Fort Bragg City Council candidates share their top priorities

This five-part series of Q&As with Fort Bragg City Council candidates runs each weekday through Saturday. Each installment presents a key question alongside responses from the seven candidates who responded to the Mendocino Voice. Today’s question:

What two areas in Fort Bragg governance would you focus on that could have an immediate impact over a four-year term?

Marcia Rafanan One area is parks, recreation, and youth sports. I am already half of the Parks & Recreation Council Committee developing policy, infrastructure, and programs to help keep our youth healthy, active, and off the streets because they are our future. I look forward to the planned off-road dirt bike/multi-use trails and track we hope to build on our Highway 20 property that I approved buying. I also hope to remain committed to improving access to our recreational facilities and programs for all youth, regardless of financial resources. I am proud that we have been able to get all kids access to the CV Starr Center, including swim lessons and pool programs and will continue to advocate for the funding necessary to keep these facilities in good shape and open to all.

Another focus area is Community & Economic Development. I want to make sure the City of Fort Bragg is a facilitator and not just a regulator of local business. I have already and will continue to focus on this area through our many economic development initiatives, including waiving City fees and charges to the greatest extent feasible, and removing red tape and other administrative barriers to new businesses looking to open up in our town and hopefully fill some of our vacant storefronts. One of the most important things we can do is work together with Mendocino Railway to get the Mill Site up and running again by rezoning it for new purposes and community needs like new jobs, housing, and recreation. We need more doctors, veterinarians, and other service providers to come to our community and meet our needs. To do that, we will need housing and space for their businesses and a lot of that will be on the Mill Site as well as the vacant buildings and lots along Main and Franklin streets.

Mary Rose Kaczorowski I would focus on the infrastructure we already depend on—water, wastewater, roads, address stormwater flow issues, and emergency resilience. Before taking on the costs of major new development, we need to know what infrastructure we have, what condition it is in, what it will cost to maintain or replace it, and how we will pay for that. Our alleys and roads need repair. We need to expand and speed up broadband access and ensure affordable phone service for residents who cannot afford reliable cell phone access or equipment.

We cannot wait for the next disaster to tell us what we should prepare for.

Our coastal community has already experienced drought, erosion, sea-level rise, flooding, extreme storms, and power outages. These challenges are not going away. They will increasingly strain the infrastructure and essential services our community depends on. We need to prepare now—not after the next emergency.

That means assessing and strengthening the infrastructure we already depend on, publicizing evacuation routes, improving emergency communications, and planning for reliable water and energy supplies.

We should explore local renewable energy, microgrids, and efficient energy storage as part of long-term planning—not simply as emergency backups. These investments should be considered in future development, transportation, and public infrastructure. Energy and water costs are already too high

Scott Mayberry During a four-year term, I would focus first on restoring dependable city services and improving public safety. Residents should see progress in the condition of streets and alleys, the removal of abandoned vehicles, the control of overgrown properties, and enforcement against illegal drug activity and conduct that makes public spaces unsafe or unusable.

I would review how and where homeless services are delivered so that assistance is effective without permitting disruptive behavior in the downtown business district. I would establish clear priorities and realistic timelines and provide public progress reports so residents can see what is being accomplished.

My second focus would be economic development that benefits local working families. The city can simplify permitting, reduce unnecessary delays, work with property and business owners to return vacant storefronts to productive use, and recruit businesses that provide needed goods, services, and year-round jobs. I would also support vocational training partnerships and press Adventist Health and regional agencies to improve access to physicians and specialists.

Focused leadership, responsible budgeting, consistent enforcement, and community cooperation could produce visible results within a four-year term.

Richard Ulveling My two immediate priorities would be public safety and economic opportunity.

For public safety, I would focus on safer pedestrian crossings, better lighting, addressing dangerous blind spots, and supporting our police, firefighters, medical professionals, and other first responders.

For economic opportunity, I would work toward making it easier for local businesses to operate, grow, and create jobs. As a local businessowner myself, I understand some of the challenges small businesses face.

I would also make communication between City Hall and residents a priority. People deserve to feel heard when they bring legitimate concerns to their elected representatives.

My goal would be practical progress that residents can actually see during a four-year term.

Mary Ann Schmidt I would concentrate on implementing the 2019 resolution that declared Fort Bragg a Garden Friendly City to enhance our food security by establishing local farms and offering incentives for residents to cultivate food in their yards, similar to the victory gardens during WWII. Our year-long growing season makes it possible to have fresh produce all year. I propose we think of the children seven generations from now being able to eat from the regenerative food forest that was created and tended for them. 2,000 acres have already been identified within city limits that can be used for growing food. Creating farms also creates local jobs. Creating housing on these farms makes farming a viable job and addresses my other focus, which is housing for low income and working people. I would focus on the community land trust that already exists to create more housing and implementing the 2021 recommendations of the citizen commission on changing the name.

Jason Godeke There are many possible benefits that would come from the public process of rezoning the Mill-Site. It offers the potential for new housing, recreational space, zones for new business and industry, and public access to the headlands for visitors and locals alike. The Coast Trail has already transformed how we experience Fort Bragg. Rezoning the Mill-Site property can move us toward realizing community benefits, in both economic and quality-of-life aspects, from that property. 

 I also think we need to change our understanding of commercial zones and spaces. We don’t live in an economic reality with the same needs and dynamics that propelled land-use planning of the past. We need to be more flexible and creative about how “commercial space” is used and defined. As vacant commercial spaces and properties continue to accrue, we need to thoughtfully assess how to get the most community and economic benefit from those buildings and properties. 

Tess Albin-Smith (1) Affordable Housing Production and (2) Downtown Revitalization

Fort Bragg is facing a severe housing shortage. One thing we can do is to speed up proposed developments.

I supported:

• The city shortening permit wait times by combining city/county planning review.

• The city waiving administrative development fees for Accessary Dwelling Units (ADUs)

• The creation of a Housing Trust that will create affordable housing units throughout the city

Another short-term project I’ve been working on is investing in our Central Business District (CBD). The CBD is vital to boosting local tax revenue and improving the quality of life for residents.

Early on I championed the idea of closing downtown for special events downtown through installation of bollards. Eventually I’d like see more downtown parks, a free electric city bus on weekends, more remote parking, and making downtown more walkable, potentially with outdoor restaurant seating.

To improve the CBD and entice new businesses, I have supported:

• a first-year fee waiver and capacity fee deferral to help entrepreneurs looking to open eateries and retail shops.

• a vacancy tax ordinance and progressive code enforcement fines to penalize commercial landlords who leave storefronts blighted and empty, forcing them to lower rents or sell.

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Levi Cooke did not respond to requests to participate.