City Clerk Dana Swanson administers the Oath of Office to new City Council members, from left: Councilman Jeff Eckles, Mayor Carla Wixom and Councilman Bill Luffee. The trio joins Councilwomen Zara Landrum and Cyndee Edwards serving for the next two years.
Morro Bay City Council passed the torch to new members on Dec. 10, as the City reaches a second milestone with its elected leaders.
In 2022, voters elected three women to the City Council — Zara Landrum, Cyndee Edwards and Mayor Carla Wixom — giving the city its first-ever all-women council. The new members in 2022 joined existing members Jen Ford and Laurel Barton.
Fast forward two years and the new members after the 2024 election are Councilmen Jeff Eckles and Bill Luffee, as well as re-elected Mayor Wixom.
While the all-women council passed into history another first-time milestone took over. The November 2024 Election was the first time none of the council seats up for grabs had a contested election, as no one signed up to run against Wixom, Luffee and Eckles.
In her farewell remarks, Barton said it had been a pleasure to serve on the city council, and noted the many comments from the public that have been submitted as showing “how much people are involved in their city.”
Ford, who was initially appointed to finish the term of the late Councilman Red Davis before winning the seat outright, said she was “already a puddle of tears” and felt “overwhelmed for your support.” She and Davis were neighbors, and he asked her to step in for him.
City Manager Yvonne Kimball (at left) gives an engraved crystal bowl to outgoing City Councilwoman Jen Ford (at right), as outgoing Councilwoman, Laurel Barton awaits hers.
“I did so with a heavy heart,” she said, “and a deep sense of responsibility. This has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.”
She noted that when her tenure began it was during the COVID-19 pandemic and they faced a challenge to keep the city and citizens connected.
“I believe in Morro Bay’s future,” Ford said. “I believe in its people.” She added that through her work as an aide for Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, it was “far from the end of my service.”
Mayor Wixom echoed Ford’s sentiments and noted it will be good to have her as a direct line to our Assembly member.
City Manager Yvonne Kimball led a brief ceremony where she awarded both Ford and Barton certificates of service and large crystal engraved bowls as souvenirs of their time in office.
City Clerk Dana Swanson then administered the Oath of Office to Luffee and Eckles and the mayor, officially starting their tenures.
The transfer of power meant the end of Morro Bay’s historic all-women city council, which served from 2022-24. From left are: Councilwomen Laurel Barton, Zara Landrum, Mayor Carla Wixom,
Councilwomen Jen Ford and Cyndee Edwards.
Eckles said that just because the election was uncontested, it doesn’t lessen his passion and dedication. He said that he’s been serving the community for 20 years now in one role or another and out in the audience he saw “the faces of my neighbors, friends and loved ones. I am truly inspired.”
He said the passage of Measure A-24 in November “shows how much the citizens love Morro Bay.” He added that he didn’t want to see the character of the City change “to something we don’t recognize.”
He pledged to continue the transparency the previous council started, and among his goals are “the financial health and stability of the City.”
He said he was planning to propose some initiatives in the New Year to build on the financial health of the City. Among the hats Eckles has worn is as a wealth manager, as well as a housing industry advocate, so he brings a certain expertise in those fields.
Luffee said this office was “the next step in my journey of public service.”
Both Luffee and Eckles are former members of the Harbor Advisory Board, which oversees the Harbor Department and advises the City Council on harbor projects and issues.
City Manager Kimball just hired a new leader for the Harbor Department with a new emphasis on economic development as a means to help with the department’s revenue issues.
Luffee said he worries about the town’s future, as revenue projections from the finance department are not looking too good.
Mayor Wixom thanked her family — four generations of which were in attendance. “It’s about community,” the Mayor said. “That’s why we’re sitting here and why you’re sitting there.”
She too noted the City’s finances are a big concern.
The new City Council will likely have to face some tough decisions in the coming year or two. The City will be faced with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project being proposed by power plant property owner, Vistra that has now been taken away from the City.
Vistra in October notified the City that it was pausing its application with the City and would instead apply to the California Energy Commission for a permit.
But while the City would lose its lead agency status, its input should still be a factor in the Energy Commission’s — and the Coastal Commission’s — review of the BESS Project. Time will tell.
Also, along those same lines, the Council has launched an emergency Zoning Ordinance process to address any future battery storage facilities.
And while a new City Council traditionally takes the rest of the year off before diving in after New Year’s, they’ve scheduled a special closed session meeting for Dec. 16 with some potentially sticky wickets on the agenda.
According to the official agenda the Council will discuss lease negotiations with the owners of The Libertine Pub, which has proposed a redevelopment project; negotiations with the school district over the old Morro Elementary School property; doing a performance review for the city attorney and also potentially dismissing the contracted firm and then hiring a new one.
