Forest & Beach Commission Chairperson Tom Leverone: Candidate for City Council 2012

ABSTRACT:  Forest & Beach Commission Chairperson Tom Leverone’s “Tom Leverone for Carmel City Council” website states “I want to be elected to the Carmel City Council so that I can work to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all Carmel residents and businesses.”  And “It is my belief that, to a great extent, we already have a set of "Rules To Live By" in the form of existing codes and statutes that, as they were enacted over the years, have acted as our guides, and as windows into the historic development of our city. While most of these have been refined over time, some may need to be re-visited because the letter of the law is sometimes no longer in sync with the original reason behind it. So it is my view that it is important for City Council members to understand the original intent of a law before any changes are considered. This is the philosophy that I believe can guide correct decision making that will maintain the character of our village, and continue to offer us the quality of life we so enjoy.”  “As a cornerstone of my public life, I will always keep uppermost in my mind the concept of common sense and balance.”  Sections of his website include, as follows:

Why does Tom want to serve on the Carmel City Council? 

What does Tom see as the key issues facing the next City Council? 

A long-term balanced budget, Water, Paid Parking, The Flanders Mansion

Who is Tom Leverone?

What people are saying about Tom Leverone...

"Tom and the Fire Basket" - a parable

HIGHLIGHTS of Goals as a Council Member & What has Tom done for Carmel are presented.  An ADDENDUM of the 6 March 2012 City Council Agenda Item “Receive report and provide direction on a recommendation from the Forest and Beach Commission on a concept for a portable beach fire basket” with reproduced Agenda Item Summary and Staff Report is provided. 

HIGHLIGHTS of Goals as a Council Member & What has Tom done for Carmel

Goals as a Council Member

• Faithfully serve the residents of Carmel first and foremost, in balance with our businesses.

• Stop cutting resident services or security by maintaining a balanced budget and increasing revenues by choosing the best options currently being discussed (paid parking, TOT, sales tax, etc.).

• Revitalize downtown and eliminate vacant storefronts by using economic development consultants to determine what merchants Carmel needs and will utilize, so the merchant can thrive, and by considering a City ordinance requiring owners of vacant storefronts to fill their empty windows with attractive displays.

• Always use common sense and understand the intent of the rules and ordinances we live by.

• Review Carmel’s ordinances to update the language and avoid costly and time consuming confusion and unnecessary discussion while maintaining a level playing field with fairness for all.

• Find solutions to larger issues (water, Flanders, revenue) that have no contingencies and will remain viable for generations so our grandchildren do not have to revisit these issues. 

What has Tom done for Carmel

“As Chair of the Forest and Beach Commission I instituted programs that increased transparency and successfully put an end to the vandalism of city trees planted on public property; reconfigured the inspection process for private replacement trees to allow the city to better fulfill its obligations; designed, built, and successfully tested a device to keep the beach continuously cleaned of beach fire charcoal and debris.”

Contact Information: E-mail: tom@leveroneforcarmel.com

ADDENDUM:

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

CITYCOUNCIL AGENDA PACKET

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Archived Video Streaming

AGENDA

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

City Hall

East side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh Avenues

XI. Orders of Council

A. Receive report and provide direction on a recommendation from the Forest and Beach Commission on a concept for a portable beach fire basket.

Meeting Date: March 6, 2012

Prepared by: Mike Branson

City Council

Agenda Item Summary

Meeting Date: March 6, 2012

Prepared by: Mike Branson

Name: Receive report and provide direction on a recommendation from the Forest and Beach Commission on a concept for a portable beach fire basket.

Description: At its January meeting, the Forest and· Beach Commission reviewed the concept and prototype of a portable fire basket for managing fires and charcoal cleanup on Carmel Beach. The Commission supported the idea and recommended the City Council review the concept and provide comments on possible implementation.

Overall Cost:

City Funds: Unknown at this time.

Staff Recommendation: Review and provide comments on the portable fire basket concept.

Important Considerations: At the January 5, 2012 meeting, the Forest and Beach Commissioners unanimously recommended that Council review the portable fire basket concept developed by Tom Leverone. Fires are currently only allowed under certain conditions and the City pays for charcoal cleanup during the summer season.

Decision Record: None.

Reviewed by:

Jason Stilwell, City Administrator  Date

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

STAFF REPORT

TO: MAYOR McCLOUD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS

THROUGH: JASON STILWELL, CITY ADMINISTRATOR

FROM: MIKE BRANSON, CITY FORESTER

DATE: MARCH 6, 2012

SUBJECT: REVIEW AND PROVIDE POLICY DIRECTION ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FOREST AND BEACH COMMISSION ON A CONCEPT FOR A PORTABLE BEACH FIRE BASKET

_____________________________________________

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Provide comments and direction on the fire basket proposal.

BACKGROUND

Fires and charcoal accumulation on Carmel Beach has been a contentious issue for years. The Forest and Beach Commission and City Council have regularly heard both from supporters and opponents of allowing fires. Fires currently are allowed on the beach south of Tenth Avenue and they must comply with several fire management rules. There is no regulation on the number of fires or responsibility for cleanup of the fire pits. The City has a program to clean up the fire pits weekly during the summer season.

REVIEW

Forest and Beach Chairman Tom Leverone devised the idea of a portable fire basket, or wok, due to its resemblance to the Asian cooking pan. The basket, made of a metal screen with a carrying handle, is large enough for a legal fire and two people can even carry it with the firewood inside. The screen holes are large enough to facilitate air flow yet small enough to collect most of the charcoal from the fire.

To use it, the basket is nestled down into the sand and a fire is built inside. When the fire is done or needs to be extinguished, water is poured onto the coals and the basket is lifted with the charcoal inside to a disposal site. The idea is to still allow fires but to have the user be part of the cleanup program.

The Forest and Beach Commission reviewed this device during its January meeting.  The Commissioners and the public attendees were supportive of the concept. The Commission recommended the idea be presented to the City Council to provide additional comments on the device and the logistics of possible implementation as a method of managing fires on Carmel Beach.

FISCAL IMPACT

The costs to implement this program are still under development. Chairman Tom Leverone paid for the prototype and revisions to the basket have already been discussed.

SUMMARY

Fires and charcoal continue to be topics of discussion. It is hoped that this concept could be developed into a way to manage fires and charcoal cleanup on the beach. Costs to build and a method of dispersal and collection of the fire baskets still must be obtained.  Comments from the City Council and the public will help facilitate a workable fire and charcoal cleanup program.