As I mirror on these previous dozen years and what we’ve been capable of obtain, each in my Santa Clara County Supervisorial District 5 and countywide, I’m ever aware that a lot of the work we do involves fruition over time and in collaboration.
Typically it’s not doable for only one individual — even an elected official — or only one group to efficiently deal with the complicated challenges going through our county. However collectively we will accomplish quite a bit.
In partnership with group members, nonprofits, the personal sector and civic entities, I’m pleased with the tangible progress we’ve made by means of the years on initiatives my workplace and I championed to enhance reasonably priced housing, well being companies, assist for youth and seniors, the surroundings and extra.
Lengthy-term tasks like those under gained’t be wrapped up by the point I full my time period and stroll out the doorways on Dec. 31. However I remind myself that persistence is a advantage (together with persistence and a way of urgency) in terms of the tempo of institutional progress.
For elected officers it’s finest to think about the work as a relay race. You seize the baton out of your predecessor, run as far and as quick as you may, then hand off the baton the one who comes subsequent. Our newly elected District 5 Supervisor, Margaret Abe-Koga, will “carry the baton” within the new yr and past.
Youth Behavioral Well being Disaster Heart: Ten years in the past, a constituent requested me, “Why aren’t there any inpatient hospital beds for kids and teens facing a mental health crisis here in Santa Clara County?” Annually a whole lot of younger individuals had been being transferred from emergency rooms in our County to hospitals so far as Sacramento for acute psychiatric care.
I proposed that we construct such a facility proper right here in our county, and the venture ought to be accomplished late subsequent yr. Linked by a skybridge to Santa Clara Valley Medical Heart, the 207,000-square-foot facility will present psychiatric companies for adults in addition to youngsters and adolescents. Its state-of-the-art design options divided age-appropriate facilities, together with indoor and outside therapeutic environments, that permit for a continuum of care in a single setting.
West Valley Trainer Housing: Nobody wins when native lecturers and faculty staff should commute from miles away as a result of they will’t afford Silicon Valley’s excessive housing prices. I proposed the primary county-led instructor housing again in 2018. That improvement, on Grant Avenue in Palo Alto, is nearing the end line, with completion anticipated in 2025. Supported by the county, faculty districts and Meta, the 110-unit improvement will supply housing to lecturers and different employees employed by native faculty districts in northern Santa Clara County and southern San Mateo County.
Now we’re working to convey educator workforce housing to serve West Valley faculties and residents. To that finish our Board of Supervisors has already permitted Eden Housing because the venture developer on county-acquired land on Wolf Street in Cupertino. Keep tuned.
West Valley Well being Clinic: In November, I used to be honored to supervise the opening of the county’s first main care clinic in North County, conveniently situated to serve these residing within the areas of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. It’s the primary county-run full-service well being clinic in District 5. I’m gratified that we’re shifting in the same path within the West Valley, the place too many residents fall into that lacking center of well being care, incomes somewhat an excessive amount of to qualify for many authorities applications however not sufficient to afford first-rate insurance coverage or out-of-pocket care.
This yr our board continued negotiations with the Foothill-De Anza Group Faculty District to determine the same county-run clinic within the West Valley, offering companies for the world’s 400,000 residents in addition to on-site well being care and profession coaching alternatives for group school college students.
These are only a few examples. There are various extra, however I’m out of time and out of house.
My congratulations to Supervisor-elect Abe-Koga, who involves the county with a wealth of expertise, most just lately on the Mountain View Metropolis Council. I hope you’ll attain out to her workplace together with your questions, options, issues and feedback. Engaged constituents have given me power and been the inspiration behind plenty of my initiatives and efforts.
After serving as an elected official at 5 totally different ranges, it’s now my flip to say thanks — many, many thanks. Thanks for the reminiscences and the alternatives. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure. Wishing you and yours a wholesome and joyful new yr.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian represents District 5, which incorporates Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, parts of San Jose and unincorporated communities within the Santa Cruz Mountains.
