Coyote Point: Developer's Appeal

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Subject: Coyote Point: Developer's Appeal
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>>> From the tape of the Fair Political Practices Commission hearing:

Galligan: "This came about in January. I attended a function at, um, one of
our subsidiary banks where I saw the owner of a large REIT who was... I asked
somebody who that was. They told me and I said why is he here and he said we
had just, uh, we had financed the property that they bought in Burlingame
and, um, being on an adjoining subsidiary bank did not know that this person
had a loan in Burlingame because it does not cross our desks as far as our
directorship is concerned."

>>> From the San Mateo Times Newspaper
http://www.newschoice.com/newspapers/alameda/smct/default.asp

Burlingame vice mayor questioned on conflict

By M.L. Madison
STAFF WRITER

BURLINGAME -- To vote, or not to vote?

That is the question put before Vice Mayor Joe Galligan, who has been accused
of having a conflict of interest in voting on a proposed commercial office
park at 301 Airport Blvd.

Some residents say that Galligan, a City Council member since 1997, should
not vote on the proposed project since he owns stock in the parent company of
a bank that helped finance the project.

Galligan also received $1,100 in campaign contributions in 1997 from the
developer, Glenborough Partners, its CEO, one of its investors, and one of
its business partnerships.

Last week, the Fair Political Practices Commission in Sacramento voted in
favor of letting Galligan vote on the project.

"Although he (Galligan) has been cleared of any conflict of interest by the
FPPC, it's really about (public) perception," said Burlingame resident Russ
Cohen, who challenged Galligan at a council meeting this week. "If the
citizens of Burlingame perceive that there's a conflict of interest, it would
behoove him to abstain from voting."

Mid-Peninsula Bank helped Glenborough finance the purchase of the property,
which used to house the Burlingame Drive-In Theater and is worth about $15
million, according to county property tax records. Galligan is a shareholder
in Greater Bay Bank, which owns Mid-Peninsula, and is a member of the board
of directors of Peninsula Bank of Commerce, another offshoot of the company.

Galligan maintains that he does not have a conflict. He said it would be
"much easier to duck the issue and not vote" on the project, a 488,000 square
foot office park that the council will study in June.

"In my heart of hearts, I do not (think I have a conflict)," Galligan said.
"I am overly sensitive in reference to making sure that I am independent and
don't have financial interest (in the project). This information was private:
I'm the one who initiated going to the FPPC."

Glenborough's Vice President of Development, Dan Levin, said the
contributions to Galligan's campaign between August and September of 1997
were made before Glenborough entered into an agreement with the option to
purchase the site later that year.

"I'm 99 percent certain that it (the contribution) was before the contract
was signed," Levin said. "You've got to understand that Joe and (Glenborough
CEO) Robert Batinovich have been personal friends for years. My understanding
was that it was simply a contribution that was made because they were
friends. He (Batinovich) likes Joe, and he likes what Joe does."

Galligan, though, said Batinovich was "not on my Christmas list" and that
although he was "a business acquaintance, he's not a personal friend."

He's been the community for years, as I have," Galligan said. "And it's
ridiculous to think I can be bought for $1,100 bucks."

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