Politics & Government

ELECTION WATCH: Candidate Q&A With William T. Klear, Harbor District Commission

Today we feature the second Q&A in our series of four San Mateo County Harbor District Commission candidates

Name:  William T. Klear

Age:  62  

Occupation: Retired from United Airlines after 23 years in management.  I am a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Rotary International, Boy Scouts of America and Half Moon Bay Yacht Club. 

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Prior public office:  None

Why do you want to serve on the Harbor Commission?  

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I live in Moss Beach and have spent my life on the Bay and around Pillar Point.  I feel that I can help create harbors that meet the needs of the people in the county for the 21st century.

What applicable experience do you have that qualifies you to be a commissioner?  

I have dealt with multi-million dollar contracts with the Air Force, United, and other airlines.  I have worked with multiple agencies to resolve financial and contractual as well as meeting the requirements of local laws and ordinances.   

What do you think is the biggest challenge for: 1) the Harbor District as a whole, 2) Pillar Point Harbor, and 3) Oyster Point Marina?  

The biggest challenge for the Harbor District is to bring the harbors into the 21st century.  Their original purpose, that of recreational boating and commercial fishing, has changed as their demographics change.  

I would like to see marine biology labs, sponsored by state universities, built at both harbors.  

I would like to see a physical presence of the Coast Guard in Pillar Point.  The Coast Guard does an excellent job, but the distances they need to travel from the Bay gives them an unfair handicap.  

I will improve revenue streams at both harbors.  Both harbors need to be renovated with new, environmentally sound equipment.  Restoration of the environment around both harbors is critical as well.  

At Pillar Point I will improve revenue streams by bringing in a marine biology lab at Romeo Pier, bring in a boat maintenance facility and haul-out, create more public activities such as a Saturday Fish Market, boat shows, car shows, and more water sports activities such as a kayak put-in and a dingy dock for visiting recreational boats.  Perhaps we could even support a Pirate Festival similar to the Pumpkin Festival.  

Oyster Point needs to be developed to support the new ferry terminal.  The 800 commuters a day will need support services such as restaurants and news stands, too, as they commute.  Oyster Point also needs a boat haul-out.  Oyster Point has a wonderful wind that blows through there every spring and summer.  I want to harness it using wind generators for electricity.  The Bay needs to be restored and Oyster Point is a perfect stepping stone into the Bay environment for study and restoration.         

What will be your top priority as a commissioner?  

Revenue, restoration and renovation. I want to bring the resources that the people of San Mateo County paid for with their taxes and fees into the 21st century.  I will turn them into assets that all the people of the county can enjoy and benefit from.   

How will you balance the budget and bring down the $10 million debt?  

The debt is under control.  The money to pay it back is in the bank.  The state of California is content with the agreements that the district has worked out.  What we need to do is take this economic downturn and use it to our benefit to create revenue streams that will improve our income as the economy improves.  The ferry terminal will generate revenue.  Improvements at Oyster Point will increase the revenue stream.  Working with marine labs at Pillar Point will aid the fishing fleet.  Multiple uses will generate more revenue.


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