I was happy to learn than the Monterey Weekly endorsed both myself and Marilee Diaz for Sand City Council. The Weekly sent out an email a few weeks back with some great questions and I am happy to share my answers with everyone as I think it shows what I hope to do if elected.
What are the biggest issues in Sand City that are motivating you to run? If you are elected, what accomplishment will you look back on most proudly four years from now?
I want to see Sand City grow in both new businesses, new housing and improvements to the existing infrastructure. I am from a different generation of the all of the members of the current council and we need a more modern voice with ideas to grow, rather than focus on reducing risk.
I started attending council meetings in October 2020 and I have been a participant in most of them since then.
One of the key issues that caught my attention was the redevelopment and downgrade of Calabrese Park at the top of Pendergrass Way. I have a 6 year old daughter who was 2 when we moved here, and after only being here for 6 months, they blocked off and removed the old play structure and closed the park for nearly 4 years. When they finally reopened in March of 2024, the end result was much less than we had before. I would like to work towards doing a phase two to properly finish the park.
There has been several other issues that have come up before council and I believe that my public comments helped shape the outcome of them for the better. I believe I can serve my community in a stronger way by being in the seat than just being on the floor.
How would you evaluate the current council—what are they doing right and what are they doing wrong? (Specifically for the two challengers: What do you think you will do better than Councilmember Diaz?) As a member of the public, I have had more input in the council meetings than either of my opponents. My name shows up in the meeting minutes more than either of them in the past 4 years.
The current council have been good stewards of Sand City through the trying times of COVID and its results in the past 4 years, but I believe we need working people on the council rather than a collection of folks who retired many years ago or are going to be retiring soon. Sand City Council is a number of councilors full time jobs and due to that, they have lost some touch of what it is like to be a working single parent in California. There is lots of concern and desire to help people who are struggling to get by, but our current council does not reflect the majority of our population in Sand City or Monterey County for that matter.
Who are you supporting for the other open seat? [updated answer]
I am supporting Marilee Diaz for the open seat, after our forum on October 2nd, 2024 and some discussions with her at the City Council Meeting on October 1st, 2024 I think her and I would work well together on behalf of Sand City.
How is the city manager doing? What are her strengths? Weaknesses/opportunities for improvement?
Vibeke was an amazing hire by the city. She reaches out to me and we work together whenever I have any concerns with city policy or actions. She is fair and willing to work with folks to bring support together. It was with her help and understanding that my position shifted on our STR ordinance from opposing it to organizing all of the other STR owners into supporting the legislation. The only complaint I have about Vibeke is she is often too busy doing all of the city’s business. I have to wait sometimes to discuss an issue with her.
Sand City is growing quickly. With projects well underway, what do you see as the council’s role in next steps as South of Tioga is completed and opens? How will it change the city?
The hotel is going to have the most active impact to the city by bringing our transient occupancy tax(TOT) revenue which is about 200k per year from the 15 short term rental permits to over a million. This will give the city even more resources to help and serve its residents. The condos and other parts of the project are still looking for investors and developers to complete the housing, and with the speed of development, I sadly do not see them being completed in the next four years.
Even with new housing, affordability remains a challenge for many working-class people. What will you do to ensure Sand City is accessible to all? Affordability is a major challenge in all areas of the California Coast. City councils only have so much power to streamline new projects and have reasonable development fees to get them green lit to create more supply. Sand City has completed its housing element, identifying the possible creation of over 260 new housing units. To be able to afford my home in Sand City, I split it in two, putting a short term rental unit in my lower floor (http://theoceanviewbnb.com). Without this rental, my family and I would have been forced from the coast. One solution could be more additional dwelling units (ADUs) there is several infill places and lots that are being under utilized in Sand City where an ADU could be put.
What is the right size of Sand City’s police department? What approach would you bring to public safety?
The Sand City Police Department is about as small as it can be. Any smaller and the shifts can not be covered with vacations, sick leave, etc. We only spend about 36% of the city budget on our police and they are a fantastic and responsive force. I feel that because of the SCPD we have one of the safest cities in the country. I never worry about my family’s safety in Sand City. The Monterey Fire Department has also served Sand City well and I would vote to continue our contract. I do believe that updating some of the resources of the police department to more modern or more energy efficient tools in time would be a positive step as well.
When was the last time you attended First Friday in the art park? What’s going well there, and what (if anything) should change?
I attended on September 6th, 2024 – I go most months as it is one of my favorite events in Sand City. The biggest issue is that it has become so popular (especially in the summer months) that it has out grown its space. Finding a place to sit and eat is difficult and some of the food truck lines are long. I am hoping with the purchase of some additional land to expand the art park it will allow it to grow.
Would you support the concept of a semi-permanent food truck park?
100% I support the construction of The Yard over on California Ave – This would take some of the pressure off First Friday as well as provide a very needed West End lunch spot.
Is Sand City doing enough, too much or the right amount when it comes to investing in the arts—is it accessible as an artists’ destination, as it is often described? Sand City’s eclectic collection of artists is one of the best parts of living here. I have hired local artists to paint murals in my home and short term rental, and I have local artists art for sale to my guests. Sand City’s West End and w.e. mural events are some of the best parts of the year. There is always more that could be done, but the investment into making Sand City the art destination that it now is has been amazing to watch.
What is your position on the SURF Busway project? The SURF BRT is a restoration of a 144 year old transportation corridor that is a great use of the space to allow for people to get to and from work and other places quicker and easier than before. I 100% support the project and I attended the Costal Commission meeting on September 12th, 2024 when it was approved.
With or without SURF, what can/should Sand City do when it comes to transit options?The SURF BRT is a great first step. I would like MST to add a line that would pick up in the South of Tioga complex and run down California to Contra Costa to allow for easy bus access to the population of Sand City. The planned projects to improve California and Catalina streets next year are great improvements coming to our city. I also support the planned improvements and connections of the existing trail network to provide better biking and walking options.
If elected, what regional boards would you be most enthusiastic about serving on? I have been much more focused on serving on the City Council than looking beyond to which boards to be part of. With my decades of experience in technology and business, I am sure there will be plenty of boards I would be able to apply my skills and experience with. I am very interested in serving on the Design review and Sand City Arts Committees in Sand City, but I am unsure of what regional boards are not currently assigned to the other council members that are not up for election or do not have a competitive campaign.
https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/cover/politics-isn-t-pretty-but-it-s-time-for-voters-to-make-choices-our-endorsements/article_1c02eea4-8677-11ef-9aa4-c79fed683fc6.html
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