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  • Letter: In support of Vaitla and Partida

    The November 8 General Municipal Election gives Davis voters in District 1 (mostly west of 113) and District 4 (mostly East Davis/Mace Ranch) the opportunity to fill two seats. As a former Mayor of Davis, and cofounder of the Davis Food Co-op and Davis Farmers Market, I’m excited to endorse newcomer Bapu Vaitla for District 1 and former Mayor, Gloria Partida, for District 4.

    Bapu Vaitla has vision and energy, as well as a deep background on issues Davis cares about. I first met him in 2018 when we worked on the “Food and Economic Development (FED) in Davis Report” for the City of Davis. Sadly, the report remains largely unimplemented.

    The report outlined both a big-picture and baby-step practical strategies for food-based tourism, small-scale food entrepreneurship, integration of climate change work with climate smart food planning, and food-based economic development together with food security efforts. It built on Davis’ legacy of community food systems.

    Bapu will make the report a priority, along with programmatic improvements in climate control and affordable housing – with the goal for Davis to be a model in climate action and social equity. Bapu is a gifted and tireless leader.

    Words about an incumbent also running in District 1 — I no longer support Dan Carson. As head of the campaign for Measure H and on behalf of the developers, he sued Davis citizen opponents of Measure H. The judge agreed there was little material content to be changed in their ballot argument as a result of the suit and fined Carson $42,200. Don’t reward that kind of unprecedented, egregious behavior in our local democracy. There are sure to be developments up for a citywide vote in the next four years – will Dan sue his next round of opponents if he is reelected?

    Gloria Partida did an excellent job as Mayor (2020-22), a tough term which included the Covid pandemic. She has a long history of leadership and advocacy in the Davis community related to inclusion and civil rights. With her son, she has a food cart selling churros and knows first hand the hardships many small food businesses face in Davis. She’s supportive of many of the FED recommendations, as part of her interest in economic development, and will prioritize affordable housing, climate change and solutions for the unhoused.

    I call on my fellow voters in District 1 and 4 to elect Bapu Vaitla and Gloria Partida.  

     

    Sincerely,

    Ann M. Evans, Former Mayor, City of Davis

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  • Effects of Excessive Increases in City of Davis Employee Compensation from 2011 to 2021 on the City’s Ongoing Budget Crisis

    Part 1 – Our City Councilmembers are Drinking Like Sailors Again…And They’re Spending your Money!

    by Alan Pryor

    FORWARD – In a recent article in the Davis Enterprise (9/27/22), Councilmember Dan Carson said while promoting his reelection bid, “The city’s annual deficit — an estimated $8 million a year over the next 20 years — is down to $4 million to $5 million a year…We made a significant dent… and our financial condition has significantly improved.”

    The article went on to state that Carson credits “a lot of good policies… including restraint in labor negotiations…It’s been sound fiscal management.” But is this true?

    Well, the simple fact is that the City of Davis is still in a budget crisis and one has to do nothing more than look at the deplorable state of our streets and bike paths as examples. According to independent verification, City of Davis streets are in worse condition than any of the other cities or towns in Yolo County including Woodland, West Sacramento, and Winters. If left further unmanaged by our City Council, the budget crisis and our streets and infrastructure will undoubtedly deteriorate further over the coming years.

    Of course, the City Council absolve themselves of any responsibility for this budget morass claiming, “It’s the economy!..It’s the pandemic!…It’s Acts of God!”, without nary a thought given to the notion that maybe it is just their plain fiscal mismanagement that has brought the City to its financial knees.

    Indeed, what is not disclosed nor explained to the public is that over the past decade, our City Councils have granted City of Davis employee compensation increases to our highest paid employees that are far in excess of increases required to maintain pace with inflation. This has resulted in increased costs to the City totaling tens of millions of dollars that could have otherwise been beneficially used to provide the infrastructure maintenance the City Council claims they are unable to afford.

    This is Part 1 of a 2-part series investigating how overall City of Davis’ employee compensation levels risen over the past decade far in excess of inflation and the extremely adverse impacts this has had on our City’s budget as a result.

    Part 2 will be published soon and looks at how these excessive compensation increases have favored top City management and public safety personnel while salary increases given to lower paid employees have barely kept pace with inflation. Further comparisons are made between total compensation rates in Davis vs Woodland showing how upper management in the City of Davis receives far greater compensation than their counterparts in Woodland.

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  • Winter Shelter for our Unhoused Residents

    Why non-congregate (e.g. hotel/motel-based) shelter is the best solution

    (From press release)

    Background: The City of Davis, in coordination with several stakeholder organizations, is planning for winter shelter for our homeless Davis and Yolo County neighbors. The current proposal being advanced by the City’s Social Service and Housing Department is to use the city-owned house at 512 5th Street as congregate shelter for up to 10 people, with Davis Community Meals and Housing (DCMH) providing staffing, case management and administration of the program.

    HEART of Davis (formerly Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter) is enthusiastically supportive of and interested in contributing to sheltering those who need it during the cold winter months. We stand ready to provide volunteers to provide food and other resources to those in need. However, we firmly believe that the 5th Street house is the wrong venue for this purpose at this time, for the following reasons:

    • The 5th St facility is far too small to address the need. Historically, there have been at least 20-25 people needing cold weather shelter on a nightly basis in Davis. Sacramento homeless camp sweeps will likely increase the need.

    • As a congregate shelter it may well be a source of COVID-19 outbreaks, during which time it will have to be closed, as has been the case with the 4th and Hope Shelter in Woodland.

      • During the closures, the only alternative will be using motel or hotel rooms for non- congregate shelter, or to provide nothing at all.
      • The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) shelter guidance (dated May 6, 2022) advises: “ When possible, the use of alternative housing sites or non-congregate settings should be considered in lieu of congregate shelters.” (See the attached rationale, written by Dr. Sheri Belafsky, UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, in consultation with the Yolo County Public Health Officer).

    • Some hotel rooms will be needed anyway for the vulnerable population. Those who are at highest risk for COVID will need to be sheltered in separate motel/hotel rooms to minimize health risks.

      • The City will then be implementing a second track of non-congregate shelter, which will require separate management. The City could reduce management costs and staff time by running just one non-congregate shelter program.
      • It will be very difficult to for our volunteers to provide food at two locations

    Projected Costs: The room costs of such a program, assuming ~20 people per night for 4 months (120 days) would be 20 rooms x $100/night x 120 nights= $240,000. Demand each night will depend on the weather and other factors, such as screening criteria. HEART of Davis has offered a matching contribution $25K, which has thus far not been accepted by the city. Additional fundraising to pay for rooms, supplies, and other resources will be needed, and possible sources would be other organizations in Davis who support the homeless, the local business community, and, of course, the city.

    What you need to know: Dana Bailey, Director of Davis’ Department of Social Services and Housing, is hosting a meeting with multiple interested organizations on Thursday, October 6, to present her current plan. The City Council will discuss this item at its October 18 meeting.

    What you can do: Please spread the word to your networks and constituencies that the City Council needs to direct staff to pursue shelter options that can accommodate 20 or more people, such as a motel- based shelter. Please contact City Council members directly using the contact information below. Tell them:

    1. Winter shelter for our homeless neighbors is desperately needed in Davis.

    2. The proposal to use the city house for congregate shelter is both inadequate to address the need, and unsafe, from a public health point of view.

    3. Motel/Hotel-based shelter, like that provided last year, is probably our best option at this time, since we know how to run such a program and it needs to be up and running in a month.

    4. The City needs to, and can, find resources to run such a program. All that is needed is the political will.

    5. The Council should direct staff to focus on non-congregate shelter options that can house 20+ people/night.

    Please contact the City Council, and plan to attend the October 18 City Council meeting. Spread the word!

    Lucas Frerichs

    Mayor

    City Council District 3

    Term Ends: 2024

    lucasf@cityofdavis.org

     

    Will Arnold

    Vice Mayor

    City Council District 2

    Term Ends: 2024

    warnold@cityofdavis.org

     

    Dan Carson

    Councilmember
    Elected "At large"

    (resides District 1)
    Term Ends: 2022

    dcarson@cityofdavis.org

     

    Josh Chapman

    Councilmember

    City Council District 5

    Term Ends: 2024

    jchapman@cityofdavis.org

     

    Gloria Partida

    Elected "At large"

    (resides District 4)
    Term Ends: 2022

    gpartida@cityofdavis.org

     

    Attachment. Analysis from Dr. Sheri Belafsky
    Rationale for non-congregate shelter whenever feasible this winter:

    • While case rates and hospitalizations have been trending down over the past month, significant virus circulation remains throughout California—including Sacramento and Yolo counties. Per CDC data, Yolo County currently has a “low community level”, however, “community transmission”, which reflects the presence and spread of COVID–19, is still “substantial”. (https://www.yolocounty.org/government/general-government-departments/health-human- services/adults/communicable-disease-investigation-and-control/covid-19)

    • Currently, the behavior of the COVID-19 virus is unpredictable, and the development of new variants this winter is possible.

    • Congregate emergency winter shelter constitutes a high-risk transmission setting for a population disproportionately at high risk for COVID-19 complications.

    • CDPH’s shelter guidance (dated May 6, 2022) advises: “When possible, the use of alternative housing sites or non-congregate settings should be considered in lieu of congregate shelters.” (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/infection-control-guidance- clients-congregate-shelter-including-homelessness.aspx). CDPH also advises that “Non- congregate housing should also be prioritized for:… those who are at high-risk for severe COVID-19 infection or medical complications should they become infected, such as people over 65 or those who have underlying health conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infection.”

    • CDC recommendations for “medium” community levels include:

    • In the event of COVID-19 outbreaks, other shelters with congregate housing have been forced to close intermittently with subsequent urgent re-housing of their guests in motel rooms to isolate.

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  • Zip trackby Janet and Joe Krovoza

    By now pretty much everyone following city matters knows of the public follies of the Arroyo Park Sky Track.

    That it was installed in Arroyo Park in May 2019, steps from neighbors’ homes, with no public demand, no notice and no Rec and Park Commission review; that the city was forced to restrict hours of use and lock and unlock it daily (using city firefighters at first) to prevent nighttime use, when the Sky Track’s abrasive banging and scraping were especially disruptive (but which led to repeat vandalism); that a noise report commissioned later that summer was doctored to show the city’s noise limits as “averages” not “maximums” but never retracted; that, out of the blue, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend 2021, staff asked city council to overhaul the city’s noise regulations so that the Sky Track would comply with the new standards (ignominiously removing the request from the agenda four days later due to community outcry); that the city ordered a subsequent noise study that showed the Sky Track had been breaking both night and day noise limits since its installation (this study, too, deliberately misrepresenting the municipal code); and that the city has, at the urging of its paid consultants – sound engineers, not lawyers – reinterpreted the noise ordinance (recall they failed in May 2021 to legitimately amend it) to justify the Sky Track remaining in Arroyo Park.

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  • Biberstein Social Action Fund Grants Available

    20th Annual Request for Proposals; proposals due October 28, 2022

    (From press release) Nonprofit organizations are invited to submit applications to the Biberstein Social Action Fund for grants in support of projects addressing poverty, discrimination, abuse and neglect issues in Yolo County.

    The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 by the Board of Directors of Congregation Bet Haverim to honor Ernie and Hannah Biberstein, who are among the founding members of CBH, and who devoted much of their lives to community service and social justice. Hannah passed away in April 2011. 2022 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Fund, and, even more importantly, Ernie’s 100th birthday in November.

    The goal of the annual awards made from the Biberstein Social Action Fund is to help Yolo County organizations in their efforts to meet unfulfilled needs. “In light of all the budget cuts in social services, we hope that grants like ours can make a difference,” Hannah Biberstein had said. “It means a lot to us that real individuals benefit from our grants.” Special consideration is given to new and/or innovative projects.

    An annual Request for Proposals is released in the fall every year. Grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 are awarded each November. A committee of Bet Haverim congregants reviews grant applications.  Current Biberstein Fund committee members are congregants Ernie Biberstein, Anne Gieseke, Amy Abramson, Sandy Jones, Joan Sublett, and Shoshana Zatz.

    Information about the Biberstein Award, including a link to the application, is available on the CBH website: https://www.bethaverim.org/engage/committees/biberstein-social-action-fund/

    Grant proposals must be submitted no later than October 28, 2022. Questions may be directed to the Biberstein Social Action Fund at: cbhbibersteinfund@gmail.com. Awards will be announced in December, 2022.

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  • Donate to the Biberstein Social Action Fund

    In Honor of its 20th Anniversary and Ernie’s 100th Birthday!

    Biberstein donations(From press release) The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 by the Board of Directors of Congregation Bet Haverim to honor Ernie and Hannah Biberstein, who are among the founding members of CBH, and who devoted much of their lives to community service and social justice. The goal of the Biberstein Fund is to recognize and support the work of organizations dedicated to the alleviation of poverty, discrimination, abuse and neglect in our local area (Yolo County). An annual Call for Proposals is released each September*. Grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 are awarded in December. Since 2002, the Biberstein Social Action Fund has contributed close to $200,000 to local social action organizations. (https://www.bethaverim.org/engage/committees/biberstein-social-action-fund/)

    2022 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Fund, and, even more importantly, Ernie’s 100th birthday in November. In honor of this momentous occasion, we invite special contributions to be made to the Fund. Using the link below, please check the “Donations to Specialized Funds” box and make a contribution in any amount to the “Biberstein Social Action Fund”. (https://www.bethaverim.org/donate/).

    If you prefer to mail a check, pay by cash or use a credit card over the phone, please contact the CBH office for further instructions at office@bethaverim.org or 530-758-0842.

    Join us in wishing Ernie a very happy 100th Birthday and in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Fund created to support the Bibersteins’ lifetime dedication to Tikkun Olam.

    *A group of Bet Haverim Partners reviews grant applications.  Current Biberstein Fund members are congregants Ernie Biberstein, Amy Abramson, Anne Gieseke, Sandy Jones, Joan Sublett, and Shoshana Zatz. Ex-officio: Rabbi Bess Wohlner and Rabbi Jeremy Simons.

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  • Why DiSC matters for the City Council election

    Some of DiSC’s proponents called it a tiny city. That suggests it is a microcosm of Davis as a whole and all of the issues it faces.

    DCC with DiSC in background-2By Roberta Millstein

    In a recent interview with the Davis Enterprise, Gloria Partida said that “I know that people right now are very focused on what happened with Measure H” but that being a member of Council is “not a one-issue job.”

    However, Measure H represents a large number of central and key issues that future Davis City Councils will have to weigh in on.  It would have been bad for Davis in variety of ways, as Davis citizens widely recognized when they rejected the project by an almost 2-1 margin. 

    Thus, a candidate’s stance on Measure H speaks volumes about their values and how they would govern.  Gloria Partida (District 4), Dan Carson (District 1), and Bapu Vaitla (District 1)  were strongly in favor of Measure H.  In contrast, Kelsey Fortune (District 1) and Adam Morrill (District 4) strongly opposed Measure H.

    As the No on Measure H campaign emphasized in its ballot arguments and campaign literature, each of the following issues was relevant to the proposed project. In no particular order:

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  • Davis Deserves Better than Carson

    Carson-doesnt-work-for-DavisBy Scott Steward

    I hope District 1 voters agree that Dan Carson has not earned a second term on the City Council.

    If you were for a Davis Innovation and Sustainability Center (Measure H), then you should know Dan Carson's lawsuit, against fellow Davis residents opposed to Measure H, (a lawsuit which Carson technically lost), was such an obvious attack on Davis civil engagement that the lawsuit alone sunk Measure H.

    If you were for Davis energy independence, then you should know that Dan Carson led the closed door effort to allow BrightNight to control Davis land rights for $50,000 dollars a year, when the solar project lifetime electricity value for the site was estimated to be $120 million. No one, including Dan Carson, Brett Lee or any city employee examining deal had commercial solar development experience.

    The Davis Utility Commission voted (5 to 2) to have the City walk away from the BrightNight deal. Davis solar and energy experts condemned the decision. Public pleas to rescind were ignored and publicly rebuked by Dan Carson. (Davis Enterprise April 21, 2020)

    The solar BrightNight fiasco and the Measure H lawsuit have caused much spilled ink, lawyer fees, and lost opportunity. Dan Carson's actions invoked the unprecedented condemnation of seven former Mayors: Krovoza, Davis, Corbett, Greenwald, Wagstaff, Evans, and Kopper. (Davis Enterprise April 27, 2020 and May 18, 2022)

    Carson continues to insist that his experience, as a former Budget Analyst for the State of California, should pave the way for all to accept his good judgement. Except the record shows, Dan Carson does not have good judgement and does not respect shared decision making.

    It's time for District 1 to have a different representative. Candidates Kelsey Fortune and Bapu Vaitla are excellent candidates. Please don't vote for Carson.

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  • Davis youth strike to protest lack of climate emergency planning by city

    (From press release) Youth leaders from Yolo County led a colorful all-ages march today in central Davis to protest the city’s failure to address the climate emergency. The marchers made their way from the library to central park and the city hall, mirroring thousands of actions across the world on September 23 organized by the #FridaysforFuture movement.

    The young marchers denounced the city council and administration for their failure to listen to the demands of young people and for not giving them a seat at the table in the planning and delivery of the city’s new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

    “We young people are the most impacted by climate change and yet our demands for action and change have consistently fallen on deaf ears in the City of Davis,” said Eliot Larson, coordinator of Fridays for Future Davis.

    Protect-our-earth

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  • Letter: Fortune is the only progressive-environmentalist running for Council in District 1

    Fortune-for-davis

    Kelsey Fortune

    There is only one progressive and environmentalist running for Davis City Council in District 1.  That person is Kelsey Fortune. I had the opportunity to speak privately with Kelsey for more than an hour on a Zoom call. I was impressed with her intellect and her planned approach to city-wide issues. Kelsey believes in diversity, honesty and transparency, the last of which has been missing in our current council. Kelsey will also be a strong advocate for affordable housing and in-fill development projects.

    But let’s look at the other two candidates. Dan Carson and Bapu Vaitla supported the Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus, Measure H.  Davis citizens disapproved this project 64% to 36%, which political scientists define as a landslide defeat. Carson was the honorary chair of the Measure H campaign which had lawn signs that implausibly read “combat climate change” – for a project that predicted 12,000 daily vehicle trips. What do these facts tell us? Carson and Vaitla are out of touch with the Davis electorate.

    In a recent Sierra Club questionnaire to city council candidates, Bapu Vaitla stated that he would consider overturning the City’s phase-out of glyphosate, which is the primary ingredient in Roundup, an herbicide made by Monsanto and now Bayer. Here’s Vaitla’s quote: “If no effective organic herbicides exist for our context, we should reconsider the glyphosate question.” None of the other four candidates made this risky claim. In 2020, Bayer agreed to settle over 100,000 Roundup lawsuits, agreeing to pay $8.8 to $9.6 billion to settle those claims.

    If elected, Kelsey Fortune will focus on our climate emergency, work on the city’s budget to make it sustainable and will help ensure that every decision the city makes is fiscally responsible.

    For decades, the Davis City Council has had a progressive-environmental majority. Unfortunately, the current council has swung to the center-right. We need to get back on track. Please join me on November 8, or earlier, and vote for Kelsey Fortune for Davis City Council, District 1.

    David L. Johnson

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