A polite debate in San Anselmo

By Derek Wilson

Marinscope

The candidates in the race for the San Anselmo Town Council were not necessarily asked how they would fix the world, just how they would fix their own corner of the world.

Some of the questions thrown to the five candidates during last Friday night’s virtual debate are the same questions world leaders are struggling with: climate change, diversity and inclusion, housing, and the economy. 

Incumbents Brian Colbert, Alexis Fineman and John Wright, along with challengers Eileen Burke and Ann Politzer are the five candidates running for the three open council seats. Burke, a defense attorney, is a San Anselmo native with two high school-age children. Politzer, a writer, has lived in San Anselmo for 22 years and raised her family in the town. 

Fineman, at 25 is the youngest member of the town council, was appointed in 2019 to fill the seat vacated by Kay Coleman. She is hoping to be elected to her first four-year term. Her fellow council members have noted her passion for protecting the environment during her time in Town Hall.

Vice-Mayor Colbert has served on the council since 2017 during which time he has focused on traffic and the Re-Imagine Creek Park campaign. Colbert has served on the Transportation Authority of Marin Board.

Wright is the longest serving member of the council, having first won election in 2013. He has twice served as mayor.

The candidates were generally polite with each other and agreed on many issues, although there were points of contention. Addressing the threat of flooding in town, candidates focused on the work currently being done on the flood mitigation project that involves the demolition of a downtown building. 

Fineman called the removal of the building “a win-win.” She further suggested removing the building that has affected creek flow and including floodgate protocols would boost tow town’s FEMA rating and lower flood insurance rates.”

Politzer advised caution before removing the building, citing some concern over how its removal would affect the speed of the flow of the creek. 

Colbert praised the Re-Imagine Creek Park project as a useful element in flood mitigation.

San Anselmo is dealing with many challenges in addition to flooding. The town’s location, especially near Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, creates traffic headaches and hazards for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, especially during commute hours. A popular idea among the five candidates is constructing a roundabout near The Hub. Colbert, who ventured to The Netherlands recently on a traffic analysis mission, came back with the idea of a “floating roundabout,” which could separate cyclists and cars by suspending a roundabout for bikes about the roadway.

Fineman, an avid cyclist, seemed eager to make the area safer for fellow two-wheelers through the use of a roundabout.

Burke stated “it’s unrealistic we can make it more friendly. We have side streets for bikes to take that aren’t as crowded. We have a whole bike lane for cyclists. We’re just asking for danger if we introduce more bikes there.”

Politzer said the town has to realize that cars are not going away any time soon, while Wright added “we’re going to have significant challenges in next few years. We need to have some process in place where we have options to look at. We need to be open-minded and visionary.”

The candidates mostly agreed that they did not want a brick-and-mortar marijuana dispensary in town, although Burke acknowledged it could bring in much-needed tax dollars.

San Anselmo has not seen incidents of racial violence on a scale of some other American cities this year, but residents are sensitive to the need for inclusion for all. Colbert, the one person of color on the council, cited San Anselmo’s unwanted title as “the whitest town in Marin,” a title that could be challenged by some neighboring cities.

“We need to make the town attractive to everyone. We need to make the playgrounds attractive to everyone,” Colbert said of making the community more friendly. 

Wright admitted “We don’t have a lot of people of color in our communities. We need to give them the opportunity to raise their voices.”

Politzer suggested issuing grants for minority-owned businesses, hiring more minority officers to the Central Marin Police, and hiring more minority teachers.

The Town Council after its September 22 meeting made the decision to appoint members Colbert and Steve Burdo as an Ad Hoc committee on racial equity, with the duty to explore options for reviewing town policies, options for training of staff and elected officials, and to look at other opportunities to foster diversity, inclusion and equity in the town.

A replay of the debate is available on YouTube. The debate, presented by the San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Dick Spotswood, was rescheduled from its original September 24 date due to “technical difficulties.” The general election is scheduled for November 3.