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E-Mail Bulletin #9 - 3 October 2002
- Initiative Status
- Council-Sponsored Initiative
- Fundraising
- Town-wide Mailing
- Candidate Endorsements
Initiative Status:
We've reached our next major milestone. Our plan was to have the initiative finalized by the end of September, and, indeed on Tuesday, October 1st, we delivered to Town Hall the text of the initiative, together with the formal "Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition." The Town's Attorney now has fifteen (15) days in which to comment and to prepare the formal ballot title and summary.After publication in the local newspapers of the Notice and the Ballot Title & Summary, the clock starts ticking for us to gather signatures from 15% of the Town's registered voters in order to get it on the ballot.
You can find the text of the actual initiative on our website by clicking here
Council-Sponsored Initiative = A Means to Derail our Initiative
Not entirely unexpected, the Council will consider on Thursday, October 3rd, "a City Council sponsored ballot measure to require voter approval for an amendment to the land use designation for certain properties owned by the Town and prior to sale or conveyance of those same properties."We are at a loss as to why the City Council would suddenly decide at this time to float their own initiative - unless it is a cynical ploy aimed at confusing the voters, or even causing a different initiative to be approved by the voters enabling the Council members' original agenda.
Our attorney had told us that should the Council decide to do this, they can move faster than we can. We have to get the requisite number of signatures - 15% for a special election.
The Council doesn't have to collect signatures. On the other hand, the Council will have to go through the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) process. We don't believe that they can get on the ballot any sooner than we can - however, this tactic is certainly intended to confuse the voters and derail our effort.
Another expected tactic will be a poorly written ballot summary by the Town's Attorney whom we must assume is complicit with this "poison pill" strategy.
We are fairly confident, however, that having such a high level of support from the community -- this tactic isn't going to work. We will be relying on you, our supporters, to tell your friends and neighbors what actually is going on.
Fundraising:
This needs to be our focus right now. We ran into some unexpected problems in the final preparation of the initiative. As a consequence, our September billing will be quite a bit higher than we expected.If you can make another donation at this time, or if you haven't made a donation thus far, PLEASE consider doing so. We would also like to be able to do at least one more town-wide mailing.
Contributions above $250 can be tax-deductible if you wish. The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society can accept donations on our behalf which are then tax-deductible. Instead of making your check out to LAH Open Space, for these larger donations just make your check out to Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.
Please send your donation to: Los Altos Hills Open Space, c/o Nancy Couperus, 13680 Page Mill Road, Los Altos Hills 94022
Town-wide Mailing:
All registered voters in Los Altos Hills should have received our first mailing -- a postcard featuring a picture of the O'Keefe Property. Our intent with this was to catch those people who have not yet been made aware of our Initiative either through these e-mail bulletins or the local press.Council Candidates Endorsing LAH Open Space Initiative:
Only two candidates have endorsed the LAH Open Space Initiative - Dean Warshawsky and Breene Kerr.Both of these candidates have also pledged to adopt the Initiative if elected, once the signatures have been gathered, verified and presented to the Town. The Council can adopt our Initiative at that time, and it will be as effective as if adopted by vote in an election. Adoption of our Initiative by the Council would also save the cost of a special election.
Janet Vitu and Bill Kerns were asked to endorse our Open Space Initiative and to get back to us with an answer by October 1st. That date has come and gone. There has been no reply. If the Town Council moves ahead with their Council-sponsored initiative, we can pretty well assume that Vitu and Kerns will be signing on -- claiming that this is a better initiative.
We're not being fooled. This would be a blatant attempt to gut our initiative and allow the sale of "selected" properties.
E-mail distribution list:
If you have friends or neighbors in Los Altos Hills who would like to be placed on this e-mail information list, please have them contact either Nancy Couperus at couperus@mindspring.com or Val Metcalfe at metcalfes@worldnet.att.net