City Manager Weekly Update - June 9, 2017
City Council Open Office Hours
City Council will host Open Office Hours this Sunday, June 11, 2017 at Shoup Park located at 400 University Avenue from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.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 with community members. Everyone is welcome. Additional Open Office Hours are scheduled for:
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Grant Park Community Center, Room 3
1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos
Friday, July 7, 2017
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hillview Community Center, Room 2
97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos
Thursday, July 20, 2017
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Grant Park Community Center, Room 3
1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos
Assistant City Manager
Silicon Valley Clean Energy Community Meeting
Starting in July, the remaining residents of Los Altos will begin receiving 100% carbon-free electricity from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), your new community choice energy provider. Community members are invited to learn more about SVCE at a community meeting planned for Wednesday, June 21, 2017 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center Social Hall, 97 Hillview Avenue.
City staff and representatives from SVCE will provide brief presentations and be on hand to answer questions. Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is a community-owned agency, formed in spring 2016 by twelve South Bay communities. The City of Los Altos is proud to be a founding member of SVCE, which brings choice and competition to the power marketplace. Resident and business participation in SVCE will help the City reach its carbon reduction goals, leading to a healthier community for all.
Community Development
New Three-Story Office Building Proposed in the Downtown
At its meeting next Thursday, June 15, 2017, the Planning and Transportation Commission will consider a three-story commercial office building at 40 Main Street. The project is seeking the approval of exceptions to the height limit, on-site parking requirement, and rear yard setback in return for a public paseo that provides pedestrian access between Main Street and Parking Plaza 10.
Downtown Visioning
The consulting team is putting the final touches on a community-wide survey that will provide another opportunity to provide input on the vision for Downtown Los Altos. Responses to this survey and the feedback that has been collected at the workshops will help form the basis for the scenarios that will display what the Downtown could look like in the future. Stay tuned for the release date. For more information about the Downtown Vision project, visit losaltosca.gov/DowntownVision.
New Building Inspector
Logan Ellis joined the City of Los Altos on Monday, June 5, 2017 as the newest addition to the Building Division. Logan fills a long vacant building inspector position and was eager to start working for the City. Logan was previously with Madera County, where there was a lot of distance between inspections. The inspection routes will be a little closer here in Los Altos.
Police
Join Us for National Night Out
On Tuesday, August 1, 2017, Los Altos Police will be celebrating the 34th Annual National Night Out. This national campaign is designed to raise crime prevention awareness, strengthen neighborhood unity and develop partnerships between Police and the community. Residents are encouraged to participate by turning on their porch lights from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and getting out to meet their neighbors. When residents on a block know each other, the neighborhood and the community is safer and stronger.
The number of Los Altos neighborhoods celebrating grows each year; in 2016 we visited 21 neighborhood events and reached nearly 800 people on National Night Out. Many neighborhoods celebrate this event with block parties, pot lucks, barbecues or ice cream socials. Of course, Los Altos Police are more than happy to join the fun! Be sure to register your neighborhood event by Friday, July 21, 2017 and Officers will be sure to stop by. More information and registration forms are available online.
Public Works
Redwood Grove Tree Maintenance Project
The tree maintenance project in Redwood Grove is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 12, 2017. Work hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Twenty-four trees identified as dead or dying will be removed or top pruned. Wood that is felled will be milled onsite; this process may be noisy. The project is anticipated to be complete in late June. Notices of the work have been posted in Redwood Grove. The project area will be clearly marked and closed to the public. The public is asked to observe signs indicating areas inaccessible during the scheduled work and exercise extreme caution in the area, as work will take place overhead.
Annual Stormwater C3 Workshop
This week, engineering staff attended a half-day workshop provided by the Santa Clara Valley Urban Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP) that included basic training on the Municipal Regional Permit Provision C3, developing and reviewing stormwater control plans, and design and sizing of stormwater treatment measures.
Sewer Rates - Annual Report and Charges
The annual report and preliminary parcel listing for the 2017/18 Fiscal Year are available for review at City Hall. The report and charges will implement a 7% increase to charges in accordance with a 5-year rate study adopted in 2013. Sewer charges fund the City’s operation and maintenance expenses, wastewater treatment costs from the Palo Alto Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, and capital improvement projects.
Street Pavement Maintenance
This week, Engineering issued a bid for its annual City-wide pavement maintenance. The project includes the resurfacing of various streets throughout the City with slurry seals, rubberized cape seals, and associated striping work. Bids are due June 27, 2017 and will be awarded by City Council in July.
Annual Creek Cleanup
This week, members of the City’s Engineering and Maintenance Services divisions conducted a creek cleanup in Stevens Creek, which included removal and categorization of litter. Prior to Countywide efforts in 2013 and 2014 to pass reusable bag ordinances and polystyrene foam container bans, plastic bags and Styrofoam containers were the top pollutants of our local creeks and streams. Following cleanup and analysis of litter from this week’s effort, staff are happy to report that no plastic bags or Styrofoam containers were found. This is a testament to the efforts and compliance of residents in Los Altos and beyond.
Recreation & Community Services
Summer Concert Lineup
The City’s 15th Annual Summer Concert Series lineup is now available. Summer concerts will feature eight performances by a variety of local bands starting with a performance by the Peninsula Symphony on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Now’s the time to make those summer plans with family and friends to enjoy a fun night out at Grant and Hillview Parks!
Reminders
Parks and Recreation and Senior Commission Now Accepting Applications
The City continues to recruit for membership on the Senior Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Senior Commission members must be 55+ or have special skills or experience which may benefit seniors. Each Commission advises the City Council on matters pertaining to their respective topic, with the Senior Commission also advising the Los Altos Hills Town Council. Applicants must apply by Friday, June 23, 2017. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, 2017. Applications can be picked-up at Los Altos City Hall, downloaded as a PDF, or submitted online. Return completed applications to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall. For more information, call (650) 947-2720
