Scotts Valley City Council candidates debated thorny local issues ranging from future growth to government transparency during a candidate forum on Thursday, Oct. 6.
There was one issue on which all candidates agreed: Heavy traffic on county roads has become intolerable.
A packed house of more than 90 local residents filled the Santa Margarita Community Room at the Scotts Valley Water District office during the 90-minute question-and-answer session. The event was sponsored by the Press Banner and the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Press Banner editor Barry Holtzclaw was the moderator. Chamber executive director Danny Reber welcomed the standing-room-only crowd.
It was broadcast live on the MyScottsValley Facebook page. To see the complete archived video, go to www.facebook.com/MyScottsValley/videos.
Council candidates include incumbents Mayor Donna Lind, Vice Mayor Randy Johnson and Councilmember Dene Bustichi. Challengers are Bruno’s BBQ owner Rosanna Herrera and former city finance director Jack Dilles. Voters will choose among them to fill three seats on the council.
Current councilmembers Stephanie Aguilar and Jim Reed are up for re-election in 2018.
Measure D, the proposed sales tax increase that would fund transportation needs, also drew a collective consensus of support from all the council candidates. The half-cent tax would raise an estimated $17 million a year countywide over 30 years.
“Transportation in the county is horrendous,” said Bustichi, adding that the proposed funding should be used for local road repairs and widening Highway 1. “We can’t be selfish. We have to look at the entire county.”
Challenger Dilles agreed. “Whether or not Measure D passes we have a major problem,” he said.
Lind targeted her support for Measure D because seniors and handicapped people would benefit. “We have a real need that I don’t see any other option (to fix),” she said.
Measure D would allow Lift Line to add weekend service to augment Santa Cruz Metro’s ParaCruz routes, covering parts of the San Lorenzo Valley.
As the forum continued, the general theme became the challengers’ calls for a change in elected officials, while the incumbents – with a combined 36 years on the council –rallied for stability during the current economic-growth spurt — particularly the now-revived Town Center project.
Dilles and Herrera have campaigned together and shared campaign advertising.
The Town Center project would transform up to 14 acres of property at Sky Park – most of it still owned by the city of Santa Cruz – into a retail/residential hub..
“We should scrap it and go back to the planning board,” said Herrera. “Let’s see what the community wants for that center. And then we’ll find a developer to build that.”
But Johnson said the project has received sufficient public input since it first came before the council in 1983. “We’ve had 20 meetings already,” he said. “We’ve listened to the people. We have a blueprint.”
Bustichi agreed that the Town Center’s time has come. “I guess I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. The center has gone remarkably well when you consider where we started,” he said, referring to the two propane stations that previously made building on the site impossible because of potential danger. “I don’t want to scrap a million-dollar plan.”
Dilles see the Town Center as having a realistic direction. “The plan focuses on housing over retail,” he said. “I like that idea.”
The candidates discussed the delicate balancing act of stimulating growth while conserving resources and providing services such as fire and police protection.
“Hotels will be the economic driver for the city,” Johnson said. “They’re the best investment you can make to provide services.”
The Lexington Hotel under construction on Scotts Valley Drive, the proposed Marriot extended-stay hotel off Granite Creek Road, and the 1440 Multiversity retreat center at the former Bethany College site is also taking shape.
Lind said hotel vehicle traffic comes and goes at off-peak times so traffic problems are mitigated.
Dilles, a former finance director for the city, took a more cautious stance concerning growth. “There is some room for development but we need to do it right,” he said. “We can have strong growth but we want to keep it in check.”
Herrera said the city needs to step back and create a vision for growth. “Developers come in and throw things on the wall and see what sticks,” she said.
Candidates also discussed how they would address water issues as the city continues to grow.
Lind defended the council’s track record in conserving water. She pointed to the Woodside homes on Scotts Valley Drive as a prime example. “There’s more water going into the basin now than before the project,” she said, adding that citywide water use is currently the same amount of water as in 1992.
Bustichi agreed with Lind. “Water is a regional issue, not just Scotts Valley,” he said, pointing out the city recently sold recycled waterto the Pasatiempo Golf Course to water its greens. This made it possible for Santa Cruz to retain the water that had been used to water the golf course.
Dilles said the city must continue to be vigilant. “It’s incumbent for the city to be careful,” he said. “The aquifer is low even when we are in balance.”
Each part-time councilmember receives a salary of $488.67 a month, plus fully-paid health benefits, and serves a term of four years. The council selects a new mayor each year.
A second candidate forum, for Scotts Valley Unified School District trustee candidates, is scheduled for the same location with the same format on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
