Shaffer joins in council race: Three so far vying for two seats: Wilson will not run
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Shaffer joins in council race: Three so far vying for two seats: Wilson will not run
https://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_west_times_and_news/news/shaffer-joins-in-council-race-three-so-far-vying-for/article_afd4e4ba-b589-11e1-a63c-001a4bcf887a.html
Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 11:57 am
by David Abbott Sonoma West Editor
[email protected]
Councilmember Kathleen Shaffer announced last week her intention to run for a second term on City Council, bringing the number of candidates for the November election to three.
Shaffer’s and Mayor Guy Wilson’s seats — both were elected in 2008 — will be up for re-election, but Wilson announced that he will not be running last week.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as councilmember, vice-mayor, and mayor these past 3 and 1/2 years and am grateful for having had this wonderful public service opportunity,” Wilson wrote in a letter to Sonoma West Times & News on June 7. “I will continue to work on the many issues and challenges confronting our community over the next six months, until my term expires in November.”
At last week’s City Council meeting, Wilson said that he was no longer able to commit the time necessary to serve and needed to devote more time to his law practice.
Shaffer and her husband Bob Green are retired from a business that manufactured baseball equipment and Shaffer has spent her time on Council focused on improving Sebastopol’s business atmosphere.
Much of her efforts have been devoted to creating the Sebastopol Entrepreneurs Project (SEP).
“The mission of SEP is to connect business leaders and innovators with entrepreneurs, start up founders, and established businesses to help them thrive and stay local,” Shaffer stated in a press release announcing her intentions. “SEP promotes Sebastopol’s economy in the areas of technology, clean tech, organic and specialty foods, agriculture and health care.”
She has also spent her time on community outreach through town halls and neighborhood meetings, “to stay in contact with citizens.”
She has also been a consistant supporter of the CVS/Chase development on the Pellini property in downtown Sebastopol, which may play into this year’s election, much as the Northeast Area Plan (NEAP) affected the election of Wilson.
“I believe it is possible to promote commerce in harmony with community values and meet our fiscal needs at the same time,” she said. “The work of promoting responsible and sustainable growth so that we can maintain services in the face of declining revenues and the loss of redevelopment funds has been the most challenging and gratifying work I have ever done.”
Shaffer joins the field with Robert Jacob, owner and executive director of Peace In Medicine, and Kathy Austin an architect and former councilmember.
Austin served on city council from 1996 to 2000 — serving as mayor in 1997 — and on the Planning Commission from 1992 to 1996.
She was also briefly on the Design Review Board in 1992 and was the business representative for the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s Advisory Board from 1994-1998 and Chair in 1998.
Jacob, age 35, began his career as a health advocate for at-risk youth, and currently operates Sebastopol’s only medicinal cannabis dispensary.
Jacob has been serving on the Sebastopol Planning Commission since 2011, and was elected vice chair earlier this year.
The official filing period opens on July 16 and closes Aug. 15, as Wilson decided not to run, giving potential candidates an additional five days to file.
