SLO County harbor commission candidates debate off-shore wind, budget. ‘The port’s evolved’
From an offshore wind port to a budget deficit, the Port San Luis Harbor Commission will vote on a few contentious issues during the next few years — and a new commissioner will help make those decisions.
Two candidates are competing for the Division 2 seat on the Harbor Commission this November. The contenders are retired city executive Katie Lichtig , 63, and commercial fisherman Richard Rosario Scangarello Sr., 75.
The pair shared their positions on everything from paid parking to offshore wind on Wednesday night during an online candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County .
"I think its fair to say that the port's evolved and will continue to evolve over time," Lichtig said. "In addition to commercial and recreational fishing, there's safe and beautiful beaches, we maintain the pier, commercial fishing has become important and all of these responsibilities require a stable budget."
Lichtig said the commission must balance the budget and evaluate the costs and benefits of building an offshore wind operations and maintenance port in San Luis Bay. Meanwhile, Scangarello's top concern was potential negative impacts of offshore wind.
"I love that port. I love the guys that work there. It's a family, it's a small community," he said. "We help each other, we understand each other, and that is the crux of what it takes to work and improve the conditions of the port."
Here's a look at the candidates' responses to key questions asked at the forum.
How can the Harbor District balance the budget?
The Port San Luis Harbor District planned to use almost $1.5 million of reserves to cover its 2024 budget gap, according to a report published in May.
Lichtig said she would collaborate with district staff, local business and commercial fishermen to find ways to balance the budget.
She has experience guiding cities through financially difficult times, which would inform how she would approach the harbor district's budget, she said. She served as the San Luis Obispo city manager during the Great Recession and worked as Santa Monica's chief operating officer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I do believe that it is necessary to ensure that we have a balanced budget," Lichtig said. "One that is sustainable over the long haul, which means that we'll be able to provide the level of service that people have come to expect."
Scangarello said his experience as a business owner during the late 1980s qualifies him to balance the harbor district's budget.
He recommended developing and renting 20,000 square-feet of vacant retail space at the end of the pier to raise revenue for the harbor district.
"Balancing the budget and being sustainable is critical to the to the life of the port," Scangarello said.
Will SLO County beach town get offshore wind port? Developer shares vision at tense meeting
Should San Luis Bay host an offshore wind port?
The Port San Luis Harbor Commission partnered with the California-based corporation Clean Energy Terminals to study the potential to build an operations and maintenance port in San Luis Bay.
If approved, the port would support the offshore wind farm planned for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area .
The port could include a 3,000-foot pier where wind farm service operation vessels would dock about every two weeks to restock supplies and pick up a fresh crew.
The Harbor Commission will vote on whether or not to approve permits to build the port after the feasibility study is completed.
Scangarello said he would not support the construction of an operations and maintenance port in Avila Beach.
"The port is a very small, small town community of historic value," Scangarello said. "Industrializing that port would take away all of that — all of the imperfect beauty that it presently has."
Additionally, he worried that the offshore wind farm will negatively impact fishing.
"If you listen to the people that are against it, it is devastating — potentially devastating. If you listen to the people that are for it, it is absolutely a panacea," he said. "It's somewhere in between, and that's a risk."
Lichtig, however, said she will wait until the feasibility study is completed to take a stance on the port.
"I happen to believe that public policy should be based on data and facts," she said.
Lichtig wants to engage with the community to understand their concerns and priorities for the potential operations and maintenance port as part of the public process.
"My philosophy is, have the best information possible to make the best policy decision possible for the greatest good of the community," she said. "I believe the community has a voice in that, and I don't want to take that away."
How can the Harbor Commission balance commercial and recreational use of the port?
If elected, Lichtig said she would build relationships with commercial fishermen and retailers to understand their challenges and priorities at the port, then work with commissioners to develop "policies and programs that really help to balance those needs," she said.
"I think that we do a fantastic job of making a beautiful asset in our community available to both commercial and residents as well as tourists, and really figuring out how do we continue to make that balance with the input of all of those players," Lichtig said.
Scangarello agreed that it's critical for a commissioner to have relationships with fishermen and retailers at the port — relationships that he has already built.
"Sports fishermen — I drink beer with all those guys in the afternoon," he said. "As far as they guys that work out there, they know me, they've helped me with my boat, I've helped them with their work. That relationship is here."
"That's something that's built over time, and it's trust," he added. "If you don't have their trust, and they don't know who you are, and they haven't seen you every day for 20 years, it's going to be a difficult task."
How should the harbor district address parking?
The harbor district plans to close two beachfront RV campgrounds in November, and Scangarello said that would be a good spot to add more parking spots. Otherwise, he didn't think there was much space available at the port for new parking.
"The parking — there's not much you can do out there. It's pretty limited," Scangarello said.
Meanwhile, when Lichtig worked for Santa Monica, she worked with Coastal Commission staff to address beachfront parking challenges. She would use this experience to decide how to "figure out the best solutions" for expanding and pricing parking at Port San Luis, she said.
She noted that the Harbor District enforces parking rules at the lot in downtown Avila Beach, but the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office handles parking for the rest of Avila Beach.
"How do we create a great working relationship with the sheriff and the county to try to maximize use of that parking which might not be maximized now?" Lichtig said.
