Father, Mother, Son, a Quorum, Run for City Council : Politics: Victories by Solana Beach family could provide unusual test of state’s Brown Act open-meeting law.

Maybe they’ll rename Solana Beach “Bauerville.”

If the three members of the Bauer family who are running for the five-member Solana Beach City Council win seats in November, they’ll have the majority votes to make the change. If all three win, they could even vote to make their birthdays citywide holidays, if they were so inclined.

Laurence and Louise Bauer and their 20-year-old son, Laurence (A.J.) Bauer, claim no such frivolous goals, but speculation about a Bauer-family victory has added some spice to this election. With few controversies or scandals at issue, much of the attention has centered on the Bauers, and their unprecedented family run for the council.

Things could get complicated if all three win. For example, there is the state’s Brown Act, which prohibits a majority of council members from gathering to discuss city business without the public present. That would put a whole new legal spin on the concept of Bauer family meals.

“I’m unaware of the situation ever coming up before,” said City Atty. Daniel Hentschke. “The law leaves it up to the best judgment of voters whether it is good public policy to elect three members of the same family to the council.”

However, one of the Bauers would probably have to move out of the house to avoid having a private quorum, Hentschke said, or risk violating the Brown Act at the breakfast table.

“My son’s eyes opened up when he heard that,’ ” Louise Bauer said. “ ‘I’ll go,’ he said.”

With 14 candidates running for three available seats, the Bauers don’t deceive themselves about the chances of all three actually winning. None of them plans to raise or spend much money on campaigning, nor do they have committees of dedicated volunteers backing their candidacies.

They also don’t have a unified platform, and, in fact, they disagree quite a bit on the issues.

But the political neophytes do agree on one thing: They are tired of what they call the City Council’s increasing desire to pass laws restricting the activities of residents.

“I think we have enough laws on the books that limit our freedom,” said the elder Laurence Bauer, 57, who runs a computer consulting firm.

The recently approved ordinance that bans smoking in city restaurants, a move to limit skateboarding in public places and an ordinance demanding home maintenance are examples all three cite of a city that’s becoming too involved in the personal freedoms of its residents.

Until recently, none of the Bauers was active in local government, or politics at all, for that matter. That has changed.

“I’m tired of people telling me what I can and can’t do,” A. J. said.

The Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance, approved last year to force people to clean up their front yards if neighbors complain, literally hit close to home for the Bauers. The Bauers like to let their lawn grow free, and they bristle at the suggestion that the city may get involved in such a petty issue as their lawn.

“Whether something is pleasing to the eye or a neighborhood, I don’t think things like that should matter to the city,” Laurence said.

Within the household, it’s no big deal that the three Bauers have decided to throw their proverbial hats into the ring. The candidates are still a minority within their own family. A. J. is one of eight children; he has seven sisters, ranging in age from 14 to 24.

Laurence Bauer has been married to Louise for 25 years. Louise, 51, long ago left a career as a medical technologist to raise her children. A. J., a graduate of Torrey Pines High School, works as a part-time mechanic, and will probably take time off from classes at Mira Costa College to seek election.

The idea to campaign for the council came a few weeks ago during a family discussion about the city.

“As usual, we were complaining,” Louise said.

But the complaints took on a different edge this time. The three agreed that they had no right to complain if they weren’t willing to do something about it.

“Soon it became, ‘Well, I’ll run if you run,’ ” Louise said.

Reaction to their decision to run has been mixed.

“It is a little unusual,” said Councilwoman Marion Dodson, who is running for reelection.

Mayor Celine Olson, also seeking reelection, believes the Bauers are not serious about the election, although she does see benefits to their decision to run.

“It might inspire people with serious issues to do something about it, and the more people involved the better,” said Olson. “If I had total confidence in (the council), I wouldn’t be running myself.”

But the Bauers are serious.

Each complains that the city is getting involved in minor problems. And they agree the city should do more to deal with such problems as the local homeless population.

“There has to be something done to help people,” Louise said. “I think that is more important than if the council chamber has new carpet.”

A. J. had his own take on the homeless situation, which he believes will worsen when a commuter rail system begins operating along the coast.

“What are we going to do when that happens?” A. J. said. “Are we going to have cops harass them or are we going to give them a place to stay?”

The current council “hasn’t even addressed the situation,” he said.

Of the three, A. J. seems the most blunt.

“Basically I’m fed up with the city,” he said.

A. J., who thought it would be “cool” to run, hopes to draw some of the youth vote. He went to “a couple” of council meetings this year, and was shocked at how things operate. He said his eyes began to glaze over when a discussion about the definition of a fence stretched into the night.

Like his parents, A. J. thinks the city goes too far with its ordinances.

“I’m not into taking people’s rights away, I’m into basically making money for the city,” said A. J.

He doesn’t think it’s right for the City Council to place the city in debt.

“I’m in debt personally, and I don’t like it,” he said.

Considering the policy disagreements within the household, something of a moratorium has been placed on discussing city issues. It’s not that things will get hostile; they just accept that they’re not going to change anyone’s opinions.

Louise is a Republican; the two Laurences are Democrats.

The prospect of a divisive election is more than most families could stand. But the Bauers aren’t worried. They might even walk some neighborhoods together to meet voters.

“We’re a pretty tight family,” said A. J. “I can pretty much talk to both my parents and speak my mind.”

In a way, it’s a variance on the old saying about the family that prays together, stays together. In this case, it’s the family that runs for office together that sticks close.

“I don’t think it will separate us,” said Laurence. “Even though it is important to us, there are things more important to us as a family.

“I think we’re close enough to withstand anything like that.”