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Every year, the Mountain View City Council selects a new mayor that typically follows a rotation based on seniority. But this year marked a change of pace as the vice mayor was termed out of office.
On Tuesday evening, the City Council sidestepped tradition and unanimously picked Ellen Kamei as mayor and Emily Ann Ramos as vice mayor.
“Hello everyone, it’s me in real life,” Kamei joked to a packed chamber as she took over the helm on Jan. 14. This is not Kamei’s first time serving as mayor. She held the distinction in 2021, a year in which she presided over all the council meetings virtually because of the pandemic.
Kamei kicked off her second stint as mayor with a reaffirmation of the council’s commitment to Mountain View as a community for all. She described the importance of fostering empathy, courage and cooperation in communities, especially during times of uncertainty and fear. Listening to residents also was a top priority for her, Kamei said.
Outgoing Mayor Pat Showalter similarly emphasized the importance of community, noting its strength in building resiliency for the future, particularly in regard to climate change.
It’s critical to prepare for these events, Showalter said, drawing attention to the Los Angeles wildfires. But she also offered hope, describing several initiatives that the city has been implementing, like its sea-level rise protection plan as well as creating more parks and planting more trees, often at the urging of the public.
“Getting input from residents is crucial to doing a good job so keep those suggestions, compliments and even complaints coming,” she said.
While passing on the gavel to future leaders, the meeting served as an occasion to look back on the accomplishments of two long-serving council members, Margaret Abe-Koga and Lisa Matichak, both of whom have termed out of office.
Teary eyed and smiling, Abe-Koga bid farewell after serving on the City Council for 16 years. “I believe my job here is done,” she said, while adding that her commitment to public service was not over.
In November, Abe-Koga was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and is now representing Mountain View more broadly, as part of the North County.
Matichak also reflected on her eight years of service on the City Council and the changes that have occurred. She had a cautious outlook on the city’s future, noting that it was still unclear how the effects of the pandemic would pan out.
Matichak also expressed concern about what she described as the erosion of local control. “State and special interest groups have had increasing influence in the area of development, and I personally think it’s resulting in the degradation of the quality of life for many people in our city,” she said, referring specifically to the elimination of minimum parking requirements.
Rising construction costs was another area of concern for Matichak, who noted that these challenges would continue to be an issue for the city.
But the incoming mayor expressed more optimism as she took her new seat at the dais. “I think the future of Mountain View shines bright, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves,” Kamei said.
With the departure of Abe-Koga and Matichak, the City Council is joined by two former council members, Chris Clark and John McAlister, both of whom had termed out of office in 2020 and were re-elected in November.
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That’s right. When the special interest groups show up and demand their chosen one be appointed then we know….oh wait.