[Noozhawk’s note: There are 10 candidates running for three Santa Barbara City Council seats in the Nov. 8 election. Over the next five days, Noozhawk will be posting two candidate Q&As each day, based on the order in which the questionnaires were returned.]

                              |  2011 Election Coverage |  Complete Series Index  |

NOOZHAWK: What experiences from your professional or personal life make you uniquely qualified to be a Santa Barbara City Council member?

RANDY ROWSE: For almost 30 years, I have run a small business that employs more than 50 people in downtown Santa Barbara. I have also been involved in civic advisory committees with budgetary responsibilities. This public/private sector perspective is unique among candidates and is a strong qualification for a council position.

NOOZHAWK: Most of Santa Barbara’s labor concession agreements expire in 2012 and 2013, and CalPERS costs are expected to increase by millions of dollars. Would you support restructuring the city’s retirement or benefit plans?

RR: Everything will have to be on the table. This is a fiscal crisis that, while not caused directly by public employee pension plans, will have a harder time recovering without serious reform.

NOOZHAWK: There have been several violent attacks on Santa Barbara’s Eastside and in the Milpas area within the last three years, and residents have called for more police protection. With the limited budget, how would you realistically address that community’s concerns?

RR: We have already begun that process by authorizing the development and deployment of nonsworn patrol assistance and outreach supplement to sworn presence. Nothing beats a badge, and we’ve authorized more of those, but an authoritative presence while we build back our patrol strength will bring order to our neighborhoods in a timelier manner.

NOOZHAWK: What do you think of the General Plan’s direction?

RR: I believe that the General Plan is, with a cooperative council effort, finally going to be put to bed. I personally think that the plan’s ambitions were not adequately supported by good data. We spent a lot of time planning for hypotheticals without asking crucial questions. The result was more time and money spent than would be justified.

NOOZHAWK: If elected, what is the one issue on which you would focus to improve Santa Barbara’s quality of life?

RR: Security. The perception of unclean and unsafe areas has damaged economic and social vitality and this must be corrected if any other plan or program is to move forward.

NOOZHAWK: What is Santa Barbara’s most neglected neighborhood?

RR: Probably the one where you live. The lion’s share of the council’s focus has always been on the downtown, but the Lower Eastside neighborhood has likely suffered the most from neglect.

NOOZHAWK: What would you do to make city government more accessible to the Spanish-speaking community?

RR: I would continue the policy of all materials and broadcasts being available in Spanish.

NOOZHAWK: What is your position on funding a new Santa Barbara police station in the current fiscal environment?

RR: It’s going to be a tough sell, but the current police station is substandard to the point of being a danger during a major natural disaster We have commissioned a study to get a better number than the initial estimate, and I believe that certain aspects of the facility might be shared with other agencies in other locations to maximize efficiencies.

NOOZHAWK: Do you support the city’s attempt to get a gang injunction, limiting the activities of identified Eastside and Westside gang members? What are some other anti-gang efforts you would pursue?

RR: I claim no expertise in this area, but merely doing more of the same would have been a disservice to everyone, especially the Latino community. Some more proactive efforts toward getting some of the lesser members to “opt out” might produce some positive results, but many of these neighborhoods now live in fear. I believe involvement with neighborhood organizations that can give honest input without fear of reprisal might be a way to bring a sunset to these issues and perhaps end the need for an injunction.

NOOZHAWK: Many community policing resources have dried up, including the full-time DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and beat coordinator positions at the Santa Barbara Police Department, the Santa Barbara County truancy program and school resource officers. What low-cost solutions would you pursue to provide prevention and intervention services to the community’s young people?

RR: Once again, nothing beats a badge, but certainly DARE, truancy and school resource duties could be performed by nonsworn officers. Re-establishing beat coordinators is essential to bringing our streets back to our citizens, and those positions must be filled by sworn officers.

NOOZHAWK: Noozhawk’s Prescription for Abuse series has been exploring the misuse and abuse of prescription medications in our community. What Santa Barbara issue do you think Noozhawk should tackle next?

RR: Societal pressures on adolescents. This series would deal with peer pressure to join gangs, use drugs or alcohol, have sex, etc. — Madison Avenue’s role in perpetuating a rebel stereotype to target that market, and the structure of the nuclear family. This piece would have to be bold and willing to cross over politically sensitive issues, but we cannot expect our schools to produce assets to society on their own, particularly as we defund them.

                              |  2011 Election Coverage |  Complete Series Index  |

Additional Resources

» Click here for Randy Rowse’s campaign Web site, or call 805.618.2950. Connect with Randy Rowse on Facebook.

» Click here for more information on the city of Santa Barbara’s Nov. 8 election.

Larry Nimmer’s “Touring with the Candidates” video (www.nimmer.net)