Sen. Becker unveils “There Oughta be a Law” contest

Looking to put a new law on the books? State Sen. Josh Becker announced a contest that will allow people to do just that.

“If you’ve ever said to yourself, ‘There oughta be a law,’ well, now is your chance to put an idea out there and get a law enacted that will change how things are done in California,” he said in a press release.

Introducing bills proposed by the public is not a new idea for Becker, according to the senator’s press release. “During his first two years in office, Becker has introduced bill ideas brought to him by people in the district that have been signed into law dealing with climate change, community college fees, healthcare and privacy issues.”

Becker said he hopes the contest will generate more ideas with themes of climate justice and economic opportunity although other proposals are welcome, too, including repealing laws that are not working.

Becker wants the contest to create more awareness about the state’s legislative process. “My goal is to show people what it’s like to have an idea go from the drawing board to the legislative playing field, so they can see for themselves what it takes for an idea to actually become law,” he said.

The contest is open to residents of Senate District 13, which covers parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Proposals must be submitted online and are limited to one idea per form, although multiple forms can be submitted.

Becker will select the winning entry and will introduce it as a Senate bill in February.

—Emily Margaretten

Mountain View City Council approves land purchase for new city park in Monta Loma

A long awaited new park in the Monta Loma neighborhood in Mountain View is one step closer to fruition, after the Mountain View City Council officially approved the purchase of property located at 538 Thompson Ave. at its Nov. 15 meeting.

The land is located in the city’s Thompson Park Planning Area, which currently has 2.56 acres of parks and open space per 1,000 residents, according to the council report. That’s less than the city’s goal of 3 acres per 1,000 residents.

“538 Thompson Ave. is in a good location for a future park as it would be convenient for residents in the neighborhood with access from Thompson Avenue,” the report said. “There may also be opportunities for acquiring additional adjacent properties in the future providing for a larger park.”

The city estimates the total cost to acquire the property will be up to $3 million. According to the council report, the city has sufficient park land funds to purchase the property. On top of the cost to acquire the property, the estimated cost to design and construct a mini-park ranges from $2 million to $2.5 million. The city has multiple funding options to cover the cost of building the park, the report said.

“This is something that has been very important for our city council and our city to expand our parks and open space in the city,” said City Manager Kimbra McCarthy after announcing the possibility of a new park in Monta Loma last month.

El Camino Health honored for its information technology, ranked as one of the best in the state

El Camino Health received honored for its innovative use of technology to improve patient safety and outcomes, the hospital system with locations in Mountain View and Los Gatos announced in a statement.

“El Camino Health has earned Level 9 honors in the 2022 Digital Health Most Wired Survey from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME),” the hospital said in the statement. “The survey identifies and recognizes healthcare organizations that exemplify best practices through their use of information technology.”

El Camino Health earned Level 9 recognition in the acute category for the third year in a row, and the ambulatory category for the second year in a row. The CHIME survey certifies hospitals anywhere on a scale from Level 1 to 10. Organizations that receive Level 9 and 10 rankings are “considered health IT leaders who have shown the most innovative use of technology and

leveraged IT to improve patient safety and outcomes,” the hospital said.

According to El Camino Health, only six hospitals in California earned Level 9 or 10 distinctions in both the acute and ambulatory categories.

“For more than 60 years, we’ve been dedicated to giving patients high-quality care utilizing the most advanced technology and research,” said Chief Information Officer at El Camino Health Deb Muro in the statement. “This recognition from CHIME represents our team’s commitment to excellence and advancing care, and El Camino Health’s deeply rooted culture of innovation.”

—Malea Martin