City Manager Weekly Update - September 30, 2016
City Council Special Meeting
The City Council will be holding a Special Meeting on Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. to consider an ordinance that would place a temporary moratorium on development in the commercially zoned area along El Camino Real. If approved, the moratorium would provide city staff the opportunity to work with the community, the Planning and Transportation Commission and the City Council to review the City’s existing land use policies in this area and develop changes consistent with the community’s interests.
City Clerk
Artistic Bicycle Rack Design Competition
The Public Arts Commission will be conducting a second Artistic Bicycle Rack Design Competition later this fall. This past spring, the City installed six artistic bike racks chosen from the first Design Competition in the Downtown area. Stay tuned for future details regarding the next competition.
City Council Open Office Hours
City Council Open Office Hours will be hosted on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Fall Festival. Look for your City Councilmember at the Police Department booth located on Second Street by the classic car show. All members of the public are welcome to ask questions, provide feedback and discuss topics of interest with their City Councilmember.
New Commissioners
On September 27, 2016, City Council appointed the following individuals to serve on City Commissions: Steve Hindman (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory), Gary Kalbach (Financial), Larry Lang (Historical), Ibrahim Bashir (Library), and Nancy Bremeau (Public Arts). The City is excited to welcome its new Commissioners and thanks all those who applied.
Registrar of Voters Seeking Volunteer Election Officers
With just six weeks left until Election Day, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ Office is looking for nearly 5,000 Election Officers to serve at 836 polling places throughout the County. Eligible residents who would like to participate in the democratic process are encouraged to contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office immediately. Election Officers must be citizens who are registered to vote, legal permanent residents, or high school students aged 16 years or older with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Volunteers can earn up to $200. Experience is not necessary, as all training is provided. To volunteer to be an Election Officer, sign up online at sccvote.org or call (408) 299-POLL [7655].
Assistant City Manager
Complimentary Emergency Kits Available for Residents
Santa Clara Valley Water District has provided 350 mini emergency kits to the City for distribution to the Los Altos community. The kits will be handed out at the Police Department booth during this weekend’s Fall Festival in downtown Los Altos. A limited number of mini kits will also be available at the recreation office at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Avenue. Kits will be available on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Drill Scheduled in October
The City of Los Altos will host its annual EOC drill on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. This drill will incorporate local emergency volunteer groups including the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Block Action Team (BATs) and HAM radio operators. Volunteers will set up Emergency Information and Reporting Sites (EIRS) at locations around the City while staff is training in the EOC with Police and the Santa Clara County Fire Department. The volunteers will run training scenarios to assess for damage, hazards and injuries in the selected neighborhoods and transmit the information via radio to the EOC. This will be the first neighborhood drill where multiple BATs will activate at the same time. This type of collaborative training helps to ensure both the City and emergency volunteer groups can quickly and efficiently organize in the event of a future disaster.
If you are interested in being part of this important community topic, please explore training and volunteer opportunities at the following links:
Aircraft Noise Upcoming Meetings
The Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals is now in working-group mode and will hold its next meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the City of Palo Alto Council Chambers. The meeting is open to the public but because it is a working meeting of the Select Committee, the public will not be invited to speak. The SFO Community Roundtable meeting is October 5, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Millbrae City Hall, Chetcuit Room, 621 Magnolia Avenue.
Community Development
Affordable Housing Units Available
There are three, very-low income apartments available for rent at the recently completed Colonnade Apartments, 4750 El Camino Real in Los Altos. There are two one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit available. The application deadline is October 31, 2016. For more information, visit the City’s Affordable Housing webpage. Specific questions should be directed to the property manager at (650) 559-8500 or colonnade@sares-regis.com.
Public Hearing Date Changed for Planning and Transportation Commission’s Consideration of the Downtown Buildings Committee Recommendations
The October 6, 2016 public hearing scheduled for the Planning and Transportation Commission’s consideration of the ordinance for the Downtown Buildings Committee recommendations has been rescheduled for October 13, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. On this date, the Commission will develop a recommendation to present to the City Council regarding the Downtown Building Committee’s recommendations on a reduction in height limits for the CD and CD/R3 Zone Districts, modifications to roof structure classifications, height and coverage limits, an amendment to the Design Review Findings, and the addition of “penthouse” and “tower” definitions.
Sign Up for Downtown Vision Email Notifications
In conjunction with the Downtown Vision consultants, staff is preparing the public engagement process for the Downtown Vision effort. An early step in this process is the development of a list of those who would like to be notified through email of upcoming events and activities in the public engagement process. Interested persons can subscribe to receive future email announcements at losaltosca.gov/enotify. Subscribers will be sent notifications and information about events and activities as the community develops a Vision for the Downtown.
Police
Internet Safety Workshop for Parents
This week, the Police Department co-hosted a special presentation, “Internet Safety – What Parents of Teens Need to Know.” Los Altos Police Agent Ryan Langone teamed up with Mountain View Police Officer Rodshetta Smith and Deputy District Attorney Angela Alvarado to share their individual expertise in the area of internet safety. The adults-only presentation was an informative and eye-opening talk about the dangers teens face in the online world. Topics of discussion included:
- Understanding what kids are doing online
- Keeping kids safe from online threats
- Understanding the importance of “digital reputation”
- Popular applications (apps) and websites kids use and why they use them
- Guidelines for setting digital boundaries for kids
- “Cyber Bullying”
The presentation featured a question and answer session during which parents asked a number of thought-provoking questions and gathered additional safety tips from the experts. The event was held at the Los Altos Youth Center and drew a crowd of nearly 150. The Police Department plans to conduct a follow up presentation in the future, as interest in the subject matter remains high.
Upcoming Personal Emergency Preparedness Training
Celebrate the close of National Preparedness Month by registering for an upcoming Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) training. This free course, taught by Santa Clara County Fire Department personnel, will prepare you to be self-sufficient in the event of an emergency until relief is available. Topics covered include basic preparedness skills and supplies, workplace and home safety, what to do when your phones don’t work and more. Upcoming training dates include:
- Tuesday, October 18 & 25, 2016: 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Hillview Senior Center (This two-part series is geared towards ages 55+)
- Wednesday, November 9, 2016: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Grant Park Community Center
For more information or to register for upcoming trainings, contact Santa Clara County Fire Department at (408) 378-4010 or email communityoutreach@sccfd.org.
Public Works
Fremont Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Feasibility Study
Thank you to all who joined in the discussion at Wednesday’s community meeting/open house. Community feedback will be valuable in completing the feasibility study of the Fremont Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The goal of the project is to assess the condition of the existing bridge and the feasibility/cost of rehabilitating or replacing it. If you were unable to attend the open house and would like to provide input on the project, please visit our Open City Hall survey.
Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Program for Public Information
Ten cities, the unincorporated County of Santa Clara and Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) have been active participants in the Community Rating System (CRS) for almost 20 years. CRS is a voluntary program of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that allows participating communities to earn flood insurance premium discounts for their residents and businesses by agreeing to adopt and enforce an ordinance that meets or exceeds FEMA’s requirement to reduce the risk of flooding.
Changes in the 2013 CRS Users’ Manual included the option to undertake a Program for Public Information (PPI), which is a method to customize an agencies flood risk reduction outreach messages and increase CRS points. The City of Los Altos approved the PPI at its June 23, 2015 City Council meeting. To review this initial Annual Report to FEMA which documents the PPI activities, click here.
Signal Operation at El Monte Avenue and Summerhill Road
The City has been experiencing intermittent voltage related issues which triggers a “brown-out” condition at this intersection. When this occurs, the traffic signal triggers an all-red flash. The City has been working with PG&E and our signal maintenance technicians to pinpoint the issue with no immediate success. Fortunately, the City has secured a battery backup system as a trial to help regulate the voltage issues and provide consistent power at this intersection. It is anticipated the battery backup system will be installed the week of October 3, 2016 and will be used on a trial basis for 60-days. The City will have the opportunity to purchase the system at the end of the trial period.
Loyola Corners Traffic Signals
Due to electrical issues, the County-owned traffic signals at Loyola Corners have been on flashing red since the opening of the new Loyola Bridge. The County has scheduled additional electrical cabling work today, Friday, September 30, 2016. New cables will be installed to connect the traffic signal controller to the pedestrian push buttons at A Street. Should the installation be successful and all other electrical sufficient, the signal is expected to resume normal operation.
Operation and Maintenance Updates
This week, Maintenance Crews completed tree trimming in the downtown area in preparation for this weekend’s 25th Annual Fall Festival. In addition to also performing general clean-up downtown, a new public arts sculpture was installed on First & Main Streets on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Maintenance crews also continued work to install backflow preventers for irrigation lines throughout the City.
Recreation & Community Services
Volunteers Needed for Cycle Saturday, October 8
Volunteer bike valets are needed to assist with the City’s Cycle Saturday event on October 8, 2016 between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will assist cyclists and watch over bike racks at various locations throughout downtown Los Altos. For more information or to sign up, contact Isabella Rivera at (650) 947-2897 or irivera@losaltosca.gov.
Senior Programs
The Grant Park Senior Program is celebrating its 2nd Anniversary! Come join the celebration festivities on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. For more details, please see the Senior Spotlight Newsletter or call (650) 947-2797.
Supporting Documents
2016_ppi_annual_report.pdf (295 KB) 