DAVIS, CA – In a wide-ranging interview, Interim City Manager Kelly Stachowicz spoke with the Vanguard about her priorities for the city, from housing and homelessness to university relations and the city’s structural budget challenges.
Stachowicz, a longtime city employee and community member, assumed the interim city manager role earlier this year following the departure of Mike Webb. Asked about her top priorities, she pointed to both internal and external needs.
“Internally, we have a pretty wide range of demographics on staff—some people new in their careers, others closer to retirement,” she said. “We’re trying to figure out how to structure our workforce and policies to meet those changing needs, including improving how we use technology.”
On the external front, she emphasized the complexity of managing major initiatives. “We’ve got a couple large development proposals in the pipeline,” she said, referring to the controversial Village Farms and Willowgrove projects, both of which will require voter approval under Measure J/R/D. She also pointed to the city’s General Plan update and aging infrastructure—streets, roads, paths, and city facilities—as key focus areas.
She acknowledged that delays on Measure J projects and the timing of future elections may create additional challenges. “They’ll be ready when they’re ready,” she said. “These are large, complex projects and take time.” But she noted that the political landscape has evolved. “What feels different from 10 or 20 years ago is that we now have residents pushing for new housing, which brings more balance to the conversation.”
Several other projects are already underway or nearing construction, including Plaza 2555, Greenhouse, Bretton Woods, and the long-delayed Chiles Ranch, which finally has a new owner. “There’s a lot going on that will at least add to our housing stock,” she said.
Regarding Measure J/R/D, Stachowicz did not take a position on possible changes but acknowledged that “preliminary talks” are occurring. “That’s a community conversation that will likely continue,” she added.
Stachowicz pointed to her long-term experience as an asset in navigating the city’s shifting challenges. She also reflected on the tenure of her predecessor, noting that although Webb didn’t live in Davis during his time as city manager, he had deep ties to the community and UC Davis.
On the university relationship, she said, “I think it’s strong. We’ve had a really good staff-to-staff relationship for years. We can have hard conversations. And the university has kept its promises in terms of housing commitments in the MOU.”
Recent conversations around Picnic Day illustrate both the progress and the complications that come with maintaining that relationship. “There are really two Picnic Days—the on-campus events, and the off-campus activity,” she explained. “While downtown has stabilized in recent years, the way young people communicate on social media has created pop-up events that are hard to predict.”
Several serious incidents in recent years—including police controversies and at least one fatality—have pushed the city and university to work more closely on safety and communication.
On homelessness, Stachowicz spoke candidly. “I’d love to say we’re working to eradicate it, but I don’t think that’s realistic,” she said. “We’re trying to manage it as best we can.”
She described the city’s 2022 decision to move homelessness outreach out of the Police Department and into the newly-created Social Services and Housing Department as a key structural change. “That allowed for what I’d call a tiered response,” she said. “Outreach workers focus on trust-building and connecting people to services, while enforcement—when needed—remains with police.”
That separation has allowed for stronger engagement. “We’ve tried to avoid the scenario where the same person is offering help and issuing citations,” she said.
Other homelessness initiatives have yielded mixed results. The city and county jointly funded a two-year pilot with Downtown Streets Team, which is concluding. The Respite Center, initially used as an emergency COVID shelter, has returned to its intended purpose. Paul’s Place, which offers transitional housing and services, has expanded its number of emergency beds.
Stachowicz said the city is working with Paul’s Place to keep those beds open year-round, thanks to council-approved funding. Still, she acknowledged the persistent and visible presence of unhoused individuals, particularly downtown.
She suggested that recent changes to G Street could be a contributing factor. In response, the city has funded a new downtown police officer position. “One of my hopes is that this officer can work with our homeless outreach staff to provide that same tiered response—relationship-building where possible, enforcement when necessary,” she said. “We’re aiming for that kind of integrated, long-term approach.”
Turning to the city’s budget, Stachowicz characterized the situation as “bittersweet.” Despite the community’s support for Measure Q, which renewed the city’s sales tax, costs have surged far beyond expectations.
“There was a lot of hope after Measure Q passed, but our costs increased faster than expected,” she said. One major shock came in the form of liability insurance premiums. “We expected an increase, but it went up by almost $1 million this year alone,” she said. “Next year, we’re looking at another $2 million on top of that.”
While high-profile lawsuits such as the Pitts case (regarding a 2021 death from a fallen tree limb in a city park) aren’t directly responsible for this year’s spike, Stachowicz said they reflect broader trends. “These big cases drive the premiums up across the board,” she noted.
Construction costs have also risen dramatically—up 30% in three years—making routine infrastructure work more expensive. “Our goal was to maintain service levels and put as much as we could into pavement maintenance,” she said. “It was more than the minimum, but not enough to satisfy everyone.”
Looking ahead, she said, “We’re going to have to spend a bit of time over the next year really figuring out where do we cut costs? Are there other revenues that can be generated? Other ways that we can curb expenditures? Those conversations are going to be hard.”
Stachowicz emphasized that Davis, as an older city, faces mounting infrastructure needs with limited resources. As she steps into her new role, she’s focused on navigating those trade-offs with transparency and community input.
“I think the city is at a critical point,” she said. “There are no easy answers—but I believe we can face these challenges together.”
