Newport Beach candidates field questions

June Casagrande

Traffic, development, water quality, airport expansion: All 12

Newport Beach City Council candidates agree that these are the issues

facing Newport Beach. The difference, though, is how they believe

these challenges should be tackled.

A slow-off-the-ground election season kicked into full swing on

Wednesday with a televised candidates’ forum put on by the West

Newport Beach Assn. Seated at their hoped-for spots on the City

Council dais, the candidates fielded questions and offered opinions

about why each believes he or she is the best person for the job.

After a round of opening statements, West Newport Beach Assn.

officers Paul Watkins and Pat Shehan lobbed issue-oriented questions

at each of the candidates. The candidates were not told in advance

what question each would be asked.

District 1 candidate Madelene Arakelian was asked whether she

would support moving City Hall to a location that could better serve

the city’s new boundaries. She answered that cost and the

availability of property could pose hurdles, but that a realistic

plan to better serve all residents would be worth consideration.

District 1 incumbent Tod Ridgeway was asked the best way to

correct the city’s Fourth of July problems on the peninsula. Ridgeway

answered that the long-term solution is to have owner-occupied homes

in the area instead of vacation rentals, which now represent nearly

70% of the homes there.

Marianne Zippi, also vying for the District 1 seat, was asked

whether she supported the Orange Coast River Park proposal. Zippi

replied that she favored the park plan because it would create more

open space and play areas for children while reducing congestion that

would be created if homes were developed there.

District 3 candidate Allan Beek was asked whether he felt the

city’s traffic problems were regional and how to address them. Beek

answered that traffic problems in the city are created mainly from

within the city and that a pragmatic, forward-looking approach to

traffic is necessary now.

Don Webb, also running for District 3, was asked about ways to

revitalize Mariner’s Mile. Webb answered that infrastructure

improvements and beautification will attract pedestrians to the area.

District 4 incumbent Gary Adams was asked where he stood on the

Homeowners and Renters Tax Relief Act and the effect of taking tax

revenue away from cities. Adams said he supported the act precisely

because it included safeguards that keep the act from hurting local

government.

District 4 candidate Richard Taylor was asked his position on the

recently formed Newport Beach Taxpayers Assn. Taylor answered that,

based on his knowledge of the people involved with that association,

he did not feel the group had a significant amount of credibility.

District 4 candidate Ron Winship was asked whether he agreed with

the goals of the Committee to Abolish Helicopter Noise. Winship

answered that he believed leaf blowers were a much bigger noise

problem and that the security afforded by police helicopter patrols

made their noise effects much less of a problem than that of leaf

blowers.

District 6 candidate Laura Dietz was asked whether she agreed

there were too many commercial party boats in the harbor. Dietz said

she was not certain about the extent of the problem but that the

solution rested in balancing the businesses’ rights with mitigation

to protect residents.

District 6 candidate Dick Nichols was asked whether Sunset Ridge

Park should be developed as a passive park, which is just open land,

or an active park, which has playground equipment and sports areas.

He answered that the city needs more active parks.

District 6 candidate Bernie Svalstad was asked about the recent

sanitation district decision to increase sewage treatment at

increased expense to customers and about approaches to water quality

in general. Svalstad replied that he solidly supported the move and

that he feels that contaminants in local waters and sediment are a

pressing problem.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.