ABSTRACT: In the interest of having an informed electorate, QUESTIONS COVERING SIX AREAS, including the areas of "Open Government," City's Budget, Fire Department, Historical & Cultural Assets, "Urbanized" Forest and Storm Water Discharges into Carmel Bay, will be sent immediately after posting today via email to Mayor Sue McCloud (smccloud@ci.carmel.ca.us), Council Member Karen Sharp (karensharp@yahoo.com), Ken Talmage (kktalm@aol.com), Michael LePage (mlepage@lepageconstruction.com) and sent via USPS to Dogman McBill (P.O. Box 926). Instructions on how to post their answers are given and they are thanked for their cooperation and interest in informing Carmelites of their positions.
Dear City Council Candidates:
In the interest of having an informed electorate, The Carmel-by-the-Sea WATCHDOG! requests your answers to QUESTIONS COVERING SIX AREAS.
To respond, click http://villageinforest.blogspot.com/ or type URL in search engine box. At the end of “Thursday, February 14, 2008” post, click on “Comments” and type your answers into the box, then click “Name” circle, type your name and click “PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT.”
Thank you for your cooperation and interest in informing Carmelites of your positions.
Sincerely,
The Carmel-by-the-Sea WATCHDOG!
QUESTIONS COVERING SIX AREAS:
• On “Open Government:”
As a Carmelite, have you read the 2005 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Government? If you have read it, what is your understanding of “open government?”
What would you do to promote “open government” in Carmel-by-the-Sea?
• On the City’s Budget and Overall Fiscal Condition:
What are your budget priorities?
What are your plans to address the growing deferred maintenance needs of our village?
Given the magnitude of deferred maintenance, what is the optimal range for the City’s reserve fund levels? Do you think $9 million in reserve funds is justified because the “the city’s $9 million in reserves is offset by the debt it carries from the Sunset Center renovation,” as expressed by City Council Member Ken Talmage?
Do you think “prudent fiscal management” and “budgeting conservatively” means the current practice of more and more deferred maintenance and larger and larger reserve fund levels with each successive year?
• On Future of Carmel Fire Department:
Have you read the Citygate Associates “Fire Department Consolidation Feasibility Analysis for the Cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel” report? If you have read it, what is your position on the finding that the City is under funding our Fire Department by $400,000/year?
What is your position regarding consolidation?
• Historical & Cultural Assets:
The Scout House: Would you budget for maintenance, improvements and ADA compliance measures for the Scout House so that it can reopen as a Community Center?
Forest Theatre: Have you read the "Forest Theater Facility Master Plan (2001)" by Brian Congleton of CONGLETON ARCHITECT AIA? If you have read it, why shouldn’t the City annually budget for the multi-phase implementation of the Congleton Plan now?
Flanders Mansion Property: Would you have an open mind about the proposed sale of the National Register of Historic Places Flanders Mansion property? As a City Council Member, would you base your vote on the long-term interests of the city, not short-term financial gain or the desires of the mayor?
Sunset Center: Is a management subsidy of $750,000 for FY 2007/08 to Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. justified relative to the budgets of other City departments; that is, compared to FY 2007/08 budgets of $721,001 for Community Planning & Building, $457,661 for Forest, Parks and Beach and $508,200 for the Capital Improvement Program.
• On our “Urbanized” Forest:
Have you read Consulting Arborist Barrie D. Coate’s studies entitled “A View of the Future Forest of the City of Carmel,” “Results of a Review of Trees in a Two Block Transect of Carmel” and “Suggested Replacement Trees for Use in the Carmel Forest?”
What amount in taxpayer dollars should be annually budgeted to implement the studies’ recommendations, including the completion of a comprehensive Inventory of Public & Private Trees in Carmel-by-the-Sea?
Given a $13 million annual budget and nearly $10 million in reserve funds, is a Forest, Parks and Beach Department FY 2007/08 budget of $457,661 sufficient for maintenance and reforestation? If $457,661 is not sufficient, what should the FY 2007/08 budget be for the Forest, Parks and Beach Department?
Do you believe all “parks,” including Forest Theatre and Mission Trail Nature Preserve, should be well maintained?
• On Storm Water Discharges into Carmel Bay, an Area of Special Biological Significance (ASBS):
Do you agree with the Mayor’s and City Administrator’s tactics of expending $250,000 in legal fees in an attempt to obtain a “waiver,” which was later denied, and filing for an “exception” with the State Water Resources Control Board for ASBS state mandated discharges? If you do not agree with these tactics, what is your plan to meet the state mandated requirements?
5 comments:
I've lived here a long time. Carmel voters have never been well informed or much interested in city government. We don't care who is mayor or who represents us on the council. For 2 decades, we have had 2 mayors who used the power of incumbency to re-elect themselves over and over again. During those times, self-preservation and the status quo were what reigned supreme. It will take something drastic to get Carmelites interested and engaged in the process and throw the bums out as they say. Until we become interested enough to be informed and run for office, we will not have much choice to change things for the collective good.
Embarrassing questions to be sure. Since these questions go to the heart of the matter, McCloud and Co. will ignore them or give nonsense answers. Trust me on this. They are one more parochial clique among many in Carmel looking after their cause not anything beyond themselves.
Maybe that "something drastic" should be a petition to get term limits on the ballot. That might pique Carmelites' interest. Pacific Grove has term limits, why not in Carmel, too? That would solve some of our problems with Carmel city government. Term limits not only for the Mayor but for council members, too. We have hangers-on like Paula Hazdovac who probably will stay forever -- for the health insurance benefit.
Perhaps even though these candidates have emails and advertise "contact me" with you thoughts, I care about what you think, they do not really navigate well on the web. Perhaps. But, they should have an accountability etnic; an ethic which shows they understand they have an obligation to answer for a responsibility conferred on them and accepted by them. Becuase they have chosen not to answer these questions, the computer savvy public is unsure if their representatives and candidates understand they are supposed to be responsible for their decisions and actions, if only to answer pertinent questions from members of the public, including bloggers.
These questions are appropriate to ask to see whether our candidates will submit themselves to tough external examination. Here though, they are used to a compliant press printing what they tell reporters and so they do not feel they have to answer any questions not of their own asking.
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