Why they do what they do
Covering and participating in public meetings, I've gained some insights into local government. I've found one particularly helpful in navigating the ebbs and flows of boards, commissions and councils.
People tend to serve the way they do their jobs.
This dawned on me years ago, even before I took a seat on a dais, and I find the observation validated regularly. Elected (and appointed) officials usually reflect their professions.
Let's take as an example Mark Sorensen. He's currently Chico's city manager, but he previously served as a city councilor and mayor; before that, a planning commissioner. Two decades back, he routinely blogged about municipal matters while active with the Chico Chamber of Commerce as owner of a satellite TV business. Earlier, he worked in logistics and management for electronics companies.
Sorensen has an engineer's orientation. He digs into details and looks for ways to streamline processes for greater efficiency. He leads with his brain more than his heart, even if he's got a lighter side — smiles, laughs, quips — than his public persona suggests.
Apply this mindset to downtown parking, and the context grows clearer. Sorensen identified a technological upgrade to the old-fashioned system of coin-operated meters. Kiosks make perfect sense from an operational perspective. But the conversion didn't address resistance to change, particularly among business owners downtown, thereby tarnishing a golden opportunity.
Credit where it's due, Sorensen got ahead of concerns about last year's pay hike for police officers by proactively communicating the city's rationale for a 20% raise; Chicoans accepted the move without protest or organized opposition. Public Works Engineering has taken a similar tack with extensive outreach for the Downtown Chico Complete Streets Project.
The councilors who employ Sorensen likewise fit the paradigm. Consider:
• Andrew Coolidge — The two-term mayor has a background in public relations and a firm that produces local events such as home and garden shows and bridal shows at the fairgrounds. Not surprisingly, he tries to keep meetings on track, on time and on topic … as much as possible given occasions of unpredictability from colleagues and constituents. Coolidge understands optics, so at least he's aware when his votes prove unpopular.
• Kasey Reynolds — As anyone who's seen her campaign signs knows, the two-term vicemayor is in the ice cream business; she co-owns Shuberts. She leans squarely conservative, though she moreso than many in the majority reacts to what her customers — err, constituents — have to say.
• Sean Morgan — The longest-serving active councilor and a former mayor is both a businessman and a Chico State business instructor. He's got a serious case of senioritis as he winds down his stint, but the “old Sean” bluntness reemerges now and then. He's not shy about lecturing colleagues on the Brown Act, Administrative Policies and Procedures, governance versus management or council history.
• Tom van Overbeek — Speaking of bluntness, there's the first-term conservative who retired from big tech and invested in local property.
He's unapologetically himself; when his comments offend, he doubles down. Van Overbeek is the proverbial old dog who's hard to teach new tricks, while at the same time fixated on new ways to do things.
• Addison Winslow — The lone liberal, and lone councilor in his 20s, writes position papers on issues related to housing, transportation and the environment while also using his hands for the odd maintenance job. He ran a grassroots campaign to get elected two years ago and combines folksy charm with policy chops. He's wonky: Winslow takes a line-item view of budgets and plans.
• Deepika Tandon — The owner of Guzzetti's Indian Food as well as residential rentals is a fixture at farmers markets around Chico. Similarly to Winslow, albeit on the right versus the left, she parlayed her vast set of one-on-one interactions into a council seat in her first bid for elected office. Tandon rarely takes the vanguard position on issues — instead sitting back, listening to discussion and seeking clarifications.
• Dale Bennett — Like van Overbeek, he's a retiree, having worked 40 years managing business properties. He served on the city planning commission and architectural board before getting appointed to fill a council vacancy, then elected to complete the term. He explains his thought process before votes, for which he takes time to formulate positions, even if most end up aligning with the majority.
People tend to serve the way they do their jobs. Keep that in mind when anticipating their actions.