McDonnell has progressive city plans

The Parks commissioner leads forums to discuss a walkable healthy Petaluma.|

Kevin McDonnell understands why most people are frustrated with government.

Still, he’s hopeful his campaign for city council, one that’s prioritizing stronger communication with the citizenry, will help restore the community’s faith in its elected officials.

McDonnell, a civil engineer with nearly four decades of experience collaborating with local municipalities, is pursuing one of three council seats in November’s election.

To win over the voters, McDonnell is pointing to his deep knowledge facing infrastructure-related issues, his measured approach to resolving complex problems, and his demonstrated leadership as one of the more engaged residents in the city.

“We need to rebuild our trust in government, and I think we do that through communication,” McDonnell said. “The (next) city manager will have a big role in that, and the council will have a big role in that. Each of the council people has to be a great ambassador for what the city needs.”

McDonnell, 61, is the second oldest of 10 children in his family, and has fond memories growing up in San Francisco. His father was a police officer in the city’s first K9 unit, and usually worked the night shift, “which has you grow up early and fast” as one of the eldest, he said.

McDonnell has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Santa Clara, and currently works as a civil engineering consultant. He worked for the Marin Municipal Water District for most of his career.

He moved to Petaluma in 1985 with his wife Melissa Hatheway, and has four children, Bridget, 35, Collin, 33, Glennis, 31, and Wells, 29.

Since McDonnell raised all of his children in Petaluma, he has been involved with youth athletics a long time. During his tenure as president of the Petaluma Youth Soccer League, he championed inclusivity, advocating for female trainers and coaches that were fluent in Spanish, he said.

In 2012, McDonnell was co-chair of Measure X, a bond initiative for funding a park on East Washington Street that was narrowly defeated. However, it created enough momentum for the city council to later create the Petaluma Community Sports Fields, which opened in 2015.

McDonnell is the chair of the Recreation, Music and Parks Commission, and previously served on the Youth Commission. He was also the city liaison for the Petaluma Public Art Committee.

When it comes to the issues, McDonnell is focused on housing and getting the city to sturdier financial footing.

He helped create “Know Before You Grow,” a series that helps residents understand the intricacies of development projects and teaches citizens how to get involved early in the process.

Much of his housing approach is built off the KBYG value system, he said, establishing mobility for all, doing it environmentally conscious, and in a way that provides municipal and financial sustainability.

McDonnell wants to “break the impasse” on the Rainier crosstown connector, and provide residents with plans and a timetable that helps mobilize the community to push harder for the project.

To help with road repairs, he’s calling on Petalumans to vote “no” on Prop. 6, which would repeal the gas tax and eliminate vital funding for key projects.

“If we lose the current gas tax, we lose the highway, we lose Rainier, we lost street works - the gas tax is essential to having any improvement in Petaluma,” McDonnell said.

He said he wants to continue lobbying for resources at the county level, and see that partnership enhanced.

“All the benefits that should be flowing to south county need to keep being brought and brought more,” McDonnell said. “We don’t quite get our due out of county efforts.”

(Contact News Editor Yousef Baig at yousef.baig@arguscourier.com or 776-8461, and on Twitter @YousefBaig.)

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.