City Manager Weekly Update - June 23, 2017
Assistant City Manager
Hillview Community Center Project
Back in April, City Council approved the creation of a Capital Improvement Project for the design and construction of a new Community Center. The Council approved a project budget of $25 million, which is currently available in City reserves, to fund the project. To ensure the community has ample opportunity to engage in the Community Center planning process, the Council also Adopted Resolution No. 2017-15 establishing the Hillview Community Center Project Task Force. The following Task Force members were appointed to a temporary term for the duration of planning of the Hillview Community Center project:
- Maria Bautista
- Philip Chou
- Brian Cilker
- Claudia Coleman (Chair)
- Katherine Cushing
- Stuart Eckmann
- Stuart Klein
- Cathy Lazarus
- Barbara Loebner
- Susan Mensinger
- Dennis Young
The mission of the Task Force is to hold public meetings to gather community input and to provide a recommendation to City Council on the interior space allocation and exterior design and layout of the future Hillview Community Center.
The first Task Force meeting was held on June 15, 2017 with a kick-off featuring an opportunity for the 11 Task Force members to get introduced to and acquainted with each other and City staff supporting the Task Force. The Task Force provided staff with requests for information needed to begin the process that will lead to completing the mission assigned by Council.
A subsequent meeting of the Task Force was held this week on June 22, 2017. After taking comments from the public, members of the Task Force and the public took a tour of the Hillview Community Center followed by a staff presentation of the 2009 Civic Master Plan community engagement and feedback results and the 2014/15 Civic Center Master Plan Update. Discussion of these Master Plans and implications for the current planning of the Hillview Community Center followed the staff presentation.
The next meeting of the Task Force is June 29, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at the Neutra House. The Task Force plans to review the STRATA Report and receive a presentation by staff of an ideal community center. The public is welcome and encourage to attend and engage in the process. Stay tuned for continuous updates and information of the progress made by the Task Force in the Weekly Updates, on the City website and other media outreach efforts.
Los Altos Community Emergency Preparedness Drill
On June 17, 2017, trained volunteers participating in the Los Altos PREPARES program met at Grant Park for an emergency response practice drill followed by a family picnic. Forty-one Block Action Team (BAT) leaders, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Service (LAARES) members, aka hams, participated in the combined drill. Five teams rotated through five checkpoints, with each station involving different challenges. The checkpoints included mass casualty scenario requiring injury triage, electrical line down across an occupied vehicle, missing person search and treatment of heat-related illness. The hams provided voice radio and packet radio communications for each team. They practiced tasks they would perform during an actual disaster at designated Emergency Information & Reporting Sites (EIRS).
If community members are interested in CERT training, a class begins in Los Altos on Sept 12, 2017. Those interested in getting a ham license should visit baears.com. A radio class is scheduled on July 15. For residents interested in volunteering in their neighborhood or becoming a BAT leader, CERT or ham with Los Altos PREPARES, contact J. Logan, City of Los Altos at (650) 947-2610 for click here.
Please enjoy the photos of the Drill and community emergency preparedness on the City’s Facebook page.
Community Development
Study Session Slated to Review Public Plaza Proposal
Applicants of the public plaza proposed for a portion of Parking Plaza 7 on First Street in Downtown Los Altos have a study session with the City Council on Tuesday, June 27, 2017. The study session starts at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers and will be an opportunity for the applicant and the City Council to discuss what has been accomplished to date and determine the next steps in this process.
Stork Visits Community Development Department
Planning Manager Zach Dahl and his wife are the proud parents of a baby boy! Little Gabriel Patrick Dahl arrived on Monday morning this week. Mom, Dad, and Gabriel’s little brother are all doing well. Zach shared that attending late night meetings has prepared him well for the joys of attending to Gabriel’s needs - 24 hours a day.
Public Works
City Hall Roof Replacement
Work began this week on demolition of the existing wood shake roof at City Hall, which was in poor condition and in need of replacement. Any necessary repairs to the substructure and ventilation systems will occur next week prior to installation of a new AC shingle selected to most closely match the existing roof.
Call Before You Dig 811
811 is the phone number you call before digging to protect yourself and others from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines. There are millions of miles of buried utilities beneath the surface of the earth that are vital to everyday living like water, electricity and natural gas. 811 is the federally designated call before you dig number that helps homeowners and professionals avoid damaging these vital utilities. When you make the free call to 811 a few days before you dig, you'll help prevent unintended consequences such as injury to you or your family, damage to your property, utility service outages to the entire neighborhood and potential fines and repair costs.
Apricot Harvest
The apricots in the Civic Center Orchard are coming into season. With the ending of the drought, we are experiencing a much more bountiful harvesting season compared to last year. Los Altos Municipal Code Section 9.20.020 prohibits individuals from picking the fruit in the Orchard. Apricots from the Orchard are available for purchase at DeMartini Orchard on San Antonio Road while supplies last.
Wayfinding Signs
Additional wayfinding signs have been installed around town. Look for them on Main Street (at the entrance to downtown at San Antonio Road), San Antonio Road, and El Monte Avenue. The signs, which are part of the City’s wayfinding program capital improvement project, direct motorists from major thoroughfares to Downtown and other retail/business districts. More signs are on their way in upcoming weeks.
Maintenance Updates
The Street Crews have been busy sealing cracks on the streets. Crack sealing is an effective and economical way to extend the life of our streets. This year, our crews have been tasked with crack sealing over 18 miles of streets. Most of these streets will also receive pothole repairs and eventually a new layer of surface treatment such overlay, cape seal or slurry seal.
The Sewer Crews have been working on root foaming. Root foaming is a preventive treatment to destroy roots that find their way into our sewer lines, which can cause costly and inconvenient sewer backups. We perform roof foaming on various segments of sewer lines annually and the work is typically done by an outside contractor. Our crews took on the challenge this year and have made good progress this week.
The Park Crews conducted routine maintenance with a focus on irrigation issues throughout the City this week. They also performed emergency trimming due to the heat wave and provided support for the crack sealing project.
The Fleet and Facilities Crews installed in-ground low voltage lighting transformers for tree lights at the History Museum. They also performed routine maintenance and provided support for the crack sealing project.
Summer Camps
Camp jelly bean at San Antonio Club is off to a great start! Twenty campers between the ages of 3 to 5 enjoyed the Astronauts and Rockettes program as they made flying saucers, intergalactic slime and straw rockets. Aided by an amazing staff, they watched rockets soar by power of air and chemical reactions. These little scientists had an exciting introduction to the world of space.
Camp Shoup and Redwood Grove had a smooth start as well. Many returning staff members welcomed both new and seasoned campers to the beautiful camp settings. Campers stayed cool, enjoying the many shaded trees while playing in the great outdoors.
Summer Concerts
Our third Summer Concert will be held on Thursday, June 29 from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Hillview Park. Come join us for a wonderful summer night of music provided by Bruce Guynn & Big Rain at Hillview Park. Bring your family, pack a picnic dinner and enjoy Rock, Country Rock, Blues and Popular Music sounds of this great local band!
Park Upgrades
The installation of three new drinking fountains in our parks is now complete. The new drinking fountains are located at Marymeade, McKenzie and Montclaire Parks. The drinking fountains, also referred to as hydration stations, were recommended by the Los Altos Parks and Recreation Commission and include a dog bowl and bottle filler.
For more information about Recreation programs, please visit LosAltosRecreation.org or call (650) 947-2790.
Reminders
Downtown Vision
The Downtown Vision questionnaire remains available online. Printed copies of the survey are also available at City Hall, 1 North San Antonio Road, at the Planning Counter. You can also request printed copies by emailing us at planning@losaltosca.gov or phoning the front counter at (650) 947-2750. The deadline to submit your completed questionnaire is July 7, 2017. We look forward to learning from you about your ideas for the Downtown’s future – and thank you for participating!
Coffee with a Cop
Los Altos Police invite you to join us for coffee and conversation at our upcoming Coffee with a Cop event! Starbucks Coffee located at 296 Main Street in Downtown Los Altos will help us host this event on Friday, June 30, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Coffee with a Cop has no agendas or planned speeches. We simply hope to provide an opportunity for community members to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the Officers serving your neighborhood and community. Everyone is welcome and coffee is on us! Questions can be directed to Los Altos Police at (650) 947-2770.
Register Your Neighborhood National Night Out Event
Los Altos Police are looking forward to another great National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1, 2017! Turn on your porch lights, lock your doors and join neighbors and Los Altos Police for a night of fun and community building. Register your neighborhood National Night Out event by Friday, July 21, 2017 so Los Altos Police can make plans to stop by. More information and registration information is available online.
Parks and Recreation and Senior Commission Recruitment Closes Today
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. For more information, call (650) 947-2720.
City Council Open Office Hours
The Los Altos City Council will host Open Office Hours on the following dates and times:
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
One City Council member will be available to the public for these two-hour periods to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest with community members. Everyone is welcome.
