PEOPLE with PULL - The Spectrum Magazine - Redwood City's ...

The Spectrum . Redwood City's Monthly Magazine
As I Was Saying...
By
Steve Penna
Publisher
City Council watchers are wondering if the
recent friendship between member Jim
Hartnett and Vice Mayor Roseanne Fouts
will result in some sort of block voting on issues
that come before them. When I first heard about
this concern, I immediately thought it was no one’s
business whom council members are friends with
let alone to speculate on whether ones are dating.
There have been council members through the years
that have had fantastic friendships – Dick Claire and
Judy Buchan, Claire and Hartnett, Colleen Jordan
and Matt Leipzig, Diane Howard and Barbara
Pierce, Bob Bury and Bill Stangle, Georgie LaBerge
and Jack Greenalch, and given that I never heard anyone
question the issue of block voting with them, it left
me wondering, why now?
If you look at their voting records you will find that
since Fouts joined the council in 2003 she and
Hartnett have over 90 percent of the time voted in unison.
I would imagine that they did so because they
agree on the direction they must take to improve the
quality of their community’s lives. Nothing more,
nothing less.
So why am I writing about this issue? Because given
the fact that there is concern, no matter how small it
is, the issue needs discussion. But as far as I am
concerned, given the two persons involved, our
community should rest assured that they will continue
to be individual voices/votes on the council and any
concerns that suggest otherwise, no matter how well
intended they are, should be put to rest.
* * * *
There is a behind-the-scenes effort being waged to rally
the City Council and have the community square in
front of the Old County Courthouse (or another
appropriate venue) named Uccelli Square in honor of
Pete Uccelli who passed away late last year. A group of
community-minded persons – which I am proud to be
a part of – has been meeting and gathering support
and will approach the City Council in the next couple
of weeks to present the idea.
But I am hearing chatter that the city might be looking
for that big donor to name the square after. Consider
the possibilities – Oracle Optical Square? Electronic
Arts (Electric Center)? Starbucks Coffee (Caffeine
Circle)? All seem quite ridiculous and naming the
square after anything besides someone who has given
to our community is too.
* * * *
As we went to press, the Planning Commission was
holding a public hearing about revamping the zoning
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