ECT: Q&A With Oakley City Council Candidates

Below are 10 questions we have posed to the candidates running for Oakley City Council this November. With three seats open, voters have three choices.

Candidates include: Randi Adler, Claire Alaura, Stephen DeMarco, Michael Dupray, Dezi Pina and Paul Seger.  Doug Hardcastle did not return the Q&A.

Questions were sent via email and answers were provided in written form.  Candidates order rotates on each question:

1. Why are you running for Oakley City Council?

• Adler: I am running for city Council to try to improve and create a small town feeling.   I believe that you could have a modern infrastructure and bring businesses into the community building opportunity and jobs.
• Alaura: I am running for City Council to help Oakley continue to be “a place for families in the heart of the Delta” and to become the best it can be for future generations.   I honestly want to help Oakley develop to its fullest potential, with careful thought, consideration and inclusion of what is important to our community.  As a City Council Member, I would merely continue to do what I have been doing on a smaller scale at the schools; volunteering and being directly involved in activities to bring the best possible experience to the students.  That is what I want to do for everyone in Oakley, play an active role in guiding our City’s growth, so that our community has the best possible experience living in our amazing little city.  As a City Council Member, I will work to Preserve Oakley’s hometown charm, Innovate to encourage commerce and Empower our community into shaping our city’s future.
• DeMarco: I am running to help the city of Oakley deal better with the traffic, housing and lack of business issues
• Dupray: I want to be involved with how our community develops and grows.  I pledge to support a vision of sustainable, economically vibrant and equitable community by: Furthering smart land use and growth policies, by offering energy efficient and sustainable, green building design and promoting transportation choices for the community. Ensuring that local workers will be hired on project construction and make meaningful efforts to ensure they get paid the area standard wage. Providing outreach to local youth and disadvantaged communities for construction craft apprenticeship training and provide opportunities for them to have work opportunity to fulfill their hours as participants in a state approved Labor/Management apprenticeship program. Providing construction employment and training opportunities for our military veterans.  that affordable units are provided by builders of market rate residential projects and that the potential impacts of gentrification are addressed. Providing other community benefits and amenities to offset a project’s potential adverse impact on the community.
• Pina: I am running for city council so that everyone may have a voice in how we grow as a city, and so that Oakley remains a safe place that my children and your children will be proud to call home.
• Romick: I love Oakley and have been working to make Oakley even better for over 15 years. During this time we have made great strides towards protecting our neighborhoods by putting more police officers on our streets, easing traffic with road improvements throughout the community and built new parks and enhanced older ones. We’ve begun addressing the needs of our seniors and veterans and enhanced our community with neighborhood beautification efforts improving the quality of life for all in Oakley. I have developed the regional relationships that bring grant funds and notoriety to Oakley, and I have a solid understanding of State and local laws relating to the operations of Oakley government. I enjoy serving and know I can continue to make a positive impact.
• Seger: I am the Candidate to stop over-development, protect the Delta, and I will provide voters an honest choice that will finally prioritize Oakley’s vision statement, “…the City of Oakley will be recognized as a model of civic participation…”
  I am the only candidate advocating to fundamentally increase residents opportunities for meaningful participation regarding: development, transportation projects, parks, the city’s budget and more. I want to know what residents think and value before City Council directs City Staff to invest time and resources into its projects. I want bold legal representation that will argue passionately for our community’s wishes.
  We, as a community, need to get back into the driver’s seat and determine what we want a finished Oakley to look like.
  Oakley residents need to define Oakley’s finished culture and grass roots participation, where people participate and are heard. I am the candidate that has fought to create that culture in Oakley, as your Council Person I will continue to the fight for your rights from day one.

2. Do you believe the City of Oakley is better off than it was in 2012? Why or why not?

• Alaura: I do believe Oakley is better off now than it was in 2012.  In 2012, Oakley was still struggling to come back from the recession and growth was at a standstill in terms of very few new homes being built and not many businesses coming into our city.  In recent years, property values have continued to rise, there is an abundance of construction of new neighborhoods and Downtown Main Street is expanding to welcome new businesses.  I think we have come a long way and are on a good path to overcoming the effects of the recession.
• DeMarco: In some ways yes and no. In reference to why I say no, I feel the city council has wasted opportunities along with grant monies that could have been better spent to improve Oakley traffic and housing and business environment.
• Dupray: Financially yes. Some older Lighting and Landscaping District zones do not have sufficient revenues to set aside enough to fund asset replacements when needed. So we may need to reach out to those residents for their input. Our ECCFPD is under funded. Although it is currently not funded by the City of Oakley, our safety is at risk due to low staff, facilities and equipment caused by a loss of revenue from the housing market crash and exacerbated by old Proposition 13 tax allocations based on 1978 population numbers.
• Pina: What I have seen in the past four years is that Oakley has had steady growth in regards to homes, but not in businesses and resources to keep up. Overall I think that we are better off than we were in 2012, as housing prices have gone up and we are seeing more growth.
• Romick: Housing prices are up; Crime is down; Roads are better. In February of 2013 the Wall Street Journal reported home prices in Oakley were up 23.7% over the previous year – one of the higher growth rates in the Bay Area. Of the 107 cities in the Bay Area, Oakley places 21st on the big bounce list. In June of this year SafeWise ranked Oakley as the 39th safest city in California, in 2015 we were ranked 42nd. The financial resources needed to provide the key city services continue to increase, though we do not have near the same revenue stream as our neighboring cities.
• Seger: With the strengthening of the economy, the appearance is that things are on the upswing, but not for everyone in our community. Developers are happily pulling permits to begin populating our city and the City Council is determined to approve housing projects as quickly as possible even though, it’s clear that they have developed irresponsibly, beyond safe infrastructural demands, necessitating passage of an untimely utility tax increase to cover fire services.
  On the civic participation front, Oakley leaders continue acting as a plutocracy. The City Council has no interest in providing for a separate body [Planning Commission] to hold “hearings” regarding land-use decisions. I will bring a planning commission back to provide added layers of truth-finding to the conversation.
  Longtime downtown business owners have never been considered as stakeholders in the city’s plans, nor invited to the table to aide in the decision making process.  These are business owners that have been integral to the economy of Oakley.  This idea of you will do, as I tell you to do, or suffer the consequences of eminent domain must cease to exist.
  I am the candidate to create open dialogue and not only listen, but also hear what the people of Oakley want and will fight so that they have meaningful civic opportunities for input.
• Adler: Yes and no.  The city has made cosmetic downtown improvements but have yet to address attracting businesses, community activities, and tourism.

3. With all the growth planned, can Oakley preserve the small town feel and charm? If so, how will you work to preserve it?

• DeMarco: Can it be preserved, yes in many areas but overall all things change. Oakley is growing but not necessarily well planned or developed. That is why I am running for city council.
• Dupray: Absolutely. By promoting smart growth. That is, bringing in light industry, high tech businesses and retail businesses which support living wage careers. Create a pathway from high schools, college and universities back to careers Oakley and providing outreach to local youth and disadvantaged communities for construction craft apprenticeship training and provide opportunities for them to have work opportunity to fulfill their hours as participants in a state approved Labor/Management apprenticeship program. Seniors can retire and remain in Oakley. Our children will be able to find satisfying living wage careers here in Oakley and retire here with dignity in the future
• Pina: It can, we just have to work to maintain that small town feel with community events and by encouraging small local businesses instead of big box stores.
• Romick: Talking with the public, either privately or in public settings, I’m surprised to hear Oakley referred to as a “small city”.  Oakley’s population is currently around 41,000. We are bigger than Martinez and Pleasant Hill and just behind Danville. Judging the public’s perception, even with all the growth we have had, we have been successful preserving that small town feel. Movies in the Park, Opening Day Little League parade on Main St, The Heart of Oakley and other events that have been held in downtown all help foster that feeling of being in a small town. We have been successful at this and will continue to make it a concerted effort.
• Seger: I’ve been working towards maintaining and enhancing Oakley’s “small town” character for years. My wife and I moved to Oakley in 2006 because we were captivated by its small town charm. I started “PACE Oakley” to Promote family-friendly Agricultural Community and Equestrian activities and events. PACE supports 4H and FFA; from National Barrel Horse Races [yes, right in our own backyard] to 4H Fundraisers and horse shows. Further, my efforts lead to founding the Oakley Community Garden, which originally included a community farm that would feed at no cost: veterans, seniors, the disabled and underemployed residents; the City Council chose to leave the land fallow for three full growing seasons while making secret plans to pave Moura Park. Further, I organized residents who had their private properties rezoned from Ag to high-density by the City Council without having received notice of their options. My efforts are motivated by a genuineness to foster the country spirit that Oakley’s residents were assured as the undertone of the city’s 2020 General Plan. As the 2020 General Plan is up for renewal, there is an important conversation that must occur regarding the max build out of the city and how much development is enough. This conversation must be in multiple open forums where all opinions are considered.  This cannot be accomplished behind closed doors. I am the candidate that will bring back the Planning Commission to Oakley and create a Parks, Recreation & Trails Commission in order to foster open and transparent governance.
• Adler: Keeping that small town feeling is important and necessary to balance the extensive suburban growth.  The community would benefit with building one or several community small business hubs centered around parks, a community center, and tourism.
• Alaura: One very important issue to me is to Preserve Oakley’s small town charm.  It is that charm that endeared my husband and me to this city and made it an easy decision to stay and call Oakley our home.  While a lot of development is planned for our Downtown Main Street area, I believe it is possible to still retain Oakley’s vintage charm by keeping as many of its original buildings as possible. By saving and restoring these original buildings, Oakley would be able to retain its small town feel and attract businesses and patrons alike.  Additionally, any new construction Downtown or of other future buildings, should be made within guidelines agreed upon by the City to mimic or reflect the look and feel of Oakley’s original buildings.

4. Did the City of Oakley make the right choice in creating its own Police Department? Why or why not?

• Dupray: Yes. There are currently 35 sworn staff and support personnel with plans for more. The staff are more local with compensation that will be an incentive to stay, bond with the community and retire here in Oakley.
• Pina: The city made the right choice. By having our own police department we are encouraging officers to take pride and ownership in their work in Oakley instead of having to be reassigned to other cities.
• Romick: Let me state from the beginning that the service provided by the Sherriff’s Dept. was great, however over the years the contract became burdensome. As our community continued to grow, the City Council and staff recognized that the Police Department would need to grow as well.  With the cost of the contract increasing there was concern we would not be able to keep pace with the growth. From 2008 to 2014 the contract increased by $1.75M and we didn’t add any officers. The City Council and key staff members began to analyze the costs of the contract. After several months and much consideration, it was determined the city could provide these vital services in a more cost effective manner by forming our own “standalone” police department.  The overall savings were estimated to be at least $700,000 per year.   Our estimates have proven accurate and in October we will be discussing the planned add of 4 additional police officers that could include additional traffic enforcement personnel, the renewal of our POP and canine programs and improved supervision in our investigative unit.   This is something that could not have been financially possible if we had stayed with the County.
• Seger: Yes, the city’s taxpayers had been purchasing the essentials for policing, as provider of this hardware, the next phase in the natural progress of Oakley’s growth was to take responsibility for all personnel decisions, including pensions. There were a couple of unexpected encumbrances that were handled well.
• Adler: Creating the Oakley Police Department was a positive move for the City of Oakley increasing accountability and budgetary savings.  The young department is undergoing a transition as is the city they serve and protect.  I understand that police officers are often called upon to solve difficult social problems brought about by a weak economy such as homelessness, and drug abuse and will continue to encourage public outreach.
• Alaura: I believe the City made the right choice to move its police services from the Contra Costa County Sherriff to its own city-run police department. The City has been able to save costs running its own department, making it possible to hire more officers and civilian employees.  Also, Oakley now has complete control over the management of their police department and can make any necessary changes to staffing much more easily than when they had to make those requests through the County.  Additionally, the switch to our own municipal department makes things a little easier for the public as well.  Requests for reports no longer have to be made out in Martinez, as they did while we had the County services.  Now, civilians can get assistance with those requests and more at our own police department within the city.
• DeMarco: Yes it did because local control is always better and more accountable to the people it serves.

5. Do you support or oppose the Utility User Tax that the city says will go assist the East Contra Costa Fire Department? Why or Why not.

• Pina: I am conflicted. I know that there is a need for additional fire funding, but the money raised from the UUT as it is presented goes to the general fund. This money is not dedicated to fire and there are no guarantees that it will go to improve our current fire situation.
• Romick: For about 100 years, California’s local governments generally could raise taxes without directly securing their residents’ consent. Beginning in 1978, the state’s voters amended the California Constitution several times to require that local government tax increases be approved by local voters. The council has identified a necessary service in our community that is in critical need of additional funding and has placed the UUT on the ballot.  I support it knowing that, while not a perfect solution, it would help provide additional fire and medical emergency response capacity to Oakley. We are in a crisis and we are very fearful that people may die because of the lack of services.
• Seger: I will be voting for the Utility Tax, the General Fund Advisory and an Elected Board since the City Council incumbents have developed irresponsibly, beyond safe infrastructural demands, necessitating passage of an untimely utility tax increase, and more is on its way. While, for safety reasons, we need to fund our Fire Services. I do, however, have concerns: including the lack of a hard and fast sunset clause… we have no idea just how hard or effectively our higher political official are working, not only for solutions at the state and national level, we aren’t really updated on possible progresses, however, as a council member I will work with the community to provide immediate updates regarding tax-allocation payment transfers to the General Fund, any fees associated with the monies, and limit the city’s [administrative] handling fees based upon an acceptable hourly wage.
• Adler: Emergency response times exceed the national average and need to be addressed.  The voters overwhelming defeated 2012 tax proposal for additional fire buildings and equipment to the detriment of the community.  I would work with regional proponents in the East Contra Costa Fire region to develop a reasonable short term improvement funding strategy.
• Alaura: I am in support of the Utility User Tax, Measure E, to assist the East County Contra Costa Fire Department.  I feel it’s safe to say that everyone knows Oakley and its neighbors are grossly underserved in fire and emergency medical coverage.  Our population has surpassed 41,000, yet there is only one fire station in Oakley, leaving the city vulnerable and inadequately covered for fire protection and emergency medical assistance.  I’m sure most people will also agree with me when I say that they don’t want to pay more in taxes. However, if the passage of Measure E means that our homes have a better chance at being saved from spreading fires and that our families can receive medical aid sooner, thus bettering the chances of more lives being saved, than those are taxes I am willing to pay. The financial support for fire protection has to come from somewhere and unfortunately, not enough of it is coming to Oakley from the distribution of property taxes in our county.  Until things change, the financial responsibility rests with us, the citizens who live here and want to know that they are well protected. Many people have legitimate concerns about Measure E, as it directs the money into a General Fund, and I am concerned about that as well.  However, Measure G allows voters to direct the City Council to use those funds to support fire and emergency medical response and also establish an independent citizen review board to monitor revenue spending.  While it’s important for voters to know as much as possible about Measure E and G, they should also know the intent of their City Council Members to help direct these funds in the right way.  If given the chance to be on the City Council, I would do everything I could to make sure the money went towards its intended purpose and nothing else.
• DeMarco: I do not support it (and stated as much on the city survey when sent out) because of several things but two main reasons that the funding is going into the general fund of the city and not specific fund. And secondly, because it is actually punishing people for using their utilities.  There are better ways of funding the ECCFD which an area wide problem, not just Oakley specific problem.
• Dupray: I do support the measures E & G. Currently we have only 4 fire stations and 36 fire fighters for the entire East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. In Oakley we have one fire station with nine fire fighters for 24/7 coverage. The recommended number is 1 per 1,000 residents. We have a population of 40,000 and growing. We need many more firemen. Our fire fighters are paid less than other surrounding fire districts. Next year funding for the Knightsen station will end and it will close. We need the User Utility Tax (UUT), measure E & G for Oakley. The proposed reallocation of Proposition 13 funds is legally possible but highly unlikely because no district receiving their portion of the 1% sales tax Proposition 13 money is likely to give up money they desperately need. And a change to the constitution is highly unlikely anytime soon as it is a political hot potato. These measures would exempt the schools, and other government entities and low-income households from paying. The UUT includes an additional Tax on electricity, gas, cable TV, water and sewer—it does not include telecommunications.

6. Is the City of Oakley doing a good job to bring in/retain business? What are your thoughts on how this can be improved?

• Romick: We have a more difficult time than most communities attracting retail and business due to a number of factors. Site-selectors for various retailers have criteria: access – until recently Highway4 was a detriment, we’re not located along highways 580, 680 or even 4, the only highway that runs directly along our border is a short strip of 160; population – most retailers look at 50,000 as a starting number; 1 mile and 3 mile radius – put a pin in the map and draw a 1 or 3 mile radius around the site, how many people live within that radius. We love the river so close but it cuts our radius from a full 360 degree to a 180 degree; commercialization along the Lone Tree corridor – Just beyond our borders lurks Slatten Ranch, The Streets of Brentwood and all the retail and services located along Lone Tree drawing Oakley shoppers. Even with all these obstacles the Council and City staff preserver. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The economy is growing in Oakley and a few big announcements are on the horizon. These include the sale of the former DuPont property to a local developer that should be ready to announce soon, and a large grocery anchor shopping complex will be announced soon.
• Seger: Oakley’s existing small businesses should provide the backbone for economic development. In the economically healthiest cities, most dollars are spent at locally owned businesses, where they re-circulate several times in the community. Sustaining local ownership isn’t just important for sustaining our community character; it’s key to the long-term economic vitality. In 2009 I organized an Oakley Chamber forum promoting the economic and civic importance of sustaining a strong base of local, independently-owned businesses; highlighting community-based businesses and keep them thriving in the face of competition from chains, online businesses and others. Oakley businesses and consumers are the actual stakeholders that should be involved in the city’s Economic Development conversation. There are a number of opportunity areas in Oakley for economic development. Oakley needs a citizen Economic Development Committee to advise the City Council on matters related to legislative policies regarding the development of the local economy. As far as downtown is concerned, many residents favor unique dining and shopping experiences which will make Oakley an attractive and fun place to live and visit. For instance I’d like to see a downtown anchored with a locally-owned Oakley Brewery with a pool hall: offering tables for hourly rates. Neighboring locally-owned coffee shops and further: a center offering a unique shopping experiences; interesting shops and nightlife.
• Adler: The City Council should advocate for reasonable suburban growth with a focus on maintaining the “small town feel.”  The focus of should be building one or several community small business hubs with quality boutiques, restaurants, and entertainment centers and parks.  Encouraging and supporting community events, such as car shows, arts and crafts, and a junior college facility will build a foundation for culture and economic vitality.
• Alaura: I think Oakley is doing as much as it can to bring in/retain business at this time, but there’s always room for improvement.  The revitalization of Downtown Oakley has not only enhanced the look of the area, but has also brought in some new businesses.  With plans to continue the improvements along Main Street and build more retail and office spaces, we are on the right track to inviting more commerce into our city. The Shop Oakley program has been a plus for existing local businesses and may prove to be even more successful if the coupons are more widely distributed in the future.   We need to Innovate ways to attract more business into our city. I think Oakley could consider offering affordable rent programs for small and newer businesses.  It would also be beneficial to invite existing businesses to share their experiences with our planning department to get a better understanding of their concerns and needs and how the City of Oakley can support them
• DeMarco: Not really in my opinion. Two areas I would focus on would be better marketing of the city and better use of grant/monies for development then currently done. The vetting process for access by people to get grants has been very poor.
• Dupray: The City is always trying to bring in revenue generating businesses. We need to attract industry and business which provide living wage careers for our residents and children. We can bring in the EasyMile autonomous bus manufacturer, a PGE power plant, and 500 megawatt high tech battery storage and distribution facility to the DuPont property. There is also deep water access on a portion of our water front. We can bring in retail businesses which also provide living wage careers. These type businesses will slow residential turnover rates, growth and provide extensive revenue to our local economy.
• Pina: The City is not doing a good job of bringing in business, as we are only getting fast food and storage facilities. This can be improved by encouraging and aiding small mom and pop type local businesses to have a store front in Oakley.

7. What is the city budget and what is your understanding/opinion of how the money has been spent to date?

• Seger: Oakley’s annual budget is about twenty million dollars. It is basically a monetary allocation reflecting the city’s priorities and goals. I see the need to shift the spending to reflect the wants and needs of current residents, including prioritizing projects benefiting their health, welfare & quality of life, as well as more opportunities for meaningful participation; while balancing it with investing for future developments within the city. Oakley residents have voiced concerns with how the council allocates it’s funds and whether their goals are similarly reflected. People don’t know how or where to track down how Oakley spends. We need a citizen Finance Committee, which meets publicly, offering advice to the Mayor and Council on financial matters such as: for the purpose of considering matters that fall under the Executive, Administrative Services, and Finance Departments, including general administration, records management, human resources, information services, facilities, finance and accounting, parks planning, and city prosecution; provided, however, that all significant financial issues including budget amendments, shall be considered at a Council Workshop rather than in the Finance Committee. and gas lines necessary for future growth.  Downtown traffic management continues to be an issue despite design improvements.  I question the reasonableness of both the timeliness taken and incurred costs with decorative infrastructure.
• Adler: The focus of the City of Oakley has been on rebuilding downtown infrastructure such as water
• Alaura: From the information I received, Oakley’s projected income for 2016-2017 is approximately $16.5 million.  Much of it is spent on our police department, which is necessary to continue to keep Oakley safe. I believe it is extremely important to support law enforcement by providing the facilities, equipment and people-power they need in order to function smoothly and to better protect and serve our City.  Another large portion of the budget is currently spent on public works and engineering projects.  As Oakley grows, traffic increases and roadways that once worked for a smaller community now have to be adjusted.  There have also been many improvements to and additions of parks, which is important to keep our community active and continue to be a desirable place to live. Though the City’s budget is relatively small, compared to what neighboring cities may have at their disposal, I feel that Oakley is doing the best with what it has been given.  The City works well within their annual budget to continue big projects, such as the expansion and development of Downtown Main Street.  In addition to the new projects, the City has also been able to maintain our existing parks, while battling the constant problem of vandalism and keep up with maintenance and landscaping all around town.  In all, I think Oakley has a balanced budget and does well with what we have, enough so to not come up short at the end of the year and to continue to have money in reserves for any emergency issues.
• DeMarco: The city budget is approximately $15 million with a majority (about 2/3rds)  of it currently being spent to bring up a new police department. I expect/hope that amount to lessen over time with careful oversight.
• Dupray: Recurring revenue is at $16.4M and recurring expenditures of $15.2M for fiscal 2016-17. The projected available general fund for June 2017 is $3.4M. The current budget looks strong and balanced. The 10 year strategic plan appears to be sound. But is always subject to adjustment according to needs of the community.
• Pina: The city budget is around $16,000,000. I think it is irresponsible to spend so much money on Main Street while we have inadequate emergency services to keep us safe.
• Romick: We have a relatively small General Fund budget of about $16M (for example, Brentwood’s is over $50M). The small budget requires us to run a very careful and lean operation. Our policing, code enforcement, road and park maintenance and recreation programs are on par, or exceed, those of surrounding communities with much larger budgets. Even during the depths of the recession Oakley avoided mass layoffs and downgrading of city provided services because of astute budgeting practices. We seek out as many grants as possible and have staff members filling multiple roles to save money. While our revenues have been growing, we would still like to accomplish more. Of the 1% property tax you pay, only about 6.5% of that finds its way back into the City’s General Fund (since I’m using Brentwood to compare with, they get 12%). The County gets about 12%, schools (K-12, Community College district and ERAF) receive nearly 70%, and the remainder is used to pay for various services such as mosquito abatement. On a home worth $400,000, you’d pay $4000 in property taxes, of that $4000 about $275 goes to the City. Roughly 15% of General Fund tax revenue comes from local sales tax. In most communities the property tax-sales tax split is 50/50. Continued emphasis on economic development will help us reach parity between the two primary sources of revenue. Remember shop and dine Oakley first!

8. Do you believe there is a disconnect between City Hall and the residents of Oakley? If yes, how will you improve the relationship?

• Adler: The citizens of Oakley are often frustrated with obtaining a response from Oakley officials to their and concerns and grievances.  I will work to assure that the leaders and representatives of their respective departments development citizen input procedures and expectations and make this information public to the extent possible such as the city website.
• Alaura: I have not personally experienced a disconnect with the City, though it has come to my attention that there are individuals/groups who feel that they have been road blocked on issues or expressed concerns and may have not received assistance for those matters.  That is concerning to me, and would hope that perhaps it was a matter of miscommunication with the City, rather than blatant disregard for the citizens.  As a City Council Member, I intend to keep the lines of communication open between myself and the public and also with City Staff.  Like any healthy relationship, communication is a two-way street.  I would encourage our City Staff to be as forthcoming with information as possible, using as many outlets of communication to keep the community informed.  Increasing the use of the City’s Facebook page and the NextDoor app to keep the community abreast of current issues and events, would help reach a broader audience in a more timely fashion.  Also, continued use of Peak Democracy or “Engage in Oakley”, a new feature in which the City creates polls relating to issues and asks citizens to add input for City Staff to consider and incorporate into their plans, seems to be a great way to gauge what the public thinks of those projects.Conversely, I would encourage and Empower Oakley citizens to take an active part in their city government.  Citizen attendance and participation at City Council, Community Strategic Planning and special-event department meetings are ways our community can begin to work together.  I also highly recommend citizens attend the Oakley Leadership Academy, of which I was a graduate of the class of 2015.  Whether you feel good, bad or indifferent about our City government, attendance in this program gives you the opportunity to see the work of the City Staff, ask any questions and share your opinions about it.  I would also encourage citizens to become directly involved in finding the solutions to any problems they may bring to the City’s attention.  With both sides working together, towards the same goals, hopefully the gap of disconnect will close and bridge everyone together.
• DeMarco: I do believe there is a current disconnect between the residents and city hall in many areas, especially traffic and development of the main street area. I hope to bring a fresh outlook and having been from a town that had/has similar growth issues to Oakley and use what I learned there and we do better.  (Hint we are not Brentwood).
• Dupray: There never seems to be enough pathways for communication between City Hall and the residents. We’ve come a long way from a weekly newspaper and City hall meetings alone. We have many and diverse methods of electronic social media. We ought to be able to provide live streaming of City Council meetings and mediated resident live streaming response. The technology is there. Its just a matter of the residents putting this forth to the City Council for consideration
• Pina: Yes, there is a disconnect, due to a lack of transparency and communication. One way to improve the relationship is to have the city council be more accessible to the public. Instead of the Mayor having one meeting each month during a time that most people are at work, each council member should meet with the public on a rotating schedule more frequently. Since we rotate Mayor each year, all council members should host face to face meetings with the public.
• Romick: We have done a lot to outreach to residents including our weekly Oakley Outreach email blast, Facebook, Twitter, Next Door, Flickr, Engage in Oakley, Oakley OnDemand, Brown Bag Lunch with the Mayor and regular press releases. All of our public records are online and we as a City Council are very accessible to the community. I have been called “Mayor Everywhere” and am at nearly any event at any time that is going on in the community. I literally speak with thousands of residents face-to-face every year and will continue to do so.
• Seger: Absolutely. The city favors developers and stiffens visibly when they are publicly criticized. Please read between the lines, improvements for the relationship are littered throughout all of my responses.

9. Our sports fields are crowded, how do you propose we fix this problem in both the short-term and long-term.

• Alaura: Our sports-fields are quite crowded and while it’s an unfortunate circumstance, it should also be acknowledged that it’s telling of how active and popular our youth sports programs have become the past few years.  The addition of parks in various areas of Oakley is a long-term plan.  One of those plans includes a large multi-acre park along Cypress Road.  However, in the short-term, I feel the City needs to help sports teams coordinate with the local schools, to allow them to utilize more of their fields.  The City may also try to work with nearby cities to obtain permission to use neighboring fields for a discounted fee, if possible.
• DeMarco: Sports field are crowded because we have a growing population and housing without the planned increase in creating more. Short term, there is little to be done because what has been done has been. Going forward, better planning would help.
• Dupray: The establishment of parks and sports facilities should be part of a Community Benefit Agreement with real estate developers that requires them to provide specific amenities and/or mitigations to the local community or neighborhood. More funding for the Parks and Landscape Division will be achieved by bringing in more living wage businesses as previously noted.
• Pina: Having been a board member on the Delta Baseball Softball League, this was an issue that came up quite often. Realistically the only way to fix this issue is to build more fields. Our population is increasing with the new homes being built, which means more children as well. We need more fields.
• Romick: We need more and have plans in 2-3 areas of the community to build them. They are very expensive – about a million dollars an acre to develop and so we will need to seek grants and other funding to get them complete.  We are well known for the quality of parks and ballfields, but we do need more.  (By the way, when the City incorporated there were just one city park, Crockett Park on Empire — now we have 35).
• Seger: Again, a balance must be stricken between recreational opportunities for all ages and ball fields. Also, there’s a need for neighborhood residents [adjacent to park in planning] to have meaningful participation in their park’s facilities. In the early days Oakley had a Parks Commission that met regularly, publicly… it published agendas and had an open and transparent process. The answers lie in open civic participation. We need a Parks, Recreation and Trails Commission which would be responsible for giving advisory recommendations to the City Council on all regulations, resolutions, plans, policies, projects and proposals relating to the city parks system, recreational facilities or open space, to promote public use and awareness of the city’s park facilities and services, to hold public meetings to solicit public input for the parks and open spaces planning process, and to apprise the City Council, Public Works Department and Parks and Recreation Department of the community’s park and recreational needs. We should pursue an Oakley Healthy Community Initiative… fostered by grants.
• Adler: Sports fields are very crowded and we need to use the resources we have such as school playgrounds to take up the slack we also need a new college so it can build a new stadium for sports.

10.   What do you foresee as the biggest issue facing the City of Oakley going forward?

• DeMarco: There are several big issues but among them is a lack of planning commission with power (creating the traffic and housing issue) and little input from local business already here are considered before the city council decides.
• Dupray: Funding of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District and embracing Smart Growth.
• Pina: The lack of emergency services to support our rapidly growing community.
• Romick: The highest priority of any community is public safety. This is where the majority of our budget is spent. We are well-known as one of the safest cities in all of the State and we need to continue that by adding more police officers and continue to encourage the community to help in the policing of our neighborhoods. Another public safety component is not a city function, but fire and emergency medical response services are lacking and at a crisis mode.
• Seger: The General Plan will expire in 4 years therefore we must begin preparing the community for the updating  process. The biggest issue will be convincing the City Council about the merits of full and thoughtful civic participation… when we all work together, we take pride in what we created. Yes, Democracy can be messy: a lot of passion and open discussion will lead to a better Oakley for everyone.
• Adler: As Oakley transitions from a small, rural community change brings with it the need to keep pace with public safety including fire and police.  Smart development of community oriented businesses, such as restaurants, entertainment, and properly zoned industrial will inherently provide the resources to improve public safety, i.e., expanded fire and police protection.
• Alaura: One of the biggest issues I foresee for Oakley’s future would be the continuing struggle to balance the growth of our community and keep up with the necessary infrastructure.  Many new housing developments are being built at a rather quick rate.  This rate is faster than I believe the City’s budget can keep up the demand to expand roadways, add lights at intersections, etc.  I also think fire protection and emergency medical response will continue to be an issue as well.  Even if Measures E and G pass in November and Oakley receives one additional fire house, the quick growth of the City’s population and businesses may leave us in the same position again of having inadequate coverage.

Endorsements:

It’s difficult to see Kevin Romick or Doug Hardcastle losing their seats, but Oakley needs some new ideas.

Romick by far is the best candidate so he has earned our endorsement and should be the top vote getter this fall. We are also supporting Claire Alaura. She can bring a much needed breath of fresh air to the city council. Our final endorsement is based on the need to shake things up in Oakley and bring more community participation… Paul Seger is that candidate because he has developed over the past few years and as shown a love of Oakley.