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2025-04-14 City Council Emails
DOCUMENTS 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: 4/14/2025 Document dates: 4/7/2025 - 414/2025 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 View this email in your browser Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, and Instagram April E-Blast April 14, 2025 In this Issue LWVPA Updates Lunch with League Speaker Event LWVPA 2025 Annual Meeting Events by Other Leagues American Journalism on the Brink LWVC Biennial Convention 2025 From LWVUS & LWV California From:LWV Palo Alto (Eblast)To:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA April 2025 E-Blast: Lunch with League and Annual Membership MeetingDate:Monday, April 14, 2025 11:58:37 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Join LWV of Palo Alto League Responds to National Threat to Freedom to Vote Grassroot Activism: How You Can Take Action! Add your name to demand equal rights Budget Academy answers questions about state budget LWVPA Updates LWVPA Lunch with League Speaker Event Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, Redwood Room 3460 WEST Bayshore Road, Palo Alto Featuring Guest Speaker Adam Dawes CEO, Embarcadero Media Foundation Local news is in crisis: Does it have a future on the Peninsula? Local news is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it has been in crisis nationwide. At its 2024 convention, the League of Women Voters recognized that the decline of local news is a threat to democracy. Hear from Adam Dawes, CEO of Embarcadero Media, how the business has changed in recent years and how Embarcadero Media is evolving to meet these trends and preserve the Palo Alto Weekly, Almanac, Mountain View Voice, and Redwood City Pulse for years to come. Embarcadero Media serves a population of more than 500,000 people on the Midpeninsula and the East Bay's Tri-Valley by: alerting citizens of breaking news that makes people feel connected and informed on what's happening in their community; publishing in-depth and investigative reporting on complex issues; and hosting public educational events. BIO Adam was born and raised in Palo Alto and had his first experience in journalism as editor-in-chief of the Campanile at Palo Alto High School. Aside from his four undergraduate years at Harvard, he has lived on the peninsula his entire life. He attended Stanford Business School in the 1990s and worked for tech firms in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, including 14 years at Google. He has served on the board of directors at Embarcadero Media Corp. He lives with his wife and two kids in San Carlos and loves the outdoors and enjoying the vibrant culture of the Bay Area. Please indicate on the sign-up form if you want us to order a sandwich and beverage for you (bring $10 at the door), or bring your own lunch. Register early to save your spot! Register Now LWVPA 2025 Annual Membership Meeting Sunday, May 18, 2025 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Baylands Golf Links, 1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto You won’t want to miss this important and fun Annual Meeting, so please mark your calendars and ask your friends to join you. You’ll have a chance to talk to many of your League friends and to make new acquaintances too. Arrive a little early and enjoy a light snack and beverages. We have an exciting speaker, updates to our bylaws, acceptance of our issues of emphasis for 2025-26 and a vote for our new slate of officers and board of directors. More details to follow! Events by Other Leagues LWV Santa Clara County Civic Engagement Program Presents: Film Screening Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Starts at Noon on Zoom Please note the film is 90 minutes; the post-film discussion is 30 minutes. While we understand this is a lot of your time, it is an investment in the future of democracy. The loss of local news threatens democracy and communities. This film reveals the causes and consequences of the loss and lack of local journalism. Rick Goldsmith, film Producer & Director, will facilitate online conversation after the film. Hedge fund Alden Global Capital is quietly gobbling up newspapers across the country and gutting them, but no one knows why—until journalist Julie Reynolds begins to investigate. Her findings trigger rebellions across the country by journalists working at Alden-owned newspapers. Backed by the NewsGuild union, the newsmen and women go toe-to-toe with their “vulture capitalist” owners in a battle to save and rebuild local journalism in America. Who will control the future of America’s news ecosystem: Wall Street billionaires concerned only with profit, or those who see journalism as an essential public service, the lifeblood of our democracy? Register Now LWVC Biennial Convention 2025 Via Zoom & YouTube Every two years, the California membership gathers at the LWVC Convention to craft our policy priorities for the next two years, to enlighten each other by sharing our successes and learnings, to inspire a new generation of League leaders, and to celebrate our shared passion for making California a well- governed and vibrant state. This year, our Convention will be held virtually from June 17-22, with workshops throughout the week. We will focus on bringing League members together to learn, share, and energize our membership as we continue to work toward strengthening democracy. More information is available at lwvc.org/convention. Members are encouraged to attend the convention either as an observer or a delegate. Email contact@lwvpaloalto.org if you are interested in learning more. We hope to see you there! From LWVUS & LWV California League Responds to National Threat to Freedom to Vote The League of Women Voters quickly issued a response last week to the Executive Order that attempts to restrict Americans' freedom to vote. Read the national response HERE. "This executive order is an assault on our republic and a dangerous attempt to silence American voters . . . To be very clear -- the League of Women Voters is prepared to fight back and defend our democracy," said League CEO Celina Stewart. A survey conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice and other public policy nonprofits last year found that more than 20 million Americans do not have proof of citizenship readily available. Grassroots Activism: How You Can Take Action! "As we witness a barrage of assaults on our democratic processes, institutions, and values, it’s not surprising that many people feel overwhelmed and even frightened. Common reactions to these feelings are fight, flight, freeze, or fawn: Flight: Some people will avoid or minimize any political engagement; Freeze: Others feel so overwhelmed and powerless they will shut down, unable to do anything; Fawn: Fear may drive others to appease or give in to those in power; or Fight: We must fight back! Anti-democratic actors want us to feel defeated in order to make us compliant and/or immobile. Instead, everyone must commit to doing their part in defense of our democracy. "When we collectively rise up and challenge those in power, we make a difference. That includes you — because you have a voice. You have power.” Read the full blog HERE. Add your name to demand equal rights LWVUS is gathering signatures for a petition that calls upon the federal government to recognize the duly ratified Equal Rights Amendment. To add your name to this national petition, click HERE. Budget Academy answers questions about state budget LWV California is recommending the Budget Academy as a reliable source of information about how to understand and navigate the California state budget. The online resource includes a glossary of terms, fact sheets, timelines, reports and a video series about the budget process. Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for Email News and Action Alerts from LWVUS Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2025 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. From:Hayden Kantor To:Council, City Subject:support for 70 Encina project Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 10:05:06 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, I strongly support building more housing at 70 Encina and for more homes to be built in this area. It's close to Stanford, transit, and downtown. These will be great for families. We need many more market-rate homes like these. The longprocess and delay -- 3 years -- is unacceptable. Best, Hayden KantorPalo Alto, CA From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Subject:Encina housing Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 7:12:44 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Dear Mayor Lauing and council members, Please approve the Encina housing project. The applicant has waited a long time and invested $$ to get to this point. Apparently both the applicant and T&C lessee agree this is a good place for housing. They deserve a speedy unanimous approval. It is unfair to ask them to wait for a distant and, at this point, speculative "more comprehensive" option. Stephen Levy This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Judy Noice To:Council, City Subject:May 5 meeting re: Palo Alto Commons Date:Sunday, April 13, 2025 12:48:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, I am Judy Noice. My address is 4086 Ben Lomond Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306. My mother is an Elite Care resident at Palo Alto Commons, where I visit her almost every day. Because of travel, I am unable to attend the May 5 meeting in person. I wanted to let youknow about an unpleasant encounter I had with a person on Wilke Way when I was taking my wheelchair-bound mother for a walk at the beginning of March of this year. My mother and I were on the sidewalk behind Palo Alto Commons. My Palo Alto Commonsvisitor's badge was on my sweater. As I pushed my mother in her wheelchair, a person came out of the house next to us and asked me if I was from Palo Alto Commons and where did Ipark? When I explained that I was a family member of a resident, and I had parked along El Camino Way, the person told us Palo Alto Commons visitors clogged all the parking in the area. Ireplied that I tried to be respectful of the neighbors and park in the Palo Alto Commons parking lot as much as possible. The person then asked if I had parked on the street because the underground parking was full. As I was clearly irritated by this interruption of our walk and was trying to move on, the person then backed up onto the yard and told us they really were more upset about Palo AltoCommons staff parking on their street and nearby streets. I told them I highly valued the talented and caring staff at Palo Alto Commons. I then said I hoped the neighbors and PACommons could figure out a solution to the parking issues forvisitors and staff as PACommons provided important senior housing in Palo Alto. I was trying to maneuver my mother's wheelchair away when the person then started complaining about an addition to Palo Alto Commons taking away all the sunlight in theirbackyard. At this point, I repeated that I hoped the neighbors and Palo Alto Commons could find a solution to these issues and kept walking away. Palo Alto Commons provides valuable housing and care for seniors in Palo Alto. Theirfamilies and staff are part of the neighborhood. I hope everyone can work together to find solutions for the issues rather than confronting people from Palo Alto Commons who are usingpublic sidewalks for recreation. Thank you for your time, Judy Noice From:Lisa Peschcke-Koedt To:Council, City Cc:Lisa Peschcke-Koedt Subject:Please approve 70 Encina project on Monday 4/14/25 Date:Sunday, April 13, 2025 11:34:21 AM Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council: Please approve the project at 70 Encina which comes before you on Monday, April 14. This project is perfect to help with our housing shortage. As you know, our severe housing shortage needs many actions. This one at 70 Encina has been pending since 2022, and needs to move forward now. The 70 Encina project provides 10 homes immediately adjacent to shopping, jobs, schools and various services. The project includes larger family-sized homes, including two affordable homes. That is a great fit for our housing priorities and needs. Please approve this now so it may move forward and help with our housing shortage. I was born and raised in Palo Alto, and am very grateful for being able to continue to live here. I hope we can expand our housing to allow others to join this great community. Thanks, Lisa Lisa Peschcke-Koedt 965 Addison Avenue, Palo Alto lisa_peschcke_koedt@hotmail.com From:Katie Renati To:Council, City Subject:Opposition to Condo Project at 70 Encina Date:Sunday, April 13, 2025 10:20:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, As a long-time Palo Alto resident and frequent customer of Town & Country businesses, Istrongly oppose the proposed 3-story condo project at 70 Encina. When I first noticed a section of the back parking lot being closed, I assumed it was beingrepaved. Then my son, who used to work at Jamba Juice, told me that condos were being built there—I could hardly believe it! Here are my concerns: The lot is far too small to accommodate a 3-story building. The project will only create 10 condos, while our city needs to focus on larger-scalehousing solutions to have meaningful impact. The architecture does not fit the existing style and character of Town & Country.Parking at T&C is already limited. Regardless of whether the project includes private parking, residents and their guests will inevitably use T&C parking out of convenience.Traffic and pedestrian flow within the center are already problematic. This development would only add to the congestion and confusion. I respectfully urge the Council to oppose the condo project at 70 Encina. Thank you for your service and for all that you do for Palo Alto and its residents. Sincerely, Katie Renati Palo Alto Resident since 1988 From:Hamilton Hitchings To:Council, City; Reckdahl, Keith; Julie.LythcottHaims@paloalto.gov; Pat.Burt@paloalto.gov Cc:Rebecca Sanders; Furman, Sheri; Jeff Levinsky; Glanckopf, Annette; Arthur Keller; CeCi Kettendorf; Nose, Kiely; Dave Price Subject:Finance Committee: Opposition to Regressive Residential Gas Rate Increases and Methodological Shifts inFY2026 COSA Date:Saturday, April 12, 2025 4:51:03 PM Attachments:Letter to Finance Committee Meeting - 5_30 pm April 15th, 2025 v5.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Finance Committee Members, On behalf of the Palo Alto Neighborhoods, we are expressing deep concerns regarding the proposed 22% gas rate increase for residential customers despite only a 5% system- wide cost increase. This is caused by the proposed methodology changes that unnecessarily shifts costs onto residents. The Utility Advisory Finance Subcommittee met before the new Natural Gas Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) was released and the Utility Advisory Commission (UAC) did not realize that they could retain the old COSA. We request you do not approve the FY2026 COSA but remand it back to the UAC for further review. Please continue to use the currently adopted COSA, as was done in prior years, which would spread the gas utility hike of 5% equally across all customers. That would also make the proposal to reallocate the Cap-and-Trade funds of $1.6 million for a one-time residential customer rebate of $73 per customer unnecessary. It would also allow you to go forward with the 18% General Fund Transfer, up from 14.5% last year, if you thought that was better use of the funds than reducing gas rates further. If you do not remand the COSA, you could reduce contributions to the reserves, some of which are already over their minimum, which would reduce the rate increase a bit. Overview of Proposed Rate Impacts FY2026 gas rate increase by class of customers: Class of Gas User Current Median Monthly Bill Proposed COSA Rate Increase Old COSA Rate Increase G-1 Residential Tier 1 (basic needs)$70 22%5% G-2 Residential Tier 2 (heavyusage)2 - 3%5% G-2 Very Small Businesses $227 (54%)5% G-2 Small - Medium Businesses $706 (2%)5% G-2 Medium-Large Businesses $5,356 14%5% G-3 Large Business $41,287 7%5% Key Points on the proposed rate changes: Tier 1 residential users face a 22% rate increase (from an overall 5% system hike), creating a significant cost shift from commercial and multi-family master-metered customers to low-usage households. Tier 2 residential customers are effectively rewarded for using more gas, contradicting the original intent of tiering (i.e., to incentivize reduced consumption). G-2 business customers will receive highly varied changes, benefiting some smaller businesses and multi-family master-metered properties (4 - 6 units) with a 54% rate reduction. These very small businesses who are currently paying twice as much as PG&E, would be reduced to 35% more under the new rate structure making this the biggest advantage of the new methodology. The remaining larger multi-family mastered-metered and medium businesses would have either a 2% reduction in rates or a 14% increase. Objection to the Proposed COSA The COSA (page 24 of the finance committee packet) notes that “Residential and Large Commercial classes require higher rate increases compared to the G2 class,” citing two accounting changes: 1. General Fund Transfer (GFT) allocation changed from net plant to revenue-based. 2. Rate Base Allocation uses the Average & Excess (A&E) method, moving more asset value from G-2 to G-1 due to seasonal variability in residential use. Since staff confirms the current COSA already complies with California Proposition 26 and there is no mandated time frame to adopt a new one, we urge a remand to the UAC rather than approval. 1. Objection to Changing the General Fund Transfer (GFT) from Plant-Based to Revenue-Based Basing the GFT on revenues instead of net plant strays from the principle of cost causation and disproportionately burdens residential customers, who already pay higher per-therm. Measure L, which capped the GFT at 18%, did not authorize this shift in allocation method. 2. Maintain the Current Methodology Instead of Adopting Average & Excess Palo Alto’s current Peak Demand method is widely accepted among gas utilities, remains fully compliant with California Proposition 26, and directly ties each customer class’s non- coincident peak usage to infrastructure costs. By contrast, the proposed Average & Excess (A&E) method attributes higher costs to seasonal variability, penalizing residential customers who use gas primarily to heat their homes in the winter. A&E is rarely used in California—utilities like PG&E, SoCalGas, and SDG&E do not employ it—and lacks compelling, data-driven justification. Under the proposal, local distribution rates for residential Tier 1 (efficient users) would spike 49%, whereas tier 2 residential users would see a 10% distribution rate decrease. Small commercial users would see an 82% reduction, while medium-large commercial users would shoulder a 166% increase. With no clear benefits, adopting A&E risks burdening efficient gas customers, creating inequities, and disrupting established rate structures. Palo Alto can decline the newly proposed method and retain the proven, transparent Peak Demand approach—or direct the consultant to redo the study with a fresh perspective. Objection to Cap-and-Trade Funds Being Used for Rebates The proposal to use $1.6 million in Cap-and-Trade allowance proceeds for a one-time $73.20 rebate per residential customer merely delays part of the FY2026 rate increase. It does not reduce costs but instead more than doubles the FY2027 gas rate increase (from a projected 6% to 13% increase across all customer classes). This rebate will reduce the overall residential bill for all utility services combined for FY2026 from 11% to 9% increase. Please do not use cap-and-trade funds to subsidize fossil fuel consumption instead of their intended use for GHG reduction. Summary of Recommendations We urge the Finance Committee to: 1. Maintain the current COSA and do not approve the proposed COSA at this time, remanding it to maintain the current, industry-supported accounting methods rather than making significant and disruptive changes. 2. Apply the 5% gas rate increase uniformly across all customer classes in the same manner as previous years per the existing COSA 3. Reject the reallocation of Cap-and-Trade funds as this rebate will be unnecessary if we maintain the current COSA 4. Consider whether to approve the increase to 18% the General Fund Transfer from the previous years 14.5% (which would lower the residential tier 1 customer increase from 22% to 18% but mean less money for the General Fund) 5. Consider less contribution to reserves in FY2026 to lower rates if you adopt the new COSA Sincerely, Hamilton Hitchings - on behalf of Palo Alto Neighborhoods, paneighborhoods.org Rebecca Sanders - PAN Co-chair Sheri Furman, PAN Co-chair Jeff Levinsky, PAN Exec Committee Annette Glanckopf, PAN Exec Committee Arthur Keller, PAN Exec Committee Ceci Kettendorf, PAN Exec Committee Note: the attached version has footnotes with quotes from staff, etc... Draft Letter to Palo Alto Finance Committee - April 15, 2025 Subject: Opposition to Regressive Residential Gas Rate Increases and Methodological Shifts in FY2026 COSA Dear Finance Committee Members, On behalf of the Palo Alto Neighborhoods, we are expressing deep concerns regarding the proposed 22% gas rate increase for residential customers despite only a 5% system-wide cost increase. This is caused by the proposed methodology changes that unnecessarily shifts costs onto residents. The Utility Advisory Finance Subcommittee met before the new Natural Gas Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) was released and the Utility Advisory Commission (UAC) did not realize that they could retain the old COSA. We request you do not approve the FY2026 COSA but remand it back to the UAC for further review. Please continue to use the currently adopted COSA, as was done in prior years, which would spread the gas utility hike of 5% equally across all customers. That would also make the proposal to reallocate the Cap-and-Trade funds of $1.6 million for a one-time residential customer rebate of $73 per customer unnecessary. It would also allow you to go forward with the 18% General Fund Transfer, up from 14.5% last year, if you thought that was better use of the funds than reducing gas rates further. If you do not remand the COSA, you could reduce contributions to the reserves, some of which are already over their minimum, which would reduce the rate increase a bit. Overview of Proposed Rate Impacts FY2026 gas rate increase by class of customers: Class of Gas User Current Median Monthly Bill Proposed COSA Rate Increase Old COSA Rate Increase G-1 Residential Tier 1 (basic needs) $701 22% 5% G-2 Residential Tier 2 (heavy usage) 2 - 3% 5% G-2 Very Small Businesses $227 (54%) 5% G-2 Small - Medium Businesses $706 (2%) 5% G-2 Medium-Large Businesses $5,356 14% 5% G-3 Large Business $41,287 7% 5% Key Points on the proposed rate changes: ● Tier 1 residential users face a 22% rate increase (from an overall 5% system hike), creating a significant cost shift from commercial and multi-family master-metered customers to low-usage households. ● Tier 2 residential customers are effectively rewarded for using more gas, contradicting the original intent of tiering (i.e., to incentivize reduced consumption). ● G-2 business customers will receive highly varied changes, benefiting some smaller businesses and multi-family master-metered properties (4 - 6 units) with a 54% rate reduction. These very small 1 $70 is median monthly bill across tier 1 & tier 2. So less for tier 1 only users and more for tier 2. businesses who are currently paying twice as much as PG&E, would be reduced to 35% more under the new rate structure making this the biggest advantage of the new methodology. The remaining larger multi-family mastered-metered and medium businesses would have either a 2% reduction in rates or a 14% increase. Objection to the Proposed COSA The COSA (page 24 finance committee packet) notes that “Residential and Large Commercial classes require higher rate increases compared to the G2 class,” citing two accounting changes: 1. General Fund Transfer (GFT) allocation changed from net plant to revenue-based. 2. Rate Base Allocation uses the Average & Excess (A&E) method, moving more asset value from G-2 to G-1 due to seasonal variability in residential use. Since staff confirms the current COSA already complies with California Proposition 26 2 and there is no mandated time frame to adopt a new one 3, we urge a remand to the UAC rather than approval. 1. Objection to Changing the General Fund Transfer (GFT) from Plant-Based to Revenue-Based Basing the GFT on revenues instead of net plant strays from the principle of cost causation and disproportionately burdens residential customers, who already pay higher per-therm. Measure L, which capped the GFT at 18%, did not authorize this shift in allocation method. 2. Maintain the Current Methodology Instead of Adopting Average & Excess Palo Alto’s current Peak Demand method 4 is widely accepted among gas utilities, remains fully compliant with California Proposition 26, and directly ties each customer class’s non-coincident peak usage to infrastructure costs. By contrast, the proposed Average & Excess (A&E) method attributes higher costs to seasonal variability, penalizing residential customers who use gas primarily to heat their homes in the winter. A&E is rarely used in California—utilities like PG&E, SoCalGas, and SDG&E do not employ it—and lacks compelling, data-driven justification. Under the proposal, local distribution rates for residential Tier 1 (efficient users) would spike 49%, whereas tier 2 residential users would see a 10% distribution rate decrease. Small commercial users would see an 82% reduction, while medium-large commercial users would shoulder a 166% increase. With no clear benefits, adopting A&E risks burdening efficient gas customers, creating inequities, and disrupting established rate structures. Palo Alto can decline the newly proposed method and retain the proven, transparent Peak Demand approach—or direct the consultant to redo the study with a fresh perspective. Objection to Cap-and-Trade Funds Being Used for Rebates 4 “The previous COSA study functionalized and classified distribution system costs as 100% demand-related, and then used each customer’s share of non-coincident peak demand to allocate those distribution costs across customer classes.” Proposed FY26 COSA, Page 19 3 Staff (Lisa Bilir) on whether Prop 26 mandating COSA frequency: “I don’t believe so, but it’s typical to do it every few years, so between three to five, seven years, something like that.” 2 Staff answered the question on whether the prior COSA was still compliant with prop 26: “Yes, it was” The proposal to use $1.6 million in Cap-and-Trade allowance proceeds for a one-time $73.20 rebate per residential customer merely delays part of the FY2026 rate increase. It does not reduce costs but instead more than doubles the FY2027 gas rate increase (from a projected 6% to 13% increase across all customer classes). This rebate will reduce the overall residential bill for all utility services combined for FY2026 from 11% to 9% increase. Please do not use cap-and-trade funds to subsidize fossil fuel consumption instead of their intended use for GHG reduction. Summary of Recommendations We urge the Finance Committee to: 1. Maintain the current COSA and do not approve the proposed COSA at this time, remanding it to maintain the current, industry-supported accounting methods rather than making significant and disruptive changes. 2. Apply the 5% gas rate increase uniformly across all customer classes in the same manner as previous years per the existing COSA 3. Reject the reallocation of Cap-and-Trade funds as this rebate will be unnecessary if we maintain the current COSA 4. Consider whether to approve the increase to 18% the General Fund Transfer from the previous years 14.5% (which would lower the residential tier 1 customer increase from 22% to 18% but mean less money for the General Fund) 5. Consider less contribution to reserves in FY2026 to lower rates if you adopt the new COSA Sincerely, Hamilton Hitchings - on behalf of Palo Alto Neighborhoods, paneighborhoods.org Rebecca Sanders - PAN Co-chair Sheri Furman, PAN Co-chair Jeff Levinsky, PAN Exec Committee Annette Glanckopf, PAN Exec Committee Arthur Keller, PAN Exec Committee Ceci Kettendorf, PAN Exec Committee From:Aram James To:Gardener, Liz Cc:Vicki Veenker; Veenker, Vicki; Doug Minkler; Zelkha, Mila; Sean Allen; Pat M; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Binder, Andrew; Palo Alto Free Press; Lewis James; Wagner, April; Barberini, Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jeff Rosen; h.etzko@gmail.com; Jay Boyarsky; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; Lotus Fong; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Cait James; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; walter wilson; Don Austin; Donna Wallach; Roberta Ahlquist; Bill Newell; Baker, Rob; Afanasiev, Alex; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Raj Jayadev; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; Yolanda Conaway; Damon Silver; Tim James; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Nash, Betsy; Raymond Goins; Bains, Paul; Ed Lauing; editor@almanacnews.com; editor@paweekly.com; Ruth Silver Taube; Roberta Roth; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Enberg, Nicholas; Rodriguez, Miguel; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Conrad; Bill Johnson; Tom DuBois; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Dennis Upton; Human Relations Commission; Foley, Michael; Salem Ajluni; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; Gennady Sheyner; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; George for Palo Alto; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Stump, Molly Subject:Re: AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical of Israel. Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 4:26:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Subject: Your Courageous Letter Hi Liz, You have written a compelling letter and shown extraordinary courage in speaking out againstthe ongoing genocide in Palestine and elsewhere, despite the significant risks involved in exercising what is normally considered free speech. I am both angry and saddened to hear that your sons feel they might be bullied by their peersand that they are afraid teachers and school counselors will not support them if they express their true feelings about the Holocaust being perpetrated in Gaza and the West Bank, with fullbacking from the U.S. government. I have no doubt that your sons are very proud of their mother. With deepest respect, Aram James On Fri, Apr 11, 2025, at 2:04 PM, Liz Gardner <gardnerjaqua@gmail.com> wrote:Hello, Which other 8 US Senators are being targeted and are they speaking out? Andwhat price? AIPAC is committing political blackmail. Worse than the National Riffle Association and all their dirty work on our elected leaders. My own children cannot speak out about the loss of civilian human life in GAZA paid for by our bullets and tax dollars. They fear being bullied and called names by theirpeers and classmates. They are afraid to talk to the counselor at school or ateacher about the guilt and loss of life we are supporting and paying. It's a lopsided out of whack world. Numbing us to pain and suffering. Liz GardnerPalo Alto On Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: AIPAC unleashes ads targeting US senators opposing arms sales to Israel AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical of Israel. Source: The New Arabhttps://search.app/1d4YSWx5ovCAWRjR9 Shared via the Google app From:Jeronimo Aguilar To:Council, City Cc:Atkinson, Rebecca; Margaretta Lin; Eric Sapp Subject:Legal Analysis of the 9th Circuit Decision in Yim v. City of Seattle (Yim II) Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 4:12:43 PM Attachments:NHLP-Yim-II-memo.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello Palo Alto City Council members, My name is Jeronimo Aguilar, I am a Policy Analyst reaching out on behalf of Legal Servicesfor Prisoners with Children, All of Us or None, Just Cities, and the Fair Chance Housing state coalition who have founded this policy advocacy around removing barriers in employment andhousing application processes for the past decade. Attached is an analysis of the Yim decision from our partners over at the National Housing Law Project which helps to provide some clarity on its effect on Fair Chance housingadvocacy and implementation. We strongly believe that we must continue to protect community members from harmful background checks and we have yet to see this decision have any effect on our work done inOakland and Berkeley. We believe this to be the case in short because in Oakland and Berkeley, advocates introduced strong evidence demonstrating the public purpose behind theFCH ordinance proposals--namely preventing homelessness, and problems behind the use of criminal records databases. We feel that any jurisdiction considering this much needed reform, must have a robust policydiscussion and public discourse. To that end, once this process takes place, the research overwhelmingly supports the need for sound FCH policy that eliminates the use ofbackground checks in the housing application process, except for any state or federal requirements. Our criminal justice system is much too biased, rife with systemic inequitiesbased on race and class, to be relied upon as a record of who is fit or unfit, for housing or employment. Moreover, there is yet to be any legitimate research that demonstrates howbackground checks help to protect public safety in any way. We will continue following up with more materials and appreciate the opportunity to participate in this policy process. We believe that our directly impacted expertise, experiencewith helping pass FCH ordinances in other jurisdictions, and deep understanding of the issue will help ensure the most effective policy moves forward in the city of Palo Alto. We lookforward to continued engagement and discussion. This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Respectfully submitted, Jeronimo Aguilar Policy Analyst Legal Services for Prisoners with Children-All of Us or None 4400 Market Street Oakland, CA 94608 cell:530.405.6178 www.abolishbondagecollectively.org www.prisonerswithchildren.org jeronimo@prisonerswithchildren.org "We urge you to speak out, don't be afraid to lose false friends. One action is worth a thousand meaningless, compromised bills. Because one work, one courageous stand based on principle,will set the example for all of our people". - Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales 1663 Mission St. Suite 460 San Francisco, CA 94103 | 415.546.7000 1025 Vermont Ave., N.W. Suite 606 Washington, D.C. 20005 Legal Analysis of the 9th Circuit Decision in Yim v. City of Seattle (Yim II) for Fair Chance Housing Advocates July 2023 In March 2023, the 9th Circuit issued a decision in Yim v. City of Seattle (Yim II), a constitutional challenge to Seattle’s Fair Chance Housing Ordinance (the Ordinance). At issue were two of the Ordinance’s provisions: 1. The inquiry provision, which prohibits landlords from asking tenants and applicants about past arrest records, conviction records, or conviction history; and 2. The adverse action provision, which prohibits landlords from taking an adverse action, such as rejecting applicants or evicting tenants, based on a person’s past arrest records, conviction records, or conviction history. In a victory for advocates, the court upheld the adverse action provision, the core protection of the Ordinance. Advocates in other jurisdictions should feel confident that they can push for legislation that prohibits landlords from taking adverse actions against people with records without narrowing the scope of that prohibition in terms of lookback periods or categories of offenses, at least as a constitutional matter. The Ordinance remains the most progressive and protective fair chance housing ordinance in the country. Significantly, however, the 9th Circuit struck down the inquiry provision as an unconstitutional restriction of the landlords’ right to free speech under the First Amendment. Removing the inquiry provision complicates enforcement of the adverse action provision. At the same time, the balance of this mixed ruling likely tips in favor of tenants and applicants. A landlord who asks about criminal history and subsequently takes an adverse action should not be able to seriously argue that the adverse action was unrelated to the criminal history that the landlord asked about. This memo outlines the 9th Circuit’s analysis; discusses next steps for the parties; and offers suggestions for advocates who are campaigning for or implementing similar fair chance housing ordinances in their jurisdictions. I. The 9th Circuit’s analysis: What did the court decide? A. Adverse action provision The Ordinance prohibits landlords from taking adverse action based on “any arrest record, conviction record or conviction history” of tenants or applicants. S.M.C. 14.09.025(A) (emphasis added). An adverse action includes, among other things, “[r]efusing to engage in or negotiate a rental real estate transaction,” “denying tenancy,” “[e]xpelling or evicting an occupant,” and applying different rates or terms to a rental real estate transaction. Id. 14.09.010. The Ordinance stands out from other fair chance housing laws because it does not carve out a period of time during which landlords may consider a person’s conviction history. In Cook County, Illinois, for 1663 Mission St. Suite 460 San Francisco, CA 94103 | 415.546.7000 1025 Vermont Ave., N.W. Suite 606 Washington, D.C. 20005 example, landlords may consider convictions that take place within three years of application. Cook County, Ill., Code § 42-38. In a significant win for advocates, the court upheld the adverse action provision. According to the court, the city had two legitimate reasons for passing the ordinance: (1) reducing barriers to housing faced by persons with arrest and conviction records, and (2) decreasing the use of arrest and conviction history as a proxy to discriminate on the basis of race. Yim v. City of Seattle, 63 F.4th 783, 799 (9th Cir. 2023). Prohibiting landlords from taking adverse actions based on arrest and conviction records is legitimately connected to these two goals; therefore, the adverse action provision survived this legal challenge. B. Inquiry provision The court’s analysis of the Ordinance’s inquiry provision is more problematic. The plaintiff-landlords argued that by prohibiting them from asking about arrest and conviction history, the Ordinance restricts their First Amendment right to free speech. There were several legal issues at play here, but the most important question for the court was: Is the Ordinance’s inquiry provision “narrowly drawn” to achieve the City’s stated interests of (1) reducing barriers to housing faced by persons with arrest and conviction records and (2) decreasing the use of arrest and conviction history as a proxy to discriminate on the basis of race? In other words, in enacting the Ordinance, did the City “carefully calculate[] the costs and benefits associated with the burden on speech” placed on the landlords by the Ordinance’s inquiry provision? Yim v. City of Seattle, 63 F.4th 783, 796 (9th Cir. 2023) (quoting City of Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc., 507 U.S. 410, 417 (1993) A key part of the court’s analysis in answering this question focused on whether the inquiry provision struck a reasonable balance between the interests of the various parties, such as landlords, tenants, and applicants. Ultimately, the court held that the inquiry provision was not “narrowly drawn” and therefore violated the First Amendment. The court noted that the City considered a narrower version of the inquiry provision that banned inquiries about convictions more than 2 years old and rejected it without justification. Even more troubling, the court pointed to fair chance housing ordinances in other jurisdictions and noted that their inquiry provisions were more limited. Some ordinances limit inquiries to a specific period of time (e.g., convictions older than three years) or to specific categories of criminal history. See e.g., Berkeley, Cal., Mun. Code § 13.106.040, et seq.; Oakland, Cal., Mun. Code § 8.25.010, et seq.; Ann Arbor, Mich., Mun. Code, Title IX, Chapter 122, § 9:600, et seq. According to the court, because these ordinances allow landlords to ask a potential tenant about their most recent, serious offenses, they impose a significantly lower burden on the landlord’s speech. In our opinion, this reasoning is deeply flawed. It takes a huge leap and assumes that more limited inquiry provisions in other fair chance housing ordinances are just as effective as the Ordinance’s inquiry provision. One of the three judges agreed, but they unfortunately do not represent the majority opinion of the court: 1663 Mission St. Suite 460 San Francisco, CA 94103 | 415.546.7000 1025 Vermont Ave., N.W. Suite 606 Washington, D.C. 20005 The fact that five cities, one county, and the State of New Jersey enacted these alternative measures in an attempt to address some of the same issues as Seattle does not mean that they will ‘accomplish the same goals[.] In fact, the majority identifies no data or evidence that these alternatives have been, or will be, effective at all, let alone as effective as Seattle’s inquiry provision. Yim v. City of Seattle, 63 F.4th 783, 810 (9th Cir. 2023) (Gould, R.M., concurring in part and dissenting in part) II. FAQ on the practical impacts of Yim II decision for advocates Q: What is next for this case? In June 2023, the 9th Circuit court denied the petition for en banc review, which means that the decision stands. The parties may petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review this case; the deadline for their request is the end of September 2023. Q: Who does this decision apply to? This decision applies to the jurisdictions that fall within the 9th Circuit, which includes the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. It also includes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Outside of the 9th Circuit, this decision is not binding, but will be highly influential. Advocates should also note that the plaintiffs’ lawyers come from a conservative impact litigation firm and approach Yim II as a test case that could be replicated in other jurisdictions. Q: Does this decision have implications for restrictions on landlord inquiries outside of the criminal records context? Likely yes. Laws that restrict landlords from asking about other types of information, such as past eviction history, may need to be examined. Q: Is there helpful language in the decision for advocates? There is useful language from the court about the need for housing for people with records, including endorsing the city’s legitimate goals for its policies. The introduction discusses at length the problem of housing for people with records and the racial impact. Some examples of the court’s language include: The City's stated interests—reducing barriers to housing faced by persons with criminal records and the use of criminal history as a proxy to discriminate on the basis of race—are substantial. Yim v. City of Seattle, 63 F.4th 783, 794 (9th Cir. 2023). The barriers people with a criminal history face trying to find stable housing are well- documented. Approximately 90% of private landlords conduct criminal background checks on prospective tenants, and nearly half of private landlords in Seattle say they would reject an applicant with a criminal history. As a result, formerly incarcerated persons are nearly 10 times as likely as the general population to experience homelessness or housing insecurity, and one in five people who leave prison become homeless shortly thereafter. Id. at 787. 1663 Mission St. Suite 460 San Francisco, CA 94103 | 415.546.7000 1025 Vermont Ave., N.W. Suite 606 Washington, D.C. 20005 [The] “prison to homelessness pipeline” has a host of negative effects on communities. Persons without stable housing are significantly more likely to recidivate, with one study estimating that people with unstable housing were up to seven times more likely to re-offend. They are less likely to be able to find stable employment and access critical physical and mental healthcare. Id. at 788. [C]riminal history screening exacerbates ... affordability challenges by disqualifying persons from rental housing even when they have the financial means to afford the housing and could live there successfully. Id. These consequences are not borne equally by all Americans. In the United States, people of color are significantly more likely to have a criminal history than their white counterparts. Discriminatory law enforcement practices have resulted in people of color being “arrested, convicted and incarcerated at rates [that are] disproportionate to their share of the general population.” In 2014, for example, African Americans comprised 12% of the total population, but 36% of the total prison population.5 As of 2018, one in nine Black men ages 20–34 was incarcerated, and one in three Black men had spent time in prison over the course of his lifetime. Id. The correlation between race and criminal history can result in both unintentional and intentional discrimination on the part of landlords who take account of criminal history. A landlord with a policy of not renting to tenants with a criminal history might not bear any racial animus, but the policy could nevertheless disproportionately exclude people of color. On the flip side, a landlord who does not wish to rent to non-white tenants could mask discriminatory intent with a “policy” of declining to rent to tenants with a criminal history. A 2014 fair housing test conducted by the Seattle Office of Civil Rights found evidence of the latter practice, reporting that testers belonging to minority groups were frequently asked about their criminal history, while similarly situated white testers were not. It also found incidents of differential treatment based on race in housing 64% of the time, including incidences of this practice. Id. at 788–89. For additional questions, please reach out to Eric Dunn (edunn@nhlp.org) and Marie Claire Tran-Leung (mctranleung@nhlp.org). From:LWV of Palo Alto To:Council, City Subject:April 14 City Council meeting: Action Item 13: Fair Chance in Housing ordinance Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 2:10:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker, and Council Members: The League of Women Voters’ Meeting Basic Human Needs position supports policies which provide a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.The proposed Fair Chance in Housing Ordinance will help achieve that goal. The League has consistently supported the recently adopted renter protections (limits torent increases, relocation assistance, and a rental registry) to help address displacement,homelessness, and the lack of both unsubsidized and subsidized affordable housing forlow- and moderate-income people in Palo Alto. The City’'s 2023-2031 Housing Element(Program 6.6) makes renter protections part of the City’s duty to affirmatively further fairhousing under State law. The Fair Chance in Housing Ordinance, which the City has beendiscussing since 2021, is one more tool to implement renter protections. As set out in the Ordinance’s “Findings”(sec.1), the Fair Chance in Housing Ordinance willreduce the potential for discrimination based on criminal history in rental housing decisions. Limiting use of criminal history information in rental housing decisions givespreviously incarcerated persons a fair opportunity to compete for rental housing, puttingthem in a better position to reintegrate into the community, obtain gainful employment, andaccess health and other services. The staff report notes that persons with a criminal historyface barriers to securing stable housing and are significantly more likely to be unhousedthan the general public. The most recent publicized count found 9,903 persons wereunhoused in Santa Clara County, including 206 people in Palo Alto. State law already limits the use of criminal background checks to “directly related”convictions but provides no limit to how many years ago the convictions may have been.. The Fair Chance Ordinance limits the use of criminal background checks by landlords inrental housing decisions to a two-year look-back period for “directly related convictions”. Itgives tenants notice and opportunity to present corrections to the record or mitigatingfactors, outlines steps the landlord must take before rejecting a tenant based on theircriminal history, and creates a right to sue for unlawful discrimination, in addition to anexisting right to file a complaint with state and federal civil rights agencies. The ordinancecreates no new administrative enforcement responsibilities for the city. We applaud the staff and council’s thoroughness in thinking through the pros and cons ofImplementing State law locally through a Fair Chance Ordinance by establishing a two (2) year lookback period. Sincerely, Karen Kalinsky and Lisa Ratner Co-Presidents LWV Palo Alto -- League of Women Voters of Palo Alto3921 E. Bayshore Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 Phone: (650) 903-0600Web: www.lwvpaloalto.orgFacebook: www.facebook.com/PaloAltoLeague/Twitter: www.twitter.com/lwvpaloalto From:Liz Gardner To:Aram James Cc:Vicki Veenker; Veenker, Vicki; Doug Minkler; Zelkha, Mila; Sean Allen; Pat M; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Binder, Andrew; Palo Alto Free Press; Lewis James; Wagner, April; Barberini, Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jeff Rosen; h.etzko@gmail.com; Jay Boyarsky; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; Lotus Fong; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Cait James; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; walter wilson; Don Austin; Donna Wallach; Roberta Ahlquist; Bill Newell; Baker, Rob; Afanasiev, Alex; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright Subject:Re: AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical of Israel. Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 2:05:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, Which other 8 US Senators are being targeted and are they speaking out? And what price? AIPAC is committing political blackmail. Worse than the National Riffle Association and all their dirty work on our elected leaders. My own children cannotspeak out about the loss of civilian human life in GAZA paid for by our bullets andtax dollars. They fear being bullied and called names by their peers and classmates. They are afraid to talk to the counselor at school or a teacher about the guilt and loss of life we are supporting and paying. It's a lopsided out of whack world.Numbing us to pain and suffering. Liz Gardner Palo Alto On Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: AIPAC unleashes ads targeting US senators opposing arms sales to Israel AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical ofIsrael. Source: The New Arab https://search.app/1d4YSWx5ovCAWRjR9 Shared via the Google app From:Aram James To:Vicki Veenker; Veenker, Vicki; Doug Minkler; Zelkha, Mila; Sean Allen; Pat M; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George;DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Binder, Andrew; Palo Alto Free Press; Lewis James; Wagner, April; Barberini,Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;city.council@menlopark.gov Cc:Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jeff Rosen; h.etzko@gmail.com; Jay Boyarsky; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Tim James; Marina Lopez; Cait James; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; walter wilson; Don Austin; Donna Wallach; Roberta Ahlquist; Bill Newell; Baker, Rob; Afanasiev, Alex; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright Subject:AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical of Israel. Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 1:23:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i AIPAC unleashes ads targeting US senators opposing arms sales to Israel AIPAC have ramped up their efforts in recent years to try to oust elected officials critical of Israel. Source: The New Arabhttps://search.app/1d4YSWx5ovCAWRjR9 Shared via the Google app This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Sofia Raptis To:Council, City Subject:Development at Former Sunset Magazine site Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 12:42:12 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Please ask the Menlo Park City Council to insist on an Environmental Impact Report to ensure that the Sunset Magazine site proposal complies with California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA). I am a Palo Alto resident and it is important to understand the impacts of this proposed development on our fragile environment. Thank you, Sofia Raptis1847 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94303 From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Executive Leadership Team; Clerk, City Subject:Re: Council Questions for April 14 Council Meeting Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 11:51:59 AM Attachments:image003.pngimage004.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.png Hello Council Members, Apologies, to clarify my message— only the staff responses to Action Item 11 were added to the agenda. Thank you!Joanna Get Outlook for iOS From: Tran, Joanna <Joanna.Tran@paloalto.gov> Sent: Friday, April 11, 2025 11:09 AM To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov> Cc: Executive Leadership Team <ExecutiveLeadershipTeam@cityofpaloalto.org>; Clerk, City <City.Clerk@PaloAlto.gov> Subject: Council Questions for April 14 Council Meeting Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please view the following links for the amended agenda and staff responses to questions submitted by Mayor Lauing: April 14 Amended Agenda Staff responses to Action Item 11 Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Executive Leadership Team; Clerk, City Subject:Council Questions for April 14 Council Meeting Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 11:09:58 AM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.png Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please view the following links for the amended agenda and staff responses to questions submitted by Mayor Lauing: April 14 Amended Agenda Staff responses to Action Item 11 Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov View this email in your browser From:LWV Palo Alto Speaker SeriesTo:Council, CitySubject:Have You Signed Up for LWVPA Speaker Event on April 23?Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 10:39:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. i This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast We are proud to announce our upcoming Speaker event: LWVPA Lunch with League Speaker Event Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, Redwood Room 3460 WEST Bayshore Road, Palo Alto Featuring Guest Speaker Adam DawesCEO, Embarcadero Media Foundation Local news is in crisis: Does it have a future on the Peninsula? Local news is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it has been in crisis nationwide. At its 2024 convention, the League of Women Voters recognized that the decline of local news is a threat to democracy. Hear from Adam Dawes, CEO of Embarcadero Media, how the business has changed in recent years and how Embarcadero Media is evolving to meet these trends and preserve the Palo Alto Weekly, Almanac, Mountain View Voice, and Redwood City Pulse for years to come. Embarcadero Media serves a population of more than 500,000 people on the Midpeninsula and the East Bay's Tri-Valley by: alerting citizens of breaking news that makes people feel connected and informed on what's happening in their community; publishing in-depth and investigative reporting on complex issues; and hosting public educational events. BIO: Adam was born and raised in Palo Alto and had his first experience in journalism as editor-in-chief of the Campanile at Palo Alto High School. Aside from his four undergraduate years at Harvard, he has lived on the peninsula his entire life. He attended Stanford Business School in the 1990s and worked for tech firms in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, including 14 years at Google. He has served on the board of directors at Embarcadero Media Corp. He lives with his wife and two kids in San Carlos and loves the outdoors and enjoying the vibrant culture of the Bay Area. Please indicate on the sign-up form if you want us to order a sandwichand beverage for you (bring $10 at the door), or bring your own lunch. Register early to save your spot! LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Email Email Copyright © 2025 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Register Now 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. From:upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org To:Council, City Subject:April 2025 Book Sale - Friends of the Palo Alto Library Date:Friday, April 11, 2025 10:35:18 AM BOOK SALE NEWSLETTERTHIS WEEKEND ATCUBBERLEY Visit our web site CUBBERLEY USED BOOK SALES Saturday April 12Main Room 11am - 4pmBargain Room 9:30am - 4pmChildren's Room 10am - 4pm Sunday April 13 All Rooms 1pm - 4pm FEATURED IN APRIL Science Fiction Military History Mysteries 4000 Middlefield Road Palo AltoNE corner of the CubberleyCommunity Center (650) 213-8755 www.fopal.org Maps and Directions More information on the sales Donate your used books, DVDs, &c ALL NET PROCEEDS GO TO HELP PALO ALTO LIBRARIES Main Room In our Main Room, prices are way below what used book stores charge. Hardcover books start at $3 and softcover books start at only $2. No numbered tickets this month! Please note that due to crowding duringthe first two hours of the Book Sale, nostrollers, rolling carts, etc. can bebrought into the Main Room. This is forthe safety of shoppers and volunteersalike. By 12:30 or so, the crowd thinsout and shoppers are welcome to bringthese items into the sale. Children's Book Sale The Children's Room is located in the portable next to the soccer field near Greendell School. It is entirely filled with children's books and toys. You'll find picture books, school age fiction and non-fiction, fiction for teens, award winners, non-English titles, CDs and DVDs, and books for parents and teachers, many for 50 cents or $1. Strollers are welcome in the Children's Room at any time. Bargain Books in H-2 The Bargain Room is located in Rooms H-2 and H-3 of the Cubberley main campus, between our Main Room and Middlefield 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 prices are half off. Or, save even more on Sunday by buying green FOPAL reusable bags from us for $4/ea (or bring your own grocery-size reusable bag) and stuffing them with any items in the room for $5/bag. Fill four bags at $5/bag and fill a fifth bag FREE! Library News This week (April 6-12) is National Library Week and the Library has lots of things going on this week and through the month. April is National Poetry Month. April is also Earth Month. April is also Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month. 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. -Frank McConnell April Sale Notes Our April Sale will feature many great books. In our Children's Room look for lots of Golden Books, books about parenting, books by Beatrix Potter and Shel Silverstein as well as a wide selection of Manga and Dog Man Graphic Novels. In the Main Room we have loads of Genealogy, MCAT study books in Reference and in European Languages we have many incredible Spanish books and loads of French fiction by women authors. Immanuel Kant? No Immanuel Can with over 20 of his books in Philosophy. Check out the great Poetry deals during National Poetry Month as well as the beautiful books in Home &Crafts. Don't forget to check out our beautiful Art book selection. See you at the sale! -Sven-Erik Geddes Sale Parking for April The City's work to construct Temporary Fire Station Number Four in the parking lot closest to our Main Room has begun and a part of that parking lot is fenced off, which limitsavailable parking in that lot. You can park in the larger lot at the rear of the campus by the baseball and soccer fields, then walk past the tennis courts to the Main Room. The best way to get into that larger lot is probably to enter the campus at the Middlefield/Montrose intersection, drive toward the back of the campus, then turn right, go past our Children's Room and turn left to get to the large parking lot at the rear. -Frank McConnell SF&F and Comics This month's batch of Ace Doubles is so big we had to move it to the special event shelves near the front door. It's mainly the 35-cent D series and later unlettered ones, but a few stragglers from other series are there. A few very early Dean Koontz novels are featured, these are hard to find since they were never reprinted. In Comics: a lot of new manga, Sandman, Omaha the Cat Dancer, and oversize collections of Uncle $crooge McDuck and DC Wednesday Comics stand out. Shelf pictures at fopalbooks.com. -Rich McAllister Music Pop Up Sale There will be no Music Pop Up Sale this month. It will return in May with a huge selection of new releases, including some specially curated CDs. -George Chaltas Music CDs Once again the CD section will be offering SEALED (new) CDs for sale at a fraction of their cost on Amazon. In addition, in the absence of a Music Pop Up sale, there will be qualityvinyl for sale in the CD section. Check it out! -John, the CD guy Home & Crafts In Fashion this month, look for Liberty Equality Fashion: The Women Who Styled the French Revolution. For a modern American look, you'll find New York Fashion: The Evolution of the American Style by Caroline Rennolds Milbank. In home decorating don't miss Home Body: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave. And a must-read: If the Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley. There are lots of titles for home maintenance and improvement: organizing, storage, and even Moving Mom and Dad! Home styles in April include: Ibiza: A Mediterranean Lifestyle, Berlin Style edited by Angelika Taschen, Irish houses and Paris interiors, and a beautiful book on Houses and Palaces of Andalusia. April showers of floral designs will guide May flowers to your tables; in April look for ideas in Floral Arts for decorating and arranging flowers, as well as creating potpourri. This month in the Crafts section you'll find the Super Cute World and other coloring books. Discover Paperie: The Art of Writing and Wrapping Paper. Bedazzle your friends with A World of Beads, or be inspired by the Crafts of Mexico. In Fabric Arts pursue an array of resources: sewing, knitting, and quilting guides, as well as crocheting, embroidery, and needlepoint. For starters, you might try Knitting in Plain English. eShelf photos can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Antiques & Collections In April we feature jewelry collections from Bulgari, as well as traditional jewelry from India. This month there are several splendid books on toys: Antique Toys by Gwen White,Timeless Toys by Tim Walsh, and American Antique Toys by Bernard Barenholz and InezMcClintock. There are also a few new books on dollhouses and their interiors. Find titles oncoins and stamps, furniture and rugs, and other resources for your collecting reference. eShelf photo can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Poetry Winter's done, and April's in the skies; Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes. This month brings a brand new op: High Value books, ten dollars a pop. Books selling online for twenty or more Can now be yours for a ten dollar score. The top shelf's where you'll find these buys So come on in and claim your prize, (Shelf photos at https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html) -Mandy MacCalla Art Shelf and book photos at https://www.instagram.com/p/DIFENW6z6qH/?img_index=1 -Fiona 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 - World Perfect - The Jewish Impact on Civilization Understanding the Talmud Troubled Memory: Anne Levy, the Holocaust, and David Duke's Louisiana A Bookshop in Berlin: The Rediscover were Memoir of One Woman's Harrowing Escape from the Nazis (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump Special for this Passover season - The Telling : How Judaism's Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life 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 Children's Room Several holidays to celebrate in April and early May: Passover (April 12-20), Easter (April 20), Cinco de Mayo (May 5), and Mother's Day (May 11). We have lots of books for each ofthem. April is Poetry Month, so be sure to check out the bins of poetry books in the PictureBooks area. (National Scrabble Day and Hairstylist Appreciation Day also fall in April, but I'm sorry to report that we have no books for those observances.) Our Beginning Readers section has many inexpensive sets of short books on history and science topics. In Parenting you'll find books for new parents and parents of teens, and ages in between, with plenty of good advice. Look on the Non-fiction shelves for books on a wide selection of subjects, as always,including Boy Scout handbooks. The Picture Books section is bursting with books, including a ton of Golden Books; many giftable hardbacks including a Young Australian series; Shel Silverstein poetry and story books; and Beatrix Potter story collections. You'll also find the Sesame Street Library Treasury series, and Pete the Cat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, Daniel Tiger, Arthur, Mercer Mayer stories, Maisy stories, Marvel Avengers series, and the Magic School Bus series. On the counter under the front windows we offer a number of interactive board books, with buttons to push, music to play, flaps to open, etc., always appealing to little ones. Lots of board books in the Llama Llama series, too, and alphabet and number books. If you love beautifully illustrated classics, our School-age Fiction section is for you. Look for the following: Carl Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories; Treasure Island; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; Poems of Childhood; and Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales. If you're in the market for book sets, we have Classic Adventures of Paddington Bear; Nancy Drew; and Tom Swift. You can't miss the bookcase full of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series-- it's packed like never before! For the early chapter book reader you'll find Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel. In the fantasy section we have Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and the Divergent series. Another book in the Hunger Games series will soon be released. While you wait, check out the most recent book in the series in our teen section: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Special offerings in our Activity section include craft kits, bags of Legos, and an art case fullof supplies. Be sure to visit our well-stocked graphic novels shelves featuring a particularlylarge collection of Dog Man, Calvin and Hobbes, and manga (including a Collector's EditionCardcaptor Sakura). -Carolyn Davidson Children's Vintage There's some fun stuff in children's vintage this month. How about an Edward Lear coloring book or Betty Boop paper dolls? A rich selection of fables and myths or Horizon Caravel books on explorers and heroes/heroines? Some especially nice little kids books in dust jackets or some nice copies of classic stories for older readers? Shelf pictures are available at www.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 European Languages In Spanish, we have various books by Miguel Delibes or about his work. We have lots of French books (mostly fiction, many by women), including a novel (Ailleurs) about a grown-up only child who finds out at his father's bedside that he actually has 52 siblings from 52 different prostitutes in Ferrara, and sets out to visit them all.... -Susan Strain Reference The Reference section this month contains an abundance of MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) study materials, including complete sets from Kaplan and Princeton. -Bruce Heflinger Sociology/Anthropology The Sociology/Anthropology section offers 421 books for the April sale. The four sub- sections with the most books are Cultural Anthropology (77), Theory and Methods (76), U.S.: Self-Reflection (43), and Race (40). The number of books in the remaining thirteen sub-sections varies from 4 in the Social Movement and Political Sociology sub-section to 26 in the Cultural Anthropology: Asia sub-section. All sections offer something unique and appealing. For instance, the Theory and Methods sub-section features a classic research work on declining social ties in communities: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam. The significance of this 2000 book is well illustrated by the title of an interview with Putnam: "Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone sounded an alarm we still haven't answered," which appeared in The Harvard Gazette in 2024. -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 Philosophy Available for our April 2025 sale FOPAL has received an unusual collection of books by or about Immanuel Kant. The twenty two books include editions in German and editions in English, six titles from the academic publishing house de Gruyter, as well as assorted publications containing essays on Kant. Books typically only sold through our high value channels are included in this sale to give our monthly sales attendees first chance to buy them. Shelf photo can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/philosophy.html. -Nigel Jones Nature Teddy Roosevelt once said, "There is nothing so American as our national parks.... The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is inprocess of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us." With that in mind, thismonth the Nature section is highlighting our beautiful National Parks and getting outdoors,including with vintage newsletters from the 1920s and oversized photo books centered onYosemite, Death Valley and more within our state. Don't forget to pick up some booksabout bushwacking and wilderness survival, because wilderness does not care about cellphone reception. -Serena Bramble Computers Remember that language you were going to check out? Was it Ada or APL? Haskell, Lucid or Modula-2? Or was it Prolog or Scala or Smalltalk? All those and others are waiting for you here! -David Cortesi Self Help/Personal Growth Featured Books this month: The Let Them Theory (#1 on Amazon!); The Creative Act -- A way of being; Pressure to Pleasure; The Experience Machine, How our minds predict and shape reality; Goodbye to Clocks Ticking; Tapping the Mighty Mind; Joy Document and The Bookstrap Fallacy (a rare book with few in print!). SPECIAL!!! There are 44 copies of Every Man a Hero; Every Woman a Coach -- the book sells, used, for $9.61 plus shipping, on the Web; buy as many as you want for $3 each! Come browse the 3 shelves of 'Popular on Amazon', 4 shelves of 'New Arrivals' and all the different subsections. Happy Spring! -Marnie History This month we got a donation of books on colonial American history, including several books on the westward migrations of the 1700s. We also have a large selection of books about both Presidents Roosevelt. We continue to feature books on Afrian-American history, women's history, and immigrants' history. In world history there is a new selection of books on the Middle East, including an archeological account of Jerusalem. There are some curiosities that should appeal to collectors, including a 1846 edition ofWalter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather; Being Stories Taken from Scottish History (threevolumes, printed in Edinburgh in 1846; foxed but otherwise in very good condition formore than 150 year old books), a History of the United States for the Use of Schools (c.1850) and many others. There is also a small collection of Soviet Union-published reprintsof Lenin-related pamphlets, priced to move. -Lin 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 April 6 through Sunday April 13. Please hold your donations until Monday April 14. Construction work near the Main Room between Monday April 14 and Saturday April 19 may get in the way of access to the Main Room. Look at our donate page to see if we've figured out that we should accept donations elsewhere on the campus. 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:Aram James To:board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City Subject:White Teacher’s N-Word Chalkboard Stunt Met With Student Cheers Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 8:38:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. White Teacher’s N-Word Chalkboard Stunt Met With Student Cheers Source: Black Enterprise https://share.newsbreak.com/cjy0zdqd?s=i0 From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie Cc:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Damon Silver; Rodriguez, Miguel Subject:City leaders, advocates say San Jose’s newest safe parking site offers hope The safe parking site at 1300Berryessa Road can accommodate up to 86 RVs at one Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 8:21:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. City leaders, advocatessay San Jose’s newest safeparking site offers hope The safe parking site at 1300 Berryessa Road can accommodate up to 86 RVs at one https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/04/10/san-jose-berryessa-safe-parking-rvs-homelessness/ From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Júnior; 翁默斯; Laleh Raeisy; Rabii Outamha; Christiane Gebhardt; Branca Terra;Mariza Almeida; rabeh morrar; mariza.almeida; Justin Axel-Berg; Guilherme Ary Plonski; Sergio Gustavo Silveirada Costa; annika steiber; Christine Min Wotipka; Josh Schneider; Whitney McNair; Richard N Zare; Ray Tourzan;Ellen Fox; Christopher M Kwong; sally Tomlinson; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Anika Raffle; John W. Meyer;Tatiana Pospelova; Uli Degirmenci; Bette; Sarah Wright; Bowman Heiden; Cribbs, Anne; Sophia Adele Stringer;Sabine Girod; Irina Dezhina; Rebecca Eisenberg; Robin Phylisia Chapdelaine; John Marlin; Sue Rosser; Council,City; Aram James; Roberta Ahlquist; Mark Granovetter; Terry Beaubois Subject:Fwd: Columbia cuts Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 4:08:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>Date: April 10, 2025 at 3:12:44 PM PDTTo: Letters NYT <letters@nytimes.com>Cc: Chunyan Zhou <chunyanz@triplehelix.net>Subject: Columbia cuts investment advice to diversify assets may be applied to academia where “federalresearch universities” were the norm, until yesterday. Eli Ginsberg, Columbiauniversity’s distinguished professor of economics once reminded a science policyseminar that acadenicsc had opposed federal funding in the depths of the 1930’sdepression, concerned that it would inevitably lead to control.In the system that was worked out postwar, after the overweening success ofacademics in leading wartime research, the peer grant format was adapted fromfoundation funding practice, giving scholars virtually complete say overdisbursing to colleagues. However, these limits did not extend to theprogrammatic level, as DOGE discerned. To diversify, New York State and SUNY might offer to adopt Columbia andCornell as its downstate and upstate “flagship” campuses, an attribute sorelylacking in SUNY despite the ascent of Stony Brook, Albany and Binghampton. Indeed, Cornell is already to “third base” as our “land grant” university and onlyneeds to bring the liberal arts and sciences home! Proud Columbia eventuallyacceded to collaborate with CUNY to access New York City funds to buildbiotech research. Not that the state could ever come close to replacing federallargesse, but it would be a step to diversification of a stellar university thatotherwise might recede to its origins as Kings College. More fundamentallyacademia must rely on its own tacit knowledge and research generated intellectualproperty to create startups in which it takes and holds equity. The entrepreneurialuniversity, incorporating research and teaching funcions, each enhancing theother, is the take away crisis learning SincerelyHenry Etzkowitz Visiting ScholarSociology Department Stanford Universitywww.triplehelix.net 1766 Sand hill road Palo Alto California 94304646 7012695 Sent from my iPhone Sent from my iPhone From:Becky Richardson To:Council, City Subject:In support of stronger ordinances against light pollution at night Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 12:19:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Palo Alto City Council, I am writing in support of stronger action against light pollution at night. I’m glad to seeattention on this issue, but I’m concerned that the current proposals are not strong enough to make a dent in the light pollution we see here in Palo Alto. The city should make these policies applicable to all buildings, and, to make thisrealistic, should provide information, resources, and a timeline for businesses and property owners to take action. The city should also consider how light pollution oftenstems not only from outdoor lighting but also indoor lighting. I want to provide my household’s experience with light pollution as an example of why stronger action needs to be taken – and why we can’t rely on businesses and propertyowners to do the right thing in absence of real guidance. My partner and I recently moved into an apartment that faces an office building off California Avenue. The first night we spent in the apartment, we realized that lightpollution at night would be a major problem – two of our bedrooms face an office that leaves its lights – and televisions -- on 24/7 at full brightness. Assuming that the office employees must simply be forgetting to turn off their lights, wereached out to the tenants, Fieldfisher. They claimed this was a problem for the building manager, so we then reached out to Kylix Enterprises and the property manager, ErikaUnderwood. Everyone claimed that turning off the lights was too complicated or dangerous (this should go without saying, but we live in a safe area of a very safe city;we’re a block away from the new Public Safety Building and the Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse; and studies do not support the idea that more lighting alwaysequals less crime, while plenty of studies show the real harm to human health, birds, and other wildlife). We appealed to their care for sustainability. After all, Ms. Underwood’s email signatureincluded the line “Go Green and Email before printing” and Fieldfisher’s ESG Report from 2023 goes on at length about all their efforts to make their organization moresustainable. Still, they refused to do anything about the light pollution, saying we should invest in blackout curtains. But why is the onus on us to block out light? Why isn’t it onoffices and property managers to prevent their light from spilling over? Especially given the harms to birds and other living creatures that can’t “simply” invest hundreds ofdollars in window coverings? It's clear that nothing will change if we rely solely on good will or raising awareness. I had a clear lesson in this after trying to share resources about why light pollution is aproblem – how it negatively affects human and animal health in myriad ways. Please take real action on this issue. It’s long overdue. There are many problems that feel too big to fix, but surely turning off a light at night is one we can solve. Palo Alto should lead on this issue and set a precedent that other cities can follow. Sincerely, Rebecca Richardson From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April Cc:Council, City; Sean Allen; Bains, Paul; Burt, Patrick; Pat M; Palo Alto Free Press; h.etzko@gmail.com; DuJuan Green; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Lee, Craig; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Jose Valle; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; BoardOperations; Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Dave Price; Gerry Gras; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; Ed Lauing Subject:Torrance cops strike plea deal in swastika graffiti case that uncovered racist texts Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 11:27:04 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Torrance cops strike plea deal in swastika graffiti case that uncovered racist texts https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-10/torrance-police-swastika-graffiti-case From:Paul Mitiguy To:Council, City Subject:Support for SB 457 Date:Thursday, April 10, 2025 9:57:54 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Greetings Palo Alto City Council, Please support the common-sense SB 457 bill by Senator Josh Becker. It makes the aspirational rules for housing development more palatable. Projects like the the 39- story project at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park are detrimental to our towns (Menlo Park and Palo Alto) — and estrange many of us who favor reasonable housing development. Sincerely, Paul Mitiguy (Menlo Park resident). mitiguy@stanford.edu From:Aram James To:Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Lait, Jonathan; h.etzko@gmail.com Subject:Mountain View reluctantly approves 7-story builder’s remedy project Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 11:28:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mountain View reluctantly approves 7-story builder’s remedy project https://www.mv-voice.com/housing/2025/04/09/mountain-view-reluctantly-approves-seven-story-builders-remedy-project/ From:Arthy Sundaram To:UtilitiesCommunications; Council, City Subject:Request for Review of High-Voltage Lines Near Emerson school/ Greer Park – Health and Safety Concern Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 10:28:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto Utilities Team and City Council Members, I’m writing as a concerned parent and community member regarding the presence of high-voltage lines running near or through Greer Park, a space where many young children play daily including students from the school next door. While we appreciate the city’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and public health, I would like to request a review of the current placement of these high-voltage lines, especiallyin the context of: • Children’s frequent and prolonged exposure to EMFs in parks and outdoor recreational areas • The classification of low-frequency EMFs as “possibly carcinogenic” by the World Health Organization’s IARC • The growing body of research (e.g., BioInitiative Report) suggesting biological effects even at low EMF levels Given Palo Alto’s progressive reputation, I am asking the city to consider the following steps: 1. Clear signage or labeling around high-voltage infrastructure in parks so families can makeinformed decisions. 2. A feasibility study on undergrounding or relocating these lines, particularly in sensitivezones like schools and parks. 3. Community discussions or public reporting of EMF exposure levels near these recreationalspaces. I recognize that undergrounding high-voltage lines is a complex and costly process. However, as a long-term vision for safety and resilience—especially considering fire risks and increasedurban density—I believe it’s worth exploring. As a point of reflection: even our most advanced systems, such as quantum computers, require complete shielding from electromagnetic interference to function properly. If such smallfluctuations can disrupt machines, shouldn’t we take reasonable precautions for children’s developing nervous systems as well? Thank you for your consideration. I would be grateful for a follow-up from your officeregarding possible next steps. Arthy From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; h.etzko@gmail.com; Bains, Paul; dennis burns; Dennis Upton; Kaloma Smith; Gerry Gras;Dana St. George; Yolanda Conaway; Council, City; Vicki Veenker; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org;assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; chuck jagoda; Jeff Conrad; Ed Lauing Subject:Life After Homelessness and Stability Beyond Housing By Rebecca-Ann Jattan / April 7, 2025 Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 7:50:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Life After Homelessness and Stability Beyond Housing By Rebecca-Ann Jattan / April 7, 2025 https://peninsulapress.com/2025/04/07/life-after-homelessness-and-stability-beyond-housing/ From:Susan Setterholm To:Council, City Cc:Palo Forward Subject:70 Encina Plaza approval Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 7:13:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members, Please approve 70Encina Plaza right away. I lived and worked in Palo Alto. I hope other people such as myself will be able to live at 70 Encina Plaza, and notbe priced out of the area as I was. Susan Setterholm From:Nancy Olson To:Council, City Subject:70 Encina Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 6:54:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members: Housing for 10 families was proposed in 2022. You will be voting on this housing at 8:00 pm. after 3 years! Three years - how sad - how typical - how sad. Nancy Olson 2431 Bryant Street Palo Alto 94301 From:amy kacher To:Council, City; city.council@cityofpaloalto.gov Subject:Roundabout photos today Hamilton/crszcent Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 6:42:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Please see photos taken 10 mins ago. Woman in photo is 5’6”… those directional signs are over 6 feet. MUCH too tall and I believe it was just stated that these signs are 3ft high - that is not accurate The second photo is the roundabout at Lytton/fulton- this is how the directional signs shouldbe on the Hamilton roundabout. Small and tasteful and effective. Further the plantings go to the edge of the roundabout and we need that here too for aesthetic purposes. ThisFulton/Lytton intersection has less emergency truck space than the one that is proposed for Hamilton yet is still compliant. So please, make the plantings fill in the whole oval, not a littledot circle in the middle Thanks hey, we are all just people From:Neil Shea To:Council, City Subject:YES on 70 Encina! Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 4:34:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, We desperately need more homes here in Palo Alto, especially right near transit and downtown. Please support this important project, which has already been extensively vetted. Thank you! Neil 800 High Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 From:a hamilton To:buildingpermits@cityofpaloalto.org Cc:Council, City Subject:Formal complaint about overbearing house next door Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 2:42:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Building Department City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Construction of Overbearing Property Line "Monster House" Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to formally express my deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the recent construction of a new residence at 3368 SAINT MICHAEL Drive. The two story building that has been erected so near the property line as to be an egregious violation of common sense and consideration for neighboring properties, and it has significantly compromised the privacy and enjoyment of my own home, both inside and outside. This so-called “monster house” is an oversized and intrusive structure that is out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood. Its sheer size, proximity to the property line, and overwhelming presence have resulted in a dramatic invasion of privacy that was not only foreseeable but entirely avoidable. Specifically, the construction has created a glaring impact on the following areas: 1. Interior Privacy: The sheer height and positioning of the building directly adjacent to my single story property now allow for clear lines of sight into my windows, bedrooms, and living spaces. This encroachment severely limits my ability to feel comfortable and secure within my own home. 2. Exterior Privacy: The placement of windows and other features facing my property has resulted in a complete erosion of privacy in my yard and outdoor spaces. What was once a peaceful, private environment has now been turned into an open-air display for the occupants of the new house. 3. Afternoon Sun Impact: The positioning of the new structure has also created a serious environmental issue. The building reflects the afternoon sun directly into my bedroom windows, increasing the heat inside my home. This will make my bedrooms uncomfortable and difficult to use during the warmer months, effectively turning once comfortable living spaces into areas of unnecessary heat and discomfort. 4. Impact on Property Value and Enjoyment: As a long-time resident of this neighborhood, I have always valued the peaceful, private atmosphere that my home and its surroundings have offered. The construction of this oversized property so close to the property line has significantly altered the character of the area, and I fear it will negatively affect my property’s value and my ability to enjoy my home. Had I known that building codes had been changed so significantly since we tried to remodel our house, I would have been more attentive to the planning and permitting process earlier on. I never imagined that a structure of this scale could be built in such close proximity to neighboring properties, with no apparent regard for the privacy, comfort, or well-being of residents like myself. The lack of consideration for the impact on existing homes and their inhabitants is troubling. I feel as though I will be living with my neighbors rather than next to them. Although the construction of this building might adhere to the city’s zoning regulations I assumed that the intent of its building codes, particularly with respect to minimizing undue encroachments on neighboring properties, and respecting the privacy of long-standing residents would make a house of this size, hight and proximity to the property line unlikely. Am I ever surprised to see the results. The house is so tall and so close to mine that debris from their roof has fallen into my yard more than once. I respectfully request that the City of Palo Alto’s Building Department review this construction project for compliance with all relevant regulations and help me understand how a property like this could have been built. I ask that the department consider the possibility of requiring modifications to the structure, such as altering the visibility from the windows that overlook my property and implementing some form of screening or privacy barriers to restore some degree of balance and fairness between neighbors. And, I would like the architect to be notified that their design, while possibly legal, has not worked to create harmony in what was once a collaborative and supportive neighborhood. I have attached pictures that show how the new house dominates my property. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I expect to hear back from you at your earliest convenience regarding the steps the City plans to take to help resolve this issue. Sincerely, Alexis Hamilton 3364 Saint Michael Drive Palo Alto, CA 94306 From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City; Planning Commission; Architectural Review Board Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lai, Lauren; Lait, Jonathan Subject:latest city jobs data Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 2:05:55 PM Attachments:Discussion of new Jobs Data.docxFor city finance and ED staff.xlsx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Hi, Earlier this year, I helped the city obtain the latest jobs data for Palo Alto. Lauren is busy with budget issues and asked me to brief you on the data. I am attaching a memo and data file. These data do include people who work from hone for a Palo Alto organization. The major trend is a substantial decrease in the number of jobs in the city from Q1 2020 to Q2 2024. I encourage the city to get updated data as it becomes available. I am happy to answer any questions that I can. Stephen Levy This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Discussion of New Jobs Data These are the official EDD payroll data for the City of Palo Alto and reflect all employees who work for Palo Alto-based organizations whether on site or work from home. The principal result is on line 29 of the Comparison tab. That shows that total payroll jobs excluding Public Administration where data is only available for the last 2 quarters declined from 105,276 in Q1 2020 before the pandemic to 88,706 in Q2 2024. The largest declines since Q1 2020 (column O) were 3,917 in Information where internet services are located, 3,954 in Health Services (surprising to me), 2,400 in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (PTST) where computer and other technical services are located and 2,133 in education services where private ed services are located. Total Jobs in the City Total payroll jobs in Q2 2024 were 95,394. Self-employed residents were 2,499 in the 2019-23 ACS and 2,743 in the 2015-19 ACS. These should be added to the payroll jobs. I doubt that PA residents had many if any farm jobs or gig jobs since these are by place of residence. Largest Sectors The largest sectors in Q2 2024 were Health Care and PTST followed by Information. Sectors with 5-6,000 jobs include Manufacturing where high-tech manufacturing is located, Accommodations and Food Service (mainly eating and drinking places and Public Administration. Sectors with Large Establishments There is a tab called size class history. It is only partly helpful as EDD identified most sectors as confidential in recent reporting. It can act as a guide to the city’s collection of the largest firms but is not as helpful as I had hoped. Work From Home There should be two measures of WFH, one for the jobs in PA where the employee works from home and one for PA residents who work from home though their employer is sited in another city. The data on the other tab shows the same estimates for both and I am not sure why this is, but my sense is that these are WFH for jobs sited in the city. But it does seem clear that WFH numbers are declining. Conclusions and Next Steps I think we can accept the trends and relative sizes of industries with great confidence. I suggest asking Pat Hom at EDD when Q3 2024 data is available and acquiring it. We may want to consider asking for jobs by location within the city. Stephen Levy Change Q2 2024 Q2 2023 Q3 2020 Q2 2020 Q1 2020 Q4 2019 Q2 2019 Q2 24-Q2 19 Q2 24-Q1 20 23 Total Construction 2,696 2,424 772 728 806 794 776 1,920 1,890 31 Total Manufacturing 50 75 86 76 111 163 180 -130 -61 32 Total Manufacturing 47 111 20 23 28 30 45 2 19 33 Total Manufacturing 4,086 4,256 4,852 4,816 4,823 4,839 4,253 -167 -737 42 Total Wholesale Trade 831 693 930 915 928 1,038 1,015 -184 -97 44 Total Retail Trade 1,668 1,710 2,496 2,236 3,003 3,087 2,944 -1,276 -1,335 45 Total Retail Trade 1,704 2,175 1,185 1,101 2,100 2,004 1,925 -221 -396 48 Total Transportation and Warehousing 263 50 222 222 233 224 217 46 30 49 Total Transportation and Warehousing 65 1,973 1,439 1,411 1,362 1,097 889 -824 -1,297 51 Total Information 13,993 16,875 12,513 17,845 17,910 16,750 15,323 -1,330 -3,917 52 Total Finance and Insurance 3,380 3,678 3,374 3,365 3,252 3,212 3,075 305 128 53 Total Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1,054 1,171 1,241 1,218 1,260 1,241 1,196 -142 -206 54 Total Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 19,857 21,214 22,159 22,689 22,257 22,181 21,898 -2,041 -2,400 55 Total Management of Companies and Enterprises 3,471 3,117 3,236 3,226 3,255 3,244 3,322 149 216 56 Total Administrative and Support and Waste Managem 947 1,287 1,327 1,635 1,940 2,085 2,069 -1,122 -993 61 Total Educational Services 1,706 1,798 2,942 3,417 3,839 1,586 3,606 -1,900 -2,133 62 Total Health Care and Social Assistance 24,700 23,668 28,481 28,111 28,654 24,767 27,001 -2,301 -3,954 71 Total Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 775 760 608 733 1,108 1,002 434 341 -333 72 Total Accommodation and Food Services 5,625 5,375 3,303 3,158 5,865 5,864 4,283 1,342 -240 81 Total Other Services (except Public Administration) 2,195 2,209 1,759 1,749 2,542 2,529 1,650 545 -347 92 Total Public Administration 6,688 6,543 6,688 6,688 Total 95,394 101,186 92,945 98,674 105,276 97,737 96,101 Total minus 92 88,706 94,643 92,945 98,674 105,276 97,737 96,101 -7,395 -16,570 Notes EDD just added data for sector 92 this year so I also show totals minus 92 It appears the peak was Q1 2020 right befrore the pandemic Work from home shows up in the data if the employee works for a PA organization such as for city employees and many tech workers From:Samantha Rohman To:Council, City; Switzer, Steven Subject:RE: SB 457 Date:Wednesday, April 9, 2025 12:28:47 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. City Council Members, I was not able to attend your meeting earlier this week, but I would like to add my comments in support of SB457. SB 457 closes dangerous loopholes that foreign investors are using to build massive- scale projects without regard for the surrounding community. In the case of the 80 Willow project, we cannot sit back and state that the project is "out of our jurisdiction." This quip, while factual, is irresponsible and narrow-minded. Out of our jurisdiction, perhaps. Out of sight and mind? Absolutely not. Sincerely, Samantha Rohman Vice Chair, Historic Resources Board -- Samantha Joy Rohman @CaliforniaCottages Samantha.Rohman@gmail.com Mobile: 650-799-5047 From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com Cc:Council, City; Cari Templeton for Council; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Marty Wasserman; Jim Hersh; Sarah Wright; Lotus Fong; Brian Good; John Salois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Rebecca Eisenberg; Avroh Shah; annika steiber; Cribbs, Anne; Carol Kiparsky; Gerry Gras; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Kaloma Smith; Sean Allen Subject:Re: “The fire next time” Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:38:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Henry, Excellent letter on all fronts . Best regards, Aram P.S. Of course, James Baldwin is my favorite author. He just happened to be my dad’s bestfriend at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. "The Fire Next Time" is one of my favorite Baldwin books, if not my absolute favorite. On Tue, Apr 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote:James Baldwin’s analogy heavy warning of impending interracial strife should be taken in its original literal sense in evaluating a recent modest cost saving proposal to have medicalfirst responders, who are now dual roled fire fighters, do without Fire training. if ever the old British saying”penny wise; pound foolish” fit, this is it! Public awareness of Palo Alto’s fire response deficit has encouraged council to more fullystaff two underutilized fire houses. Addressing the ordinary deficit in fire protection, LA demonstrated that multiple conflagrations in a region can overwhelm widespread assistance.Thus, the need to explore expansion of local resources: a three point program would include both modest as well as extensive initiatives that would have to be phased in, inevitablyreducing risk gradually. 1. Retain full fire fighting training for ambulance personnel, whose medical duties could be assumed by similar persons in a fire emergency; 2. Offer fire fighting training to police officers and acquire additional equipment (secondhand or new) maintained ready to use in sheds adjacent to fire houses. Policing duties in a fire or other emergency could be assumed by a force recruited from among existing anemergency volunteers as well as other public spirited citizens. (Although firefighter union representative Joe Penko smiled askance at a 2024 council candidate’s idea to recruit anauxiliary volunteer fire force, noting, “That’s a working class thing” an observation immediately accepted by his sociologist interlocutor as a non-starter in contemporary PaloAlto. Yet an extensive emergency preparedness corps exists; their community service celebrated in neighborhood events. Thus, auxiliary police has a feasibility foothold that meritsexploration. 3 TBD Henry Etzkowitz Neighbors for Environmental and Social Justice Www.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; Cari Templeton for Council; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Marty Wasserman; Jim Hersh; SarahWright; Lotus Fong; Brian Good; John Salois Cc:WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Rebecca Eisenberg; Avroh Shah; Aram James; annika steiber; Cribbs, Anne; Carol Kiparsky Subject:“The fire next time” Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:06:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links.James Baldwin’s analogy heavy warning of impending interracial strife should be taken in its original literal sense in evaluating a recent modest cost saving proposal to have medical firstresponders, who are now dual roled fire fighters, do without Fire training. if ever the old British saying”penny wise; pound foolish” fit, this is it! Public awareness of Palo Alto’s fire response deficit has encouraged council to more fullystaff two underutilized fire houses. Addressing the ordinary deficit in fire protection, LA demonstrated that multiple conflagrations in a region can overwhelm widespread assistance.Thus, the need to explore expansion of local resources: a three point program would include both modest as well as extensive initiatives that would have to be phased in, inevitablyreducing risk gradually. 1. Retain full fire fighting training for ambulance personnel, whose medical duties could be assumed by similar persons in a fire emergency; 2. Offer fire fighting training to police officers and acquire additional equipment (second handor new) maintained ready to use in sheds adjacent to fire houses. Policing duties in a fire or other emergency could be assumed by a force recruited from among existing an emergencyvolunteers as well as other public spirited citizens. (Although firefighter union representative Joe Penko smiled askance at a 2024 council candidate’s idea to recruit an auxiliary volunteerfire force, noting, “That’s a working class thing” an observation immediately accepted by his sociologist interlocutor as a non-starter in contemporary Palo Alto. Yet an extensive emergency preparedness corps exists; their community service celebrated inneighborhood events. Thus, auxiliary police has a feasibility foothold that merits exploration. 3 TBD Henry Etzkowitz Neighbors for Environmental and Social Justice Www.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Council, City; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; Jessica Speiser, EducationalLeader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov;Josh Becker; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; h.etzko@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Zelkha,Mila; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Tom DuBois; Reckdahl, Keith; Sean Allen; Pat M; Burt, Patrick; DonnaWallach; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; EPA Today; Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; GennadySheyner; Wagner, April; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Emily Mibach; Diana Diamond; Bill Newell; Damon Silver;Foley, Michael; Rodriguez, Miguel; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Figueroa, Eric; Ed Lauing;editor@almanacnews.com; editor@paweekly.com; Palo Alto Free Press; Holman, Karen (external); Doug Minkler;Mickie Winkler; josh@joshsalcman.com Subject:Re: Time to agendize A resolution condemning the genocide in Palestine Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 9:37:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Fyi: On Tue, Apr 8, 2025 at 8:38 AM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Subject: Palo Alto City Council Meeting on April 7, 2025, and Discussion on SB 457 andthe Builder’s Remedy. Now it's time For a Similarly Robust debate On The Genocide in Palestine!! On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 11:29 PM Aram James <arenabjpd1@gmail.com> wrote Hi Vicki, ( Palo Alto Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker) I wish you would promote a robust discussion for agendizing a cease-fire resolution as wellas a resolution condemning the growing genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as condemning Trump’s plan for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Taking such a principled stand will no doubt negatively impact your obvious plans forhigher office. Given the reconstituted city council, you can address the above issues anew. I know such a move would alienate you from your political allies, Becker, Berman, Lauing, Reckdahl, and others in the pro-Israel big-money-for-your-campaigns-crowd. But at leastyou will have done the right thing in speaking out on the most significant moral crisis of our time. It's not too late, Vicki! It’s time you put our constitution first instead of allowing yourself to be a pawn for Israel,AIPAC, and the powerful Palo Alto pro-Israel lobby. I believe you have violated your oath as an attorney to defend our constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that the Israel youdefend is a clear and present enemy of our First Amendment and multiple other constitutional principles. Sadly, I have little faith that you will jeopardize your political future in exchange for doingthe right thing by our constitution or the right thing by speaking out to condemn the horrific genocide in Palestine . It makes me sad to see you turn a blind eye to the war crimes being committed in our namedaily. Aram James From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Dark Skies Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 7:32:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Thank You From:Amy Christel To:Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lauing, Ed; Reckdahl, Keith; Veenker, Vicki; Lythcott-Haims, Julie;George.Lue@cityofpaloalto.org Subject:Senate Bill 457 Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 3:06:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members, I believe that Senate Bill 457 is necessary to fix the broken Builder’s Remedy Bill that is a giveaway to outrageous developers in California. The local examples of proposeddevelopments under that designation are an affront to our common sense. We need smart, affordable housing projects that respect the surrounding neighborhoods and don’t assume allthe residents will take public transit and not own cars. My thanks to Greer Stone, Pat Burt, Ed Lauing, and Keith Reckdahl for voting yes to support SB 457. Veenker, Lythcott-Haims, and Lue were wrong in voting no, and should rethink thereal effects these BR projects: the traffic and congestion, loss of daylight to neighbors, and the fact that this kind of new construction will NOT end up being affordable or desirable housingfor most people seeking to live in Palo Alto. I wish Palo Alto would actively support the statewide effort to approve SB 457. Thank you for your consideration and work on this effort. Sincerely, Amy Christel From:kevin kranen.com To:Council, City; Alex Kobayashi; Sabrina Bertadillo; josh.becker@sen.ca.gov Subject:SB457 Support Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 1:33:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, Congratulations on making the deeply considered choice to officially support SB 457. Even though I favored this proposal, I really appreciated the well-thought-out concerns about this proposed bill from several council members last night in chambers. Perhaps some of their concerns might have been assuaged had the discussion expanded to the full sweep of how the two different variants of Builders Remedy were DESIGNED to work together. Even the housing advocates commenting last night, who should know, seemed to ignore the other half of Builders Remedy that pushes housing along: * The SB330/AB1893 variant of Builders Remedy drives cities to complete their HCD-certified Housing Elements that will deliver the requisite housing, in a planned, locally optimized framework. Any housing produced via Builders Remedy (SB330 or AB1893) is in addition to the Housing Element, really icing on the cake, although in some cases SB330 allowed it to be "poisoned icing" (a housing-negative, mixed-use development that breaks the Housing Element). SB457 allows cities to take the "poisoned icing" off the table. SB330/AB1893 WORKED doing its primary job - every jurisdiction in Santa Clara County, and 94% of the jurisdictions in all of California have HCD-compliant Housing Elements. * Now that cities and counties have their Housing Elements in place, the real stick for housing production and incentive for developers is the SECOND flavor of Builders Remedy, SB423 (formerly SB35). This is absolutely untouched by SB457. If and when cities fall behind on executing against their Housing Elements, SB423 is a powerful incentive that encourages cities to reconsider all well-situated and housing-positive (non-poisoned) Builders Remedy projects regardless of SB457. This second flavor of Builders Remedy and two-phased operation of Builders Remedy was designed from the start to take care of many of the objections raised by housing advocates last night. Palo Alto is STILL on the hook for housing production per SB423. The current set of Builders Remedy projects, perhaps with a little more negotiation, are likely the best way to fill out any shortfall vs Housing Element execution. SB457 simply gives well-meaning cities a way to take the “poison icing” off the table, while offering a little more negotiating room for the “good icing”. Kevin Kranen ps: sorry about the switch from “flagrant fouls” to "poison icing” but I couldn’t come up with a similar baseball metaphor to “icing on the cake” which is what Builders Remedy actually provides for cities that are hard-pressed to produce housing via their Housing Element. From:Kristina Lugo To:Council, City Subject:2025 Lifetimes of Achievement Celebration Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 11:14:17 AM Attachments:image001.png 2025 Lifetimes Digital Invite.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing, and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, We are deeply grateful for the City Council’s steadfast support of Avenidas, and I am delighted to invite you to the Avenidas 2025 Lifetimes of Achievement Awards Garden Party on Sunday, May 18, from 3 to 5 PM, held in a beautiful private garden in Palo Alto. For over 37 years, this special event celebrates an extraordinary group of community leaders - some of whom you may know personally - for their lasting contributions to the Palo Alto and beyond. Our 2025 honorees include: • Sheila & Mark Wolfson • Mike Couch • Joan MacDonald • Dan & Helen Quinn • Sister Trinitas Hernandez (“Sister T.”) And we’re proud to present the inaugural Lifetimes of Service Award to the Association for Senior Day Health. It promises to be a joyful afternoon of inspiring stories, warm connections, and community celebration. We would be thrilled to have you join us. A digital invitation is attached, and you can learn more about the honorees and the event at: 2025 Lifetimes Awards Please join us! In community, Kristina This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Kristina Lugo, LCSW President & CEO Avenidas 450 Bryant St. Palo Alto, CA 94301 T: 650-289-5440 Schedule a meeting www.avenidas.org Caution: This email is both proprietary and confidential, and not intended for transmission to or receipt by any unauthorized persons. If you believe that it has been received by you in error, do not read any attachments. Instead, kindly reply to the sender stating that you have received the message in error. Then destroy it and any attachments. Thank you. Lifetimes of Achievement Awards Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney/Embarcadero Media Foundation Featuring artwork by Nancy Wong Sunday, May 18, 2025 from 3 to 5 pm Celebrate an afternoon of inspiration and community as we honor seven individuals and a service group: Lifetimes of Achievement Honorees ✨Mike Couch ✨Joan MacDonald ✨Helen & Dan Quinn ✨Sheila & Mark Wolfson ✨Sister Trinitas Hernandez (Sister T.) Lifetimes of Service Award Honoree ✨Association for Senior Day Health (ASDH) For more information, ticket purchase, or to join as a sponsor, visit: 2025 Lifetimes of Achievement Awards For any questions, please contact: Nisha Koul, Vice President of Development, at nkoul@avenidas.org 📍A stunning private garden in Palo Alto P lease Join Us Avenidas is a nonprofit organization with a mission is to help older adults in our community be as active, engaged, and healthy as possible throughout their lives by providing relevant services and programs. Learn more at avenidas.org. From:Tavera, Samuel To:Council, City Subject:Letter Referenced by Evan Reade During Public Comment Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:35:27 AM Attachments:image001.png image002.png image003.png image006.png image007.png Evan Reade Public Comment.pdf Greetings Councilmembers, Please find the letter that Evan Reade referenced during his Public Comment last night. Thank you! Samuel Tavera Administrative Associate III Office of the City Clerk P: 650.838.2898 E: Samuel.Tavera@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From:info@chopchopfamily.org To:Evilee Ebb Subject:Ignite Family Food Literacy This Summer - Including Your Message to Your Constituents Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:28:18 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good afternoon Mayor! By championing family healthful food literacy this summer, the antidote to ultra- processed foods, You will make a positive impact on public health, family dynamics, education, community engagement, and the local economy. It's a win-win for everyone involved! ChopChop magazine – The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families, is quarterly, ad-free, published in English and Spanish and every child will see themselves in our pages and proudly proclaim “I can do this”! AND we can brand your issues with a front-cover logo and bac- cover letter from you and distribute to as many locations as you would like. A few impactful quotes from current articles (see links below): “Food literacy isn’t just about nutrition—it’s about empowering students to think critically about their food choices” (1) “integrating food literacy into school curriculums could reduce undernourishment by up to 14 percent” (1) “Embedding nutrition education early is essential - children must learn young to live healthy” (2) “NEP 2020 emphasizes the critical role of nutrition education in shaping holistic, well-rounded individuals by integrating nutrition into the school curriculum.” (2) “Nutrition is the foundation of a healthier future, impacting not just physical health but also cognitive development and productivity. (2) “The urgency for nutrition education in schools has never been greater” (2) Here are the highlights for our Summer issue: ChopChop Summer 2025: Take a bite out of summer Printed to order, branded orders by 5/15 and bulk orders by 5/22 for shipping on 6/11 Dear Grownups: Cooking With Kids, Kosher Salt, ChopChop Newsletter and Podcasts Kitchen Skills: The Right Way to Wash Your Hands Quick Bites: Watermelon, Cucumber and Greek Yogurt, Cheddar Cheese, Pitted Olives CC Jr: Pita Crackers with Hummus and Cucumbers Healthy Start Breakfasts: Banana Split, Korean Breakfast Sandwich Why We: love bananas Lunch: Classic Tomato Sandwich, Crunchy Tuna Romaine Salad Did You Know? Summer Tomatoes, Panko, Pasta How to: Shuck Corn, Toasting Nuts Dinners: Turkey-Spinach Smash Burgers, Tzatziki, Herby Roast Chicken, Pasta with Corn What Is: Tofu Anyway? Side Dishes: Roasted Zucchini, Pan-Grilled Corn, Roasted Tomatoes, Garlicky Green Beans No-Cook Salads: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, and Cucumber Salad, Peach, Tomato, and Avocado Salad, Mexican Corn Salad/Salsa Summer Homework: How to Cut up a Melon, How to Juice any Citrus Fruit, How to Pit and Halve an Avocado, How to Core a Tomato, How to Chop an Onion Dessert: Mango Frozen Yogurt As Always: Kitchen Cash, What’s Different, Look Again, Word Search Thanks kindly for your consideration and continued support. Standing by to hear from you or a member of your Team. Best, ev Evilee Ebb | Business Development & Partnerships | ChopChop Family 508-269-9346 | https://www.chopchopfamily.org/ Endorsed by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) | MyPlate Strategic Partner Teaching Expertise’s “25 Magazines Kids Won’t Put Down!” Our Podcast - https://www.chopchopfamily.org/category/podcasts/ Articles: https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278082671/food-literacy-in-schools- can-cut-undernourishment-by-14-pc-say-experts https://www.apnnews.com/nutrition-conclave-2025-signals-integrating-food- literacy-into-school-curriculums-can-reduce-undernourishment-by-up-to-14/ From:Kat Snyder To:Council, City Subject:Policy and Services Public Comment: Urgent - please oppose AB 306 Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 9:04:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I wasn't able to make general comment over Zoom last night to highlight this letter but perhaps you can talk about it during agenda item 3 tonight at Policy and Services. It soundslike the chair is already very aware of AB 306. ~Kat ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Kat Snyder <katsnyderux@gmail.com> Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 11:09 AMSubject: Public Comment: Urgent - please oppose AB 306 To: <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Dear Council, On behalf of 350 Bay Area Action and of myself as a resident, I want to inform you of a concerning bill that very quickly passed through the State Assembly and is on its way to theSenate. AB 306 purports to be a housing bill that, by freezing state and local building codes for at least 6 years, will lead to faster, cheaper housing construction. Most everyenvironmental group, including ones that advocate for dense, infill housing, opposes the bill. This bill stops local reach codes from going into effect - including the ones city staff has already worked on that would have gone into effect January 1st, 2026. It blocks our localability to ask for more energy efficiency when new technologies come on the market. It blocks our local ability to streamline processes like we did with our heat pump installation programs. For these reasons and more I urge you to fill out this form to sign this opposition letter fromGreen Cities California specifically designed for local governments. Sincerely, ~Kat SnyderPalo Alto Resident 350 Bay Area Action, Clean Energy Legislative Team From:Amie Ashton To:Council, City Subject:Thank you and great discussion! Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 8:18:39 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mayor Lauing and City Council, Thank you for an informative and interesting discussion last night about AB 457. I learned so much from both sides of the bill. I appreciated your discussion and approach to your decision. Already this morning, I have connected with Green Foothills staff, Menlo Forward, arearesidents looking to get involved, and the YIMBY movement to discuss how to ensure SB 457 does what we all care about - reduce GHG emissions and protect our wildlands, habitat, andopen spaces. I have property owners and home builders calling me on an almost weekly basis asking how they can develop housing similar to a neighbor or a property next door. Almost every time theanswer is -- you simply can't build. But the question alone is hopeful given the current obstacles to building. I am hopeful. I urge you to please be broad with zoning actions that are forthcoming for housing, especiallyon El Camino and across the city for ADUs. There is so much we can do within the bounds of our Housing Element. I am excited to support you to see all that beautiful housinghappen locally. Thank you, Amie Ashton From:John Morin To:Council, City Subject:Issues at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 7:29:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello, My name is John Morin ive lived in Palo Alto for about 40 years same place. I am Disabled on RSDI.. I need to speak with some about me being bullied 3 different times at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden. And the Bully is still there.. I had to leave.. Funny how it's Ok for her to brake rules and use bad language besides being the bully she is.. I was there from July 2024 until Jan 2025, Sadly not very long at all. I need to talk to some that's Above these 2, I do know that Javod Ghods is gone. The way that they Handled and talked to me was no was not acceptable buy anyone. They didn't even Care, they asked to hear my Side and then Cut me off... I was going to report them to ADA.gov: The Americans with Disabilities Act Sadly, it takes 3 months for their process.. SARAH ROBUSTELLI Division Manager Open Space, Parks, and Golf Community Services Department (650) 617-3518 | Sarah.Robustelli@CityofPaloAlto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org Javod Ghods Coordinator, Open Space, Parks, & Golf Community Services Department P: 650-496-6962 / C: 650-833-8724 Javod.ghods@cityofpaloalto.org This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast www.cityofpaloalto.org Sorry I'm still not Happy at all about this. But I feel someone NEEDS to know. It needs to STOP it's not Far to us that's Disabled.. Sincerely, John Morin From:Cherrill Spencer To:Council, City Subject:Letter from WILPF Palo Alto branch re the ordinance based on CEDAW Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 1:29:57 AM Attachments:LetterToPACityCouncilRe110thAnnyOfWILPF & CEDAW.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please distribute the attached letter to all members of the Policy and Services committee bytime of their meeting on 8th April. Plus the other Councilors Thank you fromCherrill Spencer on behalf of the Peninsula/Palo Alto branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom cherrill.m.spencer@gmal.com CITIES FOR CEDAW’s 10th Anniversary and forward to Beijing+30 7th April 2025 Dear Palo Alto City Councilors, especially those on the Policy and Service Committee On behalf of the Peninsula/Palo Alto branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, we wish we could have congratulated you on a historic passage of an ordinance based on CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We have been advocating for such an ordinance since February 2018. WILPF and other local members of Cities for CEDAW have been asking for such an ordinance and offered help to write it several times over the intervening seven years. As a City for CEDAW, Palo Alto is part of a grassroots, decades-long movement to protect women’s rights in the United States of America. Other cities include Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Miami-Dade County led the way for more than 12 other counties to put CEDAW on the map and all counties in Hawaii have done the same. We would like Palo Alto to be recognized as well, then it would be in the company of more than 65 other jurisdictions across the country, covering more than 82 million people. Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the launch of Cities for CEDAW. The Cities for CEDAW History and Futures Project showcased our achievements at the United Nations during the Summit of the Future (20th to 23rd September 2024) and during the 2025 meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women meeting at the United Nations, which recognized it has been 30 years since the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women. This year the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom celebrates its 110th anniversary, we were founded in 1915 in the middle of WWI and have been working for the end of war continousy since then. Our Peninsula/Palo Alto WILPF branch was started in 1922 and has existed continously since then. We note that your 2024 and 2025 Equity Action Plan, item 3.4 says “Finalize CEDAW Ordinance and Present it to the City Council for Adoption”. We commend you for your continued support of City staff so that they have time to work on this CEDAW ordinance so that Palo Alto can show its dedication to making rights real for future generations. I know your Tuesday 8th April meeting will discuss “Potential Direction Regarding State and Federal Legislation, Executive Orders and Other Regulatory and Funding Activity.” Passing an ordinance based on CEDEW will show the President the City of Palo Alto will not cow-tow to his anti-women and anti-DEI actions. Sincerely, C.M.Spencer Cherrill Spencer on behalf of the Peninsula/Palo Alto branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom [https://Wilpfus.org] and the local Cities for CEDAW organization [https://citiesforcedaw.org/]. Cherrill.m.spencer@gmail.com From:amy kacher To:Council, City Subject:Re: Town and country new housing complex Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 9:27:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. No idea why auto correct spelled Council as Counsel… please excuse that typo! On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM amy kacher <amykacher1@gmail.com> wrote:Dear City Counsel I am so sorry to see the design of the proposed condos behind Town and Country. I wrotethis in the comments in Palo Alto Online. I used colorful language but I am just so fed up. I hope you will seriously consider looking at how nicely Burlingame and Los Altos have donetheir new builds in keeping with the old buildings. I don’t know why we are making Palo Alto into a mishmash of design styles with no plan for cohesion. Our city was originallydeveloped with intention annd architectural integrity. One by one we continue to build easily dated, ill-fitting new builds. I don’t understand how the architectural review board and city council can look at this development and think it looks good in context of the historic Town and Country Village. Why can’t the design be in keeping with the shopping center? This proposed complex is aneyesore before it’s even built! I question over and over the taste level of the people approving these developments. Architecture 101 should cover this -build in context to your neighbor if you want a cohesive, architecturally pleasing atmosphere. I know I sound snotty but I don’t know why Palo Alto seems to intentionally build in a way that just flips the birdat the historic old buildings in this town. Thanks Amy hey, we are all just people From:amy kacher To:Council, City Subject:Town and country new housing complex Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 9:08:52 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Counsel I am so sorry to see the design of the proposed condos behind Town and Country. I wrote thisin the comments in Palo Alto Online. I used colorful language but I am just so fed up. I hope you will seriously consider looking at how nicely Burlingame and Los Altos have done theirnew builds in keeping with the old buildings. I don’t know why we are making Palo Alto into a mishmash of design styles with no plan for cohesion. Our city was originally developed withintention annd architectural integrity. One by one we continue to build easily dated, ill-fitting new builds. I don’t understand how the architectural review board and city council can look at this development and think it looks good in context of the historic Town and Country Village. Why can’t the design be in keeping with the shopping center? This proposed complex is aneyesore before it’s even built! I question over and over the taste level of the people approving these developments. Architecture 101 should cover this -build in context to your neighbor if you want a cohesive, architecturally pleasing atmosphere. I know I sound snotty but I don’t know why Palo Alto seems to intentionally build in a way that just flips the bird at the historicold buildings in this town. Thanks Amy hey, we are all just people From:Jordan Jackson To:Council, City Subject:Please Support for a Strong Lighting Ordinance in Palo Alto Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 7:06:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Honorable Members of the City Council, I am writing to express my strong support for the adoption of a robust lighting ordinance that meaningfully protects Palo Alto from the increasing impacts of light pollution, while still ensuring public safety. To be truly effective, I urge the ordinance to include the following provisions: Apply comprehensively to all newly installed and replacement lighting fixtures and systems Include meaningful “lights-out” (curfew) requirements to reduce unnecessary nighttime lighting, with appropriate exceptions for parking areas, streets, and public walking paths Require energy-efficient lighting and controls (e.g., occupancy sensors or timers) in commercial office buildings. Many of these buildings remain lit 24/7 even when unoccupied. With extensive glass facades, they often contribute significantly to light pollution due to lax operations and, in some cases, decorative purposes. I encourage the City to look to New York City’s Local Law 88 (LL88), which addresses both indoor and exterior lighting standards, as a model. Particularly, its provisions regarding lighting controls/sensors are particularly useful for Palo Alto to adopt. Reduce the allowable light trespass level to no more than 0.1 foot-candle, with exceptions when lighting controls detect occupancy Preserve existing protections for sensitive waterways Prioritize enforcement for larger buildings, which typically have higher lighting energy use While enforcement challenges have been noted, establishing clear, measurable standards is in itself a powerful step. A strong ordinance not only shapes design and operational decisions but also encourages voluntary compliance and signals the City’s environmental values. Cities like Brisbane and Cupertino have already adopted thoughtful lighting policies. Palo Alto has the opportunity to lead by example—reducing energy waste, safeguarding wildlife, and preserving the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Thank you for your continued leadership and for considering these important protections for our community. Sincerely, Jordan Y. Jackson -- Jordan Jackson Tel: (408)348-5756 jordanyjackson@gmail.com From:herb To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:April 7, 2025 Council Meeting, Item #17: SB 457 Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 5:41:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. APRIL 7, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA ITEM #17 SENATE BILL S457 I urge you to obtain in Open Session before receiving publiccomment on this agenda item the advice of the City Attorneyabout whether Senator Becker's proposed bill SB 457 would applyretroactively to the Builder's Remedy projects identified inthe supplemental staffReport (Report # 2504-4460) for this agenda item. Planning and Development Services Director Jonathan Lait writesin the staff report that any conflict between SB 457 and theprior legislation AB 1893 "could result in differinginterpretations regarding applicable standards." Daily Post editor Dave Price wrote in today's edition of thepaper on page 6 that "Becker's office says it believes the billwill be retroactive, meaning it would apply to Builder's Remedyprojects already proposed." I share Neilson Buchanan's comments in his letter to you forthis agenda item, "Please make certain your advice to SenBecker includes encouragement to write and negotiate a billwhich is legally sustainable." The concerns about whether SB 457 applies retroactively alsoapply to any Builder's Remedy projects approved prior to thebill becoming law on either January 1, 2026 or January 1, 2027,depending on whether it is adopted this calendar year or nextcalendar year. My limited experience with planning and zoning law is that whenan applicant has begun the application process prior to a newlaw being enacted, that the applicant has the option ofchoosing whether to continue having the application processedunder the new law or the prior law that was in effect when theapplication was submitted. That is why you need to have the City Attorney advise you, thepublic, and press prior to receiving public comment on thisagenda item about whether the bill as written would beretroactive if adopted. Merely saying that it depends on the legislative process is anon-answer when you ask a question about the current specificlanguage of the bill. Herb Borock From:herb To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:April 7, 2025 Council Meeting, Item #14: Contract with City Manager Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 5:15:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. APRIL 7, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #14 CONTRACT WITH MUNICIPAL RESOURCES GROUP I urge you to remove this item from your agenda and follow thelawful process that prior City Council's followed whennegotiating and approving contracts with consultants forperformance evaluation services for Council Appointed Officers. The Palo Alto Charter at Article III, Section 7 provides that"no contract will be awarded without the affirmative vote of amajority vote of the council." You are prohibited from voting to approve a contract in advancethat you have never seen. You are prohibited from delegating to the CAO Committeechairperson the right to approve the contract that the Charterrequires a majority of the Council to approve. It is inappropriate to have the City Manager or his designeesign the contract on behalf of the Council when the CityManager is one of the officers who would be evaluated. Herb Borock From:Anita Lusebrink To:Council, City; Lauing, Ed Cc:senator.becker@senate.ca.gov Subject:Vote to Sponsor SB 457 Tonight for a Fair, Effective Housing Policy Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 4:38:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and Palo Alto City Council, As a North Palo Alto homeowner who supports more affordable and BMRhousing in our city and across the region, I’m writing to urge you toendorse and sponsor SB 457, legislation authored by Senator Josh Becker that strengthens state housing law by closing loopholes that have been exploited to advance poorly planned projects. As an example of egregious mis-use of “Builders’ Remedy” loopholes, theproject proposed for 80 Willow Road is not appropriate for the location. Although it is officially in Menlo Park, it will overwhelmingly affect North Palo Alto residents. The current owners of that property have no vested interest in making it appropriate, as they do not live nearby, norapparently, even in the country! https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/business/deutsche-bank-russia- real-estate-deal.html? unlocked_article_code=1.604.tFTs.60CsABSQmzTu&smid=url-share Forthis reason, it is just a money-making game to them, and even if half the height of the current proposal is OK’d (as may be their plan), the resulting development will be woefully oversized and inappropriate. It is also important to consider the environmental impact that adevelopment of this size will have on our natural environs, namely San Francisquito Creek in this instance. Local traffic and utilities/water infrastructure cannot realistically support this development. We cannot let the loopholes created by BR allow this type of project. It is a severelyoversized commercial project disguised as a housing proposal. Please add Palo Alto’s voice in support of SB 457 to get passed as soon as possible. This is a smart, reasonable, and limited fix that helps housing laws work better for everyone; and it does not need to bediscussed ad nauseum until it is too late, like the situation we are currently This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast in with our Housing Element just having been approved late in 2024. Actnow! The developers certainly are… Sincerely, Anita Lusebrink Owner of 426-428 Ruthven AvePalo Alto, CA 94301 From:Ann Balin To:Council, City Subject:Sponsor Senate Bill 457 Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 4:10:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker and Council Members, I urge you to sponsor Senate Bill 457 to support the community’s position and show integrity by doing so. The HCD was inundated by YIMBY email and other missives during the Housing Element process to SLOW down the approval for Palo Alto’s Housing Element. Palo Alto’s planning staff acknowledged this and did not appreciate the intrusion. Staff was frustrated by the barrage of pushback on Palo Alto’s Housing Elements. Then PAForward and YIMBY were outed in the press for actively jamming the process. Those delays allowed for more and more builder’s remedy projects to be submitted which was PAForward's and YIMBY’s plan. Now the public sees what Builder’s Remedy does to the community. For example, look at the Sunset property now owned by the nephew of Putin’s energy minister with towers that are not compatible with existing neighborhoods. One tower is higher than the Statue of Liberty. Now residents in Menlo Park and Palo Alto see that this is this owner’s personal opportunity to park capital. The San Francisquito Creek system is threatened in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The traffic on Middlefield road and Willow road will be gridlock. How will fire engines and ambulances serve communities? There is little if any ‘affordable’ housing. This is office and market/luxury rate housing. Developers knowingly were positioning incomplete applications in the queue as they knew the law was on their side. The developers played the system to hold their place in the process even though they knew the applications were inadequate. Please do right and sponsor Bill 457. Support alone is not enough. Respectfully, Ann Lafargue Balin From:Humphrey, Sonia Cc:LAFCO Subject:Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget for FY 2026 & Notice of June 4, 2025 LAFCO Public Hearing Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 3:46:52 PM Attachments:Notice - Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget & Notice of Public Hearing..pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To: County Executive, City and Special District Managers, Other Officials/Staff and Stakeholders Please see attached memo regarding Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget for FY 2026, and a Notice of Public Hearing to Adopt the Final LAFCO Budget for FY 2026. Thank you, Sonia Humphrey, LAFCO Clerk LAFCO of Santa Clara County 777 North First Street, Suite 410 San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 993-4709 April 7, 2025 TO: County Executive, Santa Clara County City Managers, Cities in Santa Clara County District Managers, Special Districts in Santa Clara County FROM: Neelima Palacherla, Executive Officer SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 & NOTICE OF JUNE 4, 2025 LAFCO PUBLIC HEARING At its public hearing on April 2, 2025, the Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Clara County (LAFCO) adopted a Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, as recommended in the attached staff report. The attached report reviews the status of LAFCO’s current year work plan and budget; and sets forth the proposed work plan and budget for Fiscal Year 2026. LAFCO is scheduled to consider adoption of its Final FY 2026 Budget and Workplan at a public hearing on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 1:15 PM in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center. The County Auditor will apportion LAFCO costs and invoice the cities, independent special districts and the County based on the Final Budget adopted by LAFCO. The meeting agenda, staff reports and related meeting material will be available on the LAFCO website by May 30, 2025. All interested persons may attend the meeting as provided for on the agenda. Written public comments may be submitted by email to LAFCO@ceo.sccgov.org prior to the date of the hearing. Attachment: Staff Report on the Proposed Work Plan and Budget for FY 2026 (April 2, 2025) cc: Board of Supervisors, Santa Clara County City Council Members, Cities in Santa Clara County Board of Directors, Special Districts in Santa Clara County Santa Clara County Cities Association Santa Clara County Special Districts Association PAGE 1 OF 12 ITEM # 6 LAFCO MEETING: April 2, 2025 TO: LAFCO FROM: Neelima Palacherla, Executive Officer Dunia Noel, Asst. Executive Officer SUBJECT: PROPOSED WORK PLAN AND BUDGET FOR FY 2026 FINANCE COMMITTEE / STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Adopt the Proposed Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. 2. Adopt the Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. 3. Find that the Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 is expected to be adequate to allow the Commission to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. 4. Authorize staff to transmit the Proposed Budget adopted by the Commission including the estimated agency costs as well as the LAFCO public hearing notice for the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026 Final Budget to the cities, the special districts, the County, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara County Special Districts Association. ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS REQUIREMENTS The Cortese Knox Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (CKH Act) which became effective on January 1, 2001, requires LAFCO, as an independent agency, to annually adopt a proposed budget by May 1 and a final budget by June 15 at noticed public hearings. Both the proposed and the final budgets are required to be transmitted to the cities, the special districts and the County. Government Code §56381(a) establishes that at a minimum, the budget must be equal to that of the previous year unless the Commission finds that reduced staffing or program costs will nevertheless allow it to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. Any unspent funds at the end of the year may be rolled over into the next fiscal year budget. After adoption of the final budget by LAFCO, the County Auditor is required to apportion the net operating expenses of the Commission to the agencies represented on LAFCO. PAGE 2 OF 12 FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 WORKPLAN & BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE Dates Staff Tasks / LAFCO Action March 10 - April 2 Notice of this public hearing was advertised in a local newspaper, posted on the LAFCO website and distributed to local agencies. The agenda and a link to the posted agenda packet are also distributed to local agencies, interested persons and organizations. The proposed Workplan and Budget are posted on the LAFCO website and available for public review and comment. April 2 LAFCO public hearing on adoption of Proposed Workplan and Budget April 3 Proposed Work Plan and Budget, preliminary apportionments and LAFCO public hearing notice for Final Budget Hearing transmitted to agencies June 4 LAFCO public hearing and adoption of Final Budget June 4 - July 1 Final Budget transmitted to agencies; Auditor requests payment from agencies LAFCO FINANCE COMMITTEE At its February 5, 2025 LAFCO meeting, the Commission appointed Alternate Commissioner Campos, Alternate Commissioner Chapman and Alternate Commissioner O’Neill to serve on the Finance Committee. At its special meeting held on March 6, 2025, the Finance Committee discussed the progress on the current year work plan and the status of the current year budget; and recommended the proposed FY 2026 work plan and budget for consideration and adoption by the full commission. CURRENT YEAR IN REVIEW PROGRESS REPORT ON FY 2024-2025 WORK PLAN LAFCO’s current fiscal year workplan was adopted at a noticed public hearing held on April 3, 2024. Attachment A depicts the current status (through the third quarter of the year) of the 2024-2025 Work Program. A key focus of this year's work program is the comprehensive review and update of LAFCO policies. To guide Phase 1 of this process, the Commission appointed an Ad- Hoc Committee composed of three commissioners, which developed a detailed work plan and timeline. Over the course of nine meetings, the Committee along with staff carefully reviewed and refined multiple iterations of the policies under consideration, including the development of new policies related to agricultural PAGE 3 OF 12 worker housing. Additionally, two rounds of public review and comment periods were conducted to gather valuable input from stakeholders. Following this extensive effort, the Commission adopted the Phase 1 policy updates in December 2024. Looking ahead, the Commission is expected to consider a work plan for Phase 2 of the policy update process. LAFCO has received and is currently processing a special district reorganization and sphere of influence amendment. Staff has conducted pre-application meetings and responded to numerous requests for assistance from local and regional agencies on matters such as city service extensions, city annexations and urban service area amendments, special district annexations, and builders remedy projects. Additionally, responding to public inquiries remains a significant and growing area of focus, with staff noting an increase in both volume and complexity. In alignment with the Commission’s directive, staff continues to engage in targeted outreach to local entities—including special districts, the County, cities, and community organizations—through informational presentations on LAFCO’s role in promoting sustainable growth and good governance. These efforts are undertaken as opportunities arise and as time permits. Changes in Commission membership due to term expirations have prompted corresponding onboarding activities. The LAFCO office is now fully staffed, with 4.0 FTE positions, including the promotion of the Associate Analyst to the Analyst position in August 2024. Additionally, the implementation of a training and professional development work plan for LAFCO staff is underway, ensuring continued growth, skill enhancement, and alignment with best practices in local government and land use planning. Several key administrative activities and projects have been completed or are currently underway, including the annual financial audit, the annual report, and the development of a new LAFCO database to efficiently track public inquiries, manage the contacts directory, and improve overall workflow for application processing and management. Projects that will not be completed by the end of the fiscal year will be incorporated into the proposed FY 2026 work plan to ensure their continued progress and completion in alignment with LAFCO’s strategic objectives. The LAFCO Annual Report for FY 2025 will be published at the close of the fiscal year. This report will document all applications reviewed and processed during the year and will highlight LAFCO’s accomplishments, activities, and key projects undertaken or completed throughout the period. STATUS OF FY 2024-2025 ADOPTED BUDGET Attachment D includes the FY 2025 budget adopted by the Commission at a noticed public hearing on June 5, 2024, the status of LAFCO’s expenditures and revenues as of February 25, 2025, and expenditure and revenue projections for end of FY 2025. The adopted LAFCO budget for FY 2025 is $1,077,611. It is estimated that the total year-end projected expenditures for FY 2025 would be approximately 1% higher PAGE 4 OF 12 than the adopted budget primarily due to promotion of the Associate Analyst to Analyst position, which was unanticipated at budget adoption. Staff anticipates that overall, year-end revenue for FY 2025 will be slightly higher than the amount budgeted. LAFCO has received the respective FY 2025 funds from the County, the cities and the independent special districts. The actual fund balance rolled over at the end of FY 2024 was higher at $237,891, compared to the amount estimated ($172,301) in the FY 2025 budget. The excess fund balance will be used to cover the extra expenditures, and the remainder unspent amount will carry over into FY 2026 and will be used to reduce net operating expenses that would in turn translate to reduced FY 2026 costs for contributing agencies. PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 Attachment C includes the proposed work plan for FY 2026, as recommended by the Finance Committee, for consideration and adoption by the full commission. The proposed workplan includes ongoing as well as new projects and outlines detailed projects/activities organized under six broad areas: (1.) LAFCO application processing; (2.) island annexations; (3.) outreach, government/community relations and customer service; (4.) service reviews, special studies and sphere of influence updates; (5.) commission support; and (6.) administrative projects. The work plan assigns priority levels (high, moderate, low); and designates whether the work is to be conducted by staff or outside consultants. The proposed work plan includes a broad spectrum of responsibilities that LAFCO, as an independent local agency and as a regulatory body of the state, is expected to fulfill in its role of promoting sustainable growth and good governance in Santa Clara County. It incorporates the Commission’s legislative functions and mandates and also the Commission’s proactive local initiatives and priorities such as its directives for ongoing public outreach and education and its proactive service review and implementation program. Staff actively manages the workload in order to focus on accomplishing essential activities such as processing applications, completing projects currently underway, maintaining core administrative functions, tracking on-going projects and studies, supporting the commission and responding to local agency and public requests for assistance. Consistent with past practice, LAFCO’s statutorily mandated activities take priority over administrative projects that are not statutorily required, and over proactive commission-initiated projects which are discretionary but support LAFCO’s mission and statutory requirements. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 Attachment D includes the proposed Budget for FY 2025-2026 as recommended by the Finance Committee, for consideration and adoption by the full commission. The Finance Committee conducted a thorough review of the work plan and budget and recognized the public benefit of LAFCO’s work and the high demand for LAFCO’s services from local agencies and the public. The Committee maintained its PAGE 5 OF 12 commitment to ensure adequate resources that allow the Commission to fulfill its statutory responsibilities and accomplish its work plan while also limiting costs for LAFCO’s funding agencies. The overall projected expenditure for FY 2026 ($1,464,666) in the proposed budget is 14% higher than the current year budgeted expenses ($1,280,912). This increase is expenditures is largely due to the increase in the cost of salaries and benefits due to a position promotion that occurred in August 2024. However, LAFCO’s proposed net operating expense for FY 2026 is approximately 26% higher than the FY 2025 budgeted net operating expense. The primary reason for this is because the remaining fund balance ($63,997) at the end of this year is at its lowest level in years. Since September 2023, the LAFCO office has been fully staffed with 4.0 FTEs and has not benefited from salary savings realized in previous years. Additionally, over the past two years, we have adopted more precise budgeting practices. As a result, year-end fund balances have been significantly smaller. This translates to a trend, starting in FY 2025, of rising operating expenses. While we began the current year with a slightly higher fund balance than anticipated, it has helped offset the additional expenditures from the increase in salary and benefits due to the unanticipated promotion. DESCRIPTION OF FY 2024-2025 BUDGET LINE ITEMS LAFCO and the County of Santa Clara entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (effective since July 2001), under the terms of which, the County provides staffing, facilities, and services to LAFCO. The associated costs are reflected in the proposed LAFCO budget. LAFCO is a stand-alone, separate fund within the County’s accounting and budget system and the LAFCO budget information is formatted using the County’s account descriptions/codes. $0 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,200,000 $1,400,000 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 Budgeted Net Operating Expenses PAGE 6 OF 12 The following is a detailed itemization of the proposed budget. EXPENDITURES Expenditures are divided into two main sections: Staff Salaries and Benefits (Object 1) which comprise approximately 68% of the total expenditures; and Services and Supplies (Object 2). OBJECT 1. SALARIES AND BENEFITS $994,427 This line item supports the salaries and benefits for the 4.0 FTE positions including the Executive Officer position, a Senior Analyst position, an Analyst position, and a Clerk position. All four positions are currently staffed. LAFCO contracts with the County of Santa Clara for staffing and services and in accordance with the MOU between the County and LAFCO, all four positions are staffed through the County Executive’s Office. The proposed amount is based on the best available projections from the County at this time for salaries and benefits for the 4 positions. Any changes to the projections for the four positions that may occur within the next couple of months will be reflected in the Final LAFCO budget. OBJECT 2. SERVICES AND SUPPLIES 5255100 Intra-County Professional $12,000 This includes the costs for services from various County agencies such as the County Surveyor’s Office, the County Assessors’ Office, and the Registrar of Voters. The County Surveyor assists with map review and approval for boundary change proposals. In addition, the Surveyor’s Office also assists with research to resolve boundary discrepancies. The County Assessor’s Office prepares reports for LAFCO and the Registrar of Voters provides data necessary for processing LAFCO applications. This item also allows LAFCO to seek GIS mapping services including support and technical assistance from the County Planning Office, as necessary. This item also includes the approximate annual cost ($7,806) associated with webcasting the regular LAFCO meetings held in the County Board of Supervisors Chambers. In February 2021, LAFCO and the County entered into an MOU regarding webcasting services and associated costs for LAFCO meetings. As a result of the pandemic and virtual meetings, webcasting of LAFCO meetings did not begin until April 2023. 5255800 Legal Counsel $85,780 This item covers the cost for general legal services. In February 2009, the Commission retained the firm of Best Best & Krieger for legal services on a monthly retainer. The contract was amended in 2010 to reduce the number of total hours required to 240 hours per year. The contract sets the hourly rate and allows for an annual automatic adjustment to the rates based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In 2017, the contract was once again amended to increase the monthly retainer cost and limit the CEQA work within the retainer to 24 hours annually. Any additional CEQA work above 24 hours would be charged outside the retainer at the same hourly rate. PAGE 7 OF 12 The monthly retainer for FY 2026 increases to $7,068, based on a 2.8% increase in the Consumer Price Index for the prior calendar year (2024). This item covers the annual retainer fees and includes additional monies to cover approximately 10 hours of work outside the retainer at the hourly rate of $395. 5255500 Consultant Services $175,000 This item is budgeted for hiring consultants to assist LAFCO with special projects such as for conducting service reviews and special studies, facilitating a strategic planning workshop, and scanning LAFCO’s hardcopy records into the existing electronic document management system, among others. The Commission must take action to authorize such special projects prior to expending funds. This item also includes costs associated with ongoing contracts such as costs for the maintenance and hosting of the LAFCO website by an outside provider; for the contract with an independent financial auditor for conducting the annual financial audits of LAFCO, for a consultant to develop and implement a new LAFCO database. 5285700 Meal Claims $1,000 This item includes cost of food to support Commission events, workshops, meetings. 5220200 Insurance $8,000 This item is for the purpose of purchasing general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for LAFCO. In 2010, LAFCO switched from the County’s coverage to the Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA), for the provision of general liability insurance. Additionally, LAFCO also obtains workers’ compensation coverage for its commissioners from SDRMA. Workers’ compensation for LAFCO staff is currently covered by the County and is part of the payroll charge. The estimates for FY 2026 were not available from SDRMA as of writing this report. The Final budget will reflect any major revisions to these estimates. 5270100 Rent & Lease $58,106 This item includes FY 2026 monthly rent for LAFCO office space located at 777 North First Street, Suite 420, San Jose. The original lease term for the office space expired on May 5, 2022. At its February 2, 2022 meeting, the Commission authorized the extension of the lease for a five-year period through April 30, 2027. 5250100 Office Expenses $5,000 This item includes funds for purchase of books, subscriptions/publications necessary to keep current on laws and trends; and small equipment and supplies for office operations, including printer/photocopier lease. 5255650 Data Processing Services $24,443 This item includes estimated costs associated with County Technology Solutions & Services Department (TSS) providing IT services to the LAFCO program. According to TSS, the projected costs cover Telecom services for 5 phones- VOIP/Landline ($2,280), Wireless Carrier Service ($912), enterprise licensing including MS Adobe special order, Acrobat Pro and MS Visio monthly subscription ($3,416), and other services ($17,845) comprising Enterprise Content Management services and PAGE 8 OF 12 solutions, Kronos support, Architecture and Innovation Services, Claranet services, Data Analytics and Visualizations, digital print and sccLearn. Any further revised cost estimates received from the County will be reflected in the Final LAFCO budget. 5225500 Commissioner’s Fees $10,000 This item covers the $100 per diem amount for LAFCO commissioners and alternate commissioners to attend LAFCO meetings and committee meetings. 5260100 Publications and Legal Notices $1,000 This item is for costs associated with publication of hearing notices for LAFCO applications and other projects/ studies, as required by state law. This budgeted amount has been maintained at the same level as the current year. 5245100 Membership Dues $15,000 This item includes CALAFCO – the California Association of LAFCOs membership dues. At its meeting in December 2023, the CALAFCO Board voted to approve a 3.1% rate adjustment to account for the CPI increase (June 2023 to June 2024), in accordance with the CALAFCO Bylaws. The FY 2026 membership dues for Santa Clara LAFCO is $12,921. Additionally, this item includes estimated membership dues for CSDA – the California Special Districts Association. In June 2018, CSDA informed that Santa Clara LAFCO as a customer of SDRMA, must be a member of CSDA pursuant to SDRMA bylaws. 5250750 Printing and Reproduction $1,500 This covers printing expenses for reports such as service reviews or other studies and documents. 5285800 Business Travel $21,000 This item includes funding for staff and commissioners to attend conferences and workshops. It would cover costs of air travel, accommodation, conference registration and other expenses at the conferences. CALAFCO annually holds a Staff Workshop (Location TBD, April 2026) and an Annual Conference (San Diego, October 2025) that is attended by commissioners as well as staff. 5285300 Private Automobile Mileage $1,000 This item provides for mileage reimbursement when staff travels by private car to conduct site visits and attend meetings / training sessions. This budgeted amount has been maintained at the same level as the current year. 5285200 Transportation and Travel (for use of County car) $600 This item would cover costs associated with the use of a County vehicle for travel to conferences, workshops, site visits and meetings. 5281600 Overhead $37,324 This overhead charge is established by the County Controller’s Office, for service rendered by various County departments that do not directly bill LAFCO. The overhead includes LAFCO’s share of the County’s FY 2026 Cost Allocation Plan PAGE 9 OF 12 which is based on actual overhead costs from FY 2024 – the most recent year for which actual costs are available. The overhead amount includes the following charges from: County Executive’s Office: $5,998 Controller-Treasurer: $10,157 Employee Services Agency: $10,877 OBA: $423 BHS-MH - Employee: $62 TSS Intragovernmental Service: $1,196 Technology Services & Solutions: $1,354 Procurement: $124 Equal Opp. (County Counsel): $1,468 CoB – Harvey Rose Mgt Audit: $34 Further, a “roll forward” is applied which is calculated by comparing FY 2024 Cost Plan estimates with FY 2024 actuals. The FY 2024 cost estimates were lower than the actuals by $4,746; this amount is added to the FY 2026 Cost Plan. This is a state requirement. 5275200 Computer Hardware $4,000 This item is designated for any required hardware upgrades / purchases. 5250800 Computer Software $4,000 This amount is designated for computer software purchases, including annual licenses for GIS software (ArcGIS) and records management software (Laserfiche) with 2 hours of online/onsite support. 5250250 Postage $500 This amount covers postage costs for mailing notices, agendas, agenda packets and general correspondence. 5252100 Training Programs $2,000 This item covers the costs associated with attendance at commissioner / staff professional development courses and seminars. CALAFCO conducts University Courses throughout the year on topics of relevance to LAFCO. REVENUES 4103400 Application Fees $25,000 It is anticipated that LAFCO will receive approximately $25,000 in fees from processing applications. The actual amount earned from fees corresponds to the level of application activity. PAGE 10 OF 12 4301100 Interest $10,000 It is estimated that LAFCO will receive an amount of approximately $10,000 from interest earned on LAFCO funds. 3400150 Fund Balance from Previous Fiscal Year (i.e., FY 2025) $63,997 It is projected that there will be a savings or fund balance of approximately $63,997 at the end of the current year, which will be carried over to reduce the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 costs for LAFCO’s funding agencies (cities, independent special districts and the County). Projected Year-End [FY 2025] Fund Balance = (Projected Year-End [FY 25] Revenue + Actual Fund Balance from Previous Fiscal Year [FY 24] + Funds Received from Local Agencies in FY 25) - (Projected Year-End [FY 25] Expenses) = ($41,074+ $237,891 + $1,077,611) - $1,292,579 = $63,997 The fund balance excludes the reserves. RESERVES 3400800 Reserves Available $200,000 This item includes reserves for two purposes: litigation reserve – for use if LAFCO is involved with any litigation; and contingency reserve – to be used for unexpected expenses. If used during the year, this account will be replenished in the following year. Since 2012, the reserves have been retained in a separate Reserves account, thus eliminating the need for LAFCO to budget each year for this purpose. The Reserves amount was held at $250,000 since FY 2020 to timely implement potential recommendations from the Comprehensive Organizational Assessment, and as a tentative measure in recognition that LAFCO operates in an increasingly complex and controversial environment. In FY 2022, LAFCO reduced the Reserves from $250,000 to $200,000, in order to further reduce costs to local agencies given the COVID -19 related economic hardships; and has maintained the reserve level at $200,000 since then. The Finance Committee recommends maintaining the current level of reserves for FY 2026. This places the proposed Reserve amount at approximately 14% of the total FY 2026 expenditures. LAFCO has not adopted a Reserves policy, however as an independent agency, LAFCO should maintain sufficient reserves for flexibility and stability in the event of unanticipated needs. FY 2026 NET OPERATING EXPENSES FY 2026 Net Operating Expenses = (Proposed FY 2026 Expenditures) - (Proposed FY 2026 Fee & Interest Revenues + Projected Fund Balance from FY 2025) = ($1,464,666) – ($35,000 + $63,997) = $1,365,669 PAGE 11 OF 12 The projected operating expense for FY 2026 is based on projected expenditures and revenues as well as on estimated fund balance for the current year. Further revisions may be needed as we get a better indication of current year expenses/revenues towards the end of this fiscal year. Additionally, a more accurate projection of costs/revenues for the upcoming fiscal year could become available, particularly for employee salary and benefits. This could result in changes to the proposed net operating expenses for FY 2026 which will be reflected in the Final budget and which could in turn impact the costs for each of LAFCO’s funding agencies. COST APPORTIONMENT TO CITIES, INDEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY In January 2013, independent special districts were seated on LAFCO. Government Code §56381(b)(1)(A) provides that when independent special districts are represented on LAFCO, the county, cities and independent special districts must each provide a one-third share of LAFCO’s operational budget. The City of San Jose has permanent membership on LAFCO pursuant to Government Code Section 56327. As required by Government Code §56381.6(b), the City of San Jose’s share of LAFCO costs must be in the same proportion as its member bears to the total membership on the commission, excluding the public member. The remaining cities’ share must be apportioned in proportion to each city’s total revenues, as reported in the most recent edition of the Cities Annual Report published by the Controller, as a percentage of the combined city revenues within a county. Government Code Section §56381 provides that the independent special districts’ share shall be apportioned in proportion to each district’s total revenues as a percentage of the combined total district revenues within a county. The Santa Clara County Special Districts Association (SDA), at its August 13, 2012 meeting, adopted an alternative formula for distributing the independent special districts’ share to individual districts. The SDA’s agreement requires each district’s cost to be based on a fixed percentage of the total independent special districts’ share. Therefore, in Santa Clara County, the County pays a third of LAFCO’s operational costs, the independent special districts pay a third, the City of San Jose pays one sixth and the remaining cities pay one sixth. Government Code §56381(c) requires the County Auditor to request payment from the cities, independent special districts and the County no later than July 1 of each year for the amount each agency owes based on the net operating expenses of the Commission and the actual administrative costs incurred by the Auditor in apportioning costs and requesting payment. The following is a draft apportionment to the agencies based on the proposed net operating expenses for FY 2026. PAGE 12 OF 12 Apportionment of the costs among the 14 cities and among the 17 independent special districts will be calculated by the County Controller’s Office after LAFCO adopts the final budget in June. In order to provide each of the cities and districts with a general indication of their costs in advance, Attachment E includes draft estimated apportionments, based on the proposed FY 2026 net operating expenses and the FY 2022-2023 Cities Annual Report from the State Controller’s Office. The final apportionments will be prepared by the County Controller’s Office based on the latest available Cities Annual Report. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Status of FY 2025 Work Plan Attachment B: LAFCO Financials 2008-2024 Attachment C: Proposed Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2026 Attachment D: Proposed LAFCO Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 Attachment E: Estimated FY 2026 Costs to Agencies $455,223 $455,223 $227,612 $227,612 Proposed Net Operating Expenses for FY 2026 County Independent Special Districts Other Cities City of San Jose STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 1 of 7 PRIORITY* H - High Priority (essential activities: state mandate, Commission directive, requirements) M - Medium Priority (important, provided resources allow or time permits) L - Low Priority (desirable provided resources allow or time permits, not urgent) PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS LA F C O A P P L I C A T I O N S Process applicant-initiated LAFCO proposals Encourage pre-application meetings prior to application submittal Conduct pre-agenda meetings with County Depts to obtain Assessor & Surveyor reports, as needed Process applications per CKH Act: issue Notice of Application, Certificate of Filing / Sufficiency, Public Hearing Notice, staff report, conduct protest proceedings, as needed Staff H Several pre- application meetings held (districts reorganization, mutual water company consolidation) Processing a reorganization application Comment on potential LAFCO applications, relevant projects & development proposals, city General Plan updates and/ or related environmental documents Ongoing, as needed Staff H Ongoing (comment letter re. a private water company service area expansion) Comprehensive review and update LAFCO policies for context, clarity and consistency with State law In progress Staff / Ad Hoc Committee H Phase 1 completed in December 2024 Phase 2 will begin soon Develop agricultural worker housing policies Completed as part of Phase 1 H December 2024 Prepare flowcharts for LAFCO processes and update application packets and application fee schedules for current requirements and ease of public use Upon completion of policies update Staff L Internal application processing checklists updated ITEM # 6Attachment A STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 2 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS ISL A N D AN N E X A T I O N S Conduct outreach to cities with islands, follow up on responses including review/research of city limits/ USA boundaries, provide assistance with annexations or necessary USA amendments Prepare and distribute island maps to cities Staff L As needed Review and finalize city-conducted island annexations Ongoing, as needed Staff H As needed OU T R E A C H , G O V E R N M E N T / C O M M U N I T Y R E L A T I O N S & CU S T O M E R S E R V I C E CU S T O M E R S E R V I C E Conduct outreach to increase awareness of LAFCO’s role Presentations on LAFCO to cities, other agencies or organizations, focus on South County communities, as relevant Distribute LAFCO communications material to elected officials and staff of cities, special districts and the County Seek exhibit opportunities at public spaces / events Maintain website as the primary information resource on LAFCO Increase social media presence Staff L M L H L Presentations provided upon request: Leadership Sunnyvale (12/24), Leadership Morgan Hill (3/25) Ongoing Website updated Engage and establish relationships with local (cities, districts, county), regional (ABAG/MTC), state (SGC, OPR, DoC, SWRCB) agencies, organizations such as SDA, SCCAPO, CALAFCO, other stakeholder groups Attend regular meetings of SDA (quarterly), SCCAPO (monthly), County Planning Dept.(quarterly) Small water systems issues / legislation Collaborate with agencies and entities with goals common to LAFCO Staff M M M Ongoing Ongoing meetings Track LAFCO related legislation EO attend CALAFCO Legislative Committee Meetings Commission takes positions and submit letters on proposed legislation Staff L M AB 3277 SB1209 STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 3 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS Respond to public enquiries re. LAFCO policies, procedures and application filing requirements Timely response to public inquiries Update the PRA form for the website Document research on complex inquiries Report to Commission on complex inquiries Staff H L L H Ongoing SER V I C E R E V I E W S , S P E C I A L S T U D I E S & SP H E R E O F I N F L U E N C E U P D A T E S Countywide Fire Service Review Follow up with agencies on implementation of recommendations and report back to the commission Staff H First round completed, ongoing for Table B recommendations Countywide Water and Wastewater Service Review Develop water/wastewater service review workplan and identify method for consultant selection Staff M Upon completion of service review policies revision in Phase 2 Continue to monitor implementation of recommendations from previous service reviews and conduct special studies, as necessary RRRPD study – city took action to delay decision on consolidation Staff L Pending city action Map Mutual Water companies Initial maps complete, further work through service review Staff L As needed Engage in or support grant/partnership opportunities on issues related to enhancing viability of agriculture, and climate smart growth As needed, and as opportunities arise Staff L As needed Compile and post JPA filings on the LAFCO website Notice provided, gather JPA information through service review process Staff L JPA information obtained from Fire Service Review STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 4 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS CO M M I S S I O N S U P P O R T Provide ongoing support to the 12 commissioners for regularly scheduled Commission meetings, special meetings and Committee meetings (Finance Committee, Ad Hoc Committee on Policies and the Fire Service Review TAC) Prepare and distribute public hearing notices and agenda packets, provide staff support during the meetings, record minutes, broadcast meetings Hold pre-agenda review meeting with Chair Hold pre-meeting calls with individual commissioners to address agenda item questions Process commissioner per diems for attendance at LAFCO meetings Staff H Ongoing Began webcasting LAFCO meetings in June 2023 Keep the Commission informed EO report, off-agenda emails, as needed Provide ongoing educational opportunities / events including presentation from local agencies Staff H Ongoing Onboarding new Commissioners Facilitate filing / completion of Form 700, commissioner pledge, ethics training. Update LAFCO letterhead, directory, and website Set up vendor accounts, provide parking permits Conduct new Commissioner orientation Recognize outgoing commissioners for service on LAFCO Staff H Ongoing - as needed STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 5 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS Commissioners Selection Process Inform appointing bodies of any upcoming vacancies and provide information on appointment criteria Convene ISDSC committee meeting, as necessary Coordinate public member selection process, as necessary Staff H Cities Selection Committee appointments in January 2025 ISDSC to be convened in April – May 2025 Conduct a Strategic Planning Workshop 2018 Workshop re. LAFCO Communications and Outreach Plan Staff / Consultant L TBD Commissioner participation in CALAFCO Support commissioner participation in CALAFCO activities / or election to the CALAFCO Board Staff L Attended CALAFCO Annual Conference Commissioner participated as moderator for a general session AD M I N I ST R A T I V E PR O J E C T S Prepare LAFCO annual work plan March –June 2025 Staff H In progress Prepare LAFCO annual budget March –June 2025 Staff H In progress Prepare LAFCO Annual Report August 2024 Staff H Completed in October 2024 Prepare LAFCO Annual Financial Audit August 2024 Consultant / Staff H Completed in February 2025 Office / facility management Coordinate with Building Manager on facilities issues Coordinate with County re. computers/network, phone, printers, office security, procurement, installation & maintenance Order and manage office supplies Staff H Ongoing STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 6 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS Make travel arrangements and process expense reimbursements. Process mileage reimbursements Office space lease extended (lease extended through April 30, 2027) Records management Organize scan of LAFCO records to Electronic Document Management System (LaserFische) Maintain LAFCO’s hard copy records Maintain and enhance the LAFCO Website Maintain LAFCO database Staff/ Consultant Staff H H H H On hold Website content updates completed Service agreement with Assura to develop a database to track public inquiries, manage contacts directory, process applications Contracts and payments & receivables Track consultant contracts and approve invoices Approve vendor invoices / process annual payments for various services/ memberships Coordinate with County Controller’s Office and track annual collection of payments from member agencies Staff H Ongoing Review and update LAFCO bylaws / administrative policies and procedures Ongoing, as needed Staff H Ongoing, and part of Phase 2 policies revision AD M I N I S T R A T I V E PR O J E C T S STATUS OF CURRENT YEAR WORK PLAN (FISCAL YEAR 2025) PAGE 7 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* STATUS Staff training and development CALAFCO workshops, conferences, relevant courses Training of new LAFCO Clerk Implementation of the work plan for staff professional development Staff M H H Served on CALAFCO Conference Planning Committee (10/24), coordinated session on environmental justice Served on Workshop Planning Committee (4/25), coordinating session on island annexations Ongoing Ongoing Coordinate with County on administrative issues Attend monthly meetings with the Deputy County Executive Staff H Ongoing Staff performance evaluation April – December 2024 Staff/ Commission H Completed in February 2025 Other administrative functions mandated of a public agency (Form 700 annual filing & AB 1234 training compliance, Form 806, maintaining liability/workers comp insurance, etc.) Ongoing Staff H Ongoing FY 2008 - FY 2024 LAFCO FINANCIALS ITEM NO. TITLE ACTUALS FY 2008 ACTUALS FY 2009 ACTUALS FY 2010 ACTUALS FY 2011 ACTUALS FY 2012 ACTUALS FY 2013 ACTUALS FY 2014 ACTUALS FY 2015 ACTUALS FY 2016 ACTUALS FY 2017 ACTUALS FY 2018 ACTUALS FY 2019 ACTUALS FY 2020 ACTUALS FY 2021 ACTUALS FY 2022 ACTUALS FY 2023 ACTUALS FY 2024 EXPENDITURES Salary and Benefits $356,009 $400,259 $406,650 $413,966 $393,194 $411,929 $450,751 $466,755 $484,216 $514,381 $628,534 $713,900 $744,439 $730,716 $639,099 $697,700 $823,668 Object 2: Services and Supplies 5255100 Intra-County Professional $66,085 $57,347 $13,572 $4,532 $6,118 $5,260 $5,663 $4,379 $18,523 $1,292 $703 $3,593 $346 $201 $354 $3,785 $9,107 5255800 Legal Counsel $0 $9,158 $67,074 $52,440 $48,741 $56,791 $53,550 $52,854 $57,498 $71,131 $59,400 $72,276 $69,975 $65,791 $78,977 $78,326 $80,945 5255500 Consultant Services $19,372 $75,000 $76,101 $58,060 $102,349 $59,563 $35,602 $37,250 $39,625 $0 $45,000 $52,650 $106,709 $41,966 $25,389 $106,867 $55,742 5285700 Meal Claims $0 $368 $277 $288 $379 $91 $228 $209 $367 $50 $901 $257 $166 $0 $56 $1,473 $273 5220100 Insurance $491 $559 $550 $4,582 $4,384 $4,378 $4,231 $4,338 $4,135 $4,679 $4,893 $5,296 $5,893 $10,452 $8,591 $7,042 $14,982 1151 Office Expenses $1,056 $354 $716 $639 $1,212 $536 $850 $783 $6,266 $48,632 $15,412 $4,702 $2,544 $1,151 $1,462 $2,211 $3,878 5270100 Rent and Lease $41,120 $39,360 $44,478 $46,254 $47,903 $53,172 $54,766 5255650 Data Processing Services $8,361 $3,692 $3,505 $1,633 $3,384 $1,663 $3,311 $9,024 $1,519 $6,869 $877 $11,894 $15,500 $21,223 $18,125 $27,297 $24,183 5225500 Commissioners' Fee $5,700 $5,400 $3,500 $3,400 $4,000 $4,900 $5,800 $4,900 $6,700 $5,300 $5,400 $5,000 $4,600 $6,100 $4,200 $4,500 $6,300 5260100 Publications and Legal Notices $1,151 $563 $1,526 $363 $916 $222 $378 $2,484 $487 $191 $145 $192 $44 $90 $704 $470 $134 5245100 Membership Dues $5,500 $7,000 $7,000 $7,000 $7,000 $14,473 $0 $7,428 $7,577 $8,107 $8,674 $9,615 $11,822 $12,144 $12,316 $12,921 $13,936 5250750 Printing and Reproduction $5 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $9 $177 $703 $0 $0 $0 $799 $0 $0 $435 $202 5285800 Business Travel $7,238 $8,415 $4,133 $8,309 $3,095 $4,777 $5,800 $4,042 $5,811 $3,877 $13,091 $4,260 $6,908 $0 $0 $4,933 $12,612 5285300 Private Automobile Mileage $1,016 $704 $832 $1,185 $615 $424 $409 $396 $1,009 $1,264 $590 $689 $696 $61 $0 $42 $542 5285200 Transportation&Travel (County Car Usage)$894 $948 $629 $0 $384 $250 $371 $293 $559 $605 $0 $328 $256 $0 $0 $323 $0 5281600 Overhead $42,492 $62,391 $49,077 $46,626 $60,647 $43,133 $42,192 $34,756 $49,452 $0 $28,437 $69,944 $4,505 $30,917 $49,173 $30,041 $20,346 5275200 Computer Hardware $0 $451 $0 $83 $2,934 $1,791 $2,492 $0 $106 $0 $0 $773 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 5250800 Computer Software $0 $0 $626 $314 $579 $3,124 $933 $1,833 $2,079 $754 $4,505 $3,012 $1,200 $4,708 $1,753 $1,843 $1,203 5250250 Postage $1,160 $416 $219 $568 $309 $589 $246 $597 $411 $209 $183 $117 $73 $184 $159 $42 $30 5252100 Staff Training Programs $0 $665 $491 $250 $300 $0 $0 $1,431 $0 $0 $0 $350 $525 $70 $70 $35 $0 5701000 Reserves $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $516,530 $633,691 $636,478 $604,238 $640,540 $613,895 $612,816 $633,929 $687,043 $667,342 $857,865 $998,208 $1,021,478 $972,028 $888,331 $1,033,458 $1,122,849 REVENUES 4103400 Application Fees $46,559 $41,680 $35,576 $48,697 $37,426 $45,458 $63,561 $27,386 $146,168 $20,436 $29,864 $33,049 $7,587 $34,622 $41,847 $19,637 $27,615 4301100 Interest: Deposits and Investments $24,456 $16,230 $6,688 $4,721 $4,248 $3,416 $2,674 $2,844 $6,073 $10,830 $12,620 $12,141 $18,176 $10,488 $7,831 $25,401 $32,352 TOTAL REVENUES $71,015 $57,911 $42,264 $53,418 $41,674 $48,873 $66,235 $30,230 $152,241 $31,266 $42,484 $45,190 $25,763 $45,110 $49,678 $45,038 $59,967 3400150 AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR $271,033 $368,800 $334,567 $275,605 $209,987 $208,219 $160,052 $226,111 $187,310 $293,489 $331,177 $314,693 $352,123 $312,351 $410,027 $407,583 $237,891 3400800 RESERVES AVAILABLE $100,000 $100,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $250,000 $250,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 BUDGETED COSTS TO AGENCIES 5440200 County $271,641 $270,896 $267,657 $292,601 $298,597 $281,780 $156,002 $187,521 $220,668 $225,778 $266,298 $277,942 $381,904 $327,928 $295,443 $328,658 $297,729 4600100 Cities (San Jose 50% +other cities 50%)$271,641 $270,896 $267,657 $292,601 $298,597 $282,625 $156,002 $187,521 $220,668 $225,778 $266,298 $277,942 $381,904 $327,928 $295,443 $328,658 $297,729 4600100 Independent Special Distrcits $296,892 $187,521 $220,668 $225,778 $266,298 $277,942 $381,904 $327,928 $295,443 $328,658 $297,729 2/28/2025 ITEM # 6 Attachment B PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 1 OF 6 PRIORITY* H - High Priority (essential activities: state mandate, Commission directive, requirements) M - Medium Priority (important, provided resources allow or time permits) L - Low Priority (desirable provided resources allow or time permits, not urgent) PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* LA F C O A P P L I C A T I O N S Process applicant-initiated LAFCO proposals Encourage pre-application meetings prior to application submittal Conduct pre-agenda meetings with County Depts. to obtain Assessor & Surveyor reports, as needed Process applications per CKH Act requirements: issue Notice of Application, Certificate of Filing / Sufficiency, Public Hearing Notice, staff report, conduct protest proceedings, as needed Staff H Comment on potential LAFCO applications, relevant projects & development proposals, city General Plan updates and/ or related environmental documents Ongoing, as needed Staff H Comprehensive review and update of LAFCO policies for context, clarity and consistency with State law – Phase 2 Develop a Phase 2 workplan /timeline for commission consideration Staff H Prepare flowcharts for LAFCO processes and update application packets and application fee schedules for current requirements and ease of public use Upon completion of policies update Staff L ISL A N D AN N E X A T I O N S Conduct outreach to cities with islands, follow up on responses including review/research of city limits/ USA boundaries, and provide assistance with annexations or necessary USA amendments Prepare and distribute island maps to cities Staff L Review and finalize city-conducted island annexations Ongoing, as needed Staff H ITEM # 6Attachment C PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 2 OF 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* OU T R E A C H , GO V E R N M E N T / CO M M U N I T Y R E L A T I O N S & CU S T O M E R S E R V I C E Conduct outreach to increase awareness of LAFCO’s role Presentations on LAFCO to cities, other agencies or organizations, as relevant Distribute LAFCO communications material to elected officials and staff of cities, special districts and the County Seek exhibit opportunities at public spaces / events Maintain website as the primary information resource on LAFCO Staff M M L H Engage and establish relationships with local (cities, districts, county), regional (ABAG/MTC), state (SGC, OPR, DoC, SWRCB) agencies, organizations such as SDA, SCCAPO, CALAFCO, other stakeholder groups Attend regular meetings of SDA (quarterly), SCCAPO (monthly), and County Planning Dept. (quarterly) Small water systems issues / legislation Collaborate with agencies and entities with goals common to LAFCO Staff M M M Track LAFCO related legislation Commission takes positions and submits letters on proposed legislation Staff M Respond to public inquiries re. LAFCO policies, procedures and application filing requirements Timely response to public inquiries Update the PRA form for the website Document research on complex inquiries Report to Commission on complex inquiries Staff H L L H PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 3 OF 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* SE R V I C E R E V I E W S , S P E C I A L S T U D I E S & SP H E R E O F I N F L U E N C E UP D A T E S Countywide Fire Service Review Work with interested agencies on implementing recommendations requiring LAFCO action (Table B Recommendations) Staff H Countywide Water and Wastewater Service Review Develop water/wastewater service review workplan and identify method for consultant selection Staff M Continue to monitor implementation of recommendations from previous service reviews and conduct special studies, as necessary RRRPD study – city took action to delay decision on consolidation Staff L Map Mutual Water companies Initial maps complete, further through service review Staff L Engage in or support grant / partnership opportunities on issues related to enhancing viability of agriculture, and climate smart growth As needed, and as opportunities arise Staff L Compile and post JPA filings on the LAFCO website Notice provided, gather JPA information through service review process Staff L PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 4 OF 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* CO M M I S S I O N S U P P O R T Provide ongoing support to the 12 commissioners for regularly scheduled Commission meetings, special meetings and Committee meetings (Finance Committee, Technical Advisory Committees or Ad-Hoc Committees) Prepare and distribute public hearing notices and agenda packets, provide staff support during the meetings, record minutes, broadcast meetings Hold pre-agenda review meeting with Chair Hold pre-meeting calls with individual commissioners to address agenda item questions and prepare meeting script for Chair Process commissioner per diems for attendance at LAFCO meetings Staff H Keep the Commission informed EO report Off-agenda emails, as needed Provide ongoing educational opportunities/events, including presentations from local agencies Staff H Onboarding new Commissioners Facilitate filing / completion of Form 700, commissioner pledge, ethics training Update LAFCO letterhead, directory, and website Set up vendor accounts, provide parking permits Conduct new Commissioner orientation Recognize outgoing commissioners for LAFCO service Organize Commissioner / staff Luncheon Staff H Commissioners Selection Process Inform appointing bodies of any upcoming vacancies and provide information on appointment criteria Convene ISDSC committee meeting, as necessary Coordinate public member selection process, as necessary Staff H Commissioner participation in CALAFCO Support commissioner participation in CALAFCO activities / or election to the CALAFCO Board Staff L PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 5 OF 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* AD M I N I S T R A T I V E PR O J E C T S Prepare LAFCO annual work plan March – June 2025 Staff/Finance Committee H Prepare LAFCO annual budget March – June 2025 Staff/Finance Committee H Prepare LAFCO Annual Report August 2025 Staff H Conduct a Strategic Planning Workshop Most recent workshop in 2018 re. LAFCO Communications and Outreach Plan Staff / Consultant L Prepare LAFCO Annual Financial Audit October 2025 (Contract with Chavan Associates extended for FY 2024 thru FY 2027) Consultant / Staff H Office / facility management Coordinate with Building Manager on facilities issues Coordinate with County re. computers/network, phone, printers, office security, procurement, installation & maintenance Order and manage office supplies Make travel arrangements and process expense reimbursements. Process mileage reimbursements Office space lease through April 30, 2027 Staff H Records management Organize scan of LAFCO records to Electronic Document Management System (Laserfiche) Maintain LAFCO’s hard copy records Maintain and enhance the LAFCO Website Maintain LAFCO database Staff/ Consultant Staff H H H H Contracts and payments & receivables Track consultant contracts and approve invoices Approve vendor invoices / process annual payments for various services/ memberships Coordinate with County Controller’s Office and track annual collection of payments from member agencies Staff H PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAGE 6 OF 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES / TIMELINE RESOURCES PRIORITY* Review and update LAFCO bylaws / administrative policies and procedures Ongoing, as needed, and as part of Phase 2 Policies Revision Staff H Staff training and development CALAFCO workshops, conferences, relevant courses Implementation of the work plan for staff professional development Staff retreat for team bonding and staff development Staff H H M Coordinate with County on administrative issues Attend monthly meetings with the Deputy County Executive Staff H Staff and EO performance evaluation May – December 2025 Staff/Commission H Other administrative functions mandated of a public agency (Form 806, maintaining liability/workers comp insurance, etc.) Ongoing Staff H AD M I N I S T R A T I V E PR O J E C T S PROPOSED LAFCO BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2025- 2026 ITEM #TITLE APPROVED BUDGET FY 2025 ACTUALS Year to Date 2/25/2025 PROJECTIONS Year End FY 2025 PROPOSED BUDGET FY 2026 EXPENDITURES Object 1: Salary and Benefits $862,484 $580,917 $946,609 $994,427 Object 2: Services and Supplies 5255100 Intra-County Professional $10,000 $0 $10,000 $12,000 5255800 Legal Counsel $85,780 $48,125 $82,000 $88,766 5255500 Consultant Services $150,000 $18,525 $100,000 $175,000 5285700 Meal Claims $750 $139 $700 $1,000 5220100 Insurance $6,737 $0 $0 $8,000 5250100 Office Expenses $5,000 $1,887 $4,000 $5,000 5270100 Rent & Lease $56,416 $42,102 $56,416 $58,106 5255650 Data Processing Services $22,517 $16,832 $22,517 $24,443 5225500 Commissioners' Fee $10,000 $3,800 $8,000 $10,000 5260100 Publications and Legal Notices $1,000 $702 $1,000 $1,000 5245100 Membership Dues $14,509 $14,318 $14,318 $15,000 5250750 Printing and Reproduction $1,500 $416 $1,500 $1,500 5285800 Business Travel $21,000 $6,078 $16,000 $21,000 5285300 Private Automobile Mileage $1,000 $497 $800 $1,000 5285200 Transportation&Travel (County Car Usage)$600 $0 $300 $600 5281600 Overhead $21,119 $10,594 $21,119 $37,324 5275200 Computer Hardware $4,000 $0 $2,000 $4,000 5250800 Computer Software $4,000 $2,261 $4,000 $4,000 5250250 Postage $500 $24 $300 $500 5252100 Staff/Commissioner Training Programs $2,000 $0 $1,000 $2,000 5701000 Reserves $0 $0 $0 $0 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $1,280,912 $747,217 $1,292,579 $1,464,666 REVENUES 4103400 Application Fees $25,000 $21,074 $21,074 $25,000 4301100 Interest: Deposits and Investments $6,000 $19,711 $20,000 $10,000 TOTAL REVENUE $36,000 $40,785 $41,074 $35,000 3400150 FUND BALANCE FROM PREVIOUS FY $172,301 $237,891 $237,891 $63,997 NET LAFCO OPERATING EXPENSES $1,077,611 $468,541 $1,013,614 $1,365,669 3400800 RESERVES Available $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 COSTS TO AGENCIES 5440200 County $359,204 $359,204 $359,204 $455,223 4600100 Cities (San Jose 50% + Other Cities 50%)$359,204 $359,204 $359,204 $455,223 4600100 Special Districts $359,204 $359,204 $359,204 $455,223 3/26/2025 ITEM # 6Attachment D $1,365,669 JURISDICTION REVENUE PER 2022/2023 REPORT PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REVENUE ALLOCATION PERCENTAGES ALLOCATED COSTS County N/A N/A 33.3333333%$455,223.00 Cities Total Share 33.3333333%$455,223.00 San Jose N/A N/A 50.0000000%$227,611.50 Other cities share 50.0000000%$227,611.50 Campbell $81,150,037 1.8865076%$4,293.91 Cupertino $131,485,364 3.0566608%$6,957.31 Gilroy $127,015,477 2.9527487%$6,720.80 Los Altos $72,145,869 1.6771863%$3,817.47 Los Altos Hills $21,047,529 0.4892952%$1,113.69 Los Gatos $66,269,927 1.5405874%$3,506.55 Milpitas $214,374,038 4.9835868%$11,343.22 Monte Sereno $5,142,039 0.1195378%$272.08 Morgan Hill $130,786,193 3.0404071%$6,920.32 Mountain View $449,519,762 10.4500562%$23,785.53 Palo Alto $834,039,393 19.3890442%$44,131.69 Santa Clara $1,431,529,099 33.2789808%$75,746.78 Saratoga $37,994,793 0.8832709%$2,010.43 Sunnyvale $699,101,862 16.2521303%$36,991.72 Total Cities (excluding San Jose)$4,301,601,382 100.0000000%$227,611.50 Total Cities (including San Jose)$455,223.00 Special Districts Total Share (Fixed %)33.3333333%$455,223.00 Aldercroft Heights County Water District 0.06233%$283.74 Burbank Sanitary District 0.15593%$709.83 Cupertino Sanitary District 2.64110%$12,022.89 El Camino Healthcare District 4.90738%$22,339.52 North Santa Clara Resource Conservation District 0.04860%$221.24 Lake Canyon Community Services District 0.02206%$100.42 Lion's Gate Community Services District 0.22053%$1,003.90 Loma Prieta Resource Conservation District 0.02020%$91.96 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District 5.76378%$26,238.05 Purissima Hills Water District 1.35427%$6,164.95 Rancho Rinconada Recreation and Park District 0.15988%$727.81 San Martin County Water District 0.04431%$201.71 Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority 1.27051%$5,783.65 Santa Clara Valley Water District 81.44126%$370,739.36 Saratoga Cemetery District 0.32078%$1,460.26 Saratoga Fire Protection District 1.52956%$6,962.91 South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District 0.03752%$170.80 Total Special Districts 100.00000%$455,223.00 Total Allocated Costs $1,365,669.00 LAFCO COST APPORTIONMENT: COUNTY, CITIES, SPECIAL DISTRICTS Estimated Costs to Agencies Based on the Preliminary FY 2026 LAFCO Budget March 13, 2025 Preliminary Net Operating Expenses for FY 2026 ITEM # 6Attachment E From:Andrea Eckstein Gara To:Council, City Subject:Item 18 Monday April 7 Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 3:45:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members,I am writing to urge the Council to substantially beef up the new light requirements. In recent years, there has been a huge increase in landscape lighting in our neighborhood--paths with lights every 2 feet, tons of uplighting obscuring the sky, or overkill motion sensor lights that startle and blind one as they pass by.As a bird watcher and also a night sky enthusiast, it has been distressing to see how we are able to see less and less of the night sky, losing a wonderful human birthright. It is even moredistressing to animals, birds and insects that need the dark night sky for navigation, hunting and safe nesting.I urge the Council to consider, at minimum, that the 10 PM curfew be applied to existing homes, unless the area is being actively used. turning off these lights is not that hard, as nearlyall landscape lights are now programmable. I understand that enforcement will be impossible, but that is also the case for a lot of other city ordinances. Many law-abiding communitymembers will still try their best. Without this community ask, the new ordinance will be pretty meaningless.I would also urge the Council to reconsider having a few special areas designated (for example the Baylands) with more stringent lighti regulations.This would be a wonderful communitytreasure, allowing people a place to view the stars as interested individuals or as a family or friend activity. Please give us our night sky back. It's so beautiful.Sincerely, Andrea Eckstein Gara From:Jo Ann Mandinach To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE SUPPORT BECKER"S BILL SB 457 Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 2:12:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Hello, Please support Sen Becker's Bill SB 457 to ban out-of-scale Builders Remedy projects like Sunset. Here's today's editorial from Dave Price at PA Daily Post explaining why it's needed. https://padailypost.com/2025/04/07/opinion-palo-alto-should-sponsor-bill-to-combat-huge-builders-remedy-developments/ Opinion: Palo Alto should sponsor bill to combat huge Builder’s Remedy developments April 7, 2025 1:20 pm The Builder's Remedy development proposed to replace the Sunset campus on Willow Road in Menlo Park. BY DAVE PRICE Daily Post Editor Palo Alto and other cities should get behind state Sen. Josh Becker’s bill to rein in the Builder’s Remedy, a state law that has led to proposals for buildings much tallerthan city zoning codes would normally allow. This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast The most outrageous Builder’s Remedy project is a group of towers proposed forthe former Sunset magazine site at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park by Russianbusinessman Vitaly Yusufov. The tallest of the three buildings would be 461 feet or 38 stories — the tallest building between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Yusufov is able to propose such a Falstaffian monstrosity because the city of Menlo Park didn’t get its housing plan approved by the state on time. When that happens, developers can submit Builder’s Remedy projects that exceed local zoning limitswhen it comes to height and mass. Palo Alto’s largest Builder’s Remedy project is a17-story building that would replace Mollie Stone’s grocery at 156 California Ave. Developers also turned in proposals for apartment complexes on El Camino Real,San Antonio Road, the corner of University Avenue and Middlefield Road, and Palo Alto’s first housing east of Highway 101. Done means done Sen. Becker’s bill, SB457, would ensure that a city’s housing plan is consideredcompliant with state law the day it is approved by a city council, rather than when the state Housing and Community Development (HCD) gets around to approving it. Palo Alto found that once it sent its finished plan to the state, HCD sent it back for revisions, which kept the door open for Builder’s Remedy projects to roll in. His bill would require developers to submit a complete plan that they seriously want to build. Right now, developers have been submitting speculative applications asplaceholders. The intention of the Builder’s Remedy law is to ensure that cities zone for anincrease in housing, and Becker’s bill doesn’t change that. But it allows cities to stop rushed, haphazard development. Becker’s office says it believes the bill will be retroactive, meaning it would apply to Builder’s Remedy projects already proposed. I’m not sure the Legislature has the authority to do that, and the question ofretroactivity might end up in court. But retroactivity is a goal worth pursuing given the potentially damaging effects of these projects on the surrounding area. Consider the traffic, water and sewer demand, air quality and shadows from a skyscraper. A team effort Palo Alto, Menlo Park and other city councils should jointly sponsor this bill to show the Legislature that this is a serious piece of legislation. Palo Alto City Council was asked to sponsor Becker’s bill at a meeting on March 24, but council members said they wanted more time to study the legislation. It’s back on council’s agenda for tonight, and council should vote to sponsor this bill. Becker also should be praised for standing up to the big-money, pro-developmentinterests that seem to have a hold on the Legislature. • • • Tariff dropped A follow up to last week’s column about a proposed 25% tariff on Canada that would have raised the cost of the paper used to print the Post. On Monday, I wrote that we’re perfectly willing to buy American paper, but there aren’t many mills producing paper used for printing newspapers. The increase would cause many community papers to either eliminate days of publication orlayoff employees. In our case, the increase would equal the pay of one reporter. On Tuesday, we learned from the White House that we were off the hook. Theadministration had decided it wouldn’t apply tariffs to products Canada exportedthat were in compliance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), such as the paper used to print newspapers. I was relieved we dodged this bullet. And I was heartened by the emails I got from worried readers. It’s great to know so many of you care about this newspaper. Thank you for your concern. Thank you. Jo Ann Mandinach Palo Alto, 94301 From:Marguerite Poyatos To:Becchetti, Benjamin; Dave Stellman; news@padailypost.com; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; Maor Greenberg; Patrick Kelly; Gaines, Chantal;Osbaldo R; Manu Kumar; Dave Stellman; City Mgr; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob@onemovemovers.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; Drew Maran; Dan McKinley; McDonough, Melissa; Reifschneider, James; Transportation; John Lerch;Binder, Andrew; Jade Jin; Xenia Czisch; City Attorney; Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims,Julie Subject:Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 1:51:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Thanks, Ben. I am circling everyone back in for transparency as this is a critical issue for the businesses located inthis area. What is the acceptable amount of time for a vehicle to be parked on a street in Palo Alto without moving? On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 1:29 PM Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hi Marguerite, We are having our CSO’s visit your area on a weekly basis. They will mark them again this week. We havealso asked our regular patrol officers spend more time in the area when they are available. Unfortunatelythough, if those vehicles are being moved as you mentioned, they could be properly in compliance with theparking regulations. Thank you, Ben From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 12:51 PMTo: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>Cc: Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; news@padailypost.com; Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction>; Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; Gaines, Chantal<Chantal.Gaines@CityofPaloAlto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>;Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>;City Mgr <City.Manager@paloalto.gov>; Moffatt, Pete <pete@petemoffat.com>;Jacob@onemovemovers.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; nancy@drewmaran.com; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; McDonough, Melissa <Melissa.McDonough@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Reifschneider, James<James.Reifschneider@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Transportation <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>; JohnLerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Binder, Andrew <Andrew.Binder@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Veenker, Vicki<Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Burt, Patrick<Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Stone, Greer <Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lythcott-Haims, Julie<Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Please send officers by to put notices on the attached vehicles. These vehicles were moved 3/28, after notices were last put on them and have not moved for 10 days. Thisgentleman is playing music chairs with vehicles but none of them have left this street. Parking is still notavailable for the people who work on this street. On Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 8:44 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Attached are new pictures of the vehicles that I failed to attach in my previous email. Please have vehiclesnumbered 1-5 towed as soon as possible. On Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 8:41 AM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote: You’re right Marguerite, there has never been anyone living in these vehicles. This person is using ourstreet as his private storage for his collection of junk cars and the infamous “Raider” motor home. Thisparking is desperately needed by local businesses for our customers and employees. These and the othervehicles that are being tagged and ignoring it need to be towed NOW. On Mar 27, 2025, at 8:26 AM, Marguerite Poyatos <MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com>wrote: Thank you for sending by officers to put notices on the numerous vehicles that have not movedin a month. Please note, the gentleman I initially emailed about ripped the notices off of his 6vehicles (including his RV) and has not moved them. At this point, can you tow them?Officers have explained to us in the past that the RV's cannot be towed since they aresomeone's dwelling. However, this gentleman's 5 additional vehicles he has parked on thisstreet are not lived in. Rather, they are filled with trash. Attached is a picture numbering all ofhis vehicles in addition to his RV. None of these vehicles move and they really have nobusiness on this street. Please also note, it may look as if I used the exact same pictures thatwere sent yesterday, but in fact I took new pictures this morning which show that he has seenthe notices (as hes removed them from his windshield) and has made no attempt to move asingle car. Also attached are pictures of the RV belonging to the same gentleman which is leakingsewage. Again, parking is exasperated here. Employees of businesses have to park in other businesses'parking lots because there is no room on the street. This is creating tensions betweenbusinesses who want their parking open for their own employees and customers. Why is thisok for a random person to decide that they are going to monopolize public parking and defyany sort of rules that are in place?? On Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 11:06 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>wrote: Can you please send community officers to put notices on vehicles that have not moved? Please see the attached images. All vehicles with a red X are associated with the RV withthe damaged Raiders wrapping. These vehicles have all been parked in the same spots for atleast a month. Thank you. On Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com> wrote: I wanted to let you know that the new resident has been seen wandering aroundthe neighborhood. I initially encountered her on Saturday at 998 San Antonio,where she was asking for money. Then, on Tuesday, she was going through ourdumpster at 923 Industrial. She just walked by our front, ranting. Cathi On Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 12:44 PM Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Is the plan for Palo Alto to follow in San Francisco's footsteps? What's next, open-air drug markets for Palo Alto. This person moved to our street just a few days ago, and we have had to call the police every day due to her behavior and out of concern for her well-being. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 12:43 PM Lester Wong <LWong@wongelectric.com> wrote: Commercial St. was cleared last night. Thank you for your efforts! Lester Wong | Vice PresidentO: 650.813.9999 ext. 22 | C: 650.720.84554067 Transport Street | Palo Alto | CA 94303Celebrating Our 46th Anniversary 1978 – 2024 A Proud Member of the U.S. Green Building Council <Image.jpeg> From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2025 12:37:47 PMTo: Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction>Cc: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; Patrick Kelly<Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>;chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>;osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar<manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti<Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong<LWong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; DaveStellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; PeteMoffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com<Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com<david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong <SWong@wongelectric.com>;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>;nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Dan McKinley<danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough<Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider<james.reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation<transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>;Andrew Binder <Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney<city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>;Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker<vicki.veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>;Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims<Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety The wooden RV seems to be a severe safety issue. A former coworker spoke to theman living in it a couple years ago and was told there is a wood burning oven/stoveinside the RV, which he uses. Seems like that could be a severe safety hazard notonly for the man residing in it, as well as for the surrounding RV's/vehicles &businesses if it were ever to catch fire. We have had to face a number of safety hazards on this street. It is unsafe forpedestrians. We have had attempted break ins at night. We have been harassed bypeople associated with these RV's, as well as loose dogs, just to name a couple issues.Luckily, police officers do respond and try to help but there will be a time when theywill be too late to prevent injury. The community officers coming through and putting notices on vehicles is nowherenear the solution needed for this area. The notices are thrown away and the vehicles rarely move. I believe this email string started in 2023 and we have had minimalprogress with the actual issues at hand. On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 12:19 PM Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction> wrote: City of palo alto!! please let me know how this is Legal for driving also come andclean the street as it’s not safe see attached <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> Maor Greenberg CEO maor@greenberg.construction | 650-610- 7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650-600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269-2325 908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <F_1bc77f31-68bf-4143-80ea-3f34f539ea07.png> <insta_26696304-1b39-4259-9776-9f137454bed9.png> <yelp_e821c57e-caea-4e87-a5dd-5905e7ca4fb1.png> <Houzz_7abe75ad-d6ee-48ac-943b-592713e31957.png> <P_aece63f3-754b-4dca-a0a9-e93b94de4930.png> <google_04352117-2fb4-4963-bb3e-cc5317269360.png> From: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 10:56:09 AMTo: Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>; Marguerite Poyatos<MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com>; chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti<Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong<lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; DaveStellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>;Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com<Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com<david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>;nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Dan McKinley<danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough<Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider<james.reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation<transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>;Andrew Binder <Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; CityAttorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>;Vicki Veenker <vicki.veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>;Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims<Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction>Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety What is it going to take for the city of Palo Alto to catch up to the rest of thecountry? A lawsuit when someone in our neighborhood is injured because of theunsafe conditions that exist here? This email chain alone would be enoughevidence to show the city’s knowledge of the problem and inaction. With newly enacted laws giving cities the legal right to clean up our public spaces,local cities like Mountain View, Santa Clara and San Jose have already begun theprocess of relocating and housing these people that need it. Why not Palo Alto? Itsnot a money issue here, and even if it was, wouldn’t it be less costly to tow somevehicles and help relocate them to a safer area than to pay the cost of litigation? We are asking the city to stop ignoring this issue before it becomes an even biggerproblem. On Mar 12, 2025, at 9:17 AM, Patrick Kelly<Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com> wrote: Hi Ben, Please take action. The safety of our employees and locals is critical. Anyone walking or driving on Industrial/Transport/Commercial is constantly at risk. Every crosswalk and entry is a major risk for anyone walking the sidewalks or pulling into any of these facilities where illegally parked abandoned vehicles are encamped. The visibility is very poor and the reason there are height and length restrictions for these types of streets; There are There are illegally running generators with unsafe live electrical lines oftentimes in the sidewalk or even running across entryways There are collections of volatile liquids like gasoline and oil (environmental issues aside) that pose additional hazards to anyone in the vicinity Please let us know what you need from us to support your team in enforcing our city regulations in order to make our workplaces safer for our employees. Respectfully, Patrick Kelly | CIODMD Systems Recovery, LLC. C: 650.492.9003 patrick.kelly@dmdsystems.com | www.dmdsystems.com <Outlook-DMD Logo.png> <Outlook-larpkod1.png> Book time to meet with me From: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 12:39 PMTo: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>Cc: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>;chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org<chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com<osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar<manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti<Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong<lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch<cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr<CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Pete Moffatt<pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com<Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com<david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong<swong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com<RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>; nancy@drewmaran.com<nancy@drewmaran.com>; Patrick Kelly<Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; Dan McKinley<danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough<Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider<James.Reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation<Transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Kelly<Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; John Lerch<john@lerchconstruction.com>; Andrew Binder<Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>;City Attorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou<Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker<Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt<Pat.Burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone<Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims<Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Maor<maor@greenberg.construction>Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns A citation for double parking and expired tags is what is needed here. I’m positive that’s what the police would do to me if I did the same. That is unless there are two separate sets of laws that gov sophospsmartbannerend A citation for double parking and expired tags is what is needed here.I’m positive that’s what the police would do to me if I did the same.That is unless there are two separate sets of laws that govern the cityof Palo Alto and the state of California. Bill McLane --------------------------------- Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Wed, Feb 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM Marguerite Poyatos<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Please see the attached image. The pictured RV & associated white truck pulled up over night. Aspictured, they disregarded marked parking spots, which is one of the things that exacerbates our parking issue. A small car or motorcycle may fit there but in a commercial areawhere most vehicles are trucks, this does not help. Can you please send a community officer to leave notices on theRVs? I hope this doesn't come across as petty, but every spot reallydoes matter on this block. Employees of some businesses have topark in lots that belong to other businesses, which can create tensionamongst neighbors. Thank you. On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 9:19 PM Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com> wrote: The police also responded and were very helpful. Initially thepeople involved denied everything, but when I sent the videos tothe officer and he showed it to them they admitted to dumpingtheir RV waste. They were cited for misdemeanor illegal wastedumping and will be going to court. They were then told to leavethe area - and freed up two parking spaces. Thank you Palo AltoPolice and Fire. Apparently reporting violations of every kind iswhat is going to have to be done on a regular basis if we want ourstreets cleaned up. On Dec 21, 2024, at 3:39 PM, Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Thank you, Dave! Bill McLane --------------------------------- Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 8:22 AM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote: I just called the hotline for Palo Alto for hazardouswaste dumping and gave them all of thisinformation including license numbers. Thesevehicles are still parked there.They are sending thefire department out to flush the street and thesepeople better be held accountable. On Dec 21, 2024, at 7:56 AM, BillMcLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>wrote: License plate of the accomplice <IMG_0142.jpeg> Bill McLane --------------------------------- Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 5:13 AM BillMcLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>wrote: Still parked right across from my building. Note, NO rear license plate. I do think that is against the law. I do also have video of them driving up, proof of the vehicle operating on city streets. Do you think they have insurance? <image.png> Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 4:54 AMBill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Here, they are emptying their waste in front of my building. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Fri, Dec 20, 2024 at 9:18 PMDave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com>wrote: Chantal, It looks like somehow most ofthe city council members, ViceMayor and Mayor must haveinadvertently been deleted fromyour last email response. I have added them back in tomake sure they stay apprised ofthe situation. I hope it doesn'ttake the legal channelsmentioned to start cleaning upour neighborhood immediately;this has gotten out of controland kicking the problem backand forth to different membersof your city staff is not going to make it go away. Dave Stellman Transport St. On Fri, Dec 20, 2024 at8:16 AM Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction> wrote: Dear Chantal, Your response, while detailed, fails to address the critical andongoing violations of law, public safety, and business rights in the area. The City of Palo Alto hasboth the authority and obligation to take immediate and decisiveaction to protect its residents, businesses, and public spaces. Allowing illegally parked,unsafe, and hazardous RVs to persist is unacceptable anddirectly violates state and localregulations. Below are specific legal and factual challenges tothe City’s approach, along with demands for corrective action: 1. Illegally Parked andUnsafe RVs California Vehicle Code §4000(a)(1) and Palo AltoMunicipal Code § 10.48.010 clearly require all vehicles parked on public streetsto display valid registration. Many of the RVs in question lackvalid registration, making theirpresence illegal. Further, under California Vehicle Code §22651(o) and PAMC § 10.48.120, any vehicle unregistered for six months ormore may be towed immediately. Additionally, vehicles with exposed sewage tanks, missingwheels, or other structural hazards are in direct violation of California Vehicle Code §24002, which prohibits parking or operating vehicles in unsafeconditions. These RVs also create a public health hazard under California Health andSafety Code § 117490, which prohibits improper disposal of waste and sewage. **2. Clarification RequestedRegarding UnregisteredVehicles In light of your response, pleaseconfirm whether the City ofPalo Alto allows unregisteredvehicles to be driven on itsstreets. - I have some funvehicles I would love to orderfrom Alibaba and drive themaround Palo Alto... • California Vehicle Code §4000(a)(1) expressly prohibits the operation of unregisteredvehicles. If these RVs arebeing moved every 72 hours as claimed, and they lack properregistration, their operation is illegal under state law. • Allowing unregisteredvehicles to remain or operate within city limits underminestraffic safety and compliance standards. This point must be clarifiedexplicitly: Does the City of PaloAlto condone the operation ofunregistered vehicles? 3. Abuse of the 72-Hour Rule The City’s reliance on PAMC §10.36.060 to justify the continuedpresence of these RVs is flawed. Surveillance footage andeyewitness accounts confirm thatmany RVs are circumventing the 72-hour rule by wiping off chalkmarkings rather than physically moving. This is blatant non- compliance and undermines theintent of the ordinance. Furthermore, California Vehicle Code § 22669 explicitly allowsfor the removal of vehicles that are “wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative,” even if they aremoved every 72 hours. The City has the authority to act, andfailing to do so jeopardizespublic safety and traffic flow. 4. Public Safety andSanitation Violations The exposed sewage tanks, illegal dumping, and general neglect by these RV occupantspose significant health and environmental risks. The City’sfailure to enforce sanitation laws,such as California Health andSafety Code § 117490 and PAMC § 16.09.100,endangers residents, workers, and the environment. Additionally, blocking roadways anddriveways is a clear violation of California Vehicle Code §22500, which prohibits parking that obstructs traffic flow or access. 5. Impact on Businesses andTraffic Flow Businesses in the area are suffering due to blockedroadways, limited parking for customers, and safety concerns. Under California Vehicle Code§ 21101(c) and PAMC § 10.48.120, the City has theauthority to regulate parking to ensure the safety of businesses and residents. The City’s failure to allocateparking for business deliveries, customers, or even emergencyservices is a gross dereliction of duty. Blocking roadways for long periods creates safety hazards,violates municipal code, and disrupts commerce. Conclusion and FinalDemands The City of Palo Alto has the legal authority and responsibilityto act under the followingregulations: • PAMC § 10.48.120:Authorizes the removal of unregistered vehicles. • California Vehicle Code §22651(o): Allows towing of unregistered vehicles. • California Vehicle Code §22669: Mandates removal of inoperative vehicles. • California Health and Safety Code § 117490: Prohibits illegal wastedisposal. • California Vehicle Code § 21101(c): Permits parkingrestrictions to ensure safety. We demand the immediate implementation of the following measures: 1. Impound all unregistered, unsafe, or inoperative RVswithin two weeks. 2. Establish designated loading zones and 2-hourparking areas near businesses. 3. Conduct regular sanitation inspections and imposepenalties for violations. 4. Provide a clear timeline forresolution and enforcement updates. The continued failure to act exposes the City to liability forneglecting public health and safety under CaliforniaGovernment Code § 815.6, which requires municipalities to perform mandatory duties. Weexpect a formal response with a clear action plan within 14 days.If no satisfactory action is taken,we reserve the right to escalate this matter through legal channelsto protect our businesses, employees, and the community. Maor Greenberg CEO maor@greenberg.construction | 650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650- 600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269- 2325 908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <F_1bc77f31-68bf-4143-80ea-3f34f539ea07.png> <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> <insta_26696304-1b39-4259-9776-9f137454bed9.png> <yelp_e821c57e-caea-4e87-a5dd-5905e7ca4fb1.png> <Houzz_7abe75ad-d6ee-48ac-943b-592713e31957.png> <P_aece63f3-754b-4dca-a0a9-e93b94de4930.png> <google_04352117-2fb4-4963-bb3e-cc5317269360.png> From: Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@CityofPa loAlto.org> Date: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 7:12 AM To: Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.constru ction>, Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglas s.com>, osbaldo@or- builders.com <osbaldo@or- builders.com> Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>, Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com >, Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>, Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@City ofPaloAlto.org>, Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com >, Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction. com>, Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com >, City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.o rg>, Moffatt, Pete <pete@petemoffat.com>, Jacob@onemovemovers.c om <Jacob@onemovemovers. com>, david@paloaltoconcrete.c om <david@paloaltoconcrete. com>, Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.co m>, RamonMorenoSchool@gm ail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@g mail.com>, nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com> , Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmate rials.com>, Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific- equipment.com>, McDonough, Melissa <Melissa.McDonough@Cit yofPaloAlto.org>, Reifschneider, James <James.Reifschneider@Cit yofPaloAlto.org>, Transportation <Transportation@CityofPal oAlto.org>, Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.co m>, John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.c om>, Binder, Andrew <Andrew.Binder@CityofPal oAlto.org>, Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>, Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>, City Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPalo Alto.org> Subject: RE: Industrial/Transport/Com mercial concerns You don't often get email fromchantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org.Learn why this is important Hello everyone, Thank you for the emails and the time you all have spent to relay your concerns about the area surrounding your businesses. My name is Chantal and I’m the Deputy City Manager responding on behalf of the City Manager. I understand that you feel a lack of progress on the concerns you’ve identified. Through multiple City departments we are continuing to explore avenues to help mitigate those concerns being mindful of compliance with the federal Constitution and state laws, City resources, as well as providing respect to the humanity of the individuals experiencing homelessness. As our Police Lieutenant mentioned, our enforcement largely consists of the efforts described below involving multiple City departments, including: Weekly markings for72-hour violationsfrom our CommunityService Officers.These are required bylaw prior to issuingcitations for the 72-hour violations. Weekly re-checks ofthose markings,followed by citations ifvehicles are notmoved. Checks of the area bytraffic officers as wellas patrol officers on aroutine basis,consistently severaltimes per week. Officers make personalcontact with RVoccupants to speakwith them regardingcomplaints andconcerns, offerservices or seekalternative solutions(i.e., a small repair tofix a vehicle). Through ourCommunity ServicesDepartment, had ourHomeless OutreachTeam attempt to speakwith RV occupants toconnect them toavailable resources. Ofnote, there are limitedsafe parking resourcesavailable countywide. Consulted with ourCode Enforcementteam to address anyactivity that falls undermunicipal codeviolations. We hear you that there are perhaps more RVs in the neighborhood than have been in the past. Some previous concerns, relayed through the Police Department, have been for dumping, visibility/safety issues, or other nuisance-type complaints. Officers have responded to investigate and determine if a violation has in fact occurred in response to those complaints. As the officer who issues the citation must attest to its legality, we trust their judgement to use their discretion when deciding to cite or not. It should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the RV’s are compliant with the 72-hour rule on a weekly basis according to our Police Department and their regular checks. RVs (and any other vehicle) are allowed to move and return to the exact same location under PAMC section 10.36.060. I asked the Police Department to examine the calls for service in your area since November 1st to look for additional complaints the Police Department might be able to address and to get an understanding of what they have responded to in your area. Officers responded to 29 calls for service between the 900 block of San Antonio, Commercial, Transport and Industrial Ave. Only 2 were reported complaints from a business about the RV’s. None of those 29 calls for service reported potential illegal behavior, such as illegal dumping, threatening or harassing behavior, or other criminal actions, on behalf of those working in the area. Most of those calls were self-initiated by the officers or calls from the RV occupants themselves. One of the calls, initiated by an RV occupant, reported suspicious persons that helped prevent a burglary to one of the businesses. Since early November, there have been several citations issued and one vehicle tow. I would encourage your employees to report, either online, through our non-emergency line (650-329-2413) or via 911, any behavior they feel is harassment, or potentially illegal or unsafe. The Police Department will continue to explore ideas such as additional collaboration with City departments, outside organizations and service providers, as well as nearby police departments whose actions can influence the issues felt in Palo Alto. We will also investigate the ability to perform street sweeping efforts and consult with our wastewater officials to address any cleanliness, illegal dumping and sanitation issues. The Police Department will be further assessing the vehicle code violations in the coming weeks to determine the necessity of removing some offending vehicles. Best,Chantal <image001.png>Chantal Cotton GainesDeputy City Manager(650) 329-2572 |chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction> Sent: Tuesday, December17, 2024 11:35 PMTo: Marguerite Poyatos<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>; osbaldo@or-builders.comCc: Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com>;Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com>;Manu Kumar<manu@k9ventures.com>;Becchetti, Benjamin<Benjamin.Becchetti@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lester Wong<lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch<cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman<dave@paloaltoglass.com>;City Mgr<CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Moffatt, Pete<pete@petemoffat.com>;Jacob@onemovemovers.com;david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong<swong@wongelectric.com> ;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com;nancy@drewmaran.com;Patrick Kelly<patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>; Dan McKinley<danmck@scientific-equipment.com>;McDonough, Melissa<Melissa.McDonough@CityofPaloAlto.org>;Reifschneider, James<James.Reifschneider@CityofPaloAlto.org>;Transportation<Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Patrick Kelly<info@basketmaterials.com>; John Lerch<john@lerchconstruction.com>; Tanaka, Greg<Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lauing, Ed<Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Kou, Lydia<Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Veenker, Vicki<Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Binder, Andrew<Andrew.Binder@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Burt, Patrick<Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Stone, Greer<Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lythcott-Haims,Julie<Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>;Xenia Czisch<Xenia@qmsshields.com>;City Attorney<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Re:Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns CAUTION: This emailoriginated from outsideof the organization. Becautious of openingattachments and clickingon links. Dear Molly (City Attorney)and All Copied CityOfficials, On behalf of the manybusinesses in theCommercial-Industrial-Transport Street area who aredeeply frustrated with thepersistent and escalatingissues caused by illegallyparked RVs, unregisteredvehicles, and boats. Thissituation has reached acritical point, impacting notonly our daily operations butalso the safety, reputation,and economic health of ourbusinesses. Impact on Businesses andCommunity 1. Safety and SanitationHazards: • Dumpedbodily waste, debris, andhazardous conditions arebecoming commonplace,creating significant healthrisks. • Aggressivebehavior and intimidationfrom some vehicle occupantshave been reported, makingthe area unsafe foremployees and customers.2. OperationalChallenges: • Parking foremployees, customers, andservice vehicles is nearlynonexistent due to theoccupation of public spacesby illegally parked vehicles. • Businesses aresuffering tangible financiallosses as customers avoid thearea due to these conditions.3. Lack of Enforcement: • Despiterepeated citations and noticesissued by CommunityService and SpecialProblems Officers, there hasbeen no meaningfulresolution. • Violations ofCalifornia Vehicle Code4000(a)(1) VC (unregisteredvehicles) and Vehicle Code 22651(o)(1) VC (impoundauthority for registrationviolations) are being ignored. Call for Immediate Action This is a collective appeal tothe city and itsrepresentatives to actdecisively to restore order inour community. We urge thecity to prioritize:1. Enforcement:Immediate towing andpenalties forunregistered andillegally parkedvehicles in alignmentwith state and locallaws.2. ComprehensiveSolutions: Atransparent andactionable plan toaddress these issues,including increasedpatrols, collaborationwith businesses, andenforcement timelines.3. Engagement: Acommitment toworking with affectedbusinesses to ensureour concerns are heardand addressedeffectively. Potential Legal Action The city’s ongoing inactionnot only jeopardizes publicsafety and operationalviability but also exposes itto potential legalconsequences. Manybusinesses on this emailchain are experiencing severefinancial and reputationaldamages due to theseunresolved issues. We cannot afford furtherdelays. Thank you for yourattention. Maor Greenberg CEO maor@greenberg.construction | <image003.png> 650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650- 600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269- 2325 908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <image004.png> <image005.png> <image006.png> <image007.png> <image008.png> <image009.png> From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglas s.com> Date: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 10:29 AM To: osbaldo@or- builders.com <osbaldo@or- builders.com> Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>, Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com >, Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>, Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@city ofpaloalto.org>, Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com >, Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction. com>, Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.constru ction>, Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com >, City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.o rg>, Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>, Jacob@onemovemovers.c om <Jacob@onemovemovers. com>, david@paloaltoconcrete.c om <david@paloaltoconcrete. com>, Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.co m>, RamonMorenoSchool@gm ail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@g mail.com>, nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com> , Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmate rials.com>, Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific- equipment.com>, Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@city ofpaloalto.org>, James Reifschneider <James.Reifschneider@cit yofpaloalto.org>, Transportation <transportation@cityofpal oalto.org>, Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.co m>, John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.c om>, Greg Tanaka <Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloa lto.org>, Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto .org>, Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto .org>, Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpalo alto.org>, Andrew Binder <andrew.binder@cityofpal oalto.org>, City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalt o.org>, Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.o rg>, Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloal to.org>, Julie Lythcott- Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@city ofpaloalto.org>, Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>, Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Com mercial concerns You don't often get email frommarguerite@paloaltoglass.com.Learn why this is important A community officer cameby today. Not sure what wasdone other than inspectingthe volume of vehicles on thestreet. It is prettydisheartening that there are14 city employees/emailaddresses included in thisemail and we are getting noresponses oracknowledgements from anyof them. This seems to bejust a community forum forus to air our grievancesregarding the area we allwork in rather than gettingany sort of resolutions. For years now, thebusinesses in this area havedealt with a number of issuesthat are a direct result of theRVs residing on this street -dumped bodily waste,aggressive dogs,aggression/intimidation,amongst many others. We tryto vigilant and call the non-emergency police line toconfront situations. Officerswill come out and at the verymost, they will go and have a conversation with whoever itis that's causing issues. Then,nothing happens. We havehad customers complain thatthey do not feel safe cominginto this corner of Palo Alto.This is directly affecting PaloAlto businesses - many ofwhich on this street provideimportant/critical types ofservice to residents,businesses, local governmentand schools in Palo Alto. Can we please get some helpother than weekly noticesstuck on windshields? On Tue, Dec 17, 2024 at8:36 AM <osbaldo@or-builders.com> wrote: I agree 100 %The city of Palo A lotneeds to have a solutionfor this please O.R. Builders Inc. Osbaldo Romero President 939 Industrial Ave Palo Alto, Ca. 94303 Phone: 650.938.2222 Fax: 650.938.2224 Cell: 415.215.6788 From: Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Tuesday, December17, 2024 5:34 AMTo: Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com>Cc: Manu Kumar<manu@k9ventures.com>;Marguerite Poyatos<MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com>; BenjaminBecchetti<Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; LesterWong<lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch<cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.constru ction>; Dave Stellman<dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr<CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com; Pete Moffatt<pete@petemoffat.com>;Jacob@onemovemovers.com;david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong<swong@wongelectric.com>;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com;nancy@drewmaran.com;Patrick Kelly<patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>; DanMcKinley<danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; MelissaMcDonough<Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; JamesReifschneider<James.Reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>;Transportation<transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Kelly<info@basketmaterials.com>; John Lerch<john@lerchconstruction.com>; Greg Tanaka<Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou<Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker<Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; Andrew Binder<andrew.binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt<pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone<Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims<Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin<JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch<Xenia@qmsshields.com>Subject: Re:Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns Out of curiosity, were this my personal vehicle or one of my company vehicles, how long would it take for the City of Palo Alto to either site me or tow me? This is ridiculous; our streets have now become storage for people's crap; sorry, no better way to state that. This boat is not someone's dwelling; neither are all the additional cars associated with each camper out here. If you can't do anything about the campers, do something about the additional crap. Again, how quickly would the city respond if it were my car that was illegally parked out here? I implore everyone on this thread to continue this daily until something is done. Do better, City of Palo Alto. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 3:08 PM Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com> wrote: This is ridiculous. The Supreme Court hasgiven cities in the stateof California more toolsto crack down onhomeless camps andillegally parked andstored vehicles. It’s timeto clean up this mess inthe Commercial -Industrial - Transportstreet area before itbecomes even more ofan eyesore than it isnow. This is just not fairto owners and customerstrying hard to dobusiness here with NOAVAILABLEPARKING. Dave Stellman4083 / 4085 TransportSt. On Dec 16,2024, at 1:42 PM,ManuKumar<manu@k9ventures.com> wrote: Here aresomepicturesfrom mywalkaround theblock aweekago.. <IMG_1556.jpeg><IMG_1557.jpeg> I countedat least 10RVs justonCommercial St.... toomany toeven fit on onecameraframe. Andthat's notevencountingthe onesall overTransportandIndustrial.Some ofthe RVsalso haveothersupporting vehicles asnoted inprioremail. The City ofPalo Altoclearlydoesn'tcare aboutbusinessesand wouldratherhave thestreets beaneyesore,sidewalksbeunusableto walk on,andparkingspots notbeavailabletocustomers/clients oremployees. Warmregards, -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) <Safety on Industrial avenue.pdf> -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) <IMG_0946.jpg> <IMG_0947.jpg> -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) View this email in your browser We are proud to announce our upcoming Speaker event: LWVPA Lunch with League Speaker Event From:LWV Palo Alto Speaker SeriesTo:Council, CitySubject:Have You Signed Up for LWVPA Speaker Event on April 23?Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 1:22:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, Redwood Room 3460 WEST Bayshore Road, Palo Alto Featuring Guest Speaker Adam DawesCEO, Embarcadero Media Foundation Local news is in crisis: Does it have a future on the Peninsula? Local news is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it has been in crisis nationwide. At its 2024 convention, the League of Women Voters recognized that the decline of local news is a threat to democracy. Hear from Adam Dawes, CEO of Embarcadero Media, how the business has changed in recent years and how Embarcadero Media is evolving to meet these trends and preserve the Palo Alto Weekly, Almanac, Mountain View Voice, and Redwood City Pulse for years to come. Embarcadero Media serves a population of more than 500,000 people on the Midpeninsula and the East Bay's Tri-Valley by: alerting citizens of breaking news that makes people feel connected and informed on what's happening in their community; publishing in-depth and investigative reporting on complex issues; and hosting public educational events. BIO: Adam was born and raised in Palo Alto and had his first experience in journalism as editor-in-chief of the Campanile at Palo Alto High School. Aside from his four undergraduate years at Harvard, he has lived on the peninsula his entire life. He attended Stanford Business School in the 1990s and worked for tech firms in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, including 14 years at Google. He has served on the board of directors at Embarcadero Media Corp. He lives with his wife and two kids in San Carlos and loves the outdoors and enjoying the vibrant culture of the Bay Area. Please indicate on the sign-up form if you want us to order a sandwich and beverage for you (bring $10 at the door), or bring your own lunch. Register early to save your spot! LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Email Email 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 Register Now Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed Subject:SB457 Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 1:06:14 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Dear Mayor Lauing, council members and staff, SB457 is an anti-housing bill whose provisions expand the power of local jurisdictions todeny Builder's Remedy (B) applications. It is opposed by major pro-housing groups acrossCalifornia. I oppose the 80 Willow application BUT SB457 is both overkill and unneeded to oppose the 80 Willow application. All evidence points to the conclusion that the Menlo Park planning staff has the tools to deny the application. If at some point additional legislation is needed, it can be crafted without jeopardizing legitimate housing applications. I am certain our staff can suggest limiting amendments. For PA to support SB457 trashes two longstanding policies--1) of not taking positions onstate legislation and 2) not taking positions on proposals in neighboring cities and, indoing so, invite neighbors like Mountain View to object to PA projects. As the supplemental report points out, more than 1,000 housing units could be at risk if SB457 passes, demolishing our claim to a pipeline of over 2,000 units. And as staff points out, we do not know even if SB457 has conflicts with existing state law. I prefer the current rules and prefer to support staff in negotiating with BR applicants. They are experienced and adept at doing this, and the solutions they come up with are much better tailored to the community than what comes out of the "sausage factory" in Sacramento. Please clarify for the public whether you each intend to use SB457 to deny PA applicationsand which ones. Stephen Levy This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Marguerite PoyatosTo:Dave Stellman Cc:Cathi Lerch; news@padailypost.com; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; Maor Greenberg; Patrick Kelly; Gaines, Chantal; osbaldo@or-builders.com; Manu Kumar; Becchetti, Benjamin; DaveStellman; City Mgr; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob@onemovemovers.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; nancy@drewmaran.com; DanMcKinley; McDonough, Melissa; Reifschneider, James; Transportation; John Lerch; Binder, Andrew; Jade Jin; Xenia Czisch; City Attorney; Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Council, City;Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie Subject:Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 12:52:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking onlinks. Please send officers by to put notices on the attached vehicles. These vehicles were moved 3/28, after notices were last put on them and have not moved for 10 days. This gentleman is playing music chairswith vehicles but none of them have left this street. Parking is still not available for the people who work on this street. On Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 8:44 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:Attached are new pictures of the vehicles that I failed to attach in my previous email. Please have vehicles numbered 1-5 towed as soon aspossible. On Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 8:41 AM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote:You’re right Marguerite, there has never been anyone living in these vehicles. This person is using our street as his private storage for hiscollection of junk cars and the infamous “Raider” motor home. This parking is desperately needed by local businesses for our customersand employees. These and the other vehicles that are being tagged and ignoring it need to be towed NOW. On Mar 27, 2025, at 8:26 AM, Marguerite Poyatos <MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Thank you for sending by officers to put notices on the numerous vehicles that have not moved in a month. Please note, thegentleman I initially emailed about ripped the notices off of his 6 vehicles (including his RV) and has not moved them. Atthis point, can you tow them? Officers have explained to us in the past that the RV's cannot be towed since they aresomeone's dwelling. However, this gentleman's 5 additional vehicles he has parked on this street are not lived in. Rather,they are filled with trash. Attached is a picture numbering all of his vehicles in addition to his RV. None of these vehiclesmove and they really have no business on this street. Please also note, it may look as if I used the exact same pictures thatwere sent yesterday, but in fact I took new pictures this morning which show that he has seen the notices (as hes removedthem from his windshield) and has made no attempt to move a single car. Also attached are pictures of the RV belonging to the same gentleman which is leaking sewage. Again, parking is exasperated here. Employees of businesses have to park in other businesses' parking lots because there isno room on the street. This is creating tensions between businesses who want their parking open for their own employees andcustomers. Why is this ok for a random person to decide that they are going to monopolize public parking and defy any sortof rules that are in place?? On Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 11:06 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:Can you please send community officers to put notices on vehicles that have not moved? Please see the attached images. All vehicles with a red X are associated with the RV with the damaged Raiders wrapping.These vehicles have all been parked in the same spots for at least a month. Thank you. On Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com> wrote:I wanted to let you know that the new resident has been seen wandering around the neighborhood. Iinitially encountered her on Saturday at 998 San Antonio, where she was asking for money. Then, onTuesday, she was going through our dumpster at 923 Industrial. She just walked by our front, ranting. Cathi On Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 12:44 PM Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Is the plan for Palo Alto to follow in San Francisco's footsteps? What's next, open-air drug markets for Palo Alto. This person moved to our street just a few days ago, and we have had to call the police every day due to her behavior and out of concern for her well-being. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 12:43 PM Lester Wong <LWong@wongelectric.com> wrote:Commercial St. was cleared last night. Thank you for your efforts! Lester Wong | Vice President O: 650.813.9999 ext. 22 | C: 650.720.8455 4067 Transport Street | Palo Alto | CA 94303 Celebrating Our 46th Anniversary 1978 – 2024 A Proud Member of the U.S. Green Building Council <Image.jpeg> From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2025 12:37:47 PM To: Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction> Cc: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>; chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or- builders.com <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong <LWong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com <Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com <david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong <SWong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>; nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider <james.reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation <transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Andrew Binder <Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker <vicki.veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety The wooden RV seems to be a severe safety issue. A former coworker spoke to the man living in it a couple yearsago and was told there is a wood burning oven/stove inside the RV, which he uses. Seems like that could be a severesafety hazard not only for the man residing in it, as well as for the surrounding RV's/vehicles & businesses if it wereever to catch fire. We have had to face a number of safety hazards on this street. It is unsafe for pedestrians. We have had attemptedbreak ins at night. We have been harassed by people associated with these RV's, as well as loose dogs, just to name acouple issues. Luckily, police officers do respond and try to help but there will be a time when they will be too lateto prevent injury. The community officers coming through and putting notices on vehicles is nowhere near the solution needed for thisarea. The notices are thrown away and the vehicles rarely move. I believe this email string started in 2023 and wehave had minimal progress with the actual issues at hand. On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 12:19 PM Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction> wrote:City of palo alto!! please let me know how this is Legal for driving also come and clean the street as it’s not safesee attached <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> Maor GreenbergCEO maor@greenberg.construction | 650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650-600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269-2325908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <F_1bc77f31-68bf-4143-80ea-3f34f539ea07.png> <insta_26696304-1b39-4259-9776-9f137454bed9.png> <yelp_e821c57e-caea-4e87-a5dd-5905e7ca4fb1.png> <Houzz_7abe75ad-d6ee-48ac-943b-592713e31957.png> <P_aece63f3-754b-4dca-a0a9-e93b94de4930.png> <google_04352117-2fb4-4963-bb3e-cc5317269360.png> From: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 10:56:09 AM To: Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com> Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>; Marguerite Poyatos <MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com>; chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or- builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com <Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com <david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>; nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider <james.reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation <transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Andrew Binder <Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker <vicki.veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety What is it going to take for the city of Palo Alto to catch up to the rest of the country? A lawsuit when someone inour neighborhood is injured because of the unsafe conditions that exist here? This email chain alone would beenough evidence to show the city’s knowledge of the problem and inaction. With newly enacted laws giving cities the legal right to clean up our public spaces, local cities like MountainView, Santa Clara and San Jose have already begun the process of relocating and housing these people that need it.Why not Palo Alto? Its not a money issue here, and even if it was, wouldn’t it be less costly to tow some vehiclesand help relocate them to a safer area than to pay the cost of litigation? We are asking the city to stop ignoring this issue before it becomes an even bigger problem. On Mar 12, 2025, at 9:17 AM, Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com> wrote: Hi Ben, Please take action. The safety of our employees and locals is critical. Anyone walking or driving on Industrial/Transport/Commercial is constantly at risk. Every crosswalk and entry is a major risk for anyone walking the sidewalks or pulling into any of these facilities where illegally parked abandoned vehicles are encamped. The visibility is very poor and the reason there are height and length restrictions for these types of streets; There are There are illegally running generators with unsafe live electrical lines oftentimes in the sidewalk or even running across entryways There are collections of volatile liquids like gasoline and oil (environmental issues aside) that pose additional hazards to anyone in the vicinity Please let us know what you need from us to support your team in enforcing our city regulations in order to make our workplaces safer for our employees. Respectfully, Patrick Kelly | CIODMD Systems Recovery, LLC.C: 650.492.9003patrick.kelly@dmdsystems.com | www.dmdsystems.com<Outlook-DMD Logo.png> <Outlook-larpkod1.png>Book time to meet with me From: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 12:39 PM To: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Cc: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com <Jacob@onemovemovers.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com <david@paloaltoconcrete.com>; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>; nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider <James.Reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation <Transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Andrew Binder <Andrew.Binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <Pat.Burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Maor <maor@greenberg.construction> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns A citation for double parking and expired tags is what is needed here. I’m positive that’s what thepolice would do to me if I did the same. That is unless there are two separate sets of laws that governthe city of Palo Alto and the state of California. Bill McLane --------------------------------- Palo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Wed, Feb 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:Please see the attached image. The pictured RV & associated white truck pulled up over night. As pictured, they disregardedmarked parking spots, which is one of the things that exacerbates our parking issue. A small car or motorcycle may fit there but in a commercial area where most vehicles are trucks,this does not help. Can you please send a community officer to leave notices on the RVs? I hope this doesn't comeacross as petty, but every spot really does matter on this block. Employees of some businesses haveto park in lots that belong to other businesses, which can create tension amongst neighbors. Thank you. On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 9:19 PM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote:The police also responded and were very helpful. Initially the people involved denied everything,but when I sent the videos to the officer and he showed it to them they admitted to dumping theirRV waste. They were cited for misdemeanor illegal waste dumping and will be going to court.They were then told to leave the area - and freed up two parking spaces. Thank you Palo AltoPolice and Fire. Apparently reporting violations of every kind is what is going to have to be doneon a regular basis if we want our streets cleaned up. On Dec 21, 2024, at 3:39 PM, Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Thank you, Dave! Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 8:22 AM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote:I just called the hotline for Palo Alto for hazardous waste dumping and gave themall of this information including license numbers. These vehicles are still parkedthere.They are sending the fire department out to flush the street and these peoplebetter be held accountable. On Dec 21, 2024, at 7:56 AM, Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>wrote: License plate of the accomplice<IMG_0142.jpeg> Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 5:13 AM Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Still parked right across from my building. Note, NO rear license plate. I do think that is against the law. I do also have video of them driving up, proof of the vehicle operating on city streets. Do you think they have insurance? <image.png> Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 4:54 AM Bill McLane<bill@paloaltoglass.com> wrote: Here, they are emptying their waste in front of my building. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Fri, Dec 20, 2024 at 9:18 PM Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com> wrote:Chantal, It looks like somehow most of the city council members, ViceMayor and Mayor must have inadvertently been deleted fromyour last email response. I have added them back in to make sure they stay apprised of thesituation. I hope it doesn't take the legal channels mentioned tostart cleaning up our neighborhood immediately; this has gottenout of control and kicking the problem back and forth to differentmembers of your city staff is not going to make it go away. Dave StellmanTransport St. On Fri, Dec 20, 2024 at 8:16 AM Maor Greenberg<maor@greenberg.construction> wrote:Dear Chantal, Your response, while detailed, fails to address the critical and ongoingviolations of law, public safety, and business rights in the area. The City of Palo Alto has both the authority and obligation to take immediate anddecisive action to protect its residents, businesses, and public spaces.Allowing illegally parked, unsafe, and hazardous RVs to persist isunacceptable and directly violates state and local regulations. Below arespecific legal and factual challenges to the City’s approach, along with demands for corrective action: 1. Illegally Parked and Unsafe RVs California Vehicle Code § 4000(a)(1) and Palo Alto Municipal Code§ 10.48.010 clearly require all vehicles parked on public streets todisplay valid registration. Many of the RVs in question lack validregistration, making their presence illegal. Further, under CaliforniaVehicle Code § 22651(o) and PAMC § 10.48.120, any vehicle unregistered for six months or more may be towed immediately. Additionally, vehicles with exposed sewage tanks, missing wheels, orother structural hazards are in direct violation of California VehicleCode § 24002, which prohibits parking or operating vehicles in unsafeconditions. These RVs also create a public health hazardunder California Health and Safety Code § 117490, which prohibits improper disposal of waste and sewage. **2. Clarification Requested Regarding Unregistered Vehicles In light of your response, please confirm whether the City of PaloAlto allows unregistered vehicles to be driven on its streets. - I havesome fun vehicles I would love to order from Alibaba and drivethem around Palo Alto... • California Vehicle Code § 4000(a)(1) expressly prohibits theoperation of unregistered vehicles. If these RVs are being moved every 72 hours as claimed, and they lack proper registration, theiroperation is illegal under state law. • Allowing unregistered vehicles to remain or operate within citylimits undermines traffic safety and compliance standards. This point must be clarified explicitly: Does the City of Palo Altocondone the operation of unregistered vehicles? 3. Abuse of the 72-Hour Rule The City’s reliance on PAMC § 10.36.060 to justify the continued presence of these RVs is flawed. Surveillance footage and eyewitnessaccounts confirm that many RVs are circumventing the 72-hour rule bywiping off chalk markings rather than physically moving. This is blatantnon-compliance and undermines the intent of the ordinance. Furthermore, California Vehicle Code § 22669 explicitly allows for theremoval of vehicles that are “wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative,” evenif they are moved every 72 hours. The City has the authority to act, andfailing to do so jeopardizes public safety and traffic flow. 4. Public Safety and Sanitation Violations The exposed sewage tanks, illegal dumping, and general neglect bythese RV occupants pose significant health and environmental risks. TheCity’s failure to enforce sanitation laws, such as California Health andSafety Code § 117490 and PAMC § 16.09.100, endangers residents, workers, and the environment. Additionally, blocking roadways anddriveways is a clear violation of California Vehicle Code § 22500,which prohibits parking that obstructs traffic flow or access. 5. Impact on Businesses and Traffic Flow Businesses in the area are suffering due to blocked roadways, limited parking for customers, and safety concerns. Under California VehicleCode § 21101(c) and PAMC § 10.48.120, the City has the authority toregulate parking to ensure the safety of businesses and residents. The City’s failure to allocate parking for business deliveries, customers, or even emergency services is a gross dereliction of duty. Blockingroadways for long periods creates safety hazards, violates municipal code, and disrupts commerce. Conclusion and Final Demands The City of Palo Alto has the legal authority and responsibility to actunder the following regulations: • PAMC § 10.48.120: Authorizes the removal of unregisteredvehicles. • California Vehicle Code § 22651(o): Allows towing of unregistered vehicles. • California Vehicle Code § 22669: Mandates removal of inoperativevehicles. • California Health and Safety Code § 117490: Prohibits illegalwaste disposal. • California Vehicle Code § 21101(c): Permits parking restrictions toensure safety. We demand the immediate implementation of the following measures: 1. Impound all unregistered, unsafe, or inoperative RVs within twoweeks. 2. Establish designated loading zones and 2-hour parking areas nearbusinesses. 3. Conduct regular sanitation inspections and impose penalties forviolations. 4. Provide a clear timeline for resolution and enforcement updates. The continued failure to act exposes the City to liability for neglecting public health and safety under California Government Code § 815.6,which requires municipalities to perform mandatory duties. We expect aformal response with a clear action plan within 14 days. If nosatisfactory action is taken, we reserve the right to escalate this matterthrough legal channels to protect our businesses, employees, and the community. <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> Maor GreenbergCEO maor@greenberg.construction |650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650-600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269-2325908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto94303 <F_1bc77f31-68bf-4143-80ea-3f34f539ea07.png> <insta_26696304-1b39-4259-9776-9f137454bed9.png> <yelp_e821c57e-caea-4e87-a5dd-5905e7ca4fb1.png> <Houzz_7abe75ad-d6ee-48ac-943b-592713e31957.png> <P_aece63f3-754b-4dca-a0a9-e93b94de4930.png> <google_04352117-2fb4-4963-bb3e-cc5317269360.png> From: Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@CityofPaloAlto.org> Date: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 7:12 AM To: Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction>, Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>, osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or-builders.com> Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>, Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>, Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>, Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@CityofPaloAlto.org>, Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>, Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>, Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>, City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>, Moffatt, Pete <pete@petemoffat.com>, Jacob@onemovemovers.com <Jacob@onemovemovers.com>, david@paloaltoconcrete.com <david@paloaltoconcrete.com>, Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>, RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>, nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>, Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>, Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>, McDonough, Melissa <Melissa.McDonough@CityofPaloAlto.org>, Reifschneider, James <James.Reifschneider@CityofPaloAlto.org>, Transportation <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>, Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.com>, John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>, Binder, Andrew <Andrew.Binder@CityofPaloAlto.org>, Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>, Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>, City Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: RE: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns You don't often get email from chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org. Learnwhy this is important Hello everyone, Thank you for the emails and the time you all have spent to relay your concerns about the area surrounding your businesses. My name is Chantal and I’m the Deputy City Manager responding on behalf of the City Manager. I understand that you feel a lack of progress on the concerns you’ve identified. Through multiple City departments we are continuing to explore avenues to help mitigate those concerns being mindful of compliance with the federal Constitution and state laws, City resources, as well as providing respect to the humanity of the individuals experiencing homelessness. As our Police Lieutenant mentioned, our enforcement largely consists of the efforts described below involving multiple City departments, including: Weekly markings for 72-hour violations from our Community Service Officers. These are required by law prior to issuing citations for the 72-hour violations. Weekly re-checks of those markings, followed by citations if vehicles are not moved. Checks of the area by traffic officers as well as patrol officers on a routine basis, consistently several times per week. Officers make personal contact with RV occupants to speak with them regarding complaints and concerns, offer services or seek alternative solutions (i.e., a small repair to fix a vehicle). Through our Community Services Department, had our Homeless Outreach Team attempt to speak with RV occupants to connect them to available resources. Of note, there are limited safe parking resources available countywide. Consulted with our Code Enforcement team to address any activity that falls under municipal code violations. We hear you that there are perhaps more RVs in the neighborhood than have been in the past. Some previous concerns, relayed through the Police Department, have been for dumping, visibility/safety issues, or other nuisance-type complaints. Officers have responded to investigate and determine if a violation has in fact occurred in response to those complaints. As the officer who issues the citation must attest to its legality, we trust their judgement to use their discretion when deciding to cite or not. It should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the RV’s are compliant with the 72-hour rule on a weekly basis according to our Police Department and their regular checks. RVs (and any other vehicle) are allowed to move and return to the exact same location under PAMC section 10.36.060. I asked the Police Department to examine the calls for service in your area since November 1st to look for additional complaints the Police Department might be able to address and to get an understanding of what they have responded to in your area. Officers responded to 29 calls for service between the 900 block of San Antonio, Commercial, Transport and Industrial Ave. Only 2 were reported complaints from a business about the RV’s. None of those 29 calls for service reported potential illegal behavior, such as illegal dumping, threatening or harassing behavior, or other criminal actions, on behalf of those working in the area. Most of those calls were self-initiated by the officers or calls from the RV occupants themselves. One of the calls, initiated by an RV occupant, reported suspicious persons that helped prevent a burglary to one of the businesses. Since early November, there have been several citations issued and one vehicle tow. I would encourage your employees to report, either online, through our non-emergency line (650-329-2413) or via 911, any behavior they feel is harassment, or potentially illegal or unsafe. The Police Department will continue to explore ideas such as additional collaboration with City departments, outside organizations and service providers, as well as nearby police departments whose actions can influence the issues felt in Palo Alto. We will also investigate the ability to perform street sweeping efforts and consult with our wastewater officials to address any cleanliness, illegal dumping and sanitation issues. The Police Department will be further assessing the vehicle code violations in the coming weeks to determine the necessity of removing some offending vehicles. Best, Chantal <image001.png>Chantal Cotton Gaines Deputy City Manager (650) 329-2572 | chantal.gaines@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction> Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 11:35 PM To: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>; osbaldo@or-builders.com Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>; Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Moffatt, Pete <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; nancy@drewmaran.com; Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; McDonough, Melissa <Melissa.McDonough@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Reifschneider, James <James.Reifschneider@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Transportation <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.com>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Tanaka, Greg <Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Kou, Lydia <Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Veenker, Vicki <Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Binder, Andrew <Andrew.Binder@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Stone, Greer <Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lythcott-Haims, Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com>; City Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. Dear Molly (City Attorney) and All Copied City Officials, On behalf of the many businesses in the Commercial-Industrial- Transport Street area who are deeply frustrated with the persistent and escalating issues caused by illegally parked RVs, unregistered vehicles, and boats. This situation has reached a critical point, impacting not only our daily operations but also the safety, reputation, and economic health of our businesses. Impact on Businesses and Community 1. Safety and Sanitation Hazards: • Dumped bodily waste, debris, and hazardous conditions are becoming commonplace, creating significant health risks. • Aggressive behavior and intimidation from some vehicle occupants have been reported, making the area unsafe for employees and customers. 2. Operational Challenges: • Parking for employees, customers, and service vehicles is nearly nonexistent due to the occupation of public spaces by illegally parked vehicles. • Businesses are suffering tangible financial losses as customers avoid the area due to these conditions. 3. Lack of Enforcement: • Despite repeated citations and notices issued by Community Service and Special Problems Officers, there has been no meaningful resolution. • Violations of California Vehicle Code 4000(a)(1) VC (unregistered vehicles) and Vehicle Code 22651(o)(1) VC (impound authority for registration violations) are being ignored. Call for Immediate Action This is a collective appeal to the city and its representatives to act decisively to restore order in our community. We urge the city to prioritize: 1. Enforcement: Immediate towing and penalties for unregistered and illegally parked vehicles in alignment with state and local laws. 2. Comprehensive Solutions: A transparent and actionable plan to address these issues, including increased patrols, collaboration with businesses, and enforcement timelines. 3. Engagement: A commitment to working with affected businesses to ensure our concerns are heard and addressed effectively. Potential Legal Action The city’s ongoing inaction not only jeopardizes public safety and operational viability but also exposes it to potential legal consequences. Many businesses on this email chain are experiencing severe financial and reputational damages due to these unresolved issues. We cannot afford further delays. Thank you for your attention. <image003.png> Maor Greenberg CEO maor@greenberg.construction | 650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650-600-9536 x101 |Fax 925-269-2325 908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <image004.png> <image005.png> <image006.png> <image007.png> <image008.png> <image009.png> From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Date: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 10:29 AM To: osbaldo@or-builders.com <osbaldo@or- builders.com> Cc: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>, Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>, Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>, Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>, Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>, Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>, Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction>, Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>, City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>, Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>, Jacob@onemovemovers.com <Jacob@onemovemovers.com>, david@paloaltoconcrete.com <david@paloaltoconcrete.com>, Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>, RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>, nancy@drewmaran.com <nancy@drewmaran.com>, Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>, Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>, Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>, James Reifschneider <James.Reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>, Transportation <transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>, Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.com>, John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>, Greg Tanaka <Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org>, Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>, Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>, Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>, Andrew Binder <andrew.binder@cityofpaloalto.org>, City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>, Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>, Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>, Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>, Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>, Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns You don't often get email from marguerite@paloaltoglass.com. Learn whythis is important A community officer came by today. Not sure what was done other than inspecting the volume of vehicles on the street. It is pretty disheartening that there are 14 city employees/email addresses included in this email and we are getting no responses or acknowledgements from any of them. This seems to be just a community forum for us to air our grievances regarding the area we all work in rather than getting any sort of resolutions. For years now, the businesses in this area have dealt with a number of issues that are a direct result of the RVs residing on this street - dumped bodily waste, aggressive dogs, aggression/intimidation, amongst many others. We try to vigilant and call the non- emergency police line to confront situations. Officers will come out and at the very most, they will go and have a conversation with whoever it is that's causing issues. Then, nothing happens. We have had customers complain that they do not feel safe coming into this corner of Palo Alto. This is directly affecting Palo Alto businesses - many of which on this street provide important/critical types of service to residents, businesses, local government and schools in Palo Alto. Can we please get some help other than weekly notices stuck on windshields? On Tue, Dec 17, 2024 at 8:36 AM <osbaldo@or-builders.com> wrote: I agree 100 % The city of Palo A lot needs to have a solution for this please O.R. Builders Inc. Osbaldo Romero President 939 Industrial Ave Palo Alto, Ca. 94303Phone: 650.938.2222Fax: 650.938.2224Cell: 415.215.6788 From: Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 5:34 AM To: Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> Cc: Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Marguerite Poyatos <MARGUERITE@paloaltoglass.com>; Benjamin Becchetti <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Maor Greenberg <maor@greenberg.construction>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; osbaldo@or-builders.com; Pete Moffatt <pete@petemoffat.com>; Jacob@onemovemovers.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>; RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; nancy@drewmaran.com; Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@basketmaterials.com>; Dan McKinley <danmck@scientific-equipment.com>; Melissa McDonough <Melissa.McDonough@cityofpaloalto.org>; James Reifschneider <James.Reifschneider@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation <transportation@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.com>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Greg Tanaka <Greg.Tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>; Lydia Kou <Lydia.Kou@cityofpaloalto.org>; Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@cityofpaloalto.org>; Andrew Binder <andrew.binder@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Patrick Burt <pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org>; Greer Stone <Greer.Stone@cityofpaloalto.org>; Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jade Jin <JJin@wongelectric.com>; Xenia Czisch <Xenia@qmsshields.com> Subject: Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns Out of curiosity, were this my personal vehicle or one of mycompany vehicles, how long would it take for the City ofPalo Alto to either site me or tow me? This is ridiculous; our streets have now become storage forpeople's crap; sorry, no better way to state that. This boat is not someone's dwelling; neither are all the additional carsassociated with each camper out here. If you can't doanything about the campers, do something about the additional crap. Again, how quickly would the city respond if it were my car that was illegally parked out here? I implore everyone on this thread to continue this dailyuntil something is done. Do better, City of Palo Alto. Bill McLane ---------------------------------Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto, CA 94303650-494-7000 Office www.paloaltoglass.com On Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 3:08 PM Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com> wrote: This is ridiculous. The Supreme Court has given cities in the state of California more tools to crack down on homeless camps and illegally parked and stored vehicles. It’s time to clean up this mess in the Commercial - Industrial - Transport street area before it becomes even more of an eyesore than it is now. This is just not fair to owners and customers trying hard to do business here with NO AVAILABLE PARKING. Dave Stellman 4083 / 4085 Transport St. On Dec 16, 2024, at 1:42 PM, Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com> wrote: Here are some pictures from my walkaround the block a week ago.. <IMG_1556.jpeg> <IMG_1557.jpeg> I counted at least 10 RVs just onCommercial St.... too many to even fit onone camera frame. And that's not evencounting the ones all over Transport andIndustrial. Some of the RVs also have othersupporting vehicles as noted in prior email. The City of Palo Alto clearly doesn't careabout businesses and would rather have thestreets be an eyesore, sidewalks beunusable to walk on, and parking spots notbe available to customers/clients oremployees. Warm regards, -- Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX)<Safety on Industrial avenue.pdf> -- Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303(650) 494-7000(650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303(650) 494-7000(650) 494-7087 (FAX)<IMG_0946.jpg><IMG_0947.jpg> -- Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303(650) 494-7000(650) 494-7087 (FAX) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto CA 94303(650) 494-7000(650) 494-7087 (FAX) From:Glenn Fisher To:Council, City; Planning Commission Subject:Roundabout on E. Meadow Date:Monday, April 7, 2025 12:14:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council and Transportation Commission, Congratulations, you’ve finally figured out how to mark a round-about! I’m talking about the Round-about at E. Meadow and Ross, which is now in the 3rd istatiation of signage. It now has 4 Stop signs, with eveybody running the stops and drifting into the circle! So much better than Yield signs,which confused people. Amazingly, the roundabout on Fulton and Lytton has no signs at all. Did you forget about that one? I’m amazed that other places don’t replicate this brilliant idea. Roundabouts on other roads in California do not have any signs, or are signed with Yield. Even at Stanford! So, what’s the point? If you have stop signs, you don’t need the expensive round-about that you installed. I’m very confused at what you’re trying to accomplish. It really would be so much better to remove the signs. Nobody stops at a stop sign any more, so you’re just reinfocing bad behavior by putting stop signs at a round-about. Sincerely, Glenn Fisher Corina Way