Candidates debate in City Council District 2 forum
With ballots now rolling in for residents of District 2, voters had another avenue to hear from two of the candidates in the Vacaville City Council special election through a virtual forum hosted by Vacaville People’s Forum Tuesday.
The debate, moderated by Alice Fried of the Solano County League of Women Voters and Miss Vacaville Zyanya Bocanegra with questions asked by members of the community, touched upon a variety of topic, ranging from civility to parks to addressing racism to plans for redevelopment of the old Green Tree Golf Course, the latter a hot topic in District 2.
Former City Councilman Curtis Hunt and mortgage broker Greg Ritchie participated in the forum. A third candidate, business coowner Joe Desmarais, did not attend due to scheduling conflicts, Bocanegra said. All three are vying to fill the seat vacated by Mitch Mashburn, who resigned from the council after being elected to the Solano County Board of Supervisors.
One question, posed by resident Mary Woo, asked how they would support parks and recreational opportunities, particularly in low-income areas. Hunt drew upon his experiences as a community services manager for the city of Fairfield and as a member of Vacaville’s Community Services Commission, particularly highlighting some of the programs he helped bring to Fairfield.
For Vacaville, he said the goal was to “target, target, target.”
“Too often, these youth development programs start without having a good plan,” he said. “Research shows the OST (Out of
School Time) is the most critical, critical time, but I think we need to be mindful of all the prevention programs, and any prevention program we have should be evidence-based and science-based.”
Hunt also said such programs should foster resilience, promote social and emotional cognitive behavior, clear positive identity and supportive relations, and provide children with opportunities for skillbuilding. For low-income areas, he would support programs like the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club and The Leaven.
Ritchie cited his experiences of growing up in Vacaville, going to every park in town and taking part in every recreational program.
“I understand what it means to have an underserved area,” he said. “I used to play all the time in what was once called Markham Heights where I lived for a while, so I understand what it’s like to actually be a person who utilizes the parks…I will do everything I can to make sure the city stays strong and able to allow young kids, like myself, to utilize places and public settings.”
Ritchie also stressed the need to create more parks as Vacaville grows.
Resident Chris Vasquez recalled how former Mayor Len Augustine signed a proclamation declaring June 2018 as Pride Month, prompting Vasquez to ask the candidates how they would support such a recognition.
Hunt said the key word was”pride” and that there was an advantage to being able to say “I’m proud of Vacaville.” He said he would continue to support Pride Month, offer open communication and “make sure we recognize and we repeal any hostility towards any group.”
“I do think there is hostility toward the gay and lesbian community in our community,” he said. “I also think that we should make sure we respond effectively and efficiently all year long to hate crimes and we recognize hate crimes.”
Ritchie said he was the only straight man during his first job in Long Beach and called it an “amazing” experience to be immersed in a community he previously knew nothing about.
“I know what it feels like to be in a community inside a community — a minority in a minority community — and how important it is for that community to feel appreciated and respected,” he said.
Ritchie said he would draw upon those experiences to make sure LGBTQ-identifying individuals feel safe.
Aisha Moody-Gutierrez, a recently-appointed Parks and Recreation Commissioner, said there were approximately 10,000 Black residents of Vacaville and some do not trust law enforcement. She asked the candidates what they would do to improve relationships.
Ritchie cited his experiences of being a Black man, which included being pulled over and harassed.
“I know what it feels like to be targeted,” he said. “I will speak from experience of being on both sides.”
The other side Ritchie was referring to was understanding the difference between good and bad policing, as well as between profiling and the rule of law.
“I will take my experiences that have not been good and my great experiences I have now working with police officers and responders and members of the U.S. armed service throughout California,” he said. “I know what it feels like to have a gun put through your car window, I know what it feels like to give a cop a hug…You have to know the difference.”
Ritchie said he would work to make sure all officers and residents have mutual respect for one another.
Hunt said it was important for officers and the public to have a positive two-way relationship.
“They’re not gonna be effective if you don’t report crimes,” he said. “They’re not gonna be effective if you’re not cooperative with them in their investigations, and they recognize that they’re part of this community.”
However, Hunt felt the current council’s attitude was dismissive of people’s concerns about policing and “not conducive to a discussion.” His primary focus would be supporting an independent, credible audit of the Police Department; have conversations around cultural competency, deescalation and community policing; and increase the council’s role in complaints, particularly having the police chief report on the number of complaints received and how many were resolved.
“I think there’s an opportunity for the council to increase their involvement in the complaints,” he said.
The final community question came from Lynn Upchurch, a Leisure Town resident who has been involved in the negotiations for redeveloping the Green Tree Golf Course site, which closed in 2016. She asked the candidates which of the following options they supported: what’s good for the city, recommendations in staff reports, the best quality of life for Leisure Town residents or the property rights of the Syar family, who owns the site.
Ritchie said he favored having the best quality of life for Leisure Town residents but also incorporated some of the other options, including bringing the best economic project to the city that still fits the scope and desires of the area, and giving the Syars the tools to work with the developers.
“That area’s gonna create a lot of revenue, and we need to make sure it fits the people of that community,” he said. “We’ve gotta make sure that whatever goes there is feasible and creates revenue that can coexist with the residents of District 2.”
Hunt said the options were not mutually exclusive and that the property was so large that it had potential for everybody. He said two plots on the Orange Drive side were zoned for commercial use, which he said could make for a good Tesla dealership.
“In District 2, the auto mall is the biggest revenue generator we have,” he said. “We better make sure that works.”
Hunt said the plans for single-story housing on Sequoia Drive would be beneficial, since Vacaville does not have a lot of single-story homes, and felt affordable homes and apartments would be good for the other side of Sequoia.
“Quite frankly, that’s a benefit to our city and that’s a benefit to our planners,” he said.
Hunt said a sticking point was resolving the traffic on Yellowstone Drive, but he would support a project supported by the people.
“I don’t think it’s mutually exclusive,” he said. “I think there’s room for everybody in that project.”
The full video of the forum can be viewed at Fb.watch/4AsD-ydU0r/.