Mike Gibson's Response
to the 2007 Environmental Questionnaire

1. How do you value city beaches, and what do you see as priority issues for them?

Mike Gibson: I place a very high value on the City's beaches. I believe the beaches are a very important, if not the most important, component of the City of Ventura's identity and distinct character as a beach community. The beaches are a major factor in the desirability of the City as a place to live and work, as well as it’s attraction for tourism and location of new businesses. They are an important public resource that the City has an obligation to preserve and care for.

2. How will you correct the current lack of safe north/south bicycle routs within the Ventura Avenue community, and the lack of connection to the ocean?

Mike Gibson: As a member of the City Council, I would advocate creating more linkages throughout the City's bicycle path network system to promote better connections to the ocean as well as other desirable locations. As your question indicates, there is currently a lack of bikeway connections to the beaches from the Ventura Avenue area, which is unfortunate given the high level of bicycle usage and dependency in this area of the community.

In terms of funding these additional bikeway connections, I would propose that the City pursue State and federal grant funds for bikeway construction with the City matching a certain percentage to better leverage these funds. I would also advocate working more closely with the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to identify and prioritize the funding that the VCTC allocates annually for bikeway improvements.

3. The architecture “2030 Challenge”, which was unanimously endorsed by the US Conference of Mayors, calls for energy reduction of all new and renovated buildings incrementally over the next 25 years, until in 2030 they use no more energy to construct and operate than they produce. Should Ventura sign up to take the challenge? How could we begin to accomplish the goal of “carbon neutral” buildings by 2030?

Mike Gibson: I think there are many opportunities to move towards "carbon neutral" buildings by 2030 by some innovative approaches to building design that encourages new, renewable energy technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions and use energy in more efficient and environmentally-sensitive ways.

4. What changes would you promote for the Victoria Corridor, and how do they tie into our natural environment and quality of life?

Mike Gibson: I think the Victoria Corridor has some opportunities to move towards less traffic generating uses in the future by virtue of the type of development that is approved there in the future. For example, more light office space use as opposed to retail/strip mall centers along Victoria would help in this regard.

Having said this, however, I disagreed strongly with many of the recommendations that came out of the expensive Victoria Corridor study that was commissioned by the City for approximately $250,000. Most of the recommendations that came out of this study are not feasible for Victoria, which is a major thoroughfare through the center of town, with two freeways bisecting it (the 101 & the 126), two major arterials (Telephone & Telegraph), and some major employment and traffic generators (County Government Center, Ventura College, various shops and restaurants, etc.

5. What actions will you take as a city council member to ensure that the greenbelts and farmland surrounding the City of Ventura are protected in perpetuity, and that any future growth is accommodated within the city's existing footprint utilizing the principles of smart growth and sustainability?

Mike Gibson: I believe that the existing measures designed to protect the greenbelts and farmland surrounding the City of Ventura, such as SOAR and the hillside preservation ordinance, are working quite well. In addition, the City's current General Plan limits growth and new development within the City's existing footprint already by mandating in-fill development and redevelopment of existing land. The principles of smart growth and sustainability are embedded in the General Plan as policy guidelines that are followed as new development projects are approved. As a City Council member, I would certainly commit to continuing to support these voter-approved measures (SOAR and the hillside protection ordinance), as well as the policies contained in the General Plan (which were developed through much input and involvement by the community), all of which are essential to maintaining the quality of life Venturans value so highly.

6. Would the protection of the Ventura River benefit the City of Ventura? If so, how?

Mike Gibson: Yes, I believe the protection of the Ventura River would benefit the City of Ventura because the river is inextricably linked to the City's ecology and provides a connectivity of the hillsides with the ocean. It's relationship and functionality with the beach, the ocean, and the hillsides as an important tributary on the west side of the City boundaries in unquestionable. I think the riverbank also has some value to the community as a hiking and recreational area provided people feel safe and unthreatened in this area. I think the Ventura River has the potential to become far more utilized for outdoor activities, but, quite frankly, there would have to be some focus on cleaning up the homeless encampments currently located in the river bottom in order for this to happen successfully.

7. Are you prepared for sea level rise inherent in continued misuse of fossil fuels? (This question was submitted by a youth organization.)

Mike Gibson: I'm not sure that anyone is prepared for this, quite frankly, if it happens as dramatically as predicted over the next 20 - 50 years. I believe the City, as well as the entire region and state, is going to need to do some good forecasting and pre-planning to accommodate the changes in the coastal topography that are likely to occur and that will have a significant impact on our children and grandchildren.

In addition, I think, as a nation, we need to be more conscientious about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in order to help preserve our planet and its resources for the coming generations.

8. The protection and improvement of environmental quality affects people from different economic strata in different ways. How will you bring together your vision of social justice and your commitment to environmental issues?

Mike Gibson: I will strive to balance the environmental improvements the City embraces in its policies, practices, and land use decisions with the needs of the community at large, as opposed to those improvements that may benefit only a particular segment of the community, for example, those with pristine coastal views. I will try and improve the City's inventory of available open spaces and parks, as one example, to provide more outdoor recreational opportunities for everyone in the community, regardless of economic status.

I will try and be fair and equitable in decisions that may benefit homeowners on the hillsides or along the coast while reducing the economic opportunities for the remaining residents of the City. An example would be on decisions related to limiting building heights in certain areas of town, which, clearly, would disproportionately benefit the well-to-do living in hillside homes. However, this decision could, in effect, reduce affordable housing opportunities for the less well-off and/or reduce tax revenues to the City, which could be used for other general community benefits (better public safety, more parks, better maintained streets, etc.).

9. How will you promote green business, so that a thriving economy and a thriving environment become one in the same?

Mike Gibson: I would do this by advocating for more environmentally-friendly companies, such as Patagonia, to come to Ventura. I would include this philosophy in the City's economic development strategy so that we, as City leaders, are always thinking about ways to attract green businesses to the community, with corporate leaders who have a sensitivity and strong commitment to the betterment of the environment in their business practices, production techniques, and the technology they use.

10. Should the city of Ventura take affirmative steps to implement Community Choice so citizens can purchase locally generated renewable power? Why or why not? (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Choice_Aggregation)

Mike Gibson: I think there has to be a market created for this first and the City should not take the lead in creating these kinds of markets. The private sector should take the lead on this, with, perhaps, some incentivizing action by the City to provide tax credits, fast-track permit approvals, etc. to get enterprises like renewal power facilities up and running.

11. What is your attitude about the city collaborating with civic groups in substantial and meaningful ways on community initiated projects?

Mike Gibson: I completely support this concept. I think this model has proven to be quite successful in many other jurisdictions, such as Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, and many other cities, whereby the City works extensively with community environmental organizations, such as the Surfrider Foundation, to do beach clean-up projects, etc.

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