Dana Point : Mayor Targets Drug Abuse, Communication

The city’s new mayor, Eileen Krause, said improved citizen communication and heightened awareness about drug abuse will be her two key civic interests during her one-year term.

“I want to start some sort of open-forum, town-hall-type meeting, where public concerns could be presented, but not in such a formal format as they are at council meetings,” Krause said.

“I’m also very interested in raising awarenesses about drug use, and I want to work in conjunction with other county programs to help reduce the drug problem.”

Krause was elected mayor by her four City Council colleagues at last week’s council meeting. Councilman Bill Bamattre was reelected mayor pro tem.

When the council members of the new city took office in January, they agreed that the first mayor would serve just six months. Councilwoman Judy Curreri, who was elected as inaugural mayor, completed her term in that office last week.