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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of El Dorado County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
The General Plan,
Water,
Development,
Plan of Action
Click on a name for other candidate information.
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1. What is your understanding of the current status of the General Plan? --by which we mean -- ( Where are we and how did we get to this point. What are the problems?)
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Answer from Kathi Lishman:
The General Plan adoption process began in 1989. After extensive public input, the first draft of the General Plan was released in 1992. The draft would have allowed a maximum County population of 200,000 over 20 years. Our current population is 150,000. When the plan was released, developers wanted more growth. A new Board majority was elected in 1992, with the help of developers, who then lobbied to have the General Plan turned over to the "developer-friendly" Planning Commission for final revisions.
The developers had the ear of the Commissioners. Public attendance dwindled, as residents' input was ignored vote after vote. In 1996 the re-drafted General Plan was adopted, allowing enough housing growth for 360,000 people, and ignoring the question of what to do when roads fill up and water supplies run out. In 1996 a group of residents sued the County over the General Plan. They won their lawsuit in 1998, when the Courts found that the County failed to address the impacts of new development on county roads. The Court ordered the County to throw out the General Plan and begin again. I strongly opposed the hijacking of our General Plan by the developers. I am the only candidate for District 3 Supervisor who did.
Answer from Carl Borelli:
After years of preparation, and unfortunately years of contentious debate, the General Plan is serving as a wedge in El Dorado County. By design, the document is intended to be used as a tool to chart the course of development and growth. But the integrity of the General Plan is being undermined by a group of extremists who, unable to craft a true "no-growth" General Plan, now use elements of the Plan to ignite development battles and stall potential economic progress within El Dorado County
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2. Three bodies: The Board Of Supervisors (BOS), the County Water Agency, and the El Dorado Irrigation District all deal with water: its cost, water projects, current and projected availability, current and projected supply and demand. What is your understanding of the problems faced by (and the interrelationships which exist between) these three bodies?
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Answer from Kathi Lishman:
The water issue facing El Dorado County is the problem of supply and demand. This has been a major issue for many years and stems from the ever increasing growth in our County and its seemingly finite water supply. Throughout the years, we have a history of both EID and the County Water Agency unclear about the roles and responsibilities of each agency, resulting in fragmentation, frustration and a lack of accomplishment. Even recently, the water purveyors have been trying to get two seats on the Water Agency, while one of our Supervisors, before going out of office, has been trying to abolish the Water Agency.
The BOS sits as the Water Agency and represents all the water purveyors in the County. As the Water Agency, they act as a facilitator in seeking sources, storage, and distribution facilities for water throughout the County. The major activity for EID is their recent acquisition of Project 184 from PG&E. This has been a long and detailed acquisition. There have been no new water supply projects brought forward as a means of solving the water supply problem. Currently the attempt to draw down high country lakes in late summer has been challenged in court, and the suggestion of storing and retrieving water from Lake Folsom involves the high cost of pumping water uphill.
Answer from Carl Borelli:
As in most communities, the issues surrounding water are political with huge economic consequences. Because there are three separate groups charged with developing and carrying out water policies, responsibilities and visions often collide. While the Board of Supervisors has the responsibility of charting a clear course for El Dorado County, the Water Agency and EID are developing and implementing water policies as well. Add the political component of water being used as a mechanism to control development and it's not surprising that, in the race to secure political position and maintain control in the water debates, these three groups find it difficult to reach consensus on one of the County's most critical issues.
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3. The greatest power exercised by the BOS is the power to make land use decisions. (Such decisions effectively control business development and population growth within the County.) What is your understanding of development issues which the BOS has faced and is currently facing?
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Answer from Kathi Lishman:
Growth and development issues are controversial in our County. We have residents who value their quality of life and want to see it protected, and we have developers hoping to profit from their projects, getting the best deal they can from our elected officials. Some growth is inevitable, but current residents should not have to subsidize it, or suffer consequences of poor planning. We need careful planning to stay within the limits of our available road capacity and water supplies. Over the last 10 years, our County leaders have shaped us into a bedroom community, with little attention to ecomonic development. This has resulted in a "jobs/housing imbalance". We have become a county of commuters, working and shopping elsewhere. Tourism and recreation business are the backbone of our economy. These industries are easily threatened with irrational and shortsighted planning. If the Board of Supervisors continues failing to adequately address the impacts of housing growth, resulting traffic congestion will severly hamper these tourist-based industries.
Answer from Carl Borelli:
Development issues have taken center stage for the BOS. Yes, these issues are of utmost importance in the County. However, the continuing development battles takes both time and resources away from the Board's ability to focus the necessary creative energies on securing additional state and federal dollars for basic infrastructure and other quality of life issues. I believe that personal political agendas have exacerbated the basic development debate to a point where the pro-growth and no-growth extremists benefit from the debate itself, while the majority of the county's citizenry suffers because attention is not paid to meeting other basic needs such as recreation, traffic, and economic growth.
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4. Based on your written responses to the questions posed above on the General Plan, water and development, do you, as a candidate, have a plan of action to alleviate the polarization in the county which exists on these issues, a plan which you feel would gain consensus on the Board and within the community? What is it?
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Answer from Carl Borelli:
I believe that to gain consensus on these important issues, the Board of Supervisors must take the lead in setting county policy outside of the political initiative process. Not only would that force County Supervisors to take responsibility for what have too often turned out to be initiatives with very negative economic impacts; but it would force the Supervisors to middle grounds in order to solve problems - thus de-polarizing some of the debate. I also believe that the County should focus on implementing the General Plan rather than constantly trying to change a document that was duly debated and ratified. In general, I welcome health political debate, because it means all the options and potential answers to tough problems are identified. However, political debate in El Dorado County has degenerated to such a degree that there is no longer honest healthy debate. Board meetings are laden with the political agendas of others and Supervisors are able to hide behind external political processes. When Supervisors are forced to take responsibility for their decisions without abdicating responsibility to the political propagandists, the El Dorado County will once again have leadership worth voting, and public policy worth supporting.
Answer from Kathi Lishman:
Residents of El Dorado County have been frustrated with the political process and discouraged from participating. It is as if the "public trust" has been violated. But I believe participation is the way to solve problems and shape our future so that we can change the direction our County is taking. At the beginning of the General Plan process, the public was involved and enthusiastic. Then one by one, the doors were closed in the public's face. We need to open those doors up again. We need to bring the public back into the process, and through a series of public meetings and workshops held in the evening, we can begin the process of building consensus and gaining back the "public trust". In addition to the public, the County is also at odds with neighboring counties and the State. By working openly, cooperatively, respectfully and regionally, we can alleviate the polarization that the Board of Supervisors has brought upon this County. It is time to change attitudes and direction.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display.
Candidates’ statements are presented as submitted.
Responses were limited to 250 word or less.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
