 Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Fifth District Candidate's Forum, co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Valley Women's Club. My name is Nancy Gurd, and I'm this year's president of the Valley Women's Club. For many years, our two organizations have worked together to provide community members the opportunity to hear candidates speak on the issues. Tonight, the League will follow their own established procedures for the forum. League member Morgan Rankin, who hails from the Third District in Bonny Doon, will be this evening's moderator, so thank you, Morgan. We're once again excited to have San Lorenzo Valley High School students participating and assisting the League in making this a fair and unbiased event. Could you please raise your hands all of the high school students that are here? They will gather your questions and deliver them to the sorters. And tonight we have Anne Rice as one of our sorters, and we also have an AP government student who is kind of working on the sound system on the side, Mikaela McFarland, who's going to be also assisting in sorting the questions. I want to give a special shout out to the lighting, the setup people, the sound staff, and all the volunteers who have provided refreshments for all of us. Finally, I want to thank the candidates for Fifth District supervisors and the candidates for the San Lorenzo Valley Water Board for coming tonight to express their ideas and opinions on a variety of questions asked by you, the voters. This forum is being recorded by Community Television of Santa Cruz County and will play on community TV throughout the remainder of the campaign season. So with that, oh, I actually do want to thank also the high school principal, Karen Van Puten and Leslie Burns, the counselor. They were very instrumental in organizing the students and helping. So thank you to both of them. I'll turn the mic over to Morgan Rankin. Thanks, Morgan. The format for tonight's meeting is the candidates will each make opening statements up to five minutes. They will have three-minute closing remarks. They will be responding to written questions from you that are collected, given to Ann, who will sort them and give them to me, which I will read to the candidates. They will have two minutes to respond to each question. Barbara Lewis over here is our timer. Do you want to show the candidates the signs? When time comes up, you're done. Eric, do you want to start with five-minute opening statement? Was that a good choice, or was that a good one? Good evening, everybody. Thanks for coming tonight and for participating in this process. My name is Eric Hammer and I'm running for fifth district supervisor. You know, I was born and raised in this community and I was raised into a family that honored civic involvement. Very early on in my life, I was drug around and I stayed drug around because I was young. I was six. I was walking through the watersheds with Al Haynes and Mary Hammer and Fred McPherson. I don't think a relation to Bruce could be, I don't think so. I was doing river cleanup, walking, picking up trash along the river to make a difference. I was sleeping on the stage of the Redwood Mountain Fair that was put on by the Valley Women's Club to raise money for this community. That's the important part to me. It's about community leadership. I have served on the Boulder Creek Parks and Rec Board for eight years as a leader. I turned a dysfunctional organization into voted by its peers, one of the best park districts in the state. I served on the Community Resource Center's board and successfully merged it with Community Bridges, allowing it to be sustainable into the future. I started, was founding president of Youth First, which started with the Felton Teen Center that operated for six years and ran a BMX Park and Skateboard Park and was home for several students after school that we were able to give tutoring an outreach that was very needed and is needed today. It's one of the problems we have. I serve on Community Bridges Board of Directors. I've been fortunate enough to be selected to sit on the Treasury Oversight Committee for the county with Mr. Keely. Thank you. I feel very active in this community and I think it's important that we have local leadership. There's going to be a lot said about experience and state experience. What I want to talk about is local experience and understanding this community. I understand the importance of protecting our environment and our environmental resources. It comes from a very early age. I understand that we need to protect our repairing corridors and our rivers and our headwaters. As I said, I walk at six. I know it like the back of my hand. We need to protect our roads and infrastructure and important county services. I was up off at 236 two weekends ago talking to a gentleman there and walking his roads. I was the only one who responded to the phone calls and emails that went out to everybody. Come to the tribation. Come take a look at our issues. Are they any different than the issues that most of us have? No, they're not. They're the same. I've got the same potholes up at my house going down my road, you know. But I took the time to go talk to them. That is the difference between local leadership and statewide leadership. It's taking the time to talk to each and every one of you and having a clear understanding of what needs to be done. I've been endorsed by local teachers, by local firemen, by fire board members, by policemen, law enforcement. I've been endorsed by the Democratic Party from the President John Burton to the local Democratic Women's Club. I have been endorsed by the lead environmental agency this year at the club. I feel that I am the best local voice to represent this community now and into the future. Thank you. I'd like to thank the Valley Women's Club and the League of Women Voters for having this forum tonight. And for you, coming out of this one of the warmest evenings we've had in years compared to recent years. I am a fourth generation Santa Cruz County native. I have lived in the Fifth District for many years. I was born in the Fifth District. I've been married to my wife, Mary, for 45 years. We raised our two children here in Santa Cruz County. For 26 years, I wrote new stories and editorials about the Fifth District, about the Santa Ransom Valley, Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz, which is inclusive in the Fifth District. I very well know what the issues are that face this community. In a professional sense, you elected me twice to the Assembly and twice to the Senate. And I feel very good about the record that I was able to provide for you in environmental protection, education, public safety, and other subjects. In those years, I was able to accomplish a lot for the Fifth District. And it can be segregated into different aspects, parks. I was the co-author of the largest park bond in the nation's history, the author of which was my good friend and supporter, Fred Keely. With that park bond, we were able to restore and rejuvenate the Junction Park and Boulder Creek, the Felton Covered Bridge, which got tremendous outpouring of community support, and the Tinary Arts Center in Santa Cruz, which is going to be the first of its kind in the nation with the housing complexes there, studios for the artists, and the theater that we hope will be open in 2012. I also wrote the ballot argument for the county libraries to have a sustainable funding source with a quarter-cent sales tax in 2008 on that ballot measure. And with that passage, although because of the general cutback and some services throughout government at every level, we were able to really stabilize the libraries, not only throughout the Santa Cruz County, but in particular Boulder Creek, Felton, and Scotts Valley. In schools, I was the leading proponent to reduce the threshold for passing school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent. With that movement and that change, we now have a San Lorenzo terrific library here and soon to be a great performing arts center that's going to replace the one that we're in right now. Had that not been reduced and that vote of 60 percent approval that made, we wouldn't have that library or going to have the performing arts center that's going to be coming. In the schools, I also was the proponent and I wrote the ballot argument for Measure K in Scotts Valley and measures INJ in Santa Cruz. People came to me to say, we want you because of your leadership and educational issues and to get things done. And that same thing could be said of a water bond that I supported, a state water bond that we've been reading about recently that we're going to, it's going to allow us to possibly intertie with one another, San Lorenzo Valley, Long Pico, Scotts Valley, and other districts so we can have a more sustainable and assured water source through the years to come. In the fire districts, when I was the legislature, they came to me, those in the San Lorenzo Valley came to me to help them with their budget situations and to get new equipment for their districts. I also was the author of the Pine Pitch Canker Disease that helped protect our forests that we appreciate so much. We can do more to get that fair share, we can do more if we get our fair share of resources which we need to do. And I think I had the experience, the knowledge of how to get things done, exhibited the leadership and I had the personal contacts will help us to get the resources we need. I have been endorsed by many people in this county. Fred Keely was supported as an endorser of mine, the majority of the San Lorenzo Valley School Board, the Sheriff, Wo Wack, Sheriff C. Wo Wack, Phil Wo Wack, and the Deppin Sheriffs Association, and Ed Markham and Gail McKay-Lissau, women's leaders, and many, many more. But the big difference in this election is who has the proven track record to get things done. I have that in the various phases of environmental protection, public safety, and to protect our resources like water. I thank you very much and I ask for your vote on November 6th. Questions for the candidates, there'll be two-minute responses. I will start with you, Bruce. What is your vision of the San Lorenzo Valley in 25 years? My vision of the San Lorenzo Valley in 25 years is to keep what we have is the most important thing of our precious natural resources in our area. Although a county supervisor does not have direct control over schools, I want to see that we can cooperate with school districts to have the best educational system that we can have and provide for our children. That is essential. Also, we need to see that we get our fair share of resources, which I don't think we've gotten here in the Fifth District over the years. I think it's about time that we're not regarded as the Fifth Wheel. I think it's time for San Lorenzo Valley, Scott's Valley, and that's a section of Santa Cruz to get its fair share of resources. There's no question that the biggest needs of the Fifth District are in the San Lorenzo Valley. We need to do what we can to improve our road system and get a better fair share of that. We need to see what we can do to get more sheriff's deputies here. I would like to see us have better public safety and police protection for the sheriff. He would too. We will get that if we go after it with people who we can contact in not only the local level to get our fair share of the county, but also through the state and federal agency as well. I see San Lorenzo Valley as being the fifth district as being the key natural holder of natural resources and a beautiful environment that we must protect throughout. We must continue to follow our strict growth control policies and protect the resources that we have here, including most directly the San Lorenzo River. Thank you very much. San Lorenzo Valley in 25 years. I see it also being the leader. I see it not just in the San Lorenzo Valley, I see it being the leader in the county of Santa Cruz in every capacity possible. We can be the innovators of water and water management practices. We are obviously the watershed for most of Santa Cruz now. So why not be the leader in conservation? Conservation is the direction we're moving. I would like to see us also be the leader in transportation. I would like to see better transportation systems within San Lorenzo Valley leading into Scotts Valley and connecting Santa Cruz. I would like it to see that all students that are taking the bus and public transportation at Cabrillo, you know, are not driving. They're taking public transportation. I would like to see bike lanes. I would like to see people on alternative transportation. I would like to see the old 1940s and 50s houses being fixed up with green renewable products that are energy efficient. I would like to see our schools striving. You know, that's what I see. I also see us being and creating partnerships with Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz and SoCal and reaching out into Watsonville. You know, Watsonville is left out of this equation too. North County and South County share a lot of the same issues. We need to look at that. I guarantee that we have not been getting our share of the resources. One thing I will fight for is our ample share and some of the share that we lost for the last 15 years. Thank you. Our local government faces an ongoing budget crisis. What specific experience do you have, ensure as you will, the skills necessary to address the ongoing budget crisis? I'll start with you here. The experience that I have with budgeting comes from being a small business owner and managing expenses on a daily basis and also serving on motor creek parks and rec. You know, we are a state, you know, special district and we have a budget that we have to manage. The experience that I bring or will bring is also the ability to reach out to other people who specialize in our experts within the budgeting area. We in this county, which is no different than this state, have a huge budget shortfall and we need to reach out to the community and find the best solutions to handle it. That's my strength. My strength is going to be bringing people to the table that can help solve the problem. It's not a problem that's going to be solved overnight and it's not a problem that one person can solve alone. It's a problem that we as a collective can manage. It's bringing in what I want to do is bring in some outside consulting agencies and consultants. Take a look at our budget. Give us some recommendation, unbiased recommendations on how to better govern and self-govern our county. Thank you. I've been overseeing a large private business in Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, along with my brother, Fred Newperson, really positions me well on how to budget and how to get things done. But probably more importantly for this position that I am, that I'm in now, is how I would look at what we need to do with the budget situation in government. When I was secretary at state, I oversaw 500 employees that had four different offices throughout the state. At that time, when I took office, it was taking three to four weeks to get a permit for a corporation or a business license. After a few months of my being in office, it took three to four days to get that done. Those types of efficiencies are what we need to do in county government and in particular with the planning department. People have to get a good, clear image of what is expected of them when they apply for any kind of a planning permit that will meet our strict environmental protection goals in this county. We can do that because I've done it. It is very important that we continue on that path, which I think I have been a leader in, and to see that we can get the most for our dollar as we move along. I think we also need to see that we need to build on our strengths in Santa Cruz County, that being agriculture, tourism, the education community in itself and its research potential, the arts, and as well as high technology. We need to work better with the private sector and then work better with the people who come in for our services in county government. I've been in both places. I've been in the private sector and overseeing large budgets. I've been in the government sector and overseeing large budgets and have proven to provide efficiencies in both levels. Thank you. A surprising question. How do you plan on fixing the county roads in Boulder Creek, Brookdale, and the rest of Santa Cruz and Zo Valley? We'll start with you, Bruce. First of all, the Fifth District needs to get its fair share. When I have walked this district more than twice over in most places, one of the biggest things that people come to me and complain about is their lack of road service that they are getting. We have not gotten our fair share in the Fifth District, and in particular in the Santa Lorenzo Valley. We need to do that and make that happen as soon as possible. We also need to look at what the Transportation Commission looked at recently, which in the end would take your approval and everybody in the county's approval to approve the 600 miles of roadway in Santa Cruz County. A proposal was put forth to place a $10 fee in the vehicle license fee on every vehicle in the county. They shunned away from that and didn't do it. I don't know if it should be done or it should not. That is something that should be left to the people of Santa Cruz County, and in particular the Fifth District to decide if that's what they should do. Roads are a very, very important part of our public safety network with firefighters and sheriff's officers. It is critical that we improve that road system. I think we can do it by increasing our efforts and really hone in on how to get federal and state grants, and I think they're available and they would be available to us and this community. I think we can do that and I will work toward that end because I know that's one of the top issues that you've been talking to me about as I walk the Fifth District. Roads and infrastructure, it goes much further than just the Santa Rosa Valley. The Fifth District is the Santa Rosa Valley, Scott's Valley, Santa Cruz, and this is an issue we all suffer from, so I want to speak to it from a more global perspective. It's not just about the budgeting on it, it's about the educating of where the money is coming from. We as a community are changing, our driving is changing, the gas tax measure, to state measure where we get our funding for roads is the issue. I want to be able to inform people exactly where their money is being spent and how it's being spent so we can target ways to get more money and a more attainable budget. We right now are spending about 1.2 to 2 million dollars on the 700 plus miles of roads that we have. According to John Preston, we need five to six million just to keep a little bit of up keep on it, to keep the subways from disappearing. What we really need is 10 to 12 million dollars a year. It's a lot of money. What the RTC was looking at doing was raising 2.1 million dollars a year that was going to be spread out between five districts. This isn't about having enough money just to pull it for our district alone. We're going to have to think outside the box, we as a community are going to have to set our priorities. What's being looked at right now is a possible sales tax measure, a quarter percent increase that would actually raise millions of dollars for roads. That's not something that we decide on. That is something that you decide on. And what I guarantee to do is be a spokesman for you, bring the community together again to talk about the best way for us to raise the money so we can fix our infrastructure. The roads are terrible. I know, I live on those roads that you live on that we drive every day. When I turn out my road, I go over four or five potholes. I'm out there fixing them myself so that they're safe. You know, they're an issue and I can really relate to that and I will continue to meet with people and talk about solutions. Thank you. What kind of youth services does this district have and how would you plan on expanding them? We have a lot of great programs in this community. We've got the Y of the Voter Creek, we've got Voter Creek Parks and Rec, we've got Felton 4-H, we've got Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, we've got sports programs, we've got a multitude of areas in which our youth can learn the skills that they need to become successful teenagers, students, adults, but what we are lacking, what I feel, we've also got the great outdoors and I do want to talk a little about that. We've got Big Basin and Henry Cowell, we've got the beaches, you know, we've got a great place to explore. What I feel is missing is the one center and I've talked a whole lot about this with you the first. We need that one community team center that houses and can house everything from a state-of-the-art recording studio for state-of-the-art computers. If you take a look at what the school here has, the junior high and the high school, their new library, their tech room, we need that out to where everybody can use it all the time. We need to have state-of-the-art tutors there so you can go after school and the common theme needs to be where are you going to go today after school? I'm going to go to the community team center. I think that's what we need and not just a team center. It's a program that would help find state funding, federal funding, grant money so that you can offer and extend more programs. I think that if you have one organization that is in charge of going out and looking for sustainable funding for such programs that you're going to bring more money into the community in that way and I saw this at San Francisco State it's been proven. You have a student center that raises millions of dollars but you have one body that is reaching out into communities trying to make sustainable programs. I would love to see a center like that in this community. For youth services we need to have the county coordinate and cooperate more with the special districts that we have here whether it be recreation and park districts, school districts, whatever the case may be. We have a great opportunity here but what has been talked about will take a lot of money and we have to realize that and have a reality check. If we want to build a huge recreation center which I think everybody in this room would want, we have to realize it's going to cost a lot of money. We have to figure out where it's going to be located because we have some really good things that are going on in this community. We have our schools that are providing great after-school athletic programs as well as performing arts, whatever the case may be, as well as the private sector agencies like 4-H and Boys and Girls Club and Santa Cruz that we can all have be part of. I think that what we need to do is to get together as an instance of the Santa Cruz Valley as an entire valley if we are going to provide that kind of a facility for our youth. I don't think it has to just be an athletic event as I mentioned. I think it can be in the arts. It's critically important in theater and whatever the case may be. We just have to find a way to coordinate our efforts and work with our various school districts, our various recreation districts to see what we can do to come together as a community and see this happen because it's really seriously needed in the Santa Cruz Valley. I would like to be with you to make that happen and I've been to projects like this that can make it happen. So let's do it and I think we can get together and make it happen. Businesses often start out in Santa Lorenzo Valley and move to Scotts Valley or Santa Cruz. What would you do to keep businesses here and to develop green businesses possibly? First of all for the first time in ever we have an economic development director in the county of Santa Cruz. So that one person, Barbara Mason is not going to be the cure-all but she is surely open to seeing what can be done here for improving business. I think what we have to do is improve upon what are our strengths, as I said in the opening statement. That has to do with tourism. We all know that the Brookdale Lodge is a mess right now and it's in court and who knows whatever might come of that. That would be a real good thing to see put on its plate and put up and be workable again if we can make that happen. I think we have to concentrate again on our strengths not on tourism but the arts that we have here and to to let people know that they are welcome to come here. We have to draw business and make it more viable. We have to have top-rated public safety service. We have great sheriff's officers now. There's just not enough of them. We also need great education facilities which we do have in this fifth district. Some of the best in the state in fact. Those are the kind of things we need to build upon and cooperate with. We need to have great educational systems, outstanding public safety and an open feeling that you are welcome here in Santa Cruz County to do business here. I don't know that that's the overall thought in some of our areas of county government right now. I want to welcome businesses to be here so we can get people to work closer to home and again one of the things that I'm hearing when I walk in this district over and over again is that please would you allow me to get to see would you would you get behind some economic development that would allow me to work at home and stay at home. That's what the people want and we have to work toward that end. Thank you. The question about you know having businesses in the Sanderin's Valley and green businesses and keeping businesses here and keeping them from moving to Scott's Valley is what I think the question is and and there's a there's if you take a look at green businesses businesses now there's a perfect example of a business that started up a few years ago. It's green, it's new, it's cutting edge, it's a satellite. You know Barbara Springer's that amazing job putting that together and it didn't move to Scott's Valley and expanded to Scott's Valley and then also expanded to Las Gatos. That's a green business. It is also an answer to the question about wanting to work close to home. It gives you the ability, it gives people the ability to bike, walk, take the bus, short drive to Belton and work from outside of their home for those of us that had small businesses started to know. The way we improve the climate in the Sanderin's Valley for small businesses is to improve infrastructure and improve visibility and improve parking so that people when they drive through these communities have a great place to park, have the ability to get into the businesses. We have town plans. We have a Felton town plan, Ben Lowentown plan, Boulder Creek town plan. They are great plans and in those plans they answer all those questions about how to improve businesses here locally. The problem is we haven't started to institute any of the recommendations that were put out 16 to 20 years ago. We need to start doing that and in Boulder Creek we're starting that process right now and really looking forward to working with Ben Lowentown and Felton to start implementing the suggestions and the recommendations that the community members put together. Businesses should be run on a solar grid to start with. That's great. Thanks. There's a concern in this area about a lot of illegal and non-conforming housing, houses being able to be built and put up here. What would you do to resolve this problem? I've been walking with my own piss or two at least once, twice, maybe three times. That is what people are talking about. They hate the roads but they really hate my apartment. It comes from this issue. We've got buildings here. We've got building codes here that are strict and they're strict for a reason. They're there to help preserve our environment and our resources and to preserve growth. But the problem is you've got so many lots and so many houses that are non-conforming based on variances or roadway or sidewalk, whatever it happens to be. What needs to happen is we need to have a planning department that's user-friendly. So you and I, mostly you, have the ability to go in one-on-one and talk to a planner and get your issues resolved. Not being in fear of the planning department and not going in. That's what we're seeing happening right now. That's the general overview that I get from people is, hey, this is functional. It doesn't work at all here. We need to make it user-friendly. You have started to see a change. Kathy has done a fantastic job with a new policy of non-conforming usage for commercial and business. It's a step in the right direction. How was that done? That was done by putting focus groups together of professionals and community members to try and streamline the process. And it's working. It makes it easier for people to go through. The climate is changing in the building department. And that is the educational part that needs to happen. The community needs to understand the changes that are happening. And the only way that's going to happen is for the building department and officials to come out here and talk to us and talk about what it's going to take to change that perception. Same perception of older people parts in rec ad. Worst district in the world. Today, the best. I can change the building department. I'm a general contractor. It's my profession. Well, one thing I don't want to do is to weaken the strict growth control plans and affordances that we have in county government. We appreciate what we have here because that is the basis of how we live. It is a complicated planning program we have in Santa Cruz County. And it's being made better. There was a change in the by the board of supervisors recently for rebuilding non-conforming uses or those that have been damaged. And to allow that to happen at an easier pace. It's really critical that we give people a fair chance when they come into the planning department that when you come up and say, this is what I want to do and hopefully get an answer, a straight answer, this is what it'll take and how long you can anticipate getting in your building. That is not done now. It's getting better right now. And we have a tremendous planning director who is really working on that. We have probably the most complicated planning in the state. We have a huge planning department that seemed to be our foe rather than our friend when we went in to work with them. As I said in my former experiences, whether it be the private sector or the public sector, we can find ways to economize and to really have more efficiencies. So the planning department treats you with respect when you come in and upfront honesty of how long something might take and what it might cost and how long it might take to get your commitment. That is not the case now. It is improving but we need to improve upon that and I will do everything I can. That will be one of my first things because it is one of the things that I'm here as I walk this district. What are your environmental priorities? My environmental priorities are my top priorities because that's the basis of what we like here in this county and that's why we are here. We are blessed with the most beautiful landscape in the world, whether it be in our parks, that are part of this district or the beaches. Although the district doesn't go into Santa Cruz to the beaches, that's what people come here more than for anything. We need to protect what we have and assure that the sanctity of the San Lorenzo River and those types of natural resources are protected forever. We need to do that by making sure that our septic tanks are upgraded. They're not polluting the San Lorenzo River. We need to do that by seeing that we don't have undue runoff from Highway 9 that just covers the whole San Lorenzo River all the way down. If we need to do some things that will help us in the long run, see what we can do for our children in their parks and recreation facilities as well. I've worked with many, many agencies and one of the best that I've worked with recently is the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County that has come up with a blueprint for how we can take big segments of land, protect them from overuse, and also allow them to be working lands so we can pay for that protection that's provided. One of the biggest and best examples of that is the old CMEX plant up in Damaport, 8,500 acres. Part of that will be used and most of it will be protected, but in the end it's important that we see that this type of blueprint that makes sense, that is balanced, we need to take a balanced approach like this to see that we can protect our resources. All right, protecting our environment, you know, that's what this community is all about and my top priorities are several. They go from protecting our repairing corridors, which is our streams and our natural valley ways. It's what our ecosystems drive from. I want to keep logging and timber harvesting away from the repairing corridors. I want to make sure that the timber harvesting regulation and rules are followed. I think that's one issue. I think water, that's the thing that we haven't talked about, and it's a big one. I want to make sure that we've got the enterties that are needed and necessary to provide a safe community for fire protection and time of drought that everybody in our district has the ability to obtain water, but that it's done with the right type of planning, so that it is preserved for eternity. We need to cooperate with Lombeco. We need to cooperate with Scotts Valley and Soquel. We need to take a look at our resources, water resources. We also need to protect our forests and keep our state parks open and invited tourism. We need to take a look up at Castle Rock right now. There's a big issue that's going on with the gun ranges up there and the neighbors that are upset and the pollutants that are going in. We need to go in there and clean businesses like that up, not shut them down, but just clean them up. I think that's one of my bigger issues we need to take a look at because that's at the top of the watershed coming down. We need to take a look at transportation as an environmental resource because it adds to the carbon footprint. We need to promote more green building because it will also enhance our environment. Thank you. Why are you the best choice to represent the Fifth District? Boy, that's a question we get asked a bunch. I think I'm the best choice to represent this district because I'm the local voice. I've got the local experience here right now in the future of this community. I've got years to serve. I know what each one of you are going through on a daily basis. You know, living in this community, driving in this community, taking my kids to school in this community. I understand the Sanders Valley without a doubt. I've been stuck in traffic all week and it's been 105. You know, I'm frustrated with the fact that we didn't know that was coming. That's why I say they do a great job talking to us. I want to improve that communication. I want people to know what's happening in this community. I feel I am the best candidate because I have the passion and the commitment to follow through on the needs of our community. And I do that by going out and talking with everybody here. I'm the one who's still going to be coaching Little League, who's going to be sitting at the coffee shop in the morning, who's going to be having breakfast with my family here locally, and the one that is going to be approachable. This job is a full-time job. I see it that way. 50 to 60 hours a week. I will be giving up a business to take this job. It's that important and I understand that. I feel that I am a right candidate. I am the right person to be supervisor and you will see my dedication similar to what it's been. I will create new programs. I will have a small business. I will protect our environment. I will reach out across lines and communicate and have an open policy with Scott's Valley and Sanders. That's what's being left out of this equation here tonight. We're in the Sanders Valley. Scott's Valley and Sanders are a huge part of this district. We need to be talked about. As you've heard before, as a lifelong residence of Santa Cruz County, I think I'm the best candidate for this district. I know this district very well, having written about it one way or the other for 26 years, having been encouraged by your friends and neighbors to run for this position when it was announced that Mark Stone was not going to seek reelection and move on to the assembly. Clearly, I think I am the best candidate because I'm the most qualified. Who do you think is going to be able to deliver the services you need? I think that with my experience, the knowledge of how the system works and sometimes it doesn't work and you need to know that as well and the personal contacts that I have and you can say that this is statewide and I'm not going to deliver the state. I love this county and I want to dedicate four years to it as your county supervises. And if you think that it doesn't matter who you know, the contacts you have, the experience, this is not going to be an on-the-job training position for me. I am going to know what to do and hit the ground running. It is clear to me that the 5th district has not, in San Lorenzo Valley in particular, has not gotten its fair share of resources in the past years and we can argue about how that happened or didn't happen. But the point is we have to make that happen and we do get our fair share of resources and I think I can do that by working with people in the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley as well as throughout the unincorporated area. I have received a very good response in my walks throughout the district over the last six months or the last, well really 12 months. I think I can deliver the services for you the best because I have the experience, I have the knowledge of how the system works and I have the people that I know I could go to not only in Santa Cruz County but in the state of California and the federal government as well. Thank you. Stay here. Please identify the top two problems confronting San Lorenzo Valley and how would you solve them? I think the biggest problem to reiterate is that we're not getting our fair share of the county pie. We need to see how we can do that and cooperate with the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley as I just mentioned. I think that when you, because when you get your fair share and you have the financial resources to do it, then other things can fall into place. Things like increased patrol for our public safety. This is what I'm hearing. It's a critical thing for us to do is to provide more sheriff's officers in the Fifth District. There's only two on shift from Bonnie Dune over to Boulder Creek. That just doesn't get it. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to get to a call and it's not because they're not good officers. As a matter of fact they're excellent officers. It's just that we do not have the personnel to make the calls earlier than that. I think our biggest challenge is to make sure that we protect the natural resources and the environmental beauty of our of our district. That is the most critical problem, a critical issue that we need to address and keep addressing it as we go through these next four years and on and on. I also think that jobs in the economy are critical because when we have people working here at home they feel better. They're more, they're part of the community and they produce more and give us more and there are always public service. We need to do what we can to draw. High tech industries if we can, if it be Scott's Valley Fine and the B Center is a Valley Fine but let's work together. I have this feeling sometimes that we're working it against each other one way or the other. I know it is one that really gets people together to work things out. I've been known to do that at every level of community activity that I've been in as well as in government and I want to work for you. My top two priorities, one is going to be the environment and the other is going to be county programming infrastructure that we need to improve on. From the environmental side we need to protect what we have to be able to help people through the process of building to improve septic systems. We need to be able to protect our repairing quarters as I've spoken to before. We need to keep our beautiful mountains the way they are. We need that. It's the top priority of mine and it's also why I've been endorsed by the Sierra Club is because of my environmental background and my understanding of needing to provide a safeguard for it. The second priority is county programs. We're talking about law enforcement, we're talking about fire protection and we've got huge issues with fire protection over here. You know we live in a very isolated area. We rely on the best volunteer fire departments around. We have mutual aid with Cal Fire that is underfunded. We need to strengthen those services. We need to take a look at a substation up in San Lorenzo Valley closer to Ben Lohman to where we can be more centralized. You know Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz all have mutual aid agreements and have their own force. The San Lorenzo Valley doesn't work. We need that. So those are the two areas that I would district them. Thank you. You guys have three minutes for closing statements. I'd like to thank everybody today for coming for the League of Women Voters and for the Valley Women's Club for putting this forum on and most importantly to everybody who came and everybody who's watching. This process is extremely important. This is time where you can see the change in the Santa Cruz County government. There's going to be a shift that can happen depending upon who is elected. I think it's important and vital that I be that person that is elected. I have the experience. I know this community. I haven't written about it for 26 years. I've lived in it for 44 and I'm raising a family in it. I think that has a lot of weight and I think that's extremely important. I have been endorsed by Bill Monning and Luis Alejo. They know the state government. I know how to pick up the phone and call Mark Stone who's also going to be in the state government. I can reach out and make the connections necessary to get that support. More importantly I know who the players are here. I've got support like I said of local water board members, local school board members, community leaders here and that's the partnership that I'm going to create. So I urge you to go out and take a look up on my website, Hammer for Supervisor. Take a look at my platform and my issues. Take a look at the experience that I have and take a look at who in this community is supporting me and I urge you to vote of ever six for Eric Hammer. Thank you. Stated over and over again that I think it's about time that the Fifth District gets fair share and I think I'm the best position in this race to do that for you. We can do more when we get a fair share in our road systems, in our police protection, in our environmental protection. It's going to take money and we need to be able to negotiate with our fellow board members as well as our fellow city councils that we represent as well and we can work together and do some things together and I can make that happen. I feel very good about getting the support of so many people throughout this district, not just in the town limits of Boulder Creek or some other place. I have gotten support and strong support throughout the Fifth District from Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley up to San Lorenzo Valley and Boulder Creek itself. I'm very pleased to have received the support of Fred Keely and very disappointed at the reaction that some of people made to that endorsement. This thing is above party politics ladies and gentlemen. We need to just get rid of that partisan stuff and start getting down to the issues of the day and the business of the day. I don't want to make this a political game. This is not what we wanted to be. Aside from Fred Keely and Mark Stone as incidentally has not taken a position in this race, Sheriff Wolwack and the Deputy Sheriff's Association have supported me. A majority of the Santa Lorenzo Valley School Board has endorsed me. Every other person who ran in this race in the primary has endorsed me. There's a reason for that because they think I can do the job. Also who's endorsed me are good friends Mayor Donna Wendt and her Scotts Valley colleagues and Scotts Valley City Council, Vice Mayor Hillary Bryant, Santa Cruz Lynn Robinson, the Senate and the Nets and community leaders such as Annette Markham and Gail McKay-Lissal of Planned Parenthood. These are very, very important people who have come to support me. Many of them in the Valley. They're fire district members for our fire district board members, school board members, people in the Santa Lorenzo Valley and people in Scotts Valley and people in Santa Cruz. I believe one question needs to be answered. Who could deliver the best for you? And I think clearly that I can't because of this experience that I have, the knowledge of the issues and the knowledge of how the system works and also the personal contacts I have to bring those financial resources to us so we can deliver. Thank you. We're going to start in on this. Santa Lorenzo Valley Water District candidates. The format for this will be three minute opening statements, two minute responses to written questions. If you have questions for the candidates, they need to be written. They need to be turned in and sorted over here and then they will have up to both pending on our side probably three minute closing statements. So our opening statements will begin at this end. So for the record it's Austin AUSTI and they get an A for effort here. So I just want to give a big thanks out to the Valley Women's Club of Santa Lorenzo Valley and the League of Women's Voter for organizing and hosting the candidates for this evening. I'm Craig Austin and I'm here to represent the people of Santa Lorenzo Valley. I'm not a career politician. I'm a business person and I'm a local business owner. I bring over 20 years of experience in direct sales, sales management, business development, strategic planning, and territory development. I'm a problem solver. I've been very successful in building solid relationships between management, staff, and consistently meeting clients' objectives throughout my career. At my previous employer I held a position as Operations Manager and directed a $33 million sales territory right here in Northern California and Northern Nevada. I manage the staff of 12 inside and outside account managers. I have demonstrated the ability to consistently exceed my objectives while maintaining costs and staying under budget. In the private sector we've learned to be more with less. I'm deeply concerned about the management of our local water district. It's run much like a private business for profit and not a public service or special district. Our current water board members have been appointed in lieu of elections and this has become the norm and not the exception. They represent the interests of the people who put them in office. When appointed they're honor bound to represent those members who appointed them and not we the people. Now you have the opportunity to have your voices heard and make your vote count. Last year San Lorenzo Valley water district asked for and was granted yet another price increase. Now I learn that they have a $10 million service. What's up with that? Should we all want safe and affordable drinking water for years to come, but at what cost? Should we be expected to pay for water and then pay to deliver to other communities? I don't claim to have all the answers as I said I'm not a politician this is all new to me but I'm a quick study and throughout my career I've quickly been promoted to a managerial role based on performance and business acumen. If I'm elected I will represent the people of the San Lorenzo Valley. Thank you. Okay my name is Randall Brown. I am a local historian. I've given a number of presentations on different aspects of Santa Cruz County history. I learned I became a local historian because my grandfather was one and we started an old house and this convinced me of this is really very interesting. I went on to West Bay University in Connecticut where I was an American studies major because they let you include other things in history as well as the popular culture and different of the side lights. When I found out that historian was not a particularly well paid occupation I went to Wall Street and participated in training programs for margin clearers. So I spent the next 20 years or so figuring Wall Street accounts of different kinds of increasing complexity in size. I actually wrote software that calculated derivatives and various options for market makers. So when and actually my clients were in fact the very people who took the risks got us in trouble in 2006. Bear Stearns leaving brothers, Merrill Lynch. So in a sense I can't really say I helped them survive. Maybe they should have listened. It would have been better. So I do have the background to you know make financial decisions and particularly to be aware of what might go wrong when I got out here in 2000 I was very impressed by how beautiful things were. They weren't like this back in New York. In fact I live in St. now where we had a feature called garbage mountain which is the tallest garbage pile in the country. So I really always felt that you know this is paradise. We have very clean water. We have remarkable forest which I guess you can't really say was undamaged. It was really more once damaged but the way it came back was very good. And we also have this wonderful institution which is a water district. The history of which is that back in the day when the cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles were moving into Henshey and Owens Valley they set this up to protect small districts. It was a mechanism that they could use to take responsibility for their own public utilities and actually take that responsibility back from corporations when necessary. So I think this is a job for history and I'm here to do it. Thank you. Good evening everyone and thanks for joining us here this morning. My name is Margaret Bruce and I'm running for the position of board of district board of directors. I have been appointed. I was appointed last July but I'm also running for your favor and your support. So I hope you will hear me out and understand what I can bring to the board. I have a degree in environmental studies in over 20 years of professional experience in both private and public sector in governance, in operations and in policy. I've been honored to serve on the water district's own education advisory committee or council and I have been in that role in serving with them since it was formed in 2004. So I'm pretty well acquainted with the water district and with engaging with the community here in San Lorenzo Valley. My previous appointment to the San Lorenzo because we did the San Francisco regional water quality control board under our previous governor's administration came along with endorsements from environmental community members as well as the business community. So I'm well versed in coordinating with and communicating with and kind of speaking both languages of business and environment and governance. I was a co-founder of sustainable silken valley and served on the board of directors of that organization for over eight years with two turns as chair. So I've got some governance stripes on me. I know how to function with board members and with staff and to listen to the concerns of constituents and stakeholders. My priorities in this role would be first and foremost sustainability and that means not just in the environmental sense but in the fiscal sense and in the social sense. So caring for our watersheds protecting our water quality and ensuring the district has the resources staff needs to do the work that we all count on them for will be a top priority. I insist on accountability. You all should know how the district makes its decisions and I support fair and transparent decision making. I want operational excellence. You all count on and deserve water that is safe, reliable and affordable. The water district is going to be facing some unprecedented challenges as the infrastructure ages. We all need to put our thinking caps on and think out of the box and get involved and understand that water is a lot more than just what happens between the faucet and the tap. It's the people who bring it to you. It's the water district infrastructure. It's the people who use the water. It's the watershed itself and how we need to protect it. My perspective is that I don't have all the answers and I don't have a firm fixed opinion. I'm here to listen to the wisdom of my fellow board members, staff, community and experts and come to an informed decision to help guide this water district now and far into the future. I hope you vote for me on November 6th. Thank you. My name is Steve Swann and I'm voting for the same positions that everybody else on the panel. I'd like to thank the League of Women Voters and for scheduling this time during Dancing with the Stars. I've lived in the Santa Rosa Valley for over 30 years. My wife and I raised our children here. We love it. We enjoy our grandchildren going up in this area and attending the school. I've worked in the high-tech industry for over 30 years in both startup environments and Fortune 100 companies. As a program manager, entrepreneur and product developer, I've learned how to take both the tactical and strategic look at projects and programs and use my experience to deliver successful results. I've managed multi-million-dollar global programs with diverse remote teams around the world. My program management experience will benefit the Santa Rosa Valley Water Board. These tough economic times are going to require exceptional problem-solving skills. As a creative and critical thinker, I think I'm qualified to deal with budget constraints and the inevitable business surprises that face every enterprise on a daily basis. My interest is in helping this will be water district meet their operational needs and continue the high quality of water and service that they supply to our valley. By thinking tactically and strategically, I will work as a team with the management to help the water district cope with meeting conspiracies, state mandates and revenue challenges. Thank you. Your position on a merger between the Santa Rosa Valley Water District and the Lumpico Water District. We'll start with Randall. Well, actually, I see this as a major missed opportunity because back in 1959, the Lumpico Water Board came to the SOV Water Board with a price of $10,000 for the takeover and it didn't happen. It could have actually happened again in the 90s, but it didn't happen. I feel that it's very important to provide for the situation, though I think it's sad that the finances got as out of hand as they did there, but the bottom line is they really do need a way to connect to the rest of the district in case of emergency. There was a situation, I think 10 years ago, where they had to actually bring in tanker trucks to solve the problem of water up there. So, I think, and it's also part of the trend that the water district is all about, which is that we have been an area for a long time of little tiny districts which grew up in neighborhoods, and so the district then consolidated those. So I think it's really part of the natural logic that, you know, this does become part of the district. I think it's a very tricky financial situation and we'll take a lot of thought to share the burden, though. First, the residents of Longpico have to make a decision themselves, and I think that that's going to inform next steps. Whatever the San Lorenzo Valley water district decides is going to have to be informed by both their decision and direction, as well as the financial impacts to the water district. It won't be insignificant. There's a balance there. As Randall said, the Longpico residents are part of the valley. They're part of our community. Where do you draw the board that says it's not part of this watershed or part of this community? So in the interest of maintaining a community and enriching and encouraging a community, it's important to think about it. The trick is going to be in how we do it without impacting the operations, the staff load, and the cost of the district. And I don't have the answer yet, but I'm looking forward to the decision that the Longpico residents make and to deliberations with staff, experts, and the fellow board members. I don't have a... I am not studying for this situation, but I would consider it very much like any prudent business decision evaluating the cost and the benefits for both Longpico and for San Lorenzo Valley. I do agree that they're part of the valley and that their needs need to be considered and met, but one can't just capriciously go about making a statement that says you have to join the two without studying all the ramifications and considerations. To who haven't read up on all of the studies in regards to this and I think we need to lean on the experts who have done the studies and we need to have debates and we need to understand what the people of the Longpico want and I don't have all those answers and I'm not sure you know clearly they're a part of the community, but I'm not sure it's the right decision to merge the two districts so I get needs for their consideration. Six local water agencies are seeking a multi-million dollar grant to tie their water systems together in case of disaster. What is your position on this? Thank you. I was waiting for that question. Once again, something that I only discovered recently in reading the paper last week or so about the proposal. I have to tell you that the San Lorenzo Valley has a lot of rich resources and I think a lot of other communities don't necessarily. One of the things that concerns me is not only the great cost of being involved in linking all the systems, but that you're only accorded junction away from being forced to turn it on and supply water where you may not normally intended to. It could be sucked off by other districts quite easily without any consideration of the voters and the people of San Lorenzo Valley who control these resources. They are the members of these resources. They aren't sanders. They aren't anybody else's. I think the Valley needs to control them and manage them prudently and I think that there needs to be a great deal of study on this proposal before we interlink everybody's water systems. The intertide comes at a great time for us to consider supporting the infrastructure that will allow us to be safe in an emergency. The specific and explicit use of these intertide projects is for emergency circumstances. I would want to watch the north part of the Valley burn for lack of water or the south part of the Valley burn for lack of water because we couldn't come from one end to the other. I wouldn't want anyone to suffer a disaster when it's mitigatable by a valve. These funds are coming to us at tremendous discount with state funding through Prop 50 to support these kinds of public safety and system reliability functions. We're getting these on 50 cents on the dollar and we're doing this in cooperation with Scott's Valley. It's a great opportunity to forge alliances and practical partnerships and communal agreements that will stand us in good stead far into the future. It's a good investment. It's an insurance policy and if we don't do it we'll regret it. I hope that the state sees to fund our proposal and I look forward to seeing the work happen which will bring economic vitality to the region. I'm generally in favor of the project particularly with the federal funding. I think that we do need to be prepared for emergencies. I know that because of the history of separate development we don't really have the intertide that we might have logically had if it was a larger system. For instance Felton and the Boulder Creek system are still really not linked particularly well which is a shame and I think it's legitimate that Scott's Valley and Santa Cruz link up that makes a lot of sense. So you know given the funding if the funding doesn't come through then I think we might have to take a different kind of look at it and look at maybe piece by piece find a way to determine which are the more important pieces of the puzzle to put in. I mean I think we've fallen prey in the past to large projects without a fallback where for instance the old sewer project it's really a good thing to work with a larger entity. I think that my county-wide solution is a very good idea but then we do get into you know there are some fundamental underlying problems with sharing with the county which is we are rich in water and in some of the areas they're having a crisis partly because of the practices that they're using for instance in the South County they really might want to consider different kinds of crops but in general I think that tying the systems together is a prudent move especially giving our tendency emergencies. That's where half the ten million dollar surplus is going to go and I'm a little concerned about having the people of the San Lorenzo Valley pay for and fund water for the rest of the world. I think that in business when you're in meetings there's the back story and then there's the public story and I don't think I know the back story yet so I think until I'm on the board and can understand the full ramifications ramifications I'm going to have to defer to I don't think it's a good idea and I think I kind of lean towards we ought to maybe first focus on leaking the three districts together and before we send our water to Santa Cruz. Know what the district reserves are slated to be used for and is it better to spend them down or to keep rates level to keep the district running without using reserves? What's the purpose of a reserve fund for a water district? Well that's exactly what I'd like to learn is what is the surplus the ten million dollar surplus all about I think that's an enormous amount of money to have in the surplus I think the interest rates I want to know where all the interest is going I think we really need to understand what's going on with that you know I'd like to see us maybe spend some of the reserves on helping the community those people can pay their water bill those people that have a leaky water system and the San Lorenzo Valley Water District says is I'm sorry it's on your side of the meter it's your problem I don't think that's the solution I think we should help those people my understanding is that actually the district for many for most of its career struggled with finances that was always very difficult to raise enough money from taxes or water rates to keep things going but fortunately the one thing that we had going for us was that our original founders made some incredibly great real estate moves and we wound up holding large chunks of watershed land in an early at a really terrific price and so we had this asset as a district along even before we were functional and you know one of these led to the Loch Lomond dam which led to the ability to then go into the actual water business what happened with the water gap situation was that that land had been slated for a dam forever and they decided okay let's not do that which was a wonderful decision and so then the board was left with well how do we make the most of the situation and I think they made a wise decision which was that we have an opportunity here to really rebuild our watershed to put it back into the kind of condition that it was into in the first place and that would be the best thing we could do to ensure that the water would stay clean so the reserve is based on that and I feel strongly that we really have to have a reserve because if there's one thing around here that you can't predict it's the weather or the consequences and it's just really good to be to know that you have something set aside for an emergency the reserve account is the savings account California is the funhouse of natural disasters we also live in a place where the pipes go up the pipes go down the pipes go under they go around it's an old system and as Randall has discussed it's a patchwork of different systems that have come together over time that's going to take a lot to make sure that it continues to deliver high quality reliable water to this valley we all know that when you know that goodness gracious above hiccups in the winter and we lose power but somehow or another we all still live here we like it here we lose water for a day for two days for three days how many of you would go find some other place to take a shower without reliable water the way we live in this valley stops so that reserve is to make very thoughtful investments in maintaining the quality and reliability of the water delivery system it should be safeguarded just like a savings account it should be used for a rainy day it should be used very judiciously interest rates unless you guys have noticed are kind of low right now so I can't say that it's returning a stellar return on investment however it's better than it's there as a backstop and safeguard against whatever funhouse event comes along our way and I want to make sure that it is safely stewarded and thoughtfully used I would agree that the reserve absolutely should be used and kept as a rainy day fund to repair the infrastructure as it needs it but it should also be used to invest in various investments to improve the infrastructure or modernize infrastructure or to take advantage of new technologies you know as as requirements as people move in and as businesses hopefully begin to grow back in the valley the infrastructure is going to get taxed more and more and be under more stress and this type of reserve is what's needed to help accommodate for growth build resting pipes which I've got plenty at my house and and continue to contribute towards the growth of the community that's what the reserve should be used for it certainly shouldn't be used as a part of any kind of overall master plan to invest in any kind of entertainment system if that's what it was is possibly intended for but but simply to be kept in use to maintain the growth and stability and continue to repair the infrastructure that we have today I think that's a large part of the the water district's role in mandate would be to protect the watershed and it should continue to treat it take care of it and expand it where possible and where economically feasible it should look after and ensure that it provides a continuing resource and provides the needs of the valley in the coming years it's a vital water district place I've been honored to serve on the water education commission and the education of our community about the vitality of the watersheds that serve us the need to protect them how to engage them how to walk out into the woods how to go to Fall Creek and understand what it is you see and the value of that resource to the community is important and I think a critical role of the water district place if we don't protect the source you and I are not going to have good quality water the way we can do that is to continue to engage the community in understanding the value of those resources but also to understand how people can protect it through please don't put weird things down to a drain it doesn't go away it goes into the groundwater it goes eventually into the creeks and rivers we can improve the way that the water district stewards its resources by encouraging conservation but hopefully we can innovate and find ways that conservation does not penalize the water district improve conservation reduce revenues how are we going to support your beneficial water supply and delivery if the water district doesn't have the financial resources in its operation once I want to find an innovative way for the water district to maintain the reliability and quality that you all depend on without taking it in the shorts every time we ask you to conserve a few notches during the drought um I think it's it's a critical part of the mission and it's part of our legacy that we're very fortunate that the district through the various earlier companies control quite a bit of the watershed and so you know we're lucky that it's been protected this is the best way to keep things pristine is to keep them kind of reserved and in this case I think that I'd like to see actually some proactive solutions in the area of sewage for example I think that even though it's not any more the district's particular responsibility I think they're probably some things we can do to help encourage people to get the most modern septic tanks for their systems or maybe we can find some kind you know help encourage innovation in this area because I think in the long run that will help our water quality I mean I'm actually almost beyond conservative I'd like to see the fish come back you know I think that's part of part of our watershed that we've lost I really think it would be a good thing to try to encourage that maybe with having to buy in my lifetime I'd kind of like to see that I might have to look into the 30 years to do it but I think that's critical and for that matter I think we need to be very careful about the level of the river I think that that's one thing that's happened over the last 40 or 50 years as Santa Cruz has increased its demand is that we've lost some of our volume and I think you know that's done some damage and I'm all for you know not just projecting the future but studying what the impact of the past has been what have the 50 years of the Lake Lomondam done for us or to us for that matter than felt inflatable damage felt anyway I think the watershed is a big priority. From our research on the watershed is very very important and certainly a primary role of the water district I think there's been some good ideas here and I'd like to you know really lean on the experts here in business when I don't have the answers I get a group of people together that have the answers and I learn from them and then we make the proper decisions and I think that's where I would go here. Do you support the water district providing community grants to promote conservation? Well I think that the kind of role that the district has played in the past I mean act frankly I'm the beneficiary of the district investing in education which I think is extremely important and that's part of conservation as well. People aren't just going to know oh I can save water this way or that way I think you really have to be proactive and get out there and give people ideas as to how they can save water and how they can conserve their resources but I do think that it's a leadership kind of role to keep people informed about what the district does it's one of the things that amazed me as a historian was how little history there was to read about it that you really had to go digging to find out how things worked or where things were and I think we can do a better job with that in the future and the more education we have the better our conservation efforts will be. That which you understand you love that which you love you protect it's really important that the water district continue to do is outreach efforts through water education grants these touch students these touch our community resource centers these touch our scientists and our field biologists and they bring information about the tangible world and how we impact it to everyone else in the community who's interested if we don't understand it we don't love it we don't love it we won't protect it that's part of the water district's mission so I'm fully supportive of the water district continuing those educational grants offhand I would say that a public utility company that's that I'm paying my fair share of board of support should be using their monies to actually it's a quasi-government organization obviously don't get money away if they want to get money away they should reduce rates the government if they want to if they want to get conservation funds there's plenty of state federal organizations to make money available to any new recovery groups the San Lorenzo Valley water district is not a large multinational corporation with tons of money on the reserves and they can be out funding and giving it away for various programs we don't know what I don't know how valid the programs are it might just be you know someone's whim or fancy so in general I would say no but then again I would actually consider and evaluate any program that was put forward if there was some valid positive benefits to the community and the citizens what is your understanding of the difference between public budgeting and business budgeting that's uh in business you have to budget based on what you have in public budgeting you could base your budgeting of what other people have public budgeting requires that you understand that you are there for a public benefit not for a private gain public budgeting means you take into account what the citizens will approve what passes the straight face test and then you honorably and carefully and diligently execute that mandate if you have to ask for more you have to do so very thoughtfully mindful that my in my role as a board member I would say I'm sitting in your seat too I have to write that check every month too so public budgeting begins at home just like business budgeting begins with what's in the balance sheet you have to know what it's going to cost you how much you have and how to diligently deliver on what's expected of you by your constituency and your customers of course one of the things that happened here in the district which is kind of unique is that we kicked out the private corporations we chose to have a public agency any part of you know public funding really comes down to the greatest good for the greatest number I think you know and so that really becomes the test it's not well how can we profit on the short term like we make a little bit more in our investments or whatever else it's really a question of how can we most effectively use this maybe somewhere down the road you know rate decreases would be a good thing but I'm not sure that's really valid now it's the kind of thing where you really do have to consider okay what's the long term what's the best for the public because it's really a stewardship type of thing which does make a difference there are there are particular challenges to the public agency can really only make certain kinds of investments which in tricky times like these we really have to be very careful because your choices are limited and you might get steered the wrong way very easily so there is something more there's another level to watching the public's money than there is to just private money and the bottom line on the other hand it has to be said that when this was a corporate district they were making money of course they were raising rates like crazy it works but I'm not really sure how public service works and this is why I'm getting involved this is one of the reasons why I'm here today it's not because that I understand everything there is to know it's because I'm concerned with what's going on why did my rates go up again last year and we still have 10 million dollars in the bank so I'm concerned and so I'm getting involved final question what is for you the most important issue involved in this water district so for me that the two most important issues are there's 10 million dollars in the bank okay how come and people aren't voting anymore how come so get out and vote and you know vote your elected officials in don't don't let them appoint each other thank you well some of the tests have to do with the willingness of candidates to run which I think is I mean is a healthy thing it's great that you know we actually have this much interest in the campaign I think the most important thing actually is to continue living up to our mission statement from the from the district I think it's a very solid well thought out thing the idea of to providing the customers and all future generations reliable safe and high quality water at an equitable price equitable not necessarily one way or the other but whatever spare to create and maintain that standard customer service which I think we have I think very highly of the staff that we have here in general and then to protect and manage the environmental health of the aquifers and watersheds to ensure the fiscal vitality of the SLD district so I think it's the important thing is preserving our values I think the biggest challenge is the long view with a water district this challenged by infrastructure aging infrastructure complex infrastructure complex geography it's going to be a really interesting challenge to keep it all working and keep it all delivering water the way you want and when we have droughts when we need to conserve water how do we restructure the way the water district has a revenue stream so that it doesn't compromise its fiscal vitality to protect the watersheds and to protect the water supply that you all count on that's an interesting conundrum it's a very difficult nut to crack don't have an answer for it yet but long term to establish the water district's long-term health and the and the community's economic vitality over the long run that will be a really important issue another really important issue I think is going to be building in resilience you may have heard that term with climate change adaptation but it's it means building in the kind of flexibility in the operations in the finances in the watersheds with staff and their capacity so that whatever woe may be tied whatever again in a funhouse of natural disasters or innovation opportunities that come our way we have to plan for both disaster and success do we have the capacity to respond take advantage of opportunity or to respond effectively in crisis and maintain the health and vitality of the community I think is most important is maintaining the the infrastructure caring for its needs repairing when needed and being proactive about addressing infrastructure needs requirements not waiting for something to break the service the service that the salamanders of water valley provides is in my opinion excellent and to see that they continue to provide that sort of service and maintain that kind of quality and customer support and reliability you know as was mentioned we don't like being without water and very often at all it's been very reliable robust and quality high quality services provided to us as far as customer service go I'd like to say that it was a few months ago my wife called me at work and said we have no water pressure and I said well they're probably working on the lines and there's a valve somewhere on the road we've about 509 so that happens occasionally and so the next thing I know like another an hour later I get a phone call no no there's there's no water and pressure and our neighbors do have water I go okay so I had my wife I go okay just relax I'll take it I called the water department the very nice congenial woman secretary that answers the phone there senator left especially right away within then 20 30 40 minutes they were there they went over they turned off what they discovered was that we had a water leak in our backyard a pipe and busted everything was going out and they went over and they turned out the water valve for my wife you know on our side of the meter of course and I wanted to repair pipes the next two weekends and so I know what it takes to repair infrastructure it's time for you to do your up to three minute closings and we can start now here very much once again thank you all for staying and not leaving I'm glad you had the opportunity to see the candidates and listen to our opinions on various things and there's I'd say a relatively diverse group of opinions represented on this board and so your job is going to be cut out for you to to choose who in your mind is going to represent the best interests of you your family and the community I just want to say that it's I'm not a professional politician I have no intention of becoming a professional politician I saw this as an opportunity to serve my community I've spent I spent a long time many years watching my children serve while I was struggling with the business or engaged in activities away from home that required my attention and it never really felt I had the opportunity to get back to the community and provide us a level of service that I think everybody wants to do and I find myself in a position where I have the time the resources the skills and the willingness to give back to the community and do what I can as a way of serving so I look forward to your vote and I hope you enjoyed the panel this evening so thank you very much I will try to refrain from water puns as I do my wrap up here I think I think all of the panelists here are in their depth and hopefully you have become immersed in water issues and you go forward with a good decision I hope that you'll remember my qualifications as an 18 year resident of the valley as a participant in the community already with the water education commission and mostly I want you to remember that I want the water district to play a vital role in the community there's economic opportunity here and we can be a partner there's environmental protection and we can be the partner and the leader in that there's a tremendous opportunity to engage the community in education and our reach to maintain the quality of our water supplies I would like your vote so that I can continue the legacy that the water district has of providing reliable safe high quality water to the citizens of the valley and to leading with innovation and opportunity and preparing for change whether it's hard or opportunistic so thank you very much for being here this evening thanks to the valley women's club the league women voters for their coordination and facilitation I also want to thank everyone who put this on it's a wonderful opportunity to actually practice politics at a local level you know and doing a good way I had the opportunity to study the district in some detail writing its history I think that the knowledge base that I accumulated there can come in very handy as a board member I also think that my financial background would be particularly applicable in this time where you really have to be quite vigilant and keep an eye on your numbers there might be some creative solutions we can come up with you know maybe we can cut some of our interest rates maybe we can reduce our profile in different ways I think they'll be you know it's it's a wonderful opportunity to study and learn and if nothing else I've made a lifetime sport out of that I do think this would be a wonderful opportunity to not just be a historian but actually make some good history at the same time in an area where I think you can make a difference you know I think that it's very important to have good people in these local offices probably even more important than in national offices because one person's action on a board of five members in a community like this could just make a huge difference and we really are dealing with something particularly special here when we talk about our water because it's first grade and worth working for and I also want to thank the value of women's club and the league of women's voters thanks very much for having us we really appreciate it thanks for all of you coming out and sitting in this hot room this evening I'm uh I'm reminded of a leaf system that we internalized at the previous company I worked for one team one goal so we all want clean safe affordable water for the future I want to see more participation for the community and I want to see more transparency from our water district I just want to reiterate please get out and vote encourage your neighbors to get out and vote we want people you know we don't elect our officials we're going to get what we deserve right so please get out and vote for Austin