John Bloch

Criminal Justice / Public Safety Irving’s firefighters will be faster and safer with adequate staffing on each truck. If elected, John will pursue a committment to upgrade staffing levels at two stations per year until all stations have 4-person crews. Infrastructure / Transportation Short term rentals are frequently a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood, bringing parties, noise, and excessive traffic from visitors who have no reason to care about the community they disrupt. STRs operate as hotels (they even collect Hotel Occupancy Taxes!) but without needing to be zoned appropriately. John is working with code enforcement to strengthen Irving’s STR regulations. If reelected, he will continue this work to ensure neighborhoods are protected from nuisance STRs. Legislation With the City Council’s guidance, the library has enacted good common sense policies for minors’ sections: librarians review materials, identify mature content, and relocate mature content—either the parenting section or a new YA section, depending on age. These policies are a good foundation, and John will continue to work with library staff on common sense policies to support community standards in our libraries. Economy The city has been encouraging redevelopment and beautification with building and facade grants and prioritizing businesses that residents are asking for: retail, restaurants, and family entertainment. But much remains to be done: the area needs more density to provide the population to justify those stores. The city will play a pivotal role in guiding these developments. Infrastructure / Transportation Overdevelopment leads to crowded neighborhoods, more traffic, and an increased burden on utilities. For this reason, City Council needs to be thoughtful and careful when it comes to approving changes that will increase density, especially in existing neighborhoods. Criminal Justice / Public Safety The police department is also in need of additional resources. As crime trends evolve, the police department adapts. This will mean more officers are needed to adequately protect the residents. John is committed to providing the police department the resources it requires to keep Irving safe.