Meet Evan Branning, Candidate For Livermore City Council

LIVERMORE, CA — Learn more about Evan Branning, a planning commissioner running to represent Livermore’s District 1.

1. Why are you running for City Council?

Livermore is an amazing city with a unique history, character, and community. I have dedicated my career to improving the lives of my students and our community. I teach cooking at a local alt-ed high school giving students a chance to learn real world job skills. Outside of work I am active in helping to build upon what already makes Livermore so great by serving on our Planning Commissions and volunteering to support our community. I hope to take the next step to serve Livermore as your City Council representative.

2. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Livermore?

Livermore is a great place to live, but collectively we face a lot of challenges over the coming years. One of the biggest challenges the next council will face is finalizing the General Plan. This is the governing document for the next decade and will affect many aspects of our life in Livermore. Good planning now will help us with many of our major challenges such as affordable housing, homelessness, public infrastructure, finances, and safety.

3. How do you intend to address it?

My experiences on the Planning Commission and Human Services Commission have given me a much better understanding of how planning documents are made and how they reverberate through the community. On council I will work to ensure our planning documents target our human service and infrastructure needs in a sustainable manner that benefits all residents.

4. What should be done to solve the affordable housing crisis?

It is a regional issue and no single city or county can solve the problem but we can all contribute to the solution. I am very proud to have helped shape the inclusionary requirements as part of the planning commision. Livermore has a very strong inclusionary requirement that requires builders to build housing for a variety of income levels in each new development. Making sure we have housing that is affordable to all income levels is a key part of ending the housing crisis.

5. What do you think the city can do to maintain water security?

Livermore is a leader in water recycling and we can work to continue to improve and expand the purple pipes to meet our irrigation needs. Additionally, continuing to move to low water plants for our public space will reduce some of the municipal water usage. We will also continue to work with state and county partners to improve infrastructure and education to reduce commercial and residential water usage.

6. What can the city do to help its downtown and small businesses?

Expanding innovation grants to small businesses to help them get established or grow are a great boon. I would also continue to work with and support our office of Innovation and Economic Development. They have been very successful in bringing in new business and supporting our local businesses in Livermore. Continuing to build on the city’s partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce and Livermore Downtown Inc. supports our small and large businesses and creates pathways for businesses to bring concerns to the city. With the Downtown Core entering its final phase and the city’s involvement waning I would work to help revitalize retail outside the core. I would look to improve the streetscapes on second street and railroad and work to revitalize the shopping centers on Rincon and Pacific.

7. What is your idea of responsible development?

Livermore has been working to plan its development out 10-20 years. Staff and city leadership have been able to work on plans such as the General Plan and Specific Plans with an eye to the future and set us up to be able to meet our required development while maintaining Livermore’s great quality of life. As we continue to grow it is important we maintain Livermore’s unique character and welcome our new neighbors.

8. What other issues are important to you?

Public safety and fiscal responsibility are two of the main reasons a city exists and I plan to maintain Livermore’s policies. As a member of the LARPD Foundation board maintaining our beautiful open spaces has always been a priority of mine. Additionally, I will work for safe beautiful streets in Livermore. There are immediate and long term improvements we can make to help our roads look better and be safer to walk, bike, and drive on.

9. How long have you lived in Livermore?

I have lived in Livermore for about a decade.

10. What brought you to the city?

Livermore reminds me a lot of the town I grew up in. I grew up in San Pedro, which is a small town near a big city with a very unique character. I love that Livermore has a distinct identity and people really love it here. We also have an amazing downtown, wineries, small businesses and restaurants, open space, and events. Livermore is truly an awesome place to live.

11. What experience do you have serving the community?

Here is a list of some of the experiences I have serving the community:

• Livermore Planning Commissioner
• LARPD Foundation Board Member
• Former Livermore Human Services Commissioner
• Former Alameda County Human Services Commissioner
• Treasurer for Association of Pleasanton Teachers
• Co-Founder Unify Livermore
• Co-Founder Tri-Valley Transit Coalition
• Livermore Key to the City Graduate
• Livermore Citizens Police Academy Graduate
• Former Small Business Owner
• Public School Culinary Teacher

12. Of which accomplishments are you most proud?

I am most proud of my wonderful family and that I get to serve my students and help them through a difficult age to transition into good jobs or schools. On the public service side I think I am most proud of helping the Wine Down in the Grove event succeed. That event raised about $12,000 to donate to scholarships for families, kids, and seniors to participate in LARPD programs.

13. What is your education?

I have a bachelors in History, associates in Culinary Arts, and a teaching credential as well as a lot of continuing education over the years of teaching.

14. Tell us about your family.

I am married to my best friend who supports and encourages me to be the best person I can be. We were married outside the Barn by our former mayor and I could not be luckier to have her in my life. Without Nicole I don’t think I would be running right now and she deserves all of the credit for all of my successes even if she does not like the limelight.

15. What is the best advice you ever received?

There is some amount of good in the world. When you do good for others you are adding to the good of the world. Even if it is a small thing or goes unnoticed or unrecognized, your small action has made the world a little bit better.

16. Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your
positions?

I love Livermore and I want to listen and work collaboratively with the residents to make Livermore even better. I have experience working with our local and regional leaders and I am honored to have earned their endorsements along with firefighters, labor organizations, teachers, realtors and many others. I hope you will reach out.

17. Please provide links to websites and social media.

• Website: evanbranning.com
• Cell Phone: 925-232-1101
• Facebook: /EvanBranningInfo
• Instagram: @evanbranning
• You can find all my links and contact information on linktr.ee/evanbranning