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Occupation: Litigation specialist
Age: 53
Years living in Mountain View: 25
Top priorities: Accountability, responsibility and follow through
José Gutiérrez says he is not the status quo candidate in the Mountain View City Council race, but he is no stranger to local politics either. Gutiérrez, a former Mountain View Whisman School District trustee, has had a lot of experience sitting at tables where major decisions are made.
If elected to the City Council, Gutiérrez says he wants to shake things up, as a lot of things aren’t working or serving the interest of the entire community. “I’m from an underrepresented neighborhood, so you’re not going to get the same old song and dance for me in terms of the status quo is good,” he said.
Mountain View is already off on the wrong foot with its housing plans, Gutiérrez said. The city has big ambitions, but Gutiérrez doesn’t see how it will meet its housing goals since developers are pulling back on their previous commitments, he said.
Gutiérrez cited Google’s plans for North Bayshore as an example. Last year, Google removed 350 inclusionary affordable units from its housing plans and proposed to meet its affordable housing commitment through land dedication instead, an offer that the city accepted.
It’s too easy for market-rate developers to shirk the city’s requirement of affordable housing with in-lieu fees, Gutiérrez said. Mountain View also can set higher requirements, asking developers to dedicate 20% of their units as affordable instead of 15%, he said.
On the issue of housing density, Gutiérrez was more circumspect, which he attributed to his experiences on the Environmental Planning Commission. Gutiérrez says adding more density to areas zoned for multifamily residences depends on the scope of the project and if any zoning laws would need to be changed. It’s also important for projects to fit in with the neighborhood, he said. “If something’s going to be built that’s four or five stories high, we need to have a buffer zone,” he said.
Gutiérrez expressed concerns with the city’s budget as well, questioning why an initiative like Measure G was not proposed sooner. The city has big needs, especially funding its parks and open space, he said. Even creating smaller opportunities for community gardens or dog parks, particularly in underserved areas, would be beneficial, Gutiérrez said, adding that it doesn’t have to be big plots of land to make a difference to the community.
Similarly, Gutiérrez expressed dismay with the pace of road safety improvements in Mountain View, and called for the city to do a better job protecting pedestrians and bicyclists. “We need more responsibility. We need more accountability, and they need to follow through,” he said. The city also needs to focus on areas where there are a high number of collisions, especially close to schools, Gutiérrez said, advocating for more signs and traffic-calming measures.
On the issue of policing, Gutiérrez supports the installation of automatic license plate cameras, noting that it will help with law enforcement investigations. Overall, the police have been a positive presence in the community, building trust and establishing strong partnerships, Gutiérrez said. Mountain View also has a good citizen oversight committee, he said, referring to the police safety advisory board. “They have been difference makers because they’ve brought more accountability to how the community looks at and how they understand law enforcement,” he said.
Gutiérrez saved some of his strongest criticism for the relationship between the city and Mountain View Whisman School District, which he described as “very poor.” The two entities used to work well and accomplish a lot together, like workforce housing, Gutiérrez said. But now there is a communication breakdown, which is the fault of both sides, he said.
Still, Gutiérez doesn’t agree with the terms that the city is pursuing. “I’m opposed to the city saying the school district won’t be able to renegotiate (the Shoreline funding agreement) until after they agree to the three-year extension,” Gutiérrez said, adding that the city is “playing hardball politics.”
Rather, it’s important to focus on the same end goals, Gutiérrez said. Even if there’s disagreement, both parties need to collaborate on the important issues to ensure a prosperous city and school district. Otherwise, it could end up in litigation, he said.
More information about Gutiérrez’s policy positions and priorities can be found on his campaign website, https://www.jose4mvcc.com.
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