Oct 15

North County Candidates to Speak on October 27th

As the 2016 election campaign draws to a close, the Windsor/North County Democratic Club will welcome candidates endorsed by the Sonoma County Democratic Party to speak on October 27 at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Round Table Pizza, 8499 Old Redwood Hwy. in Windsor.

The County party has endorsed two candidates for the Windsor Unified School Board. George Valenzuela, an incumbent and long serving member on the board, is an attorney and administrator for the Calistoga school system. Esther Lemus was appointed to the board in February, 2015, and is running for a full term. She is a Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney.

The two endorsed candidates for Healdsburg City Council will also be speaking. Joe Naujokas works for a Sonoma County e-commerce development company, and is a first-time candidate for council. Tim Meinken is a small winery owner who has previously run for council.

The fifth speaker, Julia Donoho, an architect and attorney, has been endorsed by the SCDP in her campaign for a seat on the Windsor Town Council. Ms. Donoho previously ran for this position in 2006. Longtime incumbent council member Deb Fudge has again received the endorsement of the Democratic Party, but will be unable to attend due to a conflict with a Town of Windsor council meeting.

The meeting is open to the public and pizza will be served.

— Barry Hirsch

Oct 13

October 29th Bus trip to Reno – Get Out the Vote!!

Nevada here we come!! Help by walking door-to-door, talking to voters with Hillary Clinton’s election team in Nevada! Help elect Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the first woman President of our great county!

The bus will depart from Napa, at the South Napa Shopping Center, at 7:00 AM, and will arrive in Reno at 11:00 AM. Working will be done from 12 to 3 PM and from 4 to 7 PM.

The bus will depart Reno shortly after 7:00 PM and arrive in Napa about 11 PM.

Join the group!!! Space is limited – sign up here.

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For more information contact Johanna O’Kelley ( johanna4hillary at gmail.com ) (707-812-5631) or

Mary Jane Bowker at mjbowker @ sbcglobal.net  (707-226-8989)

Sep 26

Report on Jerry Threet’s September 22nd presentation

Jerry Threet, the first Director of the Sonoma County Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO), spoke at the September 22 meeting of the Windsor/North County Democratic Club. IOLERO, a new county department, was created in response to the fatal shooting by a Sheriff’s Deputy, Eric Gelhaus, of 13-year-old Andy Lopez, almost three years ago. This tragedy led to public unrest and fractured relations between law enforcement and the community. The Board of Supervisors created the Community and Law Enforcement Task Force which, after considerable work, recommended the establishment of the review and outreach department.

In March, 2016 Mr. Threet was unanimously selected by the Board of Supervisors as the initial Director of IOLERO, following an extensive candidate recruitment process. Over the previous 11 years, Three had been a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Francisco. His work there included consumer protection, community engagement and outreach, and compliance issues regarding public meetings and records.

Since beginning work on April 11, Mr. Threet has worked to create policy and procedure for this new department. An administrative assistant was hired and the two-person department is operating with a $527,000 budget. The work of IOLERO includes accepting complaints of misconduct by law enforcement, but IOLERO’s jurisdiction only includes the Sheriff’s Department and the Town of Windsor and the City of Sonoma. The latter two are included because these municipalities contract with the Sheriff’s Department to supply law enforcement service to those communities.

The office audits the independent investigations by the Sheriff’s Department for thoroughness, fairness, and timeliness. The IOLERO’s review is done after the law enforcement investigation and action by the District Attorney has been completed. The auditor is not included in the law enforcement investigative process.

Another key component of the department will be community engagement. The department will hear the views of the public regarding law enforcement, and facilitate dialogue between the community and law enforcement in order to break down stereotypical barriers. IOLERO will also make recommendations for policy changes to the Sheriff’s Department. A Community Advisory Board will be appointed in mid-October to study and report on law enforcement procedures.

Mr. Threet is realistic and hopeful as he begins the work of this new county department. With officer-involved shootings of minority citizens becoming widely publicized, from Ferguson to Tulsa and Charlotte, communities are demanding more accountability and the reform of law enforcement policies. Secretary Hillary Clinton has made law enforcement reform a feature of her campaign

For more information on IOLERO visit the website at www.sonomacounty.ca.gov/IOLERO.

 

— Barry Hirsch

Sep 17

Local endorsements for the November 2016 election

The Sonoma County Democratic Club, on Tuesday, endorsed the following candidates in Windsor, Healdsburg, and Cloverdale:

Windsor Town Council:

  • Deb Fudge
  • Julia Donoho

Windsor School Board, Short Term:

  • Esther Lemus

Windsor School Board, Full Term:

  • George Valenzuela

Healdsburg City Council:

  • Tim Meinken
  • Joe Naujokas

Cloverdale City Council:

  • Mary Ann Brigham
  • Melanie Bagby

Congratulations to all eight candidates for successfully going through the process (application, interview, and SCDP Central Committee vote)!

Sep 15

Jerry Threet to speak at WDC meeting of September 22

Jerry Threet, the first Director of the newly established Sonoma County Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO), will speak at the Windsor/North County Democratic Club at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 22 at the Windsor Round Table Pizza, 8499 Old Redwood Highway, in Windsor.

IOLERO was created in response to the tragic shooting of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by law enforcement officers in 2013. The County Board of Supervisors created a Community and Local Law Enforcement Task Force, whose members studied various forms of citizen’s oversight of law enforcement over an 18-month period. The work of the Task Force resulted in a recommendation to the Board, which resulted in the adoption of the model which has now been put in place. In general terms, the IOLERO reviews complaints of misconduct and engages with the community concerning policy changes to the Sheriff’s Department. The goal is to establish greater trust and a stronger relationship between law enforcement and the community.

In March 2016, Mr. Threet was selected by the Board of Supervisors to head IOLERO. He worked for the previous eleven years as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Francisco, and has a long and varied career in law and public service.

— Barry Hirsch

Aug 31

What’s Next for Sonoma County Democrats

Not surprising, lots of things are happening in Sonoma County between now and November 8th, election day. For a list of activities and dates of interest to us Democrats, see this posting on the Sonoma County Democratic Party website.

One date that’s not on the list is when the SCDP will be making endorsements in elections of interest to our club. That date is Tuesday, September 13th, and the races are:

  • Windsor Town Council
  • Windsor School Board
  • Healdsburg City Council
  • Cloverdale City Council

The club will be participating in candidate interviews on Sunday, September 4th, Wednesday, September 7th, and Thursday, September 8th. SCDP endorsements will be posted here, and on Facebook, as soon as they are known.

Aug 28

SMART train update by Councilmember Deb Fudge

On August 25, Deb Fudge, a board member since 2005 of the Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit (SMART) system, gave an update on that system to the Windsor/North County Democratic Club. Ms. Fudge was first elected to the Windsor Town Council in 1996 and is running for another term in this November’s election.

SMART is currently expected to begin service on 43 miles of track, stretching from Airport Blvd., north of Santa Rosa, to central San Rafael, in December. Final testing of the transit system’s signaling and scheduling is being completed. Interestingly, the inception of service could have been earlier, but has been delayed due to the difficulty of finding engineers, because other area transit systems, including BART, are competing for skilled operators.

The train will provide the first passenger service in Sonoma County since 1958. To date this massive infrastructure project has infused roughly $300 million into the North Bay economy. Ms. Fudge projected that train service will be extended to both Windsor and Larkspur within two years. Funding for the Larkspur expansion is in place and issues related to construction are being resolved; grant funding requests for Windsor have been submitted and are seen as having a good probability of success.

SMART is working with Golden Gate Transit in an effort to expand weekend ferry service to Larkspur, to provide better connections for tourists from San Francisco who want to continue on to Sonoma County by train. The first northbound weekend ferry does not leave San Francisco until 12:40 p.m., arriving in Larkspur at 1:30 p.m., which makes weekend travel to Sonoma County using SMART with the ferry much less unattractive. (The last weekend ferry from Larkspur departs to San Francisco at 4:45 p.m.)

Ms. Fudge discussed the SMART fare structure, which is based around five zones in the system. Travel from Santa Rosa to San Rafael will cost the traveler $9.75 one-way, or $19.50 for a round trip. A 50% discount will be available to seniors, youth, students, veterans, and the disabled. Those transferring from other public transit systems, like buses, will get a $1.50 fare credit. Eco-passes at discounts ranging from 23- 44% will be made available to businesses and other organizations, although such passes are annual and must be pre-purchased. Special trains will be scheduled for Giants games and other Bay area events. Ms. Fudge emphasized that the fares and transit schedules are a work in progress; what the SMART Board has approved is only a starting point, with adjustments to be made as progress is assessed.

 

Ms. Fudge made it clear that every effort has been made to provide riders with a reliable, fast trip in a pleasant environment. Attention was given to the comfort and aesthetics of the train cars, which all have free WiFi service. The cars are all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and are equipped with storage for bikes and wheelchairs.

—  Barry Hirsch

Aug 14

Deb Fudge To Speak at the August 25th meeting

Deb Fudge, Windsor Town Councilmember and Vice Mayor, will speak at the Windsor/North County Democratic Club on August 25th at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Round Table Pizza, 8499 Old Redwood Highway. Having been involved with Windsor since the town was chartered, Ms. Fudge will share her perspective on where the town is today and might be in the future. Her presentation will include updates on current Windsor issues and on the Sonoma Marin Rail Transit (SMART) system that will begin operating in the two counties in December.

Ms. Fudge has served on the Town Council since her initial election in November 1996. With degrees in environmental planning and community developmental, she was instrumental in the creation of Windsor’s downtown plan, which led to building of the Windsor Town Green area.

In addition to her service on the Town Council, Ms. Fudge has been a board member of the SMART system since 2005. Her community involvement includes participation in the annual Russian River cleanup, the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, the Sonoma County Waste Management Association, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

The presentation is free and open to everyone. Pizza will be served.

— Barry Hirsch

Aug 06

Report on the July 28th Community Forum on the Healdsburg Growth Management Ordinance

IMG_3476 On July 28th, the Windsor/North County Democratic Club sponsored a community forum on Healdsburg’s November ballot measure to amend the current Growth Management Ordinance. More than one hundred people attended the forum, held at the Villa Chanticleer Annex in Healdsburg.

The Growth Management Ordinance that is now in place limits on the construction of dwelling units to a three-year average of thirty per year. The ballot measure would fundamentally change current regulations, substituting provisions from the Housing Action Plan that was developed by the city’s Community Housing Committee, which began work in July, 2015. The Housing Action Plan provides a more flexible approach, which attempts to respond to market conditions. The amended measure favors the construction of multi-family dwellings, with the goal of providing increased housing opportunities for low and middle income residents.

The purpose of the club in staging this event was to provide information to Healdsburg residents who will vote on this complex issue in November. Four long-time Healdsburg residents served as panelists at the forum: Gail Jonas, a retired attorney and a fifty-year advocate for maintaining the small town character of Healdsburg; Jim Winston, the author of the existing Growth Management Ordinance, which was overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2000; Tom Chambers, a three-term Healdsburg city councilman and current mayor and member of the Community Housing Committee; and Jim Brush, a retired public accountant and president and CEO of Summit State Bank. Ms. Jonas and Mr. Winston spoke in favor of retaining the current GMO; Mr. Brush and Mayor Chambers made the case for a yes vote on the ballot measure.

The proponents for the ballot measure contended that it would make housing more affordable for a broader economic spectrum and reverse the trend that has made Healdsburg housing prices affordable to only the wealthy. The panelists opposed to the measure argued that these changes would do little to provide affordable housing and would only increase the housing inventory available to the wealthiest, while exacerbating the problems associated with an enlarged population, including parking.

Californians are being asked this year to not only cast a vote for candidates for various offices, but are also voting on a long list of state propositions and county and local ballot measures. For someone to be more than a low-information voter, study is required. This Windsor/North County Democratic Club event gave those in attendance much detailed information from an expert panel about November’s vote on changing the Healdsburg’s Growth Management Ordinance.

— Barry Hirsch

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Jul 30

Exciting Changes for the Windsor Democratic Club

Democratic clubs in our county are chartered by the Sonoma County Democratic Party, with thriving clubs in Santa Rosa, the South County, Sonoma Valley, and Oakmont, as well as the Latino Democratic Club and the Wine Country Young Democrats club. Each club, like ours, has a particular interest implied by the club title: geographic, ethnic, or demographic. With their unique perspectives, each club interacts with and offers local insight to the Central Committee of the County Democratic Party. The opinions of the clubs feed into the Committee’s decisions to endorse candidates and ballot measures in each election cycle.

The Windsor Democratic Club has long included members from beyond the Windsor town limits. With that diverse membership has come an interest in issues beyond the town’s borders. With this expanded geographic focus the club began some time ago to discuss a name more reflective of what the club does. In November the club voted to change the club name to the Windsor/North County Democratic Club. Members wanted to retain the identification with Windsor, a positive aspect of the club, while formalizing its expanded scope.

Club programs are offered to give the community a better understanding of issues that confront us, leading to better informed choices when voting or forming opinions. Although inherently political, the club works to provide information prior to advocating for an issue or candidate. Recent programs have included presentations from the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Russian Riverkeepers, LandPaths, and Catholic Charities.

Club programs also have featured – and will continue to feature – periodic reports from state and local elected officials whose jurisdiction includes Windsor: currently those officials are State Senator Mike McGuire, Assembly Member Jim Wood, and Supervisor James Gore, all Democrats.

The club’s initial formal foray into Healdsburg took place on July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Villa Chanticleer, when the club sponsored a forum about a November Healdsburg ballot measure to change the existing Growth Management Ordinance. That forum was free and open to the public, as are all club events. More information about the forum can be found at https://windsordemocrats.org/2016/07/20/july-28th-healdsburg-growth-management-ordinance-community-forum/

Scheduled meetings of the club are on the fourth Thursday evening of each month.