By Robert Haugh

From July through September, elected officials spent a lot of time outside of regular their Council and committee meetings.

Mayor Lisa Gillmor remained very active, with over 40 meetings during the three-month period, in addition to public meetings and events. Among her in-person or phone meetings included three with the Related Companies and one with the Irvine Company. She also met with residents and labor representatives on a wide range of topics from affordable housing, pending development projects, downtown redevelopment and placemaking. She met with County Supervisor candidates Pierluigi Oliverio and Susan Ellenberg.
Vice Mayor Dominic Caserta was much busier than prior months. He held three meetings with Related. He met with 49ers executives Al Guido, Raul Chaundook and 49ers’ political consultant Ed McGovern on Aug. 24 – just hours before a Stadium Authority meeting that took us two columns to write about. Caserta grilled Fred Brousseau of Harvey Rose auditors about the Measure J stadium audit during those meetings. He also had a few meetings regarding affordable housing. 
Councilwoman Teresa O’Neill was also very active, also hosting over 40 meetings. O’Neill had the most diverse selection of meetings, having met with residents on a number of issues, as well as meeting with Prometheus Apartments, Related four times, including several phone calls with Related consultant Jude Barry. She had phone conversations with Guido and LiveNation regarding the stadium curfew. She also met with small business owners (Mayuri Restaurant) as well as Santa Clara WEEKLY Publisher Miles Barber “on community development and City Council matters.” Barber claims he is no longer a lobbyist. She also had discussions with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. 
Councilwoman Debi Davis reported only three meetings outside of community events. She met with residents about downtown redevelopment and with Anne Keppner of West Valley- Mission Community College District about the Mission City Community Fund, of which Davis is the chairperson. 
Councilwoman Kathy Watanabe had meetings with residents on affordable housing, Downtown redevelopment and Northside issues. She also had discussions with Guido and LiveNation regarding the Levi’s Stadium curfew. 
Councilwoman Patricia Mahan had four meetings with or regarding housing developments in Santa Clara. She met with Union Local 393 about affordable housing, Prometheus regarding the Moonlite Lanes property and “nonlobbyist” Barber and Guataum Barve regarding “housing issues.”
Councilman Pat Kolstad had six meetings and calls. He had two meetings with developers – one with SummerHill Homes and one with SARES REGIS Nor Cal as well as a meeting with Jim Cunneen, a lobbyist regarding Irvine’s Freedom Circle development. 
We covered the April through June period here.

View calendars at:

Lisa Gillmor
Dominic Caserta
Pat Kolstad
Debi Davis
Kathy Watanabe
Teresa O’Neill
Patty Mahan
We suspect many meetings with developers will show up on the October meeting reports.