Meet the Candidates: La Quinta City Council
Elections are a little less than a month away. News Channel 3 met with each LA Quinta City Council candidate you will see on the November 8 ballot.
The candidates include:
| John Peña |
| Richard Gray |
| Joseph "joe" Johnson |
| Deborah McGarrey |
| Brian Hanrahan |
What makes you uniquely qualified to run the city?
John Peña: I have years of experience in dealing with the city. I'm not only served as mayor, but interim city manager. So I bring that experience, education and compassion for serving our residents in the community.
Richard Gray: I think that in my curricula can position I'm an ex-diplomat, I served overseas in several different countries, different languages. I worked for 25 years in construction. I was a teacher for a couple of years. And I worked for the bank for a couple of years. So I've had a whole wide range of interests. In the last 12 years that I've lived here in Makita. I worked for five years with the architectural landscape Review Board. And I saw that there's an awful lot of what might really be called groupthink, where everybody kind of agrees with everybody else. And it's very difficult to have some debate going on that might make any proposal or any action by the city a little bit better.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: I've been in government before I used to work in the county of Los Angeles. After law school, instead of becoming a lawyer, I went to work in public service. And I went to work for the Department of Consumer Affairs, where I started off as an investigator going after bad businesses. At one point, the mediation department within the department Consumer Affairs kind of problem. And since I had mediation training from law school, I took over that department and made it to actually an award-winning in the county, mediation department, solving problems from neighbors, to big businesses, and even government interaction.
Deborah McGarrey: I've lived in La Quinta for the last 22 years. As a matter of fact, I have with my career and External Affairs have been involved in working with local government for the last 20 years. I work with each of the local cities, I work with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, I work with Coachella Valley economic partnerships with the desert Valley builders, I covered the Coachella Valley, I cover Imperial County, I understand so many of these issues, a lot of the meetings that the cities are attending, whether it's original meeting at seabag, or CPAP, or some of these others, I'm actually there, I'm actually attending, I'm actually very much involved with as an example, the California League of Cities, I have been the liaison to the League of Cities, for the role that I have for my career, which gives me a lot of opportunity to understand the issues, the policies that the cities are actually facing in California. So I won't have to necessarily brought you brought up to speed on some of these issues.
Brian Hanrahan: I have lived here since 2005. This time, I was back here in the 80s. I ran for office in the early 80s. Because I wanted to see more hotel development on 111. I wanted to see a pool built, the pool got built and we developed fit Sports Park. I think it's really important for the next 40 years to get involved and get things going for La Quinta.
Now that the Surf Park has been voted on, what is your ideal development plan for the city of La Quinta, In general?
John Peña: Nothing has been brought forward? I think that will be probably low-density residential, or a component that actively incorporates all that into a development plan that will be compatible with that area.
Richard Gray: I think any one of these new large developments should have to build low cost, low income housing, whether they're a building of apartments or something. Because we were just expanding the million dollar properties all over the place, and there's no room for anybody that's actually going to do some of the work we need done in our lives. So I would be very much in favor of proceeding with the possibility of annexing the Santa Rosa area. And which could be commercial, it could be light, industrial, and it could be other housing, and to go ahead with what it was originally zoned for coral mountain, and that is to let them build a number of houses.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: "economics is going to determine what happens with that when it's it's zoned for residential, it's going to be residential, how fast it's built, and like the cost of the houses are going to be, there's always going to be based on what the developer thinks he can, he can sell and do. So that's something that's out of the control of the government"... In general "they have to be considered for whatever goes in there. Because they bought in there based on certain zoning, and that's the way it is. But this one might be out of the way. But we have the same type of issue could pop up in other developments in other areas. And that's why this is important. It was important to win this because we have to keep the idea of changing zoning just to satisfy the developer. We have to say no, that's not going to happen".
Deborah McGarrey: The city of La Quinta has, of course a general plan that they've adopted and of course each developer has an opportunity to bring a project forward as long as it fits within the plan. In regards to the perfect project, I don't really know what a perfect project would be. I think you know, there's a lot of different needs we have afford housing that we have to meet as a matter of fact that the city of La Quinta has over 1500 homes that they have to meet with regards to affordable housing. And if anybody does a great affordable housing project, it is the city of LA Quinta. There's also you know, making sure that we have some diverse types of income coming in. So maybe it happens to be, you know, the grocery stores, or maybe it happens to be even like a hotel for that matter.
Brian Hanrahan: I think we made a mistake with Coral Mountain. I think that's a really good plan. As a city councilman, I would revisit that they're doing everything they can to mitigate the problems. It's a beautiful idea. It'll bring people in, it'll bring in more revenue for the city. I think we need to revisit that and rethink it. You know, we've built other golf courses around there and retirement areas, these guys should get the same chance.
What are your thoughts on Silver Rock?
John Peña: silver rock, which is now Tallis, obviously, behind schedule. I think it's a little frustrating as we move forward. We're looking forward to that getting completed. And we'll continue to work with the developer there to get through that process as quickly as possible.
Richard Gray: We have been on this silver rock for a very long time, there was a letter of default that was sent to the green company. I don't know what the default was, was their time, was that amount of work that's supposed to be done by a particular date. Was it money? What was it, but the fact that we can see is the Adisa arena. On the other side of I-10 is a huge, beautiful, and very complex buildings. It was built, started much later built much quicker. And silver rock is, unfortunately, a matter of being embarrassed for the city.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: I call it silver racket. when I very first ran in 2016, it was a disaster then here we are six years later, and it's still a disaster. They were still spending money at the city Treasury for something that we gave away. This is going on for how many years? So I don't know if it's ever going to be built. I hope it is the general concept sounds great. But I don't have any faith.
Deborah McGarrey: Silver rock itself, which is now Tallis, that golf course, is one of the most beautiful golf courses that we have here in the Coachella Valley as It's nestled up next to the mountains. And if you've been out there lately, you're able to actually see the hotel, how it's going to come around what it looks like, you know how it started to develop. And I think it's going to be, again, a great project for the city of La Quinta. And I will say this, the city council has really been holding the developer to task on moving forward, the developer comes in on a regular basis gives an update to the city council, letting them know what the status is, and the process moving forward for the project.
Brian Hanrahan: Silver Rock has taken too long, it's become kind of an albatross, I want to see it finished. I'm also concerned about how we use that property that has multiple uses for the citizens of the kingdom. I don't want another golf course and then another hotel. I want us to revisit the general plan and make sure that we're getting multiple use out of it for the city.
How do you think the city's funds should be invested?
John Peña: The city financial position is really good. And I think that we look at continuing to improve our roads. We continue to provide affordable housing, streets, roads, and bridges, beautifying our parks, our public areas so that our residents can have a beautiful city.
Richard Gray: The city is building these roundabouts. When we have not built a bridge at Doom palms over the whitewater wash. That is going to be of serious accidents when we finally do get a real rainy time because the High School is on one corner, the x park is on the other corner. And it's one of the only four north-south routes in La Quinta. Washington, Adams, Dune Palms, and Jefferson, Dune Palms can't go over the bridge if you have, because there's no bridge that can't go over that area if it rains hard, but a lot of people are foolish, and we should have a bridge before we have too many roundabouts.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: Even if they have a slight shortfall, which is not going to go into effect for two years, on the STRS they're going to have more money than they planned on. And it about a dozen years from now. We're going to have this silver rock is going to be paid off. And we're going to get money from the thermal redevelopment project, which is when we index certain areas out there. We're not getting all that property tax from paying off the bonds from that and about a dozen years from now that's going to be paid off too. So we're gonna have a fair amount of money in the middle of 2030 2035. it's just crying that they're going to cut police is really something terrible because they take the people down. Like I'm not, but they tried to scare them by saying, Oh, if you don't, if you vote for, like, for the STVR thing, we're gonna not have money for the sheriff, that's not going to happen, the city has to fund the sheriff or the fire and the roads, if they want to put cameras up in places like that, that's an that's a luxury. That doesn't have to happen. You don't have to have fireworks at tomorrow's city function.
Deborah McGarrey: I have to say I think the city does an amazing job when it comes to their fiscally sound, conservative decisions. They are ranked very, they're ranked very well. And when they look at the state with regards to where they're where they're standing is in regards to you know, how conservative they are. They have reserves. I think it helps to pay for the services that the city has, I do not believe that the city needs to have its own police department. If you look at the study that the city did several years ago, it was over $50 million. The city doesn't pay that much. It is the largest percentage of our of the city's overall budget. It is over 40% in regard I'm sorry, it's over. Yes, it is over 40% With regards to the overall budget. So you have to take all that into consideration that having an spending more money to for police services, isn't going to make things necessarily better. Plus, also Riverside County provides a lot of other services the sheriff's department does.
Brian Hanrahan: Carefully and safely! I think we've done a real good job so far. Looking into it during the COVID. We're solvent, we're gonna keep that going. Once again, this one supporting coral mountain because we don't know the future. So if we can generate capital, let's go.
What is your best argument against or for Measure A, are you for it or against it? Why do you think it should pass or fail?
John Peña: I'm opposed to Measure A as currently drafted. I think the city has done a tremendous job in eradicating complaints and getting rid of the bad players that if we're involved in short-term rentals, I think it's it provides a lot of unique housing perspectives of the community. And I think that we've done a great job and in setting out strict rules that people need to comply with,
Richard Gray: one of the rights you buy in that I bought and most of the people in r1 in our two zones bought was the right to have a residential neighborhood. Not many motels. Not on supervised. I mean, there's a big argument being made right now that there are fewer and fewer complaints. Well, when you don't get a result out of your complaint, it's very easy not to complain much anymore. There have been a number of people who have moved away because of arguments and distinction, dissensions and too much noise, pardon and the day that we have a small child drowning in somebody's pool, or we have a case of underage sexual activity or problems with drinking these kinds of things that can go on in a house where there's nobody watching anything.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: I was not one of the people in on the yes on a and I didn't have any input were always done writing it except that I thought that the not that the hosted STVRs should be exempt because we don't have problems for those people when they're in their house and they rent out a room for Coachella, they've self-policed. That's not an issue. So I've mentioned that in the beginning, and that sort of got picked up. If I was writing the Measure, I would have done a little bit differently. I'm not an extremist, I understand how people have big vacation incomes and things like that. But when the way it is, if it's yes or no, I am definitely yes. If it fails, and if I'm on the council, I see a little wiggle room to for a little bit, we compromise, not giving away the store. But a little bit of compromise is possible. That could be restrictions. First of all, there's not going to be any extra STVRs in nonexempt areas beyond what's already there. Now, that's, that's got to freeze. But there are some things I could do to make it a little bit better for people who really need that income for the couple of big weeks, like Coachella stagecoach, things like that.
Deborah McGarrey: I would ask those that are voting on it, make sure you are completely educated on it, make sure you understand the impacts, it's going to be either on the city or even like the overall businesses in the communities. During the pandemic I had no, I did not have any issues with regards to short term vacation rentals. I know I live in North La Quinta, I know there's plenty of them there. But I do not have any challenges or any type of concerns there. I was very fortunate. I know there's other areas that maybe they do. But keeping in mind that with measure a you have to take in consideration the impact that's going to have on the city. Most of the gated communities can make a decision on not having short-term vacation rentals, you have to remember that the city put in a lot of various policies and ordinances that would actually help to reduce the amount of complaints. So the complaints have gone down by 80%, which is significant. I'm actually against it, I have to say because I do see that there's a benefit for it.
Brian Hanrahan: Airbnbs are here to stay, they just need to be fine tune this becoming it's, it's helping the city financially. It's not going to go away. I support it. I do know, as a councilman, I will work to help us fine-tune the rules and make sure that neighborhoods are protected. To me, the big issue is disturbing the peace. And I don't think we should tell people what to do with their homes. But I do think that we should respect people's noise levels and communities. I don't think it should pass at all. And they want to do it in certain neighborhoods. I don't want anyone telling me what to do with my home. I have private property rights. And I do agree that once again, this a big problem is disturbing the peace. It's a police issue. And we created a large bureaucracy. And it's making money for the city.
What are your thoughts on high-density housing? apartments, the condos specifically that one Avenue 50, and Washington?
John Peña: I think there's going to be places for high-density development. As we start to have infill development, those projects are going to continue to go forward. There are state mandates that we have to meet. And the state is imposing certain requirements on cities to provide high-density residential for affordable housing. So we'll continue to look for those spots that they can really fit into the community.
Richard Gray: one of the big problems that I think the city has is they are obligated to notify people within 500 feet or 500 yards, a relatively small area. When I was working with the landscaping and architectural board, there was a proposal to put two-story medical offices and a gas station in an area that has it's under flood level would have taken an awful lot that people did not want that something like that there. And I think we have to have a wider scope of getting people involved. And we have to sell the idea to people are reasonable, they will accept this. And a lot of them have younger people, relatives, somebody that wants less expensive housing, so I think we can do it. The one on 50th in Washington, maybe it's not such a good idea right now. Santa Rosa is possibly a very good idea.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: I don't think that avenue 50 in Washington is the right place for it. And I'll tell you what, it's a very congested area, some during rush hour. And there's a dip in the road that floods all the time. Adding hundreds of cars in the morning, afternoon, evening into that area is not going to be good. If people have these where they don't want to use the cars, transportation over there is terrible. There's a shopping center nearby that has one little grocery store. But most of the shops are vacant. So the people are not going to get the services they need. Now, of course possibly services could fill into that shopping center if there are people there. But that usually years and year lag, and the people not going to have anything. I thought someplace on 111 where it's already established pharmacies, transportation, to have supermarkets, all that stuff, be already there would be better, the city owned the piece of property that they turned into sold for residents in that would have been a perfect place to have higher density housing.
Deborah McGarrey: Wolf waters is a high-density type of affordable housing project. I live in the north end of La Quinta, and there's a project there, that is more of a higher density type of development. And I will say that I had my concerns about it. But when it got developed, it's a beautiful project, it really is, it's really well done. It's very efficient with its energy, it's great for the residents that are living there, it's affordable. Again, the city does a great job when it comes to affordable housing. And I would just say for those residents that are concerned about it, make sure you reach over to the city. Also make sure you reach over to the developers when the project has been designed, provide your information and your thoughts. Don't just sit back and kind of point a finger and say, Hey, I don't like this and then show up when the project is getting ready to be developed. Make sure you keep yourself educated.
Brian Hanrahan: We know there's a housing problem and a shortage in California. I know my wife and I are not going to build a pool in our backyard because we want to build an adu a small dwelling. So we'll have room for our kids because housing is starting to be frightening in California. I support that. I know that people in like to want to keep their view. And once again, maybe they can work out the height limitations because we love it. We love the desert. We love our city here. But people do enjoy the night sky and the beauty of the La Quinta.
December Ironman is coming. What are your thoughts on that annual event? Are you for it, are you against it?
John Peña: I think the Ironman has proven to be very, very good for the city. I know that we struggled the first year we there was a learning curve. I think we've adapted to that learning curve. And now I think the residents now understand how that works and how we can be compatible with having runners and bikers in our community because it brings people from all over the world. And it's basically over by two o'clock in the afternoon.
Richard Gray: It's one of the proofs of the fact that the city council is more reactive than proactive the first time that it was done and we supposedly have a lot of high paid staff people. Plus we supposedly have a city council with a certain degree of common sense. They made a huge mistake. It has been cured. My personal thought is I think it should be in January or February because December we have Christmas shopping, holidays going on people out of school. It's a big month for a lot of things to happen. We shouldn't try to cram too much into one month.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: Actually, for it, the first year that they had it, it ran right near my house. And it threw me off a little bit because it wasn't paying attention enough. But it was such a slight inconvenience, it was not a big deal. I then put an input about where I thought the route should go. And I didn't do it formally. But I sort of got a lot of people thinking in the same way, it changed it. And I didn't have a problem. And I think the went a lot smoother. And I think it's something that should keep going and going and going brings a lot of people into the area. When people come to the city, with all these things that we say about it, it's really a great place to live, it's a great place to be. And when they see it, and they see how nice it is.
Deborah McGarrey: There was several years ago were I actually trained to do the half marathon. And I think that was before Ironman came back out. And I was so I'm really excited about it. I think it's a great program. I think the city has done a great job with regards to providing education and communicating to the residents of it coming out and where the roads are going to be closed. Again, it's not like an all-week thing. It's one day, and I think it helps to provide tourism, it helps to bring people here to the valley, it shows that La Quinta isn't just some little city, we actually do a lot of really great things very, very well.
Brian Hanrahan: I'm for it. We've done a really good job of mitigating the traffic. The same with Coachella and stagecoach, that CHP they do a really good job of bringing 1000s of cars in and getting 1000 cars out. And that's what we do here. We're a resort, and we're going to people are going to come in and to our village in our city.
If elected, what is your goal for the term?
John Peña: I'm going to continue to do since the first time I was elected us my education, my compassion for the city and continuing to represent our residents to the best of my ability.
Richard Gray: term limits! council districts voting on things like the CV leak, CV link is a decided and done deal. I know that. But it's also something that was steamrolled over the populace, nobody in the city had a chance to vote on whether we wanted it or not. And yet, those cities that have voted on the CV link, in some cases, they have rejected it. So right now we have a 70-year plus obligation. And we don't know what we're obligated to, we don't know who's going to take care of hygiene if we're going to be able to keep homeless from making it a lane of shacks.
Joseph "Joe" Johnson: I'm gonna go through the budget with a fine toothcomb. I have graduate-level accounting, I have a law degree. I have government skills of daily budgets, I'm gonna go through it and fine tooth comb, look for any places where I see that is waste of reality.
Deborah McGarrey: My goals, actually is to continue to focus on the quality of life, I will always be there to listen to the residents and to listen to what their concerns are. Without a doubt, I'm already starting to get phone calls and having residents ask okay, what do you think about this, and I'm happy to do that. That's part of the role. And anybody that knows me knows that I'm definitely one that gets in to doing the work. In regards to you know, fiscally sound, I want to see that continue to go forward. You know, I work with a lot of different cities, I see and experience a lot of different things throughout my services with in the community.
Brian Hanrahan: To keep the city running to work with the rest of the councilmen to keep the Measure A the Airbnb issue has divided us and we need to come back together and we needed to make it work. Because Airbnb like I said, I believe it's here to say it's a good program, but we got to respect the locals and in their concerns the neighborhood.
Candidates encourage everyone to vote on November 8 or early by mail.
Mail-in ballots will be out by October 10.
Tune in to KESQ News Channel 3 at 5 pm to learn more about the La Quinta City Council Mayoral candidates.
