Paso Robles Planning Commission chairman Ed Steinbeck announced his candidacy for City Council Wednesday.

The Paso Robles native has more than 18 years of experience as a planner at the administrative level and a total of 19 years experience in Paso Robles as a successful real estate agent.

“I think that there’s some huge decisions coming up on the council not only this year but in future years,” Steinbeck said. “I see myself with the experience and background to hopefully be able to do some good on the council.”

Steinbeck is currently employed as a broker associate with RE/MAX Parkside Real Estate in Paso Robles. He was born in Paso Robles in 1948 on a ranch his brother, Howie, now operates on Union Road.

In 1957, his father, George Steinbeck, decided to go back to the ministry and move away with family. Steinbeck, 9-years-old at the time, left the ranch with his eldest sister and parents. Howie, meanwhile, stayed behind at the ranch.

Steinbeck eventually returned to the area and attended Cal Poly in 1966, graduating in 1971 with a degree in city and regional planning as part of the second-ever graduating class within Cal Poly’s College of Architecture & Environmental Design.

Steinbeck landed his first out-of-college job with Sonoma County as a planner in 1971, working in various capacities as a planner until 1974. In 1974, he was promoted to full-time planning director with the city of Sonoma. It was there that Steinbeck said he became familiarized with the intricacies of the city government processes as by working with the Sonoma City Council. He served as planning director in Sonoma until 1989 before moving back to Paso Robles and deciding to pursue a different career in real estate.

“It was something that I always wanted to do but never really had the chance to,” he said.

On the Planning Commission, Steinbeck served for about nine years total, including two back-to-back three-year full terms beginning in 2001.

“With my planning background, that was kind of a natural thing to do–to try and help serve the community,” he said.

Steinbeck was a Bearcat Booster supporter in the mid 1990s while his children attended Paso Robles High School. He is also a supporter of the SkillsUSA program and volunteers with Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atascadero.

Some of the future issues Steinbeck highlighted include water and how to pay for it, as well as the many specific plans that are in various stages of completion to provide a future vision for the community, including the Uptown/Town Centre, Olsen-Beechwood, Chandler Ranch and future College Station area specific plans.

Most recently, Steinbeck participated in the charrette process for development of the Uptown/Town Center Specific Plan in May.

“I thought was pretty exciting–to see some deigns come together for the downtown and the uptown area that will hopefully help revitalize even more,” he said.

Completion and funding of highway and traffic improvements are critical, Steinbeck said. The future of Airport Road improvements is also an important issue expected to unfold, as well as whether or not the Chandler Ranch development will move forward, he said.

There are also a number of different studies currently under way, including a parallel routes study for Highway 46 East that seeks to discern if parallel routes along the major thoroughfare is a good solution for traffic problems.

In the future, balancing the city’s finances will be very important, Steinbeck said.

“I really think that finances with the city over the next couple of years are going to be very critical,” he said. “Not just the water rates, but finances in general. It will probably be two or three years before the economy starts humming again.”

Steinbeck commended the professionalism exhibited by city officials, as well as the various elected and advisory bodies and city staff.

“We have a very good relationship between the Planning Commission and City Council in this community,” he said. “We’re very blessed by having good people in both position. It’s a good working council right now. I would want to make sure it stays that way.”

Financially speaking, the city has done very well in the past exhibiting fiscal responsibility, Steinbeck said.

“The city has done a great job at having reserves and has planned very carefully how to use their money,” he said. “That’s something that we have to watch constantly and think about constantly, to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for the citizens of the community.”

When asked whether he considered himself “pro-growth,” Steinbeck said he would characterize himself as supporting “reasonable, planned growth.”

“I would like to see an area carefully planned with something that works for the market–not necessarily imposing a design on a developer that maybe won’t work for the market–but we have to meet a happy medium between the two,” he said.

Steinbeck also said the city should continue to seek to be cognizant of sewer and water issues as they go about allowing further development.

“We’ve got to make sure that the traffic, sewer and water are all there and able to support what is actually built, and I think that’s going to be real key again depending on how the water issue turns out,” he said.

Surrounded by friends, family and supporters at the Paso Robles City Hall, Steinbeck made a formal announcement for the candidacy on Wednesday afternoon. Those in attendance included Paso Robles Mayor and future First District Supervisor Frank Mecham, Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Mike Gibson, Pete Dakin, owner/broker of RE/MAX Parkside Real Estate, several city advisory body members and others.

Mecham had the opportunity to work with Steinbeck when he was on the Planning Commission himself, as well as working with him while on the council.

“He runs great meetings, he’s very, very knowledgeable about planning; he’s been an integral part of the planning of the city over the last many, many years,” he said of Steinbeck. “I’m excited to see him step up at the council level. It will be a good thing for the city.”

Dakin has worked with Steinbeck for several years in the real estate businesses. He also served on the Planning Commission for five years.

“His knowledge, honesty, integrity and unique background will make a material difference for the community,” Dakin said. “He has a unique combination of deep city experience and great real estate experience.”

Currently, Steinbeck is running unopposed for one of two seats to be available on the City Council. City Councilman Fred Strong is also running for re-election. Current City Councilman Gary Nemeth, whose seat is also up in the November election, is currently running unopposed for the office of mayor.