Nov. 6, 2018
Dear Marge Ann Jameson,
It’s a big day today. I look forward to learning the election results and beginning to coordinate the transition to a new mayor for our city.
Until the transition is complete, we still have a bit of business to do with our current council.
Election Day
It’s today; please vote! You have probably already mailed your ballot.  If not, it’s going to be a lovely day for stopping by your polling place. Your vote is important at every level of the ballot, and especially so for this election. We have national, state, and local topics vital to our future.  Let’s keep Pacific Grove at the top of the chart in Monterey County for voter turnout.

This evening, as polls are closing, Cheryl and I will walk over to the Monarch Pub for conversation and to watch the national and local results with several of our local candidates who will be there. We expect to be there around 7:30 pm. I hope you will drop by to say hello, and to talk with our local candidates. There’s a great slate on the ballot to fill the open seats on our council.
National results should be coming in by then.  Local results will pop up sometime between 8:45 and 9:30 pm, and that’s always a guess on timing.
By the end of this evening, we will know the results of our local races, unless they are very close. Typically, only half the ballots are counted at this point, and very close races can shift when the full count is completed.
Timeline for the New Council
There is an extended process before the results of an election become official.  Monterey County Elections has 30 days to complete and validate the counts. Usually, we receive the official results just before our first meeting in December. That means the timeline is:
November 6 – Election Day
November 7 – Council meeting with the current council
November 28 – Council meeting with the current council
December 5 – Council receives official results from County Elections Department and certifies the Pacific Grove results as the first order of business. The new mayor and council are sworn in. There is a ceremonial period for the swearing in, and the farewell to departing councilmembers. Then the new council members take their seats, and the business of the city resumes, in new hands.
Coming Up
Tomorrow, at our November 7 regular council meeting  ire and water are the main topics. We will consider giving direction to staff to negotiate a new contract for fire services with the City of Monterey. Monterey is currently our provider and we seek some adjustments to the contract.
We will also consider some significant updates to our policies regarding water availability in Pacific Grove. That includes the traditional priorities on our water wait list, and the prospect of making new water entitlements available from our Local Water Project.
We have moved our regular November 21 meeting to November 28 to keep clear of Thanksgiving Holiday. On November 28 we will be taking some form of action on the long awaited Local Coastal Plan for Pacific Grove.  So far, this project has been over 30 years in the making.
As always, I invite your comments on any of these topics.
Best wishes,
Bill Kampe, Mayor
Website: www.billkampe.org
Phone: 831-521-7936