Meet David Claffey: Running for City Council in Clearlake
The Marketing Committee member said he hopes to achieve ‘a more vibrant ecosystem around our tourism opportunities’
CLEAR LAKE >> David Claffey, 40, is running for City Council in Clearlake. When asked why he wanted to run for the position, he replied, “I joined the Clearlake Marketing Committee in 2018 because I felt I could provide some guidance and help the city achieve its goals. There, I was introduced to some incredibly dedicated people, who involved me with other groups looking to make a difference for our community (HSSC-Highlands Senior Service Center, Rotary, Chamber, Vet Connect). At every step of the way I was able to contribute. I have a unique background and I bring a
lot of experience and processes that may not have been on the council in the past. If the voters believe that my skills are beneficial to our city then I stand ready to help.”
He continued, “I’ll add that it will be hard to fill the shoes of (outgoing council member) Phil Harris. He is a model of the type of business owner and person we want in our city. Passionate about his business, loyal to his staff, and dedicated to making Clearlake a better place. What remains is exciting. Council members Cremer, Slooten, and Overton are doing some really great work, and our city staff under the leadership of (City Manager) Alan Flora is exceptional. I hope that I can support and push all of them over the next four years.”
Claffey said he’s using social media to get the word out about himself and about his run for City Council. “I’m not really doing anything special to get the word out. I’ve been able to network within the community groups I’m a part of and get to know a lot of people. I have a Facebook page and a website. Pushing out some yard signs. Standard stuff.”
When asked what his main project will be as council member, he said, running his hand through his dark hair flecked with gray, “The most measurable thing that I want to achieve by the end of my term is a more vibrant ecosystem around our tourism opportunities. While on the marketing committee, I’ve already begun laying the infrastructure for better outreach tools, but at the end of the day we need the right basic business in place before we can begin promoting our city to folks outside the county.”
“I plan to work with entrepreneurs to create new businesses, facilitate access to capital, and connect with our existing and successful business leaders to create a mentorship program. My hope is to have at least five new businesses servicing this industry in place within the next few years, and given my background with growing startups, I think that is entirely possible.”
Claffey also spoke about tax defaulted properties and if there wasn’t some way to cut through some of the red tape. He answered, “I don’t think we can side step the tax default process. Those properties must and should go through the proper channels and the owner given a chance to get current on their taxes. The city’s frustration is that the process has been conducted below common standards and the lack of auctions has created a logjam of thousands of properties. I don’t know what will happen to all the lots, but the options generally are:
• A property in tax default is tabbed for an auction, and the owner brings taxes up to date providing revenue for the county
• A property in tax default is tabbed for an auction, and is sold in that auction to an interested buyer who hopefully is incentivized to build a new home on that property
• A property in tax default is tabbed for an auction, and the city purchases the property for use in our programs or for other purposes.”
“None of these directly lead to a new home being built, but at least it’s a step in the right direction, giving the county access to millions in tax revenue and potentially turning the vacant and neglected properties over to owners with different motivations. Clearlake has taken some bold steps, including suing the county to get some movement and Supervisor Sabatier called for a vote of no confidence in the Tax Collector. It is really important that we make progress in unlocking this process.”
When asked what his stand on Cannabis in Clearlake is, Claffey responded with, “I’m comfortable with the amount of oversight and regulation applied to new business owners in this space by the city, county, and state. I support the city council’s move in the last meeting to open up the permitting process for commercial business owners and allow the areas that have been zoned for cannabis to be used fully.”
He added: Clearlake gives out four types of permits (cultivation, distribution, manufacturing, retail). The city had caps. Only three retail permits within city limits (that wasn’t changed), and around 12 or so of the combined other permits. The city council voted to remove the cap on cultivation, distribution, and manufacturing permits. They did this because they felt the areas that have been zoned for cannabis were not being maximized because of the permit cap. I support the approval of that ordinance.”
What does Claffey want to change?
“Our housing stock is extremely poor, compounded by the high costs of building in California and the generally low market value in our city. We have neighborhoods with streets that alternate between investable homes, vacant lots, and temporary structures. Long term economic prosperity can be directly tied to an individual’s ability to invest in their home, and a city of homeowners building generational wealth has a more promising future than one full of renters just struggling to get by.”
“There are two promising programs being offered by Clearlake. One is a firsttime homebuyer program that offers simple interest loans to lower income families looking to purchase a home. The second, which is soon to pass, is the Homestead Housing Program which will compensate families completing ground-up home construction for city and county fees that are incurred during the building process. This should provide new, market rate housing within our city.”
“I believe we should go further. Twenty new homes a year won’t cut it. We need to invest in rebuilding our neighborhoods by incentivizing development, potentially taking the lead in facilitating new construction, and we need to aggressively pursue funding for residential projects.”
As far as who his supporters are, Claffey said, “I’ve been able to build up an amazing group of people who are the difference-makers in our city. Council members, business owners, and those who are giving back to their community in ways that aren’t always apparent.”
O ver ton said about Claffey, “I feel he’s going to be a great asset for our community. His youth and tech ability will move Clearlake forward in a positive way.”
Claffey said that he’s been officially endorsed by the Lake County Democratic Party. “But at the end of the day,” he added, “we all want positive change for our community so that support has transcended any party lines.”
For more information on other issues that Claffey stands for, visit his website is https:// www.davidclaffey.com.
“I plan to work with entrepreneurs to create new businesses, facilitate access to capital, and connect with our existing and successful business leaders to create a mentorship program. My hope is to have at least five new businesses servicing this industry in place within the next few years, and given my background with growing startups, I think that is entirely possible.”
— David Claffey