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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-11 City Council EmailsDOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 5/11/2026 Document dates: 5/4/2026 – 5/11/2026 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. From:Lynn Hollyn To:Council, City Subject:The community needs eight more pickleball courts! These will benefit everyone. Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 11:49:03 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. re: The community needs eight more pickleball courts! These will benefit everyone. Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball is one of the most important things in my life and that of hundreds of other neighbors in Palo Alto North to south and east to west. Exercise is essential to one's health, and the sense of community is equally essential The fact that you can show up and play for one hour or three without knowing anyone is a gift. There is nothing more important that complementing the Magic Playground Park and a few other activities. There is so much empty space in the park and many other areas for nature, Think of it as a community service! In gratitude, Lynn Hollyn Seale Avenue ps: The meeting is on my birthday -- but I will be there in spirit. -- lynn hollyn 1.650.799.1129 From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Pigman, Sophie; City Mgr Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer Subject:Re: Rash, lesions, and other symptoms Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 11:26:55 AM Attachments:IMG_3599.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I’m terribly confused. And the last six months I have pre-warned the city of Palo Alto and Abode more than a handful of times about different circumstances only to be met with disbelief to be called a liar retaliated for speaking up only to ultimately have been correct from the federal cats and the flea investigation to sleep tight pest control and their spring methods to the ADA Coordinator that’s not a Coordinator to Mold in my room and 506 to gatekeeping to Montel and now Tom is an 89 year old veteran with a brain injury and dementia For several months, I have tried to get the PERT team to come out and evaluate Tom and his living conditions as I made allegations of elder abuse I was gaslit ignored retaliated and now Tom is out of the country unsafe and nobody did anything to protect him What’s most confusing is it’s all of your jobs to do that About except federal funds to make sure we’re safe, but we’re not safe and all they do is harm us And the city of Palo Alto defend them because at some point when you stand around and do nothing you become complicit Since the notice of violation, I have reported many retaliatory acts that are unlawful and no one has done anything Cynthia 69 given three days to vacate her unit illegally locked out illegally, and my attempts to advocate ignored and my letters tore off door I’m pissed. I have a family law hearing tomorrow for contempt against my ex-husband and the fact that I have to do this now when all I did was try to prevent this from happening. Sue and #209 I reported her room conditions to Elisa Vargas and within 48 hours the maintenance man at the opportunity center was at her door to make cosmetic fixes. How did he know about the room? The only way he could’ve known as a tip them off, which she’s done for the last six months. March 13 a fire at the opportunity center I have scoured the Internet and there was not one article on the stupid fire. There was no fire. The sprinklers were set off on purpose to cover Mold. The entire parcel was supposed to be monitored by the city of Palo Alto once again you guys did nothing can you do a PDF of this or draft? Let’s let’s let’s kill them. This fucking kill them. I want laws everything kill them. On Sat, May 9, 2026 at 10:41 AM Becky Wolf-Loretz <beckywolfloretz@gmail.com> wrote: Sophie, I am sending photographs documenting rapidly evolving skin lesions/rash affecting my back and chest over the last several days. I previously experienced severe vomiting, diffuse rash, and profound fatigue. My symptoms are worsening and I am frightened about what is happening to my health while living in these conditions. I can’t believe it’s Saturday. I am so traumatized and unwell that I don’t even know what day it is. At first, I was going to send these pictures to Sophie only because these pictures are private. But you all need to see what’s happening. This has been going on since October. Given the Notice of Violation and the ongoing concerns regarding moisture, mold, and environmental safety at the property, I need to know immediately what steps the City is taking to protect residents and whether emergency relocation or health intervention assistance is being provided. Multiple residents have reported serious health concerns, and I am asking for urgent guidance and assistance. These photographs show progression over multiple days, not a single isolated event. I am also experiencing extreme fatigue, barely able to use my right hand without severe pain. I cannot safely stay in this environment. I am not receiving help from project Sentinel, Lifemoves, California cares, anyone I reach out to. They agreed to meet with me and then they find out where I live and politely tell me they can’t help. This is not isolated. Rebecca Wolf From:Julie Baskind To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Palo Alto Pickleball expansion Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 11:14:31 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I joined the PAPC in December, 2025. It has been life changing for me (and I'm 79 yrs old). Joy and camaraderie are cultivated there. Who knew I could make so many new friends! Please take this request seriously and expand the courts for our community. Sincerely yours, Julie Baskind Palo Alto Orchards From:Joe Lo To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Need more pickleball courts please Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 11:14:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I play pickleball at Mitchell Park twice a week. It is an important part of my life. I have made great friends there that I meet with outside of pickleball. I get great exercise. I have a lot of fun. The one thing that is annoying is that I often have to wait for a court to play. It would be great for the Palo Alto community to get more pickleball courts. Thank you! Sincerely yours, Joe Lo 952 Cowper St, Palo Alto, CA 94301 -- Joe Lo joeklo888@gmail.com 650-533-7044 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Sarah Epstein To:Council, City Cc:board@pausd.org Subject:Don"t Close Churchill Avenue Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 10:39:47 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Thank you very much for the careful thought you are putting into making a decision about what to do regarding the rail crossing at Alma and Churchill. I urge you to NOT close the crossing. I live in Professorville and am a parent of 2 former PAUSD students My concern is that the closing of the Churchill crossing will create a situation that increases danger in an already dangerous situation for bikers, pedestrians and cars along Embarcadero and also for anyone in need of emergency services. At peak times of the day including but not limited to morning commute and beginning of the school day, and around special events at Stanford, westbound traffic on Embarcadero already backs up past Emerson Street and crawls forward. While I am not as familiar with traffic moving the other direction, I believe it gets quite congested as well. If an emergency vehicle needed to move from one side of the tracks to the other side in a hurry, the traffic congestion would surely hamper their ability to move quickly, lengthen their response time, and perhaps prevent life saving assistance. At the current traffic level, driver stress is likely already high and in what appears to be their hurry to make up time, or maybe to avoid another red light ahead, I have witnessed many making dangerous lane change decisions especially near the crosswalk to Paly and entrance to Town and Country. This endangers other drivers as well as students, and these are not only Paly students. Young people from Castilleja, Green, Walter Hayes, Addison, the Zuckerberg's school on Emerson Street whether traveling alone or with an adult, are all at risk. As a daily pedestrian and frequent bicyclist in that area, I can also say that students on the way to or from school are not paying attention to who else is on the sidewalk, or in the tunnel. The close calls between bikes and pedestrians are terrifying to witness and experience. Adding more cars, bicycles and pedestrians will not make this situation better. I know that changes to improve safety will be made at the intersection of Emerson and Embarcadero (north side) over the summer. We have yet to see what the impact of those will This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast be but no matter what, there will still be a pinch point at the tunnel and with more cars, more bikes and more pedestrians, the chance of injury or death will have just been kicked down the road from one risky place to another. Please DO NOT close the rail crossing at Churchill. Sincerely, Sarah Epstein From:Yuee Lim To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto High School Mind Matters 5K Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 9:09:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, I am a student at Palo ALto High School and I am writing to let you know about Palo Alto High School's Mind Matters 5K, coming up Saturday May 16th. Participants can walk, run, or volunteer along the route. This event will be fun for the whole family, including a Quad Fair with tables by local mental health organizations and games for all ages. Can you put an announcement/free ad for this event in your publication? Or would there be interest in writing a story? More details below: Mind Matters 5K Graphic for social media 5K Flyer (¼ sheet) is here if you want to post around your place of work or give ¼ sheets out. Register here to walk, run, or volunteer. More details below: Please join us for the Paly Mind Matters 5K! Details are below: Saturday, May 16, 2026, 9AM -10:30 AM Palo Alto High School Quad This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Uniting for Mental Health Awareness Walk or Run the Paly Viking Loop. Fun for the whole family, including a Quad Fair with tables by local mental health organizations and games for all ages. Register here: https://palymindmatters5k.weebly.com/ Thank you, Yuee Lim Palo Alto High School From:Nancy Patterson To:Council, City Subject:Don’t close Churchill Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 8:40:52 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Please don’t close Churchill even temporarily. There are too many unforeseen and serious consequences that this may likely cause. Please keep the guards at the train crossings and keep working on other suicide preventions and mental health issues, particularly for students. Thank you. Nancy Patterson Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPhone This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Rob O"Connor To:Council, City Subject:Please support trees in Palo Alto Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 8:04:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members I am writing to address the cuts under consideration to the Palo Alto Urban Forestry budget, including a 10% reduction to funding for the city partnership with Canopy. When you walk into a neighborhood that has a great feel, it is because there are large trees and shade. Without them it is just asphalt, concrete, grass, shrubs, wood, stucco and punishing summer heat. Without the lovely large trees in the Palo Alto City Hall courtyard, we would be left with a hot and modestly unattractive concrete building instead of an inviting space to congregate. As a Palo Alto resident and lover of trees, I have seen over the years that it is nearly impossible to prevent a determined landowner from removing trees. But we can plant trees!!! Planting a tree that many of us will not be present to enjoy at maturity, is nothing less than an act of love and commitment to our community. Planting trees with Canopy is much more than hiring a contractor who plants a tree and never returns. Canopy partners trees with people, and helps residents choose an appropriate tree in the right location. But even more, Canopy tree plantings bring together community volunteers, families, and residents of all ages, introducing them to the physical process and joy of tree planting while creating an environment with cleaner air, cooler temperatures, greater climate resilience, and expanding the influence of nature in our urban setting. Canopy provides science based planting techniques along with young tree care, which in partnership with tree stewards and volunteers delivers an astoundingly high survival rate for new trees. We are living in an uncertain time that will require many difficult decisions by the Palo Alto City Council. My request is that you find a way to fully support Urban Forestry and your 30 year partnership with Canopy. Trees are as essential as roads and our water systems. In a changing environment, they provide clean air and cool, beautiful neighborhoods and climate resilience. We are living in a time of a thousand cuts, small and large, that make our lives just a little bit worse every day. By fully funding Urban Forestry and Canopy you have the chance to enhance the joy, comfort and health of our community, and to make every day just a little bit better for Palo Alto residents. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Best Regards Rob O'Connor Canopy Executive Board Member 788 Josina Ave Palo Alto 94306 From:Mike Hagerty To:Council, City Subject:Grant management issues highlighted Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 7:01:28 AM Attachments:City of Palo Alto Benefits from Grant Management.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of the City Council, Please find attached a statement regarding recent discussions of grant management in Palo Alto. I hope the City restores the grant management function to help departments carry out their work. Sincerely, Mike Hagerty This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast 1 Palo Alto Should Prioritize Grants Management, Not Fracture It Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council, My name is Michael Hagerty, and I previously served as the City’s Grant Analyst. I’m writing regarding the May 5 budget presentation and the proposal to return to a hybrid model of grant management where departments assume most grant responsibilities and report to City executives. As the City of Palo Alto’s Grant Analyst, I developed the City’s first comprehensive listing of all grant awards and pending applications. I collaborated on a standardized grant intake form and drafted revisions to the City’s grant policies and training practices. I increased the number of grant applications submitted, secured new funding, improved attendance at monthly grant meetings, recommended new opportunities, assisted departments with interpreting grant requirements, and supervised the City’s grant consultant. I was commended by the City Manager’s Office for my work on the nonprofit grant program. I was asked to lead the City’s Single Audit, the annual review of federal grant expenditures, even though this function had previously been managed exclusively by experienced City accountants. The 2027 Capital Improvement Plan anticipates roughly $17 million in federal and state grant revenue. Yet the 2025 Single Audit reports only about $5.7 million in federal grant expenditures. This gap reflects the multi-year nature of capital grants and the need for consistent coordination of federal and state awards, compliance monitoring, and timely drawdowns. Without a centralized role to manage these responsibilities, the City risks under-utilizing awarded funds or failing to meet federal requirements. Councilmembers Recognize the Risks of Decentralization At the budget meeting, Councilmember Pat Burt raised concerns about a hybrid approach to grant management. He noted that the City has historically been cautious about pursuing grants because of the capacity required to manage them, and he questioned the logic of eliminating the Grant Management Analyst position when grants are “in the net positive for us… by a lot.” He asked staff to explain the potential impact of removing the position: whether the City would pursue fewer grants, or if departments would be expected to absorb the work, or whether the proposal was based on efficiency. In response to Councilmember Burt’s questions, the Director of Administrative Services, Lauren Lai, stated that the proposal reflected “a little bit of everything.” She added, “I don’t feel based on what we know, our pursuit of grants would diminish because of this. We feel this is an area we should hold back on… We do not feel it will compromise our ability to pursue and or be successful with grants.” City Manager Ed Shikada echoed the Administrative Services Director’s comments. He stated, “First off, that we’re not missing opportunities because we have really institutionalized keeping 2 the grant opportunities in front of staff so that they are aware of them and where applicable they can follow up. The follow up then, being decentralized to staff, departments, such that they are responsible for actually putting together the application, getting all the approvals, and also recognizing that, in many cases, getting the grant isn’t always a net positive.” Councilmember Burt continued by expressing concern about whether staff across departments are sufficiently aware of available grant opportunities. He stated, “I don’t know how deeply our staff in transportation and planning knows all the grant opportunities through MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) and VTA (Valley Transportation Authority). I keep getting surprised on learning of new grants. I have served on those boards for some time and I did not know about that grant… And so, I just don’t know whether we are too tapped in.” There’s funding out there and Palo Alto needs it Councilmember Ed Lauing echoed these concerns. He noted that under a hybrid approach, the City loses clear accountability for outcomes: “At the end of the year you kind of want to say, ‘Did we get $50 million this year, or $80 million and 15 grants? Let’s call John, because he’s in charge of that.’ And now there’s not someone… a person to take responsibility or rewards for it.” He added that pursuing major grants requires time: “You can get some big fish when you are out there fishing. It could take nine months and you haven’t got anything… and then all of a sudden you get a $20 million grant. There’s money out there, and we really need the money.” Air traffic control without radar City Manager Shikada stated that staff “actively track” grant opportunities and remain engaged through technical advisory committees, adding that agencies “should be notifying city managers of grant programs.” He said that he could “easily provide… a clearinghouse and air traffic control,” but suggested that outreach from those agencies “isn’t as robust as it really should be.” My experience in Palo Alto showed that even with the best intentions, things do not always unfold as planned. In October 2025, I learned, through an article in Palo Alto Online titled “Bay Area airports get millions for upgrades: Palo Alto to get $1.4 million for runway improvement, weather reporting equipment,” that the City had agreed accept to three new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant agreements for the Palo Alto Airport without proper notifications. These FAA grant agreements had been signed by the City Manager without informing Administrative Services, contrary to the City’s 2004 Grant Policy, which remains in effect today. I told ASD leadership about this discrepancy but did not receive a response. Complex projects require interdepartmental collaboration, not decentralization At the meeting, the ASD Director stated that her review of federal expenditures over the past ten years showed that many of the issues had been “cured.” She added, “They relate to, like, understanding the grant agreement, ARPA, which was a really complex law and is no longer relevant.” 3 I believe the Director was referring to ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, rather than ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Both laws are complex, but the City’s historical challenges had less to do with the complexity of federal statutes and more to do with inadequate internal controls. Significant deficiencies were identified in a State Water Resources Control Board loan and capitalization grant in 2018. At the time, the auditors recommended: “The City’s Finance Department should collaborate with other departments that have material or complex transactions to strengthen internal controls over financial reporting and compliance.” The issue of procurement was also raised at the budget hearing. “Some of those issues don’t exist. Some of them still do,” the Director said. Palo Alto’s procurement policy is overdue for an update, as federal procurement thresholds are now higher than the City’s thresholds. Under federal grant rules, however, the City must follow the most restrictive policy, in this case, Palo Alto’s. Lower thresholds require more frequent bidding processes, even for small purchases, increasing administrative burden and the likelihood of project delays. A short time after ASD decided to eliminate the Grant Analyst position, a City employee I had been working with contacted me through LinkedIn to ask what had happened, since an email to my City address had bounced back. It was clear that ASD had not informed the departments I was actively supporting. I explained that after one year in the role, I had been suddenly released from probation for allegedly missing an internal Single Audit deadline, even though several departments had not yet provided the information required to complete the review. History repeats when institutional knowledge is not preserved The Single Audit was ultimately completed on time. However, some long-standing issues remain. For example, during the 2025 audit review, I informed ASD that the City Manager’s Office did not have a copy of an executed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) agreement on file. The agreement was obtained from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, just like it had been fifteen years earlier. This was the same issue identified in the 2010 Single Audit. It was labeled a significant deficiency in CDBG oversight. According the single audit at the time, “Recipients of federal awards are required to comply with the applicable regulations and provisions of the award agreement. Recipients must maintain a copy of the agreement on file and be familiar with it to ensure compliance is achieved.” The City should strengthen its grant management capacity, not diminish it. Departments should be supported, not simply held responsible for completing all grant work and reporting to ASD, without the financial tools, training, or coordination needed to be successful. Palo Alto has significant opportunities to bring in outside revenue, but only if the City leadership prioritizes grants and provide consistent, centralized support to the departments pursuing them. Thank you, City Councilmembers, for bringing this issue to the public’s attention. Sincerely, Michael Hagerty, MPA From:Brittany McLaren To:Council, City Subject:Please Do Not Close the Churchill Crossing Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 11:58:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council Members, My name is Brittany, and I am a Southgate resident who was born and raised in Palo Alto. I am writing one final time ahead of tomorrow’s vote to respectfully ask that you do not close the Churchill crossing. As someone who has lived here intermittently for more than 40 years, I have personally witnessed the enormous amount of traffic that funnels through the Churchill crossing each day, especially during commute hours. I have also experienced the strain already placed on the Embarcadero underpass and seen firsthand the challenges it faces during heavy rainy seasons. I cannot imagine diverting the daily Churchill traffic solely to Embarcadero without significantly impacting quality of life for residents across Palo Alto—not just in Southgate. I felt this way even before reading the studies that have since confirmed the likely impacts of closure on pedestrian and student safety around Embarcadero, neighborhood traffic congestion, commute times, and emergency response access for ambulances and fire trucks serving both sides of the tracks. I also want to acknowledge the deeper issue at the center of this discussion. Suicide is a tragic and deeply complex problem that has affected our community for many years. I lost a classmate a year or two after graduating from Paly, though not at the Churchill crossing. While I support continued efforts to improve safety around the tracks, I continue to feel that too much focus is being placed on the crossing itself without enough attention directed inward at the broader cultural and mental health challenges facing our students. If we do not address the root causes—the intense academic pressure that pervades this community, mental health struggles, burnout, isolation, and fear of failure—we risk simply shifting the danger elsewhere rather than meaningfully reducing it. I respectfully urge the Council to pursue a more comprehensive and balanced approach that includes: Continuing targeted safety improvements at the crossing, including barriers, detection systems, and increased monitoring, rather than full closure. Many of these measures, This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report including 24/7 security, have only recently been implemented and deserve time to be evaluated. Increased investment in school-based mental health resources, including counselors, on- campus support, and earlier intervention efforts rather than primarily crisis response. Community education for parents and caregivers focused on recognizing warning signs, reducing unhealthy academic pressure, and supporting emotional well-being. Efforts to address the culture of extreme achievement pressure in Palo Alto by promoting healthier and more balanced definitions of success, including celebrating non-academic paths and reducing the intense emphasis on competition and class ranking. Expanded peer support programs and more accessible crisis resources for students, including earlier screenings for anxiety, depression, and burnout, and normalizing regular mental health check-ins before students reach a crisis point. I hope the City will direct equal urgency and funding toward prevention and early intervention efforts that can support students long before they reach the point of despair. This is an opportunity for Palo Alto to lead with a thoughtful, multi-layered response—one that improves safety while also addressing the deeper struggles many young people in our community face. Thank you for your time, consideration, and service to our community. Sincerely, Brittany From:Reshma Singh To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 11:43:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i  Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the previously studied mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately also endanger residents on neighborhood streets as a result of the daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Thank you for taking care of our city Best regards Reshma Singh This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Nicole Wang To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Concern Regarding Proposed Tennis Court Conversion at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 11:05:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of the Parks & Recreation Commission, City Council, and Community Representatives, I am writing to express concern regarding the proposal to convert additional tennis courts at Mitchell Park into pickleball courts. Mitchell Park currently provides 15 pickleball courts and only 4 tennis courts. The proposed conversion of Courts 3 and 4 into six to eight additional pickleball courts would effectively eliminate Mitchell Park as a meaningful location for community tennis play, leaving only two remaining tennis courts primarily reserved for lessons and instructional programs. While I recognize and respect the growing popularity of pickleball, I respectfully ask the City to consider the importance of maintaining a fair and balanced allocation of recreational facilities for all residents. Tennis continues to serve a broad community of players, including youth, families, seniors, recreational players, and long-standing local tennis groups. Further reducing tennis court availability at Mitchell Park would not only impact players at this location, but would also place additional pressure on surrounding facilities such as Rinconada Park, where court availability is already limited. Many displaced players would have no practical alternative for regular community play. I believe there is room for both sports to coexist within Palo Alto’s park system without eliminating one community’s access in order to expand another’s. I respectfully urge the City to preserve the existing tennis courts at Mitchell Park and explore alternative solutions that support continued growth of pickleball while maintaining adequate tennis access for the broader community. Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued service to the Palo Alto community. Sincerely, Nicole This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report From:Raj Bhargava To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:29:54 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I play regularly 4 to 5 times a week. There is a group that joins me. This is an incredible physical and social engagement activity. Currently the courts get too crowded and there is a waiting line. Please approve this request. Thanks. Sincerely, raj Mid-town Waverley Street This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Ann Balin To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Crossing open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:26:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice Mayor Stone and Council Members, I am writing to urge you to vote to keep the Churchill crossing open. I attended the April 15th special meeting and donated time to Nadia Naik who presented the case for keeping the crossing open. There are no suicides at the Burlingame High School which is adjacent to the train tracks. Why is this school spared but PALY is not? What is within the culture of Palo Alto High that contributes to these tragic outcomes? Is this a by product of Silicon Valley’s embrace of exceptionalism where pressure to be special is paramount? Is it bullying? Obviously there are a many reasons including depression and bi polar disorder to mention but a few mental illnesses for this devastating outcome. The city with PAUSD must continue to contract guards to monitor the tracks at Palo Alto High. Past records demonstrate that when guards are present suicides stop. The students’ petition calls for the rails to be monitored by guards and do not call for the closure of Churchill. Respectfully, Ann Lafargue Balin From:Cynthia Litchi To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Pickelball Expansion at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:04:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I have lived in Palo Alto for 10 years and work from home, and it has often been hard to find ways to connect with the community. Growing up, I was an athlete in team sports, but as an adult—especially as a woman—it has been difficult to find a team sport that helps me meet people and stay active. Over time, I had stopped exercising altogether. That changed when I discovered pickleball. I learned to play in september 2025 and I’ve been going to Mitchell Park 2-3 times a week ever since. The PB community is incredibly kind, and the open dynamic of PB where you can just show up and there is always someone to play with is something that is very unique to this sport. The only draw back is sometimes there are so many people there that there is more waiting than playing. Having more courts would really benefit the community. Not only is it a great community, but the benefits it has had on my mental health is unbelievable. Mitchell park is now my go to place when I have hard days, it always changes my mood and makes my day better no matter how bad it is. The community + the excersise + the outdoors make it the perfect combination to help with my mental health. Thank you for your time and for considering the needs of our growing pickleball community. Sincerely, Cynthia Litchi This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Alan Lee To:Council, City Subject:Please Maintain Funding for Urban Forestry Programs, including Canopy"s Partnership Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:02:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, I’m writing to urge you to maintain funding for Canopy and Urban Forestry. As a South Palo Alto resident, I have directly benefited from Canopy’s work. In December 2023, Canopy helped me plant several trees at my home. They organized a team of five volunteers who helped me dig through my rock-hard soil and get the trees planted properly. Before working with Canopy, I had struggled to keep previous trees alive. What made the difference was not just receiving trees, but receiving the right trees and the education to care for them. Evany Wang at Canopy gave me guidance that was practical and expert. She helped me choose native species, taught me how to support them, provided follow-up notes, and made sure I had the information I needed to care for the trees successfully. That guidance has helped me care not only for these trees, but for the rest of my plants as well. I’m happy to report that the trees are doing well. The experience did more than add trees to my property. It helped me get to know my neighbors, learn about tree care, and feel more connected to the broader effort to make Palo Alto greener and more resilient. This program is an efficient and meaningful use of time and resources. It supports residents, builds community, and contributes directly to a healthier urban forest. Please maintain funding for Canopy and Urban Forestry. This is exactly the kind of community-based climate action Palo Alto should continue to support. Sincerely, Alan Lee South Palo Alto resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:J. Wong To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:PIckleball Court Expansion Request Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 9:07:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I first joined the Palo Alto Pickleball Club at Mitchell Park about a year and a half ago, thinking it might just be another passing trend for me. I started at “Early Worm” session at 6am because it was the only time that worked given my parent drop-off duties. From the very beginning, the community was incredibly welcoming. I was a brand new player at the time, yet the more advanced players were patient, encouraging, and kind. To this day, I still remember how they made me feel. Over the past year and a half, I’ve not only made new friends, but also discovered something that truly helps me feel alive. I often tell people that the court is my "happy place". There are times when I feel trapped in the constant demands of motherhood and giving to others. When my bucket feels empty, pickleball and its community help refill it. Its impact goes far beyond being just a sport or recreational activity — for many of us, it is a source of joy, connection, and belonging. Please kindly consider our request for court expansion and the many lives this community will continue to touch. The more the merrier! Sincerely Yours, Jacqueline Wong Green Gables This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report From:Sarah Burgess To:Council, City; Ed Fike Subject:NonProfit Partnership Workplan Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 9:03:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I appreciate the efforts being made to put together a transparent plan for the City to work with nonprofits. Having participated on behalf of Neighbors Abroad last year in the Phase I of this plan, I would like to offer the following observations: It is impossible to gather all non-profits into a workplan for budgeting purposes, because “non-profit” is an IRS tax category, rather than a financial budgeting category. It is similar to trying to budget for all City payments to corporations or to partnerships. Or, to look at a group getting public scrutiny at the present time, all City contracts with consultants. If Council would like to support grants for community services, there should be a budget category for those grants, with an amount and a defined statement outlining the parameters for application. This would allow the creation of a simple application following these parameters, and with this, the transparency sought. Gathering all non-profits into one bucket compares apples to oranges, services provided in lieu of city staff being compared to community enrichment; services for cultural enrichment compared to services for those less fortunate than most. The needs are all there, but they should not all share in the same funding allocation any more than they would if they were corporations billing for services or consultant fees. They need to be budgeted for by the service they provide to the city, not their IRS standing. Trying to create this process has been so difficult because it just doesn’t make any sense. Sarah Burgess Co-Vice President, Oaxaca President Emerita Phone 650-996-3331 Web www.neighborsabroad.org Email sarah.burgess@neighborsabroad.org 355 Alma Street, Palo Alto, California 94301 From:Lynn HUNG To:ParkRec Commission Cc:Council, City Subject:Support to creat 8 courts Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 9:00:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 8 years, ever since I immigrated here. I’m currently a full- time housemother, and I almost play pickleball everyday. Since I started learning pickleball, I’ve met friends, built social connections, and begun to adjust to life in the United States. Our courts are also known throughout the Bay Area for their welcoming culture of equality, openness, and enthusiasm. People love coming here to play and socialize, so expanding the number of courts would be a very positive initiative. Sincerely yours, Lynn Hung your neighborhood Ruthelma Ave Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Mark Hopper To:Council, City Subject:I urge you to add 8 Pickleball Courts in Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 8:33:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Members of the Parks & Rec Commission of Palo Alto - I am an 9 year resident of Palo Alto along with my family. I am writing in support of creating 8 additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I started playing pickleball 4 years ago after having been an avid cyclist for my first 5 years here in PA. Cycling however was wearing on my neck and shoulders and further, I was concerned more and more about the safety of the sport on the roads here. Someone suggested trying out pickleball and now I cannot imagine not playing. After lessons through the City Catalog with Sal - I was off and playing. I now play 3 times a week for 2-3 hours each visit. Pickleball combines exercise and health with a wonderful and diverse community of people in Mitchell Park. The ability to go most anytime of day and find a nearly full (or many times very full) 16 courts will picklers of all ages and levels is a wonderful thing and one of the reasons that I cannot think of moving away from Palo Alto. Every time I step through the entry gate at MP PB Courts - I feel like Norm from Cheers when he walks into the bar. MP PB is indeed THE LOCAL place where everybody knows your name!!! As the Pickleball community continues to grow in Palo Alto and serve many levels of its population, the city must continue to grow with it in terms of space to play. Adding 8 additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park would be a great step forward! I urge you to approve the proposed expansion in Mitchell Park. Thank you and best regards, Mark Hopper 1837 Mark Twain St Palo Alto, CA 94303 317-523-3988 From:Akash Pai To:Council, City Subject:Don"t Close Churchill Avenue. Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 7:56:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I am a resident of Palo Alto. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the previously studied mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately also endanger residents on neighborhood streets as a result of the daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Thanks. -- Akash Pai This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Robert Marinaro To:Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; City Mgr Cc: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 Stellman; 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; Scott Hayes; Victor Sloan; woodgood@pacbell.net; Kandace Kopensky; Moiz Sonasath; 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 Lafargue 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; Chip Wytmar; Sharon Elliot; McDonough, Melissa; Janet Hartley; Charlie Weidanz; Kevin Mayer; Boris Folsch; Margaret Abe- Koga; Ian Halker; Richard Willits; Heather Brownlee; Ken Brownlee; Robin Holbrook; Cassandra Paige; Brad Watson; Alisa Pendicini; Ron Ellickson; Gaines, Chantal; Titan (Zhengtian) Gu; Stephanie Wansek; Penny Brennan; Taryn Sanford; Maia Harris; Sayuri Kabutogi; Bernadette Zimmerman; Doreen Chew; Kshama Jirage; Jenni Simon; Subadhra Arunasalam; Robert Russell; Doug Bacon; Chuan Wang; Shchopra; Al Dorsky; Phil Wettersten; Ann Wettersten; Todd Jin; Emily Emily; Daryl Savage; Anil Rachakonda; Linda Vanderhule; Adriana Hernandez; Stuart Kreitman Subject:Palo Alto"s Ongoing OSV Situation - - Bob"s OSV Count (5/8/26) Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 7:17:25 PM Attachments:RV Inventory_08May26.xlsx PA Org Chart.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, City Employees, and Concerned Residents and Businesses, Please find attached an updated OSV count that I took on 5/8/26. Unfortunately, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. In my last four counts dating back to 3/29/26 the total numbers of OSVs on Palo Streets have gone from 131 to 132 to 133 to 136. This situation continues to persist and 136 OSVs on our streets are 136 too many! It is difficult to comprehend that you allow this situation to fester month after month without taking meaningful action. Yes, the Homekey transitional housing facility will be coming online shortly. Does this mean that the most needy on our streets will be provided transitional housing? Does this mean that we should see a marked decline in the number of OSVs on our streets? What about those OSV dwellers that clearly do not need transitional housing, who choose to live rent free, and are squatting on our streets because it is a convenient landing spot for them and they know they can do it without consequences? What about the negative consequences to so many businesses particularly in south Palo Alto that continues to bear the brunt of meaningful political inaction. You are the policy makers. You have the means to take action – you only need the will! How many times a week do you drive or walk down East Meadow Circle to see the situation here and talk to the affected businesses there. Or walk along Faber Place or Fabian Way? If it is not in your backyard it’s of lesser importance! What do we need to do to get the message to you that this is not acceptable. Now we have people living out of box trucks, garbage strewn into the bushes, roadside mechanics with jacked up cars leaving remnants of their oil changes on the pavement. What will it take? In one of my earlier e-malls to the Council (11/15/25) I included a City organization chart that clearly positions the City Council as working for the residents of Palo Alto (attached again). We are the ones who voted for you and have given you the privilege of working for us. It seems as though somewhere along the line of evaluating this OSV issue you have lost sight of your responsibilities. You work for us not the OSV dwellers from here, there, and anywhere that decide to squat on our streets. What do we have to do for you take the necessary actions to remedy this situation for the many Palo Residents that do not find this situation acceptable. What will it take? I have also attached a handful of photos taken on 5/8/26 that document the current state of these OSVs on our streets. I’m hoping that these photos are meaningful. Regards, Bob Marinaro Palo Alto On Street OSV Count Street Segment OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs OSVs ##########################12/3/2025 ################1/28/2026 ############################4/9/2026 #######5/8/2026 & 10/22/25 & 11/11 & 11/20 & 12/21 & 1/29 & 4/11 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 14 15 16 17 3 4 2 2 4 1 2 2 2 18 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 200 188 197 195 180 170 165 168 138 136 119 120 120 123 19 20 21 (2 segments)Between Oregon Expressway & Portage Ave.1 2 0 0 2 1 3 2 1 3 3 2 3 3 22 23 24 25 26 27 3 2 4 4 4 5 4 28 1 0 0 20 20 20 20 19 11 13 12 11 15 12 12 13 13 Total:220 208 217 215 199 181 178 180 149 151 131 132 133 136 Bob Marinaro: E:Mail: rmarinaro@mac.com, Cell: 650-269-5936 Abandon Vehicle Hotline: 650-329-2258 Ventura Area RV Inventory_08May26 5/11/2026 12:25 PM Fabian Way - - Looking towards E. Meadow Drive Fabian Way near San Antonio Rd. Fabian Way near San Antonio Rd. Fabian Way - - Nice truck! I don’t think he is hurting for tax-funded services. East Meadow Circle - - The Bane of South Palo Alto Residents and Businesses East Meadow Circle - - The Bane of South Palo Alto Residents and Businesses East Meadow Circle - - The Bane of South Palo Alto Residents and Businesses East Meadow Circle - - An example of the environmental degradation left in the RVs wake East Meadow Circle - - The Bane of South Palo Alto Residents and Businesses East Meadow Circle - - The Bane of South Palo Alto Residents and Businesses Elwell Court off of East Bayshore Road San Antonio Road (east of 101) in the shadow of the soon to be opened Homekey transitional housing facility Faber Place - - 18 RVs on this very short street East Embarcadero Road - - Where commercial buildings are trying to lease vacant space and adjacent to Anderson Honda, scientific labs, and Stanford Credit Union Embarcadero Way - - Again adjacent to many businesses Colorado Ave adjacent to Greer Park Mitchell Park Parking Lot - - Not what we want to see in our parks Orinda Steet in the Ventura Neighborhood - - This is the first time RVs have been parked on Orinda St. since Dec 2025 to the best of my knowledge Orinda St. - - How much do you want to bet that this vehicle is not towed after 72 hours. Ash Street - - Bad Actor #1 still parked on multiple streets in the Ventura Neighborhood with his many many vehicles Acacia Ave. in the Ventura Neighborhood presenting a pretty classy look to prospective buyers of the condos across the street From:mfan To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for Adding More Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 7:07:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I have lived in Palo Alto for the past 20+ years, and I am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at the Mitchell Park. I was forced into retirement about 3.5 years ago (laid off) and wasn't ready for it. During the first year, I led a very sedentary lifestyle that caused many negative impacts to my health. At the prompt of my doctors, I tried various sports activities, but didn't find anything motivating enough to get me off my behind on a regular basis. That is until I found pickleball!! Thanks to the free introductory clinic provided by the Palo Alto Pickleball Club, I learned to rules and strategies, as well as gotten to know many pickleball players. I have since ben a regular at the various free weekly events, such as Adv. Beginner Training, DUPRs, and round robins, held by PAPC. Now, I play 3-4 days a week. It's been a life changing experience for me! One obvious issue is the popularity of the sport. The Michell Park pickleball courts are always busy and often require substantial waiting time. This is especially true in the evenings and on weekends!! If the city can add more courts, it'll benefit MANY older, retired residents, like me. Sincerely yours, Mark Fan Duveneck / St. Francis neighborhood This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Ben Davenport To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:More pickleball courts at Mitchell Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:40:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I started playing pickleball at Mitchell in the summer of 2023, after being introduced to it by my dad, who had been playing it for over a decade. What started as a once- or twice-a-week activity soon became a 5-day-a-week obsession. That first year, I lost 25 lbs due to pickleball, and 2 years later, I'm in better shape than I have been my whole life (I turned 50 this year). My wife, parents, father-in-law, and our 3 children all play at Mitchell at various times. I often bring friends there to introduce them to the sport, and of course I've made many friends at the courts. I've played at other places locally (Nealon, Red Morton, Rengstorff, YMCA), what we have at Mitchell is really something special, due to the number of courts and diversity and strength of players, as well as the ability to get a game any time of day. So, while other courts added elsewhere are always helpful, they would not get the same utilization as the same number of courts would at Mitchell. As the sport continues to grow, without additional courts being added, the wait times at Mitchell will also continue to grow, making it harder for new players to join the fun. While of course I understand the concern tennis players have over losing courts, I'm hopeful that accommodations can ultimately be made to make adding pickleball courts a net neutral impact to tennis. Sincerely yours, Ben Davenport Homeowner in Community Center https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpdavenport/ This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Leon Leong To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:PIckleball Courts Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:37:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Shortly before I retired, I started to play pickleball, and specifically playing at Mitchell Park. Playing pickleball has improved my health, and offered a level of increased social interaction that I seldom found in other recreational sports opportunities in Palo Alto. I experienced an inviting culture where as a newcomer I was welcome to play, and as I gained skill, other players would invite me to come join them. This unique system of open play at Mitchell Park, makes it easy to become a participant rather than a spectator. Through these interactions, I've met many people from different walks of life, young, middle age, seniors, players from diverse occupations and economic strata, and people from different cultures, all bonding together through playing pickleball at Mitchell Park. The popularity of the sport, however, is increasing the waiting time for people to play, so adding additional courts will help to reduce the wait time. Sincerely yours Leon Leong Downtown North nieghorhood of Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Steve Gileno To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Please leave the tennis courts for tennis players Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:34:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello, Tennis players have lost enough courts to pickleball players as it is. Please don't take anymore! Steve Gileno This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Eddie Gornish To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Cc:Eddie Gornish Subject:Pickleball in Palo Alto Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:28:14 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Since 2023, I've been playing pickleball 2-5 times a week. I first played at the OFJCC, where I am a member. Several times a week, they set up their gym for pickleball, and one day I was watching people play. Someone asked me if I wanted to play, and I said that I had never played. They told me to pick up a paddle and hit the ball - all pickleball players are friendly, not just the ones in Mitchell Park. I quickly realized that I preferred to play at Mitchell Park, as they are open all the time, and there are more players and levels to choose from. I have been working from home full time since 2020, and now my day is structured around pickleball. I start work around 7AM and finish around 6PM. But I'm still working around 8 hours a day, as I spend a chunk of the afternoon playing pickleball at Mitchell Park. I always see my "core group" in the afternoon - other people around my level, some older, some younger, all different ethnicities. We play hard, and we have fun. And we congratulate each other for making good shots. Sometimes, I go in the morning, and there's a different group of people - some folks that I might have seen for a month or so, and we'll immediately go and say hi to each other. I can't describe how great a feeling it is when I walk through the fence door and I hear people yelling from a distant court, "Eddie we need a 4th!" Sincerely yours, Eddie Gornish South Court, Fairmeadow From:Carol Mullin To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Pickleball in Palo Alto Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:07:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I grew up in Palo Alto, raised my kids in Palo Alto, and have many memories of running around Rinconada while my parents played tennis 50 years ago. Most of their friends were “tennis” friends. We live behind the Hopkins courts and they are frequently empty now when I leave my house to go play pickleball at Mitchell park where every court will be in use. I have found an amazing community at MP - all ages, genders, nationalities- I love the diversity of MP- it is my happy place. My whole family plays now- kids, siblings, nieces and nephews. My brother is in a long battle w cancer and the question we always ask before every treatment- can he still play pickleball? Pickleball is not the medical treatment but it is certainly the best mental health treatment we have! Sincerely yours, Carol Mullin Community Center Neighborhood This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Kevin Wu To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Expansion of Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:55:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and I am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. I have enjoyed playing pickleball at Mitchell Park for the past two years. During that time, demand for pickleball courts has increased steadily as the sport has exploded in popularity. Players usually need to wait for court time on the weekday mornings, late afternoons, and evenings as well as weekends. I started playing pickleball because it provides me with good cardiovascular exercisewithout being too demanding for seniors like me. The pickleball community is veryfriendly, and I have met several friends on the courts. Playing pickleball in Palo Alto would be more enjoyable if players spent less time waiting and more time playing. Palo Alto needs more pickleball courts to address the high demand. Sincerely yours,Kevin WuMidtown Homeowner From:Jack Jiang To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Objections to Mitchelle park pickleball court conversion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:53:15 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi dear Palo Alto city members, My name is Jack, and I am a resident of Grove Avenue, adjacent to Mitchell Park. I am writing to formally object to the Pickleball Club's proposal to convert additional tennis courts to pickleball courts. The current court allocation is already severely imbalanced: Mitchell Park now has 15 pickleball courts compared to only 4 tennis courts. Consequently, securing a tennis court has become extremely difficult for residents, including families with children, who rely on this public resource. I urge the Council to consider the following concerns: 1. Disproportionate resource allocation. The existing ratio of pickleball to tennis courts does not reflect equitable access for all residents. Further conversion would effectively eliminate tennis as a viable option at this park. 2. Non-resident usage. A significant portion of pickleball court users are not Palo Alto residents. Converting additional public courts to serve players drawn from outside the city prioritizes non-residents over the taxpayers this park is meant to serve. 3. Community trust. The collaborative spirit that has long defined Palo Alto's park community depends on fair and transparent stewardship of shared spaces. This proposal undermines that trust. I respectfully ask the Council to halt further conversions and evaluate court allocation policies that serve all Palo Alto residents equitably. I am prepared to speak at a public meeting, and I know many fellow tennis players and community members who share these concerns and are willing to speak at a public meeting. Jack This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report From:Yahoo Mail ! To:Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com; ParkRec Commission Subject:Additional Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:27:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I have lived in Palo Alto for 37 years, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. In 2018, my neighbor invited me to play pickleball at Mitchell Park. I had never heard of this game but thought, well, my neighbor was excited about it so why not give it a try? What I discovered was a game that was simple, fun, good exercise, and that didn't take too long for a player to acquire and improve on the skills required to compete at increasingly higher levels. I had recently retired so it was perfect timing for me to discover this new activity and the friendly and enthusiastic members of the Mitchell Park pickleball community. Socially, this has improved the quality of living in Palo Alto: a positive experience for me and many others, like being a kid again, just go to the park and you will find people to play with, all hours of the day, all days of the week. I play several times a week during the day time, and on days when I can't play during the day, I will drop in during the evening hours. This community has been growing steadily since 2018 and its obvious by the usage of the courts and the growing wait times that we need more courts. Here are several unique characteristics of Mitchell Park: - Not close to residential neighbors who could be bothered by the noise - Existing noise level is buffered by closest neighbors like the Challenger School, Library, Dog Park, Magical Bridge Playground, Soccer and Baseball Fields - Additional parking, adjacent to the courts, has generously been made available to This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report I respectfully request that the City of Palo Alto approve expansion of pickleball at Mitchell Park by approving the conversion of two Tennis courts to create 8 more pickleball courts. Sincerely yours, L. R. Michel Loma Verde Ave, Palo Alto From:nmadison complianceexpress.com To:Council, City Cc:board@pausd.org Subject:Do not close the Churchill crossing Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:03:32 PM Dear Palo Alto City Council, I am writing to encourage you to vote against closing the Churchill crossing. Although at first consideration, closing Churchill might look like a meaningful measure for preventing student suicides and making Palo Alto citizens safer, it is anything but. It is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of the tragic student suicides that have occurred on the railroad tracks within Palo Alto have not occurred at the Churchill crossing.They have occurred at other railroad crossings in Palo Alto or on the tracks above the Embarcadero underpass. It is reassuring to know that measures are being taken to eliminate access to the tracks above the Embarcadero underpass, but it is difficult to understand the logic behind closing the Churchill crossing while leaving open the other railroad crossings where most suicides have occurred. An unintended consequence of closing the Churchill crossing would be to put the safety of Palo Alto citizens in general at increased risk on the alternate routes that pedestrians, bikes, and cars would take instead of using the Churchill crossing. Hazards at the Embarcadero underpass and the Cal Ave tunnel, where bikes and pedestrians already converge in dangerous conditions, would increase exponentially. Factor in the increasing prevalence of e-bikes and e-scooters on those routes and the closing of Churchill would increase the possibility for potentially lethal accidents. Furthermore, closing Churchill would impact the ability of emergency vehicles to respond to 911 calls and to bring casualties to hospitals in the shortest time possible. To date you have reacted responsibly and quickly to address the recent suicide tragedies by installing security guards at all Palo Alto railroad crossings.That is a measure that has been proven to work without shifting hazards to other areas in Palo Alto. Please continue to pursue mitigations to prevent student suicides that don’t increase risks for other locations or populations. Sincerely, Nancy Madison From:Nihat Ali Isitman To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Parks Hearing - Mitchell Park Tennis Courts Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 4:41:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Letter to City Officials Dear Mayor and City Council Members, I recommend to halt plans to convert our city’s two public tennis courts at Mitchell Park into pickleball courts. Pickleball’s rapid growth is impressive and deserves support. Its easy entry and social, fast- paced format have introduced many people to racket sports. However, popularity alone should not drive public recreation decisions. Our existing tennis courts are already overwhelmed by players from neighboring towns, heavily booked by USTA clubs, and used for unauthorized “pirate” lessons. Local families, juniors, and lifelong players struggle to find court time. Removing additional tennis courts would leave our own residents with virtually no public tennis access at Mitchell Park since Courts 1&2 are heavily allocated to paid lessons. This decision is like eliminating a public pool to build a soccer field simply because soccer is trending right now, ignoring lifelong health benefits, skill development, and recreational diversity. Tennis, like golf and other demanding lifetime sports, rewards the initial learning curve with decades of superior cardiovascular fitness, agility, endurance, and mental resilience. A smaller but dedicated community still deserves public space. Better path forward: Construct new dedicated pickleball courts to meet demand. Prioritize resident scheduling on existing tennis courts and limit outside overuse. Invite private entities to build pickleball clubs with dedicated courts. This would be fair, because if the city continues to eliminate tennis courts, residents would be even more pushed This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report towards expensive private club memberships to pursue their life passion in the sport. Thoughtful planning supports both sports rather than sacrificing one. This will serve our community best and avoid resentment. I respectfully ask you to preserve our tennis courts and pursue inclusive solutions that value diversity and lifelong benefits, not just current trends. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Nihat Isitman 4170 Mackay Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306 669-294-5176 From:Sven Thesen To:Clerk, City; Council, City Cc:Avroh Shah Subject:A few slides on Tobacco Warnings as benchmarking for induction stove Campaign.... Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 4:25:17 PM Attachments:Thesen City Council 11May26 Tobacco labelling.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Might I please present these few slides at the City Council meeting, public comment period, tomorrow? -- Sven Thesen, 415-225-7645 EV Consultant & Co-Founder, EVPlugBox.com, ProjectGreenHome.org and BeniSolSolar.com; Wonder Junkie __________________________________________________ How California Is Keeping Electric Vehicles Out Of Reach For Apartment-Dwellers Tobacco Fighting Graphics Potential benchmarking CH4/ induction Stove Health Campaign Graph, Canadian Cancer Society, 2024 Canada “graphic” 2001 Canada “graphic” 2019 Thailand “graphic” 2022 From:Winter Dellenbach To:Council, City Subject:Budget - Possible Canopy funding cut Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 4:23:01 PM Dear Council Members - It will be a surprise to none of you that I ask you to not cut Canopy’s budget. As you know, I helped to write our current Tree Protection Ordinance and am a huge advocate for protecting and increasing our tree canopy given trees enormous impact on climate, health and beauty of our residents and City. Canopy was the key active partner in creating our new ordinance, lending its expertise over the year it took to complete it. It is now considered the gold standard ordinance in California. That Canopy manages to do all it does for our City within its current contract is one of the best bangs on the buck in the budget. Its program in planting 10,000 trees in south Palo Alto (which has far fewer trees than in the north) is one blow-mind example of its work. Given that we will lose thousands of trees over the next years due to massive development is all the more reason for a robust Canopy organization to be maintained. As a consultant with developers and in collaboration with our City Urban Forester, Canopy will help ensure we lose as few trees as possible. While our Tree Protection ordinance has a No-Net-Loss of trees replacement requirement, it will be 2 or more decades before new trees will be large enough to substantially replace those lost, including many native mature trees we rely on for carbon sequestration and heat cooling. Just as we need our tree canopy to literally help us survive, we need Canopy to keep doing its work on behalf of us all. Winter Dellenbach From:Rob Levitsky To:Council, City Subject:leave churchill open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 3:07:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Council Every weekday, 8500 or so people in cars choose to cross the tracks at Churchill, and another few hundred cross on bicycles. As well as people in Ambulances, Police cars, Fire Engines, and School busses. Southgate neighborhood dwellers need the access. If crossing the Tracks at Churchill is closed, there is no mitigation that will accomodate all these people, without throttling back and gumming up Embarcadero Road and Oregon Expressway, and making a cloverleaf out of Alma North to Lincoln to Emerson to Embarcadero, which already backs up……….every day. To paraphrase Pottery Barn - If you break it, you own it. so please dont break the churchill track crossing.. that said, please continue to fund the Track Watchers, who are doing a good job rob levitsky 1200 Emerson, at Embarcadero Sent from my iPhone From:chapin Chet To:Council, City Cc:Board@PAUSD.org Subject:Keep Churchill OPEN, keep Crossing Guards stationed Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 2:12:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, and PAUSD Members Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the described and previously-assessed mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately endanger neighborhood street residents by the resulting daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective measure. Carl Dowds Palo Alto resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:abby bradski To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Please Keep the Churchill Crossing Open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 2:10:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear board, Thank you for your caring, time and careful consideration about the closing of Churchill. I am concerned: That closing Churchill will create more danger and chaos on Embarcadero, Oregon and neighborhood streets than we can handle It will delay response time in Southgate and at Paly for emergency vehicles We don't have alternative routes in place. Tell us how students will get from Southgate to Walter Hays. How will Embarcadero handle the extra cars, bikes and pedestrians? How will the school buses get in and out? If crossing guards aren't working, we should stop paying for them. If we close Churchill, how will we know if that is a better solution than having the guards? If closing Churchill is the best or only solution that works, then shouldn't we close all of the crossings? Gunn students count too! If you close Churchill temporarily, what is the reopening date and plan and what will that be based on? Thank you for caring, Abby Bradski 1543 Madrono Ave 650 269-0784 abbybradski@gmail.com This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Vincent Scheib To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Re: Supporting pickleball court expansion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 1:56:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello again from Barron Park. I'm writing again with encouragement to support creating additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. These continue to be my most valuable social connection with other neighbors, providing healthy exercise and fun. The community will benefit from using our public spaces to support more of this activity. On Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM Vincent Scheib <scheib@gmail.com> wrote: Near neighbors on the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Barron Park and since the pandemic have enjoyed biking over to Mitchell Park to play Pickle Ball. I've build a community of friends. I most often arrive by myself, but I also enjoy bringing my children along on weekends. Palo Alto needs more courts. We could use them anywhere we can, e.g. at the schools, in neighborhood parks etc. However, having many at Mitchell Park increases the chances that one can find a similar skill level group and jump into a game. I've never felt drawn into the community in any previous city or even in Palo Alto this way until the last five years I found such a welcoming and accessible sport. See you around the neighborhood, where? Well, probably around the pickleball courts at Mitchell Park, - Vincent Scheib, Barron Park - Palo Alto. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Nisar Shaikh To:Council, City Subject:Much Less used tennis courts for pickleball Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 1:05:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. The tennis courts at Mitchell field park much less used then crowded pickleball, And you can have two courts for one tennis court, so switching some will do it. Nisar 845 Ramona street Palo Alto Sent from my iPhone From:Bill Garvey To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for 8 Additional Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 12:45:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council and Parks and Rec Members, I live in Palo Alto and I am writing to urge you to vote in favor of adding eight additional dedicated pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Adding these courts will: - Meet growing demand: Provide necessary infrastructure for a diverse group of players, including seniors, families, and young adults. - Improve safety: Reduce conflict over court usage and minimize safety issues caused by overcrowding. - Create community: Foster social connection and community bonding, improving the quality of life in our city. Investing in this popular, low-impact sport is a proactive step to upgrade our public amenities and ensure Palo Alto remains a vibrant, healthy place to live. Sincerely yours, Bill Garvey Emerson St. -- Bill Garvey cell: 650-575-7779 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Sarah Mitchell To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Mitchell Park Pickleball Expansion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 12:09:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. My name is Sarah, and I moved to Palo Alto with my elementary and middle school-aged children shortly after COVID — and after a divorce. Starting over in a new neighborhood, I struggled to find my community. Self employed and working from home didn't allow for everyday connections. School parents had well-established circles, and breaking in felt impossible. Then I found Mitchell Park and pickleball. What I discovered there was something I didn't even know I was looking for — people from all walks of life, of every age and background, who I never would have crossed paths with otherwise. Now I can zip over to the courts at almost any hour, get my body moving, shake off anxiety, and be greeted by friendly faces. There is no better feeling than arriving at the sidelines, sizing up the game, and hearing someone call out, 'Sarah,come play with us.' Pickleball is unique because it marries exercise and self-care with something deeper — the human need for connection and play. It gives me the same feeling I had as a kid being let out for recess. Pure joy. I urge you to consider expanding the number of courts at Mitchell Park. More courts mean more people can take care of their bodies, their minds, and their hearts — and maybe find their community too, just like I did. Sincerely yours, This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Sarah Mitchell Morton Way, Palo Alto From:Anne Silverstein To:ParkRec Commission; papc.secretary@gmail.com; Council, City Subject:Pickleball Changed My Life — Please Support Court Expansion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:42:07 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of the Palo Alto Parks & Recreation Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball has truly transformed my life. It has given me exercise, laughter, friendship, and a strong sense of community. Before discovering pickleball, there were times I felt lonely and always searching for somewhere to go or something meaningful to do. Now, I feel happy and fulfilled right here in our own community because the people on the courts are so welcoming, kind, and supportive. I believe pickleball is one of the best things that can happen to people as they grow older. Instead of becoming isolated or inactive, I see people in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s staying healthy, social, and joyful out in the fresh air and sunlight. Few sports bring together people of all ages and backgrounds the way pickleball does. The demand for courts is growing because the benefits are so real — physically, mentally, and socially. More courts would greatly strengthen the health and happiness of our community. Sincerely yours, Anne Silverstein Barron Park, Palo Alto Resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Matt Goldman To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:31:44 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I live in Palo Alto and after knee injuries ended my basketball career, pickleball has played an essential role in me being able to continue my athletic career giving me a real sense of purpose and ability to work toward a goal. It has also been key to my social life, forming a number of important life long friendships along the way including folks of very different ages and background I might not normally spend time with. I have been playing for four years and I want to call out that the change to pickleball priority on the Aux courts in (iirc) early 2023 was a key event that really accelerated the pickleball community at Mitchell. When courts are scarce, long wait times can create tensions in an otherwise harmonious community. I really hope that we can continue to expand pickleball court availability at Mitchell park to help this community grow even more so more folks can have experiences like mine. Sincerely yours, Matt Goldman Resident on Everett Ave in Downtown North This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report From:Kris Kuppe To:Council, City Subject:Pickleball at Mitchell Park Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:20:03 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball at Mitchell Park is the center of ALL of my social interactions in Palo Alto. I've raised 3 active kids through the schools here and made many friends in the community through their sports and clubs but none of that has been long term like pickleball friends have been! Through MItchell Park I've reconnected with old friends with pickleball. Pickleball friends have created a book group, a weekly mahjong group as well as people I have traveled abroad with. Id be lost without Mitchell Park pickleball. Please add more courts so even more people can benefit from these connections! Sincerely yours, Kris Kuppe Duveneck/ St Francis Sent from my iPhone This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Califdan To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:More Mitchell Park Pickleball Courts Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 8:58:39 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I am a Palo Alto resident who participates in Pickleball at Mitchell Park. Please expand the number of courts available for Pickleball. On a typical weekday midmorning there are 100 players vying for 15 pickleball courts while at the same time only one or two of the tennis courts are in use. For the Pickleball folks this results in long wait times between games, fewer games for residents with limited time, and less time actually getting the health benefits of actively moving around. And, the weekends are even worse with two to three times as much time waiting for a court than time actually playing which is why I don’t play on weekends. It’s ridiculous to have to wait 40 to 60 minutes for a court in between each 15 minute game. Sincerely yours, Dan Hartford Monroe Park neighborhood (Miller Ave.) This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Jason Lauffer To:Council, City Subject:Mitchell Park Pickleball Expansion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:30:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council: I have been a resident of Palo Alto for 35 years and am writing in support of creating 8 more pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Since retiring 3 years ago, I have taken up pickleball and enjoy playing a few times a week. I had really not been involved with sports since I was a kid, but it’s so easy to get started playing pickleball. It is so much fun and allows me to be more active and socialize at the same time. I am able to walk to Mitchell Park but often have to play with friends on courts in nearby cities because the courts at Mitchell Park are usually crowded. There is such a feeling of community and inclusion at the pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. People of all ages enjoy playing there. Please help address the strong demand by creating 8 additional pickleball courts. Sincerely yours, Jason Lauffer Bryant Street- Midtown Sent from my iPhone From:Jennifer Antonow To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for additional pickleball courts Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:30:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball in our town is an important social outlet for many, including me, and a great way ringer outside and move. This addition would make it accessible to more people. Sincerely yours, Jennifer Antonow Iris Way, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Anne Silverstein To:Council, City Subject:Pickleball Changed My Life — Please Support Court Expansion Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:03:41 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of the Palo Alto Parks & Recreation Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball has truly transformed my life. It has given me exercise, laughter, friendship, and a strong sense of community. Before discovering pickleball, there were times I felt lonely and always searching for somewhere to go or something meaningful to do. Now, I feel happy and fulfilled right here in our own community because the people on the courts are so welcoming, kind, and supportive. I believe pickleball is one of the best things that can happen to people as they grow older. Instead of becoming isolated or inactive, I see people in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s staying healthy, social, and joyful out in the fresh air and sunlight. Few sports bring together people of all ages and backgrounds the way pickleball does. The demand for courts is growing because the benefits are so real — physically, mentally, and socially. More courts would greatly strengthen the health and happiness of our community. Sincerely yours, Anne S. Barron Park, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Larry Hsiung To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support to create eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 11:13:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional Pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. My neighbor and I were lifelong Tennis players until a few years ago. After my knee procedure and his knee replacement, we can only play Pickleball. Tennis courts were never busy. We used to play at Mitchell Park, Hoover Park, Peers Park, Cubberly, JLS, Paly High, etc. Now it seems Tennis courts are abandoned. Pickleball courts on the other hand are very high in demand. We make friends with strangers we meet on the court and catch up with friends we already made. My contact list has more people with Pickleball as a company than I ever had for Tennis or any other sports. It’s rare to be able to play for one whole hour. Pickleball is what’s keeping us from taking so many medications. Waiting up to 20 minutes then playing for 15 minutes then wait again, sometimes take toll on our bodies. Please consider more Pickleball courts so that we stay healthy both physically and mentally. Best regards, Lawrence Hsiung Midtown, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Susan L M To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Vote to Keep Churchill Open Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:47:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Please do not vote to close the Churchill crossing at the train tracks. The most important issue here is to save lives, especially the lives of our most vulnerable young people at Palo Alto High School. Closing this crossing may prevent the last minute impulsive action of our angry and hurt children, but closing Churchill would present alternative routes that will endanger so many more young bicyclists and pedestrians going daily to and from Paly. We need to spend our funds and resources on providing more personal connections and immediate contacts for our young people. We need to teach compassion and acceptance of people who may seem different from us. Lack of knowledge about our current world creates fear, misunderstandings and suspicions, which leads to intolerance and bullying. A physical barrier may stop an immediate impulsive irreversible final action, but this Churchill Closing barrier will present many more hurtful or deadly accidents for all students cycling or walking to and from school. Our current mitigation of providing non stop friendly human safety personnel at the crossing has proven from the past that it works to prevent death by suicide. It is the human to human contact that’s been working. Closing Churchill will only divide our city. It is not about the notion of having to take an extra 15 minutes to go around to one’s personal destination. You already know the points of view from our Fire and Emergency departments. I implore you to vote no in closing Churchill, temporarily or permanently. Thank you, Susan Lee Mitchell I am a retired life long teacher, a Paly graduate, a Paly parent of three Paly graduates. My three siblings also graduated from Paly. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Abhishek Parmar To:Council, City; ParkRec Commission; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Pickleball courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:15:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. These courts have been a great source for recreation, physical activity and making new social connections for me and my family. Most days the best part of my day is time spent on the pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Sincerely yours, Abhishek Parmar Greed Rd This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:warren packard To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; PAPC Secretary Subject:In support of additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:06:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: Thank you so much for your service to our awesome city! Tricia and I live in Palo Alto and we're writing in support of the creation of eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. As you likely know, the pickleball courts at Mitchell are extremely crowded due to the popularity of the support. I often show up at 6 AM on Sundays to play in the weekly "Early Worms Ladder" mixer. Early Worms Ladder enables all players of any level of ability/experience to play in a fun pickleball mixer. Super social. The last time I went, there were 28 people there for the event (7 courts) at 6 AM. By 8 AM, all the courts were full. I played ten games on seven different courts with something like twenty-five different players. No one had to sign up for this. You just have to get yourself to the courts! Incredibly fun; incredibly social. I took a video of the courts on November 14 last year. It was 2 PM on a Friday. Eighty-four players were at the courts. It's truly an amazing community. Pickleball has been an amazing elixir for physical and mental fitness due to its patient game play and novel social qualities. Additional courts will be a great benefit to the community, especially and specifically at Mitchell Park. The social aspect of pickleball is maximized by concentrating courts in a single location since whenever we play pickleball, we move courts and partners/opponents regularly (about once every fifteen minutes). This is a significant divergence from tennis where the typical arrangement is to play on a single court with the same group of friends. Pickleball has this cool community aspect that favors more players in a single location to enable court rotation and shuffling of players. If you bear with us, we thought that it would be helpful to compare tennis to pickleball to elucidate why pickleball boasts a structure that is significantly more social and gains significant benefit from having all courts co-located. It's important to note that we support tennis, as well. It's just that the structure of tennis lends itself to working well if courts are spread out throughout a city, whereas pickleball is optimized by the constant movement of players among multiple courts in a single location. Indeed, both sports have a ball, a racket/paddle, a net, and lines. Thus, one would think that both sports should be able to enjoy the benefits of social, interactive games such as the Early Worms Ladder and round-robins. However, practically speaking, tennis can’t…for three primary reasons: This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report 1) As you get better at pickleball, you slow down your play and hit softer. This is in stark contrast to tennis where better players hit harder and move faster as they get better. As a consequence, experienced tennis players tend not to play with beginning or older/youth tennis players. They typically find opponents who are at their level. Thus, tennis players pre-arrange their playing partners to insure that their levels are relatively similar. Conversely, it’s easy (and fun) for experienced pickleball players to play with beginning or older/youth pickleball players. This is an opportunity for us to work on our “dinking” which is core to the advanced game. These are soft shots that are placed very strategically over the net. Advanced pickleball players know that driving the ball hard over the net is a poor strategy (whiffle balls slow down very quickly). It takes tennis players a while to realize this when they start playing pickleball…but they eventually catch on. 2) Eight pickleball courts fit in the same space as two tennis courts. Thus, the ability for four players on a single pickleball court to interact is much easier than four players on a tennis court. Pickleball players can carry on conversations with their inside voices and tennis players have to use their outside voices to be heard. Combine this with the prior point about playing slow and methodically, and it becomes clear that we’re not huffing and puffing (nor speaking loudly), so we can carry on conversations through entire matches with relative ease and without bothering players on other courts. This is key to the social underpinning of pickleball. 3) Finally, the close proximity of multiple pickleball courts next to each other means that social, interactive games can be coordinated by a single person with a watch. In our Early Worms Ladder event at 6 AM on Sunday, there was one player who could alert us all to finish our current matches and move to the next set of courts. Indeed, she had to use her “outside voice” to communicate to all seven courts, but that is an easy accomplishment on pickleball courts and a feat that could not be accomplished across the expanse of seven tennis courts. In summary, the major differences between pickleball and tennis stem from the difference in the size of the courts and the difference in the way that these two sports are played by players at different levels. This latter point is the most important point since it means that any individual pickleball player can play with any other individual or group at any time. In the final analysis, adding eight more courts at Mitchell will have a significant impact in relieving the crowded conditions at the courts AND deepening the awesome community that flourishes at this location. Displacing two tennis courts will have negligible impact on the availability of tennis courts that are already in abundance throughout the city. Without a doubt, this is a win-win arrangement for Palo Alto! Cheers, Warren Packard and Tricia Chang University South Neighborhood 1019 Waverley St., Palo Alto From:Sean Fee To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support of More Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 9:10:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of the Palo Alto Parks & Recreation Commission and City Council, I'm writing to support adding pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Actually, come election time, I'm pretty much a single issue voter on elected officials' positions on this issue. Pickleball has become essential to both my physical fitness and social wellbeing. The sport provides excellent cardiovascular exercise while fostering a welcoming, multi- cultural community that's impossible to find elsewhere. However, the current lack of courts creates significant frustration. I regularly arrive at Mitchell Park only to find all pickleball courts occupied, while the a majority, if not all, of the tennis courts are empty.. This mismatch between demand and supply means I often leave without playing, wasting my time. Weekends are especially a waste of time, to the point where I don't even bother as there are up to 2 groups waiting for each court. I urge you to approve the expansion of pickleball facilities at Mitchell Park. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Sean Fee Resident Old Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:zhen xue To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for Additional Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:41:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball has become one of my favorite ways to stay active, healthy, and connected with others in the community. It combines exercise, friendly competition, and social interaction in a way that is fun and accessible for people of all ages and skill levels. I regularly see women, families, seniors, and young people all enjoying the courts together. Unfortunately, the demand for court space often exceeds availability, making it difficult for many residents to play regularly. Adding more courts at Mitchell Park would encourage healthy lifestyles, strengthen community connections, and provide more opportunities for recreation in Palo Alto. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, Zhen Xue Maybell Ave, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Kaden Li To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for Additional Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:40:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I live in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. As a student, pickleball has become a great way for me to stay active, relieve stress, and connect with people of different ages in the community. One of the things I appreciate most about the sport is how welcoming and social it is — it brings together beginners, experienced players, students, parents, and seniors in a way that very few activities do. I’ve seen firsthand how crowded the existing courts can get, and additional courts would give more residents the opportunity to play, exercise, and build community connections. Expanding access to pickleball would benefit people of all ages and help make Palo Alto’s parks even more active and inclusive. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, Kaden Li GUNN High This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Eric Yuen To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City; papc.secretary@gmail.com Subject:Support for Additional Pickleball Courts at Mitchell Park Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:32:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear members of the Palo Alto Parks & Rec Commission and City Council: I own and live in my home in Palo Alto, and am writing in support of creating eight additional pickleball courts at Mitchell Park. Pickleball has become an important part of my life in Palo Alto. It gives me a fun and healthy way to exercise, meet friends from Palo Alto, and socialize as part of the local community. I used to play tennis, but as I have gotten older, I have found pickleball to be more enjoyable and, for me, better exercise than tennis. It is active, social, accessible, and brings together people of different ages and backgrounds in a very positive way. The current number of courts is far too low and creates too much waiting to play. Additional courts at Mitchell Park would help more residents enjoy these physical, mental, and community benefits. Sincerely yours, Eric Yuen 532 Channing Ave This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Michael Price To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill Avenue Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:49:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I am writing to you to oppose the closing of the Churchill Ave. Caltrain crossing. 1. With Track Watch in place, closing the crossing will make no additional contribution to preventing suicides. 2. Closing Churchill does nothing to prevent suicides at the other crossings. A concerted, city- wide approach is needed to address the problem of suicide by train. 3. The safety of pedestrians and bicyclists at the Cal Ave tunnel and the Embarcadero underpass will be significantly degraded. This trades one problem for another, probably worse, one. 4. The safety improvements on Embarcadero, recently begun, are both welcome and long overdue. These are insufficient to mitigate the increased safety risks created by a closure. 5. Closing Churchill will not be temporary: the CPUC and NRA do not recognize the concept of a temporary closure. Reopening the crossing will be as difficult and time-consuming as creating a new crossing altogether. 6. The impacts on the neighborhoods bordering Churchill and Embarcadero will be significantly impacted. The safety of people walking in their neighborhoods will be greatly worsened. 7. While traffic congestion isn't a primary reason to oppose closing the crossing, it is, nevertheless, a major concern. It's hard to imagine what will happen during Stanford and Paly games. The Track Watch program provides the time for Caltrain and the City to implement effective measures to make it much harder to kill oneself by train. Any such measures could then be implemented at all of the crossings in Palo Alto and all along the Caltrain corridor. This would be a far better outcome than merely closing Churchill. Michael Price Southgate, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Jim Cornett To:Council, City Subject:Please Don"t Close Churchill RR Crossing Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:44:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Please do not close the Churchill Ave RR Crossing. You have heard in detail about the traffic pattern changes that WILL result from the closure. Adding to those known liabilities are the unintended consequences of the closure. Personally, I will not be significantly affected by such a closure; for the last several years I have used a bicycle for ALL my local area travel for work, pleasure and errands. Thank you, Jim Cornett 420 Sequoia Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 279-2434 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Sally O"Neil To:Council, City Subject:Canopy"s funding Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 5:41:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, I urge you to maintain full funding for Palo Alto's urban forestry programs, including the funding for Canopy's work. As you know, trees are a long-term investment in our community's health. Cutting the funding today means that health will suffer over the next 10 to 100 years. Funding cuts mean that fewer trees will be planted and fewer trees will be cared for. The long-term effects are just that -- they will affect our lives and those of future Palo Alto residents. Given that trees are part of the city's essential infrastructure, they deserve continued care, and that means funding. Cutting expenditures is not an easy task, I know. But please do not put our tree budget on the chopping block. Sally O'Neil 25-year Barron Park resident Canopy volunteer and Board member This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:jfleming@right-thing.net To:Vicki@VickiforCouncil.com; pat@patburt.org; Ed@EdLauing.com; Lu, George; me@lythcott-haims.com; Reckdahl, Keith; gstone22@gmail.com; Council, City Cc:Clerk, City Subject:Almost all Palo Altans want Churchill open Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 3:44:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice Mayor Stone and Councilmembers Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, and Reckdahl, I am writing to add my voice to those of the countless Palo Altans who have already contacted you to call for Churchill to remain open. As you well know, Churchill is a critical artery for cars, emergency vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Closing it is asking for big trouble, including litigation against the city. I do hope, however, that you will consider offering every parent of a troubled Palo Alto High School student the option of transferring their child to Gunn. Sincerely, Jeanne Fleming Jeanne Fleming, PhD JFleming@Right-Thing.net 650-325-5151 From:Chris Schremp To:Lauing, Ed; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:Council, City; cityattorney@paloalto.gov; Robert Marinaro; Christine Schremp; McDonough, Melissa; Bulatao, Eric Subject:OSV Issues: Public Nuisance, Health Hazards, and Continued Non-Response Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 1:50:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Council Members Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, and Reckdahl, I am writing to follow up on my previous correspondence regarding Oversized Vehicles (OSVs) in our neighborhoods. As of today, I have received no response from any of you to my last email regarding a plan to address this crisis. In the time since my last email, the situation has deteriorated further. We are now seeing amounts of garbage and debris abandoned on our streets by these occupants (see attached photographs from Friday on Fabian Way). This has moved beyond a parking dispute and now constitutes a formal Public Nuisance under California Civil Code § 3479-3480 and a public health hazard under the California Health and Safety Code. The City’s failure to act is no longer acceptable. While staff have previously cited "operational constraints" and "legal fears" as reasons for non-enforcement, the City cannot selectively waive its mandatory duty to maintain safe, sanitary, and accessible public streets for its tax- paying residents. I am disappointed and disturbed by the lack of action and the City's apparent choice to prioritize the interests of non-residents over the safety of our neighborhoods. What more do we need to do to compel the City to perform its mandatory duty to protect our streets and support the requests of tax paying residents? The current policy of inaction is an abdication of the City's responsibility to the citizens who put you in office. You are leaving us no choice but to consider taking additional formal actions based on California state and county codes and laws to ensure the safety and sanitation of our neighborhood is restored. I ask for a prompt response detailing the City’s immediate plan to clear the current waste and prevent further hazardous obstructions on our residential streets. Chris Schremp From:Laura Martinez To:Council, City Subject:Urban Forestry Programs Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 1:10:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, My name is Laura Martinez and I have been a volunteer with Canopy for over 20 years. I support Urban Forestry Programs because: Trees keep our neighborhoods cool and clean the air we breathe Planting trees helps us build community and protect public health for future generations I'm writing to ask that you maintain full funding for urban forestry programs, including Canopy's partnership. Thank you, Laura Martinez Community Member and Canopy Board Member This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Pigman, Sophie; City Mgr Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer Subject:Re: Rash, lesions, and other symptoms Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:51:01 AM Attachments:IMG_9677.png IMG_9676.png IMG_9674.png IMG_9675.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I have been reporting my conditions to my doctor in my rheumatologist On Sat, May 9, 2026 at 10:41 AM Becky Wolf-Loretz <beckywolfloretz@gmail.com> wrote: Sophie, I am sending photographs documenting rapidly evolving skin lesions/rash affecting my back and chest over the last several days. I previously experienced severe vomiting, diffuse rash, and profound fatigue. My symptoms are worsening and I am frightened about what is happening to my health while living in these conditions. I can’t believe it’s Saturday. I am so traumatized and unwell that I don’t even know what day it is. At first, I was going to send these pictures to Sophie only because these pictures are private. But you all need to see what’s happening. This has been going on since October. Given the Notice of Violation and the ongoing concerns regarding moisture, mold, and environmental safety at the property, I need to know immediately what steps the City is taking to protect residents and whether emergency relocation or health intervention assistance is being provided. Multiple residents have reported serious health concerns, and I am asking for urgent guidance and assistance. These photographs show progression over multiple days, not a single isolated event. I am also experiencing extreme fatigue, barely able to use my right hand without severe pain. I cannot safely stay in this environment. I am not receiving help from project Sentinel, Lifemoves, California cares, anyone I reach out to. They agreed to meet with me and then they find out where I live and politely tell me they can’t help. This is not isolated. Rebecca Wolf From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Pigman, Sophie; City Mgr Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer Subject:Rash, lesions, and other symptoms Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:42:55 AM Attachments:IMG_9673.png Rebecca_Wolf_Health_Photo_Compilation.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sophie, I am sending photographs documenting rapidly evolving skin lesions/rash affecting my back and chest over the last several days. I previously experienced severe vomiting, diffuse rash, and profound fatigue. My symptoms are worsening and I am frightened about what is happening to my health while living in these conditions. I can’t believe it’s Saturday. I am so traumatized and unwell that I don’t even know what day it is. At first, I was going to send these pictures to Sophie only because these pictures are private. But you all need to see what’s happening. This has been going on since October. Given the Notice of Violation and the ongoing concerns regarding moisture, mold, and environmental safety at the property, I need to know immediately what steps the City is taking to protect residents and whether emergency relocation or health intervention assistance is being provided. Multiple residents have reported serious health concerns, and I am asking for urgent guidance and assistance. These photographs show progression over multiple days, not a single isolated event. I am also experiencing extreme fatigue, barely able to use my right hand without severe pain. I cannot safely stay in this environment. I am not receiving help from project Sentinel, Lifemoves, California cares, anyone I reach out to. They agreed to meet with me and then they find out where I live and politely tell me they can’t help. This is not isolated. Rebecca Wolf From:Tao Lin To:board@pausd.org; Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Avenue Caltrain Crossing to Paly Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 12:47:29 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Resending with corrected email addresses. Dear City Council and School Board We are residents to Palo Alto and we are parents to 4 past and current Paly students. We are writing to you to let you know that we are strongly against closing the Churchill Avenue Caltrain crossing to Paly. While we were deeply saddened by the recent tragedy occurred at Churchill Ave Caltrain crossing, closing the crossing is definitely not the right way to do it. With Churchill Avenue pass closed, many students and parents will be forced to use the Paly Entrance on Embarcadero, thus funneling even more traffic to the very busy Embarcadero. Embarcadero is a main traffic thruway for Palo Alto and Stanford. It’s high volume and high speed traffic is a risk to students and parents whether they are drivers and passengers, bikers, or pedestrians. Through the years we have witness so many more accidents and deadly tragedies on Embarcadero. It would be irresponsible for the city and the school board to put so many more students and parents in even greater danger. Closing the Churchill Avenue cross covers up for the true source of the problem. Palo Alto schools lack effective ways to handle bully, discrimination, and harassment on campus. Palo Alto schools lack the means to ensure the wellness of the students. Palo Alto schools lack the care and the determination to reach out to students and leave no one behind. The tragedy happened at the Churchill Avenue crossing, but make no mistake. The source of the tragedy is in our schools, our family and our community. Closing Churchill Avenue crossing endangers our students and solves no problem. Best regards, Tao Lin and Fun Chu From:Tao Lin To:board@pausd.org; Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Avenue Caltrain Crossing to Paly Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 12:47:23 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Resending with corrected email addresses. Dear City Council and School Board We are residents to Palo Alto and we are parents to 4 past and current Paly students. We are writing to you to let you know that we are strongly against closing the Churchill Avenue Caltrain crossing to Paly. While we were deeply saddened by the recent tragedy occurred at Churchill Ave Caltrain crossing, closing the crossing is definitely not the right way to do it. With Churchill Avenue pass closed, many students and parents will be forced to use the Paly Entrance on Embarcadero, thus funneling even more traffic to the very busy Embarcadero. Embarcadero is a main traffic thruway for Palo Alto and Stanford. It’s high volume and high speed traffic is a risk to students and parents whether they are drivers and passengers, bikers, or pedestrians. Through the years we have witness so many more accidents and deadly tragedies on Embarcadero. It would be irresponsible for the city and the school board to put so many more students and parents in even greater danger. Closing the Churchill Avenue cross covers up for the true source of the problem. Palo Alto schools lack effective ways to handle bully, discrimination, and harassment on campus. Palo Alto schools lack the means to ensure the wellness of the students. Palo Alto schools lack the care and the determination to reach out to students and leave no one behind. The tragedy happened at the Churchill Avenue crossing, but make no mistake. The source of the tragedy is in our schools, our family and our community. Closing Churchill Avenue crossing endangers our students and solves no problem. Best regards, Tao Lin and Fun Chu From:Vivian C. Collins To:Council, City Subject:City budget and crossing guards Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 11:02:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I am a resident and homeowner in Palo Alto with school-aged children. I read in the Palo Alto Weekly's May 5, 2026 issue that the City Council is considering eliminating four crossing guards to make up a budget deficit (Cooke, Riley. "City prepares for service cuts as revenues drop." p.16) The intersections in question include California Avenue and Newell Road, and California Avenue and Louis Road, both of which I drive past every weekday morning and afternoon to drop off my children and pick them up from Stratford School, located on N. California Ave. next to Greene Middle School. I am strongly opposed to removing the crossing guards at these intersections. There is a very large number of students walking and biking to Greene Middle School each day. I see first hand how precarious this route can be for bikers, pedestrians and drivers alike, particularly on a narrow street like Newell Ave which also frequently has construction vehicles and often presents blinding light in the morning hours. The crossing guards help traffic move efficiently and keep students safe, especially at the all-way stop signs which could become very tricky without someone directing traffic. There is the rare occasion when the crossing guard is absent at the Newell/California Ave intersection, and I can attest that the traffic is alway chaotic on those instances. Please do not compromise public safety by cutting crossing guards at these intersections. In particular, the California/Newell intersection is vital. It is a "must have," not a "nice to have." Thank you for your consideration. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Sara Girton To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 11:01:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Closing Churchill would cause more traffic congestion along Embarcadero and its side streets. Emergency response would be compromised. Embarcadero would become more dangerous for students biking and walking to Paly. Continuing to have Security Guards at all the crossings will prevent deaths on the tracks. That will be more effective than closing Churchill. Sincerely, Sara Girton This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Charlotte Reissmann To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill crossing Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:44:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council: Please do not think that closing the Churchill Crossing will stop suicides. I am a retired therapist who has dealt with many suicidal people. Even if you close Churchill, a person in that kind of emotional crisis will find another similar place. East Meadow has had its share of fatalities. Are you going to close East Meadow next? Please don’t create more traffic congestion than we already have. Sincerely, Charlotte Reissmann Ph.D Resident of Palo Alto since 1981 Sent from my iPhone From:Tom Kellerman To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 6:22:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Date: Fri, May 8, 2026 at 6:15 PM Subject: Churchill Closure Honorable City Council Members: Thank you for your continued careful consideration of the safety requirements for the Palo Alto rail crossings, including both at grade crossings and underpasses. We have written to the Council in the past concerning the intersection of Embarcadero Road and Emerson Street and Kingsley Avenue. We are pleased to understand that the planned re-configuration of that intersection will be moving forward this summer. We believe the planned changes will enhance the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. With respect to the potential closure of Churchill Avenue currently under consideration, we ask that the Council continue to apply a diligent, data-based analysis of the potential implications of such a closure on other rail crossings, particularly at Embarcadero. As has been discussed in the past, there can be no doubt that the levels of vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic at the Embarcadero crossing will increase quite substantially if the Churchill crossing is closed. There has never been a formal analysis of the projected increases in Embarcadero traffic if a closure is implemented. Before a responsible decision can be made, the Council needs to develop a thoughtful analysis of these changes and the anticipated impact on safety at the relevant intersections along Embarcadero and through the narrow tunnels under Alma Street and the tracks on both sides of Embarcadero. This analysis needs to include traffic levels during open school days for both Palo Alto High School and Stanford. An informed estimate of the amount of traffic that is likely to relocate from Churchill to Embarcadero is necessary to create a credible model of expected traffic flows and to make determinations regarding the safety impacts for all constituents. The Council has made clear that no one wishes to exchange one safety risk for another potentially equal or greater risk. Accordingly, we urge the Council to conduct a thorough and appropriate analysis of these matters prior to reaching a conclusion on any permanent changes to the Churchill Avenue crossing. We appreciate your service and diligent attention to this important public safety issue. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Tom and Rachel Kellerman From:upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org To:Council, City Subject:May 2026 Book Sale - Friends of the Palo Alto Library Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 5:56:47 PM BOOK SALE NEWSLETTER THIS WEEKEND AT CUBBERLEY Visit our web site CUBBERLEY USED BOOK SALES Saturday May 9 Main Room 11am - 4pm Bargain Room 9:30am - 4pm Children's Room 10am - 4pm Music Pop Up Sale 10am - 2pm Sunday May 10 All Rooms 1pm - 4pm FEATURED IN MAY Science Art Easton Press DVDs 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 Sunday by buying green FOPAL reusable 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 has all sorts of things going on in May: For Mental Health Awareness Month, community and Library resources to support your mental health A celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month A celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month In conjunction with AANHPI, the Library is hosting an author event, an in-person author talk with Zareen and Umair Khan, founders of Zareen's Restaurants, on Sunday May 17 from 3pm to 5pm, at Rinconada Library. You can find out more about that event from the Library's Events Calendar. There may be signed copies of their book, Zareen's Pakistani Kitchen: Recipes From a Well- fed Childhood, available for sale at the event. 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 Sociology/Anthropology Sociology/Anthropology section will feature 594 books covering anthropology, archaeology, sociology, history, economics, and cultural studies. The collection includes both classic academic works and accessible nonfiction titles that explore modern society, inequality, technology, and community. Visitors will discover shelves filled with thought- provoking books on human cultures, social change, and global issues, along with works on archaeology, urban life, and American society. Whether you are a student, researcher, or curious reader, the sale offers an opportunity to browse a diverse collection at affordable prices. Several featured books examine the meaning of work and economic life in contemporary America. Working in the Shadows by Gabriel Thompson explores the experiences of immigrant workers whose labor often remains invisible despite being essential to the economy. There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone focuses on working families struggling with housing insecurity and homelessness. Together, these books present powerful personal stories while raising important questions about inequality, dignity, and opportunity in modern society. Home & Crafts Sunday, May 10th is Mother's Day: honor your mother with a gift book on flower arranging, a relaxing coloring book, or titles on fashion trends and world home design. Here's a sampling of our offerings in the merry, merry month of May: The Flower Recipe Book provides one hundred magical, sculptural, and seasonal arrangements to try. Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects says they're "Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down." If Mom enjoys Fabric Arts, Nicky Epstein presents Fabulous Felted Bags: 15 Bags to Knit and Felt. There are also several resources for crochet and embroidery, and many additional titles for knitting; everything from sweaters and scarves to socks and baby knits. For heartier work, we also feature books on beading and mosaics, as well as tie-dye and batik. Look for The Reverse Coloring Book to give her soothing therapy, or The Art of Origami so she can craft special creations. On the Beauty shelf, standouts for the mother-of-the-bride (and bride-to-be) are: Vera Wang on Weddings, a beautiful DK title, Style Your Perfect Wedding, and Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions. Here's one for the soon-to-be-bride: I Do But I Don't: Walking Down the Aisle Without Losing Your Mind. In Fashion design, your Mom will adore Jackie Style (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), by Pamela Clarke Keogh, with an introduction by Valentino. Mom can redecorate with inspiration from Mary Emmerling's Quick Decorating, or Ideas, international interiors. She can pick up designer styles from near and far, from romantic Victorian, to the Wild West. Surprise Mom with your interest in building and remodeling, and to help you help her, discover titles on home organizing and tidying up. eShelf photos can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>. -Virginia Perry Antiques & Collections This month, on the heels of the King of England's U.S. visit, we received an exquisite book, Royal Treasures: A Golden Jubilee Celebration. In addition, from the V & A Museum, we have An Introduction to Courtly Jewellery by Anna Somers Cocks. Then there's Nagual in the Garden: Fantastic Animals in Mexican Ceramics by Lenore Hoag Mulryan as well as Turkish Tile and Ceramic Art by Dr. Oktay Asianapa. You'll find books on grandfather clocks, dolls and doll houses, toys, furniture and maps, and a significant collection of guns and firearms. Don't miss these and other titles for your collecting reference. eShelf photo can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>. -Virginia Perry Poetry May is blue and gold and green, Not a trace of cloud is seen. This month we feature life and times Of those who entertain with rhymes; Or other figures, fallen low: Cesar Chavez? I don't think so! And from the shelves of Bob Conquest All of the poets he loved best. So while you have some May time leisure Come and find a special treasure. https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html -Mandy MacCalla Children's Room Hooray for May! The end of the school year is rapidly approaching, and the Children's Room is crammed with books and activities to help kids of all ages stay engaged--playing and learning--all summer long! The upcoming season also brings the return of the Palo Alto Library's Summer Reading Program, an endeavor supported by FOPAL sales! When you shop in the Children's Room it's a win-win for your family and the libraries--so let's see what the Children's Room has "in store..." In our Activity section, the big news is LEGO Bionicles--we have many "retired" sets and parts, as well as a "gazillion" Pokemon cards!! Our games and graphic novel shelves are overflowing--never have we ever had such an inventory--so come and shop for all ages! Be sure to visit our puzzles section featuring many Ravensburgers, and look for a special set of wooden blocks from F.A.O. Schwarz! Planning a trip abroad, or perhaps yearning for the sound of home? The World Languages section has a large selection of books in French and German. Our Non-Fiction shelves are filled--everyone is sure to find a topic of interest! Our Fiction section extends a call to one and all: This is a banner month for Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans--we have books from the beginning of the series to the recent releases. Parents--keep your early readers busy this summer with a wide selection of early chapter books. We've shelved loads of them, including: The Bad Guys, The Boxcar Children, Captain Underpants, Dragon Masters, Magic Treehouse Merlin Missions, and Notebook of Doom. Thinking of getting some nice book sets as gifts? We have some beautiful sets including Narnia in hardback (originally $120 - our price $20), Little House on the Prairie, and sets from the award-winning authors Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. Beginning Readers will find loads of Mo Willems Elephant and Piggy books, as well as a big assortment of Dr Seuss books of all sizes. In Picture Books, look for the shelf sign that will point you to the award winners. You'll find many other good books in boxes because we've run out of room on the shelves! -Miriam Landesman Children's Vintage As always, Children's Vintage (tucked away in the SE corner of the children's room) is chockablock with great finds! This month we're highlighting children's illustrators Maurice Sendak and Paul Galdone. Sendak won the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are, and Galdone won the Caldecott in 1957 and 1958 for Anatole and Anatole and His Cat. Mr. Galdone also illustrated fairy tales like Puss in Boots, and we have both an English and a German version! For bigger kids, we have an entire bookshelf of books written by Albert Payson Terhune, almost all of them in mylar-covered dust jackets; several Alfred Hitchcock Three Investigators books; white copy of The Wizard of Oz; and an entire Disney package consisting of a vintage Disneyland map, tray puzzle featuring Sleeping Beauty's castle and a boxed set of The Wonderful World of Disney storybooks. If you want something meatier (or at least heavier), you can find several bound copies of St Nicholas magazines from the mid-1800s or a 14-volume 1947 Childcraft Encyclopedia. See shelf pictures at <https://fopalbooks.com/>. And for more children's vintage books, check us out on eBay at <https://www.ebay.com/str/friendsofthepaloaltolibrary>. -Lisa Heitman Politics This May, we have lots of exciting new books on the shelves in the Politics section of the main room. There are books covering every corner of the globe, all the way from the Chinese economy to European global relations in the last 10 years. This month is super foreign relations based; with textbooks from Taiwan and Japan, talking about their respective places within the political system. All in all, this month has so much to offer here in the Politics section of the main room. Hope to see you there! -Emma Chen 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 - Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel Anatoly and Avital Shcharansky: The Journey Home My Second-Favorite Country Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History Yiddishlands: A Memoir Millennial Jewish Stars: Navigating Racial Antisemitism, Masculinity, and White Supremacy 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 Music Pop Up Sale Our popular Music Pop Up Sale returns once again this Saturday with two months of new releases added to our comprehensive stock of LPs, CDs, DVDS, and cassettes. -George Chaltas Bargain Room This month in the Bargain Room we have lots of: Fiction, Health, Medicine, Entertainment, Business, Children's Books, Music Books, Art, Biography, Politics, Nature, Cooking, Essays and Short Stories, Education, Psychology, Self Help, National Geographics, Sheet Music, CDs & Vinyl. Basically we have lots of lots of stuff. -The Boogie Woogie Frugal Boy From Company B Cameras We have got a Pentax K-1000 and a beautiful Olympus XA3. Other cameras, flashes and lenses may make a special guest appearance. -Sir Lens-A-Lot Maps Check out our Vintage maps and our waterproof maps. We have a Bicentennial California Coastal Bicycle, waterproof Grand Canyon and Galapagos Island maps. If we don't have the map that you want then it doesn't exist (on our shelves at least). -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 May 3 through Sunday May 10. Please hold your donations until Monday May 11. 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 send you these notices. If you do not wish to receive these e-mail notices in the future, please reply with the words "Remove Me" in the first line of the text. From:David Schnedler To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep Churchill Open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 5:23:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. I can not think of a more grave or troubling, heart wrenching phenomenon than a teen suicide; perhaps like the canary in the coal mine each victim signals deeper and more troubling problems in our community, our society, our culture, our country, problems which urgently need to be addressed. These latest tragedies prove the inadequacy of previous efforts to do so. Closing Churchill crossing, while dramatic, does not take us any closer to a solution, and if we are looking for a near term expedient to keep people from killing themselves on the train tracks we already have that solution — direct and personal intervention by a human being. What is the issue with additional people on the PAUSD staff performing this function at this one crossing? In this age of near total automation such a solution may appear wasteful, but at the age 77 I remember as a kid I remember waving to the man in the tower next to my barber shop who operated the crossing gates, prior to automation. In the past 30 years Palo Alto City Council embraced growth, from a sleepy college town and bedroom community to what it is today, and the result is Palo Alto is now busy, crowded, with near gridlock on all of the major east/west arteries from 3 PM on. Closing Churchill will profoundly effect an already terrible situation, and Paly High students and parents would be among those disastrously effected. Add the security detail to the payroll and keep Churchill open for the betterment of all concerned. Dave Schnedler 1671 Castilleja Avenue From:Lisa Nissim To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open! Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:33:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Council Members, I am writing to remind you an overwhelming majority of Palo Alto residents, including myself, oppose closing the Churchill train crossing. Closing this crossing would create safety hazards for all of us. A student led petition asked the City Council to post monitors at the rail tracks and you responded immediately. Thank you for listening and taking quick action. Track monitors in Palo Alto are a proven way to mitigate suicide risk. We have not experienced suicide when they are in place. Sadly, this is not the first suicide cluster in Palo Alto meaning prevention of suicide in Palo Alto has been studied in detail. Neither the 2016 CDC report nor the 2026 JED report recommended closing any train crossings in Palo Alto. In discussing potential crossing closures JED report said, “While these strategies may reduce incidents at specific sites, they are unlikely to address suicide by train across the broader peninsula, given the many accessible points along the rail corridor.” Closing the Churchill crossing would be unsafe, the Rail Safety Committee identified 19 mitigations necessary to safely close the road, while on my count, the XCAP report recommended more than 30 mitigations. Closing Churchill would make the surrounding area unsafe for bikers, pedestrians, drivers and ER patients being transported via ambulance to Stanford hospital on a gridlocked Embarcadero Road. I urge you to step back and look at the facts. It will take courage not to be driven by the emotion of the moment but by the safety of our town, it is important you make your decision based on facts. Do not close Churchill. Thank you for your careful consideration of the issue. Best, Lisa Escobita Avenue From:Harbir Bhatia To:Habir Bhatia Cc:Jasmin Minshew; Christy Penrod Subject:Fw: Know Before You Go: Soccer Legacy Gala May 8, 2026! Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:27:43 PM Attachments:image.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello Everyone I am glad you can join us this evening as guests of the chamber and America Scores. In case you missed the email please find the details for tonight. Since many are coming from various parts of the bay, please give yourself time to park and walk over. The building has its own parking. Please note the main portion of the program will start by 6:45. We will be there by 5:30 but feel free to call me or the chamber office is any issues. I can be reached at 4088871016. If any issues please ask for Kelly or Angela or let them know you are VIP Guest with the SVCC. Thank you. We are looking forward to seeing you soon! Regards Harbir CEO & President, Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce (O) +1(408) 244 8244 (M) +1(408) 887 1016 www.svcentralchamber.com 3350 Scott Blvd Building 54, Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA '2025 Silicon Valley Business Journal's POWER100 ' l 2025 Women of Influence Honoree From: SCORES Legacy Gala <gala@americascores.org> Sent: Monday, May 4, 2026 10:22 PM To: Harbir Bhatia <ceo@thesvcc.org> This message needs your attention This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Cc: Christy Penrod <executiveassistant@thesvcc.org> Subject: Know Before You Go: Soccer Legacy Gala May 8, 2026! Dear Harbir, We are excited to welcome you to the America SCORES Soccer Legacy Gala this Friday, May 8, 2026. This special event is celebrating the 25th anniversary of America SCORES Bay Area and the legacy of the 1994 U.S. Men's National Team. The links below have information you need to know for an unforgettable evening: About the Gala! Know Before You Go The “Know Before You Go” will be updated in real time—keep the link handy and check back for any updated information, including the live auction items, timeline, parking, and weekend activities. Below are specific details about the Gala: The Essentials Location: Signia by Hilton San Jose, 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113. Dress Code: Cocktail Attire and Soccer Celebratory. Parking: Valet is available at the hotel ($20 for the first hour; not to exceed $50). Offsite parking is available at the 50 W San Fernando St. Garage or the 285 S Market St. Lot. Event Schedule 5:00 PM: Champions Reception 6:45 PM: Kickoff & Welcome 7:30 PM: Dinner 8:00 PM: Legacy Program featuring soccer legends and youth Poet- Athletes 9:00 PM: Extra Time at the Aji Bar on the main floor Keep the Celebration Going The festivities continue on Saturday, May 9, with a live tribute at the San Jose Earthquakes match at PayPal Park at 7:30 PM. You can purchase tickets for the match here. For any questions, please reach out to us at Gala@americascores.org. We look forward to seeing you soon! The SCORES Gala Committee-- Gala Committee From:Theo Nissim To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:26:14 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear council members, I am writing to urge you to vote to keep Churchill open. Closing it would severely impact traffic around our city, compromise safety on multiple streets and intersections, and add time and uncertainty to emergency responses. Virtually everybody living or visiting our city would be negatively affected, traffic, accessibility and general community feel. The closure would divide our city and community, with no cross access between the east and west neighborhoods between Charleston and Embarcadero. This means a de facto separation of our city in halves, with significant damage to the Palo Alto sense of place and community. If Churchill would be closed, that would imply that Charleston must be closed as well, as more suicides occurred at that location. The same rationale against closure applies in that case as well. Placing guards at the Churchill cross is the correct solution for eliminating suicides by train there. Please make it a long term arrangement. Please vote to keep Churchill open ! Thank you, best, Theo Nissim Theo.nissim@nissimspace.com +16507407851 From:Michael Brozman To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:13:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I live at 1652 Castilleja Avenue and have major concerns about closing Churchill. Castilleja avg has heavy bike traffic from kids going to school, pushing more traffic to those streets would literally be deadly. I've seen plenty of close calls as is already. And I've seen firsthand how traffic patterns change when Churchill is closed, it won't be good. That's not even mentioning ambulance/firefighter response ability. -- Michael Brozman mbrozman@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:Alan Bennett To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Road Crossing Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:08:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i At risk of stating the obvious, there are multiple ways for troubled people to commit suicide in Palo Alto by train,including the other track crossings, the space between crossings , the open platform at the Palo Alto station etc. Elimination of one crossing at great inconvenience and great eventual cost for many Palo Altans and commuters is hardly the best way to proceed. Finding ways to reduce some of the academic pressure on students and more spending money on mental health would seem a far more effective way of reducing the number of these tragic deaths.Crossing guards seem to be an obvious example of virtue signaling, but if they, in fact, are somewhat effective, continue their use. Alan Bennett 233 Tennyson Ave Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Gary Bradski To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill St open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 3:49:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council I often Churchill biking to get onto the bike path behind Paly and on to downtown or Stanford w/o encounting much car traffic. Don't close Churchill. The suicides are a cultural rearing problem that would paper over that in exchange for harder to pin deaths from slower emergency response or traffic/pedestrian/bike fatalities by crowding traffic elsewhere. If we were serious, we'd study why other schools with train track crossings experience fewer suicides. Gary Bradski 4082 Nelson Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:doria s To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Closing Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 2:25:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear honorable City Council members, Mayor and Vice Mayor, Please do not close Churchill crossing to all as it is not clear that : 1. Closing temporarily is an option. 2. Closing will have a positive effect citywide on youth suicide. It is clear that : 3. Closing will have many negative impacts, and safety concerns for the entire city. And…. 4. The student petition did not call for closing rather for guards/ watchers. Respectfully, Doria Doria Summa (650) 867-7544 Mobile This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Jo Ann Mandinach To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Please vote against closing Churchill; the kids want human guards, not closure Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:58:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jo Ann Mandinach <joann@needtoknow.com> Date: Thu, May 7, 2026 at 10:05 PM Subject: Please vote against closing Churchill; the kids want human guards, not closure To: Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>, Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@paloalto.gov>, Keith Reckdahl <Keith.Reckdahl@paloalto.gov>, Patrick Burt <Pat.Burt@paloalto.gov>, George Lu <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>, Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov>, Greer Stone <greer.stone@cityofpaloalto.org> Please vote against closing Churchill. It's illogical since more suicides occur in South Palo Alto. Closing Churchill isn't what the kids want; their petition SAID they want human guards. Most Palo Altans oppose closing Churchill especially the half living east of the tracks because it solves nothing. wastes money and makes gridlock even worse. Many residents have vowed to vote against CC members who vote close Churchill next week. Most sincerely, Jo Ann Mandinach Palo Alto, CA 94301 From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:25:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker and Council Members: Please do not close the Churchill Crossing. Thank you. Sincerely, Becky Sanders Vetnura From:Sonya Bradski To:Council, City Subject:Please DO NOT CLOSE Churchill Street Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:19:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council: Please DO NOT CLOSE Churchill Street to cars, pedestrians, & bicycles by the train track. We already have enough traffic problems around the City of Palo Alto and closing Churchill street will only make the traffic worse at Embarcadero & Page Mill. Thanks so much for your time & consideration. Sonya Bradski 650-575-2395 From:Ebtisam Abbasi To:Urban Forestry Cc:ORG - Public Works Department; Council, City; Marc Najork Subject:URGENT: Failed Mitigation, Property Damage, and Safety Hazard – 67 Tulip Lane Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:05:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To the Palo Alto Urban Forestry Section and the Director of Public Works, I am writing to formally demand a re-evaluation for the immediate removal of the city- owned Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) at 67 Tulip Lane. Despite my good-faith efforts to cooperate with city mandates and previous infrastructure repairs, the situation has escalated into a recurrent financial liability and a significant safety concern. I am requesting removal based on the following visible infrastructure damage and the failure of prescribed maintenance: 1. Failure of City-Mandated Mitigation Following city requirements, I—along with my neighbors on this street—hired a city- approved professional to perform collective systemic aphid treatments on these trees at our own expense. Despite this coordinated effort, the treatment was completely unsuccessful. The tree remains severely infested, and the resulting "honeydew" is so voluminous that it literally "rains" on residents and guests as we walk down our driveway. This is no longer an "aesthetic nuisance"—it is a sanitary issue and a significant burden on the daily use of my property. Beyond the financial cost, the sheer volume of the mess is overwhelming. Despite investing significantly in high-quality hardscaping and landscaping, the constant 'rain' of sticky residue and resulting mold makes my home entrance look unkempt and abandoned. I have been forced to spend excessive time and effort on a daily basis just to keep my front yard and house entrance presentable, yet the tree’s presence makes it an impossible task. 2. Ongoing Damage to Private Property (Driveway) While the City previously repaired the public sidewalk, the underlying root issue was never resolved. This is especially urgent as the City’s lone attempt to repair the public sidewalk years ago was merely a surface-level fix; it completely failed to address the This message needs your attention This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast underlying root system, which has been encroaching on my driveway for years. Given the constraints of a standard 6,000 sq. ft. Palo Alto lot, this species is simply too large for the parkway width and continues to damage my private property unchecked. I am stuck in a recurrent cycle of lifting and resetting my pavers to prevent damage to my vehicles and to mitigate a persistent tripping hazard. 3. Safety and Liability Concerns The combination of uneven pavers (due to root heave) and the slick, sticky coating of honeydew on the ground creates a high-risk slip-and-fall environment on my private walkway. As the owner of the property, I am concerned about the liability this city- owned tree creates, especially as the City’s previous surface-level repairs failed to address the underlying root encroachment. 4. Cross-Contamination and Property-Wide Damage The volume of honeydew is so significant that sooty mold spores have migrated across my entire property. This fungus is now actively coating my backyard plants and trees, including my citrus. This infestation, originating entirely from the failing city tree, is compromising the health of my private landscaping and creates a persistent sanitary issue that I cannot control as long as the source remains. Proposed Resolution: The current "maintenance" approach has failed to protect my property or public safety. To resolve this, I am prepared to: Discuss a cost-sharing arrangement to facilitate the immediate removal of this incompatible species. Commit to planting a city-approved replacement that is appropriate for the parkway width and does not possess invasive root or pest traits (e.g., a Ginkgo or similar). I request a site visit with a Senior Arborist this week to observe the "raining" honeydew and the driveway displacement. I look forward to your immediate response to resolve this long-standing liability. Sincerely, Ebtisam Abbasi 650 387 2650 From:Brinda Govindan To:Council, City Subject:cuts to Canopy Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 10:39:50 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Please do not cut funding for Canopy from the city budget! Trees are essential for our well-being,and Canopy does a great job of stewardship in Palo Alto. Thank you, Brinda Govindan This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Craig Ritchey To:Council, City Subject:closing Churchill Avenue crossing of Caltrain Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 10:17:10 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council members, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposal to close the Churchill Crossing of Caltrain. I am very sympathetic and empathetic about the need to find a solution to the school age student suicide issue, but I do not believe closing Churchill is the right answer. We need a more comprehensive solution for the four at grade Caltrain crossing in Palo Alto. Thank You, Craig Ritchey 1156 Ramona St. Palo Alto, CA Sent from my iPhone From:padex74@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Don"t close Churchill Avenue Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:57:14 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Remember the consequences. Embarcadero Road is already overloaded and won’t be able to handle the extra vehicles. The risk increases for pedestrians and bicycles crossing at High Street. Dexter Girton This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Chacon, Mary To:Council, City Cc:Mary Chacon Subject:Please keep Churchill Open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:36:03 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers, Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than the current situation does. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero puts Paly students biking and walking to school at higher risk of injury and death In fact, more traffic worsens crossing safety at intersections all along Embarcadero, affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, and Zuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing also endangers residents of Southgate and neighborhoods along the Embarcadero corridor by delaying emergency police and fire response. Although the April 15 Staff report estimated only a 15-second average increase in response times, this number was based on increases in distance traveled and did not consider the effects of potential slow-downs on the main corridors and secondary routes due to additional traffic. Even without detailed analysis of traffic impacts, the Fire and Police chiefs anticipated much slower "second-wave" responses in case of a complex emergency. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded youth suicides, only two were at Churchill. If closing is the only effective deterrent, then closing the other crossings should be higher priority. On the other hand, if we trust the guards to be effective at the higher-risk crossings, we should trust them for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it. 1148 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650-862-9972) Mary@mac-archcon.com From:chapin Chet To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing OPEN Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:08:18 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the described and previously-assessed mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately endanger neighborhood street residents by the resulting daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Carl Dowds Palo Alto resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Annette Glanckopf To:Council, City Subject:Do NOT close Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:07:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I am writing to express my OPPOSITION to closing Churchill Annette Glanckopf 2747 Bryant Vote with the League on Measure B Four resolutions to place a measure on the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election have been filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. These measures will appear on ballots in their respective jurisdictions. The one measure that affects Palo Alto residents is Measure B - Palo Alto Unified School District Parcel Tax Renewal. From:LWV Palo Alto VOTER To:Council, City Subject:Vote with the League on Measure B Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 7:26:07 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Read the Pros and Cons for MEASURE B from your Pros/Cons Team at the Palo Alto League. Let your voice be heard; vote! Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2026 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Email us at lwvpaoffice@gmail.com Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Questions? Please contact communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:David Epstein To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open for safety - PLEASE! Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 7:23:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than in the current situation. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero putting students at higher risk of injury and death More traffic worsens crossing safety all along Embarcadero, affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, and Zuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing endangers South Gate in delaying police and fire – especially with impacted traffic and if there is an incident involving students at Paly, this further may delay critical first responders. (note the report delivered in the April Council meeting specifically did not consider additional traffic due to the closing in their analysis, invalidating any result) Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, they are in place and cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded suicides, 9 were not at Churchill. If closing is the deterrent, then closing other crossings should be higher priority. Since guards are effective at the higher risk crossings, then it is good for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report David Epstein thedavee@aol.com 1118 Emerson St, Palo Alto From:Margaret Kim To:Council, City Subject:Keep the Churchill crossing OPEN Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:30:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Please keep the Churchill crossing OPEN. Closing Churchill will not only affect the safety of Southgate and North Palo Alto residents, but also the very students we are trying to protect. More students (and others) navigating already dangerous pedestrian crossings at Alma and Embarcadero, as well as overcrowding of the underpass with both pedestrians and bicyclists. More traffic all along the Embarcadero corridor—where a bicyclist was killed last year. The traffic on Embarcadero is not a future inconvenience, it is impassible right now. Addressing the issue of youth suicides in our community is important. We appreciate that City Council is listening. We understand the desire to do more, but we have already taken action, and it is working: The guards at the crossings have proven to be 100% effective. Barriers/deterrents have been added to make access to the tracks more difficult. If these solutions have been deemed to be effective enough for the other 3 crossings, where more suicides have occurred, they should be effective enough for Churchill. Please vote “NO” to closing Churchill. Sincerely, Margaret Kim From:Tom Holzer To:Council, City Subject:Urban forestry budget cuts Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:21:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council I am writing to you to reconsider your proposed cuts to urban forestry in Palo Alto, and particularly the support you provide to Canopy. Trees are a major factor in making Palo Alto a wonderful place to live. I cannot tell you how many times I have hosted visitors who remark on the wonderful foliage we have. I always tell them that I think of my good fortune whenever I am outside (walking, biking, driving, walking the dog, etc).. More importantly, trees are one part of Nature that are compatible with urban development. But trees must be protected and nurtured. They require a long-term investment of money and effort. I strongly urge the Council to continue to support non-profits like Canopy.at their current levels. Future residents will thank you. Tom Holzer 15 Phillips Road tom.holzer@gmail.com This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Barbara Ann Hazlett To:Council, City Subject:Please Do Not Close Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:49:27 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 am against the proposed closure of the Churchill Ave. rail crossing. Churchill today carries roughly 9,500 vehicles a day, along with bicyclists and pedestrians. Closing Churchill does not eliminate that demand. Rather, it redistributes it onto corridors like Oregon Expressway and Embarcadero Road. These arterials have already been identified by the City as more stressful and less safe for vulnerable users like our hundreds of school children. Thus, the proposal moves that risk onto corridors where the consequences of a mistake are much more severe. Importantly, both the Palo Alto Police and Fire Departments have expressed “significant concerns” that this will impact their response times to incident locations. This is extremely harmful to all North Palo Alto residents as delays in emergency response can make the difference between life and death. The City will face liability for a Churchill closure based on two important facts: 1. They will be rerouting a traffic count of thousands into a known hazardous corridor; 2. The risk is clearly FORESEEABLE which has been attested to by our own Police and Fire Departments . These risks are not hypothetical, they are FORESEEABLE. Bottom line: You can’t eliminate one of only three high intensity thoroughfares and not expect harmful fallout. A sound approach to deterring future suicides has been implemented in accordance with the widely signed petition requesting 24 hour security guards at this and the other Palo Alto rail crossings. As has been repeatedly demonstrated in your own straw poll, at the April 15th Council meeting and in news reports and related commentary, the vast majority of your constituents are opposed to closure. Please do not trade a set of risks, that has been effectively addressed, for another that is more severe. Thank you for This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report understanding this critical public safety matter. Barbara Hazlett Professorville From:Anne Colby To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE THE CHURCHILL TRAIN CROSSING Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:25:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members: I fully understand that we all need to contribute toward a mechanism to prevent suicides on the Caltrain tracks. We can't let more young students lose their lives. But closing Churchill Avenue is not the way to do it. The guards work fine, and there are no doubt other measures that could also work, like closing any access to and from the Palo campus along the Churchill side. For so very many reasons, it is just not feasible to close and then later reopen that railroad crossing. And it will cause massive problems, even likely loss of life to do so. PLEASE BE CREATIVE IN FINDING OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT OUR YOUTH. We must find ways to help these deeply unhappy children to feel good about their lives and have hope for the future. To accomplish this, the families and schools must work together to address the students' mental health. Closing Churchill Ave will do nothing to address these mental health issues. A closure would cause great harm to the larger surrounding community without addressing the heart of the matter in any meaningful way. Thank you for considering these comments. Sincerely, Anne Colby Southgate home-owner From:G Kwok To:Council, City Subject:Fw: Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:59:47 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i From: G Kwok <gvkman@hotmail.com> Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:52 PM To: CityCouncil@PaloAlto.gov <CityCouncil@PaloAlto.gov> Subject: Please keep Churchill open Dear Council Members Please do not close Churchill. Churchill is a major thoroughfare. If it is closed, there will be serious traffic congestion on the adjacent road such as El Camino and Embarcadero. The citizens in South Gate will have a very difficult time to get in and out of Southgate neighborhood. The closure will also dangerously affect emergency response to the Southgate neighborhood. Please continue to have Security Guards at all the crossings. I believe the measure is important and effective. Thank you for the consideration. Sincerely Gerry Kwok 1653 Mariposa Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Kate McKenzie To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE! DON"T CLOSE CHURCHILL Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:53:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To The Honorable City Council Members, Please let the facts of a Churchill closure direct your decision: While suicides are tragic and we must absolutely be dedicated to trying to prevent them, the conclusions reached by JED and shared at the last Council meeting speak for themselves: There is no guarantee or research that ensures that suicides will stop with Churchill closed, when there are other crossings in Palo Alto. Closure of Churchill will re-direct between 7,000 and 8,000 cars a day, along with hundreds of bikers to our other arteries, which are not able to accommodate the added traffic. Additional cars at our other crossings will decrease safety for those commuters It will: Dramatically decrease safety for our bikers who then will need to funnel onto Embarcadero, not currently set up for large numbers of commuters Dramatically decrease safety for our neighborhoods where cars and bikers will cut through to decrease added commute time Dramatically decrease safety for those emergency vehicles on a daily, if not hourly basis using Embarcadero to get to Stanford Hospital. Dramatically decrease safety for those humans riding in ambulances. Isolate and decrease safety in the Southgate neighborhood. Increase Paly congestion on Churchill as cars rush onto Churchill to park near the Paly Football field, with only one way in and out. Dramatically increase traffic along the El Camino corridor. Please, continue to support the crossing guards at Churchill and keep Churchill open. Nearly 10,000 lives will be affected by your decision every day. This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Thank you, Sincerely, Kate McKenzie PAUDS District Office Employee, Paly Instructor for 15 years, and Southgate Resident From:William Damon To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill Ave Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 7:06:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, Closing Churchill Avenue would create a serious public health risk. If the crossing is closed, it will only be a matter of time until someone who has a heart attack or a stroke will not be able to get emergency services in the time necessary for adequate health treatment. Does the City Council want to take responsibility for future health catastrophes? Of course, the thought of young people hurting themselves is terrible, but it is highly speculative that closing this one particular crossing would do anything useful to prevent this problem. What is not speculative is that residents along the passageway will experience the need for emergency services on many occasions. Keeping crossing guards on-site and active is a safer and more realistic way to address the safety needs of troubled young people without risking placing all neighborhood residents at grave risk. Sincerely, William Damon Palo Alto resident From:Gregory A Wait To:Council, City Subject:Churchill closure Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:49:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than the current situation does. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero puts Palystudents biking and walking to school at higher risk of injury and death In fact, more traffic worsens crossing safety at intersections all along Embarcadero,affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, andZuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing also endangers residents of Southgate and neighborhoods along theEmbarcadero corridor by delaying emergency police and fire response. Although theApril 15 Staff report estimated only a 15-second average increase in response times, thisnumber was based on increases in distance traveled and did not consider the effects ofpotential slow-downs on the main corridors and secondary routes due to additional traffic. Even without detailed analysis of traffic impacts, the Fire and Police chiefs anticipatedmuch slower "second-wave" responses in case of a complex emergency. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deathson the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded youth suicides, only twowere at Churchill. If closing is the only effective deterrent, then closing the other crossings should behigher priority. On the other hand, if we trust the guards to be effective at the higher-risk crossings,we should trust them for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it.                 Gregory Wait From:Kathy Wait To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:37:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, We are requesting that you do not close the Churchill Crossing. It does not seem to be the best answer to a serious and important decision. Closing the crossing will add to many traffic problems as well as safety concerns. Neighborhoods will become congested, pedestrian and biking traffic will be endangered and safety responses may be delayed. The Crossing Guards is a practical, successful and much safer answer. We hope that you will seriously consider our request and leave the Churchill Crossing as is. Sincerely, Kathy and Greg Wait Sent from my iPad From:vic.schrader@yahoo.com To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:14:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council: Please keep Churchill open. As a Southgate resident and parent of two former Paly students, I am painfully aware of the wrenching nature of the suicides. My younger daughter lost a co- worker to suicide on the tracks in the past year. I believe that there is a natural impetus, given the extreme gravity of the problem, to embrace an extreme structural solution without full consideration of the consequences. Consider the soft solution that has already been implemented-- security guards posted at the intersections. This is an effective means to prevent suicides, and even if only implemented temporarily, gives the community time to consider solutions that are more structural. Even so, the fiscal break-even point between guards and structural solutions is far down the line-- we can pay a lot of guards for a long time before it is as expensive as even the cheapest structural solution. And closing Churchill does nothing to improve the other RxR streets, so it will increase the pressure at all of these other intersections, making security guards at those points even more necessary. of day, speeding is so prevalent now that any vehicle traveling at the speed limit is actually a dangerous obstruction-- i.e., the speed limit is ignored by well over 50% of vehicles. With any closure, residential streets parallel to Embarcadero will certainly become impacted with additional cars, with speeding and dangerous maneuvers becoming increasingly common. This is all to say nothing of the danger to bike riders and pedestrians. Best Regards, Victor Schrader 1620 Portola Ave Palo Alto 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Barbara Wallace To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:50:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Members of City Council, Please keep Churchill open. Please consider the predicted effects of a temporary closure without mitigations identified several years ago by XCAP and the consultants who reported to City officials. I am a longtime resident of Lincoln Avenue, a street broad enough to accommodate two-way traffic and parking on both sides. For generations (four in my case), Lincoln has been a walking and bicycle route for students and workers heading to Addison, Castilleja, Paly, and Stanford. Lincoln is next to the Alma-High-Emerson-Kingsley-Bryant (bike boulevard) network of streets adjacent to Embarcadero. On occasion Lincoln has received a flood of traffic temporarily diverted from Embarcadero. If the Churchill crossing is closed without mitigations, I foresee a daily repetition of overflow congestion from Embarcadero and driver frustration at the tight network of neighborhood stop signs. I worry for the safety of walkers, bikers, pram-pushers, dogwalkers, drivers trying to back out of driveways, downtown workers in cars or on foot, and elderly walkers like me. Deaths on our train tracks, accidental or intentional, are always tragic. Level crossings in Palo Alto are hazardous. I am grateful for the Council's part in installing Security Guards at all crossings. Opposing closure does not indicate insensitivity to student wellness and safety. Closing the Churchill crossing without mitigations is reckless. XCAP and the consultants show us why. Sincerely, Barbara Wallace From:Nick Atkins To:Council, City Subject:Important - please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:12:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council, I'm writing to ask you to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. The room at the recent meeting made the community position pretty clear, and I want to add my voice to it. Closing Churchill pushes traffic onto Embarcadero and the other northern routes that are already crowded with kids walking and biking to school. It slows emergency response in that part of town. And once a crossing like this is closed, it is, realistically, closed for good. That's a decision worth being very sure about. I also want to say thank you for putting security guards at the crossings. That was the right call, and from where I sit it's the kind of measure that actually addresses the safety concern without taking the crossing away from the families who use it every day. Please keep Churchill open. Sincerely, Nick Atkins 1102 Emerson St Father to Paly student Leon Atkins This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Guadalupe Aceves To:Council, City Subject:Stand up for Palo Alto Trees Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:09:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council members, I am writing in support of maintaining full funding for urban forestry programs, including the partnership with Canopy. I began volunteering with Canopy 30 years ago as I knew the importance and benefits of trees in our community. Through my volunteer work with Canopy, I passed on the love of trees to my three children who are now adults. Planting trees along the 101 freeway walls, local parks, schools and homes has brought communities together in the healthiest way possible. Trees are cool! Trees clean the air we breathe! Trees provide vital habitat! Trees protect public health I ask that the City of Palo Alto maintain full funding to the Urban Forestry budget, Including Canopy Partnership. Please protect what we have built. In community, Guadalupe Aceves This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Bob Stillerman To:Council, City Subject:Please don"t close Churchill! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:50:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council Members, As a long-time resident of Southgate (44 years), I am aware of the issues associated with the railroad tracks at Churchill and Alma. As I pass the intersection multiple times daily, I see the security guards actively inspecting the rail crossing when a train signals its arrival. As I understand it, the security service presence has always been successful in preventing suicide incidents. To further secure the intersection, technology enhancements could be effective: radar-based detection, thermal imaging, more substantial barriers to replace the current railroad crossing gates. These may take time to approve and deploy, but they would likely be effective in deterring pedestrian access to the tracks. I have attended prior Council meetings and am convinced that the disruption likely to be caused by the closure at Churchill would be enormous and would result in other, possibly worse, safety hazards on the diverted roads and passageways. Council members are aware of these issues from the many consultant studies already conducted and comments from other Palo Alto residents. At a prior meeting on this subject, I suggested that if the Council is insistent on denying access to the Churchill crossing for Paly students, then a more reasonable approach would be to close access to Churchill Avenue from Palo Alto HS at the southern campus border. While this will certainly affect students arriving from points south of the campus, the impact would be borne by hundreds of individuals and not the many thousands that a Churchill crossing closure would impact. I appreciate the Council’s attention to the matter of teen suicide and the time spent in considering community sentiment on this important issue. I encourage the Council to This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report continue to work with the PAUSD to develop programs to assist troubled students and create a safe environment for high quality education and learning for our youth. Bob Stillerman 1363 Madrono Avenue From:Eric Seedman To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:36:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i  Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. It seems crystal clear and undisputed that closing Churchill will increase traffic. The degree to which this would occur is disputed, but it could be potentially extremely severe. This will likely lead to more and more dangerous scenarios on other arteries, which could become as dangerous as the problem that it’s meant to solve. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. I am certain that we can find ways, probably using advanced technology, that could even improve the security system that is in current use. If it is determined at a later date, post closure, that this had been a huge mistake and the consequences too severe, I fear that reopening would be nearly impossible. Thank you for voting against closing Churchill. -Eric Seedman Sent from my iPhone This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Eleanor Laney To:Council, City Subject:Leaving Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:30:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue and for listening to the many residents who spoke at the recent meeting. The overwhelming public response against closure reflects how deeply this crossing matters to the community. Several years ago the council and city resident committee considered ramification of the increased number of Cal Trains due to electrification. As you know, many options were considered and the council realized it couldn’t pit one part of Palo Alto against another in a final resolution. It seems that a partial raised crossing and path was decided on but then the subject was delayed for future study and changes in CalTrain. Now the subject has arisen again but motivated by tragic human circumstances. Although I am deeply sympathetic with the families suffering losses of life, still the closing of Churchill would significantly increase congestion in Northern Palo Alto, compromise emergency response times, and create additional safety concerns for students biking and walking along already crowded routes like Embarcadero. It would also be extremely difficult to reopen the crossing in the future once closed. It is so reassuring to see the council quickly respond by installing security guards at the crossings. I support these measures and believe they can improve safety while keeping Churchill open for the many residents, students, and families who rely on it every day. The school increasing the mental health support as well as monitoring the on line interactions of students could help in a way that seems to address the root of the student health problem. Please consider the strong community support for keeping Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Sincerely, Eleanor Laney This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:mashru6@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Churchgate Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:19:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council members, ​ ​I strongly support closing the crossing until a long term solution is found. We can not risk any more youth life. By closing it, the community will be encouraged to find a permanent long term solution quickly. This decision has been in the limbo for near a decade due to deep community differences. This is an appropriate opportunity to take action, save lives and get the community closer to a permanent solution. ​ ​Rajesh Mashruwala ​Melville Ave, Palo Alto ​ ​ This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Terry Rice To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open!! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:02:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council: Thank you for your sincere consideration regarding the closing of Churchill Avenue. It is a difficult decision but one that I believe has been made easier by the success of the Churchill Security Guards now and in the past. I have lived on Embarcadero Road near Gamble Garden for many years. Bicyclists and people on motorbikes ( most I believe to be students) now share the sidewalks with me due to the increased traffic on Embarcadero.. Closing Churchill will only direct more traffic onto the Embarcadero corridor. Please vote KEEP CHURCHILL OPEN. Thank you. Terry Rice This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:wangmcl@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:54:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council members, Several years ago another city councilor wanted to turn Middlefield Rd from 4 lanes into two. As he didn’t live in the area one morning he decided to check it out - try to get onto Middlefield Rd from one of the side streets at rush hour. It took him 20 mins before there was an opening in all four lanes of traffic to make the turn safely. Thus he learned how important having the four lanes was and dropped his proposal. I would suggest the councilors sit at Churchill and Alma for an hour morning and afternoon at rush hour, and do the same at Embarcadero, Oregon, E Meadow and Charleston roads to learn the importance of Churchill, and get a better understanding of what will happen if you close Churchill and redirect the 7000+ cars that use it every day to the other roads. There would be gridlock! This issue is not just about Southgate but the potential effect on the whole of Palo Alto and its traffic and quality of life! Yours sincerely, Marjorie McLaren This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Jyothi To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open for traffic Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:23:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I support keeping the Churchill crossing open: For better traffic flow For emergencies For reducing congestion on El Camino and Page Mill Thanks, Jyothi This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Lawrence Lau To:Council, City Subject:No to closing Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:58:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto city council, I highly doubt that the closing of the Churchill crossing will solve the problem. Do we have the count as to how many of those deaths are impulsive? If the Churchill crossing is closed, people can walk 20 minutes to the Palo Alto train station. It is closer than walking from Gunn to the Charleston crossing. The money for closing the crossing is better to spend on hiring security guards, which has been proven to be an effective way, and mental health programs. Thank you. Lawrence. Sent from my iPhone From:Jaeho Kim To:Council, City Subject:Oppose the Closure of the Churchill Avenue Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:42:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i ​Dear Palo Alto City Council, ​As a long-time resident of the Southgate neighborhood where I have raised my three children, I am writing to strongly urge you to vote against the closure of the Churchill Avenue crossing. ​Having lived in this community for many years, I have seen firsthand how vital this artery is for the safety and flow of our neighborhood. Closing Churchill would create significant challenges for our local families, specifically: ​Student Safety: My children grew up navigating these streets, and I am deeply concerned that diverting Churchill traffic onto Embarcadero will create a much more dangerous environment for the students currently biking and walking to Paly and nearby elementary schools. ​Emergency Response: In a complex emergency, every second is critical. I am concerned that the increased congestion on secondary routes like Castilleja Avenue will delay fire and police response times for Southgate residents. ​Effectiveness of Current Measures: The presence of security guards at the crossings has proven to be an effective and reliable safety measure. I fully support continuing this program as a superior alternative to a permanent closure. ​Churchill is a lifeline for our part of the city. I ask that you listen to the voices of the residents who rely on this crossing daily and vote to keep it open on May 11. ​Thank you for your time and for your service to our community. ​Sincerely, ​Jae Ho Kim Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Marion Odell To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:49:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Please keep Churchill open for traffic. Closing will overburden the traffic on The Embarcadero Thank you, Marion Odell Downtown resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Karen Hohner To:Council, City Subject:Opposition to Churchill closing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:30:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, I oppose the closing of the Churchill crossing. My primary concerns with the closing are as follows: - decreased access to emergency responders and evacuation routes - increased congestion and accidents for pedestrians and cyclists on Embarcadero and side streets - increased vehicle congestion throughout North Palo Alto on Embarcadero, Alma, Oregon Expressway, and all side streets - decreased access to Walter Hays (especially dangerous for young children), Castilleja, and 101 I think the use of crossing guards should be continued to ensure student safety, and more attention should be paid to decreasing bullying, both online and in person. Thank you for your consideration. Karen Hohner Karen Hohner 300 Miramonte Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-328-0381 650-380-3229 mobile khohner@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:Prasad Chakka To:Council, City Subject:Regarding closure of Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:25:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I am a Palo Alto resident for 10+ years and live in South Gate and have a son at Paly. First I want to thank you for setting up presence at crossings permanently and I think that is an effective way to deter the unfortunate suicide attempts. Closing Churchill will cause challenges for all Palo Alto and Stanford residents. Out family drives through that crossing atleast 10 times a day. And I see how busy that intersection is and moving all of that to other already busy intersections will make even small errands like driving to a different city altogether. Closing the Churchill will separate the two parts of the town and the current Palo Alto charm that we all love will disappear. But if all of this improves the chances of saving a person even by a 1% I would be for closing Churchill but alas that would not be the case in this instance. Thanks for reading, Prasad This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Kathy Jordan To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:48:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Thank you. Kathy Jordan This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:george chaltas To:Council, City Cc:george chaltas Subject:Churchill Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:32:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! As a resident of Southgate, I sympathize with the recent Paly High suicide issue but strongly oppose closing off Churchill Avenue which would require students to take more dangerous routes (Embarcadero) to campus. George Chaltas 251 Miramonte Ave. Palo Alto This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Marion Krause To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:39:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello Palo Alto City Council, I write to you today to urge you to vote “No” on closing Churchill Avenue at the train rail crossing for the following reasons (I've listed them in order of importance in my opinion): emergency response to and from the area will be compromised Embarcadero Rd. is a dangerous alternative for students biking and walking to Paly Northern Palo Alto and Embarcadero Rd. will become seriously more congested Instead of closing Churchill Ave., please keep the Security Guards at all three of the rail crossing points. Student safety is, of course, very important but closing Churchill is not the answer. More mental health outreach and access for students is what is required. Sincerely, Marion Krause 1646 Castilleja Ave. This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Caroline Japic To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE KEEP CHURCHILL OPEN! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:03:59 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue and for listening to the many residents who spoke at the recent meeting. The overwhelming public response against closure reflects how deeply this crossing matters to the community. Closing Churchill would significantly increase congestion in Northern Palo Alto, compromise emergency response times, and create additional safety concerns for students biking and walking along already crowded routes like Embarcadero. It would also be extremely difficult to reopen the crossing in the future once closed. I also want to thank the Council for installing security guards at the crossings. I support these measures and believe they can improve safety while keeping Churchill open for the many residents, students, and families who rely on it every day. Please consider the strong community support for keeping Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Sincerely, Caroline & Haris Japic 1655 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-619-4162 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Jack Farrell To:Council, City Subject:Public Comment 5/11/26 Council Meeting Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 7:13:13 AM Attachments:3781 El Camino Real suport lette 5_11_26.docx.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Good morning, Please find attached YIMBY Law's correspondence regarding Monday's meeting of the council, specifically item 7, 3781 El Camino Real. Sincerely, Jack Farrell he/him Research Attorney 267-218-1147 Check out everything we achieved in 2025! This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast YIMBY Law 2261 Market Street STE 10416 San Francisco, CA 94114 hello@yimbylaw.org 1 05/07/2026 City of Palo Alto City Council 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Re: 3781 El Camino Real [24PLN-00161] Dear City Council of Palo Alto, YIMBY Law is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, whose mission is to increase the accessibility and affordability of housing in California. YIMBY Law sues municipalities when they fail to comply with state housing laws, including the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB-330). This Council has an obligation to abide by all relevant state housing laws when evaluating the above captioned proposal, including the HA A. When complete, the proposed development at 3781 El Camino Real will include 183 units of housing, including 23 reserved for low-income residents. We join staff ’s recommendation in urging this Council to follow California law by recognizing its valid AB 130 exemption from CEQA review and approving all necessary entitlements. As your staff have already informed you, denials of Builder’s Remedy projects are limited to circumstances where the hearing body can cite specific, adverse impacts based on prewritten health and safety standards. It may not be denied based on inconsistency with Zoning designations or the Comprehensive Plan, and is subject only to ordinances or standards in place when its SB 330 pre-application was submitted. Under AB 130, Palo Alto must determine its exemption status by May 26, 2026, or it will be deemed approved. The SB 330 pre-application vested on February 15, 2024. Palo Alto’s Housing Element was not certified as substantially compliant until August 20, 2024. The Project proposal is consistent with the provisions of the Builders’ Remedy; therefore, you must approve the application, or else make findings to the effect that the proposed project would have an adverse impact on public health and safety, as described above. YIMBY L aw, 2261 Market Street STE 10416, San Francisco, CA 94114 1 YIMBY Law 2261 Market Street STE 10416 San Francisco, CA 94114 hello@yimbylaw.org 2 Should Palo Alto fail to comply with the law, YIMBY Law will not hesitate to take legal action to ensure that the law is enforced. I am signing this letter both in my capacity as the Executive Director of YIMBY L aw, and as a resident of California who is affected by the shortage of housing in our state. Sincerely, Sonja Trauss Executive Director YIMBY Law YIMBY L aw, 2261 Market Street STE 10416, San Francisco, CA 94114 2 From:Susan Rosenberg To:Council, City Cc:JP Renaud Subject:Canopy Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:44:28 AM Dear Palo Alto City Council, Don’t repeat Palo Alto’s ugly history of reduced funding for our trees. Working closely with the City of Palo Alto staff, Canopy has profoundly changed the health of the urban forest by leveraging your funding in ways far beyond your capacity. Canopy was a budding urban forestry nonprofit thirty years ago but is currently seen as a leader in the field. Now is not the time to reduce funding. Thank you, Susan Rosenberg Canopy Co-founder From:mauryg3@comcast.net To:Council, City Subject:FW: Churchill Ave. rail crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:13:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i From: mauryg3@comcast.net <mauryg3@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 8:55 PM To: 'pat.burt@paloalto.gov' <pat.burt@paloalto.gov>; 'ed.lauing@paloalto.gov' <ed.lauing@paloalto.gov>; 'george.lu@paloalto.gov' <george.lu@paloalto.gov>; 'julie.lythcotthaims@paloalto.gov' <julie.lythcotthaims@paloalto.gov>; 'keith.reckdahl@paloalto.gov' <keith.reckdahl@paloalto.gov>; 'greer.stone@paloalto.gov' <greer.stone@paloalto.gov>; 'vicki.veenker@paloalto.gov' <vicki.veenker@paloalto.gov>; 'citycouncil@paloalto.gov' <citycouncil@paloalto.gov> Subject: Churchill Ave. rail crossing Palo Alto City Council members, I oppose the closing of the Churchill Ave. rail crossing. IT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. It will do more harm than good. Nor will the placing of 24hr guards at the crossing solve the problem. Just consider the distance between Churchill Ave and East Meadow. More than ample opportunity for anyone intent on committing suicide to enter the tracks. The only truly effective solution would be a system of motion detecting cameras to alert the train driver. And, I must ask, why does Burlingame High School adjacent to the tracks not have the problem? As the saying goes, “if you want to solve a problem, be sure the problem you’re solving is the one you have.” Look to the cause(s), whether it be bullying or academic pressure. These are problems for the School District to address, not the City Council. Maurice Green, PhD This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:yuet berry To:Council, City Subject:Funding for Canopy Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 9:46:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi city council I’m writing to support full funding for urban forestry programs. Canopy is a vital part of our community in keeping us green and planting trees to keep us healthy in our neighborhoods. Please provide full funding to Canopy & programs like it. Thank you so much for considering, Yuet Berry From:Virginia Smedberg To:Council, City Subject:trees in our city! Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 9:06:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear fellow Tree City dwellers, Our "urban forest" is one of our resources - and I think it must be given at least as much weight as streets and infrastructure in budget planning. I am writing to ask you to maintain full funding for urban forestry programs. And I would ask that you include Canopy's partnership - they have played an important role in making and maintaining this forest. cheers - virginia smedberg 441 Washington Ave (under the just-blooming Catalpas whose blossoms smell like grape candy!) EARTH without ART is just EH This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Heather Gioia To:Council, City; City Mgr Subject:RE: Will Palo Alto Go Purple for BTS in 3 weeks? Tampa Just Did - and the Results Were Stunning. Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 8:02:36 PM Attachments:BTS in Mexico city.mov CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, Two weeks ago, I submitted a request for Palo Alto to recognize BTS with purple city lighting during the week they will be here. I received no reply. Meanwhile, today BTS was welcomed by Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, as tens of thousands of fans filled the streets hoping to catch a glimpse. (Please watch the attached video and look at the photos). Every city across their global tour has treated this visit as both a cultural and economic opportunity. San Jose has an opportunity to do the same—particularly with an estimated $800–$900 million in economic impact associated with these events. Decisions like this shape how global artists and large-scale events view a city as a partner and return destination. There is still time to make a small but meaningful adjustment: consider lighting the city and airport purple during the six days BTS is in the region. Respectfully, Heather Gioia From: Heather Gioia <heather@heathergioia.com> Sent: Monday, April 27, 2026 7:44 PM To: 'city.council@paloalto.gov' <city.council@paloalto.gov>; 'citymgr@paloalto.gov' <citymgr@paloalto.gov> Subject: Will Palo Alto Go Purple for BTS in 3 weeks? Tampa Just Did — and the Results Were Stunning. Dear Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, Last weekend, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor lit up Tampa's City Hall and downtown bridges in purple to welcome BTS for their sold-out North American tour opener at Raymond James Stadium. The city turned itself into a three-day festival, the images went viral, and local outlets projected the concerts would generate between $800 million and $900 million in economic impact for the Tampa area. Now BTS is coming to us. BTS will perform three sold-out shows in three weeks at Stanford Stadium on May 16, 17, and 19 — right in Palo Alto's backyard. If you're not familiar with them, BTS is one of the most globally dominant pop acts of the past decade. Their current world tour has 45% fewer shows than Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, yet is projected to generate up to $2 billion — likely surpassing Taylor Swift on a per-show basis. Their fanbase, known as ARMY, is arguably the most organized and economically active in the world, buying 3–5x more merchandise than the average concertgoer. As a Bay Area resident and proud member of ARMY, I am writing to ask: would the City of Palo Alto consider lighting City Hall and local landmarks purple in honor of this historic moment? Palo Alto has done this before. When Ukraine needed the world to notice, this city lit City Hall in blue and yellow. That gesture said: we see you, and you matter to us. Purple for BTS says the same thing — to South Korea, to ARMY worldwide, and to every fan who will make Palo Alto their destination this May. And if you want to give the world an image it will never forget: light El Palo Alto purple as well. A 1,000-year-old redwood — the tree this city is named after, the tree on the city seal — glowing purple on the night of a sold-out stadium concert would be shared around the world within minutes. No other city on this tour can offer that. One hundred and fifty thousand fans will be arriving in Palo Alto over three nights. A gesture as simple as lighting City Hall purple would generate enormous goodwill, media attention, and visibility for Palo Alto as a warm and welcoming place — and give local businesses a meaningful boost, as fans eagerly spend in the neighborhoods surrounding the venue. Tampa showed the rest of the country how it's done. Palo Alto, as the city closest to Stanford Stadium, has the chance to lead the Bay Area in doing the same — and the infrastructure to make it happen before May 16. I plan to make similar requests of neighboring cities including San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland, and it would be wonderful for Palo Alto to lead the way. I would be delighted to connect with your office if helpful. Thank you so much for your consideration. Warm regards, Heather Gioia 619-549-5294 From:ritaf@aol.com To:Council, City Subject:Canopy Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 7:19:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Please to continue this valuable asset to Palo Alto. Rita French Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:dedra hauser To:Council, City Subject:Please don"t cut back on urban forestry funding Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 6:59:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To all City Council members, I urge you to fully fund our urban forestry programs. Trees are not amenities. They are critical infrastructure and one of the best investments we can make in holding back climate change. When I moved to the peninsula I chose to live in Palo Alto because of the street trees and the beautiful canopy that differentiated Palo Alto from most of the surrounding communities. As a landscape designer and long-time volunteer at Canopy I have helped to expand, improve and maintain these trees, and to grow the canopy in East Palo Alto and southern Palo Alto. Cuts in funding for tree maintenance cost me thousands of dollars when my street tree fell on my garage and cut off the electricity several years back. I know you have difficult choices to make when the budget needs to be cut. But it would be very shortsighted to further cut city spending on this crucial resource. Sincerely, Dedra Hauser 410 Stanford Avenue From:richard d To:Council, City Subject:Urban Forestry budget Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 4:30:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I'm a recipient of 3 Urban Forestry trees. Please don't cut a budget that provides health and beauty to me, my children and my grandchildren. Please think long term. Thank you, Richard DeFrancesco 230 Chestnut Ave. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Susan Hartzell To:Council, City Subject:Canopy Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 3:33:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Please do not cut the budget for Canopy. Our urban forest is one of the gems of Palo Alto, and the envy of our neighboring towns. It keeps us cool, it keeps us quiet, it keeps us calm. Let’s celebrate, not economize. —Susan Hartzell Susan and Harry Hartzell 850 Webster Street Apt 430 Palo Alto, CA 94301 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:David Cortesi To:Council, City Subject:Support for urban forestry and canopy Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 2:35:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I urge you to retain full funding for our urban forestry programs and our partnership with Canopy. David Cortesi 850 Webster st. #621 Palo Alto 94301 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Pallavi Tibrewal To:Council, City Subject:Maintain Full Funding for Urban Forestry and Canopy Partnership Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 2:30:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I am writing to urge you to maintain full funding for Palo Alto’s urban forestry programs, including the City’s longstanding partnership with Canopy. Palo Alto’s urban forest is critical infrastructure for climate resilience, public health, and community well-being. As recent City and Canopy reports highlight, while new tree plantings are increasing, older native trees—especially oaks—are declining in several neighborhoods, underscoring the need for sustained investment and long-term stewardship. () Canopy has been a key partner to the City for decades, working with residents and volunteers to plant, monitor, and care for thousands of trees, particularly through initiatives like the South Palo Alto Tree Initiative. Their community-based model not only expands tree canopy but also ensures trees survive and thrive through ongoing care and education. Beyond planting, Canopy plays a critical role in advancing tree equity, engaging youth, and building community ownership of Palo Alto’s urban forest. Their work reflects a broader mission to “grow and sustain equitable urban forests for all,” combining environmental impact with community engagement and workforce development. Reducing funding at this stage would risk reversing progress and weakening a proven partnership that has delivered measurable results. Sustained investment is essential to protect Palo Alto’s existing canopy, expand it where gaps exist, and ensure resilience in the face of climate challenges. I respectfully ask the Council to prioritize and maintain full funding for urban forestry programs and the City’s partnership with Canopy. The long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits far outweigh the near-term costs. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to Palo Alto’s future. Sincerely, Pallavi Tibrewal This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report 3130 Louis Road, Palo Alto From:Stepheny McGraw To:Council, City Cc:jp@canopy.org Subject:Restore Urban Forest Funds! Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 2:24:59 PM Please restore and sustain Palo Alto’s funds for trees and urban forest protection. The State mandated 6000 plus housing units need trees to counteract all that extra cement and extra population’s additional heat. When one walks City streets on hot days, especially in the summer, the difference between our older homes with gardens and the mammoth, new mausoleum-style houses with only mulch and a few succulent/native plants is palpable. No gardens, no trees and a hell of a lot of additional heat. We are, after all, still Palo Alto. Not Cement Alto. Stepheny McGraw 3303 Thomas Drive From:Breaking the Chain USA To:Council, City Subject:Clarity Act for the local tech community Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:36:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Several of us here in the local tech community which makes up a huge economic impact in this town and area would really like to see the city contact our local representatives at the congressional and Senate level along with the Senate Banking Committee and Tech committee at the White House to show support for the clarity act for digital assets. The clarity act provides the proper framework for web 3 and Blockchain innovation so we the technology community can do our jobs here at home so we don't have to outsource certain jobs overseas. We need this to pass in May in DC in a bipartisan effort to keep and grow more tech jobs here in this community. Thank you so much for any effort Sincerely The local tech community https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2026/05/01/tillis-alsobrooks-reach-compromise-on- stablecoin-yield-in-clarity-act/ This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Kathy Jordan To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:10:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Thank you. Kathy Jordan This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Julia M. Adams Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; City Mgr; Council, City; barr@stanford.edu Subject:URGENT: Cynthia, Unit 406 — Demand for Lease, Access, and Immediate Stop to Illegal Lockout/Displacement / Elder Abuse Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:02:52 PM Attachments:Advocate_Letter_Cynthia_406.pdf Cynthia_406_Unlawful_Eviction_Elder_Disability_Notice.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To: Opportunity Center / Abode Property Management / Counsel Re: Cynthia — Unit 406 Care of: Becky Wolf, Advocate 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 beckywolfloretz@gmail.com This letter is sent on behalf of Cynthia, tenant of Unit 406, care of Becky Wolf, advocate. Cynthia demands an immediate copy of her full lease, all lease addenda, all notices, all alleged termination paperwork, all relocation-related communications, and all documents management claims authorize any lockout, exclusion, move-out, or termination of her tenancy. These documents must be provided by email to Becky Wolf no later than 5:00 p.m. today. Cynthia is 69 years old, disabled, mobility-impaired, and an elder tenant in supportive housing. She has mold throughout her unit and has complained about these conditions throughout her tenancy. Multiple residents can verify that Cynthia has reported mold and unsafe conditions for a long time, and residents of this building are prepared to support her account. Management was already notified in writing that Becky Wolf is advocating for Cynthia and that Cynthia did not authorize a voluntary surrender of Unit 406. Management was also placed on written notice that all communication regarding Cynthia’s tenancy, access, notices, repairs, relocation, property, and housing status must go through Becky Wolf by email. Those notices were sent to counsel and management previously. Any lockout or denial of access after that notice is deeply serious. Cynthia has not been lawfully evicted. A three-day demand, threat, or pressure campaign is not a lawful eviction. In California, a tenant cannot be removed by management pressure, intimidation, lock change, denial of access, removal of property, or claims of “voluntary” surrender made under fear or confusion. A lawful eviction requires proper notice, court process, judgment, and sheriff enforcement. Cynthia disputes any claim that she voluntarily surrendered her unit, abandoned her tenancy, waived her rights, or agreed to be displaced. Any such claim is rejected. The City’s Notice of Violation already confirms serious building-wide issues involving mold, water damage, water intrusion, and unpermitted work. It also states that tenants did not cause or substantially contribute to the dangerous conditions and that tenants may be entitled to relocation benefits. Any attempt to lock Cynthia out or force her out without relocation protections appears to be an effort to avoid paying benefits and avoid accountability for documented unsafe housing conditions. Immediate demands: 1. Provide Cynthia’s complete lease and all addenda by 5:00 p.m. today. 2. Confirm in writing that Cynthia has not been lawfully evicted and that management will not treat her as having abandoned, surrendered, or waived Unit 406. 3. Restore and preserve Cynthia’s full access to Unit 406, including keys, mail, belongings, records, and entry. 4. Do not change locks, deny access, remove property, threaten Cynthia, pressure Cynthia, or communicate directly with Cynthia about vacating, signing documents, surrendering rights, moving property, relocation, or tenancy status. 5. Direct all communication regarding Cynthia, Unit 406, to Becky Wolf by email. 6. Preserve all documents, videos, emails, maintenance records, work orders, mold complaints, photos, notices, lock records, staff communications, and attorney communications relating to Cynthia, Unit 406, mold, repairs, relocation, lockout, and tenancy status. 7. Provide a written explanation of the legal authority management claims permits excluding Cynthia from her unit. This matter involves potential illegal lockout, elder abuse, disability discrimination, retaliation, habitability violations, and unlawful avoidance of relocation obligations. Nothing in this letter waives Cynthia’s tenancy rights, disability rights, elder-protection rights, relocation rights, property rights, fair-housing rights, or any remedies under federal, state, or local law. Please confirm compliance in writing today. Sincerely, Becky Wolf Advocate for Cynthia, Unit 406 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 beckywolfloretz@gmail.com All communication by email. RE: Advocacy Representation for Cynthia – Unit 406 To Whom It May Concern: This letter serves as formal notice that I am acting as an advocate for Cynthia (age 69), a disabled tenant residing in Unit 406. Effective immediately, all communication regarding Cynthia, her tenancy, her housing status, or any alleged move-out must be directed exclusively through me. Cynthia does not consent to vacating her unit. Any claim that she has voluntarily moved out is disputed. Any attempt to pressure, coerce, or remove her without lawful process constitutes an unlawful eviction under California law. This includes, but is not limited to, violations of California Civil Code § 789.3 (prohibiting lockouts and self-help eviction) and California Code of Civil Procedure § 1161 et seq., which requires proper legal eviction proceedings. Additionally, due to her age (69) and disability status, any coercion, intimidation, or displacement may constitute elder abuse under California Welfare & Institutions Code § 15610.07. All further actions must comply strictly with state and local law. Any continued interference with Cynthia’s tenancy or rights will be documented and escalated accordingly. Sincerely, Advocate for Cynthia Becky Wolf 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 beckywolfloretz@gmail.com All communication requested by email. Notice of Unlawful Eviction, Elder / Disability Risk, and Non-Consent to Vacate Date: May 4, 2026 To: The Opportunity Center 33 Encina Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 RE: Cynthia - Unit 406 / Immediate stop to unlawful displacement and direct pressure Dear Opportunity Center / Property Management: I am advocating for Cynthia, the tenant in Unit 406. Cynthia is 69 years old, disabled, physically vulnerable, and appears to have significant mobility limitations. She leans forward substantially when walking and requires extra protection from pressure, confusion, intimidation, and unsafe displacement. This letter is formal notice that Cynthia does not agree to any alleged three-day eviction, three-day move-out, voluntary surrender, abandonment, or waiver of her rights. She did not understand her rights and was frightened. Any claim that she voluntarily agreed to give up her unit, leave the building, or surrender her tenancy is disputed. Management gave Cynthia three days to get out of her unit. That is not a lawful eviction. In California, a landlord/property manager cannot simply tell a tenant to leave in three days and treat that as an eviction. A lawful eviction requires proper legal notice, court process, and a judgment/order through unlawful detainer procedures. A tenant cannot be forced out by pressure, fear, intimidation, confusion, lockout, removal of property, or coercion. California Civil Code section 789.3 prohibits self-help eviction conduct intended to terminate occupancy, including preventing reasonable access to the property or interfering with a tenant's occupancy. California Code of Civil Procedure section 1161 et seq. governs unlawful detainer procedures. Those procedures have not been completed here. Because Cynthia is 69 years old, this also raises elder-abuse concerns. California Welfare and Institutions Code section 15610.07 defines elder abuse to include treatment resulting in physical harm, pain, or mental suffering, and section 15610.30 addresses financial abuse, including improper deprivation of an elder's property rights. Pressuring a 69-year-old disabled woman to leave her home or give away belongings under fear and confusion is extremely serious. Immediate demands: 1. Confirm in writing that Cynthia has not been lawfully evicted and that no one will treat her as having voluntarily surrendered Unit 406. Becky Wolf 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 beckywolfloretz@gmail.com All communication requested by email. 2. Stop all direct pressure, verbal demands, hallway conversations, front-desk conversations, or in-person discussions with Cynthia about moving out, vacating, giving away property, signing documents, or surrendering her unit. 3. Direct all communication regarding Cynthia to Becky Wolf by email at beckywolfloretz@gmail.com. 4. Preserve Cynthia's tenancy, keys, access, mail, remaining belongings, records, and unit rights. 5. Do not change locks, remove property, deny access, threaten her, retaliate against her, or claim abandonment. 6. Provide any alleged notices, documents, lease-violation claims, relocation communications, or appeal-related documents by email immediately. 7. Provide a written plan for safe housing/relocation if Unit 406 is unsafe due to mold, water intrusion, bathroom-floor damage, pest conditions, repairs, or remediation. Cynthia is scared of management and does not want staff or representatives speaking to her directly. Any direct pressure on her after this written notice will be documented as intimidation, retaliation, elder-safety interference, and potential disability-related coercion. Nothing in this letter waives Cynthia's tenancy rights, disability rights, elder-protection rights, relocation rights, property rights, or any remedies under federal, state, or local law. Please confirm compliance by email today. Sincerely, Becky Wolf Advocate for Cynthia, Unit 406 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 beckywolfloretz@gmail.com All communication by email. Authorities referenced: California Civil Code § 789.3; California Code of Civil Procedure § 1161 et seq.; California Welfare & Institutions Code §§ 15610.07 and 15610.30; California Health & Safety Code § 17975 et seq.; Fair Housing Act, Section 504, ADA/FEHA where applicable. May 2026 View this email in your browser. In this Issue Coming Up: mark your calendar! Message from our Co-presidents Advocacy Report LWVPA Updates & Events June 2 Primary Board Meeting Highlights Take Action! Activities & Events Involvement Opportunities Video Archive Links From:LWV Palo Alto VOTER To:Council, City Subject:LWVPA May VOTER: June primary info is here - your ballot should be, too! Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 10:57:15 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Coming up! M A Y Sunday, 5/31: LWVPA Annual Meeting - Community Room, Lucie Stern Center, 1:30-3:30pm (RSVP) 26: Board Meeting J U N E 25-28: LWVUS National Convention - Columbus, Ohio P R I M A R Y E L E C T I O N D A T E S 5/18: last day to register to vote for the June 2 Primary Election 5/4: Ballots mailed 5/5: Ballot drop-off locations open 5/23: Vote centers open for early in-person voting 6/2: ELECTION DAY 6/9: Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day (6/2) and received by June 9, 2026. AUGUST 17: LWV Night at the Valkyries Game! Message from our Co-presidents The Supreme Court’s Callais decision gutting section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 undermines a key element of our democracy, the right of voters to choose their representatives rather than the other way around. Civil Rights leaders, including LWV, denounced the decision: Civil Rights Leaders Respond to Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana v. Callais Justice Alito’s 6-3 opinion means that even if district voting maps are shown to dilute the voting rights of racial minorities, this evidence of intentional racial discrimination can be overcome if done for nakedly partisan purposes: to gerrymander safe seats for people in a political party, overruling a core provision of the VRA that protected voting rights of all Americans to fair representation. Jenny Farrell, Executive Director of LWVC, said: “...the promise of America is bigger than any one ruling. We will continue to push forward, expand participation, protect every vote, and build the representative democracy this country has never fully realized, but still can.” Tell Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which would prevent partisan gerrymandering. https://www.brennancenter.org/freedom-vote-act Thanks to those volunteers who participated in Voter Reg training on April 10 and 11 by Liz Jensen and Hannah Lu including: Ravi Karra, Mary Nemerov,, Paula Collins, Paula Rugg, Julie Cardillo, Margaret Lane, and Andrea Gonsalves. These volunteers are tabling at community events including the April 24 PA Students Climate Coalition, the May Fete on May 2, and Farmer’s Markets through the June 2 primary. They are registering people to vote, letting people know what’s on the ballot, and distributing “Vote with League” endorsing Measure B parcel tax which ensures reliable school funding. At the April 24 PA Students Climate Coalition, our volunteers preregistered and registered 10 people! Vote in the primaries this June. The California Secretary of State recommends that to ensure that the post office will timely postmark your ballot before June 2, mail-in ballots should be mailed no later than five days before election day, June 2. If you vote within 5 days of June 2, the SOS recommends dropping your ballot at one of the many Vote Centers. We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting! - Lisa Ratner & Hannah Lu, Co-presidents Advocacy Report NATIONAL The LWV has condemned the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais. League of Women Voters Condemns Supreme Court Ruling Dismantling the Bedrock of the Civil Rights Movement . The Voting Rights Act is widely hailed as the “crown jewel” of the Civil Rights Movement and has created modern multiracial democracy. The VRA was extended and expanded in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. It was reauthorized in 2006 by President George W. Bush, and that reauthorization passed the Senate 98–0. Section 2 is a nationwide prohibition against voting practices, procedures, or maps that deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race, color, or language minority status. It bans laws that result in unequal access to the political process, allowing for challenges to racially discriminatory voting practices such as gerrymandering. Callais eviscerates that protection. in Justice Kagan’s dissent: “[t]oday's decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter” in the vast majority of cases. While the Court majority has upheld the test to prove racial discrimination, they have made partisan goals a wholesale defense for racism.” Brennan Center experts break down the ruling and what it means for voting rights and the future of the Court: YouTube // Spotify // Apple // SUBSTACK LOCAL 1) Our board voted to endorse Measure B, the PAUSD’s parcel tax. 2) We directed our national LWV convention delegates to vote for updating the national League’s Privatization position to include health care as a public good; updating the Immigration position to protect immigrants who reside in the U.S.; and adopting a new Religious Nationalism position addressing the threats to separation of church and state. 3) Our board sent a letter to the city council commenting on SB 79 which requires cities to allow greater density and height for housing within one-half mile of high frequency transit stations. We disagreed with suggestions to reduce density near downtown. We urged the Gateway area surrounding the downtown transit station be developed for retail, mixed income housing and community spaces as recommended by the Urban Land Institute. We urged the city to transfer many of the City’s Regional Housing Inventory sites from the San Antonio Road Area (SARAP) to the Gateway to comply with SB 79’s mandate that affordable housing be allowed within one half mile of a high frequency transit center. Failure to relocate housing away from the San Antonio Road area could breach the city’s duty to affirmatively further fair housing by placing a large percentage of low and moderate income housing in a small area lacking civic infrastructure. The area is currently unsafe for bicycles and pedestrians. The Gateway is unique in Palo Alto for containing a few parcels of land and a few landowners, making development much less costly and faster than other areas. Because of its location near existing transit the Gateway would be eligible for a range of state financing for infrastructure and improvements not available for housing proposed in SARAP. STAY INFORMED! Follow LWV press releases. LWVPA Updates & Events The County of Santa Clara ROV and the Billy DeFrank LGTQ Community Center present: Hands on Democracy Sunday, May 10, 1-6pm Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center: 938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA, 95126 The first in a new series, “Hands on Democracy” will be held at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center on Mother’s Day, May 10, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The day will begin with a one-hour session focused on understanding what’s on your ballot, along with a brief history of voting rights. With voting rights protections being at the forefront of upcoming elections, participants will personally experience the Louisiana Literacy Test, helping to highlight the historical barriers many faced in gaining the right to vote. The event will also include hands-on activities: Superhero mask crafting Button- and keychain-making Assembling civic toolkits that can be distributed to individuals, nonprofits, and community members to support their own Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts Reflecting both a need for hands-on help and to support civic engagement in a low-key way, “Hands on Democracy” is a way to bring those needs together—creating a space for people to contribute meaningfully behind the scenes while helping us build resources that go directly back into the community. One example is superhero masks. We attend many children’s events throughout the year, providing stickers and coloring books, which kids love—but this year, we want to make it more intentional and personal. Imagine being able to share masks were created by community members, for the children. We will also distribute our usual “Voting is Your Superpower” materials, coloring books, posters, and stickers. We realize that this event takes place on one of the most beloved days of the year, but we hope to see you there – perhaps with your kids, or in your mom’s honor if she is no longer in your life. Please feel free to share with friends and associates. RSVP here Annual Meeting Sunday, May 31, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 pm Lucie Stern Center, Community Room | 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto RSVP HERE GET AN ADVANCE COPY OF THE ANNUAL MEETNG KIT HERE Keynote Speaker: Matt Moreles, Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Matt Moreles has a fierce desire to serve the region’s diverse community as the new head of the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. Born and raised in San Jose, Moreles attended UCLA majoring in philosophy. He embarked on his career with the county elections office in 2004, was promoted to assistant registrar in 2014 and served as acting registrar for almost a year. Moreles has led efforts to modernize election technology, improve election accessibility and promote public trust through transparency and community engagement. Mark your calendar and watch for details in future VOTER newsletters. Participate & Vote in the June 2 Primary! Four resolutions to place a measure on the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election have been filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. These measures will appear on ballots in their respective jurisdictions. The one measure that affects Palo Alto residents is Measure B - Palo Alto Unified School District Parcel Tax Renewal. Read the Pros and Cons for MEASURE B from your Pros/Cons Team at the Palo Alto League. Your ballot should be in hand right now. The June 2 Easy Voter Guide is available now. Key dates for the primary: 5/18: The last day to register to vote for the June 2, 2026, Primary Election 5/4: Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing to all California active registered voters for the June 2, 2026, Primary Election. 5/5: Ballot drop-off locations open. (Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop- off location, or your county elections office.) 5/23: Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day (6/2) and received by June 9, 2026. Gubernatorial Candidate Forums & Articles: CANDIDATE FORUM TONIGHT (5/6) ON CNN AT 6PM: Here’s how to watch tonight’s governor’s debate – The Mercury News WHO IS RUNNING? Cal. Scty. of State: 60 candidates have filed papers to run for Governor: Certified List of Candidates for the June 2, 2026, Primary Election (3/26/26) CalMatters: The field is set: 10 candidates are running for California governor (3/6/26) CANDIDATE FORUMS: already occurred, available on Youtube: Equality California: California's LGBTQ+ gubernatorial forum (3/2/26) Tri Valley Democratic Club: TVDEMS Governor Endorsement March 16, 2026 SEIU-USWW: SEIU-USWW Gubernatorial Candidate Forum (8 candidates on stage together. 1/10/26) LWV Stanislaus County Watch the CA Insurance Commissioner candidate forum: Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/97nTcNHYbOM. Lots of good information shared and very enlightening discussion. Please share with your members and networks. LWVPA Board Meeting Highlights At its April 2026 meeting, the board approved Motions to: Endorse Measure B, the PAUSD parcel tax, on the June 2 ballot Give direction to our delegates to the June LWV national convention on updates to League positions Ratify consensus on the LWV 6 Focus Areas for 2026-28 discussed at our Feb 6 Program Planning meeting: Voting Rights, Election Protection, Redistricting, Immigration, Individual Rights, and the Presidency; and to locally emphasize Immigration and Individual Rights Confirm slate of nominees for next year’s board positions, to be voted on at the May 31 Annual Meeting The board also discussed: Five delegates confirmed for the LWVUS convention June 26-28 Budget proposal for 2026-27 to be presented for member approval at the May 31 LWVPA Annual Meeting at the Community Room at Lucie Stern Recent voter registration training and community outreach tabling The Board will next meet on Tuesday, May 26. All members are welcome to join the meeting by emailing contact@lwvpaloalto.org –Julie Cardillo, Secretary Take Action! Use Your Voice. Contact your Members of Congress; reach their offices by phone or email at: SEN. ALEX PADILLA | SEN. ADAM SCHIFF | REP. SAM LICCARDO (16th District) | Find your CA state representative ACLU Protesters’ Rights (for attending a protest, rally, or other demonstration. Know your rights: Protest Safety Guidance Use this ACLU form to call for an end to the ICE operation in our cities, oppose further funding, and a transparent investigation. Events & Activities The 2026 National Convention will take place June 25 through June 28 in Columbus, OH. Find information here. LWVC FUNDRAISER: LWV NIGHT AT CHASE CENTER: VALKYRIES vs WINGS Monday, August 17, 2026 at 7:00pm | Chase Center, San Francisco Your $100 ticket includes a $50 tax-deductible donation to the LWV California, preferred seating with fellow League members, opportunity to go courtside, and League messaging on the scoreboard and Jumbotron. Optional: 5pm happy hour at Splash Sports Bar (next to Chase Center). Details & ticket link Want to make change for good? Volunteer with the League! Come join our fabulous team of volunteers - everyone 16 and up is welcome! Learn more about our teams and programs on our website. Want to put your technical and/or design skills to work to support the League? We would love volunteers to help update our website and help with our online fundraising appeal! Contact Mary Nemerov at mabunem@gmail.com. GET A YARD SIGN! The LWVUS contest chose this winning yard sign - order yours today! Donate $24 for a Yard Sign ICYMI: Video Archive of Past Events 2.24.26: Immigration, Congress and Common Sense - Can Everyday Americans Move Action Forward in These Times 10.4.25: Fall Kick-off speaker, ERIK JENSEN on the Rule of Law 10.2.25: LWVPA Water Symposium 9.9.25: County League forum on Executive Power, with Stanford Law Professor PAMELA KARLAN and Santa Clara University Law Professor DAVID SLOSS. Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVC Newsletter and LWVC Action Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVUS Email News (at bottom) and LWVUS Action Alerts Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2026 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Email us at lwvpaoffice@gmail.com Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Questions? Please contact communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Julia M. Adams Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; City Mgr; Council, City; barr@stanford.edu; Christiansen, Leif; Deborah S Rose M.D.; fairhousing@civilrights.usdoj.gov; Stone, Greer; nathanial.r.hill@hud.gov; Hartley, Craig Subject:Demand to withdraw retaliatory unlawful detainer and address unlawful lockout/retaliation concerns Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 3:07:33 AM Attachments:Rebecca_Wolf_Master_Timeline_Memorandum_FULL.pdf Scanned Document 5-5-26 at 10.08.11 PM.pdf 04.28.26 NOTICE OF VIOLATION (OWNER) 26PCE-000218.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Ms. Adams, I am attaching the master timeline, the City of Palo Alto Notice of Violation, and the unlawful detainer notice I received. The City’s Notice of Violation materially changes the record. It identifies visible mold growth, dampness and active water intrusion in occupied dwelling units, and mold/water remediation performed without required permits or inspections. It also lists Unit 506 as affected by Water Damage / Mold / Unpermitted Work. That directly contradicts the repeated representations that Unit 506 was safe, cleared, and free of mold/moisture/pest concerns while being pushed as my accommodation. California Civil Code § 1942.5 prohibits a landlord from recovering possession, causing a tenant to quit involuntarily, decreasing services, or otherwise retaliating because a tenant has complained about habitability or exercised tenant rights. (FindLaw) Government Code § 12955 also prohibits housing discrimination and harassment based on disability. (Justia) The unlawful detainer notice, coming after my disability accommodation requests, CRD/HUD/DOJ complaints, City complaints, advocacy, and the City Notice of Violation, appears retaliatory. The record does not show refusal. It shows repeated requests for a lawful, safe, mold-free, low-chemical, disability-appropriate accommodation. I am also placing Abode on notice that locking Cynthia out of her room, if done without a court judgment and sheriff lockout, raises serious unlawful self-help eviction concerns. California Civil Code § 789.3 prohibits a landlord from preventing reasonable access by changing locks or similar methods, and the California Attorney General has stated that self- help evictions are not merely civil matters and may violate civil and criminal law. (FindLaw) I request immediate written confirmation that Abode will: 1. Withdraw the unlawful detainer and cease retaliatory action; 2. Preserve all records regarding Units 205, 506, Cynthia’s unit, resident lockouts, relocation decisions, mold/water/remediation work, vendor records, photographs, inspections, ADA/504 requests, VAWA requests, and communications about me or other complaining residents; 3. Provide a written good-faith plan for my pending accommodation requests and safe relocation needs; 4. Confirm that no resident will be locked out, pressured to surrender a unit, or removed without lawful process; 5. Confirm how Abode will comply with the City Notice of Violation and tenant relocation obligations. Please treat this as a preservation demand and notice of retaliation, disability discrimination, interference, and unlawful lockout concerns. Regards, Rebecca Wolf From:Julia Brubaker To:Council, City Subject:Support for crossing guards Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 12:13:07 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable City Council Members, Our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for Palo Alto Police Department Adult Crossing Guards. Crossing Guards have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own. I have 3 students in the district and am so grateful to our crossing guards. My middle schooler took a hard fall on his skateboard just after crossing and the crossing guard ran to his side and called 911. She took such good care of him. I cannot imagine keeping our kids safe without them. PAUSD school children walk and bike to school in large numbers, requiring this support at critical intersections. The warranting process for getting an Adult Crossing Guard assigned is rigorous, so we really only have them where we know they are most needed. As the city has densified, traffic has increased, requiring greater reliance on mode shift. It is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially school-bound children. Please prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support fully funding School Crossing Guards. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Julia Brubaker Parent at Greene Middle School and Walter Hays This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:John Melnychuk To:Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lo, Ria Subject:Quiet Zone Federal funding opportunity closes June 22nd. Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 9:29:13 PM Attachments:seal_dot.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Council members, Thank you for your continued work. I attended the very long Budget Committee meeting today and must give generous praise to all who participated, from Council Members, to Manager Shikada, to Lauren Lai and her staff, to department heads and other staff. The thoughtful presentations explaining rationale underlying budget proposals were clear and the trade-offs were well explained. Very good questions from Committee members and very good answers from staff. Excellent leadership and teamwork in this complex process. Further to discussions about Quiet Zones Funding and timetabling: Please, has Palo Alto pursued this source of funding? It’s exactly designed to help cities like ours solve safety problems. Quiet Zones qualify for funding. "d. Eligible Projects v. A highway-rail grade crossing improvement project, including installation, repair, or improvement of grade separations, railroad crossing signals, gates, and related technologies, highway traffic signalization, highway lighting and crossing approach signage, roadway improvements such as medians or other barriers, railroad crossing panels and surfaces, and safety engineering improvements to reduce risk in quiet zones or potential quiet zones." Menlo Park Kimley-Horn report contains this reference. Palo Alto Partnered with Menlo Park in organizing a Quiet Zone at Alma Street at the northernmost part of our city. Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI) railroads.dot.gov We would be grateful if a city official would answer this question tomorrow morning at the Budget Committee discussions. If we have not pursued this grant, why not, please? Upcoming submission deadline is June 22nd. We remain grateful for Mr. Burt’s suggestion to advance the timetable to implement Quiet Zones at Churchill by 2028, but we feel also that the City is not pursuing Quiet Zones with the fierce resolution to solve a health and safety crisis. Simply put, our perception so far is that there is just a little bit of buck-passing and blaming interagency red tape for proposed delayed implementation when in fact, City Council has enormous leverage to expedite this since Caltrain, Senator Becker, Assembly member Berman, CPUC, and FRA, and residents including our kids know we must interrupt a suicide crisis by taking charge of the problem, and that all three crossings are a problem. Quad gates make the crossings safer. City Council is the only body with authority to organize the urgent campaign to get Quiet Zones built as soon as possible. Please ask Caltrain to step up and partner with Palo Alto. Now is the time to act by getting all agencies and funding sources on board to expedite the Quiet Zones at the three remaining level crossings. If City Council can get Caltrain and CPUC and FRA to sign off quickly on LIDAR, anti intrusion mats, and other new technology, we can’t see why it can’t do the same with Quiet Zones which have existed in Atherton since 2016. It’s logistics that need funding to plan, it doesn’t appear to be too terribly complex to design and implement. If FRA says it could be done in 9 months from application, and CPUC says it’s waiting for our application, and It was done next door, please can we have what Atherton has that suits our geography in 2027? Kimley-Horn’s report to the Palo Alto Rail Committee lays out what needs to be done at each crossing. RFP’s should have already gone out to get an engineering firm to start the work. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We need to move forward with full force and get this done. With respect and thanks to all of you, Thanks so much, John Melnychuk Quiet Zones Palo Alto Fairmeadow, Palo Alto From:Tammi Dai To:Fire Cc:Council, City; City Mgr; PWD; Clerk, City Subject:Re: [Important] Potential Fire Hazard at 1072 College Ave, Palo Alto Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 2:56:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear all, Even though the dried leaves seems got swept a little bit, but the multi-family home full of wild weeds that highly cast potential hazards to the house which will impact the whole area! On Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 8:51 AM Tammi Dai <tammi.dai@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Sir or Madam, I am a resident of Palo Alto writing to formally raise concerns regarding the property located at 1072 College Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306. For approximately the past six months, the property appears to have been unoccupied and has fallen into a state of significant neglect. The premises are overgrown with dry vegetation, including excessive weeds and accumulations of dead leaves in the front yard and surrounding areas. These conditions present a potential fire hazard, particularly given the dry climate and proximity to neighboring residences. Additionally, 1072 College Avenue is part of a multi-family grouping that includes 1062 and 1052 College Avenue, Palo Alto CA 94306. All three structures appear to be in deteriorated condition, with visible concerns including possible mold, insect activity, overgrown vegetation, trash and other environmental hazards that may pose risks to public health and safety. We have made multiple attempts to contact the property owner, identified as “Peter” (phone number: 408-705-7572), to address these issues. Unfortunately, these efforts have been This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast unsuccessful, and no remedial action has been taken. In light of the above, I respectfully request that your office investigate the condition and occupancy status of this property and take any appropriate enforcement or corrective measures to mitigate the potential hazards. We respectfully request that our identities be kept confidential, as we are concerned about the possibility of retaliation from the property owner or its residents. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, JJ. on behalf of Palo Alto College Terrace Neighbors From:Magical Bridge Foundation To:Council, City Subject:Make Mother"s Day Weekend Magical with Palo Alto Players FROZEN Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 9:31:30 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. A relaxed performance of FROZEN by the Palo Alto Players with Magical Bridge No images? Click here Join us for a Magical Series Performance this Saturday A more relaxed theater experience with thoughtful consideration of everybody's needs — sponsored by Magical Bridge and the City of Palo Alto In our continued effort to help make communities more inclusive both on and off the playground, we are thrilled to invite you to: Disney's Frozen, The Broadway Musical Palo Alto Players Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2:00pm Palo Alto Lucie Stern Theater Guests of all ages and all abilities are invited to experience the joy of a live performance in a friendly atmosphere for everyone. This less traditional theatre experience is perfect for a first- time audience member, a family with young children, a community member with disabilities, or if you simply want to enjoy this wonderful show! We buy out seats to make it a less crowded, but a few seats remain for this Palo Alto Players show getting rave reviews. Please join us! Purchase Tickets Here If you have questions about seating or need wheelchair accommodations or companion seating, please contact the friendly box office staff at info@paplayers.org or 650-329- 0891. Magical Bridge Kindness Ambassadors will be on hand to help any guests who may need a break from the show with activities in the lobby. Snacks will be provided by Magical Bridge. A guide of what to expect may be found here. Book by: Jennifer Lee Music and Lyrics by: Kristen Anderson and Robert Lopez Age Recommendation: 4+ (must be ticketed and sit in their own seat; no child under age 3 admitted) Approximate Run Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission For the first time in forever, experience the musical phenomenon that has taken the world by storm! Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney’s FROZEN includes all the film’s beloved songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with new music written exclusively for the stage. In the beautiful kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go- lucky snowman named Olaf. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love. ASL-Interpreted Performance Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM For our deaf or hard of hearing friends, on May 9 at 7:30pm, an American Sign Language interpreter will be located near the stage at House Left. Seats marked with an “i” symbol provide the best sight lines to follow the interpretation and the action on stage. This performance is supported by Silicon Valley Creates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara. Palo Alto Players Lucie Stern Theater 1305 Middlefield Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650.329.0891 info@paplayers.org Share Forward Magical Bridge Foundation 959A Addison Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 magicalrbidge.org |. play4all@magicalbridge.org Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a Charity Navigator rating of 100%. EIN: 81-2377796 Unsubscribe From:Wendy Sinton To:Council, City Subject:Thank you Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 6:45:52 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Thank you for putting bathroom facilities at Eleanor Pardee Park. I know it has taken 30 years and has been contentious, but thanks for persisting and getting it in place. Wendy Sinton Forest Ave. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:John Melnychuk To:Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lo, Ria Subject:Budget 2026-2027 Quiet Zones funding and timetable - Churchill X Alma, Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 2:07:31 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice mayor Stone, Councilors, Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, and Reckdahl, Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of how we will balance our budget and continue to build safety and quality of life for Palo Alto residents. On behalf of neighbors of the railway (Quiet Zones Palo Alto), we strongly advocate for immediate funding of Quiet Zones. Quiet Zones will provide a critical city-wide safety benefit and improve quality of life along the rail corridor. We’re in a red-flag state of danger here and we are traumatized from the operations of Caltrain and Union Pacific. We know it. Our School Officials know it. Our kids know it, Senator Becker, Assembly member Berman, CPUC officials know it, and FRA officials know it. When FRA says it has seen, beginning to end, a Quiet Zone operational in 9 months from applicaiton, and CPUC says it’s committed to expediting implementation. Senator Becker and Assembly member Berman have used their influence to help cut the red tape. Discussion of closing Churchill crossing at Alma has lead almost all of us to understand that such a maneuver will waste resource while shifting danger elsewhere, whereas, Police, Fire, Ambulance services will remain uninterrupted, other routes to and from Palo Alto High School already overburdened won’t have to absorb a flood of displaced traffic. Quiet Zones throughout the city will lead to better safety with no downsides. We appreciate the diligence and thoughtfulness of Council as it tries to deal with Caltrain and Union Pacific who bring danger to our city with their operations. Today it seemed to me that for lack of Council direction, Quiet Zones implementation was not a priority for our very busy Transportation Department employees. Please, may we respectfully ask that Palo Alto Council do its part to cut the red tape and commit to the challenge of funding and implementing Quiet Zones by directing Transportation Staff to make it happen now, rather than years from now? Please, why are we waiting, and what other short term alternative will bring only enhanced safety and quality of life without trade-offs? Thanks so much, With respect to all of you, John Melnychuk Quiet Zones Palo Alto Fairmeadow, Palo Alto From:Steve Young To:Council, City Subject:Concerns about converting the Cubberley Pavilion to a theater Date:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 12:01:28 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i As a longtime Friday Night ballroom dancer (over 40 years), I object to the closure of the Pavillion to turn it into a theater that would not hold that many more people than the existing Theater next door. The Pavilion is already very heavily utilized, with soccer practice on Friday evenings often over running at 8pm when the Friday Night people are supposed to be teaching a lesson and general dance at 9 pm. When Saturday Night Dance was at the Pavilion, they would try to open an hour early. Gym A and Gym B are also heavily utilized. Palo Alto needs all of these gyms. Please keep the Pavilion as a gym provides more benefits to the community! Sincerely, Steve Young This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Cc:City Mgr; Clerk, City Subject:Item 14 Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 10:05:34 PM I wanted to speak to Item 14, but I had a “heart event” last week and its getting so late I think it better if I just go home. 1) House prices in Portland Oregon had dropped, but their tax revenue has increased. This is because they allowed 4-plexes to be built on R-1 zoned lots. Portland is not having to cut any staff positions. 2) How many millions of dollars is your “emergency ordinance” going to cost Palo Alto? I would like to give council the benefit of the doubt when it comes to good intentions, but you all, when it comes to housing, council has a history of obstruction. As good as it sounds, I fear the “emergency ordinance” is just more appeasement for people who don’t deserve that consideration and will, again, come at the expense of the well being of our greater human community. At the end of the day, what kind of legacy do you want to leave? How will history judge you? Deborah Goldeen, 94304 From:Leonika Nanda To:Council, City Subject:Crossing Guard is a necessity Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 8:06:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi Council Members, I am writing in to plead you to please keep the crossing guards at the railway crossings. I have 2 kids who bike to school. It will be scary to send my kids knowing that there will be no cross guards. Cross guards are in our city for safety and safety is the most important thing. I request you to not take safety issues lightly, especially with so many distracted car drivers around the town. I hope you will think about the children's safety before taking any decision. Thanks Leonika This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Pawan Bir Kohli To:Council, City Subject:Ongoing budget cuts of crossing guards Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 7:19:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello As a resident of Palo Alto with twins biking to Gunn High School everyday I urge the city council to not decrease the number of crossing guards. Our children’s safety should be more important than other budget items. Please do not decrease the crossing guards Thanks Pawan Bir Kohli This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Alan Daniel To:Council, City Subject:Urgent Appeal: Maintaining the Palo Alto Link for 2026 and Beyond Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 6:32:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of Council, The proposal to terminate Palo Alto Link on June 30 is not merely a budgetary adjustment but, rather, a decision that will disproportionately harm vulnerable residents, undermine the City’s climate commitments, and dismantle a service that, while imperfect, is both fixable and valuable. First, let’s address the justification: declining ridership and reduced funding. Declining ridership does not automatically signal lack of need, it often reflects service design flaws, which the City itself acknowledges. Riders report long wait times, app glitches, and restricted service windows during peak school hours. Those are not inherent failures of on-demand transit; they are operational issues. The appropriate response is incremental reform, not elimination. Second, Palo Alto Link serves a distinct equity function that alternatives like Uber, Lyft, or even autonomous vehicles cannot replicate. The program offers deeply discounted fares for seniors, low-income individuals, young professionals, youth, and people with disabilities. Replacing it with a rideshare subsidy assumes: those users have smartphones, bank accounts, and digital literacy, private companies will maintain coverage and pricing stability, and public dollars will stretch as far in a for-profit model. Those assumptions are, at best, optimistic, and at worst, exclusionary. Third, the City has already made a significant public investment, including millions in grant funding and the deployment of hybrid and electric vehicles aligned with sustainability goals. Shutting the system down now converts that investment into a short-lived experiment rather than a long-term asset. Courts and policymakers alike recognize that public programs should not be discarded simply because their initial rollout encountered predictable post-pandemic challenges. Fourth, the Link fills a critical gap in the transit ecosystem. Traditional fixed-route systems cannot efficiently serve low-density or first-mile/last-mile trips. That is precisely the niche this program was designed to fill after the shuttle system ended. Eliminating it without a fully developed replacement creates a service vacuum, especially for those who cannot drive. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Finally, the City’s own statements show that alternatives are still speculative. The Council is “investigating options,” not implementing them. Terminating an existing service before a replacement is operational may not be fiscally prudent, and can certainly be disruptive. Thank you, Alan Daniel From:M O"Neill To:Council, City Subject:crossing guards safety - please don"t cut this vital resource Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 6:22:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i city.council@PaloAlto.gov Dear Honorable City Council Members, Our city is facing difficult budget decisions, but I’m writing to urge you to preserve funding for Palo Alto Police Department Adult Crossing Guards. These crossing guards play a direct and meaningful role in keeping children safe—including my own. Each morning on Louis Road, I watch the crossing guard step into the street, stop traffic, and create a moment of calm in what would otherwise be a busy, unpredictable intersection. Before the guard was there, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable letting my kids ride to school on their own. Cars move quickly through that area, and it only takes one distracted driver for things to go wrong. Now, because of that consistent, watchful presence, my kids have the independence to bike to school safely. It’s a small daily interaction, but it makes a real difference—for them and for me. Our kids walk and bike to school in large numbers, and they rely on this support at critical intersections. The process for assigning an Adult Crossing Guard is already rigorous, which means they are placed where they are truly needed. As our city grows and traffic increases, this kind of safety infrastructure becomes even more essential. Please prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and continue fully funding School Crossing Guards. Their impact is immediate, visible, and deeply felt by families like mine. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Matt O'Neill - resident on Loma Verde Ave This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Tom Welsh To:Council, City Subject:Please do not cut the crossing guard budget Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 5:38:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable City Council Members, I strongly urge you not to cut the crossing guard budget. For the past nine years, my two kids and I have biked to and from Palo Alto public schools every morning and afternoon. Having the crossing guards at the busiest intersections is crucial for our safe arrival at school and back home. Although there is a budget shortfall, raising the incremental revenue that we need is preferable to making cuts to public safety that directly affect our kids. I am not sure why there is a budget shortfall, but child safety should not be subject to cuts as a result. Thank you for your service and for prioritizing our children's safety. Best, Tom Welsh Leland Manor neighborhood of Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Asha Weinstein Agrawal To:Council, City Subject:Support for Palo Alto Police Department Adult Crossing Guards Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 5:10:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable City Council Members, I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for Palo Alto Police Department Adult Crossing Guards. Crossing Guards have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own son (now at Paly, formerly Addison and Greene). PAUSD school children walk and bike to school in large numbers, requiring this support at critical intersections. The warranting process for getting an Adult Crossing Guard assigned is rigorous, so we really only have them where we know they are most needed. As the city has densified, traffic has increased, requiring greater reliance on mode shift. It is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially school-bound children. Eliminating any of the crossing guard positions would put children walking and biking to school at risk. Further, some parents would likely chose to drive their children rather than risk a less safe walk or bike commute, thus adding more traffic to city streets at a congested time. Please prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support fully funding School Crossing Guards. Thank you. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Asha W. Agrawal Parent of a Palo Alto High School freshman From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City Cc:"Lara Anthony"; "Rachel Vazquez-Reina" Subject:City Budget for TONIGHT Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 4:52:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council, The Safe Routes to School Partnership in Palo Alto is founded on maintaining a balance among the 6E’s: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Equity and Engagement (which includes Enforcement). It is not possible to achieve and sustain traffic safety without all of these. The City, PAUSD and PTA partners collaborate effectively on the first three, but only the police can effectively enforce vehicle code (which includes management of Crossing Guard service) on critical public street intersections that make up the city’s school commute routes. The proposed FY2027 budget eliminates funding for Adult Crossing Guards. Please remember that each approved Adult Crossing Guard location undergoes a rigorous warranting process. If clear safety need for Crossing Guard support did not exist at these locations, the guards would not be there. Eliminating Adult Crossing Guards at any of these locations will create risk. For instance, The East Meadow/Alma crossing carries k-12 students to Hoover and Fairmeadow ES, JLS MS, and Gunn HS on foot and on bikes to school twice each day. In the morning, school commutes converge with morning commute traffic where hundreds of students cross a multi-lane crosstown expressway posted 35MPH. The intersection is challenging, and many parents would not let their students walk or bike without an Adult Guard present—for good reasons. Understanding the difficult budget problems that you are grappling with, I would not put undue pressure on you. However, I feel compelled to request that you please give these proposed cuts another look. (See PAUSD and CoPA Resolutions Endorsing the Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement.) PTA Transportation Safety Representatives, value their ongoing partnership with the city and PAPD. Please give appropriate heightened review to a budget decision that very likely will have important effect on the safety of school-bound children in our community. Please define what alternate plan is in place to keep these school crossings safe before cuts are made. Finally, I understand that the City School Transportation Committee (CSTSC) was informed that these cuts were coming at their 4/23 morning meeting. There was a City School Liaison Committee meeting that evening, but only e-bikes, not this proposed city budget cut, was on the agenda. It is disappointing that, though city staff knew PTA Reps and high level PAUSD staff would be present, city staff did not agendize this important cut for discussion that evening. That would have been an excellent opportunity to open a conversation with PAUSD about cost sharing. Thank you for or your service to our community and for giving our concerns your usual thoughtful attention. Sincerely, Penny Ellson (former PTA Safe Routes to School Chair, 17 years, speaking as an individual) Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Wolfgang Dueregger To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Leaving Evergreen Park Neighborhood After 40 Years Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 4:44:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, When you consider the Mollie Stone's tower application, you need to take into account Evergreen Park's position that we support housing but in a reasonable manner. A 17 story tower does not solve any problem. Mollie Stone's has been a difficult neighbor over the years, complaining about traffic calming and reducing the number of lanes on Cal Ave. Mollie Stone's got voted down numerous times on traffic issues and due to the unfortunate mistake by the City of Palo Alto not getting the housing element approved on time, Mollie Stone's developer invokes the builder's remedy. This is how Mollie Stone's and their developer care about our neighborhood. The neighborhood's vision is more inclusive and equitable. A project with tiny apartments at maximum cost is not the solution to any housing problem. If approved, this will give the developers and their financial backers a one-time chance to cash out and leave everybody, i.e. the neighborhood, dealing with the negative consequences. Also, when considering the whole SB79, whatever burden has to be shared has to be shared among all neighborhoods. It is not acceptable that Old Palo Alto gets treated differently than the other surrounding neighborhoods (of the Cal train station). Since the current council is so much for equity and inclusion, this would be a great way to start and get to work. Wolfgang ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: David Ball <wdball@gmail.com> Date: Mon, May 4, 2026 at 10:33 AM Subject: Re: Leaving Evergreen Park Neighborhood After 40 Years To: Deborah Goldeen <deborah.goldeen@sonic.net> Cc: <epna-discuss@googlegroups.com>, Council, City <city.council@paloalto.gov>, <rstolee@gmail.com> Thank you for this important bit of history. Preserving things "as they are" really depends on This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report your timeline. When I look back and see that the Grateful Dead used to perform here, I think about how no struggling musician could afford to live anywhere near here--and I think that, besides the importance to the civitas, having a variety of people across all dimensions (including economic class) adds to the cultural life of a place. I would love to have a coop instead of Mollie Stone's, and I wasn't aware that it had ever been anything else. In other words, saying that "density is a change" ignores all the changes that have already happened. We should argue about what kind of town/world we want on the merits--not on the basis of an arbitrary definition of the status quo. DB On Sun, May 3, 2026 at 2:06 PM Deborah Goldeen <deborah.goldeen@sonic.net> wrote: I expect most people who know me have noticed, by now, the for sale/open house sign in front of my house (2130 Birch). My dream for that property was to “be the change that you want to see” and build four, 2,400 square foot flats (for private ownership, not rental). Since I first started giving our urban design serious thought, at the age of eight, my vision for Palo Alto was always along the lines of a European type city; a walkable, bikeable, culturally and economically vibrant metropolis with lots of privately owned, four or five story flats. Palo Alto does not need more low income/charity housing. Even more so, it does not need more luxury housing. What Palo Alto needs is housing for “the missing middle.” Even though we had to scrimp and save for decades to afford our house, everyone reading this will know what I mean when I say we were blessed to be able to buy what was probably the last single family home sold for under $300K in Palo Alto. Because we believe in “sharing the wealth,” we were going to donate the value of the property. We would have ended up with one, well designed, large enough residence for us, and three other homes that, by Palo Alto standards, would have been affordable. Even more important, unlike all the “housing” be built on “the El Camino Corridor,” it would be located in a spot where someone could truly thrive, not just survive. SB79 should have allowed us to do this. But no. The state gatve cities an opportunity to get ahead of the game and develop “objective standards.” No city put more energy and enthusiasm into this project than Palo Alto. he upshot is that the City of Palo Alto has created so many restrictions that we can’t build four, decent units at 2130 Birch. Our new house isn’t very far away. Ironically, it’s still, technically, in Palo Alto. The house is new to us, but it is not new, which means we are now running the repair gauntlet. This has involved a couple of emergency technician calls, technicians who are driving in from Gilroy or Tracy or Livermore (we pay their travel time). When I explain to the technicians why we moved and how I’ve had decades of hearing Palo Alto residents say, “people can just go live somewhere else,” you can see the smoke coming out of their ears. What to do about SB79 is item 14 on city council agenda tomorrow (Monday, May 4th). If you are contemplating weighing in, please consider the fact that even though you may not personally see or experience the hurt caused by obstructing the construction of decent, denser housing, make no mistake - the number of people hurt by this decades truculence is probably, by now, in the millions. Palo Alto likes to pride itself on its humanitarian/environmentally conscious values. When I was growing up here in the ’60’s and ’70’s, those values did indeed, fairly often, prevail. There was a promise that the City of Palo Alto could have delivered on those values and been a shining example for the rest of the state. But no. Cowardice, self preservation and greed ended up ruling the day. Based on my personal values, I feel Palo Alto has failed. God only knows what is going to be built on 2130 Birch St. now. What happens to that property now is out of our control. Even though this long email, which most won’t read to the end, I have included a link to a an excellent OWN Real Estate produced video about the Palo Alto and building housing. I have found that the vast majority of residents who I talk with about housing in Palo Alto are woefully uniformed or misinformed. This video is as close to unbiased as it comes and presents the information with an extraordinary level of rigor and clarity. I can’t recommend it enough. Wishing you all the best and see you at the farmers market - Deborah Goldeen https://youtu.be/XBWyE2bGaLk?si=KImTlkPtUeQGRXOG -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "EPNA Discuss" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to epna- discuss+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to epna-discuss@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/epna-discuss/34573AD7- 26F2-4D9F-A4C5-E2FC46C57555%40sonic.net. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "EPNA Discuss" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to epna- discuss+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to epna-discuss@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/epna-discuss/CAGTMVww- KNsT75ENv5KMaeO9guu-7FXjuXLPcNVHZic7fui6og%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. From:Helene Grossman To:Council, City; City Mgr Subject:Do Not Cut School Crossing Guards Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 4:42:09 PM Attachments:Screenshot 2026-05-04 at 4.36.58 PM.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members and City Manager Shikada, I urge you to reject the proposed elimination of four school crossing guards, including the guard at Alma and Meadow. This is the wrong place to cut. The City is proposing to save about $102,500 – less than 0.01% of the City’s $1.05 billion operating budget – by eliminating crossing guards who directly protect children on their way to school. The City will barely notice this savings in its overall budget, but a child could pay the price at a dangerous crossing. Alma and Meadow is not a minor location. It is a heavily used route for Gunn students biking and walking to school. Alma is a fast, high-volume corridor where cars move quickly and make rushed turns. The crossing guard creates a protected moment that allows students to cross safely. Palo Alto has been here before. Just a few years ago, two students were seriously injured in traffic collisions, and there were calls for stronger safety measures, including crossing guards. At that time, the City stated that “Community safety is our number one priority.” City Manager Shikada stated that the goal is to “ensure the environment is as safe as we can make it.” But here we are, proposing to balance the budget on the backs of children biking and walking to school. We can do better than this. Crossing guards are one of the most direct, visible, and practical ways the City protects students on their way to school. Please restore this funding and keep all four crossing guards in place, including at Alma and Meadow. Student safety should be protected before an accident – not only after one. Thank you, Helene Grossman From:Jennifer Bruno To:Council, City Subject:Crossing Guard Funding Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 4:33:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable City Council Members, I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for the Palo Alto Police Department’s Adult Crossing Guard program as you navigate very difficult budget decisions. Crossing guards are an essential part of keeping our streets safe, and they protect thousands of Palo Alto children every day—including my own. My child is six years old, and I bike with him to school each morning. At this age, every intersection feels like a small test of independence for him and a moment of vigilance for me. I genuinely hope that as he grows, biking or walking to school will feel normal and safe for him on his own—but I also know that that vision depends on the continued presence of crossing guards at key crossings. Palo Alto Unified School District students rely heavily on walking and biking to get to school. Our Adult Crossing Guards provide critical support at the intersections where traffic is most complex. The process for assigning crossing guards is deliberately rigorous, which means they are already placed only where they are truly needed. As our city has grown denser and traffic has increased, the need for safe, supported routes to school has only become more important. Ensuring safe public streets—especially for children traveling to and from school—should remain a clear priority. I respectfully ask that you prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and fully fund the School Crossing Guard program. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Jennifer Bruno Parent at Ohlone Elementary From:Allie H To:Council, City Subject:Fund crossing guards Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 4:08:24 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable City Council Members, Our city is facing very difficult budget decisions, but I am writing to urge you to preserve funding for Palo Alto Police Department Adult Crossing Guards. Crossing Guards have been crucial to the safety of thousands of Palo Alto children, including my own. PAUSD school children walk and bike to school in large numbers, requiring this support at critical intersections. The warranting process for getting an Adult Crossing Guard assigned is rigorous, so we really only have them where we know they are most needed. As the city has densified, traffic has increased, requiring greater reliance on mode shift. It is increasingly important that we do what is necessary to maintain public streets that are safe for all residents, and especially school-bound children. Please prioritize public safety in your budget deliberations and support fully funding School Crossing Guards. Thank you. Sincerely, Alexandra Horevitz Nixon Elementary parent This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:PJ Balin-Watkins To:Council, City Subject:Need more bike racks on Ramona street Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 2:38:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i See attached. The bike rack in front of the Warby Parker is constantly full. Please put a bigger rack there. Thanks PJ balinwatkins 3814 Ross rd This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Rachel Vazquez-Reina To:Council, City Subject:Crossing Guard Funding Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 2:07:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Finance Committee Members, I am the PTA Council Deputy Chair for Safe Routes to School, but I am writing today in my individual capacity to urge the Finance Committee to please direct City staff to find alternative budget cuts rather than reducing crossing guards, as currently proposed. Our children and families depend on crossing guards to get to school safely. When crossing guards aren't present, the safety for our children is directly impacted. In addition, having fewer crossing guards results in more families choosing to drive their children to school because they feel less safe walking and biking. That in turn has numerous negative downstream impacts in our community, affecting the environment, traffic congestion, the physical and mental well- being of our children and young people who would otherwise enjoy active commutes, and it makes it less safe for others to walk & bike to school since there are more cars on the road. I recognize and appreciate that you are juggling many important and competing priorities in a difficult budget year, but I implore you to please find alternative cuts as opposed to reducing critical safety infrastructure for our children. Thank you for your service and for prioritizing our children's safety. Best regards, Rachel Vazquez-Reina This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Kyla Farrell To:Council, City Subject:Please keep our crossing guards Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 1:35:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Finance Committee Members, I’m writing as a PAUSD parent and community member to urge you to avoid cutting crossing guards and instead find alternative budget reductions. Crossing guards are essential to student safety. Reducing them makes walking and biking less safe and pushes more families to drive, increasing traffic, congestion, and environmental and health impacts. I live near the intersection of Loma Verde Ave and Louis Road, a busy crossing for families heading to Palo Verde, JLS, and Ohlone. Our crossing guard keeps traffic flowing, encourages helmet use, and provides a steady, trusted presence for hundreds of families. As a parent of elementary school children, they give me the confidence to let my kids bike to school independently and navigate this intersection safely. I understand this is a challenging budget year, but I strongly ask that you protect this critical safety support for our children. Thank you for your consideration. Kyla Farrell From:Ali Sapirman To:Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer; Veenker, Vicki Subject:Oppose Ordinances Delaying SB 79 Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 12:59:30 PM Attachments:Oppose Ordinances Delaying SB 79 Implementation in Palo Alto.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and City Council, Please see the attached letter on behalf of The Housing Action Coalition on the Council's decision on how to implement SB 79. -- Ali Sapirman | Pronouns: They/Them Advocacy & Policy Manager| Housing Action Coalition 555 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111 Cell: (407) 739-8818 | Email: ali@housingactioncoalition.org To opt out of all HAC emails, respond to this email with "unsubscribe all". Mayor and Members of the Palo Alto City Council 250 Hamilton Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 Re: Staff Report #2603-6132 – Oppose Ordinances Delaying SB 79 Implementation Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, On behalf of the Housing Action Coalition, I write to urge the Council not to proceed with ordinances delaying implementation of SB 79 (Wiener), and to raise two specific concerns about the process recommended in Staff Report #2603-6132. HAC strongly supports Palo Alto's timely implementation of SB 79. As a major employment center well-served by Caltrain and key bus corridors, Palo Alto has both the opportunity and the obligation to add housing near transit. SB 79 offers a framework for doing so with objective standards that reduce the delays and uncertainty that routinely slow infill production. Delaying that framework undermines the region's housing and climate goals — and Palo Alto's own stated commitments to both. If the Council is nonetheless inclined to direct staff to prepare a delay ordinance, we respectfully raise two concerns: The Public Deserves More Information Before the Council Acts. Staff Report #2603-6132 does not give the public sufficient information to evaluate the proposed ordinances. At minimum, the Council should ensure the public has access to: (1) the actual number of locally designated historic resources within SB 79's TOD Eligibility Areas, and (2) current allowable densities and building heights across SB 79-eligible sites. Without that second point in particular, the public cannot assess what it would mean in practice for an ordinance to cap development at just 50% of SB 79's minimum densities. An Emergency Ordinance Is Not the Appropriate Vehicle. HAC strongly urges the Council not to pursue any delay through the emergency ordinance process. Under California Government Code Section 65858(a), emergency land use ordinances exist to prohibit uses when necessary to protect public safety, health, and welfare — an extraordinary procedural tool that comes at the cost of the public's standard opportunity to review and comment. New housing near transit does not meet that bar. Unless the Council intends to characterize new housing as a public safety threat, it should not invoke emergency powers here. Any ordinance proposing to delay SB 79 should go through the normal legislative process, with adequate time for public input. California's housing and climate challenges require cities to act with urgency. Palo Alto can demonstrate regional leadership by allowing SB 79 to take effect as intended and moving swiftly toward implementation. We appreciate your consideration and are happy to discuss further. In solidarity, Ali Sapirman Advocacy & Policy Manager Housing Action Coalition From:bretande@pacbell.net To:Council, City Cc:Planning Commission Subject:Agenda Item 14: Please bring back community interest in Palo Alto Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 12:55:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto city council, Please take the opportunity to maximize new home building in Palo Alto by implementing SB 79 as written. Our community has already lost much of its vibrancy over the many years of not enabling low cost housing increases to match the increase in local high income, technology industry focused commercial development. We have lost much of the generational and socio-economic diversity that is required for a lively, neighborly and local retail and entertainment culture. It’s a sad story. Given where we stand now, declining school enrollment and the median home price at about $3M, low cost, affordable and dense transit oriented housing is the best way to build community that increases the quality of life and desirability of living in Palo Alto and so strengthen social and civic engagement and investment in our community. If you must make exceptions to the SB 79 provisions, please minimize them and provide ample local alternatives for a compensatory increase in transit oriented housing in Palo Alto in all 3 of the University, California and San Antonio station areas. Kind Regards, Bret Andersen, Palo Verde Neighborhood This message needs your attention This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From: Stefan Heck <stefan@nauto.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 11:41 PM To: Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@PaloAlto.gov>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>; Lu, George <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>; Lythcott- Haims, Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@PaloAlto.gov>; Reckdahl, Keith <Keith.Reckdahl@paloalto.gov>; Stone, Greer <Greer.Stone@paloalto.gov>; Veenker, Vicki <Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov> Cc: City Mgr <CityMgr@paloalto.gov> Subject: Your upcoming utility rate vote CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear honored council members, As you prepare for your June 15th vote on utility rates, on behalf of many of our residents on fixed retirement incomes, teachers, and young people just starting their career in this challenging time, I ask you to consider that your vote record over the past years has supported a spike in rates well above inflation. We all know cost of living it making it harder and harder for young people and non tech people to live in our wonderful city. While energy and construction costs have risen, I have used California specific consumer price index data which ALREADY factors in these higher California rates into the CPI, to normalize Palo Alto utility rates over the last 3 decades. You can see that for two decades Palo Alto residents enjoyed a NET cost of living benefit from our city owning and operating its own utility. We lost that advantage starting in 2016. But your votes have driven an UNPRECEDENTED spike in utility rates well above inflation over the last 4 years: Wastewater 220% in real terms (ie on top of inflation) - 5x in nominal $ price Water and Electricity by over 40% in real terms (ie on top of inflation) - 3.3x in nominal $ price Gas service has also rise 19% above inflation Utility purchases are not a discretionary purchase and not a luxury! As you debate how much to increase this regressive tax hitting poorer members of our community and consider how much to siphon off from our utility for the general fund, please consider the historically unprecedented rate spike you are supporting. Best regards, Stefan Heck From:Becky Wolf-Loretz To:Julia M. Adams Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; lief.christensen@paloalto.gov; City Mgr; Council, City Subject:ADA - Hotel Date:Monday, May 4, 2026 12:51:45 PM Attachments:IMG_3434.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Ms. Adams, I am writing again because this has now escalated into a medically urgent situation and I need an immediate written determination today regarding hotel placement as an accommodation. I am attaching current photographs of my wrist/hand showing the severity of what is happening now. Abode already has my medical notes from November and January documenting my health conditions and need for accommodation. My Stanford care team has directed me to seek same-day emergency evaluation due to severe and rapidly worsening symptoms, including significant swelling and pain in my wrist that required escalation of prescribed morphine just to obtain partial relief. I have also been referred for urgent ultrasound evaluation of both hands and wrists, as well as x-rays. My physician has raised that I may need to begin biologic medication, which suppresses immune function, even though I am still living in an environment with known mold and environmental hazards. That is not medically safe, and it underscores the severity of my current condition. This is occurring in the context of a formal Notice of Violation issued by the City of Palo Alto, which documents visible mold, water intrusion, and substandard conditions affecting occupied units, and explicitly states that tenants did not cause these conditions and are entitled to relocation protections and benefits. My unit has already been identified as affected, and that determination is not negated by any claimed appeal. An appeal does not eliminate the underlying hazardous conditions or the obligation to protect tenants from ongoing exposure. I am therefore requesting that Abode make an immediate determination today to place me in a hotel or other safe temporary accommodation. Continuing to leave me in a unit with documented mold while my health is actively deteriorating, and while I am being advised to consider immunosuppressive treatment, is not acceptable and creates additional risk. Please confirm in writing today what immediate accommodation will be provided. Rebecca Wolf 33 Encina Ave., Unit 205 Palo Alto, CA 94301 All communication by email only