History Happening Now
Editors Note : This special “ History Happening Now ” column inaugurates a new MVHA newsletter tradition : offering Mountain View ’ s out-going mayor the opportunity to write a column refl ecting on the past year so that our members , and future generations reading archival copies of this newsletter , can learn from their unique perspective on recent history . We thank Councilmember Ellen Kamei ( Mountain View ’ s mayor in 2021 ) for agreeing to become the fi rst mayor to write this guest column !
Mayoral Re�lections on 2021
By Ellen Kamei Mountain View Councilmember & 2021 Mayor
The end of the year is often a time of re�lection — a time to look back and take stock of the past while also looking ahead to the exciting possibilities of the future . I am honored to write the �irst guest mayoral column re�lecting on the past year .
For me , 2021 captured the City of Mountain View ’ s spirit of # TogetherMV . Our community ’ s perseverance , resilience , and compassion were unprecedented through our COVID-19 relief efforts , virtual programming , and essential services .
My goals as Mayor focused heavily on getting the City out of the pandemic with a smooth recovery , including signi�icant efforts to keep people housed and small businesses from shutting down . My top priority was navigating the city and community through the pandemic and prioritizing recovery efforts like the partnership with the County of Santa Clara in providing a �irst-of-its-kind appointment only mass vaccination site at the Mountain View Community Center . To foster economic vitality , the City established the Small Business Action Plan and partnered with the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce to launch a buy local campaign called , Shop Safe , Shop Local to establish a Mountain View Marketplace .
This year also marked the �irst time the City used an “ equity lens ,” which I championed , to identify whether any budget adjustments might bene�it or impact communities of color and / or low-income residents as part of the City ’ s Race , Equity , and Inclusion Action Plan . This effort reaf�irms Mountain View as a “ Community for All .” Our community rallied together against the rise of racism and xenophobia towards the Asian American and Paci�ic Islander ( AAPI ) community due to the ongoing pandemic and joined the Santa Clara County Hate Crime Taskforce efforts .
Photos courtesy Councilmember Ellen Kamei
Housing opportunities remained of top importance . The City sought forward-thinking partnerships and regional collaboration . In a mere six months , the City was able to complete LifeMoves Mountain View , an interim housing community , a recipient of the State ’ s Homekey funds . As Mayor , I was honored to welcome Governor Gavin Newsom on his visit to the City to showcase Mountain View ’ s efforts to tackle homelessness through bold , innovative actions during the pandemic .
The Federal Government ’ s American Rescue Plan afforded the City Council to support three new COVID-19 Relief Programs : $ 1M for a Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot known as ElevateMV , $ 1M for the Mountain View Solidarity Fund / Mountain View Fondo de Solidaridad in partnership with the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation , and $ 1M for the Community Services Agency ( CSA ) of Mountain View Los Altos .
Bright spots in the pandemic were plentiful . Many of us enjoyed the closure of Castro street with the “ Castro StrEATS ” and “ Outdoor Mountain View ” programs . We also continued a hybrid model of our Spanish Language Civic Leadership Academy . Due to its popularity , a Chinese ( Mandarin ) Language Civic Leadership Academy will launch in spring 2022 . The expansion of our leadership academy has been a passion of mine since �irst joining the City Council as a way for our diverse residents to learn more about the City . Some recent Academy graduates have gone on to be appointed by the City Council to serve on advisory bodies and committees , of which we now have twelve , including the Public Safety Advisory Board .
I value the voice of our youngest residents . The City of Mountain View hosted an inaugural “ Mayor for A Day Contest ” for our elementary and middle school students , which I spearheaded . The awardees , just like our City , staff , and residents , chose optimism and hope for our community .
Though not a traditional Mayoral year , my fondest memories were the opportunities to reunite and reconnect with residents during our Outdoor Movie Series , Summer Park Pop-ups , and Community Tree Lighting . It felt wonderful to see smiling eyes behind our masks and the ability to continue to serve our City . It was an honor to serve my hometown and I am thankful for our community ’ s # TogetherMV spirit .
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