Candidate for
Council Member; City of Redwood City

What qualifies you to be a council member?

I understand that in order to do a good job you have to be flexible, willing to listen, admit when you are wrong, and have a community agenda rather than a personal agenda. As a council member I work hard every day to live by these principles and retain the trust placed in me by Redwood City residents. I have balanced the budget, made tough personnel decisions, focused on streets, sewers, parking and traffic, advanced public safety goals, and worked to restore Bair Island. With every decision I balance the number one priority of enhancing quality of life and preserving our neighborhoods and our history, with the need to enhance economic vitality so residents have good jobs and can provide for their families.

What is the number one issue facing Redwood City today?

I know most people don't want to go back to the days of the housing crisis or Great Recession, but our thriving economy has created the pressure to grow in Redwood City and everywhere on the Peninsula. With a strong economy comes more jobs, more traffic, expensive housing, and it's hard not to feel like our quality of life is at risk.

But Redwood City is a special community and we will thrive because we come together and solve our problems. We must strengthen our ability to balance the many different points of view from so many constituencies all while respecting Redwood City's past, present and future. Every decision I make reflects Redwood City's community pride, full of unique and special neighborhoods and people.

What single issue, personal or professional, generates the most passion in you?

Watching my two daughters, Julia and Lydia grow up and become incredible young women. My career, City Council work and volunteer efforts have all been fueled and shaped by working in their schools, cheering them on at sporting events, bringing them to clean-ups, spaghetti dinners, concerts in the park and Halloween parades. Giving back is a part of my DNA and I am so proud that it is now a part of theirs.

What is your opinion about the progress of development under phase one of the Downtown Precise Plan, and what is your position on future downtown development?

I believe we now need to pause and carefully manage the integration of current projects into the fabric of our community. Downtown has emerged as a thriving new neighborhood and we need to let it settle. We should not exceed the overall cap that the Precise Plan imposed on Downtown. Since 1999 when the Downtown Citizen Task Force was established and the vision was formed, I believed we were responding to the community's desire to focus development downtown close to jobs and Caltrain and away from existing neighborhoods. I have tried to balance the needs of life-long residents as well as people who want to make Redwood City their new home.

How can city council leadership help improve our schools?

Great schools are essential for a great community. Our Council, current and past have a long history of partnerships including Redwood City 2020, investment in fields, and after school programs. It is critically important that we work together. We have great schools with parents, teachers, school board members and administrators that work every day inspiring and educating our children. Over 15 years I have personally advocated for support from the many companies that call Redwood City home. From financial donations to volunteers and everything in between I have worked and will continue my efforts to forge a direct link between our schools and businesses.

Of what public service accomplishment are you proudest?

Bringing Stanford University to Redwood City and being part of the Council sub-committee that worked over 4 years on the development agreement makes me proud. I worked very hard to craft a community benefits package that will result over time in over $15,000,000 in direct payments by Stanford to the City of Redwood City. These funds will be used for street enhancements and storm water improvements in the Friendly Acres, Redwood Village and North Fair Oaks neighborhoods. And community sustainability funds will be invested across all neighborhoods in programs that embraced the broadest cross section of our community from children to seniors. The agree also requires Stanford to invest in the Redwood City Education Foundation, and special programs available to only people who work or live in Redwood City including an Entrepreneurial Boot Camp. I worked to have Stanford create a campus that will weave itself into the fabric of our community for generations to come.