Mitch Kane
The public safety commission welcomes two new members
By Kara Chalmers
Both Paige McClellan and Mitch Kane, the two newest members of Saratoga's public safety commission, point to the fact that they are nonpolitical, average citizens as the reason they can make the commission better.
As far as a public safety background, neither has one. McClellan, 33, used to work with developmentally disabled children in academic and clinical settings in the Bay Area. She now stays home with her two young daughters full time. She has lived in Saratoga since 1992, and before that, in Willow Glen, where she grew up.
Kane, 44, has more than 20 years experience in high-tech engineering and product marketing. Most recently, he worked for Brocade Communications in San Jose. Now, he is taking a break from high tech and helping his wife start her own financial-consulting business. He has three young daughters and has lived in Saratoga for 12 years. He grew up in San Leandro in the East Bay.
McClellan says she can bring a new voice to the commission. "Average citizens can produce a lot of results that will be beneficial to a good percentage of Saratoga residents," she said. "As a commission member, I would like to see a forum for members of the public to go to when they have safety concerns, that is approachable and accessible, so they feel like their problems are being addressed with a real-world common-sense approach," she said.
McClellan does not suggest that the public safety commission is unapproachable, but in general, she said, there is a tendency to get away from common-sense government. Government officials can become too engaged in the political process and forget the real needs of the people.
She said local governments should make it easier for people to come to them with concerns, and she thinks that average citizens often feel frustrated with government.
Paige McClellan
Also, being a stay-at-home mother, McClellan thinks she brings a relevant viewpoint to the table.
"As a mother, your sense of safety in general becomes heightened," she said. "Because all of a sudden you're responsible for two small individuals who can't take care of themselves otherwise."
McClellan, who lives on Vickery Avenue, first became involved with the commission as a resident. She asked for speed bumps for her street since she perceived a speed problem there. She started a campaign to get the speed bumps constructed and circulated a petition she said was signed by 98 percent of residents of Vickery Avenue. While the commission has not yet made a decision on the speed bumps, McClellan says that her campaign is not the reason she joined the commission.
"If it turns out they don't make sense, that's fine," she said of the bumps.
Mitch Kane, who lives in the Brookview neighborhood in Saratoga, has never dealt with the commission before. He said he thought that since he was taking a break from his career, the commission was a place he could contribute his time.
"It seemed to be the right thing," he said when he saw the notice in the Saratoga News about empty seats on the commission. He said he feels he is qualified to be a commissioner since throughout his career in business he has been very successful at conflict resolution.
"I've got a lot to learn about the issues facing Saratoga right now, but by the end of my term, I would expect Saratoga will be a safer place than it is today.
Kane said he does not view Saratoga as unsafe, but even before he had young children, he noticed when he moved here, that drivers tend to ignore speed and stop signs.
He said he is looking forward to working with citizens and with the public safety providers in the city.
McClellan and Kane will attend their first public safety meeting as commissioners on May 11. They are replacing Frank Lemmon and Rose Marie Dippel, according to the city staff liaison to the commission, Chris Korn. Francis Andreson and Thomas Edel have been reappointed for another term, Korn said.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
