Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-02-18 City Council EmailsDOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 2/18/2025 Document dates: 2/10/2025 - 2/18/2025 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 From:Lynn Hollyn To:Council, City Cc:David Coale Subject:Bike and Ped Infrastructure URGENCY Date:Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:09:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and Council members, Thank you all for demonstrating your care in a sustainable environment in Palo Alto, on our earth, Bike and ped infrastructure needs to be a higher priority!! Several points supporting more availability of bikes are important to consider. 1. In NYC my son uses bikes by picking one up at innumerable locations and dropping it off at another location. As an architect he helped develop bike lanes while at Columbia NArch and now there is a thriving network. Here is a link that might inspire Palo Alto and the county. There has also been concerted effort to create more greenways, the ni line and parks. New York City's Bike Paths, Bike Lanes & Greenways. 2. The BPTP should come before the council asap in Q3. Objectives #23 and #24 are time sensitive. 3. Please plan for a better review of BPTP and stress the importance for Climate action and Public safety. 4. Please focus on Safe Streets and create a coalition of volunteers to go into the school classrooms once a year. 5. Please add the east west bicycle and pedestrian crossing project and create a realistic budget. 6. Together I hope we are committed to reaching our SCAP goals of a 20% increase in bike/ped mode share. Thank you. Let's tread gently together. Lynn Hollyn -- lynn hollyn lynnhollyn.co Seale Ave. Palo Alto From:Clerk, City To:Council, City Subject:FW: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Comment on Boulware Park and synthetic turf Date:Tuesday, February 18, 2025 10:37:06 AM Attachments:SCLP Comment on Boulware Park Feb 13 2025.pdf Good morning City Council, Please see the below email and attachment from the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter on Boulware Park and synthetic turf. Thank you, City Clerk’s Office From: Dashiell Leeds <dashiell.leeds@sierraclub.org> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2025 4:31 PM To: City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Mike Ferreira <michaeljferreira@gmail.com>; James Eggers <james.eggers@sierraclub.org>; Gita Dev <gd@devarchitects.com>; suehintone@gmail.com Subject: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Comment on Boulware Park and synthetic turf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mr. Shikada, Please accept the following attached comments from the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter on Boulware Park and synthetic turf. Sincerely, Susan Hinton Chair, Plastic Pollution Prevention Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter email sent from account of Dashiell Leeds Conservation Coordinator Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303 SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA & SAN BENITO COUNTIES February 13, 2025 Via email: CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org CC: Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org Subject: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Comment on Boulware Park and Synthetic Turf Dear Mr. Shikada, The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter would like to bring your attention to a regrettable disservice to Palo Altans, but especially to people living close to Boulware Park. During 2019 and through 2021 there were multiple Community Meetings to discuss the upcoming project, and Community feedback was solicited and recorded. In 2022 Staff changed those plans apparently without contacting anyone from the Community or Council. Specifically, “mulch” in the planned dog park was replaced with “synthetic turf.” More egregiously, “synthetic turf” was added to the Boulware children’s playground area, previously assumed by the community to be natural grass. The City should remove synthetic turf from Boulware Park. It was never the public intention to allow plastic grass anywhere in the park but it appears to have been added in the final plan, somewhat surreptitiously, and in several areas. By now nearly everyone has surely read the following Palo Alto Online news story published February 4, 2025, in which Palo Altans object to the use of plastic grass, underlaid by a layer of pour-in-place synthetic rubber, in Boulware Park. https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2025/02/04/as-boulware-park-nears-completion-turf- concerns-surface/, which contains multiple statements from residents However, anyone visiting the City webpage on this project, started in 2019, will notice an odd thing, namely that in the Community Meeting notes and comments there is no mention of ’synthetic grass,’ ‘artificial turf,’ or ‘plastic.' https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Public-Works/Engineering-Services/Engineering- Projects/Boulware-Park-Birch-Street There is a mention by the Staff of ’Open Turf' but it’s obvious that no reasonably informed member of the public would think this meant plastic grass. Note Community comments such as “ ’Turf’ can also be native, like I’ve seen giant yarrow-based lawn that worked well,” sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303 In fact the well-recognized terms “synthetic,” “artificial,” or “plastic” are not to be found in anywhere in the Community Meeting #1, #2, or #3 presentations, schematics, questionnaires, or comments made by either Staff or residents. The Proposed Park Schematic Layout Plan for Meeting #3 is copied below. Note the date in the URL at the top, from July 27, 2021 and that the Dog Park is labeled “Fenced Dog Park .25 Acre (Mulch)." Under Project Description there is the sentence, "Commission meetings were held between 2018 through 2021 to obtain guidance and input on the overall park design” followed by "On June 19, 2023, City Council approved a construction contract for the project. Construction is anticipated to start in summer/fall 2023 and will last approximately 14 months, during which the park will be closed.” Note that the 2021 CEQA documents below do not mention synthetic, artificial, or plastic turf. https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2021120357 and https://files.ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/274812-1/attachment/_EhSAqp0xGK4YrGo68Z1- EMCne1tAre4xQ3eDuBO2w7-JDbkjdkpRr-UIh5IMq4bi4QLWwhCUfmQmj2d0 These environmentally damaging changes happened between the Community Meetings and the CEQA documents, ending in 2021, and the construction contract approved on June 19, 2023. Note “Project Image Boards” below the Project Description on the webpage. There are four (4) PDFs, “Park Plan Exhibit,” “Playground Equipment Exhibit,” "Park Facility and Furnishing Exhibit," and “Public Art Exhibit” inserted in 2022. In the copied Schematic below, the date sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303 seen in the URL at the top, is September 27, 2022. Also note that the Dog Park is now labeled “Synthetic Turf Dog Park", a change from the approved “Mulch”. How did such significant changes happen? Where is the public input on this change? Where is the presentation to the City Council? Where is the environmental impact of these changes studied? At the Council meeting on June 19, 2023, approval of the Boulware Park was tucked into the Consent Calendar. There were resident comments in favor of the park but the Staff report doesn’t mention the significant changes, from 2021, that the community clearly and publicly opposed, except on page 6 of 7 where there is a single mention of “synthetic turf in the dog park,” We note there is clearly no mention of proposed synthetic turf in the playground area. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meeting/document/2121.pdf?name=Item%207%20Staff%20 Report sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Instead, to find multiple mentions of “synthetic turf,” it would be necessary to search through the long, dense Attachment A - Bid Summary Table. These important changes were not discussed at the June 19, 2023 Council meeting with Council or brought to the attention of the public. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meeting/attachment/1863.pdf?name=Attachment%20A%20- %20Bid%20Summary%20Table The citizens of Palo Alto who live near the Park are rightly extremely upset, and the City should do the right thing by removing synthetic turf from Boulware Park. Sincerely yours, Susan Hinton Chair, Plastic Pollution Prevention Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter https://www.sierraclub.org/loma-prieta/plastic-pollution-prevention CC: Mike Ferreira Chair, Political Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Gita Dev Chair, Conservation Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter James Eggers Chapter Director Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter From:Ken Kershner To:Council, City Cc:Amie Ashton Subject:How Not to Get Another Failing Grade on BPTP Date:Tuesday, February 18, 2025 9:09:27 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers, I am writing to express my strong concern regarding the lack of progress on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Palo Alto. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) is now two years overdue, and the previous plan, spanning over 12 years, is only 30% complete. This is simply unacceptable, especially given the numerous co-benefits of such infrastructure for our community. A 30% completion rate after 12 years is a failing grade, and it's time for decisive action to improve. In reviewing the 2025 City Council Priority Objectives, I offer the following suggestions to make Palo Alto a leader in providing safe and convenient bike/pedestrian infrastructure: 1. Prioritize the BPTP: The BPTP should be brought before the Council in Q3 as soon as possible. Objectives #23 and #24 can be moved to Q4 to accommodate this crucial plan. 2. Ensure Thorough Review: A dedicated half-day workshop with the PABAC and SRTS committees is essential for a comprehensive review of the BPTP. The expertise of both groups is needed to analyze this complex plan effectively. 3. Recognize the BPTP's Broad Impact: The BPTP should be included under both the Climate Action and Public Safety priorities. It could even be argued that it should be integrated into all city priorities, as it significantly impacts housing, local retail, and community vitality. 4. Guarantee Timely Completion of SS4A: The Safe Streets for All Safety Action plan must not be delayed, as it is fundamental to the success of the BPTP. Further delays will only lead to more preventable tragedies on our streets. The SS4A should also be listed as a Public Safety and Climate Action priority. 5. Prioritize the East-West Crossing Project: The east-west bicycle and pedestrian crossing project, as identified by the Rail Ad Hoc Committee, should be a standalone objective with clear timelines and review processes. This project should be categorized under both Climate Action and Public Safety priorities. Building this crossing before any rail crossings are constructed is crucial for reducing congestion and enhancing safety for everyone, especially schoolchildren. 6. Integrate Bike/Ped into Housing Plans: It is concerning that the current objectives lack any mention of bike/ped or transportation in relation to housing. Without integrating these elements into our housing plans, they are destined to fail. We must explicitly include and emphasize these considerations to ensure their implementation. These measures are critical if we are to achieve our Sustainable Community Action Plan (SCAP) goals of a 20% increase in bike/ped mode share in the next five years and a 40% mode share by 2030. Meeting these goals will also help address the 9% shortfall in the SCAP's 80 by 30 GHG reduction targets. Investing in bike/ped infrastructure is a cost-effective strategy to reduce congestion, alleviate parking issues, lower GHG emissions, improve public health, support local businesses, and create a more resilient community. As Project Drawdown highlights, it is one of the most impactful actions we can take to reduce GHGs. Let's prioritize building the right infrastructure for our future. We need to move away from car-centric solutions like parking garages that exacerbate congestion and increase GHGs. Instead, let's invest in a more sustainable, healthy, and vibrant Palo Alto for all. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Ken Kershner From:Ah Yun, MahealaniTo:Alison Cormack; Clerk, City; Council, CitySubject:RE: Tuesday night meeting locationDate:Tuesday, February 18, 2025 8:30:49 AMAttachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage005.png Hi Alison, Thank you for reaching out. Tuesday’s Special City Council meeting is at Mitchell Park Community Center – El Palo Alto Room. The agenda and packet posted and published is correct. There was a glitch in the system on the mini-packet you have attached. I confirmed this morning the mini-packet is populating correctly now with Mitchell Park. Apologies for any confusion. Best regards, Mahea Mahealani Ah YunCity Clerk Office of the City Clerk 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 P: 650.329.2379 | E: Mahealani.AhYun@CityofPaloAlto.org From: Alison Cormack <alisonlcormack@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2025 10:42 AM To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Tuesday night meeting location CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello all, Can you please confirm the correct location of the meeting on Tuesday? This webpage says Mitchell Park: https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=17063 The packet (see attached) says Council Chambers. Thank you, Alison Cormack From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Bette Kiernan; Christopher M Kwong; Ray Tourzan; sally Tomlinson; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Richard N Zare;Sophia Adele Stringer; Council, City Cc:city.council@cityofpaloalto.com Subject:Debate Challenge Date:Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12:03:18 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Henry Etzkowitz challenges Elon Musk to Oxford style debate on “Corporate Induced disaster”Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 16, 2025, at 11:03 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote:>> >>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Palo Alto is proud of 8 minute response even as financially strapped Oakland’s fire department has,“struggled to maintain its four-minute average response time. (Bishari “Disasters made me a survivalist” SFChronicle F3 16 feb, 2005).>>>>>>>>>> Palo Alto firefighters response time is potentially slowed by the Caltrain cut aka Suicide Alley that shouldhave been undergrounded a century ago. At far greater cost, without waiting for our “1898 unification of Brooklynand New York moment,” peninsula corridor cities should create a “long-line” park authority, and bond ourselves tooutdo NYC’s iconic high line, creating future social wealth, public safety and enhanced sustainability as well aspopular enjoyment from bike ways and green scapes supersede mid-19th century “plain air” rail while retainingthe benefits of rail. Invite Elon Musk to prove his “boring” technology as a no cost public service as his mentorDonald Trump did in renovating New York Central Park’ s Wollman skating rink rink after a previous firm and themunicipality failed. >>>>>>>>>> Should Musk successfully accomplish the undergrounding of Caltrain Neighbors for Environmental andSocial Justice (NESJ) will cut in half its 500 billion dollar lawsuit against Musk and his Tesla firm forenvironmental depredation, pouring 900+ gallons of the highly toxic chemical sodium hydroxide aka lye, willfullyand without permit, into Palo Alto’s Matadero Creek from their engineering facility at 3500 Deer creek Road inStanford university’s so-called Research Park. When the Park, progenitor of the international science parkmovement, was founded in the 1950’s, Stanford promised residents of surrounding communities that it would onlyhouse “clean Industry.”>>>>>>>>>> The presence of workers in “haz mat” garb attempting to clean up the pour belies that claim. As a candidatefor Palo Alto City Council doorknocking in the neighborhoods along the creek, residents told of the city’sunwillingness to publicly address Tesla’s “organizational caused disaster” until fellow candidate Cari Templetonrallied residents to hold a community meeting in which city officials downplayed the event. There has yet to be anexplanation of the mysterious hydrant vehicle crash that washed the creek.>>>>>>>>>> The matter is before the Santa Clara Grand jury and local media mentioned a District Attor investigation. No doubt, light will be shed when the NESJ pro se legal action comes before Judge Monahan, as scheduled in SanJose Superior Court, 20 June. >>>>>>>>>> Sincerely>>>>> Henry Etzkowitz>>> 646 701 2695 >>>>> HenryEtzkowitz.org >>>>> 644 Menlo Avenue >>>>> Menlo Park CA 94025>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone>>> From:Mr. Shore To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed; Clerk, City Subject:Valley Water Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 10:25:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Councilembers, I was surprised that the City was caught off guard by Valley Water’s public notice onFebruary 7 that the Valley Water Board would recommend reallocating approximately $23 million in funding from north county to south county at its February 11 meeting. On January10, I read that the Board was prepared at its meeting on January 14 to accept the reallocation that had been recommended by its Capital improvement Program Committee on December16. At the time, it did not occur to me that Valley Water would proceed with a reallocation without having first cleared it with Palo Alto. Therefore, I was taken aback when I heard that,with only 2 days’ notice, City Manager Shikada and Councilmember Burt were forced to make a last-minute request for a continuance. If this were my first brush with Valley Water’s provocative lapse in stakeholdercommunications, I would not be unduly concerned; however, this comes within a couple months of the profound set of SFCJPA-related grievances that emerged without prior memberagency discussion on December 6 at its Board Policy & Monitoring Committee. In the absence of an effective District 7 Board representative, Palo Alto should mount a proactive,ongoing effort to diligently and methodically monitor Valley Water's deliberations on Palo Alto-related programs, funding sources and expenditures. Sincerely, Jeffrey Shore From:Sherry Listgarten To:Council, City; Cubberley Project Subject:One concern about the Cubberley renovation Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 2:33:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council and others working on Cubberley, I live in Greenmeadow, the neighborhood abutting Cubberley, and am happy that plans to renovate the facility are making progress. I think an active community center would be well used here, especially with the planned growth, and that complements to facilities in North Palo Alto like Avenidas for seniors and the Rinconada Pool (for everyone) would be especially welcome. One concern I want to share with you is that, since South Palo Alto has been without a publicly supported pool and senior center for so long, membership-based clubs have sprung up to fill the gap. We have the Greenmeadow swimming pool, Oshman Family JCC, Eichler swim club, etc. The concern I have is that once Cubberley is renovated, with nice, modern public facilities, it will make it harder for these clubs, that have provided essential services in this part of town for decades, to survive. The Greenmeadow pool has been owned and operated by the neighborhood since the 1950s. It is no easy feat to own and operate a community pool, but we have managed and the pool has been a lifeblood for many in the community, a great way for kids young and old to play together, compete together, and mentor one another, and for people of all ages to make friends. This experience should be available to all, which is why I am in favor of a great public pool facility at Cubberley that doesn't require a membership fee and that has room for all. But I worry about how that pool will affect Greenmeadow's ability to attract members, to pay its bills, to maintain its facility. The large majority of our membership does not live in Greenmeadow, and it's not clear to me that those folks would retain their memberships in our small, membership-based pool vs swim at a publicly funded, lower- cost, and newer pool. I think the same is probably true for the JCC, and maybe for Eichler too, though it's a bit farther away. So I would encourage the folks working on Cubberley to put some thought into this, working with representatives from the affected facilities. I don't have any particular ideas right now, but I think it's important to consider this potential negative impact and think about ways to mitigate it. Thank you for reading, -- Sherry Listgarten From:Amie Ashton To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:Re: Bike/ped should be a higher priority Feb 24th meeting Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 2:24:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. City Clerk & City Council, Please disregard the last email from me regarding the BPTP and priority setting! It was a work in progress and was sent accidentally before completion. Our group's final (and very exciting)letter is forthcoming. Amie Ashton On Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 1:50 PM Amie Ashton <aashton@gmail.com> wrote:What if we do a combo of both? How about we tell people we need their help. We moved the needle at the priorities-setting hearing, let's do it again. They can: 1) Reiterate the priorities list by emailing them to Council (city.council@cityofpaloalto.org). 2) Write their own letter, similar to yours (attached) and email it to Council. 3) Respond to the email we send and say "I want to sign on to David's letter". NO THEY DON'T GET TO WORDSMITH, PEOPLE CAN WRITE THEIR OWN LETTER IF THEY HATE THIS ONE. I LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY. On Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 1:16 PM David Coale <david2coale@gmail.com> wrote:Hi Amie, This looks great. I have also written up my comments in a letter to council, see below. So, do we send out your points for people to write their own letter, or use my letter (changed as needed) for a sign on letter? Let me know what you think is most affective, David —————— Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers, Bike and ped infrastructure needs to be at a higher priority. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) is two years late and the last plan spanning over 12 years isonly 30% built-out. We need to do better then this. In reading through the packet for 2025 City Council Priority Objectives I have some suggestions on how to make Palo Altoa leader again in serving our community with better bike/ped infrastructure. 1) The BPTP should come before the Council in Q3 (ASAP). Objectives #23 and #24are not time sensitive and can be done in Q4 to make room for the BPTP in Q3. 2) There needs to be a better review of the BPTP. This should be done at a ½ dayworkshop with the PABAC and SRTS committees. When I look at the reprocess for the BPTP listed on the transportation page, there is no review by SRTS committee. TheBPTP is a complex plan and needs the expertise of these two groups. One workshop for this with both groups would make best use of Staff time and committee members. 3) The BPTP should have tick marks in both the Climate Action and Public safetypriorities. It could be argued that good bike/ped infrastructure should be in all the citypriorities as our housing planes will be inadequate without it, and good bike/ped infrastructure is essential for local retail and adding to the vitality of our community. 4) Make sure the Safe Streets for All Safety Action plan is not delayed as this isessential for the BPTP. How many more lives do we want to loose to poor design of ourstreets and crossings? The SS4A also needs to be listed as a Public Safety priority as well as a Climate Action priority. 5) Add the east-west bicycle and pedestrian crossing project, as noted in the Rail AdHoc Committee, as its own objective with timelines and reviews. This should go underthe Climate Action and Public Safety priorities. This is a must build item before any rail crossings are built and has been a priority of the Rail Committee for a while. This willreduce congestion and increase safety for our school children and others and could be a real game changer for how Palo Altan’s get around our city. 6) All of the above measures are needed if we are to reach our SCAP goals of a 20%increase of bike/ped mode share in the next five years; from 19% now to 40% by2030. The SCAP has done pretty well in many categories but has not yet address and needs attention if we are to meet our goals. This could also help make up the 9% shortfallin the SCAP 80 by 30 GHG reduction goals. It is interesting that there is no mention of bike/ped or even transportation in any of theobjectives regarding housing. Without good bike/ped planning and transportation integrated into our housing plans, they will fail miserably. These items must be includedand called out as such to make sure it really happens. If you build it they will come, so let’s make sure we build the right things, no moreparking garages that promotes car use and congesting while increasing GHGs at a very high cost. We need more bike/ped infrastructure, which reduces congesting, parkingproblems and GHGs while making our community more healthy, resilient, and supports our local businesses. This is the most cost effective way to reduce our GHGs as noted inProject Drawdown that studied the top 100 actions that can be done to reduce GHGs. Thanks for your consideration of these changes to make Palo Alto more livable, vibrantand safer for all road users. Sincerely, David Coale Sent from my backup gmail account because google bounces my first attempt. Please always use my david@evcl.com email On Feb 17, 2025, at 10:53 AM, Amie Ashton <aashton@gmail.com> wrote: That makes sense! See the amended language below re: the 1/2 dayworkshop. 1) For the BPTP, combine commissions/boards into one meetingto review - e.g. Retail. Policy & Services, and Rail Ad Hoc. This was incredibly effective for the Housing Element. Further, a 1/2 dayworkshop to look at the BPTP with PABAC and SRTS is essential to ensure a consistent and implementable plan. ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Amie Ashton <aashton@gmail.com>Date: Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 9:30 AMSubject: Re: Bike/ped should be a higher priority Feb 24th meetingTo: David Coale <david2coale@gmail.com> Hi David, Oh man these notes are so right on! I filtered them into asks withnumbers so Council can easily reference and hopefully implemented. Can I share with the transportation/sustainability group? I think if we all sign on to a single letter or send our own, it could be hugely powerful. We could also send them to the SVBC group, they really made a difference at the priorities setting hearing. One detail, you have more faith in PTC than I do. They are not cyclists, have little expertise, and have not been friends to or advocates for bikeimprovements.....even going as far as the "Lydia" route and blaming kids without helmets for accidents in PA. Check out my alternative language in #1, combining them with PABAC or SRTS review might put them on a better track. But I defer to you on this...... 1) For the BPTP, combine commissions/boards into one meeting to review - e.g. Retail. Policy & Services, and Rail Ad Hoc. This was incredibly effective for the Housing Element. Further, a 1/2 day workshop to look at the BPTP with PABAC and SRTS . Then the same questions can be answered once and comments can be combined. 2) The BPTP should come before Council in Q3. It is already two years late and the last plan (spanning 12 years is only 30% built-out). 3) Make the game-changing east-west bike and ped crossings a separate objective for the Rail Committee with timelines for completion. There is already an RFP out for this project. This will give the Rail Committee a win and could be a real game changer for transportation and safety in the community. 4) The Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan is listed under Climate Action and Adaptation AND should be marked as a Public Safety priority. We cannot afford to have this time-line slip as it is required for staff to seek funding for implementation and is closely tied to the BPTP. 5) SS4A needs to be listed as a Public Safety priority as well as a Climate Action priority. Make sure the Safe Streets for All Safety Action plan is not delayed as this is essential for the BPTP. How many more lives will we lose to poor design of our streets and crossings? 6) There is no mention of bike/ped or even transportation in any of the objectives regarding housing. Without good bike/ped planning and transportation integrated into our housing plans, they will fail miserably. These items must be included and called out to make sure it really happens. All of the above are NECESSARY if we are to reach our S/CAP goals of a 20% increase of bike/ped mode share in the next five years; from 19% now to 40% by 2030. If you build it they will come, so let’s make sure we build the right things. We need more bike/ped infrastructure, which reduces congestion, parking problems, and GHG emissions -- while making our community more healthy, resilient, and supports our local businesses. This is the most cost effective way to reduce our GHGs as noted in Project Drawdown, which studied the top 100 actions that can be done to reduce GHGs. On Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM David Coale <david2coale@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Pat, Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today about City Priorities, it is greatly appreciated. Attached are my notes after having read the Council packet on City Priorities with regard to bike/ped infrastructure and our conversation. Please let me know if you have another questions I can answer for you on this. Thanks, David PS, here is a link to my Op-Ed in the Weekly on this, should youhave any bandwidth left. It is actually a pretty easy read: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/palo-alto/2025/01/24/opinion-make- bike-ped-infrastructure-a-top-priority/ Sent from my backup gmail account because google bounces my first attempt. Please always use my david@evcl.com email From:Amie Ashton To:David Coale; Council, City Cc:Nordman, Eric; Michael Regula Subject:Re: Bike/ped should be a higher priority Feb 24th meeting Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 1:51:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. What if we do a combo of both? How about we tell people we need their help. We moved theneedle at the priorities-setting hearing, let's do it again. They can: 1) Reiterate the priorities list by emailing them to Council (city.council@cityofpaloalto.org). 2) Write their own letter, similar to yours (attached) and email it to Council. 3) Respond to the email we send and say "I want to sign on to David's letter". NO THEY DON'T GET TO WORDSMITH, PEOPLE CAN WRITE THEIR OWN LETTERIF THEY HATE THIS ONE. I LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY. On Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 1:16 PM David Coale <david2coale@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Amie, This looks great. I have also written up my comments in a letter to council, see below. So, do we send out your points for people to write their own letter, or use my letter (changedas needed) for a sign on letter? Let me know what you think is most affective, David —————— Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers, Bike and ped infrastructure needs to be at a higher priority. The Bicycle and PedestrianTransportation Plan (BPTP) is two years late and the last plan spanning over 12 years is only 30% built-out. We need to do better then this. In reading through the packet for 2025 CityCouncil Priority Objectives I have some suggestions on how to make Palo Alto a leader again in serving our community with better bike/ped infrastructure. 1) The BPTP should come before the Council in Q3 (ASAP). Objectives #23 and #24 are not time sensitive and can be done in Q4 to make room for the BPTP in Q3. 2) There needs to be a better review of the BPTP. This should be done at a ½ day workshop with the PABAC and SRTS committees. When I look at the reprocess for theBPTP listed on the transportation page, there is no review by SRTS committee. The BPTP is a complex plan and needs the expertise of these two groups. One workshop for this withboth groups would make best use of Staff time and committee members. 3) The BPTP should have tick marks in both the Climate Action and Public safetypriorities. It could be argued that good bike/ped infrastructure should be in all the city priorities as our housing planes will be inadequate without it, and good bike/pedinfrastructure is essential for local retail and adding to the vitality of our community. 4) Make sure the Safe Streets for All Safety Action plan is not delayed as this isessential for the BPTP. How many more lives do we want to loose to poor design of our streets and crossings? The SS4A also needs to be listed as a Public Safety priority as well asa Climate Action priority. 5) Add the east-west bicycle and pedestrian crossing project, as noted in the Rail AdHoc Committee, as its own objective with timelines and reviews. This should go under the Climate Action and Public Safety priorities. This is a must build item before any railcrossings are built and has been a priority of the Rail Committee for a while. This will reduce congestion and increase safety for our school children and others and could be a realgame changer for how Palo Altan’s get around our city. 6) All of the above measures are needed if we are to reach our SCAP goals of a 20%increase of bike/ped mode share in the next five years; from 19% now to 40% by 2030. The SCAP has done pretty well in many categories but has not yet address and needsattention if we are to meet our goals. This could also help make up the 9% shortfall in the SCAP 80 by 30 GHG reduction goals. It is interesting that there is no mention of bike/ped or even transportation in any of the objectives regarding housing. Without good bike/ped planning and transportation integratedinto our housing plans, they will fail miserably. These items must be included and called out as such to make sure it really happens. If you build it they will come, so let’s make sure we build the right things, no more parking garages that promotes car use and congesting while increasing GHGs at a very high cost. We need more bike/ped infrastructure, which reduces congesting, parking problems and GHGs while making our community more healthy, resilient, and supports our localbusinesses. This is the most cost effective way to reduce our GHGs as noted in Project Drawdown that studied the top 100 actions that can be done to reduce GHGs. Thanks for your consideration of these changes to make Palo Alto more livable, vibrant and safer for all road users. Sincerely, David Coale Sent from my backup gmail account because google bounces my first attempt. Please always use my david@evcl.com email On Feb 17, 2025, at 10:53 AM, Amie Ashton <aashton@gmail.com> wrote: That makes sense! See the amended language below re: the 1/2 day workshop. 1) For the BPTP, combine commissions/boards into one meetingto review - e.g. Retail. Policy & Services, and Rail Ad Hoc. This was incredibly effective for the Housing Element. Further, a 1/2 day workshopto look at the BPTP with PABAC and SRTS is essential to ensure a consistent and implementable plan. ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Amie Ashton <aashton@gmail.com>Date: Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 9:30 AMSubject: Re: Bike/ped should be a higher priority Feb 24th meetingTo: David Coale <david2coale@gmail.com> Hi David, Oh man these notes are so right on! I filtered them into asks withnumbers so Council can easily reference and hopefully implemented. Can I share with the transportation/sustainability group? I think if we all sign on to a single letter or send our own, it could be hugely powerful. We could also send them to the SVBC group, they really made a difference at the priorities setting hearing. One detail, you have more faith in PTC than I do. They are not cyclists, have little expertise, and have not been friends to or advocates for bikeimprovements.....even going as far as the "Lydia" route and blaming kids without helmets for accidents in PA. Check out my alternative language in #1, combining them with PABAC or SRTS review might put them on a better track. But I defer to you on this...... 1) For the BPTP, combine commissions/boards into one meeting to review - e.g. Retail. Policy & Services, and Rail Ad Hoc. This was incredibly effective for the Housing Element. Further, a 1/2 day workshopto look at the BPTP with PABAC and SRTS . Then the same questions can be answered once and comments can be combined. 2) The BPTP should come before Council in Q3. It is already two years late and the last plan (spanning 12 years is only 30% built-out). 3) Make the game-changing east-west bike and ped crossings a separate objective for the Rail Committee with timelines for completion. There is already an RFP out for this project. This will give the Rail Committee a win and could be a real game changer for transportation and safety in the community. 4) The Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan is listed under Climate Action and Adaptation AND should be marked as a Public Safety priority. We cannot afford to have this time-line slip as it is required for staff to seek funding for implementation and is closely tied to the BPTP. 5) SS4A needs to be listed as a Public Safety priority as well as a Climate Action priority. Make sure the Safe Streets for All Safety Action plan is not delayed as this is essential for the BPTP. How many more lives will we lose to poor design of our streets and crossings? 6) There is no mention of bike/ped or even transportation in any of the objectives regarding housing. Without good bike/ped planning and transportation integrated into our housing plans, they will fail miserably. These items must be included and called out to make sure it really happens. All of the above are NECESSARY if we are to reach our S/CAP goals of a 20% increase of bike/ped mode share in the next five years; from 19% now to 40% by 2030. If you build it they will come, so let’s make sure we build the right things. We need more bike/ped infrastructure, which reduces congestion, parking problems, and GHG emissions -- while making our community more healthy, resilient, and supports our local businesses. This is the most cost effective way to reduce our GHGs as noted in Project Drawdown, which studied the top 100 actions that can be done to reduce GHGs. On Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM David Coale<david2coale@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Pat, Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today about City Priorities, it is greatly appreciated. Attached are my notes after having read the Council packet on City Priorities with regard to bike/ped infrastructure and our conversation. Please let me know if you have another questions I can answer for you on this. Thanks, David PS, here is a link to my Op-Ed in the Weekly on this, should you have any bandwidth left. It is actually a pretty easy read: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/palo-alto/2025/01/24/opinion-make- bike-ped-infrastructure-a-top-priority/ Sent from my backup gmail account because google bounces my first attempt. Please always use my david@evcl.com email From:Claire E To:Council, City; Horrigan-Taylor, Meghan; Bansal, Megha; Boyd, Holly Subject:Synthetic playing surfaces at Boulware and Beyond Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 10:50:28 AM Attachments:C Elliott Letter to City Council Re astroturf_February 15_2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear council members, Please find my letter attached to this email. Thank you!Claire February 15, 2025 Dear Council members, I am a retired environmental engineer and ecologist who has lived in the Ventura neighborhood for 27 years. I appreciate the City Council’s efforts to listen to and incorporate the community’s concerns into your decision making. I also want to thank the council for making improvements to Boulware Park, most especially acquiring the land from AT&T to expand the park. Several of my neighbors and I have expressed concern for the choice of synthetic turf for the playground and dog park area of Boulware park. Four of us spoke at the February 3rd council meeting and three of us were able to join city staff or a zoom meeting to learn more about the materials being used at the park. We appreciate the time taken by staff members to provide answers and documents, including plans and material safety data sheets (MSDS) and letters from the manufacturers. They also promised to continue to look for answers to remaining questions we had. We realize that the contract for Boulware has to proceed as written at this point but we would like the city to consider a safer replacement as soon as it is feasible. In order to address our concerns about synthetic turf more fully, I am asking that the city expands the scope of work for the evaluation being done relevant to the El Camino Park turf replacement project: First, why was Lloyd Consulting chosen? From their website, it appears that most of the projects involve installing synthetic turf. If that is true, how can they be expected to fairly evaluate the alternatives? What staff or subcontractors will they use that have sufficient knowledge of the human and ecological impacts of the various chemical components of synthetic turf? Second, the scope is limited to playing fields. I hope that the scope of this review can be expanded to advise the city on installations in playgrounds, dog parks, golf courses or other locations where synthetic turf is (or may be) used in the future. Third, in addition to the synthetic turf, I am concerned about the infill material and the underlying material poured in place. The underlying rubber and urethane layer should be evaluated as they can cause eventual ecological harm as well as health impacts to the employees that manufacture and install these materials. At Boulware the infill product spec’d is called “Envirofill,” which is sand-sized (less than 2 millimeter) silica with an acrylic coating. As such it could be considered a manufactured hazardous microplastic (it fits the microplastic definition of a plastic particle less than 5 mm). The MSDS sheets for Envirofill were provided to us by staff. This MSDS specifies: “ENVIRONMENTAL FATE: No Data (emphasis added). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY: There is no data that suggests that this product is toxic to birds, fish, invertebrates, microorganisms or plants” (emphasis added). However, there are plenty of data to show that microplastics are harmful especially to birds and fish. Fourth, please expand the scope to include other rubber and plastic additives in addition to the poly- and perfluorinated alky compounds (PFAS): • Potential flame retardants, e.g., organic phosphate esters • Stabilizers e.g., 6PPD-quinone known to be used in some binders and in tire rubber both of which are used in the poured-in-place fall protection layer • Pesticides, e.g., triclosan (known to be in the synthetic turf spec’d for use at Boulware) • Microplastics, e.g., the infill plastic beads, broken bits of synthetic grass blades and other components like the petroleum-based rubber and urethane. Lastly, I am very glad to see the scope includes the environmental footprint of production and disposal and the recycling and reuse options for the synthetic materials. But for some reason the scope specifies evaluating the carbon footprint and water use only for natural turf. Shouldn’t this be done for synthetic turf as well? Thank you for your time and attention to this matter! Sincerely, Claire Elliott 271 Chestnut Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:Henry Etzkowitz; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Friends of Cubberley; Josh Becker; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Dave Price Subject:THE COLUMBIA NETWORK PUSHING BEHIND THE SCENES TO DEPORT AND ARREST STUDENT PROTESTERS Date:Monday, February 17, 2025 1:20:04 AM CAUTION: THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION. BE CAUTIOUSOF OPENING ATTACHMENTS AND CLICKING ON LINKS. THE COLUMBIA NETWORK PUSHINGBEHIND THE SCE https://theintercept.com/2025/02/15/columbia-alumni-israel-whatsapp-deport-gaza-protesters/ View this email in your browser Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, and Instagram Urgent Alert to Protect Our Democracy From:LWV Palo Alto (Eblast)To:Council, CitySubject:Urgent Alert to Protect Our DemocracyDate:Sunday, February 16, 2025 5:53:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Join LWV of Palo Alto LWV Urges Congress to Exercise Its Authority On the 105th anniversary of its founding, the League of Women Voters sent a letter to Congressional leadership regarding the organization's grave concern over the state of our nation. Specifically, the League writes to urge Congress to exercise its authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach that the Executive Branch has shown in the last few weeks. The attached letter outlines our concerns and is signed by leadership from every state League and DC affiliate in the country. February 14, 2025 The Honorable John Thune, Majority Leader The Honorable Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Re: Calling on Congress to Act Dear Leader Thune, Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries: The League of Women Voters of the United States (“the League”), along with our state affiliates in 50 states and the District of Columbia, write to express our strong concern about Congress’s abdication of its duty and authority under Article I of the US Constitution. We urge you to exercise your authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach by the executive branch of government, which is surely leading to harm for millions of Americans. We demand that you honor your oaths and protect your constituents. Less than a month into his second term, President Trump has issued a series of executive orders (EOs) and directed actions that violate the law and encroach upon the authority of Congress as representatives of the American people. Of note, the Trump administration has, through wide- ranging executive actions, attempted to: 1. End birthright citizenship for all persons born in the United States; 2. Pause the distribution of federal funds already allocated to programs by Congress; 3. Dismantle federal agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (“USAID”) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), which require notice to and the input of Congress before such actions can be taken; 4. Allow private citizens, who have neither been elected or complied with the advice and consent requirement of the Senate, to access sensitive government systems; and 5. Attempt to reduce the federal workforce through unorthodox means that deny them due process. These actions negatively affect American families and communities across the country. The League is a 105-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to ensure that everyone is represented in our democracy. We are a grassroots organization comprised of over one million members and supporters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands, with more than 700 local and state Leagues. The League uses advocacy, education, litigation, and organizing to achieve our mission to empower voters and defend democracy. We base our work on our policy positions developed out of multi-year studies and derived through consensus by League membership to ensure our advocacy reflects best practices and a nationwide perspective. So far, the League has seen limited action or response from members of Congress to assert its constitutional authority under Article I to protect our system of checks and balances, the rights of Americans, or democracy itself. Congress must do its part to ensure that our great democracy is preserved and safeguarded. The outcry by Americans who are speaking out against the impact of the Executive Orders, including those who voted for President Trump, should be all that is needed for Congress to stand in its authority, legislate on behalf of the American people, and restore stability to the country. Executive Overreach through Executive Actions Presidents commonly use executive orders, but they must be issued lawfully within constitutional checks and balances. EOs direct executive branch agencies and staff to take or stop specific actions.[1] To be lawful and enforceable, an executive order must be rooted in either the president’s powers granted in the Constitution or a law passed by Congress.[2] Further, the authority of an EO is not final; federal courts can review an order to determine whether it is a valid exercise of the president’s power or violates the Constitution, federal law, or the fundamental rights of Americans.[3] Without question, Article I of the US Constitution vests all legislative powers in Congress.[4] Specifically, Article I, Section 9 grants Congress the power of the purse to approve spending in the federal budget in the Appropriations Clause, which reads in relevant part, “[n]o Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”[5] The Constitution delegates the task of spending funds approved by Congress to the president, which requires the chief executive to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”[6] Congress may allow the president discretion regarding how to implement the programs for which it appropriates money, but a president cannot decide whether to implement them. In other words, once Congress decides to spend money, the president cannot unilaterally substitute his judgment for that of Congress. [7] President Trump has issued numerous EOs that are not rooted in any presidential power granted by Congress and violate both the US Constitution and federal law. These EOs directly threaten our democracy. They include, but are by no means limited to: “Protecting the Meaning & Value of American Citizenship”[8] This Executive Order attempts to end birthright citizenship for certain groups of children born in the United States. It would prohibit federal agencies from issuing documents recognizing the US citizenship of children who fall within certain categories. Yet birthright citizenship is a fundamental guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, which ensures that anyone born in the United States is a citizen of this country and is guaranteed equal rights and protection of the law. “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”[9] This EO withdraws the longstanding Executive Order 11246 issued after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited employment discrimination by federal contractors and subcontractors. This revocation has been interpreted as undermining the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[10] It is essential that all members of Congress use their bully pulpit to inform the public that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — and its protections against discrimination — remain in full effect. 1. “Reevaluating & Realigning United States Foreign Aid”[11] 2. “Unleashing American Energy”[12] 3. “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”[13] 4. “Withdrawing The United States from The World Health Organization”[14] 5. “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements”[15] As outlined above, our system of constitutional checks and balances gives Congress the power of the purse, not the executive. The president has no authority to withhold funds through EOs without following the lawful process of communicating with Congress. Congress serves as a required check on the president’s overreach. The above EOs all pause, freeze, block, or restrict federal funds in some way, blatantly disregarding both congressional authority and constitutional requirements. Challenge Actions of “Department of Government Efficiency” In addition to unlawful, unsupported EOs, the Trump Administration has also deployed employees of the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”), an unofficial government department, to several federal agencies in an attempt to access secure systems and data, including Treasury Department data.[16] Unvetted DOGE employees who lack the proper security clearances can now enter the Treasury payment systems, which contain sensitive citizen and business data, prevent federal workers from entering their offices, and manipulate and stop payments to federal agencies like USAID, the CFPB, the US Department of Education, and others. [17] Improper Removal of Independent Inspectors General Further, on January 25, the Trump administration summarily fired 17 inspectors general at government agencies without giving Congress the 30- day notice required by federal law.[18] The role of the inspectors general is to be an independent check against mismanagement and abuse of power while ensuring that programs and agencies are operating efficiently and effectively. With no inspectors general, there are no internal checks regarding the actions of DOGE in federal agencies or other attempts to institute abuses to the current systems. Congress has the power and obligation to provide oversight of federal government actions, particularly when those actions ignore the due process required for federal workers and give unelected, unvetted third parties with significant conflicts of interest access to citizens’ sensitive, private information. Congress’s constitutional duty is to provide a check on the administration’s weaponization of government against its own citizens. All of Congress, regardless of political affiliation, needs to stand in its authority. Advocates and individuals who are directly harmed by the Trump administration’s actions will and are already stepping forward to file lawsuits and seek redress from the judiciary branch.[19] Indeed, more than 68 cases have been filed in the administration’s first 26 days. But Congress must exercise its duty to check the executive’s serious overreach. This appropriate exercise of congressional authority will reinforce the separation of powers doctrine and set the tone for the necessary executive and legislative negotiation that is required in a democratic nation. While federal courts have enjoined the EOs on birthright citizenship, the firing of federal workers without due process, the freezing of federal funds, and DOGE’s access to critical and sensitive Treasury Department data, action from Congress is critically missing. In its order against the Administration’s granting of access to DOGE, the court noted that granting DOGE access to Treasury payment systems exceeds the statutory authority of the Treasury Department and violates both the Take Care Clause of the US Constitution and the separation of powers doctrine.[20] Yet shortly after this ruling, representatives of the Trump Administration are signaling that they may refuse to comply with court orders.[21] Congress has the power of oversight but has yet to utilize its powers of checks and balances given to it by the US Constitution. This is unacceptable. Congress must step in. As the representatives of every League affiliate in every US state and the District of Columbia and the League of Women Voters of the United States, the undersigned presidents of the League of Women Voters ask you to stand up for the American people. One of the founding principles of the League of Women Voters is the belief that all powers of the US government should be exercised within the constitutional framework of a balance among the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. We strongly urge you to use your authority to uphold the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and put an end to the executive branch’s overreach, which is undoubtedly causing harm to millions of Americans. The time to act in defense of your constituents is now. We are happy to meet or talk to further discuss our position. Please do not hesitate to contact our staff via Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs, at JJones@lwv.org, or Kristen Kern, Federal Policy and Advocacy Manager, at KKern@lwv.org. Respectfully, Leadership from LWVUS and all state and DC League affiliates (see attached) [1] Eric Kashdan & Maha Quadri, Campaign Legal Center, What are executive orders and how do they work? (Jan. 31, 2025), https://campaignlegal.org/update/what-are-executive-orders- and-how-do-they-work. [2] Id. [3] Id. [4] U.S. Const. art. I, § 1. [5] U.S Const. art. I, § 9. [6] U.S. Const. art. II, § 3. [7] As noted by Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington, Executive orders directing pausing or withholding funds already appropriated by Congress may violate the Impoundment Control Act, Pub. L. No. 93-344, 88 Stat. 297 (1974). Letter from CREW to the Honorable John Thune, et al. (Jan. 27, 2025), https://www.citizensforethics.org/wp- content/uploads/2025/01/Letter-to-Congress_-Potential-Impoundment-Control-Act-Violations.pdf. [8] Presidential Actions, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential- actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/. [9] Presidential Actions, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 21, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential- actions/2025/01/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity/. [10] Russell Contreras & Emily Peck, Trump rolls back bedrock civil rights measure in sweeping anti-DEI push, Axios, Jan. 22, 2025, Trump rolls back bedrock LBJ civil rights measure, orders anti-DEI probes. [11] Presidential Actions, “Reevaluating & Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/reevaluating-and- realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/. [12] Presidential Actions, “Unleashing American Energy,” whitehouse.gov (Jan.20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/. [13] Presidential Actions, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the- american-people-against-invasion/. [14] Presidential Actions, “Withdrawing The United States from The World Health Organization,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential- actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/. [15] Presidential Actions, “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements,” whitehouse.gov (Jan. 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential- actions/2025/01/putting-america-first-in-international-environmental-agreements/. [16] Fatima Hussein, DOGE was tasked with stopping Treasury payments to USAID, AP sources say, AP News, Feb, 6, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/treasury-doge-musk-read-only-access- 489231c6db1a9f07fc68f9f08803f815. [17] David Ingram, Elon Musk and DOGE are hacking the government, NBC News, Feb. 4, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musk-doge-usaid-treasury-government- rcna190450. [18] Zeke Miller, et al., Trump uses mass firing to remove independent inspectors general at a series of agencies, AP News, Jan. 25, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-inspectors-general- fired-congress-unlawful-4e8bc57e132c3f9a7f1c2a3754359993. [19] Just Security, Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Action (last updated Feb. 5, 2025) (collecting cases filed), https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-legal- challenges-trump-administration-actions/. [20] New York v. Trump, Order, Case 1:25-cv-01144-JAV, at 1-2 (Feb. 8, 2025), https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press- docs/25cv1144%20Order%20on%20TRO%202%208%2025_0.pdf. [21] Jonathan Chait, Trump signals he might ignore the courts, The Atlantic, Feb. 10, 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/02/trump-vance-courts/681632/. LWV Urges Congress to Exercise Its Authority 02142025 Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for Email News and Action Alerts from LWVUS Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2025 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. From:Henry Etzkowitz To:opinion@sfchronicle.com Cc:Council, City; Office of the Provost; Roberta Ahlquist; juliet.gentzkow@gmail.com; Cari Templeton for Council Subject:Disaster ongoing: what is to be done? Date:Sunday, February 16, 2025 4:58:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Palo Alto is proud of 8 minute response even as financially strapped Oakland’s fire department has, “struggled tomaintain its four-minute average response time. (Bishari “Disasters made me a survivalist” SF Chronicle F3 16 feb,2005). Palo Alto firefighters response time is potentially slowed by the Caltrain cut aka Suicide Alley that should havebeen undergrounded a century ago. At far greater cost, without waiting for our “1898 unification of Brooklyn andNew York moment,” peninsula corridor cities should create a “long-line” park authority, and bond ourselves tooutdoor the iconic high line, creating future social wealth, public safety and enhanced sustainability as well aspopular enjoyment from bike ways and green scapes supersede mid-19th century “plain air” rail while retainingthe benefits of rail. Invite Elon Musk to prove his “boring” technology as a no cost public service as his mentorDonald Trump did in renovating New York Central Park’ s Wollman skating rink rink after a previous firm and themunicipality failed. Should Musk successfully accomplish the undergrounding of Caltrain Neighbors for Environmental and SocialJustice (NESJ) will cut in half its 500 billion dollar lawsuit against Musk and his Tesla firm for environmentaldepredation, pouring 900+ gallons of the highly toxic chemical sodium hydroxide aka lye, willfully and withoutpermit, into Palo Alto’s Matadero Creek from their engineering facility at 3500 Deer creek Road in Stanforduniversity’s so-called Research Park. When the Park, progenitor of the international science park movement, wasfounded in the 1950’s, Stanford promised residents of surrounding communities that it would only house “cleanIndustry.” The presence of workers in “haz mat” garb attempting to clean up the pour belies that claim. As a candidate for PaloAlto City Council doorknocking in the neighborhoods along the creek, residents told of the city’s unwillingness topublicly address Tesla’s “organizational caused disaster” until fellow candidate Cari Templeton rallied residents tohold a community meeting in which city officials downplayed the event. There has yet to be an explanation of themysterious hydrant vehicle crash that washed the creek. The matter is before the Santa Clara Grand jury and local media mentioned a District Attor investigation. Nodoubt, light will be shed when the NESJ pro se legal action comes before Judge Monahan, as scheduled in San JoseSuperior Court, 20 June. SincerelyHenry EtzkowitzHenryEtzkowitz.org644 Menlo AvenueMenlo Park CA 94025 Sent from my iPhone From:Albert Dorsky To:Council, City Subject:Funding of Firehouse 4 engine and manpower Date:Sunday, February 16, 2025 12:53:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. The attached article appeared in the SF Chronicle yesterday. If the City of Oakland can do this, why canPalo Alto? Albert DorskyAdobe Meadow Sent from my iPad From:Aram James To:board@pausd.org; Council, City; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations Subject:L.A.’s Asian immigrant communities prep for raids, brace for deportations Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 10:23:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. L.A.’s Asian immigrant communities prep for raids, brace for deportations https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-15/asian-immigrant-communities-prep-for-raids-deportations From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Council, City; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; board@pausd.org; Bill Newell; Raymond Goins; Jax Ajluni; Senator Becker; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Templeton, Cari; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; Gennady Sheyner; EPA Today Subject:The end of Palestine? Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 10:16:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Take Action Now! Dear friends, My people’s future is going up in flames. Ancient olive groves are being set ablaze in the West Bank. In Gaza, parents still search for their children’s bodies beneath the scorched rubble. I’ve been beaten, shot, and put in jail for defending my people’s right to be free, but I’ve never been more terrified for Palestine. Trump wants to drive two million of us into the deserts of Egypt and Jordan – he’s even suggested Israel should take over the West Bank. If he succeeds, Palestine will be erased. But he’s underestimating one thing: Sumoud. Sumoud is defiant resilience -- in Palestine, it means forging an unbreakable spirit; planting hope in the ashes of destruction. This is how we’ve endured for generations -- and with your support, it is how we will continue. Avaaz has identified Sumoud networks -- brave grassroots leaders developing brilliant ways to defend their communities -- emerging across Palestine. They bring seeds into Gaza to fight starvation, guard olive groves from arsonists, turn motorcycles into ambulances when bombs rain from the sky, and much more. If we act now, Avaaz can scale these networks, saving lives, land, and our future. Read more below -- but if you're already feeling the extreme urgency of this moment, please donate now to power our fight for survival: I'LL DONATE $2 I'LL DONATE $4 I'LL DONATE $8 I'LL DONATE $16 OTHER AMOUNT Extremists like Trump seek to radicalise everyone with every tragedy, every loss, and every act of hate -- pushing us all deeper into a spiral of violence. But by pooling our donations, we can help the heroic Palestinians in these Sumoud networks who are risking everything to build a different future with every seed planted, arson stopped, and community fed. And they need us now. If we raise enough, here is what we could do: Double the scale of Sumoud networks -- organising tens of thousands into non-violent resistance networks to stop efforts to drive us out; Buy and distribute motorcycle-ambulances and anti-arson toolkits to save help lives; Fight starvation by expanding farming cooperatives – buying seeds, and teaching communities to grow their own food and protect their land from settlers; Power the growing call for freedom and rights -- continuing our work around the globe to protect civilians and demand accountability for war crimes in Palestine and beyond. Working on Israel/Palestine is exhausting, and can feel hopeless. Trust me, I know. I’m from here, I live here, and it has been my life’s work. But this is not the moment to let ourselves be stunned into inaction. I'LL DONATE $2 I'LL DONATE $4 I'LL DONATE $8 I'LL DONATE $16 OTHER AMOUNT Right now, being a person who stands up and reaches across borders is an essential, global act of defiance – it’s what Palestine’s peace depends on and what Avaaz was made for. Time and again, the Avaaz movement has helped empower people around the world to resist, rebuild, and rise -- from the Amazon to the Maasai Mara, and beyond. And I believe that with you by our side, we will not be erased. We will endure. We will be free. But it'll take every one of us. From my heart to yours, Fadi Quran and the whole team at Avaaz Fadi Quran is a Senior Director at Avaaz, land defender, environmentalist, and advocate for the rights of Indigenous people. His grandparents’ lands have been stolen by far-right Israeli settlers. He has led different youth movements and nonviolent actions across Palestine and the Middle East, which led to multiple arrests, beatings, and even being shot. He is an expert in liberation struggles -- and has been with Avaaz for a decade. PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world. More information: 1. Trump’s Gaza proposal rejected by allies and condemned as ethnic cleansing plan (The Guardian) 2. As fighting in Gaza stops, Israel launches major military campaign in West Bank (CNN) 3. Gazans find fragments of life along with remains of loved ones (The Washington Post) 4. World Court Findings on Israeli Apartheid a Wake-Up Call (Human Rights Watch) Avaaz is a 70-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 22 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook, X, or Instagram. You became a member of the Avaaz movement and started receiving these emails when you signed "Stop the rape epidemic " on 2014-06-05 using the email address abjpd1@gmail.com. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, contact us, or simply go here to unsubscribe. To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact . Avaaz.org 27 Union Square West Suite 500 New York, NY 10003 From:Karin Kissane To:ed.lauring@cityofpaloalto.org Cc:Council, City Subject:Keep Turf - what is the date of the meeting where you will discuss this topic? Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 9:48:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Ed, our daughter plays soccer with Palo Alto Soccer Club. During the winter, it’s very difficult tofind fields that are not wet. also as a goalie she is allergic to grass so the turf is preferred. Please keep this synthetic turf. at what meeting and what time do you expect to discuss this item? My daughter would like toattend as part of her scouting for America citizenship in the community badge and in order to voice her concerns. Thank you! Personal contact:karinekissane@gmail.com 408-489-2616 From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Baker, Rob; Council, City; Robert. Jonsen; Raymond Goins; Ed Lauing;Vicki Veenker; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Gardener, Liz; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; board@pausd.org;Bill Newell; board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; BoardOperations;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; GRP-City Council; Nicole Chiu-Wang; ladoris cordell; Jeff Hayden; Lotus Fong;Stump, Molly; Steve Wagstaffe; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Senator Becker Subject:Re: "Thursday Night Massacre" Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 9:14:15 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. fyi, "Thursday Night Massacre" "A Scandal That’s Not Going Away Soon" https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/thursday-night-massacre and it is much worse than the Saturday Night Massacre, which contributed to the downfall of Nixon. From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Pat M; Rose Lynn; Kaloma Smith; Raymond Goins; Michelle; Council, City; board@pausd.org;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>;Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Afanasiev, Alex; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; HumanRelations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; LotusFong; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Conrad; Gerry Gras; Doug Minkler; Bains, Paul; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin;board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Jay Boyarsky; Sarah Wright; EPA Today; Diana Diamond;Emily Mibach; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Rodriguez, Miguel; Foley, Michael; Damon Silver; Steve Wagstaffe; JeffHayden; Patrice Ventresca; Palo Alto Free Press; Wagner, April; GRP-City Council; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; VaraRamakrishnan; Jose Valle; Josh Becker; Senator Becker; Zelkha, Mila; editor@paweekly.com; Shikada, Ed;Enberg, Nicholas; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Robert. Jonsen; Baker, Rob; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; CaitJames; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Josie James-Le; MGR-MelissaStevenson Diaz; Bill Newell; Salem Ajluni; Jack Ajluni; Mickie Winkler; Daniel Kottke; Sheriff Transparency;WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto Subject:Records show how DOGE planned Trump’s DEI purge — and who gets fired next Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 1:32:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Records show how DOGE planned Trump’s DEI purge — and who gets fired next https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/15/doge-fire-federal-employees-trump-dei/ From:Joseph Ginanni To:Council, City; Lauing, Ed Subject:Natural Grass Fields in Palo Alto and County Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 12:38:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Mr. Lauing and members of the Council, My name is Joe Ginanni. I am a Palo Alto native, parent, teacher, and coach in Palo Alto. My children both play for Palo Alto Soccer club, as well as PALL and PA Softball. I would like to point out Greene MS field as an example of what a beautiful natural field should be. If you have not been out there this winter please come see that it is in playing shape even after these massive rainfalls. I think we should have more natural fields. I think it is the best option for kids, the community, and the environment. Best, Joe Ginanni Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Pat M; Rose Lynn; Kaloma Smith; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Dave Price; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; ladoris cordell; Jeff Rosen; Steve Wagstaffe; Sheriff Transparency; Robert. Jonsen; Bill Newell; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; Jay Boyarsky; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; John Burt; bos@smcgov.org; Mickie Winkler; Salem Ajluni; yolanda; EPA Today;Diana Diamond; BoardOperations; Josh Becker; Jose Valle; Senator Becker Subject:U.S. prisons are not ready for "law and order" Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 12:23:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Closing Argument This week's art is by BingGuan. Full work below.BY SHANNON HEFFERNAN During his first month in office, President Donald Trump has made moves to expand the United States’ already gargantuan carceral system. The Trump administration’s goals, from mass deportation to harsher punishments for some crimes, are reliant on the federal government having access to more prison and jail cells. Without that carceral infrastructure, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to enact his promises on immigration and crime and punishment. During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to deport a historic number of people. And while Trump’s focus so far has been on undocumented immigrants, his criminalization efforts extend to U.S. citizens too. Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued memos that could encourage federal prosecutors to seek harsher sentences in many circumstances. Detaining and incarcerating more people necessitates more places to put them, and the administration is already hitting limits. Last week, space inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities reached 109% capacity and the agency was forced to release some people. This lack of space is one of the major barriers to ramping up deportations, and ICE is limited by its budget. But Trump is now considering tapping into defense funds. Those funds “would allow civilian-run companies to quickly and rapidly expand temporary detention facilities,” such as tents, according to NBC News. ICE has also begun sending some detainees to the federal Bureau of Prisons. But the BOP was already in crisis before Trump took office, as described by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General. The low ratio of staff to incarcerated people has left the BOP struggling to provide security and basic services to the people imprisoned in its facilities, putting their safety — and that of employees — at risk. DONATE Private prison companies are celebrating the Trump administration’s need for more cells. In a press release and earnings call earlier this week, CoreCivic’s CEO told investors that this was one of the most exciting periods of his career, and it may lead to the “most significant growth in our company’s history.” The company, which has contracts to detain people for ICE, said they expect the immigration agency to massively increase the number of people it will hold behind bars. Company officials believe they may also see growth in the Bureau of Prisons, according to The Arizona Republic. One of Trump’s first actions as president was to allow the BOP to contract with private prison companies again, after then-President Joe Biden canceled BOP private prison contracts. (The use of private detention for immigration has continued under both Democratic and Republican administrations, with Biden arguably laying the foundation for much of the infrastructure Trump’s mass deportation efforts will rely on.) Yet another sign of a private prison infrastructure expansion is a report that the Trump administration is preparing to restart family immigrant detention, including incarcerating families with young children, and is expected to ask companies to bid for contracts, according to NBC News. While much attention has been given to private companies, local jails are the most common type of detention facility that ICE uses, according to a report from Vera, an advocacy organization working to end mass incarceration. The Biden administration already had agreements with local jails to house ICE detainees. But Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has been encouraging sheriffs to make even more space available for immigrant detention. At the National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Conference earlier this month, he told sheriffs: “We need your bed space.” Homan promised to make it easier for local jails to incarcerate people for ICE by lowering detention standards and limiting the number of federal inspections. He said he hoped to eliminate federal rules and instead defer to state-level standards. “If that’s good enough for a U.S. citizen in your county, it’s good enough for an illegal immigrant detained for us,” Homan said. Local officials are often incentivized to provide jail space to ICE because of reimbursement rates. Sheriffs and politicians have talked about how ICE payments produce revenue and help cover city services. Other sheriffs have said they will need more money to do what the federal government is asking counties to do. Some local politicians are offering space because of ideological support for Trump’s goals. An Arizona state senator said he plans to introduce a bill allowing ICE to use two empty state prisons for just a dollar a year. And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has offered Trump the use of 4,000 state prison cells at no cost. Other state politicians have resisted cooperation with ICE. A law in Illinois prohibits local sheriffs from renting jail space for immigrant detention. Trump is now suing the state over the law. The president’s search for more prison and jail cells for imprisoning both citizens and undocumented immigrants extends beyond U.S. borders. Earlier this month, Trump said he was considering El Salvador’s offer to incarcerate both deported immigrants from any nationality and U.S. citizens in its infamous prisons. Trump said the Central American country offered to detain people for a “small fee.” He also said, “We could make deals where we’d get these animals out of our country.” Experts say it is not legal to deport a U.S. citizen, and while it is, in some cases, legal to deport a non-citizen to a third country, it’s a complicated process. Trump has also indicated that he wants to house more than 30,000 migrants at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. The naval base has a long history of allegations of human rights abuses, and lawyers have raised concerns that immigrants are being sent into a “legal black hole,” according to The Washington Post. Around three dozen people have already been sent to Guantánamo, but there are major hurdles to reaching the numbers Trump has projected. The most the facility has ever held is about 800 people, according to NPR, and housing more would be incredibly expensive. In addition, the administration has already hit legal hurdles — earlier this week a judge in New Mexico blocked, for now, the administration’s effort to send three Venezuelan men to Guantánamo. Many have speculated that Trump’s sending people to Guantánamo, like many of his immigration efforts, is an attempt to create a massive spectacle intended to project power and instill fear. But despite the significant legal and practical barriers, the Trump administration’s numerous efforts to find more jail and prison cells indicate a clear desire to build a larger carceral system. Trump has styled himself as a “law and order” president and is using that frame in his efforts at expanded incarceration. But despite his wide-ranging moves to increase prison and jail space, he has been selective in who should be imprisoned or punished for illegal behavior. Trump himself has been convicted of numerous felonies. On the first day of his administration, he granted clemency to 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants. And earlier this week, the Justice Department ordered prosecutors to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was accused in September of accepting bribes and free or discounted travel from people trying to influence him. Multiple department employees have resigned over the order. A Justice Department memo, obtained by The Associated Press, said the charges should be dropped because they were interfering with Adams’ “ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime.” Want more people to know about this? Tell your network. SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER FORWARD TO A FRIEND THE BEST OF THE MARSHALL PROJECT Upended lives of trans people in prison. People working and incarcerated in federal prisons say they are confused about the Bureau of Prisons policies for transgender people. President Trump prohibited using federal funds for gender-affirming care, but a judge temporarily blocked the order. Transgender people have reported more harassment since the order, and medical staff said they were confused about what treatments they’d still be able to offer. Cupid behind the walls. The rules are strict: Newlyweds can’t kiss during their photos, and their hands have to be visible at all times. No cake. But Khanika Harper still finds a way to make the weddings she officiates inside Missouri prison walls meaningful and full of love. She explains in the latest issue of our Life Inside series. The Marshall Project comes to St. Louis. The Marshall Project has launched its third local newsroom, which includes two investigative reporters, an engagement reporter and a partnerships coordinator. They plan to explore issues like the death penalty, the school-to-prison pipeline, reentry and prison health care. The new initiative builds on previous work of The Marshall Project in the St. Louis area, including reporting on the low solve rate for murders. Chad Scott and Timothy Hoosierstand outside their cell at BoonvilleCorrectional Center in Boonville,Missouri, in 2019. Each week,Closing Argument highlights the workof an artist with an interest in thecriminal justice system. This piece isby Bing Guan. Shannon Heffernan is a staff writer for The Marshall Project covering prison conditions, experiences of theincarcerated, their families and corrections officers, the federal Bureau of Prisons and the death penalty. Heffernanjoins The Marshall Project from WBEZ in Chicago, where she covered prisons and jails in Illinois over her 15 years as apublic radio reporter, examining issues such as abuse and misconduct by prison guards. During her tenure at WBEZ,she was the lead reporter and host of Season Four of WBEZ’s “Motive,” a podcast investigating abuse and corruptionin small town prisons in Illinois. Her work has been honored with a National Murrow Award for best writing and aNational Headliner Award, among many others. Want fewer emails, or to change which newsletters you're subscribed to? Adjust the email you receive from us byupdating your preferences. If you want to stop getting any email from The Marshall Project at all, unsubscribe at any time. Have Feedback? Reply to this email with your thoughts. This email was sent to abjpd1@gmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences The Marshall Project · 156 West 56th Street · Studio, 3rd Floor · New York, NY 10019 · USA From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; h.etzko@gmail.com; Michelle; Doug Minkler; Diana Diamond; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; ladoris cordell; EPA Today; editor@paweekly.com; Council, City; Josh Becker; Senator Becker; Salem Ajluni; Jax Ajluni; Cait James; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Steve Wagstaffe; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Robert. Jonsen; Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Mickie Winkler; Human Relations Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Sarah Wright; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; rabrica@cityofepa.org; cromero@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; Lee, Craig; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong Subject:United States support for Israel in the Gaza war - Wikipedia Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 11:55:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. United States support for Israel in the Gaza war - Wikipedia https://search.app/31E9wtwiesGTKVwz6 From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Doug Minkler; Rodriguez, Miguel; Gardener, Liz; Damon Silver; Figueroa, Eric; Robert. Jonsen;Enberg, Nicholas; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; board@valleywater.org; bos@smcgov.org; JeffConrad; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Rosen; Reifschneider, James; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gerry Gras;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Josh Becker; EPA Today; Braden Cartwright; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; HumanRelations Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Jensen, Eric; Afanasiev,Alex; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lotus Fong; Baker, Rob; Rowena Chiu; Steve Wagstaffe;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Bill Newell Subject:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/CUZwCoABY2crV2X9I1foTptqYH?domain=youtube.com Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 11:44:52 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln7sTSsSTNQ From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Pat M; Rose Lynn; Kaloma Smith; Raymond Goins; Sameena@Secure-Justice.org; Sarah Wright;Dave Price; Bill Newell; Braden Cartwright; Human Relations Commission; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Gardener, Liz; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; Council, City;bos@smcgov.org; jay.boyarsky@da.sccgov.org; Mickie Winkler; Henry Etzkowitz; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong;Steve Wagstaffe; Stump, Molly; Salem Ajluni; Jack Ajluni; Cait James; Templeton, Cari; Tim James; Josie James-Le; Marina Lopez; Palo Alto Free Press; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Jose Valle; MGR-MelissaStevenson Diaz; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Cribbs, Anne; Sheriff Transparency;Emily Mibach; Cecilia Taylor; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Richard Konda; Figueroa, Eric;Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Michelle; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley,Michael; Jensen, Eric; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Nicole Chiu-Wang;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Josh Becker; Senator Becker; Dennis Upton; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:Like Europe urging US to embrace the KKK: Ex-Defense Secretary stunned by Vance"s remarks Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 11:30:18 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Like Europe urging US to embrace the KKK: Ex-Defense Secretary stunned by Vance's remarks Source: Raw Story https://share.newsbreak.com/bj3yplj1?s=i0 From:Shikada, Ed To:Alison Cormack; Clerk, City; Council, City Cc:O"Kane, Kristen Subject:RE: Tuesday night meeting location Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 11:03:24 AM Attachments:image002.pngimage003.png Hello Alison, Thanks for catching the “mini-packet” error. The meeting is at Mitchell Park Community Center. --Ed Ed Shikada, City Manager ICMA Credentialed Manager (650) 329-2280 | ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Alison Cormack <alisonlcormack@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2025 10:42 AM To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Tuesday night meeting location CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello all, Can you please confirm the correct location of the meeting on Tuesday? This webpage says Mitchell Park: https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=17063 The packet (see attached) says Council Chambers. Thank you, Alison Cormack From:Alison Cormack To:Clerk, City; Council, City Subject:Tuesday night meeting location Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 10:45:35 AM Attachments:mini-packet_City Council Special Meeting - Cubberley Visioning Workshop_20250214.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello all, Can you please confirm the correct location of the meeting on Tuesday? This webpage says Mitchell Park:https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=17063 The packet (see attached) says Council Chambers. Thank you, Alison Cormack From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Diana Diamond; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; SanJosé Spotlight; Rodriguez, Miguel; Michelle; Sean Allen; Salem Ajluni; Jax Ajluni; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; JeffHayden; Steve Wagstaffe; Sarah Wright; chuck jagoda; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Barberini, Christopher; Cribbs, Anne;Anna Griffin; Council, City; GRP-City Council; board@pausd.org; Bill Newell; board@valleywater.org;BoardOperations; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; Human Relations Commission; Stump,Molly; Don Austin; Sheriff Transparency; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; h.etzko@gmail.com; Daniel Kottke;WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Mickie Winkler; ladoris cordell; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Perron, Zachary; Binder,Andrew; Wagner, April; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Senator Becker; Josh Becker; Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong;dennis burns; Pat M; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov Subject:Corporate Media Failing to Call This What It Is: A Coup If this is not a coup d’etat, I don’t know what is. It is not "taking sides" to say so. Rather, it is accurately describing the dire emergency America now faces. Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 12:42:33 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Corporate Media Failing to Call ThisWhat It Is: A Coup If this is not a coup d’etat, I don’t know what is. It is not "taking sides" to say so. Rather, it is accurately describing the dire emergency America now faces. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/corporate-media-failing-to-call-this-what-it-is-a-coup From:David Light To:Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Stone, Greer; Council, City Subject:Turf Fields (Don"t ban them!!) Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 8:10:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi - please do not vote to ban turf soccer fields for youth sports. This will be very detrimental to the feasibility and viability of youth sports and will negative impact the children andfamilies of Palo Alto. As a Soccer Coach I know how much this will hurt the community. Please represent us and do not ban them. Thank you, David Light From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:A way to raise money for a fire engine and for fire fighters salaries Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 4:59:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council; Regarding Mr. Shikada’s warning at the meeting last night that adding a firefighter position would cost the city (i.e., us) $1M: Aside from the Office of Transportation, which operatesunder his purview, Mr. Shikada has a staff of 13 people, including an Assistant City Manager, a Deputy City Manager, three Assistants to the City Manager, an Equity and InclusionProgram Manager, an Executive Assistant, two Administrative Assistants, a Management Fellow and a three person press staff. Perhaps it’s time for the city manager to jettison one or two of these folks in order to bettersecure the fire safety of the people of south Palo Alto. Respectfully submitted, Ceci Kettendorf 45 year resident of south Palo Alto. 3719 Grove Avenue Palo Alto, Ca. 94303 6504930804 From:Lu Lu To:Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Burt, Patrick; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer;Council, City Subject:Support Synthetic Turf in Palo Alto! Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 3:45:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Why Synthetic Turf is Essential PASC/SVSA supports synthetic turf for several key reasons: Reliable Playing Surface – Consistently higher-quality conditions for sports. Extended Usability – Allows for nearly four times more playing hours per year compared to grass. Durability – Withstands heavy use with minimal maintenance. Year-Round Access – Remains playable in winter and rainy conditions. Water Conservation – Saves millions of gallons of water annually. Addressing Environmental Concerns The synthetic turf industry has made significant progress in sustainability, including: Recycling old turf materials. Eliminating PFAS from products. Using natural infills for eco-friendliness. ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Rodrigo Baptista <no-reply@byga.net>Date: Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 3:29 PMSubject: Act Now: Support Synthetic Turf in Palo Alto!To: <luludonuts@gmail.com> Dear PASC/SVSA, Thank you so much for your support regarding the Santa Clara County turf ban. As previously mentioned, the City of Palo Alto is conducting a study to determine whether to retain synthetic turf on its athletic fields or transition back to grass. TheCity Council is currently reviewing this issue, and the topic will be on the agenda forthe upcoming March meeting. How You Can Help 1. Click on the Link Below to Sign the Petition Change.org Petition to Save our Fields 2. Email City Council Members Your voice matters! Please take a moment to email the City Council members and express your support for maintaining synthetic turf: Ed Lauing (Mayor) – Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org Vicki Veenker (Vice Mayor) – Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org Patrick Burt (Councilmember) – Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org George Lu (Councilmember) – George.Lu@CityofPaloAlto.org Julie Lythcott-Haims (Councilmember) – Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org Keith Reckdahl (Councilmember) – Keith.Reckdahl@CityofPaloAlto.org Greer Stone (Councilmember) – Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org CC: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org For more details about City Council members, visit: City of Palo Alto CouncilMembers 3. Learn More For additional information Visit Save our Palo Alto Athletic Synthetic Turf Why Synthetic Turf is Essential PASC/SVSA supports synthetic turf for several key reasons: Reliable Playing Surface – Consistently higher-quality conditions for sports.Extended Usability – Allows for nearly four times more playing hours per year compared to grass.Durability – Withstands heavy use with minimal maintenance. Year-Round Access – Remains playable in winter and rainy conditions.Water Conservation – Saves millions of gallons of water annually. Addressing Environmental Concerns The synthetic turf industry has made significant progress in sustainability, including: Recycling old turf materials. Eliminating PFAS from products. Using natural infills for eco-friendliness. The City of Palo Alto already faces a critical shortage of athletic fields. Banning synthetic turf would require building more grass fields an impractical andunsustainable solution given space and resource limitations. One artificial turf field provides the equivalent usability of three to four grass fields, making it an essentialinvestment for our community. Thank you for your support! Rodrigo Powered by From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Marina Lopez; Pat M; Richard Konda; Jose Valle; Doug Minkler;Tim James; Cait James; board@pausd.org; Bill Newell; BoardOperations; bos@smcgov.org; Steve Wagstaffe; JeffConrad; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Council, City; Gerry Gras; GRP-City Council;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Vara Ramakrishnan; board@valleywater.org; DuJuan Green; Dennis Upton;dennis burns; Human Relations Commission; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright;h.etzko@gmail.com; Emily Mibach; Figueroa, Eric; Mickie Winkler; Rodriguez, Miguel; Roberta Ahlquist; Friendsof Cubberley; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Palo Alto Free Press; Reckdahl, Keith;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Rowena Chiu; Reifschneider, James; ChrisColohan; Nicole Chiu-Wang; chuck jagoda; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; JoshBecker; Senator Becker; Sarah Wright; Sameena@Secure-Justice.org; Sam Ho; Brad Imamura; Daniel Kottke;Templeton, Cari; Lewis james; Salem Ajluni; Jax Ajluni; Stump, Molly Subject:Santa Clara County courthouse mural is racist, advocates say - San José Spotlight Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 3:26:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Santa Clara County courthouse mural isracist, advocates say Santa Clara County courthouse mural is racist, advocates say - San José Spotlight https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-palo-alto-courthouse-mural-is-racist-advocates-say/ Perron, Zachary <Zachary.Perron@cityofpaloalto.org>Thu, Feb 13, 9:12 PM (15 hours ago) to me Mr. Taylor, That intersection is an extremely complex one for officers to manually direct traffic. In order to safely direct traffic manually, we would need at least six officers there. Our staffing level on day shift, when this outage occurred, is six officers. This is the primary reason we do not manually direct traffic at that intersection: we simply don’t have enough resources to do it safely (safely for either the officers, or for the motoring public / pedestrians / cyclists) and still be able to provide an adequate police response elsewhere in the City. From:Tim TaylorTo:Kent T; City Mgr; Police; binder.andrew@cityofpaloalto.org; Council, City; Perron, Zachary; Burt, Patrick; ed.lausing@cityofpalpalto.org; Veenker, VickiSubject:City of Palo Alto can fix this problem and Staff need to get together for a solutionDate:Friday, February 14, 2025 1:35:19 PMAttachments:image001.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. On Thursday 2/13/25 morning at the intersection of Page Mill Road and El Camino Roads the traffic light was flashing red and traffic was backed up towards FoothillExpressway to the west and and over 2 miles to Greer Road easterly, a total distance of over 3 miles. I, and the several hundreds of cars (I counted them),were forced to wait in our cars for over 45 minutes as cars crawled, one at a time about every 15 seconds (waiting their turn) to proceed on Page Mill Road. Surprisingly,there was no one directing traffic at this busy and dangerous intersection. The situation was even worse when I returned about an hour later, and there were several nearmiss accidents I saw when I finally got to the intersection. This untenable situation resulted in hundreds of person hours of wasted and lost time and money, increased pollution, and a huge amount of frustration - all of whichwere avoidable. It seemed incredulous to me that the City was doing nothing and was unaware of the situation. So I called the Police Department and was told that the stoplight wasowned by the County so that there was nothing that could be done. I then called 911 and they said they had received scores of calls all morning (the light went out thenight before) and had notified all authorities, including the police department who said the persons on duty refused to do anything about it. I called the dispatchers andwas told the same thing. I tried to call Chief Binder and was told that he did not communicate with the citizens he was supposed to protect but that I could be called backsome time. As I contacted many more officials (most all of whom agreed that something should have been done) and after Zack Perron (Patrol captain who reports directly to ChiefBinder) called me in the evening from his home and was patient enough to permit a good conversation wherein both parties heard each side of the situation, it seems thatthe solution was to get officials to engage in a two pronged attack to fix the problem: The first problem is that the County has historically been exceedingly slow in responding to requests for help and repair, especially at the traditionally used dispatchlevel. The City is given no response commitment by the County. The City Council and or City Manager's office need to step in and take responsibility for establishing procedures to protect their citizens from having to go throughsituations like this again. The second problem is the no hands position taken by the Police Department.An accurate description of their position can be seen in the email sent to me by Zack Perron which is included at the bottom of this email and which I will refer to. In response to Officer Perron's email: 1. The reasons given for it supposedly needing 6 officers to control traffic are exactly the reasons why the department should not leave it solely to individual citizens tosafely manage the intersection when the light is out. This is a very unsafe situation that needs to be addressed. 2. It seems like the figure of at least 6 officers together at one intersection is a gross overstatement of the manpower needed. I have witnessed situations where oneproperly trained officer was able to control the situation, though an additional officer would be helpful. For example, the officer would stop traffic both ways on ElCamino, permit right turns and through traffic both ways on Page Mill to continue through the intersection, halt that traffic and signal to left turning autos on Page Mill toproceed, halt that traffic and then proceed to do the same with El Camino traffic. Having any officer present and in charge would be far safer and speedier than lettingeach individual decide on his or her own when and in which order to proceed. This is common sense. 3. The point about not knowing when the County will respond is well taken and addressed elsewhere in this email and up to the City Council and City manager's office.However, after directing traffic and getting the situation under control, there is no reason why the officers are obligated to stay there under any circumstances until theCounty repairs the lights. Officer Perron told me it was an additional liability for them to stay, but there is a liability for any actions taken by the Department and heCity is prepared for that. It would seem far more reasonable and safer for the public to have at least one or two officers on scene who could be reassigned if they wereneeded elsewhere in an emergency. The solution lies in finding a middle ground that best preserves the safety of Palo Altans and others and I call on the administration of the City of Palo Alto to take theinitiative to fix the problem. I would appreciate receiving a response from any party that would like to submit a suggestion, comment on the above, offer to help, or seek more information. Kent Tayloremail: kttoss@att.net Email from Officer Perron: Page Mill Road / El Camino Real Inbox f When signal lights at an intersection are not functioning properly, we have no way of knowing how long it will take for the appropriate agency to get them working again. Once we take ownership of an intersection by directing traffic manually, we are committed to staying until the signal lights are repaired or another solution can be implemented. Instead, we allow the California Vehicle Code to govern driver behavior, as we did today. That can cause delays, depending on the amount of traffic. But in our opinion, that is a safer solution for all involved than attempting to manually direct traffic with insufficient resources. Zach Perron Captain, Field Services Division Palo Alto Police Department (650) 329-2115 | zachary.perron@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org | www.papd.org For information about volunteer opportunities in the San Francisco bay area,please visit the Bay Area Volunteer Information Center atwww.volunteerinfo.org View this email in your browser Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, and Instagram From:LWV Palo Alto (Eblast)To:Council, CitySubject:Join LWV Study of Federal Judiciary on March 1stDate:Friday, February 14, 2025 9:05:41 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Join LWV of Palo Alto LWV Study of Federal Judiciary Saturday, March 1, 2025 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Peninsula Conservation Center Raptor Room 3921 E. Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto How important is an enforceable code of ethics to judicial legitimacy? How should such a code be enforced? What structural changes to the Supreme Court might reduce the perception of partisanship? Join us on March 1 to engage in these important discussions and help LWV develop its position. LWVUS has posted a study guide with policy briefs to help us understand the issues, and we highly recommend you read the policy briefs before the meeting. The LWVUS Federal Judiciary Study Committee also held a Town Hall on February 4 with leading experts in the field. You can hear the stimulating conversation by watching the recording of the Town Hall. We hope you will join us in this important and timely study of judicial accountability, transparency, independence, and ethics. Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for Email News and Action Alerts from LWVUS Facebook Website Instagram Register Now Copyright © 2025 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. From:Clerk, City To:Council, City Cc:Clerk, City Subject:FW: Colleague"s memo at Feb 24 meeting, Agenda item 8 Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 8:12:04 AM Good morning Councilmembers, Please see the below public comment received to the City Clerk’s inbox. Thank you, City Clerk’s Office From: pol1@rosenblums.us <pol1@rosenblums.us> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2025 8:15 PM To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Colleague's memo at Feb 24 meeting, Agenda item 8 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Councilmembers: I strongly support the Colleagues memo drafted by Mayor Lauing and Vice Mayor Veenker stating Palo Alto’s steadfast resistance to the Trump administration’s illegal and harmful actions. I urge a unanimous vote in favor. Thank you. Stephen Rosenblum Old Palo Alto From:D Martell To:Shikada, Ed; News Cc:Stump, Molly; Council, City Subject:EMERGENCY ALERT ... Fwd: Uplift Local February 13, 2025 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 6:51:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. I am shocked my city illustrated a very toxic mushroom (used in suicides) to promote a mushroomrecipe in our "Recipe of the Week" writeup. In the mid-1970s, I became a member of the San Francisco Mycology Society. Over the course of my life, I have heard and read of many deaths from eating a mushroom onethought was safe. Please alert my community to not risk eating an Aminita Muscaria EVER. Aminita Muscaria is a Very Toxic mushroom when eaten. Please check out this link from the National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7977045/ The Deceptive Mushroom: Accidental Amanita muscaria Poisoning "Amanita muscaria is considered to be one of the most remarkable and beautifulmushrooms. It has a red or orange cap covered with small white plaques and itsdistinctive appearance makes accidental and severe intoxication very rare. Itsconsumption is sometimes used as a means of suicide or it can be consumed for itspsychedelic effects, and in some cases, it can be mistaken for edible species. In this paper,we will discuss a patient who fell into a coma after accidental Amanita muscaria poisoning. Rapid identification of the mushroom allowed the regression ofsymptoms and discharge from the hospital on the fourth day after consumption." ---------------------------------------------------------- Recipe of the Week: Show that special someone how mush you love them on Valentine’s Day by whipping up this beautiful plant-based mushroom steak recipe. Make it even healthier by substituting butter with extra virgin olive oil and using mushrooms like maitake, oyster, or shiitake for added heart health. ----------------------------------------------------------- From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:[CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week -- Update #4 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 5:46:37 PM Attachments:FQS0yo0rM3Tc9SYR.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Friends, we got through the storm today (13th) with no apparent flooding and now on to later in the week... The most recentCNRFC modeling run (posted today, 2/13/25 2:14 PM) is shown below. The projected nominal flows have an overalldecreasing trend, with the model ensamble distributions indicating a significant but decreasing band of uncertainties throughthe weekend. The biggest uncertainty is around early morning on Friday (14th), but the top of the spread shows a possibleflow around 1000 cfs. Let's hope for a relatively weekend... Stay safe... Tom R. From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Friends of Cubberley; Council, City;h.etzko@gmail.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Julie Lythcott-Haims; ladoris cordell; Rowena Chiu;Raymond Goins; bos@smcgov.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Bill Newell; Afanasiev, Alex; HenryEtzkowitz; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Gardener, Liz Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 5:34:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-residents-unaware-of-non-police-crisis-services/ From:Angela Dellaporta To:Council, City Subject:March 10 discussion Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 3:52:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members - Although city representatives Meghan Horrigan Taylor, Holly Boyd, and Megha Bansal very kindly met with several neighbors this week, to share their information regarding the artificialturf and substrate currently being installed at Boulware Park, we are still left with deep concerns about the decision and its future effects on the children and the environment of PaloAlto. We understand that the artificial turf was chosen partly because it provides access for children who have accessibility issues, and partly because of the safety assurances provided by themanufacturer of the material being used, including a 9-foot critical fall height. However, while falling is one danger for children, we all can agree that keeping all childrensafe from dangerous and carcinogenic compounds is also critical. The artificial turf that has just been installed in our neighborhood playground is made ofpolyethylene fibers, which, as they break down under UV light, are known to leachchemicals like nonylphenol, which can disrupt the endocrine system. Studies have shownthat children playing on fields made of polyethylene fibers go home with these chemicals ontheir hands. The polyethylene fibers are also a source of microplastics in the environment. Beneath the turf itself is a layer of “Envirofill”, which is sand that is coated with acrylic toreduce the dust and treated with a chemical to give it “antimicrobial properties” – in other words, a pesticide. Unfortunately, the acrylic erodes over time, infiltrating the lungs andkidneys of children. It is also a source of micro plastic in the environment. The “bonded rubber mulch” that has been placed under trees contains urethane, a knowncarcinogen. The manufacturer recommends that the city conduct its own safety tests regarding volatilechemicals for all of the above – and yet the city inspectors who are in charge of testing forsafety look only at critical fall height, and do not test for chemical off-gassing. Palo Alto is supposed to be a “Zero Waste” city, yet the city has chosen to install pesticide-coated plastic and urethane that has a life-span of 8-10 years in a place where children will be exposed to these dangerous chemicals. Not only will the plastic go into the landfill in 8-10years, but before that time small pieces of the acrylic and polyethylene fibers will enter the water and the air around us, as well as our bloodstreams. We believe that the materials were chosen by mistake and that our children and ourenvironment should not have to suffer from this mistake. The material has already been installed, but we know that anything that has been installedcan be removed. Which budgetary priorities are more important than the safety of ourchildren and our environment? Please add playground materials to your discussion about playing field materials that isscheduled for March 10. And please replace the dangerous materials that have beeninstalled at Boulware Park with a natural, safe, material as soon as possible. We do notmind at all if this takes another couple of months. Thank you, Angela Dellaporta From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Executive Leadership Team Subject:(RSVP by 2/19/25) State of the Valley 2025 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 11:46:10 AM Attachments:image001.pngimage010.pngimage011.pngimage013.pngimage014.pngimage015.pngimage002.pngimage003.png Hello Council Members, Friendly reminder that we still have tickets available for the 2025 State of the Valley Conference. If you would like to attend, please let me know by next Wednesday, February 19. After that date, we will open the remaining tickets to staff. Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Tran, Joanna <Joanna.Tran@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2025 12:26 PM To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; georgeglue@gmail.com Cc: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: RSVP by 2/19/25 - State of the Valley 2025 Hello Council Members, This year, the Joint Ventures State of the Valley event is scheduled for Friday, March 7th, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The City has sponsored a table at the event, which includes breakfast and an advance copy of the 2025 Silicon Valley Index. th If you are interested in attending, please confirm by February 19 . After that time, we will open the remaining tickets to our Executive Leadership Team. What is the State of the Valley Conference? The State of the Valley Conference brings together stakeholders from all sectors to discuss Silicon Valley's challenges and opportunities. It is informed by the Silicon Valley Index, a data-driven report that has tracked the region's economy and community health since 1995. Where? San Jose State University Diaz Compean Student Union 2nd Floor Ballroom 211 South 9th Street San Jose, California When? Friday, March 7th from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Thank you! Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:[CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #3 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 11:43:01 AM Attachments:HfGforStq0qkgz17.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Friends, now for the rest of today's storms... The latest CNRFC modeling run (posted Thursday, 2/13/25 8:31 AM) shows anoverlay of the measured USGS Stanford SFC flow gauge (blue lines) with the storm profile predicted by the CNRFC (pinkline). A flow peak, smaller than the one this morning, is projected for ~7:00 PM at ~917 cfs. The 95% uncertainty amongthe ensemble models for that peak is ~1328 cfs. The projected nominal peak this evening would be at about 17% of theestimated capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge (5,500 cfs) and the 95th percentile flow would be about 24%. Let's hope for arelatively quiet evening... Stay safe... Tom R. From:Michael J Wagner To:Druzin Maurice L Cc:TC Rindfleisch; CPNA; Eggleston, Brad; Ni Denean; Shikada, Ed; Hitchings Hamilton; Koseff Jeffrey R; Fisher Kevin; Bruce Margaret; Jeremias,Michel; Harris-Parker Miyko; Hsueh Nai; Buchanan Neilson; Beamer Norm; Council, City; Eisenberg Rebecca; Byler Tess; Kou Lydia; CombsDrew; Stone, Greer; Gauthier Lisa; Abrica Ruben Subject:Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #2 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 11:00:24 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. A BIG second!!! Sent from my iPhone On Feb 13, 2025, at 8:01 AM, Maurice L Druzin <druzin@stanford.edu> wrote:  Tom Thank you again for this information. You have been the calming influence in the midst of the storm! Maurice Druzin Get Outlook for iOS From: crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com> on behalf of TC Rindfleisch <tcr.sumc@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2025 7:52:12 AM To: CPNA <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com> Cc: Brad Eggleston <brad.eggleston@cityofpaloalto.org>; Denean Ni <dni@sfcjpa.org>; Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>; Jeffrey R Koseff <koseff@stanford.edu>; Kevin Fisher <k.fisher@pacbell.net>; Margaret Bruce <mbruce@sfcjpa.org>; Michel Jeremias <michel.jeremias@cityofpaloalto.org>; Miyko Harris-Parker <mhparker@sfcjpa.org>; Nai Hsueh <nhsueh@valleywater.org>; Neilson Buchanan <cnsbuchanan@yahoo.com>; Norm Beamer <nhbeamer@yahoo.com>; Palo Alto City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Rebecca Eisenberg <reisenberg@valleywater.org>; Tess Byler <tbyler@sfcjpa.org>; Lydia Kou <lydiakou@gmail.com>; Drew Combs <dcombs@menlopark.gov>; Greer Stone <greer.stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lisa Gauthier <lgauthier@smcgov.org>; Ruben Abrica <rabrica@cityofepa.org> Subject: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #2 Friends, the latest CNRFC real time plot (posted Thursday, 2/13/25 7:30 AM) shows an overlay ofthe USGS Stanford SFC flow gauge (blue line) with the storm surge predicted by the CNRFCyesterday afternoon (pink line). A major storm surge seems to be peaking ~7:00 AM at ~2255 cfs.This is 3 hours earlier than the CNRFC-predicted maximum around 10:00 AM and the USGS-measured flow is higher than the nominal forecast of 1865 cfs, but somewhat less than the 95%prediction uncertainty at 2488 cfs. The current USGS peak is at about 42% of the estimated capacityof the Pope-Chaucer bridge (5,500 cfs). According to the NOAA GOES West satellite view, we areentering a quiet spell for a while. The CNRFC plans to make another prediction run around 9:00 AM. Stay safe... Tom R. <a9heAz0U0gI0ASFO.png> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Crescent Park PA"group.To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/afd8b0f2-2a1e-4044-a084-7ba7a4322785%40gmail.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Crescent Park PA"group.To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/SJ0PR02MB74064A63B23AD03DE6B6BFE5A9FF2%40SJ0PR02MB7406.namprd02.prod.outlook.com. From:Jamie Shachmut To:PWD; City Mgr; Council, City Subject:Crosswalk Blinkers for Cambridge Avenue Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 10:33:40 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello City of Palo Alto, My name is Jamie Shachmut and I work for AJ Tutoring on Cambridge Avenue in Palo Alto. I'm writing this email to ask for you all to consider installing crosswalk blinkers and buttonson the crosswalk on Cambridge Avenue by the Parking Structure and my building (430 Cambridge Avenue). Last night (02.12.2025) at 6:30pm, a pedestrian was hit in the crosswalk by a car that couldnot see him, due to there being no crosswalk blinkers or indication that someone was in the crosswalk. We here at AJ Tutoring are concerned as we have kids of all ages coming in and out of ourbuilding from 10am-9pm Monday-Friday, and would like some extra assurance that they can cross the street safely. Thank you for reading this email, and hope to hear from someone soon. My direct line is below if you have any questions. -- Jamie Shachmut Office Manager, Palo Alto | AJ Tutoring (650) 331-3251 ext. 631 jamieshachmut@ajtutoring.com Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am - 7:00pm, Fri 9:00am-5:00pm || Pronouns are She/Her/Hers HOW ARE CLASSES GOING? Our academic experts excel at explaining concepts in a way that makes sense. Learn More About Our Academic Tutoring Burlingame | San Mateo | San Carlos | Woodside | Menlo Park | Palo Alto | Los Altos (San Antonio) | Los Altos (Fremont Ave) | Mountain View | Saratoga | Los Gatos (Highway 9) | Los Gatos (Los Gatos Blvd) | San Jose (Almaden Valley) | Lafayette | Danville | Orinda www.ajtutoring.com From:Aram James To:Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Gennady Sheyner; Stump, Molly; h.etzko@gmail.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright;Ed Lauing; editor@paweekly.com; Gerry Gras; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Diana Diamond; EPA Today;cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari; Reckdahl, Keith; George for Palo Alto; Human RelationsCommission; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; CeciliaTaylor; Emily Mibach; Gardener, Liz; Lait, Jonathan Subject:Another endless Shikada boondoggle Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 10:17:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2025/02/12/public-safety-building-faces-delays-as-city- contractor-fight-over-funding/ From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; h.etzko@gmail.com; Reckdahl, Keith; Julie Lythcott-Haims; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Gerry Gras; Council, City; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Doug Minkler; JeffHayden; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Michelle; Pat M; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Dave Price; GRP-CityCouncil; Human Relations Commission; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; DanielKottke; GRP-City Clerk; Bill Newell Subject:UCLA suspends Students for Justice in Palestine after vandalism at UC regent’s home Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 9:11:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. UCLA suspends Students for Justice in Palestine after vandalism at UC regent’s home https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-12/ucla-suspends-students-for-justice-in-palestine-jay-sures-protest From:Maurice L Druzin To:TC Rindfleisch; CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; RubenAbrica Subject:Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #2 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 8:01:12 AM Attachments:a9heAz0U0gI0ASFO.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Tom Thank you again for this information. You have been the calming influence in the midst of the storm! Maurice Druzin Get Outlook for iOS From: crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com> on behalf of TC Rindfleisch <tcr.sumc@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2025 7:52:12 AM To: CPNA <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com> Cc: Brad Eggleston <brad.eggleston@cityofpaloalto.org>; Denean Ni <dni@sfcjpa.org>; Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>; Jeffrey R Koseff <koseff@stanford.edu>; Kevin Fisher <k.fisher@pacbell.net>; Margaret Bruce <mbruce@sfcjpa.org>; Michel Jeremias <michel.jeremias@cityofpaloalto.org>; Miyko Harris-Parker <mhparker@sfcjpa.org>; Nai Hsueh <nhsueh@valleywater.org>; Neilson Buchanan <cnsbuchanan@yahoo.com>; Norm Beamer <nhbeamer@yahoo.com>; Palo Alto City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Rebecca Eisenberg <reisenberg@valleywater.org>; Tess Byler <tbyler@sfcjpa.org>; Lydia Kou <lydiakou@gmail.com>; Drew Combs <dcombs@menlopark.gov>; Greer Stone <greer.stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lisa Gauthier <lgauthier@smcgov.org>; Ruben Abrica <rabrica@cityofepa.org> Subject: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #2 Friends, the latest CNRFC real time plot (posted Thursday, 2/13/25 7:30 AM) shows an overlay of the USGS Stanford SFCflow gauge (blue line) with the storm surge predicted by the CNRFC yesterday afternoon (pink line). A major storm surgeseems to be peaking ~7:00 AM at ~2255 cfs. This is 3 hours earlier than the CNRFC-predicted maximum around 10:00AM and the USGS-measured flow is higher than the nominal forecast of 1865 cfs, but somewhat less than the 95%prediction uncertainty at 2488 cfs. The current USGS peak is at about 42% of the estimated capacity of the Pope-Chaucerbridge (5,500 cfs). According to the NOAA GOES West satellite view, we are entering a quiet spell for a while. TheCNRFC plans to make another prediction run around 9:00 AM. Stay safe... Tom R. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Crescent Park PA" group.To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/afd8b0f2-2a1e-4044-a084-7ba7a4322785%40gmail.com. From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:[CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #2 Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 7:52:29 AM Attachments:a9heAz0U0gI0ASFO.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Friends, the latest CNRFC real time plot (posted Thursday, 2/13/25 7:30 AM) shows an overlay of the USGS Stanford SFCflow gauge (blue line) with the storm surge predicted by the CNRFC yesterday afternoon (pink line). A major storm surgeseems to be peaking ~7:00 AM at ~2255 cfs. This is 3 hours earlier than the CNRFC-predicted maximum around 10:00 AMand the USGS-measured flow is higher than the nominal forecast of 1865 cfs, but somewhat less than the 95% predictionuncertainty at 2488 cfs. The current USGS peak is at about 42% of the estimated capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge (5,500cfs). According to the NOAA GOES West satellite view, we are entering a quiet spell for a while. The CNRFC plans tomake another prediction run around 9:00 AM. Stay safe... Tom R. From:Aram James To:Rowena Chiu Cc:board@pausd.org; Council, City; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway Subject:Watch "A History Of Race Baiters" on YouTube Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 10:38:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://youtu.be/8S72EF-z_XM?si=SIJhmc8WtIOAgh9d From:Lisa Gauthier To:Joseph McGee; TC Rindfleisch; CPNACc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; Nai Hsueh;Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Ruben Abrica Subject:Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #1 Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 9:05:12 PM Attachments:x5B36ERED071S5tM.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. Thank you. Get Outlook for iOS From: Joseph McGee <jmcg55@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 8:47:12 PM To: TC Rindfleisch <tcr.sumc@gmail.com>; CPNA <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com> Cc: Brad Eggleston <brad.eggleston@cityofpaloalto.org>; Denean Ni <dni@sfcjpa.org>; Ed Shikada <ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>; Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>; Jeffrey R Koseff <koseff@stanford.edu>; Kevin Fisher <k.fisher@pacbell.net>; Margaret Bruce <mbruce@sfcjpa.org>; Michel Jeremias <michel.jeremias@cityofpaloalto.org>; Miyko Harris-Parker <mhparker@sfcjpa.org>; Nai Hsueh <nhsueh@valleywater.org>; Neilson Buchanan <cnsbuchanan@yahoo.com>; Norm Beamer <nhbeamer@yahoo.com>; Palo Alto City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Rebecca Eisenberg <reisenberg@valleywater.org>; Tess Byler <tbyler@sfcjpa.org>; Lydia Kou <lydiakou@gmail.com>; Drew Combs <dcombs@menlopark.gov>; Greer Stone <greer.stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lisa Gauthier <lgauthier@smcgov.org>; Ruben Abrica <rabrica@cityofepa.org> Subject: Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #1 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of San Mateo County. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. Thank you. J. McGee Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 6:49 PM, TC Rindfleisch <tcr.sumc@gmail.com> wrote: Friends, the latest CNRFC ensemble model plot (posted Wednesday, 2/12/25 2:19 PM) shows the main storm surgeexpected to reach its maximum Thursday (2/13/25) around 10:00 AM and the projected nominal peak flow forecastis 1865 cfs (up 80% from 1038 cfs previously). The new projection has an uncertainty up to 2488 cfs at the 95thpercentile (up 17% from 2135 cfs previously). Recall that the capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge at flood stage isabout 5,500 cfs so, unless the storm has more surprises, e.g., is more intense or stalls over the watershed longer thanexpected, there should be no risk of flooding in Crescent Park other than from blocked storm drains. Please try tomake sure that leaves and other debris are not blocking storm drains in your street. Stay safe... Tom R. PS: I think I got the dates right this time -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Crescent Park PA" group.To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/0137a003-16b0-4386-aa6d-fa954a0cc5e1%40gmail.com. From:Joseph McGee To:TC Rindfleisch; CPNACc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; Nai Hsueh;Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #1 Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 8:47:37 PM Attachments:x5B36ERED071S5tM.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. Thank you. J. McGee Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 6:49 PM, TC Rindfleisch <tcr.sumc@gmail.com> wrote: Friends, the latest CNRFC ensemble model plot (posted Wednesday, 2/12/25 2:19 PM) shows the main storm surgeexpected to reach its maximum Thursday (2/13/25) around 10:00 AM and the projected nominal peak flow forecastis 1865 cfs (up 80% from 1038 cfs previously). The new projection has an uncertainty up to 2488 cfs at the 95thpercentile (up 17% from 2135 cfs previously). Recall that the capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge at flood stage isabout 5,500 cfs so, unless the storm has more surprises, e.g., is more intense or stalls over the watershed longer thanexpected, there should be no risk of flooding in Crescent Park other than from blocked storm drains. Please try tomake sure that leaves and other debris are not blocking storm drains in your street. Stay safe... Tom R. PS: I think I got the dates right this time -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Crescent Park PA" group.To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/0137a003-16b0-4386-aa6d-fa954a0cc5e1%40gmail.com. From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:Concerns for Mr. Shikada to explain. Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 7:38:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members; All budgets are dictated by Mr. Shikada, since the Administrative Services Departmentwhich handles the finances and budget are located under the City Manager. Hecontrols the funding.So I have the following concerns: Why wasn't an order for a fire engine placed after the engine was destroyed on 101seven years ago? What happened to the insurance money for said engine?Why is there no reserve fund for replacement of fire apparatuses?The cross staffing model did not work in the past, so why is it being revisited for FireStation 4 now?Why was the Measure K $9 million never directed to the fire department last year?Why not make an earnest effort to hire and retain firefighters by offeringcompetitive salaries? Why does Mr. Shikada believe that forcing unwanted overtime on the firefighters is awise, thrifty staffing model? How many firefighters have left Palo Alto since 2020 and how many new hires wehave? Why is Mountain View Fire Department so well staffed and prepared for emergency,unlike Palo Alto?Are there other departments responsible for public safety which are also lackingappropriate funding--- police, park rangers, public works, utilities? Which othersafety departments did Mr. Shikada short when slimming their budgets?Why is Station 8 not staffed 24/7, since Palo Alto is named as the highest county firerisk, due to the dry hills? In the hills there are hikers and bicyclists and families with children. Why is thereno Outdoor Warning Sirens System installed there? Where is our HAZMAT team headquartered? Or did that also go the way of ourengine?Why do we have 32 fewer firefighters than we had 17 years ago? (Some firefighterssay the real number is 45.) Why is the latter downsizing considered prudent protection and guard against globalemergency? Mr. Shikada has destroyed the public's trust in our city government. His primarymandate is to manage the safety and protection of the residents of Palo Alto, whocall this our HOME. Public safety should be funded long before any other wish-for is funded. Mr.Shikada has failed as city manager. He should be removed, to restore public trust inour city's leadership. Ceci Kettendorf 45 year resident3719 Grove AvenuePalo Alto, Ca. 94303 From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:[CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 -- Update #1 Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 6:49:25 PM Attachments:x5B36ERED071S5tM.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Friends, the latest CNRFC ensemble model plot (posted Wednesday, 2/12/25 2:19 PM) shows the main storm surgeexpected to reach its maximum Thursday (2/13/25) around 10:00 AM and the projected nominal peak flow forecast is 1865cfs (up 80% from 1038 cfs previously). The new projection has an uncertainty up to 2488 cfs at the 95th percentile (up 17%from 2135 cfs previously). Recall that the capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge at flood stage is about 5,500 cfs so, unlessthe storm has more surprises, e.g., is more intense or stalls over the watershed longer than expected, there should be no riskof flooding in Crescent Park other than from blocked storm drains. Please try to make sure that leaves and other debris arenot blocking storm drains in your street. Stay safe... Tom R. PS: I think I got the dates right this time From:Susan McKayTo:Council, City; City Mgr; TransportationCc:Marcus WoodSubject:FW: Dumping on north side of complex COMPLAINT OF INACTION BY THE CITY OF PALO ALTODate:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 4:47:49 PMImportance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. TO WHOM IT SHOULD CONCERN: The photos below are from one of our tenants. I want to emphasize we have tenants paying thousands of dollars to rent in our building and we have RVs parking for free, littering, dumping and our nuisancing tenants with noise, smoking, etc. THIS IS NOT OKAY! In addition to NOT implementing restricted hours for parking signs on Page Mill, which we were told is being done; we have dumping going on as well! Who is supposed to enforce and/or clean this up? We have paid our gardeners additional money for clean-up in the past but this is out of control and we should not have to pay for this! Nothing is being done about this! The RVs and trailers are still there and have not moved and they are trashing our property! Nothing is being done about this! This is very concerning to our tenants that live directly above, as well as our commercial tenants on the ground level that are adjacent to and need parking on Page Mill! WHEN WILL THIS BE ADDRESSED? We originally noticed the city council and manager on October 17, 2024 and have at least 3 other complaints in with you over the last 90 days and nothing is being done about this! Sincerely,Susan McKay Susan McKaySr. Property ManagerKYLIX ENTERPRISES INC.195 Page Mill Rd., Ste 172Palo Alto CA 94306650-327-1521 Please visit us at : https://kylixus.com/ This email is confidential and privileged and is intended only for the stated recipient. If you receive this message in error, please contact the sender and delete this message, and any attachments. Any review, use, dissemination or copying of this message, except by the intended recipient, is strictly prohibited. Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 4:00 PMTo: Susan McKay <susan@kylixus.com>Subject: Dumping on north side of complex Hi Susan, It was good to bump into you earlier. Sorry to bother you again, but I just wanted to bring to your attention that there has been continued trash dumping on the north side of the complex. Tires, roof racks, and ripped open Amazon packages. I have attached a photo. Perhaps if you are in further contact with the city, you could push for compensation for bulk trash disposal costs. The enforcement was stepped up for a few months to essentially no effect last time. Regards,Will Conville From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; David Balakian; beachrides;boardmembers; Leodies Buchanan; bballpod; fred beyerlein; bearwithme1016@att.net;carloslawnservice14@gmail.com; Cathy Lewis; Council, City; Anderson (CTR), Shanetta L; dennisbalakian; DougVagim; dallen1212@gmail.com; kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com; Scott Wilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu;Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; Sally Thiessen; Joel Stiner; jerryruopoli; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Mayor; MY77FJ@gmail.com; Mark Standriff; margaret-sasaki@live.com; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; merazroofinginc@att.net; newsdesk; news@fresnobee.com;nick yovino; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; tsheehan; terry; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: Here is the tuna to toss. Can codes, etc. Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 2:07:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 1:59 PM Subject: Fwd: Here is the tuna to toss. Can codes, etc.To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 To all- Re tuna: Here are the can codes to toss. Be careful with this!! Apparently botulism is no joke. Tri-Union Seafoods Issues Recall of Select Genova®, Van Camp’s®, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s® Tuna Cans Due to Clostridium Botulinum Risk | FDA L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; Nai Hsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:Re: [CPNA] SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/13/25 Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 9:32:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On 2/12/2025 8:13 AM, TC Rindfleisch wrote: As shown on California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) plot below for storms coming this week (posted Wednesday, 2/11/25 2:32 PM), the main stormsurge expected to peak today (2/12/25) around noon and the projected creek flow level should be below San Francisquito Creek flood stage... Sorry, in my last note the dates were off one day. The storm is coming Thursday, 2/13/25! Tom R. From:TC Rindfleisch To:CPNA Cc:Eggleston, Brad; Denean Ni; Shikada, Ed; Hamilton Hitchings; Jeffrey R Koseff; Kevin Fisher; Margaret Bruce; Jeremias, Michel; Miyko Harris-Parker; NaiHsueh; Neilson Buchanan; Norm Beamer; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Tess Byler; Lydia Kou; Drew Combs; Stone, Greer; Lisa Gauthier; Ruben Abrica Subject:SFC Update for Storms this Week - Thursday 2/12/25 Date:Wednesday, February 12, 2025 8:14:03 AM Attachments:LjqGDsVPyMdd8vng.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Friends, As shown on California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) plot below for storms coming this week (postedWednesday, 2/11/25 2:32 PM), the main storm surge expected to peak today (2/12/25) around noon and the projected creekflow level should be below San Francisquito Creek flood stage. The nominal forecast is for a peak flow of about 1038 cfswith an uncertainty up to 1778 cfs (statistical 95th percentile). Recall that the capacity of the Pope-Chaucer bridge at floodstage is about 5,500 cfs so, unless the storm surprises everyone and is more intense or stalls over the watershed longer thanexpected, there should be no risk of flooding in Crescent Park other than from blocked storm drains. Please try to make surethat leaves and other debris are not blocking storm drains in your street. Stay safe... Tom R. From:Walker Mees To:Council, City; City Mgr Subject:Fixing the Cross-Staffing Crisis for PAFD Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 4:00:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I implore you to do what is right for the safety of the citizens of Palo Alto and immediately move away from the current "cross-staffing" model used to staff PAFD Station64. Please consider immediately staffing both Engine 64 and Medic 64 with the appropriate amount of firefighters. I grew up in Palo Alto and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 2013. My parents havelived in Palo Alto for over 30 years and they plan to be there for many more. The cross staffing model currently being used places my parents safety, and the protection of theirproperty in jeopardy. For those unfamiliar, cross staffing is a fire department staffing model which uses the same firefighters to staff multiple pieces of apparatus. However, some quick research reveals that"cross staffing is common in volunteer fire departments, which have minimum staffing" (Hubbard, Fire Engineering, 2016). Palo Alto Fire Department, conversely, is a full-timeprofessional fire department, and they should be given the funding and resources they need to protect their community. In the case of PAFD, Station 64 Firefighter/Paramedics from Medic 64 are being used to crossstaff Engine 64. This means that when Medic 64 gets a call Engine 64 is out of service and unable to respond to protect lives and property. Please consider this scenario under the current cross staffing model: Medic 64 gets a EMS calland responds, leaving Engine 64 sitting at the fire station with no firefighters. A call for a structure fire comes in just minutes later only a block away from Station 64. The family whosehouse is on fire must now wait precious minutes for fire engines from distant fire stations to respond while their prized possessions, home, pets and family members are in danger. A fullyfunctional fire engine sits just a few hundred yards away, yet it is unable to respond due to the decisions of this City Council. This is not what the citizens of Palo Alto deserve, and it is notwhat they voted for when they passed Measure K in 2022. City Council members, I ask that you consider the dangerous realities of this situation and use your power to increase safety for the citizens of Palo Alto. Do what is right and what is safe. Respectfully, Walker Mees From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed; Furman, Sheri Subject:Advocacy for the Mitchell Park Fire Station Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 2:47:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Members of the City Council, Palo Alto Neighborhoods strongly supports full staffing of the Mitchell Park Fire Station for both the ambulance and a fire engine concurrently. We understand that it requires 5 personnel total 24x7. As concerned residents, we believe ensuring optimal emergency response capabilities is not just a matter of public service but one of public safety, well- being and equity across neighborhoods. We understand this is a budgetary matter and that there are many competing demands for limited funds. We ask Council to allocate the funding to fully staff and equip the fire station as soon as possible: South Palo Alto and Midtown deserve parity with other sections of the city. Does it make sense for an entire quadrant of the city to be put at risk? Why are other stations fully equipped and staffed and South Palo Alto put at risk? Fully staffed stations alleviate the burden on neighboring stations, promoting a more balanced and efficient distribution of emergency services throughout the city. Are neighborhoods with full service emergency teams more important than Midtown and South Palo Alto? Data based on current response times and average citywide response times reflect current conditions. We do not have data about where the calls are that exceed the 8 minute standard. Without that data, the City cannot show that South Palo Alto and Midtown are not underserved, but an objective analysis of the distance to serve these areas from nearby fire stations shows that they are indeed underserved, particularly during high traffic (and high train) periods. Firefighters deserve a crew complement, not a skeleton crew. We worry that current emergency crews will get burned out due to understaffing by not fully staffing an ambulance and the proposed fire truck. We understand that staff routinely log overtime hours to make up the difference between what is budgeted and what is needed. Doesn’t that put the health and safety of our first responders at risk? South Palo Alto will see significant expansion as the San Antonio Corridor and adjacent streets are poised to add high-density housing and more businesses. An increased demand for emergency services must be planned for. But even before new neighbors and businesses take occupancy, during periods of construction, before sprinkler systems are hooked up, these areas are under even more of a fire threat. South Palo Alto is densely populated and the wind could easily carry embers from a construction fire into adjacent neighborhoods. To leave the Mitchell Park Fire Station under-resourced will lead to continuation of delayed responses (which the City data does not refute), increased risks to both residents and emergency personnel, and greater potential for loss during critical incidents such as fires, medical emergencies, and natural disasters. By planning now for full staffing at all times, we can be ready for the increased risk. Earthquakes occur at any time, not merely when someone may choose to fully staff a fire station. Investing in the full staffing of the Mitchell Park Fire Station is an investment in the safety, resilience, and security of our community. It demonstrates a commitment to protecting the lives and property of Palo Alto residents and reflects the values we hold as a city that prioritizes public health and safety. We urge the City Council to allocate the necessary resources to ensure that the Mitchell Park Fire Station is fully staffed and equipped to meet the growing needs of our community. After all, Measure K provided increased funding for public safety. Put it to good use. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter and for your continued dedication to the safety and well-being of Palo Alto residents. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. Sincerely, Becky Sanders Sheri Furman PAN Co-Chairs From:Patty Irish To:Council, City Subject:Your approval of Teacher Housing last night Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 1:58:24 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and City Council Members, Thank you for your deliberate response to approving the application for Teacher Housing last night. It is a great addition when teachers and others who work in Palo Alto can live here. They will add to who we are and can also take advantage of so much offered here. Thank you for all you are doing to enrich our lives. I am aware of many of the challenges and I, for one, want to help. These are challenging times and thank you for all the ways you are working for us. Patty Irish Channing House 850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 -- Patty Irish 850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-324-7407 650-245-3906 cell How do you tell a story that has been told the wrong way for so long? From:Vasantpetlur To:Council, City Subject:Coach Tom Hexton at JLS Middle School Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 12:47:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, My name is Vasant Petlur, and I am the father of a 6th-grade daughter at JLS Middle School. I am writing to enthusiastically recommend Coach Tom Hexton for a coaching position on the JLS athletics team. My daughter had the privilege of being coached by Mr. Tom Hexton on the cross-country team this past fall. She developed a true passion for cross country and athletics, a truly memorable experience for her. We were incredibly impressed by his coaching style and dedication to the students. He created a positive and encouraging environment where the kids felt safe, supported, and motivated to achieve their best. His practices were well-organized and disciplined, and he was readily available to answer questions and provide clarifications for all parents. I also want to bring to your attention some specific incidents involving other ad hoc coaches we've encountered. Some seem more focused on promoting their own personal coaching services and currying favor with parents who pay for them. We have also witnessed concerning behaviors from these other coaches, such as mockery, yelling at kids, condoning aggressive behavior, and favoring athletes who engage in bullying. These domineering behaviors are insensitive to children's emotional well-being, can be demoralizing, and may result in kids disliking sports altogether. They have no place in middle school youth sports. This ad hoc coach-for-each-season policy forces parents to worry about the kind of coach their kids will have. As parents, we hope for changes to this ad hoc system. What truly distinguishes Coach Tom Hexton from other coaches is his genuine interest in each athlete's development and well-being. Coach Hexton's commitment to the team, his ability to inspire the kids, and his approachable nature make him an ideal coach for JLS middle school athletics. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, Vasant Petlur Contact Email: vasant.petlur@gmail.com From:Mikhael, Hemali To:jvarela@valleywater.org; sballard@valleywater.org; rsantos@valleywater.org; jbeall@valleywater.org;nhsueh@valleywater.org; testremera@valleywater.org; reisenberg@valleywater.org Cc:mrichardson@valleywater.org; Councilmembers; Council, City; Ng, Jennifer; Au, Lisa; Shikada, Ed; erik.alm@dot.ca.gov; McCarthy, Kimbra; tony.tavares@dot.ca.gov; tyoke@valleywater.org Subject:City of Mountain View Letter: Item 3.5 Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to the Safe, Clean Water and NaturalFlood Protection Program Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 12:43:43 PM Attachments:Valley Water Letter Feb 11, 2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good afternoon Chair Estremera and Valley Water Board of Directors, On behalf of Mountain View City Manager McCarthy, please find attached a letter regarding the public hearing on proposed changes to the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. Thank you, Hemali Shah Mikhael Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager O: 650-903-6601 | F: 650-963-3043| MountainView.gov Pronouns: She/Hers OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER 500 Castro Street, P.O. Box 7540 Mountain View, CA 94039-7540 650-903-6301 | MountainView.gov February 11, 2025 Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose, CA 95118 Subject: Item 3.5 - Public hearing on proposed changes to the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program Dear Chair Estremera and Directors: On late Friday, February 7, 2025, the City of Mountain View received notice of a public meeting scheduled for today at which the Valley Water Board of Directors will consider reallocating approximately $23 million in funding from the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Phase II Feasibility Study Area (“Shoreline II”) to the Shoreline 1 project area. The resolution appears to indicate that the Shoreline II reach which includes Palo Alto and north Mountain View shoreline (EIA 1-4) would not be advanced in favor of moving the monies to fund construction of the Shoreline I (EIA 11), which predominantly encompasses the San Jose and Alviso shoreline. The City of Mountain View is very concerned that direct communication and notification of the meeting was not provided to City of Mountain View staff who typically liaise with Valley Water on shoreline protection. The lack of communication on this topic does not allow the City of Mountain View to evaluate the implications of a potential transfer away from the Shoreline II project area which was originally intended to protect Mountain View’s shoreline from sea level rise. The City of Mountain View would expect to be engaged on the decision for where the $23 million should be allocated to benefit the community. In our long history of partnering with Valley Water, funding notifications are typically provided with a several-month lead time so that we - as essential Valley Water stakeholders - have time to evaluate how Valley Water decisions may impact our constituents. For example, annual reviews by the City of the proposed Valley Water Capital Improvement Program project have occurred, with letters from the City addressing any concerns about the proposals in advance of their consideration by the Valley Water Board. This allows ample time for the City and Valley Water staff to ask questions, partner together, and explore concerns that may arise. February 11, 2025 Page 2 The City of Mountain View requests that the Valley Water Board defer taking any action on the proposed reallocation of funding at the February 11, 2025, public hearing, so that we can evaluate the implications for Mountain View’s shoreline protection. The City of Palo Alto and Caltrans should also be included in this discussion as they are also key stakeholders for the Shoreline II project area. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager City of Mountain View cc: Melanie Richardson, Valley Water Tina Yoke, Valley Water Mountain View City Council Palo Alto City Council Jennifer Ng, Public Works Director, City of Mountain View Lisa Au, Assistant Public Works Director, City of Mountain View Ed Shikada, City Manager, City of Palo Alto Tony Tavares, Director, Caltrans Erik Alm, District Office Chief, Caltrans District 4 From:Chris Jackson To:Council, City; City Mgr Subject:Fire Engine 64 with permanent fire Crew Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 8:10:20 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, As some of you may remember back in 1989, the Loma Prieta Earthquake shook the Bay Area,including Palo Alto. The city suffered significant damage to many buildings and infrastructure.The earthquake isolated the city from the outside world, and there was no outside help fromother fire departments for this emergency. At the time the city had a more extensive firedepartment that was more able to respond to the event. The fire department had 31firefighters with seven fire engines, one ladder truck, one heavy rescue, an ambulance, andtwo battalion chiefs, all were fully staffed. Currently, the city has only twenty-three firefighters,the engines are not fully staffed, and the department is smaller despite the city's largerpopulation. After the shaking stopped, the power was out throughout the city and the phone lines weredead. I was assigned to the only ambulance stationed at station 2 and was the only availabletransport for injured patients for the entire city. Throughout the night, the entire departmentran nonstop from emergency to emergency, ensuring the life and safety of the citizens of PaloAlto. I remember the first call of that night. A worker was shaken off the fifth story of the SunMicrosystems building (now the Jewish Community Center). With the prompt response ofEngine 4 and ambulance 4, the worker was able to survive. Fire Engine-64 has three firefighter paramedics or EMTs capable of providing life-savingmedical care and fire suppression activities. It also contains essential emergency equipment;500 gallons of water, fire hose, ladders, hazmat equipment, rescue tools, and advanced lifesupport medical equipment. The Paramedic M-64 vans carry a gurney, with advanced lifesupport medical equipment to treat trauma and medical patients. The two firefighter/paramedic crew support the engine company by fighting fires, rescuing, and treating patients.Those two firefighters are crucial for a quick firefighting response. This is because with firesuppression, OSHA requires a two-in, two-out rule for interior fire suppression. This means atleast four firefighters must be on scene before interior fire attack can begin. In addition to the fact that engine four is staffed with three firefighter paramedics or EMTs, theycan also respond to medical emergencies. They can stabilize a patient or revive someone incardiac arrest while waiting on an ambulance to arrive for transport. This is especiallyimportant since the average turnaround time for the ambulance at station 4 is 59 minutesaccording to a report done by the city. A cross-staffed engine leaves the area covered bystation 4 uncovered for about an hour every time it goes on a call. In emergencies, time is everything. For a person who is in cardiac arrest, irreversible braindamage can occur in less than 4 minutes. People who have stopped breathing have aboutthree minutes until their heart stops. The firefighters that would staff the engine at station 4can provide the life-saving measures to ensure that an individual suffering a medicalemergency, preventing death or permanent disability, which with station 4’s area is a realpossibility. It could be a child who drowns at the YMCA or a person who goes into cardiacarrest at the JCC. Not having the staffing of station 4 increases the time till said individual receives life-savingmedical care. Time that they do not have. I want to convey through this story that a fully staffed fire station 4 is a lifeline to ourcommunity. Station 4 provides service to a large portion of Palo Alto. Not having this valuable resource places us all in danger. When the next earthquake or massive wildfire strikes, havinga fully staffed Station 4 will save lives and property. Also, with the cost of living in Palo Alto,many firefighters live far away. Sometimes, they are hours away from the city, meaning theycannot be called in when a major incident happens. This means that fully staffing station 4 canhelp reduce response times, reduce firefighter burnout, and better provide essential servicesto the citizens of Palo Alto. It also serves as a buffer for the inevitable next earthquake orwildfire. With current events, the LA Fire Department is not looking back and wishing they hadstaffed fewer firefighters and had less fire engines. From:Helene Grossman To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:Thank you! Ross & E Meadow roundabout is now a 4-way stop Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2025 7:48:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members and Manager Shikada, I wanted to reach out and *thank you* for your help - the Ross Rd/East Meadow roundabout has been converted into a 4-way stop (with the circle in the middle). This now makes it clearthat traffic already in the circle has the right of way over traffic entering. Thanks for your support to get this done, and a special thanks to those of you who spoke with me to discuss this issue and brainstorm solutions. I appreciate your service to the city and your work to keep our kids safe! All the best,Helene From:Palo Alto Forward To:Council, City Cc:Scottoneil Subject:Rethink PHZ Zoning Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 10:24:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mayor Lauing and City Council, I had to follow up on Scott O'Neil's amazing comments regarding the PHZ process at theCouncil hearing for 3265 El Camino Real. This project (and practically every major housing project in our city) must use our complicated, costly, and lengthy PHZ process because ourzoning standards for housing are outdated and inadequate given current building code requirements, construction practices, and continually escalating costs. We need broadupzoning of sites to deliver housing for our community. Further, the typical 7 hearings for PHZ zoning applications means 7 staff reports with all the associated internal report review, paperwork, and agendizing. As a previous employee of thePlanning Department, I can tell you that is hundreds of hours of staff time and thousands of dollars spent. This is time NOT spent on other Council priorities. Our city loses out in moreways than one due to the "Palo Alto Process" for housing projects, and you have heardthe frustration within our community. We can do better! You will have the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) on your agenda on March 3. Expansionof the innovative El Camino Real Housing Focus Area will come before you in the months after that. We urge you to be aggressive with these zoning and process changes. They removebarriers to the housing we need in our community - and (as an added benefit) will allow staff to make progress on other important city priorities. Thank you,-- Amie AshtonExecutive Director Palo Alto Forward650-793-1585 From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Lotus Fong; Palo Alto Free Press;h.etzko@gmail.com; Templeton, Cari; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Cecilia Taylor; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Council, City; Raymond Goins; Sean Allen Subject:Re: From the archives of Avram Finkelstein-re applicable defenses to cities that criminalize homelessness Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 9:05:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Sat, Feb 8, 2025 at 12:05 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: On Fri, Feb 7, 2025 at 8:47 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: July**Date:** 20th, 2011 **To:** City of Palo Alto Attorney Molly Stump From: Aram James Re: Issues to consider re why the city should reject the proposed ordinance banningpeople from living in their vehicles (1) When you have a few free minutes I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss theimplications of the city actually moving forward with this ordinance—in light of thepending judicial crisis (budget issues) — and in light of the very strong likelihood thatpotential defendants charged with violating this ordinance will assert their right to a jurytrial and their right to be represented by appointed counsel. (2) My experience as a many year –now retired –public defender–is that trying such casesto a jury will be complicated, time consuming and very expensive. In my view casesinvolving the assertion of the “Defense of Necessity” are often mishandled by trial judges—(who seem to frequently misconstrue the legal elements/standards necessary to assertthe defense –along with misconstruing the evidentiary showing necessary to allow thedefense to go to a jury). As a result time consuming appeals, writs of habeas corpus, etc.,are almost predictable. (3) In addition –cases of this sort—will draw much public attention to Palo Alto—and Ipredict—juries and the criminal justice system at large –will be hostile to prosecutions ofthis type. This is particularly so if juries understand that the city had less restrictive waysto handle the underlying issues of poverty and homelessness—and instead decided to use–or from my perspective misuse–the criminal justice system to criminalize conduct thatthat could have and should have been dealt with from a restorative justice perspective. (4) I believe a careful reading of the case law re the application of the “defense ofnecessity” will support my contention that these cases are eminently defensible and verycostly to the city and the judicial system. (5) Bottom line: Juries have a long time honored history of refusing to enforce morallyindefensible laws—this proposed law –banning often hard working, but down on theirluck—folks/people/citizens from sleeping in their vehicles – is just that type of law—one that citizen abolitionists and others–called upon to sit on a jury—will reject with thewords, “Not Guilty.” (6) If I can provide other legal citations re the “defense of necessity” or related issuesplease let me know. (7) Finally, at least for now—even if a judge refused to allow a “defense of necessity” togo to a jury—cases of this sort —always have the unspoken back-up defense of jury nullification:(8) Here is the text from a poster I co-produced (2004) on the subject of Jury Nullification. The piece is titled: Justice Trumps Bad Law and reads as follows: “Basedon the knowledge that kings and governments often pass oppressive laws, the Founding Fathers designed our Constitution to ensure that the final say as to whether a particularlaw is just always rests with the jury. The Jury is the conscience of the community and may reach a verdict of “not guilty” even when it finds the defendant has committed acrime, but concludes the law is immoral or unjust. This is known as the power of jury nullification. History is full of heroic examples of jurors refusing to enforce bad laws.Before the abolition of slavery, jurors routinely acquitted those assisting runaway slaves, thereby nullifying the unjust Fugitive Slave law. Similarly, jurors found striking workers“not guilty’ when striking was against the law. Current day juries, recognizing their constitutional power to nullify, are standing up to judges by saying “not guilty” tononviolent drug offenses, acts of civil disobedience and a variety of unjust laws. Ironically, today, if you advise the judge of your knowledge of jury nullification andexpress a willingness to apply it, you will not be allowed to sit on a jury. So what do you say to the judge? Very little.Sincerely, Aram James(415) 370-5056 ABJPD1@gmail.com From:LYNN SANCHEZ To:Shikada, Ed; Council, City Subject:Fire Station 4 Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 9:03:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members, I would like to suggest that Council members drive the Meadow and Charleston corridors,from Barron Park to the other side of the tracks at 5:00 p.m., and think about how long it would take an engine coming from Barron Park to weave through the long line of cars andtrains to get to the midtown area. Perhaps you could take some of that 94 million that is earmarked to beautify and widen sidewalks on University Avenue, dust off the equipment, and bring back the staff for thesouthern most station. We’ve seen what urban fires can do. Come on Palo Alto, get your priorities in order, and please don’t take years to figure it out! A resident of South of Midtown, Lynn Sanchez From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie Cc:Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gerry Gras; Stump, Molly; Dave Price; EPA Today; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Diana Diamond; Gardener, Liz; Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Bains, Paul; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Doug Minkler; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Raymond Goins; Sean Allen; Bill Newell; Josh Becker; board@pausd.org; Rowena Chiu; chuck jagoda; Chris Colohan; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Vara Ramakrishnan; Palo Alto Free Press; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; Holman, Karen (external); Kaloma Smith; Tom DuBois; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler; Daniel Kottke; board@valleywater.org; GRP-City Council; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari Subject:Fremont’s homeless camp ban would be the strictest in the Bay Area. Will other cities follow? Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 7:49:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Fremont’s homeless camp ban would be the strictest in the Bay Area. Will other cities follow? https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/02/10/fremonts-homeless-camp-ban-would-be-the-strictest-in-the-bay-area-will-other-cities-follow/ From:Alexandra Konings To:Council, City Subject:Support for housing project at 3265 El Camino Real Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 5:35:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, As a Palo Alto (College Terrace) resident, I am writing to urge you to follow the staff recommendation and approve the proposal to build new housing at 3265 El Camino Real. Thefact that this project would prioritize teachers is an enormous benefit. One of the things that makes Palo Alto great is its exceptional public schools. This great feature is in peril because ofthe high cost of living in Palo Alto, which teachers simply cannot afford. Palo Alto will not be able to retain or attract the exceptional teachers that are necessary for high quality schools ifteachers cannot afford reasonable commute - right now, teachers have commutes as much as 3 hours long. Even if a few individuals could be convinced to do this, it surely does not helptheir ability to be good teachers or to help our students if they have to worry about their commute and cost of living so much! We need more housing that is affordable to teachersASAP. Even if not all teachers are eligible based on their family income situation (based on the staff report), even if a subset of teachers can now find housing in Palo Alto, that would bea major benefit to the Palo Alto schools There are lots of other major advantages to this project - it would be great to fill this empty and unused lot, and, because it is so close to Cal Ave, it would be a boon to the businessesthere to have more customers living nearby (given that much of their normal office employee traffic has been removed by the rise of remote work since COVID). The location is an easybike ride or bus ride away from many local businesses and from many local schools, so traffic impacts should be smaller than those of other housing projects, and teachers that don't have tocommute so far will emit far less pollution. The amount of unused space in the area suggests that rezoning one lot to residential use would still leave plenty of space for commercialdevelopment in the area. Please support this project. Thank you for all the work you do for our city. All the best, Alexandra Konings From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Council, City;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Enberg, Nicholas; Nicole Chiu-Wang; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Human Relations Commission; Roberta Ahlquist; h.etzko@gmail.com;Nicole Chiu-Wang; Jensen, Eric; Figueroa, Eric; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Afanasiev, Alex; Perron, Zachary;Holman, Karen (external); Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Jeff Rosen;Jeff Hayden; Steve Wagstaffe; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Kaloma Smith; JaxAjluni; Salem Ajluni; Michelle; Vara Ramakrishnan; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; EPA Today;Cribbs, Anne; cromero@cityofepa.org; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Cait James; Tim James; Linda Jolley; JosieJames-Le; Rowena Chiu; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Baker, Rob; Robert. Jonsen; Marina Lopez; Stump,Molly Subject:Sonya Massey"s family reaches $10M settlement over fatal shooting Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 5:29:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sonya Massey's family reaches $10M settlement over fatal shooting https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sonya-masseys-family-reaches-10m-settlement-rcna191317 From:Carly Lake To:Council, City Subject:Feb 10th Council Meeting Item #3: Housing and Homelessness in Palo Alto Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 5:08:28 PM Attachments:image001.png Embarcadero Way RV Images.zip CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good Afternoon, Please see attached zip file to be reviewed at the city council meeting this afternoon. Thank you, Carly Carly Lake Principal | BioScience Property Investments M: 858.692.6952 E: carly@bioscienceprop.com bioscienceprop.com From:Marty Douglas To:Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Veenker, Vicki;keithforcouncil2024@gmail.com; georgeglue+ptc@gmail.com Cc:Kevin Ji Subject:PROJECT: Palo Alto Commons (4074 El Camino Way) Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 4:39:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, I have been following the development and expansion of the Palo Alto Commons ever since it was first built, many years ago. For 45 years, I have lived at 360 Maclane St, three (3) houses from where Wilkie Way dead ends into Maclane St. Our daughter’s best friend – from 1st through 12th grades - lived on Wilkie Way, with her backyard now totally obscured from sunlight by the Palo AltoCommons. This facility’s continuous expansion, including now wishing to "build out" and fill-in their stacked units, breaks the agreement they made when they 1st built it (having stacked units to allowmore sun to residents' backyards). This blatant disregard of their previous agreement demonstratestheir indifference for the impact they have on their neighbors. We can not have faith that they willadhere to any further agreements. For that reason alone you can not approve this expansion plan. In addition, the impact they have on not providing sufficient parking for their staff and visitors has caused overflow to occur up and down Wilkie Way and even onto Maclane street where I live. Especially since they built the Avant independent building, staff and visitors park on Maclane St and sometimes even cut through Jacobs Court as a shortcut to the Avant. This overflow parking on our street has caused parking issues with tradesmen and workers trying to provide services to our home. (We recently had tree service & roofing repairs done as a condition of continuing our homeowners' insurance. The workers had difficulty finding adequate parking for their trucks near our home). Also, with the streets continuously filled with parked cars, the street sweeper can no longer adequately clean on Monday mornings. In the past, my neighbors and I would know to move any cars by Sunday evening so that on Monday mornings the street sweeper could clean (homeowners are paying for this service). Wilkie Way, with its many trees, leaves and seed pods falling onto the ground and clogging the drains, is particularly in need of street sweeping, which can not be done d/t so many parked cars from Palo Alto Commons. Suggestions: 1) Please do not approve the current proposal to “build out” the building, but rather keep the “stacked” units. Instead, either build up or into the interior. 2) Require, as a condition of approval, that the facility provide alternative parking sites or transportation options for staff. (More units means more staff, more external care providers, e.g. PT, OT, hospice, and more visitors) 3) Perhaps post “No Parking on Mondays for street sweeping” (include the range of months this is done -October-March?) Thanking you in advance for your consideration of this issue, Marilyn Douglas 360 Maclane St. Palo Alto, CA 94306