Robert Davis
Morro Bay City Council
| Website: | RobertRedDavis.com |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/robertfuller.davis |
| Why are you running for office?: | I love Morro Bay and I support the direction in which we are going. I am proud of what we have accomplished in the past four years and what we are planning to do over the next 10 years. My passion is to help my city prosper and grow. My vision of Morro Bay is that we are a small town that takes care of its citizens and welcomes visitors. We need to build a sense of community in Morro Bay, people finding common ground to build on for the common good. Collaboration is the key to success. I value for Morro Bay its, small town atmosphere, scenic surroundings, open space and parks, outdoor activities, small business owners, citizen volunteers and participative government. I want our city to provide a good living standard for the people who want to live here. That includes affordable housing, a variety of businesses and entertainment, small town atmosphere, scenic surroundings and open space, outdoor exercise opportunities and an affordable getaway for visitors |
| What makes you qualified for the job?: | I am proud of what we have accomplished in the past 4 years and what we are planning to do over the next 10 years. We are building a new water reclamation facility that is going to convert wastewater into drinking water and replenish the Morro Bay aquifer. We will stop dumping 1,000,000 gallons of wastewater a day into the Pacific Ocean. We will become water-independent and drought-proof. We are updating our General Plan/Local Coastal Program and our zoning ordinance. That will lay out a blueprint for future development with significant input from the people of Morro Bay. We have built a Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero. We’ve hired a new city manager and begun a comprehensive program of economic development in partnership with the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce. We are working with Castle Wind to develop renewable energy and a new industry for our City and our fishermen. We have embraced a strategic planning process that helps us develop our city in a thoughtful and methodical way – paying attention to housing needs, economic development and support for our local business community. We have annexed Dog Beach in order to keep it open and dog-friendly and we continue to work with stakeholders to protect the Chevron property as open space with recreational opportunities. We have updated our Tidelands Trust Lease Policy and we are using it to develop a Sustainable Harbor Plan that will replace aging infrastructure and develop a Working Waterfront.  |
| What are your two main priorities if you win?: | Complete water recycling so that we become water-independent and drought-proof. Continue work with the Chamber to develop a more diverse local economy. |
| How will you interact with other governments?: | We work in am atmosphere of collegiate congeniality, sharing experiences, resources and aspirations. I continue to serve on County boards - SLOCOG, SLORTA, HSOC - and we work cooperatively to help all the people in our county. I worked with Congressman Carbajal two years ago to help the Coast Guard service members during the government shutdown. We all work together when the need arises. |
| What are your plans to help overcome COVID-19?: | In spite of our efforts to encourage people to stay away, advertising that Morro Bay is not welcoming visitors, they come, in numbers that we have never seen before in our history. Our staff is making heroic efforts to deal with trash, traffic, face coverings and social distancing. Council has authorized expenditures to do the things that responsible cities do – we provide extra rest room servicing and additional porta-potties. We’ve brought in more dumpsters and trash bins. We are paying overtime and we’ve hired additional part-time staff. Our police officers issue warnings and masks to those who need them. These are measures that we take with great regard for the health and safety of residents and visitors alike. The issue of revenue is for the future. Right now we deal with the immediate need to provide a safe haven for the many people from other areas who come here for recreation and relief from their home situations. |
| Which two issues are most important to you?: | Implementation of Measure E Sales Tax initiative to maintain core health and safety services for our residents and visitors. Affordable workforce housing to provide opportunities for young working families and local workers in service industries to live in Morro Bay. |
