Q&A
Questions from the 2008 Candidate Forum co-hosted by the Sierra Club and the Davis Neighborhood Coalition, April 30, 2008
- Do you support the renewal of Measure J in its current form? Why or why not? How can Measure J be improved? Do you support making Measure J permanent? Why or why not?
See Don's response - When you look back on the relationship between the City of Davis and Yolo County over the past year,
- What did you like about that relationship?
- What would you rather not see repeated?
- What would you see as the ideal City/County relationship going forward?
- What specific steps would you take to achieve that ideal relationship?
See Don's response - The City of Davis is facing significant challenges with respect to water and wastewater. Specifically, 1) its sources, 2) its treatment, and 3) its conservation -- both short term and long term.
- What are your opinions about these challenges?
- Do you see these challenges as separate or related?
- What trade-offs exist in the strategies and tactics we use to address these challenges
See Don's response - The City of Davis is facing major challenges with respect to finances. Specifically, 1) its sources, 2) its handling, and 3) its conservation -- both short term and long term.
- What do you think are the most important fiscal challenges facing Davis?
- What are the most obvious solutions?
- What do you see as the obstacles to addressing these challenges with the solutions you propose?
See Don's response - Davis is experiencing significant air quality problems from residential wood burning in winter months. How would you suggest the City address this problem?
See Don's response - Many people say that the future success of the City of Davis is closely related to forging a Win-Win relationship with UC Davis.
- What would you see as the ideal City/UC Davis relationship going forward?
- What specific steps would you take to achieve that ideal relationship?
- Do you think UC Davis has a vested interest in housing prices and housing availability in the City?
See Don's response - A number of buildings of historic significance to Davis have suffered the fate of "demolition by neglect" due to failure of the property owners to maintain those structures. Recent examples are the Terminal Hotel, the Hunt-Boyer Mansion Tank House, and the row of B Street cottages slated for demolition under new zoning.
- Using the standard of "all buildings 50 years of age or older," write a Minimum Maintenance Code for the City of Davis that will protect its historic/older buildings from structural deterioration.
- Defend or criticize your ordinance for its ability to prevent the loss of the remainder of our historic structural legacy.
See Don's response - What would you do to address the following issues facing the Davis Downtown area that compromise its sustainability and vibrancy:
- Awkwardness of transportation connections to and from campus cultural resources, particularly Mondavi Center events, Aggie games, etc.
- The creation of sufficient parking in quantified terms (hours/spaces/fees/locations) to promote longer, heavier use of Downtown both before and after the close of daylight business hours
- Street safety throughout the Downtown as well as the major arterial streets (e.g. across 5th Street from A through L Streets)
See Don's response - The fraction of workers commuting by bicycle in Davis has dropped from 22% to 14% in recent years.
- What is your understanding of what has caused this?
- What specifically would you do to make the bicycle a more viable transportation mode for everyone, and increase the fraction of bike trips in Davis back to its historic levels?
See Don's response - The City of Davis' General plan states: "All neighborhood shopping centers shall include neighborhood grocery stores / supermarkets except for the property located at the southeast corner of Pena Drive and Fifth Street (commonly known as Fifth Street Commerce Center) and the site at the northwest corner of Mace Boulevard and Alhambra Drive.” Currently two neighborhood shopping centers in Davis lack a grocery store anchor. A group in West Davis is actively pursuing ways to secure a grocery store in their neighborhood. These local residents must now travel almost daily to other areas of town to shop, which is inconsistent with the City’s goal of reducing greenhouse gases. What role should the City Council play in fulfilling the intent of the General Plan’s neighborhood grocery store policy?
See Don's response