In their words – District 3 (Dale Bennett and Monica McDaniel)

Note: Incumbent Dale Bennett did not respond to repeated emails and phone messages asking for his participation in the CN&R’s candidates Q&A.

Monica McDaniel

Bio: Monica McDaniel moved to Chico 31 years ago to attend Chico State, where she earned her degree in art/art history in 1996. “She married, had two great kids, and became a public appointed official (the Chico Arts Commission) in 2009; she has been serving the city of Chico uninterrupted ever since. In addition, she currently sits on the Police Community Advisory Board and is proud to call Chico her home.” Learn more at www.monicaforchico.com.

1.) How can the city of Chico mitigate existing homelessness in a way that is humane, preserves private and public property, and makes lasting change?

When looking at how other cities of similar size to Chico handle the homeless crisis, it is clear that there is not likely one silver bullet solution to end homelessness. We need better policy to manage this growing problem.

First and foremost, there needs to be support for those who are already housed but who are at risk of losing their homes. Policy could include rent assistance, rent stabilization, and eviction protection programs. Keeping people housed in the first place should be a high priority.

Policy to reduce the number of unhoused people should include interagency collaboration, especially with local governments, charities, businesses, and local groups whose mission it is to see long-term solutions. Support services should include help with mental health care, addiction treatment programs, and job training, so unhoused citizens can help to rebuild their lives. 

In addition, the City Council needs to support building of housing that is truly affordable through a more competitive bidding process. Council members must work in good faith to accomplish effective management of citizens who are in need, rather that enacting policy that criminalizes poverty. There should be a stop to playing partisan politics with human lives; a focus on long-term solutions is what is needed in Chico.

2.) Chico widely lacks starter homes targeted toward the young families who make up a large part of the local workforce. Do you think the city should subsidize construction by lowering permitting fees for small dwellings, or do you have other ideas to make such housing economically viable for local developers?

For people who are looking for a way out of the rental cycle of housing, purchasing a home is a good long-term investment. Yet the housing inventory of starter homes has been limited due to Chico’s population growth and by investors wanting to relocate from the Bay Area.

The city can assist this dilemma by making the process for builders smoother and more user-friendly. Eliminating certain restrictions, such as required parking spaces for a dwelling, can make the production of starter homes more abundant. Incentives for first-time home buyers can also help offset the challenges to purchasing a home, and facilitate the American Dream for Chico’s young hardworking families.

3.) The majority of Chico’s roadways are objectively in extremely poor condition. Being able to fix them was one of the main selling points of the voter-approved sales tax increase. The question is, has enough revenue been allocated toward that cause and is the city’s timeline of roadway repairs adequate? If not, how do you propose the city finance an accelerated effort?

Measure H was passed by Chico’s voters two years ago. This funding was intended to support Chico’s road maintenance and public safety issues. The funds have been successful on some levels, but our roads continue to have pot holes and poor driving conditions. 

These funds have brought in roughly $24 million to city coffers and a 10-year plan was approved by the current City Council. The problem is that priorities in this plan do not focus on areas of Chico with the highest density population, roads near schools or around Bidwell Park, and instead have built a four-lane highway on the outskirts of town. The 10-year plan needs to be revised to prioritize Chico’s most traveled roads and thoroughfares.

4.) The council has been chided by voters across the political spectrum for taking steps that reduce transparency in governance. Our question: Are you committed to running the city transparently, and, if so, what steps would you take to ensure the council keeps the public informed and engaged?

Transparency in local government has been suffering for close to a decade. We have especially seen this problem in the last few years. Chico’s boards and commissions that serve as citizen oversight and volunteer advisory capacity to the City Council have been eliminated or reduced to a point where they are almost inactive. For instance, the Climate Action Commission could do the work of outreach and education of what citizens could do to increase defensible space around their properties to make citizens’ homes more fire resilient. Formal citizen groups who want to support the city’s efforts go a long way in supporting transparency. Yes, I am committed to rebuilding these groups that assist elected officials, rather than the unilateral operations that I have seen in the city’s governance in the last few years.

5.) Downtown appears to be suffering from an identity crisis of sorts. Some council members want to enhance and promote its historic significance. Meanwhile, the city installed modern parking kiosks and there’s talk of major changes to transportation and parking in the region. What is your vision for downtown in terms of identity and infrastructure?

Chico’s vibrant downtown is one of the main reasons I moved to Chico in the first place. It’s true that the sewer lines are outdated and need to be replaced. This gives us a unique opportunity to improve aspects of downtown, such as traffic flow and making the area more walkable and enjoyable for citizens and tourists who come to Chico. These changes should be done with consideration of Chico’s historical significance and small town charm.

Empty storefronts need to be addressed and encouraged to be filled with businesses or nonprofit entities, so that our downtown remains vibrant. I believe that the new parking kiosks have been a fail. Some people cite them as a reason to avoid downtown during normal business hours and they have encountered much resistance in their use.

6.) The climate crisis is an existential threat to life as we know it, and perhaps Chicoans—living in the wildfire epicenter of the West—are more intimately familiar with this concept than any other community in the nation. Question is: Should the city prioritize investing further in sustainable infrastructure that also makes fiscal sense? Why or why not?

The city should prioritize any and all efforts to prevent or mitigate fires. Having goats regularly reduce weeds in Bidwell Park and in Chico’s greenspaces, like Lindo Channel, is great, but the recent Park Fire has shown us how dangerously close wildfire can impact Chico. Controlled burns, fuel reduction using service groups, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to support fuel reduction efforts while also supporting native plant species that are inherently fire resistant are important toward this effort.

In addition, Chico needs to build fire station #6, in the northwest portion of the city. The fire department has been asking for this station for years. There is a fire engine and personnel who could staff it, just no physical location near new home growth in Chico for those resources to be. Building this additional location is a high priority, in my opinion, since the fire department responds to calls that are related to health and not just to fire.   

7.) We’ve focused on some of the big issues, but we’d like you to tell us about some lesser-known problems facing your district, as well as how you would address them?

One of the lesser known or talked about issues facing public safety in Chico is the threat of flooding this rainy season. The stormwater infrastructure that was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s and ’60s is in good shape, but over the years sediment and foliage have built up, making those levees and channels less and less effective. After this year’s Park Fire, there will likely be unprecedented runoff that could cause the levees to overflow and cause flooding in many areas of Chico. This public safety hazard should not be put off or ignored and immediate steps should be taken to lessen threats to the public and property. 

8.) We hear a lot about how life here has degraded over the past 50 years, but the fact is that Chico is no longer the small town it was in 1974. Back then, the population was under 20,000—today it clocks in at an estimated 107,000, making it the 73rd largest municipality in the state. As such, today, Chico faces “big city” issues. Our question: What is your response to the negativity? Is it founded, unfounded, or somewhere in between? And since there’s always room for improvement, what would you do to make life here better?

I do not believe that life in Chico has degraded; it’s just changed. Change is inevitable in the modern world. What we have in Chico is the opportunity to embrace those changes in a unique and workable way that includes the public’s opinions and preferences, as well as consideration of Chico’s historical charm. Our population has grown significantly in the last few years. I have faith that this growth can be a positive for our small town that is a cultural hub of the region.