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| MCC picks new board member By Jeanine Gore--Half Moon Bay Review Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 4:09 PM PDT The Midcoast Community Council has a new board member - well, almost. Choosing from a crop of three eager candidates, the council voted 3-2 March 14 to recommend appointment of Gael Erickson, an El Granada resident and member of the League of Coastside Protection, to fill a vacant seat on the board. Because the Midcoast Council is an advisory body, the recommendation cannot take effect without the blessing of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Erickson, a teacher and technical writer who belongs to the Committee for Green Foothills and Sierra Club Greenbelt Alliance, ran for election to the MCC in November, albeit unsuccessfully. She has since remained involved, serving on its parks and recreation committee. "I'm really very interested, however, the final decision is made by the supervisors so we're not there yet," she said. Three board members: Sara Bassler, Howard Lieberman and Karen Wilson, voted in favor of Erickson, while two members, Charlie Gardner and Paul Perkovic, chose Neil Merrilees, an architect from Montara who also ran for a seat in November. MCC Chairperson Kathryn Slater-Carter was absent from the meeting and therefore was unable to cast her vote, though she said she backs the recommendation of Erickson. "I'm pleased with the decision of the council because Gael has a history of working with the council on parks and recreation issues," she said. While Perkovic voted for Merrilees based on the fact that he edged out Erickson by a nine-vote eyelash in November's election, Gardner said he favored Merrilees because the two of them are politically like-minded. "I voted for Neil because he brings the freshest ideas and because he would provide the real balance," said Gardner. "It seems to me every vote on the board is 5-1, 5-1, 5-1 and at least it would be 5-2, 5-2, 5-2." If Gardner had his druthers he would prefer for the board of supervisors to override the decision and appoint Merrilees. Though it's unknown exactly what the supervisors will do, eschewing a MCC candidate recommendation would be unusual. Merrilees, who will continue serving on the planning and zoning subcommittee, said he had mixed feelings about the outcome. And he wasn't at all surprised by it, he said. While he had a strong desire to serve and work to affect change in his community, especially with regard to development guidelines - a field which he specializes in as an architect - in another sense Merrilees said he was glad. It's a big time commitment and losing the recommendation leaves him with a lot more free time, he said. "Part of me was relieved," said Merrilees. "I know Gael really wanted it and that's good," but he added, "I honestly thought I could have done some good." Andy Calman, the third candidate, is a doctor from Montara who helped manage the Howard Dean campaign in California and also served on the citizens academy under San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill. Though he carried endorsements from supervisors Jerry Hill and Mike Nevin, Calman received no votes. And, while both he and Erickson are philosophically and politically aligned with a majority of the board, he had a few ideas about why she came out on top. "Gael has a long track record with Coastside environmental groups and I think that had a lot of weight, and I think she'll do a great job," Calman said. "Of course I would have liked to have won, naturally." The appointment process now demands the board of supervisors to weigh in on the matter, either approving the MCC recommendation outright or conducting its own candidate interviews. |