Useful City Website Resources

September 8, 2021
Greetings Friends!

I want to urge everyone to Vote “No” on the recall AND mail/return your ballot. We have all been mailed a ballot and there are only two questions on it.  Unlike a test, you do not have to answer all the questions on a ballot. You can vote “No” on the recall and leave the vote for a replacement candidate blank.  

Second, I would like to share some tips on how to find information about what the City of Mountain View is doing and how you can get things done through the website. I’m always amazed at how much info is available on the City’s website, but sometimes it isn’t easy to find. Besides just Googling it, I’ve found that there are many subject-specific information pages that follow the rubric www.mountainview.gov/something.  For example: 

www.mountainview.gov/CastroPedestrianMall Find info or provide input for consideration of making Castro a permanent pedestrian mall
www.mountainview.gov/COVID Information on Covid statistics and resources
www.mountainview.gov/Homeless Resources for homeless residents
www.mountainview.gov/Sustainability Info of efforts to lower Green House Gas emissions.
www.mountainview.gov/whatgoeswhere How to sort recycling
www.mountainview.gov/Parks City Parks and trails
Three buttons near the bottom right of the homepage are particularly useful.
  1. Ask MV, which is a way to submit a request or ask a question directly to the staff who take care of that issue.  Usually, you will hear back within 48 hours.  If you see something that needs City attention like a sidewalk or dead tree, please report it.  Although staff are always on the lookout for problems, a complaint can bring action on something sooner.
  2. Community Resources which is a list of organizations to get help for various issues we all might need at one time or another.
  3. Subscribe MV which is a place to sign up for newsletters from the City and notifications on specific projects.
Last but not least is a link to theTentative Agenda List (TAL) which lists what is expected to be on the City Council Agenda for the next few months.  It is updated regularly and is helpful for identifying issues on which you might want to provide your input or advocacy.

City Council Chambers are now fitted with equipment that can allow a hybrid of virtual and in-person meetings.  However, due to the Delta variant, it isn’t clear when Councilmembers will be meeting in-person again.  In the meantime,  Stay safe!  

If you haven’t gotten your vaccines yet, please get them now.  Any again, please remember to VOTE NO on the recall.

Gratefully,
Pat Showalter
Councilmember
City of Mountain View