My vision for our town is to accommodate new residents, new housing construction, and new life-style needs of our present population while protecting our rural heritage.
PLATFORM SUMMARY
of
Jim Steiner
Los Altos Hills City Council Candidate
Vision for Los Altos Hills: Los Altos Hills is a community in which all citizens enjoy uncrowded space, privacy, a rural ambiance and a community spirit. We are a community that cherishes and protects its rural heritage even as it adapts to life style changes that meet today's needs. My vision for our town is that we can accommodate new residents, new housing construction, and new life-style needs of our present population. And yet as we do this, we must preserve the rural life principles upon which our town was founded. I want our town to be noted for its community spirit, its diversity of culture, and its ability to find unity in its diversity. I want Los Altos Hills to set the standard as a modern rural community in 21st century America.
To protect and enhance our community life-style, Los Altos Hills has long-standing commitments to provide minimum government, responsive government, sound management and fiscal practices, and the avoidance of urban attributes such as street lighting, paved sidewalks, traffic lights, and heavy traffic thoroughfares. We also recognize that the continuance of our life-style is dependent on sound management and planning policies.
The following existing policies have been the basis for Los Altos Hills success since its founding. They support the community goals listed above:
- Fiscal Management: Los Altos Hills is committed to maintaining a balanced budget where the town operates on a pay-as-you-go basis without resorting to public debt. This is achieved although Los Altos Hills receives less than 4% of the property taxes paid by residents! (The other 96% goes to school districts, the county, and other external agencies.)
- Emergency Planning: Our town plans for handling emergency situations that can adversely impact us. The City Council, on the Finance Committee's recommendation, has designated $1,250,000 for emergency funding to be used following a natural disaster such as earthquake or fire. We have designated $350,000 of the town's reserves as funds to cover unexpected budget shortfalls. The Safety Committee has established an emergency radio communications system and monitors the ability of the fire and police personnel to address emergencies.
- Infrastructure Management: Our town is also committed to maintaining and improving our infrastructure by budgeting at least 20% of our General Fund Revenues for this purpose. We are currently budgeting about $1,000,000 to maintain our infrastructure. Our infrastructure includes not only roads, sewers and buildings, but also includes our working tools of computer facilities and communications.
- Organizational Management: Los Altos Hills government utilizes a small, highly competent professional staff trained to be responsive to citizen requests. A small professional staff is achieved through the use of standing volunteer commissions and committees who oversee their areas of expertise. These dedicated volunteers who serve our town without pay are the guardians of our Los Altos Hills lifestyle, and provide a check and balance system between the Council, professional staff and citizen interests.
- Community Relations: Our town government works to achieve a strong communications interaction with the community. This is done through an active Community Relations Committee which provides citizens with information and an interface with the town. They serve as hosts at City Council meetings, publish the town newsletter, and sponsor community events.
- Environmental Sensitivity: Los Altos Hills is committed to environmental protection. We work to protect our environment by encouraging recycling, and separately processing yard waste to minimize land-fill. • Recreation: We have a very unique recreation facility which we are committed to preserve. This is our off-road pathways system where residents can wander through rural terrain far from the busy traffic and enjoy the beauties of our natural peninsula scenery.
Support for, and implementation of, these fundamental policies must be the basis for planning any program of activity. I offer the following program plan for implementation during my tenure as a City Councilman. I would note that constructive progress is essential to any organization. The continuation of the status quo leads to stagnation and decay. The program listed below is a growth program designed to keep Los Altos Hills modern while protecting its heritage.
Program for the Next Four Years:
My program plan for the next four years is based upon the policies and principles outlined above
- Plan for the replacement of our aging infrastructure. We currently have a Pavement Management Program which is replacing/resurfacing our streets on a scheduled basis. We need to plan for the eventual replacement of the town's sanitary sewer system which is nearing the end of its normal life cycle. New facilities will improve our life-style.
- Continue sound fiscal policies. A sound fiscal program is the foundation of a community's viability and health. Our fiscal program has allowed us to generate reserve funds that will serve us well in emergency situations. We must retain our reserves for future contingencies, continue our pay-as-you-go budgeting, and continue to set aside funds for capital improvements. We will all benefit from a strong, financially stable community.
- Implement the now-approved (in principle) Affordable Housing Program. This program is mandated by the state of California. Our approved program is based upon secondary dwellings that are available for rent. This will benefit our town by extending our diversity and by having met our state mandate on housing. To meet our state commitment, many additional secondary dwellings must be built. We must provide incentives and encouragement for property owners to generate these dwellings.
- Work for Unity in the Community. Seek common ground on potentially divisive issues by being an unbiased listener to all community concerns and issues. Apply the principle that: "Reasonable people working with reasonable people will produce reasonable solutions". Unity, rather than division, will provide us with a friendlier, more cooperative community.
- Continue the development of our off-road pathways system with concern and compassion for those residents immediately affected by the proximity of the pathways. By so doing we will enjoy an enhanced recreational facility which is nearly unique to our town.
- Continue to upgrade the town's technology base. Recent upgrades include a new integrated finance system, a parcel database system, and new computer hardware. Potential new additions include improved Council chamber displays, web page improvements/additions, and on-line availability of public documents. The improvement in the services provided by these updated facilities will offer citizens greater access to public documents and information.
- Encourage greater citizen participation on Commissions and Committees. This backbone support of our town is the training ground for future Council members. By so doing we will enjoy a stronger, more capable, and responsive government for our town.
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