Residents urge council to preserve small town feel.
A Santa Clara County fire engine is parked at Town Plaza Park in Los Gatos at National Night Out in 2024. The Los Gatos Town Council this month made emergency preparedness one of its top priorities for the next fiscal year.
Emergency preparedness and financial management are among Los Gatos’s top priorities for the next fiscal year.
Town Council held a special meeting on Feb. 11 to assess its progress in meeting its mission and core goals, and discussed which priorities should change based on their assessment. Their discussion at the February meeting will also guide potential budget adjustments to align the town’s resources with its priorities.
Council members largely agreed that emergency preparedness, financial management, land use and ensuring that Los Gatos is a welcoming community were among their top priorities for the year – some citing recent news like the wildfires in Southern California and President Donald Trump’s election in their reasoning.
Council members disagreed on the phrasing for the latter priority, with some wanting to clarify that the language applies to people of “all identities.” But they ultimately voted unanimously to phrase it as ensuring that “all residents and visitors feel a sense of belonging in Los Gatos, maintaining and enhancing the town as a welcoming, family oriented, safe and inclusive community.”
“The point of this for me is that the federal government and many people in our community are coming after certain people in our community. The federal government has now said many people who belong to the LGBTQ community do not exist,” said council member Rob Moore, who ultimately voted in favor of the final wording. “I think that calling out, using the word identities, says specifically that we are supporting people of all identities.”
Their discussion came almost a year after the town council met in 2024 to set its two-year strategic priorities: prudent financial management, safety, quality of life, and traffic and transportation. In all, council listed 12 priorities under the five strategic priorities they approved last February.
Several members of the public spoke in person and remotely about what the town should focus on. They largely urged the council to prioritize maintaining Los Gatos’s small town feel despite large housing developments headed for approval and to focus on emergency preparedness and wildfire safety.
“I hope that moving forward, the town government does not stray from but rather respects the ideology that protects Los Gatos’s character as it has existed for decades,” said resident Rich Stevens. “Please don’t forget we are not a city; we are the town of Los Gatos.”
Town staff will refine the council’s recommendations, and the council is set to vote on their approval at its next meeting.
Emergency preparedness and financial management are among Los Gatos’s top priorities for the next fiscal year.
Town Council held a special meeting on Feb. 11 to assess its progress in meeting its mission and core goals, and discussed which priorities should change based on their assessment. Their discussion at the February meeting will also guide potential budget adjustments to align the town’s resources with its priorities.
Council members largely agreed that emergency preparedness, financial management, land use and ensuring that Los Gatos is a welcoming community were among their top priorities for the year – some citing recent news like the wildfires in Southern California and President Donald Trump’s election in their reasoning.
Council members disagreed on the phrasing for the latter priority, with some wanting to clarify that the language applies to people of “all identities.” But they ultimately voted unanimously to phrase it as ensuring that “all residents and visitors feel a sense of belonging in Los Gatos, maintaining and enhancing the town as a welcoming, family oriented, safe and inclusive community.”
“The point of this for me is that the federal government and many people in our community are coming after certain people in our community. The federal government has now said many people who belong to the LGBTQ community do not exist,” said council member Rob Moore, who ultimately voted in favor of the final wording. “I think that calling out, using the word identities, says specifically that we are supporting people of all identities.”
Their discussion came almost a year after the town council met in 2024 to set its two-year strategic priorities: prudent financial management, safety, quality of life, and traffic and transportation. In all, council listed 12 priorities under the five strategic priorities they approved last February.
Several members of the public spoke in person and remotely about what the town should focus on. They largely urged the council to prioritize maintaining Los Gatos’s small town feel despite large housing developments headed for approval and to focus on emergency preparedness and wildfire safety.
“I hope that moving forward, the town government does not stray from but rather respects the ideology that protects Los Gatos’s character as it has existed for decades,” said resident Rich Stevens. “Please don’t forget we are not a city; we are the town of Los Gatos.”
Town staff will refine the council’s recommendations, and the council is set to vote on their approval at its next meeting.
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