I will work hard to combine my vision, leadership skills and experience to achieve consensus on key issues facing Mountain View including:
- Scrutinizing and pass fiscally sound budgets
- Strengthening our local economy
- Protecting core services of fire, public safety and emergency response to keep our neighborhoods safe.
- Expanding our offering of human services especially for our youth, families and seniors by strengthening our partnership with schools and non-profit organizations
- Protecting open space, our neighborhoods' character and our quality of life while promoting sustainable growth
- Seeking opportunities to build affordable housing with non-profit partners and offer other affordable housing strategies
- Strengthening the understanding and appreciation for diversity and encourage civic involvement
- Scrutinizing and pass fiscally sound budgets
As a Trustee on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, I oversaw a budget of $200 million and 1600 staff people. During my term, we experienced one of the worst State budget crisis in California history, so I experienced first hand having to make tough decisions in order to pass a sound budget and maintain a healthy reserve while ensuring quality programs for our students and addressing staffing needs.
I will use this budgeting experience on the City Council to continue the City's positive financial position. Although our economy is improving, we face challenges ahead so we must plan ahead and budget accordingly.
As a former small business owner, I understand the importance of fostering a strong and vibrant business environment. I will work hard to support and increase Mountain View's dynamic businesses and industries which support our key services by providing our tax base.
We can do more to promote and attract local businesses through innovative parking and transit strategies, infill and urban design techniques, and economic incentives. In particular, I would like to work to diversify Mountain View's neighborhood-serving retail stores – Let's keep more of each shopping dollar here in Mountain View! I will work to:
Continue to encourage a diversity of businesses downtown, including a grocery store.
Streamline the permitting process, update arcane ordinances that hinder new business establishment, and provide technical assistance and information on starting and maintaining a successful business.
Step-up outreach/recruitment efforts to attract new retail
Form an advisory committee on business development comprised of established business leaders and business organizations
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Protecting core services of fire, public safety and emergency response to keep our neighborhoods safe.
I will work to ensure that our firefighters and public safety officers have the appropriate equipment and training necessary to provide excellent service to our community. Let's encourage the establishment and expansion of CERT in the neighborhoods so our residents will be prepared and able to respond should a major disaster occur. Drop off and pickup times at our schools can be challenging for traffic safety. I will work with our schools to implement sound and safety procedures near campuses. -
Expanding our offering of human services especially for our youth, families and seniors by strengthening our partnership with schools and non-profit organizations
Excellent schools are key to improving the quality of life in our community. I will actively work to continue and expand the partnership with our schools such as the sharing of school grounds for parks, the $400,000 City contribution to the school districts for technology related projects. I also strongly support the establishment of a childcare facility with the Packard Foundation. I will work hard to bring more youth related recreational, afterschool and library programs for preschoolers to teens so that we can offer more choices that meet the interests and needs of our young residents.
I am proud to serve on the Avenidas Senior Services Board of Directors and to see the completion of the Rose Kleiner Senior Day Center Building next to the Mountain View Senior Center, as a result of a partnership with the City of Mountain View. I would encourage exploring further opportunities to partner with and other non-profit organizations to offer much needed services to seniors especially in the area of housing and transportation. - Protecting open space, our neighborhoods' character and our quality of life while promoting sustainable growth
We must conserve our open space and resources, and preserve healthy places for our kids to play and for us to enjoy. Working with residents, businesses and our Federal representatives, I will push hard for timely and comprehensive clean-up efforts at Moffett and other sites. In addition, as we develop the city's water and energy resources we can promote and implement conservation programs, at the city's various facilities and through its vehicle fleet purchases. I will work to establish green building guidelines for City developments and encourage other developments to utilize the same standards. We can also tie the teaching of these concepts and principles through our schools and community education programs.
We must also work to protect and open space and add parks. Although as a City, we meet the 3 acres to 1000 residents ratio of park space, specific areas of the city are under the ratio. I will work to create strategies to acquire more space for parks, through the City's planning process.
As our city grows I will work to ensure that new developments are compatible with existing neighborhoods. I will also reaffirm the city's commitment to keeping our neighborhoods safe, healthy and family friendly. As the Vice-Chair of my neighborhood association, I understand the importance of such groups and will establish strong communication lines between them and the city council
- Seeking opportunities to build affordable housing with non-profit partners and offer other affordable housing strategies
The City expects to amass over $50 million in affordable housing funds from its BMR program and other state and federal grants. I will work to ensure that these funds are used wisely and in a timely matter so that we will get the most “bang for the buck”. In particular, I strongly support the building of an affordable housing rental development on a City-owned downtown property and would like to see that come to fruition during my term. I would also spearhead other strategies for affordable housing, especially a down payment assistance program primarily for public service employees and first-time homebuyers.
Advocating for better public transportation, including sufficient bus and train service. In order to protect our environment and as gas prices rise, we need to support alternatives to drive. I will continue to press for completion of the Stevens Creek Trail improvements, advocate for VTA and Caltrain services. With my service at the Federal, State and County levels, I have been able to build relationships with our respective leaders that makes me an effective advocate at these levels. In particular, I would like to explore the concept of community buses that run within the City. A similar program is underway in Los Gatos and West San Jose, which is funded by the VTA. Palo Alto has a similar service that the city funds for $300,000 a year, a reasonable cost that would expand transporation services, especially for our seniors and youth. Finally, we can reduce harmful vehicular trip-making by making our city more pedestrian and bike friendly and ensuring that neighborhood serving services are accessible by foot, bike or transit.
As a community activist, former Human Relations Commissioner and current Planning Commissioner, I know firsthand the importance of community involvement in decision-making. I will work to strengthen relationships with city commissions, conduct regular outreach efforts such as site visits and office hours, and ensure fairness and access to City Hall.
We are blessed to have a community rich in cultural and socio-economic diversity. I will work to improve community outreach efforts, especially by providing language access to our diverse populations.
Finally, having recently attended the first Ethics Camp for Public Officials sponsored by the Markkula Center for Ethics at Santa Clara University, I understand the important of strengthening the City's Code of Conduct and will work to do so.
Please check back regularly as I further outline my ideas for each of the topics above. I also appreciate any input or comments you might have. Please email me your thoughts. Thank you!