Candidate for
Council Member; Town of Atherton

As your representative on the Council, I will bring his decades of experience as a public policy official and an attorney to help address the issues Atherton will face in the next four years. I will make sure that the Council acts on issues that are important to Atherton and that our residents' voices are heard. Atherton is a special, small town, and we need a Council that can discuss issues in a respectful way. If you have thoughts about any of the below issues or anything else in town that is important to you, please reach out to me. You can call me at (650) 690-6661, email me at Mike@MikeLempres.org or come to one of the receptions that neighbors are hosting to "Meet Mike".

• Traffic safety is one of the biggest issues in town; it affects every Atherton resident. My concern over my daughter's safety in walking around town caused me to join the Town's Transportation Committee and led to my candidacy. Like many children, my daughter has to cross El Camino Real to get to school. El Camino is a six lane highway that bisects our town, and it' simply not safe to cross. CalTrans, a state agency, has primary jurisdiction over El Camino and we need to be more aggressive and effective in negotiating safety improvements.
• Common sense budgeting is hard, and I will work to ensure the town's budget is sustainable and responsible. The local economy is driving the town's revenues up, and this is exactly the time to be careful with our spending. We need to be thoughtful with today's spending so that we don't unduly burden future budgets. Local police service is a big part of our budget, and they are an important part of our community. By being thoughtful, we can continue to afford our important community police service.
• Increase public input into major issues, including the four existing Master Plans. A small group of interested residents provide input into our major initiatives, but we are all affected and too many Athertonians are caught by surprise. We can be more effective in our outreach and make it easier for citizens to provide their input. The Master Plans are aimed at important issues, but we could waste a lot of time, money and effort if we don't get as much input as possible.
• Holbrook-Palmer Park is a treasure. My family and I spend time there most days. It is a joy to see children playing, seniors exercising and families gathering. With voter-approved changes, such as a renovated baseball field, and other changes coming to the Park through the Master Plan process, we need broad public input to make sure we reach the right balance of uses in this extraordinary space.
• High-Speed Rail is still an issue for Atherton. As a member of the town's Rail Committee, I know of the harm current plans could cause our town. Many people assume that HSR will never happen, but the issue requires continued focus to make sure it's not forced through. I am a lawyer with decades of experience working in or with governments. This experience has taught me some hard lessons about large public projects and will enable me to serve an important role on this issue with the Council.
• Silicon Valley is growing all around Atherton, presenting a challenge to our semi-rural, small town character. Menlo Park, Redwood City and other areas make decisions about growth that have significant consequences for Atherton. One need only look at how traffic has changed on Marsh Road, Middlefield and El Camino Real. If Atherton remains reactive to the choices made by others, we will lose some control over our own community. We must become more involved in decisions that affect us and take steps that mitigate harmful consequences.