The market shed is largely empty of vendor on Wednesday— this photo is 4/22. But the city has allow market manager the power to force community group to be table as far as possible from other farm even outside the shed in the Sun or rain. There are 2 community groups tabling behind the photographer in this photo.

 Farmers Market Discourages Community Engagement

By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch

(Alan passes out “love your neighbor” signs in the farmer’s market.)

Just when you thought our political rights could not be more threatened, this Trumpian zeitgeist seems to have come to Davis.

They are dramatically reducing visibility of community/free speech area at the Saturday farmer market by expelling these groups from their traditional tabling area along C street north of the restrooms. They will be displaced 1 block south and 2/3 of a block west to an unpaved part of Central Park.  They will be isolated from commercial vendors currently set on sidewalk next to C Street- community & political groups will be in an unpaved grass area close to B street.  An area that is unshaded and hot, so visitors won’t want to linger. This area is invisible to shoppers on C street as it will be hidden behind vendor’s trucks, banners and awnings. The Net: these Group’s tables won’t get any casual foot traffic.

The now lively Saturday market community area may go the way of the Wednesday free speech/community tablers. DFMA Market management decided to displace Wednesday tablers from under the awning to a similarly isolated, sunny & hot area far away from the half-empty market shed.  These tablers got no foot traffic in that location – and the sun stressed the volunteers - so now there is little or no community tabling on Wednesdays.

One of the alleged reason for moving community group/ free speech areas 1 1/2 block to the shadeless B street side of the park is there is not enough room in current area. Here is one of the three bike racks recently installed by city that takes up shaded space that could be available for community group tabling.

Dropping the Bomb

By Elaine Roberts Musser and Dan Carson

At the April 15, 2025 City Council meeting, four of the five Davis City Council members declared their support for immediately committing significant additional amounts of upfront funding to fix city roads and bike paths. The funding would come from the recently approved Measure Q sales tax increase and be incorporated into the two-year 2025-27 city budget that will be adopted this June.

A spending plan labeled as “Scenario 2” was presented at the meeting to Council and recommended for approval by city staff. It would have held pavement spending flat for at least five years and then, in theory, begun accelerating city spending for that purpose in 2030-31 through 2034-35.

Vice Mayor Donna Neville and Councilmembers Chapman, Partida and Deos made it very clear they found the idea of backloading pavement funding, and putting off any significant increases until five years from now, unacceptable.  Mayor Bapu Vaitla  proposed a much different approach to adding money for roads that we discuss below, that would involve asking Davis voters to approve another new tax measure.

We are grateful four Councilmembers took to heart our warning against approving Scenario 2. The report staff provided to Council documenting this scenario would escalate the roughly $100 million backlog of city road pavement projects that now exists to almost $150 million, an increase of approximately $50 million over the next decade (see  the chart below, on page 07-50 of city staff report).                             

By Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser

• Direct City staff to provide funding in the forthcoming two-year budget of $14 million per year (from all sources), including an increase in General Fund resources of $5.5 million per year from Measure Q sales tax increase funding approved by Davis voters, for support of the Pavement Maintenance Program. The $14 million amount represents the funding identified by city staff in a December 2024 presentation to Council that would be needed over four years to make up for previous shortfalls in funding for road and bike path maintenance that have occurred in recent years.
• Direct city staff to return to Council with a recommendation in regard to the additional staff and contract resources, if necessary, that should be incorporated into the 2025-27 budget plan to implement the program at the funding level provided above.
• Restore the process the Council established in 2019 for commission review and oversight of the Pavement Maintenance Program. The Fiscal Commission should:
  1. Examine why the reported condition of street and bike path pavement improved significantly in recent years, nearly reaching the original goals set by Council, despite significant funding shortfalls, and evaluate whether future technical adjustments are warranted to reassess the model used to project the level of funding required for the program.
  2. Evaluate the potential impact of the planned Cool Pavement federal grant program to determine whether any further increases or decreases are warranted for city funding levels for pavement management, due to improvements to roads expected to be achieved under the federal grant program.
  3. Review the specific proposed funding components of the 2019 Council-approved plan for pavement maintenance to:
     • Determine whether, and to what degree, they have been implemented by city staff, and why;
     • Determine which, if any of them, are still feasible and available to assist in future funding of the Pavement Management Program;
     • Estimate the fiscal impact of frontloading rather than backloading funding to maintain roads and bike paths over the next ten years. The Council should direct city staff to assist the Fiscal Commission in all four areas of this review.

Background

By Scott Steward

Boundary Bend was cited by the County in August 2023 for its non-permitted well drilling in the Hungary Hollow region of Capay Valley. So how, after two years of evidence showing that the well is out of compliance, is County staff recommending upholding Boundary Bends agricultural well permit # 23-022W?  The County and Boundary Bend know that the new well is too big and too close to Good Humus farm. 

Good Humus and other family farms have already had to modify their wells to sustain their table crop farms. Nearly three generations of care have gone into the land craft of organic farming in Hungary Hollow. Without much help, these farms have entered our region's food markets and succeeded in producing some of the healthiest food on earth. Capay has inspired farm-to-fork land care nationally.  

Boundary Bend (application #23-022W) took advantage of one-time replacement well criteria that the county was obliged to put in place for farms and residents short on water following the seven-year drought. Replacement well designation was allowed for existing agricultural operations and drinking water. Boundary Bend did not meet the criteria for a replacement well. Instead of reapplying as a new well, Boundary hired lawyers at Kronick to lean on the county.

Here are some of the facts that show that Boundary Bend application #23-022W did not and does not qualify for the approved "replacement well" status. The application:

Joint Announcement by Sacramento Region Grassroots Organizations

(From press release)

WHAT: Mass Mobilization to Stop the Trump/Musk Corruption and Power Grab
WHEN:  April 5, 2025 11 a.m.
WHERE: State Capitol West Steps, Sacramento [and in multiple outlying areas*]

On April 5, local grassroots organizations from around the Sacramento region are calling on all people concerned about the direction of our country to join the 50501 Picnic Protest in tandem with the national Hands Off! mass rally to protest the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.

Events across the country, in major cities and small towns in every state, will show that the people—the majority—are taking action to stop the corruption and power grab.

Why we’re mobilizing on April 5th

by Alan C. Miller

The showtimes for Monday March 31st – Thursday April 3rd are:  6:10pm & 8:40pm

The official summary is:

"OCTOBER 8th" offers a look at the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses, social media and in the streets of America beginning the day after the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. Through meticulous investigation, the film also uncovers how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate U.S. institutions and examines the tsunami of online antisemitism, propaganda, and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China and Russia – with the sole purpose of dividing American society.

I am sure some will dismiss this movie as "Isreael propaganda".  I've seen two single-showing pro-Palestine movies at The Varsity that could  be considered Palestinian propaganda.  Not that I didn't learn anything or that it is all BS, but of course the most effective propaganda contains mostly truths and leaves out truths not flattering to the propaganda side.  I did not consider "No Other Land" to be propaganda; it was about a particular situation from the effects of the settlements in the West Bank.  I have yet find anything convincing to morally justify the settlements.

I haven't seen "October 8th" yet, but will be seeing it this week.  From the clips I've seen, there is a parallel to what I felt on October 8th and the days following.  I had lived as we all have, knowing there were, as in the 40's, and through much of history, people out there who wanted to kill us for who we are, for some to kill all of us ---- with one or dozens killed in individual terrorist attacks over the last few decades.  I had only come into contact with real antisemitic hatred a few times, but it's really ugly when it happens directly, and astounding.  And it has been ramping up, and most white people don't get it.  I said that on purpose to get a rise; most non-Jews don't get it.

And then it happened.  1200 Jews killed, and hundreds dragged over the border.  I never thought I'd see an event of the mass slaughter of Jews reflecting of the Holocaust in my lifetime.  While not as massive, the genocidal intent and the hate was clear.

The next day, on October 8th, I had no expectation of the media and public reaction, but I was shocked by what occurred.  Why would I not hear mass mourning and understanding by so so many?  I heard calls for Israel to 'stop the genocide', still weeks before Gaza was invaded, with no recognition of the genocidal attack that had just occurred.  Multiple independent news sources that I trusted and hosts I admired suddenly turned with narratives that bordered on or were outright antisemitic.  1200 Jews had just been killed, and the term 'Zionist' was now being openly used with the same tone as 'Nazi' by large swaths of the public and even some media outlets -- Israelis were even being called Nazis.

I was watching Israeli media directly as much as possible.  The day after the "40 beheaded babies" story broke, the story was debunked in Israel.  Yet days later our President (Biden) repeated it (why??? @#$%&!).  Then for months this group, suddenly empowered in the media, the 'anti-Zionists', including anti-Zionist Jews, began repeating the 40 beheaded babies story as a lie told by Israel, even though it had been debunked the next day in Israeli media.

And the most heinous lie of all - summed up by many as "Listen to all Women, Unless they are Jewish".  The anti-Zionists spreading information that there were no rapes.  One of the darkest things I ever witnessed was -- just a few days after October 7th -- two hours of interviews with a team of women who had prepared the bodies of the women slaughtered at the Nova Festival for respectable and fast Jewish burial.  This wasn't propaganda -- there wasn't even time to have orchestrated such a thing -- these were women who had traveled to help out due to the massiveness of the task.  They described the burns, the semen stains, the broken bones and pelvises, the severed limbs.

And then -- journalists I respected said it was all a lie -- there were no rapes.  Some say it to this day.  I believe the NY Tines didn't get it all right, but that doesn't mean there were no rapes.  And this just a handful of years after 'Me Too'.  And all this macro-hate directed at Jews when just a few years earlier we were told of the evil of 'micro-agressions'.

I've made it a point to listen to both sides, to all sides, and seek to watch every pro-Palestine movie that comes through, to fully understand, if not to agree.  And yes, criticism of Israel is more than valid, it's a right and necessary.  I am not a fan of Netanyahu nor the West Bank settlements and Israel deserves much criticism.  But the outright double-standard used against Jews, and the hate, that has to be recognized by more Americans for what it is, as it isn't going away.

So this may be propaganda in some people's eyes, and maybe it is.  As I said, I haven't seen it yet.  But I make it a point to see what is put out by all sides on this issue.  I hope you will too.

(From press release) Minority Leader Schumer, as chair of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, broke with the vast majority of his caucus to allow a GOP funding bill to advance, without any restrictions on the ongoing efforts from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to dismantle the federal government. Indivisible Yolo issued the following statement:

Under Senator Chuck Schumer’s Leadership, Senate Democrats just surrendered a rare moment of leverage to rein in the chaos and harm of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans. By voting to advance the GOP government funding bill, rather than demanding anything in return, Schumer handed more power to the extremists destroying the government. This was not just a strategic mistake – it was a demonstration that Schumer is not prepared to lead the Democratic opposition to fascism and protect our democracy. We thank him for his years of service, and call on him to step aside as minority leader.

After working hard throughout 2024 to flip Republican Congressional seats in California, including playing a key role in the razor-close win in nearby CA-13, Indivisible Yolo members were shocked and dismayed by the November results. We quickly pivoted to resisting the fascist Trump agenda however we could.

Specifically, we contacted our Senators many times to urge them to use the leverage provided by Senate rules – particularly the filibuster which had been used against progressive legislation so often in the past – to avoid or mitigate the damage caused by Republicans. We are very grateful to Senator Padilla and Senator Schiff for recognizing the stakes and voting “no” on March 14. Despite a “no” vote by nearly 80% of the Democratic caucus, Senator Schumer surrendered to the Republicans and thereby authorized nine other Senators to vote yes. We feel cheated by the losses we suffered due to the filibuster being used against us in the past, and betrayed by Senator Schumer’s refusal to use the filibuster when we needed it to save democracy. The first branch of government now is merely an advisory body and we are deprived of our democratic representation while being subjected to the tyrannical oppression of the Trump administration.

By Alan Hirsch

Below is the core of Caltrans press release issued Wednesday 3/12 at 3:28pm announcing postponement of the Eastbound 50 Freeway in West Sac closure for this weekend. They say indefinitely—but it could be forever as they may figure out how to do the pavement rehab work while keeping some of regular 3 lanes up.

But if they reschedule total closure another weekend later in March, drivers will have to contend traffic from with opening of the A’s and River cat baseball season to Sutter Health Park.

This will may push out the work… and could conflict with the schedule to begin work to widened i-80 with toll lane- which is set to begin just next month. The Toll Lane construction work - Phase I of it-- will continue into 2028.

For previous articles on evolving (potential) freeway closure, click here , here2.and here3. 

Note the bike lane will also be continue thru Monday 3/17 next week- but could go longer as Caltrans notes unhelpfully “weather permitting”.

Editorial: This indefinite postponement could be due to pushbacks to Caltrans from local city council members and state representatives- after receiving calls from constituents. We will likely never know.  It is strange the freeway closure was not announced or discussed during YoloTD board meetings even though Caltrans was present - only in public comment. One wonders, for example, if there will be a total west bound closure too.

Double Bridge-Freeway shutdown to hit West Sac

By Alan Hirsch, Yolo Mobility

Seen Friday in West Sacramento at the tower bridge

Both US 50 freeway in West Sac and the Tower Bridge look to be 100% shut down for periods this coming weekend. Combine this with likely congestion on Jefferson  blvd  entrance to 50 where freeway reopens, this could be a perfect storm for residents of West Sac who may not be able to leave their neighborhoods due to cut-thru Freeway traffic congesting local streets, a detour Caltrans suggests for freeway drivers in its press releases. Caltrans press release seems unaware the Tower bridge will also be shut for a charity event both Saturday and Sunday AM until 1pm.

As reported previously here and here are reprinted Caltrans press releases reporting, east bound highway 50 freeway will be closed in West Sac from the 50-80 split at Enterprise Blvd to Jefferson Blvd. This beginning next Friday 3/14  at 9pm thru Monday, and opening only Tuesday 3/18  at 5am. This is for Caltrans pavement rehab work and is not related to widening to add the I-80 Yolo toll lane, whose construction is yet to begin. The press release seems to indicate east bound drivers can still go north on I-80 at the split to Natomas.

(note- as told to me Monday night at YoloTD meeting, US 50 shut it may yet be put back again to another weekend-—when it will conflict with Baseball season openers at Sutter Health field.)

By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch

About 1500 people attended the science rally Friday March 7th at the Sacramento state capitol — 1/3 carrying unique home made signs. Who says scientists are not creative?! Evidence of people from UC Merced, Sac State, government agencies and of course UC Davis.

Davis’s Beth Bourne seemed the only counter protestor. She was escorted off capitol grounds to the street side sidewalk by CHiP officers because of her disruptive chanting.

Commentary by Heather Caswell with Jonathan Greenberg

Our decision to threaten the City of Davis with a class action lawsuit on behalf of members of the Downtown Davis Business Association (DDBA) was not made easily, or quickly. For years, an organization that was created to support the interests of hundreds of dues-paying businesses has instead been co-opted to support controversial political positions promoted by the Davis City Council, as detailed below.

As stated in the California Supreme Court’s landmark 1976 Stanson v. Mott decision, a “fundamental precept of this nation’s democratic electoral process is that the government may not ‘take sides’ in election contests or bestow an unfair advantage on one of several competing factions.”

This means that it would be illegal if the Davis City Council, even indirectly, allowed a special tax dedicated to promoting the interest of downtown businesses be used to promote political speech benefiting city council positions on public initiatives.

We believe that this is what the DDBA has done,  through an unaccountable board of directors, which holds its power through irregular and potentially illegal elections

The DDBA has done this through an un-accountable board of directors, which holds its power through irregular and potentially illegal elections. Fewer than 10% of the organization's members voted in the January 23 election that I ran in. Three quarters of the dozens of DDBA businesses that I spoke to never received email notifications of the election. Not a single one was notified by the organization that they could run for its board. And at a time when all DDBA Board meetings are held over zoom, members, for no good reason, were required to vote in person within a one hour period, instead of online, at their convenience.

When Ezra Beeman and I ran to help create a more responsive board, the existing board members and the DDBA Executive Director colluded to change the election rules at the last minute, while they selectively recruited other former board members to show up to run or vote against us. Without any mention during the board meetings prior to the election, they added four seats to the seven member board two days before the election (the DDBA website today still states that they are a seven member board). They then delayed the printing of ballots for three days to print them just hours before the election, so that the names of their friendly candidates could be included.

EB US 50 Closed Friday 3/14 9pm to Tues 3/18 5am

(Weekday Causeway Bike Path closure also)

By Caltrans & Alan Hirsch  

Released Wed. 3/5 begin: “Caltrans is alerting motorists that this weekend’s extended connector closure for the ongoing Yolo Interstate 80 (I-80) and U.S. Highway 50 (US-50) Pavement Rehabilitation Project has been postponed (emphasis added) because of the weather forecast for rain and cold temperatures. The work has been rescheduled for the following weekend.”

AH Annotation #1: What Caltrans means to say is US 50 east bound in West Sac from I-80 split to Jefferson Ave will be 100% closed Friday 9pm thru Tuesday 5am 3/14 thu 3/18- a week later than stated in previous press release. Please use local streets in West Sacramento instead. “expect delays”. (see below)

AH Annotation #2: The Yolo Causeway bicycle path also is scheduled to be closed all next week for repair work. Caltrans are not- but should be  --providing a bus “bike bridge” for that period. They bury this in press release.

AH Annotation #3: This was announced late last week for this weekend but has been delayed by a decision of Caltrans and contractor.  That this will cause a major inconvenience to local residents & Tahoe traffic – who are likely planning their life around closure. This closure will also cause cut-thru traffic on local streets in all three Yolo County cities. Caltrans is even suggesting drivers use local street in West Sac as alternative to the 3 lane freeway. See below.

AH Annotation #4. If you think Caltrans is treating public cavalierly, write “Chair and member, Yolo Transportation District board (YoloTD) and tell them at link below. Public has complained to board in the past about lack of information from Caltrans on I-80 construction. YoloTD gave Caltrans $100million to”fix” i-80 in May of 2024. clerk YoloTD [email protected]

Attorney Roger Dreyer Calls Out the City’s Failure to Take Responsibility Until the Last Minute

For Immediate Release: Kellie DeMarco

Woodland, CA — After a Yolo County jury unanimously found the City of Davis fully responsible for the tragic death of Jennifer Comey, a wife and mother killed by a falling tree limb in a city park sandbox next to her toddler, the City immediately pushed out a carefully crafted press release in an effort to control the narrative. But here’s what they aren’t telling the public.

For four years, the City of Davis denied responsibility, instead blaming private contractor DRG Inc. for the tragedy. It wasn’t until one week before trial ended—a clear PR stunt—that the City finally admitted fault while continuing to point fingers at DRG. However, the jury saw through the City’s tactics and ruled unanimously (12–0) that DRG was not responsible in any way. Instead, the jury held Davis 100% accountable for failing to inspect and maintain its own trees.

“What was most impressive about this case is that the jury was not distracted by the misleading tactics of the attorneys for the City,” said Roger Dreyer, attorney for the Pitts family. “They focused on the devastating loss this family has endured. This jury’s decision was a remarkable demonstration of how citizens do their job for the public.”

THE FACTS THE CITY WON’T SHARE

(From press release) On March 7, 2025, scientists, students, advocates, and community members across the country will rally to defend science as a public good and a cornerstone of social progress.

Stand Up For Science 2025 is a national day of action calling for robust, interference-free scientific research and policies that ensure science serves everyone. In Washington, DC, state capitals, and cities around the country, people will gather to advocate for continued government support for science, defend against censorship, and push back on attacks against diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in research and education.

The Sacramento area is participating!

Event Details:
📍 Where: Sacramento capitol building (west side)
📅 When: Friday, March 7, 2025, 12 - 4pm PST
🌍 Who: Scientists, advocates, and anyone whose life is better because of science

For additional information and forthcoming local rally details, visit www.standupforscience2025.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stand-up-for-science-2025-sacramento-ca-capitol-mall-west-side-tickets-1250788625449?aff=oddtdtcreator

The following comments were emailed by the Sierra Club Yolano Group to Dara Dungworth, Principal Planner City of Davis Department of Community Development, on Feb 25. 2025, concerning the Village Farms DEIR. (See https://www.davisite.org/2025/02/draft-eir-for-village-farms-released-for-public-comment.html).

1. Alternatives
   
   a) Recommend Consideration of Co-op Housing - Evidence suggests that a housing co-op model can provide stable, affordable workforce housing for individuals and families (see California Cooperatives: Today's Landscape of Worker, Housing and Childcare Cooperatives). Providing affordable local housing for people currently commuting to Davis from outside Davis will lessen the VMT and GHG emissions impact of this project and should be considered as an effective mitigation measure.
   
   We recommend that the FEIR analyze as a Project Alternative a co-op model (perhaps similar to Dos Pinos or Muir Woods) as a supplement to the proposed starter-home program to explore the environmental benefits that such a model could produce.
   
   b) Recommend Consideration of Alternative Only Below Channel A - On December 8, 2023, the County of Yolo Planning, Building, and Public Works Departments sent a letter to the City of Davis commenting on the Village Farms NOP which stated, "The Draft EIR should consider a reduced footprint alternative that defines the northern project boundary south of the existing Davis Drain and explores the opportunity for increased density, thereby maximizing housing options without compromising economic returns". Quoting from Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14: "Because an EIR must identify ways to mitigate or avoid the significant effects that a project may have on the environment (Public Resources Code Section 21002.1), the discussion of alternatives shall focus on alternatives to the project or its location which are capable of avoiding or substantially lessening any significant effects of the project, even if these alternatives would impede to some degree the attainment of the project objectives, or would be more costly. "
   
   We similarly recommend that a reduced footprint alternative be examined with its northern project boundary south of the existing Davis Drain to determine if building 1,000 or more units on such a reduced footprint can provide increased density and maximize housing options while preserving more trees and habitat and still meeting project objectives.

By Alan Hirsch

Tuesday, Davis city’s  “trial of the decade” begins to wrap up with closing arguments - and the public can watch the drama of three sets of polished lawyers via live-stream from home.

The issue is liability for the city killing a woman to through neglect of a city tree in a Slide Hill City park. The city of Davis and Davey consultants are defendants. Plaintiffs are the survivors of Jennifer Comey. She was killed by a tree limb in front of her three-year-old daughter by tree that overhung a sandbox—  the city could not provide any evidence of pruning or inspecting the tree during the trial.

 The Jury verdict may be  delivered before the weekend.

You can watch the drama in closing argument on Tuesday on line. The Jury will files in at 10:30-sharp. It will run until noon,

 You can attend dept 11 at yolo court house in person, or you can watch live stream at www.yolo.courts.ca.gov  Dept 11.

***
I have watched this slow motion tragedy unfold in city government as the “self-appointed Lorax” for over 15 years now. Previous generations of Council was advised  by top management they can cut funding maintenance of tree infrastructure. They were advised they could ignore the public comments of concern on this matter.

Even as everyone could see the city arborist was struggling to do his job.

The current council and community are now stuck with cleaning up the mess.

 The entire city hall chain of command who advised council and managed the city into this situation have now moved on- or with Mike Webb now leaving, have announced they soon will.

 Current Davis-and Yolo residences (thru YCPARMA risk pool) will be held liable to pick up the tab that will total some multiple of the tax increase we noted on ourself last November. 

There are many immigrants throughout the country who have become frightened for their future due to recent changes in immigration policies.  Many of us are concerned about the impact of Trump’s new policies on our immigrant neighbors. We share Yolo County with a large number of immigrants and their families, and their contributions to our economy, agriculture, labor force, and rich diverse cultures are significant.  

Please join us for “Immigrants at Risk-What You Can Do” to learn about the current immigration enforcement, how it is affecting our immigrant neighbors and how we can assist them during this stressful time.  The program will be on Monday, February 24 from 7-8:30 pm and is open to the public.  The evening will include a multi-speaker panel discussion covering the legal landscape, hearing firsthand from local immigrants and the director of a refugee center in Sacramento. The program is sponsored by the Social Justice Committee at Congregation of Bet Haverim along with support from Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network (YIIN).  Please register in advance here. The event will be at Congregation Bet Haverim at 1715 Anderson Road in Davis. The program is free, and donations are helpful to cover the costs.  Any questions can be directed to John Katonah at [email protected]. 

By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch

On February 23, 2021, a mother, Jennipher Comey,  was struck, pinned down and killed  by a failed city tree that stood beside the  sandbox in Slide Hill Park in east Davis. As also reported in the Enterprise Sunday, the event occurred  in front of her 3 year old daughter Marjory.   Two weeks ago, after four years, the city admitted its inadequate tree care, and thus liability. This admission only seems to have occurred after an under-oath deposition by the former city arborist of the time. Robb Cain. He stated there was no city record of this tree ever being pruned in past, no current plan to ever inspect it for safety- or any future schedule to even do any routine tree maintenance  pruning in the Slide Hill Park.  This according to Davey Resource Group lawyer, a codependent in the case and the company the city hired to do the city’s $250,000 urban forest master plan (UFMP) later in 2021.

In contrast, professional arboriculture “standard of care” practice calls for paying heighten attention to trees that overhang a children’s play area or picnic tables- as the fallen one did.  Slide Hill Park’s trees were ignored, not even on the city’s minimal 7 year “block pruning” cycle street trees get according to Davey.

The delay in admission meant the city seems to have made no payment to support the family over the last four years since the incident. During that period the now orphan girl and her surviving father left Davis and moved to Ohio to be near family for support not received in Davis.

The following was emailed to [email protected] and [email protected] on Feb 7, 2025 with a request that the memo be forwarded to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors

From:  Alan Pryor, Chair – Sierra Club Yolano Group
To:       Yolo County Planning Commissioners
Date:   February 7, 2025
Re:       The Gravel Mining Companies Operating Adjacent to Cache Creek are Continually Violating Numerous Provisions of the Yolo County Surface Mine Reclamation Ordinance

On behalf on the Sierra Club Yolano Group, attached please find a report in which numerous violations of Yolo County’s Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance are disclosed and documented.   Download Yolo County Gravel Mining C

Further, these violations were not disclosed last year to the Planning Commission when it was charged with certifying the 2023 Annual Compliance Report regarding off-channel gravel mining as required by County Code.

Instead, as explained in the attached report, false representations that all of the mining companies were in compliance with the provisions of all applicable mining ordinances in the State and Yolo County were made to the Planning Commission in Findings of Fact statements.

The ongoing failure by the County to enforce the provisions of the applicable mining ordinances in Yolo County has resulted in continued production and bioaccumulation of methyl mercury to excessive levels in fish in most of the impoundment pits on the mining sites and required Lake Management Plans to remediate the problems have not been implemented. These compliance shortcomings have also resulted in the ongoing failure by the mining companies to fully restore formerly mined farmland back to its pre-existing soil quality and crop productivity. 

This is fully explained in the attached report entitled, “Yolo County Gravel Mining Companies are Continually Violating Numerous Provisions of the Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance_2-7-25”.

We request that the Planning Commission refrain from wrongfully certifying that mining companies are in compliance with Yolo County mining ordinances in the future. We additionally request that the Planning Commission not permit or entitle any future new mines or extensions or expansions of existing mines in Yolo County until such mining companies are in full compliance with all existing ordinances.

Toward that end,  we ask that the following questions be addressed with detailed written answers.

Davis is a city that prides itself on being a welcoming, forward-thinking community. Yet, as many as 25,000 people who work in Davis—including teachers, firefighters, police officers, UC Davis staff, and service workers—are unable to live here due to the high cost of housing. Instead, they are forced to commute from surrounding areas, contributing to traffic congestion and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

The average price of an older detached home in Davis is a staggering $850,000,  and new 2-bedroom houses start in the mid- $700,000’s (see Bretton Woods). Duplexes and townhouses, on the other hand, sell in the mid- $500,000’s (3-bedrooms, 2-baths—see Zillow).  These “missing middle” housing options are critical for keeping our workforce in the community, yet there is a glaring shortage of such products in recent development proposals. Will Davis step up to build them?

The rental market is no better. Many new apartments are leased by the bed, catering primarily to students. This leaves non-student workers and families with limited rental options. Larger, family-friendly rental units with play areas are desperately needed to accommodate those who contribute daily to the vitality of our city.

Interfaith Housing Justice Davis is committed to just and equitable housing for our community, including ensuring that our workforce is not priced out of living here. Providing the people who serve our city with the opportunity to live here strengthens our community and our schools, while reducing environmental impacts from commuter traffic.

Alex Achimore and Barbara Clutter, Interfaith Housing Justice Davis