2010 City Council Elections – Candidate Forum

The HBDRA has been involved in local civic affairs both downtown and citywide since 1994. This election year is a continuation of that commitment, especially important for all residents of Huntington Beach because four City Council seats are being contested, possibly swinging a majority one way or the other. We believe voters must understand all of the issues facing our City and know where each of the candidates stand on the issues. During the campaign we will be updating this Candidate Forum on a regular basis in order to bring you the latest information and commentary on the City Council campaigns.

The HBDRA has asked each of the City Council candidates a series of questions regarding the important issues facing our City today and in its future. Click on the links below to read the questions and each candidate’s response:

The links above allow you to compare and contrast each candidates responses with those of the other candidates. Below are the candidates’ responses on an individual stand-alone basis:

In addition to the HBDRA, “The Local News” newspaper is also participating in an ongoing voter education program. We are publishing their information (below) as it becomes available:

We will also be linking to articles in “Surf City Voice” an online political watch-dog publication dedicated to issues pertaining to Huntington Beach:

DOWNTOWN PARKING – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

UPDATE 4/25/10

Although we still believe that a Residential Permit Parking Program should be voted on by the downtown residents, there are a few changes we would like to see first in the city ordinance:

1) Restrict overnight campers from parking in the downtown residential neighborhoods unless the campers belong to a downtown resident. No selling or providing permits to long term “guests” living in their campers.

2) Provide temporary guest passes without having to join the program. This will accommodate residents that park in their garages and do not want to pay each year for the program just to receive temporary guest passes as needed from time to time.

3) Fix the fees of the Residential Permit Parking Program to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) so that residents are assured of modest and appropriate pricing from year to year with no severe price increases.

4) Create an online ordering system for temporary guest permits that can be printed on one’s home computer as sometimes there are last minute needs when city hall is closed.

The HBDRA is working on these issues. More to follow soon.

Our Town Hall Meeting of March 4th, 2010 has certainly raised awareness of the downtown parking situation and created quite a controversy.

As a result of that meeting, the residents, business owners and city officials are now finally engaging in a constructive conversation and working together to ultimately deal with the problem of inadequate parking in the downtown area.

The HBDRA and the residents are planning to initiate a complete ban on parking in the residential neighborhoods from 10PM until 5AM and the late-night business owners are up in arms . . . and rightfully so.

Here is how we see it .

1) The City has done a poor job at providing late-night parking and parking in general for downtown visitors and employees.
2) Visitors and employees are therefore parking in the residential neighborhoods.
3) On the weekend nights and at other times during the week, the late-night parking situation is unacceptable and intolerable for the downtown residents.
4) The downtown residents will implement residential-only parking from 10PM to 5AM.
5) Visitors and employees will have to park elsewhere during these times.

The net effect of all of this:

The businesses downtown and the City will need to solve the problem rather than placing the problem squarely on the backs of the residents. If not, they might see a decline in business during these hours. The City should have dealt with this parking problem years ago, but instead they have perpetuated the problem with increased density and “In-Lieu Parking.”

Have you ever tried to park in an “in-lieu” parking space? According to Bob Dingwall, former Chair of the Planning Commission . . . it’s impossible and we agree!!

Click here to read the article in the Huntington Beach Independent.

Click here to read the Kimley-Horn Parking Study.

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