Point Reyes Light - November 1, 2001
County spetic laws worry BPUD candidates
By Daniel Freed
Four candidates vying for three seats on the board of the Bolinas Public Utility District differed over a proposed bicycle/pedestrian path but all expressed concern about the costs and enforcement of the county’s new septic-system regulations
In a forum attended by 20 townspeople, incumbent directors Joan Bertsch, Jack Siedman, and Jack McClellan plus challenger Cabe Silverhame agreed that the BPUD board – which at times has asserted its own authority over county regulations – will have to work hard to keep Marin’s Septic Systems Advisory Committee (SepTAC) from imposing costly demands on property owners.
Silverhame, an environmental geologist and former public works inspector in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said he was mainly concerned with the expensive upgrades that may be required of homeowners.
County ‘hegemony’
"I think the county’s hegemony is getting too strong around here," he said. Bertsch seemed to agree, calling proposed SepTAC measures "horrible regulations."
Siedman stressed that pollution from septic systems occurs only on Bolinas’ Big Mesa when rains raise the water table. BPUD could fix that problem, he said, "by draining the mesa in an intelligent way."
McClellan, who has served as a BPUD director since 1981, said the county shouldn’t inspect Bolinas systems, since townspeople wouldn’t want "inspectors finding the other things we all have in our yard."
After the meeting BPUD general manager Phil Buchanan noted that Bolinas homeowners, like many others throughout Marin, have built harmless but illegal structures such as sheds or extra bedrooms to help cope with the rising cost of living.
"People out here would be a lot more receptive to SepTAC if they knew that inspectors were coming out only to look at sewer systems," he said.
BPUD’s expansive power
Candidates also addressed BPUD’s traditional role of making many town decisions not directly related to utility service.
Challenger Silverhame applauded BPUD’s capacity to "provide a forum for people to bring a proposal, get that forum going, and have a consensus-building project."
Bertsch agreed, saying there is a "strong community need for a place to bring issues."
But McClellan seemed to view BPUD’s de facto role as the Bolinas’ town council in a different light. "By default," he said, "we take on what no else wants to. We’re good at beating back pressure from over the hill. But when the ball is in our court, we have trouble."
McClellan then added that he would like to see BPUD provide a forum more akin to New England town meetings where local residents – not their elected representatives – have the ultimate decision-making power. But this, he said, would require better turn-out at BPUD meetings.
Bike path
Some of BPUD’s recent business became the topic of debate. Asked by resident Dale Polissar of Bolinas what they thought of a proposed bicycle path, all four candidates said they thought one should be made.
"I might be in the last fifth of my life," McClellan said, "but my focus is still on the future. Bicycles make it easy, safe, and convenient to ride around town."
But Silverhame said that the county-funded plan for a path between Bolinas-Stinson School and downtown could use some tweaking. The plan, which McClellan has supported, would create a bicycle lane by simply widening OIema-Bolinas Road. Silverhame said he would rather see BPUD support a design that better fit Bolinas’ landscape.
"We have tons of intelligent, artistic people who can come up with a plan different than what the county tells us we can do," he said.
Bolinas resident Dave Hill asked the candidates what their "take on the parking situation" was.
Downtown parking
Bolinas voters on Nov. 6 will cast votes to advise the district on a proposal to restrict 20 percent of downtown parking– 65 spaces – for use by only Bolinas residents.
While all of the candidates said they favor the plan, Bertsch seemed particularly supportive and urged voters to review the specifics before going to the polls.
She said that providing reserved spaces would encourage elderly residents to visit the downtown area. Bertsch also said the plan includes a number of options for marking the spaces in a manner that wouldn’t be offensive. These included signs marking only the ends of the reserved parking zone, and listing cars registered for reserved spaces in a handheld computer that some sort of local enforcement person could check.
The debate then turned to the idea of starting some sort of public transit within Bolinas. All candidates seemed supportive of the idea. Silverhame suggested a system of organized hitch-hiking (as is done in the San Geronimo Valley).
And who would hold beaker?
But McClellan commented that implementing such a system would come with a nightmare of red tape. "Besides," he added wryly, "could we find a driver to pass the drug test?"
When resident Tom Willard asked what new projects the candidates could rally behind, all four said they would work to develop alternative sources of electricity.
Siedman said such a project could explore wind- and even wave-generated power.