Point Reyes Light - November 1, 2001

Here are The Light’s endorsements for candidates and measures that on Tuesday will appear on various West Marin ballots.

By: Gregory Foley & David V. Mitchell

 

Bolinas Public Utility District – We support incumbents Jack Siedman and Jack McClellan. They are both seasoned BPUD veterans who are willing to look at new ideas (like the bike path to school), but also know how to fend off and quiet those who would insist that BPUD stick its nose in every matter that comes up in Bolinas. (How extensive BPUD’s role should be in governing town affairs is often debated, and both directors seem to show interest in letting BPUD deal issues outside of BPUD’s primary role as a utility district without going too far afield.)

McClellan and Siedman often serve as counter-weights to Directors Paul Kayfetz and Vic Amoroso, who are typically pitbulls for preserving Bolinas as an enclave for funky, free-thinking liberals. The division is particularly noticeable on matters that would bring some change to Bolinas but might help residents. A prime example is the county-proposed bike path to Bolinas School from downtown. Last spring, McClellan and Siedman wanted it; Kayfetz and Amoroso were staunchly opposed (but did show interest in an alternative plan).

Siedman – an attorney – played a crucial role in BPUD’s negotiations with the county on establishing the new seasonal weekend camping ban on Bolinas Beach and was a key player last fall in getting Park Service officials to talk openly about their plans for Rancho Baulines.

As for incumbent Joan Bertsch, she is the quietest member of the board, but we like her comments when they are made. For one, she is not intimidated by Kayfetz’s sometimes-forceful rhetoric. She is fiscally conservative and usually does not want to spend much district money on peripheral projects, making her a good influence on the overall BPUD budget. Challenger Cabe Silverhame, an environmental geologist, is of the liberal, pro-eucalyptus camp. We like his alternative-energy ideas, but some townspeople occasionally find him too confrontational. The Light endorses: incumbents Joan Bertsch, Jack McClellan, and Jack Siedman.

Shoreline School District Trustee Area 1 – Area 1 represents residents from the tip of Point Reyes, through Inverness, Olema, and Point Reyes Station up to Marshall. Yet district residents in northwest Marin County and southwest Sonoma County also have a vote in deciding who will represent Area 1. While incumbents Gus Conde and Jim Love, as well as challengers Tim Kehoe and Phil Torres, agree trustees should look out for students in all of Shoreline’s schools, the incumbents sound more uncertain about having residents districtwide decide who represents each trustee area. Commenting on the arrangement last week, incumbent Jim Love said, "Half of me thinks it’s a good idea. Half of me thinks it’s strange." Incumbent Gus Conde was more explicit, acknowledging, "Each board member has a constituency."

We would agree. Shoreline’s three trustee areas represent more than geography; they represent community outlooks that vary from town to town. We believe incumbents Gus Conde and Jim Love have done a good job of representing the concerns of their particular area. We have no criticisms of the challengers; indeed, both have demonstrated their commitment to youth. If Tim Kehoe were running in Trustee Areas 2 or 3, he might well be our choice, for he knows the district well and is steeped in West Marin’s best traditions: educational, agricultural, and civic. For those particularly concerned about drugs in the school, Torres (a Fairfax policeman who has worked in school drug-prevention programs) is your man.

We have not always agreed with incumbents Conde and Love, but Conde’s passion for being a responsible trustee is striking while Love’s ability to bring new thinking to bear on old problems can often be seen. The Light endorses: Gus Conde and Jim Love.

Muir Beach Community Services District – Politics does not take center stage in Muir Beach, but the Board of Directors of this tiny district nonetheless is faced with critical decisions about water consumption, fire protection, and road maintenance. Incumbents Peter Rudnick and Deborah Kamradt should be returned, and a new face, Leighton Hills, should replace outgoing Director Matthew Schiffries. Longtime resident Gerald Pearlman would bring some fresh ideas and key connections to the table, but we like the fact that Hills has experience in water system management – albeit in Shasta County. The Light endorses: Peter Rudnick, Deborah Kamradt, and Leighton Hills.

 

Tamalpais Union High School District – This has turned into one of the more closely contested races on the ballot. We hope Stinson Beach resident Al Mayberry gets elected, along with his running mate Dorothy Hughes. Both want more interaction between students, parents, and teachers, as well as greater flexibility in the curriculum to allow students to participate in more electives and internships. We trust they can help maintain the district’s high standards, as well as high scores on state tests, while offering students a little more freedom to pursue individual interests. Even though state politicians seldom get involved in local races outside their territory, Mayberry and Hughes are being boosted by State Senator John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara), chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Moreover, we like the idea of having a West Marin representative on the board.

Take your pick on the third seat. Incumbent Ruth Dell is running on a slate with newcomers John Wright and Susan Schmidt, and all have said they want to focus on hiring and retaining quality teachers. We’re inclined to support incumbent Dell for the third slot. The Light endorses: Al Mayberry, Dorothy Hughes, and Ruth Dell.

College of Marin – Incumbent Wanden Treanor is a clear choice for reelection. For the past four years, she has been a dedicated public servant. She vows to keep working to raise public interest in the college and promoting it as a stepping stone to four-year schools such as UC Berkeley. We also like incumbent Greg Brockbank, who is a proven force for getting things done. The third seat is somewhat of a toss-up for us. We prefer incumbent Barbara Dolan over challenger Peter Romanowsky. The Light endorses: Wanden Treanor, Greg Brockbank, and Barbara Dolan.

North Marin Water District – Incumbent George Amaroli, a fixture on the North Marin board for more than three decades, certainly deserves to keep his seat for another term. He understands water politics as well as anyone in Marin and has been a staunch advocate of low rates and responsible spending. Moreover, he has shown a genuine interest in ensuring that the water supply for Point Reyes Station, Inverness Park, Olema, and Paradise Ranch Estates is safe and reliable.

As for the second seat, we like incumbent John Schoonover over challenger John Eyler. The Light endorses: George Amaroli and John Schoonover.

Measure B, on the San Geronimo Valley ballot would renew for eight years a parcel tax in Lagunitas School District. The money helps pay for district educational programs and teachers. The $197 annual tax per assessor parcel would be subject to a yearly 6.5 percent upward adjustment and would be specifically earmarked to support the sciences, music, and language, as well as environmental and technology programs. Enrollment at district schools has been declining, and so has the amount of subsidies from the state. The district operates on a tight budget and has come to rely on the parcel-tax revenue. Yes on Measure B.

Measure J in Muir Beach would renew for four years a parcel tax on residential and commercial properties, with the money earmarked for improving Muir Beach Community Services District’s aging water system. Because elements of the improvement plan are mandated by the state to be done (sooner rather than later) in order for the district to live up to its end of a settlement guaranteeing its water rights, the parcel tax will increase to $300 annually from the $180 paid during the past four years. The money is critically needed because the district in recent times has had trouble providing the town with an adequate supply of clean water. Yes on Measure J.

Measure K, also on the Muir Beach ballot, renews a monthly surcharge of up to 25 percent on residents’ water bills to help pay for implementing water-system improvements already approved in the Muir Beach Community Services District’s long-range improvement plan. Like Measure J, Measure K will die in four years unless reauthorized at that time. The district says it needs the money to keep its improvement plan on track. Indeed, it does. Yes on Measure K.

Measure L, the third piece of Muir Beach Community Services District tax package, does not itself raise or lower any taxes. The measure simply increases the district’s appropriations limit to correspond to any increases in tax revenue from Measures J or K. It’s essentially a bookkeeping measure that keeps local tax revenues from being redirected to other communities. Yes on Measure L.

Measure M, which is only advisory, will give Bolinas residents a chance to tell directors of Bolinas Public Utility District whether townspeople want BPUD to implement a downtown-parking plan. The plan as now proposed would reserve 20 percent of downtown parking spaces for use by only townspeople with permits. BPUD’s Downtown Parking Committee spent more than a year working on ways to reduce parking congestion downtown, particularly during summer weekends and holidays when the vehicles of surfers and beachgoers clog Wharf Road and Brighton Avenue, as well as nearby streets.

We like the long list of other elements of the committee’s plan (these have already been approved by BPUD directors), for they free up spaces and increase safety. But we seriously question if the 20-percent proposal will solve any problems – or is even legal. Might some parking spaces be wasted? We think so. Let’s give the other parts of the committee’s plan a chance to work first. Bolinas drivers might not always get a spot in front of Smiley’s or the People’s Store, but let’s face it, in downtown Bolinas, you’re never that far away from where you’re going. No on Measure M.

Point Reyes Light Cover | News | Coastal Traveler