City Manager Weekly Update - December 9, 2016

The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a collaboration of 19 cities, counties, local, and regional agencies that united to improve the performance, safety and aesthetics along El Camino Real. The grand Boulevard starts in the north at Daly City (where it is named Mission Street) and ends near the Diridon Caltrain Station in central San Jose (where it is named The Alameda). The initiative, for the first time, brings together all the agencies having responsibility for the condition, use, and performance of this historic and regionally significant thoroughfare.

The Vision for the Grand Boulevard initiative is that El Camino Real will achieve its full potential as a place for residents to work, live, shop, and play, creating links between communities that promote walking and transit and an improved and meaningful quality of life. More information about the Grand Boulevard Initiative can be found at grandboulevard.net.

Larkellen Neighborhood Applies for Single-Story Overlay District
Staff has begun reviewing an application that was received from property owners in the Larkellen Neighborhood which seeks to have a single-story overlay district applied to their neighborhood. If approved, future development in this neighborhood, which encompasses properties on Larkellen Lane, Fallen Leaf Lane, Havenhurst Drive, and Ravenswood Drive, would be limited to a single-story.

The morning began with officers and students enjoying breakfast at SAP Center, with special guests such as San Jose Sharkie on hand to celebrate their accomplishments. Next, the kids were taken by police motorcade to the Target store on Coleman Avenue, where recipients had a $150 gift card to spend on holiday gifts for themselves and their families. Officers acted as companions as students flowed through the aisles looking for treasures. Volunteers then wrapped each gift for the child to present to their families. Photos with Santa, crafts, and face painting rounded out the morning. This was our department’s second year participating in the event, which drew officers from 22 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and DEA. We look forward to many more years celebrating the hard work of these students from Silicon Valley. 

Holiday Safety Tips
During the holiday season, criminals often have increased opportunities to commit theft and other crimes. While we haven’t seen a significant spike in crime in Los Altos recently, being mindful of your surroundings and taking extra security precautions during this time of year is still advisable.

Please review and share the safety tips below to help protect your home and family this holiday season.

Report Suspicious Activity
No one knows your neighborhood better than you, so if someone or something gives you pause, err on the side of caution and contact us to report the suspicious person or activity. Also, the City has strict rules prohibiting unpermitted door-to-door solicitors. If you observe solicitors in your neighborhood, please report them to the Police Department right away, as they may be up to no good. These individuals may be scoping out the neighborhood in order to commit future crimes or might even attempt to break in when no one answers the door. Call (650) 947-2770 to report suspicious activity. If it’s an emergency, dial 911.

Protect Your Valuables

• Never leave holiday gifts, cell phones, purses or other valuables in plain sight in your vehicle. It takes only seconds for a criminal to smash a car window and steal your belongings.
• If shopping online, avoid having packages delivered when no one is home to receive them. Consider having packages delivered to a trusted friend, family member or neighbor who is home during the day. Take advantage of scheduled delivery options or inquire if your workplace allows packages to be delivered there during business hours.

Protect Yourself

• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Limit the use of your cell phone in public areas.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash, your passport, or your social security card.
• Don’t overburden yourself with packages and beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. Criminals may try to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.
• Carry your purse close to your body to prevent purse snatches. Place your wallet in your front pocket or in a coat pocket.
• Park in well-lit areas. Lock your doors, close the windows and hide any shopping packages in the trunk.

Protect Your Home

• If heading out for the night, consider leaving a light, TV or radio on to make it appear that someone is home.
• Be extra diligent about locking doors and windows when you leave for any amount of time. If you have a home security system, be sure to arm it.
• Avoid displaying gifts where they can be seen through a window.

Traveling for the Holidays?

• Consider filling out a vacation contact form on the City’s website to notify the Police of when you plan to be away.
• Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home and, if possible, park a car in your driveway from time-to-time.
• Put timers on different lights throughout the interior and exterior of your home.
• Stop newspaper and mail delivery, or make arrangements for someone you trust to collect these items for you.
• Don’t leave a descriptive voicemail on your answering machine informing people that you’re away on vacation.
• Don’t include your last name on your mailbox. A burglar can look up your home phone number in the directory and call while in front of your house to confirm that you are away before breaking in.

After the Holidays…

• Don’t pile up empty boxes from your new computer, stereo, flat screen TV, or other expensive items on the street for potential criminals to see. Break down the boxes and put them in a bin.
• Write down serial numbers for items purchased and keep them in a safe place.
• Take photos of jewelry and other expensive items and keep them in a safe place.

The Los Altos Police Department wishes you a happy and safe holiday season!

Public Works

Green Infrastructure Workshop
This week, engineering staff attended the Peninsula-South Bay Watershed Forum for a presentation on Planning and Implementation of Stormwater Green Infrastructure in Local Watersheds. Staff learned more about the Bay Area’s stormwater regulatory background, the pollutants of concern, benefits of Green Infrastructure, examples of local completed Green Infrastructure projects and design/maintenance issues.

Sewer Improvements - Structural Reach Replacement
This week, the City’s contractor, EPS, Inc. dba Express Plumbing began work on the replacement of the sewer main on St. Charles Court using the pipe reaming method. Work will continue into next week in this area. This capital improvement project replaces segments of pipes throughout the City which have been identified as having moderate to severe structural defects.  

Recreation & Community Services

Youth Theatre
Los Altos Youth Theatre and SF Shakespeare Festival are hosting a joint production of The Little Princess! Youth ages 10-20 are encouraged to come out and audition. Auditions are generally thirty minutes long and are by appointment. They will be held on Monday, December 12, 2016 between 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Completed audition forms should be emailed to losaltosyouththeatre@gmail.com. Performances of The Little Princess will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 10 - 26, 2017. Please see the Youth Theatre webpage for additional information!

Senior Programs
The Holiday Season is upon us! The Senior Program will be hosting a Holiday Luncheon on Friday, December 16 at 12:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at the Hillview Community Center. This lunch event is sure to have you feeling delightfully full of scrumptious food and festive with the holiday music and gift giving! The cost for Senior Program Members is $8 and $10 for all others. Reservations are recommended so call (650) 947-2797 or drop by the center to RSVP!

If you are still in town on Friday, December 23, come and join us for light refreshments and holiday music around the fireplace in Room 10 at the Hillview Community Center. We are open regular hours that day, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Take a much needed break from the shopping crowds and relax with us at the Senior Program!

Assistant City Manager

Aircraft Noise Update
As reported in the December 2, 2016 City Manager Weekly Update, the final Report and Recommendations on aircraft noise by the Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals (Committee) were transmitted to Congressmembers Eshoo, Farr and Speier who established the Committee. The Congressmembers sent the Report and Recommendations forwarded to Michael Huerta, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and announced their acceptance of the Committee’s Recommendations. The announcement stated:

“We support the majority of the Select Committee’s final recommendation to return to the previous BSR Arrival ground track. While the FAA has committed to designing the routing over the previous BSR lateral track with the highest feasible altitudes and with the lowest possible noise impact, the Select Committee has recommended that at a minimum, the route be no lower and the noise impact no greater than the previous BSR. These minimums apply to the entire route including in the vicinity of MENLO intersection, where the Select Committee is recommending not only a higher altitude over MENLO but also specifying that the planes use only idle power over this area.

The return to the BSR track is planned as an interim solution while the FAA works with the affected communities and its elected leaders to develop and identify the best long term solution based on the Committee’s recommendations. Prior to the FAA taking any action, it will assess and report any environmental impacts in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and applicable agency rules.

We are tremendously grateful that 12 local elected officials and their alternates stepped forward and devoted countless hours to public hearings, technical briefings and document review. The process was transparent, thorough and deliberative.”

Read full article here

Additional reports and other resources are available on Congressmember Eshoo’s website

Mission Trail Waste Systems to Present Report
Mission Trail Waste Systems (MTWS) is the City’s service provider for waste hauling, recycling, composting and diversion services for residents and businesses in Los Altos. Staff from MTWS will present a report of its activities and accomplishment for these programs at the Environmental Commission meeting on Monday, December 12, 2016, held in City Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m. The community is invited to attend. The agenda for the meeting is available here. For more information about MTWS, visit missiontrail.com/LosAltos.