League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
	Dan Dykwel Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Palo Alto

The questions were prepared by the the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In light of the economic down turn and possibly reduced income for the city in future years, how do you propose to both balance the budget and meet the cities desires for quality services ?

To eliminate our structural deficit, we must re-establish a sustainable balance between what we want our City to provide and how to fund those services. We should be prepared for reductions in staff positions and programs, longer public safety response times, reduced service hours, and pressure on employee benefits. We must work aggressively and creatively to control costs, employing best practices. Concurrently, we must pursue fair, prudent and stable increases in revenue sources by promoting a healthy business climate. We need to keep uppermost in mind what Palo Alto means to its residents. This includes an astute commitment to the environment and preserving parks, programs and similar amenities. Integrating these imperatives into our operating budget requires leadership in assuring a comprehensive approach.

2. An updated Comprehensive Plan is due to be approved in 2010. What changes if any should be made to the Plan and why?

The Comprehensive Plan guides land use policies that determine our development and incorporates the values we hold as a community. The housing component update to the Comprehensive Plan that is approaching will allow us to engage in a community conversation over how we wish our neighborhoods to continue to evolve and to enhance the character, diversity, and vitality of our city. We must create a sustainable level of development that can be supported without straining our infrastructure, services, schools and open space.

3. The Baylands Master Plan guides land use east of Route 101. Several land use changes are currently being proposed relating to composting, recycling, parkland, airport needs, and hotel development. What land uses do you think desirable and what uses are incompatible in the Baylands?

The Baylands Master Plan reflects our community's commitment to this valuable resource. Restoring the landfill to parkland is a long-held desire of our community and should be completed. The compost operation is incompatible with the park but we must find a way to do our own composting. We should manage our own recycling and not move it to another community. The airport is valuable but should not expand into open space areas. Bicycle access to the Baylands should be enhanced through improved access across Highway 101. Stewardship of the Baylands should be a high priority.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. LWV Palo Alto is using Smart Voter information to publish a paper Voters Guide. Therefore, word limits apply to some of the sections. Contact Veronica Tincher <vtincher@yahoo.com> if you misplaced the instruction sheet with the word limits which was mailed to you. Your answers will be taken from Smart Voter at 8 p.m., September 18 and will be published in the Voters Guide. After that date, you are free to enter more information according to the Smart Voter guidelines.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 21, 2009 09:39
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