Morro Bay City Council race: 4 questions for the candidates

This story has been changed to correct Robert “Red” Davis’ job title at Caltrans.

Three candidates are running for two, four-year seats on the Morro Bay City Council on Nov. 8.

The candidates are retired Caltrans planner Robert “Red” Davis, retired management consultant Marlys McPherson and mechanical engineer Richard E.T. Sadowski. Laura Cogan’s name also appears on the ballot, but she has withdrawn from the race because of a recent death in her family.

Incumbents Noah Smukler and Christine Johnson aren’t running for re-election, so the top two vote-getters will be fresh faces on the council.

The candidates recently responded to four questions posed by The Tribune:

Q:What is the most pressing issue facing the city, and what will you do during the first six months of your term to address it?

Davis: We need (countywide transportation sales tax) Measure J to pass to help with our streets, but that will not be enough. I will pose a question to the citizens of Morro Bay: We need to spend $2 million a year to bring streets to acceptable standard. The only source of money is ourselves. Are you willing to vote to tax yourselves or do you prefer to have our streets continue to deteriorate? It must be a voter choice.

McPherson: The construction and funding of the new water reclamation facility is the biggest issue the city faces. I will work to execute the council’s decision identifying the South Bay site for the new WRF. It is prudent to work with Coastal Commission staff and include other top-rated sites in the environmental impact review phase of the project. Our goal has to be a new WRF that best serves all residents and can get needed permits, with sensitivity to project costs.

Sadowski: The water reclamation facility must be our top priority. About $2 million has been spent with essentially nothing to show for it. I believe that we can build a new plant for tens of millions less than current city estimates. To succeed, we must leverage the work of others and what we already have, and must work collaboratively with the Coastal Commission. I have done considerable research and have specific ideas on location, technology and project methods.

Q: Water rates will increase steadily over the next five years to $75.50 per month for the average family in 2019. Do you support these increases, and what do you say to households that will find those increases unaffordable?

Davis: California law requires a specific level of revenue to support our bonded indebtedness. We will comply with that. As we consider the final rate structure for the new facility, we will discuss and continue to provide programs to help low and fixed-income families.

McPherson: As chair of the Public Works Advisory Board, I publicly supported the new water rates; our board unanimously recommended approval to the City Council. The water fund cannot charge customers more than the service costs. Our water rates were last raised in 1994, and for years the city was not covering all required costs. The PWAB also recommended that the city appropriate funds to assist residents for whom the new rates pose an economic hardship (it did), using PG&E’s low-income criteria.

Sadowski: I do not support these increases. With the right project approach, the right technology and the right location, we could have a new water reclamation facility up and running in three years for much less than current city estimates. The cost savings will help us avoid water rate increases. In addition, reclaimed water is valuable, and the income from sale of the water will further reduce our need to burden water customers with rate increases.

Q: What permanent design guidelines or regulations, if any, should the city pass to keep new homes proportional and similar in style to the neighborhood?

Davis: Our residents will decide that through the general plan update process. The city and consultant are reaching out in a variety of ways to gather citizen input. This will be synthesized through a public process that gives every Morro Bay resident an opportunity to weigh in.

McPherson: It has become clear through the general plan update that residents want to preserve the small-town character of Morro Bay. How to accomplish that will be part of the plan update process through zoning requirements and design guidelines, which I would support. Overall requirements, such as building size vis-à-vis lot size and height, are a place to start. Given the diverse nature of Morro Bay’s neighborhoods, however, it is likely that more detailed guidelines will need to be neighborhood-specific.

Sadowski: We have interim design guidelines in place now to manage the style of homes. They are working well, and I support their continued use. In fact, the Planning Commission just passed a resolution recommending that they be continued for another 12 months. To strengthen control over home size, I recommend use of some variation of floor area ratio. This concept has been used very successfully for many years by dozens of California cities.

Q: How will you secure the financial stability of the city given the loss of revenue from the closure of the Morro Bay power plant and no other major companies replacing it?

Davis: Beginning at the time of reduced plant operations in 2004, and eventual cessation in February 2014, the city has adjusted spending to match revenue. Our 10-year budget forecast shows us in the black every year. We slightly underfund police and fire but are well above critical level. Our street program is severely underfunded, and we need a new police building. We are working on an Economic Development Strategic Plan right now to address the need for new revenue.

McPherson: The city has already done a decent job of replacing power plant revenues, largely through increased tourism (transient occupancy taxes now account for 26 percent of general fund revenues). The city needs to pursue other economic development opportunities. I will advocate for reasonable policies/investments that encourage existing businesses to grow and small businesses to locate here. We’ll need to work closely with any new power plant property owner to ensure that community priorities are incorporated into the development.

Sadowski: I believe the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be a major factor in ensuring our continued financial stability. Other California marine sanctuaries have brought their communities new jobs and income from science research facilities and increased tourist dollars. I believe it will also be beneficial to our fishing industry, helping that industry to continue to grow and thrive in Morro Bay.

This story was originally published October 1, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Morro Bay City Council race: 4 questions for the candidates."