Concord City Council candidate questions: Laura Hoffmeister, District 1
The Concord Clayton Pioneer newspaper presented a list of questions to the candidates running for Concord City Council in the 2022 election.
To read other candidate answers, click here. For our story on all the candidates running in this race, click here.
Age: 61
Current Occupation
Councilmember/City Planner
How long have you lived in Concord?
60 years
Why do you want to serve on the Concord city council?
As your Councilmember I am proud that I grew up here and attended all local public schools. After gradation from UC Davis I came back to Concord to contribute to improving my hometown, and as your Councilmember have worked to address the many items and risen the challenges that we have faced and at each challenge moved Concord forward. Concord needs experienced leadership and I have proven track record in addressing those items. My experience and leadership is needed to address current issues, enhancing public safety; homeless and unsheltered needs; housing affordability; improving our streets and balanced budgets with rainy day fund.
What experience or training do you have that qualifies you to make decisions for the city?
Current Councilmember; previously served as Mayor and current Vice Mayor; past Chair of Contra Costa Mayors conference; Economic Development Committee; Board member East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Board member John Muir health Benefit Fund, Parks Recreation Committee; Infrastructure Committee; Policy and Operations Committee; Past Chair and member of County Connection Board of Directors; former Concord Design Review Board member; graduate of Leadership Concord; Life member of Concord Historical Society; Friends of Concord Library; Concord Senior Citizens, Concord Bicycle- Pedestrian Task Force Chair, established Concord first community Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
What engagement have you had in civic affairs? Do you regularly attend city Council meetings?
As current Councilmember I attend not only the City Council meetings but the numerous Committee meetings and regional meetings representing Concord. Many community meetings such as Concord Chamber, Historical Society, Sister City program, and serve on County Connection Board and its Finance Committee and Operations Committee.
What do you see as the three most important issues immediately facing Concord and how do you plan to address those issues?
Public Safety: I have worked to bring license plate readers, and cameras and other crime prevention efforts to keep neighborhoods safe, more neighborhood and retail store patrols to prevent crime, enhance code enforcement and maintain a high quality police staff training and operations.
Homeless/unsheltered: I voted to fund outreach teams and mental health evaluation teams, and a new dedicated Coordinator to address these issues. I am currently working on new grant funding from Federal funds to provide for comprehensive outreach, housing and wrap around services in partnership with regional and non profits service providers.
Improving our roads while maintaining a balanced budget and providing quality services. I worked on the capital improvement plan adding $120 million to repair our roads, leveraging new state and federal grant funds.
What are your priorities in making public policy?
Listening to the public and reading various reports and research, balancing the needs of the community within the law and the budget resources, and collaboration with other agencies and organizations to be more effective in addressing policy issues.
Do you feel the current compensation is adequate for the job of a councilmember?
Would you vote to increase it/decrease it? The current compensation of $1,200 a month covers some of our time, out of pocket costs we do not have a city car or city phone etc. so it offsets some of the costs related to the time for the position. Maximum increases of 5% year are set by state law and I have taken reductions when our employees decreased their pay support increase that only is equal to that of our employees.
Do you feel the current city council is representative of Concord?
The gender and ethnic makeup of our current council is not as reflective of our community as is our population overall. White 47%, Hispanic 29%, Asian 13%, African American/Black 3%. We reach out to communities of color to participate and post Covid need to find ways to enhance those efforts. Moving to District elections was intended to increase broader participation but it has actually so far had the opposite effect. Years ago with City wide elections we have several persons of color participate and have had Hispanic persons that served in the past as well.
Do you feel city employees are adequately compensated? Why or why not?
Our employees are the best and I thank them for all they do. Per State law we negotiate pay/benefits with our bargaining units to come to mutually agreeable terms. When pay and benefits are taken together it has been reasonably competitive and adequate. Since Covid we have seen increase in retirements, and more challenging to obtain and retain employees across all sectors of the economy including government. I support comparable fair market wages and benefits for our workforce in a manner that maintains balanced city budget.
What does “defunding the police” mean to you? Police budget is 57% of the city’s total budget. Would you change this allocation? How?
Defund the police was movement to reduce police operations budget and put more funds to mental health services. I did not and do not support reductions to police but instead supported and established new funding for non police responders to address mental health calls and homeless. Public safety is top importance. The police is the only dept that operates 24/7 365 days a year and includes a dispatch operations. Therefore it will have the highest amount of the budget. I have worked to bring technology to enhance police operations with license plate readers, cameras and drones, which improves public safety and while minimizing costs.
Should the city dedicate land for homeless encampments? If so, how much land and where in your specific district?
Homeless is not just limited to Concord, it is happening throughout the nation. The City had a council ad hoc committee evaluate and could not find any city land that would be legally suitable. Property would typically need to have water and sewer hook ups or fund portable water tanks and portable toilets and showers and ongoing funding source for support.
Do you support a “safe parking area” for campers/RVs in your district? Do you support camping in the public parks? If not, how should the city deal with individuals that refuse shelters, mental health/substance treatment or transitional housing?
There is not any suitable city public land in District 1. Camping in the parks is not a solution. I voted and Concord has established a full time outreach team to provide health and basic need services and connect to permanent housing. I also supported mental health evaluation team to engage and stabilize unhoused individuals. Also I voted to support the new A3 County program and its expansion to provide timely and appropriate mental and health crisis services.
I serve on the City ad hoc Committee that will be recommending allocating new federal grant funds for organizations to partner with to address. We need to work together with those as we have many examples from the bay area and nationally government can not solve this item alone. I support CARE Court new state law that will connects a person struggling with untreated mental illness – and often also substance use challenges – with a court-ordered Care Plan for up to 24 months. managed by a care team in the community and can include clinically prescribed, individualized interventions with several supportive services, medication, and a housing plan. The client-centered approach also includes a public defender and supporter to help make self-directed care decisions in addition to their full clinical team.
There are currently a number of prime properties in the downtown that are undeveloped. Do you support a tax or fine on empty storefronts?
The larger properties have multifamily development approvals but have been delayed by the developer in starting due to unanticipated materials costs increases, labor shortages and financing. The City has also has been working with other vacant retail spaces with the leasing and property owners. Some centers the major tenant lease allows them to approve or reject any new tenant. Fines have not been successful in other cities that have tried. Any fine they would be able to right off as a business expense decreasing their taxes.
How do you feel the rest of the Bay Area sees Concord? What impression does Concord make?
Family Friendly Community. A positive impression as more people want to stay here, move here for home or business. We are reasonably affordable have BART accessibility with two stations. I am proud that while serving as your Councilmember Concord has been recognized as the best place in California to raise a family, awarded Best Music Scene by the Livability website, was named one of the 10 best places in the world to retire by Condé Nast Traveler, was recently named the happiest city in the United States in a recent Instagram-based study. It has is a Tree City USA for 33 consecutive years The focal point of downtown Concord is Todos Santos Plaza, and is known for its farmers market, free summer concerts, we have the water park and access on local and regional parks/openspace, all at the foot of Mt Diablo and the Delta.
What can be done to make Concord a better city?
I will work to provide more resources to decrease crime, and ensure that that we have housing for all segments of our community now and into the future. I will continue to prioritize reinvesting in our roads, parks and openspace. I will be supporting the modernization of John Muir Concord campus that is being planned so that high quality local emergency/medical services will be retained in Concord; and make sure the Base Reuse project provides the needed public benefits of parks and open space and affordable housing integrates into Concord without adversely impact the existing community.
What personal information do you want to share Married? Children? Pets? Spare time pursuits?
I am proud that most of my family and many friends have continued to live and raise their children in Concord. I know there are many long time Concord residents and also newer residents that chose to make Concord their home, and plan to be living here long into the future. So it is important that I make decisions that will improve Concord now and for future residents and generations.
In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis, picklelball, bocce ball in our parks and hiking on the many open space trails, and bike riding around the region via the major bikeways.