Policies and priorities are discussed by Mountain View City Council candidates at the Voice, League of Women's forum
Despite national division, Mountain View City Council candidates have stuck to policy and supported each other.
Nine candidates are running for four City Council seats this year. At a Mountain View Voice and League of Women Voters public event on Oct. 9, the candidates kept their heads above water despite fierce competition.
Candidates gamely answered questions regarding housing, downtown revitalisation, Measure G, and other crucial issues on Wednesday night. With time running out, they all recommended big and minor changes to Mountain View to improve the city.
Housing goals
Residential issues have traditionally been contentious in Mountain View, and forum questions prompted diverse comments from candidates on how the city could best satisfy its housing demands.
The city’s objective of planning for over 11,000 units by 2031 is disappointing many. “I don’t think we’re going to make it,” said former Mountain View City Council member John McAlister.
The candidates acknowledged a tough economy due to high mortgage rates and construction prices. Several worried about Google’s North Bayshore office and affordable housing cuts.
Developers control us, said former Mountain View Whisman school trustee José Gutiérrez.
Candidates offered suggestions to get Mountain View back on track. The city could increase housing density in R3 district multi-family zones, said Human Relations Commissioner IdaRose Sylvester.
Nicholas Hargis, a congressional aide for Rep. Anna Eshoo, suggested Mountain View shorten its permission process to build homes faster.
Mountain View Whisman school trustee Devon Conley, like many others, said advocating for additional state and federal funding is crucial.
However, some candidates were more optimistic. City Council member Emily Ann Ramos says unit counts are not the main factor in Mountain View’s housing element. The proposal also removes numerous housing construction impediments, she said.
Mountain View Mayor Pat Showalter said the city’s housing structure and zoning allow for more houses than needed.
“It doesn’t all have to be developed by any stretch of the imagination,” she remarked.
Downtown vacancies
Candidates listed ways to enhance downtown businesses and attract more visitors throughout the forum.
Human Relations Commissioner Erik Poicon supports a business vacancy tax and increased downtown uses. Other contenders suggested more flexible retail space usage, especially on the ground floor, to increase foot traffic. Hargis promoted increased shopfront display advertising.
Speaking broadly, former Mountain View City Council member Chris Clark said the city should do more to recruit San Francisco businesses impacted hard by the gross receipts tax. Mountain View, in the centre of many transit networks, may become a major commercial hub, he said.
Showalter stressed the city’s economic vibrancy plan’s 164 concrete items to turn things around.
Conley suggested presenting the economic vitality plan to the City Council every six months with updates and measurements for the public.
McAlister also advised the city to “think outside the box” to draw people downtown. He suggested turning parking garages into pickleball courts or installing public restrooms.
Climate change, good governance and campaign finance reform
The evening ended with candidates discussing their own topics. Climate change was the main concern, with Hargis, Showalter, and Poicon calling for electrification, regional collaboration, and carbon sequestration.
Gutierrez focused on the city-Mountain View Whisman School District dispute over the Shoreline funding deal. He said good governance requires elected officials and workers to collaborate for community benefit.
Ramos stressed campaign finance reform, stating that Mountain View had strong results with voluntary expenditure restrictions and a disclosure statute. It makes races transparent, she remarked.
In addition to stump speeches, the forum showcased the candidate’s personal life. Several contenders hugged as the clock wound down, expressing relief at being closer to the finish.
We have a wonderful set of candidates this year, as you saw tonight. Thank glad Mountain View democracy is strong. The good news is that you can vote for roughly half of us, Clark remarked.
The Voice’s election coverage guide has information on the candidates and other local races. A forum recording is available on the League of Women Voters website.
