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The race for the District 1 seat on the Pleasanton City Council pits a former council member with decades of public-service experience against a longtime business executive who says he’s looking to shake things up.
Former City Council member Kathy Narum and local entrepreneur Vin Kruttiventi faced off in a Sept. 29 forum hosted by the Weekly that drew a standing-room-only audience to the City Council chamber room at the Pleasanton Civic Center; it was also live streamed. Narum and Kruttiventi are seeking to replace Jeff Nibert on the board, representing northwest Pleasanton.
Kruttiventi is a local entrepreneur who founded the Vinay Kruttiventi Foundation, an organization that supports businesses and companies.
He cited the stalled housing development plans at Stoneridge Shopping Center, and the mall’s overall vitality, as a key issue for the city.
“Stoneridge is our biggest opportunity,” Kruttiventi said.
The City Council in January 2023 approved a policy framework for redeveloping the shopping center and surrounding area into a mixed-use property. The city policy document initially allocated just over 1,100 housing units across the site and included proposals to reimagine the area to be more integrated, well-connected and vibrant, with new amenities.
However, very little progress has been made since, apart from the City Council approving an extension of the development agreement between the city and mall property owners in 2024, and a Danville-based real-estate company purchasing the former Nordstrom building and a large surface parking lot earlier this year.
Kruttiventi said the City Council needs to do more to get the mall owners together and present an update on the redevelopment plans because, if the site is developed, it could result in more housing for younger people, new entertainment and restaurants that will all generate revenue for the city.
More importantly, he said, it would give a reason for people — not just Pleasanton residents — to go to the mall, which he said has lost its appeal over the years.
“Stoneridge, unfortunately, has turned into a flea market,” Kruttiventi said, referring to the departure of a lot of major stores. “I really want to see that … succeed because that used to be an economic engine.”
Kruttiventi also said it was important to address the vacancies at the Hacienda Business Park and in downtown Pleasanton by working with business leaders in the community to bring regional offices to the area, as well as by working to promote existing businesses.
Kruttiventi said those are all tied to his larger goal for Pleasanton, which is boosting its existing economic drivers in the business sector to address the city’s ongoing structural budget deficit. He cited that as his No. 1 priority.
He said he is a reluctant supporter of Measure HH, the city’s proposed hotel tax rate increase measure on the ballot this November, noting that bringing in more businesses and major companies and building more housing for various income levels should be the city’s main focus as it seeks to solve its ongoing economic woes. Pleasanton continues to project an approximate $10 million deficit annually over the next several years and previously estimated about $63 million in General Fund needs to maintain its assets.
“We should be looking at the big picture,” Kruttiventi said. “We should be focused on the only thing that matters to us: increase our revenue base.”
He said if the city does not make that a top priority, it will end up like other cities that have gone bankrupt.
He said his fresh perspective would be an asset to the council.
“Experience got us here. It’s the qualifications that’s going to take us from this point to where we want to be,” Kruttiventi said. “Term limits are there for a reason and I am that fresh ideas candidate who’s going to stand up and deliver for you.”
However, Narum said it’s her extensive experience in civic affairs that makes her the best candidate for the seat. She previously sat on the council from 2013 to 2022; city law prevents council members from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms. She was appointed to fill an interim vacancy on the Zone 7 Water Agency board of directors in 2023 and then won a full four-year term in the November 2024 election.
Narum said she knows what the job entails and what it will take to address the city’s many challenges.
“Throughout my service, I’ve brought my engineering background and family business know-how to the conversation to better drive results for all of us,” Narum said. “I understand what it takes to balance budgets, negotiate contracts and manage employees while dealing with all the ways that government can be both helpful and burdensome.”
Narum mostly shared similar views to Kruttiventi on building more entry-level and affordable housing; addressing the Stoneridge redevelopment delays; and making it easier for businesses to open in Pleasanton.
For Stoneridge, Narum said apart from pushing mall owners to mobilize on redevelopment efforts, she wanted to see more studies about what kind of shops people would really like at the mall.
On economic development, Narum said the Hacienda Business Park vacancy rate is going down as park and business leaders continue cold calling prospective tenants. She also credited the city for beefing up its Community and Economic Development Department with a new assistant director.
She expressed a more positive outlook on Measure HH, saying that while the revenue won’t be a lot, the $2.8 million annually that the tax would generate by the end of 2028 is a good start toward addressing the city’s budget challenges. She also said that the hotel tax, if approved, is just one of many new revenue streams that have not been included in the budget deficit projections.
Both Kruttiventi and Narum agreed that, when it comes to public safety, the city needs to take a look at the number of first responders available as Pleasanton continues to grow.
During her closing remarks, Narum listed a slew of local first-responder unions, city leaders and state politicians, including Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton), who have endorsed her because of what they know she will bring to the dais.
“They endorsed me for District 1 because they trust me to be an accessible, serious and focused leader,” Narum said. “One who will help bring our community together to solve these problems, not play the blame game.”
When asked about Measure HH, Narum said that while it won’t be a lot, the $2.8 million at the end of 2028 and beyond that the hotel tax increase is projected to generate is a good start when it comes to addressing the city’s budget challenges. She also said that the hotel tax, if approved, is just one of many new revenue streams that have not been included in the budget deficit projections.
During her closing remarks, she listed a slew of local first responder unions, city leaders and state politicians, like Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton), who have endorsed her because of what they know she will bring to the dais.
“They endorsed me for District 1 because they trust me to be an accessible, serious and focused leader,” Narum said during the forum. “One who will help bring our community together to solve these problems, not play the blame game.”
She also added that she has no aspirations for higher political office. Kruttiventi in 2024 ran unsuccessfully for the Tri-Valley’s Congressional District 14 and finished third in the June primary for Congressional District 13 in the San Joaquin Valley.
A video of the forum can be found on the Pleasanton Weekly’s YouTube page.
