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The four candidates in the running for three seats up for grabs on the Danville Town Council in November talked about key issues and presented their platforms during a virtual election forum last week.
With years of experience, incumbents Renee Morgan and Newell Arnerich are already familiar faces in the Danville community, serving in their third and seventh terms respectively. But for the other two candidates – Julia Gillette and Mark Belotz, both political newcomers – the Oct. 6 forum was an early opportunity to connect with the public at large in a political capacity, and a glimpse into what the future might hold should they be elected.
Unlike neighboring Tri-Valley communities in which councilmembers are elected by district, the Danville Town Council seats are “at-large,” meaning the candidates are all seeking the same three seats on the five-member council.
One of those seats has been left wide open following an announcement from current Councilmember Dave Fong that he would not seek reelection to a second term in office, instead backing Belotz’s campaign. The other two sitting councilmembers, Mayor Karen Stepper and Robert Storer, are in terms that are set to expire in 2026.
As the candidates made their way through a series of questions posed by moderators from DanvilleSanRamon.com, the two incumbents highlighted their past work throughout their tenures while the two newcomers voiced their opinions on the town’s operations as they stand and sought to highlight what they would bring to the table if elected.
The first topic of discussion that afternoon was public safety, with all candidates touting Danville’s record as the “safest city in California” according to several rankings, as well as their commitment to maintaining and improving that status.
“An issue that is paramount to our community is public safety,” Morgan said. “Creating a safe environment for all of our residents is my utmost priority, and commonly, we like to refer to it as our imaginary force field around Danville. This commitment is supported not only by our dedicated police department, but also our strong partnerships with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.”
“In 2016 we approved the automated license plate recognition camera system, also known as your ALPR system, which has proven to be an invaluable tool,” she continued. “This system equips our officers, our detectives and our deputies with the ability to not only catch criminals but to also prevent crimes that could happen.”
Morgan pointed to other technological investments for the town’s police department, which is operated via a contract with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office for police services.
“We’ve also trained officers with the use of our new drone, which has successfully assisted in various situations including recently locating a missing person and apprehending a suspect who tried to evade authorities,” she said. “Our partnership with the sheriff’s department further enhances our capabilities providing us with additional officers and equipment when needed – a wonderful source to have.”
Arnerich noted that public safety has been a top priority for Danville residents for decades, since the town’s early days of incorporation, and said that ongoing efforts to bolster safety in the town have paid off in the present day, as has the town’s contract with the sheriff’s department.
“The contract that we’ve had with the sheriff’s department has been an outstanding relationship for several reasons,” Arnerich said. “Not only from the financial point of view – which we also go back and check every so many years – we had the opportunity to look at what happened in San Ramon and how their costs rose so much.
“We have the opportunity to get the best of the best, and if an officer joins us, makes a stop, and we get a complaint if that stop isn’t exactly what we thought it should be with the manner, the temperament, and appropriate for Danville, that officer is gone immediately,” he continued. “No questions asked, no harm, no foul.”
“Yes, Danville has had some high profile cases, but let’s be clear, we have been not just the safe city in California, the single safest city based on part one crimes,” he continued. “And we’re that way because of several of the things we’ve invested in, which is in technology to help make our community safer, to get the bad guys before they get there. The force shield that we’ve put around Danville, we’ve updated it numerous times and it’s paid back in many ways.”
Belotz also lauded the town’s existing relationship with the sheriff’s office and highlighted investments to police technology and equipment.
“From what I can tell, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department has done an amazing job,” Belotz said. “Our chief, Allan Shields, I believe runs a very tight ship and has a great group of people in the police department. They have all of the latest technology that they need to stop crime and get the criminals, put them away and keep Danville one of the safest towns around.”
“I don’t know what else they can really do except just stay on top of everything and continue with technology and everything else they can do,” he continued.
While she also commended the job the current police force in the town was doing, Gillette pointed to the importance of engagement and involvement between citizens to prevent and deter crime.
“Some friends of mine were having their mail stolen in Diablo West, and we discussed how they can come together, notify the post office what’s going on, notify the police and collaborate, get together, and I think that’s very important – to stay together,” Gillette said. “We have seen an influx of some crimes at this point, and I think the police have done a fantastic job.
“I come from a family of police officers and I understand that a lot of them are committed to helping us as citizens, and I think that for the most part the constituents, the people in the town need to make sure they keep an eye out for what’s going on, notify the police of what may be going on in the neighborhood,” she continued. “We get a lot of speeding in our neighborhood, and I think basically just come together. I think the police are doing a fantastic job with it right now.”
Gillette also pointed to the importance of dialogue and collaboration between community members and town officials when the candidates were asked about how they would navigate new housing developments in the town, as well as mentioning that she would be open to considering moving to a charter city system as some neighboring communities have also done.
“With regard to the state issues, the housing element has been a very contentious issue in the state overall,” Gillette said. “I mean it’s been in law since 1969 and it has changed recently with many laws at Gavin Newsom. With the 2,241 housing units that we are supposed to build, I think that in some cases Pleasanton, Brentwood, and Atherton has gone so far as to establish chartering their city. And I’ve looked into that, because if nothing else … we can handle our situation better and our laws.”
While she emphasized the importance of affordable housing, Morgan called the 2,241 homes that town officials are now required to accommodate according to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process for the current housing element cycle “unrealistic”.
“This will present a significant challenge to us, and I’m committed to make sure that we meet these requirements while preserving the character and charm of Danville,” Morgan said.
Morgan pointed toward existing practices in the town including the community engagement process during the planning phases of the current housing element cycle, the below market rate housing program, and the 144-unit Diablo Road development near downtown with 11 affordable units, and a proposed 74-unit affordable senior housing project as examples of work she has supported so far.
“The key here is a balanced approach,” Morgan said. “It’s about transportation needs, job creation, and making sure that we accommodate affordable housing in our area. There are other significant projects currently underway that reflect our approach to balancing these state mandates.with the needs of our community. Our strategy includes clustering projects, preserving dedicated open space, and ensuring that developments blend seamlessly into their surroundings.”Â
“As we move forward, it’s crucial that we maintain the integrity of our community while integrating these state-mandated housing numbers and provide affordable housing,” she continued.
Arnerich emphasized that while the town is required to accommodate an additional 2,241 housing units over the course of the current housing element cycle, it is incumbent on builders, not the council, to actually develop those units, and pointed to existing measures aimed at increasing affordable housing.
“Let’s be clear – Danville for the past 30 years has provided its fair share of affordable housing,” Arnerich said. “We changed and did an affordable housing element for inclusionary housing that means 15% of everything that’s build in Danville for the past 30 years to be affordable. We’ve done that. We have met our regional housing needs over the years. In fact we facilitated some fairly large housing projects that are award winning that most people in Danville have no idea where those projects are.”
He added that this was by design, with town officials and planners over the years not wanting “to facilitate housing that people would say ‘that’s affordable housing, or that is.'”
“It’s part of who we are and it’s part of our fabric,” Arnerich said.
What has changed, Arnerich said, is state requirements in the current Housing Element cycle.
“The requirement went up because Danville was classified as a ‘resource rich community,’ which means we have nice schools, we’re safe, and you list all the great values you want in a community – we’re being penalized for that, and the penalty is … instead of 400 units over eight years you’re going to have this 2,241,” Arnerich said.
“How do you do that? We had to, as every city by law or the threat of being decertified as a city, being taken over by the county, we had to provide opportunity – we have no legal obligation to build housing; that’s not our charter and that’s not most cities’ charters – we are not building housing but we are facilitating it in the sense that there has to be the capacity within our zoning,” he continued. “We are smart, and I’ll end right there.”
Belotz echoed Arnerich’s point, noting that “the town does not develop them – developers develop them.”
“But the nice thing about this is that the town itself is making sure that affordable housing numbers are being calculated into any new project brought before the planning department,” Belotz said.
One example of this, Belotz said, is the housing being built on a portion of the Borel property on Fostoria Way, with the project set to consist of 123 for-sale townhomes and 43 rental apartments to be affordable to low and very low income households.
“That’s going to take care of a big chunk of what we have for lower income people,” Belotz said, also pointing to a smaller, nine-unit development with two ADUs.
“The town is doing their part,” Belotz continued. “Their planning everything in different areas, and you can see it’s slow, it’s steady and it’s planned, what we’re doing for low income and development in general.”
Housing wasn’t the only type of development up for discussion that afternoon, with the candidates also weighing in with their thoughts on new businesses and infrastructure improvements aimed at increasing the vibrancy of the downtown core.
“Danville focuses on attracting new businesses and ensuring that they can thrive in our community,” Morgan said.
She went on to note the inspiration that she and other delegates get from the League of California Cities convention, pointing to the idea of community branding as one that she’d brought back from one of those gatherings.
“We recently conducted research that of over 100 small businesses that are owned in Danville, only 75% of these businesses employ five or fewer employees,” Morgan said. “This highlights the importance of supporting our local entrepreneurs to enhance and the ability to attract the right mix of businesses we have to develop the prospectus to send to these leasing agents and also to the property owners to make sure that we are bringing the right mix of business and the success that they need to Danville.”
“This helps them understand the opportunities available in our town and it attracts businesses that align with our community’s values and its needs,” she continued.
Arnerich said that it was important to understand why Danville officials put so much effort into the downtown area.
“Anybody that has a guest coming from out of town, where do they take them? They take them downtown because it’s a sense of place, a sense of our past, who we are, and you compare that to San Ramon or Dublin – both nice cities, but they have no downtowns,” Arnerich said. “We have focused. We put $160 million of investment over the past 40 years in downtown Danville.”
Some of those investments, Arnerich said, are street maintenance and repairs, parking, and other infrastructure, much of which is ongoing further renovations in the Downtown Master Plan Catalyst Project currently underway – which Arnerich said likely won’t be the last.
“It’s a project that’s probably going to last for 10 years, and we will do something else,” Arnerich said. “And the reason why is we have to keep changing with the times; we have to keep encouraging more and more preservation, and it’s the preservation that gives it that character, and we celebrate that. Yes, new buildings come in, but the fact is that we have to keep making investments.”
Belotz said he was one of the many residents who are passionate about downtown Danville, pointing to almost nightly walks through the neighborhood with his wife and their dog.
“We see friends, we see acquaintances, we see people we don’t even know and talk to almost all of them, especially other dog owners,” Belotz said. “We see the changes that are happening, and I would say the changes are for the good. It’s so nice when you get a new property that’s going to be retail as well as homes. It brings more people downtown, it brings more vibrancy downtown, and it keeps things going. Very, very important in Danville. Downtown is where people want to be.”
Belotz added that he was in discussions with chamber of commerce officials and other community members about the possibility of unifying business owners in the neighborhood inton a downtown business district.
Gillette pointed to the importance of many downtown neighborhoods, including Danville’s, in maintaining a glimpse into the early history and overall character of communities.
“Danville’s downtown area has an important and unique role in the economic and social development of the town,” Gillette said. “Downtowns create a critical mass of activities where commercial, cultural, and civic activities are concentrated at.”
“So basically, small businesses in Danville contribute to a lively community that provides local job opportunities,” she continued. “They help build community identity. Businesses in Danville sponsor, organize and host local events. They are innovative and diversify the local marketplace. Distinct restaurants and shops give Danville a distinct personality.”
Gillette went on to point to loyalty programs and digital marketing tools as measures that might further increase customer engagement and retention to downtown businesses.
Economic development town-wide was another topic of discussion that afternoon, as well as cross-agency relationships between the council and other local and regional bodies, road safety, and the town’s other public spaces including parks and cultural offerings.
A full video of the forum, co-hosted via Zoom webinar by DanvilleSanRamon.com and the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, is available here.
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