Newberry Springs CSD candidate questionnaires

There are seven candidates vying for three seats on the Newberry Springs Community Service District board of directors. The Desert Dispatch gave each candidate a questionnaire with four questions and two and a half weeks to answer them. The candidates were to answer the first question in 50 words or less and the last three questions in 75 words or less. The answers have been compiled as they were submitted. The candidates’ statements were not edited or corrected, but were cut down to comply with the word limit. The election is Tuesday.   

1. Who are you?
Linda DeLuca: What I would bring to the Newberry Springs CSD is someone that is honest, fair, ethical, and NOT serving on the Board for private financial gain. I have been a successful business owner, professional property manager, teacher, advocate for senior citizens, artist, volunteer, minister, college graduate and rancher/organic farmer.

Linda Harper: I am a fourteen year resident of Newberry Springs who is frustrated with the old power style of local government that a core group of individuals has manipulated through the years. It is time for change to lessen the strangle hold.

Kathleen Ridler: Born and raised in Barstow. My family’s been here since 1951 when my father taught at Daggett School. My husband, daughter and I moved to Newberry in 1991.  I became involved with the Neighborhood Watch Program. I am an active member of the Sheriff’s Barstow Desert Rescue Squad.

Robert Seeley: California native, raised 4 great kids, still married to high school sweetheart. USC BA in Cinema, QA certificate, General Contractor. Contractor for homes & commercial buildings, Superintendent for Public Works projects, Dir Marketing for micrographics manufacturer, Dir Customer Service for scanner manufacturer, Mgr QA for Titanium production.

Wayne Snively: Newberry Springs Homeowner since 2001. Graduate of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. American Peace Corps Volunteer, Pakistan – two years. Los Angeles County Flood Control Registered Professional Civil Engineer –thirty-six years. Served on Newberry Homeowners Board of Directors, water representative for several years. An elected Member of Mojave Water Agency TAC – Lower Mojave River.

Robert Vasseur: A resident of Newberry for thirty years, previously an appointed member of the Newberry CSD, retired from twenty-five years of service with SCE in 1996 as a Computer Application Developer, owned software development and consulting business for ten years. In retirement, I do lots of non-profit web site development.

Diana Williams: A native of California and raised on a horse ranch, I moved to Newberry Springs in 1990. I'm an Artist, but it was my gift for mathematics that lead me to a career in finance.


2. Why do you think you should be elected to serve on the Newberry Springs CSD board?
Linda DeLuca: I think that there are enough people in Newberry Springs that want to be represented in their lives. Although the CSD only has jurisdiction over Lighting, Fire and Parks, so much of all of our lives are intertwined to the extent that when people feel that they are being treated unjustly, something has to improve. Everyone has an opinion and their voices need to be heard, not silenced, to meet the requirements of a few.

Linda Harper: I am motivated to work for the citizens of our community primarily for peaceful rural living and secondarily for orderly development in harmony with rural living. Land use and zoning have direct impact on our Volunteer fire department  assets and responsibilities. The CSD is the only primarily elected Board. The other Boards are appointed or dues paying special interest groups (Real Property Owners Association and Chamber of Commerce).

Kathleen Ridler: I believe I have an open mind to the issues and items surrounding our neighbors and the community. Having served 3 full months as a CSD Director I am becoming even more aware of the many details and challenges facing our community. To be able to represent the opinions of my neighbors will be my goal.

Robert Seeley: I am one of you; a blue collar realist with aspirations of a better future for all of us. I fix things in corporate procedures, production lines, buildings, and relationships. I create out of the box solutions to obstructed problems. I assemble people together and make them shine as team contributors. I do not have an ax to grind or a hidden agenda. I have experience with school boards, city councilmen, state agencies.

Wayne Snively:  My Professional Civil Engineering experience has afforded me to be able to evaluate policies, organize projects that were many millions of dollars. I am able to understand what is significant using solid good judgment that can help build a better future for Newberry Springs.

Robert Vasseur: Having been in management for many years and having owned my own business, I bring much needed practical managerial experience to the job. Having been actively involved in relevant civic affairs for many years, I also bring practical experience in dealing with local, county, and state government. But, the most significant factor motivating my run is to make Newberry government much more transparent, and responsive to the real needs of the people of Newberry.

Diana Williams: Since becoming a board member in 2005 significant changes have been made to the operation of the District more professional. I lead the way to encourage all directors to attend "New Director Training" provided by the CSDA. I installed an internal "checks and balances" to the District's finances that did not exist before. I provide Budget and End of Year reports that are easy for the lay person to read and understand.

3. What are some of the important issues Newberry Springs faces?
Linda DeLuca: In my opinion, the most important issues of Newberry Springs is guaranteeing the rural environment, lowering the ISO Fire Rating, securing BLM Park land for future generations, extending lighting where needed, balancing and not going over budget year after year, conducting and participating legally in all Board matters, and allowing the people of Newberry Springs to be honored and cherished, as they should be. The CSD board is supposed to be working for the community.

Linda Harper:  General major issues include 1) water - Courts already defined “excessive users”, 2) commercial solar plants within residential areas, 3) open and accurate accounting and inventory records at CSD, and 4) how citizens voice planning concerns about County codes and County supervisor decisions for our area.

Kathleen Ridler: With many important issues ahead, water, property values, budget cuts, employment, after school activities, Prop 1A and safety, just to name a few I sincerely hope the voters choose wisely and are proud of the decisions made on their behalf in the coming months.

Robert Seeley: Improvement - Personal incomes, jobs, community revenue, Senior Center efficiency & solvency, fire department equipment & personnel training, road surfaces, population, tourism. Preservation - Water rights, water table, independence from municipalities & legislation, rural standards, local building codes, property values, agriculture industry, large property size. Prevention - Big solar business interventionists, multi-CSD merging, commercial projects changing the landscape. Creation - Local medical service, local sheriff presence, business startups, road grading, rural development master plan.

Wayne Snively: I will insist the past four years of Financial Records of Newberry CSD be correctly audited. A balanced budget for each future fiscal year has to be adhered to without exception. Separation of Kiewit Pacific Private Community Funds from Taxpayer Funds. All items of the CSD need to be handled with transparency.

Robert Vasseur: Compared to my early years in the area, recent access to basic retail, medical, and protective services have deteriorated significantly. Local government is almost exclusively mired in infrastructure micromanagement and self-generated conflict of influence rather than the more important issues.The CSD continues to exercise very little budget restraint without the requisite tax base to support such extravagance.

Diana Williams: As Newberry Springs continues to grow it is important to protect the quality of our water. Economic interests must be compatible with our rural country lifestyle.

4. What would you do about those issues if elected to the CSD board?
Linda DeLuca: What I would do for the important issues is implement, support and fight for the community members on all current and future issues that may be significant to this Community of Newberry Springs.

Linda Harper: My decisions are based on core values of openness, honesty, and caring.  If elected I will listen, research issues, and maintain ethics. I will immediately review past CSD accounting and inventory logs for completeness and discrepancies. I will insist on inventory and accountability of all old and new equipment.  I will remain open, honest, and ethical.

Kathleen Ridler: Did not respond.

Robert Seeley: Prepare a Rural Development Plan and appoint a director to oversee a coordinated long term development of resources, growth, and revenue.  Hire a CPA to design the financial procedures, forecasting, generation, and reporting of the Senior Center, Fire Department, pending programs, and startup business advice.  Obtain public works powers to manage road grading, local building codes, and rural standards.

Wayne Snively: With the other Board of Directors, I will work with them to accomplish fairness and openness in a democratic manner. If unpaid workshops are needed to reflect thewishes and concerns of the Community, then they shall be held. Then and onlythen shall the Board be able to make educated, studied decisions. Illegal actions, roasting and condescending behavior will not be tolerated. We will have a new Newberry.

Robert Vasseur: Discourage passive involvement; investigate the possibility of opening new or expanding access to older services. Get more involved with other governmental entities in our area.

Diana Williams: I'm seeking a second term of office to continue the work of making our District a highly professional and well run District. A District that is open, honest and answers to the needs of our community.