Election 2022: Meet the candidates for Fountain Valley City Council

Candidates participating in forum for Fountain Valley City Council on Sept. 27

By Eric LicasStaff Writer

Oct. 17, 2022 3:01 PM PT

In less than a month, voters must fill three of Fountain Valley’s five City Council seats, including one left vacant by outgoing Councilman Michael Vo. There are two incumbents, veterans, past and present public servants as well as professionals from the fields of education, medicine and the tech industry among the 13 people vying for a position on the governing body.

Fountain Valley is not divided into council districts, which means every candidate is pooled into the same race. Voters will be asked to select up to three candidates on their ballots.

The Daily Pilot reached out to each person running for a Fountain Valley City Council seat to find out more about their connection to the city and what they believe are the most important issues facing it. Please find their responses below, which have been edited for clarity and brevity. They are listed in alphabetic order.

Glenn Bleiweis

Occupation: Retired businessman

Time lived in Fountain Valley: six years

Resides in: the Villa Mariposa development

Family: his wife, Georgia, and children, Alexis, Charlie, Jessica and Harrision

Past or present public service or volunteer work: member, Board of Directors for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Villa Mariposa Homeowners Assn. president, Fountain Valley Community Foundation, Fountain Valley Royal Regiment.

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Protect city revenue to avoid tax increases while maximizing services received by residents, civil servants and business owners. It is critical that we enhance and develop alternative revenue streams, including attracting new businesses and supporting current businesses. I am opposed to increasing taxes or adding new debt via bond purchases. My starting point will be to assess current and past budget items to see what has been underutilized and transfer money from within.
Enforcing regulations relating to the short-term rental ban, parking violations and zoning. Regional and local growth projections and housing unit allocations must be considered through a realistic framework. Aesthetic appeal and functionality, as well as residents’/business owners’ well-being and public safety, must be prioritized over government mandates.
Enhancing resources for the homeless by collaborating with government officials and those affected to find solutions and resources. Keeping our neighborhoods, sidewalks, parks and businesses clean and safe is a must. I will advocate for police and emergency medical services to assist. I am committed to working with City Net, our police department, social work agencies, churches and outreach programs to ensure that the proper services are rendered. This may include mental health services, housing, addiction treatment, medical care or social services assistance.

Cindy Cao

Occupation: Cypress College Administrative Staff

Time lived in Fountain Valley: over 25 years

Resides in: Fountain Valley East

Family: her husband Nick and their two adult children, Alex and Megan

Past or present public service or volunteer work: North Orange Community College District Diversity Committee, City of Fountain Valley Community Foundation Board of Directors, Fountain Valley Housing Community Development team, California State Employee Assn. Negotiation Team.

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Affordable housing — Fountain Valley has very limited land to build traditional single-family homes. The current home pricing averages $950,000-plus. Even for an average professional household with double income today, it is difficult to qualify for a home loan and monthly payment. We must adopt multiple-level housing units for small families and for individuals who want to scale down and remain a part of this community. This will help accommodate smaller families and current residents, helping them stay close to their friends, family and community network.
Generate revenue/cut taxes for businesses — We must entice large and small businesses to come by providing them with special tax programs. By having additional businesses, the city will have more job opportunities with additional revenue. This will help maintain infrastructure and accommodate population growth.
Safety and Community services — With extra revenue from new businesses, we can hire more police members to enforce laws and ordinances to keep our city safe and peaceful. And, we can continue to provide programs to offer support to homelessness. I want to make Fountain Valley one of the top 10 cities to live in the country.

Kim Constantine

Occupation: Businesswoman/sitting member of the City Council

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 26 years

Resides in: Green Valley residential community

Past or present public service or volunteer work: Current mayor pro tem, Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control Member and Trustee for Fountain Valley, Fountain Persons with Disabilities Committee, General Plan Advisory Committee, Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, Fountain Valley Historical Society, Santa Ana River Floor Protection Agency

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Homelessness — We’re doing very well in rectifying this and restoring Fountain Valley again to our “nice place to live.” Earlier this year, we contracted with City Net, which has now gone full time and has been of tremendous assistance in successfully transitioning more than half of our homeless into more permanent housing. I am so grateful for their efforts and want our community to know, as our current mayor pro tem, I am proactive and this concerning matter is being addressed.
Economic development — Fountain Valley has lots to offer businesses coming in, especially with location, community aesthetics and lots of consumers. I have attended two recent ICSC Conferences with city staff and met with retailers, developers and commercial property managers in hopes to bring in new businesses. Our staff does so well and is always in pursuit of new business opportunities.
Government regulation — In representing the city of Fountain Valley these past four years and continuing on as our mayor after this reelection, my approach is to take everything into consideration and make a decision in the best interest of our “nice place to live.” There is too much government regulation. I believe our city staff, Planning Commission and City Council need to appropriately push back when a regulation is not a good fit for our community.

Jim Cunneen

Occupation: Fountain Valley School District board member

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 29 years

Resides in: The area of Talbert Avenue and Ward Street

Family: spouse, Marilyn “Mimi” Cunneen and children Dominic, Delaney, Delilah, Dahlia and Daniel

Past or present public service or volunteer work: Fountain Valley School Board, Fountain Valley planning commissioner, Fountain Valley Housing and Community Development Board, Fountain Valley Community Foundation, Fountain Valley General Plan Advisory Committee Chair; Rotary Club president-elect, Knights of Columbus 4th Degree.

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Public safety. I will work to ensure that our police officers, firefighters and paramedics have the resources, equipment and personnel they need to do their jobs and reduce response times. We must also stand with our first responders and oppose efforts like the “Defund the Police” movement. Fountain Valley must work with other local governments and statewide associations to lobby the Legislature against bills that harm public safety and for bills that strengthen public safety.
Meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents. There must be effective zoning and land use to balance the interests of Fountain Valley residents with California law. To do this, our city should encourage workforce housing aimed at professionals, such as teachers, nurses, firefighters and police officers.
Balance paying off debts and building reserves while meeting residents’ needs. We need to attract new businesses to Fountain Valley to bring revenue to the city. We already have one of the highest sales tax rates in Orange County. It would be inappropriate to ask Fountain Valley families and businesses to pay higher taxes than they already do. We should follow the lead of other cities that have set aside funding for trusts to pay their pension liabilities.

Shaun Diamond

Occupation: private security officer

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 43 years

Resides in: Tiburon neighborhood

Past or present public service or volunteer work: U.S. Navy, volunteer firefighter and ambulance driver in Nevada

Family: his wife, Jennifer, and his parents, Lynn and Linda

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Fiscal responsibility and transparency are extremely important. The city needs to manage its budget without passing the burden to the citizens or business owners.
Homelessness is a growing issue in our community. We need to increase our efforts to get these people off the streets.
Stability and management of our city’s infrastructure are vital to everyone who resides and does business in our community.

Nancy Dugay

Occupation: Histotechnician

Time lived in Fountain Valley: four years

Resides in: Green Valley

Relatives: children, Nia, Micah, Nyla and Kaden

Past or present public service or volunteer work: joins faith-based organizations in efforts to feed homeless people, supports “Live Action,” a nonprofit opposed to abortion

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Safety is my main concern, I would fund the police and firemen, have more patrols in our community.
Fix our playgrounds and install more lights in public areas.

Patrick Harper

Occupation: Business owner / sitting council member

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 22 years

Resides in: the southwestern quadrant

Past or present public service or volunteer work: current mayor, Fountain Valley Planning Commission, Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, AYSO coach

Family: wife, Hang, and sons Curtis, Colin and Clint

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Public safety — A safe and well-maintained community attracts families, protects businesses and enhances our overall quality of life. We must continue to recruit and retain the best police, fire and public works personnel to deliver the high service level that our residents and businesses have come to expect.
Inflation / watching the budget — Delivering police, fire and public works services costs money, and we must ensure that the city has enough money to pay these costs, debt and pension liabilities. Measure HH, the 1% sales tax increase, will provide extra sales tax money for the next 20 years. So, over that period, one focus will be to increase city revenues and be conservative with expenses so that the city can balance the budget without HH after the sunset date in 2037. As a CPA with a strong financial background, I will be able to help guide the council in financial decisions as we move into the future.
Balanced growth — There is pressure to build more housing in Fountain Valley for many reasons, including shortage of affordable housing, property owner interest to redevelop land and laws passed by the state. It’s also important to preserve our “nice place to live,” so we need to strike the right balance as the city begins to experience new development.

Alicia “Rudy” Huebner

Occupation: Software developer

Time lived in Fountain Valley: over 25 years

Resides in: Green Valley

Past or present public service or volunteer work: Fountain Valley Community Foundation board of directors, Fountain Valley Woman’s Club, Fountain Valley Garden Club

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Our housing element should include a variety of housing solutions to meet the needs of the community. We possess the fortitude and ingenuity to address this issue and meet the requirements set by the state on our own terms without compromising our values. High-density is a last resort. I favor creative solutions involving mixed-use development and medium-density units such as condos or townhomes that offer young professionals and families the ability to establish roots and grow in Fountain Valley. High-density is unpopular, but it is one of a multitude of options available to the city to meet the state mandate and should be utilized only when necessary and appropriate.
A well-trained and adequately funded police department plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe environment for residents and businesses. Like many neighboring cities, Fountain Valley has seen an increase in persons experiencing homelessness. Community safety is a top priority, which is why I support the city’s agreement with the Fountain Valley Police and City Net providing social workers the ability to assist persons experiencing homelessness, a vital partnership that has proven successful. I am also endorsed by the Fountain Valley Police Officers Assn., a testament to my commitment to ensuring our police officers have the training and resources they need to keep our neighborhoods, schools and businesses safe.
Safeguarding our tax dollars and finding revenue streams for the city without cost to residents will ensure the city is able to fulfill its financial obligations, including addressing unfunded pension liabilities. Measure HH is part of the 20-year plan to pay off all debt, but looking forward to the future, the city must continue to maintain a balanced budget without passing that burden to the taxpayers. I am focused on keeping our city budget on track by spending responsibly and pursuing opportunities for savings through process improvements.

Michael Mau

Occupation: Retired federal officer

Time lived in Fountain Valley: Over 10 years

Resides in: Green Valley

Family: wife, Addy Mau, daughter Sophia Mau, and son James Mau

Past or present public service or volunteer work: U.S. Air Force, Central Intelligence Agency, HOA vice president, San Diego State University Veterans Alumni Organization board member, scholarship reviewer for Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholars

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is a requirement of state housing law that requires California cities to submit within their General Plan a plan to provide a total of 4,800-plus units for all income levels. While the state has mandated the number of units, it has not mandated how to reach that number. We are not required to build high-density dwellings. The Planning Commission believes that Fountain Valley can reach its RHNA goal without adopting more than 65 units per acre. I appreciate the diligent and thorough review they conducted and support their recommendation.
I am opposed to short-term rentals (STR) operating in residential neighborhoods. None of our neighbors should have to be subjected to loud noise, limited parking and the potential safety risks involved with frequent transient visitors. Research shows as the number of STRs increases in a community, the quantity of affordable housing units decreases. As absentee landlords reduce the housing supply, it increases the housing cost for local renters.
Finding revenue streams is an ongoing concern and challenge. I would like to eliminate waste and inefficiencies by performing a comprehensive assessment of current administrative practices and updating technology. I would also explore at least two potential revenue streams that do not result in raising taxes on Fountain Valley residents. (1) Raising the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) also known as a “bed tax.” It is a tax percentage based on the rent charged to transient guests in hotels/motels, etc. Currently, Fountain Valley has the lowest TOT compared to neighboring cities. (2) Short-term rentals (STR’s). I support the City Council’s recent decision to collect unpaid taxes from STR operators. Additional revenue can be collected via the implementation of stringent fines for disregarding the ban. Some of the tax revenue collected can be used to increase enforcement and compliance resources.

Eugene Murray

Occupation: Physicist

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

The most important issues facing Fountain Valley are: Short-term development demands coming from the state level are too arbitrary and unmeasurable for effective planning. Once elected we will work to audit the California state rubric analysis to see how best we can measure the true effect of developing new housing units to show true progress.

Darrel Mymon-Brown

Occupation: Retired teacher

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 35 years

Resides in: Harper Park

Past or present public service or volunteer work: Friends of the Fountain Valley Library, Cub Scout leader, former Muscular Dystrophy Assn. fundraiser, Kiwanis Club Keywanette

Family: daughter, Morgan and son, Austin

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Limit high-density and high-rise construction. Although we have our Regional Housing Needs Assessment number requirements mandated by the state, where we plan to develop and the percentage of affordable units or homes is up to us. We need to consider the impact on neighborhoods, have developers build with lower density limits and provide a viable plan with opportunity sites large enough to accommodate the responsible building of dwellings.
Improve code enforcement, follow through with the short-term rental ban, be consistent, and stiffen penalties for egregious violators. To streamline and eliminate time delays, an electronic database system would be beneficial to keep track of ordinances, actions taken by code enforcement, violators and fines.
Improve methods for notifying residents of major issues that are coming before the Planning Commission and City Council. Send out email blasts to city website subscribers, assisted living facilities and other group living areas so those places can disseminate pertinent information to their residents. It is also important to notice residents via mailers, fliers or other non-electronic means to reach citizens, not on social media.

Steve A. Nagel

Occupation: Retired fire marshal

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 19 years

Past or present public service or volunteer work: Former City Council member and mayor, Kiwanis Club of Fountain Valley, Fountain Valley Historical Society, Fountain Valley Rotary Club, Relay for Life Committee

Family: wife, Nina Nagel, children Brett Nagel and Allison Wolfe. I have a very understanding and supportive family.

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

Inflation is the most important issue as all residents are affected negatively by higher prices with less purchasing power. Food and fuel prices have climbed roughly 30% over the last 20 months. Fountain Valley is a service provider and the cost for the services has increased, i.e. the cost of police SUV vehicles has increased 25% in one year. Also, worldwide supply issues had a negative effect on city services.
Ensure public safety with responsive and well-equipped fire and police services, while preserving neighborhoods and essential services.
Ensure the city is run efficiently with a balanced budget and fiscal stability.

Dwight E. Shackelford Jr.

Occupation: business trainer

Time lived in Fountain Valley: four years

Family: wife, Karen Marie May and daughter, Grace

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why:

1. Having a well-funded and well-equipped police department. The families in our city expect and deserve to have safe streets, parks and public areas. Certainly, there are other functional parts of our city that contribute to this standard, but our police department is vital for maintaining public safety and earning our trust.

2. Having a well-equipped, well-trained fire department. In the event of a city emergency, our residents and business owners will rely on our first responders to provide the necessary assistance. I have tremendous respect for these brave men and women; they run towards danger to save lives and minimize damage to property.

3. The city’s unfunded liabilities and how to pay down this long-term debt have emerged as a growing concern. Fortunately, Measure HH, a 2016 ballot measure designed, in part, to allocate tax revenues for paying down unfunded liabilities, will carry us through 2037. Beyond that, however, the city will have to explore innovative ways to raise tax revenues without costing residents extra taxes.

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