June 2006 SLCAN Candidate Questionaire

Responses from Michael J. Gregory,
candidate San Leandro City Council District 1

SLCAN asked each of the candidates to complete a questionnaire and were informed that their responses would be posted on our web site. Candidates responded to the questionnaire by electronic mail. Except for formatting, SLCAN has not modified the candidate's responses.

A. Experience and History

1. How long have you lived in San Leandro?

20 years.

2. What is your current job and place of work, if any?

American Red Cross-Blood Services, Sr. Account Manager, 6230 Claremont Ave. Oakland.

3. What community, professional and/or advocacy groups are you a member of?

  • League of Women Voters, Eden Area
  • American Red Cross, Ala. County Leadership Council
  • Association of American Blood Banks
  • Lake Merritt Sailing Club
  • East bay Bicycle Coalition
  • Alameda County Hispanic and San Leandro Chambers of Commerce

4. Are you a member of a political party and, if so, which one?

Democrat.

5. In a one sentence answer, why are you running for office?

I have raised my family here, want to help shape San Leandro's future with vision and intelligence.

6. What are your relevant skills, experience, or education that qualifies you?

I spearheaded a joint-use agreement between the school district and City of San Leandro. We received $1 million from the state in Prop. 42 funds, an additional $300,000 from the city for in-kind planning, engineering. I learned that I am effective in finding common ground, can work with disparate community groups. For the last 15 years my wife and I have concentrated on San Leandro schools, serving as PTA/Dad's Club presidents, site councils, bond and candidate campaigns.

B. Goals

8. What are your top 3 priorities and what resources/programs would you advance to support them?

  • a. Education. I plan to join the city/SLUSD liaison committee if elected, help organize the next bond campaign, regularly visit district schools to promote citizenship and community involvement.
  • b. Budget. Resource: city finance committee. The city has operated with a budget deficit for too long. Measure I (business tax) is small relief as is the recent waste fee hike. We need larger sources of revenue. The marina has become a drain instead a delight.
  • c. Affordable housing. Resource: redevelopment, planning and zoning committees. Our children can't afford to live where they have grown up. We need to allocate market rate and low cost housing within each new development. Providing for, attracting and retaining educators, healthcare workers and first responders will enhance our safety and well being. We need to find ways to attract and retain these vital community members.

9. Do you have any big ideas/visions for the future of the city?

Yes:

  • a. The Marina. It needs to be sustainable as well as attractive. If the Army Corps of Engineering funding does not materialize for dredging we will need a ‘Plan B.' I'm not familiar with any other plan than an attempt by the SL Chamber to set up a task force to study the Marina aside from any city planning. I'm a life-long sailor, would hate to see any marina close, but we're not in a position to keep this afloat while draining city finances.What to do? How about a destination-style convention center close to the Oakland Airport, minutes away from San Francisco and San Jose/Silicon Valley? I'm interested in studying a wetlands-based wastewater facility similar to the one recently developed in Petaluma and Arcata; would this fit into a Marina strategic plan?
  • b. More joint use projects between the city and SLUSD. Safe playing fields so that families don't have to leave San Leandro for games and practice. A renovated aquatic center at the high school. A performing arts center for the high school or an agreement with local theaters.
  • c. Senior center. The site has been finalized, let's stay focused, get the job done.

C. Opportunities for Public Participation

10. How will you improve communications between residents and city government and improve public participation in city government?

  • a. Return phone calls, emails promptly.
  • b. This is the $64,000 question/dilemma. On the one hand we cannot legislate love or caring about one's community. We can try to make access friendlier, less intimidating. I believe we need to start this process early on, reach out to the schools, engage our youth in the democratic process. We could try a pilot ‘youth civic engagement' program, create a non-voting teen seat on the city council.

11. What would you do to improve the prompt availability of more information (meeting minutes, etc.) on the city web site and other places?

Free wi-fi and laptops for all would be ideal. How about pod or webcasting? Many local city council meetings are filmed live on local cable channels.

12. What steps will you undertake to improve the transparency and quality of decision making by the City of San Leandro?

I have participated in a ‘Brown Act' seminar hosted by the League of Women's Voters.  Quality decision making: there is no substitute for studying the issues, participating in committee-level meetings where city staff/management can be engaged. Most of these committees are open to the public. Quality government is not an oxymoron. Quality improvement processes like Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing apply to government as well as business.

D. Campaigning

13. List your top five endorsements.

Alameda County Democratic Party
Alameda County Central Labor
Alice Lai-Bitker
Sentinels
Bay East Realtors

14. List your top five (in dollar amount) sources of campaign contributions.

  • myself ($2500 loan)
  • Sentinels ($1500)
  • RHO – PAC ($1000)
  • Bay East Association of Realtors ($250)

15. How would you reform the way that campaigns are currently financed, if at all?

Federal campaign finance reform would set the tone. I am still recovering from last year's state excesses: $80 for one proposition (that failed!). We continue to be barraged by well-financed negative ‘hit' pieces designed to lower the bar and deflect from the issues.

16. What is your position regarding changing City Council member elections from city-wide elections to district-wide elections?

I know that our current system is fairly unique. I can't comment on this because I have not studied it yet (pro/con, financial analysis).

E. Schools

17. How will you promote collaboration between the city and public schools?

With all of my heart. The city and chamber need to do their part, accept responsibility for supporting our schools, become part of the solution. The schools are ‘everybody's business.' I plan to increase my involvement during my term, become more familiar and accessible to SLUSD administrators and trustees.

18. What opportunities do you see for joint use projects between the city and schools?

(see 9b)

19. What do you see as the city's responsibility for impact of new housing development on schools?

There is a direct connection between any development and it's impact on city infrastructure and schools. Meaning, the ‘impact' must equal some dollar amount that can be negotiated prior to plan approval. The amount of developer ‘burn money'  generally spent on individual campaigns would make for an excellent starting point. Meaning, let's quit shortchanging the city and schools, make this an equitable partnership.

20. What was your position on Measure A, the parcel tax for the San Leandro Unified School District? How did you contribute towards the campaign?

Yes. Contributions were financial and time spent phone banking and walking precincts.

F. Positions

21. Briefly state your ideas on how to encourage and protect local businesses development. What is your position on enacting limits on chain businesses? What actions would you propose to accomplish your vision?

Elected city officials need to be shameless promoters of buying locally and attracting appropriate and desirable new business. Limits on chain businesses? Starbucks. Let's talk. Each of the city's business associations play a role in developing and marketing themselves. I believe the city should cooperate to the fullest extent promoting special events like ‘Sausage & Suds.'

22. What is your position on the establishment of a living wage ordinance?

YES

23. How would you ensure that community benefits are negotiated into city contracts, development assisted by the city, or franchise monopolies such as Comcast?

The operative word is negotiate. I'd like to review/research similar contracts between these companies and other San Leandro-sized communities before we even get to the table.Let's determine what their track record is like, what their competitors/industry typically offers.

Comcast: all bets are off when dealing with monopolies. I'd keep an eye out for alternative sources, attempt to consolidate with our neighbors in order to attract competition. Or… negotiate best possible terms.

24. Briefly state your position on the use of eminent domain.

Eminent domain: last resort when residences are involved.

25. What would you do in office to address poverty and homelessness in San Leandro?

Long range: if we can turn the quality of our public education around, we may be able to minimize this.

Short range: review city contracts with Davis Street. Are they adequate, can we get more help from the county and/or our supervisor?

26. What would you do to improve public transportation and make San Leandro a more walkable city?

I served on the last 2 Bicycle and Pedestrian task forces. First time around we created a plan that yielded Bancroft Ave. change to a Class II bicycle-laned street (and funding from state/local agencies). 2nd time we upgraded the plan to include many targeted locations for pedestrian upgrading/redesign. The city is prepared to apply for funding to complete these plans. The plans are reviewed regularly. Ride a bike, walk as often as you can! The city is ideally situated (mostly flat) for human-powered transit. I am concerned that AC Transit is closing many local routes or cutting these back in favor of rapid transit.

27. How would you promote opportunities within San Leandro for historically-disadvantaged populations/minorities?

The direct approach: ask and invite them. Talk to school principals and church leaders for suggestions and leads.

28. What is your position on the EBMUD Heron Bay groundwater project?

None. I need to study this before I can comment.