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WEEKEND | 20
California Newspaper Publishers Association
JUNE 24, 2016 VOLUME 24, NO. 22
www.MountainViewOnline.com
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MOVIES | 22
New school makes it into the budget after all FINANCING PLAN WOULD BOLSTER MEASURE G CONSTRUCTION BUDGET BY $50M Rudolph said that using funds beyond Measure G for cont was all smiles at the Moun- struction is essential, and that tain View Whisman school the decision to split Castro board meeting Thursday Elementary into two schools — night, after board members Castro and Mistral Elementary came together on a new financ- — along with opening Slater goes ing plan that sets aside enough well beyond the original intent construction money to build a of the bond. The combined costs new school at Slater by as early of all the planned construction projects as 2019. exceed MeaThe school sure G funds district’s $198 ‘If we’re going by $41 million; million Meaa new revenue sure G budget to build quality stream is needhas been the source of anxifacilities at every ed if everyone is to be satisfied ety for school with the concommunisingle site, struction proties throughwe’re going to need gram, he said. out Mountain “Let’s be canView over the a little bit more d id about last year. Nearwhere we are,” ly every projmoney to get over Rudolph said. ect has come “We need addiin over budget the top.’ tional funds — largely due to the increas- SUPERINTENDENT AYINDE RUDOLPH to meet the demands. If ing cost of we’re going to const r uct ion in the Bay Area — forcing build quality facilities at every school district staff to scale single site, we’re going to need a back projects, and raising con- little bit more money to get over cerns that the money will run the top.” The new revenue stream more out before all the schools are closely resembles a waterfall. finished. Rather than continue the The plan is to combine the trend of scarcity, Superin- remaining Measure G money tendent Ayinde Rudolph told with sources including the board members at the June 16 entire $9.9 million bond conmeeting that it’s time to start tingency fund, $2 million in using outside funds to supple- developer fees, and increases in ment the bond program, plug lease revenue from the German the funding gaps and commit International School of Silicon a solid $20 million towards Valley, Google and Action Day building a new campus at Primary Plus — all of which Slater Elementary. The board operate facilities on districtagreed in November to open a owned land. In addition, the new school at the former Slater district will be using what’s campus, which closed in 2006, called a certificate of particibut left out a financing plan and See SCHOOL FACILITIES, page 14 a timeline. By Kevin Forestieri
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BRENTEN BRANDENBURG
100 YEARS OF ‘A GREAT LIFE’ Mary Peterson, a Mountain View resident for seven decades, celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year. A role model and friend to many seniors, she shared her thoughts on a life well-lived in a recent interview. Read the story on Page 8.
City Council approves plan for 67 affordable homes EL CAMINO PROJECT BRINGS A MIX OF VETERANS’ AND WORKFORCE HOUSING By Mark Noack
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t a time of overwhelming demand for affordable housing, the City Council on Tuesday enthusiastically gave a round of approvals for 67 below-market-rate apartments and pledged a $7 million check to help build them. Expected to draw upward of 1,000 applicants, the new project at 1701 El Camino Real would serve as a mix of veterans’ and workforce housing. Palo Alto Housing, the nonprofit bringing the project forward, intends to finance the new
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apartments using a package of federal, state and local money. The bulk of the estimated $28 million project cost would come from about $17 million in federal and state tax credits that still need to be secured. While there were no guarantees the project would win federal funding, Palo Alto Housing executive director Candice Gonzalez said she thinks the nonprofit stands a good chance in a new application round starting in the coming days. “We’ve asked our financial analysts, and they think we’re in a good position,” she said. “It’s a
pretty competitive project, but we’re feeling good about it.” Both the federal and state funding are administered through the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, which holds two application rounds each year. Typically, fewer than one in three tax-credit applications are awarded in each round, Gonzalez said. If the project is rejected for this round, the nonprofit would apply again next March, she said. In addition, the El Camino project would use about $4 milSee HOUSING, page 9
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