Question & Answer With Elk Grove City Council Member, Candidate Steve Detrick

October 26, 2016 |

Below are questions presented to Elk Grove City Councilman and District 3 candidate Steve Detrick and his answers. 

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Elk Grove Councilman Steven M. Detrick was elected to the Elk Grove City Council in 2008. Before that, Steve was very active in the community, both in sports and in local government, as co-founder and chairperson of Elk Grove Coalition Advocating Proper Planning (EGCAPP).

Professionally, Steve has been employed with PG&E for 42 years, currently as the Northern California Electric Transmission Estimating Supervisor. His position involves leading a group of overhead and underground electrical engineering estimators that serve PG&E and the Northern California Communities with service planning, new business and reconstruction electric transmission and distribution projects for individuals, developers, cities, counties and the State of California.

Family is at the center of everything Steve does. Steve, along his wife Jan Detrick of 30 years, moved to Elk Grove in 1990, where they have realized many of their dreams. Elk Grove is a great community, and is where they chose to raise their three sons: Steven, Brian and Nick. Steve is also a proud grandfather of Gabriella and Olivia.

Steve is an avid sportsman and his passion is mentoring youth of all ages. Steve has been involved in Youth Sports at all levels as a mentor and coach for water-skiing, disabled water-skiing, baseball, soccer, football and basketball.

Steve’s entire family is also involved in Youth Sports at all levels – coach and/or supporter for water-skiing, disabled water-skiing, baseball, soccer, track and field, football and basketball. Steve is a national competitor in USA Water-Skiing and he has achieved nationally rated status as a senior driver and senior judge.

Steve takes his role as a public servant very seriously and he is steadfast about making sure he is accessible not only for the residents of Elk Grove, but for our business owners as well.

You have been on the Elk Grove City Council for eight years. During that time what lessons have you learned on governing?

That the relationships that I have built with the residents, business owners, city staff, sister agencies and regional officials, is the most important foundation to understand the items that come before our council. I have open and honest communication with all the stake holders at the table. This way I can make the most informed decision when I vote, with a broad base of input.

How do you measure your effectiveness as a council member?

I use the responses that I receive from residents and businesses by email/text messages/phone calls/face to face meetings, the feedback from our staff and sister agencies, feedback from our community leaders and other elect officials, and our city of Elk Grove constituent survey. Our most recent City survey rated us with a 79-percent overall approval rating by our constituents with the services we provide.

What are your views on constituent services?

Personally, I respond to phone calls, text messages, emails and face-to-face interactions with constituents with a 24-hour or less response time during normal business hours. If it is an item that requires our city staff or a sister agency, I make a three way connection and I stay involved in the communication loop to be sure that our constituents are served in a timely manor with what ever their questions or needs are.

Elk Grove is widely recognized as one the the most diverse places in the United States. How can we as a city better utilize and recognize that diversity?

I have been a champion over the past eight years for the inclusion of our diverse community to be involved where we live, work and play. I championed the Multi Cultural Committee to the Elk Grove City Council that has been a huge success over the past six years with just completing the 5th Annual Multi Cultural Festivals with an estimated 10,000 attending the event. The primary goal of the Multi Cultural Committee is to educate and celebrate our differences and they have been doing an excellent job. We are continually looking at ways increase the diversity of our work force with broad based recruiting by all departments at the City of Elk Grove.

The other candidate for Elk Grove City Council District 3, Maureen Craft, declined to participate in this question and answer piece.