00:00:00.000 - 00:00:18.000

Jeremy Hays: People we've interviewed so far, you're the best restaurant on. Armando Flores: Well, thank you very much. Appreciate that, Jeremy. Armando Flores: OK, we're rolling. Jeremy Hays: So I'd like to start with the the beginning beginning, which is where you grew up and where, where, where you grew.

00:00:19.000 - 00:01:02.000

Armando Flores: Up I was raised in Watsonville at age at age 18. I went to the University of San Francisco. Armando Flores: So going from a small community of about 10,000 to San Francisco, which at the time was probably 750,000 dramatic change for a country boy. Jeremy Hays: How did you and when did you come up to Rohnert Park? Armando Flores: After I finished my first year of teaching in the social legal school district, my wife and I were looking for an affordable home and we bought a Mardi Gras model home in.

00:01:03.000 - 00:01:16.000

Armando Flores: Wonderfully affordable. Armando Flores: Young community, growing community and a good chance for us to raise our two children. Jeremy Hays: How did you come to hear about Rohnert Park? Armando Flores: I read a newspaper advertisement.

00:01:17.000 - 00:01:44.000

Armando Flores: In the. Armando Flores: Marin County newspaper and it talked about affordable housing in Winter Park. Armando Flores: And the the the prices were so dramatically different than the prices in. Armando Flores: Lorain County we decided to take a look and we fell in love with the home that we saw. Do you remember, like how much it costs and the down payment the.

00:01:45.000 - 00:02:28.000

Armando Flores: The price of the home that we bought at Warner Park at the time was $17,000 and we bought our home from Paul Gollis, who was the founder with Maurice Fredericks of owner Park, so went back a long way and that's how that started. Jeremy Hays: The the George who was just here was telling me when he went to park and the agent showed him the house. Jeremy Hays: And he said he liked it. You know, he said he didn't have a down payment on him. And the guy said, well, how much do you have on you? And he said, I've got 10 bucks on me. And he said, OK, give me 10 bucks. And that's your down payment on the House. And that was in 1961. So. Armando Flores: Ours was wonderfully affordable and and we couldn't wait.

00:02:29.000 - 00:03:00.000

Armando Flores: To move so. Jeremy Hays: Why tell me more about why you liked Rohnert Park when you when you came up here? I assume you came up and looked around, and in 1965 seasons Market had opened, so there were some things there. Tell me what drew you? What attracted you to Rohnert Park? Armando Flores: Well, I like the fact that they had two schools at the time we had young children. Armando Flores: I left owner Park because it seemed to be a community of young people where you could establish your your family. I was really enthusiastic about the sports program.

00:03:01.000 - 00:03:35.000

Armando Flores: And as a teacher, I thought I would do coaching became a coach and had a lot of fun doing that, and many of the people in Winter Park were young people. So basically our age group and so that was the the social activity of our community, I remember. Armando Flores: We have many Saturday nights in people's garages where we do a little bit of dancing, listen to music and and social. Armando Flores: Very different than today. Jeremy Hays: Very different today. Were there a lot of Latinos in in Rohnert Park?

00:03:36.000 - 00:03:53.000

Jeremy Hays: At the time. Armando Flores: Very few Latinos in Rohnert Park, I would say it was probably a. Armando Flores: 85% Anglo and maybe 15% of other races. Very few Hispanics. When we moved to Rohnert Park. Jeremy Hays: What was that like living there because of that?

00:03:54.000 - 00:04:28.000

Armando Flores: It it was a very welcoming community and we fit in very nicely. Had any never had any reason to feel that we were looked at differently in any way? You know, we became very active in the community. My wife became involved with the Women's Club, is that I also loved being a coach so. Armando Flores: Good relationships continue to this day. Jeremy Hays: Yeah, that's evident from marching and George, so the. Jeremy Hays: When did you join the Council?

00:04:29.000 - 00:04:50.000

Armando Flores: I was the campaign manager for Jimmy Rogers. Armando Flores: In his 1968 campaign, he's very successful real estate developer and I was his. Armando Flores: His primary counsel in the sense that I was his campaign manager. Armando Flores: And he? He Jimmy Rogers became.

00:04:51.000 - 00:05:26.000

Armando Flores: Very busy with real estate development to the point. Armando Flores: That he had a situations that would often come up to the Council that were conflict of interest, and he'd have to decline voting. So he said, you know what? I'm going to leave the Council and I'd like to suggest to the Council that you be appointed to the City Council. Armando Flores: And that occurred and I it was appointed to the City Council in 1971. Jeremy Hays: How did you going back a step? How did you get involved? How did you become? Why did you get involved in politics and become Jimmy Rogers campaign manager?

00:05:27.000 - 00:05:57.000

Armando Flores: I met Jimmy in and I like him as a very personal person. Armando Flores: And electric perspectives, and especially in terms of land development and housing. Armando Flores: Coming from a community that was very scarce in terms of affordable housing, I saw great opportunity in Rohnert Park and that I became very enthusiastic about that. And then this Jimmy started. Armando Flores: His drive for a election.

00:05:58.000 - 00:06:33.000

Armando Flores: He asked me if I would participate and I loved it. I was a history major at the University of San Francisco, always interested in politics. Armando Flores: I said I I would be glad. Armando Flores: To say it, that's how my involvement came around, and I've helped in some with some issues. He was treated unfairly because of his professional role and I felt that a person. Armando Flores: Could do both. You know, have a profession in serving politics. But when it became a little bit more acute and he said I I think I should resign up for the Council and I'm going to suggest that you be my replacement. I was enthusiastic about that.

00:06:34.000 - 00:07:00.000

Jeremy Hays: You served on the Council for quite a long time. Armando Flores: I did. I served for 18 years. Armando Flores: Not consecutively, but I served for 18 years on the City Council. Armando Flores: Thoroughly enjoyed working with the people in the community and my fellow Council members, and even though we may have had diverse points of view, there was always a collegiality there and the focus on the best interest of the city. So it was a wonderful experience for me.

00:07:01.000 - 00:07:38.000

Jeremy Hays: Tell me why? I mean, what? What? Jeremy Hays: What? Tell me about Rohnert Park politics. Like what? Actually, I should be more specific. Tell me about what the main issues were that you've dealt with on the Council, especially in those early years 70s. Armando Flores: In the early years, some of the more critical issues have to do with how fast the city was going to to grow. Armando Flores: And to develop and to see a realization of the vision that Maurice Fredericks and Paul Golds had, they had a good vision for the city and these deserving and do receive great credit for finding your own park.

00:07:39.000 - 00:08:09.000

Armando Flores: The issues had to do with the rate of growth. Some people were concerned about that focus on what amenities the city should have with the affordable maintaining the infrastructure. Armando Flores: The concern with water at the time and then there were also issues with the with flooding the. Armando Flores: The Santa Rosa Plain Water Park, a part of that. Armando Flores: Had some concerns with flooding, so all those dishes came to the Council.

00:08:10.000 - 00:08:50.000

Jeremy Hays: To you know, step back. The college came to Rohnert Park in the 60s while you were there, and then it moved from its location temporary location to the where it is now. What kind of impact did? Jeremy Hays: Snowman State College have on and then university have on the city of Rohnert. Armando Flores: Park the the impact of Sonoma State was major and I think really beneficial to the city. Armando Flores: The first housing was basically an apartment complex on Colegio Vista Drive. It was nice to see the students there, and then the the opportunity for a.

00:08:51.000 - 00:09:34.000

Armando Flores: Families in the community, adults, young children to be able to take advantage of wonderful college education. Armando Flores: And from that little basic headquarters, we have a wonderful university that has a statewide reputation for quality. So really enthusiastic about seeing it at the very beginning to its fruition now. Jeremy Hays: Do you remember when it arrived? Like, what would the first signs that it was there? I mean like new kids in town, that kind of thing. What was the first kind of ways that you you've noticed? Armando Flores: Its impact the the impact initially if somebody university wasn't major and and people really had to know where they were going or or really look for where they were.

00:09:35.000 - 00:09:58.000

Armando Flores: There wasn't an overwhelming number of students there at the time again, and those that were there fitting nicely. Initially a major part of the student population. Armando Flores: We're from the community, not only at Rohnert Park, but also. Armando Flores: Cataldi, Santa Rosa, Petaluma. They would be going to school at Sonoma State. Armando Flores: So was there.

00:09:59.000 - 00:10:34.000

Armando Flores: A major impact in in that regard, a nice transition into the Community. Jeremy Hays: What was the? Jeremy Hays: I mean, Rohnert Park is is interesting because for other, among other reasons, because it had no history really before 19, I mean it had the community services district, but the city before 1962 and then it had, but it had its whole sort of future in front of it. What was it like just socially as a person who lived in the city? Jeremy Hays: You know, as a teacher, you know those to be part of a place that was all about the future.

00:10:35.000 - 00:11:21.000

Armando Flores: We were really enthusiastic about being apart from the inception of our time, owner Park and. Armando Flores: Not that we didn't have some of the challenges you sisters was the only grocery store in town and and we were lucky that he came in. We had our Roberts and Reiber Roberts drugstore. Armando Flores: And that was like an old Wister and emporium. You could buy everything there, nails, yarn, paint, tools. It was really interesting. We didn't have any fast foods. Armando Flores: Soon we had an A&W and that was a site where people would congregate and enjoy a root beer float or a hamburger. But it was pretty basic at the.

00:11:22.000 - 00:11:38.000

Armando Flores: Time and if you wanted to see a movie, well, you'd have to travel to Santa Rosa or Petaluma with theaters there. Armando Flores: And basically 2 neighborhoods. Armando Flores: That we felt would soon emerge, and the greater vision of the city was. Jeremy Hays: There and richer the neighborhoods.

00:11:39.000 - 00:12:09.000

Armando Flores: We had A and BA was pretty much fully built out. B was perhaps 50% at the time and that's where we bought our home. We bought a nice little Mardi Gras. Armando Flores: We really liked the home that we saw. Armando Flores: Because the reminders of an Eichler. Armando Flores: Home it had a courtyard and on three sides large door sized windows. It was really a neat house that there was no way you could afforded that house in the Marin County.

00:12:10.000 - 00:12:23.000

Jeremy Hays: But you could it was affordable in. Jeremy Hays: Round park. It was a road Rohnert Park so. Jeremy Hays: You moved to be what? What street did? Armando Flores: You move to. We moved to Blair Ave. in Rohnert Park.

00:12:24.000 - 00:12:40.000

Jeremy Hays: And how did you like? Did people, how did you get to know your neighbors? Armando Flores: Because there was a small community. Armando Flores: We would, when we initially moved in. Armando Flores: They would invite us over for a potluck.

00:12:41.000 - 00:13:02.000

Armando Flores: And so you basically got to know the people in the street and then a little bit later you'd see them at sisters. Then you would talk or you see them in. Armando Flores: We're in the park pharmacy and you can rest there. Armando Flores: We had one Barber shop at the time. Armando Flores: And you would go in there and wait your turn and talk to your neighbor. So that's how you got to.

00:13:03.000 - 00:13:30.000

Armando Flores: Know the people. Armando Flores: And because we were young community where many children and that's how it became involved. Armando Flores: With baseball wanted to coach the team, coach A-Team and had great enthusiasm for. Jeremy Hays: I just had a question go flying through my mind and I went out the other way, so I'll have to find that one again.

00:13:31.000 - 00:14:01.000

Jeremy Hays: But when on the Council, how? What were the? Oh, no. I know what it was. At what stage of development? Because you were saying A and then B was about 50% built out when you moved there. At what stage of had Rohnert Park developed when you joined the Council? Armando Flores: When I joined the Council, I joined the Council in 1971. Armando Flores: And at that time. Armando Flores: Be neighborhood.

00:14:02.000 - 00:14:28.000

Armando Flores: Was working toward the completion of that neighborhood. Armando Flores: And at that time. Armando Flores: In 1971, we started seeing some business enterprises start to go to the planning stage and and later go go to fruition. So fill I consider it very early in the history of owner park when. Armando Flores: When I joined the City Council.

00:14:29.000 - 00:14:49.000

Jeremy Hays: And just I didn't catch that for sure. How much was built out like was was only B still being. Armando Flores: Finished and B was being finished at the time so. Armando Flores: My time on the Council. Armando Flores: Give me an opportunity to see C neighborhood start going through development and.

00:14:50.000 - 00:15:14.000

Armando Flores: The completion of the. Armando Flores: Of the Junior high school, which is at one time junior and Senior High School, Rancho Cotati High School started going through development and construction, so maturing as a city. Armando Flores: Any rapid rise from the two basic neighborhoods that began in. Armando Flores: In 1965, for.

00:15:15.000 - 00:15:43.000

Jeremy Hays: Me. Where did those businesses they started to see come in, you know, around the 70s when you were on the Council, where did they locate? Were they on the West side, where they along? Armando Flores: Basically everything was on the. Armando Flores: Website in the sense that it was just east of 101. Armando Flores: So the commercial core that we see now where you have the where you have Safeway, where you have CVS pharmacy.

00:15:44.000 - 00:16:01.000

Armando Flores: That's that section started first. Armando Flores: And then later across the street from Commerce Blvd. The 16 started to to develop. Armando Flores: But those were the. Armando Flores: The two main course of a commercial development.

00:16:02.000 - 00:16:35.000

Jeremy Hays: What was the city doing to try and get business there? Was it actively recruiting businesses or industry we? Armando Flores: Tried very hard to do that and one of the major sells. Armando Flores: Sorry, could you start that one? We tried very hard to. We tried very hard to promote business development in the Rohnert Park. We knew that sales tax was critical, amenities for the the city were necessary. Armando Flores: A big draw to the development of a road park as the city was a wonderful school system.

00:16:36.000 - 00:16:59.000

Armando Flores: Where students could go from K in a sense, all the way to some state universities that that was a a major draw and a small community tends to draw people who. Armando Flores: Want to have the. Armando Flores: More active social life with people their own age. Wonderful sports programs. Armando Flores: We had two swimming pools at the time.

00:17:00.000 - 00:17:21.000

Armando Flores: In our parks, people appreciated that and that brought them to the city. And as people started coming to the city, businesses saw more opportunities for a commercial growth. Jeremy Hays: Whereas the city actively recruiting businesses like going out and looking for businesses that were sort of considering moving and saying here come. Jeremy Hays: To Rohnert Park. Armando Flores: At every opportunity.

00:17:22.000 - 00:17:47.000

Armando Flores: I think that happened. We had a. Armando Flores: Very active and very knowledgeable and very good city manager. Armando Flores: Who talk to people not only for a. Armando Flores: Commercial enterprises, but also for the importance of Sonoma State University Pete Callanan, who was our first mayor's number one cheerleader for the city.

00:17:48.000 - 00:18:15.000

Jeremy Hays: What were the main? Jeremy Hays: You know how if you could describe, well, you kind of did already, when if you could do it again when Rohnert Park was when you joined the Council, Rohnert Park was. And then when when you left that your last term on the Council, what was running a park like then? Armando Flores: When I began my service on the road Park City Council. Armando Flores: We had at that time.

00:18:16.000 - 00:18:34.000

Armando Flores: A very collegial City Council. Armando Flores: We did real well in looking out for the needs of the city and promoting our own perspectives with development and an issue with that time. Armando Flores: With growth. Armando Flores: Some members of the Council did not want to.

00:18:35.000 - 00:18:47.000

Armando Flores: Go as fast as the majority of the Council did. Armando Flores: But we were able to work together in the. Armando Flores: The key to the success of the Council, then? Armando Flores: And I think now.

00:18:48.000 - 00:19:13.000

Armando Flores: Is collegiality and and compromise, recognizing that not all your perspectives are the ones that are valued by everyone and willing to listen to other members of the Council and see their perspectives? Armando Flores: And when I left the Council. Armando Flores: In 2006 and that and I served for 18 years on the City Council and. Armando Flores: Was fortunate to serve 5 terms as mayor.

00:19:14.000 - 00:19:56.000

Armando Flores: I would not have had the personal success that I did have if it weren't for the entire Council. Armando Flores: And I think that we did a wonderful job in setting owner Park in a very nice direction, a a city of 45,000 now with many parks in our swimming pools, wonderful. Kate to 12 public education and then State University. Armando Flores: Which is renowned for the quality of their programs. Armando Flores: So I saw a baby mature as the way I look at it and when I left feeling of gratification that I had.

00:19:57.000 - 00:20:11.000

Armando Flores: Doing the very best I could and had success due to the. Armando Flores: Support of the Council. Jeremy Hays: UM. Jeremy Hays: The account, who was on the Council when you joined it, Rhonda.

00:20:12.000 - 00:20:24.000

Armando Flores: When I first joined the Council. Armando Flores: Warren Hopkins was on the City Council. Armando Flores: And Jack Buchanan. Armando Flores: Was on the City Council.

00:20:25.000 - 00:20:46.000

Armando Flores: Art Roberts. Armando Flores: Was on the City Council. Armando Flores: And Pete Callahan was our city manager. So we had a Council 55 members. Jeremy Hays: What was? You bought your house from? Paul gollis. Correct. What was he like as a person? I mean, did you get to know him over the years?

00:20:47.000 - 00:21:07.000

Jeremy Hays: A little bit more. Armando Flores: I got to know him and respect him. Armando Flores: You liked him, can you? Yes. I first met Paul Gollis, who? We bought our our home in owner Park in 1965. Armando Flores: And I had a chance to know him and liked him.

00:21:08.000 - 00:21:28.000

Armando Flores: And we later came to a different perspective in terms of the development of the city. Armando Flores: And unfortunately it became. Armando Flores: An adversarial situation because my perspectives were different than his. Armando Flores: Paul had a vision of a of a lake in the middle of Rohnert Park.

00:21:29.000 - 00:21:54.000

Armando Flores: And I think he was going to call it Lake Celeste. And I didn't think that would be the the best location for a for a lake or a Regional Park. I thought it would, should be on the peripheries in the foothills. Armando Flores: Where Green Canyon. Armando Flores: County Park was located ultimately. Armando Flores: So in the 1974.

00:21:55.000 - 00:22:12.000

Armando Flores: He ran a different candidate against me, so we had. Armando Flores: We had issues with that. Armando Flores: Never nasty, you know, different perspectives. Armando Flores: I never lost respect for him today. He passed away. I had respect for him.

00:22:13.000 - 00:22:33.000

Armando Flores: So that's basically where we had a a falling out in terms of the development of the city. Jeremy Hays: What was? Did you know Mark Morris really? Well, yes, I did. Can you talk to me about Morris Rodgers? Armando Flores: Morris Fredericks. Armando Flores: Was a local attorney in Robert Park.

00:22:34.000 - 00:22:52.000

Armando Flores: Paul Goldis, partner in the founding of a city of Rohnert Park. Armando Flores: Very active. Armando Flores: With school matters and became a trustee for many, many years on the Qatari Rohnert Park School Board. Armando Flores: Had great success in the guidance.

00:22:53.000 - 00:23:14.000

Armando Flores: And then I'll. Armando Flores: Morris and I worked on the library. Armando Flores: Development project of the new library in the in Rohnert Park. Armando Flores: And he was on the library board, and that was the Elias sent from the City Council on library board. So we spent many.

00:23:15.000 - 00:23:37.000

Armando Flores: Months, many evenings working on the development of the Rohner Park Cotati Library. Armando Flores: And it came to a fruition. We have a wonderful facility. Armando Flores: In Winter Park not only for the city but also for Cotati and the surrounding area, it's it's a real asset. Armando Flores: And when I left the Council, so I was no longer on the Council.

00:23:38.000 - 00:23:57.000

Armando Flores: The Council decided to dedicate a room in the library as the Armando. Armando Flores: There is. Armando Flores: Meeting room. Armando Flores: Which is a wonderful honor, is that I was not no longer on the Council. They did that as a matter of respect. I appreciate it. To this day, I must have made you very proud. It really did.

00:23:58.000 - 00:24:23.000

Jeremy Hays: What were in those days when you moved to the city? What were the most important institutions? Jeremy Hays: At the time, do you do that? Do you call? I mean if that. Armando Flores: If that's the the major institutions at the time when I, when we moved to Rohnert Park with the city and the school district. Armando Flores: And that was that was basically it. Uh.

00:24:24.000 - 00:24:34.000

Armando Flores: We had one doctor. Armando Flores: We had one dentist. Armando Flores: My dentist. Armando Flores: Continues to this day to be my best friend. One of my best friends.

00:24:35.000 - 00:24:47.000

Armando Flores: And he and Pete Helenan and. Armando Flores: Art Roberts, who was also or art Hollingsworth, who was also on the City Council. Armando Flores: And I for. Armando Flores: The last six or seven years.

00:24:48.000 - 00:25:10.000

Armando Flores: Would go to Truckee and spend 3 days together playing golf and reminiscing and chatting. Armando Flores: And this last year, we did not go to Truckee. Armando Flores: There was illness. Armando Flores: And maturity catching up with all of us. Uh, but I didn't realize that.

00:25:11.000 - 00:25:30.000

Armando Flores: My good friend Pekkanen was having vision problems and so you really can't hit a golf ball if you're having vision problems. So I'm going to have to. Armando Flores: Pay a visit and chat with him. Jeremy Hays: Did. Yeah, he he did a great interview. Jeremy Hays: Back a couple of weeks ago he was really a wealth of information. Yeah, so he seemed in that way. Really, really on. Yeah. Yeah. What? You know, you spoke about the city and the school district being so important. What did you see, like, over the years, did you continue to teach Armando?

00:25:31.000 - 00:25:57.000

Armando Flores: Ohh wonderful. Armando Flores: When I first came to Rohnert Park. Armando Flores: I was a teacher in Sausalito, so the challenge for me. Armando Flores: Was hitting 101.

00:25:58.000 - 00:26:16.000

Armando Flores: And going South. Armando Flores: And at that time, the only traffic that I wouldn't encounter would be near Green Bay. Armando Flores: And San Quentin so. Armando Flores: It was all all commute but basically easy, but it got to the point that it was extremely difficult and it became acute.

00:26:17.000 - 00:26:39.000

Armando Flores: When we started having the gasoline shortage and there were lines and you could only purchase fuel on alternate days. Armando Flores: And I said. Armando Flores: I have to leave Sausalito by that time. Was also an administrator. I was a teacher and administrator. Armando Flores: And I found a home at the Bellevue School District became the principal of a Bellevue school.

00:26:40.000 - 00:27:03.000

Armando Flores: And then four years later, became the Superintendent of the district. Armando Flores: And continued as the Superintendent of the Bellevue District neighboring school district to Rohnert Park Cotati until I retired in 2007. Jeremy Hays: Got it. OK. OK. So. Jeremy Hays: What kind of folks when you moved?

00:27:04.000 - 00:27:25.000

Jeremy Hays: To the city. Jeremy Hays: Were who were the residents, the residents? Armando Flores: Were basically service people. They were moved to the city. The majority of the residents were service people, so they would work in department stores. They would. Jeremy Hays: I'm sorry. Could you just?

00:27:26.000 - 00:27:50.000

Armando Flores: Work for our bread companies making deliveries. Armando Flores: They would work as carpenters or as plumbers or as painters. Armando Flores: Essentially, many of the residents were blue collar individuals at that time. Jeremy Hays: Was the city intended to be? I got the impression that the city was intended to be. That's who the city was intended to be for.

00:27:51.000 - 00:28:14.000

Armando Flores: The city was developed, I think, in. Armando Flores: Paulistas vision Maurice Frederick's vision as a neglected community that would have. Armando Flores: Service people who would have professionals. Armando Flores: And would have businessmen and I think that's the realization that we have today and also continues to be.

00:28:15.000 - 00:28:43.000

Armando Flores: As affordable as as it could be in Sonoma County as Sonoma counties, rates for housing are very expensive and so. Armando Flores: I still think that there's. Armando Flores: Best housing opportunities in Rohnert Park. Jeremy Hays: One of the interesting things about Rohnert Park is the joint police fire. Now I that started in the 60s and around the time that you moved to the city, do you remember?

00:28:44.000 - 00:29:08.000

Jeremy Hays: Kind of the. Jeremy Hays: Residents reaction to that what you thought about that, how that sort of went forward? Armando Flores: When we first moved to the city, we had a Police Department, a four officers and one police chief. Armando Flores: And we had essentially a Volunteer Fire Department.

00:29:09.000 - 00:29:32.000

Armando Flores: So people from the community. Armando Flores: Would service as firemen and support public safety some of the officers became trained. Armando Flores: In the fire safety skills and and we're training the volunteers. Armando Flores: And for many, many years, that was the the prominent role.

00:29:33.000 - 00:29:47.000

Armando Flores: Mostly volunteers supported by a few professionals. Armando Flores: And now we have more professionals, public safety, trained officers in the fire prevention, fire fighting. Armando Flores: In a few volunteers. Jeremy Hays: And it's an unusual arrangement.

00:29:48.000 - 00:30:30.000

Armando Flores: Right. It really is in the arrangement in Rohnert Park for public safety was based on affordability, how we would be able to afford as a city safety for our community in terms of police services and fire services. Armando Flores: Even the last major decision that was made. Armando Flores: To consider a a separate firefighting service decided it was not affordable and continue with public safety. Jeremy Hays: One of the I was kind of thinking about this when you were talking about the idea that Paul goes out of the lake in the center of town. One of the things that people often.

00:30:31.000 - 00:30:59.000

Jeremy Hays: Even in Rohnert Park, kind of or confused by our comment about is that there isn't an official like a formal downtown. Jeremy Hays: Down and through your ears on the Council. Was that something that came up as something that should be considered that you know, how did did it? Did you ever strike you as weird that there wasn't a downtown, really? Armando Flores: When we first moved to Rohnert Park. Armando Flores: In the.

00:31:00.000 - 00:31:29.000

Armando Flores: The basic business enterprises were essentially 3. We had sisters market, we had our robbers and Reavers, Roberts pharmacy. Armando Flores: And we had a Barber shop and that was on Southwest Blvd. Armando Flores: And that essentially was. Armando Flores: Basically the, albeit in terms of the downtown, which was not much of A downtown and we always strive you from the beginning to hope to have.

00:31:30.000 - 00:31:52.000

Armando Flores: A downtown corridor, as you see in some of our neighboring cities like Petaluma and Santa Rosa, and and I personally always yearned for a. Armando Flores: Downtown and and we saw Commerce Blvd. Armando Flores: Essentially beginning with. Armando Flores: Paul Gola assistant Maurice Frederick's law firm.

00:31:53.000 - 00:32:09.000

Armando Flores: Going north. Armando Flores: Is a possible core for a downtown and in a sense it became a minor part, but never a fully recognizable downtown like we all. Armando Flores: Wanted to see. Jeremy Hays: And why was that?

00:32:10.000 - 00:32:35.000

Jeremy Hays: What were the? Armando Flores: Obstacles. Well, many of the downtowns emerged from many years. Armando Flores: In a historical perspective. Armando Flores: The core Santa Rosa started as a downtown in the in the core Petaluma, so as a young city we never began that way. Our our beginning in owner Park was a residential community.

00:32:36.000 - 00:33:15.000

Armando Flores: And then branch out to have amenities that would promote a core of a downtown would never fully realize like the other cities. Jeremy Hays: Do you think going back, let's go back to the beginning. When you moved to your Rohnert Park, had a reputation for? Jeremy Hays: Being affordable, what other was there? How? How else was it perceived? You know, as far as you could tell from people in Santa Rosa or people around outside of Rohnert Park, how was Rohnert Park? Armando Flores: Perceived Rohnert Park perceived was perceived in 1965 when we moved here.

00:33:16.000 - 00:33:51.000

Armando Flores: Has an affordable community, but not the kind of community. Armando Flores: That had the the stature of Santa Rosa or the stature of Petaluma, Basic low affordable housing. Armando Flores: This changed in many ways since then, and now I think stands among the the nicest communities in Sonoma County. But it was perceived in a negative way as a as affordable housing. Jeremy Hays: Who are you? Mean is only affordable?

00:33:52.000 - 00:34:13.000

Armando Flores: It's only affordable housing. We never had any of the more expensive homes in Rohnert Park in 1965. Armando Flores: Those would emerge later. Armando Flores: And I guess the biggest development after the initial affordable core. Armando Flores: Was water park estates in the?

00:34:14.000 - 00:34:40.000

Armando Flores: Northern part of the city where you had custom built very expensive nice homes. Armando Flores: But that took many years for that to begin. Jeremy Hays: What were some of the most important figures in terms of their impact on Winter Park, you know, around the mid 60s and around the early 70s, you know, and why were they so impactful? Armando Flores: One of the.

00:34:41.000 - 00:35:06.000

Armando Flores: In in addition to. Armando Flores: Paul Gollis and Maurice Fredericks being very supportive in working with their business enterprise to build affordable. Armando Flores: Housing Hugh Cutting was a great influence. Armando Flores: And Hugh Cotting was very successful as a builder in Santa Rosa, served as the City Councilman and mayor in Santa Rosa, had great stature as a visionary.

00:35:07.000 - 00:35:37.000

Armando Flores: And we worked very hard to try to have him build a major shopping center. Armando Flores: In Rohnert Park, and it would have been very nice if he had been able to do. Armando Flores: To a limited extent, he he built something that was considerably smaller, but we yearned for something that was major. Armando Flores: The ultimate development took place in Santa Rosa, where you have Santa Rosa Plaza and that was not built by Hugh Cotty. He continues to have his shopping center on the.

00:35:38.000 - 00:36:05.000

Armando Flores: On the West side of 101. Armando Flores: Other people that other builders that were important young America homes were important. Armando Flores: To committee and then later our Kandii build many nice. Armando Flores: Step up from basic affordable to nicer homes than with a nicer homes. You had a more professional population that came to the city, which is wonderful because.

00:36:06.000 - 00:36:22.000

Armando Flores: A city thrives when you have an eclectic population and we started moving in that. Jeremy Hays: Direction and what years would that be? Armando Flores: That was a. Armando Flores: Moving in the mid 70s that we started making the the Nice transitions.

00:36:23.000 - 00:37:01.000

Jeremy Hays: And what about people other than builders who are important like? I mean, I know Pete Callahan. Jimmy Rogers. What? What are some other people including them. And why were they so impactful? Armando Flores: People that had a major impact on Roland Park for individuals that had genuine love and affection for the city. Armando Flores: And you would sense that in your communication with them in regular conversations, their enthusiasm for seeing owner park become a more gracious community, more successful community to bring in more. Armando Flores: Professional individuals.

00:37:02.000 - 00:37:20.000

Armando Flores: Provide greater services so you would have more doctors, more dentists. Armando Flores: In the community. Armando Flores: Chris andrian. Armando Flores: Began his law practice in Rohnert Park, and I had a chance to beat him here.

00:37:21.000 - 00:37:42.000

Armando Flores: Charity building with Jimmy Rogers. So I had a chance to meet him and appreciated his fourteen law which continues to this day. He and Steve fur were probably the two most prominent criminal attorneys. Armando Flores: In the county. Jeremy Hays: When did he move his practice? Armando Flores: I could be wrong, but I believe he moved US practice.

00:37:43.000 - 00:38:08.000

Armando Flores: In 1980, we're in that area. Jeremy Hays: Yeah, up to Mendocino, right? Yeah. So what are some of the most important things that took place in the development of the city? Would like whether they were decisions by the City Council or by. Jeremy Hays: Some other you know factor. Armando Flores: Will be a.

00:38:09.000 - 00:38:33.000

Armando Flores: The major important decisions looking back were the development of the infrastructure that was critical to. Armando Flores: Have our own sewage treatment plant was critical. Armando Flores: The overpass that connected. Armando Flores: West Rohnert Park to the east.

00:38:34.000 - 00:38:57.000

Armando Flores: That was very important, strongly supported. Armando Flores: By our representatives in the state legislature and in in Congress, Randy Collier was. Armando Flores: Very important to that continue to receive support for a for many years. Armando Flores: From Doug Bosco.

00:38:58.000 - 00:39:33.000

Armando Flores: Congressman Thompson to this day, so those are very important individuals. And then the further development of State University was very important to the city. Armando Flores: And it became an institution. Armando Flores: Many individuals, even individuals in the profession that wanted to further education or improved their educational background, go for a masters degree. So the State University. Armando Flores: Very important to the city. Why? Well, because it gave the opportunity for people to.

00:39:34.000 - 00:40:02.000

Armando Flores: Be able to stay home in a sense not have to commute to San Francisco, let's say to San Francisco State University or University of San Francisco or other institutions. Armando Flores: And acquire a higher learning. Armando Flores: Without having to pay the major expense of of housing. Jeremy Hays: Did could you go back and elaborate on why the sewage plant was important and why the like what was? Why was that important? And same thing with the overcrossing.

00:40:03.000 - 00:40:42.000

Armando Flores: OK, the IT was important for the. Yeah. Yeah. It was important for the city to improve its sewer treatment program because you had to have the. Armando Flores: Opportunity for growth and you couldn't have growth if you had an inadequate sewer treatment plant. And so it was upgraded to a a quality enterprise until we ultimately joined the the county sewer program. So that was important. Armando Flores: If we were going to promote business development in lower Park, we had to have the opportunity to. Armando Flores: Access vacant land in the city open land in the city.

00:40:43.000 - 00:41:05.000

Armando Flores: In the open land and the city tended to be on the western side of one-on-one, so we had to connect. Armando Flores: East Water Park to West Water Park and by building the overpass we made the. Armando Flores: The western side of Rohnert Park, accessible for commercial development. Armando Flores: And there.

00:41:06.000 - 00:41:49.000

Armando Flores: Began the the different commercial enterprises that we see today and with the open space, we were able to. Armando Flores: Lure a professional baseball team. We had the cinema county crusher. So which is a wonderful program. And and to this day we have our PBS station located in that area was the. Jeremy Hays: You know how when the the seed farm was bought as obviously as you know was it did it extend across what is now 101 or is it on the other side or did the city annex that that? Armando Flores: Land over there the the city annexed that land and essentially the seat farm.

00:41:50.000 - 00:42:12.000

Armando Flores: Was in the eastern part of Rohnert Park extending north. Armando Flores: And basically. Armando Flores: What was initially AMB. Neighborhoods in the sense, although that was part of the the seed farm, so. Armando Flores: When we build our home in or, we're not build our. When we bought our home in 1965.

00:42:13.000 - 00:42:41.000

Armando Flores: That was Adobe soil and the most fertile soil. Armando Flores: Everything could grow there as the the seed form reflects the ability to to grow crops and the only challenge is was when that Adobe got wet. Armando Flores: It was like cement and so. Armando Flores: You would go outside, work on the yard, leave your shoes outside. There's no way you wanted to track in that Adobe into your home.

00:42:42.000 - 00:43:10.000

Jeremy Hays: And then the city was in the beginning, years even before you joined the Council. But and then after the city was annexing quite a few continued to annex or tried to annex different properties, right? That was part of the vision of the city to grow, that was. Armando Flores: That that was the city. Armando Flores: Face challenge in terms of growth. Armando Flores: And essentially we had.

00:43:11.000 - 00:44:02.000

Armando Flores: Two aspects 2 factions, people who wanted to promote growth and people who didn't want to promote growth and who is the members of the Council. Armando Flores: And one of the strongest advocates of of limited growth was Dave Eck. Armando Flores: And they've had a different political philosophy than I did. I came from my perspective that we need to provide affordable housing for people, and housing is important and continue to go from a basic grade of housing to more improved housing. And you would encourage a more. Armando Flores: Sophisticated population to enter the city and it would be a wonderful blend of populations that would that's what would make a great city. So we did have those challenges with growth and no growth.

00:44:03.000 - 00:44:52.000

Jeremy Hays: You know that makes me and back in like the mid 50s even, you know, even before the community. Jeremy Hays: Services District was was created, Paul Golus was quoted in The Press Democrat. Actually at the time saying he wanted Donner Park to be an ideal, well balanced American community. And I guess my question is like when you join the Council? Jeremy Hays: Was that vision? Did everybody feel the responsibility to try, or most people did the Council in general feel the responsibility to try and create that vision or realize that vision. Armando Flores: Paul Gillis and Maurice Fredericks had a wonderful vision for the city owned park and they wanted to see a well balanced community in terms of the population.

00:44:53.000 - 00:45:23.000

Armando Flores: Professional individuals, service people, and I think that vision. Armando Flores: Was a primary focus of all the Council members. Armando Flores: How that vision was attained was incremental from the perspective of some of the members of the Council, and that's where we had. Armando Flores: Disagreements some of us wanted to progress a little bit faster than others, but in terms of the ultimate reality of Rohnert Park, I think all of us had the same vision.

00:45:24.000 - 00:45:42.000

Armando Flores: In 1974, Davec was elected to the City Council. Armando Flores: And and Davek was a professor at so. So my state so. Armando Flores: He really reflected a. Armando Flores: Realization I think of of Paula Maurice's vision of individuals that.

00:45:43.000 - 00:45:58.000

Armando Flores: Could bring a more elevated population to Rohnert Park, so I thought that was good. Jeremy Hays: How much time have we been? Jeremy Hays: Going or 45 minutes, OK. Jeremy Hays: 5 minutes in.

00:45:59.000 - 00:46:13.000

Jeremy Hays: You're doing great, Armando. You're good at. Jeremy Hays: This you ohh thank. Jeremy Hays: You let me ask you who? Jeremy Hays: Are who are the you you lived in? Run apart for a long time. When did you move to? To.

00:46:14.000 - 00:47:06.000

Armando Flores: Sacramento we moved to Sacramento in 2007. OK, when we moved to I I finished my City Council service in December of 2006. Armando Flores: And I retired as a Superintendent of the Bellevue District in in June of 2007. So we bought a home in Elk Grove, Sacramento County, and that is the perfect location because we have. Armando Flores: A daughter and her family that live in Linden, 40 miles to the South, and we have a son in his family that lives 40 miles to the north. So close enough to be there to appreciate our children and grandchildren far away enough distance so that we don't have to babysit. Jeremy Hays: Right, exactly.

00:47:07.000 - 00:47:30.000

Jeremy Hays: But when you want to, you can. Armando Flores: Exactly. Perfect. Jeremy Hays: So who who in your time then? I mean, I was a lot of years in Rohnert Park. Who did you know there? Who is the most who had the most influence on your life outside your, you know, family. Armando Flores: Jimmy Rogers was my best friend from my early years in Orland Park, 1965.

00:47:31.000 - 00:48:08.000

Armando Flores: And continue to be my best friend until his death and he was a tremendous influence in many ways. I considered him a mentor, although he would probably dislike that he could. He's I'm not that much older than you, but in many ways. Armando Flores: It was. Armando Flores: And I had the ultimate respect and continue to stay for Pete Callanan, wonderful city manager, dedicated, responsible, visionary, hard working. He lived by example, which I really appreciated. Armando Flores: He loved the community, was a worker in the

00:48:09.000 - 00:48:54.000

Armando Flores: Respected by virtually everyone, you would have a hard time finding anyone that really did not like Pete. Jeremy Hays: And what were the three, two or three of the most important things that happened in Rohnert Park? In your opinion, whether they were decisions you were involved with on the Council, whether they were, you know, I mean you this was we were, you were talking about the early years before with the sewer plant and the and the overcrossing. But what about just over the whole experience? Jeremy Hays: Here time in Redmond Park. Armando Flores: Looking back at my years in Rohnert Park and the service on the City Council, and in some of the major accomplishments that I think I helped make with with a lot of help from my fellow Council members.

00:48:55.000 - 00:49:29.000

Armando Flores: I would say the the development of the libraries. Armando Flores: That he hadn't run the park as an educator have a great affinity and love for libraries. Think they're important in the community? Think that they're an essential core in a community was involved with the development of two libraries in Rohnert Park. The first one I thought was a beautiful one, one small and. Armando Flores: And later the the City Council helped build the new library, which we used to this day. I think that. Armando Flores: Was very important. I also think it was critical.

00:49:30.000 - 00:49:47.000

Armando Flores: To to see the development north of the Expressway. Armando Flores: When that area started to develop. Armando Flores: We we realized that it would be important to draw. Armando Flores: A nice population there, of course. So we.

00:49:48.000 - 00:50:38.000

Armando Flores: The second golf course in Rohnert Park as the source of recreation and open space, and by being able to. Armando Flores: Work with the developers on that project. We acquired the second golf course and they built homes around the golf course, which is a common practice in many communities. Tend to be more expensive, nicer homes and it gave people an opportunity to, in a sense moved up, move up from. Armando Flores: Their basic housing to nicer housing and really improve the quality impression of Rohnert Park in our neighboring communities. Jeremy Hays: Last question would be, is there anything you want to point out about Rohnert Park or your time in Rohnert Park or just the city as a whole, especially in those beginning years?

00:50:39.000 - 00:51:11.000

Armando Flores: The the thing I love about Rohnert Park and I loved it from the very beginning, going back to. Armando Flores: The early beginnings for me in 1965. Armando Flores: That is a community of people that are very friendly and it's kind of ironic because people say, yeah, right, there's a sign that says we're part of the friendly city from the very beginning. To this day, I believe it continues to be a friendly city. Neighbors care about each other. Armando Flores: They care about the city, want the best for their children.

00:51:12.000 - 00:51:45.000

Armando Flores: Wonderful place to grow. See your children grow. And now to be able to begin kindergarten and progress all the way to a quality university education. I think it's Absolutely Fabulous. And I was glad to be a small part of that very important step. Jeremy Hays: Just the quick thing is. Jeremy Hays: Do you know when that friendly city sign went up and and who was in charge of that? And like, why? What was the? How did the friendly city come about? Armando Flores: It tells us my memory to remember when that thing came up, but I believe.

00:51:46.000 - 00:52:12.000

Armando Flores: That it was promoted by the Women's Club, the the Rohnert Park friendly city sign, was promoted by the Women's club. I could be wrong, but I remember him being very much involved with that and use that as a focal point to gaining enthusiasm. Jeremy Hays: What was promoted by there? Armando Flores: People. Yeah, we are the friendly city and we're emergency and we're going to be a great city. Armando Flores: I think that's what it.

00:52:13.000 - 00:52:20.000

Jeremy Hays: Started. That's great. I've I've never known. I've always wondered about that. Jeremy Hays: I want to thank. Jeremy Hays: You so much. My pleasure. Yeah. Really great. Really great interview. Armando Flores: Thank you so much. OK.

00:52:21.000 - 00:52:53.000

Jeremy Hays: Don't get up.