Suisun City candidates hit the streets, hear from voters
October 8,2006
By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY - People want their streets fixed. At least that's what they're telling Suisun City Council candidates as they walk the streets taking to voters.
'People are very concerned about our streets,' candidate Mike Hudson said. Hudson is running against Shelly Kontogiannis, John Rundlett and incumbent Jane Day for two City Council seats while councilmembers Pete Sanchez, Sam Derting and Mike Segala plus newcomer Shane Ballman are running for mayor.
Signs announcing the intentions of Derting, Segala, Hudson and Rundlett are already up. Sanchez is just starting to put up his signs and is hitting the streets along with a cadre of supporters this weekend.
Day and Ballman will add their signs soon while Ballman is leaning on the Internet to help get him elected.
'Every time when I knock on doors, I am asked about Wal-Mart,' Sanchez said of what he has heard from the eastern Suisun City homes he has visited.
Sanchez opposes plans by the major retailer to build a supercenter at Highway 12 and Walters Road, saying it doesn't fit in that residential area.
Derting has been knocking on doors since Labor Day in a campaign that covers 'walking, walking and more walking' over three-fourths of the city so far.
'Most of the issues are about their own neighborhood,' Derting said.
Those have ranged from extinguished streetlights and speeders to 'major concerns with the streets.'
Residents want to see more businesses, Derting said, but what residents think about possibly getting a Wal-Mart is split.
'They want to make sure it gets a fair hearing. Some support it and some don't,' Derting said.
Segala said his campaign was going extremely well. He's spending time walking and talking to residents who look forward to more economic development and increases in city services.
'I am told we have done a great job on the downtown and they support my message to revitalize our neighborhoods; that we need to look at all of the city, not just downtown.'
Segala has gotten some questions about Wal-Mart, but points out the major big-box retailer has yet to put in a formal application to build in Suisun City.
'We will be holding quite a few public hearings if that happens,' Segala said.
A confident Ballman has been conducting is campaign via the Internet with a Web site laying out what he stands for.
'The big thing is the Internet,' Ballman said. 'That is where advertising does the best and that is why I am going that route.'
The sole non-council member running for mayor, Ballman said residents are excited someone new is in the race.
'The word is that the incumbents have been in there too long and that they need a change,' Ballman said.
Issues he's heard included keeping the city's public bathrooms open, both sides of the Wal-Mart issue and concerns about the Potrero Hills dump.
'A lot of people are pretty upset about the lighthouse (recently built by the city's Redevelopment Agency) and particularly the cost of putting it up,' Ballman said.
Hudson's campaigning has found people very concerned about the state of Suisun City's streets and crime 'even if it is just over the railroad tracks in Fairfield' which can easily travel to Suisun City.
'I have met a lot of really nice people. I am astounded how many good people are out there and are paying attention to the issues,' Hudson said.
Rundlett called Wal-Mart and the ongoing concerns about the possible expansion of the nearby Potrero Hills dump the 'sleeper issues' of the campaign.
Suisun City's leaders need to be proactive against the dump's expansion and be careful with Wal-Mart, especially after the city has spent millions to attract small businesses to town.
Day and Kontogiannis couldn't be reached for comment.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.