Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bruno Sabatier

Personal information:

Name: Bruno Sabatier

Age: 33

Family: Married since Sept. 19, 2008, to Nicole M. Sabatier who was raised in Lake County and is currently a Konocti Unified School District teacher. We have two beautiful children: Sebastian, 5, and Sophie, 2.

Career/current job: Data maintenance programmer and full-time student.

Education: Associate of arts degree from Yuba Community College District and currently going to the University of California, Davis, to obtain my politic science bachelor’s degree.

Length of residence in Lake County and your particular city: I’ve lived in Clearlake since September 2008.

Web site or email address where community members can contact you: www.brunoforcitycouncil.com and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Questions:

1. Please outline your experience serving the local community. Include all community or volunteer service.

As a Yuba College student body president I became involved with inviting the community to our campus when we organized events. Most of our events had a multicultural emphasis. We did a wonderful Black History Month event, a Women’s History Month event and also organized a Day of the Dead celebration.

A group of talented students, who were also a part of the student body government, and I decided to venture outside of the college campus and create our own event for the community of Clearlake. Together we created the inaugural Power to the Youth. It involved many local community support agencies, a skatepark competition, a basketball tournament and an activities center for younger children such as a bouncy house and sand box. The event was very well received by the public. The Power to the Youth program eventually included an open door basketball program at Burns Valley school where anyone could come in and play basketball for free on Saturday nights.

Currently I am volunteering my time by helping renovate the youth center adjacent to Redbud Park. I’m excited to see the youth center open up so our youth have a safe and healthy environment to come to after school.

2. Why did you decide to run for public office?

I decided to run for office because I felt that the city of Clearlake is facing many issues. I am a problem solver. Throughout my work experience and throughout my life I’ve helped resolve problems in very creative ways. I also have an ability to connect with a variety of different people who have varying ethnic backgrounds, varying political views and varying ages. The ability to listen and speak to people of all walks of life allows me to deal with the problems we face by involving the community in what is needed to be done. Times are tough right now, but things are already moving in a positive direction in Clearlake. With my abilities and the forward progress we’re seeing, I hope that as a team we will increase our progress for positive change over my four year term that I will a council member.

3. What are the important qualities you would bring to public service?

Being a political science major, I’ve learned and understood what has brought us to the situation we currently face. I’ve also learned and understood what some of our choices are and what can bring us positive externalities based on our choices. I have a hard work ethic and I do not give NO as an answer, unless it is a matter of legal issues. I’m a team player and know that I will support the other council members to ensure we move forward and not be stagnated by our differences. As a city council member I will work my hardest to give the people what they need.

4. What are the primary functions of a city council member? What are the important skill sets a council member should possess?

One of the primary functions of the city council is to create a balanced budget and that the budget should fulfill the needs of the people as well as the needs of the city. City council’s job is also to be the voice of the people. We are representatives of the people and should be proactive in obtaining public views of what is needed in our city. It is important for city council members to educate themselves on the things that affect our city so that the knowledge can then be passed on to the people of Clearlake so they can understand why the city has acted or not acted on the issues we face.

What are the important skill sets a council member should possess? We should respect the people of our city and be proactive in obtaining the things that the people need. This means we must prioritize what will best meet the needs of the people while also meeting the needs of the city. I also believe that as the voice of the people we should be proactive in increasing the participation of the people in city council affairs. I hope to use the Internet and Channel 8 in order to achieve this goal. It’s time for the city of Clearlake to be part of the 21st century.

5. What is your city’s single greatest challenge? How would you address it?

The single greatest challenge is roads. Almost 50 miles of roads are unpaved and those that are paved need maintenance. It is becoming ever more expensive to fix our roads and that is why I support Measure G. Measure G will help us repair and maintain our paved streets by patching and grinding the streets while unpaved roads will be graded in order for them to be flat and not bumpy roller coaster rides. There is unfortunately too much confusion on how or why certain streets are paved while others are not. It is my goal to help educate the public in these matters so that we may work together to increase the safety of our roads and so property owners can understand how they can eventually obtain paved roads.

6. If you are elected, what will your top issue be? What other issues are of particular interest to you?

My top issue will be to help create jobs. It is difficult for the residents of Clearlake to have a positive outlook on our city when there is a lack of opportunity in our city. We need to expand these opportunities so those that graduate from Yuba College can obtain a good job that allows them to live comfortably. We need to provide the proper infrastructure for our businesses to feel some economic stability and prosperity. While city council can’t create jobs, we can create the platform where businesses can take advantage of a healthier environment to create more jobs for our city.

What other issues are of particular interest to you? Cleaning up Clear Lake is important to me since it is something that affects us all whether we drink the water from the lake, use the lake for recreation, or own a business near the lake’s shore. I would also like to see better transparency from city hall. We need a Web site that allows the residents of Clearlake to access information on city council meetings, new laws, and our fiscal budget. Transparency is key to giving people a positive outlook for the future of Clearlake. Trust is built in inches and destroyed in miles. Transparency is the path towards building that trust.

7. Is there a matter that you’ve seen the council handle that you believe should have been approached differently? If so, how would you have handled it?

I would like to have seen the city council handle the panhandler’s ordinance in a different approach. I do not believe that we spoke with the panhandlers, though we were told that they were mostly from out of town. I would have liked to know an exact figure of how many are from Clearlake and how many are truly from out of town rather than just anecdotal facts. Then I would like to have heard that the panhandlers who were from Clearlake were asked how they came to be in this position and how it is that the city may have failed them. The lack of opportunities have led many of our people to grow marijuana, apply for welfare, lose their homes due to foreclosures or panhandle. We need to address these issues and not just simply aid our businesses who feel harassed by these panhandlers.

8. What ways, if any, would you encourage public and media interaction with you and the city council should you be elected? How would you approach public interaction, especially on controversial issues?

First I would start with a Web site. A Web site is the portal to which people can find information about Clearlake and its activities as well as its rules and regulations. Second, I’d create a chat room so that during city council meetings people who are watching the meeting live on Channel 8 (or potentially streaming on the Internet) can comment online and have their comments read aloud at city council meetings. We are in the 21st century and today we shop online, work online, go to school online and now our local government needs to be online in order to reach out to the people. We should not expect the people to come to us, we need to come to them.

9. When you think of your city in 20 years, what do you hope it will look like? When considering that future vision of your city, what would you want your legacy to be in improving your community?

Currently we are doing the Lakeshore Drive Corridor Plan. I personally envision a place that is healthy to raise your family where you can comfortably live in peace and quiet. This is a rural town and that is one of my main reasons for loving to live here. One of the major ways that we can enhance our town, whether it be the beautification of Lakeshore Drive or the addition of a shopping center at the old airport property, my belief is that if we work together we can make all of these things happen. I hope to leave a legacy of increased participation in our democracy. By having a Web site, a two-way communication to city council meetings from home, and increased use of surveys and polls I believe that we can increase the participation of those who wish to ensure that our city is on the right track and that projects keep moving forward. We should all be excited about where we will be in the future.

Financial information: See Form 470 below.

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Written by: BRUNO SABATIER

Published: 19 October 2012

Election 2012: Clearlake City Council candidates – Joyce Overton, Bruno Sabatier, Alvaro Valencia, Melinda Young

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – This week Lake County News has published questionnaires submitted to this fall’s field of city council candidates for both the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, and the final group of candidates from Clearlake is featured today.

Eight candidates are seeking three seats on the Clearlake City Council Nov. 6 – Bunnie Carter, Gina Fortino Dickson, Denise Loustalot, Charles O’Neill-Jones, Joyce Overton, Bruno Sabatier, Alvaro Valencia and Melinda Young.

The questionnaires of Overton, Sabatier, Valencia and Young are being published on Friday. On Thursday, the questionnaires from Carter, Fortino Dickson, Loustalot and O’Neill-Jones were presented.

Find the latest set of questionnaires at the links below.

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Joyce Overton

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bruno Sabatier

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Alvaro Valencia

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Melinda Young

Voters will find a picture of each candidate, as well as a rundown of personal information – name, age, family, career/current job, education, length of residence in Lake County and their particular city, and Web site, email or phone number where community members can contact them.

Candidates answered nine questions submitted by Lake County News. In addition, their campaign finance forms – obtained from Clearlake City Clerk Melissa Swanson – are presented.

The candidates have submitted Form 470s, required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 of this year.

The Form 470 is required if candidates raise or spend less than $1,000, or do not have a controlled committee.

If candidates file by the required deadline and do not exceed the $1,000 contribution or spending limit, no additional campaign statements need to be filed, according to the FPPC guidelines.

For the questionnaires of Carter, Fortino Dickson, Loustalot and O’Neill-Jones, published Thursday, see the following links.

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bunnie Carter

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Gina Fortino Dickson

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Denise Loustalot

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Charles O’Neill-Jones

Questionnaires from the six candidates in the Lakeport City Council race were presented on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those questionnaires can be found at the links listed below.

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Suzanne Lyons

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Mary Nolan

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Kenneth Parlet

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bob Rumfelt

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Martin Scheel

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Marc Spillman

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 19 October 2012

Election 2012: Clearlake City Council candidates – Bunnie Carter, Gina Fortino Dickson, Denise Loustalot, Charles O’Neill-Jones

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake’s voters have a big field of candidates to choose from this fall as they select new members for the Clearlake City Council.

On Thursday and Friday Lake County News is presenting responses to questionnaires submitted to this year’s field of Clearlake City Council candidates. Earlier in the week, questionnaires from the six candidates in the Lakeport City Council race were presented.

Eight candidates are seeking three seats on the Clearlake City Council this fall – Bunnie Carter, Gina Fortino Dickson, Denise Loustalot, Charles O’Neill-Jones, Joyce Overton, Bruno Sabatier, Alvaro Valencia and Melinda Young.

On Thursday, the questionnaires from Carter, Fortino Dickson, Loustalot and O’Neill-Jones will be presented, with the questionnaires from Overton, Sabatier, Valencia and Young to follow on Friday.

The featured Thursday questionnaires can be found below.

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bunnie Carter

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Gina Fortino Dickson

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Denise Loustalot

Clearlake City Council candidates’ spotlight: Charles O’Neill-Jones

Voters will find a picture of each candidate, as well as a rundown of personal information – name, age, family, career/current job, education, length of residence in Lake County and their particular city, and Web site, email or phone number where community members can contact them.

Candidates answered nine questions submitted by Lake County News. In addition, their campaign finance forms – obtained from Clearlake City Clerk Melissa Swanson – are presented.

The candidates have submitted Form 470s, required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 of this year.

The Form 470 is required if candidates raise or spend less than $1,000, or do not have a controlled committee.

If candidates file by the required deadline and do not exceed the $1,000 contribution or spending limit, no additional campaign statements need to be filed, according to the FPPC guidelines.

In case you missed the Tuesday and Wednesday publications of the questionnaires for the Lakeport City Council candidates, you can find them at the links listed below.

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Suzanne Lyons

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Mary Nolan

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Kenneth Parlet

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Bob Rumfelt

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Martin Scheel

Lakeport City Council candidates’ spotlight: Marc Spillman

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 18 October 2012

Drafting of new Clearlake General Plan gets under way

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The work of drafting a new general plan for the city of Clearlake is under way, with public meetings set to begin later this month.

The first community workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 27, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive. Snacks will be provided.

Future meetings are planned in November, December and the early months of 2013. The plan is expected to be completed by June 30, 2013, according to City Manager Joan Phillipe.

Community members are invited to take part in the workshops on the document, which is the city’s “blueprint.” It’s meant to determine the city’s goals and policies in order to direct future decision making.

Clearlake’s current general plan is about 30 years old, “way past the life of a generally accepted useful general plan document,” Phillipe told Lake County News.

She reported to the Clearlake City Council at its Sept. 28 meeting that the city has been notified twice by the state that the document needs to be updated.

At that same meeting the council approved Phillipe’s proposal to work with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s City and Regional Planning Department to prepare a general plan circulation document and a general plan, as Lake County News has reported.

Working with a team of 14 to 15 graduate students – under the direction of Dr. Cornelius Nuworsoo – the city will pay $40,000 for the new plan, which could have cost the city closer to $200,000 with a consultant.

Clearlake received a Lake County/City Area Planning Council grant to cover the general plan preparation. Phillipe told the council last month, has been a main sticking point to pursuing a new document.

She said getting a good deal on the plan and the grant are both important for the city, which has been struggling financially.

The students already have been collecting volumes of information from the city as well as the Lake County/City Area Planning Council as background information for the plan and to bring themselves current with local planning documents and plans, Phillipe said.

She said she met four of the students last Friday at the Lakeshore Drive Downtown Corridor plan presentation and reception.

“They are enthusiastic,” she said.

More information about the process can be found at the Web site set up for the document’s preparation, www.planclearlake.weebly.com .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 18 October 2012