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Candidates urge regional coordination and public engagement on sea‑level rise and wetlands protection
Summary
Newark mayoral candidates said sea‑level rise requires multiagency planning and public education. Martinez emphasized wetlands protection and public education; Miguel cited Army Corps and county flood control coordination; Hannon said consultants were hired and promised sustained public outreach.
Candidates told the League of Women Voters that sea‑level rise and shoreline development should be handled collaboratively across jurisdictions and with public input.
Alyssa Martinez urged education on the wetlands’ protective role and cautioned against development that ignores ecological function: “Let's protect the wetlands…Do we understand what that means?” she asked, calling for a rigorous review before risking wetlands.
Jason Miguel recommended working with federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Alameda County Flood Control Agency, to study funding and engineering measures for shoreline protection.
Mayor Michael Hannon said Newark has hired consultants to draft an initial sea‑level rise and climate action plan and pledged more than the two public meetings some constituents expected. “We’re gonna have more than 2 public meetings…This is a long term project,” he said, and described collaboration with neighboring Fremont and Union City on hazard mitigation.
All candidates framed the issue as long‑term, regional and requiring sustained community engagement; the forum did not record policy specifics, deadlines or funding commitments.
