Opinion: Healy, Kearney and Miller for Petaluma City Council

On Nov. 8, voters will elect three people to represent them on the Petaluma City Council. Incumbents Mike Healy, Kathy Miller and Gabe Kearney are seeking re-election and are joined by challenger Bill Wolpert, a city planning commissioner.

Candidates enter this election at a time when voters are increasingly concerned about and demanding solutions to the city’s badly deteriorating street system, increasing traffic congestion and the near total lack of affordable housing for low- and middle-income workers.

When interviewing candidates to make our endorsements, we looked at what we believe the city council needs in terms of leadership, problem solving skills, sound judgment, a keen understanding of all facets of municipal government and ability to work collaboratively with others to get things done. We believe that the incumbents - Mike Healy, Kathy Miller and Gabe Kearney - are exceptionally well-qualified to deliver what voters want and need from their elected officials.

Healy, with 16 years of distinguished service on the Petaluma City Council, is an inveterate pragmatist, consistently demonstrating strong leadership and consensus-building skills. He has extensive knowledge of local government issues and, being a bit of a policy wonk, is not afraid to dig into the details when it’s required.

A skilled negotiator, Healy has often demonstrated resourcefulness in developing solutions to complex problems. Well-informed on the intricacies of policies on water, transportation, land use and public finance, he is an independent and innovative thinker who has frequently been a voice of reason on the council which, in the not-too-distant past, often found itself mired in petty politics and cronyism.

Healy was instrumental in bringing together a theater operator and a developer to build a local movie theater and revitalize downtown, helped lobby for millions of dollars in federal funds to achieve the Payran area flood fix and has fought effectively to prevent a casino from setting up shop at the south end of town.

He spearheaded an advisory measure for the Rainier crosstown connector in 2004 that earned overwhelming voter approval, and has since succeeded, together with Miller and Kearney, in getting $26 million set aside for its construction once highway 101 is widened through the center of town.

Miller, who previously served capably on the city’s planning commission for many years, is completing a successful first term on the council that included the approval and construction of three new all-weather soccer fields. A passionate advocate for parks and youth sports, she helped initiate upgrades at the Petaluma Swim Center which now has new pumps, a heating system and other amenities, and saw to it that local parks were renovated with new playground equipment and multi-use paths.

In her capacity as the city’s representative on the board of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority, Miller helped secure $35 million to widen highway 101 from just south of town to the Marin County line. She also worked to refinance Measure M bonds, saving taxpayers $1.8 million in interest costs, and resulting in $14.9 million in extra money for the Highway 101 widening project.

She has a solid track record of being accessible to voters and listening thoughtfully to their concerns. A longtime proponent of maintaining a strong local economy, and the jobs and tax revenues it provides, she voted to upgrade Petaluma’s sewer plant to allow the city’s many food and beverage manufacturers to curtail the expensive process of trucking waste to the East Bay.

Her experience, coupled with an even temperament and passion for always getting the best for her community, make Miller a very strong candidate for re-election to the city council.

Initially appointed to complete a term left vacant on the city council in 2011, Gabe Kearney is also completing his first full term on the council and has proven to be a hard-working and attentive advocate for his constituents.

In addition to his strong support for the Rainier crosstown connector, new playing fields for youth, and adequate staffing levels on the city’s police force, he’s supported construction of senior and moderate income housing developments, joining Sonoma Clean Power to provide more green energy options, construction of the new Old Redwood Highway interchange and expansion of the recycled water system. On the economic and jobs front, he provided the swing vote that enabled the return of Friedman’s Home Improvement to Petaluma.

Affable and accessible, Kearney is the only Latino on the council, and helps give a voice to the fastest growing demographic group in the city. A strong proponent of diversity in government, he also serves as vice president of the California League of Cities’ Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.

All three incumbents have demonstrated a respectful and collaborative demeanor in working together, and have jointly committed to prioritizing the following important goals in their next term:

• Secure a revenue source to fix city streets and complete the Highway 101 widening through Petaluma;

• Secure the remaining funding to deliver the long-awaited Rainier connector and interchange;

• Create dedicated parking for the downtown SMART station and get a second SMART station built on the city’s east side;

• Address climate change by adopting the Climate Action 2020 program.

• Expand the city’s bicycle trail system.

Challenger Bill Wolpert, a local architect, has served admirably for many years on the city’s planning commission and has a solid understanding of local land use issues. But he lacks the municipal government experience and extensive knowledge on a wide variety of city affairs that the other candidates possess.

For voters looking for a responsive, capable and experienced city council who will work effectively to serve the community, we recommend the election of Mike Healy, Kathy Miller and Gabe Kearney.