CARMEL >> Two sitting Carmel City Council members have opted not to run for reelection, leaving five candidates battling for two seats on the dais this election day.
Bobby Richards, who has spent two decades on boards, commissions and the Carmel City Council, said he will remain active in the town but wants a break to travel to some of the country’s National Parks.
Karen Ferlito, whose term was set to expire in December, has opted to spend more time with her family, including a grandchild.
Their decisions have opened a floodgate of candidates who have designs on what they said they believe is the best way for Carmel to navigate critical issues lying ahead. Like every city in California, Carmel is facing state-mandated increases in housing units in a town with very little space left to expand.
And aging infrastructure – sidewalks, streets, drainage, buildings – and beach and forest protection are all on the minds of the five candidates, in alphabetical order:
Hans Buder
The 38 year-old Buder is a transplant from the Boston area, having been born and reared on Martha’s Vineyard, an experience he said is important to understanding the issues impacting coastal communities.
Buder is active in a number of civic organizations, including the Forest and Beach Commission, the Big Sur Land Trust and the board chair of the Monterey County Housing Authority.
He is the founder of Carmel-based The Moving to Opportunity Fund. He describes the fund as a social-impact focused real estate investment firm designed to put low-income kids on a path to college by providing their families with access to mixed-income housing.
He views the challenges facing the town as budget constraints, an ailing forest and aging city infrastructure. But the key challenge will be navigating current and future state housing laws.
“I helped to bring in the leading housing-element expert in the state to consult with our group and with the city, and we are currently working through potential alternative strategies, such as (accessory dwelling unit) strategies, a guest house amnesty program, potential development on church sites, small-scale developments in the downtown area and the conversion of under-performing hotels into housing.”
Bob Delves
A current Planning Commissioner, the 65-year-old Delves said the demanding role in helping to decide land-use issues has taught him that addressing any issue the city faces will require sound preparation and understanding of the challenges, particularly regarding the town’s aging infrastructure.
“Maintenance of our infrastructure has been deferred over many years and the bill is coming due,” Delves told The Herald. “The Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan shows over $50 million in unfunded deferred maintenance of infrastructure, and ignoring this any longer is not an option.”
He cites his 45 years in leadership positions, including as a senior corporate executive and founder of several companies, as well as nonprofit work, that has prepared him to use his fiscal management skills to serve the city. Delves said collaboration among elected officials is of utmost importance, as well as rigorous financial oversight of city staff.
“I think my mix of experiences over a lifetime in the private, public and nonprofit sectors are different – not better, just different – from the other strong candidates. We’re not opponents; just five people raising our hands to volunteer for service to our community,” he said.
Danny Hala
The 26-year-old native and business owner lives with his wife and two children in Carmel. He said he is involved in all facets of the community and is a member of the Carmel Heritage Society.
“I spend every day in both the commercial and residential districts,” he said. “This gives me an intimate understanding of our community through observation and daily interactions with a wide group of residents and business owners.”
One of his key concerns is the state of Carmel sidewalks. He said they are responsible for serious injury to residents as well as visitors every year. Overhead power lines need to be moved underground to help prevent numerous outages that occur during storms.
“I will prioritize fixing sidewalks, installing underground power lines, and creating an open dialogue with residents,” he said.
Parker Logan
The 51-year-old Logan is a fourth-generation Carmel resident who is taking aim at what he calls authoritarian state laws that threaten the history and local control over the town.
The owner of a 98-year-old bar and lounge cites five specific state laws – all having to do with housing – that he believes take any decision-making away from local elected leaders.
He said he is adamantly against city ordinances such as rental registries, rent control and vacancy taxes.
“I’m set apart from everyone else because my promise is to vote against issues that take away those freedoms rather than succumb to social influences that demand social equity,” he said. “Local governments seem to think it’s OK to forget the Constitution of the United States of America.”
The American Planning Association defines “social equity” as “just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.”
David O’Neil
The 47-year-old O’Neil is a real-estate agent who volunteers at a number of local nonprofit groups and agencies, including the SPCA, Meals on Wheels, the Carmel Police Department, Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the board of the Carmel Residents Association.
He said he believes in the need for better communication between the Carmel City Council and residents.
“When I represent the board of directors of the Carmel Residents Association at City Council meetings, we are routinely ignored,” he said. “Decisions are made that the larger community doesn’t agree with, which leaves us wondering why the council is not listening to the wishes of the public; this is, after all, a representative democracy.”
He said he also believes the state is eroding the rights of Carmel residents without the council pushing back, and has attacked sitting council members and the mayor for not doing more.
He added that by investing in initiatives such as sidewalk repair, landscaping, street improvements, public art installations and architectural upgrades, Carmel can maintain its visually distinctive environment for residents and visitors alike.