2005 City Council election
From Palo Alto Wiki
The 2005 City Council election was the closest City Council election in recent Palo Alto history. Election day was Nov. 8, 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Issues
- Pro-business Palo Alto
A major issue in the campaign was how pro-business Palo Alto should be. The campaign focused on balancing city revenue sources by becoming more business friendly and proactive. All candidates agreed the city was not doing enough to protect its revenues.
Most candidates said the council has been too slow to react to the area's economic slowdown. Two auto dealerships, Agilent Technologies and Hyatt Rickey's have all shut down or left town in recent years -- costing the city more than $1 million a year in revenue, according to a recent report.
The issue became so central to the campaign that an entire forum was dedicated to it, and a new group, KORE (Keep Our Region Energized), formed to advocate for a better local business climate.
The most frequently mentioned example of the city's supposed passivity is Alma Plaza, the run-down shopping center once home to Albertson's grocery store. For years, Albertson's attempted to revitalize the center without success. The store closed in 2004 and the company sold the center to a local developer, who is proposing mostly housing there.
A redevelopment plan for the site never reached the City Council, because the city included the property in a moratorium during a traffic-impact study of the Charleston/Arastradero roads corridor. Candidate John Barton, a school board member, said council members should have required that one of the proposals be voted upon.
The loss of Hyatt Rickey's on El Camino Real was also cited frequently. Hotels are especially important to the city because occupants pay a 10 percent tax on their room rates -- that money goes directly to the city. This year, the city projects it will collect approximately $6 million from the hotel occupancy tax.
Former Mayor Larry Klein wanted the city to find a spot for a new upscale hotel, although he offered no specific location. He's suggested the city partner with Stanford University, but since his wife is a professor for the university, he would be unable to work on such a proposal on the council.
Three candidates -- Karen Holman, Peter Drekmeier and Yoriko Kishimoto -- advocated raising the hotel occupancy tax to the 12 percent charged in other neighboring cities. Kishimoto, an incumbent, has also been pushing for a citywide, high-speed telecommunications network, which she said could entice businesses to Palo Alto.
Numerous candidates said the council should fix the city's "protracted" planning process. Both Holman, a planning commissioner, and Drekmeier, an environmental activist, said the city should hire an "ombudsman" who could walk applicants through the various steps needed for permits.
Harold "Skip" Justman, a real-estate lawyer, recommended that the council set a policy that requires fewer meetings and hearings to make a decision on an application.
Jack Morton, the race's other incumbent, said the community needs to shift its attitude about business, but offered no specific new proposals.
Mayor Jim Burch, who is not running for re-election, defended the council. He said the past four mayors have each made supporting the city's retailers their main initiative, starting with Mayor Vic Ojakian, who started a retail committee in 2002.
In October 2003, City Auditor Sharon Erickson issued a scathing, in-depth report about the city's Department of Planning and Urban Development, with 34 recommendations. Since then, there has been an emphasis on speeding up approvals.
The council recently lifted some zoning restrictions for auto dealers and is now searching for a place to build an auto mall. The city brings in approximately $2 million a year in sales tax from its auto dealers.
Candidate Norman Carroll, an un-housed activist, said he was supportive of the city's desire to help auto dealers. The city, he added, would have to "bite the bullet" and offer new incentives for them.
When asked if the city was doing enough to protect its revenues, two candidates -- Danielle Martell and Victor Frost -- said lawsuits were costing the city too much money. Frost did not specifically mention any lawsuits. Martell referred to a claim against the police department filed by a black man, Albert Hopkins, who said officers Michael Kan and Craig Lee beat him unprovoked. The city settled for $250,000.
- The city's $120.7 million general fund budget, which has suffered for years because of the weak Silicon Valley economy.
Drekmeier said he thought there would be ways to save money while helping the environment. Klein has said repeatedly during the campaign that the city has too many managers, so he hopes to streamline the staff and save money that way.
Morton has said the city has to focus on revenue sources. Although he appreciates the need for housing, for example, the city continually loses revenue when it converts retail and commercial properties into homes.
[edit] Candidates
John Barton; Norman Carroll; Peter Drekmeier; Victor Frost; Karen Holman; Harold "Skip" Justman; Yoriko Kishimoto (incumbent); Larry Klein; Danielle Martell; Jack Morton (incumbent)
[edit] Results
City Council CITY OF PALO ALTO [1]
- Vote Count Percent
YORIKO KISHIMOTO 11,705 15.50%
PETER DREKMEIER 11,158 14.77%
LARRY KLEIN 11,046 14.62%
JOHN BARTON 9,419 12.47%
JACK MORTON 9,234 12.22%
KAREN HOLMAN 8,990 11.90%
HAROLD SKIP JUSTMAN 4,916 6.51%
ROGER V. SMITH 2,430 3.22%
DANIELLE MARTELL 2,287 3.03%
SANFORD FORTE 1,536 2.03%
NORMAN CARROLL 1,378 1.82%
VICTOR FROST ::1,345 1.78%
Total 75,535 :100.00%
