In a bitter meeting Monday, members of the San Geronimo Valley Planning Group elected new leaders, replacing several incumbents with others who were less hostile to the campaign of Supervisor-elect Steve Kinsey.
Until an abrupt resignation of reelected officer Anita Rui Olds, however, incumbents retained a majority of seats on the nine-member steering committee, which governs the nonprofit membership organization of about 260 people.
There was standing-room-only Monday as roughly 200 people packed into a Cultural Center meeting room for the elections. Last year only 15 people came to vote; there had been few challengers for committee positions during the preceding years, members noted.
The Planning Group makes land-use planning recommendations to county government, which has jurisdiction over the unincorporated Valley.
Amid claims of an organized efforts to
pack the meeting with new members opposed to several incumbent candidates, Bill Noble of San Geronimo was elected chairman, replacing Debra Dadd-Redalia of Forest Knolls. Jim Schuenemann of Forest Knolls was elected vice-chairman, replacing Marshall Krause of San Geronimo.
Elected without opposition were incumbents Debbie Hubsmith, secretary, and Frank Binney, treasurer.
Chosen to round out the steering committee village representatives (listed her in the order of votes received) were: incumbent Buck Parle of Woodacre, Brent Harris of Lagunitas, Walter Stevens of Lagunitas, John Yannotti of Forest Knolls, and incumbent Anita Rui Olds of Forest Knolls.
However, Olds resigned from her post shortly after the results were announced, and that left one position vacant.
"Bill is not responsible [for the phone call recruitments] I am. I made all the calls," said member Richard Gray, answering a member's question.
The newly elected steering committee is expected to appoint someone next week to fill the vacant seat, and the general membership could then ratify the choice at its Dec. 9 meeting.
Jean Berensmeier, a founder of the Planning Group in the early 1070s, had the most village-representative votes after Olds.
Berensmeier and former committee member Brian Staley had harshly criticized Kinsey and, with Dadd-Redalia, supported rival candidate Dotty LeMieux in an acrimonious supervisorial election.
Noble and supporter Gray, a past committee chairman and Planning Group founder, were volunteers in Kinsey's election campaign.
After thanking Olds for "having the courage to speak her mind," Berensmeier said she was reminded of a meeting of the San Geronimo Valley Homeowners more than a decade ago, "to kick me out, just like this one." She then emphasized the importance of the community plan, and stewardship of the ridgelines and watershed.
"Things have changed over the years and they will continue to change," Berensmeier said. "This Group has done a good job and I'm proud to be a part of it."
Berensmeier strongly opposed the compromise, known as the Community Based Plan.
"This [battle] is not about substance for the most part," Noble said, answering a members question. "It is a difference in tactics in how one responds to development."
Many members during the meeting said they wished to put animosity behind them, and were eager to participate in the Planning Group. As the ballots were cast, three members sang "Give Yourself to Love," a ballad written by Forest Knolls' late folksinger Kate Wolf.
However, after the meeting, deposed Chairwoman Dadd-Redalia and a few other members said they were leaving the Planning Group.