HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200203plCC 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: 2/3/2020
Document dates: 1/15/2020 – 1/22/2020
Set 1
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet
reproduction in a given week.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jennifer Landesmann <jlandesmann@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 1:29 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:All time low in PACC communications
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello Council,
I join others who are unhappy about the Mayoral letter about SB50. But I'm not just unhappy with Mayor Fine, what
happened with the letter is a symptom of a much bigger problem. Bills will come and go, it's PACC's disconnect from the
people you represent that is at an all time low and I'm not seeing a light at the end of this tunnel. I hope Palo Altans will
find a way to change the charter so that people can directly elect a Mayor and also directly elect a City Attorney as is
done in many cities.
I saw a major red flag when you recently voted in direct contradiction (to months and years of public input) on the
airplane issue and afterwards said nothing. You aptly have been hiding behind the closed session votes and seem to
refuse to provide a City update to the community on your objectives, goals, and milestones for the SCSC roundtable.
Sure you can disregard what the affected public says, but is it right to not say anything further?
I admire and appreciate your taking on the weight public office but I have since seen that PACC is an unreliable
representative body and if all or many issues are handled this way it is not only toxic but bad government. You don't
reply to emails, you often just point fingers at each other and together you fail to be transparent. PACC has mastered a
method to not be accountable. Elections are not enough ‐ in between you should have some methods to be a
representative body which begins with engaging with your constituents (not just those you like!).
And you don't have enough big picture data for regional issues. The majority of Bay Area airport capacity increases are
being done on the back of Palo Alto neighborhoods, A LOT of pollution being personally sucked in by your constituents
24/7. How is that for regional responsibility and moral character‐ to cause the early death of thousands for failure to fix
a regional problem?
Somebody said they want less "drama" ‐ PACC you cause drama unnecessarily with failure to communicate and lack of
interest to authentically engage with the issues that the community that you "represent" is facing.
Regional work is urgent but you must consider Palo Alto first (as in the people not just the buildings and property
values). Everything you say or do is empty (and questionable) when you ignore this obligation.
Jennifer
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Brettle, Jessica
From:Monica Yeung Arima <myarima@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, January 17, 2020 12:50 AM
To:Adrian Arima
Cc:myarima@gmail.com
Subject:Talk on Palo Alto Bayside Cannery, Chinese Railroad Workers and Chinese Exclusion Act
documentary on 1/19 Sunday 1-5:30pm
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attachments and clicking on links.
Sunday 1/19/20 1-2pm
Talk on Palo Alto Bayside Cannery by Dr Gloria Hom who is the granddaughter of Thomas Foon Chew, founder of Bayside Cannery, at
Embarcadero Room of Rinconada Library. The historical Bayside Cannery site is located on the current Fry’s Electronics in Palo Alto.
Sunday 1/19/20 2-3:45pm
Andrea Yee, a descendant of Chinese Railroad Worker will talk about her great grandfather helped build the transcontinental railroad
and his life after.
Sunday 1/19/20 4-4:45pm
The Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 documentary directed by Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu. “Who Is American?: Immigration, Exclusion & the
American Dream” is the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)’s community and education outreach campaign to foster greater
public understanding and dialogue about the history and impact of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. A 49 minutes documentary. Mr
David Lei may be there for Q&A if his schedule allow.
Chinese Railroad Workers Photos Exhibit on
January 1-31, 2020 at Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto.
Dr Gloria Hom is a fourth-generation Californian who has spent her life in pursuit of the best for her family and community. She is an
economist, professor, lecturer, businesswoman, community leader and administrator with extensive civic and community involvement.
Dr. Hom was awarded a Bachelor’s degree from Dominican College in San Rafael, a Master’s degree from San Jose Sate University,
and completed a Doctorate in Education in Leadership and Organization at the University of San Francisco. She did further graduate
work at Stanford and the University of California.
Gloria loves teaching and taught generations of students for 35 years. She was the Chairman of and Professor in the Economics
Department at Mission College and Division Chairman for the Social Science. She was named “Outstanding Educator of America”,
Trustee Emeritus for the California State University System, and received the Seal of California in recognition of distinguished and
devoted service for serving as a member by the California State Board of Education among other awards.
She participated on the Board of Directors for Avenidas, United Way, Leadership Palo Alto, Girl Scouts, Channing House and more.
She is currently an active member of the Palo Alto Rotary Club, Palo Alto Garden Club, Palo Alto History Museum, Chi Am, Chinese
Historical and Cultural Project, First Congregational Church and more. Her loved ones are thankful for her energy, attention, and time
with family, including three daughters, five grandchildren and her large circle of friends.
Andrea Yee is a family historian. She’s going to talk about her great grandfather who came to America in 1855 at the age of 12 to help
build the transcontinental railroad. She’s going to talk about the life after the building of the railroad for her great grandfather and
grandfather.
Please share with friends, teachers, parents and students.
The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been mov ed, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.
The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been mov ed, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.
2
Sent from Monica Yeung Arima's iPhone
www.myarima.com
650 888‐4116
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:jeannie duisenberg <jeannieduis@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, January 18, 2020 1:21 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:City letterhead
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council,
A recent letter from the new mayor on PA city letterhead re AB50 is causing some distress. I do not want to comment
on the contents of the letter here. I only wish to state that it is inappropriate for the mayor or anyone else to use PA city
letterhead to express personal views that have not been vetted or agreed upon as policy by the appropriate public
entity. Use of PA letterhead is an implicit representation of official city business in which the signer is authorized to
speak for the city. This is not the case here and therefore it is inappropriate to have used city letterhead. Just because it
has been done in the past does not make it correct.
Sincerely,
Jeannie Duisenberg
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 3:30 PM
To:Human Relations Commission
Cc:Council, City; greg@gregtanaka.org
Subject:Palo Alto City Council Priorities for 2020 -submitted by Aram James and related issues
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Council member Greg Tanaka,
I hope you and your family are doing well. I previously lived in Palo Alto for most of my
life..but moved to Redwood City for the last 5‐6 years. I’m now living in Palo Alto again.
1. At some point I would like the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my experience
with issues surrounding safe parking programs.
My personal # 1 priority for the city council for 2020
2. I would also like to discuss, with you, the issues surrounding PAPD Captain Zack
Perron ‐and the failure of the city and or the police department —and the part played
by the Palo Alto Independence Police auditor —in failing to release the IPA report re
allegations that Captain Perron acted in a racist and bigoted manner towards a now
former member of the PAPD ‐during an incident dating back to Jan 28, 2014...nearly six
years ago now.
In fact I know that soon the city of Palo Alto will be having Its annual meeting re setting
priorities for 2020. My request is that this critical issue be prioritized as the # 1 issue
before the city council for 2020. I realize this is a long shot ‐but I feel compelled to make
my best effort to see that this issue is not ignored.
I will copy this e‐mail to the entire city council and any staff members you suggest .... so
that at least my input is considered prior to the annual retreat —for priority setting.
In a separate e‐mail I will send a copy of a short letter to editor of the Daily Post....that I
wrote back on December 16, 2019 titled: City foot dragging.
3. Second requested priority
for our city council for 2020..Ban
Tasers
In the 2007 I was very active in Palo Alto in opposing the introduction of Tasers into the
city of Palo Alto. I believe it is time to permanently ban Tasers in Palo Alto....it is not a
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weapon that is needed by our police department. The weapon is extremely expense to
maintain and are very unsafe ....and are rarely used by the PAPD.
In a separate email I will send you two articles I co‐authored with attorney Richard
Konda ....a few years back... when we opposed the purchase and use of Tasers by the
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.
Although the issue of the use of Tasers in our jails is different than the use of Tasers by
our police in the streets ....many of the key issues are the same. I will also send you‐if
still available‐the video of my presentation to the Palo Alto Taser Task Force back in
2007. Ultimately in May of 2007 our City Council in a 5‐4 vote...voted to allow the PAPD
to purchase Tasers. Guess who provided the 5th and deciding vote!!!!!
3rd priority for the City Council
to consider in 2020 is a bathroom
At Bol Park.
4. I will discuss this issue in detail with you....
council member Tanaka...when we meet
and do my best to prepare a memo of
reasons for this request to be provided to
staff members who are preparing issues for the upcoming retreat.
Sincerely,
Aram James
415‐370‐5056
abjpd1@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:M H <mh11281@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, January 20, 2020 12:44 PM
To:Raschke, Matt; Stump, Molly; Shikada, Ed; Andrew.Fine@cityofpaloalto.org; Council, City; Collazo,
Mike
Subject:Construction Noise Complaint
Attachments:IMG_6917.mov; ConstBirchVideo.MOV; IMG_5364.mov
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Good morning everyone,
I am a citizen of Palo Alto and reside next door to a construction site at Sherman Avenue and Birch Street. I
am writing to express my frustration with the construction crew and their partnering contract agencies' inability
to follow simply posted signs that consist of construction hours (8:00am to 6:00pm M-F, Saturday 9:00am to
6:00pm).
As a law enforcement officer, I depend on rest as my days are long and unpredictable, yet require me always
to be alert. It's frustrating when my sleep pattern is interrupted as a result of construction or general operations
being conducted at such an early hour on the construction site. Additionally, fellow residents in the
condominium have also expressed frustration with the violations, namely those that begin before the break of
dawn.
While I understand there will be times the posted hours are slightly violated, there have been multiple
instances of construction occurring well before the construction hours with little evidence of a permit. In
September 2019, there were signs posted that a project would begin at 4:00am on those days. While
annoying, at least there was evidence that the construction contractor went through the necessary channels to
conduct and complete their work. I will say that I don't understand why the permit wasn't denied for 4:00am and
perhaps granted until 6:00am. Nonetheless, I have attached a video from this week and one from a past
incident documented with Palo Alto Police Department. I concede that the construction crew has been better at
starting on time since a couple of previous reports were made by fellow neighbors and me, but there is still
room for improvement, namely on Friday and Saturday.
Lately, the portable toilet cleaning worker arrives at 4:00am to 5:00am early in the week. His truck and device
to clean the toilet are loud, and while he is only present for 30 minutes, it wakes up residents, including me, in
the Sherman Avenue/Birch Street vicinity. I don't see any reason why this can't be conducted just before
construction is set to begin. I even think that fellow residence and businesses would be fine if the construction
started an hour later and ended an hour later as going past 6:00pm is less burdensome than starting at 6:00 or
7:00am. Also, on Martin Lether King Day, the portable toilet cleaner was again present at 4:00am, a
holiday nonetheless.
I fully respect the fact that there is a job at hand that will later benefit the city and county, it's citizens and
visitors. I further acknowledge that there are jobs in place at the site and some of these workers travel far to
work in order to feed their families, and prefer to start early/leave early to avoid traffic and spend time at home.
I'm sure that discussions will be had and there will be a resolution. After all, any construction that prevents the
citizens from peace and quiet is a clear violation of the city's civil code. I doubt anyone attached to this email
would like a construction zone to start outside your bedroom window at an unreasonable hour, either.
Lastly, I would like to commend the Palo Alto Police Department as they seem to be the only party conscious
of the situation and have reported several times to either halt construction or at least investigate the matter. I
2
originally sent this email to paloalto.org addresses and the only response I received from from Palo Alto Police.
I am resending it again to each of you with the cityofpaloalto.org address
Regards,
Mark Hudgins
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Roberta Ahlquist <roberta.ahlquist@sjsu.edu>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 9:14 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Feedback due Friday: Most Important Priorities for 2020 for Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
1. Halt all office, condo development until we get low, low‐income housing ‐‐Seek out proposals, with incentives for
developers. We desperately need to house the workers, the poor, those who struggle to survive in Palo Alto.
2. Support CEDAW: Time to sign on for Palo Alto‐‐ we need to affirm diversity, protect the rights of all, end
discrimination against women
3. Ban Tasers‐‐
Sincerely,
Roberta Ahlquist
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Joanne Koltnow <joanne.koltnow@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:40 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Adrian Fine's letter to Sen Wiener
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
I've just read a January 17 letter from Mayor Adrian Fine to
Senator Scott Wiener in which the mayor expresses his strong
support for SB50.
Because the letter is basically a personal one, primarily outlining his
own views, it is inappropriate to use the letterhead of the mayor's
office (implying that this is an official document), without making
that distinction clear.
As you all know, there are wide differences of opinion about the
content and impact of SB50 among Palo Alto residents. The
mayor's letter certainly did not reflect mine--yet the letterhead
implied that he was speaking for me or at least in some official
capacity.
It's important for city officials to be careful how they use the
trappings of their offices when taking positions. In general, when
officials endorse candidates, their titles are included with the
notation "for identification only." When officials take positions in
public, they write Op-Eds or, at the very least, say that they're
speaking personally rather than in their official capacity.
2
Please let me know if there are guidelines for situations like the
Fine letter to Wiener, what they are, and how they are being
enforced.
--Joanne Koltnow
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Holly Rubinstein <hmrubinstein@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:54 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Mr. Fine's letter to Senator Weiner
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Council Members:
I would like to express my disappointment with Mr. Fine’s use of official City of Palo Alto letterhead to write to Mr.
Weiner in support of SB 50. I am not in favor of SB 50 and unless the Council has approved support of the bill, I believe
Mr. Fine should have written in his personal capacity, not as mayor of Palo Alto which gives an entirely different
perspective to the letter. This is an ethical matter that I hope the Council will address. Ethics are still important despite
the current political mess in Washington.
I am in support of affordable housing and could support a better crafted bill.
Sincerely,
Holly Rubinstein
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Christine Czarnecki <crczarnecki@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 5:34 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Mr. FIne's letter in support of SB50
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I urge the members of the Palo Alto City Council demand a rescission of Mayor FIne’s letter in support of SB50.
While Mr. Fine is certainly entitled to his opinion on the matter, and is as able as any California citizen to write a letter to
a member of the California Legislature, it is my opinion wholly unacceptable that he do so on official Palo Alto city
stationery, implying that it is not just he, but the entire city of Palo Alto, who support the passage of this bill.
Mr. Fine certainly doesn’t speak for me in this matter, nor for a majority of Palo Altans, nor the entire city council, as I
understand it.
Mr. FIne is welcome to resend his letter on personal stationery, and welcome to state that he is indeed mayor of our
city, but he should not have used the stationery of his office to express his personal opinion.
Thank you for considering this matter.
Christine R. Czarnecki
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Council, City
To:Aram James
Subject:RE: City foot dragging -letter to the editor Daily Post —dec 16, 2019 —re PAPD Caption Zack Perron
-coverup
From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2020 3:25 PM
To: greg@gregtanaka.org; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Human
Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org>; Kniss, Liz (internal) <Liz.Kniss@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Kou, Lydia
<Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;
council@redwoodcity.org; city.council@menlopark.org; chuckjagoda1@gmail.com; Stump, Molly
<Molly.Stump@CityofPaloAlto.org>; jrosen@da.sccgov.org; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Perron, Zachary
<Zachary.Perron@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Jonsen, Robert <Robert.Jonsen@CityofPaloAlto.org>
Subject: City foot dragging ‐letter to the editor Daily Post —dec 16, 2019 —re PAPD Caption Zack Perron ‐coverup
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
2
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:slevy@ccsce.com
Sent:Saturday, January 18, 2020 1:17 PM
To:Steve Levy
Subject:GDP and income updates
Attachments:Numbers-Jan2020_2018-California-Regional-Economy-Rankings.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
The Bay Area as expected led he state and nation in GDP and per capita income growth in 2018. California
also led the nation.
This Numbers in the News covers GDP and per capita income estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of
Economic Analysis late last year.
These data do support the new effort Regions Rise Together as they clearly document the large income
disparities among regions and counties in California.
https://cafwd.org/reporting/c-new/regions-rise-together
High income counties are mainly in the Bay Area and low income counties are primarily in the inland parts
of California. While these income disparities are partly offset by differences in housing prices, they remain
large after any adjustment and they have persisted for decades.
Policy solutions have proved elusive. Ideas that have promise but will require effort and funding include
--non car commute connections between inland counties and the job rich coastal regions
--a focus on expanded education and workforce efforts
--support for industry growth in sectors where, for example, the Central Valley has advantages--though
the job growth goal has proven the most difficult after decades of trying.
But these data emphasize that regions are not yer rising together.
Steve
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
1
January 2020
The Bay Area Leads the State GDP and Income Growth in 2018
The Bay Area led California and the nation with a real (inflation adjusted) GDP
gain of 6.8% in 2018, more than twice as fast as the national growth rate.
California posted a 4.3% increase and all regions except the San Joaquin Valley
(which was close) outpaced the national gain. Per capita income gains also
outpaced the state and nation. Both sets of data are published by the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
San Jose led all metro areas in California with a real GDP increase of 10.1% in
2018 led by gains in tech related sectors. The San Francisco-Oakland metro
area was 2nd at 5.1% with gains in tech and finance.
2018 saw areas outside of the Bay Area with strong gains as these areas are
now fully participating in the state’s growth. Fresno GDP grew by 4.4% followed
by San Diego County’s 4.1% growth. Next with gains of 3.5%, 3.3% and 3.1%
were the Sacramento, Riverside-San Bernardino and LA-Orange metro areas.
The Bakersfield metro lagged as the oil cutbacks restrained growth. The Ventura
metro area was the only other metro area trailing the nation as job growth slowed
during 2018.
The first half of 2019 brought slower GDP growth to the state and that should be
reflected in lower metro area growth when those data become available.
2.8%
2.9%
3.1%
3.5%
4.1%
4.3%
6.8%
0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0%
San Joaquin Valley
United States
Los Angeles Basin
Sacramento Region
San Diego
California
Bay Area
Real GDP Growth in 2018
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
2
The LA Basin and Bay Area rank high in comparison to most states.
The five county LA Basin economy ranks behind only California, Texas and New
York in 2018 with a $1.3 trillion dollar economy. The nine county Bay Area
economy would rank 5th among all states with a $949 billion dollar economy
measured by the value of goods and services produced in each area.
‐0.7%
1.3%
3.1%
3.3%
3.5%
4.1%
4.4%
5.1%
10.1%
‐2.0% 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0%
Bakersfield
Ventura
LA‐Orange
Riv‐San Bern
Sacramento
San Diego
Fresno
SF‐Oakland
San Jose
GDP Growth in Major Metropolitan Areas
in California in 2018
$569
$592
$622
$676
$783
$865
$949
$1,039
$1,294
$1,669
$1,803
$2,998
$0 $1,000 $2,000 $3,000
Massachusetts
Georgia
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Illinois
Bay Area
Florida
LA Basin
New York
Texas
California
LA Basin and Bay Area Among Top
Ten States (2018 GDP $ Billions)
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
3
Where do California Regions Rank Worldwide?
The LA Basin economy would rank 15th in terms of the output of goods and
services behind Spain and ahead of Mexico. The Bay Area would rank 17th (up
from 18th two years ago) behind Indonesia and ahead of the Netherlands. San
Diego County would rank 45th behind the Czech Republic and ahead of Vietnam.
The eight county San Joaquin Valley would rank 51st behind New Zealand and
ahead of Qatar. And the six county Sacramento region would rank 54th behind
Kuwait and ahead of Morocco. California and the regions were not counted as
countries in these rankings.
Per Capita Income in 2018
Ten Highest California Counties for Per Capita Income in 2018
Marin $134,275
San Francisco $130,696
San Mateo $126,392
Santa Clara $107,877
Contra Costa $82,506
Alameda $76,644
Napa $74,984
Alpine $73,307
Santa Cruz $69,355
Orange $69,268
California $63,557
United States $54,446
$153
$156
$197
$205
$245
$245
$949
$1,042
$1,294
$1,426
$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000
Sacramento Region
53 Kuwait
San Joaquin Valley
50 New Zealand
San Diego
44 Czech Republic
Bay Area
16 Indonesia
LA Basin
14 Spain
GDP in $Billions
California Regional Economies Ranking
in the World 2018 ($Billions)
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
4
These estimates from BEA use a definition of income that goes beyond money
income to include imputed rent for home owners and employer paid benefits like
health insurance.
The top seven counties are in the Bay and number nine Santa Cruz County is
adjacent to the Bay Area. The Bay Area strength is the result of large number of
high paying tech jobs. Note that these estimates are for average per capita
income, which is influenced by high paying jobs as opposed to median incomes,
where half of residents are above and half below the median.
California’s per capita income in 2018 ($63,557) is 16.7% above the national
average.
The ten lowest counties for per capita income in 2018 are shown below. Five
(Kings, Merced, Kern, Madera and Tulare) counties are in the San Joaquin
Valley. Two (Riverside and San Bernardino) are in the inland portion of the
southern California region. And there are three smaller counties (Imperial, Del
Norte and Lassen). All of these counties have per capita incomes well below the
state and national average.
Ten Lowest Counties for Per Capita Income in 2018
Kings $35,306
Imperial $36,974
Del Norte $37,268
Lassen $37,844
Merced $38,519
Kern $39,703
Madera $39,897
San Bernardino $40,316
Tulare $40,420
Riverside $40,637
California $63,557
United States $54,446
Eight of the ten fastest growing counties for per capita income growth for 2015-
2018 were in the Bay Area and one, San Benito, was adjacent. The other top ten
county was Mariposa. All of these counties grew fast than the nation. It is also
true that per capita income in California grew slightly more slowly (14.0%)
compared to the nation (14.4%) for these years.
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
5
Fastest Per Capita Income Growth in California
2015-2018
Santa Clara 25.2%
San Mateo 23.2%
San Francisco 21.0%
Alameda 20.0%
Contra Costa 19.1%
Mariposa 17.7%
Marin 17.2%
Napa 17.2%
San Benito 16.4%
Sonoma 16.2%
California 14.0%
United States 14.4%
California had several counties where per capita income grew at half or less of
the national growth rate. Three (Kern, Merced and Stanislaus) are in the San
Joaquin Valley, two (Yolo and Yuba) in the Sacramento region, Imperial an four
smaller non metro area counties,
Slowest Per Capita Income Growth in California
2015-2018
Imperial 4.2%
Colusa 4.3%
Kern 4.4%
Alpine 4.4%
Modoc 4.5%
Merced 6.9%
Amador 7.0%
Yolo 7.2%
Yuba 7.2%
Del Norte 7.2%
Stanislaus 7.6%
California 14.0%
United States 14.4%
385 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • phone (650) 321-8550 • www.ccsce.com
6
Comments
State leaders are calling attention to the wide disparities in income and other
measures of economic health among different regions in California. This has led
to an initiative called Regions Rise Together https://cafwd.org/reporting/c-
new/regions-rise-together. The income and GDP data above confirm that there
are wide income disparities within California.
It is also true that the high and rising costs of housing in recent years have
increased the economic pressure on many residents even in regions with strong
job and income growth.
Notes
The estimates presented above are based on 2018 advance metropolitan area
estimates published by BEA in December 2019.
GDP is referred to as output or the output of goods and services in the text. GDP
is used instead of GSP (gross state product) although the meanings are similar).
The LA Basin includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and
Ventura counties. The Bay Area includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa,
San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties. The San Diego region
includes San Diego County. The San Joaquin Valley region includes Fresno,
Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties, The
Sacramento region includes El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and
Yuba counties.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Yahoo Mail.® <honkystar@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 1:07 PM
To:Frank Agamemnon
Subject:GO VIRAL Get this in the HANDS of EVERY American WE THE PEOPLE WILL GET OUR COUNTRY
BACK
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I'll bet you've NEVER been TAUGHT about this in ANY SCHOOL in the USA
MEANING WE THE PEOPLE "BEEN HAD" "HOODWINKED" "BAMBOOZLED"
Real Eyes Realize Real Lies - The Documentary
To help prprivacy, Mprevented download from the In Real Eyes Realize Real Lies - The Documentary
You can find all the images to download and share for free
@ https://shakingmyheadproductions.com/ This took som...
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ann Balin <alafargue@mac.com>
Sent:Friday, January 17, 2020 3:50 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Deadline for Khoury Market's renovation
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Mayor Fine and fellow council members,
I am writing you regarding the conversation that I had with George Hoyt, the Chief Building Inspector for the city of Palo
Alto on November 26, 2019. He had responded to citizens concerns pertaining to the continued covering of the market
with netting and scaffolding which harms the Khoury market’s traffic. These neighbors and others had voiced concerns
as to the compliance of OSHA regulations re: 2100 El Camino Real. He had his inspectors go out to the site and they
determined that these materials are within OSHA standards.
He spoke with the superintendent of the building who said that the painting and renovation would be completed in 60
days. My calculation takes us to January 22, 2020 for all of the work as it pertains to the market to be completed. He
mentioned that the superintendent told him that they could actually get all of the work done by the end of the year.
George Hoyt then said they could have 60 days which was more time than the superintendent had stated.
Kindly remind all pertinent parties in the city including Molly Stump and Jonathan Lait that this deadline must be
enforced. All of the shrouding and scaffolding need to be removed during the third week of January 2020 per George
Hoyt’s assertion. The Khoury Market is in the seventh month of this ongoing exterior work.
Thank you for your urgent attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Ann Lafargue Balin
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Melanie Grondel <mel.grondel@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 9:17 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:Melanie Grondel
Subject:Khoury Market, Oxfort Street/ El Camino Real, Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
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Mayor Fine and fellow council members,
I am writing to you to bring to your attention the importance to our neighborhood of having a Market at the College
Terrace Centre at El Camino Real/Oxford /College. I want to draw your attention to the stumbling blocks that have been
dropped repeatedly at the feet of the owners of the Khoury Market on their way to success.
I am asking for your attention to all of the requirements and regulations that apply. Without a functioning Market the
property is in violation of its planned community zoning (City Council of Palo Alto, 2009).
After years of absence, I moved back to College Terrace, to Yale Street. Having the Market nearby for daily needs was an
important consideration for me. I walk with a cane.
I do spend considerable time in my front garden. Daily, I see large numbers of young families with strollers, and bikers
pass by. This steady foot and bike traffic keeps me keenly aware of the large number of young families in our
neighborhood.
Older residents like me, young families with strollers, bikers, and busy residents like most of us, are well served by the
nearby
Market to shop for daily needs.
After a short hiatus without a grocery store on the corner, the Khoury market managed a soft opening at the request of
the Landlord, who promised to finish the facilities in short order, so a Grand Opening could be announced and realized.
To have a Market in the building, that was once fondly called the JJ&F Market by many, was the key requirement for
permission to build and develop the corner of El Camino, Oxford and College.
In line with the soft opening, the Khourys provided an adequate selection of products. Due to their quick response,
special request items were easily obtainable. Soon the market provided for more fancy preferences as well, tailored to
neighborhood requests.
The Grand Opening would allow for a more extensive selection of products. The rolling bins for fruits and vegetable,
already present, would be stationed outside for a colorful presentation of produce together with tables and chairs for
coffee and sandwiches.
However, in order for all that to happen, signs needed to go up on the facade and electricity to the doors must be
installed so the doors could open. The electricity was never installed by the Landlord. The main doors remain closed.
Only a side door is available.
There was a lot of anticipation, but the Landlord has not fixed the main doors even to the day of today, the signs could
not go up, the elevators to the underground parking, the main parking, have suffured multiple problems with basic
functions.
2
The store had to remain in the soft opening stage due to lack of promised facilities. A few months later, in June,
extensive scaffolding appeared, augmented by complete shrouding until the day of today. It obscures the market from
view. Only a few low, standing portable signs, hard to make out unless you are walking, indicate that there is a store
under those shrouds.
I have seen very few actual construction activities. The reason for the scaffolding and shrouding remains a mystery.
Painting has been mentioned, but little progress has been noticed. The timeline is unknown.The access to the market,
underneath the extensive scaffolding, was barely visible and impaired. Currently the entrance is still hard to make out.
The Grand Opening was out of the question.
In spite of these limiting circumstances, the Khourys have provided good and friendly
services. Quite a few excellent gourmet selections were kept in stock according to neighborhood preferences.
I have shopped at the Market with pleasure until they had barely any items left. The Market is an important resource for
me and for many in the neighborhood.
With cane in hand, I walked and carefully picked my way around the large construction equipment, the huge cherry
picker parked for many months at the corner, past large and small trucks, and past tailgating construction workers if
work was going on.
I tried to use my car, but there is hardly a place to park closeby.
In addition to the construction equipment, many passenger cars are parked there all day, regardless of the signs.
Parking underneath worries me, in particular with the frequently quirky elevators.
In spite of the obstacles, I visit the market twice a week. The loss of the Market would represent a significant
inconvenience and a broken commitment to many in the neighborhood. The regulatory requirement for the Market
would have been ignored.
I urge you to do everything in your power to enforce the requirements and regulations so the Market can function
properly, as is required. That way the Market can be the
benefit to the neighborhood that it is intended to be.
To see a Grand Opening with a fully stocked Market complete with colorful fruit and vegetable bins, tables and chairs on
the patio, would be a great benefit and focal point for the entire neighborhood.
To have such a Market properly realised by the Khoury family, would be my strong preference.
Many in the neighborhood do agree with me.
Thank you for your urgent attention to this critical situation.
Sincerely,
Melanie Grondel
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jeff <rosner@alum.mit.edu>
Sent:Sunday, January 19, 2020 5:19 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:RE: The landlord's position on Khoury's market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I live in College Terrace...this was posted on NextDoor and is RIGHT ON!
Exactly...it is to their benefit to do everything they can to sabotage the market and prove that "a market at this
location is not viable" 1. Give the bank ALL of the signage space 2. Put a cafeteria in upstairs separate from the
market 3. Put up scaffolds and tarps all around the building for many months with no progress to obscure the market
and conceal it's existence 4. Make certain that the elevation continues to be dysfunctional so you can't access the
market from the parking lot 5. etc....
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by."
‐‐‐Douglas Adams‐‐‐
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carol A. Munch <camunch@comcast.net>
Sent:Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:32 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Letter from Mayor Fine to Senator Wiener
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
I am outraged that Mr. Fine sent his letter of support to Senator Wiener on SB50 as Mayor and on City letterhead
without the consent of or discussion with the City Council. While Mr. Fine is free to express his support, he should NOT
be using his title and City letterhead for this purpose. I feel that this misrepresents the sentiments of our community
and oversteps his role. Our community is far from in agreement on the issue of housing density and support for
SB50. We need to have a more complete idea of how the Bay Area will deal with the problems we already have with a
finite water supply, not to mention the traffic and other infrastructures (schools, roads, utilities, other city facilities etc.)
that are already overstressed. If Mr. Fine and Mr. Wiener would get to the real basics of how we would address these
infrastructure concerns as part of their idea to increase housing before they submitted this sort of bill they might get
more support. As it stands many of the current residents will probably see the values for which we moved to Palo Alto
diminish. I would not like that to happen!
Sincerely,
Carol A. Munch
Hamilton Ave.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, January 18, 2020 12:23 AM
To:chuck jagoda; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; City Mgr;
wilpf.peninsula.paloalto@gmail.com
Subject:The Mercury News E-Edition Article
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Follow the link below to view the article.
http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=318d23915
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:ANDREA B SMITH <andreabsmith@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 6:09 AM
To:City Mgr
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Mold at Lucy Stern Theater
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hello City Manager and City Council Members ‐
I was ushering this past Sunday for Palo Alto Players at Lucy Stern Theatre.
There is a big mold issue which is located not in the auditorium but in the small closet in the lobby. The smell is most
disgusting.
When i said something to the PA Players House Manager, she said that “they” know about it. I presume “they” have a
work order in to “fix” the problem.
Instead of taking MONTHS to get to the problem and before someone gets sick from this mold, it would be nice to have
the mold taken out sooner as opposed to next year.
Andrea Smith
Walter Hays Drive
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:mark weiss <earwopa@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, January 17, 2020 11:46 AM
To:Aram James
Cc:Council, City; Stump, Molly; Jonsen, Robert; City Mgr; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Kniss, Liz
(internal); price@padailypost com; chuckjagoda1@gmail.com; Kou, Lydia; jrosen@da.sccgov.org;
Human Relations Commission
Subject:Re: Hi Folks, my 3 priorities for the city council and the HRC in 2020–submitted by aram James
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
As always Dr. Aram (juris), interesting to reframe our political policy and community reality from your perch.
Charlie Musselwhite played the big beat on San Antonio near the current JCC in the current mosque Dash where the
dead also did a trip – or test ‐50 years prior. By the way I am producing a show at the new Mitchell Park – we the people
approved a $41 million bond issued liability and now we want to see how rock rolls there— tonight with Johnny A and
Jerry Hannan.
Also I am about to announce in July a one woman show about mother Jones the labor activist.
Also per my comments on the most responsible of the local press website and the human relations commission if I can’t
get the actual “Mr. black quote from the Quentin Tarantino movie to facilitate a workshop I would at least imagine such
and write about it in my head first question who is Mr. pink or who wants to be Mr. pink and why.
Mark Weiss
Dba Earthwise
PS some of my earliest political philosophies were developed in a laboratory run by a man named Clay Leo at Gunn high
school in 1979: his go Bam what do yours do? History and geography of the bay area Metropolis – American political
behavior.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 16, 2020, at 10:54 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:
FYI: Tried to post this piece to Palo Alto online’s story ( today’s article) re our currently
extraordinarily dysfunctional HRC without success —Mark Weiss ‐had numerous
excellent posts—thus my initial
greetings to Mark
.
Hi Folks,
2
Hi Mark Weiss! Love you my friend.! Been more then 40 years since I
saw Charlie Musselwhite ...so sorry I missed the recent event you
produced featuring Charlie W. How did it go? After 5 years or so of living
in Redwood City ...I’m back living in Palo Alto.
1. Like you Mark I love Lakiba Pittman. I’m so old that I was an assistant
soccer coach for her son and my oldest son Sean back 40 years ago. I
loved attending HRC meeting back when Lakiba was on the commission.
I respect LaDoris Cordell very much but don’t always agree with her. I
certainly did’t ask LaDoris Cordell, despite my adamant opposition to
Tasers, to resign from the city council, back in 2007, when she provided
the 5th and deciding vote in favor of bringing deadly Tasers to Palo Alto.
2. Earlier today before reading about the current HRC controversy(Daily
Post broke the story 1st) I was hammering the city council with the 3
issues I think should be a priority with the city council in 2020. I copied
the HRC in on almost all of my e‐mails.
Here are my suggested priority issues for 2020. As an aside...I don’t
think I’ll get the time of day on any of the 3 issues either with the city
council or the HRC. No chance on the 1st two issues... for sure...# 3 a
long‐shot. Here they are.
Priority # 1: The City must release the report on the Captain Zack Perron
scandal. The alleged racist and vile incident occurred January 28, 2014–
6 years ago this month. I have great respect for HRC member Daryl
Savage... but I believe consciously or unconsciously she harbors such a
pro police bias she is unable or incapable of ever voting for an issue that
calls for more police accountability or transparency. Of course, if facts
to the contrary exist —I’m am willing to take a second look.
Similarly....the entire city council talks a good game on police
transparency...but they’re afraid to take a stand against the police chief,
the city manager, or the city attorney on releasing the Zack Perron
investigation.
I watched the entire city council discussion‐ last meeting in December
2019–and the 1 hr or so discussion.... on the Perron investigation was
an exercise in obfuscation...the Council
talked all around the issue for the entire Perron agenda item ....and not
one council members dared asked the operative question of the police
chief, city manager or city attorney. Are you going to release the report?
Yes or No? My strong opinion is that the council will never stand up to
the police, city manager or city attorney on the issue.
3
Our only chance is If the issue goes viral ...and grassroots organizations
including Black Lives Matter —demand that the report be released and
the cover‐up cease.
2. Priority issue # 2: revisit the Taser issue from 2007 —and after a
robust discussion Ban Tasers in Palo Alto. Today I sent the
council and the HRC numerous articles on the Taser issue —of
relatively recent vintage ‐2015 ‐2018–and a three part anti‐
Taser video of my presentation before the Taser Task Force
back in 2007. Daryl Savage was on the Taser Task Force —was
unfailing polite...including to me during my presentation—and
at all times. My experience‐observation were that Daryl Savage
was incapable of rising above her inherent bias to give the anti‐
Taser position a fair hearing‐Trial. Similarly beyond some polite
lip service to the dangers of Tasers —‐the city Council will
ignore the growing body of evidence that Tasers kill
indiscriminately and hugely disproportionately people of color
and vulnerable populations. The council will yet again bow to
the police chief’s wishes and non responsive answers to hard
questions on Tasers ....and ultimately will vote to retain Tasers
—even assuming the HRC or council will even be willing to put
the matter on their respective agendas.
2. Priority issue # 3: put a permanent bathroom at Bol Park. Too
tired to address this issue tonight ...more on the merits later.
Sincerely,
Aram James
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 5:32 PM
To:greg@gregtanaka.org; Council, City; Jonsen, Robert; Perron, Zachary; Human Relations Commission;
JRosen@dao.sccgov.org; city.council@menlopark.org; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Stump, Molly;
paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; cindy.chavez@os.sccgov.org; Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia;
city.council@menlopark.org; council@redwoodcity.org; Carlos Bolanos; City Mgr
Cc:chuck jagoda
Subject:There is no excuse for Taser use in our jails -Jan 2018 by Richard Konda & Aram James —-another
piece on Taser ( the last for today) that is particularly instructive re why Tasers should be banned in
Palo Alto—please read this piece —-and Palo Alto Cit...
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
FYI: Critical read re the buts and bolts of Tasers
http://ccin.menlopark.org/att‐17785/Aram_James__DJ‐1‐12‐18_.pdf
Shared via the Google app
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Chris Robell <chris_robell@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, January 18, 2020 9:26 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Clerk, City
Subject:"NO" on Measure G
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
I wanted to follow up regarding additional details on why Measure G, the $898 million bond on the March 3 ballot, should be opposed. While I am
100% in favor of supporting schools, this bond measure for Foothill/DeAnza Community College is (a) fiscally reckless and (b) an unfair and anti‐
housing tax.
Fiscally Reckless
This bond measure is asking taxpayers to approve a tax that will last over 30 years to fund massive spending over decades on unspecified
projects. If you read the bond measure resolution (see link at end of this letter), it has pages of things the money could potentially be spent on. It
almost reads like there isn’t even a school in place today, citing potential new buildings, new parking lots, “technology”, etc. It can really be used
for anything except a direct expenditure on administration salary increases (although we know cash is fungible so one could argue it could
indirectly be used for that as well).
The point is the “ask” is huge, non‐specific (like a blank check), and long‐lasting. The rationale of even why this is needed is not clear, given two
previous district bond measures ($248 million in 1999 and $490.8 million in 2012). And don’t forget that enrollment at Foothill/DeAnza is
DECLINING. Again, I’m all for investment in schools, but this need is not obvious, specific, nor reasonable.
Finally, the way the bond measure is proposed makes the cost particularly expensive. Money would be raised by selling bonds (debt) that must be
repaid, with interest (up to 12%), over decades from higher property taxes. At current (low) interest, the total repayment amount would be about
double the $898 million. But the total repayment cost is likely to be even higher, since this cost depends upon the interest rate at the time the
bonds are sold. The measure contemplates about $50m of bond sales each year for about 20 years, and it is not hard to imagine interest rates
being higher than they are today.
Unfair and Anti‐Housing Tax Initiative
A major point NOT broadly discussed is the unfair tax mechanism used to pay for this. If passed, every homeowner’s property taxes would be
increased by an additional $160/year for every $1000k in ASSESSED value (not market value) until 2054. Measure G’s approach of doubling down
on Prop 13 disproportionately burdens recent homebuyers and makes it even harder for would‐be‐buyers to afford a home. People who bought
decades ago would pay very little tax for G, further incenting them to hold on and thus constraining supply of homes.
Example:
Resident A owns a house worth $3 million but bought the house decades ago so the assessed value is only $150k, thus would pay $24/year for
Measure G . Resident A is happy he pays very little and certainly has no incentive to sell given the great tax break, thus constraining supply of
homes on the market.
In contrast, Resident B rents and is trying to buy a similar house at market price but would be faced with an incremental tax of $480/year (20x as
much!) for Measure G. Resident B would have a harder time to qualify for a mortgage on the house given these higher property taxes. Adding salt
to injury: state and local taxes over $10k can no longer be deducted under recent tax law changes. Resident B may be forced to continue to rent
or leave the area.
This example is common and should make it clear why doubling down on Prop 13, as Measure G would do, is anti‐housing and the antithesis of City
Council’s goals to promote housing for young, diverse families in our region.
2
When I asked the Foothill school board why they chose a bond measure with this taxation approach (which they acknowledge is problematic for
reasons above), their honest answer was because it only requires a 55% approval, whereas a more fair parcel tax approach (where everyone pays
the same) is a higher 66% threshold requirement. I don’t think that’s a good reason to adopt an anti‐housing tax initiative.
I hope you will encourage legislators to change the rules for how bonds are funded. There should be another way to raise funds for needed
spending besides doubling down on Prop 13.
Please do not support a tax that is financially irresponsible and exacerbates the housing shortage. Please endorse a “NO” vote on Measure G.
Sincerely,
Chris Robell
Old Palo Alto resident
Bond Measure G Resolution:
https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/fhda/Board.nsf/files/BJ52PW03336F/$file/Resolution_No_2019‐36_Ordering_Election.pdf
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 2:15 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:city.council@menlopark.org; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; council@redwoodcity.org; Dave Price;
paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Perron, Zachary; Jonsen, Robert; jrosen@da.sccgov.org; City Mgr
Subject:Palo Alto City Council Priorities for 2020 -submitted by Aram James and related issues
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Council member Greg Tanaka,
I hope you and your family are doing well. I previously lived in Palo Alto for most of my life..but moved to Redwood City
for the last 5‐6 years. I’m now living in Palo Alto again.
1. At some point I would like the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my experience with issues surrounding safe
parking programs.
My personal # 1 priority for the city council for 2020
2. I would also like to discuss, with you, the issues surrounding PAPD Captain Zack Perron ‐and the failure of the city and
or the police department —and the part played by the Palo Alto Independence Police auditor —in failing to release the
IPA report re allegations that Captain Perron acted in a racist and bigoted manner towards a now former member of the
PAPD ‐during an incident dating back to Jan 28, 2014...nearly six years ago now.
In fact I know that soon the city of Palo Alto will be having Its annual meeting re setting priorities for 2020. My request is
that this critical issue be prioritized as the # 1 issue before the city council for 2020. I realize this is a long shot ‐but I feel
compelled to make my best effort to see that this issue is not ignored.
I will copy this e‐mail to the entire city council and any staff members you suggest .... so that at least my input is
considered prior to the annual retreat —for priority setting.
In a separate e‐mail I will send a copy of a short letter to editor of the Daily Post....that I wrote back on December 16,
2019 titled: City foot dragging.
3. Second requested priority
for our city council for 2020..Ban
Tasers
In the 2007 I was very active in Palo Alto in opposing the introduction of Tasers into the city of Palo Alto. I believe it is
time to permanently ban Tasers in Palo Alto....it is not a weapon that is needed by our police department. The weapon is
extremely expense to maintain and are very unsafe ....and are rarely used by the PAPD.
In a separate email I will send you two articles I co‐authored with attorney Richard Konda ....a few years back... when
we opposed the purchase and use of Tasers by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.
Although the issue of the use of Tasers in our jails is different than the use of Tasers by our police in the streets ....many
of the key issues are the same. I will also send you‐if still available‐the video of my presentation to the Palo Alto Taser
2
Task Force back in 2007. Ultimately in May of 2007 our City Council in a 5‐4 vote...voted to allow the PAPD to purchase
Tasers. Guess who provided the 5th and deciding vote!!!!!
3rd priority for the City Council
to consider in 2020 is a bathroom
At Bol Park.
4. I will discuss this issue in detail with you....
council member Tanaka...when we meet
and do my best to prepare a memo of
reasons for this request to be provided to
staff members who are preparing issues for the upcoming retreat.
Sincerely,
Aram James
415‐370‐5056
abjpd1@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Minor, Beth
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 10:26 AM
To:Gianna Brogley; Council, City
Subject:RE: Paly Campanile- Interviews with Councilmen Fine, DuBois, and Filseth
Hi Gianna,
You can schedule meetings with them directly using their city email address which has the following
format: fname.lname@cityofpaloalto.org.
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: Gianna Brogley <gb31751@pausd.us>
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 9:50 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Paly Campanile‐ Interviews with Councilmen Fine, DuBois, and Filseth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
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Dear Office of the City Council,
Hello, my name is Gianna Brogley and I am a staff writer on Paly's newspaper, the Campanile. I would love to
set up time to interview some council members for our next issue about the new mayor and vice mayor in Palo
Alto. I have already contacted Councilman Filseth, Vice Mayor DuBois and Mayor Fine, but I wanted to contact
you as well to confirm a response and schedule a time to interview them. I would only need a few minutes to
ask some basic questions. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience and let me know when their
schedules are open. The Campanile staff and I would really appreciate it!
Thank you,
Gianna Brogley, Staff Writer at the Campanile
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:pram@apple.com on behalf of Paul Ramsbottom <pram@apple.com>
Sent:Wednesday, January 15, 2020 12:06 PM
To:Filseth, Eric (Internal)
Cc:Council, City; Len Filppu
Subject:Recent Pa
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Len, you might want to get this caution out to your mailing list.
~~~
Dear Eric and esteemed council members,
We last exchanged emails back when you were seeking re‐election. We have also discussed the surveys that the City of
Palo Alto out sends out periodically.
I just received and completed another survey. As someone who has spent the last 30 years designing or working with
market research in one form or another, I continue to be concerned by how these survey are constructed, and the
potential for bias.
Let’s choose a favorite topic, rail crossing safety and transportation, that s neatly woven into this latest survey:
2
It is very hard for the ‘uninitiated' not to answer affirmatively to the desire for better safety and maybe the opportunity
for external funding that might pay for it, but this doesn’t tell the whole story does it?
Sincerely,
Paul Ramsbottom
3796 Redwood Circle
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 6:52 PM
To:Stump, Molly; JRosen@dao.sccgov.org; Jonsen, Robert; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;
GRP-City Council; Tom DuBois; Kniss, Liz (external); Steven D. Lee; Lydia Kou; Dave Price; Zack;
Human Relations Commission
Cc:Aram James
Subject:reexamining the need for Tasers in Palo Alto-- 2020 priority
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attachments and clicking on links.
1/21/20
From: Aram James: abjpd1@gmail.com‐‐415‐370‐5056
To: City Council, City Attorney, City Manager, Police Chief and the community
Reexamining the need for Tasers in Palo Alto,
a priority for review by our city council in 2020
1. In the past I’ve been labeled a police critic –and that might be a fair characterization –and that’s okay with me…
but I prefer being referred to as a Best Police Practices Advocate.
2. In 2020 I’m requesting that the City council and the community reexamine the need for Tasers –
particularly in light of a growing body of evidence—since 2007—that Tasers are far more dangerous than
originally though.
3. Build the community conversation based on data and the facts re Taser usage and expenses, here in Palo
Alto.
CPRA request
4. To: City Attorney Molly Stump: I am making a formal CPRA request tonight for the following information:
5. The number of times Tasers have been deployed since their implementation in 2007—and a breakdown
of the data re the number of times Tasers have been deployed each year from 2007 to the end of 2019.
6. The cost or monies spent purchasing Tasers on an annual basis from 2007‐2019 –grand total and the
annual cost. The cost to replace Tasers. The cost to repair Tasers—etc. The total amount spent on Tasers
annually‐‐ including the costs specially attributed to Taser training of new officers and the retraining of long
term‐employed officers.
7. The number and case names of law suits filed against the city of Palo Alto based entirely on Taser usage….
and or based on Taser usage and other uses of force…from 2007 thru 2019. Litigation costs –including the
cost of hiring of outside council to litigate Taser related cases from 2007‐2019.
8. All info re monies paid by Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser International, to members of the PAPD.
9. Consistent with the language and spirit of the CPRA assistance from the city in identifying other expenses
related to the use of Tasers that I have not identified in this CPRA request.
10. Once I have received and reviewed the above data—I will come back to the city council with any
conclusions I can glean –and make any arguments and conclusions justified by the data.
11. I am happy to sit down with any council member who would like to discuss issues related to the use of
Tasers –in the city of Palo Alto.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Anne Taylor <annet52@me.com>
Sent:Sunday, January 19, 2020 4:19 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:City Mgr; City Attorney; Anne Taylor
Subject:Response to Mayor Fine's letter to Scott Weiner Supporting SB50
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links.
________________________________
Honorable Mayor and City Council—
I am writing in response to Mayor Fine’s January 17, 2020 letter sent to Scott Wiener supporting SB50. While I disagree
with many of Mayor Fine's statements, that is not my issue. I question that he sent the letter on “City of Palo Alto, Office
of Mayor and City Council” letterhead. I believe this was an abuse of his role.
The format and content of communication on important matters of legislation is the responsibility of our entire Council.
Until and unless there is Council discussion and official consensus on issues, an individual mayor’s opinion, whether of
this mayor or a prior one, should be just that, not sent on official stationery. Is there no formal policy on this issue? If
not, it would seem appropriate.
Newly elected Mayor Fine has said he wants housing to be a major city focus in 2020. He will have time to work with
Council on that goal. In the meantime, I hope his passionate pleas of support are presented as those of an individual,
albeit a mayor, just as I will send my personal opposition of SB50 to the California Legislature. I have great concerns
with SB50’s statewide one size fits all approach which will preempt local control. This is an assault on many of the
characteristics that make Palo Alto a special place.
As a community we have lots of issues to address, and I look forward to healthy and vibrant discussions going forward.
Respectfully,
Anne L. Taylor
1415 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rob Levitsky <roblevitsky@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:19 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:rush hour traffic counts at Churchill, seems to support mike price design
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links.
________________________________
council members‐
i counted churchill traffic at friday evening rush hour, and tuesday morning rush hour, to see how traffic would be
affected by the Mike Price design for a new interchange at Churchill.
it appears to me that the busiest pathways would be handled by his design.
rob levitsky
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Brettle, Jessica
From:ron ito <wsrfr418@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, January 15, 2020 2:42 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:sidewalks?
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attachments and clicking on links.
Who is charge of keeping the sidewalk clean and free of dead leaves, debris, dog poop, garbage, shopping carts, etc on
the south side of
Encina Ave, across the street from Opportunity Center? Its disgusting. Reminds me of the dumpy part of Los Angeles.
Someone needs to come out and take a look instead of passing the buck. Bring a rake and gloves with you!
The end result is the bad gets worse.
The trees also need to be trimmed back. They are overgrown.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 4:58 PM
To:greg@gregtanaka.org
Cc:paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Council, City; Jonsen, Robert; council@redwoodcity.org;
city.council@menlopark.org; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Kniss, Liz (internal); chuck jagoda;
Perron, Zachary; Dave Price; Kou, Lydia; Human Relations Commission; JRosen@dao.sccgov.org
Subject:Expert: Stun guns are far from being a ‘nonlethal’ alternative to bullets —-2015
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attachments and clicking on links.
FYI: Another article that is instructive re why Tasers should be banned in Palo Alto —and should be prioritized as a top
issue by the city council in 2020.
https://sfbayview.com/2015/12/expert‐stun‐guns‐are‐far‐from‐being‐a‐nonlethal‐alternative‐to‐bullets/
Shared via the Google app
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 3:48 PM
To:greg@gregtanaka.org; Council, City; Human Relations Commission; chuckjagoda1@gmail.com;
Jonsen, Robert; city.council@menlopark.org; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;
city.council@menlopark.org; Kniss, Liz (internal); paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; Kou, Lydia;
council@redwoodcity.org; Perron, Zachary; City Mgr
Subject:Aram James presents to the Taser Task Force part 2 March 2007
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attachments and clicking on links.
https://archive.org/details/aramjamesPaloAltoTaserTaskForcePt2
Shared via the Google app
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 3:40 PM
To:greg@gregtanaka.org
Cc:Council, City; Jonsen, Robert; Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia; chuck jagoda; council@redwoodcity.org;
city.council@menlopark.org; city.council@menlopark.org; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com
Subject:Palo Alto Taser Task Force -2007 Part 1 march 2007 by aram james
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
https://archive.org/details/aramjamesPaloAltoTaserTaskForce
Shared via the Google app
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jean Libby <jean_libby@alliesforfreedom.org>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 8:45 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Message from the City Council Home Page
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attachments and clicking on links.
I am being contacted to the point of harassment for a survey about business taxes conducted by Fairbanks, Maslin,
Maudlin, Metz & Associates (FM3).
It seems this survey (by telephone) was contracted by the Council.
It is lengthy, repetitious, and in all respects poorly designed. Calls three days in a row have caused me to block their
number.
At the very least the distant employees should pronounce "Palo Alto" correctly.
It is my first inclination to vote against any measure that has funded Fairbanks, Maslin, Maudlin, Metz & Associates
(FM3) to represent it.
However, I will behave like a resident/homeowner of the City since 1964 and consider the measure carefully if it comes
to the ballot in November 2020.
Sincerely,
Jean Libby
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Adriana Anca Suvaiala <anca10512@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 3:10 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:boardchair@pah.community
Subject:Thank you for approving the necessary funding for Wilton Court
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attachments and clicking on links.
Mayor and City Council
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
Dear Mayor Fine and City Council Members:
I want to commend you for approving the funding needed for Wilton Court. Without your support it would be
impossible for people with low income, born and raised in this community, to continue to live and be productive
member of our community.
Thank you for your leadership to make Palo Alto a community in which people of diverse incomes and abilities can
continue to thrive.
Sincerely,
Adriana Suvaiala
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Laurie Jarrett <laurietjarrett@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, January 15, 2020 2:16 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Thank You/Wilton Court Funding
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links.
________________________________
To: City Council Members
THANK YOU for approving the additional funding for the housing project Wilton Court.
I appreciate your good efforts.
Sincerely,
Laurie T Jarrett
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Robyn Reiss <robyn.reiss@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:38 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:David Reiss
Subject:An unsafe stop sign situation in midtown -- and proposed solution
Attachments:Proposed stop sign change - Jan 21 2020 - 10-13 PM.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
January 21, 2020
Robyn and David Reiss
2626 Waverley St
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Dear City Council,
We are writing because there is a dangerous situation in midtown Palo Alto that can be easily remedied by
moving a stop sign one block from where it is never used, to where it is desperately needed for safety reasons.
Currently, El Dorado Avenue from Alma to Cowper has three stop signs: at Ramona, Bryant, and South Court.
South Court is one of these stop signs, even though it dead-ends (in the perpendicular direction) at Oregon
and Matadero Creek (a three block span), therefore rarely do cars drive north/south on South Court. So, this
stop sign is wasted.
By contrast, Waverley is a thoroughfare, with bikers biking across Waverley regularly (they never bike across
South Court at El Dorado since it is a dead end on both sides).
Today, we almost had a terrifying bike accident with my 7 year old son, where he biked straight across
Waverley without stopping (at El Dorado) thinking it was safe. But it is a 2-way stop sign in a way that is
unexpected, and he could have been hit.
We (and we are gathering signatures from the neighbors at those intersections who we believe will support
this) are proposing that we turn the 2-way stop sign on El Dorado at South Court 90 degrees (the new stop
signs would be north/south instead of east/west – please see attached pictures) and move the east/west stop
signs on El Dorado at South Court to El Dorado at Waverley.
This would make El Dorado at Waverley a 4-way stop sign, but (1) this would mirror the situation at Colorado
at Waverley one block away – this is a 4-way stop sign for good reason – both Waverley and Colorado are
thoroughfares, and this protects bikers and drivers. And (2) this change would be nearly net zero for drivers.
On El Dorado, they would now encounter the same number of stop signs (three) at Ramona, Bryant and
Waverley (instead of right now at Ramona, Bryant and South Court). Drivers along Waverley would still have
the same stop sign they already have at El Dorado, nothing added there. The only drivers who would have a
change are the rare drivers driving along South Court between Matadero Creek and Oregon – but this is
almost no drivers because again, South Court dead ends in both directions across this three block span (see
drawing). This is probably why there’s no east/west stop sign at Colorado at South Court, one block away – it
isn’t needed because South Court dead-ends in both north/south directions.
2
Many times at the intersection of Waverley at El Dorado, we have seen biking children bike straight across El
Dorado without stopping, assuming there’s a stop sign there to protect them (like my son today). Many middle
schoolers bike along Waverley since JLS is on Waverley, and I see many of them not stop at El Dorado and
blow right through this 2-way stop sign, thinking it’s a 4-way stop sign. It is frightening.
I would be happy to come to a City Council meeting to discuss this directly with the council. Currently, we are
gathering signatures from neighbors to support this change for safety, and I will follow up with those
signatures.
Thank you,
Robyn and David Reiss
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Brettle, Jessica
From:Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2020 4:50 PM
To:greg@gregtanaka.org
Cc:Dave Price; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com; chuck jagoda; Council, City; Council, City; Carlos Bolanos;
jrosen@da.sccgov.org; Kniss, Liz (internal); Kou, Lydia; city.council@menlopark.org;
citycouncil@mountainview.gov; City Mgr; Jonsen, Robert; Perron, Zachary; Human Relations
Commission; michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com; Stump, Molly; Minor, Beth
Subject:Why Tasers should be banned in Palo Alto —and why this issue should be prioritized as a top issue
by the PA City Council in 2020–see piece below by Richard Konda & Aram James —-issues discussed
in the below article are meant to be instructive on the is...
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
https://siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/stop‐tasers‐from‐being‐introduced‐to‐our‐jails
Shared via the Google app
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Linnea WICKSTROM <ljwickstrom@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, January 20, 2020 2:56 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Sheryl Klein
Subject:WILTON Thank you
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attachments and clicking on links.
Mayor Fine, Vice Mayor DuBois, Members of the City Council,
Here is a belated “Thank You!” for your vote to loan Palo Alto Housing another $10M to help make the development of
Wilton Court a reality.
With Appreciation,
Linnea Wickstrom
Palo Alto
From:Rachel Kellerman
To:Council, City
Cc:Shikada, Ed; Nadia Naik; kanne.megan@gmail.com
Subject:Professorville Embarcadero Neighborhood Feedback Rail Crossing Agenda
Date:Monday, January 20, 2020 2:53:32 PM
Attachments:Professorville_Embarcadero Neighborhood Feedback.docx
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on links.
________________________________
Dear Council Members,
Attached is a collection of neighborhood feedback that relates to the Connecting Palo Alto agenda item for Tuesday
night’s meeting.
Thank you ,
Rachel Kellerman
January 19, 2019
Professorville Embarcadero Neighborhood Meetings Feedback to Council
During the last few months we’ve convened meetings with our Professorville and Embarcadero neighbors,
some of them with Palo Alto Council Members present. Neighbors are still continuing to meet, and they will
provide more comments when warranted. What follows is a collection of feedback generated from neighbors
during these meetings. We ask that you seriously consider our neighbors’ concerns and comments while
debating your recommendations for the Churchill rail crossing.
● There is a strong consensus in this group against closing Churchill thus reducing connectivity in an
area with so much traffic flowing through it already. The city goal is connecting Palo Alto, and people
think the consequences for Paly families, neighbors and impacts on Embarcadero and surrounding
streets are not acceptable or fully understood. The full costs should also be included in any cost-benefit
comparisons.
● Equity is important - one neighborhood’s gain should not come from another’s loss. We should strive to
reduce traffic volume and speeding everywhere.
● Council should support further study of the “Modified Underpass” proposal submitted to XCAP by Mike
Price to allow Alma and El Camino traffic to flow east/west and safe passage for bicycles and
pedestrians across Alma and under the tracks.
● The priority should be grade separations in South Palo Alto, since there are none today. However,
there should be a plan for Churchill and a firm commitment to improve connectivity north of
Embarcadero when the “Downtown Plan” is eventually designed.
● In 2016 Council approved a plan to improve Embarcadero traffic flow by synchronizing stoplights west
of the railroad tracks and improving bicycle and pedestrian safety along the corridor. This plan is
favored by residents and should be considered and revised.1 Indeed most residents favor improving on
this plan rather than the current Churchill mitigation plan as this plan allows traffic to flow more freely
through the underpass rather than stopping traffic before the underpass.
● Bike/pedestrian improvements should be implemented as a priority, at Churchill (or Peers Park/Seale)
and Embarcadero as well as active enforcement of speed limit and stop sign violations along
Embarcadero and neighboring streets.2
● The City and Council should take the time to re-think how car and bike/ped flow should move through
North Palo Alto safely and continue to solicit the best thinking from experts as well as residents.
● There is opposition to the proposed Churchill closure traffic mitigation plan. Here is a collection of
feedback from neighbors:
○ Creation of a six-lane interchange will create traffic backups and cars will use neighborhood
streets to bypass the traffic, endangering pedestrians and bicyclists and preventing residents
from accessing driveways. Neighbors do not want to have Stanford game-level traffic every day
during rush/school commute hours.
1 Embarcadero Road & El Camino Real Corridor Improvements 2016-this is a link to a folder on Google Drive that
contains the Council “Action Minutes,” a concept plan, and the full staff presentation. The last two pages of the staff presentation contain a helpful analysis of Embarcadero area traffic, which shows that at peak AM travel times there are 1,800 cars traveling east/west under the Embarcadero tunnel and at peak PM times there are 1840 cars traveling. Hexagon also consulted on this project. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PBOEHq2tHbNf7e45Y62xGl8hpqkP982w?usp=sharing
2 2012 rail corridor study shows alternative bike/ped underpasses pages 46-47 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wt-iQqrJrfQpSB0HKeqP4UehPDfxJqPJ/view
○ There is already a traffic problem on Embarcadero Road, especially during morning and
evening rush hours, and more traffic diverted from the Churchill closure will make an existing
problem worse. 3
○ Cars already speed down the 1100 block of Emerson trying to access Embarcadero,
endangering bicyclists and pedestrians traveling on the bike path and sidewalk at the end of the
street. More traffic will make this problem worse.4
○ Putting a light at the end of High Street (a very narrow street) will make this street a de-facto
cloverleaf for traffic wanting to access Embarcadero and completely alter the character of this
street.
○ Widening Embarcadero Road, which was historically built as a two-lane road, even at one
intersection might lead to long term pressure to widen the entire road, turning it into a second
Oregon Expressway.
○ This intersection is within a couple blocks of two schools, Paly and Castilleja. These students
should not have to cross six lanes of traffic coming from all directions.
○ Level of Service (LOS) improvements are traffic flow measurements only. Many other factors
need to be weighed to assess whether a change that improves LOS is actually better for a street and/or neighborhood. ○ There has been insufficient time and opportunity for neighbors to interact directly with the traffic
consultants and many questions remain about their methodology and results. 5
○ Neighbors are very concerned that traffic mitigation plans, while perhaps not resulting in
aboveboard eminent domain, will nevertheless have the impact of a significant taking. Such
examples include possible elimination of street parking, restricted access to one's property and
driveway, serious increase in air and noise pollution, hazardous safety issues, in general, a
material impact to the monetary value and quality of one's home and neighborhood.
○ Finally, initial traffic studies show the Embarcadero/El Camino intersection will continue to fail
despite the “mitigations”. 6
With Respect,
Tom and Rachel Kellerman
Yoriko Kishimoto
Barbara and Butch Hazlett
Michael and Mary Chacon
3 PTA representatives from Walter Hays and Addison Elementary Schools were concerned about the possibility of increasing traffic levels on heavily used residential arteries to both schools from cars cutting through neighborhoods as they attempt to avoid Embarcadero traffic. This concern is shared by Paly parents
as well.
4A few examples: pets have been killed, a car side-swiped and a young bicyclist, riding in the crosswalk, was hit by a car this summer. In a recent (9/25/19) count by neighbors during peak school time (7:45-8:30 am), over 300 bike/pad
crossings were counted along with 102 cars of which 40% did not stop at the stop sign next to the crosswalk. 5 Some residents liked limiting the left-turn at Lincoln onto Alma. Residents living on the Embarcadero Slip Road thought
the light at Alma would attract more traffic thus making an already treacherous traffic problem worse. Residents want to fully engage with City and traffic consultants. 6 2019 Traffic Analysis Page 18 : https://connectingpaloalto.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TrafficAnalysis-Rail_Nov-26-2019.pdf
From:Gary Lindgren
To:Council, City
Subject:XCAP Update on Tuesday
Date:Saturday, January 18, 2020 10:33:48 AM
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Dear Palo Alto City Council,
On Tuesday January 21, you will receive an update from XCAP members including a request for
additional studies. I highly recommend approval of the idea from Elizabeth Alexis. This idea is for an
underpass for Meadow and Charleston at Alma and the rail tracks. Traffic going both North and
South on Alma will be able to go both East and West but not cross the tracks. Traffic on Meadow and
Charleston will be able to go both East and West under Alma and the tracks. Also traffic on Meadow
and Charleston will to turn onto Alma and go North and South. The tracks will stay at grade.
Construction costs and construction time should be lower compared to a viaduct or hybrid solution.
Thank you,
Gary Lindgren
Gary Lindgren
585 Lincoln Ave
Palo Alto CA 94301
650-326-0655
Check Out Latest Seismometer Reading
@garyelindgren
Listen to Radio Around the World
Be Like Costco... do something in a different way
Don't trust Atoms...they make up everything
A part of good science is to see what everyone else can see but
think what no one else has ever said.
The difference between being very smart and very foolish is
often very small.
So many problems occur when people fail to be obedient when
they are supposed to be obedient, and fail to be creative when
they are supposed to be creative.
The secret to doing good research is always to be a little
underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste
hours.
It is sometimes easier to make the world a better place than to
prove you have made the world a better place.
Amos Tversky
From:Carol Lynne Booth
To:Council, City
Subject:Timing of light at Charleston and Alma Intersection
Date:Wednesday, January 15, 2020 12:23:33 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
Please consider adjusting the timing of the traffic light at the intersection of Charleston and Alma
when the cycle is disrupted by a train.
Currently, when a train comes, the gates close and traffic along Charleston stops. After the trainpasses and the gates open, the traffic light resets to start its cycle with a green for Alma. This
creates a tremendous back up of traffic along Charleston, especially during rush hour with
frequent trains.
I suggest the traffic light be adjusted so that when a train disrupts the traffic light cycle, the traffic
light starts with a green light for the Charleston traffic in both directions and then goes back to the
traffic on Alma.
The trains create additional time for traffic along Alma, so this adjustment will help ease the
tremendous back up along Charleston while not overly burdening the traffic along Alma.
Thank you for your consideration.
Warmly,
Carol Booth
768 Paul Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306
From:slevy@ccsce.com
To:Council, City; Planning Commission
Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed
Subject:housing work plan
Date:Sunday, January 19, 2020 7:15:07 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Fine and council members,
Please expand the programs in the housing work plan and provide funding for staff support
on the many items not yet started. And then reinstate housing as a priority at the Retreat.
As the staff memo notes, despite positive council action with regard to ADUs and incentives
adopted last year, these measures alone will not come close to meeting the housing targets
in the adopted Comp Plan and will leave the city unprepared for the higher RHNA targets we
will receive as HCD has added substantial targets to relieve overcrowding and cost burdens
for existing residents.
Staff has provided a long list of potential additional policies.
Those that come to the top of my list include:
--planning for low rise 204 unit complexes and row houses in neighborhoods--originally
scheduled as part of the 2019 housing work plan
--additional height limits when paired with commitments for more subsidized units
--lowering or eliminating retail requirements in new housing developments
--exploring coops and community land trusts
--working with Stanford for housing on their city properties
--developing additional funding sources for projects like Wilton that are 100% BMR--like a
bond or parcel tax and including a substantial commitment of business tax revenues
--further streamlining the approval process.
In addition I would ask the state legislature to develop legislation to backfill some or all of
the impact fees so the city can retain the funds but the cost of projects can come down.
Finally I would have council remind the NVCAP committee of the importance of substantial
new housing in that area for the reasons outlined in the staff report as to the importance of
North Ventura if we are to meet our goals and simultaneously avoid being sued by the state
for violating our Housing Element.
Stephen Levy
365 Forest Avenue ( a wonderful home for 17 families in downtown that would be illegal to
construct today
Palo Alto
From:Angie Evans
To:Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Fine, Adrian; Cormack, Alison; Kniss, Liz (internal); Tanaka, Greg;DuBois, Tom; Kou, Lydia; Filseth, Eric (Internal)
Subject:House Work Plan Comments
Date:Monday, January 20, 2020 2:28:39 PM
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Dear Mayor Fine and Palo Alto Council Members,
First, thank you for bringing housing back to the agenda for three-quarters of the City Council
meetings this month. It shows how seriously you all take the issue and your commitment tofinding solutions that work for Palo Alto. That said, I'd like to see the city spend more time
and resources on housing in the coming year. I don't think we made the strides we should havein 2019 and we need to make up for that this year. For example, many nearby cities updated
their inclusionary policies in 2019 after the Palmer Fix. Palo Alto needs to do the same,extending inclusionary zoning to rental units. Menlo Park has a strong policy and would be a
great model. I also would like to see the city explore no net loss policies. East Palo Alto andMountain View have been working with developers and policy makers to identify the best
practices for their community. I believe Palo Alto should review our housing composition,potential areas for growth, and promote a policy that encourages development in underutilized
lots while protecting current renters from displacement. Although housing ideology sometimesfeels like a minefield, good public policy does not need to be. There is a lot of work to do in
the coming year and I look forward to being part of it.
Again, I would love to attend more meetings in-person so I want to continue to supportpiloting childcare at public meetings.
Best,
Angie
From:Liz Kniss
To:slevy@ccsce.com
Cc:Council, City; Planning Commission; Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed
Subject:Re: housing work plan
Date:Monday, January 20, 2020 8:55:53 AM
Thx Steve. Good reminder re past intentions.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 19, 2020, at 7:14 PM, slevy@ccsce.com wrote:
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Dear Mayor Fine and council members,
Please expand the programs in the housing work plan and provide funding for
staff support on the many items not yet started. And then reinstate housing as apriority at the Retreat.
As the staff memo notes, despite positive council action with regard to ADUs andincentives adopted last year, these measures alone will not come close to meeting
the housing targets in the adopted Comp Plan and will leave the city unpreparedfor the higher RHNA targets we will receive as HCD has added substantial targets
to relieve overcrowding and cost burdens for existing residents.
Staff has provided a long list of potential additional policies.
Those that come to the top of my list include:
--planning for low rise 204 unit complexes and row houses in neighborhoods--
originally scheduled as part of the 2019 housing work plan
--additional height limits when paired with commitments for more subsidized
units
--lowering or eliminating retail requirements in new housing developments
--exploring coops and community land trusts
--working with Stanford for housing on their city properties
--developing additional funding sources for projects like Wilton that are 100%BMR--like a bond or parcel tax and including a substantial commitment of
business tax revenues
--further streamlining the approval process.
In addition I would ask the state legislature to develop legislation to backfill someor all of the impact fees so the city can retain the funds but the cost of projects can
come down.
Finally I would have council remind the NVCAP committee of the importance of
substantial new housing in that area for the reasons outlined in the staff report asto the importance of North Ventura if we are to meet our goals and
simultaneously avoid being sued by the state for violating our Housing Element.
Stephen Levy
365 Forest Avenue ( a wonderful home for 17 families in downtown that wouldbe illegal to construct today
Palo Alto
From:Heidi Schwenk
To:Council, City
Cc:Heidi Schwenk
Subject:Message from the City Council Home Page
Date:Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1:16:12 PM
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Dear City Council Members,
I've been watching and reading the discussions about the Fry's store pending closure andpossible development of the area for 350 units of housing.
Recently, I learned about the Sidewalk Labs company, affiliated with Alphabet, Google
companies and their City of the Future development in Toronto. I think it would be of greatinterest to the City of Palo Alto to consider working with Sidewalk Labs and Sobrato to
develop another "City of the Future" on the Fry's site! It could be a revival of the entireneighborhood of Ventura.
Please take a look at the article: https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/city-of-the-future-talks-
midp-8d3348213af6 to consider making Palo Alto a pinnacle of progress with affordablehousing, green building, climate change focus, electrical and digital structure and an inviting
center for community.
Direct link to https://sidewalklabs.com/ home page for more information and insight into theirvision and mission. Their approach could be the answer to many of Palo Alto's land
developments, urban transportation, digital infrastructure and waste management with anemphasis on building and linking the variety of cultures, styles of living, and communities in
Palo Alto.
Best regards,--
Heidi
Schwenk Design760 Northampton DrivePalo Alto, CA 94303
Heidi@HeidiSchwenkDesign.comm 408.893.6163
From:Minor, Beth
To:Lunt, Kimberly
Subject:FW: housing work plan
Date:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:13:45 AM
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
-----Original Message-----
From: L. David Baron <dbaron@dbaron.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:12 AM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Planning Commission
<Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: housing work plan
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on links.
________________________________
Honorable city council:
When you consider tonight's item on the housing work plan
(https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/74851)
I would encourage you to make progress on changes that will lead to the construction of more housing in Palo Alto,
and on changes that will lead to shifts in land use in our region that make us depend
less on private cars for transportation. I hope that some of these
changes will also lead to downtown and perhaps other core areas becoming denser, with more housing, office, and
retail.
Regarding items mentioned in the staff report, I would specifically encourage you to:
* end the suspension of in-lieu parking for uses above the ground
floor (item #4),
* support incentives for the use of TDRs for residential
development (item #24), and
* allow in-lieu parking for residential uses (item #25).
In addition to the items mentioned in the staff report, I would also encourage work on changes to the zoning code to
allow for denser housing, particularly near Downtown and Cal Ave (and perhaps also along El Camino Real and San
Antonio). Many of the current rules including parking requirements and limits on Floor Area Ratio, lot coverage,
unit density, and setbacks, are stricter than they should be (particularly for areas close to downtown and California
Avenue), and prevent the creation of much-needed homes. It is most important to focus on the rule changes that will
actually lead to more homes being built.
In order for California to have a chance of digging out of its massive housing shortage, Palo Alto needs to havemuch more ambitious targets for housing construction than it does today. The state needs 3.5 million new homes. Palo Alto's fair share of that, given its location close to transportation and strong economic activity, is probablyaround 15,000-20,000 homes. Yes, that's a large number. But if we want to have a path out of this housing crisis,we need to think seriously about how to accommodate that level of growth (the sort of growth rate that Californiahad in the 1940s and 1950s, and about 50% more than the growth rate California had in the 1960s and 1980s).
-David
--L. David Baronhttps://dbaron.org/
From:Rebecca Sanders
To:Shikada, Ed; Lait, Jonathan; Tanner, Rachael
Cc:Council, City; North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan; Planning Commission
Subject:PLEASE CANCEL NVCAP TONIGHT or TAKE IT OFF COUNCIL AGENDA
Date:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:38:53 AM
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Dear Rachael, Jonathan and Ed:
City staff is presenting tonight on proposed changes to the housing work plan at the same timethat a
NVCAP meeting is taking place. The proposed changes appear to have the MOST impact onand will be absorbed by NVCAP.
So why is the meeting happening concurrent with the NVCAP meeting?
I would like to attend both meetings but will be forced to choose, and if working groupmembers want to attend the Council meeting to find out what is being discussed about THEIR
project, they will be in dereliction of their duty to the working group. Reading a report is notenough. When you miss discussion, you miss out on what is decided, what directions are being
discussed.
Also the latest staff report for NVCAP was delivered this past Friday night, the first night of athree day weekend. So I am just getting around to familiarizing myself with the staff report
now and the presentation. I have perused it and have not read it word for word, will do that,but as of now, I am alarmed to see for the first time ever thousands of housing units proposed
in NVCAP rather than the 350+ slated by the housing element of the comp plan.
NVCAP is of the utmost importance and to have such major changes proposed without firsthaving it reviewed, let alone vetted by the NVCAP working group seems outrageous to me.
And what about the PTC? I thought the Planning and Transportation Commission wassupposed to get a bead on this kind of thing BEFORE going to Council because that is the
PTC’s job, to save Council time by first going over projects and proposals like this.
The way this is being handled is irregular and inconsiderate of the hours of time that myneighbors have devoted to the NVCAP process.
I urge Staff to either cancel the NVCAP meeting or take the presentation off the agenda for
tonight. Please help us.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Becky SandersVentura Neighborhood
From:Kathy Anderson
To:Council, City
Subject:January 21, 2020 Special Meeting of the City Council
Date:Monday, January 20, 2020 7:32:46 AM
Attachments:image001.png
image002.png
image003.png
image004.png
image005.png
image006.jpg
Letter to Palo Alto City Council Members 08JAN2020.pdf
Importance:High
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TO: Members of the Palo Alto City Council
We are aware that the City Council will be meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 and Agenda Item
#4 is consideration of the “Council Appointed Officers Committee Recommendation That Council
Discuss and Accept the City Auditor’s Office Organizational Study Report and Provide Direction on
Next Steps.” However, we noted the letter that The IIA submitted on January 8, 2020 was not
included in the Council packet of materials. I’ve attached the letter again and ask that the letter be
provided to all Council members for consideration at this special meeting.
Thank you and if you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please don’t
hesitate to contact me.
Kathy Anderson, CRMA
Certified Association Executive
Managing Director, North American Advocacy
The Institute of Internal Auditors, Global Headquarters
Tel: +1-407-937-1291 | Fax: +1-407-937-1101 | M: +1-407-790-0620www.theiia.org | Kathy.anderson@theiia.org
Connect with The IIA:
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter The Audit Channel Google+
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is an international professional association of more than200,000 members. The IIA is recognized as the internal audit profession's leader in certification,education, research, and technical guidance throughout the world.
DISCLAIMER: This email message and all attachments are confidential and may contain information that is privileged, confidential orexempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution orcopying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by return emailand destroy the original message. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official businessof The IIA, shall be understood to be neither given nor endorsed by The IIA.
From:Minor, Beth
To:Kathy Anderson
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Re: January 21, 2020 Special Meeting of the City Council
Date:Monday, January 20, 2020 8:32:10 AM
Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngimage006.jpg
Hi Kathy, it will be at councils places tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 20, 2020, at 7:32 AM, Kathy Anderson <Kathy.Anderson@theiia.org> wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Becautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
TO: Members of the Palo Alto City Council
We are aware that the City Council will be meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 and
Agenda Item #4 is consideration of the “Council Appointed Officers Committee
Recommendation That Council Discuss and Accept the City Auditor’s Office Organizational
Study Report and Provide Direction on Next Steps.” However, we noted the letter that The
IIA submitted on January 8, 2020 was not included in the Council packet of materials. I’ve
attached the letter again and ask that the letter be provided to all Council members for
consideration at this special meeting.
Thank you and if you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please
don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kathy Anderson, CRMA
Certified Association Executive
Managing Director, North American Advocacy
The Institute of Internal Auditors, Global Headquarters
Tel: +1-407-937-1291 | Fax: +1-407-937-1101 | M: +1-407-790-0620
www.theiia.org | Kathy.anderson@theiia.org
Connect with The IIA:<image001.png>
Facebook
<image002.png>
LinkedIn<image003.png>
Twitter
<image004.png> The Audit Channel
From:Jones, Douglas
To:Council, City; Filseth, Eric (Internal); Cormack, Alison; DuBois, Tom; Tanaka, Greg; Fine, Adrian; Kniss, Liz
(internal); Kou, Lydia
Cc:Weipert, Pamela L
Subject:RE: ALGA Letter to Palo Alto City Council-Dec2019
Date:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:35:35 AM
Attachments:image002.pngALGA Advocacy Letter to Palo Alto City Council-20191219.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
I understand the Palo Alto City Council will be again be discussing the City Auditor’s Office and the recent
consultant’s report later this morning and I wanted to make sure you also have a copy of our December
2019 letter for those discussions.
Please contact me if you have any questions. Douglas Jones
City Auditor
City Auditor’s Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.
21st Floor, City Hall
414 East 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
Email: douglas.jones@kcmo.org
Phone: 816-513-3303
Fax: 816-513-3305
Website: https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/city-
auditor-s-office
Twitter: @KCMOCityAuditor
From: Jones, Douglas
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2019 12:37 PM
To: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org; Eric.Filseth@CityofPaloAlto.org;
Alison.Cormack@CityofPaloAlto.org; Tom.DuBois@CityofPaloAlto.org;
Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org; Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org; Liz.Kniss@CityofPaloAlto.org;
Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org
Cc: Weipert, Pamela L <weipertp@oakgov.com>
Subject: ALGA Letter to Palo Alto City Council-Dec2019
Attached is a letter from the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) concerning the item on
todays (12/19/2019) Council Appointed Officers Committee agenda. Please contact me if you have any questions. Douglas Jones, CGAP, CIA, CRMA
City Auditor
City Auditor’s Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.st
21 Floor, City Hall
414 East 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
Email: douglas.jones@kcmo.org
Phone: 816-513-3303
Fax: 816-513-3305
Website: https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/city-
auditor-s-office
Twitter: @KCMOCityAuditor
OFFICERS
President
Pam Weipert
Compliance Officer
Oakland County, MI
President Elect
Larry Stafford
Audit Services Manager
Clark County, WA
Secretary
Chris Horton
County Auditor
Arlington, VA
Treasurer
Justin Anderson
Senior Management Auditor
King County, WA
Past President Kristine Adams-Wannberg
Senior Management Auditor
Portland, OR
BOARD MEMBERS
AT LARGE
Lisa Callas
Audit Coordinator
Edmonton, AB Andrew Keegan
Assistant City Auditor
Austin, TX
Lisa Monteiro
Senior Management Auditor
Anaheim, CA
Carolyn Smith
Chief Audit Executive
Columbus City Schools, OH
MEMBER SERVICES
449 Lewis Hargett Circle
Suite 290
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 276-0686
Fax: (859) 278-0507
www.algaonline.org
Association of Local Government Auditors
December 19, 2019
Members of the Palo Alto City Council
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
The Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) became aware that a Palo
Alto City Council Committee will discuss the consultant report, “Internal Audit
Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Standards” today. We are writing to
express our concerns about the report and to provide additional information that we
believe will be useful in the committee’s and Council’s discussions related to the Palo
Alto City Auditor’s Office.
A government auditing function independent of management and operating under
Government Auditing Standards plays a key role in effective governance, public
accountability, and transparency. The Palo Alto City Auditor’s Office is established as
an independent government audit function with the city auditor appointed by and
reporting to the City Council.1 The office is also required to follow Government
Auditing Standards (GAGAS) in conducting its work.2 The office conducts audits in
accordance with these standards and has successfully undergone required external peer
reviews. The opinions from the last two peer reviews (2014 and 2017) found the
internal quality control system of the Palo Alto City Auditor’s Office was suitably
designed and operating effectively to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with
Government Auditing Standards. The consultant’s recommendations would weaken
the existing structure. The consultant’s report relies on internal auditing standards and guidance that are more
oriented towards the private sector rather than the Government Auditing Standards that
are used in Palo Alto and relevant for government auditing. The report also focuses on
“internal audit” however, under Government Auditing Standards the Palo Alto City
Auditor’s Office is an “external audit” function, which further protects and enhances its
independence.
Government Auditing Standards (2018 Revision) 3.52 The ability of an audit organization structurally located in a government entity to perform work
and report the results objectively can be affected by its placement within the government entity and the structure of the government entity being audited. The independence standard applies to auditors in both external audit organizations (reporting to third parties externally or to both internal
and external parties) and internal audit organizations (reporting only to senior management within the audited entity). Such audit organizations are often subject to constitutional or statutory safeguards that mitigate the effects of structural threats to independence.
3.53 For external audit organizations, constitutional or statutory safeguards that mitigate the effects of structural threats to independence may include governmental structures under which a government audit organization is: b. placed within a different branch of government from that of the audited entity—for example, legislative auditors auditing an executive branch program.
3.54 Safeguards other than those described in paragraph 3.53 may mitigate threats resulting from governmental structures. For external audit organizations, structural threats may be mitigated if the head of the audit organization meets any of the following criteria in accordance with constitutional
or statutory requirements: b. elected or appointed by a legislative body, subject to removal by a legislative body, and reporting the results of engagements to and accountable to a legislative body;
1 Palo Alto Charter Sec. 1.
2 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.08.130(4)(b).
The city auditor works for the Council and audits management. The charter and ballot language
establishing the city auditor created a position and office that is independent of management to provide
elected officials and the public with information. Independence is a requirement under Government
Auditing Standards.
Government Auditing Standards (2018 Revision) 3.18 In all matters relating to the GAGAS engagement, auditors and audit organizations must be independent from an audited entity.
The consultant’s recommendation, based on IIA guidance, that the city auditor report to the city manager in an
administrative manner is a significant structural threat to the independence of the City Auditor’s Office and not
appropriate for an external government audit function. Some of the administrative reporting examples outlined
by the consultant could result in management inappropriately exerting control over audit work. The Council can
exercise functional and administrative oversight of the city auditor and City Auditor’s Office as a body and/or
through an Audit Committee that does not include anyone from management. ALGA has developed Audit
Committee Guidance that describes the importance of an audit committee, how it should be structured, and the
responsibilities of the committee. The consultant also recommended the city auditor provide management with advisory/consulting services as
well as track this as a performance measure. Advisory/consulting services can create threats to independence,
even to the point that the city auditor could not audit programs and activities for which advisory/consulting
services were performed. The Government Auditing Standards outline processes for conducting nonaudit
services that could be provided to management and identifies safeguards to protect the office’s independence.
However, providing nonaudit services to management reduces the amount work the city auditor and City
Auditor’s Office can conduct for the Council. The consultant listed and recommended a number of measures to evaluate the performance of an audit office.
ALGA has also developed Performance Measures for Audit Organizations to provide examples of performance
measures that can be used to evaluate a government audit office.
Palo Alto Municipal Code notes that the city auditor shall be a licensed CPA or CIA; the consultant report notes
this as a preference and recommends a set of minimum qualifications. ALGA’s Model Legislation also outlines
qualifications/competencies the Council may want to review.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or would like additional resources. You can reach our
committee’s Senior California advisor Ann-Marie Hogan (recently retired City Auditor of Berkeley, California),
at amhogan@pacbell.net. You can contact me at (816) 513-3303 or douglas.jones@kcmo.org.
Sincerely,
Douglas Jones, CGAP, CIA, CRMA
City Auditor, Kansas City, Missouri
Chair, ALGA Advocacy Committee
cc: Pam Weipert, ALGA President
By Email and U.S. Mail
Hon. Mayor Adrian Fine
Hon. Vice Mayor Tom DuBois
Hon. Alison Cormack
Hon. Eric Filseth
Hon. Liz Kniss
Hon. Lydia Kou
Hon. Greg Tanaka
January 17, 2020
COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 21, 2020
IZJReceived Before Meeting
Karl Olson
kolson@cofolaw.com
PALO AL TO CITY HALL
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
250 Hamilton A venue, 7th floor
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Adrian.Fine@CityofPaloAlto.org
Tom.DuBois@CityofPaloAlto.org
tomforcouncil@gmail.com
Alison. Cormack@CityofPaloAlto.org
Eric.F ilseth@Ci tyofPaloAlto .org
efilseth@gmail.com
Liz.Kniss@CityofPaloAlto.org
Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org
Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org
Re: City Auditor's Office
Honorable Mayor and City Council:
I am writing on behalf of my client Houman Boussina regarding the City Council's
consideration of a report on the City Auditor's Office by Kevin Harper.
Under Government Auditing Standards1 my client, Mr. Boussina, has an ethical
obligation to:
• Rebut the erroneous and misleading information, conclusions, and recommendations in
a report by Kevin W. Harper CPA & Associates titled "Internal Auditing Practices: City
of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Practices."
• Provide context and clarification to focus the City's attention on concerns about the
Office of the City Auditor.
1 Government Auditing Standards state: "In discharging their professional responsibilities, auditors may encounter
conflicting pressures from management of the audited entity, various levels of government, and other likely users.
Auditors may also encounter pressures to inappropriately achieve personal or organizational gain. In resolving those
conflicts and pressures, acting with integrity means that auditors place priority on their responsibilities to the public
interest."
San Francisco Office: 100 Pine Street, Suite 350 San Francisco, California 94111 Phone: 415.409.8900
Walnut Creek Office: 1255 Treat Boulevard, Suite 300 Walnl.jt Creek, California 94597 Phone: 925.932.717l
www, cofotaw.com
Hon. Mayor Adrian Fine and City Council
January 17, 2020
Page2
The report validates complaints about Former City Auditor Harriet Richardson's
mismanagement but is silent oo responsibility and accountability for negative outcomes at
the Auditor's Office.
Starting in 2015, Mr. Boussina formally communicated his concerns to the City Council
about the negative impact of City Auditor Harriet Richardson's leadership on the Auditor's
Office's ability to meet its mission. The concerns, which the City has not appropriately
addressed, included the following:
• Amending the City's Municipal Code to remove requirements to comply with the
Institute of Internal Auditor's (IIA) auditing standards.2
• Elimination of the office's risk assessment process that had been used to select and'
prioritize audits.
• Compromises to the office's independence from management.
• Unprecedented delays in Richardson's review and approval of audit work.
• Risks to the reputation and credibility of the City Auditor's Office.
Ironically, Mr. Harper's report used the IlA's auditing standards, which the City
discarded under Richardson's leadership, to assess the office. The report fails to identify or
acknowledge years of mismanagement under Richardson, as reported by staff auditors and
whlstleblowers, and does not identify who was accountable or responsible for the negative
outcomes it alleges, including low office productivity and high cost This has unfairly exposed
the office staff, who have not had a supervisor since November 2018, to direct criticism and
blame for the report's conclusions. As explained in this document, Mr. Harper's report is
fundamentally flawed, and using the IlA's auditing standards to assess the office was
inappropriate given the City's actions to eliminate using the standards in 2014.
Office wbistleblowers suffered retaliation and blame for lack of productivity at Auditor's
Office.
On May 15, 2018, the City's Finance Committee voted unanimously to outsource all
staff auditor positions after a few minutes of discussion regarding City Auditor Richardson's
allegations that she had underperforming, unproductive staff. The Finance Committee tabled the
decision after public outcry; however, when Ms. Richardson unexpectedly announced her
retirement in November 2018,3 the City did not take action to recruit a City Auditor, effectively
denying leadership to the office and its staff.
In a letter to the Palo Alto City Council on August 9, 2018, my client and his colleagues
provided infonnation to outline and clarify serious problems in the office that had negatively
impacted productivity and the ability of the office to achieve its mission. The letter focused on
City Auditor Richardson's pervasive misconduct and mismanagement, including publicly issued
audit reports that were inaccurate and misleading. The letter also highlighted the retaliation
2 See Richardson's report and the City Council's 2014 Ordinance amending the City's Municipal Code to eliminate
the requirement to apply the llA's auditing standards:
httos://www,cityofualoalto.org/civicax/.tilcbank/documcnts/44304
3 Ms. Richardson did not actually retire. She took a position as Bay Area Rapid Transit's Inspector General.
..
Hon. Mayor Adrian Fine and City Council
January 17, 2020
Page 3
against the office staff who had in good faith mettheir ethical obligations to report the issues to
City management. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, the City has not acknowledged or taken
corrective action to address the wrongdoing. Instead, the City made working conditions
extremely difficult for the entire office starting in 2018 by denying supervision, performance
evaluations, and the opportunity for merit-based pay increases that are provided to other City
employees. Indeed, two of the staff auditors have terminated tneir employment with the City
since October 2018.
Former City Auditors and the Association of Local Government Auditors urge rejection
of report.
Prior to the December 19, 2019 Palo Alto Council Appointed Officers (CAO) meeting,
the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) issued a letter to the Palo Alto City
Council expressing concerns about Mr. Harper's report. ALGA is the primary authority on local
government auditing with membership that includes city auditors and recognized authorities
throughout the U.S. and Canada. ALGA' s services include the provision of mandatory, triennial
assessments of audit functions, including the Palo Alto City Auditor's Office, for compliance
with Government Auditing Standards. The ALGA letter stated that Mr. Harper's
recommendations would "weaken the existing structure" of our office, whose compliance with
the relevant, mandated Government Auditing Standards has been certified in separate,
independent external quality control reviews of our office since at least 2005 and most recently
in 2014 and 2017. The ALGA letter also stated that Mr. Harper had used an inappropriate set of
standards in assessing our office. We are also aware that two former Palo Alto City Auditors
cautioned the CAO Committee against recommending that the City Council accept Mr.
Harper's report and implement its recommendations.
CAO Committee accepted the admittedly flawed report that inaccurately portrayed the
Palo Alto City Auditor's Office as costly and inefficient.
On December 19, 2019, the CAO Committee met and approved a motion to recommend
that the City Council accept Mr. Harper's report. The motion included a statement that Council
should place special emphasis on recommendations number five and eight, which state that the
City should consider outsourcing one or two of its "internal audits" to bring down the average
cost per audit and better assess the costs vs. benefits of outsourcing, and that the City should
conduct a city-wide risk assessment annually as part of the annual audit plan. The report
describes "total outsourcing" of the Auditor's Office's services as an alternative.
During the meeting, the CAO Committee expressed concern at the alleged high cost of
audits and low productivity at the Auditor's Office based on calculations and benchmarking
shown in a summary table on page 7 of Mr. Harper's report. Mr. Harper, who attended via
teleconference, cautioned the CAO Committee members that they should not "hang their hat"
on the figures on page 7 and that the benchmarking did not ensure a valid comparison of
comparable work products. Mr. Harper, a certified public accountant, characterized his own
benchmarking as an "apples to oranges" comparison.
Highly inaccu.-ate, misleading benchmark figures, inappropriate methodology and invalid
conclusions used in the report.
Hon. Mayor Adrian Fine and City Council
January 17, 2020
Page4
The information on page 7 is inaccurate and misleading because of serious flaws in the
methodology used to calculate audit costs and productivity, and it wrongly paints the Auditor's
Office as inefficient and costly in comparison to benchmark cities. For example:
• Mr. Harper's report includes ostensibly comparable figures for the City of Santa Clara;
however, Santa Clara did not have a comparable audit function until July 2019 and has
not yet issued a single performance audit report.
• Mr. Harper's figures appear to show higher productivity in Berkeley, Fresno, and
Oakland but, as he himself stated, the figures presented for different cities are "apples to
oranges." Thus, any such comparison is inaccurate and misleading. For example, the
other jurisdictions have apparently included some lesser administrative reports,
mandated, limited-scope reviews, and follow-up reviews that are not included for Palo
Alto, thereby understating Palo Alto's relative productivity.
• Mr. Harper's report, on page 7, assumes a staffing level of 5 "internal audit full-time
equivalents (FTEs)" at Palo Alto in order to calculate the"# of Audits per FTE" in his
report. Starting in July 2019, however, the office has only been operating with 3 FTE
and there has been no effort by the City to recruit or fi ll the two vacant positions.
• Mr. Harper's calculation of the cost per audit is simplistically calculated by dividing the
office budget by the average number of audit reports that benchmark jurisdictions self-
reported in a survey that did not provide guidance as to what counts as an audit.
Moreover, there are many factors that impact the number of audits that generally render
such comparisons meaningless. For example, an audit report that has four findings
could be issued as two separate audit reports with two findings each, purely at the
discretion and preference of a different City Auditor. Also, performance audits, unlike
many mandated financial and compliance audits, can vary enormously in terms of the
scope, level of complexity, and the environment in which the work is conducted.
Moreover, and most significantly, the report does not take into account the
tumultuous reign of Ms.Richardson, which damaged productivity, and the
vacuum in leadership since her departure which has resulted in delays in the
issuance of completed audits.
• The report states, "The cost per audit calculated at $417,000 above is very high." Mr.
Harper compares this figure with the cost of the City's annual financial audit, which he
states is a "more comprehensive audit than most internal audits" and costs $168,000 per
year. The scope and methodology of the City's mandated, recurring annual financial
audit is generally standardized and not comparable with the wider scope and
methodology used in performance audits.
Appointment of a new City Auditor can begin the process to restore operation of the
office.
Although the Palo Alto City Auditor's Office has admittedly faced significant problems,
including damage to its productivity as a result of Ms. Richardson's tenure, the scope of Mr.
Harper's review diverts attention from the root causes that still need to be addressed and instead
introduces inaccurate information that further damages the office and its credibility.
My client respectfully suggests that the City's interests would be best served if the City
Council meets its mandate to appoint a qualified interim City Auditor and engage in a process to
.1
Hon. Mayor Adrian Fine and City Council
January 17, 2020
Page 5
recruit and appoint a pennanent City Auditor who can meet the City Charter and Municipal
Code mandates to provide independent, objective audits under Government Auditing Standards.
The new City Auditor can restore leadership and supervision and work with the City Council to
restore operations at the office.
In conclusion, my client and his colleagues at the office are dedicated professionals with
the City's best interests at heart. We hope the City Council will take this letter in the
constructive spirit in which it is intended and will not take any actions which undermine the
important role of the City Auditor's Office and/or lead to employment litigation exposure for
the City.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call, and my client and his
colleagues are also available for constructive dialogue.
Cc: Houman Boussina
Terence Howzell, Esq.
Warren Melitzky, Esq.
Enclosures.
Sincerely,
Karl Olson
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The Institute of Internal Auditors
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SENT VIA; city.council@cityo(paloalto.or~
January 8, 2020
TO: Eric Filseth, Palo Alto Mayor
Adrian Fine, Palto Alto Vice Mayor
Alison Cormack, Council Member
Tom DuBois, Council Member
Liz Kniss, Council Member
Lydia Kou, Council Member
Greg Tanaka, Council Member
Richard F. Ch;ambers
Certified Internal Auditor
Quallflcation in I ntemal Audit Leadership
Certified Government Auditing Profess:onal
Certification In Control Self-Asses$ment
Cert1fil;atJOn 1n Risk Management Assurance
Presidtnt and Cf)ltl Execvtive Officer
T. +l-407 937·1200
E-mail: rlcharcU chamhers@theua.org
RE: Internal Audit Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Practices
The Institute of Internal Auditors (llA) recently reviewed the report
prepared by Kevin W. Harper CPA & Associates titled "Internal Auditing
Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Practices." Based on the
report and its recommendations, we understand that the Palo Alto City
Council is considering a change in the reporting structure for internal
audit. This would include having the city auditor report to the city
manager rather than to the City Council. The llA, as the standard-setter
for the internal audit profession in the United States and worldwide, is
concerned that these changes would undermine the independence and
critically important role of internal audit in Palo Alto, negatively
impacting the public's interest.
We believe that the City of Palo Alto should maintain the current
reporting structure of its internal audit function to continue to provide
objective insights, improve efficiency of operations, assess controls,
evaluate risk and protect assets, and ensure compliance with laws and
regulations.
An independent audit function, as articulated in the widely accepted
International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing,
enhances accountability to taxpayers and helps to ensure that public
funds are properly spent. If structured and staffed appropriately, an
independent audit department can proactively prevent problems by
evaluating controls through regular reviews. Because an internal audit function is more familiar
with city operations and processes, it is quicker to respond to requests and available to follow up
on recommendations and implementations.
To ensure the City's internal audit function remains independent, objective, appropriately staffed,
has an appropriate reporting structure, and functions in conformance with professional
Standards, we recommend the following:
Internal Audit Needs to Be Supported by the City Council and City Mana1ement.
It is vital that the City Council drive a culture in which all city employees understand the
importance and value of the internal audit function. This includes building an internal
audit function based on identifying the most effective ways for the city to deliver on its
mission and objectives.
The City Council must embrace the importance of jndependence and objectivity. A
properly resourced internal audit function, independent from management, can provide
insightful recommendations on how to achieve objectives more effectively, ensure
mitigation of related risks, and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
Although internal audit may discover ineffective and inefficient processes and practices
and recommend corrective actions, the City Council and city management must resist any
temptation to box in internal audit or diminish its role when friction might occur. Instead,
and in the public interest, all must remain committed to supporting the inherent benefits
of independent and objective assurance, which internal audit provides.
Internal Audit Needs to Be lndependept.
Independence is the freedom from conditions that threaten the ability of the internal audit
activity to carry out its responsibilities in an unbiased manner. To achieve the degree of
independence necessary to effectively carry out these responsibilities, the chief audit
executive must have direct and unrestricted access to both city management and the City
Council. The City Auditor must also be free from any undue influence of city management
This influence can appear in many forms, including inappropriate administrative or
functional reporting relationships, budgetary constraints, and decision-making around
personnel issues (e.g., hiring/firing and compensation).
Internal Audit Needs to Be Objective.
Objectivity is demanded in the Standards, ensuring internal auditors' work is of high
quality and is not compromised'. Objectivity requires that internal auditors do not
subordinate their judgment on audit matters to others.
Internal Audit Needs to Be Appropriately Resourced.
The chief audit executive must ensure that internal audit resources are appropriate,
sufficient, and effectively deployed to achieve stated objectives included in the audit plan.
Appropriate refers to the mix of knowledge, skills1 and other competencies needed to
perform the audit plan. Sufficient refers to the quantity of resources needed to accomplish
the plan. Resources are effectively deployed when they are used in a way that optimizes
2 of3
the achievement of the approved plan. Staffing decisions should be at the discretion of the
appointed City Auditor and should not be subject to influence from city management.
Internal Audit Needs an Appropriate Reportine Structure.
The chief audit executive must report to a level within the city that allows the internal
audit activity to fulfill its responsibilities. In a municipal environment, this is appropriately
achieved by appointment of the City Auditor directly by the City Council. Alternatively, the
City Council may choose to establish an independent audit committee comprising a
majority of independent citizens. In either case, the City Council (or the independent audit
commmee) maintains full responsibility of the appointment and performance of the City
Auditor, similar to the reporting relationship the City Manager maintains with the City
Council. The City Council should view the internal audit function as its primary partner in
providing effective and independent oversight of city operations.
Internal Audit Needs to Functjon jn Conformance with Professional Standards.
Professional Standards for the practice of internal auditing, contained in the International
Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) or Red Book, have been adopted, fully embraced
and referenced by organizations across the globe, including the Basel Committee on
Banking Supervision (BCBS), the United States Federal Reserve, federal, state and local
government entities, and publicly traded and privately held organizations of all sizes.
Conformance to the Standards strengthens the delivery of internal audit services, which in
turn helps improve governance, manage risks, and implement controls to more effectively
achieve established organizational goals.
The llA is dedicated to supporting quality, professional, and ethical practices across all industries
and public enterprises. The IIA encourages the City Council to familiarize itself with the attached
OnRisk 2020 report While this report is based on data from the corporate sector, the findings are
relevant across all sectors and may serve to better inform the City Council on the important and
distinct roles necessary for effective risk management: the Board (City Council), management,
and independent internal audit.
We welcome the opportunity to provide additional guidance or information to assist the City
Council as it deliberates this issue. Please contact Kathy Anderson, The IIA's Managing Director of
North American Advocacy, at kathy.anderson@theiia.org or 407-937-1291 if you have any
questions or would like to discuss further.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Chambers, CIA, QJAL, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Attachment: On Risk 2020: A Guide to Understanding, Aligning, and Optimizing Risk
3 of3
OFFIC~RS
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1 Palo Alto Charter Sec. l.
Association of Local Government Auditors
December 19, 2019
Members of the Palo Alto City Council
250 Hamilton A venue
Palo Alto, California 94301
The Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) became aware that a Palo
Alto City Council Committee will discuss the consultant report, "Internal Audit
Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Standards" today. We are writing to
express our concerns about the report and to provide additional information that we
believe will be usefui in the committee's and Council's discussions related to the Palo
Alto City Auditor's Office.
A government auditing function independent of management and operating under
Government Auditing Standards plays a key role in effective governance, public
accountability, and transparency. The Palo Alto City Auditor's Office is established as
an independent government audit function with the city auditor appointed by and
reporting to the City Council. 1 The office is also required to follow Government
Auditing Standards (GAGAS) in conducting its work.2 The office conducts audits in
accordance with these standards and has successfully undergone required external peer
reviews. The opinions from the last two peer reviews (2014 and 2017) found the
internal quality control system of the Palo Alto City Auditor's Office was suitably
designed and operating effectively to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with
Government Auditing Standards. The consultant's reconunendations would weaken
the existing structure.
The consultant's report relies on internal auditing standards and guidance that are more
oriented towards the private sector rather than the Government Auditing Standards that
are used in Palo Alto and relevant for government auditing. The report also focuses on
"internal audit'' however, under Government Auditing Standards the Palo Alto City
Auditor's Office is an ''external audit" function, which further protects and enhances its
independence.
Government Auditing Standards (2018 Revision)
3.52 The ability of an audit organization structurally located in a government entity to perform work
and report the results objectively can be affected by its placement within the government entity and
the structure of the government entity being audited. The independence standard applies to
auditors in both external audit organizations (reporting to third parties externally or to both internal
and external parties} and internal audit organizations (reporting only to senior management within
the audited entity). Such audit organizations are often subject to constitutional or statutory
safeguards that mitigate the effects of structural threats to independence.
3,53 For external audit organizations, constitutional or statutory safeguards that mitigate the effects
of structural threats to independence may include governmental structures under which a
government audit organization is:
b. placed within a different branch of government from that of the audited entity-for example,
legislative auditors auditing an executive branch program.
3.54 Safeguards other than those described in paragraph 3.53 may mitigate threats resulting from
governmental structures. For external audit organizations, structural threats may be mitigated if the
head of the audit organization meets any of the following criteria In accordance with constitutional
or statutory requirements:
b. elected or appointed by a legislative body, subject to removal by a legislative body, and
reporting the results of engagements to and accountable to a legislative body;
2 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.08.130(4)(b).
The city auditor works for the Council and audits management. The charter and ballot language
establishing the city auditor created a position and office that is independent of management to provide
elected officials and the public with information. Independence is a requirement under Government
Auditing Standards.
Government Auditing Standards (2018 Revision)
3.18 In all matters relating to the GAGAS engagement, auditors and audit organizations must be independent from an
audited entity.
The consultant's recommendation, based on IIA guidance, that the city auditor report to the city manager in an
administrative manner is a significant structural threat to the independence of the City Auditor's Office and not
appropriate for an external government audit function. Some of the administrative reporting examples outlined
by the consultant could result in management inappropriately exerting control over audit work. The Council can
exercise functional and administrative oversight of the city auditor and City Auditor's Office as a body and/or
through an Audit Committee that does not include anyone from management. ALGA has developed Audi/
Committee Guidance that describes the importance of an audit committee, how it should be structured, and the
responsibilities of the committee.
The consultant also recommended the city auditor provide management with advisory/consulting services as
well as track this as a performance measure. Advisory/consulting services can create threats to independence,
even to the point that the city auditor could not audit programs and activities for which advisory/consulting
services were performed. The Government Auditing Standards outline processes for conducting nonaudit
services that could be provided to management and identifies safeguards to protect the office's independence.
However, providing nonaudit services to management reduces the amount work the city auditor and City
Auditor's Office can conduct for the Council.
The consultant listed and recommended a number of measures to evaluate the performance of an audit office.
ALGA has also developed Performance Measures (or Audit Organizations to provide examples of performance
measures that can be used to evaluate a government audit office.
Palo Alto Municipal Code notes that the city auditor shall be a licensed CPA or CIA; the consultant report notes
this as a preference and recommends a set of minimum qualifications. ALGA's Model Legislation also outlines
qualifications/competencies the Council may want to review.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or would like additional resources. You can reach our
committee's Senior California advisor Ann-Marie Hogan (recently retired City Auditor of Berkeley, California),
at amhogan(mpacbeJl.net. You can contact me at (816) 513-3303 or douglas.jones@kcmo.org.
Sincerely,
e.r.s7~RMA
City Auditor, Kansas City, Missouri
Chair, ALGA Advocacy Committee
cc: Pam Weipert, ALGA President
Date: January 17, 2020
COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 21, 2020
!ZJReceived Before Meeting
Re: Internal Auditing Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry Standards
CAO Committee Meeting on December 19, 2019 ..
From: Mimi Nguyen, Lead Senior Performance Auditor 1 U,.
Office of the City Auditor, City of Palo Alto ~-
Honorable Mayor and City Council:
This memorandum expresses concern regarding Information, stated and not stated, in the report issued by
Kevin w. Harper CPA & Associates titled: "Internal Auditing Practices: City of Palo Alto Relative to Industry
Standards," which includes incomplete analysis', flawed benchmarking, and misleading conclusions. Without
an appointed City Auditor, I request an opportunity to provide a more complete perspective on certain
historical decisions made resulting in the current office structure and workplan. I also request the opportunity
to participate in the process.
In FV2018 the Policy & Services Committee made a budgetary motion to eliminate all staff positions,
preserving only the City Auditor position to manage the outsourcing of all audit services. This motion was not
passed by Council; however, as a result, Council requested an organizational assessment of the City Auditor's
Office. The objectives of the organizational assessment were to: 1) Review organizational placement, 2)
Compare staffing, budget, and productivity, 3) Review key performance measures, 4) Recommend City Auditor
minimum qualifications, and 5) Consider outsourcing the audit function.
Although Harper's report meets the objectives at its most basic level, it is flawed in many areas. Primarily it:
• Lacks background information on key decisions made and passed by Council, including (1) to removal of
use of the llA Standard, and (2) the change in the citywide annual risk assessment methodology for audit
workplan development.
• Does not acknowledge the complexity .of the performance auditing process as dictated by CPA's currently
adopted industry standard, GAGAS. This gold standard is adopted by virtually all high performing audit shops.
• Does not reflect decisions made at the City Auditor and City Manager level, which directly affects the scope,
cost, and duration of audits; and the completion of audit recommendations.
• Provides a benchmark comparison that is flawed but used as the basis for conclusions. The benchmarking
is misleading, whereby, Harper when asked stated during the CAO Committee Meeting," ... be careful
about relying solely on survey results because apples and oranges are everywhere" ... "I wouldn't hang
your hat too much on it by itself...".
• Draws conclusions preemptively rather than offering an understanding of root causes to inform and assist
Council in designing an effective office structure and plan moving forward.
Based upon the lack of and incomplete information in the report, I believe that the conclusions are significantly
skewed and misleading.
Our office is committed to creating an effective organizational structure and an efficient auditing approach;
however, we need to be provided the opportunity to give feedback. We agree with the need to implement a
coordinated plan with viable solutions that will meet productivity goals and budgetary requirements. To do so,
it is important that we have a seat at the table. Staff is open to all discussions to achieve such directive.
COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 21, 2020
IZIReceived Before Meeting
Intersection Level of Service (LOS)
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Herb Borock
P . 0. Box 632
Palo Alto, CA 94302
January 21 , 2020
Palo Alto City Council
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
I CCU~Jc:1 Mr~TlNG
'1£:1 ~LO
f ] Place.d I:sefo1:;-Meeting
f.p Rec:e1ved at Meeting
JANUARY 21, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #4
CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE
Dear City Council:
I urge you to continue this agenda item to a date uncertain that
i s consistent with including this agenda item and the supporting
materials requested below for a Council agenda that is posted at
least eleven days before the meeting and where the agenda and
supporting materials (including those materials listed below)
are available in print for the public and on the City's internet
site at least eleven days before the meeting.
The materials requested to be included in said agenda packet are:
"Final Report From the Ad Hoc Committee on the City's Financial
Structure" from the Committee appointed by the City Council on
February 7, 1983 that completed its report in April 1983 and
made recommendations to the City Council on May 9, 1983.
City Council minutes, February 7, 1983, pages 2948-2950.
City Council minutes, April 11, 1983, page 3143.
City Council minutes, May 9, 1983, pages 3274-3280.
None of these materials were considered by the Council Appointed
Officers Committee .
The materials should be considered by the Council before the
Council takes any action on the subject of this agenda item.
These materials should also be considere d by the public and the
press on a timely basis to permit them to comment on what action,
if any, the Council hould take.
·1
t -~
Thank you for your consider ation of these conunents.
Sincerely,
[/--
Herb Borock
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Junior Museum Renewable Energy Farmer's Market Community Gardens
In 2006 the Palo Alto police used force
only 8 times.
Now, incomprehensibly, they want to arm all 85 of
their officers with deadly Tasers. The purchase of
tasers will cost tax payers $120,000.00.
' Preserve our unique community. Keep Palo Alto a Taser Free Zone.
Contact Aram James of the Coalition for Justice & Accountability at:
415-370-5056 or ABJPD1@juno.com
.-''"'
1/21/20
From: Aram James: abjpdl@gmail.com--415·370-5056 l~ou~~G
[ 1 Placed Befor;-M . [ 1 R . eetmg eceived at Me . etmg
To: City Council, City Attorney, City Manager, Police Chief and the community
Reexamining the need for Tasers in Palo Alto,
a priority for review by our city council in 2020
1. In the past I've been labeled a police critic -and that might be a fair characterization -and
that's okay with me ... but I prefer being referred to as a Best Police Practices Advocate.
2. In 2020 I'm requesting that the City council and the community reexamine the need
for Tasers -particularly in light of a growing body of evidence-since 2007-that
Tasers are far more dangerous than originally though.
3. Build the community conversation based on data and the facts re Taser usage and
expenses, here in Palo Alto.
CPRA request
4. To: City Attorney Molly Stump: I am making a formal CPRA request tonight for the
following information:
5. The number of times Tasers have been deployed since their implementation in
2007-and a breakdown of the data re the number of times Tasers have been
deployed each year from 2007 to the end of 2019.
6. The cost or monies spent purchasingTasers on an annual basis from 2007-2019 -
grand total and the annual cost. The cost to replace Tasers. The cost to repair Tasers-
etc. The total amount spent on Tasers annually--including the costs specially
attributed to Taser training of new officers and the retraining of long term-employed
officers.
7. The number and case names oflaw suits filed against the city of Palo Alto based
entirely on Taser usage .... and or based on Taser usage and other uses offorce ... from
2007 thru 2019. Litigation costs -including the cost of hiring of outside council to
litigate Taser related cases from 2007-2019.
8. All info re monies paid by Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser Jnternational, to members
of the PAPD.
9. Consistent with the language and spirit of the CPRA assistance from the city in
identifying other expenses related to the use ofTasers that I have not identified in this
CPRA request.
10. Once I have received and reviewed the above data-I will come back to the city
council with any conclusions I can glean -and make any arguments and conclusions
justified by the data.
11. I am happy to sit down with any council member who would like to discuss issues
related to the use ofTasers -in the city of Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
AramJames