Compare and Consider: Morro Bay Candidates

City Council Candidates at the Debate

1. What are your views on the wastewater treatment plant upgrade being developed by the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA)?

Nancy Johnson: The JPA has a plan. If it is not completed by 2014, it faces significant fines. The city is fortunate to have three qualified professionals on staff. Reusing water makes sense and is worth looking at. We should go with what we have and be ready to add recycling.

D'Onna Kennedy: I went to visit the Santa Paula plant. It wold benefit all citizens if they could see it. The facility is beautiful. Maybe the decision should be put on the ballot.

George Leage: We already have an upgrade plan. There is no use to put a stop to it, hold or change it. Expenses would go up. Let's move forward.

Jack Smith: There is no harm in taking a look at the other system. It is not necessary to put a stop on the present plan. The other system is every bit as good or better. We would be doing us a disfavor, if we did not consider it.

2. What are your views on tourism?

Johnson: Tourism is a fact of life. We need to attract more to our tourist industry. I support fishing. And the car show. We need more events.

Kennedy: We need to use a marketing company or pool our efforts. I would like to see a convention center, a theater, a science museum or a museum of modern arts.

Leage: There are a lot of things to do here. We need to promote the town we have. We should hire a fulltime person to do that.

Smith: There has been a lot of talk about a TOT increase of 1%. Perhaps a compromise would be .5%. There may be a problem in the way way Morro Bay is promoted. It is hard to have a unified message. I think we need one group or one person.

3. During this time of economic pressures, what should our budget priorities be?

Johnson: We need to balance the budget and develop a five year fiscal plan. We need to recover our commercial core. And encourage a more business-friendly enironment.

Kennedy: Public safety. We should look at our budget and see if we can we make priority list. We need to take care of people who live here and businesses. Sixty-one businesses have been closed.

Leage: We need more events, like a boat parade a week long.

Smith: We need to decide on priorities and which items to keep in budget. We should seek to build a maritime museum. The city has been the roadblock. We need to get it underway.

4. Some say there isn't enough for kids to do in Morro Bay. What are your thoughts?

Johnson: Let's get the budget under control. Then there will be other things that can be provided. We need to encourage them to get out and do more hiking. There is the skateboard park, the golf course, and the Teen Center/Skate Park.

Kennedy: The youth center is lacking. I agree the skateboard park is not open enough. We need an art program in the summer, and perhaps an air museum.

Leage: There is lots to do. We need to put our heads together and start thinking about that.

Smith: There are plenty of things to do. We need to let people know about them. We need to keep the skateboard park open more.

5. What should the policy be toward business development?

Johnson: Government is limited in helping businesses. We can encourage new businesses. I have seen examples on the Planning Commission. What we need to do is be more creative.

Kennedy: I knew someone who wanted to open a pharmacy. I was amazed it took so long. Fees are based on needs and wants. They are things we have to collect. They were lowered for the fishing industry, which I agree with. We need to push so there is a quicker turnaround for our business people. We don't want to make it too easy. This is a charming town. We have to follow ordinances, but if it is going to take seven months to approve something, we should make sure we are approving what benefits all of us. Businesses have to listen to people before locating here.

Leage: There have been studies on getting uptown and the Embarcadero businesses together and the need for that. As long as we have absentee owners, and all they do is rent to someone else and collect rent and they don't fix up the businesses or maintain them, we are going to have problems. But maintaining the buildings better would bring more money into the businesses and the city.

Smith: The question is how do we foster business development. One way is to review unnecessary rules for establishing businesses. One building contractor I know had to wait seven months to get city approval for a building. We also need to keep fees and licenses as low as possible with an economy like this. We need to make things easier for the business community. I am amazed at how long it takes businesses to get established here.

6. What problems do you see in implementing the ideas you favor?

Johnson: I don't see a problem. I see challenges. We need to elect members who can work together. Once they come together, we can change the status quo and work with the city manager.

Kennedy: We just need to sit down, look at the budget and take baby steps.

Leage: I agree that there are no problems, just challenges. This thing has gone too far. If we keep letting it slide, we are going to be in real trouble. So it boils down to getting more money in this town to implement the things we want. No one has brought up to the plant tonight. There it sits--still sitting. A few people ruined that plant (replacement plan). Today we could be looking over there at a nice, brand new plant, generating money. And we wouldn't be sitting up here talking about problems. We would be saying how are we going to spend our money. One of the things I would like to do is get those people back to the table and ask where are you going (with the plant)? If they walk away from that place over there, that's really going to look like a graveyard. When you see a bit of smoke coming out, you don't mind it when it is generating a lot of money.

Smith: We need new ways of thinking, nontraditional. Such as promoting ecotourism and standup paddle surfing. You can do it in the bay. And other new activities. There is moiuntain hiking. Make them attractive and they will come.

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