Newly elected San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales spoke briefly at the March 9 meeting of the Los Altos City Council.
"I'm extending my hand in the spirit of mutual, regional cooperation," he told council members. Los Altos is the sixth city he has visited as part of his efforts to address the 14 cities in the county.
He is affirming his belief that even though we all may live in different cities, "We all are residents of this region." Gonzales emphasized the need to work together regionally to solve the problems facing Silicon Valley such as traffic, affordable housing and environmental concerns.
He invited council members to call him personally.
These visits mark the first time a mayor in this county has reached out to neighboring cities in this fashion, said a spokesperson in Gonzales' office.
Recruitment to begin for economic manager
The Los Altos City Council gave City Manager Phil Rose a green light to begin recruiting for a half-time economic development manager in combination with a half-time management analyst.
The approval came during the March 9 city council meeting after Councilman Francis La Poll had it pulled from the consent calendar.
La Poll raised concerns about the economic manager being the one to develop and maintain a five-year economic plan for the city. Representatives from the business community had included this goal in a staff report about the position.
"I don't want that person to do the five-year economic development plan. That's better left to private enterprise. Government has a sorry history of that," La Poll said.
He also said he would like to see "an emphasis on retention," regarding local business instead of on recruiting.
- Joanne Griffith Domingue