Sade’s has been part of Carmel for generations. It lost its lease, and our three-bar limit and location-specific approvals make reopening elsewhere difficult. Rules intended to protect Carmel now stand in the way of a familiar gathering place finding a new home. Last year, I introduced WAYMISH: “Why Are You Making It So Hard?” I encouraged City Hall to shift from “No, because…” to “Yes, if…” Sade’s shows why that question matters. But helpful service accomplishes only so much

Recently, I spoke at the Carmel Woman's Club about the many initiatives we’ve completed and have underway at City Hall. Preparing that presentation reminded me of the extraordinary volume of information our small city must process, and how important it is that all this activity produces meaningful results. Carmel has approximately 3,200 residents, yet the complexity of running our village bears little relationship to its population. Between City staff, Council, commissions, r

Learning From Other Cities Last week I attended the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Anaheim with colleagues. Thousands of city leaders gathered to share ideas on everything from public safety and housing to transportation, economic development, and city finances. One lesson stood out because Carmel is having a conversation about tourism; its benefits and its impact on residents. We know the pressures visitors can create: traffic, crowded streets, parking in r