ELECTIONS / VENTURA COUNCIL : 12 Candidates Fail to Stir Interest in Nov. 7 Contest

VENTURA â€”  Over the past four years, an ambitious City Council has pumped more than $4 million into downtown improvements and transformed the previously slow-growth Ventura into the 15th fastest-growing city in the state.

Whether Ventura stays its fast-growing course could depend on who is elected to three open seats in the Nov. 7 council election.

Those individuals will be asked to vote on several multimillion-dollar development deals during their tenure, such as the Buenaventura Mall expansion and a new downtown movie theater complex--both designed to pump sales tax revenue into city coffers.

But beyond the flashy projects, the new council will face a more complex challenge: balancing the urge to expand and develop against the need to preserve Ventura’s quality of life, which many have come to define as good schools, safe streets and vast strips of agricultural land.

“It is just a beautiful place to live,� two-time former Mayor John McWherter said. “And it just didn’t happen that way; it was directed by the City Council.�

Twelve candidates are vying for seats on the seven-member panel, with only one incumbent--Jack Tingstrom--seeking reelection. Mayor Tom Buford and Councilman Greg Carson are stepping down.

The other 11 challengers are writer Keith Burns, restaurant owner Charles E. (Buster) Davis, attorney Donna De Paola-Peterson, financial consultant James Friedman, college administrator Ray Di Guilio, marketing manager Stephen L. Hartmann, property manager Craig Huntington, software technician John S. Jones, business consultant Brian Lee Rencher, recycling supervisor Christopher T. Staubach and manufacturing engineer Carroll Dean Williams.

A trio of candidates--Di Guilio, Friedman and Tingstrom--have picked up the only endorsements so far, from the city’s Chamber of Commerce and the Police and Fire Department associations.

Friedman also leads the pack in fund-raising. The $14,690 he reported on the last filing date--Sept. 28--was about $6,000 more than the $8,706 reported by his closest competitor, Hartmann. Overall, contributions have been slow; more than $5,600 of Friedman’s war chest is a loan from himself, and Hartmann lent himself all but $500 of his total. Tingstrom has managed to collect about $6,040, nearly all from donations.

So far, it has been a quiet campaign: no fiery rhetoric--the mostly pro-business candidates agree on most issues; no mudslinging, and hardly any fund-raising events. Some current council members have questioned whether anyone even knows that there is an election.

“I find it interesting that we are a month from the election and people don’t know,� Carson said.

One reason for the lack of fireworks in the council race may be the tremendous energy being directed at measures on the ballot affecting libraries and farmland.

Indeed, of the campaign rhetoric that has come out of the council race, much has been focused on libraries and preserving the city’s diminishing farmland. Deciding where growth should occur continues to be a significant challenge for the Ventura leaders.

“The city has already said it doesn’t want to be an Orange County,� Carson said. “The secret is narrowing the scope.�

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Two restrictive measures on the November ballot would narrow that scope considerably.

Measure I and Measure J would preserve thousands of acres zoned for agricultural use in and around the city, requiring some land-use decisions to be made by voters instead of by the City Council.

A citizens group placed the measures on the ballot because members say the council cannot be trusted to protect farmland from developers.

Environmentalists hail the measures as the best way to safeguard farmland. Farmers say the twin initiatives attack their property rights. And politicians on both sides of the argument say that if approved, the measures will have a dramatic effect on the city’s future by restricting where growth can occur.

“The abiding issue in Ventura is two strips of land,� said Buford, referring to the city’s greenbelts.

Buford, who decided months ago not to seek reelection, said growth would be the critical issue in this year’s election. “It defines our politics.�

Former Mayor Richard Francis agreed. “I had a theory when I ran a few years ago that all issues come down to growth,� he said. “You can peel back the onion and it all comes down to growth at some layer.�

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While the initiatives have the potential to eclipse the council race this year, candidates and council members say there are other issues--and some key projects--riding on this election.

“I think what is riding on it is the mall, the auto center,� Tingstrom said. “The downtown redevelopment area is hanging on it, and I think the Avenue is hanging on it.

Some candidates said they would like to see redevelopment extended to the Ventura Avenue area and mid-town, not just concentrated on downtown Ventura.

“From the high school to Five Points is a ghost town,� candidate Burns said of the area along Main Street in central Ventura.

Renovating downtown was a major goal of the current council, which hoped to lure visitors to Ventura by sprucing up the city’s historic corridor along Main and California streets.

The improvements have only recently been completed, and already new demands and more money are needed to keep the redevelopment efforts on track. Just last week, the council approved spending more than $30,000 to put up lights on the new palm trees downtown, and discussed the need for a maintenance plan to keep the area clean and attractive.

Outgoing council members hope that their successors will embrace the commitment to downtown. If they do not, the city’s grandiose plans could grind to a halt.

“If you look at the downtown, it is not just putting in new streets and trees,� Carson said. “It has been an overall vision.�

But how much money can the city afford to spend on downtown and other tax-sharing, investment-matching projects that will soon come rumbling down the city planning pipeline?

Carson and Buford said that the city’s finances are solid right now, but that there is a need to boost sales tax revenue to pay for such services as police and fire protection.

“Income is going to have to come from sales tax revenue,� Carson said. “We know that this can be and should be a destination city. You look at any community that is a vibrant tourist-based community and we need to have that.�

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The new council, however, will have to weigh whether splashy projects such as a proposed multiscreen movie theater and retail complex in downtown Ventura will bring in the revenue that developers promise to offset the city’s investment.

The movie theater complex proposal, for example, would require the city to spend about $4 million to build an accompanying parking structure.

Buford said he also expects the new council to face renewed efforts to get the city to participate more heavily in the creation of Centerplex, a sports complex that developers have proposed building behind the Ventura Auto Center.

With 30 days until the November election, the candidates seeking seats on the council have staked out their positions on these issues and a host of topics addressing the quality of life in Ventura.

Many want to increase library hours. Some say youth programs are badly needed to keep kids out of trouble. And public safety tops the lists of several.

Last year, Ventura saw a 5% increase in violent and property crimes, although the crime rate is still below its peak in 1991 and about the same as it was a decade ago, according to FBI reports.

According to Buford, the candidates have tapped into the premier concerns of Ventura residents.

“They want safe streets. They want to be able to drive around without heavy traffic,� Buford said. “People with kids want places where their kids can have fun and participate in activities.�

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With Buford and Carson deciding not to run again, the makeup of the council could shift.

“I think that you are losing your two strongest moderate voices,� Carson said.

The remaining four council members are often split, with managed-growth proponents Jim Monahan and Rosa Lee Measures squaring off against Gary Tuttle and Stephen Bennett, who have opposed big development.

None of the council candidates have taken a strong slow-growth stance, so the restrictive spirit of several years ago is unlikely to be revived. Council veterans expect the new members to either take the middle ground or continue to swing the political pendulum in favor of growth and development.

“Cycles,� Francis said. “Just like economic cycles, there are political cycles. . . . I expect it will continue to swing back and forth.�

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Ventura City Council

Twelve candidates, including one incumbent, are running for three council seats Nov. 7. Development and downtown revitalization top the list of concerns, with candidates split on the issue of protecting green space, but united in favor of preserving public safety.

Keith Burns

Age: 49

Occupation: Writer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in broadcast television and radio from Cal State Sacramento

Background: Burns says he worked as a television writer and field producer for 10 years. He moved from Los Angeles to Ventura in 1990 after his wife had a stroke. Burns ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1991, receiving 972 votes. Promising that voters will get something useful out of his run for office, Burns includes his mother’s meatloaf recipe with his campaign literature.

Issues: A member of the city’s library board, Burns wants to establish a centrally located city library, matching city funds with money from the private sector. Burns wants to “reinvent creativity� to find new ways to attract businesses and improve the community.

Ray Di Guilio

Age: 51

Occupation: College administrator

Education: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from UC Davis, master’s degree in exercise physiology from UC Berkeley

Background: An educator for 28 years, Di Guilio was a teacher, coach and administrator at Ventura College before taking over as the vice president of administrative services at Moorpark College three years ago. He was Ventura College’s head baseball coach for more than eight years. A Ventura resident for 25 years, Di Guilio served as a member and chairman of the Ventura Parks and Recreation Commission for eight years.

Issues: Di Guilio wants to continue the city’s efforts to redevelop downtown, while pushing for enhanced services to the Ventura Avenue area. Preventing youth violence and curbing crime are top issues for Di Guilio as well.

Craig Huntington

Age: 45

Occupation: Property manager

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business from Oregon State University

Background: Huntington manages more than 5,000 properties in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties. He is past president of the Channel Islands chapter of Community Assn. Institute and a Little League coach.

Issues: Huntington’s key issue is public safety. He has outlined a 10-point plan to prevent crime in Ventura that calls for hiring more police officers, increasing Neighborhood Watch groups and providing city funding for youth programs to deter teen-agers from gangs. He wants an independent audit of the Ventura Police Department to find ways to streamline administration and support services.

Christopher T. Staubach

Age: 26

Occupation: Recycling supervisor

Education: Associate’s degree in computer science from Ventura College

Background: Born in San Diego, Staubach has lived in 25 states. He settled in Ventura 11 years ago, and decided to stay because of the town’s slow pace and easy lifestyle. He is a district manager for Stanton-based Mobile Recycling Corp., which operates 14 recycling centers throughout Ventura County.

Issues: Staubach wants to attract small businesses to Ventura and preserve the city’s farmland. Libraries are also a top issue for Staubach, who says that if the county cannot provide adequate library funding, the city should.

Charles E. (Buster) Davis

Age: 46

Occupation: Restaurant owner

Education: Attended Cal State Long Beach

Background: Born and raised in Saticoy, Davis owns two restaurants in Ventura, which he operates with the help of his wife, mother and eight siblings. He played football in college and has supported youth athletics.

Issues: Concerned about preserving Ventura’s quality of life, Davis wants to find ways to combat crime, keep businesses from leaving town and find creative funding for the city’s libraries.

James Friedman

Age: 39

Occupation: Financial consultant

Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State Northridge. Earned a chartered financial consultant designation by completing classes at American College at Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Background: Born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Friedman came to Ventura in 1990. He is president of the San Buenaventura Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Ventura Beach Lions Club and a supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura.

Issues: A supporter of the city’s downtown redevelopment efforts, Friedman would like to see redevelopment expanded to midtown and the Ventura Avenue area as well. If elected, Friedman says he will search for library funding and support efforts to attract new businesses.

John S. Jones

Age: 34

Occupation: Software technician

Education: High school graduate

Background: A New York native, Jones moved to Ventura in 1991 to take a job with Elixir Technologies, a Ventura-based software development firm. Before coming to Ventura, he spent several years working in Europe.

Issues: Jones sees revitalization of the Ventura Avenue area as a key issue. He also wants to slow growth in the east end of the city, and is in favor of growth restrictions on farmland. Jones would like to see the public and private sectors come together to run local libraries, and specifically wants to encourage local businesses to donate computer equipment.

Jack Tingstrom

Age: 60

Occupation: Incumbent councilman, business consultant

Education: High school graduate

Background: Seeking his second term, Tingstrom was elected to the City Council in 1991, finishing second out of 18 candidates with 7,949 votes. He ran unsuccessfully for county assessor in 1994. He is currently studying through the University of La Verne and working toward a bachelor’s degree in public administration. He hopes to graduate in May.

Issues: Tingstrom is seeking another four years of office because he wants to follow through on several projects already initiated by the City Council, he says. Downtown housing, the Buenaventura Mall expansion and the Centerplex sports complex are among the projects he wants to see come to fruition.

Donna De Paola-Peterson

Age: 42

Occupation: Lawyer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from Cal State Sacramento; juris doctorate from Ventura College of Law

Background: A former county recreation supervisor in Las Vegas, De Paola-Peterson was a coordinator at the Ventura County Bar Assn.’s Free Legal Clinic for seven years before earning her law degree in 1991. She opened her own law office in 1993. She is a volunteer attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance and a member of Soroptimist International of Ventura.

Issues: If elected, De Paola-Peterson would support existing Ventura projects such as the expansion of the Buenaventura Mall and the redevelopment of downtown. She wants to preserve the city’s greenbelts from development and supports land-use Measures I and J on the November ballot.

Stephen L. Hartmann

Age: 33

Occupation: Marketing manager

Education: Attended State University of New York, Hawaii Pacific College and Santa Barbara City College

Background: Raised in Ojai, Hartmann enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school. After his four-year enlistment, he worked as a public affairs officer and marketing manager for the naval station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 1989, he took a job as a spokesman for the city of Ventura. Now, he is the marketing manager for Green Foods Corp., an Oxnard producer of food supplements.

Issues: Critical of several multimillion dollar development proposals, Hartmann wants to terminate the city’s negotiations with developers of the Buenaventura Mall, abandon plans for a baseball stadium sports complex and end negotiations with developers of a proposed K mart Superstore. He supports funding a centrally located community swimming pool.

Brian Lee Rencher

Age: 35

Occupation: Business consultant

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State Northridge

Background: Rencher ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1991, receiving 282 votes, and again in 1993, receiving 510 votes. He regularly attends weekly council meetings, alternately criticizing and praising the council on a variety of issues.

Issues: Rencher wants to finance a full-time city library. He proposes giving more money to police and fire departments to increase their ranks and buy new equipment. He also wants to enhance tourism and improve business opportunities.

Carroll Dean Williams

Age: 53

Occupation: Manufacturing engineer

Education: Ventura High School graduate; earned a certificate in machine shop from Ventura College in 1961; manufacturing engineering student at UCLA for about three years; earned a community college teaching credential at UCLA

Background: An outspoken council critic, Williams claims to have attended every weekly council meeting since 1977. He has unsuccessfully run for City Council seven times, most recently in 1993, when he received 1,660 votes.

Issues: Williams believes the current City Council is ineffective and accuses members of having thrown away millions in tax dollars. He says he trusts voters to decide major issues such as whether to limit greenbelt development.