Lafayette Youth Advisory Board Candidate Forum October 15, 2025

The Lofty Youth Advisory Board, a group of eleven appointed student members, hosted a candidate forum for the ten individuals running for the four open Lafayette City Council seats. The event, moderated by David Brady, Shabani Sentel Kamar, and Co-Chair Van D. Wing, featured opening statements from each candidate and a Q&A session addressing public health risks, youth programming, local history preservation, housing affordability, and immigrant safety. Candidates covered their professional backgrounds, campaign priorities, and proposed strategies to address pressing community challenges.

Consent Calendar

• [None; this was a candidate forum event with no formal voting or consent calendar items.]

Public Comments & Testimony

• The forum itself served as the platform for public engagement, structured as a candidate forum rather than open public comment. The Lofty Youth Advisory Board facilitated the proceedings, and the audience consisted of the candidates and youth board members. No external public members gave testimonial speeches during the recorded session.

Discussion Items

• Public Health Risks (Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Gun Violence):

  • Saul Tapia Vega: Expressed that while Lafayette has a mental health tax, the city is not doing enough. He advocated for equitable access to resources for all residents regardless of background and noted the regional ballot measure for additional mental health funding.
  • Mary Ann Jensen: Echoed the need for the upcoming ballot measure (County Issue 1B) raising $14 million annually for mental health, specifically targeting LGBTQ+ youth. She proposed locally enforcing existing laws prohibiting domestic violence offenders from possessing weapons and stated she does not tolerate bullying.
  • Kyle Bolier: Stated that a public health response is needed, treating this as a systemic issue involving assessment, treatment, and prevention. He highlighted the need for evening programming for teens, building on points raised by other candidates.
  • Josh Barrel: Shared personal loss from gun violence and student suicide during his teaching career. He emphasized the importance of making people feel they belong and advocated for city-funded mental health programs in and out of schools and a shelter for the unhoused.
  • Michael Watson: Stated that programs alone are insufficient; the community must have a culture of outreach. He emphasized physical health and fitness as foundational to mental health.
  • Rob Glenn: Noted that the current generation of youth faces more pressure due to the prevalence of information technology. He praised community hubs like Sister Carmen for providing resources.
  • Crystal Gallegos: Expressed concern over the lack of evening programming after 8:00 PM, forcing families to travel to other cities. She encouraged youth to utilize school wellness centers and collaborate with the city to expand school-based resources.
  • Luke Arnton: Called for safe schools, adequate resources, and positive interactions between teens and law enforcement.
  • Eric Ryan: Agreed that awareness and education are necessary and suggested setting aside funds for community programs.
  • Adam Gianola: Admitted limited prior thought on the specific strategies but suggested directing residents to existing county resources and utilizing police departments to help people access help rather than the justice system.

• Youth Programming:

  • Josh Barrel: Proposed expanding social gaming programs (e.g., tabletop games) to foster community and identity exploration.
  • Michael Watson: Stressed the need for civic engagement, such as community-driven projects (e.g., building pocket parks together) and listening to youth needs.
  • Rob Glenn: Expressed a desire to listen to the community on what activities are needed beyond sports and to learn more from the Youth Advisory Board about gaps in current offerings.
  • Eric Ryan: Stated that listening to the advisory board is the core strategy. He advocated for professional mental health support, enhanced sports activities, and increased funding for the library makerspace.
  • Kyle Bolier: Proposed a structured apprenticeship program partnered with BVSD and better transit systems to allow youth access to activities.
  • Luke Arnton: Emphasized maintaining funding for creative outlets like theater and sports, noting that creativity helps youth discover their paths.
  • Mary Ann Jensen: Stressed the need for scholarships to help low-income families, expanding arts and non-sports activities, and keeping facilities open at night for unsupervised youth.
  • Saul Tapia Vega: Highlighted the need for equitable expansion of programs, citing his own background and the fact that many youth lack outlets, linking this to substance abuse issues.
  • Adam Gianola: Called for listening to diverse youth groups and exploring opportunities in sustainability, arts, and practical skills (e.g., fix-it clinics) alongside sports.

• Preservation and Representation of History:

  • Saul Tapia Vega: Expressed pride in the upcoming unveiling of a plaque at Potter's Field acknowledging the city's history with the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s and 1950s. He emphasized that the work continues to include names on the plaque.
  • Crystal Gallegos: Stated that the city cannot learn from the past if it is denied. She highlighted both negative history (KKK) and positive history (support for striking miners) to argue against whitewashing.
  • Luke Arnton: Advocated for acknowledging both good and bad history without putting a spin on it, urging residents to learn from these events to move forward.
  • Kyle Bolier: Stated that the city has "whitewashed" much of its history, including its complex immigrant past, and praised efforts to unpack the truth rather than presenting a sanitized version.
  • Eric Ryan: Stated his surprise at the KKK history and advocated for more education in schools and at the library about the true history of Lafayette.
  • Josh Barrel: Criticized the whitewashing of local and national history, stating it harms students' ability to make informed decisions.
  • Adam Gianola: Expressed support for truth and honesty, suggesting the city use its PR department to highlight past mistakes and current efforts to address them.
  • Michael Watson: Argued that acknowledging history is disingenuous if the city continues to approve developments that threaten open spaces; he believes learning from history requires changing current actions.
  • Rob Glenn: Stated that history must be shared in its entirety (good, bad, and ugly) and that the city's unique culture stems from its diverse immigrant history.

• Cost of Living and Affordable Housing:

  • Michael Watson: Advocated for a city government lifeline for renters facing hostile landlords or inability to pay rent. He stated that rising costs are a concerted effort and not an accident.
  • Kyle Bolier: Stated that affordability requires building more housing while balancing open space preservation. He noted that $60,000 in 2005 is equivalent to $100,000 today, highlighting the outsize cost of living.
  • Luke Arnton: Expressed personal concern that he could not afford to buy his home again, advocating for ADUs, apartments, and condos in the right places.
  • Rob Glenn: Noted that while Lafayette has completed phases of Willoughby Corner (400 units), rental affordability is largely controlled by county and state AMI standards.
  • Crystal Gallegos: Stated that 60-80% AMI housing is often more expensive than market rates in neighboring towns. She supported expanding work on affordable housing and exploring regional partnerships.
  • Saul Tapia Vega: Stated that Lafayette is a leader in the region but that current efforts are insufficient. He highlighted that housing costs are unaffordable for the majority of residents and called for comprehensive solutions.
  • Adam Gianola: Stated that building more housing alone is not the solution if units cost over $700,000. He advocated for using zoning to prevent the demolition of existing affordable housing (like trailer parks) by large developers.
  • Josh Barrel: Emphasized the need to ensure newly built affordable units remain affordable through careful planning and land use code updates.
  • Eric Ryan: Agreed that Lafayette is on the right direction but stated more must be done to study available parcels for diverse housing types (duplexes, apartments).
  • Mary Ann Jensen: Criticized the county's affordable housing tax advisory process for lack of transparency. She advocated for the city to exercise its authority to raise the minimum wage and create affordable ADUs.

• Immigration Enforcement and Inclusivity:

  • Rob Glenn: Expressed concern over the need for safety protocols regarding low-income immigrant families and highlighted efficiency improvements by partners like Sister Carmen.
  • Adam Gianola: Stated the city is doing a good job but needs to do more in integrating communities into decision-making and supporting organizations like Sister Carmen.
  • Josh Barrel: Advocated for a "no-secret police law" to identify all law enforcement and opposed the use of automated license plate readers (Flock) by the city to prevent potential data sharing with federal immigration authorities.
  • Mary Ann Jensen: Highlighted state laws limiting local enforcement of immigration issues but noted that fear is preventing some immigrants from seeking help. She emphasized the need to communicate that local police do not enforce immigration laws.
  • Michael Watson: Stated that legally the city has limited power against a hostile federal government but expressed willingness to support a community-driven effort to physically protect neighbors from ICE.
  • Crystal Gallegos: Stated the city is safe and welcoming to all. She called for accessibility, outreach, and ensuring legal resources (like the free library line) are available in all languages.
  • Luke Arnton: Expressed concern over the changing national climate and a desire for the police department to receive direction supporting community inclusivity.
  • Saul Tapia Vega: Shared reports of ICE activity in Lafayette backyards. He stressed the importance of community education and empowering partners while relying on the local police department's commitment to follow state law and not aid federal immigration enforcement.
  • Eric Ryan: Noted the severity of the fear immigrants feel and proposed offering legal services to help residents with paperwork and immediate help if arrested.
  • Kyle Bolier: Stated that the city must lead in defending citizens, citing the massive budget and staffing of ICE. He called for erasing data to protect identities and partnering with schools to protect students.

Key Outcomes

• Completion of Forum: The forum concluded with a series of 13 yes-or-no questions regarding candidates' past service, participation in city events, and support for specific ballot issues and policies (including recreation center improvements, restorative justice, substance abuse programs, diversity plans, climate action, mental health co-responder programs, health offices, child care during meetings, Juneteenth events, and English/Spanish language access). Candidates were asked to respond using paddles, but the specific vote tallies or individual answers to these questions are not recorded in the transcript.
• No Formal Votes Taken: No official legislative decisions, resolutions, or motions were voted upon during this candidate forum event.
• Next Steps Identified by Candidates: Multiple candidates called for future actions including the implementation of specific programs (apprenticeships, mental health services), policy changes (minimum wage, transparency in land use), and community engagement strategies (listening sessions, historical education), but no formal directives were issued by the City Council or Youth Advisory Board during this meeting.
• Discrepancy Note: The transcript references a "2025 ballot issue" for $74 million for recreation center improvements and a civic center. This is consistent with the transcript date of October 15, 2025. Mary Ann Jensen also references a 2023 county tax for $15 million. No conflicting dates or figures regarding these specific initiatives were noted in the text.