Mike O’Malley, incumbent
Years in town: 11
Previous experience: Current mayor, four years on city council, member of new town hall committee, council liaison for sewers and finance committee
Top three goals: Preserve the rural nature of the Hills; improve infrastructure by increasing sewer capacity and improving path and road maintenance; place the charter school at Bullis or getting LASD to reopen Bullis as a public school
Having worked with the new town hall committee, the committee that reviewed the city development ordinances and Santa Clara Valley Water District, O’Malley has experience on some of the Hills’ top issues.
He voted for the $2 million loan because it “seemed prudent” and because “when you need money during an emergency, you’re usually not in a position to borrow it.”
He believes the city needs a compelling reason, such as connecting open space, school and neighborhoods, to put an off-road path on someone’s property.
O’Malley supports a limit on green lawns because they require more water than other types of landscaping.
On Pinewood School’s plans to relocate to the Winbigler property, he said, “I can’t prejudge. I think we need to hear public input.”
O’Malley favors a cap of 13,000 to 15,000 square feet on house size.
He said the biggest hurdle for a public school in the Hills is working with LASD, which has been uncooperative.
“LASD was irresponsible in closing Bullis,” he said.
Colette Cranston
Years in town: 10
Previous experience: Vice president of Supporters of Westwind Barn, community relations committee member, 15 years as city planner, former county commissioner in Colorado
Top three goals: Resolve public school issues; update General Plan Land Use Element, city codes and ordinances; facilitate development process for applicants and neighbors
Politics aren’t an unknown to Colette Cranston, the daughter-in-law of the late Sen. Alan Cranston.
She opposes the $2 million loan the council approved.
Regarding Pinewood School’s plans, Cranston said she wouldn’t prejudge an application that hasn’t been submitted yet.
She believes the city should encourage water conservation.
Cranston has confidence in the pathways committee and supports its work on the 2004 Master Pathway Map.
She opposes a cap on house size because it could backfire, creating an increase in median home size. She believes the city needs to be careful about a one-size-fits-all ordinance.
Cranston said the city should facilitate undergrounding in areas where neighbors have consensus and are willing to foot the bill.
She believes LASD should rent the former Bullis site to Bullis Charter School.
If, in the future, the district needs the site to reopen an elementary school, the charter school would have to relocate, she said.
Carol Jean Gottlieb
Years in town: 34
Previous experience: Ad hoc pathways committee member, member of Westwind Barn board of directors, about 30 years as planning commission and pathways committee member
Top three goals: Fiscal responsibility through budget review and paying off $2 million loan; improve planning consistency and update General Plan; reopen an elementary school at Bullis site through LASD
Carol Gottlieb would not have voted for the $2 million loan. The loan will cost the city $832,000 in interest, she said.
As a longtime Hills resident, she has witnessed increased development in the city; landscaping and lawns have replaced fields and orchards. She said she will be a strong voice for preserving open space.
She believes the city could facilitate undergrounding in a similar way to sewers by forming groups. On Pinewood’s proposed relocation, she said, “I would need to see all the facts before I could make that decision.”
Gottlieb sees a need to revisit the city’s General Plan and ordinances. She does not favor a cap on housing size because it’s something that’s very hard to go back on and the city has ordinances to mitigate large homes.
She would like the school district to reopen a public school at the Bullis site. She believes individual councilmembers can do more than the council as a whole in negotiating with the district. She opposes redistricting because it is expensive.
Craig A.T. Jones
Years in town: 2
Previous experience: Bullis Charter School chairman, finance and investment committee member
Top three goals: Improve utilities and high-tech infrastructure; reopen a public school; preserve open space
Most Hills residents have probably met Craig Jones as he campaigns door-to-door on his Segway.
He is the only candidate who does not favor conservation easements on slopes greater than 30 percent because, in his opinion, they compromise the owner’s ability to resell the property.
As a finance committee member, he recommended that the council approve the $2 million loan because the city has been spending $500,000 more annually than it has been taking in and would have run out of reserves.
Jones favors having residents on each street decide whether to pay for undergrounding.
He would support incentives or disincentives to improve water conservation by residents. He also supports a limit of 8,000-10,000 square feet on home size.
On Pinewood’s plans, he opposes any new private schools until a public school is re-established in the city.
Jones said he is “a proponent of pathways but … not a wild-eyed radical,” and the goal should be to finish the Master Pathway Map and fix trails. The pathways committee should “err on the side of the (property) owner,” he said.
He sees two options for reopening a public school: persuade LASD to reopen Bullis-Purissima School or rent the Bullis site to the charter school.
Jean H. Mordo
By Lauren McSherry
Years in town: 3
Previous experience: New town hall committee member, planning commissioner, board member of Supporters of Westwind Barn
Top three goals: Protect natural beauty and rural character of the Hills; reopen a public school; address infrastructure needs in a fiscally responsible way
Endorsed by all members of the city council, Jean Mordo became active in local politics during the tumultuous city council race of 2002. After the election, he remained involved through the planning commission and new town hall committee. Mordo supports the $2 million loan because it would safeguard city funds during an emergency.
Regarding water conservation, he favors educating residents on how to cut their water consumption with the right landscaping.
Mordo said paths cannot be voluntary, but the city also needs to be careful to preserve property rights. The 2004 Master Pathway Map is not much of an improvement over the 1981 map, he said.
Mordo said he would have to listen to residents and look at ordinances and previous council decisions before making any judgment on the Pinewood relocation. He is concerned about overdevelopment, but before taking a position on capping home sizes, he would like to know what residents think.
Mordo believes individual councilmembers should facilitate a resolution to the public education issue. He favors locating the charter school at the Bullis site.
