8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 11-17, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS After nearly two terms on Sand City City Council, Elizabeth “Libby” Sofer announced she is resigning on Dec. 31. Sofer notified her council colleagues and City Manager Vibeke Norgaard in an email on Nov. 7. “I regret that I will be unable to complete the last year of my elected term which would have been the last of 2026,” she wrote. “It has become untenable financially for me to remain in Sand City.” Sofer says the main reason she is forced to move is the cost of housing. After the death of her partner, former Sand City city manager Kelly J. Morgan, she says members of the community rented housing to her at below market rate, but that has become unsustainable. “I have a whole lot more I want to do for Sand City,” Sofer says. “I cannot afford to live on the Monterey Peninsula.” The city charter states that the remaining councilmembers are to appoint a new member in the event of a vacancy. The seat must first be declared vacant, a procedural step that council is expected to take on Tuesday, Dec. 16 during Sofer’s last council meeting. “Council gets to choose how they interview and locate the person they appoint,” Norgaard says. The City Council will open an application process for interested parties. The appointee will finish Sofer’s term, ending Dec. 31, 2026. (The seat is scheduled to be up for election in November 2026 for a four-year term.) Sofer says she is proud of the work she did in seven years on council. She highlights work on the Recreation Trail and a plan to build 60 housing units where the Sand City Art Park is now located. She plans to move to Paradise, California with family. Priced Out Sand City City Councilmember Libby Sofer resigns, citing high housing costs. By Sloan Campi After several months of meeting quietly with organizers from the California Nurses Association, registered nurses of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula made it known publicly on Dec. 5 their intentions to unionize. Some posted up at entrances to CHOMP for two hours each night over the weekend, passing out information to coworkers about the effort. If successful, it would be the first union at CHOMP in its 91-year history. “It’s all about patient safety,” one nurse said, before Monterey County Now broke the story online on Dec. 4, the day before the CNA, affiliated with National Nurses United, filed with the National Labor Relations Board requesting an election to form a union. The CNA is now awaiting authorization from the NLRB to begin an election among nurses on whether to unionize. (The NLRB typically first investigates a petition.) “Registered nurses at [CHOMP] are committed to providing the highest quality care for the people of Monterey. That’s why they’ve taken this first step toward forming a union—filing for an NLRB election— so they can advocate as a collective for contracts that will ensure safe working conditions, protect nurses’ rights, and allow nurses to do what they do best, which is care for our patients,” Sandy Reding, an RN and CNA president, said in a written statement. The CNA already represents nurses at other regional hospitals, including Salinas Valley Health in Salinas, Mee Memorial in King City, Watsonville Community in Watsonville, Dominican in Santa Cruz and Hazel Hawkins in Hollister. Montage Health, parent company to CHOMP, issued a written statement from Mindy Maschmeyer, director of communications for Montage, saying that CHOMP “has always been proud of our strong, collaborative relationship with employees, the positive work environment we provide, and our history as a union-free organization. We believe this partnership, along with competitive compensation and benefits, gives our team a meaningful voice in shaping the organization without the need for union representation. “That said, we respect the right of our nurses to explore unionization and remain committed to open, constructive communication. Our priority continues to be supporting our nursing team and delivering exceptional care to our patients.” Organizing began earlier this year as nurses sought representation from at least two union organizations, choosing CNA. Meetings took place over the summer, and signature cards asking for CNA to represent them were collected from nurses. Nurses contend that their concerns about patient safety have been ignored by management and allege cuts in the number of aides working in the hospital, putting more pressure on nurses. Montage officials say that its “Community Affordability Initiative,” launched a year ago with a goal of making $50 million in cost reductions over 24 months, has not negatively impacted quality of care. In recent months CHOMP has come under scrutiny by state officials over two surgery incidents, followed by its safety score by Leapfrog, a nonprofit rating organization, dropping from a B to a C. Montage leaders have pledged system-wide changes to ensure safe practices. CHOMP nurses say concerns about patient safety, not salaries, are driving an effort to unionize. Above, a nurse’s vehicle was seen around town after the news broke. Union Label CHOMP nurses are organizing to form a union, citing patient safety as their main concern. By Pam Marino Libby Sofer was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 to four-year terms on Sand City City Council. She is resigning on Dec. 31 after serving for seven years as she prepares to move out of the area. “It’s all about patient safety.” COURTESY OF LIBBY SOFER
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