LAKEPORT — Businessman Kenneth “Kenny” Parlet II described preventative spending, community development, lake health and improved infrastructure as some of the issues he would focus on if elected to the Lakeport City Council.
“It”s really important that we take care of infrastructure so when we build a profitable, prosperous city, we”re building it on a foundation that we can sustain growth and profitability and prosperity,” Parlet, 58, said Wednesday.
The longtime general manager of Lakeview Supermarket & Deli located on Highway 20 in Lucerne seeks one of three council seats up for election in November.
Parlet said the knowledge he developed actively participating in groups such as the Lakeport Rotary Club, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Mountain Officials Association and North Shore Business Association helped motivate him to enter the race.
“A lot of people thought that I would be a good candidate because of the experience that I”ve had having attended many, many meetings, understanding parliamentary procedure, and also being a big-picture kind of guy who looks at the long term,” he said.
Parlet said he is a proponent of preventative maintenance and paying “a little bit more money along the way now than having a real serious crisis later on and having to do major repairs and incur major expenses later on. And I like to spread that over everybody equally and fairly.”
He said he supported improved infrastructure but understood it would come at a cost.
“I think that some people don”t want to face the fact that if you want to have curb and gutter and good streets and sewers and all that stuff, that there”s a price to be paid for that,” Parlet added.
He contended that spending effectively is key in a tough economic climate.
“Trying to do more with less money is really a difficult thing, but being an independent business owner, I”ve been doing that for over 40 years,” Parlet said. “This is no time to be frivolous with spending.”
Parlet expressed concern about how different levels of government regulate businesses.
“Regulation has gotten completely out of control in this country and we need to try to facilitate business rather than hamper and hinder them at every turn,” he said, adding that as a councilman he would look for “any way that I could do that locally or encourage it at the state level or talk to people that are higher up.”
Parlet lives in Lakeport with his wife, Deana. He has a son, daughter, stepson and stepdaughter – all adults – as well as two grandchildren.
In addition to his duties at the market, Parlet strings tennis rackets professionally and is involved with Lucerne-based Lindy”s Quality Catering.
