Point Reyes Light - October 30, 2003
BPUD candidates give vision for town
By Ian Fein
In a generally cordial debate among the three candidates for Bolinas Public Utility District’s Board of Directors last week, a former candidate who had already dropped from the race raised the most ruckus.
While incumbent Vic Amoroso and challengers Joel Braverman and Don Smith agreed on almost all of the issues discussed at last Wednesday’s candidates’ night, former candidate Andy Blake assumed the role of antagonist. Blake and Joan Kopfer both dropped from the race after the ballots had been printed, so their names will still appear on Tuesday.
Disruptive interrogations
In fact, Blake’s persistent interrogations became so disruptive that, at one point, moderator and BPUD general manager Phil Buchanan had to ask the audience whether Blake should be allowed to ask another question.
Among other things, Blake asked incumbent Amoroso why he motioned to raise the directors’ salary earlier this year.
"It’s a tough job," replied Amoroso, a 22-year veteran of the board. "It takes a lot of time. Unless you want only retired people who can afford it, you’ll have to raise the pay, which has been the same since 1973. But I don’t understand why you’re asking this after you dropped out of the race."
All three of the candidates, who are running for two open seats, agreed that there were three major issues facing the town – affordable housing, downtown congestion, and the septic-permitting process. The candidates agreed that the town needs to take responsibility for these problems away from the county, possibly creating a parking district and monitoring its own septic regulations, as Stinson Beach Water District does.
"This is an election with three people who basically agree with each other on all the issues," Amoroso said in his closing statement before urging people to vote, though not specifying for whom.
Though the candidates share viewpoints on the policy issues, they slightly disagreed about BPUD’s role in their enforcement.
Communication skills
At one point, Smith, who stressed communication skills as one of his primary qualifications, said that BPUD directors should "never turn someone [over to] the county."
Amoroso later challenged Smith’s position, pressing him to explain what he would do as director with the current controversy over the Coast Cafe, if owner Dave Liebenstein continues his refusal to apply for an expanded water-use permit. Smith eventually conceded that he would call the county if there was no other recourse available.
"Bolinas is not the exceptional place it is today because everyone sat around and agreed all the time," Amoroso said. "Sometimes you have to play hardball."
Braverman, meanwhile, changed his previous views to agree with Amoroso. "I had strong things to say at recent meetings about turning people into the county," he said. "But what I’ve realized is that BPUD is part of the county, part of the larger world, and sometimes we might have to go and get them to enforce the laws."
In the past, certain BPUD directors have been inconsistent with whom and when they chose to turn matters over to the county.
Neither Braverman nor Amoroso were asked to expand upon how playing favorites in the community may result in county fines for some and not as much as a slap on the wrist for others.
Newness an asset
In this way, Smith believes his relative newness to the community, having only lived in Bolinas for four years, may be more of an asset than a weakness.
"I don’t have long-term grudges that get in the way of objectivity," Smith said. "Maybe because I’m new, I’m probably willing to go further in trying to exhaust other options before turning things over to the county."