Four incumbent Talent city councilors are seeking reelection, and each has a challenger in the Nov. 8 election.
Three four-year seats and one two-year position are up for vote.
The four incumbents have formed a coalition, Talent Forward Together, along with Mayor Darby-Ayers Flood, also up for reelection.
The group’s literature emphasizes their work as a team for Talent.
The four challengers say they were energized by recent city actions and have formed a loose coalition.
They want to offer voters an alternative. “I didn’t know any of these people until a few weeks ago.
They were like-minded.
They are very concerned about how things are being done, why they are being done,” said Position 4 candidate Jack Lanni.
Citizens will have a chance to see some changes if they want, he said.
Position 3 incumbent David Pastizzo says current councilors, including the four running, will debate and consider issues.
He said he was the odd duck out initially on having the city continue in a joint undertaking with Medford Water Commission and other jurisdictions, but he was able to get others to look at the issues and change their minds.
Several challengers said they are hearing a lot of concern about the reworking of West Valley View Road as they talk with citizens.
The inclusion of bike lanes and bioswales in the roadway has reduced the route to two traffic lanes from four, and people fear that will be an obstacle if evacuation routes are needed.
People recall the gridlock that occurred with the 2020 Almeda Fire.
Plans for the road conversion were made in the past decade, but delays , including the fire , prevented its completion until this year.
Plans call for use of the bike lanes for motor vehicles if needed for an evacuation and emergency vehicles.
A proposal to create a new urban renewal district also has brought concern over the current council’s functioning.
The proposal would have cut funding for fire services and city services, including police.
The council considered adopting the proposal, which would have provided funds to help with Almeda Fire restoration, but decided not to go ahead in August after more than 500 residents opposed the measure.
The council is working to put a new urban renewal proposal to a vote of the people in May.
Deric Manzi is running for council Position 1, a four-year seat, against incumbent Colette Pare-Miller.
Manzi was looking to buy in Talent just before the Almeda Fire hit.
He later was able to build a home in town, where he has lived for a year.
He was investigating local politics when he learned about the urban renewal proposal and campaigned to make people aware of its consequences. “I’m a huge supporter of our city services, our emergency services, our police, fire, all the hard workers at City Hall and Public Works,” said Manzi. “I don’t feel the City Council gives them the support they need.” Manzi said he was surprised no one on the council questioned the new configuration of West Valley View Road before the project was started to see what it might mean for evacuation of the city. “We want to see more commonsense decisions being made for the city,” said Manzi. “The No. 1 topic that comes up going door to door is the West Valley View corridor remodel.” Manzi says the council needs to get back to in-person meetings because not everyone is tech savvy.
He thinks hybrid meetings would be a good way to go.
Manzi works for UPS in Medford and also operates an information technology business.
Position 1 incumbent Pare-Miller was appointed to the seat in January 2021, following a resignation.
She works part time for the Talent Business Alliance in a position funded by WorkSource Rogue Valley.
She previously worked for Family Nurturing Center.
She grew up in Talent and moved back after college.
In response to questions submitted by email, Pare-Miller listed her top priorities as bringing families home after the Almeda Fire; keeping Talent affordable and diverse; and maintaining it as a welcoming place for all.
Helping small businesses get back on their feet after the fire and COVID is also important, along with ensuring the town is better prepared for future disasters, Pare-Miller wrote.
Experiences that will help her with council work include service on a Citizen Advisory Committee on growth management and affordability and service on the Talent Public Arts Committee, Pare-Miller said.
With Rogue Food Unites, she helped deliver meals to fire victims, and she has worked to organize community events. “After hearing from residents and other agencies, we realized there was a community consensus to scale back the original proposal, and we decided to let voters decide on any new plan.
That’s democracy in action,” Pare-Miller wrote about the urban renewal district proposal.
Kevin Zimmerer is running for the four-year Position 3 seat against incumbent David Pastizzo.
Zimmerer has lived in Talent for 20 years.
He lost his home in the Almeda Fire but has rebuilt. “I just feel that the current council isn’t necessarily open to hearing and listening to the people of Talent,” said Zimmerer.
Rebuilding his house gave Zimmerer a better perspective on what’s going on with the City Council, he said. “I’m here to offer a different point of view and a different outlook, to give people the option,” said Zimmerer. “The last thing I want to do is take funding, say, from the fire department and the city itself,” said Zimmerer, referring to the proposed urban renewal district. “It seems like it was a bit premature.” Zimmerer works in aviation maintenance management.
In that field he’s learned to work with a lot of employees and aircraft owners.
Those skills would help him work with people as a councilor, he said.
Pastizzo was appointed to the Position 3 seat in January 2021, after a resignation.
He works as the city of Medford’s GIS manager and has lived in Talent since 2014.
He said there are three main areas he’d work on if reelected. “One is, of course, trying to keep Talent safe from the next disaster that does happen,” said Pastizzo. “We’ve got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” Continuing recovery from the fire and getting more affordable housing is another top priority. “What has been rebuilt has been high density, so there is some infrastructure that needs to be brought up to date to deal with the density.” A third concern is restoring business, especially in the Highway 99 corridor, which remains pretty vacant.
The cost of building has been much higher than had been hoped, Pastizzo said. “Urban renewal is always a balancing act because there are a lot of competing interests,” said Pastizzo. “We need to sort through the priorities, work in Talent and the community.” Incumbent Nicole Greider was appointed to Position 4 earlier this year following a resignation.
She now seeks reelection to the seat for the remaining two years.
Greider did not return phone calls or respond to emailed questions from the Mail Tribune.
According to the Jackson County Voters’ Pamphlet and the candidate’s petition, Greider is a community fire relief organizer with Rogue Climate.
She previously was a member event specialist with Multnomah Athletic Club for 13 years.
Greider has served on the Talent Budget Committee and is council liaison to the Together for Talent Committee.
Work on the City Council with fire survivors has taught her the importance of bringing people together, Greider wrote.
Advance strategies for potential future disasters are needed in response to climate change, the candidate stated.
She supports clean energy efforts and community-led campaigns to transition to 100% renewable energy.
Talent needed affordable housing even before the Almeda Fire, she wrote, stating housing that is fire resistant and energy efficient is needed.
Jack Lanni is seeking the two-year Position 4 seat held by Greider.
Lanni is a retired government worker who worked for several agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management.
He has lived in Talent for 25 years.
As a safety manager, he has dealt with people and resources.
As a park ranger, he dealt with infrastructure issues.
Those experiences would help him work effectively as a counselor, he said. “Why I got into this, I was really concerned about the Valley View exit, the bioswales and putting four lanes into two,” said Lanni. “We don’t need to reduce the amount of evacuation routes.” Another concern for Lanni is the lack of 24/7 police presence in town.
His research shows the mayor and the council don’t have a good relationship with the police and other city employees, and that may affect retention. “To me, if you are the mayor, or on the council, the No. 1 job is health and safety, protecting lives and protecting people,” said Lanni.
He is concerned Fire District 5 didn’t have enough funding when the Almeda Fire struck, and he says the urban renewal proposal that would have cut its revenue was ludicrous.
Federal funds are coming to the city to help with the rebuilding, said Lanni, who acknowledges affordable housing is needed.
Position 5 incumbent Eleanor Ponomareff was elected to the seat in fall 2018.
Her home burned in the Almeda Fire.
She currently lives in Ashland but is running for reelection under city provisions that allow those displaced by the Almeda Fire to live elsewhere and serve on community public groups.
Ponomareff is having her Talent home rebuilt.
She works as a software engineer and moved to Talent in 2006. “Sustainable, climate-resilient housing that Talent residents can afford is an urgent priority,” Ponomareff wrote in response to emailed questions. “After the Almeda Fire and two years of COVID, we need to provide support to our local businesses.
And we need to help prevent and prepare for any future disaster.” Ponomareff serves as council president, a role that has given her a great deal of experience in how to listen to the community and turn residents’ values and goals into practical policies that work, she said.
She’s served on Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, the All Age Friendly Talent Committee (chair) and the Talent Citizen Advisory Committee on Energy.
She is trained in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). “We have a variety of methods already in place, including every council meeting being open to residents to speak, public hearings, active volunteer committees and commissions and translation being available in Spanish,” Ponomareff wrote when asked how she would ensure public input is considered by the council.
Cynthia Jones, who is challenging Ponomareff for the Position 5 seat, has lived in Talent for eight years.
She is a military veteran who previously worked as a legal specialist for the Eugene Veterans Administration Medical Center and with Life Technologies of Eugene.
She participates in various citizen action groups. “I think Talent would run a lot smoother if we had a happier, more respected, more empowered staff,” said Jones.
Workers’ rights are important to her, and she said there is a divide between city workers and elected officials.
Jones also is concerned citizens who volunteer for committees and commissions may not be getting the resources and support they need.
If elected, she’d work to develop ways to use volunteers to help the city.
Jones said there is a need for more subsidized and affordable housing in Talent, but she doesn’t think increasing density is a good way to go.
She’s also concerned about taking funds away from fire services providers. “I know how to listen to both sides.
When we disagree, we need to listen harder,” said Jones.
In both her employment and civic life, she has worked on giving back, she said.
With Life Technologies, she directed a foundation that worked to get laboratory equipment to schools.
Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at tboomwriter@gmail.com. © 2022 Mail Tribune source