City Manager Weekly Update - February 17, 2017

Assistant City Manager

Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins in March
The key to surviving and thriving after a disaster is education and preparation. Residents are encouraged to join Santa Clara County Fire Department’s CERT program, which provides 21 hours of classroom and hands-on training to help you become prepared. The next CERT training series will be held at Los Altos Hills Town Hall on the following dates:

• Monday, March 6 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 8 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 13 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 15 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 20 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 22 – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 25 – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

CERT trainees will learn to mobilize neighborhood resources, deliver immediate assistance to victims, organize emergency communications and provide support to first responders. There is a nominal fee of $35 per person to cover class materials including a CERT vest and hard hat. Additional information can be found at sccfd.org. For questions and to register, contact Santa Clara County Fire Department at (408) 378-4010 or communityoutreach@sccfd.org.

“Watch Your Waste” - Update from Community Meeting
A Community Meeting was hosted this week by GreenTown Los Altos (GTLA) in cooperation with the City of Los Altos and featured speakers on recycling, diversion, successes and trends in waste collection and the effort to improve our local environment by reducing reliance on landfill solutions. Speakers included Margie Suozzo, GTLA community member, Susanna Chan, City Public Works Director, Garth Schultz, Consultant with R3 Solid Waste Management Consulting Group and Tim Giacomini from Mission Trail Waste Systems, the City’s contractor for waste collection, recycling and diversion. Progress in diverting waste from landfills by recycling and composting methods and successes for the City were presented and discussed. Included were requirements of State laws, diversion data and recycling efforts (see Slide 6). Factors affecting diversion efforts in Los Altos and best practices for achieving high diversion rates were discussed and were followed by Questions and Answers.  

City Clerk

City Council Open Office Hours
The Los Altos City Council will host an Open Office Hours event on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at Grant Park Community Center, Room 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. One City Council member will be available to the public for this two-hour period to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest to community members. All are welcome.

Community Development

Secondary Dwelling Unit Regulations Revisions
The rules governing secondary dwelling units are currently under review in response to recently adopted state legislation and input from the City Council. Affordable housing is a State priority and secondary dwelling units are seen as a potential form of affordable housing. In evaluating the existing code, staff is reviewing minimum lot size requirements, parking requirements, and limits to the size of these units.

Building Division Looks to Improve Timing/Inspection of Storm Water Improvements
On-site collection and percolation of stormwater reduces the burden on the City’s stormwater conveyance system and is good for the health of underlying aquifers. Over the past several years, a number of rules and policies have been put in place to help achieve the on-site collection of stormwater. Many of the measures to achieve these new programs are installed when a new home is constructed or a substantial addition is undertaken. Inspectors are working at scheduling appropriate points during the construction process when these improvements can be installed and then inspected. This effort is intended to accomplish these activities at key points in the construction process in an effort to avoid delays and frustration when final inspections are requested.