Elisabeth "Liesbeth" Visscher
Candidate for Mayor, Marina · Mayor Pro Tem
Elisabeth "Liesbeth" Visscher holds a master's degree in Architecture and has a background in property management. She has volunteered with Citizens for Just Water, a Marina water-advocacy group, since 2017 and has chaired the organization since 2020, campaigning against California American Water's proposed desalination project through public education, community forums, and organizing public comments to the California Coastal Commission. She was elected to the Marina City Council representing District 4 in November 2022 and currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem.
Positions in brief
Visscher's platform centers on protecting Marina's water supply from a proposed desalination project, improving emergency response times, and ensuring new developments include affordable and senior housing.
Visscher opposes California American Water's proposed desalination project in Marina, arguing it would let the city bear the environmental risk while the water is sold to customers on the Monterey Peninsula; she instead backs the Pure Water Monterey recycled-water project and its expansion. She has called emergency fire and medical response times in Marina 'unacceptably long,' particularly in District 4, and has pushed to secure funding for an additional fire station near Imjin Parkway and California Avenue. She says she is closely watching developments including The Dunes, Sea Haven, Marina Station, and Cypress Knolls to make sure they include affordable and senior housing, and has prioritized long-term infrastructure maintenance planning and budgeting.
On the issues
Opposes California American Water's proposed desalination project in Marina and instead supports the Pure Water Monterey recycled-water project.
“We are not against desal but oppose CalAm's proposed desal project in Marina because it threatens the aquifers below our city”
Source →Wants to secure funding for an additional fire station to address unacceptably long emergency response times, especially in District 4.
“Safety for residents is a primary concern with emergency fire and medical response times unacceptably long”
Source →Wants to ensure new developments such as The Dunes, Sea Haven, Marina Station, and Cypress Knolls include affordable and senior housing.
Source →Frames CalAm's desalination proposal as an environmental-justice issue because Marina would bear the risks without receiving the water.
“a prime example of Environmental Injustice because Marina would bear all the harms and risks while not receiving a drop of the desalinated water”
Source →
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