Candidates' forum fills the conference room

The first candidates forum in Gridley in years filled the conference room of the Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital Health Services Center as members of the media and audience members were able to ask questions of the city council and school board candidates.

The six city council candidates took up a majority of the time, and answered questions ranging from the industrial park to renewable energy.

Three seats are open on the city council, and all three incumbents - Pedro Mota, Marlena Sparks and Vice-Mayor Frank Hall - are running, along with newcomers Owen Stiles, David Garner, and Dan Boeger, who had previously been on the council, including a term as mayor.

When asked what they would do about the empty industrial park, all candidates agreed that getting jobs to Gridley in this spot was important. Incumbents answered that they had prospects for businesses to move there, and were also trying to get a railroad spur in place and a street light at West Liberty Rd.

Stiles and Garner echoed the same sentiments, but weren't pleased with the lack of progress made by the current city council. Garner brought out a clean burning fire log, then explained that the business making them would be willing to bring their business here. Boeger explained that he has helped bring businesses to Gridley in the past.

An audience member's question asked about the city's energy situation, and specifically whether or not each candidate was in favor of an ethanol plant in Gridley.

Garner said the city's energy solutions should be renewable and environmentally friendly, and should be resources the city can control. He said the ethanol venture is speculative, and if it's something Gridley has to pay for, he thinks they should look into things that are more proven, can be controlled locally, and mesh with what he expects the federal government to mandate in the future.

Boeger said he was with the city when it built both hydroelectric and geothermic plants. Without more details, he wouldn't approve or rule out the ethanol plant.

Sparks and Mota were both in favor of the ethanol plant. They both thought it would be a cheaper avenue and Sparks said it would be most effective.

Stiles didn't exactly support the ethanol idea, saying he was concerned with the carbon footprint that it will have, and that it's not a proven science. He preferred solar power that the city could sell as well as use.

Hall liked solar power in the future, but doesn't think the technology is there yet. He said the city can't overlook any renewable energy sources.
   
Richard Harp is running for school board unopposed, while incumbent Eric Waterbury, Kathy Wheeler and Robert Zunino are running for two open spots.

    Wheeler said one of her goals was to increase electives and vocational education to give kids skills they can use in employment. She has been an active member of a concerned parents group.

    Waterbury is serving his second term, and said he serve again if the voters were interested in having him.

    Zunino credited his success in life to the education he received growing up in Gridley, and wants to give other kids the same opportunity.

    Harp said both of his parents were teachers when he grew up in Gridley.
    Each of the candidates had spent most or all of their life living in Gridley, and all of them have children attending school in the district.

    When asked about the budget crisis, Waterbury explained that the district is in good shape fiscally, although they had to make tough cuts last year to be in this fortunate situation. He credited Chief Business Official Heather Naylor as being someone the board members can trust.
   

Harp, having served on the board for less than a year, said they have a good relationship with both the California School Employees Assocation and Gridley Teachers Association, which makes the situation easier.

    Zunino and Wheeler, having not served on the board, both said they have experience with finance. Zunino has worked for the Colusa government  for 11 years, saying it's given him first hand knowledge of state finances, budgets, cuts and personnel issues. Wheeler said she has done bookwork and accounting work since she was 13, and her degree is in accounting.
    Following the forum, the pros and cons of each proposition were explained by Jim Gregg, a board member of the League of Women Voters.