The Willow Glen Resident Gonzales readies new committee assignments Fiscalini's new posts will help determine legislative agenda for '99 City Council By Eric Johnson The City Council chambers will remain quiet over the next couple of weeks, until the 1999 council is seated on January 19. But during the down time, important work is being done behind the scenes, as Mayor Ron Gonzales sets up the committees that will tackle some of the gnarlier issues confronting the city. At press time, Willow Glen Councilmember Frank Fiscalini is waiting to hear about his committee appointments, and hoping to land some of the same jobs he held last year. Michelle McGurk, Fiscalini's chief of staff, says that although the appointments process is viewed as "technical stuff," it will help determine what San Jose city government will be able to accomplish in the next twelve months. "The decisions that are made in the coming week will have a huge impact," McGurk says. "This will determine how much time we get to spend on the issues that are near and dear to the people of Willow Glen." McGurk says her boss is likely to continue in his position as vice-chair of the powerful Redevelopment Agency, which he has held for the past two years and also as vice-chair of the agency's Finance Committee, which oversees the biggest budget in the city. Council insiders predict that the agency and the committee will be much more active under Gonzales, who was somewhat critical of Redevelopment Director Frank Taylor during the mayoral campaign. According to McGurk, Fiscalini is hoping to land his old spot on the Transportation Planning and Environment committee, and will probably also keep his job as the chair of the Civic Center Relocation Task Force, which will be finalizing a decision about where to put the new City Hall. And he is likely to hold his job on the Vasona Policy Advisory Board, which is looking to extend the city's light rail line. Fiscalini is also hoping to continue as co-chair of the Guadalupe River Park Task Force, which could be a boon for Willow Glen residents who want to see the Los Gatos Creek trail extended to the Guadalupe. Because committees are where a lot of the work of local government occurs, McGurk says she hopes more citizens will participate by coming to meetings. "Because they're held in small rooms, the committee meetings are a good opportunity to talk to [councilmembers] up close and personal," she says. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, January 13, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.