With only a few days remaining of this election season, there are only a few questions left for the candidates to answer. Even if you’ve already cast your ballot, their responses are worth checking out.
1. What is your position on Fiscalini Ranch Park/Soccer Fields? Would you support a community-wide vote to measure support/opposition ?
Rich Davega
When we were gathering funds for the purchase of the Fiscalini Ranch my understanding is that we received $500,000 from SLO County with the expectation that some type of park facilities would be included in the Ranch development. However, I think that it is critical that any development that takes place be what the community wants. There absolutely needs to be a community wide ballot to measure the support for any upcoming project. Before any plans are even contemplated, however, we need to be able to provide recycled water for any Ranch/park needs and have the money in hand to complete any plans. The Ranch/park development will have to take a back seat to the much more pressing needs, and limited finances, of the
community.
(No other candidates responded to this question.)
2. Do you agree that Cambrians need a % increase in water usage to improve their quality of life?
Rich Davega
The % increase in water availability provided for under the Water Master Plan has been mis-represented in the Plan as a quality of life increase. I believe that the detailed explanation provided in response to Comment Letter #4, and marked as 4-15, provides a detailed explanation of the true meaning of the % increase in water provided for in the planning of the Desal plant. The explanation says “…this increase also serves as a safety factor in considering long-term reliability under emergency events as well as providing some contingency should future demographics shift from past patterns. I encourage all persons to read the complete analysis labeled 4-15 in the response to Comment Letter #4. I support the continued efforts at conservation as well as efforts to make recycled/non-potable water more available to all members of the community.
What is your vision for Cambria in 10 years?
Ilan Funke-Bilu
I hope we do not suffer from a catastrophic fire that was preventable with increased water storage and state of the art infrastucture. I hope the desal water system would be operational and that 4650 Cambrians and many visitors could take comfort in knowing that even in a drought, we would be able to preserve our aquifers, our creeks, our forest , and all of our critters that all add up to Cambria, our home.
Rich Davega
My vision is that we will have been aggressively implementing the Water Master Plan. We will hopefully have the Desal plant long ago completed and the water moratorium will have been lifted. We will have long ago caught up on all deferred maintenance and will be ensuring that this condition never happens again. We will be experiencing controlled growth through the issuance of the Water Wait list Intent to Serve Letters in accordance with the County Growth Initiative. We will have increased the water storage capacity for fire-fighting to the appropriate level and made great strides in making recycled/non-potable water available for landscape use so that we can minimize operation of the Desal plant. We will have ensured that the CCSD is no longer operating at an annual deficit, is operating in a fiscally responsible manner, and setting aside money for prudent reserves for future projects.
What qualities and experience will you bring to the Board and why are they needed?
Ilan Funke-Bilu
I really do not like talking about myself. It has nothing to do with humility. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. I have lived in Cambria for almost a quarter of a century. I have been an attorney for almost thirty years with an office in San Luis Obispo. I think I have done a lot of good things for my community, my profession, and my clients. Those are the things that make me feel good. I do not believe I need to advertise my accomplishments.
Rich Davega
I will bring to the Board several important qualities including attention to detail, the ability to forge alliances, follow through, open and honest communication, and transparency. My entire life has been lived on a model
of “fiscal responsibility”, a quality that I will expect from the CCSD. My attention will be directed towards ensuring that the services that Cambria needs and deserve are delivered in a high quality fashion at the lowest reasonable cost. Competitive bidding will be the method used for determining sources for goods and services. Personnel practices and costs will be closely monitored to ensure that “best practices” are followed and that cost controls are in place. I will address any areas that are currently not cost effective or realistic and work with my peers to bring about change. I will also work to ensure that high quality/cost effective critical services are being provided first and work to ensure that funds and other resources are not being redirected to non-essential services to the detriment of the essential services.
Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
- Gail Robinette Chosen to Complete DeMicco's Term as CCSD Director on Unanimous Vote
- California Coastal Commission Unanimously Denied Army Corps Desal Tests
- Cambria CSD Agenda for November 27, 2011 Meeting Includes Water Conservation & New Tank Project
- Sunken Oil Tanker Off Cambria's Coastline Will Be Checked Again Soon
