August 4, 2005

Councilwoman Nancy Pyle barely misses London subway bombings

Gives overview of her office’s projects and goals for remainder of year

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

On July 7, Councilwoman Nancy Pyle’s airplane was just lifting off from London en route to Istanbul when the pilot announced over the intercom that a bomb had exploded through the subway killing several people.

Pyle, accompanied by her husband, Roger, tried to relax during her trip to Turkey, but it was difficult. She was thinking about the threat the world faces from Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

After arriving in Istanbul and staying there for two days, Pyle boarded a ship, which sailed to the Greek Islands, returning to London for a day and a half. Pyle rode the subway with her husband defying the national sense of alarm shared by most Britons.

“British officials had security everywhere. In addition to those security measures, metro riders were very aware of their surroundings,” Pyle said. “Part of the metro riders getting back on the train was a message to the terrorists that they weren’t giving in.”

Her vacation coincided with the council’s July furlough. She returned home July 26.

After spending nearly 70 hours a week studying the city’s complicated budget document and participating in painstaking budget sessions, Pyle was ready for a rest, urged on by her new and energetic chief of staff, Lee Wilcox.

Security at City Hall
Comments about the London bomb attack turned Pyle’s attention to security measures at the new city hall complex to prevent any terrorist acts. She showed a city-issued employee identification badge, which allows her to enter her office with the help of electronic chips. Visitors must wait outside securely locked doors on the tower north end. Employees wanting to visit other departments must use special cards to gain access. With the badge, Pyle and her staff members have access to the tower’s 17th and 18th floors, but must be buzzed in to other departments.

“Security was a concern when the building was designed,” said David Vossbrink, the mayor’s spokesman. “We don’t have metal detectors and its something public buildings in every community have to weigh and balance because this is a place that must be convenient and accessible.”

During a meeting this week with the Almaden Times Weekly, Pyle offered a tour of her office, which her staff moved to on July 18. After entering the council offices through the tower’s north end, one must walk down a long hallway passing the other nine city council offices and their staffs to get to the District 10 office, which is right next to San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales’ office.

Each council office is the same size and has breathtaking panoramic views of the city. Each district has a stretch of office space that traverses the building. Pyle’s window looks out to the west over the downtown area. Her staff members—responsible for communications, community outreach and policy—work in cubicles immediately located outside of her office. Wilcox also enjoys beautiful vistas from the tower’s east side.

E-newsletter
Pyle said she is ready to launch a monthly electronic newsletter this month, which will be mailed to all the presidents of the valley’s neighborhood associations and those included in her e-mail list. The document will then be e-mailed to the associations’ e-mail subscribers.

The newsletter will also be sent to anyone visiting her Web site who signs up to receive it.

Associations’ retreat
Pyle is planning to hold a meeting of Almaden and Blossom Valley community associations and neighborhood group leaders to introduce to them their congressional and state legislative leaders. Plans are to convene them in November and give them surveys on the city budget to offer them a chance to tell her what their top priorities are.

The afternoon of July 1, Assemblyman Ira Ruskin went on a tour of the district accompanied by Pyle, Wilcox and Rep. Mike Honda’s District Director Meri Maben. The councilwoman showed Ruskin the new Almaden Branch Library and community center under construction, possible developments in the valley and other community landmarks.

“We all have the same goals and desires as far as doing the best for families, friends and the community,” Pyle said. “Working together is going to make us that more powerful as a group.”

Office hours
Pyle is also working out the format for district office hours, which could be twice a month in a set community location for about three hours. Since the library is not open yet, she’s trying to figure out where that will be. A possibility is the Almaden Winery Neighborhood Center. The meetings with the councilwoman could include brown bag lunches with different speakers or walks along the valley’s trails. Pyle’s staff is also planning to be a presence at several community festivals such as the Almaden Valley Arts and Wine Festival, which her office is helping to sponsor.

Record keeping
John Bjurman, the city’s new chief information officer, is also looking at ways to help all council members archive documentation related to issues affecting their district.

Pyle has complained that former Vice Mayor Pat Dando removed files and documents upon leaving office making it difficult for her staff to come up to speed on issues affecting the district. However, according to Pyle, she discovered that it has been status quo for years when one city council member leaves to clear out their offices for incoming council members. “Unfortunately,” she said, “what happened to me happened to every other council member.”

Pyle hopes to encourage a change in policy to help share information. “We have a brand new building and if we can find a new exciting way to make sure we continue some kind of legacy of reference to information that the public owns that would make sense to me.”

Pyle will be attending the first council meeting at the new City Hall at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 9, at 200 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, Calif., 95113. Her new district office phone number is (408) 535-4910. To reach a specific program, department or staff person, call the city’s customer service call center at (408) 535-3500.