From: Cox, Robert
To: McCarthy, Kimbra; Ramirez, Lucas; Hicks, Alison; Kamei, Ellen; Lisa Matichak; Margaret Abe-Koga; Showalter, Pat; City Council
Subject: Comment on potential Interview Questions for City Council Candidates to replace Sally Lieber Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 5:10:29 PM
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
City Manager Kimbra McCarthy, Honorable Mayor Lucas Ramirez, Vice Mayor Alison Hicks, and Council Members Abe-Koga, Matichak, Kamei, and Showalter, It is our understanding that on Thursday, January 5, the council will discuss the process of how to select a replacement for Council Member Sally Lieber. Furthermore, that members of the public may be given an opportunity to speak out on the upcoming council issues that are most important to them to aid the council in the selection process.
Of course, any council member replacing Sally Lieber should have an in depth knowledge of the housing issues facing our community. Beyond that, in the upcoming term, we expect the council to address the Downtown Precise Plan Plan 2, plans for the Castro Street Pedestrian Mall, the Grade Separation at Castro Street, and the Historical Ordinance Update. So, we recommend that council address these issues as well should they interview prospective candidates.
Thank you for listening to our concerns on this important subject, Robert Cox, Louise Katz, Leslie Friedman, Nazanin Dashtara, Muriel Sivyer-Lee, Jerry Steach, Toni Rath, Mary Hodder, and Jamsheed Agahi
For the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View
From: Diane Gazzano
To: City Council
Subject: Filling City Council Vacancy
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 7:13:19 PM
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
City Council Members:
The filling of the City Council seat vacated by Sally Lieber must be filled by a Democratic process. This leaves the City of Mountain View with two alternatives:
1. Appoint the Mountain View resident who ran in the last election who had the highest number of votes after the three incumbents who won the election. That would be Li Zhang.
2. Hold a special election.
Only by adopting one of these two methods would the voices of Mountain View residents be heard. Any other alternative would disregard the citizen of Mountain View and lead to a tainted City Democratic government.
Diane Gazzano
Resident of Mountain View
From: D Offen or G Nyhan
To: Ramirez, Lucas; Hicks, Alison; Abe-Koga, Margaret; Kamei, Ellen; Matichak, Lisa; Showalter, Pat Cc: City Council; McCarthy, Kimbra
Subject: Filling Council Vacancy
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 8:03:38 PM
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Dear Councilmember:
As you consider how to fill the current vacancy on Council, we urge you to hold a special election as the fairest and most democratic option to select the individual who will represent the voters of Mountain View. The probable cost of a special election does not seem significant in comparison to the one million dollars spent putting up signage to implement the Narrow Streets Ordinance, for example. The August 1 st date proposed by staff would
be more costly than waiting three more months to join a consolidated election on November 7 th, if relative cost is to be the determining factor.
If the decision is made to appoint a replacement member, it seems advisable to select someone who is not planning to run in 2024 since incumbency will give that individual an advantage in the next election. Therefore we suggest adding that question to the list proposed by staff.
We appreciate that this is not an easy decision to make, but it is probably one of the most important decisions which you will make as a Councilmember. Choosing a voting member of the Council essentially pre-empts the power of the voters to choose their representatives, which is vital to a democracy. Please allow the citizens of Mountain View to vote for our seventh Council member in a special election in August or November 2023.
Thank you for your consideration of our views,
Dave Offen & Gail Nyhan
From: Elna Tymes
To: City Council
Subject: Options to replace Sally Lieber
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 8:46:24 PM
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Of the appointment/special election loptions, I vastly prefer go see Sally's replacement appointed, because it puts a working Council member in place the fastest. The City Council has much to accomplish in 2023 and time is important. The interview process of appointment candidates will likely produce a better picture of various candidate abilities and preferences than will a much postponed election.
Dr. Elna Tymes
Member, MV Senior Advisory Committee