YC candidates talk issues

Sep. 30—Candidates running for Yuba City City Council answered pressing questions Wednesday night during a candidate forum held at Boyd Hall on Feather River Academy campus in Yuba City.

Candidates running for District 1 are Yuba City Mayor Dave Shaw and Brendon Messina. For District 2, the candidates are Marc Boomgaarden, Chuck Smith and Sukh Sidhu. For District 3, the candidates are Mike Pasquale and Grace Espindola.

The forum was moderated by Bob Harlan, executive director for Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, and Robert Summa, editor of the Appeal-Democrat. Candidates were given the opportunity to deliver opening statements regarding their campaigns and answer questions from the moderators.

Q: In May, plans for a 60-day overnight vehicle parking area trial program were put on pause. The idea of the temporary program was to provide an area on the west side of the former Kmart building for 17 parking spots that the city could use for an overnight vehicle parking area that would operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day and have a security guard on site during that time. Participating vehicles would have been required to leave the property each morning and have valid registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The site also would have included restrooms and a hand-washing station that would be located within the gated and locked outdoor area of the property. There also were plans to have a security camera and surveillance sign. The city said flashlights and fire extinguishers also would be supplied. There would have been rules established for the site similar to the overnight camping area on Second Street. That trial program was put on hold after public pressure regarding the plan. Many said such a plan would invite the homeless to the area — an area already occupied and used by homeless individuals, as stated by businesses on social media who were against the plan. The plan, theoretically, would have helped law enforcement enforce current ordinances and also bring supervision and structure to the area, potentially lessening the current impacts of homelessness for those businesses and the public. As a city council member, how should the situation have been handled and what would you suggest for solving this current problem?

Messina said that resolving homelessness is one of his top priorities for the city along with safety. As someone who volunteers to assist homeless individuals, he disagrees with the decision to pause the Kmart parking solution and believes that preventative measures should have been taken, such as Habitat for Humanity's proposed plan to purchase the Bonanza Inn and convert it to affordable housing. He said that shelters should be put in place, but the execution should be put in the hands of experts from nonprofit organizations who work directly with homeless people rather than the city and municipalities.

Smith suggested creating an ad hoc committee consisting of people who have been homeless and overcame their situation in order to accurately assess which services help people find permanent housing. He believes that faith-based and nonprofit organizations should be included in finding a solution for homelessness.

Boomgaarden said that the city should have done a better job in organizing community outreach in regards to the temporary parking program. He said that the rules and regulations for this program should have been communicated so that the public had a better understanding of what the situation entailed.

Sidhu agreed with Messina in that the Habitat for Humanity proposal should have been explored. He said that because homelessness can be caused by different factors, including substance abuse and physical disabilities, the services provided by nonprofits should be honed toward the most significant causes.

Pasquale said that a lack of transparency and due diligence is what caused the issues with the temporary parking program. He said more information should have been provided to shareholders, the public and those in charge of the decision making process.

Espindola said that community engagement would have benefited the Kmart parking situation. Consulting the community before making a decision would have generated more ideas for potential shelter or parking placements. She said that the rules and regulations should have been communicated to the community.

Shaw said that the city failed to take charge of the Kmart property as it is still owned by Sutter County. He said that despite the city's role in financial and logistical support in handling the property, the decision to pause the parking program was ultimately decided by the city. Shaw said that he agreed to pause the program after the public raised concerns and believes that the city should have engaged in community outreach before making its decision.

Q: The county will have a sales tax measure on the November ballot to help fund needed public safety services. Yuba City has the opportunity to be included as a recipient of the money that can be generated through this tax. Is this something that the city should be exploring?

Smith believes that the current city council has already opted out of working with the county on the one cent sales tax measure. He said that if this is true, Yuba City residents will have to pay the tax and still miss out on its benefits. Smith believes that the city should opt into the tax measure because half of the revenue could return to Yuba City.

Boomgaarden clarified that the city council did not opt out of the tax measure and was heavily engaged with the county. He said that the city was hoping to move forward with a tax measure if it was needed at a later time. Boomgaarden believes that special taxes need to go toward a special purpose.

While Sidhu is typically against taxes, he believes that the fund generated from this tax will be needed. He said that if the measure does not pass, there will be residents who will not have a support system in place for them.

Pasquale takes issue with the idea that Yuba City would be responsible for paying 70% of the projected revenue by virtue of population. He said that there are too many unanswered questions regarding the measure and that with the current rate of inflation, he cannot support an additional tax increase.

Espindola said that the tax measure should be decided by the voters, but the issues regarding funds for public safety will remain. She said that funding law enforcement and fire departments is critical and essential to the community.

Shaw said that negotiating with the county has been unproductive. He said that there have been discussions regarding mutual aid for Sutter County to determine how the city can support county public safety services, including using some of the city's Cares Act funding.

"I can just sum it up in two words: utter disappointment. Because we were trying to be good neighbors and trying to do everything we can to take care of our complete community which is not just the residents inside of our city, and we were caught off guard when they decided to go along. We were at the table talking about a potential future split, but since they went out on their own, we have not heard anything from the county. And actually from some of the supervisors themselves, we have heard just the opposite and we're not getting a dime. We've got funding issues, spending issues and we've got a tax on the table," Shaw said.

Messina said that he is not fond of increasing taxes, but is concerned over the risk of Sutter County losing some public safety services. He said it is important to understand that the sales tax measure is a general tax rather than a specialty tax. Messina believes that this decision should be made by residents in the community.

Q: Housing is a major issue among employers and prospective employers in the Yuba-Sutter area. Sutter County has said that due to floodplain designations, its ability to increase housing in the county is extremely limited. With the current state of building costs and regulations, what can Yuba City do to improve the availability of housing for both low-income and other potential residents?

Boomgaarden said that in the past two years, the city met with both public and private groups to examine development impact fees which had not been adjusted in "quite some time." He attributes adjusting these fees to the growth in housing throughout Yuba City. He also said that the Regional Housing Authority is in the process of developing 176 units for affordable housing along with 80 units for senior citizens. Boomgaarden said that a partnership with Habitat for Humanity will introduce new housing projects to the city.

Sidhu said that while housing is available in Yuba City, they are not affordable. To fix this, he said that the process of developing and purchasing homes needs to be easier. Sidhu suggested working with private developers to make affordable housing plans more available to Yuba City residents.

"Government affordable housing projects are anything but affordable," Pasquale said. "Pre-unit, these projects are two to three times more expensive to build and operate than privately owned apartment complexes."

Pasquale said that the city should take advantage of infill opportunities to build multi-family housing projects. He believes that private homeowners should explore the possibility of renting accessory dwelling units on their property in order to provide more living spaces for the community and make an additional income.

Espindola said that should she continue to hold her seat on the city council, she will seek private and state funding options to bring more affordable housing to Yuba City. She said that the city also needs housing for the working class community.

Shaw believes that all types of housing are needed in the area. He referenced Boomgaarden's statement regarding the development impact fee which allowed the city to better gauge how homebuyers were affected by the current process. Shaw said that the most vulnerable people in need of affording housing are not homeless individuals, but rather senior citizens and veterans who could face eviction due to inflation.

Messina said that affordable housing regardless of income level is important for the city. He said that the first step that can be taken to create more affordable housing opportunities is to address the development fees and assess what can be done to make the area more appealing to developers. He also believes that the city should seize more grant opportunities that could allow the city to pursue more housing projects.

Smith said the biggest issues for housing development is the permit processing system and the impact fee. He believes that both systems are too costly, unmanageable and timely for contractors. He said that the system needs to change in order to streamline the building process for affordable housing.

Q: What is your take on the future growth of Yuba City, especially after the city has increased in size with annexations? Should there be more businesses, services, housing?

Sidhu said that he envisions Yuba City as a future inner destination city. He said that while the current city council has helped attract businesses to the area, he believes that more can be done.

Pasquale said that the presence of small business owners on the council is needed in order to understand their voices and experiences. He said that putting tax dollars toward road repair, water, sewer and infrastructure will help drive the growth of the city. He also believes that bringing a hospital to Yuba City would be a great push to develop both commercial and residential properties.

Espindola said that in order to help Yuba City grow, infrastructure must be accounted for. Water and sewage for a particular area need to be addressed followed by schools, parks, jobs and affordable housing.

Shaw said that the city's general plan has put growth in motion. However, in regards to bringing in bigger businesses like a Trader Joes, Shaw said that is dependent on rising the city's median income along with other forms of measured growth to attract more businesses.

Messina said that resolving the issue with homelessness in the community would help bring about growth. He believes that the city should focus on beautification in order to become more attractive to both large and small businesses.

Smith said that while the city's general plan brings marginal growth over time, he thinks that the plan should be updated in order to better reflect the area's current needs. He said that attention should be given to the agricultural industry in the area and proposed the idea of a processing or packaging plant comparable to Sunsweet to bring ag-based jobs to the community.

Boomgaarden clarified that the general plan is updated periodically to address the city's needs at a given time. In order to foster growth in Yuba City, he believes that land and services for the land should be accounted for. He said that the city has been annexing land at developers' request and is finding ways to serve the land through water, sewer, fire and law enforcement.

"If you look around, there's business coming here. If you look around, there are houses coming here. We can serve it. We will continue to plan for serving it," Boomgaarden said.

Q: There is consistent rhetoric surrounding the idea of supporting public safety and making sure police and fire departments get more money. Because the city has a limit to the amount of money that comes in, where do you see the greatest need for increased funding for public safety? Are there improvements needed for both police and fire departments? Should salaries be increased? Is there a need for more equipment or personnel?

Pasquale said that there is a critical need for public safety and he is in full support of whatever is needed to help public safety push forward.

Espindola said that she has been in full support of police and fire departments during her time on the city council. She has voted for increased funding, equipment and improved facilities. She also believes that the city should provide mutual aid to assist public safety in Sutter County.

Shaw believes that funding, equipment, services, salaries and personnel are all needed for the police and fire departments. He said that over three years ago, the ratio of police officers to residents was not up to par, which posed issues despite being fully funded. He said that police and fire equipment need maintenance and replacements, while personnel needs to be retained.

Messina said that while multiple improvements need to be made for public safety services, creating competitive salaries would help retain personnel. He referenced speaking to an officer who pursued a job in Placer County that offered more pay for less work. Giving public safety officials a wage that makes them want to work for Yuba City will help retention.

Smith said that proper funding, equipment and staffing are needed to help police and fire departments. He also believes that public safety services should be given more training to better handle emergency situations such as school shootings.

Boomgaarden said that recruitment and retention are necessary improvements. He said that continuous funding is an issue, but because public safety is an essential service, it deserves the city's attention so officials can continue to provide quality safety services to residents.

Sidhu said that appropriate salaries are needed for police and fire officials. While many can receive higher pay in a larger city, Sidhu believes that officials need to feel the difference between larger and smaller communities. Personnel retention should be the priority to ensure safety in emergency situations.