PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE As you consider the ECR matter this evening, I urge you again to consider Mike Gullard's communication to you from January 3, as well as Patti Fry's separate suggestions that same day.

As far as the business at hand this evenings with the appointments, I would make two points:

First, on reflection and echoing Ms. Fry's prior similar point, on reflection what seems most relevant for the "neighborhood" related seat designations is not that the candidate narrowly lives within 1000 feet, but that the candidate understands the issues associated with being proximate to the ECR and downtown zones and how they bear on and integrate with neighboring areas. Easy ones that come to mind are Linfield and Allied Arts. It seems most important and helpful that in circumstances like these the candidates understand the issues germane to ECR (and downtown) as well as these surrounding neighborhoods, not that they either live 956 feet or 1087 feet (or similar line drawing that is ultimately arbitrary) from the project study area.

Second, I again really urge the council to find balance with the group to be appointed. I think politically it is not balanced with the various appointments to date, and I think many of us in the community probably think similarly. Or stated more objectively, I think that development, real estate, business and even housing interests are now well represented. You can review that yourselves too and draw your own conclusions. Thus, I would turn to what is now or still missing, which I think remain the important broad resident (and voter) views and relationship networks that don't already fall into the groups allied with those I flag as already represented. And, I don't want to see you go down the path tonight of being somehow "politically correct" and splitting the baby as it were on remaining appointments, given the interests that I think are reasonably apparent and still in need of being involved within this steering and outreach process. I think you have some well qualified and experienced candidates in those regards. Do this, and I think you will still end up with a balanced and diverse group who have a better chance at both contributing and ultimately succeeding.

Regards, Elias Blawie
Menlo Park Resident                                                              

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