A temporary sign announces the new location for Ben’s Hawaiian Cafe in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel
Latest local news briefs include an update on the medical office building project on Greenback Lane, a new Hawaiian Cafe on Auburn Boulevard, controversy over a planning commission appointment, and an update on Watt Communities’ proposed 261-unit development.
Hawaiian Cafe in Citrus Heights featured on Good Day Sacramento A new Hawaiian restaurant that moved from Folsom to Citrus Heights in December was featured Saturday morning on Good Day Sacramento. Ben’s Huli Huli Chicken & Hawaiian Cafe opened last month at 7967 Auburn Blvd. in the Grand Oaks Shopping Center, and features Hawaiian-style BBQ that’s already earned 4.5-out-of-5 stars on Yelp. In a prior interview on Fox40, owner Kit Syn explained “the secret” to his moist meats is an overnight marinade. Most menu items run $5-10, with several entrees priced in the $11-12 range. (Watch Good Day interview)
Mayor: medical office building will reportedly begin construction soon In an update during Thursday’s city council meeting, Mayor Jeff Slowey said a letter had recently been sent to the city by a Dignity Health representative reaffirming their commitment to working with the city to construct a three-story medical office building at the corner of Greenback Lane and Fountain Square Drive. Although the project has yet to break ground nearly two years after being approved in March 2015, the mayor said a finalized lease agreement between Dignity Health and the city is expected to be signed next week, with a groundbreaking ceremony soon to follow. He said there were “a couple of changes in the program” that dragged out the process and required attorney involvement, but he did not elaborate on what the changes were.
City seeks bids for environmental review of proposed 261-unit development
In a posting on the city website earlier this month, the city announced it is seeking proposals from consultants to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) associated with Watt Communities’ proposed 261-unit development off Arcade Drive. Preparing an EIR is a necessary step required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which requires that state and local agencies “disclose and evaluate the significant environmental impacts of proposed projects and adopt all feasible mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate those impacts,” according to the state attorney general’s office. The deadline listed to submit bids is Feb. 17, with the process often taking several months to one year to complete.
Council rejects Daniels’ nominee, appoints two new members to planning commission On Thursday, Citrus Heights council members appointed 2016 council contender Marcel Weiland and former planning commissioner Jack Duncan to the city’s influential seven-member planning commission. With four seats up for appointment, the council also voted to re-appoint Christy Decelle to serve another term on the commission — but rejected a nomination attempt by Councilman Bret Daniels, who sought to give 2006 council contender James Remick a seat on the commission. (Full story coming next week).
Latest news briefs include Hot Dog on a Stick opening at Sunrise Mall, a councilman’s call of support for concealed weapons permits, another senior city staff retirement, a heavier-than-usual police response on Raintree Drive, and an update on holiday hours at city hall.
‘Hot Dog on a Stick’ now open at Sunrise Mall In a Dec. 19 post on social media, the franchise chain Hot Dog on a Stick announced the opening of its new location at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights. The chain was started in 1946 in Santa Monica and has since grown to 70 stores in seven states, according to its website. The restaurant is known for “made-to-order Hot Dogs on a Stick and fresh hand-stomped lemonade.”
Councilman backs sheriff’s concealed carry plan, encourages residents to ‘exercise their Second Amendment right’ Newly seated Councilman Bret Daniels took to his social media page this week to voice his support for Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones’ new plan to streamline the process for obtaining and renewing concealed carry weapons permits (CCW’s). On Wednesday, Daniels posted a link to a story from the Sacramento Bee on his public Facebook page about the sheriff’s revised permit policy and wrote, “I fully support the Sheriff’s position and encourage all Citrus Heights residents to exercise their Second Amendment right.” Daniels also posted a photo with a message stating, “Statistics show that criminals commit less crime after they’ve been shot.”
According to a sheriff’s department news release on Dec. 20, the revised policy will facilitate permit renewals entirely online, eliminate a previous requirement for a second office visit during permit application, and increase the number of firearms on a permit to five, up from three. Supporters say concealed carry holders have helped save lives and argue that permits should not take months to obtain, while opponents say more CCW’s don’t make communities safer and argue that making permits easier to obtain could leave guns in the wrong hands. Daniels is a former county sheriff’s deputy, who was elected to the city council last month and previously served on the council from 1999 to 2005. (See news release)
Principal civil engineer retires from city Tweets from the city and police department on Wednesday announced the retirement of Kevin Becker, who served as a principal civil engineer for the City of Citrus Heights. In a Dec. 20 tweet, the police department thanked Becker for an “Immeasurable Impact” in the city, and a tweet from the city credited him as “the man behind Auburn Blvd Complete Streets & much more.” According to the city’s online staff directory, Becker was one of three principal civil engineers on staff in the public works and engineering division. He had been with the city for at least 15 years.
CHPD: ‘Unfounded’ knife call draws heavier-than-usual police response Police said residents may have observed a significant police presence on Raintree Drive Wednesday morning, as officers responded to a reported altercation between a man and a woman, possibly involving a knife. Lt. Mike Wells said the incident occurred on the 7100 block of Raintree Drive, off Auburn Boulevard, around 11 a.m. on Dec. 21. He said based on the knife report and the number of people inside the residence, “the response was a little more heavy than normal,” but after clearing the residence, officers determined that only a verbal altercation had occurred and that no crime had been committed. He said no one was arrested, and officers determined the knife aspect of the initial report to have been “unfounded.”
Library and City Hall announce holiday, temporary hours Residents and community members seeking to conduct business at city hall during the final week of 2016 will need to do so Tuesday through Thursday, as the hall will be closed on both Monday and Friday. According to the city’s online calendar, the hall will be closed on Dec. 26, as well as Dec. 30. City hall will also be closed the following Monday, Jan. 2. (See calendar)
Effective Jan. 2, Sylvan Library will be temporarily open on Monday’s from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., though previously only open Tuesday through Saturday. According to the library’s website, the extended hours are due to the temporary closure of Arcade and North Highlands-Antelope libraries, which will be undergoing interior remodeling through spring 2017. (See more)
Bret Daniels, pictured during a September candidate forum, won election to the city council on Nov. 8.
Updated Nov. 14, 5:40 p.m.–
Donald Trump’s victory was not the only surprise in Tuesday’s election. From “surprised” to “shocked,” Citrus Heights city council members and community leaders weighed in with their reaction to candidate Bret Daniels winning election to the council on Tuesday.
Daniels himself said he was surprised at his big win, having been outspent 3-to-1 by several other candidates and also having lost twice before in city council races in 2008 and 2012.
“Wow. I’m still a little shocked,” said Daniels in a comment to supporters on his campaign Facebook page the morning after the election. He later told The Sentinel he “ran exclusively on a social media campaign and signage,” without door-to-door walks, phone banking, or direct mailers.
That lack of campaigning is what Councilman Mel Turner said surprised him about Daniels’ win. “I knew how much work he didn’t put into it,” said Turner. The veteran councilman said when elected in 2010, his own campaign walked 1,500 homes and won, while candidate and current Planning Commissioner Rick Doyle reported walking 4,000 homes this year and lost to Daniels.
Turner, as well as the entire city council and most planning commissioners, had all endorsed Doyle. Both Doyle and candidate Marcel Weiland, reported raising over $10,000 — but both lost to Daniels, who reported raising just $3,100.
“It was a shocker — a big shocker to everyone,” community leader Tim Schaefer said of Daniels’ election day win. Schaefer was also one of the eight candidates running for council this year, but he and Daniels found common ground on several issues, like questioning the $21 million new city hall expense, and mutually endorsed one another during the campaign.
Schaefer placed fifth with 12 percent of the vote, Weiland and Doyle each took 14 percent of the vote, and Daniels took 19 percent of vote. Incumbent Jeff Slowey was the only one to top Daniels, receiving an expected win with just over 24 percent of the vote. Both were elected to four year terms on the five-member council.
Outgoing councilwoman Sue Frost, whose seat will be filled by Daniels, was also surprised, but said “voters have elected Bret and I look forward to working with him.” Frost won’t be personally working with Daniels on the council, but after winning her race for Sacramento County supervisor on Tuesday she said she’ll be in discussion with City leaders about policy and issues.
Councilman Steve Miller, while “a bit surprised,” offered some insight on how Daniels won. He attributed name recognition, a crowded race, and the open seat left by councilwoman Frost as key factors in the results.
Daniels’ strong social media campaign and large signs on heavy traffic streets also likely helped his campaign — and his vocal position against Measure B could have also attracted voters leery of a tax increase.
Daniels undoubtedly has name recognition, having served on the Citrus Heights city council from 1999 until he resigned in 2005 while going through a divorce. His name has also been on the ballot over the past decade for various other campaigns, including two attempts for city council in 2008 and 2012, running four times for Sacramento County Sheriff since 1998, and most recently running for water district director in 2014.
In an email to The Sentinel, UC Davis Professor Matthew Lesenyie, who specializes in voter and campaign finance research, confirmed the significance of name recognition in local nonpartisan races — where voters lack Republican or Democrat labels next to a candidate name listed on the ballot.
“For those who do vote, their decision could be as simple as name recognition (e.g. Have they come in contact with the name before?),” the professor wrote in his email. “Recent experiments have shown that yard signs can be pretty effective at reinforcing name recognition.”
His past and the future Daniels, 56, does carry some baggage from his prior service on the council, having been the only council member to vote against the formation of the Citrus Heights Police Department in 2005. Since then, the department has been widely praised for reducing costs and crime, compared to the prior police services contract the City had with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
Daniels was also fired from his position as a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy in 2000, after the department said he lied during an internal affairs investigation relating to whether he accessed a law enforcement database for personal use. Daniels said he disputed the charges against him and believes the firing was ‘politically motivated’ by then-Sheriff Lou Blanas. Two years prior to the firing, Daniels had run against Blanas for county sheriff.
Now that he’s been elected back to the council, Daniels said he plans to deliver on his campaign promise to improve public safety, quality of life, and “economic vitality.” During his campaign, he also advocated removing all red-light cameras in Citrus Heights, proposed no-cost building permits for homeowners, and said more patrol officers are needed on the streets.
Daniels said he will have a campaign victory party on Dec. 9 at Stones Casino, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Bret Daniels, former council member and current 2016 city council candidate.
Note: In the interest of providing voter education and fair election coverage, The Sentinel has given all eight Citrus Heights city council candidates an equal opportunity to submit 100-word written statements on a variety of local issues. Bret Daniel’s responses can be found below. See other candidate responses in the article: “Citrus Heights city council candidates on the issues, in their own words”
Bret Daniels, 56, is a former Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy and current president of “Our Fallen,” a local nonprofit that works to help families of fallen officers. Daniels previously served on the Citrus Heights city council from 1999 until he resigned in 2005, citing personal and family reasons. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Homelessness is ranked among the top issues faced by businesses and residents in Citrus Heights. What is your plan to address this and what role do you see private organizations playing? (Be specific)
“We must be proactive in our approach and not simply reactive. Let’s find the homeless that are searching for a way out of that lifestyle and help them get there by providing assistance with basic human needs, resume preparation, and even some limited income helping clean up the city. Those that simply want to live a lifestyle of drugs, garbage, and panhandling need to be shown the way out of our city.”
Measure B would raise the sales tax by half a cent throughout Sacramento County to pay for roads and Regional Transit projects. If the vote were held today, would you vote “yes” or “no” on Measure B, and why?
“All of my opponents have had the opportunity to come out against this effort to raise our taxes and none have done so. I am the only candidate that from day one has said NO to Measure B. This is 30 year tax that will hurt our businesses and we can’t afford it. Four years ago, the city tried to raise our utility taxes and I helped lead the fight against that effort. We defeated that effort but city staff still received fat raises. The government does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem.”
One of the City’s strategic planning goals is to enhance public safety. What specifically would you advocate doing to enhance public safety in Citrus Heights?
“We must get police officers back into our neighborhoods. We need to raise the number of police officers we have patrolling our neighborhoods and keep a check on specialty units. Citrus Heights ranks as one of the least safest cities in California and that needs to change. Thousands of our residents have been the victim of crimes in just the last few years. We need to push the criminal element out and with 20 years of law enforcement experience, I will make sure that happens.”
Body-worn cameras have been praised by many as a way to increase accountability and decrease false claims against police. Do you believe CHPD should implement body-worn cameras within the next two years? Why, or why not?
“Body-worn cameras can be a great asset to public safety, but the cost factor cannot be ignored. Because we are not receiving our property taxes from the county for another five years or so and because the city council decimated the general fund reserve, we would likely need to hold off on such an expense unless other funding sources become available.”
Many of you have advocated for a fiscally conservative policy and maintaining the City’s history of operating debt free. What is your specific plan to address the growing cost of pensions and maintaining a balanced budget with healthy reserves?
“There is no ‘healthy reserve’ remaining following the irresponsible, and possibly illegal, spending of $20,000,000 from the general fund reserve to build the new city hall. Previously, we had a healthy reserve of $25,000,000 for a ‘rainy day.’ The fund was never intended to be used to build city hall. We must now be even more fiscally responsible and go into a savings mode. We need to re-examine the pay raises, some in the range of $36,000 to $54,000 a year, that top managers in city staff have received since 2012 when the city wanted to raise our utility taxes but then authorized millions in pay raises.
In August, the city council voted 4-0 to oppose Proposition 64, which would legalize recreational marijuana in California. Do you agree with the council’s decision?
“I strongly oppose any effort to legalize the recreational use of any drug, including marijuana. What a horrible message to send to our youth. Studies have already proven that where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, driving accidents have increased dramatically.”
It is well-known that many homeowners choose to ignore required building permits while doing remodel or construction work on their properties, citing permit costs or “excessive regulations.” What would you do to address this?
“We need to make our permitting procedures a no-cost process. If we stop to think about who is protected by the permitting process, it is the public as a whole. The public should then cover the cost as a whole. We pay taxes and those taxes should be used for government actions such as permitting. This would encourage homeowners to involve city staff and make our city safer. The process also needs to be expedited so that projects are not unnecessarily delayed. And where slight and incidental modifications need to be made to standards, variances should be allowed without delay.”
What, if any, are two existing city regulations/codes that you think should be changed, and why?
“I would remove red light cameras throughout the city. They are simply money-makers and they are not making the city safer. Last year, a Grand Jury found that ‘Citrus Heights chronically and systematically ignores its own policies for oversight, testing, monitoring, maintenance and record keeping’ as it relates to red-light cameras and that there was concern about the legitimacy of yellow-light duration. If elected, I will immediately request an analysis of all red-light camera locations indicating the difference between collisions at those intersections before cameras were installed and subsequent to camera installation.”
Citrus Heights 2016 City Council candidates, from left to right. Top: Rick Doyle, Amor Taylor, Jeff Slowey, Porsche Middleton. Bottom: Tim Schaefer, Marcel Weiland, Michael Nishimura, Bret Daniels. // CH Sentinel
Updated Oct. 23, 12:21 a.m.–
In the interest of providing voter information and fair election coverage, The Sentinel has given all eight Citrus Heights city council candidates an equal opportunity to submit written statements on a variety of local issues. Seven of the eight candidates submitted statements by the Oct. 22 deadline, and links are provided below to each candidate’s responses.
Questions included topics of homelessness, enhancing public safety, body cameras, marijuana regulation, fiscal policy, and Measure B. Although agreeing on many issues, candidates hold opposing views on Measure B and police-worn body cameras, and also have differing approaches to enhancing public safety and addressing homelessness.
2016 city council candidate and former Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy Bret Daniels, speaking at a Sept. 19 election forum in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel
Updated Sept. 25, 12:59 a.m.–
The claim: “There’s a dirty little secret about Citrus Heights and that is that we are in the top 100 of least safest cities in California… we have to do something to change that.” – Bret Daniels, candidate for Citrus Heights city council (Sept. 19, 2016).
A report by the consumer finance group “ValuePenguin” lists Citrus Heights at 345 out of 417 cities, putting the city among the 100 worst-ranked cities in California. According to ValuePenguin’s website, its rankings are based on 2014 data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.
Asked about the credibility of ValuePenguin’s “safe city” report, Sacramento State business professor Terence Pitre, Ph.D., called the ranking system “fatally flawed” and metaphorically “dead in the water.” The FBI also cautions on its website that it “strongly discourages” data being used for ranking, due to ranking based solely on limited categories of crime resulting in “misleading perceptions.”
While crediting ValuePenguin for attempting to use city size as a scaling factor in comparing cities, the professor said he “seriously question(s) the methodology, accuracy, and reporting of such a ranking.” ValuePenguin.com says the methodology used to rank cities from FBI data included standardizing the data to reflect violent and property crimes per 100,000, and also adding “slack” for larger cities.
ValuePenguin’s report also used an 80 percent weighting for violent crime and a 20 percent weighting for property crimes, while last year it chose to weight violent crime at 90 percent.
“Where the analysis becomes highly suspect is their arbitrary and unscientific weighting of property and violent crime,” the professor said in his written analysis to The Sentinel on Friday. “Such weighting without scientific theory or reference is highly subjective at best.”
“Even more disturbing in the analysis is their adding of ‘slack’ for bigger cities,” added Pitre, who said the report’s scaling of the number of crimes by 100,000 was already taken into account to adjust for differences in city size. “There is no need to ‘add slack.’ This effectively skews the data in favor of large cities appearing less dangerous than smaller ones.”
As a final critique the professor said “there are some things on the list that just don’t pass the good ole ocular ‘eye’ tests. I find it hard, if not impossible, to believe that San Luis Obispo is just slightly safer than Lodi or Hayward.”
ValuePenguin appears to also acknowledge difficulties in comparing large cities with small cities, as it additionally published a “2016 safest places to live” list, with three separate lists of the top 10 cities in each size category. As an explanation, ValuePenguin’s website says “Although we adjusted for population in our crime rankings, it is still difficult to compare a small town to a large city.”
While the FBI’s data is useful to track crime increases and drops for the eight categories of crime it lists in Part 1 of the UCR data, the lack of comprehensive crime data tracked by the FBI makes a “safe city” ranking using the limited data misleading. Part 2 UCR crimes were also not included in the ValuePenguin ranking, even though such offenses include DUI arrests and collisions, “simple assaults,” weapons violations, and at least a dozen other categories of crime.
As an example, ValuePenguin lists San Ramon as the “safest” place to live that is over 60,000 population, based on FBI data. However, based on the latest California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) rankings, San Ramon is also ranked 58 out of 103 cities for total injury and fatal collisions — with “1” being the most dangerous and 103 being the most safe. By comparison, Citrus Heights ranks one point safer than the similarly sized city of San Ramon, with a ranking of 59 out of 103 cities.
Since OTS bases grant money allocation and other decisions off its traffic safety rankings, it accounts for many additional factors in determining rank for accuracy, whereas ValuePenguin does not.
So how safe is Citrus Heights in reality? The data currently available does not allow a definitive, comprehensive safety ranking — but in specific categories like traffic safety, it can be reasonably shown that the city is slightly more safe than similarly sized cities. However, in the past five years the city has also seen a rise in three of the eight categories of serious crime tracked by the FBI.
As previously reported on The Sentinel, Citrus Heights Police Chief Christopher Boyd presented a detailed five-year overview of crime in the city during a Feb. 25 council meeting this year, showing significant drops in burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson – but a significant rise in rape, aggravated assault, and homicides in 2015, compared to 2011. Motor vehicle theft dropped from 340 down to 271 and burglaries were almost slashed in half, but rape doubled from 15 up to 36 cases, and homicides rose from just one in 2011, to five in 2015.
Asked to respond specifically to Daniels’ assertion and the accuracy of ValuePenguin’s ranking, Chief Boyd did not comment on the accuracy of the ranking, but said in an email statement: “Since 2006, we have reduced all UCR crime by 28%, all property crime by 26%, all persons crime by 33% and all collisions by 44%. The Police Department is extraordinarily proud of this work and the men and women in uniform are highly rated by our community.”
While an exact safety ranking for the city may never be known, more work can still be done to lower crime and improve safety in Citrus Heights. More than any other candidate so far, Daniels is to be commended for offering a specific plan to improve safety in the city, but he should use caution in citing highly questionable reports to make his point.
What do you think should be done to lower crime and improve safety in Citrus Heights? Share your thoughts in a letter-to-the-editor or opinion piece using our new submission form.
*Note: In the interest of fairness and community discussion, The Sentinel has given Candidate Bret Daniels the opportunity to submit an opinion piece or letter responding to our fact check article. As of Sept. 27, an article submission from Daniels has not been received.
The top four candidates for city council listed by likely voters interviewed by The Sentinel Monday were Jeff Slowey, Marcel Weiland, Tim Schaefer, and Rick Doyle. // CH Sentinel
Updated Sept. 22, 7:17 a.m.–
A survey of likely voters who attended a Monday-night Citrus Heights city council candidate forum narrowed a field of eight candidates down to four — with attendees notably naming the youngest candidate in the room among their top picks.
Asked to list the top three candidates who stood out for their performance during the two-hour forum, attendees repeatedly named Vice Mayor Jeff Slowey and 26-year-old Marcel Weiland among the top performers of the evening. The only other two candidates to make it into the “top three” list of any of the dozen attendees interviewed by The Sentinel were Planning Commissioner Rick Doyle and businessman Tim Schaefer.
While Slowey, Doyle and Schaefer all hold significant experience, the surprise candidate of the night was Weiland, who is lesser-known and half the age of most of the eight candidates running. With only one exception, the dozen people interviewed all included Weiland in their top three list, often referring to him as “the young guy” and commenting positively on his youthful perspective.
“He is young, but he didn’t talk like he was young,” said 77-year-old Susan Allen, who listed Weiland in her top three, along with Vice Mayor Jeff Slowey and Planning Commissioner Rick Doyle. Asked why she named Weiland, Susan and her husband Forrest both called him “articulate,” and said he “didn’t waffle on any of the questions.”
The 26-year-old Weiland grew up in Citrus Heights near Tempo Park, was homeschooled, graduated from Santa Clara University, served as a legislative analyst with former state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, and currently works as a director at a financial tech company in Auburn. His experience includes competing in speech and debate during his high school and college years, earning a degree in political science, and notably running against then-state Senator Darrell Steinberg for a senate seat in 2010 at the age of 20.
While making it into the “top three” in the minds of many forum attendees, Weiland faces a tough challenge as voters ultimately have to narrow their choices down to the top two, with only a pair of seats up for election on the five-member city council this November. Candidates Slowey and Doyle will make for a tough race, as each have many more years of local leadership experience, are well-funded, and boast a long list of endorsements.
Schaefer also poses a credible threat and boasts a long history of neighborhood association involvement, formerly serving as the vice president of the Residents’ Empowerment Association of Citrus Heights (REACH), which hosted the Sept. 19 candidate forum. The 55-year-old ran for city council in 2014 on a “Save City Hall” platform to oppose the plan to tear down and move the old city hall, but lost the election by a margin of about 800 votes.
Candidate Bret Daniels, who previously served on the council for six years, has also demonstrated past leadership and an ability to win elections — but wasn’t mentioned by any of the attendees interviewed by The Sentinel.
Forum attendee Jayna Karpinski-Costa, who serves as president of the SOAR Neighborhood Association, named Schaefer in her top three list, along with Slowey and Weiland. Others like Kathy Kellogg said she had a hard time narrowing the list down to three.
“Gosh, there was so many good ones — only three?” asked the 60-year-old, who told The Sentinel she was still undecided about who to vote for. Kellogg ended up listing Slowey, Doyle and Schaefer, citing their experience, but added that Weiland would be a good pick “if you put him with someone who has experience.”
While Weiland’s youth played a big role in likely voters’ minds, Doyle’s experience won the respect of many attendees interviewed afterward, with his record as a 39-year resident of Citrus Heights and a six-year member of the City’s planning commission. He also boasts the endorsement of the entire city council, outgoing Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan, and all but one of his fellow planning commissioners.
Vice Mayor Slowey also earned respect from attendees as the only incumbent in the race, running on his record as a 13-year veteran council member and taking credit for helping Citrus Heights operate as a city with no debt. “If you like what’s going on in the city, I had a big part to do with a lot of that,” he said in his opening statement.
The remaining three candidates in the race are restaurant manager Michael Nishimura, engineering consultant Porsche Middleton, and Construction Board of Appeals member Amor Taylor. The trio will face a difficult time getting their message out as they are the only candidates who chose not to pay the $700 cost to include a 200-word candidate statement in the November election sample ballot, which is direct-mailed to each voter.
The trio were also the only candidates who signed a campaign finance form declaring they do not intend to raise or spend more than $2,000 in the election. A review of the past two Citrus Heights city council elections found that winning candidates have all raised over $10,000 — with some candidates spending over $20,000.
Candidates will have a second chance to win over more voters at another forum set for Oct. 6, hosted by the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce at San Juan High School.
On the Issues The Sept. 19 candidate forum was attended by about 70 people and featured a series of 13 rapid-fire succession questions by moderator Matt Lesenyie, who teaches at UC Davis and is a Ph.D. candidate. Topics ranged from code enforcement, to development approaches and how to stimulate community involvement.
Candidates took seats at chairs usually occupied by city council members during council meetings, each hopeful their answers would bring them one step closer to a four-year seat in the same chair. While many answers lacked specific action plans and uncovered only mild disagreements among the candidates, several issues drew a bit more heated and diverse comments from the eight candidates.
Bret Daniels Daniels, 56, who is a former Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy and former Citrus Heights council member, distinguished himself with a focus on law enforcement, advocating for more officers on the streets and calling public safety the “number one role of government.”
He also criticized the city for failing to listen to the community at times and called an idea floated by Commissioner Doyle to consider new residential dwellings on top of businesses “crazy.” Daniels also took aim at the high cost to taxpayers for Regional Transit services, claiming it would be cheaper to pay for Uber or Lyft to drive RT riders around.
Porsche Middleton
Middleton, 32, spoke most passionately on education and said when she moved to Citrus Heights two years ago with her family and two small children, she “almost didn’t settle here because of the school system.” She, along with Slowey and Schaefer, made the case that improved schools would attract young families to the city, which in turn would reduce blight and enhance the economy.
Tim Schaefer A question about past neighborhood involvement brought out the strengths of Doyle, Slowey, Taylor, Daniels, and Schaefer, while the rest admitted to little or no past involvement in their neighborhood associations. Schaefer served as the past vice president of REACH and also helped lead other neighborhood groups and efforts. As an opponent of new taxes, he questioned whether Measure B would actually repair roads in Citrus Heights and also criticized the new city hall project for draining reserves that could have been spent on roads.
Schaefer also took a controversial jab at Middleton for saying she didn’t attend her neighborhood association meetings because she was working and had small children at home. “The meetings are once a month,” he said. “One time a month, that’s it… it’s not that hard to go to a meeting — it’s a great experience.”
Marcel Weiland
Weiland staked out homelessness as his top issue to address, calling it a “growing issue” that would only get bigger and more expensive to address in the future. He cited a police department study that found over 30 percent of calls for service to the Citrus Heights Police Department are homeless-related and said more collaboration needs to be done with private organizations and groups like the Homeless Assistance Resource Team and food closets. As the youngest candidate running, Weiland also said he would be the best candidate to represent the next generation and the future of Citrus Heights.
Michael Nishimura
Nishimura, 53, listed homelessness and the condition of public streets as his top issues during the forum. He spoke positively of how the city is currently run and said he would continue what is already being done by the City, stating that the image of Citrus Heights has improved over the past 20 years. Regarding traffic, Nishimura advocated accessibility to businesses and voiced concern about people avoiding shopping at Sunrise Mall due to traffic on Greenback Lane and Sunrise Boulevard.
Amor Taylor Taylor, 51, listed homelessness and public safety as her top issues, and also praised the work of faith-based communities in Citrus Heights. She said she began serving on the Construction Board of Appeals due to the her knowledge of construction and access, as a person with a disability. She envisions a city with more shopping areas and businesses to compete better with Roseville.
Jeff Slowey Slowey, 55, called Citrus Heights “the best-kept secret in Sacramento County” and spoke positively of a “city awareness” campaign effort to brand the city as an attractive place to live, work, and play. The current councilman and vice mayor stressed the importance of good schools as the top issue to fix in Citrus Heights and said the San Juan Unified School District could “do better.” He also acknowledged the growing problem of homelessness in the city, but said, “you’re not gonna solve it in Citrus Heights, you’re going to solve it regionally.”
Rick Doyle Doyle, 72, focused on code enforcement several times during the forum, calling blight in the city “a cancer.” Although cautioning that “we certainly do not want to be the gestapo,” Doyle said the police department could host a code enforcement month where code violation issues in neighborhoods could be cracked down on using smartphone picture submissions. He also said the City’s economic development should be “more proactive than reactive,” in order to attract new businesses and developments, like the Dignity Health medical office building set to be built in place of the old city hall.
Bret Daniels, former council member and current 2016 city council candidate.
Note: As part of The Sentinel’s 2016 coverage of local elections, we have asked a series of seven identical questions to each of the candidates running for a seat on the Citrus Heights city council. The questions are designed to give each of the eight candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community and give voters an opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s life and background. More specific policy questions will be addressed in future articles. Candidates replied via email, and those who responded to each question in less than 100 words have their answers published word-for-word.
Bret Daniels, independent contractor | Age: 56
Basic bio: “My family moved to Citrus Heights when I was 12 years old and I have been here for most of the time since then… I am married with three amazing kids and a miracle baby on the way who is supposed to be here on October 7th! I have an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and thousands of training hours in law enforcement. I am currently the President of a non-profit charitable organization that provides financial support to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty throughout our nation. I previously served on the council from 1999-2005.”
Why are you running for city council?
“Citrus Heights has been my home forever and it will continue to be so. I love this city. We have seen so much progress since becoming our own city but there is so much more to do. The impact of my previous time on the council is still being felt today in a very positive way and I want to bring that leadership back to the council.”
What are three things you like most about living in Citrus Heights?
“It’s home… The people, the lifestyle, the job opportunities, and the local control all come together to make you feel at home. I like that we know who we are and what we will be for years to come. Being almost built out, we don’t have to be consumed by big development decisions… That lets us spend our tax dollars wisely and most importantly on what is best for the people that live here. And finally, my church. In Bayside Church of Citrus Heights, I have found a church that cares just as much about the people and success of our city as I do.”
What are two books that have had the most influence on your life, and why/how?
“While I have not read it cover to cover, the Bible has had the biggest impact in my life because it is what keeps me grounded. Ultimately, we come into this world equal and we leave this world equal. What we do between those two moments is so much more rewarding when we do it with a guiding hand. Beyond that, my life has been more shaped by those around me than by a book.”
What are three key principles that would guide your votes on the council, if elected?
“As a compassionate conservative, I believe it is much more compassionate to give a man a hand up than a hand out. All of us need to do more to help people get OUT of their difficulties with the goal of them sustaining that achievement on their own. We are all entitled to equal opportunity but no one is entitled to an equal outcome… And finally, government is at its best when it is least needed and not obtrusive. We must respect private property rights and we must oppose any effort to raise taxes on our citizens and businesses.”
What are the top three things you’d like to change in Citrus Heights, if any?
“We must find the formula to make Sunrise Mall a success. That which made cityhood possible cannot be neglected. That success will then flow to other businesses throughout the city.”
“We must find ways to make our city safer. A recent report indicated we are the 29th LEAST safest city out of nearly 500 cities in California. We cannot continue to ignore that reality.”
“We must address Quality of Life issues ranging from dirty streets and medians, to garbage and weeds in your neighbor’s yard, to unnecessarily extended road construction, to traffic signals that make no sense, to speeding cars in our neighborhoods…”
What kind of volunteer work have you done for charities, churches or service organizations in the community?
“I am currently a founding member and the President of a non-profit charitable organization that provides financial support to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty throughout our nation. I am also a founding member and President of another non-profit charitable organization that provides toys to the kids of our military members during Christmas. I am the Security Team Leader at our church. In the past, I have coached Little League baseball and been a PTA President.”
City council members are paid a small monthly stipend of $600 for their service. If elected, how do you plan to balance work life elsewhere with council responsibilities?
“It is not easy to balance council responsibilities when it is also necessary to work to make a living but it can be done. The main thing to remember is to keep priorities right and don’t procrastinate. The reality is the council is not inundated with issues that you might see in other cities because we are mostly built out. But there are and always will be important matters before the council. We are blessed with a great staff and allowing them to do what they were hired to do is very important in that success.”
Citrus Heights 2016 city council candidates, from left to right. Top: Rick Doyle, Amor Taylor, Jeff Slowey, Porsche Middleton. Bottom: Tim Schaefer, Marcel Weiland, Michael Nishimura, Bret Daniels. // CH Sentinel
Updated Sept. 11, 12:58 a.m.–
This November, Citrus Heights voters will have an opportunity to select two candidates from a diverse and crowded race of eight local residents who are all seeking a seat on the city council.
Candidates range in age from 26 to 72 years old, each with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The Sentinel gave each candidate the opportunity to submit written answers to a series of seven identical questions for a candidate profile. Their answers are linked below and published word-for-word, as long as responses were kept under 100 words.
Jeff Slowey, 55, is a vice president for Bank of America and has served on the city council since 2003. He is the only incumbent running in the election, as current councilwoman Sue Frost gave up her seat in order to run for Sacramento County Supervisor this year. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Bret Daniels, 56, is a former Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy and current president of “Our Fallen,” a local nonprofit that works to help families of fallen officers. Daniels previously served on the Citrus Heights city council from 1999 until he resigned in 2005, citing personal and family reasons. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Marcel Weiland, 26, grew up in Citrus Heights, worked in the state capitol, and earned a degree in political science from Santa Clara University. He currently works as director of institutional alliances at Riskalyze, a financial tech company based in Auburn. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Tim Schaefer, 55, is a sales engineer with Ellison Technologies and has also served in various leadership positions in local neighborhood associations. In 2014, he spearheaded a “Save City Hall” effort to oppose the plan to tear down and move the old city hall. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Rick Doyle, 72, is a retired Farmers insurance agent and currently serves on the City’s planning commission. He also heads up a local neighborhood watch group and has served as a volunteer with the Citrus Heights Police Department since 2008. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Porsche Middleton, 32, serves as a project manager at “A Project Ahead,” an engineering consulting company based in the Sacramento area. She moved to Citrus Heights from Alabama two years ago. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Amor Taylor, 51, serves on the City’s Construction Board of Appeals and plans to open a Menchie’s frozen yogurt franchise in Citrus Heights next year. She previously served as director of public policy services for the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Michael Nishimura, 53, is the general manager of the Elephant Bar restaurant in Citrus Heights. He also serves on the board of directors for the Sunrise Marketplace and an advisory committee for the Culinary Academy at San Juan High School. (Click to read full candidate profile)
Updated Aug. 24, 5:05 p.m.–
With the Aug. 17 filing deadline now passed, a total of eight Citrus Heights residents have qualified to run for one of two city council seats up for election this November.
Names confirmed for the November ballot include current Vice Mayor Jeff Slowey, Planning Commissioner Rick Doyle, former councilman Bret Daniels, and Construction Board of Appeals Member Amor Taylor. The former vice president of the Residents’ Empowerment Association of Citrus Heights, Tim Schaefer, will also appear on the ballot, along with Porsche Middleton, Michael Nishimura, and Marcel Weiland.
The candidates will face off in the Nov. 8 election, with the top two earning four-year seats on the five-member city council. Based on past elections, candidates will likely need to receive 8-10,000 votes in order to win.
Only five of the eight candidates chose to pay the optional $700 cost to include a 200-word candidate statement in the November election sample ballot, which is direct-mailed to each voter.
Vice Mayor Slowey, 55, will be the only incumbent listed on the ballot, as current councilwoman Sue Frost gave up her seat in order to run for Sacramento County Supervisor this year. Slowey works as a vice president for Bank of America and was appointed to the city council in 2003. He won subsequent elections in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
Bret Daniels, 56, is a former Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy and current president of “Our Fallen,” a local nonprofit that works to help families of fallen officers. Daniels previously served on the Citrus Heights city council from 1999 until he resigned in 2005, citing personal and family reasons.
Marcel Weiland, 25, grew up in Citrus Heights, worked in the state capitol, and earned a degree in political science from Santa Clara University. He currently works as director of institutional alliances at Riskalyze, a financial tech company based in Auburn.
Tim Schaefer, 55, is a sales engineer with Ellison Technologies and has also served in various leadership positions in local neighborhood associations. In 2014, he spearheaded a “Save City Hall” effort to oppose the plan to tear down and move the old city hall.
Rick Doyle, 72, is a retired Farmers insurance agent and currently serves on the City’s planning commission. More than a year out from the election, he was the first to officially file his intention to run for city council and has earned the endorsement of a majority of current council members, including Mayor Jeannie Bruins.
Porsche Middleton, 32, told The Sentinel she recently moved to Citrus Heights from Alabama with her husband and children. Although she did not file a candidate statement, Middleton told The Sentinel she is currently a project manager at “A Project Ahead,” an engineering consulting company based in the Sacramento area.
Amor Taylor, 51, was appointed to serve on the City’s five-member Construction Board of Appeals in 2013. She also did not file a candidate statement, but told The Sentinel she previously served for eight years as director of public policy services for the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers and plans to own and operate a Menchie’s frozen yogurt franchise in Citrus Heights, slated to open next year.
Michael Nishimura, 53, is the general manager of the Elephant Bar restaurant in Citrus Heights. Although he did not file a candidate statement, Nishimura told The Sentinel via email Saturday that he also serves on the board of directors for the Sunrise Marketplace and an advisory committee for the Culinary Academy at San Juan High School.
*Note: The Sentinel will begin publishing a series of in-depth profiles on each of the eight candidates next week. Find out more about the candidates and get all The Sentinel’s local stories delivered to your inbox each Sunday: subscribe to our free Weekend Edition.
