THE MAYOR

foreign across the bay from San Francisco the city of San Leandro California the United States has more than 18 thousand cities ranging in size from 500 to over 8 million about 74 000 people live in San Leandro every city has its own form of local government and it has a leader in San Leandro the leader mayor Jack D maltester [Music] thank you usually the residents of a city see their mayor only at public events like parades to be a good leader the mayor needs to appear in public to win the confidence and friendship of the people as a representative of all the people in San Leandro the mayor has to be a good public speaker there's anything that can make us happier than having a new industry come to San Leandro the one thing that we'll do it is to have a large industry expand in our community but there's more to being mayor than parades and speeches and popularity well he it sounds all right to him it's a question of the tenant whether the tenant would agree to it but I told you as the elected leader of San Leandro mayor maltester must be sure that every Department of city government is doing a good job of serving the people he meets with department heads like the police chief the fire chief we will have to arrange to divert all fire equipment down estadillo the mayor called this meeting because of a problem with downtown traffic he wants to be sure that fire trucks will be able to move through the streets quickly when they are needed because the mayor and his Chiefs have worked out a plan for clearing the streets the firemen and their equipment arrive on time peace officer arrives also ready to meet any emergency according to the plans worked out in the mayor's office each City department has its special job and the mayor is held responsible for all of them every morning trucks and Equipment of various City departments roll out of the city yard the Department of Public Works keeps the city clean and in good repair street lights are checked and serviced at regular intervals to help make the city safe at night every day there are at least six Street repair jobs going on at the same time in one place a crew repairs a bumpy street with asphalt in another place gravel is being used to take out a dip at a railroad crossing this man is the supervisor of the Department of Public Works each department needs leaders to make sure every job is done properly San Leandro has 18 parks they need to be cared for too well you better take a little more off the top Parks director looks after his Cruise mowing the grass planting new trees and shrubs it takes 365 people working full time to serve the city but the work that each person does is the responsibility of one man the mayor he seeks advice from experts but must make his own decisions that's why it's important for the people to elect the right person as their mayor the fast trains is the way to move people so that somebody else can use a fast train to get to work the mayor is discussing the new transit system which will soon be built through San Leandro this means that roads and buildings will have to be moved to make way for the new trains and tracks here and take out many more homes than we had before this kind of like most cities San Leandro has too many cars on its streets and highways one way to cut down the number of cars being used is to give the people another method of transportation this is a test track soon trains will be moving through the city of San Leandro connecting it to other cities people will be able to ride these fast trains to go to neighboring cities they will use public trains instead of private Automobiles and this will help solve traffic problems but it means change these houses have to be moved out to make room for the trains the tracks and a new station for the people who live here I I don't see why they just could have took someone else's house they just had to take ours what do you see honey this is where the rapid transit station is going to be and they just they had to take the homes in here I live here it's not nice we know it it's hard isn't it the decision to move these houses and make room for the new trains was approved many months ago by the mayor and the city council this is the city council this is where the laws for San Leandro are made six councilmen each elected from a different part of the city and the mayor elected by the entire city each man including the mayor has one vote the mayor is the chairman to order continue the discussion is there anyone else would like to speak in opposition to the proposed rezoning Mr Mayor members of the consul my name is Edward cardan and I live at 662 civil Avenue now I'm speaking for most of the Neighbors in our area in the radius all Council meetings are open to the public neither is a new problem it's not as big a problem as Moving 80 homes but to one small neighborhood it's very important this is the problem the owners of this corner want to build a gas station here but it's against the city's zoning law according to the law this is a residential area reserved for private homes how does a city solve a problem like this people Give opinions we believe that the property is ideally suited for a service station the council and the mayor will listen to everyone and then decide whether or not to allow the gas station to be built my interest in this matter is that I have a little preschool child one of a great many youngsters who go back and forth at that particular Corner putting a service station there I feel would increase the hazards for our children many of the people who like to live next to a gas station get themselves a lot next door and build a house on it I don't want to live next door to one thank you thank you thank you [Applause] in the last 17 years not one not one single family residence has been constructed in this area talk about short-sighted planning and lack of Courage by City fathers and a city planning staff which insists that this is what Bancroft Avenue needs if you continue to impose the restrictions which are forcing its deterioration then gentlemen I say to you and I say to all here present tonight that you will have a color change in that area and I don't mean on the map thank you for your kind attention I don't know if you ever taken a lesson any place in some public relations and how to sell things sir but let me tell you something for this city government we don't accept threats from you or anybody else thank you now let me tell you something wow enough I let you talk over us I let you talk I gave you a full leeway here tonight I listen to everybody on our city insulting now you sit down we'll give somebody else a chance to talk I like his address I want his address I live at 606 Elsie Avenue San Leandro thank you thank you anyone else wish to speak esperoco now the vote and I vote will uphold the zoning law and be against the gas station all right Swift I can't I promise hi Taylor hi and I will vote I on the motion to uphold the Planning Commission seven eyes and no-nos so the Planning Commission is uphill there will be no gas station on that corner the mayor of every city large or small carries a heavy burden of responsibility nearly nine out of every 10 people in the United States live in cities so decisions Mayors make affect the lives of almost everybody the mayor is a public figure but he has his private life too why is a man willing to give up some of his privacy to take on the job of being mayor the question was asked of Mayor maltester and this was his reply well it was for the youngsters all the youngsters including my own grandchildren I can help make Stanley into a better place to live well what more could a person want no man can be sure of the future but the mayor does the best he can to make his City a better place in which to live [Music] all right