Candidate for
Council Member; City of Mill Valley

Resident engagement / Good government +

Communication has been a priority of our council and city staff and we've made great strides as a city to improve the exchange of information. We must continue to fine-tune our approach to maximize transparency and make sure we (residents) are informed and participating. Good government requires the exchange of information and collaboration between residents, staff and council.

Traffic mitigation +

Mill Valley's primary arteries are at capacity.

The traffic situation in our city is untenable. We must continue to prescribe short-term and long-term solutions and set goals to begin to gain control of a problem that is both a quality of life and safety issue. We are at a juncture where concrete action and results are required

Our city's council, city and staff are working to minimize congestion and taking small incremental steps to begin to get ahead of the issue. With the newly formed Traffic Task Force we should expect to see outcomes that provide us with some measurable improvements.

Short-term and long-term outcomes from this task force will be aimed at alleviating the traffic congestions at the East Blithedale and Miller/Tam Junction corridors. I think we should address:

- pilot school bus shuttles
- neighborhood carpools
- changes in our infrastructure to encourage multi-modal transport choices
- Safe-Routes-to-School
- Neighborhood ride-shares
- We must continue to work with and press outside agencies to reduce the impact of their decisions on our city.

We, car-users, will all have to pitch-in to solve the problem and begin to see improvements.

I am a strong supporter and advocate for multi-modal options and solutions to help mitigate the chocking gridlock we're experiencing.

Infrastructure and Streets +

We have over 66 miles of roads that feed into two main arteries to enter and exit our city. These roads need to be maintained and we have had funds dedicated to maintaining those roads.

In 2018 our municipal tax dedicated to the repair and maintenance of our streets will end. We spend $900K a year from this tax to repair and maintain our streets. This very important funding source is critical and I will support working on a strategy to pursue options for dedicated revenue for our city's streets.

The $14M Miller Streetscape project is the largest infrastructure project that Mill Valley has undertaken in many years. It will be a significant upgrade and improvement to the drivability and mixed use of our landmark city corridor to downtown.

Continued Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability +

Mill Valley's annual revenue projections hover around $39M, earned mostly through taxes and fees. Mill Valley spends approximately $39M on salaries, benefits, pensions, emergency preparedness, infrastructure projects, etc. As council member I will continue a city and council tradition of fiscal prudence while encouraging the pursuit of grants, federal and state assistance programs to push forward capital improvement projects and funding of initiatives that respect our Core Values.

Our Aging Community +

I will fully support and advance the Safe Routes for Seniors work that's just begun in the city, working to maintain and build more safe sidewalks with initial focus near and around the Redwoods. (see affordable housing)

Affordable Housing +

Affordable housing is a high priority. It is difficult for low-income or moderate-income individuals or families to live in Mill Valley. This is especially true for our life-long residents and a growing number of seniors. This vulnerable Mill Valley population should not be "transitioned out" of our city.

Pensions and Post-employment Health Care Benefits +

We are in better shape than most of our sister cities across the state. When costs ballooned after the great recession our city leadership pushed for change.

Today, we make budget set-asides of $1.6M a year to ensure that our present and future pension and Other-Post-Employee-Benefit (OPEB) obligations are met. We must be vigilant that we are truly funding our obligations and that we are being fiscally responsible doing so.

Emergency Preparedness +

In July of 1929 there were 20 homes on the same footprint where 100 homes exist today. If you look at any historical panoramic photographs at the turn of the century, there were meadows or rolling hills in many places where we now have heavy brush or heavily wooded areas. Fire danger is extreme and a real and ever present danger, especially during these drought years.

Our urban-wildland interface demands that we be prepared for fire. It's happened before and it will happen again. We have excellent police and fire departments and personnel serving our city and we are recognized as top-rated in preparedness with our emergency training classes, evacuation drills, CERT training, creating defensible perimeters to protect properties, fire breaks on our ridges, and $300K a year removing brush. We also have a first-rate steps/lane/paths (SLP) program to allow people to swiftly evacuate if needed. I strongly support the continued maintenance and upgrade of these beautiful and important pathways.

Preservation +

I am a passionate advocate for protecting the natural resources of our city. Our Mount Tam, 20 parks, wooded open spaces, creeks, watersheds, marshes and golf course are very important and they help define the very high quality-of-life that draws so many of us to Mill Valley.

We live in a very special, ecologically fragile community. Our city is at capacity and strains on our environment are mitigated by our city's prescribed limitations on development with good oversight from our planning commission and planning and building department.

I understand the impact of land values and the urge to maximize that value but we should be limiting the temptation of owners to max out the allowable floor area ratios of their properties. Exemptions should be considered only in very rare circumstances.

There is very little developable land left in Mill Valley and we need to be prudent and measured in our approach to building out or rebuilding in our city.

Environmental Initiatives + I will continue to advocate for water conservation. Our city has reduced its year-on-year water usage by nearly 40% and we must continue to push to conserve.

I am a strong supporter of zero-waste policies. They help us reflect on old habits and push us to achieve positive innovative solutions as a city. i.e.
- City-wide composting (restaurants and businesses included)
- We'll have the solar panel/ photovoltaic project at the community center, SASM and the DPW plant underway soon
- We should look for grants or subsidies to create more EVC stations
- Zero styro-foam use
- Zero pesticides and poisons

There is much more we should explore.

Flood Control and Watershed Management +

Sewage spills cannot happen, but they have. Our council is close to finalizing our sewer lateral inspection program and I will continue to advocate and vote for its implementation if it is not finalized before I join the city council.

As mundane as this program might seem, it's very important: On any given day we process some 3m galloons of sewage, but during a heavy rainstorm our old, porous, dilapidated sewer laterals overwhelm our sewage plant with up to 30M galloons of a water/sewage mix. This can and has led to spills.

We need to take a close look at our upcoming Miller Streetscape project to make sure we are helping mitigate some of the flooding issues we experience with heavy rains.

Good Government, Community and Transparency +

Good government requires civic involvement. I will always advocate for and include the voice of our residents for guidance and counsel when making decisions. Mill Valley's active, involved community is a "must factor" in governance to promote open communication and the development of the best solutions possible. Promoting and encouraging active citizen participation will also develop community leadership for our city for years to come.

We must always work to take the bureaucracy out of simple solutions that distract and consume the time of council, staff and commissions. Legal compliance is a must but there is such a thing as overthinking or overprescribing solutions begging for simple fixes.

Campaign Finance and City Council Elections +

Winning elections in Mill Valley, as in all democratic races in our country, should NOT depend on the size of ones pocketbook or the direct support of individuals or organizations that could advance their voice when making decisions about our town's future. I trust we have not come to that.

Past campaigns for council have run between $10K-20k. Countering that trend, and to that point, I have pledged to accept a maximum donation of $75 per individual.

My campaign will depend on the support and prevalence of support amongst city voters who see eye-to-eye with me on this important issue. Your endorsement and contribution will be very important and, even more, you communicating your endorsement to your email lists and friends will ensure that my message gets out to the as many voters as possible and spell victory on election day.

I ask for your vote and your support.