City Council Candidate for District 4
Joyce Starosciak
A. Experience and History
1. How long have you lived in San Leandro?
I was born in San Leandro in 1966. Except for time spent at college and grad school, I have lived in San Leandro all my life.
2. What is your current job and place of work, if any?
I am the owner of Starotech, a San Leandro company that provides computer support for small to medium businesses.
3. What community, professional, and advocacy groups are you a member of?
SL Breakfast Club, SL Chamber of Commerce, SL Political Action Committee for Excellence, Marina Vista Homeowners Association, League of Women Voters, SL Historical Society
4. With what political party, if any, are you registered?
Registered Democrat
5. In a one sentence answer, why are you running for office?
I am running for re-election because I have the knowledge of how the City functions and a continuing commitment and ambition to improve our quality of life.
6. What are the relevant skills, experience, or education that qualify you?
For the last 4 years I have served as the San Leandro City Councilmember from District 4. I have served on the San Leandro Recreation and Parks Commission and the San Leandro School Board (1994-1998). I graduated at the top of my class from San Leandro High School. I graduated from Harvey Mudd College with Honors in Engineering. I have a Masters of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. In my youth I served many student leadership positions including Student Body President and State Legislative intern.
7. What are your top five accomplishments of the past 2 years?
1. Balancing the budget from a $3M structural deficit to a fully funded 20% reserve.
2. Reviewing the City’s contract with the Alameda County Fire Department to result in $1.7M in capital funding to the City.
3. Opening the Washington Manor Branch Library and the San Leandro Family Aquatic Center
4. Returning the Cherry Festival and the Sunday Library Hours
5. Restoring 8 sworn officer positions to the San Leandro Police Department.
B. Goals
8. What are your top 3 priorities, and what resources or programs would you advance to support them?
1. Development / Revitalization : Downtown TOD, Kaiser Hospital, Marina Shoreline, Senior Center, Manor Competitive Pool, Bayfair TOD – all creating safe, attractive destinations for youth, seniors, residents, and guests.
2. Public Safety: A strategic plan for our Police Department and facilities and funding resources to support our SLPD.
3. Transportation: Creating pedestrian and bicycle options especially downtown, speeding enforcement, replacing the overpasses at Marina and Davis
9. Do you have any big ideas or visions for the future of the city?
I envision a future when San Leandro is simultaneously undergrounding all our utility lines and repairing all our streets.
Additionally, one issue not often mentioned is the creation of a joint powers authority or special district to maintain the exterior of school sites, their pools, and the adjoining park facilities. This will create a joint effort to improve and maintain the appearance and use of these public facilities.
C. Opportunities for Public Participation
10. How will you improve communications between residents and city government, and improve public participation in city government?
I created the District 4 update email newsletter for my constituents and initiated the annual Security Summit in my District, both have resulted in greater community participation. In addition, I have worked to revitalize the Washington Manor Homeowners Association to continue to support communication between those residents and their City government.
11. What will you do to get City Council meetings—and city boards and commissions—televised and online, including transcripts, for public access?
Utilizing the Cities IT department, I would support posting this information online, whether in video or text form.
12. What steps will you undertake to improve the transparency and quality of decision-making by the City of San Leandro?
I have used and will continue to use my email newsletter to reach out and receive feedback on the important issues of my constituents. I support all efforts to maintain and improve transparency. To improve the quality of decision making, I encourage the election of officials based on knowledge and commitment.
D. Campaigning
13. List your top five endorsements.
San Leandro Police Officer Association
Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Alameda Building Trades Council
Assemblymember Mary Hayashi
Allan Starosciak
14. List your top five (in dollar amount) campaign contributors to-date.
Carpenters
Rental Housing Owners
Plumbers
Electricians
Developers
15. What is your position regarding changing City Council elections from city-wide elections to district-wide elections?
While district-wide elections would be simpler, I strongly support city-wide elections as I am held accountable by the entire city for the work that I accomplish and the decisions I make.
16. What is your position regarding changing representation to be by race rather than by geographic location?
At this time in San Leandro’s history, I believe we can approach a common vision while maintaining a geographic balance of policy-making. Representation by race wouldn’t necessarily address the major issues that tend to be specific to the geographic regions of the city – crime rates, schools, housing, and development.
E. Schools
17. How will you promote joint collaboration projects between the city and public schools?
As the District 4 representative and a former SL School Board member, I have promoted many joint projects. My district is currently in a joint collaboration with the SLZUSD for the Washington Manor Middle School Gymnasium. I have proposed the idea of using the 9th Grade Academy gymnasium for a Teen Center for San Leandro. Whenever possible, I have encouraged the opportunity for the City to partner with schools.
18. What do you see as the city's responsibility for the impact of new housing developments on schools?
I was the loudest voice with concern over the Downtown Transit Oriented Development plan for the lack of school site listings. I feel the Council has a responsibility to encourage development in ways that can accommodate additional student enrollment.
19. What was your position on instituting a parcel tax to help pay for ongoing costs for the San Leandro Unified School District?
I have always supported both bonds and parcel taxes to improve our schools. These investments improve our city by improving the education quality for our residents, and for our future City Councilmembers.
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 am a small business owner and a supporter of local businesses as well. I encourage the San Leandro Chamber to continue its support of small and larger businesses in town. The City should do all we can to encourage more business in town and minimize the impact of large businesses in certain areas, including setting restrictions on how close a chain store may open in proximity to another similar business. I do not support blanket limits on chain businesses, as often they provide a catalyst for economic revitalization that can serve to help small business. For example, while Starbucks has impacted some locally owned coffee shops, the drive-through Starbucks at Bayfair has transformed that portion of the shopping center into a destination for residents and guests to come to San Leandro.
21. How would proposed to implement the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) vision, given the insufficient resources and interest?
Much of the TOD implementation will be through private development. However, I have gathered public resources to implement the TOD as well. As a member of the Congestion Management Agency, I have worked to put over $10M into the Countywide Transportation Plan for the City of San Leandro to develop pedestrian and street improvements in our Downtown/BART area.
22. What are your thoughts and plans about getting a quality business in the old Albertson’s site?
I strongly support a quality, landmark project to be developed at the old Albertson’s site.
23. John Jermanis has intimated that he wants to retire. How would you go about appointing a new City Manager?
If the retirement for the City Manager should happen in my next term, I would be supportive of a complete and thorough process for hiring the next City manager. There should be a community input portion and a review of all credentials to be sure the candidate demonstrates the knowledge and competence that would provide quality leadership to the City of San Leandro.
24. What would you do in office to address poverty and homelessness in San Leandro?
The City Council just last month initiated a strategic plan on homelessness with the consulting assistance of Building Futures with Women and Children. While the responsibility for addressing homelessness is much greater than the City, we can play an important role in providing access to resources and support services to move people off of welfare and into safe, permanent housing.
25. What would you do to improve public transportation and make San Leandro more conducive to walking?
I have already mentioned a number of initiatives for walking in the downtown area. On the CMA, I am promoting reliable and safe BART and AC Transit service as well as funding for widening and improving sidewalks and bicycle paths. I also believe that any new home built in the TOD should provide free public transportation through the collection of Homeowners Association dues.
26. How would you promote opportunities within San Leandro for minorities and other historically-disadvantaged populations?
Community engagement is key. Some minority groups have formed Chamber of Commerce organizations. Others have joined together to address common goals, like Padres Unidos at San Leandro High School or the Asian Cultural Community Association. By creating coalitions, problems can be organized and presented to city officials by the people facing these issues.
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?
I have met Councilmembers from Capitola who have successfully implemented a ban on Styrofoam to clean up their beach front. My district suffers in the protected marshlands area from the build-up of Styrofoam and plastic bags. I feel it is time to look at the steps to initiate this policy.
28. What would you do to decrease crime in San Leandro?
I initiated the annual Security Summit in District 4 that reduced crime in Windsor Square 50% in one year. As well, I created the multi-lingual (English, Spanish, Mandarin) police phone number card. The card provides phone numbers and directions on how to call the police to anonymously report suspicious activity. I feel a community engagement process along with a strategic planning process will put us on a path to decrease crime in the City.
29. Briefly state your position on the use of eminent domain.
The City of San Leandro has always been reserved in its use of eminent domain. I do not support eminent domain for private development, but rather a process by which the tenant accepts the City’s offer to relocate.
G. Summary
Please state why San Leandrans should vote for you.
As the District 4 Councilmember for the last 4 years, I have worked hard to accomplish much and to be held accountable to my constituents. The City has fully recovered from a $3M deficit when I first came on the Council. Bayfair Center has completely turned around. The Islander Motel has turned into new affordable rental housing. New libraries, pools, streets and housing have improved the attractiveness of our city. The next 4 years will be critical in the progress of San Leandro with the Downtown revitalization, the Marina Shoreline development and a focus on crime and community engagement that has never been seen before. My knowledge of how the city functions combined with my commitment to improve the city will bring new and innovative ideas as well as attainable processes for implementing these policies. I am committed to serve San Leandro, I am committed to lead San Leandro. Please vote for Joyce Starosciak on June 3, 2008.
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