Candidate for
City Council; City of Brisbane

CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT

With its small town charm, connection to beautiful open space, and diversity of people, Brisbane is in a unique class of special cities in San Mateo County. Since moving here 20 years ago, our family has been blessed to be a part of a community that is friendly and safe, cares about the environment, and has a strong sense of identity. I love going for a run or a hike with my family on San Bruno Mountain, playing with our kids at the community pool, walking our dog in the neighborhood.

Brisbane may be a small town, but I believe every city has a unique role to play in making the world a better place. We need progressive leadership that will strike a balance between allowing Brisbane to be a regional contributor to sustainability while also preserving our small town character.

Over the past eight years as a Brisbane Planning Commissioner, I have taken great care to follow the guidelines of our General Plan and to listen and engage our citizens. I've contributed to the update of our General Plan, to make it more reflective of our needs and aspirations, and I helped craft our current green building ordinance.

I've also applied myself to community service through coaching (I'll be entering my 6th season as the head wrestling coach at El Camino High School) and volunteering with organizations such as Rebuilding Together.

I'm a strong believer in grass roots community organizing. A few years ago, I rekindled the idea of bringing a high school to Brisbane. By reaching out to parents in the community and organizing meetings, I helped form the "Citizens for a Brisbane High School", with the vision to create a small charter high school that would prepare our children for college or the work force.

As a business owner for 15 years, I've learned that running a successful company takes creativity, efficiency, a strong work ethic, and an awareness to stay within your means. I would apply these skills in helping the City to ensure fiscal responsibility and prioritize spending.

As a Council Member, I will seek greater participation from the community, strive to protect and enhance community services, work towards solutions to enhance our downtown, seek ways to protect and upgrade more open space on San Bruno Mountain, and make certain that any development is in harmony with our small town character.

VALUES

I grew up in a working class home in South San Francisco, where I learned at a young age to be independent, work hard, and never believe anyone who tells you that you can't achieve your goals. I took this philosophy to the mat as a high school and college wrestler, enhancing other values such as teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. Upon graduation, I've used these values time and time again, whether it was starting our family business, raising our children, or working in the community. These values have given me the guidance to live a fulfilling life, but they've also taught me the responsibility to give back, especially to youth. By giving to others, I feel I have strengthened myself in other areas, such as being a better listener, having a greater awareness of other people's opinions and perspectives, and truly understanding how mountains can be moved when dedicated people get behind great causes.

ENVIRONMENT

One of the major reasons why I moved to Brisbane is its bond with the environment, especially to San Bruno Mountain. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to take a short walk from anywhere in town and be on a trail. I've taken my children on the mountain ever since they were just a few months old and we still explore its canyons frequently. Every time I'm on the mountain, I come away with a deep gratification of how blessed we are to have this gem in our own backyard. The mountain is a source of pride and identity for Brisbane, so I strongly support the City's policy to purchase open space in the Brisbane Acres and Mountain Watch's efforts to protect it from invasive species. As a Planning Commissioner, the needs of the environment have always been embedded in my decisions, whether towards enhancing the habitat along the Bay at Sierra Point or collaborating with the Open Space & Ecology Committee regarding open space in the Baylands. Brisbane has always understood the value of nature as a necessity to an enriching life. I believe that the incorporation of nature into the very fabric of where we live is one of Brisbane's greatest attributes: a model we must follow in all future development and one we must share with other communities in the region.

COMMUNITY

The small town character of Brisbane is cherished by all of its citizens and envied by all who visit. We live in a community that respects each other, allows our kids to be kids, and makes us feel good. If Brisbane implemented its original General Plan, our town would have a population of over 20,000 inhabitants, and would be a much different place than we experience today. Brisbane's character and homespun feel is a testament to its people. While most cities along the peninsula believed in the notion that the bigger the growth, the greater prosperity, Brisbane understood it already had a good thing, and chose to follow the beat of its own drum. I'm proud our town values its connection to open space, family owned businesses, affordable housing, schools that are accountable and safe, public events that engage us, and a wanting to make things better for all its citizens. Sustainability is not a buzzword to Brisbane, but a way of life. Though I believe every community has a moral obligation to make the world a more sustainable place, Brisbane's contribution should be done on its own terms.

EDUCATION & WORK EXPERIENCE

I am a proud product of the public school system, starting out at Buri Buri School in South San Francisco, and finishing with a BA in Broadcast Communications from San Francisco State. I started working at fourteen years of age as a vendor at Candlestick Park, working my way up from sodas, to peanuts, to souvenirs. I loved vending because I got to work outside, had the opportunity to engage the public + and the commission-only pay motivated me to work hard.

Not long after graduation, I started my own business, Red Dog Productions. Within a few years, we had grown to one of the most successful promotional products companies on the West Coast, working with clients such as Genentech, Levi's, Yahoo, Ben & Jerry's

As the years passed running Red Dog, I started to find myself pulled toward community service. Eight years ago I signed on to be a Brisbane Planning Commissioner, then three years later I became the head wrestling coach at El Camino High School, and finally, I sold my business to dedicate more of my time to family and public service. One of the greatest experiences of my life was the opportunity to work for the Obama campaign in St. Louis. Thrust into the heat of the election, I was assigned to a predominately African American community that had been politically neglected. I found myself working with strangers that soon became family. I went in with an open mind and an open heart, listening to the citizens, respecting the social makeup of the community. As the days and weeks passed, our belief in each other grew, and I became a true partner in rallying the community to get more involved in the political system. Together, we learned that accountability and engagement from our elected officials is best achieved when the public takes constructive and organized action.

THE BAYLANDS

The Baylands project has the potential to change the world. This may seem like an exaggerated statement, but I believe it is true. With its prime location in one of the most sought after areas of the country, its large undeveloped landscape, and a worldwide movement demanding greater sustainability in the way we live our lives, the Baylands is at the threshold of being the gold standard for future development. However, the Baylands will never attain its true potential unless we make it safe. Though I have been active in the design and potential layout of uses at the site, I feel we need to have a clear understanding of the contamination that exists below the surface, and have a well thought out plan proposed to make the area safe, before any final plans are approved. In order for us to make confident decisions on what we would like to see at the Baylands, the community has to have a road map indicating how the contaminants will be dealt with and deemed safe. Once we understand the ground we're on, we can then take the appropriate steps necessary to understand the parameters that will help shape our options, and thus make us better planners. I believe the Baylands can be the most sustainable development in North America. A vision that will show our children we are serious about the threat of global warming: a plan to create a development that is zero carbon, creates a system to provide all of its energy needs, and establishes efficient and accessible public transportation options. A project that incorporates balance between development and nature, creates a diversified economy where jobs are green and everyone makes a living wage, creates a destination for recreational, educational and artistic opportunities, establishes free public services in health and wellness, legal, family and youth counseling. It is our moral obligation to first make it safe, and then make it sustainable. I believe Brisbane is ready to take on this challenge, and I look forward to our continued partnership.

http://www.cliff4council.com clifflentz@sbcglobal.net 415-467-7041