The Island’s CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name FRANK MATARRESE

Age 55

Occupation Alameda Councilmember/Business Owner (see www.gxpbase.com)

Relevant experience

Two terms served on the Alameda City Council

City Council-AUSD Liaison Committee
City Council-AC Transit Liaison Committee
Planning Board member, City of Alameda
Economic Development Commission member/Chair
Chair, Economic Development Strategic Plan Task Force
Business owner (Chamber of Commerce member business)

Why are you running for this office?

I have been a Councilmember for the past eight years and I want to continue using my civic
experience and business expertise to keep Alameda the great city we all enjoy.

Why should we vote for you?

I believe that my experience and expertise along with the active approach that I offer are
essential for these uncertain times.

My approach on the Council has been to take initiative and to be accessible to residents. I
don't wait for people to come to me; instead, I am active in reaching out to the community. I
am the only Councilmember to hold monthly town hall meetings to listen and keep residents
informed.

This outreach has helped me launch initiatives through Council referral seeking traffic
solutions, working with our schools, growing business and addressing the City’s long term
financial stability.

I will continue this approach as Mayor and will always lead and be accessible to residents.

What do you feel are the roles and responsibilities of the office you’re seeking?

My responsibility as Mayor is to reach out and stay in touch with the community,
and to lead the Council in coming to decisions that do the most good for most
Alamedans.

What do you think is the most pressing issue you would face if elected and what would
you do to address it?
The most pressing issue for Alameda is to maintain public safety and other essential city
services within budget. This includes supporting and sharing our limited resources to
ensure that vital institutions like our schools remain high quality assets for Alameda.

What do you think needs to be done with Alameda Point – and what steps would you take
to make that happen?

The City has a great opportunity to assume local control and direct development at
Alameda Point. I propose that job creation and clean, light industrial development
should be primary re-use goals. They are in the best interests of Alameda because
they answer the concerns of our neighbors and build a sustainable future for our
City’s economy.

To meet this goal, the implementation of the new leasing polices which I requested
in the last few months should be finalized. The new policies will attract new
businesses, increase investment in historic buildings by current and new tenants,
and further the success of our business community currently located at Alameda
Point.

I propose that we review the current Housing Element, including Alameda’s

Regional Housing Needs Assessment. We need to set a target for the number of new
residential units in Alameda that is based on the housing/jobs balance and meets
City housing policy requirements.

I will work directly with the Navy, the Veterans Administration, the State Tidelands
Trust and the Bay Area Congressional delegation regarding next steps, placing
regional job creation as a top priority. Partnering with the VA on any infrastructure
that they need to put in place is a great way to share resources and add value to land
which is destined for transfer to the City.

There are a number of ways to meet these goals. As an alternative to having a

Master Developer, I am requesting the Council/ARRA to evaluate an approach that
uses a non-profit local development corporation, chartered and mandated by the
City of Alameda, to establish the specific plan for Alameda Point based on
community input.

In these challenging times, there are many reasons to feel uncertainty, but there is
also great opportunity. We have a chance to re-use the Base for the benefit of
Alameda and the region.

What steps would you take to bolster Alameda’s economic base?

Our economic base has been too dependent on residential property transactions and
taxes. We must increase our industrial base. At my initiative, we have already re-
tooled our tidelands trust and Alameda Point leasing policies. Now they must be
effectively implemented. We have to build on the recent successes at Harbor Bay
Business Park, taking the lessons learned there and applying them to
underperforming areas like Marina Village Business Park.

Foreign Trade Zones and tax incentives (such as were applied to the VF Outdoor
project at Harbor Bay) are but two examples of tools that can and should be applied
to these efforts.

Finally, it’s important to keep our school system excellent, our hospital open and
our city in good repair in order to preserve our tax basis.

Questions have been raised about whether the city is transparent enough in conducting its
business. Do you think this is an issue and if so, what do you see as being specific
problems and how would you seek to resolve them?

I will continue to hold my town hall meetings as an effective means of ensuring

transparent government. There is always room for improvement in making city
government transparent to residents. Upgrading the city website, council video
transmission and notification processes will go a long way in making sure there is
clear communication. Increasing the number of City meetings held out in the
community is also worthwhile. Outreach to non-English speaking residents,
including a significant Asian population, with translated material will provide
added clarity to the workings of City government. Finally, new or revised City
ordinances defining standards for openness will ensure greater transparency and
facilitate broader participation.

Pensions and retiree health benefits will be a huge financial issue for the city. How would
you address it?

Reaching agreements with City employee representatives to control the escalating

cost of City paid benefits, particularly health care and retirement benefits, is critical
to the future of the City. The City cannot sustain its current path and remain
solvent. As Mayor, I will first work to inform residents and all others involved about
our current financial state and future expenses. I will work to make it City
Management's top priority to negotiate agreements on these benefits that are
reasonable for both the employee and the city.
Would you seek to preserve Measure A or amend it and if you’d amend it, under what
circumstances would you do so?

For more than three decades, Measure A played a significant role in halting the
destruction of Victorian homes and any amendment would be a vote of the
electorate. With good ordinances and codes enacted over past few years, we have
been able to maintain Alameda’s historic buildings which, though one of the
intentions of Measure, is not a direct protection under this article of our Charter.
Given these protections for historic buildings, should a project that is worthy and of
great benefit to the City comes up, I would be willing to seek voter approval for
appropriate modification of Article XXVI of the City Charter. Such a project would
have to be consistent with General Plan principles, applicable specific plans and
other City policies, and provide significant benefits to the City as a whole.

How are you financing your campaign and to whom are you reaching out for money?

My campaign is funded broadly, with contributions from friends, neighbors,

political supporters and building and trade union members.