City Manager Weekly Update - July 22, 2016

Police

In addition to highlighting the accomplishments and goals of the Police Department during this week’s annual staff summit, Chief Tuck Younis took the opportunity to acknowledge the issues and community concerns currently facing the law enforcement profession. Your Police Department is committed to providing the highest caliber service and one of the ways we can ensure Officers are able to accomplish this goal is by attending regular trainings on a variety of topics. Training opportunities ensure Officers have the skills to handle the tough situations Police encounter with regularity. In fact, Los Altos was the first Department in Santa Clara County to have every Officer and dispatcher complete Advanced Crisis Mental Health training, which teaches Officers how to best interact with individuals experiencing mental health crisis. The Department continues to learn more about the societal implications of mental illness and recognizes the importance of being on the “cutting edge” of training with respect to its accompanying challenges.

The Chief also recognizes the necessity for 360 degree training in order to equip officers with the necessary tools to reach the best possible conclusion in difficult situations. Along those lines, all Department personnel recently participated in implicit bias training for law enforcement. The Los Altos Police Department employs one of the few certified instructors on this topic in this region. Last week, all Police Department personnel also received updated instruction in various legal aspects of the profession as well as intense scenario training surrounding use of force options and, more importantly, de-escalation techniques.

The Chief highlighted the department’s continued and growing partnership with community emergency volunteers in its pursuit toward enhanced emergency preparedness and overall community safety. Finally, in an effort to build positive relationships with community members, the Department has reached out to the community over the past year through two “Coffee with a Cop” events, a Community Education Series, town hall meetings regarding crime trends, the YES (Youth Exhibiting Safety) campaign and don’t forget “Cops Love Lemonade Stands!”  Stay tuned for another upcoming opportunity to have “Coffee with a Cop” in the near future. The Los Altos Police Department looks forward to continuing to serve the public in the furtherance of the top community priorities.         

Public Works

Downtown Capital Improvement Projects

First Street Utility Underground Project
The First Street Utility Undergrounding Project is underway and includes undergrounding all overhead utility lines (PG&E, AT&T, and Cablecom) and removal of utility poles on First Street from Parking Plaza 1 to San Antonio Road. Construction work occurs Monday through Friday and is scheduled to conclude mid-September, 2016. This week PG&E and its subcontractor, Accu-Bore, saw cut the first stage of the joint utility trench on First Street. Crews also installed a temporary utility pole and anchor in Parking Plaza 1. The temporary pole will enable the removal of sidewalk anchors which currently block pedestrian sidewalk access adjacent to the Parking Plaza. The pole and its anchor will be removed at the end of the project. Next week, PG&E will be installing new underground equipment which will impact the intersections of First Street and Main Street as well as the intersection of Foothill Expressway and Main Street. A planned power outage is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, July 28 and July 29, 2016, from 4:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. Effected property owners have been notified of the upcoming work by PG&E. If unsafe weather conditions or an unforeseen emergency force PG&E to cancel work, PG&E will do its best to contact customers.

Parking Plaza Approach Project
The Parking Plaza Approach Improvement Project is tentatively scheduled to begin construction work on Monday, August 8, 2016. Construction is anticipated to be complete by September 8, 2016. This project will upgrade driveway approaches in Plaza 1 (along First Street) and Plaza 10 (along West Edith Avenue) to create Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalks across the driveway approaches.

Parking Plaza 3 Driveway & Drive Aisle Improvement Project
The Parking Plaza 3 Driveway & Drive Aisle Improvement Project is scheduled to commence construction on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 and be completed by end of September 2016. The project will include removal and replacement of the sidewalks, curbs and gutters in the section of the plaza  from the north Sana Antonio Road entrance to approximately the cross walk adjacent to Hillview Avenue (behind the Italian Deli). It is intended the project will improve pedestrian access and eliminate stormwater runoff in these areas. Access and parking will be temporarily impacted in Plaza 3 as a result of the required work. Alternative access routes and parking is encouraged during the duration of the project.

Grant Road Rubberized Chip Seal Project
The Grant Road Rubberized Chip Seal Project is currently under construction and includes asphalt repairs, concrete ramp improvements, re-striping and other preventative street maintenance along Grant Road, between Grant Road and Homestead Road. Class II bike lanes will also be installed as part of the project. This week, the contractor focused on applying chip seal (new pavement wearing surface).

AB 1826 Mandatory Commercial Organics
In October 2014, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1826 requiring businesses to recycle their organic waste after April 1, 2016, depending on the amount of waste they generate per week. In December of 2015, the City updated its Solid Waste Ordinance to match the state requirements which require businesses that generate 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week to arrange for organic waste recycling service. Businesses should contact the City’s franchise waste hauler, Mission Trails Waste Systems to schedule service at missiontrail.com/Los-Altos. There is no cost for organics service with regular paid garbage service.