SQUID FRY 09.29.16: Banning Grannies…

BANNING GRANNIES… Squid tuned in to the presidential debate to hear ideas about how Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump might help Squid’s pals land a decent rental in Monterey. The best idea either of them offered on that front was becoming a 400-pound cephalopod who does lucrative cybersecurity work from bed – but that won’t solve any immediate problems with the local market.

Unless you purchased a home decades ago or are making big bucks (or like Squid, living rent-free in the sea), Monterey is unaffordable for roughly half its population. Seeking to address that, City Councilman Timothy Barrett wanted to allow property owners to rent out granny units, even if the impact would be small. After a lengthy process, Barrett’s proposed changes were shot down Sept. 20 when City Council caved after about 20 homeowners claimed it would erode the integrity of single family neighborhoods. Instead, the city will continue its prohibition of granny unit rentals – potential rentals sitting idle! – and instead push more aggressive enforcement of the short-term rental ban.

The parting message from Mayor Clyde Roberson: People with extra bedrooms should start renting them out (which he does for students), and rat out neighbors who are using Airbnb.

In other words, to preserve the integrity of neighborhoods, neighbors should tell on each other.

LINKS IN… Squid’s no math genius, but even Squid can figure out the arithmetic of elections: two presidential candidates, one loses. Six candidates for three open seats on Pacific Grove City Council, three lose. Four candidates for Seaside mayor, three lose. Squid was wondering how far ahead the soon-to-be-losers have thought as to how to leverage their failed campaigns to further their careers – a book deal? A reality TV show? – and Squid decided to look at what’s next for County Supervisor Dave Potter, who’s about half-way done with his six-month lame duck period. (After four terms, Potter lost in the June primary to Mary Adams, who will succeed him in January.)

Squid thought Potter’s future might hold lots of time on the links, or hours lingering over a glass of white wine in the lobby of the Portola Hotel, where his wife Janine Chicourrat is GM. But when Squid asked Potter what he intended to do, Potter replied: “My career is far from over.”

To get an idea of what might be in store, Squid checked LinkedIn, where Potter now lists his current occupation as “Monterey County Supervisor / Consultant at Dave Potter Consulting.”

Maybe this way he’ll get a jumpstart on some issues the supes have continued kicking down the road – short-term rentals and outdoor cannabis grows among them – on the other side of that famously revolving door.