Sullivan to seek City Council seat Sullivan to seek City Council seat (July 09, 2004)

Commissioner wants stronger voice on General Plan revisions
by Jeb Bing

Longtime Planning Commissioner and Pleasanton Energy Committee Chairman Matt Sullivan has announced that he will seek election to the City Council on Nov. 2.

He is the second candidate to seek one of the two council seats that are being vacated this year. The other is Jerry Thorne, a member and past chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission and chairman of the Bernal Community Park Task Force.

Sullivan plans a formal campaign announcement tomorrow at a rally starting at 9 a.m. in Delucchi Park, adjacent to Farmers Market.

"I've decided to seek a council seat so that I can help move forward some of the important issues Pleasanton is facing, especially with regard to the new General Plan and energy policy," Sullivan said.

"I am opposed to building an interchange at West Las Positas and I-680, which is in the current 1996 General Plan, and want that taken out of the new one," he explained. "I also do not want to see Stoneridge Drive extended to El Charro because I think that would make cut-through traffic even worse for our city."

In a statement, Sullivan said:

"Pleasanton is at a crossroads in its history. We have embarked on a General Plan update that will define our city at buildout and must tackle several important issues in the process. Our city will need leadership with vision and experience to guide our transition from a city based on growth and development to one that is based on economic and environmental sustainability while maintaining our quality of life.

"I have been involved in the General Plan update process from its inception, and would like to be on the City Council to ensure that the long Pleasanton tradition of community-based government continues and to help articulate this vision in our future."

Sullivan was appointed to the Planning Commission by former Mayor Ben Tarver in 1998, and reappointed in May 2002 by Mayor Tom Pico. His current term expires April 30, 2006.

He served as chairman of the Planning Commission in 2000-2001 and was instrumental in blocking a proposed power plant at Valley Avenue near Busch Road that would have been built by a subsidiary of Enron Corp. Subsequently, he was named chairman of the newly established Energy Committee where "I have been working to design and implement affordable, locally controlled and environmental responsible energy policies," he said.

Sullivan said that he is interested in moving Pleasanton toward "community aggregation" in energy, a tactic that allows groups of cities to join together to buy electric power on the open market for residents and businesses.

"The good thing about this is that you can potentially save money on people's electric bills because you don't have the profits that PG&E now takes," Sullivan said. "You can set up revenue streams that you can use to reinvest in your own community, whether for other energy projects or something else."

Sullivan also wants to find space for more affordable housing in Pleasanton, preferably in areas of Hacienda Business Park that are close to the BART station.

"We have enough million dollar houses in Pleasanton and I don't think that's the direction we should be going," he said.

Sullivan, 48, graduated from the California Maritime Academy in 1979 with a degree in Marine Engineering Technology. He is a registered professional engineer and works for a San Francisco energy consulting firm. His wife Wendi teaches at Pleasanton Middle School. The couple has two children: Joe, 19, a 2003 graduate of Foothill High School who is attending Las Positas College, and Katie, 14, who will be a sophomore at Foothill this fall.

Besides Sullivan and Thorne, two other candidates are in the municipal races in November. Current Councilwoman Kay Ayala, who is completing her eighth year on the council this year and, because of term limits, cannot seek re-election, is running for mayor to succeed Mayor Tom Pico, who is stepping down. Also seeking the mayor's post is Councilwoman Jennifer Hosterman, who has two years remaining in her first term on the council. Councilman Matt Campbell has decided against seeking re-election to a second term this November.

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