Election 2016: Costa Mesa Sanitary District race draws 5 candidates
In many elections, who gets chosen to the Costa Mesa Sanitary District garners little attention compared with the more heated races in town.
That’s not the case this year.
Two of the special district’s five board seats are up for grabs Nov.8. Incumbents Art Perry and James Ferryman are running for reelection, but they’re facing two challengers who have served on the trash and sewer agency’s board before.
Costa Mesa Councilman Gary Monahan, who is termed out from that dais, is running alongside Jim Fitzpatrick, a former Costa Mesa planning commissioner.
Then there’s a fifth candidate, newcomer and computer systems engineer Christopher Luntsford.
Surrounding everything is Measure TT, sponsored by the Mesa Water District, whose board members want to gauge voter sentiment on a proposal to merge the water district’s operations with the sanitary district’s. Both agencies have always been independent of each other and independent from the city.
A Mesa Water-sponsored study points to an immediate $15.6-million ratepayer savings, plus $2.7million in annual savings, if a merger were to occur.
Sanitary district board members, including Ferryman and Perry, call the proposal a hostile takeover attempt. Also, they contend, Mesa Water has substantial debt and wasn’t transparent in its decision to forge ahead on the merger study, which, they add, is flawed.
The candidates are:
Art Perry
Age: 69
Professional occupation: Educator and coach
Education: Master’s degree in educational administration
Time lived in the city: 57 years
Previous public service: Costa Mesa Sanitary District director, 1992 to present; volunteer coach, Junior All-American Football in Costa Mesa; coach at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Costa Mesa; former director of Costa Mesa United; member of Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club
Immediate family: Married for 41 years, two sons
What are three things you hope to achieve if elected?
1: By 2020, reach and surpass the state-required 75% diversion of our trash waste stream.
2: Continue upgrading our wastewater system by using innovative technology to keep costs down, replace our infrastructure and keep our system working efficiently without going into debt.
3: Keep leading the way as one of the most responsive, open and transparent local governments in California, which our citizens in Costa Mesa deserve.
James Ferryman
Age: 68
Professional occupation: Commercial real estate, property management
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management
Time lived in the city: 46 years
Previous public service: Costa Mesa Sanitary District, 1988-present; Newport-Mesa Unified School District board, 1994-2002; former president of Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce; chairman of Orange County Sanitation District, 2006-08; chairman of National Water Research Institute, 2006-present.
Immediate family: Married for 40 years, three children
What are three things you hope to achieve if elected?
1: Continue the high level of oversight that has earned the district many local, state and national honors.
2: Treat all ratepayers with dignity and respect and don’t take an adversarial posture when dealing with anyone.
3: Look for ways to collaborate with the cities and special districts that can save the ratepayers money.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Age: 51
Professional occupation: Businessman
Education: Bachelor’s degree; certified waste management professional; certified green building professional
Time lived in the city: 14 years
Previous public service: Costa Mesa Sanitary District, 2010-13; former chairman of Costa Mesa Planning Commission; Costa Mesa Access, Building, Fire and Housing Board of Appeals
Immediate family: Married, two children
What are three things you hope to achieve if elected?
1: Reduce the size and cost of government. Studies indicate that a consolidation of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District with the Mesa Water District will save $15.7million at once and $2.7million ongoing, so this is why I support MeasureTT, an advisory measure to move forward on the necessary study that will save ratepayers millions with a smaller, more accountable government.
2: A systematic investment in sewer infrastructure. Mid-century pipes require systematic replacement, and the sanitary district recently failed by allowing a sewer spill that shut down the Newport Dunes resort on Labor Day and resulted in a significant fine.
3: To achieve lower cost and increase service, put the trash contract out to bid for the first time since World WarII. Newport Beach pays less ($11.42) and has better service while Costa Mesa Sanitary District ratepayers pay more ($17.24).
Gary Monahan
Age: 57
Professional occupation: Restaurant owner
Education: Some college
Time lived in the city: 29 years
Previous public service: Costa Mesa City Council for 20 years, including six years as mayor; Costa Mesa Sanitary District, 2006-10; Orange County Transportation Authority board, two years
Immediate family: Married 24 years, six children
What are three things you hope to achieve if elected?
1: Support consolidation of the sanitary district with Mesa Water District.
2: Lower trash rates and improve service by putting the contract out to bid.
3: Re-emphasize sewer lateral assistance program, which I initiated.
Christopher Luntsford
Age: 37
Professional occupation: Computer systems engineer
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science (pending), Cisco certified network professional (voice), Cisco certified network administrator (route switch), Cisco certified network design associate
Time lived in the city: Less than three months
Previous public service: None
Immediate family: Married, one son
What are three things you hope to achieve if elected?
1: Keep the Costa Mesa Sanitary District a separate entity from the Mesa Water District.
2: Help ensure that our district’s wastewater system is maintained and upgraded in a timely manner. Having been previously employed as a municipal storm and wastewater CCTV operator, I have witnessed firsthand what neglect and loose regulations do to a city’s wastewater infrastructure.
3. Assure our residents that the district will continue to properly reclaim wastewater and trash in accordance to city, state and federal regulations, and look at ways the district can innovate and advance the services that we offer.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
