Tom Frankum: the surprising controversy Tom Frankum: the surprising controversy (October 18, 2002)

By Bill D'Agostino

Few would have thought at the start of the election that Tom Frankum -- former high school teacher, planning commission chair and Stevens Creek Trail volunteer -- would become the race's most controversial figure.

During an hour-plus interview with the Voice last month, Frankum was reaching out to voters sick of the bad image Mountain View politics had gotten in the past year, thanks largely to the conviction of former Mayor Mario Ambra, who was removed from office for illegally giving orders to city staff. "I'm not seeking controversy," Frankum said. "I'm seeking to heal. I think we've had enough of that in the past year."

All that changed last week when Frankum admitted to the Voice that he had sexual contact with students while teaching.

Frankum taught for 22 years, 18 at Palo Alto's Gunn High School. "I was a pretty good communicator," Frankum said in August. "You kind of learn in that business how to communicate well and how to express ideas and boil abstract ideas down to their essence."

Asked why he is running for council, Frankum said: "I have a background of community involvement and I'm ready to take it to the next level. I'm ready to ask people to support me.

For eight years, Frankum was a member of the city's planning commission. He was chair his final year, 2001. He was proud of his role, in which he helped plan for high density housing near public transportation. The city won awards for the plans, and Frankum said the city should continue on that trail, maybe at Hewlett Packard's Mayfield site.

Frankum has been on the Friends of the Stevens Creek Trail board, and wants the council to make the city more walker-friendly.

Unlike other council candidates, Frankum worries about gentrifying California Street. "This is a fairly affordable region in our city," Frankum said. "To redevelop them runs the potential of redeveloping in a more luxurious way and driving people out."

Frankum, 61, is originally from Minnesota, but spent most of his life in the East Bay. He went to college at Sacremento State, and started his teaching career in Sacramento. He moved to the area to teach at Gunn more than 30 years ago. He gave up his teaching credential in 1989, and turned his part-time remodeling company into a career.

Despite being well-versed with city policy, Frankum is not averse to thinking of new ideas that might cause waves. One idea? "Close down Castro Street to traffic," Frankum offered. "Let's do a pilot program for six months."

One of his ideas for easing both traffic and parking problems downtown is a city-wide shuttle. "I think the money is there," he said.

Frankum also emphasized the need for closer cooperation with the school district. "I think we can put our heads together to come up with creative low- or no-cost ways of helping young people and seniors.."

Frankum stressed that Mountain View needs to heal its political rifts.

"I'm running for a better city," Frankum said. "I think my personality and my background lend themselves to being part of the healing process, not to keeping the split open."

Favorite Book: "Men to Match My Mountains" by Irving Stone. "It's the story of the westward movement from the human perspective. It really talked about what people went through to get here and to put together this area we enjoy so much."