Planning Group, Morro Hills, healthcare boards

The Fallbrook Community Planning Group (FCPG) is an elected body that consists of 15 residents who review development proposals of all types and recommend their disposition to the San Diego County Department of Planning and Land Use. While their job is to represent the interests of Fallbrook residents, they have no jurisdiction over decisions made by the county. Eleven seats are up for election in November.

William (Bill) Bopf first served the board as a citizen volunteer, followed by three years as an elected member. In a release he says, “I have continually voted to respect property rights of citizens of the community and only supported projects that maintained the quality village lifestyle we all want.” Bopf was instrumental in restricting the size of three development projects at 76 and I-15 from 3,500 homes to 1,400 homes. Bopf says, “I do not support the high densities presently proposed and I’ll vote and work against all densities that are not consistent with the Fallbrook community.” He brings to the board over 30 years of experience managing planning departments in six cities and was city manager of four of them, including Napa, CA, prior to coming to Fallbrook. Bopf believes his four years of service to the board and the expertise he gained as a result coupled with his experience makes him a strong asset to Fallbrook’s future planning. He has lived in Fallbrook for 19 years.

Anne Burdick believes the “continuing pressures for development must be carefully managed so that future projects maintain and enhance Fallbrook’s unique character.” It is her top priority if elected. Easing traffic congestion by controlling excessive development because of its impact on local infrastructure is of great concern. Burdick’s knowledge of the complexity of a rural community is extensive. Her father developed a 20-acre avocado grove from scratch in 1956 which still contains productive trees. She has worked on planning group committees for two years and currently serves on its Circulation and Design Review Committees. Burdick is on the board of directors of the Mission Resource Conservation District and the Board of the Friends of the Fallbrook Library and is an active member of Keep Fallbrook Clean and Green, the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, the Fallbrook Beautification Alliance and San Luis Rey Watershed Council.

Eileen Delaney has served on the board for six years. In a quote, she states, “My top priorities have been to preserve our rural lifestyle and improve traffic and roads.” Delaney believes reelecting her is the right thing to do because of her knowledge of planning, zoning ordinances, regulations and land use specific to Fallbrook. She chaired the Fallbrook Design Review committee and has served on four subcommittees. During her tenure she testified on behalf of the community at Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings and has established a working relationship with county staff members. Delaney has served as a director of the Boys & Girls Club, Chamber of Commerce, Village Association, Art & Cultural Center and Fallbrook Healthcare Foundation and is a member of many civic organizations, such as Soroptimist. If reelected Delaney says she will “…continue to work as a proactive and strong advocate for the citizens of Fallbrook and to protect our rural lifestyle and community character.”

Jerry Donohue is completing his first term on the board. In a quote he says, “In my view the Fallbrook Community Planning Group is holding the Community Plan to its goals and has succeeded in keeping the focus on our rural atmosphere.” He says his wish to be reelected is “very strong, because I want to help our community avoid excessive growth and the related traffic problems [that comes with it].” Donohue is the founder and now Executive Director of Mentoring Associates, an organization that helps children achieve in school, and is president of North County Disabled Services. Both organizations are nonprofit public benefit corporations. He wishes to continue serving the community “in the most effective manner possible.”

Thomas Harrington places at the top of his priority list working with the County Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) to assure that the rural aspect of the Fallbrook area will not be compromised by the county’s new General Plan 2020. In addition, he believes the planning group needs to demand that CalTrans take more responsibility for the Highway 76 corridor and insist they plan the improvements for the projected public need. Further, the planning group needs to encourage San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department to invest in more open space in the Fallbrook area. Harrington brings 35 years of construction and land rights issues experience working with public and private developers that includes over 23 years as a Licensed Land Surveyor in Southern California. In this capacity he believes his relationship with county DPLU staff will be an essential asset. Harrington served on the board of the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California Joint Professional Practices Riverside advisory group to the California Board of Consumer Affairs and The Morro Hills Community Services District. He was also on the board of the Riverside Chapter of the California Land Surveyors Association and the Riverside Chapter of the International Right of Way Association. He is a lifelong resident of North San Diego County.

Ron Miller believes the board must continue to be a meaningful advisory group to county government to maintain its viable community plan. He says, “Development studies predict that the Fallbrook area will be experiencing a notable growth impact that will, in turn, bring challenges to the community’s land use and design objectives.” The debate over the intrusion of high-density development projects proposed by outside elements and their impact on Fallbrook’s infrastructure that includes increased traffic is growing within the community, Miller says. Because residents of Fallbrook treasure its open spaces and rural environment he “supports the need to pursue an open space environment together with the highest community design objectives for our village.” He says it’s imperative that board members represent and respect the vision of community growth that all Fallbrook residents have. Miller has 30 years of experience as an architect and planner and was a member of the Fallbrook Design Review Board.

Roy Moosa says, “It’s important to ensure that growth can occur while still maintaining <a> rural small town atmosphere. It’s also important to help and encourage the success of businesses

in Fallbrook. Their success benefits all Fallbrook residents by encouraging renovation and developing a more attractive and vibrant downtown.” Moosa’s decision making will be guided by these criteria: retaining Fallbrook’s small town atmosphere, accepting growth as inevitable but knowing it can be steered in a direction that will retain the community’s character, believing that businesses should create and support this character and be encouraged to improve their locales and speed up the business request approval process. Moosa states, “I will more closely follow the Design Review Guidelines rather than allow personal preferences to influence decisions.” He is a local businessman who has lived in Fallbrook with his family for 12 years.

Jim Russell has served the board for 19 terms as its Chairman. In June he was chosen by the San Diego Section of the American Planning Association (APA) to receive its 2006 Citizen Leadership Award for his contribution to excellence in the field of planning. The award marked the first time it was given to a member of a planning group. Russell’s number one priority is to “ensure that the Fallbrook Community Planning Group remains an impartial advisory group that allows all points of view to be heard before a decision is made.” Russell will make certain lines of communication between the FCPG, county staff and staff of the 5th District Supervisor remain open, which “will help Fallbrook’s recommendations receive a positive consideration.” Jim Russell has lived in Fallbrook for 28 years. He is an exotic fruit grower and artist.

Paul Schaden believes the density issue facing Fallbrook is critical. To the question asking what his top priority would be if elected, he responded, “That we okay no more than 2,500 new homes to be built along the I-15

corridor. We know that we cannot stop growth but it must be done in a way that benefits the community.” Schaden served on the Fallbrook Planning Group from the early 1980s until the mid 1990s, then was reelected to the Group in 2000 and served two years. Schaden says, “I would like to return to the Planning Group because I feel that we will be facing some serious growth problems in the next few years and I want to do my bit to help this community.” He has lived and worked in the Fallbrook community for 35 years and his children were born and raised here. Schaden believes his clear, levelheaded thinking, good judgment and working knowledge of how the County Planning Department works and all “the hoops [the board] need to jump through” is an advantage to his election.

Dumonte “Monty” Voigt states, “My first priority has always been and will continue to focus on safety issues in products or community projects. Pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes are in the safety category.” Voigt believes community input is necessary for determining the future of Fallbrook. “I will continue to ask for public testimony on all issues affecting the Fallbrook Community Planning Area.” Regarding proposals from developers wishing to challenge the character of Fallbrook, Voigt believes without public input the board would lack public support. His engineering management background enables him to solve difficult problems confronting the community. As an appointed incumbent, he serves on the Circulation and Facilities subcommittees, a role he assumed after working on the Facilities subcommittee as a volunteer.

Jack F. Wood places maintaining Fallbrook’s rural way of life as development continues to fill in all available land as his number one priority. He says, “While we would like to stop growth, growth is inevitable, but I am committed to orderly growth with the best interests of the community in mind.” He is an incumbent who has gained valuable knowledge of issues pertaining to land use and circulation issues within the community. He has served on the board for four years and is currently its land use chairman. Wood has lived in Fallbrook for ten years. He is also president of the Fallbrook Rotary Club.

Morro Hills Community Service District

The Morro Hills Community Service District is an assessment districts formed to fund improvements and maintenance for various kinds of public infrastructure. State laws enable the formation of districts for road improvements, parks, open space, street lighting and various other municipal services or improvements. All districts must comply with Proposition 218 (1996), also known as the “Right to Vote on Taxes Act,” which amended the California Constitution. Only voters who reside within the boundaries of the Morro Hills Community Service District are allowed to elect their representatives. In November Bob Bell and Barbara Romero will be appointed to fill two of three full-term seats and Thomas Harrington will be appointed to fill one open short-term seat. Appointments occur when there is no contest. The Village News has chosen to profile all candidates affected by the November election.

Bob Bell has four priorities when he takes office. His primary objective is to make “sure all the maintenance is done in order to meet the requirements that were originally established when the board was created.” Establishing a budget to meet current needs and plans for long-term projects taking into consideration projected income and costs is his second goal. Homeowner tax assessments pay for a variety of maintenance and infrastructure care within the district. Bell says he will “resist any further financial burdens on the residents. We do not need any special assessments or bond issues to carryout the purpose of the MH Special District.” Last, he plans to promote greater harmony within the district. “We are neighbors. Respect for each other is extremely important,” Bell says. He has a business background in California, first as a corporate executive and now as an insurance broker for over 23 years. He has an office in Bonsall.

Barbara Romero believes her most important contributions will be to “focus on the maintenance of the roads/drains/pipes for the good of the community and the public.” She says she will work along with the other board members to ensure that proper maintenance is done. Romero is a concerned resident of the district.

Thomas Harrington believes his 35 years of construction and land rights issues experience working with public and private developers that includes over 23 years as a Licensed Land Surveyor in Southern California will serve him well on this board as well as his relationship with county DPLU staff. Harrington served on the board of the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California Joint Professional Practices Riverside advisory group to the California Board of Consumer Affairs and the Morro Hills Community Services District. He is a lifelong resident of North San Diego County.

Fallbrook Healthcare District

The five-member board of trustees of the Fallbrook Healthcare District assesses and provides financial solutions to the healthcare needs within their district. They administer the district’s tax revenues collected for this purpose. The board also manages other assets of the district and fund-approved 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that apply for grant funding from district tax revenues. Their goal is to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. Two full-term and one short-term member seats are open. Since there are no contestants for this race, according to the California Election Code the individuals who qualified for election will automatically be appointed. Their names will not be on the ballot. Milton G. Davies, Gordon W. Tinker and Daniel A. Goldberg are those candidates.

Milton G. Davies’ “…number one priority for the Fallbrook Healthcare District will be to secure property for a future new hospital in or around the immediate area where the present hospital is located.” This would ensure continuing support of the convalescent and assisted living homes, doctors’ offices, labs and pharmacies that, with the hospital, now make up the heart of Fallbrook’s medical community. Davies is also concerned that efforts to move the hospital to I-15 and Highway 76, nine miles from Fallbrook, would put patients at risk. Managing the district’s tax dollars to ensure a balance between funding local medical needs and setting aside money for a new hospital is his second priority. “I believe a cap on these programs is in order of approximately $325,000 per year. This will allow for local assistance to clinics and programs and contribute over $1 million per year to a savings program for a new facility,” he says in a prepared statement. Davies is a 55-year resident of Fallbrook who recently retired from the North County Fire Protection District after 42 years. He has served on the board of governance of Fallbrook Hospital as a Trustee of Community Health Systems and the board of the Fallbrook Public Utility District.

Gordon W. Tinker asserts that fiscal responsibility is essential for the district. “Over a year ago, administrative costs were reduced significantly by eliminating many director perks, and I concur with that decision.” He was appointed to the board in 2005 and elected its president earlier this year. “I believe their current budget allocation of property tax revenues — 65 percent to reserves, 35 percent to supporting community-based healthcare organizations and 10 percent to administration — is prudent,” Tinker says. District contributions toward meeting healthcare needs in Fallbrook enhance benefits to individuals whose needs might not otherwise be met, he says. Tinker has lived in Fallbrook for 31 years and recently retired as general manager of the Fallbrook Public Utility District. He also served on the Fallbrook Community Planning Group board for eight years.

Daniel A. Goldberg did not respond to requests for candidate information.