Dillan Horton Receives Endorsement from the Collective PAC

(From press release) Dillan Horton, a candidate for Davis City Council’s District 2, is proud to announce that he has received endorsement from the Collective PAC, a political action committee aiming to build Black political power. The Collective PAC endorses federal, state, and municipal candidates across the nation that will elevate Black representation in federal, state, and local governments. It is no coincidence that Dillan also received endorsements from Black community leaders across Davis, including former organizer of Parents of African American Children - Davis Dzokerayi Mukome, former President of DJUSD Board of Trustees Cindy Pickett, Chief Emeritus of UC Davis Police Calvin Handy, founder and director of the Culture C.O-O.P Sandy Holman, former member of the Davis Human Relations Commission Rev. Tim Malone, and many others. Their endorsements demonstrate Dillan’s commitment and strength in reforming city government and fighting for racial justice.

As potentially the first Black Councilmember in Davis, Dillan will not only bring needed representation to the City Council, but also fight for equal opportunity for all Davisites. He will make it easier to start Black-owned, other minority-owned & women-owned small businesses, along with expanding the availability of quality-affordable housing in Davis, particularly expanding workforce housing. In addition, Dillan’s successful experience in criminal justice reform has equipped him to tackle implicit racial biases in policing, such as reforming traffic enforcement, where Black Davisites report persistent racial bias.


The City Council Used Misleading Comparisons of Compensation from Other Cities to Award Excessive Salary Increases to Davis City Employees

Part 2 – Recent Salary Increases to the Firefighters

By the No on Measure Q Campaign

Introduction

We recently reported that the City of Davis used flawed and misleading data to award excessive compensation increase to the City Manger. (See https://www.davisite.org/2024/10/the-city-council-used-misleading-comparisons-of-compensation-from-other-cities-to-award-excessive-sa.html). They did so by using compensation data from 12 regional cities against which to compare the Davis City Manager's compensation. Claiming this data showed our City Manager was under-compensated, in July of 2024 the Davis City Council awarded him a 2% annual salary increase retroactive to January 1 of this year, an annual 3.0% bonus retroactive for 2023 and another 3% bonus for the uncompleted 2024 year. 

However, in that article we showed that if the comparative compensation data from only 6 regional cities of comparable size were otherwise used, our City Manager earned between 3% and 30% greater than the City Managers of any of those six comparable-sized cities in 2023 - and this was before the Council awarded bonuses to our City Manager for both 2023 and 2024.

In May, 2024 the Davis City Council similarly approved a 6.0% increase in base salary for all firefighters retroactive to July 1, 2023. The ostensible reason given for the salary increase was that the total compensation for the average Firefighter II position was 6.0% LESS than the median total compensation earned by Firefighter II-equivalent positions in twelve regional cities and fire protection agencies; and thus a raise to ALL firefighters was appropriate to keep their compensation competitive. However, the Council again based their analysis on misleading data.

Unfortunately, similar to the comparative analysis of compensation of our City Manager, the Davis Firefighter II compensation was also compared to that in ten purportedly “comparable” local cities and two fire protection agencies in the region.  However, many of those ten cities are much larger than Davis, and include Sacramento (population of 525,000), Roseville (population 190,000), and Fairfield (population 119, 000).  Davis’ population is only about 67,000.

An Alternative Fair Comparison with Comparable-Sized Cities

Continue reading "The City Council Used Misleading Comparisons of Compensation from Other Cities to Award Excessive Salary Increases to Davis City Employees" »


What it’s like Campaigning in Reno, NV

IMG_3870By Alan Hirsch 

I am one of the hundreds of Davis volunteers from Indivisible Yolo and Sister District called to get involved in this election. I share this as in a few days the experience of this moment will be forgotten in the joy or anguish of Tuesday’s election results. 

We drove from Davis to Reno to canvass homes for Harris the last week of October. Our group of five is door knocking on a prescreened list of likely Democratic voters. The Nevada Democratic Party assigns us neighborhoods, and we use an app on our cell phones. On our first day we ran into other groups canvasing the same turfs. Many homes already had Harris literature under their door mats. Our first day of canvassing was Monday, not a weekend. 

We look at the canvassing history of voters in the app. This history shows 10 or even 25 knocks, texts, and call attempts since beginning in July.  Almost all contacts indicate "not home."  A few are marked as voted so we don’t knock. Less than ¼ of the people answer the door (curse the ring doorbells) and of those who answer about ½ have voted already. We make sure everyone has a plan to vote, a where and when and know the hours the early polling places are open. 

Washoe County NV, which is 1/25 the population of Bay Area, is attracting many volunteers.   

We wonder what our efforts will mean. Will our hours here make a difference? 

I see just one piece of Trump literature, a door hanger, cut out in shape of the state of California. It reads "Don't let Harris turn the US into California.” “California” is now a GOP shorthand meme for lawless dystopian hell hole. Socialist, even Communist.

We knock on doors alone to cover more ground but share our stories when we gather for meals.

In 6 person-hours of canvasing on our first day I surfaced a young Hispanic man not registered to vote and I explained how he could still register and vote. Another young man was convinced Trump will win so why bother to vote. I shared that Trump’s derogatory remarks had offended a key demographic of Pennsylvania voters. I stressed that his vote would matter.

This is the work.


Letter: Annual Budget Reduced to Repair roads, bike paths and sidewalks.

The City wants to tax us another $11 million per year on the ballot as Measure Q. They claim the money will be used to provide new services, but they don’t tell us what new services. Well I have a problem with spending millions on new services when the City can’t even maintain what it already has.

Everywhere you go in town you can see the awful state of our roads, bike paths and sidewalks. They are in terrible shape. We now have far worse roads than West Sacramento or Woodland. It was promised this would be taken care of by the city when we approved the renewal of the previous 1% sales tax hike, but since then things have only deteriorated even further.

And the City Council approved reducing last year’s road maintenance budget by $1.5 million. Where did that money go? I’ll tell you where it went- it went to increase employee salaries and the development of new programs.

Let’s face it, responsible budgeting means taking care of necessities first, but that is not what is happening. The city keeps asking for more money from citizens in the form of increased taxes to pay for all their “nice to have” pet projects, which are being put ahead of essential maintenance and services. It is time for citizens to say “enough is enough” and vote “NO on Q" for more tax increases until the City Council starts acting more responsibly and accountable to the tax-payers.

Don Price


The City Council Used Misleading Comparisons of Compensation from Other Cities to Award Excessive Salary Increases to Davis City Employees

Part 1 – Recent Salary Increases to the City Manager

By the No on Measure Q Campaign

Introduction

On July 9, 2024 the Davis City Council approved a 2.0% increase in base salary for the City Manager, Mike Webb. This salary increase was made retroactive to January 9 of this year. He was also awarded a retroactive bonus of 3.0% for 2023 and another 3.0% bonus for 2024.

The ostensible reason given for the 2.0% raise was that Mr. Webb’s 2023 salary was 2.8% LESS than the median salary earned by City Managers in nearby cities, and thus a raise was appropriate to keep Mr. Webb’s salary competitive. However, the Council based the City Manager’s salary increase on misleading data.

Mr. Webb’s salary was compared with City Managers in twelve purportedly “comparable” local cities in the region.  However, half of those 12 cities are much larger than Davis, and include Sacramento (population of 525,000), Roseville (population 190,000), and Fairfield (population 119, 000).  Davis’ population is only about 67,000.

An Alternative Fair Comparison with Comparable-Sized Cities

Continue reading "The City Council Used Misleading Comparisons of Compensation from Other Cities to Award Excessive Salary Increases to Davis City Employees" »


Voting for Harris is Voting for These Power Women

Wonderfulwomen
Venessa Chang - Department of Energy, Lina Khan - Federal Trade Commission, Julie Su - Department of Labor

By Scott Steward

I am motivated to keep Venessa Chang, Lina Khan and Julie Su in power (see bios below). These women are in charge of our government’s renewable energy future, market, and wage equity.  That goes very much away if Trump wins. 

Against Trump’s authoritarian challenge, good men and good women have come together in associations where differences are put aside to elect Harris/Walz.

Indivisible Yolo (Indivisibleyolo.org) has built a platform of action here at home. For the next two weeks, the aim is to prevail in defending democracy.

Get involved. IY has already paved the way - training at no cost.  indivisibleyolo.org.  Weekdays and weekends. Canvassing to win congressional districts in California. Calls to win abortion rights in Arizona. Volunteers virtually go where they are needed.   You need a computer and a cell phone to be fully able to help.   It's the most important 2 weeks ever.

When we call, text, knock we win!  Come join in!    

(this message is provided by the author alone and not any organization)

Continue reading "Voting for Harris is Voting for These Power Women" »


Letter: Excited about Dillan Horton's candidacy

As a long-time member of the Davis community, I am excited about Dillan's candidacy for the Davis City Council. As both a renter and a Black man, Dillan is committed to fighting for all Davis residents, especially those who have been suffering from racial and economic injustices.

Dillan’s involvement in the city government, contribution to the Nine Recommendations, and his role in establishing the Department of Social Services & Housing proves that he is the only candidate with successful experience in city governance. If elected to the City Council, Dillan will leverage his expertise to better represent racial minorities, renters, and the entire Davis community.

Since the onset of the tragic Israel-Palestinian conflict, Dillan has consistently advocated for those suffering from warfare. He successfully encouraged the City Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. He has also engaged with Jewish leaders in Davis to address the issue of antisemitism. I fully trust Dillan to champion causes that matter to us and fight for our collective best interests.

Tim Malone


Reminder - TODAY - renown experts give climate lecture on UCD campus

Storer Lecturship in the Life Sciences: How Decades of Climate Denial, Disinformation and Doublespeak by Big Oil Fueled the Climate Crisis

ClimateLectureTuesday October 22, 4:00 - 7 pm ARC Ballroom (and Zoom)

Register here: https://bit.ly/102224StorerReg (or use QR code in flyer).   All are welcome.  Please register soon to help ensure an accurate headcount.

Speakers:

Continue reading "Reminder - TODAY - renown experts give climate lecture on UCD campus" »


Letter: Former councilmember endorses Dillan Horton

As one of the oldest former City Councilmen of Davis I am pleased to endorse my friend, Dillan Horton, for Davis City Council District 2. During the past few years we have benefited from work that Dillan has done to assist us here in Winters, where I now live. I know Dylan as a smart hard worker with great ideas that he will use to shape the future of Davis.

Ever since 1972 I have unsuccessfully tried to get a Black person elected and or appointed to the Davis City Council. Hopefully, getting Dillan elected this year will be a delightful change, a tremendous benefit, and source of pride to Davis. This old barrier will finally be broken. This will be a great year to make this happen and Davis will benefit from his knowledge and sensitivity.

Cheers

Dick Holdstock


Letter: Linda Deos for Councilperson for Davis District 2

I write to recommend Linda Deos for Councilperson for Davis District 2.

Linda is an excellent listener and her work as a legal mediator has provided her great experience in working with people who may not immediately perceive their mutual interest, realize a positive solution to resolve their conflicts. This skill will be invaluable in leading the community as Davis develops its new general plan.

Over the fifteen years I have known Linda, she and I have had long conversations about her approach to public service and her understanding of the work required to successfully execute each of the positions she has held in city and county government. As others have noted, Linda takes her work for the community very seriously, spending the time to learn exactly the responsibilities and processes involved in each position.  The breadth of her experience, from chairing the Yolo County Cannabis Business Tax Oversight Commission, chairing the Utilities Commission and serving on the Davis Planning Commission and the Davis Personnel Board, when combined with her role on the Yolo Basin Foundation Executive Committee means she will come to the City Council with a deep understand of how various parts of Davis work.  Moreover, Linda has developed a detailed knowledge about how the parts of local government—advisory boards, city and county agencies—complement each other. Understanding of how these levels of government interact is imperative to successfully craft and implement policy.

Linda is also a fun-loving person who enjoys and values people, an excellent addition to the City Council.

Helen Roland Cramer


Dillan Horton notes Biased Endorsement Process from Davis Firefighters Local 3494

(From press release) Throughout the campaign cycle, Dillan’s team arranged four meetings with the leadership of Davis Firefighters Local 3494. During these meetings, union leaders expressed their operations were in disarray as a result of the sudden departure of their longtime past president. Notably, there was neither a formal interview with union members nor a questionnaire for candidates, standard practice for union endorsements. If the candidates were properly interviewed and assessed, it would have revealed that Linda Deos, the endorsed candidate, has no substantial record of standing up for the right to organize, and has not presented serious plans for addressing the persistent labor rights issues that exist in Davis.

When 3494’s new leadership called the campaign to communicate their endorsement decision, they shared that union leadership already promised it to Linda in a “backroom deal” months prior. This undermined the endorsement process, which should be based on thorough evaluation. This diversion sidelined Dillan, the candidate who’s worked in solidarity with unions his entire adult life, for a candidate who’s most extensive labor experience is working as an attorney for the state correctional officers union to represent prison guards accused of wrongdoing.

As someone whose entire adult life has involved solidarity with organized labor, Dillan finds the sloppy & blatantly biased engagement in this council election troubling. It undermines the interests of 3494 members, and betrays the interests of the broader labor movement.


Vote no on Q and yes on T

Q Sign Final _ outlinesBy Colin Walsh

Measure T provides funding for the operation of a new library in South Davis. T answers a long felt need in an underserved area. T is a discrete tax that joins already procured funds. T makes sense.

Measure Q is a bad deal for Davis. Q doubles the local sales tax from 1% to 2% increasing costs for everyone who shops in Davis — another reason for Davis residents to leave town to shop. Worse, Q can be spent on anything the council decides later and they have a bad track record of wasting money without meeting community needs.

The council just gave all city staff a large retroactive raise that significantly outpaced inflation. They also put much of the $19 million received from the federal government for Covid recovery to nice-to-have items like a pump track and arts grants rather than to more immediate needs.

All this as Davis has fallen more than two years behind in auditing its finances and there are irregularities and deficiencies found in the last audit, that itself was several years late.

The council also ended the finance and budget commission that acted as a public watch dog on the city budget.

Q is nothing like T. Voting for T will do something good for Davis. Voting for Q will encourage our council to continue with frivolous spending. The council needs a clear message that Davis wants accountability. Please vote no on Q. Yes, on T.

 


Follow the Money - Part II

No on Q Banner Artwork 2

The Davis Employee Unions are Filling the Yes on Measure Q Campaign Coffers

by the No on Measure Q Campaign Committee -  – FPPC No. 1470874

Last week, we reported on the $22,482.20 that Davis firefighters and their union paid to or spent on behalf of 4 sitting Davis City Council member campaigns in the 2020 (Josh Chapman and Will Arnold) and 2022 (Gloria Partida and Bapu Vaitla) election cycles (see Follow the Money - Part I at https://www.davisite.org/2024/10/follow-the-money.html).

These direct contributions preceded huge, retroactive salary increases given to the Davis firefighters pushing their compensation well in excess of what neighboring, similar-sized cities are paying their firefighters.

As Davis Enterprise columnist Rich Rifken once wrote: "No segment of the Davis' labor force is gorging at the trough more voraciously than the Fire Department..."

Well, not to be outdone, other Davis city employee unions are joining the firefighters' union in rapidly filling the coffers of the Yes on Measure Q campaign committee. Following are their campaign contributions to the Yes on Measure Q campaign committee reported thus far:

Continue reading "Follow the Money - Part II" »


Letter: Linda Deos for City Council

I endorse Linda Deos for election to City Council based on the experience I have had serving with her on the City of Davis Planning Commission for the past two years.  During that time the commission has engaged in long and difficult deliberations that resulted in approval of important development projects and policies, often after significant modifications by the commission.  Linda has been a fully engaged and vital participant in reaching those decisions.

Evaluating this type of complex subject matter requires familiarity with the principles of land use, planning, zoning, housing and the applicability of continually evolving State law.  These are precisely the same topics about which a councilmember must be intimately knowledgable, meaning Linda will be ready to "hit the ground running" on her first day in office.

In working with Linda, I have found her to be consistently well informed, articulate, and prepared to ask penetrating questions of project applicants and City staff.  Linda is also sensitive to community values and concerns- - a vitally important trait for serving on City Council. 

Based on my experience working with Linda on issues similar to those that lie ahead, I strongly urge voters to elect Linda to City Council. Although I am chair of the Planning Commission, the opinions expressed in this letter are strictly my own.

Greg Rowe


Vote to Heal a Divided Davis

Preface to thinking about Measure Q Tax and council election

2 map housing along freeway

By Alan Hirsch   

I write this having attended more City Council and Commission meetings than all current council members, and all but a few community members.

For years now, I have seen city government fail to harness our community’s education and social capital wealth since the failure of the 2014 R&D Business Park initiative.  The community has not leveraged its charmed geography—a unique rural area highly accessible via I-80 & rail service between the Bay Area & State Capitol. And proximity to UC Davis, a major research university that brings billions in grant dollars to our community. We are ideally located to incubate a wealth of startups and attract businesses. This should be giving us a robust tax base and providing a rich offering of city services.

Instead, we are failing. So, we now need to raise our sale taxes and we seem to have been forced to site new affordable housing next to the freeway, land that should have been used for new startups and businesses to build our city’s tax base.  I note council decided not to site housing on Russell at a redone Trader Joes Mall across from the University this year. And Community resistance to student housing on Russell Fields 6 year back, close to our downtown, forced students to live in dorms in West Village 1 mile from our downtown shopping area- where they don’t feed out sales tax base.

It used to be noted at council meetings that Davis’s greatest asset is its involved and educated residents. No longer. Instead, city staff and council, though their actions, indicate they don’t believe this anymore. It used to be residents could express their insight and expertise by being involved in an independent city commission.  Full commissions used to bring up new ideas, and even vote to disagree with the council, even over ballot measures. No more.  People volunteering for commissions are told by staff that their role is to serve the current council’s policy, even though this contradicts the not-yet-updated official Commission Handbook that recalls the old way: “Commissions are independent.”

Continue reading "Vote to Heal a Divided Davis" »


3 Different Voices Raised Marking October 7th

By Scott Steward

I attended three October 7th events. First, I attended the noon UCD Students for Justice in Palestine demarcation of “One Year of Genocide." - it was well attended, and the students chanted a series of edgy truths about Palestinian rights to land taken by Israel, 76 years of takings and oppression, and the most recent accelerated genocide.  

YA-protest
October 7th, students attending "One Year of Genocide" Students for Palestinian Justice protest at UCD Memorial Union

 

A small group of counter-protestors was noticeably attended by non-student senior adults. The senior adults led the harassment of masked Justice for Palestine student protestors. With phone cameras pointed, they would home in on a student and attempt to get a response with a series of derisive questions. The students were well-disciplined and would not let themselves get drawn into a quarrel.  Repeatedly, the pro-Israeli counter-protestors chanted, “Rape (see footnote) is not resistance,” in a useless attempt to shout down the much larger group of Students for Justice in Palestine. I left the group before they marched through campus.

Continue reading "3 Different Voices Raised Marking October 7th" »


Free climate lecture on UCD campus, Tues Oct 22

Storer Lecturship in the Life Sciences: How Decades of Climate Denial, Disinformation and Doublespeak by Big Oil Fueled the Climate Crisis

ClimateLectureTuesday October 22, 4:00 - 7 pm ARC Ballroom (and Zoom)

Register here: https://bit.ly/102224StorerReg (or use QR code in flyer).   All are welcome.  Please register soon to help ensure an accurate headcount.

Speakers:

Continue reading "Free climate lecture on UCD campus, Tues Oct 22" »


City of Davis Prefers Chipotlanes to Bikelanes

The east end of south Davis: No street refreshing for a "Farm fresh" business like Chipotle - and automobile dealers and other businesses here have been paying taxes for years, but to date not for any improvements to Chiles Rd and adjacent streets (Chiles Corridor).

In addition to Chipotle, multiple projects have been completed or are in process on or near the Corridor over the past four years, while the City excuses itself  by requiring no mitigation fees or investment since there's no specific "project" to improve transportation conditions in the Corridor. 

PXL_20240921_011306079.RAW-01.COVER
Westbound Chiles just east of the site in question. Staff seemed to have interpreted my photo as a suggestion that sight lines could be problematic for people leaving Chipotle. My actual intention was to make clear how unsafe it is to cycle this way from the large neighborhood to the east.... explicitly parents telling e.g. younger teens perfectly capable of riding a bike that they can't go get their food. 

Staff is recommending that the City of Davis Planning Commission - at their meeting on October 9th - approve the destruction of the building formerly used by Cindy's, following an earlier cancellation at their July meeting - so that the Historical Resources Management Commission could consider historical designation - and that Commission's vote against it on September 16.. The site would then be used by Chipotle Mexican Grill, for new building with its "Chipotlane" feature, a drive-thru - they call it a "pickup window" - designed to reduce idling by visiting motor vehicles. 

If you have something to say on this matter which you would like to be considered by the Planning Commission, please write them by end of morning on Wednesday at [email protected], or - better yet - come to the meeting at 7pm at City Hall. 

About the not-Historical part and Cindy's as an example of Googie architecture, I don't have a lot of professional experience, but a commenter at the mentioned meeting was a former HRM Commissioner (and current Yolo County Climate Action Commission member), Robin Datel. See the video starting at 16:15. Ms Datel commented that the Cindy's building represents a shift to suburban, automobile-focused planning, and that we lose something if it's destroyed.

That continuing endeavor is murderous, but it's good to keep memories of horrors along the way, isn't it?  About interiors, I DO  like the traditional diner aesthetic...

(By the way, the 'Enterprise article on that Commission meeting failed to mention that expert opposing comment.)

The natural segue of, um, deconstruction here is that the Chipotlane is the next step in the "evolution" of automobile-centric planning, which Davis is increasingly known for! So, this 'pickup window" is at once the evolution and symbol of big car. 

My precise position on this proposal is pragmatic: Leaving aside my justified criticism of car culture, while I think the best solution for I-80-focused businesses is some variant of the I-5-style multi-businesses that essentially form their own drive-thru, entrance and exit, for this location I question the absolute lack of any changes to the streetscape itself to make it safer for vulnerable users especially - but really, also people travelling by car. 


Historical Designation Dismissed - Archaic Infrastructure Ignored

It's widely known that the Davis automobile and RV dealerships and associated services - e.g. gas stations and car washes - on and adjacent to the long stretch of Chiles on both sides of Mace Blvd are one of if not the primary source of tax revenue for the City. But take a look at Chiles... what's been improved here since the whole area was first constructed, except perhaps some signal upgrades? It's so awful that it's logical to propose that the intensely old-school streetscape itself is worthy of historical designation!

But fear not, the City is not interested in tearing it down! 

The following from the Staff Report, starting on pg. 9. with my COMMENTS: 


"Traffic Considerations

Staff acknowledges that conversations regarding traffic operations along Chiles Road have taken place. Staff considered several alternatives to the proposed project, such as restricting turning movements at the project driveway, especially the eastbound left turn into the driveway. Staff felt that without a viable U-turn opportunity on Chiles to the west [do they actually mean "east"???], restricting turning movements at the driveway would increase cut-through traffic along Cowell Boulevard and El Cemonte Avenue, as this would be the shortest path of travel for automobiles. This route is not desirable since this portion of Cowell Boulevard is a residential neighborhood as well as a suggested safe route to school.

BUT also there's a huge residential neighborhood to the east and the most direct connection to Chipotle is via these streets. The alternative via Cowell requires a trip through the Mace and Chiles intersection, and back through the same. 

Additionally, there have been discussions about existing issues related to traffic on Chiles Road, such as existing congestion at the intersection of Chiles Road and Mace Boulevard and truck parking along Chiles Road near the project location. In this case, these issues are existing deficiencies. The City is not allowed to condition improvements on a private development project to address existing issues. If there were an identified project to address them, then the City could look at assessing a proportional share of the cost of that solution for the new traffic that would be created by this project; however, in this case, there is no such project in place.

WHY is there "... no such project..." here? During the past three or four years to the present day the following six varied projects were completed or in development, on the Corridor:

  • 400 Mace Blvd: 7-11 & gas station re-construction (2020/21);
  • 3820 Chiles Road (The Celeste Apartments, opened early 2023)
  • Mace Blvd (South of Cowell; Re-design (2023 final version);
  • 4480 Chiles: ARCO/AM-PM (2022 status: Approved and Pending/Under Construction)
  • 4810 Chiles: Chiles Road Plaza (2022 status: Approved and Pending/Under Construction)
  • 480 Mace (Sunny's Carwash, opened spring 2024

All of the development projects in the list have related transportation studies. The one done for 4810 Chiles - across the street from the proposed Chiptole - by Fehr & Peers - essentially the City's in-house external transportation experts - recommends features for Chiles to restrict turns and notes the hazards caused by the slip lane from NB Mace to EB Chiles. The study was done before Cindy's closed and likely before it was envisioned that it would, and that this possible variation of the restaurant model would be introduced. 

Screenshot 2024-10-08 11.16.36 AM
The Chiles Corridor: The Celeste is just west of Esmeralda Drive and the proposed Chipotle is next to - and to the east of - Taco Bell. Click on image to enlarge. (Sorry about formatting glitch)

The Chipotle analysis, for its part, consists of pasted in projections about the Chipotlane from the applicant and references staff and external input - included in the appendices of the Staff Report. 

However, the project - again, consisting in part of a transportation feature wholly new to Davis - was not brought to the Bicycling, Transportation and Street Safety Commission (BTSSC) prior to the cancelled July 2024 Planning Commission meeting, and the successor Transportation Commission (TC) did not see the project prior to the Planning Commission review this week. Fun Fact: Out of all the projects I mentioned above, only what came to be known as the Celeste was reviewed by the BTSSC (back in 2019 or so). The BTSSC/TC didn't see anything else, and so had no opportunity to, for example, suggest the Chiles Corridor needed the elusive "project". (I wrote the TC several times about this, including a link to these photos/videos. The only reaction was in September 2024: One Commission member suggesting a look into drive-thru's at a future meeting.) However, Chiles Road from the east frontage of the Celeste to the EB exit from I-80 will be part of the Cool Pavements project, so there will be new asphalt and universally-agreed-as-inadequate paint-only bike lanes just as there is all the way to the Cowell-Drummond-Chiles roundabout  (The project - and of course funding application to the Federal government - mentioned "progressive striping standards" which haven't been updated for eight years.) 


PXL_20240728_010343990.RAW-01.COVER (1)
Mace Blvd NB, about 1/3 of the way between the WB I-80 exit and 2nd St. This is the apparently acceptable solution from the City for a damaged drain grate that could literally grab a bicycle wheel. It took two months after my report for the City to bring it to this state. From a collection of related photos. 



 

 

 

From the "Conditional Use Permit" section of the Staff Report, starting at the bottom of pg 3, again with my COMMENTS (starting in BOLD):

"The proposed demolition and reconstruction project would continue the long-standing use of the site as a restaurant the with addition of a pick-up lane. The project site is located on a major collector street in proximity to freeway off ramps, and is well suited to serve travelers along I-80 and visitors to the nearby auto dealers. The restaurant also provides a convenience for the community as a whole with proximity to the businesses and recreation facilities east of the City limits and residents in the South Davis vicinity, where there are limited restaurant choices, and will be the first “pick-up” lane in Davis.

ANOTHER "long-standing use" of this area is Mace Blvd as the most direct connection from El Macero, El Macero Estates and adjacent neighborhoods to the east end of Mace Ranch, including - most notably Target and its CVS pharmacy - there is currently no other pharmacy in the area, the closest might be at Safeway on Pole Line in the near future - the Ikeda fruit stand, University Covenant Church, the new businesses on Alhambra and Mace, etc.  (For me it forms part of the most direct route by bike to Sutter Davis on West Covell.) This "connection" has to be for all modes, and safely.  The sewer grate fix in the photo above is objectively, trash, and should have never been approved. It would not be tolerated in most other parts of Davis. "Recreation facilities east..." refers to the soccer fields, which have exactly zero safe official connections by bike - it's possible when dry to access from the east end of Cowell Blvd, but that's at least partly on private land. (It's a good candidate for an official cycling and walking corridor, but - as with Nugget Fields - cycling to soccer in Davis is overwhelmingly an alien activity.)  In other words, the convenience of people driving is paramount here, including those getting off and back on I-80 .

 


SAFE cycling (and walking) for kids vs. Gig-driver Delivery

Chipotle will have some bike racks and such, but given the described non-plan of Davis to make the areas safe for its peripheral #cycling capital activity, the racks will likely remain empty. If I lived east of here, I'd be nervous to allow any children to go by foot to Chipotle, i.e. to cross Chiles either east or west of Chipotle I would simply use Door Dash. 

An expert friend remarked:

“It is the opposite of progressive to purposefully avoid looking for ways to improve the existing infrastructure only because it has been determined that the new project isn’t expected to negatively impact the current, inappropriate, outdated infrastructure… '*IF* there is an issue with trucks….'  There is no if."

I would assume that Chipotle would not want to be tainted by an "accident" (collision!) involving a child cycling to the new restaurant. But clearly they're not volunteering to go beyond any minimum requirements, and neither is Staff (and apparently not interested in that "project" ) and so let's see if the Planning Commission (and Council)  will intervene!



Recommendations: 

1) Cancel item for Planning Commission meeting on October 9th.

2) Create a new item for the Transportation Commission, specifically a process for a project focusing on efficiency, joy and safety for the Chiles Corridor... ideally forming a sub-committee process inclusive of one or more public hearings, or at least implementing features recommended for 4810 Chiles, and also possibly involving the Fiscal Commission (in relation to e.g. the Chiles Corridor business tax disconnect with Chiles Corridor improvements) and the Climate and Environmental Justice Commission (in relation to climate goals and transportation equity in the Corridor).

 


Davis's most recent financial audit was not "clean"

By Matt Williams

In one of the Measure Q threads on NextDoor, Council member Donna Neville and I have been having a dialogue about whether the City’s most recent financial audit by their independent auditors was “clean.” The dialogue starts here (https://nextdoor.com/p/8q75t9X4mtRY/c/1232060918?utm_source=share&utm;_campaign=1728246745147)

As you can see from the comments in the dialogue, Donna asserts that the audit was “clean,” and I believe the audit was not. For those of you who prefer not to wade through long threads, here are the reasons I believe what I do. In the interests of transparency, I have sent this to Donna as a personal email as well as posting it here.

Donna, reasonable people can agree to disagree reasonably.  I have always found you to be very very reasonable, and this is no different.  And I the spirit of that reasonability let me explain why I do not believe the audit is “clean.” When the 2021 audit arrived in January 2024, the concerns the auditor had raised in the 2020 audit were no longer 4 “Significant Deficiencies,” but rather 5 even more serious “Material Weaknesses” plus 5 “Significant Deficiencies.” Even more concerning was the fact that the City had made no meaningful progress in addressing 3 of the 4 Significant Deficiencies in the three years between audits.

So, with the carry over of those 3 unaddressed Significant Deficiencies there really were 6 Significant Deficiencies in the January 2024 Audit’s Memorandum.

Those factual realities appear to indicate that the Auditor and the City were having conflicts getting the 2021 audit done because (1) the City didn’t appear to be taking the Auditor’s 2020 concerns seriously, and (2) in three years the situation had gotten significantly worse both in the gravity of the problems and their quantity. That is what the auditor’s written report tells anyone who reads it, and it is impossible for me to see that as a “clean” audit.


Soroptimists giving women education grants

(From press release) Women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families and seek financial assistance to further their education or training are encouraged to apply for the Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women.

The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 15. This year, Soroptimist International of Davis will present one or more awards ranging from $1,000 to $4,000. The top recipient’s application will advance to regional and possibly the international level, where she could receive up to $15,000 more. Recipients may use the Live Your Dream Award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. This may include tuition, books, childcare, transportation or other education-related expenses.

Applications are available at https://bit.ly/LYDA-apply.

The Live Your Dream Award provides more than $2.8 million in cash awards to head-of-household women in need each year. Since the program’s inception in 1972, more than $35 million has helped tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.