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Name: Jennifer Wall
Age: 46
Occupation: Attorney
Years residing in the district or city: 12 years
Key endorsements: Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Vice Mayor Ned Fluet, Woodside
Elementary School Board Member Jenny Hayden, San Mateo County Supervisor Ray
Mueller
Campaign website: jenniferwall.org
Questions:
1.What makes you the best candidate and what relevant experience do you
bring?
I have been an active volunteer in Woodside for many years and feel very connected to
the community. I started out as a member of the Woodside School Foundation and was active for years in helping to raise money for Woodside Elementary. Inspired by the Safe Routes to School initiative, I joined Woodside’s Circulation Committee and
advocated for safe paths around town for our kids to walk and bike to school. I then joined the Planning Commission followed by the Town Council in 2020. Serving Woodside and District 1 residents as a council member and now as mayor has been a privilege and an honor.
2. What would be your top three priorities as a council member?
In my next four years on the Council, I’m looking forward to (1) advancing the Town
Center Plan project; (2) improving infrastructure along with fire resilience and
preparedness for natural disasters; and (3) improving town building and planning
processes, including in the implementation of the current housing element and planning for future cycles.
3. Where do you stand on the divided views of keeping Woodside rural versus
adapting to change?
I do not see this as binary. Woodside can maintain its rural look and feel while also
adapting to change. Adapting to change is a part of life and necessary for a healthy
town. In my next four years on the council, I plan to focus on town infrastructure
improvements, fire safety, Safe Routes to School, and the Town Center Plan initiative. All these programs will help keep Woodside a beautiful and desirable place to live while also evolving the community to meet the needs of residents.
4. The housing element has been a point of contention among those in town.
Do you believe the proposed housing element projects are the best
options?
The process of coming up with a housing element this cycle was very difficult on a
number of dimensions. This cycle marks the first time that Woodside has needed to
rezone for multi-family housing in order to meet its Regional Housing Needs
Assessment (RHNA). While not perfect, I think the housing element that was approved by the Town Council in July achieves the goal of complying with state law with the least impact on the character and feel of Woodside as possible. Shifting to implementation of the housing element, I will make sure the town balances development and housing element compliance with a focus on emergency preparedness and fire safety.
5. How will you ensure that the town is prepared for wildfires, landslides and
other natural disasters?
Making sure our town is as prepared as possible to handle wildfires, landslides and
other natural disasters, like flooding, is at the top of my mind and extremely important. In 2023, our Town dealt with unprecedented rain and flooding, which resulted in significant damage to property and a year-long Highway 84 repair. Having served as vice mayor during the 2023 storms, I know that being prepared for natural disasters is a team effort that requires close coordination and relationship building among town staff, local agencies, the state of California and residents. I will ensure our town continues to budget for infrastructure improvements and programs that help with preparedness. For example, the Town Council recently approved plans for Hazardous Tree Removal, a project supported by FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. More projects like this will get my full support.
6. In May, the town considered paying council members. Do you think paying
council members will increase accountability and responsibility?
Yes, I think paying council members even a nominal amount can help increase accountability and responsibility. I also think it can help encourage more people to run for office, thereby increasing diversity on the council. For Woodside, a small salary to offset the costs of serving (both time and financial costs, like paying for childcare during meetings) could help attract qualified and diverse candidates, which is a net positive for the town.
7. What are the biggest challenges the town is facing that you’d like to
address?
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, I’d like to see the town continue to face challenges thoughtfully and from a position of fiscal strength and responsibility. We are well positioned to handle the challenges coming down the pipeline, which from my perspective include: (i) creating and executing on a Town Center Plan; (ii) completing the RHNA Cycle 6 housing element and planning for future cycles; and (iii) ensuring fire resiliency and infrastructure improvements, like drainage, that meet the needs of the community.
8. How will you make sure that the thoughts and concerns of town residents
are heard and considered?
One of my priorities as mayor in 2024 was to improve town communication with residents so that the community was better heard and their concerns addressed. We’ve made significant progress and I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback on the improvements. This year the town updated the town website, converted to a .gov domain and began a monthly e-newsletter. With the launch of the town’s new website, residents can subscribe to receive Town Council and Volunteer Committee meeting agendas, calendar events, and town announcements. Information about what is happening is now more readily available and accessible, which allows residents more opportunity to raise concerns, offer feedback and engage with their representatives.
9. What actions can the town take to control speeding on windy roads?
It’s important to consider the specific characteristics of a road when thinking about what measures are needed to control speeding. There are lots of potential options, including: physical barriers that can slow speeding and make it more difficult for drivers to speed (like speed bumps); electronic speed monitoring; bike lanes; road markings that indicate speed limit, road conditions and other important information; and public awareness campaigns that educate drivers about the dangers of speeding and the important of sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists. In Woodside, we’ve used all of these tools at different times to ensure our roads are safe for cars, pedestrians and cyclists. Finally, ongoing cooperation with our law enforcement partners, like the San Mateo County sheriff and California Highway Patrol, is essential.
