3 Council Seats Contested in Rolling Hills Estates

Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Rolling Hills Estates City Council in the Nov. 5 election. Peter M. Weber, a 17-year veteran of the council, is seeking reelection, but two other incumbents, Hugh Muller and Warren Schwarzmann, are retiring. So far, the campaign has been low-key and free of controversy. The candidates agree that traffic congestion is a problem, but no one favors

widening the city’s major streets. All the candidates favor more open space, oppose high-density development and want to preserve the empty Dapplegray School as a recreation facility until it is needed again for classrooms. Although the city’s current fiscal picture looks good--its $4.4-million budget is balanced and cash reserves total $1.6 million--there are problems on the horizon.

When Buffum’s department store in the sprawling Peninsula Center shopping mall closed its doors earlier this year, the city lost $60,000 a year in sales tax revenue. In addition, an increasing amount of the mall’s retail space is vacant. The five candidates agree that the city must somehow help to revitalize the shopping center, but few specifics have been offered.

Peter M. Weber

Incumbent

Age: 62

Financial consultant

“I am running on my record. I try to be fair, consistent and I don’t play favorites. This will be a young council and it needs my experience.”

Robert W. Beck

Challenger

Age: 43

Attorney, city planning commissioner

“We need new people to replace the retiring members of the council, people who have experience in city government and can make sound responsible choices.”

Mary Ann Olson

Challenger

Age: 49

Medical illustrator

“Some of the greatest threats to (the city) come from outside: traffic, overdevelopment, water shortages. . . . I will take an energetic, creative and aggressive approach . . . to counter or mitigate these forces.”

Barbara Rauch

Challenger

Age: 55

Tennis instructor, city planning commissioner

“With nearly 12 years of experience on the Park and Activities and Planning commissions I . . . can begin to effectively represent our city and its residents from the day I am elected.”

Larry Goldsmith

Challenger

Age: 45

Businessman

“I feel it is time for a change; we can’t do business in the usual way. . . . It is time to go after new business in an aggressive way.”