Two candidates vie for open Novato City Council seat | #citycouncil

Two candidates are competing this November for an open seat on the Novato City Council as the city works to grapple with a range of issues.ca

Government consultant and former city planning commissioner Rachel Farac is facing off with Andy Podshadley — owner of Trek Winery and Downtown Novato Business Association board member — for the Division 2 council seat.

The seat is currently held by veteran Councilwoman Denise Athas, who decided not to seek reelection this year in order to spend more time with her family.

Either Farac or Podshadley will be joining the council at a time when it will be made up of a majority of newer members.

The council will be tasked with guiding the city through a variety of issues including projected budget shortfalls from rising costs, state housing mandates, fire risk and homelessness among others.

The council will also be tasked with deciding how to fill Mayor Eric Lucan’s vacant seat next year, whether by appointing a temporary replacement or holding a special election next year. Lucan, who has served on the council for 12 years, is stepping down after being elected as a Marin County supervisor earlier this year.

District 2

Farac said her experience — including starting a small business with her husband, her experience on the planning commission and her job as a consultant for the federal government — will lend itself toward understanding the needs of residents and businesses as well as collaborating with fellow councilmembers.

“I’m running because I generally care about the people of Novato,” Farac said. “I want to use my expertise as a volunteer and my professional life as well as my education. I’m a mother of two and I care about the families and the seniors in our community.”

Podshadley is a Novato native that is a member and former president of the Downtown Novato Business Association. He said his deep connections to the city as well as his understanding of business and project management have equipped him with the necessary skills to serve as a councilman.

“I am a serious candidate willing to put in the time to serve District 2 and the community as a whole,” Podshadley said. “I am not politically connected, I’m community connected. I’m ready to work with my fellow councilmembers and serve my community.”

To address the city’s projected budget shortfalls resulting from rising costs, Farac said regular reviews of the budget from staff, including updates on revenue streams and city assets, are needed to better inform what new revenue sources should be pursued.

“It’s about keeping them accountable, holding deadlines for when we need those reports by so that at the end of the year we have all the information we need as far as finances so we can make better decisions,” she said.

Podshadley said multiple years of an unbalanced budget is unacceptable and that the city must hold at least quarterly budget reviews. To cut costs to the city, Podshadley said he would be interested in having the city form a nonprofit partner to take on smaller projects.

“I would also like to rehabilitate some of our vacant properties and put them up for rent and create a program where we can have these properties bringing in income for us,” he said.

In response to homelessness, Farac said she believes the city has been doing a good job but said there is room for improvement. She said continued collaboration between the county, city and state is necessary to fund and create programs to address mental health, providing housing opportunities as well as work and education programs.

Podshadley said looks forward to using funding from the county and state to create housing for the homeless. He said the city should also help create or promote a program, such as at the Homeward Bound of Marin homeless services nonprofit organizations, to train young residents in the trades.

For the city’s strategies to address climate change, Farac said she would support sustainability measures and cited her vote on the planning commission to recommend against the approval of a large gas station at Costco. She said she would want more information before deciding whether the city should ban the construction of new gas stations.