Month: April 2010

The Davis Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidates forum, where the following question was asked of participants: “Aside from the required planning commission, the City of Davis currently staffs 15 optional commissions… if you were to retain only five, which ones would they be and why?”. Embedded in the question is the tacit assumption that the removal of commissions is under consideration as a cost saving measure, coupled with a presumption there will actually be a cost reduction if commissions were eliminated.

An article appeared in the Davis Vanguard Feb. 8, 2010, in regard to a suggestion by City Staff that the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) have fewer meetings to save staff time. Apparently the Safety Advisory and Bicycle Commissions have already agreed to reduce their meeting frequency. However, Commissioners of the NRC felt fewer meetings would merely result in longer meetings, but wouldn’t result in decreasing staff time. It should also be noted about three years ago, there was an unsuccessful push to eliminate the Senior Citizens Commission by the City Council Subcommittee on Commissions (Mayor Ruth Asmundson, Councilmember Steve Souza), presumably to trim staff time.

While city staff’s Residential Development Status Report seemed to aggressive in this market at pushing forward development proposals, particularly at Nishi, one area where they were not aggressive enough was not going to be allowed to stand.

Immediately during public comment Don Villarejo and Mary Jo Bryan, representing Choices for Healthy Aging (CHA), argued that the council needed to consider the development of Yellow Sites and argued that the motion passed by council in 2009 authorized such consideration after January 2010.  CHA is the astroturf group purportedly seeking housing options for seniors but really operating under the direction of the Covell Village Developers trying to create a popular movement among seniors to gain support for a massive senior housing facility at the Covell Village site.

During the course of the debate over Wildhorse Ranch last fall, there were complaints by the opposition to the project that various commission had not had time to adequately review aspects of the proposal. 

Councilmember Stephen Souza even cited lack of commission review as one of the reasons he was reluctant to support the Wildhorse Ranch proposal at the time it came to a vote in late July.  The developers and representatives for the development also expressed frustration at the existing policy.  This was particularly notable at the Finance and Budget Commission meeting the day before council would be asked to approve the development agreement along with the fiscal analysis.

In today’s Davis Enterprise, City Manager Bill Emlen and Community Services Director Elvia Garcia-Ayala offer their explanation as to why DACHA, the Davis Area Cooperative Housing Association is facing financial trouble.

In the past week, we have learned that the city has indeed foreclosed on DACHA and it has put the entire property up for auction. Neighborhood Partners/ Twin Pines on Tuesday indicated that they were still willing to negotiate with the city and DACHA.  However, DACHA is supportive of the foreclosure procedure as is the council.