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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200608plCC4701-32 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: 06/08/2020 Document dates: 5/13/2020 – 5/20/2020 Set 4 of 10 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Darren K <darren2dream@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:15 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please don't cut funding 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,    I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center!     I support the Art Center because The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of  a creative community. I also volunteer there as an aid for the adult studio ceramics classes.  Our community needs art  now more than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs  restored.    Sincerely,  Darren Karopczyc  9 Baumb, Nelly From:Vered <vsemel@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:58 AM To:Council, City Subject:Teen services are essential to Palo Alto students. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Palo Alto City Council,      I hope you can take the time and read this email. I am writing in response to the proposal to cut funding to teen service programs for the coming years. As a member of the MakeX community I have witnessed again and again the amazing things that have come out of the program.      Cutting MakeX would leave a deep and permanent scar on many of the communities Palo Alto prides of. It will also eliminate an important stress relief to so many Palo Alto students who come weekly to work at the shop in a very supportive teen environment.       MakeX has always been there for our kids and community. During regular programming MakeX has provided us with a creative outlet and a healthy community, and has worked with our schools to encourage project-based education. Today, MakeX is working with hospitals and other maker organizations to make and distribute much-needed PPE, being part of an initiative that has distributed over 30,000 face shields to local healthcare providers. In these difficult times, I ask that you be there for MakeX in return.      I speak for the entire community in wishing you remain happy and healthy, and know you will make the right decision in supporting our kids communities through these difficult times.      Thank you for your consideration,    Vered Semel _______  10 Baumb, Nelly From:Yara Sellin <yarasellin@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:01 AM To:Council, City Subject: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,  Our family loves the art center! My children take art classes there, I take Saturday morning ceramics classes, my kids go  on field trips there and participate in the art shows.     The art center has done a great job of growing a great, supportive community. It is a vital creative space for all of us.    I urge you to continue funding the art center in full.    Respectfully yours,  Yara Sellin      11 Baumb, Nelly From:Tina Semba <tpsemba@me.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:24 AM To:Council, City Subject: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, I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center! I support the Art Center because The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Our community needs art now more than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored. Sincerely, Tina Semba  12 Baumb, Nelly From:Robert Gamburd <rgamburd@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:50 AM To:Council, City Subject: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 am writing you to support funding for the art center. I personally find this the most valuable and enriching facility and  service the city offers. It is a community that distinguishes and enriches Palo Alto. It is unique and valuable to residents  of all ages.  I know this will be a difficult period for the City budget, but please preserve as much funding for the art center as  possible.    Thank you    Robert Gamburd, M.D.  13 Baumb, Nelly From:Nancy Mueller <nmueller10@me.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:55 AM To:Council, City Cc:Mueller Nancy Subject:PALO ALTO ART CENTER CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please make sure you don’t let the Palo Alto Art Center Die a Covid Death.  Project Look brings art to our school children.  The Center has art programs and rich educational programs for children of all ages, as well as extraordinary exhibitions.   More than ever we need to maintain this valuable educational resource.    Nancy  ___________  Nancy Mueller    Palo Alto, CA 94301  650‐804‐5345        Redacted 14 Baumb, Nelly From:Ed Klinenberg <ed@edklinenberg.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 10:14 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep the Art Center Open! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________      To All Palo Alto City Council Members:       In addition to providing excellent classes and work spaces for adults and children in several media—painting, drawing,  ceramics, jewelry‐making, collage, and more—the Art Center also serves a very important community center at which  people meet and build lasting personal relationships!      It is these kinds of relationships that help enable communities to thrive and to survive crises of many kinds!      Therefore the Art Center should be viewed as an essential service to Palo Alto residents!      Without such strong social infrastructure, cities lose their vibrancy and viability.       As you do your important work of reviewing budget priorities, please focus on the important role of the Palo Alto Art  Center, the Palo Alto Public Libraries, and other such institutions, in keeping the people of Palo Alto healthy physically  and mentally!      Thank you,      ‐Edward L Klinenberg                Palo Alto 94306       (Long‐time ceramic art student and artist)  Redacted 15 Baumb, Nelly From:Andib <andib41942@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:17 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I have been taking classes at the Art Center from wonderful teachers for the past 8 years. This has been an incredible  opportunity to keep my sanity, learn, and build a delightful group of friends from my associates. I have seen the  children’s faces light up when they see a piece they made come out of a firing! I have seen the deepened bond between  grandparent and grandchild as they share a class.  Making art and seeing art (the gallery exhibits are always museum quality) is one of the special opportunities in Palo  Alto. Please, now especially is a time the community needs art to deal with this virus. And our unknown future!    Please!!! Reopen the center and the school with adequate funding to keep art alive in our city!!! Thank you!!!    Andrea Boehmer, member and student  650‐380‐3837    Sent from my iPhone  16 Baumb, Nelly From:Holly Brady <holly@hollybrady.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:30 AM To:Council, City Subject:About budget allocations CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council members,     I know you sit with a budget that is far from what you would want.    I’m writing to ask you to please avoid making budget cuts to teen wellness programs, including mental health programs  and programs like Children’s Theatre that allow troubled teens to find their tribe.    We’ve experienced too many bad outcomes when teens have no mental health support.    Many thanks.  ________________  Holly Brady   Publishing Strategist &  Former Director, Stanford Publishing Courses  Palo Alto, CA  www.hollybrady.com    17 Baumb, Nelly From:GP Jones <senojpg@hotmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 12:00 PM To:Council, City Subject:FW: Budget Issues CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  We should try the approach in this article https://nyti.ms/2Xpeey3 Pay Cuts Become a Tool for Some Companies to  Avoid Layoffs    The percentage cut should be uniform or get smaller for lower paid workers, and it should be across the board.    Also,  * we should (make every effort to) roll back recent raises since they were predicated on revenues that now do not exist  * we should postpone (delay the start of) all capital projects not currently under construction.  We should borrow some  of those funds from ourselves to cover SOME (not all) of the deficit.  See Pat Burt opinion in the Weekly.        18 Baumb, Nelly From:Karen Barone <kbarone62@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 1:13 PM To:Council, City Subject:I support 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, I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center!      I moved to Palo Alto four years ago because my husband was starting a new job here with a high tech start up. As you imagine he was working quite a bit leaving me a loose ends. I initially signed up for a drawing class at PAAC then found the ceramic studio-my people! The environment is so friendly and energetic. I'm there most days when the studio is open and love the whole environment. Since I've gotten so much from the studio, I've been volunteering at the studio-giving back. I support the Art Center because The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Our community needs art now more than ever, therefore, I urge you to restore the funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs. Sincerely, Karen Barone    19 Baumb, Nelly From:Eric Dorsey <eric_dorsey@mac.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 2:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,    I am writing you to urge you not to cut the budget for Children’s Theater. I understand the proposal is not to have any  productions for two years. I believe the PA Children’s Theater is the oldest children’s theater in California and a local  treasure. In addition to enriching the lives of the children who perform in the plays, thousands of other children see the  productions every year. Our son, Xander, was in five productions over the last 7 years and it was invaluable experience  for him and helped his social confidence and public speaking ability.    I realize that Palo Alto is under budget pressure because of COVID‐19 but here are some other options you could  consider:    1. Raise ticket prices for adults (but not for kids) 2. Raise ticket prices for the adult plays in the Lucie Stern Theater to  subsidize the Children’s Theater 3. Host a Gofundme page to raise money 4. Offer to change the name of the theater if  someone like Mark Zuckerberg or Maureen Jobs could donate a lot of money    So I realize these are tough choices but the theater survived World War II, the Vietnam War, 9/11, the Tech Bust, the  Great Recession so it should be able to survive one year of Covid‐19.    Best,  Eric Dorsey    Palo Alto  Redacted 20 Baumb, Nelly From:Carolyn Sledge <carsledge@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 3:04 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 Members, I am delighted you have not decided (as yet) to close College Terrace Library. I also appreciate that you are considering doing the right thing for the greater good and decreasing your salaries. As you know many of us are furloughed indefinitely and most others had their pay lowered by 20%. Thank you for noticing this. I specifically bought my house in college terrace to use this neighborhood library. While we were looking for a place to live we fell in love with the neighborhood mostly because of this library. We lived in an apartment until we were able to get into College Terrace our dream location. PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE THIS LIBRARY. I fear vandals and poor maintenance. You already have bugs infiltrating the roses behind the library. This could become another place for homeless hangout. The neighborhood already has many homeless on our corners as you know. My final suggestion is that if you have to save costs KEEP IT OPEN AND MAYBE JUST 3 DAYS PER WEEK. Most college terrace homes do not have AC and we spend many hours sitting in this nice cool space reading. Thank you for your consideration in this very important matter. A hopeful citizen of Palo Alto. Carolyn Sledge 21 Baumb, Nelly From:Doris Fischer-Colbrie <d.fischercolbrie@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 3:24 PM To:Council, City Subject:The Palo Alto Art Center is Vital! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Member,     The Palo Alto Art Center creates community participation, understanding and support that spreads across the entire city  of Palo Alto. The classes for adults as well as for kids bring diverse people together, providing broader ties than those  that might exist in a single neighborhood or school grouping.     The PAAC is a tremendous asset for the entire community by building a wider net of personal connections and offering  eye opening insights to broader ideas.    We all need PAAC.    Sincerely,    Doris Fischer‐Colbrie  d.fischercolbrie@gmail.com  22 Baumb, Nelly From:ROSINE FERBER <rosine.ferber@icloud.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 3:43 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please refrain from cutting off funding to the Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council Members. My name is Rosine Ferber, I have lived in Palo Alto since 1983. I am an Art Psychotherapist,  and I have worked with Karen Kienzle to try and develop an Art Therapy  program at PAAC. I am also very involved with  the ceramic studio, and have taken classes at PAAC through the years. In my opinion, the Art Center is crucial in our  community, because of its healing, connective, educational,  and Psychotherapeutic qualities. After this very difficult and  traumatic period of our lives, when people feel more disconnected, lonely, anxious and depressed than ever before,  there is going to be a great need for our Art Center to help bring our community together around the healing and  transformational aspects of art‐making.  From a personal and professional standpoint, I asked you to consider NOT  cutting the funding from the Art Center and to reopen it safely, as soon as possible.    Thank you,  Rosine Ferber, LMFT, ph.D., LMFT, ATR‐BC  23 Baumb, Nelly From:Corinna <corinnamori@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 4:18 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Art center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear  24 Baumb, Nelly From:Sally Heaton <x40trout@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 4:55 PM To:Council, City Subject:Library CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Council Members    Thank you for your hard work during these tough budgetary times.  I want to repeat my support for the College Terrace Library. I would much rather see cuts in extravagant projects like the  pedestrian bridge over 101 than closing our neighborhood library.    Thank you  William Heaton  Bowdoin Street    Sent from my iPad  25 Baumb, Nelly From:Emma Grant-Bier <eg26234@pausd.us> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:17 PM To:Council, City Subject:Teen program budget cuts CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,    Hello, my name is Emma Grant‐Bier and I am a student at Gunn high school. I’m writing in response to the funding cuts  that may be made to teen services. Cutting funding for teen services, even if it’s for only 2 years, will be the end of most  of these programs. Being teen run, they hardly get funding, so cutting it would make it almost impossible to reopen the  programs. Teen services are places where teens are able to express themselves and be creative while doing the things  they love. As much as our schools try to help with students' mental health by implementing classes, and bringing in  people to talk to us about how to deal with anxiety and how to keep an open mind, it’s no help. We’ve heard these  things before. Being told how to deal with these things over and over again won’t help, but being a part of a community,  and being able to express yourself does help. This doesn’t apply to everyone, but these programs are helping teens deal  with obstacles by giving them a creative outlet to de‐stress. Taking away these programs will have a tragic impact on the  youth of palo alto.    Thank you,  Emma Grant‐Bier  26 Baumb, Nelly From:Cathy Chen <cathykailinchen@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:41 PM To:Council, City Subject:Keep Funding the Art Center! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council, I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center! I support the Art Center because The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Our community needs art now more than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored.    The Art Center space, community and classes are something I enjoy on a regular basis. My life hasn’t been the same since SIP. As an educator, I know the arts play a critical role in our emotional wellbeing - it’s something we need more than ever. A place to connect, be mindful, and be creative. Please tell me there is a way to continue funding the Art Center and all the wonderful things if provides Palo Alto and its surrounding cities.       Sincerely,   Cathy Chen  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Nancy Krop <nancy@kroplaw.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 6:35 PM To:Council, City Subject:Fund YCS critical services CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,     Thank you for restoring SOME funding for city teen services.     I request you fully fund the YCS Youth Connectedness Initiative, rather than the staff recommendation for a 50% budget  cut from $50,000 to $25,000. Now, more than ever, with our teens facing the uncertainties driven by Covid19, they need  these YCS critical, life‐saving teen services.    According to YCS, this 50% cut means two terrible alternatives:    YCS would only run the mental health program for one semester, not two. This makes no sense, in a community  where ‐ prior to Covid10 ‐ our teens are trying to take their lives, or   YCS could engage 10 peer leaders, not the current 20 from Gunn, Paly and Castilleja to share mental health  information and connect with isolated, anxious, suicidal students.   An additional $25,000 WILL save teen lives. Plus ‐ the $25,000 brings another $25,000, with the county matching funds.    You can find that $25,000 several places:   the senior city managers’ 15% pay cut   the unions deferring their pay raises   deferring capital projects.  Please prioritize the mental well‐being of our youth ‐ our leaders of tomorrow.    Thank you for reading my thoughts.    Nancy  Barron Park resident       2 Baumb, Nelly From:Corinna <corinnamori@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:28 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Council Member,  I have been coming to the art center for the past 30 years. It’s my home away from home! I am a long term volunteer in  the Ceramic adult studio,  a member of the association for clay and glass artists and regularly exhibit at the yearly sale.  For several years I have been an instructor in the children’s clay studio.  The art center is a life line for so many people.  Please allow us to reopen soon ‐ so we can resume our programs that mean so much to the community.  Many thanks for reading my appeal.  With kind regards,  Corinna      3 Baumb, Nelly From:Pat Kinney <pkinney@ix.netcom.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:39 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please don't make drastic cuts to programs for teens CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi, I am writing out of concern about your proposed drastic cuts to Youth Community Center, Palo Alto Children's Theatre and other teen programs. We have a chronic public health problem in Palo Alto with our teens, and we need to provide alternatives for them to find a place to thrive. I agree with Pat Burt's editorial in Friday's Palo Alto Weekly that we should find ways to scale back and delay large capital improvements to avoid making such large cuts to critical city services. Going two years longer without new buildings makes little difference in the long run, while going two years without a supportive community outlet can literally make a life or death difference to a teenager. Please think very carefully before closing or severely scaling back these programs, Thank you, Patricia Kinney Palo Alto, CA 94303 Redacted 4 Baumb, Nelly From:Denise Savoie <mdenise.savoie@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 6:58 AM To:Council, City Subject:Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please find a way to provide funding for the Palo Alto Art Center to continue its mission and programming. I have lived in  Palo Alto for 37 years, and have used its services and facilities since soon after moving here, for me, for my children,  with guests who come to town ‐ on and on. It is a community center with a vibrant purpose and I have always thought it  is one of the reasons that the city of Palo Alto is so special. I look forward to the day when I can return there, taking  classes, interacting with so many people who love art and our city, seeing wonderful exhibitions. I know that there are  so many competing interests that need to be funded, but this one is key to Palo Alto and its vibrancy.  Thank you for your consideration,  Denise Savoie  Miramonte Ave  5 Baumb, Nelly From:ntmntm <ntmntm@aol.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:44 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 City Council, I am very heartened to hear Staff has now proposed keeping all of the library branches open, in exchange for having reduced hours at each. Keeping the CTL open, even with reduced hours, will have a much more beneficial impact than applying those same hours to one of the other libraries. Council: please preserve library access for people of all demographics! Vote to keep the College Terrace Library open!     Thank you! Kristen Anderson   6 Baumb, Nelly From:tom@mixedmediaonline.com Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:48 AM To:Council, City Cc:karen.kwan@paacf.org Subject:PA Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council:    I am writing to ask you to please maintain adequate funding for the Palo Alto Art Center. As residents of Palo Alto for  almost thirty years, our family considers the Art Center as important an asset to our city as our schools, our parks, and  our libraries.     It’s unfortunate that the arts are often seen as luxuries and not essential elements of a community. So, when times get  hard, the arts are one of the first things to be cut. But that is exactly the time when the arts can be the most beneficial.  Visiting the Art Center is always an inspiring, thought‐provoking, and uplifting experience.    I appreciate the difficulty you face balancing the city budget. But I hope you will approach that task creatively and fairly,  keeping an eye on maintaining the best the city has to offer – like the Art Center – while making sure the necessary belt‐ tightening is shared by all, not just a few.     Sincerely,    Tom Scarpino    Palo Alto  _____________________    M I X E D   M E D I A    Palo Alto, CA 94303  650.321.0956   www.mixedmediaonline.com tom@mixedmediaonline.com ________________________      Redacted Redacted 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Dror Sneh <dsneh@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:52 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children Theatre performaces CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council members.    As a father of 3 boys who participated in a very long list of performances by the Palo Alto Children's Theatre, I  cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am in the proposal to put on hold the theatre's performances for 2  years. These performances have been, hands down, the best youth program my kids have participated in, and  not only in Palo Alto. It provides great skills and values to its participants, along with endless life long  friendships. My youngest son, who still participates in these performances, would give up any other activity in  order to participate in another theatre performance. I have seen many theatre programs for children around  the country and abroad, and I must say that I've never seen any program at this level, with so much dedication  by both students and staff.    We are fortunate to have a very strong parent community in the theatre, and I'm sure most parents will be  more than willing to up their donation to the theatre in order to keep it going.    I understand that the budget constraints and the social distancing limitations, make it much harder to put  together shows at the rate we were used to, but I would urge the council to consider looking into putting  together, perhaps a more limited version of these shows. The theatre staff and the parents are more than  willing to come up with proposals of how to make it work.    Please, please, please, keep this program alive. There is no better investment in our children than this  program, and I'm sure we can keep it going on a much lower budget.     Thanks,  Dror.  8 Baumb, Nelly From:Lina Crane <lina.crane@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 11:10 AM To:Council, City Subject:Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please continue to support the Palo Alto Children's Theatre; it is a National Treasure that offers experiences not  duplicated elsewhere.  ‐‐  *LFC  from lina*  *  *  *  *  *  *  9 Baumb, Nelly From:Ray Lin <raylin@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 11:45 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please do not cut funding for teen programs CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council,     Our family has lived in Palo Alto for 11 years.  We have two daughters: a 9th grader at Gunn and a 4th grader at  Fairmeadow.      I am writing to urge the City not to cut funding for its teen programs.  While I am relieved that the latest proposal  restores half of the $400,000 in funding that was cut in the original proposal, I hope that you will consider completely  restoring funding for the programs.      Sadly, our city has attracted national media attention as place where teens suffer from extremely high levels of stress,  anxiety, and other mental health issues.  We have all read the numerous news articles that have appeared about this,  and like me, I'm sure you are tired of seeing them.    Palo Alto's excellent teen programs provide our middle school and high school students with opportunities to meet  peers with similar interests in a non‐academic setting, to develop leadership skills and pursue their interests, and most  importantly, to have fun.  With these programs, the City is making an important contribution to the well‐being of our  youth.  Given the acute problems surrounding teen mental health in Palo Alto, is cutting funding for these programs a  wise thing to do?      My older daughter has actively participated in many of the teen programs at the Art Center, and it has been a fun,  rewarding experience for her and the many other teens in the program.  What kind of message would the City be  sending to her and the other kids by making these severe budget cuts?  And if you do make these cuts, how long before  another national journalist rolls into town and cooks up a headline like, "Palo Alto Teens Are Hurting (and the City of  Palo Alto is Gutting the Programs Meant to Help Them)"?      I hope you consider restoring all of the funding for the teen programs.  Thank you.    Sincerely,    Raymond Lin  Grove Avenue        10 Baumb, Nelly From:Lara Sox-Harris <larasox37@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 12:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello City Council Members ‐     While I realize that you have an extremely difficult task with the projected budget shortfall, I'm hoping you might revisit  the cutting of all Children's Theater performances and teen programs for the next two years. Art will be even more of a  necessary outlet once our community can ease up on Shelter‐in‐Place, and I know that the Children's Theatre has  provided a halcyon for many a child during the pre‐covid time. Post SiP, the need for the community there, the creative  outlet, and some semblance of 'normal' could be even greater.    I realize that I do not know anything about the budget, but is there any way that the Theatre could begin functioning  again post SiP?  Does the staff have input for ideas of how to keep going?     Please allow some creative wiggle room for both theater funding and for theatre‐prone kids.    Thank you for both your time as Council members and for your consideration,  Lara Sox‐Harris  11 Baumb, Nelly From:John Antoun <johnantoun@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:27 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding the Arts CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To the City Council, Please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center! I support the Art Center because I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Our community needs art now more than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored. Sincerely,   John Antoun  Old Palo Alto  12 Baumb, Nelly From:Amy Brown <amyhopeb@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:25 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding for the Palo Alto Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Councilman and Mayor Fine, I am a life long Palo Alto resident. My parents moved here in 1968 from the East Coast. They still live in the same house in Green Acres 1. My daughter Katie Brown has been actively participating in the Palo Alto Children's Theatre since she was in third grade. She grew up in the Theatre. It became a home for her. The staff are her second family. The Theatre nurtured her natural talent for performing. She also came to love all areas of the theatre and has learned how to do costuming, stage makeup, stage management and sound design. As Katie grew older she also volunteered at the Theatre in all areas. She has given 500 hours of volunteer hours, all done at the Children's Theatre. She received the Presidential Gold award for her community service. When Katie started her involvement with PACT, I followed her. I have been an extremely active volunteer at the Theatre. I have served on the Board and then transitioned into a more active role as a Friend of the Theatre volunteer. Our small group of 5 women help raise funds for the theatre through concessions sales and other fundraising events. We also coordinate all of the parent volunteers and solicit donations for participation in the productions. We spend many hours devoted to our work at the theatre. We all work full-time jobs yet still go directly to the Theatre after work to help during a show. We are passionate about how important the Children's Theatre is to our children and all of the children in our community. These skills Katie learned at The Children's Theatre helped Katie succeed in Theatre at Gunn High School. She developed what she learned at PACT and became a mature, hard working member of the Gunn Theatre program. Katie is a senior at Gunn. She will be pursuing Performing Arts in college. She auditioned and was admitted to a very selective Theatre BA program at Pace University in New York. She credits PACT for helping her get there. Yes, for now the doors are shut, but they are continuing to provide programming, classes, teen arts council events, etc., and they plan to expand upon those. The Council is deliberating a two year closure of the Theatre. The funds eliminated would be VERY hard to reinstate, and the longest running Children's Theatre in the country would likely never be the same. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Sincerely, Amy Brown Redacted 13 Palo Alto, Calif. 94306 650-382-9799 14 Baumb, Nelly From:Marcia Pugsley <marciapugsley40@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restore Funding for PA Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,    I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center!     I support the Art Center because I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. I’ve supported the Art Center with service on the PAAC Foundation, fund raising and planning and working on the Art Center’s significant anniversaries. With current Foundation board members I am working on a celebration for the Art Center's 50th anniversary. We have so much to celebrate and be proud of - important educational programs such as Project Look and Cultural Kaliedescope which introduce children to the arts and creativity while expanding their sense of community.      The arts reflect current culture as well as the vision for what can be - we now need this more than ever.    I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored.   Sincerely,    Marcia Pugsley  15 Baumb, Nelly From:lisa voge-levin <lisa.vogelevin@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:37 PM 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,    I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo  Alto Art Center!     I support the Art Center because I appreciate the free‐admission,  engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Our community needs art now more  than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved  exhibition and educational programs restored.    Sincerely,    Lisa Voge‐Levin          16 Baumb, Nelly From:pmarks@ix.netcom.com Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 3:01 PM To:Council, City Subject:Thoughts on Budget CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Pat Burt and Pat Markevitch proposed in last Friday's Palo Alto Weekly that capital spending for next year and the  following year be significantly reduced.  I think their proposal is compelling.  Please consider it.    I hope you will find ways to prevent major cuts to funding for the Palo Alto Children's Theater and the Youth Community  Services organizations.  Both groups have helped many young citizens of Palo Alto find meaning and inspiration during  their difficult teenage years.    Though I do not mind reduced hours for libraries, I think it would be wise to keep libraries open during at least a couple  of evenings each week.  Perhaps on Tuesdays and Thursday the libraries could be open from noon until 8:00pm, and on  other days they would be open from 10:00am to 6:00pm.    I also would not mind if you close all libraries but Rinconada and Mitchell Park for a year or two.        James P. Marks  17 Baumb, Nelly From:Katie brown <katierose94306@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 4:03 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theatre Proposed Budget Cuts Video CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,     I'm Katie Brown and I'm a senior at Gunn High School. I have been a participant at the Palo Alto Children's Theatre for  eight years. The Palo Alto Children's Theatre means so much to me and to so many others in the community. I'm writing  you today to advocate for continued funding and support for PACT.    I created a video that I would really like you to watch before making the decision and before the City Council Meeting  tomorrow (5/26) I am also hoping to speak tomorrow when the floor is open.     I wanted to make sure that the actual participants and children of the theatre were able to advocate and voice their  opinions. I made this video along with the help of over 40 participants of the video.     This video was made to help advocate for continued funding for the Palo Alto Children's Theatre. I wanted to make a video voicing the actual participants and children of the theatre. I wanted to share our points of views and how the Palo Alto Children's Theatre has affected us. PACT means so much to so many different people and it would greatly affect our community if PACT would have to change. It has supported our community through so many years and we should do the same.     Here is the video:  https://youtu.be/LECzgNNz4WE    I hope you will be able to take the time to watch this before the meeting tomorrow.    Thank you so much for your time,    Katie Brown  650‐248‐5943  18 Baumb, Nelly From:Asawari RaoRane Agrawal <araorane@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 4:48 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theater CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council members,   Our family has been part of the Palo Alto Children’s Theater community since we moved to Palo Alto almost nine years ago. Our older two children, now 11.5 and almost 9 yrs old have been enthusiastic audience members since they were toddlers, and each of them couldn’t wait to turn 8, so that they could finally be cast in the theater productions that the PACT puts on every year.    Our eldest has now performed in three shows and our 8 year old performed in her first show this past Fall. The PACT is an incredible community. It brings together kids from so many schools in the area who are all taught by the most wonderful group of adults. Directors like Mr. Luckey and Ms. Gaboury, and the other adults involved in the PACT have invested so much in our children over the past few years. Our children have befriended kids who they would never have otherwise known and we have been impressed by the older kids who serve as role models for the younger children during all of the productions.    When our son was in fourth grade, he suffered a knee injury and was unable to play any sports for nine months. This was very hard for him because he couldn’t do any of the activities that most of his friends were involved in. With our encouragement, he auditioned for and was cast in two PACT performances. During this time, the Children’s theater became a second home to him – it gave him a sense of purpose to perform in two plays, he made new friends, became part of a new community, and had wonderful, supportive adults who taught him and looked out for him. He has learned many new skills and become a much more confidant public speaker. We are so grateful for all the support that PACT gave him during this time.    We hope you are able to find a way to keep the PACT open and put on some of its performances during this hard time. As you can see, it is a vital part of the Palo Alto community and an important and unique resource for our children.   Sincerely, Asawari RaoRane Agrawal  Palo Alto Resident   From my daughter, Aanya (age 8)    Dear Palo Alto City Council members,  I have watched many shows at the Palo Alto Children's Theater and I have enjoyed every single one of them. Ever since  my brother was cast in his first show, I knew I wanted to act in shows too. In November of 2019, I finally was cast in The  Phantom Tollbooth ‐ my first show.  The Children's Theater community is very warm, welcoming, and pushes you to do your best. The theater has taught me  to try my hardest and if I don't succeed the first time, try harder the next time.   If the Palo Alto Children's Theater were to close down, a big group of kids and adults would lose out on  doing  something that they love: theater.    Sincerely,   19 Aanya Agrawal  3rd grader   Palo Alto resident     20 Baumb, Nelly From:Siddharth Mundra <siddharth.mundra@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 4:58 PM To:Council, City Cc:Anjali Bhave Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theater 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,     We are writing to you to express our sadness in knowing that the Palo Alto Children's Theater may be closed for 2 years  due to budget constraints. The Theater is an important part of the community in Palo Alto, and my children (a 2nd  grader and Kindergartner at Duveneck) have watched plays, met friends and shared the joy of their performances  numerous times. We have always been amazed with the spirit, confidence and joy with which children train and  participate in the Theater. While I understand this is a time for difficult choices, and no choice is easy, I would urge you  to reconsider options to keep the Theater open during this time ‐ even if it is not with the same vigor as before.    Thanks  Sidd and Anjali  , Palo Alto, CA 94301. Redacte d 21 Baumb, Nelly From:Alvin Hom <alvinhom@umich.edu> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 5:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:What the Palo Alto Children's Theatre Means to Me CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To whom this may concern,     Hope you and your family are doing well and staying safe! My name is Alvin Hom, I'm currently a student at the  University of Michigan and I have lived in Palo Alto since 2002. I heard on Facebook there was an important City Council  meeting tomorrow regarding funding, and I wanted to express my support for the Palo Alto Children's Theatre.     Right off the bat, I know you guys have a lot of factors to consider and that I do not know all the details. However,  growing up I loved two things: student government and acting. I know firsthand that it can be difficult to make these decisions and please everyone, but I trust that in the end you all will make a decision that is best for our community.    Now, what I can speak to is how special of a place the Palo Alto Children's Theatre is and how important it was for me. The first show I did was in third grade, and the theatre opened me up to a new world. Through acting in shows at Palo Alto Children's Theatre, like many other people, I was able to learn about creative expression and art, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized the Palo Alto Children's Theatre has made me who I am.     As an Asian‐American growing up in Silicon Valley, I spent the first 10 years of my life thinking that if I wanted to be  successful in the future, I had to study computer science. While I am not pursuing acting in college, it is the reason I did  student government and the reason I'm passionate about politics now. Performing on stage showed me how much I  enjoyed making other people laugh and smile. It taught me the importance of enjoying life and made me want to find  other ways to spread happiness in my community.     Times are undoubtedly tough. Hard decisions will need to be made, but I really hope it is not at the expense of the  Friends of the Palo Alto Children's Theatre. With all the negativity in the world, kids need a place to learn about art and  express themselves now more than ever. Thank you so much for reading this email, and for making the tough decisions  that make our community a better place.    Best Regards,  Alvin Hom  ‐‐   Alvin Hom  University of Michigan Class of 2022   Dual Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Organizational Studies  alvinhom@umich.edu | (650) 868‐2729 | LinkedIn    ᐧ  22 Baumb, Nelly From:Pat Burt <patburt11@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 2:53 PM To:Council, City Subject:May 26, Item 1 Budget Comments Attachments:Community Leaders Recommendations on FY21 Budget.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,  Attached are recommendations on your city budget considerations.  Sincerely,  Peter Drekmeier                                                Penny Ellson  Lanie Wheeler                                                     Jennifer Chang Hetterly  Pat Burt                                                                  Dan Garber  David Bower                                                        Vicki Veenker  Pat Markevitch                                                    Arthur Keller  Sheri Furman                                                       Nadia Naik  Becky Sanders                                                     Sally Bemus  Keith Reckdahl                                                    Winter Dellenbach  Ed Lauing                                                               Becky Beacom  Greer Stone                                                         Neilson Buchanan                              Subject: Item 1, May 26, 2020 Proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Dear City Council, The COVID emergency is forcing the most difficult budget challenges the city has faced in decades. Services that we value and which define our community, and the people who fulfill them, are proposed to be cut severely; our police and fire departments, parks and open space, libraries, community centers, transportation, and youth services. By modestly reducing the historically high investments in big capital projects, re-bidding projects, and curtailing salaries and raises, we can eliminate the most severe cuts to employees and our critical, highly valued services. At the same time, the city can ensure it has an adequate reserve fund to be able to meet essential needs if the economy worsens more in the coming months. Please consider: 1) agreeing to guiding principles for decision-making, 2) adjusting long-term capital investments and recent increases in employee compensation, 3) strengthening the Budget Stabilization Reserve based on the high economic uncertainty. Guiding Principles Tough, complex decisions are best made when based on clear principles, facts, and thoughtful deliberations. The staff needs to transparently lay out for the council and community its economic assumptions and the fiscal implications of budget changes being proposed. For example, which cuts are for vacant positions and which are for services that can’t be provided currently due to COVID restrictions? What modifications to the city’s labor contracts are available? And, the current emergency should not be used to push through, without adequate public processes and deliberations, policy changes not directly related to the fiscal emergency. Capital Investments The current budget proposes record capital funding for this year. Ten years ago, the council appointed an Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Committee (IBRC) to recommend solutions to our decades-long problem of inadequate infrastructure investments. The council soon addressed the first two of their substantial recommendations: “keeping up” and “catching up” on infrastructure maintenance. The third bucket covered overdue big facility projects like a new police building, new garages, two new fire stations, restoring our Municipal Services Center, and other projects. The challenge was how to fund these needs while continuing to provide our most valued services. In the next several years, the council developed and implemented a funding plan, primarily through zoning incentives and marketing to grow significantly our number of hotels and increase our hotel tax (TOT) revenue. The plan was to provide for these new capital projects while maintaining our important services. It was never intended that these projects would be built at the expense of the services we value and need. But despite the recent crash in TOT income, the proposed budget prioritizes paying for new facilities and other long-term capital projects at the expense of vital public safety and community services. The investments meet important long-term needs, but many are not critical over the near term allowing the spending curve to be flattened over the next two years. Critical city services can be retained by only moderately reducing the rate of capital investments. Also, the capital projects are budgeted according to estimates made during the recently booming economy, but costs are very likely to drop over the next 1-2 years, which happened during the Great Recession, when projects that had been consistently coming in at or overestimates instead received bids at far lower costs, resulting in significant savings. The City also needs to avoid getting locked into big, new, obligations in the coming months to retain its latitude to respond if the downturn deepens. Whichever capital projects are ultimately budgeted for this fiscal year, staff should be directed to not enter into any major non-essential project contracts until after a mid-year budget review. Employee Compensation Nearly every resident and business are experiencing financial hardships from the COVID emergency. Our senior city managers have just volunteered to reduce their salaries by 15% during the city’s fiscal crisis. Shortly before the current economic crash, the city completed negotiations with its employee unions for significant raises in response to what was then the rising cost of living in a booming economy. To avoid lay-offs while retaining community support for city employees, the city should partner with unionized city workers who could forego previously agreed upon raises to save jobs. Budget Stabilization Reserve: We are in the midst of the greatest economic uncertainty in decades. Consequently, the City should ensure that its Budget Stabilization Reserve is adequate to respond to the changing needs from an economy that may deteriorate further. The BSR was drastically reduced from ~$45M to ~$25M in the current fiscal quarter alone because the city chose to support workers during the current final quarter of FY20 by keeping all staff on at full payroll. As such, savings from labor agreements should be allocated to retaining an adequate financial reserve to contend with fiscal uncertainties. By reducing the rate of long-term Capital Fund expenditures, re-bidding projects, and curtailing salaries and raises, we can eliminate the most severe cuts to our staff and the critical, highly valued services they provide the community. This is a difficult time with tough decisions for you, our city leaders. Please take the time to make smart, well-informed choices. We can respond to the crisis without severely cutting the services that make Palo Alto such a safe and wonderful place to live. Now more than ever, we need a sense of community – working together, we can get through this. Sincerely (as individuals), Peter Drekmeier Penny Ellson Lanie Wheeler Jennifer Chang Hetterly Pat Burt Dan Garber David Bower Vicki Veenker Pat Markevitch Arthur Keller Sheri Furman Nadia Naik Becky Sanders Sally Bemus Keith Reckdahl Winter Dellenbach Ed Lauing Becky Beacom Greer Stone Neilson Buchanan 23 Baumb, Nelly From:Tom Brinck <tom.brinck@paacf.org> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 7:01 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please Maintain Funding to the Palo Alto Art Center Attachments:PAACF Members Petition.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council members,     I hope you all have had a restful Memorial Day weekend.      On behalf of the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation Board of Directors, I want to share with you the collective voices of the  Foundation members in our plea to the Council to restore adequate funding in the city budget to the Palo Alto Art  Center. We recognize that the pandemic has brought tremendous economic uncertainty, and we understand that drastic  cut is necessary. We do ask that you please listen to your Palo Alto constituents, and take into consideration the impact  various Art Center programs have on residents of all ages. For those of you who have visited the Art Center, you know  our high caliber exhibitions have garnered prestigious funding support from the National Endowment for the Arts,  Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the California Arts Council. This is an honor for the City of Palo Alto that  one should not disregard. For those of you with school‐age children and grandchildren in Palo Alto, chances are they  have enjoyed the Project Look school tours and hands‐on activities, and participated in our Cultural Kaleidoscope  program with their peers in the Ravenswood City School District.      I urge you to read through the comments shared by our members and your constituents. And please vote in support of  restoring funding to the Art Center’s exhibition and school programs.     Sincerely,  Tom Brinck  Co‐President, Palo Alto Art Center Foundation Board of Directors  Palo Alto Resident   First Name Last Name City I support the Art Center John Antoun Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Karen Barone Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Patricia Bashaw Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Kimberley Bermender Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Manasvi Bhatia BhushanPalo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Nicole Bickel Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Kenneth Bird Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Andrea Boehmer Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Tom Brinck Palo Alto I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Julie Brown Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Brent Burke Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Melissa Baten Caswell Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. We understand the need to address the City of Palo Alto’s budget crisis. We also know that the community needs art now more than ever and therefore hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back tomy community I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three… I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. I support the Palo Alto Art Center because Rothschild Collette Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Judith Content Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Kim Cooper Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Susan Craft Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Claudia Davis Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jeannie Duisenberg Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Alice Erber Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Rosine Ferber Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Zoya Ferdowsian Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Linda Filo Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Doris Fischer-Colbrie Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Anna Fuller Palo Alto I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Brad Fuller Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Wynne Furth Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Robert Gamburd Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Thomas Garvey Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Silke Grimm Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Stefani Grothe Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Austin Gurney Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Elizabeth Hogan Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Gloria Hom Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Patricia Jones Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Amy Kacher Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Claudette Kayne Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Carol Kenyon Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Leda Krakirian Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Karen Latchford Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Carol Louchheim Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Teresa Lunt Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Valerie Malotte Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Stella Marinos Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Signe Mayfield Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Susan McCarty Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Katharine Miller Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Nicki Moffat Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Corinna Mori Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jack Morton Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Nancy Mueller Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Carole Mullowney Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. sharon murphy Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Megan O'Reilly-Lewis Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Judy Ousterhout Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Elina Peduzzi Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jane Peterman Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Stephen player Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Marcia Pugsley Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Jennifer Rajbhandari Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Bala Raju Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Thomas Reich Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Dorothy Reller Palo Alto I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Julian Richardson Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Barbara Ross Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Denise Savoie Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Tom Scarpino Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Rachel Segars Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Charles Semba Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Tina Semba Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Janice Shepherd Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Marian Slattery Palo Alto I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Jim Stinger Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Valerie Stinger Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Carolyn Tucher Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Teri Vershel Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Lisa Voge-Levin Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Carol Witt Palo Alto The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Richard Yankwich Palo Alto I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Greg Yost Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Michael Zeineh Palo Alto I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Jodi Zipkoff Palo Alto I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Susan Hyatt Atherton I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Nancy Canter Cupertino I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Gurmeet Lamba Cupertino I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Alan Johanson Emerald Hills I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Laima Kardokas Emerald Hills The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jeanne Basart Los Altos The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Rosemary Bittmann Los Altos The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Judith Keyani Los Altos The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Sandra Simons Los Altos I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Sue Chan Menlo Park I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Sasha Chriss Menlo Park The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Laurie Hall Menlo Park I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Patty Hoo Menlo Park I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Mathew Mcdade Menlo Park The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Phil Solk Menlo Park The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Eliza Thomas Menlo Park I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Kathy Burton Mountain View I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Tamara Danoyan Mountain View The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Kerny McLaughlin Mountain View I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Jacob McLaws Mountain View I appreciate the Cultural Kaleidoscope program in using visual art to build bridges between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Sunai Raillard Mountain View The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Laurel Rezeau Mountain View The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Lynne Meade Oakland The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Susan Anderson Portola Valley The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jeanne McGinnis Portola Valley The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Jan Schachter Portola Valley I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Cathy Chen Redwood City The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. DARREN KAROPCZYC Redwood City The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Nicole Daignault San Jose I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Bette Linderman San Jose I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Valerie Evans San Mateo I appreciate the free-admission, engaging and inspiring exhibitions. Barbara Carman Santa Clara The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Yara Sellin Stanford The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Ann Reidy Sunnyvale The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Christina Solove Sunnyvale I enjoy volunteering at the Palo Alto Art Center and giving back to my community Bret Bailey The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Derek Bodkin The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Heather Cowans The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Bridget Haworth I support Project Look school tours, which have introduced thousands of children to art and museums for more than three decades. Michael Pegram The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. John Roach The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. Sandra Yu The Adult Studio provides incredible opportunities for me to make art and be a part of a creative community. 24 Baumb, Nelly From:Douglas L. Graham <dgrahampaca@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:04 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding the Restoration 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, Vice Mayor DuBois and Council Members Filseth, Kniss, Kou and Tanaka;      My wife Verna M. Graham and I are long‐term supporters of and donors to the Palo Alto Historical Museum. I have been  an advocate of the museum since Gary Fazzino and others starting talking about the need for it back in the 1980s and  90s.    I was a member of the Board of the Palo alto Historical Association (PAHA) for nine years and and President for three  years, following Dick Rosenbaum in that position. As an amateur historian, I have specialized in the history of Barron  Park and associated areas of southwest Palo Alto. I have been researching and writing articles on Barron Park history  since 1986, with more than 100 published in the Barron Park Association Newsletter since then. The Guy Miller archive  has been the essential core of the historical resources which have enabled me to bring our past alive for my neighbors.  The archive is of major importance to anyone who is interested in Palo Alto's Palo Alto past and its usefulness would be  greatly enhanced by being housed in the historic Roth Building.     You have the opportunity now to make a crucial difference in the future of the museum by assisting the citizens who  have worked so long and given so much to make the museum a reality. I am confident that you, who have also worked  hard to make our city a better place, will seize this opportunity. Please help fund the restoration of the building and  make possible a new burst of public enthusiasm for the history of our beloved town.    Thank you,   ‐‐  Douglas L. Graham  Barron Park Historian  dgrahampaca@gmail.com   650‐493‐0689      25 Baumb, Nelly From:Nicole M Ardoin <nmardoin@stanford.edu> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:11 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theatre: Please support! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council,    I recently learned that, due to the need for drastic budget cuts, you are considering cutting the Palo Alto  Children’s Theatre (PACT) budget drastically and that, as a result, performances may not resume for as  long as two years after the shelter in place restrictions have been lifted. Our family is incredibly  distraught to hear this news. We are enormous PACT supporters and fans, as we ardently believe that it  is one of the city’s greatest treasures.     We have attended a range of PACT performances over the past decade, and our middle‐school child has  been an active participant for the past five. During that time, our child has been in several productions  as well as benefitted from the reasonably priced, first‐rate classes. Perhaps most importantly, our child  has been warmly welcomed into the PACT community, which is one that values creativity, innovation,  collaboration, and kindness. The PACT community rallies around a shared sense of purpose: to provide  equitable access to high‐quality arts education and performances for youth throughout the community.  Because of PACT’s welcoming nature, our child has served as an usher for performances even when not  selected in the audition, and marched with the PACT group in Palo Alto’s May Day parade, even when  other options were available. PACT feels like an inclusive home not only to our child, but to many—and  these are signs of a true community institution.      Moreover, we have been incredibly impressed by the theatre’s exemplary staff over the years. They are  concurrently kind, while also maintaining high standards for the performers. They model  professionalism, community‐mindedness, and compassion. They are exceptionally skilled at providing  just enough structure to ensure excellent children’s theatre performances (not an easy feat!), while also  fostering joy and enthusiasm, which keeps the kids returning year after year.      The theatre has made a tremendously positive impact not only for our child, but for our whole family. As  someone who cares deeply about building and strengthening community, I can attest that PACT is a gem  that must be preserved for the greater good. Especially in these precarious, challenging times, PACT’s  unifying, uplifting presence is needed now more than ever.     Thank you for your kind consideration,  Nicole Ardoin  Stanford Campus  Palo Alto Children’s Theatre Parent and Supporter         26 Baumb, Nelly From:Nancy Tune <ncartertune@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children't Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am writing to urge you to accept the FOPACT proposal to fund the Palo Alto Children's Theatre. I raised my family here  (my children are now 44 and 40), and came to treasure the Theatre. When my children were little, there was nothing  like seeing a performance there. We loved watching the young actors perform in costumes and with sets that were  simple but brilliant. The actors were well rehearsed and clearly took the work seriously. They were funny and touching  and moving. This made for exciting afternoons or evenings as well as excellent discussions afterward.      When my daughter began to participate in the Children's Theatre, I learned why it is so good. Under the tutelage of Pat  Briggs and Michael Litfin, she learned stagecraft and acting while learning to work hard, discipline herself, appreciate the  array of skills and talents around her, set herself to a variety of tasks, and accept and work through difficult patches. As  she learned, she took great pride in her accomplishments.     I also came to see that Pat and Michael, while keeping a watchful eye on the operation, encouraged and allowed the  children to work independently, without relying on adults to direct their every move or tell them what to do next when  a task was completed. I think this approach fostered the sense of pride in accomplishment that the children of the  theatre experienced.    My career was in educational publishing. I volunteered in Palo Alto schools from kindergarten through high school. Some  of my children's teachers became lifelong friends of the family. I value education, highly. I believe my daughter had her  most valuable educational experiences through her years at the Children's Theatre. I know I am not the only parent who  appreciates this gift to our children.    Pat and Michael created something of immense value for Palo Alto. Their spirit continues to be expressed in today's  Children's Theatre. Please give your support to this remarkable, uniquely valuable institution in our city.    Thank you,  Nancy Tune   Redacted 27 Baumb, Nelly From:bondel-comcast <bondel@comcast.net> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:43 PM To:Council, City Subject:Budget CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Mayor Fine and City Council Members;    I am writing to ask that in your budget deliberations, you put as much money as possible into items that serve the  community and as little as possible into Capital Improvement  Projects. It was quite poignant to me that every speaker at  last Monday’s Oral Communication, without exception, asked that funding for the arts not be cut, whether that funding  was designated for the Children’s Theatre or the Teen Arts Council. The fact that so many of the speakers mentioned  having had meaningful experiences with the Children’s Theatre and/or the Teen Arts Council and took the time to speak  about this before Council is quite noteworthy. Many spoke about how these experiences changed their lives, how they  went from being shy, reserved individuals to becoming self confident people who could express themselves in public and  found friendship groups in these milieus. I would hope that the comments of these speakers would indicate to you that  investment in human capital pays off with inspirational stories such as those we heard last Monday night. A bike bridge  or improvements to El Camino can wait. Enhancing the lives of the youth of Palo Alto has a ghmore infinite time limit.    Sincerely,    Beth Rosenthal, Ph.D.  28 Baumb, Nelly From:Susan Meade <swimmersuze@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 9:30 PM To:Council, City Subject:Save The Childrens Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council, I know that you are facing deep financial cuts and looking for ways to save money. I am writing to  plead with you to save what you can of the Palo Alto Children’s Theater. This is an invaluable resource that serves our  community in ways that will be irreparably damaged if the theater must close for two years.    My 18‐year‐old daughter’s love of theater begin by seeing Playhouse productions, and it was a dream come true for her  to work with Chris Luciani and her fellow teens in producing those same Playhouse shows while she was a student at  Palo Alto high school.    Her involvement not only in Playhouse, but in writing for Play Palooza, acting as a counselor for the summer camps, and  attending numerous theater camps shaped her childhood.    After the suicides rocked our city to the very core, I was thrilled that the city began to support teen programs with open  mic nights, open Art Center evenings, the Teen Arts Council, and the Buoyancy festival. These are very very important  programs. I have raised three children in PaloAlto, and only with my last child was an importance placed on the well‐ being and mental health of teens.    I fear that closing the Theatre will damage the program forever. Please do what you can to save it and its programs.    Sincerely,    Susan P Meade  ., Palo Alto 94301    Sent from my iPhone  Redacted 29 Baumb, Nelly From:Linda Mills <chulamills@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 9:40 PM To:Council, City Cc:Fine, Adrian; Cormack, Alison; DuBois, Tom; Filseth, Eric (Internal); Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia; Tanaka, Greg Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,  We recently became aware that the Palo Alto Children's Theatre is at risk of losing its funding from the city and closing its doors for the next two years. We find this decision very disturbing and we urge the City Council to reconsider.   Our daughter, a rising junior in high school, has been participating in PACT programs since she was 10 years old. On a personal level, the PACT has been a place of growth, happiness and friendship for our daughter. She has developed as an artist and a performer, but more importantly she has built lasting relationships with both fellow cast and crew, as well as with the incredible staff of the PACT.   On the community level, the PACT has been a beloved institution and source of civic pride within Palo Alto for nearly 90 years. It serves as a safe space for children of all types to build friendships and gain exposure to the arts in an inclusive environment. We have witnessed the children who participate in PACT programs develop self-confidence and public speaking skills while learning how to work as a creative team. Unlike sports, for which there are many public and private options for participation, the PACT is one of the very few programs available for children to explore the arts. Because the PACT does not charge children to participate, the PACT is open to all children in the community, regardless of their economic circumstances. In a time when many families are struggling financially, this benefit cannot be overstated. Finally, beyond those participating in the shows, we have seen many people from the parts of the community, young and old, delight in attending the PACT performances and watching the children of our community shine.  In this time of great stress, it is our long-standing traditions and institutions that sustain us. We understand that shows and gatherings will need to be curtailed during the ongoing public health crisis, but we urge you to offer hope to the children of this area that their beloved theatre might return as soon as it can do so safely. We ask that funding be restored as soon as possible to allow operations to resume once it is safe to do so. We encourage you to look for private or other funding options as well. The Palo Alto Children’s Theatre is a jewel in this community and maintaining it through this difficult time should be a priority for the City Counsel.   Best regards, Josh and Linda Mills  30 Baumb, Nelly From:Rachelle Doorley <radoorley@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:35 PM To:Cormack, Alison; Filseth, Eric (Internal); Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia; greg@gregtanaka.org; Council, City Cc:Kimberly Thacker; Luckey, Judge Subject:Children's Theatre - we owe it to our community to continue funding it CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Members,     It's come to my attention that the Children's Theatre is under consideration for potential budget cuts. As a community  member, parent of children who have participated in Children's theater classes and productions, and Cubberley Artist  Studio Program artist, I'm deeply concerned about this.     Of course we are all facing difficult decisions right now. With a projected budget shortfall, your job can't be as easy one.  However, the Children's Theatre is not the place to make cuts for a few reasons:   1. Palo Alto children are suffering from being disconnected from friends and the greater community. Parents are  struggling to occupy their children with creative problem solving experiences, while also working. Children's  Theatre is filling this gap by continuing to offer virtual classes and opportunities for our children to sing, dance,  perform, and design costumes. What a saving grace in this difficult time!  Arts programs from the Children's  Theatre is helping families who are desperate to fill empty hours with constructive activities like voice lessons or  acting classes.  2. We're incredibly lucky to have Judge Luckey and his team of professionals to lead this program. If we were to cut  funding for two years, we would likely lose them, along with a reputable history of programming that's unique  to our town. Instead of cutting them through budget cuts, let's empower them to create virtual programming  that families desperately need.  3. Palo Alto prides itself as the first city in the United States to have a tax supported children's theatre, and has  since served as a model to other theaters around the country. Instead of shutting our theater down by  removing funding, we can look to the Children's Theatre as a model to other cities during this crisis. The arts are  much needed by families not just in our town, but around the country, and we can set the bar for other towns to  follow.  Thank you for your consideration,  Rachelle Doorley  Stanford Campus  Cubberley Artist in Residence, parent, community member  31 Baumb, Nelly From:Susan Beall <SKB1055@comcast.net> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:Letter to the City Council members regarding the Restoration of the Roth Building, meeting May 26, 2020 Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Fine, Vice-Mayor DuBois, Council Members Filseth, Kniss, Kou, Cormack, and Tanaka,          This is confirming the consistent financial and active support of my husband, William Beall, and myself for the restoration of the Historic Roth Building in preparation for the installation of the Palo Alto History Museum.         As President of the Friends of the Palo Alto Parks, I think the Roth Building and Museum will be a significant addition to the Heritage Park Park experience. The FOPAP worked with the City of Palo Alto and sponsored the Heritage Park Playground LLC to develop Palo Alto's newest park and Children's Play Area. Restoration of the Roth Building will include an attached and accessible restroom for the Park, a constant request from the citizens of Palo Alto for their parks. Due to the convenient location of the Museum, it will also be easily reached by walking and biking. There is no better use for the restoration of the Roth Building than to house an important History Museum, City Archives, and Community center. This combination and location as part of Heritage Park would contribute greatly to providing a core of the city and promoting more vitality to the whole community.      Finally, the City's Financial Contribution to this restoration of a significant City owned building is an opportunity that cannot be lost. It would be short-sighted not to take advantage of this opportunity to work with the PAHM Board and hundreds of our donors to make a History Museum a reality and a pride of our citizens and the world.     Thank you,     Susan Beall   Palo Alto 94301                             Redacted 32 Baumb, Nelly From:Nitin Nangare <nitinn@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:52 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please Don't Close Palo Alto Children's Theater Attachments:Dont_Close_PACT_Saachi_9Year_Girl.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     :Pdf letter from our daughter Saachi is attached in this email.     We heard about budget discussions and possibility of having performances cancelled at PACT for 2 years. We are really  disheartened by this discussion to cancel performances. Our kids regularly participate in all wonderful and creative  activities and plays at PACT. Our daughter Saachi (9 year old) is regularly participating in plays and has really grown more  confident and artistic only due to all wonderful people at PACT. Just last week when we were discussing in family what  everyone wants to do first when this pandemic is over, Saachi replied that the first thing she wants to do is audition for  the first available play at PACT. She is really missing PACT.    Its not only kids who enjoy PACT but we adults too equally enjoy PACT and we regularly volunteer in all activities. To  lessen the burden of current economic situation, we are willing to donate more, volunteer more and even ask our  companies to consider sponsoring PACT activities. This pandemic has already robbed kids of lot of their activities, please  let them have a sense of normality once this pandemic is over. Please don;t close PACT for 2 years.    Sincerely,  Nitin & Trupti Nangare.        .. ab =:_. ·=~·~ rt n + ttt • ••• # UJ(;<.J./ ••• • • • • • • ••• • •• ••• • • • •••• •• • • • • \/' 33 Baumb, Nelly From:Betsy Franco <franco.betsy@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 7:20 AM To:Council, City Subject:Ideas for funding for Palo Alto Children's Theatre CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,  I am writing in support of funding for the Palo Alto Children's Theatre.     There are many places in the budget that could be cut to fund the Children's Theatre which is vital to the  mental and emotional health of the children in our community. In normal times, our children need the theatre  and in this stressful time, they need it even more. There are serious consequences to ignoring the needs of our  children. (We saw this during the period of the teen suicides. The Children's Theatre formed the Teen Arts  Council at that time.) We must not leave our children behind..    The items that could be postponed or cut right now in favor of the theatre are:  new graphics for the utility bill  solar calculator on the website  PR people  number of people in the city manager's office  refurbishing the council chambers  raises this year    Thank you for maintaining an iconic, vital institution of Palo Alto.    Betsy Franco          34 Baumb, Nelly From:nancy canter <nancyjcanter@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 7:32 AM To:Council, City Subject: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 understand you must make some difficult budget decisions to balance the budget of the city.  I am writing to ask you to  please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center.  I have always known the great work of the Art Center but during this time of Covid 19 it has become crystal clear to me  that while sheltering in place the importance of Art and Music in our lives is critical to our well being.  I urge you to think long term to the quality of life in your city and the impact your decisions on budget allocations has on  your community‐ especially the countless young children the Art Center serves.  I have been a member of the Art Center for over 20 years and a volunteer in Project Look for school groups.  I also am a  volunteer at the Stanford University Art Museums.    Sincerely,  Dr. Nancy Canter  35 Baumb, Nelly From:Julie Valentine <jv@valentinestudio.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:13 AM To:Council, City Subject:Funding for Children’s Theater CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I have been made aware that you were considering cutting funding to the Palo Alto Children’s Theater and I am writing  to urge you not to do that.      I participated in that theater as a child, and worked there as a young adult just out of college. I have been a private voice  and acting teacher in Palo Alto for 41 years, and it has been my pleasure to work with generations of kids who  participated in the Palo Alto Children’s Theater. That theater has meant so much to so many. The experiences and life  lessons children learn there are invaluable. For many, it is a second family, a home away from home. Not only do kids  learn about the arts, they learn skills that will last them a lifetime ‐ cooperation, compromise, working toward a goal,  problem‐solving, and many more. To cut funding would be a huge loss to the city and to future generations of children. I  urge you to reconsider and to continue to fund the Palo Alto Children’s Theater.  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  Julie Valentine  www.valentinestudio.com  jv@valentinestudio.com  36 Baumb, Nelly From:Katie Renati <windkatie@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 9:16 AM To:Council, City Subject:Do not cut essential services! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     Thank you for working hard on finding ways to reducing expenses as you are working on a revised budget. Cutting down  salaries, reducing workforce, and reassessing under‐used services are steps in the right direction.    The latest budget proposal has restored some funding for teen services. I support this 100%. Palo Alto needs to offer  activities and services for teenagers. Most of the activities offered tailor to younger children, up to middle schoolers.  High school students are the most vulnerable emotionally and need places to go and "hang out" safely (once the virus is  under control). Programs like MakeX are valuable, and others should be developed. My 17 year old teen often complains  Palo Alto does not have anything for teenagers his age, like Redwood City.     In addition, cutting essential services, such as emergency response and public safety, is not what should be done. In a  time of increased stress and uncertainty, with everyone at home, families losing their income, children stuck at home  24/7, we need to keep police officers and fire fighters. Think about the anxiety individuals and families are experiencing  right now, leading to possible emotional disturbances, domestic violence, troubled teens, etc. There has been a surge of  thefts (ex catalytic converters, bikes, packages). We also need to have people enforcing the Covid related regulations.    I know you will make the right choices for the Palo Ato residents.    Best regards,  Katie Renati  Janice Way  Palo Alto resident since 1988              ‐‐     Katie    Stay SAFE, be happy NOW, and be KIND to yourself and others.  37 Baumb, Nelly From:Deborah Plumley <deborah@plumleygroup.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 9:33 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please keep the College Terrace Library open!! Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Many of us in the neighborhood rely on the College Terrace Library.    People who do not own computers use computers.    Those of us who are elderly cannot drive to other libraries in Palo Alto.    The cost of keeping the library open is a very small amount in your budget.    Deborah Plumley    College Terrace  Palo Alto  Redacted 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Aprajit Mahajan <aprajit@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 7:37 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close PACT CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council, As someone who has enjoyed PACT productions over the past decades and is well aware of its uniqueness in the Bay Area (we have friends and colleagues up and down the bay who value the PACT and are envious of it) and having experienced first-hand the incredible sense of community it creates in Palo Alto I would strongly urge you to reconsider defunding PACT. Please listen to the voice of the community! Aprajit   ‐‐   -------------------------------------------------- Aprajit Mahajan   Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics,    UC Berkeley  Berkeley, CA 94720-3310 Web: http://are.berkeley.edu/~aprajit Phone: 650-308-8137   Redacted 2 Baumb, Nelly From:Julian Santos <juliansantosv@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:02 PM To:Council, City CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, I would just like to say that I have many classmates and freinds in the Palo Alto theater program and i have seen  firsthand how it has changed their lives and the impact it has put on them. Please reconsider the choices to cut the  program. Thank you!  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Jan Schachter <janschachter@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:15 AM To:Council, City Subject:PAAC CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council:     I understand this is an incredibly difficult time, and you have to make some cuts, but I am writing to ask that you please maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center! I support the Art Center because I appreciate the free-admission to the engaging and inspiring exhibitions. In addition, their programs for youth of all ages is exceptional. Of course, the classes for adults are extraordinary. Our community needs art now more than ever, therefore, I hope to see funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs restored. Sincerely, Jan Schachter  4 Baumb, Nelly From:Emily Yao <emilyyao8@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:42 PM To:Council, City Subject:Save Full $50,000 Funding for YCS Youth Connectedness Program in Human Services Contract CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Adrian Fine and Palo Alto City Council,    My name is Emily, I am 16 and a sophomore at Palo Alto High School. This year I am a peer leader for the Youth  Connectedness Initiative (YCI).     Thank you for your consideration of YCI in your budget. I strongly urge the city council to include the full $50,000 funding  for YCI and to not approve the 50% cut suggested by staff. Although it has been placed in the teen services section, the  budget for YCI is in the Human Services contract.     As peer leaders, we work to connect isolated students in the community and help all with mental health and issues such  as depression and anxiety. The full funding is necessary, especially in today's uncertain times, to bring mental health  information to as many students as possible. YCS staff share background training with peer leaders based on suicide  prevention research from the Centers for Disease Control and Search Institute.    Throughout the year, we've planned and hosted several community events and programs thanks to this. A few examples  include an open mic in the Stanford Community, a movie night that promoted LGBTQ+ awareness, a collaboration video  with Dr. Shashank Joshi on mental health, and more. Many students from different grades in the community attend  these events and come together and connect over common issues and struggles.    Please consider renewing full funding for our program, and thank you for your support during these hard times.    Best,  Emily Yao  , Palo Alto CA 94303    Redacted 5 Baumb, Nelly From:Jeanne McGinnis <jeanne.mcginnis@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 9:00 AM To:Council, City Subject:Support for PAAC CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,     I am writing to encourage you to maintain funding for the Palo Alto Art Center. The Center makes Palo Alto unique. It  provides unparalleled opportunities for youth and adults to enrich their lives and build community.     The connections I have forged there through classes have helped me through this crisis. I look forward to the day when  we can safely return.    Thank you,  Jeanne McGinnis    6 Baumb, Nelly From:Monisha Pillai <pillaimonisha8@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 2:23 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please save full $50,000 funding for YCS Youth Connectedness Program in Human Services Contract CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Adrain Fine and Palo Alto City Council,      My name is Mona Pillai, I’m 15 and a sophomore  at Henry M. Gunn High School. This year I am a peer leader for the  Youth Connectedness Initiative (YCI). Thank you for your consideration of YCI in your budget, I wanted to urge the city  council to include the full $50,000 funding for YCI and to not approve the 50% cut suggested by staff. Although it’s been  placed in the teen services section, the budget for YCI is in the Human Services contract. As peer leaders, we work to  connect isolated students in the community and help them with issues such as mental health and depression. The full  funding is necessary, especially in today’s uncertain times, to bring mental health information to as many students as  possible. YCS staff share background training with Peer Leaders based on suicide prevention research from the Centers  for Disease Control and Search Institute.    YCI has helped me take action in my community.  Throughout the year, we’ve planned and hosted several community events and projects thanks to this program. A few  examples include an open mic in the Stanford Community, a movie night that promoted LGBTQ+ awareness, a  collaboration video about mental health with Dr. Shashank Joshi, and more. Many students from different grades in the  community attend these events and all come together and connect over common issues and struggles. Please consider  renewing full funding for our program, and thank you for your support during these hard times.        Best,  Mona    7 Baumb, Nelly From:Leda Krakirian <ledakra@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 3:05 PM To:Council, City Subject:Funding for Art Center CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council, I am writing to ask the City Council to maintain adequate funding to the Palo Alto Art Center! One of the few reasons we chose to live in Palo Alto to raise our young family was the Art Center.   Over the years the Art Center has enriched our lives with many of its programs - Art classes for the young and the adults.    I consider the Art Center and the Adult Studio one of the greatest assets that the City of Palo Alto has.   It enriches the lives of a diverse community of children and adult Palo Altans with excellent classes and work space.  As an adult “artist", It provides me with an incredible opportunity to make art and be a part of a creative community.   If our community is gone, then my purpose of being in Palo Alto is gone.    Please remember the important role the Art Center plays in the lives of the Palo Altans when reviewing the city’s budget priorities.  I urge you to keep the funding for the Art Center’s beloved exhibition and educational programs.  Sincerely, Leda Krakirian  8 Baumb, Nelly From:Dan Edelstein <danedels@stanford.edu> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:02 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Children's Theatre 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 to strongly encourage you to maintain PACT’s budget in the coming years. PACT is a gem, an astounding and  truly life‐altering resource for children in the Palo Alto community. We have attended countless PACT productions when  my daughters were little, and I credit PACT with inspiring my oldest daughter’s interest in acting. She has since  performed in two PACT productions (one at the main theater, the other at her school, Nixon Elementary), and in both  cases, it was a tremendously empowering experience. Acting gives students confidence, helps with public speaking, and  enriches the cultural life of the community. It also builds an amazing community among the actors: PACT’s Zoom mtgs  have been the only Zooms that my daughter looks forward to during the COVID‐19 confinement.     Even children who do not perform in PACT productions benefit from its existence. There are the many who attend the  performances, whether at the theater or in school. For many students, this might be the first — and the one — chance  they have to see a play performed. Even the experience of auditioning and not getting a part (which also happened to  my daughter) is important. Disappointment is part of life, and learning to take it in stride is one of the most important  lessons for a child to learn.     No other municipality in the Bay Area has a Children’s theater like PACT. It has both historic and ongoing value. Please  don’t sacrifice the arts at this time. If anything, the arts are more important than ever.     With thanks,    Dan Edelstein (father of Anaïs Edelstein)   9 10 ‐‐  Dan Edelstein  William H. Bonsall Professor of French, and Professor of History (by courtesy)   Faculty Director, Stanford Introductory Studies, VPUE  W. Warren Shelden University Fellow in Undergraduate Education  Stanford University  Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages  Stanford, CA 94305‐2010  Office:   Pigott Hall (building 260), room 107  Tel.: (650) 724‐9881    1 Baumb, Nelly From:Heidi Schwenk <heidi29@me.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 11:51 PM To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE READ & USE THE SUGGESTIONS — Guest Opinion: A better way to save vital city services | News | Palo Alto Online | CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,    I am very concerned about your proposal for the City of Palo Alto’s “New” Budget for 2020‐2021. Your concerns need to  be re‐evaluated and make bolder decisions to cut expensive projects like a new police or fire station. With so many  businesses nationwide and worldwide evaluating if they will reopen, how they will reopen, do they need all employees  to work from one building or will the work force be split into several groups; Palo Alto needs to do the same. In addition,  all compensation needs to be reduced so no one is let go. Many large corporations with offices worldwide have reduced  salaries across the board by 20%, so no one is let go.    Please read and use the suggestions from the article published in the Palo Alto Weekly to revise your current proposed  budget immediately. It is obvious from several reader’s remarks that the new budget proposal falls short of the tax  payer’s approval. I agree with the comments and suggestions by the authors and with many of the reader’s remarks.  Please be wise and take bold steps to make Palo Alto a better place to live and work for everyone during this historical  time.    https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2020/05/22/guest‐opinion‐a‐better‐way‐to‐save‐vital‐city‐ services?utm_source=express‐2020‐05‐22&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=express    Best,  Heidi Schwenk  Palo Alto resident since 1990    Sent from my iPhone  2 Baumb, Nelly From:Heidi Schwenk <heidi29@me.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 11:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE READ & USE THE SUGGESTIONS — Guest Opinion: A better way to save vital city services | News | Palo Alto Online | CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,    I am very concerned about your proposal for the City of Palo Alto’s “New” Budget for 2020‐2021. Your concerns need to  be re‐evaluated and make bolder decisions to cut expensive projects like a new police or fire station. With so many  businesses nationwide and worldwide evaluating if they will reopen, how they will reopen, do they need all employees  to work from one building or will the work force be split into several groups; Palo Alto needs to do the same. In addition,  all compensation needs to be reduced so no one is let go. Many large corporations with offices worldwide have reduced  salaries across the board by 20%, so no one is let go.    Please read and use the suggestions from the article published in the Palo Alto Weekly to revise your current proposed  budget immediately. It is obvious from several reader’s remarks that the new budget proposal falls short of the tax  payer’s approval. I agree with the comments and suggestions by the authors and with many of the reader’s remarks.  Please be wise and take bold steps to make Palo Alto a better place to live and work for everyone during this historical  time.    https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2020/05/22/guest‐opinion‐a‐better‐way‐to‐save‐vital‐city‐ services?utm_source=express‐2020‐05‐22&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=express    Best,  Heidi Schwenk  Palo Alto resident since 1990    Sent from my iPhone  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Josh F <joshfeira@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 3:53 PM To:Council, City Subject:MakeX funding CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, just wanted to say that we love MakeX! It's part of what makes living in Silicon Valley special. Please find a way to  maintain funding or joint fund‐raising.      ‐‐   ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐  Joshua Feira  josh.feira@gmail.com  4 Baumb, Nelly From:Hugh and Yvonne LaMaster <lamaster@msn.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 1:42 PM To:Council, City Subject:"Guest Opinion: A better way to save vital city services" CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am writing to express my agreement with the proposal, “A better way to save vital city services”, by Pat Burt and Pat  Markevitch, in the May 22nd Palo Alto Weekly.  The key ideas were summarized as:    “By reducing the rate of long‐term Capital Fund expenditures, re‐bidding projects and curtailing salaries and raises, we  can eliminate the most severe cuts to employees and critical, highly valued services.”    This is exactly the approach the city needs to take.  The article explains in greater detail how and why.  Please consider  carefully the arguments presented.  The city needs to defer immediately new project starts, needs to reduce the rate of  capital investments over the next two years, and needs to preserve our vital city services.    ‐Hugh LaMaster (40‐year resident)      5 Baumb, Nelly From:Mary Akatiff Cudahy <maryakatiff@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 3:44 PM To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: My Letter to City Council CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Esteemed City Council Members:  Not every child living a suburban community is into team sports. The typical soccer, baseball, flag football cookie  cutter image alienated all three of my children from the moment they went to preschool. Sure, they tried soccer, laying  down in the middle of the fields while the other kids kicked the ball. The uniforms were fun because they were like  costumes. But sports weren’t who they were. They were artistically motivated children, who loved music, drawing, and  performance.   When they were small children, we lived near the railroad crossing where the suicides occurred; it was  terrifying. They saw too much. I kept wondering, “what has happened to my hometown? What can be done to help  these teenagers?”  Once Palo Alto started talking about sustainable, healthy action steps to improve the mental health  of teenagers in this town, I was heartened. Teen Arts Council is one of the many excellent initiatives that came out of the  suicide crisis.                  Artistically minded children and teens have a difficult time in Palo Alto. I say this because I have seen it. Palo  Alto Children’s Theater is a huge bright spot for teenagers and kids who don’t play team sports. Watching other creative  kids perform lightens up the life of a creative preschooler: possibilities emerge for what it looks like to grow up. Getting  involved and being part of productions, whether in a technical role, or a side part, creates community. Being mentored  by staff—from music directors to costumers, to artistic directors—creates a whole community of truly caring witnesses  to a child’s development. The Children’s Theater of Palo Alto is so much more than a theater for children. It is a  community!                  In addition, the Children’s Theater is a safe home for the Teen Arts Council. Both my teens have been active  participants under the kind, observant and skillful leadership of the Children’s Theater staff. The teen arts council is one‐ of‐a kind. I challenge you to find any program of its caliber and efficiency anywhere in the United States. The teens lead  themselves—running concession sales at Children’s Theater Young Playhouse plays, using those funds to hold music,  open‐mic, film, and literary events, to mention only a few. Their events are created by creative, artistic teens, for their  peers, under the safe, instructive guidance of Children’s Theater Staff. The posters they make to advertise their events  are astoundingly beautiful—evidence of the graphics arts talent in the group. The film festival they hold is shows the  depth of their thinking, emotions, and quite frankly, mind‐blowing talents. Not to mention the music festival, the open  mics, the comedy nights, the improv nights, the visual art festivals: I cannot imagine my teenagers being the successful  people they are now without the Children’s Theater being part of their lives.                  On behalf of all the parents of quirky, creative, talented, unique Palo Alto kids, I say this: you must keep the  Children’s Theater open. It is a lifeline for vulnerable teens in a land of jocks. It is a lifeline for the very teens whose  mental health we must pay attention to.                  Please keep the Children’s Theater alive!    7 Baumb, Nelly From:Ann Balin <alafargue@mac.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 2:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:New library branch policy CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Mayor Fine & Council Members,    As you examine the policy put before you Tuesday regarding the budget cuts for libraries, I ask that you keep in mind  future needs. The compromise to not dissolve the College Terrace library and instead have all branch libraries have the  same three‐day schedule is a compromise. In the future when the coffers are replenished I ask that you then return our  branch libraries to a regular schedule. The three‐day schedule is fine for now. I fear that the city could try to justify  further chipping away to dissolve this important branch system.    There are capital improvement projects that could be shelved until the funding returns to help the city during this crisis.  Please carefully examine the capital improvement projects and put on hold those projects that do not involve safety. If  you act responsibly then these essential services including fire can be restored.    Thank you for your attention to these concerns.    Ann Lafargue Balin  College Terrace  8 Baumb, Nelly From:Melissa Day <writemelday@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 3:04 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make X CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello Palo Alto City Council,    I am writing in response to the proposal to cut funding to teen service programs for the coming years. As a member of the MakeX community I have witnessed the amazing things that have come out of the program and wanted to share them with you all. Both my teens have used this space and I have recommended it to many people. It’s a tremendous resource and inspiration.    Walking into MakeX during open hours will never cease to amaze you; on any given day you might find a slew of makers from middle schoolers to adults all working together in this shared space. You will witness people helping each other with an infinite variety of creative projects. You will see artists painting murals on the walls side by side with teen rocket scientists realizing their newest invention. And you will be amazed as teen leaders foster this community safely and responsibly through peer guidance and support. This kind of interdisciplinary program is truly one-of-a-kind, building up our youth community not only as better engineers and artists, but as creatives, problem solvers, learners, educators, and leaders. Cutting MakeX would leave a deep and permanent scar on many of the communities Palo Alto prides itself on supporting.     MakeX has always been there for us. During regular programming MakeX has provided us with a creative outlet and a healthy community, and has worked with our schools to encourage project-based education. Today, MakeX is working with hospitals and other maker organizations to make and distribute much-needed PPE, being part of an initiative that has distributed over 30,000 face shields to local healthcare providers. In these difficult times, I ask that you be there for MakeX in return.    I speak for the entire community in wishing you remain happy and healthy, and know you will make the right decision in supporting our communities through these difficult times.    Best, Mel Day  9 Baumb, Nelly From:Elizabeth May <elizabethmay@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:52 PM To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Mental Health for Children CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  PA City Council,     We are all facing really challenging financial decisions.   In continuation of the email sent below, I would very much like  to express my concern about Youth program cuts.   Programs where children are engaged and sharing experiences seem  to be the best mental health supports at this time.   The Children's Theater is one of those places.      Please be very  thoughtful about cutting programs for PACT.    Theater kids don't always have the easiest of time.   There aren't a lot of  outlets for that creativity and expression.        Thanks,  Elizabeth May    ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐  From: Elizabeth May <elizabethmay@gmail.com>  Date: Wed, May 13, 2020 at 10:57 AM  Subject: Mental Health for Children  To: <board@pausd.org>, City Council <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>    PAUSD Board and Palo Alto City Council,     In this challenging climate, as you face the reality of making decisions about cutting programs, please keep the mental  health and wellbeing of children as paramount importance.  The isolation, the drain of virtual living and the depressing  prognosis is tremendously challenging for an adult, but I am finding it is overwhelming to my children.    And once  overwhelmed, the struggle to engage and continue participating is even greater hurdle.       Our children are flexible and being incredibly resilient.   They are being asked to adapt and evolve with haste.   Do not  discount the need to support this change and give them the space to recover.         As the District and the City are often partners on many programs for youth,  please make these decisions together and  continue to support, where possible ,the existing organizations that have demonstrated they can help our children.      Thanks,  Elizabeth May    1 Baumb, Nelly From:Micheline Horstmeyer <mhorst1950@hotmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 4:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:A note from a long time resident of Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council:    I am in full agreement with the opinions expressed by Pat Burt and Pat Markevitch in the Guest Opinion page  of the Weekly.  PLEASE prioritize services over capital fund expenditures, like the new police building, parking  garages, fire stations and other projects.  As the writers said, it was never intended that these projects be built  at the expense of basic city services.  Residents want to be safe above all.  That means maintaining our police  and fire services.  We choose to live here because of basic community services.  Maintain these.  I can't think  of anyone I know who will protest a hold on the capital fund projects ...and I suspect we will be able to  negotiate lower building costs if we revisit these projects in the future when the economy is recovering over  the next couple of years.        Listen to what residents are saying.    Sincerely,    Micheline Horstmeyer   Redacted From: Xiaozhou Zheng <xiaozhouzheng@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 2:57 PM To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: We love Children's Theatre, we need the performance ! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, It’s really shocking to me when the news came that the city is considering to cut the budget of Children’s Theatre and no performance will on stage in the next two years ! To my daughter who is 9 years old and currently in Nixon elementary school, Children’s theatrs is the place she loves most in Palo Alto since we moved here two years ago. She attended some performances, and she enjoyed the shows as well. Please support Children’s theatre as used to be, and save a place for the kids to dream, to love and share happiness. Thanks Joanna Zheng Xiaozhou (Nixon Elementary parents 650-441-6397 ) 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Carl Darling <cdarling@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:02 AM To:Council, City; Clerk, City; Shikada, Ed; Ardan Michael Blum Subject:Re: Following feedback from members of the Chief's Advisory Committee I re-write my communication CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Thank you for sending the message. I can not agree more Regards, Carl Darling 650-804-6263 Cell http://cdarling@sbcglobal.net On Saturday, May 23, 2020, 11:10:27 PM PDT, Ardan Michael Blum <ardan.michael.blum@gmail.com> wrote: Please note: I generally would refrain from sending several versions of a similar letter! Yet, following feedback from some of the devoted Palo Altan members of the Police Chief's Advisory Committee I re-write my communication, with this final version ... Dear Mayor Fine, Vice-Mayor DuBois, and Council Members Cormack, Filseth, Kniss, Kou and Tanaka, When there is a prolonged police standoff in a Palo Alto neighborhood, when a school goes into lockdown, when a bank is robbed, when a senior citizen goes missing and countless other events in our community we seek information that is official and as close to real-time as possible. This is the first essential role that Janine De la Vega has provided. This is done in the form of posts on Twitter, Nextdoor, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and more social media sources, PDF documents produced within a short time frame of an event, as well as always making herself available to answer media requests. Given the global impact that certain events can have within the epicenter of Silicon Valley her role is vital. Transparency and interaction are key to a working police force. The management of the Citizen's Police Academy is another role that Janine handles. Why is this important to the community? Well, as a graduate, I can attest that this program allows for trust and transparency between the police and the community. Janine also manages the Advanced Police Academy, outreach events such as National Night Out, the Police Chief's Advisory Committee and many more day to day aspects of communication. In conclusion, Janine is a caring person, full of passion for her work. It would be a loss to our community to remove her from her position due to a lack of understanding and appreciation of her remarkable global and social outreach. Sincerely, Ardan Michael Blum Updated, final version is now online at: https://www.iterate.live/post/budget-cuts-in-palo-alto-why-keeping-janine-de-la-vega-as-public-affairs-manager-is-important 3 Baumb, Nelly From:Ardan Michael Blum <ardan.michael.blum@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 11:10 PM To:Council, City; Clerk, City; Shikada, Ed Subject:Following feedback from members of the Chief's Advisory Committee I re-write my communication CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please note: I generally would refrain from sending several versions of a similar letter! Yet, following feedback from  some of the devoted Palo Altan members of the Police Chief's Advisory Committee I re‐write my communication, with  this final version ...      Dear Mayor Fine, Vice‐Mayor DuBois, and Council Members Cormack, Filseth, Kniss, Kou and Tanaka,    When there is a prolonged police standoff in a Palo Alto neighborhood, when a school goes into lockdown, when a bank  is robbed, when a senior citizen goes missing and countless other events in our community we seek information that is  official and as close to real‐time as possible. This is the first essential role that Janine De la Vega has provided. This is  done in the form of posts on Twitter, Nextdoor, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and more social media sources,  PDF documents produced within a short time frame of an event, as well as always making herself available to answer  media requests.    Given the global impact that certain events can have within the epicenter of Silicon Valley her role is vital. Transparency  and interaction are key to a working police force.    The management of the Citizen's Police Academy is another role that Janine handles. Why is this important to the  community? Well, as a graduate, I can attest that this program allows for trust and transparency between the police and  the community.    Janine also manages the Advanced Police Academy, outreach events such as National Night Out, the Police Chief's  Advisory Committee and many more day to day aspects of communication.    In conclusion, Janine is a caring person, full of passion for her work. It would be a loss to our community to remove her  from her position due to a lack of understanding and appreciation of her remarkable global and social outreach.    Sincerely,    Ardan Michael Blum    Updated, final version is now online at:  https://www.iterate.live/post/budget‐cuts‐in‐palo‐alto‐why‐keeping‐janine‐de‐la‐vega‐as‐public‐affairs‐manager‐is‐ important       Sincerely,  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Harin <harinkimmy@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:36 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please save full $50,000 funding for YCS Youth Connectedness program in Human Services Contract CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Mayor Adrian Fine and Palo Alto City Council My name is Harin Kim, I’m 16 years old and a sophomore at Palo Alto High School. This year I am a peer leader for the Youth Connectedness Initiative (YCI). Thank you for your consideration of YCI in your budget, I wanted to urge the city council to include the full $50,000 funding for YCI and to not approve the 50% cut suggested by staff. Although it’s been placed in the teen services section, the budget for YCI is in the Human Services contract. As peer leaders, we work to connect isolated students in the community and help them with issues such as mental health and depression. Our events help bring community in the city of Palo Alto and many use our resources. The full funding is necessary, especially in today’s uncertain times, to bring mental health information to as many students as possible. YCS staff share background training with Peer Leaders based on suicide prevention research from the Centers for Disease Control and Search Institute. Throughout the year, we’ve planned and hosted several community events and projects thanks to this program. A few examples include an open mic in the Stanford Community, a movie night that promoted LGBTQ+ awareness, a collaboration video about mental health with Dr. Shashank Joshi, and more. Many students from different grades in the community attend these events and all come together and connect over common issues and struggles. Please consider renewing full funding for our program, and thank you for your support during these hard times. Best, Harin Kim 1 Baumb, Nelly From:Keith Ferrell <ferrell.keith@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 11:25 AM To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed Subject:Fwd: Another interesting note from the community CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I was forwarded this message and found it to be very discouraging.  When I first read about Ed Shikada's voluntary pay  cut I found it to be an admirable gesture.  After reading the actual detail of that "cut" I am now resigned to feelings of  disappointment and anger.  Did Shikada really think this was an honest and serious gesture?  A 20% pay cut in most  anyone's mind is exactly that, a 20% cut.  If Shikada makes $350K, a 20% pay cut means he is now getting paid at a rate  of $280K.  If that is not the case, then it should be made public.  According to the PA Weekly, "Shikada, who earns a salary of $356,013, would see his compensation reduced by $71,202 under his proposal." The public believes that his salary is being cut. If this is not true, Shikada should publicly set the record straight. We don't need our political leaders to give us less than factual information.     Keith Ferrell  ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐    Date: Tue, May 26, 2020 at 11:07 AM  Subject: Another interesting note from the community  To:     Dear Mayor Fine, Vice-Mayor DuBois, and Councilmembers Cormack, Filseth, Kniss, Kou and Tanaka,    On May 18th’s City Council meeting, City Manager Ed Shikada, “said that he plans to take a 20% pay cut,” and also announced that “managers at City Hall will give back 15% of their salaries” (these quotes are from the 5/22/20 Palo Alto Weekly). Would that this were true.    What Mr. Shikada has in fact proposed bears no resemblance to an actual pay cut, nor does it represent a meaningful reduction in the City’s expenses—the type of reduction required to help Palo Alto offset the loss of sales and hotel tax revenue caused by the pandemic.      Please consider these three components of the City Manager’s proposal—three components which together account for 19.5% of the 20% “pay cut” Mr. Shikada announced a week ago.:    2 1. Mr. Shikada says that the freeze on his salary represents a “contribution” he is making “toward addressing the City’s fiscal challenge” (this quote is from the Staff Report prepared for Council’s 5/26/20 meeting).    This is not a pay cut. City Council has frozen salaries, and that freeze is reflected in the 2021 Budget. In other words, Mr. Shikada is counting a raise he was never offered, much less received.    More specifically, Mr. Shikada apparently expected a 4.5% raise in 2021, “based on historical adjustments of City Manager pay.” But he was never given the raise; in fact, he was told he wasn’t going to get any raise. So how can he possibly count that 4.5% as a pay cut? And yet he does.       2. Mr. Shikada plans to take 26 days of unpaid leave (i.e., “furlough”), which he values at the equivalent of a 10% reduction in his compensation. But taking time off and not getting paid for it is not what anyone means by a pay cut.    The President of Stanford as well as the Provost have each just taken a 20 percent pay cut. Does anyone imagine they’ll each be taking weeks and weeks of time off as a result? Of course not. They’re professionals, not hourly workers. They do their job. Shouldn’t Mr. Shikada as well?        3. Mr. Shikada says he will donate 100 hours of his paid leave—hours that he values as 5% of his salary—to other employees who do not have any paid leave hours.    This is a generous gesture to his fellow workers on Mr. Shikada’s part, but it is not a pay cut. Palo Alto will still be paying for those 100 hours, just not to Mr. Shikada.      3 In short, while Mr. Shikada claims to be proposing to take a 20% pay cut, in fact he is proposing a pay cut of one-half of one percent, namely, the $1,250 contribution he says he plans to make to his own “management flexible spending account,” the rest of which will continue to be funded by the City.    I hope you will reject what Mr. Shikada has proposed for himself and for other City management and professional employees (his proposal for “cutting” their compensation is comparable to his proposal for cutting his own). Palo Alto is faced with a dire shortfall in tax revenue, and cutting the salaries of senior City Staff by less than one percent is scarcely a solution.    Instead, I urge you to consider a temporary, across-the-board pay cut of 15-20% for municipal employees—a real 15-20% cut and not a fake one. This is consistent with what other large organizations in our area have done, and it would constitute a meaningful step toward resolving Palo Alto’s budget imbalance.     Thank you for your consideration.    Jeanne Fleming      Jeanne Fleming, PhD  JFleming@Metricus.net  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Steve Raney <steve@paloaltotma.org> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 6:28 PM To:Council, City Cc:Star-Lack, Sylvia; Kamhi, Philip; Nose, Kiely; Kruti Ladani Subject:expand PATMA to Cal Ave? CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council,     Thank you for the PATMA parking lot motion. Please consider Councilmember Cormac's comment, "I’m very excited  about extending the TMA to Cal Ave. I've asked for this in the past."      The current COPA-PATMA funding agreement restricts PATMA to serve only downtown, and we request that Council take action to remove this restriction in the next funding agreement. The success of our California Avenue pilot has attracted merchants in that district to our Board. We look forward to helping more merchants recover from shelter-in-place with the lifting of this geographical restriction.     Regards, ‐ PATMA       On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 11:58 AM Steve Raney <steve@paloaltotma.org> wrote:   Palo Alto Transportation Management Association 355 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, www.paloaltotma.org     Dear Council,    This letter outlines our 40% lower funding request for FY21, totaling $453,000, our unique position to support the local service economy during reopening after shelter-in-place, and an innovative bicycle commute program that will recycle city funds into local businesses, further supporting economic recovery. In addition, we request the City of Palo Alto (COPA) allow the TMA to serve Cal Ave businesses and commuters. We have proven the demand for our programs via a Cal Ave pilot, resourcefully utilizing $100,000 in private sector funding.    The TMA is very grateful for the City’s generous FY20 TMA funding of $750,000. Shelter-in-place has changed our need for funds for FY21. Due to Public Health Orders, current demand for TMA services is low. We have proven capability to remove 446 cars per day, 386 from downtown and 60 from Cal Ave. Our FY21 budget request uses the City’s end-of-year economic recovery scenario to ramp up to removing 446 vehicles in June 2021, growing at 4% per month from July-Dec 2020 and then at 12% per month from Jan-June 2021.[1] Hence, we request a $641,000 budget for July ‘20 through June ‘21. Applying $187,500 of unused FY20 funds, our “net budget request” is $453,000, a 40% reduction from FY20.    This request assumes the TMA will be allowed to serve the California Avenue Business District. The current COPA-PATMA funding agreement restricts PATMA to serve only downtown, and we request that Council take action to remove this restriction in the next funding agreement. The success of our California Avenue pilot has 2 attracted merchants in that district to our Board. We look forward to helping more merchants recover from shelter-in-place with the lifting of this geographical restriction.    The TMA is an essential part of helping Palo Alto businesses recover. Council has requested special support for hard-hit local service and small businesses. The TMA will accelerate economic recovery by providing Palo Alto with a competitive hiring advantage over cities without TMAs. Perceived employee risk starts when commuters leave their home, not just when they enter their office. In addition to providing transit and ridesharing programs, the TMA will guide employers on safe return-to-workplace practices that increase employee confidence. The TMA’s groundbreaking federally-funded social equity research found indications that rehiring service workers will be unusually difficult because recently-idled workers will move out of the Bay Area.     Finally, we are developing a bicycle commute program that will allow us to partner with local businesses to recycle public funds back into the local economy. This first-in-the-world pilot with software partner CashByCycling will provide daily incentives for verifiable active mode commutes, up to $599 per year. Geofenced location tracking will confirm both direct-to-work bike, e-bike, e-scooter, and e-skateboard commutes and bike-to-transit-to-work commutes. Within 60 seconds, incentive dollars may be redeemed for iPhone/android vouchers tethered to individual local merchants that have capable “fintech point-of-sale terminals.” Local incentive tethering causes program funds to be injected back into the local economy, creating a multiplier effect while supporting a contactless form of commuting post-COVID. This program is expected to cost one-half to one-quarter of many commute alternatives, and one-eighth of a stall in a parking structure.    Our CY2019 Annual Report - google doc will appear as a consent item in an upcoming Council packet. In CY2019 we lowered our hourly labor costs significantly, to one-half of other Bay Area TMAs. We decreased our management overhead percentage-of-expense down to 10.5%. We reduced the cost of our annual commute survey by 40% while tripling the number of responses and increasing program adoption by 30%. The TMA generated $164,000 in non-City funding in CY2019 and will continue to pursue additional revenue.    Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,   PATMA Board of Directors   Brad Ehikian, Premier Properties  Amit Patel, Westin  Cal Ave restaurateur Zareen Kahn  Matthew Weinberg, Amazon/A9  Carmel Moyal, Palantir PATMA Staff   Steve Raney  Kruti Ladani _________________________________________ 1. SJSU’s Mineta Transportation Institute expects transit ridership to snap back to 75% of normal and 100% by twelve months after recovery. We expect service worker ridership to come back more rapidly than “choice riders.” We have published commute predictions (Medium article, Palo Alto Weekly article), and we expect the SOV rate to increase.   1 Baumb, Nelly From:Karl Barnes <karlbarnes24@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 6:18 AM To:Council, City Subject:Mac's Smoke Shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please allow Mac's Smoke Shop to continue to sell flavored tobacco at the store. I am 63 years old and I smoke flavored  tobacco.     Thanks,  Karl   2 Baumb, Nelly From:Jeffrey Walsh <foffyclan@icloud.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 9:52 PM To:Council, City Subject:Macs Smoke Shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I have either worked or lived in Palo Alto for the past 40 plus years. I have also been a regular customer at Mac’s for  many, many years. Besides purchasing my morning coffee and my daily cigars, this fine establishment offers  a cordially  social atmosphere to visit long time friends. The owner, Neil Koury is a super nice individual and he runs a tight  operation that is well organized. I must earnestly suggest that this Palo Alto City council please support this city  landmark. Very seldom do cities have the good fortune to have a financially prosperous, family owned business for this  many years.  I would hate to think that this Palo Alto city council be known for  disrupting a successful money making enterprise. I did  not know that this city was plush with extra monies and can readily afford to lose a significant tax stream.  Please think twice before making a terrible mistake.  Sincerely,  J.Walsh. Esq  Sent from my iPhone  3 Baumb, Nelly From:mark weiss <earwopa@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 5:54 PM To:Council, City Cc:Fine, Adrian Subject:Leadership should reach out to help Mac's adjust or grandfather cherry-tobacco CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear leaders: Smoke signals, I and II Posted on May 25, 2020by markweiss86 Twice in the last 24 hours I have posted at PAW about the government decree to ban vaping and cherry-tobacco from Palo Alto and its likely negative impact on Mac’s Smoke Shop, which I frequent for newspapers and magazines. I think flavored tobacco at Mac’s to adults should be grandfathered in. Leadership should work with the landlord to give Mac’s a break while they figure out what to shelve to displace the offensive-by-decree items. Further research indicates they also sell a pretty good $2 cup of Joe that is a bargain compared to the places I usually buy from. The title I found objectionable — see above –is Cherry Boxxx Pictures “Black Virgin Teens” but it says they are over 18 years of age and has contact info for the publisher, 2005. Seven-ninety-nine reduced from $13.99 originally. I opted instead for Living Blues Magazine with a plain black cover “50th” 4 anniversary issue, mainly for the ad for Ruthie Foster Big Band live album (“evokes Ellington, Sinatra”) on Blue Corn Records. (There were also magazines such as Marie Claire –Megan Thee Stallion–Sports Illustrated-Deandre Hopkins– and National Geographic with more wholesome and respectable images of black people, if you excuse the digression into race). I spoke to the owner Neil Khoury about the possibility of eliminating the porn section of his store, which is behind a beaded curtain. But there is a difference between stores deliberately changing their wares for their own reasons and their hand being forced by government over-reach, which is how Dubois rightly describes his board’s unfortunate result. I also bought a Gatorade, due to the heat. Earlier today, I had bought The Times, The Chron and the Merc. Earlier (trigger warning: I say “f----” and I make a joke, based on Bertrand Russell’s work or Marshall McLuhan, about the inconsistency of “virginity” and “promiscuity”) With new vaping ban, Palo Alto expects smoke shops to shutter Council members vote down proposal to exclude adult-only shops The Khoury’s published an 80-word broadside with their view on this story and a call to action. They are partly right in that unlike the other businesses impacted, they are a marketplace of ideas. I buy roughly 10 newspapers there per week, easily $1,000 per year on that, magazines, plus pork rinds, and juice, the rare Nabisco product. I bought Take Five bars with two different packagings, intending to write about appropriation. The location is great, they can survive the blow. They could do more with their logo — they sell t-shirts but of a weak design. I’ve opined here hundreds of times plus posted 2,600 articles to my own blog, (which itself and in its name protested installing fake grass at the Page Mill soccer fields, but also covers local news and jazz music, for ten years). Maybe Mac’s Smoke Shop could publish “Smoke Signals” that covers this dispute and other pro-retail, unique to Palo Alto issues. Maybe I’d pay them to handle an exclusive weekly broadside based on “Plastic Alto”. I’d ditch a lot of the bongs and pipes, piled embarrasingly high. Likewise “Black Teen Virgins Who Like to Get F----ed” — this paper won’t even print the title. (Note: so far, 23 hours, it stands) Maybe the successor beneficiary landlords would give them a break. But if Neil and Lori Khoury can step to the step of the true spirit of Palo Alto, they can not only persevere but prevail. The council voted: Tom Dubois, Liz Kniss, Adrian Fine –no (3) The council voted: Eric Filseth, Greg Tanaka, Lydia Kuo, Alison Cormack — yes (4)I hope besides engaging in the government or self-governance process — leadership interacting with citizenry, being both representative and responsive — customers of Mac’s who read newspapers read magazines, drink coffee, eat snacks, eat ice cream or smoke tobacco — shop at the store and reach out to Neil and Lori Khoury with your words of support and ideas. Mark Weiss Plastic Alto blog resident, Downtown North