The first Los Altos City Council forum of the election season took place at the Los Altos Community Center last Wednesday and was moderated by former Mountain View mayor Mike Kasperzak.
Mayor Jonathan Weinberg was elected to the Los Altos City Council in 2020 and served as vice mayor in 2023. In his past term, he helped pass a balanced budget with $3 million in surplus and was endorsed by District 16 Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
Weinberg voted with the city council majority to approve an affordable housing project — 330 Distel Circle, which will create 90 housing units — and hopes to bring more below-market housing options to Los Altos residents, he said. As part of the Los Altos housing element, he noted that Los Altos’s downtown parking plazas seven and eight could be developed into affordable housing units.
“This [the plaza development proposal] is a big project. It is the number two priority in my mind when it comes to the city, with the police station being number one,” Weinberg said.
If reelected, he hopes to secure financing for a new police station and upgrade the two firehouses, Weinberg said. He is also in support of keeping an existing “dark skies safety ordinance” for Los Altos, which requires neighbors to shield their outdoor lighting downwards, while maintaining enough lighting to ensure pedestrian and cyclist safety.
“I do believe that my record of accomplishment over the past four years is what sets me apart,” Weinberg said. “But whether one, two or three of the challengers end up winning the seat on the council, I think Los Altos is in very good hands.”
Larry Lang currently serves as president of the Los Altos History Museum and was previously chair of the Los Altos Historical Commission.
When it comes to affordable housing, Lang hopes voters will evaluate the issue by considering teachers who commute and “need it most,” he said.
“[Affordable housing] it’s not about the rules, it’s about helping the public understand how important this is,” Lang said.
With the goal of creating a more climate-friendly Los Altos, Lang hopes to utilize incentives and streamline permit processes to make transitioning to green appliances easier for residents, he said.
Throughout the process of finding a developer for the downtown plaza affordable housing project, Lang said he intends to maintain negotiating leverage and ensure adequate parking.
“My favorite thing is when voters say [things like], ‘There’s a crack on my street. Could you help me get that fixed?’” Lang said. “One of the joys of local politics is that we’re accessible.”
As current chair of the Los Altos City Planning Commission and former Library Commission member, Eric Steinle brings an interest in urban planning and development to the council, he said. He is also president of a local Los Altos homeowner’s association that oversees almost 80 residences.
“I became involved in [Los Altos city planning] in 2008 because of the development that was happening 20 feet outside my window and got hooked,” he said.
In his time working in city planning, Steinle has helped shape the housing element update and worked to redefine standards for family residences, he said.
“If a [housing] project is not brought to the planning commission, there’s nothing that we can do, effectively,” Steinle said. “What we need to do is find ways to attract the money that will help with affordable housing.”
When considering reducing the effect of climate change and increasing sustainability, Steinle’s simple answer is walking. He walks 35 minutes to city council meetings, even if they end at 2 a.m., he said. As part of the HOA, Steinle further encourages recycling and other “green practices,” he said.
In regard to the plaza development project downtown, Steinle hopes to focus on the community’s priorities, he said, noting that the city has the power to reject and refine developers’ proposals.
“I think I offer a particular set of skills and experiences that will be beneficial to the city. I tend to agree that the candidates are all qualified and they all work hard, so that makes it both easier and harder [to vote],” he said.
Ibrahim Bashir is a current Los Altos Library Commission member and business owner. Outside of politics, Bashir works as a vice president of product management at Amplitude and owns multiple businesses.
Bashir finds affordable housing to be a key issue and said it is important to properly execute Los Altos’s housing element plan. Bashir would like to “creatively incentivize” builders to construct over 2000 affordable housing units in the next eight years, he said.
“I think the housing element is a great blueprint for what we need to do, but the next step is to actually execute on that plan,” Bashir said. “I’m going to make sure that staff has the resources, that we actually have a plan.”
Bashir believes bold action must be taken to mitigate climate issues, he said. He has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Silicon Valley 350 Bay Area Action and Vicki Moore, founder of Living Classroom. To minimize his own carbon footprint, Bashir drives an electric vehicle, recycles and composts.
“I think we have an amazing climate action and adaptation plan from 2022 that we actually need to start making real progress against,” Bashir said.
When addressing the search for a developer for the downtown plaza development project, Bashir hopes to find a developer with a solid track record of developing cities while also preserving their authentic feel, he said.
“I’m looking for a developer who is willing to engage a very thoughtful community that wants to be a part of this development,” Bashir said.
In her four years serving on the Los Altos City Council, current member and former mayor Sally Meadows has helped achieve a balanced budget, reduced legal expenses and improved public safety by investing in an emergency operation center, she said. Like Weinberg, she is endorsed by Eshoo.
To address her concerns about affordable housing, Meadows helped to certify the Los Altos housing element with the state, she said. This element has budget priorities at its forefront.
“I’m proud of what we [the Los Altos City Council] have accomplished, and I’m confident that we can preserve our beautiful, diverse city, even as we grow and change,” Meadows said in her video pre-recorded from KMVT.
Meadows has volunteered for El Camino Healthcare’s Community Advisory Council, two city commissions and the Los Altos Rotary Club.
“I am committed to listening respectfully, keeping an open mind and continuing to work together to keep Los Altos a vibrant, safe and inclusive community for all of us,” Meadows said.
To vote in the upcoming election, either mail-in the ballot at a nearby, registered location, vote early in person or on November 5. California has already begun mailing ballots to actively registered voters.
