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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-23 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: 6/23/2025 Document dates: 6/16/2025 - 6/23/2025 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 From:Martin Wasserman To:Aram James Cc:snug.bug@hotmail.com; h.etzko@gmail.com; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 11:23:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Avram, Once again, you're projecting your own negative qualities onto others. You're the one who isfilled with hatred and bloodlust, not me. Your claim that Israel has a policy of genocide in Gaza is ludicrous. If it did, the death toll would be much, much higher than it is. If it did, Israel wouldn't warn people to evacuate andgive them time to do so before striking Hamas targets. The truth is that Israel works hard to avoid civilian casualties, but Hamas makes it difficult by using those same civilians as humanshields, and even being happy when they're killed, because they believe it gives them a propaganda victory over Israel. Hamas could end the war and the suffering tomorrow simply by laying down their arms andreleasing the hostages. But since they refuse to do this, any Gazan deaths are at their doorstep, not Israel's. I also find your condemnation of Israel for “genocide” to be extremely hypocritical. You neverhave a single word of criticism for Hamas, even characterizing them as "freedom fighters,” even though their official charter explicitly calls for the extermination of every Jew on Earth,and the words and deeds of their leaders fully align with this goal. You are in fact complicit with people who seek to commit genocide against your own people. I've tried to understand the source of your constant rage against Israel, rage that you don'texpress against any other nation, as if Israel is the very worst nation in the entire world and no other nation even comes close. There's definitely something psychologically abnormal here.Rage is a very harmful emotion, one that’s the cause of many deadly conflicts. I too have many things I could be enraged about, but I resist the temptation because I know that rage ispoison to the soul. It impairs judgment and can lead to life-threatening mistakes. I hope you can cure yourself of this condition before you do yourself or someone else real harm. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Brian, Good to hear from you! Of course I remember you well including a few days, years ago, when you had your huge 91l truth float in front of my home. I’m mostcertain you recall that. Martin and I have been exchanging heated words about the state of Israel and U.S. complicity regarding the genocide in Palestine for several months now. Iapologize for not including you in our discussion earlier. Unfortunately, we have differing opinions about Marty. I don’t believe for a second that Marty is willfully ignorant about the genocideoccurring in Palestine. Rather, I think his hatred and bloodlust for the Palestinian people are premeditated, deliberate, and have been sustained for decades. You’re more forgiving than I am, but I find it difficult to tolerate Martin’s continuous support for the genocide in Palestine and the ongoing genocidal campaigns that Israel is currently waging in multiple countries in the region. Martin is a very intelligent individual who has a cult like belief that Israel isbeyond reproach. I appreciate your ability to tolerate Martin but I’m afraid I can’t say the same. Best regards, Avram “Time To End U.S. Complicity in Genocide” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 10:37 PM Brian Good <snug.bug@hotmail.com >wrote: Dear Mr. Finkelstein, I knew Marty many years ago when I crewed on his TV program "Spotlight on the Middle East." I knew him as a genial, well-meaning soul. Before long, the program lapsed because they could no longer attract a volunteer crew. At worst, Marty can be accused of willful ignorance. As a dedicated 9/11 Truther, I have a lot of experience with willful ignorance. I share your rage, but you're not going to win Marty over by venting on him. It's important in a community to be tolerant of diverse viewpoints — (with certain limitations, of course.) As a 9/11 Truther I have a lot of experience with blatant bigots, liars, and advocates of violence who should not be tolerated. From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:46 PM To: Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> Cc: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>; Rebecca Eisenberg <rebecca@rebecca4water.com>; Jim Hersh <hershjim2@gmail.com>; Avroh Shah <avrohshah@gmail.com>; Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com>; Lotus Fong <lyfong@pacbell.net>; snug.bug@hotmail.com <snug.bug@hotmail.com>; Dave Price <price@padailypost.com>; Gennady Sheyner <gsheyner@embarcaderomedia.org>; Hannah Lu <hannahlu00@gmail.com>; Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@right-thing.net>; Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>; CityCouncil <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Mark Granovetter <mgranovetter@gmail.com>; Emma Rasolovoahangy <emma- roseline@stanfordalumni.org>; Braden Cartwright <bcartwright@padailypost.com>; Sarah Wright <swright@paweekly.com>; Mickie Winkler <mickie650@gmail.com>; Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>; Charlie Weidanz <charlie@paloaltochamber.com>; Mary Rorty <mrorty@gmail.com>; Ellen Fox <ellenfox787@gmail.com>; Firoozeh Dastmalchi <firoozehdh@gmail.com>; Gloria Hom <homgloria@gmail.com>; Henry Riggs <hlriggs@comcast.net>; Jinx Lobdell <jinxlobdell@comcast.net>; John Burt <bookmanjohn88@gmail.com>; Shel Baker <michellebaker16@gmail.com>; Christiane Gebhardt <christiane.gebhardt@t- online.de>; Irina Dezhina <iradezh@gmail.com>; Arthur Millman <arthur.millman@umb.edu>; Lori Meyers <meyers.lk@gmail.com>; Sheree Roth <ssroth29@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Martin, You are so full of Israel shit! Israel is a vile genocidal state and the historical record is indisputable in that regard. Israel will soon end up in the dustbin of history a failed state that but for U.S.support would have been eliminated decades ago. Martin, your Zionist training has taught you to have bloodlust for all things Palestinian. You are a disgrace to the principles of Judaism. Avram “Eliminate Israel Now” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote: Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatenedIran or sought to do it harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek, the annihilation of the Jewish state, forcingIsrael to fight back and defend itself, which it’s done very effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’s ambition to be the solehegemonic power in the Middle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself at existential risk by impelling Iran to achieve aweapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeed it hasn’t. In anyevent President Trump’s real target was the American public in a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-war movement, morefocused on celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you will endorse the city council/town meeting mootedabove. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan todevelop nuclear weapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place. True, there was no formaldeclaration of war, but there's ample precedent for this type of action. In recent decades, the US hasbombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, most recently in Yemen. In this casetiming and surprise were essential, and that would have been impossible if we had to wait for Congressto debate the issue. We could also say that the US and Iran have been in a de facto, if not a de jure stateof war since 1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarations and actions against the US, andthe US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran being on the verge ofhaving nukes. Sincerely, Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of thedecision to abjure frominvolvement in internationalissues, excepting a very fewissuesdirectly affecting us and onwhich we can have animpact. President Trump’skingly decision to bombIran without congressionaldeclaration of warPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayorLaing call a special meetingthis Monday or Tuesdayevening to consider how tofollow up council’s supportof the recent “no kings “action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting CongresspersonSam Liccardo to supportRepresentative Massie’sstatement onunconstitutionality of theattack on Iran. Ourrepresentative declined theinvitation made to him atthe rinconado kings event totake leadership andintroduce a resolution ofimpeachment for highcrime, misdemeanors andinducement of bribe. In thelight of subsequent events,we should request him to deminimus follow the lead ofthe Republicanrepresentative The special meeting shouldtake the format of a town meeting with resolutionsemanating from the floor as well as Council. SincerelyHenry Etxkowitz 2024 city council candidateCo-founder, Neighbors for Environmental and SocialJustice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Muskfor unpermitted pour of toxic chemicals intoMatadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June SanJose Superior Court, 2nd floor From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki Cc:Council, City; Human Relations Commission; Gerry Gras; h.etzko@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov Subject:Here are my notes from the June 17, 2025 Palo Alto City Council meeting . Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 8:12:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Vicki, (Palo Alto Vice Mayor Vicky Veenker) Here are my notes from the June 17, 2025 Palo Alto City Council meeting . I will have the promised- Summer City Council break reading list to you soon. Regards, Aram “Ran into a buzz saw-blues” Dedicated to my brother man-the-popular shout-down artist known only as ‘’The Zionist” - who performed here live in chambers last night ( June 16, 2025). Seriously I’ve never seen the gentleman who yelled out during my talk before ( June 16, 2025) I had no idea what his politics were until he apparently went of script during his own oral communication (suppose to be on housing) – and plead guilty as charged –right here in chambers- to being a war mongering (take out Iran) kindof Zionist. His behavior was right out of his synagogue training…(which is) never ever allow anyone to criticize, even in the gentlest form –in the softest fashion –the state ofIsrael. I suspect that the White Supremacist Zionist gentleman was actually responding to the cult like training he received since he first stepped into a Zionist synagogue as a small child. His pro-Israel training has been pounded into his brain, his psyche, likea hammer’s blow, before for he was ever given a chance to think for himself. Censorship on all things critical of Israel becomes an automatic response with no self-reflection allowed. Vicky, on summer break I recommend you watch, the film, the documentary, Israelism, produced by two young American Jewish Filmmakers about what they went through in Zionist leaning k-12 schools and later in collegewhile associated with Hillel the white wing Zionist anti-Palestinianhate group-organization omnipresent on college campuses. An organizationthat continues the Zionist brainwashing when Israel loving Jewish students go away to college. These two American Jewish filmmakers—one who served in the IDF ( Israel Military) went through a transformation of sort a deprograming andrealized they had been sold a pack of lies re the true nature of the terrorist state ofIsrael. True to form a number of the pro-Israel crowd-lobbies attempted to remove censor the film on college campuses and other venues. Vicky, I will be giving you your summer vacation reading assignment in a follow-up email. ( Mayor Ed you might want to read some of the books as well) I’ll start with recommending you read some books by prominent Israeli scholar and historian ILan Pappe , with some brief notes on my reasoning forsuggesting you read his books. I will include some other authors on the list of recommended readings as well. Avram From:Aram James To:Brian Good Cc:Martin Wasserman; h.etzko@gmail.com; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 11:17:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Brian, Good to hear from you! Of course I remember you well including a few days, years ago, whenyou had your huge 91l truth float in front of my home. I’m most certain you recall that. Martin and I have been exchanging heated words about the state of Israel and U.S. complicity regarding the genocide in Palestine for several months now. I apologize for not including youin our discussion earlier. Unfortunately, we have differing opinions about Marty. I don’t believe for a second that Marty is willfully ignorant about the genocide occurring in Palestine. Rather, I think his hatred and bloodlust for the Palestinian people are premeditated,deliberate, and have been sustained for decades. You’re more forgiving than I am, but I find it difficult to tolerate Martin’s continuous support for the genocide in Palestine and the ongoing genocidal campaigns that Israel is currently waging in multiple countries in the region. Martin is a very intelligent individual who has a cult like belief that Israel is beyond reproach. I appreciate your ability to tolerate Martin but I’m afraid I can’t say the same. Best regards, Avram “Time To End U.S. Complicity in Genocide” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 10:37 PM Brian Good <snug.bug@hotmail.com > wrote: Dear Mr. Finkelstein, I knew Marty many years ago when I crewed on his TV program "Spotlight on the Middle East." I knew him as a genial, well-meaning soul. Before long, the program lapsed because they could no longer attract a volunteer crew. At worst, Marty can be accused of willful ignorance. As a dedicated 9/11 Truther, I have a lot of experience with willful ignorance. I share your rage, but you're not going to win Marty over by venting on him. It's important in a community to be tolerant of diverse viewpoints — (with certain limitations, of course.) As a 9/11 Truther I have a lot of experience with blatant bigots, liars, and advocates of violence who should not be tolerated. From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:46 PM To: Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> Cc: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>; Rebecca Eisenberg <rebecca@rebecca4water.com>; Jim Hersh <hershjim2@gmail.com>; Avroh Shah <avrohshah@gmail.com>; Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com>; Lotus Fong <lyfong@pacbell.net>; snug.bug@hotmail.com <snug.bug@hotmail.com>; Dave Price <price@padailypost.com>; Gennady Sheyner <gsheyner@embarcaderomedia.org>; Hannah Lu <hannahlu00@gmail.com>; Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@right-thing.net>; Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>; CityCouncil <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Mark Granovetter <mgranovetter@gmail.com>; Emma Rasolovoahangy <emma-roseline@stanfordalumni.org>; Braden Cartwright <bcartwright@padailypost.com>; Sarah Wright <swright@paweekly.com>; Mickie Winkler <mickie650@gmail.com>; Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>; Charlie Weidanz <charlie@paloaltochamber.com>; Mary Rorty <mrorty@gmail.com>; Ellen Fox <ellenfox787@gmail.com>; Firoozeh Dastmalchi <firoozehdh@gmail.com>; Gloria Hom <homgloria@gmail.com>; Henry Riggs <hlriggs@comcast.net>; Jinx Lobdell <jinxlobdell@comcast.net>; John Burt <bookmanjohn88@gmail.com>; Shel Baker <michellebaker16@gmail.com>; Christiane Gebhardt <christiane.gebhardt@t-online.de>; Irina Dezhina <iradezh@gmail.com>; Arthur Millman <arthur.millman@umb.edu>; Lori Meyers <meyers.lk@gmail.com>; Sheree Roth <ssroth29@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Martin, You are so full of Israel shit! Israel is a vile genocidal state and the historical record isindisputable in that regard. Israel will soon end up in the dustbin of history a failed state that but for U.S. support wouldhave been eliminated decades ago. Martin, your Zionist training has taught you to have bloodlust for all things Palestinian. Youare a disgrace to the principles of Judaism. Avram “Eliminate Israel Now” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatened Iran or soughtto do it harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek,the annihilation of the Jewish state, forcing Israel to fight back and defend itself, whichit’s done very effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’sambition to be the sole hegemonic power in the Middle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself atexistential risk by impelling Iran to achieve a weapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, ifindeed it hasn’t. In any event President Trump’s real target was theAmerican public in a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-warmovement, more focused on celebrating community than levitating thePentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you willendorse the city council/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to developnuclear weapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place.True, there was no formal declaration of war, but there's ampleprecedent for this type of action. In recent decades, the US hasbombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, mostrecently in Yemen. In this case timing and surprise wereessential, and that would have been impossible if we had to waitfor Congress to debate the issue. We could also say that the USand Iran have been in a de facto, if not a de jure state of war since1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarations andactions against the US, and the US has a right to strike any time itdetects a serious threat, such as Iran being on the verge of havingnukes. Sincerely,Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, HenryEtzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Mayor Laing and Councilmembers As a supporter of the decision to abjurefrom involvement in internationalissues, excepting a very few issuesdirectly affecting us and on which wecan have an impact. President Trump’skingly decision to bomb Iran withoutcongressional declaration of warPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call aspecial meeting this Monday or Tuesdayevening to consider how to follow upcouncil’s support of the recent “no kings“ action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson SamLiccardo to support RepresentativeMassie’s statement onunconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representative declined theinvitation made to him at the rinconadokings event to take leadership andintroduce a resolution of impeachmentfor high crime, misdemeanors andinducement of bribe. In the light ofsubsequent events, we should requesthim to de minimus follow the lead of theRepublican representative The special meeting should take theformat of a town meeting withresolutions emanating from the floor aswell as Council. SincerelyHenry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidateCo-founder, Neighbors forEnvironmental and Social Justicewww.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour oftoxic chemicals into Matadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose SuperiorCourt, 2nd floor From:Brian Good To:Aram James; Martin Wasserman Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 10:37:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mr. Finkelstein, I knew Marty many years ago when I crewed on his TV program "Spotlight on the Middle East." I knew him as a genial, well-meaning soul. Before long, the program lapsed because they could no longer attract a volunteer crew. At worst, Marty can be accused of willful ignorance. As a dedicated 9/11 Truther, I have a lot of experience with willful ignorance. I share your rage, but you're not going to win Marty over by venting on him. It's important in a community to be tolerant of diverse viewpoints — (with certain limitations, of course.) As a 9/11 Truther I have a lot of experience with blatant bigots, liars, and advocates of violence who should not be tolerated. From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:46 PM To: Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> Cc: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>; Rebecca Eisenberg <rebecca@rebecca4water.com>; Jim Hersh <hershjim2@gmail.com>; Avroh Shah <avrohshah@gmail.com>; Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com>; Lotus Fong <lyfong@pacbell.net>; snug.bug@hotmail.com <snug.bug@hotmail.com>; Dave Price <price@padailypost.com>; Gennady Sheyner <gsheyner@embarcaderomedia.org>; Hannah Lu <hannahlu00@gmail.com>; Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@right-thing.net>; Office of the Provost <provost@stanford.edu>; CityCouncil <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Mark Granovetter <mgranovetter@gmail.com>; Emma Rasolovoahangy <emma-roseline@stanfordalumni.org>; Braden Cartwright <bcartwright@padailypost.com>; Sarah Wright <swright@paweekly.com>; Mickie Winkler <mickie650@gmail.com>; Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>; Charlie Weidanz This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast <charlie@paloaltochamber.com>; Mary Rorty <mrorty@gmail.com>; Ellen Fox <ellenfox787@gmail.com>; Firoozeh Dastmalchi <firoozehdh@gmail.com>; Gloria Hom <homgloria@gmail.com>; Henry Riggs <hlriggs@comcast.net>; Jinx Lobdell <jinxlobdell@comcast.net>; John Burt <bookmanjohn88@gmail.com>; Shel Baker <michellebaker16@gmail.com>; Christiane Gebhardt <christiane.gebhardt@t-online.de>; Irina Dezhina <iradezh@gmail.com>; Arthur Millman <arthur.millman@umb.edu>; Lori Meyers <meyers.lk@gmail.com>; Sheree Roth <ssroth29@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Martin, You are so full of Israel shit! Israel is a vile genocidal state and the historical record is indisputable in that regard. Israel will soon end up in the dustbin of history a failed state that but for U.S. support wouldhave been eliminated decades ago. Martin, your Zionist training has taught you to have bloodlust for all things Palestinian. You are a disgrace to the principles of Judaism. Avram “Eliminate Israel Now” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatened Iran or sought to do it harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek, theannihilation of the Jewish state, forcing Israel to fight back and defend itself, which it’s done very effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’s ambition to be thesole hegemonic power in the Middle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself atexistential risk by impelling Iran to achieve a weapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeedit hasn’t. In any event President Trump’s real target was the American public in a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-war movement, more focusedon celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you will endorse the city council/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to develop nuclear weapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place.True, there was no formal declaration of war, but there's ample precedent for this type of action. In recent decades, the US hasbombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, most recently in Yemen. In this case timing and surprise were essential,and that would have been impossible if we had to wait for Congress to debate the issue. We could also say that the US and Iran havebeen in a de facto, if not a de jure state of war since 1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarations and actions againstthe US, and the US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran being on the verge of having nukes. Sincerely,Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decision to abjurefrom involvement in international issues, excepting a very few issuesdirectly affecting us and on which we can have an impact. President Trump’s kinglydecision to bomb Iran without congressional declaration of warPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call aspecial meeting this Monday or Tuesday evening to consider how to follow upcouncil’s support of the recent “no kings “ action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support RepresentativeMassie’s statement on unconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representativedeclined the invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event to take leadershipand introduce a resolution of impeachment for high crime, misdemeanors andinducement of bribe. In the light of subsequent events, we should request himto de minimus follow the lead of the Republican representative The special meeting should take theformat of a town meeting with resolutions emanating from the floor as well asCouncil. Sincerely Henry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidate Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmentaland Social Justice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxicchemicals into Matadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose SuperiorCourt, 2nd floor From:Martin Wasserman To:Aram James Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; snug.bug@hotmail.com; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 10:15:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Avram, You continue to repeat the same false accusations over and over. Israel is doing quite well against its enemies and with the help of God will continue to do so. You're the one who has bloodlust for all things Israeli. If you understood anything at all about the principles of Judaism, you would know that Israelhas not only the right, but also the obligation to defend its historic homeland against all adversaries. Those who seek to eliminate the Jewish state seek to eliminate the Jewish people. Byadvocating Israel’s destruction, you're placing yourself squarely on the side of those who do seek actual genocide against all Jews (including you). Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 8:46 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, You are so full of Israel shit! Israel is a vile genocidal state and the historical record is indisputable in that regard. Israel will soon end up in the dustbin of history a failed state that but for U.S.support would have been eliminated decades ago. Martin, your Zionist training has taught you to have bloodlust for all things Palestinian. You are a disgrace to the principles of Judaism. Avram “Eliminate Israel Now” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote: Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatened Iranor sought to do it harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek, the annihilation of the Jewish state, forcing Israel to fightback and defend itself, which it’s done very effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’s ambition to be the sole hegemonic power in theMiddle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself at existential risk by impelling Iran to achieve aweapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeed it hasn’t. In anyevent President Trump’s real target was the American public in a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-war movement, morefocused on celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you will endorse the city council/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to develop nuclear weapons, and in so doing, made theworld a safer place. True, there was no formal declaration of war, but there's ample precedent for thistype of action. In recent decades, the US has bombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, mostrecently in Yemen. In this case timing and surprise were essential, and that would have been impossible ifwe had to wait for Congress to debate the issue. We could also say that the US and Iran have been in a defacto, if not a de jure state of war since 1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarations andactions against the US, and the US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran beingon the verge of having nukes. Sincerely, Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>wrote: Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decisionto abjure from involvement ininternational issues, exceptinga very few issuesdirectly affecting us and onwhich we can have an impact.President Trump’s kinglydecision to bomb Iran withoutcongressional declaration ofwarPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayorLaing call a special meetingthis Monday or Tuesdayevening to consider how tofollow up council’s supportof the recent “no kings “action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to supportRepresentative Massie’sstatement onunconstitutionality of theattack on Iran. Ourrepresentative declined theinvitation made to him at therinconado kings event to takeleadership and introduce aresolution of impeachment forhigh crime, misdemeanors and inducement of bribe. Inthe light of subsequent events, we should request him to deminimus follow the lead of the Republican representative The special meeting shouldtake the format of a town meeting with resolutionsemanating from the floor as well as Council. SincerelyHenry Etxkowitz 2024 city council candidateCo-founder, Neighbors for Environmental and SocialJustice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk forunpermitted pour of toxic chemicals into MataderoCreek 10am Friday 27 June San JoseSuperior Court, 2nd floor From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Marty Wasserman; Dave Price; Council, City; GRP-City Council; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;Roberta Ahlquist; Braden Cartwright; Friends of Cubberley; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for CaliforniaDemocratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; John Burt; dcombs@menlopark.gov; Nash, Betsy;city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Holman, Karen (external);Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Linda Jolley; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; EPA Today;Foley, Michael; Palo Alto Free Press; Tom DuBois; GRP-City Clerk; Bill Newell; Salem Ajluni; Zelkha, Mila; HumanRelations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Patrice Ventresca; Pat M;Sean Allen; Sameena@Secure-Justice.org; Raymond Goins; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org;BoardOperations; Lotus Fong Subject:https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/gZMnC93z8rImZOlKSofvhq0cJC?domain=fb.watch Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:58:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://fb.watch/AoygPpF6a7/?mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e From:Aram James To:Martin Wasserman Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; snug.bug@hotmail.com; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:46:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Martin, You are so full of Israel shit! Israel is a vile genocidal state and the historical record isindisputable in that regard. Israel will soon end up in the dustbin of history a failed state that but for U.S. support would have been eliminated decades ago. Martin, your Zionist training has taught you to have bloodlust for all things Palestinian. Youare a disgrace to the principles of Judaism. Avram “Eliminate Israel Now” Finkelstein On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatened Iran or sought todo it harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek, the annihilation of the Jewish state, forcing Israel to fight back and defend itself, which it’s donevery effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’s ambition to be the sole hegemonic power in the Middle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself at existential risk by impelling Iran to achieve a weapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeed it hasn’t. In any event President Trump’s real target was the American publicin a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-war movement, more focused on celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you willendorse the city council/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to develop nuclear weapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place.True, there was no formal declaration of war, but there's ample precedent for this type of action. In recent decades, the US hasbombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, most recently in Yemen. In this case timing and surprise were essential,and that would have been impossible if we had to wait for Congress to debate the issue. We could also say that the US and Iran havebeen in a de facto, if not a de jure state of war since 1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarations and actions againstthe US, and the US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran being on the verge of having nukes. Sincerely,Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decision to abjurefrom involvement in international issues, excepting a very few issuesdirectly affecting us and on which we can have an impact. President Trump’s kinglydecision to bomb Iran without congressional declaration of warPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call aspecial meeting this Monday or Tuesday evening to consider how to follow upcouncil’s support of the recent “no kings “ action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support RepresentativeMassie’s statement on unconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representativedeclined the invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event to take leadershipand introduce a resolution of impeachment for high crime, misdemeanors andinducement of bribe. In the light of subsequent events, we should request himto de minimus follow the lead of the Republican representative The special meeting should take theformat of a town meeting with resolutions emanating from the floor as well asCouncil. Sincerely Henry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidate Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmentaland Social Justice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxicchemicals into Matadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose SuperiorCourt, 2nd floor From:Ah Yun, Mahealani To:Council, City Subject:Public Comment Letter - Lower Water Rates Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 8:13:12 PM Attachments:Public Comment Lower Water Rates.pdf City Council – Letter received re request for lower water rates. From:Martin Wasserman To:h.etzko@gmail.com Cc:Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Aram James; snug.bug@hotmail.com; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City; Mark Granovetter; Emma Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko; Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 7:40:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Israel did not "impel" Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It never threatened Iran or sought to doit harm. It was the government of Iran that relentlessly sought, and continues to seek, the annihilation of the Jewish state, forcing Israel to fight back and defend itself, which it’s donevery effectively,. The only "threat" Israel ever posed to Iran was to Iran’s ambition to be the sole hegemonic power in the Middle East. Martin Wasserman On Jun 22, 2025, at 5:43 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself at existential risk by impelling Iran to achieve a weapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeed it hasn’t. In any event President Trump’s real target was the American public in apre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti-war movement, more focused on celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you willendorse the city council/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to develop nuclearweapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place. True, there was no formal declaration of war, but there's ample precedent for thistype of action. In recent decades, the US has bombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration, most recently in Yemen. In thiscase timing and surprise were essential, and that would have been impossible if we had to wait for Congress to debate the issue. Wecould also say that the US and Iran have been in a de facto, if not a de jure state of war since 1979, based on the Iranian government'shostile declarations and actions against the US, and the US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran being on theverge of having nukes. Sincerely, Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, HenryEtzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote:Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decision to abjure from involvement in international issues,excepting a very few issues directly affecting us and on which we canhave an impact. President Trump’s kingly decision to bomb Iran without congressionaldeclaration of war Passed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call a special meeting this Monday or Tuesday evening toconsider how to follow up council’s support of the recent “no kings “ action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support Representative Massie’sstatement on unconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representative declinedthe invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event to take leadership and introducea resolution of impeachment for high crime, misdemeanors and inducement of bribe. Inthe light of subsequent events, we should request him to de minimus follow the lead ofthe Republican representative The special meeting should take the format of a town meeting with resolutionsemanating from the floor as well as Council. Sincerely Henry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidate Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmentaland Social Justice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxicchemicals into Matadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose SuperiorCourt, 2nd floor From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Martin Wasserman; Rebecca Eisenberg; Jim Hersh; Avroh Shah; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Aram James;Brian Good; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Office of the Provost; Council, City;Mark Granovetter; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Mickie Winkler; Joe Penko;Charlie Weidanz; Mary Rorty Cc:Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Mickie Winkler; Gloria Hom; Henry Riggs; Jinx Lobdell; John Burt; Shel Baker; Christiane Gebhardt; Irina Dezhina; Arthur Millman Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 5:43:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. These propositions deserve a closer look. Arguably Israel has placed itself at existential riskby impelling Iran to achieve a weapon Israel gained in the 60’s indeed; it is a measure of Iran’s restraint that it had not yet caught up, if indeed it hasn’t. In any event PresidentTrump’s real target was the American public in a pre-emptive strike to take out a nascent anti- war movement, more focused on celebrating community than levitating the Pentagon. As a well known public discussion leader in north Palo Alto expect you will endorse the citycouncil/town meeting mooted above. On Jun 22, 2025, at 2:26 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Dear All, The US action dealt a severe setback to Iran’s plan to develop nuclear weapons, and in so doing, made the world a safer place. True, there was no formaldeclaration of war, but there's ample precedent for this type of action. In recent decades, the US has bombed many foreign targets with no formal declaration,most recently in Yemen. In this case timing and surprise were essential, and that would have been impossible if we had to wait for Congress to debate the issue.We could also say that the US and Iran have been in a de facto, if not a de jure state of war since 1979, based on the Iranian government's hostile declarationsand actions against the US, and the US has a right to strike any time it detects a serious threat, such as Iran being on the verge of having nukes. Sincerely,Martin Wasserman On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:15 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Please forward to neighbors and friends On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz<H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote:Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decision to abjure from involvement in international issues, excepting a very fewissues directly affecting us and on which we can have animpact. President Trump’s kingly decision to bomb Iran without congressional declaration of warPassed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call a special meeting thisMonday or Tuesday evening to consider how to follow up council’s support of the recent “no kings “ action An initial idea; a resolutionRequesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support Representative Massie’s statement on unconstitutionalityof the attack on Iran. Our representative declined the invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event totake leadership and introduce a resolution of impeachment for high crime, misdemeanors andinducement of bribe. In the light of subsequent events, we should request him to de minimus follow the lead ofthe Republican representative The special meeting should take the format of a town meeting with resolutions emanating from the floor aswell as Council. Sincerely Henry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidate Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmental and SocialJustice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxic chemicals into MataderoCreek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose Superior Court, 2nd floor From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; Brian Good; Office of the Provost; David Nordfors; Team JulieforPaloAlto; sally Tomlinson; TatyanaKanzaveli; Rebecca Eisenberg; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Carol Kemelgor; Roberto Islas Cc:Shikada, Ed; Josh Schneider; Hannah Lu; Aram James; Avroh Shah; Sarah Wright Subject:Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 4:40:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Laing and Council members As a supporter of the decision to abjure from involvement in international issues, excepting a very few issuesdirectly affecting us and on which we can have an impact. President Trump’s kingly decision to bomb Iran without congressional declaration of war Passed that bar Respectfully ask mayor Laing call a special meeting this Monday or Tuesday evening toconsider how to follow up council’s support of the recent “no kings “ action An initial idea; a resolution Requesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support Representative Massie’s statement onunconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representative declined the invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event to take leadership and introduce a resolution of impeachmentfor high crime, misdemeanors and inducement of bribe. In the light of subsequent events, we should request him to de minimus follow the lead of the Republican representative The special meeting should take the format of a town meeting with resolutions emanatingfrom the floor as well as Council. Sincerely Henry Etxkowitz2024 city council candidate Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmental and Social Justice www.triplehelix.net Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxic chemicals intoMatadero Creek 10am Friday 27 June San Jose Superior Court, 2nd floor that bar. fo Henry Etzkowitz Sociology Department Stanford University www.triplehelix.net From:Aram James To:Vicki Veenker Cc:Council, City; Binder, Andrew; Lauing, Ed; board@pausd.org; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; board@valleywater.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; BoardOperations; Templeton, Cari; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; Sean Allen; Rose Lynn; Carla Torres; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Zelkha, Mila; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; Dave Price; Gennady Sheyner; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Diana Diamond; Rodriguez, Miguel; Perron, Zachary; Palo Alto Free Press; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; District2@sanjoseca.gov; Councilmember Chappie Jones; District10@sanjoseca.gov; District3@sanjoseca.gov; District9@sanjoseca.gov; Yolanda trevino; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Patrice Ventresca; Bryan Gobin; Brandon Pho; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Sheree Roth; ladoris cordell; Lori Meyers; GRP-City Council; city.council@menlopark.gov; Nash, Betsy; Bill Newell; City Attorney; Reifschneider, James; Foley, Michael; Baker, Rob; Robert. Jonsen Subject:"Ran Into a Buzz Saw Blues"--Notes to Palo Alto Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker-( June 17, 2025 City Council Meeting)from Avram Finkelstein aka Aram James Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 11:54:55 AM Attachments:ran into a buzz saw blues lol.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Vicki, (Palo Alto Vice Mayor Vicky Veenker Here are my notes from the June 17, 2025 Palo Alto City Council meeting . I will have the promised- Summer City Council break –reading list to you soon. Regards, Aram June 17, 2025 In fact I named my last night’s oral communication “Ran into a buzz saw- blues” Dedicated to my brother man-the-popular shout-down artist known only as ‘’The Zionist” who performed here live in chambers last night (June 16, 2025). Seriously I never saw the gentleman who yelled out during my talk before. Had no idea what his politics were until he apparently went of script during his own oral communication (suppose to be on housing) – and plead guilty as charged –right here in chambers- to being a war mongering (take out Iran) kind of Zionist. His behavior was right out of his synagogue training… (which is) never ever allow anyone to criticize, even in the gentlest form –in the softest fashion –the state of Israel. I suspect that the White Supremacist Zionist gentleman was actually responding to the cult like training he received since he first stepped into a Zionist synagogue as a small child. His pro-Israel training has been pounded into his brain, his psyche, like a hammer’s blow, before for he was ever given a chance to think for himself. Censorship on all things critical of Israel becomes an automatic response with no self-reflection allowed. Vicky, on summer break I recommend you watch, the film, the documentary, Israelism, produced by two young American Jewish Filmmakers about what they went through in Zionist leaning k-12 schools and later in college while associated with Hillel the white wing Zionist anti-Palestinian hate group-organization omnipresent on college campuses. An organization that continues the Zionist brainwashing when Israel loving Jewish students go away to college. These two American Jewish filmmakers—one who served in the IDF ( Israel Military) went through a transformation of sort a deprograming and realized they had been sold a pack of lies re the true nature of the terrorist state of Israel. True to form a number of the pro-Israel crowd-lobbies attempted to remove censor the film on college campuses and other venues. Vicky, I will be giving you your summer vacation reading assignment in a follow-up email. ( Mayor Ed you might want to read some of the books as well) I’ll start with recommending you read some books by prominent Israeli scholar and historian ILan Pappe , with some brief notes on my reasoning for suggesting you read his books. I will include some other authors on the list of recommended readings as well. From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; Brian Good; Office of the Provost; David Nordfors; Team JulieforPaloAlto; sally Tomlinson; TatyanaKanzaveli; Rebecca Eisenberg; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Carol Kemelgor; Roberto Islas Cc:Shikada, Ed; Josh Schneider; Hannah Lu; Aram James; Avroh Shah; Sarah Wright Subject:Re: Citizens request for emergency council meeting Date:Sunday, June 22, 2025 9:21:15 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Dear all Suggest reiterate the emergency meeting request in your own mails to Mayor Laing and city council BestHenry > On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Mayor Laing and Council members > > As a supporter of the decision to abjure from involvement in international issues, excepting a very few issues> directly affecting us and on which we can have an impact. President Trump’s kingly decision to bomb Iran without congressional declaration of war> Passed that bar > > > Respectfully ask mayor Laing call a special meeting this Monday or Tuesday evening toconsider how to follow up council’s support of the recent “no kings “ action > > An initial idea; a resolution > Requesting Congressperson Sam Liccardo to support Representative Massie’s statement onunconstitutionality of the attack on Iran. Our representative declined the invitation made to him at the rinconado kings event to take leadership and introduce a resolution of impeachmentfor high crime, misdemeanors and inducement of bribe. In the light of subsequent events, we should request him to de minimus follow the lead of the Republican representative> > The special meeting should take the format of a town meeting with resolutions emanatingfrom the floor as well as Council. > > Sincerely > Henry Etxkowitz> 2024 city council candidate > Co-founder, Neighbors for Environmental and Social Justice> www.triplehelix.net > > > Ps support neighbors lawsuit against Tesla/Musk for unpermitted pour of toxic chemicalsinto Matadero Creek > 10am Friday 27 June San Jose Superior Court, 2nd floor> > > > > > > > > > that bar. fo> > > Henry Etzkowitz > Sociology Department> Stanford University > www.triplehelix.net From:Mark Shull To:Lauing, Ed; Shikada, Ed; Council, City Cc:Gennady Sheyner Subject:Identity of "eBike" in the PA Online Cal Ave article picture Date:Saturday, June 21, 2025 5:51:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. The PA Online picture of two youths riding an electric bike on Cal Ave (below) is upsetting, and it should be. But,it's not an e-bike; it doesn't even have pedals. It appears to be a Sur-Ron Light Bee S (orX), a notorious electricmotorbike heavily marketed to young boys via popular online platforms like Twitch, that is completely illegal toride on streets in California, and every other state in the US. The Sur-ron is extremely popular and advertised for 13 year olds and higher. The S version goes about 31 mph,the X version -- same frame -- goes 41 mph. (Sur-ron sells upgrade adapters, literally with warningsthat modifying the bike is dangerous .) These fast motorbikes, and similar motorbikes disguised as Class 2 ebikes (which are defined by Ca law as lowspeed and having a throttle) are extremely popular with middle schoolers and are rapidly proliferating on streets. They are first and foremost completely illegal and extremely dangerous for youths to ride, and although they aren'teBikes, they poison and prejudice the public's perception of eBike riders and eBikes in general. I urge Palo Alto City to conduct education and issue similar police warnings, so parents and schools (and police)know how to identify an illegal electric motorbike (many have faux pedals and Class 2 stickers) from legal Class 2low speed eBikes. This is critical for youth safety, and fair and informed discussions related to eBikes as a growingnon-car option for efficient urban transportation. Mark Shull From:pol1@rosenblums.us To:Council, City Subject:Comment on Water Rates and BAWSCA expenditures Date:Saturday, June 21, 2025 2:42:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council: I recently requested a summary of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency’s (BAWSCA) anti-environmental legal expenses related to the State Water Board’s Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s relicensing of Don Pedro Dam on the Tuolumne River. BAWSCA represents Palo Alto in negotiations with the SFPUC. The documents revealed that BAWSCA has spent $3 million dollars opposing environmental protections. I don’t think my fellow Palo Altans would approve of these expenditures, especially since we are the ones who ultimately pay a share of the bills. Palo Altans care deeply about San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, and our rivers, including the Tuolumne where we get our Hetch Hetchy water. Those of us who follow BAWSCA (as I have for the past eight years) are extremely disappointed in their policies and actions that subvert efforts to restore salmon runs and aquatic ecosystems. In 2016, Bay Area voters overwhelmingly approved Measure AA — the San Francisco Bay Clean Water, Pollution Prevention and Habitat Restoration Measure — electing to tax ourselves to restore San Francisco Bay. The 70% yes vote demonstrates the commitment of Bay Area residents to the revitalization of our ecosystems. The actions of the BAWSCA Board should reflect the values of the voters they serve. In fact , the City Council has previously passed a resolution unanimously on August 20, 2018 as stated in the meeting minutes: 5. Adoption of a Resolution Supporting the Objective of the State WaterResources Control Board’s Bay Delta Plan and a Negotiated VoluntarySettlement of Water Issues on the Tuolumne River. This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast “MOTION AS AMENDED RESTATED: Council Member Scharff moved,seconded by Vice Mayor Filseth to support the State Water Resources ControlBoard’s Bay Delta Plan to have 30-50 percent of unimpaired flow in the SanJoaquin Valley to enter the Delta from February to June and associatedSouthern Delta salinity objectives; and send a letter expressing this policyposition to Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA),California State Water Resources Control Board, San Francisco Public UtilitiesCommission (SFPUC), and other stakeholders Staff believes should receive theletter. MOTION AS AMENDED PASSED: 9-0” As this continues to be our official position, I urge Palo Alto to continue to press BAWSCA to withdraw its support for this meritless legal activity. Thank You. Sincerely. Stephen Rosenblum Old Palo Alto From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City Subject:Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution Date:Saturday, June 21, 2025 7:24:47 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.Instead of wife changing jobs , -the default option-why not the husband, especially one withample employment opportunities? Ed Henry Etzkowitz 2024 City Council candidate Neighbors for environmental and social justice www.triplehelix.net From:Drew Pearson To:Council, City Subject:Remove Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 9:43:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, I am sorry to bother you as I am sure everyone is very busy. Hopefully this will be quick. I am a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood. Recently, a "no turn on red" sign was put up on California Avenue eastbound. This restricts turning southbound onto El Camino whenthere is a red light. I strongly disagree with the decision to put this rule into effect. Therefore, I am writing to inquire: 1. Why was that sign put into place? What necessitates having a special rule against thestandard law of right on reds, for the right turns at that intersection? Was there some accident I am unaware of? Complaints? near accidents? 2. How did such a decision come to pass? What can I do to be informed before decisions like this are made? 3. What can I do to repeal the sign? If I get enough supporters can we revisit the sign? Thanks so much for your time, Drew Pearson From:Jeff Hoel To:Council, CityCc:Hoel, Jeff (external); UAC Subject:TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS -- 06-03-25 Finance Committee meeting -- FTTP itemDate:Friday, June 20, 2025 3:46:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Council members, Here's a TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS of the 06-03-25 Finance Committee meeting, Item 2, which was about FTTP. (My comments are paragraphs in red beginning with"### " Presentation slide titles are paragraphs in orange beginning with "###. ".) 06-02-25 agenda:https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=16128 06-02-25 video:https://midpenmedia.org/finance-committee-632025/ KEY POINTS * I was horrified to hear that that staff is still talking about fixed wireless (and specifically Tarana fixed wireless) as substitute for FTTP, or even as a pre-FTTP stopgap. * Staff said that currently, we're patching the existing dark fiber network rather than building out two brand-new dark fiber networks, although staff wants to build the twobrand-new dark fiber networks eventually. I would like Council to rethink whether the City should ever build out the two brand-new dark fiber networks. Why isn't patchingthe existing dark fiber network good enough? We could save a major fraction of $25 million, making it available for FTTP. * I'd like to know more about the infrastructure needed to provide the two "dedicated internet access" (DIA) products mentioned on page 9 of the presentation slides. Apparently the electronics will be point-to-point. How many fiber strands will be provided in the infrastructure to support customers of these products? Thanks. Jeff -------------------Jeff Hoel731 Colorado AvenuePalo Alto, CA 94303------------------- =========================================================================== TRANSCRIPT Item 2: 0:45:11: Chair Burt: Our next item is a Recommendation to the Council to Approve the New FY '26 Palo Alto Fiber Rates and Packages as Recommended by the UAC. Goodevening. 0:45:28: Kiely Nose: All right. So, we have Dave Yuan, from our Utilities Department, as well as Darren Numoto, from the IT Department, to help navigate this. I'm not sure who'sgoing to give it off. Dave? 0:45:40: ###. Slide 1 -- Palo Alto Fiber Rates and Financials Dave Yuan: Sure. Good evening, Council members. I'm glad to be here. Sorry it's taking us a little bit longer than we had wanted to come to present the fiber-to-the-premise rates. ### The preferred term is fiber-to-the-premises (with an "s"). In this TRANSCRIPT, there are 9 occurrences of "premises" and 5 occurrences of "premise," not countingmy comments. The good news is, we're about to launch. And tonight we're hoping to get your approval to start offering this internet service from the City. And with me is Darren Numoto. He's been a key ** on this project as well. He is, as you probably know, the Chief Technology Officer -- the CIO. He can speak a little about his background. How it relatesback to this project. If you want to. 0:46:13: Darren Numoto: Sure. Thank you. And, you know, as well as being the CIO -- IT Director for the City -- in previous, I have worked for ISP providers in the past, and havedone other stints. But this was a little back in the day when technology wasn't as advanced as it is today. But the process is still the same. And the requirements are --have increased. But, overall, just the understanding of what it takes to provide a service like this. And the understanding of the infrastructure required to provide theinternet services. So -- and that's where my role is, is really helping with the operations, and getting the infrastructure that serves the internet to our customers in play. Andwe're working in partnership with the Utilities Department to lay that foundation of the utility infrastructure and the fiber infrastructure. So -- 0:47:00: Dave Yuan: I also want to add that this is not just Utilities and IT. This is a whole citywide project, with help from ASD, HR, Public Works, Planning, Legal. So I want tothank everyone who's been involved in getting this business up and running. So, all right. So, let's get to this. 0:47:18: ###. Slide 2 -- Agenda So, tonight, we will be presenting the fiber rates and the proposed. And also some financial updates of FTTP, or fiber to the premises. Oh, there is someone speak -- raising their hand? Is there a public comment? Or is that later? 0:47:32: Chair Burt: Go right ahead. 0:47:32: Dave Yuan: OK. Sorry. So, for the agenda tonight, we'll try to provide a brief overview of Council-approved priorities or projects. We'll share the results of a competitivescan of the pilot area, performed by a consultant. Then we'll go over some of the financials of FTTP, the rate structure, and the proposed product offerings. Then we'll wrap it up with some key measures of success, for both the pilot and phase 1. And some upcoming milestones. Next slide, please. 0:47:59: ###. Slide 3 -- Council Approved Projects So, in December of 2022, I think Chair Burt was one of the Council members there. ** Council Member Stone -- or I think the other one -- I haven't looked at the roster backthen, to see who was still around, and how this all came about. ### See a TRANSCRIPT of the 12-19-22 Council meeting here (pages 23-43):https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/3/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and- minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/public-letters-to-uac-february-2023.pdfMayor Burt, Vice Mayor Kou, and Council Members Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, and Stone voted in favor. Council Member Tanaka voted against. So, they did approve of a fiber expansion plan, utilizing the $34 million of fiber reserves we had accumulated over the 20 years. ### In 1996, Council voted to build a dark fiber network. By 1998, it had customers.https://www.paloaltoonline.com/morgue/cover/1998_Feb_4.COVER04.htmlSo in 2022, the dark fiber network had been accumulating revenues for more like 24 years. The first one is the Fiber Backbone Rebuild. The plan is -- The existing backbone is about about 30 years old. ### The City's dark fiber network has been added to over the years, but the oldest parts are about 29 years old. and has served the City well. And has built up over $30 million in reserves from dark fiber licensing. It's now -- It's time to reinvest in this new fiber backbone, and alsocreate a second fiber backbone for the Electric Utility. And this will provide additional capacity and security for our future and current needs. The dark fiber business isgradually making a comeback since the pandemic, including a new connection in the Foothills, to serve about 20 customers who didn't have any options to reliable internetservice. So, we partner with Adobe Creek Networks, ### Adobe Creek Networks.https://adobecreek.net/ and we provided them the dark fiber licensing. ### What is the nature of this "partnership"? Why isn't Adobe Creek Networks just another dark fiber customer? Are they paying standard dark fiber rates? And they're going to be the ISP provider for that area. So, they've been working for that, I think, for several years. So we finally found a plan that worked for both of us, as we were doing the fiber rebuild in the Foothills. 0:49:15: The second project Council approved was to spend up to maybe $20 million from the Fiber Reserves for a phased build-out of fiber to the premises. The pilot is a subset ofthe phase 1, ### In 2022, Council didn't say anything about a "pilot" as a subset of phase 1. More recently, staff invented the concept of the pilot. consisting of about 1,000 customers in the pilot. ### The pilot proposes to "pass" about 1,000 premises. Not all passed premises will become customers. And the goal is to get about 7,000 customers in the full phase 1. ### Again, the goal of phase 1 is to "pass" about 7,000 premises. Not all passed premises will become customers. We will be returning back to the UAC and the Council after the pilot with data points, financials, and metrics of success, to determine the financial sustainability of this newbusiness. And finally, we're also aligning the fiber to the premise construction with Grid Mod, to increase efficiency, reduce construction costs, and minimize disruption inneighborhoods. And so far, that has been going well so far. We've had minimal complaints. Knock on wood. For the first 1,000 customers in that pilot area. ### Again, passings, not customers. So, we're trying to go in there once, do all the pole make-ready for the Grid Mod. And then, we'll come back maybe in the summer and do the fiber lashing, which should be quick. ### This sounds like going in there twice. (Once for pole make-ready and deploying the messenger wire, and again for lashing fiber to the messenger wire.) Next slide. 0:50:14: ###. Slide 4 -- Coverage/Pricing Xfinity and AT&T -- FTTP Pilot This is kind of coverage map of our competitive landscape. So, here, let me orient you. Those red dots here are -- represent Xfinity, where they offer 2-gig services. ### Xfinity has two kinds of internet infrastructure in Palo Alto: one is capable of offering speeds up to 2000/300 Mbps (that is, 2000 Mbps down and 300 Mbps up) and theother is capable of offering speeds up to 1200/35 Mbps (that is, 1200 Mbps down and 35 Mbps up). In both cases, the upload speed is way too slow to be called "gigabit." ### The FCC has a Broadband Map that shows data reported by ISPs about what broadband services they offer. (This version is dated 12-31-24.)https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/fixed?version=dec2024&location_id=b0e6a23d-437d-47fd-ab98-88be6326d99b&addr1=731+COLORADO+AVE&addr2=PALO+ALTO%2C+CA+94303&zoom=15.00&vlon=-122.130504&vlat=37.438609&br=r&speed=1000_100&tech=2You can select what technology and speed you want to view. (I have selected cable technology and 1000/100 Mbps speed.) Premises that have access to the specifiedtechnology and speed are shown as green dots, and other premises are shown as red dots. ### By the way, the 06-30-23 version of the map shows Xfinity's faster infrastructure as 2000/200 Mbps. I'm guessing that the increase in upload speed from 200 Mbps to300 Mbps is NOT based on actual infrastructure improvements. So, it's about 50 percent of the pilot area they have 2-gig service available to customers. And the blue balloons are the AT&T where they offer fiber to the home service. So there are a lot of blues underneath the red. Just so you know. ### A better graphic would not have allowed the red dots to hide the blue balloons. I think Comcast -- about 50 percent has 2-gig service or more. ### NOT "or more." Or, 2-gig service. Whereas AT&T probably has like 98 percent fiber to the home service. ### The FCC Broadband Map (selecting fiber technology and 1000/100 Mbps speed) seems to agree.https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/fixed?version=dec2024&location_id=4d694084-01e2-472f-b64c- a299aa3d85a0&addr1=2850+W+BAYSHORE+RD&addr2=PALO+ALTO%2C+CA+94303&zoom=15.12&vlon=-122.123300&vlat=37.434723&br=r&speed=1000_100&tech=3 ### Why did staff chose a pilot area where the City would be competing with AT&T FTTP 98 percent of the time? At 1:25:05, Commissioner Gupta says that AT&T Fiber'scoverage of Palo Alto citywide is less than 45 percent. The difference between -- I guess -- Comcast and us is that they offer non-symmetrical speed. So, their upload speed and download speed vary quite a bit. So, eventhough they may offer 2-gig of download speed, their upload speed is probably like 300 megabytes. ### NO. 300 megaBITS per second (Mbps). So, one seventh of the time. Whereas, with fiber, it's a symmetrical speed. So we will upload and download at the same amount of speed. Any question on this slidebefore I move on? 0:51:20: Chair Burt: The red boxes that you have highlighted, and the yellow ones. 0:51:24: Dave Yuan: Oh, sure. So, yes, the yellow boxes are the ones, again -- I think for the pilot we are going to be offering either the 1-gig and the 5-gig. And I think the yellowboxes are showing where they are offering more than 1-gigabit service. So, that's the red balloons, again, for Xfinity and the blue balloons for AT&T. That's who we'rereally competing with, in regards to technology and speed. And then, the red boxes. Those are the -- kind of the two offerings we want to offer in the beginning, just tokeep it simple, and make it easier for us also to learn from it. The 1-gigabit service and the 5-gigabit service. So, as you can see, Xfinity doesn't have a 5-gig. They onlyhave a 1-gig and a 2-gig. ### Again, failing to mention Xfinity's sub-gig upload speeds is misleading. Whereas, AT&T has both. 0:52:06: Chair Burt: We said 2-gig, but it says 1.2. 0:52:10: Dave Yuan: Yes. They have a 2.0 -- the one in the green box. Sorry, in the yellow box. 0:52:15: Chair Burt: Oh, I see it. OK. I get it. Thank you. 0:52:16: Dave Yuan: Yeah. So, the 1.2-gigs -- They have that in download. But their upload speed, I think, is like 35 [Mbps] or something. So, it's really very slow. To uploadanything. 0:52:25: Chair Burt: So, can you just explain the two different Xfinity $80, one that has 1.2-gigs and the other that's the 2[.0-gigs]? 0:52:36: Dave Yuan: So, only certain areas have the 2-gigs available. They're pricing them the same. But the areas of the 1.2, I don't think they're planning on upgrading it. So,those customers are kind of -- That's what they're limited to. At least from Xfinity. But AT&T is there. If they choose. 0:52:52: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: Can I ask -- So, we've chosen an area -- And I realize this is the area -- I just, pardon me, to understand why -- where there already isfiber coverage -- 0:53:01: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:53:01: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: -- offered by one or both competitors. ### AT&T offers FTTP, but Xfinity does not. 0:53:04: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:53:04: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: And we're choosing to go in there and compete there. Instead of doing our pilot fiber in a place where people don't yet have any fiber. 0:53:14: Dave Yuan: It's a good question. So, two reasons for that, I guess. One is because we were trying to coordinate with Grid Mod. So, this is where they were starting tobuild, for the 4-kV [to] 12-kV conversion. And we're trying to learn from the pilot. So, that was one of the reasons. And the second reason is for where -- I think AT&T isprobably at 75 percent of the City. ### At 1:25:05, UAC Commissioner Utsav Gupta says it's less than 45 percent. And the areas that they're not at is probably the underground areas. ### AT&T has deployed FTTP to some underground areas. And the cost to build in the underground is a lot more expensive than the overhead. So -- And I think it's almost like - I want to say 10X expense to build in the underground areas. 0:53:47: Chair Burt: And is there another reason, if I recall correctly? Which is that this pilot -- we really want to understand the uptake and the pricing. 0:53:56: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:53:56 Chair Burt: And if we put it where there wasn't fiber, we wouldn't get that comparison. 0:54:00: Dave Yuan: Right. 0:54:01 Chair Burt: Our competitive -- 0:54:02: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: I confess. I live in a part of the City where I have to have both AT&T AND Xfinity broadband -- 0:54:08: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:54:08: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: -- because neither has a great speed. And we're just waiting for like a better technology to arrive -- 0:54:15: Dave Yuan: Hopefully we'll get that soon. 0:54:15: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: That's just where I happen to live. All right. Thank you. 0:54:18: Dave Yuan: Sure. Next slide, please. 0:54:20: ###. Slide 5 -- Coverage/Pricing Xfinity and AT&T -- FTTP Pilot (cont.) OK. So, this is kind of how Xfinity and AT&T get new customers. Or how customers churn. They do offer these promotional rates. And also, now, they're enticingcustomers with gift cards, that you can see here. So, they'll start off -- like, the 1-gig service will have a $55 promotion rate. But after a year or two, they'll raise it to $95. Or $114, depending on which service provider. So, for Palo Alto Fiber, we're going to offer one rate, and we're going to stick with that rate. So, we're not going to have anyof these hidden fees or any of these ballooning rates, unlike our competitors. We also don't have the deep pockets to compete with them in pricing -- underpricing -- andoffering gift cards. So, the way we're going to differentiate ourselves is really through our service, the quality of the speed of the product, and our responsiveness. Andalso, their trust in the City. Just -- Same as all of our utility services, and all the other City services we provide. We're going to differentiate by that, versus trying to beatthem on price or technology. ### Palo Alto Fiber's FTTP technology IS superior to Xfinity's hybrid fiber coax (HFC) technology, both now and in the future. It's both faster and more reliable. 0:55:21: Chair Burt: Let me jump in on this. Because I think this is one of the most important questions. We're -- when -- All of our other utilities, we are a monopoly, for the mostpart. 0:55:30: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:55:30: Chair Burt: This, we're competing. 0:55:32: Dave Yuan: Yes. 0:55:33: Chair Burt: And so, when we say, well, this is how do it, when we're a monopoly, that doesn't necessarily apply to when we're not a monopoly. And I don't know theanswer to how we -- What we really want is to get the uptake -- of -- hit our minimum threshold on subscribers. Has there been any consideration that we try two differentmodels in the pilot area, and see which works best? ### That might have the potential disadvantage of annoying one set of potential customers. 0:56:01: Dave Yuan: Yeah. We have considered that. That's why the way we're proposing the rate tonight, to give us that flexibility. We're just proposing an "up to" rate. But wecan have flexibility to offer promotional rates in between. 0:56:14: Chair Burt: Oh. Because I thought you said we are NOT using promotional rates. 0:56:19: Dave Yuan: We're not going to be able to undercut them. We'll have lower rates, but we can't keep going under them, whenever they lower their rates. 0:56:25: Chair Burt: Oh. So, we may have promotional rates, but not necessarily lower promotional rates than them. 0:56:29: Dave Yuan: Right. 0:56:31: Chair Burt: Got it. 0:56:31: Dave Yuan: Sorry about that. 0:56:31: Chair Burt: OK. Thanks. 0:56:34: Darren Numoto: And if I could just comment on the difference between the utilities -- Right? -- and the competing. It's really, we're here in the community. We're local. And that's really the message that we have to send. Right? When you have a problem, just like Utilities, we're going to be there to respond. We have local presence, so if you're having troubles at your home, we can get people over there quickly. Right? And that's really our only key differentiation we have. We're not going to compete ontechnology, price, or marketing with the big guys. Right? So, really, our primary goal is to invest in the community and offer reliable, affordable internet for the entire community. And that's really our messaging. 0:57:13: Chair Burt: Well, I would add that our -- we're not going to do bait-and-switch. And the private sector may. So, that trust -- that we are going to charge according to ourcosts and other transparent factors -- I think, for a lot of residents, who have gone through this unreliability, both the product unreliability, or the pricing unreliability -- I thinkboth of those are things that may appeal. But we don't know how appealing that is going to be to the customer base. So, I just -- I want to make sure that we're keepingopen that ability to adapt. And not just sequentially adapt -- 0:58:15: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 0:58:15: Chair Burt: -- but maybe we start out trying two different models. And any of us can take a good educated guess on which of those would be best. But the proof's in thepudding. 0:58:29: Dave Yuan. Right. We're definitely going in with our eyes wide open. And we're going to try different things during this pilot. To try and make it as successful as possible. 0:58:35: Chair Burt: OK. Thanks. 0:58:36: Dave Yuan: Um hum. OK. Next slide. Sorry. 0:58:39: ###. Slide 6 -- Estimated Capital Expenses And then, here are some expenses. So, for the pilot, this is kind of what we're estimating the costs for the first 1,000 customers. ### Is this costs for the first 1,000 passings? It's about $4.5 million. About half of that is one-time costs. So, the ongoing cost is about half of that. The labor for hanging the messengers on the poles, the construction,which will probably begin in the September/October timeframe. Actually, it should begin in the July timeframe. My bad. For the fiber construction. And then purchasingthe materials. And then the hut. That is, we're trying to get the permit for that right now. Once that gets approved, we can begin the padmount and the paving of that area. And putting in the substructure work. ### What substructure work? Does this mean that the fiber and electric cables going to the hut will be undergrounded? And the hut is already built. But it's just waiting for delivery now. 0:59:22: Chair Burt: Well, we've been waiting for the hut for some time. 0:59:25: Dave Yuan: Right. 0:59:25: Chair Burt: Why is there a permitting hold now? 0:59:28: Dave Yuan: So, we do have to go through the proper permitting channel, like everyone else. And then, when they looked at the flood zone, or the flood plain, and theFEMA, I think they required a certain level. And it was like 12 feet. It had to be above a certain level. And I think our current -- 0:59:44: Chair Burt: 12 FEET above? ### Good question. 12 feet above what? Sea level? 0:59:44: Dave Yuan: Yeah. To be above for -- 'Cause it's near the floodplain area, I think. 0:59:48: Chair Burt: Yeah. 0:59:49: Dave Yuan: So, I think our engineers have built at 10 or 11 feet. So I think we have to go back and add another feet ### foot right now. Is what we're working on. To get the permit approved. 0:59:59: Chair Burt: OK. But I -- It kind of goes to one of these questions on a lot of work that we do as a City -- is, what things should we be doing in PARALLEL more, rather thansequenced. ### For example, do we already have a plan and a design and drawings for installing the padmount, so that the plan could be executed immediately after getting thepermit? ### The Colorado substation already has a hut, which is used for other things. How much higher than this hut must the FTTP hut be? One foot? 1:00:11: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:00:11: Chair Burt: And we've been anti- The hut's quite a bit delayed. Right? 1:00:17: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:00:18: Chair Burt: So, it's kind of baffling that once the hut's finally arriving, ### I assume that the hut is still in storage at the manufacturer's premises in South Dakota and won't start being shipped until staff thinks that by the time it arrives, thepadmount will be ready to receive it. we're still waiting on the permit. I don't know -- understand why the permitting wouldn't have been done upstream. 1:00:32: Dave Yuan: Yeah. We didn't have the final engineering design until the hut was fully built out, and all the weight structures were all calculated. So, -- ### Seriously? Was the point to make sure the padmount would be strong enough? What was the weight of the hut before it was modified? 1:00:39: Chair Burt: Oh, is that customized? We didn't know some of the key data? 1:00:42: Dave Yuan: Right. 1:00:43: Chair Burt: OK. 1:00:43: Dave Yuan: That part is sequential. Yeah. 1:00:43: Chair Burt: OK. Thank you. 1:00:46: Dave Yuan: Um hum. And the -- what else? -- Oh. Then, I also want to highlight the overhead to underground construction costs. As you can see, like, the overheadcosts are substantially a lot less. I think the underground's almost like more than 10 times as much as the overhead costs. Roughly. Based on footage. And right now, thecost per passing -- includes a one-time cost -- is about $5,500 per customer passed. ### Per premises passed. Not all premises become customers. But with excluding the one-time costs, it's about $2,100, $2,200. And our goal is to get down to like $1,500, as we build out in the phase 1, as we learn from these -- thispilot. As we have more volume to bid out. 1:01:26: Chair Burt: So, the undergrounding is really fascinating, in that, you know, we've had all this debate over time. Do we underground electric utilities or not. And, in this case-- as well as, I think, in the Grid Mod -- we're seeing that undergrounded utilities are more expensive to operate. Or, to upgrade, I guess, is what the truth is. And I thinkthat's something that we want to make sure that the community and the Council understands, when -- in the context of every time we have that discussion ofundergrounding. 1:02:03: Dave Yuan: Um hum. Yeah. This is another reason why we want to align with the Grid Mod project, so when we do the undergrounding, we do together. make sure ** -- 1:02:10: Council Member Reckdahl: The concept of undergrounding is very advantageous. Right? People like -- I want to get rid of those wires. But it is expensive. Yes. 1:02:20: Dave Yuan: And it's also harder to troubleshoot when there is an outage. So, you can't visually see. Inspect. So, then you go from box to box to find out where the outageis. 1:02:30: Chair Burt: So, is that difficulty in troubleshooting something that we can translate to explain to the public that reliability, or resiliency, is reduced with undergrounded utilities. ### I'd like to see the actual data. See comment at 1:03:00. 1:02:44: Dave Yuan: I think in the past, it was like true. But now, with AMI and other automation -- distributed energy stuff -- we can probably detect faster than before. So, before itwas a very manual process. 1:02:56: Chair Burt: I see. 1:02:56: Dave Yuan: And now, I think we have more technology. 1:02:57: Chair Burt: So that difference is narrowed. 1:03:00: Dave Yuan: Yes. 1:03:00: Chair Burt: OK. Thanks. ### Staff used to report annually, in a Utilities Quarterly Update (for example, PDF page 47 here), https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/uac-informational-reports/2015-informational-reports/10-07-15-meeting/info-item_utilities-quarterly-update-4th-q-fy-2015.pdfdata about outages by month -- number of customers affected, time to repair, and whether the infrastructure was underground or overhead. That data could be studied tofigure out whether overhead or undergrounded was more reliable. But then staff stopped doing that. I think staff should resume this kind of reporting. Preferably in evenmore detail. Like data per outage rather than data per month. 1:03:03: Dave Yuan: Next slide, please. 1:03:04: ###. Slide 7 -- Operating Expense Assumptions Now, this is the operating expense that we built into the model. So the annual working capital it's about $1.6 million. This includes a very thin, lean team. I think there's like2 FTEs. So, I think Council authorized 4 FTEs to help with this fiber to the premise deployment. Thus far, we've only hired 1 full-time person. So, it's been everyone else pitching in and helping out. Like Darren himself. And so, we're just kind of working as a team to get this up and running. At least for the pilot. So, it is a kind of a skeletoncrew. But we believe we can still do it successfully. And so, in the ** model, there are variable costs. Such as help to support installations. And also sales/marketing. And the router -- the home devices. So, as we get more subscribers, some of those costs will go up as well. But that's kind of the operating expense we're estimating per year right now. Next slide, please. 1:04:03: ###. Slide 8 -- Proposed Palo Alto Fiber Offerings And then, here is the proposed rates and product offerings. So, for a 500-meg service, we're asking to price up to $30 for those who are on the rate assistance program,and up to $75 for those who are not. But the ones we're going to really focus on in the pilot is the 1-gig and the 5-gig. So, the 1-gig is up to $95. And the 5-gig is up to $265. ### At 0:57:13, Chair Burt suggested that in order to earn the trust of customers, actual and potential, the City might want to "charge according to our costs." I think mostof the City's costs are going to be in providing the infrastructure, and relatively little cost will be in providing bandwidth over that infrastructure. (Are the infrastructure costsfor 1-gig and 5-gig different? If so, how?) So, could the price for 5-gig be substantially lower than $265? Both of these rates are very competitive with the incumbents. But our plan is not to, of course, charge at the highest rate. But at least it will give us the flexibility to offerpromotional rates, and also not disclose how much we're charging, I guess, to the incumbents as well. ### The FCC requires that ISPs provide a broadband facts label for each product, which includes price. this information is available to the public (presumably includingcompetitors). So, we're trying to -- with this "up to" structure, we believe we'll have that flexibility to offer those promotional rates that you referred to earlier, Chair Burt. 1:04:54: Council Member Reckdahl: Why do the faster rates there not include the router? 1:04:58: Dave Yuan: I think the consultant recommended 'cause it costs more. And so, I think they said we should probably pass some of the cost back to the customers, if theyreally want the higher speed. And that was the reason. 1:05:08: Council Member Reckdahl: Would it be less price-sensitive if they really wanted the performance? 1:05:11: Dave Yuan: Right. 1:05:11: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. 1:05:14: Dave Yuan: And then, next slide, please. 1:05:15: ###. Slide 9 -- Proposed Palo Alto Fiber Offerings (cont.) And we're also offering some other services. [unamplified] Maybe you can speak these with **. 1:05:22: Darren Numoto: Um hum. Sure. A lot of these services, as Chair Burt mentioned, give us some flexibility to add on ancillary services to our offerings. To help entice people to move over. And ** fixed wireless, we are investigating some fixed wireless opportunities ** We were a part of Tarana wireless demo many years ago. Right? ### This promotional video (3:21) from Tarana about the demo is dated 11-22-23.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW73BClJbSw(So, no, not many years ago.) So [laughs] ** further potentially some other offerings that we can add as well. Which includes, you know -- which will help reduce costs of deployments, 'cause you don'thave to worry about fiber. But the speeds are reduced as well. So, you know, in a lot of these -- Protect IQ and Experience IQ -- is a part of the offering that our provideroffers through their service. So, it means that -- Like, Protect IQ is security. And Experience IQ helps with the home Wi-Fi and managing those devices, and so forth. So,again, these are ancillary services -- are included with our subscription to our hardware provider. ### I infer that the intended hardware provider is Calix,https://www.calix.com/products/smartlife/smarthome/protectiq.html although a Google search of the City's website doesn't find the staff report that says so. 1:06:19: Dave Yuan: And it's probably the promotion. It might be a while -- ** with them as well. Depending on the level of interest. So that's something we'll consider. 1:06:28: Chair Burt: I hadn't appreciated that it's not an either-or. So, can you explain that a little more? On how that might work? Say, if we had the moderately-high-speedwireless capability. How does that integrate with this program? 1:06:46: Darren Numoto: [unamplified] So, we are looking at **ing that in the future. Right? And -- [amplified] Oops. I'm sorry. ### Apparently for not speaking into the mike. So, basically, it could be offered as a service where -- as Dave mentioned -- areas where it's very expensive for fiber. And to give them an intermediate option for higherspeed and more reliable internet, as well as potentially for businesses, as a backup route, or some other ancillary service. So there's a lot of different potentials for it, if it'sproved out properly. 1:07:20: Chair Burt: And we -- I recall a discussion about, you know, our nodes. ### What discussion was that? Is that higher speed wireless dependent on the node? Or does it have such a greater travel distance that we don't need all those nodes to be able to offer that? 1:07:38: Darren Numoto: I would say we'll still need nodes out there. Depending on the canopy coverage and the interference, to offer better -- higher speeds and more reliableservice. But it does help ex- -- with the technology we're investigating, it does help with the amount of nodes that we need. So, estimate, we might need, you know, fournodes to cover the entire City, versus some others. Right? ### How did Numoto come up with this number? ### At one time, staff thought that four nodes might be enough to provide AMI coverage for the entire City. But that's an entirely different application and infrastructure. 1:08:01: Chair Burt: Yeah. We had a lot more nodes that we were thinking as the network. Right? For the -- And I haven't been keeping track, but, for instance, Tarana, byexample, because that's the one we did the demo with. My understanding is, they've come out with a couple generations of products since then. How fast are they now? ### Tarana's fastest remote node (RN) (at the premises) can do up to 1.6 Gbps (shared between download and upload)https://www.taranawireless.com/rnv/Tarana's most recent remote node product (RNv) (available Q1 '25) can do only up to 0.8 Gbps (shared between download and upload), but it's less expensive. ### Tarana's base nodes (BNs) can be up to 1.6 Gbps per link (to a single remote node), up to 3.2 Gbps per sector (90 degrees), and up to 12.8 Gbps per "cell" (360degrees)https://resourcesapi.taranawireless.com/storage/resource_files/data-sheets/1738033493_Tarana-G1-3-5-6-GHz-Data-Sheet-ext-2502-19.pdfA base node can have up to 250 clients per sector, or 1,000 clients per cell. ### These "up to" speeds assume line-of-sight (LoS) connections. When connections are non-line-of-sight (NLos), speeds can be significantly less. https://resourcesapi.taranawireless.com/storage/resource_files/case-studies/1709528545_Tarana-Case-Study-WISP-Services-2402-01.pdf ### This 02-14-25 article provides further commentary.https://preseem.com/2025/02/from-plans-to-performance-analyzing-tarana-link-rate-success/ ### Returning to the topic of how many base nodes would be enough "to cover the entire city" (see near 1:08:01), Tarana says a single base node can serve up to 1,000remote nodes (homes), but only up to 250 RNs per 90-degree sector. A base node can support up to 3.2 Gbps (shared between download and upload) per sector. So if abase node served 250 RNs per sector and each RN required symmetry, then each RN's share would be only 6.4/6.4 Mbps. (Multiply this by whatever oversubscriptionfactor you think is appropriate.) Anyhow, four base stations could serve at most 4,000 customers, and Palo Alto has more like 30,000 premises. 1:08:23: Darren Numoto: A lot of it depends on coverage and distance, but they can achieve -- We've seen -- can be able to achieve up to 700 [Mbps] download, and maybe half ofthat upload. ### As far as I know, what can be achieved is limited by the sum of the download and upload, not by either one separately. So, it is still not as equivalent to fiber. But it offers an option for others. 1:08:40: Chair Burt: And is it a whole lot cheaper? Or just moderately? 1:08:49: Darren Numoto: In terms of the initial build, a whole lot, because you're not building fiber all the way to the premise, or building a backhaul to serve that. ### My understanding is that Tarana's base stations DO require fiber backhaul. So it -- And the equipment is -- not as expensive. ### It's hard to get "real" prices without an RFP. ### For what it's worth, Tarana estimates the equipment cost to add a Tarana remote node to its wireless network is $600, but the equipment cost to add a FTTP node to aFTTP network is only $300. https://www.taranawireless.com/ngfwa-vs-fiber-tco-analysis/Also, this document estimates the cost per household passed for FTTP to be $10,000, but staff has a goal of $1,500 for phase 1 (see near 1:01:26). So, yes. It's a substantial difference. ### If a premises connected by Tarana now should also be connected by FTTP later, then the total cost (per premises) will be higher. 1:09:04: Chair Burt: I was just thinking about that pricing structure. And I just don't know how that would compare. If they're -- When we look at Xfinity's offerings, they're not thatfast. And so, that sounds moderately close to their offerings. ### Tarana's fastest remote node is up to 1.6 Gbps (upload + download). So, for example, Tarana's 1400/200 Mbps option would be slower than Xfinity's 2000/300 Mbps option, but faster than Xfinity's 1200/35 Mbps option. But a base node could support only TWO such RNs per sector (multiplied by whatever overprovisioning ratio youthink is appropriate). 1:09:26: Darren Numoto: Yeah. 1:09:26: Chair Burt: OK. Interesting. ### Nobody asked about the two Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) products mentioned on Slide 9. What infrastructure is required for these products. What (point-to-point) premises electronics? What (point-to-point) hut electronics? How many dedicated (point-to-point) fiber strands? 1:09:31: ###. Slide 10 -- Operational Financial Scenarios for Different Take Rates Dave Yuan: And then, we did some sensitivity analysis here, and some modeling. So, this first one is about take rate. So, the take rate is a key metric to find out if this willbe financially sustainable. And based on our modeling, I think we need about a 27 to 30 percent take rate. Of subscribers from AT&T and Xfinity ### We need a take rate of 27-30 percent. The customers don't all have to come from AT&T and/or Xfinity. to at least break even for operational costs. I think based on the survey that Magellan did back in 2022, they were projecting that they were 35 to 40 percent. So -- But toget to 27-30 percent, I think we would be OK. And then, this shows kind of the -- how long it will take to break even, I guess, operationally. I think by the fourth year, inmost of these models, you would probably break -- Oh, sorry, that's the next slide. Under take rate, anywhere below 25 [percent], it probably won't break even. It wouldprobably need some sort of funding from the dark fiber fund or somewhere else to keep it going. But once we hit the 30 percent mark, then we should be able to breakeven, we believe. After the fourth year. 1:10:34: Council Member Reckdahl: So, the numbers that are in the 2029 column, -- 1:10:37: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:10:37: Council Member Reckdahl: -- those are just -- Basically, you're just operating expenses at that point? 1:10:41: Dave Yuan: Yes. 1:10:43: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. So, we're -- 1:10:45: Dave Yuan: And one important thing to know, also, besides take rate, is the speed to the market. So, even though we have a high take rate, if we don't have enoughsubscribers, we won't ever cover our base expenses. So, I think we need about -- I think, in this model, about 2,200 customers, at minimum, to start -- Or it's about 2,000customers or so, to at least start breaking even. ### If the pilot got, say, a 30 percent take rate, that would be 300 customers. How would that be evaluated? After a year? After 4 years? 1:11:07: Council Member Reckdahl: How much of your fixed costs are just fixed, and how much of them are per customer? 1:11:11: Dave Yuan: If we can go back a few slides earlier, we can look at that. This one, yeah. ###. Slide 7 -- Operating Expense Assumptions So, the one says variable, that's a sub -- to the right. And those are the variable costs. So, I would probably say, if I could guesstimate here, probably 85 percent would befixed. If I had to guess. 1:11:32: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. 1:11:33: Dave Yuan: Yeah. 1:11:33: Council Member Reckdahl: So, that's a big lever arm there. If you don't get the people, you're not going to break even. 1:11:39: Dave Yuan: Right. So, for the pilot, we're going to try and knock on every door. Do everything we can to promote it. [laughs] 1:11:50: Chair Burt: On that, Slide 10, ###. Slide 10 -- Operational Financial Scenarios for Different Take Rates that -- um -- It's a percentage, but is that for the pilot area? Or citywide? 1:12:02: Dave Yuan: This is for phase 1. I used. 1:12:04: Chair Burt: Phase 1. Yeah. 1:12:04: Dave Yuan: Up to 7,500 passings. I think the pilot's 1,000 [passings]. So for FY '26, as far as just the pilot. And, beginning in '27 ### FY '27 on is when we start building out phase 1, is the assumption. Slow ramp up until 2029 ### FY 2029 when it's fully built out, for phase 1. And the next slide, please. 1:12:26: Council Member Reckdahl: And one question about that. So, the net income, that includes construction costs. 1:12:31: Dave Yuan: It does NOT. This is operational. 1:12:33: Council Member Reckdahl: Really? So, we're losing -- like, in the top-left there, we're losing $1.7 million in the first year just for operational costs. 1:12:42: Dave Yuan: Right. 'Cause all that is for fixed costs for staff, for getting the data center stood up, and for the materials -- well, I don't know about materials, but the datacenter, and staff, and equipment. 1:12:53: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. And we only have 186 subscribers. 1:12:56: Dave Yuan: 'Cause we're only -- 'cause we're assuming a slow ramp up, as we learn. 1:13:02: Darren Numoto: It might be helpful to describe the phases, and how many homes were passing during each phase. 1:13:04: Dave Yuan: Sure. So, the pilot phase is about 1,000 customers. ### Passings. Which is already identified. And for phase 1, I think, depending on the cost per passing, we're hoping to add another 6,500 customers. ### Passings. So, a total of 7,500 customers. ### Passings. And passings. Oh, sorry. Um. So, yeah, for phase 1, I think we're assuming a 2-year to 3-year build-out. We also have levers to slow down our speed depending on thetake rate, too. So, it will depend on our strategic partners. ### I think "partner" is a bad description of the companies we'd hire to outsource. We'll have to hire installers and what not. And also people to help, as we get more subscription. Right now, we're just putting down the infrastructure. Putting down oursystems, and building those up. But we will have the ability to scale up as needed. 1:13:54: Council Member Reckdahl: So, if I look at the top box, between the -- let's see -- the 2027 and 2028, ### That is, FY 2027 and FY 2028. you have about the same number of subscribers but a lot more revenue. What's going on there? 1:14:07: Dave Yuan: Subscribers -- 2027, 2028 -- 300 -- 1:14:11: Council Member Reckdahl: Yeah. 1:14:11: Dave Yuan: So, I think it would depend on the ramp up. So, maybe a lot of them ramped up in the beginning of '28, whereas the 1,191 mostly ramped up at the end -- 1:14:21: Council Member Reckdahl: It's not -- OK -- Gotcha. 1:14:24: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:14:25: Chair Burt: That revenue -- Is that just the incremental revenue for those additional customers? It's not the cumulative revenue. Right? 1:14:31: Dave Yuan: It's the revenue for that year for those customers. 1:14:35: Chair Burt: The incremental INCREASE in revenue. 1:14:38: Dave Yuan: Yes. Per year. 1:14:39: Council Member Reckdahl: [unamplified] No. 1:14:39: Dave Yuan: The annual revenue, I guess I would call it. Total revenue for -- 1:14:44: Council Member Reckdahl: Total revenue for all -- 1:14:45: Chair Burt. Oh. It IS the total. Per year. [pause] I see. So, it's -- FY '28 -- we've fully subscribed. You're just then projecting -- 1:15:01: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:15:01: Chair Burt: -- the revenue. I got it. Sorry. OK. 1:15:07: ###. Slide 11 -- Operational Financial Scenarios for Different Price Levels Dave Yuan: And then, the next slide shows the pricing, depending on if we use a lower-end, middle-end, or higher-end pricing. Based on those different rates we talkedabout earlier. With the lower-end, it's going to take a little longer to break even. As you, of course, increase the prices, then the sooner you'll break even. But there is alittle flaw in this model. We don't have price elasticity as a variable. So, we're assuming a fixed number of customers in each of the pricings. So, we do want to disclose that. So -- [laughs] But I think -- Yeah. So -- But regardless, I think all three does show profitability. Or break-even. I won't say profitability. At least break-even for thenet operating costs by the 4th year. I think when Magellan did the model, it was closer to like 10 years. So, I think we have scaled back a lot of the expenses. We haven't hired the FTEs that they had originally suggested. Just to try to keep it lean. Any questions on this slide? OK. 1:16:09: ###. Slide 12 -- Fiber Fund Cashflow Projection And then, here's the cashflow projection. So, we were authorized to spend up to $20 million from the Fiber Reserves. So, again, we had $34 million originally. I think westill have about $31 million, as of today, even though we spent a few already on construction. 1:16:23: Chair Burt: And we had $34 [million]. But we've added to that. Right? 1:16:27: Dave Yuan: Yes. 1:16:28: Chair Burt: So, what has it -- would it have grown to, absent what we've spent? 1:16:34: Dave Yuan: We've probably spent about $2.5 million -- um -- more than that, probably -- on this project so far. So, probably $3 million at least. So, then, well, $34 [million] still, I guess, because of staffing, I guess, in a way. 'Cause our dark fiber revenue hasn't gone up as fast as it was before. 1:16:49: Chair Burt: I guess another way to put it is, what is the income from the dark fiber, the last 3 years, I guess? 1:16:54: Dave Yuan: Well, last year, I think, it was $1.5 million. And this year, I think we're projecting about the same. 1:16:59: Chair Burt: OK. Thanks. 1:17:00: Dave Yuan: Some of that revenue is also from interest return from the Reserves. 1:17:04: Chair Burt: Got it. 1:17:05: Dave Yuan: So -- 1:17:06 Chair Burt: OK. 1:17:07: Dave Yuan: So, even if we have -- Assuming we have $20 million to start with, and then here we've walked down this table. The capital expenses will take out $4.5million. The first year working capital costs of operations brings us down to $13 million. And then, if we do invest $10 million in phase 1 construction, we still have enoughto cover the next couple years before we break even. It's the way it's shown here. And this is assuming, I think, a mid-lev- -- or, low-level pricing even. So, kind of themore conservative model. So, even by year 3 -- end of year 3 -- we still should have some money remaining from the $20 million seed money. And the bottom line, it justshows some additional funding sources that we have in fiber. So, we only used $20 [million] of the reserves. We also set aside $13 million for the new fiber backbone. And then, we're also getting -- I'm being conservative here as well -- on the $300,000 annual net income. Depending on how much interest we are going to receive in thefuture. So, I would say, anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 would be conservative. 1:18:12: Chair Burt: Yeah. Given that we're $1.5 million now, including interest. 1:18:17: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:18:17: Chair Burt: And the interest is what portion of that? About? 1:18:21: Dave Yuan: Of the net income? I think we got like $700,000 last year, I want to say. 1:18:24: Chair Burt: $700,000. Oh! So, almost half of our revenue was from the interest. 1:18:29: Dave Yuan: Right. 1:18:35: Chair Burt: So, we're going to have a third the interest. Up until we spend it on the new backbone. 1:18:43: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:18:43: Chair Burt: Um. So, based on CURRENT rates, we get about a million a year. 1:18:50: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:18:50: Chair Burt: And -- yeah. So, yours if very conservative. And I guess that difference -- and maybe we should put it as a range, because, really, you're being realconservative. You've got some unknowns on uptake and things like that. So, there's an importance to having a fudge in there. 1:19:11: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:19:12: Chair Burt: But we also want to know, what is our projected -- our best estimate of projected income from the existing dark fiber. 1:19:21: Dave Yuan: Um hum. OK. I can do that. Thanks. ### I keep asking for an update of the document staff brought to UAC on 04-03-13,https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2013/04-03-2013-meeting/item-3_fiber-financial-projections-fy-2014-fy-2018.pdf This staff report shows actual data from FY 2012 plus estimated data from FY 2013 to FY 2018. Next slide. 1:19:25: ###. Slide 13 -- Measures of Success And then, some measures of success. At least for the pilot, it's more of an operational success. Customer service. Customer feedback. Of course, reliability and speedthat we're going to be offering. Making sure we're hitting those marks -- of achieve above. And then, I think, we're just -- be conservative on the take rate of 20 percent. We don't have a big marketing team built into the first pilot. And marketing is expensive. I think the most effective marketing campaign will be door-to-door. So, we have gotten some pricing on that. And I think that's more for phase 1 than for the pilot area. 1:19:59: And then, for the phase 1, measures would be reducing the construction cost, from that $2,200 per passing down to $1,500. Find some strategic partners with theinstallations and customer service maybe. And then make sure it's financially sustainable, really, at the end of the day. And customers are happy. 1:20:19: Chair Burt: Can you talk a little more about the potential on the strategic partnerships? 1:20:23: Dave Yuan: Yeah. So, we are looking for -- instead of adding more FTEs, like what the original models had said -- I think it was projected up to 22 FTEs we could hire -- Ithink we would want to outsource some of that in the beginning. So -- And then, based -- depending on the contract terms, based on maybe subscribers -- a set of fixedcosts. And then, make sure they had the bench available to help us scale up. So, we are issuing RFPs right now, to see how many vendors we can get. And we're tryingto get more than one vendor for each of the services, just so that we have a backup ready. And then, test out different things. 1:21:00: Chair Burt: [unamplified] And these vendors -- Who are they working for now? 1:21:03: Dave Yuan: Um. They probably work for AT&T, Xfinity as well. 1:21:06: Chair Burt: [unamplified] So, THEY use vendors as well. 1:21:08: Dave Yuan: Yeah. 1:21:09: Chair Burt: OK. 1:21:13: ###. Slide 14 -- Upcoming Key Milestones Dave Yuan: And I think -- last slide -- These are some of the upcoming milestones still. I think the Grid Mod pilot's already done, I want to say. Or if not done, it's going tobe soon done. We are ordering materials in June. Like I said, the fiber hut is delayed by the permit, but it is built and ready. Um. And then, we are putting up a system,and starting a marketing -- we're starting to develop that marketing strategy. And hopefully we'll start publicizing some of that as we get closer. And then, there are some compliance and regulatory things we have to abide by as well. Which we're creating right now. At the agreements and policies. And making sure all these disclosures areavailable to the customers when they sign up. ### The slide mentions the need for developing a "broadband consumer label." (Also known as a "broadband facts label.") Each product should have its own broadbandfacts label.https://www.dwt.com/blogs/broadband-advisor/2022/11/fcc-isp-broadband-nutrition-labels-formatThe broadband facts label should be available to potential customers even before they sign up, so they can comparison shop. And I think that is it. 1:21:59: Kiely Nose: And, Dave, might you just, before we turn it back to the committee and public comment, perhaps summarize, in a few sentences, what UAC's feedback was on this, since, ultimately, this is a recommendation from the Utilities Commission. I think it might be helpful for the Committee to understand their dialog. 1:22:17: Dave Yuan: Sure thing. Definitely. So, the UAC did approve of the rate structure and fact that we have the flexibility to offer promotional rates to attract customers. Theone thing they did ask us to do is come back to them during the pilot -- both the metrics and datas -- data points -- to see how it's doing, before we build -- before we startphase 1 construction. So, that was their biggest ask, is, don't continue phase 1 until you guys find out how you're doing [on] the pilot, and get some of those data. So, Ithink we're able to do that, if that's part of Council's and UAC's request, we can definitely do that. ### Note that this potentially risks violating Chair Burt's principle of doing things in PARALLEL rather than sequentially. ### Is UAC asking to delay the start of phase1 construction until after the pilot is constructed and staff reports on how that went, but NOT to delay the start of phase 1construction until after the pilot is constructed, and marketed, and customers are hooked up, and take rate is evaluated? 1:22:57: Chair Burt: [unamplified] OK. Should we go to the public? 1:23:02: Kaylee Burton: We have one public comment, from Utsav G. Give me one moment. Utsav, go ahead. 1:23:20: Utsav Gupta: Oh. Hi. Members of the Finance Committee, my name is Utsav Gupta. While I currently serve as a commissioner on the Utilities Advisory Commission, theviews expressed here are my personal comments, and do not reflect the position or opinions of the Commission. I am here today to speak in support of the proposed fiber rates. Residential fiber is a sound strategy that invests our dedicated Fiber Fund directly back into Palo Alto residents. Internet service is the utility of our day. It's asessential as power or water. And despite being the birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto has lagged in providing modern internet service. This expansion before you todaystrategically aligns with Grid Modernization and crucial fiber backbone upgrades, making it both a prudent use of our Fiber Fund and a logical step forward. 1:24:10: This is an excellent and the legally certain way to return the surplus fiber funds, which -- as you had discussed -- had reached $34 million by 2022. And it puts the funds directly back to our residents. This also addresses the need to invest in our fiber backbone, which has reached capacity and composes a large amount of the cost. Beyondthe infrastructure, this project is projected to save our community $15 million in internet spending in just 10 years, ### Reference? with all fees staying local. And remember, this is a utility. And the fiber plant payback is measured in decades. Even if it takes as long as 20 years to pay back, the fiberplant lifespan is 40 years. ### It's hard to estimate the lifespan of the fiber cables, because most fiber networks haven't been around long enough to observe when the fiber cables reach end-of-life. This 11-23-15 article says, https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2015/11/23/how-long-does-fiber-last/"This means that fiber ought to easily last forty years and far beyond. Nobody will yet say how much further beyond, but I talked once to a few engineers from Corning andthey told me that as long as it’s treated well that their best guess is at least 75 years." ### If Palo Alto wants to keep offering state-of-the-art speeds over time, the electronics might have to be upgraded every 7 years or so for its most demanding customers. And I don't think it's going to take 20 years to pay it back. 1:25:05: The need is clear. The only legally accountable data from the FCC estimates that AT MOST 45 percent of Palo Alto residents currently have access to fiber. And even this number is likely inflated. I'm not sure where the 72 [percent] or 75 percent data comes from. But, again, the only legally accountable data is that only 45 percent of PaloAlto residents have access to fiber. 1:25:30: Financially, this project is structured for sustainability. As you saw on the slides, we're expecting a take rate of 37-42 percent, well above the roughly 30 percent needed forthe network to recover its costs. And, again, the proposed rates are maximums, designed to provide our staff flexibility to test different pricing strategies and ensure PaloAlto Fiber is competitively priced. 1:25:55: So, in sum, expanding Palo Alto's fiber services to homes is a smart, legally sound way to invest existing funds back into our residents and businesses, and it saves themmillions of dollars in service costs, while providing superior modern internet. And that's a rare win-win-win. Thank you again for your service to our community. 1:26:20: Kaylee Burton: That concludes public comments. 1:26:22: Chair Burt: Great. And so, additional comments? Or questions? Julie? Keith? 1:26:30: Council Member Reckdahl: Jump in you have questions, or you want to follow up . Um. You mentioned about -- we're offering symmetric speeds, whereas Xfinity is quiteoften doing the non-symmetric. What's the demand for symmetric? Would people be willing to pay a premium for symmetric speed? ### Magellan's 2022 survey (PDF page 42 here)https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/9/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/city-council-agendas-minutes/2022/20220919/20220919pccsm-amended-linked.pdffound that "higher upload speeds" was the 4th-most popular reason to switch -- well behind lower price (1st), faster speed (2nd), and higher reliability (3rd). ### CableLabs has developed a DOCSIS 4.0 technology (HFC). It's main advantage over DOCSIS 3.1 is that it's symmetric. Comcast has deployed it in a few places. 1:26:52: Dave Yuan: I think that's one of the big differentiators with fiber. I think a lot of people can't upload things when they want to, with asymmetrical speed. They use hybrid -- hybrid fiber coax -- I think that's what Comcast uses. So, it is a much inferior product than fiber. So, I think with the streaming nowadays, and all the other activities peopleare using their internet for, there is more demand for faster upload speed, I guess. 1:27:22; Council Member Reckdahl: What kind of user would need the faster upload? Is it gamers? Or, what would be the -- ### Here are some uses:* Backing up data to the cloud. (You might not do this very often, but when you do, you want it to be fast.)* Uploading photos.* Video conferencing. * Ethernet's TCP protocol requires that each (download) data packet be acknowledged by an (upload) acknowledge packet. If the acknowledge packet is delayed, that canslow down downloading. If the acknowledge packet is lost (as can happen when the upload channel is too congested), the data packet must be retransmitted, which slows down downloading. (Ethernet's UDP protocol doesn't require acknowledge packets, but it also doesn't guarantee delivery of data packets.) 1:27:28: Darren Numoto: The target audience is -- Of course, a lot of people have transitioned to streaming. Right? And, again, if you have kids, you know that every device,they're streaming multiple things on, or gaming. So, the need for bandwidth is definitely there. But also -- 1:27:41: Council Member Reckdahl: But wouldn't that just be download, mostly? 1:27:43: Darren Numoto: Sometimes. Gaming and other things, you know, do require -- like if they're uploading a lot of videos or something. You know, those require uploadspeeds as well. But overall, Comcast, in terms of technology as well, fiber provides a more consistent experience. Versus cable, which is a shared medium. Right? ### PON FTTP networks also have a shared medium. I think staff has said that up to 32 premises will share a PON net. For most HFC systems, the number of premisessharing the coax cable is a lot more than 32. So, people who come home after work, they experience a little slower in that shared medium. Right? So, again -- And reliability is another area. Because of -- As we all know, the copper infrastructures in our environments are aging as well. So -- 1:28:19: Council Member Reckdahl: And so, the ability of us to do symmetric is purely the fact that we have fiber. ### Not exactly. If we didn't want to offer symmetric, does that buy us anything? Could we -- 1:28:28: Darren Numoto: No. 1:28:28: Council Member Reckdahl: We don't get extra bandwidth or anything? ### Right. For most FTTP transceivers, one laser is used for downloading and one laser is used for uploading, so the bandwidth available for downloading is completelyseparate from the bandwidth available for uploading. ### Not all FTTP transceivers are symmetric. For example, the most popular GPON variant is 2.5/1.25 Gbps. (But ISPs using GPON often offer symmetric productsanyway.) 1:28:31: Darren Numoto: We'd still have to install a new infrastructure. Whatever. And fiber is the most -- 1:28:36: Council Member Reckdahl: It's just a benefit that we get with no extra cost. Or no -- 1:28:40: Darren Numoto: And it also futureproofs us for future expansion for other services. As we know technology is advancing at, you know, enormous speeds. So, again, itsets us up for future needs as well. Offering fiber. 1:28:52: Dave Yuan: And our latency in Palo Alto will be much lower than AT&T or Xfinity, just because PAIX -- or the Equinix -- our data center -- is right next to us. So we don'thave to transfer our wires, or our data, from state to state, or county to county. It just goes here and out to the internet. So, that's another advantage of building in PaloAlto. ### Equinix does indeed give Palo Alto Fiber low-latency access to the internet. AT&T and Xfinity also use Equinix. ### Latency can also be reduced by caching and by limiting buffer bloat (but that's getting into the weeds). 1:29:10: Council Member Reckdahl: And I'm quickly becoming a dinosaur, because I have both a landline and cable TV. Yes. And my kids don't have either one of those. But --[laughs] But there will be some old folks like me that want both a landline and/or cable TV. In the past, you talked about having some partner that -- you wouldn't beproviding that, but some third party you'd arrange with. So, if someone comes and says I want cable TV and internet, you'd be able to refer them. And one-stop shop still. ### Some municipal FTTP systems outsource landline phone services. 1:29:45: Dave Yuan: We have seen some of those models. We haven't explored it yet. But if there's enough interest, we would definitely look at doing it. But, yes. it's potential. ### Does the City's chosen ONT have a phone port? 1:29:54: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. And it wouldn't be so much a revenue source, but just -- You know, that's one reason people may not sign up, is, they say, oh, I still wantto have cable TV. So, I think that's something we should at least be keeping our ears open during this trial ### pilot and -- Because, you know, when you're trying to get takeup -- when you're trying to displace incumbents -- any little excuse is a big hurdle for us. And I really want to be able to get the good takeup. Which also means that -- takeup -- Well, one of the biggest things is going to be cost. And the costs that you showed -- tables that youshowed -- showed takeup percentage. But that takeup percentage is going to be a function of cost. It's kind of circular. Right? 1:30:33: Dave Yuan: Right? 1:30:33: Council Member Reckdahl: And so, how did we figure out this cost that you have in the staff report? 1:30:42: Dave Yuan: Well, the cost was based on those assumptions we made. That table of those expenses. And the ramp-up was based on kind of what Magellan -- ourprevious consultant -- was modeling for us. ### Why is Magellan not still our consultant? We kind of used our revenue stream model. And then used our revised expenses to build out those models. 1:30:58: Council Member Reckdahl: But most of those expenses are fixed. Like, staffing and things like that. And so, if you cut your cut your costs in half and double the numberof subscribers, you still have the same -- roughly the same feasibility. Right? ### See the Longmont story (at 1:49:24). 1:31:14: Dave Yuan: ** be the opposite. Right? Double -- cut our costs and -- 1:31:17: Council Member Reckdahl: If you cut your charges -- 1:31:20: Dave Yuan. Oh. That -- Yes. 1:31:21: Council Member Reckdahl: And it would be different if we were paying a big residual to cable companies, or something like that. 1:31:28: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:31:28: Council Member Reckdahl: And at that point, then, you can't cut your costs in half, because you now are losing money on each customer. But if most of our costs aresystem-wide, as opposed to per-customer cost, -- 1:31:39: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:31:39: Council Member Reckdahl: -- then if -- you know, then cutting the costs in half -- if that more than doubled your subscriber base, you've won. Right? 1:31:50: Dave Yuan: Right. I think that -- Um hum. 1:31:52: Council Member Reckdahl: It all comes down to elasticity, as you mentioned. 1:31:53: Dave Yuan: Right. Right. 1:31:53: Council Member Reckdahl: And that -- So, this pricing is tricky. And I think it's being critical to success. 1:32:04: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:32:05: Council Member Reckdahl: What -- Like, Robert Phillips does a lot of this on UAC. Did he have any wisdom to share about the pricing strategy? 1:32:13: Dave Yuan: No. Sorry. [laughs] 1:32:14: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. I'll just talk to him. 1:32:17: Dave Yuan: [laughs] 1:32:18: Council Member Reckdahl: I mean, he's the -- a big expert on pricing. But, OK. So, I would want to err on charging not enough. 1:32:27: Dave Yuan: Um hum. 1:32:27: Council Member Reckdahl: I would rather go out of business with a whole bunch of customers than go out of business with just a few customers. 'Cause then, I -- if --then, we would second-guess ourselves. But if we had -- If we can get the people to come over, and they're just not paying enough, I can live with that more than the factthat we did all this work and no one signed up. That would be more depressing, in my mind. So, I want to really get the people. And also, Magellan did some predictionsabout system profitability. 1:32:56: Dave Yuan: Um hum 1:32:56: Council Member Reckdahl: How credible are those? If you look at their predictions they made for other cities, have they come true? Are they -- 1:33:02: Dave Yuan: I don't know that I could speak to that. I haven't done the research. Sorry. I could get back to you. 1:33:06: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. I think that would be good data, because if Magellan has a good track record, that bolsters the fact that this is a good program. 1:33:13: Dave Yuan: OK. 1:33:14: Council Member Reckdahl: And if they have a bad track record, then you start saying, well, are we making the right assumptions? Or did -- Maybe the issue was is that -- um -- the cities that worked with Magellan didn't have the right pricing model. What did they do wrong? And not the fact that we're doomed. But what can we do different,so we don't go to the same path that these other companies ### municipalities? go down? So, I think that's important to understand, that Magellan predicted, and what other -- in other cities. ### The track record of a municipality-consultant pair depends on both the municipality and the consultant. 1:33:43: Kiely Nose: Council Member, just a couple things to answer, I think, a few of your questions. One, in terms of the UAC, you actually kind of hit where I think UAC generallylanded, although there wasn't -- I would say -- full consensus, in terms of -- You know, they really debated the intention of the pilot, and what is the goal of the pilot. And I think the majority of them generally landed into the sentiment, that you just articulated, of let's see how many customers we can get, and acknowledge that there may be,obviously, operating losses, as a result of the lower revenue estimates. But we're really testing whether or not we could feasibly turn this pilot into a more sustainedcitywide, obviously, operation. So, just to provide that context. That's, you know, a long debate, frankly. But I think generally where they landed. Knowing that, as Davealluded to, that we have that check-in. [laughs] In terms of, we're not going to go too far on the limb of investment without kind of proof of concept. So, I think that dualitywas ultimately where they landed, in terms of the kind of checks and balances of that. So, hopefully, that's a piece of -- as helpful information. 1:35:07: In terms of Magellan, I think -- and perhaps just intentional through -- or implied through your comments, but just to put it on the record -- I don't think it's necessarily justMagellan. I think what you're looking at is just kind of generally just fiber programs. And how successful they have been. One of the notes I will call attention to is, it doesvary by state as well. And so, you know, when we look at, say, what Magellan and/or other -- um -- that's interesting [laughs] -- ah -- what other agencies have done, I think that the state regulations and the state success is the other kind of key characteristic to kind of clue in on. Because I do think some of those are impactful in terms of -- 1:36:02: Council Member Reckdahl: [unamplified] States? 1:36:02: Kiely Nose: -- the locations. So, whether it's in California or out of California, in terms of other municipalities taking on these kinds of projects. And the success of them. The laws are obviously different, state by state. So, that DOES impact the success of the programs. ### This 11-01-24 article lists16 states that currently have laws that significantly limit municipal broadband.https://communitynetworks.org/content/state-state-preemption-stalled-moving-more-competitive-direction California is not one of them. (The list does not include states that limit municipal broadband only in minor ways.) 1:36:17: Council Member Reckdahl: That's useful. Am I back on? Oh, I'm back on. Good. Very good. Yeah. Crystal balls are hard to come by. Right? And pricing is one that'sthe ultimate crystal ball. It's like, well, it's like **. We don't know until you know it. Yeah. You don't -- Experience is something that you don't learn until right after you needit. Right? Um. OK. 1:36:39: And then, you talked about marketing. You know, peer-to-peer marketing. I'm going to put up a lawn sign in my front yard. I just have Palo Alto Fiber. Right? That kind of thing. Social media. That's all basically free. So, the City posts -- Regularly, we have them post a lot, saying sign up for fiber. 1:37:00: And then, finally, the Foothills ISP. So, we're running dark fiber up there. Is that eventually going to be part of this trial? Or is that going to -- we keep that separateforever? 1:37:11: Dave Yuan: It's going to be separate for now. It's going to take us a lot more money to build all the way up there, to offer ISP service. Right? Now, we're just doing thedark fiber. 'Cause I'm sure --- 1:37:19: Council Member Reckdahl: Oh. 1:37:22: Dave Yuan: It's really more for our electrical poles. And our facilities up in the Foothills. It's not really meant to serve customers. So, Adobe Creek Networks has takenthat dark fiber backbone and building it out themselves. And they're investing in it on their own -- ### At one time, Adobe Creek Networks https://adobecreek.net/services/was talking about charging homes $1,000 to join the co-op, plus $2,000 to connect the home. I'm a little unclear about what speeds are available for what monthly rates. ### Adobe Creek Networks was talking about using active Ethernet (AE) (point-to-point) electronics rather than PON. 1:37:35: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. 1:37:35: Dave Yuan: -- to help serve those customers. 1:37:37: Council Member Reckdahl: OK. Now, there's a fiber through Foothills Park. What is that for? 1:37:43: Dave Yuan: We have some water reservoirs up there. We also have a ** base station up there as well. And then there's a fire station. So, for any kind of communication. ** fiber. 1:37:52: Council Member Reckdahl: Oh. OK. That's all. Thank you. 1:38:00: Chair Burt: Um. As we were talking about all these different scenarios, and how do you really try to predict a lot of this, both in the construction costs, and in the uptake,and the pricing. I just want to plug a book that actually the City Manager is also reading right now that has become a real hot item. It's "How Big Things Get Done," ### "How Big Things Get Done" -- Bend Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardenerhttps://www.amazon.com/How-Big-Things-Get-Done/dp/0593239512 ### Here's a teaser: 02-12-23: "Think Slow, Act Fast" -- Dan Gardenerhttps://dgardner.substack.com/p/think-slow-act-fast And it is -- Certainly in the transportation project field, it -- it's a must-read now. But it's actually gone beyond transportation. It's the global expert on transportationmegaprojects. But he's really now the global expert on project economics, and how to control them, and why, the vast majority of the time, they're over budget, behindschedule, and don't have either ridership or uptake that was projected. And by "the vast majority of the time," that's 98 percent. Which is scary. But we see it. Time andagain. I mean, we're facing it on the BART extension to Silicon Valley. We had it on the Caltrain extension. It is -- But there are ways to anticipate and mitigate risks moreeffectively than we typically do. And a lot of his -- really looking at comps, and then plan the heck out of it, and then build rapidly, are among the guiding principles amongthem. And have a right team. So, I encourage that. And, in fact, he gets brought in -- all too often not at the beginning, to prevent these things, but when they've gone along ways, and things are going haywire, and to try to get it righted again. But some -- And it struck me that some of what we're struggling through right now is veryapplicable. And really, it's all big projects. Actually, he's taken the model down to kitchen remodels. And we do the same stuff on that. It goes the whole spectrum. 1:40:19: OK. I did want to ask about the cable TV. Do we have any sense of what portion of the folks that we're hoping to bring on board really want to keep cable TV? And untilwe have that offering, we may not be able to get them as subscribers. 1:40:40: Dave Yuan: I think when Magellan did the survey, in '22, I think it was like 50 percent had already cut the cord. Which was surprising to me myself. And then, it wasanother 25 percent who said they were willing to cut the cord. So, there is a market out there that don't want cable TV anymore. And we hear that in the industry now. Justthe costs. 1:40:56: Chair Burt: OK. How many of our customers that we want to get DO want cable TV? If we're -- out of this uptake percentage, are we saying, oh, it's all the folks who arewilling to cut the cord. So, we're only finding as our really obtainable customers 75 percent of the households? And then, we get X percent of THOSE? And then, we giveup, right at the outset, a quarter of the households as potential customers? Is that how we've factored it? 1:41:33: Darren Numoto: When Magellan initially did their survey -- We'll have to go back and look if they targeted this particular area. But they did it citywide. And I can'tremember the response rates. We can look that up. ### According to the survey (PDF page 41): https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/9/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/city-council-agendas-minutes/2022/20220919/20220919pccsm-amended-linked.pdf * 53 percent said "I already subscribe to internet streaming and I don't have cable television."* 19 percent said "Yes, I would cancel cable television and use just internet streaming."* 15 percent said, "I'm not sure, I need more information about internet streaming."* 12 percent said "No, I would keep cable television and add internet streaming."* 03 percent said, "No, I would keep cable television, I'm not interested in internet streaming." ### Of the 3 + 12 = 15 percent who wanted to keep cable TV, how many would consider switching to Palo Alto Fiber for internet anyway? Of the 15 percent who weren'tsure, how many could be persuaded to switch? But, overall, the percentages of people who either already have cut the cord or are willing to cut the cord were higher than I expected. And it's becoming more and moreapparent, because of the higher costs with Comcast and their programming. Right? And, also, it gives you the flexibility. Because, as you see, most of the programming IS through streaming services nowadays. So -- Especially for the shows that are coming up. But, in any case, we don't have that specific data on the pilot area. The factthat AT&T has a wide offering in that area and they don't offer streaming services directly, it's through a third party, that tells you that more and more people are willing . 1:42:24: Chair Burt: But I'm just wondering whether we want to move more aggressively on that third party. On cable. As a partnership. 1:42:30: Darren Numoto: Something we have discussed internally. As a City, we just have to be careful of referral to different companies. And so, that strategic partnershipevaluation is going to be key over time. We can definitely point them in the direction of research, and you know, options out there. But for us to recommend something, itbecomes a challenge, of course. So -- 1:42:49: Chair Burt: Well, I thought it was really a question of who WE would partner with. 1:42:52: Darren Numoto: Potentially. Right? But that's another engagement that we'd have to walk though. 1:42:55: Chair Burt: Yeah. Well, that's what I'm worried -- is that we're -- Is that something we should be doing in parallel? Right now. As opposed to wait and see. 1:43:05: Dave Yuan: As we talk to the pilot area, we will survey the customers, to see what the reason would be if they didn't subscribe, or so. ** 1:43:17: Chair Burt: And Mr. Gupta made a reference to a $15 million savings to the community. Is that -- Do we think he's referring to what we had seen from Magellan -- well, from whoever we had first, in 2016 ### For the 09-28-15 staff report on FTTP (347 pages), the consultant was CTC Technology & Energy.https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-cmrs/year-archive/2015/id-6104-fttp.pdf and then 2022 doing it, where they looked at -- nationally, when you have one provider, pricing's up here. When you have two, it comes down modestly. And, in 2016, itshowed -- When you had 3, it dropped a whole bunch. ### November 2016: "Broadband Competition Helps to Drive Lower Prices and Faster Speeds for U.S. Residential Customers" https://www.analysisgroup.com/globalassets/content/insights/publishing/broadband_competition_report_november_2016.pdf But my recollection is, the 2022 showed that third provider didn't have that same impact that they thought in 2016. But back in -- I think it was 2016 -- that was one of themost compelling things to me, was that, oh, so, aside from however we do on our own business, by entering the market, we save our residents, perhaps, a lot of money. And I think that's important to not lose sight of. When our residents judge how valuable this is, those who don't come on board say it did nothing for me. But if we can showthen that, no, no, it saved you money, then that's a whole nother story. And even back then, when we looked at in 2016, that was kind of -- well, that's an aside. And I'mgoing, no, that exceeds, by -- it was like -- exceeded our potential projected profit by maybe it was 10X. And I said that's the real number to our residents that matters --should matter the most. But we have to explain it to them. 'Cause they won't get it on their own. And even though the 2022 model -- if I remember correctly -- showed thatit wasn't that -- as great of a value, it still showed a value. And I think that needs to be part of -- It's not the marketing to get people to sign up. It's the marketing to tell thecommunity what they, as a whole, are getting out of this. 1:45:21: Dave Yuan: That's great feedback. We can also track that during the pilot as well. 1:45:24: Chair Burt: OK. Great. Um. The replacement of the current backbone. When do we think we need to do that? How old is it getting? I don't know what the lifespanexpectancy is. 1:45:44: Dave Yuan: [laughs] I think we built it in 1998 or something. Late '90s. ### Council voted to build a dark fiber network on 08-05-96. It was initially said to be a 15-mile network. Over the years, it's grown to over 40 miles. (See page 5 here.)https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and- minutes-2016/11-02-16-meeting/letters-to-the-uac.pdf I think most of it's OK. Just parts have congestion, just 'cause there's so much demand. ### Dark fiber segments near Equinix are in demand, because most dark fiber customers want to connect to Equinix. Those are the parts we are patching. Fixing. So, we are just doing targeted -- 1:45:55: Chair Burt: So, it's not it's not a full replacement. It's certain -- 1:45:59: Dave Yuan: Right now, that's how we're doing it. But eventually we do want to build a whole new backbone. Or two of them, actually. So, that's the end goal. ### I'd be in favor of Council's reassessing whether a whole new backbone -- or two -- is really necessary ever. But right now, with Grid Mod and the Fiber to the Premise project, we just don't have the resources to do a third large project. 1:46:11: Chair Burt: OK. 1:46:11: Dave Yuan: But we are addressing those areas where it's needed. 1:46:14: Chair Burt: OK. And then, I think lastly -- So, we were talking about these areas of the City that are undergrounded and don't have good coverage right now. Is that -- Would we want to consider the medium-high-speed wireless as a pilot in one of THOSE areas? To benefit the community in a -- They're maybe going to be the last andmost expensive to provide this to. And, instead, they could get a benefit right away at a fairly low cost. And not as valuable as what we're providing with the fiber, but we'd learn how valuable it is. ### Fixed wireless -- Tarana or other -- is a dead end. Citywide FTTP is what we need. And I would add to it, I'm also interested in that Wi-Fi for public Wi-Fi -- and expanding where we offer public Wi-Fi in public spaces. ### I think this is a distraction. 1:46:11: Darren Numoto: Yeah. Those are all considerations, of course. With that pilot phase is just getting us operational. Whether we can offer the internet services as a whole,and also operate it successfully. And then, we can add on these other services as well. So, that -- the plan is just to get the operational aspects through this pilot. Andthen, we can look at expanding other types of services from there. 1:47:31: Chair Burt: But if it's -- if it's -- These Wi-Fi nodes -- I mean, we have that pilot that was done 2-3 years ago. And that was hooked up in a short period of time. On tophere, Stanford Shopping Center parking lot, and, I think, the City Manager's house. ### I think Chair Burt is referring to the Tarana demo (11-22-23).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW73BClJbSw Tarana doesn't do Wi-Fi. 1:47:47: Darren Numoto: Yeah. 1:47:47: Chair Burt: As three -- And it was -- It's not very cumbersome to do that. 1:47:53: Darren Numoto: And it -- The last mile, per se, is not. It's the infrastructure and the data center that we're building to offer the services. So, that's the core piece set -- is needed in order to do this. Currently, we're leveraging our own IT infrastructure to provide that service, as a beta. But the goal is to get the data center up and operationalfor the ISP portion of the business. 1:48:14: Chair Burt: OK. I didn't appreciate that. 1:48:15: Darren Numoto: Yeah. 1:48:16: Chair Burt. All right. And, I guess, just lastly, I want to really encourage us again to consider in this pilot area offering one offering with a promotion rate, for a subset of thatgeography, and another one without, so that we really get to see what works and what doesn't. Instead of kind of doing things in sequence and not being able to do a side-by-side comparison if we do it in sequence. 1:48:52: Council Member Reckdahl: Yeah. There's a reason the other ISPs use promotion rates. Because they get the customers and then people don't like to switch -- Yeah. 1:48:59: Chair Burt: Yeah. That's right. If it works for them, why wouldn't it work for us? 1:49:03: Darren Numoto: And that's the reason we wanted a -- um -- a range in that pricing to be flexible. Because, you know, the market changes DAILY. Right? ### I don't think Palo Alto Fiber should be thinking about changing its prices DAILY. You see an advertisement from Comcast saying, hey, we're not going to change our rate for 5 years now. ### This is a special offer. If you don't take the special offer, your rates will (probably) increase every year. And so, they're reacting to this kind of rhetoric as well. So, again, that's why we need flexibility with the pricing. 1:49:21: Chair Burt: Yeah. OK. All good? 1:49:24: Council Member Reckdahl: Yeah. I would just encourage you to REALLY look at other cities that have done this, and try make sure -- Which ones ended badly? And howcan we prevent that? And which ones ended well? And how can we get that? So, really study what other people have done. So -- ### How much would such a study cost? How long would it take? Who would do it? (A consultant??) ### Longmont's Nextlight is a good example of a successful municipal FTTP network.https://mynextlight.com/Speeds up to 10/10 Gbps. Low prices.https://mynextlight.com/residential/(For example, $49.95/mo "for life" for 1/1-Gbps for "charter members".)https://mynextlight.com/terms-conditions/High take rate (64 percent, as of 04-03-24).https://communitynetworks.org/content/nextlight-longmont-colorado-expands-beyond-city-bordersNearly citywide (90+ percent), https://communitynetworks.org/content/longmont-colorados-nextlight-network-hits-28000-subscriber-milestonewith plans to expand beyond the city limits. Discounted price for low-income folks (e.g., $14.95/mo for 100/100 Mbps.)https://mynextlight.com/residential/ ### Longmont was one of the first municipalities to realize that a municipal FTTP network didn't have to have a cable TV service to be viable. Today, they help customersaccess streaming services provided by others.https://mynextlight.com/tv-streaming/ ### Longmont's 2013 feasibility study found that the network was feasible. If they charged $100/month for 1/1-Gbps service, they could get a 26 percent take rate. Thenthey decided to offer a special rate -- $49.95/month "for life" to "charter members" who would sign up within three months of the network's being available in their area, and they found that the actual take rate was 56 percent.https://www.timescall.com/2016/09/13/longmont-council-gives-first-ok-to-7m-nextlight-budget-boost/ ### I have been calling attention to Longmont for some time. Google "site:cityofpaloalto.org hoel longmont" 47 hits. 1:49:41: Chair Burt: So, we need a motion. Right? 1:49:47: **: Yes. 1:49:51: Chair Burt: -- copy in front of me, with ** -- 1:49:53: Council Member Reckdahl: Well, the hardcopy was late. 1:49:56: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: I MOVE to recommend to the City Council that we approve the new fiscal '26 Palo Alto Fiber rates and packages, as recommended by the UAC. 1:50:07: Council Member Reckdahl: Second. 1:50:08: Chair Burt: OK. All in favor. Aye. That passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you for a really informative presentation. You really -- We had a lot of questions. Andyou had a lot of answers. 1:50:23: Council Member Lythcott-Haims: Also wonderful to see Utilities and IT coming together -- It's always wonderful to see any cross-fertilization of departments. And toappreciate how closely you work together. ### Cross-fertilization? Darren Numoto is both IT Director and acting Director of the Fiber Utility. 1:50:37: Darren Numoto: Thank you. 1:50:40: Chair Burt: OK. END From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; Shanetta Anderson; David Balakian;Becky Vagim; bearwithme1016@att.net; Leodies Buchanan; bballpod; beachrides; fred beyerlein;boardmembers; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; dennisbalakian; dallen1212@gmail.com;kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu;Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; Joel Stiner; jerry ruopoli; kfsndesk;karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; Mayor; Mark Standriff; margaret-sasaki@live.com; MY77FJ@gmail.com;merazroofinginc@att.net; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; newsdesk; nick yovino; news@fresnobee.com;russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: B.A. Pub H officer urges quick Covid vax. Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 2:33:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM Subject: Fwd: B.A. Pub H officer urges quick Covid vax.To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Friday, June 20, 2025 To all- Quick Covid vax is urged: Bay Area public health officer urges quick COVID vaccination – The Mercury News "Razor blade throat" a new Covid symptom: I think Trump made a mistake appointingRFK Jr. As summer heats up, COVID levels rise and some report unpleasant symptom L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Carol To:wes drillsgt.com Cc:Evan Reade; Crescent Park Neighborhood Association; Shikada, Ed; Lauing, Ed; Council, City Subject:Re: [CPNA] Feedback for Fire Chief Recruitment deadline TOMORROW Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 2:32:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Interesting that Evan’s response was #28. So was mine listed as #28 when I sent it thismorning! I, too, suggested promoting from within if there were viable candidates. I wonder about the process for tabulating or omitting responses. Carol Munch Hamilton Ave. On Jun 20, 2025, at 2:21 PM, wes drillsgt.com <wes@drillsgt.com> wrote: Evan, I made the same suggestion. I mentioned that when I was a manager with IBM, we looked first to promote from within the department. -Wes From: Evan Reade <evanreade@aol.com> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2025 12:55 To: Crescent Park Neighborhood Association <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com>; wes drillsgt.com <wes@drillsgt.com> Cc: Ed Shikada <ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <ed.lauing@paloalto.gov>; City Council <city.council@paloalto.gov> Subject: Re: [CPNA] Feedback for Fire Chief Recruitment deadline TOMORROW Regarding the city's request for input on the search for a new fire chief, I was respondent #28. My only advice was to give in-house candidates preference over outside applicants. The city will spend thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of dollars on an outside recruiter to conduct a "nation- wide search" for our next Fire Chief. I find it hard to believe that the PAFDdoesn't already have some highly qualified leaders who would be more This message could be suspicious Similar name as someone you've contacted. This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast than willing to step into the top spot. I strongly believe that our city is a unique place with a very complicated and demanding way of doing business, and that to brings someone in from the outside who doesn't understand this or have experience dealingwith it is a recipe for failure. This was the advice I gave about the search for a new Police Chief and I was glad when the city selected one of PAPD's finest, Andrew Binder, to step up. I also think it's good for morale if motivated leaders in our police and fire departments - all city departments, for that matter - know that there is the potential to be promoted to the top for excellent service. The message the city sends when it goes outside is that it lacks confidence in its ownpeople. If we aren't already training and bringing up the best candidates to fill top slots, not only here in P.A. but elsewhere as well, then something is seriously wrong. Evan R. Sharon Ct. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups"Crescent Park PA" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an emailto crescent-park-pa+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/crescent-park-pa/LV8PR10MB7920A87F5B455557891412E1CB7CA%40LV8PR10MB7920.n amprd10.prod.outlook.com. From:wes drillsgt.com To:Evan Reade; Crescent Park Neighborhood Association Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lauing, Ed; Council, City Subject:RE: [CPNA] Feedback for Fire Chief Recruitment deadline TOMORROW Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 2:22:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Evan, I made the same suggestion. I mentioned that when I was a manager with IBM, we looked first to promote from within the department. -Wes From: Evan Reade <evanreade@aol.com> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2025 12:55 To: Crescent Park Neighborhood Association <crescent-park-pa@googlegroups.com>; wes drillsgt.com <wes@drillsgt.com> Cc: Ed Shikada <ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>; Ed Lauing <ed.lauing@paloalto.gov>; City Council <city.council@paloalto.gov> Subject: Re: [CPNA] Feedback for Fire Chief Recruitment deadline TOMORROW Regarding the city's request for input on the search for a new fire chief, I was respondent #28. My only advice was to give in-house candidates preference over outside applicants. The city will spend thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of dollars on an outside recruiter to conduct a "nation-wide search" for our next Fire Chief. I find it hard to believe that the PAFD doesn't already have some highly qualified leaders who would be more than willing to step into the top spot. I strongly believe that our city is a unique place with a very complicated and demanding way of doing business, and that to brings someone in from the outside who doesn't understand this or have experience dealing with it is a recipe for failure. This was the advice I gave about the search for a new Police Chief and I was gladwhen the city selected one of PAPD's finest, Andrew Binder, to step up. I also think it's good for morale if motivated leaders in our police and fire departments - all city departments, for that matter - know that there is the potential to be promoted This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast to the top for excellent service. The message the city sends when it goes outside is that it lacks confidence in its own people. If we aren't already training and bringing up the best candidates to fill top slots, not only here in P.A. but elsewhere as well, then something is seriously wrong. Evan R. Sharon Ct. From:Evan Reade To:Crescent Park Neighborhood Association; wes drillsgt.com Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lauing, Ed; Council, City Subject:Re: [CPNA] Feedback for Fire Chief Recruitment deadline TOMORROW Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 12:55:12 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Regarding the city's request for input on the search for a new fire chief, I was respondent #28. My only advice was to give in-house candidates preference over outside applicants. The city will spend thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of dollars on an outside recruiter to conduct a "nation-wide search" for our next Fire Chief. I find it hard to believe that the PAFD doesn't already have some highlyqualified leaders who would be more than willing to step into the top spot. I strongly believe that our city is a unique place with a very complicated and demanding way of doing business, and that to brings someone in from the outsidewho doesn't understand this or have experience dealing with it is a recipe for failure. This was the advice I gave about the search for a new Police Chief and I was glad when the city selected one of PAPD's finest, Andrew Binder, to step up. I also think it's good for morale if motivated leaders in our police and fire departments - all city departments, for that matter - know that there is the potential to be promoted to the top for excellent service. The message the city sends when it goes outside is that it lacks confidence in its own people. If we aren't already training and bringing upthe best candidates to fill top slots, not only here in P.A. but elsewhere as well, then something is seriously wrong. Evan R.Sharon Ct. From:City Mgr To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Executive Leadership Team; City Mgr; Clerk, City Subject:City Council Bundle - June 20 Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 12:03:28 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngFW Issues with notification about City contractors on our property -- response requested.msgFW BMR.msgRE City of Palo Alto Utilities - FINAL Service Disconnection Warning - 30120647.msgRE 400Mitchell Lane 25PLN-00006 Request for Hearing.msgRE 400 Mitchell Lane 25PLN-00131.msgRE Regarding Jonathan Lait.msgRE 400 Mitchell Lane 25PLN-00006.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 June 20, 2025. Respectfully, Danille Danille RiceAdministrative AssistantCity Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov From:matt@evolutionaryteams.com To:palo-alto@fridaysforfutureusa.org; fridaysforfuturepaloalto@gmail.com Subject:FFF Follow Up from June 13 (Week #179) Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 8:14:53 AM Attachments:image005.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. i On Friday we celebrated the many amazing actions happening in our community. Rick started by acknowledging that we are on unceded lands of the Muwekma Ohlone and that we have a responsibility to care for the land, air and water that sustains us. Rick shared that he and his wife are busy sending letters to our elected officials and other leaders on the importance of resisting the authoritarian takeover or our democratic institutions. He is heartened by the words and actions of our state leaders and their resilience in the face of assaults, both verbal and physical. Thanks, Rick! Robin reminded us of the horrific gasoline leak in 1999 that set a river near Bellingham, WA on fire killing much life, including three humans. Fossil fuel usage is inconsistent with sustaining life on our one and only planet. Thanks for the reminder, Robin! Brigitta is alarmed by moves to defund Public Broadcasting, NPR and PBS. She worries that without a publicly funded news source, our only alternatives will be corporate media with pro-corporate content. Even now, NPR and PBS receive so much in donations from corporate-backed foundations that their messages are compromised. Gratefully, Democracy NOW! continues to provide a non-corporate perspective. Thanks, Brigitta, for raising the alarm. Ingrid reported that her book tour continues and that she was invited to give a climate talk. We are all pleased that Ingrid’s book, Facing the Climate Future Together, is getting so much attention! Please buy it and leave a review on Amazon! Thanks, Ingrid. Casey has been busy with Climate Action California on SB682, the bill to ban toxic refrigerants with PFAS. She is disappointed that the bill was killed. Thanks, Casey, for reporting on this and for working on this anti-pollution legislation. David C and George expressed their happiness to be the company of like-minded climate-concerned compatriots. They are both abhorred by the threat that the current Trump regime presents to the climate and to the progress we have made. Thanks, David and George, for being in our community. Mimi updated us on the effort to stop the opening of a proposed quarry on Juristac. She also noted that Avroh and PASCC have petitioned Palo Alto City Council to endorse the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act (SB 684 (Menjivar) and AB 1243 (Addis). Thanks, Mimi, for the updates! Deb encourages us to watch the documentary Turtle Walker, about the journey of Satish Bhaskar, an Indian conservationist who spent decades safeguarding endangered sea turtles. She plans to attend the screening on Friday June 20. Thanks, Deb, for highlighting this important work. Matt and David attended Adam Met’s talk on his recently published book Amplify. Thanks, Sven, for hosting the talk! The event was organized by Climate Defiance – it was nice to meet Michael Greenberg in person. You can listen to Matt’s recording of Adam’s talk here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pRSovsc7vfZw2HyeA In addition to being a climate activist, Adam is a member of the very famous pop group AJR. It’s great that Adam uses his platform to promote a sustainable future. Next, we turned to discussing No Kings Day and our plans for action. We all planned to attend different actions around the region. On No Kings Day in Palo Alto, veteran David P. led the march down Embarcadero to Rinconada Park joined by George, Robin and Zacky. Congressmember Sam Liccardo spoke and his filibustering and deflection (talking about Peoria, OH!? WTF!) frustrated Matt who demanded to know what Liccardo is doing to defend and protect the members of our own community who are under attack from ICE. Liccardo’s answer, in short, is not much. Please! – if you see any ICE deployments in our community call 408-290-1144 and report it to the anti-ICE action team. Judge LaDoris Cordell, who also frequently joins us at the #teslatakedown rallies, spoke in Spanish in solidarity with our immigrant community members, and Joan Baez sang a song in Spanish to show support. Thanks to them both. Carol’s daughter Elana and her musical duo also performed beautifully. Joanna attended her first rally! After Elana performed, Joanna, Bill, Mark and Matt (Mitchell Park Band) along with the Raging Grannies and danced with lingering rally participants and workers who were packing up after the fair. Thanks to all the organizers and participants, especially Indivisible Palo Alto Plus. Also, big thanks to ProBonoPhoto’s Jim Colton, Teri Vershel, Sunny Jefferson, and Steven Rice for their amazing photography of the day’s events: https://www.probonophoto.org/2025/Jun14NoKings/NoKingsPaloAlto Before the march and fair, we joined the Tesla Takedown Wolves for a rally and march at Stanford Shopping Center, and the Bannering 101 team was out bannering on the freeway overpasses. It was an energizing way to kick off a special day of action in our community. Thanks to everyone for making a magical day in Palo Alto! And, the action doesn’t stop! In addition to the regular #teslatakedown action on Wednesday and Saturday, the Tesla Takedown Wolves organized a special action this Monday, June 23 from 4PM to 6PM in front of Tesla HQ at the intersection of Page Mill and Hanover. RSVP here and join the fun! Also, please sign this petition and urge the City of Palo Alto to divest from Tesla and Musk businesses. This Friday (6/20) we meet at King Plaza for a “normal” climate strike. Come share your NO KINGS DAY experiences! See you on the streets! Keep Up the Fight! STAND UP! FIGHT BACK! Upcoming Events Friday, June 20, Noon to 1:00: Climate Strike! –– We meet at King Plaza in front of Palo Alto City Hall. Monday, June 23, 4PM to 6PM: Tesla HQ rally –– We meet at the intersection of Page Mill and Hanover. RSVP here: https://mobilize.us/s/5GxDZi This message needs your attentionSome Recipients have never replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast 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/ipaplus/ Every Saturday, Noon to 2PM, Tesla Showroom at Stanford Shopping Center: Palo Alto Protests Elon Musk’s Illegal Government Takeover. https://www.mobilize.us/ipaplus/ Every Saturday, see link for time, Tesla Showroom, 4180 El Camino Real . Palo Alto Protests Elon Musk’s Illegal Government Takeover. https://www.mobilize.us/ipaplus/ Friday, June 27, Noon to 1:00: Climate Strike! –– We meet at King Plaza in front of Palo Alto City Hall. 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 ProBonoPhoto’s Jim Colton, Teri Vershel, Sunny Jefferson, and Steven Rice: https://www.probonophoto.org/2025/Jun14NoKings/NoKingsPaloAlto Matt’s photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/39DLzb6TH87CK79j6 What We Are Reading/Watching/Listening to: U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has created Resistance Lab with resources and training for organizers. Check it out here: https://www.pramilaforcongress.com/the- resistance-lab Reporting by Democracy Now! here Commentary by The Majority Report: here Heat Pump Water Heater and Home Electrification Program Update As of:6/2 5/1 3/31 2/28 HPWH full-service interest list signups 1385 1364 1333 1323 Site assessment agreements (SAA) sent 1385 1364 1333 1323 Signed SAAs 1149 1127 1013 1093 Completed site assessments 1055 1040 1023 1013 Installations Total Full Service HPWHs installed 427 421 414 402 Total DIY HPWH installed 131 126 115 114 Total Emergency HPWH installations 22 19 19 18 Total HPWHs installed 580 566 548 534 Target Installations 1000 1000 1000 1000 Monthly Installation Rate Monthly Installation Rate 14 18 14 32 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 Matt Schlegel Schlegel Consulting 650-924-8923 Author: Teamwork 9.0 Website: evolutionaryteams.com YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCLkUMHuG4HVa831s9yeoZ5Q From:Government AI 2025; Shaping The AI-Driven Government To:Council, City Subject:Media Pack now available Date:Friday, June 20, 2025 2:05:32 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Government AI Summit | Shaping the AI-Driven Government 23rd October 2025 | London, UK https://whitehallconferences.co.uk/govaioct2025/ Connect with over 400 senior decision-makers across central and local government departments and public sector organisations Good Afternoon, I hope you're well. I wanted to introduce you to an exciting opportunity to be involved in the Government AI Summit 2025, taking place on 23rd October in London. This high-level event will bring together senior leaders and decision-makers from across central and local government to explore the practical applications, challenges, and future of AI in the public sector. With a focus on real-world use cases, procurement strategy, governance, and ethical implementation, the Summit will feature speakers from key departments and agencies, as well as thought leaders in AI policy and technology. We’re currently offering a limited number of sponsorship opportunities for organisations looking to align their brand with innovation and leadership in government AI. If you're interested in learning more, you can request the Sponsorship Media Pack by clicking the button below: Request Sponsorship Pack You can also explore the event in more detail here: Government AI Summit 2025 Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. We’d be happy to discuss how this opportunity could align with your current objectives in the public sector AI space. Best regards, Richard Lions Head of Partnership and Events Whitehall Conferences Ltd. https://whitehallconferences.co.uk/ Whitehall Conferences Ltd. Centurion House, 129 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WR Unsubscribe From:Aram James To:Martin Wasserman Cc:Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Doug Minkler; james pitkin; Roberta Ahlquist; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki; Veenker, Vicki; Salem Ajluni; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; Bill Johnson; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Jessica Speiser; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Ruben Abrica; Sean Allen; Josh Becker; Rosen, Jeff; Jay Boyarsky; Vara Ramakrishnan; Raj Jayadev; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Human Relations Commission; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Diana Diamond; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Rodriguez, Miguel; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; dennis burns; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Rose Lynn; Raymond Goins; sharon jackson; Damon Silver; Steve Wagstaffe; Figueroa, Eric; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Wagner, April; Rowena Chiu; James Quadra; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Ed Lauing; Vicki Veenker; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Ruth Silver Taube; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Israel"s lies Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 9:25:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. **Date: 6/19/2025** Hi Martin, You are absolutely right. I will continue to do everything I can to advocate for the elimination of the illegitimate state of Israel and its ultimate return to the Palestinian people. Avram On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/23/arts/stephen-james-73-cold- war-peaceabd -advocate.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QU8.hvtH.ACi9- CR-pEVj&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 8:42 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Hi Avram, Thanks for sharing your family background with me. It explains a lot. But your father'sobituary that you said was attached to the email wasn't there. Please send it because I'minterested in reading it. I would divide Jews into two main camps, what I call the Camp of Belief and the Camp ofDisbelief. A believer would say that God is real, His covenant with Israel is real, it'sapplicable to all generations of Jews, and if we fulfill the terms of the covenant we’ll beassured of great blessings, but if we rebel against it or refuse to follow it, we’ll besubjected to great calamities. A disbeliever would say that God doesn't exist, there's nocovenant, there's no need to obey any biblical laws, and everyone should do exactly asthey please. Since neither camp can prove its case empirically, belief or disbelief is largely a matter ofchoice. I've chosen the Camp of Belief, and you've obviously chosen the opposite camp.There's no reason why people in different camps can't get along. But when it's a questionof which camp will set national policy, the stakes become a lot higher. As a believer, I say that the Land of Israel is given to the Jews and to no other nation,although we have to live up to the covenant in order to keep it. But voluntarily givingaway any part of the land, or retreating from any part of it when not forced to do so, is anact of rebellion against the Almighty which will surely bring very bad results. We can seethis in Israel's disastrous evacuation of Jewish communities from Gaza in 2005 which leddirectly to the current war, which never would have happened if Israel has retained its gripon the land. I assume you'll disagree with everything I say because you disagree with my basicpremise. And that's OK. You're free to work against Israel, slander it, and try to undermineit any way you can. But I'm pretty sure all your efforts will be in vain, and Israel, with thehelp of God, will ultimately prevail over all of its adversaries and be the light unto thenations that it was created to be. Martin Wasserman On Jun 19, 2025, at 4:50 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Marty, You are correct! I’m dealing with what I can only describe as a mentaldisorder: extreme aversion to Zionism syndrome. If you're interested, you can check out the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) for a detailed explanation of the symptoms. By the way, I might have inherited this condition from my father, who was originally named Daniel Ben Ezra Fink but later changed it to Stephen DanielJames. He eventually became the founder and president of "Jews for Anti- Semitism." I've attached a copy of his obituary that was published in the NewYork Times in 1998. He was quite a contrarian Jew. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 under the condition set by my grandfather, Louis Byer Finkelstein (who was an early misguided Zionist)that if he completed the bar mitzvah obligations, he wouldn't have to enter a synagogue again. At 13, my dad was offended by my grandfather and hisfriends, who all claimed that Jews were the chosen people. In my dad's view, that belief was nonsense; he believed that either everyone or no one could beGod's chosen people. Marty, I have to say that my aversion to wacked out zionists seems to intensify, be triggered, every time you write your unaduultrated bullshit aboutthe rogue, illegitimate state of Israel. Avram “ No More Wacked Zionists” Finkelstein Avram, Every time I point out the falsity of your arguments, which is veryeasy to do, you never respond with evidence to try to prove me wrong. Instead, you just ignore it and refuse to engage. What this tells me is that you know your arguments are indefensible, and can’t stand up to honest scrutiny. You say you love Jewish people, but for the State of Israel, the largest concentration of Jews in the world, you express nothing but extreme hatred, probably related to your own self-hatred. Youadvocate that the entire Jewish population of Israel, over 7 millionpeople, be forcibly expelled from their homes, driven out of their ancestral homeland, and relocated to some far corner of the Earth, where they would still be expected to pay reparations to the Palestinians for the rest of their lives. It's hard for me to see this asanything other than an extreme form of anti-Semitism. The fact that you identify as Jewish makes it even harder to understand and seems to indicate some kind of mental disorder. Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 10:14 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, Good try ! You are precisely the guy who refuses to speak the truth about Israel on any level. Thefalsehoods you and your ilk extreme white-wingZionist Jewish supremacists propagate are undoubtedly the reason antisemitism is in the rise worldwide. You pose an imminent danger to allJews. As I said before: you're NO friend of theJewish people. Avram “ A Self-Loving Jew to the Max” Finkelstein On Wed, Jun 18, 2025, at 9:35 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, You seem to have two different standards for judging nations, a very harsh one for Israel and avery lenient one for all others. The fact is, almost allvery successful nations are established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing. This is certainly true of Arab and Muslimnations, who carried out these policies against Israelright from the very beginning, although fortunately Israel was able to defend itself. Today, Hamas, which you bizarrely characterize as "freedom fighters,” continues to carry out an explicit policy ofbloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of Jews, although with no more success than their predecessors. You say you despise anyone who carries out ethnic cleansing, yet that’s precisely what you advocate be done to the Jews of Israel. It seems that the traits you most despise in others are the very ones that youcarry within yourself. The phrase "self-hating" might be appropriate here. You say you love the Jewish community, but Ihaven't seen any evidence of that. You constantly spew libelous falsehoods against the world's only Jewish state, falsehoods so easily disproved that it's hard to imagine you actually believe them yourself.For example, if Israel is trying to exterminate the Palestinians, how do you explain the fact that there are so many more Palestinians living in Israel today that they were in 1948? Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 7:03 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM MartinWasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Avram, As someone who identifies as a Jew, theintensity of your animosity toward theJewish state strikes me as rather abnormal.I'm genuinely interested in how you gotthis way. Did you always hate Israel? Wasthere some incident in your life thattriggered the hatred? Have you everactually lived in Israel and experienced thepeople and culture firsthand? And last,here's a question that every Jew should beable to answer: do you believe in God? Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at 9:43 PM,Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Marty, Israel is pursuing peace, myass, while simultaneouslythreatening with the barrel ofa shotgun to your head andhaving nuclear weapons onstandby. It is a militaristic andrelentlessly violent society,routinely targeting innocentwomen and children. You’reright, Marty: if I were incharge, I would relocate allIsraelis to Canada, with theland managed by IndigenousCanadians. Palestine would bereturned to the Palestinians, and Israelis would payreparations to them to help rebuild their country for atleast the next 76 years. Avram “Israel is a dying state” Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 4:46PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote: Avram, Time will tell which one ofus is telling the truth and which one is delusional. Thetruth is that Israel has always sought peace withthe Arabs, even going so far as to make major territorialconcessions in the hope of achieving it. But the Arableadership, including both Hamas and the PalestinianAuthority, have continued to oppose Israel's existenceand used every means at their disposal, both militaryand political, to try to destroy it. Also, if you think genocideis evil, why do you not condemn Hamas, whoseofficial charter explicitly calls for the death of everyJew on earth, rather than characterizing them as“freedom fighters”? I believe you've also called for the "ethnic cleansing" ofJews from Israel, saying that they should be forced toreturn to their countries of origin. But Israel IS theircountry of origin, a fact you seem unable to grasp. Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at12:37 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Martin, It appears thatyou are trapped in a delusionaldrug-like trance,believing that Israel is notthe aggressive, war-mongering,and genocidal entity that therest of the world clearlysees and condemns. Avram “ One State Solution!”Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17,2025, at 9:54 AM, MartinWasserman <deeperlook@aol.com>wrote: The driving force of the Israeli-Arab conflict has been therefusal of Arab leaders to accept the restoration of the ancient Jewish nation in theland of its birth, an event explicitlyforetold by the Almighty many years ago. Whenthe Jews returned to the Holy Land, theydid not come with malice toward theArabs, but Arab leaders had plenty of malicetoward them. They waged war to preventIsrael from being established but weredefeated. Nevertheless, they never gave uptheir hope of destroying the Jewish state andcontinued to fight it in one way or another, bringing more disaster upon their own people every step of the way. Thesuffering of the Palestinians today isentirely self- inflicted. They chose the path ofwar rather than peace and continue topay the consequences. MartinWasserman OnJun16,2025,at9:25 PM,AramJames<abjpd1@gmail.com>wrote: HiLinda, Excellentjob!Thanksforbeingatruthteller.Aram OnMon, Jun16, 2025at 9:18 PMLinda Jolley<lindajolley9@yahoo.com> wrote: It should be enough that Amnesty International and many other sources have detailed Israel's aggressiion over many decades. But if that is not enough then I am old enough to report what I heard first- hand. I can remember continual radio reports of giant camps of Palestinianrefugeesindesperateconditionafterbeingdrivenofftheirlands. Also,Ihadafirst-handreportfromawomanwhosaidherparentswerePalestinianswhenIsraeliscamestormingintotheirvillage: "Theyseizedourhomesandourgasstationthatsupportedourfamily,"shesaid. Mr.Wasserman,youarealiar. God will notsupportyouandyourilk. From:Aram James To:Martin Wasserman Cc:Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Doug Minkler; james pitkin; Roberta Ahlquist; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki; Veenker, Vicki; Salem Ajluni; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; Bill Johnson; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Jessica Speiser; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Ruben Abrica; Sean Allen; Josh Becker; Rosen, Jeff; Jay Boyarsky; Vara Ramakrishnan; Raj Jayadev; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Human Relations Commission; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Diana Diamond; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Rodriguez, Miguel; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; dennis burns; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Rose Lynn; Raymond Goins; sharon jackson; Damon Silver; Steve Wagstaffe; Figueroa, Eric; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Wagner, April; Rowena Chiu; James Quadra; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Ed Lauing; Vicki Veenker; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Ruth Silver Taube; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Israel"s lies Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 9:03:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/23/arts/stephen-james-73-cold-war- peace-advocate.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QU8.hvtH.ACi9-CR- pEVj&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 8:42 PM Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Hi Avram, Thanks for sharing your family background with me. It explains a lot. But your father'sobituary that you said was attached to the email wasn't there. Please send it because I'minterested in reading it. I would divide Jews into two main camps, what I call the Camp of Belief and the Camp ofDisbelief. A believer would say that God is real, His covenant with Israel is real, it'sapplicable to all generations of Jews, and if we fulfill the terms of the covenant we’ll beassured of great blessings, but if we rebel against it or refuse to follow it, we’ll be subjectedto great calamities. A disbeliever would say that God doesn't exist, there's no covenant,there's no need to obey any biblical laws, and everyone should do exactly as they please. Since neither camp can prove its case empirically, belief or disbelief is largely a matter ofchoice. I've chosen the Camp of Belief, and you've obviously chosen the opposite camp.There's no reason why people in different camps can't get along. But when it's a question ofwhich camp will set national policy, the stakes become a lot higher. As a believer, I say that the Land of Israel is given to the Jews and to no other nation,although we have to live up to the covenant in order to keep it. But voluntarily giving awayany part of the land, or retreating from any part of it when not forced to do so, is an act ofrebellion against the Almighty which will surely bring very bad results. We can see this inIsrael's disastrous evacuation of Jewish communities from Gaza in 2005 which led directlyto the current war, which never would have happened if Israel has retained its grip on theland. I assume you'll disagree with everything I say because you disagree with my basic premise. And that's OK. You're free to work against Israel, slander it, and try to undermine it any wayyou can. But I'm pretty sure all your efforts will be in vain, and Israel, with the help of God, will ultimately prevail over all of its adversaries and be the light unto the nations that it wascreated to be. Martin Wasserman On Jun 19, 2025, at 4:50 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Marty, You are correct! I’m dealing with what I can only describe as a mental disorder: extreme aversion to Zionism syndrome. If you're interested, you can check out the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) for a detailed explanation of the symptoms. By the way, I might have inherited this condition from my father, who wasoriginally named Daniel Ben Ezra Fink but later changed it to Stephen DanielJames. He eventually became the founder and president of "Jews for Anti-Semitism." I've attached a copy of his obituary that was published in the NewYork Times in 1998. He was quite a contrarian Jew. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 under the condition set by mygrandfather, Louis Byer Finkelstein (who was an early misguided Zionist) thatif he completed the bar mitzvah obligations, he wouldn't have to enter asynagogue again. At 13, my dad was offended by my grandfather and hisfriends, who all claimed that Jews were the chosen people. In my dad's view,that belief was nonsense; he believed that either everyone or no one could beGod's chosen people. Marty, I have to say that my aversion to wacked out zionists seems to intensify,be triggered, every time you write your unaduultrated bullshit about the rogue,illegitimate state of Israel. Avram “ No More Wacked Zionists” Finkelstein Avram, Every time I point out the falsity of your arguments, which is very easy to do, you never respond with evidence to try to prove mewrong. Instead, you just ignore it and refuse to engage. What thistells me is that you know your arguments are indefensible, and can’t stand up to honest scrutiny. You say you love Jewish people, but for the State of Israel, the largest concentration of Jews in the world, you express nothing butextreme hatred, probably related to your own self-hatred. You advocate that the entire Jewish population of Israel, over 7 million people, be forcibly expelled from their homes, driven out of their ancestral homeland, and relocated to some far corner of the Earth,where they would still be expected to pay reparations to thePalestinians for the rest of their lives. It's hard for me to see this as anything other than an extreme form of anti-Semitism. The fact that you identify as Jewish makes it even harder to understand and seemsto indicate some kind of mental disorder. Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 10:14 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, Good try ! You are precisely the guy who refuses tospeak the truth about Israel on any level. The falsehoods you and your ilk extreme white-wing Zionist Jewish supremacists propagate are undoubtedly the reason antisemitism is in the riseworldwide. You pose an imminent danger to all Jews.As I said before: you're NO friend of the Jewish people. Avram “ A Self-Loving Jew to the Max” Finkelstein On Wed, Jun 18, 2025, at 9:35 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, You seem to have two different standards for judging nations, a very harsh one for Israel and a very lenient one for all others. The fact is, almost all verysuccessful nations are established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing. This is certainly true of Arab and Muslim nations, who carried out these policies against Israel right from thevery beginning, although fortunately Israel was able todefend itself. Today, Hamas, which you bizarrely characterize as "freedom fighters,” continues to carry out an explicit policy of bloodshed, domination,extermination, and ethnic cleansing of Jews, althoughwith no more success than their predecessors. You say you despise anyone who carries out ethnic cleansing, yet that’s precisely what you advocate bedone to the Jews of Israel. It seems that the traits you most despise in others are the very ones that you carry within yourself. The phrase "self-hating" might be appropriate here. You say you love the Jewish community, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. You constantly spew libelous falsehoods against the world's only Jewishstate, falsehoods so easily disproved that it's hard to imagine you actually believe them yourself. For example, if Israel is trying to exterminate the Palestinians, how do you explain the fact that there areso many more Palestinians living in Israel today that they were in 1948? Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 7:03 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM MartinWasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Avram, As someone who identifies as a Jew, theintensity of your animosity toward theJewish state strikes me as rather abnormal. I'm genuinely interested in how you got thisway. Did you always hate Israel? Was there some incident in your life that triggered thehatred? Have you ever actually lived in Israel and experienced the people and culturefirsthand? And last, here's a question that every Jew should be able to answer: do youbelieve in God? Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at 9:43 PM,Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Marty, Israel is pursuing peace, my ass, while simultaneouslythreatening with the barrel of a shotgun to your head and havingnuclear weapons on standby. It is a militaristic and relentlesslyviolent society, routinely targeting innocent women andchildren. You’re right, Marty: if I were in charge, I wouldrelocate all Israelis to Canada, with the land managed byIndigenous Canadians. Palestine would be returned to thePalestinians, and Israelis would pay reparations to them to helprebuild their country for at least the next 76 years. Avram “Israel is a dying state”Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 4:46 PM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, Time will tell which one of usis telling the truth and which one is delusional. The truth is that Israel has always soughtpeace with the Arabs, even going so far as to make majorterritorial concessions in the hope of achieving it. But theArab leadership, including both Hamas and thePalestinian Authority, have continued to oppose Israel'sexistence and used every means at their disposal, bothmilitary and political, to try to destroy it. Also, if you think genocide isevil, why do you not condemn Hamas, whose official charterexplicitly calls for the death of every Jew on earth, ratherthan characterizing them as “freedom fighters”? I believe you've also called forthe "ethnic cleansing" of Jews from Israel, saying that theyshould be forced to return to their countries of origin. ButIsrael IS their country of origin, a fact you seem unableto grasp. Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025,at 12:37 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Martin, It appears thatyou are trapped in a delusional drug-like trance, believing thatIsrael is not the aggressive, war-mongering,and genocidal entity that the restof the world clearly sees andcondemns. Avram “ OneState Solution!” Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 9:54AM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: The driving force of the Israeli-Arabconflict has been the refusal of Arab leadersto accept the restoration of the ancient Jewish nationin the land of its birth, an event explicitlyforetold by the Almighty many years ago. Whenthe Jews returned to the Holy Land, they did notcome with malice toward the Arabs, but Arab leadershad plenty of malice toward them. They waged war to prevent Israel from being established but weredefeated. Nevertheless, they never gave up theirhope of destroying the Jewish state and continuedto fight it in one way or another, bringing moredisaster upon their own people every step of theway. The suffering of the Palestinianstoday is entirely self- inflicted. They chose thepath of war rather than peace and continue topay the consequences. MartinWasserman OnJun16,2025,at9:25 PM,Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: HiLinda, Excellent job!Thanks forbeing atruth teller.Aram On Mon,Jun 16,2025 at9:18 PM LindaJolley <lindajolley9@yahoo.com>wrote: It shouldbeenoughthatAmnestyInternationalandmanyothersourceshavedetailedIsrael'saggressiionovermanydecades. Butifthatisnotenoughthen I am oldenoughtoreportwhatIheardfirst-hand. IcanremembercontinualradioreportsofgiantcampsofPalestinianrefugeesindesperateconditionafterbeingdrivenofftheirlands. Also,Ihadafirst-handreportfromawomanwhosaidherparentswerePalestinianswhenIsraeliscamestormingintotheirvillage: "Theyseized our homes andourgasstationthatsupportedourfamily,"shesaid. Mr.Wasserman,youarealiar. Godwillnotsupportyouandyourilk. From:Martin Wasserman To:Aram James Cc:Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Doug Minkler; james pitkin; Roberta Ahlquist; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki; Veenker, Vicki; Salem Ajluni; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; Bill Johnson; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Jessica Speiser; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Ruben Abrica; Sean Allen; Josh Becker; Rosen, Jeff; Jay Boyarsky; Vara Ramakrishnan; Raj Jayadev; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Human Relations Commission; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Diana Diamond; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Rodriguez, Miguel; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; dennis burns; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Rose Lynn; Raymond Goins; sharon jackson; Damon Silver; Steve Wagstaffe; Figueroa, Eric; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Wagner, April; Rowena Chiu; James Quadra; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; paul@peaceandjustice.org; Ed Lauing; Vicki Veenker; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Ruth Silver Taube; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Israel"s lies Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 8:42:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Avram, Thanks for sharing your family background with me. It explains a lot. But your father'sobituary that you said was attached to the email wasn't there. Please send it because I'm interested in reading it. I would divide Jews into two main camps, what I call the Camp of Belief and the Camp ofDisbelief. A believer would say that God is real, His covenant with Israel is real, it's applicable to all generations of Jews, and if we fulfill the terms of the covenant we’ll be assured of greatblessings, but if we rebel against it or refuse to follow it, we’ll be subjected to great calamities. A disbeliever would say that God doesn't exist, there's no covenant, there's no need to obeyany biblical laws, and everyone should do exactly as they please. Since neither camp can prove its case empirically, belief or disbelief is largely a matter of choice. I've chosen the Camp of Belief, and you've obviously chosen the opposite camp.There's no reason why people in different camps can't get along. But when it's a question of which camp will set national policy, the stakes become a lot higher. As a believer, I say that the Land of Israel is given to the Jews and to no other nation, althoughwe have to live up to the covenant in order to keep it. But voluntarily giving away any part of the land, or retreating from any part of it when not forced to do so, is an act of rebellionagainst the Almighty which will surely bring very bad results. We can see this in Israel's disastrous evacuation of Jewish communities from Gaza in 2005 which led directly to thecurrent war, which never would have happened if Israel has retained its grip on the land. I assume you'll disagree with everything I say because you disagree with my basic premise. And that's OK. You're free to work against Israel, slander it, and try to undermine it any wayyou can. But I'm pretty sure all your efforts will be in vain, and Israel, with the help of God, will ultimately prevail over all of its adversaries and be the light unto the nations that it wascreated to be. Martin Wasserman On Jun 19, 2025, at 4:50 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Marty, You are correct! I’m dealing with what I can only describe as a mental disorder: extreme aversion to Zionism syndrome. If you're interested, you can check out the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) for a detailed explanation of the symptoms. By the way, I might have inherited this condition from my father, who was originally named Daniel Ben Ezra Fink but later changed it to Stephen DanielJames. He eventually became the founder and president of "Jews for Anti- Semitism." I've attached a copy of his obituary that was published in the NewYork Times in 1998. He was quite a contrarian Jew. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 under the condition set by my grandfather, Louis Byer Finkelstein (who was an early misguided Zionist) that ifhe completed the bar mitzvah obligations, he wouldn't have to enter a synagogue again. At 13, my dad was offended by my grandfather and his friends, who allclaimed that Jews were the chosen people. In my dad's view, that belief was nonsense; he believed that either everyone or no one could be God's chosenpeople. Marty, I have to say that my aversion to wacked out zionists seems to intensify, be triggered, every time you write your unaduultrated bullshit about the rogue,illegitimate state of Israel. Avram “ No More Wacked Zionists” Finkelstein Avram, Every time I point out the falsity of your arguments, which is very easyto do, you never respond with evidence to try to prove me wrong. Instead, you just ignore it and refuse to engage. What this tells me is that you know your arguments are indefensible, and can’t stand up to honest scrutiny. You say you love Jewish people, but for the State of Israel, the largest concentration of Jews in the world, you express nothing but extreme hatred, probably related to your own self-hatred. You advocate that theentire Jewish population of Israel, over 7 million people, be forciblyexpelled from their homes, driven out of their ancestral homeland, and relocated to some far corner of the Earth, where they would still be expected to pay reparations to the Palestinians for the rest of their lives. It's hard for me to see this as anything other than an extremeform of anti-Semitism. The fact that you identify as Jewish makes it even harder to understand and seems to indicate some kind of mental disorder. Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 10:14 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>wrote: On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, Good try ! You are precisely the guy who refuses to speak the truth about Israel on any level. The falsehoodsyou and your ilk extreme white-wing Zionist Jewishsupremacists propagate are undoubtedly the reason antisemitism is in the rise worldwide. You pose an imminent danger to all Jews. As I said before: you'reNO friend of the Jewish people. Avram “ A Self-Loving Jew to the Max” Finkelstein On Wed, Jun 18, 2025, at 9:35 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, You seem to have two different standards for judging nations, a very harsh one for Israel and a very lenientone for all others. The fact is, almost all very successfulnations are established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing. This is certainly true of Arab and Muslim nations, who carried out thesepolicies against Israel right from the very beginning,although fortunately Israel was able to defend itself. Today, Hamas, which you bizarrely characterize as "freedom fighters,” continues to carry out an explicit policy of bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of Jews, although with no more successthan their predecessors. You say you despise anyone who carries out ethnic cleansing, yet that’s precisely what you advocate bedone to the Jews of Israel. It seems that the traits youmost despise in others are the very ones that you carry within yourself. The phrase "self-hating" might be appropriate here. You say you love the Jewish community, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. You constantly spew libelous falsehoods against the world's only Jewish state,falsehoods so easily disproved that it's hard to imagineyou actually believe them yourself. For example, if Israel is trying to exterminate the Palestinians, how do you explain the fact that there are so many more Palestinians living in Israel today that they were in1948? Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 7:03 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM MartinWasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Avram, As someone who identifies as a Jew, theintensity of your animosity toward the Jewishstate strikes me as rather abnormal. I'mgenuinely interested in how you got this way.Did you always hate Israel? Was there someincident in your life that triggered the hatred?Have you ever actually lived in Israel andexperienced the people and culture firsthand?And last, here's a question that every Jewshould be able to answer: do you believe inGod? Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at 9:43 PM,Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Marty, Israel is pursuing peace, my ass, while simultaneously threateningwith the barrel of a shotgun to your head and having nuclearweapons on standby. It is a militaristic and relentlessly violentsociety, routinely targeting innocent women and children.You’re right, Marty: if I were in charge, I would relocate allIsraelis to Canada, with the land managed by IndigenousCanadians. Palestine would be returned to the Palestinians, andIsraelis would pay reparations to them to help rebuild their countryfor at least the next 76 years. Avram “Israel is a dying state” Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 4:46 PM,Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Avram, Time will tell which one of us is telling the truth and which oneis delusional. The truth is that Israel has always sought peacewith the Arabs, even going so far as to make major territorialconcessions in the hope of achieving it. But the Arableadership, including both Hamas and the PalestinianAuthority, have continued to oppose Israel's existence andused every means at their disposal, both military andpolitical, to try to destroy it. Also, if you think genocide is evil, why do you not condemnHamas, whose official charter explicitly calls for the death ofevery Jew on earth, rather than characterizing them as “freedomfighters”? I believe you've also called for the "ethnic cleansing" of Jewsfrom Israel, saying that they should be forced to return totheir countries of origin. But Israel IS their country of origin,a fact you seem unable to grasp. Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at12:37 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.co m> wrote: Hi Martin, It appears that youare trapped in a delusional drug-liketrance, believing that Israel isnot the aggressive, war-mongering, andgenocidal entity that the rest of theworld clearly sees and condemns. Avram “ One State Solution!”Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17,2025, at 9:54 AM, Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.c om> wrote: The driving force of the Israeli-Arab conflict has been the refusalof Arab leaders to accept the restoration of the ancientJewish nation in the land of its birth, an event explicitlyforetold by the Almighty many years ago. When the Jewsreturned to the Holy Land, they did not come with malicetoward the Arabs, but Arab leaders had plenty of malicetoward them. They waged war to prevent Israel frombeing established but were defeated. Nevertheless,they never gave up their hope of destroying the Jewish stateand continued to fight it in one way or another, bringing moredisaster upon their own people every step of the way. The suffering of the Palestinians today is entirely self-inflicted. They chose the path of war rather than peace andcontinue to pay the consequences. Martin Wasserman OnJun16,2025,at9:25 PM,AramJames<abjp d1@gmail .com> wrote: Hi Linda, Excel lentjob! Thanks for beinga truthteller. Aram OnMon, Jun 16,2025 at9:18  PMLind aJolle y<lind ajolley9@ yahoo.co m>wrote : It sho uld be eno ugh that Am nes ty Inte rnat ion al and ma ny oth er sou rce s hav e det aile d Isra el's agg res siio n ove r ma ny dec ade s. Butifthatisnotenoughthen Iamoldenoughtoreportwhat Iheardfirst-hand. Icanremembercontinualradioreportsofgiantcamps ofPalestinianrefugees indesperateconditio n afte rbeingdrivenofftheirlands. Also, Ihadafirst-handreportfrom awomanwhosaidherparentswerePalestinianswhenIsraeliscamestormingintotheirvillage: "Theyseized our ho mesandourgasstationthatsupportedourfamily,"shesaid. Mr.Wasserman,youarealiar.Godwillnotsupportyouandyour ilk. From:Aram James To:Vicki Veenker; Veenker, Vicki; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov;sterlinglarnerd@yahoo.com Cc:Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Marty Wasserman; Josh Becker; h.etzko@gmail.com; Reckdahl, Keith; Ed Lauing; editor@almanacnews.com; editor@paweekly.com; Gennady Sheyner; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; Emily Mibach; Binder, Andrew; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; San José Spotlight; Raymond Goins; Roberta Ahlquist; Baker, Rob; rabrica@cityofepa.org; sharon jackson; Rose Lynn; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov; Sean Allen; Pat M; Patrice Ventresca; Kaloma Smith; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; board@valleywater.org; board@pausd.org; EPA Today; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Councilmember Chappie Jones; District9@sanjoseca.gov; Damon Silver; District2@sanjoseca.gov; District3@sanjoseca.gov; District4@sanjoseca.gov; District10@sanjoseca.gov; District5@sanjoseca.gov; Steve Wagstaffe; Sheree Roth; Lori Meyers; Reifschneider, James; james pitkin; city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; City Attorney; Lewis james Subject:The Evil That Men (and Women) Do Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 6:02:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. How is it possible to live in a world where wholesale murder is carried out while much of humanity goes about its business as if it were the most natural thing for one supremely armed and lavishly subsidized military to wage a war of annihilation against an impoverished, defenseless people? Opinion | The Evil That Men (and Women) Do | Common Dreams https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/evil-humans-do-in-gaza From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Toilets on Cal Ave Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 4:52:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. This afternoon, walking down Birch towards Cal Ave, I passed a man - not homeless -peeing in the bushes next to a parking lot. Having just watched the Cal Ave discussion on video, I had to laugh. From:Aram James To:Martin Wasserman Cc:Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Doug Minkler; james pitkin; Roberta Ahlquist; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki; Veenker, Vicki; Salem Ajluni; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; Bill Johnson; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Jessica Speiser; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Ruben Abrica; Sean Allen; Josh Becker; Rosen, Jeff; Jay Boyarsky; Vara Ramakrishnan; Raj Jayadev; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Human Relations Commission; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Diana Diamond; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Rodriguez, Miguel; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; dennis burns; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Rose Lynn; Raymond Goins; sharon jackson; Damon Silver; Steve Wagstaffe; Figueroa, Eric; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Wagner, April; Rowena Chiu; James Quadra; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; Paul George @ PPJC; Ed Lauing; Vicki Veenker; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Ruth Silver Taube; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Israel"s lies Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 4:50:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Marty, You are correct! I’m dealing with what I can only describe as a mental disorder: extreme aversion to Zionism syndrome. If you're interested, you can check out the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) for a detailed explanation of the symptoms. By the way, I might have inherited this condition from my father, who was originally named Daniel Ben Ezra Fink but later changed it to Stephen Daniel James. He eventually became thefounder and president of "Jews for Anti-Semitism." I've attached a copy of his obituary that was published in the New York Times in 1998. He was quite a contrarian Jew. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 under the condition set by my grandfather, Louis ByerFinkelstein (who was an early misguided Zionist) that if he completed the bar mitzvah obligations, he wouldn't have to enter a synagogue again. At 13, my dad was offended by mygrandfather and his friends, who all claimed that Jews were the chosen people. In my dad's view, that belief was nonsense; he believed that either everyone or no one could be God'schosen people. Marty, I have to say that my aversion to wacked out zionists seems to intensify, be triggered, every time you write your unaduultrated bullshit about the rogue, illegitimate state of Israel. Avram “ No More Wacked Zionists” Finkelstein Avram, Every time I point out the falsity of your arguments, which is very easy to do, you never respond with evidence to try to prove me wrong. Instead, you just ignore it and refuse to engage. What this tells me is that you know your arguments areindefensible, and can’t stand up to honest scrutiny. You say you love Jewish people, but for the State of Israel, the largest concentration of Jews in the world, you express nothing but extreme hatred,probably related to your own self-hatred. You advocate that the entire Jewish population of Israel, over 7 million people, be forcibly expelled from their homes, driven out of their ancestral homeland, and relocated to some far corner of the Earth, where they would still be expected to pay reparations to the Palestinians forthe rest of their lives. It's hard for me to see this as anything other than an extremeform of anti-Semitism. The fact that you identify as Jewish makes it even harder to understand and seems to indicate some kind of mental disorder. Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 10:14 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, Good try ! You are precisely the guy who refuses to speak the truth about Israel on any level. The falsehoods you and your ilk extreme white-wing Zionist Jewish supremacists propagate are undoubtedlythe reason antisemitism is in the rise worldwide. You pose animminent danger to all Jews. As I said before: you're NO friend of the Jewish people. Avram “ A Self-Loving Jew to the Max” Finkelstein On Wed, Jun 18, 2025, at 9:35 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, You seem to have two different standards for judging nations, a very harsh one for Israel and a very lenient one for all others. The fact is, almost all very successful nations are established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing. This iscertainly true of Arab and Muslim nations, who carried out thesepolicies against Israel right from the very beginning, although fortunately Israel was able to defend itself. Today, Hamas, which you bizarrely characterize as "freedom fighters,” continues to carry out an explicit policy of bloodshed, domination, extermination, andethnic cleansing of Jews, although with no more success than their predecessors. You say you despise anyone who carries out ethnic cleansing, yetthat’s precisely what you advocate be done to the Jews of Israel. Itseems that the traits you most despise in others are the very ones that you carry within yourself. The phrase "self-hating" might be appropriate here. You say you love the Jewish community, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. You constantly spew libelous falsehoods against the world's only Jewish state, falsehoods so easily disproved thatit's hard to imagine you actually believe them yourself. Forexample, if Israel is trying to exterminate the Palestinians, how do you explain the fact that there are so many more Palestinians living in Israel today that they were in 1948? Martin Wasserman On Jun 18, 2025, at 7:03 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Martin, I love my Jewish community, but I also believe it’s fair to say that I despise any nation, including Israel, that was established through bloodshed, domination, extermination, and ethnic cleansing of another people. Israel fits this description to the letter. Any Jew who does not advocate for the dismantling of Israel is, in my view, contributing to anti-Semitism. Martin, I must say you are not a true friend to Jewish people. Avram “ Eliminate The State Of Israel” Finkelstein. On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM Martin Wasserman<deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:Avram, As someone who identifies as a Jew, the intensity of youranimosity toward the Jewish state strikes me as ratherabnormal. I'm genuinely interested in how you got thisway. Did you always hate Israel? Was there some incidentin your life that triggered the hatred? Have you everactually lived in Israel and experienced the people andculture firsthand? And last, here's a question that every Jewshould be able to answer: do you believe in God? Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at 9:43 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Marty, Israel is pursuing peace, my ass, whilesimultaneously threatening with the barrel of ashotgun to your head and having nuclearweapons on standby. It is a militaristic andrelentlessly violent society, routinely targeting innocent women and children. You’re right,Marty: if I were in charge, I would relocate all Israelis to Canada, with the land managed byIndigenous Canadians. Palestine would be returned to the Palestinians, and Israelis wouldpay reparations to them to help rebuild their country for at least the next 76 years. Avram “Israel is a dying state” Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 4:46 PM, MartinWasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: Avram, Time will tell which one of us is telling thetruth and which one is delusional. The truth is that Israel has always sought peace withthe Arabs, even going so far as to make major territorial concessions in the hope ofachieving it. But the Arab leadership, including both Hamas and the PalestinianAuthority, have continued to oppose Israel's existence and used every means at theirdisposal, both military and political, to try to destroy it. Also, if you think genocide is evil, why doyou not condemn Hamas, whose official charter explicitly calls for the death of everyJew on earth, rather than characterizing them as “freedom fighters”? I believe you've also called for the "ethniccleansing" of Jews from Israel, saying that they should be forced to return to theircountries of origin. But Israel IS their country of origin, a fact you seem unable tograsp. Martin Wasserman On Jun 17, 2025, at 12:37 PM,Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Martin, It appears that you are trapped in a delusional drug-like trance,believing that Israel is not the aggressive, war-mongering,and genocidal entity that the rest of the world clearly sees andcondemns. Avram “ One State Solution!”Finkelstein On Tue, Jun 17, 2025, at 9:54AM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: The driving force of the Israeli-Arab conflict has been the refusal of Arableaders to accept the restoration of the ancient Jewish nation in the land of its birth, an event explicitlyforetold by the Almighty many years ago. When the Jews returned to the Holy Land, they did not comewith malice toward the Arabs, but Arab leaders had plenty of malice toward them. They waged war toprevent Israel from being established but were defeated. Nevertheless, they never gave up theirhope of destroying the Jewish state and continued to fight it in one way or another, bringing moredisaster upon their own people every step of the way. The suffering of the Palestinians today isentirely self-inflicted. They chose the path of war rather than peace and continue to pay theconsequences. Martin Wasserman On Jun 16, 2025,at 9:25 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Linda, Excellent job!Thanks for being a truth teller.Aram On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 9:18 PMLinda Jolley <lindajolley9@yahoo.com>wrote: It should be enough thatAmnestyInternational andmany othersources havedetailed Israel'saggressiion overmany decades. But if that is notenough then I amold enough toreport what Iheard first-hand. I can remembercontinual radioreports of giantcamps ofPalestinianrefugees indesperatecondition afterbeing driven offtheir lands. Also,I had a first-handreport from awoman who saidher parents werePalestinianswhen Israeliscame storminginto their village: "They seized our homes and our gas station thatsupported ourfamily," shesaid. Mr. Wasserman,you are a liar. God will notsupport you andyour ilk. From:CeCi Kettendorf To:Council, City Subject:Hiring of new fire chief Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 4:34:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council: It is a conflict of interest for the man who controls the city's money to control the selection of the at-will employee, who is the fire chief. Our fire chiefs have never, never, never been able to speak frankly to City Council as to the real needs of the PAFD, the most important city department we have. All surrounding cities of our size and affluence support a fire district, managed by a fire board, which meets monthly and interacts directly with their city council. Nonehave a fire chief who answers solely to the city manager. They look at us in amazement. "The recruitment ( of the new fire chief) will be led by the City Manager as the hiring manager, facilitated by the Human Resources Department and an executive search firm. The City Manager has the responsibility for selection of the Fire Chief in accordance with the City's municipal code, subject to approval by the City Council......." The last two city managers are responsible for the downward spiral of the firedepartment. Since 2011, Palo Alto has seen 1). the reductions in number of fire fighters, number of engines and the number of fire stations; 2) extreme obsolescence of fire stations and apparatus; 3) delayed response to multiple fires in south Palo Alto, with disastrous results. PHILZ! Please consider a change to the charter. Give selection of the police and fire chiefs to a committee, who then directly bring their recommendations to you. Council has had no idea as to the profound problems in the PAFD because city managers have told Council for fifteen years that all is well. The fire chief could notsay otherwise; he works for the city manager. Thank you for protecting us. CeCi Kettendorf 46 year resident3719 Grove Avenue Palo Alto, Ca. 94303 From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Cc:Fukuji, Bruce Subject:Terun/Zareens St Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 10:29:29 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Terun and Zareens dominate Cal Ave. As much as I appreciate their need to be able to operate in all weathers - 1)All restaurants have indoor seating already and 2) these two eateries are making money hand over fist because theyhave commandeered a great deal of public space. The Zareen’s set up is particularly intrusive. At the very least, particularly because they are profiting from the use of public space, Cal ‘Ave restaurants shouldexpect to respect design restrictions so that car free Cal Ave feels like a unified, public space rather than a free forall. From:Bill Quarre To:City Mgr; Council, City Subject:Faber Way mess Date:Thursday, June 19, 2025 8:53:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Manager and city council, I am attaching a photo I took this morning on my usual walk from the baylands over to thefreeway and back. You will see there is a toilet on the sidewalk next to a a camper. This area has become dirtier and more populated with camper vans and people setting up their domestic situations and I find myself wanting to avoid the area now. Really? A toilet? I thought you'd want to see this. Dismayed and disgruntled, Bill Quarre This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Kathy Fan To:Council, City; ParkRec Commission Subject:Petition of no new pickleball courts in Mitchell Park Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 8:54:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council Members and Commissioners, This is Kathy Fan, a Palo Alto resident living near the Mitchell Park area and also an active tennis player. I recently started a petition to urge the City to stop the proposed addition of newpickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Within just 24 hours, the petition has received over 100 signatures from concerned community members. Here is the link to the petition: https://chng.it/xvbxPcb4dp Many residents are concerned about the potential impacts of this proposal, including the loss of existing tennis court availability, increased noise levels, and parking congestion. While werespect the growing interest in pickleball, we believe the proposal does not adequately consider the needs of the broader community and the importance of maintaining balance andfairness for all park users. We kindly ask the City Council and relevant departments to pause any further action on thisproposal until a more comprehensive and transparent public consultation process can take place. We hope for a solution that accommodates both sports without sacrificing the quality oflife and recreational opportunities for residents. Thank you for your attention and for your continued service to our community. Sincerely, Kathy Fan Palo Alto Resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Srinath Kalluri To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Tennis court contensions Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 7:42:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i correcting the email address ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Srinath Kalluri <srinath.kalluri@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 7:37 PMSubject: Tennis court contensions To: adam.howard@cityofpaloalto.org <adam.howard@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: <city.council@cityofplaoalto.org>, <parkrec.comission@cityofpaloalto.org> Hi Adam I am a long-time resident of Palo Alto and have found it very difficult to get access to theRinconada tennis courts over the last few months - especially under the lights. The first three courts are always reserved for USTA matches while the other two have city sponsored lessonsup to 9pm. Last week, I went to the courts with my son several days after work and found them all occupied in this way. Finally, I asked the folks who reserved the courts if they were Palo Alto residents, and otherthan one individual they were all from out of town. There were also people sitting in the stands who subbed in as soon as a match was done. I have spoken to other casual tennis players (oneswho don't play USTA), and know that this is a challenge many are experiencing. Other cities such as Menlo Park either have keys for residents to access the courts or provide means for city residents to reserve at least some of the courts for a nominal fee. Are there anysuch provisions for city residents not on USTA teams? I understand from a notice I see posted on the courts that the city is considering this problem. Have any solutions been discussed? For example, there should, at a minimum, be a way forcity residents to reserve courts. Regards Srinath Kalluri2246 Saint Francis Drive 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 Powered by Mimecast Palo Alto, CA 94303 (650) 799 1597 From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; David Balakian;bearwithme1016@att.net; bballpod; beachrides; fred beyerlein; Leodies Buchanan; Becky Vagim;boardmembers; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; eappel@stanford.edu; kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com; ScottWilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; IrvWeissman; Joel Stiner; jerry ruopoli; kfsndesk; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; Mayor; Mark Standriff; margaret-sasaki@live.com; merazroofinginc@att.net; MY77FJ@gmail.com; newsdesk; nick yovino;russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu; dennisbalakian;dallen1212@gmail.com Subject:Fwd: Indian pilot on the Air India crash- June 17, 2025 Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 5:05:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM Subject: Fwd: Indian pilot on the Air India crash- June 17, 2025To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Date: Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 4:00 PMSubject: Fwd: Indian pilot on the Air India crash- June 17, 2025 To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM Subject: Fwd: Indian pilot on the Air India crash- June 17, 2025To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 at 4:25 PMSubject: Indian pilot on the Air India crash- June 17, 2025 To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Wednesday, June 18, 2025 To all- This is interesting. This experienced Air India pilot knew the pilot killed in the crash. Tragic Crash Of Flight AI-171: Investigating Engine Failures And The Role of RAT | #brasstacks He agrees the RAT was deployed. One can see it on the vid and hear it. It is loud-sounds like a WWII fighter plane. He seems to say that the video indicates that an attempt was made to raise the landing gear! Apparently one of the gear, maybe the right main gear, is partially raised. First I'veheard that. The pilot said "Mayday. Loss of thrust, loss of power" or some such. This pilot says the engines may have lost all thrust or some thrust. They have now recovered the FDR and the CVR. Those will explain what happened. He says that three events can cause the RAT to deploy automatically: 1) Dual engine failure. 2) Loss of electrical power. 3) Loss of hydraulics. The RAT provides just enough electrical power to the pilots. He has some instruments and he can use the radio. It also provides some minimal hydraulics. The RAT powers ahydraulic pump and an electric generator. AND AND hear him say this "The resumed electrical power may help the pilots restart the engines". I have not heard anyone else saythat. Of course, they did not have time for this. One person says there is a delay too in the RAT becoming effective once deployed. One reason for a dual engine failure would be fuel contamination. Another could be vaporlock. Another could be "FADEC ECC failure". See below. That pilot thinks this is compelling. TWO other such Boeing planes- same model- both bound for India, have had to turn back since the crash. We have all watched many hours of vids in cockpits of large planes. Recall that the landinggear control is a "post" sticking out of the "instrument panel". Grab it and slide it up to raise the landing gear. The flaps control is a knob on the center console. It would be tough to confuse the two. This is interesting. Private jet pilot in US. Complicated computer reset could have shutdown the engines? "FADEC ECC failure." If so, this is a complicated issue. This man too says an attempt may have been made to raise the landing gear. Air India 171 *URGENT New Data* FADEC ECC Failure - Captain Steeeve RESPONDS L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Magic To:Council, City Subject:Plastic playing fields are symptomatic of much larger ills Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 4:24:50 PM Attachments:Is Fake Grass Safe_ A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The New York Times.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Honorable Councilmembers, In your recent deliberations about plastic v. plant playing fields, I saw more evidence of costs of population and artifact density, and of the failure of those who profit from these to pay theirfull costs. In the attached article from the NYTimes, you'll see the lengths to which some who benefit, in this case manufacturers of plastic playing fields, will go to suppress scientificdiscussion of full costs. The full costs of more housing and more people in Palo Alto include sufficient open space and parks for the increased population. When we allocate too little space for playing fields, we usethem beyond carrying capacity and degrade them. Costs of maintaining them rise until they become unbearable. So we replace grass with plastic, incurring both (1) known and suspectedyet short of definitively proven adverse health effects for users and (2) other negative impacts throughout the product life cycle (e.g., introduction of microplastics and "forever" chemicalsto the environment and ultimately to our own bodies). As I've mentioned in prior communications, humans are a population in overshoot destined to decrease in numbers. By continuing to pillage nature to accommodate our growingoverreproduction, rather than to curb our appetites for artifact and share what we have until we're through this population spike, which demographers project will occur within thelifetimes of people born today, we're saddling ourselves and our descendants with ecosystem debasement that will on the basis of the fossil record in some cases (e.g., loss of biodiversity)almost certainly persist for tens of millions of years. Aware of this, we want at once to act effectively and to feel that how we act is sufficient. As we approach or breach ecosystem tipping points, we've compelling evidence that with whatwe've done to date, we've fallen short. We know this, and still we balk at doing more, wary of individual sacrifice for naught. And thus do we rush ever more deeply into catastrophe.Perhaps just publicly admitting these things can be a step towards changing them. I invite you to consider this. Thank you for any consideration you give it. With appreciation, 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 David Schrom Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. Four experts were sued for defamation ahead of a seminar where they planned to talk about research into the potential health risks on playgrounds and sports fields nationwide. Listen to this article · 8:40 min Learn more By Hiroko Tabuchi and Ken Belson June 17, 2025, 10:10 a.m. ET The seminar seemed straightforward enough. Four experts planned to talk about whether artificial grass, which is used on playgrounds and sports fields nationwide, has health risks for children. But January’s seminar never happened, after the four speakers were sued for defamation by Polyloom, an artificial-turf maker, based on promotional material for the seminar. “This was before we even said a word,” said Kyla Bennett, an ecologist formerly with the Environmental Protection Agency who is one of the four defendants. Polyloom and the artificial-turf industry is responding to a growing body of scientific research showing the presence of harmful chemicals in synthetic turf, and potential environmental and health implications. All this is happening as demand for artificial turf, which is made from plastic and mimics the look and feel of natural grass, is booming globally. Once mainly used in places like professional football or baseball stadiums, today, artificial grass is common in city parks, community playgrounds and fields for high-school football and soccer. It’s even in some suburban backyards where homeowners want to avoid the need to water or mow the lawn. Between 1,200 and 1,500 large artificial turf fields were installed in 2023, bringing the total in the United States to around 19,000 fields, according to the latest figures from AMI Plastics, an industry data organization. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsuit-defamation-health-risk.html Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsui... 1 of 5 6/17/25, 8:33 PM As more artificial fields have been installed, the potential environmental and health implications have come under increasing scrutiny, sometimes pitting scientists against the industry and forcing parents and athletes to take sides. Polyloom said it sued the seminar speakers over statements made in promotional material for the seminar which it described as “misstatements and falsehoods.” In the complaint, Polyloom said that, should the seminar move forward, “Defendants will again assert false and misleading statements that will cause Plaintiff irreparable reputational harm.” The seminar, titled “The Trouble With Turf,” was described as a debate over turf safety amid new concerns about contamination with PFAS, so-called forever chemicals linked to low birth weight, birth defects and certain types of cancer. Joe Fields, chief executive of TenCate Americas, part of the Dutch textiles and chemicals conglomerate that owns Polyloom, declined to discuss the lawsuit. But in an interview with The New York Times, he said the chemical compounds in turf were similar to those in surgical sutures and other commonly used products. “I think it’s a lot of misguided concern,” he said. In May the four defendants countersued, claiming Polyloom had filed a meritless lawsuit. They called it a SLAPP suit, or strategic lawsuit against public participation, the term for cases that aim to punish critics by starting costly court fights. Polyloom sued “for the sole purpose of silencing the plaintiffs, and to induce them to abstain from speaking publicly about a matter of public concern,” the defendants said in their countersuit. Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsui... 2 of 5 6/17/25, 8:33 PM Crumbs of “infill” is kicked up during a high school soccer match in Bend, Ore., in 2022. The infill material, used as cushioning, has long been made from used tires.Isaac Wasserman for The Washington Post, via Getty Images Introduced in the 1960s and named AstroTurf after it was installed at the Astrodome in Houston, synthetic turf fields have been promoted as a low-cost, low-maintenance and water-efficient alternative to natural grass, which can be expensive to maintain, require the use of pesticides and guzzle copious amounts of water. But turf fields themselves are drawing increased attention. Researchers studying the material used as cushioning beneath the turf — known as “infill,” and long made from shredded car tires — have identified a list of chemicals with the potential to increase the risks of cancer, impair reproductive development and contribute to other health problems. The detection in artificial turf of PFAS forever chemicals, a class of nearly indestructible chemicals also linked to health harms including low birth weight, birth defects and certain types of cancer, has also raised concerns. And in hot weather, synthetic turf reaches higher temperatures than natural turf fields do, which can lead to heat exposure. Microplastics, in the form of tiny plastic particles from the infill and the turf’s synthetic blades that break down over time, have emerged as significant sources of plastic pollution. Scientists who collected and analyzed water from the Mediterranean Sea, for example, found that artificial turf fibers made up more than 15 percent of larger plastic Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsui... 3 of 5 6/17/25, 8:33 PM particles in their samples. One of the four people Polyloom sued, Sarah Evans, an assistant professor in the department of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said communities deserved access to scientific information about potential risks. “I planned to talk very specifically about what we know about potential health risks to children when they play on these turf surfaces,” she said. “Silencing scientists is really hurting communities because they don’t have access to the information that they need to make evidence-based decisions.” Some municipalities have banned or restricted artificial turf, including Boston and Westport, Conn. The industry has fought similar proposals across the country. A proposed ban in Santa Clara, Calif., failed to move forward this year after opposition from manufacturers as well as local youth sports advocates who said banning artificial turf could limit access to outdoor exercise. Much of the disagreement over potential dangers stems from the fact that, while harmful chemicals have been detected in both turf and infill, and are likely a source of environmental pollution, there have so far been few direct studies of adverse health outcomes. With more research, that could change, said Vasilis Vasiliou, chair of the department of environmental health sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. “The exposure exists — the danger exists,” Dr. Vasiliou said. “The science isn’t settled, not because there is no risk but because we still lack the human studies.” Mr. Fields said TenCate had addressed some of the concerns about infill by switching to organic materials, including cork and olive pits. One of TenCate’s newest fields, Pivot, has as much as three times the amount of “yarn,” which is the top layer that emulates grass, and has no infill at all. He said the company had previously used PFAS in the manufacture of the yarn, but “in an abundance of caution, we removed it,” he said. “It was an easy thing to do.” Polyloom now uses a non-PFAS proprietary material, the company said. There are thousands of different kinds of PFAS, and the Environmental Protection Agency has said that there is no safe level of exposure for two of the most commonly detected types. TenCate provided results of testing that showed that for 19 specific PFAS compounds tested, there were none higher than standard thresholds set by the company. Dr. Vasiliou, who examined the results, said the thresholds set for the testing were reasonable. Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsui... 4 of 5 6/17/25, 8:33 PM The company added that it has used a mechanical recycling process in the Netherlands since 2020 to convert artificial turf into cushioning material for new turf, eliminating the need for crushed tires or other materials. The company also said it was recycling old turf into new products like plastic lumber in the Netherlands, and was introducing these recycling processes in the United States. There are concerns in the environmental and legal communities about the use of lawsuits to try to silence critics by starting costly legal battles. In March, a pipeline company won a more than $660 million verdict against the environmental group Greenpeace for its role in protests deemed defamatory to the pipeline operator. Polyloom, in its lawsuit, is seeking at least $75,000 in damages. JT Morris, a First Amendment lawyer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said the lawsuit had hallmarks of a SLAPP lawsuit, brought not necessarily to win in court but to dissuade people from speaking. “You have a large company suing over a discussion about matters of public concern. That certainly does raise concerns about this being a SLAPP,” he said. Hiroko Tabuchi covers pollution and the environment for The Times. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years in Tokyo and New York. Ken Belson is a Times reporter covering sports, power and money at the N.F.L. and other professional sports leagues. Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion. - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/climate/artificial-turf-grass-lawsui... 5 of 5 6/17/25, 8:33 PM From:Mehran Ebrahimi To:Council, City Subject:BMR Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 3:48:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi. about our BMR housing in Palo Alto my family of 5 , with 2 kids and a grandpa, we were in BMR waiting list for 20 years a quarter of my life after all these years back and forth they denied our application just for a couple questions misunderstanding, that’s really not fair! we are US citizens taxpayers low income family working hard to survive , having a house in Palo Alto is a dream for family like us please reconsider on this unfair decision by Alta Housing and city of Palo Alto. Thank you so much. Mehran Ebrahimi. 650-483-6674 Sent from my iPhone From:Jack Sweeney To:City Mgr; Council, City Subject:Homeless issue Park Blvd Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 12:00:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachmentsand clicking on links. Many vehicle dwellers use Park Blvd near Lambert (old Fry’s area) as their private parking area. Someuse their “tow away “ notices as a sign of seniority. Why do the police ignore these vehicles that havebeen parked for weeks directly adjacent to the no parking signs posted here? It’s clearly a difficult issuebut allowing these individuals to flaunt their disregard for the parking regulations seems problematic. I’d like to walk with my grandkids on Park, instead of busy El Camino, but these people are dangerousand unsavory in many cases. It would be nice to visit Calif Ave but walking on Park is not safe. Howcan you help? Sent from my iPad From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Vicki Veenker; h.etzko@gmail.com Subject:AIPAC Demands Democrats “Stand With Israel” on Iran Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 10:33:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 6/18/2025 Hi Vicki, Check out the conduct of despicable AIPAC. I hope you will always exercise your independent judgment when faced with pressure fromAIPAC and the other powerful and equally despicable pro-Israel lobbies. I am still angry that our city council refused to allow a robust debate on a ceasefire resolution. Our council had no problem eviscerating the community’s First Amendment rights on theceasefire issue. I firmly believe the council's decision to cut off debate was heavily influenced by the pro-Israel lobbies. Fortunately, manycourageous cities across this country did vote for resolutions in support of a ceasefire. I will be sending out my suggested reading list in the next few days. Aram “ Just Say No To The Genocide” James Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Become a paid subscriber to gain access to our private Discord server, subscriber- only AMAs, chats, and invites to events. AIPAC Demands Democrats “StandWith Israel” on Iran The pro-Israel lobbying group has sent a flurry of communications tomembers of Congress, citing specific language for them to parrot insupport of Israel’s strikes on Iran. DAVID DAYEN AND RYAN GRIM JUN 18 READ IN APP We have a commitment to ensuring that our journalism is not locked behind a paywall. But the only way we can sustain this is through the voluntary support of our community of readers. If you are a free subscriber and you support our work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription or gifting one to a friend or family member. You can also make a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation to support our work. If you do not have the means to support our work financially, you can do your part by sharing our work on social media and by forwarding this email to your network of contacts. Upgrade to paid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in the Capitol on February 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Story by David Dayen, Ryan Grim, Nicolae Butler, and Pablo Manríquez. This is a collaboration with The American Prospect. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has been furiously urging House Democrats to release messages of steadfast support for Israel in its war with Iran, the Prospect and Drop Site News have learned, even as bipartisan lawmakers come together on a War Powers Act resolution to prevent U.S. troops or funds being used in yet another Middle East conflagration. One member relayed that a colleague had received literally 100 phone calls from members of AIPAC and its allied pressure groups. AIPAC wants House Democratic members to state explicitly that they “stand with Israel” in its actions against Iran aimed at destroying the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capability, and add that Iran “must never have a nuclear weapon.” In addition, AIPAC has taken particular pains to denigrate the moderate pro-Israel group J Street, both in private conversations with members of Congress and in public, picking a fight aimed at blocking any Democrats from using J Street as cover to deviate from AIPAC’s maximalist position. “They’re worried their members in Congress may start to shift toward J Street and they’re trying to head that off,” said an aide to one Democrat. “I did see that AIPAC took issue with my statement,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. “They were taking on J Street for endorsing me, which was ridiculous.” To get a sense of how extreme AIPAC’s demands are, note that J Street’s own statement merely calls for diplomacy while still supporting Israel. “We urge the Trump Administration to meaningfully pursue a diplomatic resolution to this conflict as quickly as possible while making clear the US will do what is necessary to defend Israel and US troops from retaliation,” the statement read. AIPAC issued the same tweet in response to any statement that fell short of its expectations, such as one by Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, which called for a diplomatic resolution: “Consistent pattern: J Street endorsees issue anti-Israel statements. @jstreetdotorg is many things, but it’s not pro-Israel.” The messages reflect one way special interests shape policies in Washington, where a conforming statement is a metric lobbyists can cite to show their dominance. While not everyone received this bombardment of communications from AIPAC officials—particularly progressives who have made their views known about Israel’s actions—judging by a substantial portion of House Democrats, the effort appears to be having an effect. According to a review of member statements at their congressional websites and on social media, 28 House Democrats have issued messages saying explicitly that they “stand with Israel,” or some close variation thereof. Another 35 express unequivocal support for Israel without using the magic words “stand with Israel” precisely, but they leave no doubt as to the member’s support. And 16 others express “soft” support for Israel, without quite the same inflammatory language. Three statements have been held up by AIPAC in particular, according to sources familiar with the situation, as models for others to follow. Those are from Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH), Mike Levin (D-CA), and George Whitesides (D-CA). All are “frontline” members who had relatively close elections in 2024. “Israel is justifiably defending itself and its people,” Landsman said in his statement. “Iran’s nuclear program isn’t just an existential threat to Israel and the Middle East, it’s a threat to the world … I stand with Israel and the rest of the West as we confront this threat together.” Levin similarly states that “the Iranian regime … must never obtain a nuclear weapon … No nation can be expected to stand by while another openly threatens its existence.” Whitesides, a freshman from northern Los Angeles County, followed suit: “The government of Iran, which has sown death and destruction across the Middle East for decades, cannot be allowed to develop an operational nuclear weapon, and we must stand with our ally Israel.” The “stand with Israel” caucus includes some usual suspects who have long backed up Israel’s actions, from Reps. Ted Lieu and Brad Sherman in California, to Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel in Florida, to Problem Solvers and New Democrats like Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Brad Schneider (D-IL). But freshman and swing-state members are also well represented—precisely the type of members who survive on large campaign donations from the likes of AIPAC. First-term representatives Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), April McClain Delaney (D- MD), Herbert Conaway (D-NJ), John Mannion (D-NY), and Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) were all in the explicit “stand with Israel” caucus, while freshman members Luz Rivas (D-CA), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Laura Gillen (D-NY), and George Latimer (D-NY) agreed with the sentiment but without the explicit “stand with Israel” wording. Other members in perennially difficult electoral battles, like Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), stood with Israel as well, along with numerous members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who recently won the nomination for governor of New Jersey, also released a statement that reflected hard support for Israel. Her race in the general election against Republican Jack Ciattarelli will be prohibitively expensive. AIPAC’s urgency may be due to a somewhat surprising amount of dissent among some congressional Democrats against Israel’s coordinated attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, military sites, and residential compounds, killing senior Iranian commanders and six nuclear scientists along with hundreds of civilians. For example, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Israel’s “alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran” was “a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.” Other military veterans like Reed, such as Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Jason Crow (D-CO), were similarly skeptical. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) echoed the AIPAC-provided language, saying, “There’s no one here that disagrees that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.” Yet he expressed concerns about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s posture, calling for “secure briefings” that he says have not yet occurred. Luján also pointed to surprising Republican voices, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who have advocated for noninvolvement, signaling a potential shift in GOP sentiment. These modest splits from the party line have opened new and critical questions about presidential war powers, where several members of the House and Senate are poised to challenge executive authority as the president considers airstrikes against Iran. “The Constitution is very clear that no president can bomb another country or begin a war with the country without the permission of Congress,” Sen. Rand Paul (D-KY) insisted. My hope is that there won’t be any U.S. involvement.” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) echoed this, arguing, “The president can’t undertake military action without a vote of Congress. Right now, I don’t see any circumstance in which direct U.S. military involvement would make us safer.” Two pieces of legislation aim to quash U.S. involvement. One, introduced by independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is titled the No War With Iran Act and has seven Democratic co-sponsors. Sen. Tim Kaine’s War Powers Resolution seeks to reassert congressional authority over military engagements. In the House, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced on Monday that he would issue a War Powers Resolution, which quickly got support from 15 Democratic members. But several other U.S. senators seemed to abandon the constitutional role they have in authorizing military action, stating their general opposition to entering the Middle East but—in the words of Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks—their absolute “trust” in Trump. “I trust President Trump. He’s the commander in chief. He’ll decide what role we play,” Banks declared. He framed Trump as a singular force for peace, asserting, “President Trump is the greatest peacemaker in my lifetime. If there’s anybody that can avoid war in the Middle East and bring peace, it’s him. He’s done it before.” Banks, a veteran of Afghanistan, tied his stance to a broader rejection of “prolonged ‘forever wars,’” vowing to dedicate his time in Congress to preventing another Afghanistan-like quagmire. “That was a mistake, a prolonged forever war. We should never do that again. But President Trump’s not going to allow that to happen.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a co-sponsor of the No War With Iran Act, lambasted Senate Republicans for their apparent inability to challenge Trump, quipping, “They’ve all had their spines removed. None of them seem capable of standing up to Donald Trump, which means they cannot fulfill their oaths to the Constitution.” When asked about pressure from constituents, senators reported varying levels of engagement. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who expressed support for action against Iran, said he’s faced little pushback, stating, “I believe we need to move on Iran.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) dismissed constituent concerns, noting, “Everybody’s living their own life over here. That’s a long ways away.” He deferred to Trump’s judgment, adding, “Whatever President Trump decides to do, I’m all for helping them out.” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) aligned his constituents’ views with Trump’s desire to end the “carnage,” saying, “The pressure that I feel is the same that President Trump has articulated. He wants this to come to an end.” Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) acknowledged widespread concern, stating, “The whole country is very concerned about what’s going on over there,” but avoided committing to a specific stance. Conversely, Sen. Murphy noted a lack of appetite for war among his constituents, saying, “There’s not an appetite in this country for another war in the Middle East.” Luján highlighted the need for more transparency, suggesting that public and congressional unease stems from a lack of information. That was also the assessment of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), an early co-sponsor of the War Powers Resolution in the House, who cast the debate in political terms. “Donald Trump took the anti-war lane from us in 2016 and 2024. We have a chance to take it back by clearly opposing Netanyahu’s strikes and being a bold voice for diplomacy,” Khanna said. “Democrats underestimate how much ordinary Americans are tired of war.” Leave a comment Share A guest post by David Dayen executive editor, The American Prospect Subscribe to David Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: 15% off Drop Site store Access to our Discord, subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Subject:Thank you Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 9:49:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and Councilmembers: I appreciate the extra attention you devoted to my and other's concerns about the budget for consultants at last night's meeting. I now understand better that there are several layers here tohow and when we hire consultants. To me it looked like we were folding into consent something that has really bothered the residents who pay attention to budget discussions. Iunderstand that it makes sense to be able to use pinch hitters from time to time at relatively low cost. I was glad to learn more about the use of consultants and really appreciate staffcoming forth with more information on the topic. We residents love transparency. The more you let us see behind the curtain, the more confidence. we have about how the city ismarshalling our tight resources. In general, I am still uncomfortable with the city's overall budget for consultants, particularly how they are chosen, especially the ones that know nothing about our ecosystem. So thatskiepticism still stands, but I appreciate all you all did last night to cover this important topic for us. Thanks again. Becky Sanders From:Vikram Shrivastava To:ParkRec Commission Cc:Council, City Subject:Vote on more Pickleball at Mitchell Park Date:Wednesday, June 18, 2025 8:48:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello, I am writing based on an article I read on Nextdoor to convert #3,#4 tennis courts int more Pickleball. I am against this decision. 4 tennis courts is already too little as so many time during the week the Courts #1, #2 are used by coaches teaching kids. This leads to almost everyone lining up on #3,#4 and the waits times to get a tennis game are way too long. I also think that the current Pickleball capacity has already pushed the parking issue at Mitchell Park to hard over the weekends. During soccer/little league baseball season this gets even worse. Given what I read adding 8 more courts to make Palo Alto a PickleBall heaven is not a goal for the City to strive to. I think it already has that status given the crowsd it draws and the much lower capacity in neighboring cities. I will urge the council not make this decision and kill Palo Alto Tennis. Regards, Vikram (Fairmeadow/Circles resident) Get Outlook for iOS This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast View this email in your browser From:League of Women Voters of Palo AltoTo:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA June E-blast: Saturday was a great day in PA for democracy!Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 9:41:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. PALO ALTO NEWS LWVPA Update: Palo Alto Democracy Fair Over 115 people visited the LWV Palo Alto table at the Democracy Fair at Rinconada Park on June 14 from 3 to 5 pm. Leaguers urged visitors to contact their representatives to vote No on the budget bill which would make severe cuts to Medicaid, the Rescission bill which allows Congress to claw back funding for medical research, housing and food assistance, PBS and foreign aid; No to the budget bill and its severe cuts to Medicaid, and No to the SAVE Act, which would disenfranchise millions of voters unable to access passports or birth certificates in order to register to vote. (You can take action on these items at: https://www.lwv.org/take-action) Big thanks to Liz Jensen, Ellen Smith, Hilary Glann, Laura Bajuk, Jim Fox, Lisa Ratner, and Alice Smith for prepping and staffing the booth - you did an amazing job representing our League! Updates & Events from other Leagues NATIONAL NEWS 70th State Convention of the League of WomenVoters of CaliforniaJune 17-22, on Zoom and YouTube It's not too late to sign up for the virtual LWVC Annual Convention, with useful workshops before the plenary sessions on the weekend. You can sign up as an observer or delegate. STATE NEWS California news changes quickly. To get trustworthy information from our state LWV, sign up for LWVC Communications here. You can choose which type(s) of news you want: Action Alerts, Voter Info Updates, and/or the LWVC Newsletter. LWVC News https://lwvc.org/news/ LWV Condemns the Violent Removal of Senator Alex Padilla from a DHS Press Conference – June 12, 2025 ICE Activity Escalating – Resources to Protect Our Communities – June 10, 2025 Press Release: LWV Condemns Use of Federal Force on Peaceful Protestors - JUNE 9, 2025 LWV Bay Area event: "Death vs. Dollars: Nutrition and Its Role in Solving the Health Crisis" June 26 - noon to 1:15 pm on Zoom UCSF professor Robert Lustig will discuss his work on how nutrition can impact both long term physical and mental health, and Santa Clara County Board President Otto Lee will present on the County's work in promoting nutrition programs and resources. Followed by Q & A. REGISTER HERE Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund - click here to view on Goodreads COUNTY NEWS Santa Clara County-Wide League Book Club Meeting You're invited to a county-wide book club! Join us at this one-off book club meeting of members and friends from the five Santa Clara County Leagues to gather and discuss a more hopeful book. Meet and chat with other League members who love books and care about our democracy. Organized by the membership chairs of LWV SCC. When: August 10, 3-5pm | Where: Saratoga Library - 13650 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga Register here: https://forms.gle/pXsybqogvXGLz1TS6 On June 19, celebrate Juneteenth, an important anniversary of freedom and Black liberation. On this day in 1865, the news of emancipation reached enslaved persons in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery and is now a federal holiday. We'd love to hear from you! Our mailing address is LWVPA, 3921 E Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Email to communications@lwvpaloalto.org Subscribe to our newsletters: sign up using the subscription form Want to change how you receive these emails?You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:Berry Hatfield To:Council, City Subject:Public Comment - June 17 2025 City Council Meeting - Item 17 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 5:41:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Councilmembers, My name is Berry Hatfield, and I’m the CEO of Gamelandia, a tabletop game store located on California Avenue. We’re proud to be in our third year of business at this location. I’m writing in strong support of allowing restaurants within the Cal Ave street closure area to build permanent outdoor dining structures that enable year-round use. While Gamelandia isn’t a restaurant, we’ve seen firsthand how essential outdoor dining has been to the health and vibrancy of our street. Our restaurant neighbors Zareen’s, Terún,Italico, Sun of Wolf, and Joanie’s have created welcoming, lively spaces that draw people to the avenue—and that foot traffic directly benefits all of us, including independent retailers likeus. When the patios are full, the street feels alive—and that’s when people are more likely todiscover and engage with businesses like ours. At Gamelandia, we host community events, game nights, and family-friendly activities 7 daysa week. Most nights, we’re open until 10 p.m., a key operational decision that allows us to capture footfall traffic from outdoor dining nearby. When people enjoy dinner outdoors andthen stop by to shop or play, it creates a thriving, walkable, and connected neighborhood experience. Permanent structures would allow that to continue year-round—not just when theweather cooperates. This isn’t just about supporting restaurants. It’s about sustaining a resilient, local businessecosystem. The success of our dining neighbors directly supports our success. When the City Council supports restaurants in this recovering district, it supports all small businesses on theavenue. Thanks to your leadership—and the hard work of our restaurant neighbors—CaliforniaAvenue has reemerged from the pandemic as a vibrant destination. Please don’t let us losethe momentum we’ve built. I urge you to support permanent outdoor dining structures and the continuation of the This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Entertainment Zone on California Avenue—for the benefit of restaurants, retailers, and thebroader community. Sincerely,Berry Hatfield CEO, Gamelandia From:jose li To:Council, City Subject:We need more tennis courts in Palo Alto Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 5:26:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i A Petition Letter: Opposition to Proposed Pickleball Expansion at Mitchell Park Dear City Council Members and Parks & Recreation Officials, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the recent proposal by the Palo Alto Pickleball Club (PAPC) to expand the pickleball footprint at Mitchell Park. While I recognize pickleball as a valuable recreational activity, I believe this expansion would create significant negative impacts on the broader community’s use and enjoyment of this important public space. ## Primary Concerns **1. Reduction of Tennis Court Availability** The conversion of tennis courts to pickleball courts has already severely limited tennis opportunities at Mitchell Park. Tennis players now face considerable difficulty securing court time, as the remaining courts are frequently occupied. This reduction in tennis access unfairly prioritizes one sport over another in our public recreation facilities. **2. Parking Infrastructure Strain** The high concentration of pickleball courts has dramatically increased visitor traffic to Mitchell Park, creating a parking crisis that extends beyond sports activities. The insufficient parking now affects: - Tennis players seeking court access - Families visiting the Magic Bridge playground This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast - Library patrons using the adjacent Palo Alto Library - Other community members utilizing park facilities This parking shortage undermines the park’s accessibility for all community members and creates an unwelcoming environment for diverse recreational activities. **3. Noise Impact on Surrounding Activities** The distinctive sound generated by pickleball play creates noise pollution that diminishes the enjoyment of nearby activities. This acoustic interference affects the peaceful atmosphere that many community members seek when visiting the park for quiet recreation, reading, or family time. ## Proposed Solution Rather than expanding pickleball facilities at Mitchell Park, I urge the city to consider alternative approaches that better serve the entire community: - Explore other city locations for additional pickleball courts - Implement better scheduling systems to maximize current court utilization - Conduct a comprehensive community impact assessment before any expansion - Consider noise mitigation measures for existing facilities Mitchell Park serves as a vital community resource that should accommodate diverse recreational needs. While pickleball deserves a place in our city’s recreational offerings, its expansion should not come at the expense of tennis access, parking availability, or the peaceful enjoyment of other park activities. I respectfully request that the City Council reject the proposed pickleball expansion at Mitchell Park and instead pursue solutions that better balance the recreational needs of all community members. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. I look forward to your response and to working together toward equitable recreational opportunities for all Palo Alto residents. Sincerely, Jose Li Palo Alto resident (822 Los Robles’s Ave) 6502503671 adhdtennis@icloud.com From:Yong Guo To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City Subject:Pickleball expansion at Mitchell Park Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 3:53:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To whom it may concern: My name is Yong Guo, and I have lived in Palo Alto for almost 18 years. I am also an activetennis player. It came to my attention that there have been recent efforts by PAPC (Palo Alto Pickleball Club) to expand the pickleball footprint at Mitchell Park. I am strongly against it. First, pickleball already took away a few tennis courts, which made getting a tennis court atMitchell Park very hard most of the time. Secondly, due to the high density of pickleball courts, a lot more people are attracted to Mitchell Park and creates huge parking problems. It makes parking very inconvenient, notonly for the tennis players, but also for people going to the library and the Magic Bridge playground, etc. Thirdly, the noises created by pickleball make nearby activities less enjoyable. I am not against pickleball, since it is a fun and social sport, but its expansion should not comeat the price of the others. Your attention is appreciated. -Yong Guo This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Peter Baltay To:Council, City Subject:June 17 2025 Council meeting Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 3:28:30 PM Attachments:Cal Ave-PBB-17 June 2025.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Councilmembers, Please see the attached letter relative to this evenings Cal Avenue agenda item. Thank you, -peter baltay TOPOS Architects, Inc. Peter Baltay, AIA 654 Gilman Street Palo Alto, CA 94301(650) 327-7573 www.toposarchitects.com Good Evening I’m Peter Baltay. Together with Osma Thompson I served on the Architecture Review Board’s special committee to help guide the California Avenue redevelopment process. The ARB was also instrumental in helping the city draft the recently enacted parklet design guidelines now effect for University Avenue and Ramona Street. At the request of several council members, the ARB formed a special committee to provide input on the California Avenue redevelopment project. Unfortunately, the design consultants did not involve the ARB in the design process, in spite of our repeated efforts to participate. We prepared several schematic layouts of how the area could be positively transformed, reached out repeatedly to the consultants, and even worked directly with the Public Works department in 2023 to select and position new outdoor furniture provided by the city. (The red Adirondack chairs on Ramona Street are a vestige of these efforts.) However neither the ARB or the special committee has ever reviewed the guidelines before you this evening. While I wish I could say otherwise, the proposed guidelines are both too broadly generic-they could apply to any number of pedestrian streets in semi-urban areas-and they sadly miss the quirky character and wonderful opportunity offered by the California Avenue streetscape. The proposed parklet construction standards are also overly restrictive and contradictory to the current parklet standards in place for other parts of the city. Over several iterations coming out of the Covid pandemic, the city has developed parklet design guidelines for the downtown. City staff, the ARB, Public Works engineers, local restauranteurs and merchants, and involved citizens have debated, argued and collaborated to produce a document that, at least to my eye and understanding, is technically specific, applicant friendly, enforceable and balances community esthetic protections with individual design flexibility. These standards apply to the pedestrian only portion of Ramona Street as well as University Avenue. Do California Avenue parklets really need different regulations? California Avenue offers unique opportunities for creative spaces to facilitate localized non-commercial activities and public events, alongside a vibrant dining environment and active retail shops. Why not have dedicated nooks and recesses, public spaces and seating areas for music, performances and conversation. These spaces exist and will remain along this short stretch of shops, restaurants and alleys. Let’s make them better by designing a procession of delightful outdoor public spaces that fit our town and our Avenue. I suggest that you direct our consultant to leave specific parklet construction to the current standards and instead focus on creating a unique design for the California Avenue streetscape, incorporating commercial dining and retail spaces alongside public seating and activity spaces. From:Paul B Goldstein To:Council, City Subject:Keep Bicycles on California Avenue Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 3:20:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Mayor Lauing and City Council, I am pleased that the City is moving forward on making California Avenue a car-free zone. I totally support this effort, and I am pleased that the current plan makes accommodation for bikes in this pedestrian zone. I understand that there have been some issues with bicycles speeding through the area, but the way to address this is not to ban bikes. Other methods of traffic control, or periodic enforcement are the way to curtail the dangerous behavior of some individuals. California Avenue is the appropriate location for a through-bike route. Sherman or Cambridge are both inadequate substitute routes. Thank you for your efforts to make Palo Alto a better city for pedestrians, bicyclists, and business. Sincerely, Paul Goldstein Emerson St. From:Dr. Rubye Cervelli To:Council, City; city.council@menlopark.gov Subject:Mounds of Garbage in Viaduct Creek near Alma street and railroad cross Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 1:22:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello All- There are mounds of Garbage in Viaduct Creek near Alma street and railroad cross. Was an encampment and may still be, but the garbage is mounting on a daily basis.And not safe if there are people living there. Rubye Cervelli, PhD, MBA, EMDR CertifiedLicensed Psychologist, PSY 24791 http://www.cervelliphd.com This email is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged,confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Please note that although it cannot be considered either private or confidential,every effort will be made to provide the highest security in sending/receiving and storage of your communications. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Ann Balin To:Council, City Subject:Items #15 and item #17 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 1:08:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing & fellow council members, Thank you for your wise decision regarding Middlefield Road where consultants pushed to have bike lanes on a narrow and busy arterial. You prioritized safety and common sense in making your decision. The history of paying consultants regarding California Avenue is lengthy. Now we have Bruce Fujuki working as a paid staff person in city hall consulting regarding California Avenue. He has been engaged with the city as consultant for more than a few years if not five. I understand the city has had to work out appropriate assessments pertaining to restaurants whose parklets vary on the avenue which is time consuming. Yet I see a blurred, unfocussed and costly record pertaining to the design of the business district. Now we have hospital green planters! The avenue has a fragmented appearance. People leave their empty cups on top of boulders. Check out the avenue to see for yourselves. I urge you to look at Pearl Street in Boulder and State Street in Santa Barbara for good design on car-free streets. The city needs to talk with the owners of italico! and Bodeguita del Medio as they have fine design concepts. Their identities are clean, elegant and simple. The original concept for Cal Ave was a pedestrian via where people can walk leisurely without having to dart out of the way of oncoming cyclists who use the avenue as a commuter corridor. Why did that happen? The bike lobby with a driver from the council pushed hard for this use as he wants Stanford Research Park workers to cycle to the train station from their jobs. Many of those people do not live in town. Safety is important to say the least. A member of the College Terrace Residents’ Association was knocked down by a cyclist at Ash Street a few years ago. Now with Builders’ Remedy projects coming to our environs and even perhaps at Mollie Stones the density will increase and there will be more cyclists. Do not permit Cal Ave to be a super highway for bike riders, EV cyclists, skate board riders and scooters. You can allocate safer routes for the above mentioned to Cambridge and Sherman Avenues. On Cambridge cyclists can go west from Park Blvd. and on Sherman they can go east from the El Camino Real. You need to prudently look at Cal Ave and listen to residents. It was two residents that found the esteemed arboricultural consultant Barrie Coate who was instrumental in helping Palo Altans who needed a solution after the avenue was denuded of the Holly Oaks where the city did not notify neighbors. He lead us to Dave Muffly who understood which trees would be suitable — the Lindens which are now mature and revered by residents. Muffly was hired by Steve Jobs to design the landscape for Apple’s spaceship. The Linden trees are the bones of the district. We need good design which will complement and enhance the Cal Ave district. Respectfully, Ann Lafargue Balin From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Cc:City Mgr Subject:Item 3 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 1:05:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Because of the all the foment over car free Cal Ave, I’ve ended up reading all of tonights agenda - which I almostnever do. Lo and behold! Something exciting. Two thumbs up from me for Item #3. Deborah Goldeen, Birch St., 94306. From:Chenchen Irene Zhang To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City Subject:Please preserve existing tennis courts at Mitchell park Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 12:53:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, As a long-term resident and taxpayer, I urge you to reconsider the proposal to convertadditional tennis courts to pickleball facilities at Mitchell Park. This decision wouldexacerbate existing problems that already significantly impact our community’s quality oflife. Key Concerns: 1. Parking Crisis:Mitchell Park’s parking is critically overburdened, especially during peak hours. Mydaughters and other students regularly struggle to find parking during finalsseason when trying to study at the library—a fundamental community resource.Adding regional pickleball traffic will worsen this. 2. Severe Court Shortages: Only Courts 3 & 4 at Mitchell Parkand Court 4 at Rinconada are reliablyavailable for public tennis in evenings. Others are frequently reserved for city programs/USTA matches, leavingresidents with minimal access. Further reductions are unacceptable. 3. Noise/Traffic Impacts:Pickleball’s rapid gameplay generates 2–3× more player turnover (and associatedtraffic) than tennis. Concentrating more courts here will: Increase noise pollution near the library/studying spaces This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Attract non-resident players from across the Peninsula, straining infrastructure 4. Equity for Taxpayers:Prioritizing non-resident demand over Palo Alto families—who already face limitedrecreational resources—contradicts our community’s values. Proposed Solutions: Preserve existing tennis courts until parking/access solutions are implemented Explore alternative pickleball locations(e.g., underutilized lots, industrial zones)Commission a parking/traffic impact study before any conversions Palo Alto must prioritize residents who fund and sustain these spaces. I welcome discussionon balanced solutions that serve all community members Respectfully Chenchen Zhang Sent from my iPhone From:herb To:PlannerOnDuty; Switzer, Steven; Raybould, Claire; Armer, Jennifer; Lait, Jonathan Cc:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:400Mitchell Lane [25PLN-00006]: Request for Hearing Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 12:22:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 400 MITCHELL LANE [25PLN-00006] REQUEST FOR HEARING ATTN: PLANNING DIVISION, CITY OF PALO ALTO BY HAND DELIVERY AND ELECTRONIC MAIL June 17, 2025 Pursuant to Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 18.77.060, this ismy written request for a hearing before the Planning andTransportation Commission on the approval by the Director ofPlanning and Development Services of the application for aConditional Use Permit for Private Educational Use at 400Mitchell Lane, File No. 25PLN-00006. Herb BorockP. O. Box 632Palo Alto, CA herb_borock@hotmail.com From:Kelly Boyett To:Council, City Subject:Cal Ave. Bike Access Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 11:38:37 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and Members of the City Council, It’s truly exciting to see the transformation of California Avenue into a vibrant, car-free space moving forward with permanent upgrades and thoughtful activation. This evolution is longoverdue. As someone who relies on biking as my primary mode of transportation and shops on Cal Avemultiple times a week, I urge you to keep this corridor open to bicycles. While I fully support strategies to manage bike flow and enhance safety, the answer isn’t exclusion—it’s smartdesign. For instance, we badly need more bike parking; the current racks in the middle of the street are often at capacity. Redirecting bike access to Cambridge or Sherman doesn’t offer a viable alternative. Here’s why: Direct bike connections matter. Cal Ave provides a seamless, well-connected route that supports our S/CAP goal of 40% non-SOV commuting. Detouring cyclistsundermines both our S/CAP and Comprehensive Plan goals. Cambridge and Sherman are car-dominated. Lined with garages, surface lots, andheavily parked curbs, these streets are already hostile to cyclists. Without dedicated infrastructure (not just sharrows), it's unclear how bike lanes would even fit—especiallywithout clear plans to remove parking. Bike parking location matters. Cyclists want to lock up their bikes where they can seethem—on Cal Ave, not tucked around a corner or down another block. Additionally, many people biking to Cal Ave come from Northbound Park Blvd or El Camino.For those coming from south Palo Alto, routing through Cambridge means extra distance and more turns, which adds up—especially for families or folks on e-bikes. And commuters fromthe Research Park area are unlikely to detour to Sherman or Cambridge. Some already take Page Mill directly to Caltrain’s back entrance. If reducing peak-hour bike congestion on CalAve is a concern, removing car parking along Page Mill could encourage more to use that route instead. This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Much of the concern we’re hearing seems to stem from misuse of e-bikes—especially Class 2 models—by riders who may be ignoring existing rules. Rather than banning all e-bikes, let’sfocus on clear signage and spot enforcement to encourage safer behavior. Education works too: a friend recently shared that her daughter got a ticket for riding without a helmet—andhasn’t skipped it since. Thank you for your leadership on this important project. Let’s make sure Cal Ave remainsaccessible, safe, and welcoming for people on bikes. Warmly, -- Kelly BoyettProgram Manager, Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange E: Kelly@bikex.orgP: (650) 531-9985 From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo To:Council, City Subject:New Interactive Exhibits and Activities at the JMZ Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 11:33:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Experience What's New at the JMZ June 17, 2025 Hello Friends, Summer is in full swing at the JMZ! If you’ve visited recently, you may have spotteda new face in the zoo: a curious and energetic female meerkat. She’s joined the two resident males, and the trio is already making the habitat more lively than ever. Whether they’re exploring their environment or stretching out for a sunny nap, the meerkats are a delight to watch and a favorite among visitors.The JMZ recently held a naming contest for all three meerkats. Names will be announced tomorrowthrough the JMZ’s newsletter. You can subscribe to the JMZ’s newsletter on their website. One of the main ways the Friends supports the JMZ is by helping fund new exhibits and enhancing existing ones. In this newsletter, the JMZ’s new Exhibits Director, Brian Weinstein, shares some of the latest updates around the museum and zoo.From hands-on displays to fresh outdoor spaces, there’s something new to explore on your next visit. With gratitude, Lauren Angelo President, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo   New Interactive Exhibits and Activities Flip-Sequin Chameleon Inspired by the JMZ’s veiled chameleon, this dazzling new feature invites kids (and grown-ups!) to engage their senses through touch and color. The giant chameleon is covered in flip-sequins that shift between shimmering green and gold with the swipe of a hand. It’s not only eye-catching, but also a fun, tactile way for children todirectly interact with exhibits. Just a few steps away, near Baby’s Meadow, you can find Sadiq, the real veiled chameleon, blending into his leafy home. He's just as vibrant as his sequined counterpart! New Rest Spots Multiple sets of benches are now between the JMZ entrance and the outdoor classroom, ideal spots to pause and recharge during your visit. Whether you’re enjoying a snack, watching your kids play, or strolling near Rinconada Park, these new rest spots are a welcome addition. Nearby, you’ll find even more reasons to linger, including a new playful hopping trail and a whimsical structure made ofbranches and colorful yarn. Colorful Chalk Art The JMZ’s entry is the perfect spot to draw with chalk and unleash the inner artist. Near Sway, children and adults now have the chance to grab chalk from a clear bucket with JMZ logo stickers. This open-ended activity gives kids the freedom to play, draw, and leave their artistic mark on the JMZ. The sidewalk is routinelywashed, so that each day, visitors can have a blank canvas. We can’t wait to see what you create! 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:Annette Glanckopf To:Council, City Subject:item 15 on agenda Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 11:29:48 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I would like to echo Becky Sander's comments on this item. Annette "I was disappointed to see on tonight's consent calendar item #15- $2 million for on- call consultants. In this era of tight budgeting and budget cuts, "on-call consultants" should be one of the first things to go. Plus many members of the public and the press have expressed dismay at the amount this city spends on consultant's already.Having such an important topic on consent seems a bit tone deaf to me. The City does not appear to be listening to the residents or the press. Please pull this item." From:Steven Atneosen To:Council, City; Lauing, Ed Cc:paloalto@bikesiliconvalley.org Subject:Cal Ave as a car-free street Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 10:49:00 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Honorable Mayor Lauing and City Council, We want Cal Ave to be a car-free street permanently with improvements and activation. It is far time Palo Alto catch up to the cities that it considers our global equivalent. As a family who primarily bikes and walks for transportation, and shops on Cal Ave at least five (5) times per week, please keep the street open to bikes. I absolutely support bike "traffic calming" and advocate for MANY more bike parking spaces, as the racks in the center of the car-free area are often completely full. If Cal Ave ceases to be a car free street with bike access, we will shop elsewhere. Cambridge or Sherman are not appropriate alternatives to Cal Avenue for a lot of reasons: Direct, well-networked bike routes are key to meeting our S/CAP goal of 40% of commute trips by non-single-occupancy vehicles. Cal Ave fits the bill and facilitates easy and direct access to work places, shopping, and transit. Indirect routes won't cut it to meet our S/CAP and Comp Plan goals! Cambridge and Sherman are lined with multi-level built and surface auto parking lots plus street parking on both sides of the road. The current sharrows are insufficient and unsafe to handle bike traffic there now. With SB 79 and city upzoning, we need better infrastructure on both streets (i.e., not sharrows). But right now, we don't know how safe and usable bike lanes would be accommodated? Will parking be removed? Until these questions are answered, we should not remove bikes from Cal Ave. Where will bike parking be moved if bikes are not allowed? I like to park my bike where eyes are on it while shopping - i.e., on Cal Ave. Many Cal Ave bike trips come from NB Park Bicycle Boulevard or NB El Camino Real. If This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast you live in south PA, Cambridge bike access would make you go a block out of your way and circle back to Cal Ave. Not terrible, but not great. Cut-through traffic will be an issue without proper planning and direct bike routes. It is doubtful that Research Park commuters would use Sherman (which doesn't cross El Camino and isn't direct to Caltrain) or Cambridge (since that’s out of their way and would require additional time). Quite a few bicyclists take Page Mill from the Research Park directly to the back entrance of the Caltrain station. Removing the on-street parking on Page Mill between El Camino and Ash would make this much more comfortable and potentially lessen peak-hour bike traffic on Cal Ave (if that is a goal). We know that much of what we hear about (and see ourselves) are Class 2 eBike abuses that are already against the law. Signage and occasional "spot" enforcement without help, rather than passing restrictions on all eBikes that are likely unenforceable under SB 1909. Thank you for your efforts to make Cal Ave an acceptably safe place for people to shop! Kindest regards, Steven AtneosenCaroline DahllofMagnus Atneosen705 De Soto, Palo Alto, CA 94303atneosen@hotmail.com From:Shannon Rose To:Council, City Subject:Bike Lanes on Cal Ave Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 10:39:08 AM 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 have been serving on the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, PATMA, for a few years. Why? Because nothing is more important than protecting our home -- our planet. That means we mustget people out of their cars and onto public transportation, bikes and their feet. Closing Cal Ave to bikeswould disencourage this transition. I write today to share a few observations and suggestions for meetingthe goals of PATMA as well as meeting our S/CAP goals. First, neither Cambridge nor Sherman is appropriate as an alternative east/west bike route to CalAvenue. I have been riding everywhere in Palo Alto and nearby cities every day for 40 years. I knowhow our bicycle corridors function (and don't). Cambridge and Sherman are narrow streets with a great deal of traffic that includes entering and exiting parking lots. This is very dangerous territory for bikersbecause drivers are looking in every direction they can easily miss seeing a rider. In addition, they don'tdirectly connect to the train station and the pedestrian underpass that connects residents to the trainstation and to the east side of our city. Making routes less direct and less safe discourages people fromusing a bike. When riding a bike is unsafe AND awkward, we riders hate it, Many people won't bebothered with such irritating and inefficient routes. We need more accessible and safe bike parking structures on Cal Ave to encourage residents andvisitors to shop, eat, and patronize businesses on Cal Ave. We know that e-bike riders are often riding unsafely. That may be a concern for the safety of residentsenjoying Cal Ave amenities. There is no easy answer, though we could make Cal Ave illegal for e-bikes. They frequently frighten me when I'm riding on whatever road I'm using. The use of e-bikes should notmean regular bikes cannot use Cal Ave. E-bikes are a bigger safety issue for the city as a whole. Last, having Cal Ave car free creates other issues including less visits to Cal Ave businesses and havingchildren running around on Cal Ave as though it is a park. I wonder if that doesn't lead to children feelinglike streets are safe for playing? This makes me nervous. I don't like it that they can play games in thestreet and draw with chalk on the pavement. This certainly wasn't part of the vision for converting to a carfree street. We have beautiful parks where children and families can relax and play. Doing it on Cal Aveis not a good idea in any respect. Thank you all for your efforts to make Cal Ave a safe and liveable city. I am grateful for all you do in somany ways. Sincerely, This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Shannon Rose McEntee 410 Sheridan Avenue, #216Palo Alto, CA 94306 From:Amie Ashton To:Council, City Subject:Agenda Item #17 - Cal Ave - Better with bikes! Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 10:23:01 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Honorable Mayor Lauing and City Council, We are all excited to see Cal Ave be reenergized as the car-free street is made more permanent with improvements and activation. It is time! As someone who primarily bikes for transportation, and shops on Cal Ave at least 3 times per week, please keep the street open to bikes. I absolutely support bike "traffic calming" and advocate for MANY more bike parking spaces, as the racks in the center of the car-free area are often completely full. Direct, well-networked bike routes are key to meeting our S/CAP goal of 40% ofcommute trips by non-single-occupancy vehicles by 2030. Cal Ave fits the bill and facilitates easy and direct access to workplaces, shopping, and transit. Indirect routes won't cut it to meet our S/CAP and Comp Plan goals! Cambridge or Sherman are not appropriate alternatives to Cal Avenue for several reasons: Cambridge and Sherman are lined with multi-level built and surface auto parking lots plus street parking on both sides of the road. The current sharrows are insufficient and unsafe to handle bike traffic there now. With SB 79 and city upzoning, we need better infrastructure on both streets (i.e., not sharrows). But right now, we don't know how safe and usable bike lanes would be accommodated? Will parking be removed? Until these questions are answered,we should not remove bikes from Cal Ave. Where will bike parking be moved if bikes are not allowed? I like to park my bike where eyes are on it while shopping - i.e., on Cal Ave. Many Cal Ave bike trips come from NB Park Bicycle Boulevard or NB El Camino Real. If you live in south PA, Cambridge bike access would make you go a block out of your way and circle back to Cal Ave. Not terrible, but not great. Cut-through traffic will be an issue without proper planning and direct bike routes. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. You've never replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast It is doubtful that Research Park commuters would use Sherman (which doesn't cross El Camino and isn't direct to Caltrain) or Cambridge (since that’s out of their way and would require additional time). Quite a few bicyclists take Page Mill from the Research Park directly to the back entrance of the Caltrain station. Removing the on-street parking on Page Mill between El Camino and Ash would make this much more comfortable and potentially lessen peak-hour bike traffic on Cal Ave (if that is a goal). We know that much of what we hear about (and see ourselves) are Class 2 eBike abuses that are already against the law. Signage and occasional "spot" enforcementwout help, rather than passing restrictions on all eBikes that are likely unenforceable under SB 1909. A friend recently told me a story of her daughter getting a ticket on her ebike (no helmet). The child was hugely embarrassed in front of her friends and has not left the house without a helmet since. Thank you for your efforts to make Cal Ave an even more amazing place to shop and enjoy! Amie Ashton From:ReDoing 2020 To:City Mgr Cc:Council, City; Blanch, Sandra Subject:Fire & prosecute the deplorable culprits & their enablers:"PALO ALTO CANARIES, VICTIMS OF UNREPORTEDTOXIC SPILL" FOLLOWUP 6-15-25 7:35pm & update to staff 6-17-25 10:12am Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 10:13:32 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. The shameful water utilities employee actions described below are an example of "sleeper"policies assumed by Palo Alto's self protectionist administration that acts against the publicinterest. (This is one of a series to illustrate the persistent anti-public posture that electedofficials seem unwilling or impotent to correct.) Note: As a public service, egregious municipal practices will be exposed indefinitely to a widening circle till a sign of corrective reform is introduced. Below: See communications sent to the Council that have not yet been acknowledged. Itwill help readers to understand the facts & issues involved. ___________---------- Forwarded message From: ReDoing 2020 <redoing2020@gmail.com>Date: Sun, Jun 15, 2025, 7:35 PM Subject: "PALO ALTO CANARIES, VICTIMS OF UNREPORTED TOXIC SPILL"FOLLOWUP 6-15-25 7:35pm To: <City.council@paloalto.gov> "PALO ALTO CANARIES, VICTIMS OF UNREPORTED TOXIC SPILL" FOLLOWUP 6-15-25 7:35pm (Original to Council sent 4-15-25 see attached) One year ago, toxic chemical levels dangerous to humans and the environment, were distributed through the water system by the Palo Alto utilities department. Even after the staff became aware of the contamination, they chose to keep the toxic spill a secret from the residents who unknowingly used the water from their taps for a variety of purposes. The City Council was sent a report of this discovery on April 15,2025. (See enclosed below) but no response was received, only silence. This failure to take the toxic event seriously has triggered steps to escalate the examination of the municipalfailure and its cover up. It is unacceptable to permit EPA violations to go unnoticed, especially in safety and health matters related to critical public utilities. Since the local staff employees madethe bad decision to not alert water users to the potential harm they faced, it is critical that the administration along with elected officials thoroughly investigate the toxic event to ensure confidence that public information will not be withheld in the future. For those people who are tempted to say that the high chemical disinfectant levels were not dangerous enough to require a public alert, take note that water employees confirmed that they planned to add a neutralizing ingredient to the polluted water that was being flushed from the pipes to the Bay, in order to protect the environment. (Surely humans are as important as local waters, and deserved to be given equal protection.) The failure to inform the public has sullied the reputation of the City of Palo Alto, and brought into question the policies and judgments of the City administration, along with that of the municipal Utilities department.(We'll leave determinations of negligence orcriminal intent to others.) To wit: City Utility officials are often accused of using captive resident customers as commodities for increased cash production, rather than serving a human populationthat depends on the department for essential services in a time of escalating domestic energy bills. No wonder the line staff in the water department may have taken their cue from thehigher ups, when they disrespected customer needs in favor of shielding their department's errors and reputation. Certainly, the time is now for Palo Alto leadership to undertake a serious effort torefocus its governance in favor of true public service as a priority, rather then continue the long standing genuflection to insiders and favored private business interests. What follows is the original report sent to all Council members that was ignored,reflecting a lack of accountability or perhaps confirming a structural weakness - their inability to control the department heads, employees, and consultants that actually operate the government. Please know that the questions will continue indefinitely since there is no statute of limitations for actions as reported here that were stupid or crooked or something in between. ------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message - original report From: ReDoing 2020 <redoing2020@gmail.com> Date: Tue, Apr 15, 2025, 3:08 PM Subject: "PALO ALTO CANARIES," VICTIMS OF UNREPORTED TOXIC SPILL To: <City.council@paloalto.gov> *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 municipal tap 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 covered up their bad behavior. We suggest that the California State Attorney General and the Santa Clara CountyDistrict Attorney look into this "canaries in the coal mine event,"as the D.A. had announced he would do 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 theutility department (from a 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 tap water 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 wholesale supplier, the City of San Francisco waterdepartment (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, thePalo Alto water utility, was uninformed and in the dark, while city residents were blindly using a harmful resource 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 chlorine and ammonia, whose chemical vomponents 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 safetytests.) 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, whilemodern Russia is said to be using Chlorine in its current battle with Ukraine. In the United States, currently a weaker Chlorine version is approved as awater disinfectant as long as it conforms to *very strict concentration limits. But on the day when the water tap smelled 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 in fact 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 the water 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 the water 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 moral cowardice--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 as allowing dangerous levels of toxins to pass without alert into homes, businesses, schools, parks, and municipal facilities. Andconsequently into humans, pets and through any lead pipes on 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 the federal maximum, the City leadership decided that there's no legal need to warn the public to take precautionary measures, as long as the lower carcinogenlevels in the cooler months are averaged into the annual municipal report to the community. Rolling averages policies, as a politically contrived convenience, arekeeping the public from knowing when, how, and to what extent they should be protecting themselves from harmful consequences. (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 choice they made between decades old Federal rules promulgated in the 1970's that facilitates business practices of water suppliers, and otherwise the absolute obligation of public employees toprotect 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 theycould take steps to lessen their risk (not use nor 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 motive was 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 emergency plan or equipment to be able todetect 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, afterrushed water lab tests confirmed the EPA violation committed by Palo Alto. Some emergency procedures were partially instituted--the noxious liquid was flushedfrom the piping system at the building location of the original report, but not at other affected properties. Oddly, no other sites that were fed by the same polluted wholesale watersource were contacted, including schools, private homes, businesses and multifamily residences, according to 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 the protection 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 that the insiders, (Cityofficials 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 thegallons 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, the scientists called for more stringent requirements. But strong lobbying efforts from municipalities and water companies throughout the country succeeded in watering down the levels 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 cumulativeannual records conform to 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 thewater quality records offered to the public are 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 consequences of their daily water intake and use.To compound the sorry lack of the public's information, the Palo Alto utilitydepartment won't even come to homes anymore as they once did, to test repulsive 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 to automatically mail the slickannual 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 chemicalpollution before it entered buildings and 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 tasted awful...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 on Flag 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 few locations. But by December 2024, six months after the intrusioncatastrophe, staff said it was not yet activated, still casually displaying their lack of urgency in their mandate to protect resident health and safety. We hope that disclosure of the secretive operating practices of the PaloAlto Utility department and the skewed focus of the Utilities Advisory Commission, coupled with irresponsible 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 toxic spill event, and from contemporaneous notes made during conversations with government staff. The City representatives may have additional information to clarify their actions that a followup 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 your professional 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. 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 of the public's naivety and/or lackof knowledge. From:Jo Ann Mandinach To:Council, City; cityofpaloalto@service.govdelivery.com Cc:Rebecca Sanders Subject:Please Pull Item 15 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 9:45:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Hello. I'm sure you've seen the recent news coverage of the city's spending more than$24,000,000 on consultants last year. There were 2 articles and one editorial in the Daily Post and 2 in Palo Alto Weekly. If you missed them, please seek them out and read the comments from irritated taxpayers. This spending -- given the recent staff raises and utility rate hikes -- is especiallyquestionable given the recent fire drills where residents had to waste OUR time and energy fighting again the recommendations of consultants that go against what residents and council want AND that represent major policy changes pushedthrough without our knowledge. To cite just one example, the consultants decided it would be great to put bike lanes on major roads used by commuters and thus more dangerous than the last 2 timesthe idea was proposed and killed -- sorry tabled since bad ideas never die in PaloAlto, We ARE grateful that Mayor Lauing and councilmen Burt, Stone and Reckdahlquestioned the logic of putting bike lanes on Embarcadero and Middlefield andoverruled the consultants but believe that recommendation should never have been proposed and should never have forced alert taxpayers to oppose it -- something we did thanks to Jim Fruchterman and NOT to any official outreach from our highly paid staff who should be supervising the consultants! Do we really need more planning and "retail consultants" with little or no local knowledge when we can't even afford fire engines and traffic enforcement? This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast I think not! I am echoing Becky Sanders' sentiments below. Most sincerely, Jo Ann Mandinach Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council Members: I was disappointed to see on tonight's consent calendar item #15- $2 million for on- call consultants. In this era of tight budgeting and budget cuts, "on-call consultants" should be one of the first things to go. Plus many members of the public and the press have expressed dismay at the amount this city spends on consultant's already.Having such an important topic on consent seems a bit tone deaf to me. The Citydoes not appear to be listening to the residents or the press. Please pull this item. Thank you. Becky Sanders From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Please Pull Item 15 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 9:14:04 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Rebecca Sanders <rebsanders@gmail.com> Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 at 9:08 AMSubject: Please Pull Item 15 To: City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council Members: I was disappointed to see on tonight's consent calendar item #15- $2 million for on-call consultants. In this era of tight budgeting and budget cuts, "on-call consultants" should be oneof the first things to go. Plus many members of the public and the press have expressed dismay at the amount this city spends on consultant's already. Having such an important topicon consent seems a bit tone deaf to me. The City does not appear to be listening to the residents or the press. Please pull this item. Thank you. Becky Sanders This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Subject:Please Pull Item 15 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 9:09:02 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and City Council Members: I was disappointed to see on tonight's consent calendar item #15- $2 million for on-callconsultants. In this era of tight budgeting and budget cuts, "on-call consultants" should be one of the first things to go. Plus many members of the public and the press have expresseddismay at the amount this city spends on consultant's already. Having such an important topic on consent seems a bit tone deaf to me. The City does not appear to be listening to theresidents or the press. Please pull this item. Thank you. Becky Sanders This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City; Council, City Subject:Quick thoughts: California Avenue Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 8:53:32 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Honorable City Council, Some quick thoughts re: California Avenue. Re: bollards. I suggested separators like bollards ot staff at one point and they explained the need for emergency vehicle access. I have seen these used in Portland, OR. I wonder if something like this might work as an attractive delineator that might provide emergency vehicle access https://sarisinfrastructure.com/products/wave-delineator? srsltid=AfmBOopPLMm6aLnk0cmWdWm86GacYpMoxZtuWYhhrMODlO5g_kfAqZe7 Question for staff: How does AB 1909 apply to a street that is closed to autos? Can the city legally close the street to bikes? I don’t like Cambridge or Sherman as an alternative to Cal Avenue for a lot of reasons: This whole area has been upzoned. With growth, comes car traffic. Cambridge and Sherman are growing up and will not be quiet for long. Sharrows are insufficient now and will be more so when these roads get busier. We have to consider growth that is coming, not just what is there now. The city is already directing all the car traffic to these parallel streets for parking. Cambridge and Sherman are lined with multi-level built and surface auto parking lots plus street parking on both sides of the road. Tell me. Why is there no room for bike lanes? Further, why are you also directing bikes where you put the cars?Seems like we are putting pedestrian safety with bikes (low risk of serious injury) ahead of bike safety with cars (high risk of serious injury). This is a convenience for pedestrains to be inattentive. It seems unfair to If the city were willing to sacrifice street parking for bike lanes, could we use alleys for bike/ped access to bike parking on Cal Ave? I like to park my bike where eyes are This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast on it. I want bike parking on Cal Ave. Ultimately, I prefer maintaining a bike route through Cal Ave., the most direct route to SRP and the train station. I live in south PA, so most of my frequent Cal Ave bike trips come from NB Park Bicycle boulevard. If you live in south PA, Cambridge bike access would make you go a block out of your way and circle back to Cal Ave. Not terrible, but not great either. So much to think about! Happy trails, Pennyt Ellson Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Wayne E. Manzo, PhD To:Council, City; Stone, Greer Subject:NASA PhD Needs Housing___ Homeless in Palo Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 7:27:29 AM Attachments:Cat Advert Jolie.png what is the nornal fuel weight for the dc10 from ord to lax - Google Search CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, as a NASA PhD Exiled to the streets, I have seen it all in KKK UFO California. And here in Palo Alto Soprano I notice there are no social services and no night shelters to help the homeless cope with being thrown out of society. This smacks against our values as Americans. Help thy brother and sister if they have fallen. No night shelters and no daytime resource centers for the Needy. The Opportunity Center provides very little social services for getting homeless people into immediate and safe shelter havens and then housing. And who do you have to kill to get into alittle home? Ha, Ha, Ha! We have to do something about that. Gov Nukem has signed laws to provide Billions to get the homeless into their own homes. You can't leave people on the streetwithout any shelter and resource centers. These people need Welfare which doesn't exist and Employment which is better than welfare. Does PA have an employment service or even day Labor. Does PA have housing assistance or section 8 housing? There are millions of empty apartments in PA and I'm hiding behind bushes at night.Who's running the show in Palo Alto? Stanford? Maybe I'll sleep at the Stanford Student Union at night or I can sleep in the Mechanical Engineering student lounge at night. I can teach Mechanical Engineering and sleep in the student union building. Why? Because Stanford will not pay me areal salary! It appears that some groups of people get instant housing and benefits like welfare whereas others get nothing in KKK UFOn California. Maybe Reagan turned the stateinto a Communist state or something. I'll give Silly Cone Valley and San Jose a week to help me, a Senior Disabled NASA PhD, then I'll move somewhere else where there are nicer people. Please get back to me on this. Also, I need resources to start a Public Access TV and Pod Cast Resource Center and also My very own Aerospace Company for hauling all those heavy military 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 Powered by Mimecast satellites into space for Adolf Trump's Global Satellite Weapons System. Trillions and Trillions! From Hell in LA & Silly Cone Valley, Dr. Wayne E. Manzo, NASA PhD Exiled and Censored by KKK UFO Race www ManSue.com, DailyMotion.com Wayne Manzo Videos wmanzo@yahoo.com (PayPal Me $$upport $$ ) We Must Organize Against UFO Race! 424.443.4292( Hell Cell ) From:Alex Shi To:Garibay, Valeria Cc:Berkey, Joe; City Mgr; Council, City; Clerk, City; UTL-Customer Service Subject:Re: City of Palo Alto Utilities - FINAL Service Disconnection Warning - 30120647 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 1:00:01 AM Attachments:payments.pngworking_cards_on_file.pngutilities.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To underscore the severity and impropriety of the Credit and Collections specialist departmentfor CPAU leadership and City officials: My account has not undergone any changes to payment information. It is enrolled in autopayand contains valid, working cards — including the one used successfully to pay previous CPAU bills. As the CEO of a payments company, I find it both astonishing and unacceptablethat a city-run utility failed to process a valid card and then escalated directly to public-facing collection tactics. When I logged in, without altering a single field, I was able to manually process a payment using one of the two saved cards on file, making it abundantly clear that the issue originatedentirely on CPAU’s end. Rather than just resolving the billing failure by manually charging the card on file, Joe Berkeyand Valeria Garibay, operating as “Credit and Collections Specialists” on behalf of the City of Palo Alto Utilities, engaged in public and reputationally damaging conduct — includingposting visible collection notices on my door and, remarkably, on the wrong doors in the vicinity of my property. These actions were not only unnecessary — they were reckless, privacy-invasive, and reputationally harmful, creating a false and misleading public appearance of delinquency. Theconduct clearly exceeds the bounds of standard collection practice and raises serious questions about legal compliance, internal oversight, and professional ethics. I have attached documentation including text messages from neighbors who informed me of the notices, along with screenshots confirming the unchanged payment method and activeautopay status. For a city like Palo Alto — and a department charged with serving its taxpaying residents andbusiness owners — this is more than a customer service failure. It is a demonstration of complete lapse in professional judgment from both Garibay, Valeria This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast <Valeria.Garibay@paloalto.gov> and "Berkey, Joe" <Joe.Berkey@paloalto.gov>. Failing toexecute a basic billing function and then turning to public shaming and third-party harassment is entirely indefensible. I expect immediate written confirmation that these practices will cease, that no further third- party contact will occur regarding my account, and that this matter will be reviewed byappropriate supervisory authorities. Absent a resolution, I am fully prepared to escalate this issue through formal regulatory, legal, and public channels. Best, Alexander Shi Confidentiality Notice:This communication, including any attachments, is intended solely for the individuals and entities addressed above and may contain confidential, sensitive, or legally privilegedinformation. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, distribution, or publication is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately anddelete this communication from your system. This message is not intended for public dissemination or inclusion in any public records or council packets without the express writtenconsent of the sender. From:Alex Shi To:Garibay, Valeria Cc:Berkey, Joe; City Mgr; Council, City; Clerk, City; UTL-Customer Service Subject:Re: City of Palo Alto Utilities - FINAL Service Disconnection Warning - 30120647 Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 12:13:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello Valeria and Joe, The matter regarding $205.38 involves an extremely minor amount — particularly consideringthat I've been out of the country, not actively using utilities, and have a valid card on file that appears to have failed to process recurring payments. As a taxpaying resident and businessowner in Palo Alto, I find it unacceptable that such disproportionately aggressive tactics by "Credit and Collection Specialists" representing the city of Palo Alto are being used over anegligible balance, especially under these circumstances. I’ve already been informed that individuals acting on behalf of CPAU have contacted myneighbors regarding my utility account — including leaving warning signs or papers outside the wrong doors. On top of that, messages intended to shame or pressure me were posted infull view outside my residence — something I would not have even known about if concerned neighbors hadn’t informed me while I was abroad. These tactics, though not physically damaging, are clearly reputationally harmful, creating aninappropriate and misleading appearance to neighbors and the public. This constitutes a serious breach of privacy and professional boundaries. Let this email serve as a formal ceaseand desist notice: all such indirect and unauthorized contact regarding my utility account must stop immediately. It is entirely unacceptable for your office or its contractors to involve unrelated third parties in what is reportedly an extremely minor billing issue — especially when a $235.54 due date hasalready been established for July 3rd. These tactics are premature, aggressive, and misleading. I’ve also CC'd city officials into this chain, as it appears that those in management may not be aware of your borderline illegal actions. I will also happily escalate this matter to thefollowing regulatory and oversight bodies if this cannot be resolved by CPAU upper management: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) The California Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division 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 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) The U.S. Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division I request written confirmation that this behavior will cease immediately and that no neighboror non-authorized party will be contacted again in any capacity regarding my account. Given the nature of the conduct — including the reputational harm caused already — I also expect aformal apology from CPAU acknowledging the inappropriateness of these actions. After this incident, I will have no hesitation whatsoever relocating both my residence and business operations out of Palo Alto. I expect a higher standard of professionalism from a cityI contribute to. Best, Alexander Shi From:Aram James To:Veenker, Vicki; Bains, Paul; Patrice Ventresca; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Sheree Roth; Lori Meyers; sharonjackson; GRP-City Council; Bill Newell; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; RobertaAhlquist; Baker, Rob; Rowena Chiu; Robert Salonga Cc:Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Emily Mibach; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Reifschneider, James; Council, City; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Doug Minkler; Stump, Molly; Rodriguez, Miguel; Dave Price; EPA Today; Gennady Sheyner; Braden Cartwright; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; District9@sanjoseca.gov; Diana Diamond; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Raymond Goins; Rose Lynn; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Karen Holman; Ruth Silver Taube; Vara Ramakrishnan; Marina Lopez; Lotus Fong; Friends of Cubberley; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Palo Alto Free Press; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; Binder, Andrew; Perron, Zachary; Foley, Michael; Zelkha, Mila; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Palo Alto Weekly; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; District10@sanjoseca.gov; District2@sanjoseca.gov; District3@sanjoseca.gov; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Tom DuBois; Shikada, Ed; h.etzko@gmail.com; Human Relations Commission; Khalia Parish ( Homeless Advocate); Congressman Ro Khanna; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Yolanda Conaway; yolanda; Don Austin; Bryan Gobin; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Paul George @ PPJC; Jeff Hayden Subject:PEP- By Aram James Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 9:11:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 6/16/2025 Hi Vicki ( Palo Alto Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker) Here is my rough draft (notes) of my talk tonight during oral communication. As you know, aheckler in the audience interpreted my talk. I responded to the heckler and it got a wee bit heated. I hope to attend tomorrow night's meeting with a few book suggestions you might want to readduring the city council summer break. Best regards, Avram Finkelstein aka Aram James Progressive Except for Palestine (PEP) It doesn’t work that way; you’re either for justice or not. Please take a look at our current mayor, who claims to be an advocate for justice for people experiencing homelessness, or he might claim to be an advocate for black people, or gay people, or other marginalized groups. What is politically convenient for him at the time. -The mayor’s claim of being a man of justice ring hollow: He’s a straight-up hater of Palestinians. A genocide supporter. A supporter of the Genocidal IOF (Israel Occupying Forces). He’s been trained in his synagogue to be clever and stealthy. He has never revealed that his true motivation for pursuing public office may be to serve the interests of his first love, the state of Israel. He is not alone in this discreet approach to prioritizing the interests of Israel. Vicky, if you're truly for justice and seeking justice, you can’t pursue it only when it’s easy and convenient. I know you’ve struggled with doing the right thing on this most divisive issue, but that’s not enough. You’re a lawyer; you can read the facts, the numerous books on the subject, for yourself, stripaway the Zionist propaganda, and argue the case as if you were appointed by the court torepresent the Palestinians’ cause. Be a zealous advocate for the victims, the Palestinian people. You can do it! Vicky: It is irrefutable that Israel, from the day it was founded in 1948 until June of 2025 ( today), has operated as a terrorist state. Can I get you to say: “Stop the genocide.” I understand that there will be a price to pay—a significant cost—if you choose to speak the truth—the truth about a genocide that continues to unfold before our eyes daily. A genocide focused almost exclusively on innocent women and children. Now it’s Palestinians dying by purposeful starvation --- bloodthirsty Israeli troops gunning down desperate starving people seeking food from aid stations. Cold-blooded executioners. War criminals of the first order. Vicky, we both know the risks involved; we can’t be naive. Your chance to be our next mayor is palpable. I know you can feel it, you can touch it, and you can envision all that comes with it. It would be an honor for sure! Vicky, you know that even if you’ve checked all the boxes, even if you deserve to be our next mayor, if you dare to say “end the genocide,” whether in your role as a council member or as a private citizen, you won’t be our next mayor. The Zionists will attack you; suddenly, you’ll be labeled an anti-Semite, a Jew hater, and a Holocaust denier. The powerful pro-Israeli lobby in Palo Alto will find a way to keep you from being our next mayor. I can promise you that. I know my people. Yes, telling the truth carries risks! But you can’t have it both ways. Vicky: If you refuse to confront the genocide, you can never claim to be a champion of justice. You must choose one path or the other. A truth teller or someone looking to serve their political interests without a moral compass. What will it be? Tell us, Vicky! Avram From:Charlotte Coqui To:Council, City Subject:Dining on the actual street of California Ave. Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 7:06:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i And zoning. Dear City Council Members and Mayor, The weather outdoors in the California lowlands is about six months of Summer and fivemonths of Spring. The local community enjoys dining outdoors on California Avenue for this very reason. As we do on Castro in Mountain View. Walking and fresh air increase healthspan. Please allow local restaurants to continue to serve food on the street as they do now for local diners who enjoy outdoor dining which also comes with less risk of spreading viruses as well. As for housing. It's good economics to keep housing close to downtown. Saves on utilities andinfrastructure costs. Ask Cleveland, Ohio. So please change the zoning to go more vertical on California Avenue. And build more housing. As proposed at 414 California Ave. Best regards,Charlotte Coquí charlotte coqui 650 966-8063 charlotte.coqui@gmail.com www.charlottecoqui.com coqui studios on facebook This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Floura N Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 6:51:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. The first speaker for Item 22, Floura N, came to US as a refugee. She has lived in Palo Alto since 1986. This is the first time she has spoken at a council meeting. She had to bring her 90 plus year-old mother, who is in her care, with her. In case she failed to make it clear, she is very frugal. Even with already subsidized bill, she can barely afford it. She cannot afford a rate increase. From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Water Rates Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 6:39:11 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Charge people who waste water - 200 gallons a day plus - double. The rate increases are punitive, mean and unfair to so many who struggle to pay their bills. Let the people who can afford to waste pay. Comparisons to PG&E rates is disingenuous. San Diego utility rates are half PG&E. Palo Alto could have established this policy decades ago. From:Carmelita Briggs To:Council, City Subject:California Ave Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 6:32:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Greetings I am in favor and voting to keep California Avenue closed for music and dining outdoors. Thank you. Carmelita Briggs Sent from my iPhone From:SEPTA in Palo Alto To:Council, City Cc:SEPTA in Palo Alto Subject:Re: FY2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Grant Request – Palo Alto Special Education PTA (SEPTA) Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 5:33:00 PM Attachments:June 16, 2025 Letter to Palo Alto City Council Palo Alto Special Education for Non Profit Grant.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i June 16, 2025 To: Palo Alto City Council Subject: FY2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Grant Request – Palo Alto Special Education PTA (SEPTA) Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council, On behalf of the Palo Alto Special Education PTA (SEPTA), we respectfully submit this letter in support of our grant application. Chartered this year, our nonprofit serves children and youth with disabilities and their families across Palo Alto. Aligned with the California State PTA’s mission to positively impact the lives of all children and families, our work includes Student Programs, Parent Education, and Community Engagement. We partner with the Palo Alto Council of PTAs’ Special Education Committee, assisting Special Education and Inclusion Representatives at every school site. We also collaborate with the City’s Community Service team. We are requesting a $5,000 grant to support our Social Skills Development Program, which blends the evidence-based PEERS® program with structured buddy meetups to build real-world friendships, self-confidence, and peer connection for neurodiverse youth. Of the 1,100+ PAUSD students receiving special education services, over 450 are ages 13–18. Many face barriers to after school participation, including access to City teen programs—particularly among underserved communities, such as Latino families, who This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast make up over 30% of this group. We are receiving mentorship from the organizer of Belmont’s Buddy Meetups, a successful model now part of the Belmont city’s V.O.I.C.E.S. initiative and sponsored by their Special Education PTA, Opening Doors. Their inclusive program— led by city staff and certified PEERS® providers—guides our vision for a sustainable model in Palo Alto. Our Social Skills Program enhances community services by addressing the unmet needs of neurodiverse youth and their families, directly aligning with City Council Priorities for youth well-being, equity, and inclusive community engagement. Thank you in advance for your support in approving our grant request. Sincerely, Rika Yamamoto, President Fundraising Committee Palo Alto Special Education PTA June 16, 2025 To: Palo Alto City Council Subject: FY2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Grant Request – Palo Alto Special Education PTA (SEPTA) Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council, On behalf of the Palo Alto Special Education PTA (SEPTA), we respectfully submit this letter in support of our grant application. Chartered this year, our nonprofit serves children and youth with disabilities and their families across Palo Alto. Aligned with the California State PTA’s mission to positively impact the lives of all children and families, our work includes Student Programs, Parent Education, and Community Engagement. We partner with the Palo Alto Council of PTAs’ Special Education Committee, assisting Special Education and Inclusion Representatives at every school site. We also collaborate with the City’s Community Service team. We are requesting a $5,000 grant to support our Social Skills Development Program, which blends the evidence-based PEERS® program with structured buddy meetups to build real-world friendships, self-confidence, and peer connection for neurodiverse youth. Of the 1,100+ PAUSD students receiving special education services, over 450 are ages 13–18. Many face barriers to after school participation, including access to City teen programs—particularly among underserved communities, such as Latino families, who make up over 30% of this group. We are receiving mentorship from the organizer of Belmont’s Buddy Meetups, a successful model now part of the Belmont city’s V.O.I.C.E.S. initiative and sponsored by their Special Education PTA, Opening Doors. Their inclusive program— led by city staff and certified PEERS® providers—guides our vision for a sustainable model in Palo Alto. Our Social Skills Program enhances community services by addressing the unmet needs of neurodiverse youth and their families, directly aligning with City Council Priorities for youth well-being, equity, and inclusive community engagement. Thank you in advance for your support in approving our grant request. Sincerely, Rika Yamamoto, President Fundraising Committee Palo Alto Special Education PTA From:Leif Erickson To:Council, City Cc:Leif Erickson Subject:Letter in support of Alta Housing for meeting of June 17 - Agenda items 4. and 10. Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 5:21:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I'm writing to support the selection of Alta Housing on June 17 for agenda items 4. and 10.#4. is the approval of Alta Housing to develop the surface parking lot at Kipling and Lytton for Affordable Housing.I respect the housing expertise of Alta Housing and encourage you to move forward with this initiative to convert this surface parking lot into affordable housing, relying on the leadershipof Alta Housing for management of this initiative. #10. In addition, I encourage you to approve the Professional Contract with Alta Housing BMR Services for Administration and Consulting Services for the City's below market ratehousing program. I look forward to seeing the good things that develop from this important initiative. I have great respect for the expertise of Alta Housing and their director Randy Tsudaand encourage you to select this respected community leader in housing solution analysis and project development to make real progress for our community. Thank you for your leadership in this important area. Leif Erickson -- Leif Erickson 4075 Laguna WayPalo Alto CA 94306 This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Henry Etzkowitz To:翁默斯; Artie; Michelle Baker; Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Júnior; UChicago Mag Alumni News; Bette Kiernan;Bowman Heiden; Branca Terra; Brian Good; Christiane Gebhardt; Council, City; Denis Gray; Dorien Detombe;Lauing, Ed; Shikada, Ed; Ellen Fox; Aram James; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Grace Alele-williams; Guilherme AryPlonski; Hannah Lu; Jeanne Fleming; Joe Penko; Mariza Almeida; Mark Granovetter; Mo Kang; Paul Wouters;Peter Weingart; Gennady Sheyner; Arthur Millman; Audrey Rouzies; Avroh Shah; Barbara J Kiviat; WinterDellenbach; annika steiber; mickie winkler; sally Tomlinson; Rebecca Eisenberg; Roberta Ahlquist; Sarfraz Mian;Sue Rosser; Prof Dr Helga Nowotny; Helen Lawton Lawton-Smith; Team JulieforPaloAlto; Office of the Provost Subject:Fwd: Engine 64 Neighborhood meeting fact check Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 4:45:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>Date: February 24, 2025 at 7:42:59 PM PSTTo: Joe Penko <josephpenko@gmail.com>Subject: Re: Engine 64 Neighborhood meeting fact check Hi Joe have done so and will do more feel free to pass on as well Cheers Henry Www.triplehelix.netSent from my iPhone On Feb 24, 2025, at 12:57 PM, Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote:Thanks Henry. I like the suggestions. If you have anyone that you canforward the email I sent to, we’d love that. <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Feb 24, 2025, at 12:29 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Joe Neighbors for Social and Environmental Justice stronglysupports full staffing as a baby step towards a defensible city with the ability to survive the inevitable dry seasonthat will bring the specter of Paradise and LA-like threats. When we spoke last year when you were consideringendorsing my candidacy for City Council, I suggested raising a volunteer force as an emergency supplement tothe regulars. You perceptively pointed out that volunteer departments, their capacities and sociability are a“working class thing.” And we both acknowledged the lack of said group due to housing at all income levelsshortfall. Nevertheless, under perilous conditions, the class but perhaps not the youth shortfall could beovercome. I also expressed concern about wildfires descending along San Fransquito creek and you advisedthat fires generally move in the opposite direction up, not down. However, the Topanga fire in la moved downsuggesting that under extreme usual rules don’t apply Sent from my iPhone On Feb 24, 2025, at 11:26 AM, Joe Penko<josephpenko@gmail.com> wrote: Good morning Palo Alto residents andadvocates, I wanted to give you a quick reminder thatthis evening the city council will be voting onthe Fire Chief’s plan to place a cross staffed fire engine at station 4 at Middlefield Rd/East Meadow. This lack of service in thecommunity has been a problem for 4+ years and the action they are taking tonight is adirect result of engaged citizens forcing them to act. Unfortunately, this action theychose is not service that serves the community at the level you deserve or iscommensurate with the services the rest of the districts in Palo Alto receive. It is basedon cost savings and budget projections instead of lives and property that couldpotentially be saved. Remember that the response times that the Palo Alto Fire Department adopted fall wellshort of the national standards, as well as the standards that our neighboring communitieshave set for themselves. Even with our more relaxed standards, we are still falling shortevery year. Call volume continues to rise and this plan does not address any of theseconcerns in a healthy way for either the community or the firefighters who serveyou. Below is Mountain View’s monthly report from January in which they achieveda lower time standard at a higher rate than Palo Alto. (7:30 92% of the time). We ask that you make the time to attendtonights city council meeting tonight, whether in person or remotely, and demanda fully staffed fire engine for your community. The topic that we are discussing isscheduled to be heard between 7:30 and 9 pm tonight. Here is the link withinstructions. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting? meetingTemplateId=15969 <Screen Shot 2025-02-24 at 11.19.15AM.png> <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com On Feb 19, 2025, at 6:24 PM, Joe Penko<JosephPenko@gmail.com> wrote: Palo Alto residents and advocates, The Palo Alto Firefighters sincerely thank everyone who participated in the town hall meeting last week. Even if you couldn’t make it or speak, we hope that you were able to watch the YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/live/Ohy 0UO6UsQ0) video afterwards or speak to a neighbor who attended. Many of you asked compelling questions that were difficult to answer for the Fire Chief and the city officials. This is because they can not be answered without admitting that this plan is inadequate. It was clear from our observation that the city intends to move forward with this cross staffed model on Monday and the city budget will be the scapegoat. We hope that each of you will remain engaged and will let your voice be heard on Monday evening at the city council meeting. We hope that if enough citizens express their lack of faith in this failed model, that they will be forced to do the right thing on Monday or in June with the full fiscal Year budget. (https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com /Portal/Meeting? meetingTemplateId=15969) Please take a moment to read this information sheet that adds meaningful context to many of the statements made by the presenters. I am also attaching a link to the YouTube video and the city council meeting agenda. Please forward this to anyone you believe this will benefit. <Neighborhood Meeting FactCheck.pdf> <image002.png> Joseph Penko Palo Alto Fire Department Local 1319 President C: 650.392.5589 | E: josephpenko@gmail.com From:David Coale To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:Thank you! Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 4:44:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ! Dear Mayor and City Council, First off, I would like to thank the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and the Council for your leadership in passing the resolution proclaiming Palo Alto’s values and protecting Palo Alto from the unlawful actions of the current administration. Who knew we would have to do this? Essentially, this is following the oath of office that every elected official has pledged to uphold: To protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. It was really great to see so many of you, and many, many others at Saturday’s No Kings Day Parade and Democracy Fair. This is truly what democracy looks like: Citizens coming together to peacefully proclaim their objections to the unlawful and unjust actions of the current administration. I would also like to thank our representatives: State Assembly member Mark Berman State Senator Josh Becker Congressional representative Sam Liccardo, and many more elected officials for joining in the activities, and speaking up against the many atrocities brought upon us by the current administration. This is what true leadership looks like. The estimates are that we were 5 to 12 million strong across the country on Saturday. This was about two orders of magnitude larger than the soggy party in Washington, D.C. This message could be suspicious Similar name as someone you've contacted. The sender's email address couldn't be verified. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast I would also like to thank all the volunteers for the day and the Palo Alto police, all who helped to make sure we had a fun, safe, and peaceful gathering. Thank you all for your service. David Coale From:Yogabear23 To:Council, City; yogabear23; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Veenker, Vicki; Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lu,George; Reckdahl, Keith Subject:Please Stop Investing in Musk-Controlled Businesses Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 4:19:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable Councilmembers, I ask that the pension and treasury systems of Palo Alto divest from and cancel contracts with Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, xAI, Boring Company and other Elon Musk- controlled businesses. Budgetary cuts directed by Musk have directly led to the loss of at least $500,000 in critical revenue needed to fund Palo Alto's programs for Environmental Justice and Climate Solutions. Respectfully, Carolyn Garbarino, 734 San Carlos Court, Palo Alto 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Utsav Gupta To:Council, City Cc:Tucher, Chris; Nose, Kiely; Kurotori, Alan; Clerk, City Subject:Public Comment: Information needed from BAWSCA and SFPUC for sound planning Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 3:52:57 PM Attachments:2025-06-16_Palo Alto City Council Comments re BAWCA and SFPUC.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Palo Alto City Council Comments: BAWSCA AND SFPUC June 16, 2025 Utsav Gupta & Chris Tucher Subject: Information needed from BAWSCA and SFPUC for sound planning To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, While we currently serve as commissioners on the Palo Alto Utilities AdvisoryCommission (UAC), the views expressed here are our personal comments and do not reflect the position or opinions of the Commission. We are writing to express asignificant concern regarding access to data that is essential for sound regional water supply planning and for upholding the financial interests of the Palo Alto ratepayers werepresent. On March 5, 2025, the UAC submitted a formal request to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) for fundamental planning data. This request wasappropriately channeled through our city’s designated BAWSCA representative, Council member Greer Stone, and included the following essential questions: 1. What is the return period of the design drought and the calculations behind it? Please also provide sensitivity analyses evaluating the impacts of two less severe designdroughts on the return period, the water supply deficit, and associated financial impacts (costs). The first alternative design drought would simply remove the final year from thecurrent design drought. The second would replace the 1976-1977 drought in the current design drought with the average water supply deficit during the 1987-1992 drought. 2. What is the impact of using lower demand projections (including the SFPUC's Finance Bureau assumptions and projections informed by BAWSCA’s 2022 demand study lowscenario) on the potential water supply deficit? How would these lower demand projections influence the SFPUC’s Alternative Water Supply Plan and associatedrevenue requirements and cost/acre foot to wholesale customers? 3. How would the combination of the two less conservative design droughts and lowerdemand projections influence potential water rationing and the need to pursue alternative water supplies?4. Using current demand and the three droughts presented in the Long-Term Vulnerability Assessment, what would the low point of the SFPUC’s total system storage have beenhad the Bay Delta Plan been in affect at the time of those droughts? On May 12, 2025, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) declined this request, stating, "Though we appreciate your questions, the SFPUC cannot effectivelyundertake water supply planning through response to individual wholesale customers, elected or appointed officials." We believe this response misinterprets the nature of our inquiry. A request from adesignated BAWSCA representative is the established channel for regional collaboration, not an "individual" query. This refusal has placed several UACCommissioners in a position where they cannot support the proposed amendments to the Water Supply Agreement, as a vote in favor would be inconsistent with our dutieswithout the data to substantiate it. The recent discussion at our June meeting resulted in a split 3-3 vote. The consequences of this information gap are tangible for our city. Palo Alto has alreadyinvested over $500,000 in its local One Water plan—an initiative based on a 50% cutback scenario that the SFPUC has advanced but seems highly unlikely and must bevalidated. The UAC chose not to accept this plan given this deficiency, resulting in a waste of ratepayer funds. This issue extends beyond Palo Alto, previewing a challenge for all BAWSCA memberagencies. We all rely on the same SFPUC data to guide our multi-million-dollar water supply investments. If these foundational assumptions are flawed, every agency riskswasting significant ratepayer money. Before our communities collectively invest potentially billions of dollars in new infrastructure, it is imperative that we have accessto the data that justifies such a massive expense. Accurate and transparent forecasts are the bedrock of sound public investment and are essential to fulfilling ourresponsibility to our constituents, who deserve assurance that rising water rates are based on robust and verifiable information. Therefore, we request that the Palo Alto City Council take a leading role in pressingBAWSCA to secure this necessary data from the SFPUC. By using our city’s influence, we can help ensure that our shared path to a secure and affordable water future for theentire region is built on a foundation of transparency and accountability. This collaborative effort is in the best interest of all member agencies and the Palo Altoratepayers we serve. Thank you for your service to our community. Respectfully Submitted, Utsav Gupta, Palo Alto UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Chris Tucher, Palo Alto UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Page 1 of 2 Palo Alto City Council Comments: BAWSCA AND SFPUC June 16, 2025 Utsav Gupta & Chris Tucher Subject: Information needed from BAWSCA and SFPUC for sound planning To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, While we currently serve as commissioners on the Palo Alto Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC), the views expressed here are our personal comments and do not reflect the position or opinions of the Commission. We are writing to express a significant concern regarding ac- cess to data that is essential for sound regional water supply planning and for upholding the financial interests of the Palo Alto ratepayers we represent. On March 5, 2025, the UAC submitted a formal request to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) for fundamental planning data. This request was appropri- ately channeled through our city’s designated BAWSCA representative, Council member Greer Stone, and included the following essential questions: 1. What is the return period of the design drought and the calculations behind it? Please also provide sensitivity analyses evaluating the impacts of two less severe design droughts on the return period, the water supply deficit, and associated financial im- pacts (costs). The first alternative design drought would simply remove the final year from the current design drought. The second would replace the 1976-1977 drought in the current design drought with the average water supply deficit during the 1987-1992 drought. 2. What is the impact of using lower demand projections (including the SFPUC's Fi- nance Bureau assumptions and projections informed by BAWSCA’s 2022 demand study low scenario) on the potential water supply deficit? How would these lower de- mand projections influence the SFPUC’s Alternative Water Supply Plan and associ- ated revenue requirements and cost/acre foot to wholesale customers? 3. How would the combination of the two less conservative design droughts and lower demand projections influence potential water rationing and the need to pursue alter- native water supplies? 4. Using current demand and the three droughts presented in the Long-Term Vulnerabil- ity Assessment, what would the low point of the SFPUC’s total system storage have been had the Bay Delta Plan been in a`ect at the time of those droughts? Page 2 of 2 On May 12, 2025, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) declined this re- quest, stating, "Though we appreciate your questions, the SFPUC cannot e`ectively under- take water supply planning through response to individual wholesale customers, elected or appointed o`icials." We believe this response misinterprets the nature of our inquiry. A request from a designated BAWSCA representative is the established channel for regional collaboration, not an "indi- vidual" query. This refusal has placed several UAC Commissioners in a position where they cannot support the proposed amendments to the Water Supply Agreement, as a vote in favor would be inconsistent with our duties without the data to substantiate it. The recent discus- sion at our June meeting resulted in a split 3-3 vote. The consequences of this information gap are tangible for our city. Palo Alto has already in- vested over $500,000 in its local One Water plan—an initiative based on a 50% cutback sce- nario that the SFPUC has advanced but seems highly unlikely and must be validated. The UAC chose not to accept this plan given this deficiency, resulting in a waste of ratepayer funds. This issue extends beyond Palo Alto, previewing a challenge for all BAWSCA member agen- cies. We all rely on the same SFPUC data to guide our multi-million-dollar water supply in- vestments. If these foundational assumptions are flawed, every agency risks wasting signif- icant ratepayer money. Before our communities collectively invest potentially billions of dol- lars in new infrastructure, it is imperative that we have access to the data that justifies such a massive expense. Accurate and transparent forecasts are the bedrock of sound public in- vestment and are essential to fulfilling our responsibility to our constituents, who deserve assurance that rising water rates are based on robust and verifiable information. Therefore, we request that the Palo Alto City Council take a leading role in pressing BAWSCA to secure this necessary data from the SFPUC. By using our city’s influence, we can help ensure that our shared path to a secure and a`ordable water future for the entire region is built on a foundation of transparency and accountability. This collaborative e`ort is in the best interest of all member agencies and the Palo Alto ratepayers we serve. Thank you for your service to our community. Respectfully Submitted, Utsav Gupta, Palo Alto UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Chris Tucher, Palo Alto UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) From:Utsav Gupta To:Council, City Cc:Susan Stansbury; Debbie Mytels; David Coale; Karen P; Sven Thesen; pol1@rosenblums.us; Peter Drekmeier; Tucher, Chris; Nose, Kiely; Kurotori, Alan; Clerk, City Subject:Public Comment: Against the Use of Cap-and-Trade Funds to Subsidize Gas Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 3:46:21 PM Attachments:2025-06-16_Palo Alto Cap and Trade Comments.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Palo Alto City Council Public Comment: Against the Use of Cap- and-Trade Funds to Subsidize Gas June 16, 2025 Subject: Palo Alto City Council Should Remand Use of Cap-and-TradeFunds While Utsav Gupta and Chris Tucher currently serve as commissioners on the UtilitiesAdvisory Commission (UAC), the views expressed here are their personal comments and do not reflect the position or opinions of the Commission. This statement is joined byseveral residents of Palo Alto, including Peter Drekmeier (former Palo Alto mayor), Susan Stansbury, Debbie Mytels, Sven Thesen (Project Green Home, ex-PG&E, ex-PeninsulaGreen Energy), Karen Porter, David Coale (Carbon Free Palo Alto, speaking in personal capacity), and Stephen Rosenblum. Many more would have joined but-for the day-ofnotice of this letter. First, we wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Council and City Staff for their prudent decisions to remand the proposed gas Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) for furtherconsideration by the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) and for reducing the proposed transfer for bill credits to a total of $1.1 million. These actions demonstrate acommitment to thorough process and fiscal responsibility. However, we must state our firm opposition to giving a gas rebate using Cap-and-Trade funds, which is a direct assault on our city’s climate goals. Using funds designated tofight climate change to instead subsidize the very fossil fuels driving the crisis is a betrayal of our community's trust and establishes a dangerous precedent thatundermines years of climate advocacy. Recommendations 1. Remand to the UAC for a Proper Review: The only appropriate action is to remand the entire issue of using Cap and Trade funds to the UAC. TheCommission’s initial recommendation was made under the duress of a looming gas COSA increase that has since been remanded. Compounding this issue is theunfortunate fact that the UAC was not made aware of the City’s own policies on the use of Cap-and-Trade funds—Resolutions 9487 and 10077. These policieswere presented to the Council and not the Commission for a recent informational session, whereas traditionally the Cap-and-Trade policies are reviewed by the UACfirst. The UAC’s recommendation would likely have been very different had it been given the context of the City's own resolutions. A new, comprehensive review isessential to allow the UAC to provide a proper recommendation based on a complete understanding of the facts and policies. 2. Alternative Use of Funds (If Council Proceeds): While we strongly advocateagainst subsidizing any fossil fuel use, if the Council remains inclined to provide some form of relief, it must be strictly limited. We recommend that only the gasutility interest portion be used, with the Cap-and-Trade principal remaining untouched. Furthermore, this relief should be directed exclusively to smallbusinesses. Medium-sized businesses have significantly higher gas consumption, making the existing connection fee more appropriate and the relative impact of theproposed COSA changes far smaller. Subsidizing their high usage is a poor use of public funds. 3. Amend the Recitals: If the Council chooses to proceed with this gas subsidy, therecitals must be amended. The current language incorrectly suggests that $1.1 million from Cap-and-Trade funds will be used in addition to gas utility interest.The language must be corrected to reflect the Council's actual intent: that a total of $1.1 million is to be used, drawing from the gas utility interest first before anyCap-and-Trade funds are considered. Attachment C - TheFormal Resolution Item 22 - The Staff Report "The Council hereby approves the use of allavailable FY 2025 gas utility interestincome and up to $1.1 million from the Cap andTrade Reserve to provide a one-time ClimateCredit..." "...apply a combination of climate credit (using Cap and Trade auction revenues) and FY 2025 gas utility interestincome to G-2 customers (small and medium meter capacities) in the total amount of $1.1 million” "At the end of FY 2025, staff will use the actual FY 2025gas utility interest income... to pay for the climate credit, with Cap and Trade auction revenues for theremainder, up to $1.1 million." The Proposal Violates Established City Policy and Precedent Using these funds for rebates directly contravenes multiple City Council resolutions. Resolution 9487 (2015) explicitly established that Cap and Trade revenues shouldbe used for greenhouse gas reduction projects—such as energy efficiency and other carbon-cutting measures—"before providing rebates" to customers. TheUAC at the time expressed a clear preference for programs over rebates, a recommendation that was incorporated into the final policy. Resolution 10077 (2022) further strengthened this commitment, with Councilunanimously stating its "intention to use revenues from the sale of City’s Gas Cap and Trade allowances for building, appliance and vehicle electrification.” To divert these funds now to subsidize the consumption of a fossil fuel is a directreversal of these clear policy directives. Crucially, this policy context was not presented to the UAC during its review, which is another significant reason this matter requiresremand. The Basis for the UAC's Original Recommendation is No Longer Valid The UAC's initial, narrow recommendation to approve a rebate for residents only wasmade under duress. The Commission acted on the belief that it had no alternative but to accept a dramatic gas COSA increase that would significantly burden residents. Nowthat the Council has correctly remanded that proposed COSA, the foundational premise for the UAC's recommendation has been eliminated. The recommendation is thereforevoid and should not be used as justification to proceed. The Litigation Risk Argument is Flawed The argument that providing a rebate is necessary to mitigate litigation risk is based on faulty logic and may, in fact, achieve the opposite. 1. No Basis for Harm: Since the proposed gas COSA that would have altered the ratestructure was never adopted and has been remanded, there is no new, actionable harm to small or medium businesses. Their rate structure remains unchanged. 2. Rebates Do Not Negate a Claim: Even presuming the risk of a legal claim (which,as stated above, is unlikely), providing a partial, one-time rebate in advance does not eliminate a potential legal claim. The basis of such a claim would be the totalvolumetric charges over time, which a small, preemptive credit does not alter. 3. Increased Risk: Offering a rebate could be construed as an implicit admission by the City that some harm has occurred, potentially inviting litigation where nonemight otherwise have been pursued. The most effective way to mitigate legal risk is to adhere to established policy and procedure, not to create arbitrary remedies fora non-existent injury. CONCLUSION We urge you to reject this misuse of climate funds. The most appropriate action is to remand the entire issue of using Cap and Trade funds to the UAC. The Commissionnever had the opportunity to review the policy implications of this fund transfer, and its prior, contingent recommendation is now moot because the proposed gas COSA hasbeen remanded. This will ensure a thorough and proper review consistent with the City’s procedural standards, allowing for a decision that is both transparent and policy-aligned. Let us not abandon our city’s hard-won climate leadership for a short-sighted subsidy that undermines our long-term goals. Respectfully Submitted. Utsav Gupta, UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Chris Tucher, UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Peter Drekmeier, Former Palo Alto Mayor Susan Stansbury Debbie Mytels Sven Thesen (Project Green Home, ex-PG&E, ex-Peninsula Green Energy) Karen Porter David Coale (Carbon Free Palo Alto, speaking in personal capacity) Stephen Rosenblum Page 1 of 4 Palo Alto City Council Public Comment: Against the Use of Cap- and-Trade Funds to Subsidize Gas June 16, 2025 Subject: Palo Alto City Council Should Remand Use of Cap-and-Trade Funds While Utsav Gupta and Chris Tucher currently serve as commissioners on the Utilities Advi- sory Commission (UAC), the views expressed here are their personal comments and do not reflect the position or opinions of the Commission. This statement is joined by several resi- dents of Palo Alto, including Peter Drekmeier (former Palo Alto mayor), Susan Stansbury, Debbie Mytels, Sven Thesen (Project Green Home, ex-PG&E, ex-Peninsula Green Energy), Karen Porter, David Coale (Carbon Free Palo Alto, speaking in personal capacity), and Ste- phen Rosenblum. Many more would have joined but-for the day-of notice of this letter. First, we wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Council and City StaR for their prudent decisions to remand the proposed gas Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) for further consider- ation by the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) and for reducing the proposed transfer for bill credits to a total of $1.1 million. These actions demonstrate a commitment to thorough process and fiscal responsibility. However, we must state our firm opposition to giving a gas rebate using Cap-and-Trade funds, which is a direct assault on our city’s climate goals. Using funds designated to fight climate change to instead subsidize the very fossil fuels driving the crisis is a betrayal of our community's trust and establishes a dangerous precedent that undermines years of climate advocacy. Recommendations 1. Remand to the UAC for a Proper Review: The only appropriate action is to remand the entire issue of using Cap and Trade funds to the UAC. The Commission’s initial recommendation was made under the duress of a looming gas COSA increase that has since been remanded. Compounding this issue is the unfortunate fact that the UAC was not made aware of the City’s own policies on the use of Cap-and-Trade funds—Resolutions 9487 and 10077. These policies were presented to the Council and not the Commission for a recent informational session, whereas traditionally the Cap-and-Trade policies are reviewed by the UAC first. The UAC’s recommendation would likely have been very diRerent had it been given the context of the City's own resolutions. A new, comprehensive review is essential to allow the UAC to provide a proper recommendation based on a complete understanding of the facts and poli- cies. Page 2 of 4 2. Alternative Use of Funds (If Council Proceeds): While we strongly advocate against subsidizing any fossil fuel use, if the Council remains inclined to provide some form of relief, it must be strictly limited. We recommend that only the gas utility interest portion be used, with the Cap-and-Trade principal remaining untouched. Further- more, this relief should be directed exclusively to small businesses. Medium-sized businesses have significantly higher gas consumption, making the existing connec- tion fee more appropriate and the relative impact of the proposed COSA changes far smaller. Subsidizing their high usage is a poor use of public funds. 3. Amend the Recitals: If the Council chooses to proceed with this gas subsidy, the re- citals must be amended. The current language incorrectly suggests that $1.1 million from Cap-and-Trade funds will be used in addition to gas utility interest. The language must be corrected to reflect the Council's actual intent: that a total of $1.1 million is to be used, drawing from the gas utility interest first before any Cap-and-Trade funds are considered. Attachment C - The Formal Resolution Item 22 - The StaI Report "The Council hereby approves the use of all available FY 2025 gas utility interest income and up to $1.1 million from the Cap and Trade Reserve to provide a one-time Climate Credit..." "...apply a combination of climate credit (using Cap and Trade auction revenues) and FY 2025 gas utility interest in- come to G-2 customers (small and medium meter capaci- ties) in the total amount of $1.1 million” "At the end of FY 2025, staR will use the actual FY 2025 gas utility interest income... to pay for the climate credit, with Cap and Trade auction revenues for the remainder, up to $1.1 million." The Proposal Violates Established City Policy and Precedent Using these funds for rebates directly contravenes multiple City Council resolutions. • Resolution 9487 (2015) explicitly established that Cap and Trade revenues should be used for greenhouse gas reduction projects—such as energy eRiciency and other car- bon-cutting measures—"before providing rebates" to customers. The UAC at the time expressed a clear preference for programs over rebates, a recommendation that was incorporated into the final policy. Page 3 of 4 • Resolution 10077 (2022) further strengthened this commitment, with Council unan- imously stating its "intention to use revenues from the sale of City’s Gas Cap and Trade allowances for building, appliance and vehicle electrification.” To divert these funds now to subsidize the consumption of a fossil fuel is a direct reversal of these clear policy directives. Crucially, this policy context was not presented to the UAC dur- ing its review, which is another significant reason this matter requires remand. The Basis for the UAC's Original Recommendation is No Longer Valid The UAC's initial, narrow recommendation to approve a rebate for residents only was made under duress. The Commission acted on the belief that it had no alternative but to accept a dramatic gas COSA increase that would significantly burden residents. Now that the Council has correctly remanded that proposed COSA, the foundational premise for the UAC's rec- ommendation has been eliminated. The recommendation is therefore void and should not be used as justification to proceed. The Litigation Risk Argument is Flawed The argument that providing a rebate is necessary to mitigate litigation risk is based on faulty logic and may, in fact, achieve the opposite. 1. No Basis for Harm: Since the proposed gas COSA that would have altered the rate structure was never adopted and has been remanded, there is no new, actionable harm to small or medium businesses. Their rate structure remains unchanged. 2. Rebates Do Not Negate a Claim: Even presuming the risk of a legal claim (which, as stated above, is unlikely), providing a partial, one-time rebate in advance does not eliminate a potential legal claim. The basis of such a claim would be the total volu- metric charges over time, which a small, preemptive credit does not alter. 3. Increased Risk: ORering a rebate could be construed as an implicit admission by the City that some harm has occurred, potentially inviting litigation where none might otherwise have been pursued. The most eRective way to mitigate legal risk is to ad- here to established policy and procedure, not to create arbitrary remedies for a non- existent injury. CONCLUSION We urge you to reject this misuse of climate funds. The most appropriate action is to remand the entire issue of using Cap and Trade funds to the UAC. The Commission never had the opportunity to review the policy implications of this fund transfer, and its prior, contingent recommendation is now moot because the proposed gas COSA has been remanded. This Page 4 of 4 will ensure a thorough and proper review consistent with the City’s procedural standards, allowing for a decision that is both transparent and policy-aligned. Let us not abandon our city’s hard-won climate leadership for a short-sighted subsidy that undermines our long- term goals. Respectfully Submitted. Utsav Gupta, UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Chris Tucher, UAC Commissioner (speaking in personal capacity) Peter Drekmeier, Former Palo Alto Mayor Susan Stansbury Debbie Mytels Sven Thesen (Project Green Home, ex-PG&E, ex-Peninsula Green Energy) Karen Porter David Coale (Carbon Free Palo Alto, speaking in personal capacity) Stephen Rosenblum From:Elizabeth Lee To:Council, City Subject:San Francisquito Creek Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 2:58:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear PACC, Thank you all very much for the great work you do for Palo Alto. I’m writing regarding theproposals for the Chaucer-Pope Bridge and San Francisquito Bridge. I own and live in our home on one of the corners across from the bridge, and I implore you please not to installflood walls or remove many trees. Doing so would break my heart. Please keep the creek natural. The natural, rural-like beauty of this area is what drew us here. Thank you. Elizabeth Lee, LMFT650 346-4071 liz@funghi.comAuthor of The House at 844 1/2 http://goo.gl/BauAk From:Jennifer Landesmann To:Council, City Subject:6/16/25 AGENDA ITEM 24 Please Vote YES on Newell Road/San Francisquito Creek Bridge Project Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 2:51:47 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing, Councilmembers, Thank you for your attention to flood protection. Please approve the Staff recommendations for upgrading the Newell Road bridge starting this Summer 2025; key to making progress on the project. I appreciate and also support the following comments from Tom Rindfleisch regarding theneed. "The current bridge is very old and outdated, constructed in 1911, and is in need of modernization under current CA state and federal guidelines The current bridge has limited flow capacity because its abutments and structure obstruct SFC creek flows, limited to ~6000 cubic feet per second. This is below thedesign goal of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority effort to improve the Reach 2 capacity to 7200 cfs, the flow seen in the 1998 flood of record. The new NewellRoad bridge would contain this peak flow protecting residents in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. There has been extensive public discussion about many design alternatives and the planned upgrade represents a fine compromise to meet the desires of Palo Alto and EastPalo Alto residents and traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian constituencies. Some have been concerned about changes to traffic patterns with the wider modern design, but traffic caneasily be controlled as needed with simple interventions, such as speed bumps, police oversight, and signage. The cost of the bridge upgrade will be shared between Caltrans/Federal sources (~89%) and local Santa Clara Valley Water District sources (~11%), greatly reducing PaloAlto's contribution." Best regards, Jennifer From:Patty Irish To:Council, City Subject:Request Action for Tuesday, June 17, Council meeting Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 1:44:43 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 ask you to approve an exclusive negotiating agreement with Alta Housing to develop the parking lot at the corner of Kipling Street and Lytton Avenue into affordable housing. Alta Housing has a very successful housing record with Palo Alto and will select some families with a history of homelessness to occupy some units. Alta Housing has excellent screening and support services to offer residents. Please enable them to get started now in putting together the steps needed to bring this to a reality. Thank you for your consideration of this valued development. Patty Irish 850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 -- Patty Irish850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-324-7407 650-245-3906 cell How do you tell a story that has been told the wrong way for so long? This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:herb To:Perez-Ibardolasa, Val Cc:Switzer, Steven; Raybould, Claire; Armer, Jennifer; Lait, Jonathan; Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:400 Mitchell Lane [25PLN-00131] Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 1:42:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 400 MITCHELL LANE [25PLN-00131] June 16, 2025 The application for the removal of two trees in the centralcourtyard of the building at 400 Mitchell Lane (Application No.25PLN-00131) is a segment of the same California EnvironmentalQuality Act (CEQA) project as the application for a ConditionalUse Permit at the same address (Application No. 25PLN-00006). CEQA regulations prohibit segmenting the review and approval ofeach segment separately. CEQA Regulation 15378 says in relevant part: 15378. PROJECT (a) “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a directphysical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change inthe environment. (c) The term “project” refers to the activity which is being approved and which may be subjectto several discretionary approvals by governmental agencies. The term “project” does notmean each separate governmental approval. Therefore, a single environmental assessment and action arerequired for the two applications. The current segmenting of the project violates CEQA. Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Herb Borock