Inside successful groups, there are some eminently practical, intelligent, people who work hard while staying out of the lime light, who keep things working. The rhythm guitar player in a rock and roll band, the top software developer in a high tech company, an important employee in a small town like Capitola.
Susan Westman started work in Capitola in 1981, and held a number of positions leading up to City Manger. She left Capitola in 1997 to take a similar position in Belmont on the San Francisco Peninsula. She formally retired in 2001, but since then took a number of interim and consulting jobs in a number of Northern California cities. The last one brought her back to Capitola to serve as interim community development director in Capitola. Now she’s done, and is a full-time Capitola resident.
CVRA: We understand that the City can measure some things like tax revenues, ratio of businesses that survive over time, number of building permits, the number of parking spaces. How does the City try to measure or be concerned about more abstract measures such as “quality of life” for the residents?
Susan: It’s almost impossible, because “quality of life” means so many different things to so many different groups. Capitola is a beach town, and has always been a beach town. You look at the pictures from the 1920’s and all the cars parked on the Esplanade. When Capitola was incorporated in the late 40’s, it was a beach town.
The city has always relied on visitors. Now things seem a bit schizophrenic, with lots of contradictions. We’re a beach community, but then people say they don’t want a lot of visitors. We say we’re an environmental community, but we don’t want to spend city money to make it easier for people to walk around town. We say we want development, but then, only certain kinds of development. I don’t think there’s a real clear direction for the city right now.
There are a number of constituencies in Capitola. What’s of interest to the businesses on 41st Ave is not the same as the interest of the businesses in Capitola Village. What’s of interest to the young families in town isn’t the same as the interests of the new larger retired population. There are a number of different factions. There’s a history of lively debate.
I myself enjoy the quiet times in winter.
Speaking as a resident, I’d like Capitola to take care of what it has before taking on a lot of new programs.
CVRA: Does a City Manager decide priorities? How much control did you have over what happened?
Susan: The City Council members are the elected representatives of the people. They set the goals, and the City Manager makes things happen. The elected officials set the rules, policies, the direction– the managers manage, and have to deal with the “Soup of the day.”
CVRA: But the City Council can’t decide that someone must build a hotel in town, right?
Susan: Right. But they can set guidelines; say whether it would be preferable to have several small hotels or one large hotel in town.
CVRA: You’ve spent a lot of time on the inside. Any Kafkaesque stories about bureaucracies?
Susan: The difficulty is that every person who gets elected gets elected because they are going to do something new for the community, a new service, a new facility, or a new program.
So it’s difficult to figure out how to keep city government from not getting lots more expensive, because every new thing you do requires new people to maintain it, operate it, manage it.
CVRA: Seem like part of human nature.
Susan: Yes, but I think Capitola is a very fine town to work in. Being able to live and work in a community like Capitola on the beach is a dream situation. I think Capitola typically gets very high quality people in its management as well as all other positions, because people do want to be here.
CVRA: Do you want to say anything about desal or water issues?
Susan: No. [laughs] Oh, I think the impact of water issues is going to be huge for Capitola. How much more development is going to be able to take place will be based on how much water is available.
CVRA: What should the CVRA be doing? Are we having any effect as viewed inside the City?
Susan: I think you’re doing a good job of getting information out to the residents. That’s not an easy task. Having an organization like CVRA that’s trying not to be political but informational, is a very good thing.
I think you should make sure you participate in the General Plan. So, if CVRA members want to do something, go to the General Plan meetings, watch elections, pay attention. I would like to see some new people on commissions, and in city government.
CVRA: Any comments on current local issues?
Susan: I think it will be interesting to see the impact of the new parking lot at Pac Cove. I do think we really should change the name to “Capitol Beach Parking Lot” (as CVRA member Molly Ording suggested).
CVRA: Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on in Capitola?
Susan: Probably the foot bridge over Soquel Creek.
CVRA: Behind Nob Hill?
Susan: Yes. It will last a long time, and people already use it all the time.
CVRA: What’s your biggest worry?
Susan: It seems to me that we might generate ideas, do studies, hold hearings, and decide what we think is right for Capitola, and then find that the Coastal Commission will tell us what to do instead. That’s a worry. Water supply may have a big effect on Capitola.
CVRA: Thanks! And enjoy your retirement!
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Learn more about the Capitola Village Residents’ Association (CVRA) at www.CapitolaCVRA.org