1). Why are you running and why would you be particularly effective?
I love Mill Valley, my home of 22 years, where my husband Jim and I are raising our children. I want to offer the skills and experience I have
gained in 14 years of work at the County of Marin and as a volunteer in my community to help address some of our local challenges. I see
things we can do to make our quality of life in Mill Valley even better.
Specifically, I am an Aide to Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan and before that was with Supervisor Annette Rose. I describe my
work as handling everything from “potholes to policy.” I have practical skills and experience getting things done in the public arena, like starting
shuttles, initiating traffic improvement programs: bike lanes, school walking paths and better transit. I know how institutions work and have a
collaborative spirit with a strong work ethic. I’m trained as a lawyer, and have a background in civil litigation and healthcare.
In 4 years on the Mill Valley Planning Commission, I have been a steward of our built and natural environment, protecting community character
and habitat, while advocating watershed-sustaining approaches and green building techniques to assure beauty, safety, energy efficiency and
flood protection – from the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais to the lower reaches of our floodplain.
Finally, I am warm and open. I like people. I bring people together to listen to each other and to discuss the issues freely, openly and
respectfully. My goal-oriented manner will help us keep the Mill Valley we love while making it even better.
2). What do you believe are the three most important issues facing the City of Mill Valley and how would you deal with them?
I see three big challenges that I am ready to address:
• the need for a bold vision for local transit to address immediate circulation issues and the imperative of climate change,
• a successful, community-supported plan for Miller Avenue that works and
• a plan to keep community businesses in business and grow a healthy economy.
My strong commitment is to integrate our city’s land use decisions with a bold and forward-thinking plan for local transit alternatives. This is the
most significant and effective way we can address greenhouse gas emissions on a local level. Our goal should be to get people out of their cars
and onto shuttles on the flats and jitneys on the hills, and on feet and bikes. I see an re-invigorated commitment to our historic legacy of steps,
lanes and paths. Mill Valley started out as village nestled next to the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais. People used to get around and downtown on this
network of paths to the train that brought them where they needed to go. I see protected bike lanes and cycle tracks (wide bike lanes inboard of
parked cars near the sidewalk), bike storage and lockers, wide sidewalks with resting places and water fountains. I see infrastructure built for
people not vehicles. We can make transit choices inviting while serving practical needs.
I strongly believe that a plan for Miller Avenue is not only essential but can truly add to the fabric of our community. The environmental legacy
that got us this wonderful village by saving the ridge tops, mountainsides and upper reaches of the watershed is now evolving. Today’s
environmental imperative is to continue that ethic of protection through careful, Mill Valley scaled, beautiful in-fill design guidelines to create the
cool neighborhood we desire, if and when property owners come calling during the 20-30 year life of the plan with a desire to do something new.
Businesses are going through a period of unsettling change, and we are all feeling it with a growing sense of unease. I suspect that change is
happening for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is high land values. I make decisions based on solid information. I would work to find
out why businesses are closing and look to see what, if anything, the city could do going forward. Our own shopping choices and patronage are
vital to having a healthy business community.
There are things a city can do through its power to write policies in the commercial section of our city’s constitution, known as the General
Plan. We can create a robust set of business-sustaining policies and programs, including a small business emergency loan program, a business
improvement district, streetscape amenities, and closer ongoing communication with the Chamber and non-Chamber merchants. We all benefit
from a strong commercial and business sector. We don’t want a mono crop of businesses when variety and a healthy mix is vital. The goal of a
sustainable village of the 21st century will be shopping right in town ~ from a hammer to a pair of girls soccer cleats, at a good price.
3. What is your view regarding the performance of the current City Council and how, if at all, would you act differently?
The current Council members have been good stewards of our city but have not been as effective in articulating a vision for the future of Mill
Valley. I also think the Council has been viewed by some as closed to different ideas and perspectives. This perceived lack of openness has
impaired the Council’s effectiveness on controversial issues such as the Miller Avenue Plan.
In my view, a major function of a city council is to provide leadership to help the community anticipate and resolve the challenges of our rapidly
changing society and environment. To provide effective leadership, the council must be, and be perceived as, open to the opinions and needs of
the citizens it serves.
Therefore, some of the things I would do are:
o provide leadership on sustainable, green, energy efficient, and watershed best practices design
o open city documents and processes for full public review, comment and revision, if needed to better serve
o be sure city documents are posted on the website for ease of view
o run meetings that allow for the fullest possible public input and exchange of ideas right up to the council’s vote
o webcast meetings so that people who can’t attend can still know what happened
o hold more workshops on issues of citizen interest so that we can all learn together
Mill Valley is generally in good shape. I am grateful that Chris Raker, Anne Solem and Dick Swanson have served us on the Council and have
sustained our tradition of fiscal stability, steady leadership and advocacy for the city in the region and at the State. We have well-run city
departments providing everything from recreation to public safety services. All three Council members put in countless hours attending regional
and neighborhood meetings for policy and ceremonial purposes. This is hard work and they have served us well and with integrity.
The Council has recently been criticized, mostly about the process for the Miller Avenue Plan, for not being open and transparent and for not
listening to citizens. My view is that the public process is made better all around when it is productive and concise, values- based, inclusive and
goal-driven. I approach people and tasks with a spirit of cooperation and goodwill which I believe will be helpful in ending the acrimony that has
been seen in our community. Goals are out there, worthy and unmet.
4 (a) Do you consider global warming a reality?
Yes, the scientific community, throughout the world, has documented this threat to our existence with credible data at all levels. The conclusions
are profound and life changing. We have seen and experienced this reality ~ by way of storm events, drastic changes in weather and
documented extinction of species ~ brought on by our own use of fossil fuels. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey put it well at a recent public
workshop on Global Warming when she said, “The debate is over; it is time for informed citizen action.” I agree and it is why I am motivated to
serve. I promise to squarely face this responsibility and do whatever it takes for us to try and beat the climate clock.
4 (b) What local measures would you support and /or have you supported to address climate change and to promote sustainable
planning/building policies?
My fervent belief is that local government has within its repertoire some of the most powerful tools to combat climate change, turning back the
climate clock if we move quickly and with resolve and dedication. I will step up to this responsibility and sponsor this change.
I support the following measures:
• integrated land use and transportation planning to build compact, mixed use and beautifully designed and appropriately
scaled neighborhoods at locations that provide transit and get people out of their cars
• a bold vision for transit that puts the person and not the car at the center of our city’s decision-making framework.
o I will put a pilot shuttle on our streets and work with the School District to examine a comprehensive “94941” solution
by bringing back school buses
o I will secure better local transit
o I will champion safe, protected wide bike lanes, bike storage, cycle tracks (wide, separated bicycle tracks, near the
sidewalk and inboard of parked cars) and pedestrian walkways,
o I will bring back our historic legacy with a commitment to restoring priority steps, lanes and paths.
• Watershed sustaining, green building approaches that are written into our development code. I am passionate about green
building and watershed design, assuring that building anywhere ~ from the top of the watershed to the lower flood plain ~ is
done integrating the highest level of green building possible and best management watershed sustaining practices that provide
flood protection.
• An energy policy for the city that is three-fold:
o examining the benefits of Community Choice Aggregation, putting green electrons in our 21st century energy portfolio,
lowering costs over the long term and spurring responsible renewable energy choices nationwide
o examining the city’s energy use by an environmental management system that aims to reduce our carbon footprint by
greening our internal energy use.
By further work on Mill Valley’s commitment to the Cities for Climate Protection initiative, known as ICLEI. Having done
the baseline survey, the next step is reduction goals, a plan, implementation and metrics showing results achieved.
Climate protection is a key part of assuring our city’s future and our responsibility to our citizens and the planet.
4 (c) Do you disagree with any of the Ahwahnee Principles?
To the contrary, I fully support each and every one of the Ahwahnee Principles. These planning principles set out a comprehensive framework
for achieving a resource-efficient and life affirming community. It is a worthy and wonderful set of guidelines, completely appropriate to the
task we face bringing forward a successful plan for Miller Avenue that works.
5 (a) What is your view regarding the Miller Avenue Precise Plan? Do you agree with its basic principles?
A community supported plan for Miller Avenue that works is essential. We need a plan in case individual property owners come to the City
seeking re-development over the next 20 to 30 years. The Plan’s basic principles boil down to assuring a neighborhood with scaled, beautiful
places to live over small shops with cool places for people to walk, gather and visit, with a safer, more walkable, bikeable street.
The idea is that a plan will be there complete with the community’s hoped for vision, if and when those properties come up for future re-
development. The plan will give the community what is wants rather than the interest-driven plan of a developer, which would probably be
hodge-podge and unconnected to our vision.
As a member of the Mill Valley Planning Commission, I have worked on the plan, mostly on the design, development density and streetscape
aspects, as it has come forward. My chief concern is that for the plan to work (with the mix of shops and with housing above) the City must
have a commitment to deliver the transit and a shuttle to keep cars from taking away the beauty and safety a plan will bring. Lower Miller
Avenue could be a delightful neighborhood: a pedestrian environment where small businesses thrive. It does not work that way now. It is a car
throughway, hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists and made for quick-stop, “drive-by” shopping. Ask yourself, when have you ever strolled along
Lower Miller Avenue for fun and amusement?
My vision for Miller will bring a beautiful neighborhood with greenery, small shops for local commerce, well-scaled and designed places to live,
bike paths and bike storage, safe and comfortable walking along sidewalk cafes and places to eat, all supporting our current neighborhood-
serving businesses that need more people walking around and more sales to survive, flourish and endure.
5 (b) Was the process used to develop it appropriate?
Process should be productive and concise, values- based, inclusive and goal-driven. One fundamental problem is that the process got started
way back in 1999-2000 and then got shelved, as I understand it, due to lack of budget during the State “take-back” days. Then, in 2004, the
Community Advisory Committee’s (CAC) original work was dusted off and put back out for consideration. Study sessions and hearings, all
open to the public, were held and largely not well attended until various specific projects (505 Miller, La Goma, Coopersmith and Von Der
Worth) came up for review.
City staff and consultants did not adequately educate the public about the need for the plan, its policy content, and the inevitability of change. As
a result, the public reacted in fear. That could have been avoided.
Now, we find citizens in spirited debates (to say the least) and a great deal of misinformation swirling about claiming that the city has designs on
land on Miller, looking to force local serving businesses out. It is unfortunate to have such misinformation feeding growing and unnecessary
consternation and fear. What we really have is a creative opportunity for us to build community on a street that can certainly serve us better and
add immensely to the fit and fabric of our community life.
5 (c) What’s your view regarding the future of downtown Mill Valley?
I wish I had a crystal ball to help solve this troubling issue. I suspect businesses have left for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which
might have been our own tendency not to shop locally if bargains were to be had elsewhere. Listening to music at the Sweetwater, I attended
shows that were very poorly attended yet featured incredible new artists. It is hard to support a payroll, expenses and high rent under these
conditions.
I do think that the city has a stake in seeing our local business community succeed. In instances where the city can extend help by providing
more flexible planning and building assistance, it should. There may be a way for the city, the Chamber of Commerce and other members of the
business community to develop the concept of a business improvement district as well as a small business loan program for emergencies that
arise, like necessary building repairs. Through the commercial element of the General Plan (in effect, the Constitution for the city), the city has a
powerful way to articulate policies and programs that encourage, keep and help our local economy by providing a business-friendly environment.
A development code that supports and encourages a healthy economy would be most helpful.
I recently attended an impromptu meeting, complete with orange buttons saying cheerfully “Keep Our Village Vibrant” (KOVV) at the Depot
Plaza called by Roberta Maran, a resident, and Molly de Vries, the owner of Ambatalia Fabrics. A whole group of people, including business
owners like Maison Reve, came together to talk about just this topic. I was there to listen and share my vision. At the end of this energizing
exchange back and forth, we had a whole list of cool ideas.
One visionary idea asked us to “grab the chance to dream of what we want Mill Valley to become.” A community-building idea was to have
more gatherings and use of the Depot Plaza for casual music and fun to bring more people out. A practical idea was to get businesses and the
City Council together more often to talk about how we get the right mix of businesses for a healthy and vibrant town. Stay tuned for the next
KOVV meet-up.
I, for one, will work to prevent our downtown from becoming a mono crop of like businesses. We all know places that have become tourist
meccas at the expense of the local folks. It needs help now. Let’s not forget that the macroeconomic context in which we live makes a small
town downtown difficult. We have enough creativity and resources to fight back.
6 (a) Did you support or oppose SMART?
I voted for SMART rail service this last time. I support SMART now. I am fortunate having grown up in Philadelphia, in a green and lush
suburban section of the city, with two rail lines at either end of my block. Trains are a wonderful way to commute. Setting aside my nostalgia,
the fact is that the imminent peril we face with climate change necessitates our commitment to transit choices like SMART.
Gone are the days where the prime and only factor is cost counted in money. Reduction of greenhouse gases in the tons, like that offered by the
SMART train, is an urgent need. Our survival and that of future generations is a value that must enter into our decision making framework. We
need SMART and now! I am proud the people of Southern Marin heavily supported the SMART train. People were amazed that we voted to
support a train that supposedly wouldn’t even serve our interests. Well, I count our survival as a true interest.
6 (b) What actions would you support to address Marin’s traffic problems in general and specifically the congestion along Highway
101 and along the East Blithedale entrance to Mill Valley?
I support local transit as a key way to address Marin’s traffic problems. Traffic mitigation is all about getting people out of their cars. We need
more local transit (going where we need to go with frequent headways) and we need to commit to using it. I have exciting news for us…we are
the transit district! Welcome to Marin Transit, our transit planning agency made up of the 5 elected County Supervisors and 2 elected city
council members.
The ball is now in our court to plan transit improvements that will make our lives better. With the recent passage of Measure A (our half-cent
transportation sales tax measure), we have about $182 million for local transit over its 20 year life. Yes, the good news is we have local control
of transit; the bad news is there is precious little money for it, especially regional transit (out of county). It is time to step up and tell our
colleagues at the state and national level that we want money for transit and we aim to use it.
Fortunately, we have the Caltrans safety project well underway that will provide an additional stacking lane to accommodate that dangerous
backup along Horse Hill. However, along the East Blithedale entrance to Mill Valley, we need a much better circulation plan for the overpass and
the various ramps. This interchange should serve bicycles and cars safely. We need a protected bicycle lane, as this is a major route for
commuters and ever growing numbers of tourists on bikes. The conditions along 101 and Route 131 are unsafe and deplorable: dangerous bike
crossings at on-ramps with glass, nails, debris and trash. We must get our Caltrans colleagues to fully vet the proposed design (in a Project
Study Report) with the community, including our friends in the bicycle community, so that we bring forward best practices in 21st century
design and construction and support our nonmotorized transit destiny.
7. Is Mill Valley sufficiently prepared for a major fire?
No, we are not prepared. Our fire agency, no doubt, is ready to fight the inevitable fire. We residents need to have our act together. The
Emergency Preparedness committee has done an incredible job over the years preparing the Emergency (red) Manual and signing residents up
for the CERT program. In addition, the EPC has recently launched a new Are U Prepared website to let us know what we need to know to be
prepared.
But, are we? Will we need a disaster to find out? I hope not. My goal is to have every household and business in the city ready to roll. If they
don’t already, schools should have equally robust emergency plans for the inevitable disaster.
Just like an emergency exit plan for one’s own home, we each must know how to leave town, what to have with us, how to evacuate and by
which route(s). We must have a plan, practice it, know where to go and get our collective house in order. Practice, practice, practice is the key.
The way I see it, we must have our neighborhoods organized with a couple of key neighborhood leaders to help us get started. This is such a
worthy effort that we might propose to have a Council of Neighborhoods, reporting to the EPC and our Public Safety Director, Bob Ritter, do
just that and “own” the task of helping us finally be prepared.
8. What are your top budget priorities for the City of Mill Valley?
I see the need for significant ongoing and costly infrastructure improvements so that our aging roads, bridges, pipes, culverts and flood control
facilities are up to the task and are in safe working order. Not really exciting, but let’s face it, this is the bedrock of local city responsibility. Your
elected leaders have to make sure the “house and property” are in good working order.
From what I have seen of the budget, Mill Valley is generally in good shape. With a strong property tax base, with healthy annual growth, we
can continue to fund key programs and services, from public safety and vegetation management to recreation, library and youth and senior
services. Yet, there are challenges ahead as I have noted. These capital expenditures will not be easy to finance, nor will they be the subject of
great fanfare and celebration.
I eagerly await the results of the second part of the Stetson study that was recently jointly funded by the city and the County of Marin’s Flood
Zone Three Advisory Board. This study will result in a watershed map of the entire Mill Valley watershed. We need the flood protection
recommendations from this kind of comprehensive and cooperative work by the city and the County of Marin. Bravo! I look forward to more of
this kind of city-county joint venture that benefits the entire watershed that does not stop at our city’s boundary.
A full service city like Mill Valley must provide excellent services for the entire range of its programs, from police and fire to senior services,
parks and recreation, public works, roads and sewer and sanitation. I recently heard a former Mayor Bob Burton describe what I consider to be
a compelling human metric for excellence in city services: He said that every city employee should be “the eyes of our city.” When we see things
that should be better, we are moved and motivated to follow up. Imagine the ripple effect in our city with a public service goal of such elegant
design.
We need a Council that will help guide our community toward more sustainable ways of living with better land use, transportation and energy
policies to help us live within our budget and to reduce our local contribution to CO2 production and our unsustainable environmental footprint.
We can do this and do it well.
9. Do you have any particular political heroes, post 1970? Who are they and why?
Two heroes in particular come to mind: Supervisor Annette Rose and Victoria Talkington. I worked with Annette Rose at the County of Marin
for 12 years. Annette’s impact on county government was immediate, pervasive and inspiring. Nobody knows the art of meeting dynamics like
Annette. To see her in action at regional meetings representing her constituents was watching the seasoned veteran conducting an orchestra.
Annette knew process and how to apply influence with finesse to build support and get to yes. She was quiet, patient, humble, and result-driven.
Annette’s successes were many and ranged from ridge top open space acquisition above Marin City to habitat protection in the Audubon
Sanctuary in Richardson’s Bay. But her finest contribution was to lead the County in becoming the mission-driven institution with integrity that it
is today. I like to say that the day Annette arrived she asked for the mission statement and a copy of the budget. Finding none and met with
quizzical looks and shrugs, Annette, undaunted, set out to help give the County backbone by creating the charter documents that helped set the
course. On the way, the County staff became a purposeful community of interest and pride – we like to say the “County family.” Working with
her visionary Board colleagues, Annette left the County of Marin a strong and resilient institution.
My Mill Valley hero walks among us. Victoria Talkington has put our community heritage of interconnected steps, lanes and paths on the map.
Literally! Over untold hours, Victoria patiently and accurately researched title reports, assessors parcel maps and the fine print in legal
descriptions to document this historic community resource. With tenacity and persistence, Victoria has helped re-open a whole network of non-
motorized transit alternatives to a new generation of walkers and hikers. I get on this community network of trails (the Dipsea being the ultimate
Stairmaster) for my weekend therapy. On them, I marvel at the quiet beauty of nature right here in our city. I am deeply grateful to Victoria for
this fine work. I aim to help make usable the priority missing links in this system to add to our growing inventory and enhance our emergency
egress. Thank you, Victoria. You and your Step by Step organization are a gift to us all.
10. Tell us your vision for the future of Mill Valley in 10 to 25 years.
We will truly be on the map for becoming that model of sustainability that we set out to become in the 2007 election. Rather than winning a
busload of compact fluorescent light bulbs, we will be getting the Sustainable City “Oscar” in partnership with the Marin Community Foundation
for making us the coolest, greenest, hippest city in the U.S. We’ll have a Miller Avenue that brings new meaning to intergenerational community
with housing for all and a walkable, bikeable main street.
Cars, you say? We have an Unknown Museum downtown with a window full of those gigantic armored vehicles they called SUVs (perhaps it
meant Single Use Vehicles) that apparently used gasoline, can you even imagine? Who’s imagining things now?
Am I dreaming? You bet I am. A BIG vision is the only one worth having anyway. Vote for Maureen Parton on November 6th and help create
that future now.
I love Mill Valley, my home of 22 years, where my husband Jim and I are raising our children. I want to offer the skills and experience I have
gained in 14 years of work at the County of Marin and as a volunteer in my community to help address some of our local challenges. I see
things we can do to make our quality of life in Mill Valley even better.
Specifically, I am an Aide to Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan and before that was with Supervisor Annette Rose. I describe my
work as handling everything from “potholes to policy.” I have practical skills and experience getting things done in the public arena, like starting
shuttles, initiating traffic improvement programs: bike lanes, school walking paths and better transit. I know how institutions work and have a
collaborative spirit with a strong work ethic. I’m trained as a lawyer, and have a background in civil litigation and healthcare.
In 4 years on the Mill Valley Planning Commission, I have been a steward of our built and natural environment, protecting community character
and habitat, while advocating watershed-sustaining approaches and green building techniques to assure beauty, safety, energy efficiency and
flood protection – from the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais to the lower reaches of our floodplain.
Finally, I am warm and open. I like people. I bring people together to listen to each other and to discuss the issues freely, openly and
respectfully. My goal-oriented manner will help us keep the Mill Valley we love while making it even better.
2). What do you believe are the three most important issues facing the City of Mill Valley and how would you deal with them?
I see three big challenges that I am ready to address:
• the need for a bold vision for local transit to address immediate circulation issues and the imperative of climate change,
• a successful, community-supported plan for Miller Avenue that works and
• a plan to keep community businesses in business and grow a healthy economy.
My strong commitment is to integrate our city’s land use decisions with a bold and forward-thinking plan for local transit alternatives. This is the
most significant and effective way we can address greenhouse gas emissions on a local level. Our goal should be to get people out of their cars
and onto shuttles on the flats and jitneys on the hills, and on feet and bikes. I see an re-invigorated commitment to our historic legacy of steps,
lanes and paths. Mill Valley started out as village nestled next to the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais. People used to get around and downtown on this
network of paths to the train that brought them where they needed to go. I see protected bike lanes and cycle tracks (wide bike lanes inboard of
parked cars near the sidewalk), bike storage and lockers, wide sidewalks with resting places and water fountains. I see infrastructure built for
people not vehicles. We can make transit choices inviting while serving practical needs.
I strongly believe that a plan for Miller Avenue is not only essential but can truly add to the fabric of our community. The environmental legacy
that got us this wonderful village by saving the ridge tops, mountainsides and upper reaches of the watershed is now evolving. Today’s
environmental imperative is to continue that ethic of protection through careful, Mill Valley scaled, beautiful in-fill design guidelines to create the
cool neighborhood we desire, if and when property owners come calling during the 20-30 year life of the plan with a desire to do something new.
Businesses are going through a period of unsettling change, and we are all feeling it with a growing sense of unease. I suspect that change is
happening for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is high land values. I make decisions based on solid information. I would work to find
out why businesses are closing and look to see what, if anything, the city could do going forward. Our own shopping choices and patronage are
vital to having a healthy business community.
There are things a city can do through its power to write policies in the commercial section of our city’s constitution, known as the General
Plan. We can create a robust set of business-sustaining policies and programs, including a small business emergency loan program, a business
improvement district, streetscape amenities, and closer ongoing communication with the Chamber and non-Chamber merchants. We all benefit
from a strong commercial and business sector. We don’t want a mono crop of businesses when variety and a healthy mix is vital. The goal of a
sustainable village of the 21st century will be shopping right in town ~ from a hammer to a pair of girls soccer cleats, at a good price.
3. What is your view regarding the performance of the current City Council and how, if at all, would you act differently?
The current Council members have been good stewards of our city but have not been as effective in articulating a vision for the future of Mill
Valley. I also think the Council has been viewed by some as closed to different ideas and perspectives. This perceived lack of openness has
impaired the Council’s effectiveness on controversial issues such as the Miller Avenue Plan.
In my view, a major function of a city council is to provide leadership to help the community anticipate and resolve the challenges of our rapidly
changing society and environment. To provide effective leadership, the council must be, and be perceived as, open to the opinions and needs of
the citizens it serves.
Therefore, some of the things I would do are:
o provide leadership on sustainable, green, energy efficient, and watershed best practices design
o open city documents and processes for full public review, comment and revision, if needed to better serve
o be sure city documents are posted on the website for ease of view
o run meetings that allow for the fullest possible public input and exchange of ideas right up to the council’s vote
o webcast meetings so that people who can’t attend can still know what happened
o hold more workshops on issues of citizen interest so that we can all learn together
Mill Valley is generally in good shape. I am grateful that Chris Raker, Anne Solem and Dick Swanson have served us on the Council and have
sustained our tradition of fiscal stability, steady leadership and advocacy for the city in the region and at the State. We have well-run city
departments providing everything from recreation to public safety services. All three Council members put in countless hours attending regional
and neighborhood meetings for policy and ceremonial purposes. This is hard work and they have served us well and with integrity.
The Council has recently been criticized, mostly about the process for the Miller Avenue Plan, for not being open and transparent and for not
listening to citizens. My view is that the public process is made better all around when it is productive and concise, values- based, inclusive and
goal-driven. I approach people and tasks with a spirit of cooperation and goodwill which I believe will be helpful in ending the acrimony that has
been seen in our community. Goals are out there, worthy and unmet.
4 (a) Do you consider global warming a reality?
Yes, the scientific community, throughout the world, has documented this threat to our existence with credible data at all levels. The conclusions
are profound and life changing. We have seen and experienced this reality ~ by way of storm events, drastic changes in weather and
documented extinction of species ~ brought on by our own use of fossil fuels. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey put it well at a recent public
workshop on Global Warming when she said, “The debate is over; it is time for informed citizen action.” I agree and it is why I am motivated to
serve. I promise to squarely face this responsibility and do whatever it takes for us to try and beat the climate clock.
4 (b) What local measures would you support and /or have you supported to address climate change and to promote sustainable
planning/building policies?
My fervent belief is that local government has within its repertoire some of the most powerful tools to combat climate change, turning back the
climate clock if we move quickly and with resolve and dedication. I will step up to this responsibility and sponsor this change.
I support the following measures:
• integrated land use and transportation planning to build compact, mixed use and beautifully designed and appropriately
scaled neighborhoods at locations that provide transit and get people out of their cars
• a bold vision for transit that puts the person and not the car at the center of our city’s decision-making framework.
o I will put a pilot shuttle on our streets and work with the School District to examine a comprehensive “94941” solution
by bringing back school buses
o I will secure better local transit
o I will champion safe, protected wide bike lanes, bike storage, cycle tracks (wide, separated bicycle tracks, near the
sidewalk and inboard of parked cars) and pedestrian walkways,
o I will bring back our historic legacy with a commitment to restoring priority steps, lanes and paths.
• Watershed sustaining, green building approaches that are written into our development code. I am passionate about green
building and watershed design, assuring that building anywhere ~ from the top of the watershed to the lower flood plain ~ is
done integrating the highest level of green building possible and best management watershed sustaining practices that provide
flood protection.
• An energy policy for the city that is three-fold:
o examining the benefits of Community Choice Aggregation, putting green electrons in our 21st century energy portfolio,
lowering costs over the long term and spurring responsible renewable energy choices nationwide
o examining the city’s energy use by an environmental management system that aims to reduce our carbon footprint by
greening our internal energy use.
By further work on Mill Valley’s commitment to the Cities for Climate Protection initiative, known as ICLEI. Having done
the baseline survey, the next step is reduction goals, a plan, implementation and metrics showing results achieved.
Climate protection is a key part of assuring our city’s future and our responsibility to our citizens and the planet.
4 (c) Do you disagree with any of the Ahwahnee Principles?
To the contrary, I fully support each and every one of the Ahwahnee Principles. These planning principles set out a comprehensive framework
for achieving a resource-efficient and life affirming community. It is a worthy and wonderful set of guidelines, completely appropriate to the
task we face bringing forward a successful plan for Miller Avenue that works.
5 (a) What is your view regarding the Miller Avenue Precise Plan? Do you agree with its basic principles?
A community supported plan for Miller Avenue that works is essential. We need a plan in case individual property owners come to the City
seeking re-development over the next 20 to 30 years. The Plan’s basic principles boil down to assuring a neighborhood with scaled, beautiful
places to live over small shops with cool places for people to walk, gather and visit, with a safer, more walkable, bikeable street.
The idea is that a plan will be there complete with the community’s hoped for vision, if and when those properties come up for future re-
development. The plan will give the community what is wants rather than the interest-driven plan of a developer, which would probably be
hodge-podge and unconnected to our vision.
As a member of the Mill Valley Planning Commission, I have worked on the plan, mostly on the design, development density and streetscape
aspects, as it has come forward. My chief concern is that for the plan to work (with the mix of shops and with housing above) the City must
have a commitment to deliver the transit and a shuttle to keep cars from taking away the beauty and safety a plan will bring. Lower Miller
Avenue could be a delightful neighborhood: a pedestrian environment where small businesses thrive. It does not work that way now. It is a car
throughway, hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists and made for quick-stop, “drive-by” shopping. Ask yourself, when have you ever strolled along
Lower Miller Avenue for fun and amusement?
My vision for Miller will bring a beautiful neighborhood with greenery, small shops for local commerce, well-scaled and designed places to live,
bike paths and bike storage, safe and comfortable walking along sidewalk cafes and places to eat, all supporting our current neighborhood-
serving businesses that need more people walking around and more sales to survive, flourish and endure.
5 (b) Was the process used to develop it appropriate?
Process should be productive and concise, values- based, inclusive and goal-driven. One fundamental problem is that the process got started
way back in 1999-2000 and then got shelved, as I understand it, due to lack of budget during the State “take-back” days. Then, in 2004, the
Community Advisory Committee’s (CAC) original work was dusted off and put back out for consideration. Study sessions and hearings, all
open to the public, were held and largely not well attended until various specific projects (505 Miller, La Goma, Coopersmith and Von Der
Worth) came up for review.
City staff and consultants did not adequately educate the public about the need for the plan, its policy content, and the inevitability of change. As
a result, the public reacted in fear. That could have been avoided.
Now, we find citizens in spirited debates (to say the least) and a great deal of misinformation swirling about claiming that the city has designs on
land on Miller, looking to force local serving businesses out. It is unfortunate to have such misinformation feeding growing and unnecessary
consternation and fear. What we really have is a creative opportunity for us to build community on a street that can certainly serve us better and
add immensely to the fit and fabric of our community life.
5 (c) What’s your view regarding the future of downtown Mill Valley?
I wish I had a crystal ball to help solve this troubling issue. I suspect businesses have left for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which
might have been our own tendency not to shop locally if bargains were to be had elsewhere. Listening to music at the Sweetwater, I attended
shows that were very poorly attended yet featured incredible new artists. It is hard to support a payroll, expenses and high rent under these
conditions.
I do think that the city has a stake in seeing our local business community succeed. In instances where the city can extend help by providing
more flexible planning and building assistance, it should. There may be a way for the city, the Chamber of Commerce and other members of the
business community to develop the concept of a business improvement district as well as a small business loan program for emergencies that
arise, like necessary building repairs. Through the commercial element of the General Plan (in effect, the Constitution for the city), the city has a
powerful way to articulate policies and programs that encourage, keep and help our local economy by providing a business-friendly environment.
A development code that supports and encourages a healthy economy would be most helpful.
I recently attended an impromptu meeting, complete with orange buttons saying cheerfully “Keep Our Village Vibrant” (KOVV) at the Depot
Plaza called by Roberta Maran, a resident, and Molly de Vries, the owner of Ambatalia Fabrics. A whole group of people, including business
owners like Maison Reve, came together to talk about just this topic. I was there to listen and share my vision. At the end of this energizing
exchange back and forth, we had a whole list of cool ideas.
One visionary idea asked us to “grab the chance to dream of what we want Mill Valley to become.” A community-building idea was to have
more gatherings and use of the Depot Plaza for casual music and fun to bring more people out. A practical idea was to get businesses and the
City Council together more often to talk about how we get the right mix of businesses for a healthy and vibrant town. Stay tuned for the next
KOVV meet-up.
I, for one, will work to prevent our downtown from becoming a mono crop of like businesses. We all know places that have become tourist
meccas at the expense of the local folks. It needs help now. Let’s not forget that the macroeconomic context in which we live makes a small
town downtown difficult. We have enough creativity and resources to fight back.
6 (a) Did you support or oppose SMART?
I voted for SMART rail service this last time. I support SMART now. I am fortunate having grown up in Philadelphia, in a green and lush
suburban section of the city, with two rail lines at either end of my block. Trains are a wonderful way to commute. Setting aside my nostalgia,
the fact is that the imminent peril we face with climate change necessitates our commitment to transit choices like SMART.
Gone are the days where the prime and only factor is cost counted in money. Reduction of greenhouse gases in the tons, like that offered by the
SMART train, is an urgent need. Our survival and that of future generations is a value that must enter into our decision making framework. We
need SMART and now! I am proud the people of Southern Marin heavily supported the SMART train. People were amazed that we voted to
support a train that supposedly wouldn’t even serve our interests. Well, I count our survival as a true interest.
6 (b) What actions would you support to address Marin’s traffic problems in general and specifically the congestion along Highway
101 and along the East Blithedale entrance to Mill Valley?
I support local transit as a key way to address Marin’s traffic problems. Traffic mitigation is all about getting people out of their cars. We need
more local transit (going where we need to go with frequent headways) and we need to commit to using it. I have exciting news for us…we are
the transit district! Welcome to Marin Transit, our transit planning agency made up of the 5 elected County Supervisors and 2 elected city
council members.
The ball is now in our court to plan transit improvements that will make our lives better. With the recent passage of Measure A (our half-cent
transportation sales tax measure), we have about $182 million for local transit over its 20 year life. Yes, the good news is we have local control
of transit; the bad news is there is precious little money for it, especially regional transit (out of county). It is time to step up and tell our
colleagues at the state and national level that we want money for transit and we aim to use it.
Fortunately, we have the Caltrans safety project well underway that will provide an additional stacking lane to accommodate that dangerous
backup along Horse Hill. However, along the East Blithedale entrance to Mill Valley, we need a much better circulation plan for the overpass and
the various ramps. This interchange should serve bicycles and cars safely. We need a protected bicycle lane, as this is a major route for
commuters and ever growing numbers of tourists on bikes. The conditions along 101 and Route 131 are unsafe and deplorable: dangerous bike
crossings at on-ramps with glass, nails, debris and trash. We must get our Caltrans colleagues to fully vet the proposed design (in a Project
Study Report) with the community, including our friends in the bicycle community, so that we bring forward best practices in 21st century
design and construction and support our nonmotorized transit destiny.
7. Is Mill Valley sufficiently prepared for a major fire?
No, we are not prepared. Our fire agency, no doubt, is ready to fight the inevitable fire. We residents need to have our act together. The
Emergency Preparedness committee has done an incredible job over the years preparing the Emergency (red) Manual and signing residents up
for the CERT program. In addition, the EPC has recently launched a new Are U Prepared website to let us know what we need to know to be
prepared.
But, are we? Will we need a disaster to find out? I hope not. My goal is to have every household and business in the city ready to roll. If they
don’t already, schools should have equally robust emergency plans for the inevitable disaster.
Just like an emergency exit plan for one’s own home, we each must know how to leave town, what to have with us, how to evacuate and by
which route(s). We must have a plan, practice it, know where to go and get our collective house in order. Practice, practice, practice is the key.
The way I see it, we must have our neighborhoods organized with a couple of key neighborhood leaders to help us get started. This is such a
worthy effort that we might propose to have a Council of Neighborhoods, reporting to the EPC and our Public Safety Director, Bob Ritter, do
just that and “own” the task of helping us finally be prepared.
8. What are your top budget priorities for the City of Mill Valley?
I see the need for significant ongoing and costly infrastructure improvements so that our aging roads, bridges, pipes, culverts and flood control
facilities are up to the task and are in safe working order. Not really exciting, but let’s face it, this is the bedrock of local city responsibility. Your
elected leaders have to make sure the “house and property” are in good working order.
From what I have seen of the budget, Mill Valley is generally in good shape. With a strong property tax base, with healthy annual growth, we
can continue to fund key programs and services, from public safety and vegetation management to recreation, library and youth and senior
services. Yet, there are challenges ahead as I have noted. These capital expenditures will not be easy to finance, nor will they be the subject of
great fanfare and celebration.
I eagerly await the results of the second part of the Stetson study that was recently jointly funded by the city and the County of Marin’s Flood
Zone Three Advisory Board. This study will result in a watershed map of the entire Mill Valley watershed. We need the flood protection
recommendations from this kind of comprehensive and cooperative work by the city and the County of Marin. Bravo! I look forward to more of
this kind of city-county joint venture that benefits the entire watershed that does not stop at our city’s boundary.
A full service city like Mill Valley must provide excellent services for the entire range of its programs, from police and fire to senior services,
parks and recreation, public works, roads and sewer and sanitation. I recently heard a former Mayor Bob Burton describe what I consider to be
a compelling human metric for excellence in city services: He said that every city employee should be “the eyes of our city.” When we see things
that should be better, we are moved and motivated to follow up. Imagine the ripple effect in our city with a public service goal of such elegant
design.
We need a Council that will help guide our community toward more sustainable ways of living with better land use, transportation and energy
policies to help us live within our budget and to reduce our local contribution to CO2 production and our unsustainable environmental footprint.
We can do this and do it well.
9. Do you have any particular political heroes, post 1970? Who are they and why?
Two heroes in particular come to mind: Supervisor Annette Rose and Victoria Talkington. I worked with Annette Rose at the County of Marin
for 12 years. Annette’s impact on county government was immediate, pervasive and inspiring. Nobody knows the art of meeting dynamics like
Annette. To see her in action at regional meetings representing her constituents was watching the seasoned veteran conducting an orchestra.
Annette knew process and how to apply influence with finesse to build support and get to yes. She was quiet, patient, humble, and result-driven.
Annette’s successes were many and ranged from ridge top open space acquisition above Marin City to habitat protection in the Audubon
Sanctuary in Richardson’s Bay. But her finest contribution was to lead the County in becoming the mission-driven institution with integrity that it
is today. I like to say that the day Annette arrived she asked for the mission statement and a copy of the budget. Finding none and met with
quizzical looks and shrugs, Annette, undaunted, set out to help give the County backbone by creating the charter documents that helped set the
course. On the way, the County staff became a purposeful community of interest and pride – we like to say the “County family.” Working with
her visionary Board colleagues, Annette left the County of Marin a strong and resilient institution.
My Mill Valley hero walks among us. Victoria Talkington has put our community heritage of interconnected steps, lanes and paths on the map.
Literally! Over untold hours, Victoria patiently and accurately researched title reports, assessors parcel maps and the fine print in legal
descriptions to document this historic community resource. With tenacity and persistence, Victoria has helped re-open a whole network of non-
motorized transit alternatives to a new generation of walkers and hikers. I get on this community network of trails (the Dipsea being the ultimate
Stairmaster) for my weekend therapy. On them, I marvel at the quiet beauty of nature right here in our city. I am deeply grateful to Victoria for
this fine work. I aim to help make usable the priority missing links in this system to add to our growing inventory and enhance our emergency
egress. Thank you, Victoria. You and your Step by Step organization are a gift to us all.
10. Tell us your vision for the future of Mill Valley in 10 to 25 years.
We will truly be on the map for becoming that model of sustainability that we set out to become in the 2007 election. Rather than winning a
busload of compact fluorescent light bulbs, we will be getting the Sustainable City “Oscar” in partnership with the Marin Community Foundation
for making us the coolest, greenest, hippest city in the U.S. We’ll have a Miller Avenue that brings new meaning to intergenerational community
with housing for all and a walkable, bikeable main street.
Cars, you say? We have an Unknown Museum downtown with a window full of those gigantic armored vehicles they called SUVs (perhaps it
meant Single Use Vehicles) that apparently used gasoline, can you even imagine? Who’s imagining things now?
Am I dreaming? You bet I am. A BIG vision is the only one worth having anyway. Vote for Maureen Parton on November 6th and help create
that future now.
| Pacific Sun Candidate Questionnaire |