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Tag: Oleg Shishko

  • 2023: Four new faces join Citrus Heights Planning Commission

    Four residents were appointed to the Citrus Heights Planning Commission on Jan. 12, 2023. Top left to right: James Remick, Oleg Shishko. Bottom left to right: Max Semenenko, Natalee Price. Image credit: City Youtube channel, candidate.

    Sentinel staff report–
    The influential, seven-member Citrus Heights Planning Commission now has a majority of new members, following appointments by the City Council last week.

    New appointees include Natalee Price, James Remick, Max Semenenko and Oleg Shishko. Two current commissioners, Andrew Van Duker and Marcelle Flowers, were also re-appointed during the Jan. 12, 2023, meeting.

    Remick will fill the unexpired term of commissioner Paul Makhnovskiy, who resigned from his position earlier this month. Flowers, Van Duker and Price will each serve a four-year term, while Semenenko and Shishko will serve two-year terms as at-large appointees.

    Three of the four new appointees were on the ballot for various elected offices in November, but lost. Price ran for City Council District 5, while Shishko sought a seat on the San Juan Unified School Board, and Semenenko lost in his bid to replace incumbent Doris Matsui for U.S. House of Representatives, District 7.

    Remick also previously sought a seat on the city’s Planning Commission in 2017, and was nominated by Councilman Bret Daniels, but did not earn the votes needed to be ratified.

    From 2017: City council rejects Daniels’ appointee for Citrus Heights planning commission

    Under council rules, each member nominates one resident to serve on the Planning Commission, concurrent with the council member’s four-year term and subject to ratification by the full council. Two additional residents are chosen by the council as a whole, and serve two-year terms.

    The City Clerk’s Office said a total of 15 residents had applied for seats on the commission, three of whom also applied for seats on the city’s Construction Board of Appeals. Residents Lance Gartner and Manuel Perez-Salazar were appointed to the construction board.

    The Planning Commission meets up to twice a month and is tasked with making decisions on land-use related proposals, as well as holding public hearings and reviewing proposed ordinances. The commission also makes recommendations to the City Council on major development projects.

    The five-member Construction Board of Appeals meets rarely and only on an as-needed basis to hear complaints from those aggrieved by a decision of the city’s chief building official. The board also “assists in determining suitability of materials and methods of construction, as well as interpreting technical codes.”

    Historically, the Planning Commission has served as a stepping stone for leaders to gain experience before moving up to an elected position on the City Council, which was the case with both Porsche Middleton and Mayor Tim Schaefer.

  • School Board: Who’s running in San Juan Unified School District?

    San Juan Unified School District candidates: top left to right, Zima Creason, Alex Zamansky, Jeffrey Perrine, Michael McKibbin, Tanya Kravchuk. Lower: Ben Avey, Ray Ward, Murad Sarama, Oleg Shishko, Steve Miller. // Images from SJUSD/Youtube

    Updated Oct. 29, 10:14 a.m.–
    By Phillip Pesola– Ten candidates are running for four seats on the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education in the Nov. 8, 2022, election. Trustee areas three, five, six, and seven are up for election, with areas six and seven being newly created.

    Below are highlights of each candidate, taken from their website, ballot statements, and the most recent financial disclosure forms. Candidates who did not have the most recent disclosures filed for donations through Oct. 22 have information cited from Sept. 24 filings, if available.

    Trustee Area 3

    • Zima Creason. First elected to the board in 2018, and currently serving as the board’s vice president. Has a child attending district schools. Key issue: ensuring access and opportunity for all. Top donor: San Juan Teachers Association ($5,250). Total contributions: $21,559, as of 9/24. Endorsed by the Democratic Party of Sacramento County and the San Juan Teachers Association. Website: voteforzima.com
    • Alex Zamansky. Attended Bella Vista High School, father of two, with daughter attending school in district. Key issue: “Kids in. Politics out.” Total contributions: $6,460, as of 9/24. Top donor: unclear. Endorsed by San Juan Parents Association. Website: alexforschoolboard22.com

    Trustee Area 5

    • Jeffrey Perrine. Attended San Juan schools from K-12, and now has two children attending. Key issues: concern about “indoctrination in education and mandates.” Member of controversial Proud Boys group. No financial filings posted, as of 10/24. Website: jeffreyperrine.com
    • Michael McKibbin. Currently serving as the SJUSD board’s president. First elected to the board in 2014. Son graduated from Casa Roble High School. Key issues: prioritizing students, empowering teachers. Key donor: San Juan Teachers Association ($26,530). Total donations as of 10/24: $36,705. Endorsed by the California School Employees Association and the San Juan Teachers Association. Website: mikemckibbin.org
    • Tanya Kravchuk. District alumna, mother of four. Key issues: Parental rights, increasing teacher pay. Key donor: self, $1,215. Total contributions: $6,527 as of 9/24. Endorsed by the Sacramento Republican Party and Citrus Heights City Councilman Bret Daniels. Website: tanyakravchuk.com

    Trustee Area 6

    • Ben Avey. Graduated from Del Campo High School, and has three children currently attending district schools. Key issue: Parental voice, COVID-19 policy. Key donor: Chris Hansen, $2,000. Total contributions: $12,075, as of 9/24. Endorsed by Sacramento Association of Realtors, Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond. Website: benavey.com
    • Ray Ward. Currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce. Daughter graduated from schools in the district. Key issue: technical education options. Key donor: San Juan Teachers Association, $4,697. Total contributions: not posted, as of 10/24. Endorsed by Citrus Heights Planning Commissioner Andrew Van Duker and Citrus Heights Chamber Executive Director Diane Ebbitt. Website: vote4rayward.com

    Trustee Area 7

    • Murad “Moe” Sarama. Has a child enrolled in the district. Key Issues: Collaboration, prioritizing safety and security. Key donor: San Juan Teachers Association PAC, $3,598. Total contributions: not posted, as of 10/24. Endorsed by Citrus Heights Mayor Porsche Middleton and the Democratic Party of Sacramento County. Website: www.sarama.vote
    • Oleg Shishko. Served as a board member for CHASEN and Neighborhood Area 6, and has two children nearing school age. Key issues: parental rights, opposing mask/vaccine mandates. Key donor: personal loan, $1,824. Total contributions, $2,159, as of 9/24. Endorsed by Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer and Councilman Bret Daniels. Website: voteoleg.com
    • Steve Miller. Has served on the Citrus Heights City Council since 2005. Son attended and graduated from district schools. Key issues: increased test scores and better funding. Key donor: Chamber PAC, $1,500. Total contributions, $2,975, as of 10/24. Endorsed by the Sacramento County Republican Party. Website: None

    Those interested in learning more about where each candidate stands on a variety of issues can find 25-minute interviews with each candidate posted on the district’s website: www.sanjuan.edu/boardelection.

    Questions asked in the interviews discuss school safety, changes in school start times, declining enrollment, ensuring high quality education, bond money, mental health, district fiscal health, union influence, combating hate and bias, and expanding student voices.

  • Citrus Heights vice mayor, mayor split on school board endorsements

    Citrus Heights vice mayor, mayor split on school board endorsements

    San Juan Unified School District’s new 7-member trustee area map, for 2022. // SJUSD

    Updated 9:58 a.m., Oct. 21–
    Sentinel staff report– In the three-way race for a newly created school board seat covering the majority of Citrus Heights, the city’s mayor and vice mayor are split on who to recommend for the seat.

    Citrus Heights Mayor Porsche Middleton has endorsed Murad “Moe” Sarama for the Area 7 seat on the San Juan Unified School District’s governing board, while Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer has endorsed Oleg Shishko.

    Both Shishko and Sarama are parents and residents of Citrus Heights, with Sarama touting his status as “the only candidate for the trustee area that has kids enrolled in SJUSD.” Shishko, who is the youngest candidate in the race at age 29, says on his website that his children have yet to reach school age, and focuses his messaging on parental rights and opposition to how schools handled the coronavirus pandemic with forced masking.

    In a press release announcing his endorsement, the vice mayor credited Shishko with being a key player in the campaign to defeat the city’s Measure M sales tax increase two years ago and said the candidate “also has a vested interest in providing the highest quality education for his children and as well as children of the city of Citrus Heights.”

    Sarama, 45, says on his website that top priorities will be encouraging collaboration and building bridges, providing support and resources, and prioritizing safety and security.

    The school board race, although nonpartisan, has attracted endorsements from the region’s major political parties. The Democratic Party of Sacramento County has endorsed Sarama, while the Sacramento County Republican Party has endorsed Steve Miller for the Area 7 seat.

    Miller, 64, who currently sits on the Citrus Heights City Council, announced earlier this year that he is retiring from the position. His son is a Mesa Verde High School graduate and currently coaches sports.

    From July: Miller to run for new school board seat in Citrus Heights

    Schaefer has also endorsed in SJUSD’s Area 4 election, encouraging voters to select Tanya Kravchuk. Middleton confirmed with The Sentinel last week that she has only opted to endorse in the Area 7 race.

    The SJUSD school board last year voted to expand its ranks to seven elected members, up from the original five, creating one dedicated seat covering Citrus Heights. The board also voted to elect its members by trustee area, rather than at-large.

    The trustee area map adopted by the school board gives Citrus Heights a guaranteed seat on the board with Area 7, whereas “at-large” voting before led to the city not having one of its residents on the school board for more than a decade. Voters will now elect one member from their specific area of the district to represent them on the board, rather than elect all school board members at large.

    Citrus Heights residents will have the chance to potentially occupy up to four seat on the board, as the newly created Area 5 includes a portion of the Citrus Heights, east of San Juan Avenue and Old Auburn Road. A small portion of Citrus Heights is also included in areas 4 and 6. (See map)

  • Guest Column: Citrus Heights needs more like Daniels and Schaefer on council

    By Oleg Shishko–
    I have enjoyed the other pieces written by Mr. Bullington, but his latest column about discord on the City Council has unfortunately disappointed with its ad hominem attacks and little substance.

    See prior guest column: The real reason for the discord on the Citrus Heights City Council

    Mr. Bullington says that the reason for the council’s schism “lies in an examination of motives and personalities.” I think many will agree that motives and personalities are very hard to objectively judge without inserting personal opinion and animus.

    I don’t know the intentions, motives, or personalities of the other council members (Bruins, Miller, Middleton, and previously Slowey); but their actions on the council say a lot.

    The majority of the council approved a salary increase for our city manager two times in the last few years. They approved a 2% increase in 2017 and a 3% increase in 2019. The city manager’s total salary and benefits were at $411,610 in 2019. On both occasions, it was only Bret Daniels who voted no.

    Many citizens have been raising the alarm about the city departing from its tradition of being debt free. The only ones who really seemed to listen and echo them were Daniels and Tim Schaefer. While Daniels had unfortunately voted to approve our city’s first line of credit, he has been a vocal critic and opponent of other financial decisions of the city.

    From 2018: Citrus Heights City Council approves first-ever $12M line of credit

    We were told that the Measure M tax increase was in the works for a long time. However, the public only found out not long before the council voted to place it on the ballot. At the time it really seemed that they were trying to ram it through with minimal public input.

    Had they really been interested to receive the input from the public on this, they would have at least held more public hearings on the issue than the absolute minimum required by law. The only ones who resisted it were Daniels and then-candidate Schaefer.

    Consequently, the majority of the council recently voted to require three votes instead of two in order to put an item up for discussion on the council, thereby restricting the voices of Daniels and Schaefer. (Kudos to Miller for joining Daniels in voting against this disingenuous tactic of political maneuvering.)

    Related: Citrus Heights city manager announces retirement. What’s next?

    I was not happy when I heard the announcement of the retirement of Chris Boyd. It is sad that he wasn’t able to come to an effective, working relationship with Daniels and Schaefer.

    I thank Chris Boyd for his years of service to our city. I don’t doubt his good intentions. I am sure he is interested in the welfare and prosperity of our city. However, I am of the opinion that he lacked in responding to and balancing the concerns of citizens, some of which are listed above.

    So what is the cause of the recent discord at the city council? It’s not from subjective perceptions of “motives and personalities” of certain council members. It stems from the lack of transparency and questionable decisions of the majority on the council that have derailed our city’s financial base.

    Our council members do vote together and are united on most issues. However, matters of the budget are too important for us to gloss over for the sake of feeling good about our “unity”.

    “Discord” and “schism” are not always bad. I am glad that we have Daniels and Schaefer who are ready and willing to question the status quo.

    Oleg Shishko

    They aren’t perfect, but we finally have council members who will give a voice to the many who are concerned about the city’s recent decisions and changes in financial direction. We need more like them on the council to ask hard questions and keep our public servants accountable.

    Oleg Shishko is a four-year resident of Citrus Heights. He has served on the board of the Area 7/8 CHASE Neighborhood Association in 2020 and took an active role in defeating Measure M, serving as the Principal Officer of No on CH Measure M.

    *The Sentinel welcomes guest commentary from residents about local issues. Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication: Click here

  • Community Voices: Traffic, body cams, movie grill, Rite Aid arrest, DUI checkpoints

    Community Voices: Traffic, body cams, movie grill, Rite Aid arrest, DUI checkpoints

    Latest letters and comments from readers discuss the new Studio Movie Grill planned for the old Kmart building, body cameras, DUI checkpoints, traffic and noise concerns, as well as the Rite Aid robbery and last month’s officer-involved shooting near the Ranch Motel.

    Body cameras help increase trust and transparency with police
    [RE: Supervisor Frost: 3 reasons why I support body cameras]  I recently read Supervisor Frost’s opinion column on body cameras and I completely agree with the reasons that she has listed. I am glad that law enforcement in our area is moving into that direction. I highly respect our law enforcement officials, but I believe that power is dangerous when left unchecked. The more transparency we have, the more will we be able to trust those who wear the badge.

    I am wondering where we are with the Citrus Heights Police Department. Does our CHPD have a position on body cameras? Will our city also be moving in that direction? If not, I am curious to know if the leadership in our city and police department have stated as to why that is.
    -Oleg Shishko, Citrus Heights

    New stadium at Sunrise Mall will be great; but noise and traffic are concerns
    [RE:     Sunrise Mall to get new 2,500-seat stadium for outdoor concerts, events]  This would be a boon for Citrus Heights. I’ve read concerns about local crime resulting from this, but crime is something that is part of living in a community. My concern would be the noise generated and how that would affect local residents. Traffic concerns would be something to consider as well. These concerns will impact the duties of the Citrus Heights Police Department and ultimately the cost for this will be the responsibility of Citrus Heights taxpayers.
    -Peg Wright, Citrus Heights

    From Facebook:

    [RE: Plans submitted for new Studio Movie Grill in Citrus Heights]
    Tara W. — This is awesome! We’re so ready for our neighborhood to get some much needed love!

    Larry T. — Awesome, we have a Moviepass card and go to the one in Roseville three times a week. Love it.

    [RE: Police announce DUI Checkpoint in Citrus Heights this weekend]
    Christina P. — They need to stop posting them on Birdcage and Greenback. EVERYONE knows that they post a checkpoint at this spot ALL the time. I heard they finally hit Antelope and Auburn Road… that was a smart move since most wouldn’t expect that. And EVERYONE that knows bout Citrus Heights, all should already know ANY Friday and Saturday nights, they can be doing them. They don’t necessarily give a heads up, but it should just be expected, especially on those days. I’ve never been one to drink and drive — I think it’s ridiculous to put yourself and everyone on the road at risk — however, tons of my friends when I was younger partied and, even now, they still avoid those spots for that reason. Because it’s always in the same two general areas (Sunrise and Oak, Greenback and Birdcage).

    Dustin I. — Sounds like a big waste of taxpayers money… 164,000 dollar’s spent and not one DUI arrest and they inconvenienced 844 other drivers, only to get 12 non-alcohol related minor infractions… No genius, but it’s easy to see this is a waste of my tax dollars.

    [RE: Citrus Heights police announce arrest of suspect in fatal Rite Aid robbery]
    Robin K. — I think it is sad all around. This young man trying to steal drugs. Runs into a woman and takes her life. I’m glad you caught him. I hope he’s sorry for his actions. I’ll pray for his and her loved ones.

    Dillon T. — It’s always a black guy. 9 times outta ten. This is why we have to profile. Good ones, tell your brothers they are making you look terrible... And yet it’s “racist” to profile. I’d rather be racist than dead. Let’s not be intimidated into accepting things at our own expense.

    James F. — One less thug off the streets. Let’s pray the trial is not in San Francisco or he’ll be set back free.

    [RE: More details emerge in officer-involved shooting near Citrus Heights motel]
    Bonnie P. — Coming from an LEO family I knew that there had to be a reason the officer had to shoot him. An officer is trained to not shoot a running felon unless he/she is fearing for their life. Good job officer!

    Aj M. — Yeah what ever. The officer knows he messed up and now says, ‘oh, he had the gun and I was scared.’

    Rochelle C. — Good job CHPD! Don’t worry about the haters. We know you protect and serve the people even if they don’t appreciate it. And to all the haters out there: don’t call 911 if you ever have an emergency. But if ya do, they will still show up to help even though the rest of us wish they wouldn’t and let ya suffer.

    Want to share your own thoughts? Post a comment on our Facebook Page, or click here to submit a letter to the editor.