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Uploaded: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 6:33 AM

Drekmeier won't seek re-election
Palo Alto mayor chooses family commitments over new City Council term

by Gennady Sheyner
Palo Alto Online Staff

Posted by Donald, a resident of Stanford, on Jul 14, 2009 at 7:51 am

At least he didn't do a Palin and quit in the middle of his term.

Posted by Jenny, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 7:55 am

Farewell to Mayor Drekmeier, thank you for running some of the tightest City Council meetings I have ever listened to - enjoy your little baby!!!

Perhaps this is the time for Palo Alto to enter into a dialog about reducing the size of City Council from nine to seven members and streamline those protracted City Council meetings.

For those who did not tune in last night, at one point Mayor Drekmeier announced that 54 speakers had signed up to speak on the redevelopment of the JJ&F market site. However, that did not stop Council Members from thinking allowed for intermindable minutes, while impatient residents waited to speak. In the end members of the audience were offered time to speak on the issue at a Council meeting later in the month, so many of them left. Is this the way to treat members of the public?

To reduce lengthy Council meetings when every member of the City Council finds it necessary to speak on every agenda item, reducing the number of Council members from nine to seven would help. Also, whether seven or nine Council Members vote on a particular issue is irrelevant.

Posted by too much, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 8:18 am

Excellent idea Jenny to reduce the Council to 7 members. It is truly tiresome to sit through City Council meetings waiting for every single Council member to weigh in with their thoughts. Peter has on a number of occasions reminded his fellow Council members to add input when it provides new information. Nice try. Can the Council vote to reduce the number or does it have to go on the ballot?

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 8:28 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

How nice.

Posted by Jenny, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 9:16 am

Too much says: "Can the Council vote to reduce the number or does it have to go on the ballot?" It will have to go on the ballot. However, it would be an amendment to the City Charter so either citizens must collect 6,000 signatures (all individually, no computerized signatures) on a Petition, or City Council can vote to put a Charter amendment on the ballot.

Posted by Dave, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 10:32 am

Hooray! Drekmeier was a disaster. His global, green focus was a waste of time. The city budget is still too fat and a harmful business tax is likely coming. Did he cause these problems? No. But he did nothing to address real municipal issues.

@Donald- I wish he had done a Palin, or better yet, never served at all.

Good riddance Peter!

Posted by Joel, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 10:49 am

Peter,

Thank you for your service to our city. Your leadership has been invaluable for its environmental fore site and the calm, humorous, gentle manner in which you lead meetings. You are a true servant to your ideals and your community. You will be missed as a leader to this community but I know that you will stay involved to the extent that your family duties will allow.

Posted by Marlene Prendergast, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 11:19 am

Best wishes to you Peter. Your work on the Council has been positive, progressive and fun to watch!

Posted by StampusCampus, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 12:50 pm

Let's have some diversity on the next City Council!

Posted by Big Al, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jul 14, 2009 at 3:46 pm

More diversity. Isn't that wonderful. Like many flowers in the garden, of varying

shades, shapes, and sizes. How idyllic it would be. I suppose we could get really diverse,

and fly in somebody from Botsawana who has been living in the bush for their entire lives, tired of the traditional ways of living, and seeking to settle in silicon valley while they

upgrade their resume, and take a couple of courses at the local JC. Now that would be truly

diverse. Madonna would most likely be impressed, and she might even come to one of our

local street fairs and sing a few songs under the hot santa clara valley sun. Yes, diversity is a wonderful thing. Just saying it makes me feel ten times better! Aside from that, thanks for the effort Peter, and thanks for attempting to do the impossible, like getting something done

in a town filled with critics. It must not be that fun at times, but such is life.

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Jul 14, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Want diversity? Vote for Victor Frost.

After all we've seen on City Council in the last 20 years, could Victor possible do a worse job? I don't think so.

Posted by Accomplishments?, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 4:38 am

Serious questions:

What were his accomplishments?

Posted by ben bernanke, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 8:23 am

Realtors essentially run our town's newspaper--subsidize it--so we may as well let them run our government too.

Posted by Marvin, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 8:30 am

I will not miss Drekemier on the City Council. He filtered everything through his green glasses. He made a career out of bashing Stanford on the one hand and then expecting Stanford to fund things for PA--for him Stanford was a cash cow to be milked by Palo Alto at will. In addition he had the nerve to propose taxes so that residents can conform to his view on the environment.

Bottom line his accomplishments on the council do not amount to much. Of course, Kishimoto and Morton have been on the council for 8 years and there accomplishments do not add up to much either.

Alma Plaza and Edgewood Plaza issues have not been resolved. Our infrastructure is still now what it should be. Our council refuses to take any responsibility for anything that occurs in the city (PACT fiasco, HSR support/non-support) The list goes on. Our council has no problem patting themselves on the back for that see as a job well done.!!

Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 8:34 am

I am pleased to see Gail Price and possibly Dan Dykwell enter this race. I think we need more representation of school issues when discussing city issues. Barton's experience should have done this, but I saw no evidence of it.

Posted by Faith Bell, Bell's Books, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 6:45 pm

I'm so delighted to see Karen Holman on the slate. She is hardworking, conscientious and ethical. She has already done a lot for Palo Alto, and I hope to see her on the council, where her experience and good sense will benefit us all.

Posted by lorenzo, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 16, 2009 at 1:37 am

I know Peter must set his own priorities, but I for one am sorry to see him go. He brought some real skills and talents to the council. I thin he had a bright future. Along with Yoshiko(?), it will be hard to replace them.

And what an angry, negative person Dave of Downtown/Midtown? must be. It is one thing to oppose or not like an official, but to unleash such a vindictive and petty and erroneous diatribe like his says a lot more about his limitations that Peter's.

Hey, Pete - SYOTR!

Posted by Jane, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Jul 16, 2009 at 5:32 pm

I am with you Dave - Downtown North.

Bunch of clowns on the council, elected to do grow this city only to be wasteful and arrogant.

Drekemier only wanted green, whether it was affordable or not. Don't believe he even owns/owned a house, so how can he understand the cost to "green" it! Next person running on green better first talk to the green vendors to make it affordable otherwise you are wasting time and money again.

Btw, its Yoriko, not Yoshiko, let's see what did she bring to the table? Ummm, apparently not impressive because I don't remember.

I do remember Larry saying he'd bring businesses back to Palo Alto, true colors coming out there, they are all at the borders of Palo Alto in the neighboring cities. There goes our sales tax earnings...

Jack, for goodness sake, aren't you in finance/accounting/CPA, why's the city's budget in shambles? Dude, I'm shaking my head....sigh.

Hey you newbies, you gonna do something or be a bunch of clowns too.

Posted by Another Clown, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jul 20, 2009 at 4:00 pm

New York has the Naked Cowboy: Web Link

Palo Alto only has has Victor Frost!