V I E W P O I N T
Why county needs district elections By Maryann Moise Derwin
H
ere’s a message for my friends on the Board of Supervisors in response to the decision to block voters from determining how supervisors are GUEST elected: Are you kidding? OPINION I’m referring to the Charter Review Committee’s recommendation, stemming from a 2009 grand jury report, to place an amendment on the November ballot changing the system of electing supervisors from countywide to district. The recommendation failed by a vote of 4-1, with Rich Gordon dissenting, the majority giving the metaphoric finger to two independent review boards and effectively closing the door on the people’s right to choose their representative. This, with full knowledge that San Mateo County is the only county in the state that does not elect supervisors by district, and by failing to do so, may wind up in court charged with a violation of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 2001, as did the Madera Unified School District last September. The Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights has already put the county on notice. With 712,000 county residents, a supervisorial candidate must cover a region that surpasses that of a Congressional candidate. To reach a third of the 357,000 registered voters with one mailer costs $60,000. In terms of retail politicking, a candidate must pop up at gatherings from the Daly City Filipino American Friendship Celebration to Portola Valley’s Blues & BBQ and everything in between. If this isn’t enough to discourage the most determined fresh face for a chance at the plum six-figure-plus-
benefits position, the candidate must also grease the skids of the county political power structure, an old boy/girl network not easily accessed by those without deep pockets or good connections. How much does it cost to run for supervisor? In the current race for the third district seat, front-runner and former county sheriff Don Horsley raised more than $250,000 before the June primary and his runoff opponent, April Vargas, $65,000. Factoring in the upcoming November election, it’s anyone’s guess as to how high the dollars will go. One thing for sure: the expense of running a countywide campaign severely limits the candidate pool and a grass-roots hopeful, no matter how smart, innovative and capable she may be, faces an uphill battle. Unlike the current system that benefits incumbents and discourages newcomers (an incumbent has been unseated only once in the past 30 years), district elections, easier to manage and one-fifth of the cost, encourage a more diverse range of candidates, a more focused debate about real local issues, and actual contested elections. (The Horsley-Vargas race is the first competitive contest since 1997. The last five seats were filled without an election.) Facing the voters every four years better assures a supervisor’s accountability. Down here in the hinterlands of South County where, for example, transportation dollars never seem to trickle, district elections might encourage a dark horse to run, giving us a voice at the table. As it is, that candidate will likely remain in the dark. And critical decisions such as the district election question will continue to be made in a manner more reminiscent of 20th century Chicago politics than the open, transparent government we desperately need. Maryann Moise Derwin is a Portola Valley council member.
Alliance sees trouble in downtown plan
By Nancy Couperus
U
p and down the state, city councils are looking at increasing density in downtowns by allowing mixed-use developments (shops or offices on the GUEST ground floor with apartments, conOPINION dominiums, townhouses above). In some cases, where no such housing is found in the downtown area and an aging population requires close access to services, this might make sense. In Menlo Park where there is an abundance of such housing surrounding the downtown, it does not. This new wave of planning has had some dire consequences for retail businesses in some cities. Redwood City’s $50 million downtown redevelopment project around the court house has produced palm-lined streets with beautiful buildings, but retail has been so damaged in the process that the City Council recently gave the go-ahead to fill the empty storefronts with offices. While night life may be “vibrant,� the retail downtown has been devastated. The Menlo Park Planning Department is asking the City Council to change the downtown zoning to allow for a change from the current 30-foot height limit to 38 feet (from two to three stories) along Santa Cruz Avenue and conversion of portions of the surface parking plazas to garages and private uses. The latter could significantly reduce the number of convenient surface parking spaces that shoppers and Sunday farmers’ market customers now enjoy, and replace them with spaces in parking structures up to four-stories high in portions of the parking plazas. Downtown property and business owners continue to be told that infill development and height changes will not take place overnight and will be an
ongoing process over many years. While this may be true, once the proposed zoning changes have been approved by the City Council, the necessary mechanism will be in place for such development to occur. These changes will most assuredly alter the small-town character of the downtown and the surrounding community. The community of Saratoga, perhaps closer in character to that of Menlo Park, is facing a similar challenge. In April the City Council there passed changes that removed the two-story limit for mixeduse and most commercial projects, a change from two- to three-story buildings downtown. After residents reacted by creating an organization called “Restore Saratoga� and launching a petition drive, the City Council agreed to a compromise and a ballot measure on a two-story limit, which puts the decision in the hands of residents rather than the City Council. The Menlo Park Downtown Alliance is a group of business and property owners who have put forward a proposal that would allow for a modest two-story parking structure and wider sidewalks, if certain criteria, such as a smaller footprint or increased street set-back could be achieved. To date, the City Council has declined to respond to the proposal. The City Council should follow Saratoga’s example and directly engage with the Alliance to identify a reasonable compromise. The draft specific plan for downtown Menlo Park lays the groundwork for a fundamental change to the character of our downtown. It’s time for the City Council to recognize the magnitude of these changes and to reflect upon whether they would truly benefit our small town. Nancy Couperus is co-chairman of the Menlo Park Downtown Alliance.
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WEST BAY SANITARY DISTRICT NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL West Bay Sanitary District (District) requests proposals from Human Resource consultants and firms to conduct a District-wide Classification and Compensation Study by February 2011. A pre-proposal meeting will be held at the District Offices located at 500 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA on July 28, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. to review the scope of work. An addendum will be issued with a conference call number for those who wish to join the meeting by phone. A RFP may be examined and obtained from the District between 8:00am – 4:00pm, Monday – Friday, or go to www. westbaysanitary.org to download a copy of the RFP, or call (650) 321-0384. The District invites qualified human resource and compensation consultants and firms to submit proposals to contract with the District to perform a Classification and Total Compensation Study and provide a comprehensive report to enable the District to evaluate and implement the recommendations made by the consultant, as the District deems appropriate. All interested parties are required to deliver their respective proposals in a sealed envelope marked “PROPOSAL - Human Resource Consultant for Job Classification and Total Compensation Study 2010-11�. Proposals must be delivered to the District Manager, no later than August 18th, 2010 at 4:00PM at the following address: Phil Scott District Manager West Bay Sanitary District 500 Laurel Street Menlo Park, CA 94025 The District retains the right to reject any or all proposals, at its sole discretion. If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Phil Scott, District Manager, at (650) 321-0384 or by e-mail at pscott@ westbaysanitary.org. West Bay Sanitary District Board of Directors San Mateo County, California /s/ Phil Scott District Manager Dated: July 15, 2010 July 21, 2010 N The Almanac N 11