Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector already knows that 2016 is going to be a very busy year: As mayor, Spector is expected to attend ceremonial events, such as ribbon cuttings for new businesses. But one of her main jobs is to help set the town council’s agenda and run town council meetings.
This year marks Spector’s third time in the mayor’s chair, since the position usually rotates among the council members.
She was unanimously selected by her peers on Nov. 17.
One thing she predicts is that the town’s focus this year will turn away from development issues.
“We’re going to see more of a focus on public works,” Spector said. “Planning issues and development have been on the front burner for the council and community since at least 1980. But there has been a shift within the past year because we have a lot of forces outside the town that are directly impacting the town.”
The mayor characterized the issues as regional–from out-of-towners creating gridlock en route to the beach to tech workers using Highway 9 as a cut-through to jobs in other cities.
“Now we have gridlock on Highway 9 in the morning; it’s totally backed up to Saratoga,” Spector said. “Then we get into the Highway 85 issue.”
The town is already seeking a judicial decree that an environmental impact report be completed before express toll lanes can be built in the Highway 85 center divide. But Spector said there may be yet another lawsuit on the horizon “based on the contract.”
That contract is the 1990 Route 85 Performance Agreement the town signed with the former Santa Clara County Traffic Authority.
It reads, “The traffic authority agrees that no new freeway lanes shall be constructed in the Route 85 median or in the shoulders of Route 85 within the geographical limits of town without prior written approval by the town council of the town.”
The Highway 85 issue has set up an interesting dynamic: San Jose city leaders are all for the proposed expansion, but Los Gatos and other West Valley cities aren’t so sure.
“The Los Gatos council has to first be sensitive to our community needs,” Spector said. “When we assess the Highway 85 center divide, we have to consider the impact on our town. There are competing interests, so we also have to consider what’s best for everybody. We haven’t made that decision yet.”
She also pointed out that traffic ebbs and flows with the economy.
“During the Great Recession, I drove to San Jose on Highway 17 and the freeway was mine,” Spector said. “Things are different now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay the same.”
Spector has been working on the downtown parking issue, too, and said two builders have expressed an interest in partnering with the town on a West Main Street garage. The town owns the current parking lot, but it bought the property with redevelopment agency funds, so at least six below-market price homes must also be built there. The town is also willing to allow some commercial development.
“The proposals that came in added a lot of housing and commercial square footage, but not a lot of extra parking,” Spector said. “Since the town owns the land all the developers can do is get rental income, so we’re looking for creative ideas. An example would be for the town to keep the land and sell the air rights; perhaps the second story on up would be owned by the developer who could sell it if he wants.”
Spector said the bottom line is to increase public parking and characterized the talks as “exploratory.”
Spector also expects the council will soon take up proposals for a “new face” for the farmers market and a new operator for Music in the Park–both entities’ contracts with the town are expired.
Over the next year, the mayor also plans to meet monthly with Los Gatos businesses, which is something she’s done before.
“These are not famous companies,” she said, “but I find things out about the community, which is what I love and really enjoy doing.”
To that end, residents can expect to see a continuation of the “Small Business, Big Applause” recognition events that are held during town council meetings.
Los Gatos Town Council meeting agendas are posted online at losgatosca.gov. The next council meeting is Jan. 19 at 7 p.m.
