By Cheri Rae
The transformation of Santa Barbara into some urbanized outpost of high-density housing just took a right turn into the real world of keeping the city clean, safe and financially sound. The City Council appointment of Randy Rowse, a successful small businessman who has long been involved in community affairs, is a real signal to the rest of Santa Barbara: This City Council is about to get back to basics in the business of running the city.
Council Member Grant House—whose support led to Rowse’s appointment—has seen Rowse in action, as they’ve served together on the Downtown Parking Committee and the Downtown Organization. And both are actively engaged entrepreneurs who have had to adapt to repeatedly changing economic conditions in downtown Santa Barbara.
When it comes down to keeping the doors open and maintaining a payroll, it’s a whole lot of practical and not a lot of political.
Good for Grant, and his colleagues, for moving beyond politics and promoting Rowse’s down-to-earth ability to go green—in dollars and sense.
Rowse was quoted in an Associated Press story in 2004 about how to cope increased energy costs due to deregulation, “Randy Rowse, owner of the Paradise Cafe in Santa Barbara, said he can only cut back on labor costs and personnel when rates are so high. “It’s one of the few things you can do.” But he’s also changed how he runs his business to lower energy use and costs. He bought more efficient refrigeration systems, cut his use of air conditioning and heat and “we use airpods instead of heating elements for coffee,” referring to the Thermos-type containers. “It saves a lot of energy, and it keeps the coffee from cooking.”
That kind of insight—and experience in the application of cost-saving, energy-efficient solutions to real-world problems—should help as City Council Members continue to perform a financial balancing act at a time of increasing demands and diminishing resources.
At the same time, Rowse brings a different perspective to the interminable discussions about the General Plan. Earlier this year he referred to the update as a “monumental artist’s concept,” and suggested it should be focused on revitalizing the economic strength of downtown. (Ed. note: Get acquainted with Rowse’s point of view on the subject in David Petry’s in-depth article, “The Heat Turns Up on Plan Santa Barbara,” www.decomposingsb.com)
A couple years ago, when the Executive Director of the American Hiking Society brought his family to visit Santa Barbara, my husband and I treated them to lunch at the Paradise Café. They commented on the appropriate name of the casual, comfortable place with fine food and service and concluded, “This is Santa Barbara at its best,” they declared. The guy who sets the table so well might be just exactly the right one to be seated right now.
Nice to find some good writing here there or anywhere in town. How long have you been around?
Does he have enough knowledge about Plan Santa Barbara to make educated comments on it? Shouldn’t the City Council have selected one of the several candidates who live and breathe Plan Santa Barbara and have attended most if not all of the meetings regarding it?
Many more questions than answers here.
Why wasn’t he for Measure B? Maybe he can tell us more about that.
The Plan SB is not one of his priorities. He said in a revealing interview in todays’ Daily Sound, “Rowse said his priorities will be public safety, cleanliness and fiscal responsibility.”
He also said, “Rowse said he will have “no agenda” while on the council.
“We need to return to the times when everything was an ad-hoc system, when it was retired people or volunteers or workers who went there on Tuesday and went back to their jobs the rest of the week,” Rowse said. “I am not going to make this a full time job. That’s not who I am.”” He did not say he would be returning at least part of the salary. I think/not sure that the all volunteer Council members received about $400/month instead of the present $3,000 plus health benefits. It’s set in the Charter so he can’t urge to change the law, but he can return much of the money to the General Fund. If he doesn’t want to spend the time, the money certainly would be useful.
We should give thanks to Grant House for doing the right thing, breaking the deadlock and making a courageous decision. Grant is being attacked for his vote, but I believe he did it with the entire community in mind. Grant’s action was more of a statesman than a politician. I thought that’s what we wanted from our elected officials.
Mr. Rowse has the experience, background and commitment to Santa Barbara to be a fine member of the council. We should give him a chance before the knives are drawn.
Pedro Nava is getting some practice for the redistricted State senate district in 2012.
And by analogy, Mr. Nava, the other council members, those 3 who voted for Planning Commissioner and former mayor councilmember, Sheila Lodge, as well as those 3 who voted for former councilmember, Brian Barnwell, did NOT vote for the entire community!?!
Wow! Whatever the qualities of restauranteur Rowse, whose clear priorities are, as he said, cleanliness, safety, and fiscal soundness, (city qualities which, no doubt, almost all the 46 shared), he was an interesting choice, first by Francisco and then definitively by House. However, Randy’s humility in saying that he was not the best candidate was indeed refreshing.
Obviously, no one else is for cleanliness, safety, and fiscal soundness.