For Council Candidate Knight, Infrastructure Fixes Will Be Top Priority

With the Nov. 8 elections fast approaching, eight candidates are vying for three open seats on the .

Candidates are Eric Alegria, small business owner and teacher; Susan Brooks, former Rancho Palos Verdes mayor; Ken Dyda, former Rancho Palos Verdes mayor; Dave Emenhiser, current Rancho Palos Verdes planning commissioner; Dora de la Rosa, current PVPUSD Board of Education president; Jim Knight, current Rancho Palos Verdes planning commissioner; Jerry Duhovic, current vice chair of the RPV Finance Advisory Committee; and Cynthia Smith.

Palos Verdes Patch asked candidates to talk about their campaigns, in addition to what each would bring to the council if elected.

Here is how Knight responded to a Patch questionnaire about his campaign:

Palos Verdes Patch: If elected, what would be your top priorities in the city?

Jim Knight: First is to take care of our infrastructure. San Ramon Canyon is eroding away the underpinnings of Palos Verdes Drive East at the switchbacks and we need to implement an engineered drainage plan to prevent any further erosion. We have a state matching grant in place for about half of the $19 million total estimated fix and we need to find federal grant monies to fill in the difference. This is a major public safety issue. We need to get L.A. County and the City of Los Angeles to pony up for their shared responsibility in this project.

We need to continue with our upgrading of our storm drain system to prevent any flooding damage or more sink holes.

Second, I want to encourage this city to take a look at using our tax dollars more wisely by implementing municipal water and energy saving plans, utilize the latest technology to better integrate our city departments and reduce staff redundancy.

PV Patch: What makes you best suited for a spot on the council?

Knight: I am a person of action, not words. I am the only candidate with over a decade of current experience working on important issues challenging the city. I was appointed vice chair of an Open Space Task Force to make recommendations to the city with respect to appropriate use of both active and passive parks. I am the only candidate who has eight years experience on the Planning Commission during which time I have held strong to a low density, neighborhood compatible development and properly conditioning larger projects to minimize the impact to our residents. I have been chosen to be a part of the Leadership Academy in which we were challenged with current city issues and try to find solutions to those problems.

I developed a Green Building Program with city staff in order to help guide and give incentives for our residents who voluntarily want to build in an energy, water efficient and sustainable manner. I am the only candidate with the Sierra Club endorsement.

PV Patch: What are the biggest issues facing Rancho Palos Verdes?

Knight: As mentioned above, our infrastructure. In addition to San Ramon, our storm drains, we need to take a look at the condition of our sewer system and make sure we are not on the brink of a major break. Being vice chair of the Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District, I have access to information and geotechnical experts that could help mitigate the Portuguese Bend Landslide and possibly reduce the annual $500,000 repair of Palos Verdes Drive South.

PV Patch: How might you conduct business differently than the current council?

Knight: First, our residents need to be heard and treated with respect. We are so lucky to have so many intelligent, involved citizens who should be given a greater voice in the city process. I would reach out more to our residents as issues come before the city and make sure they have all of the information they need readily available to understand those issues and provide them the forum in which to express their ideas/concerns.

All decision makers need to fully study the issues and respectfully listen to their constituents. This doesn’t mean that all will agree. Once on the Planning Commission an applicant came forth, made his presentation and after having studied the project carefully I could not make the findings and denied the project. In the hall at a break, the applicant said “Thank you.” I was shocked and asked why he would thank me for denying his project. He said, “Thank you for listening to me and thank you for articulating your decision and incorporating what I had said into your decision.” Despite the fact his project was denied, he felt he had a fair hearing and that is something that he had not always encountered with decision makers.

PV Patch: Are there any issues you feel deserve more attention in the city? How would you address them?

Knight: We need to engage some areas of this wide spread city and reach out to find out what particular issues they face and work together to find solutions.

I also want to have some meetings with the businesses on Western Avenue and find out what we can do to make their businesses more successful. There are grants available to upgrade this corridor with enhancements of transportation for pedestrians, bikes and buses and develop a uniform, attractive appearance.

PV Patch: Where do you stand on the city’s ?

Knight: We run a pretty tight ship as it is. The city staff’s salary and benefits per capita is the lowest (as well as the population served per employee is the highest) in the South Bay of comparable sized cities including Lomita, Carson and Lawndale. This was before the recent cut in their salary.

Yet several of the council members and some other candidates want to cut staff’s compensation even more which is probably why the employees have decided for the first time in our 38-year existence to form a collective bargaining association. This decision is going to cost the city in several ways: someone is going to have to be paid to represent the employees; a labor attorney will have to get involved; staff morale will be lowered with this polarized environment and we may not get the same enthusiasm from staff to go the extra mile; and when we go to recruit new people, such as a much needed public works director, it will be harder to attract good quality applicants with this divisive, uncertain environment.

I have run several private companies and I have always found the most beneficial (and cost effective) way to deal with employment is to treat employees with respect, fairly compensate them and recognize their accomplishments. The wholehearted energy they give in return is a bonus that does not cost the employer anything.

Are there ways to save taxpayers money without disenfranchising staff? You bet. As I mentioned before, a more efficient use of city resources (energy, water), better coordination of departments with upgraded technology and elimination of any staff redundancy.

Click here for more information on Knight's campaign. And visit Palos Verdes Patch for more candidate responses in the coming days.