Candidate Questionnaire: Solvang City Council

By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020

First up there is the two candidates running for Solvang Mayor

Name: Charlie Uhrig

Occupation: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Senior Deputy

1. Why are you a candidate? What issues are important to you?

I chose to run because I love Solvang and feel the current City Council is not in touch with the community or their needs. The agenda being pushed with Solvang 2.0 seemed to ignore or disregard what the residents and community want for Solvang.

We should expect a respectful and transparent local government that values our cultural, ethnic and social diversity. As a council, it’s vital to encourage and foster dialog with the community and city staff.

I believe that I am uniquely qualified for the office of mayor because I’m the only candidate that has worked with city staff, schools, residents, business owners and special event organizers to address concerns and find solutions that are in the best interest of the entire community.

There are several issues that I see as a priority and would like to address immediately if elected. The first would be for the new council to address the financial concerns of the residents and businesses as we try to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second would be the lack of available parking, especially now that there’s discussion about closing a portion of Copenhagen Drive for an extended period or permanently. If the proposed concessions are given to the developer of the housing project on Mission Drive, it will further impact parking issues. We also need to address our wastewater treatment plant upgrades, water, utilities, and compliance with the State Housing mandates. These issues will have a long- term effect on our infrastructure and future plans as a city. 

 2. Should Solvang diversify its economy to make it less dependent on tourism?

Historically, Solvang is known as a tourist town, but we should always be open to new business ideas and/or events for our community. Due to COVID-19, there are many closed storefronts now. Innovative and creative businesses could help fill them.

I feel this pandemic has given us the opportunity to implement and allow less stringent policies to promote local businesses and tourism in Solvang. We have found that some of the changes are not as bad as originally thought. I believe we can promote Solvang as a safe destination to enjoy virtual work or school. 

3. Do you believe that Copenhagen Drive should remain closed indefinitely to vehicle traffic?

In my conversations with businesses and residents, I’ve heard many say they like the new Copenhagen Drive promenade. However, there are some business owners who feel they have not been asked for input, or heard by, the current council. Before making a decision, we need to hear the concerns of everyone who would be affected by this change. I believe a better layout and design would enhance the look and address the overall safety and logistical concerns. I am hopeful the ideas brought from the BDC will address those issues.

Name: Karen M. Waite

Occupation: Current City Council member; senior compliance analyst and managing compliance auditor for PlanMember Securities Corporation