BY ELAINE GOODMAN
Daily Post Correspondent
Finding a solution for Los Altos’ deteriorating police station should be a high priority for the city, council candidates said during a forum, but the boldest idea came from someone not in the race.
Former Mountain View Mayor Mike Kasperzak, who moderated the candidate forum, proposed a joint Mountain View-Los Altos public safety center.
“Mountain View is dealing with funding for a new police and public safety building,” Kasperzak said. “We have a joint dispatch center. Maybe — just a crazy idea — we could have a joint public safety building somewhere.”
The comments came during a candidate forum on Wednesday hosted by the Los Altos Community Coalition.
Five candidates are running for three seats on the Los Altos council. Two incumbents are in the race: Mayor Jonathan Weinberg and Councilwoman Sally Meadows.
The other three candidates are tech executive Ibrahim Bashir; Larry Lang, former chair of the Los Altos Historical Commission; and Planning Commission Chairman Eric Steinle.
Meadows did not attend the forum, citing health issues.
Candidates were asked what pressing community matters the council has not addressed.
Weinberg said if he’s re-elected, he wants to make sure the city finds funding for a new police station and upgrades to its two fire stations. The police station basement floods, and the fire stations need new roofs, he said.
“We’ve got to find a way to secure the funding in order to at least rehabilitate but really replace the police station and fix the fire houses,” he said.
Improving cell coverage
Steinle and Lang agreed with Weinberg – but both also pointed to improving cellular coverage in the city as a top issue.
Steinle said the city could put up small node antennas as part of a project to build a park with underground parking at the site of two downtown parking lots.
Lang said the poor mobile service in the city “is embarrassing.”
“It’s not just a convenience issue. It’s a safety issue,” Lang said. He also wants the city to revisit its climate action plan and focus on safe routes to school.
“Keeping the kids safe on the way to school … has to stay a priority every single day,” Lang said.
New police station a priority
Bashir listed among his top priorities public safety, including a new police station and fire station upgrades. Planning for emergency response preparedness is his goal for his first year on council.
Bashir’s other priorities are building housing “where it makes sense,” increasing downtown’s vibrancy and taking aggressive action on climate change.
In a “speed round” of questioning during the forum, candidates gave yes or no answers to a series of questions.
All four said they are in support of building affordable housing on parking plazas 7 and 8 downtown, as well as the park-on-top-of-parking proposal for downtown lots 1 and 2.
All four support outdoor dining in parklets and continued exploration of a downtown theater.
And all four agreed with a City Council decision this month to remove 25 apricot trees from behind the police station. According to the city, the trees have a fungal disease that can spread to apricot trees in the nearby historic orchard. Opponents of the cut-downs say the trees are a link to the city’s agricultural past and that the orchard should be expanded, not reduced in size.
In another speed-round question, all four candidates said “yes” when asked if they support a woman’s right to choose with respect to reproductive healthcare.
Although incumbent candidate Meadows did not attend the forum, she provided a video message that was played during the event.
Meadows pointed to council accomplishments including a balanced budget, reduced legal expenses and improved public safety through measures such as automated license-plate readers. Los Altos also received state certification for its housing element, a plan that shows how the city can meet its quota for housing at a range of affordability levels.
“I’m confident that we can preserve our beautiful, diverse city, even as we grow and change,” Meadows said in the video.
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