How old are you?

I was born on August 15th, 1987. Go Mustangs class of 05! I was 33 when I was elected to City Council in 2020. Simply add however many years it has been since 2020 to 33.

Are you the crow lady?

Admittedly, yes. I assume you’re referring to the time when I introduced a study issue directing city staff to investigate potential ways to humanely mitigate nuisance bird populations (including the large number of crows downtown) and it somehow made national news. I maintain that there are way worse things to go viral over. And no, we are not in trouble with the FAA for the green laser pointers. And yes, the study issue was given the green light and is currently in progress as of May 2022. But this is just one of many issues I’ve taken up on council! I hope that this story continues to spark interest in local government.

You have a teenager?!?!?!?!

I do! I had her when I was 19. Now that we are the same height, the fact that I had her when I was very young is a lot more noticeable. She is an introvert, so you probably won’t see her with me at a lot of events or city functions. But she is kind, studious, and funny. I am blessed to have her in my life.

Are you going to run for reelection or higher office?

I really enjoy the work I do as an elected official. I am more concerned with how I can make the greatest positive difference in my community than I am in collecting titles. I am focused on serving District 2 and the City of Sunnyvale, and I don’t see myself seeking any other office imminently. I will keep my community apprised of any decisions I make.

Is Murphy Avenue going to stay closed to cars forever?

We’re trying to figure that out. City staff is looking at this from all angles to anticipate any potential issues for businesses, visitors, or the way we maintain the space. We recently did a survey to find out how many of you would actually want to see it become a pedestrian and outdoor dining only street. Over 90% of you love it, so we’re definitely taking that into consideration. Watch this space for updates as this comes back to council for a final vote.

I need to ask the city for something, what do I do?

Figuring out how to navigate an organization as complex as a city government can be intimidating, but we try to make it as approachable and straightforward as possible. I teach political science, and that means I have a lot of experience explaining how government works. I felt like I should take a stab at writing an easy to navigate crash course on how the city works, how to get information, ask a question or tell us what you think about anything at all. Click here to go to my guide to Sunnyvale city government.