Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-21 City Schools Liaison Committee Summary MinutesPage 1 of 11 Special Meeting March 21, 2019 Chairperson Kou called the meeting to order at 8:31 A.M. in the Community Meeting Room, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives Alison Cormack, Council Member Lydia Kou, Council Member (Chair) Chantal Gaines, Assistant to the City Manager, Staff Liaison Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives Todd Collins, Board Vice President Absent: Jennifer DiBrienza, Board President Jim Novak, District Chief Business Officer, Staff Liaison 1. Oral Communications. None. Minutes Approval 2. Approval of Minutes for the February 21, 2019 City/School Liaison Committee Meeting. MOTION: Council Member Cormack moved, seconded by Chair Kou to approve the minutes with the changes outlined in the at-places staff memorandum. MOTION PASSED: 2-0 Collins abstain, DiBrienza absent 3. Superintendent’s Comments and City Manager’s Comments. Karen Hendricks, Deputy Superintendent, reported Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Superintendent Austin was appreciative of City Manager Shikada's time and collaboration regarding the crosswalk between Palo Alto High School and Town & Country Shopping Center. PAUSD was planning a recruitment fair on April 13. The quality of PAUSD Staff had a direct impact on living conditions in the community; therefore, PAUSD was reaching out to find the best and brightest employees. City/School Liaison Committee Special Meeting Final Minutes FINAL MINUTES Page 2 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 Chantal Gaines, Assistant to the City Manager, advised that the Public Works and Transportation teams were considering modifications to make the crosswalk safer for all users. Striping work had been planned and may have been completed. Ms. Hendricks noted the crosswalk funneled people directly into the school campus. 4. City and District Comments and Announcements. Council Member Cormack indicated three Council Members had attended the BEAM Summit. She appreciated seeing students working on projects with the City. The Council approved a draft Sea Level Rise Policy, and Staff will present a detailed plan addressing sea level rise in the next year and a half. Some schools on the eastern side of the Baylands will be affected by sea level rise. Chair Kou inquired regarding the topics displayed during the BEAM Summit. Council Member Cormack related that projects between students and City Staff concerned the Transportation Management Agency (TMA) for California Avenue, a marketing plan for City Boards and Commissions, and surveys to understand the marketing of grade separations. Chair Kou remarked that those were difficult topics. Vice President Collins advised that one of the priorities for the City/School Liaison Committee (Committee) in 2018 was to discuss substantial issues that related to both the City and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Changes to Committee meetings included the attendance of the City Manager and the PAUSD Superintendent and placing substantial items of mutual interest on the Agenda. He wanted to continue the changes as there were many opportunities for the City and PAUSD to serve their joint constituents. He suggested future Committee meetings be rescheduled when three of the assigned participants could not be present. One of the functions of the Committee was to build relationships and institutional knowledge, which was difficult to accomplish when three of the assigned participants were absent. The PAUSD Board of Education (Board) had decided to expand the transitional kindergarten program to Barron Park, Greendell, and Duveneck Elementary Schools, which would substantially increase capacity and remove access barriers for members of the community. The Board and PAUSD Staff were examining safety and security of school sites. Typically, PAUSD school campuses did not have fencing, gates, metal detectors, or security guards. Fencing, limiting the number of hours entrances were open, funneling people through school offices, FINAL MINUTES Page 3 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 installing surveillance cameras were possible options to increase school security. Karen Hendricks, Deputy Superintendent, reported staffing would be reconfigured in order to differentiate positions for risk management, school safety, and emergency preparedness. Changes in job descriptions would be made at the next Board meeting. Council Member Cormack asked if PAUSD Staff was working with the Palo Alto Police Department. Ms. Hendricks answered yes. The Palo Alto Police Department regularly provided support for school practices and was on-call for PAUSD's questions. Council Member Cormack inquired about PAUSD Staff's contact with the Palo Alto Police Department regarding new construction. Ms. Hendricks advised that PAUSD Staff had not spoken with the Police Department about construction, but Staff communicates with them frequently about safety issues and mitigating any safety concerns. Council Member Cormack suggested the Police Department should be involved in security measures from the beginning so that police officers could have access when needed. Ms. Hendricks commented that the Police Department was PAUSD's partner in safety issues and access to school campuses. Vice President Collins indicated he had spoken with the Police Department about emergency drills and school safety measures. Different communities had different comfort levels with different security measures. Determining the community's comfort level was important, and the Police Department had experience with that. Chair Kou commented that the routing of school communications and video feeds was important. Perhaps the Police Department could be invited to the next Board discussion of safety and security. Chair Kou asked if the number of children enrolled in the transitional kindergarten program would increase with the expansion of sites. Ms. Hendricks related that the number of children could increase slightly, but the number of students varied slightly each year. The number of classes would remain the same. FINAL MINUTES Page 4 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 Vice President Collins clarified that transitional kindergarten was a mandatory program; therefore, the number of students depended on the number of children registered for the program. Providing more sites would decrease the number of barriers to children accessing the program. The program was in a position to grow. Ms. Hendricks added that PAUSD Staff had reached out to the community to determine barriers to access. Chair Kou looked forward to making the Committee more relevant and sharing communications so that actions were accomplished. 5. Review of Recent City Council and PAUSD Board Meetings: a. CITY: North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan (NVCAP), School Resource Officers (SROs), and Bike/Scooter Share Pilot Program Update; and b. PAUSD: Update on the PAUSD Promise. Chantal Gaines, Assistant to the City Manager, reported the Council held a Town Hall meeting regarding the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan (NVCAP). After a discussion of issues relevant to the Ventura neighborhood, the Council provided City Staff with direction. The City Council recently approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for School Resource Officers (SRO) with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). The City Council also extended the bike/scooter share pilot program in order to receive applications from interested businesses. Jonathan Lait, Planning and Community Environment Director, advised that City Staff was working with the NVCAP consultants to evaluate policies for inclusionary and workforce housing, displacement of existing residents, the sizes of small offices, and economic value capture. Vice President Collins requested clarification of economic value capture. Mr. Lait explained that economic value capture pertained to the increased development potential within the NVCAP area and how it translated to benefits for the City or for area residents. Benefits were typically provided through a negotiated agreement rather than zoning. Staff intended to return to the City Council in April or May with a response to the Council's direction and estimated costs for additional analyses. A community workshop regarding the NVCAP would be held in the next few months. The Council wanted to explore with the PAUSD Board of Education (Board) the FINAL MINUTES Page 5 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 potential for a school within the NVCAP area given that neither the City nor PAUSD owned real property in the area. Vice President Collins noted the City/School Liaison Committee (Committee) had discussed PAUSD working effectively with the City in the NVCAP process. He inquired whether PAUSD Staff could provide feedback into the process and whether the working group was aware of PAUSD's concerns. Mr. Lait indicated Staff had met with Dr. Novak or one of his designees to receive PAUSD's feedback. Beyond that meeting, he was not aware of a continuing dialog. Vice President Collins had provided information about schools in the area and challenges. Understanding the level of interest and commitment to building a school would be helpful. Vice President Collins felt PAUSD's concerns should be a component of the working group's discussions. If a neighborhood school was not a factor in all discussions, real property would be put to other good uses. The Board had a stated policy for neighborhood schools. He requested the number of homes that could be built in the NVCAP area. Mr. Lait replied approximately 300 units based on the existing zoning. Vice President Collins remarked that the Ventura neighborhood was already underserved with no neighborhood school. New residential development would increase the number of underserved students. School siting should be a high priority in planning the NVCAP area. Council Member Cormack suggested inclusion of schools in planning was broader than the NVCAP working group. The Council anticipated additional residential development in the area along El Camino Real because of the access to transportation. She wanted to understand the enrollment at each school and how it had changed over the past 18 years. A PAUSD representative was welcome to attend NVCAP working group meetings. Chair Kou supported the policy for neighborhood schools so that students did not have to cross major streets, could attend extracurricular activities close to home, and did not have to travel by car to reach schools. In Palo Alto, schools were the center of neighborhoods. She encouraged the City Manager's Office to add a PAUSD representative to the working group. Mr. Lait advised that PAUSD's concerns could be captured even if a PAUSD representative was not a member of the working group. He committed to engaging PAUSD in the NVCAP process and to reporting City Staff's outreach and engagement with PAUSD to the Council. Following the Committee meeting, he would contact Dr. Novak to collaborate on the issue. He FINAL MINUTES Page 6 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 encouraged a PAUSD representative to attend working group and community meetings. His only objective was to craft a Coordinated Area Plan that the community could endorse, and the Council could support. Chair Kou recalled the development at the corner of El Camino Real and Charleston Road resulted in a large number of children that was not anticipated. Other residential developments in the area would add to the school population. Council Member Cormack suggested a future Committee discussion of residential developments in the area around the North Ventura neighborhood. Vice President Collins noted children from developments over the prior 20 years had been included in existing school capacity, and there had been little interest in increasing capacity. Children from developments anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan and Stanford University General Use Permit (GUP) would exceed PAUSD's existing capacity. Schools should not be an afterthought in planning. Institutional mechanisms through which PAUSD and City Staff could collaborate would be valuable. Karen Hendricks, Deputy Superintendent, reported Superintendent Austin had been leading an iterative process for PAUSD Staff to review major commitments to students and actions to fulfill those commitments through a PAUSD Promise. PAUSD Staff acknowledged that they had not sufficiently helped students of some demographic groups. The Promise stated demographics shall not predict the student experience, academic achievement, sense of belonging, inclusion, or post-secondary school options. Vice President Collins added that PAUSD could not call itself a great school district unless it achieved great results for its least-resourced and most- challenged students. Ms. Hendricks indicated PAUSD was well-resourced and had a high level of commitment from the community, parents, and Staff. In the prior year, PAUSD Staff focused on the efficient operation of the various departments to ensure PAUSD had a foundation of stability, efficiency, forward thinking, and compliance. Staff also wanted to ensure there was a focus on creativity and innovation. Staff identified priorities of high-quality teaching and learning, equity and excellence, wellness and safety, special education and inclusion, and PAUSD office operations. PAUSD's Executive Cabinet identified preliminary targets and action steps for each priority. The Board had reviewed The Promise three times. Metrics were an important component of The Promise. Recent presentations to the Board discussed techniques, FINAL MINUTES Page 7 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 strategies, and learning opportunities for demographic groups whose academic standards had not progressed as their peers' standards had progressed. Vice President Collins believed PAUSD Staff was attempting to communicate PAUSD's priorities and progress toward fulfilling the priorities. A big component of The Promise was accountability. PAUSD Staff was anxious to hold themselves accountable and to be held accountable for making progress on the important issues. Ms. Hendricks noted Staff did not have baseline data for some components of The Promise. PAUSD Staff needed to be sure of their starting point. Vice President Collins explained that The Promise was a major internal effort to align Staff's focus with operations. Staff wanted to identify a small number of things that would remain the same for years because the components of a great school system did not change from year to year. The first draft of The Promise was nearing completion. Ms. Hendricks added that the process had been extremely important. In addition, PAUSD Staff was focusing on removing any silo effects within the organization. The more Staff worked together and shared knowledge and practices, the stronger they became in working on behalf of children. Council Member Cormack inquired whether The Promise would be signed by the Superintendent and given to students and their families. Ms. Hendricks indicated Staff was gathering information about the transfer of The Promise to students and parents. Council Member Cormack believed the parents and students needed to know about the promises made to them. There would be opportunities for the City to participate in The Promise. Chair Kou concurred with the City being involved with The Promise. 6. Updates on Ongoing Matters: a. Grade Separation Update; b. Cubberley Master Plan Update; and c. Stanford University General Use Permit (GUP) Update. Chantal Gaines, Assistant to the City Manager, reported the City Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting regarding grade separation. The Council FINAL MINUTES Page 8 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 directed City Staff to craft a detailed timeline for reaching a preferred solution for each crossing; to create a dynamic model that allowed the community to prioritize alternatives; to draft a plan for a community working group; to develop a list of questions and the locations of answers; and to amend the contract with AECOM, the City’s grade separation consultant. Council Member Cormack clarified that the working group would be considerably larger, and a Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) representative should be part of it. The Council also received two alternatives for a proposed underground pedestrian/bike pathway at Churchill Avenue. Ms. Gaines advised that she had shared the options for Churchill Avenue with the City/School Traffic Safety Committee. Robert Golton, Bond Program Manager, indicated the City/School Traffic Safety Committee met that day at 10:00 A.M. Council Member Cormack stated there was too much technical and financial risk associated with the various alternatives. She wanted to understand the risks better. Chair Kou inquired whether the Finance Committee discussed funding for grade separations. Council Member Cormack replied no. Karen Hendricks, Deputy Superintendent, asked if the topic of busing was raised in grade separation meetings. Council Member Cormack answered yes. A member of the community raised the topic, and a representative from Palo Alto High School or PAUSD was needed to address the topic. Ms. Gaines indicated Ron Ellis in PAUSD Transportation Services was a member of the technical advisory committee. City Staff conversations with Mr. Ellis and conversations between Mr. Shikada and Dr. Austin had raised the busing issue. Vice President Collins believed having PAUSD involved in the public process would be important and urged City Staff to add PAUSD to the list of stakeholders. FINAL MINUTES Page 9 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 Chair Kou announced Agenda Item Numbers 7–Committee Format Discussion and 9 – Committee Group Photo at 529 Bryant Street (First School in Palo Alto) will be continued to the next Committee meeting. Mr. Golton reported the original thought for PAUSD staff housing on the Cubberley site was to locate it at 525 San Antonio. The site was zoned R-1 and would need to change to RM-15 to provide 32 housing units. Kristen O’Kane, Community Services Assistant Director, explained that the Council and the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) wanted an option for housing on the 525 San Antonio site and City property. Zoning standards limited a residential building to four stories. Staff proposed an option for a four-story building containing 48 units of approximately 880 square feet each. A high-housing option would add two floors of housing above the two-story community center. The high-housing option would add another 32 housing units on City property. Changes to the Cubberley proposals had been made in response to comments. Mr. Golton clarified that the housing replaced a gym, and the gym had been relocated and would have an indoor pool. A couple of floors of housing could be added to the adult education building. Chair Kou asked if senior housing would be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible and provide drop-off/pick-up zones. Ms. O’Kane responded yes. Council Member Cormack asked about the size of the proposed housing units. Mr. Golton replied 800-1,000 square feet. The units could have one or two bedrooms. Council Member Cormack requested the purpose of the purple rectangle near Piazza's Fine Foods. Ms. O’Kane advised it was the wellness center. Council Member Cormack noted adding housing units throughout the site as Staff proposed would provide 162 units. She inquired about the feedback the Council and Board should provide when Staff presents the options in May. FINAL MINUTES Page 10 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 Mr. Golton anticipated holding a meeting on May 6. Housing had not been a powerful subject in community meetings. Staff wanted community comments about the nature of housing on the Cubberley site. Ms. O’Kane clarified that the housing above the community center could provide 52 units. The options contained a total of 132 housing units, but housing could be added to any of the buildings. Vice President Collins suggested housing could replace the adult education building. The Board of Education (Board) had surveyed PAUSD employees to determine the appetite for housing and considered the impact of housing on recruitment of employees. Constructing a joint housing project would be extremely challenging, but the City and PAUSD could accomplish it. Council Member Cormack wanted to obtain information about current wait lists at senior and affordable housing. She had not heard many community comments about housing for City employees. Ms. O’Kane hoped the joint Council/Board study session could be scheduled for May 6. The final Cubberley community meeting was scheduled for May 9. Council Member Cormack wanted to ensure notice of the meetings was provided to the school community. Ms. O’Kane advised that Staff was working on a plan to reach parents of school-aged children. Staff would share information about the Cubberley master planning process at various community events. Monique Ziesenhenne, Library Director/Interim Community Services Director, reported the City Manager wanted to develop a business plan for the site. Council Member Cormack suggested Staff develop a list of questions and include the community's questions. Mr. Golton requested any questions be directed to him and Ms. O'Kane. Council Member Cormack added that the questions could be used to initiate discussions. Chair Kou suggested Council Member Cormack copy the City Manager with any questions. Mr. Golton reported many models for teacher housing were available for review and consideration. FINAL MINUTES Page 11 of 11 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 03/21/2019 Ms. Ziesenhenne hoped to bring the results of the staffing survey to the next meeting. 7. Continued From February 21 Meeting: Committee Format Discussion. 8. Future Meetings and Agendas. Chair Kou requested suggestions for agenda items be emailed to Ms. Gaines. 9. Committee Group Photo at 529 Bryant Street (First School in Palo Alto). ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:06 A.M.