Town Government, Another Look

Once again, an issue has come up on the town’s carousel of consciousness that I keep thinking has been resolved, however it reappears, not as resolved as it seemed. Once again the issue is the Albright Project, the one that everyone associates with Netflix. This is something I’ve paid a lot of attention to. I’ve read about it in the newspapers, I’ve gone to meetings in its regard and I’ve googled on it many times. I may not be an expert on it but I do know that I am a bit more informed than those friends and associates of mine who don’t read the news (and blogs) or go to town meetings. The current turn of events is of no big concern to me but it has made me consider why this particular issue keeps popping up its nasty little presence every few months.

Avoiding the emotional and annoying nature of too much exposure, I’m going to attempt to review the issue in a logical and pragmatic manner and try to ferret out a practical and workable perspective so as to avoid such thorny issues in the future. The Alberto Project is back on the radar again, another law suit filed, a sort of pre-emptive suit, I’m told, but without much fanfare. The real issue that is concerning me here is broader than Alberto in particular, but a look at Alberto’s progress through the town government makes for a clearer view of the bigger concern; why do such issues become so involved and divisive? Is it really necessary for things to become so complicated and contentious.

I’ve been looking at reference materials and I’ve been asking questions of people who are supposed to be in the know. It seems the basic definition for our form of government here in Los Gatos is the city manager type of municipal administration. The town council is elected by the citizens to represent the citizen’s interests. The council hires a manager to implement what the council finds to be necessary to service and operate the town. Thus, through the council, the manager is responsible to the citizens. As well, in Los Gatos, the citizens have organized a “general plan” which acts as a guide for the direction and manner in which Los Gatos changes. As much as electing a council to represent them, the citizens of town have provided a charter of their preferences. Both the council and the general plan let the manager be aware of how the town’s citizens expect the town to be operated and maintained. In a town of 30,000 people, on the edge of Silicon Valley, the manager obviously needs some help so he hires a staff and organizes them into departments. Essentially, the town manager . . . 

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