Election Nov 2020

BACKGROUND:   I am Greg Watkins running to be your representative on the City of Shasta lake Council.  I bring common sense and intelligence to this council.  I also know the history and legacy of our city having been born here and graduated from Central Valley High School.  

I pride myself in researching and understanding each issue to be voted on by the council.  If you ever need help resolving an issue in our city, I will take the time to hear your input, and do what I can to support you.

My wife Lani and I are committed Christians and attend St. Michaels Catholic church.  My faith helps to form a moral basis for how I approach each issue before the council.

I was first elected to the Council in November 2008 after organizing a measure to require two-acre parcels in the western portion of our city.  This effort was an attempt to stop the Mountain Properties subdivision near Yellow Pine from developing a subdivision with small ¼ acre parcels abutting existing homes on two acres.  The measure failed to pass by a small margin, but I proved myself to be a supporter for wise growth in our city.

During the 12 years I have been on the Council, I have served as your mayor three times, and am respected for my sound decision making.  Examples of efforts I supported include:  

FISCAL POLICY:  Our City is in sound financial shape and I have never voted to fund projects beyond the ability of our city.   We have a minimum of city Staff and workers who are hard working and an asset to our city.  Our unpaid liability for pensions is one of the smallest in the State.  

CITY HALL:  A new City Hall was constructed on the 11 acres of the abandoned Central Valley Intermediate School, and 2/3 of the $5 MM cost were funded with cash and the entire project will be soon be paid off.  

CANABIS IN OUR CITY:  I supported stringent controls over the Canabis dispensaries, which the State prop 64 really forced upon us.  We also developed limits on outdoor grows, and have hired a code enforcement officer and one additional sheriff deputy with the 6% tax from dispensary sales.  

CITY WATER:   I have worked with our City Manager and the Bureau of Reclamation  to finally secure a water delivery contract in perpetuity for water from Shasta Lake.  This is very important as all of our drinking water comes through the Dam, 100 ft or so below the surface and is pumped to our treatment plant above Fishermens Point, where it flow by gravity though out our city.  

FIRE SAFETY;  During and following the Carr Fire emergency, I worked to develop fire response contracts with CalFire in addition to wider fire breaks along our main roadways.  However during the evacuation of our City we discovered our city needed additional water storage above the Centimudi boat ramp to safely meet a future firestorm.   I will work to bring an additional 2.5 million gallons of water storage in addition to our existing  5 water tanks throughout the city. 

In addition the city is now funding half the salary of a fire safety marshal with the Shasta lake Fire Protection District.  

ESSENTIAL WORKERS:  The essential workers in our city were never shut down.   I realize that teachers are also essential workers and have supported the full time opening of our K through 12 schools.  A community can not exist without essential utilities or with schools closed. 

During the Covid shutdown our essential workers such as Linemen, water treatment operators and city maintenance workers were available 24/7.   In addition I realized early that the Virus is not spread outdoors so I pushed for our city parks and skate board park to be re opened long before out cities took similar actions.  Ours were opened which some cities were still dumping sand in their skate board parks.  

PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS;  I believe the government shutdowns from Sacramento are largely not needed nor constitutional.  Shasta County has flattened the curve of hospitalizations, and now it is up to each resident to be responsible for their own well being. 

I believe history will show that this pandemic is dangerous, but is more akin to a bad flu season.  In addition, the closing of schools is worse than the virus its self.   Kids are the least vulnerable to the Covid 19 virus.  Nation wide only 30 school age kids have died from Covid.  Compare this to the 60+ students which die each year from the annual flu.   We have never closed our schools for the flu and unless some new facts surface, our schools should be open.  

OUR CONSTITUTION:  Never in the history of our Nation have we quarantined the healthy and closed churches and let criminals out of jail.  While there are promising signs a vaccine may be developed, it is important to develop herd immunity.  We must allow the young and the healthy to return to school and to work.  

BILL OF RIGHTS:  Restaurants and Churches should not be closed, but rather be treated the same as big box stores.  Our constitution guarantee’s that religious services shall not be infringed upon by the government.  Our entire constitution is intended to restrain the Government, not the citizens.  

If you want to observe me in action at any council meeting during the past few years, go to www.cityofshastalake.org and click on view city council meetings.

I appreciate your vote on November 2, 2020. 

Greg's Information for Relection 2012

 I was born and raised here in what was known as Toyon and graduated from Central Valley High School, Shasta College, and Chico State University.    My parents came to the Summit City area to work on Shasta Dam in 1942.  My dad, Julian was a Lineman for the Bureau of Reclamation and my mother, Ursula taught in the local elementary schools.  They lived out their lives in a home they built on Flanagan Road. 

I am a registered Civil Engineer and spent my working career with the US Forest Service, having worked on the Shasta Trinity, Six River, and Plumas National Forests in addition to 20 years in the Regional Office in the Bay Area.   The entire time I was not living here, my wife and I owned a home in the City of Shasta Lake.

By nature and training, I tend to look at things from an unemotional point of view.  I spend considerable time reading up on each agenda item and do not vote for frivolous items that will be costly and without benefit to the majority of the people.  

Unfunded mandates from Sacramento can have a significant impact on our utility bills and I will stay abreast of these mandates and do all possible to minimize their negative impacts on you, the citizens of the City of Shasta Lake.  The recent upgrade of the Cities Sewage Treatment Plant is an example of how Sacramento can force unneeded upgrades in our city.   This upgrade cost $20,000,000 and was not really needed.  Today that mandate from Sacramento has raised sewer bills by $10 per month.

In 2010, I successfully got the $7000 hook up fee for inactive water meters and sewer connections reduced to $500.  You can count on me to be an advocate for the right of our citizens to use their property as they see fit, as long as it does not infringe on others. 

My interest in City Government began in 2006 when the then City Council approved the Mtn. Lakes Subdivision in the rural part of Shasta Lake, west of Lake Blvd.   I was very opposed to the Council approved 164 lot Subdivision, some lots as small as a quarter acre.  Thus an existing home owner on Yellow Pine Road would have up to 5 new neighbors along their back fence line.  It is my contention that new subdivisions should not drastically change the rural atmosphere where the existing residences are situated on 2 acre + sized parcels.   

To champion this cause, I became the chairman of a voter initiative measure  “C” which would have made 2 acre minimum sized lots for this proposed subdivision.  That voter initiative failed to pass 48% to 52%.   The following November, I ran for a position on the city council and was elected.  I served  as your mayor in 2010.

Should the planning for raising of Shasta Dam advance during the next 4 years,  I will actively pursue additional water rights for our city, even during drought years, and I will advocate for the retention of private property rights around the lake, especially those on Forest Service permits which should be relocated a short distance to higher lands.  

I have four grown children, one of which lives in Shasta Lake and am an active member of St. Michaels Church.  My four children have blessed my wife, Lani and I with 24 grandchildren.

In summary, I have the interests of the typical citizen of Shasta Lake in mind as I conduct City business.  

Reasons I Ran for Office in 2007

BACKGROUND: I was born and raised in Toyon, the once premier community in what is Shasta Lake today. I attended Toyon School, CV intermediate, Deer Creek, and CVHS. After high school I attended Shasta JC, and graduated from Chico State with a BS in Civil Engineering. I worked for the US Forest Service in Hayfork, Eureka, Redding, Mtn Gate, Quincy, San Francisco, Pleasant Hill and Mare Island.

I have four grown kids and 10 grand children. One son Josh, his wife Erika and 3 children live in Shasta Lake.

REASON FOR RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL: When I moved back to Shasta Lake, I was quite disappointed at the direction our City Government wanted to take our City. It seemed they could not wait until our town was transformed into a "San Jose north". A high density bedroom community is not what I came back to live in.

I chaired Measure "C" a year ago, and firmly believe our City should find areas to expand the rural type of living which can be observed in the Ranchera Pines Subdivision. This subdivision has natural vegetation between the homes and the lots generally exceed an acre in size. Measure "C" obtained 48% of the voter's approval, yet the City had a deaf ear to the concept of a rural section in the western hills of the city. The General Plan is being updated, and I would like to see provisions incorporated for some area identified as "rural living".

I was more recently appalled at the vote by the city council to take away both water and sewer connections if the connection had not been used for 3 years. They chose to ignore testimony from citizens who were foresighted enough to connect their lot to the city sewer and water while the main trunk lines were being installed in the street in front of their property. These folks paid a connection fee at the time. I believe these citizens showed wise foresight when they paid to be connected, However, the incumbents on the City Council voted to terminate these inactive connection and charge a new connect fee of approximately $7000 for each the water and sewer if the connection has not been utilized for 3 or more years. (the same is true for a house which has been vacant for 3 years without paying a monthly sewer or water bill.) I believe this one vote shows how the current Council has forgotten they were voted in to represent the people. This vote demonstrated they are willing to gouge their citizens for all they can. If elected to the council, I would like to see this decision regarding inactive service connections be revisited by the Council.