Contra Costa Times Candidate Statement

By Thomas King "Tom" Butt

Answers to questions by local newspaper

Please type and return by Sept. 3, 1999

Name: Thomas K. Butt

Office sought: City Council

Home address: 235 East Scenic Avenue Richmond, CA 94801

Home phone: 510/237-2084

Work Phone: 510/236-7435

E-Mail Address: tom.butt@intres.com

Web site address: http://www.intres.com

Occupation/employer: Architect/Interactive Resources

Date and Place of Birth: 3/23/44, Albuquerque, NM

Party Registration: Democrat

Spouse Name: Shirley Ryland Butt

Spouse Date of Birth: November 10, 1944

Spouse Occupation and Employer: Administrator/Interactive Resources

Political offices you have held or run for (include dates and outcome of race): Richmond City Council, 1993. Ran 4th for three seats. Lost by 104 votes.

Party registration: Democrat

Spouse name and occupation: Shirley Ryland Butt, Planner and Administrator

Names of other family members (first and last names, ages, dates of birth and occupations)

Andrew Martin Butt, 25, June 22, 1974, Architectural Intern Daniel Ryland Butt, 23, September 14, 1976, Independent Contractor

Political Offices you have held or run for (include dates and outcomes of races)

1993, ran for Richmond City Council, came in 4th for three seats, lost by 104 votes 1995, elected Richmond City Council, ran 4th for five seats

Your professional/working career (include dates and positions):

• 1973-present Interactive Resources (founding principal)
• 1971 Mayhew and Thiederman, Architects, Inc.,San Francisco (architectural intern)
• 1970-71 Edward Durell Stone, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (architectural intern)
• 1968-1970 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (see "military service")
• 1968 Edward Durell Stone, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (architectural intern)
• 1963-66 Department of the Interior, National Park Service(summer intern)

Leadership Positions:

• 1984-95 - Chairman, West Contra Costa Bayshore Council
• 1986-89 - Board of Directors, Richmond Chamber of Commerce
• 1991-92 - President, Richmond, California Rotary Club
• 1978-99 - President, East Brother Light Station, Inc.
• 1983-84 - President, Washington School PTA
• 1986-87 - Chairman, Richmond Economic Development Commission
• 1987-89 - Chairman, Richmond Beautification Committee
• 1980 - President, Point Richmond Business Association
• 1976 - President, Point Richmond Neighborhood Council
• 1992-93 - Chairman, Mayor's Ad Hoc Committee on Santa Fe Railroad / Point Richmond Community
• 1990-91 - Chairman Citizens' Advisory Committee on Disposition of Surplus [School] Property
• 1980-95- Board of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association
• 1993-99 Board of Trustees, First United Methodist Church of Point Richmond
• 1991-94 Board of Directors, United Concilio West
• 1994-96 Chairman, Herms District, Boy Scouts of America  1999 Incorporator, Rosie the Riveter Trust

• 1976-77 - Richmond CETA Advisory Committee, Richmond, California
• 1974-76 Richmond Community Development Commission
• 1987-88 - Citizen's Advisory Committee for Richmond, California Shoreline Conservation and Development Plan, the Knox Freeway-Cutting Boulevard Corridor Study, and the North Richmond Shoreline Specific
• West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC)

• 1988-95 - Commissioner for Qualifications Appraisal Interviews, California State Board of Architectural Examiners
• Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
• Construction Specifications Institute
• National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Society of American Military Engineers
• Western Construction Consultants Association (WESTCON)
• American Society for Testing and Materials Committee E-6, Performance of Buildings Chair, Task Group E06.21.08 and E06.55.07
• International Conference of Building Officials
• Roofing Consultants Institute

  Avocational Activities and Organizations

• Sierra Club
• California Native Grass Association
• California Native Plant Society
• California Preservation Foundation
• Arkansas Alumni Association
• UCLA Alumni Association
• Arkansas State Society
• Diablo Beekeepers Association

• Master of Architecture in Urban Design, University of California, Los Angeles
• Bachelor of Architecture/Bachelor of Arts, University of Arkansas
• Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Fraternity
• Engineer Officer basic Course, Ft. Belvoir, VA

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1968-1970
• Engineer Officer Basic Course, Ft. Belvoir, VA
• Served as Basic Combat Training Officer, Company E, 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Ft. Polk, Louisiana; Master Plan Team, Ft. Polk, Louisiana;
• Assistant Operations and Liaison Officer, HHC, 159th Engineering Group, Long Binh, Vietnam.
• Rank at discharge: 1st Lieutenant.
• Military Decorations (Vietnam Service) :The Bronze Star, The Army Commendation Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal

26 years

Where else have you lived?

Fayetteville, AR, Santa Monica, CA, Venice, CA, San Francisco, CA, Mill Valey, CA, Ft. Belvoir, VA, Ft. Polk, LA, Honolulu, HI, Saigon and Long Binh, Vietnam, Yellowstone National Park, WY, Fortine, MN, Lantana, FL

Describe anything you have published, invented, discovered, painted, etc., and events or hobbies that would be interesting for a biographical story:

Licenses

• Licensed Architect, California, Nevada, Arkansas
• Licensed General Contractor, California
• Certified, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

• Caught in Cambodia coup, 1970, had to walk out to Thailand
• Traveled Trans-Siberian Railway
• Designed first solar home in Bay Area
• Had largest wind-powered electric generator in California in 1975; first to feed electrical power from wind into the PG&E grid
• Successfully nominated Point Richmond Historic District, The Richmond Ford Assembly Plant, Hotel Don, and Winehaven to to the National Register of Historic Places; rehabilitated the Hotel Mac and other buildings in Point Richmond
• Founded East Brother Light Station, Inc., a non-profit corporation to restore and operate East Brother Light Station
• Prevailed in Supreme Court challenge Butt v. California, landmark education equality case

• 1992 Richmond Unified Education Fund Distinguished Citizen Award
• 1982 U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award
• 1979 President's Certificate for Outstanding Community Achievement of Vietnam Era Veterans
• 1999 Fayetteville Public Education Foundation Hall of Honor

  Professional Awards

• 1982 Honor Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• 1992 City of Oakland Orchid, Orchids and Onions Award Program
• 1991 Portland Cement Association Award of Excellence
• 1990 Grand Award for Design Excellence, National Association of Industrial and Office Parks
• 1990 North America concrete Building Award of Excellence
• 1990 Presidential Citation, American Institute of Architects
• 1987 California Preservation Foundation Design Award
• 1986 U.S. Department of Transportation Award for Outstanding Public Service to Transportation and Historic Preservation
• 1982 Honor Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation

• As principal-in-charge and/or architect-of-record, completed over 100 projects involving restoration, or rehabilitation of historic structures, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Lectured widely on historic preservation practice including presentations at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Convention, the Monterey (CA) Design Conference, and many civic clubs and organizations.

• Prepared and administered numerous successful grant applications for historic presentation projects, including East Brother Light Station and prepared successful National Register Nominations and Certifications.

• Authored the Manual, Application of Public Policy for Building Projects in the Point Richmond Historic District as a public service to the community.

• As principal-in-charge and/or architect-of-record, over 100 projects between 1973 and 1983 which incorporated cutting-edge active and passive solar, wind, and other energy conservation technology. These included private homes, apartments and condominiums, commercial and public buildings, and swimming pools. Many were published in local, regional, and national media.

• In 1975, organized and implemented the first statewide California Solar Energy for Buildings Conference. These were repeated in 1976 and 1977 with hundreds of building industry professionals attending.

• Principal-in-charge, author, or project director of the following educational publications providing state-of-the-art information to the public and other design professionals:

• Energy Conservation: Guidelines for Evaluating New Development in Contra Costa County, CA (Richmond, CA: Interactive Resources, Inc., 1976) 255 pages
• (with Dennis Dahlin), The Working Woodburner, Home Heating and Cooking with Fireplaces and Wood Stoves (Richmond, CA: Interactive Resources, Inc., 1976) 38 pages
• Thomas K. Butt, Project Director, California Sunshine, A Consumer Guide to Solar Energy (Sacramento, CA, California Energy Resources and Development Commission, 1977)Thomas K. Butt, "Solar Energy Homes, New Market or Realtors," California Real Estate Magazine (California Association of Realtors, October 1975)

• As principal-in-charge and/or architect-of-record, Interactive Resources secured six U.S. Government-sponsored grants for research or demonstration projects in solar energy, including:

• AIA Research Corporation Grant (sponsored by HUD) for Phase II Development of Energy Performance Standards for New Builders, 1978  Willow Park II Community Center Case Study, DOE Research Project, DE-AC02-81-CS30361, 1983

• Lectured widely on solar energy and energy conservation, including AIA Chapters, California legislature hearings, and the University of Arkansas School of Architecture.

• Founded the West Contra Costa Bayshore Council, a successful, politically active and educational organization, which changed the direction of planning and development policy along 32 miles of San Francisco Bay shoreline in Richmond, California.

• Served on three citizen's advisory committees which guided implementation of comprehensive studies and planning documents to guide growth on the Richmond, California shoreline for the next 25 years.

• As principal-in-charge and/or architect-of-record, has completed over 250 consulting assignments relating to construction failure or construction litigation, including 10,000 units of housing.

• Through the auspices of the American Arbitration Association, arbitrated dozens of construction disputes, served on its panel of arbitrator trainers and is a faculty member in yearly continuing education of arbitrators.

• 1992-95 - American Society of Testing and Materials Committee E-6, Performance of Buildings Chair, Task Group E06.21.14

• Lectures widely on construction defects, failures, and litigation. Examples include:

• "Jobsite Problems, Solutions and Perceptions: Why are the Architect and Contractor Treated so Differently?," The Northern California Construction Institute, 1993
• "Building Failures and Subsidence," California Building Industry Association, Sacramento, California, 1991
• "Arbitrator Discusses Complex Problems of Condo Ownership," Contra Costa Times, November 4, 1984
• "Polymer Modifier and Grouts and Mortar," Ceramic Tile Institute, Dallas, Texas, 1989
• "Preparation of Condominium Maintenance Manuals," Community Association Institute National Convention, 1988
• "Construction Defects, A Conspiracy of Silence," Apartment Owners Association of Contra Costa County, Inc., 1985

• ASTM E 1643 Standard Practice for Installation of Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Earth or Granular Fill Under Concrete Slabs. (Principle author and task group chair)
• ASTM E 1745 Standard Specification for Plastic Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact With Soil or Granular Fill Under Concrete Slabs. . (Principle author and task group chair)
• ASTM E 1907 Standard Practices for Determining Moisture Related Acceptability of Concrete Floors to Receive Moisture Sensitive Finishes . (Principle author and task group chair)
• "Concrete Floor Flatness & Levelness Tolerances," The Construction Specifier, November 1994
• "Moisture Problems in Slabs on Grade: An Update," The Construction Specifier, December 1993
• "Thin Brick Veneer," The Construction Specifier, August 1993.
• "The Condo Conundrum," The Construction Specifier, May 1993
• "Be Prepared for Building Failures and Disasters," Black's Office Leasing Guide, Winter 1993
• "Avoiding and Repairing Moisture Problems in Slabs on Grade," The Construction Specifier, December 1992
• "Common Interest Development Maintenance Manual," ECHO: Executive Council of Home Owners, May 1991.
• "Building Failure: Limiting the Losses," Best's Review, September 1990.
• "Thin Brick Veneer: A Guide to Trouble-Free Application," Sun Coast, December 1989.
• "How CADD Helped Restorations-Documentation and Design For A California Town," Architecture Magazine, November 1989.
• "Do You Need A Building Detective?," Facility Manager, Winter 1988-89.
• "Condominium Maintenance Manual," Community Associations Institute Newsletter, Vol. 8/No. 2, June/July 1988.
• "Arbitrator Discusses Complex Problems of Condo Ownership," Contra Costa Times, November 4, 1984.
• "Construction Defects in Residential Condominiums," Courier (Newsletter of the Council of Condominium Homeowner Associations, Inc.), Vol. 2, Nov./Dec. 1984.
• California Sunshine, A Consumer Guide to Solar Energy, California Energy Resources and Development Commission (Thomas K. Butt, Project Director), 1977
• Guidelines for Evaluating New Development in Contra Costa County, CA, 1976
• The Working Woodburner, Home Heating and Cooking with  Fireplaces and Wood Stoves, Dennis Dahlin, Author & Thomas K. Butt, Project Manager, 1976
• "Solar Energy Homes, New Market For Realtors," California Real Estate, October 1975

• Founding member of the Western Construction Consultants Association (WESCON), a northern California organization consisting of design professionals, consultants, and contractors with special interest in the diagnosis and repair of construction defects.

Manager's home phone:

Manager's work phone:

Campaign committee:

Name: Friends of Tom Butt Address: 117 Park Place, Richmond, CA 94801 Phone: 510/236-7435 State or Federal campaign ID number: 931131

Treasurer: Ted Smith Treasurer's Address: P.O. Box 1134, El Cerrito, CA 94530 Treasurer's phone: 510/238-9655

(if more than one committee, please provide above information for each one.)

Contact Information for Voters:

Phone numbers: 510/236-7435, 510/237-2084

Email Address: tom.butt@intres.com

We Site Address: http://www.intres.com

Please list all criminal convictions or pleas: None

Please list all civil court judgments against you or any business you have been involved with: Jeffrey v. Interactive Resources, 1975, for $1,000

Will you be keeping your campaign finance information on computer disk? No

Would you be willing to provide us with a copy of the data disk when you file your campaign report? Not applicable

RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

THE REPORTER COVERING THE RACE IS SHAWN MASTEN. HER TELEPHONE NUMBER IS 510/262-2725

1. The Richmond City Council has a history of divisiveness that has led citizens to question the council's credibility. What would you do to improve relations on the council and shift the focus from politics to business at hand?

The dictionary definition of "politics" covers a wide range, from "the science and art of political government" to " factional scheming for power and status within a group." In the former definition of politics, there is nothing wrong with divisiveness per se, it is the embodiment of different viewpoints of the people elected officials represent. However, my perception is that on the Richmond City Council, there has generally been a split between two groups: those who represent the interests of Richmond residents and those who have a recent history of representing the special interests of industries, developers and lobbyists who have maintained the reins of power in Richmond for nearly 100 years. This kind of "divisiveness" has spawned resentments that have resulted in emotional outbursts and personal attacks. I believe the best remedy is to elect a city council that represents the people. Nevertheless, I have in the last four years, learned a few things that promote civility, which I will continue to try and practice:

• Don't speak unless you have something of value to contribute.
• Don't speak unless you have something different to say from that said by others.
• Don't interrupt, and don't talk while others have the floor.
• Don't question motives - it only enrages others.
• Don't respond to baiting.
• Try to keep a sense of humor. Remember that I was the only council member to introduce Robert's Rules of Order for the City Council, but it was handily defeated.

I ran in both 1993 and 1995 as a reformer. Like many other residents, I didn't trust the city government either. After two years of frustration that change was not happening, I became the fifth and swing vote to terminate City Manger Floyd Johnson. This was a controversial decision that triggered a recall campaign, but I do not regret it. As a city council, our only real tool in shaping the type of management we have is the city manager we hire. The management style and corruption that was exposed throughout the latter half of 1998 and early 1999 had been ongoing for decades under the watch of at least three previous city managers.

As a result of the Recreation scandal, there have been major changes in the management and accountability of departments throughout city government, but most importantly in Finance and Recreation. The entrenched bureaucracy that existed when I was elected four years ago has been substantially replaced. Notwithstanding the recreation problems, the weakest component, in my opinion, was the public works department (now public services) and the planning department. There was both a lack of vision and an inability to successfully execute ongoing projects. Both departments have new leadership with highly qualified individuals.

Although I have not been fully satisfied in the way the $1million Chevron grant was spent, and I was suspicious of the source, it is clear that the money has resulted in an unprecedented review of city government organization and management studies. Richmond government has already become more efficient and more productive as a result. The one component of the study that I most advocated, a community-wide survey to measure citizen's needs and satisfactions, has not been implemented. I believe that we can never achieve the highest level of accountability until we ask our constituents to grade us regularly, and we establish benchmarks by which our performance can be measured.

3. What do you see as the top three issues facing the city today? How do you propose to address them?

My overriding objective continues to be improving the quality of life in Richmond. A higher quality of life is what will draw new businesses and residents to our city, providing the economic vitality and citizen involvement that will address the causes of dissatisfaction. including relatively high crime rates, relatively low school test scores, and urban blight.

A couple of millennia ago, a Roman architect named Vitruvius, wrote that a successful building design should have "firmness, commodity and delight." That is, it should be structurally strong, work well for its intended function, and be pleasing to the eye. The same could be said for a successful city. A city's infrastructure should be well-built and properly maintained; The services provided by a city should be responsive to the needs of the people; and a city should have a clean and pleasing appearance.

These three objectives are also my priorities for Richmond, and whether or not we make progress in addressing them will be the most important issues for the Richmond City Council at the beginning of the third millenium. Whether we should invest in a state-of-the art sewage collection and treatment system or continue to patch it up while users are plagued with overflows and the City pays out increasing amounts in claims is already an election issue. Many citizens have already lost faith in our city's ability to abate abandoned buildings, clean up weed and trash-strewn lots, and force absentee landlords to properly maintain properties. The people want our police to pro-actively prevent crime rather than just take police reports and solve some crimes after the fact. There is a severe shortage of parks, sports facilities and playing fields for young people in parts of Richmond.

Some of the specific ways that these issues will play out before the City Council include:

Public-Private Partnerships for Economic Development In the next four years, the City of Richmond will be collaborating with dozens of private-sector entrepreneurs in the implementation of projects that will change the face of the city, bringing new residents and jobs to vacant or underutilized land throughout the oldest parts of Richmond. These projects include Point Molate, Terminal #1, the Ford Building, Marina Center, the Marina Bay Village Center, the BART Transit Village, and others. The professionalism with which these are handled and expedited, and the quality of the results will test both the city council and city staff, and will determine our future ability to attract other agents of change.

Sophisticated Management Tools Richmond is behind many other cities in providing state of the art computer hardware and software for infrastructure management, GIS (geographic information systems), permitting and citizen complaint management and internal computer networking. Many high-level city employees are not served by email. However, all this is scheduled or major improvements in 1999-2000. The 800 megahertz public safety communication system will go on line early next year.

Destination Tourism The National Park Service will be making a recommendation this month to Congress that the former Richmond Shipyards become a National Historic Site or National Historic Park with the theme "Rosie the Riveter/World War II Homefront" with the objective of becoming the premier location in the United States for interpreting the civilian contribution to the war, particularly that of women and minorities. This recognition could give Richmond an image boost that would change the city forever. Other initiatives include completion of the Bay Trail along the entire Richmond shoreline, completion of the Richmond Greenway with links at its ends to the Bay Trail and the Ohlone Greenway, restoration of Baxter (Stege) Creek and other natural creeks flowing through Richmond, and the completion of parkland acquisition, such as at Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline Park.

4. After years of decreasing crime rates, the level of violent crime appears to be on the rise in the City of Richmond again, particularly related to drug sales. How would you tackle the problem, and what do you see as the council's role in addressing drug dealing and gun-related crimes?

I believe the significant drop in crime in Richmond over the last few years has been part of a national trend, largely related to an improved economy. While our crime rate has declined, it is still high in relation to overall averages, and this is substantially a result of the relatively large proportion of the Richmond population that is economically disadvantaged. In this type of environment, drug dealing, theft, illegal gun use and a low regard for human life tend to flourish among a few persons who commit most of the crimes in a few high-crime areas of the city. The statistical results, however, adversely affect everyone in the city, its image and its value and attraction to residents and businesses.

The recent drop in our crime rate has, in my opinion, bred a certain amount of complacency that needs to be reversed. I would recommend the following:

• Divide up long-term responsibility for high-crime areas among individual leaders in the Police Department. Provide them and the officers working under them with tools and incentive pay for reducing crime, and hold them fully responsible for results.
• Keep the contingent of sworn officers on the street at full strength. Rethink the use of officers for fun and public relations assignments such as horse patrols at noon in Point Richmond and boat patrols, and instead keep them on duty in high crime areas. Transfer the officers in charge of P.A. L. to the Recreation Department, and backfill their slots with additional sworn officers assigned to patrol duty.
• Continue to emphasize non-public safety programs that affect crime at the root causes, such as youth recreation, job training and outreach and economic development.
• Mount a coordinated all-out effort to combine nuisance abatement, law enforcement, infrastructure maintenance, recreation programs, job training, and educational assistance to children in high crime areas. This has been tried before, but it always seems to lose steam.
• Consider an approach such as "Project Exile" that has been highly successful in Richmond, VA.
• We simply have to do more and do it better.

I believe an effective council member fulfills several roles:

• Periodically setting goals and objectives based on a vision of what the future should be.
• Acting as a conduit for constituents who have special problems or who have become frustrated by unresponsive city staff.
• Hiring the best possible city manager and providing feedback to that city manager about the performance of city government.
• Providing final review and oversight of city policy implementation by voting for or against appropriations, contracts, resolutions and other actions that implement the city's goals and objectives.
• Sometimes taking the initiative to investigate problems, propose legislation, or seize an opportunity that staff is unable or unwilling to act on or some reason.

• Encouraging active representation on boards and commissions, in city festivals, in city employment, in city contracting and in official recognitions of all ethnic groups and cultures.
• By doing what I can to learn more about and understand the cultures, aspirations, problems and needs of as much of our diverse population as possible.

Strengths: A majority of the council tends to pull together when they have to for projects and initiatives vital to the city's future, such as the sewer district improvement plan, economic development projects like the Ford Plant, terminating an unsuccessful city manager, balancing the budget, and appropriating funding to or technical tools needed for facilities management. Most council members have worked through any previous conflicts and developed a cordial working personal relationship with each other that transcends political differences -- even though it may not be apparent on TV. Most council members work pretty hard at various aspects of city business, putting in a lot of time at meetings, special projects, research and constituent problems far beyond the 4 to 8 hours of weekly council meetings.

Weaknesses: Some council members are so closely tied to the largesse of the Local 188/BMW/Darrell Reese machine that it adversely affects their ability to provide independent representation to the citizens of Richmond. Too many times, issues tied to interests represented by this machine have divided the council, inspired bitter debates and hard feelings, and precluded progressive legislative action and leadership sorely needed by the city. Far too often, some council members have hinged their support or opposition to an item based on who initiated it rather than on its merits.

8. The council recently approved a $50 million improvement to the ailing Richmond Municipal Sewer district. What do you think about that plan, and how will you ensure that the city is prudent about the way the money is spent?

Proper infrastructure management has been a priority of mine since it was on my campaign platform in 1995. I take credit or discovering the dire physical and financial condition of Municipal Sewage District No. 1 and for pushing the city council to take appropriate steps to repair both. I fully support the improvement plan, and I will continue to use my technical knowledge to see that the plan is properly implemented and the money well spent.

9. The city is on the verge of an economic development boom that promises to bring thousands of new homes and businesses to the city and put Richmond on the map as a suburb as well as a destination point or visitors and tourists. How do you think the city can better address the need to improve its image along with the development boom and how would you guarantee that the millions of dollars in economic development are well spent?

The image of the city is a function of primarily three things: school test scores, its physical appearance, and its crime rate. As a city council, we have little control over school test scores, although there is much we can do to collaborate with the WCCUSD to make schools more attractive, safer, and more efficient. We have a lot of control over physical appearance, including maintaining city properties, rigorous enforcement of public nuisance ordinances, and insuring quality development through high design review and permitting standards. See the answer to question 4 for crime. Finally, we can provide the leadership to implement our collective vision of Richmond: "Richmond will develop all of its neighborhoods and businesses as quality places to live, work, shop and play, with its 32 miles of shoreline as a widely-recognized symbol of the city's success."

I will use my education and experience planning, design and real estate development to continue to provide a vigorous level of oversight of public economic development dollars.

10. The council recently decided to privatize the Richmond Marina, and privatization of the city's wastewater treatment plant is under consideration. What is your opinion on outsourcing, and what are its plusses and minuses?

Outsourcing should only be done when there is no compelling reason to do otherwise, and even then, it should not be done without consulting and involving the affected public employee unions. Maintaining trust and good relations with the city workforce is of great importance, and degradation in the relationship between the city council and the unions could be disastrous. In the case of the Marina, I have asked that the unions be involved in reviewing the proposals, and at least one proposer has committed to offer all existing employees jobs. Privatization of the Marina became a consideration because it was the only apparent way to get out from under a huge debt service. With respect to the wastewater treatment plant, the potential advantages and disadvantages are still being developed. Contracting with a large organization with vast experience and resources is attractive, and the potential economies of scale could result in better service at lower rates. Apparently some of the private operators routinely retain the existing city employees and existing unions and offer them advancement opportunities that they would never have at a stand-alone facility.