Orinda’s five City Council members are elected volunteers who make all policy and budget decisions affecting the City based upon staff recommendations and citizens’ input.
They attend bi-monthly city council meetings and serve on additional committees. They also interact with various levels of government between the city and the state on a variety of issues, including housing, wildfire prevention and insurance.
On Nov. 6, three candidates will vie for two available seats: Candace Evans, Darlene Gee and Cara Hoxie.
The Questions
The Orinda News posed four questions to each candidate with maximum word counts allotted for each answer. Responses are in the candidates’ own words, with the exception of minor grammatical edits, and provided by candidates in alphabetical order.
1. Wildfire
While Orinda has taken significant steps in regard to wildfire prevention, the City also has the highest rate of State Farm cancellations and non-renewals in the state. Many residents are finding it difficult or impossible to find fire insurance through private insurers. It should be noted that private companies and the state control insurance guidelines, premiums and access. The City Council has no direct control over fire insurance. The topic of evacuations in the case of wildfires is also a significant concern for many residents.
Orinda has several major issues regarding wildfires: prevention, insurance cancellations and concerns about evacuations. How would you contribute to solutions to these issues? (200 words)
2. Private Vs. Public Roads
Approximately 20% of Orinda roads are designated as “private” although they are generally all accessible to the public. Homeowners who live on private roads have long argued that while they pay the same taxes as residents who live on public roads, they don’t receive benefits of road or storm drain maintenance.
What actions would you recommend in reconciling Orinda’s private vs. public roads issues, in regard to both road and storm drains maintenance? (200 words)
3. Housing Challenges
In March 2023, Orinda received approval of the Sixth Cycle Housing Element – out of 109 municipalities, one of only 13 to receive approval at the time. Since then, there have been objections by community members to the proposed housing along Moraga Way and a lawsuit regarding the impact upon wildfire evacuation resulting from the housing proposed downtown in the Downtown Precise Plan (DPP).
Some residents have suggested moving housing to the CalTrans site along Highway 24, although the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) did not include the CalTrans site in their approval for required housing in this cycle. The City must comply with HCD mandates and decisions.
Orinda’s plans for adding housing are under fire for a variety of reasons. What are your opinions about adding housing to downtown, the opportunity sites along Moraga Way and the CalTrans site? (200 words)
4. Skills Brought To The Table
What unique skills and experience would you bring to this City Council position? (150 words)
Candace Evans
Candace Evans
1. Wildfire
Fire Prevention: Educate every homeowner in Orinda about community wildfire preparedness activities. Including the Fire Fuels Reduction Incentive Pilot Program, which encourages residents to stay alert and prepared. Working with MOFD to implement projects aimed at increasing wildfire survivability. Additionally, I will provide residents with homeowner training.
Insurance: Providing Orinda residents with the most recent updates from the Insurance Commissioner Lara on how insurance companies must write more policies. I am joining my fellow council members and Mayor Malkani in efforts to continue pushing forward with fire prevention methods for every resident to prevent any chance of fire during this “Forward Strategy” that Commissioner Lara has put in place. During this unprecedented time, I will take an active role in working with MOFD toward preventive solutions in community safety.
Evacuation: Develop and share model evacuation scenarios for residents, allowing them to experience evacuation procedures and know where to go in case of an emergency. To conduct staff drills to ensure that residents can practice real-life evacuation situations effectively. I aim to produce an informative video that covers wildfire evacuation preparation, response and recovery. Visual videos demonstrating essential steps to safety are more effective in preparing for evacuations.
2. Private Vs. Public Roads
Private roads in Orinda often intersect with public roads, and their conditions can impact the maintenance of public roads.
If private roads are unstable on a slope, they could hinder evacuations and disrupt utilities.
Poorly maintained private roads may slow emergency evacuation; every Orinda resident deserves to be evacuated safely.
With more and more residents moving in, building homes on private roads has become a huge concern of mine and the safety of ALL residents, not just residents on public roads versus private roads. We are a community not divided.
I support the well-needed assessment of private roads regarding the condition and drainage, considering that most private roads are used by the public for accessibility.
Forming a private road maintenance association, evacuation planning and emergency responses are critical when public access is involved.
3. Housing Challenges
With Orinda being in their Sixth Cycle Housing Element plans for the period of 2023 to 2031, it is a crucial time to address opportunities that involve working with non-profit affordable housing developers, such as Community Development Partners, or for-profit companies, such as Forma Partners Inc. This will help Orinda to develop life-enhancing housing that goes beyond the basic goal of high-quality homes by building innovative and sustainable housing above our downtown retail stores, along our Moraga Way and at the CalTrans site.
The design teams from these companies would fill the gap by designing the site around downtown Orinda. Creating a design concept for our community and stakeholders would allow Orinda to move forward in a harmonious manner.
4. Skills Brought To The Table
Besides my VERY successful political career, my leadership skill set makes me an ideal candidate to be Orinda’s next City Councilmember.
With experience in seniors, energy and environment, education, business and economy, I would bring a fresh perspective to moving Orinda forward. I embody the definition of equality that Orinda needs today. I have continually proven my ability to stand for equality throughout my personal and professional life.
My priorities for Orinda mirror what every honest Councilmember stands for: standing up for equality, supporting families, the elderly and businesses and ensuring every Orinda resident receives equal opportunity.
Furthermore, I am an LGBTQ African American resident, which promotes inclusion for every resident and visitor. I am an example of what Orinda considers when they speak about “WE ARE A COMMUNITY.”
Darlene Gee
Darlene Gee
1. Wildfire
Wildfire Prevention: Continue the City’s outreach programs to encourage residents’ focus on vegetation management/compliance, the formation of Firewise neighborhoods, and the use of City and MOFD incentive grants and free home hardening materials. I support continuing the City and MOFD 2×2 subcommittee to facilitate communication and give residents simultaneous access to both City and MOFD leaders. I also want to utilize the City’s new advocacy firm to collaborate with other agencies in seeking more fire prevention grants through our state representatives.
Insurance Cancellations: We need to do two key things to help restore a normal insurance market. First is to continue regular advocacy with the state insurance commissioner’s office, legislature and governor’s office. Second, we need to keep working with MOFD and other fire authorities to understand what preventative measures insurance companies will interpret as significantly reducing risk and then encourage resident compliance.
Evacuation: Under all housing scenarios, we need to continue practicing emergency contra flow traffic routes; encourage residents to sign up for Nixle and CWS alerts; increase streets subject to red flag parking restrictions; and encourage residents to understand and plan using all the emergency information that has been disseminated by the City and is readily available online.
2. Private Vs. Public Roads
Private vs. public road and storm drain issues in Orinda are one of the most divisive and complicated issues in Orinda. To me, this long standing debate presents challenges to both public safety and the long-term funding stability of our public infrastructure.
The divisiveness stems from a combination of frustrations that include tax inequity, neighborhoods without HOA’s being unable to get all homeowners to pay their fair share of private maintenance, challenges with insurance and permits and the lack of ready access to professional engineering expertise.
With 20% of our residents living on private roads and/or with private drainage facilities, this is not an insignificant issue. Additionally, there is no “one-size-fits-all” private road/drain situation in Orinda.
Actions I recommend include:
• Accurate condition data and mapping of the private roads and drains to facilitate fact-based community discussion.
• City risk assessment of the private drainage facilities to help ensure community safety.
• Community education on the long-term funding sources and requirements for Orinda’s infrastructure and the voter support needed to maintain it
• Seeking a new approach for increasing garbage impact fees.
• Strategizing community solutions that recognize the benefits of better integrated and maintained infrastructure that can achieve long-term voter support.
3. Housing Challenges
I share the community’s concerns about housing and recognize how difficult it is to balance state mandates and residents’ views, particularly in a city like Orinda. I disagree with the state’s approach, but know that the legal and financial ramifications of not complying are severe.
It’s also important to remember that complying with HCD and providing the zoning that accompanies it does not mean that changes will happen. Property owners and developers control specific development.
I do support housing downtown. I believe it will increase amenities and vibrancy while adding housing options in Orinda. Most long-term residents realize that downsizing in Orinda is nearly impossible. I also believe the housing must fit into our community well and meet standards that are being developed.
I am supportive of housing and other development at the CalTrans Gateway site, and the City is continuing to work with CalTrans to make that a possibility. However, the CalTrans site cannot be used to satisfy all obligations since HCD requires community dispersion of housing.
The sites along Moraga Way are not my preferred locations for the same reasons as residents have expressed. As our processes continue, I’m open to considering other options that could be allowed.
4. Skills Brought To The Table
My nine years of City Council experience, including twice serving as mayor, represent extensive knowledge that allows me to be maximally effective in continuing to work for our residents. My professional expertise as a civil engineer and transportation expert adds exceptional value to Orinda’s infrastructure issues.
With an MBA from UC Berkeley and over 40 years of private sector experience managing hundreds of employees and multi-million-dollar budgets, I have an extensive understanding of Orinda’s financial issues and staff organization.
I have worked collaboratively with Orinda’s partner agencies such as MOFD and OUSD, as well as our superb volunteer organizations, such as The Orinda Association, the Orinda Community Foundation and Rotary, giving me valuable understanding of how we can best work together for Orinda’s benefit. Additionally, as a Bay Area Council Board member, my network and relationships allow me to help Orinda connect to key resources throughout the Bay Area.
Cara Hoxie
Cara Hoxie
1. Wildfire
I am highly focused on the wildfire risks facing our community, and would continue my commitment to these issues if elected to the City Council. While on the OUSD Board, I worked to bring the school district, City and MOFD together to build a new fire-safe multi-purpose room at Sleepy Hollow School and to address evacuation of students and staff from our school sites by staging school buses at Sleepy Hollow on extreme fire danger days.
Orinda must continue to be vigilant in supporting our community efforts for hardening our homes and reducing vegetation as well advocating at the state level to ensure that residents have access to insurance. Many homeowners have had to obtain fire insurance from the California Fair Plan and liability and other homeowners insurance from another provider.
I will advocate to separate wildfire insurance from general fire insurance to normalize the risk profile for insurers in order to create more options for homeowners. I am concerned about our evacuation routes and will ensure that we work collaboratively with Moraga to discuss with PG&E under-grounding the wires on Moraga Way and Miner Road so that evacuation is not blocked by a downed power pole.
2. Private Vs. Public Roads
For too long, Orinda has been afraid to address the private roads issue, which has created conflict among neighbors and neighborhoods. We are one City and need to unify on the roads situation going forward.
The study Orinda has undertaken by creating the infrastructure subcommittee is a first step in understanding the extent of the problem and quantifying the cost of potential solutions and I support this effort.
Drainage may be a bigger issue than maintaining the roads. Water is very destructive and without proper drainage, homes and infrastructure can be severely damaged. We need to standardize the requirements for roads and drains in Orinda so that our roadways and drainage systems can be handled in a safe, equitable way. Furthermore, we must all work together collaboratively to find better, more optimal solutions.
3. Housing Challenges
Whether we are in support of it or not, change is coming. Under state law, California requires that Orinda add a substantial number of housing units to our community. Should the City not comply, we would be penalized and would lose all control of development within Orinda.
As the current OUSD Board President, I have been focused on the impacts of this issue for some time. I am very concerned about traffic and evacuation throughout Orinda, particularly on Moraga Way. The impact of additional units throughout the City need to be critically studied and evaluated.
In addition, we need to work with Moraga on this issue as their housing requirements also affect Orinda. I understand the CalTrans site has environmental issues and was rejected by the State as a viable location for housing. As a Council member, I would look into the issues with the CalTrans site so that hopefully in the future, it could become viable for housing.
Lastly, adding over 1,300 housing units is a huge number for a small city like Orinda and we certainly do not need to add more than are required by law.
4. Skills Brought To The Table
I love Orinda and want to continue to serve my community in a meaningful way. I grew up in Orinda, raised my family in Orinda, volunteered extensively in Orinda and have served on the OUSD Board of Trustees for the past eight years.
I practiced law for five years in San Francisco at Heller Ehrman, and then served as President and CEO of Choice in Aging (a large non-profit organization based in Pleasant Hill that serves seniors and adults with disabilities) for 12 years.
I want to bring my understanding of our community and my problem-solving skills to address some of the difficult issues facing Orinda, such as housing, fire safety, fire insurance coverage and green energy. I understand the importance of fiscally prudent budgeting and prioritize responsiveness to constituents. I care deeply about our community and I would be honored to serve as a member of the City Council.
