Pizza and the Power Plant

For over an hour, 29 residents of southwest Chula Vista pleaded to Mayor Cheryl Cox and Chula Vista’s council members to rescind the approval of energy company MMC’s proposed “peaker” power plant slated for their neighborhood. Some protesters spoke while wearing disposable respirators; others brought their children up to the podium; all said that the power plant would jeopardize their health.

During the public comment, a camera’s flash went off. It came from the sole council member who opposed the power plant, Rudy Ramirez. After the comments from the public, Ramirez addressed the demonstrators:

“I appreciate your passion for your community and your words and your feelings to protect your community in this way. Thank you for showing up and demonstrating the way you have. I did something a little uncharacteristic earlier when you all stood up and had your signs. I took a camera to take a photograph because for me it was a beautiful sight, frankly, to see so many people passionate about their community that I had to get a picture of it. It’s something I’m going to keep and think about often.”

Ramirez asked the council to put the power-plant issue on an upcoming agenda so that the public had a chance to hear all of the details.

Immediately after Ramirez spoke, Mayor Cox continued with the meeting.

Later, during council comments, Mayor Cox opposed Ramirez’s suggestion to place the item on an upcoming agenda.

Council member Jerry Rindone also opposed Ramirez’s suggestion. He stated there had already been a three-hour-long public hearing, where he sat and listened to “people much smarter” discuss the issue for over three hours. Rindone accused Ramirez of staying for only ten minutes.

Council member Steve Castaneda said his office would release a memo addressing the concerns of the public’s opposition to the plant, while his colleague, council member John McCann, failed to address the issue at all.

On a lighter note, Mayor Cox was happy to plug the soft opening of the new Oggi’s Pizza and Brewery in Chula Vista’s Winding Walk shopping plaza.

For more on the Chula Vista City Council, go to chulavistaca.gov.