CITY OF
CLOVERDALE
January 10, 2023
Sonoma County Mayors' & Councilmembers' Association
City of Healdsburg
401 Grove Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
ATTN: Raina Allan, City Clerk/Public Information Officer, CMC Email: [email protected]
Re: Reappointment to the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Board Dear Honorable Mayors and Councilmembers:
I write to ask for your support to continue to represent you as one of two Sonoma County Mayors & Councilmembers appointees to the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Board (SMART) board.
In the past two years as your representative on the SMART Board, I have made valuable contributions, forged strong regional relationships, and helped move SMART forward to realize its potential. I was instrumental in the hiring of the new SMART Executive Director, actively participated in SMART events and bike tours of the multi-modal trail, and worked with local jurisdictions to capitalize on SMART's potential to help each of our communities reach our climate and transportation goals. Integral to my work on SMART and Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) is also serving on the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA) Board. Early in the tenures of each executive director, l arranged for a tour of northern Sonoma County that included the leadership teams of each agency, city and county staff, and council members to begin to address the opportunities for partnership between SMART and GRTA. I have also been instrumental in helping SMART seek letters of support for SMART funding from diverse interest groups throughout our region. With your support, I will continue the important work to expand SMART north, improve ridership, develop collaborative relationships with and much more.
For the past six years, I have served on SCTA/Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) giving me valuable understanding of how transportation projects are planned, funded, and completed; hearing from our constituents and community partners about their transportation priorities, frustrations, and vision for the future; and watching how an evolving economy, emerging technologies, and the pandemic irrevocably changed how we work, live, and travel, and their implications for multi-modal projects like SMART.
In addition to my previous two years serving you on SMART, my other service includes:
Cloverdale City Council Member 2016-Present;
• Board member: Sonoma Clean Power 2016-present;
Russian River Watershed Association 2016-2018;
Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, 2017-2020; ZeroWaste Sonoma 2017-2018;
Mayors & Councilmembers Legislative Committee 2019-Present; Reappointment to the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Board
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League of California Cities: Executive Board, 2022-present, 2018-2020; Mayors & Councilmembers Division President, 2018; Redwood Division President, 2019-2020; Governance, Transparency & Labor Relations Policy Committee, 2017-Present; Environmental Quality 2020-present;
Cloverdale Planning Commission, 2008-2015;
• Fellow, Leadership Institute for Just and Resilient Communities, 2009; Sonoma County Economic Development Board, District 4, 2010-2015; and SMART campaign volunteer: Measure Q. 2008, Measure R 2006 Success for SMART is not simply a train from Cloverdale to Larkspur, but rather fulfilling its potential to be the backbone of a multi-modal, integrated transportation network that spurs transit-oriented development, fosters equity, dramatically reduces Sonoma County's GHG emissions, improves safety and quality of life, and connects all of us with jobs, educational opportunities, wellness services, and recreation. I am committed to securing funding for the incomplete segments, completing the multi- modal pathway, and responding to emerging challenges and changing travel patterns with enthusiasm and innovation.
I have a proven track record of leading with common sense, effectively representing my constituents, and taking a systems approach to problem solving. It would be my honor to continue to work for you and your cities on the SMART board and humbly ask for your support.
Feel free to call or email if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Milani Bazty
Melanie Bagby
Councilmember, City of Cloverdale
cc: Cloverdale City Council