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She is not a “politician.” She does not necessarily like “politics,” but Mayor Diane Hodges is doing one heck of a job making sure that the people of Live Oak are heard.
Selected as the Mayor the entire two-and-a-half years she has served on council, Mayor Hodges is proud of the accomplishments she and fellow Council members have achieved. The population of Live Oak, when Hodges was growing up there was 2,000. At that time, she says she could not have foreseen a population of that town at today’s count at 8,500.
“The Council looks to the future of how we can be sustainable. How we can provide for seniors without transportation,” she explained. Hodges understands that new homes are necessary for a town’s future because even though the population is 8,500, there are only 2,200 connections to utilities and rates could be lower with more homes and more growth.
Hodges believes in forward thinking for future Live Oak citizens, such as her own grandkids. She cites Live Oak much like Gridley back in 1947-1948, when both towns had many more businesses.
“People want to live here because we are smaller, but it would be nice to be able to purchase certain items here,” she stated. The Yuba-Sutter Transit bus does come to Live Oak three days a week to take residents to Yuba City for shopping.
Although she professes to being nervous about conducting meetings, that has never been evident as she keeps twice-a-month council meetings at a steady speed, while accomplishing many endeavors from large projects to smaller ones.
Not only is this Council in their General Plan Update, they are building their new Wastewater Treatment Plant, thanks to a $10 million grant. Without this grant, rates to the townspeople would have tripled. The City also received a $6 million, one percent loan for 30 years from the State as part of the Stimulus Plan. The rate increase to homeowners will be much less, because of the loan and grant. Normally the State would offer a 20 year loan at 2.5 percent. “This is tremendous for the community,” she said.
Another project Mayor Hodges is excited about, is the Oak Knoll Pennington Ranch Park in the KB Homes subdivision, being used by many community members.
A block party will be held there on August 4, 2009, for National Night Out for the community and according to Hodges, “That is what it was meant to be.”
She is not a “politician.” She does not necessarily like “politics,” but Mayor Diane Hodges is doing one heck of a job making sure that the people of Live Oak are heard.
Selected as the Mayor the entire two-and-a-half years she has served on council, Mayor Hodges is proud of the accomplishments she and fellow Council members have achieved. The population of Live Oak, when Hodges was growing up there was 2,000. At that time, she says she could not have foreseen a population of that town at today’s count at 8,500.
“The Council looks to the future of how we can be sustainable. How we can provide for seniors without transportation,” she explained. Hodges understands that new homes are necessary for a town’s future because even though the population is 8,500, there are only 2,200 connections to utilities and rates could be lower with more homes and more growth.
Hodges believes in forward thinking for future Live Oak citizens, such as her own grandkids. She cites Live Oak much like Gridley back in 1947-1948, when both towns had many more businesses.
“People want to live here because we are smaller, but it would be nice to be able to purchase certain items here,” she stated. The Yuba-Sutter Transit bus does come to Live Oak three days a week to take residents to Yuba City for shopping.
Although she professes to being nervous about conducting meetings, that has never been evident as she keeps twice-a-month council meetings at a steady speed, while accomplishing many endeavors from large projects to smaller ones.
Not only is this Council in their General Plan Update, they are building their new Wastewater Treatment Plant, thanks to a $10 million grant. Without this grant, rates to the townspeople would have tripled. The City also received a $6 million, one percent loan for 30 years from the State as part of the Stimulus Plan. The rate increase to homeowners will be much less, because of the loan and grant. Normally the State would offer a 20 year loan at 2.5 percent. “This is tremendous for the community,” she said.
Another project Mayor Hodges is excited about, is the Oak Knoll Pennington Ranch Park in the KB Homes subdivision, being used by many community members.
A block party will be held there on August 4, 2009, for National Night Out for the community and according to Hodges, “That is what it was meant to be.”
Mayor Hodges and the Council are happy to see the Pennington Road sidewalk project that will give students at Luther School a safe route to walk to school.
She worked at Luther School 13 years and saw parents drive and kids walk to school. “This safer route will be better for the parents, knowing that their children have a sidewalk and crosswalks to cross at DeRee Road and Richards Road,” Mayor Hodges stated. “It’s all about the kids, our future,” she said.
While spending 12 years as an Instructional Aide in friend Donna McAvoy’s class, she spent her last year there as a computer aide with 30 computers in the lab teaching students how to use them. In particular, third and fourth graders learning to type on the keyboard.
The New Tower Market is progressing quickly, which will bring more commerce and jobs to the town. With that, a new stoplight at Elm and Highway 99 will be up in the fall.
When asked what she would like to see come to fruition during her time on Council, Mayor Hodges mentioned she would like to see the old depot done and before her term ends, she would like to see more economic development, more businesses. “I can remember the depot as a jewelry store, where I purchased a Black Hills Gold ring. I purchased it from graduation money I received,” she reminisced.
Being born and raised in Live Oak, she also remembers the old depot as a restaurant, where she tried octopus for the first time.
Although she loved her time at Luther School, when Mayor Hodges became a grandmother, it wasn’t a difficult decision to quit and babysit them at her home.
She decided to run for City Council and took office December 27, 2007, during a special meeting held at City Hall. On January 7, 2007, Hodges was voted in as Mayor and is now in her third term. Being chosen as Mayor while entering a City Council for the first time, is no doubt something not usually done very often.
One of her reasons to run for council was explained by stating, “If you’re going to complain - get involved to either fix it or understand it.”
Mayor Hodges and the other Council members have a high respect for each other according to Hodges.
Hodge’s mother, Vina Barber lives in Live Oak, as do the Mayor’s many aunts, uncles and cousins on her mother’s side. Her father Leroy served on the town’s Cemetery Board. Mayor Hodges grandmother, Ola Brock lived to the age of 99 in Live Oak, moving here in the 1940’s.
Married at 16-years-old to Kenneth Hodges, who was also born and raised in Live Oak, she was a junior at Live Oak High School, worked that summer, then returned for her senior year. A year later, the couple had their first child, daughter Joni (Emerson), 29, and five years later, son Jordan, 24. Mayor Hodges enjoys babysitting her two granddaughters, 40 hours a week, who are five and almost three years of age.
As if she doesn’t have enough time with children, she can’t forget her friends at Luther School and often volunteers for special programs, such as speaking to the third graders once a year about what being Mayor of a City means. She also visits for Arbor Day and helps fifth graders with a coloring contest, and helps take first graders to the park for lunch once a year. She enjoys reading to classes for Dr. Seuss Day.
In their off hours, the Hodges enjoy getting away, whether it is a trip to the ocean, State Parks or hiking. When on vacation, she can’t forget the children and looks for books to read to the school children as a souvenir for herself. Her latest purchases were a book on recycling, “something important for everybody,” and a Dr. Seuss book, “On Beyond Bugs,” which she found at a visitors center to read to the Luther School students. “I’m always thinking about what I can buy and be able to use in my visits to the classrooms, for a certain project,” she explained.
She may get away once a quarter for a few days, but still calls City Hall each day to check in, because of her concern for the people in Live Oak and the community.
Luckily, Mayor Hodges’ mother is available to spot her in babysitting, because there are times her City business takes over, such as the many committees she serves on, representing the City of Live Oak, such as Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), Live Oak Schools Foundation, Parks and Recreation Committee, Administration Committee, Community Relations Committee for the Leo Chesney Community, Sutter Co. Consolidated Housing Authority, the General Plan Steering Committee and alternate for the Bi County Transportation.
Along with Council members (Vice Mayor) Rob Klotz, Gary Baland and Harold Childers, she also serves on the Economic Financial and Public Safety Committees. The council lost their friend, Councilman Al Fortino this month and each is quick to speak of his many contributions not only to the Council, but also the Chamber of Commerce and the community. Mayor Hodges stated Fortino’s picture will remain on the wall in City Hall through his term. “He really wanted to be here,” she stated. “He always wanted to do for others. We don’t want to replace him, but we have no choice. We will be diligent at looking at candidates.” A new council person will be chosen next month, rather than the City hold a special election at a cost of $35,000.
Mayor Hodges owns no business in the city, no property, except the home she and her husband live in.
It took her a year to get used to the term, “Madam Mayor,” stating, “It’s never about me. It’s about giving people a voice.”
She states the best part about the position of Mayor is being able to talk to the people. She said the first time a child asked her for her autograph, it really surprised her.
This busy Mayor has the support of her husband behind her 100 percent she says. “I couldn’t do it without him and his support,” she stated. Kenneth has worked at Yuba Sutter Disposal for 28 years. They have a 28 foot travel trailer and have traveled across the United States in it.
She is very proud of the City’s K9 program, not only Karo the dog, but especially his partner, Sutter County Deputy Steve Traynor. She is also pleased with the new signage on the City’s eight deputy’s vehicles, which is silver with black writing with the words, “City of Live Oak” on the trunk of each patrol car. “We asked for our own identity before Sheriff Denny retired and it was put on hold until Sheriff Paul Parker came along,” she stated. The City has 24 hour coverage, seven days a week and enjoys a great relationship with Deputy’s according to Mayor Hodges.
“We have great communication with them. The Deputies do a great job,” she stated.
Mayor Hodges term may be up in November 2010, but there is no doubt that this burst of energy will run again. She enjoys the fun activities that the council is involved in, such as Ice Cream Night, on August 10, where pencils are given away for the school year to begin August 13, 2009. Free swimming and Karoake are being held tonight, Wednesday, at Memorial Park.
“These are fun stress relievers, quite different from the big decisions we sometimes have to make,” she stated. “It can be one little step at a time, but we’ve made some pretty big leaps in the last year,” she stated.
