Future will tell what changes – if any – will result from elections held on Saturday and Tuesday.

By Mary O’KEEFE

The local elections are over and the Crescenta Valley has remained pretty much status quo.

The results of Tuesday’s election had all incumbents maintaining their seats on the CV Water District board of directors. Out of a total of 1096 ballots cast, James Bodnar received 714 votes, Kerry Erickson 675, Ken Putnam 539 and challenger Charles Beatty received 401 votes.

There are five members on the CVWD board of directors, each serving a four-year term. Erickson and Bodnar were first elected to the board in 2009. Putnam was elected in 2011.

The CVWD board of directors is responsible for making many decisions concerning the future of the water district including raising rates.

The election for the CV Town Council was held on Saturday. There were nine candidates vying for six seats – three voting members and three alternates. There were 431 votes cast and as with the water board all incumbents kept their seats. Harry Leon received 194 votes, Cheryl Davis 170 votes and Dr. Young Suh 147 votes. The alternates are First Alternate Kyle Studebaker with 99 votes, Leslie Dickson with 70 and Krista Smiley with 66 votes.

Leon, Davis and Suh will each serve a three-year term with the alternates each serving one year.

With this election Davis begins her third term. At present she serves as the CVTC president. She has seen the council grow and change over the years.

“Overall, CVTC is working really well with different organizations [in] Crescenta Valley,” Davis said. She added that the current council built on the past in reaching out to organizations in the community.

“We [CVTC members] try to attend each other’s events, and they attend ours,” she said.

The council has created a community calendar and continues to expand on it. It has also opened the Land Use Committee, which looks and reviews development and remodeling in the community, to non-council members.

Davis said changing the restriction from only allowing CVTC members on the committee to inviting the community to participate has allowed the public to become more involved in the decision-making process.

In the future, she said the council would look into changing other restrictions for membership on the Land Use Committee, like members must be a developer, architect or contractor.

“I have a feeling the council will want to look into changing those restrictions,” she said.

Overall Davis said she is looking forward to beginning her new term; however, after four years as president she will not be running for that position in her next term.

“Because of work and [my daughter] will be a senior next year, I can’t [be president],” she said. She added she would accept any other position that the council would like her to undertake.

“And I am ready to mentor the next president,” she said.

Davis is happy that more people than usual ran for the six available seats. One of the new candidates who threw her hat in the ring was Kyle Studebaker.

Studebaker has been involved in the community for years, working with various organizations like Prom Plus and CV CAN (Crescenta Valley Committed to Athletic Needs). She said she is ready to take on her new role as alternate council member.

When asked what she felt the role of the CVTC was, Studebaker replied, “The Council’s role, as stated on their website, clearly defines our advisory capacity; to listen and communicate residents’ needs, ideas and concerns to the appropriate public agencies – city, county and state – including the supervisor of the Fifth District, Michael Antonovich, its official representative on the Los Angeles County board of supervisors. I see the Council as being a forward thinking team of residents working together to represent the community at all times.”

She added that she does not have a specific agenda but is interested in ensuring the safety of all residents. She wants to support local schools and promote positive youth development. She is also interested in Land Use Committee work.

“My term begins on Dec. 19 and I look forward to being brought up-to-date with current issues the Council is addressing,” she said.

Newly elected alternate Krista Smiley served on the CVTC five years ago, ending eight years of service. She said that she has been involved off and on with the town council since 1996.

This time around, she plans to focus on two things, one being the installation of small medians that are outfitted with greenery and are spaced further apart along Foothill Boulevard. Another interest of hers is to save as much open space from developers as possible by strictly enforcing building codes.

The CVTC meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the La Crescenta Library. At the Dec. 19 meeting, the new council will be sworn in.

The La Crescenta Library is located at 2809 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta.

  Mary Okeefe