Chamber hosts candidate forum Oct. 23

Six candidates are vying for two seats on the Carlsbad City Council that are up for grabs in the Nov. 4 election.

One seat is held by Mayor Pro Tem Ann Kulchin, who is seeking re-election. The other is held by Julie Nygaard, who is not seeking another term.

To help the community learn more about each contender, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce will present a Candidate Forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane. The public is invited to attend the free event.

The Candidates Forum will be recorded and aired on TW cable channel 19 in North County on the following dates:

Oct. 27 at 10:00am and 5:30pm

Oct. 28 at 12:00 noon and 10:00pm

Oct. 29 at 7:30pm

Oct. 30 at 6:00pm and 10:00pm

Oct. 31 at 12 noon and 8:00pm

Nov. 3 at 12 noon and 3:00pm

In an effort to educate the public about the candidates prior to the forum, the chamber asked each the same four questions on issues facing the city, which are:

1. Carlsbad is considered to be one of, if not the most, difficult and expensive cities in which to complete a construction project, regardless of size. What steps will you take or advocate in lowering fees, streamlining the procedures and improving the communications with owners and contractors from planning through inspection?

2. Carlsbad is quickly reaching build out. Our Village redevelopment authority ends in July of 2009, yet there is a lot of work to be done in the Village. The future of Carlsbad development will be redevelopment and infill. What is your stance on redevelopment and your vision for the Village of Carlsbad?

3. McClellan-Palomar Airport, one of two commercial airports in San Diego County, is located in Carlsbad. The private sector has poured more than $100 million into the airport and the county is putting in another $25 million to build a state-of-the-art terminal. Currently, most regional commercial aircraft cannot fly into the airport. Would you support a possible runway extension, which would allow quiet, fuel-efficient commercial aircraft to service Palomar airport?

4. Public safety is a major issue for the entire community, including the business sector. With the idea of public safety departments, such as fire and police, running like a business, how important do you feel it is for public safety departments to have a master plan?

The following is a brief description of each candidate and their answers to the questions.

Incumbent Ann Kulchin, 74, has served 28 years in office and is running for an eighth term. Her Web site is www.annkulchin.com

1. I have always advocated streamlining the procedures and improving communication with the city and property stakeholders. Efforts to streamline procedures include:

• The creation of a front counter development services manager to coordinate different city departments with the applicant.

• Each January, the Council reviews the performance measurements of the planning department. Appropriate recommendations are made with the objective of streamlining procedures and improving communications. I will monitor these performance measurements to ensure improvements.

• Ensure complete and comprehensive applications within the 30-day review period so there are no last minute requirements for the applicant. In these difficult economic times, the council has asked that current fees and proposed increases be studied and monitored in upcoming workshops. Efforts will be made to ensure fairness in the fee structure.

2. The world does not stop when our Village redevelopment authority ends. The work will continue under a different way of doing business. The city, not the agency, will be the decision makers. Using our revised development standards to implement our vision, we will continue to recruit and retain businesses. We are increasing density with planned mixed-use like stores, condos, restaurants and entertainment venues, making the Village a 24/7 destination. Through the guidance of a retail analysis, marketing strategies, programs, business education and current merchandising trends will be invaluable tools to implement our vision and shape the enrichment of our downtown area. With the assistance of our Village Improvement Partnership, positive results continue.

3. At this time, there are no plans submitted for a runway extension. In Carlsbad’s ordinance, any expansion of the airport would require a vote of Carlsbad voters. Until this ordnance is changed and there is a vote of the people, we are dealing in speculation. The private sector has put $100 million into the airport to update the current operations and prepare for regional jet service. I am proud to have McClellan-Palomar Airport in our city, but until I have more information, I cannot make a decision based on speculation.

4. The public safety departments in our city do have master plans, as do other departments within the city. I feel a master plan is essential and it is happening now. Our public safety departments currently operate as a business. The Police Department has a resource plan, a facilities assessment of enforcement plan and a financial plan. The Fire Department is currently updating its master plan. Carlsbad has a master plan for its entire operation and we expect each of our departments to do the same.

Thomas K. Arnold, 50, is a journalist and publisher of Home Media Magazine. His Web site is www.arnoldforcarlsbad.com

1. We have a lot of undoing to do. Think back to 1986 when developer fees for single-family homes in the Carlsbad Unified School District were doubled, becoming the highest in the state. Now, fast-forward to April 2008, when the City Council approved a 207 percent increase in traffic impact fee, in the midst of one of the worst housing recessions in history. We have a tradition of holding developers’ feet to the fire, but let’s not burn them to a crisp. We also need to cut through bureaucratic red tape and streamline procedures in getting building projects approved. A massive overhaul is needed.

2. There has been too much talk and not enough action. Let's do something. The problem is not one of planning and standards – we have plenty of those. What Carlsbad lacks is the political will to implement. The city needs to be willing to invest in the Village and work with property owners, as well as existing businesses, to develop incentives that would attract the right mix of businesses to make the Village a major draw for residents and tourists alike, and then aggressively market the Village to realize that potential.

3. I would support a runway extension on the condition it not negatively impact the surrounding area. McClellan-Palomar is already one of the nation’s busiest single-runway airports. By adding a runway extension, limiting use to quiet, fuel-efficient commercial aircraft, imposing strict noise standards and perhaps a nighttime curfew, we could maximize the airport’s economic potential without harming the surrounding residences. We need to look at the airport as a resource that is not being exploited as fully as it could be, and also take into consideration the concerns of nearby residents who don’t want the area to become another Loma Portal.

4. A master plan is essential, just as the formulation of a business plan is a critical first step in the establishment of a healthy and viable business. We need to provide an overview of potential strategies to determine standards of coverage, which can then be used to develop realistic goals and achievable objectives that define police and fire protection, as well as emergency medical service standards, tailored to the city’s unique needs and desires.

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Realtor Glenn R. Bernard, 56, is a retired U.S. Marine who challenged Mayor Bud Lewis for his seat in 2006. His Web site is

1. As there are tens of thousands of buildings here, I can’t find the merit of the question. Speaking of streamlining, upon becoming a charter city, virtually all aspects of city government became streamlined. I have correspondence from the city revealing that they will continue to purchase 400 trees annually, then plant them at the lucky homes of their choosing. Don’t they know that oceanfront towns provide ocean views, that the views are valuable and that higher prices cause increased tax revenue?

2. Reek-development in America is known for graft, corruption, bribery and kickbacks. Government routinely screws up every private market where it ventures. I am a big believer in the invisible hand that steers people to finding ways to earn rent, interest and profit. Let the business and landowners make their own investment and development decisions. Then simply accommodate their goals via the appropriate zoning changes, if necessary.

3. Natural inclination is to allow the extension, but first I would want to check with safety regulations pertaining to runway locations, dimensions, clearances and etc.

4. Government employees seldom care about costs as they have no bottom line to deal with. Nevertheless, in order to be hired, advanced or promoted at every city hall in America, with Carlsbad leading the way, people must show at least two years of ownership of any vehicle made in America; combination loyalty oath and economics exam. The prime reason is that government salaries have leaped significantly ahead of private sector salaries.

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Real estate developer and Carlsbad Police Sgt. Keith Blackburn, 49, who will retire from law enforcement Jan. 2, and his wife created the Blackburn Foundation, a nonprofit that helps fund youth organizations. His Web site is

1. I support deferring fees until the certificate of occupancy is issued and streamlining the permit and inspection process.

2. I support Village redevelopment, but I would like to see more aggressive ideas and easier access to parking. I support relaxing the density restriction in the barrio area and encouraging more renovation and infill.

3. The information I have from the airport representatives is that the runway extension is currently cost prohibitive. I would have to learn a lot more about “quiet” aircraft and its impact on our residents before I could make an informed decision.

4. There are a lot of pros and cons to a public safety master plan. The biggest issue of a public safety master plan is that it limits the flexibility of our council. The support for the master plan is that it develops official guidelines for staffing, response times, equipment and etc. I could support a public safety master plan if it includes some degree of flexibility.

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Farrah Douglas