What unique skills or assets do you bring to the table as a member of the board?
I have been involved in local government since 2002, I was first elected to serve as a board member of the Covelo Community Services District, during my tenure the board worked; to resolve the Eel River, River Watch lawsuit replacing sewer lines and upgrading the sewer plant itself. In June of 2013, I was appointed, and have since been reelected, to the Round Valley Unified School District’s Board of Trustees, we have worked to; improve student successes, improve the district infrastructure, improve the availability of childcare and housing.
How do you define the county’s housing crisis? Name the top three things the county should be doing to solve it.
I would work to explore the feasibility of acquiring campgrounds and trailer parks that are in tax arrears or abandoned. Many of these properties have sewage and electricity infrastructure already in place. The county could work to establish tiny home communities as temporary and permanent housing for families, veterans and people with disabilities. The Round Valley Unified School District is currently developing land for rentals with a priority for housing teachers. The county should be looking for available funding to help with the affordable housing crisis. According to the most recent study done by Humboldt State, Mendocino County has a poverty rate of 15.9%. Add that to the loss of homes due to the fires that ravaged Redwood Valley and Willits, as well as other surrounding counties, there is a high need for affordable housing in our county.
Are there any changes you would like to see made to the county’s cannabis cultivation ordinance? Be specific.
I am not in support of the current County cannabis cultivation ordinances and I do not think that the ordinances should be any stricter than the state regulations. I would like to see ordinances that actually reflect the reality of the cannabis industry and that are inclusive of small “mom and pop” cultivators. Cannabis ordinances should not negatively impact legitimate cultivators who want to get out of the black-market marijuana business. It is important to remember that most of the small cultivators are; working people, contributors to the community and patrons of local businesses.
What rules would you like the county to have around the sale of recreational marijuana?
The rules of recreational marijuana should be similar to those of alcohol and tobacco products concerning; underage use and availability, advertising and the location of retail outlets.
List your top 5 priorities for action on the board of supervisors. How would you suggest the county do more to fix roads?
The top five priorities for action by the Board of Supervisors are; cannabis ordinances, rural transportation and roads, management of Measure B, affordable housing and law enforcement in our rural areas. I would suggest that we a develop priority-based plan for county roads. Starting with the North County, upgrading and improving county roads based on the most travelled until all county roads have been improved. I would use funding from the gas tax to implement this plan.
Would you say our citizens are involved with county government? If yes, discuss evidence of that. If no, how would you encourage it?
I would say yes…and no…Evidence that citizens are involved would be the current panel of candidates running for seats on the Board of Supervisors. I would encourage those that are not as involved, to get involved before they become disgruntled. I think that it is easier to effect change when we are being proactive as opposed to being reactive.
How would you advise the Measure B oversight committee to proceed with spending Measure B funds?
I would advise the oversight committee to collaborate with people already experienced in the Mental Health fields to identify the needs in our county. After the needs are assessed I would encourage that a budget be devised to meet those needs.
After the fire emergencies, what would you do to help improve safety and regional emergency plans and alerts?
I would actively work to see that emergency plans and alerts are improved dramatically to reduce confusion and inefficiencies of current systems. I would rely on information supplied to me in order to make calculated decisions that improve public safety.
Is the county’s strategy to battle homelessness working? If not, how would you change it? If yes, what is the evidence of improvement?
I do not think that it is. I think that if you invite someone to give you recommendations on alleviating the problem you would do well to listen to their advice and conduct discussions to whittle down what can not be used. Not one of us as supervisor has all the expertise to answer every issue posed to the board but each one of us should be open to making educated decisions based on the expertise of others.