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Home My WebLink About2025-03-10 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: 3/10/2025 Document dates: 3/3/2025 - 3/10/2025 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki; board@valleywater.org; board@pausd.org; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Doug Minkler; LotusFong; Palo Alto Free Press; Reckdahl, Keith; Binder, Andrew; Roberta Ahlquist; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org;Reifschneider, James; Lewis James; Pat M; Sean Allen Cc:Jay Boyarsky; BoardOperations; Council, City Subject:Popular Gaza Creator May Have Been Killed By Gunshot, Not Shrapnel, Doctors Say Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 11:53:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Become a paid subscriber to gain access to our private Discord server, subscriber- only AMAs, chats, and invites to events. Popular Gaza Creator May Have BeenKilled By Gunshot, Not Shrapnel,Doctors Say Medo Halimy, who showed day-to-day life in Gaza, was reported killedas a bystander to an airstrike. Doctors say he may have been shot in thehead. MURTAZA HUSSAIN MAR 10 READ IN APP The Trump administration has escalated its crackdown on Columbia University students protesting Israel’s war on Gaza by sending ICE agents to detain, and potentially deport, a U.S. permanent resident who was one of the lead negotiators on behalf of pro-Palestine protesters at 2024’s Gaza solidarity encampment. This morning, Mahmoud Khalil—a Palestinian with Algerian citizenship who holds a green card—made a phone call to his eight-month pregnant wife from ICE custody. It was Khalil’s first contact with his family since he was detained on Saturday by ICE agents who raided his student housing facility at Columbia. The next steps in his case are as yet unknown, but protests and legal measures are reportedly planned to try and stop the Trump administration from deporting Khalil. The war in the Gaza Strip, now under investigation as a genocide by the International Court of Justice, has galvanized the conscience of young people around the world – notwithstanding attempts to suppress free speech on the subject. The below story about the death of a young creator in Gaza, who became famous for their TikTok videos about daily life in the territory before being killed in the Israeli military assault, is just one of many that have helped drive a groundswell of moral outrage in campuses and communities across the world. —Murtaza Hussain Upgrade to paid Medo Halimy on his TikTok page. Last year, Mohammad “Medo” Halimy, a 19-year old Palestinian born and raised in Gaza, briefly became a star on social media for his TikTok page showing his day- to-day life during Israel’s war. “I kept watching videos about Gaza online, and they were all very sad and depressing. Since I am a positive person, I didn’t like any of those videos. So, I decided to create a page on TikTok and start posting my daily life on both TikTok and Instagram, focusing only on the positive aspects,” Halimy said in an interview last summer. His TikTok page, which showed Halimy cooking, gardening, waiting for water, and spending time with friends, rapidly amassed a large following, growing to nearly 190,000 followers. But Halimy’s online celebrity was cut short last summer, when he was killed by what was reported to be shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike. Halimy’s death prompted an outpouring of grief from his followers across the world. Initial reports framed his death as collateral damage from an airstrike carried out by the Israeli military, and interviews given by friends of Halimy to the international press also stated that an explosion targeting a nearby car had preceded his death. But an American doctor who treated Halimy in Gaza, attempting to save his life after he was brought into the intensive care unit of Nasser Hospital, said that his wounds were not consistent with shrapnel from an airstrike. Instead, there was a single entry and exit point from his skull. @medohalimy Back on the “tent life” videos! “He was brought in after an airstrike on the Mawasi tent encampment on a day when there were multiple mass casualty incidents. Some young people had been sitting at a makeshift internet cafe, including students studying for tests. Lots of patients had shrapnel injuries, but he had only two wounds, and both were in his head,” said Dr. Mimi Syed, an emergency medicine physician who has completed two medical missions to Gaza. “There was one entry and exit point, and on the CT scan it looks like a clear path. Usually with shrapnel, you’d have pieces of shrapnel still lodged inside the brain, or multiple injuries to the face. He had no other internal injuries, or injuries to other parts of the body that are common with shrapnel.” Drop Site reviewed CT scans taken from Halimy’s injury as well as video taken of Halimy, unconscious, being intubated and treated by emergency medical personnel at Nasser Hospital. While not conclusive, the information provided suggested a gunshot wound to the head as a possible cause of death. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. While quadcopter drones and military aircraft were active in the area, and Halimy was brought to Nasser Hospital along with many other individuals who had been injured in an airstrike, the hospital also saw injuries come in from gunshot wounds. Syed, who has been active on multiple medical relief missions during the war, says the injury he suffered suggested strongly that Halimy had been killed by a gunshot. “I was the one who intubated him. I tried to save his life but I couldn't,” added Syed. “I have treated many gunshot wounds to the head in my career, and they present this way. The path that the object took was very indicative.” Drop Site shared the scans and video with two medical experts to get secondary assessments. “If there were no other injuries involved, it would be incredibly rare for a shrapnel injury to have such an isolated trajectory or injury. There should've been some other debris embedded in his body elsewhere which they likely would have seen on any x-rays that they did,” said Zain Qazi, a doctor and board certified diagnostic radiologist. “I've seen a lot of gunshot wounds to the head that look very similar. Sometimes the bullet is still embedded in the soft tissues or the skull, and shrapnel very likely would also have embedded itself somewhere in the bony structure or soft tissues. Oftentimes with smaller caliber bullets the bullet will fragment and have small metallic debris in the head, which we don't see here.” CT scan images from Halimy's head injury. (Provided byDr. Mimi Syed, who added the red lines.) “These scans are highly suspicious of a gunshot wound to the head,” he added. “The trajectory is really suspicious to be that precise,” added Nabeel Rana, another American doctor who had participated on past medical missions to Gaza. “Having said that, the typical sniper bullets we would see in these isolated gunshots would use larger calibre bullets so the exit wounds were usually pretty large.” The video, he said, did not show a clear enough view of the exit wound on Halimy’s head to make a conclusive determination, and that some small single shrapnel wounds had killed people in Gaza in his experience. “My Tent Life” For months after the start of the Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, Halimy broadcast videos showing what he described as “my tent life,” during the war. Halimy gathered over 100,000 followers on TikTok for his videos, which showed him cooking meals, having tea with friends, growing plants, and showing the ways in which young Gazans of his generation were attempting to create a sense of normalcy amid the chaos of the war. In a video from August 10, 2024, Halimy showed the plants he was growing near his tent “A lot of you ask me why I plant,” he said to the camera. “Planting for me is a form of resistance, I bring life to earth. They’re taking away life, but I’m bringing it to earth.” That video was one of the last Halimy made. On August 26, Halimy was brought to Nasser Hospital, where he died several hours later. Born and raised in Gaza City as one of six siblings, Halimy, who spoke fluent English, also had connections to the United States. In 2021, he participated in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program, which brought him to study for a year at Harker Heights High School in Texas. After Israel’s siege began, Halimy and his family were displaced to the Mawasi tent encampment after their home was destroyed and they were instructed to evacuate to the area, officially deemed a “safe zone” by the Israeli military. The Mawasi encampment has been repeatedly targeted for attacks by the Israeli military, despite being one of the last designated refuges for the Palestinian population in the territory. Following Halimy’s death, Israeli officials told media outlets that they could not confirm that they had carried out an attack in the area, but that they remained focused on “countering threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians.” After he was killed, friends of Halimy from his time in Texas spoke publicly to express sadness over his death, describing him as “warm” and full of “positive energy.” An Instagram page for alumni of the Kennedy-Lugar exchange program, which is administered by the U.S. State Department, also shared a post expressing “profound sorrow at the tragic passing of Mohammad ‘Medo’ Halimy.” That post did not indicate how Halimy had died, and, unlike other posts on its accounts, closed it off from comments. @medohalimy Gotta enjoy life no matter what Two months before he was killed, Halimy was featured in an NBC News story highlighting the stories of influencers in Gaza during the war. In his comments for the story, Halimy mentioned that behind the generally upbeat content that he and others produced on their pages, their attempts at broadcasting a slice of life in Gaza to the world came with great difficulty. “I think people misunderstand the fact that we’re actually struggling,” Halimy said, in response to questions on his page from viewers asking about the tone of his posts. “They see me having fun in a 50-second video, a minute-long video, and they forget the whole day of struggles that I don’t show to them.” Leave a comment Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Access to our Discord, subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe From:Yogabear23 To:Council, City; yogabear23; Ruth Robertson; Jo English; Liz Lee; Mj Wolf Subject:Please Vote NO on the Lloyd Consulting Group Contract For Artificial Turf Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 11:50:56 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council Members, Please Do NOT use synthetic turf in parks and playing fields. Synthetic turf contains toxic chemicals and sheds microplastics that are ultimately absorbed into our bodies. Studies show that synthetic turf causes more sports injuries than natural grass. It must be replaced every 8-10 years and cannot be recycled. Invest our tax dollars wisely for healthier people and a healthier planet. Respectfully, Carolyn Garbarino 734 San Carlos Court, Palo Alto 94306 From:Sofia Rakicevic-More To:Council, City Subject:URGENT: Vote NO on Synthetic Grass at Boulware Park Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 10:12:57 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Whom It May Concern, I am writing as a concerned resident to urge the City of Palo Alto to reconsider its decision to install synthetic grass in Boulware Park—or in any city park—due to the well-documentedhealth, environmental, and community risks associated with artificial turf. While I understand the desire for a low-maintenance solution, synthetic grass is neither a sustainable nor a safeoption for our parks, particularly for children and pets. Artificial turf contains toxic chemicals, including PFAS (forever chemicals), lead, andplasticizers, which have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other serioushealth issues. These materials break down over time, shedding microplastics into theenvironment—microplastics that young children and pets can easily ingest. As someone with baby cousins, I would not take them to a park with synthetic grass, fearingthey might accidentally rip up pieces and swallow them. No parent or guardian should have to weigh such risks when deciding whether to visit a public park. Additionally, synthetic turf overheats dramatically in warm weather, reaching temperatures up to 160°F on sunny days, making it dangerous for barefoot play and creating a heat islandeffect that exacerbates local climate challenges. This not only discourages park use but poses a significant hazard to children, pets, and anyone sensitive to heat exposure. Palo Alto has a responsibility to lead in sustainable urban planning, and artificial grass runs counter to this mission. It: Depletes natural resources – Synthetic turf requires petroleum-based materials and is difficult to recycle, contributing to landfill waste at the end of its lifespan.Kills biodiversity – Unlike natural grass or engineered wood fiber, synthetic turf does not support soil health, pollinators, or local wildlife, fundamentally altering parkecosystems.Pollutes waterways – As synthetic fields degrade, they release microplastics andchemical runoff into storm drains, further polluting our environment. Instead of synthetic turf, the city should invest in sustainable solutions such as: Natural grass with drought-resistant varieties – Parks across California have successfully incorporated climate-adaptive turfgrass that requires less water andmaintenance while maintaining all the benefits of a living, breathable surface. Engineered wood fiber (EWF) – Widely used in playgrounds, EWF is a cost-effective,eco-friendly option that provides excellent cushioning, reduces fall injuries, and allows natural water drainage—all without toxic chemicals. Public parks should be a place where families feel safe and welcome, not deterred by the fear of health risks. I urge the City of Palo Alto to prioritize the well-being of its residents—especially its youngest ones—and reject the use of synthetic grass. The community deserves better, and there are proven, sustainable alternatives available. I would greatly appreciate your leadership in ensuring that Palo Alto remains a city that champions sustainability, public health, and family-friendly spaces. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to participating virtually in your town hall meeting tonight and hope to see a commitment to safer, more responsible parkplanning. Best regards, Sofia Rakicevic-More From:Jason Edelman To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Agenda Item #8 - March 10 - 2025 City Council/Committe Priority Objectives and Workplans Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 9:43:09 AM Attachments:SCVWD-Unhoused-JPA-28Feb2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Councilmembers, Please consider directing Staff to explore and assess the formation of a JPA dedicated to addressing homelessness, encampments, and the increasing need for housing, shelter, andsocial services across Santa Clara County, as formally proposed by Valley Water in its recent letter to Mayor Lauing et al. See attached. -- Jason Edelmanjedelman1973@gmail.com (415) 672-9945 www.linkedin.com/in/edelmanjason Santa Clara Valley Water District | 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 | (408) 265-2600 | www.valleywater.org Clean Water • Healthy Environment • Flood Protection ♺ BOARD OF DIRECTORS John L. Varela (District 1) Shiloh Ballard (District 2) Richard P. Santos / Vice Chair (District 3) Jim Beall (District 4) Nai Hsueh (District 5) Tony Estremera / Chair (District 6) Rebecca Eisenberg (District 7) INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Melanie Richardson, P.E. INTERIM CLERK OF THE BOARD Candice Kwok-Smith February 28, 2025 The Honorable Otto Lee The Honorable Sergio Lopez President, County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors Mayor, City of Campbell 70 West Hedding Street, 10th Floor 70 North First Street San Jose, CA 95110 Campbell, CA 95008 The Honorable Liang Chao The Honorable Greg Bozzo Mayor, City of Cupertino Mayor, City of Gilroy 10300 Torre Avenue 7351 Rosanna Street Cupertino, CA 95014 Gilroy, CA 95020 The Honorable Pete Dailey The Honorable Kavita Tankha Mayor, City of Los Altos Mayor, Town of Los Altos Hills 1 North San Antonio Road 26379 W Fremont Road Los Altos, CA 94022 Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 The Honorable Matthew Hudes The Honorable Carmen Montano Mayor, Town of Los Gatos Mayor, City of Milpitas 110 East Main Street 455 East Calaveras Boulevard Los Gatos, CA 95030 Milpitas, CA 95035 The Honorable Burton Craig The Honorable Mark Turner Mayor, City of Monte Sereno Mayor, City of Morgan Hill 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road 17575 Peak Avenue Monte Sereno, CA 95030 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 The Honorable Ellen Kamei The Honorable Ed Lauing Mayor, City of Mountain View Mayor, City of Palo Alto 500 Castro Street, 3rd Floor 250 Hamilton Avenue Mountain View, CA 94041 Palo Alto, CA 94301 The Honorable Matt Mahan The Honorable Lisa M. Gillmor Mayor, City of San José Mayor, City of Santa Clara 200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor 1500 Warburton Avenue San Jose, CA 95113 Santa Clara, CA 95050 The Honorable Belal Aftab The Honorable Larry Klein Mayor, City of Saratoga Mayor, City of Sunnyvale 13777 Fruitvale Avenue 456 West Olive Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Attachment 1 Page 1 of 2 Santa Clara Valley Water District | 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 | (408) 265-2600 | www.valleywater.org ♺ Clean Water • Healthy Environment • Flood Protection Dear Esteemed Colleagues, As we continue to face the growing and pressing issue of unsheltered homelessness in our community, I write to you today on behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) Board of Directors to propose an idea that could help us address this challenge in a more coordinated and impactful way. Given the complexities of homelessness, I encourage local officials to explore the possibility of forming a county-wide Joint Powers Authority (JPA) focused on this issue. This could serve as a platform for representatives of our respective jurisdictions to collaborate and take collective, action-oriented steps toward meaningful solutions. As we all know, homelessness in Santa Clara County, particularly unsheltered homelessness, has reached humanitarian, environmental, and public safety crises levels. While each of our jurisdictions has made significant strides in addressing this issue, the scale and scope of the problem requires an approach that transcends individual city or county efforts. We must collaborate in a more coordinated and effective manner to truly make progress. The JPA could function similarly to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), which was established in 1993 as a joint powers authority between the City and County of Los Angeles. LAHSA has proven to be an effective mechanism for the coordination of resources, policy development, and service delivery across a diverse and complex region. A JPA in Santa Clara County would bring together the expertise and resources of each of our jurisdictions, while providing a platform for accountability, shared decision-making, and innovation on the most pressing issues surrounding homelessness. By leveraging the strengths and collective resources of each participating jurisdiction, we would be better positioned to develop and implement policies that help address the underlying causes of homelessness and provide comprehensive solutions. The JPA could focus on a variety of critical areas, including emergency shelter expansion, permanent supportive housing development, mental health and substance use disorder services, outreach strategies, and more. Through this collaboration, we can better serve the public, reduce duplication of efforts, and maximize our collective impact. I am confident that by working together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness in our community. Valley Water is happy to facilitate a joint discussion to explore this idea if there is interest. We invite you to share any thoughts and feedback with Marta Lugo, Deputy Administrative Officer for Valley Water’s Office of Government Relations, at MLugo@valleywater.org or (408) 630- 2237, by Friday, March 28, 2025. Thank you for your time and consideration, as well as your dedicated leadership, partnership, and commitment to serving all residents of Santa Clara County. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Richard P. Santos Vice Chair, Board of Directors cc: Valley Water Board of Directors, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Campbell City Council, Cupertino City Council, Gilroy City Council, Los Altos City Council, Los Altos Hills City Council, Los Gatos Town Council, Milpitas City Council, Monte Sereno City Council, Morgan Hill City Council, Mountain View City Council, Palo Alto City Council, San José City Council, Santa Clara City Council, Saratoga City Council, Sunnyvale City Council rb:jh 0228a-l Attachment 1 Page 2 of 2 From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki Cc:bos@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City; Josh Becker; Ed Lauing; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; GRP-City Council; Gerry Gras; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Dana St. George; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Tim James; Marina Lopez; EPA Today; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Friends of Cubberley; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Arthur Millman; h.etzko@gmail.com; Kaloma Smith; Human Relations Commission; Bill Newell; Baker, Rob; Rodriguez, Miguel; Damon Silver; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Diana Diamond; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; cromero@cityofepa.org; Reifschneider, James; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael Subject:Columbia Is Doing the Bidding of Israel, and Trump’ - Says Former Professor Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 9:31:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Prem-Columbia-TownHall-Substack.mp4 Watch now ‘Columbia Is Doing the Bidding ofIsrael, and Trump’ - Says FormerProfessor Katherine Franke and Prem Thakker discuss the suppression of freespeech on college campuses, plus the latest student protests and arrestsat Columbia and Barnard. TEAM ZETEO AND PREM THAKKER MAR 10 ∙PREVIEW READ IN APP “These disciplinary cases are designed to distract us from what the real issue is which is a genocide, and a growing form of authoritarianism in Washington.” - Katherine Franke, Former Columbia Law Professor Columbia University is once again at the center of debate on free speech related to Israel and Palestine. On Friday, Trump pulled a massive $400 million of federal funding from Columbia University, citing the university’s alleged harassment of Jewish students. This comes despite the university’s repeated crackdown on pro-Palestine speech, including the violent suppression of student protesters, and most recently, the pushing out of their very own professors. Upgrade to paid In an exclusive Zeteo Town Hall, Ex-Columbia Law Professor Katherine Franke joined Zeteo Political Correspondent Prem Thakker to discuss how she was pushed out by the university after standing up for pro-Palestine students and how free speech continues to be suppressed on campus. “What happened to me is not about me,” Franke tells Prem. “What happened to me is a system. It's a systematic way in which universities have been deployed as a test case to see how we are going to punish and terrify people who speak out on particular issues.” Last year, Professor Franke raised concerns on “Democracy Now!” about some Israeli students coming to Columbia “right out of their military service,” after a few Israeli students – who had recently served in the Israeli military – allegedly sprayed student protesters with a smelly substance. “I mentioned on the show that there had been a pattern of this problem of students who were pro-Palestinian experiencing serious harassment from students who were pro-Israeli, and that the university basically hadn't done anything about it,” Franke tells Prem. Upgrade to paid After her comments, two of Professor Franke’s colleagues filed a complaint against her at the university, accusing her of being anti-Israeli. “I had colleagues screaming things at me about how I've supported Hamas, that I didn't care that there were anti-Semitic attacks against these colleagues, children, or their families – which of course isn’t true,” Franke tells Prem. “…I just thought, ‘I don't know how I can be part of this community anymore.’ ” If you are a paid subscriber, watch the full interview above to hear the rest of Professor Franke’s story on how she was pushed into an early retirement with no benefits. Franke also discusses how Columbia’s approach to free speech has transformed since she was a student, the double standards when it comes to how pro-Israel speech is treated, and Trump’s attempts to crackdown on protests at universities. Free subscribers can watch the first 9 minutes of the interview. If you’d like to watch the full video, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. NOTE: This timely discussion was recorded on Friday, before the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. You can read more about that story below: BREAKING: DHS Detains PalestinianStudent from Columbia Encampment, Advocates Say PREM THAKKER ·MAR 9 On Saturday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers detained Mahmoud Khalil – a recent Columbia University graduate who helped lead the Gaza solidarity encampment – at his New York City home, an apartment building owned … Read full story Subscribe to Zeteo to unlock the rest. Become a paying subscriber of Zeteo to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. Upgrade to paid A subscription gets you: Support Mehdi’s brand of accountability journalism Unlimited access to all exclusive content (shows, podcasts, newsletters) Live Q&As with Mehdi + more! LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Zeteo1640 Boro Place 4th floor, McLean, VA 22102 Unsubscribe From:Bisera More To:Council, City Subject:Vote NO on Synthetic Grass at the Boulware Park Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 9:10:28 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. It was brought to my attention that the contractor who was hired to install the turf in the nearly finished Boulware Park in the Ventura neighbourhood is installing toxic turf because: Synthetic grass contains toxic chemicals and sheds microplastics, which end up in our water and our bodies. It can get dangerously hot. Studies have shown it to cause more injuries than natural grass surfaces. Most professional athletes prefer natural grass. It must be replaced every 8-10 years and recycling is not viable. I am asking the council to vote NO and propose the installation of the healthier options: Natural grass is far healthier for people and the planet, but when installed and maintained properly, it can and does provide more hours of play per year than the typical playing field. (As in Oracle Park) Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) is a safe, eco-friendly, ADA compliant (accessible) playground surface. It stays cool, unlike synthetic surfaces. Please vote for the health of our children. Best, Bisera Rakicevic 465 Margarita Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 ************* Ars longa, vitae brevis From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Sean Allen; Reifschneider, James; Pat M; h.etzko@gmail.com;Perron, Zachary; Council, City; city.council@menlopark.gov; Friends of Cubberley;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; board@pausd.org; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DavePrice; EPA Today; BoardOperations; Bill Newell Subject:A trans sex worker called 911 to report being kidnapped. LAPD officers shot and killed her Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 12:10:15 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. A trans sex worker called 911 to report being kidnapped. LAPD officers shot and killed her A trans sex worker called 911 to report being kidnapped. LAPD officers shot and killed her https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-09/linda-becerra-moran-lapd-shooting From:Aram James To:Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Perron, Zachary; Wagner, April; Council,City; Sheriff Transparency; Enberg, Nicholas; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Sean Allen; Pat M; sharon jackson;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; board@pausd.org; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; h.etzko@gmail.com;Gardener, Liz; Gennady Sheyner; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Jeff Conrad; Salem Ajluni; Sarah Wright; DavePrice; Nicole Chiu-Wang; BoardOperations; Bill Newell; Stump, Molly; GRP-City Council;city.council@menlopark.gov; Emily Mibach; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; San José Spotlight Subject:Mexican Mafia smuggled heroin with Pringles, secret code and L.A. jail deputy, records say Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 12:03:05 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mexican Mafia smuggled heroin with Pringles, secret code and L.A. jail deputy, records say Mexican Mafia smuggled heroin with Pringles, secret code and L.A. jail deputy, records say https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-09/mexican-mafia-shotcallers-heroin-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputy From:Elizabeth Lee To:Council, City Subject:Ban artificial turf Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 10:52:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, Please ban artificial turf in our schools, parks and community centers. It is unsafe for kids andbad for the environment. Thanks. Elizabeth Lee, LMFT 650 346-4071liz@funghi.com Author of The House at 844 1/2 http://goo.gl/BauAk From:a_m_mason@yahoo.com To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Maggie Bening; Julie Baskind Subject:Fwd: PAR Zoning Text Amendment request - 3/10 ITEM #8 Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 10:40:22 PM Attachments:PAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Sec 18.16.060 Dev Stds.docxPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Section 18.16.040.b.docximage001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Sec 18.16.060 Dev Stds.docxPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Section 18.16.040.b.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council Members, The Planning and Development Department's 2025 Work Plan is item #8 on the City Council’s agenda 3/10. I am writing to reiterate Kristi Bascom’s letter to Director Jonathan Lait dated 12/3/2024, to ask whether the motionpassed unanimously by the City Council on November 13, 2023 will be placed on the Planning and DevelopmentDepartment's 2025 Work Plan? Quoting from Bascom letter dated 12/3/2024: At the City Council meeting on November 13, 2023, the Council unanimously supported a request from the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowner’s Association to consider specific amendments to the City’s zoning code, and directed Staff to review the amendments that PAR proposed. The proposed amendments were written to ensure that higher density housing constructed on properties zoned for commercial uses are buffered from impacts created by commercial neighbors such as noise, reduction in access to daylight, and impacts to privacy. These are the protections that are provided to residentially-zoned properties throughout the City. In a letter to the City Council dated November 7, 2023, I outlined PAR’s request and provided the exact text amendments proposed for PAMC Sections 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060 (attached to this email for reference). In February 2024, on behalf of PAR, I sent you the email below and asked when the proposed amendments were going to be reviewed by Staff and moved forward for City Council consideration. You responded that, due to other priorities, the work would not be undertaken in the near term and that the proposed amendments would not be added to thedepartment’s work plan for the upcoming fiscal year. I am reaching out today with a relatively simple ask: to see if you’ll please add these amendments to thedepartment’s work plan for FY 25/26. In calendar year 2023, for example, the City adopted five (5) amendments to Title 18. It is likely more are forthcoming in the near future. PAR’s proposed amendments are minor in nature, are completely drafted, and can simply be included in an upcoming Zoning Ordinance amendment initiated by the City. PAR is suggesting this citywide zoning text amendment (as opposed to a rezoning action that would benefit the PAR property only) since the issue of protecting high density residential uses from commercial impacts is not unique to our property. We believe it is an issue that all high density housing in commercial corridors would like to see addressed. Thank you,Anne Mason Begin forwarded message: From: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com>Subject: PAR Zoning Text Amendment request - follow-upDate: December 3, 2024 at 10:29:57 PSTTo: "Lait, Jonathan" <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: "a_m_mason@yahoo.com" <a_m_mason@yahoo.com>, Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>, Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com>,"ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org" <ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>, "pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org"<Pat.Burt@cityofpaloalto.org>, Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>, Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Lythcott-Haims, Julie"<Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>, Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>,"greg.tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org" <Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org" <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Laura D. Beaton"<Beaton@smwlaw.com> Dear Mr. Lait (copy to City Manager and City Council), On behalf of the homeowners at Palo Alto Redwoods (4250 El Camino Real), I am writing to request once again that the Planning and Development Department include the attached proposed zoning code amendments related to commercial impacts on residential uses in the department’s workplan for next year. At the City Council meeting on November 13, 2023, the Council unanimously supported a request from the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowner’s Association to consider specific amendments to the City’s zoning code, and directed Staff to review the amendments that PAR proposed. The proposed amendments were written to ensure that higher density housing constructed on properties zoned for commercial uses are buffered from impacts created by commercial neighbors such as noise, reduction in access to daylight, and impacts to privacy. These are the protections that are provided to residentially-zoned properties throughout the City. In a letter to the City Council dated November 7, 2023, I outlined PAR’s request and provided the exact text amendments proposed for PAMC Sections 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060 (attached to this email for reference). In February 2024, on behalf of PAR, I sent you the email below and asked when the proposed amendments were going to be reviewed by Staff and moved forward for City Council consideration. You responded that, due to other priorities, the work would not be undertaken in the near term and that the proposed amendments would not be added to the department’s workplan for the upcoming fiscal year. I am reaching out today with a relatively simple ask: to see if you’ll please add these amendments to the department’s workplan for FY 25/26. In calendar year 2023, for example, the City adopted five (5) amendments to Title 18. It is likely more are forthcoming in the near future. PAR’s proposed amendments are minor in nature, are completely drafted, and can simply be included in an upcoming Zoning Ordinance amendment initiated by the City. PAR is suggesting this citywide zoning text amendment (as opposed to a rezoning action that would benefit the PAR property only) since the issue of protecting high density residential uses from commercial impacts is not unique to our property. We believe it is an issue that all high density housing in commercial corridors would like to see addressed. We are happy to discuss PAR’s request further or provide any additional explanation if it would be helpful. As always, we appreciate your consideration of this request and hope that the City Council’s unanimous support of this issue means that these proposed amendments find their way into your department’s workplan for next fiscal year. Kind regards, Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom, AICP Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 office: 415/552-7272 x 202 | direct: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business From: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2024 10:40 PM To: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com>; Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: a_m_mason@yahoo.com; Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>; Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com> Subject: RE: Zoning Text Amendment workplan - follow-up Thank you for the email, Kristi. The City Council is expected to consider department workplans for the upcoming fiscal year on March 4. Based on available long range planning staff resources and competing Council priorities, I do not anticipate this item being recommended for the upcoming year. As an alternative, your client could consider filing a text amendment, which would be processed by our current planning staff. @Gerhardt, Jodie can provide more information about the application submittal process if interested in pursuing that route. Otherwise you may provide comment to the City Council on March 4. You don't often get email from kbascom@smwlaw.com. Learn why this is important JONATHAN LAIT Director Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2676 | jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:50 PM To: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: a_m_mason@yahoo.com; Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>; Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com> Subject: Zoning Text Amendment workplan - follow-up CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Mr. Lait, Following up on my email from last week regarding the question on timing to move forward thisrezoning analysis. Your insight is much appreciated. Thank you,Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 p: 415/552-7272 x 202 | c: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business From: Kristi Bascom Sent: Monday, January 29, 2024 1:33 PM To: jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org Subject: Zoning Text Amendment workplan Mr. Lait, Our clients, the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowners Association, received support from the City Councilat their November 13, 2023 meeting when they directed staff to review the zoning text amendmentswe proposed amendments to PAMC 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060. I’ve attached the proposal to thisemail for easy reference. Can you please advise on Staff’s plan and timing to review these amendments and (hopefully) movethem forward to the City Council for their consideration? Thank you,Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom, AICP Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 p: 415/552-7272 x 202 | c: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business From:Linda MacKenzie To:Council, City Subject:Waymo Vehicles on Palo Alto Streets Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 7:47:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, The streets of my Los Arboles neighborhood in Palo Alto are being used by Waymo as a staging area for their driverless vehicles. Neighborhood streets are maintained for the publicgood, not to support a private business. The Waymo vehicles at the intersection of Ames and Cork Oak are constantly on and waiting. These vehicles have been parking at this intersectionconstantly for the past two months every night. They make a noise. Their cameras are recording everything that is nearby. These vehicles are a distraction and a public nuisance toall. Numerous neighbors have sent Waymo messages asking them NOT to park in our neighborhood. One neighbor reported recently that the vehicle started up and almost hit herwhile walking her dog early one morning. My suggestion to Waymo was that they contact any of the many local churches on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto and pay to park in designated areas of the church parking lots. I'm certainthat some pressure from the city could resolve this issue quickly. Sincerely, Linda MacKenzie708 Ames Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94303 From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Council, City; bos@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Stump, Molly; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Tim James; Cait James; Marina Lopez; josh@joshsalcman.com; Sean Allen; Pat M; Burt, Patrick; Reckdahl, Keith; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; editor@paweekly.com; Gennady Sheyner; Doug Minkler; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Lewis James; cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari; Rodriguez, Miguel; Damon Silver; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; District2@bos.sccgov.org; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Reifschneider, James; Barberini, Christopher; Nicole Chiu-Wang; chuck jagoda; Lee, Craig; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Perron, Zachary; city.council@menlopark.gov; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:BREAKING: DHS Detains Lead Negotiator of Columbia Gaza Solidarity Encampment After Online Campaign byPro-Israel G… Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:59:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Eviscerating our First Amendment all in the name of pleasing the pro-Israeli lobby! Ain’t it ashame!! Avram Finkelstein Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more BREAKING: DHS Detains LeadNegotiator of Columbia GazaSolidarity Encampment After OnlineCampaign by Pro-Israel Groups Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained on Saturday, is being held at an ICEdetention facility. JANINE ALHADIDI AND MEGHNAD BOSE MAR 9 READ IN APP Columbia University security officers speak with Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University on Thursday, March 6. Photo: Janine AlHadidi NEW YORK CITY—On Saturday night, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents entered a student residential building at Columbia University in uptown New York and detained Mahmoud Khalil, one of the lead negotiators on behalf of pro-Palestine protesters at 2024’s Gaza solidarity encampment. In a sweeping attack on the First Amendment, the Trump administration said this week it would begin revoking visas of “Hamas sympathizers,” specifically citing Columbia University students. The detention followed a two-day targeted online campaign against Khalil by pro-Israel groups and individuals, including Columbia’s high- profile pro-Israel professor, Shai Davidai. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin and an American green-card holder, was detained by DHS officials around half past eight as he was entering the Columbia residential building he lives in. He was returning from an iftar, breaking the day-long fast observed by many Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, was with him at the time. A statement by the pro-Palestine group Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG) stated that he was “abducted and detained without the physical demonstration of a warrant or officially filed charges.” At the time of writing, Khalil is still being detained at a DHS facility in New Jersey, according to a database for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to WAWOG, the DHS agents told Khalil that the U.S. Department of State had revoked his student visa. The group said this was “despite the fact that he has a green card, not a visa, and is a lawful permanent resident.” Khalil’s wife was unlocking the door to the building when “two plainclothes DHS agents forced their way in behind them.” They initially refused to identify themselves, she reported, but then threatened Khalil’s wife that if she remained with him, she would be detained too. On Wednesday, Khalil was among the protesters at a sit-in at Milstein Library in Columbia University’s Barnard College, protesting the recent expulsion of three Barnard students over pro-Palestine activism. New York Police Department officers later arrested nine individuals from the same protest—the third round of arrests of pro-Palestine demonstrators on Columbia’s campuses in the past year. Over the course of Thursday and Friday, several prominent pro-Israel groups and individuals published a series of tweets targeting Khalil, mentioning his presence at the sit-in on Wednesday and his history as a lead negotiator with Columbia in April 2024, and demanded that the Trump administration act strongly against him by revoking his visa and deporting him. They tagged President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Shai Davidai, a professor at Columbia Business School, who was suspended from entering Columbia’s Morningside campus in 2024 following allegations of misconduct against students and staff of the university, tweeted, “Illegally taking over a college in which you are not even enrolled and distributing terrorist propaganda should be a deportable offense, no? Because that’s what Mahmoud Khalil from @ColumbiaSJP did yesterday at @BarnardCollege”. “Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at Columbia U”—an account on X with more than 20,000 followers—tweeted, “Secretary Rubio (@SecRubio), please revoke Mahmoud Khalil's visa!” On March 6, Rubio had tweeted that “those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security” and that such “violators of U.S law—including international students— face visa denial or revocation, and deportation.” A pro-Israel student protester at Columbia shared that Khalil was “known to have been on a foreign visa last year” before stating that he “recently helped illegally take over a library building”. Canary Mission posted against Khalil on their social media profiles with the caption “SUSPECTED FOREIGN NATIONAL ALERT”. A post on Instagram by “Documenting Jew Hatred On Campus” and another account, “another account, “Jews In School” referred to Khalil as a “foreign student agitator at Columbia University” and “the poster child for demonstrating that the Trump administration is serious about revoking visas of foreign students who support terrorism, foment hatred, and harass Jews.” Saturday’s actions against Khalil also took place against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s decision to cancel around $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. The White House has claimed that Columbia’s “failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment” was the reason for this move. Columbia University recently set up an office that is secretly investigating its students for political statements about Israel, Drop Site News reported this week, and is requiring students to sign non-disclosure agreements to view the evidence being brought against them. On Friday evening, Columbia University’s Interim President Katrina Armstrong said that the university has reworked leadership structures to “more swiftly respond to incidents of antisemitism and discrimination on campus.” Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, had previously stated that he was accused by the university’s office of misconduct just weeks before his graduation in December 2024. “I have around 13 allegations against me, most of them are social media posts that I had nothing to do with,” he told the Associated Press in an article published on March 6. After refusing to sign the nondisclosure agreement, Khalil reportedly said the university put a hold on his transcript and threatened to block him from graduating. But when he appealed the decision through a lawyer, he said, they eventually backed down. Leave a comment A guest post by Janine AlHadidi Janine AlHadidi is a multimedia journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to Janine A guest post by Meghnad Bose Meghnad Bose is an award-winning investigative journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to Meghnad Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Access to our Discord, subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe From:Lythcott-Haims, Julie To:Tran, Joanna Cc:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Jeanette Miller Subject:Re: RSVP by 4/2/25: Tall Tree Awards 2025 Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:37:53 PM Attachments:image010.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.png yes I will attend, thx much. julie Julie Lythcott-HaimsPalo Alto City Council MemberClick to make an Office Hours appointment On Mar 5, 2025, at 1:49 PM, Tran, Joanna <Joanna.Tran@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote: Dear Council Members, The 2025 Tall Tree Awards will take place on April 17, 2025 at the Oshman JCC! The City hassponsored a table with 10 tickets. If you are interested in attending, please let me know by Wednesday, April 2nd. After that date, wewill extend the remaining tickets to our Executive Leadership Team. 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 More details of this event are provided below: The Tall Tree Awards are given to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional civic contributions and service to the community. The annual event is sponsored by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and the Palo Alto Weekly, a Chamber Leaders Circle Member. Nominations are submitted by the general public once a year and awarded in four categories. From time to time, a special Global Impact Award is given to a person or business whose business or professional contributions have been felt around the world. Recipient categories being honored are: OUTSTANDING BUSINESS OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL OUTSTANDING CITIZEN VOLUNTEER OUTSTANDING NONPROFIT Thursday, April 17, 2025 5:30 – 8:00 pm Networking Reception 5:30 - 6:45 pm (Hors d'oeuvres, Wine and Beer) Award Presentations 7:00 - 8:00 pm Oshman JCC 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto From:Bob Lenox To:Council, City Subject:Council 2025 Priorities - Palo Alto Airport Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 12:02:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.Council members, On behalf of the Palo Alto Airport Association, I urge you to reject the “Not Recommended” position for moving forward with the Long Range Facility and Sustainability Plan. It is imperative that together we plan for an updated airfield. Much of the physical plant is outdated and in need of replacement and/or repair. The terminal building, a gateway to our city, is a double wide trailer from the 1960’s. The runway requires rehabilitation. These and other projects are funded by Federal grants covering 90 percent of the cost, and airport generated revenues pay the balance. We envision a major solar array project on the airport, providing power for the airport and other facilities such as the water treatment plant. This decarbonization effort, and the other projects, cannot begin without the LRFSP being completed. The PAAA understands the council direction for the airport to maintain its’ current footprint without major expansion, and is ready to work with staff to optimize the layout. Senior city staff seems to think that airport staff does not have the “bandwidth” to work on the LRFSP due to other commitments; specifically the transition to unleaded fuel, and noise abatement. Let me briefly address these two issues: The transition to unleaded fuels is an ongoing effort. Simply put, there is not yet a viable widely available product. We have one unleaded fuel on the field, but it is not certified, yet, for roughly 90 percent of the aircraft on the airport. Hopefully that will change, but it is a Federal matter, and out of staff’s hands. We continue to champion the transition to unleaded fuel as soon as possible. Staff meets monthly with users and FAA tower personnel in order to optimize noise abatement procedures and compliance. We all work together to emphasize flying as good neighbors. The airport staff have recently contracted for a tracking service so they can identify noncompliant flights and work with the pilots to ensure an understanding of these procedures. In the last five months (October-February) PAO had over 57,000 takeoffs and landings. During that same period, airport staff received a total of 39 noise complaints, 12 of which came from Palo Alto residents. In summary we urge you to direct staff to move forward with the LRFSP so that the upkeep, modernization and decarbonization of our Palo Alto Airport can proceed without further delay. Respectfully, Bob Lenox, President Palo Alto Airport Association From:Aram James To:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader forCalifornia Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila;Council, City Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 9:44:49 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference on March 11 at 5:30 PM PT atthe Berkeley City Council meeting, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, to demand that the Berkeley City Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza. Participants willstand in silence with blood-red hands and banners displaying the names of children murdered by Israeli forces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear: "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" . They will publiclyshame the Council for its failure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as its refusal to call for a ceasefire and an end to the violence andstarvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed a Ceasefire Resolution in October2024 that former P&J Commissioner George Lippman said focuses “on what must happen right now to end the death and destruction,” recommending that the City Council discussand vote on it. However, the City Council has ignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action. CODEPINK is demanding that the Berkeley City Council agendize andvote on the Resolution so that Berkeley can show it cares about a genocide being funded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland,and Hayward– who have all gone on record in favor of a permanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS: Date: March 11, 2025Time: 5:30 PM PT Location: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weapons killing children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that funding is illegal under U.S. and international law.We desperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing, healthcare, clean energy, education. If the City Council can’t oppose the genocide onmoral grounds, they should at least care about our community’s needs. It’s difficult to understand the Council’s inaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters, likethose nationwide, overwhelmingly want a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We are pleading with the Council to uphold Berkeley’s social justice reputation, take astand, and act by putting the recommended resolution on their agenda and voting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the press conference on March 11 tostand silently with us. From:Aram James To:Martin Wasserman Cc:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila; Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; EPA Today; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Emily Mibach; Roberta Ahlquist; Mickie Winkler; h.etzko@gmail.com; Cait James; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Doug Minkler; Gennady Sheyner; sharon jackson; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; dennis burns; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Figueroa, Eric; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Lu, George; Bains, Paul; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; yolanda; Baker, Rob; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Perron, Zachary; Zahra Billoo; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; city.council@menlopark.gov; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Anna Griffin; Angel, David; Reifschneider, James; Jeff Hayden; Human Relations Commission; Daniel Kottke; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cecilia Taylor; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Barberini, Christopher; Foley, Michael; Rose Lynn; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Steve Wagstaffe; Ellen Fox; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; Donna Wallach; Linda Jolley; josh@joshsalcman.com; Jose Valle; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; Damon Silver; Rowena Chiu; Pat M; Lotus Fong; Kaloma Smith Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 9:56:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Israel must comply with key ICJ rulingordering it do all in its power to preventgenocide against Palestinians in Gaza Today’s decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order provisional measures inresponse to South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is an important step that could help protect the Palestinian people in the occupied Gaza Strip from further suffering and irreparableharm, said Amnesty International today. An immediate ceasefire by all parties remains essential and – although not ordered by the Court – is the most effective condition to implement the provisional measures andend unprecedented civilian suffering. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International The ruling issued by the ICJ ordered six provisional measures including for Israel to refrainfrom acts under the Genocide convention, prevent and punish the direct and public incitementto genocide, and take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision ofhumanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. Crucially, the Court also ordered Israel topreserve evidence of genocide and to submit a report to the Court, within one month, of allmeasures taken in line with its order. “Today’s decision is an authoritative reminder of the crucial role of international law inpreventing genocide and protecting all victims of atrocity crimes. It sends a clear message that the world will not stand by in silence as Israel pursues a ruthless military campaign todecimate the population of the Gaza Strip and unleash death, horror and suffering againstPalestinians on an unprecedented scale,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of AmnestyInternational. “However, the ICJ decision alone cannot put an end to the atrocities and devastation Gazansare witnessing. Alarming signs of genocide in Gaza, and Israel’s flagrant disregard forinternational law highlight the urgent need for effective, unified pressure on Israel to stop itsonslaught against Palestinians. An immediate ceasefire by all parties remains essential and –although not ordered by the Court – is the most effective condition to implement theprovisional measures and end unprecedented civilian suffering. ©Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images A man carries a propane gas cylinder on his back while walking through debris anddestruction littering a street in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City onOctober 11, 2023. “The stakes could not be higher – the ICJ’s provisional measures indicate that in the Court’sview the survival of Palestinians in Gaza is at risk. The Israeli government must comply with the ICJ’s ruling immediately. All states – including those who were critical of or opposedSouth Africa’s submission of the genocide case – have a clear duty to ensure these measures are implemented. World leaders from the USA, UK, Germany and other EU states must signaltheir respect for the Court’s legally binding decision and do everything in their power to uphold their obligation to prevent genocide. Failure to do so would be a grave blow to thecredibility and trust in the international legal order.” States must also take urgent steps to prevent ongoing international crimes, including byimposing a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel and Palestinian armed groups. The USA, UK, Germany and other EU states must signal their respect for the Court’s legally binding decision and do everything in their power to uphold their obligation toprevent genocide. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International Amnesty International has warned of the risk of genocide in Gaza due to the shockingly highdeath toll among Palestinians, the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s relentlessbombardment and the deliberate denial of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing illegalblockade which are all inflicting horrifying levels of suffering on Gaza’s civilian population.Other warning signs include the increase in racist and dehumanizing rhetoric by some Israeligovernment officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel’shistory of oppressing and discriminating against Palestinians under its system of apartheid. Inthe face of a serious risk of genocide, all states are under an obligation under international lawto act to prevent the commission of genocide. More than 26,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s unrelentingbombardment of Gaza with some 10,000 believed to be still missing under the rubble. At least1.8 million Palestinians have been internally displaced and are deprived of access to adequatefood, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical assistance. Amnesty International calls on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups toimmediately suspend all military operations in Gaza. Israel must lift its illegal and inhumansiege and allow the unhindered and unconditional flow of desperately needed humanitarian aidto Palestinians, who are suffering from a deliberately engineered famine. We urge Hamas andother Palestinian armed groups to release all remaining civilian hostages. Background On 29 December 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at the ICJ under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide over allegations ofgenocide against the Palestinian people in the wake of the attacks on 7 October 2023 by Hamas and other armed groups, in which nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in Israel werekilled and some 240 were taken hostage. Hearings on South Africa’s request for provisional measures took place in The Hague on 11 and 12 January 2024. The 84-page filing by South Africa accuses Israel of acts and omissions “genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians inGaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.” The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). Itdoes not pursue individual criminal responsibility, rather the Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States, including thoserelating to the interpretation, application or fulfilment of the Genocide Convention and the responsibility of a State for genocide. Article 94 of the UN Charter provides that judgments of the ICJ are binding on the parties to the dispute and that, if they are not implemented, then recourse is to be had to the SecurityCouncil, which may make recommendations or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgment. AFRICA ARMED CONFLICT On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 9:36 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:The Jewish prophets predicted a time when all the nations would gather togetheragainst Israel, and the Almighty would then render His judgments and exact Hisretribution upon those nations. The fact that tiny Israel has been so successful at fending off powers much larger than itself shows that these prophecies have already begun to manifest. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Israel a Vile Terrorist State Since 1948 Israel has a U.S. sponsored/paid for army, navy, air-force and nuclear weapons.Palestine no institutional military only their spirit of resistance and resilience.Hamas are not terrorists but freedom fighters of the first order. Israel anapartheid state has maintained a concentration camp called Gaza for decades.Israel is a rogue outlaw nation. A second genocide is now occurring in theWest Bank with full U.S. support. Israel condemned by the majority of theworld’s nations and by the International Criminal Court and by the UN’sInternational Court of Justice. Israel must be eliminated. A one-state and aone-person vote true democracy is the only viable road to peace. Avram Finkelstein Amnesty International July 2024 Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful. Source: Amnesty Internationalhttps://search.app/4h3oHkneZLPjCrzZ6 ICJ opinion declaring Israel’soccupation of Palestinianterritories unlawful is a historicvindication of Palestinians’rights Responding to the historic advisory opinion delivered today by theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Israel’s policiesand practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the consequences of Israel’s conduct for other states and the UN, Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research,Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said: “The International Court of Justice has issued its opinion and theconclusion is loud and clear: Israel’s occupation and annexation of thePalestinian territories are unlawful, and its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. “This is a historic vindication of the rights of Palestinians who have endured decades of cruelty and systematic human rights violations stemming from Israel’s unlawful occupation. “The occupation is a key pillar of the system of apartheid that Israel uses to dominate and oppress Palestinians, and which has causedsuffering on a mass scale. Palestinians have witnessed their homes being demolished, their lands expropriated to build and expand settlements, and have faced suffocating restrictions disrupting everyaspect of their daily lives, from family separation and restrictions onfreedom of movement to denial of access to land, water and natural resources. “The ICJ opinion comes at a time when Israel has been flagrantly flouting international humanitarian law on a cataclysmic scale for the past nine months, carrying out deadly and unlawful attacks during itsonslaught in the occupied Gaza Strip that have claimed anunprecedented toll on civilians. It has also been escalating illegal land grabs in the occupied West Bank, and authorizing the construction of more and more settlement units in occupied and illegally annexed EastJerusalem, all but entrenching and perpetuating the unlawfuloccupation. Israeli authorities have also consistently failed to comply with the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ to preventgenocide in Gaza. Israel must not be allowed to trample oninternational law any longer. “The international community, and in particular Israel’s allies, must now take unequivocal action to ensure Israel ends itsunlawful occupation, starting with the immediate halting of the expansion of Israeli settlements and reversing the annexation of Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and dismantling its brutal system of apartheid against Palestinians. Ending the occupationis crucial in order to stop the recurrent pattern of human rightsviolations across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “Israel must withdraw its forces from all parts of the occupiedterritories, including the Gaza Strip and remove all settlers from the West Bank, including from the illegally annexed East Jerusalem. Israel must also relinquish control over all aspects of Palestinians’ lives, as well as ceding control of borders, natural resources, air space andterritorial waters of the occupied territory. This means lifting the illegal blockade of Gaza and allowing Palestinians to travel freely between Gaza and the West Bank.” On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote:Repeating a lie over and over again doesn't make it true. Every dayIsrael’s enemies falsely accuse it of genocide, while totally ignoring the actual genocidal intentions of Hamas. The best way to stop thefighting in Gaza is for Hamas to release all of the hostages unconditionally. If Israel's enemies really cared about the Gazans, they would be demanding that Hamas release the hostages rather than trying to put all the blame on Israel. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 5:37 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>wrote: Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference onMarch 11 at 5:30 PM PT at the Berkeley City Council meeting, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, to demand that the BerkeleyCity Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza. Participants will stand in silence with blood-red hands andbanners displaying the names of children murdered by Israeli forces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear:"SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" . They will publicly shame the Council for itsfailure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as its refusal to call for a ceasefire and an endto the violence and starvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed aCeasefire Resolution in October 2024 that former P&J Commissioner George Lippman said focuses “on what musthappen right now to end the death and destruction,” recommending that the City Council discuss and vote on it.However, the City Council has ignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action. CODEPINK is demandingthat the Berkeley City Council agendize and vote on the Resolution so that Berkeley can show it cares about a genocidebeing funded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, and Hayward–who have all gone on record in favor of a permanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS: Date: March 11, 2025Time: 5:30 PM PT Location: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINKorganizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weaponskilling children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that funding is illegal under U.S. and international law. Wedesperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing, healthcare, clean energy, education. If theCity Council can’t oppose the genocide on moral grounds, they should at least care about our community’s needs. It’s difficultto understand the Council’s inaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters, like those nationwide, overwhelminglywant a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We are pleading with the Council to uphold Berkeley’s social justicereputation, take a stand, and act by putting the recommended resolution on their agenda and voting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the press conference on March 11 to stand silently with us. From:Martin Wasserman To:Aram James Cc:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila; Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; EPA Today; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Emily Mibach; Roberta Ahlquist; Mickie Winkler; h.etzko@gmail.com; Cait James; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Doug Minkler; Gennady Sheyner; sharon jackson; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; dennis burns; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Figueroa, Eric; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Lu, George; Bains, Paul; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; yolanda; Baker, Rob; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Perron, Zachary; Zahra Billoo; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; city.council@menlopark.gov; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Anna Griffin; Angel, David; Reifschneider, James; Jeff Hayden; Human Relations Commission; Daniel Kottke; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cecilia Taylor; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Barberini, Christopher; Foley, Michael; Rose Lynn; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Steve Wagstaffe; Ellen Fox; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; Donna Wallach; Linda Jolley; josh@joshsalcman.com; Jose Valle; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; Damon Silver; Rowena Chiu; Pat M; Lotus Fong; Kaloma Smith Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 9:36:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. The Jewish prophets predicted a time when all the nations would gather togetheragainst Israel, and the Almighty would then render His judgments and exact Hisretribution upon those nations. The fact that tiny Israel has been so successful at fending off powers much larger than itself shows that these prophecies have already begun to manifest. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Israel a Vile Terrorist State Since 1948 Israel has a U.S. sponsored/paid for army, navy, air-force and nuclear weapons.Palestine no institutional military only their spirit of resistance and resilience.Hamas are not terrorists but freedom fighters of the first order. Israel an apartheidstate has maintained a concentration camp called Gaza for decades. Israel is arogue outlaw nation. A second genocide is now occurring in the West Bank withfull U.S. support. Israel condemned by the majority of the world’s nations and bythe International Criminal Court and by the UN’s International Court of Justice.Israel must be eliminated. A one-state and a one-person vote true democracyis the only viable road to peace. Avram Finkelstein Amnesty International July 2024 Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful. Source: Amnesty Internationalhttps://search.app/4h3oHkneZLPjCrzZ6 ICJ opinion declaring Israel’soccupation of Palestinianterritories unlawful is a historicvindication of Palestinians’ rights Responding to the historic advisory opinion delivered today by theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Israel’s policies andpractices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the consequences of Israel’s conduct for other states and the UN, Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research,Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said: “The International Court of Justice has issued its opinion and theconclusion is loud and clear: Israel’s occupation and annexation of thePalestinian territories are unlawful, and its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. “This is a historic vindication of the rights of Palestinians who have endured decades of cruelty and systematic human rights violations stemming from Israel’s unlawful occupation. “The occupation is a key pillar of the system of apartheid that Israel uses to dominate and oppress Palestinians, and which has caused suffering ona mass scale. Palestinians have witnessed their homes being demolished, their lands expropriated to build and expand settlements, and have faced suffocating restrictions disrupting every aspect of their daily lives, from family separation and restrictions on freedom of movement to denial ofaccess to land, water and natural resources. “The ICJ opinion comes at a time when Israel has been flagrantlyflouting international humanitarian law on a cataclysmic scale for the past nine months, carrying out deadly and unlawful attacks during its onslaught in the occupied Gaza Strip that have claimed an unprecedented toll on civilians. It has also been escalating illegal land grabs in theoccupied West Bank, and authorizing the construction of more and moresettlement units in occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem, all but entrenching and perpetuating the unlawful occupation. Israeli authorities have also consistently failed to comply with the provisional measuresordered by the ICJ to prevent genocide in Gaza. Israel must not be allowed to trample on international law any longer. “The international community, and in particular Israel’s allies, must nowtake unequivocal action to ensure Israel ends its unlawful occupation, starting with the immediate halting of the expansion of Israeli settlements and reversing the annexation of Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and dismantling its brutal system of apartheidagainst Palestinians. Ending the occupation is crucial in order to stop therecurrent pattern of human rights violations across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “Israel must withdraw its forces from all parts of the occupied territories, including the Gaza Strip and remove all settlers from the West Bank, including from the illegally annexed East Jerusalem. Israel must also relinquish control over all aspects of Palestinians’ lives, as well asceding control of borders, natural resources, air space and territorial waters of the occupied territory. This means lifting the illegal blockade of Gaza and allowing Palestinians to travel freely between Gaza and the West Bank.” On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote:Repeating a lie over and over again doesn't make it true. Every day Israel’s enemies falsely accuse it of genocide, while totally ignoring the actual genocidal intentions of Hamas. The best way to stop the fighting in Gaza is for Hamas to release all of the hostagesunconditionally. If Israel's enemies really cared about the Gazans, theywould be demanding that Hamas release the hostages rather than trying to put all the blame on Israel. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 5:37 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference on March 11 at 5:30 PM PT at the Berkeley City Council meeting,1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, to demand that the Berkeley City Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza.Participants will stand in silence with blood-red hands and banners displaying the names of children murdered by Israeliforces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear: "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE INGAZA!" . They will publicly shame the Council for its failure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, aswell as its refusal to call for a ceasefire and an end to the violence and starvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed a Ceasefire Resolution in October 2024 that former P&J CommissionerGeorge Lippman said focuses “on what must happen right now to end the death and destruction,” recommending that the CityCouncil discuss and vote on it. However, the City Council has ignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action.CODEPINK is demanding that the Berkeley City Council agendize and vote on the Resolution so that Berkeley can show itcares about a genocide being funded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond,Oakland, and Hayward– who have all gone on record in favor of a permanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS:Date: March 11, 2025 Time: 5:30 PM PTLocation: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding thegenocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weapons killing children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that fundingis illegal under U.S. and international law. We desperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing,healthcare, clean energy, education. If the City Council can’t oppose the genocide on moral grounds, they should at least careabout our community’s needs. It’s difficult to understand the Council’s inaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters,like those nationwide, overwhelmingly want a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We are pleading with theCouncil to uphold Berkeley’s social justice reputation, take a stand, and act by putting the recommended resolution on theiragenda and voting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the pressconference on March 11 to stand silently with us. From:Aram James Cc:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader forCalifornia Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila;Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; EPAToday; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; YolandaConaway; Emily Mibach; Roberta Ahlquist; Mickie Winkler; h.etzko@gmail.com; Cait James; Tim James; MarinaLopez; Doug Minkler; Gennady Sheyner; sharon jackson; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad;Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; dennis burns; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Figueroa, Eric;WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Lu, George; Bains, Paul;paul@peaceandjustice.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; yolanda; Baker, Rob; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Wagner, April;Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;Perron, Zachary; Zahra Billoo; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; The Office ofMayor Matt Mahan; city.council@menlopark.gov; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex;cromero@cityofepa.org; Anna Griffin; Angel, David; Reifschneider, James; Jeff Hayden; Human RelationsCommission; Daniel Kottke; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cecilia Taylor; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Barberini, Christopher; Foley,Michael; Rose Lynn; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Steve Wagstaffe; Ellen Fox; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; Donna Wallach;Linda Jolley; josh@joshsalcman.com; Jose Valle; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; Damon Silver; RowenaChiu; Marty Wasserman; Pat M; Lotus Fong; Kaloma Smith Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 9:04:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Israel a Vile Terrorist State Since 1948 Israel has a U.S. sponsored/paid for army, navy, air-force and nuclear weapons. Palestine no institutional military only their spirit of resistance and resilience. Hamas are not terrorists butfreedom fighters of the first order. Israel an apartheid state has maintained a concentration camp called Gaza for decades. Israel is a rogue outlaw nation. A second genocide is nowoccurring in the West Bank with full U.S. support. Israel condemned by the majority of the world’s nations and by the International Criminal Court and by the UN’s International Courtof Justice. Israel must be eliminated. A one-state and a one-person vote true democracy is the only viable road to peace. Avram Finkelstein Amnesty International July 2024 Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful. Source: Amnesty Internationalhttps://search.app/4h3oHkneZLPjCrzZ6 ICJ opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territoriesunlawful is a historic vindication ofPalestinians’ rights Responding to the historic advisory opinion delivered today by the InternationalCourt of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Israel’s policies and practices in theOccupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the consequences of Israel’s conduct for other states and the UN, Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said: “The International Court of Justice has issued its opinion and the conclusion is loud and clear: Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories areunlawful, and its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate theprohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. “This is a historic vindication of the rights of Palestinians who have endureddecades of cruelty and systematic human rights violations stemming from Israel’s unlawful occupation. “The occupation is a key pillar of the system of apartheid that Israel uses to dominate and oppress Palestinians, and which has caused suffering on a mass scale. Palestinians have witnessed their homes being demolished, their lands expropriated to build and expand settlements, and have faced suffocating restrictions disruptingevery aspect of their daily lives, from family separation and restrictions on freedom of movement to denial of access to land, water and natural resources. “The ICJ opinion comes at a time when Israel has been flagrantly flouting international humanitarian law on a cataclysmic scale for the past nine months, carrying out deadly and unlawful attacks during its onslaught in the occupied GazaStrip that have claimed an unprecedented toll on civilians. It has also beenescalating illegal land grabs in the occupied West Bank, and authorizing the construction of more and more settlement units in occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem, all but entrenching and perpetuating the unlawful occupation.Israeli authorities have also consistently failed to comply with the provisionalmeasures ordered by the ICJ to prevent genocide in Gaza. Israel must not be allowed to trample on international law any longer. “The international community, and in particular Israel’s allies, must now takeunequivocal action to ensure Israel ends its unlawful occupation, starting with the immediate halting of the expansion of Israeli settlements and reversing the annexation of Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and dismantling itsbrutal system of apartheid against Palestinians. Ending the occupation is crucial in order to stop the recurrent pattern of human rights violations across Israel and theOccupied Palestinian Territories. “Israel must withdraw its forces from all parts of the occupied territories, includingthe Gaza Strip and remove all settlers from the West Bank, including from theillegally annexed East Jerusalem. Israel must also relinquish control over all aspects of Palestinians’ lives, as well as ceding control of borders, natural resources, air space and territorial waters of the occupied territory. This means lifting the illegalblockade of Gaza and allowing Palestinians to travel freely between Gaza and theWest Bank.” On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Repeating a lie over and over again doesn't make it true. Every day Israel’senemies falsely accuse it of genocide, while totally ignoring the actual genocidalintentions of Hamas. The best way to stop the fighting in Gaza is for Hamas to release all of the hostages unconditionally. If Israel's enemies really cared about the Gazans, they would be demanding that Hamas release the hostages rather thantrying to put all the blame on Israel. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 5:37 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference on March 11 at 5:30 PM PT at the Berkeley City Council meeting, 1231 Addison Street,Berkeley, to demand that the Berkeley City Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza. Participants will stand in silence withblood-red hands and banners displaying the names of children murdered by Israeli forces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear: "SHAMEON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" . They will publicly shame the Council for its failure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as its refusal to call for a ceasefire and anend to the violence and starvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed a Ceasefire Resolution inOctober 2024 that former P&J Commissioner George Lippman said focuses “on what must happen right now to end the death and destruction,”recommending that the City Council discuss and vote on it. However, the City Council has ignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action.CODEPINK is demanding that the Berkeley City Council agendize and vote on the Resolution so that Berkeley can show it cares about a genocide beingfunded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, and Hayward– who have all gone on record in favor of apermanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS: Date: March 11, 2025Time: 5:30 PM PT Location: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weapons killing children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that funding is illegal under U.S. andinternational law. We desperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing, healthcare, clean energy, education. If the CityCouncil can’t oppose the genocide on moral grounds, they should at least care about our community’s needs. It’s difficult to understand the Council’sinaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters, like those nationwide, overwhelmingly want a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We arepleading with the Council to uphold Berkeley’s social justice reputation, take a stand, and act by putting the recommended resolution on their agenda andvoting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the press conference onMarch 11 to stand silently with us. From:Martin Wasserman To:Aram James Cc:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila; Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; EPA Today; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Michelle; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Emily Mibach; Roberta Ahlquist; Mickie Winkler; h.etzko@gmail.com; Cait James; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Doug Minkler; Gennady Sheyner; sharon jackson; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; dennis burns; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Figueroa, Eric; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Lu, George; Bains, Paul; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; yolanda; Baker, Rob; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Perron, Zachary; Zahra Billoo; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; city.council@menlopark.gov; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Anna Griffin; Angel, David; Reifschneider, James; Jeff Hayden; Human Relations Commission; Daniel Kottke; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cecilia Taylor; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Barberini, Christopher; Foley, Michael; Rose Lynn; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Steve Wagstaffe; Ellen Fox; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 6:24:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Repeating a lie over and over again doesn't make it true. Every day Israel’s enemiesfalsely accuse it of genocide, while totally ignoring the actual genocidal intentionsof Hamas. The best way to stop the fighting in Gaza is for Hamas to release all of the hostages unconditionally. If Israel's enemies really cared about the Gazans, they would be demanding that Hamas release the hostages rather than trying to put allthe blame on Israel. Martin Wasserman On Mar 8, 2025, at 5:37 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference on March 11 at 5:30PM PT at the Berkeley City Council meeting, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, todemand that the Berkeley City Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza. Participants will stand in silence with blood-red hands and bannersdisplaying the names of children murdered by Israeli forces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear: "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOURSILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" . They will publicly shame the Council for its failure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza,as well as its refusal to call for a ceasefire and an end to the violence and starvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed a Ceasefire Resolution in October 2024 that former P&J Commissioner George Lippman said focuses “onwhat must happen right now to end the death and destruction,” recommending that the City Council discuss and vote on it. However, the City Council hasignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action. CODEPINK is demanding that the Berkeley City Council agendize and vote on the Resolutionso that Berkeley can show it cares about a genocide being funded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland,and Hayward– who have all gone on record in favor of a permanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS: Date: March 11, 2025Time: 5:30 PM PT Location: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weapons killing children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that funding is illegal under U.S. andinternational law. We desperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing, healthcare, clean energy, education. If the CityCouncil can’t oppose the genocide on moral grounds, they should at least care about our community’s needs. It’s difficult to understand the Council’sinaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters, like those nationwide, overwhelmingly want a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We arepleading with the Council to uphold Berkeley’s social justice reputation, take a stand, and act by putting the recommended resolution on their agenda andvoting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the press conference on March11 to stand silently with us. From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate,Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg;bos@smcgov.org; Zahra Billoo; Bill Newell; Michelle; EPA Today; Council, City; GRP-City Council;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; GRP-City Clerk; Stump, Molly; Jeff Conrad; JeffRosen; Jeff Hayden; Jay Boyarsky; Lotus Fong; Friends of Cubberley; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; Emily Mibach;Damon Silver; Rodriguez, Miguel; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Mickie Winkler;editor@paweekly.com; Henry Etzkowitz Subject:Dr. Rupa Marya: Missing Peace Mondays: CODEPINK Community Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 6:02:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dr. Rupa Marya: Missing Peace Mondays: CODEPINK Community https://www.codepink.org/missingp310 From:Aram James To:Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Josh Becker; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader forCalifornia Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila Cc:Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; EPA Today; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Michelle; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Emily Mibach; Roberta Ahlquist; Mickie Winkler; h.etzko@gmail.com; Marty Wasserman; Cait James; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Doug Minkler; Gennady Sheyner; sharon jackson; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright; dennis burns; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Figueroa, Eric; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Lu, George; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Vara Ramakrishnan; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; yolanda; Baker, Rob; Roberta Roth; Roberta Ahlquist; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Perron, Zachary; Zahra Billoo; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; city.council@menlopark.gov; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Anna Griffin; Angel, David; Reifschneider, James; Jeff Hayden; Human Relations Commission; Daniel Kottke; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cecilia Taylor; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Barberini, Christopher; Foley, Michael; Rose Lynn; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Steve Wagstaffe Subject:Re: Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 5:38:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Subject:Date:From:To: 1. 2. PRESS RELEASES PALESTINE "Shame on you, Berkeley!" Peace Groups to Call Out Berkeley for Failure to Acknowledge Genocide in Gaza FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | melissa@codepink.org Bay Area CODEPINK to Hold Press Conference at 3/11 Berkeley City Council Meeting "SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" Berkeley, CA – CODEPINK will hold a press conference on March 11 at 5:30 PM PT at theBerkeley City Council meeting, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, to demand that the BerkeleyCity Council take action in recognizing the genocide in Gaza. Participants will stand insilence with blood-red hands and banners displaying the names of children murdered by Israeli forces using U.S. weapons. The group’s message is clear: "SHAME ON YOU FORYOUR SILENCE ON GENOCIDE IN GAZA!" . They will publicly shame the Council for its failure to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as itsrefusal to call for a ceasefire and an end to the violence and starvation in Gaza. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission passed a Ceasefire Resolution in October 2024that former P&J Commissioner George Lippman said focuses “on what must happen right now to end the death and destruction,” recommending that the City Council discuss and voteon it. However, the City Council has ignored the Commission's request, refusing to take any action. CODEPINK is demanding that the Berkeley City Council agendize and vote on theResolution so that Berkeley can show it cares about a genocide being funded with U.S. taxes, joining cities surrounding Berkeley – San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, andHayward– who have all gone on record in favor of a permanent ceasefire. EVENT DETAILS: Date: March 11, 2025Time: 5:30 PM PT Location: 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA "The Berkeley City Council’s inaction and silence regarding the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable," said CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster. "We are spending billions of U.S. tax dollars on weapons killing children, and given Israel’s human rights violations, that funding is illegal under U.S. and international law. Wedesperately need funds in Berkeley to address so many issues– affordable housing, healthcare, clean energy, education. If the City Council can’t oppose the genocide on moralgrounds, they should at least care about our community’s needs. It’s difficult to understand the Council’s inaction; we know that the majority of Berkeley voters, like those nationwide,overwhelmingly want a permanent ceasefire and end to arming Israel. We are pleading with the Council to uphold Berkeley’s social justice reputation, take a stand, and act by puttingthe recommended resolution on their agenda and voting on it." CODEPINK urges all concerned citizens to join the press conference on March 11 to standsilently with us. From:Aram James To:Palo Alto Forward Cc:Gardener, Liz; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Yee Fong; Council, City Subject:Re: America"s First Car Free Neighborhood Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 2:07:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Awesome, thanks for the info! Aram On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 1:06 PM Palo Alto Forward <palo.alto.fwd@gmail.com> wrote: I have 2 friends that live in a 2 bedroom and I think they told me their current rent is $1650 a month. Relatively affordable when divided by 2 people. That is what happens when youhave housing abundance:). Studios from $1300s1 bedrooms from $1400s 2 bedrooms from $1800s3 bedrooms from $2700s On Sat, Mar 8, 2025, 11:19 AM Liz Gardner <gardnerjaqua@gmail.com> wrote:Hi All, This magnificent and strategically place multi unit build is the perfect mix, if you can go car free! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free- neighborhood-190209639.html Includes a bike shop and no cost EV Bike give-away to residents at Culdesac Tempe in Phoenix AZ. Right on a rail line. Berkeley based architect, Daniel Parolek . If only the Bay Area like Palo Alto might consider such a bold,acceptable, livable and breathable dreamscape shaped into reality. Read theorganization Strong Towns https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/4/30/arizonas-culdesac-a-car-free- paradise-or-part-of-the-problem. It uses the dry desert air to its climatecontained advantage too. Although it does not sound like there are any BMR units. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free-neighborhood- 190209639.html Liz Gardner Palo Alto From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; David Balakian; beachrides;boardmembers; bearwithme1016@att.net; bballpod; Leodies Buchanan; fred beyerlein; Becky Vagim;carloslawnservice14@gmail.com; Cathy Lewis; Council, City; Anderson (CTR), Shanetta L; dennisbalakian;dallen1212@gmail.com; kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson;George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; jerryruopoli; Sally Thiessen; Joel Stiner; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Mayor; MY77FJ@gmail.com; MarkStandriff; 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: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 1:47:44 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: Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM Subject: Fwd: Hantavirus Pulmonary SyndromeTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Saturday, March 8, 2025 To all- Some information re Hantavirus: CBS News: HPS: What to know about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the cause of Betsy Arakawa's death - CBS News California Dept. of Public Health, March, 2021: "Squirrels, chipmunks and house mice are rarely, if ever, infected and do not pose arisk of HPS to humans". HPSFactSheet L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Palo Alto Forward To:Gardener, Liz Cc:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Roberta Ahlquist; Aram James; Lotus Yee Fong; Council, City Subject:Re: America"s First Car Free Neighborhood Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 1:07:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I have 2 friends that live in a 2 bedroom and I think they told me their current rent is $1650 amonth. Relatively affordable when divided by 2 people. That is what happens when you have housing abundance:). Studios from $1300s 1 bedrooms from $1400s2 bedrooms from $1800s 3 bedrooms from $2700s On Sat, Mar 8, 2025, 11:19 AM Liz Gardner <gardnerjaqua@gmail.com> wrote:Hi All, This magnificent and strategically place multi unit build is the perfect mix, if youcan go car free! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free- neighborhood-190209639.html Includes a bike shop and no cost EV Bike give-away to residents at CuldesacTempe in Phoenix AZ. Right on a rail line. Berkeley based architect, Daniel Parolek . If only the Bay Area like Palo Alto might consider such a bold, acceptable, livable and breathable dreamscape shaped into reality. Read the organization Strong Townshttps://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/4/30/arizonas-culdesac-a-car-free-paradise-or-part-of-the-problem. It uses the dry desert air to its climate contained advantage too. Although it does not sound like there are any BMR units. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free-neighborhood- 190209639.html Liz GardnerPalo Alto From:Mr. Shore To:Council, City Subject:Agenda Item #8 - March 10 - 2025 City Council/Committe Priority Objectives and Workplans Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 11:30:25 AM Attachments:SCVWD-Unhoused-JPA-28Feb2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Councilmembers, Please consider directing Staff to explore and assess the formation of a JPA dedicated toaddressing homelessness, encampments, and the increasing need for housing, shelter, and social services across Santa Clara County, as formally proposed by Valley Water in its recentletter to Mayor Lauing et al. See attached. Regards, Jeffrey Shore Santa Clara Valley Water District | 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 | (408) 265-2600 | www.valleywater.org Clean Water • Healthy Environment • Flood Protection ♺ BOARD OF DIRECTORS John L. Varela (District 1) Shiloh Ballard (District 2) Richard P. Santos / Vice Chair (District 3) Jim Beall (District 4) Nai Hsueh (District 5) Tony Estremera / Chair (District 6) Rebecca Eisenberg (District 7) INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Melanie Richardson, P.E. INTERIM CLERK OF THE BOARD Candice Kwok-Smith February 28, 2025 The Honorable Otto Lee The Honorable Sergio Lopez President, County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors Mayor, City of Campbell 70 West Hedding Street, 10th Floor 70 North First Street San Jose, CA 95110 Campbell, CA 95008 The Honorable Liang Chao The Honorable Greg Bozzo Mayor, City of Cupertino Mayor, City of Gilroy 10300 Torre Avenue 7351 Rosanna Street Cupertino, CA 95014 Gilroy, CA 95020 The Honorable Pete Dailey The Honorable Kavita Tankha Mayor, City of Los Altos Mayor, Town of Los Altos Hills 1 North San Antonio Road 26379 W Fremont Road Los Altos, CA 94022 Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 The Honorable Matthew Hudes The Honorable Carmen Montano Mayor, Town of Los Gatos Mayor, City of Milpitas 110 East Main Street 455 East Calaveras Boulevard Los Gatos, CA 95030 Milpitas, CA 95035 The Honorable Burton Craig The Honorable Mark Turner Mayor, City of Monte Sereno Mayor, City of Morgan Hill 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road 17575 Peak Avenue Monte Sereno, CA 95030 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 The Honorable Ellen Kamei The Honorable Ed Lauing Mayor, City of Mountain View Mayor, City of Palo Alto 500 Castro Street, 3rd Floor 250 Hamilton Avenue Mountain View, CA 94041 Palo Alto, CA 94301 The Honorable Matt Mahan The Honorable Lisa M. Gillmor Mayor, City of San José Mayor, City of Santa Clara 200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor 1500 Warburton Avenue San Jose, CA 95113 Santa Clara, CA 95050 The Honorable Belal Aftab The Honorable Larry Klein Mayor, City of Saratoga Mayor, City of Sunnyvale 13777 Fruitvale Avenue 456 West Olive Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Attachment 1 Page 1 of 2 Santa Clara Valley Water District | 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 | (408) 265-2600 | www.valleywater.org ♺ Clean Water • Healthy Environment • Flood Protection Dear Esteemed Colleagues, As we continue to face the growing and pressing issue of unsheltered homelessness in our community, I write to you today on behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) Board of Directors to propose an idea that could help us address this challenge in a more coordinated and impactful way. Given the complexities of homelessness, I encourage local officials to explore the possibility of forming a county-wide Joint Powers Authority (JPA) focused on this issue. This could serve as a platform for representatives of our respective jurisdictions to collaborate and take collective, action-oriented steps toward meaningful solutions. As we all know, homelessness in Santa Clara County, particularly unsheltered homelessness, has reached humanitarian, environmental, and public safety crises levels. While each of our jurisdictions has made significant strides in addressing this issue, the scale and scope of the problem requires an approach that transcends individual city or county efforts. We must collaborate in a more coordinated and effective manner to truly make progress. The JPA could function similarly to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), which was established in 1993 as a joint powers authority between the City and County of Los Angeles. LAHSA has proven to be an effective mechanism for the coordination of resources, policy development, and service delivery across a diverse and complex region. A JPA in Santa Clara County would bring together the expertise and resources of each of our jurisdictions, while providing a platform for accountability, shared decision-making, and innovation on the most pressing issues surrounding homelessness. By leveraging the strengths and collective resources of each participating jurisdiction, we would be better positioned to develop and implement policies that help address the underlying causes of homelessness and provide comprehensive solutions. The JPA could focus on a variety of critical areas, including emergency shelter expansion, permanent supportive housing development, mental health and substance use disorder services, outreach strategies, and more. Through this collaboration, we can better serve the public, reduce duplication of efforts, and maximize our collective impact. I am confident that by working together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness in our community. Valley Water is happy to facilitate a joint discussion to explore this idea if there is interest. We invite you to share any thoughts and feedback with Marta Lugo, Deputy Administrative Officer for Valley Water’s Office of Government Relations, at MLugo@valleywater.org or (408) 630- 2237, by Friday, March 28, 2025. Thank you for your time and consideration, as well as your dedicated leadership, partnership, and commitment to serving all residents of Santa Clara County. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Richard P. Santos Vice Chair, Board of Directors cc: Valley Water Board of Directors, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Campbell City Council, Cupertino City Council, Gilroy City Council, Los Altos City Council, Los Altos Hills City Council, Los Gatos Town Council, Milpitas City Council, Monte Sereno City Council, Morgan Hill City Council, Mountain View City Council, Palo Alto City Council, San José City Council, Santa Clara City Council, Saratoga City Council, Sunnyvale City Council rb:jh 0228a-l Attachment 1 Page 2 of 2 From:Liz Gardner To:Palo Alto Forward; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Roberta Ahlquist; Aram James; Lotus Yee Fong; Council, City Subject:America"s First Car Free Neighborhood Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 11:19:27 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi All, This magnificent and strategically place multi unit build is the perfect mix, if youcan go car free! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free- neighborhood-190209639.html Includes a bike shop and no cost EV Bike give-away to residents at CuldesacTempe in Phoenix AZ. Right on a rail line. Berkeley based architect, Daniel Parolek . If only the Bay Area like Palo Alto might consider such a bold, acceptable, livable and breathable dreamscape shaped into reality. Read the organization Strong Towns https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/4/30/arizonas-culdesac-a-car-free-paradise-or-part-of-the-problem. It uses the dry desert air to its climate contained advantage too. Although it does not sound like there are any BMR units. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/america-first-car-free-neighborhood- 190209639.html Liz GardnerPalo Alto From:jennifer.rihn@att.net To:Council, City Cc:Mary Schwarze Subject:insufficient public skating at the Winter Lodge Date:Saturday, March 8, 2025 11:14:23 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Dear City Council members, As a longtime patron of the Winter Lodge, I am writing to you because the city is the landlord ofCommunity Skating, Inc. As you are likely aware, Community Skating pays virtually no rent in exchangefor providing a skating venue for the public. With recent closures of some morning public sessions, we maintain that the rink is not fulfilling its end ofthe bargain. Before 3 pm on weekdays, the rink is open for a grand total of four hours of public skating. By not maximizing the number of public sessions, Community Skating is not meeting the spirit of thelease agreement to provide recreational skating, According to the Winter Lodge manager, Linda Jensen, the reason for the closures of some morningsessions is because attendance was low. However, most of the rink’s expenses are fixed and thusexpenses do not decrease when the rink is closed. Not only that, it only takes a few skaters for the rink tobreak even on a session, since the front desk clerk’s hourly pay would be about the same as the cost ofone admission. The closures are even more mystifying considering that the rink lost money for the fiscal year ending in2024. (See some of the financial details at the end of this email and all the details are here:https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/770089303 .) Clearly the rink needs both moresessions and more skaters. It is hard to imagine that a place as special as the Winter Lodge would not be able to increaseattendance. When my skating friend Mary Schwarze and I wrote to Linda Jensen to understand therationale for the session closures, we suggested a number of ways to attract new skaters and to fillexisting and new sessions: · Place ads in the Stanford Daily.· Place ads in the local weekly papers, such as the Palo Alto Weekly, the Los Altos Town Crier andthe Mt. View Voice.· Team up with local Parks and Rec departments to offer skating classes.· Team up with the Ross Rd. and El Camino YMCAs to promote skating classes, which would beheld during new sessions.· Partner with the Human Resource departments of local companies to promote both skating andskating classes. Many high tech companies have very flexible hours and thus workers would beable to skate any time of day. Tech companies also like to have group bonding events, so skatingcould fit the bill. Local companies to target include HP, VMware, Google, Cloudera, Symantec,Synopsys, Intuit, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and many more. Lunch-time sessions from, say, 11:30 to1:30 would enable those workers who don’t have flexible work hours to skate.· Maximize the number of new customers who continue to skate after taking their first series of grouplessons. Skaters who get addicted to skating like to skate multiple times a week, so the rink wouldneed more sessions to accommodate those skaters. This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast However, Ms. Jensen did not respond to these ideas. Given her generous yearly compensation of$215,481 and light working schedule of an average of 35 hours per week (as per the tax returns for fiscalyear 2024), one would expect her to develop and implement measures such as those we listed. Only when the rink is open is the rink fulfilling its mission to be a community resource. Only when the rinkis open is it generating revenue. In closing, we are hoping that a nudge from the city will encourage theWinter Lodge to more completely fulfill its mission to be a community resource for skaters of all ages. Jennifer Rihn Mary Schwarze1825 Limetree Lane P.O. Box 674Mountain View, 94040 Los Altos 94023jennifer.rihn@att.net mmdoon@aol.com …………………… Here are some of the financial details for the fiscal year ending in 2024. This information has beenextracted from https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/770089303 . Revenue and expenses for fiscal year 2024 Total revenue $ 2,043,377Total expenses $ 2,154,969Revenue – Expenses - $ 111,592 The largest expenditures in decreasing order for the fiscal year ending in 2024 Utilities $ 235,678Equipment costs $ 233,954Compensation for the executive director, Linda Jensen.(According to the tax returns, she works an average of 35 hours per week.)$ 215,481 Building costs $ 203,867 From:upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org To:Council, City Subject:March 2025 Book Sale - Friends of the Palo Alto Library Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 9:25:46 PM BOOK SALE NEWSLETTERTHIS WEEKEND ATCUBBERLEY Visit our web site CUBBERLEY USED BOOK SALES Saturday March 8Main Room 11am - 4pmBargain Room 9:30am - 4pmChildren's Room 10am - 4pmPopup Music Sale 10am - 3pm(outside Main Room) Sunday March 9 All Rooms 11am - 4pm FEATURED IN MARCH Science Fiction Gardening Health 4000 Middlefield Road Palo AltoNE corner of the CubberleyCommunity Center (650) 213-8755 www.fopal.org Maps and DirectionsMore information on the salesDonate your used books, DVDs, &c ALL NET PROCEEDS GO TO HELP PALOALTO LIBRARIES Main Room In our Main Room, prices are way below what used book stores charge.Hardcover books start at $3 andsoftcover books start at only $2. No numbered tickets this month! Please note that due to crowding during the first two hours of the Book Sale, no strollers, rolling carts, etc. can be brought into the Main Room. This is for the safety of shoppers and volunteers alike. By 12:30 or so, the crowd thins out and shoppers are welcome to bring these items into the sale. Children's Book Sale The Children's Room is located in theportable next to the soccer field nearGreendell School. It is entirely filledwith children's books and toys. You'llfind picture books, school age fictionand non-fiction, fiction for teens, awardwinners, non-English titles, CDs andDVDs, and books for parents andteachers, many for 50 cents or $1.Strollers are welcome in the Children'sRoom at any time. Bargain Books in H-2 The Bargain Room is located in Rooms H-2 and H-3 of the Cubberley maincampus, between our Main Room andMiddlefield Road. On Saturday,paperbacks are $1, hardcovers are $2,and children's books are 50 cents each.The room also contains many records,CDs, and DVDs at $1 each. On Sunday,the room opens at 11 am and all pricesare half off. Or, save even more onSunday by buying green FOPAL reusablebags from us for $4/ea (or bring yourown grocery-size reusable bag) andstuffing them with any items in theroom for $5/bag. Fill four bags at $5/bag and fill a fifth bag FREE! Library News March is Women's History Month and the Library have a list of ways for you to celebrate. The Spring Equinox is time for Nowruz and the Library have a list of ways for you to celebrate that too. You could find out about these sorts of things in a slightly more timely manner by subscribing to the Library's mailing list. Like us, they send one or two messages per month, more usually one. You can find out about other things they want you to know from the Palo Alto City Library Blogs page. Or you can subscribe to them with an RSS reader. Another thing that has been brought to our attention by the Library is that National Library Week is April 6-12 and the San Francisco Giants are having a Library Night game on April7. Tickets may be purchased via this link with $5 of each purchase to benefit the Palo AltoCity Library. -Frank McConnell Terrain Changes at Cubberley Community Center Our Main Room is again somewhat divided from the adjacent parking lot by barricades. This has been done to provide a pedestrian and bicycle path for (among others) students at the schools hosted at Cubberley Community Center and facilities located adjacent to it. It doesn't block parking or access but does block vehicle access from the Main Room's adjacent parking lot to the larger parking lot behind the campus. It does make a pedestrian and bike-safe path between our Main Room and Children's Room, though. However, these barricades are temporary, and are really intended to provide a path while another path is closed so that plumbing can be completed for public restrooms for the people who use the play fields out back. More information is available at the City's web site. Also temporary, but longer term, there is a plan to put a temporary fire station in the Main Room's adjacent parking lot, and we have been told that work in the parking lot is to begin on March 10. That temporary fire station is expected to be in place for 24 months. More information on the fire station replacement project is available at the City's web site. -Frank McConnell Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday A(nother) reminder that Daylight Saving Time begins between our Saturday and Sunday sales. Set your clocks forward an hour Saturday night. -Frank McConnell FOPAL Sunday Sale New Hours in April We plan to reduce sale hours on Sunday starting in April. The sale opening time will change to 1PM and closing will remain at 4PM. -The Friends of the Palo Alto Library Poetry March is windy, March is wild, Hurries like an eager child. So hurry into Poetry; Discover what there is to see. Think you just don't give a spit, man? Learn about the poet Whitman. Or find a classic that may please Like Ovid's Metamorphoses. Then eagerly, just like a child, You will find your mind beguiled. https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html -Mandy MacCalla Home & Crafts Is there a wedding coming up in your family? You'll find Mother of the Bride and The Best Man's Handbook on our Home book shelves. For that rehearsal dinner and weddingreception try: Jane Austen's Good Manners and How to Be A Gentleman. In Fashion, newthis month is Ethnic Dress: A Comprehensive Guide to the Folk Costume of the World byFrance Kennett. In home decorating we feature two important volumes: Billy BaldwinDecorates and Billy Baldwin Remembers. Are you getting ready for spring cleaning? Lookfor Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living and The Home Edit:A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals. If you're rebuilding, we haveRecreating the American Home: The Passive House Approach by Mary James. You'll alsofind various home styles, from beach houses to alpine interiors, as well as kitchen and bathconcepts. This March in Floral Arts look for: The Art of Floral Arranging: Learning from the Master Florists at Flower School New York. There's also the Wreath Recipe Book: Year-Round Wreaths, Swags, and other Decorations to Make with Seasonal Branches. This month "Erin Go Bragh" in the Crafts section; discover your Irish roots with Tracing Your Irish Family History by Anthony Adolph. If you're handy with paper try Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper by Michael G. LaFosse. Get your craft on with Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women. For that artistic look you'll find several beautiful books on Metal Clay Jewelry. Fabric Arts offers sewing guides, as well new quilting, knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint resources. Shelf photos can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Antiques & Collections We range the gamut of Antiques in March from The Au Hang Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles to the Collector's Encyclopedia of Russel Wright ceramic dinnerware. There are two volumes of dollhouse collectibles: Hanne Büktas's Echoes of Remembered Rooms and Moritz Gottschalk's Dollhouses, Doll Rooms, Kitchens, Stores, and Furniture. Other miniatures include Toy Boats: 1870-1955, A Pictorial History by Jacques Milet and Robert Forbes. Find titles on coins and stamps, furniture and rugs, and other resources for your collecting reference. Shelf photo can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Children's Room Holidays we feature this month: Purim (March 13-14), St. Patrick's Day (March 17), April Fool's Day (April 1, of course), and Passover (April 12-19). You'll find books for these holidays in several locations in our room. The World Languages section received beaucoup de livres en français this month, includingsome very cool graphic novels for teens. If you are (or have) someone who speaks or islearning French, check them out. Also, look on the cart in front of the Asian Languagesshelves for a large donation of books in Japanese, and on the Chinese shelves for manynice sets of books. It's another Elephant and Piggie bonanza this month in Beginning Readers--Mo Willems books galore, many like new and priced to sell. And plenty of books for the earliest readers, along with easy biographies, science, and history books. "Brand new" applies to many of the items in our Activity section. There you'll find several shrink-wrapped games and toys, including two Lego books complete with their mini- figures. If you're buying for a budding architect, look for two bins of wooden blocks in various sizes and shapes, and a Capsela set for the tinkerer. We have loads of puzzle books as well as books for gamers. And as always, a full and inviting selection of graphic novels. Once again, School-age Fiction features several lovely illustrated classics: Treasury of Children's Literature, Treasury of Children's Poetry, The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth, The Odyssey, and Lion of Oz. Look on the Award Winners shelves for Brian Selznick's beautifully illustrated books: The Marvels, Wonderstruck, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret. We also have Roald Dahl's collection of Vile Verses, sure to make anyone a poetry fan. If you're seeking gift-quality book sets, there's a complete set of Ramona: The First Five, by Beverly Cleary (in Award Winners). And in Early Chapter Books we have Magic Treehouse (the first 28) and a set of 10 Goosebumps, still in shrink wrap. Finally, look in the Teen section for a hardback collection of The Red Queen series, by Victoria Aveyard. -Carolyn Davidson Children's Vintage The children's vintage section seems especially full this month. Some of the highlights include a robust collection of series books (including less well-known ones like GraceHarlowe, The Young Engineers, Dave Darrin (in dust jackets!) and Cherry Ames); a 5-volume Louisa May Alcott collection (Little Women, Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloomand An Old-Fashioned Girl); a 3-volume Robert L. Stevenson set (The New Arabian Nights,Familiar Studies/Merry Men and Master of Ballantrae) and an 8-volume Book of Life(stories from the Old Testament). Also offered is a very nice picture book (Cabbages andKings) signed by the author, a 4-volume Disney compendium in a boxed set, and manyvintage children's records (both 45s and LPs). A few odds and ends wrap up our part of thesale. Shelf pictures are available at fopalbooks.com. The children's vintage section is located in a cozy nook in the left hand corner of the children's portable. Books are initially priced at 50% of the lowest comparable online price and then marked down by an additional 50% for another two months. What an affordable way to add to your collection! Even more children's vintage books can be found at our eBay store https://www.ebay.com/str/friendsofthepaloaltolibrary -Lisa Heitman Judaica Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion and culture including editions of the Torah and other basic texts, Kabbalah, Jewish history, the Holocaust, memoirs, Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects. Special interest this month - Jerusalem: The Illustrated History of the Holy City Israel by Noa Tishby Growing up Below Sea Level - A Kibbutz Childhood American Heritage Haggadah - The Passover Freedom Experience Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams A Bride for One Night - Talmud Tales Most fiction with Jewish themes will be found in Modern Literature/Classics or Current Fiction. Books entirely in Hebrew are shelved in the European Languages section. Shelf photos at https://fopalbooks.com/judaica.html -Charlotte Epstein, Judaica Section Manager Sociology/Anthropology In March, the Sociology/Anthropology section offers 414 books. Among them, there are such classics as The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon, whom Angela Davis once called "This century's most compelling theorist of racism and colonialism." Another critical study of modern society is the book by C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite. Although the Internet provides a few short videos, like this one, that offer a concise explanation of Mills's theory, the book is worth reading for the depth of Mills's observations and analysis. Finally, I want to highlight another book that examines a specific aspect of society: the consumption of wealth, titled The Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen. In 2022, the BBC recorded an insightful discussion about the book. -Natalia Koulinka Genealogy Explore your family roots with our special selection of genealogy books. This section will be featured on the shelf to the right of our popular science section, right near the entrance.These books will be of particular interest those with family origins in colonial New England. -Wy Ais History "Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it" This month FoPAL received a large donation of books on mid-20th century Germany, including a very nice copy of the 50th anniversary edition of the classic Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. In lighter reading, there is a new selection of books on regional histories, including one about the Florida real estate boom of the early 1900s. There is also a small selection of old books, including an 1871 account of the Chicago fire: not in great shape, but it does promise to include "all the great fires of the world". -Lin McAllister SF/F & Comics The Science Fiction and Fantasy shelves are packed with new arrivals from the flood of donations we've been getting. This month's installment of Ace Doubles is the D series (35 cent cover) from the 1950s and early '60s. Other standouts are deluxe editions of Dune and The Handmaid's Tale, and more Niel Hancock than I knew existed. In Comics, a bunch of new arrivals in Manga. Shelf pictures at fopalbooks.com. -Rich McAllister Donations We accept donations on Monday through Saturday from 3-5 pm in the Main Room. But we close to donations in the week before the sale so that we can prepare the Main Room for the sale, which means that we are closed for donations from Sunday March 2 through Sunday March 9. Please hold your donations until Monday March 10. Please read our donation guidelines before you bring materials to us. Suggestions? We're always eager to hear your suggestions for ways to improve our book sale. Please email us at suggestions@friendspaloaltolib.org. This notice comes to you from the non-profit organization Friends of the Palo Alto Library. No trees werefelled in the making of this e-mail. Visit our web site. Become a member by joining online. Be sure to receive your own free copy of this e-mail notice so that you'll know about all special upcomingbooks sales. To sign up, just e-mail us. We carefully protect the privacy of your e-mail address. We will notshare your e-mail address with any other organization and we will not use it for any purpose other than tosend you these notices. If you do not wish to receive these e-mail notices in the future, please reply withthe words "Remove Me" in the first line of the text. From:biancadejong forestspaboutique.com To:Council, City Cc:roxy@roxyrapp.com Subject:Ramona Street development Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 6:50:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members or the Palo Alto City Council, Today, my landlord, Roxy Rap, requested I email the city council regarding the streetdevelopment on Ramona Street. As a retailer and personal service provider, part of attracting new customers comes from our street presence. For the past years, our beautiful Ramona Street has looked like an absoluteconstruction zone, especially right in front of our location. Even though we do not agree with the current “construction zone look,” Forest Spa Boutique has embraced outdoor dining.We’ve only experienced a positive impact on our business. Forest Spa Boutique attracts new clients online and through our street presence. Foot traffic represents potential customers who are actively engaged with our retail business. They readour A-frame, scout out our window, and decide right there and then if they like to enter our premises. Drive-by traffic is passive; you can only hope you left enough visual impressions forthem to get into action later. With this said Forest Spa Boutique definitely prefers higher numbers of active foot traffic than drive-by traffic. I feel Roxy Rapp’s street design gives us everything we need. The beautifully designedsidewalks are wide enough to dine safely without obstructing the pedestrian flow we so much rely on. It also allows immediate safety access for emergency response. Above all, it willexpose all the nostalgic Hispanic atmosphere Ramona Street has to offer since the closed-off street section will be so much more openly exposed. As a business owner, I am concerned about how efficiently the city will execute a plan likethis. Construction and barricaded sidewalks will be a huge nuisance for all business owners on Ramona Street. It will be key to execute any plan fast, without delay, and with as littledisturbance as possible. I’ll be happy to corroborate more during the next upcoming meeting. Thank you! Bianca de Jong Owner Forest Spa Boutique530 Ramona Street # B Palo Alto CA 94301(408)759-0576 www.forestspaboutique.com Sent from my iPhone From:City Mgr To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Executive Leadership Team; City Mgr; Clerk, City Subject:City Council Bundle - March 7 Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 5:22:41 PM Attachments:FW Lack of bike racks on ECR.msgRE Anton Patisserie Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony @ Stanford Shopping Center.msgRe Correcting the Record Re Former (SLAC) Fire Station 7.msgRE City of Palo Alto can fix this problem and Staff need to get together for a solution.msgimage001.pngimage002.pngRE Speak at meeting Monday March 10.msgRE Stop sign needed on the corner of Channing and Emerson streets.msgMeet the Mayor.msg Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please see the attached staff responses to emails received in the City.Council inbox through March 7, 2025. Thank you, Danille Danille RiceAdministrative AssistantCity Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org From:Andrea Wald To:Council, City Subject:agenda item #10 - March 17th City Council Meeting Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 4:27:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, As a follow up to my email from yesterday I am sending some additional material/thoughts forconsideration – if it is decided to approve the contract with Lloyd Consulting – which I seefrom the recently released documents has gone down to $160,825 – still a large amount. Please see my comments that pertain to specific sections in the contract. I believe thecontract should have some more comprehensive requirements/wording: 3. Playability: should look at future weather patterns (extreme heat) to understand how fields might need to be shut more often due to dangerous conditions. 4. Maintenance Costs: should actually include a 20-30 year cost comparison between the twodifferent surfaces, as synthetic turf will need to be replaced every 8-10 years whereby grass can anddoes last much longer so long as its maintained well. It should not need full field replacement. Andas laws are enacted regarding the chemicals in synthetic turf and disposal options/costs – the costscould be much higher than whatever is projected currently. 5. Health Hazards: For natural grass – if managed organically there is no risk from fertilizers and pesticides. 6. Cost Conversion: why deal with converting an AT field back to grass after only 5 years? As nastyas this stuff is, it should not be dealt with until its useful end of life – which could be 8-10 years. Ofcourse it should be well maintained until then, including consistent GMAX testing. 7. Environmental Impact: For synthetic turf – what about the environmental impact of water runoff that contains toxicchemicals and the microplastics that will definitely be shedding from the field and ending up inwaterways? What about carbon footprint relating to the off-gassing from the plastic – including methane? Synthetic turf surfaces need to be cleaned – what about chemicals that are used and the amount ofwater? They also need to be watered to cool them off when the temps make it unsafe to use them. What about loss of biodiversity and the effect on our ecosystems (as listed under the natural grass section) as everything under the fields will be “dead”. As for reuse and recycling – newer products that might be produced through recycling would stillcontain hazardous chemicals and often times are of lesser quality than the original product, andreuse of old materials still means that eventually it will need to be disposed of. For natural grass – recycled water can be used and should be considered. NOT APPLICABLE FOR SYNTHETIC FIELDS – ruins them. And if managed organically there is no need for pesticides. Some Additional thoughts/notes: Maybe include cost comparison for equipment needed to maintain the synthetic fields. Andconsider looking at electric mowers for grass fields. They even have “robotic” ones. Same goes forequipment to do the line painting on grass fields. Lastly – I’m curious to know how the staff plans to engage with the community to get their input/feedback. They did this for Boulware Park but community members were misled in the factthat artificial turf was decided upon without them being fully advised or questioned on thisparticular surface. And from communications I’ve seen, it seems obvious that the city has nointention of ripping it out now – even though many residents, especially those who live closest tothis park and had planned on using it with their kids and grandkids are outraged. There is a lot moretransparency needed for future decisions on parks and playgrounds in Palo Alto. I appreciate your taking the time to read and consider my input. Andrea Wald Co-Founder of Community for Natural Play Surfaces From:Tiffany Martin To:Council, City Subject:Meet the Mayor Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 3:06:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I'm a 3rd grade teacher in Palo Alto. Last year my colleague and I arranged a field trip for ourclasses to visit City Hall to meet the mayor and fire dept. We were trying to find a contact person that could help us arrange a field trip. Sincerely,Tiffany Martin 3rd Grade Teacher Escondido Elementary School This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Respicio, Maryknol To:Lauing, Ed; Council, City Cc:City Mgr; Lait, Jonathan; City Attorney; Lanferman, David; Leggio, Erik Subject:City Council Special Meeting - March 10, 2025 - Agenda Item #7 / Comments and Objections to ThreatenedPermanent Street Closures Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 12:01:23 PM Attachments:image001.png2025 0307 Letter to Mayor and City Council re City Council 3-10-25 Meeting.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: Attached please find a letter from David Lanferman regarding the above matter. Please let Mr. Lanferman know if you have any questions or comments. Thank you. Maryknol RespicioAssistant to David P. Lanferman Five Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Ste. 200 | Palo Alto, CA 94306 O. (650) 320-1500 | D. (650) 320-1500 x7723 mrespicio@rutan.com | www.rutan.com _____________________________________________________ Privileged And Confidential Communication. This electronic transmission, and any documents attached hereto, (a) are protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 USC §§ 2510-2521), (b) may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information, and (c) are for the sole use of the intended recipient named above. If you have received this electronic message in error, please notify the sender and delete the electronic message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of the information received in error is strictly prohibited. David P. Lanferman Direct Dial: (650) 320-1507 E-mail: dlanferman@rutan.com March 7, 2025 Rutan & Tucker, LLP | Five Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Suite 200 Palo Alto, CA 94306-9814 | 650-320-1500 | Fax 650-320-9905 Orange County | Palo Alto | San Francisco | Scottsdale | www.rutan.com 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 VIA E-MAIL Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org City.Council@cityofpaloalto.org Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council CITY OF PALO ALTO 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Re: City Council Special Meeting – March 10, 2025 – Agenda Item #7 Comments and Objections to Threatened Permanent Street Closures Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: On behalf of a coalition of concerned citizens, property owners, merchants, and residents, we respectfully object to the proposal that the City Council take actions to permanently close portions (or additional portions) of the public streets known as California Avenue and Ramona Street. There are many reasons for objecting to the proposed actions under this Agenda Item – particularly with regard to Ramona Street, e.g., preservation of the nationally-recognized unique historic and architectural features of Ramona Street, restoring public safety and accessibility to vital services and emergency vehicles, removing blockage of private driveways (including driveway access to a large underground garage below 250 University), and revival of economic and retail vitality. This letter, however, is focused on two critical legal requirements under California law that preclude the Council from approving the proposed actions – at least without further public engagement and analysis: (i) the California Vehicle Code and (ii) CEQA. As the California Supreme Court explained in a similar case years ago: “The streets of a city belong to the people of the state, and every citizen of the state has a right to the use thereof, subject to legislative control . . . . The right of control over street traffic is an exercise of a part of the sovereign power of the state . . . . ‘The use of highways for purposes of travel and transportation is not a mere privilege, but a common and fundamental right, of which the public and individuals cannot rightfully be deprived . . . [All] persons have an equal right to use them for purposes of travel by proper means, and with due regard for the corresponding rights of others.’” (Rumford v. City of Berkeley (1982) 31 Cal.3d 554, 550 [rejecting Berkeley’s attempts to install bollards to block portions of public streets, in violation of the limits on street closures established by the Legislature in the Vehicle Code] [emphasis by the Court].) Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2025 Page 2 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 The threatened permanent closure of Ramona Street between University Avenue and Hamilton, is of particular concern. That area includes the historically-important portions of the “Ramona Street Architectural District” that have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as well the City’s own Historic Registry. The coalition for preservation of Ramona Street includes people and businesses who seek to preserve the irreplaceable historic and architectural character of Ramona Street and its economic and cultural urban vitality. According to the posted Agenda, the proposed actions would entail (1) amendments to the City’s Comprehensive (General) Plan to “re-classify” portions of Ramona Street and California Avenue as “car-free streets,” and “closing those streets to vehicular traffic;” and (2) adopting an Ordinance empowering the City Manager to “create regulations” for the use of those streets. Both of those proposed actions are subject to objection on numerous grounds, two of which are summarized below. The City Council may not lawfully “delegate” its limited legislative authority over public streets to unelected staff in the absence clear and objective standards and criteria. The proposed closures are not only in derogation of controlling State law, but are also inconsistent with the City’s land use plans and policies, and insensitive to the rights and interests of the impacted communities. 1. Failure to Comply With the California Vehicle Code As the Supreme Court has made clear, “the streets of a city belong to the people of the state ...” and “a city’s police powers do not extend to control of vehicular traffic on its streets; that field has been preempted.” (Rumford, supra, p. 553.) The Legislature has therefore limited the authority of cities – even charter cities – to close public streets. The City is only authorized to permanently close a street or highway when the city council makes findings, supported by substantial evidence, that the street “is no longer needed for vehicular traffic.” (Vehicle Code § 21101, subd. (a).) The City has failed to do so. And nothing on the Agenda indicates that the Council expects to comply with this requirement of State law before it acts to permanently close Ramona Street. Not only would the proposed Council actions procedurally violate the Vehicle Code, but there is no substantial evidence that would support such a finding. The record indicates that back in June 2020, in response to the then-prevalent Covid-19 pandemic, the City adopted an “interim urgency measure” to temporarily close California Avenue and portions of University Avenue, and to allow outdoor dining and retail in those areas.1 The City 1 Council Resolution No. 9902 (June 23, 2020), Sec. 3: Additional Closures. “The City Manager is authorized in his or her capacity as the Director of Emergency Services to extend the University Avenue closure to temporarily close the streets intersecting University Avenue in the Downtown area, from Emerson Street to Cowper Street, by issuance of an order, rule or regulation if the City Manager finds it is reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2025 Page 3 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 then invoked the “public health” emergency, and cited subdivision (e) of Vehicle Code § 21101, which allows a city to approve “[t]emporarily closing a portion of any street for celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when, in the opinion of local authorities ... the closing is necessary for the safety and protection of persons who are to use that portion of the street during the temporary closing.” (Emphasis added.) Although the City subsequently took actions to periodically “extend” the “temporary” closures that had begun in 2020, at no time did the City ever take legal action purporting to determine that Ramona Street was “no longer needed for vehicular traffic” – as is required by State law in order to justify the threatened permanent or long-term closure of Ramona Street. The City Council may not lawfully approve a permanent street closure without first making an evidence-based finding that the street is “no longer needed for vehicular traffic” as required by Vehicle Code § 21101 (a). [A] city is not expressly authorized to close a street for any purpose other than that it is unnecessary for present or future uses as a street. (Citizens Against Gated Enclaves v. Whitley Heights Civic Assn. (1994) 23 Cal.App.4th 812, 821 ....) “What the City cannot do is wave the magic wand and declare a public street not to be a public street.” (Zacks v. City of Sausalito (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 1163, 1184 [holding that property owner could pursue claims against the city for improperly acting to close a street without complying with the Vehicle Code].) Not only does the newly-threatened permanent closure of Ramona Street violate California law, but the City’s past actions purporting to extend a temporary closure for nearly five (5) years also exceeded and violated the statutory limits on the City’s authority. For example, even though the City “re-opened” University Avenue in October 2021, the City improperly continued to extend the “temporary closure” of Ramona Street – long after the City of Council had rescinded its declaration of local health emergency on July 1, 2021. Even though that health crisis had been the only proffered excuse for the “temporary” closure of Ramona, on September 13, 2021, the Council voted to extend the street closures of portions of California Avenue and Ramona Street – to allow for the continued use of these streets for outdoor dining and other activities as may be allowed. The Council voted on each street separately and Resolution No. 9988 extended the temporary closure of Ramona Street only; a separate resolution (No. 9987) extended the closure of California Avenue. At the same meeting, the Council directed the City Manager to open the portion of University Avenue which was closed by Resolution No. 9909 – which should have automatically ended the “temporary” closure of Ramona pursuant to Resolution No. 9909. The Court of Appeal recently made clear that the Vehicle Code “permits local authorities to close portions of streets only for a relatively short period of time, assuming there has been a the Local Emergency. These side street closures shall only extend for one block from University Avenue, between University Avenue and Lytton Avenue to the north and between University Avenue and Hamilton Avenue to the south, and shall be in effect no longer than the period of the University Avenue closure.” (Emphasis added.) Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2025 Page 4 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 determination that the closure is necessary to safeguard and protect persons using the street during the temporary closing. It does not authorize local authorities to close streets to vehicular traffic for whatever nonpermanent duration of time they desire.” (Comm. to Relocate Marilyn v. City of Palm Springs (2023) 88 Cal.App.4th 607, 628 [holding that the City exceeded its authority and acted unlawfully by attempting to close a public street for a period of three (3) years].) The City’s imposition of prolonged temporary closures on Ramona Street, for more than four years, have exceeded the City’s limited authority to “temporarily” close streets under Veh. Code § 21101(e). The City should not, and cannot legally, continue to put the Ramona Street community in “limbo.” The Council should take no action on the proposed Agenda items – unless and until the Council and the public are provided with substantial evidence that persuasively demonstrates the street “is no longer needed for vehicular use” -- as mandated by California law. 2. Violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) It would be a violation of CEQA for the City Council to take action on these Agenda items on the basis of the proposed “Addendum” to the EIR prepared in connection with the City’s adoption of the Comprehensive Plan (2030). That Plan and its “program-level” EIR were adopted back in November 2017 – more than seven (7) years ago – and the old EIR has become outdated and in many respects, no longer relevant to currently-existing conditions and environmental issues. The old “program-level” 2017 EIR does not provide the necessary detailed analysis of the impacts of the new proposed actions, which are essentially “project level” actions targeted at specific street segments. (CEQA Guidelines, 14 Cal. Code of Regs. § 15146.) A new project-level activity cannot be approved based on an older program EIR “if its impacts were not evaluated in the [program] EIR.” (Sierra Club v. County of San Diego (2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 1152, 1164; Sierra Club v. County of Sonoma (1992) 6 Cal.App.4th 1307, 1321.) In the years since 2017, many things have changed in Palo Alto, making reliance on the Comprehensive Plan EIR unsustainable. One of those post-2017 changes to the project area is the Covid pandemic, and the City’s decision to impose a “temporary” closure of Ramona Street for public health reasons. There have been many other changes to Downtown Palo Alto since 2017. E.g., Council’s adoption of a new Housing Element; Council’s recent actions to convert parking lots to new and dense multi-family housing, and Council’s decision in 2019 to stop work on the new Downtown Parking Garage. The Addendum is also fatally-flawed at the outset by failing to consider the relevant “baseline” conditions. The Addendum wrongly assumes that the conditions on Ramona, under the unlawfully prolonged “temporary” closure is the applicable baseline, rather than the conditions that existed prior to the closure resolution in 2020 or as they existed back in November 2017. The ensuing blockage of the street and the installation of barriers to obstruct vehicular access is another significant change in the relevant pre-2020 baseline condition. Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2025 Page 5 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 While reliance on an Addendum might be appropriate in some limited circumstances, that is not the case here. The CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code of Regs. §15164) specify that “[a]n addendum to an adopted negative declaration may be prepared if only minor technical changes or additions are necessary or none of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent EIR or negative declaration have occurred.” (Emph. added.) The 2017 EIR obviously did not consider the notion of converting key “collector streets” such as Ramona or California into “car-free streets” and permanently closing them to through vehicular traffic, much less provide the necessary analysis of those significant changes to the Comprehensive Plan or their likely impacts. Such impacts include impairing and tarnishing the aesthetics and visual context of the historic architecture in the corridor – the Monterey Colonial and Spanish Colonial Revival-style buildings were constructed in the 1920’s and were designed around a street that was intended and built to serve automobile travel and access. The Addendum wrongly asserts (p. 32), without evidentiary support, that the Project will not change the context of the historic resources in the Ramona Street Architectural District,” and fails to provide any alternatives or project-specific mitigation measures. Other impacts include impairment of air quality, cultural resources, geology, and soils. The Addendum (pp 26-28) admits that “the project” will cause air quality impacts during construction and that the long-term operational impacts of the project will also impact vehicular emissions. It wrongly dismisses those long term impacts without analysis by asserting (p. 28) that there will not be any additional GHG or air quality impacts “since the project is focused on pedestrian/bicycle improvements.” However, as the Addendum itself admits, inconsistently, the proposed closure of Ramona “will accommodate pedestrians only” and that “no mounted bicycles will be permitted.” The street closure actions will create other unstudied impacts, e.g., circulation, land uses, noise, and public services [impaired accessibility for emergency and fire services]. We are informed that the leadership of the Fire Department has expressed concerns about the proposed blockage of access and limited room for maneuver resulting from the closure. It is doubtful that the City would approve private development of such a narrow (16’ wide) ‘fire lane’ in a high-density, multi-story, area with no turn-around capacity. “Car-free streets” is a concept that was not even mentioned in the 2017 Plan – and thus why the City now needs to try to amend the Comprehensive Plan to introduce that concept. The impacts of the proposed amendments to the Plan – introducing two new categories of street types, and permanently closing a street that the Circulation Element identifies as a significant collector street, were not identified or studied in the 2017 EIR. These changes are not “minor” or “technical.” The 2017 EIR could not, and did not, analyze the current proposal, or the impacts of such street closures, nor any ‘alternatives’ to the closures, nor attempt to provide relevant and effective “mitigation measures” for the impacts of permanent street closures as is required under CEQA. (P.R.C. § 21080.5; Guidelines § 15252; Friends, Artists & Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough v. Cal. Coastal Comm. (2021) 72 Cal.App.5th 666, 701 [setting aside Commission’s action because its addendum failed to contain “a complete analysis of mitigation measures or alternatives”].) Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2025 Page 6 2382/099999-0084 21896633.2 a03/07/25 Agencies are instructed to prepare an addendum only for minor technical changes or additions to a project that “‘do not raise important new issues about the significant effects on the environment.’ (Ventura Foothill Neighbors v. County of Ventura (2014) 232 Cal.App.4th 429, 435.)” (OBC Business Owners v. City of Irvine (2023) 88 Cal.App.5th 100, 121 [holding that the City erroneously relied on an addendum to a program EIR because there was insufficient evidence that the new project’s emissions would be consistent with the prior program EIR].) There is simply no substantial evidence in this record supporting the consultant’s conclusory assertion in the Addendum (p. 2) that “the City of Palo Alto [sic] has determined that the proposed changes to the previously approved (2017) Comprehensive plan EIR will not result in potentially- significant impacts that were not previously identified or analyzed ....” The Addendum’s “check the box” findings of ‘no significance’ at Table 4.1 are not supported by any evidence. If the City persists in pursuing these misguided and counter-productive street closures, a new or supplemental EIR is required – in addition to Vehicle Code compliance. Conclusion Based solely on the foregoing legal failings in the proposed actions, the Council should reject the proposed actions. The City failed to conduct reasonable or adequate outreach to the impacted community. Had it done so, the City would have learned that a large majority of the property owners on the impacted section of Ramona Street are strongly opposed to this proposal. We respectfully request that the Council reject the Agenda items, or at a minimum defer any immediate action and direct Staff to address the Vehicle Code requirements and provide the necessary environmental analysis for the proposed actions. Thank you for your consideration of these comments and concerns. Very truly yours, RUTAN & TUCKER, LLP David P. Lanferman DPL:mtr cc: Ed Shikada, City Manager (CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org) Jonathan Lait, Director of Planning and Community Development (Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org) Molly Stump, City Attorney (city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org) From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:March 10 Consent Item 5: Delayed San Antonio Road Area Planning Process and Bridging A Worrisome Policy Gap Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 11:57:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council Members, The San Antonio Area Planning process that City Council has on Consent next week is a three- year contract. This raises questions and concerns. The Safe System for All (SS4A) Action Plan informs the BPTP Update. The BPTP Update is supposed to be completed April 2025. So far, the SS4A and BPTP draft documents appear to be mostly silent on recommendations regarding San Antonio Road and its crossings. Understandable, however… As I understand it, the San Antonio Area Plan, once approved, will be integrated into the Comprehensive Plan. However, that cannot happen for at least three years (term of the consultant contract council is set to approve), maybe longer. Nonetheless, multiple large projects already have been built on San Antonio, others approved, and more are in the pipeline moving toward approval. It seems to me, we will have a three-year, possibly longer, period when the San Antonio Area development pipeline will be very active with high density projects. Am I correct in thinking the city will have no policy in place to guide decision-making for those projects during that time? Questions: 1. What policy guidelines will the city follow during the 3-year interim period while the city is working on the Area Plan? 2. Planning & Development Services Director Jonathan Lait has said “the city is asking developers” to preserve ROW for future bike lanes on San Antonio, but what force of policy is behind that ask? So far, four large projects have been approved and/or built with no ROW preserved that I see, creating ROW gaps that will make installation of continuous bike lanes difficult. Can staff point me to something that will help me understand what is in place for this interim period to ensure we will have ROW to do what’s needed on San Antonio for foot-powered people when the Area Plan is finally completed and approved? 3. A thought: Might the Area Planning process be rolled out in phases with transportation recommendations for San Antonio and its major intersections laid out earlier as a Phase 1 transportation plan (for instance), possibly in time to be incorporated in the BPTP? The city might also do this for general open space requirements for this intensively upzoned area. Phasing Area Planning (as was done with the city’s South of Forest Area Plan years ago) could enable timely decision-making to ensure policy is in place to require preservation of space and ROW for these important elements without delaying development. 4. If phasing Area Planning cannot be the solution, what language needs to be in the BPTP and SS4A Action Plan to ensure that provisional guidance for bikeways, pedestrians, and parks are advanced sooner to ensure a future San Antonio Area Plan can be fully realized, despite the 3-year misalignment of development decision-making and the horribly delayed Area Planning process? Two 5-story hotels totaling 294 rooms already have been approved and built in the middle of the San Antonio Road planning area. A 5-story mixed use housing project with 76 units and a 4- story project with 104 units also have been approved, but not yet built. The first two of these moved forward without ROW preserved for bike lanes (EIR for these projects determined sharrows were “sufficient.”) I haven’t checked the other projects yet. More are in the pipeline. Staff says the city is preserving ROW for bike lanes. Where can the public find documentation of this so that agreements are not lost going forward with staff and Council transitions? How is staff thinking they will plan to create continuous bike lanes and transit stops along the San Antonio corridor with existing gaps in available ROW? I asked Sylvia Star-Lack about gaps in the preserved ROW at VTA’s recent 101/San Antonio Interchange community meeting. She said the city may have to use the median island to capture ROW. One of these projects is at an intersection on this six/seven lane arterial truck route. The median islands need to be widened for pedestrian crossing refuge, not narrowed. How can we plan to avoid problems a 3+ year policy gap may create in this transformational period as we wait for an Area Plan? Thank you for all you do and for considering my comments. Sincerely, Penny Ellson speaking as an individual, as I have not had opportunity to raise this with PABAC Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Josie Stijepovic Subject:Cost-Effective Risk Management for Small California Cities and Towns Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 10:57:35 AM Attachments:Disc Cities.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Good Afternoon, I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to bring to your attention that your city’s websitemay be missing essential risk management information. Without a dedicated risk manager, these vital details might have inadvertently slipped through the cracks. 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From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:Please hire 20 t0 30 firefighters and buy new engines Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 10:39:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members: Palo Alto is wantonly in need of an increase in firefighter positions: We need ten fire fighters to man a HAZMAT unit. We used to have a HAZMAT unit! Responsible fire agencies from wealthy communities do. We need ten firefighters to man Fire Station 4. We must have this funded by June. Thisis nonnegotiable. This is the hill we die on. We need the staffing at Fire Station 8 in the hills addressed. The county demands it; pleasesee the LAFCO report. The hills are host to homes, hikers, and endangered species. Shame on Palo Alto for neglecting the people there, the homes there, the treasured flora andfauna there. We need to begin the replacement of our aging fire engines which are 17 years old orolder, with 100,000 miles on some of them. The age of other apparatus needs to be addressed, or the lack of apparatus altogether. When has reasonable funding been set aside to replace aging apparatus? Where is the wise foresight on the part of the city manager to preclude a crisis of apparatus during anemergency? Palo Alto should be the leader in best practices for fire protection. Palo Alto, known forinnovation and inspiration, should be a model for the rest of California. Instead, Palo Alto, an affluent community with a projected 1 billion dollar income in 2025, is behind communitieswith less than half our resources. Shame on us! Shame on our city manager for failing to plan for the future needs of resources and manpower, for woefully failing in his responsibility tomanage public safety. Where did the revenue from the ambulance service go? Where did the 9 million dollarsfrom Measure K go? Where does the $8 a month we pay in our utility bill for ambulance service go? Why is the PAFD so strapped for funding that it runs a skeleton crewon mandatory overtime and shuts down two fire stations!? I look forward to seeing funding for 10 firefighters for Fire Station 4 in the upcomingbudget, to be voted on in June. Please speak out individually in defense of public safety. We are grateful for the recentsupport proffered by Greer Stone. CeCi Kettendorf 45 year resident of south Palo Alto3719 Grove Avenue Palo Alto, Ca. 94303650-493-0804 From:David Coale To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed; Abendschein, Jonathan; Eggleston, Brad Subject:Bike and pedestrian infrastructure needs to be at a higher priority. Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 8:11:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Mayor and Councilmembers, Here is my public input from two weeks ago as a reminder about City priorities. ------- Thanks for this opportunity to speak to you this evening. Bike and pedestrian infrastructure needs to be at a higher priority. Over the last 12 years Palo Alto has built/completed many projects: housing, fire stations, Libraries, a new public Safety building, and more. But in the same time frame, we have only completed 30% of our last bike and pedestrian plan. I know we can do better. In fact, I would like to thank the Mayor and Council member Burt for their efforts on the Ad Hoc committee to make the bike lanes on El Camino better then the initial Caltrans plans called for. I was skeptical they could do this is such a short time frame, but they did and have set a great example of what the rest of El Camino should be on the Peninsula. Palo Alto needs to be a leader again in this area. Our SCAP goals depend on it. The safety of our school children depend on it. The success of our housing build-out depends on it, along with the vitality of our downtown areas and the health of our community. There is a lot of support for this. In looking at the people that have signed on to my letter, I see the following groups: SVBC Palo Alto Carbon Free Palo Alto 350.org Palo Alto Palo Alto Forward This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Acterra Transition Palo Alto members Safe Routes to School members Bike Palo Alto School Parents And more In addition, the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan needs to also be a high priority as this is the basis for funding the bike and pedestrian transportation plan. The east-west crossing in south Palo Alto are very important as this is vital to the safety of our school children and needs to be completed before any rail crossing projects are started. This is also a real game changer for getting around Palo Alto. Thanks for your attention on addressing this issue. David Coale From:Vera Nelson To:Council, City Cc:Raybould, Claire Subject:Public Comment: 10 March 2025 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 6. Adoption of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 6:28:05 PM Attachments:Public Comment Letter Re_10 March 2025 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 6.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please see attached Public Comment Letter re: 10 March 2025 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 6. Adoption of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Vera H. Nelson, P.E. Vice President EKI Environment & Water, Inc. 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Suite 300 Daly City, California 94014 T: (650) 292-9100 | D: (650) 292-9069 Cell: (650) 533-4856 vhnelson@ekiconsult.com | www.ekiconsult.com Corporate Office 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Suite 300 Daly City, CA 94014 (650) 292-9100 ekiconsult.com Davis, CA ● Irvine, CA ● Marin, CA ● Oakland, CA Glastonbury, CT ● Dedham, MA ● Holyoke, MA ● Seattle, WA 3 March 2025 Claire Raybould, AICP Interim Manager, Current Planning Planning and Development Services Department City of Palo Alto City Hall 250 Hamilton Avenue- 5th floor Palo Alto, California 94301 Email: Claire.Raybould@cityofpaloalto.org Subject: Public Comment Letter: Regarding 10 March 2025 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 6. Adoption of Interim Urgency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Chapter 18.40.160 (Replacement Project or Discretionary Review Required) of Title 18 (Zoning) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Allow for Early demolition or Deconstruction on Contaminated Sites Dear Ms. Raybould: I have reviewed the proposed language for the Interim Urgency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Chapter 18.40.160 (Replacement Project or Discretionary Review Required) of Title 18 (Zoning) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Allow for Early demolition or Deconstruction on Contaminated Sites. I understand that it is the City’s intent to develop an ordinance that is applicable to sites being remediated to residential use standards under the oversight of different environmental regulatory agencies pursuant to approved remediation plans. As currently drafted, Section 18.40.160 (b)(2) of the draft Interim Urgency Ordinance states: 2) Sites granted an early demolition or deconstruction permit pursuant to this subdivision (c) must remediate the hazardous site conditions to the environmental screening levels compatible with residential use, according to the California State Water Resources Control Board. I strongly recommend that language of this section be modified as “environmental screening levels” that are published by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (“Water Board”) are generic screening levels that have not been have not been adopted by other environmental regulatory agencies such as the California Department of Toxic Substances Control nor are they equivalent to site cleanup levels that are approved by the Water Board on a case-by-case basis pursuant to Section 4.25.2.3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan; Regional Water Board 2017b) under approved remedial plans. The difference between generic environmental screening levels and site- specific cleanup levels is articulated in #14 of the attached FAQs sheet published by the California Water Boards (attached) which states: Ms. Raybould City of Palo Alto 3 March 2025 Page 2 of 3 14. Do the ESLs have to be used as cleanup levels? Setting cleanup levels is detailed in Section 4.25.2.3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan; Regional Water Board 2017b). Cleanup levels are approved on a case-by-case basis by the Regional Water Board. Proposed final cleanup levels are based on a discharger-developed feasibility study of cleanup alternatives that compares effectiveness, cost, time to achieve cleanup standards, and a risk assessment to determine impacts on beneficial uses, human health, and the environment. Cleanup levels must also take into account the mobility and volume of pollutants. Proposed cleanup levels can differ from the ESLs provided: (1) they are adequately supported by a site-specific risk assessment or other evaluation or, alternatively, (2) that a feasibility analysis demonstrates it is not possible to clean up to ESLs. For all sites performing human health risk assessments, an alternative with an excess cancer risk of 1 in 1,000,000 (10-6) or less must be considered. Further, environmental screening levels published by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, have not been adopted by other environmental regulatory agencies. Therefore, requiring cleanup to these Water Board derived generic screening criteria is inconsistent with the City’s intent to develop an ordinance that is applicable to sites being remediated under the oversight of different environmental regulatory agencies pursuant to approved remediation plans. I recommend that the language in the draft ordinance Section 18.40.160 (b) (2) be changed as follows: 2) Sites granted an early demolition or deconstruction permit pursuant to this subdivision (c) must remediate the hazardous site conditions to cleanup levels compatible with residential use, as approved by the applicable oversight agency, such as the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Water Resources Control Board, or County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health. The change in the language of this section of the draft Interim Urgency Ordinance should also be reflected in paragraph 4 of page 2 in the City Council Staff Report, which states the following: The proposed code amendment contains the following key criteria that sites must meet and comply with in order to utilize this code provision: • Must be on a property that is eligible for inclusion on any list of hazardous materials release sites maintained pursuant to California Government Code Section 65962.5 (as maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency); • Must remediate to environmental screening levels as set forth by the Regional Water Quality Control Board; Ms. Raybould City of Palo Alto 3 March 2025 Page 3 of 3 I recommend that this language be modified to state: The proposed code amendment contains the following key criteria that sites must meet and comply with in order to utilize this code provision: • Must be on a property that is eligible for inclusion on any list of hazardous materials release sites maintained pursuant to California Government Code Section 65962.5 (as maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency); • Must remediate to cleanup levels compatible with residential use, as approved by the applicable environmental oversight agency, such as the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Water Resources Control Board, or County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health. Please feel free to contact me if you have any follow-up questions. I can be reached at (650) 533-4856 or by e-mail at vhnelson@ekiconsult.com. Very truly yours, EKI ENVIRONMENT & WATER, INC. Vera H. Nelson, P.E. Vice President Attachments Attachment A: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Environmental Screening levels (ESLs): 2019 Update Revision 1 by the California Water Boards. Attachment A: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Environmental Screening levels (ESLs): 2019 Update Revision 1 by the California Water Boards. 2 Frequently Asked Questions: 2019 Environmental Screening Level (ESLs) CONTACT INFORMATION For Comments and Questions, Please Contact: ESL Email (ESLs.ESLs@waterboards.ca.gov) -or- Nicole Fry, PhD San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 1-951-320-6366 Prepared by: Nicole Fry, PhD, Research Scientist III, Chemical Ross Steenson, CHG, Senior Engineering Geologist Approved by: David Elias, CEG, CHG, Senior Engineering Geologist Cheryl Prowell, PE, Senior Water Resource Control Engineer Stephen Hill, Toxics Cleanup Division Chief 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Frequently Asked Questions: 2019 Environmental Screening Level (ESLs) ....................... 2 CONTACT INFORMATION ................................................................................................................... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... 3 A. GENERAL QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................. 5 1. How often are the ESLs revised? .................................................................................................. 5 2. How do I know if I have the most recent version of the ESLs? ................................................... 5 3. How can I find out about updates? ............................................................................................... 5 4. Which are the official ESL documents? ....................................................................................... 5 5. Can I get the password for the Workbook? .................................................................................. 5 B. APPLICATION OR USE QUESTIONS ...................................................................................... 6 6. What is the effective date of the ESLs? ........................................................................................ 6 7. Do the new ESLs have to be used as soon as the Workbook is posted? ....................................... 6 8. Are the ESLs applicable throughout California? .......................................................................... 6 9. Are the ESLs applicable to petroleum underground storage tank sites? ...................................... 7 10. Does the Regional Water Board re-open cases because the ESLs changed? ............................ 7 11. Can the ESLs be used to determine when spill reporting to an agency is necessary? .............. 7 12. Can the ESLs be used to determine whether import fill soil is clean? ...................................... 7 13. Can the ESLs be used to evaluate marginally contaminated soil for on-site reuse? ................. 8 14. Do the ESLs have to be used as cleanup levels? ....................................................................... 8 C. HUMAN HEALTH EXPOSURE QUESTIONS .......................................................................... 8 15. Why did the hierarchy for human health toxicity criteria change from the 2016 ESLs? .......... 8 16. Can the Tapwater ESLs be used for evaluating construction worker exposure to groundwater? 9 17. Why are the 2019 Vapor Intrusion ESLs for subslab/soil gas and groundwater lower than the 2016 ESLs? ........................................................................................................................................... 9 18. Did the ESL Team consider using VI attenuation factors based on California data? ............. 10 19. Why are the subslab ESLs the same as soil gas ESLs? Shouldn’t there be some attenuation as VOCs migrate from deeper soils? ....................................................................................................... 11 20. Why are there no Soil VI ESLs? ............................................................................................. 11 21. Can fate and transport models like the USEPA Johnson and Ettinger model be used to evaluate vapor intrusion? .................................................................................................................... 12 D. ECOTOXICITY QUESTIONS ................................................................................................... 12 22. Why are site-specific values used as aquatic habitat goals for some chemicals? ................... 12 4 E. CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ...................................................................................... 12 23. Asbestos: Is there an ESL for asbestos in soil? ....................................................................... 12 24. Arsenic: Why are risk-based ESLs for arsenic in soil published when those concentrations can be significantly lower than naturally occurring background concentrations? .............................. 13 25. Chromium: Why are there no ESLs for total chromium? ....................................................... 13 26. Nickel: Why is the construction worker ESL for direct soil exposure to nickel lower than for the resident? ........................................................................................................................................ 13 27. Petroleum Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products (HOPs): How do I analyze for this mixture? ... 14 28. Petroleum Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products (HOPs): With the new HOPs ESLs, do I have to analyze groundwater samples for extractable TPH (TPH-diesel and TPH-motor oil) both with and without silica gel cleanup? .................................................................................................................. 14 29. Petroleum Mixtures: What Carbon Ranges Should I Use When Analyzing Soil or Groundwater Samples for the Petroleum Mixtures? ........................................................................... 14 30. Tetrachloroethene (PCE): Why are the human health risk-based USEPA RSLs and ESLs for PCE different? ..................................................................................................................................... 15 References are listed in the ESL User’s Guide. ....................................................................................... 15 5 A. GENERAL QUESTIONS 1. How often are the ESLs revised? The ESLs are revised periodically to reflect changes in toxicity values, changes in our understanding of the fate and transport of contaminants, and other developments in environmental risk assessment. The revision schedule is dictated by practical considerations and limited staff resources. Major updates are published every few years, and users are notified via our electronic mailing list (see FAQ #3). Minor revisions will be made as soon as any errors in the ESL values are identified. The ESL Workbook will indicate the date of the major update and the current revision number (e.g., January 2019 - Rev. 1). The ESLs are considered “evergreen,” as they change over time to reflect the most current scientific information. We have to prioritize items for updating since we usually do not have time to address all identified issues during each update. Since the ESLs are never “final”, we use the term “interim final” to describe the major update versions of the ESLs. If you think you found an error or have suggestions for new topics or clarifications to be included in a future update, please let us know by contacting the ESL Team at ESLs.ESLs@waterboards.ca.gov. We appreciate comments from users and try to address them or incorporate them in future updates to the extent possible. 2. How do I know if I have the most recent version of the ESLs? The most recent version of the ESLs will be available on the website: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/esl.shtml. On the website under Update Process, there is an ESL status sheet file for the current (major) update with information and dates for all current minor revisions. In addition, the version information is listed on each table of the ESL Workbook. 3. How can I find out about updates? If you would like to be notified when new ESL updates are available, you may subscribe to our email list on the following web page: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/reg2_subscribe.shtml Alternatively, consult the ESL status sheet on the website (see FAQ #2). 4. Which are the official ESL documents? The ESLs consist of five components: 1) Cover Memo; 2) Microsoft Excel Workbook and Summary ESL Tables (PDF); 3) User’s Guide; and 4) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). 5. Can I get the password for the Workbook? As a matter of policy, the Regional Water Board does not provide the password. Having multiple versions in circulation at one time diminishes the ESLs’ credibility and usefulness and potentially causes confusion. 6 B. APPLICATION OR USE QUESTIONS 6. What is the effective date of the ESLs? The effective date is the date the Workbook is posted to the ESL webpage (e.g., January 24, 2019). 7. Do the new ESLs have to be used as soon as the Workbook is posted? The ESLs are guidance and are never mandatory. In general, we recommend the current version be used, but there can be exceptions. The following table provides a general timeline for when to apply the new ESLs depending on the status of a case. Case Status When to Use the 2019 ESLs New case Promptly following release Prior to RAP approval Promptly following release Post RAP approval – TCE sites By end of 2019 Post RAP approval – non-TCE sites During next 5-year review Pre-Closure During low-threat closure assessment Acronyms: RAP = remedial action plan TCE = trichloroethene We recommend consulting with the Regional Water Board case manager when determining the applicability of the new ESLs. For example, use of the new ESLs might not be needed for cases where the site is well-characterized with sufficient current information for a site-specific risk evaluation. 8. Are the ESLs applicable throughout California? The ESLs are developed and maintained by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 2) whose jurisdiction is limited to its defined geographic limits. The ESLs are used by Region 2 staff and publicly shared for transparency and to facilitate communication. Other agencies, whether within or outside Region 2, may elect to use the ESLs. We recommend directly contacting the known or likely overseeing agency to find out what screening levels they use. The ESL User’s Guide Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to other agency screening levels used in California (e.g., USEPA RSLs and DTSC-modified SLs). The conceptual site model used to determine the ESLs is applicable to many sites throughout California. In general, the ESLs could be used at any site, provided all stakeholders agree. The primary suitability issues for application to different areas of the state are related to the fate and transport aspects, particularly soil leaching to groundwater. As described in ESL User’s Guide Chapter 9, the modeled scenario 7 includes a one-meter clean sand layer between the overlying contaminated sand layer and underlying groundwater. For sites where the separation distance between soil contamination and groundwater is significantly greater than one meter or the soil type is predominantly fine-grained, application of the soil leaching ESLs can be overly conservative. 9. Are the ESLs applicable to petroleum underground storage tank sites? Petroleum releases from underground storage tanks (USTs) must be evaluated using the State Water Resource Control Board’s Low-Threat Underground Storage Tank (UST) Case Closure Policy. The ESLs may be used at such sites to screen for constituents not addressed by the Policy. 10. Does the Regional Water Board re-open cases because the ESLs changed? In general, we do not casually re-open cases. However, Regional Water Board staff may re-open any case if data indicates that residual contamination poses an unacceptable risk to public safety, health, or the environment or if previously undetected contamination is discovered. Examples of situations where a case may be re-opened include: a) An environmental site assessment reveals that contamination remains at the property at concentrations that are no longer considered protective; or b) Data from a nearby, open case suggests contamination has migrated and is significantly impacting offsite receptors. A case brought to the attention of Regional Water Board staff will be re-evaluated to determine whether it should be re-opened. Decisions will be made only after thorough review by the case manager and supervisor. Currently, Regional Water Board staff are considering whether closed TCE cases should be re-evaluated for potential re-opening. At this time, there is no schedule for such an effort. 11. Can the ESLs be used to determine when spill reporting to an agency is necessary? The ESLs are not intended to be used for determining when the presence of contamination warrants reporting of a spill to an agency. In California, the requirements for spill reporting generally are based on the quantity of the release, not a concentration. We recommend reviewing the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Spill Release Reporting webpage. This webpage includes a list of essential documents that provide guidance regarding spill notification and the types of releases that are reportable. Alternatively, consult an environmental attorney. 12. Can the ESLs be used to determine whether import fill soil is clean? No. Clean fill soil is defined as natural materials (e.g., soil, clay, silt, sand, gravel, rock, or a mixture or combination of such materials) that have concentrations of naturally occurring chemicals (e.g., metals) at or below background levels at the 8 receiving site while concentrations of man-made chemicals are absent. Clean fill soil is also free of trash or debris. See also FAQ #13. 13. Can the ESLs be used to evaluate marginally contaminated soil for on-site reuse? Partially. The ESLs do not consider all potential exposure pathways (e.g., surface water transport of contaminants in the dissolved phase or as particulates) so any such use would need to be supplemented with consideration of additional aspects (e.g., erosion control for the surface water pathway; location of wetland, sensitive environments, jurisdictional waters of the State or US, habitats, and potential presence of special status species/habitats; ecological risk assessment). Regional Water Board staff currently is evaluating the development of a technical memorandum on the topic. Previous guidance on this topic Draft Technical Resource Document: Technical Resource Document – Characterization and Reuse of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Impacted Soil as Inert Waste dated October 20, 2006 is no longer current. In the interim, staff will consider such proposals on a site-specific basis. 14. Do the ESLs have to be used as cleanup levels? Setting cleanup levels is detailed in Section 4.25.2.3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan; Regional Water Board 2017b). Cleanup levels are approved on a case-by-case basis by the Regional Water Board. Proposed final cleanup levels are based on a discharger-developed feasibility study of cleanup alternatives that compares effectiveness, cost, time to achieve cleanup standards, and a risk assessment to determine impacts on beneficial uses, human health, and the environment. Cleanup levels must also take into account the mobility and volume of pollutants. Proposed cleanup levels can differ from the ESLs provided: (1) they are adequately supported by a site-specific risk assessment or other evaluation or, alternatively, (2) that a feasibility analysis demonstrates it is not possible to clean up to ESLs. For all sites performing human health risk assessments, an alternative with an excess cancer risk of 1 in 1,000,000 (10-6) or less must be considered. C. HUMAN HEALTH EXPOSURE QUESTIONS 15. Why did the hierarchy for human health toxicity criteria change from the 2016 ESLs? In the 2019 ESL update, the toxicity value hierarchy described in ESL User’s Guide Chapter 3 was synchronized with the new toxicity criteria regulation by DTSC. The citation is California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 22, Division 4.5, sections 68400.5, 69020-69022 (“Toxicity Criteria for Human Health Risk Assessment”), effective September 4, 2018. Prior versions of the ESLs employed a slightly different hierarchy based on a variation of the USEPA Superfund Toxicity Criteria Hierarchy (USEPA 2003b, 9 USEPA 2013a). The Superfund hierarchy consists of seven tiers: (1) IRIS values; (2) PPRTVs; (3) ATSDR values; (4) OEHHA values; (5) PPRTV screening toxicity values (in PPRTV appendices); (6) USEPA Health Effects Assessment Summary Table (HEAST); and (7) other sources. The previous ESL hierarchy followed the Superfund hierarchy except when OEHHA values were more stringent than values in Tiers 1 through 3, in which case the OEHHA values were prioritized. In the new hierarchy, only those OEHHA values meeting the CCR requirements are prioritized. Further information on the regulation is provided in the Final Statement of Reasons (DTSC 2018). 16. Can the Tapwater ESLs be used for evaluating construction worker exposure to groundwater? No. Applying the Tapwater ESLs to a construction worker scenario would be overly conservative. A construction worker likely would be seeking to avoid groundwater contact (especially ingestion of groundwater). Moreover, it is generally considered unsafe construction practice to allow workers to enter excavations with significant accumulated water due to geotechnical stability concerns (e.g., sidewall collapse). In contrast, the Tapwater ESLs consider exposure via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure due to the use groundwater for drinking and showering. For situations where, remaining concentrations of contaminants are significant, then a site-specific evaluation could be performed. Such an evaluation might include a risk evaluation for the inhalation or dermal exposure routes. Keep in mind that inhalation exposure is possible in a trench but dispersion in open air above the trench or in a larger excavation is expected to sharply and rapidly decrease potential exposure concentrations. 17. Why are the 2019 Vapor Intrusion ESLs for subslab/soil gas and groundwater lower than the 2016 ESLs? Regional Water Board staff have found that VI is occurring at some of our sites at levels that indicate our previous VI ESLs were not sufficiently protective for all buildings. The previous groundwater and subslab/soil gas VI ESLs were based on attenuation factors (AFs) developed using the USEPA (2004) version of the Johnson & Ettinger Model (JEM). The typical practice has been to use the JEM to estimate site-specific AFs, but rarely have the model predictions been verified. Consequently, there are little or no data confirming the protectiveness of the previously-used AFs. In addition, recent publications have highlighted vapor transport directly into buildings via vapor conduit preferential pathways (e.g., sewer airspace, utility conduit airspace) not considered in the current VI models. Therefore, to ensure protectiveness and adequate evaluations, the 2019 ESLs employ the more stringent AFs recommended by USEPA (2015a) which are based on an evaluation of the USEPA final empirical Vapor Intrusion Database (USEPA 2012c). These attenuation factors are based on statistical analysis of empirical data collected from many sites across the US. Moreover, the USEPA database and report has undergone peer review. Nearly 80% of the subslab soil gas attenuation factors currently recommended by other states are at least as stringent as USEPA. 10 18. Did the ESL Team consider using VI attenuation factors based on California data? The ESL Team has evaluated the electronically available VI sampling data available in GeoTracker. Most data in GeoTracker is in PDF format and would require a significant investment of time to extract the data. We also suspect that there will be a limited amount historical data that meets the data quality objectives for determining attenuation factors. Recent updates to GeoTracker and the use of sampling recommendations provided in the pending CalEPA Supplemental Vapor Intrusion Guidance will increase the likelihood that future GeoTracker data can be used to determine California-specific AFs. In addition, we reviewed the recent conference paper “Empirical Analysis of Vapor Intrusion Attenuation Factors for Sub-Slab and Soil Vapor – An Updated Assessment for California Sites” (the “article”) and corresponding database (Ettinger et al. 2018). The database includes compiled paired indoor air and soil gas/subslab soil gas data from several California cleanup sites. Several different soil gas/subslab soil gas attenuation factors (ranging from 0.0014 to 0.0046) were calculated using subsets of the data (e.g. subslab vs. soil gas samples or samples from residential vs. commercial buildings). The article’s AFs may underrepresent a certain subset of residential buildings captured in the USEPA database that are more prone to VI (e.g. buildings with basements, aged or damaged buildings with compromised slabs). In addition, the database does not contain enough data to conclusively determine that AFs less stringent than USEPA are sufficiently protective for use as generic AFs in California. Use of these values as the generic AF for VI subslab/soil gas screening levels is not appropriate without further data, evaluation, and justification. However, these results suggest there is value to continuing to compile VI data into a database for future evaluation. The following reflects the considerations by the ESL Team in making this determination: • Appropriate Application of USEPA Subslab to Indoor Air AF – USEPA’s default subslab to indoor air AF (0.03) was calculated using sampling data from 218 residential buildings with slab foundations. This type of building is expected to provide the least amount of vapor attenuation (particularly for buildings with basements). Therefore, this AF is expected to be the most protective and appropriate for initial screening at buildings where building design, use, and condition has not been determined. • Article’s Subslab to Indoor Air AF – The paper presents a subslab to indoor air AF (0.0026) using data from 65 total buildings of various designs and uses (residential, commercial, industrial, school). Only 20 of those buildings are residential. • Article’s Soil Gas to Indoor Air AF – The paper presents a soil gas to indoor air AF (0.0016) using data from 82 total buildings of various designs and uses (residential, commercial, industrial, school) with either crawlspace or slab 11 foundations. Only 31 of those buildings are residential buildings and 11 of those 31 have slab foundations. • Article’s Lack of AFs for Specific Building Types – The article did not include calculations of AFs for specific building types (e.g. residential buildings with crawlspaces, commercial buildings with slabs). Presumably, this is because there are less than 25 buildings of any one building type. Based on this limited dataset, there is insufficient data to definitively determine if there is a difference in attenuation for different building types. 19. Why are the subslab ESLs the same as soil gas ESLs? Shouldn’t there be some attenuation as VOCs migrate from deeper soils? The subslab/soil gas ESLs conservatively assume that attenuation only occurs as subslab soil gas moves into the building and is diluted by mixing with indoor air. While there can be additional attenuation as vapors diffuse through the soil from a deeper contaminated soil or groundwater (primarily due to soil moisture), there are other factors that can result in less attenuation than otherwise expected through the soil profile: • The slab capping effect results from the presence of concrete slabs or buildings that limit VOC release to the atmosphere. Soil gas concentration profiles beneath slabs or buildings have less attenuation than the areas surrounding buildings. See User’s Guide Chapter 5 for further information. • A low soil moisture content zone that enhances vapor transport can develop beneath buildings because the building limits rainwater infiltration. • Further, significant attenuation for coarse-grained soils (sand or gravel) is not usually observed unless there is significant soil moisture (nearly saturated conditions) or the thickness of the vadose zone above the contaminated soil or groundwater is great. Consequently, we chose to apply the same attenuation factor to non-subslab soil gas and renamed the soil gas ESLs to subslab/soil gas ESLs. In addition, see Appendix A of USEPA (2015a) regarding why USEPA chose to apply the subslab AF is applied to exterior soil gas (soil gas outside the building footprint). 20. Why are there no Soil VI ESLs? VI ESLs for soil are not developed because of the uncertainty associated with the partitioning equations and the potential loss of volatiles during sample collection, preservation, and analysis (DTSC 2011b; USEPA 2014e, USEPA 2015a). Loss of VOCs from soil samples in this manner is a particular concern in samples collected before use of USEPA Method 5035 (e.g., DTSC 2004) for field preservation. Soil matrix data are not considered a primary line of evidence and should never be used as the sole line of evidence for assessing VI. Per USEPA (2015a), non-detect soil 12 data for VFCs cannot be used to conclude the absence of VFCs, and therefore in turn cannot be used to conclude no potential for VI. 21. Can fate and transport models like the USEPA Johnson and Ettinger model be used to evaluate vapor intrusion? Fate and transport models are not considered appropriate during the early screening phase of a project when the site is not adequately characterized and information about the condition and operation of existing buildings typically is limited. Models should be used with caution given that current models do not address how buildings change over time due to modifications/renovations, damage or operational changes (e.g., new HVAC, opening of windows and doors). Moreover, current models do not consider vapor conduit pathways such as sewer/utility conduit air VI. Further information is provided in User’s Guide Chapter 5. D. ECOTOXICITY QUESTIONS 22. Why are site-specific values used as aquatic habitat goals for some chemicals? For commonly encountered chemicals lacking promulgated ecological toxicity criteria, the ESLs employ values derived from published data or databases (e.g., USEPA ECOTOXicology knowledgebase or ECOTOX) or values derived from site-specific toxicity testing. These chemicals are identified in ESL User’s Guide Section 7.3 along with a discussion of the uncertainties associated with using these values as screening levels. Examples of the former include MTBE and 1,2,3-trichloropropane. Examples of the latter include petroleum mixtures (e.g., petroleum-gasoline since 2003, petroleum-HOPs since 2019 though previously HOPs were evaluated in conjunction with petroleum-diesel). Employing these values is considered a practical alternative to requiring all sites with pollution near a surface water body to conduct toxicity testing. As new information becomes available, these values can be revised. Alternative screening levels can always be proposed for regulatory oversight agency consideration. E. CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS 23. Asbestos: Is there an ESL for asbestos in soil? The ESLs are designed for chemicals known to be common contaminants found in subsurface soils and groundwater at cleanup sites. Since the hazards posed by airborne asbestos fibers differ from those of typical chemicals addressed in the ESLs, asbestos is not included in the ESLs. Information regarding the regulation of airborne asbestos is available from the Air Resources Board. Information regarding managing asbestos hazardous waste is available from the Department of Toxics Substances Control. 13 24. Arsenic: Why are risk-based ESLs for arsenic in soil published when those concentrations can be significantly lower than naturally occurring background concentrations? The risk-based ESLs are calculated using currently accepted methodologies and inputs. Background levels are not considered in the calculation of the ESLs. Background levels vary from site to site or even within a site; there is no single value for arsenic applicable throughout the Bay Area. As discussed in ESL User’s Guide Section 12.4, consideration of background is carried out separately as part of the overall site-specific risk assessment. 25. Chromium: Why are there no ESLs for total chromium? There is no set ratio between the different forms of chromium in the environment and use of a total chromium screening levels derived based on a fixed ratio of different forms of chromium gives a false sense of security. Instead, the ESLs include risk- based soil screening levels for chromium III (trivalent chromium) and chromium VI (hexavalent chromium), which are both naturally occurring forms of chromium and inter-convertible in the environment (OEHHA 2011). Chromium VI is a carcinogen and is considered to have a mutagenic mode of action (USEPA 2005; see User’s Guide Section 3.4.7). Previous versions of the ESLs included direct contact soil values for total chromium based on the following: • Assumption of chromium VI: chromium III ratio of 1:6 – This was done in the 2001 ESLs, and discontinued beginning with the 2003 ESLs. • Substitution of a mean chromium background value (58 mg/kg) from Analysis of Background Distributions of Metals in the Soil at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2002). This was done in the 2005 ESLs, and discontinued with the November 2007 ESLs (Revised May 2008). The evaluation of background is discussed in ESL User’s Guide Section 12.4. Therefore, we recommend that the concentration of the most toxic species (chromium VI) or both species (chromium III and VI) be measured for comparison to the individual risk-based screening levels. For older data sets where speciation of the different chromium forms was not performed, it would be prudent to conduct some sampling to ascertain the concentrations of the different forms present. 26. Nickel: Why is the construction worker ESL for direct soil exposure to nickel lower than for the resident? The construction worker scenario is described in User’s Guide Chapter 3. The scenario assumes a relatively short exposure period, but more intensive soil contact than for a resident. For estimating direct contact soil exposures, the ESLs use the USEPA Regional Screening Level equations, which for the resident includes the “resident soil equations” and for the construction worker includes the “construction worker soil equations for other than standard vehicle traffic (e.g., grading, tilling, excavating, dozing and wind).” The toxicity values and default exposure factors are discussed in User’s Guide Chapter 3. For nickel, the difference between the 14 construction worker and resident ESLs has to do with the relative relationship between nickel’s toxicity values for the different exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and dermal) and the default construction worker exposure factors that assume much more dust is generated during the more intensive soil moving activities. Tier 1 ESLs that are driven by the construction worker soil direct contact are rarely selected as cleanup levels. Instead, soil management plans (also referred to as risk management plans) are often used to control potential risk to construction workers, and cleanup levels are based on residential soil exposure. This is an acceptable approach that may require a deed restriction to prohibit future activities inconsistent with the soil management plan. 27. Petroleum Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products (HOPs): How do I analyze for this mixture? Measurement of HOPs concentrations consists of two steps. First analyze a sample for both TPH-diesel (C10-C28) with and without silica gel cleanup (SGC). Second, subtract the TPH-diesel with SGC result from the TPH-diesel without SGC result. In addition, if a background sample (collected from an unimpacted by petroleum contamination and with similar vegetative and hydrogeologic characteristics) has been analyzed for TPH-diesel without SGC, then that result can also be subtracted from the TPH-diesel without SGC result. This is also described in ESL User’s Guide Section 4.5 and illustrated on Figure 4-3. 28. Petroleum Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products (HOPs): With the new HOPs ESLs, do I have to analyze groundwater samples for extractable TPH (TPH- diesel and TPH-motor oil) both with and without silica gel cleanup? Not necessarily. Another option is to analyze for extractable TPH without silica gel cleanup and compare those results to the Petroleum-Diesel ESL. We also recommend consulting with the overseeing regulatory agency’s case manager. 29. Petroleum Mixtures: What Carbon Ranges Should I Use When Analyzing Soil or Groundwater Samples for the Petroleum Mixtures? Recommended carbon ranges are discussed in ESL User’s Guide Section 4.5 and listed in Table 4-5 as follows: • Gasoline – C5 to C12 • Stoddard Solvent – C7 to C12 • Jet Fuel – C9 to C16 • Diesel – C10 to C24 • HOPs – C10 to C28 • Motor Oil – C24 to C36 Recommendations for bunker fuel, crude oil, unknown mixtures, and waste oil are discussed in ESL User’s Guide Sections 4.3.5 and 4.5. 15 30. Tetrachloroethene (PCE): Why are the human health risk-based USEPA RSLs and ESLs for PCE different? The USEPA Regional Screening Levels (RSLs; USEPA 2018b) and ESLs employ different human health toxicity values for PCE. The ESLs employ a toxicity value hierarchy consistent with California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 4.5, sections 68400.5, 69020-69022 (“Toxicity Criteria for Human Health Risk Assessment”), effective September 4, 2018. For PCE, the OEHHA inhalation unit risk value, which is more stringent than the USEPA IRIS value, meets the requirements in the regulation therefore must be used for human health risk assessments and screening levels in California. See also FAQ #15. References are listed in the ESL User’s Guide. From:Bret Van de Sande To:Council, City Subject:FW: March 10,2025 City Council Action Item 7, Car Free Ramona Street Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 4:39:15 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. From: Bret Van de Sande Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2025 4:29 PM To: city.counsel@cityofpaloalto.org Subject: March 10,2025 City Council Action Item 7, Car Free Ramona Street Dear Mayor and City of Palo Alto Council, I represent Inspire Real Estate Holdings, LLC the owner of the beautiful 250 University Ave building at the corner of Ramona and University Ave. Needless to say, our building is greatly affected by your decision tonight. We do NOT support the permanent closure of Ramona and would ask the Mayor and the City Council to vote to reopen this important street immediately for the benefit of our community and the businesses at and near 250 University Ave. Tonight, you will read and hear many explanations of simple, rational, and factual reasons for the need to reopen Ramona. I do not need to type out all these reasons, but I will place Public Safety be at the top. The fact there is a major garage opening with significant vehicular traffic all day combined with the short Ramona Street still being a primary delivery street and zone for restaurants and businesses, all adds up to an accident waiting to happen. The space is just too busy, too compacted. It’s often very unsafe to try and walk near Ramona or even enter or exit the garage. We need Ramona to be a fully open street and throughfare as it is designed to be. It’s a hazard as is and it’s just a matter of time till someone gets seriously hurt or worse. Please listen and apply some common sense to your decision. The City’s last vision like this was Ramona Centennial Plaza! Thank you, Bret Bret van de Sande VP of Facilities & Operations Inspire Real Estate Holdings, LLC 250 University Ave Palo Alto, CA 94301Goodlands Florida Property Management, LLCe-mail: Bret@goodlandsllc.comMobile: 408-687-7433 Direct: 650-331-8812 From:Elizabeth Wong To:Council, City Subject:DO NOT CLOSE RAMONA STREET Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 4:19:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, My name is Elizabeth Wong and I have lived in the amazing country of America forthe last 62 years and in awesome Palo Alto for the last 29 years; so, I AM American and I AM Palo Altan. No prejudices, please. I had the great honor of attending Wharton Graduate School at the University ofPennsylvania and for all of the above I am infinitely grateful to God and Country. The reason I bring Wharton Graduate up is because one would flunk out of prestigious business schools if one were to recommend closing Ramona Street andthis is why: 1. Closing Ramona Streets kills scant and valuable parking. There is no parking downtown period, even now when people mostly work remotely. 2. When you are ensconced in a closed street, "nobody knows your name": your business is hidden, specially to out of towners. 3. There is no vibrancy; instead, we just have disoriented bodies trying to figure outwhat is happening with the street. 4. We have no bathrooms for the additional bodies roaming the street. 5. City is open to multiple lawsuits related to unfair treatment of property owners AND OF BUSINESS OWNERS. CLOSING RAMONA MAKES NO SENSE for the reasons above and for the reasons listed so eloquently in Ventana Property Services, Inc. letter to Council dated March 6, 2025. Please vote to keep Ramona Open or have a city-wide referendum to close or notclose Ramona. Elizabeth Wong From:Amy Christel To:Saini, Niraj; Swanson, Andrew Cc:Shikada, Ed; Greer Stone; Lauing, Ed; Council, City Subject:Safety of N7PA Piaggio P180 using PAO Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 4:19:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, This afternoon this 11 passenger turbo jet, N7PA, took off from PAO. Even though Flight Radar showed it was ~1mi from my home as it flew SE over PA at ~1800 ft, it was SO loud it sounded like a fighter jet or something. Totally nerve rattling. So I looked up the type of aircraft (Piaggio P180) and saw that it requiresa longer runway than PAO offers. Takeoff distance is 2851 ft, and landing distance is 2861 ft. PAO runway is only2443 ft. Why is it even using PAO??? This is not safe. It is an example of aviation pushing the rules andcompromising safety and our quality of life. I also learned from the specs that one of the “disadvantages” listed for this jet is that it is an especially noisy aircraftdue to the positioning of the twin turbo jet engines. This explains my reaction to the noise, even when it was notdirectly over me. If PAO is serious about mitigating noise from aircraft over our communities, this rich person’s private jet wouldNOT BE ALLOWED TO USE PAO. I can only imagine how it sounds over East Palo Alto, closer to the ground. I need someone to respond to my concerns. Thank you,Amy ChristelMidtown PA Sent from my iPad From:Mohamad Zoabi To:Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Burt, Patrick; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer Cc:Council, City Subject:Supporting the Expansion and Maintenance of Turf Fields in Our City Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 1:52:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, In response to the discussion on replacing turf fields with grass fields, I would like to provide the following information. I hope the City not only maintains the existing turf fields but also expands and adds more, ensuring that children can continue enjoying sports activities in our beautiful city. Turf fields offer significant advantages over grass fields, providing greater accessibility, durability, and playability year-round. As Santa Clara County recently and Palo Alto City now are currently considering a ban on artificial turf fields due to concerns over increased injury risks and potential health hazards associated with turf materials. While these concerns are important, a comprehensive evaluation of available research and technological advancements in artificial turf systems highlights significant benefits that should be considered. Artificial turf provides a durable, low- maintenance, and environmentally sustainable alternative to natural grass while supporting year-round sports activities for youth and community members. Injury Risks and Proper Footwear Use One of the primary arguments against artificial turf is the claim that it leads to a higher incidence of injuries among young athletes. However, research on this topic is mixed, with multiple studies showing that injury rates on artificial turf are comparable to those on natural grass. A systematic review published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) found no significant differences in overall injury rates between artificial and natural turf, with proper footwear being a more significant factor in injury prevention than the playing surface itself. Key findings include: A study from The Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (2021) concluded that ankle and knee injuries were more related to improper footwear than the type of playing surface. The use of turf-specific cleats significantly reduces the risk of non-contact lower limb injuries. Modern turf fields have improved shock absorption properties, reducing the likelihood of concussions and joint stress compared to older generations of artificial surfaces. Advancements in Turf Material and Health Considerations Concerns over the composition of artificial turf, particularly older versions that used crumb rubber infill, have led to significant innovations in turf technology. Many modern artificial turf fields now use alternative infill materials that are safer and more environmentally friendly, such as: Coconut husk and cork infill: A natural, biodegradable, and non-toxic alternative that provides excellent cushioning and heat reduction. Silica sand and organic infills: These materials reduce concerns over chemical exposure and overheating often associated with traditional crumb rubber. TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) infill: A non-toxic and fully recyclable option with excellent performance characteristics. Regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to study and monitor the safety of turf materials, with no conclusive evidence linking artificial turf to long-term health risks. Environmental Benefits of Artificial Turf Artificial turf offers several environmental advantages over natural grass fields, particularly in regions like Santa Clara County that experience water scarcity. Key benefits include: Water Conservation: Natural grass fields require approximately 500,000 to 1 million gallons of water per year to maintain optimal playing conditions. Artificial turf eliminates the need for irrigation, significantly reducing water usage. Reduced Maintenance: Grass fields require weekly mowing, fertilization, and pesticide treatments, which contribute to emissions and environmental degradation. Artificial turf, by contrast, requires minimal upkeep. Extended Usability: Unlike grass fields, which can become unplayable due to weather conditions, artificial turf remains in optimal condition year-round, maximizing field availability for youth sports and community programs. Conclusion While concerns about artificial turf should be addressed through continued research and safety improvements, banning artificial turf fields outright would overlook their numerous benefits. Proper footwear use, advancements in safer turf materials, and the environmental advantages of turf fields highlight their role as a sustainable and practical solution for Santa Clara County. Instead of banning artificial turf, a balanced approach that includes safety regulations, informed maintenance practices, and the adoption of modern turf technologies should be considered to ensure the well-being of young athletes while supporting sports accessibility and environmental sustainability. Best Mohamad Zoabi From:Andrea Wald To:Council, City Subject:upcoming agenda item for discussion and voting by city council members Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 1:41:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council members, As someone who is concerned about the harmful impact of covering our precious earth with toxic, plastic grass (also known as Synthetic or artificial turf) I ask you to champion healthy kids, healthy communities, and a healthy environment. I’m asking that you choose only natural grass turf designed by natural turf experts and managed by those most knowledgeable and trained to do so. Plastic grass is a petroleum product laden with chemicals, many of which are associated with health harms. Plastic grass also gets very hot—hotter than asphalt and much hotter than grass—making it unsafe to play on on hot days and intensifying the urban heat island effect. In addition, the chemicals and microplastics in plastic grass can contaminate the air, soil, and water. The state of California does NOT consider plastic grass to be drought tolerant. On the contrary, to cool and clean it, it must be watered with potable/drinking water since the chemicals in reclaimed/recycled water degrade plastic (but not natural grass). Also, plastic grass must be replaced every 8-10 years and, over its lifecycle, costs more than real grass. And since recycling is something that is not truly happening (some old plastic grass is repurposed for dog parks, batting cages, sold to homeowners at a very reduced cost, etc) most ends up in landfill or transported to states outside of CA that allow burning of plastics. Moreover, when natural grass fields are designed by natural turf experts using hardy, drought-tolerant grass varieties and maintained using organic methods, they can sustain as many playing hours as plastic grass fields. See this eye-opening video: bit.ly/realgrassrocks Please reject false choices and insist on a win/win for —hardy natural grass fields that are safe and healthy for kids, the community, and the environment on which everyone relies. I do not believe spending $250,000 on a study is going to be useful. There is enough substantial info available, some of which I believe has already been sent to City Council members, that spells out exactly why plastic grass is so harmful and also info on how natural grass can and does work well. Being educated on this issue is important for making the right choices. I would be happy to supply any supporting researched and documented material from various environmental, health and medical organizations if desired. Please do let me know. Andrea Wald Co-Founder of Community for Natural Play Surfaces Some of the most notable Harms of Synthetic turf: 1) Contains PFAS “forever chemicals” that are leaching into our drinking water. These chemicals are being linked to cancer, hormone disruption, fertility issues and many other serious health issues. 2) Increases our carbon footprint by preventing carbon sequestration. 3) Sheds microplastics which are harmful to our health and have been found not only in aquatic animals but many of our own body parts. 4) Gets 50-70 degrees hotter than natural grass causing what is known as “heat island” effect and also can cause extreme heat illness and severe burns on those playing on the fields. From:Joe Martignetti To:Council, City Subject:March 10, 2025 City Council Action Item 7, Car Free Ramona Street Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 12:56:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Mayor Lauing and City Council, On March 10, 2025, City Council will consider the adoption of resolutions amending the Comprehensive Plan to reclassify portions of Ramona Street and California Avenue as Car-Free- Streets and closing the streets to vehicular traffic. I am writing to encourage the City Council to allow Ramona Street to remain open to vehicular traffic to support the retail vibrancy of this downtown corridor. Over the last 45 years, I have been active in various aspects of commercial real estate including acquisitions, development and property management in the San Francisco Bay Area. While my expertise is primarily in mixed-use infill commercial properties, I also have experience in retail shopping centers, multi-family and single-family housing, office, R&D and industrial properties. I have worked with national, regional and local tenants in these endeavors and have gained an appreciation for what works and what does not work to support various businesses. I am an owner and my company manages commercial assets in downtown Palo Alto, specifically 261 Hamilton/555 Ramona/581 Ramona and 541 Ramona along the proposed car free zone. Retail requires high visibility with easy access to parking and retail support services. Retail benefits from a diversity of services including a mix of restaurants, retail like uses, financial and business to business services. Signage and storefront visibility are essential. Retail requires both pedestrian and vehicular traffic past their storefront for exposure and customer awareness. The closing of Ramona Street is discouraged for the following reasons: 1. Safety. Only one half of Ramona Street can be car free since access to the 250 University garage must be maintained. Daily access to the garage is hindered by temporarily parked delivery trucks and three-point-turns by motorists unknowingly getting stuck at a dead-end street but not wanting to enter the 250 University garage ramp. This constant activity creates conflicts especially with pedestrian sidewalk safety. Good planning for car free zones should minimize these conflicts by creating boundaries at major intersections, not mid-block locations. 2. Insufficient Size of Trade Zone. Unlike pedestrian car free malls which continue for a number of consecutive blocks, the proposed car free zone on Ramona Street is too small a trade area and positioned as an isolated retail island. The proposed car free zone is disconnected from the vitality of University Avenue and thus an isolated zone. But for the benefit provided to a few restaurants along Ramona Street, support retail and business services will leave. Warby Parker and other adjacent soft good retailers have expressed economic hardships and disappointment with the current conditions of Ramona Street. They will likely seek to relocate to other locations. 3. Parking. Retailers and their customers need easy access to parking. The removal of street parking along Ramona hinders retail vibrancy. Also, the closure of Ramona Street at Hamilton Avenue prevents vehicular traffic from easily accessing the 250 University public parking from Hamilton. Thus, the 250 University garage becomes a remote destination only accessible from a typically congested University Avenue. 4. Vehicle and Pedestrian Visibility. Retail requires vehicle and pedestrian visibility. Closing Ramona Street restricts car drive-by traffic which is a primary requirement for healthy retail sectors. 5. Ramona Street Architectural District. Ramona Street between University Avenue and Hamilton Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the United States Department of Interior. The designation was bestowed to this corridor to recognize the 1920’s buildings with Monterey Colonial and Spanish Colonial Revival architectural styles. The District Nomination Form, certified by the State Historic Preservation Officer on February 10, 1986, specifically highlights that “many of the buildings were designed for an owner’s specific use (i.e., dress shops, savings and loan, housewares, professional offices, hotel)” which established the neighborhood fabric for the area. By closing Ramona Street, the very types of retail and retail like businesses that created the neighborhood fabric will no longer deem the corridor a viable location. I strongly encourage the City Council to reconsider and allow Ramona Street to return to the open street, vibrant, retail corridor with easy access for vehicles and pedestrians that will support the business fabric under which it was first created. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Joseph F. Martignetti, Jr.Property Ownerjmartignetti@ventanaps.comOffice: 650.847.2000Fax: 650.847.2001DRE License No. 01116935 Ventana Property Services, Inc. 975 High Street Palo Alto, CA 94301www.ventanaps.comDRE License No. 01129571 NOTICE: This E-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. From:Aram James To:Gardener, Liz; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Council, City; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach; Gennady Sheyner; EPAToday; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Sean Allen; Pat M; sharon jackson;h.etzko@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; Stump, Molly; Marina Lopez; editor@paweekly.com; Bill Newell;board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; boardfeedback@smcgov.org Subject:Homeless deaths in L.A. County are leveling off but still nearly seven per day Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 12:39:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Homeless deaths in L.A. County are leveling off but still nearly seven per day Homeless deaths in L.A. County are leveling off but still nearly seven per day https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-06/homeless-deaths-in-l-a-county-are-leveling-off-but-still-nearly-seven-per-day From:Dona Tversky To:Council, City Subject:Speak at meeting Monday March 10 Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 11:37:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Clerk, I would like to request a speaking slot at the City Council Board meeting during open communications and am hoping to apply in advance. I will be there in person and I would like to speak about the Churchill Alma intersection and the presence of open train tracks adjacent to our high schools. I am speaking as a concerned parent and resident and also as a psychiatrist. Please let me know if there is anything else I should do in advance. Thanks, Dona Dona A. Tversky, MD MPH (she, hers) Psychotherapist and psychiatric consultant Ravenswood Family Health Center and Stanford Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary Cc:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Afanasiev, Alex; Lee, Craig; Rodriguez, Miguel; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Barberini, Christopher; Enberg, Nicholas; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; board@pausd.org; Jay Boyarsky; Jose Valle; Sean Allen; Pat M; sharon jackson; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Diana Diamond; GRP-City Council; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Roberta Ahlquist; Bill Newell; editor@paweekly.com; Gennady Sheyner; Council, City; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; BoardOperations; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Sheriff Transparency; EPA Today; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@valleywater.org; Sarah Wright; Stump, Molly; Damon Silver; h.etzko@gmail.com; Mickie Winkler; cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; Baker, Rob; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Templeton, Cari; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan Subject:Ex-Antioch cop takes the witness stand, says he and colleagues hurt people because they enjoyed it Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 11:33:59 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Ex-Antioch cop takes the witness stand, says he and colleagues hurt people because they enjoyed it https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/06/ex-antioch-cop-takes-the-witness-stand-says-he-and-colleagues-hurt-people-because-they-enjoyed-it/ From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Sean Allen; Pat M; Rodriguez, Miguel; Damon Silver; Kaloma Smith; Ed Lauing; ladoriscordell; Reckdahl, Keith; George for Palo Alto; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Doug Minkler; Jeff Rosen; JayBoyarsky; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; board@valleywater.org; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; BradenCartwright; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for CaliforniaDemocratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; Rose Lynn; RobertaAhlquist; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov Subject:Stanford student journalist will not face charges related to June protest arrest, DA says Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 11:09:48 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Stanford student journalist will not face charges related to June protest arrest, DA says https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/06/stanford-student-journalist-will-not-face-charges- related-to-june-protest-arrest-da-says/ From:Bruno M. To:PAO Planning; Council, City Subject:Re: Palo Alto Airport Long Range Plan Update Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 8:09:32 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Fantastic news. Thanks so much Palo Alto for listening to your constituents ! Bruno&Pauline Marchon1810 Hamilton avePalo Alto, CA94303 On Thu, Mar 6, 2025 at 7:52 AM Palo Alto Airport <paoplan@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: View as Webpage March 2025 Update Dear Community Member, Thank you for your continued engagement with the Palo Alto Airport Long-Range Facilities and Sustainability Plan process. Based on Council feedback at the September 16, 2024 Airport study session and to meet constraints not to expand its footprint, staff are reconsidering planning alternatives while also working to make near-term progress on leaded fuel and noise issues. The Airport planning project is therefore pausing while this work proceeds. Kind Regards, Michael Luetgens Project Manager Palo Alto Airport | 1925 Embarcadero Road | Palo Alto, CA 94303 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Constant Contact From:Amy Kenney To:Council, City Subject:Fiber Connect LATAM – Mexico CLIENT LIST Date:Thursday, March 6, 2025 6:31:49 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, We are following up to confirm if you are interested in acquiring the Visitors/Attendees List. Event Name: Fiber Connect LATAM – Mexico Date: 01-Apr-25 Location: Hotel Grand Fiesta Americana, Queretaro, Mexico Counts: 3,478 If you are interested in acquiring the list, we can Send you the Discounted cost and additional details. Each record of the list contains: Contact Name, Email Address, Company Name, URL/Website, Phone No, Title/Designation. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks & regards,Amy Kenney From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed Subject:RSVP by 4/2/25: Tall Tree Awards 2025 Date:Wednesday, March 5, 2025 1:49:17 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.pngimage010.png Dear Council Members, The 2025 Tall Tree Awards will take place on April 17, 2025 at the Oshman JCC! The City has sponsored atable with 10 tickets. If you are interested in attending, please let me know by Wednesday, April 2nd. After that date, we will extendthe remaining tickets to our Executive Leadership Team. 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 More details of this event are provided below: The Tall Tree Awards are given to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional civic contributions and service to the community. The annual event is sponsored by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and the Palo Alto Weekly, a Chamber Leaders Circle Member. Nominations are submitted by the general public once a year and awarded in four categories. From time to time, a special Global Impact Award is given to a person or business whose business or professional contributions have been felt around the world. Recipient categories being honored are: OUTSTANDING BUSINESS OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL OUTSTANDING CITIZEN VOLUNTEER OUTSTANDING NONPROFIT Thursday, April 17, 2025 5:30 – 8:00 pm Networking Reception 5:30 - 6:45 pm(Hors d'oeuvres, Wine and Beer)Award Presentations 7:00 - 8:00 pm Oshman JCC3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Jensen, Eric; Figueroa, Eric;Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Hayden; Steve Wagstaffe; Barberini, Christopher;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler; John Burt; Foley, Michael; Afanasiev, Alex; Shikada, Ed;Pacific GrovePD; GRP-City Council; Council, City; Perron, Zachary; Dave Price; Sean Allen; Pat M; Sarah Wright;Wagner, April; Braden Cartwright; Gennady Sheyner; Bill Newell; Stump, Molly; Dennis Upton; dennis burns;DuJuan Green Subject:Entire police force put on leave after chief, 4 officers arrested on multiple charges Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:34:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. FYI: Entire police force put on leave after chief, 4 officers arrested on multiple charges https://search.app/6F6GacUkeQxJmYQY6 Shared via the Google app From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Ed Lauing; Josh Becker; h.etzko@gmail.com; Reckdahl, Keith;assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California DemocraticDelegate, Assembly District 23; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky Cc:Doug Minkler; Lotus Fong; Friends of Cubberley; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Hayden; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Sarah Wright; editor@paweekly.com; Gennady Sheyner; Kaloma Smith; Daniel Kottke; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Don Austin; district1@bos.sccgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Bill Newell; Rowena Chiu; Reifschneider, James; Binder, Andrew; Rose Lynn; sharon jackson; Pat M; Sean Allen; Mickie Winkler; Wagner, April; Stump, Molly; Palo Alto Free Press; Michelle; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Enberg, Nicholas; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Barberini, Christopher; Tim James; Cait James; Marina Lopez; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; editor@almanacnews.com; Shikada, Ed; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; city.council@menlopark.gov; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Council, City Subject:Columbia University’s Secret Disciplinary Process for Students Critical of Israel Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 9:04:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Columbia University’s Secret Disciplinary Process for Students Critical of Israel https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/columbia-university-gaza-student-disclinary-office?utm_medium=web From:Scheff, Lisa To:City Attorney; Clerk, City; Council, City Cc:Pease, Scott; Frazier, Nicole Subject:RE: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 7:37:00 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.png The application for Mr. Hobbs’s client was emailed directly to him and the hard copy inked signature was placed in the outgoing mail to be sent to his office. Thank you, Lisa Scheff | Public Safety Program Manger/Records O: 650.329.2553 | E: Lisa.Scheff@CityofPaloAlto.org From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:13 AM To: City Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Bates, Amanda <Amanda.Bates@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Fwd: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Palo Alto City Attorney, I sent a U-Visa Certification request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, on August 8, of 2023. I have not received a response at all. It has been over a year and half. By California state law, we were supposed to receive a response in 30 days or less. Please refer to the email chain attached here. As you can see, Ms. Lisa Scheff asked for a modification to the Form I-918B Certification request be made, where as we took out any reference to False Imprisonment. On December 21, 2023, my legal assistant made this modification and sent it to Ms. Lisa Scheff, and she acknowledged receiving this email that same day by saying, "Hello Mr. Hobbs, Thank you for taking the initiative to send this. It saves me an email back to Carlos! " Ms. Lisa Scheff told my legal assistant by phone, that if these modifications were made, then she would sign this U-Visa Certification request form I-918B. We have attached the various request that we have sent to Ms. Lisa Scheff. We have emailed Ms. Lisa Scheff in February of 2024, March of 2024, April of 2024, and we even emailed Ms. Amanda Bates, the assistant for the Chief of Police of Palo Alto, in October 2024. All to no avail. Unfortunately, we will have to escalate this by possibly filing a law suit against the City of Palo, if we do not get a response within 30 day. Please confer with the Chief of Police and Ms. Lisa Scheff, so that we may get a response one way or another, or else we will be forced to file a lawsuit for the City of Palo Alto violating California State law regarding the timely response to a U-Visa certification request. SB 674, AB 917, and AB 2426 impose several requirements on certifying agencies in California when responding to U visa certification requests. The City of Palo is in violation of CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf Please respond to my office directly and update us on what actions are being taken. I do not wish for this to be escalated to a lawsuit, or for us to take legal action against the City of Palo Alto, but we will if we do not get a response within 30 days of this email. Thank you for your assistance to this matter. Have a great day. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 3:06 PM Subject: Fwd: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form To: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org>, amanda.bates@cityofpaloalto.org <amanda.bates@cityofpaloalto.org> Hello Ms. Scheff, I have added Palo Alto Police Chief Assistant, Amanda Bates, to bring this case to the attention of Palo Alto Police Chief Andrew Binder. Please escalate this matter to Palo Alto Police Chief Andrew Binder. My office initially sent a U-Visa Certification Request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, to the Palo Alto Police Department to the attention of Ms. Lisa Scheff, on August 1, 2023. My legal assistant, Carlos Maldonado J.D., spoke to Ms. Lisa Scheff over the phone in or about December 2023. Ms. Lisa Scheff requested my office make some amendments to Form I-918B. My legal assistant made the requested amendments to Form I-918B. Ms. Lisa Scheff has yet to send us a response to our U-Visa certification request and it has been over a year and two months since we initially sent this U-Visa certification request. California PC 679.10 (j)-(I) states that a law enforcement agency has 30 days (of receipt of a U-Visa Certification request) to respond to that request. Please see the attached document for your reference. In or about April of 2024, I left a voicemail to Ms. Lisa Scheff regarding the lack of a response regarding this matter. I still have gotten no response either by email, mail, or phone call back. I, and my assistant have also emailed Ms. Lisa Scheff multiple times asking for an update on this matter. We have gotten no response. Please see the email chain below. Please let me know when my office can expect a response regarding this U-Visa Certification request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, as soon as possible. If we do not get a response within a reasonable time frame, we will have to escalate this matter even further to the Mayor of Palo Alto, Greer Stone, and the Palo Alto City Attorney, Molly Stump. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112 408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 10:21 AM Subject: Re: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form To: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org> Hello Ms. Scheff, We still have not received this signed Form I-918B U-Visa Certification for my client Pedro Pacheco. We originally sent this to your office in August of 2023. Its been over 8 months and we still have not received an official response. Please let us know one way or the other if this is approved or denied. Were you able to send it to us? Please let us know if there is anything else needed from me. Thanks and have a great day and weekend! Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. On Thu, Dec 21, 2023 at 2:52 PM Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: You don't often get email from hobbsimmigration@gmail.com. Learn why this is important Hello Mr. Hobbs, Thank you for taking the initiative to send this. It saves me an email back to Carlos! Lisa Scheff Public Safety Program Manager/Records Police Department (650) 329-2553 | lisa.scheff@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2023 2:12 PM To: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Ms. Scheff, As per your conversation with my legal assistant, Carlos Maldonado J.D., we have attached an updated Form I-918B, without any reference to False Imprisonment (CA PC 236). Please let me know if there is anything else that is required from us regarding (our client) Pedro Pacheco's U-Visa Certification request. Thank you for all of your assistance with this matter. Happy Holidays. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. From:Teceta Tormala To:Council, City Subject:Train track watchers needed Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 4:13:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the city council- I am the parent of two current Paly students, and am a PAUSD graduate myself. The death of a young person in our community is a devastating loss, and the circumstances of the death today are tragic. We know of the suicide clusters that have emerged twice in our city's recent history, and we should be vigilant about blocking the means to die by suicide for the teens in our community who are under heavy burdens of academic pressures and mental health challenges. I am hopeful that Palo Alto will make a swift decision to re-install security at the Churchill and East Meadow crossings, to be another layer of attentiveness towards those crossing the train tracks. Let us do whatever is in our power to protect our youth. Best, Teceta Tormala From:Aram James To:Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; Human Relations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Gerry Gras; Wagner, April; Pat M; Sean Allen; Kaloma Smith; Supervisor Otto Lee; Diana Diamond; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Council, City Subject:Barnard expelled one student for their alleged participation in the occupation of Hamilton Hall last April, ColumbiaUniversity Apartheid Divest wrote in a Mond… Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 3:50:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Shame on Barnard for capitulating to Zionist McCarthyism!! Barnard expelled one student for their alleged participation in the occupation of Hamilton Halllast April, Columbia University Apartheid Divest wrote in a Mond… Source: Columbia Daily Spectator https://search.app/xrUz5JC4aXnguZdF8 Shared via the Google app From:Debbie Mukamal To:Council, City Subject:We have to do more for our young people. Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 3:27:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. A year ago exactly today, I sent the message below. It could have been written today. Given this morning's tragic news, I hope you will reconsider how the City can do more to prevent another tragedy from happening. While mental health supports are important, they are insufficient. More needs to be done to eliminate the risk of the trains. Best, Debbie Mukamal 718 938 8450 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Debbie Mukamal <ailahm@yahoo.com> To: City.Council@cityofpaloalto.org <City.Council@cityofpaloalto.org> Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 at 08:45:26 AM PST Subject: We have to do more for our young people. Dear Palo Alto City Council: First, thank you all for your service to our community. I am writing to strongly urge/beg you to do more to help our young people. I am the mother of a sophomore at Gunn HS and in the last two weeks two young women have tried to take their life, one was successful and the other was not. I am heartbroken for both of these families and for all of the students at Gunn who are mourning loss and worried about their friends. My own cousin's 16 year old daughter died by suicide about 6 years ago so I have seen first hand the impact that such a loss has on a family and a community. What are we doing to make the train tracks less of a risk and allure for them? In the past, we had human watchers at the train tracks. Can we bring them back? Research shows that removing the lethal means of suicide can make a big difference: Hope for Suicide Prevention The relevant line for us here in Palo Alto is this: "It turns out that blocking access to a single lethal means — if it is the right one — can make a huge difference." I look forward to hearing what we're doing here in PA for our young people. Best, Debbie Mukamal From:Hiral Parekh To:Council, CitySubject:Prioritize moving trains above or below the street level for human safety and traffic flow improvementsDate:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 12:41:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, This topic has been repeatedly discussed. There was yet another fatality in Palo Alto with the trains again.Could we please prioritize a solution where cars nor people need to interact with the trains. We need this to improve traffic and decrease people being hit by trains. https://padailypost.com/2025/03/04/police-respond-to-death-on-train-tracks/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI0Q_5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVBCxK7SoWpUDH8u3vIDz_4HCaDW2TEP5Btdb0VpK0rY2nzi9NnZKXmxSQ_aem_ZeBux2vCcUSwvQh61XFVGA Hiral ParekhPalo Alto Citizen From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary Cc:Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Sean Allen; Pat M; Kaloma Smith; Gardener, Liz; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; sharon jackson; Gennady Sheyner; EPA Today; Jeff Conrad; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; Liz Kniss; Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Afanasiev, Alex; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Palo Alto Free Press; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; bos@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Sheriff Transparency; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; dennis burns; DuJuan Green Subject:Ex-University of Kentucky student who went to jail after calling classmate the N-word 200 times in viral videoasks to be freed early Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:48:28 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Ex-University of Kentucky student who went to jail after calling classmate the N-word 200times in viral video asks to be freed early Source: New York Post https://share.newsbreak.com/bv9lzuz0?s=i0 From:Helene Grossman To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Star-Lack, Sylvia Subject:Presentation from last night & Artificial turf report Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:24:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, Manager Shikada, and Ms. Star-Lack, Thank you for the opportunity to present to Council last night. Here is my presentation. While I fully support the vision of the Safe Streets plan, I also hope we can take action much sooner -- acting on citizen 311 tickets, painting curbs red nearcrosswalks, and, as Councilmember Lu suggested, taking action quickly when there is a serious accident to address the causes and prevent future tragedies. In addition, here is the study & recommendations on artificial turf, as generated byChatGPT's Deep Research (just scroll up to see the original prompt and the full report). The report is comprehensive, discussing: Safety considerations (injury risk, surface heat, chemical exposure, microbial growthand infections)Environmental impact (water use, chemical use and pollution, carbon footprint andenergy, waste and recyclability)Cost considerations (installation and capital costs, maintenance costs, lifespan andreplacement costs, economic value of usability)Usability and player experience (durability and playability, seasonal and weatheradaptability, player comfort and health, maintenance and aesthetics)Case studies from other communitiesRecommendations for Palo Alto It includes sources & links. If any additional information is desired (for example, a deeperdive into the impacts of PFAS), that can be done easily -- in just a few minutes and for free. I hope these findings are useful to the City, and I very much hope the savings from fewer consultants can be used to improve safety on our roads -- red curb paint, stop signs, and soforth. Win/win! Thank you for your time, and I am happy to answer any follow-up questions or provide any additional information. Also, I am happy to provide the free ChatGPT Pro subscription toCity Staff to carry out more reports and save on consultant fees. All the best, Helene Grossman From:Richard Hobbs To:City Attorney; Bates, Amanda; Scheff, Lisa; Clerk, City; Council, City Subject:Fwd: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:19:08 AM Attachments:image003.png image004.png PACHECO GARCIA, Pedro CERT sent 08.11.2023.pdf PACHECO GARCIA, Pedro CERT UPDATE REQUEST sent 12.06.2023.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Palo Alto City Attorney, I sent a U-Visa Certification request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, on August 8, of 2023. Ihave not received a response at all. It has been over a year and half. By California state law, we were supposed to receive a response in 30 days or less. Please refer to the email chain attached here. As you can see, Ms. Lisa Scheff asked for amodification to the Form I-918B Certification request be made, where as we took out any reference to False Imprisonment. On December 21, 2023, my legal assistant made thismodification and sent it to Ms. Lisa Scheff, and she acknowledged receiving this email that same day by saying, "Hello Mr. Hobbs, Thank you for taking the initiative to send this. It saves me an email back to Carlos! " Ms. Lisa Scheff told my legal assistant by phone, that if these modifications were made, then she would sign this U-Visa Certification request form I-918B. We have attached the various request that we have sent to Ms. Lisa Scheff. We have emailed Ms. Lisa Scheff in February of 2024, March of 2024, April of 2024, and weeven emailed Ms. Amanda Bates, the assistant for the Chief of Police of Palo Alto, in October 2024. All to no avail. Unfortunately, we will have to escalate this by possibly filing a law suit against the City ofPalo, if we do not get a response within 30 day. Please confer with the Chief of Police and Ms. Lisa Scheff, so that we may get a response one way or another, or else we will be forced to file a lawsuit for the City of Palo Alto violatingCalifornia State law regarding the timely response to a U-Visa certification request. SB 674,AB 917, and AB 2426 impose several requirements on certifying agencies in California whenresponding to U visa certification requests. The City of Palo is in violation of CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf CA State Laws of the U-Visa - SB 674, AB 917 & AB 2426.pdf Please respond to my office directly and update us on what actions are being taken. I do not wish for this to be escalated to a lawsuit, or for us to take legal action against the City of PaloAlto, but we will if we do not get a response within 30 days of this email. Thank you for your assistance to this matter. Have a great day. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112 408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com>Date: Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 3:06 PM Subject: Fwd: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B FormTo: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org>, amanda.bates@cityofpaloalto.org <amanda.bates@cityofpaloalto.org> Hello Ms. Scheff, I have added Palo Alto Police Chief Assistant, Amanda Bates, to bring this case to the attention of Palo Alto Police Chief Andrew Binder. Please escalate this matter to Palo AltoPolice Chief Andrew Binder. My office initially sent a U-Visa Certification Request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, to the Palo Alto Police Department to the attention of Ms. Lisa Scheff, on August 1, 2023. My legal assistant, Carlos Maldonado J.D., spoke to Ms. Lisa Scheff over the phone in orabout December 2023. Ms. Lisa Scheff requested my office make some amendments to Form I-918B. My legal assistant made the requested amendments to Form I-918B. Ms. Lisa Scheff has yet tosend us a response to our U-Visa certification request and it has been over a year and two months since we initially sent this U-Visa certification request. California PC 679.10 (j)-(I) states that a law enforcement agency has 30 days (of receipt of a U-Visa Certification request) to respond to that request. Please see the attacheddocument for your reference. In or about April of 2024, I left a voicemail to Ms. Lisa Scheff regarding the lack of a response regarding this matter. I still have gotten no response either by email, mail, or phonecall back. I, and my assistant have also emailed Ms. Lisa Scheff multiple times asking for an update on this matter. We have gotten no response. Please see the email chain below. Please let me know when my office can expect a response regarding this U-VisaCertification request for my client, Pedro Pacheco, as soon as possible. If we do not get a response within a reasonable time frame, we will have to escalate thismatter even further to the Mayor of Palo Alto, Greer Stone, and the Palo Alto CityAttorney, Molly Stump. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112408 642-7404hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 10:21 AMSubject: Re: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form To: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org> Hello Ms. Scheff, We still have not received this signed Form I-918B U-Visa Certification for my client Pedro Pacheco. We originally sent this to your office in August of 2023. Its beenover 8 months and we still have not received an official response. Please let us know one way or the other if this is approved or denied. Were you able to send it to us? Please let us know if there is anything else needed from me. Thanks and have a great day and weekend! Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112408 642-7404hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. On Thu, Dec 21, 2023 at 2:52 PM Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hello Mr. Hobbs, Thank you for taking the initiative to send this. It saves me an email back to Carlos! Lisa Scheff Public Safety Program Manager/Records Police Department (650) 329-2553 | lisa.scheff@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Richard Hobbs <hobbsimmigration@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2023 2:12 PMTo: Scheff, Lisa <Lisa.Scheff@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: PACHECO, Pedro Updated I-918B Form You don't often get email from hobbsimmigration@gmail.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Ms. Scheff, As per your conversation with my legal assistant, Carlos Maldonado J.D., we haveattached an updated Form I-918B, without any reference to False Imprisonment (CA PC236). Please let me know if there is anything else that is required from us regarding (our client)Pedro Pacheco's U-Visa Certification request. Thank you for all of your assistance with this matter. Happy Holidays. Sincerely, Richard Hobbs, Esq. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD HOBBS 1376 N. 4th Street, suite 100 San Jose, CA 95112 408 642-7404 hobbsimmigration@gmail.com This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. From:Aaron Golembiewski | Turf Talents To:Council, City Subject:Plastic turf replacement innovations Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:14:30 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello there, We’re bringing alternatives to plastic turf fields that have taken hold across Europe to the United States. We’re already working with one FIFA 2026 World Cup field here and hope to work with more across the U.S., Mexico and Canada in the coming weeks. We also should have our first municipal field in place this summer in New York. Given the concerns you and the Palo Alto Community have raised regarding plastic turf, we’d like to offer you a few options that break from the old grass v. synthetic mold and allow both players and the community to benefit from grass, a healthier ecosystem and better play. DrainTalent: https://turftalents.com/amateur/products/draintalent/ Hybrid turf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vl7ZXu-h5Q Field Factors: https://www.fieldfactors.com/green-sports-facilities We work with these three innovations to turn sports fields into green infrastructure that captures storm water, heat and carbon while releasing oxygen. They’re also some of the best fields in the world to play on. We recently were part of a virtual forum on alternatives to plastic turf in Westchester County in New York, which can be seen at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84153741500 We’d love to introduce some new thinking about sports fields to Palo Alto. Please reach out anytime. Kind regards, Aaron Golembiewski Head of Business Development (718) 730 2154 aaron@turftalents.com www.turftalents.com Let's connect From:Anthony Anton Patisserie To:Council, City Subject:Re: Anton Patisserie Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony @ Stanford Shopping Center Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 10:28:42 AM Attachments:Outlook-p1drvbmr.pngOutlook-3zzdtezs.png Outlook-qrpop1ie.pngOutlook-wvnwkywh.pngOutlook-ol0ogutp.pngOutlook-kaaef4fx.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, I hope you're doing well! Could you please advise on the best way to get in touch with Mayor Ed? I would like to reach out and invite him to our grand opening ceremony at Stanford Shopping Center. Looking forward to your guidance. Sincerely, Anthony Tam 1969 Otoole Way, San Jose, CA 95131 E: anthony.t@antonsv.com Yelp | Instagram From: Anthony Anton Patisserie <anthony.t@antonsv.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:57 AM To: Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: Anton Patisserie Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony @ Stanford Shopping Center Hi Ed, I hope you’re doing well. My name is Anthony, and I’m the owner of Anton, a local patisserie specializing in handcrafted crepe cakes. We are thrilled to be opening our newest location in Stanford Shopping Center and would love to invite you to join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate this exciting milestone. We are considering the following dates and would love to know your availability: Friday, April 25 Thursday May 1 Thursday, May 8 Saturday, May 10 As a small business, we are grateful for the support of our local community and would be honored to have you there. Please let us know if you're available during that time, and we will do our best to accommodate your schedule. Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your response! Sincerely, Anthony Tam 1969 Otoole Way, San Jose, CA 95131 E: anthony.t@antonsv.com Yelp | Instagram From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Agenda Item # 9 Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 8:53:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Every week something happens or someone tells me a story that drives home the profound, negative impact on peoples lives that is the result of our failure to build housing. In the last election cycle, the no build contingent latched onto the “I’m for truly affordablele housing” and “it can’t just be any housing, it has to be the right kind of housing.” I couldn’t agree more, which is why, seems to me, changing zoning ordinances to allow for this should be a no brainer. Thank you for your attention to this issue. I do feel of all the problems we face, housing is the one that matters the most. Deborah Goldeen, Birch St., 94306 From:Goma Myers To:Council, City; City Mgr Cc:letters@padailypost.com Subject:How to increase foot traffic in downtown Palo Alto Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 8:49:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To: The Honorable Palo Alto City Council and Palo Alto City Manager Reference: How to increase foot traffic in downtown Palo Alto Dave Price’s astute article of February 24, 2025, in the Daily Post Opinion Section is well-worth reposting and seriously considering. He sets forth an excellent way to increase foot traffic in downtown Palo Alto, without spending tens of millions of dollars widening sidewalks along University Ave. His suggestion: Cancel remote work for City employees. As Price notes: “Office workers are critical to the health of downtown areas” and “one of the largest employers downtown is the city government itself.” Common sense decisions are not always hassle-free, but I think this approach would be well worth implementing. A. ‎Myers View this email in your browser. Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, and Instagram. MARCH VOTER March 3, 2025 In this Issue Message from our President LWVPA Updates Lunch with League Speaker Event LWVPA 2025 Annual Meeting National Federal Judiciary Study Update From:LWV Palo Alto VOTERTo:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA March VOTER: Upcoming Events and Important UpdatesDate:Monday, March 3, 2025 7:02:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Subscribe to our Google Calendar Call for Nominating Committee Members! Board Meeting Highlights Advocacy Report Events by Other Leagues & In the Community The SAVE Act & Proof of Citizenship Laws 2025 Annual Bay Area League Day Climate with Tom Steyer Local Power, National Impact: Cities on the Frontlines of Democracy Celebrate Women's History Month Message from our President Dear Members, In the past month, we have witnessed unprecedented changes in our government, and how people’s lives are deeply affected by these significant challenges. Now more than ever, we know the importance of defending our democratic processes and institutions. The League of Women Voters has always stood for nonpartisan civic engagement, and in this critical moment, we must double down our effort and work together to ensure that we are informed with the facts and working towards good governance for the benefit of all residents. Democracy requires participation by all of us. What can we do? Below, we’d like to share an excellent list of actions written by Elaine Manley and Tracey Edwards, Co-Presidents of LWV Cupertino-Sunnyvale: “Stay Informed: Follow nonpartisan sources to understand the changes in policies and how they affect our area and our nation. Engage Locally: Attend League events and volunteer to make an impact in your local community. Advocate: Support efforts that promote good governance, voting rights protections, and more. Talk to Your Representatives: Hold our leaders accountable by calling, writing, and meeting with them to express your concerns and hopes for the future. Register and Empower Voters: Join us in voter education efforts to ensure every eligible voter has the information they need to participate. Our democracy depends on active and informed participants like you. Together, we can ensure that our government truly represents the people.” Please consider volunteering to help us drive these valuable actions forward, and identifying or recruiting others to consider joining committees or board positions (see below for contact information). We must stand together to protect our democracy and community, especially now. With appreciation for your support, Karen Kalinsky LWVPA Updates Lunch with League Speaker Event featuring Adam Dawes, CEO of Embarcadero Media Which serves a population of more than 500,000 people on the MidPeninsula and the East Bay's Tri-Valley Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:00 - 1:00 pm Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, Redwood Room 3460 W. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto This event is both in-person and online ---------------------------------------------------- LWVPA 2025 Annual Meeting Sunday, May 18, 2025 1:00 - 3:00 pm Baylands Golf Links, 1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto Please mark your calendar for these exciting upcoming League events. More details and registration links will be shared in the future newsletters. National Federal Judiciary Study Update The Palo Alto League members discussed Federal Judiciary Study consensus questions. Twenty-three engaged members of LWV Palo Alto and LWV Los Altos/Mountain View met on March 1 for a joint LWV study of the Federal Judiciary. They discussed proposals to boost the Supreme Court’s accountability, transparency, independence and ethical behavior. Each league came to a strong consensus on the need to adopt a new LWV position on the federal judiciary to include an enforceable ethics code for the Supreme Court. Leagues all over the country will be sending their study results to LWVUS by mid-April. Thank you to all the attendees for participating in our democratic process! Call for Nominating Committee Members! We are looking for members to serve on the Nominating Committee! Help shape the future of our organization by identifying and recruiting passionate leaders. Join us in preparing a dynamic slate of officers and directors for the Annual Meeting while collaborating with the board and Leadership Development Team to ensure key roles are filled for a strong and effective board. If you are interested, please contact Erika Buck at erikabuck@gmail.com or (650) 743-6943. LWVPA February 2025 Board Meeting Highlights The February board meeting focused on spring programs and events including the upcoming Study on the Federal Judiciary, Annual Meeting planned for May 18, and possible education events given the current threats to our democracy and water issues. The 2025 Nominating Committee is also getting underway so please let us know if you are interested in a board position next year! Approved Motions: To approve ratification of EAC letters sent to the Palo Alto City Council regarding: 1) proposed teacher housing on El Camino Real; and 2) support for a proposed resolution opposing executive orders impacting local communities. To approve December and January minutes. Our next Board Meeting is on Tuesday, March 25. All members are welcome to join the meeting by emailing contact@lwvpaloalto.org. - Megan Swezey Fogarty, Secretary Advocacy Report Local Advocacy Our Board sent a letter to the City Council supporting “The Academy”, a 55- unit affordable housing development on El Camino Real. Read the letter HERE. We also supported a proposed City Council Resolution, condemning Trump’s recent executive orders freezing federal funding already appropriated by Congress to pressure states and localities to comply with policy goals that violate state or local laws. The Resolution also opposes the firing of federal workers without due process and dismantling efforts to increase representation of women and minorities in the workforce. Read the letter HERE. State Advocacy LWVPA members took part in LWV legislative interviews with Senator Josh Becker (Sen. District 13) and Assemblymember Marc Berman (Asm. District 23). Sen. Becker discussed a number of issues—the state budget; wildfire cleanup and recovery from the Los Angeles fires; the importance reducing energy costs; the need to bring back home insurance coverage; his sponsorship of the Interim Housing Act which addressed homelessness by allowing modular construction and interim building standards; prohibiting the use of AI in making health care decisions; making sure the recent Climate Bond would help fund regional plans for dealing with sea level rise; and challenges to California’s priorities from new federal policies. He noted that the legislature had passed at least $25 million legal fund to challenge federal policies in court. Sen. Becker expressed support for AB 11, the Social Housing Act, which would establish a state agency to implement public housing and for a publicly funded revolving construction loan to build mixed-income housing with public ownership. Asm Berman’s interview has not yet been posted. A summary of Sen. Becker’s interview is available on the LWV Santa Clara County Council Website. National Advocacy See LWV letter to congress urging congress to exercise its authority. In the letter to Congress and in filing lawsuits, LWV condemned the freezing of funds already authorized by Congress, the firing of federal workers without due process, the abandonment of DEI, and the gutting of Civil Rights offices. LWV applauded the 9th circuit’s decision to protect the rights of Arizona voters to register to vote; filed an amicus brief supporting a challenge to Idaho’s voter suppression law; condemned the administration’s weaponization of government against Americans; and condemned the Jan. 6 attack on the capitol. Read the statements HERE. - Lisa Ratner, 1st Vice President and Advocacy Chair Events by Other Leagues & in the Community The so-called "SAVE" Act and other proof of citizenship laws pose major threats to our voting rights. We want to be sure you understand how these laws would drastically undermine our democracy, and what you can do to stop them. Join speakers from VoteRiders, the League of Women Voters of the US, and the Institute for Responsive Government next Thursday, March 6, to learn about the SAVE Act and other proof of citizenship laws. Note that the event is at 12 pm PST. Register Now 2025 Annual Bay Area League Day Regional Government: How Does It Affect You? Saturday, March 8, 2025 10 am - 1 pm A keynote address by State Senator Josh Becker, SD 13, chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, will kick off LWV Bay Area's 2025 League Day, a Zoom event from 10 am to 1 pm. Following his presentation, a panel from members of the MTC-ABAG executive team will discuss how the agency operates while maintaining separate governing boards. MTC and ABAG are partner regional agencies with a single staff to better advance local and regional priorities for transportation, housing and the environment while driving collaborative solutions. ABAG supports regional planning and cooperation among the 9- county Bay Area while MTC directly distributes more than one billion dollars a year to public transit agencies and other recipients, and, prioritizes requests from local agencies for millions more in state and federal funds. Panelists will include Alix Bockelman, MTC-ABAG's Chief Deputy Executive Director, ABAG President and Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos, and Sue Noack, incoming MTC Chair and Mayor of Pleasant HIll. Submit your questions and comments in advance to lwvbayarea@gmail.com. Climate with Tom Steyer League of Women Voters – Climate Interest Group Thursday, March 27, 2025 4:00 pm -5:00 pm Come hear a webinar by climate investor Tom Steyer. A longtime leader in the climate movement, Tom has spearheaded citizen campaigns, championed climate science, and advocated for bold legislation —even running for President to put climate first. Now, he is leveraging decades of experience as a world-class investor to drive climate solutions in the private sector. He’s the author of Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War, Register Now which was highly praised by Al Gore and Bill McKibben, among others. Come learn about the climate crisis and why local action is critical. From LWV California… Local Power, National Impact: Cities on the Frontlines of Democracy Sunday, March 30, 2025 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Cities are doing all they can to uphold democracy, and real change is happening at the local level—change that aligns with our values of inclusion, community, and equity. Join us on Zoom for a powerful conversation with three League members Register Now recently elected to local office: Adena Ishii – Mayor of Berkeley Lorrel Plimier – Piedmont City Council Natalya Zernitskaya – Santa Monica City Council They will share why local government is more important than ever, what they’re working on locally to defend democracy, and why strengthening democracy starts at the community level. Tickets for this unique event are $10. All funds raised will support the LWV California's advocacy efforts in Sacramento and throughout the state. Celebrate Women's History Month Get Tickets March marks the start of Women’s History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women. Here are some local resources and events to help you celebrate and honor Women's History Month. Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVC Newsletter and LWVC Action Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVUS Email News (at bottom) and LWVUS Action Alerts How to contact your elected officials All your elected officials United States President Joseph R. Biden (202) 456-1414 Senator Alex Padilla (202) 224-3553 Senator Adam Schiff (202) 224-3841 Rep. Anna Eshoo (650) 323-2984 California Governor Gavin Newsom (916) 445-2841 Senator Josh Becker (650) 212-3313 Assemblymember Marc Berman (650) 691-2121 Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian (650) 965-8737 joe.simitian@bos.sccgov.org Other Areas in California Locate your elected officials by using your street address JOIN A TEAM Learn More About Our Teams and Programs on our Website! 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 update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Questions? Please contact communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:Ann Pianetta To:Council, City Subject:University Avenue Renovations Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 6:22:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council: I have read in the Palo Alto Weekly about renovating University Avenue to increase the economic viability of the downtown area. The problem with the downtown is the overabundance of restaurants, and high rents. There are owners who would rather have their storefronts remain vacant than to lower the rent and have a business there. The downtown, and other business areas of Palo Alto are resembling a food court at a mall. I think it is a waste of money to renovate the street and sidewalks. They work just fine. Why should we have to pay twice for something that already works? The parklets are another problem. They block visibility for businesses that are next to restaurants. They also take away parking for people, especially people who have a hard time getting around. I certainly hope that the restaurants who use this outside area are paying rent to the City. The worst part of these restaurants is the trash they create with all the take-out food. I have lived here my whole life (72 years) and I used to be able to go downtown and find everything I needed. Now, there are just high end stores, restaurants, nail salons, and that seems to be it. We need a variety of businesses that appeal to all Palo Altans. Please rethink your idea of renovation. It is a flawed proposition. Many thanks, Ann Pianetta 3815 La Donna Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Item 2 TONIGHT--Safe System for All Action Plan Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 5:45:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council, My Safe System Action Plan comments follow these remarks on the comment form. I’m sorry for the late delivery. I assumed that letters from the public that were sent to PTC would follow the staff report to Council. Things have changed. The format and submittal requirements of the comment form on the SS4A Action Plan web site make it difficult to use. The 600-character limit and requirement to submit comments page by page, going back and forth between documents is cumbersome, especially for people who may not have multiple computer screens at home. PABAC was given only 35 minutes (including staff’s presentation) at our January PABAC meeting for verbal comment and discussion about the SS4A Action Plan. We have been instructed to submit our comments on the 173-page document using the web page form. Some comments require complicated context that is not provided in the report and cannot be provided within the 600-character limit the form requires. I had hoped all PABAC comments, whether made in the web site format or by email, would move forward in their entirety with staff reports on the SS4A Action Plan, regardless of whether commenters used the constrained web page format. Please inform PABAC whether or not you plan to do this, so we will know whether or not we should send our comments directly to PTC and City Council. Thank you for considering my comments. Penny Ellson ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Draft SS4A Action Plan Comments from Penny Ellson SS4A Action Plan Silence on Recommendations for San Antonio Area. This is an overall comment on the entire report. San Antonio Road gets three mentions in this report: San Antonio Road is flagged on the High Injury Network Map (p.8) Figure 11 (p. 46) identifies San Antonio Road as serving population below the Federal Poverty Line in Palo Alto. Residential population in this area will increase significantly when thousands of new housing units at all levels of affordability (including the new Home Key project for people transitioning from homelessness) are built. Please also consider impacts of the nearby Mountain View zoning changes and projects. Figure 13 (p. 48) identifies San Antonio Road as a Transit Corridor Existing problems and needs re: San Antonio are shown in these three maps, but besides being noted on the maps, none of the existing problems or future aggregate development impacts are discussed or addressed in the policy/program/project recommendations in Appendixes G&H. Both Palo Alto and Mountain View are significantly upzoning this area which will create thus far unstudied aggregate impacts. Page 52 says, “In areas where housing is planned, the City will prioritize implementation of continuous and comfortable pedestrian and bicycle facilities. This may require the re-allocation of space within the existing roadway or removal of parking.” However, report recommendations (App. G&H) are completely silent regarding San Antonio Road. I understand why that may be. Area Planning hasn’t yet been started. However, I worry that failure to include any mention of the upcoming Area Plan, not even a placeholder for its recommendations, in the body of this report may reduce eligibility for transportation funding for projects and programs during the period of this Action Plan. This gets me to request I made at the January 7, 2024 PABAC meeting that I was instructed to submit in writing. I request the addition of what might be called “placeholder” recommendations in the SS4A Action Plan Policy/Project/Program Appendixes G&H which would: explain the not-quite parallel SS4A Action Plan process and the funded-but-delayed San Antonio Area Planning process recommend that information and recommendations from the area planning process be incorporated in the SS4A Action Plan when they become available. The SS4A Action Plan might also recommend: expediting the delayed San Antonio Area Planning process, and integrating projects and programs that come out of that process in the Action Plan recommendations and BPTP Update in a timely way to ensure eligibility for funding in this planning cycle. Given two large hotels have already been built, more projects have been approved and/or moving rapidly into and through the pipeline, we need this placeholder incorporated in the SS4A Action Plan recommendations now. Multiple new projects and rezonings are through Mountain View pipelines rezoning their side of this area on our border. VTA’s 101 south Palo Alto Interchange plans on San Antonio should also be considered as Mountain View is diverting their project traffic t p San Antonio. We cannot wait ten or more years to deal with the aggregate transportation impacts of these transformative combined projects. San Antonio Road presents significant existing problems for foot-powered people. High density transformation that will be built in this cycle will require mitigation in the near term. If not a placeholder, perhaps staff can suggest some other way to ensure that San Antonio Area impacts are addressed in the SS4A Recommendations so they will be eligible for funding in a timely way—before the three-year Area Planning Process is completed. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Overall Comment: Some parts of the report read as though they were written for Federal and State government—without consideration of existing local city needs, policies and programs. For instance, the Pyramid on page 10 refers only to driver education, but not bike/ped safety ed. Driver ed in CA is done by the State (and private companies). A city like Palo Alto with a population that doubles every work day cannot be expected to reach every driver with education. There is no easy, affordable way for California cities to offer driver education broadly. Palo Alto can and does offer bike/ped safety education in our public schools with the support of PTA volunteers and PAUSD partners. Does the consultant understand our community, our Transportation Element’s emphasis on alternatives to driving and our SRTS program? There seems to be a disconnect re: local needs, existing policies and programs, especially with regard to bike/pedestrian safety education. Education is a Key Gap in the Report – The SS4A Action Plan’s focus on driver education and its silence re: local need for bicycle/pedestrian safety education is, frankly, surprising. This is a community where 54% public school children walk and bike to school and where traffic safety education and encouragement have been key to increasing mode shift while minimizing bike/ped-involved collisions. Focus on driver ed. may be appropriate for the federal and state levels of government, but it makes no sense for local needs of Palo Alto. “Safe People” is a goal referred to in the report. People are far less likely to make mistakes when they know how to use the road safely and predictably. Children are not born with this knowledge. Every child is taught these skills in PAUSD schools. It’s important to have redundant, engineered safe systems, but if children don’t know what a STOP sign or back-up lights, or red lights mean, or what side of the road to ride, engineered systems will still fail them. Adult teachers, parents, and caregivers learn through our SRTS programs as well. I view the bike/ped traffic safety skills knowledge and habits as part of the redundant safety systems we need. The report fails to acknowledge a stated need in the SRTS Five Year Plan for expanding traffic safety education programming in PAUSD secondary schools. Please make sure bike/ped safety programming and planned expansion of these programs to secondary schools is included in the report’s recommendations. This is important in a community where new families are constantly moving in from other states and countries (where rules of the road may be very different) or transferring from private schools where children may not have received any traffic safety education at all. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Overall comment: I see only two mentions of bicycle boulevards in this document. Only one of those is in the App. G&H (Webster Street Repaving project on p.172). I do see bike boulevards mentioned as Safety Focus Areas, but I do not see bike boulevards listed as projects in the Recommendations section. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding the document’s organization or its purpose as it relates to the BPTP. Please help me understand what this means. Bike boulevards provide calmer direct routes that help bicyclists avoid faster car-dominated roads. I’d like to prioritize safety focus on implementing: our bike boulevard network vision bike/ped improvements to residential arterials bike/ped improvements to locations where bike boulevards intersect or interact with higher auto volume/speed roads where we see KSIs. The city has, in my opinion, done a poor job communicating to the general public how to find bike boulevards, off-road trails and other bike/ped facilities. Wayfinding signage is somewhat haphazard and bike/ped map availability is poor. While it’s important to make busy streets safer for all users, it is important to have a quieter bicycle boulevard network that invites less confident and skilled bicyclists if we are serious about mode shift. I worry that this report abandons the bike boulevard network vision of the 2012 BPTP without explicitly stating it has done so. If I am misunderstanding this, please explain the intent and presence of only one Bicycle Boulevard project in the recommendations. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ P.7- Question re: Safety Focus Areas. Would San Antonio be re-designated and treated as a Residential Arterial, in anticipation of the corridor’s transformation by Mountain View’s and Palo Alto’s recent upzoning for many thousands of new housing units along and near this city-border corridor? p.9- Item 3 proposes a land use policy/program change to promote density and infill. Is that within the scope of this document? Has the city not just recently implemented such policy/program change? Item 3 might instead address how to align transportation improvements with already planned/zoned higher density--something like, “The City will commit to support areas zoned for increased density and infill development with transportation facilities and improvements to enable safe multi-modal transportation for present and future road users.” This speaks to Transportation Safety, the purview of this document and moves us toward the significant challenges of addressing aggregate impacts of development the city already has zoned for (and in some cases approved without planning for transportation). p. 10- This pyramid is an inappropriate graphic for Palo Alto—or for any community that is serious about alternative transportation. Bicycle and pedestrian safety education and encouragement are key components of a holistic and equitable approach to traffic safety. The graphics should support this, not downplay the role of alternative modes. In Palo Alto, thousands of children and teens walk or bike to school each school day and many adults also use foot-powered transportation. Bike/Ped safety ed. must be a stated priority, not just driver ed. Driver ed in California primarily is a task for the State, which issues driver’s permits and licenses. Cities are less able to reach all drivers efficiently. Palo Alto offers in-school bike/ped safety education to k-6 PAUSD students through its Safe Routes to School program. This must be addressed and prioritized in the graphic. (Perhaps a pyramid is the wrong device to illustrate what is needed to support safety in active transportation and mode shift goals.) A CSTSC goal is to add bike/ped education at secondary grade levels. This graphic and references to it should be amended or discarded. It will be decades before we have the other components of the pyramid funded and fully in place. Until then (and even after that) traffic safety education will be critically important. p.11- In the first bulleted section of the third column, Stanford University and Stanford Research Park should be in the list of collaborators. Stanford commuters generate impacts on Palo Alto street safety, and they also need safety improvements on Palo Alto bike/ped routes they use. Stanford often has partnered with the city street safety improvements and bike/ped ed. and events in the past. p. 11 – “Develop user safety guidance for e-bikes and e-scooters that travel in the city” seems like a vague and unenforceable interim measure. Consider adding a recommendation that the city and its lobbyist should also work with the State to push for thoughtful regulation of these rapidly evolving vehicles that are being adopted by new users of all ages and skill levels. p. 17- Quote from the document (underline is my emphasis): “Conventionally, safety plans have been organized by reactive Es of safety: education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency services, and did not focus on proactive risk reduction in the system. This Plan shifts away from the silos of those Es and focuses instead on cross-cutting “new Es”: energy, exposure, and equity. This Plan addresses kinetic energy risk through an assessment of exposure, likelihood, and severity that is inherently proactive and systemic.” Did the consultant write this? I have not seen this language in any other government policy document re: SS4A. Please point me to Fed or State government SS4A policy source(s) of this language. Palo Alto has demonstrated the critical importance of bike/ped traffic safety education and encouragement to achieve mode shift and more predictable, safe road user behavior and to provide affordable transportation options for people cannot drive or who cannot afford a car. Please note my previous comments re: the limits of the new E’s. Please point to specific SS4A policy documents that would eliminate bike/ped traffic safety education as this language (the word “instead”) appears to do. p.24 – (second paragraph) This is incorrect, “The project team attended the City’s Bike Palo Alto event in October 2023 at Fairmeadow Elementary School.” Bike Palo Alto is financially supported by several community donors: SRP, the city, Mikes Bikes, SVBC, other non- profits and individual donors. The organizational work is mostly done by community volunteers. The city is one of a number of valued and important community partners in this community event. This should read, “The project team attended the Bike Palo Alto community event…”(This change is important because League of American Bicyclists views active community partnership as an important component of a Bike Friendly Community and because it is important to be accurate.) p.26 – Figure 5 contains no specific Palo Alto areas south of Oregon Expressway. For instance, what about San Antonio Road where thousands of new high density housing units have been approved or are under construction? This six-lane arterial/truck route that is posted at 35MPH offers bicyclists sharrows and long, intimidating bike/ped intersection crossings. Or Bayshore in midtown where new housing is being built? Or other south Palo Alto areas that have been upzoned for housing? Please include southern parts of Palo Alto that are receiving the lion’s share of state-mandated high density housing development. p.31 – Figure 6 - should include a footnote showing the start/end dates of the Covid emergency, 3/13/2020 - 5/11/2023. (Not everyone remembers these dates.) The Covid emergency vastly changed how streets were used locally and nationally. Palo Alto is still working to restore pre- pandemic bicycle and transit mode share. p. 31 – Overall Comment. Any chart showing pandemic period data should call that out with a footnote showing start/end date of the Covid Emergency—an historically aberrant period for transportation patterns. p. 31 - Figure 6 - This data would be much more useful if we had bike counts behind it. We need to start gathering more accurate and complete bike counts citywide, so we can understand how variations in numbers of collisions relate to numbers of walking and bicycling trips year by year—that is, to understand collision rates. Please add a recommendation to get better bike counts to enable calculation of crash rates in the Project Recommendations section. PABAC and CSTSC have asked for this for years. Let’s use this opportunity to put data collection changes in place to improve evaluation of our efforts to improve safety. p. 33 – Overall re: period of study-- Figure 8 Share of Crashes by Crash Type of Palo Alto Injury Crashes From 2018-2022 – As I argued at the start of this process, a longer period should have been studied because of the effect of the pandemic on road use—reduced numbers of auto commuters led to uncongested, high capacity streets that invited drivers to speed and behave as though they were driving on highways. We saw increased numbers of recreational bicyclists, and fewer work/school commuter bicyclists, so trip distribution changed, and many riders were less experienced bicyclists. Unique pandemic-related road user behaviors emerged that affected everything: mode shift, speeding, origins/destinations and times of trips. All of this causes me to question the usefulness of data from this period to understand normal road use and safety in Palo Alto. The pandemic was a distinctly abnormal time from a transportation perspective.) High capacity roads looked like vacant highways during the pandemic. It’s not surprising that there were high numbers of collisions on higher capacity roads during the pandemic years. Is this good data to inform longer-term transportation planning and funding? Since the consultant/staff opted for the shorter data collection period, please break out data by year, so we might see variations where they may exist. I am particularly interested in the year prior to the pandemic. p. 33 – Figure 8 – It would be useful to have the bars on this chart differentiate by color the percent of collisions that involve bicycles (rather than other types of vehicles) in each category. p. 34 - Figure 9- Is it possible to include auto/bike right hook collisions to the Crash Factors portion of the chart? We know these are a top cause of crashes in Palo Alto. p. 38 - This map omits San Antonio Rd which has been upzoned to become (functionally) a high density residential arterial as the rezoned area is transformed. We should not wait until after future residents are injured, killed and counted before we do necessary transportation work to make San Antonio Road a safe place for foot-powered people. Many of these improvements can be planned for now to minimize future costs. San Antonio is six lanes with sharrows—no bike lanes. Question: Given the changes that are coming, should the probability of a future San Antonio high density residential arterial be reflected in some way on this map? p. 44- I do not see the crash involving the middle school boy who was hit and brain injured on East Meadow. Please include that crash on this map. Excluding injury accidents known to the public from this report does not reflect well on the credibility of the document and its recommendations. Please check to make sure the data you are working with is correct and complete. There is no marker on the map indicating the period during which this data was collected. (PAUSD schools were closed during the pandemic.) p. 51 – There’s that problematic pyramid graphic again. Please fix or eliminate it. See comments above. Completely rethink this graphic to include bike/ped safety education. This graphic doesn’t work for our community. The graphic chosen doesn’t add or convey meaning—a pyramid, in this case, is not helpful to understanding the critical role bike/ped safety education plays in our community where so many children walk and bike to school. What are you trying to communicate with the graphic? Replace it with something that conveys your meaning precisely. P. 55 – Help me understand how this statement is reflective of our city’s very successful Safe Routes to School program and the key role that Education has played in achieving mode shift and improving student bike/ped safety. “At the top (lowest priority/least impactful) of the Safe System Pyramid is education, which generally includes driver education programs and campaigns. The City achieves this through their Safe Routes to School program and bike education events.” 1. Neither the city nor PAUSD provides driver education, nor does Safe Routes to School. (so this statement is completely not applicable to our community) 2. In a community where the majority of public school children walk and bike to school, I strongly support redundant safety engineering and systems, but that does NOT eliminate the need for education and encouragement. In my view, education (knowledge of and familiarity with these systems cemented in a child’s mind through learning and practice) is a key component of a REDUNDANT system. There is just so much human engineers can do to anticipate needs, make things predictable and intuitive when one of the millions of unpredictable humans sharing the road may do something unpredictable at any moment. Any engineer will acknowledge this. It will be decades before we achieve sufficient redundancies and system perfection to completely eliminate the need for education (if we ever do). We should do this important Safe System work, but that does not preclude the need for traffic safety education. I can understand how a federal agency that directs Transportation for a nation where only about 12%-17% of kids walk and bike to school might draw the erroneous conclusion that education is a low priority, but I expect better from Palo Alto staff and consultants who have seen the results of excellent traffic safety education programs in our community. We know better. Fix this pyramid to be relevant to Palo Alto context or ditch it. p. 55 – “The City will collaborate with traffic safety advocates and collect and publish resources that support crash victims.” What does this mean? This seems like a task for experts in organizations with hospital trauma staff and/or federal DOT or CDC, government experts who study such things from their work with crash victims. I’m a traffic safety advocate, but I have never been hit by a car, I have no idea what people who suffer from this trauma may need. I’m pretty sure this is true of most or all of city staff. Does the SS4A Fed/state policy provide guidance on how to do this? A link or footnote pointing readers to useful sources on how to do this would be helpful here to help readers understand what you have in mind. (In fact, such notations would be useful throughout this document.) p. 55 - What, specifically, will the city’s ongoing commitment to in-school traffic safety education and encouragement programming be? The myopic focus on driver education of this report makes me wonder if the writer understands who the road users are in our community. p.58 – The Goldilocks Strategy “These projects should be carefully chosen to have limited backlash…” perhaps unintentionally, reads like a way to avoid important controversial projects and choose easier, less controversial ones. Please give examples of projects from the 2012 BPTP that staff would or would not choose using this strategy. Former Director of Planning & Community Environment Steve Emslie once said to me in a dark moment, “We have picked most of the low hanging fruit. What’s left are the harder projects.” Palo Alto has done the easy demonstration projects. The Goldilocks Strategy is an approach for cities that haven’t yet done what we have. This does not read like a strategy. It reads like a rationalization to sacrifice needed projects that could make real strides toward better safety. The language is open to very loose interpretation. Please strike it or completely rewrite it. In a quarter century of bike/pedestrian safety advocacy, I haven’t seen a meaningful transportation project that wasn’t controversial at some point. Most good projects take something from drivers— speed, ROW, parking, for instance—or they make them do something they don’t want to do – like pay attention. Political battles are part of this work. If there isn’t backlash, you probably don’t have a project that will make good progress toward safety. This work is always hard, but it is important. P. 59 – No mention of San Antonio Road--a HIN now. What happens when thousands more people live there? People who live near San Antonio (myself included) already avoid walking and biking on San Antonio. How will this plan make grossly bike/ped unfriendly upzoned areas like San Antonio safe for foot-powered people as we build them up with high density housing? Please see my previous comments on this subject. If I’m being repetitive, it is because I believe people will die if we do not get this right as soon as possible. Mention it here and in the Recommendations—even as a placeholder for Area Plan recommendations…but do not be silent about San Antonio. p. 60- In column two, paragraph two, the writer confuses the word “tenet” with “tenant”. p. 61 - Typo: In 1st paragraph “lastest” should be “latest” p. 62 – Extra word: In 3rd column, line 7, the word “that” is repeated twice in error. p. 62 - Under the Longer Term Implementation column, sixth line from the bottom, the word “in” should be deleted. I’m going to stop editing here, assuming a good editor will have at it before the final draft is released. p. 64 – Under the Measure section: Please consider capturing better bike/ped counts citywide so we can calculate crash rates, not just number of collisions or KSIs, to understand our collision data better. p.70 – That pyramid graphic again… Education is not just for drivers; it is essential for every road user. Our most successful model, the Netherlands, agrees. Fix this. p. 73 –Caltrans policy re: Complete Streets. Chart shows recommended bike facilities for streets based on auto speed and auto volume conditions. According to this chart, the sharrows on San Antonio should be replaced with Class I or IV bike facilities—even without the new high density housing. p. 74 – AB43 – Would speed limit reduction apply to segments of San Antonio with transition to residential, making it a “Safety Corridor?” p. 76—Benchmarking—Ed. programs may be missing some stuff--Educational tabling outreach used to be tied to bike repair and back-to-school events at middle schools and high schools. Ed. materials were provided by the city, but volunteers (and sometimes city staff) manned the tables. Is this still done? Also, is the end-of-year 8th grade Getting to High School program for rising Frosh still offered? p. 77—Is it still correct to say the PAPD does not have a Traffic Team? I thought one or two officers recently were assigned to that in the last budget cycle. p.78—Rolled curbs. The city has rolled curbs in almost all of south Palo Alto where there are sidewalks. There are very limited (and poorly connected) sidewalks in the Barron Park neighborhood, including on school commute routes. A 1998 Comp Plan policy required replacing rolled curbs with vertical curbs when sidewalks were repaired. That policy was later changed. I think this policy change should be revisited—with priority for transition to vertical curbs given to areas where large numbers of youth and other foot-powered people use the sidewalks and many drivers also actively load and unload creating risk for sidewalk users near school and city facilities like libraries, community centers, playing fields, parks, etc. Vertical curbs keep drivers off the sidewalks in sensitive areas like these. Here’s the language of that former policy. Restore 1998 Comp Plan Policy T-36: “Make new andreplacement curbs vertical where desired by residents. “ Vertical curbs prevent driversfrom parking on sidewalks, a common and undesirable practice in area where rolled curbs arenot separated from sidewalks by planting strips. When conversion from rolled to vertical curbsis undertaken, the minimum area should be, in general, a street block and not individualproperties.“ I’d like to mention that a gentleman in our neighborhood is wheelchair-bound. I have more than once had to help him navigate from the sidewalk down the rolled curbs into the street and back up to the sidewalk to get around parked cars on the sidewalks on the Nelson Drive school route near Cubberley playing fields. This is his route to Piazza’s grocery store. He goes daily. I’m not sure what he does if there is no one around to help him. Rolled curbs are a non-trivial problem. I understand they are costly to replace, but that could be done, as a matter of policy, when they NEED to be replaced. We can do better. p. 79- CBD Question -- San Antonio Road has been upzoned from mostly low density commercial, light industrial zoning to high density residential with the expectation to build at least 2,000 new units in the next seven years in this area (per State housing development mandate and Housing Element, including a development for people transitioning from being unhoused). These changes will transform San Antonio Road into a high density residential arterial. 1. San Antonio connects to neighborhood shopping and community centers on Middlefield Rd. and Charleston Rd. and in Mountain View at San Antonio Center. It also connects to jobs at Google in Mountain View and Palo Alto and the San Antonio Caltrain Station, 101. MV and PA have added (and continue to add) hundreds of housing units for people transitioning from homelessness in this area. Coupled with the recent addition of the Valley Health Center North County Outpatient Clinic (4151 Middlefield near San Antonio intersection), will these combined changes in PA and MV with existing low income housing collectively create a CBD? 2. Please recommend changing San Antonio Road’s designation from Arterial to Residential Arterial. Make sure that the SS4A Action Plan Recommendations point to the existing paucity of appropriate bicycle facilities on this corridor and urgent need to implement improved bike facilities as housing is developed. p. 80 - Please help me understand this comment under State of Current Practice column, “ Resources are needed to classify roadways by functional classification and modal priority to set contextually appropriate target speeds, and to design roads that align with the posted speed.” The city has defined a hierarchy of Streets that correlates with speed and, to some extent, modal priority and nearby land uses. Arterial, Residential Arterial, Collector Street, Neighborhood Street, Designated School Commute Corridor, Bicycle Boulevard, Expressway, Highway, etc. The Comp Plan is clear about what’s expected in terms of speed and modal priority associated with these. Specifically, what sort of changes is staff considering to the state of current practice? Please be explicit. Further, should San Antonio be reclassified as a Residential Arterial as it is increasingly developed hotels (temporary travel residences), high density housing, a community center, new outpatient health center, public school routes and child care? p. 81- Supportive Infra for AVs—What is the needed ”supportive infra? How might supportive infra needs continue to evolve as AV tech moves forward? Why is it the city’s responsibility to supply additional infra that auto manufacturers need as they change their products? At what point is the auto makers’ responsibility to adapt their products to be functional on existing infrastructure? What will this cost? How does it conform with the aims of the SS4A Action Plan and Comp Plan mode shift goals? p. 87 –3rd column says “ Currently done in the development review process. City has a Transportation Impact Fee.” Please explain how this applies to areas of south Palo Alto that are to be impacted by high density development. What TIF? Citywide? For what area? For what specific types of transportation mitigations? Aggregate Impacts Analysis has not been done for San Antonio Rd. Windows of opportunity close with every project that gets approved in advance of important aggregate impacts analysis being completed. p. 87 – Equity- Could equity considerations elevate San Antonio for transportation funding? -- If you consider Home Key (transitional housing for people transitioning from homelessness) projects in MV and PA (approved and construction underway) and new SCC North County Outpatient Clinic at 4151 Middlefield and new affordable housing that will be included in each upzoned parcel project in this area, plus Caltrain and limited bus transit, would that be enough? Also, please count the MANY people living in RVs on Fabian, Leghorn and other streets near San Antonio. These very low income people are residents. They are living in a parking/bike lane. p. 91 – There are Survey & Interactive Webmap questions that specifically ask about: El Camino Real, University Ave, California Ave. There are no specific questions about feeling of safety on San Antonio, Embarcadero, East Meadow, Churchill, Loma Verde, Middlefield in south Palo Alto. There are also specific questions about feeling safe walking/biking to/from California Avenue and Palo Alto Caltrain Stations, but no questions about safety of bike/ped access to San Antonio Caltrain Station from south Palo Alto and especially San Antonio Road. Why? p. 156--In general: What is the purpose of the Coordination sections in Appendixes G&H? The Coordination section seems to be populated inconsistently. Is it meant to list staff at City Hall to facilitate budgeting decisions? In some cases, the CSTSC and some local partnering organizations, like Chamber of Commerce, Stanford Health are mentioned a few times under Coordination, but not PABAC or other partners like PATMA and SRP and Bike Palo Alto Steering Committee. How will the people working on this plan use the information in the Coordination section? The kinds of information under this heading seem inconsistent across the update recommendations. The BPTP is sometimes included. (Shouldn’t all updated policies, programs and projects be considered in the BPTP process?) Where it seems like staff, city departments, or community partners (like CSTSC)should be included, in many places they are not. Please clarify. Appendix G & H: Overview stressed socioeconomic factors. The report talks about equity, but program/project recommendations don’t seem to address socio economic factors. It seems like each recommended policy/project should also be marked to show which equity elements it addresses--in the same way each is marked with how it addresses the Safe System Hierarchy (which mostly focuses on engineering, and errantly fails to address education, encouragement, and socioeconomic factors). This could help to keep us focused on the full set of essential building blocks for safe transportation policies, programs and built systems. These two sets of markers (Pyramid and Hierarchy) work together, so recommendation descriptions should explain how each addresses the Hierarchy and Pyramid - if staff is going to use the problematic pyramid.) Example: The power of the existing Palo Alto SRTS program to spark mode shift lies in education and encouragement. Engineering is very important, but by itself cannot achieve significant mode shift and safety. Education and encouragement is especially important as we work to shift new users to active modes, people who may never have owned or been taught how to safely and legally ride bikes before need education to know how to be safe. Kids who have parents who may never have ridden bikes in the U.S. cannot teach their children how to ride safely. Palo Alto has done the experiment in our public schools. Over many years, we have shown (and measured) the importance of robust, inclusive traffic safety education and encouragement coupled with engineering and improvements to achieve significant mode shift and safety. Education is a great equalizer. Excellent Education for Every Child and Family = Equity. p. 156 -Appendix G& H : Updated Policies & Programs list -- Overall question: Are the “Recommended Safe System Pivots” intended to replace or to augment existing program/project/policy? If the intent is to augment, then how? Without knowing that, it’s hard to know how to respond to the recommendations. Please see multiple dictionary definitions of “pivot” to understand why this is unclear. Explanation of the writer’s intent would be helpful. p. 156- Appendix G&H : Updated Policies & Programs list -- Overall question: I’ve already said I don’t like the pyramid and why. If you are going to use it, it seems like each recommended policy/project should also be marked to show which Pyramid (p.10) elements it addresses--in the same way each is marked with how it addresses the SafeSystem Hierarchy. This would help to keep us focused on the full set of essential building blocks for safe transportation policies, programs and built systems. If staff insists on using the flawed Pyramid, the Pyramid and Hierarchy work together, so recommendation descriptions should explain how each addresses the Hierarchy and Pyramid.) Keep in mind, the power and strength of the Palo Alto SRTS program to spark mode shift lies in bike/ped safety education and encouragement. Few communities in this country have done anything like what we have in Education. The pyramid needs to be rethought to reflect how education and encouragement work in this community. The Hierarchy is very important, but by itself cannot achieve significant mode shift and safety as we shift new users to active modes, especially people who may never have owned a bike or been taught how to safely and legally ride bikes. An intuitive road system that is designed redundantly for safety is a wonderful concept, but it will take decades to achieve. In the meantime, (and, probably, even when we are done, we will need education and encouragement to get people on bikes and keep them riding safely. Palo Alto has done this experiment in our public schools. We have shown (and measured) the huge importance of robust, inclusive traffic safety education and encouragement coupled with engineering and improvements to achieve mode shift safely. p. 156—Overall, please identify which policy, program and project recommendations address socio economic factors. The full report mentions some street locations where this might be done, but the recommendations in appendixes G&H do not include any specific suggested changes. (Fed, State and county funding for projects will be weighted for projects and programs that address equity). Let’s think about that in greater detail as we consider project priorities. p. 156 – Long Term Education Program --Please be more explicit. The report recommends “Prioritize education of decision-makers and media/press”… about what? Who will be responsible for educating the press? Transportation staff/ 7th Floor Communications staff? PATMA? Chamber of Commerce? (When has the Chamber ever missed an opportunity to oppose substantive alternative transportation improvements?) The city should create bike/ped Walk & Roll maps/bike share/transit options materials with contact info for questions. My dentist needs a bike map for this office on ECR (on the Park BB side near Stanford Ave. He was amazed to hear I bike there from my “distant” home in south Palo Alto. Maps in his waiting room will be looked at by bored, waiting patients. p. 156 –Long Term Education Program has no Coordination section at all under it. Who will drive this? p. 156 - Overall, San Antonio Road gets only three mentions in this report: San Antonio Road is identified as an HIN (p.8) Figure 11 (p. 46) identifies San Antonio Road as serving population below the Federal Poverty Line in Palo Alto (This need will increase when the new Home Key project for people transitioning from homelessness is completed.) Figure 13 (p. 48) identifies San Antonio Road as a Transit Corridor Problems/needs are clearly laid out that SS4A process should address, but none of these challenges, not even the existing challenges, are addressed in the policy/project/program recommendations. See my remarks on this above. p. 156 – Street Closures –“Prioritize street closures on the HIN where high bike and ped activity is expected.” Please be more explicit about what is envisioned here. How would that work, practically speaking? Middlefield Charleston/Arastradero San Antonio Embarcadero Foothill Expressway University Sand Hill Road Quarry Road El Camino Real Hamilton Avenue University Avenue Lytton Avenue Alma p. 156 – Street Closures – Open Streets – Under Coordination section: BPTP and small businesses are going to coordinate Street Closures? Which CoPA staff will work with small businesses on this? Businesses must be involved, but if this is a recommended city program, it has to be assigned internally under Coordination. For instance, might this include PATMA, PAPD, Transportation staff, at minimum? This is a good example of my previous comment that the purpose of the Coordination section is unclear. p. 156 – Street Closures School Streets – A lot more specific information is needed to evaluate this recommendation. How would such closures deal with school buses, after-school program private shuttles, teacher/staff autos, drivers who live in the affected neighborhood areas, parents who must drive, commuters who use these roads to get through town. How do we close school routes that are also work commute routes during school commute times? Please give specific examples of PAUSD school sites where this might work and how it might work. Has anyone talked with PAUSD about this? Please do not surprise them with this. p. 157- Walk & Roll for Private Schools – There would need to be a full 6 E’s commitment of participation from these private schools if they are to be invited to participate in the CSTSC. (Has anyone discussed this with PAUSD and PTA partners? Please do not blindside them with this.) If private schools are allowed to use CSTSC’s volunteer time without making a similar volunteer commitment, what message does that send to PAUSD staff and Palo Alto PTA volunteers? Before you make this proposal, please ask CSTSC partners how they feel about this. Creating these W&R maps is a non-trivial task for the SRTS staff and CSTSC that may or may not yield mode shift and safety results without the education, encouragement, engineering, and evaluation program components. Further, it will pull SRTS staff from supporting efforts to regain PAUSD alternative commute mode share lost during the pandemic. (I don’t know whether or not Equity is relevant with families who can afford private schools.) Are you suggesting adding TSRs for private schools to the CSTSC or having a separate committee for private schools? These schools are very different organizationally and in terms of volunteerism. Further, most of their students come from outside Palo Alto, so mode shift opportunity is more limited (and I think it may be tricky to justify spending local tax dollars on private school programs that serve out-of-town families). There is a lot more to unpack here. How would the CSTSC be asked to engage in these activities? What would private schools be required to provide in exchange for receiving city-funded SRTS benefits? (Many private school families do not live in Palo Alto and so are less likely to walk or bike to school. Also, they don’t pay Palo Alto taxes.) PAUSD parents are unlikely to want to carry the private school parents’ load for them. Important Ethical Question that we should consider carefully: Is it wise to create W&R maps for private schools where children get no in-school traffic safety education? p. 157 – Design and Emergency Response Vehicles – Generally, a good idea. Under Coordination, Public Works and Transportation Planning & Engineering staff also should be included. Without them, how will PAFD, Stanford and PAPD know what is and is not feasible from a planning/engineering perspective? p. 157 – Safe Routes to Work, Shopping, Downtown, Community Services, and Parks- Nice idea. p. 158 - Systemic Uncontrolled Crosswalk Placement/Enhancement Program –How do these guidelines deal with parts of the city where we have mostly rolled curbs which don’t/can’t provide ped refuge? Seriously, I want to know what the options are. p. 158 – E-Bike Street Ordinance – What legal options are available to the city to control use and speeds of faster, heavier e-bikes on bike facilities so safety and comfort of foot-powered bikes Is not impeded? Might this be an area where we engage the city’s lobbyist for State-level change? Consider age limitations for use of some categories of e-bikes on public street facilities. Help me understand what the city can and cannot do here. What is the city’s legal role? Entire Appendix H: Again, please include a project/policy placeholder, for San Antonio Road bike/ped safety impact mitigation which has been upzoned for at least 2,000 high density housing units in addition to the two seven-story hotels that were just built. See comments above. p. 159- Rapid Response Team - Good idea. Please include CSTSC in this effort. There are significant problems with the way student-involved collisions are reported. p. 159- Upgrade Repaving Program - Good. Supplement existing policy to do a better job with the current program. p. 159 - Construction Traffic Management Plan - Yes! Very important. p. 173 - Overall comment on Appendixes G&H - I’m assuming this is not a comprehensive programs/policies/projects list, and that we should expect to see a much more comprehensive list in the BPTP. Correct? Question: If San Antonio Road improvements are not mentioned in this SS4A Action Plan’s recommendations, will that reduce the road’s eligibility for government grant funding in this BPTP cycle? We already have lots of good programs in place that seem to be languishing that I hope we will move forward. How can we move them along?! Thank you for considering my comments. Thank you, in advance, for answering my questions. Penny Ellson Virus-free.www.avg.com Virus-free.www.avg.com From:a_m_mason@yahoo.com To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Maggie Bening; Julie Baskind; Kevin Chung Subject:Fwd: PAR Zoning Text Amendment request - follow-up Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 4:19:26 PM Attachments:PAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Sec 18.16.060 Dev Stds.docxPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Section 18.16.040.b.docximage001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Sec 18.16.060 Dev Stds.docxPAR Proposed Amendments to PAMC Section 18.16.040.b.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council Members, Is the Planning and Development Department's 2025 Work Plan be an item on the City Council’s agenda tonight 3/3, orwill it be 3/10? I am writing to reiterate Kristi Bascom’s letter to Director Jonathan Lait dated 12/3/2024, to ask whether the motionpassed unanimously by the City Council on November 13, 2023 will be placed on the Planning and DevelopmentDepartment's 2025 Work Plan? Quoting from Bascom letter dated 12/3/2024: At the City Council meeting on November 13, 2023, the Council unanimously supported a request from the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowner’s Association to consider specific amendments to the City’s zoning code, and directed Staff to review the amendments that PAR proposed. The proposed amendments were written to ensure that higher density housing constructed on properties zoned for commercial uses are buffered from impacts created by commercial neighbors such as noise, reduction in access to daylight, and impacts to privacy. These are the protections that are provided to residentially-zoned properties throughout the City. In a letter to the City Council dated November 7, 2023, I outlined PAR’s request and provided the exact text amendments proposed for PAMC Sections 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060 (attached to this email for reference). In February 2024, on behalf of PAR, I sent you the email below and asked when the proposed amendments were going to be reviewed by Staff and moved forward for City Council consideration. You responded that, due to other priorities, the work would not be undertaken in the near term and that the proposed amendments would not be added to the department’swork plan for the upcoming fiscal year. I am reaching out today with a relatively simple ask: to see if you’ll please add these amendments to the department’swork plan for FY 25/26. In calendar year 2023, for example, the City adopted five (5) amendments to Title 18. It is likely more are forthcoming in the near future. PAR’s proposed amendments are minor in nature, are completely drafted, and can simply be included in an upcoming Zoning Ordinance amendment initiated by the City. PAR is suggesting this citywide zoning text amendment (as opposed to a rezoning action that would benefit the PAR property only) since the issue of protecting high density residential uses from commercial impacts is not unique to our property. We believe it is an issue that all high density housing in commercial corridors would like to see addressed. Thank you,Anne Mason Begin forwarded message: From: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com>Subject: PAR Zoning Text Amendment request - follow-upDate: December 3, 2024 at 10:29:57 PST To: "Lait, Jonathan" <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: "a_m_mason@yahoo.com" <a_m_mason@yahoo.com>, Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>, Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com>, "ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org" <ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>, "pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org"<Pat.Burt@cityofpaloalto.org>, Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>, Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Lythcott-Haims, Julie" <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>, Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>,"greg.tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org" <Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org" <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>, "Laura D. Beaton" <Beaton@smwlaw.com> Dear Mr. Lait (copy to City Manager and City Council), On behalf of the homeowners at Palo Alto Redwoods (4250 El Camino Real), I am writing to request once again that the Planning and Development Department include the attached proposed zoning code amendments related to commercial impacts on residential uses in the department’s workplan for next year. At the City Council meeting on November 13, 2023, the Council unanimously supported a request from the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowner’s Association to consider specific amendments to the City’s zoning code, and directed Staff to review the amendments that PAR proposed. The proposed amendments were written to ensure that higher density housing constructed on properties zoned for commercial uses are buffered from impacts created by commercial neighbors such as noise, reduction in access to daylight, and impacts to privacy. These are the protections that are provided to residentially-zoned properties throughout the City. In a letter to the City Council dated November 7, 2023, I outlined PAR’s request and provided the exact text amendments proposed for PAMC Sections 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060 (attached to this email for reference). In February 2024, on behalf of PAR, I sent you the email below and asked when the proposed amendments were going to be reviewed by Staff and moved forward for City Council consideration. You responded that, due to other priorities, the work would not be undertaken in the near term and that the proposed amendments would not be added to the department’s workplan for the upcoming fiscal year. I am reaching out today with a relatively simple ask: to see if you’ll please add these amendments to the department’s workplan for FY 25/26. In calendar year 2023, for example, the City adopted five (5) amendments to Title 18. It is likely more are forthcoming in the near future. PAR’s proposed amendments are minor in nature, are completely drafted, and can simply be included in an upcoming Zoning Ordinance amendment initiated by the City. PAR is suggesting this citywide zoning text amendment (as opposed to a rezoning action that would benefit the PAR property only) since the issue of protecting high density residential uses from commercial impacts is not unique to our property. We believe it is an issue that all high density housing in commercial corridors would like to see addressed. We are happy to discuss PAR’s request further or provide any additional explanation if it would be helpful. As always, we appreciate your consideration of this request and hope that the City Council’s unanimous support of this issue means that these proposed amendments find their way into your department’s workplan for next fiscal year. Kind regards, Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom, AICP Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 office: 415/552-7272 x 202 | direct: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business From: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2024 10:40 PM To: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com>; Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: a_m_mason@yahoo.com; Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>; Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com> Subject: RE: Zoning Text Amendment workplan - follow-up Thank you for the email, Kristi. The City Council is expected to consider department workplans for the upcoming fiscal year on March 4. Based on available long range planning staff resources and competing Council priorities, I do not anticipate this item being recommended for the upcoming year. As an alternative, your client could consider filing a text amendment, which would be processed by our current planning staff. @Gerhardt, Jodie can provide more information about the application submittal process if interested in pursuing that route. Otherwise you may provide comment to the City Council on March 4. You don't often get email from kbascom@smwlaw.com. Learn why this is important JONATHAN LAIT Director Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2676 | jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Kristi Bascom <kbascom@smwlaw.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:50 PM To: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: a_m_mason@yahoo.com; Sharlene Carlson <carlsonsharlene@gmail.com>; Julie Baskind <julie.baskind@gmail.com> Subject: Zoning Text Amendment workplan - follow-up CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Mr. Lait, Following up on my email from last week regarding the question on timing to move forward thisrezoning analysis. Your insight is much appreciated. Thank you,Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 p: 415/552-7272 x 202 | c: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business From: Kristi Bascom Sent: Monday, January 29, 2024 1:33 PM To: jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org Subject: Zoning Text Amendment workplan Mr. Lait, Our clients, the Palo Alto Redwoods Homeowners Association, received support from the City Councilat their November 13, 2023 meeting when they directed staff to review the zoning text amendmentswe proposed amendments to PAMC 18.16.040(b) and 18.16.060. I’ve attached the proposal to thisemail for easy reference. Can you please advise on Staff’s plan and timing to review these amendments and (hopefully) movethem forward to the City Council for their consideration? Thank you,Kristi Bascom Kristi Bascom, AICP Urban Planner Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP 396 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102-4421 p: 415/552-7272 x 202 | c: 925/872-6327 www.smwlaw.com | A San Francisco Green Business 1 18.16.060 Development Standards (a) Exclusively Non-Residential Uses Table 3 specifies the development standards for exclusively non-residential uses and alterations to non-residential uses or structures in the CN, CC, CC(2) and CS districts. These developments shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the following requirements and the context-based design criteria outlined in Section 18.16.090, provided that more restrictive regulations may be recommended by the architectural review board and approved by the director of planning and development services, pursuant to Section 18.76.020. Table 3 Exclusively Non-residential Development Standards CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section Minimum Site Specifications Site Area (ft 2 ) Site Width (ft) Site Depth (ft) None required Minimum Setbacks Front Yard (ft) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) None Required (8) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) Setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code Rear Yard (ft) None required Interior Side Yard (ft) Street Side Yard (ft) 20' (2) None required Minimum Yard (ft) for lot lines abutting or opposite residential districts or residential PC districts or properties developed with exclusively residential uses 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 2 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section Build-To-Lines 50% of frontage built to setback (7) 33% of side street built to setback (7) Minimum setbacks from alleys for structures other than public parking garages (ft) (3) Corner lots, from rear lot line on the alley Not applicable 8’ Not applicable Corner lots, from side lot line on the alley None All lots other than corner lots 20’ Maximum Site Coverage 50% None required Maximum Height (ft) 18.08.030 Standard 25' and 2 stories 50’ 37’ (4) 50’ Portions of a site within 150 ft. of an abutting residential district (other than a PC zone) or within 150 ft. of an abutting property developed with exclusively residential uses. (9) 35’ 35’ 35’ Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.4:1 2.0:1 0.4:1 18.18.060(e) Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for Hotels N/A - (5) 2.0:1 2.0:1 18.18.060(d) Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting one or more residential zone districts other than an RM-40 or PC zone or for lot lines abutting a property developed with 3 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section exclusively residential uses. Initial Height at side or rear lot line (ft) - (6) - (6) - (6) - (6) Slope - (6) - (6) - (6) - (6) (1) No parking or loading space, whether required or optional, shall be located in the first 10 feet adjoining the street property line of any required yard. (2) Any minimum front, street side, or interior yard shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen excluding areas required for access to the site. A solid wall or fence between 5 and 8 feet in height shall be constructed along any common interior lot line. (3) No setback from an alley is required for a public parking garage. (4) As measured to the peak of the roof or the top of a parapet; penthouses and equipment enclosures may exceed this height limit by a maximum of five feet, but shall be limited to an area equal to no more than ten percent of the site area and shall not intrude into the daylight plane. (5) See additional regulations in subsection (e) of this Section 18.16.050. (6) The initial height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zone abutting the site line in question. (7) Twenty-five-foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage; build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (8) A 12-foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage. (9) Distance shall be measured from the property line of the subject site. 150-foot measurement may be reduced to 50 feet at minimum, subject to approval by the Planning Director, upon recommendation by the Architectural Review Board pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76. (b) Mixed Use and Residential Table 4 specifies the development standards for new residential mixed use developments and residential developments. These developments shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the following requirements and the objective design standards in Chapter 18.24. Non-Housing Development Projects and Housing Development Projects that elect to deviate from one or more objective standards in Chapter 18.24 shall meet the context-based design criteria outlined in Section 18.16.090, provided that more restrictive regulations may be recommended by the architectural review board and approved by the director of planning and development services, pursuant to Section 18.76.020. 4 Table 4 Mixed Use and Residential Development Standards CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in: Minimum Site Specifications Site Area (ft2) None required Site Width (ft) Site Depth (ft) Minimum Setbacks Setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code may apply Front Yard (ft) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) None Required (8) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) Rear Yard (ft) 10' for residential portion; no requirement for commercial portion Rear Yard abutting residential zone district or a property developed with exclusively residential uses (ft) 10’ Interior Side Yard if abutting residential zone district or a property developed with exclusively residential uses (ft) 10’ Street Side Yard (ft) 5’ Built-to-Lines 50% of frontage built to setback (1) 33% of side street built to setback (1) Permitted Setback Encroachments Balconies, awnings, porches, stairways, and similar elements may extend up to 6' into the setback. Cornices, eaves, fireplaces, and similar architectural features (excluding flat or continuous walls or enclosures of interior space) may extend up to 4' into the front and rear setbacks and up to 3' into interior side setbacks Maximum Site Coverage 50% 50% 100% 50% Minimum Landscape/Open Space Coverage 35% 30% 20% 30% 5 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in: Usable Open Space (Private and/or Common) 150 sq ft per unit (2) 18.16.090 Maximum Height (ft) Standard 35’ (4) 50’ 37’ 50’ Portions of a site within 150 ft. of an abutting residential district (other than an RM-40 or PC zone) or within 150 ft of an abutting property developed with exclusively residential uses. 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 18.08.030 Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting one or more residential zoning districts or abutting a property developed with exclusively residential uses. Daylight plane height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zoning district abutting the lot line. If no residential zoning district abuts the lot line, the daylight plane and slope shall be identical to that of any exclusively residential use abutting the lot line. Residential Density (net)(3) 15 or 20 (9) See sub- section (e) below No maximum 30 18.16.060(i) Sites on El Camino Real No maximum No maximum Sites on San Antonia Rd between Middlefield Rd and E. Charleston Rd. 15 or 20 (9) No maximum Maximum Residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.5:1(4) 0.6:1 0.6:1 18.16.065 Maximum Nonresidential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.4:1 2.0:1 0.4:1 Total Mixed Use Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.9:1 (4) 2.0:1 1.0:1 18.16.065 Minimum Mixed Use Ground Floor Commercial FAR(6) 0.15:1 (10) 0.15:1 (10) 0.25:1 (7) (10) 0.15:1 (10) Parking See Chapters 18.52 and 18.54 (Parking) 18.52, 18.54 (1) Twenty-five-foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage; build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (2) Required usable open space: (1) may be any combination of private and common open spaces; (2) does not need to be located on the ground (but rooftop gardens are not included as open space except as provided below); (3) minimum private open space dimension six feet; and (4) minimum common open space dimension twelve feet. 6 For CN and CS sites on El Camino Real and CC(2) sites that do not abut a single- or two-family residential use or zoning district, rooftop gardens may qualify as usable open space and may count as up to 60% of the required usable open space for the residential component of a project. In order to qualify as usable open space, the rooftop garden shall meet the requirements set forth in Section 18.40.230. (3) Residential density shall be computed based upon the total site area, irrespective of the percent of the site devoted to commercial use. (4) For CN sites on El Camino Real, height may increase to a maximum of 40 feet and the FAR may increase to a maximum of 1.0:1 (0.5:1 for nonresidential, 0.5:1 for residential). (5) Distance shall be measured from the property line of the subject site. 150-foot measurement may be reduced to 50 feet at minimum, subject to approval by the Planning Director, upon recommendation by the Architectural Review Board pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76. (6) Ground floor commercial uses generally include retail, personal services, hotels and eating and drinking establishments. Office uses may be included only to the extent they are permitted in ground floor regulations. (7) If located in the California Avenue Parking Assessment District. (8) A 12-foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage. (9) Residential densities up to 20 units/acre are allowed on CN zoned housing inventory sites identified in the Housing Element. Other CN zoned sites not located on El Camino Real are subject to a maximum residential density of up to 15 units/acre. (10) In the CC(2) zone and on CN and CS zoned sites on El Camino Real, there shall be no minimum mixed use ground floor commercial FAR for a residential project, except to the extent that the retail preservation requirements of Section 18.40.180 or the retail shopping (R) combining district (Chapter 18.30(A)) applies. 1 18.16.040 Land Uses (b) Late Night Use and Activities The following regulations restrict businesses that operate or have associated activities at any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., where such site abuts or is located within 50 feet of residentially zoned properties or properties with exclusively residential uses. (1) Such businesses shall be operated in a manner to protect residential properties from excessive noise, odors, lighting or other nuisances from any sources during those hours. (2) For properties located in the CN or CS zone districts, businesses that operate or have associated activities at any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. shall be required to obtain a conditional use permit. The director may apply conditions of approval as are deemed necessary to assure that the operations or activities are compatible with the nearby residentially zoned property or property developed with exclusively residential uses. 1 18.16.060 Development Standards (a) Exclusively Non-Residential Uses Table 3 specifies the development standards for exclusively non-residential uses and alterations to non-residential uses or structures in the CN, CC, CC(2) and CS districts. These developments shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the following requirements and the context-based design criteria outlined in Section 18.16.090, provided that more restrictive regulations may be recommended by the architectural review board and approved by the director of planning and development services, pursuant to Section 18.76.020. Table 3 Exclusively Non-residential Development Standards CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section Minimum Site Specifications Site Area (ft 2 ) Site Width (ft) Site Depth (ft) None required Minimum Setbacks Front Yard (ft) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) None Required (8) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) 0 - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8) Setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code Rear Yard (ft) None required Interior Side Yard (ft) Street Side Yard (ft) 20' (2) None required Minimum Yard (ft) for lot lines abutting or opposite residential districts or residential PC districts or properties developed with exclusively residential uses 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 10’ (2) 2 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section Build-To-Lines 50% of frontage built to setback (7) 33% of side street built to setback (7) Minimum setbacks from alleys for structures other than public parking garages (ft) (3) Corner lots, from rear lot line on the alley Not applicable 8’ Not applicable Corner lots, from side lot line on the alley None All lots other than corner lots 20’ Maximum Site Coverage 50% None required Maximum Height (ft) 18.08.030 Standard 25' and 2 stories 50’ 37’ (4) 50’ Portions of a site within 150 ft. of an abutting residential district (other than a PC zone) or within 150 ft. of an abutting property developed with exclusively residential uses. (9) 35’ 35’ 35’ Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.4:1 2.0:1 0.4:1 18.18.060(e) Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for Hotels N/A - (5) 2.0:1 2.0:1 18.18.060(d) Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting one or more residential zone districts other than an RM-40 or PC zone or for lot lines abutting a property developed with 3 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in Section exclusively residential uses. Initial Height at side or rear lot line (ft) - (6) - (6) - (6) - (6) Slope - (6) - (6) - (6) - (6) (1) No parking or loading space, whether required or optional, shall be located in the first 10 feet adjoining the street property line of any required yard. (2) Any minimum front, street side, or interior yard shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen excluding areas required for access to the site. A solid wall or fence between 5 and 8 feet in height shall be constructed along any common interior lot line. (3) No setback from an alley is required for a public parking garage. (4) As measured to the peak of the roof or the top of a parapet; penthouses and equipment enclosures may exceed this height limit by a maximum of five feet, but shall be limited to an area equal to no more than ten percent of the site area and shall not intrude into the daylight plane. (5) See additional regulations in subsection (e) of this Section 18.16.050. (6) The initial height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zone abutting the site line in question. (7) Twenty-five-foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage; build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (8) A 12-foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage. (9) Distance shall be measured from the property line of the subject site. 150-foot measurement may be reduced to 50 feet at minimum, subject to approval by the Planning Director, upon recommendation by the Architectural Review Board pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76. (b) Mixed Use and Residential Table 4 specifies the development standards for new residential mixed use developments and residential developments. These developments shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the following requirements and the objective design standards in Chapter 18.24. Non-Housing Development Projects and Housing Development Projects that elect to deviate from one or more objective standards in Chapter 18.24 shall meet the context-based design criteria outlined in Section 18.16.090, provided that more restrictive regulations may be recommended by the architectural review board and approved by the director of planning and development services, pursuant to Section 18.76.020. 4 Table 4 Mixed Use and Residential Development Standards CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in: Minimum Site Specifications Site Area (ft2) None required Site Width (ft) Site Depth (ft) Minimum Setbacks Setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code may apply Front Yard (ft) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) None Required (8) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) 0' - 10' to create an 8' - 12' effective sidewalk width (8) Rear Yard (ft) 10' for residential portion; no requirement for commercial portion Rear Yard abutting residential zone district or a property developed with exclusively residential uses (ft) 10’ Interior Side Yard if abutting residential zone district or a property developed with exclusively residential uses (ft) 10’ Street Side Yard (ft) 5’ Built-to-Lines 50% of frontage built to setback (1) 33% of side street built to setback (1) Permitted Setback Encroachments Balconies, awnings, porches, stairways, and similar elements may extend up to 6' into the setback. Cornices, eaves, fireplaces, and similar architectural features (excluding flat or continuous walls or enclosures of interior space) may extend up to 4' into the front and rear setbacks and up to 3' into interior side setbacks Maximum Site Coverage 50% 50% 100% 50% Minimum Landscape/Open Space Coverage 35% 30% 20% 30% 5 CN CC CC(2) CS Subject to regulations in: Usable Open Space (Private and/or Common) 150 sq ft per unit (2) 18.16.090 Maximum Height (ft) Standard 35’ (4) 50’ 37’ 50’ Portions of a site within 150 ft. of an abutting residential district (other than an RM-40 or PC zone) or within 150 ft of an abutting property developed with exclusively residential uses. 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 18.08.030 Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting one or more residential zoning districts or abutting a property developed with exclusively residential uses. Daylight plane height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zoning district abutting the lot line. If no residential zoning district abuts the lot line, the daylight plane and slope shall be identical to that of any exclusively residential use abutting the lot line. Residential Density (net)(3) 15 or 20 (9) See sub- section (e) below No maximum 30 18.16.060(i) Sites on El Camino Real No maximum No maximum Sites on San Antonia Rd between Middlefield Rd and E. Charleston Rd. 15 or 20 (9) No maximum Maximum Residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.5:1(4) 0.6:1 0.6:1 18.16.065 Maximum Nonresidential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.4:1 2.0:1 0.4:1 Total Mixed Use Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.9:1 (4) 2.0:1 1.0:1 18.16.065 Minimum Mixed Use Ground Floor Commercial FAR(6) 0.15:1 (10) 0.15:1 (10) 0.25:1 (7) (10) 0.15:1 (10) Parking See Chapters 18.52 and 18.54 (Parking) 18.52, 18.54 (1) Twenty-five-foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage; build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (2) Required usable open space: (1) may be any combination of private and common open spaces; (2) does not need to be located on the ground (but rooftop gardens are not included as open space except as provided below); (3) minimum private open space dimension six feet; and (4) minimum common open space dimension twelve feet. 6 For CN and CS sites on El Camino Real and CC(2) sites that do not abut a single- or two-family residential use or zoning district, rooftop gardens may qualify as usable open space and may count as up to 60% of the required usable open space for the residential component of a project. In order to qualify as usable open space, the rooftop garden shall meet the requirements set forth in Section 18.40.230. (3) Residential density shall be computed based upon the total site area, irrespective of the percent of the site devoted to commercial use. (4) For CN sites on El Camino Real, height may increase to a maximum of 40 feet and the FAR may increase to a maximum of 1.0:1 (0.5:1 for nonresidential, 0.5:1 for residential). (5) Distance shall be measured from the property line of the subject site. 150-foot measurement may be reduced to 50 feet at minimum, subject to approval by the Planning Director, upon recommendation by the Architectural Review Board pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76. (6) Ground floor commercial uses generally include retail, personal services, hotels and eating and drinking establishments. Office uses may be included only to the extent they are permitted in ground floor regulations. (7) If located in the California Avenue Parking Assessment District. (8) A 12-foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage. (9) Residential densities up to 20 units/acre are allowed on CN zoned housing inventory sites identified in the Housing Element. Other CN zoned sites not located on El Camino Real are subject to a maximum residential density of up to 15 units/acre. (10) In the CC(2) zone and on CN and CS zoned sites on El Camino Real, there shall be no minimum mixed use ground floor commercial FAR for a residential project, except to the extent that the retail preservation requirements of Section 18.40.180 or the retail shopping (R) combining district (Chapter 18.30(A)) applies. 1 18.16.040 Land Uses (b) Late Night Use and Activities The following regulations restrict businesses that operate or have associated activities at any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., where such site abuts or is located within 50 feet of residentially zoned properties or properties with exclusively residential uses. (1) Such businesses shall be operated in a manner to protect residential properties from excessive noise, odors, lighting or other nuisances from any sources during those hours. (2) For properties located in the CN or CS zone districts, businesses that operate or have associated activities at any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. shall be required to obtain a conditional use permit. The director may apply conditions of approval as are deemed necessary to assure that the operations or activities are compatible with the nearby residentially zoned property or property developed with exclusively residential uses. From:Megan Watson To:Council, City Cc:Ted O"Hanlon; Henry Antenen; Lait, Jonathan Subject:Agenda Item #9 - Zoning Code Amendments for Housing Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 3:49:07 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Members of the City Council, We are submitting comment today on Item #9, the First Reading on Modifications to HIP, AHIP, and RPO. Grubb Properties owns the site at 788 San Antonio, which is entitled for 102 housing units (approved in 2020). As we have consistently communicated over the past two years, this project is no longer feasible in its current form and an entirely new application is forthcoming for this site. As a result, it is misleading to utilize this project as an example of a success of HIP or to fairly count it towards the housing element goals. The proposed amendments before you tonight include meaningful progress but still have limitations to feasibility of housing developments, as further outlined below: Density – while residential density is not limited by number of units, density is limited through Height and FAR restrictions which directly reduce the number of housing units that may be provided. Height – there are no amendments proposed for height in the CS (San Antonio Road) Zone, which is currently capped at 50’-0”. This limits housing projects to four-story buildings and requires costly sub-grade parking to achieve the parking requirements without restricting density. As evidenced by the latest development applications, mid-rise construction typologies (typically seven or eight stories) are necessary to make housing projects feasible. These are not possible with a 50’0” height limitation which should be increased to at least 85’-0”. An increase to 60’-0” does not go far enough. FAR – similarly to height, there is no change proposed for CS (San Antonio Road) Zone which remains at a 2.0 FAR limit. This does not reflect the mid-rise projects that the City is seeing proposed by housing providers. These projects have an FAR range of 3.5 – 8.0. In addition to an overall increase in FAR that is reflective of the mid-rise projects proposed, Grubb strongly recommends eliminating parking from FAR calculations. This limitation has the effect of either, forcing projects to build costly sub-grade parking, or renders the project infeasible by absorbing too much of the above-grade FAR calculation. Parking Ratios – We commend the proposal to reduce parking ratios to 0.5 stalls/unit and fully support this type of modification; however, the Staff Report accurately describes the trade-off the City must consider. Further reductions in parking requirements means that the overall height requirements of the building may be reduced. Above-grade structured parking is commonly two levels in mid-rise projects, which is a minimum of 20’-0” in height added to the building just to accommodate parking. Retail Amendments – We commend the effort to be more strategic in the location of retail nodes throughout the City and the recognition that retail preservation is not a one size fits all approach. We recognize this is the First Reading and there is more discussion and analysis to come. Grubb appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on housing feasibility in Palo Alto. Thank you for your commitment to this community and it’s evolving housing needs. Megan Watson Senior Director | Grubb Properties 10000 West Washington Blvd WeWork, 6th Floor Culver City, CA 90232 Mobile: 405-973-5229 mwatson@grubbproperties.com grubbproperties.com From:Jennifer Landesmann To:Council, City Subject:In support of funding fire protection Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 2:16:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, I want to thank Ceci Kettendorf; the City's firefighters who spoke at last Monday's Council meeting; the residents who attended the meeting at Cubberley and signed the petition for station 4 (currently with over 600 signatures which is one of the largest Palo Alto resident petitions). I fully support advocacy for the Council to direct a sizable budget allocation to fire protection. The many reasons why this is necessary at this time were outlined by residents at the Cubberley meeting, and with specifics from experts at the Council meeting. With public safety, where there is a special responsibility to plan and invest long ahead; these issues shouldn't wait to be considered on almost an emergency basis. You are the first Council to my recollection who mostly agreed to make public safety a priority at your annual retreat..this has not been common. If one looks at some data points - when Council members individually listed their priorities in years past, did anyone list public safety or fire protection? or the number of times fire protection standards were put on a public agenda; and/or the number of Council directed decisions on the topic with broad stakeholder engagement. It's long overdue to catch up, to ensure that fire safety meets the highest possible standards that the community expects. When the City Manager presents you with information to make relative value choices about what to fund or cut, and to decide on how to use the City's rainy day fund, fire protection should not be competing as a garden variety City issue. When managing risks to life, property, or about direct environmental hazards to residents, the community has always demonstrated broad support for Council to take appropriate action, which is needed now. Thank you, Jennifer ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: CeCi Kettendorf <cecihome@gmail.com>Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 10:06 AM Subject: Funding Fire ProtectionTo: City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Dear City Council Members; I listened with interest at the CC meeting last Monday to Mr. Burt's discussion of PaloAlto's finances and PAFD staffing. I have researched the same, which I would like to share with you. In reviewing the 2025 budget, I see that we are anticipating over a billion dollars in income. Allowing for an abundant 18.5% to be placed in reserve, we are left with$831,300,000. to run this city of 65K. We are blessed. Surely the City Manager can find the millions of dollars to buy a new fire Engine forFS4! Considering a two year wait for delivery , it should have been ordered and financed five years ago. Mr. Burt referenced the SLAC fire station as indicating skewed staffing numbers on my part, when we speak to staffing in 2008. Mr. Burt is correct: we staffed eight fire stationsin 2008, not just seven. Today, we staff only five of the seven in our jurisdiction. We closed Fire Station 4 and 8. (Fire Station 7 is now under another fire department's umbrella. WhenFS 7 left us, it was a happy year for firefighters who enjoyed some contractual vacation time off with their families.) We have now closed Fire Station 4 and 8 for lack of staffing. It is of note that the County has cited us for having closed those stations. The County expects, and we haveagreed, that all our fire Stations will be open for a global response. I refer you to the LAFCO report. How far we have fallen! Mr. Burt also contends that FS 4 did not have full staffing prior to the closing of our Fire Station in 2020. Thank you, Mr. Burt, for confirming the downward spiral of service to us byPAFD and the jeopardy in which we were unknowingly placed. Thank you for validating our shaken faith in the City! It is very sad, but not surprising to have heard. We are fully. awarethat Mr.Keane, in 2011, began the system-wide deconstruction of the PAFD, a sheering continued by Mr. Shikada. However! The old timer firefighters will assure you that we hadstrong, full coverage at FS4 for 58 years, since inception in 1954. Those were the good old days when the citizens had confidence that the powers that be were protecting us. Oh what ahappy time it was! How far we have fallen. What a shame that our heretofore healthy PAFD has been reduced to: routine mandatoryovertime staffing by a skeleton crew of brave firefighters, two closed fire stations in the two most fire prone areas of the city, 17 year old fire engines, and a lack thereof. How far wehave fallen! The premier community of Palo Alto, known for excellence and innovation, should be aproud model for fire protection, so other cities can point to us as the gold standard and strive to emulate us. How far we have fallen! The city manager must hire 45 additional fire fighters to return to the days when the PAFD was strong, with abundant reserve staff and apparatus, with happy firefighters whocould go home to their children. You must purchase new engines, as our present aging fleet of 17 year old engines is due for an upgrade. Perhaps the hundreds of millions of dollars inthe reserve fund should be tapped to fund all the latter. Surely this is an emergency. Surely we are due for an inferno. Surely fire protection is your priority. Surely this is existential. South Palo Alto demands a new engine, 24/7 full staffing with 4 fire fighters, at all times, day or night, at Fire Station 4. Our children deserve no less. Please, protect us. CeCi Kettendorf 45 year resident of south Palo Alto3719 Grove Avenue Palo Alto, Ca. 94303650-493-0804 From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary Cc:Jay Boyarsky; Binder, Andrew; Barberini, Christopher; Enberg, Nicholas; Afanasiev, Alex; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Council, City; Dave Price; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Hayden; Bill Newell; Rodriguez, Miguel; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Human Relations Commission; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; Vara Ramakrishnan; Ed Lauing; h.etzko@gmail.com; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Veenker, Vicki; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Palo Alto Free Press; Kaloma Smith; Friends of Cubberley; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Baker, Rob; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Foley, Michael; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Doug Minkler; Stump, Molly; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Reckdahl, Keith Subject:Feds say ex-Antioch cops plotted to violently oppress residents. They were doing their job, defense says Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 1:11:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Feds say ex-Antioch cops plotted to violently oppress residents. They were doing their job, defense says Feds say ex-Antioch cops plotted to violently oppress residents. They were doing their job,defense says https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/03/feds-say-ex-antioch-cops-plotted-to-violently-oppress-residents-they-were-doing-their-job-defense-says/ From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:Stanford is Magnanimous! Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 12:41:54 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members; The residents of south Palo Alto are awakened to the horror of finding we no longer havean active Fire Station 4. Our homes and schools are at risk. We have been scorned by our City Manager, Ed Shikada. Five years ago, our fire engine wastotaled on 101. Although every other city manager since 1954 had recognized the importance of fire protection for south Palo Alto, Mr, Shikada did not. He decided, withdecidedly myopic vision, not to bother buying FS4 a new engine. Instead, he shut down FS4 to fire protection altogether! In our nightmares, here in the land of Eichlers, shake roofs and sixty year old gas lines, we enter the inferno. I have a solution! Stanford campus will give us THEIR fire engine! Mr. Shikada can explain to them, as he told us, that Palo Alto has a city wide fireresponse, that they don't own their fire engine. Mr. Shikada can assure Stanford, as he told us, that an 8 minute response time 88% of thetime, from fire stations miles away, is stellar protection from fire, (fire which doubles every thirty seconds.) Mr. Shikada can lean forward, lower his voice, and continue, cheerily still, and say to Stanford, "Remember! South Palo Altans pay property taxes. YOU, Stanford, do NOT!" We will hire the angels of Avalon to escort the engine to Fire Station 4! To welcome it, we will polish it until it shines like the sun! We will celebrate with a kegger! In gratitude, we will invite all of Stanford! We will dance with the many firefighters who accompany the engine, more than we certainly have seen! For 14 years, we have been staffed, when staffedat all, with the slim pickins that is CROSS STAFFING. NOW we will enjoy the abundant, redundant numbers of firefighters that Stanford has enjoyed for decades.We will parade our new ladder truck slowly, slowly by all the high rise buildings in south Palo Alto, so all can see that we can now respond in short minutes to save the elderly atMOLDAW, the special needs residents at the new highrise on Charleston, and so many more. We will no longer meet burning spectres from Hades in nightmares, knowing that we havea fully staffed engine at Fire Station 4, a few short minutes away. Stanford too will rest peacefully and calmly, knowing they did a good deed, and anyway, arejust as protected from fire as before they sent their engine south. If Mr. Shikada told them so, it must be true!Stanford will not mind at all, foregoing the safety of a fire engine in its midst. Wouldn't youagree? CeCi Kettendorf45 year resident of Palo alto3719 Grove Avenue650-493-0804