The Council election is less than three months away and most of the public knows very little about most of the candidates. The Vanguard will have extensive coverage of the City Council campaign. Today each of the candidates have addressed five questions from our questionnaire we sent out. The answers here are unedited and complete. They are printed as submitted.
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
5. Briefly describe the leader that you most admire and why.
Here are their answers with the candidates listed in alphabetical order.
Joe Krovoza
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
At the completion of my four years in office, the thoughtful, innovative, risk-taking, concerned, compassionate and quirky Davis will have been revitalized. City council and staff, seniors, families, youths and others from all backgrounds will have come together to advance the tradition of individuals, communities and organizations working together to build a future that continues to make Davis famous for its unparalleled quality of life.
2. Briefly outline your top 5 goals if elected to office
1. Wisest possible planning for the long-term fiscal health of the City;
2. Aggressive pursuit of partnerships between local governments, non-profits and the university to bring the enormous talent of our citizens and the university to bear on our municipal challenges, from youth programs, to energy, to economic development, to human empowerment, health and recreation;
3. Close evaluation of options to bring and keep dollars and jobs in Davis, being mindful that: 6 cents of every dollar spent with a big box retailer is retained/re-circulated in a community, 20 cents of every dollar spent with a chain store is retained/re-circulated in a community, but 60 cents of every dollar spent with a sole proprietor/independent retailer is retained/re-circulated in a community;
4. Clear City actions to implement programs that will save citizens money, such as: a) energy efficiency home retrofits via new state financing (PACE/AB811); and b) low cost transit (bike, bus, safe routes to schools, train promotion) that reduces the need for car ownership (often $4,000 to 8,000 per year per family);
5. Logical progress on the recommendations of the City’s outstanding Climate Action Team that ensure that Davis will be a leader in helping stabilize global warming through innovative carbon reduction solutions, especially those with a strong transit focus (because over 50 percent of carbon from our citizens is transportation-related).
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
I support the renewal of Measure J via a “yes” vote on Measure R on June 8th. Measure J preserves open space surrounding Davis and makes it imperative that Davis consider infill strategies and increased densities for City lands that will be considered for development. I support building as close as possible to the City core to increase the economic position of our downtown, reduce emissions from travel, and to strengthen social interactions. All of these themes will promote a more livable, active and socially-connected community. Importantly, housing strategies must be pursued for our senior population. Such a strategy has the potential to free up existing housing stock for families. I will watch closely for housing opportunities for seniors, and for ways to bring new families to Davis. I am particularly interested in workforce housing so that those who work in Davis can live in Davis. I believe housing co-ops are a good model to support of this objective. New residential housing must reflect the environmental and social values of Davis. I have visited sustainable communities in Europe and the U.S. and I know we can be more creative in Davis. Planning for any growth must emanate from community-defined needs, based on open public processes. We can use the desirability of Davis to bring highly innovative community design when and where development happens. My most current thinking on development in Davis was set out in my No on P op-ed published in the Davis Enterprise. It addresses Measure P specifically and development ideas more generally. It is posted on my campaign’s web site.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
I support a “yes” vote on Measure Q to maintain our current one-half cent sales tax. If we don’t extend this General Fund support, our reserve will be reduced or programs cut by at least $3 million annually, representing 8 percent of our current $37 million General Fund. I applaud the work of our City staff and council to establish and maintain a 15 percent general fund reserve. We are in a position that’s enviable compared to virtually all other cities in California. Yet in light of the state’s fiscal situation and an uncertain economy, the next City Council must re-double a pursuit of the most prudent spending practices and all possible funding sources. Our General Fund is our most flexible source of funds, and yet we still must govern our city in a “zero-sum” world. There is no “free lunch” – or they are rare and getting still rarer. Every action to do one thing – whether providing a service like recreation programs, making a labor agreement, or pursuing a major project like wastewater treatment – affects other potential priorities. In this context, equity and wise management of all resources will guide my actions. I am emphasizing partnerships between governments and non-profits to help us save money as we continue to build the community we all expect in Davis.
5. Briefly describe the leader that you most admire and why.
David Gaines. In the summer of 1976, former UC Davis graduate student David Gaines led the students of his Mono Basin Research Group to the shores of Mono Lake to understand how the water diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were affecting the ecosystem of the lake and basin. In the fall of 1976 the surface level elevation Mono Lake was 6,378 feet and falling. Today it’s on a slow, legally mandated climb to 6,391. The lake has been saved.
I choose David for a few reasons. One, he worked the facts first. His roots were in science and finding the truth, then taking action. Next, reportedly he could unendingly deliver succinct and persuasive arguments, and I believe that a clear and concise ability to persuade is at the core of leadership. (I heard that one Los Angeles Times reporter called him “the most quotable environmentalist ever,” or something to that effect.) David also had vision. He founded the Mono Lake Committee, created a board, found the lawyers, and got an institutionalized revolution going. The Putah Creek Council, City of Davis and UC Davis used the legal precedents from the Mono Lake cases to bring 50 percent more water, and a salmon run, back to Putah Creek. Thank you, David.
David died in 1988 in a car crash on U.S. 395 during a snowstorm. My friend John Hart’s book Storm Over Mono is a great account of the Mono Lake case, Gains’ role, and the precedents set for the benefit of all.
Jon Li
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
Viable, living within the local ecology in a respectful way. Having some economic development to sustain a quality of life which emphasizes raising healthy children, having a dynamic stimulating community life, and we continue to contribute citizens of the world who went to UCD and look back on their brief time in Davis as formative and fulfilling.
2. Briefly outline your top 5 goals if elected to office
– encourage people to drive their cars less and ride their bikes more.
– implement Policy Governance, especially the council meeting evaluation form, and have the council take responsibility for improving its standards of performance.
– implement the Viable System Model analysis, at the neighborhood, shopping center region and citywide, and then construct a bio-social-economic model of the City of Davis and 1-year, 2-year and 5-year plans to get the city through the increasing economic uncertainty.
– explore a complete redesign of how the city government is organized.
– establish a charter exploration commission.
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
If elected, I will not run for re-election, so it would be my only four years in office.
At this point, the housing price market is stable in Davis, but there is no pressing demand for development. If UCD’s West Village comes on line, it will create a cushion of supply to meet demand from university faculty, staff and students, even though UCD is not going to be facing the growth pressures they were anticipating 10 years ago when they first proposed the project. I am a health planner and only look at land use planning because that is the way everyone else talks about it, but I think we need to focus on better using the space we have rather than taking up currently open space. I would like to see higher densities in existing neighborhoods.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
I know a lot about public finance, and have a pretty good idea of where the city really is. I think we have been too generous in the past, and now we are going to have to deal with it. If the sales tax fails, then the city is going to be in even worse shape. I am proposing a system wide analysis of what the city should be doing FROM NOW ON (2 #3 above), and that will mean assessing what of our mandates must become options.
5. Briefly describe the leader that you most admire and why.
In my military family, the affairs of the day, sports and science dominated discussion at the dinner table. John Madden or Ike? Marie Curie or Horatio Nelson? The person I know the most about besides myself is Tom Jefferson, but that is because he is so convoluted – a complex mind but not one of my favorite leaders. And then, I give a live performance as Antoine Lavoisier explaining how he invented modern empirical science (chemistry, balanced equations, the metric system), but he worked mostly with elites. The person I would most like to sit down with, the person who had timeless insight, and the ability to be appropriate in the moment is Abraham Lincoln. He used language as the most powerful tool of his authority. He cared so much about what he was doing that he gave the country his life so that the Union would prevail.
Rochelle Swanson
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
My vision for Davis in 2014 is a city that continues to be among the best, most forward-thinking, places to live in the world. Davisites expect, and deserve, only the best from their community, and their community leaders. In 2014, we need a City Council of well respected, innovative leaders who are in tune with the needs of our community. This respect is based upon providing the services needed by our citizenry. I believe this includes a balanced city budget, a fully leased downtown, and standing meetings with DJSUD, UC Davis and the County to ensure that we are working in concert to maximize the efforts of these entities. In 2014, if I am fortunate enough to be starting a second term for myself as a Council member, it will be based upon the success of finding common ground amongst the different groups in our community, and in the region, that resulted in safe stewardship of our City through a tough budget crisis at the state and local levels.
2. Briefly outline your top 5 goals if elected to office
1-Bring the City finances in balance by pursuing the development of multi-year budgets and maximizing the opportunities presented by the proximity of the University.
2-Improve the business climate by enhancing the downtown community and promoting Davis as a destination for unique dining, shopping and services.
3-Support the continued excellence of our public schools, both k-12 and the University, by pursuing policies that support steady enrollment and shared resources as appropriate.
4-Strengthen the partnership with the County to be regional leaders in providing services and promoting responsible stewardship of the individual and shared natural resources.
5-Sustain and enhance public safety by strengthening the police and fire services, while also pursuing policies that protect those citizens that may not be able to take care of themselves.
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
Davis deserves only the best. Any residential growth must be carefully considered and reflective of what we already know works in Davis. I believe that if we have any residential growth it should be modeled on what works now, with improvements of newer technologies at our disposal. Ideally any project would include policies to not only provide for sustainable, affordable and achievable carbon reductions, but provide for retrofitting of our existing housing. On the City Council, I would foster a relationship with staff to work out comprehensive direction and guidelines for residential projects that reflect the values of our community and leadership in energy efficiency, thus promoting successful projects that can meet our needs in a timely fashion. We have wonderful examples of communities that make Davis a landmark of livability, whether it is the special community of Village Homes, the greenbelts of North Davis, the unique homes in Willowbank, the Dos Pinos housing cooperative, or the inclusive design of Rancho Yolo. In addition, I support the extension of Measure J (via Measure R) as it is important for the people to have the ultimate say on the issue most discussed in our community.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
It is imperative that the city lives within a budget. I understand that our current fiscal climate and budget shortfall is not only a reflection of the financial crisis at the state level, but the optimistic projections of revenue based upon assumptions of higher property values and economic expansion. A careful and considered examination of our city budget, line by line, assessing basic necessary services and infrastructure and funding of these are imperative, followed by prioritization and needed funding assessments of programs and services that enhance our quality of life. I do support the extension of the sales tax as a necessary bridge to our current gap in funding, but I will not support a further extension because as a City Council member I will work to reduce the city’s annual operating deficit within the period of the current proposed extension.
5. Briefly describe the leader that you most admire and why.
I admire a number of different leaders, both in the spotlight of public service and those quietly doing small wonders under the radar. But I would have to say the leader I most admire, who most influenced me during my coming of age, is Marian Wright Edelman. She has worked tirelessly for decades for the rights of children. In 1973 she founded the Children’s Defense Fund. The reason I admire her most, beyond her dedication and commitment to public service, is that the commitment was not bound by politics. It was never a question what her cause was, as she kept on point and pushed to get public awareness and programs that addressed the needs of children.
Sydney Vergis
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
By 2014, Davis will be well on its way to fiscal solvency, economic vitality, and leading the way on the environmental forefront. The cooperative community spirit which has been a hallmark of Davis for decades will be alive and well. Civil discourse and debate will have replaced rancor and divisiveness.
2. Briefly outline your top 5 goals if elected to office?
– Fiscal Responsibility. Develop innovative and collaborative fiscal solutions that ensure efficient provision of services; pro-actively work to bolster our existing local businesses including examining our redevelopment program; and manage the costs of our planned infrastructure projects through diligent oversight and encouraging conservation.
-Increased Job & Sales Tax Diversification. Establish land use and policy incentives for ‘green’ businesses to locate downtown and in our neighborhood shopping centers, which will create job diversification and provide opportunities to invest locally in a sustainable lifestyle.
– Transportation. Increase the availability, connectivity, and safety of biking and walking infrastructure to reduce congestion, improve health, and reduce harmful emissions through simple and cost effective infrastructure improvements. My “Three Point Plan to Bring the Bike Back” can be viewed at sydneyvergis.com.
– Energy Efficiency and Solar Financing Program. I will work to ensure that our partnership with “CaliforniaFirst” reaches successful fruition including full implementation of solar and energy efficiency financing programs.
– Adoption of a new renter education guide and updated Davis Model Lease. The City-UCD Student Liaison Commission has prioritized both of these items this year, and I will work towards renter, apartment manager, and City co-operation for successful adoption and distribution of both documents.
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
I attended many of the 2008 General Plan Housing Update Steering Committee meetings and was impressed by the collaborative process and the final product, the “Study and Identification of Potential Housing Sites in Davis,” which included site rankings and density range recommendations. We have an opportunity during this economic slowdown to discuss the demographic trends in our community and consider if our existing range of housing stock meets our current and future needs (seniors, young families, first time home buyers, etc).
As an AICP certified Senior Land Use Planner, I believe multiple benefits come from maintaining a compact urban form, incorporating the Ahwanee Principles for Resource Efficient Communities, and the value inherent in collaborative community dialogue.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
I would start by adopting intensive budget hearings to facilitate Council and community understanding of City operations and processes. This knowledge will be imperative in developing a workable budget, establishing funding priorities, identifying opportunities for more efficient operations, and continued conversation regarding the most effective options for funding retiree health benefits. It is time for creative, multi-government, fiscal solutions such as reducing the costs of municipal operations by partnering with the County and the school district by increasing the use of shared facilities and resources.
Daniel Watts
1. Describe in a paragraph your vision for Davis on June 30, 2014
My vision of Davis is a city in which students, police, other residents, and Davis businesses have a productive, cooperative, and understanding relationship. They feel represented on the city council, and the city council listens to their concerns and never dismisses them out of hand. This will require a city government that obeys the law and the Constitution, plans ahead for fiscal stability, and protects the interests of all its inhabitants, not just the privileged. The city council is attentive to the public, responsible with its budget, and civil with each other.
Substantively, I envision a balanced budget, a city with ample alternative transportation, low crime, a vibrant and thriving downtown, and enough mass-appeal retail stores (Trader Joe’s, etc.) that Davis residents don’t need to drive to Woodland to shop.
2. Briefly outline your top 5 goals if elected to office
Improve relationships and restore trust between students and the police, students and other residents, downtown businesses and the bicycling community, community non-profits and the city council. I support the annexation of West Village – and eventually other student areas – into the City of Davis, to integrate students and give them a voice in the governance of the city they inhabit.
Promote alternative transportation: Maintain a walk-able city and retain Davis’s status as a bicycle-friendly place to live. Support downtown Criterium races.
Restore transparent and constitutional government to Davis: Fix the Davis Municipal Code and repeal all unconstitutional ordinances. Direct the Davis police to release aggregate demographic data on the suspects they detain to address claims of racial profiling.
Support those without a voice on City Council: Remove barriers to the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter and other community groups’ operations. Respect citizen input at city council meetings and allow for extra time. Fully research the concerns brought to council, never dismissing them out of hand. Remind Davis businesses to comply with California law against credit card surcharges; many businesses violate both state law and their merchant agreements with the credit card companies, but their customers don’t realize their rights are being violated.
Help tenants: Create a website from which tenants may file requests for legal help with landlords violating state landlord-tenant statutes. We would refer tenants with a colorable cause of action to local attorneys specializing in property law. Since the California Code provides for awards of attorneys’ fees to successful plaintiffs, this would not cost anything to either tenants or the city beyond the cost of maintaining a simple website.
3. Describe in a paragraph your views on residential growth in Davis and what you would do in your first four years in office.
Traffic and parking in the downtown core are both becoming problematic. Any future growth must be sustainable, responsible, and controlled. Future growth must include bicycle-friendly infrastructure and other alternative transportation options. Davis should be a “walkable” city, where the need for cars is minimized.
4. Describe in a paragraph your understanding of Davis’ current fiscal climate and what measures you would put in place in the next four years to address the city’s finances.
With a projected recurring structural deficit of $1 million over the next few years, the city must make hard choices. Cutting positions where they would least impact residents’ quality of life – such as middle management, administrative positions – would help mitigate the shortfall. Renegotiating salary contracts with public employee unions would also help. When a large portion of the budget goes towards salaries, a large portion of the cuts also need to come from salaries.
5. Briefly describe the leader that you most admire and why.
I admire Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. Both of them have well-developed views, consistent principles, and they do not sell out. Despite their different views on economics, they are good friends and they work together on the many issues they have in common: Civil liberties, foreign policy, privacy, and individual rights. I will emulate their willingness to talk to each other and work with each other, while still sticking to my principles.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Thanks David. This is great background information.
Looks like Joe and Rochelle both support Measure J or Measure R. I would like to know where the other three stand. I still don’t know where Vergis stands on future growth as her answer was vague and general. I guess I would’ve asked the question more pointed like, do you support Measure J renewal and do you think 1% growth is too fast, just right, or not fast enough. I know, I’m monday morning QBing, and David did a good job.
Very valuable, David… I’m ready to reconsider my “bullet voting” plan. There appears to be more than one candidate worthy of serious consideration.
I am interested in Rochelle’s answers because I know the least about her.
What does “pursuing policies that support steady enrollment” mean? When we build new subdivisions, we get huge fluctuations in enrollment, because one cohort tends to move in with young children, the children go through the school system and graduate, but the parents stay. This means schools open and close. Eventually, cities are built out neighborhoods have a complete range of ages and reach a rough equilibrium in school enrollment.
Yet many in Davis have argued for new subdivisions on the basis of “declining enrollent”. They believe that new subdivisions will bring “steady enrollment” — defining “steady enrollment” as a steady state of perpetual growth of new subdivisions. This approach doesn’t work too well, because while growth until we bump into Woodland and the causeway might bring a steady number of children until the inevitable build-out comes, the schools will be in the wrong locations, so schools in the older neighborhoods still close.
How does Rochelle plan to “support steady school enrollment?”
I would like to see more substantive answers from all of the candidates. The devil is in the details, such as where and how they support densification vs. preservation of the character of our downtown and core area, how exactly do they plan to keep expenditures under control, where they plan to place new high-tech industry, etc.
I would have to also know who the fire fighters are supporting and where the candidates stand on the issue firefighters and public employee participation in the election of councilmembers who vote on their contracts, and where they stand on issues such as pensions, retirement, CalPERS, etc.
[i]I am interested in Rochelle’s answers because I know the least about her.[/i]
I don’t know all that much about her specific views either. But, given that she supported McCain-Palin, I think that she is the most likely to agree with you about the union contracts.
[i]”A young girl’s strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk”[/i]
Bette Midler once sang about her on Seinfeld: [quote]Well you made a long journey from Milan to Minsk.
Rochelle Rochelle.
You never stopped hoping.
Now you’re in the Pinsk
Rochelle Rochelle
When the nay sayers nay you pick up your pace
So nothing’s going to stop me so get out of my face.
I’m having adventures all over the place.
Rochelle ROCHELLE![/quote]
I recall when Vergis ran last time, she acknowledged that she had been a supporter of Covel Village. Nuff said.
joe and rochelle are right winged frauds…is this all we have for city council? good god time to get out of davis
ughhhhh