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We had a robust and very heartening meeting today with our guest, Kathy
Millison, Santa Rosa’s new City Manager.
My conclusion: The Council made an excellent selection in choosing an
experienced, good-hearted and public-spirited new City Manager. Kathy
demonstrated wide knowledge of all the issues that came up, and offered
her own history of what might be called progressive efforts to plan well,
respect the environment, and converge all sectors of the communities where
she has worked.
She grew up in Michigan and has an educational background in biological
sciences. After trying her hand at laboratory science, she opted for
planning, and has worked for multiple jurisdictions in planning and
management. Her last 19 years were spent as City Manager of the City of
Clovis, after having risen from city planner there. The innovations she
helped to introduce there were a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment
facility, a creek walk through their downtown, and a plan for a system of
three urban villages with trails interlinking them. She oversaw the period
when Clovis went from 30.000 to 100,000 people.
We discussed budget challenges coming before the Council. They’ll have
meetings on March 3rd and 4th at 8:30 AM, to be held in the renovated
Church of One Tree. She said that, in planning for the next seven years,
the forecast for the next three finds that each will have a deficit ($3.9
Million for next year), but the next four should see some improvements,
leading up to the year (2019) when the Measure P 1/4 cent sales tax will
expire.
We discussed the impact of the Governor’s attempt to shut down
redevelopment district programs. She expressed the hope that, “The tool of
redevelopment will not be given away” as it has current commitments and
future potential. Examples are the improvements to Santa Rosa Avenue as
part of the Santa Rosa Ave. Corridor Plan, where a traffic light will be
installed at Santa Rosa Ave. and Sebastopol Ave. as well as the assist it
will give to the Hwy 101 bike/ pedestrian overcrossing.
Much more was discussed, but my notes ended there!
Anne E. Seeley
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