Running for Council: Steve Glickman

Glickman throws hat in the ring for council seat

He wants more attention to families

By Nathan R. Huff

A fourth candidate has announced plans to vie for one of two open town council seats next fall. Teacher and software whiz Steve Glickman, who recently lost his bid for the District 24 Assembly seat, says he is ready to move on from the school board to the council.

Glickman joins former Planning Commissioners Mike Abkin and Sandy Decker, and Community Services Commission Chairman Paul Dubois in the race for seats set to be vacated by council members Linda Lubeck and Jan Hutchins. Both have announced they do not intend to run for re-election.

The official filing period has only been under way for several weeks, and continues through Aug. 11. A five-day filing extension is also in place for any potential candidates waiting to see if Lubeck or Hutchins change their mind.

Glickman, who works with a number of high-tech firms in addition to running his own software consulting company, said his primary issue would be youth, particularly services available for both children and young families.

"I haven't seen the effort I see other towns making to provide things for our young people to do and to make them feel like participants," Glickman said. He is presently serving on a skate park task force composed of parks commissioners and interested students, parents and educators. The task force will present its recommendation to the town council.

Glickman said the town is also failing to provide the increasing population of younger families with enough recreational activities. The town's reliance on the Saratoga Los Gatos Recreation Department, and its own lack of softball leagues and a dedicated community center are all shortcomings, Glickman said. This lack of communal activities for younger people and families endangers the sense of character and community, he believes.

"I don't want to see Los Gatos become just a place to sleep," Glickman said.

Glickman said that he shares the other candidates' concern over issues such as housing, transportation, noise, quality of life, diversity and growth. Particularly with housing and transportation, he said the town needs to work closely with the state and regional powers. He added that while he would like everyone who works in Los Gatos to live here, given the realities of the housing market, the town should do as much as it can to ensure commuting is convenient.

Another major problem Glickman sees in the town is a lack of clear rules and guidelines for building applications. Glickman said people he talks to are afraid of the process and hesitant to pull permits for renovations and additions for fear of becoming entangled in red tape. He cites the handful of recent appeals the council has granted as examples of how the process is unclear.

"I would like to see our town government be, and to be perceived as being, more responsive, more efficient and more reasonable," Glickman said.

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