The City Council has received the petition asking for a Reversal of their Decision to Move Forward with Merging Commissions. At their February 20 meeting during General Public Comment, Elaine Roberts Musser presented the petition, expressing concern regarding the direction of the City Council subcomittee (Bapu Vaitla and Josh Chapman) to move forward with merging of commissions. Several concerned persons also provided comments.
Recent Press. The proposal by the City Council Subcommittee (Bapu Vaitla and Josh Chapman) is the subject of continued discussion in local news and blogs:
- Davis Enterprise, February 24, 2024, Vaitla Speaks on City Commission Mergers. https://www.davisenterprise.com/news/vaitla-speaks-on-city-commission-mergers/article_1169dc62-d297-11ee-8b6e-3b47a331ccb0.html
- Davis Vanguard, February 26, 2024, Guest Commentary: Analysis of Vaitla’s Statements in Davis Enterprise Article on Merging Commissions.
https://www.davisvanguard.org/2024/02/guest-commentary-analysis-of-vaitlas-statements-in-davis-enterprise-article-on-merging-commissions/
- Davisite, February 26, 2024, Analysis of Vaitla’s Statements in Davis Enterprise Article on Merging Commissions.
https://www.davisite.org/2024/02/analysis-of-vaitlas-statements-in-davis-enterprise-article-on-merging-commissions.html - Davis Vanguard, February 27, 2024, Commentary: Is This the Hill You Want to Die on or the Battle You Want to Fight? https://www.davisvanguard.org/2024/02/commentary-is-this-the-hill-you-want-to-die-on-or-the-battle-you-want-to-fight/
- Davisite, February 27, 2024, Zero Sum Game? Councilmember Vaitla on Commissions and Community Engagement. https://www.davisite.org/2024/02/zero-sum-game-council-member-vaitla-on-commissions-community-engagement.html
What Can You do to Support the Petition?
- Share the petition with your Davis friends and ask them to sign. https://www.change.org/p/reverse-city-council-decision-to-move-forward-with-merging-commissions-1e9f0d8d-0697-4f45-85ad-6a7720e2b8b3
- Write a Letter to the Editor and submit to the Davis Enterprise, Davisite and/or Davis Vanguard.
- Contact your councilmembers directly to express your concerns. Reach all councilmembers in one email to: CityCouncilMembers@cityofdavis.org
128 Davisites Have Signed the Petition. Though there many more signors online, and all support is welcome, many of them do not have Davis connections. This list is just folks with Davis connections:
COMMISSIONERS/FORMER COMMISSIONERS/FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Gerry Braun – Member, Utilities Commission
Jim Cramer – Member, Tree Commission
Dan Carson - Former City Councilmbr.; Former Member, Finance & Budget Comm.
Todd Edelman - Former Member, Bicycle, Transportation and Street Safety Comm.
Alana Gamage – Member, Tree Commission
Connor Gorman – Member, Human Relations Commission
Larry Guenther – Former Member, Tree Commission
Michael Guss - Former Vice Chair, Finance & Budget Commission
Margot Loschke - Former Chair, Senior Citizens Commission
Richard McCann - Former Member, Utilities Comm., Natural Resources Comm.
Roberta Millstein - Former Chair, Open Space & Habitat Commission
Elaine Roberts Musser – Member, Utilities Commission
Nancy Price - Former Member, Planning Commission
Alan Pryor - Former Member, Natural Resources Commission
John Reuter – Member, Tree Commission
Eileen Samitz - Former Member, Planning Commission
Colin Walsh - Vice Chair, Tree Commission
Matt Williams - Former Chair, Finance & Budget Comm.; Member, Utilities Comm.
Valerie Vann - Former Member, Historic Resources Management Commission
Michael Harrington - Former City Council Member
DAVIS ACTIVISTS AND/OR RESIDENTS
Erinne OHara Aboytes
Brianne Agatep
Cindy Anders
Adrian Apollo
Ruben Arevalo
David Bakay
Molly Baker
Enoch Baldwin
Thomas Ball
Diane Barnhart
Laura Benninger
Dolores Blake
Jan Bower
Dorothy Brandon
Jeanne Brown
Marie Therese Brown
Paloma Castillo
Justin Cheng
Ann Conklin
Jennifer Culp
John Dafalias
Gerald Dickinson
Michelle C Doré
Cindy Erickson
Jay Feldman
Judith Feldman
Melanie Ferrando
Pat Fitzsimmons
Carolyn Flanigan
James Flanigan
Andrew Floyd
Deborah Francis
Sherrill Futrell
George Galamba
Jennifer Gray
Mary Gustafson
Lori Ann Dines Haapanen
Lynette Hart
Carolyn Hinshaw
Libby Hueter
Lynne Isbell
Jean Jackman
Thomas Jones
Patricia Kahn
Catherine Keller
Rik Keller
Barbara King
Lisa Klotz
Janet Krovoza
Patricia H Lange
Patricia Larsen-Gaumer
Donna Lemongello
Rebecca Lobo
John Lofland
Johanna Lusebrink
E Marshall
Helen McCarthy
David McGlocklin
Edward McPherson
Liz Merry
Carole Markese
Cynthia Markiewicz
Alan Miller
Jeff Mischkinsky
Tobias Muench
C. Musser
David Musser
Pam Neiberg
Eric Nelson
Christine Nourot
Kevin O’Connor
Ronald Oertel
Imara Ortiz-Donate
Pat Ostini
Andrew Owens
Marika Pappagianis
Wallace Pearce
Charles Pickett
Jaysun Pine
Julia Pollex
Don Price
Nicole Rabaud
Elizabeth Reay
Michael Reynolds
Kunzang Roe
Donna Russell
Shahida Shabbir
Diane Simon
Sriram Srinivas
Marc Thomas
David Thompson
Eric Thompson
Melanie Truan
Cynthia Unger
Loran Vettr Ve
Luanna Villanueva
Loyla Vogel
Robert Wachter
Bingxuan Wang
Jessie Wang
Ashley Weinshilboum
Robin Whitmore
Robin Wiener
Joan Wooden
Michael Wright
Charlotte Xanders
Michelle Yeh