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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200608plCC5701-32 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 5 of 10 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 6 Baumb, Nelly From:Janice Sedriks <janice325@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:13 PM To:Council, City Subject:Ban on Flavoured Tobacco Sales CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Honorable Council Members, I wholly agree with the arguments of Council members Tom DuBois, Adrian Fine and Lizz Kniss, that the proposed ban on flavoured Tobacco sales goes too far. It constitutes egregious government overreach and goes well beyond what we need to protect kids. The fact that such a ban is likely to shutter Mac’s Smoke shop, one of the few historic gems left in Palo Alto, adds to the arguments against the ban. Passing such a controversial ordinance during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate is not appropriate. The issue needs to have far more public exposure and discussion and be revisited by Council. Janice Sedriks Palo Alto Redacted 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Jim Soares <jim@soaresmech.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:44 AM To:Council, City Subject:Mac's Smoke Shop Support Letter Attachments:Mac's Smoke Shop.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Council Member's,     Attached is support letter for Neil owner of above establishment.    Thank you,               Jim Soares  City of Palo Alto 5/25/2020 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA. 94301 Attn: City Council Sub: Mac’s Smoke Shop Council Member’s, I am writing in support of Mac’ Smoke Shop, Neil is a friend who has owned this establishment for the last 20 years and now he and his family are subject to going out of business for selling flavored tobacco that his store sells. I really think you all should take a look at how your decision will effect his business, his lively hood, and most of all his family. If people want to use this product it’s the decision of the adult purchasing the product should not be put into your hand’s as council member’s. I would appreciate a long hard look at what you would be doing to this man. Sincerely, Jim Soares 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Ziad Hamati <zee9009@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 1:15 AM To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE DON'T CLOSE HOOKAH NITES CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,  With great disappointment, I received the news that your respected council is intending to close the Hookah  Nites Lounge at downtown Palo Alto.     In this email, I kindly ask you to reconsider your decision and allow this special place to remain open for the  following reasons:     1. This is a very special place for me as I meet with my close friends there every two weeks or so and we  all consider the time we spend there as one of the most special times we all look to having. Losing this  place will be a real blow to our friendship (over 12 guys and girls).  2. This is the only place in Town that connects me to my middle eastern  heritage, as the owners from  similar background, the place's atmosphere, the background music and the sounds reminds me of the  place I was born and always brings that loving nostalgic feeling of my grandparents, uncles and aunts.   3. This is the only night place where we go to that does not serve alcohol and thus I do not have to deal  with calling a cab or asking one of our friends for a ride home at the end of the night.  4. Hookah Nites Lounge does not impose any health hazard to our health as the place is well managed  and ventilated and we never witnessed any noncompliance to safety regulations. The place is truly  hygiene and clean and this is one of the reasons my wife always agrees to come along regardless of her  state of physical tiredness… she enjoys a cup of her favorite Turkish coffee after a long day.  5. This place is considered our favorite for my wife and I in Palo Alto and closing it would really give me  no good reason to come to Palo Alto often.      Please Keep this place open     Respectfully,     Ziad  Hamati  San Jose    Sent from Outlook  9 Baumb, Nelly From:SUHAD NIMRI <suhad_nimri@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 12:50 AM To:Council, City Subject:Plea not to close Hookah Nites lounge CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To whom it may concern,  My name is Suhad, I am 46 years old. It’s such an upsetting news when I heard that Hookah Nites lounge might be closed  by the city council of Palo Alto.  Hookah Nites lounge is a staple in downtown Palo Alto, all my friends and I go to downtown every day specially to  hangout at Hookah Nites lounge, it’s part of our Arabic tradition and culture. It’s a decent place where rules and  regulations are highly implemented by the staff and the owner and this is part of our commitment to this place.  I am pleading to you to keep this place open as it fully adheres to health and safety regulations and connects us to our  beautiful culture, and to keep our moral up through this pandemic.  Sincerely,   Suhad Nimri    10 Baumb, Nelly From:Debra Ambrose <baggachips@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:31 PM 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.  ________________________________    City Council Members,    I was so disheartened to hear we may lose a staple of our community.  Mac’s has been with this community through so  many parts of our lives.  This has been our go to venue we have turned to, in times of the assignation of our president,  to other times of Landing on the Hudson.  A place where we can be asked, how old our children are now?, or is your  mom still planting her roses?    Political discussions, opinions of world events and the elation of grabbing the newest publication of that cherished issue.  It has all been at this special place.  Friends and families have frequented Mac’s for decades and grown up around its  location.    Yes, the pandemic has taken a lot from us and we are dealing the best way we know how.  Please do not take away this  major part of Palo Alto.  Mac’s IS us and we ARE  Mac’s.  This is who we are.    Thank you,    Debra Ambrose        Sent from my iPhone    11 Baumb, Nelly From:jonathonsalama@yahoo.com Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah nites Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To the honorable mayor and city council members City of Palo Alto. am writing you on behalf of a business that is  providing income for families of employees working at this establishment.we are asking you to keep this business open  to provide services to Mediterranean culture that is been a part of this city for almost one hundred years,the owners of  this business always followed the rules and regulations of the City And State and will continue to put clients safety and  health it is top priority during these hard times.we are asking you to treat this business just like any other that offers  services to their clients and not to discriminate against one and favor others. Thank you for your support and excellent  leadership during these challenges.we are all hoping that this dark cloud shall pass so we can go back to normal life.best  regards Jonathon Salama  12 Baumb, Nelly From:luis lerma <luckylerma@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:39 PM To:Council, City Cc:luis(lucky) lerma Subject:Re: Mac’s smoke shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello my name is Luis L.  I live in San Jose, Ca. And fully support Mac’s Smoke Shop. Please let this Business continue to prove a Serivce that  people and I from all around the Bay‐area and More have the option too buy their products!!!              Thank you very much, Luis L.    Sent from my iPhone  13 Baumb, Nelly From:Carol Alzriqat <carolz21@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 4:43 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah Nites Closure CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Good Afternoon,  As one of the many costumers of the Hookah Nites lounge, I would really appreciate it if you reconsider the decision of  it’s closure due to the fact that it’s our main source of entertainment where our friends get together. In addition to this,  Hookah Nites is a part of our traditions in our country. As The United States of America is a place for all cultures and  ethnicities we would appreciate that ours continues to flourish in the city of Palo Alto. Thank you for your time and I  hope you take my email into consideration.    Best Regards,  Carol Alzriqat      14 Baumb, Nelly From:Gene Lentz <ehlentz@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 1:41 PM To:Council, City Subject:Mac's CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Council Members.....    sorry, but no, I do NOT live or vote in Palo Alto, but my office (if I ca ever  return) is in Palo Alto, I live in Menlo Park.    I realize that Mac's Smoke Shop, on Emerson St in downtown Palo Alto,  sells tobacco products, some of which are vaping products.  I am not a  proponent of or user of vaping products, but that is immaterial.  By all  means, it's one thing to ban a certain product, quite another to arbitrarily  ban an entire type/line of product when you know it will force a  historical, traditional merchant to cease doing business in Palo Alto.  I  haven't patronized Mac's in years, not since my son was in high school,  and Mac's was the only place I knew of that sold any  newspapers/magazines that covered National High School baseball  rankings.......but, Mac's in the type of place that contributes greatly to the  rich tapestry that makes up downtown Palo Alto, please do not arbitrarily  force them to close.  Please don't be short‐sighted, there are already  enough politicians that are filling that role.  Thank you        E.H."Gene" Lentz  650.255.2264  cell (text also OK)    KELLER WILLIAMS  Menlo Park/Palo Alto, the heart of  Silicon Valley, on the San Francisco Peninsula  15 ., Palo Alto   94301      Still working hard, so YOU can relax!     https://calbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=wcrew    EHLentz@GMail.com  GLentzRealEstate@GMail.com  Gene@EHLentz.REALTOR    California Bureau of Real Estate # 01184258    www.EHLentz.REALTOR    2020 Presidential Liaison,             Public Policy Committees, California Assoc of REALTORS  2018‐2019 Trustee, California Real Estate PAC (CREPAC)  2016‐2017 Trustee, California Real Estate PAC (CREPAC)  2015 Presidential Liaison,             Public Policy Committees, California Assoc of REALTORS  2013 Chair, Region 9 of the California Assoc of REALTORS  2012‐2014 Trustee, California Real Estate PAC (CREPAC)  2011 President, Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS (SILVAR)  2010 Vice Chair, California Assoc of REALTORS Political Affairs Committee  2008‐present, Director, California Assoc of REALTORS     http://www.gpmechanicstrust.com/         Would YOU like to help?        Redacted 16 Baumb, Nelly From:Paul <pauld8407@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 10:35 AM To:Council, City Subject:Flavored Tobacco Exemption CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,     I am an occasional pipe smoker requesting that you kindly exempt flavored tobacco from your upcoming ordinance on  the banning of vapes and flavored tobacco.       ‐‐   Regards,  Paul Davidson     "...nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people."- Mark Twain  17 Baumb, Nelly From:Alex Carter <arcarter@stanford.edu> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:04 PM To:Council, City Subject:MACs CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please do not shut down or place restrictions on this shop. It is a valuable service and market that has been around and  ain’t going nowhere!     Support our community, every person and small business. We need to stick together in times like this! Not be divided.     Thank you,   Alex Carter   18 Baumb, Nelly From:Brian Schaefer <brianeschaefer@yahoo.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 12:03 PM To:Council, City Subject:flavored tobacco exemption CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  The City Council has approved an ordinance that will ban the sale of flavored tobacco which I think should be rescinded. Flavored tobacco used in pipes is for adults and is not, for the most part, used by children or young adults. In college I smoked a pipe and enjoyed the smell while not inhaling the smoke. I would not like to see the banning of this type of product as I'm sure many adults still enjoy smoking their pipes at home. Let's keep Mac's Smoke Shop open for the sale of flavored tobacco to adults. Brian E. Schaefer 401K Ventures, LLC (650)325-401K 19 Baumb, Nelly From:Geneva Washington <genevawashington42@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 9:33 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.  To Whom it May Concern,     I am writing in regards to the city council votes that may have the ability to close Macs. Please take look deeper into the  shop. It's more than just vape pens and tobacco products. It is a home that is familiar to people in Palo Alto and with all  the gentrification that is currently going on, it would be nice to keep something that has been in the area for decades.  Please reconsider your votes and what closing this business would do to not only the family that has been managing it,  but to the locals that have been in Palo Alto since the beginning. It's about keeping that history alive. Please think about  how this closure would affect a lot of people. Thank you for taking the time to read this email and I hope this will help in  the decision making process.    Sincerely,    Geneva Washington    20 Baumb, Nelly From:Derek <simplyzaba@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 8:29 AM To:Council, City Subject:Max smoke shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.        I am writing this email, In response to the proposed ordinance that will ban flavored tobacco. I am a 54 year resident of  Palo Alto , when I was growing up here my father used to shop a Max’s smoke shop, he would buy his flavored tobacco  and cigarettes there along with news papers. As I grew I also started buying my Cigars and flavored cigarettes there.  They are a part of Palo Alto History and a long time great shop with great people who now own and operate the store  the same way it was 50 years ago. I am requesting an EXEMPTION on the flavored tobacco cigarettes and tobacco  products they sell, be they are the only real shop left. Please don’t ruin this great store that I and a lot of people have  used and admire.    Many Thanks       Sent from my iPhone  Derek    Sent from my iPhone  Derek Zabaldo  21 Baumb, Nelly From:MAHMOUD ALAEDDIN <maalaeddin22@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 7:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah Night Cafe, CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am writing to you to reconsider closing Hookha Nite Cafe in Palo Alto, this is a very professional business all great  business people come and socialize while enjoying smoking, the place is very quite, clean and causes no harm to the  community or others plus does not offer any liquor that could be potential for problems.   Again, we ask that you keep this business open specially during this very difficult time, closing the business will do  nothing but add more people to the unemployment line plus its the only source of income for the owner of this facility.   Thank you ,   22 Baumb, Nelly From:Chelby Sauao <chelbysauao@icloud.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 6:25 PM To:Council, City Subject:SAVE MACS SMOKE SHOP CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi my name is chelby and I wanna save MACS SMOKE SHOP. It’s been there for 85 years and I would love to see it their  for another 85 years more. Please save this shop although what happened is not good but I believe this shop is there for  a good reason. Let them have there shop and give them the credit for being open during this hard time please don’t take  there shop away I would hate to see it go. Thank you for your time I hope you show mercy and let them keep there  shop.    With love and gratitude,   Chelby S.    Sent from my iPhone  23 Baumb, Nelly From:Jerald Sauao <sauaomusic@icloud.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 4:34 PM To:Council, City Subject:Save Macs smoke shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello  Please reconsider closing Macs smoke shop, it’s been great to me I used to work at Stanford hospital for a couple of  years and this was the best place for me to get my lunches and snacks this store is very great I remember chatting with  All the clerks very friendly people, it would be ashamed to lose this great store that’s been here for a long time Sent  from my iPhone  24 Baumb, Nelly From:Tia Kolytiris <tkolytiris@sandiego.edu> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 4:12 PM 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.  To Whom it may concern,    Please give Mac’s Smoke Shop an exemption for the sale of flavored tobacco. This institution is a part of Palo Alto’s  history and is family run. The exemption will keep the store open and support the family.   ‐‐   Tia Kolytiris    University of San Diego School of Business   Real Estate Major  25 Baumb, Nelly From:Lori Khoury <khoury7eleven@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 3:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:Mac's Smoke Shop - Neil and Lori Khoury CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council members, As you can well imagine as each day passes the reality of Monday night is sinking in. I have cried for three straight days at the prospect of our iconic little shop going out of business. Years of sweat equity and our hearts have been poured into keeping the tradition of Mac’s alive. We’ve made a lot of friends in years we’ve been there. Mac’s is part of Palo Alto and also part of who we are. What is also part of who we are is selling flavored tobacco, but not the kind you are associating with vape products and e-cigarettes. I’m not talking about catchy named flavored tobacco like the vape products, I’m talking about flavored pipe tobacco and such. We are requesting an exemption to sell the flavored tobacco as this may be our only lifeline for survival. I want everyone to know, we completely get the desire to eliminate vape products and e-cigarettes from being sold in Palo Alto. I know people feel that teens were “targeted” for this type of product, and I’m not here to debate marketing strategies. What I would like to discuss is the misconception that flavored tobacco is the same as vape products. They are NOT the same. Vape products have catchy names like cotton candy, cool aide, etc. We want to sell flavored pipe tobacco and the types of tobacco that have been around forever and don’t have any draw for teens. We have always had these types of products and not once have I ever heard about teens being interested in them nor has any teen ever come into to try to buy this type of product. Back in December when this whole issue with a new ordinance was brought up, the focus was on vaping, vaping, vaping. Now there is tremendous government encroachment into other areas that are vital to our livelihood. We are a family-owned business, not some big corporation looking to further our agenda. We just want to continue our legacy and be able to pay our bills and pay our employees. Our regular Palo Alto customers are shocked and saddened to see the articles in the Daily Post and Palo Alto weekly that indicate council’s vote may close Mac’s. People in Palo Alto love us and our shop and I really feel like we got a very biased lashing Monday night saying a teen just walked in and bought vape products. We did a lot of follow up after we heard this and based on video surveillance the story you were told was NOT TRUE and we can prove it. In February of this year, Los Altos enacted a stricter smoking ordinance, but with an exemption (see language below) for stores that sell only tobacco. Here is a link to the story in the Los Altos Town Crier. Los Altos council OKs tobacco ordinance & See Me Flags 26   Los Altos council OKs tobacco ordinance & See Me Flags Melissa Hartman - Staff Writer/melissah@latc.com The new tobacco ordinance – the first to regulate the sale of tobacco or tobacco-related products in Los Altos –...      27 Edward’s Pipe and Tobacco Shop at Village Court Shopping Center falls under this exemption. The owner of Edward’s, Debbie Morton, told Los Altos council that she "would have likely had to close her shop without the exemption". To quote Debbie “I cannot maintain a business without my flavored tobacco,” she said. “I have vanilla (flavored tobacco), I have rum runner, I have chocolate, I have custards. Those are what you’re listing in your article.” That is the exact same circumstance Mac's is in now. Los Altos council recognized the potential hardship, empathized with the business owner, and granted the exemption.We request you do the same. Los Altos Tobacco Exemption language: M. Flavored tobacco products prohibited. No retailer shall sell a tobacco product containing, as a constituent or additive, an artificial or natural flavor or aroma (other than tobacco) or an herb or spice, including but not limited to mint, wintergreen, cotton candy, mango, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb, menthol, or spice, that is a characterizing flavor or aroma of the tobacco product, smoke, or vapor produced by the tobacco product. 1.Paragraph (M) of this subsection (4.48.040) shall not apply to any retailer that meets all of the following criteria: a. Primarily sells tobacco products; b. Generates more than sixty (60) percent of its gross revenues annually from the sale of tobacco products; c. Does not permit any person under twenty-one (21) years of age to be present or enter the premises at any time, unless accompanied by the person's parent or legal guardian, as defined in Section 6903 of the Family Code; d. Does not sell alcoholic beverages or food for consumption on the premises; and e. Posts a sign outside the retail location that clearly, sufficiently, and conspicuously informs the public that persons under twenty-one (21) years of age are prohibited from entering the premises. I hope you will reconsider your vote and allow an exemption for the sale of flavored tobacco. Regards, Mac’s Smoke Shop Neil and Lori Khoury 28 I hope you will reconsider your vote and allow an exemption for the sale of flavored tobacco. Regards, Mac’s Smoke Shop Neil and Lori Khoury 29 Baumb, Nelly From:Jaswinder Singh <jaswinder383@yahoo.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 3:53 PM To:Council, City Subject:SMOKE SHOP OWNER CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  This is Jaswinder (Jessie) Singh, Owner of Smokes & More in Palo Alto. I was part of the council meeting on May 18th. Unfortunately, I was not given a chance to speak. It could me technical glitch or maybe something else. I was very disappointed at few council members who didn't have any clue about vaping but still they voted against it. One of the council member didnt even know what Hookah is. None of them ever visited our store but they still voted against us. You cant just take our livelihood from us without even knowing the facts. Most of the people who spoke in the meeting were paid employees or representatives of the organizations like Cancer society of America. If they care about our health why don't they just ban cigarettes, flavored alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs which gives you so many diseases. They get paid from these companies to forget about the major issues of mankind. They always try to kill smaller business so that they can capture the remaining markets This is very hard time we are all going thru bcoz of the Covid19 situation. Business is already down and now because of this vaping ban we will be forced to shut down our businesses. We have mortgages, leases, family depending on this businesses. If vaping is banned in palo alto we will be forced to be on streets in no time. As you are aware of the high rents in palo alto, there is no way we can survive selling only regular cigarettes and changinf business model is not going to be easy. My 80% of the business is vaping related and if that is taken away I will be devastated and my family will suffer. All the smoke shops in palo alto has clean record and are "Adult only" stores. There are no minors allowed inside the stores. I have been in the business in palo alto for almost 10 yrs now. I never had any issues related underage sale of tobacco products. We have been very strict with checking ID's. I am requesting you to please exempt adult only stores from this ban and let adults make the decision if they want to smoke or vape. Thanks Jaswinder 31 Baumb, Nelly From:Hafez, Mohammed (CIV) <mmhafez@nps.edu> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 2:28 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah Nites Lounge Closure Notice CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To Whom it May Concern:    I recently received notification that Palo Alto’s City Council plans to close down Hookah Nites  Lounge on University Avenue. I was deeply disappointed by this decision and I hope this letter  can inform the members of the City Council why such a measure is counterproductive,  discriminatory, and infantilizing.     Although I live in San Jose, my wife and I regularly frequent Hookah Nites because we love to  be in Palo Alto. We usually go to University Ave to eat at one of its terrific restaurants, have  tea and desert at Paris Baguette, and end our evening by hanging out with other friends at  Hookah Nites.  Hookah is part of the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean traditions that we value  so deeply.  It is part of our heritage and adds diversity to Palo Alto’s cultural mosaic.  Hookah  Nites is one of the few—perhaps the only—Arab‐inspired establishment in the area.  It seems  to me to be quite discriminatory to single out this establishment for reasons that are  unclear.  If health considerations are behind this decision, then this is both discriminatory and  infantilizing.      It is discriminatory because other establishments in the area—bars and marijuana  dispensaries—equally have health implications, yet those are not being targeted for closure.  It  is infantilizing because it assumes that the patrons of Hookah Nites do not understand the  health risks of casual smoking and, therefore, need the City Council to protect them.  This is a  classic case of local government overreach and carries the liability of discriminating against  businesses based on their cultural motifs.  As already stated, this is part of a centuries‐old  Middle Eastern heritage and many of the customers that frequent Hookah Nites are of Middle  Eastern origins.  It is one of the few places where the Arab community can congregate for  fun.  It is also discriminatory against Muslims.  My wife and I are Muslims and do not frequent  bars for religious reasons.  Hookah lounges are equivalent venues to be out with friends in  public without religious compunction.  Taking this away from us—and many other Muslims—is  also discriminatory.    32 I ask you to reconsider your decision or at least provide a public hearing through which  patrons of Hookah Nites are given an opportunity to explain the significance of this  establishment to their community.    With kinds regards,  Mohammed M. Hafez, Ph.D.  Professor  Department of National Security Affairs  Naval Postgraduate School    Glasgow Hall  Room GL‐337  Monterey, CA 93943  mmhafez@nps.edu  Mobile: 831‐233‐0272  Web: Mohammed Hafez Web Page             Redacted 33 Baumb, Nelly From:mod <mod@cimamgt.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 1:08 PM To:Council, City Subject:proposed flavored tobacco ordinance CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Members:     I am writing as a thirty year customer of Mac's Smokeshop. I have always resided in a neighboring town, but visit Palo  Alto often for its variety of retail stores.     The fundamental issue for me is that there is no evidence that consumption of flavored tobacco products carries greater  health risks than those of other tobacco products. Yet those products will continue to be sold if this ordinance is passed.    I believe that Mac's has been consistently vigilant in the prevention of tobacco product sales to minors, and have  personally witnessed their efforts on many occasion.     Those of you who have experience raising children may agree with me that we bear personal responsibility as parents  and caregivers to educate them around the issue of tobacco consumption. When our efforts fail, it falls to retail sellers  to enforce the law. Mac's does so responsibly.     Please do not punish a longstanding member of your retail community for the behavior of others.     Mike O'Donnell   34 Baumb, Nelly From:Lena Jabri <ljabri@my.smccd.edu> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 11:23 AM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah nites CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    The business hookah nites  is family home establishment that I have going to for many years. I heard about the  possibility that it may not continue it’s business. I was sadden you hear that because of all the great memories, friendly  faces an great service. I had attended many parties and always had a great time and I remember the day my friend  graduated from school and we had music, food family and friends were all together. Enjoying each other company and  laughing with each other, and seeing everyone who is happy really made my day. Hookah nites is like a home away from  home to me. It would really sadden me to see it go. From Lena  35 Baumb, Nelly From:alexandra bateh <alexandrabateh700@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 8:54 AM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah nights closure CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To whom this may concern, my name is Alexandra bateh and I am reaching out in regards to the closure of hookah  nights. As a member of this community for several years I have truly loved the way hookah nights has ran their business.  University avenue is truly unique and hookah nights adds to that. Many have gone here for years, and have found it to  be a safe and welcoming environment with great entertainment. It is the only one of its kind on that street and would  like you to reconsider its reopening!    Thank you,  Alexandra Bateh  36 Baumb, Nelly From:Akram Kildani <akramkildani@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:53 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah nites lounge CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To whom it concerns, we regret closing the     Hookah nites lounge   Under David Zoumut     we and a big group of friends and family have been customers in this place for years and we were so happy and satisfied  with the service and with the  owner himself. He‘s always been obeying the rules and the restrictions regarding the  safety and the age of the customer to keep service trustworthy as possible as he can, never allow under age and his  place and it is always clean and welcoming for the customers . Palo Alto community and visitors were always enjoy the  hookah nites lounge .its always been a remarkable place in Palo alto.   Even after the quarantine we are all positive that  David Zoumot, the owner, will take all the safety precautions to ensure  customers satisfaction. Please take all these  positive things about this place into consideration, and give your decision for closing the hooks nites lounge another look  . We all want this place to stay open for us.  Thank you   Sent from my iPhone  37 Baumb, Nelly From:hannah khoury <khoury-hannah1@hotmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing hookah place CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________      To whom it concerns, we regret closing the    Hookah nites lounge  Under David Zoumut    we and a big group of friends and family have been customers in this place for years and we were so happy and satisfied  with the service and with the  owner himself. He‘s always been obeying the rules and the restrictions regarding the  safety and the age of the customer to keep service trustworthy as possible as he can, never allow under age and his  place and it is always clean and welcoming for the customers . Palo Alto community and visitors were always enjoy the  hookah nites lounge .its always been a remarkable place in Palo alto.   Even after the quarantine we are all positive that  David Zoumot, the owner, will take all the safety precautions to ensure  customers satisfaction. Please take all these  positive things about this place into consideration, and give your decision for closing the hooks nites lounge another look  . We all want this place to stay open for us.  Sent from my iPhone  38 Baumb, Nelly From:hannah khoury <khoury-hannah1@hotmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:44 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing hookah place CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________      To whom it concerns, we regret closing the    Hookah nites lounge  Under David Zoumut    we and a big group of friends and family have been customers in this place for years and we were so happy and satisfied  with the service and with the  owner himself. He‘s always been obeying the rules and the restrictions regarding the  safety and the age of the customer to keep service trustworthy as possible as he can, never allow under age and his  place and it is always clean and welcoming for the customers . Palo Alto community and visitors were always enjoy the  hookah nites lounge .its always been a remarkable place in Palo alto.   Even after the quarantine we are all positive that  David Zoumot, the owner, will take all the safety precautions to ensure  customers satisfaction. Please take all these  positive things about this place into consideration, and give your decision for closing the hooks nites lounge another look  . We all want this place to stay open for us.  Sent from my iPhone  39 Baumb, Nelly From:Abeer Hamed <abeerhamed@icloud.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah Nights CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    This is a shame that the city of Palo Alto is closing down Hookah Nights. Its a great place to go & relax & enjoy a coffee &  hookah. Do the community a favor & Keep this business open .         Sincerely Abeer & Moe  Sent from my iPhone  40 Baumb, Nelly From:Akram Kildani <kildani1@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah nites lounge CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi Sir, Madam  I am writing this email regarding your decision to close  Hookah nites lounge Under David Zoumut Especially at this time  were family owned businesses trying to survive The lounge offers different type of adults relaxing time other than  restaurants and bars not everyone like alcohol drinks    I hope you reconsider you decision and keep the place opened Thank you Akram kildani      Sent from my iPhone  41 Baumb, Nelly From:Paul Sandoval <paulsandoval@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:02 PM To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE DON’T CLOSE HOOKAH NITES CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello my name is Paul Sandoval I have been going to Hookah Nites ever since it opened. It is definitely a staple in  downtown Palo Alto just like the bars and across the street and along with Pizza My Heart. Yes we know that Palo Alto is  changing via trendy and tech but let’s not forget what help build downtown places like Hookah Nites. We have seen  CEO’s there NFL, NBA players I mean come on what are you going to put there? Just keep it open for the community and  you will notice that is a staple off of University. Thank you!    Sent from my iPhone  42 Baumb, Nelly From:Viernes Cigars <viernescigars@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 6:07 PM To:Council, City Subject:Cigar Shops - Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, Recently I saw a newspaper article that mentioned the closing of cigar shops due to a recent law banning vape products. I understand the decision as popular things like Juul and vapes are readily available and purposely make flavors that attract younger consumers. Tobacco, pipe and cigars, are flavored but not with the same graphics and they are not marketed for teenagers. I think putting Juul and vaping in the same category as cigars is a huge mistake and I can’t comprehend why they would be. I hope you have a way to do more research and see that cigars and pipe tobacco is mainly consumed by more mature adults and not teenagers. Respectfully, Hector 43 Baumb, Nelly From:Aaron Mattu <sikhminded408@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 5:50 PM To:Council, City Subject:Help macs CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please save macs smoke shop. Me and my family have been coming here for over 30 years. Flavored tobacco is not the  same thing as vape products. My grandfather has been buying flavored pipe tobacco here for 30 years & it will be a  devastation to see macs go from the community  44 Baumb, Nelly From:Steve Garcia <garcstv@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 5:08 PM 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.  ________________________________    To whom this may concern.    I’m writing to request an exemption for Mac’s Adult Smoke Shop on Emerson Ave. in the city of Palo Alto.    I have visited many times since I am an avid cigar smoker. I always find their location well kept and is staff be a very help  staff.    I believe them to be very courteous and very professional in dealing with their customers.    I’m sure you are no doubt aware that they has serviced the City of Palo Alto for over 50 years now.    I’d appreciate the city of Palo Alto doing what they can to save this family owned business and protect this history of  Palo Alto’s fine establishment.    Best Regards,    Steven Garcia    Sent from my iPhone  45 Baumb, Nelly From:Nerrisa Mailo <nerrisam@icloud.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:55 PM To:Council, City Subject:Save Macs! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council,    I hope this email finds you well ‐ I am writing you today and asking you to reconsider closing Macs in Palo Alto. This  family store is a part of Palo Alto History. Their family has become a family to the people in this community. I truly feel  this store is more than just a smoke shop, it’s a place where people go to get their newspaper and read it across on a  bench. It’s a place to find cool gifts for family and friends. I ask you again to reconsider the closing of Macs as it would be  so sad to see them close their doors.    Warmest regards,  Nerrisa Mailo  Sent from my iPhone  46 Baumb, Nelly From:Aaron Mattu <amattu16@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:56 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.  SAVE MACS SMOKE SHOP!! FLAVORED TOBACCO IS NOT THE SAME AS VAPE! WE LOVE MACS SMOKE SHOP IN THE  COMMUNITY THEY ARE A STAPLE IN PALO ALTO. WE WOULD HATE TO SEE THEM CLOSE  Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android  47 Baumb, Nelly From:Roberta Samifua <lopeka2002@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:56 PM To:Council, City Subject:Fw: Don't close Mac shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Roberta Samifua <lopeka2002@yahoo.com> To: citycouncil@cityofpaloalto.org <citycouncil@cityofpaloalto.org> Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020, 01:01:19 PM PDT Subject: Don't close Mac shop Hello and Greetings to the city council of Palo Alto, I just read the article about Mac's shop may close down. I wanted to say I have been a long time customer of Mac's shop and the owner has been very nice and great customer service there. I don't want to see this shop closed down. I understand the concern of vaping products being a bad habit on young children or minors. But, I feel like that would be the responsibility of their parent to make sure they don't get to it. Also the shops are very strict in carding people when they come in to buy any tobacco products. I saw how they asked an older gentlemen for his ID even though he clearly looks way older then 40 years old. If you close this shop these kids are just gonna go to another shop to get what they want. Please don't close Mac's shop because I find it convenient and they have been in the community for a Long time! This will be devastating to the owner and our community. Thank you, Roberta Lealamanua 48 Baumb, Nelly From:Jason Chand <jay_raynil@hotmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:52 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.  ________________________________    please do not close macs smoke shop.. it’s been in our community for years and sells more products besides vape  products and can survive without selling vape products as it did for decades before vape products became available    Sent from my iPhone  49 Baumb, Nelly From:Audie Faagai <audiefaagai@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:47 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please dont close Mac's CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please save this small business that has been around in our community for 85 years. Not only has it been a community  staple but they also have become our family. They deserve to stay in business as they have no other way to make a living  and will have to face very tough hardships if they were to close. This is how they survive day to day and to take the only  thing that keeps us all a very close community will be disheartening to many. If you can feel in your heart some  sympathy and compassion as if it were your family, please reconsider the idea of closing this precious gem and give  them that chance to remain open as they deserve. #dontclosemacs     Kindest regards,  Audie Faagai  50 Baumb, Nelly From:hermosadp@aol.com Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:06 PM To:Council, City Subject:Potential Closing of Macs Smoke Shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To the City Council and Mayor of Palo Alto    I was very sad and emotional when I heard Macs might be closing due to an unfair City Council vote.    I feel that during the Covid‐19 crisis there are much more important things for the City Council to do than vote to punish  the hard working owners of a longtime Palo Alto business.  I was very upset that members of the city council have voted  to basically end MACs historical stay in Palo Alto.  Shouldn't you be more worried about a looming budget deficit from  Covid‐19 and trying to keep business taxes flowing?    Lately many downtown businesses such as Walgreens announced closings for economic reasons so you should be  working to keep retail businesses in Palo Alto.  All some of the city council members seem to care about is having more  and more venture capital firms and startups in downtown.    I have been patronizing MACs since the 1980s and buy magazines and newspapers there.  I think there is a middle  ground here to let them stay in business with selling flavored tobacco.  Why do you have to be the health police right  now when many other things to worry about.  Lets keep them open!    Why doesn't the City Council and Mayor work on finding solutions instead of running family owned businesses out of  town. In the past year longtime businesses I patronized have closed such as Prolific Oven and Village Cheese House likely  due to landlords raising rents.    I doubt this letter will change things but this decision really hits a nerve as my family has lived in Palo Alto since the  1960s and many longtime businesses have closed recently.    Hoping someone gets back to me and Macs is saved.    thanks    Dirk Price      Sent from my iPhone SE  Redacted 51 Baumb, Nelly From:Leigh Klotz <klotz@klotz.me> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:35 AM To:Council, City Subject:Vape ban=no CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  As a Palo Alto resident for over 30 years and the parent of two college seniors, I object to the vape ban.  It will not  reduce access to nicotine for teens, but will instead reduce access to harm reduction tools for adults.  It has unintended  consequences...for one closing magazine stores.        I do not feel protected nor do I feel this protects our children.      52 Baumb, Nelly From:Connor Braman <connor.braman@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:57 AM To:Council, City Subject:Vaping/Flavored Tobacco Ban CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council,     Your recent vote to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products is threatening to shut down an important Palo Alto  institution in Mac's Smoke Shop. Your desire to prevent underage vaping is threatening important businesses during this  time of economic crisis. You must vote in favor of exemptions for businesses selling flavored tobacco to responsible  adults and protect business in this turbulent time.    Sincerely,  Connor  53 Baumb, Nelly From:Smedley, Luanne <LSmedley@stanfordchildrens.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:02 AM To:Council, City Subject:Mac’s - DON’T CLOSE! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To whom it may concern:  Mac’s has been a staple in the community for 85 years and serves a real need for the people of Palo Alto! Please do not  close this very needed resource!    Luanne Smedley    Sent from my iPhone  CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any attachments may contain confidential or privileged information  for the use by the designated recipient(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified  that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or  copying of it or the attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact  me and destroy all copies of the communication and attachments. Thank you.  54 Baumb, Nelly From:Linzi Burrows <britlinzi@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:02 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.  ________________________________    Mac’s smoke shop is an icon in Palo Alto, I have been going there for years as a restaurant employee and if it closes  there will be nowhere to go on my breaks. It is one of the only places you can purchase newspapers and magazines.  Please reconsider closing it...  Thankyou    Sent from my iPhone  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Alexandra Nijmeh <alexandranijmeh@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 7:59 PM To:Council, City Subject:Hookah Nites CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    PLEASE DON’T CLOSE HOOKAH NITES    Hello my name is Alexandra Nijmeh, I have been going to Hookah nights since I was 18, I am now 27. Hookah Nites has  been a place of culture that I never received in my own town. The owner of the place makes me feel like I’m home. This  is part of Downtown. I don’t drink, so Hookah Nites is the place where I go to relax and have fun with my friends and  family. This is a safe heaven for some people who live away from their home and they aren’t able to go to a place that is  out of town. All of those international students, who go to the schools in the area, would want a place that reminds  them of home, won’t have that anymore if you shut down. It’s a great place for people who are part of this culture.  Please don’t shut them down, I need my safe spot.    Alexandra Nijmeh  2 Baumb, Nelly From:A.J. McGlone <ajmcglone@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please save macs!!!!! I have been shopping with these guys my whole life of 32 years! And I drive all the way from  Sunnyvale, etc  now that I don't live there!!! Please!   1 Baumb, Nelly From:delukie@aol.com Sent:Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10:32 AM To:city.council@cityof paloalto.org Subject:Mac's Smoke shop CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I SUPPORT EXEMPTION .. for Mac's Smoke shop...a piece of HISTORY for Palo Alto......don't close this store down, they sell to ADULTS...and the dangers of smoking or flavored pipe tobacco etc. are well know to ALL of us !! Adults can choose for themselves. Thank you resident...Stephanie Dwiggins... Redacted 2 Baumb, Nelly From:Marvin Rios <marv.rios91@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 2:25 PM To:Council, City Subject:Ban of Vape Flavors CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi there City Council,     I'm sending you an rmail in regards to the recently passed ban of Vaporizer Juice Flavors. My name is Marvin Rios and I  currently reside at 633 Arastradero Road, located in Palo Alto. This ban stands to have an immediate negative effect on  the coty revenue, as well as push vaporizer users like myself to buy vape juice outside of the city. I urge you as a resident of Palo Alto to rescind this ban so that I and many others may continue to purchase our Vape Juice within the City.    Thank you,    Marvin Rios  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Candice Wheeler <tanwheeler@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:23 PM To:Council, City Subject:Thank you! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I just want to thank you for passing the motion to ban flavored tobacco in Palo Alto stores! As a parent of three children,  I really appreciate this!  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Don Jackson <dcj@clark-communications.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 26, 2020 7:18 AM To:Council, City Subject:Washington Post article: Cities are closing streets to make way for restaurants and pedestrians CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Another article about cities closing streets to support outdoor, socially‐distant dining    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/cities‐are‐closing‐streets‐to‐make‐way‐for‐restaurants‐ and‐pedestrians/2020/05/25/1f1af634‐9b73‐11ea‐ad09‐8da7ec214672_story.html  2 Baumb, Nelly From:Branden Greene <bg24026@pausd.us> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:27 PM To:Council, City Cc:Brian Miguel Subject:Letter to City Council regarding closing California Avenue to drive-thru traffic Attachments:Letter to City Council regarding closing California Avenue to drive-thru traffic.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City of Palo Alto, City Clerk,      I kindly submit my letter to the City Council regarding California Avenue. Thank you for your consideration.    Sincerely,    Branden Greene.  May 22, 2020 City of Palo Alto, Office of the City Clerk 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Dear Mayor Fine & City Council Members, California Avenue is the smaller downtown in Palo Alto and it offers the community the opportunity to enjoy small businesses and incredible food. With the coronavirus limiting our ability to eat out and enter stores, these businesses have been facing hard times. Not only are the businesses suffering, but many of their employees are unable to work due to the recent government safety protocols. It is important to help our businesses and employees in any way we can and to prevent cars from driving through California Avenue from El Camino Real to Ash Street would be an excellent next step. For almost all restaurants it’s hard to make a sufficient amount of money while keeping social distancing in mind due to the coronavirus. Some cities, like Menlo Park and Mountain View, have been thinking about closing streets to traffic so restaurants can add additional seating outside while maintaining the six-foot distancing rule. I am writing to you to let you know that I support this idea and believe it is a way to keep restaurants in business. This is a great solution because every inch of free space matters at this time. If restaurants want to ensure their customer’s safety, they can’t have tons of people packed into a small building. It is expensive to run a business in this area and when you own a restaurant every table seated with guests is an opportunity for revenue. Restaurants are unable to pay rent and their employees with only half the tables available due to social distancing. If the streets were to close off traffic and only be open to pedestrians, the restaurants can spread their seating onto the street and can serve more customers and bring in the revenue they need to stay in business. It will also take a lot of planning to make the community feel safe in a downtown area. Spreading the tables out onto the street is a perfect way to make people feel comfortable at a restaurant. Some people say that closing off the streets could be dangerous because emergency responses couldn’t reach the blocked-off areas. Cities who have been considering doing this are working with the emergency services to create access points to ensure they can reach the closed-off streets. In my opinion, this plan could work well and would be a big benefit to businesses that have been affected by this pandemic. A perfect example of a successful implementation of this idea is on Middlefield Road in Redwood City. Mayor Adrian Fine was quoted in the Almanac as being in support of this idea but he says it is not the right time to make this decision and that we should focus on budgeting and health issues. With a $40-million budget shortfall, the sooner businesses get back to normal the sooner the budget will improve. Focusing on getting more customers back at businesses is a priority. I love the variety of restaurants on California Avenue, and I would hate to see some of them go out of business due to a lack of customers. Thank you for reading my letter and I hope you will consider helping both the community and its small businesses. Sincerely, Branden Greene Palo Alto, CA 94306 3 Baumb, Nelly From:Sally Espinoza <ashaskovec@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 4:34 PM To:Council, City Subject:support for closing university Ave to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I'm writing in support of the closure of University Avenue to traffic in order to support the businesses ability to remain  open while observing social distancing. This would turn a congested street into a people‐friendly center, putting cars on  Lytton and Hamilton seems like a reasonable compromise, especially since the amount of traffic is way down anyway for  the foreseeable future. Let's do the right thing for our community and the businesses looking to survive this period.   Sally      ‐‐   ____________  Sally Espinoza   Redacted 4 Baumb, Nelly From:Kimberley Wong <sheepgirl1@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 3:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close University and California Ave to help restaurants expand into streets and recover CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Council Members,    I’d like to support closing off University and California Ave at least temporarily at least until the flagging restaurant  business can get back on their feet again while adhering to social distancing of tables and customers during this  financially strained period!    Thank you for your consideration! Menlo Park and other cities are doing this. We should follow suit. The shelter in place  has reduced traffic on these roads considerably so I believe this is the opportune time to put these measures in place to  test out the new normal and help one of our most viable and profitable sectors to recover from shutdown.    Thank you!    Kimberley Wong,  Longtime resident of Palo Alto and granddaughter of owner of City Cafe, established on University in 1905    5 Baumb, Nelly From:Yvonne Dennis <yvondennis@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 2:54 PM To:Council, City Subject:Increase Outdoor Dining in Downtown Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello     I am writing you to ask for your support of restaurant establishments in downtown Palo Alto.  Many restaurants will face  challenges in meeting the new restrictions for inside seating.  I ask that you strongly consider closing streets to car traffic  to allow the restaurants to expand seating to outside areas.  Otherwise I fear that many establishments will not survive.   Thank you,  Yvonne Dennis  6 Baumb, Nelly From:Heiner Litz <heinerlitz@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 2:36 PM To:Council, City Subject:Safe Businesses on University Street CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear CIty Counsil,   please lock down University Avenue for cars so we can have a pedestrian area with outside seating to save all  businesses. Palo Alto needs some more outside area. Bring Santana Row to PA!!  Heiner      7 Baumb, Nelly From:Ellen Semaya Krasnow <ellen@thekrasnows.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 12:36 PM To:Council, City Subject:Helping restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am writing to voice my support for our restaurants in Palo Alto.  With new social distancing requirements, it would be  helpful for restaurants to be able to use more outdoor spaces to serve their customers.  I have seen the parklets (I think  that is what they are called?) in Menlo Park and on Castro Street where they have removed some parking spaces to  create more outdoor dining.  I believe you could do this on some streets in Palo Alto.  You could also close some streets  for example University Avenue and California Avenue, to help restaurants.  I am sure there are traffic considerations, but  with many companies choosing to let people work from home more I hope we will see less traffic.    One of my favorite restaurants downtown is Zola, it is a narrow place and will have a harder time with the social  distancing rules.  There are other restaurants on Bryant street too.  Any consideration to making some streets one way  in order to make more space? This would help a number of restaurants on Bryant street.    I hope you will consider taking steps to make it easier for restaurants to meet the new social distancing requirements.    We have been ordering out and tipping well and have even donated to some restaurants, but we are looking forward to  when we can eat out again and having more space would help the restaurants.    Thank you for your consideration.    Ellen Krasnow    Palo Alto  650 224 6095  Redacted 8 Baumb, Nelly From:The Careys <zcareys@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 11:48 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor dining space CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I wanted to express my complete support for creating out door dining space in downtown and Cal ave.  We want to keep  (or at least return to) a thriving restaurant scene.  Honestly it just makes sense to me in general.  Thanks for your  consideration.    Lynn Carey  9 Baumb, Nelly From:Maria Foley <maria@mariafoley.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 10:25 AM To:Council, City Cc:Rick Potts Subject:Suggestion to keep University and California Avenues closed CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To whom it may concern,    I would like to suggest that the City Council consider keeping University Avenue and California Avenue closed to motor vehicles as we prepare for a gradual reopening up of our economy. This way we can keep the respective downtown areas safe, walkable and vibrant. I think this would enhance community spirit overall and, during the COVID pandemic, allow restaurants to create seating that would accommodate social distancing. This will benefit both the community and the downtown businesses. Doing this now, as we search for ways to address the need for social distance, will allow for a trial run to see if this arrangement would be beneficial to the community on a full time basis. All the best, Maria Maria Foley Palo Alto, CA 94306 415 609 3536 Redacted 10 Baumb, Nelly From:Karen Jacobson <jacobson.karen.a@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, May 25, 2020 8:10 AM To:Council, City Subject:When Restaurants Re-Open: Please Close University Ave and Cal Ave to Cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear PA City Council Members,    I’m writing to urge you to close University and Cal Avenues to cars (at least temporarily for the summer and early fall)  when bars and restaurants are allowed to re‐open.  This will allow them to set up tables outside to comply with social  distancing rules.  And, it will be healthier for diners as fresh air reduces viral transmission.  This is a way for restaurants  and bars to increase their capacity in order to remain economically viable and for us to support them.  It would be such a  loss for the small businesses in our community to go under.    Best Regards,    Karen Jacobson  11 Baumb, Nelly From:David Markowitz <davidm@usa.net> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:Open up Cal Ave and University Ave to pedestrians CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I’ve been in support of this idea for many years. Now seems the opportune time to make it so. Major cities around the  world have set examples by closing major thoroughfares representing far greater vehicle traffic than on our streets.  Benefits to residents, visitors, shops and restaurants are well documented. Let’s make the effort to make Palo Alto a  model for cities going forward.    Thanks,  David Markowitz  12 Baumb, Nelly From:Melissa Almgren <melissaalmgren@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 3:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Supporting Palo Alto restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Esteemed members of the Palo Alto City Council, I am writing to express support for allowing local restaurants to expand their outdoor space to allow for more capacity as they begin to open. It goes without saying that these restauranteurs/small business owners have suffered devastating business losses due to the pandemic. And given the likely protocols (reduced capacities, safety measures) to be implemented as they re-open, it's highly unlikely that many of these businesses will be able to sustain enough business to stay alive. Palo Alto has always had a thriving restaurant scene and it would be a real shame to see restaurants close. To that end, anything we can do to allow them to survive, we should. Respectfully, Melissa Almgren --  Melissa Almgren  13 Baumb, Nelly From:Michelle Chen <mchenstudio@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 1:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Ave and Cal Ave pedestrian only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,    I'm writing today, because I would like to see our business‐heavy corridors like University Ave and California Ave become  pedestrian‐only in these times. It would benefit the restaurants and cafes, encouraging outdoor seating which means  they can bring in more business while keeping risk of infection low. It would also help us socially distance. The sidewalks  are not wide enough to accommodate social distancing when there's lots of people walking through those streets.    Thank you for your time,  Michelle  Resident of Palo Alto  14 Baumb, Nelly From:Adrienne Pierce <adrienne.pierce@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 1:04 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian streets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please close California Ave from El Camino to Park Ave to traffic and allow for restaurants to use the streets for  social distancing and service.    Traffic can flow around up Cambridge and El Camino on Park.    Thank you for your consideration,  Adrienne Pierce  , Palo Alto, CA 94306      ‐‐   650‐283‐9202 | Linkedin  Renewable Energy and Sustainability  Redacted 15 Baumb, Nelly From:Lucie Richter <lucie.richter@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:39 AM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian zones CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,    With keeping social distance we need space. Like in Europe, we could turn CA Ave and University into pedestrian zones  and allow restaurants and cafes to spread into the streets. We live in a great climate that allows us to do so.      Thank you!  Lucie  16 Baumb, Nelly From:Don Jackson <dcj@clark-communications.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:20 AM To:Council, City Subject:Re: I support helping our restaurants reopen safely via parklets and street closures CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.    Honorable Councilpeople:    I urge you to read this op‐ed piece from the NY Times authored by a restaurant owner regarding the challenges he and  others are facing:    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/opinion/nyc‐bars‐restaurants‐coronavirus.html?smid=em‐share    Respectfully,    Don Jackson    ==========================. Previous email ===============================    Honorable Councilpeople,    I’m writing to urge you to support street/parking changes to enable our local restaurants to use these areas to provide  safe, outdoor, socially‐distanced dining.      As I know you are aware, our local resturants are facing financial ruin as a result of the COVID‐19 public health crisis, and  our restaurants are a very significant quality‐of‐life benefit to all Palo Altans.    When the City/County/State begins to allows restaurants to re‐open,   it seems likely and prudent that returning to pre‐pandemic restaurant table spacing/distancing will not be responsible  nor desirable.    It seems obvious to me that allowing “parklets” in front (and adjacent) to our restaurants would significantly help our  local restaurants to  provide safer dining, and also help restaurants get closer to their former seating capacity.    Given that we are well into Spring, and Summer is right around the corner, the weather will be the best that it can be to  make outdoor dining  reasonable and comfortable.    As a more significant move, I would also encourage and support street closures (particularly in the evening) to provide  even more outdoor space for  dining, shopping, etc.  I’d propose closing much of University Avenue, and the first block of side streets like Emerson,  Ramona, and Bryant for the Spring/Summer, (again, perhaps after 5:30pm).  California Avenue, the first block of Birch  Street off California, Emerson Street between Homer and University, and Hamilton between Emerson and Ramona.      Given that traffic will likely not return to pre‐pandemic levels anytime soon, and the need to help our local restaurants  17 and shops, I can imagine that making this Summer a more relaxed, outdoor‐dining friendly experience would provide  financial help to our local restaurants, and be a safe and responsible respite for all Palo Altans.    Respectfully    Don Jackson      18 Baumb, Nelly From:Michael Knowles <michael.c.knowles@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:13 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please open California Ave and University Ave... CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  …to pedestrians and to outdoor seating for restaurants.  In other words, please eliminate car traffic on these  streets.  This would not only allow more safe area for walking and enjoying restaurants, it would also encourage forms of  transportation (walking or biking) to these destinations.       Thank you for your consideration.      Mike Michael C. Knowles Phone: (650) 888-8985 skype: michael.c.knowles    19 Baumb, Nelly From:Carol Ezrati <crutlen@hotmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:11 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor Seating for Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  In an effort to support our local restaurants, we should close California Ave to car traffic after 3 pm every day.  The  street would be open to pedestrians only.  Restaurants should allowed to set up seating in the street.  This will allow  restaurants to serve a similar number of patrons as pre‐epidemic while still preserving proper social distancing.    Carol Ezrati  .    Sent from Mail for Windows 10    Redacted 20 Baumb, Nelly From:Dr. Jochen Profit <profit@stanford.edu> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 10:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian zones for outdoor dining CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    As we’re transitioning to opening up, please consider transforming University Ave and California Ave into Pedestrian  zones.    Would allow restaurants and businesses to spill into streets, making transmission of infections much less likely than with  indoor dining. Keep a few cross streets open for traffic, parking garage access.    Seems like a no‐brainer. Helps business, general quality of life in PA, increases appeal, better public health.    Try it temporarily. I bet it will be so popular, no one will want to go back after the pandemic is passed.    Best regards,    Jochen Profit, MD  Department of Pediatrics  Stanford University    Sent from my iPhone  Message potentially dictated; typos likely  21 Baumb, Nelly From:Corine Cesana <ccesana7@icloud.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:37 AM To:Council, City Subject:Closing streets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council    We do support our community Businesses,  Cafés , restaurants and stores  I support commercial streets to be permanently closed to traffic Everyone  should  stroll Without fear  of been ran By a  speedy car ,Heavy  pollution Furthermore  During covid uncertain times it will allow businesses to work leaving outside  tables Within 10 feet  distances , Repetitive disinfection / sanitation Patrons mandate to wear masks when in close  proximity with others    Stores could allow limited patrons at a time  with their face mask and repetitive hands sanitation Like Already in place  For pharmacies or grocery stores Napa Valley has started the process    Thank you for all your support to our community And hard work    Corine Cesana , essential worker      22 Baumb, Nelly From:Cindy Nelson <cindynelson11@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 8:43 AM To:Council, City Cc:Cindy N Subject:Please prioritize restaurants and business using streets for expansion CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I moved to Palo Alto in 1983. I've seen lots of change over the years, and accept it as part of a community that is growing  and changing.  I am an avid walker and spent a lot of time on California Ave, the home of mostly privately owned  restaurants and businesses. I also frequent University Ave, but the cars and traffic make it far less charming and  interesting. I recently bought a new ebike in town at a local bike shop, overcoming my resistance to biking for my health  and my necessary errands, and have been pleased beyond words as to how that has allowed me to stay connected  safely during the shelter in place order.     The interactions I have shopping and eating on local streets have led me to learn more about, and understand the  importance of social contact in public places to our non‐physical mental health needs. It also brings us into contact with  people of different backgrounds and economic circumstances, and gives us an opportunity to support each other with  kind words and gestures, and even new and ongoing relationships, something that may be more important to our health  than we realize. This is sorely needed now, and we need to act quickly to find ways to do this safely, with patience and  kindness. I'm willing to help!     Safely Increase Social Connection OUTSIDE of Social Media   Restaurants and business in one's local town lead to repeat connections with neighbors, friends, and business owners.  The overall happiness and mental wellness that live social connections help maintain and create can bring about a more  unified and healthy population.  Research indicates that using social media and online services as one's *primary* social  milieu is unhealthy for the non‐physical needs of humans.     Let's jump on this now, before we lose more revenue from business failure. https://www.wired.com/story/cities‐ reopen‐outdoor‐dining‐lifeline/    I'd like to recommend that the city act quickly to allow restaurants (and possibly other establishments) to use city streets  adjacent to them, closed at certain times of day to cars, to create larger spaces for offering their services safely. This link  is article from Wired that shows this is happening NOW, in progressive and innovative cities and for very good reason!    The Farmers' Markets all over have been operating continuously this way, and they AND patrons have adapted  beautifully and cooperatively to our need to connect in person, albeit masked and distanced, with other human beings  who need to continue to work in order to survive. It's a win/win scenario and would likely bring back some of the joy of  living in a lively town with so many interesting people.     Cities all over the world are testing this, from Berkeley to Vilnius ‐ Palo Alto is an obvious leader, or could be, to the new  wellness of physically distanced social interaction.     Here is a guide to opening the streets of cities, published before the CoronaVirus, by an organization involved with other  cities that have done this, addressing benefits and challenges BEFORE the pandemic, still applicable but now with added  urgency.     23 I'm willing to help support or lead on this initiative as a long term supporter of both the city, the businesses, and the  residents. I have no conflicts of interest ‐ I'm not a business owner ‐ other than wanting our community to thrive. I also  understand residents' needs to have room to park; clearly the solution must take those needs into account as well.    If we lose these mom and pop businesses, we may see the interest and charm of the city decline, leading to a less  amenable environment for walking, biking, living, and working. Being surrounded by either empty storefronts or office  buildings might provide needed short term revenue, but the tradeoff would be immense.    Thank you    Cindy Nelson  (former Tech Executive  Xerox, Oracle, Phone.com, Openwave Systems)  Musician  Palo Alto Resident since 1983  650‐248‐1222        24 Baumb, Nelly From:Zoe Zuniga <zoezuniga@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 24, 2020 6:14 AM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Ave a pedesestrian mall CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council     I have not driven down University in decades and always park farther away and then walk in.    Thank you for your consideration  Zoe Zuniga          Zoe Zuniga CEO Zoe Zuniga Creations    zoezuniga.com: the central hub Projects:  Mind‐Body Copy  Mind‐Body Clarity  Mindful Joyful          25 Baumb, Nelly From:Terùn Pizza <info@terunpizza.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:25 PM To:Shikada, Ed Cc:Council, City; Apple, Kara Subject:Re: Restaurants with food truck and open Parks options. Thank you very much.     Come to get a Pizza take out  some day Ed.    Ciao     Maico & C.    On Sat, May 23, 2020 at 5:21 PM Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:  Hi Maico ‐    Good to hear from you again. Let me ask Kara Apple to get in touch with you. She’s on assignment to my office and can  help sort out what might be of interest to you that we can facilitate.     Best,  —Ed     From: Franco Campilongo <info@terunpizza.com>  Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:05 PM  To: Council, City  Subject: Restaurants with food truck and open Parks options.      CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    My name is Maico Campilongo,  CoOwner of iTalico and TERÙN restaurant on California Ave.  Since seems that  the option  of closing California Ave or parklet hypothesis it’s not in the agenda, I was thinking that  in  one of the zoom meetings with city manager and city council people, previously we talked about the option of  expansion of the restaurants using food trucks and using Palo Alto public parks  .  With TERÙN we are evaluating the opportunity of buying an extra oven to attach to our ford F 150 To be used for  catering and inside Palo Alto public Parks.  Please let me know if there is any chance to talk about it .    Thank you .    Maico Campilongo  terunpizza.com and iTalicorestaurant.com  6507998481  27 Baumb, Nelly From:Shikada, Ed Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:22 PM To:Franco Campilongo Cc:Council, City; Apple, Kara Subject:Re: Restaurants with food truck and open Parks options. Hi Maico ‐    Good to hear from you again. Let me ask Kara Apple to get in touch with you. She’s on assignment to my office and can  help sort out what might be of interest to you that we can facilitate.     Best,  —Ed     From: Franco Campilongo <info@terunpizza.com>  Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:05 PM  To: Council, City  Subject: Restaurants with food truck and open Parks options.      CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    My name is Maico Campilongo,  CoOwner of iTalico and TERÙN restaurant on California Ave.  Since seems that  the option  of closing California Ave or parklet hypothesis it’s not in the agenda, I was thinking that  in  one of the zoom meetings with city manager and city council people, previously we talked about the option of  expansion of the restaurants using food trucks and using Palo Alto public parks  .  With TERÙN we are evaluating the opportunity of buying an extra oven to attach to our ford F 150 To be used for  catering and inside Palo Alto public Parks.  Please let me know if there is any chance to talk about it .    Thank you .    Maico Campilongo  terunpizza.com and iTalicorestaurant.com  6507998481    Sent from my iPhone  28 Baumb, Nelly From:Franco Campilongo <info@terunpizza.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 5:05 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurants with food truck and open Parks options. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    My name is Maico Campilongo,  CoOwner of iTalico and TERÙN restaurant on California Ave.  Since seems that  the option  of closing California Ave or parklet hypothesis it’s not in the agenda, I was thinking that in   one of the zoom meetings with city manager and city council people, previously we talked about the option of expansion  of the restaurants using food trucks and using Palo Alto public parks  .  With TERÙN we are evaluating the opportunity of buying an extra oven to attach to our ford F 150 To be used for  catering and inside Palo Alto public Parks.  Please let me know if there is any chance to talk about it .    Thank you .    Maico Campilongo  terunpizza.com and iTalicorestaurant.com  6507998481    Sent from my iPhone  29 Baumb, Nelly From:Gordana Pavlovic <design@gordana.net> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 3:53 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Avenue pedestrian CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am in favor of creating a pedestrian zone on University Avenue between Middlefield  and Ramona street. Also let  Lytton and Hamilton become one way streets!  Thank you!  Gordana Pavlovic  602 Hawthorne avenue  Sent from my iPhone  Please excuse my typos  30 Baumb, Nelly From:Tyler Hoffman <tylerhoffman123@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 2:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:For restaurants: Please allow parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi,  We need to protect Palo Alto’s unique and vibrant restaurant culture from destruction due to social distancing.  Please  allow and encourage outdoor “Parklets” in front of restaurants like in downtown Menlo Park, to increase capacity by  facilitating the outdoor dining option.  This is also a great enhancer overall for Palo Alto, as even under normal  circumstances, we lack enough outside dining options. Please act to protect restaurants and retail and avoid Palo Alto  turning into a ghost town due to the wreckage of Covid.  Thank you!  Tyler Hoffman  Downtown North  31 Baumb, Nelly From:Anne Brodell <anne.brodell@me.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 2:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:Opening University Ave and Cal ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,  I have lived here for decades. I went to school here and raised my kids here.  My spouse and I are patrons of many establishments on both University Ave and Cal Ave. The  coffee shops and  restaurants are filled with people we know and love. They are part of our lives and we are part of theirs,bc we are a  community.  In this spirit please open up University Ave and Cal ave to pedestrians and restaurants so that we can all be out and safe  and patronize our favorite places. They can stay in business. We can all protect each other. It is a win win win.  And  Honestly these streets  should stay closed at least on weekends after 5 even after the pandemic.  Thank you very much  Anne Brodell    Palo Alto CA    Redacted 32 Baumb, Nelly From:Nittai Malchin <nittaimalchin@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 12:24 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Ave Request CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello — I’m writing to express my support of the idea to close down University Ave for the foreseeable future in support of our local beloved establishments. This will turn it into a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. We envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity. Thanks, Nittai 33 Baumb, Nelly From:Hossein Namazi <hossein13@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 11:45 AM To:Council, City Subject:Request to Close University Ave to auto traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Member of Palo Alto City Council,     As Menlo Park residents within walking distance of Palo Alto Downtown and University Ave, we enjoy walking to  University Ave, shopping, and enjoying the restaurants, cafes, and events there. It is noticeable how much nicer the  University Ave feels when it is closed to cars during special events. We also have noticed how much the public enjoys  walking and biking there during this pandemic when there are fewer cars to worry about. We strongly urge the Palo City  Council to consider closing down University Ave to auto traffic for the foreseeable future and provide a more pedestrian  friendly area for the residents and visitors.    Thanks for your attention to this matter,  Hossein Namazi    , Menlo Park, CA 94025 Redacted 34 Baumb, Nelly From:Solly Malchin <solly@moxiemethod.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 11:12 AM To:Council, City Subject:Close University Avenue to Cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,  In support of our local beloved establishments I am in favor of closing down University Ave for the foreseeable future. This will turn it into a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. We envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.   Sincerely, Solly Malchin  , Palo Alto, CA 94301    ‐‐   Solly Malchin  415-307-0176  Redacted 35 Baumb, Nelly From:Federica <federun@yahoo.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 10:14 AM To:Council, City Subject:Closing Univerisry Ave to traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello City Council,    As a resident of Palo Alto I deeply appreciate how our City and County officials have been implementing measures to  keep our community safe during this pandemic.    As a resident I am also deeply concerned with the future of our restaurants and businesses that are been gravely  affected by the shelter in place order.    I therefore support the initiative to close University Ave. to car traffic to allow restaurants and shops to have open air  space to conduct business.    I hope that the City can find a safe way to implement this plan to help both businesses and residents find some sense of  normality in the midst of this crisis.    Thank you for your consideration.  Federica Armstrong  Old Palo Alto resident          36 Baumb, Nelly From:Antun Domic <antundomict@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, May 23, 2020 8:35 AM To:Council, City Cc:mary E Slocum Subject:converting University and California Avs to pedestrian traffic only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council Members:                                                  we are writing to you to express our support to convert parts of University Ave. and Califonia  Ave. to pedestrian traffic only. We think this is a good idea, and it will definitely help the many businesses in these areas  to survive given the need for restrictions on proximity that will have to be implemented as re‐opening occurs.    Sincerely yours,    Antun Domic and Mary E. Slocum    Palo Alto    Redacted 37 Baumb, Nelly From:Nauman Rafique <naumanr@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 6:46 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close University Avenue for cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I own a car and I frequently drive through Palo Alto downtown. But I support the cause of parking, and walking to the  downtown area. It will create a pleasant experience for everyone.     Thanks.  (A frequent visitor to Palo Alto coffee shops, bars and restaurants)  38 Baumb, Nelly From:George Burkhard <george.burkhard@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, May 22, 2020 6:18 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please allow "parklets" for PA restaurants if possible! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,   As someone who travels to Palo Alto for many of my favorite restaurants (Zola, Evvia, etc), I am writing to encourage you  to come up with a scheme like Menlo Park, where restaurants can serve people outdoors with large space between  tables in order to maintain social distance. I think having a few blocks of road closure to allow seating in the street would be a great way to do this, and the disturbance to evening traffic would be minimal since most of us are working from  home anyway. It's similar to closing a street for a farmers market, after all, and we've found ways to deal with that once  everyone is used to it. Safety is #1, of course, but this is a way to maintain safety while preventing Palo Alto's biggest  drawing businesses from going under. The only downside would be an inconvenience to auto traffic, but honestly that's  a small price to pay, and if it encourages more people to bike or walk then that is a long‐term win anyway.    Thank you    George Burkhard  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Mary Fischer <mary@mfischer.net> Sent:Wednesday, May 20, 2020 8:32 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Ave no Cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Let all the restaurants tumble out onto the pavement and let diners enjoy the California summer.  That’s what we dream  of and that’s what is needed now!  So please let us redesign our future for the better.    Longing to see the 🌟 stars while eating outside on University Ave, Mary Fischer Sent from my iPad  2 Baumb, Nelly From:Lucas Washburn <lucaswashburn13@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, May 20, 2020 10:24 PM To:Council, City Subject:Making University Avenue a Pedestrian Zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi Guys,   I have heard that people are talking about closing University Ave to cars. I have wanted to see something like this my  whole life in Palo Alto. It would make our downtown much more vibrant, attract more customers, encourage people to  walk around, and bring the community together. Win‐win if you ask me.  Sincerely,  Lucas Washburn  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Joseph Johnson <joeplex@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, May 20, 2020 10:41 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Ave Pedestrian Zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am in favor of making University Avenue a permanent pedestrian zone (free from motor vehicle traffic).    Joseph Johnson  Long time Palo Alto resident    4 Baumb, Nelly From:Liza Zassenhaus <lzassen@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To whom it may concern,    Please consider opening parking spaces for restaurants to seat customers. Now more than ever we need to take  advantage of our beautiful weather and support local businesses. Palo Alto and Menlo park restaurants add character  and levity in our lives and for those who wish to open and support their staff I know there is a growing number of  citizens who want to do their part for our local economy.    Thank you for considering,  Liza Zassenhaus  Sent (with better typing intentions) from my iPhone  5 Baumb, Nelly From:Paul Mederos <pvm@enchant.co> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:23 AM To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Whats Next for Zola CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi!    As a resident, I would absolutely love parklets, and in general closing of certain streets to vehicle traffic in favor of more  pedestrian and walkability 😊 really love how downtown Los Altos closed parts of its streets for walk + play areas.      also really appreciate all you’re doing to keep small local biz supported during this time. it’s what makes me absolutely  love living here ❤      thank you all!!  Paul  From: Zola <zola@zola.fbmta.com>  Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:16:37 AM  To: pvm@enchant.co <pvm@enchant.co>  Subject: Whats Next for Zola        View Online    Thank You & Coming Next Firstly, we would like to share our deep gratitude for all of the support we have received from you during these trying times. From buying gift cards to sending encouraging 6 emails, we are touched and humbled. We hope to give the love back the best way we know how through our new Zola to-go offerings in the very near future. Please be on the lookout for an email in the coming weeks that will outline the tasty details. We’ve missed serving our community and are eager to show you the exciting menu we’ve been thoughtfully crafting. The Future of Palo Alto Many of you have inquired about how you can best help us get through these extraordinary circumstances. I have spent a lot of time talking to other restaurant owners and brainstorming ways that we can save our industry from complete collapse. If you care about keeping Zola and all restaurants in Palo Alto afloat, I ask that you support us in pushing the City to allow parklets in front of our establishments. An outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park, creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible for our patrons while allowing us to continue operating at greater capacity. If you are also in favor of encouraging the creation of parklets, please send an email to city.council@cityofpaloalto.org expressing your view. They DO read these emails and it does help. We are in this together and without community support and participation, we stand to lose the cultural fabric of Palo Alto. Push City Council to help small businesses.    Make a Reservation     Zola 565 Bryant Street Palo Alto, CA 94301P: (650) 521-0651         Unsubscribe       Update Your Profile           This email was sent to you because you opted in to receive our emails either in one of our restaurants, on our website, when making a reservation, making an online order, providing feedback or when accessing our Wi-Fi. Your email address will only be used for this email club subscription and will not be shared with anyone. If you would prefer not to hear from us, you can stop receiving our emails by clicking the unsubscribe link above this message in any of our emails. You may view our Privacy Policy here where you will find information on how to request a copy of your data, have your data amended or deleted. You joined our list using pvm@enchant.co. Zola, 565 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301.