Interview With City Councilmember Michael Gregory
By Margarita Lacabe
Councilmember Michael Gregory represents District 1, a U-shaped district that includes most of Bay-o-Vista, downtown, Estudillo Estates south of San Leandro Creek, and the area between East 14th and the railroad tracks between Estudillo and 139th Avenue. He's been on the job for less than a year, but has already started to make his imprint with his indomitable energy and enthusiasm. I spoke to Michael Gregory about his experiences on the City Council and his vision. His answers didn't quite conform to my questions, but they definitely illustrated what's on his mind.
The first thing on his mind is the heaviness of his Council position, the fact that the decisions he makes there will affect people not only in San Leandro, but also regionally. He gives as an example his support for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD); the success of this strategy may be a catalyst for other cities to revisit their development plans.
Michael sees San Leandro as a village, an island within the Bay Area, with a community that shows ownership of their town. His visceral response to the biggest challenges in San Leandro are, is how do we maintain the small town character and community spirit of San Leandro and at the same time modernize. He sees smart growth and a City Council that can work well together with city staff as part of the solution. He is very enthusiastic about the TOD and thinks land owners will be encouraged to invest in the community.
He is also very proud of Shape Up San Leandro, a program that encourages making small incremental changes in the health habits of San Leandro citizens to prevent future health problems. Michael is very enthusiastic about the people and groups that are collaborating—representatives from the city, the school district, and businesses. The program is still in its pre-launch stages, but Michael feels it will inspire people and bring them together.
As a parent of children who attended the San Leandro School District, he believes the city and the schools need to find more ways to work together such as joint use projects.
His full-time job is with the Red Cross and disaster preparedness in San Leandro is also on his mind. He'd like to see neighborhoods organize annual disaster simulations so that everyone knows what to do in the case of a disaster. This will also encourage neighbors to meet and increase community spirit, but most importantly, it could help save lives, as in the case of a large earthquake without enough first responders to help everyone in need.
His final message to the community is get involved. This city is small enough that you can easily make a difference. He advises if you don't like a commission, start one of your own.
|
