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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
council achievement,
city goals,
casino
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. In your opinion, what are the three most important things the City Council has achieved in the last two years?
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Answer from Joseph J. "Joe" Palla:
- Adopted an Urban Growth Boundery that will appear on the November 2, 2010, ballot for voter approval.
- Updated the General Plan that will protect our hillsides.
- Completed the new Fire Station, History Center, and Performing Arts Center.
Answer from Gail C. Pardini-Plass:
Having an active voice on SMART after Bob Jehn left, Carol Russell pick up the banner and does a great job.
Jessalee Raymond was active in getting parents active for their children to finally work towards getting a skate park for Cloverdale youth.These are two very important events in this wonderful community.
Answer from Mike Maacks:
1.Having events in downtown like Friday Nite Live and the car show.
2.The resolution in opposition to the proposed Indian casino.
3.Pushing to ensure that the SMART Train comes all the way to Cloverdale as it was presented on the ballot by Measure Q.
Answer from Carol Russell:
1) A sensible, attainable, yet innovative, Economic Development Plan utilizing the data and recommendations of the City's Branding and Marketing study along with input from a range of "mission-critical" stakeholders from the City's trade area, other municipalities and agencies.
2) Presentation to voters of a UGB endorsed by the League of Women Voters and The Greenbelt Alliance; as well as other land use/planning strategy improvements such as the Downtown Station Area Plan.
3) Resourcefully and successfully maintaining the City's organizational strength and resiliency even in the midst of the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression. Amidst a global financial shockwave which required sharp cuts to City personnel and other core budget items, our clear-headed, measured reaction to "The Great Recession" enables Cloverdale to continue and, in some instances even improve, the delivery of our key public services and our general administrative and management tasks while being ready to take advantage of unexpected, often complex, opportunities as diverse as applying for the newest government funding and assisting a team of volunteers to line up enough electronic votes to win the Budget Travel's "Readers' Poll".
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2. What are the present goals of the City Council?
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Answer from Joseph J. "Joe" Palla:
- Working to create good jobs where residents can live, work, and play in Cloverdale.
- Working to establish Financial Stability so we can provide reliable services.
- Working to establish a community vision for the downtown core area, including the plaza, former police/fire station and surrounding area.
- Working to establish quality youth and senior programs.
- Working to establish and maintain strong Public Safety and Medical Services.
- Working to protect our environment and preserve our strong agricultural heritage.
- Working with Cloverdale Unified School District to maintain excellence in our schools.
- Working to make sure future water and sewer needs are met.
- Working to make sure the SMART train includes service to Cloverdale from day one.
Answer from Carol Russell:
The most urgent goals center around implementing the Economic Development Plan (that I work to keep "casino-free") and continuing to live within our means while we work towards reinvigorating the City's financial health through a variety of strategies, such as: constantly searching for cost savings and efficiencies; striving to enhance sales/TOT tax revenues; aggressively working with the Chamber of Commerce, our Economic Development Consultant and other resources to bring in new businesses with good jobs for our residents while finding more ways to help improve the profits of our existing local businesses; joining with The League of Cities to work to protect City funds from "raids"; streamlining our essential procedures where ever we can, including through wiser use of existing technologies and no cost or low cost resources; seeking new funding sources, including grants, plus more goal-oriented activities than the room provided herein allows me to type. (Please contact me for more information.)
Other goals include: creating a wider range of wholesome activities for our teens, such as the proposed Skate Park; supporting our existing volunteerism, community events and organizations while also, if they wish, encouraging their growth; creating a Dog Park; enhancing Cloverdale's relationships with, and reputation among, all our local media while networking with other cities, including those outside our region, to develop mutually beneficial alliances and partnerships.
Answer from Gail C. Pardini-Plass:
To put a percentage of money aside for a rainy day fund.
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3. What is the city doing or should the city do to develop measures to amicably co-exist with the proposed casino-resort?
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Answer from Gail C. Pardini-Plass:
I do not know for sure as they have taken an adversay stanch already by voting not to have the casino in Cloverdale. Most of our new residents have no background on our tribe and do not know how much they are hurting feelings or even whose feelings they are hurting. We look like another set of White men tramping all over their civil rights again. History is important otherwise we just keep making the same mistakes over and over again. If California did not want casinos the State of California should not have voted for them.
Answer from Joseph J. "Joe" Palla:
Local government does not have the authority to stop an Indian Casino. However, it was important for Cloverdale to take an official position. The City Council did pass a Resolution opposing the proposed casino. If the casino does materialize, over our objections, I feel negotiations should begin to keep the impact on City services to a minimum, and to make sure that funding is provided to pay for needed services, including police, fire, emergency health services, water & sewer system improvements, road improvements, and traffic control devices.
Answer from Mike Maacks:
Currently the Council has not developed a plan and shouldn't.The accompanying problems created by the casino will not exceed any benefit that it might, and I stress might, bring to Cloverdale. The Council has passed a resolution in oppostion to the casino and I would hope they will work from that point to develope a plan to mount some opposition unless their vote on the resolution was token vote.
I would be committed to taking whatever action necessary to prevent it being built on its current plan of any sort.
Answer from Carol Russell:
The City of Cloverdale has passed a "No Casino" Resolution, which I support. However, we will continue to interact with tribal and, if available, Sealaska representatives in the same respectful and business-like manner as we do with the developers of all potential projects.
These interactions and activities include, but are not limited to: following all legal, administrative and communications "best practices"; tribal meetings at the various stages of the process with our City Manager and her development team; holding as many public workshops and hearings as required to ensure that information and input from all parties, including advisors, agencies, the media and the public, flows freely without interference or political pressure to provide everyone involved with a working environment that is--to the degree the City can help make it so--a professional, efficient and transparent one.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. Candidates may not refer to any other candidates in their answers.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
