HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-30 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: 6/30/2025
Document dates: 6/23/2025 - 6/30/2025
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction
in a given week. 701-32
From:Mark Alloy
To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Veenker, Vicki; Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Council, City; Lu, George; Reckdahl, Keith
Subject:Why the New El Camino "No Turn on Red" Signs?
Date:Monday, June 30, 2025 10:44:14 AM
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i
Why has the new bicycle lane setup on El Camino resulted in a prohibition against right turns on red at all
the traffic light intersections? Surely it can't be an added safety feature for the very very few bicyclistswho are using the new bike lanes. I'm an avid cyclist who rides several times weekly throughout thePeninsula area. To me, there is no difference between a car turning right onto my road from a stop signand a car turning right onto my road after a 'right turn on red' from a traffic light. In both cases I as cyclisthave the right of way over the car wanting to turn right onto my street. In both cases I as cyclist amresponsible for my own safety to ensure that the car that wants to turn right actually stops to check thetraffic before making the turn. The prohibition against right turn on red isn't going to change the safetyequation for the cyclist.
The only thing being achieved with this new prohibition is to inconvenience the masses of people in theimpacted neighborhoods that make right turns onto El Camino throughout the day in order to have a verymarginal increase in safety for the very very few bicyclists who are actually using the new bike lanes. Traffic is so bad in Palo Alto now that to add another obstacle to the free flow of traffic is just adding to themess. And what about the environmental impact to the neighborhoods from all the cars idling at vacantintersections due to the new rules? I thought the city wanted to encourage bike riding as environmentallyfriendly, yet to put in a cycling safety program that increases pollution from cars is a step in the wrongdirection against the city goals.
I'm in favor of increasing safety for cycling. The new bike lanes in and of themselves have added atremendous amount of safety for the very few cyclists that are actually using them. I urge you to removethe prohibition as there is so little benefit to be gained over the very measurable negatives that the signsare causing.
Mark Alloy627 Georgia AvenuePalo Alto
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From:Ash B
To:Lauing, Ed
Cc:Lu, George; Council, City; City Mgr
Subject:Re: Homeless RVs parked on Greer and West Bayshore
Date:Monday, June 30, 2025 10:22:57 AM
Attachments:image003.png
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i
Thanks Ed for your response. While I understand the wheels of policy making and decisions are onerous and prolonged, my
only request is to "enforce"the current law/policy on the 72 hour parking rule.
Colorado Ave around the Greer park is an extremely busy road and with games (pick up/dropoff) it becomes a nightmare with the RVs and additional cones they put encroaching on the
road space. Hygiene is also a huge issue.
My plea to you as an elected leader is to keep our community safe and hygienic with the
existing policies in place.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Ash
On Jun 29, 2025, at 10:07 AM, Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov> wrote:Ash,
We appreciate your vigilance on this ongoing problem. Councilmember Lu provides the correct
summary of where the city manager’s office is on the broad issue. We have to come up with both
better polices and better enforcement on the specific situations such as the one you are bringing to
our attention.
Ed Lauing
Mayor
Ed.Lauing@Palo Alto.gov
Office: 650-329-2571
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From: Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2025 6:48 PM
To: Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>; City Mgr <CityMgr@paloalto.gov>; Council, City
<city.council@PaloAlto.gov>
Cc: Ashish Bhattacharya <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Homeless RVs parked on Greer and West Bayshore
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Thank you George for your response. Hopefully you folks will come up with a solution.
Meanwhile the situation is getting bad to worse due to lack of enforcement. Now we see
a lot of trash piling up on the sidewalk. The RV residents are putting cones to block off
additional parking and a few more RVs have come in since you responded.
There is absolutely NO Community service officer.
Greer Park is a very busy park with a lot of kids playing and parents are driving and
picking/dropping. Traffic is an absolute nightmare and the number of RVs are
exacerbating the situation.
Please do something about this.
I'm copying the city manager for visibility and action.
Thank you
Ash
On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:44 AM, Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov> wrote:
Hi Ash,
Thank you for writing in. I was speaking with the city manager on Wednesday about these
kind of RVs.
The city is revisiting its approach for noticing, ticketing, and towing RVs, with an
emphasis for public health risks. I don't have a lot of details, particularly those that I can
share right now, but there will be some enforcement changes over the near future.
In August, the Council's Policy and Services Committee will also discuss overall
homeless / RV policies before more discussion in the full council. I'd welcome more
public comment and any updates you observe.
I appreciate the patience. We can do better for both RV residents, and the environment,
businesses, homes, etc..
Best,
George Lu
Council Member, City of Palo Alto
Cell Phone: 650-307-7143
Book an Appointment
From: Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2025 6:43 AM
To: Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>
Cc: Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@PaloAlto.gov>; Lythcott-Haims,
Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@PaloAlto.gov>
Subject: Re: Homeless RVs parked on Greer and West Bayshore
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council members,
Can I get an update or at least an acknowledgement to my numerous requests? I have
reached out to the PA police department also.
Is there any other way to officially submit a call to action?
Twitter or press?
Thank you
On Jun 16, 2025, at 9:20 PM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Council members ( Pat, George and Julie)
I'm having a hard time reaching our esteemed mayor since the last couple of weeks, so
reaching out to you folks.
As you see in my communication below, I'm highlighting the issue of homeless RVs being
parked ( growing in numbers by the day) on Colorado Ave and West Bayshore. This is a very
busy road and the traffic and driving hazards exacerbates especially during the weekend when
there are soccer matches.
There are a lot of small children getting dropped and picked around and the big RVs ( some
even have orange cones that take up more parking space)
This is a traffic hazard and a hygiene issue. I'm requesting implementation of the 72 hour
parking rule at the very least.
Haven't seen a community service officer around in months!
We have personally voted for some of you to be in office and I hope you will kindly take action.
Thank you
Ashish
On Jun 11, 2025, at 6:31 PM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Mayor,
Could you please acknowledge and let us know what we are doing or able to do about the
situation? Should I visit the City council office? I spoke with the PD and they also suggested
the same.
I'm genuinely worried about citizen traffic safety and hygiene around the area.
Thank you
On Jun 8, 2025, at 12:52 AM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Mr.Mayor,
I have tried to raise this issue with the abandoned vehicles hotline several times but to no
avail. I believe there are no community service officers that come to the Greer park area ever.
We are alluding to the growing number of Homeless RVs parked on Colorado Ave opposite
Greer Park.
While we are sympathetic to the unhoused population, the problem of the RVs parked at this
location is exarcebating the traffic and parking snarls due to the large number of soccer games
during the weekend and also the construction workers who park there during weekdays.
There have been several near miss accidents due to views being blocked by the RVs.
Additionally there is a hygiene issue also around these vehicles and is unsafe for pedestrians.
Could you pls take a look at the issue and resolve it before we run into bigger problems?
Thank you
Residents around Greer Park.
From:Henry Etzkowitz
To:Council, City; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Avroh Shah; Rebecca Eisenberg; Roberta Ahlquist; Lotus Fong; BrianGood; Charlie Weidanz; Hannah Lu; Lauing, Ed; Shikada, Ed; Ellen Fox; Jeanne Fleming; Gennady Sheyner; JoePenko; annika steiber; Mickie Winkler; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Aram James; sally Tomlinson; Team JulieforPaloAlto;Winter Dellenbach; Mariza Almeida; Ellen Granovetter; Anika Raffle; Bette Kiernan; Templeton, Cari; GebhardtChristiane; Carol Kiparsky; Devrim Göktepe Hultén; Dorien Detombe; Charles Spanhook; Palo Post;pat@patburt.org; Martin Wasserman; Jim Hersh; John Salois; Braden Cartwright; Guilherme Ary Plonski; Office ofthe Provost; Mary Rorty; Richard Horning; Sarah Wright; Elaine Berman; Bruxvoort, Barbara
Subject:Fwd: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
Date:Monday, June 30, 2025 8:38:07 AM
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Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>Date: June 24, 2025 at 12:25:08 AM PDTTo: Ed Shikada <Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov>Subject: Re: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
Hello EdJust saw your mail, ie the response mentioned. No idea why not included Suggestinterrogate the software.
Financial conflicts are an important subset of coi how are other areas addressed?
BestHenry
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 23, 2025, at 5:31 PM, Shikada, Ed<Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov> wrote:
Hello Henry –
Just saw this email. Is there a reason you did not include the response
I sent you yesterday at 8:54am?
Best,
--Ed
From: Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 6:12 AM
To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>; Office of the Provost
<provost@stanford.edu>; Roberta Ahlquist <finnroberta@gmail.com>
Cc: Tatyana Kanzaveli <tkanzaveli@gmail.com>; Rebecca Eisenberg
<rebecca@rebecca4water.com>; Brian Good <snug.bug@hotmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links.
Henry Etzkowitz
Sociology Department
Stanford University
www.triplehelix.net
Begin forwarded message:
From: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>
Date: June 22, 2025 at 2:20:16 AM PDT
To: Ed Shikada <Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov>
Subject: Re: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest
Resolution
Hi Ed
Possible to manage coi but what is your management
scheme?
Henry Etzkowitz
Sociology Department
Stanford University
www.triplehelix.net
On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:10 AM, Shikada, Ed
<Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov> wrote:
Hi Henry -
No one is changing jobs; we make it work!
Best,
—Ed
Get Outlook for iOS
From: Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2025 7:22:06 AM
To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>
Subject: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of
Interest Resolution
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
with ample employment opportunities? Ed
Henry Etzkowitz
2024 City Council candidate
Neighbors for environmental and social justice
www.triplehelix.net
From:City Mgr
To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed
Cc:Executive Leadership Team; City Mgr; Clerk, City
Subject:City Council Bundle - June 30
Date:Monday, June 30, 2025 7:49:27 AM
Attachments:RE Remove.msgFw Homeless issue Park Blvd.msgFw Faber Way mess.msgRe Mounds of Garbage in Viaduct Creek near Alma street and railroad cross.msgimage001.pngimage002.pngFW Public Comment Letter - Lower Water Rates.msg
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please see the attached staff responses to emails received in
the Council inbox through June 30, 2025.
Respectfully,
Danille
Danille RiceAdministrative AssistantCity Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@PaloAlto.gov
www.PaloAlto.gov
From:contact
To:Council, City
Subject:Request for Action: Off-Leash Dogs Creating Unsafe Conditions
Date:Sunday, June 29, 2025 10:35:29 PM
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i
Hi City Council
I’m writing to ask for your help addressing a persistent and concerning issue in our
neighborhood: the widespread presence of off-leash dogs at Eleanor Pardee Park and aroundlocal schools such as Duveneck Elementary.
I live near and frequent Eleanor Pardee Park several times each day, and I estimate that every15 to 30 minutes, a different off-leash dog is present at the park. I have never been to the park
once where I have not seen at least one unleashed dog running around. This has turned abeautiful public space into a source of anxiety for my family.
My young children do not feel safe going to the park. They’ve been chased on multipleoccasions—recently by an unleashed, angry growling German Shepherd that chased them until
I blocked him off and distracted him, and several other times by dogs that were also off-leashand not under control. It’s deeply frustrating that we live so close to this park but the kids are
afraid to use it due to safety concerns. We also see folks walking their dogs without leasheson the sidewalks near our home and that also creates anxiety for the kids, having been chased
by dogs.
This problem is not limited to the park. At Duveneck Elementary, off-leash dogs are also a
recurring issue. If you look at the history there, kids have also been chased and bitten there(Nextdoor reported incidents and my kid has been chased before there by a golden retriever)
and dogs have wandered into kids club classes (occurred in 2024). Children and familiesshould not have to worry about being approached, chased, or attacked by dogs in spaces meant
for learning and recreation.
I respectfully ask the City Council to consider stronger enforcement of leash laws, including
more VISIBLE PERMANENT SIGNAGE EMPHASIZING HIGH FINES, more frequentpatrols and enforcement of fines, and higher penalties for non-compliance for deterence and
also to pay for these costs. These measures could help restore a sense of safety and respect forour shared public spaces.
There may be other solutions to this problem if you perhaps are able to brainstorm other waysto address this safety issue.
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first email to you.
Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Mike
From:Aram James
To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, AssemblyDistrict 23; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; Council, City; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg;board@pausd.org; h.etzko@gmail.com; Ed Lauing; Veenker, Vicki; city.council@menlopark.gov; Binder, Andrew;Baker, Rob; Robert. Jonsen; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Raymond Goins; LizKniss; Gardener, Liz; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Diana Diamond; Perron, Zachary; Wagner, April; Reifschneider,James; Rowena Chiu; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations
Subject:Re: Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist Group Betar Organizing Street Confrontations
Date:Sunday, June 29, 2025 9:06:10 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Please respond in a timely fashion.
Thanks, Aram
Jay, I’m particularly interested on your thoughts about this article's comments about the ADLgiven your past volunteer work for the organization. If anything I’ve said about your past
association with the ADL is in error please correct me.
Best- Aram
On Sun, Jun 29, 2025 at 12:22 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist Group Betar Organizing Street Confrontations
Jeff & Jay:
Please provide additional information on Betar if you are willing.Thanks,
Aram
The group’s incitement earned them an “extremism” label by the ADL, a fellow pro-Israel organization with a separate history of targeting pro-Palestine activists
Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist
Group Betar Organizing Street
Confrontations
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/betar-protests-zionism-fascism-palestine?
publication_id=2510348&utm_campaign=email-post-title&r=fjmzt&utm_medium=email
From:Aram James
To:Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; Baker, Rob; Gerry Gras; board@pausd.org; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; EPA Today;city.council@menlopark.gov; dcombs@menlopark.gov; Gardener, Liz; Nash, Betsy; DuJuan Green; dennis burns;Vara Ramakrishnan; Salem Ajluni; GRP-City Council; Council, City; Linda Jolley; Perron, Zachary;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Binder, Andrew; chuck jagoda; Rowena Chiu; Barberini, Christopher; DougMinkler; Dana St. George; Vicki Veenker; Tom DuBois; policechief@menlopark.gov; Foley, Michael; Robert.Jonsen; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Josh Becker; Bill Newell; Sean Allen; Palo Alto Free Press; Bains,Paul; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; GRP-City Clerk; Clerk, City;h.etzko@gmail.com; Jeff Rosen; Steve Wagstaffe; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Friends of Cubberley; RobertaAhlquist; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; Palo Alto Weekly; Diana Diamond; Afanasiev, Alex; Jay Boyarsky;boardfeedback@smcgov.org; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; WILPF PeninsulaPalo Alto; Figueroa, Eric; Mickie Winkler; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov;assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Raymond Goins; rabrica@cityofepa.org
Subject:MyGovtTriedToKillMe
Date:Sunday, June 29, 2025 8:54:48 PM
Attachments:MyGovtTriedToKillMe.doc
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
This is a fantastic article by my friend and activist hero, Linda Jolly. Check it out!!
TO: Hon. Hugo Borja, Traffic Division, Code 41470
Superior Court of CA, San Mateo County
1050 Mission Rd.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
FROM: Linda Jolley, human rights activist (jailed 3 times)
3790 El Camino Real #167
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-630-3021
lindajolley9@yahoo.com
RE: DEMANDING THAT YOU PROVIDE ME A TRIAL BY JURY PER
U.S. CONSTITUTION.
Case Number 25-TRS-007535; Citation Number 1117001470.
Due Date 5/23/2025.
DATE: May 12, 2025
CC: Ruby Mayne at Marc Berman's 0ffice(ruby.Mayne@asm.ca.gov)
Andrea at BAR(capcorrespondence@dca.ca.gov)
Activists
Your Honor:
The government that you work for, sir, has attempted to turn me into
a “Bag Lady.” I am furious.
This government, struggling to get more money for itself, has
declared that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which
very clearly confirms the right to a jury trial for anyone accused of a
crime, is no longer in force.
I am declaring that no one can throw the U.S. Constitution out of
court. I am aware of my right to sue any government agency that
tries to do that. Therefore I am demanding that you enforce my right
to a public trial by a jury of my peers.
I know that my peers will be completely sympathetic with the
situation that caused me to receive a citation for driving with expired
registration, and a fake license sticker. My peers have been attacked
many times by the Predator State, as I have been. I was trying to
exercise my Right To Life, as my peers continually do – to protect
themselves from government's ongoing effort to increasingly erase
human and Constitutional rights. (You are watching that Duck
splashing and pooping in the White House, right?)
My situation, as I will describe it to my peers:
Due to the Covid pandemic, I lost my steady job. For more than 2
years I could not get another job, apparently due to age
discrimination. I lived in my car. About three years ago, while I was
parked several yards off the road, an unconscious driver struck
another car and that car flew through the air and tore off the outside
of the passenger side of my car. There was a witness. Despite the
clear guilt of the unconscious driver, I received no effort and no
adequate compensation from my insurer, State Farm. Instead, State
Farm declared my car “salvage.” Therefore I could not meet
government requirements to continue driving my car, which was also
my home. I WAS SCREWED, ALL AROUND. Do you suppose I should
have then become a Bag Lady, living in the bushes, to make
government happy?
Hell no. I continued looking for a job/trying to survive, planning to
outrun the cops like Bonny- and-Clyde. (Lots of folks who are
attacked by the Predator figure their only hope is to sell drugs. And I
want these folks on my jury.)
During this period I was attacked by Menlo Park Police, who shook my
car in the middle of the night, caused me to nearly lose my health
from prolonged attacks of “nerves.” This is the same police
department that in 1985 ruined my life by using my husband as a
snitch to gather drug information. He was attacked by organized
crime and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. We lost everything we
had. While this same police department was attacking me AGAIN I
wondered whether I should join the “other side.” Government is
perhaps more vicious than the crooks. Look at their brutal attacks on
immigrants! I can't criticize those who sell drugs to survive. What
are they supposed to do? Government has created massive poverty
through loss of Gold Standard>Deficit Spending>Inflation>Low
Minimum Wage>Confiscation of Vehicles>Homelessness. When
vehicles are confiscated from those living in them then those folks
have to turn to a tent city. Then cops illegally throw their remaining
possessions in a dumpster! IN CASES LIKE MINE, POVERTY IS
PUNISHED BY HEAVY FINES. (average price of goods is ten times
what it was in my youth; government did that!).
God Stepped In
Cops said they would confiscate my car/my home in March of 2024.
There was no way I could get the money to meet DMV requirements
for a salvaged car. I finally got a job as a Provider with IHSS(#
000718513) but income was less than $200/mo. God made cops pull
back their sword: I found the man that I almost married in 1962.
Love came back. Steve is 84, crippled and in a walker, but we had
exactly the means to help each other. Steve was badly emaciated,
but started bouncing back as soon as I started feeding him. I put him
and his walker in my crippled car and took us “illegally” to St.
Anthony's free meals daily in Redwood City. Unlike government,
Catholics feed the poor instead of punishing them.
Friends were aware of government's hot nasties, and one of them put
a fake sticker on my license plate. Don't know who dunnit. Steve
and I drove and ate for a year while we struggled to improve all our
difficult circumstances. At last we were able to buy another car and
started repairing it to get it registered and replace my damaged
Saturn. Government attacked again. DMV wanted $867 to register
our replacement car – several times the normal fee for a 29-year-old
car. Ruby at Assemblyman Marc Berman's office very nicely helped us
with that. BAR is currently looking pretty impotent.
Meanwhile, on the way to lunch with Steve, I was pulled over by
Atherton police and given a $356 citation for driving my wrecked
Saturn with expired registration. My monthly income is less than
$700. I do not have money for you. I barely have food money. I
am not going to pay anything to this corrupt regime. Steve cannot
ride buses and I am not going to give you his food money.
Your system is an evil Goliath, stepping on the Little Guy.
In 2015 the CA Judicial Council ordered that courts must not force
people to pay their citations up front in order to get a trial.
(https://www.aclunc.org/blog/ca-chief-justice-agrees-traffic-courts-
can-t-charge-fees-advance-trial).
You folks are still using that hideous practice. You will not get me!
In 1969 some clever devils changed the CA State Constitution to
make traffic citations just “infractions” – not crimes. The purpose: to
eliminate jury trials for these non-crimes. This was, in fact, a scheme
to change the meaning of “crime” in the Sixth Amendment. However
a crime is, in reality, anything that is punishable. Government
criminals are now soaking the public for amounts of $500 and up
without giving the accused a trial by jury, which has traditionally been
the little guy's main protection against greedy and arbitrary
government. Is there any limit now on government's ability to
destroy the little guy?
Please, Your Honor, since I am a public speaker then allow me to
speak to a jury of my peers.
Enclosures
From:Aram James
To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky
Cc:Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23;
assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov;
h.etzko@gmail.com; Doug Minkler; DuJuan Green; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Dana St.
George; Gerry Gras; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Pat M; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;
Foley, Michael; Rodriguez, Miguel; Friends of Cubberley; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler;
Zelkha, Mila; dennis burns; Binder, Andrew; Perron, Zachary; Wagner, April; Baker, Rob; EPA Today; roberta
ahlquist; Robert. Jonsen; Afanasiev, Alex; Rowena Chiu; chuck jagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Enberg, Nicholas;
Damon Silver; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Dennis Upton; Burt, Patrick; GRP-City Council; Council,
City; city.council@menlopark.gov; GRP-City Clerk; City Attorney; yolanda; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin;
board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Bill Newell; Bil
Barber; Palo Alto Free Press; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Councilmember
Chappie Jones; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; District9@sanjoseca.gov; District10@sanjoseca.gov;
District2@sanjoseca.gov; District3@sanjoseca.gov; District4@sanjoseca.gov; District5@sanjoseca.gov; Steve
Wagstaffe; Ed Lauing
Subject:Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist Group Betar Organizing Street Confrontations
Date:Sunday, June 29, 2025 12:23:00 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist Group Betar Organizing Street Confrontations
Jeff & Jay:
Please provide additional information on Betar if you are willing.
Thanks,Aram
The group’s incitement earned them an “extremism” label by the ADL, a fellow pro-Israel organization with a separate history of targeting pro-Palestine activists
Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist
Group Betar Organizing Street
Confrontations
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/betar-protests-zionism-fascism-palestine?publication_id=2510348&utm_campaign=email-post-title&r=fjmzt&utm_medium=email
From:Henry Etzkowitz
To:Council, City; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Roberta Ahlquist; Rebecca Eisenberg; Avroh Shah; sally Tomlinson;Stephen Adams; Anna Uvarova; annika steiber; Mariza Almeida; Mark Granovetter; Rabii Outamha; Brian Good;Hannah Lu; Helen Lawton Lawton-Smith; Jim Hersh; Jeanne Fleming; Christiane Gebhardt; Shikada, Ed; EllenFox; Christopher M Kwong; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Richard Horning; Christine Min Wotipka; Ray Tourzan; TeamJulieforPaloAlto; Gennady Sheyner; Lauing, Ed; pat@patburt.org; Joe Penko; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Aram James;mickie winkler; Winter Dellenbach
Subject:Melting Down Over NYC Mayoral Primary, Trump Calls Mamdani "100% Communist Lunatic" | Common Dreams
Date:Saturday, June 28, 2025 9:01:21 PM
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attachments and clicking on links.Affordable housing, free child care and public transport resonatebeyond the big apple! How may we realize a Nixoni/Moynihan social democratic agenda on
the Peninsula, starting with Palo Alto? Nudge conservative democratic Representative, whowas unwilling to tpostively respond to requests at the NO kings event to commit to
impeachment of Presidentii for inducement to offer him bribes eg Qatar 747 but insteadproposed to lead an effort to attract to the Democratic Party people who have lost money in
Trumpian schemes. Most are likely happy with their de facto contribution to MAGA. Instead,as in New York our focus should be on positive alternatives while simultaneously resisting
high crimes and misdemeanors perpetrated through DOGE, supported by local firms likePALANTIR. The PALANTIR should be levitated like the Pentagon was during the anti
Vietnam war movement. We have the “good fortune” of not having to travel to WashingtonDC. The underpinnings of a surveillance control fascist state are being built on the Peninsula.
See what you think!
Cheers
Henry2024 Candidate for Palo Alto City Council
Co-organizer,Ret. Community of oak creek residents, successful 2022-23 campaign against“senior removal”
Neighbors for Economic and Social Justice (NESJ)Www.triplehelix.net
Ps NESJ lawsuit Update: Elon and Tesla, were “no shows” at the Friday conference in San
Jose Superior Court They were warned by Judge Monahan of a default judgment if they failedto appear on first October. Appreciation to the NESJ delegates from Mountain View and
Menlo Park for their moral and practical of the Palo Alto Plaintiffs
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-mamdani
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
From:San Mateo County Transit DistrictTo:Council, CitySubject:SamTrans Summer Next Stop e-NewsletterDate:Saturday, June 28, 2025 12:16:09 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.
• Summer Edition 2025 | View online •
Third Annual Pride Bus
With recent stops in San Mateo and Half
Moon Bay, the SamTrans Pride Bus is
next headed to San Francisco on Sunday
for the state’s largest Pride parade.
See Pride photos
Beach day? Let SamTrans
get you there!
Take Route 294 from the Bay to the
Coast, then hop on Ride Plus for the final
stretch to the sand. Whether you're
headed to Half Moon Bay, El Granada, or
a hidden coastal gem, SamTrans makes it
easy.
294 + Ride Plus = a breezy trip to the
beach.
Download the Ride Plus app or call
(650) 238-5880 to connect from the bus to
your destination.
No parking. No traffic. Just ocean air.
Start your journey
New two-year SamTrans
budget approved
“We’re managing today’s transit needs
while preparing for tomorrow’s fiscal
realities.” — SamTrans Board Chair Jeff
Gee.
Get the details
• • • Get Next Stop sent to your inbox | Subscribe• • •
Working toward a balanced
financial future at SamTrans
Despite a projected deficit, SamTrans’
future looks bright — and we’re making
smart financial moves today to keep
heading in the right direction.
Learn about the plan
Buses become moving
canvases for student art
Colorful student artwork is now rolling
through the streets of San Mateo
County, as SamTrans continues its
annual Art Takes a Bus Ride contest.
Read about the winners
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 29 - San Francisco Pride Parade - Route 292 to Salesforce Transit Cntr
July 4 - San Mateo July 4th in the Park - Routes ECR, 292
Join our team!
Mechanics
Operators
All Jobs
See more openings
Forward Next Stop to your friends, so they can subscribe too!
Editor: Randol White
WhiteR@SamTrans.com
Copyright (C) 2025 San Mateo County Transit District. All rights reserved.
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From:Ash B
To:Lu, George; City Mgr; Council, City
Cc:Ashish Bhattacharya
Subject:Re: Homeless RVs parked on Greer and West Bayshore
Date:Friday, June 27, 2025 6:49:00 PM
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i
Thank you George for your response. Hopefully you folks will come up with a solution.
Meanwhile the situation is getting bad to worse due to lack of enforcement. Now we see a lotof trash piling up on the sidewalk. The RV residents are putting cones to block off additional
parking and a few more RVs have come in since you responded. There is absolutely NO Community service officer.
Greer Park is a very busy park with a lot of kids playing and parents are driving andpicking/dropping. Traffic is an absolute nightmare and the number of RVs are exacerbating
the situation. Please do something about this.
I'm copying the city manager for visibility and action.
Thank youAsh
On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:44 AM, Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov> wrote:Hi Ash,
Thank you for writing in. I was speaking with the city manager on Wednesday about these
kind of RVs.
The city is revisiting its approach for noticing, ticketing, and towing RVs, with an
emphasis for public health risks. I don't have a lot of details, particularly those that I can
share right now, but there will be some enforcement changes over the near future.
In August, the Council's Policy and Services Committee will also discuss overall
homeless / RV policies before more discussion in the full council. I'd welcome more
public comment and any updates you observe.
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I appreciate the patience. We can do better for both RV residents, and the environment,
businesses, homes, etc..
Best,
George Lu
Council Member, City of Palo Alto
Cell Phone: 650-307-7143
Book an Appointment
From: Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2025 6:43 AM
To: Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>
Cc: Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@PaloAlto.gov>; Lythcott-Haims,
Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@PaloAlto.gov>
Subject: Re: Homeless RVs parked on Greer and West Bayshore
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Dear Council members,
Can I get an update or at least an acknowledgement to my numerous requests? I have reached out tothe PA police department also. Is there any other way to officially submit a call to action? Twitter or press?
Thank you
On Jun 16, 2025, at 9:20 PM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:Dear Council members ( Pat, George and Julie)I'm having a hard time reaching our esteemed mayor since the last couple of weeks, so reaching out
to you folks.As you see in my communication below, I'm highlighting the issue of homeless RVs being parked (growing in numbers by the day) on Colorado Ave and West Bayshore. This is a very busy road andthe traffic and driving hazards exacerbates especially during the weekend when there are soccer
matches.There are a lot of small children getting dropped and picked around and the big RVs ( some evenhave orange cones that take up more parking space)This is a traffic hazard and a hygiene issue. I'm requesting implementation of the 72 hour parking
rule at the very least.Haven't seen a community service officer around in months!We have personally voted for some of you to be in office and I hope you will kindly take action.
Thank youAshish
On Jun 11, 2025, at 6:31 PM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Mayor,Could you please acknowledge and let us know what we are doing or able to do about the situation?Should I visit the City council office? I spoke with the PD and they also suggested the same.
I'm genuinely worried about citizen traffic safety and hygiene around the area.
Thank you
On Jun 8, 2025, at 12:52 AM, Ash B <ashtradebiz@yahoo.com> wrote:Dear Mr.Mayor,
I have tried to raise this issue with the abandoned vehicles hotline several times but to no avail. Ibelieve there are no community service officers that come to the Greer park area ever.We are alluding to the growing number of Homeless RVs parked on Colorado Ave opposite GreerPark.
While we are sympathetic to the unhoused population, the problem of the RVs parked at this locationis exarcebating the traffic and parking snarls due to the large number of soccer games during theweekend and also the construction workers who park there during weekdays.There have been several near miss accidents due to views being blocked by the RVs. Additionally
there is a hygiene issue also around these vehicles and is unsafe for pedestrians.Could you pls take a look at the issue and resolve it before we run into bigger problems?
Thank you
Residents around Greer Park.
From:matt@evolutionaryteams.com
To:fridaysforfuturepaloalto@gmail.com; palo-alto@fridaysforfutureusa.org
Subject:FFF Follow Up from June 20 (Week #180)
Date:Friday, June 27, 2025 10:44:08 AM
Attachments:image003.png
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i
Ingrid kindly gave the land acknowledgment reminding us that we are occupying unceded lands of the
Muwekma Ohlone and that we share a responsibility to care for the land, water, air and all life. She also
encourages us to rise up against injustice everywhere. Brigitte regrets that humans have perpetrated so much
harm upon the environment, and we must do our best to restore its health. Thanks to you both.
Brigitte went on to say how she participated in No Kings Day events in Los Altos and Rinconada Park on
Saturday and found the events exhilarating. Rick attended in San Mateo with his Indivisible group and reported
that 1000s were lined up on El Camino Real.
Ingrid updated lyrics of a song that we all know, and we sang it together. Here’s the first verse: Our country ‘tis of
thee; Sweet land of liberty; Of thee we sing; Let us united be; Stand for democracy; Opposing tyranny; Let
freedom ring. We joyfully sang it together. Thanks, Ingrid, for the lovely lyrics.
Debi is reading Kathryn Hayhoe’s book Saving Us and is fascinated by Dr. Hayhoe’s approach to raising
awareness about global warming. Thanks for reminding us about this important book, Debi!
Long time climate activists Jerilyn and George are just happy to be in community with like-minded people. We
are happy to have you both!
Mimi, who tracks CA state legislation for Indivisible, gave us an update on several bills. In particular, she urges
us to call our state senator (Josh Becker 650-212-3313) to oppose AB 942, legislation which reneges on
California’s obligation to homeowners who installed rooftop solar. Thanks, Mimi, for this call to action and for
your informative updates!
Michael joined us for the first time and shared how humans’ perception of price and value biases how we care
for things. For instance, since air is “free” we will “value” it less even though we need air to survive and clean air
to thrive. The same can be said for water. Thanks for joining us, Michael, and thanks for sharing this fascinating
perspective.
Brigitte lived in Iran for four years and expressed horror about Israel’s unprovoked surprise attack on that
country. Iran responded with attacks on Israel. Brigitte’s horror was not misplaced. Heartbreakingly, Gideon
notified me that his sister was killed by a missile that hit Israel. Our hearts go out to you, Gideon, and your
family.
This weekend at Stanford Shopping Center there are two rallies. On Saturday (6/28) from Noon to 2PM The Tesla
Takedown Wolves will be wishing Elon a very Crappy Birthday. On Sunday (6/29) from 4PM to 5:30PM, we will
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be joining Carol and crew to raise awareness about how the cuts to Medicaid proposed in the BIG BAD BILL will
be devastating to millions who rely on that program. Both actions start in front of the Tesla Showroom. Come
join the fun as we march through the center!
There have been a number of AMAZING actions this week. Come this Friday (6/27) when we meet at King Plaza
at noon and share your adventures.
Keep Up the Fight!
RISE UP AND RESIST!
Upcoming Events
Friday, June 27, Noon to 1:00: Climate Strike! –– We meet at King Plaza in front of Palo Alto City Hall.
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
Matt’s photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/47DCai6JU2WvWRSSA
What We Are Reading/Watching/Listening to:
Climate Casino on Doomerism: https://climatecasino.net/2025/06/doomism-at-the-end-of-the-universe/
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/
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:Aram James
To:Veenker, Vicki
Cc:Lotus Fong; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Nash, Betsy; Human Relations
Commission
Subject:Re: Leonard Peltier’s Story Isn’t Over Yet
Date:Friday, June 27, 2025 9:50:51 AM
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On Thu, Jun 26, 2025 at 10:30 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Vicki,
I am disappointed that you have not spoken out against the genocide in Palestine. I hope you
are enjoying your vacation in some far-off place that you will proudly share with otherswhen you return to your council work, all the while 50 to 100 Palestinians are being
executed daily by the Israeli Occupation Forces as they seek food at fake aid stations. Ihaven't sent you my book list yet, but it will be on its way soon.
Aram
Leonard Peltier’s Story Isn’t Over Yet | The New Yorker
They’re doing it again. Look at what’s happening in Palestine: they are murdering women,
children, and babies. I want that story told alongside my own. My goal is to share whathappened to me in the courtroom. If I had been allowed to present my defense, I would have
never gone to prison. I want the world to know what they did to me and that they are stillcommitting such acts in America.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/leonard-peltiers-story-isnt-
over-yet
From:Aram James
To:Veenker, Vicki; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Council, City; Lotus Fong; Doug Minkler
Subject:Re: Leonard Peltier’s Story Isn’t Over Yet
Date:Friday, June 27, 2025 9:47:18 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
On Thu, Jun 26, 2025 at 10:30 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:
Vicki,
I am disappointed that you have not spoken out against the genocide in Palestine. I hope youare enjoying your vacation in some far-off place that you will proudly share with others
when you return to your council work, all while 50 to 100 Palestinians are being executeddaily by the Israeli Occupation Forces as they seek food at fake aid stations. I haven't sent
you my book list yet, but it will be on its way soon.
Aram
Leonard Peltier’s Story Isn’t Over Yet | The New Yorker
They’re doing it again. Look at what’s happening in Palestine: they are murdering women,children, and babies. I want that story told alongside my own. My goal is to share what
happened to me in the courtroom. If I had been allowed to present my defense, I would havenever gone to prison. I want the world to know what they did to me and that they are still
committing such acts in America.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/leonard-peltiers-story-isnt-over-yet
From:Aram James
To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky
Cc:Reckdahl, Keith; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23;
Lauing, Ed; Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Cait James; Tim James; Nash, Betsy;
dcombs@menlopark.gov; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Sean Allen; Pat M; Rose
Lynn; sharon jackson; Carla Torres; Tom DuBois; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; dennis burns; DuJuan Green;
Binder, Andrew; Daniel Kottke; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; Salem Ajluni;
jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Damon Silver; Gerry Gras; Dana St. George; Don Austin; Rowena Chiu; Sheree
Roth; Ed Lauing; Lori Meyers; Friends of Cubberley; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Rodriguez, Miguel; Vicki
Veenker; Veenker, Vicki; Patrice Ventresca; Burt, Patrick; Gennady Sheyner; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara;
Reifschneider, James; jsylva@da.sccgov.org; h.etzko@gmail.com; Benita Ventresca; Raymond Goins; GRP-City
Council; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Foley, Michael; Emily Mibach; Yolanda trevino; Council, City;
city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Steve Wagstaffe; Human Relations
Commission; Doug Minkler
Subject:Ireland"s commitment to the prohibition on imports from Israeli settlements came after the International Court ofJustice delivered its Advisory Opinion on 19 J…
Date:Thursday, June 26, 2025 7:10:24 PM
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of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Ireland becomes first European country to introduce
ban on trade, imports from Israeli settlements
Ireland's commitment to the prohibition on imports from Israeli settlements came after theInternational Court of Justice delivered its Advisory Opinion on 19 J…
Source: The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com
https://share.google/6UADV2haNEhTkGqqX
From:Kat Snyder
To:Council, City; Binder, Andrew
Subject:PAPD No Parking Zones
Date:Thursday, June 26, 2025 6:51:21 PM
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i
I would like to know the process to apply for this. I have seen these for construction and fortaking down trees. I have never seen them for first amendment protests against Palantir.
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From:Jeff Hoel
To:Council, City
Cc:Hoel, Jeff (external); UAC
Subject:TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS -- 06-16-25 Council meeting -- Item 22 -- FTTP
Date:Thursday, June 26, 2025 4:59:22 PM
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Council members,
This is a TRANSCRIPT of the FTTP portion of Item 22 of Council's 06-16-25 meeting.
agenda:https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=16147
video:
https://midpenmedia.org/city-council-6-16-25/
I have added my COMMENTS (paragraphs in red beginning with "### ") and presentation slide titles
(paragraphs in orange beginning with "###. ".
Thanks for voting unanimously (with Council Member Stone absent) to move the FTTP project forward byauthorizing staff's proposed rates for FTTP products.
Thanks.
Jeff
Jeff Hoel731 Colorado AvenuePalo Alto, CA 94303
==========================================================================
TRANSCRIPT
1:13:56;
Mayor Lauing: OK. Thank you. The official agenda item says we're supposed to take a break right now,but I suggest we jump into the multi-staged discussion of budgets, and see how far we get before we takea break. So, unless there are objections, that's what we're going to do.
1:14:17:
Vice Mayor Veenker: [unamplified] 22 is the ** --
1:14:18:
Mayor Lauing: Item 22. Yeah.
1:14:19:
Vice Mayor Veenker: [unamplified[ That's utility rates.
1:14:21:
Mayor Lauing: That's right. Sorry. Utility Rates. So, we're going to start with that. And for the publicthat's watching, there's a bit of formality in this process. Annually. So, I will essentially introduce each ofthe items before the staff presentation. And some will require comments from our City Attorney. So,tonight, we're going to hold the public meeting to consider Item 22, which is a series of actions adoptingutility rates and financial plans.
1:14:54:
There are six separate resolutions under this item. Two of these are proposed changes to the City'swater and wastewater collection rates, and they require a public hearing under Prop 218. As required bythe California Constitution, we will conduct majority protest proceedings for both the water andwastewater collection rate increases. And the public will have an opportunity to speak. First, staff willmake a presentation on the water and wastewater rates and financial plans. Go ahead, staff.
1:15:28:
----------
1:53:46:
Mayor Lauing: OK. So, the Council will now consider the financial plans and rates NOT subject to Prop218 in Item 22, namely, adoption of resolutions adopting financial plans in fiscal year 2026 rates for gas,electric, fiber, and stormwater. The order of proceeding for these items is as follows. First, staff will makea presentation on the financial plans and proposed rates for gas, electric, fiber, and stormwater. Thenpublic comment. Go ahead.
1:54:22:
----------
1:57:24:
###. slide 21 -- Fiber Rate Proposal
**: Palo Alto's fiber rate proposal. Staff recommends the following rate change and rate range andservice package for the Palo Alto -- the NEW Palo Alto Fiber broadband internet service. This will provideflexibility to structure rates for special promotions and service packages for competitiveness. Next slide,please.
1:57:50:
----------
1:58:19:
###. slide 24 -- Recommendation
**: This slide summarizes our recommendations for the gas, electric, fiber, and also stormwatermanagement. I didn't mentioned that yet, but for stormwater management fee, there's an increase thatwe are requesting, consistent with the CPI rate. Thank you. I'd be happy to try and answer anyquestions.
1:58:47:
Mayor Lauing: Thank you for that report. We're now going to go to public comment.
### I have transcribed all of the public comments, even the ones for non-FTTP items.
1:58:59:
**: Our first speaker is Herb B.
1:59:11:
Herb Borock: My comments are on the new fiber internet rates. The -- Once the utility's in operation, andthere are customers of that utility, since the City decided on a system where the City would be the internetservice provider, it would be subject to Prop 218, just as the water rates and wastewater rates are. Forany changes. What staff is proposing now, before there are customers, are flexible rates, where you can,you know, offer incentives or different programs. The question is whether are any of those, in someevent, are you essentially, in advance, you know, changing rates of future customers down the road,without them giving -- having that opportunity to decide whether they would want the rates if that decisionwas made for the first time then, rather than being included in the rate structure now. If that's an effect ofit, you know, that's a clever way of getting around the need for getting the ratepayers' approval as, youknow, for a property-related service.
2:00:42:
It's not too late to go in one of two DIFFERENT directions. The first is where this is starting. The originalidea, from Magellan, was to go where the costs were less expensive because of a higher density ofcustomers -- of residences and businesses.
### Staff and consultant proposed three criteria for deciding what premises to pass first.* Which premises would cost least to pass. (Density is a factor, but aerial vs. undergrounded is a biggerfactor.)* Which premises were not already served by the incumbents with FTTP-class products.* Which premises housed people who sent $50 to the City to indicate their interest in FTTP.
### Later, staff, on its own, added another criterion:* Where was the City already planning to do Grid Mod electric upgrades first.
And also where there's a higher number that DON'T have internet. And here, we've gone just in theopposite direction. Of -- in phase 1 -- where the properties are further apart, so it's more expensive tobuild, and where there's a higher rate already of use. So, if it fails, it's going to be those people whobenefit, by getting the fiber internet before the system ends. So, maybe it's done there with the particularpeople are.
2:01:45:
And what's going on with the incumbents is just the opposite of the rate structure incentives the City istalking about. Xfinity is offering a fixed rate for 5 years. I don't see how the City can compete with that. The other alternative, which I think is still better, is to NOT be an internet service provider, and simplybuild the backbone out with the money, and bonding capacity we have now --
2:02:13:
**: Your time is up.
2:02:14:
Herb Borock: And the -- Thank you.
2:02:16:
**: Our next speaker is Utsav G.
2:02:27:
Utsav Gupta: Good evening, members of the Council. I'm Utsav Gupta, speaking in a personal capacitywith fellow UAC Commissioner Chris Tucher. We are also speaking on behalf of a growing coalition ofresidents and environmentalists who signed our letter just today. We're confident the vast majority ofPalo Altans, once informed, would have joined our letter. Thank you for your prudence in remanding thegas cost-of-service analysis [COSA] for further review. However, we state our firm opposition to giving agas rebate using green cap-and-trade funds. Let's be clear. This transfer is directly contrary to our City'sclimate goals. Using funds designated to fight climate change to instead subsidize the very fossil fuelsdriving the crisis betrays our community's trust. It sets a terrible precedent that undermines our City'sclimate advocacy. Please remand this entire issue to the Utilities Advisory Commission for a properreview. First, the UAC's initial recommendation was made under the duress of a looming gas rate hikethat you have since, correctly, sent back for review. The entire basis for the UAC's recommendation isnow gone. Compounding this, the UAC was not made aware of the City's own policies on using cap-and-trade funds. Resolutions 9487 and 10077. These resolutions are unambiguous. They direct these fundsto be used for greenhouse gas reduction projects, like electrification and efficiency, BEFORE everconsidering rebates. The UAC would likely not have recommended this direct reversal of established Citypolicy.
2:04:07:
Some have argued this rebate is need to mitigate litigation risk. This argument is flawed. Because therate change was never adopted, no one was harmed. A rebate could even look like an admission ofguilt. More details on this are in our written comments. As an aside, if the Council still chooses toproceed, the resolutions' recitals are different than what is in the staff report, and must be amended sothat the gas utility interest portion and the cap-and-trade portion together totals $1.1 million. Not inaddition to one another. So, please, remand the use of cap-and-trade to the UAC, so our City's valuesremain intact. Thank you for your service to our community.
2:04:52:
**: Our next speaker is Hamilton H.
2:04:58:
Hamilton Hitchings: Thank you. I wanted to start by fully endorsing everything Utsav said, and forthanking him for bringing this issue to our attention. That letter that he sent today was also signed byUAC Commissioner Chris Tucher and Peter Drekmeier, former mayor of Palo Alto. I also want to thankstaff, for -- and the Finance Committee for agreeing to remand the COSA, so that the UAC will have moretime to study it, since it did included a pretty drastic shift in who pays what rates. You can tell the valuesof a city by how it spends its money. And what this proposal includes is taking $1.1 million that wasearmarked for permanent greenhouse gas emission and instead giving it as a rebate to gas users. And Ithink that, you know, that is directly contrary to all this effort we've made to try and do something in ourCity about greenhouse gas. So, I would ask that the Council approve it, minus the use of cap-and-tradefunds for the rebate. Because of this reason, I guess I'll be one of the few no votes for this, but I think theother things that have already been done are a big step in the right direction. And I want to thank you allspending the time hearing us out on this. Thank you.
2:06:42:
**: Our next speaker is Lynn C.
2:06:48:
Lynn Chiapella.: Good evening, City Council. I'm concerned about the rates in general affecting the
small users in general. Whereas very large users of the fee structure that Palo Alto uses I think affectsthe small user, the condo dweller, as opposed to someone with an estate in the Portola Valley area,where you have to ship water. Where electricity lines have to be installed to new houses out there. And Ithink that out there -- It was brought to my attention, I should say, by someone who is squeaking by --that even when she had to leave town and didn't use water, for example, or electricity, or gas, she paidthe fees throughout that period. And I do think that the fee structure should be such that the larger userspay a higher rate. And the farther you are from the facility that provides it, the rates should have a -- forwater, a pressure zone, for example. Which Palo Alto used to have. Four pressure zones. In addition tothe difference in the rates, there were, I think, 4 or 5 different rates for the water user.
2:08:20:
The electricity is the same sort of situation, where some folks have been undergrounded. When all ofPalo Alto was going to be -- residential Palo Alto was going to be undergrounded. Some folks gotundergrounded. And then, around Underground District 42, City Council just quit. And that left southPalo Alto pretty much without undergrounding.
2:08:46:
And I do agree with Mr. Borock that -- I do think that the fiber is going to be the same situation. Somefolks will get it. And then, the rest of us will not. It will not be financially -- um -- it won't be a feasiblefinancial investment.
2:09:05:
So, I would like someone to compare other cities and how they assign rates. They're very different. Andsome of them have water tied to either sewer or to storm drain, I'm not sure which. But I do have friendsin Santa Clara, and they pay quite different rates than we do. So, I would suggest that you start lookingat how to make it more feasible for the small user, who -- Thank you.
2:09:43:
**: And that was our final speaker for Action Item 22, for the proposed rates for gas, electric, fiber, andstormwater.
2:09:50:
Mayor Lauing: OK. So, now we want to come back to Council for questions, discussion, and action onthe financial plans and proposed rates for gas, electric, fiber, or stormwater. Since the FinanceCommittee spent a lot of time on this, perhaps our Chair would like to give us an overview on these rates,and maybe some comments on this particular issue with rebates.
2:10:10:
Council Member Burt: Yes. And maybe Director Kurotori can fill in with some of the context that staffprovided the commission. ----------
2:15:41:
Council Member Burt: And then, I would like to also comment on our discussion on the fiber project. Theadvantage we -- or, that City staff has been pursuing is to construct and implement this concurrently withour initial section for the Grid Modernization. And to be able to have the cost savings of doing those twothings concurrently. One of the things that I brought up -- and I don't recall whether my colleagues
specifically supported it, but we suggested that staff consider -- is, two diff- -- In that pilot phase, look at
modeling two different pricing options on two different portions of that pilot phase. Because staff had
said, well, we're experienced at how to price our costs, as a public utility, to ratepayers. But what'sdifferent here is, we're no longer a monopoly. And we're in a competitive market. And so, my suggestionwas that, on one half of the pilot group, we might try what a lot of the telecoms have done, which isessentially a teaser rate for -- a discounted rate for early signup. And see what our adoption level was --
our uptake level is -- because that's crucially important to the success of the fiber program, is, whatuptake are we going to get? And if we don't get enough uptake, we have a problem with this program. So, we really don't know what is the best approach.
2:17:32:
Subsequent to the Finance Committee meeting, I received an email from -- um -- a constituent whosuggested that we look at taking advantage of the fact that fiber has very incremental cost increase as wego to faster speeds, or higher bandwidth. And we attempt to be the most competitive provider at thehigher speeds. So, as you look at slide 21 -- and maybe we can pull that up -- at 1 Gbps, we're saying --pricing up to $95. And I'll say, the "up to" was because staff, if I recall correctly, had said, well, we haven'tsettled on the exact pricing. This is the authorization that we want to seek.
###. Slide 21 -- Fiber Rate Proposal
And then, when it goes up, in two increments, to 5 Gbps, it goes to $265. So, first, a question to staff. Isit correct that our incremental cost increase, from going from 1 Gbps to 5 [Gbps] is nominal? Is thatcorrect?
2:19:01:
Director Kurotori: Yes. I mean, if we -- The scale of going to additional customers is what it's going to be-- especially in the pilot area. So, if we wanted to scale, and provide a different rate for that, to get ahigher level of associated customers, then those -- those are the balancing act that we need to perform.
2:19:22:
Council Member Burt: So, the point being, where is fiber more competitive than the commercialproviders? And it's at that real high speed. And we can offer lower cost at that speed, and get peoplewho are really interested in that bandwidth, to say, well, jeez, you know, it's -- I might or might not go withthe City at 500 megabits [per second], or 1 gigabit. (Did I mis-say it earlier? Maybe.)
### No. Council Member Burt was correct.
Or 1 gigabit. But at 5 gigabits, or at 3 gigabits, jeez, that's a great deal. If we reduced our pricing there. So, that's one thing I'm interested [in]. And that's subsequent to the Finance Committee -- Director, didyou have any comments?
2:20:10:
Director Kurotori: Yeah. I did want to mention that, as part of the discussion of the Finance Committee,these are symmetric speeds. So, upload and download would be similar. We also -- part of thecompetitive advantage for the City is that we have already -- you know, our multiple utilities already. Soour customer service, our outreach, our personnel are already on prem. We have a dark fiber systemthat we're already making investments on the backbone. So, there's a lot of assets that we're alreadybuilt into the system.
2:20:41:
I did want us to clarify -- And I am not Darren Numoto, who's our IT Director.
### And, more to the point, our Acting Fiber Utility Manager.
But the 2 Gbps, 5 Gbps, there's a different technology that you would use for that. So, that's why there's
a cost increase that they would see.
### I had the impression that all of the City's FTTP connections would use the same kind of XGS-PONONT (home electronics) and share a port on the same kind of XGS-PON OLT (hut electronics). As far asI know, up to 32 premises would share a PON net, regardless of speed.
### For speeds up to 1 Gbps, the City would provide the Wi-Fi unit in the premises for free, but for higherspeeds, the customer would have to pay something extra for the Wi-Fi unit. Presentation slide 21 showsa GigaSpire product for "up to" $5/month.https://www.calix.com/products/platform/unlimited-subscriber/gigaspire.htmlI suppose this is the Wi-Fi unit for speeds higher than 1 Gbps.
### In any case, I don't think this technology difference can explain why the City would charge "up to"$265/month for 5-Gbps but only "up to" $95/month for 1-Gbps.
So, really, a lot of the more common types of uses right now, in terms of what's available to the public, arereally the 2 Gbps. When you get to that higher range, it's a lot of different equipment. More specializedequipment. That the customer may not see a true value for. On the residential side.
### Here, I wonder if Director Kurotori is talking about what equipment the customer might buy from thirdparties (and the City wouldn't charge for)?
2:21:14:
Council Member Burt: OK. So, I don't know what might be the right speed increases and price pointswith them. But the principle being, should we provide more competitive pricing where -- in higher speeds,where our costs are lower than the commercial providers, and we have the capacity to do that, without anincremental cost increase? And I don't know what that breakdown would be. But we -- because theseprices are tentative, I would think we, as a Council, could give direction without specifying pricing. Is thatcorrect?
2:22:02:
Director Kurotori: Yes. I did want to mention that these are "up to" pricings. So, we definitely needed aschedule to move forward, to start talking to the potential customers, as part of the pilot area, which isaround 800-900 potential customers.
### At the 05-07-25 UAC meeting and 06-03-25 Finance Committee meeting, staff said the pilot wouldpass approximately 1,000 premises.
We're really looking for about a 30-something percent kind of take rate for these customers, initially. Tosee if it's going to scale, as we look to expand the system, for economic viability. So, I did want tomention that. And we're able, given this rate schedule gives some flexibility to start doing that outreachand marketing to our residents. And businesses.
2:22:41:
Council Member Burt: So, given that these are "up to" dollars, we could approve the "up to" dollars, butgive guidance to staff to explore more competitive pricing on the faster speeds, within their discretionthere. But to do, perhaps, in a way that breaks up the pilot. And we find out what is the uptake ofadoption, if we give one set of options -- or pricing -- versus another. And we just don't know what -- howthe market will respond. And if we only go out with one approach, we won't know if that was the bestapproach. So, that's my point. I think that's all I have on this.
2:23:28:
Mayor Lauing: Just to get the full picture of that, Council Member, this rebate of $1 million plus ...
### Changing the subject back to gas.
----------
2:44:13:
Mayor Lauing: OK. Council Member Burt, for a motion.
2:44:14:
Council Member Burt: Yes. I would MOVE the staff recommendations, with a single -- Oh, onemodification under the gas resolution, to delete Section 4., and instead remand the issue of a one-timecredit to the UAC, to be considered at the time that they review the updated COSA.
2:44:47:
Mayor Lauing: SECOND.
2:44:49:
Council Member Burt: And then, second, under the fiber item, I would --
2:44:59:
**: [unamplified] Wait -- that second --
2:45:01:
Council Member Burt: -- uh --
2:45:04:
Mayor Lauing: Should we do these in separate, before you go to that?
2:45:05:
Council Member Burt: Ah -- we could.
2:45:11:
Mayor Lauing: Just seems a little cleaner. Staff have a preference? OK. Let's just do that one.
2:45:19:
Council Member Burt: Just do the first one.
2:45:20:
Mayor Lauing: Yeah.
2:45:20:
Council Member Burt: OK.
2:45:21:
Mayor Lauing: Any other questions on that? Ready for votes? Go ahead, City Clerk.
2:45:30:
**: Vice Mayor Veekner.
2:45:32:
Vice Mayor Veenkeer: I'd like to see see the MOTION. [laughs] I know you've got a lot going on.
2:45:37:
**: It will take me one moment.
2:45:38:
Vice Mayor Veenker: OK? [pause] I want to make sure Council Member Burt sees his MOTION.
2:45:59:
Mayor Lauing: Yeah. So, for clarity, the intent here is that we're taking it off the table right now, for thetwo thousand -- for the current FY 2026 budget, but we're also saying that when the COSA's ready -- weare hearing approximately January -- then UAC should come back to us with a proposal on how to dothese rates. Which could include rebates or not. That's up to them to come back with us. [pause]
2:46:50:
### In the next paragraph, I won't transcribe unamplified comments by others.
We still have little screens on our monitors. But the big screen's good. Oh. We're all small screens overhere. I got the cheap seat here, Council Member. Oh, I see. Some of it's buried. No, that's the samesize. Oh. OK. Council Member Burt, that looks good? [pause] OK? Please take the vote.
** : And to confirm, Mayor Lauing, you seconded?
2:47:53:
Mayor Lauing: Yes.
2:47:55;
**: Vice Mayor Veenker.
2:47:56:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Yes.
2:47:57:
**: Mayor Lauing.
2:47:57:
Mayor Lauing: Yes.
2:47:58:
**: Council Member Reckdahl.
2:48:02:
Mayor Lauing: Council Member Reckdahl.
2:48:05:
Council Member Reckdahl: Yes.
2:48:06:
** Council Member Lu.
2:48:07:
Council Member Lu: Yes.
2:48:08:
** Council Member Burt.
2:48:09:
Council Member Burt: Yes.
2:48:10:
**: Council Member Lythcott-Haims.
2::48:11:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: No.
2:48:14:
**: MOTION carries 5- --
2:48:17:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Hold on. Before you close the vote, I -- I did not see that d. was still in there. Ithought that by f., we were removing --
2:48:29:
Council Member Burt: You're correct.
2:48:31:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Yeah. So, I'm going to vote no, unless we could amend this before we close thevote. Or, how -- Whatever the process
2:48:36:
Council Member Burt: No, you don't need to. We'll correct --
2:48:38:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Pardon me.
2:48:38:
Council Member Burt: We'll correct it.
2:48:39:
Mayor Lauing: Yeah. d. should have come out.
2:48:41:
Vice Mayor Veenker: OK. So, what -- Are you guys going to take d. out? Then, yes.
2:48:50:
Council Member Burt: Should we re-vote?
2:48:52:
**: We'll go ahead and take a re-vote.
2:48:54:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: May I just make a point of order, I think it is? I thought we should havesome discussion after the MOTION was made. There wasn't an opportunity for us to respond to theMOTION if we weren't in agreement with it. I would like the opportunity to state my concern.
2:49:11:
Mayor Lauing: That's fine. But there was no light on. So, I would have -- Go ahead.
2:49:15:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: Oh, you're reminding me, I'm supposed to push my little thingy here. Sorry about that. Sorry.
### How much time would be wasted if, as a matter of procedure and habit, the Chair (usually theMayor) always said, "Discussion?" after the SECOND, regardless of whether there were any lights? Itwould serve as a reminder to the public that discussion was possible, and as a reminder to CouncilMembers to push their thingies.
2:49:18:
Mayor Lauing: Yeah.
2:49:18:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: My concern is that we -- ah -- may face some potential litigation if wego this route. And this was, in the Finance Committee, a compromise arrived at, in order to try to avoidthat. And that's why my vote is no.
2:49:49:
Mayor Lauing: Is that all? OK. Please retake the vote. Oh. Sorry. Council Member Burt. Thank you.
2:49:55:
Council Member Burt: Burt? You said it?
2:49:56:
Mayor Lauing: Yeah.
2:49:56:
Council Member Burt: Um. I'll just say that I think that the narrow timeframe in which this would beoccurring before it goes to the UAC makes me OK with the MOTION.
2:50:13:
Mayor Lauing: OK. Let's please revote. To make it -- Make sure there are no errors.
2:50:19:
**: All right. Taking the re-vote. Council Member Burt.
2:50:22:
Council Member Burt: Yes.
2:50:23:
**: Council Member Lu.
2:50:26:
Council Member Lu: Yes.
2:50:27:
**: Council Member Lythcott-Haims.
2:50:29:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: No.
2:50:30:
** Council Member Reckdahl.
2:50:32:
Council Member Reckdahl: Yes.
2:50:32:
**: Mayor Lauing.
2:50:33:
Mayor Lauing: Yes.
2:50:35:
**: Vice Mayor Veenker.
2:50:35:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Yes.
2:50:37:
**: For the record, the MOTION carries 5-1-1, Council Member Lythcott-Haims no, and Council MemberStone absent.
2:50:50:
Mayor Lauing: OK. Thank you very much, staff and also the Finance Committee, for their work on this,and all the way back to the UAC as well.
2:51:04:
Director Kuratori: Since we took those MOTIONs separately, I believe we still have electric, fiber, andstormwater for the Council's consideration.
2:51:13:
Mayor Lauing: Yup.
2:51:15:
Council Member Burt: Mayor, did you want the fiber voted on separately or part of the electric and thestormwater?
2:51:23:
Mayor Lauing: We can try it all three together.
2:41:24:
Council Member Burt: OK. Um. Then I will MOVE the staff recommendations on fiber, electric, andstormwater, with one amendment, which is to direct staff to evaluate one or more alternative pricingmodels [for FTTP services], including a -- I'll call it a teaser price. What do we call it? Is there a betterterm for that?
2:51:59:
**: [unamplified] Promotional price.
2:52:00:
Council Member Burt: Promotional price. Thank you. And consideration of a reduced pricing for higher-speed categories.
2:52:24:
Mayor Lauing: Any second?
2:52:27:
Council Member Reckdahl: SECOND.
2:52:29:
Mayor Lauing: OK. Any conversation on the MOTION?
2:52:36:
Council Member Reckdahl: I give you the same guidance that I gave in Finance, is that, you know, withpricing, you can fail two ways. By charging too much and not attracting customers, or charge too littleand not make enough. And we don't know for sure what the right answer is. But if we're going to fail, I'drather fail by having too many people signing up and not making enough money on each of those. I thinkthat's the more satisfying way of failing. So, I would encourage you to keep the price as low as you can.
2:53:05:
Mayor Lauing: No other comments? Council Member Lu.
2:53:10:
Council Member Lu: I'll just make a brief comment as well, while we wait for the MOTION to be typed up. I'll echo my previous point that I would love to see more tiers, as a way to reduce rate increases for theaverage customer.
### I don't see what the number of tiers has to do with the magnitude or frequency of rate increases.
And I would also love -- though this is maybe more aspirational and challenges more assumptions builtinto the pricing model -- that we treat multi-family as residential.
### Does this mean that FTTP prices for a family in an MDU would be the same as FTTP prices for afamily in a single-family residence? Even though the City's costs might be different? I have beenassuming that that was staff's and Council's intent.
### Presentation slide 21 lists a "Smart MDU" product. It's for providing Wi-Fi within the MDU complex.https://www.calix.com/products/smartlife/smartmdu.htmlI assume it's not necessary for getting Wi-Fi within an MDU family unit.
So, maybe there's another class of multi-family. As we saw on slide 29, there are -- for gas, there -- thereis, on average, something like 15 percent less cost for residential single family, for the -- against PG&E. But there was, I think, a 17 percent HIGHER cost for this blended multi-family commercial, againstPG&E. And I'm not saying that multi-family customers should pay more or less, but I'm saying that thedata should be disaggregated, or more clear, so we can make intentional decisions. About creditingsmall businesses, or crediting residential as a whole, without some of this extra complexity. Thank you.
2:54:33:
**: If the maker and seconder could confirm that 2.c. is the appropriate placement for the addition.
2:54:44:
Council Member Burt: I can't quite read the -- there's a -- Oh, maybe I can -- No.. Let's see. OK. Iadjusted my screen. Thanks. I think that's correct. Thank you.
### Part 2.c. of the MOTION now reads, "Direct staff to evaluate one or more alternative pricing models,
including a promotional price and a reduced pricing for higher speed categories."
### Wordsmithing MOTIONs in real time in a 6-hour meeting is always a problem.
### I think the second part of 2.c. would have been clearer it it had said, "base FTTP prices on anestimate of the cost to the City rather than on an estimate of what the market will bear."
### By the way, I'm concerned that the price for the 500-Mbps rate assistance product ("up to" $30/mo)may not cover the City's costs.
2:55:08:
Mayor Lauing: OK. You can take the vote, please.
2:55:11:
**: Council Member Reckdahl.
2:55:11:
Council Member Reckdahl: Yes.
2:55:12:
** Council Member Lythcott-Haims.
2:55:13:
Council Member Lythcott-Haims: Yes.
2:55:14:
**: Council Member Lu.
2:55:16:
Council Member Lu: Yes.
2:55:16:
**: Vice Mayor Veenker.
2:55:17:
Vice Mayor Veenker: Yes.
2:55:18:
**: Mayor Lauing.
2:55:19:
Mayor Lauing: Yes.
2:55:20:
**: Council Member Burt.
2:55:21:
Council Member Burt: Yes.
2:55:22:
**: MOTION carries 6-0-1, Council Member Stone absent.
2:55:30:
Mayor Lauing: OK. So, we are completed with Item number 22. And I think now we should go aheadand take our about-15-minute break. And come back for the budget on Item 23, and then go on to Item24 from there.
END
==========================================================================
From:Kathryn Tomaino
To:Council, City
Subject:Fwd: 3225 El Camino Real
Date:Thursday, June 26, 2025 4:43:10 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kathryn Tomaino <ktomaino@icloud.com>Date: June 26, 2025 at 11:49:47 AM PDTTo: ria.lo@paloalto.govCc: Nathan Baird <Nathan.Baird@paloalto.gov>, citycouncil@paloalto.govSubject: 3225 El Camino Real
Dear Ms. Lo,Parking conditions on Portage Avenue are continuing to be untenable. I had someassurance from the city, through Nathan Baird, that changes would soon becoming. Subsequent to Nathan’s email below, I promptly complied with hisrequirement to obtain and provide consent from nearby property owners. In themeantime, our construction crew has had to contend with vehicles that the policewill not tow blocking our only driveway and even administering aid to anunconscious person found lying in front of the site. I have made numerousattempts to reach Nathan to effectuate the short term parking accommodationsthat he said he was directed to provide. All of my phone messages (5/19, 6/9,6/11, 6/12, 6/17, 6/19, 6/20, 6/25 and today) and numerous emails have goneunanswered. I, along with adjacent property owners, employees and customers are extremelyfrustrated and would like some relief.Would you please respond?Thank you,Kathryn Tomaino
Sent from my iPhone
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Begin forwarded message:
From: "Baird, Nathan" <Nathan.Baird@paloalto.gov>Date: May 16, 2025 at 7:47:43 AM PDTSubject: Re: 3225 El Camino Real
Hi Kathryn,
Please forgive the delay. I believe we will be able to move forward
with a change here, as its directly off of ECR and we've been
directed to accommodate short term parking changes
immediately off of ECR in response to the CalTrans project there
that has installed bike lanes and removed ECR parking.
Have you discussed your short term parking needs with any of
the other nearby property owners to confirm that everyone's on
the same page about what's needed? I will need to present and
discuss with them before we move forward.
Thank you,
Nate Baird
City of Palo Alto Office of Transportation
From: Tomaino, Kathryn <KTomaino@cbnorcal.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 6:20 PM
To: Baird, Nathan <Nathan.Baird@paloalto.gov>
Subject: RE: 3225 El Camino Real
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links.
Hi Nathan,
Do you have an update subsequent to your field visit last week?
I’m eager to hear.
Thanks,
Kathryn
Kathryn A. Tomaino
Broker AssociateCA BRE #00948257Realtor ®, ABR ®, e-PRO, SRES ®, CIPS
Notary Public
COLDWELL BANKER
175 South San Antonio RoadLos Altos, CA 94022650 917-5804 Directwww.kathryntomaino.com
I have not and will not verify or investigate any information supplied by others.
From: Baird, Nathan <Nathan.Baird@paloalto.gov>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2025 1:45 PM
To: Tomaino, Kathryn <KTomaino@cbnorcal.com>
Subject: RE: 3225 El Camino Real
Hello Kathryn,
Thank you for reaching out again. I will take a look at this location
in the field this week and see if it falls within our existing direction
to provide better business and commercial parking
accommodation due to the CalTrans ECR project removing
parking.
I will provide an update later this week with any next steps and
process.
FYI… We have been transitioning to .gov the last few weeks.
Nathan.Baird@cityofpaloalto.gov should now be up and running.
Thank you,
Nate Baird
Transportation Planning Manager
City of Palo Alto Office of Transportation
650-329-2340
From: Tomaino, Kathryn <KTomaino@cbnorcal.com>
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2025 9:38 AM
To: Baird, Nathan <Nathan.Baird@paloalto.gov>
Subject: Fwd: 3225 El Camino Real
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links.
Hi Nathan,
I’m not sure if any of these emails got to you. Would you please
call me to confirm receipt?
Thanks!
Kathryn Tomaino
650 279-5820
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Tomaino, Kathryn"
<ktomaino@cbnorcal.com>
Date: April 23, 2025 at 10:15:49 PM PDT
To: nathan.baird@cityofpaloalto.org
Subject: Fwd: 3225 El Camino Real
Hi Nathan,
It appears that I sent this to the wrong email
originally.
Thanks,
Kathryn
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Tomaino, Kathryn"
<ktomaino@cbnorcal.com>
Date: April 17, 2025 at 5:35:00 PM PDT
To: Nathan.Baird@cityofpaloalto.gov
Subject: 3225 El Camino Real
Dear Nathan,
Thank you for taking my call this past
Tuesday. I will be marketing the
residential units at 3225 El Camino Real.
Looking ahead, I can foresee a problem
with residents moving in and deliveries.
There are 20 parking spaces on grade, but
nowhere on site that can accommodate a
moving truck without blocking parked
cars. Also, the plans call for a fire hydrant
on Portage indicated by the red circle.
This eliminates much of the street parking
that is already very sparse. In my
research, I discovered plans for a 74,122
s.f. build on the opposite corner (3127 El
Camino Real) with a mix of retail,
restaurant, offices, apartments and
expansion of Equinox gym. This will
cause further congestion on an already
busy street.
I notice that 420 Acacia, 1 block
northwest, was able to get restricted
parking (see photo below). It would
greatly contribute to the success of the
3225 El Camino Real project if the
adjacent street spaces on Portage are
restricted to 2-hour parking.
Please let me know what steps I can take
to effectuate this change.
Thank you,
Kathryn
Red circle indicates location of future fire
hydrant. No parking beyond yellow area.
Southeast corner of El Camino and
Portage
Signs at 420 Acacia
Kathryn A. Tomaino
Broker Associate
CA BRE #00948257
Realtor ®, ABR ®, e-PRO, SRES ®, CIPS
Notary PublicCOLDWELL BANKER175 South San Antonio RoadLos Altos, CA 94022650 917-5804 Directwww.kathryntomaino.com
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From:Aram James
To:Sean Allen; Pat M; ladoris cordell; Binder, Andrew; Barberini, Christopher; Enberg, Nicholas; DuJuan Green;dennis burns; Robert. Jonsen; Afanasiev, Alex; cromero@cityofepa.org; Lee, Craig; Raymond Goins; Raj Jayadev;Richard Konda; Jeff Rosen; Rose Lynn; Rodriguez, Miguel; Damon Silver; Doug Minkler; Dave Price; EmilyMibach; Salem Ajluni; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; Lotus Fong; Foley, Michael;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Nash, Betsy; Bill Newell; Bil Barber; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Bains,Paul; Paul Joseph; Paul George @ PPJC; eddie.aubrey@sanjoseca.gov; Don Austin; yolanda; Yolanda Conaway;Perron, Zachary; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Palo Alto Free Press; Diana Diamond; Zelkha, Mila;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; Steve Wagstaffe; Khalia Parish ( Homeless Advocate); ParkRecCommission; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lauing, Ed; Reckdahl, Keith; KEVIN JENSEN;Nious, Kevin (NBCUniversal); GRP-City Council; Bill James; Zahra Billoo
Cc:EPA Today; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff
Hayden; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Burt, Patrick; Carla Torres; sharon jackson
Subject:"We"re not feeling protected. We"re feeling hunted": Community calls for changes to SDPD K-9 policy
Date:Thursday, June 26, 2025 10:24:02 AM
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'We're not feeling protected. We're feeling
hunted': Community calls for changes to
SDPD K-9 policy
By Katie Hyson / Racial Justice and Social Equity ReporterContributors: Carlos Castillo / Video Journalist
'We're not feeling protected. We're feeling hunted': Community calls for changes to SDPD K-9policy | KPBS Public Media
https://www.kpbs.org/news/racial-justice-social-equity/2024/12/06/were-not-feeling-protected-were-feeling-hunted-community-calls-for-changes-to-sdpd-k-9-policy
From:Aram James
To:Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23
Cc:Josh Becker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Zelkha, Mila; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen;
board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov; Reckdahl,
Keith; Lauing, Ed; GRP-City Council; Council, City; city.council@menlopark.gov; Binder, Andrew; Baker, Rob;
Raymond Goins; roberta ahlquist; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Barberini,
Christopher; Enberg, Nicholas
Subject:This year"s conference, features a total of 43 motions relating to Israel, the majority of which urge the BMA tocut ties with Israel and to declare that critic…
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 11:53:34 PM
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Israeli’s credibility on the world stage is zero
This year's conference, which began on Monday, features a total of 43 motions relating to
Israel, the majority of which urge the BMA to cut ties with Israel and to declare that criticismof Israel is not antisemitic. Only 5 of the international relations motions relate to other issues.
MThis year's conference, features a total of 43 motions relating to Israel, the majority of which
urge the BMA to cut ties with Israel and to declare that critic…
Source: The Jerusalem Post | JPost.comhttps://share.google/1NchXRejHdnbTXHBQ
From:Aram James
To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader forCalifornia Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Josh Becker; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org;BoardOperations; Marty Wasserman; h.etzko@gmail.com; Council, City; Lauing, Ed; Reckdahl, Keith; JeffHayden; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; GRP-City Council; Nash, Betsy;dcombs@menlopark.gov; city.council@menlopark.gov; Friends of Cubberley; Sheree Roth; Lori Meyers; SeanAllen; Bill Newell; Pat M; Rose Lynn; Gardener, Liz; Liz Kniss; Linda Jolley; John Burt; Zelkha, Mila; MickieWinkler; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Human Relations Commission; Dave Price; Emily Chapman; Braden Cartwright;EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Doug Minkler; Emily Mibach
Subject:NYTimes: Mamdani’s Success Spotlights a Deepening Rupture Among U.S. Jews
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 10:12:58 PM
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Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s success in the city with the largest Jewish population in theworld offered the starkest evidence yet that outspoken opposition to Israel and its government
— and even questioning its existence as a Jewish state — is increasingly acceptable to broaderswaths of the party, even in areas where pro-Israel Jews have long been a bedrock part of the
Democratic coalition.
NYTimes: Mamdani’s Success Spotlights a Deepening Rupture Among U.S. Jews
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/us/politics/zohran-mamdani-jewish-voters.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
From:Aram James
To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Foley, Michael; Rodriguez, Miguel; Doug Minkler;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Robert. Jonsen; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; chuck jagoda; Council, City;ladoris cordell; Bains, Paul; GRP-City Council; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Pat M; Burt, Patrick;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Afanasiev, Alex; Enberg, Nicholas; Barberini, Christopher; Tom DuBois; EPAToday; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan;assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Josh Becker; h.etzko@gmail.com; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric;city.council@menlopark.gov; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; DuJuan Green; Gerry Gras;Damon Silver; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23;Friends of Cubberley
Subject:Re: Excessive force settlement
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 9:42:32 PM
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Such asshole racist vile cops !!!!
On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 9:15 PM Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote:
CA Police Beat Man Recovering from Surgery
—Now the City Pays
youtube.com
Sent from my iPhone
From:Aram James
To:Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Sean Allen; Enberg, Nicholas; Barberini, Christopher; Perron, Zachary;Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Afanasiev, Alex; h.etzko@gmail.com; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leaderfor California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Vicki Veenker; Reckdahl, Keith;Baker, Rob; roberta ahlquist; Robert. Jonsen; Gardener, Liz; Raymond Goins; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; BradenCartwright; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Human Relations Commission; Supervisor SusanEllenberg; board@pausd.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; Bill Newell; Steve Wagstaffe; GRP-City Council; GRP-City Clerk; Mickie Winkler; Rowena Chiu; Rodriguez, Miguel; Damon Silver; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Dana St. George; Sheree Roth; Gerry Gras; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Foley,Michael; Pat M; Jeff Rosen; Rose Lynn; Friends of Cubberley; Palo Alto Free Press; Holman, Karen (external);Tom DuBois; Salem Ajluni; San José Spotlight; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; Bains,Paul; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Nash, Betsy; dcombs@menlopark.gov;city.council@menlopark.gov; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; City Attorney; Nicole Chiu-Wang; JoshBecker; assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca
Subject:Officer Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison After Setting K-9 On Cyclist, Faking College Degree
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 5:34:29 PM
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Officer Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison
After Setting K-9 On Cyclist, Faking
College Degree
Police Officer Sentenced To 7 Years In Federal Prison After Setting K-9 On Bicyclist, FakingCollege Degree | Concord, CA Patch
https://patch.com/california/concord-ca/police-officer-sentenced-7-years-federal-prison-after-setting-k-9-bicyclist
From:Magdalena Cabrera
To:Bansal, Megha; Horrigan-Taylor, Meghan
Cc:Claire Elliott; Angela Dellaporta; Andrea Wald; Sue; Council, City
Subject:Boulware park questions
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 4:51:50 PM
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i
Hello Megha,and Meghan,
I have been meaning to write for some time now. The park is getting lots of use and I cringe every time I look at it
with all that turf with babies lying on it, children sitting on it, running with bare feet on it, and parents oblivious of
the dangers the city has knowingly exposed them to for the next ten year not to mention those of us living a stone's
throw from the park. We are getting the worst of the pollution.
Questions:
1). When will the cyclone fence around the last climbing structure be removed? We are close to TWO years from
the beginning of this project.
2). Are dogs allowed in the kids' playground area??? If not, then where is the signage letting people know?? Are
dogs allowed in on leashes? What if they pee or poo??? I have seen a number of dogs in there already.
3). Why is there not better signage warning people about the high temperatures of the turf?
4). Where is the signage telling people that there should be NO food or drink in the playground area?
Everything we have been told about turf is that food and drink are big no nos on turf as the spillage of foodstuffs
and drinks can add to the bacterial load of the turf and make it even less safe for kids who fall and scrape their skin
on it.
5). Shouldn't there be some kind of warning about the negative and unhealthy plastics and PFAs chemicals that
children and adults are exposed to while playing on the turf?
6). When will the meadow be usable???? It is still a mess of weeds for now.
I am sure that you can tell that I am still very upset that the city decided to use artificial turf and rubber "mulch"
under the trees in our park. The rubber mulch also contains forever chemicals that leach into the ground and those
chemicals will be inimical to the health of the existing trees not to mention to people and the watershed and the
environment in general.
I await your response.
Respectfully,
Magdalena Cabrera
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast
From:Peter Bruce DuMont
To:forum@kqed.org
Cc:Mayor Adena Ishii; mgcl@law.berkeley.edu; ashapiro@law.berkeley.edu; Herb Behrstock ; Ashley
Raveche ; commendations@sfgov.org; daniel.lurie@sfgov.org; mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org;
scheduling@sfgov.org; Takashi Tanemori; Elizabeth Weinberg; WORLD RAINFOREST FUND;
sfprotocol2024@gmail.com; Dirk Neyhart ; mayorsoffice@ci.richmond.ca.us; kate.colin@cityofsanrafael.org;
Council, City; council@cityofberkeley.info; Chancellor Richard Lyons; Mayor@berkeleyca.org; Melinda Howard-
Herrarte
Subject:Re: Important FORUM show ideas for June 26th80th AnniversaryUN Charter Signing in San Francisco& August8th, 40th Anniversary, the original STAR ALLIANCE
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 3:45:32 PM
Attachments:Charter Reform image (1).pngUPDATE DRAFT FOR CITY PROCLAMATIONSUNITED NATIONSCHARTER-SIGNING80TH ANNIVERSARY2025-6-25(12-21 PM TODAY"S FINAL FOR 6-26 & THE BALANCE OF 2025!).pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
!
STAR ALLIANCE™
• Promoting Highest Civic Ideals™ for All •
2951 Derby Street, Suite 119 • Berkeley • California 94705
• Est. 1985 • M: +1-510-220-7464
• www.STARALLIANCE.org •
Honorable Mayors, Officials, Activists, Media Personnel, & Friends:
Attached is an update of the draft Proclamation I sent to each of you, along with a
cover letter to KQED Forum earlier this week, celebrating the 80th Anniversary of
the United Nations Charter Signing in San Francisco tomorrow. This update
includes a refined introductory section, and is substantially augmented at the
conclusion to make it relevant to the entire season of Anniversaries this summer and
fall, and not just tomorrow.
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The sender's email address couldn't be verified.
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I commend it to your reading or re-reading, adaptation as desired, and for future
consideration in conjunction with the STAR ALLIANCE 40th Anniversary August
8th, between the Nuclear ones; the International Day of Peace on September 21st,
and the day the original Charter came into force, namely October 24th.
In addition, below is copied an important virtual-event invitation for tomorrow at
noon, Pacific Time, courtesy San Francisco Chapter UNA President Ashley
Raveche. Quoting:
We the people celebrate 80 years of an institution fighting for peace and security
and the people who dedicated their lives to this service.
Please also join us for an informative webinar on Charter Reform and theSummit of the Future, Thursday June 26th from 12 - 1:30 pm PT/ 3 - 4:30 ET.
Register
here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_kJqtloMTqCVxIhGM5ajRw#/registration
KindlyAshley
Thank you, indeed — Ashley, and everyone associated with creating and promoting
such a timely, topical discussion, certainly a key to our collective future — and
thanks to all of you for your kind attention,
Peter Bruce DuMont
Founding Philosopher & President in Service
• The Original STAR ALLIANCE™ invites everyone to be a Star Citizen™ —
through education, inspiration, and commitment to our greatest, guiding "stars,"
those points of value we declare as Highest Civic Ideals™. You can access
these beautiful principles on the home page and under the menu at "Good WillCivic Values," on our website: www.STARALLIANCE.org.
On Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM Peter Bruce DuMont <president@staralliance.org> wrote:
STAR ALLIANCE™
• Promoting Highest Civic Ideals™ for All •
2951 Derby Street, Suite 119 • Berkeley • California 94705
• Est. 1985 • M: +1-510-220-7464
• www.STARALLIANCE.org •
Hosts Mina Kim, Alexis Madrigal, and Producers
KQED-FORUM Daily Talk Radio Show
KQED San Francisco, California
Dear Alexis, Mina, & Producers
Thank you for the difficult, timely, and important show FORUM did on Iran
this morning.
Another very important and timely show topic for this week will be a
possible way out (or better said: formula of ways out, in combination) from
the untenable global predicament and danger that literally everyone on
Earth is subject to at the moment, due to the real potentials of Nuclear
Winter, accelerating Climate Change, and still largely unregulated (or even
uncontrollable?) cyber mischief.
We need solutions that ultimately involve and benefit everyone.
As discussed with the cordial producer this morning (Thank you.): This
Thursday, June 26th, is the 80th Anniversary of the historic WWII-era
United Nations Charter signing — in San Francisco!
I think this signal event definitely warrants a special show, and not just
about "business as usual" with UN-boosting. Everyone knows the UN, as
great as it is, has been unsuccessful in stopping many wars over the last
80 years.
The attached draft proclamation prepared for the Cities of San Francisco,
Berkeley (and potentially others, if and as short time allows) further
explicates an intelligent understanding and direction, imho, for the United
Nations' collective opportunity to upgrade itself from within its own
structure.
Sure, it will be difficult to overcome the archaic, unfair, exclusive "Veto
factor," but that is the very reason we must try to meet "The Challenge of
Peace" with bold creativity.
To summarize what's different about this Proclamation draft, and to
comment here, by way of introduction:
The United Nations was and is a great start on global democracy, but its
structure is archaically bound to the lopsided power dynamics of the
immediate post-war period. It is obviously and profoundly in need of a
major upgrade in conformity with true democratic ideals. These include
representation by population [creating an elected Congress of the Earth, to
augment the appointed General Assembly] and a change in the
aforementioned veto at the Security Council — which has proven
consistently paralyzing when decisive action is needed most.
Just as the United States started with the weak Articles of Confederation
before the Founders created its Constitution; so the United Nations is
currently weak, and increasingly overdue to become strong. There's no
way around it. To prevent war and ensure consistent cooperation between
the States of the World — We, the People of the World, must soon
establish a strong central global government.
We can no longer AFFORD to be bound by fears and outdated
preoccupations with state sovereignty at the expense of global safety,
rationality, and effective policies to solve our mega-problems.
It seems the situation is at a critical boiling point, and we continue
unchanged at our collective peril. Practical pathways for structural change
— and helpful catalytic agents like the STAR ALLIANCE "Highest Civic
Ideals" cross-cultural value system — are no longer just nice dreams, they
are essential to our times.
I learned just days ago that no official events were planned by City Hall*,
and I have worked hard on the attached draft proclamation, which reflects
a lifetime of concern about the crucial issues and blockades to global
democracy. I suggest it is well worth your time to read it closely, as a basis
for a specialty show this Thursday, if humanly possible. Follow-up or free-
standing shows could occur on August 8th (our STAR ALLIANCE 40th,
which obviously falls right between the Nuclear Bomb Anniversaries),
September 21st, the annual International Day of Peace; and on or about
October 24th, when the UN Charter first came into force.
A show planned for August or September, btw — in conjunction with a
KQED-Live studio audience participation opportunity — would be exciting
and very meaningful, imo. But for the moment, I don't want to take y/our
focus off this Thursday and its historic significance.
I trust you have the staff, resources, reputation, and flexibility to pull
together some great academic guests, even that quickly. To help get your
process started on that and other angles, please consider the following
potential guests.
The Miller Institute on Global Challenges and the Law at UC Berkeley may
be one great resource. The UNA presented the Institute with a recognition
award within the last two years, and I attended with pleasure. I will copy
the Institute on this email and also Assistant Dean for Law School
Communications and Press/Media, Mr. Alex A.G. Shapiro [Mobile tel: 510-
829-2257.]
I might say, too, that I mentioned these anniversaries to Mayor AdenaIshii
of Berkeley when she came to Redwood Gardens and interacted with the
senior community there on May 30th (Photos attached, with her
Legislative Aide, Ms. Andrea Bernal.) Mayor Ishii expressed genuine
interest in "doing something" during the season, so she could be a good
guest to invite along with Mayor Lurie, were he available (I will copy him
and several other mayoral offices here.) or another suitable representative
from the City of San Francisco.
Mr. Herb Behrstock is a longtime and highly knowledgeable representative
of the United Nations Association-USA and Western Region/Bay Area. He
would be great if he is available. His email is hberstock@yahoo.com.
Ms Ashley Raveche is current President of the San Francisco UNA. I have
not been able to connect with either her or Herb this week, but I have
known the latter for many years, and I sent Ms. Raveche an advance draft
of the Proclamation early this morning.
If you want me to serve as a guest on a panel, I am ready, willing, and
able, even though our organization (due to many accumulated unjust
hardships) is behind its normal expected development curve, and one
important agency filing requirement (which we are intent on catching up on
soon. Please don't hesitate to call and ask me about more detail on that
issue.)
I do hold a (BA) degree from the University of California at Berkeley in
Peace and Conflict Studies from 1994 (although I am 73), and I wrote my
senior thesis on this topic for an "A" final grade (Transcript attached.) Rest
assured I will be OK with deferring my participation to August 8th or
September 21st. Nevertheless, I do think I could contribute this week,
depending on other factors you may consider. An update, one-page
summary of creative concepts I have developed over the last 40 years is
attached, followed by a narrative bio, and of course our website:
www.STARALLIANCE.org.
Whether for this week or for August 8th, I have at least two other "Star
Citizen" guests to recommend. A third, Mr. John Gageof Berkeley, I have
not spoken with about this yet, but he is a retired high-tech scientist and
executive with an amazing biography, a longtime friend, and a signer of
the same historic, "developing edition" summary Pledge and Declaration
that Alexis and Mina were kind to sign in 2022, after a "KQED-Live" event.
(Please see attached, with many thanks to both of them for that "leap of
civic faith!" Update summaries are on the homepage of our website, which
might be interesting to compare.)
Mr. Takashi Tanemori, the 88-year-old Hiroshima Survivor who received
our "STAR OF PEACE" award in 2013, has written a book about his life
that is definitely "big hit" material for a major movie, following on to
"Oppenheminer," from the receiving end of The Bomb. His colleague and
able assistant, Ms. Elizabether Weinberg, has been active with the UNA's
for many years and can speak knowledgeably from that experience, too.
Mr. David Seaborg, Evolutionary Biologist, science author and poet, is a
nonprofit leader (worldrainforest.org), STAR ALLIANCE Advisor and Allied
Organization Liaison. He speaks with outstanding lucidity, yet
understandably for most average citizens, about the environmental crisis.
His late father was Nobel Laureate Chemist Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, who
discovered many of the heavy elements and worked on the Bomb team,
and also with President Kennedy on negotiating the historic LimitedTest
Ban Treaty (atmosphere, space, and underwater.)
Thank you very much for your attention to these important matters, and I look
forward to speaking with someone at FORUM, whether this week or in the very
near future.
Yours sincerely for all our declared Highest Civic Ideals,
Peter Bruce DuMont
Founding Philosopher & President in Service
* There is a film screening, focused on the distinguished career of Ban Ki-
moon, Tuesday evening at Herbst Hall, promoted by the San Francisco
UNA.
• The Original STAR ALLIANCE™ invites everyone to be a Star Citizen™ —
through education, inspiration, and commitment to our greatest, guiding "stars,"
those points of value we declare as Highest Civic Ideals™. You can access
these beautiful principles on the home page and under the menu at "Good WillCivic Values," on our website: www.STARALLIANCE.org.
STAR ALLIANCE.ORG
🌟A PUBLIC SERVICE DRAFT🌟
PROCLAMATION FOR SAN FRANCISCO,
BERKELEY, & OTHER BAY AREA CITIES
2025-6-24 Update for 2025-6-26 & SEQ.
[Adapt ASAP for the balance of 2025]
🌟🌟80th Anniversary🌟🌟
🌟United Nations Charter Signing🌟
✨🌟In San Francisco🌟✨
WHEREAS, 80 Years ago — with World War II still raging in the Pacific — delegates
from fifty nations gathered in the fair City of San Francisco and signed, on 1945
June 26th, their commitment to a safer, better world through an initial structure of
global representation, communication, and cooperation, under law
— The United Nations — to help eliminate “the scourge of war” for
future generations; and
WHEREAS, The human race still finds itself repeatedly mired in dangerous
unresolved conflicts — with ever-more-powerful, speedy, and sophisticated
weaponry, along with pressures from pollution and climate change,
globalization, disinformation, and degrees of ill will throughout — and with
problems often amplified by mass media, profit-driven corporate interests,
potentially-misguided AI, and tech-empowered small actors; and
WHEREAS, In particular, the continuing presence of large numbers of Nuclear
Weapons — held by just nine countries — subject our entire species and shared
eco-sphere to unacceptable risks of lasting harm — an ever-present potential for
even accidentally-triggered, but no less real, Nuclear Winter, world-wide death,
destruction, and miserable suffering, lasting many generations for survivors, if
any; and
Page of 1 4
WHEREAS, One of the United Nations’ most outstanding achievements to date is
the historic International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons ; and
1
WHEREAS, The United Nations provides or supports many functions upon
which people everywhere depend daily, such as coordination of services
through the International Telecommunications Union, the Universal Postal Union,
The World Health Organization, and the International Monetary Fund; and
standing for Human Rights, principles, and values everywhere; and
WHEREAS, Many of humanity’s most vexing challenges can only be solved by
policy changes at the level of the global whole — while solutions everywhere
depend on recognition and participation from local areas, credible institutions, and
whole populations. These dual realities highlight the critical need for public
awareness, public education, and public support for enhanced understanding,
communication, cooperation, and celebration at the local and global levels; to
improve our collective successes, sustainability, happiness, and fulfillment as a
whole human race; and
WHEREAS, The ideals of democracy require fair representation of citizens
everywhere — proportional to population. Yet under the current UN Charter,
none exists. Therefore, an upgrade to global constitutional law is sorely needed;
and
WHEREAS, Under the current Charter, each nation’s representative is appointed
by the Head of State or other government official or process, not elected directly
by the people; and
WHEREAS, Under the current Charter, the Security Council has demonstrated
consistent inability to act when action is needed most, due to the requirement
for absolute unanimity among the historical Five Permanent Members of the
Council (whose effective, exclusive right to “veto” any Council action are related
neither to population nor to principle, but only to historical power); and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon our generation and succeeding generations to
upgrade the Charter or other structure of global governance, in order to achieve
effective democratic function as envisioned by the founders; and
WHEREAS, Article 109 of the U.N. Charter, accordingly and wisely, provides an
established legal pathway to convene a Charter Review Conference at any
After decades of preparation, it was adopted on 2017-7-7, ratified by the 50th Member 1
Nation to become International Law on 2021-1-22, and is now signed by 94 nations and fully
ratified or acceded to by 73. (Over 1/3 of the 193 country Members of the United Nations.)
Page of 2 4
time , which would be equivalent to a historic Global Constitutional Convention 2
for our times; and
WHEREAS, The creation of the Internet by brilliant, hardworking scientists,
engineers, and entrepreneurs in recent decades makes it possible to organize
successful, functional representation by population everywhere ; and
3
WHEREAS, Similarly: A series of regular Global Town Meetings can now be 4
organized efficiently to build public will, in order actually to accomplish the needed
Charter Review / Convention, disseminate reliable public information, generate
and receive widespread public input, build broad public support for enlightened
policies; help global audiences understand, resolve, and transform conflicts; and
celebrate positive aspects of their respective cultures and achievements
worldwide; and
WHEREAS, The Charter Review and Global Town Meetings may appropriately
be centered in and/or coordinated from the great City of San Francisco, home of
the symbolic and beloved Golden Gate Bridge and the National Parks-related
Presidio of San Francisco ;
5
NOW THEREFORE:
The Cities of San Francisco, Berkeley, and ___________________________
[Continues…]
Article 109 can be activated by a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly. Although it was set for 2
automatic GA Agenda inclusion on the Organization’s 10th Anniversary, a Charter Review
Conference has never been held, likely due to discouragement that the results of the
conference would ever be passed by all five Permanent Members of the Security Council. Still,
in our opinion at STAR ALLIANCE, that is not a good reason never to start the process and try.
One suggested formula is internationally-supervised elections (building on the Carter Center 3
model), for the people to elect one man and one woman to represent each Global District of ten million people.
Perhaps four times a year, at the turn of seasons, ongoing.4
After initial startup using other facilities — the Presidio’s Fort Winfield Scott would make a 5
beautiful coordinating locale, in conjunction with a bold “Ring of All Nations” floating
amphitheater envisioned for San Francisco Bay. [For more information on the latter, please
contact the original STAR ALLIANCE by call (or preferably an initial text) at 510-848-1818.)
Page of 3 4
Hereby Proclaim the Balance of 2025 as:
✨🌟 A SEASON OF CELEBRATION, VISION, & ACTION 🌟✨
✨🌟 🇺🇳 FOR THE UNITED NATIONS 🇺🇳🌟 ✨
in our respective cities and our beautiful Bay Area; and do hereby encourage
media organs throughout the Bay Area, California, the United States of America,
and the world to carry this news to people everywhere: with encouragement to join
in this important milestone Season, and to do everything in their power to help
effect the bold and vital vision of a global Charter Review Conference [aka
“Global Constitutional Convention”] at the earliest possible time — and to help
create and publicize local, national, and international supportive programs,
events, and facilities for the Global Town Meeting series as soon as possible.
TO BE SIGNED BY APPROPRIATE MAYORS OR OTHER OFFICIALS
Respectfully drafted, 2025-6-19 to 6-25,
Peter Bruce DuMont
On behalf of the
STAR ALLIANCE 🌟 Foundation for All✨
www.STARALLIANCE.org / in-home office; Berkeley, CA.
510-848-1818 / [Alt: 510-220-7464.]
Click here to link to: Official UN page/s "Celebrating 80" / Major Meetings
Click here to link to: Specific June 26th activities & contacts, UN-HQ, New York
Public contact for San Francisco UNA Chapter President: president@una-sf.org
Public contact for Washington, DC: membership@unausa.org | (202) 854-2360.
Page of 4 4
From:Loran Harding
To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; David Balakian; Becky Vagim;bearwithme1016@att.net; bballpod; beachrides; fred beyerlein; Leodies Buchanan; boardmembers; Council, City;Cathy Lewis; dennisbalakian; dallen1212@gmail.com; kdeem.electriclab@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; 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; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; newsdesk; nickyovino; news@fresnobee.com; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; vallesR1969@att.net;yicui@stanford.edu
Subject:Fwd: Lake Tahoe boat tragedy
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 3:34:44 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Tue, Jun 24, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Subject: Lake Tahoe boat tragedyTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Wed., June 25, 2025
Read this re the boat accident on Lake Tahoe. Eight of the 10 on board dead. It's full of
stats about storms and drownings in Calif. An avg. of 7 people drown in L. Tahoe everyyear. In June there is still snow melt feeding the lake and it is cold. Cardiac arrest,
hypothermia, cold shock can kill. Would any of that apply to lakes east of Fresno? Peopledrown in those too.
You see boating accidents, injuries and deaths in recent years in Calif. here.
Storms like this are common in the winter at L. Tahoe but rare in June.
Lake Tahoe boating tragedy: Big waves, cold water, strong winds created deadlyconditions
L. William Harding
Fresno, Ca.
From:Jack Sweeney
To:Bulatao, Eric
Cc:City Mgr; Council, City
Subject:Re: Homeless issue Park Blvd
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 10:05:16 AM
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i
Sergeant Bulatao,
Thank you very much for your response to my message. I know that you have more important
things to manage. You were extremely helpful and kind to me when my roof was damaged bya group of fake contractors and I am grateful. I am a big supporter of the PAPD.
My experience with the unhoused is minuscule compared to yours, so I apologize for mybroad characterization of ‘dangerous and unsavory.’ It is well documented that substance
abuse and mental illness are ubiquitous among the unhoused. It is not clear if homelessness isthe cause or the effect of these serious health and safety concerns.
I choose to avoid the Park Blvd corridor (as well as downtown PA) with the kids due to thesituation. Based on the online Police Log, the number of arrests of ‘transient’ individuals
downtown is quite large.The bigger issue, to me, is that the owners of huge vehicles on Park Blvd that are flaunting the
parking restrictions have created a “broken windows” environment. This causes more vehicledwellers to move in. As you are certainly aware, some of these vehicles have been there for
many years. At least one of them has been parking dozens of vehicles in the area for morethan 10 years.
Thank you, again, Sergeant, for your message. I will take your advice and call the non-emergency number when I feel the need.
Jack Sweeney
On Jun 24, 2025, at 1:37 PM, Bulatao, Eric <Eric.Bulatao@paloalto.gov> wrote:Dear Mr. Jack Sweeny,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding the ongoing
issues on Park Boulevard near Lambert.
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast
I serve as the supervisor of the Special Problems Detail (SPD), a unit
specifically tasked with addressing ongoing quality-of-life concerns throughout
the city. One of our core responsibilities is to collaborate closely with various
departments and service providers that work with our unhoused population.
This includes efforts to ensure public safety while also pursuing long-term,
sustainable solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness.
I want to assure you that we do not ignore the concerns you've raised. We treat
these matters very seriously. We are well aware of the challenges posed byvehicle dwellings in areas such as Park Boulevard, particularly where posted
parking restrictions are in effect. Our team actively monitors these areas andtakes appropriate enforcement action when legally permissible. However, we
also recognize the need to balance enforcement with compassion, and we areactively working with city partners and outreach teams to offer resources for
permanent housing and supportive services for individuals living in theirvehicles.
Regarding your concerns about personal safety and the ability to walk on Park
Boulevard: please know that we take these issues very seriously. If youobserve behavior that appears threatening or illegal, we strongly encourage
you or any other community member to contact our 24-hour non-emergencydispatch line at (650) 329-2413. This allows us to respond in real time and
address specific safety concerns more effectively. General statements aboutindividuals being “dangerous” without clear context limit our ability to take
meaningful enforcement action.
We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all community
members, including families who wish to walk and enjoy their neighborhoodswithout fear or obstruction. While progress can take time, please know we are
dedicating both personnel and resources toward lasting solutions, not justtemporary displacement.
Should you wish to speak further, feel free to give me a call.
Thank you again for your engagement and advocacy for a safer community.
Respectfully,
Sergeant Eric BulataoPalo Alto Police Department
Special Problems Detail
275 Forest Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301Office: (650) 838-2866
From: Jack Sweeney <jackddranch@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 12:00 PM
To: City Mgr <CityMgr@paloalto.gov>; Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>
Subject: Homeless issue Park Blvd
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.
Many vehicle dwellers use Park Blvd near Lambert (old Fry’s area) as their privateparking area. Some use their “tow away “ notices as a sign of seniority. Why do thepolice ignore these vehicles that have been parked for weeks directly adjacent to the no
parking signs posted here? It’s clearly a difficult issue but allowing these individuals toflaunt their disregard for the parking regulations seems problematic. I’d like to walkwith 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. How can you help?
Sent from my iPad
From:Henry Etzkowitz
To:Roberta Ahlquist; Brian Good; Palo Post; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg; Christiane Gebhardt; Rabii Outamha;Gloria Hom; Roseline Rasolovoahangy; Mariza Almeida; Janice Ovadiah; Helen Lawton Lawton-Smith; James SefeDzisah; Maria Slowey; Mark Granovetter; Office of the Provost; 翁默斯; sally Tomlinson; Ray Tourzan; SueRosser; Rosa Caiazza; Gizem Sivri; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Guilherme Ary Plonski; Laleh Raeisy; Gennady Sheyner;Janet Levitt; Magnus Klofsten; Panagiotis Ketikidis; Klaus.Sailer@sce.de; Maria Slowey; Roberto Islas; HenryRiggs
Cc:Avroh Shah; paul bundy; Bette Kiernan; Carlotta Perez; Ellen Fox; Firoozeh Dastmalchi; Sue Rosser; Charles
Spanhook
Subject:Matadero Creek Toxic Pour
Date:Wednesday, June 25, 2025 9:19:14 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links.
Welcome to join
Neighbors for Environmental and Social justice
Hold Elon accountable!
Sent from my iPhone
Caution: This is an external email.
From:Flaherty Ward
To:SiliconValleyPI.com
Cc:Council, City; Council, City
Subject:RE: Buena Vista Redevelopment
Date:Tuesday, June 24, 2025 3:21:24 PM
Attachments:Buena Vista May 2025 (English and Spanish) (1).pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Hi Ellen:
Nice to hear from you. We released a parkwide newsletter in May which noted that it
was taking longer than expected to identify a feasible path forward and that we would
start resident engagement at later date (attached). That date is still undetermined.
We will reach out to the Buena Vista residents as soon as we’re able to.
Thank you,
Flaherty
From: SiliconValleyPI.com <pauladrake@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 2:47 PM
To: Flaherty Ward <Flaherty.Ward@scchousingauthority.org>
Cc: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org; city.council@paloalto.gov
Subject: Buena Vista Redevelopment
Hi Flaherty,At the end of last year the HA rescinded the buy-out offers andinformed the residents that the redevelopment was on pause and wewould be further notified "after the first of the year". It is now well after the first of the year and I and other residentshave heard nothing from the HA.
This message needs your attention
This is their first mail to some recipients.
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Please respond with a schedule for redevelopment as it isappropriate to involve residents in the process as opposed to simplyhanding down mandates as has been done in the past. Thank you,Ellen Gold Buena Vista Unit #105
Ellen Gold
Ellen "Paula-Drake" Gold
Your SILICON VALLEY Connection!
Ellen A. Gold, M.Ed., Owner & Founder
Paula Drake Investigations
California Lic.# PI 16813
http://www.SiliconValleyPI.com
3790 El Camino Real #2001
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 857-9465
Celebrating 31 years serving the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area and The World!
mailto:ceo@SiliconValleyPI.com
http://www.PaulaDrakePI.com
http://www.ChildCustodyCop.com
http://www.SupervisedVisitationServices.com
From:SiliconValleyPI.com
To:Flaherty Ward
Cc:Council, City; Council, City
Subject:Buena Vista Redevelopment
Date:Tuesday, June 24, 2025 2:47:03 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Hi Flaherty,At the end of last year the HA rescinded the buy-out offers andinformed the residents that the redevelopment was on pause and wewould be further notified "after the first of the year".
It is now well after the first of the year and I and other residentshave heard nothing from the HA.
Please respond with a schedule for redevelopment as it isappropriate to involve residents in the process as opposed to simplyhanding down mandates as has been done in the past.
Thank you,Ellen Gold Buena Vista Unit #105
Ellen Gold
Ellen "Paula-Drake" Gold
Your SILICON VALLEY Connection!
Ellen A. Gold, M.Ed., Owner & FounderPaula Drake Investigations
California Lic.# PI 16813http://www.SiliconValleyPI.com
3790 El Camino Real #2001Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 857-9465Celebrating 31 years serving the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area and The World!
mailto:ceo@SiliconValleyPI.comhttp://www.PaulaDrakePI.com
http://www.ChildCustodyCop.comhttp://www.SupervisedVisitationServices.com
This message needs your attention
No employee in your company has ever replied to this person.
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BU E NA V ISTANewsletter
MAY 2025
May is a time full of heartfelt moments and meaningful celebrations—from honoring the strength and love of mothers
on Mother’s Day, to the vibrant traditions of Cinco de Mayo, and the quiet reflection of Memorial Day as we remember
those who served. These events remind us to pause, appreciate, and connect—with our families, our neighbors, and our
shared community. As we head into summer, let’s carry that spirit forward with open hearts, sunny gatherings, and the
simple joy of spending time with loved ones.
MAY BRINGS MEANING, SUMMER BRINGS JOY!
LET’S SPRING CLEAN TOGETHER
We’re encouraging everyone to take part in this
year’s spring-cleaning effort. A clean and safe
homesite benefits the whole community. To help
with this multi-family clean-up day, a free dumpster
will be available on Monday, May 12 through
Thursday, May 15 for residents to dispose of
unwanted items and clutter. Management will
provide more information soon.
th
th
🌸 “In Every Bloom, a Story—In Every Neighbor, a Friend”
We’re excited to invite you to a Resident Event filled with fun activities and neighborly connection! Whether you’re
stopping by to say hello or staying to mingle, it’s a great chance to enjoy the season and spend time with your
community. More details to follow!
YOU ARE INVITED! Resident Event – Friday, May 30th
It has been six months since the Housing Authority paused redevelopment activities. Since that time, staff has worked
with its design, engineering, and construction teams to determine a new path forward. This work is ongoing, and the
Housing Authority believes it will take additional time to complete a thorough analysis. The team will reach out when it is
ready to engage residents on possible next steps. It’s important to note that this work is complicated and is expected to
take several more months. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.
REDEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Management has tentatively planned a Community Fire Drill
for the third week of May. Management will share more
details once the date is confirmed. In the meantime, it’s a
great idea to check your smoke detectors, review your exit
plan, and visit NFPA Fire Safety Tips for resources and
checklists.
COMMUNITY FIRE DRILL
FRIENDLY PARK RULES REMINDERS
To help keep the community peaceful and pleasant
for all:
All dogs must be on a leash anytime they are off
your homesite. And please—always clean up
after your pet.
Drive Carefully – Please slow down when driving
on the property. We have children playing and
neighbors walking—please keep your speed to
5 mph throughout the park.
Storage of combustible materials prohibited– For
safety, do not store flammable or combustible
materials outside your unit/homesite.
The Community Room and Picnic Table area are available for
resident use! Whether it's a birthday, potluck, or just a casual
get-together, we love seeing neighbors gather and connect.
Reservations are required, so please contact management to
secure your spot.
PLANNING AN EVENT?
Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections will take place
between late summer and early fall. To help everyone
prepare, pre-inspections will be offered, and dates will be
announced in advance. We strongly encourage all residents
to take this opportunity to prepare—early action is essential
to ensure your home passes inspection.
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS (HQS)INSPECTIONS
BU E NA V ISTANewsletter
MAYO 2025
Mayo es una época llena de momentos emotivos y celebraciones significativas, desde honrar la fuerza y el amor de lasmadres en el Día de la Madre, hasta las vibrantes tradiciones del Cinco de Mayo y la tranquila reflexión del MemorialDay cuando recordamos a los que sirvieron. Estos eventos nos recuerdan que debemos hacer una pausa, apreciar yconectarnos con nuestras familias, nuestros vecinos y nuestra comunidad compartida. A medida que nos acercamosal verano, llevemos ese espíritu adelante con corazones abiertos, reuniones soleadas y la simple alegría de pasartiempo con nuestros seres queridos.
¡MAYO TRAE SIGNIFICADO, EL VERANO TRAE ALEGRÍA!
¡HAGAMOS LIMPIEZA DE PRIMAVERA!
Animamos a todos a participar en el esfuerzo delimpieza de primavera de este año. Un terrenolimpio y seguro beneficia a toda la comunidad.Para ayudar en esta jornada de limpiezamultifamiliar, habrá un contenedor de basuragratuito disponible desde el lunes 12 de mayo hastael jueves 15 de mayo para que los residentespuedan deshacerse de objetos no deseados y deldesorden. La administración proporcionará másinformación próximamente.
🌸 “En cada flor, una historia; en cada vecino, un amigo”
¡Estamos encantados de invitarte a un Evento para residentes lleno de actividades divertidas y conexiones entrevecinos! Ya sea que pases a saludar o te quedes a socializar, es una gran oportunidad para disfrutar la temporada ypasar tiempo con tu comunidad. ¡Pronto habrá más detalles!
¡ESTAS INVITADO! Evento para residentes – Viernes 30 de mayo
Han pasado seis meses desde que la Autoridad de vivienda detuvo las actividades de reurbanización. Desde entonces,el personal ha trabajado con los equipos de diseño, ingeniería y construcción para determinar un nuevo camino aseguir. Este trabajo está en curso y la Autoridad de vivienda considera que llevará más tiempo completar un análisisexhaustivo. El equipo se comunicará con los residentes cuando esté listo para hablar sobre los posibles próximospasos. Es importante señalar que este trabajo es complicado y se espera que tome varios meses más. Agradecemosla paciencia de todos durante este tiempo.
ACTUALIZACIÓN DE LA REURBANIZACIÓN
La administración ha planeado tentativamente un simulacrode incendio comunitario para la tercera semana de mayo. Laadministración compartirá más detalles una vez que seconfirme la fecha. Mientras tanto, es una gran idea revisartus detectores de humo, tu plan de evacuación y visitar losConsejos de seguridad contra incendios de la NFPA paraobtener recursos y listas de verificación.
SIMULACRO DE INCENDIO COMUNITARIO
RECORDATORIOS AMISTOSOS DELAS REGLAS DEL PARQUE
Para ayudar a mantener la comunidad pacífica yagradable para todos: Todos los perros deben estar atados con correaen cualquier momento que se encuentren fuerade tu propiedad. Y por favor, siempre limpia losdesechos de tu mascota. Conduce con cuidado: reduce la velocidad alconducir dentro de la propiedad. Tenemos niñosjugando y vecinos caminando; por favor, manténla velocidad a 5 mph en todo el parque. Está prohibido almacenar materialescombustibles: por seguridad, no almacenesmateriales inflamables o combustibles fuera detu unidad/terreno
¡La sala comunitaria y el área de la mesa de picnic estándisponibles para uso de los residentes! Ya sea uncumpleaños, una comida compartida o simplemente unareunión informal, nos encanta ver a los vecinos reunidos yconectando. Es necesario reservar, comunícate con laadministración para asegurar tu lugar..
¿ESTAS PLANEANDO UN EVENTO?
Las inspecciones de Estándares de calidad de vivienda(HQS) se llevarán a cabo entre fines del verano y principiosdel otoño. Para ayudar a todos a prepararse, seofreceráninspecciones previasy las fechas se anunciaráncon anticipación. Recomendamos encarecidamente atodos los residentes que aprovechen esta oportunidad paraprepararse: actuar con anticipación es esencial paragarantizar que tu hogar pase la inspección.
INSPECCIONES DE ESTÁNDARES DECALIDAD DE VIVIENDA (HQS)
From:jfleming@right-thing.net
To:Shikada, Ed
Cc:Council, City; Clerk, City; Lait, Jonathan; Ed@EdLauing.com; Vicki@VickiforCouncil.com; pat@patburt.org; Lu, George;
Julie@JulieforPaloAlto.com; Reckdahl, Keith; gstone22@gmail.com
Subject:RE: Regarding Jonathan Lait
Date:Tuesday, June 24, 2025 11:52:49 AM
Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngEmail_#_and_%_of_utility_poles_IN_ROW_within_Residential_Zoning_Districts_distance_to_bldg_structures_analysis.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
!
Dear Mr. Shikada,
Thank you for your email. Now it is my turn to apologize for being delayed in
responding.
Thank you as well for explaining the compensation item on June 16th’s Council
Agenda, and for explaining that Mr. Lait reports to you, not City Council. Given the
reporting relationship, I am glad to know that you are involved in the consideration of
Mr. Lait’s falsehoods to City Council, the Planning & Transportation Commission and
the Architectural Review Board.
Regarding your statement that “At roughly 4:07 [on the recording of the December 16,2019, City Council meeting], Director Lait states very clearly ‘we looked at 100 feet,
we looked at 50 feet, we looked at 35 feet’ in explaining how staff determined 20 feet
as a recommended distance.” Yes, Mr. Lait did say that. I was wrong, and I
apologize to Mr. Lait and City Council for this mistake.
But that doesn’t mean Mr. Lait was truthful on December 16, 2019. Behavioral
scientists sort lies into three categories: lies of commission, lies of omission, andpaltering—i.e., the use of selective truths to mislead. And Mr. Lait’s statements to
Council on December 16, 2019, clearly fall into the latter two categories.
What Mr. Lait withheld from City Council at that meeting, and continued to withhold atsubsequent Council and Board meetings, was the data in the middle column of the
internal Plannng Department memo attached to my letter to City Council and attached
to this email as well. Specifically, he withheld 1) the number of poles that were
available at different distances from residences, and 2) the total number of woodutility poles that in fact had been considered—oddly, only 2,682 out of Palo Alto’s
roughly 6,000 wood poles.
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Similar name as someone you've contacted.
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As one can easily calculate from the data in the memo Mr. Lait withheld, there were
784 wood utility poles at least 35 feet from a residence, and that’s without counting a
single one of Palo Alto’s 6,000 lamp posts, lamp posts which also are eligible for cell
tower siting. Had Mr. Lait provided these numbers to Council at their December 16,
2019, meeting, Council almost certainly would not have agreed to allow cell towers tobe as close as 20 feet to a home. But with his lie of omission, Mr. Lait misled Council
into believing that they had no choice but to establish the 20 foot setback he
preferred.
If you look again at the video of that meeting, what you will see is Councilmembers
unhappily wrestling with the issue of whether they should approve the Staff-
recommended 20 foot setback, and turning to Mr. Lait for guidance. For example,
you will find Councilmember Kniss asking him (at roughly 4:19) “When you tried outthose distances [e.g., 20 feet], what did you find?” And you will see that, instead of
giving Councilmember Kniss a straight answer—instead of telling Council how many
actual poles were available at 20, 35, 50 and 100 feet—Mr. Lait provided only the
percentage of utility poles that were closer than that to a building.
Imagine asking a hotel where you are considering booking a room how big the room
is, and they tell you that the room represents two percent of the square footage in thehotel. How helpful is that? About as helpful as the percentages Mr. Lait provided to
Council while withholding the numbers he could see they were looking for.
Mr. Lait is a smart guy. He knew what he was doing. And what he was doing wasboth 1) lying by omission—specifically, withholding the information Council was
looking for and he had at his fingertips, and 2) lying by paltering—specifically, using
selective facts to mislead Council into believing they needed to approve the 20 foot
setback favored by the telecom industry, as opposed to the greater setback favoredby residents.
In your email to me, you spoke of looking further into the concerns I raised. I hopeyou do. Because I am confident that if you review the videos of the other three city
meetings I cited regarding cell tower setbacks, you will see Mr. Lait or his staff
continually withholding from Council, the PTC and the ARB the information they were
looking for while selectively using data to manipulate these bodies into approving thesetback sought by cell tower companies .
For example, on November 15, 2021, at a joint study session of Council, the PTC and
the ARB on revising the wireless ordinance, Councilmember Tanaka (at roughly 3:18)
asked Mr. Lait to tell him the number of poles at different distances from residences.
Mr. Lait claimed he was not prepared to answer that question—"not prepared,” mind
you, to answer a question central to the wireless ordinance revision the joint study
session was convened to consider. Instead he promised to look into getting an
answer for Mr. Tanaka. He stalled for two months, but in an email forwarded by you
to Mr. Tanaka on January 18th, 2022, Mr. Lait finally provided data for 20 feet, 35 feet
and 100 feet (data which at this point he had had, and kept silent about, for over two
years), adding that he did not have information for any other distances. This is
categorically false. We know from the statement of Mr. Lait’s that you quoted in your
email to me, that Mr. Lait also had data for 50 feet, a distance Mr. Tanaka had
specifically asked about.
(Please note that in my email to Council, I erroneously stated that this meeting
occurred on November 21, 2021. In fact, it occurred on November 15, 2021. I also
provided the wrong date for the first PTC meeting I cited—a meeting at whichCommissioner Summa was repeatedly denied the data she sought on the availability
of poles at setbacks other that 20 and 100 feet (the exchange begins at roughly
1:05). That meeting took place on February 20, 2020, not on December 13, 2020.)
To be clear, in my email to Council, I cited a total of four meetings at which Mr. Lait or
his staff lied about data that they had and that members of Council, the ARB and/or
the PTC sought—i.e., they repeatedly committed lies of omission and lies of
paltering. I hope you will review all of those videos.
I hope as well that you will review the videos of the other two examples of Mr. Lait’s
falsehoods I cited in my email to Council: 1) Mr. Lait’s overt lie to Vice Mayor
Veenker on October 21, 2024, that no standards for cell tower siting and design
existed before so-called objective standards were passed on December 16th, 2019 (at
the Council meeting on May 19, 2025, as you know, United Neighbors provided Vice
Mayor Veenker and the rest of Council with documentation that such standards did
exist); and 2) his overt lie to Council on February 4, 2019, that he was forced to
approve a cluster of cell towers sans ARB review because he was about to run out of
time on the shot clock, a lie quickly refuted at the same meeting by the telecom
company’s lawyer, who said (at roughly 5:30) that his client had offered to extend theshot clock 30 days in order to allow time for ARB review.
As you wrote, Jonathan Lait, as a public official, has taken an oath to hold himself to
the highest standards of integrity. Unfortunately, he has fallen far short of them.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Right-Thing.net650-325-5151
From: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov>
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2025 2:04 PM
To: jfleming@right-thing.net
Cc: City Mgr <CityMgr@paloalto.gov>
Subject: RE: Regarding Jonathan Lait
Hello Dr. Fleming,
My apology for not responding sooner, as I was out ill on Friday. I nonetheless want to
respond to your message to the city council.
For your awareness, the item on tonight’s city council agenda is not to approve raises for any
individual employees. It specifically provides cost of living adjustments for several groups of
City employees, including unrepresented managers and professional staff. Further, under the
city charter all department directors, including the Director of Planning and Development
Services, are appointed (subject to city council confirmation) and report to the city manager
and not the city council. The city council does not directly hire nor terminate department
directors.
Based on the concerns raised in your message, I did review the video of the December 19,
2019 city council meeting. At roughly 4:07, Director Lait states very clearly “we looked at 100
feet, we looked at 50 feet, we looked at 35 feet” in explaining how staff determined 20 feet as
a recommended distance. Please let me know if there was a different statement you were
referencing at that meeting. I will also look further into the other concerns you raised, but at
this point wanted to share the status of my review. Public officials take an oath and are
expected to hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, and I have found no reason to
doubt Director Lait’s commitment to this standard.
Best regards,
--Ed
Ed Shikada, City Manager
ICMA Credentialed Manager
(650) 329-2280 | ed.shikada@PaloAlto.gov
www.PaloAlto.gov
From: jfleming@right-thing.net <jfleming@right-thing.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2025 9:07 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>
Cc: Clerk, City <City.Clerk@PaloAlto.gov>; Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@paloalto.gov>;
Ed@EdLauing.com; Vicki@VickiforCouncil.com; pat@patburt.org; Lu, George
<George.Lu@paloalto.gov>; Julie@JulieforPaloAlto.com; Reckdahl, Keith <reckdahl@yahoo.com>;
gstone22@gmail.com
Subject: Regarding Jonathan Lait
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Dear Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker and Councilmembers Burt, Lu, Lythcott-
Haims, Reckdahl, and Stone:
This coming Monday, you will be considering raises for City department heads.
I am writing to ask you to not only not approve a raise for Planning Director Jonathan
Lait, but to consider whether Mr. Lait’s employment with the City of Palo Alto should
be terminated. Why? Because in addressing you at Council meetings, he hasrepeatedly and unambiguously been untruthful.
Although you know me from the cell tower issue, this letter is not about cell towers. It
is about a city employee who does not tell the truth when asked direct questions byCouncil. More specifically, Mr. Lait has over and over, on the public record, made
false statements to City Council, to the Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC)
and to the Architectural Review Board (ARB).
By “false statements,” I do not mean that Mr. Lait has misspoken about minor points.
I mean that he has been repeatedly untruthful when Council, the PTC or the ARB has
asked him questions central to core issues, and in doing so given answers that
completely misled the panel he was speaking to. I will give you three examples:
1. At the December 16, 2019, City Council meeting, Council asked Mr. Lait
how many City poles were available for use as a cell tower at distances
greater than the 20 feet from a residence City Staff recommended Council
approve, but less than the 100 feet from a residence residents sought. (At
issue was whether Council needed to allow cell towers be located as close
as 20 feet to a residence in order to comply with the provisions of the 1996
Telecom Act.)
In response, Mr. Lait said he only had information for the number of poles
at 20 feet and 100 feet. This, to be direct, was a bold faced lie.
Attached is a memo obtained through a Public Records request. As you
can see, the memo was sent to Mr. Lait by the Planning Department’s
Roland Rivera and it includes data on a minimum 35-foot setback from
residences—data that Mr. Lait specifically said he didn’t have, data that
showed there were more than enough poles available at 35 feet to
accommodate all cell tower applications.
As you can also see, the memo was sent at 5:34 on December 16, 2019—
i.e., well before Council took up the cell tower issue later that evening.
As a result of Mr. Lait’s denying he had the data they sought, a frustrated
Council voted to approve the 20-foot setback Staff recommended.
This is not be the only time Mr. Lait was asked, on the public record, for the
same information, and not the only time he falsely asserted that the data he
was hiding did not exist. Specifically he was asked for it:
On December 13, 2020, by the Planning & Transportation
Commission as it considered revisions to the wireless ordinance;
On November 21, 2021, by City Council, the Planning &
Transportation Commission, and the Architectural Review Board,
meeting in a joint study session to consider revisions to the wireless
ordinance; and
On January 12, 2022, by the Planning & Transportation
Commission, once again considering revisions to the wireless
ordinance.
On each occasion, Mr. Lait falsely stated that he only had information for 20
feet and 100 feet.
In short, Mr. Lait has, over a period of years, looked you and other City
officials in the eye and told you he didn’t have information he in fact did
have, presumably to support an agenda of his own.
2. At the October 24, 2024, City Council meeting, Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker
asked Mr. Lait if any standards for cell tower siting and design existed other
than those expressed in the so-called “objective standards” Resolution
passed on December 16th, 2019. (At issue was whether, if Council were to
overturn the Resolution, Palo Alto would still have guidelines in place for cell
towers.)
In response, Mr. Lait said “No.” That was unequivocally not true. And at
your recent May 19th Council meeting, United Neighbors provided you with
documentation that it was not true—documentation in the form of a Staff
Report prepared for an ARB meeting prior to passage of the “objective
standards” Resolution that included a written list of Palo Alto’s standards for
cell towers.
3. At a February 4, 2019, City Council meeting, Director Lait told Council that
he had bypassed the step of sending the University South cell tower
application to the Architectural Review Board and approved it without
consulting them because of “shot clock” pressure. (At issue was whether
Mr. Lait had a good reason for ignoring the procedure called for by Palo
Alto’s wireless ordinance when he eliminated ARB review and a public
hearing for this application.)
What Mr. Lait said was not true. The telecom company’s lawyer who was
in attendance when Mr. Lait made this assertion stood up and said Crown
Castle wished to state, for the record, that Mr. Lait had refused their offer to
stop the shot clock for 30 days in order to make time for an ArchitecturalReview Board public hearing.
Because cell towers are the only issue I follow closely, I can only document Mr. Lait’s
years-long pattern of deceiving City Council, the PTC and the ARB when it comes tothis issue. But given his indifference to telling the truth, I hope you will consider
investigating whether he has told you material falsehoods regarding other issues.
More importantly, I hope you will consider terminating Mr. Lait’s employment. His lieshave wasted a great deal of everyone’s time and manipulated Council, the ARB and
the PTC into making suboptimal decisions for Palo Alto.
If you do not terminate Jonathan Lait’s employment, please consider making him takean oath at the start of every Council meeting to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Fleming
Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Right-Thing.net
650-325-5151
From:Rivera, Roland
To:Atkinson, Rebecca; Lait, JonathanSubject:# and % of utility poles IN ROW within Residential Zoning Districts distance to bldg structures analysis
Date:Monday, December 16, 2019 5:34:49 PM
Here you go…
# of Utility Poles in ROW within
Residential Districts that are
WITHIN
% of Utility Poles in ROWwithin
Residential Districts that are
WITHIN
20 ft of building structures 223 8%
35 ft of building structures 1,898 71%
100 ft of building structures 2,572 96%
Total # of Utility Poles IN ROW within Residential Districts 2,682
Let me know if you have any questions.
Roland
From:Helene Grossman
To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Transportation; Safe Routes; Star-Lack, Sylvia
Subject:City not adhering to MUTCD standards – unsafe routes to school persist
Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 10:51:34 PM
Attachments:Screenshot 2025-06-23 at 10.15.08 PM.png
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i
Dear City Council members and staff,
I’d like to share the conclusion of my latest story related to cyclist safety:
I have been raising the issue of Greer & Thomas for nearly a year now. This
intersection is a 2-way stop with the stop signs in the wrong direction: the main road
stops, while traffic coming out of the cul-de-sac is given priority (no stop or yield).
Image is below.
This design:
Violates MUTCD standards (Section 2B.04) and is inconsistent with *every
other intersection* on Greer -- it breaks driver expectations and creates a
hazard by confusing right-of-way rules
Does not have the required visibility for a 2-way stop, due to the curvature of the
road and the high hedges
Is listed as a “Safe Route to School,” which isn’t actually safe
Has already had a serious accident, with a cyclist being sent to the ICU by a car
coming out of the cul-de-sac -- still, no corrective action was taken
Luckily, it’s an easy fix: just reverse the stop signs or make it a 4-way stop.
I filed a 311 ticket at the beginning of the school year (#16259924). I got no
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response. I escalated multiple times. I kept commenting on the ticket. I kept
reaching out to staff. Mayor Lauing helped by advising staff to please respond to 311
tickets. Still I waited.
In the end, the Transportation Dept spent 7 months studying this simple question:
When you have a 2-way stop with a main road and a small cul-de-sac, which
direction should stop?
And, after 7 months of thinking about it: They decided to do the opposite of
MUTCD: cul-de-sac traffic would continue to have the (unexpected!) right-of-
way over the major road. This “Safe Route to School” would continue to be unsafe.
And that’s where we are today.
I had never heard of MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) until a few
years ago, when I started studying it with regard to the E Meadow / Ross Rd
roundabout. What I learned is: MUTCD codifies common sense. It looks at what
road users need to be safe – what drivers are expecting, how much visibility they
need to yield appropriately, etc. – and codifies it into state and federal design
standards. Every time I find an intersection in Palo Alto that doesn’t make sense, it
turns out it’s because it violates MUTCD.
However, when citizens point this out and request a fix, Transportation staff ignore,
deny, and deflect. Every single one of my 311 tickets has been denied, including this
simple and easily rectified issue at Greer and Thomas.
Citizens should not have to create petitions and lobby for years to get road
designs that adhere to state and federal standards. This is a completely broken
system that needs to be fixed.
I understand we have a new Transportation Chief, and I am happy to meet with
Director Hutabarat Lo if you could provide her contact information. We need to take a
deep inward look and make fundamental changes within the Transportation Dept.
As much as I support Vision Zero, I believe we need to pause this program until staff
can prove they can make decisions that conform with MUTCD, rather than investing
in bad designs that citizens will need to spend years lobbying to fix.
In the meantime, our community’s safety is at risk.
Thank you for your consideration and your service.
Sincerely,
Helene Grossman
From:Aram James
To:Jeff Rosen
Cc:Jay Boyarsky; Gennady Sheyner; Council, City; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Jessica Speiser, Educational Leader
for California Democratic Delegate, Assembly District 23; Gardener, Liz; Noel Sanborn; Lotus Fong; Roberta
Ahlquist; San José Spotlight; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Pat M; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations;
board@valleywater.org; Yolanda Conaway; Emily Mibach; Dana St. George; Gerry Gras; Josh Becker;
assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov; Doug Minkler; Zelkha, Mila; Lori Meyers; Sheree Roth; sharon
jackson; Rose Lynn; Karen Holman; Drekmeier, Peter; Veenker, Vicki; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Raymond Goins;
jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; editor@paweekly.com; Lauing, Ed; Reckdahl, Keith; Perron, Zachary;
planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Human Relations Commission; Friends of
Cubberley; Burt, Patrick; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; h.etzko@gmail.com; Sameena Usman; Robert Salonga;
Raj Jayadev; chuck jagoda; Charlotte Casey; Rodriguez, Miguel; Daniel Barton; Don Austin; yolanda; Diana
Diamond; Dennis Upton; Bill Newell; Tom DuBois; Hans-Peter Tiemann; Nious, Kevin (NBCUniversal); Binder,
Andrew; Robert Handa; Reifschneider, James; Barberini, Christopher; city.council@menlopark.gov;
citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Clerk, City; Palo Alto Free Press; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Baker, Rob; Jay
Boyarsky; EPA Today; cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; Angel, David; Templeton, Cari; Braden Cartwright;
Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Roberta Ahlquist; WILPF Peninsula Palo
Alto; Linda Jolley; Tim James; Marina Lopez; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Figueroa, Eric;
Jensen, Eric; Afanasiev, Alex; Lee, Craig; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Rowena Chiu; Patrice Ventresca; Damon Silver;
Steve Wagstaffe; Anna Griffin; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; John Burt; henry etzkowitz; Gennady Sheyner;
Henry Riggs; Rowena Chiu; raj@siliconvalleyde-bug.org; roberta ahlquist
Subject:Re: Should DA Jeff Rosen recuse his office from the Stanford 12 Case?You be the judge?
Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 10:30:05 PM
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June 23, 2025
Hi Jeff,
I still wish to discuss the recusal issue with you when you have a free minute. You might wantto add to the mix your visit to Israel in January 2024, where you apparently spent time mixing
it up with the IDF ( Israeli Military). I know you have a strong affinity for Israel and that is
absolutely your right. But after reading the linked material at the bottom of this letter it
becomes beyond dispute that it would be extremely problematic if your office did not
seriously consider recusal in this matter.
Best regards,
Aram
On Tue, Jun 3, 2025 at 10:09 AM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Jeff,
Aram here. I hope you and your family are doing well. I will write more later.
Given your long history of advocacy for the State of Israel, your Israeli citizenship, yourrecent handshake with Bibi, and your apparent antipathy towards the Palestinian people and
their struggle for liberation, I believe it would be wise for you to recuse yourself and youroffice from the Stanford 12 Case. The optics of this situation are problematic for you.
I agree with you that non-violent protest is protected by the First Amendment, and I also
recognize that vandalism can be a crime. However, when property damage occurs, even if itis substantial, to prevent a greater crime—such as genocide or the destruction of a culture—
this vandalism may be excused. We can certainly debate this matter, but I believe you are anhonorable person, and with a bit of self-reflection, you will do the right thing.
Please feel free to call me at any time to discuss this most critical matter.
Best regards,
Aram James
P.S. Please correct me if I have any factual inaccuracies. If you are not an Israeli citizen,please inform me. Additionally, if you did not shake Bibi's hand during his recent visit to the
Bay Area, kindly clarify that as well.
“We felt like we couldn’t be anywhere else,” shared Hausner alumna Rachel Rosen (Classof 2013) in describing her family’s visit to Israel in January.
Best regards,
Aram
https://share.google/9SlM3r4qyrVkmyA4W
From:Peter Bruce DuMont
To:forum@kqed.org
Cc:Mayor Adena Ishii; mgcl@law.berkeley.edu; ashapiro@law.berkeley.edu; Herb Behrstock ; Ashley
Raveche ; commendations@sfgov.org; daniel.lurie@sfgov.org; mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org;
scheduling@sfgov.org; Takashi Tanemori; Elizabeth Weinberg; WORLD RAINFOREST FUND;
sfprotocol2024@gmail.com; Dirk Neyhart ; mayorsoffice@ci.richmond.ca.us; kate.colin@cityofsanrafael.org;
Council, City; council@cityofberkeley.info; Chancellor Richard Lyons
Subject:Important FORUM show ideas for June 26th80th AnniversaryUN Charter Signing in San Francisco& August 8th,40th Anniversary, the original STAR ALLIANCE
Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 5:02:19 PM
Attachments:DRAFT FOR CITY PROCLAMATIONSUNITED NATIONSCHARTER-SIGNING80TH ANNIVERSARY2025-6-23 (11AM)FOR 6-26.pdfCREATIVE WORK & BIOGRAPHY Peter Bruce DuMont Portrait of a Visionary Update at 2025-6-23 .pdfSUMMARY SIGNED PLEDGE & DECLARATION • EDITION OF 2022-7-7 (w. Madrigal & Kim @ 2022-7-30 & Gage@ 2022-8-8).pdfPBD • UCB • UC BERKELEY OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT [PBD"S COPY] • TEQ4SSZO.pdf
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!
STAR ALLIANCE™
• Promoting Highest Civic Ideals™ for All •
2951 Derby Street, Suite 119 • Berkeley • California 94705
• Est. 1985 • M: +1-510-220-7464
• www.STARALLIANCE.org •
Hosts Mina Kim, Alexis Madrigal, and Producers
KQED-FORUM Daily Talk Radio Show
KQED San Francisco, California
Dear Alexis, Mina, & Producers
Thank you for the difficult, timely, and important show FORUM did on Iran
this morning.
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Another very important and timely show topic for this week will be a possible
way out (or better said: formula of ways out, in combination) from the
untenable global predicament and danger that literally everyone on Earth is
subject to at the moment, due to the real potentials of Nuclear Winter,
accelerating Climate Change, and still largely unregulated (or even
uncontrollable?) cyber mischief.
We need solutions that ultimately involve and benefit everyone.
As discussed with the cordial producer this morning (Thank you.): This
Thursday, June 26th, is the 80th Anniversary of the historic WWII-era United
Nations Charter signing — in San Francisco!
I think this signal event definitely warrants a special show, and not just
about "business as usual" with UN-boosting. Everyone knows the UN, as
great as it is, has been unsuccessful in stopping many wars over the last 80
years.
The attached draft proclamation prepared for the Cities of San Francisco,
Berkeley (and potentially others, if and as short time allows) further
explicates an intelligent understanding and direction, imho, for the United
Nations' collective opportunity to upgrade itself from within its own
structure.
Sure, it will be difficult to overcome the archaic, unfair, exclusive "Veto
factor," but that is the very reason we must try to meet "The Challenge of
Peace" with bold creativity.
To summarize what's different about this Proclamation draft, and to
comment here, by way of introduction:
The United Nations was and is a great start on global democracy, but its
structure is archaically bound to the lopsided power dynamics of the
immediate post-war period. It is obviously and profoundly in need of a major
upgrade in conformity with true democratic ideals. These include
representation by population [creating an elected Congress of the Earth, to
augment the appointed General Assembly] and a change in the
aforementioned veto at the Security Council — which has proven
consistently paralyzing when decisive action is needed most.
Just as the United States started with the weak Articles of Confederation
before the Founders created its Constitution; so the United Nations is
currently weak, and increasingly overdue to become strong. There's no way
around it. To prevent war and ensure consistent cooperation between the
States of the World — We, the People of the World, must soon establish a
strong central global government.
We can no longer AFFORD to be bound by fears and outdated
preoccupations with state sovereignty at the expense of global safety,
rationality, and effective policies to solve our mega-problems.
It seems the situation is at a critical boiling point, and we continue
unchanged at our collective peril. Practical pathways for structural change
— and helpful catalytic agents like the STAR ALLIANCE "Highest Civic
Ideals" cross-cultural value system — are no longer just nice dreams, they
are essential to our times.
I learned just days ago that no official events were planned by City Hall*,
and I have worked hard on the attached draft proclamation, which reflects a
lifetime of concern about the crucial issues and blockades to global
democracy. I suggest it is well worth your time to read it closely, as a basis
for a specialty show this Thursday, if humanly possible. Follow-up or free-
standing shows could occur on August 8th (our STAR ALLIANCE 40th,
which obviously falls right between the Nuclear Bomb Anniversaries),
September 21st, the annual International Day of Peace; and on or about
October 24th, when the UN Charter first came into force.
A show planned for August or September, btw — in conjunction with a
KQED-Live studio audience participation opportunity — would be exciting
and very meaningful, imo. But for the moment, I don't want to take y/our
focus off this Thursday and its historic significance.
I trust you have the staff, resources, reputation, and flexibility to pull
together some great academic guests, even that quickly. To help get your
process started on that and other angles, please consider the following
potential guests.
The Miller Institute on Global Challenges and the Law at UC Berkeley may
be one great resource. The UNA presented the Institute with a recognition
award within the last two years, and I attended with pleasure. I will copy the
Institute on this email and also Assistant Dean for Law School
Communications and Press/Media, Mr. Alex A.G. Shapiro [Mobile tel: 510-
829-2257.]
I might say, too, that I mentioned these anniversaries to Mayor AdenaIshii of
Berkeley when she came to Redwood Gardens and interacted with the
senior community there on May 30th (Photos attached, with her Legislative
Aide, Ms. Andrea Bernal.) Mayor Ishii expressed genuine interest in "doing
something" during the season, so she could be a good guest to invite along
with Mayor Lurie, were he available (I will copy him and several other
mayoral offices here.) or another suitable representative from the City of
San Francisco.
Mr. Herb Behrstock is a longtime and highly knowledgeable representative
of the United Nations Association-USA and Western Region/Bay Area. He
would be great if he is available. His email is hberstock@yahoo.com.
Ms Ashley Raveche is current President of the San Francisco UNA. I have
not been able to connect with either her or Herb this week, but I have known
the latter for many years, and I sent Ms. Raveche an advance draft of the
Proclamation early this morning.
If you want me to serve as a guest on a panel, I am ready, willing, and able,
even though our organization (due to many accumulated unjust hardships)
is behind its normal expected development curve, and one important
agency filing requirement (which we are intent on catching up on soon.
Please don't hesitate to call and ask me about more detail on that issue.)
I do hold a (BA) degree from the University of California at Berkeley in
Peace and Conflict Studies from 1994 (although I am 73), and I wrote my
senior thesis on this topic for an "A" final grade (Transcript attached.) Rest
assured I will be OK with deferring my participation to August 8th or
September 21st. Nevertheless, I do think I could contribute this week,
depending on other factors you may consider. An update, one-page
summary of creative concepts I have developed over the last 40 years is
attached, followed by a narrative bio, and of course our website:
www.STARALLIANCE.org.
Whether for this week or for August 8th, I have at least two other "Star
Citizen" guests to recommend. A third, Mr. John Gageof Berkeley, I have
not spoken with about this yet, but he is a retired high-tech scientist and
executive with an amazing biography, a longtime friend, and a signer of the
same historic, "developing edition" summary Pledge and Declaration that
Alexis and Mina were kind to sign in 2022, after a "KQED-Live" event.
(Please see attached, with many thanks to both of them for that "leap of
civic faith!" Update summaries are on the homepage of our website, which
might be interesting to compare.)
Mr. Takashi Tanemori, the 88-year-old Hiroshima Survivor who received
our "STAR OF PEACE" award in 2013, has written a book about his life that
is definitely "big hit" material for a major movie, following on to
"Oppenheminer," from the receiving end of The Bomb. His colleague and
able assistant, Ms. Elizabether Weinberg, has been active with the UNA's
for many years and can speak knowledgeably from that experience, too.
Mr. David Seaborg, Evolutionary Biologist, science author and poet, is a
nonprofit leader (worldrainforest.org), STAR ALLIANCE Advisor and Allied
Organization Liaison. He speaks with outstanding lucidity, yet
understandably for most average citizens, about the environmental crisis.
His late father was Nobel Laureate Chemist Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, who
discovered many of the heavy elements and worked on the Bomb team, and
also with President Kennedy on negotiating the historic LimitedTest Ban
Treaty (atmosphere, space, and underwater.)
Thank you very much for your attention to these important matters, and I look
forward to speaking with someone at FORUM, whether this week or in the very
near future.
Yours sincerely for all our declared Highest Civic Ideals,
Peter Bruce DuMont
Founding Philosopher & President in Service
* There is a film screening, focused on the distinguished career of Ban Ki-
moon, Tuesday evening at Herbst Hall, promoted by the San Francisco
UNA.
• The Original STAR ALLIANCE™ invites everyone to be a Star Citizen™ —through education, inspiration, and commitment to our greatest, guiding "stars,"
those points of value we declare as Highest Civic Ideals™. You can access
these beautiful principles on the home page and under the menu at "Good Will
Civic Values," on our website: www.STARALLIANCE.org.
From:Henry Etzkowitz
To:Council, City; Office of the Provost; Roberta Ahlquist
Cc:Tatyana Kanzaveli; Rebecca Eisenberg; Brian Good
Subject:Fwd: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 1:00:10 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Henry Etzkowitz
Sociology Department Stanford University
www.triplehelix.net
Begin forwarded message:
From: Henry Etzkowitz <H.Etzko@gmail.com>Date: June 22, 2025 at 2:20:16 AM PDTTo: Ed Shikada <Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov>Subject: Re: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
Hi Ed
Possible to manage coi but what is your management scheme?
Henry Etzkowitz Sociology Department Stanford Universitywww.triplehelix.net
On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:10 AM, Shikada, Ed<Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov> wrote:Hi Henry -
No one is changing jobs; we make it work!
Best,
—Ed
Get Outlook for iOS
From: Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2025 7:22:06 AM
To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov>
Subject: Gender Equity in Marital Conflict of Interest Resolution
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 thehusband, especially one with ample employment opportunities? Ed
Henry Etzkowitz
2024 City Council candidate Neighbors for environmental and social justice www.triplehelix.net