City Council Election '24 Questionnaire: Matthew Solomon

This City Council election season, the Tattler continues its 15 year tradition of  disseminating answers put to City Council candidates for the edification of the voting public.  The upcoming City Council election features six candidates competing for three seats.  The six are: Mia Esperanza Brown, Calvin Dillahunty, Sam Gould, Sukhdeep Kaur, Matthew Solomon and Courtney Welch.  Courtney Welch is an incumbent as well as Sukhdeep Kaur (who was appointed to her position following the resignation of Council member Medina).   Unfortunately, both Ms Welch and Ms Kaur declined to take part in this opportunity to inform the voters about their ideas for our town.  Accountability being an integral part of any democratic polity, voters should take into consideration, candidates who don’t respect the community enough to answer questions.  

We thank each candidate that took the time to answer these questions for the voters to consider.  Our City Council is improved when democratic norms are followed, when the politicians show deference and respect to the voters.  We thank Sam Gould, Matthew Solomon, Calvin Dillahunty and Mia Esperanza Brown.

Each of the other candidate’s answers to these questions will be posted in succession, the names were picked at random.  Next up is Matthew Solomon.

Matthew Solomon

https://www.solomonforemeryville.com/

1)  Name the three biggest issues facing Emeryville right now and what are your ideas to address them?

The three biggest issues facing Emeryville right now are: 1) a high cost of living for residents, particularly for housing; 2) a budget deficit and challenging trends for city revenues; and 3) businesses struggling with changes to the Bay Area economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I plan to address these in the following ways: 

1. Lower housing costs by allowing more housing of all types to be built for all types of residents to ensure people have options that work for their needs. At the same time, we should ensure tenant protections and provide support to keep people in the housing they currently have or provide housing that meets their needs. 


2. Work with city staff to preserve essential services in a more cost-effective manner, and identify other sources of revenue as needed including new development and businesses.


3. Identify pain points for local businesses and promote businesses in the city to ensure regional competitiveness. 

2)  Emeryville is the East Bay city with the lowest number of families per housing unit.  Why is that and what do you suggest should be done about it (if anything)?

Some factors that might lead to this include the current housing stock (which is 64% studios and one bedrooms) not offering enough space for families to grow; a historical focus on developing the city for young professionals commuting to SF; and a school system that ranks lower than surrounding cities, especially for upper grades. Specific policies to address the housing stock can include more family-friendly housing of 2- and 3-bedrooms units, which Emeryville currently requires in all new developments and of which we should potentially incentivize more. Emeryville should also pursue demand-side solutions such as the first-time homebuyer program. I contributed to the revamp of this program as a member of the Housing Committee, and it would enable current residents to see a long-term future in Emeryville.

The Council can increase livability, vibrancy, and affordability for residents by ensuring people can easily move around the city and to surrounding areas without needing a large car to transport children to all activities, including and especially on major arteries such as 40th Street, Shellmound Street, and San Pablo Avenue.

3)   What do you think about Council collegiality?  Is being collegial with each other important to help facilitate the people’s work?

I’ve served on and chaired two Emeryville advisory committees, and on each have prioritized member participation and representation. This includes leading an effort on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to increase diversity and community engagement. While we do not always agree on every issue, these committees have been impactful because they have been collaborative and found common ground. City Council collaboration could lead to improved policymaking, as each Council member brings a different perspective and can ensure that policies are addressing residents’ needs and achieve their desired effect. With that said, conflict on the Council is sometimes inevitable when people have different opinions, and these situations should be dealt with professionally and respectfully with the focus being on helping residents and the city.

4)  Is there enough accountability between Council members and the constituents?  If not, what is the solution?

Council members are accountable to constituents through elections, but if elected I would aim to be accessible to and communicative with residents on an ongoing basis to ensure I understand the community’s needs and perspectives. This would include responding to resident emails, hosting town halls, and engaging with the city’s advisory committees.

5)  Is it important to build more park land in Emeryville going forward?  If so, how much do we need and how will you deliver it?

I work professionally at a climate change research nonprofit and understand how important parks are for residents’ mental health, the climate and environment, and for offering a community a space to gather and grow. Emeryville should deliver more park space by creating a city-wide parks plan, identifying specific lots that can be converted to parks (as was done recently at the Boyd’s Auto Body lot), and by ensuring that new developments have open space that is truly accessible to all residents, as was accomplished with the Emery development. 

6)  What tells you how much market rate housing to build in Emeryville?  Is it knowable (measurable)?

The numbers from the Association of Bay Area Government’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation provide a reasonable minimum starting point for how much market rate housing should be built in Emeryville. However, I do not believe our focus should be on identifying the exact right amount of market-rate housing to build, and instead we should acknowledge that more housing will provide benefits to all, including current residents. Emeryville will be better off allowing more dense housing of all types as it creates a more vibrant city by paying for more park space, infrastructure improvements, and deed-restricted affordable housing, and increases tax revenue which supports essential services such as public safety, education, and support for small businesses. In addition, current Emeryville policy requires market-rate housing developments to include a certain percentage of units as affordable, so allowing more market-rate housing means Emeryville gets more affordable housing without needing to pay for it from our city budget. Current economic conditions are making developers rethink developing and constructing new units, so we should work with them to ensure that projects move forward on a timely basis so that Emeryville residents can see the benefits.

7)  Is the ratio of rental housing to ownership housing in Emeryville good?  If not, how will you address this issue?

There is no perfect ratio of rental housing to ownership housing, but the city should pursue a balance so that people at all stages of life can achieve the housing they want, with an eye towards supporting those in our community who need the most help. A policy of housing abundance will be able to provide more overall rental and ownership housing. To the extent new developments are disproportionately rental units due to Bay Area housing economics, the Council should review what the barriers to development of new ownership housing are to understand whether there are interventions that would be worthwhile.

8)  Should Emeryville have a public library?  If so, how?

I support the idea of better access to public libraries for all residents and am a frequent user of the Golden Gate Library on San Pablo. I’m open to learning more about the costs and benefits of Emeryville opening its own public library, but I do not currently think that the convenience benefits of opening a new library in the city will justify the ongoing costs. As a lower-cost starting point, we should make it easier for all residents to easily access the library system for which we already pay, especially those with families or mobility challenges.

9) The City Council resolved support for the people of Ukraine, but not for a ceasefire in Gaza.  Was that correct in your view?

Acknowledging the importance of the issue and the immense pain and suffering that Gazans and Israelis are experiencing, I do not think that the City Council should focus on foreign policy issues, especially those with complex and divisive histories. The Council’s priority should be on policies that are in the city government’s jurisdiction and can address residents’ needs, particularly local and regional issues where we can have the most impact. 

10)  What should be done about all the empty storefront retail space in town?  Do developers have a responsibility to rent out their retail space they built?

It is in the best interests of all in Emeryville for empty storefront retail space to be occupied. New businesses would serve local residents, provide revenue for property owners and the city, and increase vibrancy and public safety. No one likes walking by a building and seeing a half block of empty windows. The City Council should work with property owners to identify the barriers to filling their retail space and understand the costs and benefits of policies that could address these barriers.