In Morro Bay, incumbent Mayor John Headding, who has held the position for the past four years and was elected to the City Council in 2014, is running against longtime resident and business owner Carla Wixom, who previously ran for the position in 2014.
New Times asked both candidates a handful of questions on several issues impacting the community to help voters learn where they stand.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
New Times: What’s your opinion regarding the proposed lithium-ion battery plant?
Carla Wixom: Great project, wrong location. I support renewable energies and storage facilities, but I am not supportive of the proposed location. I have asked many “why” questions regarding this project. Why place this facility across from our estuary and ocean when it is not ocean-dependent? Why construct this facility in an area subject to sea level rise and tsunami hazard zone, in the middle of our visitor-serving community, and near our high school? Are corporate interests dictating our future? There is great concern over the safety of these systems based on many incidents that have occurred in existing facilities. I will base my decisions on factual information and outreach to the community.
John Headding: As a current City Council member I have no position on the proposed Vistra battery plant. Vistra, the private property owner of the plant, has proposed a project that includes a battery energy storage facility and demolition of the stacks/existing building. The proposal is currently going through the usual administrative city review process, including CEQA analysis, and an environmental impact report is being completed. Once this information, which is extensive, is finalized, it will be presented to the Planning Commission for public hearings and then a formal recommendation to the City Council. At that time, the City Council will review the information provided and hold public hearings as well.
NT: What are your plans for creating affordable housing in Morro Bay, and how will you address short-term rentals affecting housing issues?
CW: There is currently a project in the process of being built in Morro Bay to provide affordable housing. One project is not enough. I will work to support benefits to mixed-use projects and housing projects that will provide long-term affordable housing opportunities. Morro Bay has allowed many housing units to be converted to short-term rentals (STRs) over the past few years—many more than other communities our size in our county. This has added to a shortage of available rental housing and has caused an unaffordable increase in the cost of renting in Morro Bay. STRs are best suited in our commercial areas, as they are a business.
JH: The City Council recently approved a 30-unit affordable housing complex that is being completed on Atascadero Road in Morro Bay. The city desperately needs to significantly increase the availability of affordable/workforce housing. We have made it one of our four city goals to address this issue. Strategies for increasing the availability of more affordable housing include identifying opportunity sites where housing can be developed and working with developers to encourage such development. Additionally, we are revising our zoning code to allow for greater densities. Lastly, we have created a multidisciplinary group … to create a master plan for potential development of affordable housing within the city.
NT: How should the city of Morro Bay approach wind energy to make sure that the city maximizes any economic benefits that come from the offshore wind energy project?
CW: This is a federal project, and we have limited input regarding the ocean leases. I will look out for our community and our fishing interests. I am concerned for the long-term changes this will bring to our local fishing industry as well as potential environmental concerns. There are opportunities for maritime trade, offices, and crew boats, but I see that as somewhat limited in that our harbor is not a deep-water port. There are existing transmission lines that have potential revenue for Morro Bay when the installations are complete. There will also be many jobs during the construction phases of this project. There should be an array of public benefits offered to our community as they move forward with these projects.
JH: The city has been working for years on this initiative. I personally have been a member of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) interagency team since its inception five years ago. The leasing process is totally under the control of BOEM; however once leases are let, it will be important for the city to engage with the lessees to develop potential relationships for the future. I personally have been involved on a number of county initiatives to study the potential for deep-water port in San Luis Obispo County as well as an operations and maintenance facility for wind farms that are developed. Morro Bay is ideally suited to be the site for an operations and maintenance facility.
NT: How do you plan on revitalizing the harbor?
CW: It’s unfortunate that there has not been a long-term plan and action in place to address the failing infrastructure over the last several years and has now forced a tax initiative on the ballot to fund those needs. If B-22 does not pass there are opportunities to apply for grants. Morro Bay is a safe harbor; there are state and federal grants available we can seek as well as from the California Department of Boating and Waterways to support repairs of the launch ramp. We currently have monies allocated to Morro Bay from the federal government for pier repairs. Measures Q and E local city taxes provide funding to be shared among public safety departments. There should also be opportunity for funding harbor needs through wind energy companies that will be utilizing our harbor.
JH: Measure B-22 is a citizens’ initiative that was placed on the ballot after qualifying with the requisite number of required voter signatures. I support the initiative, as funding for our harbor infrastructure is sorely lacking and has been for decades. The Embarcadero is the area of the city that attracts tourists, and the infrastructure must be maintained. The current capital needs are estimated to be between $600,000 and $800,000 per year. The funding provided by this initiative, if it is passed, would provide approximately that amount of money annually for harbor maintenance, repairs, and façade improvement. I believe it would be important to separate out the lease management responsibilities from the Harbor Department so that audits, development, and lease management could be professionally managed, which could improve revenues. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan at shwetha@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 6, 2022.