Jim's Sunnyvale Blog | Former Sunnyvale Mayor Jim Griffith

2/1/2013 Study and Budget Issues Workshop Summary

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Jim Griffith

And another annual Study/Budget Issues Workshop comes to an end.

We started with brief comments by the City Manager, which was followed by a presentation by the Finance Department on our fiscal outlook. There wasn’t much presented that we haven’t heard or I haven’t blogged about in recent months. The message was basically that we’re in a very solid fiscal position, better than most, but that position depends on sticking to the plan, containing costs, continuing to aggressively attack our unfunded liabilities, and ensuring that future labor contracts hold to the assumptions currently built into the 20-year forecast.

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2/12/2013 Council Summary

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Jim Griffith

We started the evening with a study session regarding a comprehensive revision of Sunnyvale’s sign code, and it was surprisingly interesting. Business signage is a complicated topic, involving economic, aesthetic, and public safety concerns, and it was obvious that our staff has done a pretty thorough job considering the topic, particularly given the various complaints we’ve had from businesses over the past several years. There were many aspects that staff raised which we weren’t expecting at all. It will be interesting to see what specific revisions come back to us in the future.

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Nissan Opens Sunnyvale R&D Facility

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Jim Griffith

Bloomberg is reporting that Nissan Motor Corporation is opening a research and development facility in Sunnyvale, to focus on self-driving and internet-connected automobile technology. The story is also being carried by NBC Bay Area and others. Welcome to Sunnyvale, Nissan!

Sunnyvale Memorabilia In Herhold’s Contest

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Jim Griffith

Mercury News columnist Scott Herhold is running a political memorabilia contest, which features unusual or historically noteworthy memorabilia from past political races. One of the entrants in the “Most Historic/Rare” category is for the 1912 election of Ida Trubschenck as Sunnyvale City Clerk (which was an elected position at that time). Mrs. Trubschenck used campaign business cards to tout her election, and she wrote a coffee cake recipe on the back of each one.

I would never be so gauche as to suggest that people should vote for the Sunnyvale contest entry. Instead, I’ll encourage you to visit Herhold’s voting page and make up your own mind.

SV Real Estate – “Sunnyvale Is The Big Story”

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Jim Griffith

Colliers International has issued its annual report on the Silicon Valley commercial real estate market, and the forecast highlights the “sizzling” commercial real estate market, and the demand for office space that predominates Silicon Valley. Most notable is the following statement:

“The Sunnyvale office market continues to be the big story, first capturing headlines with a record-setting 2011 and following that up with another stellar year,” Colliers stated in its report. “Big deals continue to be the story in Sunnyvale.”

Besides Apple and Google, Juniper Networks and Lab 126 will occupy buildings this year that are being prepared for them, according to Colliers.