HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-03-22 City Council Summary Minutes
Special Meeting
March 22, 2004
SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY ................................................................ 281
1. Resolution 8412 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo
Alto Expressing Appreciation to Agent Jim Coffman Upon His
Retirement ................................................................................... 281
2. Appointment of Candidates to the Human Relations Commission (HRC) 281
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ....................................................................... 281
3. Adoption Of A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For A
Grant And Execute An Agreement With The State Of California For A
Per Capita Grant In The Amount Of $266,000 And With The State Of
California Land And Water Conservation Fund Program In The Amount
Of $160,000 For Acquisition Of The Peninsula Open Space Trust
Arastradero Gateway Property ........................................................ 282
4. Approval of an Agreement in the Amount of $113,672 with Palo Alto
Housing Corporation and Palo Alto Housing Corporation Apartments,
Incorporated for Funds Allocated during fiscal year 2003/04 Under the
Community Development Block Grant Program ................................. 282
5. Public Hearing: The City of Palo Alto to establish Underground Utility
District Number 40. The Council shall hear all protests and receive
evidence for and against the action herein proposed, and when and
where the Council shall consider and finally determine whether the
public necessity, health and safety require the establishment of the
District and the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated
overhead structures, and the underground installation of wires and facilities for supplying electric, communication and similar or
associated services in the District .................................................... 282
6. Public Hearing: The City of Palo Alto will consider the Planning and
Transportation Commission recommendation that the City Council
approve permanent implementation of the Modified Mixed Measures
Plan as a replacement for the current Downtown North Traffic Calming
Trial which ended December 2003. The recommended plan includes
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five street closures, two traffic circles, one speed table, one bulb out,
and peak-hour turn restrictions from Middlefield Road and Alma Street
onto Hawthorne Avenue. The Commission also recommends approval
of a mitigated negative declaration with a set of possible future
improvement actions ..................................................................... 283
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m. .............................. 293
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The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council
Chambers at 6:50 p.m.
PRESENT: Beecham, Burch, Cordell, Freeman, Kishimoto, Kleinberg,
Morton, Mossar, Ojakian
SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
1. Resolution 8412 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo
Alto Expressing Appreciation to Agent Jim Coffman Upon His
Retirement”
MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Kleinberg, to adopt
the Resolution.
MOTION PASSED 9-0.
2. Appointment of Candidates to the Human Relations Commission (HRC)
City Clerk Donna Rogers announced that Valerie Menager (with 9 votes) and
Shauna Wilson (with 7 votes) were appointed on the first ballot to two,
three-year terms ending March 31, 2007.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Victor Frost, P.O. 213, spoke regarding the homeless crisis in Palo Alto and
questioned the status of the Opportunity Center.
Mark Harris, 1417 Dana Avenue, said the purpose of the Mediation Program
was to solicit applicants for ten new mediators.
John K. Abraham, 756 Hawthorne Avenue, objected to the Planning and
Transportation’s staff report regarding decisions made by the Director.
CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Cordell, to approve
Consent Calendar Item Nos. 3 and 4.
LEGISLATIVE
3. Adoption Of A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For A
Grant And Execute An Agreement With The State Of California For A
Per Capita Grant In The Amount Of $266,000 And With The State Of
California Land And Water Conservation Fund Program In The Amount
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Of $160,000 For Acquisition Of The Peninsula Open Space Trust
Arastradero Gateway Property
Resolution 8413 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto
Approving the Applicant to Apply for Grant Funds for the Per Capita Grant
Program Under the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood
Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002”
Resolution 8414 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto
Approving the Application for Land and Water Conservation Fund Arastradero
Gateway Land Acquisition Project”
ADMINISTRATIVE
4. Approval of an Agreement in the Amount of $113,672 with Palo Alto
Housing Corporation and Palo Alto Housing Corporation Apartments, Incorporated for Funds Allocated during fiscal year 2003/04 Under the
Community Development Block Grant Program
MOTION PASSED 9-0.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
5. Public Hearing: The City of Palo Alto to establish Underground Utility
District Number 40. The Council shall hear all protests and receive
evidence for and against the action herein proposed, and when and
where the Council shall consider and finally determine whether the
public necessity, health and safety require the establishment of the
District and the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated
overhead structures, and the underground installation of wires and
facilities for supplying electric, communication and similar or
associated services in the District.
Electric Engineering Manager Tomm Marshall said he had received a few
comments from the public. There were 16 homes being considered in the
Underground District.
Mayor Beecham declared the Public Hearing open at 7:10 p.m.
Jeff Shore, 1905 Edgewood Drive, said the Underground District had been
offered by the City, as an accommodation for loss of property and
landscaping, in connection with the levy restoration and floodwall
reconstruction project on the San Francisquito Creek.
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Mayor Beecham declared the Public Hearing closed at 7:13 p.m.
MOTION: Council Member Mossar moved, seconded by Freeman, to
introduce the Ordinance to create Underground Utility District No. 40 and
thereby amend section 12.16.020 of Chapter 12.16 of Title 12 of the Palo
Alto Municipal Code.
Ordinance 1st Reading entitled “Ordinance of the Council of the City Of Palo
Alto Amending Section 12.16.020 Of Chapter 12.16 of Title 12 of the Palo
Alto Municipal Code by Establishing Underground Utility District No. 40”
MOTION PASSED 9-0.
6. Public Hearing: The City of Palo Alto will consider the Planning and
Transportation Commission recommendation that the City Council
approve permanent implementation of the Modified Mixed Measures
Plan as a replacement for the current Downtown North Traffic Calming
Trial which ended December 2003. The recommended plan includes
five street closures, two traffic circles, one speed table, one bulb out,
and peak-hour turn restrictions from Middlefield Road and Alma Street
onto Hawthorne Avenue. The Commission also recommends approval
of a mitigated negative declaration with a set of possible future
improvement actions.
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Adopting a Mitigated
Negative Declaration Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act for
and Approving the Permanent Implementation of the Modified Mixed
Measures Traffic Calming Plan for the Downtown North Neighborhood
Mayor Beecham stated he would not participate in Item No. 7 due to a
conflict of interest because his residence was within 500 feet of the property. He said Vice Mayor Burch would officiate the meeting.
Council Member Mossar said there were some concerns voiced about a
potential issue regarding her mother-in-law who lived at 101 Alma Street,
but was advised she could participate in the item because the condominium
was owned by a revocable trust.
Vice Mayor Burch declared the Public Hearing open at 7:20 p.m.
Director of Planning and Transportation Steve Emslie spoke about the history
of the Downtown North Traffic Calming Project. Traffic calming first appeared
on the City Council’s approved list of studies in 1979.
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Planning and Transportation Commissioner Phyllis Cassel said the Planning
and Transportation Commission (PTC) supported the original trial project
because there was significant cross-traffic through the neighborhood.
Enclosures were recommended as part of the Downtown North Plan.
Daniel Sills, 296 Waverley Street, said he was in favor of the Traffic Calming
Plan because Downtown was safer and more tranquil.
Jane Stern, 230 Emerson Street, said she was concerned about her
community. Opening the streets was symbolic of re-opening the community.
Ed Glazier, 255 Everett Street, said Downtown North was a walkable, livable
neighborhood and a desirable location. Interior traffic at morning and
afternoon commute times did not render the neighborhood less safe or
desirable.
Janice Hough, 189 Bryant Street, said she understood the desire to salvage
the project because a lot of time and money had been spent on it. She
suggested the project be thrown out.
Robin Reynolds, 319 Everett Avenue, said she supported the traffic
measures that had been put in place. The streets were not designed to
support the number of cars, which sped through and parked in her
neighborhood.
Paul Dolkas, 412 Everett Avenue, said a survey of 584 residents showed 62
percent supported the plan.
Kay Hohbach, 333 Kipling Street, said her neighborhood was safer because
of the traffic calming.
Michelle Hamilton, 158 Emerson Street, said an extreme traffic situation in
Downtown North existed and asked for support of traffic calming.
Susan Tachna, 614 Everett Avenue, said the unique nature of the
neighborhood required them to endure the weight of cut-through traffic from
Willow Road.
Jerry Schwarz, 230 Emerson Street, said he took surveys of the traffic flow
in Downtown North. He believed the value of his community was the health
of Downtown.
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Francesca Freedman, 115 Everett Avenue, said she was opposed to the
closures as she felt they fashioned a gated community using tax dollars for a
select few.
Janine Bisharat, 621 Hawthorne Avenue, said cut-through traffic would not
be addressed with speed bumps and other alternatives. The majority of the
residents wanted fewer cars in their neighborhood.
Selora Albin, 660 Hawthorne Avenue, said her neighborhood was peaceful
and safer with the barriers.
Michael Ekoff, 621 Hawthorne Avenue, said over a period of ten years, there
had been an escalation in traffic. As a result of the barriers, there had been
a decline in traffic and speeding and an increase in bicycle and pedestrian
traffic.
Sam Sparck, 302 Poe Street, said the traffic-calming project had fulfilled its
goal and requested it be made permanent with the changes the trial period
had indicated as necessary.
Lucilia Goulart Da Silva, 309 Poe Street, said the unusual high traffic in her
neighborhood was disruptive and had a potentially negative environmental
impact on San Francisquito Creek.
Greg Chesson, 115 Waverley Street, said he wanted to support the Modified
Mixed Measures Plan, which addressed the problems of nearby
neighborhoods and overflow traffic.
Dana De Nault, 311 Middlefield Road, said he was opposed to the trial and a
new plan should be created to fix the process. The process used had not
worked properly; the community was splintered and at odds with itself.
Jim Lyttle, 117 Emerson Street, said Lytton Avenue could be an efficient
cross-town artery with coordinated lights, making it an attractive
thoroughfare.
Nancy Adler, 109 Emerson Street, said the traffic-calming project was a
failed plan.
Bud Bellit, 109 Emerson Street, said instead of traffic calming, there was
traffic stopping.
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Erica McCay, 626 Everett Avenue, said she was opposed to the barriers as a
driver because they created an unsafe condition with bicyclists and
pedestrians.
Timothy McCay, 626 Everett Avenue, said he would like a citywide vote to
determine the fate of the streets that exist in Palo Alto.
Vanessa Davies, 352 Middlefield Road, said she was against the roadblocks;
they should be the last solution, not the first.
Ryo Koyama, 343 Hawthorne Avenue, said the issue was about cut-through
traffic and how to resolve it.
Jamie Leighton, 352 Middlefield Road, said the safety and quality of life had
diversely affected the people on the arterials. A democratic process was
needed so people could vote on the issue.
John Guislin, 225 Middlefield Road, said a fair and equitable decision was needed where the majority ruled. Downtown North needed improved traffic
safety.
Jason Thrasher, 292 Waverley Street, said he supported the current traffic
calming measures and for the Modified Mixed Measures Plan. There was a
big difference between the traffic through the neighborhood before and after
the calming had been put into place.
John Edson, 320 Palo Alto Avenue, said the plan was not about safety, but
about creating an exclusive neighborhood. Safety issues should be
addressed with measures that dealt with speed, and he asked that the
barricades be removed.
Carolyn Godfrey, 211 Middlefield Road, said she was concerned emergency
vehicles would not be able to reach her in an emergency because of the
barriers. Barriers were an extreme solution with negative impacts.
Ken Hake, 575 Everett Avenue, said the traffic-calming plan had improved
the quality of life for his family. Prior to the traffic calming, it was difficult to
safely back out of his driveway.
Roger Craig, 101 Waverley Street, said he believed that Palo Alto Avenue
should remain blocked. Police calls had been reduced by 475 calls.
Mike Liveright, 260 Byron Street, said he supported the plan.
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Kathleen Craig, 101 Waverley Street, said many individuals were enjoying
Timothy Hopkins Park without concern about speeding cars when crossing
Palo Alto Avenue.
Pat Markevitch, 231 Emerson Street, said 1,300 signatures had been
gathered on petitions from groups opposing the Downtown North trial.
Tina Peak, 160 Palo Alto Avenue, said the barriers should remain to protect
the neighborhood, and force the commuters to use the major arterials, not
the neighborhood streets.
Bonnie Danielle Henkels-Luntz, 328 Guinda Street, said she did not believe
the street closures, the current plan, or the Modified Mixed Measures Plan
were fair solutions for all of Palo Alto.
Joe Durand, 275 Hawthorne Avenue, said the Modified Mixed Measures Plan
did not address problems inherent in the current trial. Closures of streets
were extreme, uncompromising and unfair.
Marv Su, 805 University Avenue, said he supported open streets. There were
impacts of the Downtown blockage project on adjacent neighborhoods.
Steven Fran, Everett Avenue, said the City’s traffic data showed high levels
of cut-through traffic in Downtown North. The development of a major
transit center in Palo Alto should be given consideration when long range
planning.
David Solnick, Everett Avenue, said the current plan was inconvenient to
cut-through motorists in the neighborhood.
Eric Filseth, 160 Palo Alto Avenue, said the barriers removed the cut-through
commuter traffic out of the Downtown North neighborhood and put it back
on the arterials.
Bert Page, 267 Bryant Street, said since the barriers were installed, the
number of honking horns, slamming brakes, near accidents and accidents
decreased significantly.
Faith Brigil, 518 Byron Street, said the streets should be opened. There were
different ways to calm the traffic.
Laura Karr, said it was difficult to get to her home because of the barriers.
They portrayed a bad image to visitors and for the businesses of Palo Alto.
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Tom Kelly, 151 Waverley Street, said the solution caused discord and
inconvenience. The trial data showed traffic calming was safer for cars,
bicycles, and pedestrians.
Anthony Tam, 175 Webster Street, said cut-through traffic was an issue and
hoped the traffic calming would remain.
Rob Williams, 644 Hawthorne Avenue, said the original mixed measures plan
was equitable and could present a compromise.
Jaime Segura, 654 Everett Avenue, said there were young and old residents
in his neighborhood. Better use of resources should be used for traffic
calming.
RECESS: 9:00 p.m. to 9:05 p.m.
Leslie Goldman, 110 Waverley Street, said the neighborhood was safer and
quieter and the quality of life had improved since the traffic calming. She asked the Council to approve the Modified Mixed Measures Plan.
John Woodfill, 301 Bryant Street, said the Modified Mixed Measures Plan was
a large step from the current plan, which could present new problems.
Roberto Medrano, 419 Hawthorne Avenue, said there were a lot of problems
on his street prior to the traffic calming.
Diane Belknap, 326 Hawthorne Avenue, said prior to the traffic calming,
problems had increased with cut-through traffic on residential streets that
were not designed to handle high volumes of traffic.
Walter Sedriks, 325 Waverley Street, said the traffic on the cross streets in
Downtown North had increased to the highest levels in a residential
neighborhood.
Marguerite Kramer, 348 Guinda Street, said traffic calming was needed, but the barriers were an extreme measure. Alternatives would be traffic circles,
lights and stop signs for safer streets.
Steve Frankel, 351 Bryant Street, said the Planning Commission’s
recommendations should be approved.
Sophia Dhrymes, 483 Hawthorne Avenue, spoke about the difficulty her
renters had with the barriers.
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Ginny Laibl, 216 Webster Street, said she lived in a vibrant Downtown area.
Other measures could be used instead of street closures.
Danusia Szumowski, 134 Tasso Street, said she supported the current traffic
measures. She hoped there would be foresight beyond the immediate
future.
Geoff Ball, 315 Bryant Street, said the traffic calming had been beneficial for
safety. One of the goals was to move the traffic out of the neighborhood
and onto the arterials.
Melissa Kelton, 227 Webster Street, said the closures had dramatically
changed her routine. She found it was faster and easier to walk, or ride her
bicycle, to do errands.
Stan Buginskis, 318 Middlefield Road, said the traffic blocking had diverted
traffic onto other streets. He said other measures could be used to achieve
the objectives, such as speed bumps, speed tables or traffic circles.
Debbie Walter, 318 Middlefield Road, said she believed there should be
traffic speeding reductions, but not traffic blockages.
Susan Hathaway, 150 Webster Street, asked for less drastic measures than
traffic blocking.
LaNell Mimmack, 422 Palo Alto Avenue, said she believed the staff had come
up with a good traffic-calming plan.
Sara Benson, 245 Emerson Street, Apt. B, said a divisive implementation for
traffic calming had been chosen and caused the divisiveness in the
neighborhood.
Tricia Ward-Dolkas, 412 Everett Street, said unique problems required
unique solutions. She supported the staff report (CMR:180:04) of the compromised proposal of the Modified Mixed Measures Plan.
Steve Kutner, 275 Hawthorne Avenue, said the traffic calming was a failed
process, showed disregard for the Comprehensive Plan and the petition of
over 1,300 people.
Robert E. Johnson, 307 Emerson Street, said the traffic calming design had
not solved problems but had moved them to another area.
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Alan McMillan, 187 Bryant Street, said the current traffic plan was preferred,
but the Modified Mixed Measure Plan should be adopted as a compromise.
Rhonda Abrams, 336 Cowper Street, said the reported peak-through-traffic
had dropped below the City’s minimum threshold required to use street
closures for traffic calming.
Barbara Hunter, Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park, said the barriers should be
removed and traffic should flow naturally. The traffic from Palo Alto streets
had shifted to Menlo Park streets.
Sarah Johnson, 137 Cowper Street, said traffic should be placed back on the
streets designed to maintain it.
Shirley Nathan, 66 Roosevelt Circle, said the residents of Palo Alto should
not have to support the barriers with their tax dollars.
Ida Hynes, 284 Waverley Street, said it was difficult to cross the street to the park because of the high-speed traffic caused by the barriers.
Michael Evans, 145 Tasso Street, said the overall objective for traffic
reduction had been accomplished by the current plan.
Jesse Ladomirak, 197 Bryant Street, #1, said her neighborhood was
designed as a residential neighborhood and not equipped for cut-through
traffic.
Susan Varian Hammond, 154 Bryant Street, said the barriers had not
stopped drivers running stop signs or reduced the speed of vehicles on her
street.
Amy Keohane, 235 Kipling Street, said traffic had increased since the road
barriers were installed. The barriers gave children on bicycles a false sense
of security regarding their safety on the street.
Scott Ward, 310 Waverley Street, said he was opposed to the traffic barriers
because it was extreme, when equally effective, less intrusive and less costly
measures had not been considered.
Irv Brenner, 250 Byron Street, said the traffic volumes in the neighborhood
triggered the traffic-calming plan using the guidelines established by the
neighborhood traffic-calming program. Barriers were determined to be
appropriate.
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Stephen Roberts, 309 Kipling Street, said the quality of his life had improved
with traffic calming.
Nick Warner, 275 Hawthorne Avenue, said he was pleased with the traffic-
calming plan and did not believe the barriers had created a gated
community.
Richard Burton, 390 Palo Alto Avenue, said over the past twenty years, the
cut-through traffic in the neighborhood had increased.
Gregory Meyer, 979 Amarillo Avenue, said closing the streets in Downtown
to motorists opened them to bicyclists and pedestrians.
Kathleen Rotow, 789 University Avenue, said citywide measures and not a
political process should reduce the traffic.
Chas Pavlovic, 602 Hawthorne Avenue, said implementing the Modified
Mixed Measures Plan could solve the traffic problems.
Katherine Abu-Romia, 525 Hawthorne Avenue, said the traffic should be
removed from the residential streets and put on the arterial streets.
Kat Kohlsaat, 331 Poe Street, #7, said prior to traffic calming, the
neighborhood was congested with commuter cut-through traffic and overrun
with speeders and stop sign runners. She supported the Modified Mixed
Measures Plan.
Mark Nanevicz, 228 Waverley Street, said according to the statistics and the
numbers currently available, the traffic calming had worked.
RECESS: 10: 30 p.m. to 10:35 p.m.
Eric Doyle, 322 Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park, homeowner on Webster Street in
Palo Alto, said the barriers could delay emergency vehicles, which could
result in increased risk to life and damage of property.
Jim Sheats, 244 Webster Street, said the barriers created a safer
neighborhood and the quality of life had improved.
Joshua Mogal, 429 Ruthven Avenue, said despite the increase in traffic on
his street, he preferred the traffic calming measures.
Dan Lorimer, 465 Hawthorne Avenue, said the compromise offered by the
PTC was reasonable.
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David Shrom, 381 Oxford Avenue, said in 10 to 20 years, Downtown North
would still be a livable neighborhood, if the traffic calming remained.
Tim Reynders, 436 Palo Alto Avenue, said blockages were part of urban
planning. Changes could be made over a period of time according to what
the staff recommended.
Anne Callahan, 170 Emerson Street, said Hawthorne Avenue and Everett
Street were not designed to be arterials. She needed to warn guests about
cross-traffic that could run the stop sign on Hawthorne Avenue.
Susan Meade, 222 Byron Street, said in the past 10 years, the traffic had
become difficult. Traffic calming had made her neighborhood safer.
James Lukas, 1471 Woodland Avenue, Menlo Park, said Downtown North
was a neighborhood. Lytton Avenue, University Avenue, and Hamilton
Avenue were commercial districts where the City built two new garages.
Carol Lippert, 580 Hawthorne Avenue, said cut-through traffic had been a
problem for years. Years prior, she had been hit by a commuter from
Redwood City who was late for his job at Stanford.
Stephanie Mũnoz, 101 Alma Street, #701, said speeding cars should have
been stopped by speed bumps, speed tables and cameras, not barriers.
Grace-Ann Baker, 193 Bryant Street, said the picket fences should be
removed and not be replaced. Increased traffic was caused by growth.
Dr. Michael Harbour, 480 Palo Alto Avenue, said there was no evidence of
delay in response time by emergency vehicles in Downtown North. The
barriers enabled the use, not the abuse, of the streets.
Christina Raes, 579 Everett Avenue, said prior to traffic calming, speeding,
honking, near accidents and accidents frequently occurred in her neighborhood.
Jayne Tinney, 205 Everett Avenue, Apt. B, said the blocking should be
removed and other measures should be considered.
Kerry Tinney, 205 Everett Avenue, Apartment C, said the barriers had
negatively affected her corner and increased traffic. The barriers had
benefited some, but had negatively impacted others.
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Edie Keating, 3553 Alma Street, said when driving, she used arterial streets
and when bicycling, she used traffic-calmed streets for safety. She
supported Downtown North improving their community with traffic calming.
Vice Mayor Burch declared the Public Hearing closed at 11:15 p.m.
MOTION: Council Member Kleinberg moved, seconded by Morton, to close
the public hearing and continue the Council discussion to a Special Council
Meeting on Monday, March 29, 2004.
MOTION PASSED 8-0, Beecham “not participating.”
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor
NOTE: Sense minutes (synopsis) are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto
Municipal Code Sections 2.04.180(a) and (b). The City Council and Standing
Committee meeting tapes are made solely for the purpose of facilitating the
preparation of the minutes of the meetings. City Council and Standing
Committee meeting tapes are recycled 90 days from the date of the
meeting. The tapes are available for members of the public to listen to during regular office hours.
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