HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report attach to memoNEW
Description: This is a software modification project for the SAP-I5\J
customer Information and billing system, The project will require
significant programming to upgrade the SAP billing system and Pitney
Bowes bill print software allowing for new rate structures and time
differentiated pricing, This will also require a new system module,
Energy Data Management, to store time specific data, It "ilia!;" !'l1",lde
the lewest possible tl'aASaEtisA fee5Ief-tl;e.Qty'5-er€flit~ca,e p,sEe .. i,,!!
Gf Utilities payments. See Supplemental Information for more
information,
Justification: In support ofthe City's Climate Protection Goals the utility
will be proposing new rate structures that provide price incentives for
customers to conserve resources. Current rate structures for electriCt gas!
and water utilities have a limited or no tier pricing structure with
relatively small differentials in pricing, New rate structures will be
evaluated to determine if additional tiering and Increased price
differentials between the tiers will Incent the reduction of usage.
Supplemental Information: The City's EH,renWtllltJes.payment
pr:ocess-allow , for indMdll.1 c<edlt cal'd transactions eacn.mol'ltb.
Stan<laro ,roo it card t<ansa'tiG".we&, wlthQut the re;;w:r:In!J lIayment
optiGn, are "iE.d on • p@",.RtaS9 ~tfll+lSaGtiGn amGunt plus a f3er
t,aflsaction 'fee, Customers are Eu,renti)l-Uflilble to have their bills.
a_ati,ally ~aicl on a monthly, reEwrring, basis, Ifthe "IC'lrring
payment option is added, the fee is sliIf'lclardlzed at SQ,7' pel'-
transaction Based-OlLas51 'ming 20% aftbe! JtlJltlps Clistomers electing
to ray their Utilities bill by creglt card on a recurring (automatically
chargeg) ~he ,ecurrlng <r"<lit~ptiGlHan .a'/e approximately
$500,000 per¥ea r in ctedlt card tr~n5actlon fees
$100,000 has been budgeted In FY 20 11 for project scope, $1,000,000
has been budgeted In FY 2012 in anticipation of proJect implementation
which will include software enhancements, new hardware, and
consulting costs, This funding will be reevaluated upon completion of
the project scope
City of Palo Alto
Attachment 1
CIP •
-New
• Project Status: Design
• Timeline: FY 2011-2013
• Overall Project Completion: 0%
• Percent Spent: 0.00%
• Managing Department: Utilities
• Comprehensive Plan: Supports Goal N-4 and
N-9
• Environmental: Not a project under CEQA,
• Design Elements: None
• Operating: None
• Telecommunications: None
Capital Budget FY 2011
Source of Funds:
(tf~ City of Palo Alto
CIP •
Technology Fund with the following reimbursements: Electric Fund($516,040); Fiber Optics
Fund($l OB); Gas Fund($232,656); Refuse Fund($12S,B33); Storm Drainage Fund($26,B97);
Wastewater Collection Fund($67,725); Water Fund($130,741)
Capital Budget FY 2011
Attachment 2
Other Malor Infrastructure Projects
MSC Building Replacement
Fire Station 3
Fire Station 4
Animal Shelter
Junior Museum
Lytton Plaza
Charleston Arastradero Corridor
Civic Center Plaza Deck
Bxybee Park Phase II
Los Altos Treatment Plant Clean-up & Preparation2
San Antonio Road Median & Roadway Improvements Phase II
Roth Building Restrooms
Public Safety Building3
1 2008 Dollars
'Thls is the general fund portion only
3 Th!S project was added In fY 2011
Notes:
Prolect Cost'
$93,000.000
$6,700,000
$7.500,000
$6.350,000
$735,000
$350,000
$10,000,000
$16,000,000
$3,625,000
$2,040,000
$1,500,000
$250,000
$60,000,000
$208,050,000
• Library Bond to be on ballot In November 2008. If bond does not pass, major renovations ara
expected at Mitchell Park Library & Community Canter, Downtown & Main Libraries. The
renovations cost are not shown in the Infrastructure backlog .
• This list does not include future new Infrastructure such as an intermodaltranslt center, Callrain
grade separallons for pedestrians, elc.
Source: CMR:167:08 Page 292
Attachment 3
DATE: June 14, 2010
TO: Finance Committee
,FROM: Diane Jennings, Library Director
City of Palo Alto
Library Department
Memorandum
SUBJECT: Alternatives to Monday Closure of All Library Branches
The City Manager's Fiscal Year 2011 Proposed Budget included a recommendation to close all
libraries on Mondays to achieve a savings of $185,055, During the review on May 6, 2010 of the
Library Department's proposed FY2011 budget, the Finance Committee asked staff to prepare
altematives to this recommendation to maintain some Monday service hours,
Library staff examined a number of alternatives and developed three options that provide a
range of service hours and budget savings, While the service impacts vary by option, the
guiding principle used to develop the alternatives was to minimize the impact to the public,
These three options assume the other budget recommend,ations regarding hours approved by
the Finance Committee on May 6 are in effect -
• Reopen College Terrace in FY2011 after completion of its renovation
• Close Main & Mitchell Park at 8 pm, instead of 9 pm, Tuesday-Thursday
• Close all libraries on the Sundays before Monday City holidays (5 per year)
OPTION 1
Open Main, Mitchell Park, and Children's at 12 pm instead of 10 am on Monday; close College
Terrace on Monday
Service Impacts: This option would maintain after school support at the three principal
libraries, Customers who prefer to visit the library during the morning would be affected by
the delayed opening, College Terrace would be open 4, instead of 5, days per week.
Budget Savings: $78,384
OPTION 2
Open Main and Mitchell Park at 12 pm instead of 10 am on Monday; close Children'S and
College Terrace on Monday
Service Impacts: This would reduce service to children who use Children's. Customers who
prefer to visit the library during the morning would be affected by the delayed opening.
College Terrace would be open 4, instead of 5, days per week.
Budget Savings: $91,993
OPTION 3
Close Main and College Terrace on Monday; close Mitchell Park and Children's on Friday
Seryice Impacts: This option has the greatest impact on users of all ages and needs. Some
libraries are open every day, but the SChedule could be confusing for some customers,
Labor Impacts: Will require discussion with SEIU regarding change to standard work week
as this schedule would not provide two days off in a row for all staff.
Budget Savings: $164,548
1
The weekly schedule in FY2010, prior to the closing of the Downtown Library for renovation, and
the schedules for each of the three options for FY2011 are as follows:
FY2010· Current
211 hourslweek (does not include hours for Colle~ e Terrace'
t-#brary I Man I Tues Wed Thurs Frl Sat ' Sun
Main 11Oam-90m : lOam-80m 10a'm-gom 12·90m 10am-Bom lOam-Born 1-5pm
f"';:;MC;itc"'hC::e'I'C'1 "p-"a~r:Lk::~!t-·7.1D",a","m,-:-9~pm I 10am-9pm 10am-gpm 12-9pm1 Dam-apm 10am-Bpm 1-5pm
i Children's 10am-6om I 10am-Bom 10am-Bpm 12-6pm 10am-Bom 10am-Bpm 1-5pm
f-;<c':'iolT.'le=.g, e~T e=r::ra:::ce::-t·'C""lo=s=e':id7fo=.r':re~n'c:oC:':viiiiiOn since mid-July, Had .been open 35 hours per week ,'ij FY2009,
,-",-D",ow",n~to",w",n,--_--,-,C",lo",s",e:::d_---,Ic.:.l.()am-6pm I 10am-6om I 12-7pm 110am-8om I 10am-Bpm I Closed
FY2011· Option 1
Total Hrs, J
62 per",.!'.:-i
62 pefwk, :
48per~
I 39 perwk,
190 hours/week (does not include hours for Downtown) -10% reduction from FY2010
II/brarv Man Tues Wed Thurs Fri .. Sat Sun I Total firs:!
I Main 12-8pm 10am-8pm lOam-80m 12-8pm 10am-8pm 10am-8pm l-Spm J 56 perwk, J
(Mitchell Park 12-8pm lOam-80m 10am-8pm 12-8pm 10am-6pm 10am-8pm _ l-Spm '56 perwk,'i
U::hildreo's 12-6om 10am-Som 10am-6om 12-6om '10am-50m 10am-50m l-Som 146 oerwk, .
L20llege Terrace .Closed lOam-80m 10am-6rm Closed 110am-8pm 10am-8pm Closed I 32 perwkj
, Downtown Will be closed for renovation all of FY2011 ,
FY2011· Option 2
184 hours/week (does not include hours for Downtown) -13% reduction from FY2010
I LIbrary Man Tues Wed Thurs Fr' Sat Sun Total Hrs. I
• Main 12·8pm .. 10am-8em '".1 Oam-8pm 12-8pm 10am-8pm 10am-8pm 1-Spm 56 per wk. :
i Mitchell Park 12-8om lOam-80m .10am-8em 12-Som 10am·8om 10am-8om 1-50rn 56.oerwk, I
L?hildren's Closed 10am-6pm 10am-6om ' 12-6pm 10am-5pm 10am-50m 1-50m 40 perwk, !
, ColleQe Terrace Closed 10am-6r m 10am-6pm I Closed 10am-6pm 10am-6pm Closed 32 per wk.
LPowntown-~" Will be closed for renovati()n all of FY2011, I
FY2011· Option 3
171 hours/week (does not include hours for Downtown) -19% reduction from FY2010
Library Man Tues Wed I TllufS Frl Sat Sun Total Hrs, I ....
I Main closed 10am:8pm 10am-8pm I 12-8pm 10am-6em 10am-6pm 1::;p.!Tl. 48 oerwk. I
, Mitchell Park 10-8om 10am-Bp.l11_ 10am-8pm li2-8om ... Closed 10am-8om 1-50m 50oerwk.
Children's la-6om 10am-8pm 10am-8pm I, 12~6p"!... .. Closed TOam·5pm 1-5pm 41 PElf wk, i f-3C'''~~''-'''' Closed"'-. 10am-6om 10am·6pm Closed Collece Terrace 10am-6om I Closed 10am-6pm 32 perwk, ,
Jl()wntown Will be "lased for renovation all of FY2011. .. _ ... _~_::J
2
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To: .
Subject:
Attachment 4
Lori Buecheler [lorLbuecheler@gmail.coml
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 10:28 PM
Council, City
No to budget cuts for school traffic teaml
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I. understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions.
I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic
Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement resources have been
crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own ..
My second and fourth grade girls scooter to Walter Hays 4 days a week.
We encounter one of Palo Alto's busiest intersections at Middlefield and Embarcadero.· My
children and I have been nearly hit a handful of times by drivers either running a red or
turning right when the pedestrian sign is green. It has been our faithful traffic guards
who have stopped those cars in -their tracks with a loua whistle or a scream. I canlt
imagine my kids getting to school without them.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. This is
no time to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed infill housing,
requiring us to expand our schools, it is increasingly important that we do what is
necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially our
school-bound children. .
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and
support funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lori Buecheler
2200 Emerson St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Page 1 of 1.
Brewer, Cathy
From: Sarah Carpenter [sarah_L3arpenter@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 09,20106:52 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing guards & budget
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I understand that our city Is facing very difficult budget decisions, so I am writing In support of
Finance Committee's May 18 recommendation to reinstate funding for four of five PAPD Traffic Team
Members and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to
the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, Including my own. While I was very sorry to see any
cuts at all to the PAPD Traffic Team, I regretfully accept that this painful compromise was necessary
In these challenging times. I further understand that this reduction represents a limit beyond which
Police Chief Burns has said the Traffic Team cannot be effective. I ask you to hold PAPD Traffic Team
cuts at this limit now and In the future.
My kids have ridden their bikes to Escondido for many years from Evergreen Park neighborhood
which means they crossed EI Camino Real at Stanford Ave, one of the worst Intersections In Santa
Clara county. It Is hard enough to navigate as adult, and without a crossing guard, we probably
wouldn't let our kids cross even with parent chaperoning, and we would have driven to school every
day Instead. This flies In the face of being more green, smaller carbon footprint and fighting
childhood obesity, as more and more kids sit all day. Biking or walking Is Instrumental In all these
different goals and having no crossing guards will be a huge set back.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school In record numbers. This Is no time
to reduce school commute safety. As the city has oeveloped Inflll housing, requiring· us to expand our
schools, It Is Increasingly Important that we do what Is necessary to maintain public streets that are
safe for all reSidents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety In your budget deliberations and support funding
the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sarah Carpenter
Park Blvd.
Palo Alto
6/10/2010
Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From:· steve cashman [cashman1900@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 2:37 PM
To: City Mgr
Subject: BUDGET CUTS THREATEN CROSSING GUARDS
Mr. Keene, city manager:
I read the article, BUDGET CUTS THREATEN CROSSING GUARDS, in the Palo Alto weekly. I
trunk we should not layoff any crossing guards.
I know that budget culs are necessary in this economi!l crisis. However, eliminating crossing guards is
not an acceptable budget cut. I have seen with my own eyes that crossing guards protect children and
adults from care Iss drivers.
Stephen Cashman
1900
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Ann and Alex Crichton [acrichto@pacbell.netl
Monday. May 17,201010:12 AM
Council. City
Subject: Concern over Budget Cuts: Save Crossing Guards and Traffic Safety Team
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page 1 of 1
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to preserve funding
for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, thesttenforcement
resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own.
I ride my bicycle every morning frorn my home in Midtown to JlS Middle School with my·daughters. I ride with
them to get exercise and enjoy cycling in Palo Alto. We ride by three Elementary Schools and 5 intersections with
Crossing Guards.
It is amazing to see so many people walking and biking to school or wor!<. This is a direct result from the work that
is done with the Safe Routes to School partnership between the 'City Staff, School District, PTA and Police'
Department. The Traffic Team Is a critical part of the strategic support for this tremendous success in Palo Alto.
The Crossing Guards are also·criticai to providing parents and students additional feeling of safety at busy,
congested intersections. They make their intersections safer for all modes oftransportation.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are Milking and biking to school In record numbers. This is no time to reduce
school commute safety. As the city has developed Infill housing, requiring us to expand our schools, it is
increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and
especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the adult
crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ann Crichton
1062 Cardinal Way
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 29i-5442
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Truc De Lorenzo [truc_delorenzo@yaooo.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 ~0:2i PM
To: Council, City
Subject: please preserve aduK crossing guards & PAPD Traffic Team
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
We and our neighbors have children conunuting to/fromJordan and must cross EI Camino to do so. To
. have a safe environment for students to commute to & from school'by foot or bikes is one ofthe
primary reasons why people have such high regard for Palo Alto. We can sympathize with the need to
balance the budget but cutting the adult crossing guards & PAPD Traffic Team is a poor choice.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the
adult crossing guards and P APD Traffic Team.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Dave & Truc DeLorenzo (2345 Amherst St) .
6/812010
Page I of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Nancy Devine [ndevine1@sbcglobal.netl
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 3:37 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Budget cuts and safe routes to school
Dear Honorable City COWlcii Members,
As a native of this city. I take great pride in Palo Alto's schools. I attended Green Gables (now
Duvenick), Jordan JWlior High, and Paly. I walked to Green Gables and rode my bike to Jordan and
Paly. My daughter now rides her bike or walks to Gmm. The vehicular traffic on the way to Gurm is
thick, fast-moving, and treacherous. We hear sirens and see.kids knocked over either near Tennan or
near Gmm every other week, and that is with the 29 city traffic guards in place and police department
traffic team in place. I understand from the proposed city budget cuts that you will be considering
terminating the entire group of 29 adult crossing guards AND eliminating the entire Police Department
Traffic Team, and I am shocked.
Now, when we are all trying to recover from the heart-ache. and haunting shadow of the teen-suicides,
now when the high school principals are changing, now, when school enrollment will be up again at all
. schools in the Fall, NOW you want to cut the few adults in place protecting our children from speeding
traffic intent on blasting their way to Foothill Expressway and then on to highway 280? This is NOT
advisable; my daughter tells me that there are so many near-misses as well as accidents as it is now.
How many children injured, maimed, or killed would be worth the savings of this budget cut? What do
you have to say to the parents of every child, every parent who has just voted to pay more for better
schools with prop A about your commitment to safety, to ensure that their children make it to school and
back home alive?
I completely understand that budget cuts must be made, they must come out of somewhere. My father
was a vice mayor back in the 1950s, Stanley Evans, and an active council member before he was
appointed a Judge by Governor Pat Brown. I heard at the dinner table every night the various conflicts
going on between different groups needing funding. I urge you to find a way to preserve these two
groups, the adult crossing guards, AND the ENTIRE Police Department Traffic Team, We must fmd
other areas to cut, or other funding sources for these paid positions. I strongly urge you to prioritize
public safety in your budget deliberations and support the adult crossing guards and the PAPD Traffic
Team.
Sincerely,
Nancy Evans Devine
4257 Los Palos Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
61812010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Geoff Donaker [geoff@yelp.oom]
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 20106:17 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing guards and PD traffic.enforcement around schools
Dear City Council -
Thanks for the tough work you put in and decisions you make for Palo Alto. I can imagine this is a
particularly tough time to lead a city government.
I'm writing today because I understand that your latest budget proposes the elimination of crossing
guards and the associated PD traffic patrols around our schools. My family and I live near Fairmeadow
and JLS, and my young sons attend Fairmeadow ... so we see first hand what a different these traffic
programs make.
When crossing guards are on duty, the streets are much safer for our children. Drivers do pay attention
to their red stop signs and command of the intersection. When crossing guards are not present, the
intersection can be downright scary --with cars often turning right without looking ahead or even rolling
through yellow and red lights in the morning glare.
Further, I have seen directly what a huge difference,the Police Department presence can have on driver
behavior. For days and sometimes even weeks after a Police Department traffic focus, drivers seem to be
on much better behavior around the schools --with fewer oftham parking on sidewalks, double parking
or cutting young kids off as they illegally turn into the school parking lots.
The bottom line is that these programs keep our kids safe and I would hate to see them cut. I recognize'
the tough choices you are forced to make this year, but will just offer this suggestion to preserve the
traffic safety programs if at all possible. '
Thank you,
Geoff Donaker
3466 Waverley St.
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Follow Up Flag:
Flag Status:
EDIT A DONNEllY [edita.donnelly@gmail.com}
Sunday. June 06, 2010 9:24 PM
Council, City
Please keep our crossing guards.
Follow up
Red
Pear palo Alto City Council,
I We have four children in four different palo Alto Schools this year, Gunn, Paly, Jordan,
and Puveneck. We need .those croasing guards for· our children's safety. Cars pay more
attention when crossing guards are present. Not all parents can walk their kids to
school.
Please keep our crossing guards. Keep' our children safe. I can't tell you how often and
how many times cars ~n red lights in the morning commute.
Ec;'Ii ta Donnelly
1
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Jon Dukes-Schlossberg Dondspa@yahoo.coml
Monday, May 17, 20104:17 PM
Council, City
Subject: Concerned about crossing guard and traffic team elimination
Dear sirs and madams,
Page 1 of 1
As the parent of a seventh grader at Jordan and a ninth grader at Gunn, I am deeply concerned about
the proposed elimination of the crossing guards and traffic teams. My seventh grader was recently in a
minor traffic accident where a car swerved in to the bike lane, knocked her offherbike, and continued
to drive on. Luckily my daughter was not injured but "the driver glared at me."
One of our goals as a community has to be keep our young people safe. My commitment to this end is
to volunteer as part of the Track Watch effort, pulling shifts on both Meadow and Charleston.
I urge you not to eliminate these critical programs. What kind of community are we left with if we
don't value our children?
Thank you,
-Jon Dukes-Scltlossberg
748 La Para Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-493-7220
jondspa@Yahoo.com
6/812010
Crossing guard madness Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Tim Dyson (Next Fifteen) (tlm.dyson@nexlfifteen.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:44 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing guard madness
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I gather the city is facing difficult budget decisions, but the Idea of saving money by cutting school crossing
guards and traffic police seems one of the strangest suggestions I've heard in a long time. '1 urge you to rethink
this. I walk my two eldest children tl) school most days and witness many children who rely on the crossing'
guard on Newell/Dana to enable them to get to school safely. 'I've often seen her stand out and have to force
cars to stop so an eight or nine year old can cross. Newell Is a busy cut through in the mornings and many of the
cars view the four way stop as one they can drive through by merely slowing down. I h~ve no Idea how much
money this cut would save the city but I'm sure it's not worth the life of a school child and I'm almost certain
that without the 29 guards we have today it wouldn't be long before a child was run down by some inattentive
driver.
There are 11,565 school children in the PAUSD and·the number is growing. They are. also walking and biking to
school In record numbers. This Is no time to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed Inflll
housing, requiring us to expand our schools, It is Increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain
public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially our school-bound children,
PLEASE prioritize public safety In your budget deliberationsl
Sincerely,
Tim Dyson
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Family [elllsen@comcast.net]
Monday, May 17, 2010 9:16 PM
Councit, City
crossing guards
Hi,
I'm a parent at Walter Hays Elementary School, and am writing to express my sincere
concern about the possibility of eliminating crossing guards. We live 1 mile from our
. elementary school, and walk or ride Our 3rd grader and kindergardener to school most days.
I worry about crossing Middlefield and Embarcadero without them. There are many children
crossing at: once, and while I'm sure that might seem to be a safeguard in and of itself,
all it takes is one poor driver to try to run a,yellow light, and it would be a disaster.
I would probably start to drive more frequently, and would never allow my children the
freedom to walk or·bike alone even at 5th grade if there are no crossing guards.
Sincerely,
Debbie Ellisen
8
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Tara Famsworth [tara@focusventures.coml
Thursday, May 13, 2010 12:05 PM
Council, City
Subject: crossing guards at risk
Dear City Council Members,
Page 1 ofl
I am very distressed to learn of the proposed budget cuts which would eliminate crossing guards at various
Intersections used by school children. I feel fortunate to live In such a blcycle/pedestril!m friendly citY, and am
often able to bike my children to school and bike to work as well. The elimination of crossing guards at key points
throughout the city would put children's lives in danger, perhaps with grave consequences, and I am certain this is
not what the city wishes to do.
With the lottery schcol programs available to Palo Alto families, many families do not a)lend their neighborhood
school and therefore must either drive or bike a farther distance to arrive at their chosen school. We are one such
family. My children are fortunale to attend the Spanish-immersion program at Escondido Elementary, but this
requires us to either drive to school or bike via the bike/pedestrian tunnel at the California Avenue train station.
Wa typically bike two to three days each week to avoid contributing to traffic congestion, and I am always
relieved to see the helpful crossing guard who Is stationed at Stanford Avenue and EI Camino both mornings and
aftemoons. With children as young as five riding their own bikes through this Intersection, coupled wHh the
. conslent Starbucks traffic and congestion created by Stanford's ongoing construction, I cannot Imagine how
families would arrive safely at school without the crossing guard. And this is but one example for one
school/intersection, I am certain there are many families with similar stories throughout the city.
I understand that atverious levels we are facing difficult times economically .. However, I would hope that the
according budget cuts would not put our city's most valuable asset, our children, at risk. Please find a way to
keep crOSSing guards and to continue to support the entire Palo Alto Pollee Department Traffic Team so that we
can maintain safe bike/walking routes for our kids.
I appreciate your time end your valuable contribution to Palo Alto.
Best regards,
Tara Farnsworth
2520 Cowper Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Focus Ventures
525 Urn_tty Avenue, Ste. 1400
Palo Alto, CA 94301 .
Ie,: 650.325.1400 0.t.235
f~: 650.325.8400
tara@focuSVfmtures,com
6/812010
Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: L Fiedler [Ijfgmm@earthllnk.nel]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2010 9:45 AM
To: Council, City
SubJect: Please Say" NO" 10 Cutting Crossing Guards & PAPD Traffic Team
May 18,2010
Re: l'!mmsal to Cut Crossing Guards & PAPD Traffic Team
Dear Honorable Msyor Burt and City Council:
It has come to my attention that funding may be cut for the Crossing Guards and the Palo Alto Police
Department Traffic Team. As a concerned parent ofPAUSD students and community member, I am Writing to
request thoughtful reconsideration of this proposal since I cannot attend the meeting scheduled for tonight. ]
think the consequences of cutting funding to the Crossing Guards & PAPD Traffic Team would cause more
harm than benefit to our community. .
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I strongly urge you to preserve funding
for the Palo Alto Police Depllrtment Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these
enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own.
I served as the PTA Traffic Safety Rep for over 10 years, and J have seen the positive consequences of having
a police and crossing guard presence in terms of protecting our children from unsafe drivers. On the flip side, I
also have experienced the heartbreaking loss of one of my child's classmates after a tragic accident that
happened while cycling to school. In that case, there was no police presence, and I can't help but think that if
an officer was nearby, this tragedy might have been averted. On a daily basis, I see the adult crossing guard in
front of Terman Middle School keeping both Terman and Gunn students safe; there daily "near-misses" which
he alone has been able to prevent by holding back the kids and signaling to drivers to stop. I can't imagine the
chaos that would ensue each morning and afternoon at the intersection ofDonaldlferman
Drives & Arastradero Road if no crossing guard was present. It would be a nightmare. I am sure there are
many other intersections around Palo Alto's other schools that are equally as dangerous and in need of crossing
guards and a police presence.
P A USD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. The last thing our
community needs is to reduce school commute safety, and possibly drive more families back in their cars to
drive to/from school each day. As the city has developed infill housing along very busy corridors, requiring us
to expand our schools, it is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that
are safe for all residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I implore you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations, and to plcase support funding the PAPD
Traffic'Team and adult crossing guards. OUf children's lives may depend on your decision.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Leslie J. Fiedler,
Parent of tWo PAUSD stodents
809 Lathrop Drive
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Liz Gaither (lizgaither@yahoo.com)
Friday, May 21, 2010 4:54 PM
Council, City
Subject: Elimination of crossing guards -a disaster waning to happen
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page 10f1
I have lived at 343 Stanford Avenue, on the east side of EI Camino, for the past 10 years. I, my
husband, and my children, first and third graders at Escondido, and a preschooler who attends Bing
Nursery School, try to do our part for the environment and for city traffic congestion by riding our
bikes to school almost every school day. We often feel that this Is at our own peril, given the
traffic issues at the Intersection of Stanford and EI Camino. (As I'm sure you're well aware, this Is
a notoriously dangerous intersection with no second countdown on the pedestrian signal, and cars
often running the red light In order to avoid waiting at a very long signal).
The placement of a crossing guard at this Intersection makes a critical difference In people's driving
habits, and Is essential to the safety of kids and their parents going to and from Escondido School.
The crossing guard Is a visual reminder to everyone on that unsafe stretch of EI Camino that kids'
are coming and going, and that they need to stop In order to avoid killing one of them. I have
seen so many folks run red lights and drive with Insane abandon at this Intersection In my ten
years living here, but this does not occur during the times that the crossing guard. Is on duty. In
my mlnd,thls Is not a negotiable budget cut; If you remove the crossing guards, and the traffic
team that enforces kids' safety during this time, you will see more traffic aCCidents, and I fear, the
death of young children who are trying to be good citizens and ride their bikes to school.
I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for the Pal\, Alto Pollee Department Traffic Team and
the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety
of thousands of Palo Alto children, Including my own.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school In record numbers. This Is no time
to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed Inflll housing, requiring us to e)(pand
our schools, It Is Increasingly Important that we do what Is necessary to maintain public streets that
are safe for all reSidents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety In your budget deliberations and support
funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Liz Gaither, 343 Stanford Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Audrey Garfield [audgarfield@yahoo.comj
Wednesday, May 12, 20103:43 PM
Council, City
Subject: Budget Cuts: Please do not cut crossing guards and traffic police
Attachments: A Garfield City Council Ltr.docx; ATI107671.htm
Dear Honorable City Council Members:
Please see the attached letter voicing my concerns.
Thanks for your consideration.
Audrey Garfield
audgarfield@yahoo.com
6/812010
Page 1 'of 1
Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Karen Gibson [pbgibson@pacbell.net]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 11 :39 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Palo Alto School Crossing Guards
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
It has recently been brought to our attention that we could be losing our adult crossing guards very
soon, While we understand that the city is facing some vey difficult economic times, we still urge you
to preserve funding for this, I can'timagine anything more important than preserving the safety of our
children, We have one child already biking to Terman, and will have two next year. I have seen how
dangerous the intersection ofDonaId and Arastradero is and cannot imagine it functioning at all without
a guard. Too many adult drivers who are anxious, late for work, feeling frustrated with the backups that
are often caused as children arrive to school. They are a hazard. As well as the inexperienced Gurro
High School students who are driving to school, often in a rush themselves. We need a guard to help
our children arrive and depart safely.
Without this service, we will be forced to drive our children to school, which will only further the traffic
congestion. But we don't see an alternative. We strongly encourage you to keep the safety of all Palo
Alto children apriority, and thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Karen and Paul Gibson
831 Timlott Lane
Palo Alto, CA 94306
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From: .
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Colleen Gqrmley [oolgormley@gmail.comJ
Monday, May 17,20102:20 PM
Council, City
Melanie Norall
Crossing Guards for Kids
To W:hom it May Concern,
Please know that as a ~arent of 3 elementary school children who attend Walter Hays
Elementary School, I am very concerned that we will lose our crossing guards. My children
walk to school every day <\nd depend dearly on the guards at Embarcadero and Middlefield.
As you know, it is a very busy intersection full of walking and biking children every
morning and afternoon. I understand that. our city. is facing. a difficult economic climate,
but I feel strongly that we cannot. afford to cut costs when it comes to the safety of our
kids.
None of us want a tragedy on our hands because we made that decision.
Thank you for working to protect our kidsl
Colleen Gormley
2351 Byron Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650.323.6020
10
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Gray, Susan M [SGray@LPCH.ORG]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 1:30 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: proposed budg~t cuts to crossing guards & traffic officers
Dear Palo Alto City Council, .
I understand the challenges of making difficult but necessary budget decisions, however I am writing to urge you
to preserve funding for the Palo AHo Police Department Traffic Team and the Adutt Crossing Guards. Together,
these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my
own.
I am a mother of 3 children who will attend 2 different PAUSD schools in the fall. We must cross EI Camino at .
either Arastradero or MaybeUto gel.lo school each (jay, which are very busy intersections. cars run red tights all
the time, and I would never allow my children to cross without the crossing guards In place. Additionally, It is
impossible tor students to safely cross Arastradero to get to Terman wHhout a guard. When we go to Juana
Briones each day, we see drivers making Illegal U-turns, parking in front of fire hydrants, and driving through a do
nat-enter sign right in the school parking lot the wrong way. We live on the east side of EI Camino from Juana
Briones and cannot possibly safely walk or bike to our neighborhood school without the traffic officers there to
enforce the laws.
PAUSO's 11,565 school children are walking/biking to school in record numbers. This is no time to reduce
commute safety. As the city has developed housing, requiring us to expand our schools, it is increasingly
important that we maintain safety for ali residents, and especially our school children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the adult
crossing guards and PAPO Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Susan Gray
4173 Park Blvd., Palo Alto
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any attachments may contain confidential or
privileged infonnation for the use by the designated recipient(s) named above. If you are not the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that
any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or the attachments is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact the sender and destroy all
copies of the communication and attachments. lbank you. MSG:I04-123
6/812010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer. Cathy
From: alexis hamilton green [alexishgpr@yahoo.coml
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 10:17 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing Guards: Tue wises! investment for our kids
De ar City Council •• The budget situation is tight, and it's time to make hard choices •• and I hope on
behalf of all parents in Palo Alto you make wise choices. When the funds are stretched 'you have to
make choices that benefit the most kids possible and that benefit the environment. If the call is
between funding the excitement and fun of Children's Theater (which I adore) and funding the
humble crossing guard program •• you simply must go with guards and here's why:
• Chi.ld safety isn't a nice to have, Ifs an imperative.
• Crossing guards reduce our carbon footprint because they encourage more parents to let their
. klds walk or bike.
• Crossing guards build community; they are often the first smile. a kid sees when they leave the
house every day. .
• In a world that appears fraught with peril Crossing Guards mak/il our kids feel that the world is a
safer place and in fact, they actually make our little corner of. the world.a safer place.
• Look.at the numbers: How many kids are helped by Guards daily vs. kids who attend the
theater once a year. Guards are an important part of daily life in Palo Alto.
The crossing guard program is indeed humble, like daily bread. If Crossing Guards are a basic
necessity, then Children'S Theater is dessert. Yep ... theater is darned fun. Yep, it's valuable to the
community; the theater gives a select group of kids a place to go. In contrast, the Crossing Guards
are there for all children rich or poor, every child that goes to school benefits from the crossing guard
program every school day.
And although an important and pervasive part of the community, Crossing Guards lack a foundation
to support them with fund raising, kind of in the same way there's no foundation for street lights.
While you might argue that in these difficult ~ime there should be foundations for the basic needs of
city life, in reality things like the library, the Junior Museum and Children's Theater can fall back on
the funds raised by very active foundations. While Children's theater and the Junior Museum make
Palo Alto a more interesting place to live, Crossing guards make Palo Alto a safe place to live.
I vote to preserve our Crossing Guard program is a vote for all the kids of Palo Alto. If keeping our
kids safe isn't enough of a reason, vote for crOSSing guards to avoid having to budget for the massive
law suits that will be filed when that first child is killed or maimed by a driver on the way home from
school. .
Alexis Hamilton
650-206-5568 (via Skype)
alexishgpr@yahoo.com
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." ww Cicero
6/812010
Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: alexis hamilton green [alexishgpr@yahoo.coml
Sent: Sunday, May 16,201010:51 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Preserve Crossing Guards: Charge for HIS Student Parking Permits
. Addendum to my letter about preserving the Crossing Guard program.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but do our high schools really provide free parking for kids who drive
to school? How can we afford to support this in such a tight budget climate and in a
community that talks about preserving the environment and "walkable neighborhoods". While
. high-schoolers who take the bus pay roughly $200/year for school transportation, not to
mention the inconvenience and time it requires,are we subsidizing the driving habit of kids
with cars by providing free student parking? That's a mixed message ..
If a kid is lucky enough to afford a car, they can afford to take responsibility for parking it. In
very gross terms, if 1,000 students park on our high-school campuses each year, and if you
charge $2001year for a student parking permit, you've got $200,000 to help offset the cost of
the Crossing Guard program. Even if parking enforcement takes half of that income, the
parking permit program still sends a message to the community that we are a city that acts to
support alternative transportation rather than just talking about it.
Driving is a privilege not a right. In tight budget times, when you are choosing between funding
critical services like libraries and child safety, it makes sense to put free student parking on the
list of programs that we can no longer afford. Let's put our money where our mouth is in terms
of supporting walkable neighborhoods vs. supporting more driving for teens.
Alexis Hamilton
650-206-5568 (via Skype)
alexishgpr@yahoo.com
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the patent of all the others." --Cicero
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Jeff Greenfield Ueffg13@gmail.comJ
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:12 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: proposed city budget cuts regarding safe routes to school
Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,
We all agree these are difficult fiscal times for the city and difficult decisions must be made. While
acknowledging this, I urge you to reconsider all proposed cuts to the Palo Alto Police Department
Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guirrds and preserve these city resources at their current funding
levels. Our community prides itself in our schools and the safety of our school age children must be
paramount. Kids, including my own, are now biking and walking to school in record numbers -which is
awesome -but their weH-being while commuting must be ensured by all reasonable means. I shudder to
consider a scenario where our city reduces or eliminates our basic common sense tr!lffic safeguards and
then an unthinkable accident occurs'. .
Please insist on making public safety a top priority for our city and maintain aH funding for the adult
crossing guards and P APD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Jeff Greenfield
3476 Waverley Street
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Colleen Dunn Hall [cedhall@comcast.net]
Sunday, May 16, 20109:07 AM
Council, City
Elimination of School Crossing Guards
Dear City Council Members,
I know that there are no easy answers to the budget issues facing Palo Alto.
But I would urge you to rethink the idea of cutting all of the crossing guards and traffic
teams that help patrol around the schools. I.invite you to visit the Waverly/East Meadow
crossing at either B.OO am or 3:00 pm.
Even with a very effective crossing guard, it is barely controlled chaos as students and
parents negotiate the commute to and from JLS and Fairmeadow.
without a crossing guard', parents and students would be evep more likely to !lcut comeral!
or attempt to make a turn or cross in the last seconds when the light is yellow or even
red. It already happens with the drivers. And the students surely would imitate this
dangerous behavior without a crossing guard to make sUre they wait before crossing.
Obviously there are going to be trade-offs with the budget, but taking funding from a
program where young lives are literally on the line does not seem to make sense. Charge
for park visits, reduce library hours, increase Children's Theat.er rates. Maybe not
popular, but also no one is in any real danger of being injured or even killed with those
sorts of changes. As a former Palo Alto Library Foundation hoard member and a former
traffic team member at El Carmelo, I think keeping the crossing guards at the expense of
some library hours is an easy choice.
I hope you agree.
Sincerely,
Colleen Dunn
759 Coastland
Palo Alto, CA
Drive
94306
18
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: AII~n Hall {tna4hall@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 16,20106:16 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Budget cuts and safe routes to school
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I undersllmd that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to
preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards.
Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto
children. including my own.
I live one block from JLS and currently have an 8th grader who attends the school. Over the past 11
years I have walked my daughter andlor son to JLS and Fairmeadow. We have talked often about traffic
safety and always watching out for drivers who are not paying attention during the morning and
afternoon rush. The number of cars, bikes and pedestrians that use the Waverley and E. Meadow
intersection has increased over the years, prompting the transition of the intersection being control by a
stop sign to a stop light. Even with the added control of a stop light, the number of cars that run the light
or drive around other cars to get through the intersection has increased. I am often amazed by the lack
of common sense and attention many drivers exhibit when they are rushing to get their kids to school
and the lack of control kids exhibit when they are running to catch the light. For years I've been
concerned about the lack crossing guards at the driveway entrances to JLS and Fairmeadow and can't
imagine not having crossing guards at the intersections controlled by lights. And based on the number
of people I see being ticketed at the beginning of every school year, I can't imagine not having a police
presence patrolling E. Meadow to remind drivers of the traffic laws and safety issues around the schools.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. Thi,s is no time to
reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed infill housing, requiring us to expand our
schools, it is increasingly imPOrllmt that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe
for all residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the
adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you,
Tarami Hall
Sincerely,
Tarami Hall
3369 South Court
Palo Alto, CA 94306
6/812010
Brewer. Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
E. J. Hong [ej@ejhong.com]
Sunday, May 16, 2010 8:53 PM
Council, City
'Colleen Dunn Hall'
Subject: RE: Elimination of School Crossing Guards
I .agree with Mrs. Hall. It is very dangerous at Waverley and E. Meadow. My child usually
rides her bike to school,. but on the days that I need to drive her, I notice how busy is
there. Without a crossing guard, I think that people would indeed do things that they
would not do because a crossing guard is. there.
Not too far from this intersection, a boy ran into my car while riding his bike. His
mother was him, but she refused to give 'rne' her name as she said that they were late to
school. There was no crossing guard there, but there was also no other traffic than my
car. Imagine if something like this happened at the intersection of Waverley and E.
Meadow (which could easily happen). Drivers and kids would have been distracted by the
incid~nt that happened to me-and would have caused more of a traffic issue.
Thank you.
E. J. Hong,-Esq.
LAW OFFICES OF E.J. HONG
2225 E. Bayshore Road, Suite 200
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Tel: (650) 320-7680
Fax: (650) 320-7675
E-mail: ej@ejhong.com
Website: www.ejhong.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Colleen Dunn Hall [mailto:cedhall@comcast.net]
Sent: SUnday, May 16, 2010 9:07 AM
To: City.Council@CityofPaloAlto.org
Subject: Elimination of· School Crossing Guards
Dear City Council Members,
I know that there are no easy anSwers to the budget issues facing Palo Alto.
But I would urge you to rethink the idea of cutting all of the crossing guards and traffic
teams that help patrol around the schools. I invite you to visit the Waverly/East Meadow
crossing at either 8:00 am or 3:00 pm.
Even with a very effective crossing guard, it is barely controlled chaos as students and
parents negotiate the commute to and from JLS and Fairmeadow.
Without a crossing guard, parents and students would be even more likely to "cut corners!!
or attempt to make a turn or cross in the last seconds when the light is yellow or even
red. It already happens with the drivers. And the students surely would imitate this
dangerous behavior without a crossing guard to make sure they wait before crossing.
Obviously there are going to be trade-offs with the budget, but taking funding from a
program where young lives are literally on the line does not seem to make sense. Charge
for park visits, reduce library hours, increase Children'$ Theater rates. Maybe not
popular, but also no one is in any real danger of being injured or even killed with those
sorts of changes. As a former Palo Alto Library Foundation board member and a former
traffic team member at EI Carmelo, I think keeping the crossing guards at the expense of
some library hours is an easy choice.
16
I hope you agree.
Sincerely,
Colleen Dunn
759 coastland
Palo Alto, CA
Drive
94306
17
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Hi,
Kathy Hart [hartkathy@me.com]
Monday, May 17, 201012:22 PM
Council, City
Concerns over cutting crOSSing guards.
I am writing to express my concern over the proposal to cut funding for.school crossing
guards in ~alo Alto. Without busing, many children walk or bike to school and I think
that for many reaSOns (their health, the enVironment, traffic congestion, etc.) we should
continue to encourage that. However, many children need to cross busy streets to get to .
their schools and as they get older and start to commute on their own {an important and
safe way to foster growing independence), the crossing guards are crucial. In particular,
the usual crossing guard at Newell and Embarcadero is fantastic. He keeps traffic from .
blocking the cross walks as much as possible and
makes them aware of the no turn on red with children present rule.
The intersection is a total mess without a crossing guard and I'm afraid many Children
would be forced into the edge of the street itself as cars regularly fill the crosswalks
without the guard and that is a huge safety risk.
Thank you,
Kathy
11
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Dear City council,
Dan Holman
Friday, May21,201011:10AM
Council, City
Victoria Holman
concern over lOSing our crossing guards
We are deeply troubled by the prospect of losing our crossing guards.
Walter Hays Elementary and we count on the crossing guards to help him
school as well as a "lighthouse" for deterring unwanted behavior (from
adults). I hope that you consider retaining the crossing guards.
Thank-you for your support of our safety concerns,
Dan and Victoria Holman
3
OUr child attends
safely get to
students and
Brewer, Cathy
From: judy huang [judyhuang88@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 20109:08 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Please save our school crossing guards
May 18, 2010
Dear Honorable Mayor, City Manager, and City Council Members:
I am writing this letter to urge you to preserve our city's funding of the Palo Alto Police
Department Safety Team and the Adult Crossing Guards.
Page I ofl
I understand that Palo Alto must make difficult decisions regarding· our budget in this tough
economy, but this proposal, which has a direct negative impact on our children, our most
vulnerable population, is wrong.
I have an 8 and 10 year old in the Duveneck district; we drive daily across town to bring our
children to Escondido, and greatly appreciate the crOSSing guards at the Jordan crossing on
Embarcadero, and the one at Stanford Ave/EI Camino Ave. Although our family heavily uses the
PA library system and hike frequently in the Foothills I would gladly see the city make cuts to our
neighborhood library branch, or close Foothill Park, if that would help save our city's crOSSing
guards.
I still remember one afternoon, in front of Walter Hays School, seeing a police officer stopping a
middle school biker and. reminding him to put on his helmet. Everyday I slow down at the
intersections on Embarcadero when I see the crossing guard, because I know coming up behind
him are impulsive and distracted preteens on their bikes. Every day! appreciate the crossing
guard at the intersection of Stanford Ave and El Camino Real who helps kindergarteners navig<:lte
crossing E\ Camino while still learning to ride their bikes safely.
Of utmost importance is our children's safety. Please continue to fund our Adult Crossing Guards
and PA Police Department Safety Team.
Sincerely,
Judy Huang
108 Walter Hays Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94303
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent;
To:
Subject:
Alison Hyde [alison@spindyeknit.com]
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 9:10 PM
9ouncll, City
traffIC safety officers
Dear Palo. Alto. City COuncil,
I'm net entirely sure ef the efficacy ef the traffic crossing guards around the scheels,
ether than that they do. make the kids behave better in potentially dangerous situatiens
because they know an adult is watching them--every day, BO they can recognize their faces
and peint them eut if they do anything like the kid I ence saw and pulled my car ever fer
en Meadow and angrily· yelled at, which made him step pounding his classmate's head into.
the sidewalk. Uh oh--that lady knows my face from back at Fairmsadow ...
So..
But I rio feel very strongly about not laying off the police traffic safety officers. This
is ceming from a then-JLS parent who, in '00, was rear-ended by a Hoover parent deing
abeut 40 on Chariesten, oblivieus to. the fact that traffic was nearly stepped; his kid was
late and he was looking to see if the lined-Up kids had gone inside yet and he was
speeding like crazy, head turned sideways.
Which is why I now walk with a cane with my senSe ef balance dependent en my tactile
feedback, because he destreyed it otherwise. I cannet tell you hew grateful I am for the
officer who was just around the cerner who. shewed up immediately at the sound ef the
three-car crash (I was threwn into. the car ahead), who. looked in my windew at the glove
compartment thrown open, the mirrer cempletely askew despite our having had seatbelta en
and net having directly touched it, and my rear crinkled up to the back windew. "He hit
yeu HARDt" the guy whistled. I remember that his name was CUrtis semething; tell him I
said thank you.
I. really mean that, please tell him I said thank yeu: we desperately need these ceps
areund the scheols. I can tell yeu that frem very personal experience. Please use my tax
dellars to pay for keeping the ferce intact.
--Alisen Hyde (who just veted for the parcel tax renewal and ·preudly 80.--1 want Palo. Alto.
to stay the wonderful scheel cemmunity that it is.)
478 Ferne Ave
Palo Alto
(650), 858-2829
1
Page lofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Junie Kah Ounlekah@gmall.Gom]
Sent: Friday, May 21,20106:51 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: keeping crossing guards
Please don't get rid ofthe crossing guards. The crossing guards help people walk safely cross the street.
When I was going to my school and it was my fIrst time crossing the streets without my mom but the
crossing guard helped me. The crossing guards are also very nice and kind. So please keep the crossing
guards.
6/812010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Marilyn Keller [marilynkeller@gmaiLcom]
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 12:53 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: proposed city budget cuts regarding safe routes to school
Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,
Please prioritize funding for the Adult Crossing Guards and for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic
Team. They are crucial to maintaining the safety of our school age children who are walking and biking
to school in increasing numbers. I personally have witnessed avoided accidents due to the diligence of
these essential crossing guards. In addition to keeping our children safer, they also help reduce our
traffic problems and resulting pollution. lfthe crossing guards are eliminated, I guarantee that many
more parenta will drive their children to school causing significantly more traffic congestion problems
for everyone on the road. It will cost the city more to implement measUres to deal with.the added traffic
congestion, will cost families more to drive their students, and will eventually cost families horrific grief
when future accidents are not avoided.
Please prioritize the safety of our youth before an avoidable tragedy occurs. You have a successful
. program in place that works and that is also cost effective for the community; . Please maintain funding
for this essential program.
Thank you.
Marilyn Keller
3476 Waverley Street
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Dear City Council:
Charlene Liao [xcliao@yahoo.comJ
Friday, May 14,2010 1:52 PM
Council, City
barbara klausner; Charlene Liao
save the crossing guards for kids' overall safety
As a parent in Pa,o Alto with two·school age kids who walk and bike to schools everyday,
and as a resident who lives close to the intersections to three public schools (Fair
Meadow, Hoover and JI,S) , I am writing to you to emphasize that it is important to keep the
crossing-guards, as Palo Alta is promoting earth-friendly image and encouraging kids to .
walk or bike to schools.
In addition, the cheerful crassing guards make connections with our kids everyday,. before
and after school. They are one of the outreaches from adults to our kids, especially when·
the kids are under stress and are vulnerable.
A few years ago I read a story about a teen who was contemplating suicide by the railroad
track and was stopped by a friendly gesture from a peer or a stranger. The person who
picked up a conversation with this teen had no idea that he had prevented a suicide. This
is how crucial we heve crass-guards because they are face-to-face with our kids and they·
offer personal interactions much needed in this time of plenty of virtual worldl
Save the croBsing guards means road safety as well as suicide prevention.
Regards,
Charlene Liao
20
Brewer. Cathy
From: Xin Liu [Iiuxln@mac.coml
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 12:14 PM
To: Council, City
Cc: letters@paweekly.eom
Subject: PAPD Traffic Team and !.he Adult Crossing Guards program
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
r understand that our city Is facing very difficult budget dectslons, but r am
writing to urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department
Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement
resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children,
Including my own.
My two children benefit tremendously from having the adult crossing guards
and police officer In our Barron Park comml,lnlty. It also brings peace of mind
for us parents not worrying about sending kids to school on bikes, scooters or
on feet. .
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school In record
numbers. This Is no time to reduce school commute safety. As the city has
developed Inflll housing, requiring us to expand our schools, It Is Increasingly
Important that we do what Is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe
for all reSidents, and espeCially our school-bound children.
r strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety In your budget deliberations
and support funding the adult crossing guards arid· PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Xln Llu
954 Roble Ridge Road
Palo Alto
6/812010
Page lofl
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Margot Lockwood-Steln [mommylockwood_sleln@yahoo.comj
Sunday, May 16, 2010 9:51 PM
Council, City,
Cc: Tom Stein
Subject: Adult Crossing guards -Please Continue to Fundi
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page 1 of1
I understand that our city Is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am wntlng to urge you to preserve funding
for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement
resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, Including my own, '
My husband walks withmy 1 year old son each morning 10 Duveneck and next year our daughter will start
Kindergarten. We always feel safe at the crosswalks thanks the the terrific crossing guard, Robert. We moved to
Palo Alto 2 years ago because of the schools and our desire to live In a neighborhood where the kids could safely
walk to school together. I engulnely hope you will continue to fund the, crossing guards as they are critical to the
safety of my children every single school day,
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. This is no time to reduce
school commute safety. As the city has deveioped infill housing, requiring us to expand our schools, It Is
Increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and
especially our school-bound children,
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the adult
crossing guards and PAPD TraffiC Team.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Margot Lockwood-Stein and Tom Stein
157 Walter Hays DriVe, Palo Alto
(Your name and street address)
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: johnJoughney@nokia.com
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 5:09 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Oppose elimination of crossing guards In Palo Alto
. Dear City Council,
As a home owner in Palo Alto, with children attending school In Palo Alto, I oppose the elimlnatlon.of crossing gua«!. In
Palo Alto. My chUd,en must cross EI Camino Real at Charleston twice daily. Additionally, my daughter must cross the
Maybell. I have seen that there are quite a number of drivers who do not pay attention to children at these crossing points.
Often, too many drivers are focused more on their morning commute (and whatever multitasking they are doing) rather
than safety.
Also, given the well publicized troubles In our high schools, I do not think this is a time to cut back on safety for our children
In Palo Alto, but ensure that our children have the support and adults providing a Sense that they are being cared for and
that their safety Is one of the highest prlor.itles In our community •.
Thanks,
John Loughney
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Katie Loughney [katie,l.Ioughney@gmail,comj
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 5:23 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Keep the crossing guardsl
Kids going to school by themselves are not always the
smartest. Sometimes they are not careful and walk with out
paying attention. If they are not careful cars that do not see
them might crash into them. All those crossing guards do
good, and if you stop crossing guards then you will be taking a
job away from them, and right now finding jobs is harder
then ever. Crossing guards do so much good to many children.
I understand that in California we don't hilVe alot of money,
but cant you just think of another idea? We NEED crossing
guards, and they help us ALOT! Please keep the crOSSing
guards!
Katie
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Riikka Lo~ghney [riikka.loughney@gmail.com)
Monday, May 17, 2010 8:22 PM
Council, City
Subject: Eliminating crossing guards In Palo Allo
To Whom It May Concern:
Page 1 of 1
) am extremely worried about Palo Alto's resent plans to eliminate crossing guards as well as 'PAPD
Traffic Team.
I am a homeowner and a Palo Alto parent with one child in elementary school (Juana Briones) and one
child in middle school (Terman). ) watch middle sch091ers and high schoolers daily crossing EI Camino
on Arastadero by bike and by foot and the traffic sima,tions are often extremely dangerous. My own
middle schooler bikes to school on his own daily, and already now) am worried about his route to
school-everyone knows that Arastadero is very congested. Already once this year my son was biking
with a friend and the friend was knocked down by a driver who was turning right incoming to
Arastadero from one of the smaller residential roads. Luckily that time, only the bike got hurt.
But to do away with crossing guards on El Camino? That would lead to cOliditions that would not be
acceptable. People drive really way too fast on EI Camino and Arastadero. I would be afraid to send kids'
to school bY foot or bike and would most likely be driving them to school daily. )fmany ofus are
planning on doing this, it would only add to the congest.ed traffic situation we are experiencing today.
) know budgets are tight but this seems like a saving that will lead to more problems, and very scary
ones. Please consider your position on this issue and keep our kids safe!
Sincerely,
Riikka Loughney
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From: Pek Lum [Iumpekyee@gmail.com]
Saturday, May 08,20108:44 PM
Page lofl
Senl:.
To: Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid (Internal); Holman, Karen (Internal); Klein, Larry; Price,
Gail (Internal); Scharff, Gregory (Internal); Schmid, Greg; Shepherd, Nancy (Inlernal); Yeh, Ylaway
Subject: Proposed City Budget Cuts That Affect Safety At schools
To whom jt may concern
As a parent with two children who attend Palo Allo's public schools (Jordan Middle School and Walter Hays), I am writing to
ask you not to elimin~te critical programs that affect the traffic safety of our children at school. Many kids bike or walk to
school, including mine. You encourage us to take altemajive means aflran'portation and yet, you are considering taking away
the very thing that makes it safe to for our children to do ,a. Crossing guards are essentiatto the safety of many children who
are either biking or walking to school. Crossing guards do not merely hold up the STOP ,igus but rather they are part and parcel
of the s.fety system. These guards walch out for the children they protcct, including any safety issues within their sight.
Pi .... balance the budget without putting our children at risk.
Thank you
6/812010
Crossing guards
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Bruce & Elke MacGregor [bemacgregor@earthllnk,net]
Friday, May 14, 201010:18 PM
Council, City
, Subject: Crossing guards
Dear City Council Members,
Page 1 ofl
I am writing to urge you to keep some, if not all, of the Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing
Guards. These people make it safer for thousands of Palo Alto children, Including my own. I appreciate their
vlgilence at the intersections where early morning, anxious drivers are reminded to be careful. ,I understand that
clhildren need to be accountable and learn to cross intersections safely on their own but the crossing guards are
crucial at the busy and sometimes aggressive Intersectlonsciose to our schools.
Thank-you for your attention,
Elke MacGregor
55 Roosevelt Circle
Palo Alto
6/8/2010
Brewer. Cathy-_
From:
Sent:
Alex McManigll1 [alex@mavericksprinling.coml
Monday, May 17,2010 11:53AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing Guard Budget
Hello,
Very briefly,
effecting the
I wanted to voice my opinion regarding the proposed 20ll budget cuts
crossing guards and our children's safety while traveling to-school:
It would be a terrible mistake to cut the entire crossing guard team, as they are an
inval uable asset in protecting our children as they commute to school. _ There -are too many
of our schools on or near high traffic thoroughfares that if left unsupervised could-have
a devastating outcome.
As a parent, with three children in the PA school system, I would be very concerned_ for
their safety if they were left to crOss without adult supervision. My two children that
attend-Terman Middle school have both expressed appreciation for the service the crossing
guards provide during their commute, and I know that they would both be afraid of going to
school without those men and women there to help them croSS our busiest streets.
Please contiune to provide that service, and help keep our children safe.
Alex McManigill
Mavericks Printing
alex@mavericksprinting.com
550.331.l895
www.mavericksprinting.com
13
Brewer, Cathy
From:
sent:
To:
Subject:
Jenny Kuan [jwkuan@slanford.edul
. Monday, May 17, 2010 10:46 AM
Council, City
Please don~ eliminate crossing guards and police traffic team
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to
urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the
Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the
safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own.
The vast majority of kids at my son's school, JLS and before that El Carmelo, walk or bike
to school. This healthy habit provides exercise for kids (and the parents who walk Or ride
with their young children)., bllilds community, saves energy, and cuts pollution. All of
this would be impossible without cressing· guards and police patrols and instruction. (My
son finally learned. to ride a two-wheeler because he wanted to ride at the police
sponsored "bike rodeo' .at school, a bike safety program,)·
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and
support funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team. Please keep up the
wonderful work of the traffic safety services the City provides.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jenny Kuan
288S Ramona Street
14
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: moduda@gmall.com on behalf of yo on kim [yoon@tentmakers.com]
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 1:16 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Sustaining Safe Routes to Schools
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I understand that our city Is facing very dlfncult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to
preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards.
Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto
children, Including my own. ,
These "guardians" provide a shield of protection on our children walking or biking to school
against many of the drivers who are especially In a rush In mornings contending for the signal
lights and the street corners aiming for their destinations. All' crossing guards I've seen do a
wonderful Job of stopping cars while the children safely cross the roads.
PAUSDs 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school In record numbers. This Is no time
to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed Infill housing, requiring us to expand
our schools, It Is Increasingly Important that we do what rs necessary to maintain public streets that
are safe for all residents, and especially' our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and
support funding the adult cro$slng guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Yoon Kim
3412 Cork Oak Way
Palo Alto 94303
6/8/2010
Page I of I·
Brewer, Cathy
From: Douglas Moran [dbmoran@gmail.com] on behalf of Douglas B. Moran [dmoran@dougmoran.com]
Sent: Monday, May 17,20103:05 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Budget Cuts: Police Traffic Detail
Council members:
I urge you to consider whether the Traffic Detail is the appropriate budget cut to make in the Police
Department. For me; the biggest threat to my life and property comes from red-light rwmers and
speeders. Between just two intersections--where my street enters El Camino and Page MilllEl Camino-
I figure that I have at least one terrifYingly close call a year, one where 1 have to pull over until 1 stop
shaking. I am not talking about When the stream continues after the light is red, but cases such as when
a driver pulls around cars that are stopping and races through the intersection BETWEEN the cars that
have already started across. While it is impractical to catch each such incident, we need to have an
enforcement level that will catch enough of a proportion of such incidents to get those drivers off the
(Oad, or at least make them more cautious.
From my past dealings with this issue, J don't believe that traffic enforcement can adequately be handled .
. by the remaining patrol cars. First, motorcycle officers are critical because of.both their ability to
position themselves where patrol cars can't and their much lower visibility to violators. Second, my
impression is that teamwork produces much more effective and efficient enforcement of the key
problems (eg red light running) than is provided by individual patrol officers. I urge you to question the
Police about this.
I realize that the City gets only a small portion of the traffic fines. I saw on the news that several nearby
cities have switched to using "administrative summons" in the place of tickets so that most of the
revenue would come to the City. You might want to explore the feasibility of this.
I am not opposing cuts to the Police Department, but questioning whether the cuts proposed are the best
choices. Having been in large organizations that had to do cuts, 1 know that the cuts proposed are often
the ones that are easiest to administer rather than the ones that make the most sense in terms of the
organization's services.
Douglas Moran
790 Matadero Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306
6/8/2010
Page 1 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Jennifer Mutz [mutz@pacbell.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 7:04 PM
To: Council, City
Cc: . 'Chuck Merritt'; 'jennifer mutz'
Subject: Crossing Guard and Traffic Safety Team: Thank you from EI Carmelo Elementary School
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
We thank the Finance Committee for voting last night, Tuesday May 19, 2010, to save the city
of Palo Alto's Crossing Guard Program and the majority (4 out of 5) of the Palo Alto Police
Department's Traffic Safety Team. We hope the finance committee's recommendations carry
through with an approval vote from City Council on June 21.
The proposed city budget cuts, which included eliminating all adult crossing guards city-wide
and eliminating the entire PAPD Traffic Team, were of great concemto our school
administration and parent community. The crossing guards and PAPD traffic team work
together to keep the traffic on our school routes safe. Taking away any portion of this critical
safety net could have seriously jeopardized the safety of our children during their commute to
. school.
While we understand balancing our city's budget requires tough choices, we are relieved that
the Finance Committee has prioritized our children's safety above all other cost cutting
measures. The crossing guards and PAPD traffic safety team are crucial to the safety of over
11,500 PAUSD children, including El Carmela students, during peak commute hours with
much higher volumes of cars on the streets than ever before (higher school enrollment, wider
attendance boundaries, no school buses, incoming car commuters doubling Palo Alto's
population during the day). PAUSD school administrators working in tandem with City
Transportation and the PTA City/School Traffic Safety Committee are making concerted
efforts to encourage more children to bike and walk to school to alleviate paralyzing and
dangerous traffic around our school zones. The crossing guards and P APD traffic safety team
playa critical role in making this effort possible and successful.
Thank you for your valuable contribution to Palo Alto by voting to maintain a dedicated
PAPD traffic team ahd crossing guards. They .are both a vital benefit to traffic safety at El
Carmela Elementary School.
Sincerely,
Chuck Merritt
Principal
El Carmela Elementary School
6/8/2010
Jennifer Mutz
PTA President
EI Carmelo Elementary School
EI Carmelo Elementary School
PAUSD
3024 Bryant St.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
6/812010
Page 2 of2
Page 1 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Melanie Norall [melanlenorall@yahoo.comj
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:27 AM
To: Council, City
SubJect: School crossing guards: questions
City Council Members -
I've put the word out on the proposed cut of school crossing guards to the Walter Hays Elementary
parents. "Yikesl" was the immediate response.
As a new kinder parent, I don't know enough about the Issue so perhaps you could give me some more .
background;
-Why was this cut chosen over other options (like the art budget, etc.)? Are the guards seen as
unimportant? Ineffective?
-Are there safety stats that say crossing guards do not result in fewer accidentslinjuries? What does the .
research tell us?
-Is the idea that the parents would pick up the slack and fund it on our own (through PT As or other
means)? .
-Do most cities not fund this? What has happenecl with other cities that have cut this service? What
would happen In PA if we cut this?
-Do we need to survey parents to find out if this would result in more folks driving? --parking Is
already a problem at WH
I cross at Middlefield & Embarcadero every day. My daughter is a kinder, so I walk with her. I do,
however, see that the 6 and 8 year aids down the block walk themselves. I worry about them. lance
saw a child almost get hit by an ambulance because they didn't know to get out of the way when It was
coming through. It was horrible! Just yesterday, I was walking three kinders home and a car ran the red
light in front of us. Had I not been holding those children back from the curb they would have been hit
because the walk sign had already turned on. This intersection is extremely dangerous, as it is a main
commute route and we all know how distracted drivers have become these days, Many drivers don't
seem to notice the children on the curb. And, although the speed limit is 25, I'm sure the police can tell
you that many folks go 40-50mph on Embarcadero,
Please let us know more about the justification for this cut, sO I can better understand the rationale
behind it.
6/812010
Thanks,
Melanie Norall
Walter Hays Elementary
650-323-6510
. 61812010
Page 2 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Elizabeth Olson [eaousa@yahoo,com]
Monday, May 17, 2010 9:45 PM
Council, City
Please do not cut funding for crossing guardsl
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget'decisions, but I am writing to
urge you to preserve funding for the,Palo Alto ' Police Department Traffic Team and tne
Adult Crossing Guards. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the
safety of thousands of palo Alto Children, including my own. Two of my phildren attend
Escondido Elementary School, and we ride our bikes almost every day. We need to cross twe
very busy streets, Alma and El camino. We really count on the adult crossing guard at
Stanford and El camino and would feel unsafe crossing there if it were not for her. I
have seen cars race through that 'intersection with no regard for pedestrians or cyclists.
,PAUSD'a 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. It is
great for exercise, and for the environment. This is no'time to reduce school commute
safety. As the city has developed infill housing, requiring us to expand our schools, it
is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are
safe for all residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you 'to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and
support funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD'Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Olson
144 Melville Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
7
Brewer, Cathy
From: Yehua Owens [yehua@owensnet.comJ
Sent: Saturday, May 15,20109:54 PM
To: Council, Chy; lelters@paweekly.ccm; letters@padailypost.com
Subject: Please, do not cut the crossing guards and the PAPD traffIC team!
Donald & Yehua Owens
408 Hettinger Ln
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Home phone: 650-565-8709
Dear Mr. Patrick Burt and City Council,
Page 1 of 1
We heard that Palo Alto City is considering cutting all the crossing guards
and the PAPD Traffic Team, We are greatly concerned of that.
My twin boys are 5 th graders and they will enter middle school in August.
They plan to bike to their middle school as encouraged by the city. The crOSSing
guards are a very important factor in our decision to allow our kids to bike to
school. Although we still worry a lot about their safety on the road, the crossing
guards ease some pain. .
My kids' high school will be Gunn High. The recent tragedies at Gunn High
are heavy rocks on our hearts. Our community is doing everything we can to
ensure that the similar thing won't happen again. Well, with the elimination of the
crossing guards, it feels like that we are creating future tragedies on purpose,
instead of avoiding them. Why do we want to regret later and do a lot more to
reverse the wrongdoing when we can help avoiding the traffic accidents?
Nothing is more important than our children's lives. So, please, do not cut
the crossing guards and the PAPD trafficteam!
Thank you so much for listening to us!
6/8/2010
Sincerely,
Donald Owens
Yehua Owens
Clerkson, Linda
From: Morariu, Kelly
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 1:13 PM
To: Clerkson, Linda
Subject: RE: Elimination of crossing guards
Came In this morning.
Kelly
Kelly McAdoo Morarlu
Assistant to the City Manager
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-329-2452 office
650-325-5025 fax
kelly,mQrarlu@cltyofpaloaJiQ.org
From: Dipti G. Joshi [mailto:dsonak@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 10:52 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Elimination of crossing guards
Page 1 ofl
Oh come on ! You cannot eliminate the crossing guards at intersections near the schools. They keep our
children safe, they encourage 'walking'. If the crossing guards were not there, I would drive my kids to
school and I livc about three blocks away from the school. Right now, I know the kids will be safe at the
intersection (where most car drivers are busy trying to beat the clock in order to avoid a tardy slip)
Thanks
. Dipti Joshi
6/10/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
George Pierce {egp4@att.net]
Wednesday, May 19, 201012:44 PM
Council, City
'Silvie'
George Pierce personal letter on "keeping PAUSD crossing guards employed I
Attachments: George's Letter.doc)(
Dear Council Members,
Please find my attached letter.
Thank you. George Pierce
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer. Cathy
From:
sent:
To:
Subject:
Follow Up Flag:
Flag Status:
Respected Counselors,
Iprice@Vcn.bc.ca
Friday, June 04, 2010 11:21 AM
Council, City
Safety Crossing Guards
Follow up
Red
I'd like to request that you not elimi.nate crossing. guards from the next budget. Not only
do they make a huge difference to the safety of. those children who walk or bike to school
and support these "green transportation options" for the kids, but they also provide
employment to individuals who might otherwise not have any, thus increasing the self
respect of those individuals. This works both ways towards improving the safety of the
city: reducing the number of wayward individuals in addition to helping the kids directly.
I think if crossing guards are eliminated, more people will feel a need to drive their
kids to school. Traffic problems will increase, wear and tear on roads will increase, and
the savings may not be as large as they first seem.
Sincerely,
Lottie Price
Palo Alto
2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Michelle Richmond [mrichmond68@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 5:18 PM
To: Council, City
Page 1 of 1
Subject: Proposed elimination of Allult Crossing Guards and Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team
I'm writing to support the crossing guards. We walk our children to Hoover Elementary School on
Charleston Road every morning and the crossing gUards are a great help at the Middlefield/Charleston
crossing. In fact, one more guard at that intersection would be great. We've repeatedly had frightening
moments at that intersection, always with cars turning right on red. However, when the crossing guards
are present, the traffic is much better behaved.
Unfortunately, I can't offer my support for the police officer traffic tearn. I'm not sure what they do. I
do know that every morning around 7:55 to 8:05 car after car after car flip illegal U-turns on Charleston
creating some very exciting moments and I've never seen or heard of anyone getting a tieket --yet its
obviously dangerous. Maybe we could get a crossing guard to help direct the traffic and stop the illegal
U-tumers.
Thank you,
Michelle Richmond
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy·
From:
sent:
To:
Jennifer Rlvelll Uennlferrlvelll@sbcglobal.net]
Wednesday, June 09,20109:36 PM
Council, City
Subject: Crossing Guards
City Council Members,
Page I ofl
I am an instructional aide at Walter Hays. I live on Middlefield just across from the Junior Museum. In
the mornings there is a lot of traffic with parents drhring to school, in addition to the usual commuters.
People fly down Middlefield in an attempt to beat the light at Middlefield and Embarcadero, to make
the left that will take them toward the freeway. More than one time I have seen red light runners on
Embarcadero while the crossing guard steps off the curb to guide crossing. No 'right on red when
children are present' is ignored by drivers.
Also, at the intersection of Middlefield and Newell, the lights can't stop four way traffic to let kids
biking from Jordan, and the crossing guard needs to do double duty to get kids across safely. Again,
motorists ignore the 'no right on red when children are present'. Kids are a quarter of the way through
the crosswalk, and motorists feel entitled to make their turns.
Please re-evaluate your decision for the safety of all our children during the school year.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Rivelli
6/10/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Stefan Rosner [stefan.rosner@gmall.com]
Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:32 PM
Council, City
Page lofl
SUbJect: Letter 01 support to PA City Council in support of Crossing Guards and PAPD Traffic Team for
Sale Routes to School Partnership
Attachments: Escondido LeHer lor Crossing Guards + PAPD Traffic Team.pdf
Dear Mayor and Honorable City Council of the City of Palo Alto,
A hardcopy original of the attached letter on Escondido Elementary School letterhead, co·signed by the Principal,
PTA President and the Traffic Safety Representative (TSR), has been mailed to City Hall @250Hamilton Avenue
and should arrive timely for consideration at the City Council Finance Committee meeting on the evening of
Tuesday 18 May.
However, I also wanted to send this advance copy (scanned to PDF) via email to ensure timely receipt.
Please Include this letter in the packet made available to members of Palo Alto City Council in preparation for the
Finance Committee meeting.
Thank you for your consideration.
Stelan Rosner
Escondido Elementary School
2009 -2010 Traffic Salety Representative (TSR)
o
••••••• '\< -,-
stefan •••• (*)/ (*)
6/812010
I~' ,j;rp.ND"!<i
~ ____ ~~r-_____ E_S_C_O_nd_i_d_O_E_I_e_m_e_n~t~a_rY __ S_Ch_O_0_1_, ____________ ___
O.ar, Mayor, Honol1lble City Council Members, and Manager of the City of Palo Alto,
While We understand that OUI city is facing very difficult budget decision" we are writing to urge tlrat you
pre •• rveJundlng fur. the Palo Alto Police Deparimont Trame Team and tlIe Adult Crossing GuardS.
Together. the.e enforcement resource. hayebeen crtJcfal to the safety of thousand; of Palo Alto children, Including
the IMrl> fIuIn 500 kids attending ll,scondido Elementary School..
DallSero., Stantcrdll'll !;lIllllno Inlerseellcn hts Hundted, .fKld, at Risk
The prilnary artery providing IIllC ... to JjscQndido Elementary (as well as Nixon Elementary) Is Stanford Avenue.
Tlte Stanford Avenue intersection with El Camillo Real (St.te Highway 82) I, both extremely busy and qUite
dangerous. It was deSigned in the 1950. with very different mage pattems and needs. Today. it serves many , ,
pedestrians and cyclists, many of whom are young students crosalng III Camino Real on their way t9 and from
school ••
In 2002 -2003. the StanJordll'll ClI!Ilino intersection was identified within the EI Camino Master Scbeinati~ besign .
Project as a pari!cularly "untrlendly" crossing for pedestrlam and bieydisis. given the very high usage,and "
'documented "duster" of ."...b.s at that localion, several ofwhicb diredl), Involved Escondido students aDd
parents.
Wllilelh. Stanford Ave I HI Camino Streetscapel'roject (recently approved by City Council) promises to implement
very Important improvemems to this intersection whloh wlll ultimately enhance the aafety of our sclrnol children,
tb'~ Improvements will Dot belli pl ... for ."'eral y .....
We h~vereviev;oo theel!)! Manager'. report outlining proposed budget cuts. While we nodarstand that the budget
situation i. especially dire this year, and that nil costs and services are "on the table" fur evaluation as possible co,t
,aving measure •• we firmly believe that eliminating the crOSsing guards at thlslnter.eetlon. whi.h is known to
be particularly dong.rous, would be pnttll1g our most vulnerable citizens. our s.hoolchildren,ln harm'. way'
with potentially .atastrophl, and tragic consequ~nc.s.
Adult Crossing Guards and PAPD Enloreement Needed,
l' AUSD's Il,S6S school children are walking nod biking to school in r\>Cord numbers. This represents an Important
reversal in nationwide, statewide and IoClll trends. Mucb ofthi. impressive turnaround is attributable to the efforts
of the Safe Routes, to &>hool PartnersMp. Endorsed In Feb. 2006 by PAUSD (resolution 2005.06.13) as wen as
the Palo Alto City Council (resolution 8590) Safe Routes achieves the.e important results with programs bulltupon
!henS E's." • Offhesi>, Enforeement, .10ng wltll Ji:du.atlo.a.d Engine~ring, are considered to be the 31egs of
the "tripod", aU ofwbldJ are eo.sid,red essential for an elfedive Safe Rout .. to Schooll'rogram,
The City Manager's report suggests that the roles of the adult crossing gnards and the PAPD Traffic Team could be
assumad by volunteer· or student·led crossing guard programs. It Is worth noting that while student and staff
volunteers at school sites alrear:/JI monitor crossings on many school rout ••• they may only control the flow of
pedestrian> and bicyclists; only FAPt) and trained adult eros,lng guards are authorized to eontrol the flow of
automobile tramcln tb .. elnlersectlona, ond only the FAPD can enforce vehicle code on the public streets
that make up the city" ,choolcommute'rouflls.
These two proposed cuts are relatively small compared with the overall City deficit, but would completely decimate
the enforcement :itm of our Safo Routes to School PartI1ershlp and. thus, are inconsistent with both the
aforementioned resolutions endorsing !hIs partnership, and the pri",ary responsibility of. municipality for phbtic
safety.
890 Escondido Road Stanford, CA 94305·7101
PHONE (650) 856-1337 FAX (650) 424-1079 WEB www.escond!do.pausd.org
Escondido Elementary School
t~i' is no time to negatively Impact .cbool commute safety. As the City and Stanford University have continued
to developinfill housing, requirin~ Us to expllnd our .ehool, It is increa$ingly important that "'e continue to do
",bat Is 1I"".ssary to maintain publlt: 'tr.~ts tha, are '.Ce for all resident •• and •• pecially our school·bound
children. W. strongly entourage you to Pllorltl~. pubUt .afety In your bUdflot denber".tio'" and 'lIl'jIO.rt
mniling the adult crossing guards and PAPD Tr.£ljc T •• Ql. .
Thank)'ou for yourfuoughtful COll$iderationofthi, lelfer.
GaryP",hn,
Principal. Escondido BletnentaJ:y School
89() &(xmdldo lid
$/fPljiJJ:li; CA 94JOS
.. ~.~
Andrea Fleming
President, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), EsC'Ondido'Elementary School
20 It Cohptl biB Street
Palo AI\o) 'CA 943
~
2009 -2010 Traffic Safety Representative (TSR), Escondido Elementary School
786 Matadero Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
890 Escondido ROlid Stanford. CA 94305-7101
PHONE (650) l356-1331 FAX (650) 424-1079 WEB www.escondido.pausd.org
Page 1 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Haya Rubin [haya,rubin@gmail,com]
Sent: Frlday. May 14. 2010 4:18 PM
To: Council. City
Subject: cuts to traffic safety guards
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I know your job is diffficult as you face budget decisions in which cuts must be made to some things. I
am writing to urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the
Adult Crossing GUards. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of
thousands :of Palo Alto children, including my own.
My daughter is an Escondido school child and the intersection of Stanford Rd. and El Camino is
treacherous for her and others who are coming from the other side of EI Camino, with the confluence of
pedestrians, bike riders, and cars coming through that interse,ction.
P AUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. School
populations arc going up, not down, in Palo Alto. 11ris is no time to reduce school commute safety; As
the city has developed infiU housing, requiring us to expand our schools, it is increasingly important that
we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially our
school-bound children. .
I strongly encourage you to ,prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the
adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team. Please do not cut traffic guards,
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Haya R. Rubin
3946 Nelson Drive
Palo Alto CA 94306
Haya R. Rubin, M.D., PhD., F.A.C.P.
Personal Medical Consultant and
Health Care Advocate
6/812010
Mailing Address:
555 Bryant St. #267, Palo Alto CA 94301
My Advice Doctor
... the doctor in your fumily
Phone (443) 928-4741
Fax (888) 560-3969
Personal el!lail: haya.rubin@gmail.com
email forpatientcare:haya.rubin@myadYicedr.com
Please use secure encrypted email when protected health information is sent by email.
6/812010
Page 2 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Dear City Council,
Eileen Ruppel [eileenruppel@sbcglobal.netj
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 10: 11 AM
Council, City
Gary Ruppel; Steve Chapel
Crossing Guards
I understand you are planning to eliminate the crossing guards in Palo Alto .. I would like
to join fellow Palo Altans in requestng that you do not do this. It puts our children Cand
adults) at increased risk every day they are in school.
OUr horne is at the inters.ection of Bryant and El Carmela Street.s. EVERY day we see. at
least one near miss between a bicycle and a car or a bicycle and a pedestrian or others
using various-forms of transportation. .
My husband, Gary, and I have spent ·time with city and EI Carmelo Sc.hool staff and
neighbors over the past few years trying to make this one intersection safer. One
intervention, the crossing guard for a couple hours each day, has helped more than any
other. Un-less you can provide another equal or better solution, ,please do not eliminate
this position.
We are on vacation at this time so we will not be a~le.to attend the meeting.
We are terribly concerned, enough .so to take time away from our vacation to Wr"1 te.
Best regards,
Eileen Ruppel
Sent from my iPod
5
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Dora Sandoval [DSandoval@packard.org]
Monday, December 14, 2009 10:01 AM
Keene, James
Hermann, Greg; Dueker, Kenneth; Morarlu, Kelly; Godfrey; Sandra Bass
Subject: RE: Palo Alto Track Watch Proposal -Packard Foundation Grant Agreement
Importance: High
Attachments: GA 2009-35154.pdf
D'ear Mr. Keene,
Page 1 of2
Thank you very much to you and your team for getting your materials submitted as requested. Our board of
trustees has approved your grant supporting the Palo Alto track watch and we mailed to you today an award
letter and grant agreement. However, today at noon is our deadline for our last 2009 payment cycle, so to
expedite the process I've attached a copy of your award letter and grant agreement to this email. If you are able
email or fax a signed copy of the grant agreement to us before 12:00 pm today, we will be able to mail your
grant payment before year-end. If you are unable to send us your signed grant agreement before noon, we will
process your payment as early as possible in 2010.
Email and fax information for your signed grant agreement (email is preferred):
Email: GOadmin@packard.org (Grantmaking Operations)
Fax: 650.947.8616 (Attn: Grantmaking Operations)
Best,
Dora
Dora Sandoval I Program Associate I Directed Grantmaklng I Organizational Effectiveness I The David and lucile Packard Foundation
w 650.917.7209 I f 650.917.1968 I dsandovai@packard.org I www.packard.org
From: Hermann, Greg [mallto:Greg.Hermann@CltyofPaloAlto,org]
Sent: Thursday, December 10,20092:53 PM
To: Sandra Bass .
ee: Keene, James; Dueker, Kenneth; Morarlu, Kelly; Godfrey; Dora Sandoval
Subject: Palo Alto Track Watch Proposal
Ms. Bass:
Attached please find a cover letter from our City Manager, proposal, list of key staff and our IRS
determination letter.
Below is a link to the City's 2007-2008 audited financial report:
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civica/filebank!blobdload.asprBlob1D-14460
The 2008-2009 report will be released at year end and will be located at:
6/8/2010
Page 2 of2
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org!depts!asd/financial reporting.asp
Thank you for your consideration In this matter and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have
any questions or need any additional infurmatlon.
Kind regards,
Greg
Greg Hermann
Management Analyst
Office of the City Manager
City of Pa 10 Alto
6503292623
6/812010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
from: marjorie sayer (ma~oriesayer@yahoo.coml
Sent: Tuesday, May 18,20107:35 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: School Traffic Safety Budge! Cuts
Dear City Council:
I am writing to urge you to allot some funding for Traffic Safety patrol around Palo Alto's schools. I am
the mother of two children who attend El Carmelo Elementary (one will go to JLS in the fall).
\
. We walk to school regularly, and will bicycle to JLS. It's sad but true that not all of the drivers who
approach our schools obey the law. I am very concerned that with zero targeted policing, key
intersections near our schools will be dangerously unsafe.
Please do not cut the Traffic Safety budget to zero. Please include a component for traffic safety around
our schools.
Sincerely,
MaJjorie Sayer
61812010
Brewer; Cathy
From: Liliya Shilova [Ishllova@yahoo.comj
Sent: Monday, May 17, 20102:21 PM
To: Council, City
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page lof2
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to
preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards or
give a safe alternative. Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of
·thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own.
We have 3 kids ages 13, 11 and 3. Both of our older kids often bike or take shuttle/walk
from Jordan Middle school. Too many times I've seen people turning right unsafely
almost knocking over the kids at the crossing. Oregon is the craziest crossing, because
there is no crossing guard and there are no flashing lights to remind turning cars about
the pedestrians, also I've never seen Traffic Enforcement stationed there.
Embarcadero/Middlefield crossing is much safer, but even though sometimes people ask
for the ticket. We need something to remind people how to share the road.
I personally think that the flashing crossing light are great for that, like Los Altos has in
some places and like the ones that were added near Palo Alto JCc. This, along with the
Traffic Enforcement Team, is a very good way to ensure safety of not only kids but all the
pedestrians in the city. We need someone to remind drives that Palo Alto is a proud
pedestrian friendly city, so Traffic Enforcement is needed. Also the city definitely would
not be the same without the nice lady at the Charleston/Middlefield road. I admire her
biking to the crossing everyday and making sure that every pedestrian crosses safely at
the crazy hours when parents drop/pickup their kids from school. A lot of times people
who mostly drive their kids to school do not realize the pedestrian point of view.
If you plan to cut the crossing guards thanyou'd need to think something to replace
them, so the city streets would not become more dangerous.
To cover some of the cost I'd vote for raising the fines on the Palo Alto streets,
especially when kids are out on the streets. .
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school in record num!Jers. This is no time to
reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed infill housing, requiring us to expand our
schools, it is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe
for all residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding the
adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
6/812010
Thank you.
Sincerely,
SincerelY
Lif#ya Shilova
444 San Antonio Rd # 12 D, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
6/812010
Page2of2
Brewer. Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
ci ty council,
Ruth·Anne Siegel [rasiegel..pta@att.net]
Monday, May 17, 2010 12:14 PM
Council, City
Do NOT cut traffic enforcement or crossing guardsl
I am the PTA president of Fairmeadow elementary school and I am dismayed and shocked that
you would consider cutting our 'crossing guards and the traffic enforcement team. In our .
community safety, the environment and independence for our kids are very important .. If you
cut the crossing guards, all 3 of these will be adversely affected.
Think of the amount of accidents that will happen when kids try to cross busy
intersections like Middlefield ~d E. Meadow, El Camino and Stanford, Nelson and
Charleston, etc. Are you waiting for child to be hit by a car or woise? That is what will
happen if you remove our crossing guards and the traffic team I
Think about all the extra cars on the road at the schools' start times? Already there is a
horrible traffic situation on E. Meadow with JLS, Fairmeadow and Hoover. The amount of
cars spewing C02 will increase dramaticcally. Parents won't be able to trust that their
children will get to school safely on their own. Kids will need to rely on their parents
to get to and from school and won't have that fantastic taste of independence that
biking/walking to school provides.
I can't imagine what the traffic will be like once the construction starts at the Mitchell
Park Library, Fairmeadow and JLS next year. Add this together without crossing guards or
enforcement and we'll have chaos and, worst of alII hurt children. .
PLEASE RECONSIDER THESE CUTS)
Thanks.
RAS.
Ruth-Anne siegel
rasiegel-pta@att.net
1IIf you will it, it is no dream. II
-Theodore Herzl
12
Page 1 of2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Sonya [sonyabro@pacbell.net]
Sent:. Sunday, June 06, 20106:10 PM
To: citycouncll@cltyofpaloalto,org; Keene, James; Perez, Lalo
Subject: FW: LET THE CITY KNOW YOUR OPINION ON PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS AND FEES!
Dear city council,
Please consider our opinion when you're making decision regarding proposed cuts and potential fees to
solve the $7.3M deficit
• Public safety Is the city's highest priority, thus crossing guards and traffic
patrols should not be cut.
• Infrastructure is the city's responsibility and a high priority, thus
residents should not be asked to pay for Sidewalk repair.
.• Programs like the Children'S Theater and the Junior Museum serve only a
small number of reSidents, are not essential to the city's functioning and
are not worth over $2M In our tax money.
We've been reading about the proposed cuts and potential fees to solve the $7.3M deficit.
It's OUR money that's being discussed at city meetings. It's essential that we have a voice In how
our tax dollars are spent.
This week, the Finance Committee (Councilmen Klein, Schmid, Espinosa and Scharff) approved the
proposal to have residents pay for sidewalk repair. ThIs would save $500K.
Other proposed cuts Include the traffic safety patrol and the school.crosslng guards. (Full list of cuts
proposed by the city manager below.)
There are two services that serve only a small percent of the population and cost us over $2M each
year:
-The Children's Theatre: Even If the city charges for kids to participate, the theater Is expected to cost
the us $1.3 million more than It brings In next year. According to Councilman Klein, the CT serves only
about 5% of the dty's children.
-The Junior Museum & Zoo: Last year this cost us $1,132,310.
These two programs should be turned over to private groups. Several years ago,
the Friends of the Junior Museum offered to take it over, but then-councilwoman
Cordell opposed the move because she was afraid some city employees would lose
their jobs.
IMHO, the city should be budgeting based on priorities, which I see as follows:
1. Essential for the welfare of ALL reSidents, e.g., public safety, Infrastructure
2. Not essential, but makes the city a good place to Ilve and benefits the
MAJORITY of reSidents, e.g., planning/zoning, parks/open space, library
3. Not at all essential and serves only SMALL NUMBERS of reSidents, e.g.,
Children's Theater, Junior Museum & Zoo, Art Center
6/812010
Page2of2
We were told that council members and the city manager are listening to residents, and that Lalo Perez,
who Is In charge of putting together the budget, Is reading emalls, letters and blogs and will post
resident 'votes" on the city website. .
Thank you,
Alex Brousllovsky & Sonya Kovriga, 951 Dennis Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94303
6/812010
Clerkson. Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Follow Up Flag:
Flag Status:
Islelnback@mindspring.com
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 9:26 AM
budget4PA
comments on proposed PA budget
Follow up
Completed
To Whom It May Concern,
First of all, thank you for all your efforts in trying to trim the budget for 2011. I
am a Palo Alto resident and I read through all of the proposed cuts. The proposed cuts
are really pretty fair and well thought out, since they "spread the pain" so that all Palo
Altans will feel it, not just certain groups. The proposed cuts seem pretty reas.onable,
given the extent of the short-fall.
Eowever, there are 2 cuts that I disagree with --cutting crossing guards and aIlS of
the Traffic Team cops. I have children that commute to Fairmeadow and Gunn each day. My
neighborhood of Greenmeadow walks and rides to school and. the crossing guards are
essential to the safety of children and adults. The city should find some way to preserve
the crossing guards and 1 Traffic Team COp, since they allow students to walk and ride
their bikes to school. It's been proven that a lack of crossing guards (eg. the situation
at stanford Ave and El Camino) results in more families driving to school. If we have more
cars on the,road, particularly in the morning, this has many ad~eree effects:
1) more traffic congestion, particularly since school campuses are expanding
2) more difficulty for regular (non school) commuters
3) more chances for people on foot and bike to get hurt while crossing major intersections
4) more drivers meanS more air pollution
The crossing guards help our city achieve its goal of being a rideable, walkable city. The
Traffic Team cop would continue the important duties of enforcing laws during the school
commute.
One idea I had would be to have the PAUSD share the cost of the croasing guards. Another
'idea would be to have the palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) provide help with funding
the crossing guards. The schools have a vested interest in preserving the crossing
'guards I
Thank you for the opportunity to comment,
Lisa Steinback, 299 Creekside Dr.
1
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
. Rebecca Thompson [rebeccaherrema@holmail.comj
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:46 AM
Council, City; letters@paweekly.com; letters@padailypost.com
Subject: Pis Preserve Crossing Guards and Police Traffic Team
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page I of I
Palo Alto is an incredibly unique and wonderful place. We moved here last year and were positively
astounded by the number of children who can walk, scoot and bike to school with their parents and
. friends. What a wonderful life experience for them to have that self-sufficiency and .
independence. This. sense of safety and community has been lost in most other areas of our country. It
is something that makes Palo Alto special.
I understand that our city is facing difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to preserve
funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards. Having
lived in several other cities and states, I know there are many, many other places to cut that will NOT
gravely impact the sarety orwell-being of this community.
In most cases, I see that drivers are very cautious. That said, it only. takes one distracted or hurried
driver to cause an irreversible tragedy. You don't want that on your conscience. The Crossing Guards
and Police Department Traffic Patrols are a visible reminder for drivers to. Slow Down and be
cautious. Without their presence, I and many other parents fear for the safety of oUr children.
PAUSD's 11,565 school children !lIe walking and biking to school in record numbers. What a
wonderful improvement over driving and carpools I People who walk and ride, talk to other people. It
builds community, reduces pollution, and improves our health! This is no time to reduce school
commute safety. As the city has devcloped infill housing, requiring ongoing expansion in the schools,
it is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that arc safe for ALL
residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and supporlf'un~
the adult crossing guards and P APD Traffie Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Thompson
Holy Oak Drive
6/S/20JO
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
steven.tjiang@gmail.comon behalf of Steven Tjiang [steve@tjiang.org)
Monday, May 10, 20108:16 PM
Council, City
Subject: Fwd: Proposed City Budget Cuts & Safe Routes to School
This is an update to my previous email: Apologies
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page 1 oft
I understand that our city Is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to
preserve funding for the Palo Alto Pollee Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards.
Together, these enforcement resourCes have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto
children, Including my own. .
My daughter Lelia walk,s or bikes to school four out of five days a week with several of her friends.
Without a crossing guard she and her friends will not feel safe crossing 1:1 Camino at Stanford •.
Without a crosslng guard many more parents would drive to school. An unintended consequence
of fewer walkers and bikers Is more traffic at schools and more congestion of the streets
surrounding our schools and Increasing chances of aCCidents. I think hiring crossing guards Is
money well spent. .
PAUSD's 11,565 school children are walking and biking to school In record numbers. This is no time
to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed Inflll housing, requiring us to expand
our schools, It Is IncreaSingly Important that 'We do what Is necessary to maintain public streets that
are safe for all reSidents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support
funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Steven W.K. Tjlang, 380 Oxford Ave, Palo Alto, CA
6/812010
Brewer. Cathy
From:
Sent:
Julie Valentine Uv@valenlinesludio,comJ '
Monday, May 17, 2010 6:56 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Crossing guards
Dear City Council Members,
I'm 'writing in regards to the proposed budget cuts that,would include the elimination of
adult crossing guards and the police traffic team.
I realize that there is a budget deficit but this is not the place to make cuts. As my
daug~ter, a JLS student, said this morning when I told her they might eliminate them,
"These crossing guards save so many lives, Cars just don't stop when they're not here.
Kids are going to get hit if they take them away."
I urge you to not put ollr kids in harm's way to balance the budget.
The safety of our children should be a top priority, not an expendable budget item.
Thank you,
Julie Valentine
954 Van Auken Circle
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Julie Valentine
jv@Valentinestudio.com
~.valentinestudio.com
15
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Monika Wang [mw6168@gmall.comj
Saturday, May 15, 2010 2:43 PM
Council, City
school commute safety
Dear City Council Members,
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to
urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the
Adul t Crossing Gu~rds.
Together, these enforCement resources have been crucial to the. safety of thousands of Palo
Alt~.ch1ldren, including my' own:
Out of PAUSD'a 11,565 students, the majority are walking and biking to school every day.
This is.no time to reduce schOol commute safety.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and
support funding the adult crossing guards and PAPD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Monika Wang
4256 Wilkie Way
Palo Alto, CA, 94306
19
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Katherine Warner (ktwarner14@yahoo.comj
Wednesday, May 12. 2010 11:31 PM
Council. City
Subject: Traffic Safety and PA Children
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
Page 1 of 1
I understand that our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I !1m writing to urge you to
preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Team and the Adult Crossing Guards.
Together, these enforcement resources have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto
children, including my own child. We should not jeopardize the safety of our children, at any cost!!
PAUSD's 11;565 school children are walking and biking to school in record numbers. This is no time
to reduce school commute safety. As the city has developed infill housing, requiring us to expand our
schools, it is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are·
safe for all residents, and especially our school-bound children.
I strongly encourage you to prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support funding
the adult crossing guards and P APD Traffic Team.
Thank you.
A very concerned parent.
. Sincerely,
Katherine Warner
"I wish I could speak like divine music, so that you could hold truth against your body-and dance."
Hafiz
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject: .
Kelley Washburri [kelleywashburn@yahoo.comJ
Monday, May 17, 20103:30 PM
Council, City
. Crossing Guard cut
I am writing to request that crossing guards not be cut from the city's budget. I moved
too palo Alto three years ago from a small town in N.orth Carolina where there 'are no bike
lanes and children do not walk to school. It isa treat to live in a town where both
biking and walking are possible and encouraged. The crossing guards are a big part of that
walk/bike to school mentality. They truly play an integral part in educating' pedestrians
as well as motorists about how pedestrians should cross the road. As a new-to-Palo-Alto
driver I rieeded help to understand the rules in action arid so did my two children.
Additionally, the crossing guards care about the kids and keep a watchful' eye on them,
helping them to generally stay safe as they make their way to. and from .scl>ool. I believe
the guards are not just a bonus but essential to keeping Palo Alto ,a s"afej family
environment . .
Thank you for considering my request,
Kelley Washburn
60/561-3925 .
9
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Jean Wllcox.[wilcox757@sbcglobal.netJ
Sunday, April 11 , 20102:33 PM
Price, Gail (internal); Scharff, Gregory (internal); Schmid, Greg; Holman, Karen (internal);
Klein, Larry; Shepherd, Nancy (internal); Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid (internal); Yeh; Ylaway
Keene, James; Bums, Dennis
BUDGET REDUCTIONS
Members 'If the City Council:
One of the problems of letting police officers go is that the City has already invested
over $100,000 and a year's pay in each officer. A Police Officer spends many months at
the Police Academy paid for by the City, then many more months with a Field Training
Officer (FTO) ,
'It is well over a year before they are able to go out on the street alone, and during that
year they get paid by the City. That is a huge investment in personnel by the city of
Palo Alto, The City will then have to pay to hire new untrained officers when the numbers
decline again.
If palo Alto lets 5 officers go and 2 more ·from the fraud investigative department, they
will be throwing away close to $1 Million already invested in their training and salaries.
I understand at least three officers will be retiring this June. Would it be possible to
keep all our expensively trained officers and simply not hire any neW ones? In other
words let the numbers decline by attrition. .
Jean Wilcox and George Browning
23
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject
Jean Wilcox [wllcox757@sbcglobal.net]
Thursday, May 20,20103:02 PM
Price, Gail (internal); Scharff, Gregory (internal); Schmid, Greg; Holman, Karen (internal);
Killin, Larry; Shepherd, Nancy (internal); Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid Onlernal); Yeh, Yiaway
Keene; James; Burns, Dennis
CROSSING GUARDS AND FRAUD UNIT
Members of the City Council:
I do support the crossing guard program, but some changes need to be made.
The number of crossing guards used to be 23 but obviously that number has slowly increased
until we now have 29. I'm beginning to see crossing'guards at some pretty minor,
intersections. There 'needs to be, a definite cap put on the number say at 24, so ,the City
can pay for 12 and the School Disbrict pay for 12. If the PTA wants more than 24 crossing
guards, they should either pay for them themselves, use volunteers or school children as
crossing guards.
I hope the City and the School District can get together and work this out sO that
financial support for the program can be shared equally.
Meanwhile, I received great support from our Fraud unit when my identity was stolen and
used at a hank in Las Vegas. The information had ohViously been sold over the internet.
I was able to give a copy of the Police Report to the three main credit bureaus which
enabled me to close off my credit information for 7 years. '
Without that Police Report the credit agencies wOUld only put a 3 month fraud alert on my
file. This allows the user of the information to wait 3 months and then use my stolen
identity again.
In the future when we go to the county Court House to file a fraud alert; will they take
the time to prepare a Police Report? We should be able to
get that service from our local Police Department.
Regards,
Jean Wilcox
Sutherland Drive
palo Alto
4
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Larry Yang Ilari"yryang@hotmail.comj
Sent: Monday, May 17, 201010:22 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Preserve funding for school crossing guards and PAPD traffIC team
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department's Traffic Team and the Adult
Crossing Guards.
At EI Carmelo elementary school, the year before adding a crossing guard at El Carmelo and Bryant
Str.eets, many motorists rolled through the stop sign without regard to pedestrian and bicycle
traffic. After adding the crossing guard, the Intersection Is much safer.
At JLS middle school, the I1lghly visible crossing guard provides effective enforcement of the no
rlght-turn-on-red, making It safe for the kids who are dashing Into the intersectlon to get to
school when they have a walk sign. I Invite you to spend five minutes from 8:10am to 8:15
watching the corner of Meadow and Waverly and Imagine the chaos if you have drivers turning
right on red.
Lastly, my son was looking forward to when PAPD's "bike rodeo" event was scheduled at his
elementary school. He spent the weekend before learning how to ride his bike because he wanted
to be ready. As I'm sure you all remember, learning how to ride a bike Is a *huge* memory In
everyone's life. What better motivation to learn such an Important skill than a safety program run
by the police departmentl
One of Palo Alto's priorities Is to create "walkable neighborhoods". A friend In Woodside Is Insanely
< jealous of our community because driving their kids to school Is the only option there due to road
design and safety. Our programs really work; please preserve one of Palo Alto's unique
characteristics.
Thank you.
== Lanry Yang
2888 Ramona Street
6/812010
Page lof 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: george browning [gbrowning33@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 01,20105;58 PM
To: Keene, James
SUbJect: FIRE COVERAGE ANALYSIS
Dear Jim,
Perhaps our City Auditor, Ms. Brouchoud, could do most of the work in gathering information to
determine the City needs for safe fire response coverage. What you need is comparative
data.
Check several adjacent Bay Area cities for their number of fire houses, staffing, city area and
topography, number and types of fires in the last few years, etc. In part these data are what
she does for Palo Alto (see the SE&A), but they would be more comprehenSive.
Also for each PA fire staUbn, draw circles of Yz mile, %, 1, and 1 Yz mile radii around it to show
the coverage of each and where overlap occurs. Include Station 6 in this analysiS. I believe
only stations 1 through 5 were used to give the number of residents per station in tlie SE&A
chart.
Some cities have closed fire houses in the Bay Area, e,g, Fremont and Vallejo What have
been the safely results before and after closures?
After collecting these data, a neutral consultant could fill in the blanks fairly quickly and at less
expense.
Sincerely.
George Browning
PS I'm pleased the contract for the company hired to do this work has been terminated. It
seemed obvious they may not have been unbiased.
61812010
Brewer, Catlly
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
council Members:
george browning [gbrowning33@sbcglobal.netj
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 7:16 PM
Price, Gail (internal); Scharff, Gregory (internal); Schmid, Greg; Holman, Karen (internal);
Klein, Larry; Shepherd, Nancy (internal); Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid (internal); Yeh, Yiaway
Keene, James
INDEPENDENT FIRE CONSULTANT
I posted the following on the PA Weekly Town Square site. I hope you read and consider
the recommendations. If you do_collect your own information from our Auditor or
elsewhere, it would be interesting to compare it to that
of the consultant.
George Browning
Sutherland Dr.
Palo Alto
650-493-1279
"The City of Fremont (3 times our land area) was in financial trouble several years ago
and considered closing one or two fire s.tations. It should be relatively easy for the
city Auditor to contact the Fremont government and find out the results. Did they close
any? What was the difference in loss by fire if any? Was the fire fighting staff
reduced?
Would they make different choices now based upon their experience?
"I believe du:t;ing Vallejo I s financial melt down the city did close two fire stations and
•• j • contracted with its county for backup. What were the results in terms of 10ss1
"A great deal of relevant information is, or can be, readily available locally without
paying outside consultants. After collecting the data, hire a true independent firm to
use these data as well as information from state-wide data bases to make recommendations.
"More information on the Department's efficiency can be hag. from the City Auditor's 2009
Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SE&A) Report. I'm not sure how to reconcile the 239
fire incidents with the 63% of confined fires to 20 residential structure fires reported,
but I believe there was.only one major fire at Walgren's on University and one or two
where the residence was a total loss. This should be clarified.
I'We need to assure ourselves that
carefully by all Council members.
intelligent enough to review good
a true independent judgment
They may lack expertise in
information and act on it."
1
is made and reviewed
fire suppression, but are
Brewer, Cathy
From:
.Senl:
To:
kevin coleman [makksb@yahoo.com]
Saturday, April 1 0, 2010 12: 10 PM
Council, Cliy; City Mgr
Subject: City of Palo Alto Budget and excessive cost of the PAFD
Dear City Council Members and City Manager,
Page lofl
This message pertains to the City of Palo Alto budget issues, with a focus on the expense of the Palo Alto Fire
Dept. I have lived in Palo Alto for twenty five years and have been a homeowner's for over twenty years. I
think Palo Alto is a wonderful town. However, it is clear we have challenges and one of the biggest current
challenges is coming up with a reasonable budget. A significant part of the City of Palo Alto's budget problem
is a direct result of excessive spending on salaries, benefits and retirement. I enjoy Palo Alto's parks, recreation
opportunities, libraries, and similar services. But I believe the unions have caused ihe cost of the staff to be far
outside the bounds of what is reasonable.! would urge you to take a strong stand in negotiations with the
unions to bring the salaries and benefit packages back down to the levels that supply and demand would
dictate. I would not mind a disruption in services if it was required to be more effective in negotiating with the
unions.
! am particularly frustrated with the cost of the Palo Alto Fire Dept, the arrogance they display, and the
misinfonnation they distribute. There is an incredibly high demand by workers for positions in Fire Depts aU
over the state. There is no reason that the citizens of Palo Alto should be paying the lavish salaries and over
time that the Palo Alto Fire Union is demanding and receiving. At a strategic level I believe the operation of
fire depts in general needs to be changed. Cities should think about regional solutions, contracting to private
services, andlor combining police and fire depts in to public safety depts iliat use time and resources more
effectively. It is ridiculous to have individuals receiving such excessive compensation for such little effort. At a
tactical level I would urge the Palo Alto City Council and City Manager to take a firm line with the Palo Alto
Fire Dept. In the immediate future I would like to see the'following:
1.) PAFD staffing reduced a minimum of20".4
2.) PAFD salaries reduced 20% or more
I would also like to see more productivity out of the PAFD and less waste oftaxpayer $'s. Why. is it that more
often than not when! go to Costco or Safeway there is a PAFD track parked in the red and 3-4 employees ill
unifonn, cruising ilie aisles. It is clear that iliey don't have enough to. Why can't they purchase personal
supplies on their own time and bring the supplies to work (like every other type of employee would do). If they
really feel they are entitled to "shop" while on the city payroll, they should be required to send one employee
in a small vehicle. They shouldn't be cruiSing around in a fire truck to do their shopping.
I could go on but I think you understand my message. ! strongly support the City to be finn wiili the unions
(especially the P AFD) 10 restore a balance between the pay and the market for services. I would be fine with a
disruption in services ifiba! is required to convince ilie unions that they need to be more realistic in their
negotiations. In the longer run, ! strongly suggest the city of Palo Alto find a more cost effective solution to the
exiSting PAFD operation.
Sincerely,
Kevin Coleman
916 Addison Ave
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Gary Lindgren [gel@theconnectlon.com]
Saturday, April 10, 2010 10:32 AM
City Mgr
Subject: Reducing Expenses
Dear Jim"
Page lofl
I'm sure you have thought of this before, but how about combining the fire departments of Palo Alto, Mt. View,
and los Altos. This could save money In the management area. Can this be done.
Sincerely,
Gary Lindgren
Gary Lindgren
585 Lincoln Ave
Palo Alto CA 94301
650·326-0655
www.blue-eagle-technologles,com Check oul Lastest Seismometer Reading
cymonsplace.blogspotcom
siles,google.cOm/siteiseismlc§ensorinfo/HQ!IIl! Design Details for New Vertical Seismometer
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To: .
Subject:
Uri Zernik [url@opensourceinc.com)
Saturday, April 03, 20106:04 PM
City Mgr
firefighters petlton
I got a letter from the firefighters of PA asking me to fill a petition.
However, I.am fully supportive of the City Manager's decision to reduce the numher of
firefighters in Palo Alto.
Basically, looking at their own charts, with improved communications and technology, it
looks like 50 to 80 firefighters should be the right numher for a city like Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Uri zernik
2231 South Court
Palo Alto, California 94301
1
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
george browning [gbrowning33@sbcglobal.net].
Friday, April 09, 20109:31 PM
Price, Gail (Intemal): Scharff, Gregory (Intemal); Schmid, Greg; Holrri,."'::;','i;c',,:,·iM
Klein, Larry; Shepherd, Nancy (Intemal); Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid ';;"'~'-it~+'i'l.
Keene, James
2010 BUDGET
council Hembers and City ~lanager.
I posted the following on the Palo Alto Weekly's Town Square. I'm repeating it below in
case you don't read the blogs.
posted by George Erowning, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, 1 minutes
ago
This was posted on David's link (6 hours ago) also.
As one who will be affected by the proposed budget, I would like City ~nagement to
consider the following points:
Emergency Preparation is a council Priority. How does the elimination of a Community
service Officer affect this? Safety of citizens is the highest gove;rnment function.
Motor cycle traffic officers monitor red light running, speeding, sliding through atop
signs, etc. When people become aware there are no traffic officers, expect an increase in
traffic violations and a possible increase in accidents. safety is the issue.
If the police Dept. Investigative Services Division (ISD) loses 2 officers, will citizens
have to make the journey to the county offices to report and settle cases involving fraud
and financial loss?
Reduction of the City's vehicle fleet is long overdue. Cars for fire and police dept.
command ataff are a costly luxury. The handful of times off-duty staff might need a city
vehicle should be. filled by the use of the person's own car with mileage reimbursement.
The fees to use City playing fields should be increased. Field maintenance is costly and
uSers should share more of the burden.
If private citizens repair sidewalks and trim trees, who is liable in case of an accident,
the City or the citizen?
If 3 full time positions are eliminated in the print shop will departments go outside for
needed service? This could mean costly delays and the possible use of city cars for
delivery and pick up. .
I am a resident who will be personally affected by many of the proposed budget decisions. Mr: Keene, who lives in Palo Alto, should also look at the budget as a resident as well as
a City employee.
PS I don't recall seeing cuts in the fire dept.
1
Page I ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: george browning [gbrowning33@sbcglobaLnet]
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 10:58 PM
To: Price, Gail (internal); Scharff, Gregory (internal); Schmid, Greg; Holman, Karen (internal); Klein,
Larry; Shepherd, Nancy (internal); Burt, Patrick; Espinosa, Sid (Internal); Yeh, Yiaway
Cc: Keene, James
SubJect: BU DGET
Council Members and City Manager,
Two thoughts:
I believe the shuttle runs 9 months of the year, but not in the summer months. It's apparent
the primary use is as a school bus. If it was a necessity for a significant part ofthe community,
it would operate aU 12 months.
Fire safety staffing study. Mr. Spltaleri is quoted, " ... who do they want to perform the (fire
staffing) study. a shipbuilder?" But he says further, " ... we think the public should weigh in on
whether the public safety is adequate."
The public is no more qualified to make or judge a study than his "shipbuilder". His argument
is specious on that alone. Thanks for stopping the original study.
Thank you for a good presentation tonight and thoughtful comments by all.
George Browning
Sutherland Dr.
Palo Alto
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: bruce n baker [brucenbaker@yahoo.coml
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2.010 11:47 AM
To: bruce n baker
SUbJect: Thinking Outside the Box re Peninsula Problems
Dear Editor,
I note that many Peninsula Cities are In financial trouble.
I note that some cities are thinking of combining services with other cities.
I recall that when Stanford and Palo AHo had a shared hospital that it did not work.
Stanford' eventually took over the management of the hospital. allowing the Palo Alto doctors to still use the
hospital for their operations, etc.
My suggestion is that the cities of Palo Alto, and perhaps Menlo Park. Redwood City, et al go into voluntary
receivership with Stanford as the manager of the receivership .
. Stanford will manage all the financial aspects of the cities, as well as manage most all of the functions such as .
police, fire, trash collection, road maintenance, land usage, hiring, firing, etc.
Each of the participating cilies will maintain their [unpaid] City Councils to allow Council Members to babble on
about Whatever they want, but the final decisions and the financial management will be the prerogative of
Stanford. After all, Stanford has proved that they are the best steward of land In Northern California.
Now why. didn't Leland and Jane think of that?
. Bruce N Baker
Palo Alto
3195 Kipling Street
Tel 650 852 9633
brucenbaker@yahoo com
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
robertlmarycarlslead [rhmlcar7@alt.net]
Friday, April 09, 2010 3:47 PM
Council, City
Keene, James; gregg.betls@cilyofpaloalto.oom; Emslie, SIeve; Roberls, Glenn
Don't go there
To Members of the Palo Alto City Council:
According to the morning paper, the Council will consider the
2010-2011 budget on Monday night. Some of the items are ones, that caused major anger and
vocal uproar several years ago like charging to get into the Baylands, parks. Foothill,
and the Arastradero Preserve. You would have to hire people to collect the money plus
pensions and benefits. Don't go there unless you want residents 'to
get really angry. Staff has frequently thrown in these 'zingers" to' get the residents
upset and vocal, and it took attention away from other more obvious places to cut in the
rest of the budget: It's an old ploy. Don't fall for it. yOU will save a lot of 'speaker
time" at future city council meetings. Most of the staff proposing these fees
don't even live here. II Don't go there.
At a time when the firefighters and staff want salaries and'benefits that many in Palo
Alto l especially retirees, many families, low income, BMR and ABAG residents CQuld only
dream of, staff is proposing to take away the ordinary recreational opportunities 'for
the masses'. The disabled and those without autos depend on the
shuttles. Ten percent more to use the paramedics? Right now it
costs '$600 plus to go from the Palo Alto Clinic Urgent Care to the Stanford ER and
that's only one-sixth of a mile. Even with insurance, the coat gets burdensome. And who
knows how much will be cut from Medicare payments leaving seniors to stress over the rest
of the bill. Don't go there I I
Cutting long time golf course maintenance workers is a very bad
idea. Let that course go downhill and the revenue goes with it.
Years ago the Mountain View Shoreline Golf Course out sourced its maintenance and
management. There Was a scandal inVOlved, the course went downhill dramatically, and
finally Mountain View took it back and built it to what it is today., Don't go there.
Making residents repair city-owned sidewalks in a city of trees -and tree roots is
extremely unfair .. The majority of problems are from city-owned trees. How does the city
propose to help seniors on fixed income pay for something that is not their
responsibility? What will homeowner insurance companies rule if someone falls? will our
homeowner's liability insurance go up? Families with K-12 children
are stretched and expected to contribute to Partners in Education, pay PE fees, and
another higher parcel tax? Don't go there. Those with children in college are 'stressed
outl.
So who is going to do the building maintenance? If buildings deteriorate, it's hard to
get back in on track -like your own house.
Don't go there either unless council wants to push a broom Or clean a bathroom.
Clean up the SAP mess in the IT Department. The inefficiency and problems are legendary.
It's no secret. No one has dared to look at the SAP contract and ask questions. But too
many employees know and
are afraid to say. Get an outside opinion on the SAP situation.
That's a good place to start. Begin by asking questions. Maybe staff will tell you that
"It doesn't work efficiently' ,and it is very costly.
The threat of MRS, overcrowding, escalating traffic, skyrocketing utility bills, school
problems, terrible streets, constant wrangling l deteriorating infrastructure,
panhandling. Tell us what We are getting for our money. Give us six good reaSOns to live
her other than the weather and the PAUSD. If it is feeding the trough of escalating
employee salaries and benefits, that is not a good argument to stay here. If this is no
longer an enjoyable place to
live and retire, there is no reaSon to stay_ lIve almost turned the
1
corner on this after forty-five years, and I'm getting there.
When yO" p~ish the residents for existing, living, retiring in Palo ~lto by stripping
them of the usual recreational and civic services for a normal residential life, the
resentment will just
grow-as it is doing _. into s civic rage. As a·city, we're getting there.
Mary Carl stead
147 Walter Hays Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94303-2924
(GSO) ·326-1794
2
Brewer. Cathy
From:
sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
robertlmarycarlstead [rhmlcar7@att.net]
Monday, May 03, 2010 11:141W1
pal@patburl.org; klein.larry@dorsey.oom; Espinosa, Sid; Yeh,)'iaway; Holman, Karen;
Schmid, Greg; gregg.scharff@cltyofpaloalto.org; Shepherd, Nancy (Intemal); Price, Gall
(Intemal); Klein, Larry; Schmid, Greg
Keene, James; Emslie, Steve; lala.perez@cltyofpaloalto.org
Once again .....
The City Council .and the City administration need the support of residents to conquer the
budget crisis. BUT they are not going to get it if they nickel and dime and thousand $$$
the residents who are paying an 'arm and leg' to even live here and who through bond
issues
and parcel taxes have built this city. The 'pay -to-get-in-the
parks' idea has bombed before. It didn't work. Attendance plummeted,
and it cost more to collect the money than it saved. ·It also caused
resentment and anger, which the city does not need now. Pay to paint
'at the Baylands? To feed the ducks? To wind surf? To stroll? To
fish? Don't go there.
paying to repair city-owned sidewalks? That really has the dander up.
Tread carefully here. The sentiment throughout the city on these issues' and others like
paying to get into the Children's Museum and
Zoo is rising anger, and the city is treading on dangerous civic
emotional ground. You NEED the support of the residents in this crisis. who are becoming
increasingly upset as the unions dominate .
their lives. Most of the employees do NOT live here. Salaries and
benefits are out of control ...• beyond anything the senior population
can even dream about. Younger families are struggling with high
mortgages and college expenses... Stop discretionary spending like
public art. stop the overuse of consultants. Stop unnecessary
travel. Investigate the SAP contract I I Have a budget that is
built 'bottom up' and get independent auditors to analyze each
budget. Budgets should not be finalized by department heads. That's
like "the fox guarding the hen house".
'Those who maintain the golf course have done so for years -and they are superb at it.
There is salt water just inches down. That takes skill to overcome and save the course.
YoU don't fire experts and
hire amateurs. Once that course is damaged, it will take years to
come back. ASk Mountain View what happened there.ll
Punishing the residents for this financial mess will backfire at the
ballo.t box when the.next parcel tax or bond issue comes along.
Residents supported the library bond issue -and now the administration proposes to close
libraries one day a week and shorten
hours!! Don't go there. If you want support in the future, be very
careful in punishing the people who live here.
Bob and Mary Carl stead
147 Walter Hays Drive
palo Alto, CA 94303-2924
(650) 326-1794
1
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
robertlmarycarlslead [rhmlcar7@att,nelj
Thursday, May 06,20101:19 PM
Keene, James
Personal appeal
Jim, this is a personal appeal to drop the idea of paying to get into
our parks -any of them. About 10-15 years ago, residents did get
a yearly pass to enter Foothill Park solely for the reason to rebuild the dam which was
leaking. It may have heen the result of the Loma Prieata earthquake. once the dam was
built and paid for, the charges were dropped, and there was no fee as per agreed upon by a
previous city council when the voters approved the purchase. This no-fee was upheld
several times when new staff proposed the idea, the last time only a few years ago, and at
that. time one council member said "Can't
we just put this idea to sleep permanently?' It doesn't pay. Any
moneys collected and put in a cash box would not last overnight out in the Baylands where
there is a sign "Do not leave valuables in the car'. There IS drug dealing there. We've
seen it and reported it to
Lynne Johnson. Foothill is safe. But someone to collect the
money or full time rangers at the gate will cost a lot more'than what is taken in.
Residents just stopped going in the past when there was a fee and when gas was cheaper.
It is twenty-six miles round trip from our house to Foothill, and we don't go almost every
other day in the summer like we once did after we retired due to the cost of gao
. But we still go 2X a week. Pay to get in -and we won't go.
Another senior citizen recreation scratched.
I'f you want the residents behind you in this crisis, you can't push
them too far -like,paying for sidewalks or city-owned trees. These
camphor trees are a royal pain. We j had to put in a new driveway
and front walk two years ago. The magnolias are worse. The liquid ambers spew what we call
'ankle breakers' all spring. We didn't plant these trees, but we are stuck with them,
You need the support of the residents, and residents are really angry
over the salaries, pensions, and benefits for employees. My
'Stanford pension is under ~350 a month .. I took early retirement when offered a retiring
bonus, having had hours cut back to 80% during Stanford's financial crisis in 1992. I was
able to get that and my medical plan. But ~350 a month before taxes pays my utility bill,
my
phone bill, and a Starbucks now and then. This "annuity' is frozen
in 1992, and there can be no cost of living increase. I was a non-exempt employee and did
not get the perks of an exempt employee as
did my own son. I was a department administrator and later a
financial administrator. but I was a woman and Stanford was living in another era. (and
yes, I do know institutional finances because I did big research budgets every year for
contracts to ARPA, AFSOR, and the Navy.) I DO know budgets from the ground up right 'down
to paperclips.
Other than Avenidas which has its limitations, libraries, parks, golf, there is precious
little for seniors to do in this city. After forty-five years here, I'd move tomorrow if
I could. Palo Alto is no fun anymore. It's long been a fight waiting for a place to
happen.
There's always something_ Traffic 1 crime, overcrowding. The Ifst is long and growing4
Give me a reason to stay.
Thank you.
Mary Carlstead
1
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
chimalus@gmall.com on behalf of Jeff Dean Uadlent@gmail.coml
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 2:07 PM
Burt, Patrick; Keene, James
on the budget; donations instead of fees?
with the proposed budget cutbacks, I've been wondering.if the City could ask for donations
in place of fees (for example, at Foothill. Arastradero, and Byxbee parks). I just heard
that Panera (the
bakery/restaurant) is experimenting with a donation-based system. so maybe I'm not crazy.
Here 1 s the article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3721316S/?gtl=43001
--Jeff Dean
1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Dan Bloomberg [dan.bloomberg@gmail.coml
Sent:. Saturday, May 29, 2010 10:18 AM
To: Council, City
Cc: Keene, James; Perez, Lalo
Subject: Recommendations on Palo Alto BUdget
City Council Members.
'Jim Keene and Lalo Perez gave a very interesting. nearly
2 hour presentation in Barron Park on May 20. with about
40 people ·attending.
The bottom line is that Palo Alto. and all the other
cities in California. are in a terrible·situation due to
constraints imposed by the state on union pensions. in
particular for public safety (which were increased from
60t at 55 to 90t at 50 by Governor Davis in 1999).
Even our non-public safety city workers get 81t at
50 or 55. This is simply crazy. If we don't fix this
very quickly. in a few years this year's budget
"problemsn will look like a walk in the park •.
Jim is doing some innovative things. and I hope he gets
together with other city managers to breakthrough the
60t pension floor that is presently in place for .all
union workers that are not police and fire. Failing this.
we are going to see a tsunami of city bankruptcies.
throughout the state. The basic problem is that we
guarantee the pensions. so during economic. downturns.
just when our own revenues are decreasing. the poorly
managed pension funds will be crashing in value and
Calpers will come to us to make up their losses.
with money we don't have. Again. this is simply crazy.
Fixing this problem is the most important thing you can
do for the future of Palo Alto. and. indeed. California.
For this budget. my recommendations are:
(1) Fight back on the Fire Dept. salaries and pensions
with everything at your disposal. They are
bankrupting us. Jim told Us that they went from 2
on-duty fire personnel for each of the 5 stations to
4 and currently to 6. So we have about 29 on duty at
all times. Because the fire department union
adamantly refuses to take significant pay cuts. my
suggestion is to layoff about 30 people. to drop the
6/812010
Page 1 of2
staffing to 4 on-duty people per atation (about 19 or 20
per shift). This will not, impact public safety.
The fire union is serious about destroying our ability,
to pay for anything in Palo Atlo. You have to get just
as serious about fighting back. A reduction in
personnel of about 30 percent (from 6 to 4 in each
station) should save us (as a guess) about $7 million.
(Plus millions in unfunded pensions.)
(2) Make no cuts in police services. Public safety is
priority # 1.
(a) Traffic. Retain the full traffic team. Empower
them with photographic equipment for catching
'red-light violators.
(b) Fraud. Identity theft conti~ues to skyrocket.
Retain our fraud investigators. Ask them what they
need to do their job better. There are a lot of
computer-savvy retirees in Palo Alto who would jump
at the chance to assist them in chaaing down these
very nasty 'criminals.
(3) Hake the cuts in the building department., They are
currently so over-staffed that they primarily harass
and make extra work for people who are improving their
homes. I have heard only horror stories from neighbors
who are remqdeling, or trying to add solar heating or
solar voltiacs connected to the grid.
(4) Programs like the Children's Theater and the Junior
Museum serve only a small number of residents, are not
essential to the city's functioning, and are not worth
over $2M in our tax money. They should be supported
by volunteer organizations.
Sincerely,
Dan Bloomberg
Barron Park
6/812010
Page2of2
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc;
darrellmichaeI3@aol.com
Thursday, January 07, 201010:44 AM
City Mgr
Council, City
Subject; Palo Alto Services needs Animal Control staffing
Mr. Keene and our Council:
Page I ofl
My assistant called Animal Control at approximately 7:45 a.m. today to report an Injured small animal.' We saw it
happen In front of us (small baby animal, hamster like) was hit on WB Oregon, left turn lane before I;CR. .. stili very
much alive. We thought of trying to pick it up, but had no Idea where to take him to end its suffering; we figured
your services WOUld.
At 10 a.m. my assistant saw it on her way back to our meeting; the animal was still there, now dead. Animal
Services said they would relay that it was now dead, but they were way too busy with overnight calls. To think
this animal lay suffering for that long, no matter what size, is not a pleasant thought. We used to both volunteer
with the shelters and still support them. Response for an injured animal; any size, was 15 mlns max., as it should
be. .
Could you increase funding for Animal Control if there is a two-hour response for an Injured animal? That is
ridiculous and inhumane. Palo Alto used to be very very good. I would accept an increase intaxes rather than
. watch something die for two hours. This is just not right.
Th ank you for your time, and with respect,
Darrell Michael
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Freedman, Andrew L. (Andrew.Freedman@va.gov]
Monday, May 17, 2010 10:43 AM
Council, Cily
SubJect: Another fantastic Idea for Palo Alto -An annual Micro Brewery Festival
Good morning folks,
Page 1 of 1
As you know, every so often, I write you with absolutely fantastic Ideas (most of which have been adopted over
the years, too).
Ihave another one - a big one:
Mountain View used to do this, but I have not seen this for a while so, I thought that Palo Alto would really
benefit -both financially and socially.
Here it is:
How about Palo Alto put on a Micro B'rewery Festival. We'll have It at Mitchell Park. It will begin on Friday Night
and end on Sunday (FrI5·10, Sat 8-5, Sun 9-4). It will indude a small tent area that will hold about 60 Micro
Brewery Tasting Stations). Also, bands will be booked during the entire event. It's free and if you want a tasting
kit, It will cost $15 (3 small glass and 10 tokens -that's Sea samples. Thereafter, folks can buy Just the tokens for
sampling the beer.
I do believe that the money would:
1) Cover all the associated costs (security, bands, etc)
2) Profits could be spread around all over, e.g., recreation, libraries and many other services.
At the very least, this is worth exploring. I'd be happy to check with the Mlcrobrewery Association (assuming
there is one) to find out the ins and outs, scheduling and costs, or you can have staff authorize myoid Wilbur
Warrior buddy, Greg Betts (Recreation Mgr), to check on this.
tn any event, I sincerely believe that not only would this be a super social event, it would bring money into our
coffers.
Thank you,
Andrew L. Freedman
(650) 493-5000, ext. 60001
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Godfrey [bgodfrey@pacbell.net]
Monday, May 17, 20102:37 PM
Council, City; Keene, James
Cc: Brewer, Cathy
Subject: . Input on the budgeting process currently u~derway
Attachments: city budget.pdf
17 May 2010
Terry Godfrey
223 Oxford Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650.566.899.6
bgodfrey@pacbell.net
City Council Members and City Manager Keene.
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto CA 94301
Dear City Council Members and City Manager Keene,
Page 1 of2
I'm writing to provide input on the budgeting process currently underway. First, thank yo·u for running an open,
inclusive and accessible process. I am a finance person by profession. I have been through many rounds of
budgeting in my career am pleased to see a rigorous process in place for the City.
Some background: I've lived in Palo Alto since 1999 with my husband and two kids. I'm active In the PTA
(currently PTA Council president), am a member of Project Safety Net, have served on the citizens' advisory
committee for the City's CDBG program and work at Stanford. My kids attend Escondido Elementary School and
Jordan Middle School. They both commute to.school by bike daily and I commute to work by bike occasionally.
I attended the city-wide budget meeting last Saturday morning at Lucie Stern. I appreciated the chance to
review the data and understand the difficult work at hand. I am sensitive to the City's constraints with respect
to collective bargaining, state and federal regulations and our city's dire need for infrastructure updates. As I
consider the budgeting process I am inclined to view the decisions through several lenses:
1.) Are we prioritizing spending In line with our city's top priorities?
2.) Is the spending cut achievable without degrading.service to unacceptable levels?
3.) Can costs be shifted elsewhere with precedent, to an entity that can afford it and won't cut it in its
next round of cuts and without violating any existing agreements?
4.) If we need to make cuts to our core services can the services be later reinstated without substantial
start-up costs?
Given my aforementioned criteria and the City's top priorities I support the line items that outsource work,
impose use fees, shift sidewalk repair spending to residents and make departmental cuts In training, supplies
and outside legal work. And as painful as it is, I support cuts to jobs in departments that don't directly impact
the top 5 priorities as defined in the Mayor's address in March (City Finances, Land Use and Transportation,
Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Sustainability and Youth Well Being)
. You'll not be surprised to know that youth well being is top of mind for me and it's encouraging to see that it's
6/812010
Page 2 of2
top of mind for the City Council as well. The proposed cuts that, In my mind, undercut our efforts to promote
youth well being indude anything that cannot be reasonably shifted elsewhere and affect our kids' ability to be
independent, healthy, safe, eager to learn and well-nourished emotionally. I would be devastated to see cuts to
our crossing guards, the traffic safety team or our libraries.
The crossing guards and traffic safety team work hand In glove to make it possible for our kids to move about
town Independently, taking cars off the roads and fueling their ability to be healthy and independent. My son
crosses EI Camino Real at Stanford dally to get to Escondido and before we had Diana (who is a gem by the way)
cars would cut in front of us to turn left just as we were entering the intersection. Drivers w<;luld actually honk
at us because bikes can be slow getting through the Intersection and i{they didn't charge out in front of us
they'd wait impatiently in the intersection waiting to turn left. It was nerve wracking and dangerous. Diana
makes it possible for the kids to get across Without tears (from the bikers or the drivers). Shifting the costs of
the guards to PAUSO may seem an attractive option and there may even be some precedent for it, but PAUSD
also has its own budget issues and this could someday be a line Item on Its list of cuts. It seems the City should
not cede that kind of control of a public safety Issue toanothet entity. The traffic safety team makes it possible
. for the crossing guards to do their jobs. These teams also work with our PTA volunteers who are eager to do this
work. Our PTA programs depend on the City's participation. We do our best for the kids and hope these
programs won't suffer further cuts.
I·know you face difficult decisions. I urge you to prioritize the City's spending In line with our priorities and
especially the priorities as they relate to the health, safety and well being of our youth.
I'm happy to diSCUSS this and hope to be at the upcoming Finance Committee and City Council meetings relating
tp this topic. .
Best regards}
Terry Godfrey
P.S. And as an aside, I want to thank Council MemberYeh for his many hours spent volunteering at the tracks for
Track Watch and thank those of you who have donated financially. I am also a volunteer "watcher" and
fundralser.
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Michael Goldeen (goldeen@goldeen.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:47 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: The Sidewalks of Palo Alto
Honorable Cooncilmembers,
Let that sinecure you call, "The Finance Conuruttlle" first speaJc seriously aborit bringing the wages,
benefits and work obligations of City employees into line with what is now realized in the private
sector, and I will give attention to the need to pay more for the privilege of living here.
If the Committee then still feels it must trip the light fantastic on the sidewalks of Palo Alto I shall be
disgruntled, to say the least, if I am mnde to pay direptly for repairs in front of my house and denied
authority to detennine by whom, and how and when work is to be done. Even jf this means I must
accept liability for the result, which 1 shall be more than happy to do.
Michael Goldeen
2350 Tasso Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone 650-391-7247
E-mail michael@goldeen.com
6/8/2010
Clerkson, Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Dedra Hauser [dedra@pacbell.netJ
Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:57 PM
budget4PA
Subject: Don't jeopardize our treesl
To whom It may concern,
Page 1 ofl
I know you face heartbreaking choices because of our budget shortfall, but I want to strongly advise against
any cutbacks that threaten one oHhls cily's greatest assets -our trees. When I moved here In 19B4 to Work for
the San Jose Mercury News, I chose to live In Palo Alto because of the cily's trees and sidewalks. As a former
New Yorker I valued a walkable.clly wnh the beauly that only trees create, something in short supply In this whole
area. We're not even replacing the numb.er of trees recommended by our own comprehensive plan, and we're
only maintaining the ones we have because of our professional cily staff and the government stewardship that
protects trees against misguided residents.
There must be other ways to economize that don'! threaten an asset that creates beauty, cleans the air, and
saves energy.
Please, honor your responsibility to this Irreplaceable asset.
Thank you I
Dedra Hauser
6nt2010
Clerkson, Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Sherry Walston Heller [sherry_mark@yahoo.coml
Friday, May 14, 2010 9:32 PM
budget4PA
Take some bold steps!
Here are my thoughts on what to do about our budget problems. Thanks for reading:
1. Cut salaries and benefite--especially healthcare and.pensione--across the board,
firefighters included. Cut more for higher salaries (10-15%) than lower (3-5%). My
huband's employer did not get his approval before cutting everyone's pay 10-15%, and the
paycut is still in effect two years later', We had to learn how to get by on less, and
government employees are going to have to learn to do this too. Impose contracts and deal wi th the consequences. Let the unions strike. Thes,e cost stry.ctures are unsustainable and
one, way or another have to be dismantled. Let's get started now.
2. Close all-the libraries except for Main and Mitchell. We just can't afford five
libraries, and in a city of our size that number is out of scale.
3. Stop looking at the tax payers. to kick in more money (i.e. sidewalk repairs, park
entrance fees). We already pay plenty. in property taxes and other fees. You are spending
too much for ser.vices that you could provide for less by outsourcing. I support all of
your outsourcing proposals and encourage you to look for more.
4. Keep the crossing guards at the school intersect.ions. This is such a small cost for the
safety of our kids. When you consider how much of our tax dollars are spent on expensive
housing subsidies for current and former city employees apd on. expensive consultants for
abandoned projects, this budget-cut suggestion is pathetic.
I grew up in Palo Alto and decided to return here afte·r I got married because my husband
'and I wanted a safe and enriching place to start a family. But Palo Alto has changed so
much for the worse wi·th all the new high-density housing, crowded and dangerous streets
and lack of infrastructure improvements. We are researching other cities that seem to
offer a better quality of life because Palo Alto has· lost a lot of its shine.
I truly believe that the solution to the budget problem is not cutting the services that
make Palo Alto special and worth paying for in terms ·of housing and taxes. It is finding a
way to offer those servic.es cost-effectively.
If a private sector business can offer a city service for less than it is costing you to
provide it with employees,· then you need to reduce your costs by lowering the associated
salaries/benefits or by outsourcing. This process won't be easy, but it is inevitable. The
sooner we deal with this reality the better.
Sincerely,
Sherry Heller
1
· Brewer. Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Robert Herriot (rgherriot@gmall,com]
Sunday, May 30, 201010:03 PM
Councli, City .
Budget and Tree Canopy
I read that the city plans to cut spending on trees.
The tree canopy is one of the important features of Palo Alto.
Dave Dockter (Planning Dept) is the one staff person who works to preserve the. tree callOPY
and he is quite knowledgeable about trees.
If we want to preserve this important tree canopy, then we need to keep Dave doing this
important work.
Robert Herriot
1
Brewer, Cathy
From:
sent:
To:
subject:
Dear Council Members:
f. liu [franllu@sbcglobal.net)
Sunday, April 18, 2010 9:30 AM
Council, City
Budget
Thank you for your service to the City. Here are my suggestions to balance the budget -
Do, a comprehensive look at the budget, especially benefits to employees. (We want to be
fair but not overly generous.) On a per capita basis, oUr expenses are too high.
use this budget crisis as an opportunity to invest in only core benefits to City
residents. There seem to be a lot of high priced executives at the City.
Fire fighters -I am amazed that we pay them so much. Freeze and re-evaluate salaries
and benefits. Do not agree to a fixed number of fire fighters. OVer time reduce the
number of fire fighters and increase the no.
of paramedics since most calls relate to paramedic emergencies.
Consider
charging people for paramedic calls.
Police -they're paid too much. Evalu~te salaries and benefits.
Something's
wrong when teachers are paid less than fire fighters and police.
Libraries. -fewer hours are ok but have one library open each day.
Don't
close them all on the same day. Close the College Terrace Library permanently.
Enforce a quiet policy in the library. ,
I have exchanged emails,with the head librarian who refuses to rein in loud talkers and
cell phones. Charge non-residents for uSe of the libraries, or bar them from our
libraries which are overcrowded. With fewer users fewer books would need to be
purchased/leased.
Airport -it is not safe to have an airport so close to residences.
This
was demonstrated by the recent crash. Use the space for parks. (We can't pay for the
conversion now but perhaps could do so later.) The property should be used for all
residents of P.A., not just fat cats, many of whom are not P.A. residents.
Cut twilight concerts.
Thank you for your consideration.
1
elerkson, Linda
From: Keene, James
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 1 :24 PM
To: Perez, Lalo; Clerkson, Linda
Subject: Fwd: "Cherished" services
Thanks
James Keene
Palo Alto, California
Sent from my i phone
Begin forWarded message:
From: "Pat Marriott" <I'Ll!IDlarriott@sbcglobal.net>
Date: April 14, 2010 2:01:58 PM EDT
To: "'Council, City'" <city,council@cityofpaloalto.org>
ee: "'Keene, James'" <James.Keene@CityotpaloAlto.org>
Subject: "Cherished" services
Council Members:
A quote from the Palo Alto Weekly at
nttl2:lIwww.paIQaltQQJ1J!n~~ews/show stQry,php?ld=~
Page 1 of I
"I think the public has spoken pretty loudly and clearly about how much they cherish
the libraries," Holman said. "It's not a top priority for me --changing the number of
hours,"
I always worry when 1 see words like "cherished." or "beloved" used tojustlfy keeping a
service. Are the police "cherished"? The public works road crews?
Cherished Is not a criteria for what's most important. Public safety and Infrastructure
are what should be at the top of the priority liSt. Of course libraries are Important, but
when there's a budget deficit _c with more debt looming --not everything can be
preserved •.
It would be beneficial to residents to see the city manager's priority list and Council's •
. How can you determine what to cut If you don't have that list?
Pat Marriott
6/912010
Page lof2
Clerkson, Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Perez, Lalo
Monday, April 19, 2010 3:42 PM
Clerkson, Linda; Morarlu, Kelly
FW: "Cherished" services
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Green
FYI,
LP
From: Pat Marriott [mallto:patmarrlott@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 11 :02 AM
To: Perez, Lalo
Cc: Emslie, Steve; Keene, James; Antll, Pamela
Subject: RE: "Cherished" services
Lalo,
...
The Idea of the community ranking services Is a good Idea IF It's only the optional/non-essential
services. Setting priorities for the essential services Is the responsibility of the council and the city
manager. We can't have residents ranking golf over public safety, for example.
You want Input, but residents are unsure how to provide It.
I know Jim Keene Is talking to neighborhood groups, but there's no schedule of when or where, At
the MRA meeting last week, I was told that only 20 minutes was left for comments and there was
no real ranking of services. -
There are many comments on the PA Weekly Town Square, which I hope you are a I reading! The
posts are no more anonymous than those on Open City Hall, and there's a lot more partiCipation.
But what's the "offiCial" channel? Waiting for people to show up at council meetings wlll not give
you much Information.
Open City Hall Isn't asking about budget cuts, but the site doesn't get much attention from
residents even If the question was asked.
As far as HOW to get opinions from residents, there are sites like Survey Monk~y that are easy to
use. .
When asking for Input, It's essential to Identify the costs/headcount associated with each Item. In
the past, the city has done surveys (e.g" the library survey) without including cost information.
This Is like doing market research asking people If they would buy a product without telling them
the price.
If the budget cuts are to be finalized in June, that leaves only 6 -8 weeks for public Input. I'm
. concerned that the process hasn't yet been worked out.
pat
From: Perez, lalo [mallto:lalo.Perez@CltyQfPaloAlto.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 12:53 PM
To: Pat Marriott
Cc: Emslie, Steve; Keene, James; Antil, Pamela
6/9/2010
SubJect: RE: "Cherished" services
Thanks Patl
Page2of2
We will havs a central area for input and we are looking at how we cen get the community to rank services,
Lalo
From: Pat Marriott [mallto:patmarriott@sbcglobal.netj
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 9:31 PM
To: Perez, Lalo
Subject: FW: ''Cherished'' services
Lalo,
I understand that you are collecting input regarding budget cuts, so I will forward some emailsI.ve.
sent to Jim Keene and to Council.
Thanks,
pat
From: Pat Marriott [mailto:patmarriott@sbcglobal.netj
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 11:02 AM
To: 'CounCil, City'
ee: 'Keene, James'
Subject: "Cherished" services
Council Members:
A quote from the Palo Alto Weekly at
bttp:/lwww.paloaltQonllne.com/news/show story.php?id=16429
"I think the public has spoken pretty loudly and 'clearly about how much they cherish the
libraries," Holman said. "It's not a top priority for me --changing the number of hours."
I always worry when I see words like "cherished" Of "beloved" used to justify keeping a service.
Are the police "cherished"? The public works road crews?
Cherished Is not a criteria forI what's most Important. PubliC safety and infrastructure are what
should be at the top of the priority list. Of course libraries are Important, but when there's a budget
defiCit --with more debt looming •• not everything can be preserved.
It would be beneficial to residents to see the city manager's priority list and Council's. How can you
determine what to cut If you don't have that list?
Pat Marriott
6/912010
Clerkson, Linda
From: Perez,Lalo
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 7:00 PM
To: Clerkson, Linda; Ramberg, David; Puckett, Marc
Subject: FW: Priorities
Some more .....
LP
From: Pat Marriott [mailto:patmarrlott@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Mon 04/19/2010 5:10 PM
To: Council, City
Cc: Keene, James; Antil, Pamela; Emslie, Steve; Perez, Lalo
Subject: Priorities
Page 1 of2
An OP-Ed in the SF Chronicle, Cities must define core services, says, "It takes true leadership
to define core services, fund them and then do them well. It demands that city leaders set specific
goals and marshal all resources toward meeting them. It also requires telling citizens a painful
truth -some services will be cut."
http:Usfgate.com/cgl-bln/artlcle.cgl?f=lda/20 1 0/03/0B/E D L21 CBFU P. DTL
I wonder If the city council and staff have gone through such a defining exercise.
While I'm delighted that Jim Keene Is cutting the budget, I have no Idea what process is being used
to make those cuts.
What are the priorities of each council member? What are the priorities of Council as a whole, with
regard to the budget? (I don't mean things like "youth well-being.") What are the city manager's
priorities? No one knows!
PRIORITIES
Here's how I see the priorities. I envision 3 "buckets":
1. Essential for the welfare of all residents
• pu bllc safety
• Infrastructure (roads, buildings, sidewalks, etc.)
• utilities/phone/sewers/etc. (city does not necessarily provide all of these)
• administrative/IT services for above
2. Not essential, but makes the city a good place to live and benefits the majority of
residents
• planning/zoning
• parks/open space
• library
3. Not at all essential and serves only small groups of residents. (These "cherished"
services should be funded by those who cherish them. Ask yourself why the city pays for a
children's theatre but not for children's sports.)
6/9/2010
Page2of2
• Children's Theater (7 employees)
• Junior Museum & Zoo (8.25 employees)
• Art Center (7.75 employees)
• Golf Course (8 employees) What % of residents use the course? How much revenue does It
bring In? This property would be perfect for a big box store or car dealerships or shopping
center, especially with the new hotel being built at Mln9'S.
Without defining priorities, there's no baSiS, no rationale for any of the cuts.
Thanks for listening.
Pat Marriott
61912010
Clerkson. Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Perez, Lalo
Wednesday, April 28, 20103:01 PM
Executive Leadership Team
FW, My input on proposed budget cuts
Attachments: proposed cuts.xls
FyL. ... here is some morel
LP
From: Pat Marriott [mi:Hito:patmarrlott@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 4:10 PM
To: Perez, Lalo
Cc: Keene, James; Antll, Pamela) Emslie, Steve
Subject: My Input on proposed budget cuts
Dear Laloand all,
I. Pulling Information from the city website is like pulling teeth:
Page 1 of3
• CMR 208:10 Is an Image pdf, thus I can't cut text from It. This makes It difficult to get any
Info Into a Word doc or a spreadsheet for editing/analysis, This problem was brought up way
back in October 2008 at the meeting to discuss Improving the site. It perSists .
.• Why aren't Iists/flnanclals online as spreadsheets?
• (Why not number CMRs with the Issue date, e.g., CMR 04122010 Instead of random numbers
like 2087)
II. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the proposed list.
This is a bottom-up list proposed by managers. This Is gqod because managers
best understand their businesses, bad because not all managers have the big
picture In mind and there's always some degree of self-Interest.
Without a list of agree-upon priorities, it's difficult to determine the rationale for
some of the cuts, e.g.,
• Some items (traffic team, school crossing guard) are clearly In the category of public safety,
which I conSider a top priority/core service.
• others (sidewalk repairs) are part of infrastructure, also a top priority. My understanding is
that the city would fix Sidewalks, then present residents with the bill. Under this plan, the city
would still be responsible for any lawsuits, e.g., If someone fell on a sidewalk, he would sue
the city. But residents would have to pay whatever the city charges, which could be much
higher than an outside contractor.
III. My priorities and votes
The attached spreadsheet shows the 33 proposed cuts in CMR 208 10. I ranked
6/912010
Page2of3
them according to the way I prioritize city services and then noted which I would
cut/keep/question.
1. Essential for the welfare of illl residents
2. Not essential, but makes the city a good place to live and benefits the majority of reSidents
3. Not at all essential and serves only small groups of residents.
(Note: My staff cuts and $ savings don't add up to the totals in the CMR, so I've
probably got some errors somewhere.)
IV. All proposed cuts are only General Fund cuts. When will there be an
audit of the Enterprise Funds?
IV: My proposal for structural sustainability.
If the city is serious about making long-term structural changes, now is the time
to do It.
Cut more than the required $8.3 million. Otherwise you will be In the same
cuts/layoff mode next year. My experience with layoffs (both from laying off
people and being laid off) is that it's best for everyone --in terms of productivity
and emotions --to do it all at once vs. having serial layoffs.
I would:
• Outsource as many services as possible. Residents could stili enjoy the serviCes, but with a
savings of 74.5 employees' salaries & benefits. I'm glad to see that outsourcing Is already
proposed'(my list below includes those cuts), but more Is possible. Run the numbers and see
how much could be saved.
6/912010
o Auditors (4 employees) There are arguments pro & con to having
in-house auditors.
o Printing & mail services (4 employees)
o Payroll (4 employees)
o Graphic designer for the budget (1 employee). It's the numbers
that are important. We need a sustainable budget, not a
"Distinguished Budget Presentation Award" nor a "Certificate of
Recognition for Budget Preparatlon."
o Golf maintenance & repair (8 employees)
D Employee development (3 employees)
o Benefits/compensation (3 employees)
D Tree services. (CMR 208 10 shows 4 employees cut In tree
trimming services, but the budget shows 15 employees under
Trees in Public Works.)
c Street sweeping/cleaning (12 employees)
. Page 3 of3
c All facilities maintenance: painting, cleaning, electrical, etc. (20.5 .
employees) . .
• Get rid of all city cars and pay employees mileage for business travel. The Equipment
Management Department In Public Works has 16 employees!
• Do not buy public art. The 'clty doesn't need to own an art collection. Let the art commission
chooseworks from artists who will put them on display for 6 -12 months ..
• Turn over the Chlldrens' Theatre, Jr. Museum & Zoo, Art Center, to private groups. In 2006,
a group wanted to take Qver the Museum/Zoo, but then-councllwoman.LaDorls Cordell
vetoed the idea because she didn't want any city employees to lose their jobs.
• Do not keep all 5 libraries open. Close College Terrace & Downtown. (Yes, I know this is
anathema, but It's wasteful to stock and staff six libraries for a city our size.) .
• Audit the IT department and see if the SAP system can be reasonably replaced.
• Do not sign any Ameresco contracts for the utilities department. Clean energy Is in its Infancy
and the city should not tie Itself to an unproven company for even 5 years, let alone 15.
Is this a drastic plan? Yes. Is it practical? Long term, yes, I think so. Imagine
applying all the savings to the infrastructure and pension baCklogs. Imagine all our
buildings, streets and sidewalks repaired!
Would these cuts be popular? Certainly not with everyone. But true leadership
means making hard decisions-for today and for the tough years ahead.
Pat Marriott
6/9/2010
Lavoff
4
5
1
2.5
Notes
'. 1 COre Service:
2 Yes
1 No Prlority . COre Service: Dubllc s.fety
~101. 3 Maybe INeed to know more about Impact e.g. on public .af~ty
~~~ ___ "'~~~~1-~~~~-1lp~rlon~tv, ... co:~~re,~serv~lce,,~::p~ubll,l~c:o~are,ty~ ______ .......... _~
2 Yes
I 2 Yes
2 Yes
~~+---$$'!1~l:~!i~7.;7 .. ,' ... 1=7~·····~··~~t=lj3~==~~~:·~~~~tt~m'V~beiS~huw~e!c~OUI~d'~pavrro~r'==i~~lfr=lffre==es,==.re=====l
Maybe Doiit know enough about this.
1.5 Yes
1 I 3 Ye •.
=]-2 No Cut Frio 3 Items before doing this.
4 $147ToOt 2 Ye'
3
5
2
1
7
1
3
3
7
1
1
.
3
3
2
3
3
7
7
. 7
3
':$'537,000 2
.~$475,OOO 2
Yes
Mavbe .IW~hat I ).It I t staff Instead
Yes i Is. ;0 , but can be
Yes . i Is. '10 ... ,) but can be
7
Yes
M.ybe Don't know enough about this.
. Yes
Ves
No If this makes building r It hurts I
Yes
Maybe If thl. doesn't create work for hi-paid staff
Maybe As long as we don't have to hire another
Yes
Yes
Why?
Why?
. Not If we keep the traffic team
,deY.
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Wayne Martin [wmartin46@yahoo,com)
Friday, June 04, 2010 10;35 AM
Council, City
Subject: Budget Reduction/Service Delivery Model Rethinking
Palo AltoCity Council
City of Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA 9430l
Subject: Budget Reduction/Service
Delivery Model'Rethinking
Elected Council Members:
Relative to budget \\rethinking"
here are Borne thoughts:
Terminate/Downsize Unessential Services
Provide essential services only--look
to downsize/eliminate
Libraries
ArtBCenter
Children's
Zoo
Children's
Theatre
Golf
course
Unnecessary
support for the airport
(At the moment, it's clear that the
city is supporting at a low level, airport operations. For instance, if there are
accidents, or a perceived need for ,public safety personnel at the Airport, apparently
these services are provided at.no charge to the County Airport Administration. At a
minimum, since this operation has nothing to do with the Palo Alto City Government, and
the Palo Alto City Government has foolishly signed away any hope of making any money on
this airport from lease fees, then the Fire Department, and the Police Department should
be charging for any services rendered to this operation.
While this may require some sort of
contract with the County, it's time to get these services identified, and the need to
monetize these services; as currently these services are provided for free by the
taxpayers of Palo Alto,
)
Increase Use of Technology
The city needs to create technology
plans· for each of its major units:
IT
Fire
Department
Public
Works
Library
Community
services
Police
Department
1
Administrative
services
Over time, these technology plans
will provide the City with the ability to·understand how.many of the jobs currently being
done or being done by people, and how much can be done by Information Technology
equipment.
while not an easy task, it does requires analysis of the work the City is currently doing
(ie -information flows and
data managed}. However, over timef
redundancies can be identified, and unnecessary work perhaps terminated--or moved into a
central database and the reports generated with scripta.
For instance the current Auditor's
service Report could be easily generated with a series of scripts.
would have to be done by people using hand manipulation techniques
in this day and age.
The idea that this
is really not tenable
Such a complete review of the City's
information structure would likely reveal that there are multiple datiwases in use than
demand migration to a central database, reducing various internal IT expenditures, either
in terms of time, or money.
Cubberley
The City Council has for many years
now is given directives to this to the administration to not charge market rate for space
at Cubberley. This a waste of taxpayers money. It's time to put an end to this giveaway,
and began to charge for rate for this place.
Consider charging for Cubberley
parking.
Increase Technology Use/OUtsourcing At Utility
Continue outsourcing jobs and
increasing the use of "technology" within the utility. Given the lack of competent
management at the Utility, it's way past time for a complete operational audit. The
number of workers is clearly too high, and needs trimming.
For instance, meter reading is being
done by people· walking around and taking notes. For almost a decade now, on-line meter
reading has been a reality. The City is currently spending about $lM a year (guestimate)
collecting the use data from the meters on customer premises, on-line techniques would
reduce the total cost for collection to a much smaller amount of money. What is .
·particularly galling, is the pensions are not considered in an above board review of costs
of services rendered by the Utility.
The city has been outsourcing some
aspects of the line work to a third-party operation. ·Providing that this work is proving
succe eaful.
There is a trial project underway to
replace all of the sodium vapor lamps in the City's street lights with LED lamps. Of
course, ·the "numbers" really are the driving factor as to what to do next. While a couple
of newspapers have Carried snippets about this project, there does not see to be a
puhlicly-available project plan which includes all of the costs for this project. However,
once this sort of information ia available, then the City should move to replace the
sodium-vapor lights as quickly as possible, providing public safety is not compromised by
the LED bulbs.
use of Robotics
The city also needs to begin to
think about robotics, in terms of certain kinds of ground maintenance operations. For
2
.. .r
some time now robotics
have been available to cut grass. It
makes no sense not to at least investigate the use of some sort of robotics-controlled
machine for cutting grass---and reducing costs.
One of the problems that has been
. suggested, from time-to-time; is that of "mandates" by the state. The city should put. .
together a complete list of mandated reports, or activities, and then began to determine
their costs. The goal would be to determine what can be done via database queries, and
what must be done by hand: over time, it would make sense to·have all of the state
"mandated" reports/information generated from the City's central database. Also, the City
shoUld, by whatever means possible, push the state to accept all of this data ·in an·
el"ectronic format, so that mailing costs can be avoided.
Terminate/Downsize "Support for Schools"
Downsize/Eliminate "Support for the
Schools"
Terminate
the school/City Liaison
Terminate
the crossing guard program
Terminate
the Track Watcher·
Terminate ,
anyon-site assignment of police officers
Terminate
any Library/Schools Liaison (if not already terminated)
Use of E-book Readers
The Library should purchase a number
of these devices for sight-impaired patrons.
text-to-speech in some books, so it would pay
take to fully support the signt-impaired with
to reason that the "big print" holdings could
Clara County) inter-library loan program.
The Kindle" have the ability to convert
for the Library to consider what it would
this new technology. OVer time, it stands
be reduced, or supplied via a.loca1 (Santa
Use of Part-Time Employees In Community Services Programs
At one point, there were upwards of
400 individuals being employed by the City in a part-time status by Community Services.
These seem to be W2 employees. Why are these people 1099 contractors?
Moreover, there is nO yearly audit
of this program (to the best of my knowledge) that insures that each.of these employees is
"cost neutral"-meaning that the employee is generating revenues 'in excess of his/her
costs to the taxpayers.
Terminate the Office of the Auditor
While this is a Charter-based
position, it is not at all· clear that the cost to operate this department is offset by
savings than can be linked to the efforts of the department. The City Manager should
consider the value of this department to the management of the City, and be prepared to
make a suggestion to the City Council to be prepared to put a Ballot Item on a future
Ballot to terminate this office, or to recast its role. .
Reduce the Number of Boards and· Commissions
The cost to facilitate these
functions is very difficult to ascertain.
giving the Council Borne idea as to whether
Outsource Parts of the Fire Department
The cost to the City should be determined,
this "advice" is worth the costs.
3
Hazrnat inspection is something that
could be outsourced. The costs to local businesses grows with each year's budget, which
generally seems to be a healthy pay increase for City employees. There is nothing magic
about Hazmat inspections that only a City of Palo Alto employee is capable. of performing.
Across the Boards SIlO Percent Pay Reductions
Employees making more than $100K
should see a 10% pay reduction, and those making less than $lOOK should see a 5% pay
reduction. The City should be prepared to apply these wage reductions in the future.
The City should stop comparing
salaries with other City governments, but should make salarY comparisons with the local
private sector. For most of the jobs, there is nothing different in the skill set required
to perform in a City setting, Versus a private-sector setting.
These are but a few of the
. possibilities. l hope the City· Manager
and his staff will consider each of these for its merit, and effect in reducing costs.
There are many other possibilities that could be considered, such as merging public safety
. departments, or portions of departments. However, those suggestions require far more
detail than a short note like this would permit.
Wayne Martin
palo Alto, CA
www.twitter.com/wmartin46
www.youtube.com/wmartin46
4
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Shannon McEntee [smcentee@stanford.edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 6:06 PM
To: City Mgr
Subject: cost saving opportunity
Dear Mr. Keene,
Good luck with your new job and figuring out where you can cut fat from our city budget.
I have two suggestions for you and your staff to consider.
First, every time Palo Alto sends a notice of a meeting that affects my neighborhood or the City, I
receive two identical big postcards. The most recent is the announcement of a meeting on May 24
regarding Stanford Hospital Fiscal Impact and Development Agreement.
One is addressed to "Resident" and the other one to "McEntee Shannon R Trustee." They both come
to my residence at 410 Sheridan Avenue. Why two when the address is the same? I called the city
about this a year or so ago. If I remember correctly, Palo Alto referred me to the County as apparently
they provide the addresses for your mailings. I asked the County office why they couldn't remove the
duplications. I didn't receive a satisfactory answer. In this sophisticated age of computers, I can't
Imagine why they can't remove obvious duplications. At $.41 per card, that would be a significant
savings, npt to mention the paper, handling, and environmental costs.
Second, I live across the street from the Sunrise Assisted living Facility at EI Camino and Sheridan Ave.
When they have emergency calls (not Infrequent), not only does an ambulance respond, but usually a
fire truck, tool Why two responders----can't we coordinate our emergency resources better than
that? Don't fire staff and ambulance staff talk?
The emergency vehicles are left with their motors idling. Shouldn't emergency personnel turn off the
motors? Often they're parked out there for a long time. Perhaps safety procedures require them to
leave the vehicles on, but given our clean air issues, our national security need to 'reduce our
dependence on foreign oil, and the urgent need to save money, I'd suggest someone take a look at this
Issue.
Thanks for conSidering my suggestions.
Sincerely,
Shannon McEntee
(writing for myself alone -nothing to do with Stanford)
6/812010
Page lofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Ken Novak [kmovak@gmail.com)
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 12:11 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: Lefs push for a digester for Palo Alto's waste
Dear Council,
I attended the meeting this week about the blue ribbon study concerning Palo Alto's organic waste. I
think the proposal for a digester is very promising and deserves our support, I hope the council will
approve a feasibility study promptly.
Palo Alto must do what it can to minimize costs today and into the future. A digester could save the city
$1-2 million per year at today's energy and landfill prices. With oil and landfill prices sure to rise in the
next 10-20 years, the long term savings will even higher. The enviromental advantages are a big plus as
well, since someday the California AB32law (or a federal carbon law) will probably force us to pay
even more for shipping our waste around. Can we save money today and avoid hikes tomorrow?
The only objection is from those whose priority is parkland. This is important, and opportunities to
expand parkland should be pursued. In this case, however, I consider it a small issue. The digester·
would not impact tOOay's 26-acre Byxbee park. It would only reduce the future Byxbee park expansion
when the dwnp closes, fro.m a total of 126 acres to 121 acres. It's a tiny reduction in a park that doesn't
even exist yet. We'll never notice the land loss, and we'll save a lot of money. There· are even
suggestions to improve the appearance of the park, by using some of the savings to add trees around the
perimeter of the new park, or otherwise upgrade park facilities. That seems a better approach than
worrying about the last 4 percent of landfIll area in one future park.
Based on what has been proposed so far, and what's been done elsewhere, it's certainly worth a study for
Palo Alto. If current estimates are correct, the cost of a study would be paid back in·one month's savings.
I hope the council will go forward with a study.
Best regards,
Ken Novak
1644 Channing Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
kmovak@gmail.com
650-400-7975
6/8/2010
Page I of2
Brewer, Cathy
From: Richard Placone [rcplacone@sbcglobal.nel]
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 2:42 PM
To: Council, City
Cc: Emslie, Steve; Keene, James; Perez, Lalo
Subject: Budget reductions, priorities and process
Council Members and City Staff Officials:
You have asked for thoughtful input from residents regarding the 20 II budget shortfall and needed
structural adjustments. From the recent meeting I attended presented by Mr. Keene, and from what I
have read re the budget on the city's Website, I believe the city is going about this process in the wrong
way. To achieve true structural adjustments that can ultimately be accepted by the residents as a fair and
necessary process, albeit one that will cause pain to some residents (no matter what adjustments are
made, some will be unhappy -so be it) the city needs first to establish overall priorities based on what a
city is and is not. And given the on going deficits being predicted, the city needs to shot higher than just
the present deficit, but address those deficits that are predicted for subsequent fiscal years.
Here then is my proposal for your consideration, This will be my only and final input in the process, I
may have left out a particular service, but if so, I feel confident that this can be placed in one of the three
tiers of services i have used. This proposal echos other messages I have sent city councils and
management since Victor Ojaldan was mayor.
Richard C, Placone
Chimalus Dri:ve
***.**********~************************************************************
Palo Alto Government
Establishing Priorities
Before budgets adjustments can be made the city government (Management and Council) must first
establish the purposes of the city government.
Tier One Services
These are essentiru, required by law and necessary for the survival of the population living in
cornrnuirlty, While they may be made more efficient, regionalized and outsourccd, if such moves prove
cost effective, these services cannot be eliminated,
Public Safety/Health
Fire Department
Police Department
Paramedic Service
Vector control
Infrastructure
6/8/2010
Roads and transportation
Public buildings
Land use planning and administration
Utilities
Gas, Water, Electricity, Sewer and Stonn Drains. Trash collection
Tier Two Services
Page 2 of2
These are services that add to the livability of the community. While not. essential for survival of the
community, these serVice make living in often crowded community situations, both enjoyable and
bearable. These services can be reduced to minimum standardsjn hard economic times, and even
temporarily shut down. Services can be outsourced, and may be open to volunteers.
, Parks and Open Space
Libraries
Recreational facilities
Tier Three services
, These services add to the cultural environment of the community. These are those that are often
provided by wealthy public spirited citizeus" which should be encouraged and given public
recognition. Many of these services may receive minimal supportfonn the city, with the goal of makiug
these self supporting. None of tbese should be undertaken until all Tier One and Two services are
properly met.
Performing arts
Zoos and museums (Note that Zoos are becoming a thing of the past globally, and should
not be undertaken by any other than large metropolitan cities or regions.)
Public art
Golf Courses'
Yacht Harbors
Airports
Typically, public schools are supported by and organized in iheir own political districts, with rights of
taxation, holding ejections, with their own governing boards and subject to state and federal regulations.
While cities may think it is a good thing to give funds to local school districts, this is not a good practice
in that it confuses responsibilities and jurisdictions. It is better for each entity to remain fInancially
separate, however, mutually advantageous ,use of common facilities like playing fields, public
auditoriums etc, should be encouraged.
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
Dan Rich [Dan~@cityofcampbell.coml
Friday, February 12, 2010 8:46 AM
Page 1 of1
To: Shikada, Ed; Harrison, Emily; Brian Loventhal; Carl Cahill; Dave Anderson; Dave Knapp;
Debra Figone; Doug Schmitz; Ed Tewes; Gary Luebbers; Greg Larson; Jeff Smith; Jennifer
Sparacino; Keene, James; Kevin Duggan; Stephen Abbors; Tom Hagland; Tom Williams;
Beau Goldie; Ed Schilling; Frank Benest; Henry Gardner
Cc: Jesse Takahashi
Subject: priority setting for Council·
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Red
Colleagues,
we all discussed our budget situations at the meeting the other day and Campbell's is pretty bad. one of the
things I want to do this year which we haven't really done in past budget cutting effcrts is to engage the Council in
a real dialogue about service priorities. we've made the "easy" cuts and recommendations already. our
processes historically have been very staff driven and Council sits back and more or less ·adopts what we
recommend (in general, a good thing!). but I feel like they have to have the hard discussions and debate among
themselves what is most Important to give direction to staff before we finalize cut lists this time. so ...
. have any of you used/developed a process that you think has worked well to engage the Council In priorty setting
(in the context of budget cutting)? If so, any hints or backup documents would be most appreciated. also, do you
think an outside facilitator Is beneficial for this kind of discussion (particularly for a Council not used to it), and if
. so, any recommendaUons.
thanks much.
Dan Rich
Campbell City Manager
(406) 666·2125
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: richs4@att.net
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 3:31 PM
To: . Council, City
Subject: Budget
. Dear Council Members:
I have lived In Palo Alto for over 55 years, I have. seen the great amount of overspending and inefficiencies of
past Palo Alto Councils and Administrations. Obviously the time has now come to reverse this c;lownward spiral.
The City Manager's recommendations to start the process in general have merit. However, there Is one item that
would be a complete shirking of City responsibility; that Is to pass on to the homeown.er the responsibility for
sidewalk maintenance. Not only Is such maintenance a nonmal City duty, transferring that responsibiliy to the
homeowner would also transfer a liability that would be worse than the cost of maintenance itself. Palo Alto is
already a very expensive place to live; and we expect there will be some fee incresses as part of the budget that
will make it worse. However, passing on the sidewalk or any other infrastructure liability is beyond
comprehension.
Other than that, it is obvious that there is a lot of past waste (hiring consultants, over paying some city workers,
unnecessary projects, etc.) that can be stopped which should be enough to cover the deficit. Curtailing retirement
benefits that are far greater than those of the private sector should be instituted. The firefigliters union appears to
be almost extorting a continuation of their "extra" pay in overtime, overstaffing, etc. Perhaps forming a Fire
District with other cities would be a solution If the union refUses to understand that we Just cannot afford it.
Outsourcing is used by the private sector when it make sense.
Past stUdies have shown that our cost per citizen Is far greater than other comparable cities. We have overpaid
for "needs" and overbought on ''wants'' in the past. Now the time has come to put our house in order. I
understand the difficulty of balancing a budget that has been so loose for so long, but please do so by cutting
excess and unneoessary expenses rather than a Palo Alto "bailout" by its citizens. Thank you for your
consideration, .
6/8/2010
Rich Scholz
lois lane
Palo Alto
Brewer. Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
. Bob Roth [bobroth@Iavabitcoml
Thursday, May 27,2010 11:55AM
citYcouncil@cilyolpaloallo.org; James_Keene@Cilyolpaloalto.org
Cost cutting
Here is an idea for cutting City costs. Do street sweeping on a need .basis and not by a
given calender date.
Turn over services like Junior Museum and Children's Theater to private organizations.
Bob Roth 2015 Middlefield Road Palo Alto ~4301
1
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Richard Runkel [garlanddrlve@gmail.coml
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 201010:54 AM
To: City Mgr
Subject: BUDGETIRAIN WATER RECOVERY
Aloha Mr. Keene
Spending on rain water recovery by Palo Alto should cease and budget should be removed
be~use it is a program no longer necessary for this season and perhaps. for some time in the
future. This program focuses on high-end installations requiring more city services
(building permits and inspections) when downspout diversions to garbage cans could be
. promoted.
Regards, Dick Runkel
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Russell, Randy [RandyRussell@officemax,comJ
Sent: Thursday, April 22,2010 8:53 PM
To: Keene, James
Subject: I read tna review of your budget preview, I can help.
Hi James,
I have been meeting wilhthe City of Palo Alto's contract Manager, Kathy Bradley and some of her staff In regards
to Palo Alto working with OfficeMax in identifying the city's true cost In the printing environment. I will not go into
details as I am quile passionate about Ihis cosl saving venture bulln brief, if the City partners with us, Office Max
will prepare a detailed analysiS of the prlnung environment and provide a verifiable financial number that is truly
refleclive of the true cosllo create an image on paper. There are many factors associated to this number and the
process is not brief, usually 4 to 6 weeks of data.gathering.
My point Is this, all this effort In Identifying Palo Alto's true cost to print and to provide a verifiable financial number
Is done on our behalf, NO upfront cost to the Cltyl The objective Is to save the City printing costs by subscribing to
our Managed Print services, a cosl per page model, and continue 10 increase business efficiencies in this arena
for on going savings,
Not to drag this on but the cost per page Includes: Toner, Parts (maintenance kits and others), maintenance,
repair, on-sight service by certified techs' and monitoring of the environment to idenlify patterns and make
business efficiency recommendations for greater savings. This Is a HUGE savings to the City and will allow you to
get a handle on Ihe spend.
If you can spare 20 minutes I would like to go Into more detail with you. Is this okay with you?
Palo Allo Is already a customer of OfficeMax, a lrusled partner, why nol capitalize on thiS relationship and add
Managed Print to the mix for greater rewards.
I hope to hear from you ~oon.
Randy Russell
Technology Business Development Manager
TEL: 707.832.73031 CELL: 707.853.2568
1315 O'Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA. 94025
I littp;lIwww.officemax.com
61812010
Page 10ft
. Brewer,Cathy
From: David Shapiro [shaplro1@pol.net]
Sent: Monday, February 08, 201010:03 AM
To: Council, City.
Subject: Stanford Ave/EI Camino streetscape Improvements
As a resident at 252 Stanford Ave., I have been through this intersection by bike and on foot
more than 3,000 times in the past 10 years. I also drive through it frequently. It is an
unreasonably dangerous intersection for all. These improvements, while in my opinion too
conservative, will make the intersection safer and more attractive. Let's not let the ideal be the
enemy of the good: the overall goal should be to get these improvements approved and
funded within the narrow window of time remaining. ThanK you.
-David Shapiro
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
andreabsmHh@sbcglobal.net
Saturday, April 17, 2010 2:36 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: City's budget
Page 1 of 1
I am prompted to send this e-mail because Of Minks van der Zweeg's Guest Opinion in the Palo ARo Weekly
regarding Family Resources. It's a wonderful program; the web sHe is terrifIC, however, In light of the economy,
the City has better places to put Ks money. .
The people who really can benefit from the program (Family Resources) are Ihe one's who either have no
computer or have no time to.check It out. The one's who use this program are Social Services who already know
aboul the resources listed. .
I worked in Human Services, managed the database of non-profil organizations for Family Resources. Neilher
Kathy Espinoza-Howard nor Sharon Murphy had any clue as to the promotion of the program. I asked Jim Burch
.. 10 help us wIth the promotion. Now, as a last ditch effort, there is to be a 10lh anniversary (fund raiser) at Four
Seasons Hotel. Good for them, I say, but please put what little money palo Alto has where all beneftt -police,
fire, street repairs etc., etc.,.
Andrea B. Smith
6/8/2010
Page 1 of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Matt Stewart [mbstewart_79@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 06,20102:·15 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: smart budget solutions
City Council Members,
Instead of imposing austerity measures and privatizing the Palo Alto workforce, I strongly urge you to
pursue more revenue-generating measures via the ballot. Though the recent business tax failed, I do not
believe that this was representative of the mood ofPaio Altans regarding their appetite to pay taxes. It's
. failure was more a reflection of the muddled public debate surrounding their purpose and design as well
as a poorly (if non-existent) outreach campaign. If easily-understood and positioned "Smart Taxes" were
proposed and publicized in a manner similar to that of Measure A, I am certain that they would pass
overwhelffiingly. "Smart Taxes" are.taxes that would target those people that are most able to afford
paying their fair share or who should pay a little extra for their vices. A lowering of the property transfer
tax thieshold, an increase in the hotel-occupancy tax to levels comparable to cities such as San
Francisco, andlor fees on the sale of tobacco and alcohol are all fabulous examples of good public
PQlicy. In addition, they are money, money, money with good track records in terms of public support.
Finally, I think that it is a mistake to make cuts to and contracting outlow-paying public-sector jobs
related to infrastructure improvement. It would be much more appropriate and equitable to make cuts
among those that are most able to afford them. The police union and especially the firefighter union are
both overly costly and I believe that they have not been adequately challenged to make the necessary
sacrifices. Overtime pay and cuts to redundancies to both departments should be addressed if we are
going to impose painfu1 cuts and give-backs from the city workforce. In addition, it would be
worthwhile to give administrative duties to lower-paid civilians when members of the police and fire
departments leave their jobs. Cops and firefighters should be on the ground and not behind the desks.
Thank you for your consideration,
Matt Stewart
3325 Louis Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650 -325 -1244
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
suzanne%40high-low,com [sJdoyle@comcast.net)
Thursday, May 27, 2010 11:26 AM
citycouncll@cltyofpaloalto,org
Cc: Keene. James; Perez, Lalo
SUbJect: My vote on budget cuts
Page 1 ofl
After reviewing the proposed budget cuts, I believe the city should be budgeting based on
priorities, which I see as follows:
1. Essential for the welfare of ALL residents, e.g., public safety," Infrastructure
2. Not essential, but makes the city a good place to live and benefits the MAJORITY of reSidents,
e.g.., planning/zoning, parks/open space, library
3. Not at all essential and serves only SMALL NUMBERS of reSidents, e.g., Children'S Theater,
Junior Museum & zoor Art Center
In particular:
Infrastructure Is the city's responsibility and a high priority, thus residents should not bE!
asked to pay for Sidewalk repair (or sewer connectors!).
Programs like the Children's Theater and the Junior Museum serve only a small number of
reSidents, are not essential to the city's functioning and are not worth over $2M In our tax
money.
Suzanne Doyle
2250 Hanover
Palo Alto, CA
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Dear Council Members,
Craig Thorn [thomclt@mac.com]
Tuesday, January 26,20103:01 PM
Council, City
2010 PrioriUes
Thank you for the difficult work you do and, particularly, the difficult job th~s corning
year entails for each of you, particularly-those of you new to the council and the need to
come 'up to speed" rapidly. _ I want to take this opportunity, as you prepare for your
priority setting meeting, to provide my input, to th~ extent that it is helpful.
I strongly urge the following priorities be adopted by the counc~l:
1. Budget: Develop a strong, structurally sustainable response to the 2010 budget
crisis. While our city employees are extremely valuable and provide excellent service, the
city's compensation packages are grossly inflated, compared to the private sector, and the
union contract work rules ha~dcuff city management to reduce bureaucracy.
2. Stanford Hospitals: Not only is our medical care an important priority to this
community, but the excellence of the Stanford Hospitals & Clinics-is a source of great
pride. I urge the council to expedite the approval of this important project and complete
this process in 2010. To do so would demonstrate this council" s outstanding leadership on
a contentious subject.
3. Libraries: our community has gone through a difficult, multi-year process of
grappling with defining-the type of library system we want culminating with the passage of
Measure N with nearly 70% of the voters. I urge the council to support the project,
without revisiting the arguments of the past, and to maintain the current schedule. Our
city has a great library staff, has hired an outstanding architect and has had countless
hours of public input. Passage of Measure N and the resulting designs for the renovations
and rebuilding are one of the major positive events and projects in Palo Alto in some
time. -
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to your deliberations.
Sincerely,
Craig Thorn
753 Maplewood
Palo Al to, CA
Place
~303
1
Page I of I
Clerkson, Linda
From: Judith Wasserman [jwarqiteq@aol.com!
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 20109:16 AM
To: budget4PA
Subject: Budget thoughts
Dear Jim-
I applaud you for your courage IUld perseverance in thi' terrible way to start a new Job. I have thoughts in 2 are .. :
I. The Willy Sutton approach. When asked why he robbed banks, Sutton said, "Because that's where the money is." Look for 6 and high 5
figure savings. Don't nickel and dime small progflllns like Arlin Public Places. There'sUttle money to be saved IUld Ihe program leverage,
what little it has. If you have 10, cut the whole thing (that would be. VERY BAD MOVE) but don't eviscerate it by cutting bits and pieces.
Don~cut programs that almost make their own money but still get city help -it IUllagoni"". people unnecessarily and dee .. 't save much.
When showing budget info for programs like the Children's Theater, it might be Instructive to show the revenue ,ide .. , well.
May be we can look at long-term structural changes as well as short-term ones, Long-term ones need collective bargaining agrecl)1entll-
40lk retirement packages instead of pen8ions~ later retirement. ru1es about taking penSions from one city after a short work period and then
going to work for another (a popular activity among building inspectors), Learn to be h.rd-nosed -1!Ild this from a life-long union
supporter.
Send the school district back its responsibilities, like crossing guards, transportation (the city shuttle is
effectively a school bus), field maintenance, etc. They can pass bond measures, the city can't (or hasn't).
2. Address the revenue side. Don't layoff code enforcement officials, fine people for violations and
recover the costs plus more. We have national corporations scoffing at our sign laws -fine 'em! Pass
that business tax -every other town has one. Use the "enterprise funds" to pay for infrastructure by
being creative with the projects -replace the gas lines? Replace the street above it, too, and the
sidewalks, while you're at it, Enlist the City Attorney's office; make them work for the city and not
against it. They should think up legal (if devious) ways of getting around the 2/3 vote to raise money.
BTW -I am OK with making property owners responsible for sidewalk repairs IF low-income people
get help AND businesses are also assessed. My sidewalk would get repaired if it were up to me.
Those public budget meetings are very good; I've heard many people say they have learned much,
Good luck!
Judith Wassennan
Bressack and Wasserman Architects
751 Sontharnplon Drive
Palo Alto CA 94303
ph: 650321-2871
fx: 650321-1987
617/2010
Clarkson, Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
Judith Wasserman fiwarqiteq@aol.com]
Saturday, May 08, 2010 9:26 AM
budget4PA
Subject: More thoughts and ideas
Charge non-residents to enter Foothills Park.
Outsource the golf course -it serves a small minority of residents.
Charge for parking -it's a green thing to do.
Page 1 of 1
Be aggressive about traffic enforcement instead of cutting back -increase the fmes. The program will
more than pay for itself at Oregon and El Camino alone.
Have steeper fee schedule for plan review -smaller buildings are greener anyway. Reward them by
having lower fees while really getting some money out of bigger projects.
Clearly something is wrong in the city vehicle department. Is it cheaper to reimburse workers for using
-their own cars and give them free parking?
Starting next year, all new houses will require fire sprinklers. This should make some impact on the
need for fire services. Don't give in to one-time-anecdotal evidence; be scientific in your approach.
This is hard!
Judith Wasserman
On May 8,2010, at 9:15 AM, budget4PA wrote:
Thank you for contacting us with your advice, feedback and questions. If you have a
specific question, it will be routed to the appropriate staff person f9r response.
We appreciate your engagement through the FY 2010-2011 Budget Process.
Best Regards,
City Manager's Office
City of Palo Alto
City Hall
250 Hamilton Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-2392
Bressack and Wassermnn Architects
751 Soulhampton Drive
Palo Alto CA 94303
ph: 650321·2871
lX: 6SO 321·1987
61712010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Karen While [karenwhite4@sbcglobal.net]
Friday, May 28, 2010 9:42 AM
Council, City
Subject: Budget: First Cut All Wages/Salaries by 10%
Honorable City Council,
Page 1 of 1
As you discuss various ways to cut expenses, please consider --as a first step --!;l,lttlng all wages
and salaries by 10o/Q, while continUing to negotiate additional increases with the Fire Department
and continuing to work to reduce pension &. benefit costs. My reasoning is this:
1) A 10% reduction would reduce the number of staff layoffs
2) Services to residents and businesses would be retained at higher levels than possible with
layoffs of city staff
3) An across-the-board 10% wage/salary reduction would avoid pitting department against
department, and one service to residents/businesses against another.
4) An across-the-board cut can be Implemented quickly and while other longer-term savings
continue to be discussed.
It has been suggested that 10% will not achieve desired savings and that a higher across-the
board cut should be explored. But whatever the percentage, my suggestion Is that It be even
handed and across-the-board.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Karen White
146 Walter" Hays Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94303
6/8/2010
Page 1 of1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Frank WIley (frank@wlleyonline,coml
sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 10:05 AM
To; Keene, James
Subject: Thanks for your work on the budget cuts .. ,
We appreciate your effort and support you in this difficult work of cutting the Palo Alto budget.
Many are concerned about particular cuts, but I believe the average resident realizes cuts have to be
made in many sensitvie areas -fire fighters, city employees, Children'S Theater, crossing guards,
sidewalk repair, etc. etc. . .. and especially the abarist and public works (being a California Avenue area
resident).
The only broadly supported city services are; I believe, the police department and the school district,
.... and the whole pension issue will, of course, have to be resolved some day -down the road.
Thanks again for your time and effort. Frank Wiley, 955 Roble Ridge Road, Palo Alto, 94306
61812010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: ~rent Barker. [brentgbarker@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday,.AprlliZ, 201011:13 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Budget Issue: College Terrace Library
Attachments: CTRA Library Statement.doc
Dear City Council,
We appreciate your efforts to trim the city budget in a thoughtful
manner, and the painful choices that will have to be made.
Attached is a statement from the Board of Directors of the
College Terrace Resident's Association regarding the delay in
reopening the College Terrace Library and our concerns for
long-term support oftMs important City branch. We thank you
for your consideration.
Brent Barker
President
CTRA Board of Directors
6/812010
Page.1 oft
Clerkson, Linda
From: James39@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 20108:48 PM
To: budget4PA
Co: Wyman, Tom; Wyman, Ellen; walker, lisa; Staiger, Steve; SChmidt, Martha; Silberling, Barbara;
Pearson, Enid; OI"Sullivan, Gene; Masteller, Gerry; Grote, Dick; Emmons, Gretchen; Dehlinger,
Arline; Clark, Tom; Allyn, Betsy; Jennings, Diane .
Subject: 2011 budget
To: Council Finance committee
It is imperative that the 2011 budget that emerges iii the next 60 days not only respond to
fiscal realities -short term and structural -but also that it stand up to reasonable analysis.
The proposals to defer the reopening of College Terrace branch by 8 months (November 2010
to presumably July 2011) and the reopening of the Downtown Library from April 2011 .
(estimated) to July 2011
don't stand up. One might assume that salary savings for the 2 fie at each library would be
unspent but that turns out not to be. the plan; instead these staff Will be temporarily reassigned
to other library duties. The personnel savings if any from these deferrals would be hourly
personnel, and, in any imaginable scenario, not a number of consequence in the context of the
city's 8-10 million problem and certainly NOT a structural change in the qity's budget.
Public libraries are an investment in our community. In times of recession the public uses
libraries more, not less (see national stories e.g. NY Times, LA Times, etc). As things now
stand College Terrace and Downtown will be off line 10-12 months each, Mitchell Park served
by a temp facility for 18-24 months.
Delaying reopening of DT and CT makes no financial sense and harms our community.
Jim Schmidt
244 Forest Avenue
61712010
Page 1 of3
Brewer, Cathy
From:. Jeff Levinsky [jeff@levinsky.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10,201010:32 AM
To: Jennings, Diane; Council, City
Cc: Keene, James; Bob Moss; Leonardo Hochberg; Marc Marchiel; Theivanai Palanlappan ; V.H.
Stinger; Vibhu Mittal
Subject: Re: Flaws in Plans Hurt Downtown Library
Dear Diane:
Thank you very much lor your response and for confirming that the renovated Downtown Library's collection could
be larger (by many thousands of Items according to the calculations) by simply pulling more items on many of the
shelves. The plans indeed show those shelves holding fewer items per foot than now or as planned for other
Palo Alto branches.
Your response also underscores that the Ullraiy Service Model Analysis and Recommendations (LSMAR) never
specified an actual size for the Downtown Library collection. Tracing through the LSMAR leads only to a
'TBD' ("To Be Determined',) in a Group 4 report tha.t was never updated before the bond measure passed. The
city In fact displayed that 'TBD" to the public on a prominent sign In the Downtown Library.: You cite the LSMAR
stating that Downtown would be a "neighborhood branch,' which of course is why we compare its collection per
capita to those at neighborhood branches serving similar-sized populations in other cities. The new neighborhood
branch In Redwood Shores targeted a ratio of 4 volumes per capita lor a population of 12,000. At thet ratio,
Downtown ought to house over 40,000 volumes, not the 12,200 that Group 4 Originally used as a target. The
Measure N campaign, .funded in part by an organization whOse board I served on at the time, spoke of bringing
our libraries "up to par with libraries In neighboring cities/communities." That clearly conflicts with the notion of a
Downtown collection far smaller than in comparable communities.
Your response. raises an interesting point about public process. Last fall, members of the City Council and many
of the public asked for a larger Downtown collection. I a\lended the meeting at which the Library Advisory
Commission endeavored to address that. At no time were the commiSSioners told that there was a way to
increase the collection capacity that actually required no extra space and no additional shelving. The minutes of
that meeting imd the subsequent report (CMR: 409:09) to the Council do not mention this option either. While
fully appreciating concems about budgetary constraints. I believe Palo Alto's open government principles
nevertheless mean such information should still go to the LAC, Council, and the public (who in fact pay for the
collection) so that everyone can discuss and be part of the decision process.
Speaking of funding, as one who helped raise over a million dollars for Palo Alto libraries during Just my time as
president of the Friends of the Palo Alto Library and as the leader on our Cable Co-op Legacy Grant application. I
teel the public is much more likely to help out when they perceive the right opportunities atreceptive institutions.
That's one more reason why it's so vital to bring these options out into the open for public discussion.
Thank you,
Jeff Levinsky
---Original Message -
From: Jennings, Diane
To: Jeff Levinsky ; Council...cilY.
Cc: Keene,~J.a!llJilJ;; Bob Moss; Leonardo Ho~cl1berg : Marc Mll[l;llli!l : Ibcivanai Palanjappan ; Y,H. Stinger;
Vibhu Mittal
Sent: ~riday, March 05, 20108:19 PM
Subject: RE: Flaws in Plans Hurt Downtown Library
Hello, Jeff-
6/8/2010
Page2of3
Although there has already been a great deal of discussion about the collection for the renovated Downtown
Library, I do want to address the points made in your recent email to the City Council and clarify what appears to
be a misconception about the role of the architects for this project. It was not the charge of the architects to
determine the size of the collection at the renovated Downtown Library. It was their job to provide an adequate
amount of shelving to house the size of collection proposed for each library.
The schematic designs for Mitchell. Park, Downtown, and Main libraries developed by Group 4 Architecture In .
advance of the November 2006 bond measure were .based on the direction spelled out in the Library Advisory
Commission's LSMAR report that was adopted by the City Council. As stated in the LAC's December 2006
LSMAR transmittal memo to the Council, a key goal of the LSMAR was to make facility improvements at all five
libraries, but avoid duplication wherever possible.
While each library selVes the entire community, this plans calls for sustaining
Downtown and Collage TSlTBC6 libraries as neighborhood branches, and
developing Mitch!?11 Park and Main libraries as the core of the library system,
complemented by the historic Children's Library.
lIVhile the LSMAR Idenijfied a need to improve the currency of the book collecijons at all
branches, it recommended significant collection growth only for an expanded Mitchell Park
library. With these guiding principles,Group 4 developed a plan for Downtown Library that
would increase the display shelving to promote a more retail-type atmosphere there, but
not to house a much larger collection. As you know, addHlonal shelving was added to the
plan at two points after the schematic design was completed -following input from a focus
group meeting, and later, at the recommendation of the LAC, after Council requested
another reView of the collecijon capacity,
Estimates for items per linea( foot of display shelving are lower than those for regular shelving, and a larger
perC4;)ntage of the shelving at Downtown will be display than is the case at the new Mitchell Park Library. As you
acknowledge, the shelves aUhe remodeled Downtown library could be filled at a higher density. I would
Imagine, then, you would be pleased to know that, should the funding exist in the future, the Shelves et·
Downtown could hold more than currently Is estimated.
However, there is nothing for the architects to "fix'. They have pr()vided more than adequate linear feet of .
shelving to house a collection twice the size of what's currently at Downtown. Adjusting their formulas to show
that the shelves could be packed at a higher density may give the false Illusion thet there is a plan to
significantly increase the size of the collection at Downtown. Funding has not been identified to both improve the
currency and Increase llie size of Downtown's collection at twice the current size, never mind for "thousands
moreno
The real fix that's needed Is to Improve funding to support future enhencements for the library system. We have
a significant challenge ahead to address the estimated $1 million additional operating cost associated with the
library bond measure improvements. That estimate did not include dollars to double or triple the size of
Downtown library's collection. Finding the funds to make enhancements beyond the many improvements
identified In the LSMAR dOes not seem likely In this economic climate.
-Diane
Diane R. Jennings, Director
Palo Alto City library
270 Forest Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650.329.2403
650.327.7568 (fax)
Diane Jennlngs@cityofpaloalto.org
www,cityofoaloailo,orgllibrary
From: Jeff Levinsky [mailto:jeff@levinsky.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 10:05 AM
To: Council, City; Jennings, Diane
6/812010
Page 3 of3
Subject: Flaws In Plans Hurt Downtown Library
Dear Mayor Burt, City Council Members, and Library Director Jennings:
We were very hopeful when the Council asked for a review of how to increase the Downtown Library collection.
We expected the Group 4 architectural firm to proceed accordingly.
Astonishingly, the architects plan to put far fewer Items on various shelves at the branch th,m at others In Palo
Alto and libraries elsewhere.
For example, the plans 'speclfy that the remodeled library will have just 6 DVDs per shelf foot, whereas the
library presently has about 19 DVDs per shelf foot (we meesuredl). In other words, there will be 213 fewer DVDs
per foot after the remodel. Yet plans specify 10 DVDs per foot at the new Mitchell Park Library and 10 or 20 per
foot at .the remodeled College Terrace Lii;lrary.
The same problem exists for music CDs, which will go from about 27 per foot at present to just 6 per foot after
Downtown is remodeled. Meenwhile, Mitchell Park will have 12 per foot.
The new book shelves at Downtown offer yet another example. The branch presently shelves about 10 per foot,
which the plans call for reducing to just 4, Mitchell Park and College Terrace are projected to have 5. Why not
stick-with 10, given that Downtown has too little shelf space?
Over 500 people petitioned the city to ensure Downtown has a collection comparable to similar communities, yet
the architects have responded with plans that use collection space Incredibly Inefficiently and worse than at
present. Fixing these and similar problems spotted by an independent library space planner and us will allow
the branch to offer many thousands of addftlonal Items without any extra space or fumlture costs.
Please have the architects correct this situation.
Thank you,
Jeff Levinsky
P ,5. We've heard library staff argue that having fewer items per shelf allows for better display and leads to
higher circulation. That statement only makes sense per-item and doesn't look at total circulation in a space
limited'ilbrary. For example, if you eliminate over 213 of DVDs per shelf, as Group 4 proposes, circUlation of the
remaining cines must more than triple Just to break even. But Group 4 prOjects that only 25% to 34% of
Downtown's DVDs will be checked out after the reduction -so are they claiming that Just 8% to 11 % are now?
BeSides, if having so few Items per shelf truly increases total circulation, why doesn't the library propose It for all
other brancihes -or use it already?
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Melissa [melissa94306@gmail,coml
ThursdaY, June 03, 2010 11:25 AM
Council, City
COLLEGE TERRACE LIBRARY
Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council Members,
As you make the difficult budget" decisions ahead, I urge you to weigh heavily the value of
the College Terrace Library to the neighborhood residents. prior to its closure for
renovations, it wae an extremely important part of the daily lives of College Terrace
residents, especially our retired residents and our young children. My grandson and I
were enjoying it together two or three times a week when it closed. Although the budget
deficit is a huge challenge, I hope you will protect the assets the residents treasure
most, and finance the reopening and operation of the College Terrace Library.
Thank you.
Melissa Campbell
2141 Princeton St
Palo Alto, CA
1
Page! of!
Brewer, Cathy
From: Jeff Levinsky Ueff@levlnsky.org)
Sent: Wednesday, Aprt121, 2010 9:17 AM
To: Wayne Martin
Cc: Council, City
Subject: Impact of Library Budget Cuts
Dear Mr. Martin:
If you're going to attribute words to me that I never said, I'd prefer they be something witty and clever rather than
nonsensical.
Your April 12 letter to the City Council lambastes me for saying that library closures would lead to longer wait for
books. But I didn't say that. Here's the relevant part of the Aprll12 Palo Alto Daily Post article (page 19) you
cited:
The bO(~k budget would be reduced by $117,000. Jeff Levinsky, former president of Friends of the Palo
Alto Library said, though it's difficult to predict the impact, it could "mean people would have to walt longer
for books. "
You see, I said longer waits for books could anse from lE1u.ctloosJn the bpok budget, not from library closures.
Let me explain it carefully. Like many libraries of similar size, the Palo Alto Library often buys multiple copies of
popular titles. If our book budget Is cut, the number of copies purchased per title might go down. Suppose the
library normally buys two copies ota title, both are checked out, and there are four holds. If each checkout last
four weeks, the final person on the waitlist will get a copy within 8 weeks (2 people ahead for that copy x 4 weeks
per checkout). If the library Instead purchases just one copy, then the final person might have to wait 20 weeks (6
people ahead x 4 weeks) before getting the boo~. So clearly people could have to wait longer for books if the
book budget cut reduces the number of copies purchased, as my qualified quote in the Post says.
You also mention Link+. Unfortunately, Link+ won't necessarily reduce waiting time because when popular titles
are on hold at Palo Alto, they'll likely have holds at other libraries too. Instead, Unk+ Is excellent ~ providing
access to an enormous variety of low-<lemand titles. In fact, if libraries are making good use of Llnk+, they will
buy more copies of high-demand titles and fill requests for less popular ones through Link+, That means if their
book budgets are then cut, they'll likely have to buy fewer copies, ironically lengthening waits more than if Link+
hadn't existed.
I do however appreciate your mentioning Link+, given that the Friends of the Palo Alto Library worked hard for
many years to make It available in Palo Alto. Yau might enjoy my article from way back in early 2006 describing
how wonderfully Link+ could benefit Palo Alto at htlp:llfrjendspaloaltolib,orglnewslatters/foreword2Q06winter.pdf?
page=5.
You also say, "The Palo Alto Library's use statistics for last year indicated that the library was being used less
than a year before." Whoa I Perhaps you were thinking about Visits to the library, which indeed. declined last year
(per hUp:llcilyofpaloalto.org/clvicalfilebankiblobdload.asp?BlobID=3973) but by less than 1%. However,
circulation increased by about 6% over the same period (per '
htlp:llcjlyo!paloalto.orglcjyjcalfilebankiblobdload.asp?BlobID=3966). Combined, that's more use, not less.
You claim that our libraries are 'not all that popular to the public at large." Well they're not quite as popular as say
breathing, but Palo Alto's circulation and visits are many times the norm for U.S. public libraries and often the very
highest among comparably-sized Califomia cities. You surely recall that 69.4% of Palo Alto voters recently
approved a substantial tax increase to support library improvements. 69.4% sounds to me like our libraries are
Quite popular to the public at large.
Jeff Levinsky
6/812010
Brewer. Cathy
From: .
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Wayne Martin (wmartin46@yahdo.com)
Monday, April 12,2010.11:00 AM
Council, City
Keene, James
Limited Library Closures
~alo AltoCity Council
City of Palo Alto
~alo Alto, CA 94301
Subject: Limited
Library Closures
Elected Council
Members:
Comments
attributed to Jeff· Levinsky ("Friends of the Library") about the reduction of open hours
in the Palo Alto Liebig System in a recent Daily Post article on the budget problems of
the C\ity of Palo Alto cause this Silicon Valley resident to ask: "What planet does Mr.
Levinsky live on?" Mr. Levinsky' scomments about "people having to wait for books" makes
little sense, if the libraries were closed one day a week.
The library has a
"hold" capability via its. Web-accessible on-line catalog. This capability allows people
to determine if a book is· available, or if others are "in the queue"; without having to
actually go to the library,. Since the online catalog is available .. 7!24/365--it doesn't
matter whether a library branch is open, or closed, since a person has a simply to click
the mouse couple times in order to have the book reserved, pulled from the shelves and
placed in a convenient "will call" pickup area in ·any library he/she chooses. The library
hold these books for a period of time, for the convenience of the patron.
But more to the
point, if anyone takes the time to look at the use statistics for a given book, . one will
find that the book is either u available ll , Or that there is a uqueue"~ For the most
popular new books, there is usually a queue of 3-5 people at anyone time. Thet means
that there is a wait of up to 25 weeks in that situation, given that the library allows up
to five weeks for a given book to be on loan.
Additionally, the
~alo Alto Library is now a member of the Link+ system--which offers Palo Altos up to IS
million books. The service usually takes 3-5 days for delivery from the remote library.
So, does it really matter whether the book is picked up on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, when
it'S likely to sit for a.couple of days anyway, or the patron has had to wait several
weeks to rise to the top of the \\queue"?
Moreover I wi th
Google/Books, the Internet Archive, and the on-line stores of Amazon, Sony,. and Apple
(with ·the recent availability of the iPad) , there are mi.llions bf books available on-line
for instant download, at prices ranging from FREE to $10-$14.
And, Borders Book
Store is still open most days for people who still believe it's OK to buy books. --rather
than expect the taxpayer to make them available at anywhere from $7-$10 per circulated
item.
The world has
changed significantly in just five years, where books are concerned. How is it the people
in Palo Alto--where so much of this technology has been pioneered--don't know anything
about the expanding world of e-books? Or online information?
It makes no sense
1
for the City to continue to make these sorts of materials available at ever increasing
costs to the taxpayer, when they're online to the individual at modest prices.
Last week, ~pple
introduced its on-line reader/video device, the ipad. This device is but the opening
gambit of ~pples entre into the world of e-books. (The iphone has become a very popular
reading device, with about 2M e-books formatted for it and available for Free from
Google/Books. More popular books are available from any number of sources for the iphone
too. )
With Amazon, Sony
and Apple all "in the e-book space" now, the opportunities for other vendors will
increase, as.will the number of books and publications that will be distributed via these
reading devices.
The following
article provides interesting indirect evidence about the impact that the ~pple iPad will
make on digital reading --
http.//www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/boingo-ipad-makes-strong-showing-wifi
networks/2010-04-12?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Boingo: iPad makes strong showing on wiF! networks ~ril 12, 2010 --12:32am ET I By
Lynnette Luna WiFi providers Boingo Wireless reported that the iPad, after four days in
the market, became the second most popular non-laptop device to connect to certain WiFi
networks, which includes SS airports, the Washington State Ferries and several sporting
arenas and convention centers.
The iPad now displaces ~droid devices and more than doubles the daily number of visits
for the previous second-place device, the company said.
Boingo is providing WiFi access to ipad users on an hourly or monthly basis.
"It's stunning how quickly the ·iPad has established itself as a force in WiFi," said Dave
Hagan, president and CEO of Boingo Wireless.
"After four. days in market, it is already being more widely used than other WiFi enabled
mobile devices that have moved millions of unite. II
The iphone is still tops other devices in WiFi connectivity, representing nearly 90
percent of all non-lap~op connections in Baing's airports I the company said. However,_ the
iPad registered 5.4 percent of all device connections, while the· ~droid registered 2.5
percent. Blackberry phones and iPod Touch MP3 players accounted for less than 2 percent
each of total visits. Windows Mobile was less than 1 percent.
Read more: http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/boingo-ipad-makes-.strong-showing
wifi -networks/ 2010-04-12 ?utm _ medium=nl &utm _ source=internalllixzzO.kuI?mKYW2
With the iPad's
being detected on Wi-Fi networks so quickly, it will most certsinly be seen in even larger
numbers on the nations 3G networks with the 3G device is released by month's end.
The Palo ~lto
Library's use statistics for last year indicated that the library was being used less
than a year before. Given the rapid acceptance of e-books, this is not hard to believe.
Certainly with 8-10 million iPads likely being sold in 2010-11, and the continued growth
of the Kindle, and Sony readers {and eventually the Plastic Logic QUE),'it's hard to
believe that in the next three to five years the reduction in the use of the Palo Alto
library won't even he more dramatic.
The City Manager
is absolutely correct in reducing hours of these libraries. It's a shame that he's not
more aggressive in requiring the Library to actually educate people about alternatives to
paper books and resources--rather than quietly supporting the continued operation of these
"traditional" services that are not cost effective to the taxpayers, and not al1.that
popular to the public at large.
Wayne Martin
2
From:
Sent:
To:
SUbJect:
Florence laRiviere [fiorence@refuge.orgJ
Wednesday, May 26,20102:45 PM
Council, City
Parking fee at open space lands
De~r Mayor Burt and Members of" the City Council,
We understand the pressing need for revenues for the city. Still, the wonderful lands in
our baylands and hills are places where families can hike, picnic and just relax--freel
Surely we Can find sources of funding that do not harm the poorest of our residents,
'we respectfully request that this move be reconsidered.
Respectfully,
Florence and Philip LaRiviere
453 Tennessee Lane
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650 493 5540
1
Clerkson, Linda
Fron;:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Jean Olmsted Uwo@svpal.org]
Thursday, May 06, 2010 11:04 PM
budget4PA
jwo@svpal,org
Subject: ·Plan to Charge a Fee for Entrance to Foothills Park, Arastradero, Baylands
Page 1 of 1
Charging a fee for entrance to Foothills, Arastradero, and Baylands Parks is wrong. It is wrong for
what it will do to PEOPLE and for FINANCIAL reasons.
In difficult economic times, everyone especially needs places to go that will restore their their spirit
and that of their children. Fees won't stop the affluent, but they will exclude the less wealthy from
the three parks. Some services should be provided free of charge. That Is why we don't charge
for visiting libraries.
Past experience with fees at Foothills Park led to the conclusion that the costs of fee collection
. were so great that the amount taken In above cost was not much. Three rangers at three gates
collecting fees from the three parks would be a poor use of ranger time, but 3 devices that collect
fees are expensive. Taking the money to the bank in an armored car was expensive. People stayed
away from the park to avoid the fee, and some probably just did not pay. Let's not repeat that
scenario.
Jean Olmsted
Park fees may not trouble the affluent, but fees will keep the less wealthy from going to these pa
61712010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
jack blrnbaum Ibirilbaumjack@holmail.comj
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 3:22 PM
City Mgr
Subject: budgetr crises
Page 1 of 1
I am a retired CPA. When I worked In private Industry and our company needed to reduce costs,
we did so
In either of two ways :
One was to reduce staff, as you suggested to the-midtown audience you addressed.
The other was to have ALL affected personnel take the SAME % reduction in pay that -
would aggregate the cost reduction sought by the company. This device was employed by
one of my employers, resulting in an "across the board" reduction of 10%.
I would allow the union, representing the barllainlng units Involved, to make the choice as to
which method to employ.
The companies for whom I worked rebounded and I see no reason for Palo Alto to do otherwise.
Respe~tfully submitted, .
Jack Birnbaum-a long-term resident of our city
Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your Inbox • .l.&s!rn mor~ •.
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Brewer, Cathy
From: Jack birnbaum [birnbaumjack@hotmail.comj
S~nt: Wednesday, May 05,201010:41 AM
To: City Mgr
SubJeet; RE: budgetr crises
I am surprised that I have not received any acknowledgment to this message. Even a negative
response
would be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Jack Blmbaum
From: blrnbaumjack@hotmall.com
To: cltymgr@cltyofpaloalto.org
Subject: budgetr crises.
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 201015:22:10 -0700
I am a retired CPA. When I worked In private Industry and our company needed to reduce costs,
we did so
In either of two ways :
One was to reduce staff, as you suggested to the midtown audience you addressed,
The other was to have ALL affected personnel take the SAME % reduction In pay that
would aggregate the cost reduction sought by the company. This deVice was employed by
one of my employers, resulting In an "across the board" reduction of 10%.
I would allow the union, representing the barg;llnlng units Involved, to make the choice as to
which method to employ. .
The companies for whom I worked rebounded and I see no reason for Palo Alto to do otherwise.
Respectfully submitted,
Jack Birnbaum-a long-term resident of our city
Hotmall has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your Inbox. Learn mQre.
The New Busy Is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail . .G.el..b.u~
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From: phil bohaboy [peb2323@yahoo.comj
Sent:· Thursday, May 27, 2010 10:14 AM
To: Council, City
Subject: Sidewalk Repairs
Page 1 ofl
Please start discussing the real issues and problems with the budget. Just like many
companies Palo Alto added too many people to the staff during the good times. Palo Alto
labor costs are the problem, not who pays kir sidewalk repairs.
Start at the top. Why not eliminate just 2 of the MANY staff positions that cost the city more
than $250000 each year? Quite looking for ways to add taxes or put more costs onto the
residents of Palo Alto: . . .
Phil Bohaboy
2323 Byron street
6/812010
Brewer, Cathy
From: Kass [vz22@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday. March 26, 2010 11 :05 AM
To: CQuncil, City
Subject: Copy of comment in Town Forums on streamlining govt· one citizen's suggestion
From: Kathleen Goldfein 20 year resident of Palo Alto, retired Financial Analyst
3163 Alma St.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Page 1 of2
This comment includes two proposals to streamline city government and increase
productivity without reducing services and one rant on current accounting methods that
cause volatility in expenses. One proposal concerns benefits and the other management
structure. Yes -any proposal this "short" is too $implistic, butthe basic theory can expand to
cover additional complexity.
Note: I believe Palo Alto has great employees who work hard and provide wonderful service
to to citizens of Palo Alto. However. I think the structure of the pay and benefits of city
government and the structure of its management structure could be streamlined in order to
reduce costs.
ONE: PAY AND BENEFITS: A problem arises when the cost of benefits is 40%-70% of
salaries (guesstimate on my part from reading articles lately -I'd be thrilled if anyone has
evidence this isn'ttrue in Palo Alto). This is not sustainable unless salaries are way below
market (seems unlikely from published stories recently -nor do I want below market salaries
for our employees) ..
The city council should commission a study to determine the average % of salaries spent on
benefits for Palo Alto and for best in class cities & public companies. They should then
establish a goal for Palo Alto. Negotiations with employees should focus on how they want
that % spent, which could mean reduced benefits or more cost-sharing. This is similar to the
cafeteria plan Implemented by many private companies.
To get cooperation from employees, I recommend total transparency in the process of how
. the % is determined and how it compares to other cities and public companies. Also,
benefits should be the same across the entire city staff. Raises & benefits should not be
higher for salaried vs. hourly nor for top management vs. workers.
In fact, benefit % should be higher at lower salary levels because of the high cost of medical
benefits, which are the same at any level. It is a sign of major inequities when the % cost of
benefits of higher salaried employees is higher than those with lower salaries. Again, city
council should analyze this data.
6/812010
Page 2 of2
In'the case of rolled over sick pay and vacation paid out at retirement, these benefits should
be limited as they are in private industry. When paid at retirement, these benefits are
accrued at one pay rate, but paid out at a much higher rate many years later when the
employee retires. This is why most companies have caps on vacation rollovers and have
eliminated the payout of sick pay. Taking cash instead of vacation within a couple years of
earning it is reasonable -taking it many years later at retirement is not. This approach is
called "use it or lose it."
RANT on current system (city council can do nothing about this unless tliey can use
someone besides CALPERS to manage trust funds for employee benefits):
To make matters worse (although this is definitely the right way to do it), cities and public
companies are required to accrue liabilities to pay for future benefits. In most cases, trust
funds are established and funded to make sure there is money to pay those liabilities when
they coine due. However, when those ,trust funds are invested in the stock market, which
while ionglerm is the best investment, the results are volatile in the short term. Then cities
have much higher expense to make up for losses in years when the tax revenues are at
their lowest. One answer is to have the required payments to the fund based on the
average value of the funds over many years, eliminating some of the volatility. While this is
done somewhat today, I think the average is over 5 years, and even that is under attack
(actually it is a lot more complicated -too complicated to get into here). In general, the
average should be longer or the funds should be invested In less volatile Investments.
TWO: MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Major savings could come from a top to bottom
review of span of controL I don't have access to the structure of Palo Alto's city government
but the city council does. One possible algorithm, would be 4-5 levels of management in a
city the size of Palo Alto. Any management position with less than 5 employees would be
combined with another position. The average number of employees for a manager should
be 7-10 with a maximum of 15. You also have to take Into account managing contractors.
I'm not an HR expert so there might be a different algorithm more appropriate for Palo Alto.
But I do know that to maximize value In an organization, you need to regularly look at the
overall structure of benefits and staffing to have a cost-effective organization.
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:·
To:
Matt Stewart [mbstewart_79@yahoo.com]
Thursday, May 06, 20102:25 PM
Council, City
Subject: one more thing
City Council Members, .
Page 1 of 1
I also suggest that you consider increasing the threshold at which fuefighters and police are able to
receive overtime pay. For example, if the threshold is 48 hours before they get overtime pay, it could be
bumped up to 52 hours.
Matt Stewart
650 -325 -1244
6/8/2010
Brewer, Cathy
From:
Sent:
Karlette Warner [karlette46@sbcglobal.net]
Sunday, May 09, 2010 5:35 PM
To: Council, City
Subject: City Budget
Dear Council Members,
Page lofl
I understand you are holding a series of budget outreach meetings to get public input on how to overcome
the city's multi-million budget deficit. I am unable to attend the meetings in person, so I would like to pass
along my thoughts via email.
I have read about the possible layoffs and service cuts in Palo Alto. I certainly agree that layoffs should.be
considered for those positions that can be reduced or eliminated. Beyond that, I recommend an across:the
board salary cut, say, in the neighborhood of 5 to 10 percent, and reduction of retirement benefits. This
would allow the city to keep more city workers (rather than laying them off) and would avoid cuts to
services. While I appreciate the challenge of negotiating salary and benefit cuts with the unions, it is
essential that Palo Alto "get teal" ~bout its ability to continue paying huge salaries and pensions; we all know
they are not sustainable. A fitst step would be a two-tiered pension system in which newly hired employees
(or those coming up for contract renewal) move toward a 401K-type program for retirement savings rather
than a defined benefit program.
It's time fot public salaries to come back in line with private company pay. Especially in this difficult
economy, with so many private company employees losing their jobs and tailing pay cuts, it's
unconscionable for public employees to keep getting salary \acreases and bloated pensions.
Is it time for the Council to take this on? I sincerely hope so.
Respectfully,
Klil:lette Warner
981 College Avenue
Palo Alto
6/812010
Web Site Comment Form Submitted
Clerkson, Linda
From: Caravalho, Chris
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 2:40 PM
To: Clerkson, Linda
Subject: FW: Web Site Comment Form
linda,
FYI.
Chris
From: fomnserver@cltyofpaloalto.org [mallto:fomnserver@cltyofpa!oalto.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 20109:25 AM
To: tony_hasegawa@Yahoo.com
Subject: Web Site Comment Form
Page lof2
Ciw. of Palo Alto
Website
CommehtWEB SITE COMMENT FORM Form .
6/912010
D4/1512010 09:25:11 -Receipt No. 4CFE2D6EOa2261695FYli0107692
Thank youfor submitting the Web Site Comment Form. This is a courtesy copy only.
Your comments, suggsstlons and Information content requests are invaluable
to the continuing success of this web site.
SII bmitted By
First Name
Last Name
Neighborhood
Email
Okay to Contact
Web Site Information
Message
Tony
Hasegawa
Select a Neighborhood
tony _hasegawa@Yahoo.com
Yes
It is Unreal to have City Employees
making over $1 OOklyear including
benefits! II It is not Goldman Sachs but
Public Services! II You need to have
Web Site Comment Fonn Submitted Page 2 of2
6/912010
Referring URL
Site Area
Volunteer Spirit! I! That way, all of your
salary must be cut in half except police
and fire depart:mentlll God bless City of
Palo Alto and make them restore common
sense for the good of all! II
http://www.cityofpaloalto.orglnewsldisplaynews.asp?
NewsID=1536&TargetID=268
None Selected
Receipt Number 4CFE2D6EOa2261695FvJk11 07697
Submitted From 76.254.45.110
Submitted With Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trldentl4.0;
GTB6.4; SLCC1 i .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30618)
Page 1 oft
Brewer. Cathy
From: FishRu56@aoI.com
'Sent: Wednesday. April 14. 20.10. 11:00. AM
To: City Mgr
Subject: Reduced shuttle service
Mr, Keene:
I read your budget cut proposal. The city's afternoon shuttle WQuld be eliminated and its
cross-town shuttle would be limited to one run. **What does "ONE RUN" mean and how
would one return ifthere is no afternoon shuttle?
OUTRAGEOUS! I am one of the Many Palo Alto residents who rely on. the shuttle for
their main source of transportation around the city. Many times the busses are so crowded,
standing room only!
I am a visually impaired senior resident who no longer drives a car. I have lived in Palo
Alto since 1970 and love this city. It is so important to know that I can walk a block from
my home to use the crosstown shuttle service and if necessary 5 blocks to use
embarcadero shuttle to P AMF.
The Shuttle is my main source of transportation. VTA, routes 86 gone, 88 no longer
serves my neighborhood. You must find a way to preserve the Shuttle service and keep it
running for the community. Why not consider a transportation fee?
Yours truly,
Ruth Fisher
6/8/2010
Page 1 ofl
Clerkson, Linda
From: beatrice peterson [be~trice,peters,on@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 11:04 AM
To: budget4PA
Subject: CrossTown Shuttle
I am pleased to see that the budget proposellncludes at least a partial retention of the crosstown shuttle, That
will retain, at leasl~. The shuttle serves more than jusl a few schoolchildren as was noted on a
PaloAltoOnline comment. It serves three senior residences (lytton Gardens, Stevenson Hpuse and Channing
House) two libraries (Main and Mitchell Park) and three shopping Centers (University Ave, Midtown and
Charleston Center) and the Senior Center.. Perhaps those shopping areas could make a small contribution to
keeping the shuttle. 'Since, my husband and I can no longer drive, we are able to get downtown to shop, go to
lunch, shop, visit doctors; get haircuts and manicures (helping the economy)
Is there a projected schedule for the one shuttle that would remain. The projection mentioned limited stops. The'
stops are pretty limited already and I would hope Ihatthey would ,remain. The bus only, stops if someone Is '
waiting, Also, I wonder if the shuttle could use a little publicity. I have talked to many people who really do not
know of Its many conveniences,
Bea Peterson
6nf2010
Page 1 of}
Clerkson, Linda
From: beatrice peterson [beatrice.pelerson@sbcglobaLnetl
Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 1:01 PM
To: budget4PA
SubJect: Shuttle
The following is a message that I sent 10 MRA and it was suggested that I forward it to you for your consideration.
Bea Peterson
At 09:39 AM 4/3012010, you wrote:
I hope the subject of the shuttle will be reviewed as a part of the budget process. With the
closure of the downtown library some residents think the only way to get to a library is to
drive there. The shuttle stops at both the Main and Mitchell libraries. When MitcheIl !
Library moves to CubberJey, the shuttle will still run fuirly close to that site.
The shuttle is good for local business. i see people riding from Midtown shops and
Charleston with shopping bags. My husband and I use the shuttle to get downtown for
haircuts, manicures, shopping the local stores and restaurants. It also provides
transportation to medical appointments and volunteer work. The money we save on transit
is spent on our local merchants:Perhaps the are some angels out there who can help keep
the shuttle running. I have heard a story that Lucie Stern funded the building during the last
Great Depression in part to give jobs to folks in need. The shuttle gives employment
opportunities, too. And I would like to add that the drivers .are great.
Bea Peterson
733A Lorna Verde Ave
61712010
Brewer; Cathy
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
David Solnick [dallld@solnlck,net]
Friday, October 09, 2009 10:05 AM
Caporgno, Julie
Keene, James
Palo Alto Shuttle
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: 'Red
Hi Julie"
Page I of1
My son Noah has just started his first year in the PA public schools, in the Connections program at JLS,
We live in Downtown North, and were delighted to discover that the Palo Alto Shuttle could take Noah
to school from a bus stop near our home; Our delight has fulled as we've discovered that the shuttle is
extremely unreliable. Despite the fact that Noah takes (or tries to take) the very first shuttle of the day,
using a bus stop very near the beginning of the line, the shuttle shows up more than 10 min late more
than 30% of the time. Other times the students are told that they all must disembark at Jordan, because
the bus goes no further. Still other times, like this moming, the shuttle simply does not show up at all.
We're not alone in this frustration. After seeing the mother of my son's classmate waiting anxiously
with him at the bus stop • .I discovered that she had simply given up and no longer has him use the
bus. What's more, just yesterday my daughter waited for a mid-day shuttle at Charleston and
Middlefield. Forty-five minutes after the scheduled time, there was still no sign of it, so I left work and
picked her up.
It goes withoutsaying that a city that prides itself on environmentalism should maintain its public
transportation in working order, or do away with it altogether and not pretend to have one. There is no
point in spending money on a system that is being abandoned by users because it cannot be trusted. I
would greatly appreciate if you would look into this matter and get back to me. I have left messages at
the contact number given on the shuttle web page (329-2520), and have received no calls in return.
Yours,
David Solnick
P.S. FYI Many of the teachers at JLS are, unaware of the shuttle's existence. Once the, shuttle's problems
are remedied, I would suggest a publicity campaign that encourages all of the schools' teachers to
promote use of the shuttles. If the City is going to require developers to increase the sustainability of
their buildings, then the City should be ensuring that its own 'green' programs are working and are
being used. '
61812010
Page 1 of1
Clerkson, Linda
From: kathymc@aol.com
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 10:53 AM
To: budget4PA
Subject: 2011 budge\proposal re: sidewalk responsibility
It is wrong in every possible way to make individual homeowners responsible for the sidewalk in front of their
property. Sidewalks are shared and used by all, they are not private property and should be maintained at the
civic level not the Individual level just as streets and parks and libraries are.
Because politicians have become so lily-livered about raising necessary taxes to cover increases In the costs of
services they (you) play financial games that turn life into a crap-shoot. Instead of sharing the costs as a city you
punish Individuals who are unlucky enough to have the sidewalk in front of their property damaged by a city tree
(which no doubt is protected so the homeowner can't even have it removed to prevent the sidewalk damage.)
$500,000 a year seems like a lot for sidewalk repair in a city of this size, but it works out to less than $8.50 a
person if we have about 60,000 Palo AIIans. But, with a spin of the wheel, an Individual can be liable for a couple
of thousand dollars for repairs to something THEY DIDN'T BREAK.
Please figure out fair ways to support our city, this is not a good idea at all.
Regards,
Kathleen McMullen
61712010
Clerkson, Linda
From: Perez, Lala
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 10:24 PM
To: _ budget4PA
Subject: FW: Sidewalk-Repairs
From: Morariu, Kelly
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 9:16 AM
-To: Perel, Lalo
Subject: FW: Sidewalk Repairs
From: phil bohaboy [mallto:peb2323@yahoo.comJ
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 10:14 AM
To: Council, aty
Subject: Sidewalk Repairs
Page 1 of1
Please start discussing the rt;lal issues and problems with the budget. Just like many
companies Palo Alto added too many people to the staff during the good times. Palo Alto
labor costs are the problem, not who pays for sidewalk repairs.
Start at the top. Why not eliminate just 2 of the MANY staff positions that cost the city more
than $250000 each year? Quite looking for ways to add taxes or put more costs onto the
residents of Palo Alto.
Phil Bohaboy
2323 Byron Street
61712010
Clerkson, Linda
From:
Sent:
To:
kathymc@aol.com
Friday, April 30, 2010 10;53 AM
budget4PA
Subject: 2011 budget proposal re; sidewalk responsibility
Page lofl
It is wrong in every possible way to make Individual homeowners responsible for the sidewalk in front of their
property. Sidewalks are shared and used by-all, they are not private property and should be maintained at the
civic level not the individual level just as streets and parks and libraries are. -
Because politicians have become so lily-livered aboul raising necessary taxes to cover increases in the costs of
services they (you) play financial games that tum life inlo a crep-shool Instead of sharing the costs as a city you
punish individuals who are unlucky enough to have the sidewalk in front of their property damaged by a city tree
(which no doubt is protected so the homeowner can't eveh have it removed to prevent the sidewalk damage.) _
~500,OOO a year seems like a iot for sidewalk repair in a city of this size, but it woriks out to less than $1l.50 a
person if we have about 60,000 Palo Altans. But, with a spin of the wheel, an individual can be liable for a couple
of thousand dollars for repairs to something THEY DIDN'T BREAK.
Please figure out fairways to support our city, this is not a good idea at all.
Regards,
Kathleen McMullen
Page I of 1
Brewer, Cathy
From: Mary Cloutier [cloutler_34@yahoo.ooml
sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 2:27 PM
To: City Mgr; Council, City
Subject: TRAFFIC IN MIDTOWN
City Manager and City Council Members,
I understand that police patrolling of Middlefield Road will be cut due to city fmances. I know hard
decisions need tei be made, given the state of Palo Alto's fmancial shortfall, but taking police off of
Middlefield road opens it up to becoming a freeway. As it is, cars race down Middlefield like there's no
tomorrow or speed up to try and make the light at Oregon, like there's never going to be another green
light coming their way.
I've lived in the Midtown area for over 45 years and I haven't liked many changes made by those in
command, but I realize that there's no stopping progress. However, what little perks us "south of
Oregon" residents can get, we do appreeiate. ?
I have a very good remedy for filling the City coffers (not to the extent that you really need, but every
little bit will help) and that is to send a police person fu tag and fine the cars that go into the Midtown
shopping area in the "out" lane. I can count at least a half dozen cars (and sometimes more) in a one
hour sitting that enter the wrong way because they can get away with it and some day there's going to be
a very bad accident, Eliminate police· presence on Middlefield --I believe that's a decision you need to
rethink .
. Probably not the best paragraph to end this e-mail, but I'm really getting fed up with the way this City
treats its residents but has no problem gi ving a lot of perks (i.e., bonuses!! for doing your job) to City
employees. We're all tightening out belts here and I do believe those in conunand at City Hall need to
pull a little harder on theirs.
Long-time (South of Oregon) resident,
Mary Cloutier
715 Coastland Drive
6/812010
B~ewer. Cathy
From:
. Sent:
To:
Geri Mcgilvray [geri@thegrid.net]
Friday, April 09, 20104:09 PM
Furman, Sheri
Cc: sw4aclion@yahoo.com; sslroyan@gmail.com; c.l.laylorevenls@gmall.oom; Caporgno, Julie;
Council, City
Subject: Re: Midtown TraffIC Followup Meeting
Hi traffic friends,
News.
Today's daily post, page 47 Friday april 9 tho
Jim Keene planning to disband entire traffic team to save the· price ONE small house here
in palo alto would cost, while council considers ms. Fong's $300,000,000. +++++ Proposal
to caUse us to be indebted to an outside the state company, We're very green already,
except for starbucks.
Have you seen how nice menlo park made Williw road? Like a neighborhood now. Shrubs,
trees, speed limit. Very thoughtful.
Who is looking out for our saftey when. we disband our traffic officers, who are down from
5 to 3, as it is ?
(3eri
On Mar 17, 2010, at 11:17 AM, Sheri Furman <sheril1@earthlink.net>
wrote:
> What new three story office?
> Do you mean the building at the old AReo station? It's neither 3-
> story nor traffic intensive.
>
>
>
> sheri
>
>
> ----Original Message----
> >Prom: Geri Mcgilvray
> >Sent: Mar 16, 2010 9:49 PM
> >To:· Sheri
> >Cc: n aw4action@yahoo.com u I II sBtroyan@g'mail.com"
> >lIc*l.taylC?revents@gmail.com
> " , "julie.caporgno@cityofpaloalto.org"
> >Subject: Re: Midtown Traffic Followup Meeting
> >
> >Hi traffic friends, Tuesday, march 16 th, 2010.
> >
> >1 don't know what happene~ today, but middlefield and Marion is
> double
»it's speed limit. Speeding trucks woke me up at 7 am, and, continue
> >to this minute at 6,30 pm. Sleep was out of the question.
> .>
> >1 went to California Aveenue to sit and write my bills. People· were
> >strolling , sitting peacefully, visiting outside all along. No one
:> was
> >speeding. Not one car. There was a police car at the bank of .
> >California. It waS so peaceful.
> >
> >Middlefield should not have to be a lawless expressway dividing our
> >town. It doesn't support us in any way. The new three story office
> >will not be neighborhood friendly either. Peek at san antonio and
> >Charlston. we met Sunday , but SOMETHING has happened. All help
> >appreciated.
1
,
> >
> >Geri mc Gilvray
> >
> >My reception at norton went on you tube today. Kinda cute.
> >Bent from my iPhone
> >
> >On Feb 22, 2010, at 11,02 PM, Sheri· wrote:
> >
> » As promised l MRA is organizing a subcommittee to discuss the
> traffic
> > > iss:ues on
> » What time
> » Wednesday
> » (assuming
"":> » you.
Lama Verde
works best
at 4:00 or
that works
and Middlefield Roads.
for everyone? !f possible, ! suggest a
4,30 so we Can include Julie and Gayle
for them). Let me know what works for all of
> » Julie or Gayle will send us the information on requesting
> mi tigation
> » that was mentioned at the MRA traffic meeting.
> » Some areas to cover include:
> » • How can traffic Mitigation be better accomplished?
> » • How do we reduce speeding around schools (and the roads lea ding
> » to them)? .
> » . Cowper St., between Meadow and Oregon is a bike rout~ for s
> » tudents attending many schools. We need to make this a safe route
> to
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
> »
school for them.
· What does it take to get a speed monitor machine placed on a
street?
· What kind of enforcement Can we expect given the budget cut 8?
· Consider using rubber barriers for bike lanes on streets wi th
high traffic volumes.
· Impleme~t better bike sensors at Midtown intersections.
cheers!
Sheri Furman
MRA Chair
2
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
Attention: Finance Committee
Attachment 5
FROM CITY ATIORNEY
Finance Committee: June 14, 20 10
June 8, 2010
RE: City Attorney's Office "Parking Lot" Proposal to Cut One Secretary Position
Dear Members of the Council:
In a 2-2 vote on May II the Finance Committee placed elimination ofa Senior Legal Secretary
position from the City Attorney's Office in the "parking lot" with the understanding that the City
Attorney would return with justification for maintaining the position. Our legal secretaries are vital to
the Office of the City Attorney's mission and to the City and we believe the Finance Committee should
not eliminate this position for the reasons explained in this letter.
Current Department Proposal Exceedsneguested Reduction: The City Manager requested
the City Attorney's Office reduce its budget by 7% or $181,000 to assist the City in eliminating the FY
2011 structural deficit. The City Attorney's Office submitted reductions of $326,956.00 or 12.5%.
These are structural reductions and unlike some department proposals, these are not one time
reductions. These are real cuts to the City Attorney's Office budget and to the General Fund. They are
among the highest percentage cuts of all City departments.
Generally, the Finance Committee has considered elimination of only those positions identified
by departments. No other department has been requested to cut a speeific department position. The
City Attorney's Office was presented with a percentage cut amount and told to utilize their
professional judgment in developing a budget. The City Manager and Administrative Services
Director requested additional cuts during the budget development process, which the Office made.
The reductions proposed by the City Attorney's Office are supported by the City Manager and the
Director of Administrative Services and reflect their knowledge of the needs of the organization. lbe
City Manager and the Director of Administrative Services did not request reduction in staffing in the
City Attorney's Office.
Comparison to Other Cities & City Departments: The number of legal secretaries within
the Office of the City Attorney is similar to that of other City Attorney's offices in surrounding cities.
We surveyed the same cities as last year and Palo Alto's 2 to I (attorney to legal secretary) ratio is still
the nonn for City Attorney offices in the Bay Area.
090311 3d! 01 11449
TIIE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
June 8,2010
Page 2
RE: City Attorney's Office "Parking Lot" Proposal to Cut One Secretary Position
Ratio of Attorneys to Legal Secretary
<R~dwood Sanl!!'
HayWard
"{jan Palo Wainul Mo'llsn MOllrllaln· 'cItY .' >Maleo crilej(. . ~, iJ'vermore
1
, SUnnyvale Cia .. Ano .Bar1<&ley Hili Fremom .
to 1 2to 1 2 to 1 2 to 1 2101 2to 1 2 to 1 2101 2 to 1 2.2 to 1 2.25 to 1 2.5 to 1
Larger attorney/secretary ratios of 3 to 1 or 4 to J were typically found to exist only in larger agencies
where additional support staffis dedicated to answer phones, file, etc. (Oakland 2.85 to 1; San Jose
2.9 to 1).
Similatly, while it is true that private law firms often have a 3 to 1 ratio for attomeys to legal
secretaries, the two arenas are not comparable. Private law firms have file clerks and dedicated
receptionists, while legal secretaries in City Attorney's Offices perform those tasks in addition to their
other duties. A true comparison should be based upon similar work completed in a similar fashion.
Private law firms simply do not function in the same fashion as public agency offices, which respond
to the varied needs of 1,056 on site employees and more than 60,000 residents.
Finally,.due to the small office, it is also necessary to have 3 legal secretaries to provide for
adequate coverage in the event someone is out ill or on vacation. This support staffing level is similar
to that found throughout the City in departments of a similar size. Due to the legal and confidential
nature of the work, the City Attorney's Office does not use temporary staff when someone is out of the
office. The work is divided between the remaining support staff.
Sophisticated Level of Duties: To use the term "secretary" to describe our legal secretaries is
misleading as a substantial part of the work is not clerical. All legal secretaries possess a minimum of
7 years legal experience. All legal secretaries perform advanced level para-professional and highly
technical administrative support duties. Their duties more closely match those of a paralegal or Legal
Assistant. However, their titles remains "secretary" instead of Legal Assistant so as not to run afoul of
Business & Professions Code Section § 6450, which requires certification and mandatory continuing
education to use the title of "Legal Assistant." These legal secretaries are members of the
Management & Professional Group defined as "confidential." They are trusted with the most
confidential information in the City. They all work on sensitive information related to labor
negotiations, disciplines, claims, litigation, etc.
Our legal secretaries arc also required to possess a strong knowledge of the Code of Civil
Procedure and Rules of Court. All legal secretaries assist in filing documents in State and Federal
Court. Their duties include researching legal information from readily available sources, assembling
data, preparing and transmitting documents, and providing technical or procedural information in
response to inquiries.
In addition to preparing initial drafts of Resolutions, Ordinances and some contracts, they
review final CMR's and attachments for incorporation of attorney comments. 1bey also work with
departments to prepare the initial draft of Certificates of Compliance, Subdivision Agreements, Dark
Fiber Licensing Agreements, Below Market Rate agreements. 'Ibey are the first line of support within
the Attorney's office. Our legal secretaries finalize all correspondence, memoranda and reports
09fl311 sdl OlllQQ9
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
June 8, 20!O
Page 3
RE: City Attorney's Office "Parking Lot" Proposal to Cut One Secretary Position
applying knowledge of correct processes. They review finished materials for completeness, accuracy,
fonnat, and compliance with policies and procedures.
Legal secretaries prepare initial drafts of routine pleadings. They finalize and process 'all
pleadings for litigation and appeals handled in-house, prepare draft responses to Pitchess motions and
subpoenas including obtaining proper signatures, verification and arrange for filing of legal briefs and
other paperwork with the court both electronically or via messenger. Our legal secretaries assist with
maintenance of data relating to litigation and claims matters. The infonnation is used for the City's
liability loss runs and to create the first draft of the semi annual litigation status reports. Every lawsuit
is also entered into a database and tracked by a secretary.
The legal secretaries are responsible for calendaring of all deadlines and court hearings,
including those for Municipal Code violations (55 matters in 2009 and 66 handled in 2008), Pitchess
Motions, public records requests and subpoenas for the attorneys. They routinely prepare draft Recall
of Warrant and Dismissals for the City'S Court Liaison. Our legal secretaries maintain attorney
calendars, schedule meetings, and maintain a tickler file. They maintain documentation which
sometimes only exists within our office. The legal secretaries also worked with the Purchasing
Department to crcate "Smart Documents" in order to automate the City's boilerplate contract forms
and the IFB process. Development of these form documents requires a high level of familiarity with
MSWord. They have assisted in training staff on contracts as well. '
Customer Service: Although they may appear to act as receptionistJor the City Attorney's
Office, the task at the front desk is more than one of greeting and taking phone messages. Not only do
they handle the basic calls but they assist callers with referrals to sources outside of city services
including the Santa Clara County Attorney Referral Service, the Courts or with claims. The legal
secretaries answer basic questions and refer legal issues to the appropriate attorney. On average, the
City Attorney's office receives 38 phone calls per day (I 73/week) with a high of 92 daily aod 295 calls
weekly. Callers are split equally between City staff and Palo Alto residents. Although this function is
not part of the Department's mission statement it is what our residents and staff have become
accustomed to. If one of the legal secretary positions is eliminated, our phones would need to go to
voice mail with call backs at a later time or referral to the City's main information line. Elimination of
a legal secretarial position would only limit the ability of the department to assist those callers, not
cause a decrease the number of phone calls to the City Attorney's Office.
Of even greater impact on the organization the loss of this position would create a delay in the
turnaround time of assignments flowing out of the attorney's office. The Office of the City Attorney
receives over 3,000 work requests per year. In addition to drafting agenda documents, each request is
logged in and tracked within the department to ensure timeliness with the public's business. Our legal
secretaries input and maintain information in a department database. They also work with City staff to
ensure that agenda items are ready for their scheduled Council, Board or Commission meeting. The
data maintained is used to create an automated bi-weekly status report of assignments for the City
Attorney to review.
09fi311 ,dJ OJ 11449
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
June 8, 2010
Page 4
RE: City Attorney's Office "Parking Lot" Proposal to Cut One Secretary Position
Cost Plan AllocationlRevenue Generation: Currently,. 95 FTE of one of the legal secretaries
is charged to the Enterprise funds through the cost plan allocation. Elimination of the senior legal
secretary .would reduce the cost plan charge to the Enterprise funds. Thus, only a portion of the
savings from eliminating the position would inure to the benefit of the General. Fund. The City
Attorney's Office processes Certificates of Compliance, a Subdivision Map Act document. The
processing is highly technical and requires substantial legal secretary assistance. The City Attorney's
Office generates approximately $10,000 pel' year in fecs from the processing of the Certificates of
Compliance. Elimination of this position would impair our ability to process the Cenificates and
greatly reduce this revenue.
If a legal secretarial position is eliminated, the work will not go away, it will only be delayed.
The impact on the department would be that the attorneys would need to do some of the tasks at a
much higher cost to the City. Departments would need training in order for some tasks to be assumed
by the departments. Some tasks would either go undone or take longer to be completed.
Since 2004, the Office of the City Attorney has made great strides to improve our turnaround
times and to not be the cause of delay for City departments. Where the City Attorney's Office was
once referred to as the ''black hole" because of the delays in turning around the work, we are now
running efficiently and to the satisfaction of those we serve. Last year's survey showed widespread
satisfaction with the performance of the City Attorney's Office. Elimination of this position would
impact our ability to timely meet the needs of our Council, staff and the residents.
City Attorney's Office Staff Previously Reduced by 21%: As was explained in our prior
staff report (attached) the City Attorney's OffIce, unlike any other City Department has already
reduced its headcount by 21% in the five years prior to this budget year, including a reduction in
attorney count from 7.5 to 6 FTE. The latest proposal to reduce another employee ignores the fiscal
prudence the City Attorney's Office has exercised in prior years. Essentially, the City Attorney's
Office is being penalized for making cuts in pdor years when it was notreq'uired to do so.
Summary ofOffi •• oflh. City Attor.ey ReOT •• iz.ti •• I.
FY02-l13 FY03~ FY04-O!i FY1l5006 V'Vn< ... W"';..; . FYOS..o9
City AU.rRey 1 1 1 1 I 1 J
LC2al Administrator 1 1 I J J I I
Sr. Asst. City Attorney 6.5 5.75 6.75 4.55 2.8 2 2
Assistant City Attorney 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Sr. neputy City AUorney 0 0 0 2 2 2 2
Legal Secretary 3 3 3 2 2 2 2
Sccretary to City Attorney 0 0 0 I I I J
: Claims Investi •• lorlParal ••• 1 1 J 1 1 0.6 0.6 0.6
P"alegal 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total FTE 13.5 n.7S 12.75 12.55 10.4 IO.~ lUi
090311 ,dl 0111449
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
June 8, 2010
page 5·
RE: City Attorney) Office "Parking Lot" Proposal to Cut One Secretary Position
Other Proposed Cuts: Additionally, some of the Committee Members have asserted that a cut
to outside counsel contingency is not a true cut since should the need arise; the funding will need to be
made available. We respectfully disagree. We have made every effort to reduce outside counsel
costs where possible, including our recent effort to request hourly rate reductions. We continue to
monitor our outside counsel bills and closely monitor budgets and the work performed. The City
Attorney endeavors to stay within his budget and has only requested a Budget Amendment Ordinance
on two prior occasions (one in 2004 and one in 2005) since joining the City in 2004. The Committee
should trust that he will continue to avoid the necessity of a BAO as he has done in the past.
Elimination of a legal secretary will greatly impact the efficiency of botll the Department and
the organization. We strongly urge the Finance Committee to reconsider elimination of this position.
I recommend that the City Council approve our submittal as presented.
GMB:mb
Enclosure
cc: City CounCil Members
James Keene, City Manager
. Pamela W. Anti!, Assistant City Manager
Lalo Perez, Administrative Services Director
09Q311 sdl ·011l449
Respectfully submitted,
$~'~
~YM.BAUM
City Attorney
r
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
. Palo Alto, California
Attention: Finance Committee
FROM CITY ATIORNEY
Finance Committee: May 19.2009
May 14,2009
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
Dear Members of the Council:
In the course of this year's budget preparation, the City Manager asked the City
Attorney's Office to cut 2.5% of its overall budget in order to assist the City in balancing its
budget. In response, the City Attorney agreed and reduced the City Attorney's Of'fice budget by
$67,100. The reduction will come from outside counsei expense and will require additional
work to be performed in house and a mild reduction in service levels. This percentage reduction
meets or exceeds the cuts made by every other Council Appointed Officer (C.A.O.), Police or
Fire and compares favorably with other general fUBd department cuts.
Two members of the Finance Committce suggested that in addition to the 2.5% proposed
cut that one attorney and one support staff also be laid off in response to the City's fiscal
dif'ficuities. This would result in the layoff of two of the tenI members of the City Attorney's
Office or a 20% reduction in staff. No other department has been asked to cut 20% of present
staff. The additional dollar reduction would represent about 10% of the budget of the office and
bring the Office's total cuts to 12.5% of its overall budget. Again, no other department has been
directed to make budgetary reductions approaching double digits. The Office has already
eliminated three other positions since the arrival of the latest City Attorney. Prior position
reductions in the office totaled 21 %. With the prior and proposed cuts, the total reduction in
head count in the past Eve years would total more than five positions. For the reasons stated in
this report, the City Attorney recommends against these latest cuts.
Executive Summary:
The City Attorney recommends against the laying off of one legal secretary and one
attorney for the following reasons:
I The current total FTE for the City Attorney's Office is 10.6
090514 ,dt 0111)58
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14,2009
Page 2
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
. Attorney's Office
1. In recent years the City Attorney's Office previously eliminated 1.5 attorney positions and 1.4
paralegals in order to "right size" the Office. These eliminations represent a 21 % reduction in
~~~ .
2. The City Attorney's Office has a similar level of attorney staffing to other cities based upon
comparison of general fund size (ratio of general fund dollars to attorneys).
3. The City Attorney's Office has a similar level of attorney sta1Img to other cities based upon
comparison of total employees (ratio of number of employees to attorneys).
4. The City AttorneY's Office has a similar number of attorneys in comparison to nearby similar
cities in the Bay Area. .
5. The number of assignments handled by the City Attorney's Office has tripled in the last five
years. The City is obtaining excellent results for every dollar spent.
6. Reduction in attorneys would likely lead to an increase in lawsuits due to the drop in
preventative law and result in an overall increase in dollars spent on legal costs.
7. Elimination of an attorney and one legal secretary staff would likely lead to an increase in
outside counsel costs th'lt would exceed the personnel cost savings. Outside counsel costs 100 •
200% more per hour than in·house legal talent.
8. The City Attorney's Office previously only had one job title for all attorneys other than the
City Attorney. The City Attorney introduced tiered job positions that has saved the City more
than $104,000 per year.
9. The City Attorney's Office currently handles many functions in-house that are commonly
contracted out by other cities.
10. The secretary to attorney ratio in the Palo Alto City Attorncy's Office matches or is close to
that of other cities.
Number of Attorneys:
In Fiscal Year 2001 -2002 the Palo Alto City Attorney's Office had 7.5 attorneys
including the City Attorney. In 2004 and 2005, the new City Attorney analyzed the office a.nd
ultimately decided, over time, to reduce the attorney count down to six attorneys. This was
based upon on analysis of workload and City needs.' It became apparent that the Utilities
Department had high outside counsel costs. Effectively one of the general fund attorneys was
shifted to work OIl Utilities matters. This resulted in a reduction in Utility Department outside
counsel costs.
090514Sd1 01l115&
TIIE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14, 2009
Page 3
RE: ;'Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
The current structure consists of six attorneys, two of which work primarily for the
Utilities Department. The City of Palo Alto is unique in the State of California. It is the only
City with an Electric and Gas Utility, Water Utility and Storm Water Utility as well as a.
Wastewater Utility. Palo Alto combines these functions with all of our Utilities. In addition,
many cities do not have their own Police or Fire Departments. Some cities contract out or
consolidate one or both public safety functions with adjacent cities. Thus, Palo Alto is the
ultimate fuIl service city. Because the Utilities budget is separate from the general fund, it is
difficult to make precise comparisons between the City Attorney's Office in Palo Alto with other
cities that lack either the Utilities or the other functions that make Palo Alto a full serviee city.
Analysis of the City'S general fund services and the four-attorney head count supporting
those services shows that the Palo Alto City Attorney's Office compares favorably with other
cities: As mentioned at the Finance Committee meeting of May 5, 2009, one of the factors to
consider when determining attorney staffing for cities is the ratio of attorneys per $20 to $25
million of general fund expense. Utilizing this metric, the City of Palo Alto City Attorney's
Office compares well with other jurisdictions. The City Attorney's office surveyed nearby cities
and determined that Palo Alto falls within the higher end of this range -meaning that Palo Alto
has the same or fewer attorneys per dollar of general fund expenses than other cities.2
.\
,·~ttor.iws"j('·"··Flin"'Jj.iai!e(:,:~/;, c' ;J'erAtty ...... '
Oakland 40 $418,200,000 $ 10,455,000
Morgan Hill 2 $ 26,461,327 $ \3,230,664 t-::-.•
4.5 $ 80,881,240 $ 17,973,608 Livermore
: Berkeley 8 $ 147,681,742 $ 18460218
Hayward 6 $ 116,500,000 $ 19,416667 t-::-4.4 $ 88,200,000 $ 20045,454 Mountain View
San Jose 50.62 $ 1,160,988,879 $ 22,935,379 ---_. -
: Fremont 5 $ 134063,000 $ 26,812,600
Slin Mateo 3 $ 83,300,000 $ 27,766,666 .. -
Palo Alto 4 $ 141,170,000 $ 35292 sao
Santa. Clara' 4 $ 148,600,000 $ 37,150,000
Snnnyvale 4 $ 216491,798 $ 54,122,950 ._M .
. Redwood City 2 $ 138,685236 $ 69,324,618
, Even if the total number of Palo Alto attorneys of 6 were factored into this matrix, the result would be
$23,528,333, placing Palo Alto in the middle.
, All references to Santa Clara in this report are marked with an asterisk to denote that it provides some Utilities
services, however the in·house Utilities attorney is not included in these totals.
090514,dl 01111$8
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14,2009
Page 4
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
Also a comparison of cities outside the area is informative:
'GenemlFurid' "'Ove~iI:Cl!iitftil:' .. ·:AdOrii~8··;:juiiltB~d 'et ..
Santa Mon~ic:!.a _-+ __ ~2:.::4:-::.5 __ +.::$-=.25::.:9:Ll:.:0:::9"",3743::.......-+~$~1 O",-,~57:.::5:.t:,8:..:9::.2 __ .:...----<
. Culver Ci 4.55 $ 85,577,084 $ 18,808,150
Further, a survey of nearby cities shows that the number of attorneys allocated to support
non-utilities legal work by Palo Alto is similar to that of surrounding agencies. Palo Alto falls
into the mid-range for comparable cities.
Current Attorneys and Their Work:
The current City Attorney's Offiee attorney roster includes: Senior Assistant City
Attorney Cara Silver, Senior Assistant City Attorney Grant Kolling, Assistant City Attorney
Donald Larkin, Senior Deputy City Attorney Melissa Tronquet and Deputy City Attorney Amy
Bartell.
Senior Assistant City Attorney Cara Silver handles the Public Works Department and the
Administrative Services Department. She is actively involved in the Stanford negotiations and
all work related to the Public Safety Building. While many City Attorney's Offices contract out
all construction contract work, Cara handles the vast majority of it in-house. Cara reviews many
of the City's contracts and assists on fiscal issues including the possible Business License Tax
adoption. Cara is an expert in the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA").
090514,dl 011115&
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14, 2009
Page 5
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
Senior Assistant City Attorney Grant Kolling is involved primarily in supporting the
Utilities Department. This includes Cable and the Fiber Utility. Grant is an expert in many
issues related to the Electric Utility. Grant works with Community Services as well and is
involved in the future planning for the Palo Alto Municipal Airport. Grant has negotiated and
drafted most of the City'S public private partnerships.
Assistant City Attorney Donald Larkin represents the Platming and Community
Environment Department and the Police Department. Donald advises the Planning and
Transportation Committee at meetings. Many cities ccntract out Police Department advisory
work, while Palo Alto does this work in-house. Donald also personally works on the City's writ
litigation and quality of life prosecution. Donald is an expert in the Subdivision Map Act.
Many cities contract out all of their litigation. Palo Alto contracts out only tort litigation. Palo
Alto also handles its.municipal code prosecution in-house unlike many cities.
Senior Deputy City Attorney Melissa Tronquet is an expert in conflict of interest law.
Ibis has greatly reduced our outside counsel costs for conflict advice. Melissa spends a majority
of her time on Human Resource issues. Many cities contract out all their Human Resource
advisory work, but Palo Alto handles the vast majority in-house. Melissa represents the Library
Department. Melissa also works on code enforcement matters. Melissa is working on the
Mitchell Park Library and Community Center. By working on legal issues related to the new
library in-house we are ensuring that bond proceeds pay for construction of the Library and
Community Center and are not spent on outside counsel advising on construction issues.
Deputy City Attorney Amy Bartell primarily works for the Utilities Department. She
specializes in Water, Wastewater, Gas and Fiber issues. Much of Amy's work was previously
completed by outside counsel at a significantly higher hourly rate. In addition, Amy was
instnunental in drafting the City's Green Building ordinance. Amy is an expert in Proposition
218 issues and rate matters.
As is obvious from this list, each attorney has a full complement of work and cannot be
laid off without a significant impact to the City, staff and City Council. Each attorney is
currently working at capacity. Most of the attorney's work would not simply disappear if they ,
were laid off. Instead the work would need to be completed by outside counsel at a far higher
hourly rate. .
Finally, eliminating an attorney position will only increase the amount of the City'S
overall legal costs. A calculation of the average cost of outside counsel for transactional work
currently paid by the City revealed that the City pays an average of $283 per hour for
transactional work, $336 per hour for litigation and $458 per hour for utilities work.
The City pays between $76.00 to $114.00 per hour (including benefits) for an in-house
attorney. If the City were to eliminate one position and llse outside counsel to perfonn 1900
090514 sdl 0111158
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14,2009
Page 6
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
hours (the average billable hours for attorneys in the private sector) the cost to the City would be
$538;333 for trartsactional work. The cost to the City is higher for litigation and utilities work.
Another way to look at this is to calculate the average cost to the City to have an in-house
attorney. The average cost with benefits for an in-house attorney working 1900 hours is
$192,960. That same budget would buy only 682 hours of transactional work, 574 hours of
litigation support and 421 hours of utilities work if outside counsel were retained to perfonn the
same work.
Cost of 1900 Billable Hours of Legal Services
In House
Outside r: :)je\Jilty~ . ··S\t.DeptY} . .. %:; .·Asst..; .... :~Sri !\sst;: ....
I Transactional $ 537,700 $ 157,838 $ 174,534 $ 203,175 $ 236292
Liti2ation $ 638,400 $ 157,838 $ 174 534 $ 203,175 $ 236,292
I Utilities $ 870,200 $ 157,838 $ 174,534 $. 203 175 $ 236292
Ratio of Attorneys to Support:
We surveyed 14 cities and found that the City of Palo Alto's 2 to 1 (attorney to legal
secretary) ratio is common for City Attorney offices in the Bay Area. The 3 to I and 4 to 1
attorney/secretary ratios were typically found to exist in the larger agencies and where other
support staff was available to answer phones, file, etc. Those agencies are noted with an asterisk
below.
Redwood City 1 to 1 :
:S~nDriaie':' '.':.' '.': 2 to 1 i
Santa Clara 2 to 1
Jl~mar.d~'> ,":,,' , . 2 to.]
San Mateo 2 tol
Palo Alto 2 to j
'walDutCreek ' .. ,.' 2 to 1
Berkeley 2 to 1
M .. .,gaiiUiII',; c, ;! 2 to 1
Mountain View 2.2 to 1
: Lffe'rUi6fe, 2.25 to 1
Fremont 2.5 to 1
'Qakland .. , •. 2.85 to I'
I San Jose 2.9 to 1*
Comparison cities outside of the area show similar results.
Culver City 2,1 to 1
Santa Monica 2.3 to l'
090514 sdl 0111158
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14, 2009
Page 7
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City'
Attorney's Office
The City Attorney's office does not have a dedieated receptionist to answer phones;
instead the work is done by three Legal Secretaries. The City Attorney's office receives on an
average of at least 20 public inquiries by phone each day. These calls range from citizen's who
need assistance finding the ,correct public agency to call, those needing assistance with their
personal legal matters or needing assistance with getting to the correct department for their
questions. In addition, the Office routinely receives a number of walk-ins who either want to see
the City Attorney or need a claim form. The Legal Secretaries assist the public with all of these
inquiries.
Last year the Attorney's office processed over 3,000 work requests. Every agenda item
passes through the City Attorney's Office. The Legal Secretaries are responsible for preparing
the first draft of the legal documents such as resolutions, ordinances or contracts for the
attorney's review. On the second review, the City Manager Reports (staff reports or "CMR's")
are checked by the Legal Secretaries to confirm all changes have been made and the proper
documents are attached. Due to the high volume of assignments our office receives and the
varied deadlines, all assignments are tracked when they come into or go out of the office. The
Legal Secretaries work with the Administrative Assistants of the department they support to
ensure agenda items stay on track. 'There is a large amount of paper that comes through this
office and therefore there is a large amount of filing as well.
While it is true that the trend in private law firms is to have a ratio of 3: I for attorneys to
secretaries, the two arenas are not comparable. Typically law finns have file clerks and
receptionists and City Attorney's Offices do not. A true comparison should be based upon
similar work completed in a similar fashion. Private law firms simply do not function in the
same fashion responding to the needs of 1,056 on site employees and more than 60,000 residents
each day.
Due to the small size of the office, it is also necessary to have 3 legal secretaries to
provide for adequate coverage in the event someone is out ill or on vacation. This support
staffing level is similar to that found throughout the City. The City Attorney's office does not
use temporary staff when someone is out of the office. The work is divided between the
remaining support staff.
Prior 21 % Reduction in Staff
In 2006, as part of the Office of the City Attorney's restructuring effort, as attorney
vacancies arose, the Office used the opportunity to eliminate some attorney positions and to
reclass others in order to create a tiering in the Office that did not previously exist. Until 2005,
09{)514 wi 0111158
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14,2009
PageS
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secrctary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
all attorneys within the office were the highest level attorney, that of Senior Assistant City
Attorney ..
Although it was a lUxury to have the highest possible title for all attorneys, the work
within the office does not require that all attorneys possess 12+ years legal experience. By
tiering positions, the Office can bring in less experienced and less expensive attorneys to perform
some of the work while providing an opportunity for upward mobility. Tiering attorney
positions also helps to preserve institutional knowledge since due to the various experience
levels for each position, employees are less likely to be eligible to retire all at the same time.
This structuring resulted in a 21 % reduction in staffing. The reduction from 7.5 attorneys to six
attorneys was accomplished previously. In addition, tiering of the position resulted in an annual
savings to the City of $104,422. The City Attorney's Office reduced head count in all of the
following years, FY03-04, FY05-06 and FY06-07. The latest proposal to reduce two more
employees ignores the fiscal prudence the City Attorney's Office has exercised in prior years.
Essentially, the City Attorney's Office is being penalized for making cuts in prior years.
Finally, the 21 % reduction resulted in a decrease in the ratio of attorneys to City staff,
meaning each attorney is supporting mere employees than it has in the past 4 These figures
include Utility Attorneys.
_ ..... _-------
, City Auditor's Service Efforts & Accomplishment Report 2007·08
090514 sdl QlllllS
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14, 2009
Page 9
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
Palo Alto City Attomey's Office attorney to staff ratio compares very favorably with
other nearby cities as shown in the table below and is well below most nearby cities. In other
words, the City Attorney's Office has fewer attorneys per staff member than the majority of
nearby cities. The figure utilized for Palo Alto .is 6 attorneys including the two utilities
attorneys.
Number of Assignments and Productivity:
As can be seen from the chart below the City Attorney's Office has tripled the number of
assignments completed in the past five years. The figures are from the SEA data. In fiscal 2002
-2003 1000 assignments were completed. In fiscal 2007 .. -2008 nearly 3000 assignments were
completed with a 97% on time completion rate. The attorney/assignment ratio has also increased
from J 67 to 496. Each attorney is now averaging completion of 496 assignments per year. The
current attorneys and support staff are incredibly productive.
FY07-08
FY06-07
FY05-06
FY04-05
FY03-04
Annual Number of Assignments
FY 02-03 .'!==::::e===7':=±::::;z===Z::::==:;z':==':::7
o 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
090514,dl Ol1ll58
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
May 14,2009
Page 10
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office .
Number of Lawsuits:
Although lawsuits filings are very cyclical the long term trend for the City of Palo Alto
has declined from an average over 20 to approximately 15 lawsuits at any given time. It is very
difficult to prove that the nature or volume of advice leads to fewer lawsuits. Nonetheless, the
average of over 20 was typical prior to the start of the latest City Attorney. Some aspect of this
is due to the preventative law practiced by the office in the course of providing advice to the City
Council and City staff. Laying off one attorney and one support staff will mean that the
rernaining attorneys will be less aecessible and available to provide preventative advice and will
I ikely result in more lawsuits due to less preventative law being practiced.
Claims:
The City of Palo Alto receives approximately 150 claims per year. Most cities contract
out the claims function. If handled in-house, the claims function is often placed in the Human
Resources or Administrative Services Department. Palo Alto has traditionally housed the claims
function in the City Attorney's Offiec. The City Attorney's Oflice briefly contracted out claims.
This experiment was not successful as outside handling of claims led to reduced eustomer
service with an accompanying 50% increase in the cost of claims handling. Proeessing claims
in-house does require a .6 Claims lllVestigator, whieh is part of the City Attorney's Office overall
10.6 FTE head count. In addition the Claims Investigator must be supervised and claims must be
monitored by other staff within the office. The City has experienced fewer small elaims court
filings in the last year due in part to exeellent elaims processing.
Role of the City Attorney's Office:
The City Attorney's Office is involved in virtually every initiative undertaken by the
City. Due to the myriad of state, federal and loeal laws and regulations every aspect of City
activity is highly scrutinized and regulated. The City Attorney's Office negotiates, edits or drafts
or reviews every City contract. The Office reviews and edits nearly every staff report and every
City Manager Report (CMR). The City Attorney's Office drafts or edits every ordinancc
considcred by the City Council or Planning and Transportation Commission. The City
Attorney's Office is on most internal committees and provides legal. guidance at every step of
every major project. There are few activities at the City that do not involve at least some brief
City Attorney advice or review.
This high level of City Attorney service to the City Council, staff and the community
could not occur without the present level of attorneys and support staff.
09Q5l4sdlOlllll8
THE HONORABLE CIIT COUNCIL
May 14,2009
Page 11
RE: "Parking Lot" Proposal to Layoff one Secretary and one Attorney from City
Attorney's Office
Conclusion:
The City Attorney recommends against laying off one attorney and one support staff as
the Office has already reduced department FTE by 21 % over the last four budget years. For the
current fiscal year the City Attorney has already reduced the Office budget by an additional
2.5%. Reducing FTE by another 20% would only increase outside counsel costs and decrease
level of service to City staff and the Community. The City Attorney's Office has a similar level
of attorney staffing compared to other cities based upon ratio of general fund dollars to attorneys;
ratio of city employees to attorneys and number of in-house attorneys in local, comparable
jurisdictions. Should the Office reduce the number of attorneys and support staff, chances are
that lawsuits would increase due to the drop in preventative law and result in an overall increase
in dollars spent on legal costs as most of the legal work would need to' be contracted to outside
firms at the highest cost. Lastly the City Attorney's Office manages many legal functions that
many cities contract out, and does so at a lower cost with a higher level of service.
GMB:sdl
cc: James Keene, City Manager
Steve Emslie, Deputy City Manager
Kelly Morariu, Deputy City Manager
Lalo Perez, Administrative Services Director
090311 3dl Ollli sa
Respectfully submitted,
dft1~ ~M.BAUM
City Attorney