PD Editorial: Three for Windsor: Millan, Foppoli and Lemus

Windsor voters have a full menu of choices in the Nov. 6 election - 10 candidates, including three incumbents, running for three seats on the Town Council.

The next council faces several choices that will shape Windsor for years to come, including proposals to build housing near the popular Town Green as well as on the northern and eastern edges of the city, and an ambitious plan to revamp the civic center.

As is often the case in Windsor, growth is a central issue in this year's election.

Many of the things that make the town attractive to builders - good schools, a low crime rate, decent roads - also fuel concerns about quality of life.

But Windsor has added only about 150 new housing units in the past decade, and the town has a voter-approved urban growth boundary and an ordinance that caps the number of building permits issued to about 150 per year. So it's unlikely that Windsor will ever again experience the turbocharged growth of the 1980s that led to 1992's vote to form Sonoma County's ninth city.

In the years to come, the council's challenge is to manage growth to meet local housing needs without forfeiting the atmosphere that attracts people in the first place.

This year's Town Council election has drawn a diverse field of candidates, including incumbents Dominic Foppoli, Mark Millan and Sam Salmon and challengers Luis Diaz, Billy Forrest, Gina Fortino Dickson, Esther Lemus and Rosa Reynoza. (Two others, Dylan Harper and Tari Nix, are on the ballot but haven't actively campaigned).

Given the town's popularity, and the financial health of the city government, there's a case to be made for re-electing the incumbents.

But that would be a missed opportunity for Windsor voters.

Electing Lemus would give Windsor a council that more closely reflects the demographics of the community.

Lemus, who grew up in Santa Rosa and Windsor, is bilingual, a parent of school-age children, a deputy district attorney and a member of Windsor's school board. She would be the second woman on the five-member council - and the first-ever Latina in a town that's about a third Hispanic.

Electing Lemus is more than checking boxes. She has experience in office, expertise in public safety and an understanding of Windsor's need to provide a mix of housing, not just for transplants but for the generation growing up in town.

Forrest, an architect with extensive experience in affordable housing and a former school board member, also stands out among the challengers.

In this election, adding a new council member requires subtracting an incumbent. And all three have served the town well.

Millan, who helped bring the Russian River Brewery to Windsor, is finishing his first term and wants to serve one more to advance a long-awaited highway interchange at Arata Lane and the civic center plan, which includes relocating the Huerta Gym and the Windsor library.

Foppoli, the youngest council member, understands that Windsor needs housing and business to thrive. And he seems to be growing into the job after a first year marked by absences from council meetings and a foray into reality TV. He also dipped into his campaign funds to extend the Town Green concert season - a nice gift for local residents.

Salmon, with 24 years on the council, remains the leading voice against sprawl development. But his increasing inflexibility often leaves him on the losing end of 4-1 votes. Instead of finding common ground with his colleagues, he writes letters to the Windsor Times outlining objections to their actions.

We think Millan and Lemus are clear choices. Our third pick was harder - Forrest, with his urban planning expertise, or Foppoli, with his sharper focus on his responsibilities. Foppoli's endorsements from the people he works with - three of his four fellow council members - tipped the balance in his favor.

The Press Democrat recommends Mark Millan, Esther Lemus and Dominic Foppoli for Windsor Town Council.

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