The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Council not set to OK air cargo at Moffett

By Robin Parker

I am writing to correct two misstatements in your recent article in the Sunnyvale Sun about the Sunnyvale City Council's decisions regarding the future of Moffett Federal Airfield ("Council Takes Stand on Moffett," Oct. 29, 1997).

First, the Sunnyvale City Council meeting coming up on Nov. 25 is not about council approval of air cargo companies using Moffett Federal Airfield. Rather, the City Council will be considering the full report of the Sunnyvale-Mountain View Joint Community Advisory Committee regarding a broad range of alternatives for keeping Moffett Field under federal stewardship. This will be done in the context of the recent council decision clarifying our overall long-term goal for the city.

This is a critically important distinction. Certainly, the issue of air cargo at Moffett is among the serious concerns of our citizens, and it was one of many important items considered during the long discussions by the CAC. Unfortunately, by focusing your readers on air cargo when we are actually looking at a much broader public discussion, you have done a disservice by setting up mistaken expectations for this meeting.

The second error in the article concerns the expectations of a full work plan for dealing with Moffett issues coming to the City Council on Nov. 25. It was explicitly noted at the Oct. 21 meeting, however, that the city's staff will return to the City Council with a complete framework detailing issues, schedules and resources in February, not November. In order to achieve the council's long-term policy objectives, we will need to collaborate with NASA, with other agencies, businesses and organizations, and certainly with our own citizens. This approach is very complex, and it will need to be developed with deliberate thought, care and time so we can focus on genuine priorities within our resources and within our local authority.

Unfortunately, reporting errors can contribute to unrealistic public expectations, misguided controversy and unnecessary disappointment and blame. For this reason I hope The Sun can clarify these issues for your readers as soon as possible.

Robin Parker is a member of the Sunnyvale City Council.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, November 19, 1997.
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