San Jose City Hall, 801 North First Street, Room 500, San Jose, CA 95110 (408)277-5800
For Immediate Release: January 7, 2000
Contact: David Vossbrink, Office of Mayor Gonzales (408) 277-3515
Mayor Gonzales Names George Shirakawa Vice Mayor,
Makes City
Council Committee Assignments,
Creates New "Traffic Calming" Committee
San Jose, CA - San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales announced his
selection of Councilmember George Shirakawa, Jr., to serve as vice mayor
and his recommended changes to City Council committee structure and
assignments that include a new ad hoc "traffic calming" committee to
improve neighborhood traffic safety.
Shirakawa, who has
represented Council District 7 in south central San Jose since 1994,
succeeds former Vice Mayor Frank Fiscalini who stepped down from the City
Council last month.
"With his solid experience as a councilmember
and his deep knowledge of the community, George Shirakawa will be an
excellent vice mayor," said Gonzales. "I know I will be able to count on
his leadership and support in the coming year as we continue our efforts
to strengthen our neighborhoods in San Jose."
Gonzales proposed
restructuring the council’s standing committees to better reflect the
relationship and emphasis of the city’s policies and services.
"It
is important that our committees can streamline our efforts to make good
public policy, and that we achieve an effective balance of experience,
interest, and workload among all the committee members," he said.
"These assignments reflect councilmember suggestions for committee
assignments. I welcome our four new City Councilmembers, and I look
forward to their contributions with significant roles on these
committees."
Gonzales also noted that the committee assignments
continue the City Council’s long tradition of women in leadership
positions.
The new council committee on traffic calming will focus
on policies and criteria that will lead to safer neighborhood streets.
"Throughout the community, residents have made it very clear that
they want us to find ways to improve the safety of their streets," said
the mayor. "We have already made major budget commitments to study and
implement alternatives that will balance the goals of moving traffic
safely and efficiently.
"The new committee will strengthen the
City Council’s attention to traffic calming policies this year as we gear
up our efforts to achieve the results our neighborhoods have asked for."
The new city council committee assignments include:
Economic Development and Environment Committee (EDE)
Chair: Forrest Williams. Vice Chair: Linda LeZotte
Members: John
Diquisto, David Cortese Housing; economic development; Convention and
Visitors Bureau annual review; development-related environmental policy
issues.
Education, Neighborhoods, Youth, and Seniors Committee
(ENYS)
Chair: Cindy Chavez. Vice Chair: George Shirakawa, Jr.
Members: Pat Dando, Ken Yeager Education collaborations; youth
programs; senior programs.
Finance and Infrastructure Committee
(F&I)
Chair: Pat Dando. Vice Chair: Chuck Reed
Member: John Diquisto City and Redevelopment Agency financial
stability review; Redevelopment revenue projections; infrastructure
management system and policy issues; information technology master plan.
Rules Committee
Chair: George Shirakawa, Jr. Vice Chair:
Pat Dando
Members: Cindy Chavez, David Cortese, Forrest
Williams Council agenda setting; committee agenda setting; City Auditor
work plan; commission appointments.
Traffic Calming Advisory
Committee (ad hoc)
Chair: Chuck Reed. Vice Chair: Ken Yeager
Members: David Cortese, Linda LeZotte Rating and evaluation policy
and criteria review; evaluation of tracking data; review of proposed
criteria changes. This committee would not review site-specific traffic
calming proposals.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
- San Jose Board Representatives
Members: Ron Gonzales, Cindy Chavez,
David Cortese, Pat Dando, Forrest Williams.
Alternate: Ken Yeager.
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