ENCINITAS – More than 120 residents were squeezed into the halls of the historic American Legion building on Thursday night in Encinitas for an introductory mayoral debate, underscoring a local sense of urgency to be informed ahead of the November general election.
“Some say it’s too early, I think it’s time,” said Ralph Bettencourt, CEO of the American Legion Post 416 Foundation.
The event, the first of several planned debates hosted by the San Dieguito American Legion Post 416, featured mayoral candidates Michael Blobe, councilors Tony Kranz and Jeff Morris, who met for the first time in public on various topics to be.
The deadline for candidates is August 12, which means the field of prospects could change in the coming weeks.
Cindy Cremona, who is also running for mayor, was not present but said she was looking forward to participating in debates this fall. In particular, Cremona said she felt the June 23 debate was too rapid.
“A June debate for a November election is premature,” Cremona said in a statement. “Electoral voters are still decompressing the June primary, which is not certified until July 15. We can accommodate a dozen more people – the registration period for candidates does not end until July 18 and ends on August 12. would. “
However, many attendees were delighted to hear from some of the candidates last week in the nearly century-old building on West F Street.
Out of the crowd, Olivenhain resident Stephen Lord was thrilled by the mayor’s hopes and looks forward to new leadership at Encinitas after Mayor Catherine Blakespear announced her bid for state office.
“They’re just not very imaginative,” said the lord of the current Encinitas City Council.
The Lord said the council is incarcerated and easily prepared with excuses when the public has expressed concerns about housing and other issues.
“They do everything in secret,” the Lord said, later noting the council’s recent move to virtual-only meetings. “(As a resident) you don’t really have an impact.
Residents are presented with strikingly different candidates who try to address the same issues in the city. Based on the reaction of the audience, which includes both booming applause and heckling, many residents are ready for a change.
Moderator Neil Hokanson took questions from the audience for over an hour. Each of the candidates described their intentions for improved public safety, better project management, a plan to address homelessness and other topics.
While the Goodson project – a highly-discussed apartment complex near the Olivenhain neighborhood – has officially given the go-ahead, residents have asked candidates about the application of that project.
Kranz said he feels blindsided by the controversial project as it has evolved from a complex for seniors to 250 apartments. However, he said the city needs to move forward with development to avoid a state lawsuit.
Morris, who continues to return to community involvement, said he would have gone to the residents years ago before the housing element debacle of the city.
“I was told that I (as mayor) can go to Sacramento and fight for our community and that is something I will do,” Morris said.
Morris said he knows there will be ebbs and flows of work, but he wants to offer the public full revelation with each new development.
“I will let you know the bad things and say, ‘We need to come up with something,'” Morris said, referring to other recently approved projects in Encinitas. but were not. “
Blobe, who opposes major developments, said the city should fight the state over security measures regarding the Goodson Project and other major developments. While fire evacuation measures were controversial in that specific project of the city, Blobe said he wants to look again.
“[The State] is just looking at paper,” Blobe said. “Let me dig deeper and look at this for approval because I’m not comfortable doing that because it’s up to me when something happens. It’s not up to the state.”
Regarding the project, one commenter asked what kind of project the candidates at the former Pacific View Academy support. Following a failed contract with a nonprofit a few years ago, the city council this year went ahead with plans to transform long-term real estate into a public arts center.
The wreath said he was proud to be part of a council-leading movement at the site, on Third Street in the city, which he called a “legacy project.”
“The alternative would have been houses there,” Kranz said. “And I don’t think that would have been all that good for our quality of life in our community. So, I’m glad we have that.”
Morris and Blobe both agreed that a public art center for the community is a great fit for the currently unused site.
Blobe, a former Dall Center resident who previously ran for the city’s community planning group in 2016, added that he would expand the site’s use to other city activities outside of the arts, helping the Void of a city center Encinitas to fill.
Residents also wanted to know how candidates handle utility franchise contracts, leaving a negative impact on the city. Ask what action could be taken to limit issues according to the fiber of the Ting Internet.
Morris said the actions were “just more of the same.”
“[The council] makes a decision and they come back to us and tell us after the fact that it seems like everyone is angry,” Morris said, adding that he was forced to slow down the project and consider community input.
Kranz, who was part of the council during the agreement, said state control would overwhelm the community wanting in the project and the council working with Ting.
“They initially admitted it to their first set of subcontracts that did the job,” Kranz said. “They have new subcontracts that are still not doing a great job. And the reality is that we are keeping our feet on the fire.
Blobe is all about connecting residents to infrastructure, and says he is considering fees for construction projects that are in the process of being cleaned up.
“Anyone who damages public property is punished every day until they get it fixed,” Blobe said.
