The five—Barry Bakken, Paul Dubois, Diane McNutt, incumbent Joe Pirzynski and Mike Wasserman—took the stage for 1¹/2 hours, answering audience queries about the Sobrato project, downtown parking, hillside development, local retail and personal experience.

Three council seats are open in the November election.

The event, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Southwest Santa Clara Valley and the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, was taped and will be aired on KCAT Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. League member Marlene Duffin, a Saratoga resident, served as moderator for the evening.

A crowd of almost 100 locals attended the event. Los Gatos gadfly Ray Davis was also in attendance, interrupting the discussion several times to cheer for his favorite candidates.

Each candidate was given five minutes to make an opening statement. Dubois, Bakken and Wasserman gave brief biographies and discussed their areas of concern. Dubois mentioned hillside planning in particular, while Bakken brought up public safety, traffic issues and the local business environment.

Pirzynski and McNutt, on the other hand, had more specific themes. Pirzynski talked about the experience of being on council for the past four years and being the senior council member if reelected, while McNutt focused on why she wanted to and should be on the council.

Almost a dozen questions were asked, with the candidates agreeing with one another on many issues.

The first lengthy question was about the planning process in Los Gatos. One audience member wanted to know how the prospective council members could speed up the process without losing maximum public input for projects.

McNutt said there is a new technology, gaining steam with other municipalities, that allows e-permits. That means applicants can go online to obtain a permit to install a new heater or windows, without having to physically go in to the town's planning department.

The other four candidates, however, had the same message. "The system gets bogged down when people ask for something outside the process," Pirzynski said. Pirzynski said the town should be tough on those who don't meet the regulations, but for those who do, the process is smooth.

"You go in prepared, you come out happy," said Wasserman, who has himself gone through the building process multiple times. Wasserman said he had educated himself about the town's rules and hired an architect who had experience building in Los Gatos.

Faced with a question about the already-approved Sobrato mixed-use project, Dubois said he had voted against parts of the proposal. Dubois said he liked the light rail and the housing elements, but not the 288,000-square-foot research-and-development building. "We didn't need another R&D in town," Dubois said.

Bakken and Wasserman both said they thought the project was a good one and appropriate for the site, but Wasserman said he would have liked to have seen more than the proposed 135 apartments, plus some more open space.

The question, however, had been focused on traffic due to the development. The question asked about the 4,000 additional car trips a day from the residents and employees of the campus.

Pirzynski said the numbers were incorrect. According to Pirzynski, the figure was closer to 200 and 300 cars spread throughout the day, which would be mitigated by the new light rail station and shuttles to the Campbell light rail station in the meantime, as well as shuttles to downtown Los Gatos. "This development allows us to do what we said we would, which is bring housing to town," Pirzynski said.

McNutt remained neutral on the issue. She commented that the project is "an inventive use of mixed-use" but said she foresees most of the workers coming into town from Cupertino, Mountain View and Campbell. "It's a vote that's been taken, and I think it'll be interesting to see how it evolves," McNutt said.

Parking was another hot topic of the night, as a question was asked about the candidates' opinions of paid parking and a parking structure downtown.

While all were against the notion of parking meters—discussed and dropped on the town council level in 2000—the candidates had differing opinions of how to solve the parking problem.

McNutt said the town had looked into building a structure but the price tag was too steep, so they had to be "more creative and inventive in looking for more spaces." By restriping and finding more existing spaces, downtown will have 150 more spaces, "but I think we still have some nooks and crannies that we need to explore," McNutt said.

Dubois agreed. "I don't think we should be building garages," Dubois said. His belief is that the town's solution is a good one and that inter-town shuttle service is necessary.

Pirzynski said a structure for 175 cars would cost $13 million, and the parking problem is "time-date specific." The answer is to "maximize the use" of existing resources, such as implementing valet parking for the busiest times.

Both Bakken and Wasserman supported a parking structure. Wasserman said the town should consider issuing a bond to pay for a structure and also encourage development outside of downtown. Bakken said more research needs to be done, but "we need to spend the money before the money becomes even greater." Moving cars around is not a long-term solution, Bakken said.

Hillside safety is an issue that Dubois is especially passionate about. Dubois said the town should concentrate on regulating the landscaping and building on the hillsides, while training more residents in fire safety. Wasserman pointed to an Oct. 7 town council decision that allowed a hillside resident to put in a 1.5 million gallon water tank, with a caveat to build a dwarf hydrant that would benefit the community. "That kind of overseeing by the council is what helps improve fire safety," Wasserman said.

As founder of the Disaster Aid Response Team, Pirzynski said he saw the CDF helicopter prevent the Cats fire from spreading, in contrast to the disastrous Lexington fire that did not have the aid of the helicopter. "We will always have to be vigilant," Pirzynski said.

Both McNutt and Bakken said the town needs to continually communicate with regional fire protection agencies.

One audience member said independent businesses are at a disadvantage in the summer, when they must keep their doors closed to conserve energy, while chain stores can afford to keep their doors open to customers.

Bakken and Wasserman both said that no one in town should be wasting energy and resources, including chain stores. "I think waste is just plain wrong," Wasserman said.

Dubois said the town as a whole should be more energy-conscious and build up sustainable practices, while McNutt said the town should participate with local utility companies and the water district to educate residents.

Pirzynski, however, said the real question was about the mix of mom-and-pop versus formula businesses in town. "They both sort of thrive on each other," Pirzynski said, adding that the current blend is satisfactory and he would not want to change the percentage of each type.

The last question asked the candidates how they viewed the new Los Gatos Civic Center and Library Master Plan. All five agreed that an expanded library is necessary but had differing perspectives on the rest of the civic center.

Pirzynski said the civic center should make possible an efficient government but also a small-town government. "The character of this town should be represented in the way we act this out," Pirzynski said. McNutt said recreational uses could become part of the center, while Dubois said including the arts and having one common entrance is a consideration.

"I'm trying to understand whether this is the heart of the town or the brains of the town," Bakken said. Bakken said the civic center should have the look and feel of Los Gatos, possibly looking like the old civic center. At any rate, Bakken said, the library did not have to be part of the E. Main Street facility.

The candidates were given one minute to wrap up after questions. Wasserman emphasized his desire to enhance the neighborhoods, follow the town's General Plan and meet all the citizens, while Bakken said the community is an active, participatory one. "When I look around this town, I understand why it's important to serve," Bakken said.

McNutt said that she wants, as a councilwoman, to draw residents into community participation and service. Pirzynski said that in the past four years, "to sit here with your citizens and act on their behalf—it's a great privilege. And I'd like to continue that privilege."

Dubois said the next four years are critical to the town's growth and history, and Los Gatos needs someone with his experience and passion.