Dear Citizen and Friend:

First, welcome and thank you for visiting my city council web site. You’ll find a lot of information and you can send me an e-mail if you wish.  Got a problem that city government might be able to solve? Drop me a line.  

Upland’s city council works because we have a team attitude.  Mayor John Pomierski works with the City Council and many of the goals are the same. This is how we can build a new fire station, a new animal shelter and invest millions in flood control and water improvements while maintaining a balanced budget.

You may wonder why I like community service and local government. Well, it gives me great pleasure to listen to a constituent explain a problem and seek advice or help in a “face to face fashion.”  I like communication and problem solving. Most of all, I like working for a better community here in Upland. Upland is my town and I share that feeling with thousands of neighbors and citizens.  When I say “my town” what I really mean is that it is a community full of people with whom I share the same air, drive the same streets and enjoy watching ordinary people trying to make a life and raise a family. 

My wife, Jane, and I raised our daughter here in Upland.  I really love the Upland Unified School District because it gave my daughter a terrific education and it prepared her well for college.  Jane and I have lived in Upland for more than 30 years and we’ve loved every minute of it.

I like to support our library, our park system (all 12 of them!) and I am very excited about our future “sports park” for our kids.  Soccer and baseball are big in our town and I like the idea of the city supporting programs that help our kids. 

I’m also proud of the efforts we have made to expand our public safety services such as fire and police.  We have many highly trained personnel who dedicate themselves to your safety and protection. I helped to initiate the paramedics program as part of the Upland Fire Department.  Now, we have trained paramedic specialists on 24 hour call to help in medical emergencies in our town.   

In 2000, when I ran for city council, our city was nearly bankrupt.  Today we have healthy reserves, we are rebuilding streets and sidewalks, and most importantly, we are planning for the future.  I want you to see and enjoy that future from several vibrant commercial cores to rock solid housing values.  I want you to feel confident that your investment in your home will always give back rewards to you and your family.

Here are a few notes: Upland is well contained. We have our own police and fire departments; our own park system, our own library; a modern Senior Center and Senior Housing program.  We have the Upland Housing Authority, one of the most prominent such programs in California. Upland supplies most of its own water and we exceed all federal water standards.  We are about to have a modern, well run animal shelter second to none.  We also have a self contained K-12 school district; scores of churches and houses of worship; community groups, service clubs and numerous youth sports programs.  Everyday, our community is growing stronger and more vital.  I give you my commitment to continue working to ensure that Upland is a vibrant community for all of our citizens. 

I am dedicated to giving all of my spare time to your community – and then some!  While I attend on average about 12 formal meetings a month on things ranging from water to streets to public safety, I am always engaging with city staff on numerous other issues.  Problem solving is a pleasure to me, not an inconvenience.  If I can help you find a way to be involved in this community – then e-mail me and I’ll be glad to help you 

Very kindly,

Councilman Ken Willis