Kay Cayler Says Hello To A Busy Future

Radiating spirit tinged with the can-do attitude, former Dixon City Councilwoman Kay Cayler sat down for an interview recently at the Dixon Chamber of Commerce/Transportation Center.

Cayler’s November loss at the hands of fellow councilmember Dane Besneatte and newcomer Thom Bogue – she lost her council seat by 300 votes or so – has not stopped her from being involved in Dixon politics. Cayler along with her husband, Russ, has attended many post-election city council meetings, weighing in on a variety of issues – everything from medical marijuana to protecting redevelopment funds.

Asked what her plans are for the future she replied with a grin, “Well, now I have a lot more freedom to speak my mind at City Council meetings.”

In addition to letting her opinions be known at the city council meetings, Cayler said she'll take up where she left off before she was appointed to the council in January 2009, before she was tapped to complete Jack Batchelor's term when he became Dixon’s mayor.

Cayler had resigned all the positions she'd held with community organizations prior to getting the appointment.

She explained: “I didn't want to be in the position, as a city councilmember, of voting on matters concerning organizations (in which) I also served as a board member or in whatever capacity.”

This was, Cayler said, a matter both of principle and to ensure there could be no misperception of her actions as a City Councilmember. For example, she'd sat on the Dixon Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, and was well aware that the City of Dixon granted money to the chamber to help put on the May Fair Parade.

“I didn't want to be voting on money for the parade as a city councilmember for the chamber,” she said. “However that was seen, I wouldn't have been comfortable doing it and I wanted there to be no question of inappropriate influence.”

Such attention to detail paid off in a variety of ways when as a councilmember Cayler fought for projects she believed would benefit Dixon. She said she is proud to have helped enable Heritage Commons, the 60-unit senior housing project, move forward.

“It's a pretty innovative approach to affordable housing for low-income seniors, similar to The Eleanor Roosevelt Circle in Davis, where there's a community building including a kitchen and computer room, an onsite health facility and educational opportunities,” she said.

Dixon community members had voiced concerns about safety for seniors living in the two-story facility, but Cayler and staff did extensive research and were able to counter these objections successfully.

Last July Heritage Commons received a grant of $1 million through the Affordable Housing Program of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco.

Cayler also worked closely with Dixon City Chief Engineer Royce Cunningham on the Core Area drainage problem, and the well project in the city's northeast quadrant. This experience and working with city staff on other projects around Dixon raised her awareness, she said, of the importance of doing as many projects as possible in-house, rather than hiring expensive outside consultants.

“I believe we have many resourceful and talented folks on staff working for the betterment of Dixon,” she said. “I'd like to see them continue as our go-to team on future city-council-approved projects.”

Since her November defeat, Cayler was re-elected to her seat on the Dixon Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She also resumed her duties on behalf of Dixon Family Services and the Dixon Rotary Club. Chamber of Commerce Office Manager Carol Pruett succinctly summed up Cayler's new job description on behalf of all these organizations, “Kay's the Queen of the Raffles.”

Cayler is working on some innovative funding strategies for Dixon Family Services, including perhaps more Comedy Shows, a Bud's Monday Night Dinner and researching available grants.

“We really owe it to our clientele, DFS being the last resort for many of them, to do everything we can to make sure we keep up our level of service,” Cayler said. “Not that we've gotten word about any definite cuts, but we know the threats are out there.”

She'll also be hands-on when it comes to helping organize the raffle for the Chamber of Commerce's upcoming “Citizen of the Year” dinner, which is to be held March 5 (the event will be themed "A Tribute To The Greatest Generation").

After that, the Dixon Mayfair Parade will absorb Cayler's attention as organizational maven. As well, she is working with the Dixon Rotary Club on the annual Crab Feed and fund-raising for its latest project, constructing classrooms for a school in Guatemala.

In other words, look for Cayler to continue her efforts on behalf of the organizations, which help make Dixon what she calls a “can-do" city. Which begs the question, of course: being that she's so thoroughly connected with the Dixon community, would she rule out another run for a seat on the Dixon City Council?

Cayler shrugged eloquently, smiled and said, “Next question, please.”