Candidate Profile: Chance Cutrano For Fairfax Town Hall

Municipal office

Chance Cutrano

Age (as of Election Day)

27

Town/City of Residence

Fairfax

Office Sought

Municipal office

Party affiliation (not needed in non-partisan races, including county, city and school offices)

Democrat

Family

N/a

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophy and Political Science from Saint Xavier University.
Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.) in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School.

Occupation

Environmental Nonprofit Director (5.5 years)

Campaign website

http://www.chanceforfairfax.or...

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Appointed Fairfax Open Space Committee member; Appoint Fairfax Volunteer Board member

The single most pressing issue facing our (state, district, community, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Climate change is the issue of our epoch. Over the last few months, we have confronted unbreathable air, orange skies, ongoing heatwaves, power shut-offs, and wildfire threats to the North, South, East, and West. It reveals to us how desperately we need to adapt to "new normals." It should also encourage us to meet this moment with a new tenacity and courage to make meaningful changes to how we live, where (and what) we build, how we get around in an effort to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Not only will I continue to be a champion for climate mitigation and climate adaptation in our build and natural environments, but I will work creatively with my fellow council members, our Town administration, our Town committees, intergovernmental stakeholders, and our Fairfax residents to ensure our ongoing planning, our ordinances, and our capital expenditures are aligned so that we can actually implement our plans and create a more resilient community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Between the Planned Safety Power Shut-offs and the Shelter-In-Place, I have realized there is a leadership vacuum in Fairfax. Last fall people were left in the dark, and there wasn't a clear coordinated plan of action to support the community in that moment. I recognized COVID would create similar circumstances and I got out in front of the issue with our Mayor Since March, I have stepped up my efforts to support Fairfax and I have leaned into new leadership roles in my community:
• Helped to develop our regionally acclaimed 1 for 1 Volunteer Match program to help at-risk residents who were sheltering in place during COVID as a member of our Coronavirus Task Force;
• Proposed and developed the original plans for a Fairfax Temporary Residential Rental Assistance Program this summer;
• Facilitated the creation of our Town's Racial Equity and Social Justice Committee
• Supported businesses and the Chamber of Commerce as a coordinator for a temporary parklet in the Mono Lot.
What has become clear is that I show up; I come prepared to do the work; I listen carefully; and I am solutions-oriented.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I believe our current officeholders are dedicated and well-meaning public servants and community volunteers. I believe there are more opportunities to be hands-on and "in the community" to ensure we are meeting the community's needs and developing transparent processes that build trust.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

COVID Relief:

The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the fractures in the foundation of our society. Health, economic, environmental, and racial inequities have only been strained further through this pandemic, and where Fairfax will come out of this crisis remains uncertain. We aren't out of the woods in our attempt to slow this pandemic. I believe COVID (and post-COVID recovery) will be with us in a very visible way for at least the next 12 months. As your Councilmember, I plan to stay in constant contact with our business owners and residents as we navigate the uncertainty of COVID to ensure we keep businesses in their stores and residents in their homes.

Wildfire Prevention:

An issue that is directly correlated with climate change, wildfire prevention is an increasing threat across the landscape. Much of Fairfax is in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), with many developments in high fire risk zones. Prevention, suppression, and post-disaster resilience are all necessary. We must make sure our most vulnerable households---whether that be low-income or seniors aging in place---are able to achieve defensible space and afford home hardening improvements. I support all Fairfax communities in becoming Firewise-certified. I support funding a coordinated team of Neighborhood Response Groups (NRGs) to ensure residents a network to share information and resources for disasters. And I will make sure our Ross Valley firefighters have the funding and appropriate staffing they need to contain the inevitable wildfires.

Equity & Inclusion:

I believe everyone in this community holds a piece of the puzzle that will help us find a way out of the many crises we face. As someone who participated in the development of the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Committee, and I remain committed to helping this committee flourish. Over the last few months, in developing this committee, we have found that there are residents and people who work in our community that feel invisible or unwelcome. We need to foreground those concerns. We need more listening, more dialogue, more public engagement, and more opportunities to advance antiracism, skill development, and the establishment of "leadership ladders" to engage our youth and encourage an alert, robust, and involved citizenry.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• As the Director of Programs for an environmental nonprofit, I routinely worked with leadership teams to review and develop budgets, internal/external communications, manage research projects, develop organizational and program strategies and tactics, and conduct community outreach and organizing. Furthermore, many of the projects of a small organization require resourcefulness and multistakeholder projects. These skills will serve me well on a council for a small municipality.

• As the Elected Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay Chapter, I routinely interface with staff, administrators, and community leaders to move projects forward, create effective processes, mediate internal disputes, and build up the next generation of volunteer leaders. I believe all of these experiences have helped me to understand that everything moves at the speed of trust and how critical it is to increase accountability and transparency throughout processes. Knowing how passionate our Town residents are about participating in public processes, I think my experiences can strengthen our processes and outreach.

• In pursuing my Masters of Public Administration, I had the privilege of working with public, private, and nonprofit organizations on projects of various scales. These networks and experiences provide me with a valuable resource. Furthermore, the skills (e.g., planning, project management, multisector partnerships, team development) and language development in a Public Administration program will allow me to serve as a conduit between Town staff and the public

• Working with the Fairfax Open Space Committee, the Volunteer Board, the Measure A Subcommittee, and the Coronavirus Taskforce have allowed me to develop stronger bonds with community leaders and develop a more robust understanding of how our Town administration functions and what productive partnerships with the community can look like.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Two desired accomplishments:

Good Governance

An increase in staff and improved staff morale would be a great accomplishment in my term. I believe additional staff would be a systemic fix to current public frustrations with Town administration. Furthermore, I believe staff burnout/morale concerns would decrease. Boats sail quicker and smoother with more oars in the water.

Housing

I'd like to have more than one accomplishment to help move our community forward. Another is taking a meaningful step to address the housing crisis. While there are various tools to increase housing stock, I believe a successful attempt to preserve affordable housing would be to create or bring a regional Community Land Trust to Fairfax. If we can move some housing stock from the speculative market, we would be able to have better control over the affordability of those units.

Why should voters trust you?

There is a Teddy Roosevelt quote that goes, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." I believe my dedication to this community shows through my ongoing and dynamic volunteer work across various Town projects and programs over the years.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I pride myself in my prudent approach to fiscal management. I current act as a Treasurer for our Town's Open Space Committee. I also serve as a Treasurer and Finance Committee member for another regional nonprofit.

I believe governing boards have a fiduciary responsibility to their members/the public. We must think about what is best for the long term health and vitality of the communities we serve. We must live within our means.

That said, I do not think highly of the austerity economics/politics that celebrates having the lowest paid and most understaffed municipality in the region. From my vantage point, this approach has forced our Town to go from managing one crisis after another. the public suffer in terms of poorer service provision and less transparent processes. I believe an increase to staffing is a systemic fix to this ongoing issue.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The most important thing you have is your own informed energy.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Please reach out if you have any questions or want to chat about your concerns, visions, and/or wonders about the future of Fairfax. I look forward to collaborating with you.
You can find my organization and individual endorsements here:
https://www.chanceforfairfax.o...