Candidate for
Council Member; City of Menlo Park

LET'S REVITALIZE Our Local Economy - The empty dealerships on El Camino Real reflect poorly on Menlo Park, and little has changed during the last four years. Menlo Park deserves better. The Council should approve the El Camino Real portion of the Visioning/ Specific Plan, and collaborate with Stanford University to encourage interim uses of these properties, while longer-term projects are proposed. I support the Menlo Gateway project (Measure T).

LET'S PRESERVE the Small-Town Character of Santa Cruz Avenue - We don't need expensive multi-story parking structures right now when there are empty storefronts. We should focus on attracting new businesses, and amend the downtown portion of the Visioning/Specific Plan. Laurel Street in San Carlos and Los Altos' Main Street are examples of vibrant downtowns that preserve small town character.

LET'S BALANCE Our City Budget - Since 2007, city expenses have increased, while tax revenues have flattened, resulting in budget deficits that impact safety, community services and infrastructure (like repaving streets). Last year, Menlo Park had a $1.6 million deficit, and this year's budget has a $470,000 deficit, forecast to repeat annually through 2019 unless action is taken. Menlo Park deserves bettter - we need a balanced, sustainable budget.

The pension reform initiative is an important step in controlling costs. Menlo Park now owes $6.3 million, from when the current city council increased retirement benefits for city workers. As President of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, I balanced our budget by paying down 78% of a $13 million pension liability. I was formerly CFO of a high-tech start-up, and helped finance Cisco Systems in its initial public offering. My financial skills will help Menlo Park use taxpayer funds prudently.

LET'S STRENGTHEN Menlo Park's Disaster Plans - Menlo Park lags East Palo Alto and Atherton in preparing for disasters, such as a major earthquake. Menlo Park's disaster plan is a decade old. The City has not engaged businesses, neighborhoods, congregations and other community organizations to identify roles these groups can provide in responding to and recovering from a major disaster. Atherton has a community-driven Disaster Preparedness Committee, and the East Palo Alto City Council recently updated and distributed disaster preparedness information to its residents. My experience on the Board of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, as well as my job as executive director of a regional public-private partnership to improve disaster response, are well-suited to lead this effort.

LET'S FIND COMMON GROUND To Get Things Done - As director of a Bay Area disaster response partnership, I helped write and pass California's updated Good Samaritan law with bipartisan support in 2008 that brings businesses and government together to improve disaster preparedness.

The City Council needs to prioritize and make tangible progress on key goals. While serving on the Boards for the Menlo Park Fire District and previously the Mid-Peninsula Water District, I implemented a management tool to prioritize goals and develop milestones to measure progress.