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Tag: Jeannie Bruins

  • Citrus Heights councilwoman talks homelessness, Sunrise Mall and accomplishments

    Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins speaks to community members at a meeting Tuesday night. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Longtime Citrus Heights Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins addressed a neighborhood meeting Tuesday, answering questions and outlining some history of the city and accomplishments over the years.

    Speaking during the monthly meeting of the Citrus Heights Area Seven Eight and Nine (CHASEN) neighborhood association, Bruins answered questions submitted by community members prior to the meeting, along with live questions from attendees. Top concerns submitted were regarding homelessness and the future of Sunrise Mall, she said.

    Sunrise Mall
    Soon after majority owner Namdar Realty Group purchased the mall in late 2018, then-mayor Bruins met with the new owners, she said, noting that the mall’s owners were “worlds apart” in their vision for the future of the property at the time. Since then, The Sentinel has reported the city has worked with urban development consultant firm Gensler to develop a 20-year plan to guide redevelopment and pave the way for a new “Sunrise Tomorrow” mixed-use plan.

    “It’s a very attractive project for someone to come in and help create Sunrise Tomorrow over the next several years,” said Bruins. “Whether that’s going to be with Namdar, the current owners, or a developer that buys them out remains to be seen.”

    Homelessness
    Addressing homelessness, Bruins said the issue is a concern for the new city manager, Ashley Feeney, who was officially sworn in earlier this month to replace former City Manager Christopher Boyd.

    Bruins referred to a comment by former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness, noting that past homeless populations tended to keep clean and stay hidden, while many of the current homeless population leaves destruction in it’s wake.

    “It’s safe to say that our city is committed to not ever have that happen in Citrus Heights,” Bruins said. “Ash [Ashley Feeney] today shared with me that he is going to tackle this with a vengeance, and he has plans to put together a comprehensive program to elevate the level of response to homelessness within Citrus Heights that we have.”

    She added that she didn’t know “what that’s going to look like yet,” but said the city manager “knows that’s a major concern for our city, as we do on the council.”

    Over the years
    For Bruins, spending 20 years in public service was not something she anticipated. She said she tries to stay out of politics as much as possible, basing her decisions on what she believes will benefit the community the most.

    “Is this good for me, or is this good for this community?” she said as a guiding principle. “If it’s good for the community, but I’m going to get some flak for it… I can say over there that I’m in public service. [But] If I’m more concerned about how it’s going to effect me, then I’ve just jumped the line into politics. I’ll tell you it’s easy to slip into politics.”

    Despite having spent two decades on the City Council, Bruins says she did not come from a background in politics. She is originally from southern California, moving to what was then unincorporated Citrus Heights in the 1980s.

    “This has been a very gratifying part of my life,” she said. “I don’t come from a political family, I come from a family of very simple people that went to work, went to church, came home and took care of their family. Those are my roots.”

    Also on The Sentinel: 292-unit senior apartment complex in Citrus Heights sells for $54M

    Bruins highlighted accomplishments such as getting homes in the Chapel View community of the city integrated with the Sacramento County sewer system. Two different developers built the homes, she said, with one section on a private sewer system that was failing. Through working with community leaders she said she helped upgrade the infrastructure so that the remaining homes could benefit by connecting to the county’s system.

    “A lot of what we do that’s meaningful to the people we do it for, this doesn’t make headlines because there’s nothing sexy about it,” Bruins said, adding that the effort was known mostly to city staff. “That project was very gratifying for me. Nobody but staff knew about that, because again it doesn’t make headlines.”

    Another project Bruins highlighted was getting the addresses of several homes changed to Citrus Heights. Due to a clerical error after the incorporation effort, Bruins said a group of addresses were listed as Sacramento. She took the matter all the way to the U.S. Postal Service in Washington D.C. before it was finally resolved and the residents got a Citrus Heights address.

    “I think the greatest success is to have a hand in forming something and be able to let it go,” she said.

    Bruins said her greatest accomplishment on the City Council has been the Sayonara Drive Youth Center. Bruins worked with then-City Manager Henry Tingle to reduce crime on the street, which was known for illegal activity.

    After consulting with community leaders who were building youth centers in other areas of Sacramento County, Bruins and Tingle worked to develop the center on land owned by the city. She said Tingle had the idea to use block grant funds for the project in order to save money in the General Fund.

    In the decades since the youth center opened, Bruins said she’s seen children who once lived in the area and received assistance from the center now attending college.

    “That center is affecting lives generationally,” Bruins said. “I’ve often said if there was nothing else I’ve ever accomplished in 20 years on the City Council, getting that little youth center started in the early days is the only thing I accomplished, it was worth it.”

  • Citrus Heights Police Department hits 15-year milestone

    Citrus Heights Police Department ribbon cutting
    Archive photo: Council members James Shelby, Jeannie Bruins, Jeff Slowey and Jayna Karpinski-Costa stand with City Manager Henry Tingle and Police Chief Christopher Boyd for a police department ribbon cutting in 2006. // Image courtesy, CHPD

    This article is a subscriber-exclusive, made possible by the support of The Sentinel’s paid subscribers. Important local stories like this deserve to be told, but take significant staff time to produce. Please consider a subscription to make more stories like this possible.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Saturday marked 15 years since the Citrus Heights Police Department officially went live at 6:15 a.m. on June 26, 2006.

    The Sentinel spoke with Police Chief Ronald Lawrence, and Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins to find out what the department looked like a decade-and-a-half ago, and what the future might look like for law enforcement in Citrus Heights.

    Bruins, the longest-tenured member of the City Council who was first elected in 2002, recalled the need for added police patrols as a driving force behind the effort to make Citrus Heights a city in the late 1990s. Before incorporation, and up until 2006, Citrus Heights had its police services provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff.

    “We had crime, we had a lot of traffic issues,” Bruins said. “We had always felt that we were a very neglected part of Sacramento County.”

    Bruins said there has been a “night and day” difference from the time before the formation of the police department to today.

    The city contracted with the sheriff’s department for nine years, before a citizen’s committee eventually recommended forming an independent agency, Bruins recalled. Christopher Boyd was the first chief of police for the fledgling department, and served in that position until becoming city manager in 2016.

    Bruins recalled the excitement around the first day the new police force was in operation.

    “It was a really phenomenal day” she said. “Every council member rode with an officer and there was a contest about who was going to write the first ticket, or who was going to make the first arrest.”

    Over the years, the Citrus Heights Police Department has become an award winning agency. The police website lists a number of recognitions, including the James Q. Wilson award for excellence in community policing in 2012, the APCO International Public Safety Communications Team of the Year award in 2012, and the MADD California Hero Award in 2012 and 2009.

    Chief Lawrence credits his department for what has been a significant reduction in crime and collision rates in the city over the past 15 years.

    “As the second police chief in the department’s history, I could not be more proud to lead such outstanding police professionals and serve such a wonderful community,” Lawrence said.

    Although there have been many retirements and changes in personnel over the years, the police chief said there are still 18 current employees who have been with the force since the beginning. Commander Jason Russo is among those, having joined as a sergeant and later being promoted to lieutenant and now serving in his current position.

    An earlier report by The Sentinel shows the Citrus Heights Police Department has also served as a model for the formation of a new police department in Menifee, a suburb in Riverside County about the size of Citrus Heights. A police lieutenant from CHPD was also hired as a commander by Menifee PD to help launch the new department last year.

    From last year: Citrus Heights credited with helping So Cal city launch own police dept

    Bruins said the Citrus Heights Police Department has set an example as a community oriented agency, saying “They are the epitome of true community policing.”

    She noted efforts the agency has made in areas like Sayonara Drive, where she said police are now a welcome part of the community. Bruins said it is not uncommon for members of the department to replace a stolen bicycle or repair a broken fence.

    “Just the way they engage with our community,” Bruins said. “They really partner with our community in a way that other police departments talk about, but they really do it.”

    Archive photo: Members of the Citrus Heights Police Department and City Council pose for a photo outside the police station in 2006. // Image courtesy, CHPD

    So what does the future look like for the Citrus Heights Police Department?

    For Lawrence, he is looking forward to fostering an even closer relationship with the community. He said the department has collectively adopted a new vision statement putting the community first.

    “As a Community First police department, with a legacy of excellence, we continue to transform lives through adaptive policing with progressive crime reduction methods, innovation, and partnerships with our community,” the statement reads.

    Lawrence said the vision reinforces the concept of community policing for the entire staff.

    “[I]t is an indication that our police professionals recognize that we are the community, and the community are the police; that we want to serve our community — first and foremost,” he said.

  • Citrus Heights City Council approves first-ever $12M line of credit

    Credit, Citrus Heights
    Citrus Heights Councilman Bret Daniels speaks prior to a 5-0 vote to approve a $12 million line of credit for the city. // Image credit: Metro Cable 14

    Updated 7:23 a.m., Nov. 18–
    Sentinel staff report–  Citrus Heights City Council members on Thursday night unanimously voted to approve a $12 million revolving line of credit, making it the first time the city has ever authorized incurring debt in its 21-year history.

    City Manager Christopher Boyd, who in 2016 assured that the city would “never go into debt,” said access to the new line of credit will put the city in a position “to invest in our community for return” and also allow “a nimble and flexible way” to get by until the city receives a long-anticipated boost from property tax revenue in four years. Assistant City Manager Ronda Rivera said the funds will be drawn on for both “unanticipated operating or known operating deficits that we have and capital needs as they come up.”

    According to a 10-year projection presented to the council, without the line of credit, the city’s current reserves of $5.3 million were projected to dwindle to about $350,000 by fiscal year 2021-22, before increasing to more than $4 million beginning the following fiscal year when the city begins receiving its property tax revenue. An updated projection, accounting for the line of credit being used, showed reserves only dropping to $2.9 million before rising to almost $5 million the following year.

    The city’s share of property taxes is currently about $5.6 million, but as part of a 25-year “revenue neutrality” agreement with Sacramento County, Citrus Heights has reluctantly had to fork those funds over to the county each year — a condition imposed to allow the city to incorporate in 1997. After an unsuccessful attempt to strike a deal with the county to get early access to the funds, the city pursued a line of credit as the most “cost effective” alternative.

    The revolving line of credit with Western Alliance Bank is structured as a site lease with the Community Center pledged as collateral and comes with an interest rate of 4.4% on $4.5 million, and 6.09% on the remaining $7.5 million. An interest rate of 0.25% will be charged for any undrawn amount.

    “Good faith estimates” included in the council’s Nov. 15 agenda packet state that if funds borrowed are paid in full at the end of the 20-year sublease, the city would pay about $9 million in interest, although that amount will be less if prepayments are made by the city. The city plans to pay any debt off by September of 2024.

    The line of credit will enable the city to fund two “big ticket” expenses — purchasing the old Sylvan Middle School property and helping fund the second phase of improvements on Auburn Boulevard, according to Mayor Steve Miller. The city recently announced around $16 million in outside funding is available for the Auburn Boulevard project, which will extend roadway improvements from Rusch Park to the Roseville border, but the city needs to put forward about $4.5 million in matching funds.

    The mayor has said the city’s intention with the old Sylvan school property is to buy it from the San Juan Unified School District and then sell it to a private party, in order to “have a full say in what happens there.”

    In comments made during the meeting, councilmembers Bret Daniels and Jeff Slowey both said they “reluctantly” were voting for the line of credit, in light of the city’s long tradition of operating without debt. Four members of the public also addressed the council during the meeting to express their general support or opposition to the proposal.

    Resident David Warren spoke during public comment and warned that another economic recession could hinder the ability of the city to repay the debt and said the council should specifically limit the use of credit for capital improvements, rather than operating expenses, arguing that “operating expense should never be something you use a line of credit for.”

    “If the city borrows money and goes into debt and it has a compensating asset, then the city’s books remain in balance,” said Warren. “If instead we are spending it for operating expenses, the city’s books go out of balance because we will have a debt without a corresponding asset.”

    The final wording of the agreement allows for the line of credit to be used for both “operating and capital funding needs.”

    Bill Van Duker, sometimes called the city “Godfather” for his role in helping with the incorporation process, also spoke during public comment and told the City Council that it was known “from day one” that there would come a time when the city would reach a “crossover point” before the end of the 25-year agreement with the county, where expenses would exceed revenues. He said if former City Manager Henry Tingle were here today, “we would still be in exactly the same position.”

    EDITORIAL: Council should re-watch tribute to ‘Tightwad Tingle’ before $12M vote

    Several other council members and the assistant city manager also referenced the “crossover point,” which was initially projected to be reached in 2010, according Councilman Jeff Slowey. However, with frugal management under Tingle’s leadership, the city steered away from debt and amassed $33 million in reserves by 2012 — enabling the city to spend $21 million in reserves on the new city hall in 2016.

    That move to purchase the new city hall was criticized by Councilman Bret Daniels, who has frequently voiced his opposition to the city draining its reserves on the new hall.

    “We’re having [this] discussion today because of the decision to build this building and spend the general fund reserve to do that,” said Daniels. “If that had not occurred, we wouldn’t be having this meeting tonight. We would have a nice healthy reserve and we would be able to make it over those next five years or so.”

    In the end, Daniels said he would “very reluctantly” support the line of credit in order to “return back to taking care of some of our different needs,” primarily referencing roads.

    Related: Henry Tingle reflects on 17 years as Citrus Heights city manager

    Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, who co-chaired the cityhood effort in 1996 and has served on the council since 2002, called the city’s move to incur debt for the first time a “very big paradigm shift” and said “we all hoped that this day would never come.” She said she was supporting the proposal due to its “very limited scope” and the goal “to get debt-free again as soon as we can.”

    Councilman Slowey said in comments before the vote that future council members could make different decisions about how the line of credit is spent, noting governmental misuse in funding is common across the country. As he will be retiring from the council in two years, he said voters will need to keep council members “on their toes to make sure that they’re held accountable for how that money is spent.”

    “I’m reluctantly going to support this, just because, again, it’s always nice to go everywhere and say your debt free,” said Slowey. “But, I think that fiscal frugality will continue to play on our part so that we will use that money wisely and only when we need to.”

    Related: Middleton set to join Miller, Bruins on Citrus Heights City Council

    Porsche Middleton, who won election to the City Council on Nov. 6 did not vote on the matter, as she will not officially replace Councilman Al Fox on the council until next month. Both Fox and Mayor Miller supported the $12 million line of credit.

    Two other members of the public also spoke during the meeting, Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter and resident Kelly Severin. Carpenter focused her comments in support of the city investing in capital projects on Auburn Boulevard and Sylvan Corners, while Severin cautioned about taking on debt and said the city would be better off continuing its “pay-as-you-go” approach to projects, even if it would mean waiting four years for the city to receive its property tax revenue.

    Funding from the line of credit is expected to be available by the end of this month, on Nov. 29, according to the city manager’s office.

    What do you think of the City Council’s decision? Share your thoughts in a letter to the editor: click here.

  • Bruins, Miller and Middleton lead in Citrus Heights City Council election

    Vote results, Citrus Heights City Council 2018
    Vote count results for the Citrus Heights City Council race, as of 11:43 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2018. // Source: Sacramento County Elections Dept.

    Sentinel staff report–
    Early election results show Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins with a strong lead in the race for Citrus Heights City Council, followed by Mayor Steve Miller in second place and Planning Commissioner Porsche Middleton in third. As of late Tuesday night, about 500 votes separated Middleton from appointed incumbent Albert Fox, who was in fourth place.

    Want the latest results? Updated vote totals will be included in The Sentinel’s Midweek e-Edition on Thursday afternoon. Click here to sign up.

    Fox’s campaign manager, Frank Ford, told The Sentinel the race was too close to call, as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Additional results are slated to be released by Sacramento County elections later this week as more ballots are counted.

    Countywide, the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Office reported that 171,994 ballots had been counted as of 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday, with a total of 764,998 registered voters in the County.

    Bruins, who sought her fifth term on the City Council, claimed victory Tuesday night, telling The Sentinel she was “very grateful that the voters have given me four more years to serve this wonderful community.” Results available at midnight on Election night showed her garnering 27% of the 22,868 votes counted.

    Although placing last in results released so far, Shull, a newcomer to the City Council race, told The Sentinel Tuesday night there were still “too many ballots left to know the outcome.” Other candidates in the race were not immediately able to be reached for comment.

    The top three vote-getters will each earn a four-year term on the five-member City Council and are slated to be seated during the first council meeting in December.

    Note: A full story with latest vote totals for the Citrus Heights City Council will be published in The Sentinel’s Midweek e-Edition. Click here to sign up.

  • Election 2018: Money continues to flow in race for Citrus Heights City Council

    Citrus Heights City Council election
    Signs and even billboards for Citrus Heights City Council candidates have appeared around town, including these at the intersection of Antelope Road and Auburn Boulevard. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Latest campaign finance disclosures filed on Oct. 27 show an unprecedented amount of cash is being spent in the race for three seats on the Citrus Heights City Council this year.

    The latest financial filings cover a reporting period of Sept. 23 through Oct. 22 and show newcomers in the race continue to outspend long-seated incumbents Mayor Steve Miller and Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, who are both up for re-election this year along with Councilman Al Fox, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the council last year.

    Learn more about the candidates: Meet the 5 candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council

    Porsche Middleton, a Planning Commissioner seeking a seat on the City Council this year, continues to top the list for most contributions received, reporting an additional $7,000 received in the latest reporting period — bringing her total contributions for the year to just over $48,000. Her latest contributions came largely from the California Apartment Association PAC, the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, and the Sacramento County Democratic Central Committee, each of whom gave $1,000 or more to her campaign. Her total expenditures are listed at about $45,000, with latest large expenses listed as $1,600 to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., likely for several large billboards her campaign has taken out in the city, and another $1,700 to GoDaddy for web-related services.

    By comparison, at this time in the race for City Council two years ago, two of the top three candidates that year only reported receiving about $10,000 apiece in contributions, while Councilman Jeff Slowey topped the list with $17,600 in donations. Slowey won re-election that year and was the top vote-getter, but money didn’t end up being the determining factor for the other winner, Bret Daniels, whose campaign reported less than $5,000 in contributions and spent less than $3,800 during the entire campaign.

    From 2016: Bret Daniels’ election to city council called ‘a shocker’ by Citrus Heights leaders

    Coming in second place for contributions so far this year is labor relations manager Treston Shull, who reported receiving an additional $5,500 during the latest period, bringing his total contributions for the year up to $30,500. His latest contributions came largely from the San Francisco Laborer’s Local 261 PAC and the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, which gave $1,500 and $2,000, respectively. His total expenditures are listed at about $24,000, with top expenditures going to TabCommunications, Inc., for campaign management, along with significant expenses related to postage, mailing and literature.

    Councilman Fox came in third for contributions, reporting the receipt of another $5,600 during the latest reporting period, which brings his total contributions for the year over the $20,000 mark. The bulk of his latest funding came from a trio of $1,000 donations from the Sacramento Metro Chamber, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce PAC, the Rental Housing Association PAC, and a $900 donation from Gail Sanders, an individual contributor who listed her address as that of Roseville-based Sanders and Associates Geostructural Engineers. Fox’s most recent large expenses have been about $5,000 on mailing-related services and printing.

    Vice Mayor Bruins reported receiving an additional $4,500 in the latest reporting period — largely from the California Association of Apartments PAC, Sacramento Metro Chamber PAC, and Republic Services — bringing her total contributions to just over $16,000. Her total expenditures are listed at about $10,750, with the majority going towards campaign mailers and literature.

    Mayor Miller still lags behind the other candidates in funding and expenditures, reporting an additional $3,000 in contributions during the latest period from the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce PAC, Republic Services, and the Sacramento Metro Chamber. In total this election, he’s brought in about $9,800 and spent just under that, with his largest expense being about $2,400 spent on a campaign mailer.

    Campaign disclosures are required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for local candidates who raise or spend over $2,000. Two pre-election disclosure filings are required by the commission, one covering a period through Sept. 22 and the other a month later. An additional requirement for candidates to file a separate form each time a donation of $1,000 or more is received.

    The next reporting deadline is not until Jan. 31, 2019.

    To view all candidates financial disclosure filings, click here.

  • Who’s funding each of the Citrus Heights City Council candidates?

    campaign funding, citrus heights city council election
    The five candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council in 2018 are, from left to right: Steve Miller (top), Jeannie Bruins, Porsche Middleton. Bottom, Al Fox, Treston Shull.

    Sentinel staff report–
    Big money is pouring into the Citrus Heights City Council race this year, with amounts already topping the usual $10-20,000 raised by candidates in order to win local election.

    According to the latest campaign finance filings, Porsche Middleton’s campaign has by far out-raised and out-spent all other campaigns, reporting total contributions for the year at $41,139 and expenditures at $39,768. Treston Shull came in second for fundraising with a total of $25,000, followed by appointed incumbent Al Fox, and incumbents Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins and Mayor Steve Miller. The mayor is the only candidate to report less than $10,000 in donations for the year.

    So who’s funding the candidates?
    Middleton’s top donor is the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California PAC, which donated $5,000 to her campaign and is known for vocally supporting the recent gas tax increase — something Middleton also said she supports as a way to fund backlogged road repairs. She also reported a non-monetary contribution of $7,000 from The Blocs, which rents out private offices at 2277 Watt Ave., where she held a fundraiser in June.

    Her largest expenditure has been a $5,000 payment to the law firm of Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP, which represented her in suing the City of Citrus Heights for the right to have her title of Planning Commissioner included on election ballots.

    Related: Candidate wins legal fight with City of Citrus Heights over election dispute

    Bruins’ top donor is SAFE Credit Union, which donated $2,000 to her campaign this year, followed by three donors who each gave $1,000 to her campaign: King’s Casino, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce PAC and longtime resident and land owner Ted Mitchell. Her total contributions through the latest Sept. 22 reporting period were listed at $11,515, with at least another $1,000 contribution coming in after the filing period from the Sacramento Metro Chamber PAC. (Candidates are required to file a supplemental report within 24 hours of receiving a contribution totaling over $1,000.)

    Of the $3,600 she reported spending through the last reporting period, her largest expenditure was around $1,500 spent on campaign signs.

    Shull reported receiving $25,000 in total contributions, along with another $2,000 donation by the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria that came in after the September filing period. Shull, who works as a labor relations manager, reported top donors from six labor political action committees who each gave his campaign $2,500 apiece.

    Of the $16,000 his campaign has spent so far, his largest expenditure has been $5,000 in campaign consulting expenses paid to Tab Communications, a Fair Oaks-based consulting firm that has also managed campaigns for Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.

    Fox reported receiving about $15,000 in total contributions through Sept. 22, soon followed by another $12,000 in large contributions. Fox’s top donors are three PAC’s who each donated $5,000 apiece: Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association PAC, Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California Chapter PAC, and Western Electrical Contractors Association Good Government PAC. Of the $8,600 his campaign reported spending, Fox’s largest expenditure has been $4,005 for campaign signs.

    Related: See where Citrus Heights City Council candidates stand on local issues

    Mayor Miller, who is seeking his fourth term on the City Council, showed the least amount of fundraising activity through the Sept. 22 filing period, with just $6,800 in total contributions reported. Since then, he has only reported receiving an additional $3,000 from a trio of thousand-dollar donations, bringing his total campaign contributions for the year to just under $10,000.

    Of the $5,800 his campaign spent, his largest expenditure reported was $2,343 to A-Applied Mailing Service, likely for his early campaign mailer that hit mailboxes across Citrus Heights during the first week vote-by-mail ballots were sent out.

    Campaign disclosures are required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for local candidates who raise or spend over $2,000. Two pre-election disclosure filings are required by the commission, with an additional requirement for candidates to file a separate form each time a donation of $1,000 or more is received.

    The next FPPC reporting deadline is Oct. 25, 2018. To see all the candidates’ full campaign finance filings, click here.

    Have an opinion about the local election? Submit a letter to the editor for publication by clicking here.

  • See where Citrus Heights City Council candidates stand on local issues

    Citrus Heights City Council Candidates, election 2018
    The five candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council in 2018 are, from left to right: Steve Miller (top), Jeannie Bruins, Porsche Middleton. Bottom, Al Fox, Treston Shull.

    Sentinel staff report–
    The five residents running for three seats on the Citrus Heights City Council have varying views when it comes to homelessness, mandatory rental inspections, rent control, red light cameras, under-performing schools, economic development, and whether the new gas tax is a good way to fund local road repairs.

    In responses to a nine-question survey sent out by The Sentinel, candidates offered their position on each issue in 100 words or less, giving voters an opportunity to see where each candidate stands on issues affecting Citrus Heights.

    A question about Proposition 6, which seeks to repeal the new gas tax as a way to fund transportation-related projects and local road repairs, was among the questions drawing varied responses. Candidate Porsche Middleton, who currently serves as a City Planning Commissioner, was the only candidate to state clear opposition to Prop 6, while others either expressed support for the repeal effort or did not provide a clear answer. Middleton was also the only candidate to state clear opposition to the city’s red light camera program.

    Asked about rent control, none of the candidates took positions in favor of implementing such controls in Citrus Heights, although Middleton said she was “open to a community wide discussion on the stabilization of rent” for vulnerable populations.

    On the topic of accomplishing the City’s strategic goal to “enhance and expand” public safety, Mayor Steve Miller and candidate Treston Shull each offered the most specific plans in their responses.

    Shull, a labor relations manager who also volunteers on the Birdcage Heights Neighborhood Association board, said the city is less safe today than it was four years ago and advocated for adding more police patrols. Miller, who has served on the City Council since being appointed in 2005, said he would work to “step up patrols” at all the parks in the city, “specifically targeting drug and alcohol use.”

    On improving education, candidates were split on whether to work with the San Juan Unified School District or pursue other means. Jeannie Bruins, who was first elected in 2002 and is currently serving as vice mayor, has advocated for pursuing a charter school and said she’s “ready to partner with other education providers if SJUSD isn’t going to listen.”

    The three incumbents, Miller, Bruins and appointed incumbent Al Fox, were the most likely trio to share similar views in their responses to questions on various issues — including on whether the City Council made the right decision in August to vote on pursuing a mandatory inspection program for thousands of rental homes and apartments in Citrus Heights. All three incumbents voted to pursue the program, although a finalized ordinance still has to be presented to the council for a vote.

    Fox said rental inspection programs, properly administered, can be a “safeguard” for owners and occupants, while Shull and Middleton both criticized the $500,000 proposed program as the wrong approach and one that would add fees and increased costs to already expensive rental prices.

    From August: Citrus Heights council votes 4-1 to move forward with mandatory rental inspections

    The area of most agreement between the five candidates was on how to best allocate the estimated $5-6 million annually that will become available in 2022, when Citrus Heights finally begins to receive its share of property taxes, after a 25-year “revenue neutrality” agreement with Sacramento County comes to a close. Most agreed that a portion should be allocated for reserves and a portion should be invested in road repairs.

    See each candidates’ full, 100-word responses to each of the nine questions on local issues:

  • Election 2018: Meet the 5 candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council

    Citrus Heights City Council Candidates, election 2018
    Citrus Heights City Council 2018 candidates, from left to right. Top: Steve Miller, Jeannie Bruins, Porsche Middleton. Bottom: Al Fox, Treston Shull.

    Updated Oct. 8, 5:10 p.m.–
    Sentinel staff report–
    Beginning Oct. 8, vote-by-mail ballots will be sent to registered voters, and those in Citrus Heights will have a chance to choose from among five candidates vying for three seats on the City Council this year.

    Three current council members, including the mayor and vice mayor, are all seeking to hold onto their seats, while two newcomers are seeking to add a fresh voice on the five-member council. Although several fringe candidates during the last City Council election two years ago only managed to pull a few percentage points, each candidate this year boasts strong endorsements from various officials and organizations.

    To give candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to residents and give voters an opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s life and background, The Sentinel gave each candidate the opportunity to submit written answers to a series of seven identical questions.

    Candidate answers are linked below and published word-for-word, as long as responses were kept under 100 words. More specific policy questions will be addressed in future articles as part of The Sentinel’s 2018 local election coverage.

    Steve Miller, 60, is currently serving a one-year term as the City’s mayor and is running for his fourth term on the City Council, after first being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2005. He has lived in Citrus Heights for 32 years and lists three of his fellow council members among his top endorsements. (Click to read full candidate profile)

    Treston Shull, 34, currently serves as treasurer for the Birdcage Heights Neighborhood Association and is seeking to be a new voice on the City Council. He has lived in Citrus Heights for five years and has earned endorsements from Supervisor Sue Frost, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC and the Sacramento County Probation Association. (Click to read full candidate profile)

    Porsche Middleton, 34, was appointed to the City’s Planning Commission last year after a prior run for City Council in 2016 and is now seeking another chance to win a seat on the council. She has lived in Citrus Heights for four years and has earned endorsements from the California Apartment Association, Firefighters Local 522 and the Sacramento Association of Realtors. (Click to read full candidate profile)

    Jeannie Bruins, 71, is currently serving a one-year term as the City’s vice mayor and is running for her fifth term on the City Council, after being first elected to office in 2002. She has lived in Citrus Heights for 34 years and has been endorsed by Supervisor Sue Frost, former Congressman Doug Ose, and Senator Jim Nielsen. (Click to read full candidate profile)

    Al Fox, 73, is currently serving as a council member after being appointed in 2017 to fill a vacancy left by the late Councilman Mel Turner, who died last year. He has lived in Citrus Heights for 18 years and has been endorsed by Supervisor Sue Frost, Sheriff Scott Jones, and Connie Turner, who was the wife of Councilman Turner. (Click to read full candidate profile)

    The top three candidates who receive the most votes after the Nov. 6 election will each win four-year terms on the City Council. According to the City Clerk’s Office, Citrus Heights has 43,747 registered voters, as of July 3, 2018.

    Beginning this week, vote-by-mail ballots may be placed in a drop box in the lobby of Citrus Heights City Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Citrus Heights City Council Chambers will also open as a Vote Center from Oct. 27 through Nov. 6, between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including weekends. On Election Day, Vote Center hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

    *Correction: An initial version of this story incorrectly stated Bruins was seeking her fourth term on the City Council. She is seeking her fifth term.

    Related election articles:

  • Meet Jeannie Bruins, 2018 candidate for Citrus Heights City Council

    Jeannie Bruins
    Jeannie Bruins is running for her fifth term on the Citrus Heights City Council. //Image courtesy of candidate

    Note: As part of The Sentinel’s 2018 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 five 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. 

    Jeannie Bruins, Vice Mayor of Citrus Heights | Age: 71
    Top endorsements:     Supervisor Sue Frost, Former Congressman Doug Ose, Senator Jim Nielsen

    Basic bio: “I have lived in Citrus Heights for 34 years, since 1984. I grew up mostly in Costa Mesa and then lived in various part of Los Angeles, settling in Hermosa Beach for 10 years before moving to Citrus Heights. I attended UCLA and Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach, FL. I’ve been single for 36 years and I have 2 grown sons, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. I am 71 years young! Leadership experience includes President of the Citrus Heights Chamber in 1989; co-chaired the campaign for Yes on Measure R in 1996, which gave cityhood to Citrus Heights…”

    Why are you running for City Council?

    • To insure we have a plan in place for the next 4 years until our property taxes are received and then to be sure we have a prudent, but aggressive plan to use those funds for infrastructure needs and to further invest in economic development and to rebuild our reserves.
    • To help build the new economy in light of the transformation that is happening due to technology, with a focus on jobs creation and mixed use.
    • Get better education in Citrus Heights schools cooperating with the school district or another education partner.

    What are two things you like most about living in Citrus Heights?

    “(1) Quality of life it offers and (2) good governance. I moved here in 1984 as a single mother with one son entering college and one son entering preschool. Citrus Heights provided a stable environment with old fashioned American values in which to raise my son. Governance is responsive, good policing provides safety and is a key component in our economic development; and there are many opportunities for the public to get involved.”

    What are the top two things you’d like to change/improve in Citrus Heights, if any?

    • I’d like to see Citrus Heights become a thriving jobs center, with good paying jobs offering room to grow within Citrus Heights.
    • Offer a topnotch school system that draws involved families to our community because they want their kids to attend our schools.

    What are two books that have had the most influence on your life, and why/how?

    “Besides the Bible, Never Look Back, by Dr. Henry Cloud, and Who Moved My Cheese, by Dr. Spencer Johnson. Never Look Back challenges me to look at myself and make the changes in my life that help me to continually grow, a necessary component of leadership and good relationships. Who Moved My Cheese challenges me to thrive in a changing environment, very necessary for the days ahead for the City.”

    What are three key principles that would guide your votes on the council?

    1. Community first – my vote should benefit the community now and for future generations.
    2. Weigh both (or all) sides of the issue, while listening to input from the community, staff and other resources involved in the issue. Do my due diligence an avoid jumping to conclusions.
    3. Make decisions within the framework of our stated values and that are consistent with our strategic planning goals.

    What kind of volunteer work have you done for charities, churches or service organizations in the community?

    “I was a 23-year member of Citrus Heights Rotary, serving as president in 1999-2000; I served on the Community Planning Advisory Council before Citrus Heights became a city; served on the Sacramento Airport Visioning Task Force that eventually led to building Terminal B. On two occasions I served on the SJUSD Community Advisory Committee that interviewed candidates for superintendent, making recommendations to the School Board; charter board member and current Vice President of PAL; guest teacher at Mesa Verde HS as part of the Job Readiness program; volunteer at church — teaching kids and singing; support the youth center on Sayonara Drive and was instrumental in getting it started; started the Sylvan Ranch Community Garden; volunteer reader in schools, helped seniors in senior living centers register to vote.”

    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?

    “I am unmarried and my kids are grown so I’m able to work and carry out my city council duties as needed. Because I am self-employed and work from home, I have great flexibility to respond to community needs and concerns as they arise. I don’t rely on the monthly stipend as part of my earnings. I have it invested in a 457 plan for my retirement years.”

    See all candidate profiles: Election 2018: Meet the 5 candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council

  • What can Citrus Heights do to reduce blight, improve neighborhoods?

    Citrus Heights
    File photo, the vacant corner of Auburn and Grand Oaks boulevards in Citrus Heights has long been an unsightly area, but a new burger drive-thru was approved earlier this year to take up the spot. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Keeping neighborhoods clean was one of the top priorities Citrus Heights residents said the City Council should focus on in a survey commissioned by the City last year. The topic also came up in one of the questions asked to each of the five residents running for Citrus Heights City Council during a candidate forum hosted last month by the Chamber of Commerce.

    When asked what the City could do to improve neighborhoods to attract new residents to Citrus Heights, candidates offered a variety of ideas, including paving streets, growing existing housing assistance programs, and slashing permit costs to encourage development. But an area of significant disagreement was whether a new $500,000 Rental Housing Inspection Unit should be pursued as a way to proactively combat blight and improve the quality of housing.

    The inspection unit was proposed earlier this year and would bring on two new administrative staff members and three new code enforcement officers to implement mandatory inspections of the roughly 15,000 rental units in the city. The council voted 4-1 in favor of pursuing the program last month, but a final vote is still needed later this year when a draft ordinance is brought before the council.

    Related: Citrus Heights council votes 4-1 to move forward with mandatory rental inspections

    The five candidates running for City Council this year include three current members of the council who are up for election — Mayor Steve Miller, Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, and Council Member Al Fox, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the late Councilman Mel Turner. Two challengers seeking to unseat at least one of the current members of the council are Planning Commissioner Porsche Middleton and labor relations manager Treston Shull, who also serves on the board of the Residents’ Empowerment of Citrus Heights (REACH).

    Each candidate’s 90-second answer to the question of how Citrus Heights can improve its neighborhoods to attract new residents is included in its entirety below:

    Steve Miller: “There’s a number of ways. One, it starts with public safety, and I mentioned before, property crimes are down, and violent crimes are down 8%. So, having safe neighborhoods, having a police department that responds.

    “The council’s also considering now an ordinance on a Rental Housing Inspection Program. What that would do — and many folks have complained about it — 93%, when we surveyed our residents last, said blight in the neighborhoods was a big issue. And a lot of this comes from the rental housing. And we want to, in the next three years, inspect every single rental housing unit — and that also includes apartments, (although) that’s really not been the issue, it’s been the houses, and you can see them in the neighborhood. We have an aging housing stock. And a lot of these homes that are rentals are absentee landlords from the Bay Area. They’re not fixing the siding, the roofs, and it’s just causing blight in our neighborhood and a lot of folks have asked for us to correct it and I think that’s one of the tools we can do.

    “I’ve also mentioned paving. I know I was one of the fortunate neighborhoods, way back in ’97 – ’98 we had one of the worst streets in the city, and it had never been repaved since it was paved 30 years prior. And just coming and resurfacing the street, just improved the entire neighborhood. So, I think we need to look at ways that we can raise property values, all the surrounding homes, by taking care of some of the blighted issues.”

    Treston Shull: “I believe my plan on that is simple. We need to reduce fees on housing, rental housing. Simplify permitting with a one-stop-shop policy so builders have one point of contact at the City who bird-dog all the City departments and outside agencies. Speed up the permitting process. I am examining financial incentives such as community banking and financing as a possible way to encourage private development of affordable housing. I do not and I will not support any efforts for the City to become a housing provider, builder or landlord.

    “But I think it’s really important what Steve said, when he said that the City recently voted on the new initiative that pays for code enforcement. I believe that was actually wrong. I don’t agree with the City on that. They voted on that 4-to-1. And what that does is, 25% of the code enforcement problems in the city come from rental properties. But now they’re turning to basically taxing, with the registration fee, 100% of the landlords and property owners of those rentals to pay for 100% of the code enforcement increase of those five additional employees. The City said that the three new code enforcement officers, and two new analytical analysts, will be paid for by the registration fees and it won’t be any cost out of the general fund. Those are employees who have pension plans, and raises, and benefit increases every year. So after one year, that fee will no longer cover those services. And that’s going to come out of the general fund. And we need to make sure we do have code enforcement to fix the issues, though, but (in) a financially sustainable way.”

    Al Fox: “I think that the problem that we’re looking at in these established neighborhoods, and we have older families, older residents that have a tax base that they don’t want to give up. We don’t have a way for them to move that tax base as of yet. There’s going to be a proposition on the ballot coming up that talks about: can a property owner, senior citizen property owner, move out of a larger home into a smaller home of equal or near value, and take their property tax exemption with them. We have a situation in all of our communities where your elderly population are being priced out of their homes, or particularly rentals because they’re on fixed incomes and they cannot make that difference. And yet they own a tremendous amount of the land in our city at this point in time. And we need to respect that, and we need to deal with it accordingly.

    “The inspection (program) that people are talking about, I will tell you now, I built houses in the 1960s. I built apartment buildings in the 1960s, and the apartment buildings we have in Citrus Heights, built in the late 60s, were built for a lifespan of about 20 years. And they’re still there and a lot of them have not been changed. We have some serious problems. One of the things we need to avoid is the subsequent liability of the City for not being able to inspect and ensure safe housing — like they’re doing right now in Richmond, like they’re doing in Oakland, and like they’re doing in Berkeley. There are court cases out there pending right now, that, if they go the way they’re looking at this point, will make the local jurisdiction liable for not doing inspections for public safety.”

    Porsche Middleton: “I understand where our current council is coming from when it comes to the rental inspections, and also understand where candidate Treston is coming from also. And my concern is more so that by adding in these extra steps for these property owners that — to not deal with the hassle — they’ll take apartment buildings and they’ll just convert them into condos. And that decreases our rental housing stock. So basically they get renovated, they get to resell them, and it increases property values all around –but then we have to worry about the end effect of that which is people getting priced out of the area, getting priced out of their homes. Rentals increasing in price, and these individuals end up homeless, essentially.

    “I think the more reasonable thing to do is to encourage uses of our community grants, of people going out there and helping to clean up neighborhoods. The old Sylvan school, that’s right across from the community center on Sylvan road, the operating engineers come out there every year and they do development. Rotary goes out every year and they find projects that need to be done within our community.

    “We can’t legislate our way out of this problem. We have to be that community that we were 20 years ago that started to fix these issues as a group. And that’s core, but trying to legislate, and make laws and create more issues for our property owners is just going to turn them away and then we won’t have the development that we want.”

    Jeannie Bruins: “We start by recognizing who we are today, and what we have to live with, and work with. We are a community that has aging housing stock, and a small level of ability to create new housing from the ground up. So most of our improvements are going to be on redevelopment and development of our neighborhoods. One way to improve our neighborhoods to attract new residents, is to continue to grow the programs we already have.

    “We have a first-time home buyer program for people who have not been homeowners in the last three years. It’s a loan assistance program that provides them the ability to make a down payment. It’s a program that they don’t have to pay back until they sell the house. In addition, we have a home repair program that’s very vibrant. We need to continue to grow these programs so that people who are in substandard homes have the ability to pay for repairs that they need to elevate the quality of the home that they live in.

    “We also need to continue to offer options in housing. We have over half of our homes are rental homes, and yes, rental homes are necessary. But for a community to grow and to improve, we need more home ownership. And so the programs that we’re offering are a piece of the puzzle that will help make that possible.”

    *To read more about the candidate forum or watch a full-length recording of the forum, see story: Citrus Heights candidates tackle homelessness, schools, economy, blight

    Want to share your own thoughts on how best to improve local neighborhoods? Click here to submit a letter to the editor for publication.