City Manager Weekly Update - July 1, 2016

Community Development

Downtown Vision Process
This week, a notice requesting proposals from qualified consulting firms was released for the Downtown Visioning effort. This is the first step in the process that will lead towards fulfilling the City Council’s goal of the completion of a Downtown Plan. This visioning effort will be focused on identifying the community’s desired level of downtown economic vibrancy, what type and intensity of development is required to achieve that, and the related consequences/impacts. Three to four scenarios need to be developed for presentation and feedback opportunities to ensure broad community support of the vision.

Learning from Others
Yesterday, staff attended a workshop on a Downtown Visioning process for the City of Morgan Hill, which is also conducting a planning effort for its historic downtown. The workshop included a panel discussion made up of community leaders, developers, and citizens who described how they went about identifying the opportunities and pitfalls that are sometimes a component of this process. There was general consensus that engaging the community early in the process and providing them with ample opportunities to participate were important. 

County-wide DUI Saturation Patrol
The Fourth of July is a favorite holiday for many Americans. For some, the celebration includes parties and alcohol, but the fun can quickly go from festive to fatal when people decide to drink and drive.

The County-wide Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force will be out in full force July 1 through 4, aggressively targeting impaired drivers. Every law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County is ramping up enforcement in order to make our roads safer.

DUI saturation patrols will be out across the City of Los Altos as well as in various areas throughout the County. The CHP will also deploy all available officers onto freeways and county roads for its Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).

The Los Altos Police Department would like to remind motorists to plan a safe ride home before the celebration begins. If you drive drunk, you not only put your life and the lives of others at risk, you could face a DUI arrest. The average DUI costs $10,000, making it difficult to recover financially.

• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you’re impaired, call a taxi, a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate calling 9-1-1.
• Remember, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

Whether you’ve had way too many or just one too many, it’s never worth the risk to drive impaired. There’s always another way home. This Fourth of July, if law enforcement pulls you over for impaired driving, you will be arrested. Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Traveling Over the July Fourth Holiday?
Before leaving on vacation, you may provide the Los Altos Police Department with dates that you will be gone, information for anyone who may have access to your house in your absence, and contact information should the Los Altos Police Department need to reach you while you are away. Visit our Online Vacation Contact Form

Public Works

Capital Improvement Project Updates
Bids were received this week for the following projects:

Annual Street Striping TS-01003
Roadway markings throughout the City need to be refreshed on a regular basis. Visibility of pavement markings is important to prevent accidents and improve traffic flow. This project will refresh approximately 15% of the City streets with thermoplastic pavement striping. It will also improve striping layouts per the City’s Pedestrian Master Plan and Transportation Bicycle Plan where appropriate.

City Council award of each of these projects is scheduled for the July 12, 2016 City Council meeting.

One Bay Area Grants
Established in 2012, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) One Bay Area Grant program (OBAG) is a funding approach that aligns the MTC investments with support for focused growth. OBAG taps federal funds to maintain MTC's commitments to regional transportation priorities while also advancing the Bay Area's land-use and housing goals. MTC adopted a funding and policy framework in late 2015 for the second round of OBAG grants. Known as OBAG 2 for short, the second round of OBAG funding is projected to total about $800 million, and is intended to fund projects from 2017/18 through 2021/22. This week staff submitted two OBAG 2 applications for paving of Fremont Avenue and a school route improvement project.

Recreation & Community Services

Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP)
Sourcewise, Santa Clara County’s Area Agency on Aging, works with the City of Los Altos Senior Program to provide residents with access to the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP). Long-time volunteer counselor, Roy Ito, has appointments available the third Tuesday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center. Roy is available to provide information on specific rights and healthcare insurance coverage options and to assist with comparison charts, insurance plan benefits, claim or benefit denials, and other health insurance related billing questions. The Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program of Sourcewise is not affiliated with any insurance company and offers unbiased information through presentations and individual counseling to help individuals make informed decisions about Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage. Please call (650) 947-2797 to set up an appointment.

Senior Survey
Your input is needed! A county-wide effort is being led by the Seniors’ Agenda of Santa Clara County, Department of Aging and Adult Services and Center for Age-Friendly Excellence in Los Altos, to assist all 15 Santa Clara County cities to achieve designation by the World Health Organization as Age-Friendly. The City of Los Altos is one of only three age friendly cities in the county.

The Santa Clara County Department of Public Health is conducting an evidence-based county wide survey of seniors’ needs to inform each of our cities of the opinions, needs and challenges of older adults. The survey is based on the Livable Communities survey of AARP. The survey can be filled out online (click here for survey) or you may make an appointment with a Los Altos volunteer to fill out the survey.

Survey Appointments:
Hillview Senior Program Room 10: Monday, July 18 and Thursday, July 21 at 11:00 a.m.
Grant Park Senior Program: Monday, July 25 and Wednesday, July 27 at 11:00 a.m.