Barrett seeks re-election in Petaluma

<p>Petaluma City Councilwoman Teresa Barrett said Thursday she is seeking re-election to a second term.</p><p>Barrett is the only slow-growth advocate to announce a run for the three council seats up for election Nov. 2.</p><p>Four other candidates, considered more business-friendly, also have announced they are seeking four-year seats. They are incumbent Mike Harris, running for a third term, retired telecom executive Ray Johnson, former councilwoman Karen Nau and former fire chief Chris Albertson.</p><p>The filing deadline is Aug. 6.</p><p>Barrett said she is running on the same platform that convinced voters to elect her four years ago: "hard work, brutal honesty, responsible development and commitment to Petaluma's public good."</p><p>She said she is pleased with the council's actions during her tenure, including adopting a new general plan, adding the requirement of fiscal economic impact analyses for large developments and "streamlining and upgrading the planning and design review process that had become hopelessly bogged down under a system of poor oversight and a lack of effective leadership."</p><p>The slow-growth majority on the seven-member council last year ousted all members of the planning commission and design review boards and combined them into a single planning commission, saying streamlining was necessary.</p><p>The three-member council minority argued that the move was politically motivated and an effort to install only like-minded people on the new, combined board.</p><p>"While I have helped institute bold steps to improve the review process and get our city moving again, there is still much work left to be done," Barrett said.</p><p>The mayoral seat is also up for election Nov. 2, and two candidates, slow-growth David Glass and business-friendly Jeff Mayne, have announced they are seeking the seat.</p><p>Mayor Pam Torliatt is facing Councilman David Rabbitt in a runoff for the Board of Supervisors 2nd District seat in November, opening their two council positions.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 762-7297 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.</p>