With the election one month away, Emerald Keepers asked the four candidates running for two open seats on the Coronado City Council questions about local environmental issues. Rebecca King, Andrew Gade, Kelly Purvis, and Ricky Hoyt were requested to answer each question in 200 words or less and not include the Tijuana Sewage Crisis, because that issue has been previously discussed.
Q: How do you envision Coronado becoming an environmental leader?
Andrew Gade: I believe Coronado is already on track to be an environmental leader. Along with other California cities, Coronado has championed for environmentally sustainable policies and regulations. There will always be more we can do, but we can’t let that distract us from our ultimate goal.
Ricky Hoyt: Did not respond.
Rebecca King: Coronado can lead by enacting policies that support a cleaner environment and following through on them. That means enforcing the ordinances we have passed, making decisions based on science, and partnering with nonprofit groups like Emerald Keepers to educate residents on how they can make a difference. The City should model sustainability in its own events, contracts, and buildings. Coronado has already adopted several plans such as its Climate Action Plan and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Adaptation Plan, but to be an environmental leader, the City needs to implement them.
Kelly Purvis: Coronado must lead by protecting the extraordinary natural resources that define our community, while pursuing practical, innovative and measurable solutions. Environmental challenges don’t stop at city boundaries, which is why I strongly believe in collaborative partnerships with other coastal cities — sharing best practices, advocating together, and tackling common challenges like coastal resilience and restoration, sea-level rise, water quality, waste reduction, prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and protecting our ocean, bay and beaches. I advocated for our recent membership in San Diego Community Power, and it is another important step forward. As Coronado’s representative on its board, I will work to ensure our community benefits from cleaner, more affordable energy choices, local programs and incentives, and opportunities for innovation.
Q: If elected to City Council, what would be your priorities to protect our environment?
Kelly Purvis: My priorities are protecting our beaches and coastal waters, reducing waste, conserving resources, and strengthening environmental education through partnerships with local environmental nonprofits. Coronado has already adopted a strong single-use plastic reduction ordinance. Now we must ensure residents, businesses and visitors understand it and that it is consistently enforced.
Environmental leadership requires more than adopting policies. It means educating our community, measuring results, enforcing our standards, and working together to make Coronado cleaner, healthier and more resilient for future generations.
Rebecca King: Beyond a permanent solution to the cross-border pollution crisis, my priorities include:
- Enforcing our plastics ordinance. Ordinances only work if enforced. I’ll seek public compliance reports, education first, penalties for repeat violations, and the same standard for City events.
- Replacing aging stormwater and wastewater pipes and pumps before failures pollute our streets, bay, and ocean.
- Adding solar to new City facilities and, where feasible, renovations.
- Protecting our tree canopy. Council should review the Street Tree Master Plan and assess whether merging the Street Tree Committee into the Parks and Recreation Commission has affected tree protection.
Ricky Hoyt: Did not respond.
Andrew Gade: We can become environmentally sustainable and be fiscally responsible at the same time. Investing in our environment is an investment in our future. I will support policies that protect our environment.
