HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2401-2515CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, January 29, 2024
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
2.2. City Council Retreat: Discussion and Selection of 2024 City Council Priorities Public
Comments
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: 2024 ANNUAL COUNCIL RETREAT PROGRAM
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: January 29, 2024
Report #:2401-2515
TITLE
2. City Council Retreat: Discussion and Selection of 2024 City Council Priorities
ANALYSIS
The P&S Committee favored keeping the existing priorities and additionally recommended that
the Council consider a two-year cycle for priority setting. Following the P&S recommendation,
and in consultation with the Mayor and Vice Mayor, the agenda in Attachment A has been drafted
for the 2024 Annual Retreat. An important key difference about this retreat is the focus on
strategies to achieve the goal(s) in each priority.
As outlined in the working agenda, Attachment A, the retreat will begin with a focus on key inputs
to assist the Council in its priority setting discussion including a look back at the progress made
on 2023 Council priority objectives (retreat topic 2A), and a look forward to community and
Council feedback for 2024 priority setting (retreat topic 2B).
This will be followed by Public Comment, also referred to as oral communication, as a key input
for the Council prior to selection of priorities. Comment may range from 1 to 3 minutes per
speaker depending on time. This time is intended to be an opportunity for all oral
communications for the retreat program.
The Council will then review and select its 2024 Priorities followed by a discussion of strategies
to achieve to goal(s) of those priorities (retreat topic 2C). Last the Council will have an opportunity
to align norms for the Council’s work in 2024 (retreat topic 2D) followed by a debrief and
discussion of next steps (retreat topic 2E).
The materials to facilitate the Council and community through the retreat agenda have been
organized into individual reports by each topic for discussion by the City Council, e.g. item 2A,
2B, etc.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: 2024 Annual Council Retreat Working Agenda
APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager
2024 Council Annual Retreat
Working Agenda
January 29, 2024
5:30PM-10:30PM
Mitchell Park Community Center, El Palo Alto Room
Time Item Minutes
5:30PM 1. Roll Call & Welcome by Mayor Stone
o Goal and purpose
o Expectations
o Agenda for the evening
10 Min
2.City Council Retreat: Discussion & Selection of 2024 City
Council Priorities
5:40PM 2A. Discuss 2023 City Council Priorities & Objectives
o 2023 Highlights of Council objectives progress
20 Min
6:00PM 2B. Discuss Key Inputs for Priority Setting: Community and
Councilmember Feedback
o Community poll on priorities
o Community survey highlights
o Council feedback
20 Min
6:20PM Public Comment
1-3 minutes depending on # of speakers
40 Min
7:00PM Break 10 Min
2C.Selection of 2024 Council Priorities & Discussion on
Strategies to Achieve Priorities
7:10PM Section of 2024 Priorities
o Economic Recovery & Transition
o Climate Change & the Natural Environment
o Housing for Social & Economic Balance
o Community Health & Safety
20 Min
7:30PM Discussion on Strategies to Achieve Priorities
o Three questions regarding Council Engagement, Community
Engagement, Resources
o Review Ad Hoc Purpose Statements
120 Min
8:30PM Break 10 Min
9:40PM 2D.Discuss City Council Norms for 2024 30 Min
10:10PM 2E. Retreat Debrief and Next Steps
o Future Council items: 2024 Objectives & Committee Workplans
20 Min
10:30PM Adjournment
From:Sonya Bradski
To:Council, City
Cc:Ellson, Penny; gmca-discuss@googlegroups.com
Subject:Comments on COUNCIL PRIORITIES for TONIGHT
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 3:50:10 PM
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Honorable Mayor Stone and City Council Members,
Here are my comments on CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES which you
will be discussing this evening.
1). Previously unplanned, mandated high density development of certain
areas of the city will intensify demand for services and facilities that the city
has neither fully studied nor funded. Please focus planning and funding for
improvements to community service facilities (especially Cubberley),
public works and multi-modal transportation in areas where the city has
opted to focus state-mandated high density housing development. By this,
I mean serious planning efforts, not like the student-run San Antonio
Visioning Session last week.
2). Please restore the fire truck to Mitchell Park “Fire” Station #4. This is an
area of special sensitivity, due to the large number of Eichlers and Mackay
homes and new high density housing in the southeast quadrant. (Please see
Penny Ellson’s 1/24/2024 email on this subject and note this article in which
former Fire Chief Eric Nickel was interviewed on the fire sensitivity of these
quick-to-burn structures. https://www.eichlernetwork.com/blog/dave-weinstein/how-
good-practices-prevent-eichler-home-fires#:~:text=In%20an%20interview%2C%20Palo%20Alto,the%20materials%20used%20in%20them )
Further, the southern quadrants of the city will be undergoing a lot of housing
construction which can create problems that may require fast fire response.
3). Invigorate the city’s commitment to alternative transportation on every
front. The denser these areas grow, the more transportation mode shift from
single occupancy motor vehicles we will need. This supports city goals to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maintain a vital, safer, and connected
community. Alternative modes support active lifestyles and better physical
and mental health of residents and reduce the very expensive transportation
problems that auto congestion creates.
Thank you for your time and consideration for my comments.
Sonya Bradski
(speaking as an individual)
Virus-free.www.avg.com
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From:Ellson, Penny
To:Council, City
Cc:gmca-discuss@googlegroups.com
Subject:Comments on COUNCIL PRIORITIES for TONIGHT
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 2:58:40 PM
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Honorable Mayor Stone and City Council Members,
Here are my comments on CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES which you will be
discussing this evening.
1). Previously unplanned, mandated high density development of certain areas
of the city will intensify demand for services and facilities that the city has
neither fully studied nor funded. Please focus planning and funding for
improvements to community service facilities (especially Cubberley), public
works and multi-modal transportation in areas where the city has opted to
focus state-mandated high density housing development. By this, I mean
serious planning efforts, not like the student-run San Antonio Visioning Session
last week.
2). Please restore the fire truck to Mitchell Park “Fire” Station #4. This is an
area of special sensitivity, due to the large number of Eichlers and Mackay
homes and new high density housing in the southeast quadrant. (Please see
my 1/24/2024 email on this subject and note this article in which former Fire
Chief Eric Nickel was interviewed on the fire sensitivity of these quick-to-burn
structures. https://www.eichlernetwork.com/blog/dave-weinstein/how-good-practices-prevent-
eichler-home-
fires#:~:text=In%20an%20interview%2C%20Palo%20Alto,the%20materials%20used%20in%20them )
Further, the southern quadrants of the city will be undergoing a lot of housing
construction which can create problems that may require fast fire response.
3). Invigorate the city’s commitment to alternative transportation on every
front. The denser these areas grow, the more transportation mode shift from
single occupancy motor vehicles we will need. This supports city goals to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maintain a vital, safer, and connected
community. Alternative modes support active lifestyles and better physical and
mental health of residents and reduce the very expensive transportation
problems that auto congestion creates.
Thank you for considering my comments.
Penny Ellson
(speaking as an individual)
Virus-free.www.avg.com
From:slevy@ccsce.com
To:Council, City
Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lait, Jonathan
Subject:follow up on planning for a bond issue
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 1:16:39 PM
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My voice is gone and will not be able to speak tonight but will come asap to speak at public
comment period
I know that BAHFA is hoping to bring a regional bond issue for Nov 2024 and hope the
council will support the BAFHA effort asap.
I know also that the first receipts from our business tax will start coming in.
But I think the proposed multi-purpose local bond will serve two additional importantpurposes:
1) It could bring in large $ immediately for urgent city priorities that are struggling from
lack of funding and
2) It will show funding partners and review agencies that PA residents are willing to put
their own "skin in the game".
We are neither a poor community measured by income or wealth or would rank as one of
the neediest in a DEI world.
So starting a planning effort now to commit local resident and business $s would< I think,make us more attractive for co-funding in a very competive world
Stephen Levy
From:Roberta Ahlquist
To:Council, City
Subject:2024 #1 priority
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 12:42:43 PM
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________________________________
BUILD LOW-INCOME HOUSING FOR OUR WOKERS, SENIORS, THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD O
LIVE HERE, BUT
WORK HERE. TAKE BOLD STEPS TO ADDRESS THE CITY’S REQUIREMENTS.
IMPLEMENT RENT CONTROL: RENTS CONTINUE TO RISE AND THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO WHAT
SOME TENANTS ARE RECEIVING IN INCREASES.
Sincerely,
Roberta Ahlquist
Co-chair of Senior Low0income housing Committee
From:Roberta Ahlquist
To:Council, City
Subject:Pririties for 2024 PASS CEDAW ORDINANCE
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 12:38:17 PM
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What are the priorities you would like to see the City Council adopt for
2024?
I FULLY SUPPORT THE STATMENT BELOW, SUBMITTED BY CHERRILL
SPENCER. IT IS TIME FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ACTION.
SINCERELY, ROBERTA AHLQUST, RESIDENT OF PALO ALTO
"Back in October 2018 the Palo Alto City Council passed this motion:
Motion passed by Palo Alto City Council (9-0) on October 1st 2018
regarding an ordinance based on CEDAW:
Direct Staff to study and return to Policy and Services Committee with
options for a City ordinance endorsing the United Nations’ Convention on
the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Staff’s work should include:
i. Affirming the City’s commitment to the principals of the United Nations
convention of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women;
ii. Discussion of the potential for a gender analysis, including potential focus, scope,
and phasing of an analysis, and roles of City staff, the HRC, and Council;
iii. Policy and Services Committee should return to Council with a prioritization of
one or two areas of focus;
iv. Priorities should be given to areas where the City can make the greatest positive
impact on the lives of the women and girls in Palo Alto; and
v. Work generally within existing budgets, and City resources, and can accomplish
goals within one to two years.
&&
That motion was passed over 5 years ago and still no ordinance has been
produced by City staff. I and my fellow branch members of the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom ask you to prioritize the
drafting of this ordinance.
Below is a link to a United Nation's document that was signed by city mayors from
all over the world. The commitment, launched under the banner of the Generation
Equality and aligned with several blueprints of its Action Coalitions, highlights
concrete action that cities can take in support of gender equality and ending
violence against women. It calls for increasing women’s and girls’ meaningful
participation, leadership, and decision-making power in cities and communities, and
for the inclusion of women’s voices throughout all processes.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2023/12/city-mayors-
make-commitments-to-advance-action-on-gender-equality-globally"
From:hglann@gmail.com
To:Council, City
Subject:Feedback on priorities for 2024
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 11:56:51 AM
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Dear City Council Members:
I know we are all disappointed by our failure to make enough progress on both climate
and housing in 2023, but I am optimistic that Council can take tangible steps to
accelerate our results in the year ahead.
We at 350SV Palo Alto Climate Action will continue our successful efforts from 2023 to
engage the community in a variety of electrification events. For example, we plan to
work closely with CPAU to target the Whole Home Electrification Pilot area, once the
grid in this area has been fully upgraded. We are expanding our focus to include renters
as well as homeowners; we’ve established a partnership with the Palo Alto Renters
Association to reach the 45% of households in Palo Alto who rent.
Just as our climate actions follow the recommendations of scientists, I strongly
encourage you to also use science as you evaluate housing opportunities in our city.
Modeling from UC Berkeley demonstrates the pivotal role that infill housing plays in
reducing emissions in Palo Alto. Please visit https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/ca-
scenarios/index.html and enter Palo Alto into “Location 1” to see the results for yourself.
Sincerely yours,
Hilary Glann
Co-Leader, 350SV Palo Alto Climate Action
hglann@gmail.com
From:Alison Cormack
To:Council, City
Subject:Priority for 2024
Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 9:11:01 AM
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To the members of the City Council,
As you prepare to work on the annual priorities tonight, I wanted to reiterate my recent public comment about how
you can be the Council that makes it possible to build a new community center. This is an achievable goal for thiscalendar year and one that the Council can and should spend significant time and attention on.
While we use the word Cubberley as shorthand for this work, it is really about more than rebuilding physicalinfrastructure that is deteriorating badly -- it is about creating a place for the community to gather to learn and playand express themselves and recover, and all the other wonderful activities that are currently at Cubberley, or couldbe if the space was there.
Best wishes for this evening and this year,
Alison Cormack
From:George Lu
To:Council, City
Subject:Council Priorities for 2024
Date:Sunday, January 28, 2024 10:32:38 AM
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Dear Council,
Expanding on my previous comments from the Open Town Hall portal, I urge the council to
consider:
1.
City-Led Development.
a.
The city should take an active role in affordability and livability. To this end,
Council should consider creating an adhoc committee and/or development
office.
b.
Most notably, a single developer (Presidio Bay) owns ~9.5 acres in Palo Alto
east of San Antonio / Charleston. We should be actively working with them to
dedicate some land as a park.
c.
We should similarly explore more transit-oriented development on city parking
lots. Existing plans from Midpen and Alta are excellent, but expensive. We
should proceed with 100% affordable plans, but also explore private
partnerships on other lots. If we are open to (1) developing multiple lots in a
single agreement and (2) including market-rate housing, hotel, or office space,
we could get more affordable units with benefits like public space, retail, and/or
(reasonable levels of) parking.
2.
San Antonio / South Palo Alto Investment.
a.
We should reexamine our capital investment priorities, and find a clear budget
+ timeline for San Antonio investments.
b.
We should goal on concrete deliverables like:
i.
acquiring land for a centrally-located park and library
ii.
measurable goals on green coverage + planting
iii.
reducing ambient noise levels and improving air quality, by both lobbying
Caltrans for a noise wall and planting more trees along 101.
iv.
completing area plans, including studies on cycling / bus access
3.
Road safety.
a.
We should adopt an ambitious but feasible Vision Zero plan.
i.
We know traffic injuries are preventable and prevalent in Palo Alto. See a
map of auto collisions from September to November, and how there are
multiple incidents along Greene, the Bryant Bike Boulevard, etc.
ii.
As part of existing studies, we will likely adopt a Vision Zero plan
anyways. However, these studies (Safe Streets for All; Bicycle and
Pedestrian Transportation Plan) will wrap up in late 2024 / early 2025.
iii.
By adding a council priority, we can accelerate existing studies;
guarantee that we adopt a goal in 2024; and move toward
implementation.
b.
Council should also take more explicit oversight on road safety.
i.
The most recent traffic calming measure to appear before the PTC
(Crescent Park) took 5 years to complete a pilot, with permanent
installation still ongoing.
ii.
We should be iterating quickly with a strong Council mandate, especially
along our school routes. While previously-mentioned studies could help
us move more quickly in some respects, we need to revamp the process
to ship these projects an order of magnitude faster (while still including
community feedback).
4.
Climate Change.
a.
Climate change is one of the areas where the city has ambitious, metric-based
goals with a timeline. We should acknowledge setbacks, but stick with our
goals.
Best
George Lu
(Representing myself, and not the PTC of course)
From:Shani Kleinhaus
To:Council, City
Subject:Please prioritize the Natural Environment and Biodiversity in 2024
Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 6:26:13 PM
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Dear Mayor Stone and Council members,
On behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and as a resident of Palo Alto, I wish tothank you for prioritizing Climate Change and the Natural Environment in 2023, and ask that
this priority continues into 2024 with focus on biodiversity.
The City of Palo Alto has made progress in addressing our natural environment 2023: TheUrban Forest Master Plan has been adopted, the Horizontal Levee project is advancing, and so
are the planning processes for reducing light pollution and for protecting birds from collisionwith glass and man made structures.
In 2024, I hope to see an update to the city’s Creek Protection ordinance to protect water
quality in creeks and protect riparian corridors from encroachment. In addition, habitatprotection and enhancement in parks and open space is important - Palo Alto residents should
be able to experience nature throughout the City, and enjoy the biodiverse region we all live inand at the same time develop resilience to climate-driven threats such as fire and sea-level rise.
With great appreciation,
Shani Kleinhaus, Ph.D.
Environmental Advocate, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Palo Alto resident
From:Mark Grossman
To:Council, City
Subject:City priorities - sustainability
Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 10:11:42 AM
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The city must extend its leadership on the sustainability front.
These are the valuable initiatives that must be strengthened -
* converting gas appliances to electric
* enforcing the ban on gasoline-powered landscaping equipment, including education
and incentives* reducing single-occupant and school-commute vehicle traffic
* plastic waste reduction
* ensuring the City is not holding its funds in fossil fuel-supporting investments and
banks.
Thank you,
Mark Grossman
Coordinator, 350 Silicon Valley
From:Debbie Mytels
To:Council, City
Cc:Greer Stone; Lydia Kou; Pat Burt; Lauing, Ed; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Greg@gregtanaka.org; Veenker, Vicki
Subject:Council"s 2024 Priorities: Climate and Housing
Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 3:37:33 PM
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Dear Council Members,
As you develop your priorities for the 2024 calendar year, let me add my voice to those who
are asking for continued attention to two major issues: Climate Protection and AffordableHousing.
As Friday's Weekly article (Jan. 26, 2024) points out, the City is not meeting its goals for
climate protection. While there have been challenges in staffing, at the City and among itscontractors, and also some supply chain issues, the falure to meet last year’s goals should be a
signal to "double down" on oversight and resources for this important priority. Failure to meetour goals will send a terrible message both to our citizens who care deeply about this issue —
and to other communities that are striving to follow Palo Alto’s lead. A recent article in the Chronicle (1/19/2024) points out that, overall greenhouse gasemissions in the US fell by 1.9% last year. While this decline is not enough to meet theinternational goals of the Paris Accords, it is an early step in the right direction. As our
community emerges from the pandemic, let’s show that climate is a priority by doing a lotmore to engage the community in switching from gas to electricity. How about banners on
City Hall, a "thermometer" showing our progress in reducing Greenhouse emissions eachmonth, a demonstration center to show how well new electric appliances work, recognition for
business that are switching to electric, and more car chargers at multi-family homes? Thereare many proven ideas that would demonstrate that climate protection is our priority.
Similarly, affordable housing continues as a problem in this community. Efforts to build more
units such as the ADU program are beginning to show some progress, but the deficit of homesrelative to the number of jobs here is still an issue. Having failed to meet requirements for
regional housing allocations, the City is now subject to the "builder’s remedy." As a"wildcard" response to the need for housing, new "out-of-zone" projects may offer some
valuable solutions — and they may also exacerbate problems of traffic gridlock. By choosing housing as one of the Council’s continuing priorities, I urge you to take some
proactive steps to creatively examine our housing deficit. Can the Council convene a housingtask force, bringing together land-owners, interested citizens, low-cost housing developers,
Stanford land managers, the new Renters’ Association — as many others as have a stake inthis question — to come up with some creative ideas? Ask for citizen researchers to fan out
around the country to look for new ideas: co-housing, cooperatives, mixed use developments,"tiny home" villages… Let’s put our community’s brain-power to work on this and make
affordable housing a true priority for the year ahead.
Thanks for considering these ideas — and for your efforts to lead our City during thechallenging year ahead.
Sincerely,
Debbie Mytels
Debbie Mytels2824 Louis Road
Palo Alto,CA 94303650-759-0888
debbie.mytels@gmail.com
The use of "natural" gas is about 40% of the typical home’s greenhouse gas emissions, soswitching your appliances to electricity makes a big difference. Using gasoline in yourcar is about another 40%, so getting an EV is another important climate change solution.
From:Lawrence Garwin
To:Council, City
Subject:Re: 2024 Priorities
Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 3:16:01 PM
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In case my previous email fell through the cracks, I resubmit:
2024 Palo Alto City Council Priorities
(In no particular order, so please read the entire list. Thank you for your kind consideration ofthese suggested Council priorities.)
Continue focus on reducing climate change. (More detailed suggestions below.)
Roads:
Resurface dangerously bumpy bike lanes. Be sure they are kept free of obstructions, such aswaste bins; the one by the high school that is eastbound on Churchill from Alma to Emerson is
frequently blocked, forcing cyclists into the heavy vehicle lane.
Install and diligently maintain reflective paint, reflectors, and warning signs on all bulb-outs,
medians, traffic circles, etc., that narrow biking and driving lanes throughout the city. (Cartire strikes have darkened or removed much of the reflective paint and reflectors, where there
was any.) Currently, many of these create a huge hazard in that someone going straight downa street (particularly in the bike lane) can easily hit them without warning. Design future ones
and possibly retrofit current ones to have a soft landing spot, such as a bush, for cyclists whohit these curbs and flip over their handle bars. (This is a serious suggestion.)
Review all roadway signs, starting with those along bikeways, that say, “Not a ThroughStreet”. Amend them, as appropriate, to say, “for motor vehicles” or “except for bicycles and
pedestrians”, as often there’s a path out the other end. Make all signage throughout the cityappropriate for bicyclists (and pedestrians, where appropriate), as they are legitimate road
users and must be encouraged to reduce climate change, pollution, and the ills of sedentaryliving. Clarify, perhaps with CA DMV collaboration, whether bicycles are considered
“vehicles” and have signage reflect this standard.
Air:
Enforce the existing gasoline leaf blower ban, expand it to be city-wide (not just for residentialproperties) and cover all landscaping tools. Make available a more effective downloadable
flyer for folks to share with offending property owners and yard care workers. State theamount of the fine. Create a reporting tool for easy, anonymous, offense reporting. Have
warnings sent out without the need for staff intervention.
Ban all indoor fireplace wood fires, as they destroy the air quality for blocks around the
offender’s home and are truly ineffective at heating the home.
Require all wood stoves to be low emission and fed with outdoor air; catalytic converters and
pellet stoves allow relatively clean wood burning and outside air intakes substantially lowerthe emissions from burning wood in a well-sealed house and the air infiltration in a leaky
house. Consider banning all indoor wood burning and further regulating outdoor fires.
Support building and transportation electrification to displace fossil fuel use, including
evening peak-electric-load gas peaker plants.
Encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by people living in multi unit and rental housing
by expanding and diligently maintaining publicly available level 1 and 2 EV chargers in theneighborhoods and DC Fast Chargers in retail areas. (Many municipalities very affordably
install level 2 chargers on street light poles.) Require all remodels and new dwelling units tobe EV charger ready. Encourage/require work place charging (standard 120 VAC, 15 amp
outlets are all that’s needed for most commutes) to make use of the statewide surplus of solarenergy during the day. Encourage/require solar photovoltaics near daytime chargers to reduce
or eliminate the need for grid or building service upgrades to charge EVs.
Lobby the Federal government to incentivize maintaining, not just installing, DC FastChargers for long distance travel.
Install and encourage electric load shedding and power storage, including smart breaker panelsand bidirectional electric vehicle chargers, whether behind the meter or municipally owned or
contracted. Incentivize the former by providing rebates and introducing instantaneous two-way electricity pricing and a communication structure for customers’ equipment to
automatically respond to price fluctuations. (OhmConnect currently provides a limitedincentives-for-load-shedding service to PGE and other utilities’ customers; perhaps
OhmConnect could be engaged to do the same for PA in at least the short term.) Educate localcontractors and residents on how to install and use the aforementioned load shedding and grid
storage equipment.
Aggressively encourage building electrification and natural-gas-free buildings by giving hugeincentives to not pipe gas to new or remodeled buildings and large rebates to folks who do
transition their appliances from gas to electricity. Progression: Increase the reliability of theelectric supply to reduce resistance to giving up gas appliances such as stoves, water heaters,
wall furnaces, and gas fireplaces that currently don’t require electricity. Make no new gasconnections. Ban installation of new gas appliances. Require existing gas appliances to be
replaced by a certain date. Cap off older lines to prevent leakage. Cap off all unused lines.Stop supplying gas altogether or transition non-electrifiable needs to biogas, possibly supplied
through the remaining gas pipeline network.
Reinstate a $2300 or more rebate for DIY heat pump water heater installations.
Railway:
Follow the lead of other cities on the Peninsula by cost-effectively grade separating the
railway crossings with a hybrid approach of raising the tracks and lowering the cross streets togo underneath. Be sure that there are low sound walls on the elevated tracks to protect the
nearby homes from wheel noise. (The electrified locomotives will be much quieter than thecurrent diesel ones, so tall sound walls are not needed.)
On Jan 26, 2024, at 2:47 PM, Lawrence Garwin <lawrencegarwin@yahoo.com> wrote:Honorable Council Members,
Please add to my previously submitted suggestions, the following:
Prioritize Biodiversity and the Natural Environment as a city priority for 2024:
Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce light pollution and protect the Dark
Sky.
Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce bird-collision hazards.
Develop and adopt regulations to protect water quality in creeks and protect riparian
corridors from encroachment.
Develop and adopt regulations to reduce the use of plastic in landscaping, especially
artificial turf.
Continue to study and implement protections to our baylands, and protect the community
from the impacts of sea level rise.
Thank you.
Lawrence Garwin
Palo Alto
From:Lawrence Garwin
To:Council, City
Subject:2024 Priorities
Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 2:47:31 PM
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Honorable Council Members,
Please add to my previously submitted suggestions, the following:
Prioritize Biodiversity and the Natural Environment as a city priority for 2024:
Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce light pollution and protect the Dark
Sky.
Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce bird-collision hazards.
Develop and adopt regulations to protect water quality in creeks and protect riparian
corridors from encroachment.
Develop and adopt regulations to reduce the use of plastic in landscaping, especially
artificial turf.
Continue to study and implement protections to our baylands, and protect the community
from the impacts of sea level rise.
Thank you.
Lawrence Garwin
Palo Alto
From:Andrea Eckstein Gara
To:Council, City
Subject:Comment for Priority setting meeting
Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 9:53:58 AM
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Dear Councilmembers,I am asking you to continue prioritizing climate this year, with special emphasis on homeelectrification and the housing/climate connection.It's been exciting to see the HPWH up and running. Hopefully in 2024 we can reach even
more householdsI think it's so important that, despite the HPWH focus, we don't let older gas furnaces be
replaced. They can last such a long time, and every replacement now will make it harder toreach our goals. Let's get an incentive program for those with furnaces over 10 or 12years old (targeting first, those homeowners who pulled a permit a decade ago). Finally, We know that climate and driving are inexorably linked. And driving and housing are
inexorably linked. If we are not helping people to live where they work and shop, we arecontributing to the problems of smog and traffic (not to mention our housing crisis). Let's
continue to look at our old restrictions on development in light of the new conditions on theground, paving the way for higher density in our city!
Thanks for all that you do,Andrea
350 SV Palo Alto
From:David Coale
To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed
Cc:Abendschein, Jonathan
Subject:City Priorities
Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 8:33:59 PM
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Dear City Council Members,
Here is my list for council priorities and why:
- Climate Change
- Bike Ped Infrastructure
- Rail Crossings
- Housing
- Climate Change
Lots of good work here but we need to get programs off the ground. The HPWH program only did about a quarter of what was planned and while there is a backlog, which is good, the
provider said they could handle a lot more and are now backed up. We also need to get to where we can do installations on burn-out as that is when new gas water heaters are installed
and will last the longest. This same (similar) program needs to be done for gas furnace replacement as well, in addition to commercial HVAC replacement, since that is where half
our gas is used, in the commercial sector.
Transportation is the biggest part of our GHG emissions that we need to address and while
EVs are zero missions, they do nothing to address congestion and parking problems and that is why we also need to prioritize our Bike Ped infrastructure. If you have any doubts about why
Climate Change still has to be #1 see this article in Palo Alto online:
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2024/01/24/despite-lofty-goals-palo-alto-is-behind-schedule-
on-climate-change-programs
-Bike Ped Infrastructure
Palo Alto’s bike and ped infrastructure has languished since the Ross Rd “improvements”.
Our Bike/ped update is over due while we need these improvements now more then ever with increased housing and with the Builders Remedy we are not likely to realize any
improvements with all the housing that will be coming along, so we need to really get moving on this. Also with the Builders Remedy and reduced parking requirements, along with rail
crossing construction coming along, we need to get ahead of the traffic nightmares with good bike/ped infrastructure.
-Rail Crossings
This really needs to be completed and bike/ped under crossings need to be put in place before
rail crossing construction begins. Without this, we are setting our selves up for horrific traffic problems as rail construction begins. The Rail Committee has been meeting for a long time
and this needs to finish up so that we can move forward.
-Housing
Housing comes last as we need to get our infrastructure in place first with Bike/ped and other amenities – think 15 Minute City designs. There is a lot of housing going in south Palo Alto
with not much to support it, especially bike/ped. Palo Alto’s housing plan needs to be finished ASAP so that we can get some control on the housing being proposed, but we need to move
faster then the Palo Alto Process to build the needed supporting infrastructure.
Thanks for your consideration and service,
David Coale