Candidate for
Council Member; Town of Los Altos Hills

There are several items that I am steadfast about. We must:

• Maintain our fiscal stability
• Preserve our unique semi-rural character
• Be prepared for the eventual emergency and
• Provide essential community infrastructure and services

We need to look at all aspects of a situation and then, come to a decision as to how to best proceed. In my professional life, we were trained to do things right ... the first time! This is a good way to do business. I was trained to 'build a little' and then 'test a little' ... small steps. The process allows time to work out the little 'kinks' that often appear as unintended consequences that were not conceived when a particular decision was reached. In my view, 'evolutionary' is often a much better approach than 'revolutionary'.

But, when I take a position on a topic, I will support and defend that position until I can be shown that there is a better solution. For example, in the recent attempted annexation of Hidden Villa, I considered the issues that surrounded the proposal. In the end, there was no obvious up-side to the idea. I wrote a letter to the Town staff and Council indicating my opposition to the proposal. I felt that way then and I still do.

The Town Council position is a non-political role. Council members need to consider and decide the rules and laws that the town will impose on our residents without regard to national political philosophies.

The council must also consider the effects of our decisions on all parties, not just a vocal few. The council represents all of the citizens, not only those who have a more visible stake in a topic. I think that that exploration of a topic for related effects is a fundamental responsibility for any councilman and is one that I will conduct.

I believe in a balanced approach to property rights. Anyone can and should be able to build what s/he might choose to do - mostly. But, the neighbors also have rights. Before we allow unrestricted development, we must also consider the impact of any such project with respect to whatever the Town building rules are, the impact on neighbors, and to consider the impact on the neighbor that might not be there yet. They will all have a stake in a project. So, in the end, it is not only the developer's desire that must be considered, it affects all stakeholders too and their needs must be folded into the final decision.

There are other positions I have taken on a variety of topics that can be found on my web site. I invite you to review them for more information.