City Council Candidate Stephen Zollman
City Council Candidate Stephen Zollman
Attorney active on many local boards: library, mental health services and mentoring youth
Stephen Zollman is one of five candidates for three open seats on the Sebastopol City Council. This week, we will publish a brief statement from each of the candidates who responded to our request to introduce themselves.
I am running for City Council to improve our city and county partnerships. My goals include: expanding our library, addressing the needs of downtown businesses and facilitating mental health/police services. With an intergenerational approach, we can do this!
Through my years of experience serving on Sonoma County’s Childcare Planning Council, the Library Commission and the Nurse Family Partnership Advisory Board, I have found that increasing our partnership with our County’s services can result in the following:
A much deserved larger library that can be built on our city owned square blook where the library, city offices and senior center already exists, with parking below. This multi-purpose space, already underway in Roseland, can increase affordable housing, meeting spaces for our youth, offices for our nonprofits and other uses. This is something that was already contemplated by two of our outgoing city council members.
Maintaining our safety through the pairing of mental health services with our law enforcement efforts, something that is already being implemented in Santa Rosa and elsewhere
Increasing the mentoring our diverse youth so that they will be prepared to be our next leaders. This can lead to help with our down town businesses.
Greater accessibility to our governance by increasing awareness of council agendas and proposed time frames for each agenda item.
I have a Masters in Health Law, JD and MBA. As a former San Francisco Public Defender, I represented our youth and adults for over twelve years. Currently, I represent our youth and domestic violence survivors.
I am a former Sebastopol Library Commissioner and serve as a board member of LANTERN, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the square footage of our library and as a result, attend Sebastopol’s monthly Community Based Organizations Council meetings.
I also am on the Sonoma County Legal Services Board and NAMI Boards and serve on the county’s Nurse Family Partnership Advisory Board. I am a former Sebastopol Arts Center and Chamber of Commerce Board member. I am a long standing Green Party member and have served as state alternate co-chair. I am also an Army Veteran.
I will be voting for Stephen Zollman! As a high school teacher I appreciated Zollman’s experience with youth mentoring. and his service on the boards of organizations that work with youth in our community.
I also appreciate that he is endorsed by the Sierra Club and Sonoma County Conservation Action.
Zollman’s pledge to increase partnerships with our county government make him the best candidate to facilitate coordinated environmental action across Sonoma County. As a zero waste advocate, I also love that Zollman’s campaign signs are made from repurposed signs painted and recycled paint!