Mark Warner takes long walks. On his miles-long routes through Coronado, he savors the charm that led him to move here more than 25 years ago. But sometimes, he sees something that needs to be changed.
One day, he saw four kids he guessed to be between second and fourth grades, standing at Sixth St. and Alameda Blvd. They looked terrified to cross as cars zipped by.
He helped them across the street, and then went to a July 16 meeting of the Coronado City Council. He’d long seen cars speeding through that intersection, slamming their breaks because they did not see the stop sign, or bolting through the intersection entirely.
At that meeting, the council was approving its contract for crossing guards at various intersections in the city. Warner asked that the city consider adding a guard at Sixth St. and Alameda Blvd.
The council was not only amenable, but asked city staff to expedite the process. Warner said that at the end of the meeting, City Manager Tina Friend thanked him for his idea and said she had already contacted the police chief.
“What a great example of a local government being reactive to the needs of the community,” Warner said.
Warner is among the latest to join the race for an open city council seat, but two months ago, he wasn’t even thinking about it. In fact, he said, “politics” was long a four-letter word in his mind. However, after several community members suggested he run, he has decided to enter the race. He has long been volunteering as a way of giving back, and he sees this as a way to continue that.
“City council is a major step, and it takes a lot of time to do it right,” Warner said. “And if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to do it right.”
Although he’s been involved in Coronado for years, his career in commercial real estate limited his time. Years ago, when he was approached about being the president of Rotary Club of Coronado, he said no. He was too busy back then, and they didn’t deserve an average president, he said. In addition to Rotary, Warner has sat on the board of the Coronado Yacht Club, including as commodore, and he is a commissioner on the city’s Historic Resources Board.
His skills in business and leadership, he said, will help him give back to the city through responsible management. All candidates are passionate, he said, but a council member needs experience.
“I’ve done a lot of capital projects in my life,” Warner said. “I understand cash flows, I understand real estate, I get all of the pieces of the puzzle. I’ve owned companies with 175 employees. The overarching responsibility of a council member is to run a city, and that includes employees, development, budget – all these moving, complicated parts.”
Warner says that if he wins, four years from now, he will be digging into the minutiae of council agendas and reports.
And he’ll be asking questions, he said. His kids tease him about how incessant they are. He can’t help it.
He has questions about the city’s recently changed policy on beach fires. The city council originally voted to ban most beach fires, then changed its policy, largely to compromise with residents who balked at the change. However, that policy was then rescinded, with the final policy adapted to avoid needing approval from the California Coastal Commission, which protects public access to the beach.
But what, Warner mused, does a beach fire have to do with access to the beach? Other activities are banned from the state’s beaches. Why do fires, specifically, fall under the umbrella of “access?”
“Why are we at least not taking a shot and taking this to the Coastal Commission?” he asked. “I would bet that more people want to have a beer on the beach than a bonfire. Some fights are worth it. Is this worth it? I don’t know. But I want to find out.”
He also has questions about the Cays Park masterplan, which was recently approved and carries an estimated budget of $31.2 million. Why is the estimated $13-15 million in required maintenance for items such as irrigation and sod so high? What can the city scale back?
And he has questions about infrastructure. Is the city being proactive in its maintenance of its storm drain pump stations? The Yacht Club used to have frequent issues with its sump pump. Always, it seemed, on a Friday evening, rendering disaster through the weekend until the pump could be replaced. Warner finally asked: Why don’t we have a spare on hand? The club acquired one, and the next time the pump failed, the damage was short-lived and minimal.
“Is it the city’s responsibility that it rained? No,” Warner said, turning the conversation to a January storm that flooded much of the city. “Is it our responsibility that the city is flat? No. Is it fault that it was high tide (and the storm drains couldn’t empty into the ocean)? No.”
But the storms keep coming, Warner said. He wants to make sure Coronado is being proactive: Spend the money now on prevention, rather than later, when businesses and residences are at risk.
“We have a responsibility to be ready for the worst situation,” Warner said. “That should be the overarching theme of how you do government: Treat them like your neighbors, because guess what? They are my neighbors. They’re my friends. And four years from now, they’re still going to be my neighbors, but I hope they’ll still be my friends.”
Overall, Warner said, he is happy with how Coronado is governed. He simply wants to ensure it continues on its path and adapts. Look at how much artificial intelligence has evolved in just the last year, he muses. How can the city harness AI to serve its citizens better?
His kids are right: Warner does ask a lot of questions.
