Robert Jacob & John Eder win Sebastopol City Council

[Shepherd]

Progressives Robert Jacob and John Eder were just announced as winning the Sebastopol City Council. That means that along with incumbent progressives Sarah Gurney and Michael Kyes that we have a 4-1 majority. This could mean the turning back of CVS/Chase in our small town's downtown commons, after more than two years of struggle. Yea!
Shepherd

Robert Jacob, 2335 (29.4%)
John Eder, 1992 (25.1%) won by 62 votes
Kathleen Schaffer (1930 (24.3%)

[Barry]

Yay!

Progressives Robert Jacob and John Eder were just announced as winning the Sebastopol City Council. That means that along with incumbent progressives Sarah Gurney and Michael Kyes that we have a 4-1 majority. This could mean the turning back of CVS/Chase in our small town's downtown commons, after more than two years of struggle. Yea!
Shepherd

Robert Jacob, 2335 (29.4%)
John Eder, 1992 (25.1%) won by 62 votes
Kathleen Schaffer (1930 (24.3%)

[ravenwhale]

Eder wins 2nd Sebastopol council seat, expanding new majority

By MARTIN ESPINOZA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, November 30, 2012 at 7:16 p.m.

In the final tally of votes for the Sebastopol City Council, John Eder beat out incumbent Kathleen Shaffer for the second open seat on the council.

Eder, a representative of Boise Mobile Equipment, won 1,992 votes, or 25.1 percent, while Shaffer received 1,930 votes, or 24.3 percent.

Robert Jacob, founder and executive director of Peace in Medicine, which has medical marijuana dispensaries in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, finished first with 2,335 votes, or 29.4 percent.

John Eder.

Eder beat Shaffer by 62 votes.

“Up until the final results were released I thought it was a tossup,” Eder said, adding that he was ready to get to work on issues related to downtown development.

These include revising the city's downtown design guidelines, encouraging more small business, promoting mixed-use in-fill, and championing more bike lanes and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

The key issue in the election was the controversial CVS Pharmacy-Chase Bank branch that will be built at the site of the vacant Pellini Chevrolet dealership.

The council gave the developer, Armstrong Development of Sacramento, the final approval that it needed to go proceed in a 3-2 vote.

Critics hope that a council with a different makeup might still be able to derail the project.

Eder said that if the city had downtown design guidelines that were more clearly defined there would not have been such a controversy over the project.

The balance on the council is already assured to shift, with Jacob, who opposed the project, joining Vice Mayor Michael Kyes and Councilwoman Sarah Gurney, who were the two votes against it.

Shaffer was one of the three votes to approve the project, while Eder has been an opponent.

The other two candidates, Kathy Austin and Colleen Fernald received 18.8 and 2.4 percent of the vote, respectively.

[Peacetown Jonathan]

This is exciting news.

My article for Wacco with my views on how this election is likely to put an end to Sebastopol's "shadow government." And, hopefully, what this means for the future of our wonderful city, is at:

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/showt...089#post160089

[Helen Shane]

The final vote 11/30/12:

Robert Jacob 2335 votes 29.40%
John Eder 1992 votes 25.10%
Kathleen Shaffer 1930 votes 24.30%
Kathy Austin 1488 votes 18.80%
Colleen Fernald 191 votes 2.40%

There was lots of campaign rhetoric, but it all came down to this:

Given the facts the Sebastopol Community voted for those whom they felt would be true to our small town values. The newly electeds join Vice Mayor Kyes and Council member Sarah Gurney in assuring that our artsy, quirky Sebastopol stays locally focused, pedestrian friendly and small business oriented.

It’s up to all of us to work with the entire Council. Talk to your neighbors about what’s going on in town. Show up for Council, Planning and Design Review meetings.

Together, we will thrive.
Question authority.
Pay attention.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

[scamperwillow]

Be sure to come to the swearing in of the new council on Tuesday Dec. 4, 6:00 - it will be a celebration! And there is cake!
It is at the city council meeting room at the Youth Annex next to the Community Center.

[tommy]

Have Jacob & Eder, or anyone else, suggested how the Chase/CVS development can be denied?

Be sure to come to the swearing in of the new council on Tuesday Dec. 4, 6:00 - it will be a celebration! And there is cake!
It is at the city council meeting room at the Youth Annex next to the Community Center.

[scamperwillow]

Well it is already approved by the council, but two of the things that could happen are:

1) Armstrong refuses to come back with the requested modifications that were conditions of approval. They haven't done that yet.
2) CalTrans make it too hard to get to by denying the left turn off Hwy 12.

Have Jacob & Eder, or anyone else, suggested how the Chase/CVS development can be denied?

[Barry]

Is there a time limit for when Armsrong has to come back to the council?

Well it is already approved by the council, but two of the things that could happen are:

1) Armstrong refuses to come back with the requested modifications that were conditions of approval. They haven't done that yet.
2) CalTrans make it too hard to get to by denying the left turn off Hwy 12.

[Helen Shane]

There is no set time period within which Armstrong must return. They do, however, have a couple of caveats. One is that if they bring back anything other than what's now on the table, they will have to try for another Mitigated Negative Declaration. And the current MND, issued for the CVS Plan, could get "stale"...that is, I believe, up to CEQA and possibly the courts.

If property owner Armstrong comes to Planning Dept. with a new client, no matter how similar to CVS current plan, that is still in limbo, they must start all over with the process.

[Barry]

Good article about the Sebastopol City Council election.
Don't miss the study of contrast of the two new council members left hands!

Barry


New Council installed, Kyes elected mayor for 2013

https://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_we...a4bcf887a.html

Posted: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 3:47 pm
by David Abbott Sonoma West Editor [email protected]

Final election results favor John Eder over Kathleen Shaffer

A sense of triumph infused City Council chambers in Sebastopol Tuesday night, as the roomful of supporters cheered on the “dream team” of Robert Jacob and John Eder, who were sworn in after election results were finalized last Friday.

Jacob pulled in 2,335 votes, or 29.4 percent, while Eder — after a drawn-out process that began with his nine-vote lead on election night — squeaked by incumbent Kathleen Shaffer by 62 votes.

When the final votes were tallied, Eder ended up with 1,992 votes, 25.1 percent, and Shaffer had 1,930, or 24.3 percent.

New Vice Mayor Robert Jacob (right) and Councilmember
John Eder (center) are sworn in Tuesday night by City Clerk Mary Gourley.
David Abbot

The two remaining candidates, former councilmember and mayor Kathy Austin, and Colleen Fernald, wound up with 1,488 votes (18.8 percent) and 191 (2.4 percent) respectively.

In the midst of the hoopla, now-former Mayor Guy Wilson, who did not seek reelection, called for peace after a “polarizing” campaign, praising City staff who he said are often taken for granted and have been the target of unfair criticism in the wake of the CVS/Chase decision that became the central issue of the 2012 election.
“We’re at a crossroads in the sense we’ve just finished a difficult and somewhat contentious campaign,” Wilson said. “There needs to be some coming together going forward.”

Wilson, who was elected during the contentious Northeast Area Specific Plan discussions in 2008, voted along with Shaffer and Councilmember Patrick Slayter, who both voted in favor of the CVS/Chase project, while Councilmember Sarah Gurney and newly elected Mayor Michael Kyes voted against it.

“My point of view ultimately didn’t resonate with the community,” Wilson said. “I probably would have lost based on that one vote.”

He also took the opportunity to thank Shaffer, who was not in attendance, praising her dedication to the community and her work during her time on Council.

“She came very close to being elected and deserved to be re-elcted,” he said. “We need people like Kathleen,” who has a good heart, he said, and a willingness to serve.

After honoring Wilson, Council moved on to its annual election.

Kyes was to sole nominee for mayor — nominations were closed once Gurney put his name forward — and Jacob, who is the first Latino to serve on Sebastopol Council, was quickly elected to the vice mayor position.
Once the candidates were sworn in and the new mayor was put in place, the new members gave brief statements, followed by public comment.

“I would like to thank (former) councilmember Shaffer for her service and selfless dedication to the community,” Eder said, also praising Wilson for leading Sebastopol during “a really rough time,” with “civility in the face of a lot of anger.”

Jacob said he was honored to have been elected and thanked Wilson for his inspiration and support, praising city staff for their hard work, as well as “over 250 volunteers and contributors” who helped him get elected.
“More than anything, I look forward to taking on the task of participating in Sebastopol’s future as a truly liberal Democrat, environmentalist and social justice advocate while always keeping the importance of economic vitality close to heart,” he said.

Jacob also reported that he had surveyed the community and found that 81 percent of respondents wanted bicycle and pedestrian improvements; 83 percent favored expanding and enhancing parks and open space, while 81 percent did not support CVS/Chase and 28 percent thought Sebastopol was moving in the wrong direction politically and socially.

“Over the next four years, I can assure you that I will refer to these issues more as a mandate in my decision making and commitment to bring all of Sebastopol’s interests together for the benefit of our community,” he said.
Members of the public were overwhelmingly supportive.

“I’m a Sebastopol supporter even on bad traffic days,” Jane Nielson said, adding that although she does not live within the Sebastopol city limits and was unable to vote, she participated in the election.

“I didn’t think the politics were all that divisive,” Nielson said. “There is a broad community of consensus … there was too much emphasis on splits, but we’re pretty unified.”

But Thomas Morabito laid the blame for what some people believed to be political divisiveness at the feet of the developers.

“I intend to place the blame for any discord on CVS, Chase and Armstrong (Development),” he said. “I’m not going to blame people who thought this might be good for Sebastopol.”

Morabito added that if 81 percent of the population would mobilize on the corner of the former Pellini property, they could stop the development and asked the new Council for guidance.

“Lead us. Tell us how to stop it,” he said. “We welcome your expertise and welcome the ‘dream team.’”

[Peacetown Jonathan]

For those who missed it Tuesday night, here is Progressive Sebastopol's YouTube video of Robert Jacobs speaking to supporters at Aubergine after his swearing in as City Council Member--and Vice Mayor.

YES WE CAN, FOLKS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWHi...ature=youtu.be