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Month: August 2020

  • No on DISC signs now available

    E538AF89-DD67-40D4-AAE5-84E5FE1BBF5EThe No on DISC – No on Measure B campaign announces that its signs are now available, free, for use on your lawn or street facing window. This creative and attractive sign uses humor to point out three major flaws in the project: increased traffic gridlock, increased greenhouse gases, and loss of burrowing owl habitat. 

    You can request your sign at https://www.VoteNoOnDISC.com/, where you can also learn more about the problems with this massive business park proposed on prime farmland outside the Mace Curve. You can also donate to support the cause and volunteer to help by writing a letter to the editor or through other means. 

    “Like” the campaign on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VoteNoOnDISC/

  • Event: Meet the candidates for District 5 (South Davis) on Zoom

    An upcoming Zoom forum will allow Davis voters to meet and greet the four District 5 City Council Candidates — Rochelle Swanson, Josh Chapman, Kelsey Fortune and Connor Gorman.

    This virtual forum will meet from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, and will allow time for two questions per candidate. The questions will be the same for each candidate and must be answered in 3 minutes or less:

    • Please tell us about yourself and why you’re running for City Council?
    • What are the three most important city council issues/topics to you and why?

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  • Event: Phone Bank for Prop 15

    1598492440037Large commercial property owners are avoiding billions of dollars per year through a tax loophole created by Proposition 13.

    Since the start of the pandemic, California's 165 billionaires have seen their wealth increase by $175 billion. None of that wealth has translated to lower prices for consumers and everyday people.

    It's time for the people to take back what is theirs.

    Join Sac, Yolo, and UC Davis Democratic Socialists of American this Saturday, August 29, at 2pm to call CA voters to say YES on Prop 15, Schools and Communities First: tinyurl.com/prop15phone-bank

  • Ongoing safety problems with Pacifico

    The following email was sent to the City Council on late Tuesday evening and is reprinted here with the permission of the author.

    Hello Mayor Partida, Council Members Lee, Frerichs, Carson, and Arnold, City Manager Webb and Assistant City Manager Feeney,

    My comment to the City Council regarding Pacifico didn't make it through tonight. Nevertheless, I briefly want to remind all of you of the situation in our South Davis neighborhood.

    The acts of crime and intimidation are continuous and not getting better. In fact, random hostile acts of intimidation have increased in number and the act of crime itself has increased in severity.

    The most recent incidents that have compromise safety and well-being include:

    • attempted rape
    • prostitution in the parking lot
    • theft and intimidation to Pacifico residents by Pacifico residents
    • loitering combined with heavy consumption of alcohol on the bike path and near homes
    • drug deals and coercion in the parking lot
    • bb rifle shooting on the green belt by a known violent and dangerous criminal who frequents Pacifico
    • a dumpster fire that was suffocating and threatened my family and home.

    Those who currently have their safety and well being compromised due to the Use at Pacifico include:

    • my family and visiting family and friends
    • neighbors, families, and friends in homes (Oakshade West Neighborhood Association and beyond)
    • neighbors, families, and students in apartments/duplexes (Octave and Sharp and Flats, Avalon, Brisa)
    • neighbors and Pacifico residents, including disadvantaged women, children and elders – some of our most vulnerable.

    These dangers affect everyone in this neighborhood. Many horrible things have happened and continue to happen.

    I respectfully request that a plan for Pacifico be of top priority and the subject be put on the long range calendar. Thank you.

    Gratefully yours,

    Tracy De Wit

  • Event: Virtual meeting with City Council candidate Colin Walsh

    Walsh-photoColin Walsh, a candidate for Davis City Council 2020 District 2, is hosting a Zoom Town Hall on Saturday, August 29 at noon. Members of the community are invited to this opportunity to get to know Colin and share your thoughts on Davis. Details at Walsh4Davis.com.

  • Valley Clean Energy Issues Warning About Utility Bill Scam

    VCE(From press release) Yolo County residents are advised to be on the alert for scam phone calls purporting to be from their energy provider.

    According to one Davis resident who received such a call recently, the caller apologized for overcharging her on her utility bill, explaining that the overcharge was from a third-party supplier.

    She was told to press 1 to apply for a rebate check, but the woman hung up, believing that the caller was attempting to gain access to her bank routing and account numbers.

    Valley Clean Energy, Yolo County’s public not-for-profit local electricity provider, would like to reassure its customers that it never asks for a customer’s banking information over the telephone.

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  • Support our local Religious Leaders Recommendation for Reconsideration of the University Commons project

    Community input to the Council majority of Partida, Lee and Carson is needed now

    19universitycommons
    By Eileen M. Samitz

    Many thanks to the Davis religious leaders for the excellent article published August 22 in the Davisite.

    This incredible and sincere outreach by so many local religious leaders to the City Council majority is impressive and their recommended action is so needed to be taken by Council majority now.  So everyone’s input to the Council is needed now, to support the recommendation to reconsider approval of the University Commons project, before this Tuesday’s August 25th meeting when the Council is scheduled to finalize approval of the project.

    The Davis religious leaders group recommendation for the Council majority is to “take a pause and reconsider their approval votes” and to reject it. This terrible project does not offer any housing that is affordable. So, urging the Council to reconsider its approval is clearly the right thing to do for the sake of the UCD students, as well as the rest of the community needing housing that is affordable. The University Commons “affordable units” are affordable in name only, and it is an insult to even classify them as “affordable” with the rental prices they are projecting.

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  • District Elections?

    How Did We Get District Elections?

    By Larry Guenther

    In 2019, the City of Davis was threatened with a lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) by attorney and former Yolo County Supervisor Matt Rexroad. The letter stated that if the City of Davis did not institute district elections, Mr. Rexroad would file suit on behalf of anonymous clients. The legal timeline for forming districts (90 days) did not allow the City to complete the process for the primary election in March of 2020. The City proposed to Mr. Rexroad that they would complete the process by the 2022 election. "Not good enough," said Mr. Rexroad. He pointed out that if the City moved its Council election to the November General election, there was plenty of time to complete the process. The City Council decided to change the City Council election to the November general election and change to District Elections.

    The City Council also chose to stay with a 5-member council and created the map below. This November's election will be for representatives from districts 2, 3, and 5.

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  • Insufficient affordable housing at University Commons

    Faith leaders speak out

    19universitycommonsAt the Davis City Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 18, a 3-2 vote approved the University Commons Proposal. We, the undersigned faith leaders, express our disappointment at this decision. While we are encouraged by Brixmor's increase from 0% to 5% affordable housing at the 80% median income for Yolo County, we also contend that this is not enough.

    While the specific decision regarding the University Commons is the spark to this conversation, the housing crisis in Davis and across our state does not begin and end with this decision.

    As faith leaders in the Davis community, we have the opportunity to engage with individuals from many walks of life, ministering with people of diverse economic, racial, generational, and educational backgrounds.

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  • Proposed Voter Assistance Centers (VAC) and Ballot Drop-off Box (BDB) Locations for November 3rd General Election

    Public Notice for Community Review and Input

    (From press release) The Yolo County Elections Office, in accordance with guidance provided by the California Secretary of State Office and the recently signed Senate Bill SB 423, is directed to identify and make public the proposed Voter Assistance Centers (VACs) and Ballot Drop-off Box (BDB) locations to be used in the upcoming November 3, 2020 General Election.

    Yolo County will have 12 Voter Assistance Centers (VACs) and 12 Ballot Drop-off Boxes (BDB) located throughout the county (listed on the following page). The Yolo County Elections Office has worked in partnership with local jurisdictions and school districts to ensure voting locations that allow for secure, socially distant in-person voting in Yolo County. The VACs are spread out throughout each community for ease of accessibility.

    The elections office, with the help of county leadership and through partnerships with local jurisdictions and the education community have secured optimal in-person voting locations throughout the community. “Thanks to these partnerships, education facilities throughout the region are being used to help promote our democracy at a level we have never seen before,” says Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters. “We are also providing ballot drop-off box locations to make returning Vote by Mail ballots as effortless as possible. In addition, your return postage will be paid to help encourage voters to utilize mail in voting,” says Salinas.

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