About Cambria

Running for the CCSD has been a thrilling experience for me and I would like to congratulate all the other candidates who took the time and energy to run for this important office.

We are facing some problems that I am sure we can overcome with a little diligent effort and the time necessary to take on these new challenges. Challenges such as communicating more clearly with our constituents and solving our many water problems, which I am sure we can do with alacrity and perseverance.

One should always try to be engaged in life and never stand on the sidelines and carp at the problems we all face here in Cambria as well as our nation as a whole. “An unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates once observed in a moment of candor.

We live in this gorgeous place with the beauty of the ocean, the splendid trees, the small shops, the Joslyn Center, the Vets Hall, and all the lovely homes that dot our community. To have a voice in the direction our community is heading is an honor without parallel.

We came here because it was small and cozy and free of such problems as congestion, crime for the most part, the friendly atmosphere, and most of the problems that big cities have.

We have some nice restaurants, three quaint gas stations, an outstanding fire department with excellent paramedics, two small grocery stores one far larger than the other, three first-class doctors, three dentists, and a bevy of real estate offices, all nestled along Main Street and Bridge Streets.

If I am elected to the Board I will do my best to serve our community and it will be an honor to serve all of you.

Clive Finchamp

Last night’s candidates forum was informative and quite a success. About 55-60 people showed up at Rabobank last night to learn more about the candidates for CCSD Director. After the Chamber-sponsored forum, it was clear that the candidates have a lot in common – with the exception of Clive Finchamp, the candidates all support implementing the Water Master Plan, including the desalination project. My goal in organizing this forum was to give the candidates an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other candidates and get a more individualized picture of each of the candidates.

With the help of co-moderator Steve Cole, we sorted through nearly 70 questions submitted before the event by email and by those in attendance and asked almost 20 questions of the candidates. We started out with each candidate answering a question focused on the theme: “What differentiates your from the other candidates?”

In the coming days, I will be posing some of the questions we didn’t have time for to the candidates and will post any responses I receive.

KTEA-FM 103.5 will be broadcasting the forum…stay tuned for date and time. It will also be available for download right here on AboutCambria.com soon.

I’d like to thank Rabobank for providing the space; Steve Cole for helping me fine tune the format and rules and for co-moderating; the volunteers who helped ensure everything went so smoothly: Jeff Hellman and Boyd Hogan as sound techs, Cheryl McDowell and Jackie Hogan as timekeepers, Bruce Marchese, Mickie Burton, and Tina Dickason for helping with seating and question cards; Stephen Overturf for letting us borrow his wristwatch; Elizabeth Bettenhausen for putting up flyers; Jim Kampschroer and Leeanne of KTEA FM 103.5 for broadcasting the event; and, of course, each of the seven candidates for CCSD Director. Kathe Tanner was tapping away on her laptop through the whole event…so look for something in this week’s Cambrian.

KTEA-FM 103.5 will be broadcasting the forum on Thursday October 23, 2008 at 10am and Friday October 24, 2008 at 7pm.

I am posting our total earnings and assets and challenge the other candidates to do the same. SSI for me $267; for my wife SSI $544; My wife’s county retirement $1974.23; 1989 240 SX automobile about $700; home value unknown; 2003 Kia automobile about $3000; and $4000 in a small IRA.
Clive & Sharon Finchamp

Sunshine laws are those that require government meetings and documents be open and accessible to the public. Today the candidates weigh in on this issue and answer these questions: What is your philosophy of government openness? What is your philosophy on the role of the public in governance and the business of Community Services?

For more information about Sunshine laws and public access to government, including the “Sunshine Pledge”, visit Californians Aware’s website.

Clive Finchamp

(Sunshine Pledge Signed)

Rich Davega

I believe in total transparency. The only exception should be personnel matters that are protect by privacy laws. I believe that the “sense of the community” should be measured on all important matters. The Board serves at
the pleasure of the voters and is the vehicle for providing guidance and oversight to the CCSD. The public should always be able to provide input to the Board on their wishes so that the Board can act accordingly. I also
support the establishment of committees on key matters with community membership and Board member “office hours” between the official public meetings so that citizens/ratepayers can openly discuss issues/concerns outside of the more formal process at the CCSD public meetings.

(Sunshine Pledge Signed)

Ilan Funke-Bilu

The foundation of our government is transparency and openness. When curtains shade the government from its people , not only will government lose its trust and confidence, but it will inexorably lead to its demise.

Yet, our government operates under a balanced approach that mediates the interests of openness with the interest of efficient governmental management which benefits the people as well. For example, interest groups, certain selfish individuals, and other social cancers, can, if allowed, convert openness into a poisoned pill. That is why our laws allow for limited restraints on transparency. For example, no reasonable person would urge that our United States Attorney General bare all of its investigative files in the name of openness. Similarly, our state laws provide protection for Districts by creating the closed session procedures, or Freedom of Information Act procedures.

I recognize that our recent history has revealed a stress between our government and some of its people. As a Director, I have tried to bring our community together, in public and behind the scenes. If we truly believe that we live in a beautiful place, then we must respect our neighbors and we must, therefore, learn to civilly disagree without name calling and pointing fingers as though we live in some ugly , huge metropolitan area where beauty was lost a long time ago.

(Sunshine Pledge Signed)

What is your position on alternative water supply choice? How do you propose ensuring the desalination project is constrained? Would you support a community-wide vote to measure support/opposition to desalination v. other options?

Rich Davega -

After considering all of the material presented in the Water Master Plan and the history of Cambria’s search for a solution, I support the current plans for a desalinization plant. It is the only supplemental water source that is not climate dependent and is not shared with others.

There are two critical items that must be closely watched as we proceed down that road: cost to the community and controlling growth. We currently have a sizable Federal Government commitment towards the construction cost of the plant. One of the current Board members had a recent discussion with Representative Lois Capps regarding the potential for an increase in the Federal funding in the event that the construction cost increases, which it undoubtedly will, from the original estimates. She indicated that she would support additional funding, if needed. The availability of Federal funding is critical to managing the cost to the community of the project as without this money the impact on all of us would be unmanageable.

Controlling growth, which for me means preserving the Board established ceiling of 4650 connections (serving the Water Wait List), must be accomplished. We need to focus on sizing the plant so it does not support runaway growth and remain mindful of the fact that other parts of our infrastructure will also only support controlled growth. Our roads, schools, sewer plant, etc. are all geared towards supporting only a limited amount of growth. I pledge to “stand guard” against those that would open the doors to full build out.

I do not support revisiting the issue of available water options, and here’s why. I have serious concerns that Cambria could end up with the water equivalent of Los Osos’ sewer problem. The community has been pursuing the supplemental water source solution for as much as 20 years. During that time period, and many CCSD Board member changes, the “best solution” has been studied and debated. Those studying the issue and reviewing the data come from varying perspectives: no growth, controlled growth, and uncontrolled growth. Many of the people that I’ve talked to have grown weary of the uncertainty and just want to get the issue resolved. Some people assign little or no credibility to the year 2000 Desal advisory ballot for a variety of reasons. Some people want all Cambria landowners to have a say in the decision, others do not. Some people have little faith in the accuracy of the data in the Water Master Plan regarding the viability of the supplemental water source alternatives, and want another study of the alternatives. A community-wide vote at this point has the potential for starting the water source study and selection process all over again. I believe that we have gone so far down the road that we should not start over.

Clive Finchamp

Let me add a few more words about building a desalination plant for Cambria. Why would a community like Cambria build such a plant with so much unknown questions about it? How much will it cost is a question that no one has answered yet. I will repeat myself how much will 50 gallons of water cost the ratepayers?

If there is a problem with brine and there certainly is: what will the community do with it and what will is cost? This is a repeated question but it is worth additional consideration.

When you buy a new car you usually what kind of mileage it will get and how long it will last given good maintenance and how it much it will cost over the life of the contract. None of this is known about a desal plant so why would Cambria build one?

We have heard of many different options but which one our community finally use for a project of this magnitude? Will we use reverse osmosis? Or nano technology? Or some other option, such as cogeneration? Or will we use beach wells, which has been discussed at some length.

During the construction of such a plant our highways will be clogged with trucks and with many other types of vehicles such tractors and backhoes of every sort. Do we want this kind of disruption to our lives with a project with so many unanswered questions?

Ilan Funke-Bilu

My position on alternative water supply is well settled. The CCSD has studied this subject for decades. Years ago, during my first term, we specifically analyzed all potential alternative water sources from economical, topographical, political (Coastal Commission and County of San Luis Obispo permit issues)and engineering perspective. We held public hearings and were provided input from concerned citizens. We had an informal election which supported desal . We learned that every alternative man-made water source would cause harm to our environment. Our decision had to be based upon weighing all of the options, considering the adverse consequences, and making the best judgment call that would benefit most Cambrians. I believe that desal, by far, is the only reasonable option . Remember, Cambria is under a legal mandate to provide an alternative water source as soon as possible pursuant to Water Code Section 350 et. seq. In compliance, Cambria has been moving deliberately and steadily, for years, in that direction.

Now, a few Cambrians, some of whom I still recognize from the desal wars in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s, and others who are either new to the issue or to town, are questioning the wisdom of desal. I do not have any problem with my neighbors protesting or questioning anything in our country. It is why I am proud to live here. However, I cannot agree that it is in the best interest of most Cambrians to undo the progress and work we have accomplished in complying with the law unless we are provided some alternative water source that outperforms desal. No one has provided any detailed study such as our District Engineer spearheaded in my first term ( in specific response to the CCSD request ) that even suggests that desal is wrong.

Therefore, I see no need for a “community-wide support/opposition ” measure to rehash rehashed issues. It will harm our community in that it would distract our focus and energy and waste money from more immediate needs. We got work to do–not undo!

Muril Clift

My position on an additional water source has been explained several times since I first applied for the appointment to the CCSD Board. My position has never changed. If we expect to resolve the water moratorium, provide for those on the water wait list and assure current users a water supply during drought conditions we must provide an additional water source.

After extensive study of all the proposed alternative additional water sources I concluded the desalination alternative is the best solution. It is the best solution because:
1. It provides the most reliable source of locally controlled water without regard to drought.
2. It is the most environmentally friendly approach.
3. With the federal grants it is the most economical approach.

I have supported desalination from the start and will work for its implementation. I have previously said water must not be a growth inducing or growth restricting tool. To prevent growth above the wait list, I favor sizing the plant to handle the 4650 connection limit. This would include restricting the intake and output lines to handling that size plant.
I do not favor an additional community wide vote on the issue. Currently 6 of the 7 candidates running for Board positions favor desalination. It is my belief these candidates have surveyed their supporters and found a general agreement in favor of desalination. If there is that perceived agreement then further study of support, or, study of alternatives would only delay implementation and increase costs.

We have a unique opportunity to go forward with an environmentally friendly project that protects this community’s ability to provide for its citizens.
It is time to go forward!

Allan MacKinnon

I fully support the currently proposed RO Desalinization plan with a design limit of supporting the 4,650 maximum water connections. I would recommend the facility design goal to be based on present water usage rates rather than the suggested 20 to 50% additional usage quantities as suggested by the CCSD engineer. By restricting the desal design capacity, e.g., intake sizing, pumps/ filters, etc. we support the 4,650 water master plan only! An aggressive community information/ incentive conservation program would be a good (GREENE) means of adding Quality of Life impact.

I would not support a community-wide vote on such a measure as I believe the November election will provide adequate “Will of the People” feedback to the board.

Joan Cobin

(Added October 11)

This first question posed is now a bit rhetorical since the recent Candidate Forum as all candidates but one support desalination as the desired alternate water source for Cambria. Having said that my response will go a bit further and say unequivocally I support the recently adopted CCSD Water Master Plan (WMP) which identifies Desalination as the most reasonable choice for an alternate water source. The choice of Desalination as the alternate water source was supported by Cambrian residents though an advisory vote when the plan was first conceived, the Board has been moving forward since given that mandate.

The WMP was long in development and long in public review. The completion and adoption of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was the icing on the cake. We are now ready to move forth with all of its components. They include; increasing water storage capacity for fighting fires, a Desalination plant sized for limited population growth to be used during dry season, strategic use of recycled water and continued water conservation strategies. A Build-out Reduction Plan was integrated into the Plan to offset growth inducing potential of Desal Plant.

(Editor’s note: All candidates were asked to respond. These are the responses received thus far.)

I am at a loss to explain why the Board is being challenged by six of the seven candidates. I am the only candidate who really took issue with the board as I am opposed to the building a desalination plant and I am also the only candidate who wanted a six percent increase in rate hikes.

And no one could tell me how much fifty gallons desal water would cost. In other words: why would anyone support building the aforementioned plant without knowing how much the water would cost from such a plant?

I also mentioned that costs would soar from such a plant and that it would leave a huge carbon footprint, which means more global warming and the seas rising with each emission from coal fired plants.

Desal plants require huge amounts of energy and as I further indicated the results would force us to dump brine in our marine sanctuary. And cleaning the membranes from such a plant would require using toxic substances to clean them and they would have to go in the ocean or be stored at a significant cost to the people of Cambria.

Finally as I indicated during the debate there is little likelihood that the Coastal Commission would ever approve of building a desalination for Cambria.

I’m Clive Finchamp and I’d like your vote for the CCSD Board.  Why do I want you’re consideration? Well, I think that I am qualified for a directorship on the CCSD because I am a progressive who is a cross between Jack Lemmon and Charlie Chaplin.  I like to think that I don’t take life very seriously, but mostly whimsically and in a carefree manner. After all we all know how life turns out, don’t we.

I want you to know that I do favor doing preventive maintenance on our aging water system, but I continue to oppose the rate increases and any attempt to build a desalination plant of any kind in Cambria. As a part of a family living on a fixed income, with all of those attendant problems, I will make every effort to carefully examine and pare down proposals that involves spending the ratepayer’s money. On matters that involve spending the publics’ money I am quite conservative though my politics is on the left side of the political spectrum.

I am a college graduate with a degree in political science with an emphasis on teaching; a job that I did for a few years.  I worked for many years as a hospital administrator and later and happily for many more years as a certified licensed property appraiser. The job I had as a property appraiser should be helpful as a director of the CCSD because of the many issues the CCSD faces regarding property.

Let me add that I worked at Cambria’s elementary and high schools for a number of years and I can say categorically that we have the best public schools in the United States.

Finally, I loved my mother’s apple pie and I never kicked my dog and at night I still massage my wife’s head to help her sleep though the evening.  So please vote for me.