Chaires, Ly Make Presentations in Hope of Capturing Elk Grove Democratic Endorsement

March 12, 2014 | In what is becoming a highly valued prize with area politicians, Elk Grove City Council District 4 candidates Nanc...


March 12, 2014 |

In what is becoming a highly valued prize with area politicians, Elk Grove City Council District 4 candidates Nancy Chaires and Steve Ly made presentations last night to a local Democratic club in hopes of winning their endorsement.

The presentations were made at the Elk Grove Public Library to an overflowing room with members of the Elk Grove-South County Democratic Club. Chaires, who is an Elk Grove Planning Commissioner and Ly, a trustee with the Elk Grove Unified School District, are both seeking the full four-year term for the seat currently occupied by Robert Trigg.

While both candidates in their opening statements drew on their own personal experiences as being non-English speaking children, attempted to differentiate how their professional experience made them suited for the city council while taking subtle jabs at one another.

Chaires said her experience on the the planning commission has groomed her for making difficult decision that are in the best interests of city residents. As an example, she cited her vote as a planning commissioner to deny approval of a Roman Catholic Church, St. Maria Goretti, on Bradshaw Road in the city's rural area.

"In that case I voted against the members of my own church," she said. "There have been some projects like that where doing the right thing is not always agreeing with my friends."    

Ly, who was elected to the Elk Grove school board in November, 2012 emphasized the need for the City of Elk Grove to work more closely with area schools on a number of items including student training and transportation. He suggested that by city working closely with the school district on training, more well-paying jobs could be drawn to the city. 

"I never thought that our city buses would end at the border line," he said. "I have students that are at Franklin High who want to participate in the Valley Tech Health academy who cannot go all the way to Valley High."

During their presentations each candidate took subtle jabs at each other. Chaires pointed out that if she was elected she would remain committed to a full-four-year term, a reference to Ly who is seeking a city council seat half way though his first term as a school district trustee.

For his part, Ly suggested that some of the long standing traffic problems at Franklin High School were the result of poor planning decisions coming from the city.  

An audio of the candidates answers on questions regarding a proposed $100 million soccer stadium and expansion of Elk Grove can be heard here and a video of a portion of each candidates opening statements is below.

The club will conduct a popular vote of their membership for the endorsement in the District 4 race at their next meeting on Tuesday, April 8. 


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12 comments

Anonymous said...

Which one is more likely to be in favor of a housing moratorium?

Jughead said...

Listen to the tape posted on the other story. Doesn't sound like either would support a moratorium.

Anonymous said...

Sound like even more high density low income housing projects will be on the way.

I sure as heck would like to know why executive housing is being proposed for the SEPA.

I doubt a higher income business owner would want to live near a bunch of housing projects and commercial structures.

Disaffected ex-voter said...

Mr. Ly,

E-tran is not the school transportation system. However,to accommodate the EGUSD dropping school bus transport, E-tran reworked many of its routes.

E-tran does not stop at the "border" as you indicate. E-tran travels each and every day to the CRC/Valley High area. It just may be that there is no direct bus or no connection to another bus that moves those from the Franklin area to the Valley High area.

Also, you imply that Ms. Chaires is responsible for the traffic issues at Franklin. Wrong again. Ms. Chaires was not appointed to the Planning Commission until after the build out of the Franklin area.

Maybe if you stay in your current office for the full term you might educate yourself a little more.

Coffee Bean said...

Sound bites, big signs...and endorsements.

Lynn said...

Soccer Stadium; I believe the city's own feasibility study suggested that the only way this would work is to have the stadium booked with concerts and other events the remainder of the year....other details...would the city be the land owners? I believe if this concept was profitable and a money maker the private businesses would be knocking at the city's door. Soccer Stadium...is this what the residents want? Do residents/taxpayers want to finance this?

Sphere of Influence(SOI). Trust issue? Yes it exists. Ask all the residents who packed the chambers when affordable housing was being considered for their neighborhood. Ask any resident who went and researched the general plan and zoning code before purchasing a home. For the majority of residents their home is their nest egg. How would one feel about a rezone directly behind your property that would reduce your home property value?
The land use decisions by our council are not providing quality of life for residents.

The General Plan and rezones since 2003 add up to approximately 40 with Planning Commission supporting the majority of them. A general plan can be amended four times a year. Our city is anticipating more than 4 this year(2014) that they are being "bundled"(Council meeting January 2014)

Our city leaders want us "physically fit" however provide projects that are not pedestrian friendly. Don't believe me ask the apartment residents on Bond and Waterman who to walk to the store and are offered a gravel pathway along a 50mph roadway.

LAFCo did not deny the project based on mistrust of Elk Grove residents speaking up. It was the city's own track record. It was based on Elk Grove leaders selling the application on needing 8,000acres to correct the jobs:housing imbalance. An important question was asked by LAFCo of our planning director; How much of the SEPA(1200 acres)is planned for housing? His response 70%. This of course followed the objective data and pictures provided by Elk Grove Grasp of empty retail, commercial, and industrial parks.
The most recent jobs brought to Elk Grove came at a cost of 3.4million dollars to tax payers.

Medical Mecca; the medical jobs that have arrived to our city; not new jobs transfers.

The best an article in Sacramento Business where it is said the houses will be built first and the jobs will follow. Didn't our city with Maderia try the houses first? Where are the jobs???

Really great in Sacramento Business Journal an article discussing our city spending 7,000 to bring jobs from Texas...the Elk Grove slogan "In Texas, they like everything bigger, but in Elk Grove we like everything better". Really; I ran on "Let's make Elk Grove better not bigger". Now of course our Mayor has selectively rephrased what I ran under.


Anonymous said...

Lynn,

Maybe I heard it wrong, but I'm pretty sure Ms. Chaires was referring to the members of LAFCO not having any trust on the current members of the city council to make the right decision for the residents of Elk Grove.

Anonymous said...

Just more of the same???

More miles of boring subdivision homes

More low income and very low income housing projects

More traffic

More vacant strip malls

More water rationing

More crime

Horrible jobs / housing imbalance

Instant ghetto (SEPA) - 1,200 units plus another 1,100 in the Poppy Ridge, Quail Ridge Lent Ranch area adjacent to SEPA.

Lynn said...

Anonymous 00:09 you are right, thank you for correcting me. Elk Grove residents spoke of the mistrust of our leaders regarding the numerous poor planning decisions and this caused LAFCo to question the city's need. LAFCo bases the decision upon proven need. The goals of LAFCo; Ensure the orderly formation of local government
agencies. Preserve Agricultural and open space lands.
Discourage Sprawl.
Most certainly our city with rezoning to more homes, reducing park size to minimal required by state law, and not truly preserving urban open space. Take a look at the subdivisions....more of the same....sprawl....

Anonymous said...

Is Steve Ly serious? Do your homework Ly. EGUSD cancelled their own bus service for the students because of budget cuts. Take it up with your own board. Oh, that's right, you will have to resign soon, not even serving a full two years because you want bigger and better.

Your commitment is not to the citizens, it is to your personal agenda of moving up the political ladder.

Anonymous said...

So is Steve Ly going to get the EGUSD to pay for the part of the aquatics center?

If he thinks the citizens of Elk Grove are going to vote for him because we believe that he is doing to be conduit to get the school board to pony up money to help fund city services, then Ly is not paying attention at all.

The schools need the money for their own athletic departments and are hurting. That's why parents have to pay so much for their children to play sports.

This man is too green to even be running for city council!

Anonymous said...

More subdivisions = More high density low income housing projects

More high density low income projects = more crime.

Look at the recent rape at Morse Park. That area is surrounded by projects.

Want more crime, rubber stamp more subdivisions.

Elk Grove is going to be a big time HOOD in 20 years.


"Most of the trouble at that center on Whitelock comes from people who live in the Agave Apartments. I'd be happy to have a police substation there. "


http://www.elkgrove-laguna.net/forums/showthread.php?6848-Franklin-High-teen-allegedly-gang-raped-at-Morse-Park-last-Sunday/page3

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