Candidate for
Member of City Council; City of Milpitas

New Library

• The Milpitas library is now over 20 years old. The 19,500 square foot building has outgrown its existing site. The library accommodates over 50,000 visitors and circulates over 100,000 books, magazines, videos and such each month. As reported from the Head Librarian and the Santa Clara County Library System, Milpitas Library's circulation of 1,266,084 just in 1999/00 represents the highest circulation per square foot in all of Santa Clara County and other surrounding regions.

• For the past 10 years I have been a financial supporter of the Milpitas Friends of the Library and for the past four years I have been the Council representative to the Library Advisory Commission. I also co-founded the Milpitas Foundation for Education in 1990 to help and assist at the classroom level to enhance education through small grants and donations. I have seen first hand the level of importance of the need for a new, larger library. One that will meet the variety of needs, such as special areas dedicated for adult use of the internet, quiet rooms for reading and research, children's activity rooms and community rooms.

• As of this September, all Milpitas schools are now wired with the latest technology to be completely interactive with each other and the District Office. It is now time that we as a City re-invest some of our resources in the creation of a new, larger, technically equipped library that can also be wired with all our schools and residents at home.

• The City of Milpitas has been lacking an identifiable center, a place that is the heart of the community for over 30 years now. This area between Montague and Calaveras and Main Street and Abel is the identified mid-town area. It encompasses 1,093 acres. Development so far has been piece meal, on a case by case basis as allowed by zoning districts.

• The Council directed staff to move forward in 1999 to assess the area and conduct a dozen community meetings for public input. All ideas were formulated into a master draft plan that was adopted by the City Council. The next directed step will be to perform a detailed environmental report with even more public input.

• Overall, the desired results hopefully will create an attractive district that is uniquely Milpitas. Establish a pedestrian-oriented mixed use district that is focused along Main Street. Provide urban open spaces (ie. plazas, open meeting places) heavily landscaped, that serve multiple purposes and can used for special events.
• With the future Tasman/Great Mall Lightrail station and a possible future BART line passing through this district, it is critical that the City have specific guidelines in place for any future development. All of this just takes vision of what could be, to act proactive, not reactive. We owe it to future generations.

• Cooperation and partnerships between the City and the Milpitas Unified School District have never been stronger than today. In 1996, I was asked by District Administrators and the Board of Trustees to form the Friends of Milpitas Schools and Chair the efforts to go out and educate the community of the needs of all Milpitas' aging schools and the need for additional buildings and the latest technology for the 21st. Century.

• In June of 1996, the voters of Milpitas passed a $64.7 million bond by 82% approval to provide new auditoriums, libraries, major renovations, the latest technology and a state of-the-art Math/Science Building at Milpitas High School. We promised the voters in 1996 that a community-based committee would form the Bond Oversight Committee and monitor all spending of the funds. I have kept my promise and have served as a member for the past 4 years and will continue till all improvements have taken place.

• In the past 4 years many partnerships have taken place to improve the education and quality of life for the children and their families in Milpitas. Three years ago, through shared funding and grants we were able to place a police officer from the D.A.R.E. program into both Middle Schools. Through additional grant funds this year, both Middle Schools will have their own full-time Officer. We also expanded the D.A.R.E. program to a condensed re-fresher course to our private Milpitas Schools.

• Since the tragic Columbine shootings, the decision was made by the Megan's Law/Child Safety Committee, on which I sit, to create a realistic drill coordinated by the Milpitas Police Department and the School District while school was in session. This drill was to be only the second in the Nation that provided the City and the District with a planned course of action. Aside from the best education possible, the safety of our children is paramount.

• Other partnerships with the School District include; the first ever, dedicated baseball fields for young women in Bobbysox; monthly City/School District Communication meetings, increased after school programs such as Play and Stay, expanded summer camp program, the Calaveras Hills Community Ranch for 4-H, the Child Safe program with the Fire Department, and most recently our Children's Task Force.