League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Anabel Pelham Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Altos

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council?

Most recently, I have served on the Senior Commission. During my tenure on the Commission, I led a successful major initiative to make Los Altos the first Age-Friendly City in California. This effort required obtaining a community research grant, hiring four graduate students to gather the required data, negotiating the complex application with various city offices and submitting a final application to the World Health Organization in Geneva.

I have 25 years of direct experience in administration and management as a department head at San Francisco State University. I have skills in budgeting, personnel and staffing, strategic planning and program assessment. I have served for several years as the chair of corporate strategic planning for a mid-size, not-for-profit California corporation and in that role worked with the board and consultants to guide the mission of eight housing communities and six community-based agencies. I have extensive experience in grant writing and management. I have served as the Project Director or Principal Investigator on at least 20 grants and contracts with budgets ranging from a few thousand dollars to $420,000.

As a Social Scientist, I have studied extensively and contributed to the literature on the characteristics of economically vital and socially vibrant cities. In 2010, I published a book: Promoting Health and Wellness in Underserved Communities, A. Pelham and E. Sills, Stylus. There is a growing and significant literature on how to create better cities in terms of health and wellness, transportation, housing, outdoor spaces, civic engagement, sustainability and intergenerational participation. I have studied and contributed to this research for the past 12 years and I wish to bring this know-how to Los Altos.

Finally, I have developed curriculum and taught graduate courses on leadership. I have in-depth knowledge of the call to leadership as values-driven SERVICE and the essential element of trust in that equation. In order to absolutely assure trust, one must assure transparency. I am committed to unqualified transparency in city governance.

2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?

I believe that Los Altos has arrived at a crossroads. It is important to become more economically vital in all of our 7 commercial areas. The call for more social vibrancy by many of our citizens is an opportunity to become a charming destination city for all generations. We can think of our challenges in three major categories: Economic Vitality; Social Vibrancy and Stewardship as a City Council.

Regarding Economic Vitality, I think we need to address the following issues: An authentic master plan that integrates the downtown core with the civic center; safe crossings for Foothill Blvd and San Antonio Road; public/private partnerships that make Hillview community center a priority; a parking management plan that includes underground and in lieu parking public benefit as options in the mix; zoning policies that are based on analytics and predictable; car park solutions for cyclists at Foothill Crossings; citizen-led revitalization of Loyola Corners; and a long-term plan to address the fiscal impact of city pensions.

Regarding Social Vibrancy, I think we need a downtown core plan that prioritizes pedestrians, cycling, public transport and automobiles in that order; more and attractive bike racks; a variety of "parklets"; a public/private partnership for a mini fixed-route shuttle bus; a creative engagement strategy to link Foothill college faculty, staff and students to downtown; and a public/private partnership to Wifi downtown. Many citizens have expressed the wish for a warm water pool to be located in a hoped-for community center in the future.

Regarding stewardship, I think that leadership on the City Council must come from a place of inclusion, transparency and respect. We need to promote a sense of trust in city government and the surest way to that is absolute transparency. I suggest "Study Sessions" be held in the neighborhoods effected, and two term limits (8 years) on all council members. I would publish the City Council agenda in the Town Crier in advance and make sure that all City Council business is conducted in public places and announced in advance in print and multi social media.

3. How would you balance the needs of the city as a whole with groups’ interests?

This is one of the most challenging questions in public life. How does one balance the passionate wishes of one neighborhood verses another? How does one make an unpopular decision in support of the city as a whole? I work to stand on facts/data/evidence and best practices. That is, get the best information possible first, then do a reality check with various groups' interests and earnestly seek compromise. This means patience, respect and inclusion. In most cases, this approach will be successful. Most citizens really want what is best for the community, so I would appeal to their sense of civic responsibility, and if necessary include external experts to help inform the facts of the issue. I have also found that including wise elders from the community can offer perspective, calm and appeals to higher values and purposes.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Please answer each question in no more than 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 20, 2012 21:34
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