Get the facts on the California candidates running for election to the City Council — City of Del Mar
Find out their top 3 priorities, their experience, and who supports them.
Learn about the views of candidates for Del Mar City Council in the November 3, 2020 election. Recorded 9/15/2020. The Del Mar Foundation sponsored the forum.
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I am a program director in a surgical specialty practice. I enjoy my clinical time with patients. I have run a eight million dollar budget. I have been a leader as Chair and President of both Nationally and International medical societies, leading the Integreated Health Practiciners. I have traveled tgroughout Latin America, Europe and Asia teaching other health care professionals.
I am running for City Council because I believe our Community Plan is under threat. Our Community Plan protects our community character. We must have a city counsel that will protect our town from massive developmemts and protect our beaches,lagoons and fragile bluffs. If elected, I will defend Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan with out managed retreat at the Coastal Commission. Seek comon sense solutions to afforadable housing. Protect resident views and rewrite our current scenic views ordinance to be more easily enforceable and fair. Help downtown buisness thrive by being more flexivble and open minded. Implement a wildfire protection plan for Del mar and Crest Canyon, including undergrounding utility poles and wire- critically imporatnt. Establish safe railraod crossing. Find a solution for STR's without costly litigation. Develop regulatiomns that protect neighbors.
I will promote more incluivenes of all residents, not my friends or a small group, but all. If elected will be open minded and hear ALL sides and concerns.
I have been highly engaged in the civic life of Del Mar:
Candidate Statement and Letter to all voters
It has been my honor to serve as your Councilmember and Mayor this past four years, and previously from 1996 through 2008.
My wife Kristen and I, along with our Corgi dogs, have lived in Del Mar for 34 years. We raised our two children here and have served in many volunteer activities.
I have accomplished much for you in the last four years, including:
· Organized residents and fought to defeat Marisol Measure G to protect the North Bluff and our Community Plan.
· Championed our Del Mar Streetscape Plan until it was finally completed.
· Helped create, and voted for, our Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan without Managed Retreat.
· Opened new City Hall.
· Helped select our new City Manager.
· Advocated tirelessly to keep Beach and Bluff access for residents.
As Del Mar emerges from its COVID-19 financial crisis, I will leverage my business experience to lead us out of the economic downturn and work to accomplish the following goals so important to all of us:
· Underground utility poles and wires for wildfire protection.
· Rebuild financial reserves and Measure Q funds.
· Gain Coastal Commission approval of our Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan without Managed Retreat.
· Resolve Short-Term Rental Issue – Nothing has been accomplished in four years – We must work with Coastal Commission instead of continuing to sue them.
· Fulfill Del Mar’s State-mandated housing requirements while protecting our neighborhoods from increased density.
· Continue to implement our Climate Action Plan – We must help stop global warming.
· Become less reliant on Fairgrounds sales tax revenue.
· Upgrade our infrastructure – streets, storm drainage, water and sewer pipes.
· Leverage technology instead of adding more city staff.
We must preserve the residential character of Del Mar and seek a more vibrant downtown.
You can depend upon my leadership, experience, and track record. Please vote for Dave Druker. Residents First!
Dear Del Mar Voter,
I hope all is well with you in the days of COVID-19. These are very strange times but hopefully this will soon be behind us.
I am running for re-election to our Del Mar City Council. I have had the honor of serving you for many years. Together we have accomplished much to make Del Mar a better place to live. I am especially proud that I was instrumental in the design and implementation of our recently completed downtown Streetscape improvements. It was well worth the effort.
My longevity has been based upon my being reasonable, listening to all constituents, being fiscally prudent, providing a check and balance to city staff and ensuring Del Mar maintains its small village character.
The last four years have been challenging as Del Mar has had to deal with some very difficult and serious issues – Sea Level Raise Adaption Plan, Affordable Housing and the fiscal crisis caused by COVID-19. In the past, the rest of council has mostly agreed with my view of the issues confronting Del Mar. Today I find that I am in the minority on some very important issues. My position on these issues have been as follows:
1. Opposition to the overdevelopment of the North Bluff – the Marisol project and the 2012 Village Specific Plan
2. Opposition to a bonus for the City Manager when he was rated as “working at expectations” and had just fired Chief Lifeguard Pat Vergne
3. Strongly supporting our neighboring small cities concerning our allocation of affordable housing numbers - too high
4. Opposing the suit with the Coastal Commission regarding their right to regulate Short Term Rentals. A large majority of Del Mar’s residents did not want to sue, and no court has ever ruled that the Coastal Commission does not have the authority to regulate Short Term Rentals. $180,000 was wasted on that lawsuit against the Coastal Commission
Normally, I would knock on your door to listen to your concerns. However, I know that in these times you do not want people knocking on your door so hopefully my letter will help you know a little more about me and where I stand of the issues.
We must work together to restore Del Mar’s Fiscal Health as we recover from COVID-19:
1. Replenish Financial Reserves
2. Repay Measure Q funds
3. Leverage technology before adding new staff
4. Become less reliant on Fairgrounds sales tax revenue
My Top Priorities Moving Forward will be:
1. Preservation of our Community Plan – ensure community plan is not changed to create high-density over-development on our bluffs and in our neighborhoods
2. Resolution of Short-Term Rental Issue – ensure Residential Character of Del Mar is maintained, work with Coastal Commission, not sue them.
3. No Managed Retreat – ensure Managed Retreat is NOT part of our Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan
4. Improve Del Mar Downtown Vibrancy and work with the business community to make that happen
5. Maintain City Infrastructure – streets, water, and sewer pipe infrastructure
6. Underground utility poles for wildfire protection and better views. Crest Canyon is a tinderbox
I would also appreciate your support for Tracy Martinez. Tracy has worked hard for you on the Traffic Parking Advisory Committee and as vice-chair of the Ad Hoc 6th Cycle Housing Element Advisory Committee. This committee has been able to adequately address our affordable housing numbers without massively increasing density in any area of town.
If you have any questions, please give me a call or text me at 858-342-1203 or email me at davidd157@yahoo.com and visit my website – www.davedrukerfordelmarcitycouncil.com
I look forward to serving you for another four years and seeing you around the town once the pandemic restrictions have been lifted. You can depend upon my leadership, experience, and track record. Please VOTE for Dave Druker. Residents First!
Thank you.
My wife, Melissa, and I have lived here for 20 years, and we raised our two children, Seth and Leah, here. I want to preserve Del Mar’s unique gifts for their children and beyond. I am continually inspired by what Del Mar citizens have achieved over the last 60 years as strong stewards of our community and our environment, including our Lagoon, open spaces, beaches, and more. I will work to secure that legacy for generations to come.
As a 5-year member of the City’s Finance Committee, I understand the unprecedented economic challenges we are facing. We need Council members who are willing to build bridges and work together for the common good. It is this spirit of cooperation and mutual respect that I hope to bring to the Council. For the past twenty years, I have tried to do just that, working for our community as a board member of several local non-profit community organizations, including as an officer of the Del Mar Foundation for the past eight years; and past president of the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation.
I graduated from Oklahoma State University, BA, Business Administration and with my best friend, Mel Katz, we started Manpower Staffing 42 years ago. We have built it into a successful $120 million business in San Diego now in five states and we still lead it. We have brought our business through three recessions and always have come out stronger. I look forward to bringing my years of management and financial knowledge to our city government. I have served on the Del Mar Foundation and the Del Mar Business Association and the Village Specific Plan Committee. While I am a fanatic for local control I also know that my leadership in regional organizations such as the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation and the San Diego Tourism Authority will add great value to Del Mar. Our company has been received national awards from Fortune: Women's Choice Award -World's Most Admired Companies; Forbes: World's Best Employers for Diversity and Ethisphere: World's Most Ethical Companies. Published Author: Job Won! -Amazon Best Seller in vocational category. Executive Professor in Residence at the University of SD.
In our private business we have received numerous awards for our work in diversity, LGBTQUIA employement and equal pay for women. In our relationships with elected officials in the city's government, we stress the importance of a fair criminal justice system because it greatly impacts our ability to provide job opportunities. We care very much about a fair criminal justice system at all levels of government. Formerly incarcerated people often need job training and our business has won numerous awards for mentoring applicants. My book, Job WON!, was a best seller on Amazon's employment section.
See my answers in #4 above.
Economic Recovery - please see my comments on policy. I give workable solutions
Climate Change - everyone picks and chooses the items that they think are the easiest to get the community's buy-in. I agree with Walter Munk who said at his 100th Birthday - we need to attack Climate Change like we mobilized in World War II with every human resource we have to solve this problem. This is our planet and we are destroying it. Southern California is getting drier and more fire prone. I have suggested that Del Mar have an annual fire evacuation drill and update its policies.
Retaining Local Control over our Community Plan - State housing laws and regulations are forcing Del Mar to be the inclusive city we pledged to become in our Community Plan. We can do that while retaining maximum local control or we can ignore the laws and lose local control. The implementation of the laws through a series of regulations is decided at a regional level. I have worked at this regional level for many years. My relationships and experience position me well to ensure that the special character of Del Mar, including the unique job and resident counts resulting from the proximity and status of the state owned Fairgrounds, is carefully considered and given proper weight. We have an expert Housing Staff in Del Mar. I look forward to providing the leadership that will secure our local control over our Community Plan.
My personal commitment to defending women's health was as President of the Board of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest.
My broad local and regional experience make me the most experienced candidate in regional issues. I have served or led the following:
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Board, Past Chair;
Economic Development Corporation - Executive Committee Member;
San Diego Rotary . Chair Elected Member since 1980;
The United Way Executive Committee, Past Chair;
Wikd War Two Marauders Association Board and more including Del Mar Foundation Board.
With a thriving economy and rigorous metrics guiding expenditures, I believe we can address these issues effectively. Housing is only one part of the homeless challenge, and providing the medical and mental health services is critical. I've spent my whole life helping people transition into the work force from poverty, the military and career changes. We can do the same for the homeless once their physical and mental health needs are met. There is no short cut and simply housing them perpetuates the problem. More efforts such as those of the Helping Hands project, partially supported by our Del Mar Foundation, which has been able to get 2 of their 20 homeless clients into housing and treatment during COVID-19. It takes time and commitment; we will continue the work and support of our volunteers who are working so hard.
My broad political philosophy is that problems can be solved if you are able to bring the people together who have a stake in the outcome. I also believe that it must be a win-win for everyone. I believe in fiscal responsibility and accountability and that means metrics, evaluations and re-evaluations throughout the policy, the endeavor or laws. Too often this is only done after a critical event or a major disaster. It is expensive to operate government this way and yet I believe it ultimately saves dollars wasted on out of date programs and prepares us for future problems. It also solves problems of injustice and inequity.
COVID-19 has divided our country through the current national leadership in a way that has hurt the people most in need of health care. It has killed people and businesses. My hope is that this election will be about re-setting our standards in policy and governance.
Lastly, I believe that we must be good stewards of this earth and protect it and ourselves from climate change and the devastating effects it is having on our health and lives. Our family lost our home in the Cedar Fires. Climate change is real to us. We want a better climate for our grandchildren. We love the surf and yet San Onofre is dumping nuclear waste in our ocean. We cannot defy natural events, but we can do a whole lot better at not causing them.
Specifically, I also understand that the Black Lives Movement was born out of years of injustice to minorities or people without resources to protect their innocence. I also believe that this is not how the majority of law enforcement and members of the judicial branch of our government act. We must remove those who are perpetuators of the injustice. This cannot be done overnight although I think it is high priority for every community to self "police" itself and look at the statistics and outcomes for accountability and how to perform their jobs better. That means additional resources to support mental health situations which can often be life-threatening to the people involved and the police. That means a judicial system which sentences based upon the violence of the crime and does so without racial bias. That means protection against gun violence and suicides which are the highest form of gun violence. That means equity for all as much as is possible by humans. We are not perfect, but we can do a whole lot better.
Community: All of the issues below are interconnedted. They affect our financial viablity, community lifestyle and Del Mar's future.
The problems we face are:
No long term financial stability and recovery plan. Short Term Rental policy dictated by the Coastal Commission. We have no downtown business recovery master plan. We lack regional alliances needed to solve coastal problems. We need to expand our climate action plan to further reduce fuel emissions and waste.
All of our problem affect our community and our community plan.
No long term financial stability and recovery plan: I have led our company through 3 recessions and have come out stronger. It takes a financial triggers, metrics and planning to do this. I have the ability to do the same for the city budget. Most of all it takes a positive, agile and inventive mind to find new opportunities.
Our Short Term Rentals are businesses which deprive legititmate tax-paying hotels of guests and restaurants of patrons, therey depriving Del Mar of revenue which could go toward getting undergrounding done and close our budget deficit. When a home turns into a short term rental business, we lose a neighbor, our schools lose families and our civic organizations lose volunteers and support. These quick profiteers have become super spreaders in our community. How does this look - Pacific Beach with tattoo parlors, run down shops and neighborhoods and housing to accommodate Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. I believe it is critical that we retain a minimum of 7 days for any rental under 30 days. We need to negotiate effectively with the Coast Commission and I have the regional experience and contacts to do so.
Affordable Housing is mandated by the state and we cannot break the density laws. So I support Housing Element Cycle 5 and I am in agreement with obtaining an agreement with the Fairgrounds to build a minimum of 51 low income affordable housing units. Here is what I can really help our city. I imagined and oversaw the development of Liberty Station. I can see a right sized similar re-purposing of the Fairgrounds with parks and sports fields and opportunities for everyone to enjoy this county jewel 365 days a year. It will be a natural opportunity for the Fairgrounds to include affordable housing on its RV park to support these activities and businesses.
Our downtown businesses have been asking for support from our city and it is time to do it. My experience on the San Diego Tourism Board would be a great asset to the City Council. Thriving businesses will fuel the city's budget. We need to agressivelly support our business community on the city's website with. up-to-date current information about events and dining and shopping opportunities. We could cut our fuel emissions with people seeking to come to the beach or shop with an on-demand shuttle service maybe even co-branding with Solana Beach Cedros Shopping District. We need to evaluate our parking opportunities for people coming to Del Mar. The COVID-19 program - Dine on the Deck - shows our city can work effectively with businesses to respond to our changing economic opportunities with easier sidewalk dining permits and signage. These are just a few of the obvious changes that need to be made. Then we need to develop a downtown business recovery plan with metrics and incentives, possibly ven creating a Business Improvement Development entity to do this.
Incivility on the City Council impedes our ability to solve problems. Sometimes the only way to change the problem is to change the people. I have led many Boards and believe that I have the ability to create opportunities for positive solutions. This talent is needed by our City Council.
We lack the regional alliances needed to solve coastal problems. Our city needs to support other coastal communities and have relationships with all of our elected officials so that we can influence policy. This is missing to some degree and part of the reason we have housing policies which are hard to implement in small towns. Through my business experience, I have these relationships and a reputation for honesty and willingness to listen to all sides. These relationships will be essential to get our Fairgrounds in full recovery and consider our affordable housing requests.
Climate Action Plans are critical to our future and for generations to come. Del Mar has made a good start on this effort with our lagoon restoration, ban on plastic bags and fuel emission reduction plan among other actions. Our ocean is being poluted by San Onofre's waste dump into the same waters that our surfers use and flow downstream to us. We must find solutions to the big and small problems affecting our climate and our lives.
The Shores Master Plan should be part of our Climate Action Plan. Scientists say that if you want a healthy village and healty body two things are important: parks and farmers markets. Del Mar has both and we could become the "healthiest lifestyle community" if we complete Shores Park which would join our beach, our Seagrove and Powerhouse Parks anchored at each end of the city.
My position on all policies and life is: 10% is what you must deal with and 90% is how you create the opportunities. So when we lost our home to the Cedar Fires, we were devastated and yet it gave us an opportunity to seek a new lifestyle and we found Del Mar and it has changed our lives forever.
Again, my experience in Chairing placing Shores Park Masterplan finished and park developed for public use
Downtown walkable, attracting residents and tourists and businesses in existing structures
Candidate for Del Mar City Council
Phil Blair speaks on Del Mar Fire Prevention Week and his personal experiences with the fires in 2003 and 2007.
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