After eleven people spoke at the June 17 Council meeting in support of Los Gatos raising the Pride Flag, Vice Mayor Rob Moore called for the Council to discuss a flag policy revision to allow the LGBT+ symbol to fly above the Civic Center next year.
One speaker said Los Gatos was one of four cities in Santa Clara County that doesn’t raise the rainbow flag (along with Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Palo Alto).
“A Pride flag is much more than just a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride,” said Sue Ann Lorig, a resident of Los Gatos who was involved in the Los Gatos Stands United Against Hate march in November 2021. “By flying it, it shows that we support LGBTQ+ people, (that) we are here for them, (that) they are safe here.”
Garbed in a Make America Great Again hat, resident and far-right activist Lynley Kerr Hogan—who earlier this year sued Moore and Town Council member Maria Ristow for defamation—voiced a prayer calling for an end to “demonic practices” and a rejection of the “LGBTQ agenda.”
During their meeting, the Town Council also unanimously approved a number of contracts and agreements on consent.
One item was a five-year, $75,000 extension of a consulting deal with West Valley Community Services for the Comprehensive Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP). This program, according to a report in the Council agenda packet, will be used to “prevent eviction, provide rapid housing, and avoid utility shut-offs.”
Council also allocated more than $3.5 million for repairs on Shannon Road, around $255,000 for a software licensing agreement with Microsoft and around $865,000 to Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC over the next five years for maintenance of street lights, traffic signals and other infrastructure.
Councilmember Mary Badame stood opposed to one item on the consent calendar, which allocated almost $2.5 million to the construction of a Highway 17 bicycle and pedestrian bridge. She mentioned a unanimous recommendation from finance commissioners against the project, citing high costs.
Nicolle Burnham, director of parks and public works, noted that the bridge project was the county’s highest-ranked priority project for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and that funding was provided by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) through a Measure B grant.
In passing the item, the town will be accepting the grant but not committing any town funds to the project.
Burnham mentioned that the overall cost of the project would be around $29 million, and according to council agenda reports, staff will be applying for an additional $9.9 million in funding from the Federal Safe Streets For All grant program this year as well as the One Bay Area Grant.
The report indicates that designs are expected to be completed in early 2026, and that the grant funds approved are expected to be used by June 2028.
