Solid record
RP thrives with Mackenzie, Smith and Vidak-Martinez

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, September 26, 2008

Rohnert Park has become an example of what local government can achieve. Much of the credit goes to Mayor Jake Mackenzie, Councilman Tim Smith and Councilwoman Vicki Vidak-Martinez, who came from different corners to form a new majority after the 2004 election.
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Letters to the Editor

Published: October 2008

Rohnert Park residents support Tim Smith, Jake Mackenzie and Vicki Vidak-Martinez!
The Press Democrat
The Community Voice

No on Measure L
Zane's change of stance on sewer rates

By BLEYS W. ROSE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, October 10, 2008

A spat over Sonoma County supervisorial candidate Shirlee Zane's changed position on the Rohnert Park sewer rate ballot issue has prompted two city councilmen to rethink their stances on Zane's candidacy. <more>

September 19, 2008 - Council Campaign Event Remarks
by Tim Smith
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August 19, 2008 - Money or mission?
By BOB NORBERG , THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com

Low bid for RP parks contract could jeopardize jobs for disabled
part 1 of the Entire Article
part 2 of the Entire Article
part 3 of the Entire Article
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August 2008 - Why minimizing waste products and recycling is good for business.
Everything Old Is New Again

Traditionally, the amount of waste produced in the United States has been tied to both population growth and the strength of the economy. In 1960, Americans produced 88.1 million tons of municipal solid waste; in 2005, that number jumped to 245.6 million tons. That‚s a lot of landfill.
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May 30, 2008 - Tim Smith is the best candidate
By Jud Snyder, The Community Voice

TIM SMITH, Rohnert Park's City Councilman, is the best candidate on paper for the Third District Board of Supervisors. He's got the expertise on water issues, employee benefit insurance wrangles and transportation. He doesn't have the Santa Rosa good-old-boy connections, a group that's mainly interested in votes and not legislative talents.

If you want an experienced guy to take over the other Tim Smith's spot, there's no competition.

He's a determined knock-on-the-door campaigner....

May 24, 2008 - Vision with Results
By Bleys Rose, The Press Democrat

The environment and water supply loom as major issues in the future for Smith, but he says those priorities get obscured when the average person can't get the level of service they expect from local government. "We should not make it hard for people to engage with their government...if elected, I would have office hours in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park to provide better levels of constituent service."
Smith said his approach to leadership is "vision with results."<more>

Jun 17, 2007 - He's Timothy Peter Smith, and so is he
By Chris Smith, The Press Democrat

Tim Smith, the Rohnert Park City Council Tim Smith, is constructing a platform now that he's filed an intent to run for the Board of Supervisors seat the other Tim Smith will vacate next year.
The candidate -- who shares a middle name with the outgoing supervisor, as well -- is thinking he'll campaign on issues such as universal health insurance, work-force housing, sustainable government retiree benefits, water resources and climate protection.
Though "Same Name/Same Nameplate/Same Business Cards" would be pithier.

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May 11, 2008 - Letters to the Editor
Bonnie Glass of Petaluma writes letter of support for Tim Smith, The Press Democrat
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February 12, 2008 - Bagging Plastics
By Clark Mason, The Press Democrat

Rohnert Park City Councilman Tim Smith said not only would widespread recycling lead to a smaller "carbon footprint" because fewer bags are manufactured, it also would reduce litter.  "It is very serious," he said, explaining that plastic bags clutter beaches and creeks and exacerbate flooding when they block storm drains.  "The longevity of plastic is so significant. It doesn't degrade," Smith said. "It's ubiquitous."

February 12, 2008 Article
February 21, 2008 Article
February 22, 2008 Editorial
March 20, 2008 Article

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October 15, 2006 – IN A PICKLE OVER PLANS TO PAY FOR RETIREMENT
By Daniel Weintraub, Sacramento Bee

“To pay for the health care of current retirees and eliminate that unfunded liability for those who will retire in the future, the city would have to set aside about $4.6 million a year for the next 30 years. But Rohnert Park, a city of about 44,000 people, has a budget of only about $28 million a year. That means that about 16 percent of the budget would have to go for the health care obligation, an amount equivalent to about half of what the city now spends on everything other than public safety.”“This is not the kind of situation you can solve by saying we’re going to mow the grass every other week instead of every week,” Smith said. “You can’t address it in a meaningful way without taking a holistic approach to the benefits that are offered to our city employees.”<more>

November 5, 2007 - "WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT WATERWAYS POLLUTION"
By Virginia Strom-Martin and Tim Smith

An action plan to reduce pharmaceuticals in surface water includes educating hospitals and residents to not dispose of unused or expired medicines in the toilet or drain.

Sonoma County residents are concerned about the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the Russian River and creeks and streams. While discharge violations, sewage spills and polluted run-off from agriculture and urban areas are often depicted as the culprits in degrading our waterways, many residents don't realize their own culpability in contributing to poor water quality.<more>


Keep batteries out of the landfill, use the "yellow bucket"!

April 25, 2007 - DEBATING THE DARKER SIDE OF A BRIGHT IDEA
By Chris Courssey, The Press Democrat

If Wal-Mart wants to green itself up by selling more fluorescents, that's a good thing," Smith says, referring to the retail giant's recent announcement that it wants to sell 100 million fluorescent bulbs a year. "But if it's not interested in a take-back program, from my perspective that's dropping the ball.

C<

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U.S. NEED UNIVERSAL HEALTH-CARE COVERAGE
As costs soar, uninsured rise, leaders must respond
By Tim Smitht

The time has come for universal health insurance coverage, and we have the opportunity to help create a better America for all by adopting a fair system to effectively provide such coverage. Our success will lead to a more economically secure and far more just society.
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May, 2006 - PRESERVING ROHNERT PARK’S POTENTIAL
By Tim Smith, Political BIZ
PoliticalBiz@NorthBaybiz.com  

“As Rohnert Park develops sustainably by using available infill areas and sensible annexation opportunities within our urban growth boundary, I’m encouraged by the wonderful future offered to all in our friendly city".

June 20, 2005 - Prop. 13 - FOREVER IS TO LONG
By Tim Smith, In the San Francisco Chronicle

Forever is too long - Why commercial property reassessments should occur more frequently than upon sale of the property.<more>

October 24, 2006 - SONOMA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE SOLAR POWER
Press Release from PowerLight

Rohnert Park Mayor Tim Smith noted, "While any approvals for this project will, of course, require full review by the City of Rohnert Park, I'm impressed with Sonoma Mountain Villages' thoughtful concept, as well as the environmentally-focused componemts incorporated into this new proposed mixed-used community."

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March 28, 2006 – BUT JAKE MACKENZIE DIDN’T WEAR ONE
By Chris Smith, The Press Democrat

Less than four months into Tim Smith’s gig as mayor of Rohnert Park, a parcel delivered to City Hall got him to wondering if he’d been told everything about the risks of the job. Body Armor for Mayor,” said the invoice that accompanied a brand-new $1,000 bulletproof vest. City Manager Steve Donley figured out there was a typo and told Smith not to fret. The body armor wasn’t actually for the mayor but for a new public safety officer named Mayer. Smith should get over the jitters any day now. THE KNEE IS NEXT: Meanwhile, Smith’s predecessor as mayor, Councilman Jake Mackenzie, is moving a bit more slowly but feeling lucky following heart-stent surgery. Only days ago Mackenzie thought his one medical problem was a right-knee injury that doesn’t help his cycling. He was expecting to have a knee operation when presurgery tests revealed a blocked coronary artery in need of a stent. He’s back home from Memorial, back at work and itching to be cleared to have the work done on that darned knee.

August 5, 2006 – BIGFOOT BATTLE BREWS IN ROHNERT PARK
The Press Democrat

“The idea that Bigfoot has a local connection caught Rohnert Park Mayor Tim Smith by surprise. He said he’d welcome the hairy humanoid to the city so long as he or she were well-behaved.”I could arrange for a photo op,” he said.”

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