League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area June 2014

Annual Meeting New member June 21 at Michaels at Shoreline Welcome to the League: We are sending the Annual Meeting Kits via email this Anky van Deursen of Los Altos year as we continue to look for ways to reduce our We are pleased to have you! expenses. Kits were emailed on May 22. From the email you can access the reservation sign up form and the kit (workbook). Those members who do not have emails were sent a kit by mail. Paper copies of the Annual Meeting Kit will be available at the Annual Meeting for those who request one when signing up. Board Briefs The Board discussed and accepted the proposed 2014-2015 budget, which includes a Signup is available on our website: dues increase. The budget will be presented to http://www.lwvlamv.org (click on “RSVP for Annual the membership and voted on at the Annual Meeting”) Meeting. Checks can also be mailed to our office at The Board discussed the candidate forums that will be presented in the fall. Since all League of Women Voters government agencies have moved their elections 97 Hillview Avenue to even years, this will be a busy voter services Los Altos, CA 94022 season for the League. The Board approved delegates Cathy The cost of lunch is $25 and the salad choices are: Lazarus, Max Beckman-Harned, Katie Zoglin and Ellen Wheeler to the Leage of Women • Cobb Salad Voters National Convention in Dallas, Texas this June. • Chinese Chicken Salad The June (and July) meetings of the Board • Pasta Primavera Salad have been cancelled.

The annual meeting is the time when League members vote on a budget for the next year, choose our new officers and directors, and adopt a program plan Voter Registration for New Citizens which focuses on the issues that we think are most relevant for the coming year. The Santa Clara County Leagues have accepted an invitation from the Registrar of Our speaker will be Mary Hughes of close the gap CA, Voters to help new citizens with their voter speaking on recruiting more women to elected office. registration. Each League will provide volunteers at the monthly naturalization ceremonies. Our League has volunteered for June 19, 2014. Natalie Elefant, our Voter Service Director, will be organizing this endeavor. The location is the Heritage Theatre in Campbell and the times we will be needed are 10:30 to 11:30 and 1:30 to 2:30. Lunch with the League Lunch with the League has finished for the fiscal Contact Natalie at [email protected] or year. Look for it to return in September. 650-383-5590 if you are interested. Camino Real to Amphitheatre Parkway. It is being Getting Around – and evaluated by staff along with other alternatives. Staying – in Mountain View Later at that meeting, council voted unanimously to delay design of the at-grade crossing of Permanente Recent council meetings showed us that Mountain Creek Trail at Charleston Road, pending study of a View citizens have a lot of choices when it comes to recent Google proposal for a bike/ped undercrossing transportation and fewer when it comes to housing. that might work better. Following are some highlights in each area. Bicyclists as well as those concerned about Travel Mountain View’s housing shortage took a keen interest in council’s May 20 review of the El Camino Travel less Real Precise Plan, now under construction. Building Communication speed demons were heartened by heights allowed will vary with the location along the a council vote April 22 to proceed with Google’s road. Details of any bike lane plan for El Camino Real application process for a lightning-fast fiber network are still undecided (where? when? in segments?) but installation in Mountain View, which (if we are there will definitely be improvements for bicyclists on accepted) would bring us up to par with many other the Church/Latham east-west corridor. countries in the world—and make working from home much easier for some. Housing Trains Planning for housing The rapidly growing crowd of riders can A study session at the end of the May 13 meeting look forward to improved performance with reviewed a draft of the newly revised Housing electrification of the system in a few years. But nothing Element of the General Plan. As expected, there were is easy. On April 22, council voted to send to Caltrain a many speakers on the subject of the consequences of letter asking for more EIR study of creative the city’s jobs/housing imbalance. alternatives to unwanted environmental consequences Speakers contended that continuing to add jobs at (of electrification of the line), such as the loss of breakneck speed would mean that implementing the hundreds of trees. Several such alternatives were draft plan, including substantial additions of housing suggested. units, would not make a serious difference. They Cars encouraged council to treat the Housing Element as a serious planning document, not just a series of Council held a study session April 28 to review required checkboxes, and specifically to do something staff proposals for taming almost-stationery traffic in drastic about our unhoused and underhoused and out of North Bayshore. A multi-pronged program population. would restrict the number of cars allowed “in” at peak periods, with further development contingent on Despite agreeing that they should re-examine the meeting these quotas. level of housing impact fees (levied variously on different types of development and then used to Council also agreed that studying congestion provide low-income housing), council declined to pricing, for possible future use as a last resort, is in proceed with development of a tracking metric for the order. (Contrary to what you’ve read in the press, jobs/housing imbalance. It is possible, however, that there’s no concrete proposal on the table, only the city will be paying more attention to our progress studying it in case it becomes potentially relevant.) on meeting the official (unenforced) “quotas” for housing at various income levels. (Lower levels have Car Parking received relatively little attention.) Council would also Council agreed with a May 20 staff proposal to like to know how to incentivize developers to produce spend the cost of a couple of parking spaces for other than “luxury” products. technology that will help drivers find parking more Paying the rent quickly — and also help enforce time limits — downtown. The most obvious change will be vacancy On April 22, a coalition of raise-the-minimum- counts displayed at the entrances to the two Bryant wage advocates asked Council to enable more Street parking structures. Print-it-yourself online daily residents to pay their rent. Two minimum-wage (and maybe more) parking permits are also in the workers now jointly take home less money than the works. average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Mountain View. A community services agency worker Self-propelled in San Jose noted that since an improved minimum On May 13, Safe Mountain View presented to wage went into effect there, fewer people are asking council an intriguing conceptual plan for a 50-foot- for help, and unemployment is down. wide, park-like pedestrian and bicycle path on the Shoreline Boulevard median, potentially from El

June 2014 Page 2 Paying City Council Foothill–De Anza Board The latest proposal for a November ballot measure upping wages for council would factor in inflation, May 5 which has caused inflation-adjusted council pay to be less than half of what it was when the current rate was Board President Bruce Swenson said the set. The likely asked-for raise would be to $1,000 per Perkins+Will architectural firm will pay Foothill-De month, from $600. Anza $1.02 million in a dispute over engineering services for the Lower Campus Complex at Foothill. —Julie Lovins, observer The trustees approved the De Anza Associated Student Body (DASB) and the Associated Students of Thanks and “All Hands on Foothill College (ASFC) student budgets. Alex Baker of Foothill and Anita Adams of De Anza were honored as Deck” for November outgoing student trustees. I look forward to seeing all of you at our annual Mary Sullivan, De Anza's health services meeting on June 21 at Michaels at Shoreline to end a coordinator, said the college's Health Zone has very busy year for our League and to set the stage for activities and information to combat stress and what’s to come in the fall and improve sleep, eating and safety. She invited the board beyond. to visit. For the past year, I’ve had De Anza student Vinay Kowshik told the board the privilege to serve as your that Students for Justice is working for a safer campus president and I can tell you after a sexual assault last fall at the Media & Learning without reservation that we Center. have a “rock star” board and Faculty Association President Rich Hansen cadre of observers and reported on the unfunded liability of the California volunteers who make the Los State Teachers' Retirement System. Hansen is secretary Altos-Mountain View League for Faculty Association of California Community respected and engaged in our Colleges (FACCC). He said Foothill political science communities. instructor Meredith Heiser was elected to the FACCC Our volunteers register voters, organize candidate board and De Anza ESL instructor Mary Ellen and community forums, observe and write about the Goodwin is a regional representative. governance of our cities and special districts, push for Randy Bryant urged sign-ups for the Caracci affordable housing, recruit speakers for the “Lunch Classic Golf Tourney on June 6, which benefits With the League” series, manage our website, Twitter students in De Anza's Automotive Technology and Facebook, publish what I think is the best monthly Program. Voter in Santa Clara County, develop our budget and https://www.deanza.edu.autotech/caracci.html manage our finances, and so very much more. Without their work, this chapter could not continue. Every one Cristina Espinosa-Pieb reported on an exhibition of these folks deserves a huge thanks and a well- of De Anza student photography running May 8 to earned break from League activities over the summer. June 21 at San Francisco's Rayko Photo Center. This fall is going to be a period of intense activity President Judy Minor said Foothill received a 2014 with the November election. There will be many Honor Award in Historic Preservation Design from important local races: city councils, school boards and the Northern California chapter of the American special districts in addition to state and national Society of Landscape Architects. She said that over offices. We don’t yet know how many state initiatives 1,000 people participated in the fourth annual “Let's will be on the ballot but early information indicates Play Math” event, versus 100 in its first year. there will be quite a few. Six students were interviewed for Trustee We will need your help and support to organize Scholarships by Laura Casas and Joan Barram, candidate forums, develop and disseminate unbiased substituting for Betsy Bechtel. information about state and local initiatives, and, most importantly register citizens to vote. Educating voters The trustees approved over 60 new courses for the and working toward fair and open elections are the 2014-15 Foothill catalog. At De Anza a new course in foundation of our democracy, and the League shines plug-in auto tech was approved for spring 2014. above all other organizations in protecting these Facilities Director Charles Allen said that demolition at fundamental rights. Onizuka is 60 percent complete, and the interior of the Blue Cube is cleaned out. If I don’t see you at the annual meeting, have a great summer. —Terry Terman, observer —Cathy Lazarus, president

June 2014 Page 3 Bullis Charter School May 5 April 28 Updating developments concerning Proposition This meeting started off with the positive news 39, the BCS submitted their reply to the 2014-2015 final that Bullis Charter School has been selected as a offer from the Los Altos School District by the May 1 California Distinguished School for 2014. deadline. The due date for submitting the facilities-use Next on the agenda was getting ready for their agreement was extended to the middle of the second strategic planning session, scheduled for April 30 and week in May to give counsel additional time to discuss May 1. While this isn’t a board meeting, they cannot various details of the agreement. Following have a quorum of board members in attendance. It community comment, there was discussion among the was explained that this strategic planning session will board members about recreational space and the use of be comprised of staff, parents, and some board assigned recreational space at the BCI campus. members, and its agenda will be to discuss constraints BSC recently held two strategic planning sessions and possibilities. Board members Jennifer Carolan and involving the participation of about 60 (total) parents Andrea Eyring agreed to split their time, with one and faculty, during which long-term goals for BCS attending one night and the other attending the second were discussed. The administration felt that the night. Sang Yoo might attend. meetings were extremely productive and were pleased In their Proposition 39/facilities update, the to find that the interests of the faculty and the parents trustees discussed the facilities-use agreement they are were closely aligned. supposed to have with Los Altos School District. It was As an outcome of these sessions the participants explained that new terms for the FUA were received felt that it was important for BCS to from LASD on Friday night, April 26, with constraints that keep changing. Their parent community needs (a) continuously innovate education; information about this fluidity, reported board (b) establish long-term stability, member Medlin. She also said that there would be continued discussion of those changing terms in the (c) rebuild the BCS community, closed session agenda meeting following this open (d) share what BCS is doing with other schools, meeting. both nationally and internationally, and be recognized —Ellen Wheeler, observer as a leader in public education. The board approved the Form 990 tax statement for the year ended June 30, 2013, for the Bullis- Purissima Elementary School. — Bill Lambert, alternate observer

The Voter Publication of the League of Women Office: 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos CA 94022 Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area Phone (650) 429-8382 Email [email protected] Production Editors Max Beckman-Harned www.lwvlamv.org Our office is not staffed. Sue Graham Phone calls will be returned.

President Cathy Lazarus Natural Resources Pat Showalter Vice President – Program Sue Graham Government Katie Zoglin Vice President – Action Ellen Wheeler Social Policy Crownie Billik Secretary Carol Kuiper Voter Service Natalie Elefant Treasurer Marilyn Terman Communications Norma Schroder Data Management Andrea Eaton Webmaster Greg Fowler Directors at Large Andrea Eaton Dorothea Grimes-Farrow Max Beckman-Harned Membership Margaret Brooks

The League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area delivers unbiased, non-partisan public policy information and encourages citizens to shape better communities through active participation in their communities. The League does not support or oppose any political party or candidate, but it does take action on selected government issues in the public interest.

June 2014 Page 4 activities as Teaching Ambassador Fellows, traveling the country interviewing teachers and reporting their Mountain View - Los Altos findings to the department. Bissonnette focused on Race to the Top and teacher evaluation, and Gutierrez Union High School District on Common Core. May 12 In response to a question about the reduction of a nursery aide position at the Adult School, it was The board accepted and ratified the changes to the reported that the Young Parents Program will be negotiated agreement between the district and the discontinued starting with the 2014-15 school year. District Teachers' Association, including a 4 percent Funding for the childcare portion of the program had salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2013, district come from Cal-SAFE, which discontinued funding for contribution of 1.8 percent toward health insurance non-academic services in July, 2013. Individual premium costs for 2013-14, and an addition of one day meetings will be held with the eight MVLA students to the 2014-15 school year for teacher collaboration. In currently in the program, during which they will addition, the board approved the safety plans for all decide to move to either MVHS, LAHS, Alta Vista or three high schools. the Adult School Moffett Program, none of which This meeting was held in the Alta Vista provides childcare. Multipurpose Room to accommodate the people Superintendent Groves reported that funding is wanting to discuss exemption from 9th Grade PE for currently expected to be discontinued for both adult student athletes, a topic first raised by several speakers education and the Regional Occupational Program in at the April 21 board meeting. the 2015-16 school year. This exemption, which was allowed prior to 2009, “Single Plan for Student Achievement” documents is different by state law from the exemption from 10th were approved for all three high schools for 2012-13. grade PE. Instead of removing the class from a The plans identify reasons for the achievement gap student's schedule entirely as is done with 10th grade and document continuous improvement. PE, the 9th grade PE class remains in a student's schedule but the student does not have to attend the An MVHS parent, representing the Spanish- class while actively participating on a school athletic speaking parents group, spoke to the board and team. In the past, PE teachers found the uneven presented a petition to express concerns about drug attendance of student athletes to be very disruptive to use and ask that a drug-sniffing dog be used to check the class. Since 2009, with mandatory attendance for lockers. all 9th graders, the PE class has become exemplary, according to last year's WASC evaluation team. For more information, go to www.mvla.net, click on A PE teacher, a student, an athletic director, and "District Office", and then "Board of Trustees." the two student board reps spoke about the benefits of 9th grade PE, including providing stress relief, having —Sally Ahnger, observer boys and girls in the same class, developing lifelong skills for physical activity and good health, and creating a community for 9th graders. Of the 38 schools in the Central Coast Section (CCS), only three Action Notice do not have mandatory 9th grade PE. On May 5th, the Affordable Housing Committee About 16 parents and students spoke of the need sent a letter to the Mountain View for an exemption so that student athletes could have Environmental Planning Commission regarding an extra period in their schedule for music, foreign possible changes to the Tenant Relocation language, and study hall. Participating in school sports Assistance ordinance. makes it difficult to attend zero period or have enough time in the evening to do homework. A pediatrician On May 11th, the committee sent a letter to the spoke about sleep deprivation contributing to the risk Mountain View City Council regarding the draft of suicide. The board requested more discussions in a Housing Element. On May 18th, the committee future meeting. The May 16 issue of the Mountain sent another letter, this time regarding the El View Voice has a long article on the topic. Camino Real Precise Plan. April 21 To read the letters, go to About > Action & Advocacy > Local Action Letters: on our website Since 2009 the U. S. Dept. of Education has had a at http://www.lwvlamv.org. program to bring teachers to Washington D.C. to participate in policy making at the national level. Two MVLA teachers have participated in the program: Michelle Bissonnette in 2009 and Marciano Gutierrez in 2012. At this board meeting they reported on their

June 2014 Page 5 plan subject to further reduction of the “bulk and Los Altos City Council mass” and the “shoulders” of the roofline. Council can still deny the plan if its concerns are not addressed. May 13 The council approved spending $69,700 for a Curt Riffle, trustee of the Minpeninsula Regional phone survey of 400 likely voters about what tax rate Open Space District, made a presentation on Measure they would pay for a community center alone versus AA to the council; council later voted unanimously to one with underground parking and a pool. The vote endorse the measure. was 4 to 1, Jeannie Bruins dissenting. She argued it King Lear, a former Los Altos mayor, speaking as would be better to delay so that council could first a member of the public asked that his idea for a hear the findings from all the public input given at publicly funded theater with an underground garage recent community outreach meetings. A presentation on downtown Plaza 3 be put on the agenda. It was. from public pool supporters was put on the agenda for Saying the goal was to gather public opinion, the a future meeting. council began planning for a September “walking —Norma Schroder, substitute observer tour” of the eight new buildings in the downtown triangle. Council spent about 30 minutes discussing how to VTA Mountain View Double better inform the public about what commercial and Track Public Presentation mixed-use projects might look like before they are built. City planner James Walgren explained that the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) city already requires plan submittals to include photo representatives held an open house on May 22th on simulations showing the proposed structure situated their planned Mountain View Double Track project, in its built and natural environment. part of the authority’s Light Rail Efficiency Project. The draft Environmental Impact Report for the second Council discussed but rejected the idea of phase of the project was recently released and results requiring “story-poles” to be erected to show height were presented at the meeting. and bulk before plan approvals. Instead the council voted to send the issue to the Planning and The project has three components: Transportation Commission (PTC). In particular the Phase 1: Extend existing pocket track east to the SR 85 PTC should 1) reexamine the type and number of overpass. (Pocket track is an additional track on which photo “views” of the simulation to require -- bird’s light rail trains can be stored for use as needed.) VTA eye, street level, with time-of-day shadow, etc. and 2) expects to award a contract this August and finish the recommend specifics about how the simulations work by July of next year. should be posted on a large sign on the site of a planned project. City of Mountain View was an Caltrain Realignment: To extend the pocket track example. between SR 85 and Whisman Road, the Caltrain tracks need to be shifted between Pioneer and SR 237. This Council spent about 20 minutes discussing how to work is not expected to disrupt Caltrain service except convene with Los Altos School District to discuss the for possible single-tracking on weekends. VTA expects potential use of various city-owned land parcels for a to award a contract this August and complete the work new school. Los Altos School District has formed a in December. two-member subcommittee for that purpose. Originally the city’s subcommittee was to be Phase 2: Further extend pocket track from SR 85 to comprised of Mayor Megan Satterlee and Val to connect it with the existing second Carpenter. However, at this meeting Satterlee track. Evelyn Station would be permanently closed unexpectedly recommended herself and Jeanne Bruins. (the second track runs through it) and some This composition was affirmed 4 to 1, Val Carpenter landscaping would be removed where the light rail dissenting. lines cross Central Expressway. The Evelyn Park and Ride lot would remain open. VTA expects to complete May 27 the design in July and the environmental study in About two and a half hours of this four-hour August, awarding a contract in November and meeting were used in discussion of a plan for a new completing work by December 2015. two-story house. The applicant was appealing the VTA states that second tracking will improve denial of the twice-revised plan by the Design Review reliability of the light rail system. They noted that the Commission. existing single track is a system bottleneck and that About half the neighbors spoke for the plan, delays it causes can ripple throughout the entire saying it improved the street. The other half had system. concerns about the house not being “consistent” with They also noted that the increased reliability and the “transitional” neighborhood and about light- capacity would allow better connections between light pollution from clerestory windows. Council voted 4 to rail and Caltrain in downtown Mountain View. A 1, Jan Pepper dissenting, to conditionally approve the

June 2014 Page 6 double track will also allow VTA to increase frequency Public comment on the environmental report is of service and system capacity, which they expect will open until June 16 and can be emailed to be needed after the opening of Levi’s Stadium and the [email protected]. For more information, VTA future BART expansion when it intersects with light directed the public to http://vta.org/lre-mv, the rail in Milpitas. project website. In a community newsletter and at an earlier —Max Beckman-Harned meeting, they showed their plans for the post-BART light rail system, where two lines would terminate at Mountain View: a Red Line to Alum Rock that would League News intersect with BART and offer an ‘express’ service On Saturday, May 3rd, the League of Women during peak hours, bypassing most stations between Voters Bay Area Inter-League Organization held its downtown and Levi’s Stadium, and a Green Line to annual convention at the Bay Model in Sausalito. Sue Almaden instead of the existing Winchester. Graham, Pat Showalter, Crownie Billik, and Max In proposing closure of Evelyn Station, VTA noted Beckman-Harned attended, representing the Los that it is the second-least-utilized station in the entire Altos-Mountain View Area League. Representatives system, with an average of just 66 weekday boardings, from twenty of the twenty-one Leagues that make up and that both the Downtown Mountain View and the Bay ILO attended. Roberta Borgonovo, Water Whisman stations are 0.7 miles away. They noted that Program Co-Director for the California League was the the station closure would allow the second track keynote speaker. without needing to narrow Central Expressway or At the meeting the 2014-2015 budget for the Bay Evelyn Avenue, the roads on either side of the tracks. Area ILO was adopted. The budget did not propose an Two community members spoke at the meeting. increase in PMP, but it does continue funding from Both were commuters from outside Mountain View reserves to balance the budget. Event expenses are the who drive to the Evelyn station and take light rail to largest line item, followed by rent. Several “cleanup” their jobs. They commented on the lack of parking at bylaw amendments were approved. The LWVBA the station after early morning (primarily from board recommended that the 2014-2016 priorities Mountaincommuters who aren’ Viewt using theLight light rail Rail station), Double and would Tracking be “water” and Project “regional planning processes on the convenience of the station to the SR 85 off-ramp. climate change”, which the delegates approved. A They also highlighted the difficulties of parking at the revised Airport transportation policy (tightening downtown Mountain View station, which include lack language but not changing content) was also of spaces, higher prices and the requirement of a approved. Proposedseparate parking Light pass. Rail Improvements in Mountain View

Caltrain Realignment Phase 1 Project Phase 2 Project Proposed Construction Staging Area Diagram provided by VTA Relocation of Crossing and Signal Equipment Existing Station Platform June 2014 VTA Light Rail Page 7 Caltrain

How to Reach Us For more information on the Mountain View Light Rail Double Tracking Project call VTA Community Outreach at (408) 321-7575, TTY only (408) 321-2330, email [email protected] or visit us on the web at http://www.vta.org/lightrail.

VTA Mission: VTA provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.

League of Women Voters of the Los Altos Mountain View Area 97 Hillview Avenue Los Altos CA 94022-3740 Serving Los Altos, Mountain View and Los Altos Hills

June 3 Primary Election June 6-10 LWV National Convention in Dallas, Texas June 9 Affordable Housing Committee: contact Sue Russell June 19 Voter registration at 10:30am, 1:30pm (see page 1) June 21 Annual Meeting, 10am, Michaels at Shoreline