Nov. 8 City Council candidates share views in an online forum
PIEDMONT >> Five City Council candidates for the Nov. 8 election shared their views on relevant topics Sept. 22 in the League of Women Voters Piedmont's virtual forum.
Six candidates are vying for three open seats on the council. They are: incumbent Betsy Smegal Andersen, appointee Jennifer Long, Sunny BostromFleming, Jeanne Soldornal, Tom Ramsey and Bridget McInerney-Harris. Andersen and Long's seat are up for election; Mayor Teddy Gray King is termed out.
Harris was out of town and couldn't participate in the virtual forum. LWVP moderator Nancy Beninati read a statement from Harris announcing her intent to run. Four of the six candidates are attorneys — Soldornal, Andersen, Long and Harris. Ramsey is an architect, and BostromFleming is a longtime resident who has run several times before.
Harris in her statement advocates bringing any rezoning to accommodate the housing element to a vote and being “progressive” and “proactive” on any issues involving city matters. Ramsey said city facilities do not meet minimum code requirements, most having been built in 1910 and that updated plans with funding options are needed.
“We have old buildings in need of repair,” Soldornal said. “The (police) dispatch center is the heart of the action.”
Andersen, who said Piedmont is a quaint town, stated that with the building of new housing units to comply with regional housing mandates, taxes would have to be increased to cover the additional services needed for those homes. Ramsey said the regional housing allocations are even higher in Albany and Emeryville, which are larger cities than Piedmont.
“It's a complicated issue,” Ramsey said.
Bostrom-Fleming, who also said she supports police and residents driving armored cars to protect themselves from driveby shootings, said adding more housing units “just makes money for developers. They would like to put a 10-plex on the corner of my property, in this tiny, little frightened town.”
All the candidates agreed that there is no room for racism in Piedmont.
“It's a sensitive topic. The more we can talk about it the better off we are, increasing the welcoming atmosphere for all,” Andersen said.
“Piedmont has the reputation of not being welcoming and being wealthy,” said Long, who is the first Black council member. “We need to lean into that and have the community come together.”
Speaking about the city's Climate Action Plan, Andersen said, “We are superproud of our progress, hiring a sustainability manager to view (development) through an environmental lens. (We) encourage people to step up and make climate-friendly choices.”
Long said running the new pool facility on all electric power is the right step. Bostrom-Fleming said vegetarianism helps the planet and climate sustainability.
Soldornal noted that on her walks she sees water running down the street from homes' landscaping. She suggests the city helps homeowners reduce leaks in their systems to counteract drought conditions.
Bostrom-Fleming said she fears more crime in the future and supports cameras in hallways and classrooms at school to identify bullies or prevent any injuries to teachers or students. She supports teachers getting training to carry a gun at school.
In wrapping up, candidates looked to future challenges the council faces. Ramsey advocates upgrades to the city center, and “pushing the pool over the finish line.”
Soldornal said, “Let's not let inflation get the better of us. Find a way to handle facilities (upgrades).”
Andersen urged focusing on core city services, hiring a new city administrator and saving money for city workers' pension fund.
“Yay pool and pickleball, movie night,” Andersen said. “The best of Piedmont. We are always improving.”
Long emphasized quality of relationships, encouraging public engagement with councilmembers outside of chambers. Soldornal suggested adding archery as a new sport to the roster, as her grandchildren enjoy it.