UPDATE Sept. 22, 2012
Jon Baer has objected to the posting of 60+ persons’ 600+ or so questions – many of them anonymous and some of them snarky – on this website and the Los Altos Forward website. He said that some questions are in the form of “Have you finished your Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program Yet?” Reprinting False Premise questions is unfair he says. Here we print a large chunk of Mr. Baer’s objection and our response.
“Question: Jon Baer, your campaign is being financed by Ron Packard and his contacts. He has opposed good projects downtown, wanted to push banks out, and wants to be on Council again. How can you be neutral when you’re supported by someone with such an agenda?”
Rebuttal: RON PACKARD IS A SMALL CONTRIBUTOR TO MY CAMPAIGN-MY CAMPAIGN HAS BROAD BASE SUPPORT BOTH FINANCIALLY AND OTHERWISE-SO THE BASIC PREMISE OF THE QUESTION IS FALSE AND INTENDED TO DENIGRATE MY CANDIDACY.
Question: For John Baer: Why do say you will work with Los Altos Forward, LAVA, and the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce to create vibrancy downtown yet you have not, to date, worked with any of these organizations and have called them special interest groups?”
Rebuttal: I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS LAF MEETINGS, I HAVE NEVER CALLED ANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS-AGAIN FALSE PREMISE WITH THE INTENTION TO HARM MY CAMPAIGN.”
Lalahpoltico: For me it’s news that some people are worked up enough about this election to post those anonymous questions. Thank goodness it’s nothing like the torrent of scabrous posts about BCS vs. LASD…which we wrote about here. On the Los Altos Forward page, some members of the public are exercising their freedom of speech, not entirely politely. I will not censor it. By the way, “foxy” as in “foxy grapes” connotes bad-tasting, peculiar tasting grapes. Whereas, “foxy lady” connotes…well, you know. I think there are both kinds of questions in the list.
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Sept. 19, 2012
Sponsors of the September 27 Forum for the Los Altos City Council Election candidates have been trying out some innovative Google technology. They created a “Moderator” web page for collecting questions from the community … questions which perhaps may be used at the Sept. 27 Forum. [ Los Altos High, Eagle Auditorium, 7:00 pm ]. Local journalists and a moderator will be on stage to direct the Q&A of the candidates.
If you hurry to the web page, you might still be able to add your questions. On the 27th, the live audience will also be able to submit questions with some interesting technology. Come and find out how.
Recorded and Upcoming OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Los Altos Candidate Forums
Sept. 17 – LAVA, Chamber of Commerce – is on Vimeo now
Sept. 27 – Several Sponsors, Patch, Town Crier – LA High, Eagle Auditorium, Almond Ave., 7 pm
Oct. 1 – KMVT, Town Crier, Patch, LWV – televised Ch. 15 live and on Youtube later, 7:30 pm
Oct. 2 – LWV – Los Altos City Chambers – 7:00 pm
Check out the Foxy Event Questions from the Community
as of 10am Sept. 19
These are all the questions that were on the Google “Moderator” web page, created by the lead event sponsor Los Altos Forward.
Val Carpenter and Ron Packard have pushed to “preserve the character” of the old downtown, and have voted against projects and zoning with more density near Main & State. Please compare or contrast your personal views and vision for downtown.”
Anonymous
The City has, on several occasions, excluded parking plazas 9 and 10 from parking studies to allow Mr. Packard to vote on them. Would you support this practice?”
Anonymous
Will you support buildings taller than 2-stories downtown?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
Jon Baer, your campaign is being financed by Ron Packard and his contacts. He has opposed good projects downtown, wanted to push banks out, and wants to be on Council again. How can you be neutral when you’re supported by someone with such an agenda?”
Concerned
I would like to hear your SPECIFIC VISION for downtown. Not generalities. Please list your top three projects for moving downtown forward. And tell me, specific to those 3 priorities, how you are different and/or better than the other candidats.”
Traveler, Los Altos Hills
For John Baer: Why do say you will work with Los Altos Forward, LAVA, and the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce to create vibrancy downtown yet you have not, to date, worked with any of these organizations and have called them special interest groups?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
Will you, if elected, support putting Ron Packard on Planning/Traffic Commission? Do you believe he should be allowed to run again for another term or two?”
Anonymous
What is your stance concerning height limits for buildings in and around the downtown corridor?”
Anonymous, Los Alto
Passarelle, Greentown, and others have proposed innovative bicycle/commuter features downtown such as parklets and more function arc-style bicycle racks. Do you support this movement, even if parking need be slightly reduced?”
Bill, Loyola Corners
What is your opinion regarding the city’s Master Plan for redeveloping City Hall and the Community Center? What is your opinion regarding the orchard?”
Anonymous, Los Altos
For Councilperson Megan Satterlee: You say you have voted for zoning changes that will improve downtown vibrancy, yet you are now serving on a committee focused on reversing those zoning changes, how do you justify this?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
For PTC Commissioner John Baer: Why did you want Planning Commission to recommend an ordinance preventing businesses along San Antonio Road from lighting their signs after business hours, calling the signs “eye-sores”?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
Will you approve projects you don’t personally like if they still meet the criteria for approval and benefit the community?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
The “Village at San Antonio” shopping center will have a significant negative impact on the sales tax revenue of the City. What would you propose to counter act that loss? Would you support a sign outside Chef Chu’s publicizing events in downtown
Last year Los Altos received bronze level recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Will you support efforts to get us to the next level?”
bicyclist, Los Altos
What can be done to bring destination/anchor stores to Los Altos? Can you work with property owners to consolidate storefronts to increase the square footage available to a business and thus attract more well-known and desirable stores to our town?”
Jennifer, Los Altos, CA
Members of the current Council turned down interested developers and substantial donations to include a movie theater at First and Main in favor of a hotel which never was built. Would you actively work to attract a movie theater to Los Altos?”
Anonymous
Do you support developing a vision/plan for the downtown & subsequently for our other business districts? How SPECIFICALLY would you do that, focusing on the downtown first? How SPECIFICALLY would you involve the residential and business community?”
Ace, Los Altos
Currently, the only way the public is informed is by a 3-day notice on City website and a notice posted in City Hall. If elected, what specific measures would you take to better inform the community of upcoming City meetings and issues?”
Over the past four years many “ad hoc” committees have met off site from City property, often with weak public notice. Would you continue this practice?”
Anonymous
Where do you stand on the 40 Main Project as it was last presented to Council and how it would have benefited downtown?”
Anonymous
Which makes better sense for conversion of one of the parking plazas – a park, or a parking garage?”
Bicyclist, Los Altos
For Megan Satterlee: As a council member you co-chaired a committee implementing a sign ordinance banning digital signs downtown, and voted for it over the objections of business leaders. How do you justify a policy counter to helping businesses?”
Business Owner, Los Altos
Nearly 500 housing units in Mountain View are under development that are in LASD. In your view, what is the responsibility of LACC and MVCC with regard to this impact?”
Lorax, Los Altos
How do you plan to work cooperatively and collaboratively with the Los Altos School Board? Do you see yourself as working different than the current LACC board members?”
mr daddy, los altos
Over the past 30 years, City Councils have taken, on six separate occasions (1978, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1990 & 1991), legal action to preserve the Heritage Orchard that defines the Civic Center. Do you support the current plan to remove the orchard?”
Lorax, Los Altos
Why isn’t as much emphasis placed on the quality of the streets as there is on the quantity of buildings?”
Bicyclist, Los Altos
Will down town go FREE WI-FI? Also will the Los Altos Parks go free wi-fi in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills?”
grail, los altos hills
How do we encourage businesses to stay open later and on Sundays so downtown doesn’t become a ghost town after hours?”
Jennifer, Los Altos, CA
I think people are more concerned about the Bullis Charter School LASD conflict. This affects our city’s morale and housing prices. What can the city council do to help resolve this problem? Can the city loan/sell LASD/BCS whatever land they need?”
Sophia Yen MD MPH, Palo Alto, CA
At Bank of the West, there is a sign saying the drive up teller is no longer permitted by the City. It has been there for 5b years.At the Miyo yogurt place on Main, there is a sign saying the LAPD doesn’t allow a bulletin board. That sign’s 1 yr old”
Carmelo Orchards, Los Altos
How will you help The Los Chamber of Commerce build it’s membership? Are you all members? Is the complete down town members of our local Chamber of Commerce?”
grail, los altos hills
What is the role of the City Council regarding the Bullis/Los Altos School District dispute?”
Resident, Los Altos
Movie Night was a huge success years ago and because of increase cost in policing it was way shorten to 4 movies. This brought huge crowd to down town. Will we be putting in a theater in downtown? Will we bring back Moive night and family night? How”
grail, los altos hills
Is it appropriate for the planning commission to recommend approval to the City Council for 1st & Main when they have not even seen the final design documents? Why do you think they did this?”
Anonymous
The City/Developer agreement for 1st & Main states that the City has sole & absolute discretion to approve design drawings. There is no restriction prohibiting 3 stories. Would you support a 3 story solution in exchange for the public benefit?”
Anonymous
Why is it that planning staff was directed to identify 1st and Main as an edge property when the City / Developer agreement for 1st and Main clearly states the location to be “key downtown entry location”?”
Anonymous
How do you see a 10th school site at Hillview benefitting downtown Los Altos?”
Parent, Los Altos
What are you views on the Grand Boulevard Initiative? Do you support their guiding principles that “El Camino Real will achieve it’s full potential for residents to work, live, shop, and play, creating links that promote walking, biking and transit.””
Anonymous, Los Altos, CA
What are your thoughts about parking downtown and what would you support to bring about a change in our current situation?”
Mike M, Los Altos
What is your opinion on Halsey House and the Redwood Grove? Should they be preserved by the city for the generations to come?”
LACA
How do you define the “Village Character” of Los Altos? What does it mean to you?”
Anonymous, Los Altos, CA
Council Members, Have you been self-Employed or run a successful business?”
Ron, Los Altos
One of the candidates, Jerry Sorensen, has been a strong advocate for parking meters downtown. Where do you stand on this issue?”
Concerned resident, Los Altos
When will the community swimming pools be completed? The project in down town Los Altos?”
grail, los altos hills
Do you live within 500′ of the civic center, downtown or any business area in Los Altos, which would cause you to recuse yourself, therefore unable to discuss issues and cast crucial votes.”
anonymous, Los Altos, CA
Jerry Sorenson, your development project at 40 Main was recently rejected, and your investors have threatened litigation against you. So we know you are not running to benefit your project, do you agree not submit a new proposal while on the council?”
Concerned resident, Los Altos
Given the pressure from business owners & investors who’ve shown hi tolerance for hi density, how will you ensure that downtown doesn’t suffer from ever more congestion & overcrowding & all the problems that come with that, (for example, more crime)?”
Ms. H., Los Altos
The 40 Main Project that was last presented to Council would require over 40 additional parking spaces, yet the developer offered to provide none. Do you think that allowing such developments downtown is a good precedent?”
Concerned resident, Los Altos
The Packard Foundation new building is beautiful. Will the chamber be selling any videos on The History of The Packards and The Woman of Grace? Also how will the rest of the town get into the grove of a remodel?”
grail, los altos hills
Our schools are running fabulous. Last year there was an incident that brought some of the schools to close and emails were the method of letting the parents know current information. What happens if a parent does not get the email?”
grail, los altos hills
Social Media:How will it be used in down town? How are the stores going to use social media? ill there be qr codes re: events,store front windows? f a store is closed for an event but you walk by and like something how can you order it on your phone?”
grail, los altos hills
4 years ago Los Altos had the first ever “Green Coat Exchange/Give to The Poor”Many older people who lived in Los Altos walked in coats and swaped for a new one and the rest were given to the local shelter. 33 Bins in downtown. When will it be again?”
grail, los altos hills
The New Church in down town Los Altos, called Terra Nova, how will it be supported by the local merchants in down town events, newspaper and community services and attendance?”
grail, los altos hills
