Five candidates are vying for a spot on the Cloverdale City Council this year. Two seats, currently held by Melanie Bagby and Mary Ann Brigham, are up for election in November. In the coming days, we’re going to feature Q&As with the council candidates — Bagby, Brigham, Jenny Candelaria-Orr, Nicole Garcia-Hinchliffe and Todd Lands.
All candidates were asked the same questions. Responses were edited for style and in some cases, length.
Tell us a little bit about yourself — what should longtime and new Cloverdalians know about you? What is one thing that folks who see you around town may not know about you?
I am a life-long, third generation Cloverdale resident. I graduated from CHS in 1995. I am married to another life-long resident of Cloverdale, and have two daughters, ages 16 and 14. I went to college at SRJC, San Diego State and Sacramento State. I came back to Cloverdale and got a job with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. While employed there, I worked as a correctional officer, mental health officer, training officer, deputy, bailiff and SWAT team entry and sniper. After approximately 11 years, I quit and started my own construction company, Todd Lands Construction (TLC), which is based out of Cloverdale.
I coach sports, love to go camping and vacation with my family and friends and love racing cars. I have been a trustee for the Cloverdale Unified School District for eight years and have been involved with the board and committees for approximately 11 years. I am a member of the City/School subcommittee, Measure H committee, Cloverdale Homeless Action Plan committee. There isn’t much people don’t know about me, as I am very open with my entire life.
Should you be elected, how do you plan to stay engaged with the Cloverdale community?
If elected, I plan to stay engaged in many ways, most of which I have been doing for decades. I am seen all over town every day. I am always willing to listen and available for whatever anyone needs. I return all calls and emails, stay active on committees throughout the town, am active on local social media sites and answer my door when people stop by to talk. I would like to work on engagement by constantly updating the Cloverdale website and social media sites, as well as possible phone alert systems.
Current city council members serve on a handful of other boards and subcommittees both across the county and in the city. Do you plan on representing the community on a similar scale? If so, how?
I would love to continue to represent Cloverdale on county and city committees. As I have been involved with several committees over the past decade, I don’t feel the representation of Cloverdale has been as strong as it should be. If elected, it would be my goal to find a way to create a bigger voice for the community of Cloverdale.
As cities, counties and states are wrestling with the current and future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you see as the city’s role in helping combat the impact of the pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place orders?
I think the city’s role in helping combat COVID-19 is simple: we need to have very clear communication, keep our elderly and those with underlying conditions safe, so they don’t have to be exposed to many people and do all we can to help businesses and community members survive.
What are the top three issues you see the city having to address in the next year? In the next four years?
The top issues for me over the next year are budget, community safety and proposed housing. In the next four years, it will be infrastructure, budget and business growth.
What do you think makes you a good fit for Cloverdale City Council?
I have chosen to spend my life in this town. I am not forced to be here. Therefore, I want this town to survive, and thrive, to the best of its ability. I stay here because I love Cloverdale, not because I want to turn it into something different. I used to call Cloverdale a ‘little hidden secret’ because of its small-town charm, friendly residents and laid-back lifestyle. I want to maintain the integrity of the town I love so much.
