Two more join race for Windsor Town Council

The field of candidates is growing in the race for Windsor Town Council, with two more people declaring their intent to run in the November election, at the same time another incumbent said he likely will call it quits.

Councilman Steve Allen said he is “99.9 percent sure” he will not seek another term on the council after serving 16 years.

“I’ve weighed it very carefully and it doesn’t appear I will run for office at this point,” Allen said Friday. “I just think it’s time to change things up and get some new blood in there.”

Allen would become the second incumbent to step down. Councilwoman Robin Goble three weeks ago confirmed she does not plan to run again after serving eight years on the council. She cited a similar reason to Allen, saying “it’s a changing community and it’s good to have new voices.”

There is no shortage of voices and new faces emerging.

Last week, Mark Millan, a planning commissioner and water supply adviser, and Evan Zelig, a defense attorney, both announced their candidacies for Town Council.

They join other previously announced candidates, including Planning Commission Chairman Dominic Foppoli; spa and tanning salon owner Kimberley Colvig; and energy consultant Frank Di Massa.

Incumbent Councilman Sam Salmon, who occupies the third seat up for grabs in November, is also running for re-election for an unprecedented sixth term.

But there is a possibility a fourth seat could come open up if longtime Councilwoman Deb Fudge is elected north county supervisor in November, in which case council members would likely appoint someone to fill the remaining two years on her ?term.

Fudge emerged the front runner in the June primary election for 4th District supervisor setting up a run-off with second-place finisher James Gore.

The Windsor election comes as what some see as a bit of new era for Sonoma County’s youngest city, incorporated in 1992.

Millan, 60, said the town is entering a new phase with a general plan revision, new heads of public works and economic development, and a relatively new town manager.

“If it were software, it would be Windsor 3.0. We’re in a new phase. We need to look at things differently from where we are now,” he said. “I’m hopeful I can be helpful for this next chapter for Windsor.”

Millan, who has served as a planning commissioner the past two years, is the principal owner of Data Instincts, a Windsor public relations firm specializing in water and water conservation issues, working with communities “from Monterey to Seattle.”

He likes the way Windsor has been shaped by town leaders.

“Up to this point they’ve done a great job, building a great community that a lot of people find attractive. Many families have moved here,” he said

Zelig, 36, is a relative newcomer to Windsor, a former prosecutor in Sacramento County who moved to Sonoma County three years ago and now practices as a defense attorney.

“I wanted to be a part of where Windsor is going in the future with the general plan and the development that is happening,” he said.

He said he wants to make sure Windsor continues to remain safe and has events such as the free concerts, and fireworks displays.

“I want to continue to see more community events and community involvement,” Zelig said. “I am someone who will do the job ethically and with integrity.”

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com