Candidate Forum at St. Mark’s

 

Four of the five candidates for the open 3rd District supervisor’s seat met at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Church in Los Olivos, April 22 for a discussion of the issues confronting the district and the county.

Candidates Dr. David Bearman, Doreen Farr, Victoria Pointer, and Steve Pappas met at the church for the forum sponsored by several local activist and community interest groups. Candidate David Smyser sent a letter indicating his regret that he had to miss the meeting, saying “the date did not fit into my calendar of events” and that he had “already participated in other forums.”

 

Sponsored by community groups Buellton is Our Town, Santa Ynez Valley Alliance, Women’s Environmental Watch, Preservation of Los Olivos and Preservation of Santa Ynez, the event drew about 150 spectators. 

The candidates were given a two minute opportunity to introduce themselves and then were asked a series of questions by the moderator.  Each candidate was given a two minute opportunity to answer the question before the next candidate had a chance to answer.  Candidates also were presented with written questions from the audience and posed questions to each other during the event.

 

At the start of the event, after moderator Eric Burroughs had read the letter of regret from Smyser, the crowd loudly snickered at the reasons Smyser gave for his absence.  During the portions of the event that candidates were able to ask questions of each other, some candidates posed the questions to the empty chair that was to have been occupied by Smyser.

Burroughs posed questions having to do with the preservation of agricultural lands, mitigation of traffic impacts due to increased tourism, Chumash tribal operations at the casino and in surrounding community, commercial development in the Valley, crime, Earth Day, and rezoning of agricultural lands. 

All the candidates stressed their long local experience on various water boards, planning commissions, city councils and school boards, as well as their problem solving abilities as demonstrated by their knowledge and willingness to listen to the voices of the voters.  

 

On only a few questions did the candidates differ substantially, if at all, on their positions.  The candidates were asked,  “What is your position on reducing the amount of land necessary to establish agricultural preserves to 10 acres as a means of protecting agricultural land; it is now 40 acres?”

Candidates Bearman, Pointer, and Pappas all agreed that a 10 acre agricultural piece of property is too small to be of sufficient use to a farmer.  Doreen Farr was the lone dissenter, saying, “I think it’s a great idea!  We want to protect and preserve the agricultural land.  If we could get the threshold down to 10 acres then more people would convert to agriculture.”

 

Victoria Pointer’s positions on gaming expansion and annexation of properties by the Chumash tribe set her apart from the other three. Bearman, Pappas and Farr all indicated opposition in strong terms, some going so far as to say that they are “fighting” and “against” gaming expansion and tribal methods.  Pointer, by contrast, used moderate language to express a message of inclusion. 

“Anytime one tries to prevent someone’s voice from being heard, there is a big problem…I’m not in favor of increased gaming.  We need to embrace their culture and promote it.  If they want to play by all the rules, then they should be welcomed.  I’m not so sure that their intent is what is being said.  I am a good listener and good mediator,” Pointer said.

 

One member of the audience, Bob Leite, who is also a member of the Santa Ynez Valley Airport Authority board, noted the way one question was slanted to imply that an airport expansion is taking place when no such expansion is planned.  The question posed was “Should an environmental impact report be required for expansion of the airport?”

Leite said that there are various use permits in process and even plans for additional hangars, but the hangars will be primarily used to shelter aircraft that are already based at the airport.

During the part of the forum in which the candidates were allowed to ask questions of each other, the participants lobbed softballs at each other and even asked questions that allowed their opponents to further expound on their qualifications for office.