My views on the issues

By Peter A. Richmond

Major issues: excess development;traffic;emergency preparedness;local effects of national issues

I am the current Vice President of the Tamalpais Park Neighborhood Association, a member of the Democratic Central Committee of Marin, and a long time member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The reason I am running for Mill Valley City Council is that I am concerned about the direction I see our town heading, particularly in the areas of excessive development, increased traffic. I also believe that, while Mill Valley, is a leader among Marin's cities in emergency preparedness, it still has much to do.

Additionally, in the long tradition of Mill Valley being a leader in discussing national events as they affect local life, I believe in continuing this. This is because the first time someone points a gun at you, denies your wife's right to choose, or suggests cutting off medicare, that local issue has become a local issue with local impact.

In the first, I would strictly enforce the existing carefully crafted size limitations on buidling expansion/development. Variances would not be handed out as a regular matter of course. Violations would be dealt with in a meaningful way.

In the second, I would work to create a local shuttle service operating from the outskirts of town, and including bMiller and Blithedale. It would have specified pickup/dropoff points. Funding would be sought via Federal/state grant money. I have already begun this search. Excess traffic due to individual parent dropoff of children at Tam High and the Middle Schools would be reduced by re-establishment of a school bus system as formerly existed in Mill Valley.

Emergency preparedness would continue to be expanded with a view to enabling all citizens in town to survive a major disaster during the time before city, state, and federal aid can reach them. Additionally, I would seek stronger links to state and federal disaster preparedness and relief programs, so as to better enable the city to deal with any disaster that might strike.

Finally, Mill Valley was the first town in the country to officially oppose US involvement in VietNam. It is this type of moral involvement that should be continued, wgere the citizenry feels appropriate,by resolution of the Council. This should occur in any of the situations where the citizens of Mill Valley feel an opinion of the town should be expressed on a larger scale.

In all of these areas, as well as any others that the citizens of Mill Valley feel should be reviewed, I would propose not only continued open meetings at City Hall, but also regular neighborhood meetings specifically designed for the citizenry to meet with and speak to me, so as to better ensure their views are heard.