Environmental groups endorse in council race Environmental groups endorse in council race (September 20, 2002)

Sierra Club backs Perry, Frankum, Kasperzak; League of Conservation picks Frankum, Galiotto Kasperzak, Neely and Perry Sierra Club backs Perry, Frankum, Kasperzak; League of Conservation picks Frankum, Galiotto Kasperzak, Neely and Perry (September 20, 2002)

By Bill D'Agostino

Two of the area's major environmental groups announced their endorsements this week, and three of the 13 city council candidates were endorsed by both groups.

The local chapter of the Sierra Club endorsed Greg Perry, Tom Frankum and Mike Kasperzak. The League of Conservation Voters addec Matt Neely and Nick Galiotto.

The two groups held joint interviews with nine of the thirteen candidates.

There are four open seats in the race. Three of them are for four-year seats and one is for a two-year term.

"I'm really pleased by the caliber of the slate in general," Patricia Showalter, a former Mountain View planning commissioner speaking for the league, said. "We were able to pick people who are outstanding from the point of view of the environment."

The league opted to endorse four of the four-year seat candidates despite only having three open seats, she said.

Both groups noted Perry's work as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner, researching and fighting for an ordinance that would have reduced the use of toxic pesticides in the city. Perry is also a co-chair of Sustainable Mountain View. "He understands the environment," Ann Schneider, the lead for the group's political committee and the other co-chair of Sustainable Mountain View. "He understands all of the nuance of it."

Frankum was commended for being on the board of Friends of the Stevens Creek Trail, a member of Sustainable Mountain View, and for his work on the Environmental Planning Commission for eight years, supporting housing near mass transit and helping to expand bike and walking trails. "He's a very strong advocate for rail," Showalter added.

Kasperzak, the race's only incumbent, received acclaim for his work on the council: fighting for a below market rate housing program, the housing impact fee for commercial developments, and the new intermodal transit mall in downtown. Schneider also appreciated Kasperzak trying to keep community gardens on the radar screen for the council at a meeting when other environmental friendly candidates were absent. "He stood up for us," she said.

The League of Conservation Voters decided to endorse four candidates in the four-year seat, adding Matt Neely to the above slate. Neely showed an interest in how youth will be affected by environmental choices, Showalter said. "The youth are more sensitive receptors than older people are," she noted.

The league also endorsed Nick Galiotto, who is running in the two-year race. Galiotto, a former police captain in the Mountain View force, was applauded for his interest in the use of alternative fuels for the city fleet of cars. "He's very interested in us in the city serving as an example to try and implement technologies that exist," Showalter said.

The Sierra Club, which has about 1,900 members in the city of Mountain View, decided not to endorse in the two-year race.
E-mail Bill D'Agostino at bdagostino@mv-voice.com