Meet Lance Kuehne, District 6 Candidate For Petaluma City Council

PETALUMA, CA—The upcoming Nov. 5 general municipal election is the second district-based election for the city of Petaluma. The city has been mapped into six districts with nearly equal populations.

Residents of each district vote for one eligible candidate to represent them on the City Council. Districts 1, 2 and 3 were the first three districts to elect district representatives in 2022. Districts 4, 5 and 6 will elect district representatives on Nov. 5.

Patch sent the three candidates for District 6—Incumbents Brian Barnacle and Mike Healy and challenger Lance Kuehne—a candidate questionnaire with an identical set of questions. See Kuehne's answers below and Barnacle's at this link. Healy had not responded at the time of publication.

Candidate Questionnaire With Lance Kuehne

Full name: Lance Kuehne

Age: 63

Hometown: Lodi, CA

Did you attend college? If so, where and what level of degree did you earn? UC Santa Cruz, B.A. Politics

How long have you lived in Petaluma? 22 years

What is your party affiliation? Democrat

Have you ever held public office? If so, what, when and where? No

Why did you decide to run for Petaluma City Council?

"I haven’t been happy with the direction the city has gone in for the past several years. The final straw was the proposed re-zoning of our historic downtown to accommodate an out-of-place six-story hotel. The hotel, as proposed, violates our historic district zoning laws and will ruin our historic downtown. I say this with some authority since I ran the Riverfront Art Gallery in our historic downtown for 15 years, and I am very familiar with the business climate in our downtown, and what needs to be done to improve the situation. This out-of-scale hotel isn’t the answer. The city’s planning department, which consists almost entirely of private consultants, has proposed this downtown re-zone to accommodate this non-conforming hotel. Yet, our local businesses sometimes wait months and years just to get an operating permit. Things are backward at city hall."

What are the main issues facing your district?

"Our historic downtown is in my district, so saving it from inappropriate development is a top priority. Other priorities include affordable housing, addressing traffic, and including the public in the decision-making process in a meaningful way. I’d also like to shorten review times and lower permit fees for local businesses, create safer bike and pedestrian routes, and prioritize the creation of new green spaces."

Tell us about yourself and your family.

"I grew up in California, in the second largest city of a wine region (Lodi) in an agricultural county (San Joaquin), so I feel particularly at home here in Petaluma. My first visit to Sonoma County was when I was 12 years old, and I never forgot how wonderful it was. I couldn’t wait to move to the Bay Area as soon as I was an adult, and after living in Berkeley and San Francisco for many years, I got married and we soon moved to Petaluma. My wife and I both love to explore the county. I am a landscape photographer, so I love to explore all the back roads. My wife likes to explore the small towns, local shops and local restaurants in this paradise called Petaluma and Sonoma County. And we have chickens!"

Is there anything else you would like voters to know?

"As a teenager, I watched the cities of the Great Central Valley sprawl outward and lose their charm. I even thought of becoming a city planner to stop it, but found myself drawn to politics and current events. I am proud that Petaluma originated the urban growth boundary in the United States, and I want to preserve our special character as we inevitably grow."

Please provide your campaign website and social media handles.

My campaign website is at https://www.lance4petaluma.com... all of my social media handles can be reached from there.

What is the best way for voters to reach you?

They can email me at lance4petaluma@gmail.com or go to my website and go to the “Contact” page.