Los Gatos Weekly-Times

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Photograph by George Sakkestad

Alan Aerts has made the bold step from resident to city council candidate, and he hopes his platform, 'Common Sense,' will appeal to voters and lead them to check the box next to his name on the ballot next month.

Aerts taking a 'common sense' approach in his run for council

By Jennifer M. van der Kleut

This is the second in a series of five profiles of the Monte Sereno City Council 2006 candidates. The order of candidates profiled was chosen at random. ­ Editor

When you hear something often enough, you start to believe it.

That's how resident Alan Aerts says the decision to run for Monte Sereno City Council came to him.

"I didn't intend to run," he says with a laugh. "It wasn't until I started getting prompted by citizens to run that I considered it."

One day earlier this year, Aerts, who serves on the Monte Sereno Site and Architectural Commission, was in the neighborhood doing a survey of a property when he ran into fellow resident and auto dealer, Bob Lewis.

"Bob said, 'It's about time they got someone with some common sense on that commission.' After that, I heard the same thing about four more times, from people like my friends and former mayors Kathleen King [Saratoga] and Jack Lucas [Monte Sereno]. The phrase just kept coming up--'common sense,' " he explains. "So, when I decided to run, I made it my campaign slogan."

Aerts and his wife, Bonnie, are well known for their service to Bay Area communities. The couple regularly donates much of their personal income to more than 60 local causes each year. Aerts sits on the boards of more than a dozen organizations, and together the couple puts in around 50 hours of hands-on community service each week. He has been named Citizen of the Year and Outstanding Citizen, and his business, C.V.S., was named Business of the Year in Campbell.

Aerts' "Common Sense" campaign is based on three basic issues, the first of which is public safety.

"That's No. 1 to me," he says, pointing out how one Monte Sereno resident was burglarized last Christmas, and how even his own home had earlier fallen prey. "I think safety is very important. When it comes to the budget, that's one thing you don't want to scrimp on. Our citizens should feel safe going out for late-night walks, and should expect that their home and personal belongings are still there when they get home."

Aerts says the officers of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department do a fine job, and his position is to continue that excellence and look for more ways to improve upon it.

His second concern is homeowners' rights.

"That's always a tough one," he says, referring to the delicate balance between what the homeowner wants and what the neighbor doesn't want. However, Aerts says he tends to favor the homeowner over the neighbor. "They should be able to improve upon their homes the way they want, as long as they stay within the codes and guidelines set by the Site and Architectural Committee. Neighbors shouldn't be able to infringe upon those rights without good reason. 'I don't want a two-story on this street' or 'I like the street the way it is, I don't want it to change' are not good enough reasons."

The third issue speaks to the safety and beautification of Highway 9.

When it comes to safety, he says, "Too often we hear about people getting hit [by cars]. I think we've done a great job with the three cities [Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos] working together so far, and we need to continue it." As far as beautification, Aerts wants to promote a positive feeling of cooperation between the city and its residents. "Some things are eyesores--little things. We don't want our city to look tacky."

Basically, he reiterates, it all comes down to that familiar phrase--common sense.

"It's looking at everyone individually; each project is unique and individual," he says. "And if I get on council, I want to make sure our city stays focused on giving back to our citizens, whenever possible. Council members should be low-key and compassionate. And Monte Sereno is the perfect city that idea could work in--we're not 8,000 people, we all know each other and we're all neighbors. Family and community are the values that are most important to me."