Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 12/01/1997 All articles from this issue

Council interviews 9 planning commission applicants, including former candidate

printer friendly version

By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Steve Smiley, who came in last in the recent election for two city council seats, has thrown his hat into the ring for the planning commission.

He joins eight other applicants for two open seats, all of whom will be interviewed Thursday by the Los Altos City Council in a meeting open to the public, said Los Altos City Clerk Carol Scharz.

"I'm really pleased we have such a high number," said Larry Tong, planning director for Los Altos. "That is a voluntary position. These folks should be lauded for their willingness to serve. They spend hours and hours and take a lot of grief from all sides."

The nine applicants include: Smiley, a seven-year Los Altos resident, who is an engineer with Space Systems/Loral; John Richie, a 19-year Los Altos resident, who is an attorney; Laura Teksler, a four-month Los Altos resident, who is a tech writer for Hewlett Packard; Julian Palmer, a two-year Los Altos resident, who is a mortgage broker; Penny Lave, a 37-year resident, who is a former two-term mayor of Los Altos; Ronn Coldiron, a 17-year resident, who is a partner in a contract services company; Joseph Boscacci, a 10-year resident, who is an administrator at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View; Kenneth Wood, an 11-year resident, who took out papers for city council but did not run; Mark Boennighausen, a five-year resident, who is an attorney.

Lou Cartalano, who applied for a seat, withdrew his name Nov. 24, Scharz said.

Each candidate will have a 15-minute public interview with the council from 6-9 p.m. Thursday in Rooms 10 and 11 at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Council members will vote Dec. 9 at a special council meeting for the two who will become commissioners.

The full seven-member planning commission will then join the city council and three city staff members - Tong, city manager Dianne Gershuny, and senior planner Jim Mackenzie - for a full day of team-building Dec. 15.

The two planning commission openings are for former chairwoman Gloria Bauer, whom the council fired Aug. 24 after she lost her temper and swore at the planning director, and for Honor Spitz, who retired in September after eight years on the commission.

The December team-building session is a follow-up to a four-hour conflict resolution workshop held Nov. 12.

The interviews with planning commission candidates will be from 6-9 p.m. Thursday in Rooms 10 and 11 at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. in Los Altos.