Two seats open for Sebastopol City Council

Anybody want to run for Sebastopol City Council???
There's a decent chance you may be unopposed!
Michael Carnacchi is the bootmaker downtown, and frequent WaccoBB contributor.


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Two seats open for Sebastopol City Council

Posted: Wednesday, July 27, 2016
by Amie Windsor Sonoma West Staff Writer [email protected]

While the national political scene is overwrought with the presidential election and locally, much time and effort has been consumed by the Fifth District Supervisorial race, the City of Sebastopol’s city council race is starting to kick off — and not to be overlooked.

Monday, July 18 marked the first day citizens could pull papers for nomination. Two council seats are available — John Eder’s and Robert Jacob’s. Neither have plans to run for reelection.

So far, according to city clerk Mary Gourley, only one individual — Michael Carnacchi — has pulled papers, signaling his intent to run for city council.

Sebastopol has a history of semi-contested races. In 2014, four incumbents ran for three seats. In 2012, five incumbents vied for the two seats up for grabs this election. In 2010, six incumbents ran for three seats. In 2008, four incumbents ran for two seats.

Unlike the upcoming election, the aforementioned races all included an outgoing city councilmember as an incumbent.

To be eligible to run for city council, interested individuals must be a resident of Sebastopol. According to the city’s website, all citizens who are at least 18 years old are eligible to run. Additionally, candidates must not be on parole or serving time for a felony conviction.

To qualify for the November election, incumbents must gather 20 qualified signatures and return all documents to Gourley by Friday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. Should one or more incumbents not file, the nomination period will be extended for five days.

What the city site doesn’t explain is the job description of a city council member.

Continues here.

This is where a viable third party starts. Hard work, proof of competence, small successes, all of that.

The great thing about Sebastopol, is that we've had Green Party members who have gained the experience of actually governing. I'll leave whether or not they've been "good" to the judgement of the public, but the point is that they made the effort.

I'm always disappointed by the Greens (of whom I've been a member since the mid-eighties, with ever-decreasing enthusiasm) when they try to run a presidential campaign because it becomes little more than a personality cult. I am very leery of "symbolic" campaigns, as they do little more than to marginalize an already marginalized party all in the name of political purity.

If I were younger, had fewer skeletons in the closet, and not so desperately concerned with my own economic survival here in Wine Country™, I'd certainly consider trying my hand. Instead, i'm hoping for the best from the other good people in town.

:Yinyangv::wink::2cents:

I am excited to announce my intention to run for Sebastopol City Council. I am running because Sebastopol is a very special place and I believe by working together, we can keep the heart & soul of our city alive and thriving. I hope you will support me!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2016

Neysa Hinton has filed to run for Sebastopol City Council on the November 8, 2016 ballot. Neysa hopes to secure a seat where she will draw upon both her professional and personal life experiences to support the council and the City of Sebastopol.

Neysa is vested in her community and believes local people should be the ones guiding our city. Neysa grew up in Sebastopol and raised two children here, both of whom attended local public school from kindergarten through high school. “I have lived in other communities and we have something very special here - I want to keep that intact. By working together, we can keep the heart and soul of Sebastopol alive and thriving. I have progressive ideas socially, yet I am moderate, especially where fiscal decisions are concerned. I like saving

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Neysa Hinton has filed to run
for Sebastopol City Council

for a rainy day while supporting projects that enhance the community and improve on everyone’s quality of life. When the community comes together, amazing things can happen. I have helped on numerous projects that were difficult at first, yet with vision and cooperation, we made them a reality.”

Neysa has spent thousands of hours volunteering on projects benefiting the Sebastopol community. Some of her projects include helping launch the Sebastopol’s Farmers Market, and serving as its first chairperson from 1990-1993. Neysa was also one of the first women invited to join the Sebastopol Rotary Club in 1990. Over the next 21 years in this local service organization. she aspired to the “service above self” motto by helping on committees like “Learn to Swim,” “Read to Me,” community grants, student exchange and fundraising events like the Lobster Boil and Cajun Festival. In 2007, Neysa was selected to lead a team of young professionals on a group exchange focused on health services and education in Guanajuato, Mexico and surrounding cities. This 30-day exchange living with local families was one of the highlights of her volunteer experiences and strengthened her faith in the ability of ordinary citizens to create positive change.

In addition to her chairing the Sebastopol Farm Market, Neysa became the event coordinator and fundraiser for the Sonoma County Farmlands Group. This organization’s mission was to promote farmland preservation in Sonoma County through supporting land use and resource management policies and expanding market opportunities for local farm products.

A working mother, Neysa went on to a successful career in the media industry, holding management positions in radio and The Press Democrat over the next 20 years. She earned the reputation as a hardworking leader with expertise in problem solving, working with diverse groups of people and managing budgets. Currently Neysa runs an Assisted Living facility for the elderly. In this change four years ago, Neysa found the ultimate career where she puts her skills to use helping our aging population facing daily challenges after leaving their homes.

Clearly thirty years of in-depth experience in business and volunteer work has prepared Neysa for a position on Sebastopol’s City Council. She looks forward to speaking with residents about our wonderful city of Sebastopol and the vision for our community’s future.

Neysa can be contacted at (707)495-9087 or by email at [email protected]

Oh no, I have been outed on Wacco.

Thanks for your post Barry [I think]. I am a little nervous of what will happen next.

Time to strap on my armor.

All kidding aside, I look forward to discussing and developing policy proposals that will benefit Sebastopol and hopefully, set an example for the rest of the world. Think global, act local.

Michael Carnacchi

One policy proposal worthy of discussion and development is the placement of a 25 cent tax on all single use coffee cups in the City of Sebastopol. This tax will have to be placed on the ballot for Sebastopol voters to approve.

I once counted the number of cups used annually by Sebastopol Cookie Company and the figure was astounding [and that's only one business]. If Sebastopol did impose a single use coffee cup tax, it will encourage the use of reusable cups, be a benefit to our environment, save stores that serve coffee money in cups, and provide tax revenue for Sebastopol.

The monies generated from the tax could be earmarked to re-open a recycling center and plant new trees in Sebastopol. It could be a win, win, win situation for Sebastopol.

Carnacchi for Council.

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Posted in reply to the post by Michael Anthony:

One policy proposal worthy of discussion and development is the placement of a 25 cent tax on all single use coffee cups in the City of Sebastopol. ...

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"If you drive a car I'll tax the street
If you want to sit I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk I'll tax your feet"

- George Harrison

Excellent idea, but I don't think you will get people on board with a twenty five cent tax. A dime or a dime and a nickel would be more palatable.

Carnacchi for Council. Yeah!

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Posted in reply to the post by Michael Anthony:

One policy proposal worthy of discussion and development is the placement of a 25 cent tax on all single use coffee cups in the City of Sebastopol.

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Posted in reply to the post by JayS:

Excellent idea, but I don't think you will get people on board with a twenty five cent tax. A dime or a dime and a nickel would be more palatable.

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You are exactly correct. I did an informal customer poll early this morning at two small coffee shops downtown and the general consensus was that a ten-cent tax on single use cups would be acceptable. Nevertheless, two-thirds of Sebastopol voters would have to agree in order for the tax to take effect.

In most cases, coffee shops give you a ten-cent discount when you bring your own cup. With this proposal, a customer would be charged ten-cents if they don't bring their own cup. Similar to the ten-cent paper bag tax which has had an effect on me because I seldom use a bag unless absolutely necessary, and then I happily pay the ten-cents. So ten-cents is in fact an incentive for people to change their habits.

Also, I got a more accurate figure of the cups used at one small coffee shop downtown. This coffee shop uses approximately 1,400 cups per week which equals 72,800 single use cups discarded annually. Now, multiply 72,800 cups times the number of small coffee shops in Sebastopol and then figure in the cups from two Starbucks. And, don't forget about the cup warmers and the plastic lids that can easily end up in the storm drain and wash out to the ocean. It seems evident that this proposal for reducing single use cup disposal will be good for our environment and save a lot of trees.

Adding a tax of ten-cents per single use cup on this astounding amount of cups will provide tax revenue to plant trees with planter grates on both sides of Sebastopol Avenue and pay for the initial start up for a city recycling center. Of course the amount of tax revenue will decrease after the initial transition period as people adjust to bringing their own cups.

This is only a proposal that is open for discussion to which everyone's viewpoint is welcome.

Sometimes, the best way to help people change environmentally harmful habits is to hit them in the wallet. Look how many more people are now bringing their own bags to stores. Of course, not everyone does. I know people who pay for paper bags, then let them pile up in the house. They just can't be bothered to bring a bag to the store. The strange thing is that these people are extremely low income, but don't make the connection between 10 bags at 10 cents equaling a dollar.

I really hope that Sebastopol takes a stand on this. But my other thought is that people with limited thinking might not want to be seen bringing their own cups to save a dime, when the issue is so much bigger. When it becomes a status symbol, more people will be willing to play the game of ....."Mug Go".

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Posted in reply to the post by Michael Anthony:

You are exactly correct. I did an informal customer poll early this morning at two small coffee shops downtown and the general consensus was that a ten-cent tax on single use cups would be acceptable. ...

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There's still time to file to run for Sebastopol City Council!

Both incumbents whose seats are up in the next election (John Eder and Robert Jacob) do not have plans to run, so you can file to run as late as August 17th.

Anybody else what to toss their hat into ring? :waccosun:


From the City of Sebastopol:

Nomination Period for November 8, 2016 Municipal Election

The nomination period to run for City Council for the City of Sebastopol is Monday, July 18, 2016 and closed Friday, August 12, 2016 AT 5:00 pm. If 1 or more of the incumbents does not file by August 12, 2016, the nomination period will be extended for 5 days, until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016.

The incumbent(s) cannot file during this extension period.

Candidates may pick up nomination packets during the nomination period from the City Clerk Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. by appointment. The City Clerk’s Office is located at 7120 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA. For further information or to schedule an appointment, please contact City Clerk Mary Gourley at 707-823-1153 by Thursday, August 11^th, 4:00 pm.

City Offices are closed on Fridays; therefore the City Clerk’s Office will be closed on Friday, August 12^th. However, if you are looking to file paperwork for the office of City Council on Friday, August 12^th, an appointment is required with the City Clerk. Appointments should be made by Thursday, August 11^th, by 4:00 pm.

I personally hope that other candidates run, since there are currently only two candidates that have taken out papers. If others ran, it would be a more democratic and inclusive election.

Another strategy for coffee (and tea!) cups is for the vendor to take 25 cents off the price if you bring your own cup.

It doesn't provide revenue, but it does provide motivation. And the vendor doesn't have to wash the reusable cup.

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Posted in reply to the post by Michael Anthony:

One policy proposal worthy of discussion and development is the placement of a 25 cent tax on all single use coffee cups in the City of Sebastopol. ...

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Posted in reply to the post by sandoak:

Another strategy for coffee (and tea!) cups is for the vendor to take 25 cents off the price if you bring your own cup.

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I prefer the 10 cent tax version for a few reasons:

1) It perfectly reflects current grocery bag model, and it is a very simple extension of that model.

2) Regarding motivation, people are often more motivated to avoid a loss, than acquiring equivalent gains (see Loss Aversion)

3) For vendors to be able to offer a 10 cent discount, they would have to raise prices, which again would trigger the loss aversion when it came to vote for the measure.

Three people have taken out papers so far: Michael Anthony Carnacchi, Jonathan Greenberg, and Neysa Hinton.
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.

Michael Carnacchi has an appointment on Monday to file. Jonathan Greenberg has made an appointment onTuesday to file. Anyone else has until this coming Wed., Aug. 17, 5 p.m. to file.

It is my opinion that we should start looking for hosts for the candidates' debates. I would like to see at least three or even four. Perhaps the Rotary Cub could host one, KOWS Radio could host another, and one hosted by the City of Sebastopol at the community center. These are only proposals and maybe others have better suggestions and would like to help organize them. How about the Grange?

I agree with Michael regarding the importance of having candidates' forums where all candidates are invited. I participated in organizing one this year for the 5th District supervisors primary, co-sponsored by KOWS radio and Preserve Rural Sonoma County. It happened at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, was standing room only, and a great success. I am involved with both KOWS and PRSC, which will be hosting another 5th District candidates forum during October.

I spoke last night with Waccobb.net moderator Barry Chertov at the annual Hardcore Coffee party about recording a potential City Council candidates forum, as he did for the KOWS/PRSC primary forum. He has agreed to do so.

I am willing to help organize such a forum, since I think it could be important to our small town, by doing the following:

1. Ask City Clerk Mary Gourley, after the Aug. 17 deadline, who has filed papers and invite all of them.
2. Keep time.
3. Promote the event.
4. Approach the Grange as the place for such a forum, since I am a Grange member.

We would also need to raise some funds to rent and secure such a place. Who might be willing to secure a place for such an event and do fundraising?

KOWS hosts Jon Jackson, M.D., & Laura Goldman did an excellent job of moderating the 5th District Forum. They are both long-time friends, so I could invite them to be co-moderators. Another skilled potential host would be Larry Robinson, who served for 12 years on the Sebastopol City Council.

So far, we have the 3 candidates mentioned in this thread who plan to run. Might you know of anyone else who is considering running?

I welcome your responses to these exploratory ideas.

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Posted in reply to the post by Michael Anthony:

It is my opinion that we should start looking for hosts for the candidates' debates. I would like to see at least three or even four. ...

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