City Manager Weekly Update - September 9, 2016

Water Conservation Update
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has released their Drought 2016 Monthly Status Report for the month of August. Valley Water reminds customers in its Los Altos service area their water conservation goal has been updated to 20% (less than 2013 use). The report contains helpful information about weather and rainfall statistics, local reservoir levels, groundwater storage totals and more. Learn more about these topics and read the Monthly Status Report at valleywater.org.

Aircraft Noise Upcoming Meetings
The Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals, a group of elected officials appointed to study aircraft noise in the region, next meeting is on September 29, 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 Select Committee is now in working-group mode and is meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to discuss options and to formulate recommendations to local members of Congress. Councilmember Jean Moro is an alternate member of the Select Committee and has been in attendance at both the public and working group meetings.

Quiet Skies Norcal/Los Altos will hold a community meeting on September 14, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Grant Park Multi-purpose room. The meeting is open to all.

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.

The City Manager’s Weekly Update will continue to provide information on the proceedings of the aircraft noise issue.  

City Clerk

City Council Open Office Hours
The Los Altos City Council has one remaining Open Office Hours event in September:

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 - 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Woodland Library, 1975 Grant Road, Los Altos

One City Council member will be available to the public for a two-hour period to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest to community members. All are welcome.

Commission Openings – Last Day to Apply
Today is the last day to apply for appointment to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory, Financial, Historical, Library, or Public Arts Commission. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 20, 2016. Applications are due today, Friday, September 9, 2016 and may be submitted online or in person to the City Clerk’s Office. For more information, click here.

Community Development

Transition to Office Space
The transition of the building that used to house the Boardwalk Restaurant to an office complex is nearly complete. The contractor for the project, which is located at 4940 El Camino Real, has requested final building and planning inspections this week. A few items need to be completed before the final sign-off on the permits can be granted and the occupancy can be issued. A tenant for the office space has not been identified to date.

Pinewood School Ready for School Year
The Pinewood School project on Fremont Avenue was ready for the start of this school year and children were eager to attend classes in the new buildings at the site. The staff from the Building and Planning Divisions has been conducting the final inspections the last few weeks as the contractor was completing the various stages of the project. With a few minor items left to finish, staff was able to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy given that all the life-safety elements of the project were complete and in place, as were the improvements to circulation and parking at the site. It is estimated that the final certificate of occupancy can be granted within three to four weeks.

Police

September is National Preparedness Month
September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit. Throughout the month, we will be sharing emergency preparedness information with community members and encouraging each of you to get involved in various ways. Please take some time to explore this topic on our website and begin making your emergency plan today: click here

Community Conversation: Crime Prevention and Emergency Response
Join Los Altos Police Captain Scott McCrossin, Community Service Officer Josh Cottrell and Los Altos Block Action Leaders for a community conversation regarding crime prevention and emergency response on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Los Altos Youth Center (LAYC), 1 N. San Antonio Road. Community plays a critical role in both crime prevention and emergency response. Learn how you can help improve community safety and better prepare for the next disaster. This discussion is sponsored by Los Altos Community Foundation, Block Action Teams (BATs), and the City of Los Altos. Included will be a demonstration of the City’s Emergency Information and Site Reporting Plan (EIRS) which depends upon the help of Block Action Team (BAT) leaders, Los Altos Emergency Radio Service volunteers (HAMs), and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) to meet residents’ most urgent needs in event of an emergency. Please RSVP at losaltosbat.org.

Annual Street Improvement Project
The Annual Street Improvement Project repairs and maintains pavement sections identified by the City’s Pavement Management Program. Treatment methods include resurfacing (placement of a new layer of asphalt) and cape seal (placement of emulsion with one layer of fine aggregate and capped with a layer of slurry seal). The resurfacing work, originally scheduled for completion this Friday, will be completed by early next week.  The cape seal works is ongoing and the Contractor is scheduled to work on the following streets next week:

- Arboretum (Fir Lane to end of road)
- Deodora (Arboretum to Beechwood)
- Aspen (Beechwood to end of road)
- Pinecrest (Arboretum to Beechwood)
- Fir Lane

Flood Zone Information Update
The Flood Zone Information webpage on the Public Works Engineering Division’s section of the City’s website has been updated to provide additional information. Links to various publications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and links to the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) webpages related to flood protection information have been added.

Recreation & Community Services

Senior Programs
The new Recreation Coordinator overseeing Senior Programs started on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. The Los Altos Recreation & Community Services Department is proud to have Cheri Anderson on the team. Cheri has over 20 years of experience in event planning, community outreach and recreation. Part of that experience came from working as the Interim Recreation Coordinator for the Los Altos Senior Program in 2014/15. She is a very active person with a great deal of enthusiasm for senior programming. Be sure to say hello to her when you see her at the Hillview or Grant Senior Centers.

Activity Registration
The first of our fall classes start next week … 117 classes for youth, adults and seniors, to be exact! If you haven’t registered yet, now’s a great time to do it. Our Fall Activity Guide can be viewed online or come into the Recreation & Community Services office Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We’re happy to help!

Volunteers
Our Volunteer Coordinator is also actively recruiting for the following volunteer opportunities:

- Senior Center Front Desk Receptionist
- Senior Center Friday Luncheons

Call the Volunteer desk at (650) 947-2848 to volunteer or for more information