Describe how effectively you and your beliefs will fit into the dynamics of this City Council.
I am a practical person by nature, and a problem-solver. I base decisions on evidence, reason and understanding. I believe it is important to be able to recognize when evidence and arguments support a position different from my preconceptions.
I believe that leaders must prioritize the use of time, resources and energy in order to lead effectively. I believe it is never wise to ignore problems or avoid controversy, but rather that it is important to face our challenges head-on.
I believe that our leaders must have the vision to understand where we are going and how we are changing. We must act with foresight and be pro-active, not simply reactive.
I believe that leadership on a body of five individuals is made evident in persuasion, reason, compassion and vision, and that incorporating the positions and ideas of others through consensus-building creates win/win outcomes.
I believe we must respect the vision that each of us has for our city. I believe that it is only by finding common ground that we will prosper.
Describe your philosophical approach to redevelopment, particularly the Washington-Centinela project.
East Culver City’s redevelopment project and a significant portion of the Downtown project have been accomplished through streetscape. While there are aspects of each that are problematic, they are both evolving into thriving and attractive districts.
I favor this approach in general, and do not believe that the city should initiate projects that themselves radically alter traffic, development patterns or goals acknowledged by the community, or existing housing density. It should not be the instigator of projects whose scale differs vastly from current conditions in an area.
The city should facilitate change that has a positive impact on the quality of life of residents adjacent to a project area. It should be respectful of the vision and expectation of that neighborhood and the community as a whole. While wise economic development is a core element of the Redevelopment Agency’s goals, that goal must not supersede the following principle: the Agency should improve the quality of life of the residents of the city.
As to the Washington/Centinela project: incorporating the mobile home parks on Grandview Boulevard into the project was ill-fated and ill-advised. Doing so was deeply unsettling to the residents of the mobile home parks – residents whom the city must serve – and it tied what is an obviously controversial matter into a project which should be conceived of in a manner which enjoys broad and enthusiastic support within the community.
There are other aspects of the current Washington/Centinela project as it is currently conceived, as well as the Washington/National project, which I find to be of concern. From the standpoint of the community, I believe that the design of the Washington/Centinela project violates the principle that the agency should respect existing density patterns and scale.
Additionally, I question whether these projects are truly wise uses of the Agency’s funds. The Agency may want to subsidize aspects of a project in order to create public benefits or amenities, but it must view its projects as business propositions and evaluate whether they make sense from that standpoint.
The Agency’s funds are your funds, and they must be used – wisely – to achieve goals about which we can form a consensus.
Describe the approach you favor, from this point, for establishing an above-grade light rail terminal at Venice/National, and how you will convince your Council colleagues to join you.
Our region is in dire need of effective mass transit. We waste countless hours in our cars, burning countless gallons of gasoline. As a member of your City Council, I will champion projects which improve the flow of traffic and which promote the creation and use of a more interconnected and useful network of mass transit lines.
That being said, I will work first and foremost to promote and protect the interests of the residents of Culver City, and I am deeply concerned about the MTA’s proposal for an “interim” station for the Expo Light Rail Line.
The MTA’s right-of-way along National Boulevard is within a project area of the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. While the city does not have the legal standing to compel the MTA to construct the Expo Line in a manner which protects the well being of the adjacent neighborhoods and the city as a whole, the Agency does. It, like the MTA, is chartered by the state.
The MTA has proposed the Wesley Street “interim” station because it hasn’t determined the path which the second phase of Expo’s route will take – from Culver City to Santa Monica. It is fighting a years-old battle with certain areas of Los Angeles, and hasn’t been able to reach a resolution on the matter.
That failure on the MTA’s part shouldn’t put us in the position of accepting a second-rate solution for Culver City. The MTA must resolve its issues with the city of Los Angeles; otherwise, our Redevelopment Agency’s authority should be used to challenge anything less than the right solution for Culver City. That, to my mind, means: a station north of Washington with effective sound, light and vibration mitigation for neighborhoods adjacent to its passage through our city limits; and traffic and parking solutions which maintain our quality of life and safety on our streets.
Reassuring words not backed up by written guarantees that these conditions will be met mean nothing to me. They’re not worth the paper they’re not printed on.
I am certain that the goal of all our Agency members is and always will be to achieve the best outcome for Culver City. I know our Agency members well, and it is my belief that I will be able to assemble a majority in favor of utilizing that focused strategy to compel the MTA to work cooperatively with us to design Expo in a way which respects the best interests of our community.
Describe your specific solution to the problem of Recreational Vehicles being parked on the street in residential and commercial areas.
Create a permit system for Culver City residents only (proven through registration and utility bills, e.g.) which allows RV owners who do not have a driveway (e.g. residents of condominiums and apartments) to park their vehicles on the street.
Explain what single activity/assignment in your life has been the best preparation for your duties on the City Council?
I’ve served on our city’s Planning Commission for the past five years. The Planning Commission deals with land use issues within our city. Those issues can be very complex, requiring an understanding of legal constraints, development economics, and traffic management, to name a few topics. Those considerations often come into play on matters before the City Council.
Service on both our Planning Commission and our Council often demands the ability to balance competing interests. Characteristics such as strength, dedication, compassion and reason are necessary, and I have exercised those qualities on our Planning Commission for the past five years.
At its heart, effective service on the Planning Commission requires deep knowledge and understanding of our city – its residents and neighborhoods, the direction it is going and its place in our region. The support I have received from elected and appointed Culver City public officials – people who have given years of dedicated service to our community – is indicative of the fact that I have proven myself, that I have served our city well, and that I am well prepared to serve on our City Council.
Who is the person who has had the strongest impact on your life, and how?
My wife Anne is an absolute inspiration to me. Her love, kindness, temperament and energy bring me constant joy.
Identify four characteristics that make you a leader or a follower on the City Council.
I am a practical problem-solver, an effective consensus-builder, a good listener, and decisive.
Several populist issues have come before the City Council in recent months — A new name for Culver West Park, disposition of the mobile home parks on Grandview Boulevard, an animal control officer, parking Recreational Vehicles on the streets. Some rulings have gone with popular sentiment, some against. What is the single, constant moral/ethical benchmark you will use to determine your vote when such matters arise?
I will gather all the facts, consider the perspectives of different parties to an issue, and make decisions that balance interests fairly and in the best interests of the community. I will make decisions with concern for their impact on the individuals who may be affected by them. Ideas and principles must always be balanced by compassion for the lives, hopes and dreams of our fellow citizens.
What are you reading now? And why?
The Front Page. What else?
