[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF DAVE WARDEN

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dave Warden for his twelve 
years of service on the Belmont City Council, including three years as 
mayor in 2002, 2005 and 2012. Dave was first elected in 1999 and served 
two terms until 2007. He returned in 2009 for his current term.
  Dave has been a tireless advocate for open space and was a driving 
force behind voter-approved Measure F, the Hillside Preservation 
Ordinance, and the Slope Density Ordinance. He worked hard on the 
acquisition of 35 acres in the San Juan Canyon which are now permanent 
open space. He was also instrumental in getting the new library built 
and was the council's representative to the library JPA. He also made 
the seismic upgrade of city hall a reality. He supported the smoking 
ordinance and the creation of Semeria Park.
  Dave's top priority has always been to spend Belmont taxpayers' money 
wisely. He was critical in negotiating with the city's bargaining units 
to rein in escalating pension costs. He is well-known for his 
bargaining skills and has helped keep Belmont's budget balanced with a 
minimal use of reserves even in a down economy.
  Before joining the council, he served as the Planning Commissioner 
and Parks and Recreation Commissioner. He is also a former president of 
his neighborhood association and former member of the Belmont Chamber 
of Commerce.
  Dave was born and raised in Belmont and graduated from Carlmont High 
School in 1979. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from 
UC Berkeley and is a medical software engineer. He worked for several 
Silicon Valley start-up firms and developed successful products for 
Sony, Zenith, Samsung, RCA, Casio, Panasonic and the U.S. Navy. He is 
also a former school teacher at Ralston Middle School where he was 
named the PTA Teacher of the Year in 2002.
  He and his wife of 17 years, Lisa, have always had an eye out for 
preserving Belmont's village-like charm and character.
  As you can see from this long list of accomplishments, Dave has a 
love of Belmont that has been demonstrated over many years and in many 
forms. Working in local government is not always the easiest task. You 
often face your neighbors and friends whose expectations are sometimes 
difficult to meet. However, through his tireless efforts, Dave Warden 
has demonstrated that he truly wanted to meet the needs of residents as 
much as was possible given fiscal and other constraints.
  Mr. Speaker, this dedication over time is rare, but his length of 
service and focus on the quality of life in Belmont is why Dave 
Warden's tenure on the council and in so many other capacities will be 
remembered. He will be missed on the council but his legacy will live 
on for many, many years.

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