Publication Date: Wednesday Oct 20, 1999

Editorial: Beecham, Kleinberg, Lytle,Mossar for council

It has not been a good period for city government in Palo Alto.

More than any other time in the last two decades, the City Council has been adrift, seemingly unable to navigate complex issues or push a positive and productive agenda for the community.

To be sure, the debacle of the historic preservation issue and the trauma of the 1998 flood account for much of the negative energy felt around town toward city government.

But how the city dealt with those problems merely reflected more systemic dysfunction in how Palo Alto government is working.

Despite strong recent efforts by Mayor Gary Fazzino, both the City Council and the city staff for the last four years have shown signs of weariness, defensiveness and resignation. Widely known problems, such as disarray in the Planning Department, were allowed to fester. Opportunities, such as proposals for a joint library or gymnasiums with the school district, were allowed to slip away. Even the most straightforward of actions, such as installing self-cleaning public toilets downtown, were allowed to disappear into the bureaucracy and linger on interminably.

We need new energy and leadership at City Hall. With the retirement of City Manager June Fleming, the next council will make the critically important selection of a new manager. And with only one incumbent running for the five open seats, we are assured of at least four new faces.

Of the eight candidates running for the four four-year seats, we recommend Bern Beecham, Judy Kleinberg, Nancy Lytle and Dena Mossar.

Beecham, 50, has been an outstanding member of the Planning Commission for the last 10 years, including three stints as chairman. He is known and respected as a problem solver and a consensus builder who does his homework, qualities that were evident in leading the Planning Commission to unanimous agreement on almost all elements of Stanford's Sand Hill Road development proposal. Beecham also participated in the development of the new Comprehensive Plan, which now must be fully implemented by the council through zoning and policy changes.

Kleinberg, 53, is a nonpracticing business attorney who heads the advocacy group Kids In Common and has devoted herself full-time to working on behalf of children. She criticizes council members' "dysfunctional politeness" in dealing with each other and the city staff and says she was inspired to run by the lack of collaboration between the city and the school district over needed community facilities. Along with Nancy Lytle, Kleinberg believes the city has not adequately addressed the needs of young families. She has strong analytical and leadership skills.

Lytle, 45, is the former chief planner for the city of Palo Alto and now works for the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. She was the key staff person behind the development of Palo Alto's new Comprehensive Plan, which could work to the community's benefit or detriment depending on her ability to shift from a staff role to a policy-making role. She also carries the baggage of playing a key role in a highly controversial and poorly operating Planning Department.

We are convinced, however, that the possible benefits of Lytle's past city staff experience far outweigh the possible liabilities, especially given the arrival of a new planning director and a soon-to-be hired city manager. Lytle's enthusiasm and action orientation are just what the council needs, and her desire to be an advocate for families with school-age children should resonate in the community.

Mossar, 53, was elected two years ago to fill the seat vacated by county Supervisor Joe Simitian. She has been a forceful advocate for the city shuttle program, for better regional transportation and for homeless services. We are disappointed in how much Mossar has felt the need to defend the council and the city during this campaign (perhaps inevitable as the only incumbent in the race) and in the weak role she played on the council during the historic preservation debate. But as the council member most sensitive to the needs of the homeless and low-income residents of the community, she brings an important and thoughtful diversity to the council.

The candidacy of former Councilman Mike Cobb, 63, is worth special note since he served the city well for 12 years until 1994 and loved it so much he wants to do it again. His interest and expertise in the city-owned utility system would be particularly helpful with the retirement of Councilman Dick Rosenbaum. If the field of candidates was not as strong, we would have no hesitation in recommending another tour of duty for Cobb. But at a time when new leadership and new energy are critically needed and a very competent group of candidates stands ready to provide just that, we cannot support Cobb's bid to return. It's time for others with good ideas to have their chance to serve.

In a field of strong contenders, the remaining three candidates, Mark Heyer, Victor Frost and Edmund Power, just don't measure up in either experience or breadth of knowledge of the issues.

In the race for the four-year City Council seats, we recommend Bern Beecham, Judy Kleinberg, Nancy Lytle and Dena Mossar.

Next week: Recommendations for the two-year seat.



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