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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200525plCC2 701-32 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: 05/25/2020 Document dates: 5/6/2020 – 5/13/2020 Set 2 of 5 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 32 Baumb, Nelly From:Lesley N. Robertson <lrobertson@stanford.edu> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 10:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:College terrace library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council.    Please vote to keep College Terrace Library open.    It is a treasured part of our community, a neighborhood hub and a valuable resource.    Visiting on a weekday one sees young families, retirees, young adults quietly engaged. It’s served a diverse group    And speaking practically, children  in college terrace and surrounds can  bike far more safely to this location than to the  much more distant Mitchell branch or downtown  branch.    College terrace library is a Palo Alto gem.  Please vote to keep it open.    Sincerely  Lesley Robertson      33 Baumb, Nelly From:Karen Price <rolfingduo@earthlink.net> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 10:30 PM To:Brent Barker Cc:Cook, James F.; Summa, Doria; Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Deborah Plumley; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Eileen Stolee; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; Margaret Allen; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Ronda Rosner; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org; Alan Gianotti; Valerie Sarma; Berkeley Revenaugh; Derek Gurney; Todd Lincoln; Danielle Makler; Sukhi Nagesh; Alicia Thesing; Dan Kaleba; Michael Naar; Ewen Wang; Manuel Amieva; Ross Revenaugh; Chris Makler; WENDY COOK; Ingrid Rulifson; Hank Edson; Clara Stoen; Suzie Lincoln; Pam Morgenfeld; Jeff Stoen; Ming-son Wang; Emily Wang; Geeske Joel Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Adding my voice of support. I’ve been looking forward to the library reopening as soon as deemed safe. The staff as well  as the access to books are a treasured part of my life. I can also volunteer if needed.      Karen Price   Sent from my iPhone    On May 8, 2020, at 9:49 PM, Brent Barker <brentgbarker@gmail.com> wrote:  We also strongly agree!!!  We have lived here for 42 years and use College Terrace Library all the time  and will do all we can to support it!!!     Brent and Jane    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 7:50 PM James Cook <jamesfelixcook@yahoo.com> wrote:  Dear City Council Members,      I wholeheartedly agree with my neighbors and friends: we believe keeping the College Terrace is a way  to promote community, wonder and happiness during a time of isolation, despair and sadness.  34   Thank you for your consideration and good luck in your difficult decisions ahead.    Stay safe and healthy,  James Felix Cook      On May 8, 2020, at 6:03 PM, doria s <doriasumma@gmail.com> wrote:     I agree   And i will do all I can to maintain this community asset from unnecessarily being shut  down for false economies.   Very best  Doria    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 5:35 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:  Fully agree and would gladly volunteer there.  There are going to be myriad changes  to our community b/c of Covid; let’s not toss the cherished community‐building  treasures of our community.      It is important that CC (and other levels of government) not use Covid as a means to  an end for certain pre‐Covid agendas.  Community preservation is critical now  precisely b/c of the economic jolt.  And neighborhood libraries may well be a primary  resource for many Palo Altans once they reopen.       Sent from my iPhone    On May 8, 2020, at 4:31 PM, Richard Such <wrichardsuch@gmail.com> wrote:  We  have lived in College Terrace for more than 50 years.  The branch  library is a cultural institution that we have treasured and used, it  seems at least once a week, except for the couple of painful years  during which it was closed for renovation  appreciate its importance to residents of College Terrace and  surrounding neighborhoods.  The alternatives for us are car rides  across town to Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries, which are  increasingly difficult for seniors like ourselves.  Parents of young  children also depend on the children’s section and the reading‐aloud  sessions there, including recent, English‐learning immigrants and  visitors. Please do not close it, not even temporarily.  The closure for  the pandemic has been hard enough.     Richard and Jane Such,   ‐‐   Doria Summa  (650) 867 7544 Mobile        Redacted 35   ‐‐   Brent Barker  Freelance Writer  650‐813‐9433  650‐388‐0927 (cell)  36 Baumb, Nelly From:Karen Price <rolfingduo@earthlink.net> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 10:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close College Terrace Library! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am a senior living in a very overpriced rental in College Terrace. The proximity to the library with its wonderful staff and  access to books not only from the Palo Alto library but the link plus system are a treasured part of my life.    Please find other projects to postpone and keep the library open. It is an extremely valuable part of our community.    Thank you,  Karen Price  Hanover St    Sent from my iPhone  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Roche <al2roche@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 10:48 AM To:Council, City Subject:Don't Close College Terrace Library! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To: Palo Alto City Council    From: College Terrace residents Aidan and Louise Roche,     PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE COLLEGE TERRACE LIBRARY! It’s a unique and very valuable resource for our neighborhood and  surrounding Palo Alto area. We all rely on its essential services.      Redacted 2 Baumb, Nelly From:Aria C <ariannagolf@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:40 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library Proposed Closure CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,  I am a College Terrace resident and I heard about the proposal to close our library. This proposal is deeply disturbing to  me as someone who grew up in Palo Alto and remembers studying at the library during high school and enjoying every  visit to our quaint little library. I understand that this is a difficult time for the city, but please consider prioritizing  keeping our library open over other initiatives. Our library is a central gathering place for our community and losing it  would be devastating to many during an already very hard time. Please help our neighborhood maintains its moral and  find another way to cut costs.   Sincerely,  Arianna  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Rachelle Doorley <radoorley@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:32 PM To:Council, City Subject:Keep the College Terrace Library open CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To City Council members,     I submit my plea to keep the College Terrace Library open. As you know, our libraries are safe havens for children in the  community, a necessary space for elderly citizens who need somewhere to spend their days in the company of others, a  resource for all who have a thirst for knowledge. I realize that there's a need right now to cut budgets, but the libraries  are not the place to do this. They may be closed for the time being, but will once again be there for us as a thriving third  space in our community.     Sincerely,  Rachelle Doorley  Cubberley Artist‐in‐Residence    4 Baumb, Nelly From:Elan Music <elanloeb@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 7:59 PM To:Council, City Subject:Save the Libraries! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please don't cut funding to the Libraries. Cut the city managers salary!    Thanks,  Elan Loeb   5 Baumb, Nelly From:Jan Rubens <rubens.jan@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 7:44 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I appreciate that there are difficult challenges to the Palo Alto budget. But it Ironic that in a time when our country faces  a crisis in many ways similar to the Great Depression, the College Terrace Library, a product of the WPA, [a model that  should be replicated today] is considered for closure.    The library serves not only College Terrace, but neighboring Barron Park, Evergreen, Ventura, and University Terrace.  The library is the lone community center for the area. It provides essential services such as a children's library and  programs, the computers available for those without, the quiet tables for reading and, above all, the access to the  library's extensive system, research materials, films, and more.     Not everyone has a car to drive to distant libraries. Nor  are young children able to take a bus, whereas to walk or bike to  the library is safe and easy.    1930s Palo Alto understood the need for a library in our neighborhood. Please do not minimize that need now.    Sincerely,  Jan Rubens  Oberlin Street  Palo Alto 94306  6 Baumb, Nelly From:Kimberley Wong <sheepgirl1@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 7:10 PM To:Council, City Subject:Request to keep College terrace library open CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Mayor and City Council members,    As the city slowly reopens its services I am pretty sure there is great trepidation of many schools and groups to host  summer classes in light of the COVID‐19 pandemic.    If this is the case, there will be many children with a lot of free time on their hands. There will be a need for as many  libraries to be open for as many hours as possible this summer. Not only that, many students are home from college.  Plans for internships, abroad programs and jobs have dissolved over the course of these last few months of shutdown.  They will also need a place to research their next steps and to periodically distance from parents. And parents, they will  also be working from home much more and will need a place to distance from the family.    There was a huge debate at one point about having one main library or the smaller neighborhood libraries. I thank  Councilwoman McCormack for fighting and fundraising for these smaller libraries!    For many years Palo Alto residents have embraced and cherished our group of smaller libraries. Please do not cut hours  or close the College Terrace library completely. I’m sure that you will be able to find residents such as myself to  volunteer their time to help at the library. I myself was a volunteer at the children’s library for quite a few years when  my children were young and loved it! And if faced with closure or stepping up to volunteer, I’m sure I and many others  will choose the latter!    I request that you keep the College Terrace Library open.    Thank you,  Kimberley Wong,  Longtime resident of Palo Alto    7 Baumb, Nelly From:Susan Wright <susanawright433@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 6:49 PM To:Council, City Subject:Do not close College Terrace Library! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi ‐ I just learned about the library closing and I think that is the worse place to cut. The community uses it because it is  in our neighborhood and it was just remodeled! You have to find something else such as salaries. I had to take a pay cut  for my job, the city manager and other highly paid executives need to take a pay cut. I let would be difficult for them to  find new jobs in this environment. That is most logical conclusion. They aren’t doing that great of a job. I lived here 43  years and have a hard enough time getting around without taking away my local library. It is impossible to find parking  spaces at other libraries.    Thank you for reconsidering the alternatives.    Susan Wright    Palo Alto, CA 94306  Redacted 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Margaret Heath <maggi650@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 6:21 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,     During this time of isolation the community is fractured, but as the current restrictions are gradually lifted the last thing  we should be doing is semi‐permanently closing the College Terrace Library, a much loved city facility that will play an  important role in bringing the  community together again.     The College Terrace Library is not only the heart of our community but also a local and city‐wide treasure. Over the years  I have not infrequently encountered friends who are not just from "this side of the tracks"  but also from other  communities across the city who either stopped by while running errands or made it their destination.  The only place  that  people of all ages encounter one another and come together to use and enjoy.     It is a concern that if the College Terrace Library is closed for two years that may make it an easy target for permanent  closure.  In the past we have had to rally to defend the College Terrace Library on more than one occasion from a city  hall agenda aimed at eliminating branch libraries.  Fortunately there has always been a huge outpouring of support for  our College Terrace Library, and I'm sure this time will be no different. Especially vital in a time when "walkable  neighborhoods" are an ever more elusive city‐wide goal as previous retail and other amenities disappear.      Consequently I am adding my voice to those of so many others in asking that  the College Terrace Library immediately  reopens at the same time as the other libraries reopen. This will be a huge step as our community begins to go about  not only regaining normalcy and routines, but also most importantly a place to reconnect and rebuild our sense of  community purpose and support for one another.      Sincerely,  Margaret Heath   Redacted 9 Baumb, Nelly From:Leonor Delgado <leonor31@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 5:19 PM To:Council, City Cc:Leonor Delgado Subject:Do NOT Close the College Park Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Voicing opposition to this proposed budget cut! The library is a valued asset used by folks from the neighborhood,  Barron Park, Evergreen, Ventura, University Terrace (Stanford junior faculty) and others. Once you dissolve libraries, you  harm the community and erode democracy.    What should be cut? Payments to expensive contractors who represent wealthy developers, many of whom are out‐of‐ state and worse, out‐of‐country. Funding should be allocated to education, and maintenance of neighborhood libraries  supports education and the common good.    Leonor Delgado    10 Baumb, Nelly From:Mark Whiteley <mark.whiteley76@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 3:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closure of College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council members,    As 16‐year residents of College Terrace, we were extremely disappointed to read recently of the plan to close down the  CT Library branch. We, along with many of our friends and neighbors, have always been regular users of the branch, and  find it unfair that our neighborhood branch of the library system would be the only one to close. Why can it not simply  operate at reduced hours, as many of the other branches will be? As you know, this will leave our region of the city  without a convenient local branch, while other areas will have multiple, or at least one large branch. Even a few hours a  week would be wonderful for our neighborhood and the residents of other nearby neighborhoods who also patronize  the branch — and living directly across from the library as we do, we know there are many.    Please reconsider this plan so as to treat our neighborhood and region of the city fairly.    Thank you,  The Whiteley family  11 Baumb, Nelly From:Noel Bakhtian <nmb@alumni.stanford.edu> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 2:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To the City Council members,   As a former Library Commissioner for Palo Alto, PhD from Stanford, and currently director for an energy consortium of universities, I submit my plea that the College Terrace library remain open. This library is an irreplaceable piece of the community fabric, a resource for many of the neighborhoods, and a place for our neighbors and families to meet and socialize. The loss of the library would hurt surrounding property values. Libraries are an important piece of kids' childhoods, a safe place, a resource without censorship, and our librarians provide tools and education that can't be found elsewhere.  Thank you for your consideration,  ~Noel Bakhtian  12 Baumb, Nelly From:Ann Balin <alafargue@mac.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 12:30 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Mayor Fine and Council Members,    I am writing you to ask that you reflect carefully on the community’s essential needs including the retention of the  College Terrace Library. What makes Palo Alto Palo Alto? Some say it is the role of the town pertaining to technology  startups or the real estate values. Many constituents feel that our branch library system is the backbone of our town.  These institutions are where a love of reading and exploring are nurtured. The College Terrace Library is a community  center where people come together for meetings, picnics on the grounds and to cool off during a heatwave. I want to  stress that people use the library from Evergreen, Southgate, Ventura, Barron Park and Stanford to name the obvious  neighborhoods but others come to this library from other areas of Palo Alto as well.    Please do not close the College Terrace library as it is necessary for the wellbeing of citizens. Yes we will have to work  together to finesse the safety use of the library when it will open. One suggestion is that some readings can be held on  the green with social distancing.    Joe Simitian grew up in Evergreen and his dad lived, in later years, in College Terrace. Donaldina Cameron lived here as  did Lucy Evans. My late father grew up here and benefited from the College Terrace library as did my grandmother.    Libraries are pillars of democracy. To whittle away these critical institutions would not serve the constituents.    Please take a cold fish eye look at the capital construction projects on the roster to see what is crucial at this time. I  know that Google has only offered one million dollars for the pedestrian/bike bridge project. We have a tunnel that  needs to be up to code and safe. Then when the coffers are replenished, this project could go forward. Cutting a library  for this bridge would be unconscionable. In good times I supported the bridge yet it did seem overpriced, to say the  least, and our town has taken flack as many call it a luxurious boondoggle.    I know of some landlords who have cut rent for their tenants to show solidarity.    In the same vein can’t those with salaries of $300,000 or more offer to cut their pay by at least two percent?    I sympathize with the difficult task ahead for the council concerning the budget issues during this crisis. As Albert  Einstein said, “Knowledge is nothing without imagination.” Kindly listen to the constituents and do your utmost best to  view them as supportive not adversarial.    Sincerely,    Ann Lafargue Balin        14 Baumb, Nelly From:Karen Damian <karenswansondamian@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:21 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear council members   i know you have many difficult decisions to make and would not want your job. Still, i am writing to plead for keeping  open our little neighborhood treasure, the College Terrace Library. It is the heart of our neighborhood and a premier  gathering place for families, elders, homeless and other ordinary folks. Please do not let false economies and this awful  virus take away one more thing that nourishes and sustains us.   Perhaps it matters that the building was restored not too long ago to its original Birge Clark beauty and is a treasure in  its own right. Please consider saving our wonderful library for its many patrons in College Terrace and those who come  from other places to use it.     Karen and Dick Damian    Palo Alto, CA 94306   Redacted 15 Baumb, Nelly From:patbeatty621@aol.com Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:46 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please keep the College Terrace library open. It's small but such a wonderful resource for the surrounding neighborhood  residents.  It's in a pleasant walkable area and has a large and very pleasant outdoor/green area.   Thank you,  Pat Beatty  Mayfield neighborhood resident  16 Baumb, Nelly From:Eileen Stolee <estolee@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 8:57 AM To:Ronda Rosner Cc:Summa, Doria; Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brent Barker; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Deborah Plumley; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Cook, James F.; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karen Price; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; Margaret Allen; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,   I hope everyone on this thread has sent their concerns to the City Council.    Please send an email to city.council@cityofpaloalto.org   It is very important that our elected officials hear from all of us!    Thanks,  Eileen Stolee        On Sat, May 9, 2020 at 6:20 PM Ronda Rosner <rondarosner@gmail.com> wrote:  Yes, I'm annoyed that $1.3M can be saved from reducing hours at other branches, yet the city will only save $167K from a complete closure of the CT library. There has to be a better compromise, like reducing the open days for CT from four to three perhaps? A complete closure is too extreme and unfair to our hood! Ronda, "It is strange how new and unexpected conditions bring out unguessed ability to meet them."  ~ Edgar Rice Burroughs         On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 6:03 PM doria s <doriasumma@gmail.com> wrote:  Redacted 17 I agree   And i will do all I can to maintain this community asset from unnecessarily being shut down for false economies.   Very best  Doria    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 5:35 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:  Fully agree and would gladly volunteer there.  There are going to be myriad changes to our community b/c of Covid;  let’s not toss the cherished community‐building treasures of our community.      It is important that CC (and other levels of government) not use Covid as a means to an end for certain pre‐Covid  agendas.  Community preservation is critical now precisely b/c of the economic jolt.  And neighborhood libraries may  well be a primary resource for many Palo Altans once they reopen.       Sent from my iPhone    On May 8, 2020, at 4:31 PM, Richard Such <wrichardsuch@gmail.com> wrote:  We  have lived in College Terrace for more than 50 years.  The branch library is a cultural institution  that we have treasured and used, it seems at least once a week, except for the couple of painful  years during which it was closed for renovation  appreciate its importance to residents of College Terrace and surrounding neighborhoods.  The  alternatives for us are car rides across town to Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries, which are  increasingly difficult for seniors like ourselves.  Parents of young children also depend on the  children’s section and the reading‐aloud sessions there, including recent, English‐learning immigrants  and visitors. Please do not close it, not even temporarily.  The closure for the pandemic has been  hard enough.     Richard and Jane Such,   ‐‐   Doria Summa  (650) 867 7544 Mobile    Redacted 18 Baumb, Nelly From:Hank Edson <hank@familytreemediation.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 8:06 AM To:Cook, James F. Cc:Summa, Doria; Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brent Barker; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Deborah Plumley; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Eileen Stolee; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karen Price; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; Margaret Allen; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Ronda Rosner; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org; Alan Gianotti; Valerie Sarma; Berkeley Revenaugh; Derek Gurney; Todd Lincoln; Danielle Makler; Sukhi Nagesh; Alicia Thesing; Dan Kaleba; Michael Naar; Ewen Wang; Manuel Amieva; Ross Revenaugh; Chris Makler; WENDY COOK; Ingrid Rulifson; Clara Stoen; Suzie Lincoln; Pam Morgenfeld; Jeff Stoen; Ming-son Wang; Emily Wang; Geeske Joel Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     The College Terrace library plays an irreplaceable role in the college terrace ecosystem. College Terrace is one of the  most diverse and accessible Palo Alto neighborhoods for young families with young children. Nestled between Stanford,  Page Mill Road corporate offices and the California Avenue corridor, this neighborhood’s hub is Palo Alto’s oldest library.  It is the only community institution between the three noted commercial enterprise areas. In addition, what you may  not appreciate is how the library contributes to the ecology of the California Ave corridor and farmers market, to  Stanford and even to the corporate offices between Page Mill and College Terrace. Image Stanford without Hoover  Tower. College Terrace gives Stanford, Page Mill and California Ave the feel of bordering an oasis where children walk  the sidewalks carrying books to and from the library attended  by their parents pushing a stroller. The library gives the  neighborhood dignity, solidity, elegance, tradition. Take it away and suddenly the neighborhood starts feeling like the  disappearing remainder of something being squeezed out by commercialism. And the surrounding commercial areas  begin to feel like sprawl in the heart of Palo Alto. Meanwhile, all the kids at Escondido Elementary, many not yet old  enough to attend, and many more besides will undeniably have the frequency of replenished different books to read  substantially diminished and their relationship with and fondness for the library experience as part of American life and  values erased without even knowing it. The many elderly living in college terrace also will have their quality of life  meaningfully diminished. The entire community, I can tell you, will grieve. (And I dare say that would not be without  political consequences.) When it comes to quality of life, some aspects of the ecosystem have a non‐quantifiable value  that is irreplaceable. The College Terrace Library is one.  It would be a huge and destructive mistake for the council to  19 close this library.  I often hear people ask, “What does the city council really do?”  Don’t let the only answer they  consciously experience be: “They close our library.  That’s what they do.” The difference between the library’s budget  and the cost of maintaining a wasted asset is small. Surely intelligent leadership can come up with a means for saving  this living, vitally contributing heart of a showcase Palo Alto community representative of economic inclusivity, family  values, and cultural diversity!     Sincerely,    Hank Edson    6506447160      Sent from my iPhone      On May 8, 2020, at 7:50 PM, James Cook <jamesfelixcook@yahoo.com> wrote:     Dear City Council Members,      I wholeheartedly agree with my neighbors and friends: we believe keeping the College Terrace is a way  to promote community, wonder and happiness during a time of isolation, despair and sadness.    Thank you for your consideration and good luck in your difficult decisions ahead.    Stay safe and healthy,  James Felix Cook      On May 8, 2020, at 6:03 PM, doria s <doriasumma@gmail.com> wrote:     I agree   And i will do all I can to maintain this community asset from unnecessarily being shut  down for false economies.   Very best  Doria    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 5:35 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:  Fully agree and would gladly volunteer there.  There are going to be myriad changes to  our community b/c of Covid; let’s not toss the cherished community‐building treasures  of our community.      It is important that CC (and other levels of government) not use Covid as a means to an  end for certain pre‐Covid agendas.  Community preservation is critical now precisely  b/c of the economic jolt.  And neighborhood libraries may well be a primary resource  for many Palo Altans once they reopen.       Sent from my iPhone  Redacted 20   On May 8, 2020, at 4:31 PM, Richard Such <wrichardsuch@gmail.com> wrote:  We  have lived in College Terrace for more than 50 years.  The branch  library is a cultural institution that we have treasured and used, it  seems at least once a week, except for the couple of painful years  during which it was closed for renovation  appreciate its importance to residents of College Terrace and  surrounding neighborhoods.  The alternatives for us are car rides  across town to Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries, which are  increasingly difficult for seniors like ourselves.  Parents of young  children also depend on the children’s section and the reading‐aloud  sessions there, including recent, English‐learning immigrants and  visitors. Please do not close it, not even temporarily.  The closure for  the pandemic has been hard enough.     Richard and Jane Such,   ‐‐   Doria Summa  (650) 867 7544 Mobile    Redacted 21 Baumb, Nelly From:Hank Edson <hank@familytreemediation.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 8:01 AM To:Pria Graves Cc:Council, City; ctraboard@googlegroups.com Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     The College Terrace library plays an irreplaceable role in the college terrace ecosystem. College Terrace is one of the  most diverse and accessible Palo Alto neighborhoods for young families with young children. Nestled between Stanford,  Page Mill Road corporate offices and the California Avenue corridor, this neighborhood’s hub is Palo Alto’s oldest library.  It is the only community institution between the three noted commercial enterprise areas. In addition, what you may  not appreciate is how the library contributes to the ecology of the California Ave corridor and farmers market, to  Stanford and even to the corporate offices between Page Mill and College Terrace. Image Stanford without Hoover  Tower. College Terrace gives Stanford, Page Mill and California Ave the feel of bordering an oasis where children walk  the sidewalks carrying books to and from the library attended  by their parents pushing a stroller. The library gives the  neighborhood dignity, solidity, elegance, tradition. Take it away and suddenly the neighborhood starts feeling like the  disappearing remainder of something being squeezed out by commercialism. And the surrounding commercial areas  begin to feel like sprawl in the heart of Palo Alto. Meanwhile, all the kids at Escondido Elementary, many not yet old  enough to attend, and many more besides will undeniably have the frequency of replenished different books to read  substantially diminished and their relationship with and fondness for the library experience as part of American life and  values erased without even knowing it. The many elderly living in college terrace also will have their quality of life  meaningfully diminished. The entire community, I can tell you, will grieve. (And I dare say that would not be without  political consequences.) When it comes to quality of life, some aspects of the ecosystem have a non‐quantifiable value  that is irreplaceable. The College Terrace Library is one.  It would be a huge and destructive mistake for the council to  close this library.  I often hear people ask, “What does the city council really do?”  Don’t let the only answer they  consciously experience be: “They close our library.  That’s what they do.” The difference between the library’s budget  and the cost of maintaining a wasted asset is small. Surely intelligent leadership can come up with a means for saving  this living, vitally contributing heart of a showcase Palo Alto community representative of economic inclusivity, family  values, and cultural diversity!     Sincerely,    Hank Edson    6506447160    Sent from my iPhone      On May 9, 2020, at 3:20 PM, Pria Graves <priag@birketthouse.com> wrote:  Dear Council Members,     I am very concerned about the proposed closure of the College Terrace Library.  Redacted 22   There are four city libraries east of the El Camino/train track corridor plus several community centers,  theatre, art center, museum/zoo and various other city‐provided facilities. Those of us to the west of the  El Camino corridor have only one: the College Terrace Library!    This is our only facility that provides us with a place to pick up books, use city computers, hold small  group gatherings and children’s readings, etc. It is not appropriate that the city should simply shut down  this important community resource for two years! This rather feels like a “wrong side of the tracks”  approach.  I know we are not as numerous or as wealthy as those on the “other side”, but we do matter!    The City talks a great talk about getting folks out of our cars.  Yet if you remove our library, we have no  way to pick up books, use city computers, hold community meetings, etc. without traveling at least two  miles to the nearest facility.  And these facilities are not well served by public transit, particularly at  night!    I am a die‐hard user of transit, bikes, and walking.  But I will admit that I am uncomfortable attending a  meeting at Rinconada or Mitchell Park at night.  Crossing El Camino and the tracks on a bike is not a  comfortable experience even for one like me who has regularly bicycled “everywhere” for the past 50  years. If the city is serious about getting folks to use alternative modes of transport, you need to keep  facilities in less served areas of the city such as College Terrace.      Please do NOT close the College Terrace library!    Regards,     Pria Graves    6504932153  Redacted 23 Baumb, Nelly From:Samidh Chakrabarti <samidh@samidh.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 11:07 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep Open the College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.    Dear Palo Alto City Council,    I'm a resident of College Terrace and I'm writing to express my strong concerns about a proposal to close down  operations at the College Terrace Branch of the Palo Alto Library. This library is absolutely a hub of our community and  its closure could have a devastating impact on the neighborhood's cohesion.     While I understand the very difficult fiscal situation facing the city, I hope there may be other creative ways we could  make up the shortfall. For example, instead of closing this branch of the library, perhaps further curtail the number of  days it is open per week from 4 to 3. Or perhaps delay the planned improvements to Cameron Park.    I truly hope you will take this into consideration in working with the City Manager on the final decision. The coronavirus  crisis is undoubtedly going to have a big impact on our municipality, but as we figure out what the new normal will look  like, let's be sure not to permanently erode the infrastructure that makes our communities vibrant.    Best,  Samidh Chakrabarti      24 Baumb, Nelly From:Britta Erickson <erickson.britta@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 7:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Proposed closure of the College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,     I am shocked and saddened to see that it is being proposed that the College Terrace Library be closed. This library is the  only library this side of El Camino. It is a library many people can walk or bike to, and it is a special and  beloved  community resource.     Furthermore, the city has spent huge amounts of money on other city libraries, so it seems ridiculous and vastly unfair  to try to cut the relatively low expense of our local library. The College Terrace Library is the only community building  available to College Terrace and the nearby neighborhoods.    I urge you to take the library off the list of expenses considered for being cut. It would be very unfair, and it would be a  shame to stop supporting this relatively inexpensive neighborhood treasure.    With best wishes,    Britta Erickson    ‐‐   Britta Erickson, PhD  , Palo Alto, CA 94306 Redacted 25 Baumb, Nelly From:Sally Heaton <x40trout@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 6:21 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,  I urge you to keep the College Terrace Library open. We love it, use it, and it is a big part of keeping the Terrace a  walkable neighborhood.  Thank you,  William Heaton  Bowdoin Street    Sent from my iPad  26 Baumb, Nelly From:Ronda Rosner <rondarosner@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 6:20 PM To:Summa, Doria Cc:Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brent Barker; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Deborah Plumley; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Eileen Stolee; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Cook, James F.; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karen Price; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; Margaret Allen; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Yes, I'm annoyed that $1.3M can be saved from reducing hours at other branches, yet the city will only save $167K from a complete closure of the CT library. There has to be a better compromise, like reducing the open days for CT from four to three perhaps? A complete closure is too extreme and unfair to our hood! Ronda, "It is strange how new and unexpected conditions bring out unguessed ability to meet them."  ~ Edgar Rice Burroughs         On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 6:03 PM doria s <doriasumma@gmail.com> wrote:  I agree   And i will do all I can to maintain this community asset from unnecessarily being shut down for false economies.   Very best  Doria    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 5:35 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:  Fully agree and would gladly volunteer there.  There are going to be myriad changes to our community b/c of Covid;  let’s not toss the cherished community‐building treasures of our community.      It is important that CC (and other levels of government) not use Covid as a means to an end for certain pre‐Covid  agendas.  Community preservation is critical now precisely b/c of the economic jolt.  And neighborhood libraries may  well be a primary resource for many Palo Altans once they reopen.   Redacted 27     Sent from my iPhone    On May 8, 2020, at 4:31 PM, Richard Such <wrichardsuch@gmail.com> wrote:  We  have lived in College Terrace for more than 50 years.  The branch library is a cultural institution  that we have treasured and used, it seems at least once a week, except for the couple of painful years  during which it was closed for renovation  appreciate its importance to residents of College Terrace and surrounding neighborhoods.  The  alternatives for us are car rides across town to Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries, which are  increasingly difficult for seniors like ourselves.  Parents of young children also depend on the  children’s section and the reading‐aloud sessions there, including recent, English‐learning immigrants  and visitors. Please do not close it, not even temporarily.  The closure for the pandemic has been hard  enough.     Richard and Jane Such,   ‐‐   Doria Summa  (650) 867 7544 Mobile    Redacted 28 Baumb, Nelly From:Anne Schmitt <anneschmitt2344@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 3:30 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close CT LIBRARY CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City council     Many of us who live in CT love our library.     It has been an important community focus for many of the Seniors, families and school students who live at this side of  El Camino for many years.     I suspect the usage you know of is only about books borrowed and not those users who use the facility for reading,  computers etc.     We know the City Council and all residents are wanting to reduce traffic and you probably shouldn’t be closing the  library and generating more cross town traffic.     While I and many others appreciate the need for budget cuts, I and many others who you may not hear from until it  closes, request you look elsewhere for budget cuts.     Thanks for your consideration,     Anne Schmitt      29 Baumb, Nelly From:SUZANNE DOYLE <sjdoyle@comcast.net> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 3:30 PM To:Council, City Cc:sjdoyle@comcast.net Subject:College Terrace Library Closure CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members, I am very concerned about the proposed closure of the College Terrace Library. There are four city libraries east of the El Camino/train track corridor plus several community centers, theatre, art center, museum/zoo and various other city-provided facilities. Those of us to the west of the El Camino corridor have only one: the College Terrace Library! This is the only facility that provides us with a place to pick up books, use city computers, hold small group gatherings and children’s readings, etc. It is not fair that the city should simply shut down this important community resource for two years when seniors like myself depend on being able to walk to the nearest library. Our needs are not expendable, even if we don't deliver as many tax dollars as our neighbors on the other side of the CalTrain tracks. Please do NOT close the College Terrace library! Regards, Suzanne Doyle Hanover St. Palo Alto, CA 94306 30 Baumb, Nelly From:Pria Graves <priag@birketthouse.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 3:20 PM To:Council, City Cc:ctraboard@googlegroups.com Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     I am very concerned about the proposed closure of the College Terrace Library.    There are four city libraries east of the El Camino/train track corridor plus several community centers, theatre, art  center, museum/zoo and various other city‐provided facilities. Those of us to the west of the El Camino corridor have  only one: the College Terrace Library!    This is our only facility that provides us with a place to pick up books, use city computers, hold small group gatherings  and children’s readings, etc. It is not appropriate that the city should simply shut down this important community  resource for two years! This rather feels like a “wrong side of the tracks” approach.  I know we are not as numerous or  as wealthy as those on the “other side”, but we do matter!    The City talks a great talk about getting folks out of our cars.  Yet if you remove our library, we have no way to pick up  books, use city computers, hold community meetings, etc. without traveling at least two miles to the nearest  facility.  And these facilities are not well served by public transit, particularly at night!    I am a die‐hard user of transit, bikes, and walking.  But I will admit that I am uncomfortable attending a meeting at  Rinconada or Mitchell Park at night.  Crossing El Camino and the tracks on a bike is not a comfortable experience even  for one like me who has regularly bicycled “everywhere” for the past 50 years. If the city is serious about getting folks to  use alternative modes of transport, you need to keep facilities in less served areas of the city such as College Terrace.      Please do NOT close the College Terrace library!    Regards,     Pria Graves    6504932153  Redacted 31 Baumb, Nelly From:Shashi Sastry <deepsonar@yahoo.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 1:46 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello,    I was extremely disappointed that the closure of the College Terrace library is once again being discussed and  considered.  As a resident of College Terrace (20 years now), my family and I are frequent visitors. I go there every weekend to pick  up books and read magazines.    After all the high property taxes, it is amazing that the city can't provide a basic and simple service like a library in my  neighborhood. Accessing other libraries requires driving. I think that as part of the city's environmental and  sustainability efforts, the officials would consider expanding more services like this that are accessible by bike and/or  foot.    Thank you for providing me the opportunity to express my disappointment.  Shashi Sastry      32 Baumb, Nelly From:Eileen Stolee <estolee@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 1:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library closing CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Members, I am writing to ask that you please keep our valuable community asset open during these difficult times. We will be living with the coronavirus for some time (perhaps years) and having our beloved library open is very important to all of us. Neighbors of all ages use this library! As a long time resident of College Terrace, I would be willing to head up a fundraising campaign if that's what it takes to keep our library open. The cost of $170k a year is less than $100 per College Terrace household. So many seniors in our neighborhood love walking to the library and children enjoy picking out books. This can be done in a safe way while we are still all staying home. Thank you in advance for listening to our concerns. Sincerely, Eileen and Richard Stolee .   ReplyReply allForward    Redacted 33 Baumb, Nelly From:Eileen Stolee <estolee@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 1:18 PM To:Karen Price Cc:Brent Barker; Cook, James F.; Summa, Doria; Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Deborah Plumley; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; Margaret Allen; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Ronda Rosner; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org; Alan Gianotti; Valerie Sarma; Berkeley Revenaugh; Derek Gurney; Todd Lincoln; Danielle Makler; Sukhi Nagesh; Alicia Thesing; Dan Kaleba; Michael Naar; Ewen Wang; Manuel Amieva; Ross Revenaugh; Chris Makler; WENDY COOK; Ingrid Rulifson; Hank Edson; Clara Stoen; Suzie Lincoln; Pam Morgenfeld; Jeff Stoen; Ming-son Wang; Emily Wang; Geeske Joel Subject:Re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Members,     I am writing to ask that you please keep our valuable community asset open during   these difficult times.     We will be living with the coronavirus for some time and having our beloved library   open is very important to all of us. Neighbors of all ages use this library!     As a long time resident of College Terrace, I would be willing to head up a fundraising   campaign if that's what it takes to keep our library open. The cost of $170k a year is   less than $100 per College Terrace household.     So many seniors in our neighborhood love walking to the library and children enjoy picking out books.  This can be done in a safe way while we are still all staying home.    Thank you in advance for listening to our concerns.    Sincerely,  Eileen and Richard Stolee  34 984 S California Ave.    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 10:30 PM Karen Price <rolfingduo@earthlink.net> wrote:  Adding my voice of support. I’ve been looking forward to the library reopening as soon as deemed safe. The staff as  well as the access to books are a treasured part of my life. I can also volunteer if needed.      Karen Price   Sent from my iPhone    On May 8, 2020, at 9:49 PM, Brent Barker <brentgbarker@gmail.com> wrote:  We also strongly agree!!!  We have lived here for 42 years and use College Terrace Library all the time  and will do all we can to support it!!!     Brent and Jane    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 7:50 PM James Cook <jamesfelixcook@yahoo.com> wrote:  Dear City Council Members,      I wholeheartedly agree with my neighbors and friends: we believe keeping the College Terrace is a  way to promote community, wonder and happiness during a time of isolation, despair and sadness.    Thank you for your consideration and good luck in your difficult decisions ahead.    Stay safe and healthy,  James Felix Cook      On May 8, 2020, at 6:03 PM, doria s <doriasumma@gmail.com> wrote:     I agree   And i will do all I can to maintain this community asset from unnecessarily being shut  down for false economies.   Very best  Doria    On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 5:35 PM Annette Ross <port2103@att.net> wrote:  Fully agree and would gladly volunteer there.  There are going to be myriad changes  to our community b/c of Covid; let’s not toss the cherished community‐building  treasures of our community.      It is important that CC (and other levels of government) not use Covid as a means to  an end for certain pre‐Covid agendas.  Community preservation is critical now  precisely b/c of the economic jolt.  And neighborhood libraries may well be a primary  resource for many Palo Altans once they reopen.       Sent from my iPhone  35   On May 8, 2020, at 4:31 PM, Richard Such <wrichardsuch@gmail.com> wrote:  We  have lived in College Terrace for more than 50 years.  The  branch library is a cultural institution that we have treasured and  used, it seems at least once a week, except for the couple of painful  years during which it was closed for renovation  appreciate its importance to residents of College Terrace and  surrounding neighborhoods.  The alternatives for us are car rides  across town to Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries, which are  increasingly difficult for seniors like ourselves.  Parents of young  children also depend on the children’s section and the reading‐aloud  sessions there, including recent, English‐learning immigrants and  visitors. Please do not close it, not even temporarily.  The closure for  the pandemic has been hard enough.     Richard and Jane Such,   ‐‐   Doria Summa  (650) 867 7544 Mobile          ‐‐   Brent Barker  Freelance Writer  650‐813‐9433  650‐388‐0927 (cell)  Redacted 36 Baumb, Nelly From:Ulla Mick <ullabhima2007@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 1:04 PM To:Council, City Subject:COLLEGE LIBRARY CLOSING-CITY COUNCIL OF PALO ALTO CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    YES‐  YES  ‐YES    KEEPING COLLEGE TERRACE LIBRARY OPEN IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERYONE    IN THIS DIFFICULT AND  CHALLENGING TIMES.    COLLEGE TERRACE LIBRARY  IS A TREASURE.    PART COMMUNITY CENTER‐LIBRARY AND KINDERGARTEN.    THE CITY SPEND MILLIONS IN RESTORING THE OLDEST LIBRARY IN TOWN.    WHICH WAS WONDERFUL. WE HAVE TO USE IT.     MANY SENIORS CAN WALK  TO THE LIBRARY. WHAT A TREAT FOR PEOPLE    AT STANFORD, BARRON PARK,VENTUREA,EVERGREEN AND COLLEGE TERRACE    OUR VALUED AMENITY THE COLLEGE TERRACE LIBRARY IS NOT FOR SALE.    PLEASE FIND ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE $ 167,550.    WE HAVE BIG BUSINESS IN PALO ALTO TO GET THE REVENUE FROM    GOOGLE,FACEBOOK,AMAZON MIGHT MAKE A DONATION?    BE SMART AND KIND TO OUR COMMUNITY.    THANK YOU.    ULLA   MICK    .  PALO ALTO,CA 94306      Redacted 37 Baumb, Nelly From:James Zou <jamesyzou@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 1:00 PM To:Council, City Subject:supporting college terrace library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi, I just want to write an email in STRONG support to preserve the college terrace library. We live on California and  Bowdoin and the college terrace library is essential for my wife and I as well as our elderly parents. This library hardly  makes a dent in the budget and it is a very important part of our community.      Sincerely    James Zou      38 Baumb, Nelly From:Carolyn Sledge <carsledge@yahoo.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 11:02 AM To:Council, City Subject:save college terrace library! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear city Council Members, As a resident and homeowner in College Terrace I beg you not to close our library. It binds our neighborhood together and is the greatest asset to our neighborhood.. We specifically bought this house in this location because it was affordable and right near the library. Something that is the number one reason we love College Terrace. This neighborhood is being ravaged by tear downs and unoccupied houses. We need some sense of community to keep this a livable area. Sometimes I feel like we are a highway to Stanford and all these cars make it seem like it is not very livable. People can still walk to the library (our grocery store that you promised is gone). Finally if you leave the building unoccupied for 2 years it will leave the building open to vandals and disrepair. An eyesore that might cost a lot to bring back to habitable unless this is the first step in closure. ( Which is really awful.) This is all about quality of life and love for the community. Please leave our community vibrant and livable. You all make so much money please do not take from the community what it needs to be livable. Please give back. Thank you, Carolyn Sledge A resident and homeowner in College Terrace neighborhood. 39 Baumb, Nelly From:Heema Jhagdambi-Moolchand <h.jmoolchand@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 10:21 AM To:Council, City Subject:Re: College Terrace Library closure proposal. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,   I hope this email finds you well and safe. I recently came across an article concerning the proposal of closure for the  College Terrace library. I am writing to you to voice out my concerns as the library has been the reason of why we  moved in the area and are staying in an apartment with less amenities. I have a toddler age child who absolutely loves  going there to play and does not miss her story time. It would be next to impossible for me to drive her elsewhere and  opting for Uber or Lyft is just discouraging when I think of loading and unloading the car seats and strollers. While I  understand that it must have been tough to come to such a proposal, I hope that a solution is found even if it is reducing  the few days that the Library is open to public.   Thank you for reading, stay safe.   Kind regards  Heema Moolchand  40 Baumb, Nelly From:Patty Hartsll <pharts004@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 9:12 AM To:Council, City Subject:Closure of College Terrace library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council,    Please support “transparent“ government!     The proposal to close our library for 2 TWO YEARS is a travesty, & unsatisfactory Proposal!!!     Where are the discussions?  Where is the request for public interest in this matter???  The first we heard of this was from an email on Thursday.   Doing this during the pandemic is beyond disgusting.  The library is our community gathering spot.  We love & cherish  our library, and DO NOT feel that one (very overpaid) city manager should make this monumental decision without  neighborhood input!     Please note: (In case you forgot)     CT Library was closed for renovation.... it dragged on nearly TWO YEARS!    Please do NOT do this to us again.     If a decision to close a library is necessary.... Please choose another branch.... not the poor STEP child again!     Thank you,        Patty Hartsell         Oberlin St.              1 Baumb, Nelly From:Mookini, Marie <marie@admissionadvisory.com> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 5:56 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding for libraries CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council,    As a frequent user of the Palo Alto library system, I am a firm believer in access to information.  The library does a  wonderful job of  providing books, movies, and internet access for everyone in the community, no matter their age or  socioeconomic status.  Not only are we so fortunate to have access to such great resources like Axis and Link+, the staff  of the libraries are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. The library is an important institution in our community that  inspires intellectual curiosity and encourages lifelong learning.     I do not envy you the tough budget choices you will need to make; I hope that the libraries will remain an essential  service for the city of Palo Alto.     Sincerely,  Marie Mookini    1 Baumb, Nelly From:Pat Marriott <patmarriott@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 12:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:survey on city priorities/budget cuts CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Council Members:   Are you aware of this survey, which is supposed to provide feedback to you on where to make budget cuts?   https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/5/Issue_8742/survey_responses/new  I know I’m not the only one who couldn’t figure out how to take this one‐question survey. And note the results  as of yesterday (at the bottom). Neighborhood, Community and Library Services comes in at #2!  This is a poorly designed survey and should not be used in your deliberations on budgets.              Pat Marriott   Palo Alto property owner  ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐  It’s not clear how to register priorities. This is what comes up on the screen. I immediately went to the +/‐  buttons and put a 1 for Public Safety.    But after I did some ratings, the +/‐ buttons on the other items wouldn’t register. It was only when I  inadvertently passed the cursor over the dots did I see this notice:   2   Is this what we’ve come to after all the public engagement meetings with Post‐It Notes and putting colored  dots on maps?  Surely I’m not the only one who isn’t clear on this concept. So is the current “score” accurate? It puts  neighborhood services ahead of infrastructure and planning!!!   How would you prioritize the City’s six service areas? Response Percent Response Count Public Safety 26.4% 259 Infrastructure and Environment 16.4% 161 Planning and Transportation 14.8% 145 Economic Sustainability and Business Support 13.0% 127 Neighborhood, Community and Library Services 21.0% 206 Administration and Government 6.2% 61   If Council takes this seriously, we’re in real trouble!  Thanks,              pat  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Dan Mahoney <dan@mahoney.net> Sent:Friday, May 8, 2020 11:52 AM To:Council, City Subject:Postpone the Bike Bridge - Save money CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  The City is going to have a huge budget deficit this year and probably next as well, and yet we are going to  spend up to $18M on a bike bridge that we DON'T NEED. We already have a tunnel at that location that is  open at least half the year, and the other times people can cross at San Antonio or Oregon Expwy. I am an avid  cyclist and use the Baylands multiple times a week, often going through the Tunnel. We have lived fine for this  long without the bridge, let's not take money away from Public Safety and other areas that everyone uses so  that a small number of vocal citizens can spend millions on a bridge that can be postponed. DON'T START THE  CONSTRUCTION.    Dan Mahoney      ‐‐   Dan Mahoney  dan@mahoney.net  Redacted 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Amanda Anderson <afanderson012@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 7:46 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Public Library MUST STAY OPEN CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,    The College Terrace Public Library is a critical resource for our family and other families in our neighborhood. From safe  spaces for kids to free WiFi for those who need it and can’t afford it at home (job hunting/homework), the city council  must consider other options that don’t take away direct community resources that so personally impact our neighbor’s  lives. In fact, the city should adjust the library’s hours later and longer so more working families can use these resources  later into the evening.    Budget cuts can and must be taken elsewhere! A few extra cracked sidewalks oaren’t going to hurt us.     Thanks,    Amanda Anderson & Jeremy VanScoyoc    Palo Alto 94306  Redacted 2 Baumb, Nelly From:Emily Renzel <marshmama2@att.net> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 6:46 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please support the History Museum Attachments:letter re history museum.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  May 8, 2020 Palo Alto City Council 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Dear Mayor Fine & Members of the Palo Alto City Council: I am writing to you today to urge you to continue supporting the creation of a Palo Alto History Museum in the Roth Building. I have supported a History Museum in the Roth Building since the concept was first raised and I have financially supported it along with hundreds of others in Palo Alto and beyond. Its location along historic Homer Avenue and adjacent to Heritage Park is perfect for allowing Palo Alto families to celebrate our town’s history. This location also provides a perfect transition from our very busy and congested downtown to our wonderful Professorville historic neighborhood. The Palo Alto Medical Clinic was a ground-breaking and innovative medical provider and is just a few blocks away from the garage where William Hewlett and David Packard founded their namesake company. This area is ground zero for Silicon Valley and should be used for a Museum to showcase the many innovators who have comprised this phenomenal economic engine from Hewlett & Packard, Dr. Russell V. Lee, & Russell Varian to Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak. I enthusiastically support the Palo Alto Museum and its use and preservation of the historic Roth Building. Please support this visionary Museum. Sincerely, Emily M. Renzel, Councilmember 1979-92 1056 Forest Avenue Palo Alto, CA. 94301 3 Baumb, Nelly From:D Martell <dmpaloalto@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 9, 2020 2:45 PM To:Shikada, Ed Cc:Council, City; Fine, Adrian; Jonsen, Robert; Aram James; Dave Price; Bill Johnson Subject:Resolving Palo Alto's City fiscal budget deficit, 2020 - 2021 Attachments:Voting history.JPG; Palo Alto Political Art _ 2005 - Citizens Rebuke Taxing for Unneeded New Police Station.jpg; Martell taser.pdf; Martell taser Bait.pdf; police practices scorecard.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.            I would like my following comments displayed on the OpenGov website WITH my name.    The OpenGov site would NOT accept my comments because I refuse to prioritize our City's six service areas.      Edward K. Shikada  Palo Alto City Manager    Dear Ed,    Here is my simple two-pronged proposal, which comfortably satisfies the need for balancing the $43M City budget deficit, for the fiscal year, starting July 2020.    SOLUTION    (1.) Delay construction on the brand-new $150M police station - Palo Altans voted "NO!"  (2.) Shelve tasers - Eliminate police training, lawsuits, maintenance and new purchases.    RESOURCES    For background knowledge, I offer two speakers.    (1.) Danielle Martell is a former City Council Candidate twice over.    For fifteen years plus (15+), I have researched, spoken publicly against, written articles against, and campaigned against an opulent brand-new Police Station, and police use of tasers, making me a specialist in both fields. On moment's notice, I welcome, and am eager, to present, and to open discussion, either individually or with groups.    (2.) Aram James, JD, is a retired civil rights attorney, active in City Politics.    4 Palo Alto's native Aram James, former Santa Clara County Public Defender and diligent Police Watchdog, is recognized nationally for his extensive knowledge on, and advocacy against, tasers. Attorney James is an excellent keynote speaker, has published widely, and is available for conference.    OPPOSITION    As a life-long advocate for seniors and the disabled, I oppose withdrawing, or delaying, ANY funding for sidewalk maintenance.     (1.) Wheelchairs and walkers demand adequately safe sidewalks.   (2.) Older adults tend to trip and fall easily, causing injuries such as scraping thin skin, breaking fragile bones, and chipping teeth.     APPRECIATION    Thank you for all you do to help Palo Alto through this difficult time. I appreciate your long hours of service and dedication. I'm familiar with our City's compensation for your efforts, and don't feel we are paying you enough.    Very truly yours,  -Danielle   ---------------------  Danielle Martell  Palo Alto City Council Candidate 2016 & 2005  dmPaloAlto@gmail.com                  Danielle Martell is the only candidate for Palo Alto city council who supports a total ban on Tasers. Keep Palo Alto a Taser-Free Zone This poster is an art/law collaboration between poster maker Doug Minkler and attorney, Aram James. It demonstrates the kind of community outreach an elected Public Defender could bring to Santa Clara County. Without the fear of being fired by County Supervisors, an elected Public Defender would have the independence to inform the people of their constitutional rights and the power to protect citizens against institutional racism, police and governmental abuse. CITIZENS TO ELECT OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER For poster information contact: Aram James, ABJPD1@juno.com or wwwelectpd.org Bait & Switch Tasers were sold to the public as a device that would be used as an alternative to deadly force. In fact, according to Amnesty International, tasers have been used eighty percent of the time on unarmed citizens. Thirty six percent of the time tasers are used simply for “verbal noncompliance”. D. M i n k l e r 2 0 0 5 Keep Palo Alto a Taser-Free Zone This poster is an art/law collaboration between poster maker Doug Minkler and attorney, Aram James. It demonstrates the kind of community outreach an elected Public Defender could bring to Santa Clara County. Without the fear of being fired by County Supervisors, an elected Public Defender would have the independence to inform the people of their constitutional rights and the power to protect citizens against institutional racism, police and governmental abuse. CITIZENS TO ELECT OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER For poster information contact: Aram James, ABJPD1@juno.com or wwwelectpd.org Tested Proven Lethal& To date more than 130 citizens have died after being tasered. D. M i n k l e r 2 0 0 5 Danielle Martell is the only candidate for Palo Alto city council who supports a total ban on Tasers. Awards for whistle blowers. Independent police oversight with teeth. Predators Kan & Lee off OUR streets. No new PAPD Homeland Security Jail. Keep Palo Alto a Taser-FREE city. Canine units for search and rescue ONLY. Ban coercive interrogation tactics. Fire Police Chief Lynne Johnson. Video cameras in patrol cars running 24/7 (full public access mandatory). Ban racial profiling and other racially discriminatory police practices. Reduce bloated $23,000,000.00 annual budget. Develop crisis intervention / mental health unit. Know Your Candidates. Ask the Hard Questions. x x x x x x x x x x x x Yes No Danielle Martellfor Palo Alto City Council Police Practices Score Card 5 Baumb, Nelly From:Chris Saccheri <chris.saccheri@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:58 AM To:Council, City Cc:CTRA Board To Board Subject:Letter from the CTRA re: College Terrace Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  May 10, 2020 Dear City Council, The College Terrace Residents’ Association (CTRA) has reviewed the May 7 City Council City Staff report outlining amendments to the proposed FY 2021 budget and urges the Council to reject the proposal to close the College Terrace Library. Built in 1936, and fully renovated just ten years ago, the College Terrace Library is the oldest and smallest of the Palo Alto library system’s five branch libraries. As the City’s only community center located west of El Camino Real, the College Terrace Library is a vital hub and gathering place for residents on this side of the city. Families with young children listen to storytime and escape the heat on warm summer days, students stop in after school to do homework in the reading room, neighbors catch up while passing through, and, of course, people come to check out books. (Enough that, according to the library’s own report, it’s the only branch where checkouts increased year over year.)  As our community begins to slowly emerge from the isolation of shelter-in-place, we will need more places to gather and reconnect, not fewer. It would be incredibly heartbreaking and short-sighted to lose this long- standing civic gem at the very time when we need it the most. We implore you to keep the College Terrace Library open. Sincerely, Chris Saccheri President, College Terrace Residents' Association 6 Baumb, Nelly From:pearl louise karrer <plk37@comcast.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 12:36 PM To:Council, City Cc:plk37@comcast.net Subject:Palo Alto's budget shortfall Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Adrian Fine and Council Members:    We find it very discouraging, in view of the significant decrease  in city revenues caused by Covid‐19, that plans are going ahead  to grant raises to city staff.  These raises were set in pre‐Covid‐19  economic times and should not be activated now.      Giving raises at a time when cuts need to be made to balance the budget,  will create a very bad impression of council priorities.  There is also the additional budget shortfall these raises will add  to the underfunded pension fund.    Please act responsibly and consider across the board salary cuts  before raises and the cutting of city services.    Thanks you.    Sincerely,  Pearl and Henry Karrer    Palo Alto, CA 94301  Redacted 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Annette Glanckopf <annette_g@att.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 1:34 PM To:Council, City Cc:Clerk, City Subject:Budget item on Monday agenda Attachments:budget letter to council 2020 a.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello Council Members, My suggestions for budget attached Annette TOPIC: Budget Cuts Dear Council Members, In this time of budget cuts and recession, maybe depression. I have some recommendation for the upcoming fiscal year 2020-2021 budget. It is important to acknowledge that some functions/departments maybe important but not critical to the city mission. In this time of constrained resources, prioritize accordingly. 1. Public Safety One key reason cities were formed was for citizen protection. “Before the invention of modern warfare techniques, many cities were founded for defensive purposes.” I espouse that public safety is a top priority function of city government. Do not reduce the already bare bones staff. These jobs we need in this economy and time of stress. With my background in preparing for and responding to emergencies, I realize there is a continual need to be vigilant for the possibility of fires, power outages, or earthquakes; statistically we are long over-due for a significant one. We need to have public safety, utilities, and public works staff in place to handle a major disaster and to be prepared for events that are beyond our control. o FIRE: o We are in another year of drought. The fire season has already started. Cutting fire positions is dangerous; some would say foolhardy. For example, consider the recent fire at the dish. o Stanford Healthcare claims that fewer people are going to the emergency department – for fear of COVID-19 – their condition will worsen and will result in more calls for EMS. o OES has played a critical role in the current pandemic phase. Now is the time to start preparing for the next wave(s) of the pandemic, as well as other potential natural and man-made disasters such as a failure of the power system. Do not eliminate the unfilled staff position, a short term postponement is acceptable. Note: A second wave of the coronavirus is "likely," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last Tuesday. o PAPD o reports a higher volume of stolen catalytic converters and car breaks-ins. As the economy worsens and we experience a recession (perhaps a depression), Palo Alto will beckon as a candy store for those less fortunate individuals. o We currently have 7 PAPD vacancies with 3 recruits in the pipeline. We need to bring them on now to fill out the department functions, not eliminate these critical positions. It takes about 3 years to put a police officer or firefighter through the academy, put through in-house training, and put through the probationary employment period. We have already invested in these recruits, let’s bring them on board. Palo Alto has been blessed to have an abundance of wonderful resources and activities for residents. While no one wants to eliminate staff or these special programs, I suggest that there are many non- mission central programs and/or services that could be eliminated (or reduced) and brought back when we have the funds to do so. It is easier to eliminate non mission central programs and staff for programs like “pottery” classes, than to reduce public safety personnel, while it is easy to bring back programs such as finger-painting. Unfortunately the time has come to consider tough choices. I know this will be a budget that will impact all departments –and everyone department will be affected. We shouldn’t touch functions that pay for themselves or with applicant fees 2. Consultants: Another suggestion is to eliminate or severely cut back consultants to the city. If we are to tighten our belts, this is a good step to prevent loss of staff. We have amazing talent and professional experience in our community. Let’s use these resources wisely. 3. Raises. o The Chamber (as well as national surveys) predicts that the pandemic will force the closure of over 25-33% of restaurants and small businesses. As result, many Palo Altans have lost their livelihood with business closures, job losses, no benefits resulting in difficulty paying rent, getting childcare, or medical insurance etc. o Resource constraints will not allow increases in salaries and may require cuts. Many companies, Stanford included, have asked their staff to take salary reductions – Stanford Healthcare at 20%. Last Thursday, it was reported that Menlo Park would postpone salary increases. No raises or a cut in pay for management would go a long way to demonstrate to our residents that the city understands what many are going though. This step will build trust in city government. o The unions need to come to the table and decide if they are willing to forgo salary increases or prefer loss of jobs. Short term voluntary pay cuts or foregoing raises c/would protect jobs. This move would resonate with Palo Altans. Isn’t it better to have a job with benefits, rather than no job and no benefits? 4. Renegotiate the Cubberley lease with PAUSD. This will save money and ensure our non-profits have a home. Unfortunately, this is time for belt tightening. I ask you to make tough choices by examining and prioritizing functions that are critical for city operations. Please consider strongly reducing or put on hold, the less critical programs (like sustainability and the bike bridge) and functions until Palo Alto can run in the black. Sincerely Annette Glanckopf 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Kathy Jordan <kjordan114wh@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Cc:gsheyner@paweekly.com; Emily Mibach; local@bayareanewsgroup.com; Aldo Toledo; Dave Price Subject:Is cutting $39 million too much or too little? CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To all: (Happy Mother's Day)     Is cutting $39 million too much or too little?    How would the City Council know?     Maybe I missed the detailed supporting evidence, the FY 2020 actuals, and the detailed FY 2020 and FY 2021 forecasts on which this $39 million of cuts was based.      Without that information, it's hard to know if $39 million is too much, or too little.     The state of California says it faces a deficit of 37% of its current general fund budget.     SACRAMENTO — California faces a $54.3 billion deficit as the coronavirus pandemic hammers the economy, the state's worst budget gap since the Great Recession, state finance officials said Thursday.  The shortfall is almost 37 percent of the current $147.8 billion general fund budget and foretells widespread program cuts absent a federal bailout.   https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/05/07/california-faces-54b-budget-deficit-1282926   Is $39 million 37% of Palo Alto's FY 2021 general fund budget expenditures? No, it's 16%.   ($39M /$238.8M = 16% -- $238.8 million is FY2021's proposed general fund expenditure budget http://cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/76264).   While the state and city are different, with different tax revenue sources, still, a 37% projected shortfall at the state is a good gut check for the City.   So, the question remains, is $39 million too much or too little?  The City Council of Santa Monica seems to have more information to work with:  Finance Department Director Gigi Decavalles-Hughes said projections show a 14% decrease in sales tax revenue next fiscal year and a similar decrease in the current fiscal year. The city’s fiscal years last from July 1 through June 30.  9 Decavalles-Hughes said hotel taxes are down 21% this fiscal year and are projected to drop 42% next fiscal year.  Parking revenues, including fines, have declined 9% this fiscal year and will fall nearly 22% next fiscal year. During the coronavirus shutdowns, the city has been taking in about 5% to 10% of typical parking revenues, Decavalles-Hughes said.  https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-layoffs-budget-cuts/190393  Where are the City of Palo Alto's forecasts and actuals?     And what about Calpers investment losses, and predicted property tax revenue declines....how will those impact City revenues?    Staff clearly tried to herd the City Council into choosing Scenario B in this process, and now staff seems to be trying to herd the Council into cutting --- no more than -- $39 million without supplying supporting information.   But is cutting $39 million too much? Or too little? And what if things go south?    Shouldn't the numerous and highly paid City staff, with an average compensation of $232,000, provide more information?    Or is that the point?    "Newsom said Wednesday that he expects a prolonged economic downturn. The Finance document suggests that income losses will be far deeper than during the Great Recession more than a decade ago."  “It’s going to take longer than I think a lot of people think,” Newsom said.  "We’ve never experienced anything like this in our lifetime,” he said, adding that the national unemployment rate will soar to “Depression-era numbers.”  "California budget experts say it is likely the Legislature will have to build in contingencies, such as trigger cuts, in case the revenue decline worsens. The Legislature might have to rewrite the budget at least once in the fiscal year, as happened in 2008-09 during the last recession."  https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/05/07/california-faces-54b-budget-deficit-1282926     Trigger cuts sound like a good idea, particularly if the Council is flying blind.     Cuts based on a too high FY 2021 budget anchored to a too high FY 2020 budget that no longer adds up makes no sense.    Neither do increased taxes or fees.    Thanks for listening.     Best,    Kathy Jordan    10 Baumb, Nelly From:Annette Fazzino <annette.fazzino@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 4:07 PM To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:Please support the Palo Alto History Museum's use of the Roth Building CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Fine and Council Members Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Kniss, Kou, and Tanaka:    I am writing to you today to encourage you to continue to support the Palo Alto Museum's use of the Roth Building.    I have a heartfelt personal interest in the museum. As you know, my late husband, Gary Fazzino (Two time former  Mayor and longtime member of the City Council) was an ardent supporter of this project. He contributed his leadership  and passion for the project and we contributed together financially, as well. I continue to support the museum in this  way, in his memory and for the benefit of our children. Gary and I always felt that understanding history makes us  better. History inspires the present and the future. We learn what makes our community special and what brings us all  together. This project remains close to my heart and the hearts of my children.     Palo Alto's history is rich and diverse. For a city of merely +/‐65,000 people, our home town is known throughout the  world. And, why? It's because of our innovative and creative roots and lasting worldwide leadership. From Stanford  University to launching Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is a mecca for many. People want to visit, to live, and to be inspired here.  If our stories are not preserved, they will die quietly and anonymously. We need to share with our citizens, children, and  visitors all of the wonderful things that have happened here. By sharing our history, we build our community and share  the path for the next generation to continue to be leaders and innovators.    The Roth Building is the perfect place to share our history. It's surrounded by Heritage Park and the building itself is  historic. Please support the Palo Alto Museum and its use and preservation of the historic Roth Building. Let the Palo  Alto Museum's presence in its rightful place in the Roth Building be a light and beacon to the community. Let it inspire,  nurture, and educate our youth, citizens, and visitors. Doing so will build community, goodwill, culture, and pride in Palo  Alto.     Thank you for your consideration.    Sincerely,    Annette Evans Fazzino  (650) 799‐7414          11 Baumb, Nelly From:Eddie Gornish <gornish@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 4:50 PM To:Council, City Cc:gornish Subject:Why are we proceeding with 101 overpass, when the proposed budget is cutting so much? CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I read in  (ID # 11322) that the city is considering massive budget cuts, in light of the pandemic.   If so, why is the city moving forward with the 101 overpass that will force the closure of the Benjamin Lefkowitz  underpass?  Wouldn't it be better to re‐allocate that money to something that you are proposing to cut?    I realize that the underpass was only opened temporarily. That being said, it is really heavily used by people who want to  get out and exercise.    It just seems, for many reasons, that given our situation, it makes sense to postpone the overpass project and keep the  underpass open.    Thanks  Eddie Gornish      12 Baumb, Nelly From:chris cocca <chris_cocca@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 8:43 PM To:Council, City Subject:Budget cuts CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear council members: I realize budget cuts need to be made. May I suggest completely de-funding the downtown parking garage? The parking garage wastes taxes for a number of reasons: 1) While the citizens are being asked to pay for this albatross, downtown businesses and the car companies are the obvious beneficiaries. If local businesses and the auto industry really believed the parking garage was worth the money, they would have paid for it themselves. I think the Palo Alto city council should be as careful with my money as the local businesses are with theirs. 2) A popular complaint in Palo Alto is traffic, and for good reason. Yet building a parking garage will only exacerbate our traffic woes. 3) Global warming is a scientifically accepted theory. Building a parking garage not only generates massive greenhouse gasses but also encourages the most polluting form or transportation: single passenger vehicles. I hope you will agree with me and de-fund the down town parking garage. Eliminating this line item will save the city $5.1 million, or almost eighty dollars per person. All the best, Chris Cocca 13 Baumb, Nelly From:Keith Bennett <kbennett@luxsci.net> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 10:13 PM To:Council, City Subject:Budget - add revenue and wait to see what federal funds will be available CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To Honorable Members of the Palo Alto City Council:    We request you to seriously explore multiple ways of closing the budget gap, not simply cutting programs.    1) There Federal Government may provide new stimulus funds to State and Local governments.  They certainly should  do so, after bailing out Wall Street and funneling $700B into business loans. My understanding is the House is working  on a bill with funding for governments.    2) Large companies, for example Palantir, and many others have plenty of financial resources and put their offices here  because they, and their employees like being here.  They depend upon City services ‐ police and fire, and their  employees create more needs for infrastructure and services, whether it's parking garages, traffic demand management,  and some use Caltrain, hence benefit from grade separation, as well as housing.  This is the time to enact a office‐ business employee fee.  Mountain View enacted a tax this year expected to bring in $6M, for example.  https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/01/01/mountain‐views‐employee‐head‐tax‐goes‐into‐effect‐google‐to‐pay‐3‐3‐ million‐a‐year/    $150 / employee / year is a tiny fraction of the cost of an employee at these companies  ‐ and if it's not worth it to them,  they don't value being here very much anyway.    3) Consider temporarily adjusting salaries / annual compensation of City Employees.  Many private enterprises are  requiring employees take paid time off and / or reduced salaries.    Avoid knee‐jerk reactions.    Keith and Atsuko Bennett    14 Baumb, Nelly From:pellson@pacbell.net Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 1:27 AM To:Council, City Subject:Budget Cuts: Safe Routes to School Priorities CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Honorable City Council Members,      Cuts of this magnitude are painful.  I trust you will do your best to consider the needs of our many residents, including  about 6,000 young people who walk and pedal to PAUSD schools and some of us older folks who like to pedal, too.  I will  try to provide information that will help you prioritize.    Safe Routes to School (SRTS), The Essentials To Support Continued Success:  Here are three things we absolutely cannot do without if we are to continue to make Safe Routes to School work:    1. Safe Routes to School Team In Transportation‐‐  Volunteers constantly turn over as their children move  through the school system. The two SRTS staff provide continuity that holds the program together over  time  Without them, our k‐8 traffic safety education programs and events would not get off the ground in an  organized way at every school every year. Their work is the catalyst that releases the powerful synergies of  partnership—an army of parent volunteers, site administrators and teachers who share information, work  together to solve traffic safety problems, give their time and enthusiastically encourage families to try new,  active, healthy sustainable ways to commute to school.  These staffers keep the team focused on the 6  E’s:  Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, Equity, and Evaluation. They provide  institutionalized structure and support for our extraordinarily successful, comprehensive TDM program.  They  also crunch the data that volunteers gather.     2. Crossing Guards‐‐ Crossing guards make sure children don’t start to cross until drivers stop.  They make sure drivers wait  as long as necessary to enable little people with short legs to cross wide intersections so families can feel comfortable  about walking and biking to school, especially during the busy morning peak hour. The Guards make these critical school  crossings VISIBLE so drivers notice them. Guards are only located at studied, city‐warranted locations.  The majority of  these locations are very high traffic volume intersections.  Six are on El Camino Real (a State highway).  Two on Alma  Expressway, 10 on arterial streets like Charleston, Arastradero, Middlefield, Embarcadero.  The remainder are on busy  collectors and other intersections without controls or with high turning movements or crash histories. These are  intersections where we cannot deploy volunteers. Has CoPA initiated discussions with PAUSD about sharing some of  these costs?    3. PAPD Traffic Team—From past experience, I’m guessing it is likely that if Traffic Team is eliminated, the officers  may be rolled into regular patrol. If this happens, it will be critically important to:    a. make sure there is a PAPD Liaison to the City School Traffic Safety Committee to maintain the working  partnership relationship with PAPD and regular patrol, and    b. put a HOLD on the Traffic Team positions as was done during the Great Recession when the city cut the  Traffic Team.  This way,  Traffic Team positions can be refilled more easily when budget problems are  resolved.     Here are some items that merit very careful consideration:  15   1. City of Palo Alto Shuttles  a. Crosstown Shuttle‐‐ (used by some Greene and JLS students)   b. Embarcadero Shuttle—(used by some Paly students)   I don’t know how many students are using the Shuttle these days, so I can’t comment on how eliminating Shuttles might  impact the SRTS program. This may be a good question for staff. The data isn’t parsed in a way that makes it clear who is  riding and what times of day. (seniors, students, others?)    2).   Certain engineering projects would greatly improve school route safety and bike/walking conditions for  everyone:   a.    Bicycle Boulevards  b. Completion of Charleston‐Arastradero Plan‐‐ If you need to postpone some portion of this development  mitigation project, please choose to prioritize constructing the highest volume intersections first.  This is where  the crashes are.  The bike lane gap on the approaches to and through the seven‐lane El Camino Real intersection  remains a serious hazard. Imagine pedaling across seven lanes of El Camino Real with NO bike lane.  Fulfill the  promise that was made at the beginning of this project when the city struck a deal with residents that they  would mitigate the aggregate traffic safety impacts of the development that was approved and built.  The  promise was—continuous bicycle lanes the entire length of the School Commute Corridor, Fabian to Miranda.     Thank you for considering my comments.      Penny Ellson      Virus-free. www.avg.com   16 Baumb, Nelly From:Gurmeet Lamba <glamba@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 9:49 AM To:Council, City Subject:Support for the Palo Alto Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council members:     I hope all of you and your families are doing well in this crazy environment we find ourselves in.   I am writing this note  to to express some thoughts on the Palo Alto Art Center.  My engagement at this art center is two fold ‐ first as an avid  potter, spending most Sunday's in the ceramics studio, and also as a board member and Vice president of the Palo Alto  Art Center Foundation.      I am one of many technology leaders in the Silicon Valley who have found the PaaC a haven ‐ an oasis in our tech infused  world.  It helps balance the highly driven / logical / data oriented 'day' job with the more creative soft‐touch and  empathetic world of art.  I can say this with strong conviction ‐ the art center with it's strong sense of  community & positive reinforcement culture helps me be a better technology and people leader at various tech startups  I have been involved in.    I am also very aware of budget shortfalls ‐ it's a reality in this un‐precedented crises.   The city council has to balance the  budget and will have many tough choices to make.    This note is to simply request that you keep in mind the significant  positive impact the art center has on the community as you make these choices.  I'm convinced it will have an even  stronger role to play as we start the recovery journey .....  Regards,    Gurmeet Lamba  Board Member & VP, Palo Alto Art Center Foundation  glamba@gmail.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/glamba/    17 Baumb, Nelly From:Satomi Okazaki <satomi@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 11:57 AM To:Council, City Subject:funding for crossing guards CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Members of the City Council,    I have children in 5th grade at Walter Hays Elementary School and 6th and 8th grades at Greene Middle School.  We  have biked to school every day it does not rain, and if it does rain, we walk to school.  We appreciate the Palo Alto Safe  Routes to School Team in all of its efforts to educate our students about how to safely ride bikes and navigate our  streets.        We live in Old Palo Alto, so my children have had to cross both Embarcadero and Middlefield twice a day to get to and  from school.  That is an intersection with heavy traffic in all directions, and young children must be able to navigate  it.  Please remember that starting third grade (around eight years of age), students are allowed to walk/bike themselves  to and from school.  These students do not always look to make sure that vehicle traffic stops when it is supposed  to.  They may just enter the intersection when they get a green light, even if a car (running a red light) is coming.    It is not safe for these young children to cross that intersection without the aid of a crossing guard.  Please make sure to  fund the crossing guards contract.  We also request that you maintain funding for the Safe Routes to School  Team.  Thank you very much.    Regards,    Satomi Okazaki  18 Baumb, Nelly From:Marcie Brown <su1cookies@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 12:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:In Support of the Palo Alto History Museum CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Fine, Vice Mayor DuBois, and Councilmembers Cormack, Filseth, Kniss, Kou and Tanaka:    I support the establishment of the Palo Alto History Museum in the historic Roth Building. Please reinstate the lease option agreement and make a place in the city’s budget for the funds necessary to start the rehabilitation of the Roth Building.  Having a local, accessible history museum would add to the richness that is Palo Alto. Knowing the past of a place helps to understand how the place got to where it is today and provides a grounding which allows thoughtful movement towards tomorrow. Palo Alto needs a place where all residents can see the history of the city and see themselves both in that history and as part of creating a desirable future for the city.  In my almost 32 years here, my involvement with PTAs in Palo Alto, the Girl Scouts of Palo Alto, the Junior League of Palo Alto-Midpeninsula, the YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula Donor Advised Fund, Abilities United and other non-profits has made me keenly aware of the depth of caring in the community. Having a museum that shares that with the community and the world is an undeniably good thing.  The city has had many partnerships (Avenidas, the Junior Museum and Zoo and the Art Center, for example) over the years that serve the residents so well. The PAHM would be a fine addition to the list, adding a new thread to the beautiful tapestry that is Palo Alto.  The many hundreds of donors and supporters of the PAHM have shown by their actions that Palo Alto should have a museum. Please work with them to complete the reality and fund the shortfall that would bring the Museum in the historic Roth Building to fruition. Having the Palo Alto History Museum will allow us all to be our best selves.    Thank you for your consideration, Marcie Brown          19 Baumb, Nelly From:Roxy Rapp <roxy@roxyrapp.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 1:09 PM To:Council, City Subject:Letter of Support for PA History Museum Attachments:20200511123312165[2].pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council, please see my enclosed letter of support for the Palo Alto History Museum.    Thank you,    Roxy   20 Baumb, Nelly From:JULIE BROWN <brownhus@comcast.net> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 1:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto History Museum CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  5/11/20 Dear Mayor Fine, Vice Mayor du Bois and Council, I am writing in support of the Palo Alto History Museum. As an artist and retired teacher in the PAUSD, I feel it is imperative we have an appropriate venue to share and showcase the stories of this city. My late husband, Greg Brown, felt strongly that our "hometown" have a special place where generations might come to appreciate our unique history. He planned to paint a mural celebrating Palo Alto's Culture at the site. The remodeled Art Center and the Junior Museum serve to entertain and educate both our citizens and visitors alike. It is time for the Palo Alto History Museum to take its rightful place beside them. Thank you, Julie Brown 21 Baumb, Nelly From:Yankwich Richard <richard.yankwich@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 1:29 PM To:Fine, Adrian; DuBois, Tom; Cormack, Alison; Filseth, Eric (Internal); Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia; Tanaka, Greg; Council, City Cc:Kienzle, Karen; Kwan, Karen Subject:Budget Process -- Palo Alto Art Center Attachments:Art Center Support to City Council, 05112020.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  May 11, 2020  Via Email to Members of the Palo Alto City Council:  Adrian Fine, Mayor Adrian.fine@cityofpaloalto.org  Tom DuBois, Vice Mayor tom.dubois@cityofpaloalto.org  Alison Cormack alison.cormack@cityofpaloalto.org  Eric Filseth eric.filseth@cityofpaloalto.org  Liz Kniss, Art Center Council liaison liz.kniss@cityofpaloalto.org  Lydia Kou Lydia.kou@cityofpaloalto.org  Greg Tanaka greg.tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org    Re:       Budget Decisions Relating to the Palo Alto Art Center  Dear Council Members:  My name is Richard Yankwich. I live at 1490 Edgewood Dr., in the Crescent Park neighborhood of Palo Alto. I have been a  patron of the Palo Alto Art Center for the past 36 years. From approximately 1988 to 2000, I was a member of the Board  of Directors of the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation (PAACF), and for ten years served as its President.  I am a long‐time  supporter of the Art Center and of various other community organizations in Palo Alto.  I realize that all aspects of the city budget must be closely scrutinized in light of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  Nevertheless, I believe that the Art Center is a valued institution within our community, with a unique history and a  special relationship with the City.  There are strong reasons why the City Council should, at the very least, provide  sufficient financial support to ensure the continued viability of the Arts Center and its programs.  First, the programs of the Art Center are a hallmark of what we want Palo Alto to be. Its outreach programs, its flexible  and utilitarian facilities, and its educational exhibits and classes are invaluable community assets. Through Cultural  22 Kaleidoscope, Project Look! and similar programs, the Art Center encourages community involvement and builds  positive relationships with our neighbors in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View. Art Center facilities are used  for exhibits and classes, but also for government and community meetings and events. And the educational  opportunities offered through the Art Center enhance continuous learning for all ages and have made up for programs  that have been eliminated in our schools.  Second, the Art Center is the evolving product of a movement toward public/private partnerships in Palo Alto. Nearly 30  years ago, when the City Council was considering eliminating the position of the Art Center Director during another time  of budgetary stress, the PAACF stepped up with private, supplemental funding that allowed the hiring of a new Director.  Rather than withering away, the Art Center grew into a community gem, ushering in a golden era of community  programs and engagement. Few if any other city assets have as committed a community of private donors as does the  Art Center. Members of the PAACF stand ready to work with the City Council to support the Art Center, its facilities, its  staff and its programs, as they have before.  Finally, the unique public/private partnership that already exists with the PAACF obliges the City Council to give the Art  Center special consideration within the budget process. Over the past 30 years, the PAACF has raised hundreds of  thousands of dollars in private funds to evaluate, redesign, and make capital improvements to the Art Center grounds  and building. Although the Art Center facility is certainly publicly owned, it also is very much privately  supported.  Implicit in this public/private partnership is a commitment by the City to continue to maintain and support  the Art Center, its staff and its programs, so as to achieve its intended purpose.  The City Council must act responsibly in preparing its budget, and may well ask all city programs, including the Art  Center, to accept cuts. Nevertheless, I strongly urge the City Council to maintain adequate financial support of the Art  Center, its programs and staff. As needed, the City Council should work directly with the PAACF to extend their  public/private partnership to address the budgetary problems brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.  Thank you for your consideration.  Very truly yours,      Richard I. Yankwich     cc: Karen Kienzle, Art Center Director            Richard I. Yankwich richard.yankwich@gmail.com Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650)269-4403     Redacted May 11, 2020 Via Email to Members of the Palo Alto City Council: Adrian Fine, Mayor Adrian.fine@cityofpaloalto.org Tom DuBois, Vice Mayor tom.dubois@cityofpaloalto.org Alison Cormack alison.cormack@cityofpaloalto.org Eric Filseth eric.filseth@cityofpaloalto.org Liz Kniss, Art Center Council liaison liz.kniss@cityofpaloalto.org Lydia Kou Lydia.kou@cityofpaloalto.org Greg Tanaka greg.tanaka@cityofpaloalto.org Re: Budget Decisions Relating to the Palo Alto Art Center Dear Council Members: My name is Richard Yankwich. I live at 1490 Edgewood Dr., in the Crescent Park neighborhood of Palo Alto. I have been a patron of the Palo Alto Art Center for the past 36 years. From approximately 1988 to 2000, I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation (PAACF), and for ten years served as its President. I am a long-time supporter of the Art Center and of various other community organizations in Palo Alto. I realize that all aspects of the city budget must be closely scrutinized in light of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, I believe that the Art Center is a valued institution within our community, with a unique history and a special relationship with the City. There are strong reasons why the City Council should, at the very least, provide sufficient financial support to ensure the continued viability of the Arts Center and its programs. First, the programs of the Art Center are a hallmark of what we want Palo Alto to be. Its outreach programs, its flexible and utilitarian facilities, and its educational exhibits and classes are invaluable community assets. Through Cultural Kaleidoscope, Project Look! and similar programs, the Art Center encourages community involvement and builds positive relationships with our neighbors in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View. Art Center facilities are used for exhibits and classes, but also for government and community meetings and events. And the educational opportunities offered through the Art Center enhance continuous learning for all ages and have made up for programs that have been eliminated in our schools. . Second, the Art Center is the evolving product of a movement toward public/private partnerships in Palo Alto. Nearly 30 years ago, when the City Council was considering eliminating the position of the Art Center Director during another time of budgetary stress, the PAACF stepped up with private, supplemental funding that allowed the hiring of a new Director. Rather than withering away, the Art Center grew into a community gem, ushering in a golden era of community programs and engagement. Few if any other city assets have as committed a community of private donors as does the Art Center. Members of the PAACF stand ready to work with the City Council to support the Art Center, its facilities, its staff and its programs, as they have before. Finally, the unique public/private partnership that already exists with the PAACF obliges the City Council to give the Art Center special consideration within the budget process. Over the past 30 years, the PAACF has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in private funds to evaluate, redesign, and make capital improvements to the Art Center grounds and building. Although the Art Center facility is certainly publicly owned, it also is very much privately supported. Implicit in this public/private partnership is a commitment by the City to continue to maintain and support the Art Center, its staff and its programs, so as to achieve its intended purpose. The City Council must act responsibly in preparing its budget, and may well ask all city programs, including the Art Center, to accept cuts. Nevertheless, I strongly urge the City Council to maintain adequate financial support of the Art Center, its programs and staff. As needed, the City Council should work directly with the PAACF to extend their public/private partnership to address the budgetary problems brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for your consideration. Very truly yours, Richard I. Yankwich cc: Karen Kienzle, Art Center Director Karen Kwan 24 Baumb, Nelly From:ANDREA B SMITH <andreabsmith@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 1:44 PM To:Council, City Cc:City Mgr Subject:City of Palo Alto budget CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council and City Manager ‐    I do not understand why a town would want to lay off Police Officers or FireFighters/Paramedics when there are  employees, such as the Art Center, who work at looking busy when, in fact, they have very little to do.    When we want firefighters and/or paramedics, we want them now not a hour or so later.    When departments/ divisions (or whatever each group is called) has a budget and does not spend all that money, they  have to return the money and will not receive it in the next fiscal year. So, they run around looking for ways to spend  that money which is a WASTE of money.    The City needs to be run more efficiently which it has not been for many years. When employees sit around and/or run  around trying to look busy, they are the employees who are not needed.    I know that it is hard to be efficient when there is not a need to act like a for profit organization. Government is  inefficient. Palo Alto needs to get a grip.    We had 9 City Council members when members, except residents, said that would having 7 members would not work.  Maybe we should have fewer members as larger towns have.    Andrea Smith   Redacted 25 Baumb, Nelly From:Marie Wolbach <mariewolbach@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 2:38 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto History Museum CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Fine and Council Members: I urge Council to reverse their previous decision to offer a new RFP for the Roth Building. Please vote to supply the necessary funds to bring that historic building up to code and open it as the Palo Alto History Museum. That is in the City's interest. As a long time resident, I regret that I cannot take visitors, or my grandchildren, to a place where they can learn about the rich history of Palo Alto. As founder of AAUW Tech Trek STEM Camps for Girls, I assure you that young people are interested in history. In 22 years, we have hosted, on college campuses, 17,000 rising 8th grade young women on full scholarships. A portion of the program is instruction about the history of women in math and science. It ignites a spark of excitement when they learn that significant discoveries have been made by women since at least 1900 BCE. The girls of Palo Alto should have one destination where they can be inspired by the accomplishments of Palo Alto’s women. Throughout our city's history, many women and men have made important contributions. With additional funding from the City, and the already committed funds from private donors, we will provide a place where all our students and citizens can learn those stories. Thank you. Marie Wolbach Palo Alto, CA 94303 Redacted 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Gwyneth Wong <gw26041@pausd.us> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 3:41 PM To:Council, City Subject:Renew Funding for YCS Youth Connectiveness Initiative Nonprofit program CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello to whoever this may concern,  I am a peer leader for the YCS Youth Connectednes Initiative. I'm 17 years old and a junior at PALY. As a peer leader, I'm  helping to connect isolated students and share information about dealing with depression and anxiety. We are learning  together to speak to mental health issues with our peers; students pay more attention to the words of others students.  During the school year, we planned and put on community events that brought the community together in fun and  informative ways. We are currently using Zoom, videos, and social media to reach students despite the COVID  shutdown. In the community, we have worked with wellness centers Project Safety Net, Allcove, Stanford professors like  Dr. Shashank Joshi, and more. Please don't cut our funding because we are making a difference at a critical time,  working with all our partners.  Thank you,  Gwyn Wong    ‐‐   Best,   Gwyn Wong  2 Baumb, Nelly From:Ashley Qiu <aq40179@pausd.us> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 2:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:Renew Funding for YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative nonprofit program CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi there,   I am a peer leader for the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative. I'm 16 years old and a student at Palo Alto High School. As a peer leader, I'm helping to connect isolated students and share information about dealing with depression and anxiety. We're learning together to speak to mental health issues with our peers; students pay more attention to the words of other students. During the school year, we planned and put on community events that brought the community together in fun and informative ways. We're currently using Zoom, videos, and social media to reach students despite the COVID shutdown. In the community, we have worked with the wellness centers, Project Safety Net, Allcove, Stanford professors like Dr. Shashank Joshi, and more. Please don't cut our funding because we are making a difference at a critical time, working with all our partners. Thank you.     Sincerely,   Ashley Qiu  Palo Alto High School   3 Baumb, Nelly From:Hannah Zhang <hannahjzhang@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 2:09 PM To:Council, City Subject:Renew Funding for YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative Nonprofit Program CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi!     I am Hannah Zhang, a peer leader for the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative. I'm 16 years old and a student at Gunn  High School. As a peer leader, I have found a sense of purpose in connecting isolated students and helping others deal  with depression/anxiety.     By providing fun activities for the community while learning to speak about mental health issues with peers, students  become more aware about this topic. During the school year, we planned and put on community events that brought  students together in fun and informative ways. Additionally, we have worked with the wellness centers, Project Safety  Net, Allcove, Stanford professors, and more.    Now, with the COVID‐19 shutdown in place, we have been meeting with Zoom in order to continue to make a positive  impact. Specifically, each of us have made several social media posts on tips to survive quarantine and we have recently  been working on video series to spread awareness virtually.     The Youth Connectedness Initiative program is important not only for the community members we help, but also for  peer leaders like myself. Please don't cut our funding because we are making a difference at a critical time.    Thank you very much,  Hannah Zhang  Gunn High School Class of 22  4 Baumb, Nelly From:Phoebe Kim <phoebe1kim@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 1:35 PM To:Council, City Cc:Jimmy Nguyen Subject:Renew Funding for YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative Nonprofit Program CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi! My name is Phoebe Kim and I am a peer leader for the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative. I am a 16 year old  student at Palo Alto High School. As peer leaders in the YCI Program, we help connect isolated students and share critical  information on how to cope with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. We realize students pay more  attention to the words of other students, so we are continuing to learn how to speak to mental health issues, and make  a difference especially in our youth community. This past school year we have brought together our community in fun  and informative ways.  Currently, our program is using Zoom, social media, and videos to reach out to our youth community despite COVID‐19  setbacks. So far, we have worked with the school wellness centers, Allcove, Project Safety Net, and Stanford Professors  like Dr. Shashank Joshi, and more.  Please don’t cut our funding because we are making a difference at a critical time, working with all of our partners. We  need this funding to continue making an impact on our community and to reach out to students especially during these  scary and uncertain times.    Thank you so much,    Phoebe Kim  Class of 2022  Palo Alto High School  5 Baumb, Nelly From:Bianca Pistaferri <biancapista@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 1:27 PM To:Council, City Subject:Renew Funding for YCS youth connectedness initiative CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am a peer leader for the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative.  I'm 16 years old and a student at Gunn high school. As a peer leader, I'm helping to connect isolated students and share  information about dealing with depression and anxiety. We're learning together to speak to mental health issues with  our peers; students pay more attention to the words of other students. During the school year, we planned and put on  communiry events that brought the community together in fun and informative ways.  We're currently using Zoom, videos, and social media to reach students despite the COVID shutdown. In the community,  we have worked with the wellness centers, Project Safety Net, Allcove, Stanford professors like Dr. Shashank Joshi, and  more. Please don't cut our funding because we are making a difference at a critical time, working with all our partners.  Thank you.  Bianca Pistaferri  Gunn high school Sophomore  6 Baumb, Nelly From:Bob Miyahara <rmiyahara@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 11:51 AM To:Council, City Cc:Leif Erickson Subject:[City Budget Hearings] Save YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative Funding Attachments:YCS PA City Council Letter.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Youth Community Service    PO Box 61000  Palo Alto, CA 94306    May 10, 2020      The Honorable Adrian Fine, Mayor of Palo Alto  and Members of the Palo Alto City Council  City of Palo Alto City Hall  250 Hamilton Avenue  Palo Alto, CA 94301    VIA EMAIL    Dear Mayor Fine and Members of the City Council,    While I understand the current budgetary challenges faced by the City of Palo Alto, I believe that cutting funding for YCS’s Youth Connectedness Initiative would be a mistake that would hurt our community greatly.   As you know, Youth Community Services (YCS) has been serving the greater Palo Alto community for 30 years. YCS’s initial mission was focused on building the foundational characteristics of empathy, leadership and empowerment in our middle and high school youth through service.    However, following the rise of tragic student suicides which first peaked in 2009 and followed soon thereafter in 2015, YCS responded to the needs of the community by expanding its mission to develop resilience and build connectedness within the youth already participating in YCS programs. These efforts grew and culminated in the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative launched in the Fall of 2018.    In the midst of the added anxiety and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, YCS’s programs around Youth Connectedness and Suicide Prevention could not be more important to our community. This program has been meticulously designed and implemented based on evidence-based, Suicide Prevention strategies from both the CDC and Search Institute.    Redacted 7 I would like to stress that the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative program was structured such that YCS would lose funding from Santa Clara County if the matching funds from City of Palo Alto were withdrawn. Thus, this invaluable program to the community would likely cease to exist.    From its beginning, YCS has heavily relied on the support of the community that it serves. And I would humbly submit that YCS has never betrayed that trust. While realizing the difficulty of the City’s financial position, I know that you would all agree that the loss of just one youth pales in comparison to the funding required for this program.    Your consideration is greatly appreciated,      R Robert Miyahara  Youth Community Service  Board Chairman  Youth Community Service 780 Arastradero Rd, Room V-14 PO Box 61000 Palo Alto, CA 94306 May 10, 2020 The Honorable Adrian Fine, Mayor of Palo Alto and Members of the Palo Alto City Council City of Palo Alto City Hall 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 VIA EMAIL Dear Mayor Fine and Members of the City Council, While I understand the current budgetary challenges faced by the City of Palo Alto, I believe that cutting funding for YCS’s Youth Connectedness Initiative would be a mistake that would hurt our community greatly. As you know, Youth Community Services (YCS) has been serving the greater Palo Alto community for 30 years. YCS’s initial mission was focused on building the foundational characteristics of empathy, leadership and empowerment in our middle and high school youth through service. However, following the rise of tragic student suicides which first peaked in 2009 and followed soon thereafter in 2015, YCS responded to the needs of the community by expanding its mission to develop resilience and build connectedness within the youth already participating in YCS programs. These efforts grew and culminated in the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative launched in the Fall of 2018. In the midst of the added anxiety and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, YCS’s programs around Youth Connectedness and Suicide Prevention could not be more important to our community. This program has been meticulously designed and implemented based on evidence-based, Suicide Prevention strategies from both the CDC and Search Institute. I would like to stress that the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative program was structured such that YCS would lose funding from Santa Clara County if the matching funds from City of Palo Alto were withdrawn. Thus, this invaluable program to the community would likely cease to exist. From its beginning, YCS has heavily relied on the support of the community that it serves. And I would humbly submit that YCS has never betrayed that trust. While realizing the difficulty of the City’s financial position, I know that you would all agree that the loss of just one youth pales in comparison to the funding required for this program. Your consideration is greatly appreciated, R Robert Miyahara Youth Community Service Board Chairman 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Ellen Rudy <ellen@rudyworld.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 12:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding for the Youth Connectedness Initiative (YCI) CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Members—    I am a Board Member for Youth Community Service on Palo Alto. One of the things that drew me to the organization  was the focus on Social and Emotional wellness for youth and families through the Youth Connectedness Initiative (YCI)  program. Students of every background and income level are struggling with isolation and anxiety – and especially now.  Continuing teen and family mental health support is needed even more during – and post – COVID‐19.     The Youth Connectedness Initiative, now 3 years old, was a response to surveys showing a need to develop more  protective factors against stress, based in part on the statistics that the youth suicide rate in Palo Alto was the highest in  the County.  YCI uses evidence‐based strategies from CDC suicide‐prevention report for Santa Clara County and Search  Institute. Working with extensive youth wellness partnerships for the greatest impact, we develop protective factors  that ease the feelings of anxiety and isolation that so many of our youth experience.    YCI has made significant strides in just a few years, the metrics of which were shared in our 2019 Report to Santa Clara  County. During this time of sheltering in place YCS has not stopped their work. Our youth have worked hard to make  sure they continue to reach out and connect to other youth for their socio‐emotional health.    It has been through support from the City of Palo Alto that YCS has been able to bring Youth Connectedness (YCI) to the  city’s students and parents. Pending your support, we are guaranteed a matching $50K grant from the County.    Our need for connectedness for youth and their families is more urgent than ever.    Please consider continuing the funding for YCI to continue this critical work.     Thank you.      Ellen Rudy  Board Member, Youth Community Service  408‐352‐5485  408‐605‐4918 Mobile  ellen@rudyworld.com  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Linda Lenoir <llenoir233@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 11:17 AM To:Council, City Cc:Leif Erickson Subject:City Council Letter CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.      Dear City Council Members: My name is Linda Lenoir and I was the District Nurse for PAUSD for 26 years. As you all remember, we had a contagion of deaths by suicide from 2009-2014. Project Safety Net (PSN) and the HEARD Alliance were founded during that period to help support our students, staff and parents during a very dark and difficult time. Both organizations continue to support the community during these difficult times. PSN has as one of its Guiding Principles: “Collaboration: We effect change through the connections, creativity and contributions of our entire community working together.” The HEARD Alliance continues its work of Promotion of Wellness and Suicide Prevention. Under its Developmental Relationships Framework the Search Institute states: “Young people are more likely to grow up successfully when they experience developmental relationships with important people in their lives. Developmental relationships are close connections through which young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with and contribute to the work around them.” I also work on the Safe and Healthy Committee at the SCCOE and we have noted when meeting with numerous districts in SCC the need to plan for more connections when schools re-engage not less. Many of the most recent calls to the text and crisis lines at the SCCBH centers were about the loss of relationships. With full disclosure I have served on the Youth Community Service (YCS) Board of Directors for over 10 years. When PAUSD conducted student surveys a few years ago one of the problem areas noted by students was the “lack of connections” in their lives. YCS investigated how we could strengthen these connections in school, with parents and in their community. Based upon the findings of this study, YCS started the Youth Connected Initiative. The purpose of this initiative was clearly stated: “Through partnership with schools, youths families and other adult allies in the Palo Alto community, the Youth Connectedness Initiative (YCI) will develop protective factors that include self-efficacy, positive relationships, connectedness and community engagement among youths.” I know you have received the most recent report sharing all the progress YCS has been achieving over the last few years. Now more than ever during this time of “sheltering in 2 place” our youth need more, not fewer connections. As you all know, PAUSD has recently experienced the death of a parent and more recently the unfortunate death of a teacher with 27 years of service to the district. Now is not the time to cut one of the only programs that brings positive connections for families, staff and our youth. During this time of sheltering in place YCS has not stopped their work. Our youth have worked hard to make sure they continue to reach out and connect to other youth for their socio-emotional health. I would like to express my gratitude to the Palo Alto City Council for all your support over the last few years. I also plead that the Council to leave in their budget the money for YCS to be able to continue their important work during this disastrous time. Thank you, stay well, Linda Lenoir RN, MSN, CNS, PHN Suicide Prevention Training Manager HEARD Alliance Stanford University   3 Baumb, Nelly From:Liz Gardner <gardnerjaqua@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 10, 2020 4:11 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep All Our School Children Safe CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Honorable Mayor and Council,     Please take seriously the safety of our school children's commute  and bicycle education, awareness . Maintaining  funding for Safe Routes to school and its staff is a critical component especially living in these unprecedented times.     As well the crossing guard contract and program keeps safe our childrens twice daily school commute. This program  more than ever mitigates fear and unknowing during these times of COVID. A smile Our school children should not be  penalized or punished for an virus illness and budget they had no hand in creating.     If cuts should be made make them from adult city programming rather than children.   Our children are our future.     Sincerely,     Liz Gardner  Mayfield Place    Palo Alto, Ca 94306  650‐845‐7502      ‐‐   Liz Gardner  Redacted 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Barbara Wallace <bardy.wallace@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 3:38 PM To:Council, City Subject:Keep Palo Alto History Museum in Roth Building CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Fine and Council Members Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Kniss, Kou, and Tanaka,  I ask you to count me among the donors and supporters of the Palo Alto History Museum who advocate a second life for the City-owned Roth Building as the home of the future Museum.   — Please reverse the March 2 directive to Staff to move forward with options for an RFP.  — Please weigh the benefits of City capital funding to accelerate rehabilitation of the Roth Building and prevent further deterioration by neglect of this valuable architectural asset.  Palo Alto is singular in many ways, among them the fact that we have no museum to illustrate the stories that give our city global significance beyond its size. My husband and I are among the community supporters pledged to opening a museum that will spotlight the people and the forward-looking energy that has always distinguished Palo Alto. Though we are retired now, our own histories as students and employees (Stanford, HP, Apple) span a fascinating period of invention and growth. My family took root here in 1895, early in the town’s development. I am a former teacher of young children and a civic volunteer, recently retired from the boards of the Palo Alto Historical Association, which manages the City- owned Guy Miller Archives, and the Palo Alto History Museum. For over a decade it has been my privilege to work with people committed to bringing the archives and a participatory museum to the Roth Building.  The pandemic of 2020 has delivered unforeseen challenges that unsettle your management of civic assets and opportunities. I don’t envy the Council’s budgetary choices. Still, I am convinced that a museum illuminating a distinctive past will strengthen community identity among today’s diverse Palo Altans and inspire young people to imagine futures of their own.  The City, the Roth Building, and the Museum have come a long way together. I think of our civic forbears who conceived and built unique educational and cultural resources that serve us today. I urge you to consider the lasting value to the City of a modern museum in a historic building.  Please continue substantive City support for keeping the future Museum in the Roth Building.  With thanks for your thoughtful attention,   Sincerely,    Barbara Wallace   1 Baumb, Nelly From:Ken Joye <kmjoye@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 10:54 AM To:Council, City Subject:budget survey interpretation CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  In reading the “public comments” section on the budget survey which was posted in conjunction with the meetings this  week, I noticed a number of statements like this:     Ranking system above stopped working for me after number 4. I would rank Administration 5, Planning & Transportation  6    Given that users may not have fully understood the method of allocating “dots”, I hope that you will be able to  accurately interpret the input from the survey.  (I will confess that when I first attempted to assign my values to the six  options, I thought along the lines of the person above…).    Beyond the statement I submitted to the survey (appended), I would add one further thought: can the number of FTE  reduced be smaller during FY21 if the general fund contribution to the capital improvement fund were increased beyond  $8.05m?  I don’t mean to make light of the work that staff did to present the budget proposal to you, but merely wish to  suggest that you consider dialing back more on capital improvement if that means the disruption to the operating  budget is less.    I wish to acknowledge your service in a most painful process, thank you for addressing this in a forthright manner.    Ken Joye  Ventura neighborhood      These are my top priorities: (1) toilet flushing works (2) water comes out of faucet (3) electricity comes through the  wires (4) ambulance and fire vehicles arrive (5) garbage is picked up. Allocating $0.5m to small business grants when  facing $39m shortfall is absolutely at the bottom of my list.  Addressing the climate crisis is somewhere between those  two ranges.  Keeping one of our libraries open is much more important than keeping five branches open.  Maintaining a  golf course or an airport would fall pretty much to the bottom.  Keeping the "Safe Routes To School" program vigorous is  more important than the NTSBB.  Don't consider any more parking structures (any major capital improvement project  would need to be completely justifiable; see my top priorities: keeping sewage and water flowing should stay on the  active CIP list). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE    1 Baumb, Nelly From:Ed Klinenberg <ed@edklinenberg.com> Sent:Wednesday, May 6, 2020 2:06 PM To:Council, City Subject:Message from the City Council Home Page CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________         I am a Palo Alto resident who has been taking ceramics classes for the past five years. Alarmed by learning today that  the City may drastically reduce the operating budget of the Palo Alto Art Center, I am writing to say strongly that the Art  Center should be fully funded for several reasons.       A community is only as strong as its social infrastructure. That encompasses such things as art centers, libraries,  community centers, and others. These places enable local residents to get to know each other and to build community.       It is community that enables people to be healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally.       Damage the community and you will damage the people within!       I encourage City Council members to seek funding from the many wealthy companies and individuals that operate,  live, and work in Palo Alto to keep local people‐serving organizations and departments thriving!     Sincerely,    ‐Edward L Klinenberg             Palo Slto 94306  Redacted 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Carol Scott <cscott@crossfieldllc.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:30 AM To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:City Budget Deliberations -- Parking and RPP Management CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members and City Manager,    I write concerning a proposal to cease the enforcement of Residential Parking Permit programs.  There is no  budget case to be made for cancelling the enforcement.  RPPs largely pay for themselves and can be made to  be self‐sufficient with some obvious tweaks.  Rather, it appears that the expected budget shortfall is being  used as an excuse for a gratuitous degradation of residential quality of life and yet another concession to the  business community that has long been desired by some members of the City Council.  The attempt to hide  such a controversial decision in the many different proposals for balancing the budget is not appreciated.    The proposal currently on the table appears to be based on the current precipitous drop in parking needs due  to the shelter‐in‐place orders that have shut many businesses and Stanford University.  However, this lack of  demand in highly unlikely to last past the end of our quarantine period.  Stanford University at some point will  once again hold in person class.  Stanford students and faculty will once again choose free parking in  Evergreen Park in lieu of paying parking permit fees at Stanford ‐‐ if they can get them.  Stanford has to show a  reduction in trips to campus.  Allowing Stanford folks to park in Evergreen Park gives free parking AND allow  the university to claim that it has reduced trips.  Similarly, businesses will be reopening at some point, and  there will once again be demand for parking by CalTrain riders and to a great extent by those choosing to drive  to Palo Alto for work rather than take public transportation due to fears of being exposed to the coronavirus.     Now is not the time to undo almost twenty years of work to reduce the encroachment of businesses into the  residential neighborhoods in Palo Alto.  The City has created this problem of encroachment by allowing large  office buildings to be built with inadequate parking  ‐‐ as a gift to the developer community.  It has a  responsibility to continue to protect residents.      Here are steps that need to be taken to improve the RPPs and make it more economically feasible for the City:   1.  Reduce the number of employee permits sold for the Evergreen Park/Mayfeld RPP.  The tax paying  residents have paid for the new parking garage for the California Ave business district, and they should get  something in return, namely moving employee parking into the garage.  After all, most businesses would  prefer to park there closer to their offices.  Local businesses along El Camino now have several block of El  Camino Real as their personal parking area.  The Mayfield area, in particular, should be given relief.    2.  Enforce parking restrictions in BOTH the City‐owned parking lots and garage AND in the residential permit  parking areas.  Enforcing the two hour parking restrictions in the California Ave and Downtown commercial  core areas, but not in the residential areas will simply incentivize employees to park in the "free" residential  zones.  Failure to enforce RPP restrictions in residential areas also will reduce revenue to the City ‐‐ from  2 citations for violations, from lower demand for parking permits in garages and lots, and from lower demand  for residential permits by residents who no longer see any benefit to having a permit.    3.  Raise the cost of employee parking permits in the residential zones.  Employees should be encouraged to  park in City lots and garages first, and only then to park in residential areas.  Prices of employee permits  should be raised substantially, with provisions for lower costs for lower income employees.    4.  Do not allow the ban on in‐lieu fees, whereby a developer pays a one‐time fee to partially compensate for  not including adequate parking in the construction project.  These in‐lieu fees  never cover the cost of building  more parking for business employees.  Much better to force the developer to put adequate parking right into  the new facility.      5.  Provide adequate staff in the City to properly manage the RPP programs, craft appropriate pricing policy in  order to make the programs more self‐sustaining, and to search our efficiencies.  It has been almost two years  since I was part of a group that interviewed various companies seeking a contract to build a new computer  system for RPP management.  Where is this project???  A well designed system would streamline the  management of RPPs.  Within months of any economic opening up, we will be back to horrendous levels fo  traffic.  We should be prepared.      Thank you for your consideration of this matter.      Carol Scott  Evergreen Park Resident    ‐‐   Carol Scott  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Fernando Cabildo <fernando.cabildo@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 10:46 AM To:Council, City Subject:Upcoming budget - please keep the College Terrace Library open CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council:     I am writing to voice my concerns on the proposed City budget for the next fiscal year, which closes the College Terrace  Library for two years.  Closing the College Terrace Library is an extreme action that will reverberate throughout the City,  with limited monetary savings.    As I understand the proposed budget, the monetary impact of closing the College Terrace Library is small compared to  other, less drastic measures that can more easily be taken.  How about another reduction of hours for the library?  How  about enlisting volunteers to staff the library?  How about reducing hours at other libraries in parts of the City that are  already well‐served by City facilities?  There are a thousand other options.    What are costs of closing the library, such as transporting the books to other libraries, insurance, utilities, security,  maintenance, and upkeep of an empty building, signage and outreach to direct patrons to other open libraries?  Such  costs will further cut the savings of closing the College Terrace Library.    These cost savings are not worth the overall impact to the community and the City.  The College Terrace Library is the  only City facility for meeting space on the west side of El Camino Real.  The library also has the only bathroom facility in  the four parks in College Terrace.    Also, what kind of message does closing a library send to the community at large?      We are spending millions of dollars on a bike bridge for health and fitness, and to connect part of the City with other for  commuters.  We have earmarked millions of dollars for a new public safety building.  We are renovating City Hall.  How  about our our educational, academic, and social opportunities that are just as important as our health, fitness, safety,  and a nice place for City employees to work?  The College Terrace Library provides these important opportunities at a  mere fraction of the cost.  Thank you.    Sincerely,  Fernando Cabildo    Palo Alto, CA 94306  Redacted 4 Baumb, Nelly From:Roger Pierno <rktroger@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 10:50 AM To:Council, City Subject:Demand An Employee Org Chart CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Honorable Council Members,     While watching the Council meeting Monday night, May 11th, I was appalled by the evasiveness of City Manager Ed  Shikada when he was asked several times by member Greg Tanaka to provide City Council members with a detailed  organization chart showing all employees and the supervision structure.  Mr. Shikada continually used semantics to  obfuscate the title of manager when it was clear by member Tanaka’s questions that member Tanaka wanted to know  the supervision and reporting structure of each City employee.  Knowing how many employees are working in each area  of the City and how many employees each supervisor is managing are probably the most important facts when deciding  what types of staff reductions to make.  Without this knowledge the City Council is basically flying blind when making  decisions on cost savings.  Please continue to demand from the City Manager a full and detailed accounting of the  employee/supervisor organization structure.     I wish you all the best while you conduct this difficult work.     Respectfully,     Roger Pierno       Redacted 5 Baumb, Nelly From:ALICE HOLMES <ajholmes1@aol.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 10:56 AM To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:Budget CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  All ‐    Some interesting comments found at Palo Alto Online in response to the budget article:   Just did some extensive analysis of the budget, and found it very easy to cut non-critical expenses. Proposed cuts: * Pause capital construction not yet started: public safety building and fire station 4. The budgets conveniently don't show their amounts, but assuming these are 80% of our capital improvements these will save $67M * Pause IT Capital Improvement (cut capital budget 90%, IT budget still at over $25M), saves $7M * Citywide Administration to trim Overhead from $23.5M by 25% to 17.6M. Savings: $5.9M. Done: We've saved $80M off the budget! Put this to a popular vote: Do we want libraries, police (including traffic enforcement), and fire, or is it important to break ground on expensive capital projects? Details: Our budget is approximately: __ General Fund: $230M __ + Safety: Police & Fire: $80M. + Planning, Transportation, Infra: $34M. (includes streets, sidewalks, trees, public works) + Community & Library Services (includes parks, rec, arts, golf, etc): $42M. + Citywide Administration: $74M. Only 8M of this is on repair & maintenance. Compare with 11M on city officials, 8.5M on finance, 4M on human resources. ($23.5M of overhead) __ Capital Budget $191.5M ___ + 45% on improvements ($86M): - Downtown automated parking guidance systems - we won't need this for a long time! - Fire station 4 replacement, scheduled for late 2020 - why not pause this? - Public safety building, scheduled for late 2020 - why not pause? + 3.5% on Vehicle replacement. Why not pause new vehicle purchases for a year or 6 two? + 4.1% on "Technology". Last I checked, we had an egregiously priced multi-million dollar contract for upgraded computers in the city council chambers. Last I went there, everything appeared brand new and fully functioning. Pause or stop this extravagance!     How about taking a look at these suggestions?      Time to tighten the belt of Palo Alto.     Thank you for your hard work in deciphering the budget. And cutting salaries and trimming benefits of employees,  particularly those who earn over $100k a year is the place to start, even if this won’t be popular with your highly  compensated city manager.     Put projects on hold. Defer big expenditures. Make do with what we have for a while. Hunker down.     Keep what is meaningful to the people of Palo Alto ‐ recreation, safety, parks, libraries. Start charging non residents  more to “use” the services of this City. And once again, cut the fat from the salaries and benefits of city employees  across the board. Freeze hiring. No wage increases. Consider salary cuts for highly compensated employees.     Thank you for your service to the city.     Alice Holmes   1 Baumb, Nelly From:joe_lee@yahoo.com Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 10:32 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close CT library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council members,     I am writing in support of the College Terrace library, and to ask that you do not support plans to close it.     For many older residents, of which there are many in this part of town, taking public transportation to a library across  town is not only difficult, but also dangerous in these Covid‐19 times.  And because of where the other 4 Palo Alto  libraries are located (Downton, Children’s, Rinconada, Mitchell Park), walking for our seniors ‐‐ or biking for children ‐‐ is  not a reasonable option.     At a bigger picture level, please understand that you would be cutting not into flesh but rather into bone.  Our city  libraries and emergency services (fire, police, etc.) should really be the last thing cut. The net savings of $167,000 for  closing the CT library hardly seems worth it.      Thanks for listening.     Joe Lee      2 Baumb, Nelly From:LJZ <ludwik.zych@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 10:29 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. As a long time resident of the College Terrace I strongly urge the City Council to do everything in its power to keep the College Terrace Library open. It’s a great asset to our community and our families. The library is especially important to our kids. In the case of my son it was the first place where he was introduced to books and developed love for them. It would be a big loss to all of us if it was no longer open. Sincerely, Ludwik Zych Redacted 3 Baumb, Nelly From:Wendy Jacobsen <wendy.jacobsen@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 9:55 AM To:Council, City Subject:Keep College Terrace Library open! Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council members,    Please do not close the College Terrace library.  Our children have used this library the past 6 years and have very much  enjoyed it. It is the only library within walking distance. Other libraries would require driving and the parking lots are  often highly congested (Mitchell Park and Rinconada Library).   Libraries are so important for children to be exposed to books and develop literacy in today’s digital world.   Thank you for keeping the library open!  ~Wendy     Wendy Jacobsen, AMFT  Counseling and Support Services for Youth  Addison Elementary School  wjacobsen@cassybayarea.org      4 Baumb, Nelly From:deborah plumley <deborah@plumleygroup.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 9:42 AM To:Eileen Stolee Cc:Ronda Rosner; Summa, Doria; Annette Ross; Alexis Moiseyev; Allen J. Baum; Andrea Cook Fleming; Andrew Fetter; Ann Balin; Asa Such; Becky Fuson; Bill Ross; Bonnie King; Brad Horak; Brent Barker; Brian Feldman; Burke Robinson; Carina Chiang; Chris Saccheri; Chris Saccheri; Christopher Botsford; Colin Born; Dara Olmsted; Diane Finkelstein; Ed Schmitt; Emily and George Marshall; Eric Carlson; Eric Larsen; Erica Enos; Fernando Cabildo; Fred Balin; Gray Clossman; Holly Welstein; Ingrid Shu; Irina Cross; Jack Culpepper; Jaine Reese; Cook, James F.; Jennifer and Sebastian Doniach; Jens Jensen; Jeremy Platt; Jerry Yan; Jo Ann Mandinach; Joanne Zschokke; Joe and Melissa Oliveira; John Mark Agosta; John and Maritza Frankfurt; Julie Good; Karen Damian; Karen Price; Karlette Warner; Durham, KathyF; Kay Culpepper; Ken Thom; Ken Van Vleck; Kim Raftery; Kristen Anderson; Kyle Harrison; Larry Kavinoky; Lon Radin; Louise and Aidan Roche; Maggie Heath; Malcolm Slaney; High Ground Margaret; Margit Aramburu; Margot Moiseyev; Marj Pitchon; Mary Jane Marcus; Meredith Martin; Michael Smit; Michelle Collette; Michelle Oberman; Nancy Cassidy; Nancy Lowe; Pat Robinson; Patricia Griffin; Patty Hartsell; Pria Graves; Richard Stolee; Richard Such; Richard Such; Roger Pierno; Roland Vogl; Ron_and_Joan Tambussi; Roswitha Remling; Ruth_and_Jerry Consul; Sairus Patel; Sally and Whit Heaton; Samidh Chakrabarti; Sheila Bonini; Sheila Kothari; Simon Firth; Steve Woodward; Stewart Carl; Sujata Patel; Sumitra Joy; Susan Wilson; Suzanne Doyle; Taylor Brady; Terry and MarieLouise Fries; Toby Brookes; Toiya Black; Tom Jack; Ulla Mick; Ute Engelke; Wendy Pang; Zeke Herman; Zohar Lotan; Council, City; eric heaton; william.xuan@gregtanaka.org Subject:Getting a donation from a wealthy resident Re: College Terrace Library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  The amount that the city will save from closing the College Terrace Library is quite small in the scheme of things.     *** have they thought about getting a donation from a wealthy Palo Alto resident to cover this amount?   or from a local  company?    I sent an email to the City Council suggesting that they do this.    Deborah    Deborah Plumley      65‐857‐1780      On May 10, 2020, at 8:56 AM, Eileen Stolee <estolee@gmail.com> wrote:    email    Redacted 5 Baumb, Nelly From:Deborah Plumley <deborah@plumleygroup.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 9:39 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council:    I have been a resident of College Terrance for almost 50 years and during that time have been an active user of the  library — mostly for checking out books and also reading the newspapers and magazines.    It seems to me that the saving you would accrue in closing the library is not that significant or large.    ***have you ever thought of trying to raise this money from a wealthy citizen in Palo Alto  — as a donation.    with best regards,  Deborah Plumley      College Terrace    650‐8571780  Redacted 6 Baumb, Nelly From:Pallavi Homan <pallavihoman@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 9:32 AM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace Library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, \I've been a resident of College Terrace for over a decade and have raised my kids here. The College Terrace Library is such an asset to this neighborhood and the larger community, particularly for families with young children, and also for seniors. I often see both when I go there to pick up library books. I understand that there is a proposal given the budget to close the College Terrace Library. I do hope there are other measures that can be taken to allow this important community gathering place to remain open during these difficult times. Thank you for your consideration. Best wishes, Pallavi Homan Redacted 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Chris Robell <chris_robell@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 6:09 AM To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:Re: Budget framework idea Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    OK, so I shouldn’t be sending emails before 6am morning coffee:    Graph should be DOLLAR IMPACT/AMOUNT on y‐axis and CUSTOMER (=RESIDENT) IMPORTANCE ON x‐axis.  You get the  point.    Chris    > On May 12, 2020, at 5:58 AM, Chris Robell <chris_robell@yahoo.com> wrote:  >  > Dear City Council,  >  > I think it was a great idea to prioritize the big $ items first as you proceed through the budget discussions.  It just  seems bizarre that certain items of small dollar magnitude yet high importance to residents have been discussed (e.g.,  College Terrace library, cell tower ordinance reviews, RPPs, crossing guards, animal shelter cuts).  >  > I would almost think about a graph with “CUSTOMER IMPORTANCE” on Y‐axis and “DOLLAR IMPACT” on the x‐axis.   Stay away from the lower left quadrant.  >  > And for items that are important yet bordering on high cost, ask if there is a way to reduct the cost by some amount  (or increase revenue) while still satisfying the need.  On RPP, the example that I think of is why not jack up the price of a  violation and think about a lower cost way to enforce (yet keep the rules)?  Like the carpool lanes on the highway:   police enforcement of each strip of highway isn’t 100%, and the cost of a ticket is ~$500.  So few people want to take the  risk of violating this carpool rules.  >  > Thank you for your work and creative solutions to address resident needs.  >  > Chris Robell    8 Baumb, Nelly From:Jill Kaplan <jilldkap@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:26 AM To:Council, City Subject:Save College Terrace Library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please keep our beloved College Terrace Library open. It is a tremendous and invaluable resource for children and adults  in our community. It would be a huge loss if it closed.    Respectfully yours,    Jill Kaplan  9 Baumb, Nelly From:Brittany Gibbons <bmg890@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 11:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:College Terrace and Proposed Budget Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,     Ever since graduating from Stanford in 2017, I've been a resident of Palo Alto for 3 years. I moved into College Terrace in  2019. One of the highlights for my partner and I is the College Terrace Library. We love it there.    Looking at the budget, the proposal to shut down the library seems so arbitrary. Especially when the salaries of elected  officials is so outrageously high. If you gave the City Manager and City Attorney 50% pay cuts, this would save $300k  (more than the proposed savings of College Terrace) and they would still be above the median household salary in Palo  Alto. I personally had to take on a 10% pay cut at work because of the crisis and I'm not even close to the median  household salary in Palo Alto!    There are also other costs the city incurs, including golf courses. It seems like there are no cuts on golf courses. Which  kind of blows my mind when it generally benefits white men who work in business. Why are we supporting that (when it  doesn't get that much revenue) rather than a library which is intended for the larger community?    It's hard justifying this plan of action when that plan of action shows signs of disparity and also magnifies the gap  between elected officials salaries and the actual crisis we have on our hands.    In conclusion, my partner and I, constituents of Palo Alto, would be really disappointed in our elected officials if this  were to pass without amendments and keeping College Terrace Library open.     Britt   10 Baumb, Nelly From:Peter DeMarzo <pdemarzo@stanford.edu> Sent:Monday, May 11, 2020 11:06 PM To:Council, City Cc:DeMarzo, Kaui Chun Subject:College terrace library Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To the City Council members,    As an longtime community member, I submit a heartfelt plea on behalf of myself, my wife and my three children that  the College Terrace library remain open.     This library is the closest public library to faculty families living on campus.  It is safe for the children to bike to.  The  other two libraries, Downtown and Mitchell, are much farther and require crossing major roads like El Camino and Page  Mill.      It has been an important resource for our family. My wife has reached out on the library website to volunteer so that  the library could be open on the days has been closed: Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.  These days have often been  when our children needed a place to study for exams and projects due the following day.    Beyond my family's needs, a neighborhood library, especially such a picturesque one as College Terrace, is an important  piece of the community fabric: a resource and a place for our neighbors and families to meet and socialize, an important  piece of childhoods, a safe place, a resource without censorship, and our librarians provide tools and education that  can't be found elsewhere.    Finally, closing the library would likely have a negative impact on surrounding property values.      In this difficult time, budget cuts are a necessity.  I know you have considered many options.  But please know this is a  treasured resource without comparable substitutes.  I hope there is an opportunity to consider alternatives, such as  volunteer support.    Thank you for your consideration.    Sincerely,  Peter DeMarzo  Kaui DeMarzo