Not only is Shane Brinton the youngest candidate at 21, he is the only one born and raised in Arcata.
Brinton currently sits on the Northern Humboldt Union High School District Board. RENTERS' RIGHTS
Brinton wants the city to protect renters' rights. "People need stable living environments," he said.
The city could protect renters with implementation of for-cause evictions.This requires landlords give acceptable reasons for an eviction. State law allows landlords to give 30-day notices without stating a reason - 60 days for tenants who have lived in the unit more than a year.
Brinton said this wouldn't make it harder for renters to secure housing. "I don't see a little more caution on the landlord's part as a bad thing," Brinton said. "I don't think most landlords would let a house sit empty."
"Affordable housing and living wage jobs are immediate needs," Brinton said. He supports inclusionary zoning and rent control measures for mobile home parks as steps to resolve housing problems. Inclusionary zoning requires new developments to contain a certain percentage of houses for low-income buyers. Rent control would be limited to mobile homes, to see if it is feasible for all rental properties.
THE ENDEAVOR He understands the concerns about the Arcata Endeavor. "It's a legitimate debate if that is a good place for them, but they provide essential services," he said. He supports renewing the lease until a better site can be found.
"Nobody wants a homeless population, we have to address it," Brinton said.
"Most communities have homeless people," Brinton said. He believes the city needs to work with local non-profits and county social services to meet their needs.
HOUSING AND GROWTH
Families and students alike share in the struggle to find affordable and quality housing. The city is growing to meet this need, but that can bring problems of its own.
"Growth isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you don't plan for it, it will swallow your community," Brinton said.
"Much of that growth comes from the university," Brinton said.
"As the university grows, it is imperative we work with them to ensure housing is provided to students."
PROP 215 PATIENTS
Brinton acknowledges dealing with illegal grow houses is difficult. "They are either breaking the law or taking advantage of the law for financial gain."
But he said 215 patients are not the problem. "This is going to be an issue until marijuana is de-criminalized," Brinton said.
"Arcata should do everything in its power to protect 215 patients from the federal government," Brinton said.
JOBS
"We need to look outside retail," Brinton said. He questions the value of service jobs that often provide lower wage jobs. Brinton feels the city needs more living wage jobs.
He said towns have raised minimum wages to keep out chain retailers. He added increasing minimum wage with inflation is fair. He supports the city's assistance to small business in the past, with projects like the Alder Grove Industrial Park.
FUTURE OF ARCATA
"We always need to be looking at how we can expand public transportation," he said. Road upgrades need to be done with pedestrian, bikes and handicapped individuals in mind.
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