By Khalida Sarwari
Saratoga residents had a chance to learn more about the five candidates running in this year’s city council election during an Oct. 21 forum hosted by the Southwest Santa Clara Valley League of Women Voters.
Saratoga City Council candidates took the stage at the Council Chambers, with incumbent Emily Lo squaring off against newcomers Yan Zhao, John Chen, Mary-Lynne Bernald and Rishi Kumar.
The candidates were asked what they were most proud of in their city, to name an exceptional quality they would bring to the council, the proposed Highway 85 project, plastic bag bans, security and policing, downtown revitalization, bicycle safety, tree regulations, affordable housing and the proposed Quarry Park project.
KUMAR SAYS …
Kumar said he’s running because of his love for his community. While high-tech is his day job, “community service is my passion,” he said. He said he is grateful for the seniors in the community for setting the foundation for the city. “It’s an incredible place to raise a family, but it’s not the most perfect and that’s why I’m running.”
He cited his energy, commitment and ability to get things done as unique characteristics. He agreed with his fellow candidates on the Highway 85 issue, saying that the existing bottleneck, pollution and noise issues needed to be addressed before attempting any kind of expansion.
He dismissed the plastic bag ban question, saying that it was no longer an issue with the governor recently signing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. On security, Kumar addressed the persisting crimes of identity thefts, petty thefts and home break-ins, and touted the importance and effectiveness of neighborhood safety watch groups and block parties.
His idea for improving bicycle safety was to train younger kids how to be safe on the streets. Unlike his fellow candidates, he said he believes the city’s tree regulations are too restrictive, but agreed that the state’s designation of affordable housing “is not healthy for our city.”
Kumar said he would like to have the community continue to give their input moving forward with the Quarry Park project to make it a family-friendly place.
LO SAYS …
Lo said that if re-elected, she would continue to lead with common sense, respect, and integrity. She described herself as a “doer” who would bring experience to the council, and a commitment to motivate her counterparts and build morale. “A vote for me is a vote for experience,” she said.
She said she is most proud of the city’s high safety ranking, the city’s community outreach efforts and parks, trails and businesses. To improve safety, Lo suggested implementing preventative measures, such as holding more forums in partnership with the sheriff’s office.
Revitalization, she said, requires the collaborative efforts of the city, merchants and residents. Improving bike safety, Lo said, requires the efforts of cyclists and drivers and depend upon the quality of the road. She said she is for an affordable housing plan that integrates jobs, housing and transit.
CHEN SAYS …
Chen credited his working class upbringing for the inspiration behind his outlook. He named his ability to listen as his best quality. “I value giving someone 100 percent of my attention and being 100 percent there.”
He said Saratoga’s safe neighborhoods and event spaces are among the things he is most proud of about his city. “I feel comfortable about going over and chatting with” neighbors, he said. To that end, he said he believes it’s important for residents to watch out for each other instead of relying on law enforcement, and to participate in educational programs to improve safety.
The Highway 85 project, Chen said, “generates revenue in a bad way,” and he said he’s been regularly going to VTA meetings to keep himself informed about the project’s development. “I think it’s a bad solution; we should get VTA to look at alternative solutions.”
While he agreed that the plastic bag ban was no longer an issue, he added that banning toxics of any kind “should be a no-brainer.”
Calling revitalization a “divisive issue,” Chen suggested holding more community workshops “so we can all decide how much traffic we want in the city.” He called for the completion of a bike path along Saratoga Avenue to improve bicycle safety and similar to the others, expressed his opposition to the affordable housing designation. “We have to tell ABAG this is not democratic,” he said.
BERNALD SAYS …
Bernald said Saratoga would be the city in which she would live “happily ever after.” She described herself as a civic leader, team-builder and consensus builder with a proven track record. She, too, said she was proud of how safe the city is, and of the different venues in the city.
Bernald said she stands by the city’s response thus far to the VTA in regard to the Highway 85 project, but cautioned, “we cannot let our guard down” and pledged to protect the interests of the city and its residents. She said she supported the state’s plastic bag ban. “I have stood for it for quite some time,” she said.
On the topic of security, Bernald called for making adjustments in the face of changing demographics. Her ideas were to provide cultural sensitivity training to deputies, increase patrols during certain times and work together as a community to make Saratoga safer. To make the city safer for cyclists, she suggested repainting the lines on the road, but also touted the importance of personal responsibility.
Bernald also shared her ideas for revitalizing downtown, recommending the marriage of the city’s natural assets with its historical treasures and downtown economic base. Like the others, she said she is against the affordable housing designation and that, if elected, “I will work to change the irrelevant formulas ABAG uses.”
ZHAO SAYS …
Zhao described herself as an active community member with a solid understanding of the city. She said she is proud of Saratoga’s quality of life, its schools and community volunteers. What sets her apart, said Zhao, is her experience on the planning commission and her record of community service, both of which gave her an understanding of how the city works.
Zhao said she is opposed to the Highway 85 project. “It will actually create more noise and pollution in our city,” she said, adding that she’d follow VTA’s moves closely and, if elected, protect the residents’ interests. She hailed neighborhood watch groups and collaboration with the sheriff’s office as effective measures to prevent crimes and make the city safer.
To revitalize downtown, Zhao said she would assemble a task force to make recommendations and also back measures that would make people aware of the existing parking options. She said she supports making the city more bike friendly, not just for recreation and exercise, but as a mode of transportation for students. On the affordable housing topic, she proposed working with the regional government “to get more reasonable numbers.”
Link: League of Women Voters poses questions to Saratoga City Council candidates
