HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-17 City Council EmailsDOCUM ENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE:
LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE
MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL
RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZ ENS
ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENC IES
ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES
Prepared for: 2/17/2026
Document dates: 2/9/2026 - 2/17/2026
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction
in a given week. 701-32
From:Robert Marinaro
To:Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith; Peter Xu; Loren Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Barry Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John
Schafer; Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Marguerite Poyatos; Manu Kumar; Lydia Kou; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo; David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong; Maggie Madlangbayan; K Norris; Elidia
Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net; Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Raphael Zahnd; Riley Cooke; Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis
Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann Balin; Annette Ross; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external); Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Becky Sanders; Douglas
Moran
Subject:Oversized Vehicle Count (Bob"s PTT) and Photos (2/15/26)
Date:Monday, February 16, 2026 3:56:25 PM
Attachments:RV Inventory_15Feb26.xlsx
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
OSV Ad Hoc Committe and City Council,
Please find attached my periodic count of Palo Alto’s Oversized Vehicles (OSVs). In keeping with my desire to keep you and others informed about the latest on our streets I am also including several photos of
the situation in the Ash Street area that appears to be impacted by one individual with 10 or more vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles.
It appears as though the 180-ish OSV count is holding steady. Unfortunately, I have added a new street, Acacia Ave, in the Ventura Neighborhood. This new street addition is the result of one individual being
forced to move. As the numbers indicate, this is a musical chairs (OSVs) situation where the vehicles in question are not removed they just move to another location.
As I mentioned earlier, the vast majority of the detached trailers are still present.
Also, of particular note, is that the OSV count is at 180, however I would estimate that there are 50% more ancillary vehicles associated with these OSVs which take up valuable parking spots particularly in the
Transport Street Commercial Area.
Out of sight, out of mind, is an unfortunate position. Please make a point to visit these streets often and observe and ‘feel’ what residents and businesses experience on a daily basis.
Palo Alto has many good qualities, but I’m sorry to say that prioritizing the RV dwellers over the tax-paying residents and businesses is not one of them.
We can do better. We need to do better!
Respectfully,
Bob Marinaro
Ash Street - - Most of the vehicles on this section of Ash street appear to be moved to adjacent streets with the exception of this SUV and trailer
Ash Street - - Most of the vehicles on this section of Ash Street appear to be moved to adjacent streets with the exception of this SUV and trailer
Portage Ave. - - Most of the vehicles on Ash Street have been move to Portage Ave.
Portage Ave.
Portage Ave. - - It looks like a Denver Boot has been attached to the trailer wheel to prevent it from being towed
Acacia Ave. (one block over from Portage Ave.) - - Where more vehicles have been recently moved. Are these new condos being built on the other side of the street? A lovely sight out your window!
Palo Alto On Street OSV Count
Street Segment OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs
########11/2/2025 ################12/3/2025 ########1/14/2026 1/28/2026 2/13/2026
& 10/22/25 & 11/3 & 11/11 & 11/20 & 12/21 & 1/29
1 Fabian Way Between E. Charleston & E. Meadow 17 17 17 17 17 17 16 17 16
2 Fabian Way Between E. Charleston & San Antonio Rd.9 8 7 8 8 7 8 8 9
3 E. Meadow Circle Off of E. Meadow Dr.52 52 52 56 53 52 51 49 53
4 East Meadow At Intersection with Fabian Way 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 2
5 Industrial Ave.Between E. Charleston & Transport St.1 2 1 1 1 1 4 4 4
6 Transport St.Between E. San Antonio & Industrial Ave.12 12 12 11 11 11 12 12 11
7 San Antonio Rd.Between E. Charleston & Transport St.13 12 13 13 15 13 10 11 11
8 Commercial St.Between E. Charleston & Transport St.12 14 14 15 15 15 17 16 17
9 Elwell Ct.Dead End Off of E. Bayshore Rd.15 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 11
10 Corporation Way Dead End Off of E. Bayshore Rd.12 12 12 12 13 12 2 0 0
11 Colorado Ave.Colorado Ave. & W. Bayshore Rd.5 5 5 6 6 2 4 3 1
12 Amarillo Ave.Bordering North Edge of Greer Park 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
13 E. Embarcadero Rd.East of 101 13 13 12 15 8 10 5 5 9
14 Embarcadero Way Dead End off of Embarcadero Rd.14 13 10 10 11 7 8 7 6
15 Faber Pl.Dead End off of Embarcadero Rd.25 23 23 23 25 20 19 15 16
16 Mitchell Park Mitchell Park Parking Lot 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 2
17 Greer Park Greer Park Parking Lot 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
200 193 188 197 195 180 170 165 168
18 Park Blvd.South of Page Mill 6 3 3 3 4 3 1 0 0
19 Lambert Ave.Between El Camino & Park Blvd.1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 0
20 Ash St.Between Oregon Expressway & Olive Ave.1 1 2 0 0 2 1 3 2
21 Poratge Ave.Between El Camino & Park Blvd.4 4 4 6 4 2 1 3 1
22 Olive Ave.Between El Camino & Park Blvd.1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2
23 Sheridan Ave.Between Park Blvd & Caltrain Parking Lot 6 6 6 6 6 6 3 2 3
24 Orinda St.Between Fernando Ave. & Wilton Ave.1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
25 Matadero Ave.Between El Camino & Park Blvd.- -0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
26 Acacia Ave.Between El Camino & Ash St.- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -3
20 18 20 20 20 19 11 13 12
Total:220 211 208 217 215 199 181 178 180
Delta:-9 -3 9 -2 -16 -18 -3 2
Days since first count: ########12 20 29 43 60 85 99 115
Months since first count: ########0.4 0.7 1.0 1.4 2.0 2.8 3.3 3.8
Yellow OSVs on New Street
Green Utility Construction
Ventura Area
RV Inventory_15Feb26 2/17/2026 10:56 AM
From:Jane Zimmerman
To:Council, City
Subject:Flock surveillance
Date:Monday, February 16, 2026 9:39:21 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking
on links.
What is Palo Alto doing about Flock surveillance and the uses being made of it by ICE and other potentially
privacy-violating groups. Our surrounding communthave voted to ban Flock and I strongly support Palo Alto doing
this as well
Thank you
Jane Zimmerman
Sent from my iPhone
From:S
To:Council, City
Subject:44 and 88 Encina towers
Date:Monday, February 16, 2026 9:07:33 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking
on links.
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I’m deeply concerned about the parking impacts the 44 and 88 Encina towers project will have on Town and
Country and PAMF. The shopping center is recently inundated with Paly students parking on a regular basis to the
point that it’s difficult to find parking to do my shopping. It will then spread to PAMF if this project proceeds.
If you want to put a shopping center out of business, then proceed. I’d really like to continue shopping there and
using PAMF.
E. Claire
From:a hamilton
To:Council, City
Subject:Keep Churchill Ave, Open
Date:Sunday, February 15, 2026 8:37:01 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking
on links.
Dear Council Members,
While my heart is heavy at the loss of another Palo Alto student to suicide, closing the Churchill rail crossing to
traffic is a terrible, and probably ineffective, solution to the real problem of teen despair. Yes! We all want to
prevent teen suicide. We also need to be able to get from Alma street to El Camino Real and back again. If you
look at this another way, how many lives will be lost when an ambulance gets stuck in east/west traffic trying to get
from the highly populated east side of town to Stanford Medical Center and Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
For a less critical example, as a former cancer patient who needed to make that drive daily for radiation treatments,
the east/west options are very limited. Embarcadero Road is a nightmare during Paly dismissal, during lunch time,
in the morning and just about any time people are coming and going from the Town and Country parking lot. This
will only get worse when the new housing is built behind Town and Country bringing more cars to the area. While
the intersection at Page Mill and El Camino is terribly impacted and will be more so after housing is built along El
Camino Real. People use that intersection as one of the few east/west corridors that connect Highway 101 with
280.
If anything, Churchill needs to be widened to create a right turn lane that allows cars to turn right from Churchill to
El Camino Real.
Yes! Let’s work on solving the real problem of teen suicide but do it without strangling access to Stanford Medical
Center from the East side of our town.
Thank you
Alexis Hamilton
3364 St. Michael Drive
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
From:upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org
To:Council, City
Subject:February 2026 Book Sale - Friends of the Palo Alto Library
Date:Friday, February 13, 2026 9:01:23 PM
BOOK SALE
NEWSLETTER
THIS WEEKEND AT
CUBBERLEY
Visit our web site
CUBBERLEY USED
BOOK SALES
Saturday February 14
Main Room 11am - 4pm
Bargain Room 9:30am - 4pm
Children's Room 10am - 4pm
Popup Music Sale 10am - 2pm
(outside Main Room)
(weather permitting)
Sunday February 15
All Rooms 1pm - 4pm
FEATURED IN
FEBRUARY
Science
Comic Books
& Graphic Novels
Cooking
Tools
Cameras
4000 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto
NE corner of the Cubberley
Community Center
(650) 213-8755
www.fopal.org
Maps and Directions
More information on the sales
Donate your used books, DVDs, &c
ALL NET PROCEEDS GO TO HELP PALO
ALTO LIBRARIES
Main Room
In our Main Room, prices are way below
what used book stores charge.
Hardcover books start at $3 and
softcover books start at only $2.
No numbered tickets this month!
Please note that due to crowding during
the first two hours of the Book Sale, no
strollers, rolling carts, etc. can be
brought into the Main Room. This is for
the safety of shoppers and volunteers
alike. By 12:30 or so, the crowd thins
out and shoppers are welcome to bring
these items into the sale.
Children's Book Sale
The Children's Room is located in the
portable next to the soccer field near
Greendell School. It is entirely filled
with children's books and toys. You'll
find picture books, school age fiction
and non-fiction, fiction for teens, award
winners, non-English titles, CDs and
DVDs, and books for parents and
teachers, many for 50 cents or $1.
Strollers are welcome in the Children's
Room at any time.
Bargain Books in H-2
The Bargain Room is located in Rooms
H-2 and H-3 of the Cubberley main
campus, between our Main Room and
Middlefield Road. On Saturday,
paperbacks are $1, hardcovers are $2,
and children's books are 50 cents each.
The room also contains many records,
CDs, and DVDs at $1 each. On Sunday,
the room opens at 1 pm and all prices
are half off. Or, save even more on
bags from us for $4/ea (or bring your
own grocery-size reusable bag) and
stuffing them with any items in the
room for $5/bag. Fill four bags at
$5/bag and fill a fifth bag FREE!
Library News
The Library is celebrating all sorts of things in February:
Black History Month
Lunar New Year
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
The Library (all branches) will be closed on Monday, February 16 for the Presidents' Day
holiday.
You can find out about these sorts of things in a slightly more timely manner from the Palo
Alto City Library Blogs page. Or you can subscribe to them with an RSS reader.
You could find out about other things by subscribing to the Library's mailing list. Like us,
they send one or two messages per month, more usually one.
There is also the Library's events calendar that has a lot besides when the Library is
closed.
-Frank McConnell
Sci-Fi/Comics
I had some complaints last month that the shelves were a little empty, due to December's
massive sale and donations being a little slow through the holidays. Not a problem this
month! Shelves are packed with new donations. In Graphic Novels, Manga, and
Comics, look for a three-volume deluxe Complete Calvin and Hobbes. In the Alternate
History section there's a huge collection of the 1632 books by Eric Flint and others. Over in
Science Fiction, a set of the Expanse books, and first editions of the second Dune trilogy.
(Is a God-Emperor one notch up from a Priest-King?) For Fantasy, we've got a DVD of the
Ralph Bakshi animated Lord of the Rings, and what I think is the best book about Tolkien,
John Garth's Tolkien and the Great War.
-Rich McAllister
Cameras
Lots of great cameras this month:
Burke & James large format camera with a spare lens
2 Olympus OM-1 SLR 35mm cameras
Porst 35mm
Miranda 35mm Sensorex
Kodak Brownie with flash, and flashbulbs!
Kodak Flash Bantam
And More!!!
-Squeegee
Tools
A bunch of Tools and accessories:
Garden Tools
Shop Tools
Power Tools
Electronics Tools
-Toolcan Sam
Politics
There's a lot of political turmoil to navigate in the cold February month. With the Russian
and American nuclear agreement ending, it seems that the question that we're all asking
about is how does this change the political playing field, when we already have so much
going on at home? Good thing for us, we have the Politics Section of the main room. On
our shelves we have books about the nuclear war between nations, and to back it up, we
have many books about the tumultuous domestic American business. Questions about
Russia? We have a whole section on political ideologies of Russia, come and check it out.
We look forward to seeing you this month, here in the Politics section of the Main Room.
-Emma Chen
European Languages
European Languages has a lot of Simenon this month. We also have lots of books in
Italian, mostly fiction, including books by Pavese and Ginzburg, and lots of translations
from writers like Yehoshua and I.B. Singer.
-Susan Strain
Home & Crafts
Happy Valentine's Day!
It's not too late to buy a how-to book and create something wonderful for your sweetheart
this Valentine's Weekend. There are loads of finds on our shelves to help you make a
perfect gift!
To assist you with a project, or to give a book to your Valentine, there are beautiful Craft
titles including Papercutting, Card-Making, The Complete Watercolor Artist, and Making
Your Own Great Earrings, to name a few. If your loved one is a potter, there are several
new titles on ceramics. Who doesn't like flowers? Try Color Me Floral: Stunning
Monochromatic Arrangements for Every Season. Browse to find several new origami titles.
Interestingly, there are two resources for painting on silk. Other fabric arts include:
needlepoint, cross-stitch, and embroidery, plus all your favorite guides in knitting,
including Stitch 'N Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. Quilting titles include The Complete Book
of Quilting and Collectible Quilts. Look for airplanes, plus coloring and drawing books for all
interests.
On the Beauty shelf there are many resources for make-up, hair, style, and weddings.
Fashion design includes Four Hundred Years of Fashion and The Fashion Book. There's a
tiny Home title with a big impact: Frank Lloyd Wright: Life and Home. Here's another
great title: House / Thinking: A Room by Room Look at How We Live. We have books on
entertaining, and books on cleaning up such as Salt, Lemon, Vinegar, and Baking Soda. For
organizing try The Martha Manual and Storage & Display. Whether you're expanding or
contracting, we've got you covered with Adding to a House and Downsizing the Family
Home. For design inspiration try our international home titles, from countryside to city,
featuring: England, France, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Japan, and China.
eShelf photos can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>.
-Virginia Perry
Antiques & Collections
In the month of February you find a book on Official White House China, dating from 1789,
plus the 2024 Handbook of United States Coins. In case you're traveling to Europe, there's
Laura Morelli's Made in France: A Shopper's Guide to France's Best Artisanal Traditions
from Limoges Porcelain to Perfume, Pottery, Textiles, and More. To help you anywhere you
are looking, we have Miller's Understanding Antiques. Regionally, there's the Collector's
Encyclopedia of California Pottery. Then there's the beautiful Handcrafted Indian Textiles:
Tradition and Beyond. Discover these and other resources including jewelry and watches,
stamps and other coins, furniture and rugs, toys and dolls, plus much more for your
collecting reference.
eShelf photo can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>.
-Virginia Perry
Sociology
This book sale features 526 carefully selected titles devoted to sociology, anthropology,
social theory, and cultural history. The arrangement itself tells a story: clearly labeled
sections on theory and method, cultural and physical anthropology, U.S. self-reflection,
urban studies, and social movements invite thoughtful browsing rather than hurried
scanning. Among the stand-out titles is Thomas W. Laqueur's The Work of the Dead, a
powerful exploration of how modern societies have understood, honored, and cared for the
dead. Moving from burial practices to monuments and collective memory, Laqueur argues
that the treatment of the dead lies at the moral core of modern social life. Also featured is
Jürgen Habermas's The Theory of Communicative Action, a foundational work of twentieth-
century social theory. Habermas rethinks rationality, arguing that communication and
mutual understanding--not only markets or power-- are central to social coordination and
democratic possibility. Together, these books exemplify a sale rich in ideas, debates, and
enduring questions—ideal for readers who enjoy slow discovery and intellectual depth.
Poetry
February, a month so small
With days that quickly seem to fall.
Let's help the winter days to flee
And celebrate bad poetry.
(Rod McKuen, how ya doin'?)
Or on a more familiar theme,
Sing a song of love's young dream.
However you decide this time,
Come to the sale and buy some rhyme.
<https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html>
-Mandy MacCalla
Puzzles
This month the Puzzles section has something for everyone. 5 boxes of puzzles not yet
sold over the last couple of months were temporarily removed to make room for the
dozens of new and different ones we received. Included in the new donations were many
for the true puzzle enthusiast and competitors among you--11 almost new 2000 piece
puzzles and one each of 3000 and 4000 pieces! For those recreational puzzlers who want a
bargain there are marked shelves stuffed with $2, $3, and $4 puzzles. For you regulars,
lots of new-to-us puzzles on the middle shelves.
-Vicky Evans
Children's Room
There's still time to find books at all age levels for Valentine's Day. Other holidays we're
featuring this month include Ramadan (2/17-3/19), Purim (3/3), Holi (3/3), and St.
Patrick's Day (3/17). And the month of February is Black History Month, so be sure to
check out the display in Non-fiction.
February is also fabulous in School-age Fiction. The Classics shelves boast loads of Enid
Blyton's The Famous Five series; a beautiful collector's edition of Charlotte's Web, by E.B.
White; a like-new boxed set of Edward Eager's Tales of Magic; a complete set of The
Chronicles of Narnia; and pristine copies of the Mary Poppins series, by P.L. Travers.
Nearby the classics, you'll find many Diary of a Wimpy Kid books including the latest, #19,
Hot Mess. Fantasy and Science Fiction are stocked with the Warriors series, by Erin Hunter,
and with many of the popular Rick Riordan books. And don't forget to take a peek at our
Popular Authors cart, full to the brim.
Along the south wall of the room you'll find lots of inexpensive sets of Beginning Readers,
along with DVDs of Disney favorites, Harry Potter, and other classic movies for kids. Our
Parenting section offers many books on parenting teens and helping kids navigate social
and emotional challenges, in addition to fun books on family travel.
Game on! Our Activity shelves sport more games and puzzles (including Ravensburgers)
than ever before--there's something for all ages, including loads of poker chips. Did you
know the chips can be used in a classroom for counters and for teaching negative
numbers? If you're looking for other "academic" items, we have a world globe, and don't
miss our math/science table featuring collections of math contest problems, as well as
series ranging from Bedtime Math to Beast Academy. Shop for a wide selection of LEGO,
several nice wooden toys, Play-Doh extruders, and two T Rex dinosaurs. Look for literary
stuffies including Alice in Wonderland, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Angelina Ballerina, and
Max in his wolf-suit. Gaming fans will find many, many Minecraft books along with tins of
Pokemon cards at prices much lower than you'll find anywhere else. And as usual, our
graphic novels shelves are packed--including a large selection of hard-cover French-
language graphic novels!
In the Picture Books section you'll find a collection of 10 Lynn Reiser hardbacks, various
titles; a collection of the original 26 Thomas the Tank Engine stories; and classic favorites
such as Ferdinand the Bull and books by Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, and Leo Lionni. We
offer a number of Golden Books, along with Peppa Pig; Froggy; the Percy's Park Tales, by
Nick Butterworth; and the Meg Mackintosh Solve-It-Yourself mysteries.
As always, we have a large selection of gift-worthy hardback picture books, displayed not
far from the cashier's table. And if you're looking for books for the youngest readers, you'll
find a great selection on the counter under the front windows.
-Carolyn Davidson
Children's Vintage
Pick up one of these Children's Vintage sweet Valentine's Day treats for your book-loving
honey (or yourself!):
Sesame Street readers for younger readers featuring Ernie, Bert and the whole gang
One of the books from our robust collection featuring world languages. There is the
usual Spanish/French/German but also some fine Norwegian, Polish or Russian
choices
Several Hitchcock anthologies (spies and scary stories)
Peanuts and Gang paperbacks
Twin thriller Nancy Drews
Sims 2 and Sims 3 CDs for both PCs and Macs
Shelf pictures are available for all of these items at <fopalbooks.com>.
And you can find even more children's vintage books at our eBay store:
<https://www.ebay.com/str/friendsofthepaloaltolibrary>
-Lisa Heitman
Judaica
Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion and culture including editions
of the Torah and other basic texts, Kabbalah, Jewish history, the Holocaust, memoirs,
Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects.
Special this month -
Jews in the Garden: A Family's Search for Truth After War
Early Judaism : the Exile to the time of Jesus
State of Siege: User's Manual
Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s
Freud's Moses
Cain v. Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama
Jews Who Rock
Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood
Most fiction with Jewish themes will be found in Modern Literature/Classics or Current
Fiction. Books entirely in Hebrew are shelved in the European Languages section.
Shelf photos at <https://fopalbooks.com/judaica.html>
-Charlotte Epstein, Judaica Section Manager
Self Help/Personal Growth
Featured books: Tiny Experiments; Convent Wisdom; US; Life in Three dimensions -all
2025! Plus: The Book of Alchemy; Creative Art; Beyond Wisdom; View from the Crow's
Nest. I got an Abundance of books this month so I have 5 shelves each of Popular on
Amazon (including 11 workbooks) AND New Books, some of which I moved to subsections
(like Relationship, Happiness, Addiction, Grief/Death) due to the overflow, so look there.
And of course it's February, so check out the Relationship shelf AND the top shelf (marked
‘LOVE’) for some books you might like. If you’re still struggling with your New Year's
intentions, check out the 17 Workbooks and 3 Books With Workbooks sets. And don't
forget the Red Cart which has some great books. May LOVE be in your heart and extend
out to family, friends and All Beings,
-Marnie
Computers
A massive donation from the library of a computer scientist has stuffed our shelves. Look
for fresh recent works on every category shelf, and especially in the AI/NLP section,
security, math and Java.
-David Cortesi
Mysteries & Thrillers
There are two top shelves of only 2025 mysteries, the best written. Most all of the other
mystery books on sale for $2 or $3 are from the last 10 years. The exception is the two
shelves of Agatha Christie on the red cart, at the end of the section, and the shelves under
the 2025 books. These Agatha are mainly paperback.
Come and find a great read which usually centers on solving a puzzle by following a person
who through investigation finds a resolution.
-Cathy Swan
Pop-Up Music Sale
Our popular monthly Pop-Up Music Sale continues in February with a large selection of
freshly curated vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and DVDs in multiple genres: Pop, R&B/Soul,
Country, Folk, Jazz, Classical, Easy Listening, Film and Theater, and Spoken Word. Once
again, we will be featuring a special selection of curated releases that have been
meticulously cleaned and graded.
Plan on paying us a visit at our tables set up next to the entry ramp to the Main Room
where we will be happy to help you find those special musical gems that you are looking
for.
-George Chaltas
History
February is Black History Month! We have a large collection of related books, ranging from
biographies of enslaved people to works on the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s and
beyond. There are also several nice books on the Latino and Indigenous history of the US.
A large donation of books on Cuba and Latin America meant the shelves had to be
rearranged to accommodate them, so check all the history shelves! If modern histories get
you down, check out the collection of Penguin editions of ancient (or at least, older)
historians - or the collection of historical atlases for when you get that time machine
working!
-Lin McAllister
Bargain Room
We have tons of books and other items in the Bargain Room this month. Children's
books: lots of middle grade and YA books, fully loaded sub-section of kiddies Vintage
books, games, puzzles and more (please no more complaints that we don't have enough
Parenting books, these are in the back of the room). Computer books, Vintage &
Magazines: Overflowing! Mystery paperbacks, Fiction, Religion, Self Help, Psychology,
Games: Full! Art + DVDs: Tons! CDs: approximately 900! Vinyl: somewhere between 500 -
1000 records! (Vinyl is still being processed as of this writing.)
-Sven-Erik Geddes
Maps
Waterproof maps, vintage maps, topo maps, we've got them all!
"A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at." -Oscar
Wilde
"The map is not the territory" -Alfred Korzybski
-Mapman Crothers
Donations
We accept donations on Monday through Friday from 3-5 pm in the Main Room, and on
Saturday with extended hours from 1-5 pm. But we close to donations in the week before
the sale so that we can prepare the Main Room for the sale, which means that we are
closed for donations from Sunday February 8 through Sunday February 15. Please hold
your donations until Monday February 16.
Please read our donation guidelines before you bring materials to us. Also look at that page
if you need to bring us a donation larger than six boxes or outside our usual donation
times, it has information on scheduling appointments and requesting a pickup.
In addition to books, vinyl, DVDs, CDs, toys, etc. We now accept the following types of
donations:
Cameras
Tools
Watches
Clocks
Typewriters
See our full list of accepted donations at fopal.org/donate.
Suggestions?
We're always eager to hear your suggestions for ways to improve our book sale. Please
email us at suggestions@friendspaloaltolib.org.
This notice comes to you from the non-profit organization Friends of the Palo Alto Library. No trees were
felled in the making of this e-mail. Visit our web site. Become a member by joining online.
Be sure to receive your own free copy of this e-mail notice so that you'll know about all special upcoming
books sales. To sign up, just e-mail us. We carefully protect the privacy of your e-mail address. We will not
share your e-mail address with any other organization and we will not use it for any purpose other than to
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From:Office of Rep. Sam Liccardo
To:Council, City
Subject:Update from Washington, D.C.
Date:Friday, February 13, 2026 11:28:00 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.
POWERING PUBLIC SAFETY
Should Congress move
ICE funding to local law
enforcement?
Yes
No
Taking this survey will sign you up for future
news and updates from our office.
Dear City,
I’ve heard from many neighbors about ICE’s
cruel and chaotic enforcement. I share your
outrage – even several of my heretofore silent
Republican colleagues have weighed in
against ICE’s tactics.
In the last several weeks, I’ve signed onto
articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem,
cosponsored legislation to mandate reforms,
and twice voted against any additional funding
for ICE.
ICE has too much money and not enough
accountability. They’ve abandoned their
mission of rooting out violent criminals–less
than 14% of deportees in 2025 carried a
violent criminal conviction or charge. This
track record doesn’t justify the $28.7 billion
taxpayers have spent on ICE this year—and
that’s compared to only $6 billion spent a
dozen years ago, when 59% of ICE’s
deportees had criminal convictions, and the
agency had a record number of deportations.
That’s why I cosponsored the Public Safety
Act, a bill led by my colleague Rep. Chris
Pappas (N.H.) that shifts funding away from
ICE and toward local law enforcement – to
hire more than 200,000 police officers
nationwide. If we want to invest in public
safety, let’s spend taxpayer money on the
professionals–our local police departments–
and not the amateurs.
Meanwhile, Democrats have presented a list
of ten demands to the GOP majority for
straightforward reforms to ICE operations.
These modest changes reflect what anyone
would consider standard practice in any
modern police department: prohibiting agents
from entering homes and private property
without a judicial warrant, requiring body-worn
cameras, identification of agents, and the like.
Thus far, GOP leadership has not acceded to
those demands, and ICE funding will expire
today.
I’ll keep you posted as this unfolds.
Video
Progress on Housing
This week, the House passed a bipartisan
housing package, the Housing for the 21st
Century Act, that includes two of my bills. As
we iron out any differences with the Senate’s
housing package, the bills will head to a final
vote and the President’s signature.
I introduced two bills within that package, The
BUILD Housing Act and The Unlocking
Housing Supply Through Streamlined and
Modernized Reviews Act, with my
Republican colleague Rep. Mike Flood (NE).
The legislation will cut federal red tape and
unnecessary delays in development of infill
and affordable housing, to make construction
faster and less costly.
Overall, this package reflects a growing
agreement in Washington that solving
America’s housing shortage requires
streamlining and reducing construction costs.
I’m proud I contributed to the first step of
many reforms that we will need to make in our
nation’s sclerotic housing development
processes.
More work ahead—and I have several more
bipartisan housing bills ready to deliver real
relief.
Photo Finish
Our community health centers keep showing
up for our most vulnerable neighbors even in
the face of this administration’s severe cuts to
Medi-Cal. Thank you to leaders from our local
community health centers for visiting my D.C.
office and sharing how I can better support
your work keeping our community healthy.
Onward
Sam
U.S. Representative for California's 16th
Congressional District
Get Future Updates from Washington
Unsubscribe from future messages.
From:Office of Rep. Sam Liccardo
To:Council, City
Subject:Update from Washington, D.C.
Date:Friday, February 13, 2026 10:56:51 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.
POWERING PUBLIC SAFETY
Should Congress move
ICE funding to local law
enforcement?
Yes
No
Taking this survey will sign you up for future
news and updates from our office.
Dear Council,,
I’ve heard from many neighbors about ICE’s
cruel and chaotic enforcement. I share your
outrage – even several of my heretofore silent
Republican colleagues have weighed in
against ICE’s tactics.
In the last several weeks, I’ve signed onto
articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem,
cosponsored legislation to mandate reforms,
and twice voted against any additional funding
for ICE.
ICE has too much money and not enough
accountability. They’ve abandoned their
mission of rooting out violent criminals–less
than 14% of deportees in 2025 carried a
violent criminal conviction or charge. This
track record doesn’t justify the $28.7 billion
taxpayers have spent on ICE this year—and
that’s compared to only $6 billion spent a
dozen years ago, when 59% of ICE’s
deportees had criminal convictions, and the
agency had a record number of deportations.
That’s why I cosponsored the Public Safety
Act, a bill led by my colleague Rep. Chris
Pappas (N.H.) that shifts funding away from
ICE and toward local law enforcement – to
hire more than 200,000 police officers
nationwide. If we want to invest in public
safety, let’s spend taxpayer money on the
professionals–our local police departments–
and not the amateurs.
Meanwhile, Democrats have presented a list
of ten demands to the GOP majority for
straightforward reforms to ICE operations.
These modest changes reflect what anyone
would consider standard practice in any
modern police department: prohibiting agents
from entering homes and private property
without a judicial warrant, requiring body-worn
cameras, identification of agents, and the like.
Thus far, GOP leadership has not acceded to
those demands, and ICE funding will expire
today.
I’ll keep you posted as this unfolds.
Video
Progress on Housing
This week, the House passed a bipartisan
housing package, the Housing for the 21st
Century Act, that includes two of my bills. As
we iron out any differences with the Senate’s
housing package, the bills will head to a final
vote and the President’s signature.
I introduced two bills within that package, The
BUILD Housing Act and The Unlocking
Housing Supply Through Streamlined and
Modernized Reviews Act, with my
Republican colleague Rep. Mike Flood (NE).
The legislation will cut federal red tape and
unnecessary delays in development of infill
and affordable housing, to make construction
faster and less costly.
Overall, this package reflects a growing
agreement in Washington that solving
America’s housing shortage requires
streamlining and reducing construction costs.
I’m proud I contributed to the first step of
many reforms that we will need to make in our
nation’s sclerotic housing development
processes.
More work ahead—and I have several more
bipartisan housing bills ready to deliver real
relief.
Photo Finish
Our community health centers keep showing
up for our most vulnerable neighbors even in
the face of this administration’s severe cuts to
Medi-Cal. Thank you to leaders from our local
community health centers for visiting my D.C.
office and sharing how I can better support
your work keeping our community healthy.
Onward
Sam
U.S. Representative for California's 16th
Congressional District
Get Future Updates from Washington
Unsubscribe from future messages.
From:Robert Marinaro
To:Barry Katz
Cc:Raphael Zahnd; Marguerite Poyatos; Annette Ross; lydiakou@gmail.com; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone,
Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith;
Peter Xu; Loren Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John Schafer;
Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T
Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Manu Kumar; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo;
David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong;
Maggie Madlangbayan; Chris Lahlouh; K Norris; Elidia Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net;
Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Riley Cooke;
Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann
Balin; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external);
Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Rebecca Sanders; Douglas B.
Moran; Maia Harris
Subject:Re: Bob’s OSV Count (1/29/26)
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 5:32:08 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Barry and Raphael,
Thank you very much for chiming in on your continued concern and displeasure of this OSV
situation. I just cycled on Fabian Way, East Meadow Drive, and East Meadow Circle and not
one thing has changed! I am beside myself when I see what continues to be allowed on Palo
Alto streets. Many of the OSVs that I passed today are unattached trailers. Correct me if I’m
wrong, but I thought the ordinance was passed on 1/12/26 to outlaw these trailers on our
streets.
Where is the action, where is the enforcement?
Month after month after month after month...
This is beyond my comprehension! I am also embarrassed by this situation.
Respectfully,
Bob Marinaro
On Feb 12, 2026, at 11:07 AM, Barry Katz <bmkatz1950@gmail.com> wrote:
To the member of the City Council,
As representative of the Ventura Neighborhood Association on the OSV problem,
I am writing to express my strong and unqualified support for the complaint of
Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi. As I indicated to a number of you at the recent Open
House at Cubberly, the City’s “phased approach” will take years to fully
implement. In the meantime we are losing businesses and subjecting residents
such as Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi to intolerable abuses. Everyone understands
the scale of the problem, as documented by Mr. Robert Marinaro and others, but
despite the heroic efforts of Sgt. Bulatao and his team,, we are being victimized
“bad actors. The owner/operator of the junkyard on Ash and Sheridan Sts. Is
clearly one such miscreant.
On behalf of all of us, I am asking that the City create a list of urgent priorities to
be dealt with immediately and forcefully.
Thank you very much for your diligent attention to this increasingly serious
problem.
BK
Barry Katz
233 Margarita Avenue
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
650.644-8697
bmkatz1950@gmail.com
On Feb 12, 2026, at 7:56 AM, Raphael Zahnd
<raphael.zahnd@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear City Council,
We are writing to you as residents of 3261 Ash Street. We love our
neighborhood, but we feel neglected by the City. Despite previous
promises and the installation of "NO TRAILERS" signs, the reality
on our street has not changed.
The excitement we felt seeing the new signs lasted only a few days.
The same individual, who owns multiple RVs, trailers, cars, bikes
etc. has simply moved his belongings directly in front of our home.
This has created an unbearable situation for us:
My wife is often home alone and feels uncomfartable passing
these vehicles to enter our flat. We are constantly anxious,
rushing to park our own cars on the street just to prevent new
oversized vehicles parking in front of our home.
We are woken up at 6:00 AM or kept awake in the evening by
the sound of engines idling for up to 45 minutes at a time. The
fumes enter our home.
We no longer feel comfortable inviting friends with small
children to visit because of the environment outside our door. It
is embarrassing and isolating.
We understand the complexities of the housing crisis, but we are
struggling too. We work hard to pay our rent and contribute to this
city. It feels unfair that we are left to deal with these conditions while
our reports to 311 and non-emergency services go unanswered.
Our street cannot continue like this. We are asking you to step up and
enforce the parking rules, while also finding a permanent solution to
this problem.
Please help us reclaim our peace of mind and our neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Raphael Zahnd & Giulia Maria Nocchi
On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM Marguerite Poyatos
<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:
That seems to be a false equivalent to me and kind of grasping at
straws, honestly. It also does not touch on a lot of issues that are at
hand that go past property taxes being paid. Those restaurants,
while taking up space, typically keep sidewalks clean, don't dump
human waste in streets and are typically not harassing surrounding
businesses. I would say they also typically bring more foot traffic
to surrounding businesses.
In our neighborhood, foot traffic has been directly affected by these
RV's. There is no street parking for customers. Being that we are in
an area that people don't regularly or conveniently walk to, the lack
of street parking is a huge problem. To this point, the people who
are living in the RV'S aren't just taking up parking spots with their
RV's, but the numerous cars associated with them. One gentleman
has 5 cars in addition to his RV. He takes up half of one side of a
street. Many of his cars are filled with garbage and are not driven.
Often when customers come into our business, they state that the
neighborhood doesn't feel safe and ask if their car/personal
belongings are safe. We had a daycare in our neighborhood close
because parents didn't feel safe leaving their kids there. There is a
ballet studio that has reported similar complaints from the parents
of their students. We have dealt with loose, aggressive dogs
running into our business and accosting customers. People are
constantly dumping the human waste from their RV's in the gutters,
along with just general trash and waste filling the gutters.
Electricity is regularly being stolen from surrounding businesses by
some people living in RV's. There are no crosswalks, and with the
RV's blocking visibility, there are a lot of close calls with
pedestrians being hit by cars. I could go on, but all of these
problems and more have been reported for YEARS.
Many of these RV''s are dilapidated. Windows are broken and
hanging in its place. There is an RV with children sleeping inside
that has no generator and for the most part seems to go without
power (in the winter). It seems criminal that anyone could rent
these RV's out to people. This is wrong for everyone involved.
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Annette Ross
<port2103@att.net> wrote:
One can make a similar argument regarding giving away city
streets to restaurants. Covid presented exceptional circumstances
but sidewalk and street dining appears to be here to stay. Since
the restaurants that benefit are not paying for the extra square
footage, we are subsidizing that use. Governments excel at
wasting money.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 1, 2026, at 8:58 PM, Lydia Kou 顧錦珍<lydiakou@gmail.com> wrote:
Bottom line, it is about fairness to businesses and to
the residents who have worked hard for years and
years, paid and continue to pay taxes for
infrastructure and services, and invested in their
assets.
Are OSV dwellers and vanlords paying any kind of
taxes for the use of public lands and services? BTW,
paying a vehicle registration fee does not generate
revenue to the city.
Is the city of Palo Alto unfriendly to retailers,
businesses and residents which/who generate
revenue and property taxes by not regulating these
OSVs?
Are the city leaders creating bandaids and kicking
the can around town and reducing property values as
they name different neighborhoods to allow OSVs?
Final question is who are subsidizing all the OSV
dwellers and vanlords?
Meanwhile a city of approximately 67,000 in
population has a budget of over $1.4billion. And we
don’t have a fire station that can provide fire fighting
and ambulance services at the same time, it’s one or
the other. Fire station 8 at Foothills Nature Preserve
can’t operate year round.
…much to ponder about … and what it boils down
to is whom have we elected and are they
representing us after the campaign, now that they got
what they wanted. To be fair, It’s not easy being an
elected official, yet one has to have foundational
principles and have situational awareness.
God bless us with practicality and realities. No to
taxes until government spending is not for frivolous
pet projects, virtue signaling and ideologies.
Hey, cheers and Happy New Year ~ lk
Sent from Lydia’s Mobile
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM Robert Marinaro
<rmarinaro@mac.com> wrote:
OSV Ad Hoc Committee and City Council,
I wanted to thank you very much for hosting the OSV
Open House at the Mitchell Park Community Center on
1/27/26. It was most informative and I had the
opportunity to talk with many folks.
The primary purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with
my latest point in time OSV count (1/29/26) and ask you
for your assistance in removing OSVs in two key areas.
The good news on the OSV count is that the total is down
slightly to 178, but part of this can be attributable to the
utility construction along East Bayshore Rd. near
Corporation Way. The not so good news is that OSV are
starting to move into our parks. I see that the number in
Mitchell Park has increased to four and that there is now
one in the parking lot of Greer Park. Can we please take
action on these OSVs before they start to be the norm in
our parks.
The other issue that I would like to bring to your attention
is the cluster of OSVs and ancillary vehicles on Ash St.
near the intersection of Portage Ave. I recently spoke
with two businesses and one residence on this block and
all are in agreement that this situation is a nuisance and a
source of visual blight. I was told that one individual
owns all these vehicles in addition to vehicles on the other
segment of Ash St. in front of the Sherman-Williams Paint
store, in addition to several vehicles on Sherman Ave.
adjacent to the Tencent building.
I was also told that this individual can be belligerent at
times and that residents in the area do not feel safe. No
one in Palo Alto should not feel safe on their street due to
someone who chooses to squat feet from their residence.
We can do better, and we need to do better!
Here are a few photos for reference…
Regards,
Bob Marinaro
This is what the corner of Ash & Portage should look like.
It’s been a while!
Ash Street looking towards the old Fry’s building
on Portage
The individual’s other vehicle on the segment of
Ash Street adjacent to San Antonio
Sheridan Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
--
Marguerite Poyatos
Operations Manager
PALO ALTO GLASS, INC.
4085 Transport Street
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-494-7000 ext.110
www.paloaltoglass.com
From:Ken Nishimura
To:Council, City; Switzer, Steven
Subject:3606 El Camino Real Application #: 24PLN-00162
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 3:25:42 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Dear Palo Alto City Council -
I read with some interest an article in the local newspaper regarding the proposed merger of
parcels and construction of a large residential complex on 3606 El Camino Real between two
streets, Matadero and Kendall.
The Planning Commission correctly found that there are serious concerns regarding traffic
circulation which would be realized should this development come to fruition. Specifically,
the ingress and egress of a large number of vehicles to/from Matadero so close to the
intersection with El Camino presents significant hazards to cyclists who use Matadero as a
thoroughfare.
Given the limited number of crossings across the Caltrain tracks -- a topic of
significant concern in of itself -- cyclists who are in general trying to go from Downtown to
the southwest side of the city to access the industrial parks or Foothill Expressway have
limited options. I personally use the California Avenue underpass and ride along Park Avenue
and cross El Camino at Matadero to join the Bol Park path, reversing the route to go home.
Note that this is the first available "through" crossing of El Camino south of Page Mill with a
traffic signal.
The intersection of Matadero and El Camino is not engineered to handle the volume of traffic
anticipated by a large residential complex; light cycles are long and cars would back up into
the complex parking lot which then presents a hazard to cyclists as drivers would be motivated
to "make the light" rather than be aware of cyclists. This cycling route is used by bike
commuters as well as students going to nearby schools. Pedestrians also use this route as
evidenced by a school crossing guard at this intersection.
I urge the Council to require a significant modification to the plans prior to approving a parcel
merger, specifically one which mitigates ingress/egress onto streets which would create
hazards for cyclists and pedestrians.
Regards,
Ken Nishimura
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first mail to some recipients.
Mark Safe Report
From:Parul Sharma
To:Council, City
Subject:Avoiding Caltrain suicides in Palo Alto
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 2:01:44 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Hello
As a parent to a PAUSD middle school student, I am hereby urging the City Council to work with the
School Board to:
1. Hire paid guards to watch the tracks. Volunteers can supplement, but we cannot be a 24/7service.
2. Close the Churchill crossing to to all cross traffic, so that CalTrain can extend the current high
security fencing all the way across that intersection, thus cutting off all pedestrian, bike, and vehicle
access to the tracks at that location.
Thank you
Parul Sharma
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first email to your company.
Mark Safe Report
From:Nancy Hassig
To:Council, City
Cc:sam.licardo@mail.house.gov
Subject:DHS contracts in Palo Alto
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 1:41:57 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
I am a taxpayer and voter in Redwood City, CA. In the USASpending.gov website,
summarized by Project SaltBox's DHS Contracts Visualizer, I found a FY2025-
2026 contract awarded by the US Customs and Border Protection (part of the
Department of Homeland Security) to
Matroid, Inc
180 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto, CA
www.matroid.com
(224) 628-7643
for the amount of $6.8M
Since you, the Palo Alto City, gave Matroid a business license to operate in your
city, and I am a taxpayer paying for part of the FY25-26 DHS's $140B
allocation, and affected by operations of this firm near me, I would like to know
what services Matroid , Inc is providing to DHS through this contract, and how
those services may impact me.
Thank you
Nancy Hassig
nlhassig@gmail.com
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first email to your company.
Mark Safe Report
From:Barry Katz
To:Raphael Zahnd
Cc:Marguerite Poyatos; Annette Ross; lydiakou@gmail.com; Robert Marinaro; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone,
Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith;
Peter Xu; Loren Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John Schafer;
Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T
Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Manu Kumar; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo;
David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong;
Maggie Madlangbayan; Chris Lahlouh; K Norris; Elidia Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net;
Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Riley Cooke;
Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann
Balin; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external);
Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Rebecca Sanders; Douglas B.
Moran; Maia Harris
Subject:Re: Bob’s OSV Count (1/29/26)
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 12:57:57 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
To the member of the City Council,
As representative of the Ventura Neighborhood Association on the OSV problem, I am writing
to express my strong and unqualified support for the complaint of Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi.
As I indicated to a number of you at the recent Open House at Cubberly, the City’s “phased
approach” will take years to fully implement. In the meantime we are losing businesses and
subjecting residents such as Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi to intolerable abuses. Everyone
understands the scale of the problem, as documented by Mr. Robert Marinaro and others, but
despite the heroic efforts of Sgt. Bulatao and his team,, we are being victimized by a small
number of what Councilmember Lythcott-Haims has rightly called “bad actors. The
owner/operator of the junkyard on Ash and Sheridan Sts. Is clearly one such miscreant.
On behalf of all of us, I am asking that the City create a list of urgent priorities to be dealt with
immediately and forcefully.
Thank you very much for your diligent attention to this increasingly serious problem.
BK
Barry Katz
233 Margarita Avenue
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
650.644-8697
bmkatz1950@gmail.com
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report
On Feb 12, 2026, at 7:56 AM, Raphael Zahnd <raphael.zahnd@gmail.com>
wrote:
Dear City Council,
We are writing to you as residents of 3261 Ash Street. We love our neighborhood,
but we feel neglected by the City. Despite previous promises and the installation
of "NO TRAILERS" signs, the reality on our street has not changed.
The excitement we felt seeing the new signs lasted only a few days. The same
individual, who owns multiple RVs, trailers, cars, bikes etc. has simply moved his
belongings directly in front of our home. This has created an unbearable situation
for us:
My wife is often home alone and feels uncomfartable passing these vehicles
to enter our flat. We are constantly anxious, rushing to park our own cars on
the street just to prevent new oversized vehicles parking in front of our
home.
We are woken up at 6:00 AM or kept awake in the evening by the sound of
engines idling for up to 45 minutes at a time. The fumes enter our home.
We no longer feel comfortable inviting friends with small children to visit
because of the environment outside our door. It is embarrassing and
isolating.
We understand the complexities of the housing crisis, but we are struggling too.
We work hard to pay our rent and contribute to this city. It feels unfair that we are
left to deal with these conditions while our reports to 311 and non-emergency
services go unanswered.
Our street cannot continue like this. We are asking you to step up and enforce the
parking rules, while also finding a permanent solution to this problem.
Please help us reclaim our peace of mind and our neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Raphael Zahnd & Giulia Maria Nocchi
On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM Marguerite Poyatos
<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:
That seems to be a false equivalent to me and kind of grasping at straws,
honestly. It also does not touch on a lot of issues that are at hand that go past
property taxes being paid. Those restaurants, while taking up space, typically
keep sidewalks clean, don't dump human waste in streets and are typically not
harassing surrounding businesses. I would say they also typically bring more
foot traffic to surrounding businesses.
In our neighborhood, foot traffic has been directly affected by these RV's. There
is no street parking for customers. Being that we are in an area that people don't
regularly or conveniently walk to, the lack of street parking is a huge problem.
To this point, the people who are living in the RV'S aren't just taking up parking
spots with their RV's, but the numerous cars associated with them. One
gentleman has 5 cars in addition to his RV. He takes up half of one side of a
street. Many of his cars are filled with garbage and are not driven. Often when
customers come into our business, they state that the neighborhood doesn't feel
safe and ask if their car/personal belongings are safe. We had a daycare in our
neighborhood close because parents didn't feel safe leaving their kids there.
There is a ballet studio that has reported similar complaints from the parents of
their students. We have dealt with loose, aggressive dogs running into our
business and accosting customers. People are constantly dumping the human
waste from their RV's in the gutters, along with just general trash and waste
filling the gutters. Electricity is regularly being stolen from surrounding
businesses by some people living in RV's. There are no crosswalks, and with
the RV's blocking visibility, there are a lot of close calls with pedestrians being
hit by cars. I could go on, but all of these problems and more have been
reported for YEARS.
Many of these RV''s are dilapidated. Windows are broken and taped over. One
RV is missing a door and just has a bedsheet hanging in its place. There is an
RV with children sleeping inside that has no generator and for the most part
seems to go without power (in the winter). It seems criminal that anyone could
rent these RV's out to people. This is wrong for everyone involved.
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:
One can make a similar argument regarding giving away city streets to
restaurants. Covid presented exceptional circumstances but sidewalk and
street dining appears to be here to stay. Since the restaurants that benefit are
not paying for the extra square footage, we are subsidizing that use.
Governments excel at wasting money.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 1, 2026, at 8:58 PM, Lydia Kou 顧錦珍<lydiakou@gmail.com> wrote:
Bottom line, it is about fairness to businesses and to the residents
who have worked hard for years and years, paid and continue to
pay taxes for infrastructure and services, and invested in their
assets.
Are OSV dwellers and vanlords paying any kind of taxes for the
use of public lands and services? BTW, paying a vehicle
registration fee does not generate revenue to the city.
Is the city of Palo Alto unfriendly to retailers, businesses and
residents which/who generate revenue and property taxes by not
regulating these OSVs?
Are the city leaders creating bandaids and kicking the can around
town and reducing property values as they name different
neighborhoods to allow OSVs?
Final question is who are subsidizing all the OSV dwellers and
vanlords?
Meanwhile a city of approximately 67,000 in population has a
budget of over $1.4billion. And we don’t have a fire station that
can provide fire fighting and ambulance services at the same
time, it’s one or the other. Fire station 8 at Foothills Nature
Preserve can’t operate year round.
…much to ponder about … and what it boils down to is whom
have we elected and are they representing us after the campaign,
now that they got what they wanted. To be fair, It’s not easy
being an elected official, yet one has to have foundational
principles and have situational awareness.
God bless us with practicality and realities. No to taxes until
government spending is not for frivolous pet projects, virtue
signaling and ideologies.
Hey, cheers and Happy New Year ~ lk
Sent from Lydia’s Mobile
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM Robert Marinaro
<rmarinaro@mac.com> wrote:
OSV Ad Hoc Committee and City Council,
I wanted to thank you very much for hosting the OSV Open House at
the Mitchell Park Community Center on 1/27/26. It was most
informative and I had the opportunity to talk with many folks.
The primary purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with my latest point
in time OSV count (1/29/26) and ask you for your assistance in
removing OSVs in two key areas.
The good news on the OSV count is that the total is down slightly to
178, but part of this can be attributable to the utility construction along
East Bayshore Rd. near Corporation Way. The not so good news is that
OSV are starting to move into our parks. I see that the number in
Mitchell Park has increased to four and that there is now one in the
parking lot of Greer Park. Can we please take action on these OSVs
before they start to be the norm in our parks.
The other issue that I would like to bring to your attention is the cluster
of OSVs and ancillary vehicles on Ash St. near the intersection of
Portage Ave. I recently spoke with two businesses and one residence on
this block and all are in agreement that this situation is a nuisance and a
source of visual blight. I was told that one individual owns all these
vehicles in addition to vehicles on the other segment of Ash St. in front
of the Sherman-Williams Paint store, in addition to several vehicles on
Sherman Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building.
I was also told that this individual can be belligerent at times and that
residents in the area do not feel safe. No one in Palo Alto should not
feel safe on their street due to someone who chooses to squat feet from
their residence.
We can do better, and we need to do better!
Here are a few photos for reference…
Regards,
Bob Marinaro
This is what the corner of Ash & Portage should look like. It’s been a
while!
Ash Street looking towards the old Fry’s building on Portage
The individual’s other vehicle on the segment of Ash Street
adjacent to San Antonio
Sheridan Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
--
Marguerite Poyatos
Operations Manager
PALO ALTO GLASS, INC.
4085 Transport Street
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-494-7000 ext.110
www.paloaltoglass.com
From:Barry Katz
To:Raphael Zahnd
Cc:Marguerite Poyatos; Annette Ross; lydiakou@gmail.com; Robert Marinaro; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone,
Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith;
Peter Xu; Loren Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John Schafer;
Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T
Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Manu Kumar; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo;
David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong;
Maggie Madlangbayan; Chris Lahlouh; K Norris; Elidia Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net;
Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Riley Cooke;
Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann
Balin; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external);
Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Rebecca Sanders; Douglas B.
Moran; Maia Harris
Subject:Re: Bob’s OSV Count (1/29/26)
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 12:50:49 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
To the member of the City Council,
As representative of the Ventura Neighborhood Association on the OSV problem, I am writing
to express my strong and unqualified support for the complaint of Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi.
As I indicated to a number of you at the recent Open House at Cubberly, the City’s “phased
approach” will take years to fully implement. In the meantime we are losing businesses and
subjecting residents such as Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi to intolerable abuses. Everyone
understands the scale of the problem, as documented by Mr. Robert Marinaro and others, but
despite the heroic efforts of Sgt. Bulatao and his team,, we are being victimized by a small
number of what Councilmember Lythcott-Haims has rightly called “bad actors. The
owner/operator of the junkyard on Ash and Sheridan Sts. Is clearly one such miscreant.
On behalf of all of us, I am asking that the City create a list of urgent priorities to be dealt with
immediately and forcefully.
Thank you very much for your diligent attention to this increasingly serious problem.
BK
Barry Katz
233 Margarita Avenue
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
650.644-8697
bmkatz1950@gmail.com
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report
On Feb 12, 2026, at 7:56 AM, Raphael Zahnd <raphael.zahnd@gmail.com>
wrote:
Dear City Council,
We are writing to you as residents of 3261 Ash Street. We love our neighborhood,
but we feel neglected by the City. Despite previous promises and the installation
of "NO TRAILERS" signs, the reality on our street has not changed.
The excitement we felt seeing the new signs lasted only a few days. The same
individual, who owns multiple RVs, trailers, cars, bikes etc. has simply moved his
belongings directly in front of our home. This has created an unbearable situation
for us:
My wife is often home alone and feels uncomfartable passing these vehicles
to enter our flat. We are constantly anxious, rushing to park our own cars on
the street just to prevent new oversized vehicles parking in front of our
home.
We are woken up at 6:00 AM or kept awake in the evening by the sound of
engines idling for up to 45 minutes at a time. The fumes enter our home.
We no longer feel comfortable inviting friends with small children to visit
because of the environment outside our door. It is embarrassing and
isolating.
We understand the complexities of the housing crisis, but we are struggling too.
We work hard to pay our rent and contribute to this city. It feels unfair that we are
left to deal with these conditions while our reports to 311 and non-emergency
services go unanswered.
Our street cannot continue like this. We are asking you to step up and enforce the
parking rules, while also finding a permanent solution to this problem.
Please help us reclaim our peace of mind and our neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Raphael Zahnd & Giulia Maria Nocchi
On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM Marguerite Poyatos
<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:
That seems to be a false equivalent to me and kind of grasping at straws,
honestly. It also does not touch on a lot of issues that are at hand that go past
property taxes being paid. Those restaurants, while taking up space, typically
keep sidewalks clean, don't dump human waste in streets and are typically not
harassing surrounding businesses. I would say they also typically bring more
foot traffic to surrounding businesses.
In our neighborhood, foot traffic has been directly affected by these RV's. There
is no street parking for customers. Being that we are in an area that people don't
regularly or conveniently walk to, the lack of street parking is a huge problem.
To this point, the people who are living in the RV'S aren't just taking up parking
spots with their RV's, but the numerous cars associated with them. One
gentleman has 5 cars in addition to his RV. He takes up half of one side of a
street. Many of his cars are filled with garbage and are not driven. Often when
customers come into our business, they state that the neighborhood doesn't feel
safe and ask if their car/personal belongings are safe. We had a daycare in our
neighborhood close because parents didn't feel safe leaving their kids there.
There is a ballet studio that has reported similar complaints from the parents of
their students. We have dealt with loose, aggressive dogs running into our
business and accosting customers. People are constantly dumping the human
waste from their RV's in the gutters, along with just general trash and waste
filling the gutters. Electricity is regularly being stolen from surrounding
businesses by some people living in RV's. There are no crosswalks, and with
the RV's blocking visibility, there are a lot of close calls with pedestrians being
hit by cars. I could go on, but all of these problems and more have been
reported for YEARS.
Many of these RV''s are dilapidated. Windows are broken and taped over. One
RV is missing a door and just has a bedsheet hanging in its place. There is an
RV with children sleeping inside that has no generator and for the most part
seems to go without power (in the winter). It seems criminal that anyone could
rent these RV's out to people. This is wrong for everyone involved.
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:
One can make a similar argument regarding giving away city streets to
restaurants. Covid presented exceptional circumstances but sidewalk and
street dining appears to be here to stay. Since the restaurants that benefit are
not paying for the extra square footage, we are subsidizing that use.
Governments excel at wasting money.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 1, 2026, at 8:58 PM, Lydia Kou 顧錦珍<lydiakou@gmail.com> wrote:
Bottom line, it is about fairness to businesses and to the residents
who have worked hard for years and years, paid and continue to
pay taxes for infrastructure and services, and invested in their
assets.
Are OSV dwellers and vanlords paying any kind of taxes for the
use of public lands and services? BTW, paying a vehicle
registration fee does not generate revenue to the city.
Is the city of Palo Alto unfriendly to retailers, businesses and
residents which/who generate revenue and property taxes by not
regulating these OSVs?
Are the city leaders creating bandaids and kicking the can around
town and reducing property values as they name different
neighborhoods to allow OSVs?
Final question is who are subsidizing all the OSV dwellers and
vanlords?
Meanwhile a city of approximately 67,000 in population has a
budget of over $1.4billion. And we don’t have a fire station that
can provide fire fighting and ambulance services at the same
time, it’s one or the other. Fire station 8 at Foothills Nature
Preserve can’t operate year round.
…much to ponder about … and what it boils down to is whom
have we elected and are they representing us after the campaign,
now that they got what they wanted. To be fair, It’s not easy
being an elected official, yet one has to have foundational
principles and have situational awareness.
God bless us with practicality and realities. No to taxes until
government spending is not for frivolous pet projects, virtue
signaling and ideologies.
Hey, cheers and Happy New Year ~ lk
Sent from Lydia’s Mobile
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM Robert Marinaro
<rmarinaro@mac.com> wrote:
OSV Ad Hoc Committee and City Council,
I wanted to thank you very much for hosting the OSV Open House at
the Mitchell Park Community Center on 1/27/26. It was most
informative and I had the opportunity to talk with many folks.
The primary purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with my latest point
in time OSV count (1/29/26) and ask you for your assistance in
removing OSVs in two key areas.
The good news on the OSV count is that the total is down slightly to
178, but part of this can be attributable to the utility construction along
East Bayshore Rd. near Corporation Way. The not so good news is that
OSV are starting to move into our parks. I see that the number in
Mitchell Park has increased to four and that there is now one in the
parking lot of Greer Park. Can we please take action on these OSVs
before they start to be the norm in our parks.
The other issue that I would like to bring to your attention is the cluster
of OSVs and ancillary vehicles on Ash St. near the intersection of
Portage Ave. I recently spoke with two businesses and one residence on
this block and all are in agreement that this situation is a nuisance and a
source of visual blight. I was told that one individual owns all these
vehicles in addition to vehicles on the other segment of Ash St. in front
of the Sherman-Williams Paint store, in addition to several vehicles on
Sherman Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building.
I was also told that this individual can be belligerent at times and that
residents in the area do not feel safe. No one in Palo Alto should not
feel safe on their street due to someone who chooses to squat feet from
their residence.
We can do better, and we need to do better!
Here are a few photos for reference…
Regards,
Bob Marinaro
This is what the corner of Ash & Portage should look like. It’s been a
while!
Ash Street looking towards the old Fry’s building on Portage
The individual’s other vehicle on the segment of Ash Street
adjacent to San Antonio
Sheridan Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
--
Marguerite Poyatos
Operations Manager
PALO ALTO GLASS, INC.
4085 Transport Street
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-494-7000 ext.110
www.paloaltoglass.com
From:Barry Katz
To:Raphael Zahnd
Cc:Marguerite Poyatos; Annette Ross; lydiakou@gmail.com; Robert Marinaro; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone,
Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith;
Peter Xu; Loren Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John Schafer;
Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T
Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Manu Kumar; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo;
David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong;
Maggie Madlangbayan; Chris Lahlouh; K Norris; Elidia Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net;
Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Riley Cooke;
Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann
Balin; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external);
Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Rebecca Sanders; Douglas B.
Moran; Maia Harris
Subject:Re: Bob’s OSV Count (1/29/26)
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 11:12:00 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
To the member of the City Council,
As representative of the Ventura Neighborhood Association on the OSV problem, I am writing
to express my strong and unqualified support for the complaint of Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi.
As I indicated to a number of you at the recent Open House at Cubberly, the City’s “phased
approach” will take years to fully implement. In the meantime we are losing businesses and
subjecting residents such as Mr. Zahnd and Ms. Nocchi to intolerable abuses. Everyone
understands the scale of the problem, as documented by Mr. Robert Marinaro and others, but
despite the heroic efforts of Sgt. Bulatao and his team,, we are being victimized by a small
number of what Councilmember Lythcott-Haims has rightly called “bad actors. The
owner/operator of the junkyard on Ash and Sheridan Sts. Is clearly one such miscreant.
On behalf of all of us, I am asking that the City create a list of urgent priorities to be dealt with
immediately and forcefully.
Thank you very much for your diligent attention to this increasingly serious problem.
BK
Barry Katz
233 Margarita Avenue
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
650.644-8697
bmkatz1950@gmail.com
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first mail to some recipients.
Mark Safe Report
On Feb 12, 2026, at 7:56 AM, Raphael Zahnd <raphael.zahnd@gmail.com>
wrote:
Dear City Council,
We are writing to you as residents of 3261 Ash Street. We love our neighborhood,
but we feel neglected by the City. Despite previous promises and the installation
of "NO TRAILERS" signs, the reality on our street has not changed.
The excitement we felt seeing the new signs lasted only a few days. The same
individual, who owns multiple RVs, trailers, cars, bikes etc. has simply moved his
belongings directly in front of our home. This has created an unbearable situation
for us:
My wife is often home alone and feels uncomfartable passing these vehicles
to enter our flat. We are constantly anxious, rushing to park our own cars on
the street just to prevent new oversized vehicles parking in front of our
home.
We are woken up at 6:00 AM or kept awake in the evening by the sound of
engines idling for up to 45 minutes at a time. The fumes enter our home.
We no longer feel comfortable inviting friends with small children to visit
because of the environment outside our door. It is embarrassing and
isolating.
We understand the complexities of the housing crisis, but we are struggling too.
We work hard to pay our rent and contribute to this city. It feels unfair that we are
left to deal with these conditions while our reports to 311 and non-emergency
services go unanswered.
Our street cannot continue like this. We are asking you to step up and enforce the
parking rules, while also finding a permanent solution to this problem.
Please help us reclaim our peace of mind and our neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Raphael Zahnd & Giulia Maria Nocchi
On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM Marguerite Poyatos
<marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:
That seems to be a false equivalent to me and kind of grasping at straws,
honestly. It also does not touch on a lot of issues that are at hand that go past
property taxes being paid. Those restaurants, while taking up space, typically
keep sidewalks clean, don't dump human waste in streets and are typically not
harassing surrounding businesses. I would say they also typically bring more
foot traffic to surrounding businesses.
In our neighborhood, foot traffic has been directly affected by these RV's. There
is no street parking for customers. Being that we are in an area that people don't
regularly or conveniently walk to, the lack of street parking is a huge problem.
To this point, the people who are living in the RV'S aren't just taking up parking
spots with their RV's, but the numerous cars associated with them. One
gentleman has 5 cars in addition to his RV. He takes up half of one side of a
street. Many of his cars are filled with garbage and are not driven. Often when
customers come into our business, they state that the neighborhood doesn't feel
safe and ask if their car/personal belongings are safe. We had a daycare in our
neighborhood close because parents didn't feel safe leaving their kids there.
There is a ballet studio that has reported similar complaints from the parents of
their students. We have dealt with loose, aggressive dogs running into our
business and accosting customers. People are constantly dumping the human
waste from their RV's in the gutters, along with just general trash and waste
filling the gutters. Electricity is regularly being stolen from surrounding
businesses by some people living in RV's. There are no crosswalks, and with
the RV's blocking visibility, there are a lot of close calls with pedestrians being
hit by cars. I could go on, but all of these problems and more have been
reported for YEARS.
Many of these RV''s are dilapidated. Windows are broken and taped over. One
RV is missing a door and just has a bedsheet hanging in its place. There is an
RV with children sleeping inside that has no generator and for the most part
seems to go without power (in the winter). It seems criminal that anyone could
rent these RV's out to people. This is wrong for everyone involved.
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:
One can make a similar argument regarding giving away city streets to
restaurants. Covid presented exceptional circumstances but sidewalk and
street dining appears to be here to stay. Since the restaurants that benefit are
not paying for the extra square footage, we are subsidizing that use.
Governments excel at wasting money.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 1, 2026, at 8:58 PM, Lydia Kou 顧錦珍<lydiakou@gmail.com> wrote:
Bottom line, it is about fairness to businesses and to the residents
who have worked hard for years and years, paid and continue to
pay taxes for infrastructure and services, and invested in their
assets.
Are OSV dwellers and vanlords paying any kind of taxes for the
use of public lands and services? BTW, paying a vehicle
registration fee does not generate revenue to the city.
Is the city of Palo Alto unfriendly to retailers, businesses and
residents which/who generate revenue and property taxes by not
regulating these OSVs?
Are the city leaders creating bandaids and kicking the can around
town and reducing property values as they name different
neighborhoods to allow OSVs?
Final question is who are subsidizing all the OSV dwellers and
vanlords?
Meanwhile a city of approximately 67,000 in population has a
budget of over $1.4billion. And we don’t have a fire station that
can provide fire fighting and ambulance services at the same
time, it’s one or the other. Fire station 8 at Foothills Nature
Preserve can’t operate year round.
…much to ponder about … and what it boils down to is whom
have we elected and are they representing us after the campaign,
now that they got what they wanted. To be fair, It’s not easy
being an elected official, yet one has to have foundational
principles and have situational awareness.
God bless us with practicality and realities. No to taxes until
government spending is not for frivolous pet projects, virtue
signaling and ideologies.
Hey, cheers and Happy New Year ~ lk
Sent from Lydia’s Mobile
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM Robert Marinaro
<rmarinaro@mac.com> wrote:
OSV Ad Hoc Committee and City Council,
I wanted to thank you very much for hosting the OSV Open House at
the Mitchell Park Community Center on 1/27/26. It was most
informative and I had the opportunity to talk with many folks.
The primary purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with my latest point
in time OSV count (1/29/26) and ask you for your assistance in
removing OSVs in two key areas.
The good news on the OSV count is that the total is down slightly to
178, but part of this can be attributable to the utility construction along
East Bayshore Rd. near Corporation Way. The not so good news is that
OSV are starting to move into our parks. I see that the number in
Mitchell Park has increased to four and that there is now one in the
parking lot of Greer Park. Can we please take action on these OSVs
before they start to be the norm in our parks.
The other issue that I would like to bring to your attention is the cluster
of OSVs and ancillary vehicles on Ash St. near the intersection of
Portage Ave. I recently spoke with two businesses and one residence on
this block and all are in agreement that this situation is a nuisance and a
source of visual blight. I was told that one individual owns all these
vehicles in addition to vehicles on the other segment of Ash St. in front
of the Sherman-Williams Paint store, in addition to several vehicles on
Sherman Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building.
I was also told that this individual can be belligerent at times and that
residents in the area do not feel safe. No one in Palo Alto should not
feel safe on their street due to someone who chooses to squat feet from
their residence.
We can do better, and we need to do better!
Here are a few photos for reference…
Regards,
Bob Marinaro
This is what the corner of Ash & Portage should look like. It’s been a
while!
Ash Street looking towards the old Fry’s building on Portage
The individual’s other vehicle on the segment of Ash Street
adjacent to San Antonio
Sheridan Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
--
Marguerite Poyatos
Operations Manager
PALO ALTO GLASS, INC.
4085 Transport Street
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-494-7000 ext.110
www.paloaltoglass.com
From:Raphael Zahnd
To:Marguerite Poyatos
Cc:Annette Ross; lydiakou@gmail.com; Robert Marinaro; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick;
Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; Roger Smith; Peter Xu; Loren
Brown; Dana Dahlstrom; Ceci Kettendorf; Chris Berg; Taly Katz; Barry Katz; Nancy Ellickson; John Schafer;
Jeanette Baldwin; Alina Martinez; Micah Murphy; Danielle Dunne; David Famero; Carly Lake; Sandy Freschi; T
Bullman; Dave Stellman; dave@paloaltoglass.com; Steve Wong; Manu Kumar; Patrick Kelly; Osbaldo Romero;
Xenia Czisch; Bill McLane; Ramon Moreno; L Wong; Cathi Lerch; Maor Greenberg; Moffatt, Pete; Jacob Hakmo;
David Perez; Nancy Powers; Dan McKinley; John Lerch; Stacey Tomson; CMEI Wong; DMA Wong; Jin Wong;
Maggie Madlangbayan; Chris Lahlouh; K Norris; Elidia Tafoya; S Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net;
Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; Cheryl Routon; Peter Longanecker; Karsyn Smith Development; Riley Cooke;
Pigman, Sophie; Baird, Nathan; Palo Alto Daily Post; Gennady Sheyner; Louis Hsiao; Jo Ann Mandinach; Ann
Balin; Mary Gallagher; Maury Green; Terry Holzemer; Joseph Hirsch; Ben Lerner; Greg Schmid (external);
Suzanne Keehn; William Ross; Ron Chun; Rita Vrhel; Arthur Keller; Jeff Levinsky; Rebecca Sanders; Douglas B.
Moran
Subject:Re: Bob’s OSV Count (1/29/26)
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 7:58:30 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Dear City Council,
We are writing to you as residents of 3261 Ash Street. We love our neighborhood, but we feel
neglected by the City. Despite previous promises and the installation of "NO TRAILERS"
signs, the reality on our street has not changed.
The excitement we felt seeing the new signs lasted only a few days. The same individual, who
owns multiple RVs, trailers, cars, bikes etc. has simply moved his belongings directly in front
of our home. This has created an unbearable situation for us:
My wife is often home alone and feels uncomfartable passing these vehicles to enter our
flat. We are constantly anxious, rushing to park our own cars on the street just to prevent
new oversized vehicles parking in front of our home.
We are woken up at 6:00 AM or kept awake in the evening by the sound of engines
idling for up to 45 minutes at a time. The fumes enter our home.
We no longer feel comfortable inviting friends with small children to visit because of
the environment outside our door. It is embarrassing and isolating.
We understand the complexities of the housing crisis, but we are struggling too. We work hard
to pay our rent and contribute to this city. It feels unfair that we are left to deal with these
conditions while our reports to 311 and non-emergency services go unanswered.
Our street cannot continue like this. We are asking you to step up and enforce the parking
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
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rules, while also finding a permanent solution to this problem.
Please help us reclaim our peace of mind and our neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Raphael Zahnd & Giulia Maria Nocchi
On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com>
wrote:
That seems to be a false equivalent to me and kind of grasping at straws, honestly. It also
does not touch on a lot of issues that are at hand that go past property taxes being paid.
Those restaurants, while taking up space, typically keep sidewalks clean, don't dump human
waste in streets and are typically not harassing surrounding businesses. I would say they also
typically bring more foot traffic to surrounding businesses.
In our neighborhood, foot traffic has been directly affected by these RV's. There is no street
parking for customers. Being that we are in an area that people don't regularly or
conveniently walk to, the lack of street parking is a huge problem. To this point, the people
who are living in the RV'S aren't just taking up parking spots with their RV's, but the
numerous cars associated with them. One gentleman has 5 cars in addition to his RV. He
takes up half of one side of a street. Many of his cars are filled with garbage and are not
driven. Often when customers come into our business, they state that the neighborhood
doesn't feel safe and ask if their car/personal belongings are safe. We had a daycare in our
neighborhood close because parents didn't feel safe leaving their kids there. There is a ballet
studio that has reported similar complaints from the parents of their students. We have dealt
with loose, aggressive dogs running into our business and accosting customers. People are
constantly dumping the human waste from their RV's in the gutters, along with just general
trash and waste filling the gutters. Electricity is regularly being stolen from
surrounding businesses by some people living in RV's. There are no crosswalks, and with
the RV's blocking visibility, there are a lot of close calls with pedestrians being hit by cars. I
could go on, but all of these problems and more have been reported for YEARS.
Many of these RV''s are dilapidated. Windows are broken and taped over. One RV is
missing a door and just has a bedsheet hanging in its place. There is an RV with children
sleeping inside that has no generator and for the most part seems to go without power (in the
winter). It seems criminal that anyone could rent these RV's out to people. This is wrong for
everyone involved.
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:
One can make a similar argument regarding giving away city streets to restaurants. Covid
presented exceptional circumstances but sidewalk and street dining appears to be here to
stay. Since the restaurants that benefit are not paying for the extra square footage, we are
subsidizing that use. Governments excel at wasting money.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 1, 2026, at 8:58 PM, Lydia Kou 顧錦珍 <lydiakou@gmail.com>
Bottom line, it is about fairness to businesses and to the residents who have
worked hard for years and years, paid and continue to pay taxes for
infrastructure and services, and invested in their assets.
Are OSV dwellers and vanlords paying any kind of taxes for the use of public
lands and services? BTW, paying a vehicle registration fee does not generate
revenue to the city.
Is the city of Palo Alto unfriendly to retailers, businesses and residents
which/who generate revenue and property taxes by not regulating these
OSVs?
Are the city leaders creating bandaids and kicking the can around town and
reducing property values as they name different neighborhoods to allow
OSVs?
Final question is who are subsidizing all the OSV dwellers and vanlords?
Meanwhile a city of approximately 67,000 in population has a budget of over
$1.4billion. And we don’t have a fire station that can provide fire fighting and
ambulance services at the same time, it’s one or the other. Fire station 8 at
Foothills Nature Preserve can’t operate year round.
…much to ponder about … and what it boils down to is whom have we
elected and are they representing us after the campaign, now that they got
what they wanted. To be fair, It’s not easy being an elected official, yet one
has to have foundational principles and have situational awareness.
God bless us with practicality and realities. No to taxes until government
spending is not for frivolous pet projects, virtue signaling and ideologies.
Hey, cheers and Happy New Year ~ lk
Sent from Lydia’s Mobile
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM Robert Marinaro <rmarinaro@mac.com>
wrote:
OSV Ad Hoc Committee and City Council,
I wanted to thank you very much for hosting the OSV Open House at the Mitchell
Park Community Center on 1/27/26. It was most informative and I had the
opportunity to talk with many folks.
The primary purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with my latest point in time OSV
count (1/29/26) and ask you for your assistance in removing OSVs in two key areas.
The good news on the OSV count is that the total is down slightly to 178, but part of
this can be attributable to the utility construction along East Bayshore Rd. near
Corporation Way. The not so good news is that OSV are starting to move into our
parks. I see that the number in Mitchell Park has increased to four and that there is
now one in the parking lot of Greer Park. Can we please take action on these OSVs
before they start to be the norm in our parks.
The other issue that I would like to bring to your attention is the cluster of OSVs and
ancillary vehicles on Ash St. near the intersection of Portage Ave. I recently spoke
with two businesses and one residence on this block and all are in agreement that this
situation is a nuisance and a source of visual blight. I was told that one individual
owns all these vehicles in addition to vehicles on the other segment of Ash St. in front
of the Sherman-Williams Paint store, in addition to several vehicles on Sherman Ave.
adjacent to the Tencent building.
I was also told that this individual can be belligerent at times and that residents in the
area do not feel safe. No one in Palo Alto should not feel safe on their street due to
someone who chooses to squat feet from their residence.
We can do better, and we need to do better!
Here are a few photos for reference…
Regards,
Bob Marinaro
This is what the corner of Ash & Portage should look like. It’s been a while!
Ash Street looking towards the old Fry’s building on Portage
The individual’s other vehicle on the segment of Ash Street adjacent to San
Antonio
Sheridan Ave. adjacent to the Tencent building
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
Ash Street
--
Marguerite Poyatos
Operations Manager
PALO ALTO GLASS, INC.4085 Transport StreetPalo Alto, CA 94303650-494-7000 ext.110www.paloaltoglass.com
From:Gabe Molitor
To:Council, City
Subject:Dear city council members this is your friend Gabe molitor and the reason for this mobile cell phone email
message is because I also think that the city of Palo Alto and also Stanford university should have a partnership
together to help bring back the...
Date:Thursday, February 12, 2026 3:46:33 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking
on links.
Sent from my iPhone
From:Tony Lee
To:Council, City
Cc:Baird, Nathan; Carias, Ruth
Subject:Urgent Plea for Reconsideration of Parking Policies on El Camino Real and the Impact on Small Businesses
Date:Wednesday, February 11, 2026 9:39:50 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council Members,
My name is Tony Lee, and I am the owner of Stanford Coin Wash, located at 2045 on El
Camino Real.
I am writing again to plead for immediate changes to the bicycle lane implementation on El
Camino Real. As a laundromat without a private lot, my business model relies entirely on
customers being able to load and unload heavy laundry loads near the entrance. The current
situation is not just an inconvenience; it is an existential threat to my business and other
surrounding small businesses.
Rebuttal to "Side Street" Suggestions: I previously raised these concerns with the City, and
Nathan Baird from the Office of Transportation visited my store. He advised that my
customers should simply utilize street parking on Oxford Ave and Stanford Ave.
I must inform the Council that this suggestion is practically impossible due to the current
usage of those streets:
1. Oxford Ave Saturation: This street has approximately 4 spaces, all of which are often
occupied by residents or other visitors.
2. Stanford Ave Saturation: This street is currently being used as an overflow lot for
other commercial operations.
Commercial Fleet Parking: The nearby bicycle store utilizes this street to park
their transport trucks, vans, and employee vehicles throughout the entire day.
Auto Repair Storage: The adjacent gas station operates an automobile repair
service. On any given day, there are more than 5 vehicles parked on Stanford Ave
waiting for or finishing repairs.
These vehicles occupy the spots for hours or days at a time. There is effectively zero turnover
on Stanford Ave, leaving no space for my customers who need 90 minutes to wash and dry.
Proposed Mitigations for Survival: To allow my small business to survive, I am requesting
the following specific modifications:
1. "Hybrid" Parking Hours on El Camino Real: I request approval to park in the
bicycle lane after 7:00 PM. Data and observations indicate that bicycle traffic drops to
near zero after 5:00 or 6:00 PM. Allowing evening parking would provide a lifeline for
my evening customers without hindering bicycle commuters.
2. Loading and Unloading Permit in front of small businesses without their own parking
lot.
3. Financial Mitigation: Discussion regarding business grants or rent relief for businesses
on El Camino Real that can demonstrate revenue loss directly tied to this infrastructure
change.
I invite you to review the parking situation on Stanford Ave. in person. You will see that it is
not available for retail customers. Please help us find a solution before a long-standing Palo
Alto small business is forced to close.
Sincerely
Tony Lee
650-224-2230 cell
Stanford Coin Wash
From:Christine Czarnecki
To:Council, City
Subject:Palo Alto Link - please replace it
Date:Wednesday, February 11, 2026 10:48:59 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
To the members of our city council;
We all understand that Palo Alto is facing a budget deficit, and that you are actively looking for programs to modify and cut in order to save money.
Please put Palo Alto Link on the chopping block.
The idea is wonderful, but the execution is dreadful. Both my neighbors, in the 80s and 90s, the perfect target demographic for Palo Alto Link, have tried it and won't use it again. It is slow, late, and the app is balky and very clumsy.
The city would save money by selling off its fleet and instead of Link, subsidizing Uber and Lyft rides instead. An additional benefit is that service would be available at all hours of the day and night. An elderly person who cannot drive at night cannot use Link to go to dinner, or a concert, or the Stanford Hospital ER for a non-emergency medical issue. Uber and Lyft work seamlesslyat all hours.
Also, since some of my elderly friends do not have smart phones to download an app, there are two solutions.
Firstly, Uber has a telephone number to call for those without smartphones. Their CEO set this service up so that his own mother-in-law could use Uber.
https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/call-to-ride/
Secondly, there is another service called GoGoGrandparent which will call Uber and Lyft rides for the passenger.
https://get.gogograndparent.com/rides/gogostart/extra-features-2?
Please, consider these better alternatives for ride service for Palo Altans. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Christine Czarnecki
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first email to your company.
Mark Safe Report
From:Vaita Mataele
To:Council, City
Subject:URGENT: Joint Action Needed for Rail Safety at RailRoad Crossings in Palo Alto
Date:Wednesday, February 11, 2026 10:27:37 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor,
City Council Members,
and School Board Trustees,
As a community volunteer dedicated to youth safety near Palo Alto’s
train tracks, I feel a deep connection to the Palo Alto Unified School District
(PAUSD). Though I reside in East Palo Alto, I am a proud alumna of the
Tinsley Program, which served as a "Big Brother/Sister" to me, providing the
high quality education and support I needed to thrive. My time at PAUSD
was transformative; it helped me navigate personal battles with anxiety,
depression, and suicide, and eventually led me to identify my youth as
neurodivergent. These experiences shaped my understanding of the "silent
battles" students face such as bullying and disconnection and fueled my
passion for ensuring every child has access to the Individualized Education
Programs (IEP) or 504 plans they need to succeed.
I urge PAUSD to look toward TIDE Academy as a solution to the
ongoing mental health and suicide crisis. TIDE is the living embodiment of
an inclusive IEP environment where neurodiversity is celebrated rather than
sidelined. In this unique culture of mutual respect, students who previously
felt invisible or suicidal actually look forward to attending school. However,
due to a budget deficit within the Sequoia Union High School District, TIDE
is currently in limbo. This uncertainty threatens to force students, including
my sister Valu Mataele, back into environments where they previously felt
unsafe or unable to thrive.
To prevent further tragedy, I encourage PAUSD to consider hiring
TIDE’s dedicated educators, such as Counselor Ming Hsu (650-306-1755
ext. 79042) to serve as "Neurodiversity Ambassadors." By integrating their
expertise with the existing strengths of PAUSD teachers, we can build a
more robust, "neuropositive" environment. Even if budget constraints
prevent hiring, I invite you to learn from the thriving students at TIDE as a
testament to what is possible when children are allowed to be their authentic
selves. I have provided QR codes and website links below to help educators
become Neuropositive Ambassadors and BSBB Trainers. While I
appreciate the physical safety measures taken near the train tracks, we
must now address the root cause of distress by protecting the academic
spaces where our children feel most at home.
Sincerely,
Vaita Mataele
2137 Euclid Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA
Become a NueroPositive Ambassador
https://auticon.com/neurodiversity-ambassadors-training/
image.png
Be Sensitive Be Brave for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
Trainings for Santa Clara County and Older Adult Providers
https://communityconnections.net/training/bsbb/
image.png
From:Vaita Mataele
To:Council, City
Subject:URGENT: Joint Action Needed for Rail Safety at RailRoad Crossings in Palo Alto
Date:Wednesday, February 11, 2026 10:02:44 AM
Attachments:image.png
image.png
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Dear Mayor,
City Council Members,
and School Board Trustees,
As a community volunteer dedicated to youth safety near Palo Alto’s train tracks, I
feel a deep connection to the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Though I
reside in East Palo Alto, I am a proud alumna of the Tinsley Program, which served
as a "Big Brother/Sister" to me, providing the high quality education and support I
needed to thrive. My time at PAUSD was transformative; it helped me navigate
personal battles with anxiety, depression, and suicide, and eventually led me to
identify my youth as neurodivergent. These experiences shaped my understanding of
the "silent battles" students face such as bullying and disconnection and fueled my
passion for ensuring every child has access to the Individualized Education Programs
(IEP) or 504 plans they need to succeed.
I urge PAUSD to look toward TIDE Academy as a solution to the ongoing mental
health and suicide crisis. TIDE is the living embodiment of an inclusive IEP
environment where neurodiversity is celebrated rather than sidelined. In this unique
culture of mutual respect, students who previously felt invisible or suicidal actually
look forward to attending school. However, due to a budget deficit within the Sequoia
Union High School District, TIDE is currently in limbo. This uncertainty threatens to
force students, including my sister Valu Mataele, back into environments where they
previously felt unsafe or unable to thrive.
To prevent further tragedy, I encourage PAUSD to consider hiring TIDE’s dedicated
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report
educators, such as Counselor Ming Hsu (650-306-1755 ext. 79042) to serve as
"Neurodiversity Ambassadors." By integrating their expertise with the existing
strengths of PAUSD teachers, we can build a more robust, "neuropositive"
environment. Even if budget constraints prevent hiring, I invite you to learn from the
thriving students at TIDE as a testament to what is possible when children are
allowed to be their authentic selves. I have provided QR codes and website links
below to help educators become Neuropositive Ambassadors and BSBB Trainers.
While I appreciate the physical safety measures taken near the train tracks, we must
now address the root cause of distress by protecting the academic spaces where our
children feel most at home.
Become a NueroPositive Ambassador
https://auticon.com/neurodiversity-ambassadors-training/
Be Sensitive Be Brave for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
Trainings for Santa Clara County and Older Adult Providers
https://communityconnections.net/training/bsbb/
From:Vaita Mataele
To:Council, City
Subject:URGENT: Joint Action Needed for Rail Safety at Churchill Crossing
Date:Tuesday, February 10, 2026 10:39:02 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Dear Mayor,
City Council Members,
and School Board Trustees,
I am a Community Volunteer who is doing my part to help keep children safe and
away from the train tracks in Palo Alto. I live in East Palo Alto, but my heart is in Palo
Alto with all the children who are hurting. I love the community of Palo Alto, because I
was supported in every way in my education in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
Thank you for the Tinsley Program, which allowed me and many other children from
East Palo Alto or San Mateo County to thrive and was given access to higher learning
education from their neighborhood "Big Sister or Big Brother" City of Palo Alto.
As I have learned so much from my time being educated in Palo Alto Unified
School District schools, I have a solution to the suicidal issue in Palo Alto schools. I
am an ambassador for neurodiversity, because I only found out recently there was a
term for the issue I faced as young child with anxiety, depression, and suicide. The
term is called being a neurodivergent individual. Not all kids are neurodivergent, but a
lot of children are just feeling disconnected from their peers, either due to bullying, or
unaligned values with their peers. Many children only later discover they are
neurodivergent and need a 504 plan or an IEP. I am glad that I overcame my anxiety
disability. Thank you Palo Alto Unified School District for helping me thrive into who I
am today. Every trial was a great experience for me to keep pursuing a better version
of myself.
If you are looking for a solution to the issue your school district is facing. Please
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast
Individualized Education Program (IEP) and welcomes neurodiversity. They accept
every child regardless if they have a disability or not. The teachers truly care about
their kids, and it's amazing that every student actually wants to show up everyday to
school. And they even speak highly of everyone and with so much love and care for
their peers and teachers.
Unfortunately TIDE Academy seems to be in a limbo situation where there is
uncertainty as to whether the school will actually shut down, due to a Sequoia Union
High School District decision that only gave children the option to go back to their
default school, where they were bullied, felt suicidal, or disconnected or to go to
Woodside High School, which would be a farther commute and where many of these
children could not thrive and felt bullied.
Please consider hiring these wonderful caring teachers that are willing to fight for
every one of their students. They protect every child with the care they need in order
to thrive every single day. I have a contact with a TIDE Academy Counselor named
Ming Hsu and she is very attentive to every child's needs. Her contact is (650)306-
1755 ext. 79042. She is the reason why my little sister Valu Mataele is thriving at
TIDE Academy and keeps telling me she doesn't want the school to shut down. Many
students feel attached to this school like it's their home and have expressed so much
distress about the uncertain closure of TIDE Academy. Thanks to the inviting
teachers and students that create such a welcoming environment, it has allowed
students to be who they truly are, and authentically in their own way.
Thank you for showing you care about your children in Palo Alto by implementing
safety measures near the train tracks and continuing to figure out the best solutions to
help protect your children. We do not know the silent battles each student faces,
however thank you for being proactive in our community. I have a great respect for
the Community of Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Vaita Mataele
2137 Euclid Avenue
East Palo Alto, Ca
From:City Mgr
To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Executive Leadership Team; Clerk, City; City Mgr
Subject:Council Bundle - February 10, 2026
Date:Tuesday, February 10, 2026 7:49:44 AM
Attachments:Flock Cameras.msg
RE Flock Safety and City of Mountain View Statement.msg
FW Homeless in a Vehicle in Palo Alto Perspective.msg
Fw RV Parking Enforcement.msg
image001.png
image002.png
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please find attached the staff responses to emails received in
the Council inbox through February 10, 2026.
Respectfully,
Danille
Danille Rice
Administrative Assistant
City Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation
(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@PaloAlto.gov
www.PaloAlto.gov
From:Vaita Mataele
To:Council, City
Subject:URGENT: Joint Action Needed for Rail Safety at Churchill Crossing
Date:Tuesday, February 10, 2026 12:54:47 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Dear Mayor,
City Council Members,
and School Board Trustees,
I am a Community Volunteer who is doing my part to help keep children safe and
away from the train tracks in Palo Alto. I live in East Palo Alto, but my heart is in Palo
Alto with all the children who are hurting. I love the community of Palo Alto, because I
was supported in every way in my education in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
Thank you for the Tinsley Program, which allowed me and many other children from
East Palo Alto or San Mateo County to thrive and was given access to higher learning
education from their neighborhood "Big Sister or Big Brother" City of Palo Alto.
As I have learned so much from my time being educated in Palo Alto Unified
School District schools, I have a solution to the suicidal issue in Palo Alto schools. I
am an ambassador for neurodiversity, because I only found out recently there was a
term for the issue I faced as young child with anxiety, depression, and suicide. The
term is called being a neurodivergent individual. Not all kids are neurodivergent, but a
lot of children are just feeling disconnected from their peers, either due to bullying, or
unaligned values with their peers. Many children only later discover they are
neurodivergent and need a 504 plan or an IEP. I am glad that I overcame my anxiety
disability. Thank you Palo Alto Unified School District for helping me thrive into who I
am today. Every trial was a great experience for me to keep pursuing a better version
of myself.
If you are looking for a solution to the issue your school district is facing. Please
This message needs your attention
This is a personal email address.
This is their first email to your company.
Mark Safe Report
Individualized Education Program (IEP) and welcomes neurodiversity. They accept
every child regardless if they have a disability or not. The teachers truly care about
their kids, and it's amazing that every student actually wants to show up everyday to
school. And they even speak highly of everyone and with so much love and care for
their peers and teachers.
Unfortunately TIDE Academy seems to be in a limbo situation where there is
uncertainty as to whether the school will actually shut down, due to a Sequoia Union
High School District decision that only gave children the option to go back to their
default school, where they were bullied, felt suicidal, or disconnected or to go to
Woodside High School, which would be a farther commute and where many of these
children could not thrive and felt bullied.
Please consider hiring these wonderful caring teachers that are willing to fight for
every one of their students. They protect every child with the care they need in order
to thrive every single day. I have a contact with a TIDE Academy Counselor named
Ming Hsu and she is very attentive to every child's needs. Her contact is (650)306-
1755. She is the reason why my little sister Valu Mataele is thriving at TIDE Academy
and keeps telling me she doesn't want the school to shut down. Many students feel
attached to this school like it's their home and have expressed so much distress
about the uncertain closure of TIDE Academy. Thanks to the inviting teachers and
students that create such a welcoming environment, it has allowed students to be
who they truly are, and authentically in their own way.
Thank you for showing you care about your children in Palo Alto by implementing
safety measures near the train tracks and continuing to figure out the best solutions to
help protect your children. We do not know the silent battles each student faces,
however thank you for being proactive in our community. I have a great respect for
the Community of Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Vaita Mataele
2137 Euclid Avenue
East Palo Alto, Ca
From:David Hirsch
To:Council, City
Subject:Final - to replace previous
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 9:36:58 PM
Attachments:#2Geng Road.pdf
composed_council_docs.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking
on links.
Note: I will call on Tuesday morning to confirm receipt of correct material.
Thank you,
David Hirsch
Geng Road Project
Housing Mix and Policy Alignment Briefing Packet
Purpose of This Packet
This packet outlines a policy-consistent refinement to the Geng Road project intended to
improve housing diversity, increase overall unit yield, and strengthen alignment with Palo Alto’s
Comprehensive Plan, Context-Based Design Criteria, and Housing Element commitments.
Project Context
The Geng Road site, at approximately 11 acres, is one of the City’s largest remaining residential
development opportunities. Adopted policy anticipates that sites of this scale deliver a mix of
housing types and contribute meaningfully to housing production goals. The proposal
summarized here introduces a low-rise multiple-dwelling component while preserving an
ownership-based community and high design standards.
Estimated Housing Yield Impact (Illustrative)
Current Concept (Townhome-Focused Plan)
● Rear site area of approximately one acre designated for:
~20 multi-level townhome units
● Predominantly larger, family-sized ownership homes
● Limited housing options for seniors, couples, and small households
Proposed Refinement (Mixed Housing Types)
● Replace ~20 townhomes in the rear cluster with:
○ One low-rise, elevator-served multiple-dwelling building
○ Approximately 40-50 single-level one- and two-bedroom
ownership units
● Building located internally on the site to minimize neighborhood
impacts
Estimated Net Housing Gain
20 - +30 net new housing units
● Represents an increase in unit yield within the same site area
● Achieved without rezoning, site expansion, or reliance on state
override provisions
Final unit counts would be determined through detailed design and
entitlement review.
Why This Proposal Benefits All Parties
Benefits to the City (Housing Element & Policy Goals)
● Increases total housing units on a large site, contributing directly to
RHNA progress.
● Demonstrates good-faith implementation of adopted policy during
the current Housing Element cycle, strengthening the City’s
position under SB 90–era state oversight.
● Improves housing diversity by serving seniors, couples, and small
households currently underserved by townhome-only development.
● Enables more efficient delivery of affordable units, potentially
increasing both unit count and affordability yield.
Benefits to Planning Staff and City Council
● Provides a defensible, findings-based rationale grounded in
existing policy for approving increased density on a large site.
● Offers a measured alternative to large rental developments while
maintaining ownership and design quality.
● Allows the City to demonstrate leadership on housing production
without compromising neighborhood compatibility or design
standards.
Benefits to the Developer
● Higher total unit yield improves revenue potential per acre.
● Broader product mix expands the buyer pool and reduces market
risk.
● Smaller, single-level units typically absorb faster, improving sales
velocity and cash flow.
● Affordable units can be delivered more efficiently in a
multiple-dwelling format.
● Early alignment with City policy priorities reduces entitlement
uncertainty and late-stage conditions.
● Phased implementation allows townhome construction to proceed
without delay.
What This Proposal Does Not Do
● Does not require rezoning or policy amendments.
● Does not introduce high-intensity rental towers.
● Does not compromise neighborhood edges or design standards.
● Does not delay approved townhome construction if phased
appropriately.
Intent
The intent of this proposal is to leverage a rare large development site to deliver more housing,
greater diversity, and stronger policy alignment in a manner that benefits the City, the
community, and the project sponsor alike.
To the Council
Consider the “COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICY L-2.3 as you review the
Geng Road Project. It states:
“As a key component of a diverse, inclusive community, allow and
encourage a mix of housing types and sizes designed for greater
affordability, particularly small housing types, such as studios, co-housing,
cottages, clustered housing, accessory dwelling units and senior housing”
Add to this list specifically for Geng Road: large one and two bedroom flats in
a low-rise multiple dwelling.
The contextual zoning under Chapter 18.16.090 is quite specific about this
description of multi-housing typologies. It notes that for “Large Multi-Acre
Sites the diversity of building types increases based on lot sizes. For
example less than 1 acre = one building type; 1-2 acres = minimum 2
housing types; greater than 2 acres = minimum 3 housing types.”
Geng Road is 11 acres. Thus it is reasonable to assume that such a large
site ought to include a multiple dwelling as one of these 3 or more housing
types. The three illustrations accompanying these defining statements on
page 26 in the Context-Based Design Criteria of the Zoning shows a mix of
unit types including ‘multiple dwellings’: (see next page.)
Palo Alto has many new examples of large rental buildings being developed to
include hundreds of units becoming the norm. Individuals or couples without
children or those with one child or seniors preferring to downsize from their
private home might prefer to live in a ‘townhome community’ with ample
landscaped open space surroundings rather than a massive, single large
structure without these natural amenities. Additionally, they might not need the
extra space for each townhome model with three or four bedrooms, extra large
living/dining spaces and stairs connecting each of the three or four level
dwellings. Large one or two bedroom units in single level apartment flats in a low
rise, elevator accessed multiple dwelling would be more suitable for a significant
portion of this population without the larger family needs.
Besides satisfying this broader population, it would be reasonable for all of the
variety of unit types to follow the ownership model, so that all residents,
townhome owners as well as multiple dwelling unit holders would share in the
common maintenance and responsibilities of the community.
To the Council
While this suggested change to Geng Road adds complexity to the
development, it will be worth the effort to satisfy Palo Alto’s significant
commitment to both the Zoning and the Comprehensive Plan. And by providing
for these more modest, single level efficient, elevator accessed units, the
developer will be expanding their market to include a more representative
community (with additional affordable units) for a significant number of smaller-
sized families. This marketing shift could certainly benefit the developer.
There is a reasonable area at the rear boundary of the site designed with four
clusters numbered 50-53 on the proposed site plan designated for 20
townhome dwellings (see the following illustration). This extra large area,
nearly an acre in size, could accommodate a four or five story significant
multiple dwelling structure, perhaps with a set back fifth floor and with access to
one level of parking below grade. This site area could provide perhaps 30 or 40
additional units, greater than the 20 townhomes that are presently proposed.
And It could also include a needed community meeting room/ multi-purpose
space, perhaps a day care facility, and a commercial space (such as a coffee/
pastry shop) similar to the city’s required commercial space for new structures
on San Antonio Road. Relocating the excavated soil from the below grade
parking would reduce the amount of fill necessary to raise the entire site grade
by 4 feet as required to protect against the future rising flood level from the bay.
Certainly this larger structure will need to be designed to be compatible with the
materials, massing and articulations that establishes the aesthetic design of the
entire development. And most significantly, as an important addition to the
concept for the Geng Road Community, this change would expand the
range of dwelling types and provide a more authentic social environment.
Respectfully submitted
David L. Hirsch
(This is a personal opinion and is not presented as representing the ARB.)
Additional Notes
1 The developers could bifurcate the project and continue to process the
townhomes while completing the design and approval of the multiple dwelling,
which might mean that this single larger building would be slightly out of
synchronization during the construction phase.
2 They could rework the designation of affordable units to include more in
the multiple dwelling than in the townhomes, because the planning of these
units are more efficiently designed to fit the lifestyle of the smaller sized family.
This would free up more townhomes for sale which ought to be financially
beneficial to the developer. This would also allow the Planning Department to
increase the number of units towards their targeted yield, both for the increase in
number of units and percentage of affordable units for this site.
3. The multiple dwelling would expand the market eligibility to a larger
category of buyers, which ought to assist in an increased speed of sales.
4. If the expense of the multiple dwelling construction would be a proven
financial penalty to the developer, perhaps there could be some review of the
impact fees and other City mandated costs for this project as an assistance to
support this project, just as it has previously supported low income housing
projects. Such considerations could be exclusively to support the affordable
units.
5. As a pilot project for Palo Alto, an analysis might determine whether
“Social Housing” which blends both affordable and market rate units of differing
sizes in an ownership format is an effective concept, a model that might be
considered for other potential projects.
6. It would be unfortunate if this 11 acre site were allowed to be developed
with such a low density, as the project presently proposes, given the urgency to
provide evidence of the intention to provide the required 6,000 plus units within
this Housing Element period.
From:David Hirsch
To:Council, City
Subject:Geng Road
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 9:28:38 PM
Attachments:#2Geng Road.pdf
Geng Road - PDF.pdf
From:sarah payne
To:Council, City
Subject:Addressing Rail Crossings
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 6:36:56 PM
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I am writing as a 15 year Palo Alto resident and parent of school aged children, and as a
volunteer rail crossing monitor, to urge you to put paid 24/7 guards at all of the rail crossings
and also please close the Churchill crossing. It is critical for the safety of our community that
this be done immediately.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sarah
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From:promiserani
To:Council, City
Subject:Paid guards at crossings, and closure of Churchill
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 6:21:06 PM
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Dear Council Members,
I am writing to urge you to pay for paid security guards at the four crossings, if possible with
additional training so they keep our young people safe. In addition, please temporarily close
Churchill. I have a student at Paly and though it is an "inconvenience" it is far outweighed by
the safety of our children and our community. Please take swift action to protect our children!
Prerana Jayakumar
she/her/hers
Midtown
--
rani Jayakumar
she/her/hers
I usually check email twice a day - thank you for your patience. If you need to reach me
urgently, please call or text.
Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not
with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The
broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you. - L.R.Knost
http://www.okachiko.com
http://www.karnatik.com
http://www.transitionpaloalto.org
From:Ann DeHovitz
To:Council, City
Subject:Track Safety
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 5:41:15 PM
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Dear City Council Members,
As a TrackWatch volunteer and a concerned Palo Alto resident, I urge you to work with the
School Board to hire paid guards to watch the tracks. Our volunteer group can supplement paid guards,
but we cannot be a 24/7 service.
I would also urge you to seriously look into the possibility of closing the Churchill crossing to all cross
traffic. This would remove one of the means by which too many of our residents have chosen to end their
lives. It would also reduce the triggers that nearby students experience when they hear all the sounds
related to a train passing through the intersection.
Thank you for your time and consideration of these requests,
Ann DeHovitz
853 Sharon Ct.
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From:Mary Walsh
To:Council, City
Subject:Protect our students
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 5:22:59 PM
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Dear members of city council:
I cannot attend tonight's city council meeting tonight in person and want to express my
unequivocal support for closing access to the train tracks at Churchill.
Allowing student access to the tracks at Paly creates an unacceptable risk for vulnerable young
people. Every student has difficult days at school, and we cannot predict how any individual
will respond in a moment of crisis. Providing easy access to such a dangerous area
dramatically increases the likelihood of irreversible harm.
We are talking about a single intersection—no more than 500 square feet. Closing access at
this one location could prevent ongoing tragedies and save lives. This is a narrowly targeted,
practical intervention with enormous potential impact.
Unfortunately, history shows that convenience too often takes precedence over student safety
in Palo Alto. When preventable deaths occur, the consequences are borne not only by those
lost, but disproportionately by the young people who survive—friends, classmates, and peers
who carry that trauma forward.
We have the ability to act here. I strongly urge that we do so.
Sincerely,
Mary Walsh
1541 Alma St (Churchill and Alma)
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From:herb
To:Council, City; Clerk, City
Subject:February 9, 2026 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item #12: Policy and Procedures Manual
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 5:16:37 PM
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FEBRUARY 9, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #12
POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL
City Council committees can have no more than three members. Otherwise the committee would contain a majority of theCouncil.
Standing Committees are subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act,while some Ad Hoc Committees may be subject to the Brown Act.
A committee on a single subject, such as Cubberley, might bedefined as subject to the Brown Act by the Council at onemoment, and defined as not subject to the Brown Act by theCouncil at another moment.
To ensure that the meeting of one committee that is not subjectto the Brown Act should actually be subject to the Brown Actbecause of overlapping members of two committees, the Council'sPolicy and Procedures should prohibit any two Council Memberswho are members of any one Council Committee from servingtogether on any committee of any kind.
The definitions of Committees in the Policy and Proceduresmanual should follow the definitions in the Brown Act.
For example, the City-School Liaison Committee is not a"Standing Committee", it is a "Multi-Jurisdictional Committee".
There are 21 possible combinations of two Council Membersselected from the seven-member City Council.
Therefore, there should not be a problem if the Policy andProcedures manual includes the following language.
"No two Council Members who serve together on a CouncilStanding or Ad Hoc Committee shall serve together on any otherCouncil or Standing Committee, on any Multi-Jurisdictionalcommittee or its advisory bodies, on any committee advising anyother local agency body, or any non-governmental organizationgoverning body or advisory body of such an organization."
For example, if two of the members of the Finance Committeethat is a Standing Committee are also two of the members of theCubberley Committee, then the Cubberley Committee must followthe Brown Act, even if the Cubberley Committee is declared bythe Council as not subject to the Brown Act.
I also urge you to limit the number of Standing and Ad HocCommittees to a total of seven committees, and to permit each
Also for a three-member Committee, each Council Member shouldbe a Vice Chair of one of the seven committees for the solepurpose of determining which committee member presides over thecommittee's meeting when the Chair is absent or conflicted.
Nobody, including the Mayor or Vice Mayor, should be permittedto replace an absent or conflicted committee member.
The only time it would be necessary to replace a committeemember would be when that members seat on the City Council isvacated, when the simplest thing to do is to replace thevacated committee position with the person selected to fillthat member's position on the City Council.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Herb Borock
From:herb
To:Council, City; Clerk, City
Subject:February 9, 2026 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item #11: Cubberley Project
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 4:41:17 PM
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FEBRUARY 9, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #11
CUBBERLEY PROJECT
I urge you to continue this agenda item until the CubberleyCommittee holds a noticed public meeting pursuant to the RalphM. Brown Act to abide by the City Council Policy and Procedure"to use standing committees in open and public meetings tostudy City business in greater depth than what is possible inthe time allotted for Council meetings", because the threemembers of the Cubberley Committee were the same as the threemembers of the Finance Committee that is a Standing Committeeof the Council that is subject to the Brown Act at the time theCubberley Committee met to discuss the Cubberley Project andalso held serial meetings as individuals with members ofTheatreWorks.
Prior to the required publicly noticed meeting of the CubberleyCommittee, the members of the committee should disclose inwriting the contents of the discussion they have held outsidepublic view, including discussions among themselves anddiscussions they individually held with members ofTheatreWorks.
The pubic at the meeting would then be able to advise thecommittee, and the committee would then be able to study thissubject in greater depth than what is possible in the timeallotted for Council meetings to be able to make an informed,open, and public recommendation to the City Council.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Herb Borock
From:Kara Lynn Davis
To:Dona Tversky; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Stone, Greer; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed;
Veenker, Vicki
Cc:Council, City; Elizabeth Egan; Eran Bendavid; Alma Bendavid; Dalia Bendavid; Alison Kamhi; Valerie Lam Rainey
Subject:Re: With sorrow, with appreciation, and with a call to action, NOW
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 4:18:18 PM
Attachments:image001.png
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Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice-Mayor Stone, esteemed City Council Members Lythcott-
Haims, Reckdahl, Lu, Burt, and Lauing,
I echo my colleague’s gratitude for your service to our community and City and its many
needs.
With Dona, my friend and colleague, I have worked closely with the administration at
PALY over the past 4 years as Wellness Vice Presidents within the PTA where we have
weathered 4 suicides of our students in PAUSD. As you likely know, our schools are
fortunate to have a wealth of mental health resources and an excellent Wellness center
yet these deaths still plague our district and our community.
My profession is a Pediatric Oncologist and I treat children, adolescents and young
adults with cancer, primarily relapsed leukemia. I reflected last week that among the
cohort of patients for whom I care, I have lost less children to cancer in the past 2 years
than our community has lost to suicide.
I care deeply about the health of children and am a firm believer in the postulate that it
takes a village to raise them. We are failing our kids in Palo Alto, not just the kids we have
lost to suicide at the train tracks but also the kids who have survived this community and
carry this with them as part of their childhood experience. It is not normal. Is it not
normal and we cannot normalize this.
I am certain that the roots of this problem are multi-factorial in our community and there
are many levers to consider pulling. I am here to continue to partner to address this
problem.
However, we have an available and highly lethal means in Palo Alto as well as a long
precedent. As Dona expressed, we need a concerted and focused effort to eliminate this
as a ready and lethal means that puts our children at risk. I express my support that the
Churchill crossing is closed either temporarily or permanently. The inconvenience is
small compared to the loss of life.
Best,
Kara L. Davis
--
Kara L. Davis, D.O.
Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Endowed Faculty Scholar in Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases
Stanford Child Health Research Institute
Harriet and Mary Zelencik Endowed Faculty in Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders
Davis Laboratory
G2078B Lorry Lokey Stem Cell Research Building SIM1
Stanford, CA 94305
650-724-8073
Alyssa Ray
Research Administrator
alyssar@stanford.edu
t: 650-724-9246
f: 650-736-0195
From: Dona Tversky <dona.tversky@gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 11:25 AM
To: Julie.LythcottHaims@paloalto.gov <Julie.LythcottHaims@paloalto.gov>,
Greer.Stone@paloalto.gov <Greer.Stone@paloalto.gov>, Keith.Reckdahl@paloalto.gov
<Keith.Reckdahl@paloalto.gov>, George.Lu@paloalto.gov <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>,
Pat.Burt@paloalto.gov <Pat.Burt@paloalto.gov>, Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov
<Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>, Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov <Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov>
Cc: City.Council@paloalto.gov <City.Council@paloalto.gov>, Kara Lynn Davis
<kardavis@stanford.edu>, Elizabeth Egan <eegan@stanford.edu>, Eran Bendavid
<ebd@stanford.edu>, Alma Bendavid <almab@wustl.edu>, Dalia Bendavid
<daliagenia@gmail.com>, Alison Kamhi <akamhi@pausd.org>, Valerie Lam Rainey
<v_wy_lam@yahoo.com>
Subject: With sorrow, with appreciation, and with a call to action, NOW
Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice-Mayor Stone, esteemed City Council Members Lythcott-Haims,
Reckdahl, Lu, Burt and Lauing,
I will start by saying I deeply appreciate the service you do for our community and I am sorry
that part of your work involves weathering tragedies to our youth that mystify and horrify us
all.
I am writing to you now as a psychiatrist, as a former Paly student, and as a current parent
of Paly students. I know the causes of these excruciating losses are deep. We know something
is very wrong, we don't yet know how to fix it, and we are all trying our very best. Of course
we will all keep trying to understand more, to intervene more, to protect and strengthen our
children.
That being said, we also know something is very wrong with the Churchill intersection
and that is something that we can fix.
I spoke at the City Council less than a year ago after Ash's death as a psychiatrist, reviewing
for the Council instances from around the world where installing nets under bridges and
guardrails or fences by train tracks have drastically reduced suicide rates for nearby
communities. The evidence is overwhelming, there is nothing subtle about it. I am sure you
were all familiar with it already. I know our Superintendent recently urged the Council to take
immediate action, as have many other citizens.
I am also aware that changing the intersection is a complicated project involving many civil
bodies but we cannot afford to lose any more of our children's bodies to that dangerous
site.
I am writing now to ask for your recommendations on effective action. Do we go to the State?
Do we flood the City Council meeting with parents? How in your estimation, do we put
appropriate pressure on the decision makers to take action NOW?
With appreciation for your service,
Dona A. Tversky
Dona A. Tversky, MD MPH (she, hers)
Psychotherapist and Psychiatric Consultant
Stanford Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Ravenswood Family Health Center
From:Robert Weiner
To:Council, City
Subject:please close Churchill rail crossing and/or hire guards
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 4:08:18 PM
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To the City Council:
I'm writing in strong support of (1) hiring paid guards at railroad crossings and (2) closing the
Churchill crossing to all cross traffic, at least temporarily, until paid guards can be arranged, or
permanently, as recently called for by PAUSD Superintendent Don Austin.
We can bear the inconvenience of closing off a street. We can't simply leave such a dangerous
spot open immediately next to a high school with so many recent and past deaths by suicide.
It's been too long.
Thanks very much for your consideration -
- Rob Weiner (23 Tulip Lane, Paly and Greene parent)
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From:Stacey Clifton
To:Council, City
Subject:Community Action - Please help our kids
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 4:05:52 PM
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Hello City Council members,
First, thank you to Mayor Vicki Veenker and the Council for your call for action and support
of our community during this difficult time. Many of you know Palo Alto's history of teen
deaths by suicide, and it is so troubling that history is repeating itself once again. Let's all be a
part of the solution and make some significant changes in our city.
Please consider hiring paid, trained guards to watch the tracks. I know this has been
problematic in the past, but we can learn from these mistakes and make sure that staff are
vetted and trained specifically in interventions. I have volunteered my time to watch the
tracks, and the feedback from community members is always positive and appreciated.
Unfortunately, the volunteer model is not sustainable, and we need many more community
members to be trained and available in order to make a difference and not lose another child.
Replacing these human guards with cameras and sensors is not working. We have lost four
students and one alumna using these measures in the past 2-3 years, and that is unacceptable.
While I know that there has been talk of closing the Churchill crossing, this completely
ignores our students in South Palo Alto who cross the Meadow and Charleston tracks to travel
to Gunn High School. In addition, both of these crossings are well within reach of the students
at JLS Middle School. Closing only one crossing will not solve the systemic issue. Please
consider other options so that every child is safe, and not just those students in North Palo
Alto.
We know the issue, and we can't lose one more child to suicide. Let's make a real change to
change the narrative of Palo Alto and its schools. A district that boasts "excellence" is far from
excellent if we keep losing our children to a known harm that you have the power to remove.
Thank you for your consideration,
Stacey Clifton
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From:R Wang
To:Council, City
Cc:TrackWatch Palo Alto
Subject:Urgent need for paid guards at Caltrain intersections in Palo Alto
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 3:53:09 PM
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Dear Palo Alto City Council,
I am a long time Palo Alto resident and Palo Alto parent of a Gunn HS graduate '23 and a
current Gunn student '27. I live a block from the Meadow Caltrain crossing and have seen
many suicides at that intersection including those that were part of the first cluster in 2009.
Both of my daughters and many of their classmates have seen dismembered bodies after
suicides at the Meadow intersection on their way to or from school over the years. This is
absolutely unacceptable.
As you are aware, 4 enrolled PAUSD high school students committed suicide at the tracks in
the last 12 months, 2 at the Meadow intersection and 2 at Churchill. In addition, you must be
aware that at least 1 recent Gunn high school graduate has also died at the tracks in the last 12
months.
I'm sure you agree that this must be addressed and that access to lethal means must be
immediately blocked. As a member of TrackWatch, I do shifts at the Caltrain intersection
twice a month, but even with these shifts and others offered by community members, it is not
enough.
The Palo Alto City Council has the authority and responsibility to take action to protect all our
students immediately. I ask that you take the following actions:
1) Work with the PAUSD School Board to hire paid guards at all the accessible Caltrain
intersections in Palo Alto including Churchill, Meadow, and Charleston. These guards must be
onsite 24/7 to prevent deaths.
2) Close the Churchill crossing to all cross traffic so that protective fencing can be extended
across the intersection
3) Additional protective security measures be taken at the Meadow intersection including the
Rail Sentry cameras. This intersection has been the site of too many student deaths over the
years and requires multiple forms of security including but not limited to 24/7 paid guards. It
makes no sense to me that Rail Sentry was installed at Churchill but not at Meadow.
I hope you will listen to the urgent need of the PAUSD community and take action to limit
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access to lethal means of suicide at the Caltrain intersections.
Thank you very much,
Raziya Wang
Palo Alto Resident and Parent
From:Maureen Hillenmeyer
To:Council, City
Subject:Please close Churchill Caltrain crossing
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 3:41:48 PM
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Hello,
I am writing to voice support for the idea of closing the Churchill Caltrain crossing. My son
attends Palo Alto High School, and that crossing is a danger for the students, given the
suicides.
Removing lethal means has been shown to reduce suicides in numerous studies.
Closing the Churchill crossing is the best idea for now.
Thank you,
Maureen Hillenmeyer
Palo Alto Parent
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From:Bhavana
To:Council, City
Subject:City Council meeting 5:30 PM tonight (Mon Feb 9) - Please Take Action
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 3:36:31 PM
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Hi,
As a parents of two kids who attend Palo Alto High school, I'd like to request the city council to act on
the following two issues in light of the tragic event from last week:
1) I would like to urge the City Council to work with the School Board to hire paid guards to watch the
tracks.
2) I'm requesting the City Council to close the Churchill crossing to all cross traffic, so that CalTrain
can extend the current high security fencing all the way across that intersection, thus cutting off all
pedestrian, bike, and vehicle access to the tracks at that location.
Thanks,
Bhavana
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From:Shannon Griscom
To:Council, City; Shannon Griscom
Subject:Close Rail road crossing at Churchill
Date:Monday, February 9, 2026 2:21:55 PM
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With the recent suicide on the railroad tracks, you MUST close that crossing. Those who are
inconvenienced must ask if it's worth the life of one child, isn't it worth a small detour. I have
lived here since 1965, and I taught teenagers in High School for 33 years. I know how
impulsive and vulnerable they are. PLEASE CLOSE THE RAILROAD CROSSING!
Sincerely,
Shannon Griscom
815 Melville ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
508-237-1883
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