Local Elections : THOUSAND OAKS : 3 City Council Victors Vow Unity, Say Markey May Succeed Schillo

Brushing off a vicious campaign, newly elected Thousand Oaks council members Andy Fox, Judy Lazar and Elois Zeanah on Wednesday pledged to cooperate on shared priorities: stamping out crime, preserving parkland and building new sports facilities.

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Their first debate, however, will focus on a far more prosaic issue.

Shortly after their inauguration next month, Fox, Lazar, Zeanah and incoming Mayor Jaime Zukowski must decide how to fill the seat to be vacated by veteran Councilman Frank Schillo, who will be stepping up to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.

The city could hold a special election, at a cost of about $95,000. Or, the new council could appoint someone, most likely the fourth-place vote-getter in Tuesday’s election, to serve the last two years of Schillo’s term.

Eager to avoid a bruising battle, Councilwoman Zeanah said she would vote to appoint fourth-place finisher Michael Markey, even though their views often diverge.

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“I am willing to give in on this one,” Zeanah said. “I would like to make an effort to start this new council off on a harmonious foot.”

Both Lazar and Fox said they are also leaning toward appointing Markey to Schillo’s seat.

“I really think the city is tired of campaigns,” Fox said.

Markey, Fox and Lazar all received strong endorsements from one of Zeanah’s arch-foes, retiring Mayor Alex Fiore. If all three land on the council, Zeanah could again wind up on the short end of many 3-2 votes, her slow-growth stance outgunned by more pro-business views.

The fifth council seat could provide a swing vote on several critical cases coming up in the next few months, including:

* The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s proposal to build a shopping mall off Wendy Drive in Newbury Park, part of a complicated development scheme that has drawn fire from environmentalists.

* The possibility of rezoning a controversial property owned by developer Nedjatollah Cohan at the corner of Kimber Drive and Reino Road in Newbury Park. Previous councils have rejected several proposed developments on the site.

* The redevelopment of Thousand Oaks Boulevard, which is in line for a spruce-up of some kind. The new council must decide whether to plant more trees, build more sidewalks or develop a cohesive theme for the downtown strip.

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While the land-use decisions will almost certainly spark lively debate in the council chambers, other issues seem likely to generate 5-0 votes over the next few years.

Both Fox and Markey built their campaigns around public safety, arguing for more police patrols, tougher loitering laws and stronger crackdowns on local gangs. Zeanah and Zukowski have also pushed for the city to hire 20 new police officers to bolster the overworked Sheriff’s Department.

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With such strong consensus, all four said they believe the new council can seriously boost crime-fighting efforts and turn Thousand Oaks into the safest city in the United States.

“It’ll get done,” Markey, a police detective, predicted. “We’ll find the money.”

The new council also appears ready to seek money for new sports facilities, especially in the Newbury Park area. All three victors have emphasized that Thousand Oaks needs to provide more recreational opportunities for youths.

Finally, the council members agree on the need to vigorously defend Thousand Oaks’ open space.

While they may differ on specific proposals--such as the still-vague concept of building a municipal golf course on Broome Ranch--they have all promised to protect ridgelines, parkland and the greenbelt surrounding the city.

As they savored their election victories Wednesday, Fox, Lazar and Zeanah pledged to halt the bitter bickering that has marred the last four years.

“I hope we can put the last four years behind us, good, bad or indifferent . . . and really move on to the issues,” Fox said.

To succeed in creating peace, however, all candidates must be willing to forget the nasty campaign.

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Zeanah blasted Fox, Lazar and Markey in a campaign flyer, and was herself the target of a vicious attack from other candidates.

In analyzing the election results, Zeanah said she believed the negative campaigning against her worked. Even though she won reelection, the two other members of her slate finished a distant sixth and seventh.

But others interpreted Tuesday’s results as clear rejection of mudslinging.

The candidates who most often attacked Zeanah--financial services manager Michael Friedman and mortgage broker Bill Williams--did not woo many voters. Friedman finished 10th, and Williams came in last.

And the candidate who amassed the biggest treasury also fared poorly.

Dentist Greg Cole loaned himself at least $22,000 and advertised heavily on cable television. Still, he finished ninth--about 100 votes behind mobile carwash owner Lance Winslow, who spent less than $1,000 on the campaign.