League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
	Nancy Shepherd 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 ?

I support the current strategy of Council to solve the deficit burden by 1) reducing city inefficiencies and potentially reducing or eliminating some services, 2) working with city staff and labor to find cost savings and potentially restructuring labor contracts and benefits package so that the city can meet its future responsibilities, and 3) collecting a business license tax.

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 should support the character of Palo Alto. The development at the former Hyatt site is dense and the setback is close to the street, resulting in an overflow parking problem for its neighbors and an urban look to the El Camino corridor. Mixed-use complexes can change the character of some neighborhoods and should be limited to areas around shopping centers and transit corridors not, for example, where the Hyatt complex is, far from services. This part of the plan needs to be revisited. The city should also be more specific about what a "public benefit" means when developers ask for a Planned Community zone change. These plans will help guide future development so it is important that zoning generates the type of outcome that Palo Altans expect.

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 construction of a hotel in the commercial area of Baylands is desirable since it's convenient for travelers and would generate transient tax revenues for the city. Parkland would be preserved and the airport could continue its modernization plans. The Blue Ribbon Composting Taskforce is working with all the stakeholders to identify a compost location without taking open-space, dedicated parklands or airport property. The City's partnership with Sunnyvale's SMaRT recycling center allows residents to have access to a drop-off center after our current location is closed in 2010-2011. Climate change could raise bay water levels so this should be taken into account with land use changes for the fragile Baylands.

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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 09:56
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