January, 2015
I believe that the November 4 election may mark the beginning of a new era in Mountain View politics, in which our city’s amazing employment growth is constrained and balanced with our capacity to house and provide transportation for that workforce as well as other members of our community.
I expect, as a Council Member, to work to maintain and improve the city’s exemplary level of service and competency of management, to continue positive personnel relations, to promote sustainability, and to budget for long-term continuity of services and reasonable capital expenditures. But I intend to focus on the issues that led me to run for office in the first place.
- Mountain View’s overall development plans should seek to improve, not worsen, our jobs-housing balance.
- We must preserve our existing single-family residential neighborhoods while recognizing that new growth will be different.
- We need not only to build more housing, in North Bayshore and other areas, but we also need to create walkable, bikable, livable neighborhoods serving a population that is diverse by age, ethnicity, and income, and where practical, all such neighborhoods should be served by elementary schools and parks.
- We must develop a transportation infrastructure, from protected bike paths to fixed transit serving North Bayshore, which provides residents and workers commuting alternatives to the automobile.
- Mountain View should reach out to neighboring cities to create a forum for creating common solutions to common problems associated with jobs, housing, and transportation.
Our current trajectory is not sustainable, but my colleagues and I have an opportunity to make a significant course correction. I am looking forward to working with them, city staff, and indeed, the entire community.