Petaluma Council candidates discuss Latino representation, housing at Los Cien forum

In the wake of the Trump campaign’s derogatory comments about Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, Latino representation has increasingly become part of the national election debate.

This is an issue that is also discussed at the local level.

Given that one in four residents of Petaluma is Hispanic, the area’s largest Latino professional organization addressed representation and other issues at a recent City Council candidate forum.

Neither candidate mentioned specific Petaluma-based businesses or organizations important to the city’s Latino community.

Instead, they mostly made generalizations about outreach and encouraging participation and leadership.

Here’s what they discussed.

On helping Latinos get elected.

The first question Los Cien board member Eliot Enriquez asked focused on how to promote Latin American representation in office. A recent Press Democrat analysis of elected officials found this: No Petaluma City Council members It is of Latin origin.

Frank Quint (District 4): He suggested the need to work with nonprofits like Los Cien and “other leadership groups” to “encourage and guide” those interested in serving.

JJ Jay (District 4): “I don’t know all the issues they have to deal with,” he said, adding that he doesn’t have the dialogue to encourage people into leadership roles.

Blake Hooper (District 5): Latinos live in small pockets throughout the city and we “need to meet people where they are.” He wanted to ensure that information about civic engagement and participation was shared in multiple languages.

Alex DeCarli (District 5): He praised the diversity he has witnessed in his business dealings and said he believes in working with people to improve their skills. The host said “it would be a great thing” if Enriquez or Los Cien’s general manager, Herman G. Hernandez, “stepped in” and encouraged “giving people opportunities.”

Both Enriquez and Hernandez live outside Petaluma city limits and would be ineligible for public office in Petaluma.

“Ultimately, it takes a community to get someone elected, and I am committed to making sure that after I win this election, my replacement in four years is a person of color,” said Brian Barnacle (District 6).

The staffer said it was part of an effort to bring translation services to City Council meetings.

Lance Kuehne (District 6): Drawing on his experience as a high school teacher, he said it was “hard to keep people from getting involved in their own groups” and wanted to find ways to bring people together. He wanted to see bilingual information become more widely available and wanted to identify nonprofit organizations that would engage people of color and others in civic engagement.

“This is a very white town, so it’s very difficult to do outreach,” she said.

Mike Healy (District 6) did not attend the forum because he was at the Association of California Cities annual conference in Long Beach.

Tenant protections

Most candidates supported tenant protections.

Jay: He said he wasn’t familiar with the city’s ordinance, but “I know I’m in favor of strong protections for tenants, especially renters,” who could then be asked to move without cause. He supports protections that require homeowners to provide funds to move in such cases.

Quint: “I support rent and tenant protection. “As we continue to build housing stock to help stabilize the supply, we must absolutely work to help our working class in Petaluma.”

Barnacle: He called for strengthening existing regulations to protect against health hazards and hoped that future policy could consider safeguards to prevent a family from being evicted during the school year.

Kuehne: He also said he wasn’t familiar with the details of current tenant protections but supports policies that could include capping rent increases, adequate notices and ensuring landlords take care of properties.

DeCarli: He’s an advocate of “company cities” where companies lead home workers.

“I think rent control has had unintended consequences,” he said, adding that it restricts landlords and drives them to sell their properties, causing rents to rise.

Hooper: Tenant protections are not an either-or issue, and he was hopeful the policies could protect both renters and renters.

affordable housing

On the issue of affordable housing, candidates gave similar answers.

Jay: He wants to increase the types of housing in the city and also supports infill and mixed-use developments.

“We need to address zoning where it needs to be,” Quint said, adding that the city should encourage the construction of small, multi-unit homes.

DeCarli: Wants to channel affordable housing by encouraging small businesses and industries.

Hooper: Hopes to see an increase in the number of duplexes, fourplexes and cottage units thanks to updated zoning and planning policies.

Kuehne: Wants to “shift” development fees to encourage affordable housing development.

Barnacle: The city has already taken steps to reduce development fees. Bigger issues include bringing in more capital to speed up projects and not voting against affordable housing projects.

mobile home residence

Quint, Jay, Hooper, Barnacle and Kuehne praised the city’s efforts to protect residents of mobile homes, which Hooper called “the last bastion of affordable housing.”

DeCarli, who is sympathetic to homeowners and property owners, said the city needs to find a middle ground between mobile home park owners and mobile home residents.

school resource officers

Quint, Jay, Hooper, and Barnacle opposed SROs in local schools, but they wanted to see other types of support on campuses. All candidates underlined the need to increase campus security.

“I do not support SROs; I support psychologists, counselors and mental health resources for our campuses,” Hooper said.

Kuehne supported restorative justice efforts without criminalizing students, although he wanted off-campus officials to be “nearby.”

DeCarli, who? According to their website St. Vincent High School, he said he doesn’t remember issues with on-campus officers, but “I haven’t actually read about them much, so it’s hard for me to say one way or another whether it’s something Petaluma needs.”

Reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or [email protected]. @sawhney_media on X (Twitter).