Meet and greet Meet and greet (February 06, 2004)

Elected officials hold court at City Hall Sunday

By Grace Rauh

Come Sunday afternoon Mountain View residents will be rubbing elbows and hobnobbing with elected officials beneath the high rotunda dome at City Hall.

It is all part of the Mountain View-Los Altos League of Women Voters' second annual reception, that aims to connect the public with their representatives. The "Meet Your Elected Officials" event will be held on Feb. 8 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 500 Castro Street and is open to the public. League members say they expect the turnout to far exceed last year's inaugural event that drew roughly 100 people.

"You grab some coffee and cookies and just go up and chat with everybody because everybody's there," said league member Valerie Harris.

The league has invited City Council members from Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills; state Assembly members Sally Lieber and Joe Simitian; County Supervisor Liz Kniss; the Mountain View-Whisman, Los Altos and Mountain View-Los Altos high school boards; and board members from Foothill-De Anza, El Camino Hospital and the Santa Clara Water District.

Reception-goers are also invited to peruse the league's literature and read up on upcoming ballot measures. Those looking to get more involved can learn how to join the organization or check out the list of vacant positions on boards and commissions in the area, said league co-president Jane Turnbull. She said the reception is a successful way to connect the public to the officials they often hear about, but don't necessarily know.

"I think a lot of it has to do with being able to put a face on a name that they read about in the paper, to be able to talk about specific issues that are coming up," Turnbull said.

Last year Harris spoke with many officials she rarely sees, like water district director Greg Zlotnick. At the reception, she asked him to explain what the district does to preserve local water from terrorist attacks.

"I was just very curious," she said.

For some elected officials, like Mountain View Mayor Matt Pear, the reception is not only a chance to speak with constituents about their concerns, but an opportunity to catch up with and meet officials from other cities and departments.

Harris expects the state budget, the school district's Measure J and the March election to dominate many conversations on Sunday. She also hopes people will come out to thank their local officials for all their hard work.

"I think you have to be that kind of a giving type to do this kind of work," she said.

E-mail Grace Rauh at grauh@mv-voice.com

E-mail a friend a link to this story.