The election is 22 days away, and the eight city council
candidates have put up signs and are knocking on doors. With
current councilwoman Marby Lee running for mayor and Councilman
Greg Sellers not running, there are two seats up for grabs.
The election is 22 days away, and the eight city council candidates have put up signs and are knocking on doors. With current councilwoman Marby Lee running for mayor and Councilman Greg Sellers not running, there are two seats up for grabs. Today we profile four candidates in alphabetical order. They are Joseph Carrillo, Michael Castelan, Rich Constantine and Ken Galloway. Friday we will look at Rick Moreno, Dave Mounteer, Lee Schmidt and Gordon Siebert.
CARRILLO: SAFETY, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION KEY
Joseph Carrillo wants to make city streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, and preserve the historical aspects of downtown Morgan Hill.
If elected to a seat on the city council, he would advocate for more speed bumps downtown, more crosswalks, more sidewalks and a wider “fire break” on the sides of city streets that cyclists and pedestrians could share. He also thinks the new Third Street Promenade should be closed to vehicle traffic.
Taking these measures would not only improve safety for non-motorized travelers – it would also reduce costs for maintenance and responding to accidents.
“The city could save money if more people were walking or riding bikes,” said Carrillo, 21. “There would be more money for local businesses, and more money for the city.” Plus, he added, downtown Morgan Hill would be more attractive to tourists.
Carrillo viewpoint is influenced by his own experience as a resident who relies on bicycles – he has two-wheeled as well as four-wheeled models – as his only means of transportation. He runs his Grizzly Bear Handyman service, specializing in plumbing and electrical repairs, on his bicycle and admits he is “against cars” due to their potential for accidents and their unfriendliness toward the environment.
When it comes to downtown redevelopment, Carrillo thinks city officials should preserve what is left of downtown’s historical character. This includes saving the Granada Theater.
Also an advocate of public recreation services, Carrillo says the city should stick to its plan to bring more recreation facilities to the southeast quadrant. He has volunteered at the Centennial Recreation Center and the Aquatics Center, and would like to bring more entertainment programs such as live bands to the swimming facility as a way to attract more users.
Another way the city could save money in the current budget crunch is by developing more volunteer programs for public works and parks maintenance – similar to those utilized by the police department. The city could offer inexpensive incentives to encourage volunteering.
“In a recession that feels like a depression, you have to let the community help each other,” Carrillo said. “You can’t count on Wall Street. We could encourage people to be frugal, but make sure there’s good workmanship.”
Carrillo thinks the city should keep the promises it has already made to labor groups, but he supports a two-tiered retirement system as a way to save money.
Another money-saving tactic is when it comes to public works, the city could use four-wheeled bicycles instead of pickup trucks – when practical – as a way to save on fuel costs.
“Me being a city council member that rides bikes could encourage more people to ride bikes,” he added.
Carrillo eagerly displays his excitement at the prospect of becoming a council member, and noted he has learned a lot about the city just from attending council meetings.
“Politics is very interesting,” he said. “It allows you to put your great ideas to work. I think people could learn from me as a politician.”
CASTELAN: DON’T LEAVE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES IN THE DUST
As a former business owner who struggled, yet survived, through the months-long Third Street Promenade construction process, Michael Castelan has a unique perspective to bring to the city council.
“I ran a business here, so I see things on a different level, as far as trying to market and get people downtown,” said Castelan, 53.
He owned Poppy’s Fish Poultry and More for about five years, and retired this year.
One example where he would carry that perspective is to the possible overhaul of Monterey Road through downtown, which could begin before the next four-year term on the council ends.
“I worry about the businesses on Monterey Road and how affected by the construction they will be,” Castelan said. “This will be on a very large scale, that’s going to affect more than the six businesses on Third Street.”
His idea of successful downtown redevelopment, based on his own perception of northern California towns that have thrived through revitalization, is to keep “old town themes” alive.
Also a retired firefighter from the Freedom Fire Protection District, Castelan almost naturally puts emergency services at the top of his platform.
“My goal is to make sure the city is covered and safe. And to have a proactive versus reactive emergency services,” Castelan said.
He supports pursuing a “merger” of the city’s police services with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office – which was floated by police earlier this year – as a way to save on costs and to improve public safety. Castelan’s endorsements from the Morgan Hill Police Officers Association and the county’s Deputy Sheriff’s Association reflect that support.
Public safety priorities also include urging more action on flood control for downtown Morgan Hill, and ensuring roads and infrastructure are maintained.
Another key aspect of Castelan’s platform is fiscal responsibility. If elected to the council, he would encourage saving money by separating “wants and needs – the wants have to come second,” he said.
For example, facilities such as spacious recreation centers and beautification projects are wants, which require ongoing support from general fund tax dollars to survive. Castelan classifies the community center and public safety as needs.
Redevelopment projects, too should focus on the city’s needs such as developing more parking or improving roads. “I don’t think the city should be in the business of real estate,” he said. “Especially in this day and age, with the markets the way they are, it could be detrimental to the city.”
As a council member, Castelan would urge the city to focus more on attracting a more diverse mix of retail shops, and advertise downtown Morgan Hill to potential visitors.
And when it comes to saving on personnel costs, he would revisit union contracts that were negotiated during financially good times to compete with the private sector, and supports implementing a two-tiered retirement system for new hires or considering other changes to the city’s current retirement system.
“It’s got to be about what’s best for the town, and the people in the town,” he said.
CONSTANTINE: PRESERVE RURAL AND ‘SMALL TOWN’ ATMOSPHERE
Rich Constantine fell in love with Morgan Hill when he moved here about eight years ago, and that’s why he is running for a seat on the city council.
“I can make a difference by running for council, and keep Morgan Hill the town I grew to love,” said Constantine, 46. Specifically, the “special” traits of Morgan Hill that he thinks the city should preserve are the remaining farmland and the “small town feel.”
He thinks the city can weather the financial storm it is in now, and set itself up to succeed when that situation improves through economic development efforts. That includes attracting businesses to fill the many vacant commercial and retail spaces throughout the city, attracting jobs and residents to Morgan Hill to generate sales and property tax revenues, and making it easier for people to both live and work in Morgan Hill – instead of spending half of each day in another community.
“We should position ourselves to take advantage of the good times when they get here,” Constantine said. “We can weather this out but we have to do it in a smart way.” He said doing so will be a “slow process,” but the city shouldn’t “squeeze businesses” with more fees or restrictions.
Some cities, he said, have tried to implement “quick fixes” to get out of the recession by using public dollars to build new construction projects. “We can’t build our way into more debt,” which could happen in upcoming downtown redevelopment if the city doesn’t build a project that generates its own revenue.
If elected to council, he would pursue a plan to “make sure Morgan Hill grows smartly,” while maintaining its unique characteristics.
Another key aspect of Constantine’s platform is flood control. He knows that attempts to gain funds from the federal government to complete the $120-million Llagas Creek Flood Control project have been unsuccessful so far. But he thinks perhaps the city should organize a stronger “grass roots” effort to lobby Morgan Hill’s legislative representatives, as the city will continue to flood during heavy storms until the creek is improved.
“Let’s make it a more up-front issue,” Constantine said.
As a firefighter for the city of San Jose, Constantine includes public safety among the top of his priorities. But also as a firefighter, he has experience as a union member, giving him an advantage when it comes to negotiating with labor groups in Morgan Hill, he said.
While he said negotiating with unions can be productive for both sides if it’s done openly and honestly, he doubts that personnel costs are the sole reason the city is in such financial dire straits – “if you try to balance the budget on someone’s pay, you’ve done something wrong,” he said.
Keeping city services well-staffed is important both for the employees as well as the community as a whole, Constantine added. “The government’s only purpose is to provide services and keep people safe,” he said.
He equates his union, civic and public safety experience with political experience that qualify him to sit on the council.
“I believe I have the ability to bring some common sense. I can bring the ability to work with both sides of the issues,” he said. “We should keep our eye on what’s important and try to do what’s fair for everyone.”
GALLOWAY: PRIVATE EXPERIENCE SUITED FOR BUDGET BALANCING
Ken Galloway, 40, has seen a lot of changes in his 33 years as a Morgan Hill resident – “some good, some bad.”
“I’ve grown up in the town. I want to make sure we have a comprehensive plan to balance the budget and keep citizens safe,” he said.
He’s concerned with the proportionally “high number” of parolees who live here, contrasted with the city’s low ratio of police officers compared to other cities in Santa Clara County. “The police department is completely understaffed,” Galloway said.
A senior project manager for a major computer company in the Bay Area, Galloway says his experience in process management and improvement can aid his attempts to balance the city’s budget, and have taught him how to “do things efficiently” in large organizations.
Attracting businesses to fill the scores of empty retail and strip mall spots should take priority over redevelopment plans that might add a glamorous look to downtown, but bring new “affordable housing” to the area.
“People don’t come to downtown for an urban experience,” said the hopeful for one of two open council seats. “It’s not established as a Santana Row where people come specifically to shop. We need to help merchants grow and attract customers.”
Doing so is good for the businesses, while bringing in new companies can provide residents with more services like medical options that are lacking in Morgan Hill, he said.
He’s also concerned that the current process of redeveloping downtown isn’t a “unified plan” as it should be, but is rather a series of plans that don’t seem to connect. “Third Street doesn’t look anything like (the rest of) downtown,” for example, he said.
In order to attract others, as a council member he would work to reverse the “reputation” among the business sector that Morgan Hill is difficult to work with when it comes to processing administrative requirements – a problem for which his own private sector experience is uniquely suited, he said.
One mistake the city made during the current recession is they didn’t “watch the bottom line,” and that’s now why the city projects spending from its general fund reserve for the next five years, he said.
Cost-cutting opportunities for personnel could be the heightened use of reserve or retired police officers, for whom the burden of supplying pensions is less than full-time active employees, Galloway suggested.
He cited the Centennial Recreation Center, Aquatics Center and Third Street as redevelopment projects that the city might have received a good deal on, but will continue to cost general fund tax dollars to maintain and staff well into the future.
However, he acknowledged that as a result of those efforts, sports and recreation have become part of “the fabric of Morgan Hill.”
That’s why he supports continued development of recreation options in the southeast quadrant, especially baseball fields – “of course within the budget,” said the father of two sons who play sports in Morgan Hill.
Other ways to save money Galloway suggested include renegotiating contracts with the unions that represent most city employees, and opting for better use of the “professional people on staff” instead of outsourcing for consultants and other service providers.
