Three in running for Half Moon Bay council

During a Sept. 20 candidate interview, one of the main divergences in opinion was policing. Ruddock and Balson supported the current model, while Eblovi called for significant change and attention to police reform on the coast. Some on the council have supported structural changes to policing by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office in light of several civilian deaths. In 2021, the council debated whether it should continue its Sheriff’s Office contract for services or at least have meaningful reforms. It ultimately renewed its contract to June 30, 2024.

He wanted more oversight and accountability for the department and more built-in oversight through a chief of police.

“The way we are doing it now is broken,” Eblovi said. “The system is broken.”

Ruddock called moving away from a city police model to contracting with the Sheriff’s Office a good decision, pointing to cost savings, fewer pension obligations and better service. She noted people were generally satisfied with the service provided. Ruddock agreed the Sheriff’s Office needed to make changes, pointing to work on more programs and services for mental health programs and called for more community policing.

“I don’t foresee any change,” Ruddock said.

Business

Balson thought the council needed to do more to help businesses and wanted a review of the city’s handling of downtown businesses. He said city rules consume a lot of gross margins and wanted an examination of private investment versus downtown depreciation.

“What I see is a degrading city,” Balson said. “Gradually, slowly, one building at a time. They are getting older and older, but they are not getting upgraded or improved.”

Ruddock and Ebolvi thought the council supported businesses and created a good environment. The two cited outdoor dining during the pandemic, creating a Coastside Recovery Initiative to help businesses recover from the pandemic, and federal funding given to businesses. Ebolvi called his argument nonsense, while Ruddock criticized his degrading comments.

“Bill comes from the school of all government is bad,” Ruddock said. “Government must not spend money. I totally disagree with that point of view.”

“This is one area where I think the city has done fairly well,” Eblovi said.

Budget

Ruddock said while the city had to watch inflation and recession risks, it was in good shape. She suggested forming a citizen’s finance advisory committee to help ensure the budget addresses needs.

Balson disagreed, calling the city budget unsustainable because the city’s recent budget had expenses exceeding revenue and in projected budgets.

“We need to have budget discipline,” Balson said.

Eblovi acknowledged the city was in a sustainable place but suggested a rainy day fund by taxing discretionary spending. He disagreed with Balson and noted the budget was a fluid document and could make adaptations in the future.

“The budget is sustainable. I don’t have huge problems with what the city has done,” Eblovi said.

Housing

Balson wanted to retain its rural charm but allow further growth and investment downtown. On growth, he noted Half Moon Bay citizens had opposed it for many decades, with the city and families paying the price of increased rents and home prices.

“We need to have a conversation across Half Moon Bay about whether that’s the right tradeoff for Half Moon Bay now,” Balson said. “It was the right tradeoff 20 years ago. It may not be the right tradeoff now.”

Eblovi wanted to focus on infill growth within unused or underutilized developments, noting the city had more than 3,000 lots available for use. He suggested downtown mixed-use lots for multiple uses and praised the council for its work.

Ruddock agreed and wanted future development in the downtown core with a workforce housing overlay to revitalize downtown and make it more walkable and efficient. She said widening Highway 1 and State Route 92 to four lanes will not keep the character.

Tourism

Blason, the Ocean Colony Homeowners Association president and a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, said the city did not need to diversify beyond its current rates, arguing the city had lots of non-tourism economic forces. He noted Half Moon Bay has a vibrant business ecosystem with more than 1,800 licenses, averaging one in every three households. He argued the city needed to help businesses.

Eblovi, a business owner, didn’t think the city would likely diversify without altering the landscape, with limited options to diversify and strengths in agriculture and taxes on tourism. He wants to save money for eventual problems with the increased revenue the city is making, noting the pandemic did not hit the city as hard as it could.

Ruddock said the city’s geographic area means tourism will continue to play a vital role. She argued it could expand through strengthening work with nonprofits and regenerative agriculture practices.

“Sustainability isn’t just more economic growth and more money,” Ruddock said. “It’s about having a stable, sustainable community regardless of what’s happening with the economy.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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