Sebastopol City Council race

[Tofu Larry]

Councilmember Eder and Councilmember Jacob did not file paperwork to re-run for City Council; therefore the deadline has been extended to Wed Aug 17^th at 5:00 pm

[Shepherd]

I am in the process of organizing, with the help of others, a non-partisan Sebastopol City Council candidates' forum, to which all candidates who file will be invited. Two of the three persons who have taken out papers to run have agreed to participate. It will be broadcast live on KOWS radio. Stay tuned for more information about when & where it will be.

Councilmember Eder and Councilmember Jacob did not file paperwork to re-run for City Council; therefore the deadline has been extended to Wed Aug 17^th at 5:00 pm

[Shepherd]

At our August 16 business meeting a unanimous decision was made that the Grange sponsor a non-partisan Sebastopol City Council candidates’ forum at our Hall at 6000 Sebastopol Road. All three candidates who filed papers--Michael Anthony Carnucchi, Jonathan Greenberg and Neysa Hinton have agree to participate.

We will do our best to host the forum at a time that does not conflict with any other potential City Council or 5^th District forums, debates, or town halls, such as the 5th District one on Oct. 10 at the Community Center. Please inform me of any other forums, debates, or town halls that you are aware of during late Sept. or early Oct. that might conflict. We are thinking of a Mon. or Wed. eve in late Sept. or early Oct., since ballots are sent out Oct. 10.

KOWS producer Arnold Levine has volunteered to provide sound and to broadcast it live. Waccobb.net moderator Barry Chertov has agree to film it. Granger Lawrence Jaffe has agreed to moderate or co-moderate and various women have been approached to co-moderate with him. Feel free to share this information with anyone who might be interested in further information and inform them of this pending event. Stay tuned to wacco for more details.

I am in the process of organizing, with the help of others, a non-partisan Sebastopol City Council candidates' forum, to which all candidates who file will be invited. Two of the three persons who have taken out papers to run have agreed to participate. It will be broadcast live on KOWS radio. Stay tuned for more information about when & where it will be.

[nancypreb]

Can someone explain to me how the required 5 day extension for filing included the weekend? How exactly is that justified?! Seems to me the city should have given a 5 business day extension, not calendar day… I for one would have liked to have seen more options for this race.

Councilmember Eder and Councilmember Jacob did not file paperwork to re-run for City Council; therefore the deadline has been extended to Wed Aug 17^th at 5:00 pm

[Shepherd]

I agree with Nancy. I don't know what the rules on the extension are. I did hear there was at least one other woman who pulled papers, I think on Friday, but apparently did not finish them in time. It would have been a much better election, more democratic, if there had been more options.

Can someone explain to me how the required 5 day extension for filing included the weekend? How exactly is that justified?! Seems to me the city should have given a 5 business day extension, not calendar day… I for one would have liked to have seen more options for this race.

[Barry]

Can someone explain to me how the required 5 day extension for filing included the weekend? ....

This is based on the California Elections Code. I've reached out to Mary Gourley for the exact chapter and verse.

Update: Mary was kind enough to forward the relevant part of the election code:

Per CA Elections Code 10225:
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 10220 and 10224, if nomination
papers for an incumbent officer of the city are not filed by or on
the 88th day before the election, during normal business hours, as
posted, the voters shall have until the 83rd day before the election
during normal business hours, as posted, to nominate candidates other
than the person who was the incumbent on the 88th day, for that

incumbent's elective office.

[Shepherd]

The Grange Sebastopol City candidates' forum is now scheduled for Wed., Sept. 28, starting at 6:30. All 3 candidates have accepted our invitation to attend. Our hall is located at 6000 Sebastopol Rd., also known as Highway 12, slightly outside Sebastopol, on the left on the way to Santa Rosa. Attendance is by donation. All are welcome, including those who do not live in Sebastopol, since what happens in each of Sonoma County's cities can influence the whole county.

An article titled "Sebastopol: 3 Newcomers Vie for 2 City Council Seats," by Mary Callahan appears in the Thurs., Aug. 18 issue of the Press Democrat, which can be read in local libraries. That article follows:

Three newcomers will vie for two Sebastopol City Council seats
MARY CALLAHAN, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | August 17

The Sebastopol City Council is facing a makeover in the Nov. 8 election, when residents will fill two seats being vacated by incumbents.

John Eder and Robert Jacob, both one-term council members, have decided not to seek re-election this fall, leaving three newcomers to vie for the privilege of serving on the five-person body.

The candidates include longtime Sebastopol resident Neysa Hinton, executive director for a Marin County assisted living home for seniors; journalist and community activist Jonathan Greenberg, who also ran for office in fall 2014; and artisan cobbler and boot maker Michael Anthony Carnacchi, a director of the Sebastopol Downtown Association.

The vote is unlikely to cause a significant shift in the politically progressive body that governs the town of about 7,600, but it will contribute new voices and ideas to what’s lately been a largely amiable and cohesive group.
Greenberg, who has at times been critical of the council, in particular said he expected he would raise independent, potentially unpopular issues on occasion, if elected.

“I really would like to bring a public interest focus to the activities and the budget of the City Council,” said Greenberg, 58, who has called for improved outreach and engagement of the voters on establishing city priorities.

“I think we are not funding the innovation and solutions that could really serve the public interest.”
But he also said he thought highly of those seeking office with him and believed the existing council has been doing a good job.

“I’m excited to do the work, and I’m excited to work alongside them,” he said.

Hinton said she decided to run for City Council after serving as campaign treasurer for Tim Sergent, a former candidate for Fifth District county supervisor whose primary run drew her into the maelstrom of west Sonoma County politics and issues. With the youngest of her two children starting his senior year of high school, Hinton, one-time advertising manager for the Press Democrat, said she has more time to devote to public service and take advantage of her experience in media marketing, advertising sales, senior facility administration and Rotary International.

Though a novice to governing, Hinton, 52, said her communication skills, tradition of fiscal responsibility and history as a community volunteer would serve Sebastopol citizens well, without bringing in the extra baggage or single-issue focus that some candidates for office do.

“I love the city I live in, and I think I bring a lot to the position,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas about how to continue to move forward and make things great in Sebastopol.”

Carnacchi, 54, was not available for an interview Wednesday but has been following council developments for the past several years. He was among those who applied to finish out the term of former Councilman Michael Kyes, who died in May 2014 with five months left in his term. The council instead chose Kyes’ widow, Una Glass, to fill the position. She was subsequently re-elected by voters.

Glass, who as vice mayor is likely to be mayor next year, Mayor Sarah Glade Gurney and Councilman Patrick Slayter are all in the middle of their terms and will serve at least two more years with whichever two candidates are elected this fall.

Eder, 63, said he knew early this year he would not seek another four years in office, both because he is ready to let others serve and because he is grappling with undisclosed health issues.

He and Jacob, executive director of Peace In Medicine in Sebastopol and SPARC in San Francisco — both medical cannabis dispensaries — were both brought into office on a wave of discontent over the city’s authorization of a downtown CVS store at the gateway to town.

Both remarked Wednesday on the extraordinary amount of time and energy required of council members, though Jacob said it was not until the last minute that he decided for sure he would not run.
“I think four years is a long time to volunteer, and it’s really hard work,” said Jacob, 39. “You clearly don’t understand how much work it is until you’re in it, and I just didn’t have another four years to give.”

[nancypreb]

Well…perhaps this is something that should be changed, because surely this was written before government agencies switched to the 4-day work week and 3-day weekends. Because really, at the end of the day, it gave folks 2 days to throw their hat in the ring as oppose to the intended 5.

This is based on the California Elections Code....

[Shepherd]

Last week's "Sonoma West" weekly has a front-page article on the City Council election. It includes quotes from all three candidates, and mentions the Grange candidates' forum that we will be doing on Wed., Sept. 28. Our plan is to open the doors by at least 6 p.m. and begin the program by 6:30. We will also keep the hall open after the program ends, thus allowing people to have conversations with the candidates and among themselves about this important election.

Yesterday at the Farm Market a friend mentioned to me that when we organized the 5th District Supervisors candidates forum at the much larger Sebastopol Center for the Arts, he got there too late to get in, even for the standing room only section. So if it is important for you to attend, please consider arriving as early as you can.

We will soon have a banner up on Wacco with a link updating information about the forum.

The Grange Sebastopol City candidates' forum is now scheduled for Wed., Sept. 28, starting at 6:30. All 3 candidates have accepted our invitation to attend. Our hall is located at 6000 Sebastopol Rd., also known as Highway 12, slightly outside Sebastopol, on the left on the way to Santa Rosa. Attendance is by donation. All are welcome, including those who do not live in Sebastopol, since what happens in each of Sonoma County's cities can influence the whole county....

[Barry]

Last week's "Sonoma West" weekly has a front-page article on the City Council election.

Here's that article.



Three candidates vie for city council seats

https://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_we...a610348ce.html

Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016
by Amie Windsor Sonoma West Staff Writer [email protected]

Robert Jacob, John Eder leave two open seats

The nomination period for the Sebastopol City Council race, in which two seats are up for grabs during the November election, closed Wednesday, Aug. 17 with three candidates successfully submitting papers.

Michael Anthony Carnacchi, a local boot maker, Jonathan Greenberg, a blogger and founder of Sonoma Independent and Neysa Hinton, a born-and-raised Sebastopolian who helped launch the Sebastopol Farmers Market each bring unique, fresh ideas to the city council race.

Carnacchi, owner of the Apple Cobbler for 23 years, threw his name into the hat upon the encouragement of “many people within the city,” he said.

“A lot of people have been encouraging me to run,” Carnacchi said. “That’s the way it should be. If you want to run for office if should be because people want you to run. If you think back to the days of Benjamin Franklin and the early founders — they weren’t in it because they wanted to run. They did it for the people.”
Hinton, whose career includes 20 years in radio before switching over to running the Bello Gardens Assisted Living facility in Marin County, is running for the people, as well.

“I’m not running because I have or see a particular issue,” Hinton said. “I want to represent the community as a community voice.”

Greenberg, whose known for his blogging position at the Huffington Post along with his work through Sonoma Independent, an online magazine of independent analysis and information, is running to empower the city council to be more transparent about their decision making and budget processes.

“I think we have a very capable city council and there are no intellectual weak links,” Greenberg said. “I think we will bring some fresh perspective.”

He believes the people should be able to be more involved with the city’s budgeting process. Greenberg wants to make the democratic process easy for people to participate in by offering more than an email address or opportunity to speak up during city council meetings.

“We have the capacity to poll people, take input and provide a level of transparency like never before,” Greenberg said. “I believe the people of Peacetown can find solutions to improve the community for the greater good.”

He calls himself a “Bernie evolutionary candidate,” campaigning on the ability to find out what the people want.

“We need to change the way we do government,” Greenberg said.

Part of that change within the Sebastopol government would be to support Sonoma West Medical Center through sewer and water subsidies. He believes crucial services and amenities, like the library, sidewalks, roads and bike lanes, should be funded at a higher priority than hiring consultants.

He also wants to bring attainable housing to Sebastopol, enabling the middle class to purchase $200,000 “modest, small homes” or rent homes within the city for less than $1,000 a month.

“I think attainable housing is the biggest single crisis,” Greenberg said.

Hinton also wants to bolster the city’s services, especially composting and recycling.

“We should demand more than the average,” Hinton said. “We don’t have to do a big study. We just need to say we want a different contract with more recycling.”

She hopes to get the city’s constituents more involved with the process as well.

“Our citizens aren’t informed,” Hinton said. As a city council member, she would work to better inform the city residents on current issues, such as the possibly up-and-coming Sebastopol Hotel.

“That will likely be a big issue after the election,” Hinton said.

To involve the community, Hinton will offer an open-door policy for all citizens.

“I will always accept invites to talk to groups and individuals,” Hinton said. “I want people to feel comfortable. I want to create an environment that brings the people in the community together.”

She acknowledges that city council meetings can be tough.

“We don’t always get what we want,” she said. “But in tough situations, I can take a step back and work to make the right decision for the people.”

Above all, she thinks that her role is to foster community politics where collaboration can occur without impediment.

“I have endorsements from Noreen Evans and from Herman Hernandez,” campaign manager of Lynda Hopkins’ campaign. “I want to bring together all sides.”

Representing the people is Carnacchi’s platform, as well.

“A city council member should represent the citizenry of Sebastopol first and foremost in a fair and unbiased way,” Carnacchi said.

He acknowledges the upcoming council will need to be “extremely creative for bringing in new sources of revenue,” as the budget is forecasted to fall with deficit in the next few years.

He believes bringing businesses into Sebastopol that are new and provide essentials — such as athletic shoes and men’s socks and underwear — would be a positive contribution to the city’s retail options and tax revenue. As director of the Downtown Business Association, Carnacchi said he is in tune with the business pulse of the city. He hopes to bring his experience and understand of the issues within the business community into his role as city council member.

Carnacchi said he would like to see the Barlow and the downtown businesses unite and he believes the city would benefit from small production companies, such as a boot making facility that could employ around 18 individuals. Another revenue and community-binding opportunity would be the creation of a cement, Roman-style amphitheater on Morris Street, combined with a satellite school for one of the university colleges or Sonoma State University.

“We need to have businesses that attract people to Sebastopol,” Carnacchi said. “The way I see it happening, Sebastopol would become more of a destination point, rather than a stop along the way.”

The public will have a chance to meet the candidates during a forum on Wednesday, Sept. 28 held at the Sebastopol Grange. The event will be being at 6:30 p.m. Admission is by donation and all are welcome.

[Shepherd]

I understand that former Mayor Craig Litwin is likely to file as a write-in candidate. The way that apparently works is that as of Sept. 14 or so write-in candidates need to file their intention & qualify. They do not appear on the ballot; voters have to know their name and write it in. If you have further information on this, or can verify it, please let us know. Someone else indicated that there might also be another write-in candidate, but I do not know who that person might be. Stay tuned to this thread. Perhaps there will be an article in this week's Sonoma West updating us.

[Larry Robinson]

I am delighted to hear this. I served with Craig on the City Council from 2000 to 2008 and know first-hand what a great job he did. He is certainly the most qualified candidate by far.

[Dick]

You should start a write-in too Mr. Robinson. Sebastopol needs leaders like you!

I am delighted to hear this. I served with Craig on the City Council from 2000 to 2008 and know first-hand what a great job he did. He is certainly the most qualified candidate by far.

[Shepherd]

After due consideration, the Grange organizers of the Sept. 28, Wed., Sebastopol City Council candidates' forum have made a decision. If Craig Litwin successfully applies to the City to be a write-in candidate on September 12 or soon after, he will be invited as a qualified candidate to our forum. Please join us at the Grange Hall on Hiway 12.

You should start a write-in too Mr. Robinson. Sebastopol needs leaders like you!

[Barry]

I did introductory interviews in the beginning of the month with each of the candidates for Sebastopol City Council. Starting with Michael Carnacchi, the bootmaker. I'll be posting interview with the other candidates over the next few days.

[Barry]

Next up is Jonathan Greenberg, including his reflection on how this year's race is different from when he ran 2 years ago:

[Michael Anthony]

Starting with Michael Carnacchi, the bootmaker.

After viewing my interview video, I came to the realization that I furl my brow excessively. Therefore, I have been practicing relaxing my furl and it has noticeably relaxed me. From that perspective, the video is a complete success.

Nevertheless, I think that it's clear that I have a great vision for Sebastopol and that sometimes through my grandiose and passionate ideas, I drift off the planet. Thankfully, I have plenty of neighbors, friends, and city staff who will happily get out their mallet and knock me back down.

During my eight year battle against the biggest of banks, I gained an excellent understanding of law. In a court of law, everything is based on merit and if an opponent makes a meritorious point whereby I cannot override that point with one that is more meritorious, I lose that argument. I have adopted this principle in my everyday life and listen for merit in everyone's language and when I have been out-merited, I willfully concede and adapt.

"When there is no vision the people perish" Franklin D Roosevelt [1933 Inaugural Speech]

[Shepherd]

Sebastopol City Council Candidates Forum, Wed., Sept. 28, 6:30pm,
Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Rd (Hwy 12)

Contact: Shepherd Bliss, 707-829-8185, [email protected], Grange # 306

The Sebastopol Grange will sponsor a non-partisan Sebastopol City Council Candidates Forum Wed., Sept. 28, starting at 6:30 at its Hall at 6000 Sebastopol Road (Highway 12.) Doors open at 6 p.m. and people are invited to stay after to extend the conversation. What happens around the edges can sometimes be as important as what happens up front.

The three candidates who have qualified to be on the ballot have agreed to respond to questions — Michael Anthony Carnacchi, Jonathan Greenberg and Neysa Hinton. Craig Litwin, an official write-in candidate, also plans to attend. Co-moderators will be attorney and former Grange president Lawrence Jaffe and nurse and former Grange chaplain Hrieth Pezzi.

Admission is by donation. All are welcome. Candidates’ statements follow. Further information. https://sebastopolgrange.org/.

Craig Litwin--I'm running as a write-in candidate and proud to announce an endorsement from Senator Mike McGuire, as well as numerous local residents and community leaders. I support affordable housing, walkability/bikeability, balanced budgets, parks expansion, green-building and energy, and local business, as I did while serving twice as mayor and Sebastopol Councilmember, from 2000*–2008. I look forward to serving my community. To vote for me you would need to write-in my full name on your ballot and fill-in the adjacent box. More at https://craiglitwin4council.com/

Jonathan Greenberg--Bernie Sanders’ historic race inspired me to run for City Council a second time to help our local government become more responsive to the public interest. If elected, I will work as an experienced budgetary watchdog to ensure that tax dollars are used to provide exemplary public services. My objectives include completing the dangerous sidewalk break on Bodega near Pleasant Hill, a “participatory budgeting” citizen polling system for discretionary spending, zero emission electric vehicles for city parks, and supporting our vital library and hospital. More at GreenbergForCouncil.com.

Michael Carnacchi--Now in my 23rd year on Main Street, I am a cobbler, boot-maker, and director of the Sebastopol Downtown Association, where I have been active since 1994. The top reason why I am running for Sebastopol City Council is to mitigate traffic and parking concerns. I am recognized as a citizens’ advocate who stands up for economic and social justice. If elected, I will carefully listen to diverse viewpoints with an open mind, with integrity, and with the greater good of our community always in my heart.

Neysa Hinton--Sebastopol City Council is an important job since it guides what the City of Sebastopol is today and what it will become in the future. I want to keep Sebastopol alive and thriving while we retain our small town charm and character. I am confident in the contributions I can bring to the council. My top priorities are protecting the environment while investing in our infrastructure, and creating affordable housing. I like to work collaboratively and draw from a wide variety of ideas.

[Barry]

Next up of my interviews with the Sebastopol City Council Candidates is Neysa Hinton. Watch to learn about her background, including how she became the President on the Sebastopol Downtown Association without having a business in town and what her priorities are for Sebastopol:

[jenielson]

I’m concerned about Jonathan Greenberg's candidacy for Sebastopol’s City Council.

On his website Mr. Greenberg asserts that he is Sebastopol's most effective advocate for re-opening Palm Drive Hospital, restoring library hours, budgeting bike trails and walking the walk of a green Sebastopol. But how effective was/is he really?

Re Palm Drive Hospital, Mr. Greenberg did urge the City Council to prevent its closure. But the hospital was (and still is) governed by the Palm Drive Health Care Special District—a government entity of the State of California. Sebastopol’s City Council had and has no direct authority, and even if it did, nobody could have repaired effects of the Affordable Care Act’s unanticipatedly low Medicare repayments. So what did Mr. Greenberg actually do?

I heard him deliver abrasive statements and attacks on the previous Hospital District Board at City Council meetings. That did little to change the course of events, other than to intensify the bitterness of discourse.

Were Mr. Greenberg to be elected, his hands would similarly be tied, given that the Local Area Formation Commission has voted (unanimously) to let Russian River area property owners leave the hospital district. The City Council can take a position, express its hopes and preferences, but it has no direct authority over the District.

Re library hours, Mr. Greenberg’s website claim that he was “the founder of the Restore Library Hours Campaign, which succeeded in bringing Measure M – sales tax to save County libraries – to the November ballot.” raises some questions:

Firstly, Measure M on the 2016 ballot proposes a ban against GMOs; the 1/8-cent tax to better fund Libraries is Measure Y. If, in fact, a founder of the effort, did Mr. Greenberg actually see the effort through to getting it on the ballot? If so, why does he call it Measure M?

Secondly, perhaps Mr. Greenberg was a leader in the effort but I have only heard him berate the City Council and the Library Commission over the issue. It’s clear that many organizations—in fact the whole Library Commission, including the City of Sebastopol—had to have been involved with creating the initiative. I hope that everyone who reads this will vote for Measure Y.

Thirdly, at Mr. Greenberg’s candidate interview with one community group, he stated that he did not believe Measure Y can pass, and accused Sebastopol’s City Council of having refused to contribute to a proposed funding agreement among the Library Commission members (County Board of Supervisors and City Councils), aimed at extending library hours. Having collected Sebastopol’s City Council Minutes since 2004, and acquired DVDs of the meeting recordings since 2013, I’ve not found a record of any such proposal.

At this same candidate interview, Mr. Greenberg claimed to have led the effort to prevent the CVS project. I was a member of the “Small Town Sebastopol” Committee that did organize the CVS opposition and brought a lawsuit against it. Mr. Greenberg was not part of that group.

Re City bike trails, the project is moving slowly, due to the number of authorities involved, including property owners for some routes and funding issues. Gravenstein Highway (116) bike lanes are currently being created, with the collaboration of CalTrans (not an easy agency to access or work with). The dreamed-of bike trail from Joe Rodota Trail to Water Trough Road is a much bigger project: funding appears to be the main obstacle. Can Mr. Greenberg address that obstacle, or is his whole approach just to make abrasive statements?

Finally, Sebastopol’s City Council has been working collaboratively for 6 years, and many have forgotten how little got done when it had a less collaborative membership. CVS got approved during the most recent divisive period. I worry that electing candidates such as Mr. Greenberg would return the Council to that mode.

[pbrinton]

In evaluating the weight to accord this post, it may be relevant to note that the poster joined WACCO the same day as the posting.

Barry, a suggestion: add a "member since..." item to what appears to the left of each post.

Patrick Brinton

I’m concerned about Jonathan Greenberg's candidacy for Sebastopol’s City Council. ...

[Michael Anthony]

After viewing Neysa Hinton's video interview, I will make a few comments.

First, I know that nervousness made some of my points confusing and I commend you for enduring.

Second, your claim to have been president of the Sebastopol Downtown Association (SDA) without actually owning a business in town is not lawful under the SDA By-Laws. The Sebastopol Downtown Association is a special assessment district (formed in 1976) in which the business and property owners in the downtown core, voted to assess (or tax) themselves with those monies collected by the city through their annual business license fee. This money was then allocated to improving the downtown core. Since you were not a business or property owner and did not pay the special tax, you were ineligible to lawfully hold office within the district and while you may indeed have been voted in as president, it was by members who were unaware that they were violating the SDA By-Laws.

Third, I regularly attend the Sebastopol Farmers' Market and the current managing directors (some of whom have been present since 1990), have told me that they do not remember you being a part of the effort. My suggestion is for you to show up on Sunday and introduce yourself to the current management to remind them of your role in establishing the market.

Fourth and finally, your claim to have worked on the Sebastopol Downtown Plan completed in 1990 may be true. However, your name is not listed as being a part of the Downtown Study Task Force or one of the Technical Consultants, and I am not sure of how much influence your advertising experience could have had on said plan.

It is difficult to follow the political path that is the one less traveled. If I have stepped onto the standard political path, please kick me back in the right direction.

"Every walking animal is driven to its purpose with a whack." Heraclitus c. 500 BC

[rekarp]

There are only 3 candidates plus a write-in candidate who can fill two slots. Since you don't think Mr. Greenberg is qualified to be elected, who are the two that you do support?

I’m concerned about Jonathan Greenberg's candidacy for Sebastopol’s City Council. ...

[Barry]

Congratulations to Neysa Hinton on her endorsement by the Sonoma County Democratic Party! They have only endorsed 1 candidate for the 2 seats that are open.

“Neysa Hinton brings a welcome, much-needed, fresh approach to issues facing Sebastopol residents.
The town has moved beyond many of the controversies that divided residents over the last decade and Neysa’s candidacy for city council reflects a strong desire to move forward.

She is a rare city council candidate who grew up in town, raised her children in local public schools and still lives in the heart of the community.

The Sonoma County Democratic Party feels her background in helping organize the farmer’s market and the Learn to Swim program, as well as her managerial experience in the private sector, make her an excellent city council candidate.”

—Bleys W. Rose
Chair, Sonoma County Democratic Party

[jenielson]

There are only 3 candidates plus a write-in candidate who can fill two slots. Since you don't think Mr. Greenberg is qualified to be elected, who are the two that you do support?

It's a hard question to answer. I guess that I would go for a known person, writing in Craig Litwin, but then following his actions closely. I don't know much about Neysa Hinton, so would want to know more, but I could not vote for the other two.

[Barry]

And finally, we have the surprise write-in candidate and former mayor, Craig Litwin. I talked with him on Sept 1st, the day after he declared his intention to launch a write-in campaign. We cover lots of things, including why he didn't file to be on ballot:

[Shepherd]

If you watched the presidential debate last night, you may be tired of such politics. However, please consider joining your Sonoma County neighbors at this Wednesday's Sebastopol City Council Candidates Forum, to which all 4 candidates plan to attend. We expect a more cordial exchange at this forum than at last night's debate. It will happen at the Sebastopol Grange on Highway 12. It is scheduled to start at 6:30 and people can arrive early to meet candidates and converse with them and others. All are welcome.

[Icssoma]

i don't think ANYONE can afford to be "tired of presidential politics." the supreme court appointments (remember Gore vs Bush, & more recently Citizen's United). we have made some important gains in health care which need to be pushed further. HRC is the only candidate who has a plan to address mental health.
tired, is part of low voter turnout. the length of the process is problematic. i hope everyone can find motivation to influence those who are weary. not aware of anyone that hasn't been dramatically affected by those rulings, and the two policy decisions.

If you watched the presidential debate last night, you may be tired of such politics. However, please consider joining your Sonoma County neighbors at this Wednesday's Sebastopol City Council Candidates Forum, to which all 4 candidates plan to attend. We expect a more cordial exchange at this forum than at last night's debate. It will happen at the Sebastopol Grange on Highway 12. It is scheduled to start at 6:30 and people can arrive early to meet candidates and converse with them and others. All are welcome.

[Barry]

Michael Carnacchi tries to bribe Jonathan Greenberg for his support!! *

OK, now that I got your attention, here's the video from the October 5th City Council Forum at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts sponsored the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce.

I've broken the videos into segments by topic and put them all in a playlist , so you can watch (and post/share) videos by topic.

The topics covered are:

1. Opening Statements
   
2. Leadership
3. Quality of Life & Local Economy
4. Economic Development
5. Growth Management Ordinance
6. Working with City Employees
7. AirBnB
8. Hotel Proposal
9. Apple Blossom Parade Support
10. Traffic
11. Assisted Living
12. Library Hours
13. Hospital and Side Street Traffic

Click here or the image above to goto the playlist on Youtube.

*This is true! Bonus points to anybody who posts the video number and time where this is documented

[Shepherd]

I appreciate the many, many videos that Barry has done for these various candidate forums. This takes lots of time and skill to take the videos and then organize them in such a helpful way. These tasks are an important contribution to the democratic process.