CRA News March 2009

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

Ken White holds the Vern Yadon watercolor, depicting a sea otter, which was presented to him by the Carmel Residents Association as the 2008 Citizen of the Year. See details below.

CRA Meeting:
"Sustainable Architecture: Past, Present and Future"

Sally Ann Smith

Thursday, March 26 – CRA Meeting
	4:45 p.m. Vista Lobos Meeting Room (Torres between 3rd & 4th) The public is invited. Wine and cheese social following the meeting

These days, sustainable, green building inevitably finds its way into any serious discussion about architecture. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea has an active committee on green building standards.

The guest speaker for our March 26 meeting, Sally Ann Smith, will give us a "very visual" presentation of the movement of architecture through history.

Owner of Smith Architectural Studio in Carmel Highlands, our speaker received her architectural degree from Cal Poly, Pomona, and spent an apprenticeship in England. Her firm specializes in additions, remodels and new construction. "I advocate going as green as the client can bear," Smith says.

Past president of the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Smith is director of the Chapter's Committee on the Environment, which addresses green building issues.

Discussing her presentation, Sally Ann Smith pointed out that we are "losing the big picture of how houses have been historically designed. In the distant past," she said, "buildings were designed for location, climate and topography. But with the onset of air conditioning, heating, cheap oil and sophisticated engineering, we began to ignore the site and build anything we wanted."

Now many architects have changed their thinking and are trying to make buildings more site-specific and energy efficient, returning to older, more traditional building standards.

Carmel-by-the-Sea named "Tree City USA"

Once again our city has been honored by the Arbor Day Foundation with the designation of Tree City USA. This award is the direct result of a great deal of hard work and dedication of many people.

The City Council—Mayor Sue McCloud, Paula Hazdovac, Gerard Rose, Karen Sharp and Ken Talmage—set priorities for reforestation and budget for the Forest and Beach Department, while City Administrator Rich Guillen implements these actions.

City Forester Mike Branson and his crew—Kelly Green, Dave Maschmeyer, Margi Perotti, and part-time waterers, Kimberly Moscato and Shandra Cernius-Post, are the first line of defense for Carmel's trees. They water and care for existing trees, plant new ones and oversee the regulations which protect Carmel's forest.

The Carmel Forest and Beach Commission—Joe Ford, chair, Kathleen Coss, Nancy John, Leslie Kadis and Vicki Lynch are the champions of the forest and beach. They set policy for forest management, consider applications for tree pruning or removal, review building permits for tree-ordinance compliance and make recommendations to the City Council on budgeting for and protecting the forest and beach.

The Friends of Carmel Forest, a non-profit, volunteer city support group, advocates for the urban forest, plants trees, provides trees to residents, provides volunteers for the city's annual tree survey, and sponsors workshops and programs such as the recent downtown beautification effort. Friends of the Forest board members are Clayton Anderson, president, Steve Brooks, Bob Condry, Greg D'Ambrosio, Dick Dalsemer, Barbara Livingston, Peter Quintanilla, Maria Sutherland and Roy Thomas.

The qualifications for being considered a Tree City USA are having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita and an annual Arbor Day observance. Recent observances have been cosponsored by Friends of the Forest and the Forest and Beach Commission.

EDITORIAL

To preserve and protect ...

The CRA Board's priorities for the 2009/2010 budget

The Board of Directors of the Carmel Residents Association recently had a conversation with Mayor Sue McCloud on the city budget and appreciated the opportunity to provide Fiscal Year 2009/2010 budget recommendations for the City Council to consider during the annual budget-review process. In our full report given to Mayor McCloud and City Council members, we detail areas of concern which we hope will be helpful and informative.

These are serious times for our small village, our state and our country. We recognize the difficulty of the City Council's task and wish them well in making the tough decisions that lie ahead. The overarching watchwords in crafting the budget should be preserve and protect. This goal should and can be achieved based upon a conservative estimate of likely revenues and prudent disbursal of reserve funds, which have grown to a level considerably in excess of those held by most other communities.

Guiding Principles for the budget process

The following principles to guide the budget process are suggested on the basis of what we feel would be most beneficial for Carmel's citizens:

These are uncertain times in Carmel's economy and these uncertainties must be reflected in the budget; nevertheless, temporary savings should not be achieved by wholesale deferral of essential projects which preserve public assets.
Support for programs and services that protect citizen health, safety and welfare are paramount.
Emergencies must be addressed.
Priorities must be based on relative benefit to a substantial number of residents.
Long-standing legislative commitments and obligations must be honored.
Planning and initiating non-essential big-ticket capital projects should be delayed.

Deferred maintenance must be addressed

Despite the need for caution in the face of economic downturns, a lean budget should not be achieved through further deferral of maintenance and restoration of Carmel's unique assets, such as its beach and shoreline, its urban forest, its park lands and its streets. The Carmel Residents Association Board urges the City Council to carefully consider capital expenditures, which if left unattended, would create serious public health, safety or welfare issues or catastrophic costs well beyond those required for repair.

The city has long-term obligations and has made responsible commitments to manage and maintain the beach, the urban forest and its park lands based on management plan documents included in the Local Coastal Plan. Many of these obligations have not been met and few have been funded. We recommend that the city identify each of those management programs and act upon them by budgeting sufficient funding to accomplish these annual maintenance tasks.

The council should consider the appropriateness of capital projects already in the pipeline and defer further commitment of public funds until business activity improves and city revenues are increasing. The Forest Theater project and Flanders Mansion disposition process should be held in abeyance until the economy improves.

Programs to implement/projects to fund

Below are the seven projects we strongly feel should be funded and implemented:

1. Carmel Beach Shoreline Management Plan—realistic annual program funding.

2. Mission Trail Nature Preserve Management Plan—realistic annual program funding.

3. Eliminate dead and dangerous trees, and replant one for one.

4. Invest in street projects based on the Nichols Engineering Study.

5. Complete storm water system mandates.

6. Increase annual emergency response training for all city staff.

7. Expand code enforcement downtown and in the neighborhoods.

The Carmel Residents Association is committed to the protection and enrichment of the traditional quality of life in Carmel-by-the-Sea and the preservation of its heritage and natural beauty through education, community activities and advocacy. It is in that spirit that we have offered these recommendations for the Carmel City Council's serious consideration.

President's Message
Traditional village life - what does that mean to you?

by Barbara Livingston

The mission statement of the Carmel Residents Association speaks to the "protection and enrichment of the traditional quality of life in Carmel-by-the-Sea." The traditional quality of life—I wonder what that means to Carmel residents and, more particularly, to our board members. So I asked them and their not-so-surprising reflections follow.

"Village life is the bedrock of our community. It is about people's concern for their neighbors; about citizens working together to achieve new horizons; and about preserving for our children the rich habitat in which we have flourished." Dick Flower

"To me, traditional village life is knowing one's neighbors— chatting at the local market and supporting one another during difficult times. It is being able to hear the church bells on Sunday morning and seeing the stars at night. It is having a glass of wine with friends on the beach while watching summer melt from the sky into the sea." Casey MacKenzie

"My favorite definition of our village comes from our late neighbor, Bob Campbell, who said, 'I moved to Carmel because cars go around trees.' I think about that every time I take a walk, and it makes me smile. For me Carmel is a village because we have no mailboxes or street addresses. We have a more quirky way of defining where we live. We name our houses and locations are geographically described. One gets a sense of the whimsical nature of our residents and of their independent spirit." Roberta Miller

"Carmel-by-the-Sea is a magical place of unrivaled natural beauty and treasured heritage where you can actually live—independently or involved in community—walk freely, shop for daily needs, raise a family or pet and age gracefully in your own neighborhood. That is not always possible in Anytown, USA. Carmel-by-the-Sea is more than a place—it is a state of mind—the special passion for the village depends on what it has not— street lights, noise or house numbers, as much as what it has—culture, beauty and a safe and caring community." Beth Wright

"A safe and clean village that reaches out to every age and nourishes the soul." Mary Ellen Thomas

"Traditional village life is more a feeling than a list. There is something about walking down Ocean Avenue—either with a purpose in mind or just a stroll—that is just fun. The trees, shops, people, dogs, the ocean breeze, our lovely trees and what having them in abundance does for the ambiance of the village. All the different architectural styles in the village, a sense of belonging to a tangible community, visits to the post office, recognizing shop owners on the street or saying hello to wait persons from favorite dining places. Carmel is a wonderful place to live and we are all most blessed to be here. However, we need to be vigilant and continue to take loving care of this wonderful and almost magical little town." Betty Dalsemer

"One of my greatest joys about living in Carmel is that it permits me to walk to town for most of the things I have to do. Living only about a 10 minute walk from town, I rarely drive unless I have to lug heavy stuff or continue on to Monterey or elsewhere. It's important to me that Carmel maintain a sufficient variety of shops that most of my needs can be satisfied right here." Jim Emery

"I think of village life in flashes of thought—peace and quiet, with only the sound heard high upon the hill of waves crashing at the beach, walks to town, picking up mail at the post office, greeting acquaintances, tending to gardens. A simple life to enjoy in our little village." Carolyn Hardy

So there you have it—trees, beach, natural beauty, neighbors helping neighbors, post office as a meeting place, pedestrian friendly, local markets, knowing shop owners. The repetitive, yet compelling reflections of how the Carmel Residents Board perceives our traditional quality of life.

I would add community events such as the Surfabout and Sand Castle Contest, the Halloween parade and city birthday party; Homecrafters Marketplace, holiday tree lighting and the Carmel Art Festival. Also, the historic cottages which have been preserved, the Bohemian influence from the early 20th century reflected in our art, theater, music, dance and literature, the many citizens who volunteer their time to serve on boards and commissions, the human scale of our homes, inns and commercial buildings, our narrow streets winding around trees and the many parks and pathways that provide miles of greenbelt.

However you feel about Carmel-by-the-Sea, I guarantee there is one constant. When we come back from wherever we've been, wend our way down into the village, see the pines silhouetted against the pale sky, smell the cool freshly-scented air and catch a glimpse of the glimmering sea, something catches in our throat —and we know we are home.

Beach Cleanup

Saturday, March 28
10 a.m. - noon

* Volunteers meet at foot of Ocean Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and cookies served courtesy of The Carmel Coffee House and Safeway Stores, Carmel.
* Thanks to the Pine Cone for the ad donated each month!

Design Review Board dissolution on hold

In March, the City Council considered City Administrator Rich Guillen's recommendation to dissolve the Design Review Board and merge its duties with the Planning Commission. Reasons cited were ensuring more consistency for applicants and reducing the workload for staff. Arguments against this action were that the Planning Commission would probably have to resume two meetings per month to handle the workload, thus not reducing staff time. On consistency, it was pointed out that applicants never switch back and forth among reviewing bodies.

Speaking on behalf of the CRA Board of Directors, President Barbara Livingston said, "We ask for a continuance of this agenda item until such time as the mayor can meet with chairs of Planning Commission and Design Review Board to get their input on this proposed consolidation, and we ask that staff carefully research the original intent of council to establish a Design Review Board, including the functions it was to provide. Until that information becomes available, it seems premature to consider a merger of the Design Review Board with the Planning Commission."

No one from the audience spoke in favor of the dissolution.

The Council postponed a decision on this item until its April meeting.

Waste Management rate increase postponed

Carmel's trash collection service, Waste Management/Carmel Marina Corporation, has asked the city to approve a 2.48% rate increase. At the Feb. City Council meeting, speaking on behalf of the CRA board, Greg D'Ambrosio said, "The Carmel Marina Corporation provides a wide array of personalized collection services to our residents, businesses and municipal government. They have been a great partner for well over 5 decades and have worked closely with the city creating numerous cost efficient innovative new services that other communities would envy.

"Before council approves the 2.48% rate hike requested by Waste Management/Carmel Marina Corporation, I would ask these questions:

"1. Has the city regularly audited all collection services performed by Carmel Marina Corporation, as delineated in the Carmel Waste Collection Services Contract, through an on-going monitoring program to assure the rate payers are receiving the services paid for?

"2. Are the municipal collection services that Carmel rate payers subsidize as part of their bill meeting the goals and expectations as defined in the city's contract?

"If the answer is yes, outstanding! If the answer to either of these questions is no—then I would recommend that the city step back and carefully evaluate each of the service requirements in the contract and correct any deficiencies. The CRA Board wants all residential, business and municipal services to receive as much bang for the buck as possible."

The City Council has postponed approval of this rate increase request.

Former Mayor Ken White named 2008 Citizen of the Year

Former Carmel-by-the-Sea Mayor Ken White was named 2008 Citizen of the Year at the Carmel Residents Association's 20th Citizen of the Year Celebration at the Carmel Woman's Club on Feb. 22. This is the CRA's signature event, where the community comes together.

Carmel Residents Association board member and presenter Tom Parks elicited laughter from the capacity audience with his initial clues as to the identity of the award winner:

"The 2008 Citizen of the Year

"... has a post office box at 93921;

"... is of voting age;

"... has lost at least $200 in the stock market;

"... is not a vegan ... "

But when Parks mentioned the awardee's work on the Salvation Army Board, 25 years as a volunteer fireman, former chair of the local school board and Carmel Youth baseball coach, the audience began to nod and smile as they realized he was describing Ken White.

After naming White, Tom Parks read part of a letter one nominator had written, "Ken exemplifies a lifetime of community service not only to Carmel but also to many other worthy causes. His leadership, passion, sincerity, empathy for those less fortunate, and his selfless obsession for maintaining the spectacular quaintness of Carmel-by-the-Sea make him a perfect candidate to receive the prestigious 2008 Carmel Citizen of the Year award."

Before his election as Carmel's mayor, White served on the Forest and Beach, Planning and Recreation Commissions. He was instrumental in initiating, and the major impetus behind the renovation of Sunset Center. He also helped to organize the award-winning St. Bernard project. Our Citizen of the Year currently serves as the president of the Friends of Sunset Foundation and chair of the Carmel Area Waste Water District.

As mayor, White was seen as a unifying force in the village—making sure that residents from all segments of the community were appointed to commissions and boards, listened to and given a say in city government.

In addition a Vern Yadon watercolor, presented to White by Carmel Residents Association President Barbara Livingston, he was honored by Carmel Mayor Sue McCloud and An McDowell, field representative for Assemblyman Bill Monning, and received certificates of appreciation from Congressman Sam Farr and Assemblyman Abel Maldonado.

Event chair Casey MacKenzie made sure that every detail of the afternoon was perfect. The Valentine's Day decor was elaborate and colorful. Former Citizens of the Year were bedecked with beautiful red ribbons with a pendant indicating the year of their award—made for them by MacKenzie.

A highlight of the afternoon was the beautifully-decorated chocolate and whipped cream cake generously donated by Magdy Ibrahim, Carmel Residents Association member and owner of Patisserie Boissière, the restaurant and bakery on the Mission Street side of Carmel Plaza. The unique hors d'oeuvres by Michael Jones of A Moveable Feast were also a great hit.

This new piece of equipment might save your life!

by Captain Mitch Kastros, Carmel Fire Department

Last December, the Carmel Fire Department was presented with a check for $25,302 from Monterey Insurance Agencies. Owner, Paul Bystrowski, in conjunction with the Heritage Reward Program of Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, was responsible for this generous gift, which is being used to purchase equipment to help the fire department enhance its level of service to the community.

About half of this money was used to purchase an emergency medical item which has already paid huge dividends. The AutoPulse non-invasive cardiac support pump is a machine designed to deliver chest compressions to patients needing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). On February 3, the AutoPulse was used for the first time by Carmel Fire personnel on a patient who, because of the quality of this new device and the efforts of the emergency responders, survived cardiac arrest.

This device, currently in use across the U.S. and worldwide, is the first cardiac support pump of its kind used in Monterey County. With the recent implementation of the AutoPulse, Carmel Fire Department is now better prepared to deal with sudden cardiac arrest than ever before.

The AutoPulse, made by Zoll Medical Corporation of Chelmsford, Mass., is an FDA-approved device which can improve blood flow during sudden cardiac arrest beyond what a heart beating on its own can do. The automated, portable machine is comprised of a backboard and a simple LifeBand, which fastens across a victim's chest. The AutoPulse compresses the entire chest in a unique, consistent "hands-free" manner, moving much more blood than could ever be done with human hands during CPR.

Additionally, it offers the benefit of freeing up rescuers to focus on other life-saving interventions, such as artificial breathing, which must still be administered. The human toll from sudden cardiac arrest is alarming and is the leading cause of unexpected death in the world, often striking without warning. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 460,000 deaths each year from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and only about 5 percent of victims survive. The American Heart Association estimates that focusing on a strong chain of survival (early access to care, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced medical care) can increase survival rates to 20 percent or more and could save at least 40,000 lives each year. Thanks to the generosity of Monterey Insurance Agencies and Fireman's Fund Insurance, utilizing the AutoPulse gives Carmel Fire Department the capability of exceeding these expectations in treating cardiac arrest patients.

The rest of the gift will be used to purchase equipment for the new fire engine, which is scheduled for delivery sometime this month. This includes hose adapters and accessories, a new lighting system, radio equipment, hand tools and a mounted fire extinguishing system.

[At the March City Council meeting, Carmel firefighters Mitch Kastros, Graham Evans and David Meurer demonstrated the AutoPulse on "Little Annie," the CPR mannequin.]

Artists to Shine in May

After a two year hiatus, the Carmel Residents Association will spotlight our artist members in May. One of our most popular events, Celebrating the Artists Among Us, will be held at the Cherry Center for the Arts on Thursday, May 28. Writers, painters, sculptors, calligraphers, wood carvers, art ceramicists and photographers will be center stage for the afternoon. The gallery will feature works of the two and three-dimensional artists, and writers will read from their works on the stage. Refreshments will be served in the Cherry Center's sculpture garden.

Event chair Frankie Laney says, "Contact details will be in our next newsletter. In the meantime, get those creative juices flowing."

Special meeting on fire dept. merger

A special City Council meeting has been scheduled for Wed., March 25, at 4:30 p.m. in City Council chambers to discuss a possible merger of the Carmel Fire Department with Monterey. Late last year, the Pacific Grove Fire Department was taken over by Monterey. Carmel is currently operating with a contract from the city of Monterey for its fire service administration and duty chiefs.

The Monterey Peninsula in Film

Free Local History Lecture

The March 30 Local History Lecture will be held at 2 p.m. in Carlson Hall at the Church of the Wayfarer, Lincoln at 7th. Join Doug Lumsden, owner and operator of Monterey Movie Tours, as he guides you through the Monterey Peninsula's movie-making history. Accompanied with movie clips, you will take a trip back through time as Lumsden highlights the movies, stars and local spots that have graced the silver screen. Doug Lumsden has been a past director and is currently an advisor to the Monterey County Film Commission.

It's budget season!

You can see in this month's Editorial the budget priorities which the Carmel Residents Association Board of Directors feels are most vital for the protection and preservation of our community assets. We would appreciate your attending the meetings below, especially the first workshop on April 2, and either supporting CRA's priorities or letting the City Council know what you think is most important.

Here is the schedule. Meetings are in City Council Chambers.

Thurs., 2 April, 4:30 p.m.
Special workshop for City Council to set its 3-year goals and priorities

Wed., 15 April, 4:30 p.m.
Planning commission will review the 2009/2010 Capital Improvement Program

Thurs., 7 May, 4:30 p.m.
Special meeting for council to receive proposed budget from the city administrator

Thurs., 28 May, 4:30 p.m.
City Council workshop study session and public hearing to review/adopt budget

Tues., 9 June, 4:30 p.m.
Special City Council Meeting (if budget not adopted on May 28)—public hearing to review/adopt budget

Need a spot for a small meeting?

Eugenia Costani, event coordinator of Il Fornaio Restaurant, has been extremely cooperative in letting community groups use the Ocean Avenue Room for small meetings when it is not in service. According to CRA President Barbara Livingston, "The Carmel Residents Association has been the recipient of Il Fornaio's generosity and wants to publicly express our appreciation. Thank you, Eugenia Costani, for your outreach to the community."

Barbara suggests for those who take Il Fornaio up on this offer, "Anytime you can order coffee and pastries, wine or a pizza during or after a meeting, we are sure it would be greatly appreciated by Il Fornaio."

New member welcomed to CRA Board

The CRA Board's newest member, Kathy Fredrickson, has hit the ground running, since she was already the co-chair of "Dines Out" (with Mary Ellen Thomas) and membership chairperson for the organization—both large jobs. After the April dinner, Mary Ellen will take over "Dines Out" and Kathy will concentrate on membership.

Kathy was raised in Southern California, so Carmel was always a favorite vacation spot when she was young. She lived here for five years during the 80's when she launched a government Civil Service career at the Naval Postgraduate School. Before retirement, she lived in Bethesda, MD, where she and husband Ron were both civilian employees of the Navy—Kathy in Navy medical education and Ron, in international training.

In between, Kathy raised five children, living in California, Hawaii and Colorado. She can often be seen taking two-year old granddaughter Nora for walks in her stroller.

Besides CRA chores and caring for Nora two days a week, Kathy is a volunteer Garden Angel at Carmel Mission. "I have all the nicks and scratches on my hands to prove it," she says. "Ron and I really love living in Carmel," Kathy adds, "but then that's what everyone says, isn't it?"

Our Favorite Places

Members enjoy new restaurant in Doud Arcade

Roberta and Monte Miller write, "Its been said that 'One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever we are doing and devote our attention to eating.' With an atmosphere as warm as toast, the charcuterie Carmel Belle, tucked away in the Doud Craft Arcade, West side of San Carlos at Ocean Ave., is just the spot to stop for breakfast, lunch or just a pick-me-up snack. With everything from soup to nuts, the menu is a potpourri of yummy fresh ingredients and innovative creations. It will whet your appetite for more visits. But, don't go if you don't like a meatloaf sandwich on ciabatta bread that's to die for, or a free range roasted chicken, Brie and green apple on a baguette that you can't put down. The chef-owners are a nice, young couple, Stephen and Kristin Viguerie. It's our pick for top banana."

Then, to heap on even more praise, Nancy Collins wrote, "My sister and I had a delicious lunch at the new Carmel Belle yesterday. It really is special and I think would be well worth a mention in the CRA News. Take a peek and see how they have cleaned up and improved the look of the whole area."

Mayor McCloud is honored

Congratulations to Mayor Sue McCloud on being named 2008 Public Official of the Year by the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber wrote in the Herald, "Becoming a Public Official of the Year requires more than being elected to office. These people show tremendous amounts of dedication to the well-being and liveliness of their city, as well as improving the economy of their business community and demonstrating leadership qualities to the surrounding Peninsula."

DID YOU KNOW?

... that, according to John Farmanesh-Boca of Pacific Repertory Theater, only 10% of the U.S. population has ever seen a play ... and only 10% of that select group has seen a play since high school.

The above statistics clearly do not apply to Carmelites!

Remember that your City Council is on T.V.

City Council meetings are taped and re-broadcast
Sundays, 8 a.m. - 12 noon on
KMST Channel 26

Carmel Residents Association
P.O. Box 13
Carmel, CA 93921
Phone: 831-626-1610