Deane Little resigns from MROSD board of directors

Deane Little, who has represented Mountain View and Los Altos on the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Open Space District since 1998, last night announced that he will resign his seat, effective Friday, August 11, 2006, in order to move to Colorado to pursue new professional opportunities and to be closer to his family and his parents who are in their eighties.

"I love what the District has done to preserve our beautiful coastal mountain landscapes, and I’m honored to have served with all of you and the District staff,"  Little wrote in a letter to the Board.  "You should all be proud of what we have accomplished in recent years."

A biologist by training, Little is a passionate advocate for the preservation of California’s wild lands, which he sees as the most important legacy that his generation can leave to future generations.  As a Board member, Little promoted the growth of native plants, preserving wildlife, and controlling or removing non-native species on open space lands.

Because Director Little made his decision to move to Colorado only in recent weeks, his seat cannot be filled at the next regularly scheduled election in November 2006. Little would have had to resign by late June 2006 in order for the Board to have been able to call a November election for his seat.  Therefore, the other six Board members will soon consider whether to hold a special election, at a District cost of about $800,000, for the remainder of Little’s term, which expires in November 2008, or whether to appoint a replacement for the next two years.

The Board is expected to address this matter at their August 23, 2006 Board meeting.