Erik Howell has served on the Lucia Mar school board for 17 years; he will give up his seat if elected to the Pismo Beach City Council. We believe it is time for Howell to bring his experience, expertise and point of view to the city of Pismo Beach.

Howell has a thorough knowledge of issues facing the city and that, together with his legal background and his experience in dealing with tough budget issues, would make him an excellent addition to the council.

We also like the fact that Howell disagrees with the current council on some key issues. That’s important, as it will help ensure a thorough discussion of issues. For example, Howell questions the city’s handling of the controversial Los Robles Del Mar development project and its decision to disband the city’s redevelopment agency without sharing tax proceeds that had been promised, long ago, to the Lucia Mar school district.

He also is a strong proponent of public access to government; he questions the practice of allowing council meetings to drag on late into the night, especially when members of the public are waiting to speak.

And, he makes sense when he points out that the city needs to improve its ability to get along with other agencies; the recent snafu involving Pismo’s decision to install seawalls with out the Coastal Commission’s knowledge is evidence of that.

Bottom line: Erik Howell may shake up the city of Pismo Beach if he’s elected to the council, but we believe that will be to the city’s — and the public’s — benefit. The Tribune strongly endorses Erick Howell for City Council.

Ed Waage

Ed Waage won our endorsement for City Council four years ago. We did not endorse him when he ran for county supervisor against Adam Hill in 2010. At the time, we noted that some of his positions — such as his opposition to county efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions — were too extreme and not in the county’s best interests. We also were perplexed and disappointed by some of his negative campaign tactics employed against Hill.

So far, we haven’t seen such sniping in the Pismo Beach council race. That’s good; we hope the campaign messages remain positive.

While we don’t agree with all of Waage’s positions, he has been a strong advocate for economic development and a foe of overregulation, and that’s an important voice to have on the council. We also like his objectives for the coming four years, which include improving the downtown core; completing the Price Historic Park; completing the Shell Beach streetscape project; and improving bike lanes and trails.

Waage’s political experience, his professional background in emergency preparedness and his analytical approach to issues will continue to make him a valuable addition to the council. The Tribune urges Pismo Beach residents to re-elect Ed Waage.