Los Gatos Vice Mayor Barbara Spector spoke to Los Gatos and Saratoga Realtors at their Silicon Valley Association of Realtors virtual district meeting last week and discussed important subjects concerning the town. The vice mayor shared information on how officials are the processing of building permits and other issues, including her own feelings about governing during a pandemic.
Spector said after a brief pause, the permitting process is proceeding on an online platform and moving along on a regular pace now. New permit applications can be received and processed online.
The development of the North 40 Specific Plan is proceeding, as well. Spector said the area is being developed 20 acres at a time. Work is currently being undertaken on the southern portion up to Lark Avenue
The vice mayor noted the pandemic has thrown off the town of Los Gatos. "I'm dealing with the world, the nation, and our town." This includes the issue of social justice, which has reverberated around the country, including in this town of over 30,000 people.
"Since the death of George Floyd, like other towns and cities, our town has been engaged with this issue," said Spector.
Spector indicated there have been three community rallies. The first rally was the largest, with about 1,000 people gathering at the Town Hall. A second rally filled Plaza Park, and a third had people marching down Santa Cruz Avenue on to the highway. Local businesses were concerned about unruliness, but their fears never came to pass, said Spector. These were peaceful events involved mostly teenagers and participants who were a little older.
Spector said the Town Council has received about 1,000 emails from residents raising a myriad of issues from defunding the police to schools and teachers. The Town has formed a small group of people from all sectors of the community that is tasked with identifying and prioritizing these issues. This could be followed by Town hearings to learn how residents would want these issues addressed.
Even for someone who has served as mayor of Los Gatos three times and as vice mayor four times, Spector said, "Dealing with the pandemic potpourri of issues has been a learning experience. I have learned to some extent about the layers of law."
With respect to laws mandated by the county, Spector explained a city or town cannot overrule the higher level of government's mandate; the city/town mandate can be more strict, but it cannot be less strict.
The vice mayor indicated, however, that the Town cannot enforce all levels of mandates. Regarding social distancing and face masks requirements, there is no formal regulated enforcement. On the local moratorium on evictions, the Town issued a resolution against evictions for three months until June, but did not renew the resolution. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted last week to extend the eviction moratorium beyond the original August 31 date. The exact date will be determined at the board's August 25 meeting.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
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