NEWS of the WEEK CONT’D MICHAEL VIDAL CONT’D
he would draw. “I’m bilingual, and my parents are immigrants,” he said. “Those things make you better, but they don’t make you good.” Just as important, Vidal went on, is the ability to articulate the best interests of your constituents. “Words are powerful,” he said,“and we have to make sure that whoever represents the people of District 3 is an effective communicator.” On the issue of housing and the city’s controversial high-density incentive program, Vidal has ideas: collect impact fees from developers; shorten the permitting process; increase parking requirements from one to two spaces per unit; and do a better job of explaining to the public how and why building more, smaller apartments will eventually stabilize rent prices. Westside parking wars could also be abated with a combination of angled parking and one-way streets, Vidal continued. He vowed to reopen contract negotiations with Marborg to reduce sidewalk mattress dumping, as well as to continue community efforts to improve street lighting. The drought is on his mind, too. Though Vidal lauded the city’s decision to restart its desalination plant, calling it “a great example of us being more proactive in planning for the realities of climate change,” he wondered about newer technologies that transform wastewater into drinking water, rather than siphoning supplies from the ocean. And finally, on the topic of State Street vacancies, Vidal said City Hall should encourage any and all businesses to move in. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said. “If someone wants to open a T-shirt shop, awesome. At least we’ve got one less vacant space.” Let’s look to the Funk Zone for examples of commercial attraction done right, Vidal emphasized, and sometimes prioritize walkability over the almighty automobile. Without the Democratic endorsement that comes with a legion of campaign volunteers and coffers heavy with cash, Vidal has been hitting the pavement hard, canvassing the Westside early and often. Socially progressive, he earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood, and as a friend of the business community, locked up support from the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors. “I don’t think the City Council needs another [Democratic Central Committee] rep,” he said. “I think the council needs someone who is a friend of the DCC but is going to be friends with the other side as well.” Vidal’s opponents are quick to point out that he has never voted in a city election and, according to Santa Barbara polling records, only registered to vote last year. How invested in the Westside could he be, they’ve asked? Vidal dismissed their criticism as “rumor” meant to detract from their own “deficiencies.” He instead emphasized the years he’s spent running his own company, serving on local boards, and volunteering with neighborhood groups, including the Page Youth Center and Rotary Club.“I hope that my experience, work ethic, and commitment to our community speaks to our voters,” he said. n
SNAP (Student Neighborhood Assistance Program) — to reduce unruly behavior and noise complaints among SBCC renters. “I’m not sure how well that’s working. I’d like to look into it.” To encourage civic engagement among the Westside’s heavily Latino population, Rivas said he’d make sure all City Hall literature was translated into Spanish and council meetings were interpreted in real time. Though he’s a lifelong Democrat — having campaigned for Jack O’Connell, Hannah-Beth Jackson, and other progressives — Rivas said he’d “like to get along with everybody” up on the dais, regardless of their political leanings. “I don’t want to pick sides,” he said. “My vote is always going to be based on what’s best for the community.” He sees an absence of bigticket campaign contributions as an asset. “I don’t want to be beholden to some organization because they gave me five grand,” he said. “I want to be beholden to the people.” n PAU L WELLM AN PHOTOS
District 3
CAPTAIN COMMUNITY: KEN RIVAS
K
en Rivas, 57, has worked all sorts of jobs — campus security officer, neighborhood organizer, union rep, bus driver for seniors — but a common theme runs through them all. “I’m the kind of person who likes to help people,” Rivas said. “When I see conflict, I like to get involved and smooth things over.” As chair of the Franklin Neighborhood Center Advisory Committee, Rivas helped merge the city’s three separate community center advisory groups, which competed for City Hall’s time and attention, into one joint council in 2010. And as a UCSB field organizer for the California School Employees Association for a decade, he regularly entered the lions’ dens of Republican legislators unsympathetic to organized labor. “Some of it was pretty intense,” Rivas recalled. “But it was great experience, and I got to see both sides.” He recently secured the endorsement of Service Employees International Union Local 620. While some of his opponents cite public safety as their reason for running, Rivas noted crime rates are down on the Westside, especially gang crime. He credits a savvy, multipronged approach by the city and its education partners that included truancy and youth apprenticeship programs, as well as the outreach efforts of nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club and YStrive. Early intervention with at-risk youth always works better than more beat cops, he said. However, Rivas does worry about traffic safety and lighting in District 3 and vowed to make Westside infrastructure a focus if elected. Rivas’s top priority is family and workforce housing.“People are getting pushed out as the rents increase,” he said, citing an encroachment of Santa Barbara City College students into formerly affordable apartments.“That’s a major concern.” He also talked about a need to improve on-street parking and wondered about the status of a new city initiative —
THE YOUNG GUN:
ELIZABETH HUNTER
A
n environmental studies major and selfdescribed fiscal conservative, Santa Barbara City College student Elizabeth Hunter defies easy political classification. “I don’t fully identify as either a Democrat or a
INDEPENDENT.COM
Republican,” she said. “I’m more interested in what’s best for Santa Barbara.” Born and raised in District 3, Hunter, 22, acknowledged she’s the greenest of the four candidates, but she insisted it’s time the council was injected with a more youthful perspective. “I’m impassioned, and I think I can make a difference,” she said.“I’m going to make the most of this opportunity.” City Hall, Hunter said, could do “a lot better” managing its budget. “They just keep increasing and increasing taxes on the people, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a sustainable way to go.” If elected, Hunter said she would reassess the council’s income schemes and revenue streams to ensure every dollar is properly spent. One avenue she’d like to explore is the permitting and taxation of medical and recreational marijuana businesses. Santa Barbara ought to allow a greater number of storefronts, she said, and make the approval process much easier.“That way, we can generate a lot of money that will go back into law enforcement, schools, and road repairs,” she explained. “We can do all that without raising taxes again.” Hunter said that in her conversations with neighbors, the subject of spiking rents comes up often. “We need to look at options like developing more Section 8 housing or imposing some kind of rent control,” she said, emphasizing rent control would be a “last resort.” Just as important as creating fair housing opportunities for working families is ensuring the city doesn’t overextend its limited water supply, Hunter went on. She advocated for mandatory citywide rationing and strict regulations for new building developments. To revitalize downtown, Hunter said she would encourage mom-and-pop businesses to move back in, and she’d support ways of attracting tourists, like siting more bars and cannabis shops along State Street. On the council, Hunter predicted she’d see eyeto-eye with SBCC science instructor Kristen Sneddon on most issues. “I feel like we’d definitely get along.” She’s also excited about the opportunity to lend another female voice to the chamber. The campaign, at times, has been daunting, Hunter admitted. “It can be intimidating to be a fresh face without a lot of political experience.” Luckily, she said, she’s got the unwavering support of her father and campaign manager, attorney John Henry Hunter, as well as a tight crew of friends. “It’s not just me in this,” Hunter said. “I have a lot of people I can delegate work to and who will back me up in the whole process.” Hunter and her dad like her chances, and regardless the outcome, she’s grateful for the experience. n “I’ve already learned a lot,” she said.
APRIL 26, 2018
THE INDEPENDENT
15