Candidate for
Board Member; McKinleyville Community Services District; 2 Year Term

Being on the MCSD Board requires more than just the ability to lay pipes and fix the lights. It requires the ability to listen to the public and the MCSD and to ask the hard questions of the staff and the public if needed. It requires the ability to solve complex problems. It requires studying the information packets and the papers regarding the current agenda items. It requires the ability to research the issues and search the web and the libraries and newspapers to verify the information given. It requires the ability to contact the local and state authorities and if need be the federal representatives that are needed resolve sometimes complex issues.

I am interested in ensuring that the public is represented on the Board that will oversee the expenditure of the public's money in a way that will benefit the community and continue to create and foster a place we can all be proud to call home. I can help the Board spend our public monies wisely. And as Jack says, (who by the way also attends every meeting!) it requires someone who can be wary and skeptical of consultants who may want to overcharge the district for shoddy work. And it requires someone who can play hardball (though I prefer softball) to get the right answers to make the right decisions. I can help the board make the right decisions to help our community grow in the right directions. With the capable leadership of Mr. Tom Marking and the excellent staff at the MCSD we can provide and maintain the quality Public Utility service we have come to expect. And we can provide the other things we have come to expect from MCSD Board like Parks and Recreational support in the form of Hiller Park, Pierson Park, and Larissa Park and of course our own Azalea Hall and the Activity Center hopefully soon, the McKinleyville Skate Park. And let's not forget, coming VERY soon, the Hiller Sports Complex! (Did I mention I love to play ball with my sons?)

In case you didn't know, our MCSD also manages hundreds of acres of open space and marsh wetlands (exactly how much is a bit hard to determine from their website http://www.humboldt1.com/~mcsd/index.html but I know it is a lot.

While I do appreciate the hard work that has gone into this website it is one of the things I would like to see improved upon so that even more information about the inner workings of the MCSD are available to the public... after all this information belongs to the public! And with my skills as an IT specialist I am sure I can offer a few suggestions on how to improve the website. For example, maybe they can just link in and archive the MCSD news letters. Or perhaps the board can receive email directly from the public on important issues.

One of MCSD's goals is also one of my main goals. This goal is listed under general funds section on the website. It is the management of trails and natural resources and maintenance of street lights and management of open spaces. I would like to see more emphasis on trails connecting the places we live to the center of town and to the Hammond Trail. That way our children (and adults too) might enjoy travel throughout McKinleyville by walking, jogging, or on their bikes and skateboards and never have to actually be on a roadway (hmmm, what a concept!). I would also like to see more emphasis on the use of emerging technologies to increase efficiency and reduce our power costs. These are things I think we should place emphasis on to make this community a more pleasant place to live and to stretch our public monies even farther. Again, as a Systems Analyst, I am sure I can provide some expertise in this department.

I must also say that though the district is in relatively healthy shape financially, the picture that some candidates may paint is not quite as rosy as they make it seem. There are some issues of concern looming on the horizon that may cost the public (translate that to increased water bills) if not solved.

The wetlands wastewater treatment issue that Mr. Marking's is working on is one which involves $97,000 in possible fines and needs to be solved soon (translate that to increased water bills). Support and maintenance of the new sports facilities is another. This issue will raise it's head after we complete the Hillers Sports Complex and then find out how much it costs to maintain. It is an unknown expense that can again translate into increased water bills.

I am interested in ensuring that the public is represented on the Board that will oversee the expenditure of the public's money in a way that will benefit the community and continue to create and foster a place we can all be proud to call home. I want the public to be proud of the MCSD and would hope to encourage more public participation in the meetings and provide for even more access for the public to the information about the MCSD and what they do via the website.

If you believe in these things like I do then I would appreciate your vote on Nov 4th so that I may represent your interests on the MCSD Board of Directors for the next two years.

If you are looking for someone who is a great troubleshooter and problem solver and has vast experience in government then you will want to vote for me. If you are looking for someone with experience in meeting facilitation and who has a proven track record in successfully dealing with the public then you will want to vote for me. If you want to vote for someone who doesn't show enough concern to bother to attend the meetings then vote for those other guys. If you want someone who cares enough to actually attend all the meetings (which I am the only candidate thus far that appears to have done so!) then you will want to vote for me.

Sincerely,

Don Dodd

McKinleyville, CA