Page 38 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2017

Resolution? Revolution!
Sebastopol’s New Mayor in the New Year 2017
Wherever you may fall on the political/apathetic/neutral/passionate scale of social awareness, our country was disrupted this Fall, amidst a very destabilized world. It is not the rst time but unlike previous such volcanoes, we will now get nonstop blurbs of it on everything from phones to twitter- addicted TV.
“I’m a Mayor with training wheels,” Una Glass described herself last December 6th after the Sebastopol Council unanimously selected her as Mayor. She outlined her priorities for 2017. At the top of her list: immediate Council response to our housing crisis.
For some, it will lead to rage, violence, terrorism, religious angst. For others, denial, mad shopping and fatalism. What about those who care and usually try and participate? Will we grow more depressed, or will we get red up?
Her proposed strategy includes the formation of a Sub-Committee to facilitate community discussion about our di cult and complex housing situation. Within two weeks of taking o ce, she has appointed herself and Vice Mayor Slayter to manage this ambitious task.
Will we just make resolutions? How about a small reVolution as well?. Too many of us tear our hairs over the Big Races, and too many ignore the local issues and races that a ect our daily lives. Whether your idea of “revolution” is another daily turn around the sun or marching in the streets, how about
The Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee will assemble people from all sides: landlords, tenants, home-owners, elders, newcomers, real estate agents, disabled and other interested parties. The goals are to create community-based solutions that address availability and a ordability and to propose recommendations about rent control and tenant protection.
a few moments of your 2017 to better the world for those around you? We have always conquered fearful paralysis, jumped that abyss to create amazing organizations and results. Need some fuel?
This ad hoc group has ve months to complete its mission before the rental stabilization moratorium expires: January to May. Interested in this responsibility? Contact una.glass.seb@sonic.net.
2 Micro Reasons for Giving a Hoot:
Mayor Glass intends to continue previous Councils’ work to “get our
scal house in order.” One e ort will be to work on our 5-to-10 year Capital Improvement Program [CIP]. Another concern – the City’s unfunded CalPERS liabilities – has been addressed in the Mayor’s rst month by the Council’s hiring of an actuarial consultant to propose options to pay down our obligation. This responsible nancial planning will a ect the 2017-18 budget.
Graton is getting a park going in 2017! After many years of community- based magic-making, ground should break around April on Graton Park infrastructure.
Graton’s community health is further displayed by sewer costs nally getting under control with more improvements in the works, thanks to grueling work by the Graton Community Sewer District (GCSD).
New revenue streams are critical to achieve Council goals. There are two potential new sources: the hotel across from The Plaza and a second medical marijuana dispensary in the Southpoint shopping center. Further, businesses in the Hwy 116 corridor may be included in an expanded business district, along with Downtown and The Barlow, and pay a small tax. Sebastopol voters may be asked to increase the transient occupancy tax [TOT], as just happened in the County.
Macro Igniters:
United States Army Corps of Engineers e ectively stopped construction of the oil pipeline under the river at Standing Rock, SD, at least for now. Could a new admin undo this? Perhaps, if we let them. Learn how to stand up for clean water at www.standwithstandingrock.net . You won’t be alone:
4,000 US veterans came to the aid of Standing Rock protesters. Signi cantly, they are a powerful new political force emerging from across the country: veterans mobilizing together to ght the failings of a government they once took orders from. Learn more: facebook.com/Veterans4StandingRock/
As her third priority, the Mayor wants to implement our new General Plan, beginning with revisions to our Zoning Ordinance. Hand-in-hand with updated land use, the Mayor ranks economic development, notably the uni cation of our downtown area.
Science! Scientists are fearless cross-border collaborations, and even our own government has four very vigorous programs that fund and encourage international collaboration of Science and Technology experts (The Embassy Science Fellows Program, Global Innovation through Science and Technology initiative – GIST, U.S. Science Envoy, Science, Technology and Innovation [STI]Partnerships). Why should science make you hopeful?
Sebastopol will continue as an environmental leader under Mayor Glass, focusing on water conservation and other energy policies to decrease our green house gas emissions. A ordable jobs and a ordable housing would allow more people to live and work in town. Achieving these goals depends upon improved communication between the many sectors of our community. Mayor Glass hopes to work, for instance, with our numerous non-pro ts to undo some of the “silo” e ect and build collaboration.
Macro effects:
No Mayor accomplishes her goals alone, but rather with the help of hard- working Council colleagues and City Sta . This I know, from my term as Mayor in 2016. Thank you for everyone’s support, enthusiasm, and e ort during my tenure.
Apparently happiness can be synthesized. Lottery winners and new paraplegics are equally happy when studied a year after their event of fortune. Sir Thomas Brown wrote in 1642, “I am the happiest man alive. I have that in me that can convert poverty to riches, adversity to prosperity. I am more invulnerable than Achilles; fortune hath not one place to hit me.” As Google.org director Larry Brilliant asks in his TED Talk, “What kind of remarkable machinery does this guy have in his head?” Apparently we all have it.
The Work Continues
Again from Mr. Brilliant: “...we’ve seen a new disease... called sudden wealth syndrome...throughout the technology world, we’re seeing young people bitten by this...but they’re using their wealth in a way that their forefathers never did. They’re not waiting until they die to create foundations. They’re actively guiding their money, their resources, their hearts, their commitments, to make the world a better place. Certainly, nothing can give you more optimism than that.”
On January 10, 2017, from 8 to 11 AM at City Hall, the Council meets in special session to con rm mutual goals and priorities. The agenda includes a status report on the existing list and discussion of additions.
Speaking of disease – smallpox has been eradicated. Polio may follow this year – only 2,000 cases in the world. We may see the eradication of guinea worm next year – there are only 35,000 cases left in the world. 20 years ago, there were three and a half million. Doctors, health workers, from 30 di erent countries, of every race, every religion, every color, worked together...How can that not make you feel optimistic?
As a mid-year budget review item, the Council will consider priorities for the CIP: what projects come before others? Fortunately, the repaving of Willow Street [from S. High to the island] is already in the pipeline.
38 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/17
Something spark your interest? Contact your Council Members. Information is available on the City’s new website where you can con rm each Agenda and review the materials.
GRATON cont’d on page 39
Lastly, the applicant for the “small home” project at 7950 Bodega Avenue [where the steep hillside interrupts the sidewalk] has requested special nancial considerations to move his project forward.
On January 17, 2017, at its regular meeting, the Council will review Hotel Sebastopol’s request for amendments to the current Zoning Ordinance: to allow four stories as the maximum height in our commercial downtown
core and to amend parking regulations for greater exibility [tandem, valet, compact]. The Council will also hear an appeal of the Design Review Board’s approval of the hotel project. These two items will impact our future, greatly.
Council Member Hinton has asked to discuss licensing and taxing [TOT] our Airbnb businesses, another potential source of new revenue.