Where they stand: Council candidates drill down on issues

Editor’s Note: This November, Sonoma residents will chose from among eight candidates to fill three open seats on the five-member Sonoma City Council. To help voters make this decision, the Index-Tribune interviewed each candidate individually, posing a series of questions on issues relevant to city residents. Following is an overview of the candidates based on those interviews.

Madolyn Agrimonti, 67, was born and raised in San Francisco and later lived in Daly City, where she served on the city council from 1990 to 2002. For decades, she and her husband owned a home in Boyes Hot Springs and visited Sonoma often – and in 2003 they moved here permanently.

Now retired from her career as a legislative aide and later a fundraiser, she remains very active locally, serving on a number of boards and committees. She currently is working with Sonoma Splash to bring a community pool to the area, and with the Sonoma Valley Firefighters’ Association to “fine-tune the fundraising process” for next year’s Fourth of July celebration. She also serves on a Health Roundtable tackling diabetes and other issues.

Agrimonti describes herself “in the middle” politically and “a listener.” She was an elected member of the Sonoma Valley Hospital board and continues to work with the hospital foundation. She ran unsuccessfully for Sonoma City Council in 2012.

Asked whether she supports water rate increases for local residents, Agrimonti answered, “We’re retired and we have a fixed income. So I’m not comfortable with an increase.” But she added that two years ago when she ran for council, “I was dodging dogs and hoses. Now I’m just dodging dogs. So I know people are taking it seriously.”

As for dogs, Agrimonti said she is in favor of allowing them into Montini Preserve so long as owners keep them on leash. “Sometimes freedom means other people can take your freedom,” she said. “I just have to trust people. I can’t say they’re not going to do the right thing.”

When it comes to recent controversy over Plaza aesthetics – for example, debates over whether to allow a pink door, pirate flag or “Sonomawood” sign on the Plaza – Agrimonti said, “There’s something special about Sonoma, the way it looks,” but she added, “on my scale of interest that’s probably very low.” She said she believes the process currently in place to vet Plaza displays is working fine.

Agrimonti described Sonoma’s affordable housing situation as “pretty serious,” and said she supports the city’s rent control policies for mobile home parks. She is also in favor of making it easier for residents to set up “backyard cottages” for additional housing.

Agrimonti said she “absolutely” supports controls on vacation rentals in Sonoma, including those booked through online rental services like Airbnb. She noted that about 21 percent of the city’s budget derives from the transient occupancy tax, or TOT, and she is in favor of any efforts to collect that tax.

Asked whether she supports increasing the minimum wage within city limits, Agrimonti said the city should study it: “I don’t think it’s harmful to move ahead and see what that issue can bring.” She did express concern regarding teenaged workers, wage-earners who also make tips, and other complications. “That’s why I’m interested in the result of the report,” she said.

For Agrimonti, the three most pressing issues confronting Sonoma are water resources, affordable housing and tourism/traffic. Regarding the latter, she wondered whether there is an “organized process” for routing tourist traffic such as tour buses, and she believes the city can take a stronger hand in managing Highway 12. She also said she’s disappointed that the council didn’t put a cap on wine tasting rooms on the Plaza.

Ken Brown, 67, is the only incumbent among the candidates, and is currently finishing up a fourth term as council member.

Born in New York City and raised Orthodox Jewish, Brown said he “hated school” but read a lot. He dropped out of colleges in Long Island and Queens before joining the Army and serving eight months in Vietnam. Upon returning in 1970, he says, “I still had some issues.” He came to California soon after and never left, living in Sonoma Valley for the past 40 years and working jobs from grape picker to taxi driver.

Today, Brown says, “I collect social security.” He also sells sponsorships, and hosts a radio show, for KSVY. He has four children and is married to his second wife, Jewel Mathieson, a teacher and artist who co-owns a cannabis club in Santa Rosa.

Brown says Sonoma’s local government works hard to support its citizens: “The city definitely believes in customer service. We are in the customer service business. You go into City Hall, and that’s what you get.” As for his own performance as a city leader, “I’m out in the community, I’m on the Plaza every day,” Brown said.

On the issue of water rates - a tiered water rate hike is currently before the council - Brown said simply, “I’m voting yes.” He noted that a public hearing will take place in November, and that the final decision on the rate hikes will be made before new council members are seated. Meanwhile, he said, “The city is working diligently on our supply. We’ve developed some more wells. We have begun talking to Valley of the Moon Water District. Greywater is an issue, so is recycled water.” He says the city has achieved about 15 percent savings so far from water conservation efforts.

When it comes to allowing dogs in the Montini Preserve, Brown said, “I support a trial period of dogs on the Montini trail, (and) absolutely do not support dogs on the Overlook Trail.” He noted that there are “access issues” regarding getting into Montini Preserve, because the California State Parks system - which owns the Vallejo home and surrounding land - “has come down pretty hard that they don’t want dogs traversing their property getting on the trail.”

Asked about the city’s design review process, Brown brought up Measure B - a local measure to limit hotels in Sonoma, which was defeated by a slim margin last November. Although some considered the measure to be a referendum on a particular hotel being proposed by Darius Anderson’s Kenwood Investments, Brown said, “I wasn’t voting on the hotel, I was voting on the process.” He added, “The members of our commissions are all citizens. And I believe that’s true with the Design Review Commission. We take historic preservation very seriously. And I think that they did their job. It’s working as far as I’m concerned.”

One of Brown’s key issues is affordable housing, and he believes mobile home parks must be part of the solution. He said there are “a couple hundred” such units, and typically their occupants are on a fixed income and should be protected. Brown also pointed to other housing sources - for example, “The city owned a property on Clay Street right next to the Lodge” that was slated for county housing, thanks in part to his working relationship with Supervisor Susan Gorin. Brown supports “inclusionary housing,” where a developer must set aside 20 percent of new housing to be affordable units.

When it comes to vacation rentals, including Airbnb, Sonoma is already cracking down, Brown said. The city will eventually have a discussion on how to move forward, he said, but for now, “If you’re operating a B&B or a vacation rental where it’s allowed, but you’re not registered, so we’re not getting our 12 percent TOT tax, then (you) get a letter saying you owe us X many dollars.” For everyone else, “If they’re in a residential neighborhood, they’ve got to stop.” He noted there is an exception for owners of certified historic homes in a residential area, who can apply for adaptive reuse and turn the property into a bed-and-breakfast rental.

Generally, Brown said he saw the argument from both sides, with some residents “who are facing tough economic times. And they’re older, and they want to be able to do this; it supplements their income to a significant level. They also like the action, they like having people around. ... And so we’re working with them.” But on the other hand, “It changes your neighborhood. … You see definitely more stretched limos in town. You see the effects of that. And in a residential neighborhood it can become disastrous.”

Asked whether he supports a citywide minimum wage, Brown noted, “I voted yes on authorizing the city manager on having a study done.” But he remains cautious: “I am eager to see the results of the study that we’re commissioning. And then I’ll make an informed decision.”

For Brown, the three most important issues facing Sonoma are protecting the water supply, affordable housing and finding a balance between locals and tourists. “I’m not into building a moat around Sonoma and keeping everybody out,” he said.

Lynda Corrado, 64, is making her first-ever run in politics. Born and raised back East, she moved to San Francisco as an adult and began working for AT&T. She lived in Tiberon for many years and became passionate about sailing, encouraging women to take up the sport and organizing events for female sailors. She has worked as a teacher off and on, and currently is a property manager in Sonoma for Burbank Housing, a company which she says is “dedicated to affordable housing.”

Corrado said the process of running “has been an interesting journey for me.” She recalls meeting a 94-year-old woman on a fixed income, living in an apartment in Sonoma, “and now they’re raising her rent, she has nowhere to go.” People like that are why she is getting into politics, Corrado says.

Among her qualifications for running for office, Corrado points to a propensity for planning. On the issue of housing, for example, she says, “We need a plan. I know that there is a plan for housing” – the city’s general plan – and yet, “I don’t see a plan, and I’m a planner.”

Asked about water rate hikes, Corrado said, “I don’t support water increases, I don’t support restrictions. I don’t believe in policing.” Instead, she wants people to “rally together to reduce water usage on their own. I believe in putting incentives in place for that.” Such incentives could include helping to provide low-cost grass removal or low-flush toilets for homeowners.

On the issue of dogs in Montini, Corrado said she sought a “middle-of-the-road approach.” “I believe that we’re all one, and that animals have a place,” she said. However, “I do not want a dog who’s unruly to come charging at me, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Animals mimic the behavior of their owners.” Corrado suggested an electronic permit system by which residents can gain access to Montini through a gate with a magnetic card reader. Trail users who are not obeying leash laws could have their pass revoked through “some kind of monitoring system, that is created by the people not a city council.”

Asked about the city’s design and review process, Corrado said, “I think that their design guideline and standard is important.” But she doesn’t want that to conflict with freedom of expression, as with the pink door on the Plaza. In her opinion, when it comes to debates like the one held over the pink door, the process is working.

Affordable housing is an important subject for Corrado, who says that, “We need to do something to balance the need for supply and demand. To me that’s the real heart of it.” One way to increase supply, she said, is by building “Katrina cottages that they developed after Hurricane Katrina.” Small single-family dwellings are preferable, she said, because “Homeownership instills pride in your community.” Corrado proposed having the city set aside land to install these small cottages for sale in a tenancy-in-common arrangement.

Corrado was less certain about vacation rentals, admitting that, “That’s a tough question for me to answer.” As to whether the city is right to enforce vacation rental rules, she said, “I think so.” And yet, “I do think tourism is important.”

When it comes to implementing a minimum wage, Corrado is fine with the city’s study request. However, “I want to see a bigger plan. Where are we going with this? … But I believe that people need to be paid their worth.

Corrado’s interests in politics bend towards procedural issues. Among her top priorities for Sonoma, she would like to see a system where residents “rotate in as a representative. … I want to create this committee of community.” In this way the city will “have input into the long-term plan for Sonoma.” This is in tandem with her idea of expanding the city limits, another top priority for Corrado. Annexing places like Temelec and Seven Flags would increase diversity and representation, and “From there everything would follow. All these issues would fall into place.”

Gary Edwards, 55, grew up in Sebastopol and got into the grocery business at an early age. His work in the food industry took him to Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles before he circled back to Sonoma County in the early 1990s. Today he operates his own sales and marketing business in the cheese industry, explaining, “I put people together and companies together.”

Edwards has served on numerous local boards and organizations, including the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, the Rotary Club and the Redwood Empire Food Bank. He also has served on the city Planning Commission but will soon term out after seven years. He points to that background, plus “my institutional knowledge of the community” and outgoing personality, as major qualifications for seeking a council seat. This is his second run for council, having come close to winning in 2006.

Edwards does not support increasing water rates for local residents, saying, “I’d rather see incentives for reducing water (use) further.” He says that even people who don’t use much water, and can’t afford higher rates, will end up paying more under current proposals. In the bigger picture, Edwards notes that, “We have our own water department in Sonoma. And I’m not sure that we shouldn’t be merging with Valley of the Moon” water district. This could lead to more efficiencies and flexibility in the city’s water delivery system. He also supports rainwater storage, lawn removal and other conservation efforts.

As to whether he supports allowing dogs in Montini Preserve, Edwards says, “Yes. As long as they’re on a leash.” He is also amenable to the idea of designating certain “dog-friendly” days out of the week, and he adds, “We all pay for it, so we all have the right to use it.” He favors keeping the Overlook Trail as it is.

When it comes to the city’s design and review process, “I think you have to have it,” Edwards said. Nonetheless, “Any commission can get pulled into things that don’t make a difference” - like the debate over the “Sonomawood” sign, with some saying it should be banned because it blocks the view of City Hall. Sonoma’s Tuesday night farmers market, he says, has a sign that does the same thing. Similarly, Edwards thought the pirate flag debate was overblown: “It was all in jest. There was no threat or attack on our community.”

As a member of the Planning Commission, Edwards addressed the issue of affordable housing by saying, “We created six more last night, six more (affordable housing) units.” Such units - in this case, part of a project near Spain Street that the commission passed on a 4-3 vote earlier this month - are “in virtually every project that comes along … and that seems to work really well.” He says the city does not let developers get away with just paying in lieu fees instead of building affordable housing units.

Edwards also wants to find a way to allow more “granny units” in Sonoma’s residential areas. “Stay within the law,” he says, but direct city staff to take an entrepreneurial approach to the planning and permitting process. He recommends utilizing students from Sonoma State University, which is a premier school for city planning.

When it comes to vacation rentals, Edwards said, “What I don’t agree with is that the council … is considering by a 3-2 vote to allow people to come back and rent rooms in their homes, without any restrictions.” Edwards believes anyone renting out a home “should have to meet the requirements that any commercial business would have to meet, including parking.” He adds, “Airbnb, how do you control it? It goes on here everyday.”

Edwards is strongly opposed to implementing a minimum wage in Sonoma. “I don’t believe everybody should start on third base,” he said. “I started from the bottom up.” He adds, “I know there’s a lot of employers here who want to give more people a chance. … It’s just not fair, in my opinion, to everyone else who worked their way through the process.”

For Edwards, water infrastructure is among the highest priorities facing the city, as well as “maintaining our character and sense of place.” That doesn’t mean no tourism - “This place has been a tourist place forever” - but Edwards believes interest in Sonoma as a tourist destination is increasing. He also cites public safety and the cost of doing business in Sonoma as major concerns.

Rachel Hundley, 31, is a relative newcomer to Sonoma and its politics. A native of North Carolina, she says she wanted to be a mayor since she was little. In college she studied political science, journalism and speech communications, and obtained a law degree from the University of North Carolina. From there, Hundley says, she took a job at a large law firm in New York City, but decided to change course following the recession of 2008, looking for a nice community to raise a family and that has a good local market for the business she wanted to start.

Hundley moved to California in 2011, and came to Sonoma Valley nearly two years ago, taking up residence in the Springs. In February she moved within Sonoma city limits and started attending City Council meetings. With a business partner she founded Drums & Crumbs, a Southern food catering service, and she believes her experience as a younger business entrepreneur gives her a unique perspective to bring to the council. “I think that the skills that I have naturally lend themselves to contributing” as a city leader, she said.

On the issue of water rates, Hundley says she supports the proposed increases, adding that, “residents that are working hard to conserve water should be able to feel a financial benefit from that conservation.” Her approach to conservation would “encourage people to bring in a lot of creative solutions, have some time to weigh them out.” For example, “There’s currently no incentive in place for people to install” greywater systems, which she would like to change. Hundley notes, “There’s a lot of lawns in this town,” and she supports using recycled water for the high school, Plaza and other public landscaping.

For Montini Preserve, Hundley would be OK with dogs in theory, but “The people that I talk to are against that, they just feel there’s no enforcement.” If leash laws can’t be enforced, she says, “then it’s just better not to have” dogs in Montini.

Hundley says she supports “strict design standards as long as they are clearly communicated, easy to understand, and relevant to preserving the historic look and feel of the Plaza.” She notes that her hometown of Charleston, N.C. “looks largely as it did 200 years ago,” in large part due to city leaders maintaining such design standards.

When it comes to affordable housing, Hundley points to a study finding that 90 percent of the people who work in Sonoma don’t live here. “It’s almost impossible to get a rental place,” she says from experience. “And the only reason that I live here is because I know my landlord.” To solve this crunch, she recommends that the city closely monitor local real estate options, “and once you have the opportunity to go forward, you move quickly,” making sure plans are in place in advance. Hundley supports the city’s mobile home rent control ordinance and suggests an “affordable co-op, where everyone owns the whole thing.” The city could help facilitate such a venture, she says.

For vacation rentals, “The city should outsource monitoring these websites to a third party,” Hundley says. Some feel the city can do the monitoring itself, but she disagrees, saying staffers would find it too difficult to keep up with evolving technology.

On the minimum wage issue, Hundley is OK with a study, but she asks, “Does the city really want to become its own Department of Labor?” Enough residents like the idea that “I think it’s good to explore the possibility completely … but on the practical side, considering how small our city staff is, there would have to be at least a handful of people” working on claims, taxes, etc. to enforce it.

Hundley says water security and affordable housing are the city’s top priorities, but a close third for her is supporting local businesses. She is in favor of limiting large chain stores in town, as well as “regulations that encourage the creation, growth and success of local businesses that provide us with a diverse array of goods and services.”

Andrew Sawicki, 59, is a podiatrist who has practiced medicine for 34 years – 27 of those years in Sonoma. He was born in London, England, and came to the United States as a child, attending college at the University of Illinois and the University of Redlands in California. After college he served in the U.S. Army and was part of the 24th Infantry Division in Hawaii. In 1985 he came to Sonoma County, and moved to Sonoma two years later.

As a doctor he has worked with the Sonoma Developmental Center and the medical facility at a Vacaville prison, where he learned “compassion and a sense of responsibility.” He also gives his time to the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center on Fridays.

Sawicki describes himself as “a good listener,” and much of his knowledge of the region comes directly from patients. He notes, “I’ve been listening to people for 30 years about their problems. And it isn’t always their foot problems.”

Policy-wise, Sawicki sees no issue more important than water. He supports raising water rates and improving conservation efforts, as well as installing regulators on water meters, if needed, to limit the biggest water offenders. “Without water, California is going to drop off into the ocean,” he said.

Asked about allowing dogs in Montini Preserve, Sawicki said, “No, I do not favor that.” A resident of Montini Way, he says “It’s a great thing what we have back there.” The trails are narrow, and Sawicki says he has seen foxes, coyotes, rattlesnakes and deer on them. He believes even well-intentioned people will let their dogs off leash, and adds, “I love animals. But we need to set something else up” for dog owners.

The city’s design and review process “needs to be discussed,” Sawicki says, but “People just got roused up by these things.” He believes that since city should preserve its cultural and historic heritage, “We need to keep some decorum, but we don’t have to be so strict that we get crazy about one silly door.” He advocates a commonsense balance to aesthetic issues - “If we had a pink palace or something that stood out, that would be over the top” - and doesn’t want the debate to distract from what he considers more important issues affecting the Plaza, such as parking.

Sawicki believes that “We need affordable housing and rentals” in Sonoma, and favors legislative efforts to increase them for the benefit of the city’s workforce. Through rent control and other measures, he says, the city can avoid becoming “an eggshell community. No one will live here anymore, people will just come to party.” Overall he seeks a balance between tourists and residents, and believes that “Sonoma is a small town with big-town problems.”

Although Sawicki supports a minimum wage in theory, “My concern is, once again, Sonoma can’t be treated as an island. … We need to do it countywide.” Otherwise, he says, the wage ordinance could lead to a regional imbalance.

By far Sawicki’s highest priority is water security and conservation - “And I think it’s always going to be water.” He adds, “We’re under climate change. … Things are going to change, and they’re going to change permanently.” He also spoke of the importance of affordable housing, which “ties in with the cost of living,” and although he says he is interested in the issue of city boundaries and whether to annex unincorporated areas, Sawicki gave his third-highest priority as “A balance between tourists and residents.”

Cameron Stuckey, 46, is a personal trainer, motivational speaker and actor making his second run for City Council. Born in Los Angeles, he lived in Watts for the first 15 years of his life, then in San Francisco for 17 years, during which time he attended college for two years. Stuckey has lived in Sonoma for almost 18 years. He is married with five kids.

Stuckey notes that all of his children went to Sonoma Valley schools, and that along the way he has been very active as a parent and community member. “I’ve read to your children,” he said. “I’ve spoken at the high school, always been an advocate for youth in this town.” He is also a baseball coach and football coach, and serves on Sonoma’s Community Services and Environment Commission, Transportation Committee and other groups.

Asked about water security for Sonoma, Stuckey replied, “We need to cozy up to the Valley of the Moon Water District.” He also believes the city should spend more on infrastructure to help with water storage, pointing out that, “There’s no water now in California. So how can you conserve what you don’t have?” Desalinization should be looked into, he said, but “As far as conservation goes, I think that’s a personal responsibility issue.”

As for allowing dogs in Montini, “I would have to say, not ever,” Stuckey said. “Dogs don’t belong on there - it’s a preserve.” Although he has a dog, “That’s not a place for dogs. It’s a place for us to enjoy nature. … Very fragile ecosystems are there. It’s meant to be a solace for nature.” Much open space has been lost in Sonoma, he says, and “Montini is kind of our Yosemite.”

At the mention of pink doors on the Plaza, Stuckey said, “I’m all for democracy. And I’m all for people being able to speak their mind and give their opinion.” But he added, “The pink door, really? In a town of 10,000?” He said he supports the Plaza business owners, and doesn’t want to “stifle their creativity, their purpose. … There are other more pressing issues.”

Stuckey takes a regional approach to affordable housing, noting a program in Petaluma called Homestead that he would bring to Sonoma. He says he would like to see “Somebody to actively go out, and try to find ways to bring revenue streams, and workforce housing here, and build the community back to where it was.” Similarly, “With the advent of vacation rentals, the city is being even more marginalized,” Stuckey said. When it comes to regulating vacation rentals, “It has to be done. I have family that owns vacation rentals, and they’re regulated. ... Anything that is at the expense of the community should be regulated.”

On the subject of a citywide minimum wage, “It was my vision for people who do hospitality here,” Stuckey said, “People who mow our lawns, who wash our clothes, who pick our grapes, to be able to afford to be here.” From that perspective, “I totally support a minimum wage hike” - and yet, he added, “It would be a huge hit (on) small business. ... We’d be a ghost town, as far as business goes. So more study needs to be done.” Ultimately, he said, “It’s going to have to go to the ballot,” and should be applied incrementally, if at all.

Stuckey’s top priority for the city is its community-to-tourism balance. “We’re off balance already,” he says, pointing to local events and gatherings that appear to have more out-of-towners than locals. “The TID (Tourism Improvement District) has done their job. … But there’s been nothing going toward the BID (Business Improvement District) and the community.” One idea he advocates is for the city to build a bowling alley to serve as a gathering place for locals of all ages. Stuckey also wants to support local business and “get these shuttered businesses here open,” and to bring more organized sports to the city.

Jack Wagner, 33, was born and raised in Sonoma Valley, and is making his first run for office. In the mid-2000s he obtained a B.A. in English with a focus in education from SSU. He traveled widely, seeing the world before returning to Northern California to work in the video game industry. He left that to take up farming, and became politically active as well, helping efforts ranging from Ron Paul to Greenpeace. He currently works as a waiter at the Swiss Hotel and pursues writing.

Wagner says he has followed politics all his life and understands “what it means to be a youth in this town.” He says his main motivation is “to offer that ability to listen to everyone, try to understand everyone,” and he is particularly interested in improving public transportation.

Wagner said he believes that “all experience is important.” He has been attending every City Council meeting since he declared, and he adds, “I have a lot of experience in politics and policy.”

On the issue of water, “I support the rates that they put out,” Wagner said. He believes infrastructure is the best area to focus on when it comes to improving the city’s water security.

As for allowing dogs in Montini Preserve, “That is a very divisive issue I’ve found,” Wagner said. “From the ecological standpoint, I’m not excited about having dogs there. From the standpoint of representing my people, that was the agreement there.” Ultimately, Wagner favors the idea of building “a large dog park somewhere.” For now, he is open to the idea of “limited use” for dogs in Montini but thinks such an arrangement should be monitored and changed if need be.

Asked about the city’s design review process, Wagner said, “I like the idea of starting to do more town halls. We could have town hall meetings where that’s the subject” - for example, a forum on what the city wants aesthetically for its downtown, or on tasting rooms, or businesses around the Plaza. “I think the review boards do a great job,” Wagner said, adding, “I know there’s times where (small business owners) feel that they could have gotten stuff done quicker” - a reference to the Burgers & Vine owners who appeared to be flying their pirate flag in protest. He said he wants to investigate that issue and make sure businesses are being served well but also conforming to the rules.

On the issue of affordable housing, Wagner noted that a boy, his mother moved the family several times in pursuit of cheaper rents. He said he believes that “Rent control is important.” Wagner also believes that when it comes to vacation rentals, “We definitely need to be collecting taxes on it. It needs to be regulated. And I think that would curb it quite a bit.”

For the minimum wage issue, Wagner said he favors a “study at the county level” in order to learn how such a policy could work politically and economically. He concluded, “If it’s viable for the city, we can do it. I would support that.”

When it comes to Wagner’s top priorities for the city, “Water obviously is the biggest issue.” Wagner also warned of “homogenization towards tourism. … It’s turning into a big wine room, basically.” He wants to support small farms in order to diversity local agriculture, and to do the same with small businesses in Sonoma. Finally, he hopes to improve roads and alleviate traffic in Sonoma, in part by implementing a city-run public transit system.

“It seems like there’s the will for it, and the funds, potentially, for it,” he said.

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