HOUSING: Council seeking more action from UC Davis

On Tuesday evening, the council unanimously adopted the revised version of the Housing Element containing the additional information sought by the state.

But a slew of UC Davis students who turned out for public comment expressed concerns that the Housing Element doesn’t go far enough in ensuring more housing is built, especially affordable housing.

City Council members, however, noted that the document is just the beginning.

“We need to be mindful of where this fits into the process,” said Mayor Will Arnold.

“This is the beginning of the real work of actually providing the housing … and it’s a living document so adoption tonight doesn’t… preclude us from taking on new initiatives or pursuing even amendments to this document over its life as we did in the last iteration.”

He noted that two council subcommittees are already working on two key housing issues — the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance and guidelines for peripheral development.

“At the end of the day,” said Arnold, “the city (has) a long history of taking on the challenges of housing, the housing crisis we’re in and taking it head on.”

As for student housing, Arnold also noted that the city has approved a number of projects geared toward university students and joined his colleagues in voting for an amendment to the Housing Element that encourages UC Davis to increase housing density on campus through new buildings at least seven stories high.

The Davis Planning Commission earlier in January had recommended encouraging a minimum of five stories for on-campus housing but the council urged the university to go even higher.

Arnold noted that the city has approved seven-story buildings and more are allowed in the city’s core under the recently approved Downtown Specific Plan.

“Higher density housing … is more sustainable, it makes more efficient use of the land,” said

Arnold, “and there are successful high-density housing projects that have been undertaken at other University of California of campuses.”

His colleagues on the council concurred.

“I agree that we should have a conversation with UC Davis about their density,” said Councilwoman Gloria Partida. “Maybe it’s time to revisit our (memorandum of understanding) with them to ask that they build taller buildings. We’re willing to build taller buildings. I think they have that ability to do that.”

In that memorandum of understanding, reached between UC Davis, the city and county several years ago, the university committed to building enough on-campus residential units to house 100 percent of enrollment growth in addition to commitments to help pay for the impact of enrollment growth on city services.

But density remains an issue.

“There’s no harm done in the document by pushing UCD as much as we can,” said Councilman Bapu Vaitla. “It’s simply a recommendation, a request. I do agree that we should optimize that story requirement, that density requirement …”

But Vaitla noted there are other “hard political discussions” ahead for the city when it comes to housing, including talking about affordable housing on the periphery.

“It’s time to talk about an affordable exemption for Measure J/R/D,” he said. “It’s time. So let’s open the community conversation, let’s hear about it. But we know we have limited viable peripheral sites. We know that we want to protect as much agricultural and open space and habitat as possible, so we need to use every one of the sites we have available judiciously. To me, that’s maximizing the amount of affordable. To me, the pathway to do that is to open the conversation about an affordable exemption to Measure J/R/D.”

Additionally Vaitla said, revenue needs to be addressed.

“We need to again engage the hard conversation about how we get adequate funds … into the Housing Trust Fund so we can actually build those units.”

MEETING: Passionate input on music program’s future

From Page A1 employees to provide arts education with the remainder allocated toward training, supplies and arts educational partnership programs.

The update went on to include the music forum that took place on Jan. 12 and the “World Café Questions” posed there.

“Participants at this community forum heard a brief overview of data and the purposes of Prop. 28 before participating in a World Café protocol with the questions that you see here (referring to the slide in her presentation which include: What are the current

Obituaries

strengths and challenges in the DJUSD Music program? What experiences do we want students to have in our music classes K-12?

What skills do we want students to build through enrollment in our music classes? What barriers do we need to anticipate or consider? How might DJUSD invest future funds?),” Allen said.

“What we heard was voluminous and varied as well as passionate. We heard that one of the greatest strengths is the legacy of a wide breadth of choices, the ability to play at elite levels in travel and that our committed and skilled staff made this possible. While

Frances Reynolds

March 14, 1936 — Jan. 17, 2023

On Tuesday Jan. 17, 2023, Frances Reynolds passed away at the age of 86, at home surrounded by family, after a short illness.

Fran was born in New Mexico in 1936. She lived in California throughout her adult life, spending many years in San Francisco and Daly City, and most recently with family in Davis after moving from Lincoln in 2017. With a career in title and escrow, Fran worked for City Title followed by Transamerica Title for more than 40 years.

Karen A. Cassel

this is not an exclusive synthesis of what was shared, when analyzed, the feedback told us the DJUSD music program could increase or improve in the areas you see here (referring to another slide which showed access and opportunities for students and families, program funding and supports, training, experience, compensation for staff as well as communication and education to students, families and community about the DJUSD music program).”

One of the main feedback topics for the music program to improve on was equitability and more access points for all student groups to engage in the renowned music program.

The meeting then transitioned to the governor’s budget update which was given by associate superintendent of business services Amari Watkins. She detailed the 2023-24 costof-living adjustment (COLA), a mid-year reduction of one-time funds, program investments and multi-year cost pressures.

The update also included local issues like declining enrollment, implementing, sustaining and expanding program investments, plan completion, spending deadlines and unrestricted General Fund reserve projected at 3% minimum.

The city is moving forward on the Housing Trust Fund. On Tuesday evening, the council approved establishment of a donation fund through the Yolo Community Foundation and provided $10,000 in seed funding.

The fund will serve as an easy way to accept private donations for affordable housing efforts.

“Community members have approached the city, offering to make donations to an affordable housing fund, however the city has not had in place a good mechanism to accept such donations and ensure that they are spent directly on services or to benefit the low/ moderate income household,” according to the staff report prepared for Tuesday’s meeting.

“Setting up a separate fund with the Yolo Community Foundation enables the city to promote the opportunity to community members who are interested in assisting, allows individuals or organizations to make donations with ease, and ensures that the city can only draw on the funds for the purposes set forth in the funding agreement with the foundation.”

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REYNOLDS

Fran had a big personality, vitality and energy, a wicked sense of humor, and an interest in and strong connection to family. She was an exceptional family historian, the one you could always ask if you wanted to know what was going on with other family members. She was very active, traveling internationally with her sister Marge, and running for fun and competitively, with her favorite race being Bay to Breakers. She had a love of fashion,

Sept. 15, 1941 — Jan. 19, 2023

Karen, bride of Ron for 60-plus years, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, fluttered her wings and flew toward The Lord on Jan. 19, 2023, from a hospital in Santa Clara. Karen passed peacefully knowing her family was there and together.

Karen was born in Oakland on Sept. 15, 1941, to Dr. Lauren E. Rosenberg and Marion L. Palm Rosenberg, both native to Galesburg, Ill. She married the love of her life, Ron Cassel, on Feb. 3, 1962.

She is survived by her husband Ron; children Douglas A. Cassel (Gillian) of Lincoln and Deborah L. (Shawn) Smith of Tehachapi; grandchildren Kimberly, Nicole and Kristen; one great-grandson.

Karen and parents moved from Berkeley to Davis when Karen was 5. Karen and Ron met in a first-grade classroom, dated in high school and married during college years. Karen attended UC Davis for two years, majoring in home economics and received a degree in catering and food services from a local college. She loved to experience different foods and cultures. Karen travelled to more than 30 countries and across the United States twice via a fifth-wheel travel trailer with her husband by her side.

Karen was the first Creative Memories representative in Silicon (Santa Clara) Valley. She gave many classes in preserving family photos in an archival environment. She was an administrative assistant for 15 years at SBC (a subsidiary of IBM) that worked with the Dallas Cowboy football team, Los Gatos Christian Church (now Venture) in Missions, Los Gatos High School, and West Valley College. clothes

Fran is preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Gordon Reynolds, and her siblings Leonard Valerio, Margaret Brooks, Bernice Quintana, Fernando Torres and Emil Torrez. She is survived by siblings Theodore Torrez and Casilda Ruef, and many nieces and nephews. She was a loving sister, aunt and friend, and will be greatly missed. For full obituary and guestbook, see www.smith-funerals.com.

Published Jan 29, Feb 5, 2023 #2155

Bond # 0342850

(2005-06) and Trustee of Inner Wheel USA Foundation — Myoelectric Limb Project for children and teens. One of her greatest talents was bringing people together. She showed love in all she did for and with others.

CASSEL

During her teens, she was a 4-H member for nine years achieving the level of Gold Star. She produced a coat in 4-H that was awarded second overall in California in 1958. Later in life, her passion was being an active quilter up to her passing, having quilted more than 15 quilts of various complexities — several with a Hawaiian theme. She was a member of Santa Clara Valley Quilt Guild.

She was president of Los Gatos Rotary’s spousal auxiliary — Inner Wheel — for two years, was co-chair of District 517 Inner Wheel

A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Saratoga Federated Church, 20390 Park Place (near Highway 9 and Saratoga Avenue) in Saratoga.

Contributions can be sent to Saratoga Federated Church in her memory or to the national Arthritis Foundation.