ELECTIONS / VENTURA CITY COUNCIL : Patagonia’s Role in Race Still Unclear

On the western edge of Ventura, set apart from the rest of an industrial neighborhood, lies a compound of mustard-colored stucco buildings that has served as a kind of environmental think tank in city politics in recent years.

Four years ago, activists at Patagonia Inc., a worldwide seller of outdoor clothing and one of the city’s largest employers, helped plan the environmental revolution that swept three slow-growth candidates into the Ventura City Council.

Two years ago, however, the company found itself preoccupied by the same kind of business troubles that triggered a counterrevolution in city politics and reinstated a pro-growth majority on the council.

After endorsing two losing candidates in the City Council race that year, Patagonia officials say they are in financial shape again to become more active. But they still are uncertain about what role, if any, they will play in the upcoming campaign.

Since 1989, the company has lost chief political strategist Kevin Sweeney, and Ventura’s environmental movement has faltered politically. No environmental candidates found success in the 1991 election.

With only a few days until the filing deadline, only one environmental challenger has emerged. And he openly questions whether Patagonia can maintain a leadership role in the local environmental movement indefinitely, even if it wants to.

Steve Bennett, 42, a Nordhoff High School teacher running for City Council who enjoys grass-roots environmental support, ran a strong write-in campaign with Patagonia’s help in the last council race. He came in fifth, with 5,315 votes.

“A big company like that can’t play the lead over a long period of time,” Bennett said. “A grass-roots movement can be supported by a corporation, but it can’t be led by a corporation.”

In addition to supporting Bennett in 1991, Patagonia endorsed incumbent Councilman Don Villeneuve. He came in fourth, behind victorious pro-growth candidates Gregory L. Carson, Jack Tingstrom and Tom Buford.

This time around, two incumbents backed by Patagonia four years ago--Councilmen Gary Tuttle and Todd Collart--are seeking reelection, as well as incumbent James Monahan, a pro-growth candidate. Councilwoman Cathy Bean will not run again.

Other contenders who have submitted their candidacy papers: Nancy Cloutier, publisher and editor of the Ventura County & Coast Reporter; Neil Demers-Grey, a writer and gay rights activist; Charles Kistner, a political consultant; Dick Massa, owner of a medical supply company; Rosa Lee Measures, a financial planner; Clark Owens, a real estate broker; Brian Lee Rencher, a Ventura College student; Kenneth Schmitz, a certified public accountant, and Carol Dean Williams, a local activist.

Others have taken out candidacy papers but have not filed them with the city clerk: Bennett; Gregory Bailey, manager of a wire rope company; Marilyn Miller, a planner; Gary Warren, a manufacturing manager, and Virginia Weber, who is self-employed.

Bennett said environmental interest groups were hoping to run a four-person slate this year, but have been unsuccessful in finding a fourth candidate. The three candidates expected to be backed by slow-growth groups are Bennett, Collart and Tuttle.

Patagonia officials said it is likely they will back the trio, but don’t yet know how much support they will offer.

According to Bennett, “People aren’t beating down the doors for the opportunity” to run for council, and environmentalists have been seeking candidates to run since February.

Even as Ventura’s environmental groups are looking for a fourth candidate, some environmentalists admit the poor economy has made it difficult to rally around traditional issues like battling urban sprawl.

The sputtering economy in recent years has inspired more business-oriented candidates to step forward, promising revitalization and economic growth.

Since 1989, the Ventura Chamber of Commerce has risen as a major political force--partly in reaction to Patagonia and the environmental movement.

In 1991, the chamber helped elect a trio of candidates--Mayor Carson and Councilmen Buford and Tingstrom--who campaigned on making the city friendlier to business interests. All have strong ties to the chamber and received thousands of dollars in donations and advertising from the group.

Chamber officials said they plan to spend about $16,000 on the campaign this year and have been raising funds for months. Its political action committee will soon begin interviewing candidates prior to endorsements next month.

Some of the environmentalists’ rivals at the chamber gleefully point to the environmental camp’s inactivity as a telling indication that the movement is fading in Ventura.

“I don’t know if they’re sleeping out there or what,” said Guy Wysinger, president of the chamber. “It’s either faltering or it’s very slow to come to surface.”

Others say the environmental movement is only dormant and will make its influence felt in city politics if an issue crops up that stirs its interest. The movement is looking for candidates and issues now, environmentalists say.

One issue some environmentalists have started to raise is whether the council will build a desalination plant that residents recommended in a special election last November.

During that campaign, the same business groups that helped elect Carson, Buford and Tingstrom threw their financial muscle behind a proposed pipeline to the State Water Project. But former Ventura Planning Commissioner Tim Downey, along with Bennett, mounted a grass-roots battle to build a desalination plant instead and emerged victorious when residents voted 55% to 45% in favor of desalination.

Last month, Bennett and Downey accused the council of deliberately delaying progress on the desalination project. They said some on the council hope this year’s election will bring in new council members from the business community, who will ignore the citizens advisory vote and kill the desalination project.

“I’m planning on making it a campaign issue,” Bennett said.

However, Paul Tebbel, director of environmental affairs for Patagonia, has doubts about whether desalination can still be used as a major issue. In fact, he sees no major environmental issues at the moment.

“I think the environmentalists are out there, and I think they care. It’s tougher because the economy is still unstable and people are worried about jobs,” he said.

“Unless a major environmental issue produces itself on the pages of newspapers in the next two months, we’ll be looking at a pretty mundane, lackadaisical election.”

According to Tebbel, Patagonia decided to get involved in local politics in 1989 because a majority of seats on the council were open and the firm’s owners, Yvon and Malinda Chouinard, were upset with “the encroachment of L.A.-style growth on this city.”

The Chouinards were not pleased with the council’s support of a proposed state university at Taylor Ranch and opposed the city’s pace of growth.

During that election, Patagonia spokesman Sweeney--who had experience in national politics--advised and directed political strategy for the environmental movement. The Chouinards gave $1,600 each to Collart, Tuttle and Bean, and the company spent about $15,000 for ads endorsing the trio.

But Patagonia kept a low profile in the 1991 City Council race because the company was distracted by challenges to its economic survival, Tebbel said.

“We had just laid off 20% of our work force,” Tebbel said. “The candidates on our side were not that strong, and the drought was basically controlling growth.”

In the council races two years ago, the company donated some office space for fund-raising events and made endorsements, but it was not as visible as it was in 1989. Sweeney contributed $100 to Bennett’s campaign and the Chouinards gave $1,500 to Villeneuve’s effort.

That year, the environmentalists were overshadowed by the Chamber of Commerce and Venturans for Responsible Government, a business coalition that helped elect Carson, Buford and Tingstrom.

Sweeney’s departure from Patagonia in January, 1992, also dealt a blow to environmental interest groups, said Carolyn Leavens, spokeswoman for Venturans for Responsible Government. Sweeney is now director of communications for Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.

“Sweeney was the guru,” Leavens said. “He was awfully good at what he did. They may feel they want to sit this one out.”

Tebbel said Sweeney’s leaving did cost the environmental movement momentum.

“Kevin was a pro, and in his absence, the responsibility falls upon different people who don’t have as much as experience,” he said.

Tebbel said Patagonia is now in a financial position to get involved in local politics again.

“We have the ability to play as strong a role as we did in 1989 if we choose to. We’re waiting to see who steps forward,” said Tebbel, who emphasized that Patagonia endorses candidates, but does not recruit them.

But Tebbel noted that the environmental movement in Ventura reacts to issues, and the public’s overriding concern with the recession has muted issues that may motivate activists, he said.

Cheryl Brant, a spokeswoman for the Alliance for Ventura’s Future, a grass-roots environmental group, doesn’t view the environmental movement as completely dormant.

“When something comes up that’s important, they come out of the woodwork,” she said. “The economy is on everybody’s minds now.”

Chamber officials said the economy will give pro-business candidates an advantage this year, and environmentalists who traditionally oppose development will have a harder time finding an issue because few businesses are building.

“What issue are they going to jump on?” asked Wysinger, the chamber president. “They’re opposed to any kind of growth. I think the voters recognize that there has to be some kind of managed growth.”

Bob Alviani, who heads the chamber’s political action committee, said more businesses have become concerned with environmental issues in recent years. That means environmental activists no longer have a monopoly, which may account for their apparent lack of focus.

“Everybody’s concerned about the environment now,” he said. “Just because you’re pro-business doesn’t mean you’re against the environment.”

Alviani said he doesn’t know whether Ventura’s environmental movement is diminishing or if Patagonia will play a major role in the election.

“I don’t watch the other team,” Alviani said. “I only worry about my team. Our actions are not driven by theirs.”

Still, other political activists say it is too soon to speculate on whether the environmental movement in Ventura is receding.

Carolyn Leavens warned not to underestimate environmental forces.

“Count them out when they’re dead, and not before,” Leavens said. “They’ve got a lot of young, very idealistic people who are willing to go out and precinct-walk.”

Leavens said Patagonia may become more active again “if someone can sell them an issue that strikes home with them. If they don’t see some kind of threat, they probably will not be as active.”

Patagonia officials agree.

“We helped make this town focus on issues when it comes to elections,” Tebbel said. “What everyone learned is that if you don’t define the issues, someone--like Patagonia--will do it for you, and whoever is first to define the issues gets the slant.”

He shrugged and added: “Other than that, we’re just this little clothing company on the edge of town.”