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Monday's Internet Edition, January 05, 2009.
Meet RMCSD candidates vying for seats on board
By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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The Rancho Murieta Community Services District board of directors has two open seats to be filled in the upcoming elections on Nov. 4. Running for these positions are incumbents Wayne Kuntz and Jerry Pasek, as well as new candidates Betty Ferraro and Steve Mobley.
As a precursor to the CSD Candidates’ Night on Oct. 13, the River Valley Times is providing short overviews of the candidate’s qualifications and visions for the community of RM in order to assist residents as they consider their votes.
Candidates are presented below in alphabetical order:
Betty Ferraro
Candidate Betty Ferraro has been a resident of Rancho Murieta for 10 years and says she truly enjoys being active in her community. She is a member of the Rancho Murieta Women’s Club, the River Valley Garden Club and volunteers as a facilitator for the Alzheimer's and Dementia Group. Ferraro was also responsible for drafting the security survey for the CSD earlier this year.
Ferraro describes herself as “an educator and communicator with a background in science and finance.” She feels that it is important to make sure that the CSD maintains cooperation between all entities included in the water district, including Murieta Village, the Plaza and other groups that can sometimes be overlooked. “I want to make sure that all groups are heard, that we honor what they say and get back to them in a timely manner because they are paying for our services as well,” said Ferraro.
She believes that the CSD should work on education and conservation among residents in regards to the water, as well as ensuring that RM’s water supply and operations are in compliance. Ferraro would also like to investigate employee retention and contracts in order to make sure that employees are satisfied and will stay with the district.
Ferraro said that her greatest achievement in local government was the unbiased presentation of the security survey, the collection and tabulation of results and making sure that the public was informed about those results. In terms of more personal community involvement, Ferraro said, “The most satisfying thing is helping those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia and letting them know that they’re not alone.”
Wayne Kuntz
Candidate Wayne Kuntz has lived in Rancho Murieta for over 12 years. He has been a CSD board director for eight years - four of them serving as president. Prior to his presidency, Kuntz was active in instituting a limit on the position and believes the change allows more fairness within the board.
Kuntz is also the director representing Region 2 of the California Special District Association, which spans from this area of Northern California to the Oregon boarder. He serves as a director of the Regional Water Authority and is a charter member of the LAFco Advisory Committee. In addition, Kuntz is a coordinator and trainer for Sacramento County elections.
Kuntz views land development and expanding the water treatment infrastructure as a key issue that the CSD board will continue to discuss and resolve. “Developers have come back to the table, and it will take two years for the water treatment plant to be fully operational, meaning that a decision on that will need to be made in 2009-2010,” Kuntz said. “I would love to see the water treatment plant accomplished.”
Kuntz said that he has enjoyed the work that he has done for the district and for the county, working behind the scenes to improve the living quality of the people in the area and helping to refine the governance. Kuntz views his greatest public service achievement to be the revisions he was able to make to the special districts' law. “In 2005, I spent three months at the capitol revising a law that had not been changed since its original writing in 1955,” said Kuntz. “It ended up being 330 pages of law and a lot of work, but it was an honor to be one of the two special district representatives chosen to work on the project.”
Steve Mobley
Candidate Steve Mobley has been a Rancho Murieta resident for 10 years and says he truly loves the community. After a narrow defeat two years ago, Mobley decided to run once again believing it is important to be "an active participant in community governance." A member of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (SSD) for 20 years, Mobley is also the volunteer services coordinator for the SSD. Mobley said he considers himself to be a “preservative candidate” and wants to keep the qualities of the community. “I love Rancho Murieta,” said Mobley. “I would hate to see anyone change it.” Specifically, in regards to development, water and potential incorporation, Mobley feels that it is crucial to take a timely and planned approach. “It’s important that we really discuss and take the time to make informed decisions,” said Mobley.
As law enforcement professional, he believes that the current board is going in the right direction with security. Mobley would like to see an increased security presence, however, with more effective enforcement of CC&Rs and ordinances along with the continued presence of off-duty sheriffs. The goal, said Mobley, is "to maintain the great community of Rancho Murieta for its residents."
Mobley views his position as volunteer coordinator to be one of his greatest achievements in public service. With RM soon to fall under the South Bureau section of the SSD, Mobley looks to be an effective organizing member in the midst of the change.
Jerry Pasek
Candidate Jerry Pasek has been living in Rancho Murieta in excess of 10 years. He was appointed to the board last spring after the resignation of Bill White and has been an active director for the last year and a half. Pasek is also a member of the Ad Hoc Governance Committee and was on the RM Country Club Board for six years, serving one year as president.
Pasek views the governance of Rancho Murieta as a key issue that the community will deal with in the future. “The CSD is by charter a community government, so looking at what might be the best possible governance of the future is going to be a task of the board,” said Pasek. Whether that involves several different homeowners associations, pseudo-cityhood or fully incorporated cityhood, Pasek believes that it is important to look into the future for what would not only benefit the community today, but years from now.
He also points to security as a related issue in terms of the enforcement of multiple rule structures and looking at ways to make the system more efficient and effective. Pasek also wants to continue work on the water systems to make sure that everything continues to be brought up to the present "best practices" in terms of efficient running of the system.
“Getting a governance committee together to discuss these issues, to lift the rug and investigate has been a great accomplishment,” said Pasek. While he said that ultimately it is going to be a long and slow process because of general resistance to change, he feels it is always important to strive for efficiency and effectiveness in regards to future governance. “I believe in continuous improvement, not simply a 'don’t fix it because it’s not broken' mentality,” said Pasek. "And I think that getting the people of the community to have active input in that process is important.”
To learn more about the candidates, all residents are urged to attend CSD Candidates’ Night on Oct. 13.
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