Farm Fresh WEEKEND | 25
MAY 13, 2016 VOLUME 24, NO. 16
www.MountainViewOnline.com
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MOVIES | 35
Teacher housing idea gains traction DISTRICT WIDE SURVEY SHOWS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR A NEW SUBSIDIZED HOUSING PROJECT ing for district administrators, who had to go on a frantic hiring ountain View Whis- spree to fill 55 teaching positions man School District for general education and special officials are moving education. Would a teacher housing projfull-steam ahead on exploring ways to house teachers in Moun- ect decrease turnover and attract tain View at below-market-rate more teachers? School staff prices. And while it’s not clear think so. Recent survey results what the district-owned teacher from 264 teachers and classihousing project would look like, fied employees found that 59 a new survey suggests it would percent of teachers are dissatisbe wildly popular among dis- fied with their housing situation trict staff hungry for affordable because of the high cost of rent, and an overwhelming majorhousing. Earlier this year, the school ity — 76 percent — said they board agreed to look for ways to would be interested in living in a below-marketbuild a housing rate teacher housdevelopment on ing project if it district land for ‘Most of that became available. Mountain View teachers strug- paycheck is actually The survey results, available gling to make ends meet in the just going towards on the district website, provide a Bay Area. The high cost of houspaying the rent.’ sobering snapshot of the discontent ing, coupled with a salary schedule SUPERINTENDENT AYINDE RUDOLPH among district employees. More that is well below than two-thirds the area median income, was frequently cited at of the respondents said they are the March 17 school board meet- paying more than 30 percent of ing as a serious problem that has their paycheck on rent or mortforced many teachers to choose gage payments, with just shy of between long commutes or leav- 17 percent dumping more than half of their take-home pay on ing the district altogether. School board members dou- housing costs. “Essentially, we have people bled down on that decision at their May 5 meeting, saying that working paycheck to paycheck,” it’s time to consider a large-scale Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph teacher housing development on said at the meeting. “Most of that some of the available district- paycheck is actually just going towards paying the rent. That owned land. Over the last four years, the probably suggests that people district has hired about 170 new have picked up a second job in teachers, mostly to make up for order to make ends meet.” Just over half of the responsignificant teacher turnover year to year, according to the Moun- dents, 54 percent, said commuttain View Educators Association. ing to work takes more than 20 Finding enough people to fill minutes, with 22 percent comvacancies for the 2015-16 school year was particularly challengSee HOUSING, page 10 By Kevin Forestieri
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MICHELLE LE
Caltrain commuters head toward Mountain View’s downtown transit station on May 10. City officials are debating whether to close Castro Street to vehicle traffic at the train tracks.
City faces tough trade-offs for Castro crossing’s future JUNE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR COUNCIL DECISION By Mark Noack
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ountain View elected leaders will soon need to choose how to transform Castro Street’s precarious crossing at the Caltrain tracks. In a packed com-
munity meeting on Tuesday, May 10, a team of consultants laid out how the city could undertake a dramatic twoyear, $120 million dig project to bring Castro underneath the train tracks. The consultants also provided an option
for a cheaper, less intensive project that would close off the downtown boulevard and rework nearby streets to handle the traffic diversion. Some call the downtown See TRANSIT, page 16
City budget: Higher utility fees, adding 20 new staffers PROPOSED BUDGET PROJECTS 10.8 PERCENT GROWTH IN REVENUE By Mark Noack
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ountain View officials are set to begin a hiring spree and citywide improvements as part of their annual budget preparation. But the proposed budget’s good news may fall on deaf ears, since city residents will be facing a hefty increase in a variety of utility rates. In what is an otherwise auspicious fiscal year ahead, residents are expected to see their water
INSIDE
rates increase by 10 percent, while sewage fees are expected to go up by more than 19 percent. The water rates come primarily as a result of increases in costs from the Hetch Hetchy water system, which provides about two-thirds of the city’s water supply. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise — as Mountain View and other cities have conserved water during California’s drought, the San Francisco Public Utility Commission, which sells water wholesale throughout
the Bay Area, has notched up its prices to counterbalance the diminished revenues. In contrast, city officials say the sharp increase in sewer costs comes as more of a shock. Public Works employees say they learned recently that the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant was hiking its fees by about 26 percent, or about $1.3 million more than they originally budgeted. This is partly due to another See CITY BUDGET, page 11
VIEWPOINT 20 | GOINGS ON 37 | MARKETPLACE 38 | REAL ESTATE 40