Marysville council candidates discuss cannabis, homelessness
Candidates running for the mayoral seat include Chris Branscum, Stephanie Mckenzie and incumbent Ricky Samayoa. Running for a seat on the council are John Dominique Belza, Michael Ferrini and Stuart Gilchrist.
Q: What plans/strategies could you come up with to include more people of color to get more involved with local government and directive boards?
Gilchrist said the community has leaders on the rise that are doing an outstanding job. He said he’s confident in the abilities of those that are pushing for change.
Belza said demographically, about 54 percent of the city’s population is white, 31 percent is Hispanic, 7 percent is Asian, and 2 percent are African American. In terms of creating opportunities, he said the city
has to identify the drive in younger people and pour into that. He isn’t sure how best to do that, but it’s important to make it an option for everyone, regardless of race.
Ferrini said he lives in a diverse neighborhood in town and it’s natural for him to include other ethnicities and cultures into efforts, seeing that he grew up in the Bay
Area. He said he doesn’t see it as a problem in his neighborhood, though he acknowledged there might be a problem in government. If he’s put on the council, he said, he’ll work to solve that issue.
Mckenzie said it has to do with the city’s engagement with them and the relationships made.
She said current officials could reach out to those sectors of the community and develop relationships and encourage them to participate, to let them know they are valued members of the community. She said the city needs their input, so it’s about engaging them and asking them to get involved.
Branscum said one of his most memorable stops while walking neighborhoods was with an African American man who is a farm worker. He said the man gave him great recommendations for parks and other aspects of the city. That’s a guy, he said, he’d like to recruit because talent is color blind. He said there are people out there that will be interested in doing something and it’s important to make sure everyone is involved, because when a person or group feels left out it can corrode the strength of the city.
Samayoa said he is currently chairing an equity, inclusion and race subgroup for SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments), which is working on how to invest transportation dollars to ensure there is more inclusion. He said it’s important to get young entrepreneurs to take chances and get their ideas and creativity out in the city. He said it’s important for the city to go deep within its neighborhoods during the planning process to get input, considering the same people often attend those meetings.
Q: Cannabis - Marysville has embraced cannabis unlike other areas of YubaSutter. What does the future look like? How has it gone? Where should we go from here?
Belza said there are a lot of different perspectives when it comes to the cannabis industry, but bottom line it’s legal in California now and the transactions, whether it be through the dispensary or not, are happening in Marysville and other parts of the Yuba-sutter area. He said the city should be very strict and continue to regulate the industry, as well as be adamant about protecting children and raising awareness. That being said, he believes the city should go after the revenue and tax dollars that it produces.
Ferrini said there are two aspects of the cannabis industry, one is corporate and the other is at the local level. He said both levels are opposed to each other in ways because locals want to be in control of what they grow. He doesn’t see a problem with the industry so long as it doesn’t get out of control and leads to big grows within city limits. He said facilitating different aspects of the cannabis industry in the city helps the community through additional tax revenues.
Mckenzie said she’s been opposed to marijuana coming into town from the beginning, mainly because of research from other communities that have shown negative impacts across the board. She said while it’s here and now legal in California, local communities weren’t in support of legalization.
She said the revenues have been a stabilizing factor for the city’s general fund, and with COVID-19 expected to impact tax revenues, the cannabis tax will help balance everything out. She said the community has seen infractions with young people, and there have been things happening in homes that are sad, but credited the Yuba County Office of Education for trying to help address the problem with some interventions.
Branscum said there are obviously social issues associated with marijauana, much like alcohol. The fact is, he said, marijuana is legal and legitimate business and should be recognized as such. He said one of the local dispensaries expects to generate $1 million in tax revenue for the city this year. That’s real money, he said, and that needs to be considered. While he’s not taking a strong position one way or the other on marijuana, he said the city should continue to manage it and see how best to minimize the downside of the industry.
Samayoa said the city has done a good job with ordinances when it comes to home grows to help protect neighbors from smells and things like that. He said regulations established under Prop 64 were the best thing voters did for the state because now officials are able to have tough regulations on the industry, which adds about 30-35 percent to the total price of the product. He said he’s been in full support of cannabis from the beginning and worked hard to get the ordinances through to allow for dispensaries. He said the city now has a balanced budget, more police, better parks and will be better off in the long run.
Gilchrist said personally, he doesn’t believe Marysville will be turning into the next Amsterdam. He said he’s not fond of what’s happening in places like Nevada City, but the money that is generated from the industry is assisting Marysville’s general fund. He said he doesn’t want to see the culture change in Marysville, but it is legal and helping the general fund, which in turn helps residents.
Q: Homelessness – Everyone has a line or two about homelessness they use, and generalities are often used. Can each of you tell us what’s unique to your perspective about homelessness? Where do you differ from your colleagues?
Ferrini said he believes the city needs to think about creating more affordable housing to address the issue. He said when the city develops housing, a percentage of the revenue the city receives from development or local builders should be put into an affordable housing pot, in addition to relaxing the ordinances that prohibit residents from building certain auxiliary buildings on their properties, which could result in bungalows that go for up to $400 a month in rent. By creating additional affordable housing, it would increase the opportunities for low income and homeless individuals.
Mckenzie said she believes in helping homeless individuals to empower them to be successful, and that the Sutter-yuba Homeless Consortium is working hard to address the issue. She said law enforcement and social services representatives partner up and go out into the community to meet with homeless individuals to help connect them with the services they need. One option to help the situation, she said, is to establish a collaborative court that would remove obstacles for homeless individuals, like with fines and warrants, which would help develop pathways to success for those individuals.
Branscum said addressing the homelessness problem is the number one issue for residents he spoke with. He said everyone is open to helping those that want to bring themselves back up or are suffering with addiction. However, he said, almost everyone joins him in viewing the balance as largely comprised of people who have chosen homelessness as a lifestyle. He said there appears to be a concentration of homeless services in Marysville, which might be attracting more to the city than other places of the county.
Samayoa said business owners have to deal with the issue on a daily basis. He’s proud that the community has come together to support those in need and want the help. He said over 2,000 families have been sheltered in the community over the last two years. He suggested officials need to continue gathering data and connecting homeless individuals with resources. The coordinated-entry center has been supported by both counties, he said, and it helps with setting goals for those families in need.
Gilchrist said he lives in Chinatown in Marysville and has gotten to know the homeless individuals in his community. He said there are a variety of different kinds of homeless individuals, and he’s been fortunate to get to know about the different entities within the community that are helping address the issue. He said his situation is unique considering he lived in San Francisco and his area of town is different from places like E Street, where there is a bit more aggressive transient situation.
Belza said when considering the homelessness issue, there are those that need help and want help, and those that don’t. He said there are lots of programs and resources available for those looking to change their situation. He agreed the city needs more additional housing resources. The issue has had a significant impact on businesses and the community. He said the city needs more boots on the ground addressing the issue to help those in need, and that he’s compassionate about helping those that want it but also won’t tolerate vagrancy and loitering.