Five running for Half Moon Bay City Council

Of the relevant issues, there appears to be the most disagreement among candidates on the topic of marijuana. Penrose and Ruddock have both argued in favor of allowing some degree of commercial cannabis in town, which they believe will help revitalize the struggling floral industry. And Szabo agrees, or at least sees no problem with permitting the cultivation of starter plants.

In November, voters will also consider five items about cannabis. One is whether nurseries should be allowed to grow immature non-flowering cannabis plants to be sold outside the city. Another is whether there should be taxes for any commercial cannabis activities, and the ballot will also include three advisory measures on cultivation of mature plants, manufacturing and retail. The issue of commercial cultivation has been a divisive one, which is why the current council agreed to leave it up to voters in the November election.

Brownstone celebrated that decision.

“I’m glad it’s on the ballot,” he said and also appeared skeptical that cannabis nurseries will revitalize agriculture on the coast. “However the voters vote, I think the council is committed to go with voters on this issue. And as somebody coming in new to the council, if voters vote a certain way then that’s why you put it on the ballot. So don’t ask for people’s advice if you’re going to ignore it. I think it’s political suicide to vote against [what the voters decide] once you put it on the ballot.”

Turezyn, on the other hand, is resolute on the issue.

“I’m the only candidate opposed to marijuana cultivation in a residential community in Half Moon Bay,” she said, listing a series of concerns, including a rise in addiction and crime, and she also mentioned fears among the Latino community that the cartels will come to town if cultivation is allowed and that ICE officials will further crack down on undocumented workers. “I’m 100 percent against marijuana coming to Half Moon Bay.”

There is also some variety of opinion on the issue of housing, though every candidate acknowledges the lack of affordable options.

Ruddock emphasized the need to build more housing and outlined a few of the current council’s goals. She said the vision going forward is to rezone the downtown and commercial areas and make them mixed use.

“We can’t afford to have separate zoning anymore,” she said. “We have to build housing wherever we can do it and downtown seems to make sense rather than supercharging Highway 1 and those open areas for additional single-family subdivisions. We’re very excited about that prospect.

“I think we need all kinds of housing,” she continued. “We’re going to be looking at co-housing for single moms with kids and seniors who aren’t ready to go to assisted living and want to live in a multi-generational situation. The council is committed to a whole menu of things.”

Szabo said the city needs at least hundreds of housing units, and Turezyn called for a variety of types of homes. She wants to see more mobile home parks and complexes for seniors and local workers.

Ruddock also spoke about the need for workforce housing and envisions a partnership with the school district to develop some of its land for homes for teachers. As for renter protections, she said a discussion on just-cause eviction and potential new rules will be on the agenda before the end of the year, but there appears to be less momentum behind rent control for the time being.

“I’m not necessarily for or against rent control, it would have to work for us and I don’t know if it would work for us, but I’d be looking at that very closely because I think a market intervention like that has consequences that we need to understand so I wouldn’t go into that lightly,” she said. “We’re taking a comprehensive approach and it’s a top priority for the city right now.”

Brownstone said he’s interested in doing “some things around rent control.“ He also spoke about the need for just cause eviction laws and workforce housing, but appeared less inclined to build.

“I’m not sure we can continue to build our way out of [the housing crisis] in Half Moon Bay,” he said, and spoke at length about the role that in-law units can play in creating new homes. The council recently passed an ordinance that makes it easier for residents to build in-laws, but Brownstone suggested the city could do a better job in clarifying the complicated process for people.

Penrose emphasized the increasing number of community workshops and presentations by experts on housing issues as an important part of the process, and wants to address affordability not only in terms of housing. She expressed interest in pursuing a local minimum wage of $15 an hour before it takes effect statewide, but only for businesses with five or more employees.

Speaking largely about the need to repair sidewalks, potholes and drainage problems in town, Szabo said his priority is to take care of the people who live here.

“We have lots of problems with the city that need to be fixed that aren’t ever looked at,” he said. “We have streets that flood every time there’s a decent rain and nothing is done. We have so many things that don’t get done and I talk about these things and the City Council just smiles and says thank you.”

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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