Quite a lot of dirt has been removed at Water Street and Oak Street

 A significant quantity of dirt has left the site in the last few weeks at the North River Apartments at Petaluma Blvd North and Oak Street and Water Street.

My letter to the editor explaining current City Council approach to the Hines Downtown Station proposal

 

Big downtown train station housing project gets looked at by a new City Council majority - January 4th

Wishing for you the chance for some quiet to reflect on the micro adjustments you want to make this year to make life better for yourself, your family and the community. Monday is just around the corner! I am blessed to be part of Petaluma. So many challenges, so many things changing and also so many green shoots of new life here in Petaluma. Thanks for being my community and my home.

Petaluma's new central park

 

One of the most exciting steps forward this year is acquisition of the 20 acre south end of the McNear Peninsula. This is now, literally, Petaluma’s Central Park.

The new Floathouse will be up and running in the Turning Basin this summer

There are many new projects in the pipeline for the Turning Basin and also nearby. The big one to be aware of is that the new Floathouse will be up and running by next summer. Just walk over to the Floathouse, rent a kayak, stand up paddle board or other vessel and take off. It doesn't get easier than this. Watch the video. Our Floathouse needs your help to get complete before summer. Check it out!

Then go here:

https://www.thefloathousepetaluma.org/donate

Finally...our town has become fiscally sustainable !

My letter to the Editor on October 8, 2020 supporting the Measure U sales tax for use in Petaluma's General Fund:

Our town has fallen upon hard economic times decades in the making. But now is the time for us to stand up and fix the problem. Armchair quarterbacks can tell you who was to blame but what are you and I going to do about it today? Yes, our town has stumbled financially over the years. Mistakes were made.

 

All six City Council members and the Mayor recently voted “yes” to place a 1% sales tax benefitting our town on the November ballot. Each of them can tell you with detailed precision about the $15 million dollar shortage between our town’s annual General Fund and the basic City services that we all expect our City to perform.

 

Our town has been tightening its belt for over 20 years. Compared to other North Bay cities, our current sales tax level is one of the lowest. Unlike many other cities, our sales tax doesn’t have a dedicated Petaluma portion. It is time that we do. Most of our current sales tax goes to the state but none funds our city.

 

In these crazy times let’s now stand up and make our town work. It is time for a positive vision conversation.

 

No one likes a new tax. But all candidates up for City Council election support this. Those who have studied this topic know that we need long term fiscal sustainability.

 

Petaluma’s sales tax increase would be one penny on every dollar spent here in town. Some will tell you that spending another penny would make us weaker. I say that spending an extra penny will make us stronger as a town.

 

Regardless of who you vote into office, let’s stand up and make ourselves financially more healthy and sustainable as a town. Together. Vote “yes” for Petaluma’s Measure U.