GALT, CA (MPG) - State Sen. Roger Niello, who represents District 6, visited Galt last week for several community events, including an appearance on Mayor Shawn Farmer’s podcast, “Great American Little Town.”

Hosted weekly by Farmer and city Planning Commissioner Dan Denier, the podcast covers local news, city updates and community topics from the perspective of residents who also serve in local government.

Launched a year ago, “Great American Little Town” is recorded in a studio inside one of the Galt Chamber of Commerce’s small-business spaces. The show was originally taped at Farmer’s business, The Coffee Shop Bakery, before relocating to the chamber with support from local sponsors.

The podcast has featured a variety of guests offering insight into Galt’s community life, from youth athletes to Assistant City Manager Amie Mendes and Chamber of Commerce Director Kat Seabolt. Its latest guest, Sen. Niello, joined the show for an episode that premiered Oct. 22.

The discussion covered a range of topics including housing, freeway safety, homelessness and the upcoming special election on Proposition 50.

Farmer and Denier opened by asking about Niello’s path into politics. Before public office, Niello worked in his family’s auto business the Niello Company, a familiar name in the local auto sales industry. He was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in 1999 served six years in the Assembly and joined the state Senate in 2022.

Conversation then turned to one of Galt’s biggest challenges, which is maintaining its small-town charm while managing growth.

Farmer referenced the California Housing Accountability Act, which he explained limits local governments from denying housing developments that meet objective standards. He cited the recent Summerfield housing project on the city’s north side, which was denied by the Planning Commission but later appealed to the City Council which ultimately passed it to avoid costly litigation.

“The efforts at the state level have been for the state to try to define to local communities on how they should grow, and I’m opposed to that,” Niello said. “I’ve always been a supporter of local control.”

Niello explained that gray areas or ambiguities in state housing laws have caused conflicts for cities such as Galt, where local governments feel overridden.

 

Mayor Shawn Farmer’s podcast, “Great American Little Town,” recently featured California State Sen. Roger Niello, who represents District 6, which includes Galt.

Farmer also brought up public safety concerns along the Highway 99 corridor, describing frequent accidents on that stretch of road.

“There were 204 calls of service last year in just that corridor, so that’s an accident every 1.7 days,” Farmer said.

The mayor shared that his daughter was recently involved in a multi-vehicle collision and noted that crashes occur almost daily. He said the City Council plans to send a letter to California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and local officials urging action. Niello, newly aware of the issue, said he plans to speak with the agency as Galt’s representative in the State Senate.

The conversation then shifted to Proposition 50 and the upcoming special election. Niello explained that the measure would change congressional district lines, affecting Congress but not the Legislature or Board of Equalization. He said that its goal is to convert five Republican-leaning districts into Democratic ones.

Niello said he believes the proposition could be a first step toward eliminating California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission.

“If they (voters) care about the commission, then they ought to think about what the ramifications could be down the road,” Niello said.

Although the episode addressed serious topics that have stirred community debate, it also included lighter moments and humorous exchanges with the senator, making it an engaging listen that offers both insight and entertainment.

Reflecting on the senator’s guest appearance, Farmer told The Galt Herald that he appreciated Niello and his staff for making the time to come down to “our great American little town,” to discuss key issues affecting the community.

“It was great having the senator on our show…The senator had some good insight to the problems that we discussed, and he also offered to try to be some help on issue with the 99-highway corridor in Galt,” said Farmer. “We also appreciated some of the fun questions we had for him… overall, it was a great evening and look forward to having him back someday!”

The full episode featuring Sen. Niello is available on the “Great American Little Town” YouTube channel at youtube.com/@GreatAmericanLittleTown.