Ever wanted to just sit down and shoot the breeze with the city manager or the mayor or opine with the Director of Public Service how his department could better serve the city, or just vent about a problem that’s been bugging you for years?
Last Thursday Chamber members had that opportunity at an event sponsored by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce. Meet Your Local Leaders was a roundtable discussion event held in the library’s Winn Room.
There was no fixed agenda and people were free to bring up any subject they wanted. Issues raised included the annual Fourth of July Fun Run, bicycle lanes, pedestrian traffic on Orange and building codes.
Mayor Casey Tanaka, City Manager Blair King, Community Development Director Rachel Hurst, Police Chief Jon Froomin, Fire Chief Mike Blood, Public Services Director Cliff Maurer, and CTID Executive Director Todd Little all participated.
Panera provided pastries and Amalo Brew brought coffee. The atmosphere was relaxed and the conversations friendly. Attendees separated into small groups and sat down with individual leaders to talk about whatever they wanted for 15 minutes. After that the group moved on to another leader.
The gathering offered an opportunity that few residents ever have with so many local officials. The mayor and members of the city council are a bit more visible. All are residents. It’s not uncommon to run into them at Boney’s or Cafe 1140, at a Rotary or Women’s Club luncheon or an Optimist breakfast.
During campaign season those running for office are out and about and more than willing to listen. You can call them, e-mail, show up at city council meetings and step up to the mike during open communications and say whatever’s on your mind.
For the most part these encounters are normally issue-specific communications. Rarely does a real dialogue ensue. On Thursday night though, for fifteen minutes or so, you could sit down and discuss topics on your mind or theirs.
King talked about his approach to running a city. “People shouldn’t have to think about it,” he said. “It’s like a car – people don’t want to think about it, they just want it to start when they put the key in the ignition.”
Tanaka reflected on his long-tenure on the city council, which will end at the end of this year. He is termed out. Overall his experience on the council has been a good one. One of the pleasures of public service in Coronado is that even though council members may differ on a special issue or policy, the atmosphere remains collegial.
“We all get along,” he said. “In all my years on the council there’s only been one member who didn’t.”
He weighed in on the upcoming municipal elections and how there’s a chance that three seats will be filled by people who have never served on the city council. “This is the first time that has ever happened,” he said. He wonders if some of the institutional knowledge will be lost.
There was also plenty of practical information passed along. For example, Hurst brought handouts. One explained what does and does not require a building permit. One participant was surprised to learn that installing a new light fixture or a sink in your bathroom require one. “It’s a safety issue,” she explained.
Another brochure, “Storefront Etiquette,” explained what is expected of shopkeepers and shoppers along Orange Avenue. It reminded both that the street was designed exclusively for pedestrians, not for dining, product displays, bicycling or skateboarding.
Hurst pointed out that there was a double-scored line on the sidewalk, called the frontage zone, where merchants can set out tables or post signs. The zone extends out about five feet from storefronts.
The idea for Meet Your Local Leader grew out of a focus group meeting the chamber held last year to learn what the local business community wanted from the organization.
“We did this last year to learn what people wanted from the chamber,” said it’s chair Phil Hammett. “We got a lot of good information.” He was hoping the same for this meeting.
A chamber representative sat in with each group and took meticulous notes. Those will be compiled and possibly realized later this summer, said Sue Gillingham, Executive-Director of the Coronado Chamber of Commerce. When asked, she wouldn’t commit to holding another forum next year, but she didn’t rule it out either.
