On eve of election, 3 Rancho Cordova City Council members endorse restoring Planning Commission

On Nov 2nd, the night before the 2020 general election, 3 Rancho Cordova city council members endorsed discussing restoring the planning commission. All 3 council members fully endorsed restoring the planning commission. Mayor David Sander, Donald Terry @donaldterryrc and an enthusiastic, assertive Garrett Gatewood. Thank you. I look forward to that meeting.

11/13 Ballot Count Update

Ballot count update – We’re still in 6th place, 8% of the vote with 4,564 votes, with 51, 699 ballots remaining to be counted. Thank you again to all who voted for me and supported our issues.

@electsiri Siri Pulipati has pulled into 2nd place, Congratulations!

Next count update is on Tuesday, 11/17/2020 at 4:00 p.m.

Election Update and Thank You

I want to thank everyone that voted for my candidacy, my friends and family, community members for your endorsement and support of my candidacy in this current city council campaign of 2020, and in 2018.

The Sacramento County Office of Elections released an update of votes this afternoon and it looks like we wont see a change from 8% of the vote, at 3,058. There are still 260,804 ballots left to count, and the next update will be on Tuesday, 11/10 at 4pm.

https://results.saccounty.net/resultsSW.aspx?type=CIT&map=MPRC&shape=Nov2020

It looks like we may have a new city council member with Siri Pulipati currently holding at 3rd place.

Congratulations to Siri, Donald Terry and David Sander.

I look forward to continuing to work with the city council to make Rancho Cordova a great city, and include Rancho Cordovans as partners in economic, public safety, land use planning, mobility, transit and zoning decisions that affect them by restoring the planning commission.

Thank you again for your support, for the opportunity to serve you in making a difference for Rancho Cordovans.

Proposed Trumark at Kassis Housing Project


Proposed Trumark at Kassis Housing Project

https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/departments/community-development/kassis-property

I am opposed to approval of the Trumark at Kassis housing development, as currently presented/proposed, due to traffic, environmental impacts to the American River Parkway, as well as no traditional public stakeholder participation to date.

I have signed the petition circulated by SARA (Save the American River Association) and share concerns with Tiffany neighborhood residents about the project and the city council’s responses to date.

https://www.sarariverwatch.org/kassis_property_petition

I am also opposed to the concessions the city and community must make to facilitate this development being built as proposed in the FBSP designated “Parkway Corridor Overlay Zone” (RCMC 23.325.070 Parkway corridor (PC) overlay zoning district), which includes the orchard and river bank, sensitive areas to the health of the American River Parkway.

https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/RanchoCordova/html/RanchoCordova23/RanchoCordova23325.html?fbclid=IwAR27xOjHvSmg261Kcyc010zibwWVOzqjz2oo9qjYflIYJwvZ-dpAFEResxo#23.325.070

As identified as an “Opportunity Site” in the Folsom Boulevard Specific Plan:

https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/home/showdocument?id=9800

“The opportunity sites designate locations where the City will concentrate resources (e.g., economic development incentives, public investment, facilities, outreach, coordination) and community assets (e.g., public gathering places, events, activities) with the goal of catalyzing significant private investment in these areas.”

Chapter 5, Opportunity Sites 2013 Folsom Blvd Specific Plan Update

Nowhere in the FBSP Opportunity Site assessment of the Kassis Property does it mention the American River Parkway as a “community asset”. The major blind spot of the perspective of this specific plan is that it promotes private investment at the cost of the American River Parkway.

Our city must strike a balance between meeting our housing needs share identified in the SACOG “Regional Housing Needs Allocation”, the economic development opportunities and challenges facing Folsom Boulevard, and protecting the American River Parkway.

I strongly urge the project proponents demand greater due process for their project and the neighboring property owners’ interests, by demanding that the City Council immediately restore the planning commission, allocate funds to hire additional staff to study this project, and create a task force of neighboring property owners, project proponents and regional parkway stakeholders to iron out project alternatives that don’t impact the American River Parkway and address traffic safety and preservation of quality of life in the established Tiffany neighborhood.

I would also ask that each of the candidates running in the November 3, 2020 election for Rancho Cordova City Council share their position or perspective on the proposed Trumark at Kassis project and protection of the American River Parkway.

Trumark’s most successful projects in other cities have moved through the planning process with a planning commission in play. This fact should inform their sense of urgency to avoid costly and wasteful litigation, and bring neighbors and parkway stakeholders together to achieve a successful housing project that meets the housing needs of the city, mitigates harm to the American River Parkway, and honors the property and due process rights of all involved.

-Donald Childs

Vote No for Measure R

Join me in voting No on Measure R! No more writing off $250k loans to breweries or $192k loan forgiveness to Chamber of Commerce.

Please read these articles to learn more about how Measure H funds have been managed and what may be in store for Rancho Cordova taxpayers with Measure R.

2015: City loans American River Brewery $250K – Source: City of Rancho Cordova

2017: American River Brewery goes out of business

2019: Sacramento Biz Journal reports City of Rancho Cordova trying to collect on $235K balance of loan or write off loan – Source: Sacramento Business Journal

August 2019: Sac News and Review reports on Rancho Cordova Chamber Bailout after I ask them to look into story. Sacramento Bee declined to respond.

June 2019: Rancho Cordova City Council votes to convert $192, 000 loan balance from 2008 Chamber Bailout into grant. Source: Donald Childs for Rancho Cordova City Council, City of Rancho Cordova

2018: 2008 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BAILOUT VIDEOS – CITY OF RANCHO CORDOVA Source: Donald Childs for Rancho Cordova City Council/ City of Rancho Cordova

Sacbee Voter Guide – Donald Childs Questions and Answers

I participted in submitting basic bio info and answering specific issue questions posed by the Sacramento Bee, and well as general questions.

Link to access guide:
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/voter-guide

There isnt a way to only link to my profile and answers, so I will share them here.

Question 1: Who are your top three campaign contributors?

Donald Childs: I have not sought campaign contributions.

Question 2: While coronavirus restrictions are expected to eventually subside, budget shortfalls from COVID-19 are expected to persist. How will you address these and what are your priorities for spending in the future?

Donald Childs: With falling revenues comes an inability to maintain current city service levels not mandated by the state of California. The city will have to freeze, and in many cases reduce service levels across the board. Citizens will need to be engaged and dealt with as stakeholders in making those decisions. We have to reassess how we use our current revenue sources that are not state mandated, such as Measure H, and protect revenue generating sources such as housing construction, retail, hospitality industry and business to business sales and services activity. The city must also examine its revenue neutrality property tax payment agreements with Sacramento County. We must maintain our ability to address housing insecurity for working families to prevent increasing homelessness, and continue to seek partners, county, state and federal funding to address the homeless problem.

Question 3: Racial inequality exists in all of our communities. How do you plan to address these gaps in the community you are seeking to represent?

Donald Childs: I want to create a Diversity and Inclusion Commission, adopt a roadmap to change, identical to the process the city of Elk Grove adopted and implemented. I also want to adopt a policy of annual Implicit Bias training for all city employees, police department and city council. We deserve to be involved in the decisions that impact our quality of life and economic opportunities. Citizens of every other city in Sacramento County benefit from due process and inclusion a planning commission brings to the land use planning and zoning decisions that affect them. In 2011, the Rancho Cordova Planning Commission was suspended to benefit developers. If elected, I will work to restore the Planning Commission.

Question 4: Housing affordability is changing our neighborhoods. What must be done to ensure our communities provide enough quality affordable housing for families of all income levels?

Donald Childs: The City of Rancho Cordova has identified in its housing element vacant infill sites and underutilized infill sites within the Folsom Boulevard Corridor, Coloma Road Corridor for affordable housing projects. The city needs to continue to focus on encouraging housing production through zoning appropriate land, and facilitate owners of unsuccessful, underperforming and vacant office/retail parcels to rezone to residential mixed-use zoning.

Question 5: What do you believe is the most important issue facing your constituents today, and what will you do to address it?

Donald Childs: Housing Insecurity. Many Rancho Cordovans face uncertainty in maintaining employment and paying their rent or mortgages. Just over 40% of residents in Rancho Cordova rent, living in multi-family housing. I want to expand the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership – Relief Safety Net Services: CDBG-CV– grant program, by appropriations from Measure H fund, CDBG-CV fund to provide a one time rental or mortgage payment grant to residents who have a dire need, and are facing eminent homelessness from current budget of $100,000 to $500,000. I also want to increase funding for Sacramento Self-Help Housing: Housing Counseling and Renters Helpline services provided to Rancho Cordovans.

Top Priorities


Restore the Planning Commission suspended since 2011 :

Citizens deserve to be involved in the decisions that impact their neighborhood’s quality of life, safety, health and economic opportunities.

Public Safety Priorities and Accountability:

Ensure Public Safety Services Funding, Transparency and Priorities meet all our citizens needs and ensure due process for both residents and officers. Implement annual Implicit Bias training for Police department, City Staff and City Council. Adopt resolution setting the “8CantWait” use of force policies as hundreds of cities in California and our region have like Roseville,  Elk GroveSacramento, Folsom, Rocklin .

Housing Affordability, Insecurity and Homelessness:

Maintain our ability to address housing insecurity for working families and seniors to prevent homelessness, and continue to partner with other local governments to address long term homelessness.

Endorsement from Fayzah Mughal, Community Leader and Activist, Lincoln Village

Im proud to receive an endorsement from Lincoln Village resident Fayzah Mughal.

(See image of letter below)

Fayzah has shared with me the challenges of using transit and bicycling safety issues in Rancho Cordova. We have worked together to advocate for better transit service from Regional Transit, and I have learned from her a great deal about the issues facing Lincoln Village.

Thank You Fayzah for your support, counsel and encouragement.