League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of Campbell

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Experience, Concerns, Balancing interests Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council? Answer from Richard Waterman: Rich was elected to the Campbell City Council in 2010 and is currently serving a one year term as Mayor of the City. He serves on several committees as part of his council duties including: Past chair of the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority Economic Development, Finance and Downtown Subcommittees League of Cities Revenue and Taxation Committee VTA Policy Advisory Committee Answer from Paul Resnikoff: I have been a member of two city commissions and I am currently in my second term serving on the Campbell Planning Commission. I have more than 30 years of financial business experience including owning a small business in Campbell dealing with tax preparation and representation and small business consulting. I have the practical experience needed to make difficult decisions relating to revenue generation and expense management. As Chair of Campbell's Planning Commission I understand the effects of development on the City and regularly address difficult issues impacting our community. I also have experience serving Campbell as a member of the Rotary Club of Campbell and as a volunteer with Campbell Middle School, Citizen Schools, Relay for Life, Stop Hunger Now, Books for Treats, and the Campbell Chamber of Commerce. My financial education, business experience and public service history make me uniquely qualified to tackle the issues that come before Campbell's City Council and to provide the accountable leadership the residents of Campbell deserve. Answer from Liz Gibbons: I have 24 years of experience with the City Manager form of government in Campbell, and I respect and support the open public process. I served the community and state in a variety of roles. As a licensed Architect I have managed teams of 30 professional and budgets well over $100M. I have a BA, BAch and MArch. I am LEED APŠ (sustainability) certified design professional. - I have extensive experience negotiating on both sides of the table with developers - Chaired two successful Campbell Library funding campaigns - 17 years on Planning Commission, 3 years as chair - Project Manager for the Downtown Streetscape Project (1990-1994) - American institute of Architects California Council, Board Member - American Institute of Architects Santa Clara Valley, Board of Directors and President (I frequently met and negotiated with State and Federal legislators) - Graduate of Ken Yeager's Santa Clara County Government 101 Program - Leadership Campbell (I have a clear understanding of the rolls and relationship between the County and City) - Woman of Influence, Silicon Valley Business Journal 2008 - 2013 Campbell Citizen of the Year Answer from Jeffrey Richard Cristina: I have been a City Councilmember for the past four years and Vice Mayor of Campbell for the past year. Together with my fellow councilmembers, I have helped to balance the city budget, restore our reserves, and provide excellent services to the people of Campbell. 2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them? Answer from Liz Gibbons: The biggest concerns I have heard from Campbell citizens today involve growth, traffic, parking, affordable housing and the 'over-vibrant' Downtown. To this I would add long-term financial stability and safety. A significant benefit of completing the General Plan Housing Element is having a clear understanding of the City's potential for housing growth and meeting Affordable Housing need, not mandate. Fortunately, Campbell has more than sufficient capacity to meet regulatory requirements. This fact provides significant latitude for the City to negotiate for developments that are compatible with nearby neighborhoods and the city as a whole. The Land Use and Transportation Element is in urgent need of updating, though. Traffic and parking assumptions have changed significantly since the current 2001 document. Providing for a future with fewer cars must include a transition period rather than a radical shortfall of parking capacity to instigate social change. The City is also initiating projects such as the Civic Center Master Plan, the Dell Ave Area Plan (DAAP) and an update of the General Plan Housing Element (as noted above). The Civic Center Master Plan proposes to build a new Library, Police Station, City Hall and a 450-space parking structure on the current site. Design exercises show that implementation phasing is complex and potentially costly, adding years to the project. Even with multi-story buildings, there appears to be too much square footage for the site. The budget may reach $80M+. I recommend a full evaluation of the city-owned locations and due-diligence investigations of existing buildings to determine the best options for meeting the needs for quality facilities. Displacement of existing businesses, traffic impacts and environmental history of the Dell area requires exploration. I recommend that the DAAP be put on hold until there are extensive community meetings. The proposed Housing Element, a document that reflects goals, policies, and strategies of the city to provide a range of housing for the community, must support existing neighborhoods alongside new neighborhoods and development. Housing for seniors and the disabled must also be incorporated. There is an over-concentration of restaurants in the downtown area. The recent increase has displaced retail space. A recent report indicates a comparative 62% increase from 2011 to 2014 in police calls in the Downtown for the Jan 1 to June 30 timeframe. Police activity has disproportionately increased with the number of new businesses during this time. I recommend a moratorium on additional restaurants and alcohol sales in Downtown and hiring a Marketing and Logistics Consultant to recommend scenarios for business type diversity and location separation. Answer from Richard Waterman: Our city did well in weathering the recession and we need to continue the momentum. It is important for us to continue our focus on the essential services and exercise fiscal responsibility while we promote responsible growth and preserve Campbell's unique quality of life for all residents. Of particular importance to the City is responsibly managing growth without changing our small town feel. We can address this by working together as a community to slowly and intelligently plan for the future. Answer from Jeffrey Richard Cristina: Campbell is in good fiscal health, but we need to keep it that way by constantly analyzing and assessing the ways we spend money and generate revenue. Like all other cities in Silicon Valley, we are looking to the future and crafting a sensible plan for growth that protects the vitality of our neighborhoods and provides for the next generation. And most importantly, we need to keep our streets safe for our children. Answer from Paul Resnikoff: My priorities include ensuring neighborhood safety, maintaining a strong local economy, and preserving Campbell's small town feel. I will ensure our police force has the resources needed to protect our growing population and that key infrastructure including our roads and parks stay well maintained and safe for all users. Campbell must also promote an environment in which businesses can succeed and contribute to a strong economy. Achieving this goal will result in enhanced city services for all residents without impacting Campbell's small town feel. 3. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole with groups' interests? Answer from Paul Resnikoff: Consistent with my policy as Chair of Campbell's Planning Commission, as Councilmember I will continue to collaborate with Campbell residents. My decisions will be made with consideration of the needs of the community and with a long-term vision for our city's future. Answer from Richard Waterman: As a city councilmember and current Mayor of the City, I listen and consider all concerns of the community with the understanding that the needs of the community at large and the long-term vision for the city need to be considered along with those of individuals and individual groups. I will continue to exercise a transparent and inclusive process with all residents, non-residents, business owners, etc. that have a stake in our beautiful City. Answer from Jeffrey Richard Cristina: I am proud to have support for re-election from a wide range of elected officials, community leaders, and organizations. While I maintain an "open door" policy, I make decisions only after considering ALL of the facts and the best interests of ALL of the people of Campbell. Answer from Liz Gibbons: Balancing the needs of residents and the community at large is always a challenge for government. The Dell Ave proposal is a perfect example: members of the community are decidedly against it for various reasons, while the city initiated the plan and zoning changes. Neither party should be ignored. First and foremost, there must be early, frequent, and extensive communication between the council, residents, and businesses of Campbell. The value of this is developing a common understanding of what is proposed and the reasoning behind the proposals. It is acceptable, even encouraged, to agree to disagree, yet the council should never assume it knows best without the community process. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer to each question should be limited to 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.