and potential new residents who may be considering California City as their home.

We also need to address liability concerns in our parks. At Central Park, there is currently no protective gate or barrier preventing access to the waterfall area. While the feature is beautiful, the lack of proper safety measures creates unnecessary risk for the city and the public. Preventing accidents before they happen should always be a priority.

And while Central Park often receives the most attention, we cannot forget about Balsitis Park and other community spaces. Every neighborhood deserves parks that are clean, safe, and properly maintained. We need to work closely with Parks & Recreation, community stakeholders, and grant opportunities to improve all of our parks—not just one.

Volunteers play an important role in our community, and I am grateful for every resident who gives their time to help. However, when we become overly dependent on volunteers to perform basic maintenance functions, it raises a larger concern: Is the city adequately funding and planning for the upkeep of its own assets?

The public should be able to enjoy our parks and community spaces—not feel responsible for filling gaps created by poor planning, deferred maintenance, or inefficient processes.

What we need is:
✅ A citywide weed abatement and beautification plan
✅ Regular maintenance schedules with measurable benchmarks
✅ A long-term infrastructure improvement strategy
✅ Increased pursuit of grants and outside funding opportunities
✅ Better collaboration with Parks & Recreation and community partners
✅ Proactive efforts to reduce city liability and improve public safety

If we continue allowing our city to deteriorate, it becomes harder to attract new residents, businesses, and investment. We must take pride in our community and commit to maintaining it for future generations.

If elected to the California City Council, I will support practical solutions, stronger accountability, and long-term planning to improve our parks, address infrastructure concerns, reduce liability, and restore pride in our city.

Vote Shawn Bradley for California City Council
June 2, 2026

Together, we can build a cleaner, safer, and stronger California City.