Water on top of the agenda for Pleasanton City Council hopefuls
PLEASANTON – Next month will mark the first time that Pleasanton residents will vote for just one City Council member seat, following the city’s transition to district-based elections earlier this year.
Pleasanton made the switch under the threat of a lawsuit from attorney Kevin Shenkman, who alleged that the previous at-large voting system was polarizing.
The council voted in March to split the city into four representative districts, with balloting to take place in the northwestern and southwestern parts of Pleasanton — the new Districts 1 and 3 — on Nov.8.
The city’s mayor will still be elected at-large and incumbent Mayor Karla Brown is running uncontested.
District 1
The city’s water problem is on the agenda for all five candidates running for election, including state legislative staffer Dean Wallace and Pleasanton Planning Commissioner Jeff Nibert, who are both running to represent District 1.
Officials recently discovered chemicals known as PFAS in Pleasanton’s groundwater supply facilities, forcing the city to shut down one of its three wells in 2019. The council have approved a new project to find a solution to the problem, which is expected to be costly for the city.
It’s an issue that Nibert feels he is well equipped to help handle, having previously worked as an engineer and project manager.
“There are a lot of technical details involved: rehabilitating the wells, potentially building a treatment plant. It’s something that has to be dealt with and it will not be easy, but it’s stuff that I understand,” he says.
Apart from the water supply issues, Nibert would also like to focus on public safety and housing if elected.
“I see that our quality of life is under threat in several ways and I want to maintain what we have here for future generations,” he says.
Wallace also cites the city’s water supply as one of the projects he would like to work on if elected and he believes the relationships he has built through his work could be of aid.
The Stanford University graduate was born in Ireland and moved to the U.S. as a child. He has lived in the Tri-Valley since high school and currently serves as the district director for Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. He previously worked on Congressman Eric Swalwell’s campaigns.
Affordable housing would be his priority if elected to the City Council. “I think our city can be doing more to create workforce housing for teachers, first responders, public employees and younger workers,” Wallace says.
“I live right across from the Stoneridge Mall and the city is trying to figure out what to do with the mall. It’s right by our BART station, and I think it would be a great space for a mixed-use retail and housing development. There’s an exciting opportunity there, and I would love to get to work on it.”
District 3
Councilmember Julie Testa is battling two candidates for her seat in District 3. Testa runs a business with her husband and served on the city’s Human Services Commission before her election in 2018.
The mother of three has lived in Pleasanton for more than 35 years and has served on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations.
Testa also says that the most significant matters facing the city are its water supply and housing. “We have a big job going forward to ensure that we have safe, quality drinking water. It’s a big challenge, and we are taking it very seriously,” she says.
“I have also engaged in a significant effort to understand the housing affordability issues. When I was elected, I formed a statewide organization with other local officials so that we could join together and discuss how state laws impact our communities and how we can communicate better with state legislators. I have the experience, and I understand what needs to be done.”
Running against Testa are Joel Liu and Jamie Yee. Liu moved to the Bay Area in 2007 after obtaining his doctorate in electrical engineering.
He currently serves as the chair of Pleasanton’s Committee on Energy and the Environment and is a co-founder of the Tri-Valley Asian Association.
As a father of two school-aged children, Liu says that he was inspired to run in the City Council election because of his concerns about public safety and sustainability.
“My No. 1 priority is public safety and supporting our first responders,” he says. “I also want to see our new Climate Action Plan implemented and to strengthen the partnership of our city and school district.”
Liu says that his budget management and leadership experience at work will be of benefit if he was elected.
Yee has lived in Pleasanton since 1969 and works for the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency.
A former Pleasanton Unified School District trustee, she is currently serving on the city’s Civic Arts Commission and previously served on the city’s Economic Vitality Commission and the California State PTA board.
“I have so much experience on a public governance team, and I think it’s important to have that experience on the City Council,” Yee says.
Her main goal? “We have a problem with our water quality, but it’s really getting the city council to be functioning so that the city can make good decisions and move in the right direction.”