Candidate for
County Supervisor; County of Sonoma; Supervisorial District 4

The Vision - Town and Country Partnership

The reason people want to live and visit Sonoma County is our charming towns and our beautiful landscapes. Letting people enjoy the benefits of both is best done with a `town and country' partnership. In-town people get the benefits of country access for hiking, biking and running; country people get the opportunity to share in the Open Space money (paid for with sales tax) for allowing controlled access across their lands. We get less trash on the river, controlled parking and a world-class trail network. The world will come to share in Sonoma County, and the River will be one of their destinations.

Issues at a Glance

Traffic: widen freeway with state money; develop rail with jitney service to common destinations; like SRJC, Sonoma State, County Complex- think Community Rail! develop housing near transport and jobs to reduce traffic; work on planning for traffic before building the developments.

Housing: sweat equity for low and moderate income; build new dwellings that are condo or commercial-residential mix, so lower price housing is available; 35% of the population will be over 65 in 20 years youth - prior to marriage - need city-centered living, too; farm family housing in cities as well as in rural areas; silent seconds- the county makes low interest loans available.

Growth: on one hand it is inevitable - expect 40,000 more people in the North County in the next 30 years; keep it concentrated in voter-approved urban boundaries; recognize that we need increased recreation, community and health facilities; permit 2nd units in rural residential when space allows; coordinate housing plans with community growth - build communities, not just houses.

The River: create a network of trails to and along the river with Open Space money - we still have 200 million dollars left to spend over the next decade; protect water quality by eliminating pit mining and targeting gravel skimming; allow for floods by widening the river into a `streamway'; improve water quality by permitting innovative septic solutions, giving options to people who cannot improve their present, failing systems.

Groundwater: Underground water is a precious resource. In Sonoma County it has been polluted, such as with dry-cleaning compounds at West College Avenue, and it has been overdrafted, as reported by many small farmers. Mining in the river has lowered the water table, and mining near the river allows pollution throughout the water table. I support monitoring the quality and quantity of groundwater around the county, to protect the many people who depend on it.

Water Supply: The Water Agency is trying to virtually double their supply of Russian River water for distribution. They are counting on Eel River water and water presently used by small farmers. The Agency is also considering a 500 million dollar treatment plant for Lake Sonoma water. Expansion of the water system must not be done merely to foster growth or promote the Water Agency, but must be done in balance with approved, city-centered growth, water recycling programs and consideration of alternate sources, such as capturing runoff in urban areas.

Irrigation of North County: Santa Rosa is delivering a huge mass of water to the North County via the pipeline project; presumably for irrigation and likely by a consortium of the Water Agency and a limited group of growers. All growers need to be able to share in this water source and it needs to be clean enough to not affect surrounding waters. The County should also benefit with the addition of recreational trails along the hundreds of miles of existing pipeline.

Water Rights for Farmers: Small farmers need a right to irrigation water. On one hand, the Water Agency may take their existing riparian rights away as in-stream supplies are more coveted. On the other hand, Santa Rosa is on the verge of privatizing the wastewater supply to go only to a handful of ranches. Let's have the Water Agency and City of Santa Rosa work together to guarantee small farmers access to needed water in perpetuity.

River Water Quality: Once a recreation area for Northern California, the River is now considered dangerous to swim in. Failing septics and warm water from reservoirs create an unhealthy brew. We need to make the River as clean as possible - working on good septics, reducing flows from the Eel (as allowed by contract) and protecting the aquifer from mining.

River Mining: Stop. It's bad for the fish. River mining is one of the reasons that fish are listed as `threatened' and therefore, limits the Water Agency's and farmers' options in management. Mining is aggravating erosion in and near the river, affecting many farmlands. Mining is private benefit at public expense.

Sewage Treatment Plant in Larkfield: Poor planning and ignorance of the permit process allowed the Water Agency to go 2 million dollars over-budget on the Airport-Larkfield treatment plant. It's a great example of how building first and planning later creates extra costs paid for by the community. The incumbent says the costs will be passed on to new users, only. So... we pay for poor planning by promoting growth! Everyone pays for that... by sitting in traffic and by increased water bills from the next expansion of the system.

Healdsburg Water Treatment: How could Santa Rosa build a wastewater pipeline through Healdsburg without a plan to accept Healdsburg's wastewater? Just stubborn, I guess. Healdsburg has been under order for years to treat its water to tertiary and dispose of it. The pipeline is the obvious place, and the whole North County must cooperate, not act like small, warring states. A strong supervisor leader would ensure such cooperation.

Open Space: Nine years old, the Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District has spent more than 60 million dollars on more than 50 projects. They (finally!) have an acquisition plan which allows approaching landowners to develop larger projects, not just one piece at a time. We have purchased many small, discontinuous easements...it's time to implement good planning for trails and parks, wildlife protection.

Airport: It's important to keep people and airplanes separate, and not allow more impact to the Town of Windsor. With the desertion of jet service from the airport, we need to investigate flights from western states for tourism and business, and consider lengthening existing runways to accommodate those planes. We should not, however, approve more building in potential flight paths.

Garbage: Did you know that the unincorporated areas of the County are due for a new waste-hauling license? In communities that have put the license out to bid, consumers ended up saving 20%. Let's do that for the unincorporated County areas.

Health Care: Sonoma County has a health care crisis. We are losing doctors, nurses and technicians as well as medical groups and insurers. It is too expensive to live here, and the repayment rates are so low, that medical professionals choose to work and live in other parts of the country. We need to work with the State Insurance Commissioner's office for honest deals, with Congressional representatives for adequate reimbursement rates, with State legislators for a better Medical payment system, and with the County to support hospitals and health care delivery. And remember, everything that's true about housing, transport, recreation and quality of life is important to the medical community, too.

Labor Relations: We need to honor our workers with good wages, housing opportunities and local jobs. The County needs prevailing wage standards for contractors, minimums set for local hires, and effective transportation systems so people can get to work. The sheriff's office should engage in binding arbitration, to guarantee continued service from our emergency workers. Better benefits, increased worker training, better worker retention and cooperation in the workplace easily balance the increased costs of Union work.

Endangered Species: We have many endangered plants and several endangered birds, fish and amphibians in the North County. Each creates restrictions on landowners or the County. We must improve our overall environmental quality to de-list these species and reduce that burden. That will require stewardship of our river and streams, conservation of our floodplains and vernal pool habitats and protection of some older forests. It's a great opportunity for conscientious management of our land and water, not a call to rewrite Federal law.