City Council Candidate for District 6
Hermy Almonte
A. Experience and History
1. How long have you lived in San Leandro?
I have live 5 years in the City of San Leandro.
2. What is your current job and place of work, if any?
I am a Community Manager overseeing 277 units of affordable housing complexes for senior citizens, families, and people with disabilities and supervision of (7) on-site employees located in Sunnyvale, California.
3. What community, professional, and advocacy groups are you a member of?
Consumer Affairs Commission of Alameda County
Lions Club of San Leandro
United Parents of San Leandro High School
Soccer and Scouting – Boys Scout of America in San Leandro
English Learner Advisory Committee – San Leandro High School
Superintendent’s Parents Council – San Leandro School District
Triskelion of Northern California
4. With what political party, if any, are you registered?
None-Partisan.
5. In a one sentence answer, why are you running for office?
I am running for office to be a public servant of ALL residents and the community of City of San Leandro and be a part of the ethnic diversity in the City Council.
6. What are the relevant skills, experience, or education that qualify you?
I am a college graduate and has a degree in Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportations. my community involvement started in 1990 while working in property management of affordable housing where my hands-on experience working with people of all walks of life have had started. I can put together and interpret annual budgets and understand reading the scope of work from bids/proposals when working on capital improvements. I have strong background working with contractors, vendors, various non-profit agencies, and public agencies such as; Department Of Housing and Urban Development, California Tax Credit Committee, California Housing and Finance Agency, Housing Authority, Department of Child Support, Department of Human Services, and Social Security Administration.
7. What are your top five accomplishments of the past 2 years?
Graduation in Alameda County Leadership Academy
Appointment in Alameda County Consumer Affairs Commission
Currently active member of Lions Club of San Club of San Leandro
Volunteer as Finance Chairman in Scouts and Scouting of Boys Scouts of America
Founding Leo Advisor of Leo Club of San Leandro High School
Elected 2008 President – English Learner Advisory Committee, San Leandro High School
Consumer Affairs Commission Alameda County – hosted 2 workshops re: Identity Theft at Emeryville and Laney College in Oakland.
B. Goals
8. What are your top 3 priorities, and what resources or programs would you advance to support them?
Community Safety of all Citizens of City of San Leandro. Hire more police officers.
Youth/Family/Senior Citizens – promote their community involvement, education, vocational and job trainings with more options, sports complex, and leagues and encourage high-school dropouts to go back to school and learn new technology, job skills, parental educations, community involvement, affordable housing, work with local employers to ensure job placements, support affordable housing and other related programs to better their lives in the community and work with community organizations supporting our Seniors.
Local Businesses – add more parking areas and build a parking garage to attract more customers and consumers.
9. Do you have any big ideas or visions for the future of the city?
Bring in new revenues to support community projects and the school district.
Open the City door to attract more tourists.
Bring the Ferry from Oakland, San Francisco, and Sausalito to the Marina area.
Convert some areas of Marina to be a small Fisherman’s Wharf, exhibit local products made in the City of San Leandro and give high priority to existing business owners the opportunity to expand their businesses.
I will support planting of 25,000 trees and support conversion of most buildings if not all to Solar Energy by 2018.
C. Opportunities for Public Participation
10. How will you improve communications between residents and city government, and improve public participation in city government?
Open door policy should be implemented in city hall to its’ residents and visitors. Have a regular “public tour” to different departments. Hire a person to take care of community and government relations.
11. What will you do to get City Council meetings—and city boards and commissions—televised and online, including transcripts, for public access?
I’ll be a supporter to make this happen because it is a great communication tool that can reach out every homes and families, informations can be accessed in various locations and would enhance more people involvement with community affairs.
12. What steps will you undertake to improve the transparency and quality of decision-making by the City of San Leandro?
I will regularly hold community meetings to listen to people’s ideas and opinions regarding current events at the same time provide citizens surveys to get the thoughts and opinion of the general public and there should be an appropriate distribution of informational materials in different languages be available to ALL residents.
D. Campaigning
13. List your top five endorsements.
None at this time.
However, I hope to receive 5 or more in the near future.
14. List your top five (in dollar amount) campaign contributors to-date.
None at this time.
However, I hope to receive 5 or more in the immediate future!
15. What is your position regarding changing City Council elections from city-wide elections to district-wide elections?
I prefer city-wide elections.
16. What is your position regarding changing representation to be by race rather than by geographic location?
By geographic location…members of the City Council should reflect the economic, social, and geographical areas of the City, “Diversity is our greater strength”.
E. Schools
17. How will you promote joint collaboration projects between the city and public schools?
I’ll be visible in school meetings to discuss projects with school administration and parents right at the start of the planning stage.
18. What do you see as the city's responsibility for the impact of new housing developments on schools?
Because of the population growth of students, the City should allocate high priority in supporting safety measures to protect students and schools. Allocate more funds to support and implement new programs and activities in schools and community.
19. What was your position on instituting a parcel tax to help pay for ongoing costs for the San Leandro Unified School District?
I will fully support parcel tax to help pay ongoing costs of the education and future of every child in San Leandro Unified School District.
F. Local Issues
20. Briefly state your ideas on how to encourage and protect local businesses development, including your position on enacting limits on chain businesses, and actions you would propose to accomplish your vision.
I’ll support a direct line of communication with the Chamber of Commerce and Business Owners and put the Chamber of Commerce and Business Owners at the forefront in formulations of protocols to protect local businesses.
21. How would proposed to implement the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) vision, given the insufficient resources and interest?
Develop a resource partnership.
22. What are your thoughts and plans about getting a quality business in the old Albertson’s site?
It’s a good location for an affordable housing for seniors with commercial spaces on ground floor including a bookstore, grocery outlets, business suites, and parking garage for people to patronize the local businesses.
23. John Jermanis has intimated that he wants to retire. How would you go about appointing a new City Manager?
I don’t agree with appointment but will suggest revisitation and review of the job description of a City Manager and push for revision if necessary so as to find the most and best qualified candidate who has the vision, and can work with the diverse racial composition of the City of San Leandro.
24. What would you do in office to address poverty and homelessness in San Leandro?
I would address ways to have this people develop their skills by creating models that can provide a way out of poverty, provide information for them to be economically self-sufficient, and provide counseling To stabilize and improve their situations.
25. What would you do to improve public transportation and make San Leandro more conducive to walking?
Some of the bus stops in various areas are missing waiting sheds and this is an area being neglected, every bus stops should have sheds to protect the health of the public. I will promote planting of trees along sidewalks and walkways, installation of visible pedestrian signs, widening of sidewalks and walkways where it’s needed and upgrade areas where there’s insufficient lightings.
26. How would you promote opportunities within San Leandro for minorities and other historically-disadvantaged populations?
I will make myself available to work with community service groups, neighbors, and residents in formulating efforts necessary towards revitalization of their communities
27. Do you think the City Council should ban the use of styrofoam containers and plastic shopping bags in San Leandro? Why or why not?
Yes…by doing so would reduce environmental pollution, minimize environmental littering, and eliminate environmental hazards.
28. What would you do to decrease crime in San Leandro?
Visibility of Police Officers in the community is the key. Community meetings and promote Neighborhood Watch. Hire 5 or 10 police officers.
29. Briefly state your position on the use of eminent domain.
I will support an eminent domain effort so as the City have the opportunity to move forward on an existing project for the benefit of the general public and the economy.
G. Summary
Please state why San Leandrans should vote for you.
I have great new ideas that can move forward towards a more productive City of San Leandro, where residents can feel proud, respect amongst neighbors is present and ALL residents are feeling safe in their respective neighborhoods.
I will support giving high priority for our local businesses and advocate to all residents of patronizing these businesses because their success will lead to economic triumph of the City of San Leandro.
I will support formation of an oversight committee to monitor Community and School projects.
I will focus on the following areas needing immediate attention: community safety, wheel-chair accessibility, bus stops without waiting sheds, crosswalks for children and wheelchair-bound individuals, missing traffic and pedestrian signs, housing for seniors, teachers, working families, and people with medical challenges, and build a sports complex and promote more leagues.
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