HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200907plCC 701-32
DOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE:
LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE
MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS
ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES
ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES
Prepared for: 09/07/2020
Document dates: 08/19/2020 – 08/26/2020
Set 1
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet
reproduction in a given week.
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:Phil Metz <philmetz@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 17, 2020 11:11 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Oppose: Staff & UAC Recommendations for Amending the City's Electric Supply Portfolio Carbon
Neutral Plan
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I urge the City Council to reject the staff recommendations 1) b. and 1) c. to authorize the exchange
and purchase of unbundled RECs (“Bucket 3 RECs”)
These recommendations focus on electricity revenue and cost, not renewable energy, and by driving
us toward greater use of “Bucket 3 RECS” – which do nothing to make our electric energy supply
more renewable (which is why Bucket 3 RECs are cheap!) – would actually impede the City’s ability
to reduce GHGs.
Instead, the City should focus its renewable energy efforts on actually generating renewable energy,
reducing energy consumption, as well as on electricity supply resilience and emergency response.
RECs (renewable energy credits) are financial instruments – NOT energy. They do not increase the
renewable character of the City’s electricity supply. And Bucket 3 RECs do not even need to be
associated with electricity scheduled in the same year as the RPS-eligible generation.
(https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/RPS_Procurement_Rules_50/) That is why Bucket 3 RECs are disfavored by the
State. So, recommendation 1) a. that the City use an hourly carbon emissions standard is bogus if
the City seeks to accomplish this by purchasing Bucket 3 recs.
These recommendations are not renewable and do nothing to enhance the resilience of the City’s
energy supply or our ability to provide energy in an emergency.
We need a renewable energy plan that actually generates renewable energy and reduces electric
energy consumption. That will reduce GHG production AND increase resilience and enhance
emergency response.
Sincerely,
Phil
Phil Metz
philmetz@gmail.com
+1 (408) 821-8059
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:Phil Metz <philmetz@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 2:41 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Oppose: Staff & UAC Recommendations for Amending the City's Electric Supply Portfolio Carbon
Neutral Plan
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I urge the City Council to reject the staff recommendations 1) b. and 1) c. to authorize the exchange
and purchase of unbundled renewable energy certificates (“Bucket 3 RECs”).
These recommendations focus on electricity revenue and cost, not renewable energy, and by driving
us toward greater use of “Bucket 3 RECS” – which do nothing to make our electric energy supply
more renewable– would actually impede the City’s ability to reduce GHGs.
Instead, the City should refocus its renewable energy efforts on actually generating renewable
energy, reducing energy consumption, as well as on electricity supply resilience and emergency
response.
Bucket 3 RECs will not increase the renewable character of the City’s electricity supply because they
are financial instruments – not renewable energy. That is one reason why California has limited
Bucket 3 RECs to less than 10% of the RPS portfolio and why “Bucket 3 RECs will be treated [by CA]
as having an emissions intensity equivalent to generic market power purchases…” (Staff Report p.5).
In addition, using Bucket 3 RECs would make a mockery of recommendation 1) a. “that the City
establish an hourly carbon emissions standard”: Bucket 3 recs do not need to be contemporaneous
with the generation from which they have been “unbundled”
(https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/RPS_Procurement_Rules_50/), so an hourly carbon emissions standard based on
Bucket 3 RECs is an oxymoron.
And the challenge is not one of communication “to explain to customers that the “unspecified sources
of power” on their PCL actually represent out-of-state renewable resources…” (Staff Report
p.5). The challenge is actually generating renewable electricity. But Bucket 3 RECs do not do
that. In fact, the Pinkel & Weinrub document cited as the source of Figure 2 of Attachment C in the
Staff Report, the diagram illustrating the difference between bundled and unbundled RECs, says,
“Schemes which give the appearance of replacing fossil-fuel electricity with renewable electricity, but
which don’t accomplish that end, actually retard that transition. The use of low quality voluntary
RECs simply to claim new renewable electricity generation is one such false scheme…Both
(unbundled) RECs and carbon offsets…represent an ideological commitment to global market
expansion and increased accumulation of capital, not to addressing social, economic and
environmental challenges…in both cases it is difficult, if not impossible to verify additionality [an
environmental benefit that would not otherwise have occurred].” (Pinkel & Weinrub, p.10-11)
Recommendations 1) b and 1) c do not deliver renewable energy and do not enhance the resilience
of the City’s energy supply or our ability to provide energy in an emergency.
2
Instead, we need a renewable energy plan that actually generates renewable energy and reduces
electric energy consumption. That will reduce GHG production AND increase resilience and enhance
emergency response.
Sincerely,
Phil
Phil Metz
philmetz@gmail.com
+1 (408) 821-8059
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:Winter Dellenbach <wintergery@earthlink.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 10:00 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:From Winter Dellenbach - 3 Recommendations RE: 8 Can't Wait policies, agenda item #4
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Council Members ‐ Here are three 8 Can’t Wait Recommendations for agenda item #4
Thank you for your consideration.
I will have additional recommendations for Agenda Item #5 later today.
Winter Dellenbach
8 Can’t Wait and PAPD POLICIES
1. De‐escalation Policy
The new PAPD de‐escalation policy is inadequate and vague. During the HRC hearings, Commissioners didn’t
know what de‐escalation meant, and Chief Jonsen, while there, didn’t enlighten them though it is part of
routine officer training. I realized all the more that a clear de‐escalation policy is needed. As I recommended at
the time, look to San Francisco Police policy (below). But first, here is a description of de‐escalation:
De‐escalation applies to a broad range of techniques and approaches that are intended to reduce the need for
physical force. An officer’s recognition of a subject’s relevant physical or mental health, officer’s physical re‐
positioning to create time and distance for safer engagement with the subject, attempts to isolate and contain
the subject are common de‐escalation techniques to avoid an immediate threat that may require the use of
force. The goal is to increase both officer and subject’s safety. De‐escalation is becoming more of the standard
by which the need for use of force is judged, which is even more of a reason why PAPD needs a strong clear
policy.
Current PAPD policy:
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DE‐ESCALATION (added 6‐17‐2020)
Officers should consider, as time and circumstances reasonably permit, conflict resolution and
de‐escalation techniques, when responding to all types of calls for service and when engaging in
self‐initiated activity.
2
San Francisco PD De‐Escalation Policy
DE‐ESCALATION. When encountering a non‐compliant subject, or a subject armed with a weapon other than
a firearm, officers shall when feasible, use the following de‐escalation tactics in an effort to reduce the need or
degree of force:
1. Attempt to isolate and contain the subject;
2. Create time and distance from the subject by establishing a buffer zone (reactionary gap) and utilize cover to
avoid creating an immediate threat that may require the use of force;
3. Request additional resources, such as Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained officers, Crisis/Hostage
Negotiation Team, or Extended Range Impact Weapon;
4. Designate an officer to establish rapport and engage in communication with the subject; DGO 5.01 Rev.
12/21/16 5
5. Tactically re‐position as often as necessary to maintain the reactionary gap, protect the public, and preserve
officer safety; and
6. Continue de‐escalation techniques and take as much time as reasonably necessary to resolve the incident,
without having to use force, if feasible. Other options, not listed above, may be available to assist in de‐
escalating the situation. Supervisors who become aware of a situation where an officer is using de‐escalation
techniques shall monitor the radio communications and evaluate the need to respond to the scene.
My Recommendation:
Adopt the San Francisco de‐escalation policy or combine it with the PAPD’s current policy.
2. Reporting the Use of Force ‐ Firearms
The Use of Force Reporting policy doesn’t include all firearm incidents though other weaponry is included.
(PAPD policies, 300.5, 300.5.1, 3005.2)
Reporting the pointing a firearm at a person, or discharging it is included in the Non‐Criminal Activity section
of the Policy Manual, 153 pages away from the above Use of Force policies. Reporting on firearms must be
added to Use of Force reporting requirements as 8 Can’t Wait, as rational Use of Force Reporting requires and
as other police departments do.
344.2.2 NON‐CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
The following incidents shall be documented using the appropriate approved report:
(a) Anytime an officer points a firearm at any person
(b) Any use of force against any person by a member of this department (see the Use of Force Policy)
3
(c) Any firearm discharge
(d) Anytime a person is reported missing, regardless of jurisdiction (see the Missing Persons Policy)
(e) Any found property or found evidence
(f) Any traffic collisions above the minimum reporting level (see Traffic Collision Reporting Policy)
(g) Suspicious incidents that may indicate a potential for crimes against children or that a child’s safety is in
jeopardy
(h) All protective custody detentions
(i) Suspicious incidents that may place the public or others at risk
(j) Whenever the employee believes the circumstances should be documented or at the direction of a
supervisor
My Recommendation:
Remove (a) and (c) from 344.2.2 above and include it in a Reporting the Use of Force policy or create a new
section in this policy for them.
3. Use of Force Application
This Staff’s recommendation is to “revise deadly force application to require officers to evaluate each situation
in consideration of the circumstances in each case and to use other available resources and techniques when
reasonably safe and feasible to do so, including that an officer must reasonably believe the use of deadly force
is necessary to justify its use”.
My Recommendation:
This policy change should be adopted to conform with California law, passed in the name of Stephon Clark, a
young unarmed black man shot and killed by police in his grandmother’s backyard in Sacramento.
4
Baumb, Nelly
From:Winter Dellenbach <wintergery@earthlink.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 2:02 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:From Winter Dellenbach - 2nd email today - this one - ITEM #5
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
For. August 24, Item #5
RE: About your Ad Hoc Item ‐ additional recommendations other than what I sent you in my 8 page memo
Dear City Council Members,
Thank you for your time.
Winter Dellenbach
1. Convene a community town hall for robust stakeholder engagement.
Engage: In the engage stage [of your Framework], various stakeholders will be convened to discuss those
potential improvements and to offer additional feedback and options.
Some of you have been meeting with police, and the Chief and other officers have had a large role at the HRC 8
Can’t Wait Hearing, other forums, and the 4 recent city‐sponsored police practices tutorials. The public has been
saturated with PAPD input. It is time for another steam of information to reach us.
Residents need unbiased information about PAPD policing that our Independent Police Auditor of 14 years can
provide. He knows more about how the PAPD actually works than anyone outside the Department, including its
policies, personnel, practices, and compared generally to the many other jurisdictions he audits. And we need
information from our elected officials – you.
It is time that residents had more than 2 minutes of zoom input to you on policing, as most don’t write emails to
Council. Our “stakeholder engagement” should not be defined or confined to passively writing, posting, or even
relating our personal experiences or creating artwork.
Recommendation:
Convene a community town hall for benefit of the stakeholder public with our Independent Auditor as the lead
participant. The goal is to provide information about PAPD with an emphasis on two Ad Hoc council committees:
5
(Police policy manual, Data, and Hiring, and Accountability and Transparency). But also consult with the IPA for
subjects to include and even with some members of the public. Allow ample time for Q&A from public.
2. Lateral Transfers and Hiring practices
An effective way to check the strictness with which lateral applicants’ previous conduct history is reviewed would
be to have our Independent Police Auditor (IPA) conduct audits to review a sample of background investigative
files. An audit of hiring practices should include background investigations. Previous disqualifying conduct should
be specifically noted, including hiring police officers with a history of excessive force or misconduct complaints.
Recommendation:
A policy should be required that expressly lists conduct disqualifying a potential applicant as an Officer at any level
with the PAPD. It cannot be simply left at the word of this or any Chief of Police, as it is now, that those with
misconduct records will not be hired. And this policy needs to be verified with audits as described above.
3. Ensure that collective POPA bargaining contract is confined to issues of pay and working conditions
A police union contract that shields or interferes with discipline or the firing of officers for misconduct, including
binding arbitration should be off the table. Pay and working conditions are all that should be on the table.
Also, Council members should then have the City Attorney remove all such policies from the PAPD Policy Manual
that reflect the objectionable contract clauses above.
Contract negotiations should be handled by the 2021 City Council, as elections are in November for the majority of
Council seats with all the distractions that is going to entail. Negotiations will go far into 2021 with the contract is
not up until June 2021. The contract can be continued if for some reason more time is needed which is often done in
other cities if not here.
Recommendation:
For continuity and less confusion, and to avoid the distractions of a majority of seats on Council subject to the
November election, do not start negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement this fall. Instead defer to the
2021 Council to handle it, hopefully without clauses that shield or interfere with discipline or the firing of officers
for misconduct, including binding arbitration.
Otherwise we undermine our resolve in your Resolution – “to implement measures to tolerate no police violence,
prejudice, discrimination or harm.”
6
Baumb, Nelly
From:herb <herb_borock@hotmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 3:32 PM
To:Council, City; Clerk, City
Cc:Human Relations Commission
Subject:August 24, 2020 Council Meeting, Item #4: Direction to City Manager Regarding Revisions to Police
Policies
Follow Up Flag:Flag for follow up
Flag Status:Flagged
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Herb Borock
P. O. Box 632
Pal Alto, CA 94302
August 24, 2020
AUGUST 24, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #4
DIRECTION TO CITY MANAGER REGARDING REVISIONS TO POLICE POLICIES
Dear City Council:
A direction by the City Council to the City Manager to revise Police
Department policies does not interfere with the Police Department's
authority to revise policies that are not addressed by the City Council's
direction to the City Manager.
Therefore, the prohibition on carotid holds (carotid artery restraints)
should be included in the Council's direction to ensure that the
prohibition can only be removed from that policy by the City Council.
The Council and the Human Relations Commission (HRC) should consider the
definitions for "deadly force", "use of force", and "less lethal force"
included in H.R. 7120, the "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020"
approved by the House of Representatives shown below.
The Police Department once had a detailed demographic data collection
effort that produced quarterly reports.
I could find only brief summaries of that information on the City's
website.
7
The Council and the HRC should consider the prior detailed quarterly
demographic data information reports as a guide to determine how much of
that data should be collected now.
H. R. 7120
AN ACT
To hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection,
and reform police training and policies.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(10) DEADLY FORCE.—The term ‘‘deadly force’’ means that force which a reasonable person would consider
likely to cause death or serious bodily harm, including—
(A) the discharge of a firearm;
(B) a maneuver that restricts blood or oxygen flow to the brain, including chokeholds, strangleholds, neck
restraints, neckholds, and carotid artery restraints; and
(C) multiple discharges of an electronic control weapon.
(11) USE OF FORCE.—The term ‘‘use of force’’ includes—
(A) the use of a firearm, electronic control weapon, explosive device, chemical agent (such as pepper
spray), baton, impact projectile, blunt instrument, hand, fist, foot, canine, or vehicle against an individual;
(B) the use of a weapon, including a personal body weapon, chemical agent, impact weapon, extended
range impact weapon, sonic weapon, sensory weapon, conducted energy device, or firearm, against an
individual; or
(C) any intentional pointing of a firearm at an individual.
(12) LESS LETHAL FORCE.—The term ‘‘less lethal force’’ means any degree of force that is not likely to cause
death or serious bodily injury.
8
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Herb Borock
cc: Human Relations Commission
9
Baumb, Nelly
From:MIDPEN ACLU <midpen.aclu@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 3:56 PM
To:Council, City; City Mgr; Human Relations Commission
Subject:MidPen ACLU submission on police reform in Palo Alto
Attachments:PA_ MidPen Sub on police reform 08_23_2020.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello City Council, HRC, Mayor Fine, Vice Mayor Dubois, Manager Shikada and Chief Jonsen,
Our first submission on police reform was sent to the city council on June 15th. Our chapter has significantly
developed the reforms proposed in that email and thought it wise that those in Palo Alto's government directly
working on this national issue receive the same document at the same time.
In light of the somewhat daunting length of our document and the immediacy of the city council's meeting this
Monday night, August 24th, we would like to direct your attention to the section that discusses 8CantWait, as
this is on the agenda for Monday. It is located in Section 1(b), in the middle of Page 2. It is also fairly easy to
scroll the entire document and grasp the range of reforms we discuss.
We want to thank all of you for tackling this issue, for repeatedly involving and listening to the public and being
willing to make significant improvements at this critical moment in history.
We look forward to discussing these reforms with you.
Lauren Cory, Chair
Mid-Peninsula ACLU Volunteer Chapter
August 23, 2020
City Council, Mayor Fine, City Manager Shikada, Chief Jonsen, and HRC,
Palo Alto is one of the cities in the Mid-Peninsula ACLU Chapter’s region. We want to
begin a continuing dialogue about Palo Alto’s police practices in light of the national
concern about police brutality. We offer suggestions on several topics, not as definitive
answers but rather as a basis for discussion. The topics are:
1.Police Department Policy
2.Police Transparency and Accountability
3.Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
4.Training: Race Relations
5.Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
1. Police Department Policy
a. Use of Force—Minimum Necessary
Many uses of non-deadly force cause significant injuries, both physical and emotional.
Recommendation: Limit use of force to the minimum necessary to accomplish a
legitimate law enforcement purpose; the special circumstances for which deadly force is
authorized would still apply.
As written, the Policy Manual covers use of force reasonably well. But it could be
improved considerably.
Section 300.3, Use of Force, states “Officers shall use only that amount of force that
reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances perceived by the officer
at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
At the very least, “perceived” should be “reasonably perceived.”
Section 300.3 further states “Any evaluation of reasonableness must allow for the fact
that officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force
that reasonably appears necessary in a particular situation, with limited information
and in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving.”
Although this closely matches wording from Graham v. Connor (1989), it makes
absolutely no sense in circumstances that are not tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving.
Recommendation: Revise the first two paragraphs in § 300.3 to the effect of
Officers shall use the minimum amount of force necessary to accomplish a
legitimate law enforcement purpose.
The reasonableness of force used will be judged from the perspective of a reasonable
officer on the scene at the time of the incident rather than in hindsight; facts later
discovered but unknown to the officer at the time can neither justify nor call into
question an officer’s decision regarding the use of force. Evaluation of
reasonableness will consider the totality of the circumstances and will take into
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 2
account, when appropriate, the need for officers to make split-second decisions
about the amount of force necessary in a particular situation, sometimes with
limited information and in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly
evolving.
This would provide a clear, succinct statement of what is required while ensuring a fair
assessment of the reasonableness of a use of force.
More concerning are the third and fourth paragraphs in § 300.3:
Given that no policy can realistically predict every possible situation an officer might
encounter, officers are entrusted to use well-reasoned discretion in determining the
appropriate use of force in each incident.
Not withstanding any other section of this policy, it is also recognized that
circumstances may arise in which officers reasonably believe that it would be
impractical or ineffective to use any of the tools, weapons, techniques or methods
provided or taught by the [Department/Office]. Officers may find it more effective or
reasonable to improvise their response to rapidly unfolding conditions that they are
confronting.
The first paragraph is very similar to language in SB 230, but the second seems to invite
doing whatever an officer wants when it is inconvenient to adhere to restrictions in the
Policy Manual.
Recommendation: Eliminate the second paragraph above or substantially revise it so
that it does not imply exemption from stated use-of-force policy whenever an officer
sees fit to do so.
b. Compliance with 8 Can’t Wait Recommendations
Several MidPen volunteers have independently examined Palo Alto’s current
compliance with the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations, and we generally agree with the
Human Relations Commission’s analysis.
Recommendation: Revise the appropriate sections of the Policy Manual to comply
with the recommendations of the HRC to the City Council, with the following
exceptions:
1.Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds
Add language to ban chokeholds and strangleholds. Have Council’s Policy Manual
Ad Hoc Committee work with the PAPD and HRC on language that would prevent
incidents like that which killed George Floyd while still allowing police to do their
jobs. In doing so, use clear, simple language that avoids needless weasel words.
6.Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
Change all instances of “should” to “shall”; shall is mandatory, but should is merely
advisory. Like shooting at moving vehicles, advisory language is seldom effective.
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 3
8.Require Comprehensive Reporting
Policy Manual § 344.2.2 appears to require reporting any time a firearm is pointed
at a person; move this requirement to § 300.5 so that it is clear that it is considered
a use of force. We also think that drawing a firearm when directly confronting a
person should be a reportable use of force, and suggest working with the PAPD and
HRC on appropriate language to address this.
Recognize that implementation of the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations is only a good first
step toward meaningful police reform.
c. Stops
People of color who have spoken at recent City Council and Human Relations
Committee meetings have said they have felt consistently and unfairly targeted by police
for decades.
Policy for detention of suspects on reasonable suspicion of involvement in crime is given
in the euphemistically titled Policy 440, Field Interview and Photographing of Field
Detainees. In aggregate, this section probably gives sufficient guidance on complying
with constitutional safeguards, but while this might work for a court, we don’t think it
provides sufficient guidance to a typical police officer or sufficient information to the
average person.
Recommendations: Revise Policy 440—and especially § 440.3—so that it is clear that
a person may not be detained unless there are specific and articulable facts that tie the
particular person to a specific crime. Have the policy make clear, as does San
Francisco’s DGO5.03, that the refusal or failure of a person to identify himself or herself
or produce identification upon request of a police officer cannot be the sole cause for
arrest or detention, except when the driver of a motor vehicle refuses to produce a driver
license upon the request of an officer enforcing the Vehicle Code.
Revise the title of Policy 440 so that it is more obvious that it deals with detentions. The
Racial Identity and Profiling Act of 2015 (AB 953) requires that certain stop data be
collected, starting in 2022 for smaller police departments. We recommend that Palo
Alto begin collecting and compiling the most important data as soon as possible, and
make them available on the city’s website. Such data can help ensure compliance with
policy and ensure that the process works smoothly by the time the data are required to
be reported.
d. Policy Manual Redactions
The public version of the Policy Manual dated 2019/10/21 has 19 sections completely
redacted, giving vague reference to several sections of the Government Code as
justification. But it is not obvious how the cited sections justify most of the redactions.
No explanations are given, and the sections of the GC that justify redaction are not
specifically cited for each redacted section.
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 4
Recommendation: For each redacted section of the Policy Manual, cite the specific
section of the GC that allows redaction and provide at least a one-sentence explanation
of why this is the case. Reexamine each redaction and consider making only a partial
redaction where reasonable.
e. Online Version of Policy Manual
Several sections of the Policy Manual were revised on 2020/06/17, but were posted
online separately from the 2019/10/21 full version of the manual, making the revised
sections difficult to find.
Recommendation: When any part of the Policy Manual is revised, post the entire
updated version so that people can easily find it.
2. Police Transparency and Accountability
a. Independent Oversight
Palo Alto arguably provides better oversight of police actions than many cities its size. A
Use of Force Review Board reviews significant uses of force, but all members are from
law enforcement. Although such a composition undoubtedly brings considerable
expertise, it does not provide the benefit of arms-length analysis.
Complaints from the public and significant uses of force are reviewed by the city’s
Independent Police Auditor. Although the auditor appears to be well respected, reports
have been slow to be released, and seem subject to considerable filtering by city legal
staff and police representatives. Perhaps some review is necessary to ensure that the IPA
has complied with procedural and confidentiality provisions of state law, but the current
process hardly gives the impression of timeliness or transparency. And the IPA has no
community involvement; perhaps the Chief’s Advisory Council somewhat fills this gap,
but it’s not an official agency and the meetings are not made public.
Recommendation: At a minimum, involve the Human Resources Commission in
drafting of Police Department policy and empower them to review complaints against
police officers. Preferably, establish an independent body that would work with, yet not
be answerable to, the Police Department on setting policy and reviewing complaints.
The body should broadly represent the demographics of the City, including its racial,
ethnic, cultural, gender, socio-economic, and geographic diversity.
Such a body might be a Police Commission with 5 or 7 members, with at least the
standing as other city commissions; ensuring that a commission is inclusive of all
members of the community might argue for the larger size.
An implementation similar to the San Francisco Police Commission might grant the
commission
●Authority to set police policy and issue general orders, and set limits for the
Memorandum of Agreement with the Police Officers Association
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 5
●Authority to investigate complaints, either first look or on appeal from the Police
Department adjudication, with at least a minimal paid staff
●Authority to fire officers, subject to the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of
Rights and the MOA between the city and the POA
3. Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
Mental health crises make up a significant percentage of calls for police service. Police
departments carry a heavy burden having to respond to mental health calls and the
presence of armed police can unnecessarily escalate a crisis. We need to re-imagine
public safety and include alternative responders, such as crisis and mental health
workers, in the 911 response continuum. Mental health professionals—not
police—should be the primary responder for a majority of people with mental health
crises.
The CAHOOTS program in Eugene, OR is a successful program in which a medic and 1
crisis worker respond to non-violent crises so police don’t have to. The program has
received national press coverage and have been estimated to result in $15 million 2
cost-savings. Several cities across the US are establishing similar programs including
Oakland and West Sacramento. The Oakland City Council approved to divest $1.35
million away from Oakland’s Police budget to fund the Mobile Assistance Community
Responders of Oakland (MACRO) pilot. West Sacramento City chose not to hire five 3
vacant police positions and use that money to develop a “Community Outreach and
Support Division” (mental health and crisis intervention team). We believe Palo Alto 4
should reconsider the budget to create a similar program or division.
Recommendations:
1.Revise 911 system so non-violent, non-criminal mental health calls are directed to
crisis intervention specialists or mental health workers rather than law
enforcement. This will require establishing an alternative crisis response team.
2.Track calls for service and responses to people in a mental health crisis. Conduct
regular assessments to determine the effectiveness of response efforts.
3.Appoint a mental health coordinator to manage this process. Cover it in the current
police budget.
1 https://whitebirdclinic.org/services/cahoots/
2 https://www.npr.org/2020/06/10/874339977/cahoots-how-social-workers-and-police-share-responsib
ilities-in-eugene-oregon
3 https://oaklandside.org/2020/06/29/call-911-for-a-counselor-oakland-will-pilot-an-alternative-to-poli
ce
4 https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/07/28/west-sacramento-police-crisis-intervention-team/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 6
4. Training: Race Relations
a. History of Race Relations
Police training on race relations needs to be much more robust than implicit-bias
training. It needs to include not only the historic events but also the devastating
emotional impact these events have had on both the recipients and those holding the
power.
Young recruits, as well as veteran officers, more often than not lack this historical
knowledge. The story of race relations in our country begins with the genocide of Native
Americans. With regards to Black Americans, the training would begin with slavery and
its relationship to economic expansion, slave patrols, through Reconstruction and Jim
Crow, redlining, onto voter suppression in all communities of color, and the current
school-to-prison pipeline. The training should also include items like the
Mexican–American War, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the imprisonment of Japanese
Americans during World War II, and other significant events between non-White
communities and the dominant White culture.
This approach to police training is doable and is absolutely essential given the expense
of doing nothing or continuing to do the same. This is not to say that some past attempts
have not been created with good intentions but instead to say it is time for serious
reevaluation and serious change.
Some of what is suggested above is already required by the Racial Identity and Profiling
Act of 2015 (AB 953).
b. Examples of Racial Bias Training
Montgomery, Alabama
Police Chief Kevin Murphy, currently their deputy sheriff, created a class for new
recruits as well as established officers. It went back to the Dred Scott case and the
Emmit Till case and moved through the Civil Rights movement. In an interview on the 5
PBS NewsHour, Chief Murphy said it was added to the police academy’s training. Its
intention was to educate and also inform young officers of historical issues Black
persons might bring to an interaction with a White officer. He also included civilians.
The class finished with a “values” segment that demonstrated the benefit of the class by
shedding new light on the power of the badge to all officers. Interview approximately 7
minutes long.
5 https://www.tpt.org/pbs-newshour/video/how-one-chief-tried-to-reverse-past-police-injustices-146309
8038/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 7
Stockton, California
Mayor Michael Tubbs and Chief of Police Eric Jones of Stockton, California, have
initiated a range of progressive changes for their city. In an interview with Michael 6
Krasny on Forum, Mayor Tubbs briefly speaks of these improvements. The first 8
minutes of this interview are very helpful and we strongly urge its viewing.
Houston, Texas
Police Chief Art Acevedo briefly mentions teaching empathy and de-escalation in a PBS
segment on policing . It offers a new awareness and relevant perspective . It also 7
includes contributions by Tracey Meares, professor and founder of Justice Collaboratory
at Yale, on national standards and cultural changes, and Sam Sinyangue of Campaign
Zero on police accountability and police unions.
When we called the Houston Police Department we also found out about their new
“Respect for Culture” training to bring awareness to their officers of economic and social
issues community members bring to any interaction with police.
Journal of Criminal Justice Education
A 2012 study evaluated the positive impact of NYC police officers taking an ethnic 8
studies class.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Police Training Institute tried a course that covered critical 9
race theory. 10
National Museum of African American History and Culture
In 2018, this museum offered a new training course that also stressed critical race 11
theory. The course was designed to teach officers about “African American history and 12
culture in the U.S., and more specifically in Washington.”
c. White Supremacy in Police Departments
We include the articles and links below to call attention to the systemic racism and
White supremacy that permeates our culture. Without a clear awareness of this reality it
6 https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101878047/stockton-mayor-tubbs-on-police-accountability-and-gua
ranteed-income-during-a-pandemic
7 https://www.pbs.org/video/policing-in-america-1591218301/
8 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232830065_Critical_Race_Theory_Meets_the_NYPD_An_
Assessment_of_Anti-Racist_Pedagogy_for_Police_in_New_York_City
9 https://www.sascv.org/ijcjs/pdfs/schlosseretalijcjs2015vol10issue1.pdf
10 https://phys.org/news/2016-08-police-racial-biases.html
11 https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-african-american-history-and-culture-hosts-
metropolitan-police-department-0
12 https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/04/16/dc-police-critical-race-theory-nmaahc-bernie-demczuk-
sharita-thompson/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 8
is easy to think of this as purely fringe and that it’s thinking cannot enter our local
systems.
A recent article in The Daily Beast noted the long-standing influence of White 13
supremacists in American policing:
In 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation knew America’s police forces had a
white-supremacist problem. But the internal report the agency compiled that year
was so heavily redacted that almost no one knows what it contained.
Now, amid national protests over police brutality against Black Americans and new
scrutiny of racist cops, lawmakers are pushing for the report’s full release.
A nearly blank version of the October 2006 report, titled “White Supremacist
Infiltration of Law Enforcement,” has circled the internet for years, after it was
released in a Freedom of Information request. The few unredacted lines are
worrying: In addition to warning of historic attempts by groups like the Ku Klux
Klan to gain employment with police, it refers to white-supremacist leaders’ “recent
rhetoric” calling on followers to infiltrate police forces.
As the country grapples with racist policing—both overt and in the form of
unconscious but often deadly biases—28 members of Congress are calling on the
FBI and Justice Department to release the full, unredacted document, which some
experts say is more relevant than ever.
Recommendations:
1.Seriously examine the current training, recognize shortcomings in light of current
research and commit to creating an innovative training that could actually change
officers’ beliefs towards communities of color. Acknowledge the pervasive White
supremacy that has been systemic.
2.Allocate funds for a pilot curriculum as mentioned above that would cover our
country’s past-to-present dismal history of race relations. It would be part of the
police academy’s basic training for all new recruits. Include existing officers the
first season. Have refresher courses every year for everyone.
3.Reach out to Montgomery, Stockton, Houston, and other cities to explore new
approaches that other police departments are using to re-imagine race and cultural
awareness training.
5. Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford, has done extensive 14
research on the relationships between racial imagery and the public at large and then
13 https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-new-push-to-expose-americas-white-supremacist-cops
14 http://web.stanford.edu/~eberhard/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 9
more specifically with police practices. In her TED talk, “psychologist Jennifer L.
Eberhardt explores how our biases unfairly target Black people at all levels of
society—from schools and social media to policing and criminal justice—and discusses
how creating points of friction can help us actively interrupt and address this troubling
problem.”
The Oakland Police Department has been under federal monitoring for more than a
decade since the so-called Riders case involving police misconduct. A team of Stanford
researchers, led by Dr. Eberhardt, were engaged to assist Oakland in complying with
the federal order to collect and analyze stop data by race. Among the findings, Black
men were four times more likely to be searched than Whites during a traffic stop.
Blacks were also more likely to be handcuffed, even if they ultimately were not arrested.
Dr. Eberhardt’s team produced a report with 50 specific recommendations for police
agencies to consider to mitigate racial disparities.
Her work led to a dramatic reduction in the number of stops by the Oakland Police
Department by simply having officers ask “Do I have information that ties this
particular individual to a specific crime?” before making an investigatory stop. In the
year before this question was added, there were approximately 32,000 stops; in the
following year, there were approximately 19,000 stops. It should be noted that asking
this question is required for even minimal compliance with the constitutional standard
established in Terry v. Ohio (1968). It should also be noted that many of the data that
Dr. Eberhardt had police record are required by AB 953 (2015).
As quoted in the first paragraph of this section “Dr. Eberhardt explores how our biases
unfairly target Black people at all levels of society—from schools and social media …” At
every city council and HRC meeting MidPen has joined since George Floyd was killed
and during which residents of color spoke of the biases in Palo Alto’s culture, the
Euro-centric curriculum was frequently referenced with great frustration and hurt. An
honest eye cannot be turned towards police reform without also examining how we
educate our children and how they receive a constant diet of European, and therefore
White, supremacy.
Recommendations:
1.Watch Dr. Eberhardt’s TED talk: How racial bias works—and how to disrupt it. 15
Review Dr. Eberhardt’s 50 recommendations for the Oakland PD and see if any
can be used in Redwood City. Improve and rewrite the police policy manual and
forms to include any applicable recommendations.
2.Commit to establishing an immediate dialogue with the school board and school
principals about re-imagining the curriculum of K-12 as one that truly recognizes
Brown and Black cultures and includes their significant contributions.
15 https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_l_eberhardt_how_racial_bias_works_and_how_to_disrupt_it
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 10
Summary of Recommendations
1.Police Department Policy
●Limit use of force to the minimum necessary to accomplish a legitimate law
enforcement purpose; the special circumstances for which deadly force is
authorized would still apply. Clarify the assessment of the reasonableness of the
use of force.
●Implement the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations as recommended in the HRC
report to City Council, with the several exceptions noted above, and recognize
that they represent only a good first step toward police reform.
●Revise Policy 440 so that it is clear that a person may not be detained unless
there are specific and articulable facts that tie the particular person to a specific
crime. Revise the title so that it is obvious what the section covers. Begin
collecting stop data required by AB 953 (2015) as soon as possible rather than
waiting until 2022. Make the data available as soon as possible after beginning
collection.
2.Transparency and Accountability
●Establish an independent body that could work with, yet not be answerable to,
the police department concerning complaints. The body’s funding must be
independent of the police department. Give the body at least the same standing
as existing city boards and commissions.
3.Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
●Establish and expand partnerships with mental health agencies and
community-based organizations to allow mental health experts—rather than
police—to handle mental health crises.
●Track calls for service and responses to people in crisis. Conduct regular
assessments to determine the effectiveness of response efforts and opportunities
for improvement.
●Appoint a mental health coordinator to manage this process. Cover it in the
current police budget.
4.Training: Race Relations
●Establish a small committee that includes an educator to develop a curriculum
for a pilot program on the history of race relations.
●Reach out to Stockton; Houston; Eugene, OR; Montgomery, AL and other cities
to explore innovative programs.
5.Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
●Listen to Dr. Eberhardt’s TED talk, paying special attention to improvements she
helped incorporate into the Oakland police department’s stop policy. Reach out
to her for additional improvements in basic police practices.
●Review Dr. Eberhardt’s 50 recommendations for the Oakland PD and see if any
can be used in Redwood City. Improve and rewrite the police policy manual and
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Redwood City Page 11
forms to include any applicable recommendations. Reach out to her for
additional suggestions.
●Recognize that an officer asking “Do I have information that ties this particular
individual to a specific crime?” before making an investigatory stop is required
for even minimal compliance with the constitutional standard established in
Terry v. Ohio, and ensure that this is standard practice.
●Commit to establishing an immediate dialogue with the school board and school
principals about re-imagining the K–12 curriculum.
We look forward to discussing these items with you.
Mid-Peninsula ACLU Volunteer Chapter
August 23, 2020
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique
Sent:Tuesday, August 11, 2020 9:34 AM
To:Palo Alto Art Protest
Cc:Fine, Adrian; Council, City
Subject:Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest - August 8th
Good morning,
Thank you for your email message. I am sorry you felt there was a lack of communication on this issue.
As mentioned, the City supports peaceful protests in our community. The City retains the right to remove
items placed in the roadway and other right of way areas without warning or reason.
The vandalized posters no longer shared your intended message. The negative comments added were
intended to harm one aspect of our community. We believe in supporting our whole community and they
were removed accordingly.
Best Regards,
MONIQUE ZIESENHENNE, PhD
Assistant City Manager
(650) 329‐2403 | Monique.Ziesenhenne@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
From: Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 12:05 AM
To: leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique <Monique.leConge@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Cc: Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest ‐ August 8th
Hello,
We, the organizers of the Youth Art Protest, would like to know the reasoning behind appointing city workers to remove
the posters from downtown. We did send a message to the city council email on Saturday at 5:00 with the following
paragraph:
2
"We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more important than the
aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders are opposed to this demonstration,
we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the art. This would be counterproductive to the message
and the movement, and disrespectful to our community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We
hope the city recognizes the importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic
creation."
It seems as though there was a lack of communication between Mr. Fine and the City Manager department. We just
want to be clear on the city's position and reasoning. We have been trying to be communicative and appreciate your
responses.
Sincerely,
PA Youth Art Protest organizers
On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 6:58 PM leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique <Monique.leConge@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Dear PA Art Protest Organizers,
On behalf of the City Manager, I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that earlier today we removed
the protest posters on University Avenue placed there over the weekend. Unfortunately, the posters were
defaced and obscured by vandalism. We are supportive of our community’s First Amendment rights and
wish you the best in your continued efforts.
As an aside, if you or your organizers are teens, I'd like to suggest that interested teens consider applying for
youth leadership opportunities
(https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/recreation/teens/teen_leadership/default.asp) if they are
not already participants. This group reconvenes once school has started and applications are currently open.
Thank you again for your communications over the weekend.
Sincerely,
MONIQUE ZIESENHENNE, PhD
Assistant City Manager
(650) 329‐2403 | Monique.Ziesenhenne@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
From: Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:16 PM
To: Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>;
alisonlcormack@gmail.com
Subject: Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest ‐ August 8th
3
As you know, at 10 in the morning a white male with a spray paint can defaced almost every poster of this youth art
installation with “Maga” and racist commentary. He blocked every source and covered important and informative
content as well as art. We do not believe that our protest was heard, or seen the way it deserved to be.
We were informed by a Palo Alto police officer that because the technique of wheat‐pasting is not permanent, that he
did not see our installation as vandalism. He said if the organizers were to want to do it again, that in his opinion, there
wouldn't be a problem from the city's side. We are emailing to confirm this information.
Sincerely,
PA Art Protest Organizers
On Sat, Aug 8, 2020 at 3:55 PM Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Thank you all... looks like some of them have already been defaced with paint and/or “maga”
Sigh. But keep up the good work
Adrian
On Aug 8, 2020, at 05:01, Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious
of opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Of Palo Alto,
We are the organizers of the Youth Art Protest that you see on University Avenue. This protest was
designed, organized, and executed by youth members from your community. The art was made by
young People of Color who sent in their artistic creations speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement
that has rallied the nation. The collection of informational posters decoding statistics and facts were
thoughtfully researched by a team of high school and college students.
We hope that as people walk down University Avenue and see this installation, they are left with new
thoughts, new information, and new ideas on how to enact change in their own daily lives to combat the
systemic inequities that exist here in Palo Alto.
The purpose of this email is not to explain why this protest is occurring, but to ask for the city to respect
it. We urge you to see this as it is: a beautiful exhibition of art and youth minds coming together to
speak and share knowledge with our community. As comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah
said, “There is no right way to protest. Because that’s what protest is. It can’t be considered ‘right’ by
the system that it is protesting.”
The technique we used is called ‘wheat pasting’, which historically is used to get art and messaging into
public spaces. It is a plastic-free glue made solely of flour, water, and sugar. The paper used for the
posters is recycled. This technique has no harmful effects on the environment, lasts between three to
seven days, and can be removed using water.
We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more
important than the aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders
are opposed to this demonstration, we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the
art. This would be counterproductive to the message and the movement, and disrespectful to our
community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We hope the city recognizes
4
the importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic
creation.
This is the beginning of a movement, not a moment.
Sincerely,
The PA Art Protest Organizers
5
Baumb, Nelly
From:Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 11, 2020 12:05 AM
To:leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique
Cc:Fine, Adrian; Council, City
Subject:Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest - August 8th
Hello,
We, the organizers of the Youth Art Protest, would like to know the reasoning behind appointing city workers to remove
the posters from downtown. We did send a message to the city council email on Saturday at 5:00 with the following
paragraph:
"We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more important than the
aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders are opposed to this demonstration,
we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the art. This would be counterproductive to the message
and the movement, and disrespectful to our community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We
hope the city recognizes the importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic
creation."
It seems as though there was a lack of communication between Mr. Fine and the City Manager department. We just
want to be clear on the city's position and reasoning. We have been trying to be communicative and appreciate your
responses.
Sincerely,
PA Youth Art Protest organizers
On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 6:58 PM leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique <Monique.leConge@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Dear PA Art Protest Organizers,
On behalf of the City Manager, I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that earlier today we removed
the protest posters on University Avenue placed there over the weekend. Unfortunately, the posters were
defaced and obscured by vandalism. We are supportive of our community’s First Amendment rights and
wish you the best in your continued efforts.
As an aside, if you or your organizers are teens, I'd like to suggest that interested teens consider applying for
youth leadership opportunities
(https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/recreation/teens/teen_leadership/default.asp) if they are
not already participants. This group reconvenes once school has started and applications are currently open.
Thank you again for your communications over the weekend.
Sincerely,
6
MONIQUE ZIESENHENNE, PhD
Assistant City Manager
(650) 329‐2403 | Monique.Ziesenhenne@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
From: Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:16 PM
To: Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>;
alisonlcormack@gmail.com
Subject: Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest ‐ August 8th
As you know, at 10 in the morning a white male with a spray paint can defaced almost every poster of this youth art
installation with “Maga” and racist commentary. He blocked every source and covered important and informative
content as well as art. We do not believe that our protest was heard, or seen the way it deserved to be.
We were informed by a Palo Alto police officer that because the technique of wheat‐pasting is not permanent, that he
did not see our installation as vandalism. He said if the organizers were to want to do it again, that in his opinion, there
wouldn't be a problem from the city's side. We are emailing to confirm this information.
Sincerely,
PA Art Protest Organizers
On Sat, Aug 8, 2020 at 3:55 PM Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Thank you all... looks like some of them have already been defaced with paint and/or “maga”
Sigh. But keep up the good work
Adrian
On Aug 8, 2020, at 05:01, Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious
of opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Of Palo Alto,
We are the organizers of the Youth Art Protest that you see on University Avenue. This protest was
designed, organized, and executed by youth members from your community. The art was made by
young People of Color who sent in their artistic creations speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement
that has rallied the nation. The collection of informational posters decoding statistics and facts were
thoughtfully researched by a team of high school and college students.
7
We hope that as people walk down University Avenue and see this installation, they are left with new
thoughts, new information, and new ideas on how to enact change in their own daily lives to combat the
systemic inequities that exist here in Palo Alto.
The purpose of this email is not to explain why this protest is occurring, but to ask for the city to respect
it. We urge you to see this as it is: a beautiful exhibition of art and youth minds coming together to
speak and share knowledge with our community. As comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah
said, “There is no right way to protest. Because that’s what protest is. It can’t be considered ‘right’ by
the system that it is protesting.”
The technique we used is called ‘wheat pasting’, which historically is used to get art and messaging into
public spaces. It is a plastic-free glue made solely of flour, water, and sugar. The paper used for the
posters is recycled. This technique has no harmful effects on the environment, lasts between three to
seven days, and can be removed using water.
We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more
important than the aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders
are opposed to this demonstration, we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the
art. This would be counterproductive to the message and the movement, and disrespectful to our
community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We hope the city recognizes
the importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic
creation.
This is the beginning of a movement, not a moment.
Sincerely,
The PA Art Protest Organizers
8
Baumb, Nelly
From:Fine, Adrian
Sent:Monday, August 10, 2020 8:04 PM
To:Palo Alto Art Protest
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest - August 8th
Bah. Really sorry all. I asked the city manager to please not do this.
From: leConge Ziesenhenne, Monique <Monique.leConge@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2020 6:58 PM
To: Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Cc: Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest ‐ August 8th
Dear PA Art Protest Organizers,
On behalf of the City Manager, I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that earlier today we removed
the protest posters on University Avenue placed there over the weekend. Unfortunately, the posters were
defaced and obscured by vandalism. We are supportive of our community’s First Amendment rights and wish
you the best in your continued efforts.
As an aside, if you or your organizers are teens, I'd like to suggest that interested teens consider applying for
youth leadership opportunities
(https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/recreation/teens/teen_leadership/default.asp) if they are not
already participants. This group reconvenes once school has started and applications are currently open.
Thank you again for your communications over the weekend.
Sincerely,
MONIQUE ZIESENHENNE, PhD
Assistant City Manager
(650) 329‐2403 | Monique.Ziesenhenne@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
9
From: Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:16 PM
To: Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>;
alisonlcormack@gmail.com
Subject: Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest ‐ August 8th
As you know, at 10 in the morning a white male with a spray paint can defaced almost every poster of this youth art
installation with “Maga” and racist commentary. He blocked every source and covered important and informative
content as well as art. We do not believe that our protest was heard, or seen the way it deserved to be.
We were informed by a Palo Alto police officer that because the technique of wheat‐pasting is not permanent, that he
did not see our installation as vandalism. He said if the organizers were to want to do it again, that in his opinion, there
wouldn't be a problem from the city's side. We are emailing to confirm this information.
Sincerely,
PA Art Protest Organizers
On Sat, Aug 8, 2020 at 3:55 PM Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Thank you all... looks like some of them have already been defaced with paint and/or “maga”
Sigh. But keep up the good work
Adrian
On Aug 8, 2020, at 05:01, Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious
of opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Of Palo Alto,
We are the organizers of the Youth Art Protest that you see on University Avenue. This protest was
designed, organized, and executed by youth members from your community. The art was made by
young People of Color who sent in their artistic creations speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement
that has rallied the nation. The collection of informational posters decoding statistics and facts were
thoughtfully researched by a team of high school and college students.
We hope that as people walk down University Avenue and see this installation, they are left with new
thoughts, new information, and new ideas on how to enact change in their own daily lives to combat the
systemic inequities that exist here in Palo Alto.
The purpose of this email is not to explain why this protest is occurring, but to ask for the city to respect
it. We urge you to see this as it is: a beautiful exhibition of art and youth minds coming together to speak
and share knowledge with our community. As comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah said,
“There is no right way to protest. Because that’s what protest is. It can’t be considered ‘right’ by the
system that it is protesting.”
The technique we used is called ‘wheat pasting’, which historically is used to get art and messaging into
public spaces. It is a plastic-free glue made solely of flour, water, and sugar. The paper used for the
10
posters is recycled. This technique has no harmful effects on the environment, lasts between three to
seven days, and can be removed using water.
We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more
important than the aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders
are opposed to this demonstration, we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the
art. This would be counterproductive to the message and the movement, and disrespectful to our
community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We hope the city recognizes the
importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic creation.
This is the beginning of a movement, not a moment.
Sincerely,
The PA Art Protest Organizers
11
Baumb, Nelly
From:Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:16 PM
To:Fine, Adrian; Council, City; alisonlcormack@gmail.com
Subject:Re: University Avenue Youth Art Protest - August 8th
As you know, at 10 in the morning a white male with a spray paint can defaced almost every poster of this youth art
installation with “Maga” and racist commentary. He blocked every source and covered important and informative
content as well as art. We do not believe that our protest was heard, or seen the way it deserved to be.
We were informed by a Palo Alto police officer that because the technique of wheat‐pasting is not permanent, that he
did not see our installation as vandalism. He said if the organizers were to want to do it again, that in his opinion, there
wouldn't be a problem from the city's side. We are emailing to confirm this information.
Sincerely,
PA Art Protest Organizers
On Sat, Aug 8, 2020 at 3:55 PM Fine, Adrian <Adrian.Fine@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Thank you all... looks like some of them have already been defaced with paint and/or “maga”
Sigh. But keep up the good work
Adrian
On Aug 8, 2020, at 05:01, Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious
of opening attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Of Palo Alto,
We are the organizers of the Youth Art Protest that you see on University Avenue. This protest was
designed, organized, and executed by youth members from your community. The art was made by
young People of Color who sent in their artistic creations speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement
that has rallied the nation. The collection of informational posters decoding statistics and facts were
thoughtfully researched by a team of high school and college students.
We hope that as people walk down University Avenue and see this installation, they are left with new
thoughts, new information, and new ideas on how to enact change in their own daily lives to combat the
systemic inequities that exist here in Palo Alto.
The purpose of this email is not to explain why this protest is occurring, but to ask for the city to respect
it. We urge you to see this as it is: a beautiful exhibition of art and youth minds coming together to speak
and share knowledge with our community. As comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah said,
“There is no right way to protest. Because that’s what protest is. It can’t be considered ‘right’ by the
system that it is protesting.”
The technique we used is called ‘wheat pasting’, which historically is used to get art and messaging into
public spaces. It is a plastic-free glue made solely of flour, water, and sugar. The paper used for the
12
posters is recycled. This technique has no harmful effects on the environment, lasts between three to
seven days, and can be removed using water.
We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more
important than the aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders
are opposed to this demonstration, we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the
art. This would be counterproductive to the message and the movement, and disrespectful to our
community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We hope the city recognizes the
importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic creation.
This is the beginning of a movement, not a moment.
Sincerely,
The PA Art Protest Organizers
13
Baumb, Nelly
From:Palo Alto Art Protest <payouthartprotest@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 8, 2020 5:00 AM
To:Council, City; Fine, Adrian
Cc:editor@paweekly.com
Subject:University Avenue Youth Art Protest - August 8th
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Of Palo Alto,
We are the organizers of the Youth Art Protest that you see on University Avenue. This protest was designed, organized,
and executed by youth members from your community. The art was made by young People of Color who sent in their
artistic creations speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement that has rallied the nation. The collection of informational
posters decoding statistics and facts were thoughtfully researched by a team of high school and college students.
We hope that as people walk down University Avenue and see this installation, they are left with new thoughts, new
information, and new ideas on how to enact change in their own daily lives to combat the systemic inequities that exist
here in Palo Alto.
The purpose of this email is not to explain why this protest is occurring, but to ask for the city to respect it. We urge you to
see this as it is: a beautiful exhibition of art and youth minds coming together to speak and share knowledge with our
community. As comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah said, “There is no right way to protest. Because that’s
what protest is. It can’t be considered ‘right’ by the system that it is protesting.”
The technique we used is called ‘wheat pasting’, which historically is used to get art and messaging into public spaces. It
is a plastic-free glue made solely of flour, water, and sugar. The paper used for the posters is recycled. This technique
has no harmful effects on the environment, lasts between three to seven days, and can be removed using water.
We ask that the city does not remove this demonstration. We believe that this youth art protest is more important than the
aesthetics of the cement pavement of our city’s streets. However, if the city’s leaders are opposed to this demonstration,
we do not want janitorial staff or city workers to have to remove the art. This would be counterproductive to the message
and the movement, and disrespectful to our community workers. Please contact us and we will personally remove it. We
hope the city recognizes the importance of the message our youth are trying to send and embraces this temporary artistic
creation.
This is the beginning of a movement, not a moment.
Sincerely,
The PA Art Protest Organizers
7
Baumb, Nelly
From:Teri Llach <llachteric@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 9:41 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please consider Closing Churchill Ave
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello
I wanted to take a moment and advocate to close Churchill w/ Mitigations as it is the most efficient, most
reasonable approach for all of Palo Alto. If you consider the costs, disruption, improved traffic overall, with
improved safety of Palo Alto Students biking to and from school – it really is the best choice. The
alternatives analysis (Matrix and Traffic) support this decision.
1. Churchill Closure with mitigations is 1/3 less expensive and far less disruptive than the other alternatives
including underpass
2. Viaduct is 6X more expensive than Churchill and creates a significant set of problems during the construction
phase and critically affects neighbors.
3. The police and fire departments said closing Churchill would cause no disruption to service.
4. The Final traffic report shows closure with mitigation benefits a wider range of citizens and a wider area with
both Embarcadero and Oregon’s traffic improved in a very cost effective manner vs Underpass or Viaduct which
increases traffic on Churchill and still leaves Embarcadero and Oregon w/ the same traffic problems as today.
5. Both alternatives create increased through traffic from nonresidents driving quickly which is unsafe
6. The underpass and viaduct options pose critical problems to our neighbors in Churchill and Mariposa, their
lives and homes are critically affected w/ dangerous traffic or trains overhead. The effect on the others who
want a faster trip to the other side of Palo Alto is far less critical.
I ask and hope you decide to close Churchill and keep our neighborhood street a small neighborhood street.
Thanks Teri
Teri Llach
p: 650-575-6913
w: www.terillach.com
e: llachteric@gmail.com
8
Baumb, Nelly
From:Eduardo F. Llach <eduardo@llach.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 1:38 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:I'm pro closure - your matrix & traffic point to the best solution w/ least critical impact to neighbors
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto City Council members, Thank you for the process you’ve developed w/ XCAP and the virtual
town hall. The information is available and easily digestible. Great job.
I encourage you to consider and decide on the Churchill Closure w/ Mitigations. It is by far the best alternative
for all of Palo Alto considering the costs, disruption, improved traffic overall, with improved safety of Palo Alto
Students biking to and from school. The Alternatives analysis (Matrix and Traffic) support this decision.
I hope these reasons to support the Churchill Closure resonate w/ your views and what’s best for Palo Alto as
a whole:
1. The Alternatives Matrix (the last one published) shows Closure and Viaduct even (blue dots – orange dots, skip
black dots) but the Underpass is significantly worse (far more negative orange dots).
a. Churchill Closure with mitigations is 1/3 less expensive and far less disruptive than the underpass to
everyone during and after construction.
b. Viaduct is 6X more expensive than Churchill and creates a significant set of problems during the
construction phase and critically affects neighbors.
2. The Final traffic report shows closure with mitigation benefits a wider range of citizens and a wider area with
both Embarcadero and Oregon’s traffic improved in a very cost effective manner (see table below, and on page
47) vs Underpass or Viaduct which increases traffic on Churchill and still leaves Embarcadero and Oregon w/ the
same traffic problems as today.
3. The underpass and viaduct options pose critical problems to our neighbors in Churchill and Mariposa, their
lives and homes are critically affected w/ dangerous traffic or trains overhead. The Closure alternative has the
least critical effects to anyone, there are changes in traffic and ways to get around, but nobody’s home or life is
critically affected, this is an important issue to consider as we look how our neighbors will be affected by the
decisions we make. We don’t want neighbors critically affected w/ unsafe traffic or trains overhead or large
ditches in their street and in front of their homes. Let’s be a good neighbor ☺
Thank you, Eduardo
Eduardo F. Llach
36 Churchill Ave
This is the table showing the traffic improvements across Palo Alto w/ the Churchill Mitigations on
Embarcadero & Oregon.
9
10
Baumb, Nelly
From:holzemer/hernandez <holz@sonic.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:29 AM
To:Minor, Beth
Cc:Council, City; City Mgr; City Attorney
Subject:Re: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
Thank you, Beth, for your attention to this matter.
I will be checking up over the week or so to see what action happens.
Much appreciated,
Terry Holzemer
On 2020‐08‐25 10:23, Minor, Beth wrote:
Hi Terry,
I forwarded your email to the Registrar of Voters this morning and they are going to contact the PAUSD
candidate.
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
11
From: holzemer/hernandez <holz@sonic.net>
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2020 5:49 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Attorney
<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Subject: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council/City Manager/City Attorney,
I'm sorry I missed the Oral Communications period tonight, but wanted to send you all what are clear
violations of the City Code sections (Sec.16.20.100) regarding political signage. These are clear violations and
action to remove or change the locations of the signs should take place immediately.
I hope the City Attorney will take immediate action and not ignore what are clear violations.
I have attached several photos (taken along Middlefield Road between Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway,
plus additional photos taken in the College Terrace neighborhood) that show these violations.
It is my understanding that all political signs MUST be on private land and not "public property" (the narrow
strip between the sidewalks and curbs are "public property").
This is not an attack on any one candidate ‐‐ just ask them to follow the law! Please let me know that you got
this message and this will be taken care of immediately.
Thank you.
Terry Holzemer
(650) 853‐0603
holz@sonic.net
12
Baumb, Nelly
From:Minor, Beth
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:24 AM
To:holzemer/hernandez; Council, City; City Mgr; City Attorney
Subject:RE: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
Hi Terry,
I forwarded your email to the Registrar of Voters this morning and they are going to contact the PAUSD candidate.
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
From: holzemer/hernandez <holz@sonic.net>
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2020 5:49 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Attorney
<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Subject: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council/City Manager/City Attorney,
I'm sorry I missed the Oral Communications period tonight, but wanted to send you all what are clear
violations of the City Code sections (Sec.16.20.100) regarding political signage. These are clear violations and
action to remove or change the locations of the signs should take place immediately.
I hope the City Attorney will take immediate action and not ignore what are clear violations.
I have attached several photos (taken along Middlefield Road between Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway,
plus additional photos taken in the College Terrace neighborhood) that show these violations.
13
It is my understanding that all political signs MUST be on private land and not "public property" (the narrow
strip between the sidewalks and curbs are "public property").
This is not an attack on any one candidate ‐‐ just ask them to follow the law! Please let me know that you got
this message and this will be taken care of immediately.
Thank you.
Terry Holzemer
(650) 853‐0603
holz@sonic.net
14
Baumb, Nelly
From:Minor, Beth
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:20 AM
To:CeCi Kettendorf; Council, City
Subject:RE: Illegally placed political signs: Mr. Tanaka
Ceci,
Thank you very much for your email. We will contact Council Member Tanaka and let him know.
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
From: CeCi Kettendorf <cecihome@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:07 AM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Illegally placed political signs: Mr. Tanaka
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members:
There are illegally placed TANAKA signs all over town. On Alma, as just one example, there are signs stretching down
the median strip.
Mr. Tanaka, as an honorable city council member, should especially be held to campaign law. Please sanction your
peer.
The other candidates are respecting fair campaign practices.
Please refer this to the local authorities who should be monitoring this and removing signs from public placement. Mr.
Tanaka himself should hasten to remove his illegally placed signs from public land.
Sincerely,
CeCi Kettendorf
3719 Grove Ave.
Palo Alto, Ca. 94303
15
Baumb, Nelly
From:Minor, Beth
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 6:56 PM
To:holzemer/hernandez; Council, City; City Mgr; City Attorney
Subject:RE: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
Hi Terry,
The council candidates have been advised of the locations of these signs and that they need to move them. The school
district elections are handled by the Registrar of Voters and I will contact them to see what they can do.
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
From: holzemer/hernandez <holz@sonic.net>
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2020 5:49 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Attorney
<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Subject: Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council/City Manager/City Attorney,
I'm sorry I missed the Oral Communications period tonight, but wanted to send you all what are clear
violations of the City Code sections (Sec.16.20.100) regarding political signage. These are clear violations and
action to remove or change the locations of the signs should take place immediately.
I hope the City Attorney will take immediate action and not ignore what are clear violations.
I have attached several photos (taken along Middlefield Road between Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway,
plus additional photos taken in the College Terrace neighborhood) that show these violations.
16
It is my understanding that all political signs MUST be on private land and not "public property" (the narrow
strip between the sidewalks and curbs are "public property").
This is not an attack on any one candidate ‐‐ just ask them to follow the law! Please let me know that you got
this message and this will be taken care of immediately.
Thank you.
Terry Holzemer
(650) 853‐0603
holz@sonic.net
17
Baumb, Nelly
From:Clerk, City
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 5:49 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:FW: City Council Meeting
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
From: Helen Young <hybj@stanford.edu>
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2020 4:49 PM
To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: City Council Meeting
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I would like to make the following statement during the public comment period prior to item #t on the agenda today.
City council meeting 8-24-20
I am Helen Young, a Palo Alto resident since 1963. I have been working for gender equality for many decades, most intensely since I attended
the UN Women’s Conference in 1995.
I am urging the members of the City Council to very seriously consider the issue of gender equality as it impacts your deliberations on the
upcoming topic. If you feel unsure of how women’s equality plays into the conversation, you should talk to a black woman MD about her
experiences working in a profession dominated by white men. Or a Phillippina medical worker of any level about work experiences in any
hospital or clinic in terms of fairness of responsibility, fairness of work schedule, fairness of promotions, pay scale and so on. Palo Alto City
employees may have stories, also, as a gender analysis would reveal.
I hope City Council members will begin the practice, if they have not already started of considering gender with every deliberation, every
decision they make.
Thank you for allowing me to speak.
Thank you,
18
Helen Young
Get Outlook for iOS
19
Baumb, Nelly
From:Minor, Beth
Sent:Wednesday, August 19, 2020 1:04 PM
To:Hamilton Hitchings
Cc:Council, City; Shikada, Ed
Subject:RE: Ballot Drop off Boxes ASAP?
Hi Hamilton,
They have staff that come out either every day or every other day to take the ballots out. I am in the process of
confirming where they will be for this election.
Thanks and have a great day.
B‐
Beth Minor, City Clerk
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)329‐2379
From: Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 12:50 PM
To: Minor, Beth <Beth.Minor@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Cc: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Subject: Re: Ballot Drop off Boxes ASAP?
Beth,
Could you request enough boxes to handle the fact that California will be an all mail ballot this year
and also we want to maximize social distancing. I'd hate for one of the boxes to become too full to
accept more ballots. I also suspect 3 is not enough. Thank you.
Hamilton Hitchings
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 11:50:15 AM PDT, Minor, Beth <beth.minor@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
20
Hi Hamilton,
The boxes are regulated and dispersed by the Registrar of Voters. They usually put the boxes out about a week before
the ballots are mailed, which I believe is around 10/3. All ballot counting is done by the Registrar of Voters staff and
machines. All cities and districts within Santa Clara County contract with the Registrar to conduct their elections. I
believe we may have 3 boxes, I will confirm, and we will once again have Vote Centers that will open the Friday before
the election and will be open until 8 pm on November 3.
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 19, 2020, at 10:20 AM, Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
Given the attempts to suppress voting by the USPS, and that a mail sorting machine
has already been removed from the downtown Palo Alto USPS branch on Hamilton
Ave, can the City of Palo Alto put drop off ballot boxes out as soon as mail in ballots are
sent out so we don't have to use the US Post Office? Also, is there any chance the city
can start counting ballots before election day? Thank you.
Hamilton Hitchings
31
Baumb, Nelly
From:lindsayjoye@gmail.com
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 11:39 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:UAC
Subject:CPAU payments to American Public Gas Association
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I re ad the articles linked below about Palo Alto Utilities paying American Public Gas A ssociation
which lobbies against climate change policies.
City Council should stop funding the APGA if we are serious about addressing climate change.
“Palo Alto has a climate goal that is even more ambitious than the state of California’s. It
wants to slash greenhouse gases 80% by 2030. But its city utility paid APGA $20,902 last
year, the Center found."
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2020/08/23/your‐palo‐alto‐utility‐payment‐funds‐this‐gas‐lobbyist
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/20/gas‐industry‐waging‐war‐against‐climate‐action
Thank you!
-Lindsay Joye
32
Baumb, Nelly
From:Rebecca Sanders <rebsanders@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 11:12 AM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City
Subject:Castilleja's RDEIR
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Planning and Transportation Commissioners:
There are significant changes in Castilleja’s Revised DEIR. Don’t such changes require an
opportunity for distribution and public comments, rather than a rush job? It’s the law, right? We the
community members don’t have enough time to look these changes over. At first glance, the revised
DEIR appears to sidestep not only the city’s concerns but the neighborhood’s concerns from the first
DEIR. I request that you reschedule this item to allow the city an opportunity to circulate the RDEIR
and the public an opportunity to review and to respond.
At the very least I can comment on my immediate concern about popping a corporate-sized parking
garage in a residential neighborhood, with entrance and exits on three different streets and the
accompanying signal lights and warning sounds that will inevitably be needed to alert pedestrians,
bicyclists and other cars between the hours of operation, which could be anywhere from 6:30 am to
11 pm, correct? I mean one of these streets is Bryant, one of our bike boulevards. Plus, Melville and
Emerson, as well as Bryant Street are home to hundreds of residents that will be impacted by living
near a corporate parking garage.
For Castilleja, an established institution with a large endowment and wealthy patrons, it would seem
reasonable to achieve their lofty expansion goals ONLY by opening a second campus and splitting
the school or by developing a new campus somewhere else altogether. Their reasons for insisting on
growing within their existing inadequate-to-support-the-growth-they-want-footprint can’t possibly
justify the ruination through corporatization of a neighborhood with impacts percolating throughout the
city.
Furthermore, I for one advise FULL STOP on any development where the applicant has not been in
compliance for years, has flouted our municipal code and not paid the fines for having more students
enrolled then their CUP permits. I frankly don’t understand why that is okay. Why in the world will
they abide by a new CUP when they showed no compunction in violating its current one.
Thank you for your consideration of my concerns.
Becky Sanders
Ventura
33
Baumb, Nelly
From:Harry F. Bahlman II <bahlman@stanford.edu>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 10:42 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Prescribed burns-Foothills Park
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
A good article on a local at‐risk park, and I call your attention to Foothills Park. What are you doing to reduce the
downed wood and lower the fire danger? Prescribed burns in the park have not taken place for several years, would this
not be advantageous to protect the park and surrounding community?
Thank you, Harry Bahlman
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Top‐scientist‐knew‐Big‐Basin‐was‐at‐risk‐for‐a‐15514626.php
34
Baumb, Nelly
From:mickie winkler <mickie650@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 10:26 AM
To:Library Circulation; Council, City
Subject:absurd restrictive return library policy hurts everyone
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
The restrictive library return policy is absurd.
If boxes were open in walking distance, downtown, I would have returned my material long ago.
What is the downside? Why not let us return books anywhere anytime?
Has the pandemic infected the vehicles that can pick up the books?
And what about the people who are waiting to borrow the materials?
Please open all the library return boxes for drop off anytime. Thx
Mickie Winkler
35
Baumb, Nelly
From:stewraph@aol.com
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 10:24 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja’s project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
August 26, 2020
Dear City Council,
I am very pleased and appreciative of the meticulous work of the City Council and City Staff in reviewing Castilleja’s project. Your team
has undertaken a thoughtful analysis during this process. I am a Palo Alto resident and I have followed the details of this project and I
am delighted with the careful and detailed work presented in the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). That report informs a
comprehensive assessment and response to the concerns raised in the draft report a year earlier.
I wholeheartedly support the FEIR consultant’s recommendation that Castilleja's alternative project with the smaller garage footprint and
distributed drop-off are very viable options. The reason why I feel this way is because:
Smaller Garage: The smaller garage serves the benefit of taking parked cars off the neighborhood streets, yet the garage has a
reduced size in order to save two homes on Emerson Street and numerous trees. Housing is in shorty supply in Palo Alto, and because
two homes were not demolished/removed in the alternative plans is outstanding.
Distributed Drop-off: The distributed drop-off in this alternative plan fixes the traffic impact seen in Castilleja's original project. I am glad
for an improved solution that prevents any neighbors from being negatively impacted while still allowing for the school's enrollment
increase. I believe those are all significant improvements.
I am ready for this project to move forward and my sentiments are shared by many of my neighbors and friends in Palo Alto. This
community wants this project to commence. I sincerely believe as a commission you acknowledge the work Castilleja has done to
consistently improved its plans to respond to the neighbor’s concerns. Thanks for your thoughtfulness, attention, and consideration.
Respectfully yours,
Stewart Raphael
571 Military Way, Palo Alto
36
Baumb, Nelly
From:Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 2:11 AM
To:kfsndesk; newsdesk; kwalsh@kmaxtv.com; Irv Weissman; bballpod; Mark Standriff; Mayor; tsheehan;
Doug Vagim; Dan Richard; Daniel Zack; terry; hennessy; vallesR1969@att.net;
alumnipresident@stanford.edu; boardmembers; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; Chris Field;
dennisbalakian; David Balakian; esmeralda.soria@fresno.gov; paul.caprioglio
Subject:Fwd: Comp. for injury in vaccine trials- Important. P. Myers- Law Prof, Wash. Univ
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 26, 2020 at 1:56 AM
Subject: Comp. for injury in vaccine trials‐ Important. P. Myers‐ Law Prof, Wash. Univ
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Tues late, August 25, 2020
Important‐ To all‐ On Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, KCBS‐SF interviewed Prof. Peter Myers, Emeritus Prof. of Law at
Washington University. He discussed the programs in place to compensate people who volunteer for drug trials and get
injured in the process. He is mentioned in this article. One program is part of HHS and it is not good. One year deadline
to file, only 10% get compensated, etc.
Prof. Myers helped create one such program, I think he said. Congress should get with him and see what
legislation is needed to get the system set up right. Of big interest to the legal and insurance professions:
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2020/08/24/580098.htm
With all of the trials about to take place of corona‐virus vaccines, etc., this is timely. News media: please forward
this mail to Congress. Nobody knows more about how this works now and how it should be improved than Prof. Myers.
L. William Harding
Fresno, Ca.
37
Baumb, Nelly
From:Suman Gupta <sumang00@hotmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 11:36 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support for Castilleja's Campus Redevelopment Project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,
My name is Suman Gupta and I have been a resident of Palo Alto for over 20 years. I have three children,
all of whom attended Ohlone Elementary. My son went on to attend JLS Middle School and Palo Alto High
School. My daughters went on to attend Castilleja School – one graduated in 2017 and the other is
currently in Middle School. As a resident of not only Palo Alto, but also of the Palo Alto Unified School
District, my family feels incredibly fortunate to have had access to excellent public and private education
so close to home.
I am writing today to express my wholehearted support for Castilleja’s desire to modernize the campus
and increase its enrollment. I have been following Castilleja’s multi-year effort to engage the Palo Alto
community in developing the proposed design to support the school’s educational and co-curricular goals
while also being thoughtful of the needs and concerns of surrounding neighbors and the City as a whole,
especially with regard to traffic.
The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) that was released at the end July illustrates how diligent
Castilleja has been in adjusting its design to retain natural elements such as trees, structural elements such
as school-owned homes on Emerson Avenue and the neighborhood feel of the block on which the school
sits. I particularly like Castilleja’s plans to build an underground garage as it will divert a significant
percentage of parked cars from the surface streets to below ground, thereby making the surrounding
streets not only more aesthetically pleasing, but also safer for pedestrians and cyclists who travel them
during the day. The FEIR indicates that, of all the project alternatives considered, Alternative #4 with the
smaller underground garage is the superior proposal for aesthetic reasons. The Report further states that
zoning rules do in fact allow for underground garages in a residential (R1) neighborhood. And given how
traffic will flow into and out of the garage, the overall impact will be that no additional traffic will be
introduced to the neighborhood.
I hope that you will support Castilleja’s project, including construction of the underground garage.
Sincerely,
Suman Gupta
38
Baumb, Nelly
From:Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 5:11 PM
To:Loran Harding; fmbeyerlein@sbcglobal.net; alumnipresident@stanford.edu;
antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; David Balakian; Leodies Buchanan; beachrides; bballpod;
bearwithme1016@att.net; paul.caprioglio; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; Chris Field; dennisbalakian;
Doug Vagim; Dan Richard; Daniel Zack; dlfranklin0@outlook.com; esmeralda.soria@fresno.gov;
eappel@stanford.edu; francis.collins@nih.gov; Steven Feinstein; fmerlo@wildelectric.net;
grinellelake@yahoo.com; huidentalsanmateo; steve.hogg; hennessy; Irv Weissman; jerry ruopoli; Joel
Stiner; kfsndesk; Mark Kreutzer; kwalsh@kmaxtv.com; Pam Kelly; lalws4@gmail.com; leager;
mthibodeaux@electriclaboratories.com; Mayor; margaret-sasaki@live.com; Mark Standriff; newsdesk;
nick yovino; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; tsheehan; terry; vallesR1969@att.net
Subject:Fwd: Novavax NVAX- Several good articles. Lost a bundle, but not selling it!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 4:57 PM
Subject: Fwd: Novavax NVAX‐ Several good articles. Lost a bundle, but not selling it!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 4:35 PM
Subject: Novavax NVAX‐ Several good articles. Lost a bundle, but not selling it!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Fred‐
Here are ~5 good articles re NVAX. I needed these since I've now lost 37.85% of my investment of $182 per share in
NVAX made on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, one day short of three weeks ago. NVAX c. today at $113.11, down $6.15
today, down another heart‐wrenching 5.16% today. Oh well. But the five articles here are worth reading.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/08/25/why‐novavax‐stock‐is‐sinking‐again‐today/
NVAX could rise again. Just wait two years.
I console myself with Nvidia, NVDA, which c. today at $510.00, and for which I paid $204, and Square, SQ, which
c. today at $155.00, and for which I paid $57. Stocks like that help take the sting out of being occupied.
40
Baumb, Nelly
From:Gerry Marshall <glmarshall@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 3:37 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja school plans
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
> Dear Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission,
>
> As a Bryant Street neighbor, living directly across the street from Castilleja’s main entrance and parking lot since 1979,
I wanted to express my thoughts on the school’s plans to update their campus.
>>
>> First, as presented in the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), the school has changed its plans in order to save
their two Emerson buildings and many trees by reducing the size of the much needed under ground garage. At first, I
was concerned that the smaller garage would not accommodate enough cars to adequately reduce the number of cars
parking on the streets. Taking cars off the street is important to us as we are experiencing an uptick of cars parking in
front of our home of persons working downtown and persons living in homes on Embarcadero. In the past, Castilleja
has effectively managed their staff’s and students street parking to accommodate its neighbors but it was still difficult to
assure parking in front of our own home for our health caregivers. However, it has made us very happy that by
downsizing the garage, they are able to save their trees and two homes. That’s a great decision. We are confident that
the school will continue to maintain its parking and traffic controls that have been so effective in our neighborhood.
>>
>> Also, the school actively implements safety rules to protect our pedestrians, bicyclists and neighborhood vehicles.
They have crossing guards during school and all events. I so appreciate the guards helping me safely back out of my
driveway or to park. What a perk. Living on a bike boulevard is not easy. Most bicyclists do not seem to realize how very
difficult it is to see them whizzing by driveways. Thank goodness for Castilleja’s due diligence in helping it’s neighbors
stay safe. Thank you! We know we would not have such safety conscience neighbors without Castilleja’s efforts in
greatly reducing the street traffic around the school campus. These last few years we hardly notice the school’s traffic in
the morning or after school. It’s about 20 minutes in the morning and after school. The rest of the day is super quiet.
>> We always get notifications of events coming up and honestly we don’t really notice that an event is happening or
happened. So different from a public school’s noise. We always know that something is happening at PALY or Stanford.
Noise and traffic is high with blocked streets and parking issues. Not to mention their trash left behind.
>>
>> I’d also like to mention how glad we are about the esthetic low profile and appearance of Castilleja’s new buildings.
Very neighborly. We live in an historical home and so much appreciate Castilleja keeping a non Industrial appearance
out of our neighborhood.
>>
>> All in all we are very happy to have Castilleja as our neighbor. We look forward to seeing their plans come into the
21st century. We also feel that helping their students attain a learning environment for an ever growing future is
important.
>> We’re old citizens of Palo Alto and love it dearly. One thing for sure, Castilleja has been a big part of our past and we
support the school’s growth into the ever changing future. Their history and growth is vital for so many reasons in our
neighborhood in developing a bright future for so many.
>>
>> Gerry Marshall/Bernie Newcomb
>> 1301 Bryant Street, Palo Alto
41
>> SE Corner of Bryant/Embarcadero
42
Baumb, Nelly
From:Maggie Pringle <maggiepringle@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 2:32 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja's Project Alternative Plan
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
I am writing in strong support of Castilleja’s Project Alternative Plan that has been so thoughtfully
prepared with a sincere goal of providing outstanding education to as many girls as possible in our
community while also being a good neighbor.
I was the Director of Alumnae Engagement at Castilleja for ten years and have followed so many
of the remarkable Castilleja alumnae who are well prepared for college and making a difference in
our world – whether it be as physicians, engineers, teachers, community organizers, business
owners, veterinarians, etc.. They all attribute much of their impact in their communities and
around the world to the broad education and diverse community/world engagement that they
learned at Castilleja.
It is time to allow more middle and high school girls throughout our community to have the
opportunity to choose an excellent all‐girls education. Part of offering a cutting‐edge education
includes upgrading facilities just as most other schools, public and private, have done in our
area. Castilleja started with a plan that would make a significant difference to their programs and
has made many concessions to assure that the school is an asset to the neighborhood and the
City. The Alternative Plan allows for providing excellent learning facilities as well as a most
attractive campus that continues to fit into the beautiful Old Palo Alto neighborhood.
I urge you to support diverse education opportunities in Palo Alto and the unique program that
Castilleja offers.
Thank you,
Maggie Ely Pringle
‐‐
Maggie Pringle Grauer
home-650.323.6601
cell-650.722.1649
maggiepringle@gmail.com
43
Baumb, Nelly
From:Magical Bridge Foundation <Jill=magicalbridge.org@cmail20.com> on behalf of Magical Bridge
Foundation <Jill@magicalbridge.org>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:45 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Spreading Magic. Nonprofits and Community Groups Supporting Northern California Fire Victims,
Animal Shelters, and First Responders
Dear Magical Bridge Friends and Community,
We are reaching out because our community-at-large is urgently in need of help. Now.
We are based in Northern California and watching our friends and families flee from the
fires raging to the north, south, east, and west. Many of them have lost their homes while
others are displaced and praying they have a home to return to.
This has always been incredibly generous when it comes to our work to give everyone a
place to play, regardless of ability or disability. We know that many who support us will
want to help those who are in need.
44
We've been compiling a list of local and national nonprofits and organizations helping
those displaced from the fires, animal shelters caring for thousands of pets, and first
responders who are risking their lives to combat these flames.
This is a growing list and we will continue to update it daily.
Giving is indeed MAGICAL. Kindly give what you can to organizations and groups on
the frontlines.
If your nonprofit or organization should be added to this list, kindly email Jill Asher at
jill@magicalbridge.org.
MAGICAL BRIDGE FOUNDATION
Headquarters - 552 Waverley #200, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations
are tax-deductible to the extent recommended by your tax advisor. Tax ID: #81-2377796
Magical Bridge Foundation
http://www.magicalbridge.org
Unsubscribe
Click Here to See the Full List of Nonprofits Supporting
Fire Victims
45
Baumb, Nelly
From:CeCi Kettendorf <cecihome@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:07 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Illegally placed political signs: Mr. Tanaka
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members:
There are illegally placed TANAKA signs all over town. On Alma, as just one example, there are signs stretching down
the median strip.
Mr. Tanaka, as an honorable city council member, should especially be held to campaign law. Please sanction your
peer.
The other candidates are respecting fair campaign practices.
Please refer this to the local authorities who should be monitoring this and removing signs from public placement. Mr.
Tanaka himself should hasten to remove his illegally placed signs from public land.
Sincerely,
CeCi Kettendorf
3719 Grove Ave.
Palo Alto, Ca. 94303
46
Baumb, Nelly
From:Roy Maydan <roy.maydan@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 8:52 AM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City; Architectural Review Board
Subject:I Support Castilleja's Plans
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To Members of the City Council, Planning Commission, and Architectural Review Board,
I am writing to express my support for Castilleja's plans. From the final EIR, it is clear that Castilleja has done a lot of
work to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood including the preservation of houses and trees. My daughter is a
Castilleja student who bikes to school, so I was glad to see that biking to campus will continue to be safe, and she will be
able to avoid any cars lining up to enter the garage. Castilleja's submission combined with their long standing traffic
mitigation policies will help alleviate any surface traffic issues. All in all, this plan is a win‐win for the school, the
neighborhood, and the city.
Regards,
Roy Maydan
131 Byron Street
47
Baumb, Nelly
From:njjiminez40@gmail.com
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 11:58 PM
Subject:Quick Favor?
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hey,
I just signed the petition "Stolen while in hospital being boarding cares by rocket dog rescue abuser Oakland California
by: Rescue sanctuary" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.
Our goal is to reach 100 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:
http://chng.it/hHBxqP4Tkq
Thanks!
Norie jean
48
Baumb, Nelly
From:Albert Henning <albertkhenning@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 10:05 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Police
Subject:the fallacy of stopping a speeding car with a gun
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
Chief Jonsen continues to advocate for PAPD officers to have the option to use deadly force. He
cites, in particular, the use of a gun by an officer, to stop a car speeding at 100 mph, into a crowd of
diners on a closed University or California Avenue.
The Chief's example is false, based on the following simple physics.
A speeding car, at 100 mph, is moving at 4.47 centimeters per millisecond.
The exit velocity of a service revolver's bullet, is approximately 22.5 centimeters per millisecond,
taking a .45 Colt as exemplar.
At an assumed mass of 15 grams, the bullet has a kinetic energy of just under 380 joules.
At an assumed mass of 1000 kilograms, the car has a kinetic energy of just under 1,000,000 joules.
Clearly, using a bullet to stop the car directly, is beyond futile. What, then, are the choices, if the
officer insists upon using a bullet?
Let's assume, first, the officer intends to slow or stop the vehicle, by injuring the driver with a bullet
from a service revolver.
Firing from the side, from a distance of as close as 10 meters, the bullet will require 10/225 = 44.4
milliseconds to cross that distance.
The car will move 198.5 centimeters in that time, or just under 2 meters. The officer will have to 'lead'
the driver's body by 1.985 meters, to account for the car's velocity. (Of course, the officer will have to
have *precise* knowledge of the car's speed: if it is going only 90 mph, then the officer will have to
reduce the 'lead' on the shot by 19.8 centimeters, or about 8 inches. I claim, that's tough to do. And of
course, the officer doesn't really know the car's speed. But it gets tougher.)
The officer's reaction time is only good to plus or minus 106 milliseconds. (That is: the latency of
trigger finger response to a visual stimulus is 213 milliseconds. I'm assuming the officer is
compensating for this latency -- which in my opinion is very optimistic, but I'm giving the officer the
benefit of this doubt, to make a point.)
49
In 106 milliseconds, the bullet will have traveled more than 20 meters. The car, at 100 mph, will have
traveled 4.74 meters, just over 15 feet.
So, to hit a human target, let's say of generous cross-section 0.25 meter, or plus-minus 0.125 meter
(12.5 cm), the officer will have to control the trigger to better than plus-minus 4 milliseconds,
assuming steady aim, and given the car's velocity.
Let's say instead, the car is moving only 10 mph. In 106 milliseconds, the car travels 0.474 meters, or
1.5 feet, or 18 inches. The officer is trying to hit a target which is about 10 inches wide. The
probability here is still small, even if the officer knows the car's speed, knows enough physics to 'lead'
the shot, is extremely steady, and has faster-than-normal reflexes.
You see how specious, then, is the claim, that an officer can stop a car with a bullet, firing from the
side. No academy should teach this for a single-shot weapon. Only a rapid-fire automatic weapon
might have a prayer of hitting the driver of a speeding vehicle; and, I assume we do not want the
police firing such among a crowd.
Firing from directly in front, or directly in back, improves the odds greatly; the side-Doppler effects
disappear, and the officer need not compensate for them. But, any positioning to one or the other
side, even 1 meter left or right, immediately makes the shooting solution impossible to achieve
intentionally. And, in the time it would take an officer to avoid a passing, speeding car, then step
directly behind, the car will have traveled at least 2 seconds, or 293 feet (nearly the length of a
football field.)
What then? Aim for the tires? Let's assume this as our second option. The tires present a bigger
target; less direct chance of collateral damage, but more chance of ricochet. So, maybe. Especially if
the car is moving only 10 mph, and not 100 mph. I'd want the FBI academy to discuss. I still claim
that, from the side, unless one has a rapid-fire automatic weapon, the realistic chances of hitting a tire
moving left-to-right across one's field of view, intentionally, are slim to none.
What if the car is moving more slowly than 10 mph? In my opinion, the officer serves the public better,
by running ahead (a human can sprint much faster than this) and shouting, 'Look out!! Get out of the
way!!'
So, while it hurts to say it, this statement is true:
A car speeding into a crowd cannot be stopped by service-issue, semi-automatic projectile weapons.
Short of fully-automatic rapid-firing-rate weapons; or, explosive weapons; only loss of the vehicle's
energy/momentum, from striking fixed and movable objects (including people), will bring the car to a
halt. Sorry.
Chief Jonsen has based his arguments upon a speeding vehicle. As I've demonstrated, a semi-
automatic handgun is pointless in this instance. The rules should reflect the pointlessness. A slow-
moving vehicle offers other alternatives than a service pistol.
In my opinion, then: it makes no rational sense to argue in favor of a rule granting officers
discretionary latitude to fire at moving vehicles. The cases in which such use might actually work, are
vanishingly few in number and probability.
Sincerely,
50
Al Henning
=======
Albert K. Henning, PhD
199 Heather Lane Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-380-5309 (mobile)
albertkhenning@yahoo.com
51
Baumb, Nelly
From:Nancy Wu <nancywu236@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 9:52 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Oppose Closing Churchill/Alma Crossing to Cars
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hi Adrian, Alison, Tom, Eric, Liz, Lydia and Greg,
I'm writing to express my concern with the potential closure of Churchill at Alma to traffic for the construction of the
high speed rail. I am strongly opposed to this option because this is a heavily travelled route connecting Old Palo Alto to
El Camino Real and to Palo Alto High School.
By closing Churchill to car traffic, it would substantially increase traffic on both Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway,
both of which are already very congested, especially during traffic hours. I do not believe any improvements to both
Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway can really alleviate the increase in traffic. The congestion at Town & Country,
Embarcadero and El Camino Real during non‐traffic hours is already bad enough without adding additional traffic. I
cannot imagine what traffic hours would be like if more traffic is diverted to these streets.
Both of our kids attended Palo Alto High School, and I know how important the Churchill Avenue crossing is for students
to get to school. The closure, either permanently or during construction, would create substantial hardship and chaos
for students and teachers.
For the reasons stated above, both my husband and myself are strongly against this option. We would reluctantly
accept an underpass option to move Churchill below grade for both traffic and pedestrian crossing.
With COVID‐19, there's a substantial decrease in CalTrain ridership of over 90%. The new normal of working from home
will likely reduce ridership even after the pandemic is over. I highly recommend that you reconsider not touching the
Churchill Avenue crossing at all with any improvement to the CalTrain rail.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Best,
Nancy Wu
Tennyson Ave.
52
Baumb, Nelly
From:Sulev Suvari <sulev@outlook.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 9:20 PM
To:Council, City; Planning Commission; Architectural Review Board
Subject:PTC Hearing for Castilleja School
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
City Council
Planning and Transportation Commission
Architectural Review Board
I am in full support of the current plan before the City of Palo Alto to modernize the Castilleja School campus. I
moved to California and Palo Alto from the East Coast 2 years ago. In that short time I have come to love the
Bay Area and in particular living in the City of Palo Alto - I finally found my forever home. In full transparency,
my daughter attends Castilleja, and though I am not a direct neighbor of the school, we are fortunate to live
close enough for her to ride her bike to school. Additionally, I live extremely close to Duveneck Elementary
School and can fully sympathize with concerns regarding Castilleja School and school-related traffic.
Having served 23 years in government, I recognize the complexity of managing a city and applaud the honest
and rigorous debate that goes into building the future of Palo Alto. The discussions sponsored by the City are
in line with my personal beliefs that when setting the future all should be encouraged to compete in a fierce
competition of ideas, especially younger voices. Arriving in Palo Alto and learning of the ongoing Castilleja
School debate, I feel I have an important perspective as a new resident because I am not emotionally tied to
the topic. It is from this perspective that I am writing to you to vote yes in support of the Castilleja School plan.
I consider the topic of Castilleja School and all questions before the City Council with a clear perspective and
assess proposals with a simple question, “Where does Palo Alto want to invest in its future?” I was not here
when Castilleja enrollment numbers did not meet city guidance, or when traffic volume was less on
Embarcadero Rd, or housing was cheaper, or when Hwy 101 was 2 lanes. That for me was the past, important
to consider but it is unchangeable and I am here now, looking at what kind of City Palo Alto can be in the
future. As I consider that future, one thing clear to me is that education with its exchange and challenging of
ideas is fundamental to a successful future. To secure that future, investment must be made, and at a certain
point action must be taken. The debates have been held, competing ideas delivered, and compromises made -
from traffic considerations with a robust TDM to design changes for noise reduction. It is now time to act. I
encourage the members of the Council to consider Palo Alto’s future and the role Castilleja School has in
securing that future, and vote in support of the current plan before the City. Yes to Castilleja School.
Kind Regards,
Sulev Suvari
306 Iris Way, Palo Alto
53
Baumb, Nelly
From:Angela Pasternack <angelapasternack@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 8:57 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Middle school athletics in September
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To whom it may concern,
As an immunocompromised individual, I would like to know why the city of Palo Alto is holding three weeks of middle
school training athletics as early as September, when the schools are not allowing athletics until January. Who made this
decision, and how did they come to the conclusion that this would be safe for our students and community?
Not only does this put students at higher risk of contracting the virus and spreading it further throughout our
community, but it also sends a conflicting message about when it is safe to open our schools. I strongly encourage the
city to rethink their position on the matter, and not offer athletics in September.
Sincerely,
Angela F. Pasternack
54
Baumb, Nelly
From:Albert Henning <albertkhenning@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 8:01 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:'the ladder of force continuum'
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
The notion of the Ladder of Force, as a 'continuum', is false.
The use of a service sidearm, or any projectile weapon, cannot, must not, be part of the continuum.
Use of lethal force represents a quantum-jump in the spectrum of choices of force. It is, by definition,
discontinuous.
That this type of thinking -- outmoded, proven to create bad outcomes -- continues to persist within
the PAPD, must be addressed by Council. The notion of 'reimagining policing', includes the
acknowledgement that the use of lethal force is not part of the Ladder of Force.
We can, we must, re-imagine the tools and tactics of police and policing. We can, and must, introduce
new tools for police, which properly lie along the spectrum of the Ladder of Force. There must be
tools, other than Tasers, which incapacitate without inflicting death, or even a high level of injury.
These tools must also protect officers: which means, 're-imagination' must include changing the
PAPD mindset -- the almost unquestioned and implicit assumption -- that use of a lethal projectile
weapon will somehow protect themselves while being an effective and justified tool of policing.
Sincerely,
Al Henning
=======
Albert K. Henning, PhD
199 Heather Lane Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-380-5309 (mobile)
albertkhenning@yahoo.com
55
Baumb, Nelly
From:Albert Henning <albertkhenning@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 7:46 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Clerk, City
Subject:Accept the HRC recommendations as-written
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
Having listened to this evening's discussion, it is clear that PAPD wants complete latitude: not only to
act, but also to write the rules to their advantage. The absence of specific language in their proposal,
should trouble you greatly.
Nothing in even the HRC's recommendations tonight, proves to me that the events of 17 February
2018 would have turned out differently. And that is the ONLY metric which matters here. PAPD can
no longer act in the manner of 17 February 2018, and City staff and management can no longer act to
make opaque, the PAPD behaviors evidenced that day.
Any policy change which does not have the elimination of excessive PAPD force, as well as unlawful,
illegal, and unreported activity, is not worth your time for discussion. The HRC recommendations are
a start; the PAPD recommendations are just more obfuscation, delay, and detraction from the hard
work which must be done.
Sincerely,
Al Henning
=======
Albert K. Henning, PhD
199 Heather Lane Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-380-5309 (mobile)
albertkhenning@yahoo.com
56
Baumb, Nelly
From:Gail Price <gail.price3@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 6:15 PM
To:Gail Price
Cc:Shikada, Ed
Subject:The Color of Law- Richard Rothstein
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi,
FYI—This City library event featuring an interview and discussion with author of The Color of Law will take place
Thursday August 27 at 7 pm.
https://paloalto.bibliocommons.com/events/5f21eb2161c4983a0058743e
The link is for this free event and registration. I believe it will be also recorded for future viewing.
This is a timely and critical set of topics combining structural racism and systematic denial of opportunities for home
ownership and tax advantages and accumulation of wealth.
I hope you can attend.
Gail Price
Board President
Palo Alto Forward
Sent from my iPhone
57
Baumb, Nelly
From:James Colton <james.colton10@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 3:47 PM
To:Architectural Review Board; Planning Commission
Cc:Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Castilleja's Plan
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I strongly oppose Castilleja’s plan for several reasons:
The number of car trips will increase dramatically which will exacerbate an already crowded corridor.
The large building is not compatible with a neighborhood of single family homes.
A majority of students are not from Palo Alto giving little benefit to Palo Alto.
This would set a bad precedent for other developers to invade residential neighborhoods.
Castilleja has not been forthright in dealing with the problems of exceeding their student limit. We simply can’t
trust what they say about their future behavior.
Jim Colton
Green Acres II
58
Baumb, Nelly
From:Leslie Mills <casamills@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 2:28 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Re: Your e-mail to City Council was received
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I sent the email regarding the removal of all URM walls at 233/235 University over a month ago and was
wondering when I could expect a decision. I am putting the project on hold pending the outcome and thereby
leaving the decision as to public safety in your hands. I also wrote the appellants over a month ago providing
them detailed information on the reasoning for the wall removal and offering to discuss it further but they did
not respond. At the time of their appeal they did not have much information on the project. With the details
provided in my previous email plus the recommendation and analysis of the experienced City staff, Jonathan
Lait and George Hoyt, who did not come to their decision without great scrutiny, I am hopeful that the council
can make the logical decision to remove these potentially hazardous walls and allow the seismic bonus. If any
of the council wish to meet to discuss I would be happy to do so. Please let me know as soon as possible.
Thank you
Respectfully
Leslie Mills
On Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 9:08 PM Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Thank you for your comments to the City Council. Your e‐mail will be forwarded to all seven Council Members and a
printout of your correspondence will also be included in the next available Council packet.
If your comments are about an item that is already scheduled for a City Council agenda, you can call (650) 329‐2571 to
confirm that the item is still on the agenda for the next meeting.
If your letter mentions a specific complaint or a request for service, we'll either reply with an explanation or else send it
on to the appropriate department for clarification.
We appreciate hearing from you.
59
Baumb, Nelly
From:Yahoo Mail.® <honkystar@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 11:58 PM
To:Honky
Subject:IT'S UP TO US LET'S GIT UR DUN
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Are you PREPARED for this?
Are you PREPARED for this?
Revealing! Forensic Pathologist Professor Klaus Püschel pulls no punches...
Revealing! Forensic Pathologist Professor
Klaus Püschel pulls no punches...
wil paranormal
60
wil paranormal
TOP 'Medical Officials' Issue Warning Against Wearing a Mask
Military Insider Shares His Knowledge Of Coming Disaster
Military Insider Shares His Knowledge Of
Coming Disaster
Se requiere un control de seguridad
Se requiere un control de seguridad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrB-PE8UPmE&feature=youtu.be
62
Baumb, Nelly
From:Michal Sadoff <michalsadoff@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 1:52 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Comments about Palo Alto Connect Rail option animations
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To Palo Alto City Council members:
Thank you for the PA Connects website with rail animations. Here are some comments after watching some of
them. The project website asks for feedback but does not allow the kind of feedback and questions I had, so I
decided to write to you.
I watched three options completely - Trench, Hybrid, Viaduct - and the tunnel options and underpass briefly. I
did not watch tunnels or underpass fully b/c I have the impression those are the most expensive. With what I
watched, I came away with an impression that Hybrid is best, because the outcome is pleasing visually, and the
disruption is less than others including tunnels. I think it prioritizes the acceptability of the final outcome while
balancing the amount of disruption and cost. I don't like the Viaduct, although I had thought when watching a
previous set of animations that it was might be worth trading a negative visual impact for less impact during
construction and lower cost.
The animations are fairly helpful. But mainly I came away with more questions than answers, a bit
frustrated. Questions like - what does the finished Trench option look like - not clear to me where the train goes
and where the cars go and how it will really look overall. What noise impact will there be with any of these
options, once increased train traffic occurs. (I live a half mile from the tracks.) What is ranking of estimated
costs of these options (and magnitude of difference between them?) What is the benefit of spending so much
money for a tunnel and leaving freight at ground (I get that freight trains are less frequent and thus less
disruptive to cross traffic but still it seems a lot of $ and disruption to have a tunnel and then have only some of
the trains use it.) A chart that compares the options in terms of cost, disruption to creeks, disruption to
commute, relocation of utilities would be helpful.
Thank you to each of you for doing the work of understanding these options more thoroughly than I have time
to do, and making the best decision on behalf of all of us.
Sincerely,
Michal Ruth Sadoff
63
Baumb, Nelly
From:adam lara <adamgiants5@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 23, 2020 11:56 AM
To:ParkRec Commission; Council, City
Subject:Parks for All
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I vote to open the Foothills park for all non Palo Alto residents to visit.
Thanks,
Adam L.
64
Baumb, Nelly
From:Kenneth Streib <ken_streib@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 22, 2020 4:22 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:SB1120
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please oppose SB1120. It is clear that we have no mandate to build more until the existing crises are
resolved.
Thanks,
Ken Streib
65
Baumb, Nelly
From:Magic <magic@ecomagic.org>
Sent:Saturday, August 22, 2020 12:40 PM
To:North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan; Council, City
Subject:NVCAP
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Councilmembers,
Global phenomena: climate degradation, mass extinction, pandemic, etc. are increasingly rendering past fantasies about
consequences of human activity untenable. We will rue the day that we put anything on this site other than open space.
Thanks for reading and considering this perspective.
David Schrom
************ Magic, 1979‐2020: forty‐one years of valuescience leadership *************
Magic demonstrates how people can address individual, social, and environmental
ills nearer their roots by applying science to discern value more accurately and realize
it more fully.
Enjoy the satisfaction of furthering Magic's work by making one‐time or recurring gifts
at http://ecomagic.org/participate.shtml#contribute. Magic is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Contributions are tax‐deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
THANK YOU!
www.ecomagic.org ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ (650) 323‐7333‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Magic, Box 15894, Stanford, CA 94309
*************************************************************************************************
66
Baumb, Nelly
From:Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 11:51 PM
To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; David Balakian; Leodies
Buchanan; beachrides; bballpod; bearwithme1016@att.net; paul.caprioglio; Council, City; Cathy Lewis;
Chris Field; dennisbalakian; Doug Vagim; Dan Richard; Daniel Zack; dlfranklin0@outlook.com;
esmeralda.soria@fresno.gov; eappel@stanford.edu; fmbeyerlein@sbcglobal.net;
francis.collins@nih.gov; fmerlo@wildelectric.net; Steven Feinstein; grinellelake@yahoo.com;
huidentalsanmateo; steve.hogg; hennessy; Irv Weissman; jerry ruopoli; Joel Stiner; kfsndesk; Mark
Kreutzer; kwalsh@kmaxtv.com; Pam Kelly; lalws4@gmail.com; leager;
mthibodeaux@electriclaboratories.com; Mayor; margaret-sasaki@live.com; newsdesk; nick yovino;
tsheehan; terry; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu;
Mark Standriff
Subject:Fwd: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 11:28 PM
Subject: Fwd: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 4:27 PM
Subject: Fwd: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 3:51 PM
Subject: Fwd: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 3:34 PM
67
Subject: Fwd: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 3:22 PM
Subject: B Apple on Tues, Aug. 11, 2020. Now up glt producing 11% in less than 2 wks.
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
🤐
Friday, August 21, 2020‐
To all‐ I B some Apple a week ago Tues., on August 11, 2020 for $445.00 per share. It has now jumped 11.79% in
under two weeks to close at $497.48 today, up $24.38 today, up 5.15% today. Makes me feel guilty to make such easy $
in the market. I sure won't tell anyone. That's 12 years of bank interest in eight trading sessions.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwJXLlbzTjmTvfxnLDmqrMnZNfr
But Nvidia, NVDA, for which I paid $204 per share in mid‐March, 2020, c. today at $507.34, for a gain of
13.25% in the two weeks since Friday, August 7, 2020. And, of course, today's $507.34 as a percent of the $204 I paid for
it in March is a gain of 149%, where a gain of 100% is a doubling. So it is on its way to a tripling since March, and I
believe it will get there.
The virus stocks are a crap‐shoot. One needs a strong stomach to own them. The only two major players I don't
own are Merck and J and J. I bought 5 shrs of Novavax, NVAX, at $182 on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, and it c. today at
$137.62, for an eye‐watering drop of 24.4% in two weeks and two days.
Then there is Sorrento Therapeutics, SRNE. A checkered history since I bought it on Friday, May 15, 2020 at $6.76
per share, 200 shares.
It fell to $3.86 on Thursday, June 4. It recovered to $13.785 by Wednesday, August 5.
Monday, August 10 was a big day for SRNE. It closed at $18.82. The next day, back to $14.09.
It closed today, Friday, August 21, 2020 at $10.04, giving me a gain of $3.28 X 200 = $656.00 The gain at $18.82
was $2,412.00 if I had sold then.
I am not inclined to sell. SRNE said in May that they have a med which stops the virus in its tracks, at least in a
dish. That caused a huge spike in the stock for one day. They are now beginning phase one trials of that, I believe. Then a
few days ago they made a deal with the Columbia University fertility lab to market a chem, developed by Columbia,
which reacts with the DNA of the virus in 30 minutes. It's a saliva test. Columbia makes chems which they use to test for
certain DNA in embryos and fetuses. No huge leap then to produce one which reacts with the DNA of the Corona
virus. They take some saliva from one with a dropper, put it in a test tube of chems (their entire test kit), stir it and then
heat it for 30 minutes. No lab equipment needed, no sending a sample off for testing. If the solution turns yellow after
30 minutes, the donor is positive for the virus. This week the FDA gave an emergency use authorization for a saliva test
from Yale University which produces a result in three hours. When SRNE gets that authorization for their test, I think
their stock will jump.
68
Here is the Sorrento website. Click on Covid19 programs to see what they have.
https://sorrentotherapeutics.com/
LH
69
Baumb, Nelly
From:Pc User <pc77user@aol.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 8:42 PM
To:Perla Simmons; Rachel Joy Simmons; Tom & Beth Simmons; Camille Lachica; Carol Macannico; Nancy
Brais; Rachel Simmons; Tom & Beth Simmons; janet darcey; Andres Lorraine; Jackie Andres Schnell;
Patty LaPlaca; Craig Simmons; Mila Lachica; Christian Perucho; James Perucho; Neil Perucho; Perla's
Family; Perla's Family; Perla's Family; Perla's Family
Subject:PLANDEMIC INDOCTORNATION (FULL)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Could it be that those who want to control the whole world have intentionally unleashed a deadly virus upon us, with a
promise to release even deadlier ones that will really "get our attention" (his words) ? To answer that question, you
might want to watch this video. BTW, I would suspect that if in fact they did, then I'll bet that they already have the cure.
Think about that for awhile. If you like this PLANDEMIC movie, then pass it on to everyone you know.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/mzE6xJk5Jvbb/
Best Regards, & Stay Healthy !
RJS
70
Baumb, Nelly
From:Patricia Jones <pkjones1000@icloud.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 4:22 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please oppose SB 1120
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please call our Assemblymember, Marc Berman, and ask him to oppose
SB 1120.
SB 1120 is an attack on homeownership at all incomes. It harms 21M
people. It lets rental giants build four pricey market‐rate rentals where
one home now stands, with no yard and no garage. It shuts out
homeownership across California.
Thank you very much.
Patricia Jones
1407 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Patricia Jones
www.pkjones.com
pkjones1000@icloud.com
71
Baumb, Nelly
From:Janet St Peter <jst.pete@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 2:29 PM
To:Council, City; Police; Transportation
Cc:Jan St. Peter
Subject:California Avenue Underpass - Safety, Social Distancing and Masks
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Members of the City Council, Chief Jonsen, and Office of Transportation
Now, when social distancing and wearing a mask are required in Santa Clara County, I’m writing again (first letter below)
to ask if you have any ideas how to make bicyclists follow the signage posted in and around the California Avenue
underpass.
Since I received no response from any of you, I have a few ideas for you to consider:
Train non‐police personnel to monitor the underpass with the authority to hand out citations.
The duties of this position would include:
showing bicyclists where the bike lanes are located so they can use them when coming out of the underpass
instead of riding on the sidewalk
give citations to bicyclists who ride through the tunnel when others are present, with an extra citation if they
aren’t wearing a mask.
This process should be announced in the local newspapers and on NextDoor a week prior to the start of monitoring. The
first week of monitoring could be in the form of warnings, followed by citations thereafter. Webcams should be set up to
support the underpass monitor as they perform their duties.
The citation for riding though the tunnel could be a monetary fine and/or traffic school that teaches bicyclists the rules
of‐the road and courtesy when riding their bike. The fine for not wearing a mask
per: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2020/08/12/santa‐clara‐county‐imposes‐fines‐on‐public‐health‐violators‐
as‐covid‐19‐cases‐surge
Under normal times, the California Avenue underpass feels unsafe due to bicyclists who flaunt the rules. Under Covid‐19
times, this narrow, partially enclosed underpass is unsafe.
Sincerely,
Jan St. Peter
2139 High St.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Janet St Peter <jst.pete@gmail.com>
72
Subject: California Avenue Underpass - Safety and Social Distancing
Date: June 24, 2020 at 9:58:36 AM PDT
To: pd@cityofpaloalto.org, city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Cc: "Transportation@cityofpaloalto.org" <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Jan St. Peter"
<jst.pete@gmail.com>
Dear Members of the City Council and Chief Jonsen,
I’m writing about the California Avenue underpass. I live two blocks from the underpass, yet rarely use it
because I feel unsafe due to some bicyclists’ rude behavior. Since the barricades in the underpass were
opened several years ago, many bicyclists speed through with no regard for pedestrians, even though
signs state they must dismount when “others” are present. The underpass is maybe eight feet wide and
down by the barricade the passage area is no more than three feet. So now more than ever bicyclists,
most of whom are not wearing masks, need to walk their bikes to maintain the recommended social
distance.
The city has done a great job with signage and creating bike lanes for bicyclists around California Avenue
and the underpass. What is lacking is guidance. I hesitate to use the word “enforcement” for fear of a
repeat of the 2013 incident where a young woman was handcuffed and arrested for riding through the
underpass. There must be a middle ground. Any ideas?
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Jan St. Peter
2139 High St
73
Baumb, Nelly
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 2:04 PM
To:Jonsen, Robert; Perron, Zachary; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Fine, Adrian; Council, City; alphonse9947
@gmail.com; Stump, Molly; Minor, Beth; Cary Andrew Crittenden; Donna Wallach; Dennis Upton; Dr
t; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; vramirez@redwoodcity.org; GRP-City Council
Subject:Silicon Valley De-Bug | James and Konda: The Time Has Come for a Police Crimes Unit -expanded
version of a piece originally published in the Daily Journal and SJ Insider
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
https://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/james‐and‐konda‐the‐time‐has‐come‐for‐a‐police‐crimes‐unit
Sent from my iPhone
74
Baumb, Nelly
From:Hyunkyu Lee <psykyu@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 21, 2020 9:33 AM
To:Council, City; Architectural Review Board; Planning Commission; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Objection to Castelleja expansion
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I would like to thank you for all your hard work.
I have reviewed the Castilleja expansion plan and would like to object to its plan from Kellogg
resident's perspective. I found that there is no community benefit to Castelleja's expansion plan for Palo Alto,
especially for the residents living around the Castilleja school.
1. Only 25% of Castelleja's students come from Palo Alto.
Castilleja sits on just over 6 acres in a R-1 residential neighborhood, upon which they pay no
taxes. They have been over-enrolled (from which they’ve banked over $10 million) for 19 years.
The school is requesting a 30% increase in enrollment and 90 events per school year, which
needs to be significantly reduced to levels comparable to other schools in R-1 neighborhoods.
2. Construction of a Costco-Sized Facility
Castilleja’s plans call for the construction of an oversized, boxy structure, which does not fit in
with the character of the neighborhood and causes dramatic densification of one residential
block.
3. Destruction of the Natural Environment
A bucolic residential neighborhood will now lose many protected oaks and redwoods, some
chopped down and some “re-located”, in what will be a futile attempt, to a new location on the
campus. The health of Palo Alto’s carbon-reducing tree canopy is further destroyed.
4. Underground Garage, Threat to Pedestrians and Cyclists
Proposed 440 car trips during 2 peak hours alone (total in excess of 1400 daily car trips) will
overwhelm the neighborhood. Cars entering and exiting the garage would clog neighborhood
streets and jeopardize cyclists on the Bryant Street bike boulevard.
5. Precedent-Setting Project for Palo Alto Neighborhoods
If this project is approved, what does this mean for Palo Alto’s
neighborhoods? Would YOU want a commercial underground garage exit across from your
home, constant weekday traffic and off-hour events, and 5 years of commercial construction?
Given all these concerns, I strongly object to Castellija expansion plan.
There is NO community benefit from the plan.
75
Best regard,
Kyu Lee (151 Kellogg)
76
Baumb, Nelly
From:Pc User <pc77user@aol.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 3:29 PM
To:David Meiswinkle; Frank Agamennon; Richard Gage; Dennis Tiernan; Lou Basile; Philip Hussa; Steve
Kormondy; biotica@aol.com; Andres Lorraine; Camille Lachica; Joanne Casey; Perla Simmons; Carol
Macannico; Nancy Brais; ezrider67@verizon.net; mkormondy@yahoo.com; Haydee Bill Mooney;
Rachel Simmons; NJ Electrician; Rachel Joy Simmons; Patty LaPlaca; mon.tp.coalition@gmail.com;
Tom & Beth Simmons; Jackie Andres Schnell; zeke@verizon.net; Sandy and Jason Khneiger; Sea Girt
Medical; Cheryl & Erin Hough Al; Messina Mary; Kupniewski Arlene; A Son Of RevWar; Agnes
Gibboney; Ammo Land; Ammo Land; Apple & Anthony Jaraza; Tea Party Patriots Action Jenny Beth
Martin; Tom Fitton On The Air Report; Main Street Patriot; Martine Schroeter; Advance Media;
Advance Media; Advance Media; Advance Media; Coast Star; Coast Star; Coast Star; Coast Star; Coast
Star; BriellePolice@Verizon.net; Spring Lake Police; Rutherford Police; Sea Girt Police; Wall Police;
Rutherford Police; Gene Kolich
Subject:Warning to Americans from COMMUNIST South Africa
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Listen to what this guy tells you in his one minute message. They did it to Zimbabwe, and next they got South Africa,
and now they are here, taking advantage of things that happened hundreds of years ago, just as an excuse to raise the
rabble. For some, this may be the second time you got this today. Consider yourself lucky, and let it sink in. They got
their eye on you and everything you have. Arm up and always carry. All infringing laws are null and void from inception
according to the Supremacy Clause found in Article Six of the US Constitution. And the last I looked it was still the most
supreme law of the land !!!!! The Kommies have their people placed in a lot of high positions in the local, state, and
national governments. Tell them to go to hell !
https://rense.com/general96/warning‐to‐americans‐from‐COMMUNIST‐South‐Africa.php
Best Regards, & Stay Healthy ! Don't Ever Give Up Any Of Your Rights To TRAITORS Operating Under The Color Of Law.
RJS
77
Baumb, Nelly
From:Kathleen Tarlow <kbrizgys@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 1:03 PM
To:Library, Pa; Council, City
Subject:Library closures due to air quality
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I was calling about my library pickup appointment this afternoon, and was told the library would be closed due to
"forecasted air quality." Currently the air quality is between 30 and 55, which is in the good‐moderate range.
Library access is already severely limited. We have to reserve our hold books, wait until they arrive for pickup, then
schedule an appointment. It is not a fast process. And this at a time when children are at home, under‐occupied with
school and without access to books from the school.
I fail to see how this is a reasonable policy. The library is open 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. One day of closure is very
impactful, and all for a notoriously unreliable hourly air quality forecast. I understand closing up when air quality reaches
dangerous levels, but that is not currently the case, and might not be the case the entire afternoon.
The long‐running reduction of our city services is starting to really wear on us, I believe families are especially impacted.
No playgrounds, difficult library access, limited sports and classes. Please help keep these community services intact.
They are essential.
Thanks,
Kathleen Tarlow
78
Baumb, Nelly
From:Sam Kaplinsky <samkaplinsky14@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 12:33 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:We need a skatepark
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
My name is Sam Kaplinsky and I wanted to ask if there was a possibility of building a community skatepark? the only
skatepark in Palo Alto is the Greer skatepark. Although it is a good park, it is more geared towards advanced
skateboarders and does not provide enough variety or degree of difficulty to help beginners learn how to skateboard.
Palo Alto has many kids who are attempting to learn how to skateboard, however, given that there is no skatepark that
can adequately help them learn, they are either unable to progress or decide to try and skate places that are not
necessarily safe nor legal. We could raise money through community fundraising, and all we need would be an area of
land to build it on. I would really appreciate it if you would consider the idea, and respond when you can.
Thanks,
Sam.
79
Baumb, Nelly
From:Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 12:27 PM
To:Shikada, Ed
Cc:Liz Kniss; Dueker, Kenneth; Council, City
Subject:Re: Wildfires
Hi Ed,
I very much appreciate that you responded to me so quickly. Thank you.
However, I believe the good news that you are sharing, as well as the advice about signing up for SCCAlert, should be
shared more widely to all of Palo Alto ‐ not just me. In times like these, we want our leaders to inform us about what
NOT to be worried about.
Perhaps this could be sent out to the same list that gets the excellent emails about the Coronavirus.
Thanks again.
Bonnie Packer
On Aug 20, 2020, at 12:02 PM, Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote:
Thank you for your feedback, Ms. Packer. Please be aware that as of this morning, the Santa Cruz
complex fire is headed away from Santa Clara County. Of course this can change at any time, so your
signing up for SCCAlert is a smart and important action. For a multi‐county emergency such as this,
SCCAlert is a primary communication method for critical and location‐specific information.
Sincerely,
‐‐Ed
<image003.png>Ed Shikada
City Manager
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329‐2280ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org
From: Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2020 11:18 AM
To: Liz Kniss <liz.kniss@gmail.com>
Cc: Palo Alto Online <editor@paweekly.com>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr
<CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Re: Wildfires
80
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your quick response. My original message had a typo in the City Manager’s email address, so
I forwarded your message to him and I am now correcting it in this message.
I also posted this on Town Square.
If the City Manager can issue messages about ridiculous curfews, he can certainly issue a message ‐
hopefully a comforting one ‐ about what is going on around us.
I only learned about the park closures through Facebook and PaloAltoOnline. Why no message direct
from the City?
We need leadership in these times.
Bonnie
On Aug 20, 2020, at 10:22 AM, Liz Kniss <liz.kniss@gmail.com> wrote:
Ed? Can you help w an answer?
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 20, 2020, at 9:53 AM, Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net>
wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the
organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and
clicking on links.
Why is the City not issuing any statements via an alert system, emails or
phone calls to its citizens relating to the wildfires surrounding us? The
only notices from the City I have seen are on Facebook which many
people do not regularly access. There is nothing on the website unless
you search through many pages.
It would be helpful to know what we should or should not be concerned
about during this time.
I have signed up for SCCAlert, but that will only tell me about dire
events affecting the county. People living or working in Palo Alto need
more specific information.
Please make a better effort to communicate with us. The silence from
the City is shameful but sadly consistent with prior failures to effectively
communicate.
81
Bonnie Packer
Stone Lane
Palo Alto
82
Baumb, Nelly
From:Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 11:18 AM
To:Liz Kniss
Cc:Palo Alto Online; Council, City; City Mgr
Subject:Re: Wildfires
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your quick response. My original message had a typo in the City Manager’s email address, so I forwarded
your message to him and I am now correcting it in this message.
I also posted this on Town Square.
If the City Manager can issue messages about ridiculous curfews, he can certainly issue a message ‐ hopefully a
comforting one ‐ about what is going on around us.
I only learned about the park closures through Facebook and PaloAltoOnline. Why no message direct from the City?
We need leadership in these times.
Bonnie
On Aug 20, 2020, at 10:22 AM, Liz Kniss <liz.kniss@gmail.com> wrote:
Ed? Can you help w an answer?
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 20, 2020, at 9:53 AM, Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Why is the City not issuing any statements via an alert system, emails or phone calls to
its citizens relating to the wildfires surrounding us? The only notices from the City I have
seen are on Facebook which many people do not regularly access. There is nothing on
the website unless you search through many pages.
It would be helpful to know what we should or should not be concerned about during
this time.
I have signed up for SCCAlert, but that will only tell me about dire events affecting the
county. People living or working in Palo Alto need more specific information.
83
Please make a better effort to communicate with us. The silence from the City is
shameful but sadly consistent with prior failures to effectively communicate.
Bonnie Packer
Stone Lane
Palo Alto
84
Baumb, Nelly
From:Pc User <pc77user@aol.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 10:35 AM
To:Perla Simmons; Rachel Joy Simmons; Tom & Beth Simmons; Camille Lachica; Carol Macannico; Nancy
Brais; Richard Gage; Frank Agamennon; Dennis Tiernan; Lou Basile; Philip Hussa; biotica@aol.com;
Steve Kormondy; Andres Lorraine; drmeiswinkle@aol.com; ezrider67@verizon.net;
mkormondy@yahoo.com; Haydee Bill Mooney; NJ Electrician; mon.tp.coalition@gmail.com; Patty
LaPlaca; Tom & Beth Simmons; Jackie Andres Schnell; zeke@verizon.net; Sandy and Jason Khneiger;
Mary Messina; Rachel Simmons; janet darcey; Sea Girt Medical; Cheryl & Erin Hough Al; Mila LaChica;
Cook-Simmons Dot; Craig Simmons; BriellePolice@Verizon.net; Spring Lake Police; Rutherford Police;
Gene Kolich; Sea Girt Police; Rutherford Police; Wall Police; Bob Nichols; David Gahary; M. S. King;
Detective N. Montgomery; BBC ONLY; Advance Media; Michael Bolden; Brian M. Hanlon; Paul John
Bernabo; Judith Buruk; Paula Dassbach; Brother Nathanael; Dudley Brown; Christopher Bollyn; Cedar
Swamp Historical Society Collection; Courthouse News; Steve Hendershot; Candice Reynolds; Ed
Durfee; John Dilberger; LIST Dutchess County; Pam David; tellallwtc7@gmail.com; Martha McSally;
Willie & Gloria Melton; Tommy Elixir; Joanne Singerman; Cheryl H.; Pat Gotschalk; Kathy Wood;
Kristina Martinelli; Father Boby Kurian; Patrick Martin; Kupniewski Arlene
Subject:Fwd: BAD NEWS: Famous economist warns of U.S. dollar crash
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Heads Up, Folks !!! You all better find a way to stay financially safe !!! The world financial system is a house of cards, a
veritable Ponzi scheme, all dependent on Quadrillion's of dollars worth of previously illegal DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS, and
$TRILLIONS of missing dollars on government balance sheets. And it can't go on much longer, that's for sure. At least,
that's what this guy, and many more, think !
Best Regards, & Stay Healthy !
RJS
Begin forwarded message:
From: Patriot News Network <kjacobs@patriotpowerednetwork.com>
Date: August 20, 2020 at 12:18:54 EDT
To: pc77user@aol.com
Subject: BAD NEWS: Famous economist warns of U.S. dollar crash
Reply‐To: patpubs@restrictedmembersonly.com
To update or remove your contact information please ManageYour Subscription
85
SPONSOR
Here's How The Dollar Crash Will
Unfold
Dear Reader,
Yale University professor Stephen Roach
sent shockwaves through the financial
community recently when he wrote a
story for Bloomberg titled, How the
Coming Crash in the Dollar Will
Unfold.
In the article, Roach says, "America's saving and current-
account problems are about to come into play with a
vengeance."
And Roach is not the only financial expert warning
Americans to pay attention to what's happening to our
currency.
Porter Stansberry, who started America's most successful
financial research firm more than 20 years ago, says:
"Today, every savvy wealthy person I know is
desperately seeking a way out of our corrupt and
bankrupt global financial system and the U.S. dollar.
And it's fascinating how they're doing it."
Stansberry adds:
86
"What we're ultimately looking at here will be the
biggest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind —
bigger than any political revolution by a huge
margin."
Stansberry is well known for not only identifying many of the
decade's biggest winners (he recommended Amazon at $59
and Paypal before it soared 800%)...
But also many of the biggest busts, including the collapse of
GM, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and many others.
On March 26th, when everything in America was shutting
down, and just before the markets soared, Stansberry said:
"Now is an unbelievable opportunity to establish a
position in some... super high-quality 'forever'
businesses."
And now, Stansberry has an even more urgent message. He
says a huge new currency shift is underway, which will
definitely affect you and your money.
That's why he went on camera for 10 minutes from his corner
office to explain the full U.S. dollar story, and the 3 critical
steps every American should now take.
I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to get the facts
for yourself today.
I guarantee watching Stansberry's video will be worth your
time. You can view it on our firm's website, right here...
Sincerely,
87
Mike Palmer
Founding Partner, Stansberry Research
Delivering world-class investment research since 1999
P.S. Fair warning: Porter Stansberry and his conclusions are
controversial. In just the first few minutes of his new video,
Stansberry takes on some of the most "politically incorrect"
subjects in America today. Do not watch if you are easily
offended. Click here for this U.S. dollar story.
Material Connection Disclosure: Unless otherwise expressly stated, you should assume that all references to products and services on this
website are made because material connections exist between the sender of this email and the providers of the mentioned products and
services.
DMCA Notice | Anti-Spam Policy | Privacy Policy | Support Desk
External Links Notice | Terms | Compensation Disclosure
To update or remove your contact information please Manage Your Subscription .at Any Time to be Unsubscribe and be Removed from
this Email Database.
Patriot News Network 5350 South Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK, US, 73109
To update or remove your contact information please Manage Your Subscription.
The linked be displayehave been ren amed, oVerify that to the corrlocation.
88
Baumb, Nelly
From:Liz Kniss <liz.kniss@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 10:22 AM
To:Bonnie Packer
Cc:ctymgr@cityofpaloalto.org; Council, City; Palo Alto Online
Subject:Re: Wildfires
Ed? Can you help w an answer?
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 20, 2020, at 9:53 AM, Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious
of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Why is the City not issuing any statements via an alert system, emails or phone calls to its citizens
relating to the wildfires surrounding us? The only notices from the City I have seen are on Facebook
which many people do not regularly access. There is nothing on the website unless you search through
many pages.
It would be helpful to know what we should or should not be concerned about during this time.
I have signed up for SCCAlert, but that will only tell me about dire events affecting the county. People
living or working in Palo Alto need more specific information.
Please make a better effort to communicate with us. The silence from the City is shameful but sadly
consistent with prior failures to effectively communicate.
Bonnie Packer
Stone Lane
Palo Alto
89
Baumb, Nelly
From:Bonnie Packer <bbpacker@comcast.net>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 9:53 AM
To:ctymgr@cityofpaloalto.org; Council, City
Cc:Palo Alto Online
Subject:Wildfires
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Why is the City not issuing any statements via an alert system, emails or phone calls to its citizens relating to the
wildfires surrounding us? The only notices from the City I have seen are on Facebook which many people do not
regularly access. There is nothing on the website unless you search through many pages.
It would be helpful to know what we should or should not be concerned about during this time.
I have signed up for SCCAlert, but that will only tell me about dire events affecting the county. People living or working
in Palo Alto need more specific information.
Please make a better effort to communicate with us. The silence from the City is shameful but sadly consistent with
prior failures to effectively communicate.
Bonnie Packer
Stone Lane
Palo Alto
90
Baumb, Nelly
From:Diane McCoy <dianemccoy10@comcast.net>
Sent:Wednesday, August 19, 2020 4:11 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.
________________________________
Dear Council Members Dubois, Kou, Kniss and Tanaka, Thank you so much for voting in favor of protecting the
magnificent oak tree at 2353 Webster in Palo Alto.
This is such a positive, uplifting piece of news to get today. With all the challenges, disappointments and concerns
confronting all of us from all different areas preserving something like this in our environment , in nature, in what our
city stands for is reassuring and hopeful. I truly believe it also sends a strong message of what should be valued to
young people of all ages; preserving and protecting our environment.
Thank you again,
Diane McCoy
Resident
Greer Road
91
Baumb, Nelly
From:Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 19, 2020 12:50 PM
To:Minor, Beth
Cc:Council, City; Shikada, Ed
Subject:Re: Ballot Drop off Boxes ASAP?
Beth,
Could you request enough boxes to handle the fact that California will be an all mail ballot this year
and also we want to maximize social distancing. I'd hate for one of the boxes to become too full to
accept more ballots. I also suspect 3 is not enough. Thank you.
Hamilton Hitchings
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 11:50:15 AM PDT, Minor, Beth <beth.minor@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Hi Hamilton,
The boxes are regulated and dispersed by the Registrar of Voters. They usually put the boxes out about a week before
the ballots are mailed, which I believe is around 10/3. All ballot counting is done by the Registrar of Voters staff and
machines. All cities and districts within Santa Clara County contract with the Registrar to conduct their elections. I
believe we may have 3 boxes, I will confirm, and we will once again have Vote Centers that will open the Friday before
the election and will be open until 8 pm on November 3.
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 19, 2020, at 10:20 AM, Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
Given the attempts to suppress voting by the USPS, and that a mail sorting machine
has already been removed from the downtown Palo Alto USPS branch on Hamilton
Ave, can the City of Palo Alto put drop off ballot boxes out as soon as mail in ballots are
sent out so we don't have to use the US Post Office? Also, is there any chance the city
can start counting ballots before election day? Thank you.
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 2:16 PM
To:Planning Commission
Cc:French, Amy; Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Comments of Aug 26 2020 PTC review of Castilleja Expansion
Attachments:CastillejaPTC_Aug26_2020.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear PTC Commissioners,
Please see the PDF attachment for my comments of the PTC review of Castilleja Expansion
project.
Thanks
Nelson
Date August 24th 2020
Dear PTC Commissioners,
My name is Nelson Ng. I have lived for 24 years at 1260 Emerson Street that is across
from Castilleja’s proposed garage exit. Being one of the closest residents to the garage
exit, I strongly oppose Alternative 2 to 5 as stated in the Final EIR because none of the
alternatives reduce traffic to address the true impact of the Castilleja Expansion project
to the neighborhood.
Building an underground garage or surface parking lot in an R-1 Single Family
Neighborhood will allow Castilleja to bring additional traffic to the neighborhood that
will result in degrading the living conditions of the adjacent residents.
Palo Alto Municipal Code sec 18.76.010 Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
(c) Findings
Neither the director, nor the city council on appeal, shall grant a
conditional use permit, unless it is found that the granting of the
application will:
(1) Not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in
the vicinity, and will not be detrimental to the public health,
safety, general welfare, or convenience;
The alternative that would truly reduce the impact to the neighborhood is to provide
satellite parking and shuttle students and staffs to campus without building
underground garage or additional surface parking lot.
This Final EIR Traffic Impact Study is incomplete and with inaccurate findings. By citing
CEQA’s limited requirements for studying only peak commute hours, the FEIR fails to
provide a complete picture of the proposed project traffic impact to the neighborhood.
Unlike commuters, the residents live in the neighborhood 24/7. Nor were any studies
conducted to study traffic with 3 drops offs and the garage as proposed in the
Alternative 4 introduced in 2020. In addition, assumptions were made based on
inaccurate information or without justification. Therefore, I am requesting the
commission to reject the current version of the Final EIR until necessary studies and
accurate information are presented.
Following are some of the examples
• In year 2000, the City issued Castilleja a CUP with condition #5
• point # 27: Castilleja has 5 major functions each year …
• point #28: Additionally, there are several other events
during the year...
Over the years, Castilleja has violated the CUP by holding over 100 events per
academic year. That is an average of over 3 events per week. Therefore, it is
important to study the event impact during weekdays, evenings and
weekends. However, in Responses to Comments C39-1-10 rejected to study
events with
Special event traffic is not reflected in the traffic
impacts analysis because this traffic typically occurs
outside of peak hours and does not contribute to average
daily traffic volumes and conditions.
The Final EIR accepted the Castilleja’s current 100+ events as the baseline
without any study and recommending 90 events as stated in Castilleja’s
Expansion application. Most private schools in the area only allow for 0 to 10
after hours events per academic year. Therefore, I am urging the commission to
recommend that Castilleja will only be allowed to have no more than 10 –20
events per years and with strict monitoring and reporting process to the City and
the neighbors. Any violation will result in severe fines or revoke the CUP from
more than 3 violations. They as any other business must adhere to strict
regulations for operating under a Conditional Use Permit in a Single Family
Neighborhood!
• In the DEIR, both Alternative 2 and 3 were found to result in Significant and
Unavoidable Impact even with Mitigation due to over 80% increase of net new
trips for northbound Emerson to eastbound Embarcadero from 842 to 1521 daily
trip. Alternative 4 was proposed in April 2020 and added to the Final EIR
without any study to validate the assumption. In page 44 of TIS,
This alternative assumes 60 percent off all project related
private auto travel would use the Bryant Street loop, 30
percent would use the Kellogg Avenue loop and the remaining
10 percent would use the underground garage with an entrance
on Bryant Street and exit onto Emerson Street.
By arbitrarily assigning only 10% of the traffic will go into the underground
garage and further splitting up the garage exiting traffic by allowing to either
turn left or right on to Emerson, it supposedly reduces the net new traffic
for northbound Emerson to eastbound Embarcadero by 92% from 679 to
51. However, this assumption was not justified with any reason or study to
ensure that the assumption will actually happen.
• Kellogg Ave that is at the south border of Castilleja was never studied in the
EIR. So we do not know what is the impact to Kellogg from Alternative 4 due to
the garage exist traffic left turn onto Emerson toward Kellogg and the additional
dropoff points on Bryant and Kellogg side of Castilleja campus proposed in
Alternative 4.
• In Figure 16 page 53 of TIS, it shows 292 and 220 net new daily trips are
added to Bryant Street between Embarcadero and Kellogg and between Kellogg
and Churchill due to Alternative 4 by adding the addition dropoff on Bryant
Street. Bryant Street is a Bike Blvd that is a major artery for students and
commuter cyclists. Adding any additional traffic will increase the risk to the
cyclists. I can’t find in the FEIR concrete steps to mitigate the risk.
• For over 24 years, I have lived within 300 ft from the south side of
Embarcadero and Emerson. On a daily basis, I have to make a right turn from
northbound Emerson onto eastbound Embarcadero. I frequently see Paly
students riding their bikes on the south side of Embarcadero Road sidewalk that
borders Castilleja traveling eastbound crossing Emerson to PALY. Although this
is against the traffic direction of the road, they avoid the long signal light at Town
and Country by traveling on the south sidewalks of Embarcadero instead of the
north side. This is very dangerous intersection because drivers making right turn
from Emerson onto eastbound Embarcadero will be focusing to look to their left
for the high speed eastbound Embarcadero traffic traveling 30 to 40+ MPH. I
have seen near misses when bicyclists crossing Emerson on south side of
Embarcadero toward PALY. I requested that to be study as part of Comment
Letter C39.2 for DEIR. However, in the Response C39.2-1 in Final EIR, it only
stated the following assumption with boilerplate answer by citing CEQA without
addressing the risk of the real situation that many Paly students on a daily basis
are using the sidewalk on south side of Embarcadero Road traveling westbound
to PALY. (Please see picture below for better visual understanding of the Emerson and
Embarcadero intersection)
Since CEQA states that the analysis in an EIR should not
be speculative, it is reasonable to assume that
individuals will adhere to traffic laws, including speed
limits and bicyclists using the right-hand side of the
road. Any bicyclists using the Emerson Street crosswalk on
the south side of Embarcadero Road should also be
traveling eastbound and would be visible to a driver
watching the eastbound vehicle traffic.
• As part of Comment C39.1-9 for the DEIR, I requested that car traffic be
measured one to two blocks away since many times I have seen parents drop off
students or drive to events on campus. Encroachments further out into outlying
neighborhoods were not studied but should have been. For example, Castilleja
students are routinely dropped off at the cul-de-sac on Melville between Bryant
and Waverley. Those traffic counts are not included in Castilleja’s count of cars
entering their parking lot. However, in the Response C39.1-9 in Final EIR, it only
stated the following boilerplate answer by citing CEQA without studying the true
impact
The comment is correct that driveway vehicle counts do not
capture students that may be dropped-off on neighborhood
streets. The student travel survey was used to account for
those students. The results of the TDM plan monitoring
reports were also used to further inform the assessment of
trip generation and distribution associated with existing
and proposed conditions This represents a reasonable
attempt at determining an accurate baseline and projected
conditions, consistent with industry standard methods, and
consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15003(i) which
states that “CEQA does not require technical perfection in
an EIR, but rather adequacy, completeness, and a good-
faith effort at full disclosure.”
• The following is from page 44 of Castilleja EIR Appendix E Traffic Impact
Study for Castilleja School Expansion_July 2020.pdf
Bryant Street Collision Analysis
The collision history for the segment of Bryant Street
between Embarcadero Road and Kellogg Avenue was reviewed to
determine the number of collisions during a recent three-
year period and to potentially identify trends based on the
collision history. This information is based on records
available from the California Highway Patrol as published in
their Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS)
reports from March 30, 2015 to March 31, 2018. A single non-
injury collision occurred along the study segment during
this period. This collision occurred between a vehicle and a
fixed object and did not involve a bicycle.
Finding – Given the relatively small number of documented
crashes and the lack of any crashes involving bicycles along
the segment of Bryant Street between Embarcadero Road and
Kellogg Avenue, a safety concern involving bicycles along
the study segment has not been demonstrated.
However, there was an accident involving a bicyclist at the intersection of Bryant
and Embarcadero on 2/13/2018 at around 5pm that shutdown both direction of
Embarcadero for over an hour. Following is extracted from the Palo Alto Weekly
article Two injured in Embarcadero Road collision
Two men were injured in a collision on a major thoroughfare
shut down for more than an hour in Palo Alto at the height
of the evening commute on Tuesday, police said.
Officers responded to the collision at Embarcadero Road and
Bryant Street around 5 p.m. An adult driving a sedan was
heading west on Embarcadero and struck the pedestrian with a
scooter and bicyclist at the intersection, police said.
The above are just some of the examples of the incompleteness and inaccuracy of this
Final EIR. It doesn’t fully study the impact and the safety issues of this project to the
neighborhood.
Due the COVID-19 pandemic, all the schools in the US and across the world are trying to
find ways to cope with the current situation and plan for the post COVID-19 world to
provide education to the students. The City of Palo Alto has temporary closed segments
of streets around University Avenue for outdoor dining. We do not know if these
changes will still be in place post COVID-19. Those closures could reroute some of the
University Ave traffic to Embarcadero Road. The Castilleja Expansion proposal and the
FEIR were completed without any consideration of the COVID-19 world and extra
vigilance that must be taken for social distancing, student density and acceptable
activities. With so much uncertainty in the future, how can we be sure any of the
proposal of this expansion will not have additional significant impact to the community
of Palo Alto?
Therefore, I ask the commission to reject this Final EIR and request additional studies to
fully address the impacts and safety concerns as well analyzing the potential impacts of
COVID-19 in the future and also postpone the discussion of the CUP until the studies are
complete to ensure it will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, general
welfare, or convenience.
Sincerely,
Nelson Ng
2
Baumb, Nelly
From:Carla Befera <carlab@cb-pr.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 1:15 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Comments on Castilleja proposed growth project
Attachments:Carla Befera_Comparison of Castilleja traffic_for ARB 8.20.20.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members:
I am a lifelong Palo Alto resident, and a neighbor of Castilleja school since 1968, and would like to
address some specific issues related to Castilleja’s proposed plans for growth.
As you know, Castilleja submitted a plan in 2019 which was subject to an Environmental Impact
Report, and underwent a comment period as required by SEQA. The public carefully reviewed the
impacts of that plan, and submitted comments during the proscribed period last summer.
During the EIR Review process, the school submitted a revised plan, which was NOT opened to a
review period for public comment. The revised plan completely altered the suggested traffic
pattern, with no additional traffic studies.
Instead of cars arriving and exiting adjacent to Embarcadero as originally proposed, the new plan
has cars dropping off and picking up on all three neighborhood‐facing sides of the school.
According to table MR5‐2 in the FEIR, the school anticipates 1,477 car trips per day, now driving
through all adjacent intersections of this residential neighborhood.
The revised plan maintains that this extensive traffic influx, now spread throughout an R‐1
neighborhood, will be mitigated by its TDM. The neighbors who spent two years negotiating
Castilleja’s previous CUP in the year 2000 can tell you that TDMs ‐ and for that matter enrollment
caps ‐ are in reality not monitored and not enforced.
We are concerned the City’s approach seems to be one of acquiescence and trust: this traffic
impact will be mitigated “because the school says it will.” The neighbors’ experience tells us City
staff does not have the wherewithal to monitor or enforce TDMs, or for that matter enrollment
caps.
Among other issues, we can point to the hard fact that after the City mandated an enrollment cap
of 415 in the year 2000, the school immediately enrolled 416 students the following year, and
continued to grow its enrollment until it came to light that the school had some 458 students, well
over its approved cap. Similarly traffic issues were constant problems, but neighbors’s concerns
were ignored by both the City and by the school ‐ until the school mounted an effort to request
3
additional growth, and suddenly implemented the TDMs it had been neglecting since the year
2000.
You can see by the attached illustration the differential in the original plan and the school’s
revised plan ‐ under this revised plan cars will travel through all the neighboring streets, including
the Bryant Street Bike Boulevard, as well as Kellogg, (which is being proposed as a new bike access
to Paly). All this traffic cuts through bike, car, and pedestrian traffic trying to commute to
neighboring public schools including Green Middle School, Addison and Walter Hayes Elementary
schools, and Paly High. Neighbors are acutely aware of screeching brakes and near misses at the
corner of Kellogg and Bryant, as parents rush to drop off their kids at Castilleja during key
commute hours.
I submit that the revised plan requires its own public comment period, and request that this plan
be returned for its own EIR review.
Finally, under code the school is permitted .30 FAR, but is asking for current pre‐existing FAR of
.42. However, with the garage added, the actual proposed FAR is closer to .58, almost twice the
permitted FAR.
There is argument that unlike for a residence, a garage (if allowed under a CUP) should not be
included in the FAR. We dispute this interpretation. CUPS are not granted to single family homes
and the code clearly states that should a CUP be granted, then “the area of the underground
garage shall be counted in determining the floor area ratio for the site.”
Somehow the school is being permitted an underground garage via a new CUP which has not
been submitted or approved at this time, and is also not being required to include the garage in
its total FAR.
Two other issues to consider:
1. Building code specifies: “if the evaluation of improvements exceed more than 50% of the
existing structure, you are required to conform to existing code.” The school is proposing to
improve some 70% of its existing structures, but is also looking at either .42 FAR (if the
garage is not counted) or .58 if it is. In either scenario, a significant exception is being made
‐ why?
2. The requested increased FAR is predicated on a significant growth in enrollment, ‐ form 415
to 540 ‐ which would only be allowed under a new CUP, one which has not been approved
at this point, and which the public has not seen. How can the City review and approve plans
that are based on CUP allowances that have not been approved?
We request that you deny this approval of this current plan.
Castilleja School
Comparison between the Draft EIR "Drop-off" traffic pattern published in July 2019
to the Final EIR "Drop-off" traffic pattern just recently published on July 30, 2020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
Baumb, Nelly
From:Cary Andrew Crittenden <caryandrewcrittenden@icloud.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 9:04 AM
To:Christopher Welsh
Cc:Brian McComas; Bill Robinson; sixth.district@jud.ca.gov; supreme.court@jud.ca.gov; Stump, Molly;
jjerome.nadler@scscourt.org
Subject:B1903942 ( Clean hands doctrine )
Attachments:MC 410 YAUMAN C1493022.pdf; Habeas Corpus Cary Andrew Crittenden Civil Grand Jury Public
Guardian.pdf; Crittenden - Remittitur.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Chris,
Brian McComas is lying. He falsified the court record and claimed my position has changed. My position has not
changed.
All judgements from this case are VOID .( Fraud on the court ) The police reports and court records are fake.
I am not sure what you received, but in respect to clean hands doctrine, in discovery package, but you will be needing
copy of Hridxi’s MC‐410 from C1493022
.
Corresponding civil grand jury investigation https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/48489
The Pala Alto Police Department did not protect Heidi from the abuse by the Santa Clara County Sheriff department..
On September 11th of last last year, I was arrested by PAPD for tending to the injuries caused to Heidi by Court System,
public Defender, DA & Sheriff department.
Cary Andrew Crittenden
Begin forwarded message:
From: Brian McComas <mccomas.b.c@gmail.com>
Subject: Remittitur on Appeal
Date: August 12, 2020 at 10:12:52 AM PDT
To: Cary Andrew Crittenden <caryandrewcrittenden@icloud.com>
Cc: Bill Robinson <bill@sdap.org>
Cary,
6
The Court of Appeal issued remittitur today. See attached. That means your appeal has concluded. It
also terminates my and SDAP's representation. This our final correspondence on the subject.
We wish you the best going forward,
Brian C. McComas, Esq.
Law Office of B.C. McComas, LLP
PMB 1605, 77 Van Ness Ave., Ste. 101
San Francisco, CA 94102
Cell: 208-320-0383
Fax: 415‐520‐2310
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e‐mail is legally privileged and protected by the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510‐2521. If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of the communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this e‐mail in error, please notify me immediately at (208) 320‐0383
and by return e‐mail, and delete all copies of this message. Thank you.
7
Baumb, Nelly
From:holzemer/hernandez <holz@sonic.net>
Sent:Monday, August 24, 2020 5:49 PM
To:Council, City; City Mgr; City Attorney
Subject:Clear violations of City Codes (Political Signs)
Attachments:DSCF1118.JPG; DSCF1123.JPG; DSCF1125.JPG; DSCF1127.JPG
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council/City Manager/City Attorney,
I'm sorry I missed the Oral Communications period tonight, but wanted to send you all what are clear
violations of the City Code sections (Sec.16.20.100) regarding political signage. These are clear violations and
action to remove or change the locations of the signs should take place immediately.
I hope the City Attorney will take immediate action and not ignore what are clear violations.
I have attached several photos (taken along Middlefield Road between Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway,
plus additional photos taken in the College Terrace neighborhood) that show these violations.
It is my understanding that all political signs MUST be on private land and not "public property" (the narrow
strip between the sidewalks and curbs are "public property").
This is not an attack on any one candidate ‐‐ just ask them to follow the law! Please let me know that you got
this message and this will be taken care of immediately.
Thank you.
Terry Holzemer
(650) 853‐0603
holz@sonic.net
8
Baumb, Nelly
From:Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 20, 2020 8:04 AM
To:Architectural Review Board
Cc:French, Amy; Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Comments of Castilleja Final EIR for ARB review on Aug 20,2020
Attachments:CastillejaARB_Aug20_2020.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear ARB Commissioners,
Please see the PDF attachment for my comments on the Castilleja Final EIR for ARB review.
Thanks
Nelson
Date August 20th 2020
Dear ARB Commissioners,
My name is Nelson Ng. I have lived for 24 years at 1260 Emerson Street that is across
from Castilleja’s proposed garage exit. Being one of the closest resident to the garage
exit, I strongly oppose Alternative 2 to 5 as stated in the Final EIR because none of the
alternatives addresses the true impact of Castilleja Expansion by reducing traffic to the
neighborhood.
Palo Alto Municipal Code sec 18.76.020 Architectural Review under (d) Findings
subsection (2)(E)
Enhances living conditions on the site (if it includes
residential uses) and in adjacent residential areas.
subsection(4)
The design is functional, allowing for ease and safety of
pedestrian and bicycle traffic and providing for elements that
support the building's necessary operations (e.g. convenient
vehicle access to property and utilities, appropriate
arrangement and amount of open space and integrated signage, if
applicable, etc.).
Building an underground garage or surface parking lot in a Single Family Neighborhood
will allow Castilleja to bring additional traffic to the neighborhood that will result in
degrading the living condition of the adjacent residents. The alternative that would
truly reduce the impact to the neighborhood is to provide satellite parking and shuttle
students and staffs to campus without building underground garage or additional
surface parking lot.
This Final EIR Traffic Impact Study is incomplete and with inaccurate findings. By citing
out of scope for CEQA, many studies that are needed to provide a more complete
picture of the proposed project traffic impact to the neighborhood were not conducted.
Assumptions were made base on inaccurate information or without
justification. Therefore, I am requesting the commission to reject the current version of
the Final EIR until necessary studies and accurate information are presented
Followings are some of the examples
• Castilleja has over 100 events per academic year. Therefore, it is important
to study the event impact during weekday, evening and weekend. However in
Responses to Comments C39-1-10 rejected to study events with
Special event traffic is not reflected in the traffic
impacts analysis because this traffic typically occurs
outside of peak hours and does not contribute to average
daily traffic volumes and conditions.
• In the DEIR, both Alternative 2 and 3 were found to result in Significant and
Unavoidable Impact even with Mitigation due to over 80% increase of net new
trips for northbound Emerson to eastbound Embarcadero from 842 to 1521 daily
trip. Alternative 4 was proposed in April 2020 and added to the Final EIR
without any study to validate the assumption. In page 44 of TIS,
This alternative assumes 60 percent off all project related
private auto travel would use the Bryant Street loop, 30
percent would use the Kellogg Avenue loop and the remaining
10 percent would use the underground garage with an entrance
on Bryant Street and exit onto Emerson Street.
By arbitrarily assigning only 10% of the traffic will go into the underground
garage and further split up the garage exiting traffic by allowing to either turn
left or right on to Emerson, it reduced the net new traffic for northbound
Emerson to eastbound Embarcadero by 92% from 679 to 51. However, this
assumption was not justified with any reason or study to ensure that it will be
feasible.
• Kellogg Ave that is at the south border of Castilleja was never studied in the
EIR. So we will not know what is the impact to Kellogg from Alternative 4 due to
the garage exist traffic left turn onto Emerson toward Kellogg and the additional
dropoff points on Bryant and Kellogg side of Castilleja campus proposed in
Alternative 4.
• In Figure 16 page 53 of TIS, it shows 292 and 220 net new daily trips are
added to Bryant Street between Embarcadero and Kellogg and between Kellogg
and Churchill due to Alternative 4 by adding the addition dropoff on Bryant
Street. Bryant Street is a Bike Blvd that is a major artery for students and
commuter cyclists. Adding any additional traffic will increase the risk to the
cyclists. I can’t find in the FEIR concrete steps to mitigate the risk.
• For over 24 years, I have lived within 300 ft from the south side of
Embarcadero and Emerson. On a daily basis, I have to make a right turn from
northbound Emerson onto eastbound Embarcadero. I frequent see Paly
students riding their bikes on the south side of Embarcadero Road sidewalk that
boarders Castilleja traveling eastbound crossing Emerson to PALY. Although this
is against the traffic direction of the road, this will allow them not wait for the
long signal light at Town and Country to cross Embarcadero as for north side of
Embarcadero bicyclists. This is very dangerous intersection because drivers
making right turn from Emerson onto eastbound Embarcadero will be focusing
to look to their left for the high speed eastbound Embarcadero traffic traveling
30 to 40+ MPH. I have seen near misses when bicyclists crossing Emerson on
south side of Embarcadero toward PALY. I requested that to be study as part of
Comment Letter C39.2 for DEIR. However, in the Response C39.2-1 in Final EIR,
it only stated the following assumption with boilerplate answer by citing CEQA
without addressing the risk of the real situation that many Paly students on a
daily basis are using the sidewalk on south side of Embarcadero Road traveling
westbound to PALY. (Please see picture below for better visual understanding of the Emerson
and Embarcadero intersection)
Since CEQA states that the analysis in an EIR should not
be speculative, it is reasonable to assume that
individuals will adhere to traffic laws, including speed
limits and bicyclists using the right-hand side of the
road. Any bicyclists using the Emerson Street crosswalk on
the south side of Embarcadero Road should also be
traveling eastbound and would be visible to a driver
watching the eastbound vehicle traffic.
• As part of Comment C39.1-9 for the DEIR, I requested that car traffic be
measured one to two blocks away since many times I have seen parents drop off
students or drive to events on campus. Encroachments further out into outlying
neighborhoods were not studied but should have been. For example, Castilleja
students are routinely dropped off at the cul-de-sac on Melville between Bryant
and Waverley. Those traffic counts are not included in Castilleja’s count of cards
entering their parking lot. However, in the Response C39.1-9 in Final EIR, it only
stated the following boilerplate answer by citing CEQA without studying the true
impact
The comment is correct that driveway vehicle counts do not
capture students that may be dropped-off on neighborhood
streets. The student travel survey was used to account for
those students. The results of the TDM plan monitoring
reports were also used to further inform the assessment of
trip generation and distribution associated with existing
and proposed conditions This represents a reasonable
attempt at determining an accurate baseline and projected
conditions, consistent with industry standard methods, and
consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15003(i) which
states that “CEQA does not require technical perfection in
an EIR, but rather adequacy, completeness, and a good-
faith effort at full disclosure.”
• The following is from page 44 of Castilleja EIR Appendix E Traffic Impact
Study for Castilleja School Expansion_July 2020.pdf
Bryant Street Collision Analysis
The collision history for the segment of Bryant Street
between Embarcadero Road and Kellogg Avenue was reviewed to
determine the number of collisions during a recent three-
year period and to potentially identify trends based on the
collision history. This information is based on records
available from the California Highway Patrol as published in
their Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS)
reports from March 30, 2015 to March 31, 2018. A single non-
injury collision occurred along the study segment during
this period. This collision occurred between a vehicle and a
fixed object and did not involve a bicycle.
Finding – Given the relatively small number of documented
crashes and the lack of any crashes involving bicycles along
the segment of Bryant Street between Embarcadero Road and
Kellogg Avenue, a safety concern involving bicycles along
the study segment has not been demonstrated.
However, there was an accident involving a bicyclist at the intersection of Bryant
and Embarcadero on 2/13/2018 at around 5pm that shutdown both direction of
Embarcadero for over an hour. Following is extracted from the Palo Alto Weekly
article Two injured in Embarcadero Road collision
Two men were injured in a collision on a major thoroughfare
shut down for more than an hour in Palo Alto at the height
of the evening commute on Tuesday, police said.
Officers responded to the collision at Embarcadero Road and
Bryant Street around 5 p.m. An adult driving a sedan was
heading west on Embarcadero and struck the pedestrian with a
scooter and bicyclist at the intersection, police said.
The above are just some of the examples of the incompleteness and inaccuracy of this
Final EIR. It doesn’t fully study the impact and the safety issues of this project to the
neighborhood.
In addition, Due the COVID-19 pandemic, all the schools in the US and the world are
trying to find ways to cope with the current situation and plan for the post COVID-19
world. The Castilleja Expansion proposal and the FEIR were completed without any
consideration of the COVID-19 world and extra vigilance that must be taken for social
distancing, student density and acceptable activities. How can we be sure any of the
proposal of this expansion will not have additional significant impact to the community
of Palo Alto?
Therefore, I ask the commission to reject this Final EIR and request additional studies to
fully address the impacts and safety concerns as well analyzing the potential impacts of
COVID-19 in the future.
Nelson
9
Baumb, Nelly
From:Kimberley Wong <sheepgirl1@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 19, 2020 9:36 PM
To:Architectural Review Board
Cc:Castilleja Expansion; Council, City; French, Amy; Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed
Subject:Comments of FEIR review for ARB Aug 20,2020 meeting
Attachments:IMG_5065.JPG; IMG_5064.JPG; IMG_5069.JPG; IMG_5068.JPG; IMG_5067.JPG; IMG_5066.JPG
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear ARB board members,
My name is Kimberley Wong and my husband Nelson and I have lived directly across from the
Lockey house for 24 years. With the construction of the gym in 2007 our roads and livability were
affected by noise, dust, and the constant dewatering for months. The project Castilleja is proposing is
monstrous in comparison. Even the newest alternative fails aesthetically and negatively on living
conditions due to its size and scale.
The Palo Alto Municipal Code sec 18.76.020 ARB requirement is that a project "enhances the living conditions
on the site... and in adjacent residential areas". These refer to the 34 homes surrounding the school. It
also says that projects should "promote visual environments which are of high aesthetic
quality and variety and which, at the same time, are considerate of each other."
The newly proposed Castileja buildings are also not keeping with the scale and character
of buildings on the campus or surrounding neighborhood of homes in Professorville and
Old Palo Alto. And the proposed project does NOT take into consideration that the
surrounding neighborhood needs to bear the brunt of traffic brought on by this massive
project. The beeps, whistles and car traffic will carry into the neighborhood. And cars
traveling in and out of the proposed underground garage and multiple drop off sites will
compete with bicyclists on the Bike Safety Boulevard and around the campus.
In terms of a4, of “promoting visual environments of high aesthetic quality” The proposed 3/4 of a
block long building fails to blend in with the classic homes such as tudors, craftsman, colonial revival
on Kellogg. It is also incompatible with the Craftsman style Administration building and Chapel on
campus as well as the Lockey house, a charming home which retains much of it’s old character.
Neither does this building blend in with the other classic homes on the other 3 sides of the campus.
Gustave Laumeister, son-in-law of Henry Seale, who sold Miss Lockey the property to build her
campus, was well known for developing the Administration building as well as many homes in
Professorville, just north of the campus. Photos of the the surrounding homes are attached.
As for size and massing: Please look at these two aerial photos. To the left is Target which is 600 ft
long and Castilleja which currently is 200 feet long. Though the scale is different, the relative mass in
relation to the street length is the same. At least the view towards Target on Ortega Drive is shielded
by three separate buildings whereas the residents on Kellogg are looking at one huge mass. Making
this building any longer will be even more overbearing than it is now.
10
11
And the style as we see below is not compatible with any of the classic homes across the street.
12
13
Here are the samplings of Kellogg Homes. The homes on the other 3 surrounding streets are
attached below to give you a full view of the styles of homes which Castilleja should strive to be
compatible with to maintain consistency within their city block.
14
15
The size and scale of this new proposed building is out of line with no pass-throughs as
the present building . Take a look at the original plans as Laumeister arranged the
buildings to reduce the scale and size of any one building to aesthetically blend into the
single family neighborhood on the 6 acre land that the campus was zoned for.
16
17
18
It is understandable with the growing student population that more buildings had to be
built. But extending the present facade beyond what exists now into a longer monolithic
building in the most recent proposal is overwhelming and unacceptable and inconsistent
to this residential neighborhood. This goes against Policy L-6 of mixed-use areas.
Policy L-6: Where possible, avoid abrupt changes in scale and density between residential and non-
residential areas and between residential areas of different densities. To promote compatibility and
gradual transitions between land uses, place zoning district boundaries at mid-block locations rather
than along streets wherever possible.
With regard to bike safety, I and many of my friends have seen countless incidents of near misses of
bicyclist being hit at the corner of Embarcadero and Bryant. I am shocked to see that in the FEIR this
was reported:
Bryant Street Collision Analysis
The collision history for the segment of Bryant Street between Embarcadero Road and Kellogg
Avenue was reviewed to determine the number of collisions during a recent three-year period and to
potentially identify trends based on the collision history. This information is based on records
available from the California Highway Patrol as published in their Statewide Integrated Traffic
Records System (SWITRS) reports from March 30, 2015 to March 31, 2018. A single non-injury
collision occurred along the study segment during this period. This collision occurred between a
vehicle and a fixed object and did not involve a bicycle.
Finding – Given the relatively small number of documented crashes and the lack of any crashes
involving bicycles along the segment of Bryant Street between Embarcadero Road and Kellogg
Avenue, a safety concern involving bicycles along the study segment has not been demonstrated.
On February 13, 2018 this accident happened and was written about in the news:
https://paloaltoonline.com/news/2018/02/13/injury-collision-blocks-embarcadero-road
As stated here, two men were injured and sent to the hospital. One was a teacher who was
hospitalized for several days. His injuries were severe enough that he was not able to return to teach
for quite a while. It is surprising that this major incident was completely overlooked. This begs the
question how many other incidents from 2015-2018 were not included in the FEIR.
As I remember, the traffic was redirected through Emerson past my house and around to Kellogg to
avoid the area. Just one incident can impact the neighborhood's living condition due to the fact that
Castilleja is embedded deeply into a residential neighborhood and its narrow streets cannot handle
this type of emergency traffic. Think of what could happen if there was a emergency on campus. Is
this campus with a proposed garage equipped to bring in emergency vehicles onto the property in a
timely manner especially if the roads are backed up? This is only one example of how our living
conditions can be severely impacted by safety issues around the school. This will be exacerbated by
the construction and traffic flow into and out of an underground garage on a major Bike Safety
Boulevard.
And with administrators, teachers, parents and children coming to the campus via 3 drop offs and a
proposed underground garage entering onto the Bicycle Safety Boulevard the extra traffic will also
introduce congestion, pollution as well as safety hazards on all sides of the campus. These issues are
severe impacts to ensuring livable conditions which the ARB strives in accordance with the
Comprehensive plan.
19
Underground garages are not allowed to be in R1 zoned neighborhoods and for good reason. They
cause disruption in traffic, are not aesthetically pleasing even if you lace it up with greenery, and are
not consistent with a Single Family zoned neighborhood. I suggest that a no garage option be
returned to the table and studied to provide a more sensible, less impactful alternative
more consistent with a Single Family Neighborhood.
And the major structures to be rebuilt on Bryant and Kellogg should be redesigned with more pass
through views of greenery and open space and be built in a style more compatible to the
Administration and Chapel buildings in the manner which Gustave Laumeister first envisioned when
he created the campus for Ms Mary Lockey more than 100 years ago.
Thank you,
Kimberley Wong at 1260 Emerson Street, Palo Alto
1
Baumb, Nelly
From:Lou Basile <ldbasile@comcast.net>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 6:41 AM
To:'Yahoo Mail.®'; 'Michael Ryan'; 'Jack & Barbara Connors'; coderevival@yahoo.ca; 'F Cosmas';
codyddeeds@yahoo.com; 'connie plemmons'; clspiess@mcdermott.com; 'Nancy Clancy';
clmacgil@ucalgary.ca; cotingas@hotmail.com; 'Claire'; Council, City; 'NICOLE'; ckerwick1
@yahoo.com; 'MARGO COLEMAN'; 'FRANK SOOS'; cldodson07@yahoo.com; 'Cort Greene';
'LinkedIn'; 'BRIAN HALL'; communicate@solari.com; contactsellis@gmail.com;
connor_hart@comcast.net; colony14@gmail.com; corky4president2002@gmail.com;
coglitor@unive.it; 'yahoogroups'; codepinkorlando@gmail.com; congo@un.int; 'Carlos Jr Rodriguez';
cl_madison@hotmail.com; clearup911@yahoo.com; contact@wearefamilyfoundation.org;
companeras1994@yahoo.com; confirm-unsub-
qtu5ebhu3c2xscdywpndenxhty4k21ez@yahoogroups.co.in; 'BRIAN WILLIAM HALL';
commanderlopez@gmail.com; comment+7i1gqulyle8j09dlva8re5@comment.wordpress.com;
cmchinn2005@hotmail.com; 'CommSocial'; 'Amy Atkinson'; 'Cliff CIV NSA MIDSOUTH Oliver';
yellowbuzz2@yahoo.com; zkcallan@ivaw.org; ymqyw@yahoo.com; yobar23@gmail.com;
yucobond@gmail.com; zuk6224@gmail.com; zinnguy@hotmail.com; 'Greta Bernhardt';
zoxebox@hotmail.com; yourfinancialhealing@gmail.com; yourogue@hotmail.com;
zenblews@hotmail.com; zubaby2244@yahoo.com; yorkie@mtb.biglobe.ne.jp; zmorales83
@yahoo.com; yellowsub910@verizon.net; ajwalker86@hotmail.co.uk; a7la_marmoor@hotmail.com;
911grassroots@gmail.com; adam.alex.c@gmail.com; acgravity@gmail.com; 'Amilie'; 'Annie Bunting';
'ALDEE FILLEY'; 'Adam'; 'Adam Fligsten'; 'BAYYENAH ABOUL-AZIZ'; 'Rich Schultz';
alandberta@gmail.com; 'adam johnson'; 'Alan Watt'; 911readingroom@gmail.com;
aahoover@comcast.net; 911research.com@gmail.com; 'Ajene Washington'; abolishtaxes@gmail.com;
'Jim Barr'; 'ALAIN CARPENTER'; 911review.com@gmail.com; agallop@hotmail.com;
abenelson@hotmail.com; 'Anne Johnson'; 911truthwatertown@gmail.com; 'Amy de Miceli Ellie';
1800capone@gmail.com; 'emilia a'; 911truthfarmer@gmail.com; 60m@cbsnews.com; 'A. Caballero';
4galsandi@comcast.net; 'Lee Chin'; 'Jason Robo'; 'steve J. Williams';
alan_b.stard.m.p@westnet.com.au; 'A.Kafouri'; 'Adam Parrott'; 'butlincat'; a_verias@yahoo.com;
'Jeffrey Albright'; 'Arthur Cristian'; 'yahoogroups'; adam_boulden20@yahoo.com;
2smileylee@gmail.com; 'Anita Barth'; 'yahoogroups'; 'Choong Kiat Yian'; 'alan cranford';
911tap@gmail.com; 2byrnes@bellsouth.net; aarhughe@ivaw.org
Subject:We can learn from other countries better medical service. Amazing video
Attachments:Israel Emergency service solution.mp4
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
2
Baumb, Nelly
From:MIDPEN ACLU <midpen.aclu@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2020 6:28 AM
To:Council, City; City Mgr; Human Relations Commission
Subject:CORRECTED MidPen ACLU submission on police reform in Palo Alto
Attachments:PA_ MidPen Corrected Sub on police reform 08_23_2020.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello City Council, HRC, Mayor Fine, Vice Mayor Dubois, Manager Shikada and Chief Jonsen,
Attached is the corrected submission of our chapter's work on police reform. We found a few
embarrassing typos and have now taken care of them. Apologies for not catching them before sending it on the
24th.
Volunteers from our chapter attended as well as spoke at the last city council meeting that included the HRC's
recommendations on 8 Can't Wait. We found every person genuinely concerned about making serious reforms
and the entire discussion on 8CantWait valuable and informative.
Our chapter would like to have a meeting with any or all of you to discuss items in this submission that we
think would greatly improve police practices and therefore the relationship between communities of color and
the PAPD. All of us have heard many community members speak about their personal experiences with the
police in Palo Alto over decades and though practices have improved every one of us knows in our hearts that
there is much work to do. Now. We have included links and references that support our suggestions and,
although we know you don't have the time to dig deep into many of them, we include them to show the depth of
our research and our commitment to significantly improving our community.
We look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks.
Lauren Cory, Chair
Mid-Peninsula ACLU Volunteer Chapter
August 23, 2020
City Council, Mayor Fine, City Manager Shikada, Chief Jonsen, and HRC,
Palo Alto is one of the cities in the Mid-Peninsula ACLU Chapter’s region. We want to
begin a continuing dialogue about Palo Alto’s police practices in light of the national
concern about police brutality. We offer suggestions on several topics, not as definitive
answers but rather as a basis for discussion. The topics are:
1.Police Department Policy
2.Police Transparency and Accountability
3.Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
4.Training: Race Relations
5.Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
1. Police Department Policy
a. Use of Force—Minimum Necessary
Many uses of non-deadly force cause significant injuries, both physical and emotional.
Recommendation: Limit use of force to the minimum necessary to accomplish a
legitimate law enforcement purpose; the special circumstances for which deadly force is
authorized would still apply.
As written, the Policy Manual covers use of force reasonably well. But it could be
improved considerably.
Section 300.3, Use of Force, states “Officers shall use only that amount of force that
reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances perceived by the officer
at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
At the very least, “perceived” should be “reasonably perceived.”
Section 300.3 further states “Any evaluation of reasonableness must allow for the fact
that officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force
that reasonably appears necessary in a particular situation, with limited information
and in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving.”
Although this closely matches wording from Graham v. Connor (1989), it makes
absolutely no sense in circumstances that are not tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving.
Recommendation: Revise the first two paragraphs in § 300.3 to the effect of
Officers shall use the minimum amount of force necessary to accomplish a
legitimate law enforcement purpose.
The reasonableness of force used will be judged from the perspective of a reasonable
officer on the scene at the time of the incident rather than in hindsight; facts later
discovered but unknown to the officer at the time can neither justify nor call into
question an officer’s decision regarding the use of force. Evaluation of
reasonableness will consider the totality of the circumstances and will take into
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 2
account, when appropriate, the need for officers to make split-second decisions
about the amount of force necessary in a particular situation, sometimes with
limited information and in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly
evolving.
This would provide a clear, succinct statement of what is required while ensuring a fair
assessment of the reasonableness of a use of force.
More concerning are the third and fourth paragraphs in § 300.3:
Given that no policy can realistically predict every possible situation an officer might
encounter, officers are entrusted to use well-reasoned discretion in determining the
appropriate use of force in each incident.
Not withstanding any other section of this policy, it is also recognized that
circumstances may arise in which officers reasonably believe that it would be
impractical or ineffective to use any of the tools, weapons, techniques or methods
provided or taught by the [Department/Office]. Officers may find it more effective or
reasonable to improvise their response to rapidly unfolding conditions that they are
confronting.
The first paragraph is very similar to language in SB 230, but the second seems to invite
doing whatever an officer wants when it is inconvenient to adhere to restrictions in the
Policy Manual.
Recommendation: Eliminate the second paragraph above or substantially revise it so
that it does not imply exemption from stated use-of-force policy whenever an officer
sees fit to do so.
b. Compliance with 8 Can’t Wait Recommendations
Several MidPen volunteers have independently examined Palo Alto’s current
compliance with the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations, and we generally agree with the
Human Relations Commission’s analysis.
Recommendation: Revise the appropriate sections of the Policy Manual to comply
with the recommendations of the HRC to the City Council, with the following
exceptions:
1.Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds
Add language to ban chokeholds and strangleholds. Have Council’s Policy Manual
Ad Hoc Committee work with the PAPD and HRC on language that would prevent
incidents like that which killed George Floyd while still allowing police to do their
jobs. In doing so, use clear, simple language that avoids needless weasel words.
6.Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
Change all instances of “should” to “shall”; shall is mandatory, but should is merely
advisory. Like shooting at moving vehicles, advisory language is seldom effective.
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 3
8.Require Comprehensive Reporting
Policy Manual § 344.2.2 appears to require reporting any time a firearm is pointed
at a person; move this requirement to § 300.5 so that it is clear that it is considered
a use of force. We also think that drawing a firearm when directly confronting a
person should be a reportable use of force, and suggest working with the PAPD and
HRC on appropriate language to address this.
Recognize that implementation of the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations is only a good first
step toward meaningful police reform.
c. Stops
People of color who have spoken at recent City Council and Human Relations
Committee meetings have said they have felt consistently and unfairly targeted by police
for decades.
Policy for detention of suspects on reasonable suspicion of involvement in crime is given
in the euphemistically titled Policy 440, Field Interview and Photographing of Field
Detainees. In aggregate, this section probably gives sufficient guidance on complying
with constitutional safeguards, but while this might work for a court, we don’t think it
provides sufficient guidance to a typical police officer or sufficient information to the
average person.
Recommendations: Revise Policy 440—and especially § 440.3—so that it is clear that
a person may not be detained unless there are specific and articulable facts that tie the
particular person to a specific crime. Have the policy make clear, as does San
Francisco’s DGO5.03, that the refusal or failure of a person to identify himself or herself
or produce identification upon request of a police officer cannot be the sole cause for
arrest or detention, except when the driver of a motor vehicle refuses to produce a driver
license upon the request of an officer enforcing the Vehicle Code.
Revise the title of Policy 440 so that it is more obvious that it deals with detentions. The
Racial Identity and Profiling Act of 2015 (AB 953) requires that certain stop data be
collected, starting in 2022 for smaller police departments. We recommend that Palo
Alto begin collecting and compiling the most important data as soon as possible, and
make them available on the city’s website. Such data can help ensure compliance with
policy and ensure that the process works smoothly by the time the data are required to
be reported.
d. Policy Manual Redactions
The public version of the Policy Manual dated 2019/10/21 has 19 sections completely
redacted, giving vague reference to several sections of the Government Code as
justification. But it is not obvious how the cited sections justify most of the redactions.
No explanations are given, and the sections of the GC that justify redaction are not
specifically cited for each redacted section.
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 4
Recommendation: For each redacted section of the Policy Manual, cite the specific
section of the GC that allows redaction and provide at least a one-sentence explanation
of why this is the case. Reexamine each redaction and consider making only a partial
redaction where reasonable.
e. Online Version of Policy Manual
Several sections of the Policy Manual were revised on 2020/06/17, but were posted
online separately from the 2019/10/21 full version of the manual, making the revised
sections difficult to find.
Recommendation: When any part of the Policy Manual is revised, post the entire
updated version so that people can easily find it.
2. Police Transparency and Accountability
a. Independent Oversight
Palo Alto arguably provides better oversight of police actions than many cities its size. A
Use of Force Review Board reviews significant uses of force, but all members are from
law enforcement. Although such a composition undoubtedly brings considerable
expertise, it does not provide the benefit of arms-length analysis.
Complaints from the public and significant uses of force are reviewed by the city’s
Independent Police Auditor. Although the auditor appears to be well respected, reports
have been slow to be released, and seem subject to considerable filtering by city legal
staff and police representatives. Perhaps some review is necessary to ensure that the IPA
has complied with procedural and confidentiality provisions of state law, but the current
process hardly gives the impression of timeliness or transparency. And the IPA has no
community involvement; perhaps the Chief’s Advisory Council somewhat fills this gap,
but it’s not an official agency and the meetings are not made public.
Recommendation: At a minimum, involve the Human Resources Commission in
drafting of Police Department policy and empower them to review complaints against
police officers. Preferably, establish an independent body that would work with, yet not
be answerable to, the Police Department on setting policy and reviewing complaints.
The body should broadly represent the demographics of the City, including its racial,
ethnic, cultural, gender, socio-economic, and geographic diversity.
Such a body might be a Police Commission with 5 or 7 members, with at least the
standing as other city commissions; ensuring that a commission is inclusive of all
members of the community might argue for the larger size.
An implementation similar to the San Francisco Police Commission might grant the
commission
●Authority to set police policy and issue general orders, and set limits for the
Memorandum of Agreement with the Police Officers Association
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 5
●Authority to investigate complaints, either first look or on appeal from the Police
Department adjudication, with at least a minimal paid staff
●Authority to fire officers, subject to the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of
Rights and the MOA between the city and the POA
3. Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
Mental health crises make up a significant percentage of calls for police service. Police
departments carry a heavy burden having to respond to mental health calls and the
presence of armed police can unnecessarily escalate a crisis. We need to re-imagine
public safety and include alternative responders, such as crisis and mental health
workers, in the 911 response continuum. Mental health professionals—not
police—should be the primary responder for a majority of people with mental health
crises.
The CAHOOTS program in Eugene, OR is a successful program in which a medic and 1
crisis worker respond to non-violent crises so police don’t have to. The program has
received national press coverage and have been estimated to result in $15 million 2
cost-savings. Several cities across the US are establishing similar programs including
Oakland and West Sacramento. The Oakland City Council approved to divest $1.35
million away from Oakland’s Police budget to fund the Mobile Assistance Community
Responders of Oakland (MACRO) pilot. West Sacramento City chose not to hire five 3
vacant police positions and use that money to develop a “Community Outreach and
Support Division” (mental health and crisis intervention team). We believe Palo Alto 4
should reconsider the budget to create a similar program or division.
Recommendations:
1.Revise 911 system so non-violent, non-criminal mental health calls are directed to
crisis intervention specialists or mental health workers rather than law
enforcement. This will require establishing an alternative crisis response team.
2.Track calls for service and responses to people in a mental health crisis. Conduct
regular assessments to determine the effectiveness of response efforts.
3.Appoint a mental health coordinator to manage this process. Cover it in the current
police budget.
1 https://whitebirdclinic.org/services/cahoots/
2 https://www.npr.org/2020/06/10/874339977/cahoots-how-social-workers-and-police-share-responsib
ilities-in-eugene-oregon
3 https://oaklandside.org/2020/06/29/call-911-for-a-counselor-oakland-will-pilot-an-alternative-to-poli
ce
4 https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/07/28/west-sacramento-police-crisis-intervention-team/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 6
4. Training: Race Relations
a. History of Race Relations
Police training on race relations needs to be much more robust than implicit-bias
training. It needs to include not only the historic events but also the devastating
emotional impact these events have had on both the recipients and those holding the
power.
Young recruits, as well as veteran officers, more often than not lack this historical
knowledge. The story of race relations in our country begins with the genocide of Native
Americans. With regards to Black Americans, the training would begin with slavery and
its relationship to economic expansion, slave patrols, through Reconstruction and Jim
Crow, redlining, onto voter suppression in all communities of color, and the current
school-to-prison pipeline. The training should also include items like the
Mexican–American War, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the imprisonment of Japanese
Americans during World War II, and other significant events between non-White
communities and the dominant White culture.
This approach to police training is doable and is absolutely essential given the expense
of doing nothing or continuing to do the same. This is not to say that some past attempts
have not been created with good intentions but instead to say it is time for serious
reevaluation and serious change.
Some of what is suggested above is already required by the Racial Identity and Profiling
Act of 2015 (AB 953).
b. Examples of Racial Bias Training
Montgomery, Alabama
Police Chief Kevin Murphy, currently their deputy sheriff, created a class for new
recruits as well as established officers. It went back to the Dred Scott case and the
Emmit Till case and moved through the Civil Rights movement. In an interview on the 5
PBS NewsHour, Chief Murphy said it was added to the police academy’s training. Its
intention was to educate and also inform young officers of historical issues Black
persons might bring to an interaction with a White officer. He also included civilians.
The class finished with a “values” segment that demonstrated the benefit of the class by
shedding new light on the power of the badge to all officers. Interview approximately 7
minutes long.
5 https://www.tpt.org/pbs-newshour/video/how-one-chief-tried-to-reverse-past-police-injustices-146309
8038/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 7
Stockton, California
Mayor Michael Tubbs and Chief of Police Eric Jones of Stockton, California, have
initiated a range of progressive changes for their city. In an interview with Michael 6
Krasny on Forum, Mayor Tubbs briefly speaks of these improvements. The first 8
minutes of this interview are very helpful and we strongly urge its viewing.
Houston, Texas
Police Chief Art Acevedo briefly mentions teaching empathy and de-escalation in a PBS
segment on policing . It offers a new awareness and relevant perspective . It also 7
includes contributions by Tracey Meares, professor and founder of Justice Collaboratory
at Yale, on national standards and cultural changes, and Sam Sinyangue of Campaign
Zero on police accountability and police unions.
When we called the Houston Police Department we also found out about their new
“Respect for Culture” training to bring awareness to their officers of economic and social
issues community members bring to any interaction with police.
Journal of Criminal Justice Education
A 2012 study evaluated the positive impact of NYC police officers taking an ethnic 8
studies class.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Police Training Institute tried a course that covered critical 9
race theory. 10
National Museum of African American History and Culture
In 2018, this museum offered a new training course that also stressed critical race 11
theory. The course was designed to teach officers about “African American history and 12
culture in the U.S., and more specifically in Washington.”
c. White Supremacy in Police Departments
We include the articles and links below to call attention to the systemic racism and
White supremacy that permeates our culture. Without a clear awareness of this reality it
6 https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101878047/stockton-mayor-tubbs-on-police-accountability-and-gua
ranteed-income-during-a-pandemic
7 https://www.pbs.org/video/policing-in-america-1591218301/
8 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232830065_Critical_Race_Theory_Meets_the_NYPD_An_
Assessment_of_Anti-Racist_Pedagogy_for_Police_in_New_York_City
9 https://www.sascv.org/ijcjs/pdfs/schlosseretalijcjs2015vol10issue1.pdf
10 https://phys.org/news/2016-08-police-racial-biases.html
11 https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-african-american-history-and-culture-hosts-
metropolitan-police-department-0
12 https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/04/16/dc-police-critical-race-theory-nmaahc-bernie-demczuk-
sharita-thompson/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 8
is easy to think of this as purely fringe and that it’s thinking cannot enter our local
systems.
A recent article in The Daily Beast noted the long-standing influence of White 13
supremacists in American policing:
In 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation knew America’s police forces had a
white-supremacist problem. But the internal report the agency compiled that year
was so heavily redacted that almost no one knows what it contained.
Now, amid national protests over police brutality against Black Americans and new
scrutiny of racist cops, lawmakers are pushing for the report’s full release.
A nearly blank version of the October 2006 report, titled “White Supremacist
Infiltration of Law Enforcement,” has circled the internet for years, after it was
released in a Freedom of Information request. The few unredacted lines are
worrying: In addition to warning of historic attempts by groups like the Ku Klux
Klan to gain employment with police, it refers to white-supremacist leaders’ “recent
rhetoric” calling on followers to infiltrate police forces.
As the country grapples with racist policing—both overt and in the form of
unconscious but often deadly biases—28 members of Congress are calling on the
FBI and Justice Department to release the full, unredacted document, which some
experts say is more relevant than ever.
Recommendations:
1.Seriously examine the current training, recognize shortcomings in light of current
research and commit to creating an innovative training that could actually change
officers’ beliefs towards communities of color. Acknowledge the pervasive White
supremacy that has been systemic.
2.Allocate funds for a pilot curriculum as mentioned above that would cover our
country’s past-to-present dismal history of race relations. It would be part of the
police academy’s basic training for all new recruits. Include existing officers the
first season. Have refresher courses every year for everyone.
3.Reach out to Montgomery, Stockton, Houston, and other cities to explore new
approaches that other police departments are using to re-imagine race and cultural
awareness training.
5. Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford, has done extensive 14
research on the relationships between racial imagery and the public at large and then
13 https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-new-push-to-expose-americas-white-supremacist-cops
14 http://web.stanford.edu/~eberhard/
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 9
more specifically with police practices. In her TED talk, “psychologist Jennifer L.
Eberhardt explores how our biases unfairly target Black people at all levels of
society—from schools and social media to policing and criminal justice—and discusses
how creating points of friction can help us actively interrupt and address this troubling
problem.”
The Oakland Police Department has been under federal monitoring for more than a
decade since the so-called Riders case involving police misconduct. A team of Stanford
researchers, led by Dr. Eberhardt, were engaged to assist Oakland in complying with
the federal order to collect and analyze stop data by race. Among the findings, Black
men were four times more likely to be searched than Whites during a traffic stop.
Blacks were also more likely to be handcuffed, even if they ultimately were not arrested.
Dr. Eberhardt’s team produced a report with 50 specific recommendations for police
agencies to consider to mitigate racial disparities.
Her work led to a dramatic reduction in the number of stops by the Oakland Police
Department by simply having officers ask “Do I have information that ties this
particular individual to a specific crime?” before making an investigatory stop. In the
year before this question was added, there were approximately 32,000 stops; in the
following year, there were approximately 19,000 stops. It should be noted that asking
this question is required for even minimal compliance with the constitutional standard
established in Terry v. Ohio (1968). It should also be noted that many of the data that
Dr. Eberhardt had police record are required by AB 953 (2015).
As quoted in the first paragraph of this section “Dr. Eberhardt explores how our biases
unfairly target Black people at all levels of society—from schools and social media …” At
every city council and HRC meeting MidPen has joined since George Floyd was killed
and during which residents of color spoke of the biases in Palo Alto’s culture, the
Euro-centric curriculum was frequently referenced with great frustration and hurt. An
honest eye cannot be turned towards police reform without also examining how we
educate our children and how they receive a constant diet of European, and therefore
White, supremacy.
Recommendations:
1.Watch Dr. Eberhardt’s TED talk: How racial bias works—and how to disrupt it. 15
Review Dr. Eberhardt’s 50 recommendations for the Oakland PD and see if any
can be used in Redwood City. Improve and rewrite the police policy manual and
forms to include any applicable recommendations.
2.Commit to establishing an immediate dialogue with the school board and school
principals about re-imagining the curriculum of K-12 as one that truly recognizes
Brown and Black cultures and includes their significant contributions.
15 https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_l_eberhardt_how_racial_bias_works_and_how_to_disrupt_it
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 10
Summary of Recommendations
1.Police Department Policy
●Limit use of force to the minimum necessary to accomplish a legitimate law
enforcement purpose; the special circumstances for which deadly force is
authorized would still apply. Clarify the assessment of the reasonableness of the
use of force.
●Implement the 8 Can’t Wait recommendations as recommended in the HRC
report to City Council, with the several exceptions noted above, and recognize
that they represent only a good first step toward police reform.
●Revise Policy 440 so that it is clear that a person may not be detained unless
there are specific and articulable facts that tie the particular person to a specific
crime. Revise the title so that it is obvious what the section covers. Begin
collecting stop data required by AB 953 (2015) as soon as possible rather than
waiting until 2022. Make the data available as soon as possible after beginning
collection.
2.Transparency and Accountability
●Establish an independent body that could work with, yet not be answerable to,
the police department concerning complaints. The body’s funding must be
independent of the police department. Give the body at least the same standing
as existing city boards and commissions.
3.Alternative Responses to Mental Health Crises
●Establish and expand partnerships with mental health agencies and
community-based organizations to allow mental health experts—rather than
police—to handle mental health crises.
●Track calls for service and responses to people in crisis. Conduct regular
assessments to determine the effectiveness of response efforts and opportunities
for improvement.
●Appoint a mental health coordinator to manage this process. Cover it in the
current police budget.
4.Training: Race Relations
●Establish a small committee that includes an educator to develop a curriculum
for a pilot program on the history of race relations.
●Reach out to Stockton; Houston; Eugene, OR; Montgomery, AL and other cities
to explore innovative programs.
5.Unconscious Bias and Police Practices
●Listen to Dr. Eberhardt’s TED talk, paying special attention to improvements she
helped incorporate into the Oakland police department’s stop policy. Reach out
to her for additional improvements in basic police practices.
●Review Dr. Eberhardt’s 50 recommendations for the Oakland PD and see if any
can be used in Redwood City. Improve and rewrite the police policy manual and
August 23, 2020
MidPen ACLU Comments to Palo Alto Page 11
forms to include any applicable recommendations. Reach out to her for
additional suggestions.
●Recognize that an officer asking “Do I have information that ties this particular
individual to a specific crime?” before making an investigatory stop is required
for even minimal compliance with the constitutional standard established in
Terry v. Ohio, and ensure that this is standard practice.
●Commit to establishing an immediate dialogue with the school board and school
principals about re-imagining the K–12 curriculum.
We look forward to discussing these items with you.
Mid-Peninsula ACLU Volunteer Chapter
August 23, 2020
3
Baumb, Nelly
From:Tench Coxe <tc@shv.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 4:21 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja Campus Redevelopment
Attachments:CC.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto City Council,
I am writing to you along with my wife, Simone, to pledge our full support of the Castilleja
campus redevelopment and urge the City Council to approve this important project. Simone and
I, who reside across the street from the Castilleja campus, feel this redevelopment project is a
necessary step in modernizing and sustaining Castilleja so they may carry on their unique
educational experience and shape future generations of girls and young women into strong,
independent leaders.
Sincerely,
Tench Coxe