Election Q&A with Folsom City Council candidate YK Chalamcherla

Next month, local residents will be electing two new members to Folsom City Council. The upcoming vacant seats are currently held by council member Ernie Sheldon and appointed council member Andy Morin. A total of seven candidates are now campaigning for the two available seats. Those candidates include Mark Moore, Jaya Badiga, Janine Bedley, Justin Sanders, YK Chalamcherla, Justin Raithel and Rosario Rodriguez. This week, the Folsom Telegraph continues its preview coverage to the 2020 election with a multi-part series that allows the local candidates to address a handful of key questions concerning the city and their views on those topics, in their own words. The question set presented has been selected from a public query, in which the community was asked what they would like to know from their local candidates. In this segment, candidate YK Chalamcherla shares his views on several key topics. Why are you running for Folsom City Council? Helping others gives me lot of satisfaction; this is something I learned early on from my parents. I have helped people in Public sector, volunteered in various community events and been a part of non-profits. In doing so, I learned a lot about the needs of the community. As an elected official, I can make significant impact on the community. Hence running for city council. Tell us about yourself, your career and what qualities, skills you have that you feel qualify you well to serve the city of Folsom as a council member? My philosophy is to engage in the community to learn about the community. I have demonstrated my strong community service mindset over the past decade in Folsom and with 25 years of Public Sector leadership roles. This background helps me as councilman in City administration, budgets and policies. I am a great listener, willing to work hard and to learn. Traffic has been a much talked about topic in Folsom as the City continues to grow. Do you believe Folsom has traffic challenges and if so, how do you envision addressing those concerns? Traffic challenges will increase with growth, and as more amenities become available in our town. Continuing to install traffic signal sensors to synchronize traffic patterns will lead to less wait times. I will also emphasize collaboration with the State and Federal authorities for grants to build HWY 50 interchanges at Empire Ranch & Oak Avenue. Many residents express concern over Folsom's water supply as Folsom's population grows. If elected, how would you address these concerns for the future? I had a detailed discussion with the Folsom City Water Resources Director about the water supplies. Here are some facts: Folsom has signed contracts with water companies for 34,000 acre-feet of water rights with a backup plan of pumping groundwater if there is no water in the lake. Our maximum estimated consumption after 50 south complete buildout is 30,000 acre-feet. My priority is to host townhall sessions to ease the concerns. The City of Folsom has great public safety resources in place. Do you see concerns of safety needs in the city in the future and have thoughts on how to address them? I plan to further enhance public safety through increased Citizens Assisting Public Safety (CAPS) volunteers, Neighborhood Watch, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Look for technology innovations to help officers. I have an emphasis on our K-12 schools' safety. My website (www.electYK.com) lists all my ideas to improve our safety. I promise to keep public safety as my #1 priority. How do you envision Folsom's growth in the next 20-30 years based on its current pace? The City of Folsom has a history of slow and steady growth, making sure amenities are in place and not compromising on any citizens' services. Broadstone and Empire Ranch development is an example that started in the mid 1990's and completed in 2017 as planned. The South of 50 is projected to complete in 25 years. My emphasis is on building infrastructure to support this development. Homelessness is a much talked about topic in Folsom. Do you see Folsom's homeless concerns continuing to grow and foresee potential solutions? Folsom is blessed with outstanding community non-profits and faith-based organizations that are already helping homeless. I volunteer with Folsom HART and others. Every person's condition is different. Some have a mental illness and substance abuse which needs County support. A large number of homeless people want to come off the streets. Our City has to take more ownership and partner with non-profits, together we can achieve more success! COVID-19 has taken a toll on Folsom's business community. If elected what measures would you seek to implement to address a crisis such as this in the future to lessen such a financial impact to local commerce? Folsom Chamber is promoting local businesses through #FolsomStrongerTogether campaign. COVID-19's financial impact is broader than anticipated by most. The city is trying its best to support businesses. My recommendation is to reduce financial impact in future by forming an advisory committee with experts (task force) to fast-track decisions. I believe with collaboration we can bring the best solutions forward. Final question – state one issue the city of Folsom faces that you feel passionate about addressing during your term and how you would do so, if elected? My website www.electYK.com lists my platform. My top priority would be "Sustainable Economic Development" for our town in partnership with other entities. My vision is to look to today's issues and assess those issues and how they will affect the future. It is my job and honor to listen to residents and continue to make the best decisions. I will work hard to maintain the City of Folsom as the best place to live, work, and play in California.