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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2007 Election
Smart Voter

David Whittum
Answers Questions

Candidate for
Council Member; City of Sunnyvale; Seat 4

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The questions were prepared by the the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council?

I am a physicist and engineering manager with 24 years of professional experience including teaching and research, project management and product development. I am a veteran of the California Army National Guard, having served as Rifle Platoon Leader in 2/159 Infantry (Mechanized) of the 40th Infantry Division. I am a graduate of Leadership Sunnyvale.

I have served the Heritage District Neighborhood Association for over three years as its Secretary, pursuing needed public works in the downtown focusing on quality of life for residents. Accomplishments have ranged from modified (quieter) crossing bells at Sunnyvale Station, to curb cuts, signage, an ADA compliant entrance to Sunnyvale Station at W. Hendy, and most recently, the Mathilda Overcrossing Rehabilitation EIR, which the Court has remanded to the City for reconsideration of construction related noise and vibration.

In the course of my efforts on behalf of a working class neighborhood, I have developed familiarity with the California Environmental Quality Act, the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, Planning & Zoning Law, the General Plan, the General Plan Guidelines, and how this City works.

2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?

Open Government - We need to open up City Hall and restore the democratic process.

Eliminate Numbered Seats - Voters should have freedom to choose among all candidates. Sunnyvale does not have districts and does not benefit from a seat system. Additionally, this would discourage negative campaigning and promote a focus on the issues.

Register Paid Lobbyists - When a former Councilmember appears before Council to ask for funding, residents are entitled to know who pays them.

Disclose Contributions Online - Residents are entitled to know who has taken money from developers with business before the City. We need California Forms 460 online.

Accountability - We need a Council that takes responsibility for oversight of the City government, and reads the documents it approves, like the budget, and EIR's. We do not serve for the perks.

Strong Neighborhoods - The argument that the "greater good" justifies sacrifice by a residential neighborhood has been abused for too long. The greater good in Sunnyvale is to preserve and promote residential quality of life at every opportunity.

Maintenance - City Hall needs to focus on the basics: clean and maintain streets, care for trees, trimming and repair of broken sidewalks, implementation of street trees, maintenance of city property, including landscape strips.

Parks & Green Space - Our goal should be a park within walking distance of every residential neighborhood. Mountain View is doing it, so can we. We receive 4M$ each year in park dedication fees, let's use those to dedicate parks. We should aim to designate a new pocket park each year. Also, we should leverage volunteer effort and promote community gardens.

Density, Traffic, & Noise - This election will decide the future for density, traffic and noise in existing low-density residential neighborhoods. Density should be limited to transit corridors, Caltrain, VTA, or where the local neighborhood association is supportive, a high frequency bus service. It does not make sense to approve high density without a rationale as to how and why the extra family car can be avoided. If one has density, and still two cars per household, then mostly what one has achieved is a higher density of cars --- and homes that are lower in price because they are lower in quality.

Public Safety - We were the 5th safest City in the US in 2003, now we are 38th. Burglary is up 40% since 2003. Auto thefts are up 70%. Public safety spending is up 25%, having increased by 13M$ from 52M$ to 65M$. Police spending is DOWN from 22.6 to 22.2M$ The crime category that is down significantly is larceny, due mainly to the loss of 30 acres of retail space in the downtown that is still a hole in the ground, thanks to City Hall.

We need to understand what has happened and address the issues, including neighborhood cohesion. The City must nurture neighborhood associations in distressed areas, where initiative is lowest, and where the neighborhood resource officer role over time may reduce the costs of penal code enforcement. We need neighborhood parks where neighbors can meet each other, and begin to develop familiarity with the people in their neighborhood, and eyes on the street.

3. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole with groups' interests?

I have taken no money from special interests. I will have no trouble deciding the right balance by putting the needs of my constituents first.

The City's need is to preserve and improve our residential quality of life. There are preconditions for higher density development and they include:

It does not make sense to approve higher density without a rationale as to how and why the extra family car can be avoided. If one has density, and still two cars per household, then mostly what one has achieved is a higher density of cars.

My Personal Priorities If Elected Include

ADA Accessibility - We should aim to make Sunnyvale a magnet for those with special accessibility needs, particularly the downtown near the train station and buslines. Every sidewalk should have curb cuts at the corners. Provide incentives to encourage developments with accessibility enhancements.

Senior Housing - We need to focus attention on the needs of our seniors to continue to live independently near their adult children. We need to support low-income senior housing in Sunnyvale.

Regional Leadership + I look forward to becoming actively engaged in VTA and Caltrain developments. To reduce the jobs/housing imbalance the emphasis should be on transit. I support regional initiatives to improve transit into the Bay Area, including high-speed rail and the Dumbarton project, provided the environmental impacts of those projects are taken seriously and mitigated. I also would like to see attention focused at the State level on a transit solution to reducing accidents and delays on Highway 17 and reducing traffic and noise on the 85 corridor. While it may be difficult to consider restoring rapid transit into Santa Cruz through the mountains (the "Suntan Special"), our options should be explored.

Mary Avenue Overcrossing + While I am not opposed to halting this project now, a compromise position is to send the DEIR back to staff, to focus on preferred alternative consisting of: a residential designation for Mary Avenue, and an improved connection of Mathilda to Central. A no-bridge alternative should also be considered, including HOV and park & ride.

Murphy Park - Install tot and school age play areas.

Staff Development - Support practice-act engineering licensure for managers in Department of Public Works. Promote and reward title-act and practice-act licensure. Encourage and promote Continuing education for our legal staff, particularly in the areas of Planning & Zoning, Public Records, Brown Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act.

Charter Amendment: City Clerk Appointed By City Council - In the corporate context it is good practice to have one person open the mail, and a different person handle the finances. In the City context, the Clerk's office is the first line of defense of the Public Records Act, the Brown Act, and timely filing of public comments with the City. There would be no harm, and considerable benefit to having Council appoint a certified, registered California Municipal Clerk

Charter Amendment: City Auditor Appointed By City Council - The City's needs are better served when Council can easily inquire about complicated funding patterns.

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 30, 2007 08:22
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