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Susan Kirsch For Supervisor

Building Regional Connections

Citizen Marin was one of several sponsors for the Forum on Regional Planning, hosted by Better Cupertino, a grassroots organization with a mission to improve local government. More than 150 people gathered on Sunday, October 29 at the Cupertino Community Hall from 3:00 to 5:30 to hear a panel discuss key questions about regional planning.

Like Citizen Marin, Better Cupertino includes many different points of view, but agree on three goals: 1) Inform and empower residents to engage in civic matters; 2) Promote transparency and accountability in local and regional government; and 3) Support sensible growth aligned with the needs and interests of a majority of residents.

After the conclusion of the formal event, Better Cupertino convened a dozen local leaders to meet with Stephen Nestel and myself. For over an hour, we discussed challenges to local control and answered questions about issues, challenges and strategies used by Citizen Marin.

Key points of agreement included the importance to:

1) Convene resident groups, stay informed, write letters and articles, circulate petitions, speak at meetings, vote;

2) Attend local/regional meetings--City Council, Planning, Budget, ABAG, others;

3) Stay in touch with elected officials and staff, reminding them they work for us;

4) Find, support, and elect candidates with a pro-resident perspective; and

5) Build a database to share information and resources throughout the 9-county Bay Area.

If you're interested in joining a discussion about strengthening regional collaboration, please contact me by sending an email to SusanKirsch@hotmailcom.

Regional Planning panelists included Kansen Chu, CA Assemblyman (AD25) representing Santa Clara, San Jose Newark, Fremont, and Milpitas; Chappie Jones, San Jose City Council; Richard Bernhardt, CEO of Bernhardt Communications and active member of the Chamber of Commerce; and Tom DuBois, Palo Alto City Council.

Better Cupertino selected panelists with a goal to present a fair and balanced perspective of the pros and cons of regional planning, especially as it relates to housing and transportation, but including broader issues of air quality, water, and education.

Generally, Assemblyman Chu and San Jose City Council member Jones enthusiastically favored regional planning, while Bernhardt and Palo Alto Council member DuBois were mindful to prioritize local needs. They agreed with the need to get the right jobs and workforce housing mix and the importance of a city’s General Plan to guide development. They talked about the impact of SB 2, 3, and 35.

The audience included city council members from Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, and Santa Clara, along with legislative reps from Congressman Ro Khanna (CA17) and Jim Beall’s (SD15) offices. In addition, many neighborhood and community groups were represented.