When Catalina residents go to the polls to vote on April 12, they will choose their candidates for the Avalon City Council at a time when much is unsettled on the island.
Avalon is without a city manager; a former long-time city planning employee is fighting her termination; water rationing could enter Stage 3 at any time; and much of the Island’s infrastructure is deteriorating.
When Catalina residents go to the polls to vote on April 12, they will choose their candidates for the Avalon City Council at a time when much is unsettled on the island.
Avalon is without a city manager; a former long-time city planning employee is fighting her termination; water rationing could enter Stage 3 at any time; and much of the Island’s infrastructure is deteriorating.
Wednesday night’s four-hour Candidate Forum covered those issues and others, however, some candidates feel that this election really boils down to a referendum on The Island Company, the Island’s largest landowner.
“Is the Island Company the Evil Empire? I’m on the ‘no’ side,” said candidate Bruce Fertig.
He noted that although the Island Company owns most of the land, the city issues the permits to build.
“You have a distinct group of people who are 100 percent against the Island Company,” candidate Ralph Morrow said. “They (the group) are anti-development and they were against Vons,” he added. He said that this forum was the 14th one he has participated in, and he is most upset that Avalon is without a city manager.
Candidate Steven Hoefs, who has served as city manager himself, sees the issues of water, the Hispanic community and marijuana as important.
Hoefs added that “conflicts of interest” seem to be a hot-button issue as well.
“I have zero conflicts at this time and I think people like that,” Hoefs said.
He also said that nothing should ever be seen as the Island Company vs. the residents. “We can’t be like that over here. The council and the Island Company have to work together and the council needs relationships with every entity on the Island, including places like Edison and the hospital.”
Candidate Sandra Putnam noted that the forum was “much more civil” than national political debates.
She felt water (or lack of it) should have been a bigger discussion and said she had no problems with the Island Company. “I’m a realist – they are here and we are a company town.”
Oley Olsen, who is running for re-election, also said water was the No. 1 issue, but added that the big hole in front of Leo’s Drugs just exemplified the aging infrastructure that needs to be addressed.
Olsen is a former Island Company employee, and said key issues like a new hospital and city pool will all require cooperation between the City Council and the company. Several candidates mentioned “the immigration question” (Catalina is about 60 percent Hispanic) and candidate Michael Ponce thought that was not appropriate.
“I was shocked when the immigration question was asked. I’m of Mexican descent and I was offended by that question.”
Ponce also said that the City Council needs to be able to work cooperatively with the Island Company. “They may be the elephant in the room, but we have to play with that elephant,” he added.
All candidates were contacted for this story; those included responded by presstime.
