November 2018 Elections for MCC

In November 2018 there are four Midcoast Community Council seats open for election (or re-election) to 4-year terms. The candidate filing period is open from July 16 through Aug 10 at 5:00 PM. Candidates must be registered voters residing in the unincorporated San Mateo County Midcoast communities of Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, or Miramar. (Note the Half Moon Bay city limit is at Mirada/Alto Roads.) 

Candidate statements will be limited to 200 words, and the cost paid by the candidate. Optional candidate seminars will be held Wed, July 11 at 10 AM, and Thursday, July 26 at 2 PM, at the elections office, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo. Find resources and how to apply at County Elections. Learn more about MCC on this website or contact a councilmember with questions.

UPDATE 8/8/18: Incumbents Chris Johnson and Brandon Kwan announced they will not run for re-election. That means the candidate filing deadline is extended to August 15, 2018, at 5pm.

UPDATE 8/16/18: MCC will not be on the Nov 2018 ballot because only 4 candidates filed for 4 seats:

  • Dave Olson, El Granada, incumbent

  • Claire Toutant, Moss Beach, incumbent

  • Len Erickson, El Granada, Education Consultant & MCC 2010-2013

  • Michelle Weil, Moss Beach, Tech Executive/Mother

Romeo Pier 1940’s - 2018

The distant view of Romeo Pier is a rustic reminder of the bygone sardine fishing/cannery era in Princeton by the Sea. The reality revealed in close up, however, is a long-neglected, badly deteriorated relic that has been falling piece by piece into the harbor for years, with the inevitable collapse possible in the next big storm. In 2013, MCC raised concerns about an imminent marine debris disaster. The Harbor District has obtained permits and contracted for pier removal during June 2018 at a cost of $2.3 million. See District pier demo page for ongoing updates.)

When Romeo Packing switched from fish-based to chemical fertilizer in the 1970’s, the Harbor District began leasing the pier, and then purchased it outright in 1996 for $185,000, even though they did not own land access.  At the same time the District decided NOT to buy the half-acre boatyard on Princeton shoreline for $200,000. The same Harbor Commission 3-2 majority prevailed on both votes. Only two years later, in 1998, Romeo Pier was permanently closed as unsafe, with decking collapsing and many pilings no longer reaching the ground.