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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-21 City Council EmailsDOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 4/21/2025 Document dates: 4/14/2025 - 4/21/2025 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 From:Matt Bryant To:Council, City Subject:Please support Safe Routes to School Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 11:55:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council of Palo Alto, Please support safe routes to school in Palo Alto. As the parent of two children in PAUSD who rode their bikes to school over the years, it was very reassuring to know that there was an organization overlooking the safety of our children as they biked to and from school every day. As a safe routes to school parent representative at Gunn high school, I can attest that safe routes to school is always meeting with the community to make sure that any routes to school are being closely monitored to ensure our children’s safety is being protected. If you have any questions about the organization, please reach out to me. Thank you again for your support. Best regards, Matt Matthew D. Bryant, PharmD (415) 846-1239 DrMattBryant@gmail.com LinkedIn/in/DrMattBryant From:Rachael Panizzo To:Council, City Subject:Support for safe routes to school program Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 9:05:24 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members I am writing in support of the Safe Routes to School program. I have been a parent transport safety rep at Fairmeadow and JLS for the past four years. Palo Alto is incredibly unique in making it the norm to bike or walk to school every day. Itwas the first thing I noticed when our family moved here six years ago. This is not something that happens organically and should not be taken for granted. The levels of walking and biking to school that the city has achieved will quickly dissipate withoutsupport from the safe routes to school program. Parents need to know that the city prioritises student safety, bike routes and traffic calming around schools to feel safe letting their kids biketo school independently. The PTA, school district and city safe routes to school team worked very hard together to re-establish these norms coming back to school in person after the coviddisruption. Apart from the physical health benefits, fitness and independence that students gain from biking to school, the safe routes to school program hugely reduces car trips and congestionduring rush hour. Every student that bikes to school is one less car journey. You can easily see this on bad weather days when fewer students bike and instead get dropped off by car. Thetraffic multiplies, dangerous driving, illegal parking, driving in bike lanes and U-turns on school streets occur regularly. This would become our new normal without the safe routes toschool program. I understand that budget cuts are anticipated and am writing to ask that the City please fill the currently vacant Safe Routes to School Planner position, despite budget shortfalls, to ensurecritical bicycle safety and education programs are sustained for our children. Whatever savings you make from budget cuts will be dwarfed by the knock on effects of traffic, parking needs and congestion. It would be a step backwards and undermine the city’ssustainability and climate goals. How else are kids supposed to get to school? Please also support the SRTS Resolution and Partnership Consensus Statement and Bylaws to support our strong, effective and longstanding partnership. Thank you Rachael Panizzo JLS parent and transport safety representative From:stevo smith To:Council, City; Magdalena Cabrera Subject:synthetic grass Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 8:11:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Please vote no on $160,825 contract to evaluate this product use. Palo Alto deserves real grass and safe nontoxic products in our parks I am very disappointed to see the toxic product in our refurbished park. Thank you for keeping our parks safe for all living things. Stevo Smith From:Jacquie Knott To:Council, City Subject:Lloyd contract Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 7:46:06 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please vote NO on Lloyd contract. The artificial grass is terrible for my dogs paws as well as the environment.Thank you Jacqueline knott 230 Fernando ave Palo Alto From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:Vote NO on the artificial turf expenditure. Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 7:43:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members, It is well documented that artificial turf is toxic. The number of teenage boys withtesticular cancer across the USA who played soccer on it has skyrocketed. Whereas testicular cancer in teens was rare, it has spiked alarmingly over the past thirty years. Anecdotally, mysons have three Palo Alto teenage friends who came down with testicular cancer playing on artificial turf on the Peninsula. Testicular cancer is just one of many health risks. It might be useful to have one of City Manager Ed Shikada's thirteen assistants Google it. In fifteen minutes they could print out multiple journal articles from Lancet, New EnglandJournal, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic....documenting the health hazards of the turf. That would save the city the 160K to pay a biased company to present bogus findings. For 160K, isone of Lloyd's employees working 40 hours a week for a year to justify that generous funding? Perhaps that 160K could be dedicated towards the permanent salary of a fire fighter for Fire Station 4? To date, there is no plan to staff the fire station with well rested firefighters;Geo said it would be staffed with exhausted firefighters working 12 hours of overtime. Put that money to better use! Fund Fire! So please do not fund that ridiculous study. Install natural grass. Thank you for the work you do for us to protect us.Sincerely, CeCi Kettendorf From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City Cc:Gennady Sheyner; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Lauing, Ed; Shikada, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Joe Penko; Office of the Provost Subject:Fwd: Undeliverable: Rubberized mat pedestrian protection interface: recomm end for Caltrain platforms Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 12:53:15 AM 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: MAILER-DAEMON <postmaster@oxsus-vadesecure.net>Date: April 20, 2025 at 7:59:39 AM PDTTo: henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.netSubject: Undeliverable: Rubberized mat pedestrian protection interface:recomm end for Caltrain platforms Delivery has failed to these recipients or distribution lists: Server "cityofpaloalto.com" returned an error: * [city.council@cityofpaloalto.com]: message reached max retries Original message details: * Received on: Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:17:32 +0000 * From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> * To: Pat Burt <pat@patburt.org>, Gennady Sheyner<gsheyner@embarcaderomedia.org>, Geoffrey Blackshire <Geo.Blackshire@cityofpaloalto.org>, Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>,Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>, Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu> * Subject: Rubberized mat pedestrian protection interface: recommend for Caltrain platforms Original message headers: Authentication-Results: oxsus-vadesecure.net; auth=pass smtp.auth=9@76065 smtp.mailfrom=henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net;Received: from proxy-5.proxy.cloudus.mci.xion.oxcs.net ([171.67.254.110]) by oxsus2nmtao01p.internal.vadesecure.com with ngmta id 1e7c46f9-1837830819be46d5; Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:17:32 +0000 From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> Subject: Rubberized mat pedestrian protection interface: recommend for Caltrainplatforms Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2025 11:48:11 -0700Message-Id: <8BA542BB-5122-4989-91D5-3BC8D6CCE94A@triplehelix.net> From:Debbie Mytels To:Lauing, Ed Cc:Council, City Subject:Vote NO on Contract tp evlauate plastic "grass" materials Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 12:39:03 AM Attachments:PastedGraphic-1.tiff CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Members of the City Council, Your agenda for Monday, April 21 includes a vote to contract with the Lloyd Consulting Group inorder to evaluate whether they will recommend additional use of plastic "grass" materials at variousCity playing fields. Please vote NO on this contract. This company recently installed synthetic grass at the City’s Boulware Park, and little if any attention was paid to the significant evidence that such use of plasticis harmful in many ways: — First off, such plastic "grass" is made from toxic materials that are polluting up and down theirmanufacturing process. — When installed, the materials break off into microplatics that are easily washed into drains andinto nearby creeks, polluting fresh water all along the way. — Thirdly, because it it not a natural, growing plant, such "grass" must be replaced at additionalexpense after a few years. Moreover, recycling this blanket of fake grass is not possible, so more plastic goes into the landfill. — Lastly, this fake grass material is slippery, and when temperatures are high, it gets very hot, evencausing burn injuries when players slide over it. Srudies have found more injuries among children,youth and adults that have to use it as a playing surface. Professional athletes evidently are demanding natural grass, not plastic, for their playing fields. Do our children not also deservesomething better? There are other alternatives to adding more plastic to our environment. By using natural grass, ourplaying fields will continue to be a positive impact on Earth’s climate, giving off oxygen andsequestering carbon dioxide. Where real grass is not suitable, natural wood fibers are anotheralternative. Because the Lloyd Consulting Group has previously been engaged to install plastic"grass," It’s less likely that they will be objective in their review of such alternatives. Either thecontract must stipulate that they will NOT recommend synthetics, or another contractor should bechosen to do the review of materials for Palo Alto’s other playing fields. Palo Alto can do better than laying down plastic to create polluting playing surfaces for our childrenand others. Thanks for your attention to this important issue. Debbie Mytels2824 Louis Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 From:Amanda Kim To:Council, City Subject:Public Comments: Monday, April 21, 2025, Special Order of the Day, President"s Volunteer Service Awards Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 11:34:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please accept my public comments. Thank you for acknowledging the youth who contribute so much to our society today and into the future. The Kansha History Project is honored to have youth volunteer Ellen Kim, who helps us document the farms and lives of Japanese American farmers, including 340 from Santa Clara County, who lost their homes and livelihoods when they were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Her careful, thoughtful volunteer work is breathing new life into this shared and often, unspoken, history. Amanda Mei Kim Lead and Founder www.KanshaHistory.org “Unless we know ourselves and our history, and other people and their history, there is really no way that we can really have positive kinds of interaction where there is real understanding.” Yuri Kochiyama From:Aram James To:board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Jay Boyarsky; Rosen, Jeff;josh@sanjosespotlight.com; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader forCalifornia Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Gennady Sheyner;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James;Wagner, April; Lee, Craig; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; Zelkha, Mila; Doug Minkler; Diana Diamond; Dave Price;Figueroa, Eric; Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Sean Allen; Pat M; Raymond Goins; Liz Kniss; Julie Lythcott-Haims;Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Ruth Silver Taube; Holman, Karen (external); Templeton, Cari; EPA Today; Nash,Betsy; Council, City; city.council@menlopark.gov; GRP-City Council; GRP-City Clerk; Human RelationsCommission; ladoris cordell; Bill Newell; Salem Ajluni Subject:This high school course is dividing districts across California Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 9:49:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. This high school course is dividingdistricts across California https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/20/this-high-school-course-is-dividing-districts-across-california-00299498 From:Rachel Vazquez-Reina To:Council, City Subject:Supporting Safe Routes to Schools Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 9:14:24 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, My name is Rachel and I'm a Transportation Safety Representative at Palo Verde. I am writing in support of the Safe Routes to School program. The important work this program does is vital to our children's safety and our community. I understand that budget cuts are anticipated and am writing to ask that the City please fill the currently vacant Safe Routes to School Planner position, despite budget shortfalls, to ensure critical bicycle safety education programs are sustained for our children. Thank you all for your service to our community and for your long standing support and partnership on Safe Routes to School! Sincerely, Rachel Vazquez-ReinaPalo Verde Transportation Safety Representative Proud Palo Verde mom From:kevin guibara To:Dehlinger, Michael; garcia.andreas@gmail.com; greg.tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org Cc:Berkey, Joe; Garibay, Valeria; Fuller, Michael; Council, City Subject:Re: 718 Sutter Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 2:06:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Unresponsive Typical of the city of Palo Alto utilities…. I think Palo Alto Utilities is most incompetent organization I have ever dealt with. No one there is capable of doing anything and it’s impossible to get a response on the phone and viaemail. Recology and PGE are terrible but they are both far better than Palo Alto Utilities. Do you have a recommendation for how I can get a response from someone? Sincerely,Kevin Guibara Millennium Flatswww.millenniumflats.com 42 Arch St, Ste ERedwood City, CA 94062 Cell: 650-678-4859 (Primary)Office: 650-341-4332 DRE #01803236 On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 5:22 PM kevin guibara <kevinguibara@gmail.com> wrote: HI Michael, Everyone at palo alto utilities seemed to be stumped by this, can you correct the accounts sowe do not keep revisiting this problem? HI Michael, I am being bounced back and forth between Green Waste and Palo Alto Utilities. We have joint garbage service at 704-718 Sutter. For some reason, Palo Alto utilities has signed up the tenant in 718 Sutter for garbage service and is not capable of removing it.Account 30129476. Can you remove the garbage service charges and garbage service from his account? Should the sewer be removed as well? Sincerely,Kevin Guibara Millennium Flatswww.millenniumflats.com 42 Arch St, Ste ERedwood City, CA 94062 Cell: 650-678-4859 (Primary)Office: 650-341-4332 DRE #01803236 From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Blackshire, Geoffrey; Council, City; Joe Penko; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Office of the Provost Cc:Shikada, Ed Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 1:02:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone > On Apr 20, 2025, at 9:28 AM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote:> > Dear Ed> > Thanks for your encouraging words, best wishes and intro to Chief Blackshire> > I am recovering from concussion, whiplash and disorientation, a Precarious situation that.Could have been far worse without a sturdy Borsalino moderating he impact on my skull and the essential intervention on the part of a fellow traveler from Dean Satz’s staff as I laterlearned, > Who helped me from brief loss of consciousness to awareness of my bloody condition andpersuaded that it was best not to persist in trying to get back. on the Cal train, called emergency services, let the train know to wait etc> > Best regards> Henry > Www.triplehelix.net> > Sent from my iPhone> >> On Apr 15, 2025, at 9:23 AM, Blackshire, Geoffrey <geo.blackshire@paloalto.gov> wrote:>> >> Good morning Henry,>> >> I sincerely hope this message finds you well.>> >> Thank you for taking the time to convey your appreciation for the Palo Alto FireDepartment's services during your unfortunate event. I am confident that our firefighters take great care of every patient we encounter. Still, it is always appreciated when someone takesthe time to send a message confirming our commitment to excellent customer service. >> >> I have identified all the firefighters that responded to your emergency. I will make sure that they are made aware of your kind sentiment.>> >> Best regards,>> >> Geo Blackshire>> Fire Chief >> Palo Alto Fire Department >> (650) 329-2424>> www.cityofpaloalto.gov >> >> >> -----Original Message----->> From: Shikada, Ed <Edward.Shikada@paloalto.gov> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 8:53 AM>> To: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> >> Cc: Blackshire, Geoffrey <geo.blackshire@PaloAlto.gov>>> Subject: RE: Kindly forward this message to the Dean >> >> Dear Henry, >> Oh my, so sorry to hear about this! I hope you are recovering well; I'm copying the FireChief to extend your appreciation for the department's excellent response. >> Best regards,>> --Ed >> >> >> -----Original Message----->> From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 1:16 AM>> To: Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu> >> Cc: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>; Shikada, Ed<Edward.Shikada@paloalto.gov>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>; Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>>> Subject: Kindly forward this message to the Dean >> >> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.>> >> Dear Dean Satz>> >> I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry for rescuing me at the PaloAlto station this past early Thursday evening. he observed my falling back from entering the train, hitting the back of my head hard on the station platform. Observing my attempt toreboard, he pointed out my bloody head and persuaded me to desist. after seeing me safely on to the platform he called Palo Alto fire department emergency services and remained at handas an eyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from the tracks. My thanks for calm help and multifaceted attention to the train service, emergency services and myself.>> >> Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs, administered the Palo Alto2025 cognitive test and an ekg. My wife was called and they guided her to find me using the pumper as a land mark. I declined their kind offer to take me to the Stanford emergency roomfor treatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper and ambulance once I had a driver. My heartfelt thanks for prompt, friendly, courteous assistance.>> >> I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto and Stanford Universitycooperation and sent my best wishes via the fire crew to Joe Penko, Union representative >> >> Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at the platform train boarding interface ,like many transit systems, to break patron's fall>> >> Sincerely>> Henry Etzkowitz >> Sociology department>> Stanford University >> >> >> >> >> Sent from my iPhone>> > From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Blackshire, Geoffrey; Council, City; Joe Penko; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Office of the Provost Cc:Shikada, Ed Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Sunday, April 20, 2025 9:29:04 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear Ed Thanks for your encouraging words, best wishes and intro to Chief Blackshire I am recovering from concussion, whiplash and disorientation, a Precarious situation that. Could have been far worse without a sturdy Borsalino moderating he impact on my skull andthe essential intervention on the part of a fellow traveler from Dean Satz’s staff as I later learned, Who helped me from brief loss of consciousness to awareness of my bloody condition and persuaded that it was best not to persist in trying to get back. on the Cal train, calledemergency services, let the train know to wait etc Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone > On Apr 15, 2025, at 9:23 AM, Blackshire, Geoffrey <geo.blackshire@paloalto.gov> wrote: > > Good morning Henry, > > I sincerely hope this message finds you well. > > Thank you for taking the time to convey your appreciation for the Palo Alto Fire Department's services during your unfortunate event. I am confident that our firefighters takegreat care of every patient we encounter. Still, it is always appreciated when someone takes the time to send a message confirming our commitment to excellent customer service.> > I have identified all the firefighters that responded to your emergency. I will make sure thatthey are made aware of your kind sentiment. > > Best regards, > > Geo Blackshire > Fire Chief> Palo Alto Fire Department > (650) 329-2424> www.cityofpaloalto.gov > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Shikada, Ed <Edward.Shikada@paloalto.gov>> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 8:53 AM > To: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>> Cc: Blackshire, Geoffrey <geo.blackshire@PaloAlto.gov> > Subject: RE: Kindly forward this message to the Dean> > Dear Henry,> Oh my, so sorry to hear about this! I hope you are recovering well; I'm copying the Fire Chief to extend your appreciation for the department's excellent response.> Best regards, > --Ed> > > -----Original Message----- > From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 1:16 AM > To: Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>> Cc: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>; Shikada, Ed <Edward.Shikada@paloalto.gov>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>; Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> > Subject: Kindly forward this message to the Dean> > CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. > > Dear Dean Satz > > I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry for rescuing me at the Palo Alto station this past early Thursday evening. he observed my falling back from entering thetrain, hitting the back of my head hard on the station platform. Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out my bloody head and persuaded me to desist. after seeing me safely onto the platform he called Palo Alto fire department emergency services and remained at hand as an eyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from the tracks. My thanksfor calm help and multifaceted attention to the train service, emergency services and myself. > > Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs, administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and an ekg. My wife was called and they guided her to find me using thepumper as a land mark. I declined their kind offer to take me to the Stanford emergency room for treatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper and ambulance once I had a driver. My heartfeltthanks for prompt, friendly, courteous assistance. > > I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto and Stanford University cooperation and sent my best wishes via the fire crew to Joe Penko, Union representative> > Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at the platform train boardinginterface ,like many transit systems, to break patron's fall > > Sincerely > Henry Etzkowitz> Sociology department > Stanford University> > > > > Sent from my iPhone > From:Shannon McEntee To:Council, City Subject:Artificial Turf Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 10:51:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and Council Members, I understand that you will be considering whether we should make artificial turf illegal in PaloAlto. I urge you to definitely make artificial turf illegal. Large swaths of artificial turf in public places is environmentally disastrous for any number of reasons - microplastics from the turf as it slowly disintegrates, off gassing of volatile organiccompounds from the plastic, destruction of soil microbiome underneath the “turf,” and heat radiating off artificial turf contributes to global warming! Artificial turf proponents claim thatthere are big maintenance cost and water use savings, but it is my understanding that any savings (if there are any) would hardly outweigh the environmental cost of artificial turf. Please do the right thing for our fragile planet and make artificial turf illegal in Palo Alto. Sincerely, Shannon Rose McEntee 410 Sheridan Avenue This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Reifschneider, James;Wagner, April; Shikada, Ed; Roberta Ahlquist; Foley, Michael; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Pat M; Sean Allen;Afanasiev, Alex; Gennady Sheyner; Henry Etzkowitz; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Bill Newell; Diana Diamond;Damon Silver; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; Lee, Craig; Cribbs, Anne; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg;ParkRec Commission; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Sheriff Transparency Subject:Video: Black Oakland Chef Tased, Detained In Dallas, Says He Was Wrongfully Accused Of Drug Possession Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 10:03:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Video: Black Oakland Dallas, Says He WasWrongfully Accused Of Drug Possessi Video: Black Oakland Chef Tased, Detained In Dallas, Says He Was Wrongfully Accused OfDrug Possession Source: SFist https://share.newsbreak.com/cp70vscw?s=i0 From:Sanne Smith To:Council, City Subject:Writing in support of the Safe Routes to School Program Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 6:07:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, I’m writing to support the Safe Routes to School Program. I am a parent in the PAUSD district and consider this program incredibly important for several reasons. First, encouraging children to walk or bike to school helps them stay active and build healthy habits. It also reduces car traffic around schools, which benefits the environment and improves safety for everyone in the community. In addition, promoting independent travel helps kids develop confidence and responsibility. I believe SRTS supports all of this. I have heard that budget cuts are anticipated and that the bike safety education that SRTS provides might be at risk. Therefore, I am writing to voice my appreciation of SRTS and I hope that the city will continue to support SRTS. Best, Sanne Smith PAUSD parent From:House GOP AlertsTo:Council, CitySubject:Will You Help Me Impeach These Rogue Judges Today?Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 5:21:58 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Elise for Congress Dylan, We're at a critical moment in our nation's history. Unelected judges are blocking President Trump's every move, thinking they can overrule the will of 77 million voters with a single pen stroke. It's a judicial circus, and we must put an end to it. As you know, the House has just passed a bill limiting judges' ability to place injunctions on President Trump's orders. This is a crucial step towards upholding conservative leadership and defending American values. But we can't stop here. I'm rallying Congress to impeach these rogue judges who think they're above the law. I need your support to make it happen. Sign my Patriot Petition today and join me in this fight. Your name sends a strong message to DC that we mean business. And with a donation of $25 or $75, we can seal it with firepower and ensure our voices are heard loud and clear. The stakes are high. These unelected leftists are attacking our borders, our freedom, and everything President Trump has won for us. But I've got his back in the House, and I know you've got mine out here. Sign and donate NOW, and together, we'll end this judicial circus and uphold the will of the American people. SIGN MY PETITION NOW Best, Elise for Congress Elise Stefanik Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership This email was sent to city.council@cityofpaloalto.org. To unsubscribe from future emails, click here. Elise for Congress Text “ELISE” to 33021 to receive mobile alerts from Elise Stefanik! By providing your mobile number, you are opting in to receive fundraising solicitations via text from Elise (33021). Text HELP for help, STOP to end. Message & data rates may apply. Messagefrequency varies. Terms of Service: txtterms.co/33021-2 If you would like to opt out of important campaign updates like this, please click here. It’s because of your generous support that we will take back our country from the radical Left. Thank you again. Privacy Policy: eliseforcongress.com/privacy-privacy To ensure you continue receiving important updates, please add info@elise-emails.com to your address book. Need help? Select your email provider for instructions:iCloud | Gmail | Outlook | Yahoo Mail | AOL Mail Elise for Congress, PO Box 500, Glens Falls, NY 12801, United States Contributions to Elise for Congress are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Paid for by Elise for Congress From:Kara Baker To:Council, City Subject:Support for Safe Routes to School - thank you for your continued commitment! Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 12:35:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, This is Kara Baker writing, co-Traffic Safety Rep for Escondido Elementary School and parent of a Greene Middle School 8th grader. I wanted to express my support for the SafeRoutes to School program and truly hope the City will continue investing in the program at the current level to keep our students safe on their way to and from school. My 8th grader bikes over 4 miles round trip to Greene Middle School every day and without asafe route including crossing guards, I would be reluctant to have him out on the roads. He rides down the very busy Stanford Ave with parked cars along the side, crosses El Camino,goes under the Alma tunnel by the Cal Ave Caltrain, and enjoys the opportunity for independence, being outdoors, and riding with friends. If the City does not plan to spend funds to offer buses for students to get to school, it is ourobligation as a community to provide our students with safe routes and continue to provide a bike safety education so that they can get themselves to school. Particularly with school formiddle schoolers and high schoolers starting at 8:30 or 9am, it is not reasonable for all parents to be able to drive their students to school before getting to their places of employment. Not tomention the traffic that that would entail. The bus used to serve this function where I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but absent a bus, and with the amazing weather that we have in Palo Alto,we cherish the opportunity for our students to bike or walk themselves to school. But in order to do that, they must have safe spaces to ride and bike safety education to help them makegood choices along the way. I would like to thank you for your service to our community and your long standing support and partnership on Safe Routes to School. Thank you again for your time, Kara Baker From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; pat@patburt.org; Office of the Provost; Shikada, Ed; John Salois; Palo Post; Marty Wasserman; Avroh Shah; JimHersh; Rebecca Eisenberg; Gennady Sheyner; Lotus Fong; Jeanne Fleming; Hannah Lu; Mark Granovetter; RoselineRasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Ellen Fox; Mary Rorty; mickie winkler; Charlie Weidanz; Joe Penko; GloriaHom; Carol Kiparsky; Cribbs, Anne; Cari Templeton for Council; Henry Riggs; Aram James; W. James Hersh; Jinx; John Burt; Martha Russell; Whitney McNair; Roberto Islas; Ellen Granovetter; Amalia Tormala; Anne Cribbs; Anika Raffle; Artie; AriFeinsmith; Chunyan Zhou; Will Mancia; Bette Kiernan; Jim Beddows; Uzma Minhas; Christiane Gebhardt; Moacir de MirandaOliveira Júnior; Riccardo Viale; Laleh Raeisy; 翁默斯; poutamha Rabii; rabeh morrar; Josh Schneider; Mariza Almeida; ElaineBerman; John Adeoti; Helen Lawton Smith; Justin Zalkin; Templeton, Cari Subject:Re: Express: Tall Tree Awards celebrate civic leaders | Council spars over code enforcement Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 10:28:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Hello all, Please See VTA story for transit Yellow rubberized band photo. It would have taken 4 times the width to break my backward fall, makeit 5 for taller persons. Best Henry Neighbors for Environmental andSocial JusticeWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 18, 2025, at 4:39 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Palo Alto Online <express@paloaltoonline.com>Date: April 18, 2025 at 10:01:42 AM PDTTo: h.etzko@gmail.comSubject: Express: Tall Tree Awards celebrate civic leaders | Council sparsover code enforcementReply-To: Palo Alto Online <express@paloaltoonline.com>  April 18, 2025 paloalto.express ShortStory-2025-300x100-END MAY 9 Stanford-University-Music-Dept-300x250 Top Stories Simitian-TallTree Civic leaders honored at Tall Tree Awards A pastor committed to social justice and the leader of an effort to establish a history museum in downtown Palo Alto were honored on Thursday night with Tall Tree Awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions by local civic and business leaders. The "Welcome to East Palo Alto" sign along University Avenue on Oct. 14, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. East Palo Alto leaders spar over code enforcement Amid ongoing concerns about unaddressed dumping, illegal construction and other code violations, three East Palo Alto council members pushed city staff Tuesday to take a more proactive approach toward enforcement. Palo Alto Weekly reporter Gennady Sheyner in Palo Alto on Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Magali Gauthier. Veteran journalist promoted to Weekly editor Gennady Sheyner, an award-winning veteran of the Palo Alto Weekly newsroom, has been elevated to editor of the 46-year-old flagship of Embarcadero Media Foundation. Sheyner, who has covered the City Hall beat since 2008, began his new duties earlier this week. Jiang-Xin-1218-Middlefield-Rd-Inline-ad (1) VTA finalizes contracts with three unions, excludes frontline workers Three of VTA’s four unions ratified new contracts for the next four years, leaving the transit agency’s frontline workers hanging. Author J.E. Weiner. Coutesy Rod Searcey. Palo Alto author’s debut spins a spirited story Humans and ghosts inhabit the pages of Palo Alto-based author J.E. Weiner’s “The Wretched and Undone.” The novel tells the story of a Polish immigrant family in a Texan town known as the “cowboy capital of the world” on the eve of the Civil War. Buecheler-Lori-204-Washington-Ave-Inline-ad Magical-Bridge-inline-ad-Aniversary-Celebration We're hiring The Palo Alto Weekly and PaloAltoOnline.com seek committed individuals with a strong interest in community journalism to join our dynamic team. See our job posting. ShortStory-2025-inline-END MAY 9 embarcadero-media-foundation-logo Copyright © 2025 Embarcadero Media Foundation, All rights reserved. You subscribed to one of our sites. Our mailing address is: Embarcadero Media Foundation 2345 Yale St. FL 1 Palo Alto, CA 94306 Add us to your address book You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list. View this email in your browser 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:Last Chance to Sign Up for LWVPA Speaker Event on April 23Date:Saturday, April 19, 2025 10:11:19 AM 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 before Monday, 4/21 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:Deborah Goldeen To:board@pausd.org; Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition Rally Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 9:07:54 PM Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition pulled out all the stops for their rally and only ONE council member shows up? And no one from PAUSD admin or board? The environmentalist legislative juggernaut of the ’70’s that gave us, amongst other things, the endangered species act, came out of the Bay Area and in the Bay Area out of Palo Alto more than anywhere else. What the heck? Deb G., Birch St., 94306 From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Roberta Ahlquist; Office of the Provost; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Rebecca Eisenberg;sally Tomlinson; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Brian Good; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Aram James; TeamJulieforPaloAlto Cc:Ellen Fox; Jeanne Fleming; Joe Penko; Winter Dellenbach; mickie winkler; Aram James Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 7:26:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Typos addressed  Dear Roberta, you know Palo Alto too well as 1970’s Council candidate and activistplacing her body in front of bulldozers destroying low income housing ( some say much low income housing built then but you faced ‘ “the other side of thecoin. “ Most Caltrain riders are workers in Palo Alto not residents, closure, when Menlo Park and East Palo Alto parents came to council to plead for airport Closure, making case planes were spewing carcinogenic fumes on theirkids, were ignored and moving airport toMoffett field as we Learned duration our vip experience at airport day is still Boyle on the agenda though fine with leadership who say Google is the obstacle In solidarity Henry Neighbors for social and economic justice Sent from my iPhone On Apr 18, 2025, at 7:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Don’t hold your breath. Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 6:28 PM, Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com> wrote: I am very glad that you are doing well. Did they installthese rubber mats Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 5:07 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>Date: April 17, 2025 at 4:31:38 PM PDTTo: Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>,Geoffrey Blackshire <Geo.Blackshire@cityofpaloalto.org>,Pat Burt <pat@patburt.org>, Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>, Office of the Provost<provost@stanford.edu>Subject: Re: Kindly forwardthis message to the Dean Dear Chief Appreciate your getting intouch. I would like to requestthat you back up my request tothe City to approach Caltrain toinstall rubberized mats at train entry points. I have noticed thatthey are commonplace at Stanford, Sharon HeightsShopping Center and train services elsewhere. I expectthat if they had been installed at the station where I fell that thecrack would not have been so intense as to require cat scan tocheck for internal bleeding and the sutures that come out thisFriday With thanks in advance and again my appreciation to thecrew! Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 16, 2025, at8:33 PM, Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Henry. Sorry tohear about youraccident. Glad youare doing ok. <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Apr15, 2025,at 1:15 AM,Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: DearDean Satz I wishto expressmy profoundappreciation to yourMr Henryfor rescuingme at thePalo Altostation thispast earlyThursday evening.he observedmy fallingback fromentering thetrain, hitting theback of myhead hardon the stationplatform. Observingmy attemptto reboard,he pointedout my bloodyhead andpersuaded me todesist. afterseeing mesafely on tothe platformhe calledPalo Altofire departmentemergency servicesand remainedat hand as aneyewitness andhelper, retrievingmy sneakerand eyeglassesfrom thetracks. Mythanks forcalm helpand multifacetedattention to thetrain service,emergency servicesand myself. Emergencyservices arrivedshortly, checkedmy vitalsigns, administeredthe PaloAlto 2025cognitive testand an ekg.My wifewas calledand theyguided her tofind meusing thepumper as aland mark. I declinedtheir kindoffer to takeme to theStanford emergencyroom fortreatment, notwanting to tieup a pumperand ambulanceonce I had adriver. Myheartfelt thanksfor prompt,friendly, courteousassistance. I commentedthat the jointeffort was anexample of cityof Alto andStanford Universitycooperation andsent mybest wishesvia the firecrew to JoePenko, Unionrepresentative Policy implicationfor Caltrain:install rubberizedmats at theplatform trainboarding interface,like manytransit systems,to breakpatron’s fall SincerelyHenry EtzkowitzSociology departmentStanford University Sent frommy iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Roberta Ahlquist; Office of the Provost; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Rebecca Eisenberg;sally Tomlinson; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Brian Good; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Aram James; TeamJulieforPaloAlto Cc:Ellen Fox; Jeanne Fleming; Joe Penko; Winter Dellenbach; mickie winkler; Aram James Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 7:18:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Rolll Roberta, you know Palo Alto too well as 1970’s Council candidate and activist placing herbody in front of bulldozers d staying low income housing ( some say much low income housing built then but yo faced ‘ “the other side of the coin. Most riders are workers in Palo Alto not residents when Menlo Park and East Palo Alto parents came to council to plead for airport whose planes were spewing carcinogenic fumesonbtheir kids, were ignored and moving airport to Moffett field as we Learned duration our vip experience at airport day is still Boyle on the agenda though fine with leadership who sayGoogle is the obstacle In solidarity HenryNeighbors for social and economic justice Sent from my iPhone On Apr 18, 2025, at 7:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Don’t hold your breath. Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 6:28 PM, Roberta Ahlquist<finnroberta@gmail.com> wrote:I am very glad that you are doing well. Did they install these rubbermats Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 5:07 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>Date: April 17, 2025 at 4:31:38 PM PDTTo: Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>, Geoffrey Blackshire<Geo.Blackshire@cityofpaloalto.org>, Pat Burt <pat@patburt.org>, Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: City Council<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>, Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>Subject: Re: Kindly forward this messageto the Dean Dear Chief Appreciate your getting in touch. I wouldlike to request that you back up my requestto the City to approach Caltrain to installrubberized mats at train entry points. I havenoticed that they are commonplace atStanford, Sharon Heights Shopping Centerand train services elsewhere. I expect that ifthey had been installed at the station where Ifell that the crack would not have been sointense as to require cat scan to check forinternal bleeding and the sutures that comeout this Friday With thanks in advance and again myappreciation to the crew! Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 16, 2025, at 8:33 PM, Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Henry. Sorry to hear aboutyour accident. Glad you aredoing ok. <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Apr 15, 2025, at1:15 AM, Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Dear Dean Satz I wish to expressmy profound appreciation toyour Mr Henry for rescuing me at thePalo Alto station this past earlyThursday evening. he observed myfalling back from entering the train,hitting the back of my head hard onthe station platform.Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out mybloody head and persuaded me todesist. after seeing me safely on to theplatform he called Palo Alto firedepartment emergency servicesand remained at hand as aneyewitness and helper, retrievingmy sneaker and eyeglasses from thetracks. My thanks for calm help andmultifaceted attention to thetrain service, emergency servicesand myself. Emergency services arrivedshortly, checked my vital signs,administered the Palo Alto 2025cognitive test and an ekg. My wifewas called and they guided her to findme using the pumper as a landmark. I declined their kind offer totake me to the Stanfordemergency room for treatment, notwanting to tie up a pumper andambulance once I had a driver. Myheartfelt thanks for prompt, friendly,courteous assistance. I commented thatthe joint effort was an example of cityof Alto and Stanford Universitycooperation and sent my best wishesvia the fire crew to Joe Penko, Unionrepresentative Policy implication for Caltrain: installrubberized mats at the platform trainboarding interface ,like many transitsystems, to break patron’s fall Sincerely Henry Etzkowitz Sociologydepartment Stanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Roberta Ahlquist; Office of the Provost; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Rebecca Eisenberg;sally Tomlinson; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Brian Good; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Aram James; TeamJulieforPaloAlto Cc:Ellen Fox; Jeanne Fleming; Joe Penko; Aram James; Winter Dellenbach; mickie winkler Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 7:05:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Don’t hold your breath. Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 6:28 PM, Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com> wrote:I am very glad that you are doing well. Did they install these rubber mats Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 5:07 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>Date: April 17, 2025 at 4:31:38 PM PDTTo: Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>, GeoffreyBlackshire <Geo.Blackshire@cityofpaloalto.org>, Pat Burt <pat@patburt.org>, Ed Lauing<Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>,Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>Subject: Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Dear Chief Appreciate your getting in touch. I would like to requestthat you back up my request to the City to approachCaltrain to install rubberized mats at train entry points. Ihave noticed that they are commonplace at Stanford, Sharon Heights Shopping Center and train serviceselsewhere. I expect that if they had been installed at the station where I fell that the crack would not have been sointense as to require cat scan to check for internal bleeding and the sutures that come out this Friday With thanks in advance and again my appreciation to thecrew! Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 16, 2025, at 8:33 PM, Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Henry. Sorry to hear about your accident.Glad you are doing ok. <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Apr 15, 2025, at 1:15 AM,Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>wrote: Dear Dean Satz I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henryfor rescuing me at the Palo Alto station this past early Thursdayevening. he observed my falling back from entering the train,hitting the back of my head hard on the station platform.Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out mybloody head and persuaded me to desist. after seeing mesafely on to the platform he called Palo Alto fire departmentemergency services and remained at hand as aneyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker andeyeglasses from the tracks. My thanks for calm help andmultifaceted attention to the train service, emergencyservices and myself. Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs,administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and an ekg. Mywife was called and they guided her to find me using the pumperas a land mark. I declined their kind offer to take me to theStanford emergency room for treatment, not wanting to tie upa pumper and ambulance once I had a driver. My heartfeltthanks for prompt, friendly, courteous assistance. I commented that the jointeffort was an example of city of Alto and Stanford Universitycooperation and sent my best wishes via the fire crew to JoePenko, Union representative Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at theplatform train boarding interface ,like many transitsystems, to break patron’s fall Sincerely Henry Etzkowitz Sociology department Stanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; pat@patburt.org; Office of the Provost; Shikada, Ed Cc:Joe Penko Subject:Fwd: Express: Tall Tree Awards celebrate civic leaders | Council spars over code enforcement Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 4:39:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. ! Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Palo Alto Online <express@paloaltoonline.com>Date: April 18, 2025 at 10:01:42 AM PDTTo: h.etzko@gmail.comSubject: Express: Tall Tree Awards celebrate civic leaders | Council spars overcode enforcementReply-To: Palo Alto Online <express@paloaltoonline.com>  April 18, 2025 This message could be suspiciousSimilar name as someone you've contacted. This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast paloalto.express ShortStory-2025-300x100-END MAY 9 Stanford-University-Music-Dept-300x250 Top Stories Simitian-TallTree Civic leaders honored at Tall Tree Awards A pastor committed to social justice and the leader of an effort to establish a history museum in downtown Palo Alto were honored on Thursday night with Tall Tree Awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions by local civic and business leaders. The "Welcome to East Palo Alto" sign along University Avenue on Oct. 14, 2020. Photo by Magali Gauthier. East Palo Alto leaders spar over code enforcement Amid ongoing concerns about unaddressed dumping, illegal construction and other code violations, three East Palo Alto council members pushed city staff Tuesday to take a more proactive approach toward enforcement. Palo Alto Weekly reporter Gennady Sheyner in Palo Alto on Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Magali Gauthier. Veteran journalist promoted to Weekly editor Gennady Sheyner, an award-winning veteran of the Palo Alto Weekly newsroom, has been elevated to editor of the 46-year-old flagship of Embarcadero Media Foundation. Sheyner, who has covered the City Hall beat since 2008, began his new duties earlier this week. Jiang-Xin-1218-Middlefield-Rd-Inline-ad (1) VTA finalizes contracts with three unions, excludes frontline workers Three of VTA’s four unions ratified new contracts for the next four years, leaving the transit agency’s frontline workers hanging. Author J.E. Weiner. Coutesy Rod Searcey. Palo Alto author’s debut spins a spirited story Humans and ghosts inhabit the pages of Palo Alto-based author J.E. Weiner’s “The Wretched and Undone.” The novel tells the story of a Polish immigrant family in a Texan town known as the “cowboy capital of the world” on the eve of the Civil War. Buecheler-Lori-204-Washington-Ave-Inline-ad Magical-Bridge-inline-ad-Aniversary-Celebration We're hiring The Palo Alto Weekly and PaloAltoOnline.com seek committed individuals with a strong interest in community journalism to join our dynamic team. See our job posting. ShortStory-2025-inline-END MAY 9 embarcadero-media-foundation-logo Copyright © 2025 Embarcadero Media Foundation, All rights reserved. You subscribed to one of our sites. Our mailing address is: Embarcadero Media Foundation 2345 Yale St. FL 1 Palo Alto, CA 94306 Add us to your address book You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list. View this email in your browser From:Patrick Kelly To:Marguerite Poyatos; Becchetti, Benjamin; Dave Stellman; news@padailypost.com; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; Maor Greenberg; Gaines,Chantal; Osbaldo R; Manu Kumar; Dave Stellman; City.Manager@paloalto.gov; 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; Romain Clerou; Jade Jin; Xenia Czisch; City Attorney; Lauing, Ed;Veenker, Vicki; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Tony Subject:Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 10:21:02 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Hi all, Bringing back to the front the topic of safety. Our employees continue to be put at unnecessary risk because of abandoned vehicles along these streets. The vehicle on Industrial in front of OneMove has been completely abandoned for months and has not moved an inch in years. This vehicle obstructs visibility for the entire street at a very dangerous intersection with many pedestrians (including children from PAUSD) that are at risk. This needs to be addressed. To Marguerite's question: What is the acceptable time to be parked? Per regulations, this vehicle is far past the 72hr limit. I would be happy to commission a traffic engineer if that is what is needed to justify towing this vehicle. It sounds a lot less expensive than a lawsuit stemming from a catastrophic incident from an otherwise entirely preventable situation. Respectfully, Patrick From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 1:51 PM To: Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; news@padailypost.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>; Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; Osbaldo R <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City.Manager@paloalto.gov <City.Manager@paloalto.gov>; 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>; Drew Maran <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>; 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>; 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 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 vehiclesrarely 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 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 <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> <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 govsophospsmartbannerendA 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 tomake it go away. Dave StellmanTransport 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, publicsafety, and business rights in the area. The City of Palo Alto hasboth the authority and obligation to take immediate and decisive action to protect its residents,businesses, and public spaces. Allowing illegally parked,unsafe, and hazardous RVs topersist is unacceptable and directly violates state and localregulations. Below are specific legal and factual challenges to the City’s approach, along withdemands 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 lack valid registration, making theirpresence illegal. Further, under California Vehicle Code §22651(o) and PAMC §10.48.120, any vehicle unregistered for six months or more may be towed immediately. Additionally, vehicles withexposed sewage tanks, missing wheels, or other structuralhazards are in direct violation of California Vehicle Code §24002, which prohibits parkingor operating vehicles in unsafe conditions. These RVs alsocreate a public health hazardunder California Health and Safety Code § 117490, whichprohibits 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 are being 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 allows for the removal of vehicles that are “wrecked, dismantled, orinoperative,” even if they are moved every 72 hours. The Cityhas the authority to act, andfailing to do so jeopardizes public safety and traffic flow. 4. Public Safety andSanitation Violations The exposed sewage tanks, illegal dumping, and generalneglect by these RV occupants pose 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 and driveways is a clear violationof California Vehicle Code §22500, which prohibits parking that obstructs traffic flow oraccess. 5. Impact on Businesses andTraffic Flow Businesses in the area aresuffering due to blocked roadways, 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 businessesand residents. The City’s failure to allocate parking for business deliveries,customers, or even emergencyservices is a gross dereliction of duty. Blocking roadways for longperiods 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 following regulations:• 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 andSafety Code § 117490: Prohibits illegal wastedisposal. • California Vehicle Code §21101(c): Permits parkingrestrictions to ensure safety. We demand the immediate implementation of the followingmeasures: 1. Impound all unregistered, unsafe, or inoperative RVswithin two weeks. 2. Establish designatedloading zones and 2-hour parking areas near businesses. 3. Conduct regular sanitationinspections and impose penalties for violations.4. Provide a clear timeline forresolution and enforcement updates. The continued failure to actexposes the City to liability for neglecting public health andsafety under CaliforniaGovernment Code § 815.6, which requires municipalities toperform mandatory duties. We expect a formal response with a clear action plan within 14 days.If no satisfactory action is taken, we reserve the right to escalatethis 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> <insta_26696304-1b39- <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> 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 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 resources available 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/Commercialconcerns 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 Code22651(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. <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 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 try to vigilant and call the non-emergency police line toconfront situations. Officerswill come out and at the verymost, they will go and have aconversation 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>;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>; MelissaMcDonough<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/Commercialconcerns 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 at3:08 PM Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com>wrote: This is ridiculous. TheSupreme Court hasgiven cities in the stateof California more toolsto crack down onhomeless camps andillegally parked and stored 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, at1:42 PM,ManuKumar<manu@k9ventures.com>wrote: Here aresomepicturesfrom mywalkaround theblock aweekago.. <IMG_1556.jpeg><IMG_1557.jpeg> I countedat least 10RVs justonCommercialSt.... toomany toeven fit ononecameraframe. Andthat's notevencountingthe onesall overTransportand Industrial.Some ofthe RVsalso haveothersupporting vehiclesas noted inprioremail. The City ofPalo Altoclearlydoesn'tcare aboutbusinessesand wouldratherhave thestreets beaneyesore,sidewalksbeunusableto walk on,andparkingspots notbeavailabletocustomers/clientsoremployees. Warmregards, --Marguerite PoyatosPalo Alto Glass, Inc.4085 Transport Street Palo 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 Poyatos Palo 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 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 Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000 (650) 494-7087 (FAX) From:Marguerite Poyatos To:Patrick Kelly Cc:Becchetti, Benjamin; Dave Stellman; news@padailypost.com; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; Maor Greenberg; Gaines, Chantal; Osbaldo R; ManuKumar; Dave Stellman; City.Manager@paloalto.gov; 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; Romain Clerou; Jade Jin; Xenia Czisch; City Attorney; Lauing, Ed; Veenker, Vicki; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Tony Subject:Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial Safety Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 10:16:19 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Please also note, the vehicles in the pictures I previously attached have also STILL NOT MOVED. On Fri, Apr 18, 2025 at 10:12 AM Patrick Kelly <Patrick.Kelly@dmdsystems.com> wrote: Hi all, Bringing back to the front the topic of safety. Our employees continue to be put at unnecessary risk because of abandoned vehicles along these streets. The vehicle on Industrial in front of OneMove has been completely abandoned for months and has not moved an inch in years. This vehicle obstructs visibility for the entire street at a very dangerous intersection with many pedestrians (including children from PAUSD) that are at risk. This needs to be addressed. To Marguerite's question: What is the acceptable time to be parked? Per regulations, this vehicle is far past the 72hr limit. I would be happy to commission a traffic engineer if that is what is needed to justify towing this vehicle. It sounds a lot less expensive than a lawsuit stemming from a catastrophic incident from an otherwise entirely preventable situation. Respectfully, Patrick From: Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 1:51 PM To: Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org>; Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; news@padailypost.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>; Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org <Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>; Osbaldo R <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com>; City.Manager@paloalto.gov <City.Manager@paloalto.gov>; 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>; Drew Maran <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>; 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>; 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 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 our street 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 vehiclesrarely 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 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 <email-signture_87b8d7a2-c4f4-4cbf-b474-af2f32118dd2.png> <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: 650.492.9003patrick.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 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 thethings 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 waste dumping 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 tomake 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 and ongoing violations of law, publicsafety, and business rights in the area. The City of Palo Alto has both the authority and obligationto take immediate and decisive action 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 and Unsafe 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 their presence illegal. Further,under California Vehicle 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, missingwheels, or other structural hazards are in direct violationof California Vehicle Code § 24002, which prohibits parkingor operating vehicles in unsafe conditions. These RVs also create a public health hazardunder California Health and Safety Code § 117490, whichprohibits 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 that many RVs are circumventing the72-hour rule by wiping off chalk markings rather than physicallymoving. This is blatant non- compliance and undermines the intent of the ordinance. Furthermore, California Vehicle Code § 22669 explicitly allowsfor the removal of vehicles that are “wrecked, dismantled, orinoperative,” even if they are moved every 72 hours. The Cityhas the authority to act, and failing to do so jeopardizes public safety and traffic flow. 4. Public Safety andSanitation Violations The exposed sewage tanks, illegal dumping, and generalneglect by these RV occupants pose significant health andenvironmental risks. The City’s failure to enforce sanitation laws,such as California Health andSafety Code §117490 and PAMC § 16.09.100, endangers residents, workers, andthe environment. Additionally, blocking roadways anddriveways is a clear violation of California Vehicle Code § 22500, which prohibits parkingthat 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 businessesand 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 thelegal authority and responsibility to act under the followingregulations: • PAMC § 10.48.120: Authorizes the removal ofunregistered vehicles. • California Vehicle Code §22651(o): Allows towing of unregistered vehicles. • California Vehicle Code §22669: Mandates removal of inoperative vehicles. • California Health andSafety Code § 117490: Prohibits illegal wastedisposal. • California Vehicle Code § 21101(c): Permits parkingrestrictions to ensure safety. We demand the immediateimplementation of the following measures: 1. Impound all unregistered, unsafe, or inoperative RVs within 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 for resolution and enforcementupdates. The continued failure to actexposes the City to liability for neglecting public health andsafety under California Government Code § 815.6,which requires municipalities to perform mandatory duties. Weexpect a formal response with aclear 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. <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: 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 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 well as 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/Commercialconcerns 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, unregistered vehicles, 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 Code22651(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 in our 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 | 650-610-7711 Greenberg.Construction | 650- 600-9536 x101 | Fax 925-269- 2325 908 Industrial Ave, Palo Alto 94303 <image004.png> <image003.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 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 aconversation 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>;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>; MelissaMcDonough<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/Commercialconcerns 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 at3:08 PM Dave Stellman<davestellman@gmail.com>wrote: This is ridiculous. TheSupreme 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, at1:42 PM,ManuKumar<manu@k9ventures.com>wrote: Here aresomepicturesfrom mywalkaround theblock aweek ago.. <IMG_1556.jpeg><IMG_1557.jpeg> I countedat least 10RVs justonCommercialSt.... toomany toeven fit ononecameraframe. Andthat's notevencountingthe onesall overTransportandIndustrial.Some ofthe RVsalso haveothersupporting vehiclesas noted inprioremail. The City ofPalo Altoclearlydoesn'tcare aboutbusinessesand wouldratherhave thestreets beaneyesore,sidewalksbeunusableto walk on,andparkingspots notbeavailabletocustomers/clientsoremployees. 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) -- Marguerite Poyatos Palo Alto Glass, Inc. 4085 Transport Street Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 494-7000(650) 494-7087 (FAX) From:Angela Dellaporta To:Council, City Subject:Addendum! Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 9:35:21 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, I have just been informed that the website I looked at for Lloyd’s Turf and Landscaping may not be the same company that you have hired. Or is it? Is Lloyd’s Consulting Group associated with Lloyd’s Turf and Landscaping? Whatpercentage of the sports projects they do turn out to be artificial turf? Most importantly, do they include the health and safety of the community and the environment in their assessments? I have also just been informed that the decision to hire them is already a done deal and that thevote on Monday just a formality. I am frankly surprised that you would want to spend city money on a study that will provide you with information that is already available — and to spend it on a company that is notfocused on health and safety of the community. I may not have the full story here — wish that I did! Angela Dellaporta From:Angela Dellaporta To:Council, City Subject:Monday’s vote Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 8:50:06 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, You will be voting Monday on whether to spend tax money on hiring Lloyd’s Turf and Landscaping to make their recommendation regarding the type of surfacing for future playing fields and playgrounds in Palo Alto. I urge you to vote no. I am sure that Lloyd’s would approach this task with a lack of bias, even though — as they declare on their website — they “specialize in all applications of artificial turf”. Their website also has a thorough list of the benefits of artificial turf, though nothing that I could find on the benefits of natural grass. However, as it turns out, there is no need for you to spend a large sum of city assets to ask Lloyds to compare the merits of artificial turf versus natural grass, since this research has been done already by an independent government agency: “Established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1989, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) is an independent government agency with a mandate to help protect workers, communities and the environment from toxic chemicals and pollution. Working in close collaboration with businesses of all sizes, as well as government agencies, local communities and international organizations, TURI helps identify actions companies and communities can take to protect workers and public health.” I am sure that Turi’s goals align with your goals for the citizens of Palo Alto — that is, to protect the health of the community and the environment from toxic chemicals and pollution. Turi’s meticulously researched paper comparing playing field surfaces notes that artificial turf gets very hot (difficult for athletes); causes injuries; emits dangerous gasses, and results in broad and long lasting environmental damage. Since it needs to be replaced every 8 years or so, disposal is a major problem. You may be particularly interested in the table that points out that artificial turf, over the course of 16 years, costs 2.5 times as much as natural grass. Here is a link to the short version: https://www.turi.org/publications/artificial-turf/ Here is a longer version of the same paper: https://www.turi.org/publications/athletic-playing-fields-choosing-safer-options-for- health-and-the-environment/ Another paper — also researched in depth — examines the merits of different playground surfacing alternatives specifically for the use of municipalities making decisions about what is best for their community. You will again be interested in the comparison tables. https://www.turi.org/publications/playground-surfacing-choosing-safer-materials-for- childrens-health-and-the-environment/ I encourage you to peruse these excellent sources rather than pay a company that specializes in artificial turf to replicate what has already been done by an independent research organization whose goal is to protect citizens and the environment. I also encourage you to reach out to the Millbrae city council members to learn more about their decision to prohibit all artificial turf landscaping “to protect and enhance the health, safety and general welfare of residents and to protect the water quality of our watercourses, water bodies and wetlands in a manner pursuant to and consistent with the state and federal regulations and permits, including the Clean Water Act.” Their goals, too, align with yours, I am sure. https://www.ci.millbrae.ca.us/276/Prohibition-of-Artificial-Turf Thank you very much for all the work you do for the community! Angela Dellaporta From:City Mgr To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Clerk, City; City Mgr; Executive Leadership Team Subject:City Council Bundle - April 18 Date:Friday, April 18, 2025 8:49:25 AM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngFW Middlefield and Loma Verde Shopping Center.msgFW Issues at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden.msgFW traffic light on State Route 82El Camino at Page Mill.msgRE Roundabout on E. Meadow.msgRE IndustrialTransportCommercial Safety.msgNOT ebikes.msgRe Formal complaint about overbearing house next door.msgRE Boulware Park - This Is Open.msgRe Request for Review of High-Voltage Lines Near Emerson school Greer Park Health and Safety Concern.msg Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please see the attached staff responses to emails received in the City.Council inbox through April 18, 2025. Respectfully, Danille Danille RiceAdministrative AssistantCity Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org From:Olenka S. Villarreal To:Council, City Subject:Community connections and magical celebrations Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 9:45:21 PM Attachments:Magical Series Events Banner 2025 (1) (1).pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Hello Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker and Councilmembers Burt, Lu, Lythcott-Haims and Reckdahl, It has been great fun to provide inclusive multigenerational programs for Palo Alto through our Magical Series partnership. I wanted to be sure you all had our Spring/Summer event schedule where you'll discover many opportunities to connect with local friends and families - both on and off the playground. This weekend, you'll find talented neurodiverse musicians at Lytton Plaza tomorrow (Friday) night at 7:00PM and a full day of fun on the playground as Magical Bridge Palo Alto celebrates its 10-year anniversary Saturday (10AM-7:30PM). Thank you for approving this magical relationship, and please be on the lookout for our impact report early July. Warmly, Olenka Olenka S. Villarreal | Founder and Chief Executive Officer Magical Bridge Foundation | a 501(c)3 non-profit 650-380-1557 | magicalbridge.org "The Magic of a Magical Bridge" My TedTalk on Intentional Design Please join us on Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn 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 Community programs brought to you by Magical Bridge and the City of Palo Alto: magicalbridge.org/paloaltoevents MON, APRIL 14 4:00 - 5:00 PM FRI, APRIL 18 7:00 - 8:30 PM SAT, APRIL 19 10:00 - 5:00 PM 5:00 - 7:30 PM MON, APRIL 21 4:00 - 5:00 PM FRI, MAY 2 7:00 - 8:30 PM SUN, MAY 4 2:00 - 3:00 PM Adaptive Afternoon Art Mitchell Park Library All-Ability Artist Performance Lytton Plaza Magical Bridge Celebration and Light the Lantern Event Magical Bridge Playground Adaptive Afternoon Art Mitchell Park Library All-Ability Artist Performance Lytton Plaza Bridges in Music Concert Magical Bridge Playground WED, MAY 7 5:00 - 6:00 PM WED, MAY 14 5:00 - 6:00 PM SAT, MAY 17 7:00 - 8:30 PM WED, MAY 28 5:00 - 6:00 PM SUN, JUNE 1 2:00 - 3:00 PM FRI, JUNE 13 6:00 - 7:30 PM Paint and Sip (Mocktails) Lucie Stern Community Room Music and Movement Lucie Stern Community Room Community Open-Mic Night Lucie Stern Ballroom Social Games and Bingo Lucie Stern Community Room Bridges in Music Concert Magical Bridge Playground Magical Summer Concert Magical Bridge Playground MAGICAL SERIES CALENDAR OF EVENTS – PALO ALTO FRI, JUNE 27 6:00 - 7:30 PM SUN, JULY 6 2:00 - 3:00 PM SUN, JULY 11 6:00 - 7:30 PM SUN, JULY 25 6:00 - 7:30 PM Magical Summer Concert Magical Bridge Playground Bridges in Music Concert Magical Bridge Playground Magical Summer Concert Magical Bridge Playground Magical Summer Concert Magical Bridge Playground Join us this Spring and Summer for Magical Series Events across Palo Alto — family fun on and o the playground! Magical Tennis and Friendship Sundays: April 13, April 27, May 4 10:30 - 11:45 AM • Cubberly Courts 1 and 4 Come Celebrate with Us! MAGICAL BRIDGE10YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Saturday, April 19, 2025 10:00 AM - 7:30 PM Magical Bridge Playground Mitchell Park, Palo Alto Music Performances, Magic Show, Crafts, Bake Sale, and more! Stay for theLIGHT THE LANTERN TEEN EVENT 5:00  7:30 PM Hosted by Neurodiversity Hooray! Palo Alto High School Club From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Joe Penko; Blackshire, Geoffrey; pat@patburt.org; Lauing, Ed Cc:Council, City; Office of the Provost Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 5:03:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone On Apr 17, 2025, at 4:31 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote:Dear Chief Appreciate your getting in touch. I would like to request that you back up myrequest to the City to approach Caltrain to install rubberized mats at train entrypoints. I have noticed that they are commonplace at Stanford, Sharon HeightsShopping Center and train services elsewhere. I expect that if they had beeninstalled place at the station where I fell that the crack would not have been sointense as to require car scan to check for internal bleeding and the sutures thatcome out this Friday With thanks in advance and again my appreciation to the crew! Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 16, 2025, at 8:33 PM, Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote:Hi Henry. Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you are doing ok. <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Apr 15, 2025, at 1:15 AM, Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Dear Dean Satz I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry for rescuing me at the Palo Alto station this pastearly Thursday evening. he observed my falling back from entering the train, hitting the back of my head hardon the station platform. Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out my bloody head and persuadedme to desist. after seeing me safely on to the platform he called Palo Alto fire department emergency servicesand remained at hand as an eyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from the tracks. My thanks for calm help and multifaceted attention to the train service, emergency services and myself. Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vitalsigns, administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and an ekg. My wife was called and they guided her to findme using the pumper as a land mark. I declined their kind offer to take me to the Stanford emergency room fortreatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper and ambulance once I had a driver. My heartfelt thanks for prompt,friendly, courteous assistance. I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto and Stanford University cooperation and sent mybest wishes via the fire crew to Joe Penko, Union representative Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats atthe platform train boarding interface ,like many transit systems, to break patron’s fall Sincerely Henry Etzkowitz Sociology department Stanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Joe Penko; Blackshire, Geoffrey; pat@patburt.org; Lauing, Ed Cc:Council, City; Office of the Provost Subject:Re: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 4:31:42 PM Attachments:image002.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.Dear Chief Appreciate your getting in touch. I would like to request that you back up my request to theCity to approach Caltrain to install rubberized mats at train entry points. I have noticed thatthey are commonplace at Stanford, Sharon Heights Shopping Center and train serviceselsewhere. I expect that if they had been installed place at the station where I fell that thecrack would not have been so intense as to require car scan to check for internal bleeding andthe sutures that come out this Friday With thanks in advance and again my appreciation to the crew! Best regards HenryWww.triplehelix.net Sent from my iPhone On Apr 16, 2025, at 8:33 PM, Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote:Hi Henry. Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you are doing ok. Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Apr 15, 2025, at 1:15 AM, Henry Etzkowitz<henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net> wrote: Dear Dean Satz I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry forrescuing me at the Palo Alto station this past early Thursday evening.he observed my falling back from entering the train, hitting the backof my head hard on the station platform. Observing my attempt toreboard, he pointed out my bloody head and persuaded me to desist. after seeing me safely on to the platform he called Palo Alto firedepartment emergency services and remained at hand as aneyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from thetracks. My thanks for calm help and multifaceted attention to thetrain service, emergency services and myself. Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs,administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and an ekg. My wifewas called and they guided her to find me using the pumper as a landmark. I declined their kind offer to take me to the Stanfordemergency room for treatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper andambulance once I had a driver. My heartfelt thanks for prompt,friendly, courteous assistance. I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto andStanford University cooperation and sent my best wishes via the firecrew to Joe Penko, Union representative Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at theplatform train boarding interface ,like many transit systems, to breakpatron’s fall Sincerely Henry Etzkowitz Sociology department Stanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Dashiell Leeds To:Council, City Cc:Kristen.O=?UTF-8?B?4oCZ?=Kane@cityofpaloalto.org; Steve.Castile@paloalto.gov; Ah Yun, Mahealani; James Eggers; Mike Ferreira; Gita Dev; Sue Chow Subject:Sierra Club Recommendations related to Turf Study (Item 12 on the April 21 Council Agenda) Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 4:21:42 PM Attachments:SCLP Letter to Palo Alto re artificial turf April 17 2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and Palo Alto Councilmembers, The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter applauds the City of Palo Alto’s dedication to ensuring that public health and the environment are not endangered by plastic grass fields. At this point, knowing that Palo Alto has plans to hire Lloyd Consulting to do much of the research comparing natural grass and synthetic turf fields, we have a few recommendations to share. Please read the attached letter for our full recommendations. Sustainably Yours, Sue Chow, Ph.D Palo Alto Resident Co-Chair, Peninsula Regional Group Organizer, Environmental Stewardship Program Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter email sent from account of Dashiell Leeds Conservation Coordinator Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter This message needs your attention This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA & SAN BENITO COUNTIES Palo Alto City Council April 17, 2025 250 Hamilton Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 By email to: city.council@PaloAlto.gov Re: Sierra Club Recommendations related to Turf Study (Item 12 on the April 21 Council Agenda) Dear Mayor Lauing and Palo Alto Councilmembers, The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter applauds the City of Palo Alto’s dedication to ensuring that public health and the environment are not endangered by plastic grass fields. At this point, knowing that Palo Alto has plans to hire Lloyd Consulting to do much of the research comparing natural grass and synthetic turf fields, we have a few recommendations to share. 1. First, we would like to stress that it should not be necessary for Palo Alto to spend a significant sum to hire outside consultants. There are many resources in the public domain, such as the July 2024 comprehensive study by Montgomery County (Maryland) staff, titled “A Comparison of Natural Grass and Synthetic Fields”(1) The main omission in this Montgomery County comparison study is that the authors did not compare synthetic turf to organically-managed grass fields. Therefore, in one section they erroneously concluded that the carbon footprint of natural grass fields was higher than that of synthetic fields (p.iv). We strongly recommend that if you do decide to first proceed with a study, regardless of whether city staff or Lloyd does it, then you include organic grass fields as a key comparison category. 2. Second, we strongly recommend that you apply the precautionary principle and prioritize public health and environmental impact as the most important factors. Without prioritization, one will always be tempted to let practical factors take precedence, such as playtime or easier maintenance claims. While there are no large scale epidemiological studies on the health impact of artificial turf, there are many animal and in vitro studies (2) that have shown that the chemicals used in artificial turf are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins. Moreover, a recent study by Mount Sinai and TURI (Toxic Use Reduction Institute) found the presence of carcinogens and neurotoxins such as lead, zinc, and black carbon in virtually all alternative infill materials examined (3a). Other studies have found toxic chemicals and heavy metals in the grass blades as well. (3b) The fact is that even without the old crumb rubber infills, the plastic grass blades will most likely still have PFAS because PFAS is an essential ingredient in the manufacturing processes. Despite the denials of synthetic turf vendors, recent testing of new artificial turf by the Center for Environmental Health showed very high levels of PFOS, a type of PFAS. (4) Even if all toxic chemicals were to vanish from artificial turf, the fact still remains that artificial turf is plastic, cannot be recycled, and therefore, will add to the scourge of micro and nanoplastics in our air, water, and soil. There has been a growing body of recent research studies showing that micro and nanoplastics have been found in our organs and our brains. Studies (both animal and in vitro) (5) have found that micro and nanoplastics can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, damaging neurons and causing neuroinflammation associated with memory loss, dementia, behavioral change and other adverse conditions. The authors of a recent survey of the scientific literature on the subject (6) concluded that the toxic effects of microplastics consist of DNA damage, organ dysfunction, metabolic disorder, neuro as well as reproductive and developmental toxicity. Moreover, based on available evidence, some scientists have suggested that microplastics in the human body could be a driver behind the alarming rise of colon cancer in young people.(7) The key point is that even without toxic chemicals in synthetic turf, we must consider the fact that the unrecyclable plastic substance itself would contribute to the global plastic proliferation crisis linked to extremely serious health conditions and environmental harms such as soil, waterways, and air contamination, wildlife deaths, ecosystem degradation, and increases in CO2 emissions stemming from plastic production. 3. Our third and last point is that there is a learning curve involved in choosing and maintaining organic natural grass fields. If the right kind of grass is chosen and best organic management practices are implemented, Palo Alto will end up with healthy grass fields that offer ample playtime, such as the organically-managed natural grass fields in Marblehead MA. (8) The Marblehead, MA fields are normally seldom used in the winter, but can, nonetheless, achieve playtimes as high as 1860 hours annually; this points to the possibility that in California where year-round play is possible, well-managed grass fields can provide ample playtime. In Sydney, Australia, where the climate is similar to ours, organic athletic fields are become increasingly popular and the playtimes are very robust. Here is a 6-minute video on the subject and a peer reviewed paper “Best Practice Sporting Fields” (9) by an agronomist and a water efficiency specialist. Unlike the artificial turf industry that has multiple players and aggressive sales outreach to municipalities, there are very few commercial natural grass operations that have the expertise and experience that will enable them to competently handle installations of organic fields and be able to teach field management techniques to city staff. Given this situation, we have contacted the leading non-profit organization, Beyond Pesticides, that is dedicated to assisting municipalities with advice and consultations about how to maintain optimal natural grass fields.(10) Because Beyond Pesticides does not do the actual work of conversion, installation, etc., we are assembling a group of experienced people who can work closely with city staff and Beyond Pesticides to implement the latter’s recommendations. In summary, please consider following the precautionary principle by taking the first step of prioritizing public health and environmental impact. Many groups without vested interests, such as the Santa Clara County Medical Association (11), are strongly in favor of natural grass. The authors of the aforementioned 2024 study by Montgomery County (MD) had many positive things to say about the practical merits of synthetic turf, but they endorsed natural grass fields in their summary: “While the report notes some benefits [referring to synthetic turf], the negative impacts to the environment and health of users from the use of synthetic turf raise serious concerns… Due to these negative impacts, we recommend that the County prioritize the use of natural grass fields, and investments should be made to ensure that natural fields are constructed and maintained using best practices” (12) Please join them by prioritizing sustainability and the health and welfare of city residents by making a firm commitment to supporting organically-managed grass fields. We hope you will continue in your role as leaders at the forefront of public health and environmental protection. We will do everything we can to assist you. Sustainably Yours, Sue Chow, Ph.D Palo Alto Resident Co-Chair, Peninsula Regional Group Organizer, Environmental Stewardship Program Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter cc: James Eggers Chapter Director Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter FOOTNOTES: 1 A Comparison of Natural Grass and Synthetic Turf and Athletic Fields in Montgomery County https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OLO/Resources/Files/2024_reports/OLOReport2024- 12.pdf 2 Health Impacts of Artificial Turf: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10262297/ 3.a. Position statement on the Use of Artificial Turf Surfaces https://mountsinaiexposomics.org/position-statement-on-the-use-of-artificial-turf-surfaces/ 3 b. Chemical Exposure in Artificial Turf: https://3littleplums.com/blog/chemical-exposure-in-artificial-turf-what-parents-need-to-know 4. New Testing Reveals High Levels of Toxic PFAS in Artificial Turf https://ceh.org/latest/press-releases/new-testing-reveals-high-levels-of-toxic-pfas-in-artificial- turf/ 5. Nano/Microplastic, An Invisible Threat Getting into the Brain https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524012736 6. Potential Health Impact of Microplastics https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/envhealth.3c00052 7. Could Microplastics be a Driver for Early Onset Colo-Rectal Cancer? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10340669/ 8. Natural Grass Playing Field Case Study: Marblehead MA https://www.turi.org/publications/organic-grass-playing-fields/ 9. Video: Evidence on Plastic Turf is Not Necessary (Australia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwA23HWGZ7M Best Practices Sporting fields https://www.hunterwater.com.au/business/best-practice-guidelines 10. Beyond Pesticides https://www.beyondpesticides.org/ 11. Santa Clara County Medical Association: Recommendation to replace artificial turf with natural turf at Saratoga High School https://www.sccma.org/Portals/13/Artifical%20Turf%20-%20Final.pdf?ver=R- TnPJEEZMQXQ5EcASVNvg%3d%3d 12. A Comparison of Natural Grass and Synthetic Turf and Athletic Fields in Montgomery County https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OLO/Resources/Files/2024_reports/OLOReport2024- 12.pdf page 2 California High-Speed Rail Authority From:Loran Harding To:Mark Standriff; Mayor; Council, City; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; David Balakian; dennisbalakian; dallen1212@gmail.com; huidentalsanmateo; kfsndesk; newsdesk; news@fresnobee.com; russ@topperjewelers.com; Scott Wilkinson; margaret-sasaki@live.com; Steve Wayte; tsheehan; vallesR1969@att.net; Loran Harding; kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com Subject:Fwd: NEWS RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Authority and City of Millbrae Reach Settlement Agreement Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 4:10:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: California High-Speed Rail <info@hsr-email.com>Date: Thu, Apr 17, 2025 at 10:55 AMSubject: NEWS RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Authority and City of Millbrae Reach SettlementAgreementTo: <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> To view this email as a web page, go here. This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast California High-Speed Rail Authority NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2025 Van Tieu 408-874-8962 (w)916-502-3726 (c) Van.Tieu@hsr.ca.gov High-Speed Rail Authority and City of Millbrae ReachSettlement Agreement MILLBRAE, Calif. – The City of Millbrae (City) and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today announced they have reached a settlement agreement in the City’s lawsuit regarding high-speed rail in Millbrae. “This is a momentous milestone for Millbrae. This historic settlement represents our commitment to realizing our true potential – where high quality public transit integrates with housing and economic development to energize the future of a thriving city. Millbrae is committed to working with anyone and everyone who respects us and comes to us an equal partner. This partnership will ensure thesuccess of both Millbrae and California High-Speed Rail as we work toward realizing the most important intermodal station in the western United States.” Anders Fung Mayor of Millbrae “This agreement reflects our continued commitment to collaboration with local partners like the City of Millbrae. It helps accelerate our path to bringing high-speed rail into the Bay Area—unlockingopportunity, mobility, and economic growth through fast, clean, and affordable transportation.” Ian Choudri Chief Executive Officer of the California High-Speed Rail Authority “Transit-oriented development to the east of the Millbrae BART station is one of the reasons for the City’s current economic vitality, and this agreement prioritizes transit-oriented development for the west side of the station sooner rather than later." Tom Williams City Manager of Millbrae Left to Right: Tom Williams, City Manager, City of Millbrae; Harry Burrowes, Project Manager, City of Millbrae; Basem Muallem,Statewide Regional Director, CHSRA; Anders Fung, Mayor, City of Millbrae; James Ghielmetti, Board Member, CHSRA; IanChoudri, CEO, CHSRA Open Image Above for Larger Version The settlement includes a framework for how the City and the Authority will work together moving forward. Among the items agreed upon are: The City and the Authority will collaborate on ultimate station access issues to ensure travel to and from Millbrae’s future high-speed rail station will besmooth and seamless for pedestrians, vehicles and all other modes oftransit. The City will lead the land use and planning efforts on the west side of the station to guide future transit-oriented development (TOD), consistent with revisions to the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan that will also allow for future high-speed rail. The Authority will lead the design of its proposed high-speed rail stationaddition to the existing intermodal Millbrae station. Both public partners will involve one another in their respective planning to ensure integrated TOD with a future high-speed rail station. The Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles under construction to 171miles of electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield. Since the start of construction, the High-Speed Rail Authority has created nearly 15,000 construction jobs, with more than 70% going to residents from disadvantaged communities. For more information on construction, visit: www.buildhsr.com The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings. These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Media Center High-speed rail is a key part of Governor Newsom’s Build More,Faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state. For more visit: Build.ca.gov You can find this news release online here. ### SEE MORE AT WWW.HSR.CA.GOV California High-Speed Rail Authority 770 L Street, Suite 620 Sacramento, CA 95814 info@hsr.ca.gov (916) 322-1422 This email was sent by: California High-Speed Rail Authority770 L Street Suite 620, Sacramento, CA, 95814 US Privacy Policy Manage Subscription/Unsubscribe From:Jennifer Landesmann To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: REVISED- Public Notice: Availability of Public Draft Environmental Impact Report and Public Meeting - SFORecommended Airport Development Plan (RADP) Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 2:06:48 PM Attachments:SFO, Noise Compatibility Program - 14 CFR Part 150 Update July 2018.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, City Manager, City Attorney, I hope that the City is aware of SFO's Planning process per the forward below which I am not surewhat it is all about. I just learned about it from a San Francisco resident. Attached also is a letter from Mayor Liz Kniss regarding SFO's Part 150 conveying the concern ofhow SFO excludes Palo Alto when making decisions. I hope that the City is preparing to weigh inon SFO's plans again now, because when SFO even moves a hair around, it impacts Palo Altoneighborhoods. The region still also lacks coordination; piecemeal airport plans like SJC, OAK, SFO spurt aboutwithout any regard to the areas which are affected by multiple airports. Regional oversight isespecially important for airspace design and safety because various aviation stakeholdersfor design changes over time (to accommodate growth or other interests) which can result innobody having responsibility....we know that the plans ignore available data or as it was recentlyrevealed with the DC situation where a design with nearly 25 authors tuned out a procedure withridiculously low separation standards that was immediately canceled after the tragic crash. It is why we have always maintained that for airspace design, the push for data and the trackingthat we demand for noise issues is compatible with safety as well. Thank you, Jennifer ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: cpc.sforadp@sfgov.org <cpc.sforadp@sfgov.org>Date: Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 2:09 PMSubject: REVISED- Public Notice: Availability of Public Draft Environmental Impact Report andPublic Meeting - SFO Recommended Airport Development Plan (RADP)To: San Francisco Planning logo Public Notice: Availability of Public Draft Environmental Impact Report and Public Meeting SFO Recommended Airport Development Plan (RADP) This email is to inform you that the San Francisco Planning Department (San Francisco Planning) has published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (draft EIR) for the SFORecommended Airport Development Plan (RADP). A public meeting will be held at the San Francisco Planning Commission on May 22,2025, at 12 p.m. or later, to receive spoken comments on the adequacy and accuracy of the draft EIR. A 45-day comment period will run from April 16 to 5 p.m. on June 2, 2025, to receive written comments related to the adequacy of the draft EIR. Project Description The project sponsor, SFO, is proposing to implement the Recommended Airport Development Plan (RADP), which involves a long-range plan to guide the Airport’sdevelopment. The San Francisco Airport Commission operates and manages the Airport as a department of the City and County of San Francisco. The RADP serves as a framework for future development at SFO and identifies various projects, includingthe improvement and development of terminal facilities, modification of certain non- movement areas of the airfield, and improvements to landside facilities to accommodate long-term aircraft operations and passenger activity levels at the Airport. The RADP provides for long-range development to accommodate activity levelsforecast to reach approximately 506,000 annual aircraft operations, which is the estimated annual practical capacity of the existing runways regardless of whether the RADP is implemented. Passenger aircraft operations represent the largest portion ofthe 506,000 annual aircraft operations, which are forecast to accommodate approximately 71.1 million annual passengers considering the forecast passenger aircraft fleet mix. Implementation of the RADP would not induce passenger demand (i.e., induce the public to choose to fly if and/or where they otherwise would not), norwould the RADP increase the capacity of the airfield, change the configuration of the existing runways, change the number of aircraft operations or aircraft types operating at the Airport (including cargo, private jets, and helicopters), or change the volume of annual passengers that choose to fly into and out of SFO. What is the purpose of the Notice? You are not required to take any action. San Francisco Planning studied this project’spotential physical environmental effects and welcomes your comments on the adequacy of the draft EIR. If you wish to comment on the adequacy of the draft EIR, you may do so in either or both of the following ways: Written Comments Planner: Kei Zushi, EIR Coordinator Via Mail: 49 South Van Ness Ave, Suite 1400 San Francisco, CA 94103 Via Email: cpc.sforadp@sfgov.org Dates: From April 16 to 5 p.m. May 22, 2025 Spoken Comments at the Public Hearing Location: City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400 Date: May 22, 2025 Time: 12 p.m. or later The hearing will be televised on Channel 78 and broadcast online at sfgovtv.org;however, spoken comments will only be accepted in person. Available Documents:The REVISED LINKS TO THE Notice of Availability, Draft EIR, and Appendices are available to download electronically at https://sfplanning.org/environmental-review- documents. Hard copies of the Notice of Availability and Draft EIR can be reviewed at the San Francisco Permit Center on the second floor of 49 South Van Ness Avenue,San Francisco. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS AUTOMATED EMAIL. 中文詢問請電 (628) 652-7550. Para información en Español llamar al (628) 652-7550. Para sa impormasyon sa Tagalog tumawag sa (628) 652-7550. Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. View this email online. 49 South Van Ness | San Francisco, CA 94103 US Monica Huggins Planner Technician II Environmental Planning San Francisco Planning 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400, San Francisco, CA 94103 Direct: 628.652.7490 | www.sfplanning.org San Francisco Property Information Map From:Silvana Gaia To:Council, City Subject:Please Continue Supporting Safe Routes to School Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 1:28:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, As a Palo Alto resident and the mother of two children—ages 13 and 15—who bike to school every day, I am writing to express my strong support for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS)program and to urge you to continue fully funding it at current levels. This program has been essential to our family's daily life. My kids’ ability to safely and confidently ride their bikes to school gives them not only independence, but also dailyphysical activity and a mental health boost—benefits that are so important during the middle and high school years. The safety improvements and bike education made possible throughSRTS have helped make this possible. However, there is still important work to be done—particularly in addressing safety concerns related to rail grade separation. I hope you will continue prioritizing this vital program and to maintain its current fundinglevels, even in the face of anticipated budget challenges. Thank you for your leadership and for your continued support of Safe Routes to School. This program is one of the reasons Palo Alto continues to be a wonderful place to raise a family. Sincerely,Silvana Gaia Mother of two PAUSD students From:Alex DeGrasse, Senior Advisor to Elise StefanikTo:Council, CitySubject:Will You Let Rogue Judges Destroy Our Democracy?Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 11:24:07 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Not interested? Unsubscribe here. Elise for Congress Dylan, Make no mistake, the liberal elite and their allies in the judiciary are hell- bent on undermining our democracy and thwarting President Trump's agenda. We've seen it time and time again - rogue judges issuing sweeping injunctions to block the President's lawful actions, and Democrats cheering them on every step of the way. Just recently, the House passed a crucial bill to limit judges' ability to place injunctions on Trump orders, but Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to stop it. They want to give unelected judges the power to override the will of the American people and dictate their own radical agenda. That's why I'm counting on you to join Elise Stefanik's fight against these judicial tyrants. Sign her Patriot Petition today and show DC that we won't stand idly by while our freedoms are eroded. Your signature sends a powerful message to Congress: it's time to take action and hold these rogue judges accountable. PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR INFORMATIONBELOW PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR INFORMATION BELOW: Dylan Shuck city.council@cityofpaloalto.org ADD YOUR NAME NOW >> PLEASE SIGN NOW >> And with a donation of $25 or $75, you'll be providing the firepower Elise needs to take on the liberal establishment and defend our values. RUSH DONATE $25 RUSH DONATE $38 RUSH DONATE $75 RUSH DONATE $175 RUSH DONATE $250 RUSH DONATE $375 The stakes are high, Dylan. We can't let the Left continue to undermine our democracy and sabotage President Trump's efforts to make America great again. Join Elise's fight today and let's put an end to this judicial circus once and for all. Sign the Patriot Petition and donate now to join the fight against rogue judges! https://secure.winred.com/team-elise/e23fb-bb7ee-63b54-bf283- a0823-dd7fd Let's show DC that we mean business. Add your name to Elise's Patriot Petition today! This email was sent to city.council@cityofpaloalto.org. To unsubscribe from future emails, click here. Elise for Congress Text “ELISE” to 33021 to receive mobile alerts from Elise Stefanik! By providing yourmobile number, you are opting in to receive fundraising solicitations via text from Elise (33021). Text HELP for help, STOP to end. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Terms of Service: txtterms.co/33021-2 If you would like to opt out of important campaign updates like this, please click here. It’s because of your generous support that we will take back our country from the radical Left. Thank you again. Privacy Policy: eliseforcongress.com/privacy-privacy To ensure you continue receiving important updates, please add info@elise-emails.com to your address book. Need help? Select your email provider for instructions: iCloud | Gmail | Outlook | Yahoo Mail | AOL Mail Elise for Congress, PO Box 500, Glens Falls, NY 12801, United States Contributions to Elise for Congress are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Paid for by Elise for Congress From:Tyler Kawaguchi To:Council, City Subject:Generalized support for the ground floor of Mitchell Park Place Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 11:09:28 AM 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, My name is Ty Kawaguchi, and I am a resident of Palo Alto. I’m writing to express my strong support for the buildout and implementation of community programs at Mitchell Park Place, currently under construction at 525 E. Charleston Road. The upper floors of the complex are dedicated to apartments for both low-income residents and those with developmental disabilities. The ground floor of this new facility will be home to AbilityPath, a valued organization that has served the community for 105 years. Previously, the site housed the administrative office building for Abilities United until 2019, then later served as our Art and Computer space for AbilityPath until early 2023. With the redevelopment of the building well underway, our vision is to create a welcoming, inclusive space offering programs that will provide Palo Alto residents and community members a wide variety of unique programs and services. AbilityPath’s goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30th for the vision to happen, and we are asking forsupport from the city council to spread the word to the community at large. As both a board member and a client that uses AbilityPath’s services, I know firsthand how impactful these programs can be. They provide critical resources such as job readiness training and independent living skills as well as classes for those that suffered a traumatic brain injury or stroke. These initiatives help support people with developmental disabilities and those that we serve in becoming active, empowered members of our society. What’s more, these programs will be open to everyone, promoting connection, learning, and inclusion for all community members. AbilityPath’s mission is rooted in fostering a sense of belonging, and your support would significantly advance that goal. The benefits of this project extend far beyond those who will live at Mitchell Park Place —they will impact every member of our community. We can help bring this vision to life and continue building a more inclusive and supportive Palo Alto. Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful consideration. Warm regards, Ty Kawaguchi Board Member AbilityPath From:Jennifer Landesmann To:Council, City; Bhatia, Ripon Cc:QuietZones PaloAlto Subject:Quiet Zones Public Comment + a budget question Date:Thursday, April 17, 2025 9:13:02 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, and Mr. Bhatia, Yesterday evening I attended the Quiet Zones meeting virtually. You may be interested that the topic made the news last night. During the meeting, it was mentioned that 17 people attended virtually which is a great showing. Virtual attendees were asked to submit our comments by email and mine is as follows: Above all, please keep in mind that the longer the City takes to implement Quiet Zones, the more deleterious the noise effects can be on physical and mental health because length of exposure matters. That is just how the science of noise works and why adequate and expeditious implementation is everything. Please consider twofindings from national surveys and scientific measurements. 1) The effect of a noise event is more impactful the greater the difference is between the peak of a noise event and the underlying background noise orbetter known as ambient noise. Palo Alto's suburban ambient noise - say when all man made noise sources are absent - is 35 dB or lower which means noise is more impactful for us. 2) When you see the various outdated governmental noise metrics, including EPA, they are measuring the high pitch screeching part of noise considered to be the most noticeable to the human ear but the bass frequencies are not accounted for in these metrics. Bass frequencies are the type of noise thatgoes through walls, skin and bones. It's noise that is physically felt and for example it does not have to awaken a person to have deleterious health effects. Bass frequencies also travel farther. Unaccounted bass frequencies are why noise has been referred to as the new second hand smoke. The bottom line is that Quiet Zones were needed yesterday and every step and day counts. The City's 2022 Priority Objectives listed "Approval of Quiet Zone Implementation (rail/train crossing)", not to study alternatives as it was suggested last night which by definition causes delays. Alternatives that may shortchange the nearest neighbors or potentially cause other problems - why introduce new problems and delays?. Otherwise, last night it was mentioned that Quiet Zone's shortest implementation was one year, average three years. My takeaway from last night is that a central delay factor is City funding and getting your support. With QZ already being implemented just a few miles away, shouldn’t estimated costs already be available for Council to work with, and if not provisioned this year, at the latest with next year’s budget? Among the questions last night was also who is responsible for spearheading the project, and communications. That it may or may not be the head of Transportation and that communications will flow via the Department's newsletter. My suggestion is that a Department newsletter covering all the City's projects, while convenient for the City, is not high touch enough for an issue that so negatively impacts human health. Instead, there should be a dedicated email list for all who sign up to know about QuietZones, and updates as things are happening. The City represents it cares about science. It would be hard to find more science for any other city issue than what is available on noise. If a warning label was created itwould read a mile long. The folks by the train are objectively exposed to an INTENSE level of hazardous noise. Per the City Charter, the City Manager is the City's Health Officer. Not the Wellness officer and when something is so clearly largely in the City's control, it should not be experiencing delays. Please fast-track this on to your agenda to protect the health of neighbors. Thank you, Jennifer From:Lisa Taylor To:Council, City Subject:Please Support SB 457 — Fair, Effective Housing Policy Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 7:40:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, As a Palo Alto resident who supports more housing in our city and across the region, I’m writing to urge you to endorse 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. I support our city’s efforts to develop our state-certified Housing Element to build more affordable housing. When state housing laws are misused, like in the 39-story project at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park and the 17-story project at Mollie Stone’s, it damages public trust and could provoke anti-housing sentiment that sets back real progress for years. SB 457 protects cities like Palo Alto that are working in good faith to plan for housing and helps ensure that the Builder’s Remedy projects create well-planned housing—not severely oversized developments or commercial projects disguised as housing proposals. Please add Palo Alto’s voice in support of SB 457. This is a smart, reasonable, and limited fix that helps housing laws work better for everyone. I attended and endured the entire city council meeting this week on 4/14/2025 and was deeply dismayed at the council's negative approach to solving our local housing problem, mixed messages regarding more density vs less density, and trying to kill a project by suggesting a rooftop garden. The Builder's Remedy which leads to bad planning and discontinuity in neighborhoods must be eliminated entirely. SB 9 needs to be reversed. Sincerely, Lisa Taylor 480 Marlowe St. Palo Alto From:Aram James To:Council, City; Lait, Jonathan; h.etzko@gmail.com; Ed Lauing Cc:Josh Becker Subject:Developer eyes ‘builder’s remedy’ for huge San Jose housing project Well over 700 homes are eyed for emptyland in Alviso Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:03:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. Developer eyes ‘builder’sremedy’ for huge San Josehousing project Well over 700 homes are eyed for empty land in Alviso https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/04/16/san-jose-home-affordable-economy-build-property-develop-real-estate/ From:matt@evolutionaryteams.comTo:palo-alto@fridaysforfutureusa.org; fridaysforfuturepaloalto@gmail.comSubject:FFF Follow Up – April 11 (Week #170)Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 11:31:00 AMAttachments:image005.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking onlinks. i Folake joined us and graciously performed our land acknowledgment reminding us that we occupy unceded land of the Muwekma Ohlone and of our obligation to be good stewards of this land. Folake continued by informing us that she is starting an African rhythm drumming class with an instructor. Music is such a great way to build community. We all expressed interest in incorporating drumming into our group. Thanks, Folake, for everything you are doing! Rick reports great progress building the Indivisible San Mateo group. He has taken the role of communicator and promoter. He is eager to participate in upcoming actions with that group. Thanks, Rick, for providing your energy to all our groups! Casey assuages her horror and fear of the Trump regime malevolence by writing letters to all her representatives demanding that they stand up and fight back! She is particularly horrified that the Trump regime mistakenly sent an innocent man – Kilmar Abrego Garcia - to the El Salvador gulag without due process and has abandoned him there. The Trump regime is testing the limits of what they can get away with and will be emboldened to do more unless we push back. So, push back we will! Thanks, Casey, for highlighting Abrego Garcia. Brigitta applauds the City of Palo Alto for considering the “Dark Sky” ordinance that would impose a 10PM curfew on outdoor lighting, including streetlights, to reduce light pollution. This ordinance would benefit human and wildlife health. Brigitta imagines being able to see stars in the sky again! Thanks, Brigitta, for sharing progress on lowering light pollution in our community. George rejoined us this week and shared the wonderful news that Pria is healing well from her surgery. He is also grateful for all the actions that we are taking. We are grateful for you and Pria. Thank you for everything you both do. Robin expressed concerns about Trump’s aims to use our military against us. He tried to do it in his first term, but the military didn’t abide. She worries about how the military will respond when he tries again. Clearly, the best way to dissuade the military from attacking us is for all of us to be out on the streets. They will think twice about using force against their moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, daughters and sons, friends and family. Thanks, Robin, for expressing your concern and for being one of those consistently out on the street! Ingrid will attend the "Make Polluters Pay" Rally in front of Palo Alto's City Hall at 5 PM on Friday. She will bring copies of her new book, Facing the Climate Future Together: Voices for Advocacy and Action. This is an opportunity to get a signed copy! Thanks, Ingrid, for highlighting the voices of climate leaders in our community. We next turned to a discussion about the importance of non-violent protest. We anticipate that there will be detractors at our protests. We agreed that it is best to ignore them and to not engage. But if there is engagement, to use our lowest, calmest voice repeating, “everybody calm down.” We also noted the importance of using our phones to record any disruptive people as that may dissuade them from engaging. Thanks, everyone, for sharing your wisdom and experiences on this. David L checks in from France celebrating the settlement against Chevron which you can read about here. Thanks, David, for sharing this amazingly good news! Aiden invites us to table at the Paly Earth Day Environmental Expo 2025 to share with Paly students the efforts around environmental action, like advocacy, volunteering opportunities, and more. Thanks, Aiden, we look forward to attending! On Tuesday, David P organized another great demonstration on the 101 overpass. About 20 of us attended that action and we covered both sides of the overpass with signs. We even had drum accompaniment! Thanks David and Indivisible for keeping up the actions. Later on Tuesday, Carol attended a rally in Mountain View on behalf of Kilmar Abrega Garcia. Thanks, Carol, for demanding that Kilmar be freed. This Friday we meet at 5PM instead of noon for the Earth Day Rally with PASCC, the Raging Grannies and others. We demand that polluters pay for the damage they are causing to our homes, our environment and our economy. Looking forward to scintillating speeches, merry music, and delightful dancing. Come join the fun – bring your signs and your friends. Keep Up the Fight! This message needs your attentionThis is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast R-E-S-I-S-T! Upcoming Events Every Wednesday, 4 to 6PM: Palo Alto Protests Elon Musk’s Illegal Government Takeover on Wednesdays at the Tesla Showroom, 4180 El Camino Real. https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/764602/ Friday April 18, 5:00 to 6:30PM: Make Polluters Pay Earth Day Rally –– Rally, Speakers, Music by the Raging Grannies and Climate Strikers! and more. RSVP here: Rally for Our Future: Make Polluters Pay! - Action Network Monday April 21 at 1.45pm before heading to the hearing at 2.15pm: Assembly Natural Committee on Make Polluters Pay bill. The hearing is in the Capitol Building in Room 437 and starts at 2.30pm. RSVP here Friday, April 25, Noon to 1:00: Climate Strike! –– We meet at King Plaza in front of Palo Alto City Hall. Tuesday, April 29 from 6:30 to 10:30PM at 25 Churchill Ave in Palo Alto: Urge the Palo Alto School District board to take more district level climate action. https://www.instagram.com/p/DG1i7AESwRd/ May 1, next Hands Off! rally; details TBD. Friday May 2, Noon to 1:00: Climate March! –– We meet at King Plaza in front of Palo Alto City Hall and march through downtown Palo Alto. Friday, May 2, 6PM: Pizza and networking event for Stanford students in interested in activism, Pizza My Heart. Palo Alto City Meetings: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/City-Clerk/City-Meeting-Groups/Meeting-Agendas-and-Minutes Climate Community Center: https://climatecommunitycenter.org/ Peninsula Peace and Justice Center calendar: https://peaceandjustice.org/events-calendar/ Photos and Videos of Recent Actions FFF April 11 and 15 photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ucMeRHMEjCzQFa6A8 What We Are Reading/Watching/Listening to: Reporting by Democracy Now! here Movement Memos with Kelly Hayes: Listen to this amazing conversation with Dean Spade: https://truthout.org/audio/lets-be- politically-promiscuous/ Heat Pump Water Heater and Home Electrification Program Update As of:3/31 2/28 1/31 1/8 HPWH full-service interest list signups 1333 1323 1307 1277 Site assessment agreements (SAA) sent 1333 1323 1307 1277 Signed SAAs 1013 1093 1075 1050 Completed site assessments 1023 1013 996 973 Installations Total Full Service HPWHs installed 414 402 393 383 Total DIY HPWH installed 115 114 98 103 Total Emergency HPWH installations 19 18 11 9 Total HPWHs installed 548 534 502 495 Target Installations 1000 1000 1000 1000 Monthly Installation Rate Monthly Installation Rate 14 32 7 16 Target Monthly Installation Rate 83 83 83 83 Follow Fridays For Future Palo Alto: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fridaysforfuture_paloalto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fri4Future_PA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FridaysForFuturePaloAlto Email notifications of FFF Palo Alto events: https://mailchi.mp/c8c130127345/join-fridays-for-future-palo-alto You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in supporting climate action in Palo Alto. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please let me know. Matt Schlegel Schlegel Consulting 650-924-8923 Author: Teamwork 9.0 Website: evolutionaryteams.com YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCLkUMHuG4HVa831s9yeoZ5Q From:Aram James To:Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for CaliforniaDemocratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; Foley, Michael; Friends of Cubberley;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Templeton, Cari; Angel, David; Cribbs, Anne; JayBoyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Rosen; Baker, Rob; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Dana St.George; Gerry Gras; Gennady Sheyner; Dave Price; EPA Today; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Diana Diamond;Bill Newell; Damon Silver; Rodriguez, Miguel Cc:Veenker, Vicki; Council, City; Binder, Andrew; Perron, Zachary; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Shikada, Ed; Liz Kniss; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Sean Allen; Pat M Subject:A pro-Israel group says it gave US list of protesters to deport, drawing alarm from students’ supporters Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 9:55:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Source: CNN A pro-Israel group says it gave US list of protesters to deport, drawing alarm from students’ supporters A pro-Israel group says it gave US list of protesters to deport, drawing alarm from students’supporters | CNN https://search.app/MazPCjuVmooAYbmC7 Shared via the Google app From:Aram James To:Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Ed Lauing; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate,Assembly District 23; Reckdahl, Keith; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; h.etzko@gmail.com; Lythcott-Haims, Julie;Veenker, Vicki; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; Josh Becker;assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Dave Price; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Zelkha, Mila; Lotus Fong;Gardener, Liz; Human Relations Commission; Reifschneider, James; Binder, Andrew; Wagner, April; Perron,Zachary; Diana Diamond; Gennady Sheyner Subject:Becca Balint - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 9:35:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Becca Balint - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://search.app/Z8ZexdLNygtCCDtE8 Shared via the Google app From:Aram James To:Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist Cc:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Council, City; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Perron, Zachary; Wagner, April; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; city.council@menlopark.gov; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Shikada, Ed Subject:HOMELESSNESS IN SAN JOSE City breaks ground on safe sleeping location Mahan hopes tent site near WatsonPark is a good start Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 8:32:23 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. HOMELESSNESS IN SAN JOSE City breaks ground on safe sleeping location Mahan hopes tent site near Watson Park is a good start City breaks ground on safe sleeping locationhttps://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=4d3d2e14-c027- 40de-8501-2ae920da5fcf&appcode=SAN252&eguid=1ff0fc3d-f7b9-4e34-b5f3-425511da682a&pnum=3# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: From:Cynthia joan Subject:RE: Hire a Dedicated Healthcare Recruiter Date:Wednesday, April 16, 2025 3:48:20 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, I sent you an email regarding Recruiting assistants - remote recruiters/sourcers. I just wanted to check in and see if there was any update to discuss? Let’s set up a time to chat to discuss the further steps if this is something you are looking for! Sincerely, Cynthia From: Cynthia joan Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 12:11 PM Subject: Hire a Dedicated Healthcare Recruiter Hi, Hope you are doing great! Could you let me know whether you are interested to hire a Dedicated healthcare Remote Recruiter/Source at a reasonable price? Job positions we commonly support are Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Lab Technician, Medical Assistant, Medical Lab Coder, Medical Lab Tech, MRI Technician, CT/X-Ray Technician, Radiology Technician, Radiographer, Radiographer, Ultrasound/Sonographer, Documentation Specialist, Clinical Research Specialist, RN Case Manager, Worker’s compensation, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Auditor Medical Code Reviewer, Legal Nurse, Quality Lab Technician, Quality Compliance Specialist, Complaint Handling Specialist, Electro-Mech. Technician, etc. Would you be available for a brief call next week to discuss how we can assist you in achieving your recruitment goals? I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Payal From:Palo Alto Forward To:Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Planning Commission; Architectural Review Board;epc@mountainview.gov Subject:Housing Happy Hour - 5/3 Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 6:58:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Councilmembers, Commissioners, and Review Boardmembers, I would like to invite you to a Silicon Valley Housing Advocates Meet Up in Sunnyvale at Off The Rails Brewing on Saturday, May 3rd. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m and will end at 5:00 p.m. Note that convenient and quick Caltrain service is just a few blocks away fromthe venue. From SV@Home to South Bay YIMBY and everyone in between -- come meet local volunteers, leaders, organizations, and community members working to end the housing crisis in our region. Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for your service to ourcommunities! -- Amie AshtonExecutive Director Palo Alto Forward650-793-1585 From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo To:Council, City Subject:Program Update: Science with a Twist Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 5:18:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Program Update: Science with a Twist April 15, 2025 Hello Friends, Summer is just around the corner, and we’re excited to announce our first everFriends & Family Night on Friday, June 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This special event is an opportunity to visit the zoo after hours, and learn more about how you can support the Friends’ mission. Pizza and ice cream will be served. To register, please visit our Eventbrite. RSVP is required. In this newsletter, we feature Science with a Twist, an after-school program madepossible thanks to the generosity of our donors. Since 1999, the Friends has funded high-quality JMZ Science Outreach lessons in underserved schools across our community. Recognizing the value of these lessons, the Friends expanded its support of science programming in 2022 by funding Science with a Twist, the JMZ’s after-school program, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP)clubhouses. Since launching the program three years ago at BGCP’s East Palo Alto Clubhouse, Science with a Twist has expanded to four additional BGCP locations.Jenny Obiaya, CEO of BGCP, will be a panelist at the Friends’ upcoming Spring Breakfast on Friday, May 9. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Stephanie Kerry at stephanie@friendsjmz.org. Warmly, Lauren AngeloPresident, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo   Science with a Twist Program Update: Questions for Alex Hamilton, JMZ Education Director Since launching Science with a Twist at the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula (BGCP) East Palo Alto Clubhouse three years ago, the program hasexpanded to four additional BGCP sites. What inspired this expansion and how did you determine which locations to serve? Our expansion was inspired by the wonderful response we received from our original program partner, the Maldow-Zaffaroni Clubhouse in East Palo Alto, and the suggestion that other BGCP locations would benefit from our science lessons. At the same time, the Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo also saw the value of after-school science lessons within the community, especially for childrenwith fewer opportunities for out-of-school learning and enrichment. In the face of this knowledge, the Friends raised the needed funds to support expansion of the program thanks to individual donors who were inspired to make a difference in this way. With the additional funds, the JMZ worked with their contacts at the East Palo Alto Maldow-Zaffaroni Clubhouse to connect with other clubhouses in the area and were able to engage four other centers. The JMZ’s teacher Abby now visits a different center every day of the week, bringing exciting and fun science phenomena, experiments and activities to children, for grades Kindergarten to 3rd. Alex teaches a lesson when the program first launched at BGCP in 2022. How do you balance keeping this after school program fun while alsoensuring the content remains educational? We always start with something visually or sensorially impactful and impressive tointroduce the scientific phenomena of the day, so that by the time we start with the activity, everybody is motivated to participate. We also try to give students a lot of choice and control, and allow some flexibility in the planned curriculum to follow the interests and whims of the students. Finally, we let student voices get loud and chattery as long as the chatter is topic-related. In a classroom during the regularschool day, these sorts of strategies would be minimized, but to us, it’s important that after-school lessons have a more casual feel. Students eagerly participate in a lesson. Photos courtesy of Moremi Mabogunje. How do you decide what themes or subjects to explore with students? How do you adapt the program based on student interests? The Science with a Twist Program has a three-year curriculum rotation of 6-7 week- long themes that we have been using as our base curriculum for a number of years. That said, we add other experiences for groups who request, for instance, more animal experiences (which they often do) or additional time with a particular theme, or the inclusion of a related topic that wasn’t in the set curriculum. Topics we explorecan include illusions, locomotion, architecture, biology, electricity, and much more. What kind of feedback have you received from parents and BGCP staff regarding the impact of Science with a Twist on students? BGCP staff love the lessons our teachers bring to their students. Through program evaluations, they’ve given our lessons ratings of “excellent’ for the curriculum andteacher quality. Most of the feedback we receive is about the high quality of our curriculum and teachers. Lessons are interactive and educational, and students are always excited to participate in the lesson. The program creates a genuine interest in learning more about science, which is at the core of what we want to achieve through our lessons. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Teacher Abby visits a BGCP location everyMonday through Friday. Photo courtesy of Moremi Mabogunje. DONATE NOW Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301     Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo | 1451 Middlefield Road | Palo Alto, CA 94301US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice From:ReDoing 2020 To:Council, City Subject:"PALO ALTO CANARIES," VICTIMS OF UNREPORTED TOXIC SPILL Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 3:08:58 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. WHAT ELSE ARE THEY NOT TELLING US? #1 "PALO ALTO CANARIES," VICTIMS OF UNREPORTED TOXIC SPILL Report to the Palo Alto City Council, April 15, 2025, pm. Northern California, USA Silicon Valley's Palo Alto residents were faced with an unreported toxic spill in the municipaltap water, caused by lax unprepared utility managers operating an antiquated system that failed to protect residents from the risk of harm by undetected chemicals...who then coveredup their bad behavior. We suggest that the California State Attorney General and the Santa Clara County District Attorney look into this "canaries in the coal mine event," as the D.A. had announced he woulddo regarding the Tesla spill in Palo Alto that was also kept from the public till the reclusive City Manager was forced to apologize for secrecy. Here's what happened, and why it's important: On June 14, 2024, about 8:30am in the morning, a call came in to the utility department (froma patriotic water user inspired by Flag Day) reporting that their kitchen sink smelled like a swimming pool, a possible hint that a toxic level of a dangerous chemical might be in the tapwater pipes in the City of Palo Alto. Unbeknownst to the water utility staff (that said initially,) an illegal overdose of a disinfectant chemical was later blamed by them as a malfunction of the equipment of the City's wholesalesupplier, the City of San Francisco water department (with an outpost on Arastradero Rd.) It's not clear whether San Francisco was aware of the intrusion or understood that the product they were selling was poisoned. But what is known is that its customer, the Palo Alto water utility, was uninformed and in the dark, while city residents were blindly using a harmfulresource to drink, wash, prepare food, make ice cubes, mix baby formula, dress wounds, brush teeth. etc. Incidentally, the version of chlorine used in the City is "CHLORAMINE" a mix of chlorineand ammonia, whose chemical components don't boil off or dissipate into the air easily as chlorine alone does. (Read more about drawbacks to this Disinfection alternate that lacks long-term term safety tests.) Think of it this way: the same horrific chemical weapon, chlorine, at higher strengths was used as far back as World War 1 to kill enemy soldiers, while modern Russia is said to be usingChlorine in its current battle with Ukraine. In the United States, currently a weaker Chlorine version is approved as a water disinfectant as long as it conforms to very strict concentration limits. But on the day when the water tapsmelled bad, the toxic chemical load was later deemed to be a violation of the safety limits, and was tragically being passed off by hapless Palo Alto employees as a safe product when infact it was not. Anyone familiar with the habits of bureaucracy knows that there was no way that these public servants were going to admit such an error. Desperate to cover up a mistake, they said that they contacted the California State bureaucrats,presumably hopeful of securing advice that would protect the City from having to publicly reveal what had happened. Bingo! It turns out that the rules regarding disclosure of dangerous levels of chemicals in thewater supply are modified in the statute to protect water operators who are too poor or too dumb to regularly conform to safe standards. In fact, as the Palo Alto utilities staff pointed out, they would have had to contaminate thewater supply many days for a year to be compelled to disclosure their failures. That's the bureaucrat's dream scheme known as "rolling averages." All the good and bad performance indicators are rolled into one in the annual report. Impossible to deny at this point, but during the crisis, Palo Alto staff knowingly chose moralcowardice--they refused to tell its residents about the tap water contamination--the City spokesperson even lied to reporters: "There was no problem," she said. The municipality hid behind a bureaucratic procedural smokescreen that they interpreted asallowing dangerous levels of toxins to pass without alert into homes, businesses, schools, parks,and municipal facilities. And consequently into humans, pets and through any lead pipeson the premises, where chlorine increases the danger of ingesting horrific leached lead due to its corrosive effect on the piping system. The City policy is not to report the exact data that reveals the daily water quality. Instead, it approves adding together all the measures over a year's time, and issues the results in a single number as if it was in effect for the fact full year. For example, in the summertime when cancer causing trihalomethanes levels rise above thefederal maximum, the City leadership decided that there's no legal need to warn the public to take precautionary measures, as long as the lower carcinogen levels in the cooler months areaveraged into the annual municipal report to the community. Rolling averages policies, as a politically contrived convenience, are keeping the public from knowing when, how, and to what extent they should be protecting themselves from harmfulconsequences. (i.e. get faucet filters, water treatment pitchers, bottled water, whole house systems, lab tests etc.) The despicable performance of the bureaucrats at the time of the spill was based on the choicethey made between decades old Federal rules promulgated in the 1970's that facilitates business practices of water suppliers, and otherwise the absolute obligation of publicemployees to protect residents from unsafe and unhealthy conditions. There should have been no doubt about which path to take on Flag Day, especially when there was still time to warn the possible victims so they could take steps to lessen their risk (not usenor store the water.) But the Palo Alto representatives elected to hide the truth from the public in favor of hoping to save their jobs and reputation or employing whatever twisted motivewas on their minds at the time . Returning to the water contamination event: The City employees were unprepared for such a calamity, despite the fact that pipe intrusions are possible. They had no workable emergencyplan or equipment to be able to detect that residents were being put in harm's way. Only an alert resident who phoned in to say that their sink water stinks, saved the day. The damage caused by the lax utility controls was limited at that point, after rushed water lab testsconfirmed the EPA violation committed by Palo Alto. Some emergency procedures were partially instituted--the noxious liquid was flushed from the piping system at the building location of the original report, but not at other affectedproperties. Oddly, no other sites that were fed by the same polluted wholesale water source were contacted, including schools, private homes, businesses and multifamily residences, accordingto the City's utility officials who made excuses for neglecting to alert all the other vulnerable water users. Sorry to say, anyone present in those other locations at the time no longer merited theprotection of their government, decided the staff. As a result, most of the dangerous water was permitted to remain in place, to be used by the unprotected community, despite the fact thatthe insiders, (City officials and staff,) knew that the contaminated water was prohibited for human or environmental use. Needless to say, the polluted water that was sent to customers, and the gallons wasted in the flushing of the pipes, was also billed for by the municipal revenue department, trained to to never let a drop go to waste in their zeal for soaking residents. Some Federal EPA water rules history: It's interesting to note that when the original drinking water standards were first drafted, thescientists called for more stringent requirements. But strong lobbying efforts from municipalities and water companies throughout the country succeeded in watering down thelevels that must be met. Ignoring health protections. Acting on behalf of the water systems, it allows them to violate safety standards as long as as their cumulative annual records conformto the requirements for averaging (described above). Therefore, the water customer will not know the actual health risks they face because of this bureaucratic and political escape hatch. Since the water quality records offered to the publicare only issued once a yea,r usually as a marketing piece, a local water company can boast of winning results that in fact are only averages; despite the truth that may be different. As a result, residents, as water customers are not getting an actual picture of the consequencesof their daily water intake and use.To compound the sorry lack of the public's information, the Palo Alto utility department won't even come to homes anymore as they once did, to testrepulsive or funny looking water from the tap. The modern response is for callers to be told that they should hire a lab at their own expense. Moreover, the City doesn't even bother toautomatically mail the slick annual report to all residents. You need to call or go online. And in the case of a potential water accident Palo Alto hadn't incorporated the capability to use real time equipment to monitor or measure chemical pollution before it entered buildingsand customer faucets. Poorly trained yet highly paid City employees were satisfied to rely on calls that might come from customers when the tap water looked bad.smelled funny, or tastedawful...already too late to protect users. The cost savings for not purchasing available monitoring technology was measured against the inevitable risk to human health when older water systems stumble or fail...as happened onFlag Day. By the time the public reads of the event described in this report, tie City will have allegedly already purchased the monitoring equipment after the fact, to install the technology at a fewlocations. But by December 2024, six months after the intrusion catastrophe, staff said it was not yet activated, still casually displaying their lack of urgency in their mandate to protectresident health and safety. We hope that disclosure of the secretive operating practices of the Palo Alto Utility department and the skewed focus of the Utilities Advisory Commission, coupled withirresponsible City administrators, is a wake-up call for urgent action necessary to strengthen public service to the community, especially in light of the current reported authoritarian chaosof the Federal government that aims to dismantle service protections without concern for individual rights, safety, or well being. ____Telimtu Gedidun, Editor Note: The comments in this report are first hand observations made at the time of the toxicspill event, and from contemporaneous notes made during conversations with government staff. The City representatives may have additional information to clarify their actions that afollowup hearing can reveal. Corrections or updates to: Redoing2020@gmail.com (please first read notes below)-------------------------------------------- NOTE TO READERS: If you are a working reporter or government investigator, or not-for- profit organization, that wants to followup on this reported incident, please send yourprofessional credentials, contact information, and an idea of your interests, and we will contact you. Ditto for City or State or County officials that have jurisdiction. (Should you issueadditional information, we'd appreciate a copy.) ABOUT US: We are a volunteer source for original important civic and consumer facts designed to help combat a variety of fraudsters that unjustly profit from taking advantage ofthe public's naivety and/or lack of knowledge. WE DON'T OPEN ATTACHMENTS OR UNREQUESTED MATERIALS. Please don't send attachments with images, or long stories of suffering, including abusive practices by Palo Altogovernment or its multi-family housing owners/managers (a common source of stress for about half the population that are renters.) However, if you have well documented evidence of Palo Alto municipal misdeeds similar toour report, send a short paragraph in 100 words or less, with your confidential contact information and permission for us to connect you with professionals and investigators who arefollowing up. Otherwise, if coverage in our planned future editions is related to your specific knowledge we may contact you. From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City Cc:"Lara Anthony"; "Melissa Oliveira" Subject:Resolution and Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement, Consent Calendar Item 9 on April 21,2025 City Council Agenda Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 2:14:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Honorable City Council Members, I am writing to ask you to please vote in support of the updated Resolution and Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement, Consent Calendar Item 9 on your April 21, 2025 agenda. In 2006, unanimous endorsement of a similar resolution by both PAUSD Board of Education and Palo Alto City Council sparked nearly two decades of steady mode shift to walking bicycling, carpooling, riding local buses, scootering, and other active, healthy and environmentally sustainable alternatives to driving solo. That partnership commitment was the impetus for transformation of school commuting in PAUSD schools. The three-pronged partnership commitment of Palo Alto PTAs, PAUSD, and City of Palo Alto formalized shared Goals and Vision with a foundation of mutual trust and respect and a shared commitment to support comprehensive programs. Each partner receives significant benefits. However, students benefit most from improved physical and mental health, connection to community, readiness to learn, opportunity to become increasingly independent and confident as they grow and learn to move about the community with transportation safety skills every person needs. Better Use of Valuable Land, Transportation ROW and Staff Time The school district and city have enjoyed significant reductions in auto congestion and safety impacts over time. Mode shift away from driving to school has enabled the district to construct facilities for education on valuable land that formerly was needed for student and parent automobile parking, drop-off and pick-up. Mode shift has released site staff from auto traffic management at bell times to spend that time on more productive educational purposes. The city has seen greatly reduced auto congestion, especially in areas where work and school commute trips converge. Less Risk. More Joy. 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 One of the greatest risk factors to student safety on public streets and school campuses is cars, a safety liability that is very difficult to manage. By reducing and managing car traffic better and improving separated, safer foot-powered access to and through school sites, PAUSD schools and city streets have become more welcoming to foot-powered students who now start and end their days with happy, healthy walks or bike rides with friends or family that lift spirits and connect them to community. Exercise and connectedness are great contributors to good mental and physical health. Reducing Automobile Congestion and Related GHG Emissions Make Our Community Safer, More Comfortable and Greener for Everyone. As your predecessors did in 2006, please support this resolution in support of the updated Partnership Consensus Statement. Renew this commitment to engage our organizations in renewing and sustaining a city, school, community partnership to reduce risk to students commuting to and from school and to encourage more families to choose alternatives to solo driving more often. Thank you for your ongoing support of Safe Routes to School. Thank you for considering my comments. With gratitude for your service to our community, Penny Ellson (former 17-year Safe Routes to School PTA leader, currently engaging in collegial support of Palo Alto PTAs Safe Routes to School Volunteers) 650-387-8707 Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Henry Etzkowitz To:pat@patburt.org Cc:Lauing, Ed; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Roberta Ahlquist; Carol Kiparsky; Sarah Wright; sally Tomlinson; Rebecca Eisenberg Subject:Fwd: Kindly forward this message to the Deans Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 8:32:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: Dear Pat Please see the policy recommendation below in your capacity as Cal train representative.appreciate your taking it forward and see that it is implemented. On reflection, surprised not already in place at train entry points. Please advise response. With thanks in advanceBest Henry Neighbors for social and economic justice Www.triplehelix.net From: Henry Etzkowitz <henry.etzkowitz@triplehelix.net>Date: April 15, 2025 at 1:16:08 AM PDTTo: Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>Cc: City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>, Ed Shikada<Ed.Shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>, Ed Lauing <Ed.Lauing@cityofpaloalto.org>, Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>Subject: Kindly forward this message to the Dean Dear Dean Satz I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry for rescuing me at the Palo Alto station this past early Thursday evening. he observed my fallingback from entering the train, hitting the back of my head hard on the station platform. Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out my bloody head andpersuaded me to desist. after seeing me safely on to the platform he called Palo Alto fire department emergency services and remained at hand as an eyewitnessand helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from the tracks. My thanks for calm help and multifaceted attention to the train service, emergency services andmyself. Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs, administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and an ekg. My wife was called and they guided her tofind me using the pumper as a land mark. I declined their kind offer to take me to the Stanford emergency room for treatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper andambulance once I had a driver. My heartfelt thanks for prompt, friendly, courteous assistance. I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto and StanfordUniversity cooperation and sent my best wishes via the fire crew to Joe Penko, Union representative Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at the platform trainboarding interface ,like many transit systems, to break patron’s fall Sincerely Henry Etzkowitz Sociology department Stanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Office of the Provost Cc:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Lauing, Ed; Joe Penko Subject:Kindly forward this message to the Dean Date:Tuesday, April 15, 2025 1:16:17 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Dean Satz I wish to express my profound appreciation to your Mr Henry for rescuing me at the Palo Alto station this past earlyThursday evening. he observed my falling back from entering the train, hitting the back of my head hard on thestation platform. Observing my attempt to reboard, he pointed out my bloody head and persuaded me to desist. after seeing me safely on to the platform he called Palo Alto fire department emergency services and remained athand as an eyewitness and helper, retrieving my sneaker and eyeglasses from the tracks. My thanks for calm helpand multifaceted attention to the train service, emergency services and myself. Emergency services arrived shortly, checked my vital signs, administered the Palo Alto 2025 cognitive test and anekg. My wife was called and they guided her to find me using the pumper as a land mark. I declined their kind offerto take me to the Stanford emergency room for treatment, not wanting to tie up a pumper and ambulance once I hada driver. My heartfelt thanks for prompt, friendly, courteous assistance. I commented that the joint effort was an example of city of Alto and Stanford University cooperation and sent mybest wishes via the fire crew to Joe Penko, Union representative Policy implication for Caltrain: install rubberized mats at the platform train boarding interface ,like many transitsystems, to break patron’s fall SincerelyHenry EtzkowitzSociology departmentStanford University Sent from my iPhone From:Ann Protter To:Council, City Cc:Ed@edlauing.com; Vicki@vickiforcouncil.com; pat@patburt.org; georgeglu@gmail.com; Julie@julieforpaloalto.com; Reckdahl, Keith; gstone22@gmail.com; Clerk, City; LydiaKou@gmail.com Subject:Please approve the Kou/Lauing Colleagues Memo Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 8:23:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, Please see the image below taken on Waverly street. AT&T's Palo Alto cell towers emit so much radiation theyneed to be shut down if any worker is going to be within 21 feet of the antennas. Why does Palo Alto allow a cell tower like this to be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, inresidential neighborhoods? The City’s wireless ordinance is out of date. In particular, Palo Alto continues to adhere to a 2018 FCC Order regarding standards for cell tower design and siting— standards that were thrown out by the Ninth Circuit almost five years ago. An update is more than overdue. Please: Restore Architectural Review Board review and public hearings for cell tower applications; Remove the ordinance language that OKs locating unsightly, hazardous cell towers 20 feet from a home; Prioritize locating cell towers as far as possible from homes and schools; and Require review by non-industry-aligned experts of the “technical feasibility” assertions made by cell tower applicants. Many thanks in advance, Ann Protter From:CHop Keenan To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:Fwd: Item 11. April 14 council meeting Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 5:13:46 PM Attachments:Item #11 - April 14 2025 City Council Meeting Public Comment.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Begin forwarded message: From: CHop Keenan <chopkeenan@yahoo.com>Date: April 14, 2025 at 5:09:33 PM PDTTo: City.council@cityofpaloalto.govSubject: Item 11. April 14 council meeting Powered by Mimecast April 14, 2025 Mayor Lauing and Members of the City Council City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 city.council@CityofPaloAlto.org Re: April 14, 2025 City Council Meeting – Agenda Item #11 Objections and Comments to Future Housing on Lot D Dear Mayor Lauing and Members of the City Council: I have long enjoyed my participation in the development and vitality of Palo Alto, and appreciate the many attributes and character of the City. I am also the owner of 12 buildings within Downtown Palo Alto and frequently park in the parking lots and facilities provided in the area. Although I would welcome a new parking structure, I have some concerns with aspects of the current proposal for Lot D. The Downtown parking lots are already severely overburdened, as many businesses and companies in the Downtown area have required employees return to in-office work, with employees utilizing these downtown parking spaces. In fact, Monday through Friday, the lot I consistently park in as it is adjacent to my office, Lot R, is completely full. Although I am generally supportive of affordable housing, putting such housing on Downtown parking lots – or including housing in the proposed new Downtown Parking Garage -- is not the answer. Adding dense housing to this area will only exacerbate this problem, and increase the demand for off- street parking, as those living in these new units will likely bring new vehicles and will need somewhere to park. These concerns are aggravated by the City’s efforts to convert the existing parking on Lot T (and other lots) to affordable housing, while making only token efforts to provide any “replacement parking” within those developments. The existing lots were acquired at strategically-distributed locations in order to provide network of distributive parking through the Downtown area. Failing to provide appropriate and adequate additional parking while at the same time working to eliminate or reduce parking at any of the current lots will significantly affect the economic and cultural character of the area, and would be inconsistent with the City’s land use plans. Development of a new Downtown Parking Garage would be a long-overdue step toward the City keeping promises made to the community years ago (e.g., the Downtown Plan, the transient occupancy tax, etc.) Even if parking was replaced at a 1:1 ratio by the housing developments, most, if not all, of the parking spaces would then be used by the new residents in these developments, thus putting further pressure on other parking lots and the adjacent neighborhoods. Therefore, to maintain and enhance the vibrancy in Downtown Palo Alto, housing should be placed elsewhere in the City, parking should remain distributive throughout the area, and the sites and assets of the Assessment District should be used exclusively to parking purposes. Additionally, as a Downtown property owner, I have been paying into the Downtown Parking Assessment District for decades. Funds paid to the District have gone to the acquisition and maintenance of parking lots in the Downtown area and should only be used for reasons contemplated by the District (i.e., parking/maintenance). Developing housing on these parking lots, which were paid for by myself and other property/business owners in the Downtown area, is inconsistent with the purpose of the Assessment District. In that regard, I (along with several other downtown owners) object to any housing being placed on these parking lots. Further, any Assessment District funds used to finance housing on Downtown parking lots would be of doubtful legality and would likely be met with opposition by assessees. Lastly, to the extent the City may intend to raise funds through a bond election on the District, it is almost a guarantee that District owners will not support such bond. I respectfully urge the Council to direct staff to focus its efforts on providing a new parking facility, without any inappropriate and nonconforming housing reservations. Sincerely, Charles “Chop” Keenan cc: City Clerk, City.Clerk@PaloAlto.gov From:Respicio, Maryknol To:Lauing, Ed; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Stone, Greer; Reckdahl, Keith;Veenker, Vicki; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:City Mgr; City Attorney; Building; Lanferman, David Subject:City Council Special Meeting -- April 14, 2025 -- Agenda Item #11 Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 3:14:21 PM Attachments:image001.png2025 0411 Letter to Mayor and City Council re Agenda 11 - Meeting of 4-14-2025.pdf Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: Attached please find written correspondence from Dave Lanferman with regards to the above- referenced matter. Please let Mr. Lanferman if you have any questions. Maryknol RespicioAssistant to David P. Lanferman Five Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Ste. 200 | Palo Alto, CA 94306 O. (650) 320-1500 | D. (650) 320-1500 x7723 mrespicio@rutan.com | www.rutan.com _____________________________________________________ Privileged And Confidential Communication. This electronic transmission, and any documents attached hereto, (a) are protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 USC §§ 2510-2521), (b) may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information, and (c) are for the sole use of the intended recipient named above. If you have received this electronic message in error, please notify the sender and delete the electronic message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of the information received in error is strictly prohibited. David P. Lanferman Direct Dial: (650) 320-1507 E-mail: dlanferman@rutan.com April 14, 2025 Rutan & Tucker, LLP | Five Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Suite 200 Palo Alto, CA 94306-9814 | 650-320-1500 | Fax 650-320-9905 Orange County | Palo Alto | San Francisco | Scottsdale | www.rutan.com 2644/038584-0001 22104978.1 a04/14/25 VIA E-MAIL Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council CITY OF PALO ALTO 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Re: City Council Special Meeting – April 14, 2025 – Agenda Item #11: Review and Provide Direction on a Preferred Option for a New Parking Structure and Reserved Space for Future Affordable Housing at 375 Hamilton Avenue and Direct Staff to Pursue Preliminary Design and Environmental Review for the New Downtown Parking Garage Capital Project (PE‐15007) for the Preferred Option; CEQA Status ‐ Not a Project Comments and Objections Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: We respectfully submit this letter on behalf of many property owners, merchants, and businesses, to express our concerns and objections to the extent that the proposals suggest including “affordable housing” in the proposed new Downtown Parking Garage. Our clients applaud the Council’s consideration of reviving plans for construction of much-needed new parking facilities to serve Downtown – however, we object to the notion of possibly trying to inject housing units, of any type, into a Parking Garage at this location. For the reasons previously raised with the Council, and as summarized below, the proposals described as “Option 1 (“Waverly Residential”) and “Option 3” (“Dogleg Residential”) should be discarded as unwise, inconsistent with City land use plans, and unlawful. The project location of 375 Hamilton Avenue, also known as “Lot D,” is in the University Avenue Parking Assessment District. As such, that property has long been envisioned and committed to providing off-street public parking to serve the Downtown community. It has been funded by assessments imposed on properties in the Assessment District, based on commitments that the property would be specifically dedicated to declared parking uses – not housing or other non-parking uses. The project site is an asset of the Assessment District, whose members have equitable and statutory rights in the continuing use of the site for its stated purpose -- parking, not Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council April 14, 2025 Page 2 2644/038584-0001 22104978.1 a04/14/25 housing. Accordingly, any proposal to use the site – or even part of the site – for purposes other than publicly-accessible parking facilities serving the Downtown community would be unlawful. As noted previously, reasonable and realistic proposals for development of additional parking facilities serving Downtown Palo Alto should be explored and encouraged. However, the City should not waste time or limited public resources on pursuit of schemes to construct housing on Lot D, or any part of Lot D, without first obtaining consent from the majority of the properties assessed to fund that Parking Lot and without demonstrating compliance with several other statutory prerequisites. Even if the City were able to establish that it does, in fact, hold clear title to Lot D, unencumbered by easements or other rights in favor of the Assessment District, the City is still limited by the provisions of Government Code Section 50491-50492. The City is prohibited by statute from using the property acquired by assessments “except for the purposes for which it is acquired.” First, the California Government Code expressly provides that where property is acquired by a governmental agency for a particular purpose with funds derived from an assessment district, certain requirements must be met in order to use the property for something other than the original purposes. Among those statutory requirements is the mandate that, as a condition precedent to the making of a lease of such property for a purpose other than the original purpose, the owners of 51 percent of the real property constituting the assessment district must first sign a petition consenting to such a lease or change of use. (Gov. Code §§ 50491-50492.) Second, these proposed actions would not only put the City in violation of the Government Code, they would also put the City in breach of its fiduciary duties as a “trustee” of the properties acquired with the proceeds of assessments, as recognized by the California Supreme Court. Third, the City would need to be able to demonstrate that the proposed options for a mongrelized parking/housing structure is consistent with the City’s applicable Comprehensive Plan and Government Code § 65402, as well as commitments and mitigation measures incorporated in the City’s Downtown Plan. While the Downtown owners and businesses strongly support well-planned efforts to provide more parking in Downtown, and more affordable housing in Palo Alto, the City’s pursuit of housing should not come at the expense of injuring Downtown retailers or disregarding the legal rights of property owners that paid for the purchased and ongoing maintenance of Downtown parking lots over many years. Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council April 14, 2025 Page 3 2644/038584-0001 22104978.1 a04/14/25 We therefore respectfully encourage the Council to direct Staff to focus on “Option 2” as the City may pursue additional Parking Facilities for Downtown Palo Alto. Thank you for your consideration of these concerns. Very truly yours, RUTAN & TUCKER, LLP David P. Lanferman cc: City Manager, (Via Email: CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org) City Attorney’s Office, (Via Email: city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org) Director, Community Development, (Via Email: building@cityofpaloalto.org) From:herb To:Council, City; Clerk, City Cc:Architectural Review Board; Planning Commission Subject:April 14, 2025 Council Meeting, Item #12: 70 Encina Avenue [24PLN-00095] Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 2:29:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! BY ELECTRONIC MAIL AND HAND DELIVERY APRIL 14, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #12 70 ENCINA AVENUE [24PLN-00095] I urge you to reject staff's recommendation to (1) approve theOrdinance rezoning the property and (2) approve the Record ofLand Use Action, because a majority of the members of theArchitectural Review Board (ARB) violated the Ralph M. BrownAct by holding unauthorized meetings through intermediaries todiscuss the subject project. At the November 7, 2024 ARB meeting, Board Member Baltraydisclosed that all five members of the ARB had meetings aboutthe subject project with project architect and intermediary KenHayes outside of a regularly scheduled and publicly noticedmeeting of the ARB. At the February 6, 2025 ARB meeting, at the beginning of theARB agenda item discussion of the subject property, four of thefive ARB members (all members except Board MemberHirsch)disclosed that they had meetings with Town & Countryrepresentatives and intermediaries about the subject propertyoutside of a publicly noticed meeting of the ARB. Video Excerpt, ARB Meeting, November 7, 2024 Starting at about 3:43:30 Board Member Baltray: I can think of one reason why we should continue this. All five of us have sat with architect Hayes and let him give us his spiel. Other members of the public didn't have that opportunity. This message could be suspicious Similar name as someone in your company. This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Board Chair Rosenberg: The other side has not had their opportunity necessarily to meet with Board members. I would encourage the Board to allow for that opportunity. Video Excerpt, ARB Meeting, February 6, 2025 Starting at about 2:00:00 Board members Adcock, Chen, Rosenberg, and Baltray disclose that they have met with Town & Country representatives between the November 7, 2024 ARB meeting and the February 6, 2025 meeting. The Ralph M. Brown Act at Government Code Section 54952.2(b)(1)provides that "A majority of the members of a legislative bodyshall not, outside a meeting authorized by this chapter, use aseries of communications of any kind, directly or throughintermediaries to discuss, deliberate, or take action on anyitem of business that is within the subject matter jurisdictionof the legislative body" The ARB recommendation regarding the subject property is nulland void, because a majority of the ARB violated the Brown Act. The Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) can only make arecommendation following a legal action by the ARB, and theCity Council can only take action after the PTC acts. Therefore, you are required to reject staff's recommendation. Alternative Suggestion Since tonight's City Council meeting is a regularly scheduledmeeting, you can choose to add a Closed Session agenda itemabout the project during which you might decide to consideryour response to any possible legal action regarding the issuediscussed in this letter and, if so, decide to move the publichearing for the subject property to the beginning of the agendafor the sole purpose of opening the public hearing and thenimmediately continuing the hearing to a date uncertain. Government Code Section 54954.2(b)(2) provides that you maytake action on items of business not appearing on the postedagenda "Upon a determination by a two-thirds vote of themembers of the legislative body present at the meeting, or, ifless than two-thirds of the members are present, a unanimousvote of those members present, that there is a need to takeimmediate action and that the need for action came to theattention of the local agency subsequent to the agenda beingposted as specified in subdivision (a)." Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Herb Borock CC: Architectural Review Board; Planning and Transportation Commission From:Emily Ramos To:Pat.Burt@PaloAlto.gov; Lauing, Ed; Lu, George; Julie.LythcottHaims@PaloAlto.gov; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone,Greer; Veenker, Vicki; Council, City Cc:Alison Cingolani; Regina Celestin Williams; Clerk, City Subject:RE: Item 13 – FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Adding New Chapter 9.75 (Fair Chance in Housing) Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 1:27:24 PM Attachments:image002.pngpa_fairchance_04142025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker, and Councilmembers Burt, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, and Stone: On behalf of Silicon Valley at Home (SV@Home) and our members, we write to express our strong support for the staff recommendation to adopt a Fair Chance in Housing ordinance. We also urge the City to dedicate resources and staff capacity to enforce not only this ordinance, but the full suite of tenant protection policies adopted in recent years. SV@Home has been proud to partner with the City of Palo Alto since 2019 through a city-initiated grant from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future (PBF). This grant supported a Challenge Grant Fellow, funded by PBF, who provided dedicated staff capacity to explore and develop anti- displacement and tenant protection policies. This work was built on City Council direction first given in 2017, and reaffirmed in 2018 via a colleagues' memo, in response to rising concerns about tenant displacement in Palo Alto. Through this partnership, we have been honored to support the development of several key ordinances, including: Expansion of Tenant Relocation Assistance to properties with 10 or more units Local “Just Cause” eviction protections and security deposit regulations Strengthening of the rent survey into an enforced rent registry These ordinances were shaped by community input and local research, and designed to address multiple dimensions of housing insecurity faced by Palo Alto renters. The resulting recommendations focused on strengthening existing City ordinances, closing state-level gaps, and addressing community-identified barriers to housing stability. These measures are essential to better understanding and supporting the over 45% of Palo Alto residents who are renters. They also serve to help stabilize households and reduce the number of residents being pushed out of the community. Fair Chance is part of the comprehensive set of tools Palo Alto needs to protect renters in one of the most expensive housing markets in the Bay Area. As you know, many residents—ranging from service workers to middle-income professionals like teachers and nurses—struggle with housing cost burdens and the resulting instability. Just as no single affordable housing project will solve the housing crisis, no single tenant protection policy will suffice. A complete policy framework must include protections for tenants, alongside efforts to produce and preserve affordable housing. Palo Alto is a vibrant and desirable place to live, but it must also be a place where long-term residents—who are central to the social and economic fabric of the city—can afford to stay. These challenges are especially acute for lower-income households and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. A Fair Chance in Housing ordinance is a crucial step in this framework. BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system, and this ordinance helps remove an unjust barrier to housing that often prevents returning community members from accessing stability. Staff have worked thoughtfully to ensure the proposed ordinance aligns with state law, includes a limited lookback period, narrows the scope appropriately, and establishes a fair and transparent process for applicants and landlords. The staff report highlights relevant court rulings and underscores that criminal history is not predictive of tenancy outcomes—while housing stability is proven to reduce recidivism risk. At its core, this ordinance is about dignity, public safety, and the belief that everyone deserves a place to call home. SV@Home remains committed to working with the City to educate residents about their rights and help create accessible resources to explain these policies. However, education alone is not enough— successful implementation will require staff time and city investment in enforcement. In 2021, the City Council also directed the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to explore improvements to the implementation of existing tenant protections. We recommend continuing this practice to ensure the full impact of these policies is realized. Thank you for your continued leadership in advancing policies that promote housing stability, equity, and inclusion. Palo Alto’s thoughtful and proactive approach has become a model for cities across the region seeking to respond to the ongoing challenges of housing instability and displacement. Kind regards, Regina Celestin Williams Executive Director at SV@Home Silicon Valley @ Home is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to build our collective power and advocate for systems change to achieve housing affordability and justice throughout Santa Clara County. SV@Home works with a broad coalition of strategic partners to address the urgent housing needs of the diverse residents across all our communities. We advocate for solutions including increasing production of homes at all income levels, especially affordable housing; preserving existing affordable housing; and protecting our community’s most vulnerable residents from displacement. Become a Member | Donate Emily Ann Ramos Tenant Protection and Empowerment Associate (650) 468-0493 emily@siliconvalleyathome.org Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn 350 W. Julian Street #5, San Jose, CA 95110 350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110 www.svathome.org • info@siliconvalleyathome.org April 14, 2025 Mayor Lauing and Councilmembers City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 RE: Item 13 – FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Adding New Chapter 9.75 (Fair Chance in Housing) to Title 9 (Public Peace, Morals, and Safety) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Limit the Use of Criminal History Information in Rental Housing Decisions. Dear Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker, and Councilmembers Burt, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, and Stone: On behalf of Silicon Valley at Home (SV@Home) and our members, we write to express our strong support for the staff recommendation to adopt a Fair Chance in Housing ordinance. We also urge the City to dedicate resources and staff capacity to enforce not only this ordinance, but the full suite of tenant protection policies adopted in recent years. SV@Home has been proud to partner with the City of Palo Alto since 2019 through a city- initiated grant from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future (PBF). This grant supported a Challenge Grant Fellow, funded by PBF, who provided dedicated staff capacity to explore and develop anti-displacement and tenant protection policies. This work was built on City Council direction first given in 2017, and reaffirmed in 2018 via a colleagues' memo, in response to rising concerns about tenant displacement in Palo Alto. Through this partnership, we have been honored to support the development of several key ordinances, including: • Expansion of Tenant Relocation Assistance to properties with 10 or more units • Local “Just Cause” eviction protections and security deposit regulations • Strengthening of the rent survey into an enforced rent registry These ordinances were shaped by community input and local research, and designed to address multiple dimensions of housing insecurity faced by Palo Alto renters. The resulting recommendations focused on strengthening existing City ordinances, closing state-level gaps, and addressing community-identified barriers to housing stability. These measures are essential to better understanding and supporting the over 45% of Palo Alto residents who are renters. They also serve to help stabilize households and reduce the number of residents being pushed out of the community. Fair Chance is part of the comprehensive set of tools Palo Alto needs to protect renters in one of the most expensive housing markets in the Bay Area. As you know, many residents— ranging from service workers to middle-income professionals like teachers and nurses— struggle with housing cost burdens and the resulting instability. Board of Directors Aubrey Merriman, Chair LifeMoves Nevada Merriman, Vice Chair MidPen Housing Corporation Randy Tsuda, Treasurer Alta Housing Pilar Lorenzana, Secretary Silicon Valley Community Foundation Steven Yang Northern CA LIIF Candice Gonzalez Sand Hill Property Company Chad Bojorquez Destination: Home Maria Noel Fernandez Working Partnerships USA Alison Brunner Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Victor Vasquez SOMOS Mayfair Julie Mahowald Housing Trust Silicon Valley Wendi Baker Harmonie Park Development Staff Regina Celestin Williams Executive Director April 14, 2025 Re : Item 13 – .FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Adding New Chapter 9.75 (Fair Chance in Housing) to Title 9 (Public Peace, Morals, and Safety) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Limit the Use of Criminal History Information in Rental Housing Decisions. Page 2 of 2 350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110 408.780.8411 • www.svathome.org • info@siliconvalleyathome.org Just as no single affordable housing project will solve the housing crisis, no single tenant protection policy will suffice. A complete policy framework must include protections for tenants, alongside efforts to produce and preserve affordable housing. Palo Alto is a vibrant and desirable place to live, but it must also be a place where long-term residents—who are central to the social and economic fabric of the city—can afford to stay. These challenges are especially acute for lower-income households and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. A Fair Chance in Housing ordinance is a crucial step in this framework. BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system, and this ordinance helps remove an unjust barrier to housing that often prevents returning community members from accessing stability. Staff have worked thoughtfully to ensure the proposed ordinance aligns with state law, includes a limited lookback period, narrows the scope appropriately, and establishes a fair and transparent process for applicants and landlords. The staff report highlights relevant court rulings and underscores that criminal history is not predictive of tenancy outcomes—while housing stability is proven to reduce recidivism risk. At its core, this ordinance is about dignity, public safety, and the belief that everyone deserves a place to call home. SV@Home remains committed to working with the City to educate residents about their rights and help create accessible resources to explain these policies. However, education alone is not enough—successful implementation will require staff time and city investment in enforcement. In 2021, the City Council also directed the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to explore improvements to the implementation of existing tenant protections. We recommend continuing this practice to ensure the full impact of these policies is realized. Thank you for your continued leadership in advancing policies that promote housing stability, equity, and inclusion. Palo Alto’s thoughtful and proactive approach has become a model for cities across the region seeking to respond to the ongoing challenges of housing instability and displacement. Sincerely, Regina Celestin Williams Executive Director Silicon Valley @ Home is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to build our collective power and advocate for systems change to achieve housing affordability and justice throughout Santa Clara County. SV@Home works with a broad coalition of strategic partners to address the urgent housing needs of the diverse residents across all our communities. We advocate for solutions including increasing production of homes at all income levels, especially affordable housing; preserving existing affordable housing; and protecting our community’s most vulnerable residents from displacement.