Meet the Candidates: La Quinta Mayor
Elections are a little less than a month away. News Channel 3 met with each La Quinta City Council Mayor candidate you will see on the November 8 ballot.
November 8th Candidates include:
Mayoral Candidates
What makes you uniquely qualified to run the city?
Linda Evans: I think what makes me uniquely qualified is the fact that I have served as mayor for ten years and have great knowledge of depth of knowledge of the city and its finances, its operations, and the plans for the city as well as historically what's happened and the investments that we've made, and the opportunities we still have ahead of us.
Alan Woodruff: What makes me you know, equally qualified to run my city is I've been in my city for 26 years. I've been in the Coachella Valley for 33 years. So I'm definitely an invested, homeowner. And La Quinta resident, the thing that's going to benefit the community of La Quinta, in me being your mayor, is that I am definitely controlled growth. I am anti - STVR in neighborhoods.
Robert Sylk: I think I have the leadership qualities and the enthusiasm to get our city back on track. I think we've lost our way. And I believe in La Quinta as you do and I want to see us five years ahead of the curve rather than five years behind the curve where we are today.
Now that the Surf Park has been voted on, what is your ideal development plan for the city of La Quinta, In general?
Linda Evans: We have zoned areas. And we have kind of a guideline of what could be built in what area and what is designated, whether it's residential or commercial. So we utilize that to find balance in terms of opportunities and amenities for residents, how we can do business attraction. We don't want too many of one thing. We want to diversify what we have.
Alan Woodruff: I think controlled growth is a very much a part of key to La Quinta the mindset that every open space needs. Something on it, I think is not conducive to what we live here for the people of La Quinta have been in look into for a certain reason. We are a peace, quiet bedroom community. We'd like to keep it that way. I'm very, very concerned about develop on the outside of the cove, the south side of La Quinta and actually the west side across the Montezuma canal.
Robert Sylk: I think we should be bringing in technology companies. And I'm also in favor of annexing Vista, Santa Rosa, of course, LaQuinta got to where it is, by way of annexation, three of them. And this could be our fourth we did bring this up about seven-eight years ago to the council and they put it off mainly because of redevelopment funds. But I think now's the time that we should get back in and develop that we could buy that land for pennies on the dollar.
What's going on with silver rock, is it on track? Are there any issues?
Linda Evans: It's on track. Now there were times that it wasn't untracked, we did serve a default, that was public record. And it was in the news. And there are strict guidelines on how to make those deadlines happen. And so for all intents and purposes, those are being monitored. And our goal is to ultimately have that destination finished. But between COVID and some supply chain issues and some other things, the developer did delay, we wish that it'd be further along in the process. But we know that that's a very large piece of property, and it will take time to develop. And we're just looking forward to the end result when we get there.
What are your thoughts on Silver Rock?
Alan Woodruff: My thoughts in silver rock probably could take as long as the project itself. It's been a project that under the very first moments of it was a controversial project. It was controversial from the standpoint of the gentleman who was building it, how long it's taken, and the amount of money that has been spent on it. I have a very deep concern for any city being involved in development because that's what construction development people are. The city, the city council, these are not construction people, these are politicians, and for them to run or to try to attempt to create a hotel and all the other facilities with that being City Council. The deal is terrible.
Robert Sylk: That's a favorite thing of mine. silver Rock has changed its course it was supposed to be two hotels, a second golf course a major Convention Center to bring in all the conventions that didn't want to go to Las Vegas because you can't learn anything in Las Vegas. And this was perfect. And lake with paddleboats in it. Hiking trails, biking trails, golf cart trails. And with the two hotels 50 stores to rival EL Paseo, it would be the linchpin and the new catalyst for new downtown La Quinta. And they changed the entire plan. It's not what it was supposed to be.
How do you think the city's funds should be invested?
Linda Evans: We number one, make sure that we have a city that's structurally sound and has good public safety and has response from fire. So those are key elements to make the city tick, right? We're in charge of keeping you safe and having you enjoy your community and having good property values. So investments for us are really looking at buying land so that we can activate more entry-level or affordable housing, and or looking at ways that we can improve the infrastructure for our community.
Alan Woodruff: The streets are at very, very deep need of some repair. There are programs that I believe are very much a part of the city has been Aktueller as far as the citizens of La Quinta. So when we are going to spend money on something I would prefer to have something spent on something that would benefit the people of La Quinta, not an entity, not a private business or things of that nature.
Robert Sylk: I think the one good thing right now as we should invest in ourselves, let's buy the land that's going to increase in value. And everything else. You know, I'm not a Bitcoin guy yet. And I think that that's what we should do. We should invest in new people and new faces that have new ideas.
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?
Linda Evans: I will definitely vote no on Measure A this council has worked very hard during the pandemic at the height of the complaints, the height of concerns for noise, etc. To put things in place. And that was with resident input was with committee input. It was with input from both hosted and non hosted input from investor input from people who had them near them, people that didn't have short term rentals, who loved them who hated them. And we have an ordinance in place and abandoned place that is working. And I believe in balance, I believe that both can coexist and you manage the ones that aren't operating correctly. And you get rid of them. And the ones that are you shouldn't punish all of the good operators, because it creates jobs for people.
Alan Woodruff: It's the neighborhoods, it's the community. Most of our neighborhoods have 10 homes in the block. Two homes in that block. That's 20%. That's enough. We have enough of them. They are sterile parts of the community. I think most people have a problem with strangers in amongst them weekly. And honestly, I have been confronted by people, ladies and gentlemen with short-term vacation rental is next to their homes in tears because of the partying and just cannot live the quality of life that they moved here for.
Robert Sylk: Well measure A should pass. You know, I like STVRs until one moves next door to me, then you don't like it. And that's what it is. They should not be in the residential one or residential two areas, they can be in the areas that are zoned commercially for tourist. So I don't want to see them vanish.
What are your thoughts on high-density housing? apartments, the condos specifically that one Avenue 50, and Washington?
Linda Evans: I'm not necessarily in favor of the increased density, I am in favor of looking at what we need to do and other locations in the city to meet our housing requirements for affordable housing. So I don't like to do high rises, we have height limitations, we have codes in place and rules in place for a reason. But we do need more entry-level homes, we need more starter housing, whether that's apartments or condos, we do need more options for people that want to live here and work here and raise their families here. And that's why we've purchased land on 111.
Alan Woodruff: I know they're necessary, first and foremost. So that that kind of takes precedence over anything else. We are definitely in a low housing market right now people need homes. So I think that is in the right areas. We must do it simply because we don't have any places for the people that work here. We are in a very, very deep problem as far as our seasonal workers. So yeah, I'm I'm for those high density, low income housing.
Robert Sylk: They made a mistake with that, because they jumped in, and they wanted to put a gas station there, right against the wall. And on the other side of the wall was your backyard. And we were totally against that because the trash cans would be there and the whether they would be mice or rats or something running around, and is still sitting there. The one to 50th and Jefferson and 50th in Washington with the Chandi. They just went about it the wrong way. They approve it, put it out there without getting the feedback from the citizens.
December Ironman is coming. What are your thoughts on that annual event? Are you for it, are you against it?
Linda Evans: Ironman is a fabulous showcase of the city of LA Quinta, as well as other parts of the Coachella Valley. And we're healthy eating active living community. So we're very much about outdoor recreation and health. And so our Ironman is a great showcase. And there are several people that live here in the community that are welcoming Ironman, and actually participate in Ironman, whether it's a relay team or single competition, and it is an activator. When you look at the demographics of that short stay of people being here, it is a revenue generator. It exposes them to a different type of climate than maybe they're used to. And it's it's good again, for the hotel tourism industry, as well as highlighting things like the southeast corners of our city and the unincorporated areas.
Alan Woodruff: I'm definitely for it. Because I am an 11-time Ironman finisher. I've ran 71 marathons. So endurance is in my blood. Let's go December.
Robert Sylk: I'm for all those things. I just think that the way they enter wine and through the streets where people live is not the best. Why don't we take that down towards the Salton Sea, which needs exposure? Why is it coming up this way? And this is the third year, I'm in favor of the Iron Man and all those all those other items that can bring attention to the city, but they just do it the wrong way, first, and that brings detrimental thoughts to them, and then they have to fix it. Our city council should be proactive, not reactive, they shouldn't wait for the problems that come to them, and then try to fix them, they should be able to take care of these problems before, as soon as the seed is out of the ground
Some people are thinking that the council all votes the same. Should there be some diversity in thought perspective on the council?
Linda Evans: Just because council votes the same on issues doesn't mean there's not diversity or controversy. If anybody has watched our council meetings, there's definitely differences of opinion on a lot of things. So consensus is not a bad thing, when you look at the stability of the council, yet the difference of opinions and backgrounds, and look at what McCain has accomplished. That's the reason why certain things are decided on because we're deciding on behalf of the community at large. And we're taking that input just to vote no for the sake of change, or to have some yeses and some nose. That's not a productive way to run city government.
Alan Woodruff: I mean, anytime that you are continuously continuously continuously five vote, it shows really no independent thinker. What it does show is a very strong head at the at the top of the chain, but nothing underneath it that would ever offer any type of different idea. It doesn't show me strength and solidarity. It shows me weakness.
Robert Sylk: I don't know why our council always voted yes, on everything in unison. There was never a no vote ever. And that's pretty impossible when you have 100 votes and everybody votes together. we need new things to take place. Look, our roads are terrible. They're the worst. We're used to be the golf capital United States.
If elected, what is your goal for the term?
Linda Evans: I would hope that the citizens are pleased and wake up and are happy and love what we have in the La Quinta, we would progress with our highway 111 Corridor plan, the repurposing of that highway 111 to activate additional retail sales because that's where 75% of our revenue comes from. And that is a connector to the CV link and how we connect that healthy transportation mode to the 111 corridors, we definitely obviously have to look at tallis and pushing that developer forward to make sure those guidelines are met, as well as some of those other infill areas where we have, again, entry-level housing opportunities, we are also studying the financial components of our sphere of influence, potential annexation to make looking into larger on the on the east and southeast side of our community.
Alan Woodruff: What I'm going to do if I'm elected is one of the primary reasons that I got elected was to invoke term limits, I am very big on feeling that if you can't do it in two terms, you should let somebody else have a chance to try. Okay, so that's going to be one of my larger projects to get across the board. As far as term limits. Another thing because I am so large in the Valley for animal advocation. One of the things I want to do for the community is we have a lot of stray cats, and a lot of stray dogs, we do not have the facility to have those dogs spayed or neutered, unless we travel all the way to Palm Springs, and that's for the entire Coachella Valley. Some speed bumps may be on Sinaloa and the traveling fast roads, no galahs galima. There's a few roads that need some speed bumps, but basically, just take care of the community as a community person.
Robert Sylk: I would just say that we have to realize that the people's good is the highest law over the council's personal ones. And that we have to take back Lakita to make LaQuinta great again. And if someone wants to go to my site or our concerned citizen site, you'll see all the items that we've spoken about.
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 6 pm to learn more about the La Quinta City Council Mayor candidates.
