Editor’s note: The Coronado News has invited all City Council and mayoral candidates to submit a first-person article about their background, civic involvement and reason for running for office. We intend to run articles in the order they are received.
I have had the good fortune to live in Coronado for 25-plus years. I now am in a personal place where I have the time and energy to give back to Coronado. I feel that to be an effective community leader you need to have a wide variety of personal and professional experiences to draw on when it comes to making sound decisions that will have lasting effects. I have been an active participant in Coronado on numerous stages and I have the experience necessary to be a good civic leader. Among my volunteer activities in which I have served in several different capacities:
- Coronado Yacht Club: member of board of directors, commodore, staff commodore and 18-year member of finance committee.
- Rotary Club of Coronado board of directors.
- Coronado Maritime Foundation board of directors (six years, and counting).
- California Plaza board of directors (eight years, and counting).
- Commissioner on the Coronado Historic Resource Commission (two years with one year remaining on current term).
- Coronado Historical Association building committee (one year).
- Committee to bring Make-A-Wish to Coronado.
- Coronado High School Football Chain Gang (three years).
- Rotary beach clean-up.
- Reactivated Rotary Speech Contest.
- Reactivated Rotary Student Rotarian of the Month.
- Petitioned the City Council to add a crossing guard at 6th Street and Alameda Boulevard.
In my professional life I have 40-plus years of experience in real estate ranging from being a manager, owner, investor, appraiser, realtor and fiduciary. I have owned and sold a company I helped build, and I have worked with large local firms as well as a national real estate company.
Coronado is faced with several current issues. Due to space constraints, my comments will be limited. However, it is important that constituents know where I stand on issues.
Cays Master Plan: This project needs to be paired down to a level that allows proper maintenance of the park and needed improvements that will service the community for the foreseeable future.
Stormwater Infrastructure: The questions to be asked are, 1) does the system need to be expanded; and 2) Is the system being properly maintained? If elected I will be sitting down with the city’s Engineering Department to hear their thoughts and determine what sensible long-term solutions are available.
Tijuana Sewage Crisis: This is a federal issue. While Coronado has little leverage in solving this problem we absolutely must get and keep the needed attention from Washington, D.C., to fix the problem and to provide funds for future maintenance.
E-bike regulations: I favor the state considering e-bikes as motorized vehicles and applying the laws and regulations of motorcycles to them. This would entail minimum licensing ages, mandatory education and training, mandatory passing of a rider’s test, mandatory insurance and wearing of helmets. Once this is done, Coronado Police Department will have a legal foundation to enforce laws pertaining to e-bike riders that are reckless or unlawful.
Implantation of a single-use plastic ban: I believe that Coronado should be heading in the direction of the banning of single-use plastics. This needs to be a decision made with retailers and restaurateurs so that the affected parties have time to deplete their existing inventories and have time to set up suppliers and adjust their pricing accordingly.
Affordable housing allocation: This is a good example of big government (the state) being completely oblivious of reality and that the idea that one-shoe-fits-all approach is sensible. We must continue to try and change this decision as it is not realistic to expect Coronado to add 900-plus housing units.
These are all important issues and there are more. Coronado needs to explore replacing the Village Fire Station and the bridge entrance needs attention. These are among the many challenges that need to be addressed. Coronado needs strong leaders who possess experience and common sense. I have shown through action that I am the right person to be your new council member. Please consider voting for me. Thank you.
Mark Warner is running for a seat in City Council in the Nov. 5 elections. Mark Fleming, Andrew Gade, Christine Mott, Amy Steward and Laura Wilkinson Sinton are also running.
