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HomeMy Public PortalAboutFebruary 6, 2023 City Council Emails701-32 DOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 2/6/2023 Document dates: 1/30/2023 – 2/6/2023 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. From:Kat Snyder To:Council, City Cc:Human Relations Commission Subject:public comment: gas-powered leaf blowers Date:Monday, February 6, 2023 11:35:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, I very much appreciated the staff report on gas-powered leaf blowers. I agree that the onusshould be on the property owner rather than the leaf blower operator. I want to lean in to the point that this is a public safety issue - and leaf blower operators bear the brunt of any publichealth issues caused by gas-powered leaf blowers. I believe that we can add education about health and safety concerns for the operator to our outreach. Additionally, the operators areoften folks with limited economic means, from families of mixed documentation, and may not have the power on their own to buy equipment for themselves or speak up for their health andsafety rights at work. So, perhaps partnering with CBOs such as the Day Worker Center of Mountain View and other CBOs in nearby counties could help with this outreach. Thank youfor your consideration! Take care, ~Kat Snyder From:David Coale To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Jeffrey Hook; Dashiell Leeds; Hilary Glann; Sandra Slater; Debbie Mytels Subject:Re: Leaf Blower Ban Date:Monday, February 6, 2023 10:47:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor, Council Member and Staff, I received this email (below) and have to agree with Mr. Jeffery Hook on the leaf blower ban. There should be a ban on all leaf blowers, gas or electric for residential use by gardeners and landscapers. I now see this as similar to the no build option that must be considered when an environmental review is done for any project. Please read Jeffrey Hook’s e-mail below as his reasoning is very well stated. Thanks, David Coale Barron Park PS. It would be interesting to know where the gardeners weigh in on this: having to buy some new equipment (expenditure) or just use a rake and broom instead? Begin forwarded message: From: Jeffrey Hook <tribaljeff51@gmail.com>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Ban Date: February 2, 2023 at 11:27:07 AM PST To: David Coale <david@evcl.com> Cc: Hilary Glann <hglann@gmail.com>, Susan Stansbury <stansburysusan@gmail.com>, Sandra Slater <sandra@sandraslater.com>, Lawrence Garwin <lawrencegarwin@yahoo.com>, Dashiell Leeds <dashiell.leeds@sierraclub.org> Thank you, David, for your continued advocacy to have the city enforce its ban on gas blowers, which has been on the books since 2005. Hearing and seeing blowers, I experience as high a level of stress as any other trigger in our urban environment. My position on the issue has evolved. Rather than encourage purchase and use of electric equipment, I now advocate for no blowers at all. I am campaigning for "blower-free gardens". My reasons are several: Electric blowers still kick toxic dust into the airThey still make noise The battery powered ones are quite expensive and battery life is too limited to be a viable option for a professional who services several properties in a day.Corded blowers are very cheap, but gardeners don't like having to find an external outlet and drag a 100' cord aroundGardeners use blowers in inappropriate places. When you have a hammer, every issue looks like a nail. Hardscapes (sidewalk, driveway) are reasonable targets for clearing, but gardeners typically use blowers to remove leaf litter from under plants. Leaving this litter creates mulch, creates humus and habitat for insects and microorganisms that are part of the food chain that feeds birds. Lawns can be raked. If we remove blowers altogether from the gardener's toolkit, then I predict we'll have healthier gardens, quiet neighborhoods, significant reduction in gardener capital expense and charging issues, and improved gardener health from using hand tools and not breathing toxic dust. Please join me in advocating for no blowers at all, for professionals. I'm ok with homeowners owning an electric blower, because their use will be very infrequent, e.g. to clean leaves out of a gutter. Here is a brochure I made, with this position. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oy0r7PFNf_ZhdW6q7wBMxtXTOpq6D ChSQOpBrqJ3zYA/edit?usp=sharing Jeffrey HookEvergreen Park ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: David Coale <david@evcl.com>Date: Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 7:35 PM Subject: Leaf Blower BanTo: Hilary Glann <hglann@gmail.com> Cc: Susan Stansbury <stansburysusan@gmail.com>, Sandra Slater <sandra@sandraslater.com>, Lawrence Garwin <lawrencegarwin@yahoo.com>, Jeffrey Hook <tribaljeff51@gmail.com>, Dashiell Leeds <dashiell.leeds@sierraclub.org> Hi All, I just sent the following letter to council about the leaf blower ban which will be coming up on Feb 6. Please send this around to others that might be interested. Hilary, is this something that 350 might want to take on? I talked to, I think it was Kate(?) last week about this but I don’t have her address. The staff report is also attached. ------------------ Dear Mayor, Council members and Staff, I am very glad to see that the city is looking at making changes to the leaf blower ban so as to make this an effective ban and a transition to clean, quieter electric leaf blowers. This has been a pet peeve of mine for over 10 years. I tried using 311 and calling the city, but it was very clear that my efforts would not do anything so I gave up trying to get the city to enforce its own laws. In reading over the proposed changes, I have several suggestions to make. 1) Since the profit margins are tight for this type of business as stated in the report, perhaps consider the first offence, fine the homeowner with a warning to the gardener and on the second offence, fine the homeowner for a second time (next level up) and fine the gardener for the first time. If there are repeated offences after that, then just stair stepping up from there, fining both the homeowner and the gardener. 2) The flier that is presented in attachment B could be a lot better. I developed my own flier about two months ago (see attached) from an old flier the city had and added information on how to get vouchers for electric gardening equipment. It is also in English and Spanish. This is on a standard 8.5” X 11” piece of paper and can be easily copied by residents to help inform their neighbors before any fines are issued. 3) The web site (www.cityofpaloalto/leafblowers) needs more information on the voucher program so that real solutions can be realized. It is the change to electric leaf blowers that we really want, not fines. 4) The city is not very good at getting the word out about almost anything and there will be a lot of complaints from homeowners and gardeners that they had not heard anything about this. So to avoid this, and have people comply with the law, please do more than the standard City out-reach. Consider having a third party, hired or volunteer to hand out fliers or maybe even have utility meter readers leave fliers at homeowners’ doors if they see gas leaf blowers in use. Thanks again for addressing this problem. Sincerely, David Coale Barron Park From:Dailey, KarlaTo:MehrzadCc:UAC; City Mgr; Batchelor, Dean; Boatwright, Tabatha; Council, City; Kou, Lydia Subject:RE: Response from City of Palo Alto Utilities Regarding High Natural Gas PricesDate:Monday, February 6, 2023 10:29:40 AMAttachments:image005.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.pngimage010.pngimage011.pngimage012.pngimage013.pngimage015.pngimage016.pngimage017.pngimage018.pngimage020.pngimage021.png Thank you again for contacting the City of Palo Alto. The General Fund transfer has been consistent for many years, and is not a factor in January bill increases. The only change in the City’s gas rates since the passage of Measure L has related to gas market prices. Each month the City changes its rates to reflect current market conditions. Due to extremely high market prices in December and January, gas rates increased. They are declining in February because prices have fallen. Almost every utility in California experienced the same increase in rates that Palo Alto is experiencing. Please let us know if you have additional questions or concerns. KARLA DAILEY Acting Assistant Director of Utilities, Resource Management Utilities (650) 329-2523 | karla.dailey@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Mehrzad <mehrzadrasti@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 3:12 PM To: Dailey, Karla <Karla.Dailey@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: UAC <UAC@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Batchelor, Dean <Dean.Batchelor@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Boatwright, Tabatha <Tabatha.Boatwright@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Kou, Lydia <Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: Re: Response from City of Palo Alto Utilities Regarding High Natural Gas Prices CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello Karla, Thank you for getting back to me. My understanding is that, unlike its normal practices in the past, the city has started moving huge amounts of money fromthe Gas Fund to its General Fund, paving the way for such an unreasonable gas price increase in our utility bills, and this is in spite of the fact that the naturalgas price has fallen to its lowest level since the beginning of 2022 (including in California, please see the following charts). In the past, the courts prevented thecity from moving funds from the Gas fund to the General fund in excess of 18%, but with the recent passage of Measure L, the city can start doing this again. It would be a big relief to Palo Alto residents if the city council members consider going back to the old practice of not tapping on the natural gas fund, and letthat fund absorbs the gas price fluctuations. The gas price increase of 120% in our utility bills in less than two months is unheard of, and I do not believe theresidents can simply let this practice continue. Thank you, Mehrzad Rasti 650 391-4725 On 1/31/23 5:57 PM, Dailey, Karla wrote: Thank you for contacting CPAU. We understand customers’ concerns over the high winter natural gas prices. The prices that CPAU and other utilities in the region pay for the natural gas delivered to customers have risen significantly this year. Gas commodity prices for January this year were five times higher than last January’s gas prices, which could triple customers’ gas bills. Gas customers across California are experiencing similar impacts. Like the state’s other natural gas utilities, CPAU purchases natural gas supply for its customers at market prices, does not control those prices, and does not mark-up the supply cost of the gas purchased on behalf of its customers. Since learning of these higher prices in late November and early December, CPAU has been attempting to inform customers in advance to take action and save energy to try to avoid surprisingly high utility bills in January and February. There are regional factors to consider here. Henry Hub prices reflect gas purchased and sold there in Louisiana. Palo Alto purchases gas at monthly market index prices at the PG&E Citygate hub in Northern California. This winter, natural gas prices rose dramatically across the western United States due to a confluence of factors, including: (a) the historically cold weather this region seen in December, (b) unusually low gas storage levels across the region, (c) constraints on the availability of natural gas supplies flowing into California, and (d) an increased reliance on natural gas in the electric power sector as a result of the ongoing drought’s impact on hydroelectric supplies. This combination of factors led to a surge in gas prices in California that has diverged more so from those at Henry Hub (monthly price comparison chart between the hubs below). January prices are extremely high; however, natural gas prices starting in February and customer bills reflecting the February prices and consumption for customers are expected to decrease substantially from January. Palo Alto has published information regarding the extreme energy prices and helpful resources on the utility website: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/News-Articles/Utilities/Extreme-Energy-Prices-This-Winter-How-to-Save-on-Heating-Costs In addition, below is a Wall Street Journal article that discusses the specific situation in California: https://www.wsj.com/articles/natural-gas-prices-have-fallen-back-to-earthexcept-in-california-11673411627 Please let us know if you have additional questions or concerns. KARLA DAILEY Acting Assistant Director of Utilities, Resource Management Utilities (650) 329-2523 | karla.dailey@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org You don't often get email from herb_borock@hotmail.com. Learn why this is important From:Transportation To:City Clerk"s Office; Clerk, City Cc:Transportation; Kamhi, Philip Subject:FW: February 6, 2023 Council Meeting, Item #1: Study Session on Palo Alto Link Transit Service Date:Monday, February 6, 2023 9:02:58 AM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.png Good morning Clerk’s office, Forwarding along the email below sent by a resident yesterday which appears to be public comment for tonight’s council meeting for the PAL Study Session. Please let me know if you’d like me to respond to confirm receipt to the resident. Thank you, Andria Sumpter Administrative Assistant Office Transportation (650) 329-2552 | andria.sumpter@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: herb <herb_borock@hotmail.com> Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2023 4:07 PM To: Transportation <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: February 6, 2023 Council Meeting, Item #1: Study Session on Palo Alto Link Transit Service CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ATTENTION: PHILLIP KAMHI, CHIEF TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL Herb BorockP. O. Box 632Palo Alto, CA 94302 February 5, 2023 Palo Alto City Council250 Hamilton AvenuePalo Alto, CA 94301 FEBRUARY 6, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #1STUDY SESSION ON PALO ALTO LINK ON-DEMAND TRANSIT SERVICE Dear City Council: For less than six months between late 1974 and early 1975 theSanta Clara County Transit District, now known as VTA, beganand terminated an on demand transit system named Dial-a-Ridethat failed because the area covered was too big, and becauseof insufficent densely developed destinations. You may be ableto obtain a copy of an analysis of that experience by RichardC. Carlson, "Anatomy of a systems failure: Dial-a-ride in SantaClara County, California." The fare structure for the proposed Palo Alto Link omits adiscounted $1.00 fare for seniors who previously used theCrosstown and Embarcadero Shuttles for free. The discount fare for seniors and youth on the San Mateo CountyTransict District bus system is the same $1.10 cash, or $1.00when using a Clipper card. The discount fare on the VTA bus system for seniors ($1.00) isless than the discount fare for youth ($1.25). All riders should be able to pay for single rides in cash. Stanford's Marguerite shuttle system already provides a freeshuttle from the Caltrain station to the Stanford ResearchPark, the Stanford Hospital and the Stanford campus, andpreviously provided a Tech Shuttle along Embarcadero Road tooffices on Embarcadero Road east of Highway 101. Palo Altoshould not be responsible for funding an on-demand transitsystem that supplements or replaces the Stanford shuttle. Transportation for students to and from schools in the PaloAlto Unified School District that was formerly provided byemployees of the School District at its peak enrollment in1967-68 and that was later provided by VTA bus route 288 hasbeen assumed by the City budget as the School District hasredevloped former school sites to raise revenue and effectivelyeliminated some neighborhood schools that children could walkto and that now require somebody to drive the students toschool. The City's economic development strategy is to densely developnear Caltrain stations that would enable residents to walk toCaltrain and that would enable commuters from outside Palo Altoto walk to their jobs from Caltrain. Targeting the proposed shuttle system for commuters is similarto the proposal for an expansion of the former shuttle systemthat was never brouhgt to the Council due to the pandemic. That extension would have permitted car commuters from outsidePalo Alto to drive to south Palo Alto, park in a residentialneighborhood that did not have restricted parking, and thenboard the shuttle. The current proposal would permit the same car commuters topark in those same neighborhoods and then ride the Palo AltoLink system to work. The Comprehensive Plan distinguishes among local, collector,and arterial streets. When somebody arranges for an airport shuttle to drive themfrom a local street to the airport, the street is still beingused as a local street. However, when anyone can choose anywhere as the location of ashuttle stop, then there will be no local streets. According to the staff report for this agenda item (Report #:2301-0787), "Pick-up and drop-off locations willbe virtually positioned within an acceptable walking distancewith the help of a web application." (emphasis added) The City Council, rather than a virtual program, shoulddetermine the parameters for what are acceptable pick-up anddrop-off locations for the volume of traffic that justifies thebudgetary cost of the program and that complies with the City'sadopted policy for the uses of different categories of streets. Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Sincerely, Herb Borock cc Phillip Kamhi, Chief Transportation Official From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Binder, Andrew; Jethroe Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Council, City Subject:Former Memphis Police officer Brandon Williams speaks out, echoing the calls for healing and police Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 8:23:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUp-60XQbtU Former Memphis Police officer Brandon Williams speaks out, echoing the calls for healing and police Sent from my iPhone From:Yahoo Mail.® To:Honky Subject:Mark Steele on 5G, Nanotechnology Weapons in C19 Shots, Use of Heavy Metals as Weapons Systems - ABSOLUTELY MUS Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 6:49:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://www.bitchute.com/video/qHXTgYC5b1xw/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Open in app or online Mark Steele on 5G, NanotechnologyWeapons in C19 Shots, Use of HeavyMetals as Weapons Systems -ABSOLUTELY MUST WATCH ANA MARIA MIHALCEA, MD, PHD FEB 5 SAVE LISTEN Watch this important video here: THE KILL GRID - MARK STEELE | TUNGSTEN IN VAX MAKES HUMANS 'DORMANT RADIATION TRANSMITTERS' I believe that corroborating information amongst many disciplines is important to gain deeper understanding of this war. In this excellent interview Mark Steele, weapons expert, explains how the metals and nanotechnology in the C19 shots are used as a weapon in conjunction with 5G. He explains that the more metals a person has in them, they become radio traceable from space for directed energy weapons kill missions. He explains that he has intelligence documents that speak of the plan of killing 200 Million Americans by 2025. He advises to get out of the cities which are 5 G radiation hotspots. 5G is used to target areas to create “ viral outbreak centers”. If you do not believe that, remember the retracted paper that 5G can create the Coronavirus in skin cells: He explains how this weapons deployment was tested in South Korea. The vaccines are to be able to kill people with less 5 G radiation due to the metals that people have in them. He speaks about Tungsten, which is a particular metals used in weapons systems and mentions that the only reason to use Tungsten is to kill you. He also discusses Aluminum and other metals that we know are in the shots as well as sprayed on us via geoengineering. People ask me a lot why I recommend so adamantly the EDTA Intravenous Chelation. That is because there is no other way that is more effective to get these metals out of the body fast. See below a metals test after one intravenous chelation with 1500mg EDTA. Look at what came out of that person who lives cleanly, eats only organic foods and lives in the country. How much radioactive Uranium and Cesium to contribute the the radiation. How much toxic Aluminum and Barium. Look at the Tungsten that Mark Steele mentions. This person is NOT vaccinated. My personal view is, if you want to be amongst the 1/3 of Americans who survive this war by 2025, find a Chelation practitioner. You can search for them online. Other forms of EDTA ( Oral, transdermal, rectal) are not able to pull this massive amount of metals out fast enough because the dosing is too small. Everyone has this in them. It is the metals that will increase vulnerability to 5G radiation and be killed when 5 G is turned on. You can use other metal detox, but if you have metals in your organ system at this high level, how long will this take to pull out? EDTA has been used to treat radiation poisoning and its neurotoxicity as well. I agree with Mark Steele 100%. I highly recommend this video. Please share and help save a life. This is the real warfare we are facing and this weapon has a kill switch. Dr. Ana’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid You're currently a free subscriber to Dr. Ana’s Newsletter. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid LIKE COMMENT SHARE Read Dr. Ana’s Newsletter in the app Listen to posts, join subscriber chats, and never miss an update from Ana MariaMihalcea, MD, PhD. Get the iOS app © 2023 Ana Mihalcea, MD, PhD548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe Start writing From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Sean Allen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Binder, Andrew; JoshBecker; Winter Dellenbach; Joe Simitian; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Jay Boyarsky; Wagner, April; chuckjagoda; ladoris cordell; Reifschneider, James; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission; Enberg, Nicholas;Foley, Michael; Michael Gennaco; Bains, Paul; Shana Segal; Lydia Kou; Angie Evans; Javier Ortega; Otto Lee Subject:Memphis Police Chief Trained With Israel Security Forces Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 6:23:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://theintercept.com/2023/02/02/memphis-police-israel/ Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Greer Stone; Binder, Andrew; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Council,City Subject:Democrats Paved Way for McCarthy Attack on Ilhan Omar Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 6:15:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://theintercept.com/2023/02/02/ilhan-omar-kevin-mccarthy-democrats/ Sent from my iPhone From:gene iwamoto To:Council, City Subject:Utility funds Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 4:50:48 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from geneiwamoto@att.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. DO NOT DIVERT Utility funds for other purposes!!! From:herb To:Council, City; Clerk, City Cc:phillip.kamhi@cityofpaloalto.org Subject:February 6, 2023 Council Meeting, Item #1: Study Session on Palo Alto Link Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 3:54:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Herb BorockP. O. Box 632Palo Alto, CA 94302 February 5, 2023 Palo Alto City Council250 Hamilton AvenuePalo Alto, CA 94301 FEBRUARY 6, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #1STUDY SESSION ON PALO ALTO LINK ON-DEMAND TRANSIT SERVICE Dear City Council: For less than six months between late 1974 and early 1975 theSanta Clara County Transit District, now known as VTA, beganand terminated an on demand transit system named Dial-a-Ridethat failed because the area covered was too big, and becauseof insufficent densely developed destinations. You may be ableto obtain a copy of an analysis of that experience by RichardC. Carlson, "Anatomy of a systems failure: Dial-a-ride in SantaClara County, California." The fare structure for the proposed Palo Alto Link omits adiscounted $1.00 fare for seniors who previously used theCrosstown and Embarcadero Shuttles for free. The discount fare for seniors and youth on the San Mateo CountyTransict District bus system is the same $1.10 cash, or $1.00when using a Clipper card. The discount fare on the VTA bus system for seniors ($1.00) isless than the discount fare for youth ($1.25). All riders should be able to pay for single rides in cash. Stanford's Marguerite shuttle system already provides a freeshuttle from the Caltrain station to the Stanford ResearchPark, the Stanford Hospital and the Stanford campus, andpreviously provided a Tech Shuttle along Embarcadero Road tooffices on Embarcadero Road east of Highway 101. Palo Altoshould not be responsible for funding an on-demand transitsystem that supplements or replaces the Stanford shuttle. Transportation for students to and from schools in the PaloAlto Unified School District that was formerly provided byemployees of the School District at its peak enrollment in1967-68 and that was later provided by VTA bus route 288 has been assumed by the City budget as the School District hasredevloped former school sites to raise revenue and effectivelyeliminated some neighborhood schools that children could walkto and that now require somebody to drive the students toschool. The City's economic development strategy is to densely developnear Caltrain stations that would enable residents to walk toCaltrain and that would enable commuters from outside Palo Altoto walk to their jobs from Caltrain. Targeting the proposed shuttle system for commuters is similarto the proposal for an expansion of the former shuttle systemthat was never brouhgt to the Council due to the pandemic. That extension would have permitted car commuters from outsidePalo Alto to drive to south Palo Alto, park in a residentialneighborhood that did not have restricted parking, and thenboard the shuttle. The current proposal would permit the same car commuters topark in those same neighborhoods and then ride the Palo AltoLink system to work. The Comprehensive Plan distinguishes among local, collector,and arterial streets. When somebody arranges for an airport shuttle to drive themfrom a local street to the airport, the street is still beingused as a local street. However, when anyone can choose anywhere as the location of ashuttle stop, then there will be no local streets. According to the staff report for this agenda item (Report #:2301-0787), "Pick-up and drop-off locations will bevirtually positioned within an acceptable walking distance withthe help of a web application." (emphasis added) The City Council, rather than a virtual program, shoulddetermine the parameters for what are acceptable pick-up anddrop-off locations for the volume of traffic that justifies thebudgetary cost of the program and that complies with the City'sadopted policy for the uses of different categories of streets. Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Sincerely, Herb Borock cc Phillip Kamhi, Chief Transportation Official From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; Scott Wilkinson; Doug Vagim; David Balakian; huidentalsanmateo; Sally Thiessen; Mayor; MarkStandriff; margaret-sasaki@live.com; Council, City; Irv Weissman; dallen1212@gmail.com; Dan Richard; DanielZack; boardmembers; bballpod; bearwithme1016@att.net; beachrides; Cathy Lewis; Chris Field;dan.richard@earthlink.net; eappel@stanford.edu; fred beyerlein; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov;George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; hennessy; Joel Stiner; jerry ruopoli; kfsndesk; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com;Leodies Buchanan; leager; merazroofinginc@att.net; newsdesk; news@fresnobee.com; nick yovino; SteveWayte; tsheehan; terry; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu; alumnipresident@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: The Chip Industry Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 3:32:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. --------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 3:11 PM Subject: Fwd: The Chip IndustryTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023 Scott- Here's the vid on the chip industry. One can learn a lot here esp. if he is investingin the industry, e.g. in NVDA: Note the big EUV lithography machine that ASML makes, the only Co. in the world that makes it. Located in the Netherlands. Big and expensive, up to $200million each. Not a consumer product. 56:38 (1) How ASML, TSMC And Intel Dominate The Chip Market | CNBC Marathon -YouTube L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Thomas Pencek To:Council, City Subject:a letter to each member of the Palo Alto City Council Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 10:55:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Member: Take the Pledge to NOT divert Utility Funds for Other Purposes Many residents have noticed and commented on how "utility inflation" in Palo Alto has climbedsteadily, year over year. The run-up in natural gas prices and the still present drought are just thelatest twists in the road. The mounting chagrin about utility prices mirrors this upward pressure on water rates, natural gaspricing, and now electric rates in Palo Alto. As a retired resident and ratepayer, I understand andshare that emotion. Even without exact numbers, it seems that the rates (not just the cost of consumption, but the"fixed meter charges") show no sign of slowing or stopping. I pay more utilities every year, and theincreases are always greater than the inflation rate. In light of this steady rise in prices, and the budget pain and drain it’s causing residents, I'mconvinced it’s past time to forego any transfers from the Utility Enterprise Funds to the GeneralFund. Even if this practice is legally permissible, the Council should balance its need to respond topressures in the marketplace for water, power, and natural gas with its responsibility to theresidents and ratepayers to protect them from constant rate increases. If there IS a surplus in any of the Utility Enterprise Funds at the end of this fiscal year, it shouldSTAY in those funds, to reduce the need to raise rates. Thomas Pencek Ramona Street Palo Alto From:Jeffrey Hook To:Council, City Subject:Enforce the ban on gas blowers; best to go further and advocate for blower-free gardens Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 10:12:37 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Honorable Mayer Kou, Vice Mayor Stone, and Councilmembers Burt, Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, Tanaka, andVeenker, Thank you for formally considering how to move forward with the issue of gas leaf/debris blower use in PaloAlto. Though gas blowers have been banned in residential neighborhoods since 2005, their use has continuedunabated. The current law makes it nearly impossible for the city to provide effective enforcement. Now that battery powered blowers are becoming available, the pressure to switch from gas to battery isgaining momentum. While a switch to battery powered blowers will be an improvement, I feel strongly this is not the direction togo. Rather than encourage purchase and use of electric equipment, I urge the Council to join me in advocatingfor no blowers at all. Join me to push for "blower-free gardens". We are in the midst of an accelerating climate crisis. And biodiversity loss. And refugee/immigration crisis. And increasing economic inequality. Our era is aptly called the anthropocene, because human action is responsible for all of these. Our actions arethe result of how we are informed, both genetically and experientially. Much of our experience is proxied byculture, and much of our current culture is misinformed. Particular to this topic, our ideas about landscapingare misinformed. For us and our progeny to thrive into the future, even looking out only one or two centuries, we must changeour ideas to conform with ecology. And we must change more profoundly and rapidly than we have had to inthe past. The task is uncomfortable. It is unsettling to have to call into question so much of what has becomemainstream. If we merely exchange gas for battery powered blowers, and leave all other ideas about landscaping in place,we will fail to adapt adequately. The standard of care for gardens needs to change. We need to reach out and educate homeowners. Current standard: All leaves need to be eliminated, including under bushes and treesIf even a few leaves are left on lawns, walkways or driveways, the job was not completedBlowing leaves into the street, and in the street, is normal practiceNoise imposition on neighbors is not considered Consider an ecological standard: Preserve leaves under trees and bushes. They create mulch, humus, habitat for insects andmicroorganisms that are part of the food chain that feeds birds.Embrace leaves. The few that remain after raking or sweeping are perfectly acceptable, part of a"natural aesthetic" remembered from long agoNever blow into the street, or in the street. Sweep leaves into piles for the street sweeper truck tocollect.Work quietly. Quiet is of paramount importance to the mental health of all residents. Electric blowers in the hands of professionals do very little to advance the ecological standard. They still kick toxic dust into the air They still make noise.They will be used just like the gas blowers, to eliminate leaves from under trees and bushes, to driveevery leaf off of lawns, walkways and driveways. They will be used to blow into the street, and in thestreet. Furthermore, the battery powered ones are quite expensive and battery life is too limited to be a viable optionfor a professional who services several properties in a day. If we remove blowers altogether from the gardener's toolkit, then I predict we'll have healthier gardens, quietneighborhoods, significant reduction in gardener capital expense and charging issues, and improved gardenerhealth from using hand tools and not breathing toxic dust. Please join me in advocating for no blowers at all, for professionals. I'm ok with homeowners owning anelectric blower, because their use will be very infrequent, e.g. to clean leaves out of a gutter. Here is a slide deck I plan to present at Monday's meeting during public comment. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19WhR3zDo2zHuCYgO9YIYTKFinI4NTUZD6sv0ouRCelA/edit?usp=sharing From:Mark Grossman To:Council, City Subject:gas leaf blower enforcement Date:Sunday, February 5, 2023 9:33:27 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from grossman_mark@yahoo.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers - As a resident and as an organizer with 350 Silicon Valley, I fully support increased enforcement of the leaf blower ban, including the following proposals: --Allowing Code Enforcement to issue a citation upon first observed violation, rather than requiring multiple follow-up visits --Allowing for citation of the property owner --Increasing the fines --Considering expanding to ban to all properties, not just residential I do suggest that first there be a prominent notice of the enforcement in residents' mailings, email blasts, and local papers. I would also think about some sort of loan program to help low-income gardeners offset the cost of buying electric blowers and batteries. Thank you - Mark 2063 Byron St. 94301 From:Aram James To:Rebecca Eisenberg; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Pat Burt; Human Relations Commission; Sean Allen; JethroeMoore; Dave Price; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; ladoris cordell; Jay Boyarsky;chuck jagoda; Wagner, April; Reifschneider, James; Greer Stone; Enberg, Nicholas; Binder, Andrew; Bains, Paul;Ed Lauing; Angie Evans; Shana Segal; Lait, Jonathan; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Michael Gennaco; Lydia Kou;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Subject:Silicon Valley director faces gender discrimination complaints - San José Spotlight Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 10:00:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ February 4, 2023 Hi Rebecca, You are doing an extraordinary job as our water district representative ! Keep asking questions and never allow yourself to be intimidated by those that would prefer to keep things as they are. I think you should replace Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada. Palo Alto needs a leader like you. Best regards, aram https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-director-faces-gender-discrimination-complaints/ Sent from my iPhone From:Jeff Hoel To:UAC Cc:Hoel, Jeff (external); Council, City Subject:TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS -- 02-01-23 UAC meeting -- commissioner comments -- Utilities Quarterly Report for Q1 -- SAIDI Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 6:44:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clickingon links. Commissioners, At your 02-01-23 meeting, during VIII. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS and REPORTS from MEETINGS/EVENTS, there was a discussion about SAIDI, which is a measure of electric reliability. Please see, below the "######" line, a TRANSCRIPT of this portion of the meeting, to which I have added my COMMENTS (paragraphs in redbeginning with "###"). Many thanks to Vice Chair Johnston for raising this issue. Jeff ------------------- Jeff Hoel731 Colorado AvenuePalo Alto, CA 94303 ------------------- ###################################################################################################### TRANSCRIPT 3:21:02: Chair Segal: Do any commissioners have any comments, reports, or -- for meetings or events? Vice Chair Johnston. 3:21:12: Vice Chair Johnston: Yes. Thank you. I had one question and one comment on the quarterly report that was included in our packet. ### Here's one version of that quarterly report (60 pages). Let's call it Version A.https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and- minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-id-14973-info.pdf ### I got this version by clicking on "Informational Utilities Quarterly Report Update for Q1 of FY2023" link on page 2 of UAC's 02-01-23 agendadocument (190 pages)https://www.cityofpaloalto.org//files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and- minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-uac-agenda-and-packet.pdf ### Another version of the quarterly report is available within the agenda document itself, on pages 129-190 (packet pages 124-184) Let's call itVersion B. Why are there two different versions? ### Below the "$$$$$$" line, I have identified some of the differences between Version A and Version B. Which, as always, is always very interesting. And is very helpful. But my question was on the graph, I guess, or the chart, that's on paragraph 1.4. Itreally -- on page -- well, it's packet page 136. But it really talks about outages. And there are two comments. One is, I don't know what units theseoutages are. ### Technically, SAIDI has no "units." It's customer-minutes of outage per customer per year. But, yes, that should be explained. It says, the System Average Interruption Duration Index. 81.69. I don't know what that means. And I don't know whether that's good or bad orwhatever. ### Palo Alto's Proposed Operating Budget for FY2022 (page 386) https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/administrative-services/city-budgets/fy-2022-city-budget/fy-2022-proposed-city-of-of-palo-alto-operating-budget-for-web_2.pdfsays that SAIDI was 122 in FY2019, was 65 in FY2020, and was estimated to be 95 in FY2021, and that the goal for FY2022 was 60. To me, that goalwas not particularly ambitious. ### Palo Alto's Proposed Operating Budget for FY2017 (page 26)https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2016/05-04-2016-special-meeting/item-1_proposed-operating-and-capital-budgets-for-fy-2017.pdfsays that SAIDI was 16 in FY2014, was 47 for FY2015, was 32 for FY2016, and that the "proposed" SAIDI for FY2017 was 29. ### Palo Alto's Proposed Budget for FY 2023 (which apparently includes the Operating Budget) has NO SAIDI information and NO SAIDI goal. To me,that's a serious omission. https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/administrative-services/city-budgets/fy2023-city-budget/proposed-fy23/fy-2023-proposed-capital-budget-real-final_upload2web_small.pdf ### Palo Alto's Utilities Quarterly Update for Q4 of FY2015 (page 47) has some information about SAIDI. It was 46.85. The report included summary information about 19 outages for the year.https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/uac-informational-reports/2015-informational-reports/10-07-15- meeting/info-item_utilities-quarterly-update-4th-q-fy-2015.pdfI would like to have seen more information about each individual outage rather than just aggregated by month. The report said which outages wereaerial, which were underground, which were storm-related, etc. It's just -- To me, it's a number that doesn't have any context. And we also see here the figures for Q1. And I think it would be helpful to be able to look at a comparison, to see what the comparable figures would be for -- you know, for Q4 last year, or Q1 of last year, if it's the kind of thing that kind ofvaries seasonally. But this information -- which is really important -- is not presented -- at least in a way that I can make much use of. So, that's mycomment number one. 3:22:57: My comment number two is, while the font that this is printed in looks very nice, it's really hard to read. And ... 3:23:09: Chair Segal: I second that. 3:23:10: Vice Chair Johnston: ... the draft report that we saw -- was presented, you know, when we looked at -- to get ready for this meeting was in a nice font that was easy to read. So, as nice as this looks, it's not -- it's very hard to read. ### To my eye, the fonts in Version A and Version B appeared identical or at least very similar. Is it possible that when the agenda document (withVersion B in it) was published, some fonts were not included? If so, and the specified fonts were not available on the viewer's computer, the PDFreader would have substituted different fonts, that might have been less legible. Is this what happened? 3:23:31: Director Batchelor: Vice Chair Johnston, thank you for those comments. Ah, yes. We will make sure that we look at the font as we move forward inthese reports. So, the one thing that's very difficult to find is the -- these numbers that you see up here for SAIDI, SAIFI, and CAIFI. It's not something that other utilities want to put -- broadcast out on their websites. And so, it's difficult to do comparisons. ### Sherry Listgarten was able to find SAIDI information for lots of California utilities.https://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2021/04/04/palo-alto-utilities-breeds-mistrust-with-lack-of-transparency-around-outages(She didn't get the information from their websites, but rather from here.) https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ Like, I wish I could find the comparisons to PG&E, ### PG&E has lots of SAIDI information on its website. https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/planning-and-preparedness/safety-and-preparedness/grid-reliability/electric-reliability-reports/electric-reliability-reports.page or, you know, to even to some of the -- like Santa Clara, ### Silicon Valley Power (Santa Clara's municipal electric utility) reports its SAIDI for years 2009-2018 here. (But, yeah, it not explained very well.)https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/62481/637268684502400000 ### Silicon Valley Power's website has an "Outage History" list of 405 items going back to 2011. (But, yeah, there's not much information about eachoutage.) https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/svp-and-community/outages-and-alerts/outage-history/-FlexSetting_Type-1/-sortn-StartDate/-sortd-desc/-npage-1 or some of the other NCPA members. And that's one of the areas that I'm working on. That we can do some sharing amongst ourselves. So that wecan do some comparisons -- how we look. ### This sounds like Director Batchelor is hoping that NCPA members will share SAIDI information amongst the members without releasing it to thepublic. To me, that's NOT what we want. ### More information about NCPA's members is provided below the "%%%%%%" line. I don't know why these are the utilities Palo Alto SHOULD becomparing itself to. ### Fort Collins, CO, usually has a SAIDI of less than 20. Let's compare Palo Alto to them. https://publish.clearpointstrategy.com/594/Measures/scorecardId=6290&object=measure&objectId=91417&periodId=282372.html There are nationals -- numbers out there that we can compare ourselves to. ### This data is old, but it shows that for utilities which applied in 2016 to APPA to receive RP3 awards, the first quartile SAIDI was 23.03, the second quartile SAIDI was 45.00, the third quartile was 74.15, and the worst SAIDI was 188.46.https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/analysis_of_2016_rp3_application_data.pdf(Of 113 utilities that applied, 110 got some kind of award. It says 42 got Diamond, 43 got Platinum, and 35 got Gold. But that adds up to 120, not 110.) But we will work on this chart a little bit better, to look at, you know ... 3:24:40: Vice Chair Johnston: I think it would be useful -- Director Batchelor, I think it would be useful to see -- to compare it to ourselves. How are WE doingover time? Are we seeing increased outages? Are the outages longer? Decreased outages? Are the outages shorter? I mean, obviously, we'd like to see a positive trend. 3:25:04: Director Batchelor: So, the -- you know, the thought process was that I was asked -- ah -- a couple meetings ago to start adding these into the quarterlyreports. You know, it's easier to see -- ah -- you know -- quarter -- if we had quarter 1 and quarter 2 and we're talking about quarter 3, we'd be able totake a look at that, since this is the 1st quarter. I'm open to suggestions to look at adding the 4th quarter back in there. Or, actually, if you would like to look at quarter-to-quarter, from year-to-year. So, quarter of '23. Or, '22. To do a comparisons of that. I can get that information. I can show you the -- Since this is quarter number 1, you know, I can leave the graph in there for the whole entire year of last year, and then, as we move into quarter 2, youcan look at how we're doing in this quarter 2 of this year, compared to the quarter last year. So, I'm open to suggestions. Whatever makes it easiest forthe commission to be able to compare ourselves. So, I -- like I said, I could do the whole year of last year. And then, as we move forward, we cancompare them. Or, if you just want so see the quarter-to-quarter. Ah ... 3:26:25: Vice Chair Johnston: Well, I think it -- I would guess that outages are, to some extent, seasonal -- You probably get outages in the summertime due towildfires, and in the wintertime due to storms. So -- But whatever is going to be a valid comparison that would give us a feeling of whether we're doing better over time or not as well over time on these measures. ### I'd like to see the data and let the data tell us whether the outages are seasonal or not. 3:26:59: Director Batchelor: OK. Let me -- Let me think a little bit about that. Because, you know, we do see -- We do also see, depending on how the weather is, in the summertime, if we're going into a hot spell, you know, we might find a little -- a few more outages, where our equipment is stressed a little bitduring that period of time. But let me think a little bit more about how we can change this, so it's a little bit more -- first of all, easier to read, and secondof all, how we can do the comparison portions of ourselves. 3:27:30: Vice Chair Johnston: Thank you. 3:27:36: Chair Segal: Any other commissioner comments or reports? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Differences between the two versions of the Utilities Quarterly Update document: Version Ahttps://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-id-14973-info.pdf Version B.https://www.cityofpaloalto.org//files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and- minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-uac-agenda-and-packet.pdf * Version B is 62 pages long. Version A is 60 pages long. * Version B has packet page numbers. Version A does not. * In Version B, the page footers say "January 4, 2023." In Version A, the footers says "February 2023." (I assume the footers should say "February2023" -- or maybe "February 1, 2023.") * Version B has staff members' names in parentheses next to various report sections (108 occurrences), and yellow markers next to some of them (18 occurrences). Version A does not. * In Version B, Figure 3 straddles two pages. In Version A, it doesn't. * In Version B, there's a blank page at page 182. In Version A, there isn't a corresponding blank page there (between page 52 and 53). * Etc. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Various SAIDI Information about NCPA members Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) has 16 members.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_California_Power_Agency The following list shows: a) SAIDI information for 2019, as reported by Sherry Listgarten's 04-04-21 blog, andhttps://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2021/04/04/palo-alto-utilities-breeds-mistrust-with-lack-of-transparency-around-outagesb) RP3 awards given by the American Public Power Association (APPA) for electric reliability, safety, etc.https://www.publicpower.org/rp3-designated-utilities(Diamond ranks highest, followed by Platinum, and then Gold. Awards last three years.) SAIDI (2019) RP3 * Alameda Municipal Power 94.600 Platinum 2021 * Bay Area Rapid Transit * City of Biggs * City of Gridley * City of Healdsburg * City of Lompoc Diamond 2021 * City of Palo Alto 136.100 Platinum 2021 * City of Ukiah * Lodi Electric Utility Gold 2021 * Port of Oakland * Redding Electric Utility 77.400 Platinum 2021 * Roseville Electric Diamond 2022 * Silicon Valley Power (Santa Clara) * Truckee Donner PUD 1024.420 Diamond 2021 * Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative * Shasta Lake 86.900 Various information from NCPA members' websites * Alameda Municipal Power https://www.alamedamp.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8038?fileID=4295Page 14: SAIDI is shown month by month from July 2021 to June 2022 ---- varied from 43.6 in July to 15.9 in September. Average: 28.225 (I countedthe 12 months equally)https://alamedamp.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/ArchivedAgenda/_07202020-1562?packet=truePage 213: SAIDI is shown month by month from July 2019 to June 2021 -- varied from 0.0 in July to 28.6 in June. * Bay Area Rapid Transit * City of BiggsGoogle "site:biggs-ca.gov electric saidi " no hits. * City of Gridley Google "site:gridley.ca.us electric saidi " no hits. * City of Healdsburg Google "site:ci.healdsburg.ca.us saidi " 1 hit (why not more?)https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/6956/2016-Electric-Report?bidId= SAIDI was 2.3 in 2016. For PG&E in the north bay region, it was 97.4. For PG&E overall, it was 72.4. * City of Lompoc Google "site:cityoflompoc.com saidi " no hits. * City of Palo Alto * City of Ukiah Google "site:cityofukiah.com saidi " no hits. * Lodi Electric Utilityhttps://www.lodi.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/257Page 67: SAIDI was 24.09 in 2015-2016, 14.153 in 2016-2017, and 45.61 in 2017-2018 ---- no further detail * Port of Oakland * Redding Electric Utilityhttps://www.cityofredding.org/departments/redding-electric-utility/reu-pages/reu-s-electric-reliabilityRedding Electric Utility's SAIDI was 50.1 for 2016 --- For just Redding, it was 12.2. For PG&E, it was 106.6. * Roseville ElectricGoogle "site:roseville.ca.us saidi" 3 hitshttps://cdn5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_7964838/Image/Electric/Electric_IRP_2018_WEB.pdfRoseville’s 5 year average SAIDI is 13.7 * Silicon Valley Power * Truckee Donner PUDGoogle "site:tdpud.org electric saidi " no hitshttps://www.tdpud.org/Home/Components/News/News/388/ TDPUD Recognized as a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) APPA Awards TDPUD Highest RP3 Award -- 2021 * Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative * Shasta Lake From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Binder, Andrew; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Rebecca Eisenberg;Jeff Rosen; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; Council, City; Wagner, April; chuck jagoda; Tannock, Julie; MichaelGennaco; Foley, Michael; ladoris cordell; Reifschneider, James; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission;Enberg, Nicholas; Bains, Paul; Shana Segal; Ed Lauing; Lydia Kou; Angie Evans; Perron, Zachary; SupervisorSusan Ellenberg; Javier Ortega; Richard Konda; Cindy Chavez; Pat Burt; Supervisor Otto Lee; Greg Tanaka; TonyDixon; Jay Boyarsky; Stump, Molly; Kaloma Smith; Raj; Joe Simitian; Cecilia Taylor; Shikada, Ed Subject:Oakland Police Department cannot be trusted to investigate its own -by Judge LaDoris Cordell Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 5:28:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/oakland-police-department-internal-affairs-unit- 17739843.php Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Javier Ortega; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Rebecca Eisenberg; Shana Segal; AngieEvans; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Winter Dellenbach; Tannock,Julie; Foley, Michael; Michael Gennaco; Figueroa, Eric; Wagner, April; Jay Boyarsky; Reifschneider, James; chuckjagoda; ladoris cordell; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission; Enberg, Nicholas; Bains, Paul; Ed Lauing;Lydia Kou; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Subject:“Elite” Police Units Face More Scrutiny as Memphis SCORPION Unit Disband... Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 5:04:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Community more afraid of Cops then alleged criminals in many communities https://youtu.be/UVO2okWAHio Sent from my iPhone From:Ann Balin To:Council, City Subject:leaf blowers Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 12:32:32 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from alafargue@mac.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Mayor Kou, Vice-Mayor Stone & Council Members, I am writing to support a stronger ordinance regarding leaf blowers in our city including Stanford Research Park. Approximately four years ago my husband and I purchased an electric leaf blower for our gardener. The decibel level is far lower than gas powered blowers and there is no air pollution. Many residents deal with urban noise including airplane noise, street cleaners, and garbage trucks most of which are essential services save the airplane noise. Leaf blowers emit gas fumes and when several are blowing on a block at the same time it is a cacophony that is to say the least unhealthy. Even a solo gas-powered blower emits noise that is harmful. Studies show that noise pollution impacts health. The city needs to strengthen the code as enforcement of the present ordinance is wanting. Some homeowners do as we do and purchase a non gas emitting blower. Some landscapers have done the right thing and purchased nonpolluting blowers. Yet there are many who continue to use gas blowers. Now you the city council must teach residents and Stanford Land Management to adopt non gas emitting blowers by strengthening the code. This new policy must be enacted right away. This is a public health issue. Respectfully, Ann Lafargue Balin From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Javier Ortega; Jethroe Moore; Richard Konda; Rebecca Eisenberg; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Foley,Michael; Michael Gennaco; Tannock, Julie; Barberini, Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Joe Simitian; Supervisor SusanEllenberg; Cindy Chavez; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; Jay Boyarsky; Wagner, April; Julie Lythcott-Haims;chuck jagoda; ladoris cordell; Reifschneider, James; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission; Enberg,Nicholas; Bains, Paul; Ed Lauing; Lydia Kou; Shana Segal; Perron, Zachary; Angie Evans; Supervisor Otto Lee;Pat Burt; Kaloma Smith; Shikada, Ed; Greg Tanaka; Tony Dixon; Stump, Molly; Binder, Andrew; Cecilia Taylor Subject:Double-Amputee Fatally Shot By Police In The Back Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 12:21:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://youtu.be/7Zpt7LM0gjg Sent from my iPhone View this email in your browser Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter SPECIAL E-BLAST February 4, 2023 From:LWV Palo Alto (E-Blast)To:Council, CitySubject:Special E-Blast: Join Program Planning Meeting on February 11Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 12:12:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Subscribe to our Google Calendar Program Planning 2023-2024 Saturday, February 11, 2023 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Social 9:30 - 10:00 am Meeting starts at 10 am In Person Meeting at PCC Rapter Room 3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto LWVPA’s Program Planning member meeting will be held IN PERSON this year! All members are invited to discuss and vote on League priorities, both locally and statewide. Join us for our first in-person event of 2023 and reconnect with fellow League members as well as meet new members! Refreshments will be served. Program planning is the League's grassroots process of recommending and selecting public policy issues for study, education, and advocacy to move our mission forward. Voter Services is not considered part of “Program” but will always be a priority for the League. State Issues. The state League will be implementing the national "Campaign for Making Democracy Work". Our local League will review and vote on three other state priority issues of Climate Change, Housing and Homelessness, and Criminal Justice. Should LWVC consider new aspects of these issues, choose different issues, or do a new study? Please review LWVC’s Advocacy Wrap-up and work planned before our meeting. Local Issues. We will review current local issues and select issues for 2023- 2024. Our current local issues are: Affordable Housing for All; Climate Change; Civics Education; Local Campaign Finance Reform; and Gun Violence Prevention. All issues are to be viewed with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. Hear about LWVPA’s accomplishments and goals for the coming year. Members will vote on whether these issues should continue for 2023-24, or whether new aspects of these issues or new issues should be added. Summaries of local committee activities are here: * Housing and Transportation Committee * Climate Change * Civics Education * Local Campaign Finance Reform * Gun Violence Prevention We hope you will join us to identify state and local public policy issues for education and advocacy for the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in person! JOIN A TEAM! Register Now Come to an LWVPA team meeting and learn about important issues affecting you and your community. You can make a difference! Learn More About Our Teams and Programs on our Website! Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for Email News and Action Alerts from LWVUS Facebook Twitter Website Copyright © 2023 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Sean Allen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jethroe Moore; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; RebeccaEisenberg; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; Wagner, April; ladoriscordell; Greer Stone; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; chuck jagoda; Enberg, Nicholas;Tannock, Julie; Foley, Michael; Bains, Paul; Lydia Kou; Shana Segal; Perron, Zachary; Angie Evans; Pat Burt Subject:Cop Holds Black Worker At Gunpoint As White Suspect Escapes - YouTube Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 11:43:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ >  > https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1OsCxmcDBy0 > > > Sent from my iPhone From:Andrea Eckstein Gara To:Council, City Subject:Making our ambitious climate goal a reality Date:Saturday, February 4, 2023 10:37:03 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from aegara@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers: In 2013, Palo Alto made a historic leap forward to become the first city in the nation with a carbon-neutral electric grid. Recently, we formally adopted the goal of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030 (80 x 30). These were bold and important steps in addressing the deepening climate crisis. To reaffirm our community’s role as a leader in sustainability and climate protection and make our ambitious climate goal a reality, the time has come to lay a clear path to phasing out “natural” gas (aka methane) use in both commercial and residential buildings. The organizations listed below urge the Palo Alto City Council to adopt a date for ending the flow of “natural” gas. BeniSol Solar Carbon Free Palo Alto Citizens’ Climate Lobby Silicon Valley North Climate Action California First Presbyterian Palo Alto Cool Planet Group Fossil Free Buildings Silicon Valley Fridays for Future Palo Alto Gunn High School Green Team Menlo SPARK Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition Project Green Home San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility Sunrise Silicon Valley Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Green Sanctuary Committee 350 Bay Area 350 Silicon Valley 350 Palo Alto Why Do We Need a “Natural” Gas Sunset Date? “Natural” gas is largely methane, a greenhouse gas with 80 times the potency of CO2 during its first two decades in the atmosphere. Methane is responsible for about 30% of the planetary warming that has already occurred. In Palo Alto, “natural” gas in buildings represents nearly 35% of our greenhouse gas emissions, making it second only to transportation. These emissions are divided almost equally between residential and commercial properties, so it is crucial that we address both. The City Staff has found that to reach our 80 X 30 goal, we will need to electrify nearly all single-family households and commercial rooftop HVAC systems. Voluntary electrification alone won’t get us there. Technology adoption curves estimate 20% to 25% of people will be very late and/or resistant to making a switch. We don’t have the luxury of that time. What Date Does Science Dictate? Scientists warn that, because greenhouse gasses remain in the atmosphere for such a long time, by 2030 the emissions trajectory will be cast, determining this century’s climate outcome. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report found mitigation efforts after 2030 are unlikely to prevent us from exceeding the critical 1.5°C temperature rise. Beyond 1.5°C, scientists warn that we risk Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet collapse, a significant increase in deadly heat, storms, wildfire, and famine, and the risk of hitting tipping points causing cascading and irreversible planetary damage. We can’t slip on our 80 X 30 goal. The IPCC report also states that the world must reach its greenhouse gas emission peak on or before 2025. Yet, figures for 2021 showed the largest methane increase ever recorded plus the highest ever annual level of CO2. We have a long way to go in a short window. What will a Sunset Date Accomplish? A sunset date will help Palo Alto residents successfully transition from methane gas to fully electric homes by: Speeding the adoption of electric appliances. Every day residents and businesses make decisions about end-of-life appliance replacement. Each gas-powered appliance installation makes it more difficult to hit our climate targets. Setting a clear timeline for ease of planning by the City of Palo Alto Utilities, homeowners, and investors. Sparking a conversation and fast-tracking public awareness about the climate and health impacts of methane. An informed public will be more receptive to the programs and budgetary steps needed to make electrification a reality. Inspiring early adopters to make the switch now. Avoiding resident resentment due to appliance purchases now that will have a lifetime beyond 2030 and be incompatible with our city climate goal. Making Electrification Accessible for All We need to continue our work of easing the transition to electric appliances started with our Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Program. Steps we need to take include: Reducing the burden on fixed-income and lower-income households. Expanding the Heat Pump Water Heater Program model; ie, offering on-bill financing and discounted prices for other appliances. Working with the State to make sure we have the needed electrification workforce. Directing the City of Palo Alto Utilities to lay out a path to the sunset date, with a goal of having an outline in mid to late 2023. Educating residents about right-sizing electric panels and EV chargers, choosing power-efficient appliances, using prioritized circuit sharing devices, and other smart ways to reduce grid burden. Promoting home solar and educating residents about bi-directional EV chargers or battery back-up systems to ease worries about blackouts. Upgrading the Grid The grid is another consideration. We will need to make grid upgrades in tandem with electrification. This is already in the works. PA Utilities Director Dean Batchelor recently projected an end date of 2030 for residential upgrades. The grid is already capable of city-wide water heater conversion to electric (heat pumps), and some neighborhoods are ready for full electrification. State Alignment Setting a gas shut-off date is in keeping with state trends: Electrification mandates–including our Palo Alto reach code prohibiting gas hook-ups in new construction–have been enacted in at least 50 cities. A CA proposal unanimously approved by the CA Air Resources Board would ban the sale of natural gas powered furnaces and water heaters starting in 2030. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District could put our region on an even faster timeline with a Zero Emissions standard under consideration that effectively could prevent the sale of gas hot water heaters in 2027 and gas furnaces in 2029. The recent California Public Utilities Commission vote to eliminate subsidies for natural gas line infrastructure starting in 2023 is an additional monetary incentive to move away from natural gas, as well as a strong indicator of the State’s commitment to decarbonize via electrification. National Alignment: Nationally, we are seeing a similar direction, with substantial green-energy investments: The new Inflation Reduction Act includes billions of dollars to support electrification. Details are not finalized, but projections are that lower and middle income families would be eligible for up to $14K for wiring upgrades and electrification of appliances. Households that don’t qualify for rebates are eligible for up to $2K in tax deductions for installing a heat pump water heater or furnace. These incentives are good through 2031, creating a unique window for a decisive push. To reach our goals, we need to encourage, incentivise, ease the path, and create conditions that will make our target an inevitability. This is not an easy path, but it is the path dictated by science. Climate change doesn’t care if we think its timeline is reasonable. We believe that our community is the right place to make this commitment to electrification. Palo Alto has shown ongoing dedication and leadership in the climate fight. We also believe that, presented with the facts and a robust plan, our community will support the sunset date. Finally, we believe that this Council, which has shown extraordinary focus and dedication to the climate crisis, will make the tough calls and get the job done. From:Shannon Rose To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Lait, Jonathan Cc:Palo alto weekly; Shannon Rose Subject:Leaf Blowers in Palo Alto - Improve the law Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 1:42:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Kou, City Council, Ed Shikada and Jonathan Lait: I was excited to read in the Palo Alto Weekly that you are working on how to effectively enforce our law against using gas-powered leaf blowers and that you are considering revising the law to cover all areas --from residential neighborhoods to mixed use and commercial. I want to urge you to include all neighborhoods in this law. I live on Sheridan Avenue, close to Cal Ave. Sheridan Avenue is almost completely residential with a little bit of commercial real estate. Chipotle is onthe corner and there is a tiny office building next to it. My 55-unit four-story condo building is directlyacross the street from a similar four-story condominium complex and the Sunrise Senior Living Center. Inthe other direction are multi-story buildings, some of which are low-income housing. We deserve to havethe noise reduced and the emissions we suffer ended. Every neighborhood in Palo Alto, including CalAve, shouldn't have to endure excessive noise and emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers. A residentin a single-family home shouldn't have more rights to peace and quiet than the families, students, seniors,workers and others who live in adjacent neighborhoods. I'm on the board of directors at Four Ten Sheridan HOA and some years ago I asked the company thatprovides our landscape care to use electric blowers. They complied and now the noise is minimal andhappily, there are no emissions. However at Sunrise (where gardeners come twice a week!) and at 435Sheridan, they use gas-powered blowers. Everyday the noise is awful and of course the emissions areunforgivable. While you are reviewing how the City can actually enforce our current law against gas-powered leafblowers, PLEASE change the law to include every neighborhood in the City. No one in Palo Altodeserves to suffer as we do. The law should include business areas and all residential structures. Weare humans. Noise is a stressor that you can minimize. This is 2023. We can do better and we must do better. Sincerely, Shannon Rose McEntee410 Sheridan Avenue #216 From:Leland Wiesner To:Guagliardo, Steven; Council, City; Terry Shuchat; Zareens Khan; Mike Stone (mike.mollie@gmail.com) Subject:Re: Updates: 2023 Council Priorities, Valentine"s Day Promotions, January Storm Relief Programs Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 12:23:32 PM Attachments:image001.png image002.png image004.png image005.png image006.png image007.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members and others: On Feb 2nd 2023, I took a look at Mt View Castro Street where the city has also yet to open up the street. I was interested in seeing how successful keeping the street closed was tobuilding a vibrant environment for business and creating destination for the community. Not to my surprise, the street looked like a ghost town. So many businesses had closed that it was a mere shadow of the vibrant area it once was. My photos only include a few of the closedrestaurants and businesses as there were so many I did not have time to shoot them all. Needless to say, keeping people from driving to a business only REDUCES the number ofpatrons and dollars, especially if they are older or don't have the leisure to stroll about for hours. The proof is in the pictures as they say. Is this what City Council is trying to do the Calif Ave? Are the consultants trying to also bankrupt all the businesses? If so, it seems that they are right on track. If not, I would suggest they give Calif Ave all the pieces they need to thrive just likeUniversity Ave and elsewhere. Now is NOT the time to experiment on the businesses and people of Palo Alto unless they want to become a new Case study at the Stanford Businessschool on failed ideas. Thank you. Leland Wiesner On Fri, Feb 3, 2023, 10:04 AM Guagliardo, Steven <Steven.Guagliardo@cityofpaloalto.org>wrote: Hello business partners, I wanted to provide a few updates on various topics. Please see below for information on: City Council Priority Setting Session – Follow-up at Council on Monday, February 6 City Promoting Valentine’s Day Specials in Uplift LocalResources for Businesses Impacted by January Storms City Council Priority Setting Session – Follow-up at Council on Monday,February 6 On Saturday, January 28, the City Council reaffirmed support for the EconomicRecovery and Transition priority continuing in 2023. On Monday, February 6 the City Council will further discuss the City Council priorities as part of theCity Council meeting If you would like to participate in the discussion, you submit by emailto city.council@cityofpaloalto.org (e-mails received before 12 PM noon on Monday are added to the agenda as part of public comment), participate inperson at City Council chambers, or via zoom at the link on the agenda. Agenda: https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=1067 City Promoting Valentine’s Day Specials in Uplift Local Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. If folks have any promotions or specialsthe City is happy to advertise them through our Uplift Local newsletter Please fill out this form to participate. Anything received by 1 PM onWednesday, February 8 will be featured in the February 9 edition of Uplift Local.With that in mind, please specify the dates of any specials/promotions, whether they are from 2/9 – 2/14, some smaller window, or even just 2/14 in the fieldwhere you enter the special or promotion you would like featured. Resources for Businesses Impacted by January Storms There is disaster loan assistance through the small business association forbusinesses impacted by the January storms and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s office is helping with the process.Businesses can apply online at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. If applicants have any questions, they can call (800) 659-2955 oremail: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Once a business has submitted its application, Congresswoman Eshoo’soffice would be happy to request full and consideration on its behalf. To open a case with their office, please call (650) 323-2984 or submit arequest online here: https://eshoo.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency .You may also be eligible for emergency tax relief which you can apply for here: https://cdtfa.ca.gov/services/state-of-emergency-tax-relief.htm Thank you, Steve Guagliardo Steve Guagliardo, MPA Assistant to the City Manager – Economic Development Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2261 (o) | (650) 690-0656steven.guagliardo@cityofpaloalto.org | www.cityofpaloalto.org   From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Cc:Nose, Kiely; Guagliardo, Steven Subject:Economic Update and Outlook Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 10:56:44 AM Attachments:Economic Update and Outlook.docBLS Job Report.pdfcpiJanuary 2023 Release.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I attach my update along with the BLS national jobs report released today and the latest national CPI update. Steve From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce News & Updates - February 3, 2023 Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 10:41:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. NEWS & UPDATES - FEBRUARY 3, 2023 Discover Love Multi-Chamber Mixer Breakfast with Palo Alto Mayor Kou Donate Blood - Get a free box of See's Candies Welcome New Chamber Board Members The first 50 to RSVP will be entered to win a $100 gift card to the Town & Country Village merchant of your choice.* Fall in love with Town & Country Village just in time for Valentine’s Day. Mix & minglethrough our delightful shopping center packed with specialty shops and delectable eateries.Guests will receive a map of participating retailers for refreshments, prizes, gifts, activities,special discounts & more! Visit participating retailers for chances to win fantastic prizes. In partnership with the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley ConciergeAssociation, and The San Francisco Peninsula, you are invited to experience Town & Country Village to Discover Love for all your shopping needs and dining pleasures. Date: Thursday, February 9, 20234:30 PM – 6:30 PM PST Location:Town & Country Village 855 El Camino RealPalo Alto, CA 94301 When you arrive, check in at the guest services area near Kara’s Cupcakes to receive a map of participating merchants. By invitation only, RSVP today! *Winner will be chosen at random from 6:30pm-6:45pm. Must be present to win. February Multi-Chamber Mixer & Networking Event Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Hanahaus Palo Alto 456 University Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Hosted By:Palo Alto Chamber, Los Altos Chamber, Mountain View Chamber, and Sunnyvale Chamber Connect with fellow professionals and business owners. Enjoy light refreshments and drinks. Special Keynote Speaker: Paul Single Managing Director, Senior Economist, Senior Portfolio Manager City National Bank Topic: Economic Trends for Business in 2023 RSVP Now Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce - Breakfast with Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou Chamber Breakfast with Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou Friday, February 24th, 2023 8:30am – 9:30am Homewood Suites by Hilton 4329 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306 Free to Chamber Members RSVP Now Donating is sweet this Valentine’s Day! As a special thanks for keeping patients a priority, anyone who donates at Stanford Blood Center from February 1-14 will receive a free mini box of See’s Candy chocolates! See's Candies - Donate Blood, get a free mini box of See’s candy. Give blood and get a little something sweet in return as a thanks for your support! Learn more at stanfordbloodcenter.org/donate-blood/promotions/. Stanford Blood Center stanfordbloodcenter.org Give blood for life! Welcome New Board Members The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome its newest Board members who will begin their term on January 1, 2023: Priscilla Christie Sally Flinchbaugh Brayton Gosling Dan Mitchell Kanika Sabharwal Collin Sommerhauser Read more about the new board members and our entire Board of Directors See Our Upcoming Events Learn More About The Chamber ​ PALO ALTO CHAMBER & VISITORS CENTER 355 ALMA STREET | PALO ALTO | CA | 94301 | 650-324-3121 WWW.PALOALTOCHAMBER.COM This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email at info@paloaltochamber.com. From:John Kelley To:Council, City Subject:PA-ADUs - Please consider this article from the New York Times: "Senior Housing That Seniors Actually Like" Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 10:29:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Via Email: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Honorable Lydia Kou, Vice MayorHonorable Greer Stone, Vice Mayor Honorable City Council MembersCity of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton AvenuePalo Alto CA 94301 Dear Mayor You, Vice Mayor Stone, and City Council Members, Please consider this article from the New York Times: "Senior Housing That Seniors Actually Like”; a link to it and an excerpt from it are below. Thank you, John Kelley https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/health/elderly-housing-adu.html "But the idea is clearly catching on. In Bend, Ore., Julie and Paul Anderson built a contemporary-style house four years ago and added an attached one-bedroom apartment. Herparents have spent four months there each summer, escaping the heat in Tucson, Ariz., where they live; a tenant rents it the rest of the year. Ms. Anderson and her husband have considered moving into the ground-floor A.D.U. whenthey retire and renting out the larger space upstairs to supplement their income. But the needs of their parents, all in their 70s and 80s, take precedence for now. “We have peace of mind,” Ms. Anderson said, “knowing that if an older family member needscare, we have this space.” " From:Annette Ross To:Council, City Subject:Gas Rates Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 10:16:30 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from port2103@att.net. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please read the news story on page 8 of today’s Daily Post. The last paragraph quotes the City’s spokeswoman, Meghan Horrigan-Taylor suggesting that people “go to a public library to warm up.” I am stunned by the lack of understanding evidenced by that statement. Does the spokeswoman know how reduced library hours are? Or that many Palo Altans, including many seniors, have transportation challenges? I suggest the City Manager require that Ms. Horrigan-Taylor familiarize herself with the City’s library hours, for starters. A little sensitivity training might help, too. Sent from my iPhone From:Bob Wenzlau To:crescent-park-pa Subject:Stormwater Update via Storm Water Commission - A Thank You Note to Our City Date:Thursday, February 2, 2023 6:16:24 PM Attachments:2023-02-02_17-39-15.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. All, I have been serving for years on our stormwater commission. I wanted to share praise for ourcity staff, and also their initiative to build stronger storm water resiliency in our neighborhood. The storm water commission has a simple mandate to make sure that the line item on your parcel tax for storm water is spent toward the obligations of the bond measure we passed. Itreally is not the most exciting assignment, but it is important especially to our neighborhood. First, the really exciting news to me and our neighborhood. The city staff were moved by the adverse consequences of the storm and flooding in Crescent Park. One outcome of thisconcern is the intent to reprioritize and reevaluate stormwater sewer improvements in Crescent Park neighborhood - this project was toward the end of a multi-year capital improvement, andnow should be advanced before some other projects. To the extent that storm drainage systems can help, this project would improve drainage*. This map shows the current (predesign) approach, and the staff's note in yellow shows theirinterest to move our improvements along faster. As a predesign, the approach will be informed by events that transpired. While some worried whether our officials and staff prioritizedflooding, this prioritization gave evidence that they too share the concerns held by our neighborhood. Secondly, the staff from Public Works including engineering, streets, and trees joined byUtilities worked for 24 hours across days. They were professionally and emotionallycommitted to all of us. I listened to staff members share how they camped out in city hall oraround the city dealing with all the logistics. At the same time they voiced that maybe ourcommunity did not know or appreciate how hard they worked. At the meeting we applauded them, but in time I hope we can call them out. (I also know that Utilities, Fire, Police and theCity Manager's office were totally committed to responding.) After listening, I felt obligated to share this update, as well as share what I heard from staffabout how they worked and even camped out in our town across this sequence of storms. Itwas great to be delivering a thank you, and appreciate how they served us. Bob *Stormdrains work to support drainage up to about a 10 year storm event. As such, in a 50year storm event like we endured, they would not make the flooding go away. However, theycan contribute to faster drainage and my hunch would make a noticable difference especiallytoward where some cul de sacs suffered the most.-- Bob Wenzlaubob@wenzlau.net650-248-4467 From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Subject:Council Consent Questions: Item 3 and 4 (2/1/23) Date:Thursday, February 2, 2023 5:56:39 PM Attachments:image001.png image003.png image004.png image006.png image007.png image008.png image009.png Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please view the following links below for the amended agenda and staff responses to questions from Councilmembers Tanaka and Veenker for Monday night’s Council Meeting: February 2 Amended Agenda Staff response to Item 3 Staff response to Item 4 Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From:Annette Glanckopf To:Council, City; Clerk, City Cc:Shikada, Ed; Horrigan-Taylor, Meghan; Rainey, Nathaniel; Dueker, Kenneth Subject:Announcing the annual Emergency Service Volunteers Kickoff and Community Partnership Awards - 2/23 at 7 PMat the Art Center Date:Thursday, February 2, 2023 2:49:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. OES asked me to share this announcement and hope you will consider attending! As many of you might remember, OES (Office of Emergency Services) and the ESV (Emergency Service Volunteer) program have an annual kickoff. This year it will be at the ART CENTER ON FEB 23rd at 7:00 PM. We are recognizing 2 neighborhoods as community partners, YCS and an Emergency Service Volunteer. The 2 neighborhoods are Crescent Park for their communication and analysis during the recent floods. The second neighborhood isOld Palo Alto for their work in building an ESV team from 2-3 to a thriving active ESV team. We are recognizing YCS for taking the initiative for sandbagging volunteerism during the storms. We are also recognizing a longtime HAM volunteer, who passed away in 2021. Find more info on this upcoming event below. It would great if you could attend and congratulate our community partners and meet members of the ESV community who work so hard to make the community resilient during a disaster. We hope to see alarge crowd. Please let me know if you have any questions, and let me know if you can attend. Doors will open early for the reception (food, drink, adult beverages) Kickoff will start at 7PM. Our fellow ESV and Mayor, Lydia Kou, will provide opening comments, This year's community partners are as follows: HAM AKA ARES/RACES - Pat Barrett - in memory NPCs - Allen Edwards and Helen Bauman from Old Palo Alto YCS - Youth Community Services Crescent Park Neighborhood Association Our speaker will be Dr Noah Diffenbaugh from the Stanford Woods Institute on WildWeather (He is a fantastic speaker and charismatic) Close Hope to see you Annette From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Reminder: Discover Love at Town & Country Village | Palo Alto Chamber Date:Thursday, February 2, 2023 10:00:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Discover Love, Town & Country Village - More than 50 Shops, Restaurants, & Services The first 50 to RSVP will be entered to win a $100 gift card to the Town & Country Villagemerchant of your choice.* Fall in love with Town & Country Village just in time for Valentine’s Day. Mix & minglethrough our delightful shopping center packed with specialty shops and delectable eateries. Guests will receive a map of participating retailers for refreshments, prizes, gifts, activities,special discounts & more! Visit participating retailers for chances to win fantastic prizes. In partnership with the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley ConciergeAssociation, and The San Francisco Peninsula, you are invited to experience Town & CountryVillage to Discover Love for all your shopping needs and dining pleasures. Date: Thursday, February 9, 2023 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM PST Location: Town & Country Village 855 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94301 When you arrive, check in at the guest services area near Kara’s Cupcakes to receive a map ofparticipating merchants. By invitation only, RSVP today! *Winner will be chosen at random from 6:30pm-6:45pm. Must be present to win. This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe click here. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email atinfo@paloaltochamber.com. From:David Coale To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:City Priorities Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 8:59:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Mayor and Council Members, I always look forward to the city priorities meeting with the community, but somehow I missed it this year. While I did send in my thoughts on this, I am sending you this directly so that you might get a better feel for how these could all fit together in a shared vision of what Palo Alto can be. City priorities 1) Climate change with a focus on electrification and transportation. This would include grid upgrades for electrification and updating the Bike-Ped plan and putting this in to place. With the very successful Ad Hoc committee’s work, it is essential to see this through to the next step, commission or otherwise to ensure this vital work continues. 2) Transportation: Rail crossings and bike/ped infrastructure. This will dovetail into item one to get people out of their cars to reduce our fossil fuel use and make for a more livable city, less dependent on car travel of any kind. This would be guided by a Safe Systems approach for transportation planning at all levels where safety comes first. This includes three cross-town bike/ped crossings of Alma and the train tracks at Seal Ave, Matadero creek and south Palo Alto before the rail crossings go in. 3) Housing for all. This also includes items one and two above and should be integrated as such. If Palo Alto can help house the people that work here and have safe ways of getting to work without a car, we will all be much better off; healthier and happier. While these priorities have come up before in many ways, a truly integrated approach between all three with the goal of addressing climate change is what we need to make the city the best that it can be. The vision of a city that houses our teachers, city workers and essential workers in livable, walkable neighborhoods with vibrant town centers an easy bike ride a way, all the while cohabiting our planet in a way that will ensure a livable Earth for generations to come is a vision I think we can all get behind. David Coale From:Richard Corny To:Council, City; Kou, Lydia Subject:Cal Ave street closure is a horrible idea Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 8:16:11 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from guitarrichie@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello from the COBBLERY I don’t know if you’ve been to Cal Ave lately but it is dead. Our business is suffering, our retail is down 40% , no one can find us, we have no foot traffic and no car traffic. No TRAFFIC at all. There’s many problems 1st it’s freezing cold and people aren’t eating outside because guess what, we’re actually having a winter. The street should be open during winter cold months. But Palo Alto has decided somehow that our street and our opinions don’t matter. 2nd I haven’t seen anything being done to make the street better, cleaner, and nothing is being done about filling empty spots. Instead most restaurants are closed for lunch Monday to Wednesday. You can’t even get a cup of coffee past 2:30pm I mean even Starbucks is suffering lol The restaurants are all suffering except for maybe Terun and Zareen whom by the way were able to quintuple their seatings outside. So yeah they’re doing great. If our business continues to struggle we will have to close up and relocate. If the city can’t be fair to all the businesses on the street maybe they should be sued. We’re not happy with you and we have every reason. Do the right thing and allow access once again to our street. Stop jerking us around The pandemic is 3 years old. There’s no plan for Cal Ave Sincerely Your local struggling small business owner Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:ladoris cordell; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Bains, Paul; peaceandjusticecenter@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; Council,City; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jeff Rosen; Shikada, Ed; Pat Burt; Greer Stone; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; RebeccaEisenberg; Council, City; Kaloma Smith; David Angel; Rob Baker; Roberta Ahlquist; chuck jagoda; Wagner, April; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; Joe Simitian; Enberg, Nicholas Subject:We mourn Tyre Nichols and the cycle of brutality against Black people Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 6:35:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Equal Justice Society <action@equaljusticesociety.com>Date: February 1, 2023 at 5:20:54 PM PSTTo: abjpd1@gmail.comSubject: We mourn Tyre Nichols and the cycle of brutality against Black peopleReply-To: action@equaljusticesociety.com  Equal Justice Society web banner We mourn Tyre Nichols and the cycle of brutality against Black people The funeral for Tyre Nichols was held today at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized Mr. Nichols at the memorial, which was also attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, Breonna Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer, and George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd. The Equal Justice Society extends our deepest condolences to the Nichols family and loved ones, who should not be grieving the loss of their son, brother, and father. It is disgusting and horrifying to begin Black History Month with the funeral for yet another unarmed Black person killed by police. We are sickened by the senseless and endless cycle of police killing Black people, protests, firings, trials, lawsuits, more protests, attempted or cosmetic fixes via police officer trainings, and on and on and on. Nevertheless, we must keep working, even as this country’s history of devaluing the lives of Black people repeats itself. After the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, we understood that the necessary deep and transformative changes would not be easy to achieve. We renewed our commitment to deep transformative change to our public safety system. Over the past nearly three years since Mr. Floyd’s murder, we grew hopeful that the work and movement that his sacrifice would bring the necessary systemic change. But more Black people continue to be brutalized. We have no choice but to persevere against the difficulties, setbacks, distortions, mislabeling, detractors, vilifiers, and incrementalists. At last week’s meeting of the California reparations task force, EJS President Lisa Holder cited the historic Task Force Interim Report establishing that the criminal legal system is responsible for some of the most egregious state- sanctioned human rights abuses against Black people. As a member of the reparations task force, Lisa urged strengthening the provisions of The Racial Justice Act, including greater uniformity in its implementation and better data collection and more prosecutorial transparency. She also proposed the creation of a Racial Justice Act Commission to track, audit, monitor and analyze data generated and to increase funding for public oversight so that community organizations can build expertise on racial justice advocacy and compliance. Lisa serves on this historic reparations task force to shift the narrative on Blackness away from crime and punishment, away from Black bodies being perceived as an immediate danger and used as the canvas for exacting retribution. The shift must be towards a harm and repair construct, where all state actors acknowledge the harm they have inflicted on Black people, abate the harm, and take action to pay the debt owed and repair the damage to Black lives. In the name of reparatory justice, we call on the police to cease and desist. The necessary deep and transformative changes will not be easy to achieve. We owe it to Tyre Nichols, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Keenan Anderson, and the countless others who have been tragically lost to press on in the fight for a system and future that will bring honor to their memory. Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stopreceiving emails from Equal Justice Society, please click here. From:Ken Joye To:Council, City Subject:Safe Systems 13 February Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 5:09:20 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from kmjoye@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On 13 February, you will be presented with a petition regarding our streets. I respectfully request that you direct staff to prioritize the Safe Systems approach in transportation planning for all modes of transportation, to work toward developing a Safe System policy recommendation for road safety, and to set an ambitious timeline for pursuing the city’s goal of zero severe injuries and roadway fatalities on streets in Palo Alto. thank you for your service, Ken Joye Ventura neighborhood From:Carolyn Hoskins Subject:Reminder *Grand Opening* Thurs, 2/2 Black History Month Pop-Up Museum Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 4:10:47 PM Attachments:Black History Month volunteers .pngBlack History Month volunteers .pdfBlack History Month Pop-Up Museum.pngBlack History Month Pop-Up Museum Sponsorship Form.png Some people who received this message don't often get email from info@hoskinsblackhistorymuseum.org. Learnwhy this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Quick reminder about this event tomorrow night - please RSVP if you have not already done so - we look forward to seeing you there! Sincerely,Carolyn On Wed, Jan 25, 2023 at 9:35 PM Carolyn Hoskins <info@hoskinsblackhistorymuseum.org>wrote: Greetings! Thank you for all you in service to our community. You're invited to the grand opening of our Black History Month Pop-Up Museum in Redwood City: Thursday, February 2 from 6-8pm 890 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94063 The Domini Hoskins Black History Museum & Learning Center, with support from The Northern California Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association & San Mateo County Event Center, is celebrating Black History Month! We feature 22,000 SF of exhibits on the extraordinary contributions that African-Americans have made throughout our history. There is knowledge all around us and education gives people the chance to change the world. Friday, February 3-Tuesday, February 28 12noon- 5:00pm daily Closed on Mondays - we offer special group tours by appointment only. 890 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94063 Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 for Children under 12 or Seniors 65+ To volunteer: https://bit.ly/3ZsrjGm Please help us to spread the word - we welcome group tours by school and community groups! Please Join Us.png From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Foley, Michael; Barberini, Christopher;Lee, Craig; EPA Today; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Josh Becker; Rebecca Eisenberg;Joe Simitian; Jay Boyarsky; Winter Dellenbach; chuck jagoda; ladoris cordell; Human Relations Commission;Enberg, Nicholas; Bains, Paul; Greer Stone; Ed Lauing; Lydia Kou; Shana Segal; Angie Evans Subject:But you don’t fight crime by becoming criminals yourself. You don’t stand up to thugs in the street becoming thugs yourself. You don’t fight gangs by becoming five armed men against an unarmed man. That ain’t the police. That’s punks,” he said, to rous... Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 2:44:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-funeral-175130f120b1aae35c4c07a65ee6dd09 Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Stump, Molly; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky;Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Joe Simitian; Perron, Zachary; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Council, City; Bains,Paul; Kaloma Smith; Rebecca Eisenberg; Josh Becker; chuck jagoda; ladoris cordell; Winter Dellenbach; Foley,Michael; Emily Mibach; Michael Gennaco; Human Relations Commission; Enberg, Nicholas; Ed Lauing; Lydia Kou;Shana Segal; Angie Evans Subject:From The Mercury News e-edition - Beating raises scrutiny on ‘elite’ police squads Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 2:33:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Pursuant to the California Public Records Act does the Palo Alto Police Department have any ‘elite’ police squads? Plain Cloth units? Names of such units? I saw this The Mercury News e-edition article on the The Mercury News e-edition app and thought you’d be interested. Beating raises scrutiny on ‘elite’ police squads https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=48841a3b-9b77-4ab9-841d- b43b3168833d&appcode=SAN252&eguid=74ae0f0c-221d-4206-8889-d15aa7419397&pnum=20# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: Sent from my iPhone From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo To:Council, City Subject:You"re Invited: Valentine"s Day at the JMZ! Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 2:02:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links.   Logo_Full_Color_CMYK.jpg To purchase tickets for the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, please go to Enjoy! Online and book your visit for Tuesday, February 14. We hope to see you this Valentine's Day! Photo courtesy of Lois Tema Photography. Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zooinfo@friendsjmz.org | www.friendsjmz.org DONATE NOW Connect with us Friends of the JMZ | 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301 Unsubscribe city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by info@friendsjmz.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today! From:Aram James To:Shikada, Ed; Binder, Andrew; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Figueroa, Eric; Council, City;Tannock, Julie; Foley, Michael; Barberini, Christopher; nick.enberg@cityofpoalto.org; Jeff Rosen;peaceandjusticecenter@gmail.com; Bains, Paul; ladoris cordell; Josh Becker; Rebecca Eisenberg; WinterDellenbach; Joe Simitian; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; chuck jagoda Subject:Partial comments from Tyre Nichols Funeral Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 1:43:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/tyre-nichols-funeral-vice-president-kamala-al-sharpton-ben-crump- watch-live-stream-today-2023-02-01/ Sent from my iPhone From:Mandy Almanza To:Council, City Cc:Hannah Rice Subject:Clarification Request: City of Palo Alto COVID-19 Local Emergency and Eviction Moratorium Expiration Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 1:30:20 PM Attachments:EXTERNAL RE City of Palo Alto - Status of COVID Local Emergency Eviction Moratorium .msg Importance:High Some people who received this message don't often get email from mandy.almanza@greystar.com. Learn whythis is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good afternoon, We have found conflicting information regarding the expiration of the City of Palo Alto’s Eviction Moratorium. The moratorium states “…shall remain in effect until the 121st day after the City Council proclaims the termination of the state of local emergency ratified and declared by the Council on March 23, 2020, as extended.” I recently received the attached information from the Office of the City Manager that the moratorium expired on June 30, 2021. However, according to the city council 12/5/22 meeting minutes, it suggests that the local emergency for COVID-19 has not been lifted yet which would mean the moratorium is also still in effect. Can you please clarify if and when the local emergency for COVID-19 was terminated by the City Council and if the city’s Eviciton Moratorium has in fact ended as a result? Thank you, Mandy Almanza | Project Manager, Compliance – California Division Greystar | 2025 Gateway Place | Suite 328 | San Jose, CA, 95110 o 408.769.4254 | c 415.531.8820 | Mandy.Almanza@Greystar.com | greystar.com Join Greystar® in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital From:Barbara E. Lichman, Ph.D. To:Council, City Subject:Recent Developments in Aviation/Airport Law and Regulations - February 1, 2023 Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 12:53:23 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from blichman@buchalter.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online. Share this: Aviation & Airport | Development Law News LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS - AIR AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Public Concern Grows Over Broad-Based CEQA Decision By Barbara Lichman on February 1, 2023 Public concerns have been running amuck on the internet regarding the recent tentative decision by the California Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District in Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of the University of California, et al., Case No. A165451 (Trial Court Case No. RG21110142). The case involves a challenge under the California Environmental Quality Act, Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 21000, et seq. (“CEQA”) to the adequacy of the Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the Long Range Development Plan for the former “Peoples’ Park” in Berkeley, an historical icon to the student war protests of the 1960s. A portion of the Long Range Plan involves construction of more than a thousand units of residential housing for university students, and acknowledges potential increases in population ancillary to the student body such as faculty and staff who will not receive access to the housing, but will be forced to compete with local residents for existing housing supplies. The public’s concern appears to arise not merely from the project itself, but the Court’s purported expansion of the scope of CEQA to incorporate not merely the physical impacts of the project itself (e.g., traffic, emissions, etc.), but also impacts caused later by the users and/or occupants of the development, in this case the students, including “social noise” from late night parties and pedestrians. The specific genesis of public concern lies in the Court’s agreement with Petitioner that the EIR was inadequate because if fails to analyze existing and cumulative impacts from “social noise” generated from off-campus parties. The Regents disagreed, contending that “social noise” is not an impact subject to CEQA. The Court found the Regents arguments meritless. The Court found that “noise impacts are expressly included among the environmental effects subject to CEQA. Cal. Pub. Res. Code §§ 21060.5, 21068. Nothing in the statutes or Guidelines carves out noise from human socialization as an exception to this, and the case law suggests the opposite is true.” Keep Our Mountains Quiet v. County of Santa Clara (2015), 236 Cal.App.4th 714, 734 [substantial evidence that crowd noise might have significant noise impacts on surrounding residents]; cf. Jensen v. City of Santa Rosa (2018) 23 Cal.App.5th 877, 898 [no substantial evidence that noise from basketball court, community garden and pottery-making required an EIR]. Until the legislature says otherwise, noise is noise.” This analysis does not markedly diverge from existing CEQA noise analysis such as that performed for an airport expansion, In that instance, as in this, it is not merely the increased size of the airport footprint that is evaluated, but also the increased number of noise-producing aircraft it allows. The case was scheduled for oral argument on January 12, 2023. While the Court’s original decision was only tentative, it does open the door to the express acknowledgement of the effects of “social noise” in CEQA analysis. Stay tuned for the final decision which is expected any day now. “Stop the Chop” Goes Down in Defeat Under New York Governor’s Pen By Barbara Lichman on January 10, 2023 New York Governor Kathy Hochul has brought an abrupt end to the aspirations of New York State Legislators, lead by Senator Brad Hoylman, to reduce the noise created by sightseeing helicopters overflying his District in Manhattan. On or about December 16, 2022, Governor Hochul vetoed SB 7493A, colloquially called “Stop the Chop,” which would have, among other things, allowed “any person who shall have suffered interference with the use and enjoyment of private property or public parkland by a rotorcraft used in a manner that creates an unreasonable level of sustained noise at ground level including the interior, balcony, or other outdoor area of a building, shall have a right of action against any person, except a passenger with no control of the operation of the rotorcraft . . .” The purpose of the legislation was to reduce the noise caused by the approximately 165 helicopter operations that overfly Manhattan on sightseeing excursions and airport transportation each weekend. The basis of Governor Hochul’s veto, anathema to so many voters, was federal preemption. “Airspace is regulated by the federal government, not by the state [and] certain elements of this Bill violate the federal law that regulates airports and airspace.” In that assertion, Governor Hochul is correct. Specifically, Congress has mandated that “the United States Government has exclusive sovereignty over the airspace of the United States.” 49 U.S.C. § 40103(a)(1). Moreover, “a citizen of the United States has a public right of transit through the navigable airspace,” 49 U.S.C. § 40103(a)(2), and only “the Administrator [of FAA] shall prescribe air traffic regulations on the flight of aircraft (including regulations on safe altitude) for . . . protecting individuals and property on the ground.” 49 U.S.C. § 40103(b)(2)(B). Therefore, leaving aside the issues of the annoyance caused by the noise from low flying helicopters, and even taking into account ambient noise omnipresent in Lower Manhattan, the dominance of the federal government and its constitutional prerogative in the Interstate Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, justifies Governor Hochul’s action. The thwarted Legislators have threatened to enact additional legislation banning helicopter terminals from New York parks. Stay tuned for the outcome of that effort. Barbara E. Lichman, Ph.D., J.D. 18400 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 800 Irvine, CA 92614-0514(949)224-6292www.aviationairportdevelopmentlaw.com © Barbara E. Lichman, Ph.D., J.D. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent to city.council@cityofpaloalto.org. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences | opt out using TrueRemove®. Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. From:Aram James To:Cindy Chavez; Javier Ortega; Joe Simitian; Binder, Andrew; Supervisor Otto Lee; Jeff Rosen; Shikada, Ed; JulieLythcott-Haims; Tanaka, Greg; Jethroe Moore; Rebecca Eisenberg; Josh Becker; Winter Dellenbach; Sean Allen;Jay Boyarsky; Wagner, April; ladoris cordell; Barberini, Christopher; Tannock, Julie; Foley, Michael; Reifschneider,James; Human Relations Commission; Enberg, Nicholas; Council, City; chuck jagoda; Bains, Paul; MichaelGennaco; Shana Segal; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Angie Evans; Lydia Kou; Perron, Zachary; PatBurt Subject:NYTimes: Authorities Used a Taser on Him 7 Times in 15 Minutes. Then He Died. Justice Never Came. Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 12:53:34 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/opinion/jerod-draper-jail-death-indiana.html?smid=nytcore-ios- share&referringSource=articleShare Authorities Used a Taser on Him 7 Times in 15 Minutes. Then He Died. Justice Never Came. Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Rob Baker; David Angel; Jeff Rosen; Molly; Stump, Molly; Binder, Andrew; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; SeanAllen; Josh Becker; Rebecca Eisenberg; Winter Dellenbach; Jay Boyarsky; chuck jagoda; Angie Evans; ShanaSegal; Wagner, April; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Council, City; Joe Simitian Subject:Botched Prosecution Lets Notorious Ex-Detective Walk Free Date:Wednesday, February 1, 2023 12:28:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Botched Prosecution Lets Notorious Ex-Detective Walk Free The deputy chief of the Manhattan district attorney’s Police Accountability Unit was removed after the case against Joseph Franco was dismissed. Prosecutors said Joseph Franco claimed to have seen drug transactions it was impossible for him to have seen.Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times By Jonah E. Bromwich and Maria Cramer Jan. 31, 2023 6 MIN READ The cases were thrown out in scores. In the Bronx, 349 convictions were tossed, along with more than 100 in Manhattan. In Brooklyn, 90 were overturned. After Joseph Franco was charged in 2019 with perjury and other crimes related to his decades as a New York Police Department narcotics detective, prosecutors lined up to dismiss cases in which he had been involved. But on Tuesday, one more prosecution was tossed: that of Mr. Franco himself. A New York State judge, Robert M. Mandelbaum, found that prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office had failed to turn over evidence to the detective’s lawyers on three occasions, a major ethical violation, and dismissed the charges. “As you have heard,” Justice Mandelbaum told jurors, “to date there have been two different occasions that you have heard about where the prosecution failed to disclose certain evidence.” ADVERTISEMENT “It now turns out that the prosecution failed to disclose additional evidence only learned about today,” he added. The prosecutor handling the case, Stephanie Minogue, was immediately removed as deputy chief of the Police Accountability Unit, which reports directly to the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg. Mr. Franco’s trial was meant to shine a spotlight on police misconduct at a time when prosecutors were concerned with showing that they could hold their law enforcement partners to account. Instead, the two-week trial will be remembered as a highly public case of wrongdoing by prosecutors, one that all but ensures that the former detective will not face another jury. It leaves the question of his guilt in limbo and raises questions about the swift dismissal of the hundreds of cases in which he was involved. A Police Department at a Critical Moment The New York Police Department is facing challenges on several fronts. Looking Abroad: Abdullah el- Faisal became the first person to face trial under state laws passed after Sept. 11, but he was nowhere near New York when the offenses he is accused of took place. Deborah Danner Shooting: A year after an administrative trial, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell is still weighing whether to fire Sgt. Hugh Barry, who killed a mentally ill woman in her Bronx bedroom in 2016. Scuttled Cases: An ex-detective went on trial after being charged with perjury. He was accused of five wrongful arrests, but hundreds of cases are endangered. No Threat: Federal authorities dropped a case that accused an officer of acting as an illegal agent for China. They had originally claimed he was keeping tabs on Tibetans in the city, and called him an “insider threat.” “It is ironic, but in a really bad way, for the legitimacy of the criminal system in New York that prosecutors, even going after police misconduct, themselves commit misconduct,” said Cynthia Godsoe, a professor at Brooklyn Law School who has pushed for more prosecutorial accountability. “A lot of lawyers are quick to blame police, but are less interested in exposing prosecutors to the oversight they clearly need.” ADVERTISEMENT The dismissal of the charge dealt a major blow to Mr. Bragg, who has made police accountability a focal issue. Though Mr. Franco was charged by the district attorney’s predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., his trial was the most significant proceeding against a police officer that Mr. Bragg had overseen. The case was dismissed with prejudice: The office will not be able to prosecute Mr. Franco for the same crimes again. Mr. Franco, 50, was not charged in any borough other than Manhattan, and Brooklyn prosecutors in 2021 said that they had not uncovered additional misconduct. Other prosecutors who have moved to vacate cases related to Mr. Franco’s work are unlikely to bring charges. The statute of limitations for the felony charges that the former detective faced is five years. Mr. Franco stopped working in Brooklyn in 2011, and in the Bronx in 2015. A lawyer for Mr. Franco, Howard Tanner, said in a statement that his client was relieved, but asked, “How does he get his reputation back?” ADVERTISEMENT “A decorated police officer who honorably served this city for 20 years, he never did anything wrong,” Mr. Tanner said, calling the case “baseless.” He added that prosecutors had repeatedly withheld and destroyed evidence and misrepresented facts. Some of the withheld evidence included surveillance videos, communications between prosecutors, memos from investigators as well as cellphones from people arrested after Mr. Franco identified them as drug dealers, Mr. Tanner said in an interview. There were also hundreds of audio files of a prosecution witness whose phone conversations were recorded while she was at the Rikers Island jail complex, Mr. Tanner said. He said that he could not yet determine whether any of the evidence could have helped exonerate his client. ADVERTISEMENT “The irony isn’t lost on me that this is the public corruption bureau and they conducted themselves in this manner,” Mr. Tanner said. In a statement, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, Doug Cohen, announced Ms. Minogue’s removal, saying, “New Yorkers must know that law enforcement, including prosecutors, are acting with the utmost integrity. We hold ourselves accountable to that standard.” Paul DiGiacomo, the president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, which represents 18,000 active and retired city detectives, said in a statement that the prosecutors who failed to turn over evidence should be fired. He said that Mr. Bragg and the unit were “quick to impugn the integrity of our detectives even for possible mere mistakes made in the good faith performance of our duties.” ADVERTISEMENT The case showed the need for an independent review of the prosecutors’ office and a re- evaluation of “their investigative process and ethics,” Mr. DiGiacomo said. The case was immediately sealed. Mr. Cohen said that the district attorney’s office’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit, which reviews wrongful convictions, would continue to scrutinize cases in which Mr. Franco was involved. Patrice O’Shaughnessy, communications director for the Bronx district attorney, said that office would “evaluate the best course of action with the cases that are still under review.” Mr. Cohen said that the Manhattan office would analyze what had gone wrong in the case against Mr. Franco. He did not immediately say whether that would involve a review of other cases in which Ms. Minogue was involved, such as the convictions in March of two officers who stole money during a periodic “integrity test” that the Police Department conducts. She remains employed by the office. The Police Accountability Unit is assigned to prosecute misconduct by law enforcement officers in Manhattan, “including use of excessive force, illegal stops, searches and arrests; and the theft of personal property.” It was previously known as the Public Corruption Unit, and in 2019 it began handing over evidence in the case against Mr. Franco, who was charged with 16 counts, including perjury and official misconduct. The charges came amid growing skepticism about the work of the police in the city. By 2019, Brooklyn prosecutors had asked for the reversal of eight guilty verdicts reached with the help of a police detective, Louis Scarcella, whose investigations had come under scrutiny. That year at the recommendation of a judge, the Police Department fired Daniel Pantaleo, an officer who had placed a Black man named Eric Garner in a chokehold that led to his death. When Mr. Franco was charged, he appeared to be part of a pattern of misconduct. In prosecutors’ openings on Jan. 19, they described Mr. Franco as a deceitful detective who had betrayed the narcotics unit and the city’s trust by lying about witnessing drug deals. Mr. Franco’s job was to observe hand-to-hand exchanges then report them to his unit, providing probable cause to arrest dealers and buyers. But a prosecutor raised doubts about Mr. Franco’s reports after reviewing video surveillance around public housing developments that showed the detective was never where he said he was. Mr. Franco was accused of lying in cases that led to the arrests of five people, two of whom spent more than a year in jail following their convictions. The dismissal of cases that he worked on came soon afterward. “We couldn’t responsibly rely on his testimony to stand by these convictions,” said the Brooklyn district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, as his office moved to have them dismissed. Mr. Tanner told the jury during openings that Mr. Franco’s job was to be a “ghost” in the unit, which meant he had to witness drug deals out of perpetrators’ sight. The detective was working in an “imprecise” system that did not allow him to take notes in real time, Mr. Tanner said, insisting that at worst, Mr. Franco made a mistake about where he saw drugs being sold. He was on trial, Mr. Tanner said, for doing his job. A juror on the case, who asked to speak anonymously because she planned to become a lawyer and did not want the case to affect her career, said that she and her peers had been dismissed in less than five minutes on Tuesday. The juror said that problems with evidence had come to light on Thursday, and that Mr. Tanner had asked for extra time to examine the new material. Shortly thereafter, jurors were told that a witness, Tameeka Baker, who was arrested by Mr. Franco in 2017, was no longer a part of the case and that charges related to her arrest were being dropped. On Tuesday, jurors were brought into the courtroom where they saw Mr. Franco, red-faced and crying at the defense table. He hugged Mr. Tanner. Ms. Minogue was not in the courtroom. A correction was made on January 31, 2023 : An earlier version of this article misstated the middle initial of Justice Robert M. Mandelbaum. It is M not R. When we learn of a mistake, weacknowledge it with a correction. If youspot an error, please let us knowat nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney's office, state criminal courts in Manhattan and New York City's jails. @jonesieman Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Metro desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about the New York police and crime at maria.cramer@nytimes.com. @NYTimesCramer Trending Near You Three Dead and Four Wounded in Shooting Near Beverly Hills $1.6 Million Homes in California Regulators Find Apple’s Secrecy Violates Workers’ Rights Editors’ Picks How Long Does It Take to Get Fit Again? Jimmy Kimmel Takes on Trump’s ‘Sad’ Return to the Campaign Trail The Food Expiration Dates You Should Actually Follow Most Commented How Simple Exercises May Save Your Lower Back Word of the Day: fugue What’s Going On in This Picture? | Jan. 30, 2023 ADVERTISEMENT Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Enberg, Nicholas; Tannock, Julie; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; JulieLythcott-Haims; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Binder, Andrew; Perron, Zachary; Winter Dellenbach; Wagner, April;chuck jagoda; ladoris cordell; Council, City; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; Jay Boyarsky;Barberini, Christopher; Bains, Paul; Ed Lauing; Lydia Kou; Shana Segal; Angie Evans Subject:Calls for national policing standards in wake of Tyre Nichols" death Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 11:49:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTddbtPlkKM Calls for national policing standards in wake of Tyre Nichols' death Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Jeff Rosen; Shikada, Ed; Jethroe Moore; Council, City; Sean Allen; Rebecca Eisenberg; RobBaker; David Angel; Raj; Richard Konda; Bains, Paul; ladoris cordell; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Supervisor OttoLee; Javier Ortega; Winter Dellenbach; chuck jagoda; Enberg, Nicholas; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Greer Stone;Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; Michael Gennaco; Ed Lauing; Wagner, April; Shana Segal;Lydia Kou Subject:District Attorney Price to reopen 8 police killings for possible criminal prosecution Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 7:57:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. NewsBreakUsed by over 45 million people Open APP District Attorney Price to reopen 8 police killings for possible criminal prosecution oaklandside.org I found this on NewsBreak: District Attorney Price to reopen 8 police killings for possible criminal prosecution Click to read the full story Sent from my iPhone From:Project CornerstoneTo:Council, CitySubject:2023 Asset Champions AwardeesDate:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 5:30:47 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from ziem@projectcornerstone.org. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Congratulations to the 2023 Asset Champions Awardees! Award recipients include organizations and individuals who support Project Cornerstone’s mission of building a web of support around young people so that they grow into healthy, caring, and responsible adults. The 2023 Asset Champions are: Lauri Scirigione, Lauri Gray’s School of Dance The Adult Role Model award recognizes an adult who models and inspires positive responsible behavior for young people. Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action The Community Values Youth award honors people/businesses that demonstrate to young people that the community values their contributions and efforts.  Farah Tavana, 4th Grade Student, Van Meter Elementary, Los Gatos Union School District The Positive Peer Influence award recognizes a person, 24 years or younger, whose actions and behaviors make them positive role models for their peers. Nominees must also be 24 years or younger. Annameekee Hesik, Teacher, Los Gatos High School, Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District The Positive Cultural Identity award recognizes people/businesses that help young people feel supported, comfortable, and proud of their identity. In the Caring School Climate category, these schools are transforming their campuses into caring communities where all students are valued and feel welcomed and respected: Aptitud Community Academy at Goss (Alum Rock Union School District): Caring Pre-K-Elementary School  Price Middle School (Cambrian School District): Caring Middle School  South County Community School (Santa Clara County Office of Education): Caring High School  Register Today (Registration closes on March 2, 2023) Friday, March 17, 2023 Registration & Breakfast 7 AM - 7:30 AM Program 7:30 AM - 9 AM Santa Clara Convention Center Mission City Ballroom 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara (free parking at the Convention Center) Ticket Prices: Adult: $65 Youth: $40 Table of 10: $600 Dedicate your table to an UPstander: $650 Register: Scan the QR code or click the "REGISTER" button to register and pay online. REGISTER Featuring Keynote SpeakerDr. Victor RiosProfessor, Author, Speaker Using his personal experience of dropping out of school and being incarcerated as a juvenile, along with his research findings, Dr. Rios seeks to uncover how to best support the lives of young people who experience poverty, stigma, and social exclusion. The author of six books, Dr. Rios has also been featured in several Ted Talks, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Primer Impacto, National Public Radio, and PBS NewsHour. Interested in sponsoring the event? See our 2023 sponsorship levels and benefits flyer Have questions or need more information? Contact info@projectcornerstone.org YMCA Project Cornerstone | Website ‌ ‌ ‌ Project Cornerstone | 80 Saratoga Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95051 Unsubscribe city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by ziem@projectcornerstone.org From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Subject:Reminder: Questions on Consent Agenda Items (2/6) Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 5:07:01 PM Attachments:image001.png image003.png image004.png image006.png image007.png image008.png image002.png Hello Mayor and Councilmembers, Please send any questions you may have on consent calendar items or plans to pull agenda items for Monday night’s meeting to me by Wednesday, February 1st at 5 PM. We will send an email with answers to all questions at the end of the week. You may find the February 6, 2023 agenda at this link: Meeting Agendas and Minutes – City of Palo Alto, CA Thank you! Best, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org View this email in your browser Supporting a diverse and vibrant community. From:Palo Alto Community FundTo:Council, CitySubject:Education Equity Starts with Teacher Salary EquityDate:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 5:00:11 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. 2022 Dave Mitchell Impact Grantee: Ravenswood Education FoundationEducation Equity Starts with Teacher Salary Equity by Nirmy Kang, writer and PACF donor The causes of educational inequity remain multifaceted and well documented. An often overlooked factor, however, is the economic disparity faced by those who are a key part of the solution, the educators themselves. Historically the below market compensation offered to educators in struggling school districts has led to the inevitable draining of effective talent away from those who need it the most. In our own community, the Ravenswood City School District (RCSD) — where 43 percent of the students are unhoused or housing insecure, and 93 percent live below the Federal Poverty Line — teacher salaries are well below those of neighboring districts, resulting in 40 percent of teachers leaving RCSD within the first five years of teaching. A bold new initiative by the Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF), in partnership with RCSD, seeks to redress this persisting undercompensation and, thereby, positively impact student outcomes. The Ravenswood Talent Initiative is a $15.4 million private- public partnership that will provide bridge funding for the five-year horizon until RCSD can self-fund costs through the long-term lease of high-value properties owned by the district. The initiative will not only offer effective educators the opportunity for accelerated progress on the salary scale based on results from annual evaluations, but will also support educators by providing calibration coaching and stipends for professional development. To this end, a 10 percent initial raise will immediately close the gap with neighboring districts. This pioneering approach to teacher evaluation and development has the potential to be a powerful model for other districts well beyond our area. We at PACF are proud to be able to offer support to this long-ranging initiative by awarding a $100,000 Dave Mitchell Impact Grant in May 2022 to the Ravenswood Education Foundation. Breaking Ground Spring 2023Affordable Teacher Housing in Palo Alto The City of Palo Alto and Santa Clara Local nonprofits promoting Education Equity Palo Alto Community Fund supported local nonprofits addressing education equity through 28 Annual Grants in 2022 totaling $435,000, including: All Five, Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF), Beechwood School, Cooline Team of East Palo Alto, DreamCatchers, East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK), East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT), Eastside DONATE County, represented by County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Meta/Facebook, are working with Mercy Housing California and Abode Communities to develop new housing on a county-owned site. The property, located at 231 Grant Avenue in Palo Alto, will provide new high-quality, affordable rental housing for teachers, school employees, and their families. This new community will include studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments, amenity spaces, and landscaped gardens. Learn more + College Preparatory School, EPACENTER, Foundation for a College Education, Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), Gunn Senior High School Foundation, Karat School Project, Kepler's Literary Foundation, Latino Music Education Network (Quinteto Latino), Learning Home Volunteers, Live In Peace, Inc., Peninsula Bridge, Peninsula College Fund, P.I.E.F.E.S.T. (Pacific Islanders Encouraging Fun Engineering Science & Technology), Ravenswood Classroom Partners (formerly All Students Matter), Ravenswood Education Foundation, Rise Together Education, San Francisco 49ers Academy, Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, St Elizabeth Seton School, and Upward Scholars. You can make a difference in our community. Donate to PACF today! Copyright © 2023 Palo Alto Community Fund, All rights reserved. Thank you for being a friend of the Palo Alto Community Fund. Our mailing address is: Palo Alto Community Fund PO Box 50634 Palo Alto, CA 94303-0634 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Cc:Nose, Kiely; Guagliardo, Steven Subject:LRFF item before council Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 4:35:35 PM Attachments:AnnualReport2022-2023.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Kou and council members, I discuss 3 topics: 1) The connection between the City's Economic Development Strategy and the budget, particularly long-term revenue trends.This is my focus in this email. 2) The short and long-term economic outlook and 3) The LRFF and I include the latest Assessor report on assessed value increases. I call your attention to pages 9,11,13,18,20 and 40. Short and Long Term Economic Outlook I will write a follow up email later this week after seeing what the Fed does on Wednesdayand the U.S. jobs report on Friday. The short-term outlook should be clearer by May but probably not before then. The impact of recent layoffs on job totals will show up in February, March. April and May EDD reports. Year over year inflation trends will decline as the 2022 comparable months were very high BUT the real focus should be on the near term monthly gains--will they remain low as in the past 6 months. We will have a new UCLA forecast in March. The LRFF As usual the staff did a comprehensive and transparent job with the forecast illustrating the assumptions but also the long list of what is not included. I think we will know more about both short and long term trends in May and there is noneed to guess about these trends now. The Connection Between the Economic Development Strategy and Our Budget, particularly Revenue Trends I have met with and emailed with staff and our Streetscene consultant. Here are some of the points I raised. 1) Both for the ED strategy and for revenue forecasts, it is important to understand thedrivers of key revenues including sales tax, TOT and property tax. Staff reports clearly show the trends and top line numbers illustrating their importance to overall revenues. But that is different from understanding the principal drivers of these revenues and how they can impact ED strategy choices. My memory is that during the last Comp Plan, Hillary had a fiscal consultant report showing the main drivers (businesses, residents, Stanford and related visitors) of sales and TOT. 2) We have a lot of (at least DTN where I live, work and walk every day) vacant spacesmostly retail and office. I believe that the choices made regarding these spaces will have long-term impacts on the budget so they are connected. I hope council with advice from staff and the consultant and in collaboration with property owners can develop policies that will fill these spaces, particularly those that have been vacant a long time. Even if the spaces are not filled with sales tax producers, they will be filled with potential customers for existing businesses. I think there will be continuing no longer needed office space with WFH even if the economycontinues to grow. What are the feasible repurposing strategies for these spaces. The stated goal of the ED effort in the Nov council presentation is "Develop a market-informed economic development strategy that will ensure Palo Alto's post-COVID competitiveness by identifying impactful public sector interventions, policies and investments for which there is both need and consensus for action." As an economist I focus on the phrases "market-informed", "competitiveness" and "need". While council can provide incentives and disincentives, ultimately property owners andbusinesses will decide what are their feasible and best options. 3) The ED strategy diagnostic and policy recommendation work will inform council and residents on ED choices that will impact revenue growth. Some of these are a) what are feasible options for increasing the customers bases and attractiveness (related issues) for DTN and Cal Ave? b) How does open/closed for these streets impact question a? c) How does parking availability and how close influence these choices? I asked the staff and consultants when they thought the perspectives of restaurants/cafes/bar businesses were aligned with or differ with those of retail, service businesses and property owners on these questions. I look forward to the next set of information provided by staff and Streetscene on ED issues and to future council and, hopefully, Finance Committee integration of our ED strategy choices into long-term revenue forecasts and related city options. I have lived and worked in Palo Alto for 50+ years. Stephen Levy Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy From:Jeff Hoel To:UAC Cc:Hoel, Jeff (external); Council, City Subject:COMMENTS -- Informational Utilities Quarterly Report Update for Q1 of FY2023 Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 4:25:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Commissioners, The agenda for your 02-01-23 meeting https://www.cityofpaloalto.org//files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory- commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-uac-agenda-and-packet.pdfcontains this INFORMATIONAL REPORT: 02-01-23: "Informational Utilities Quarterly Report Update for Q1 of FY2023" https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-id-14973-info.pdf Below the "######" line are selected quotes from the report, plus my comments (paragraphs in red, beginning with "###"). But first, a few general comments: 1. Each Utilities Quarterly Update should be agendized, so that UAC commissioners can comment on it. I disapprove of calling these reports "informational" reports, which implies that they should not be agendized. -- From UAC's home page https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/City-Hall/Boards-Commissions/Utilities-Advisory-Commission it's possible to click to a list of Informational Reports (which currently includes Utilities Quarterly Updates).https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Utilities/Utilities-Advisory-Commission/Informational-ReportsThat's nice. But there should also be a way to click to a list of Utilities Quarterly Updates that doesn't require listing them as informational reports. 2. In the old days (e,g, Q4 of 2021), Utilities Quarterly Updates used to include a section that presented quantitative information intabular form (e.g., page 8-11 here). https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/uac-informational-reports/2022-informational- reports/02-02-2022-id-13878-info.pdfIt would be nice to go back to doing it that way. Thanks. Jeff -------------------Jeff Hoel 731 Colorado Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94303------------------- ######################################################################################################### --- page 1 --- Title: Informational Utilities Quarterly Report Update for Q1 of FY2023 ### Is this report really for Q1 (that is, from 06-01-22 to 08-31-22)? The following table shows how many times the reportmentioned a month (June-December): 2022 Other years June 13 7 July 8 4 August 4 3 September 15 2 October 18 5 November 23 6 December 8 12 (of which 8 were just the date of an update, 12-02-22, in page footers) --- page 13 --- Figure 4: Electric Outage Reliability, FY 2023-Q1 ### This makes it sound like the information is about how reliable the outages are. It should say "Electric Reliability" or "Electric Outages." System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDA) 81.69 ### The acronym for System Average Interruption Duration Index is "SAIDI" (not "SAIDA"). ### SAIDI is the number of minutes per year the average customer is without power. What yearly interval is this reported SAIDI information referring to? Is it from 09-01-21 to 08-31-22? IF it's reporting on only data from Q1 (that is, from 06-01-22 to 08-31- 22), then is it "annualized," i.e., multiplied by four? If not, then that's VERY misleading. ### On 09-27-22, I provided a TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS re Director Batchelor's electric reliability presentation at UAC's 09- 14-22 meeting. (See pages 53-62 here.) https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2022/10-12-2022/public-letters-to-uac.pdf(Google can't find this document online, which is a nuisance.) He reported on four outages: Customers Minutes Cust*Min MO 09-05-22 4500 190 855000 28.69 Heat wave 2000? 370 740000 24.83 Heat wave -- continued TU 09-06-22 1700 60 102000 3.42 NCPA miscommunication WE 09-07-22 4500 120 540000 18.12 Squirrel SU 09-11-22 3300 720 2376000 79.73 Car striking pole TOTAL 4613000 154.80 ### (I made some assumptions: a) that 2000 customers were affected by the second part of the 09-05-22 outage, and b) that there are 29,800 electric customers.) It shows that the contribution to SAIDI for the week from 09-05-22 to 09-11-22 was 154.80. That represents an annualized SAIDI of 154.80 * 365 / 7 = 8071.71 (assuming those were the only outages that happened in thatweek.) ### Sherry Listgarten's 04-04-21 blog, "Palo Alto Utilities breeds mistrust with lack of transparency around outages,"https://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2021/04/04/palo-alto-utilities-breeds-mistrust-with-lack-of-transparency-around-outagescites this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVH9L0fCMTU which points out that utilities sometimes don't include in their reported SAIDI data some or all of these:* "momentary" outages of less than 5 minutes duration* outages caused by "major events" * outages caused by "loss of supply" What does CPAU do? The City should document this somewhere, so that each SAIDI report can just reference this document. System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) 0.61 Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) 134.77 ### SAIFI is the average number of times per year a customer experienced a power outage. ### CAIDI is the average duration of an outage experienced by a customer. ### In theory, mathematically, CAIDI = SAIDI / SAIFI. But 81.69 / 0.61 = 133.92 (not 134.77) --- page 32 --- Fiber Utility... On November 2, 2022, .... ### The "(Report #14845, Packet Pg. 106)" supposed-to-be-clickable link doesn't work. But it should go here: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory- commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2022/11-02-2022/11-02-2022-uac-agenda-and-packet.pdf On December 22,2022, the Council approved construction of the fiber backbone and Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) under a phased approach without debt financing (Staff Report #14800, Packet Pg. 268). ### It was on 12-19-22. ### The "(Staff Report #14800, Packet Pg. 268)" supposed-to-be-clickable link doesn't work. But it should go here: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/city-council-agendas- minutes/2022/20221219/20221219pccsm-amendedtime.pdf --- page 33 --- 5.4.1 Fiber Sales ### Staff should resume the practice of reporting how many dark customers there are, and how many active connections thereare. --- page 50 --- ### Ideally, this page would not be rotated 90 degrees. From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Jethroe Moore; Council, City; Jeff Rosen; Bains, Paul; ladoris cordell; Angie Evans;Shana Segal; Vara Ramakrishnan; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Tanaka, Greg; Lydia Kou; Binder, Andrew;Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Barberini, Christopher; Foley, Michael; Figueroa, Eric; Michael Gennaco Subject:The Police Cannot Be a Law Unto Themselves opinion by JAMELLE BOUIE Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 1:46:08 PM Attachments:Jamelle Bouie.png Jamelle Bouie.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. OPINION The Police Cannot Be a Law Unto Themselves Jan. 31, 2023 4 MIN READ Andrew Kelly/Reuters By Jamelle Bouie Opinion Columnist Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it sent to your inbox. In 2020, during the weeks of protest and civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, I argued that the problem of police violence and misconduct was a problem of democracy. And this week, in the wake of yet another police killing caught on camera, I think it’s worth saying, again, that the institution of American policing lies outside any meaningful democratic control. You can think of accountability for public institutions in two ways: on the back end and on the front end. Back-end accountability takes place, as the name would suggest, after the fact. It is aimed at making sure that the rules were followed. In the context of policing, this means civilian review boards, officer discipline and judicial review. Back- end accountability provides recourse for misconduct. Front-end accountability, according to the legal scholars Maria Ponomarenko and Barry Friedman, who founded The Policing Project at N.Y.U., takes place when there are “rules in place before officials act, which are transparent, and formulated with public input.” With front-end accountability, the public has a direct say in the rules that govern an agency or institution. “Public participation can improve the quality of rules by ensuring that officials have all of the information they need to make sensible policy,” Ponomarenko and Friedman contend. “It also helps to make clear that government officials are, to the extent possible, responsive to the popular will.” ADVERTISEMENT Back-end accountability is, you could say, legal accountability, while front-end accountability is democratic accountability. The two are linked, and in American policing we see the collapse of the former and the almost total absence of the latter. “Police departments are too often insulated from legitimate citizen challenges,” Amy E. Lerman and Vesla M. Weaver write in “Arresting Citizenship: The Democratic Consequences of American Crime Control.” Citizens, they continue, “are denied effective mechanisms for ensuring that the police are held accountable.” American police officers have extraordinary power to work their will as they see fit. Local rules vary but generally speaking they can stop and frisk on the “reasonable suspicion” that you are “armed and presently dangerous.” They can stop and conduct a warrantless search of your vehicle with only “probable cause” that someone in the car or truck or van is committing a crime. The police have no obligation to either protect or assist you, even in the face of a credible threat to your life, and they are virtually immune to legal consequences for their actions under the doctrine of “qualified immunity,” with so few exceptions — like the almost immediate arrest of the offending officers accused in the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis — that it essentially proves the rule. What little accountability exists for American police is easily subverted. Internal-affairs departments are often more interested in exonerating colleagues than investigating misconduct, and police unions do everything they can to shield bad actors, attack critics and secure more due process for cops accused of abuse than their victims ever get. On those occasions when voters try to bring police departments under greater public control — by seeking to elect reform-minded mayors or district attorneys — police officers will do everything to undermine the officials in question. In 2019, San Francisco’s police union spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaign ads attacking Chesa Boudin, a progressive critic of law enforcement who was running for district attorney, as the best choice of “criminals and gang members.” In 2020, likewise, police unions spent millions trying to defeat a reformist candidate for district attorney in Los Angeles. And in Albuquerque, police unions and their allies fought a yearslong battle to try to stymie a proposed civilian oversight board that would have greater oversight authority. ADVERTISEMENT The absence of legal and, especially, democratic accountability is, or should be, an existential problem for any police reform agenda. Without a strategy to curb or break the cartel power of police departments — meaning their ability to undermine, neuter and subvert all attempts to regulate and control their actions and personnel — there is no practical way to achieve meaningful and lasting reform, if that is your goal. Indeed, anything resembling a root-and- branch transformation of American policing will only ever occur after the public is able to exercise real control over the institution itself. Put a little differently, the only reforms that can take hold in the absence of direct democratic accountability — where the public itself can shape the rules that govern policing and police officers — are those that don’t actually alter the status quo of police culture and police institutions. There is a reason, after all, that most police departments issue body cameras to their officers without serious pushback; the footage is theirs to control, in the main, and withhold from the public, should they desire to do so. With great power should come greater responsibility and accountability. The more authority you hold in your hands, the tighter the restraints should be on your wrists. To give power and authority without responsibility or accountability — to give an institution and its agents the right and the ability to do violence without restraint or consequence — is to cultivate the worst qualities imaginable, among them arrogance, sadism and contempt for the lives of others. It is, in short, to cultivate the attitudes and beliefs and habits of mind that lead too many American police officers to beat and choke and shock and shoot at a moment’s notice, with no regard for either the citizens or the communities we’re told they’re here to serve and protect. More on police violence and democracy Opinion | Radley Balko Tyre Nichols’s Death Proves Yet Again That ‘Elite’ Police Units Are a Disaster Jan. 29, 2023 Opinion | Emily Yellin Violent History Echoes in the Killing of Tyre Nichols Jan. 28, 2023 Opinion | Charles M. Blow Tyre Nichols’s Death Is America’s Shame Jan. 27, 2023 Opinion | Jamelle Bouie The Police Are Rioting. We Need to Talk About It. June 5, 2020 The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here's our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Jamelle Bouie became a New York Times Opinion columnist in 2019. Before that he was the chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He is based in Charlottesville, Va., and Washington. @jbouie Recommended Newsletters Most Commented How Long Does It Take to Get Fit Again? They Ran an Illegal Scam. Do We Let Our Child Go to Their Home? FOR TIMES SUBSCRIBERS WEEKLY Jamelle Bouie Join Jamelle Bouie as he shines alight on overlooked writing, culture and ideas from around theinternet. See the latest The Worst Foods and Drinks for Your Teeth Most Shared Gift Articles Annie Wersching, Who Played Borg Queen on ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ Dies at 45 Opinion Donald Trump Isn’t the Only One to Blame for the Capitol Riot. I’d Know. You Don’t Go to Sun Valley to Party More In Opinion Opinion When Ilhan Omar Asks Questions, Her Colleagues Should Listen Opinion The Durham Fiasco Is a Warning of What’s to Come Opinion Bill Barr’s Image Rehab Is Kaput ADVERTISEMENT Sent from my iPhone From:dean@dmccully.com To:Council, City Subject:Bay Area Disaster Day Coordination - Sat May 13 2023 with CalDART Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 11:25:40 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from dean@dmccully.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Greetings Everybody I am a volunteer with CalDART California Disaster Airlift Response Teams. Members are usually pilots of small aircraft who form a massive network of highly skilled disaster-response general aviation pilots. See the website for more info: https://caldart.org/ CalDART is planning a California-wide disaster prep/response exercise on Saturday May 13, 2023. Pilots from small 'General Aviation' airports in California will be invite to participate in a state-wide exercise involving post- disaster airlift operations. Example, in the San Francisco Bay Area, our volunteer pilots will practice response to a simulated 8.9 magnitude earthquake centered on the San Andreas Fault. If such a theoretically-possible monster quake hits the Bay Area, airlifts will be the only way to get supplies in and out for quite some time. We are reaching out to all the emergency response organizations in California to gauge interest in joining us at various small airports. Might you be associated with, or know of, an organization able to join us for coordination/planning/execution of such a disaster-day practice on May 13, 2023? If so, let me know and I'll add you to the planning notification list. Please spread the word if you know of other agencies anywhere in California who might be able to join us in a state- wide disaster exercise. Have potential participant agency reps contact me for more info. Thanks for all you do! Dean McCully To no longer receive emails about public emergency events, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line From:Maureen W Bard To:Council, City Cc:<johnbard@comcast.net> Subject:Adoption of Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 18.09 Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 10:00:50 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from mwestenberger@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Maureen Bard 947 Waverley St. Palo Alto, CA 94301 mwestenberger@gmail.com 650-799-3335 Via Email: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Honorable Lydia Kou, Vice Mayor Honorable Greer Stone, Vice Mayor Honorable City Council Members City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto CA 94301 Re: January 30, 2023, Special Meeting,1 Agenda Item 3, SECOND READING: Adoption of Amendments to Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 18.09, Accessory and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units due to State Law Changes and Direction from the California Department of Housing and Community Development Members of the Council, I’m asking you to withhold approval of the updated ADU ordinance and instead make certain it is reasonable and fair in its height allowances. My husband and I have lived in Palo Alto since 1993, and in 2000 we were fortunate enough to move to an enviable location downtown----we walk or bike to everything: jobs, food, healthcare, education, parks. Making such a location available to more people contributes to the greater good. We’ve raised 3 children here. One was a boomerang who lived and worked from our home during the pandemic. Our youngest is a freshman in college, and my 100 year old mother has come to live with us. Our housing needs are ever-evolving. I am a member of the sandwich generation, but at times I feel like I’m the old man in the movie “Up”--the one in which his neighborhood comes to engulf and tower over his charming home. Unlike that character, I accept the changes we need to make in housing density. In fact, I am asking the Council to reconsider the inconsistently restrictive height limit on ADU’s. People complain that wealthy homeowners are building ADU’s for private use. In reality, many of us are simply trying to create lifetime options. An ADU can provide a means to age in place. It can offer rental income that will help us pay our property taxes and make retirement here a possibility. It can create a starter home for the next generation. It can allow us to downsize and offer our more spacious house to a new family. And when we no longer can care for ourselves, it can shelter a caregiver. In any case, our construction of an ADU increases housing supply. I know the Council laments that it cannot mitigate the loss of privacy that backyard dwellings create. Nevertheless, the Council does have power to make the height limit fair and equitable. Our case is particularly illustrative: On our block of 15 homes, only two of us are limited to a 16' height. Moreover, every property on my street is R-2. We are surrounded by two-story multi-family structures overlooking our backyard. The one next door even has the opportunity to add two 18’ ADU’s. Our front yard lies within the ½ mile transit corridor, yet according to one city planner, we don’t qualify for the 18’ height because a strict (and in my view inappropriate) reading of Section 21555 deems that 75% of the property needs to be within that distance. Note that that section of code, which defines “transit priority projects” also states the project must “provide a minimum net density of at least 20 dwelling units per acre…and not more than 10 percent of the residential units or 100 units, whichever is less, in the project are farther than one-half mile from the stop or corridor.” Clearly such language is not applicable to ADU's for R-1 and R-2 properties. It doesn’t seem fair or sensible to refer to an outdated and fundamentally inapplicable definition of the ½ mile delineation. You might ask whether a two foot height increase really makes a difference to the ADU? In fact, it makes a huge difference…the difference between an attic that is just a crawl space and an attic allowing a desk to work from home or a bed to accommodate a family member. It offers space that can make tiny house living much more comfortable for anyone who must opt for it. The city has the ability to expand that potential. The ADU we have planned for our backyard has skylights and obscured glass in the loft space to protect privacy. Its footprint has already been carved away to accommodate the trees we all want to protect. We’re giving up our garage. Naturally we don’t want every inch of outdoor space allocated to an ADU, so maximizing the usable loft makes in-fill housing more pleasant for everyone. Please consider homeowners like me, and refrain from adopting the updated ADU ordinance. Instead, reconsider ways to make it fairer while optimizing the quality of living conditions for as many people as possible. Sincerely, Maureen Bard From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Council, City; ladoris cordell; Shikada, Ed; Jethroe Moore; Kaloma Smith; Bains,Paul; Rebecca Eisenberg; Joe Simitian; Winter Dellenbach; Josh Becker; Jay Boyarsky; chuck jagoda; Wagner,April; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Figueroa, Eric; Greer Stone; Reifschneider, James; Human RelationsCommission; Angie Evans; Binder, Andrew; Enberg, Nicholas; Shana Segal; Ed Lauing; Jeff Rosen; Lydia Kou; PatBurt; Greg Tanaka Subject:Re: 6 members of the PAPD sue over Palo Alto BLM mural. Date:Tuesday, January 31, 2023 1:16:24 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ > > Do you ever wonder like I do what type of mind set the members of the PAPD who sued over the BLM mural must have? Are these officers mentally fit to even be police officers? If you are a POC would you feel comfortable being pulled over or stopped by an officer with a mind set antagonist to a simple symbolic BLM mural? Are our white dominated council member afraid to even ask about this situation? > > From:Aram James To:Council, City; Dave Price; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Binder, Andrew; Emily Mibach; BradenCartwright; Julie Lythcott-Haims Subject:Police practices in this country is a mess and an ever escalating problem — why did we turn a blind eye to this as a city council priority???? We have a toxic environment with regards deadly police killings in this country and no end in sight -two year... Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 11:25:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>Date: January 30, 2023 at 11:20:54 PM PSTTo: CityCouncil <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Police practices in this country is a mess and an ever escalatingproblem — why did we turn a blind eye to this as a city council priority????We have a toxic environment with regards deadly police killings in thiscountry and no end in sight -two years after George Floyd and 2022 was mostpolice killings on record - nearly 1200-Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Council, City Subject:Warning should come only be after staff report is complete Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 10:38:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Pat Burt; Council, City Subject:Don’t unduly limit public speaking — but allow council members to go on Adnausuem — since they routinely in love with their own words Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 10:31:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Council, City Subject:Very subjective what is a critical item Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 10:27:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Council, City; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Gennady Sheyner Subject:Re: Greer stone analogizing the rotation of the vice mayor and mayor to a kindergarten class where everywhere is rewarded was a thinly veiled racist attack on Greg Tanaka. This is the second time Greer Stone by implication has attacked Greg Tanaka with... Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 9:00:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Oh, and Greer Stone is no Barrack Obama!!!’ Sent from my iPhone On Jan 30, 2023, at 8:06 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>Date: January 30, 2023 at 8:03:07 PM PSTTo: Julie Lythcott-Haims <julieforpaloalto@gmail.com>, Greg Tanaka <greg@gregtanaka.org>Subject: Greer stone analogizing the rotation of the vice mayorand mayor to a kindergarten class where everywhere is rewardedwas a thinly veiled racist attack on Greg Tanaka. This is thesecond time Greer Stone by implication has attacked GregTanaka with this same vile analogy Sent from my iPhone From:John Kelley To:Council, City Subject:PA-ADUs - Please remove Item 3 from the consent calendar, etc. Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 4:14:20 PM Attachments:PA-PACC-letter to CPA re Two-Story ADUs- 2023-01-30a.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________ Via Email: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Honorable Lydia Kou, Vice MayorHonorable Greer Stone, Vice MayorHonorable City Council MembersCity of Palo Alto250 Hamilton AvenuePalo Alto CA 94301 Re: January 30, 2023, Special Meeting,[1] Agenda Item 3, SECOND READING: Adoption of Amendments to PaloAlto Municipal Code Chapter 18.09, Accessory and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units due to State Law Changes andDirection from the California Department of Housing and Community Development…”[2] I strongly urge you (a) to remove this item from the consent calendar, and (b) not to adopt the Proposed Ordinanceuntil it has been amended (i) to make two-story ADUs of any size[3] lawful throughout Palo Alto, or (ii) minimally,in the alternative, to direct the PTC and City Staff to consider this issue in late February and to return an amendmentto the Proposed Ordinance to the City Council no later than March 31, 2023 that would make two-story ADUs ofany size lawful throughout Palo Alto. Please see the attached letter. Thank you, John Kelley From:MehrzadTo:utilitiesprogramservices@cityofpaloalto.org Cc:City Mgr; Kou, Lydia; kou.pacc@gmail.com; Council, City Subject:P.A. Utility gas prices do not reflect the natural gas prices in the marketDate:Monday, January 30, 2023 2:58:24 PM Attachments:Gas Prices.pngNatural Gas Prices 2.png Some people who received this message don't often get email from mehrzadrasti@gmail.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, After receiving the December and January utility bills, we are shocked, and have noticed a 81.5% increase in the price of natural gas since last month(December 2022), and a total increase of 119.1% in our utility bill since November 2022. This unreasonable increase is done by the utility department while theprice of natural gas in the country has been falling considerably since last year. In the following link and chart please see the "Henry Hub Natural Gas SpotPrice" for Jan 24 2023 that shows the price is at its lowest level since the beginning of 2022. We believe something is very wrong in calculating the gas pricesfor utility customers in Palo Alto. Can you please explain why you are charging this unacceptable prices? Thank you, Mehrzad Rasti 650 391-4725 https://ycharts.com/indicators/henry_hub_natural_gas_spot_price https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/natural-gas From:David Lewis To:Council, City Subject:Honoring Tom Jordan Date:Monday, January 30, 2023 1:53:49 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from dlewis@savesfbay.org. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Members of the Palo Alto city council, and residents of Palo Alto: I regret I cannot be with you in person or via phone for public comment tonight to pay tribute to the late Tom Jordan, so I’m sharing these remarks with you. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, and tens of thousands of Save The Bay supporters throughout the Bay Area, we are grateful for the work and legacy of Tom Jordan which we enjoy today and which our successors will enjoy for generations … from the shoreline to the ridgeline. I was born in Palo Alto in 1961, raised there, and still have family living in town. We have been privileged to know and benefit from the giants who worked to protect nature in the city – Tom Jordan and Byron Sher, Florence LaRiviere, Enid Pearson, Emily Renzel and many others in more recent years. In particular, Save The Bay (originally Save San Francisco Bay Association) benefitted from Tom’s wise counsel on our Board of Directors for many years, and directly from his leadership on litigation that establishing public’s right to protect wetlands against private developers filling San Francisco Bay. Those legal victories established important precedents still applied today, and they also gave credibility and power to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) – the fledgling state agency Save The Bay convinced the legislature and Governor Ronald Reagan to establish in 1969 to regulate the Bay and shoreline. That first-in-the-nation coastal zone management agency was still in its infancy, and Tom’s work to help enforce its early decisions was crucial. It became the model for the Coastal Commission and every similar agency in the world. Just as BCDC regionalized public oversight of the Bay that had previously been governed by each individual city, so also did Tom and those other Palo Alto leaders regionalize community advocacy for the Bay, open space and nature throughout the Bay Area. People for Open Space, Save The Bay, Committee for Green Foothills, the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge were broader regional collaborations that gave the public more power to influence city decisions to consider not just the benefits and impacts to people living within city limits, but in neighboring communities beyond. It’s a lesson we’re still learning today – opening up Foothills Park beyond Palo Alto residents, trying to plan transit and housing regionally, not just for each city. Tom deserves credit for showing us that way. Although he was a generation older than I, or perhaps because of it, Tom was a generous and gentle mentor to me when I became Save The Bay’s Executive Director 25 years ago, and continuing until very recently. He introduced me to colleagues in other organizations and people he thought I could mentor. He called me with observations about policy opportunities, and also ways he thought Save The Bay could do better and partner creatively. And he was great about thanking us when we were successful at making change, and for trying hard even when we were unsuccessful. Maybe our shared Palo Alto experience helped, but I know he was generous in that same way with others. Our last conversation was him congratulating us on a big legal victory over Cargill Salt – stopping the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency from allowing developers to pave Redwood City salt ponds in the Bay for 4,000 homes. It had been decades since Save The Bay had filed a suit in federal court, and he understood what a big deal it was for us to win and establish strong precedent for the federal Clean Water Act to protect wetlands. This legacy of Tom’s – as a generous mentor helping the next generation to be effective advocates – is perhaps the most important legacy any of us can leave. Whatever our passion or expertise, we magnify and extend our impact by giving time and counsel to younger, less experienced people who will follow us. As more of Tom’s generation passes, I especially appreciate those like Tom who’ve managed to be tenacious and passionate advocates while keeping a kind demeanor and a generous spirit and time to help others. We should all appreciate and value that even more because of the awful rise in hatred, selfishness and coarseness over the last decade. You honor Tom and his legacy when you strive to help people and nature, whether as involved residents or elected officials. Thank you! -- David Lewis Executive Director dlewis@saveSFbay.org | 510-463-6802 | www.saveSFbay.org Pronouns: he, him, his Protect and Restore San Francisco BayFor People and Wildlife