HomeMy Public PortalAbout20190923plCC701-32
DOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE:
LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE
MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL
RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS
ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES
ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES
Prepared for: 09/23/2019
Document dates: 09/04/2019 – 09/11/2019
Set 1
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet
reproduction in a given week.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Stella Hearn <stellahearn@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Wednesday, September 4, 2019 12:08 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Palo Alto Utilities regulations changes
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
The City of Palo Alto Utilities department has ignored the advice of the Utilities Advisory Commission to present options
regarding replacement of existing underground electrical transformers and switches to above ground pad mount
systems. Instead they are proposing changes in the WORDING of the regulations making pad replacement the ONLY
available option for new and REPLACEMENT systems. Greenacres 1 residents paid for our underground systems (which
have been very reliable for over 40 years). The proposed CPAU regulations effectively deny us any say in this matter,
even though we are partial owners in our system. A large number of residents in Greenacres 1 are opposed to
replacement of the underground system for numerous reasons, including safety and aesthetics. This is an attempt to
alter something that we own without public input. Please do not allow blanket approval of the proposed regulations.
Thank you,
Stella Hearn
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94306
T
Sent from my iPad
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Theodor Colbert <theocolbert@hotmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 4, 2019 2:18 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Transformers upgrade in Greenacres I
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Gentlemen,
My wife and I are residents in Greenacres I and owners of 643 Glenbrook Dr. After reviewing your plans for the
September 9 meeting, please note that we are STRONGLY and COMPLETELY in agreement with Michael Maurier’s letter
sent to you on this matter.
Almost 50 years ago we purchased the right to have utilities power distribution by underground cables AND
transformers. It improved neighborhood esthetics and residents’ safety. These improvements contributed to property
values.
Please do not violate our rights and upgrade the power distribution continuing the use of a completely underground
system as we have had up until now.
Respectfully,
Theodor Colbert
Galina Colbert
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy Rudin <nancyrudin@icloud.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 4, 2019 9:50 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:CPAU Rules and Regulations
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the Council,
CPAU is scheduled to present changes to their Rules and Regulations at the Council meeting on Monday.
These changes are an attempt to retroactively change their legal commitment to Green Acres I on
underground utilities. In making this request, CPAU is outright ignoring the UAC directive to get guidance
from the Council. Please hold them accountable to Palo Alto residents.
Regards,
Nancy Rudin
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:NTB <aarmatt@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 2:50 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Request for removal of Item 4 from the Consent Calendar (in particular Regulation 20) on the 9/9/19
Agenda
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
Dean Batchelor's letter, attached as a Memo next to the 9/9/19 Consent Calendar Item 4, makes
clear that the CPAU recognizes that their addition of the word "replacement" to Rule 3 is totally
inappropriate prior to a resolution of the GreenAcres 1 utilities issue. Therefore, they should have
no trouble in recognizing that their changes to Regulation 20 are also inappropriate to the "current
ongoing discussions" with our neighborhood. I am writing to request that changes to Regulation 20
also be withdrawn at this time until there actually are further discussions.
Regarding Mr Batchelor’s citing of “current ongoing discussions" between the CPAU and GreenAcres
1: it needs to be made explicitly clear, from the very beginning of this issue in March 2018, there
have NEVER BEEN “ongoing discussions." The three times we have met in the past year and a half,
the CPAU has TOLD us what THEY would do. Other than one community meeting in which they
made a show of answering questions, there has never been a real sit down discussion. Our concerns
and the uniqueness of our situation have been ignored.
At the first two meetings they just reiterated their original plan. When, at both times, we took
exception to that plan, they eventually came back with an alternate plan. This new plan was NOT
fleshed out so we had no idea whatsoever what we would end up with. When we asked for more
specific details, they said they didn’t have any to give us....... and yet they expected us to
approve something sight unseen. How could they possibly think we would accept something so
vague?
The UAC instructed the CPAU to work WITH us. They never have. Ed Shikada stated in the very
beginning that the CPAU wouldn’t “force” their plan on us. And yet, that is just what they have
done all along.
By your approval of Consent Calendar Item 4, you will unwittingly be a party to this charade of
working “WITH” us. Kindly put the brakes on by removing Consent Calendar Item 4 until the
unique situation in GreenAcres 1 can be properly reviewed and considered.
And by doing so, you may also find that you will have saved yourself a lot of grief when other
similarly impacted Electrical Districts in Palo Alto get wind of this major change when their systems
are slated for updating. They need to be notified and included in this discussion.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
2
Nina Bell
GreenAcres 1
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:ForestLight <forest129@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 3:53 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:City Council Meeting September 9, 2019: Please Remove Consent Calendar item 4 ‘Adoption of a
Resolution Amending Utilities Rules’ fFom Agenda
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
Once again, please exercise your option to remove Consent Calendar item 4 ‘Adoption of a Resolution Amending
Utilities Rules’ from the agenda pending further public notice and public hearing and discussion of its various
aspects, impacts and implications for Green Acres One and for Palo Alto as a whole.
As Ms. Bell’s letter to you notes, Mr Batchelor's letter, attached as a “Memo” next to the 9/9/19 Consent Calendar Item 4, makes
clear that the CPAU recognizes that their addition of the word "replacement" to Rule and Regulation 3 is, at best, totally
inappropriate prior to a resolution of the Green Acres One utilities issue. This very limited response is, however inadequate to the
situation. This is in fact a wholly unresolved issue of much broader public concern and these changes are intended to deny our Green
Acres One residents — AND the residents of other fully undergrounded and even the preponderance of with their electrical equipment still overhead in pole-mounted electrical districts in Palo Alto but slated for similar systems changes in the future — their
opportunity to be notified and included in the discussion on this issue.
While the “minor edit” changes to Rule and Regulation 3 are particularly and egregiously inappropriate, the changes to Rule and
Regulation 20 are also directly related to this issue and are similarly inappropriate.
Moreover, we believe there may be other relevant changes applicable to this issue buried in the CAPU’S barrage of rules changes
that have not yet come into clear focus but may well impact this issue.
I therefore repeat my request that Item 4 be removed from the Consent Calendar scheduled on 9/9/2019 — including and in
particular changes to Rule and Regulations 3 and 20 — at this time until there actually are further appropriate notifications and
public discussions and resolution(s) of this issue.
Regarding Mr Batchelor’s citing “current ongoing discussions" between the CPAU and GreenAcres One: it needs to be made explicitly
clear, from the very beginning of this issue in March 2018, there have been no “ongoing discussions.” The three times we have met
in the past year and a half, the CPAU has “told” us what “they” would do. They have repeatedly ignored our requests to tell us
what would be involved in keeping our utilities fully underground…where they now are. There have been no serious, detailed
discussions of either the pad mounting or fully undergrounding alternatives. Just repeated obdurate attempts by the CPAU to get —
or force— our blank-check approval of pad mounting in the absence of any detailed information.
At two meetings they just reiterated their original pad mounting scheme. When we took exception to they ignored our repeated
requests for information on retaining our fully underground systems, and eventually came back with a variation on their pad
mounting plan. Once again this variation included no details. And no real response to either our ownership of our existing systems or
information on what it would take to retain them.
As Ms. Bell has pointed out, The UAC encouraged and instructed the CPAU to work with Green Acres One residents. They never
have. Mr. Shikada reassured us in the early days of this contention that the CPAU wouldn’t “force” their pad mounting scheme on
us. And yet, that is exactly what they are doing.
By your approval of Consent Calendar Item 4, you may be made a party to this charade of working “WITH” us. And end up ‘owning’
what will prove to be a highly problematic, and unpopular set of precedents for other Palo Alto electrical districts. Please remove
Consent Calendar Item 4 until the unique situation in Green Acres One can be properly reviewed and considered, and the impacts of
the CPAUs pad mounting/”undergrounding” plans for the other Palo Alto electrical districts communicated to targeted districts and
their residents included in the discussion.
2
Thank you,
Michael Maurier
Green Acres One Resident and Property Owner
Once again, please exercise your option to remove Consent Calendar item 4 ‘Adoption of a Resolution Amending
Utilities Rules’ from the agenda pending further public notice and public hearing and discussion of its various
aspects, impacts and implications for Green Acres One and for Palo Alto as a whole.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Diane Baldwin <dianebaldwin@icloud.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 4:03 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Continuance of underground utilities
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
This is a follow up email to the one I sent two days regarding the underground utilities in my neighborhood....green
acres I. I would ask that you remove Regulation 20 from Item 4 on the consent calendar for 9/9/19 until our
neighborhood has had a chance to further study how best to approach the situation.
Thank you
Diane Baldwin
Sent from my iPad
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy <nstein@sonic.net>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 4:34 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Request to Remove Item #4 on the Consent Calendar on 9/9/19
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
There is another potential problem with Item #4, and that is Rule 20 which you are being asked to approve on the 9th. Please do not
approve item #4 since Green Acres I neighbors still have many questions how these changes will impact our situation.
The UAC advised the CPAU to have open discussions with not only Green Acres I but also include other affected districts. Even after
a year and a half, we do not know who these other districts are. These other districts have no idea that CPAU is trying to reverse its
policy without giving due notice and transparent public discussion.
Furthermore, we believe our situation is unique: Green Acres I was given the option to place vaults underground as long as
neighbors agreed to pay for that installation. This was completed in 1973. Since then there have been no demands and/or warnings
that we were, or would be in the future, responsible for future costs of maintenance and/or replacement. Palo Alto at that time was
looking to underground as much of the city as it could. It is my understanding that some districts earlier on did get equipment
placed underground at no cost to them. That is not our situation.
Green Acres I is on the rolling calendar for city council to discuss these issues, and we are asking to have that discussion before any
more changes are made to Rules and Regulations.
Sincerely,
Nancy Steinbach
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Y Fang <yfang00@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 7:38 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:remove Consent Calendar Item 4 from the 9/9/19 agenda
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Palo Alto City Council Members,
My name is Yu Fang. I am a homeowner in the Green Acres One neighborhood in Palo Alto.
Please exercise your option to remove Consent Calendar Item 4 'Adoption of a Resolution Amending Utilities Rules
and Regulations' from the 9/9/19 agenda pending further public notice and public hearing and discussion of its
various impacts and implications for Green Acres One and for Palo Alto as a whole.
Thank you!
Yu
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ning Mosberger-Tang <ning.mosberger@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 9:14 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:GreenAcres 1 Utilities
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
Thank you for responding the the earlier email by making a modification to Consent Calendar Item 4 for
9/9/19. However, upon further examination, it looks like the neighborhood will be saddled with a huge cost
to keep the system underground, per Regulation 20.
Please remove Regulation 20 from Item 4 until GreenAcres 1 neighborhood has had a proper hearing of our
unique situation.
--ning
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:w lee <filet1mignon@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 11:30 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Special City Council Meeting September 9, 2019
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Palo Alto City Council Members,
Even with CPAU's recent change to rule 3 proposed amendments, we still urge you to exercise your option to
remove Consent Calendar Item 4 'Adoption of a Resolution Amending Utilities Rules and Regulations',
particularly rule 20, from the 9/9/19 agenda. Action should not be taken until further public notice and
public hearing and discussion of its various impacts and implications for GreenAcres 1 and for Palo Alto as a
whole.
Thank you,
Winston Lee
Green Acre One Resident and Property Owner
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Alex Chite Liu <alexliu@stanford.edu>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 1:45 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Remove consent calendar Item 4 from Sept 9 agenda
Attachments:At Place Memo.doc; Kent Mitchell's UAC Letter April 9 Meeting- Agenda IX-1.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To: City Council.
Briefly, the Green Acres neighborhood of Palo Alto paid out of pocket in the 1970s to have all our utilities
moved underground. Things have gone very smoothly, and our equipment is up for routine renewal, but CPAU
now wants to move much of the equipment from underground to above ground (PAD mount).
Our neighborhood has been vehemently protesting the absurdity of CPAU's proposal, and we have retained an
attorney to represent us (see attached)
This past April the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) admonished CPAU for trying to steamroll the changes
and directed the CPAU to take the matter to City Council for guidance.
1. CPAU has totally ignored the UAC directive to ask for guidance from City Council to find a solution to our
unique situation.
2. Instead, CPAU is looking to "pull a fast one" on us AND on the City Council by burying important changes in
wording to their Rules and Regulations on the Sept 9 consent calendar ‐‐‐ without public discussion or
guidance from council.
After this was brought to CPAU's attention, they "regretted" their wording and removed an important item in
the Sept 9 agenda. See the attached letter from Dean Batchelor, director of utilties.
3. Unfortunately, as we look even closer at the agenda, we find even more evidence of CPAU trying to
"sneak" legislation through without a full public discussion and guidance from city council.
For example, Regulation 20 outlines the out of pocket private cost
a district will be saddled with if they want to keep the utilities fully underground. That cost is huge, effectively
killing the option to simply keep replacement utilities underground that we have already paid for in the past.
Please exercise your option to remove Consent Calendar Item 4 'Adoption of a Resolution Amending Utilities
Rules and Regulations'
from the 9/9/19 agenda ‐‐‐ pending further public notice and public hearing and discussion of its various
impacts and implications for
GreenAcres 1 and for Palo Alto as a whole.
Thank you,
WILLIAM L. McCLURE
JOHN L. FLEGEL
DAN K. SIEGEL
DIANE S. GREENBERG
JENNIFER H. FRIEDMAN
MINDIE S. ROMANOWSKY
DAVID L. ACH
GREGORY K. KLINGSPORN
NICOLAS A. FLEGEL
KRISTINA A. FEN.TON
CARA E. SILVER
JENNIFER A. BEYERS
KIMBERLY B. s'AMEK
D. ADAM LAZAR
JORGENSON, SIEGEL, McCLURE & FLEGEL, LLP
ATTORN.EYS AT LAW
1100 ALMA STREET, SUITE 210
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025-3392
(650) 324-9300
FACSIMILE (650) 324-0227
www.jsmf.com
April 6, 2019
Utilities Advisory Commission
City of Palo Alto
400 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
RE: Commission Meeting April 9, 2019: Agenda Item IX.1-Amendment Rule 20
Dear Commissioners:
OF COUNSEL
KENT MITCHELL
LEIGH F. PRINCE
RETIRED
JOHN D. JORGENSON
MARGARET A. SLOAN
DECEASED
MARVIN S. SIEGEL
(1936 -2012)
JOHN R.COSGROVE
(1932-2017)
In or about 1965 the City adopted a City wide policy for removal of above ground telephone poles,
electrical and telephone wires and replace them with underground service facilities.
Our clients, Michael Maurier, 646 Fairmede Avenue, Joan Lee, 4220 Los Palos Avenue and Winston Lee,
651 Fairmede Avenue, are homeowners in the Greenacres I neighborhood. Since 1972-73, all of the
telephone and electrical service facilities serving their homes have been located underground. Our
clients' position is that these underground facilities in their neighborhood, which are City owned
facilities, should stay there and be maintained as such by the Utilities Department as a City wide utilities
expense. This is not a situation where a special undergrounding privilege is being conferred, but rather
one where that privilege already has been conferred and paid for. Additionally it is not a situation
where a developer in connection with new construction wants the benefits of undergrounding and must
pay for them, or a situation where the residents of the Gr.eenacres I neighborhood have made some
"election" to pay extra cost to continue their right to keep their existing underground facilities. These
are existing underground facilities that have already been paid for by our clients and their predecessors
and unconditionally accepted by the City with no limitations.
In 1972, 54 of the 77 property owners in the Greenacres I neighborhood petitioned the City to
underground their telephone and electrical facilities in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance of
their neighborhood, i.e. an open, less cluttered appearance with no poles, telephone and electrical wires
visible above ground. Unlike property owners in Greenacres II who did not want to contribute to the
cost of such undergrounding benefits for their neighborhood, the majority of Greenacres I property
owners were willing to vote affirmatively to lien their property, i.e. contract with the City, to receive the
property value enhancements and benefits undergrounding provides.
1
The proposal to establish Underground District No. 15 for Greenacres I first came before Council in early
1972. At that time two Resolutions were unanimously adopted: Res. Nos. 4566 establishing such
District and 4566 entitled "INTENTION TO ACQUIRE AND CONSTRUCT IMPROVEMENTS-GREEN ACRES I
UNDERGROUND CONVERSION". Warren Deverel, then the Managing Director of Utilities for the City,
indicated that 40% of the cost would be paid by property owners in consideration of the City paying the
other60%.
Thereafter, on April 10, 1972, the financing was revised by further resolutions. The City agreed to pay
75% and the property owners 25% of the cost of undergrounding, and left the additional costs of
underground connections to each homeowner's improvements to be paid for by those homeowners.
The 25% share to be paid by Greenacres I owners for the right to have such underground facilities, in
1972 dollars, was approximately $43,000, roughly the equivalent of $286,000 in 2019 dollars per CPI
index increases between 1972 and 2019.
When the Undergrounding was approved and completed, there was no discussion or indication that this
undergrounding privilege was not permanent. Nor was there any indication whatsoever that the City
Utilities Department might not be willing to maintain and repair such facilities after they were installed.
Instead it ·was clear from the actions taken and resolutions adopted by Council that the City would
accept ownership of such underground facilities, with the reasonable and customary expectations that
the City would maintain and repair them as such, spreading the cost evenly to all property owners in the
City, as it does for other City owned facilities, such as roads, drainage facilities, sewer facilities, and even
overhead facilities in other neighborhoods of the City. it was eminently reasonable for Greenacres I
owners to expect the same for their undergrounded facilities, given that they paid a substantial sum for
such undergrounding privileges and property benefits in the first instance.
It is also clear that the undergrounding was touted by the Council, the Utitlities Department and the
Greenacres I owners as improvements expected to enhance property values. In his report .to Council at
the April 10, 1972, meeting, Mr. Devere! noted "that all properties [in the Greenacres I neighborhood]
will benefit from the undergrounding utility district, and that these benefits will take the form of
improved aesthetics, improved street lighting and improved reliability." In support of Council's April
1972 Resolution No. 4580 to overrule a few protests to such undergrounding, Councilman Berwald
"noted that previous undergrounding projects have upgraded the neighborhood in other areas of the
City." At the same meeting, Greenacres I proponents of.the undergrounding indicated they "were
desirous of seeing the neighborhood improved by joining in the undergrounding effort." From these
comments it is evident that the primary motive of Greenacres I owners in agreeing to pay a substantial
share of the costs for enhancements to their property values afforded by undergrounding was the
improved.aesthetics of removing unsightly poles and overhead electrical and telephone wires from their
neighborhood by such undergrounding.
Now, the same Utilities Department that promoted such property value enhancements of
undergrounding to get owners to pay for them is asking the UAC to recommend to Council that it
require such owners to pay again (and in the future years yet again) for the privilege of retaining the
aesthetic ~nd value enhancement benefits of undergrounding which they have already paid for in full.
In summary, the position of our clients is that they or their predecessors in interest purchased the right
to have underground facilities in their neighborhood, the right to have the City and its Utilities
Department maintain those facilities at the City's cost, and that it would be unlawful and a violation of
their rights for the City to charge them for the perceived extra cost of maintaining underground facilities
2
as compared to above ground facilities. It would also be a severe breach of good faith and fair dealing
for the City"to do so because of its desire to save maintenance money, and thereby deny our clients the
financial and aesthetic benefits of undergrounding they contracted and paid for in full.
Please make this letter a part of the public record of your hearing on this matter on April 9, 2019, and at
any future public hearings related to the matter before you on the Agenda Item referenced above.
J;!Jlj#Jf
KENT MITCHELL
3
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Frankie Farhat <farhat_101@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, September 9, 2019 1:48 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Request to remove COMPLETELY Item 4 on the Consent Calendar for the 9/9/19 Special Meeting
(due to regulation 20 and maybe more)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council members,
After further analysis of the modification to Agenda Item 4 communicated by Mr. Dean Batchelor, I have no
choice other than to contact you, (again) to request (again) the complete removal of Item 4 from the Consent
Calendar for the 9/9/19 Special Meeting. The reason for doing so is that the modification mentioned earlier
leaves open other potential issues for our Green Acres 1 neighborhood, due in particular to the fact that the
statement includes Regulation 20. Since more "nuggets" maybe hidden under other regulation listed under
Item 4, and the time provided to us is not sufficient to do our due diligence, I am asking you again for the
COMPLETE removal of item 4 from the Consent Calendar for the 9/9/19 Special Meeting.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Frankie
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:pol1@rosenblums.us
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 11:15 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Agenda item 8, Council meeting of September 9th
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members:
The staff proposal to create a Rail Blue Ribbon Commission (RBRC) is another weak attempt to avoid to the correct
approach to the grade separation problem…context sensitive solutions (CSS). Staff alludes to this on page 4, claiming
that “…this has been an iterative (arguably “context sensitive”) approach to the development and evaluation of
options.” In fact, I would argue that what has been done so far is not CSS at all.
There are many references to CSS as a tool for designing transportation projects. Here is a quote from the Colorado
Department of Transportation:
“CSS recognizes that highway and transit projects are not just the responsibility or concern of engineers and constructors.
For that matter, they are not only the responsibility of the Department of Transportation or transportation agency.
Rather, CSS calls for the interdisciplinary collaboration of technical professionals, local community interest groups,
landowners, facility users, and the general public ‐‐ including any and all stakeholders who live and work near the road,
and those who will use it. It is through this process and this team approach that the owning agency gains an
understanding and appreciation of community values and strives to incorporate or address these values in the evolution
of its projects. “
The first Rail Committee met Feb. 2, 2010. None of those members are currently serving on Council. The CSS approach
was proposed to the Rail Committee by Nadia Naik at the time that Councilmember Dubois was chairman, in early 2017,
I believe, and rejected in favor of an initial process that was directed only by staff and consultants, Hatch Mott
McDonald (HMM), reporting to the Rail Committee and intermittently reporting to the Council. Stakeholder input was
given during formal meetings and by lobbying of staff and Council by neighborhood pressure groups. As a result of this
process failing to proceed to timely solutions, a Citizen’s Advisory Panel was appointed by staff to solicit community
input. Contemporaneously, HMM was fired and replaced by AECOM, with no public explanation given for the change.
The CAP was intentionally not made advisory to Council to avoid the limitations of the Brown Act. Now staff tells us that
we, in fact, need an RBRC which can have appointees selected by Council who would be subject to the Brown Act.
Now here we are, almost 10 years further along in the process and staff still is not willing to bite the bullet and propose
an actual CSS process, in which a committee made up of stakeholders, elected officials, and technical experts meets
regularly to examine the issues associated with this project and make recommendations directly to Council.
As we are all well aware, in the end, whatever solution Council may choose it will have to be voted on to get the funding
needed. If the people are not on board with the validity of the solution the funding will not be given and we will be back
at square one again.
CSS is the solution. Let’s not re‐invent the wheel.
Stephen Rosenblum
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:tom@tomvlasic.com
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 3:25 PM
To:Council, City; City Mgr
Cc:Rachel Croft; Inyoung Cho; Dave Shen; monroe.jw@gmail.com; Jim McFall; madhu.rao@gmail.com;
keyesmom@gmail.com; vchandru@gmail.com; susanrenners@gmail.com; samlada@gmail.com;
Anne Kramer; anishap@gmail.com
Subject:Yet Another Rail Committee
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Good afternoon,
I’m traveling but just read in the Weekly that on Monday you will be considering yet another rail/grade
separation committee. I consider this a very poor idea that if pursued would clearly demonstrate that the
Council wants to avoid any political responsibility for doing what you have been elected to do and that’s to
make the tough
decisions. You need to ask for the best technical data and professional staff and consultant
recommendations and fulfill your responsibility to make the best decisions with the facts in hand not based
on yet another political straw poll.
The council and we as citizens are paying millions of dollars for professional staff and consultant time,
analysis and recommendations. The financial bleeding will just continue with staff/consultant support to
yet another committee that would need to get up to speed and likely want to pursue its own “bypass”
agenda. Please stop this now and require your/our staff and consultants to do the work we are paying
them to do. And stop the prolonged processes that don't bring closure and also result in pitting neighbor
against neighbor and neighborhood against neighborhood!!! It is unnecessary, hurtful and poor process
management.
Give the City Manager, professional staff and consultants direction to identify the three best grade plans
based on all the practical technical and financial considerations and bring these to the council for action.
With the vast amount of data in hand this should be possible in a relative short period of time, two months
maximum. You could direct that the recommendations be shared with the XCAP committee for their input.
That committee has the background to provide input. But, please don’t create yet another committee
whose sole purpose is to help insulate the council from taking responsibility for doing what it was elected
to do.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this matter. Sorry for the passion and emotion here, but
after being on and sitting through the meetings of a number of “Palo Alto” committees I can’t help but
reach a point where "enough is enough."
Tom Vlasic
Southgate
Retired Portola Valley Town Planner
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sally Keyes <keyesmom@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, September 8, 2019 5:34 PM
To:Council, City; City Mgr
Subject:Revised plan by Ed Shikada for a new Rail Committee
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
We have read the News Digest in the Palo Alto Weekly and are dismayed by Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada's
recommendation for a new committee to work on rail improvements.
The article states that "...the new group would focus on the big picture, both locally and regionally".
It seems to us that the "big picture" for rail is to think long term for the future of our area. To us, this means rail should
provide service that decreases the number of cars on our streets and provides the least impact visually. We believe that
tunneling is the best option and should be able to be achieved locally with an increase of taxes and monies from key
stakeholders such as Facebook, Google, Stanford and an appropriate Business Tax for entities operating in Palo Alto as in
the majority of Bay Area cities.
If Council does not take this route, then the next route should be the one that provides the least impact on residents ‐
noise, visual presence, and safety. This, of necessity, would eliminate the Viaduct option.
As stated by Tom Vlasic in his email to all of you, please quit spending monies that could be better used and would
better serve our citizenry if applied to a solution for our three crossings.
Please take the data you have with the input from XCAP and citizens at large and make an informed decision.
Please do not form a new committee.
Richard and Sally Keyes
Southgate
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Dave Shen <dshenster@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, September 9, 2019 6:46 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:David Shen
Subject:Regarding the Blue Ribbon Committee
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Distinguished City Council members and staff,
In response to the proposal of the Blue Ribbon Committee, I have read the updated staff report. As a previous CAP
member and current XCAP member, I am still wondering why this BRC was proposed.
It seems to me that the proposed functions of this committee is what City Council is supposed to do. Why engage a
separate group? I have not heard why Council supposedly asked for this, according to the staff report. Will we hear a
response tonight?
I also have concerns about creating a new committee at this point in time.
The length of time to bring people up to speed is enormous. I have been involved since late 2017 and it took me months
of intense involvement to get up to speed on the issues, and I'm still learning more. We have new XCAP members who
are clearly on that learning curve now and are still learning.
XCAP members who have been involved since the beginning are connected to the community, and especially those
directly affected by the grade separations. A newer group will come in needing to be brought up to speed on the various
directly affected, and also not directly affected, by grade separation activities. They may have heard a few issues, but
not all of them. Will we expect them to go have separate, Brown Act compliant meetings with all the Palo Alto
stakeholders?
All of this will lengthen the time to get to decisions, perhaps by months if not a year or longer which is the time it took
those of us who were involved in the beginning to get up to speed. This will then require more time and money spent in
delays.
In the staff report, there is talk about disbanding XCAP to be replaced by BRC. As a member of XCAP, and observing that
we are a functioning, useful group to the process, I am disheartened by this suggestion. We specifically advocated for
not being subject to the Brown Act so that we can work together outside of meetings, and thus make sure we have free
flowing ideas and can speed up the process. Replacing XCAP with a slower Brown Act group seems a huge step
backward.
Thanks for your kind consideration,
David Shen
XCAP Member
Churchill Ave resident
North Old Palo Alto Group
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Clerk, City
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 3:42 PM
To:Brettle, Jessica
Subject:FW: September 10, 2019 Policy and Services Committee Meeting, Item #3: Safe Parking Program
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: herb <herb_borock@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 1:33 PM
To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: September 10, 2019 Policy and Services Committee Meeting, Item #3: Safe Parking Program
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Herb Borock
P. O. Box 632
Palo Alto, CA 94302
Palo Alto City Council
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
ATTN: POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019, POLICY AND SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #3
POTENTIAL SAFE PARKING PROGRAM
Dear City Council:
2
At the June 10, 2019, City Council meeting, before the Council referred
this subject to the Policy and Services Committee, the following direction
to the Committee was deleted from the motion, with the affirmative votes
of Mayor Filseth, Vice Mayor Fine, and Council Members Cormack and Kniss:
"Direct Staff to propose additional steps to distinguish between high and low-income individuals and manage
parking on streets once managed spots are available for low income individuals."
I believe it is important to distinguish among those who are living in
their vehicles on a temporary basis, those who have chosen to live in
their vehicles without the intent to live in a residential structure, and
those who have a home some place else to live in another community.
Prior to the opening of the Opportunity Center on Encina Avenue, board
members of the Community Working Group appeared before the Council to
advocate for overnight parking restrictions on the street where the
Opportunity Center is located.
See Resolution No. 8293 passed May 19, 2003 at:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/22102 and
CMR:282:03 at:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/cityagenda/publish/cmrs/1963.pdf.
If people are aware that the Opportunity Center doesn't want people living
in vehicles on the street where the Opportunity Center is located, then
people may be more reluctant to have those vehicles in their neighborhood.
The two locations suggested by staff would have night lighting that would
impact wildlife in the nearby nature preserve.
I was on the Executive Board of the Urban Ministry of Palo Alto when that
local organization served local residents who were homeless or at risk of
homelessness.
After an unsuccessful attempt by the Community Working Group to take over
Urban Ministry, the local organization became part of Innvision, a
countywide organization.
The opening of the Opportunity Center and the merger of Urban Ministry
into Innvision changed the local organization into a regional
organization, that was subsequently merged and then absorbed by Shelter
Network, a San Mateo County organization that has now changed its name to
LifeMoves.
LifeMoves target population includes a subset of those who are living in
vehicles on Palo Alto streets.
3
I believe any parking program the Council adopts should distinguish
between those who need a 24-hour parking lot, and those who need an
evening and weekend place to park when they are not commuting to work.
Attachment A on Packet Page 66 does not indicate whether all of the sites
in the attachment are 24-hour sites, or whether some are for shorter
periods of time.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Herb Borock
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy <nstein@sonic.net>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 7:44 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Agenda Item #7 on Sept. 16th
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
Thank you for removing item #4 from the Agenda on Sept. 9th. I am now writing to you concerning item #7 on the Agenda for Sept.
16th. The changes being proposed for Rule 20 should not be voted on until Green Acres I has a fair hearing
CPAU has not once acknowledged our unique situation, i.e., we paid to have our transformers and switches placed underground.
The changes being proposed for Rule 20 would by fiat command that we bear the cost for not only continuing to keep them
underground, but also for all future maintenance and/or replacement. In the 46 years we have had them underground, there
have never been any warnings or demands that we are (or would become in the future) responsible for such fees. This is a complete
reversal of policy.
I am asking you to also remove item #7 from the Agenda on Sept. 16th until our unique Green Acres I high voltage system
investment has been fairly addressed.
Nancy Steinbach
Green Acres I
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:NTB <aarmatt@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 11, 2019 6:37 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Regarding Agenda Item 7 - Proposed Amendments to Regulation 20 - 9/16 Meeting
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
Going right to the bottom line, the CPAU's amendment to Regulation 20, being presented to you on 9/16,
completely fails to recognize the unique situation in the GreenAcres 1 neighborhood: that we invested in
our fully underground utilities. We paid to have the installation of 11 substructures in our neighborhood
which contain either a transformer,
a switch or a combination of the two. There are NO other districts that we know of, or that the CPAU has
been able to provide information on, that have also paid.....except for one, a single underground
transformer on Orme in Barron Park for which the homeowners there also paid. All other systems in all other
districts have been paid for by the CPAU.
Before any approval can be made on any amendment to Regulation 20, this omission of our unique situation
needs to be addressed and factored in.
We ask that you do not approve the CPAU’s amendment to Regulation 20 until this omission has been
rectified.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who asked for, and approved of, having Consent Calendar Item 4
removed from the agenda this past Monday night, 9/9. It was much appreciated and gives us hope that our
unique situation is finally being heard.
Sincerely,
Nina Bell
GreenAcres 1 Board member and resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:aliraesims@gmail.com
Sent:Wednesday, September 11, 2019 9:31 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:9/16 Agenda Reg 20
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mayor Filseth and Council Members,
Going right to the bottom line, the CPAU's amendment to Regulation 20, being presented to you on
9/16,
completely fails to recognize the unique situation in the GreenAcres 1 neighborhood: that
we invested in our fully underground utilities. We paid to have the installation of 11 substructures in
our neighborhood which contain either a transformer,
a switch or a combination of the two. There are NO other districts that we know of, or that the CPAU
has been able to provide information on, that have also paid.....except for one, a single underground
transformer on Orme in Barron Park for which the homeowners there also paid. All other systems in all
other districts have been paid for by the CPAU.
Before any approval can be made on any amendment to Regulation 20, this omission of our unique
situation
needs to be addressed and factored in.
We ask that you do not approve the CPAU’s amendment to Regulation 20 until this omission has been
rectified.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who asked for, and approved of, having Consent Calendar Item
4 removed from the agenda this past Monday night, 9/9. It was much appreciated and gives us hope
that our unique situation is finally being heard.
Sincerely,
Alison Simonetti
GreenAcres 1 Board member and resident
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:ForestLight <forest129@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 3:55 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please Remove September 16, 2019 City Council Meeting Agenda Action Item 7
Attachments:Kent Mitchell GA1 Electrical Systems Letter to UAC April 9 Meeting- Agenda IX-1.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please remove consideration of September 16, 2019 City Council Meeting Agenda Action
Item 7 to amend Utility Rule and Regulation Rule 20 from the Agenda until our unique Green
Acres One high voltage system investment has been addressed and fairly factored in.
(Staff Report Executive Summary assertions appear indented in quotation marks —
followed by my annotations.)
“City of Palo Alto Utilities (“CPAU”) endeavors to build and maintain a safe, reliable, and
cost‐ effective electric system that will minimize the risk of injuries and keep electric rates
as low as possible. In service of this goal, Utility Rules and Regulations currently require
that transformers and associated equipment (“equipment”) in underground utility
districts be pad‐ mounted, even where wires and conduit are undergrounded. While it
may sometimes be technically feasible to install equipment in underground vaults, this
sort of fully subsurface installation is substantially more expensive than a standard pad‐
mounted installation, and—in the view of CPAU staff—is likely to be less reliable and
more costly to maintain and operate than a standard installation.”
The CPAU Rules and Regulations and definition of “underground” as we understand it apply
only to new construction, and to situations where pole mounted high voltage equipment is
being removed and replaced. This CAPU definition of underground, confusingly enough, means
that wires/cables are underground in runs, while the transformers and switches are installed
above ground in above ground in large green pad mount boxes mounted on a 4‐6 inch
concrete slab and in some case protected by adjacent, offset steel pipe bollards. The Rules
were not intended for and do not take into account or apply to existing high voltage systems
such as Green Acres one and other systems which are already fully underground (“fully
subsurface”) Including wires, cables, switches and transformers.
“In some of CPAU’s oldest underground utility districts, equipment is fully subsurface and
is installed in decades‐old underground vaults. These installations, though typical of the
engineering of their era, are considered by CPAU (and specialist utility engineers) to be
non‐ standard and operationally less desirable than a pad‐mounted installation. A number
2
of these fully subsurface systems are reaching the end of their useful lives and need to be
rebuilt. CPAU normally replaces installations that have reached the end of their useful life
with standard installations. Such replacement is done by CPAU at its own expense.”
Our research indicates no commonly agreed upon “standard” for such high voltage
installations. Other than an unsupported one‐page statement by a questionable utilities
management organization in Southern California that pad mounting is their standard, we find
no other evidence to support such a standard. We have been offered no evidence of and no
examples of fully subsurface systems in Palo Alto that have been replaced by the CPAU’s so‐
called standard pad mount installations.
The CAPU’s definition of “end of useful life” appears to be arbitrary and we have received no
evidence that it is based on any data. This is especially the case regarding our Green Acres
One equipment. The CPAU has acknowledged that our Green Acres One systems have never
failed since they were installed, and despite their assurances that our equipment has regular
maintenance schedules we have received no evidence to indicate that the CPAU has actually
ever opened the vaults or done any maintenance on them since they were installed.
We have not received a satisfactory explanation from the CPAU as to why Green Acres One
was arbitrarily selected for equipment “rebuilding.” Especially in light of our investment in our
existing systems, their unblemished performance record, the fact that despite the city’s
apparently, obsolete, sporadic, “undergrounding program,” the preponderance of Palo Altos
high voltage equipment is very old and still remains dangerously pole mounted and exposed. It
is also suspected that the other fully underground systems in other Palo Alto electrical districts
are as old or older than those in Green Acres One, although the CAPU has not identified or
provide details on such systems — perhaps because they don’t have accurate information
about them. It appears to me that someone at the CPAU arbitrarily made a decision to start
with our neighborhood — perhaps as an afterthought to the sudden, time‐limited availability
of a “…work crew from Texas capable of running cables for a second backup line connecting
Green Acres One to the main power grid on El Camino.” (We think such cables were actually
installed, but have not been connected.) The decision to start with our neighborhood was
apparently made without doing any real homework on our systems or our investment in them
— and once committed, the CAPU simply couldn’t or wouldn’t back away from this ill‐
considered decision.
“Largely because of objections to the aesthetics of standard pad‐mounted equipment,
some property owners in at least one of City’s underground utility districts have
requested that the existing installation be replaced with a new fully underground
installation. Such an installation would have substantially higher installation, operation,
and maintenance costs than a standard installation.”
3
This tedious, dismissive “aesthetics objection” assertion by the CPAU has been oft repeated
and has been tiresomely incomplete every time.
Our objections to the pad mounted systems include:
1. In 1973 our Green Acres One residents were given by the CPAU the option of holding a
special neighborhood election and gathering funds to fully underground our high voltages
systems. The election passed its necessary majority, the monies were collected from the
households and the systems were fully undergrounded in subsurface concrete vaults in our
sidewalks. These fully underground installations have come to form the bedrock of our
neighborhood character and greatly enhance our property values. Many of us bought our
homes here in major part because the neighborhood was free of dangerous and unsightly
pole‐mounted (and pad‐mounted) systems. Our residents had the foresight and the will to
invest in our fully underground high voltage systems. We have documented and estimated a
net present value for this investment. (See the attached April 6, 2019 letter by our attorney
to the UAC on this point.) The reality of our investment has, however, been consistently
ignored by the CPAU and the UAC in nearly every discussion of this issue. Possibly because it is
unique to Green Acres One (and a single fully underground installation on Orme St. in Barron
Park where residents similarly bought and paid for in 1983) and no one really knows how to
address it or factor it in. Regardless, our investment in our fully underground high voltage
system is a central and unique point of fact with legal implications that must be addressed as a
first priority before any changes can be applied to the such systems in Green Acres One.
2. In our research on pole‐mounted and pad‐mounted v. fully undergrounded high voltage
systems we have come to regard both pole mounted AND pad mounted systems as unsafe to
our residents. In particular the aging pole mounted systems of Palo Alto are particularly
exposed and dangerous and their removal should be accelerated as a priority. Our research
indicates that there appear to have been numerous reported and recorded safety incidents
(not to mention fires) involving exposed, above ground pole‐mounted installations and pad‐
mounted installations. The CPAU has acknowledged that they have been unable to document
any safety problems or incidents involving fully underground high voltage equipment in
enclosed vaults such as those in Green Acres One.
3. Aesthetics is certainly one of our objections. Many residents have spent substantial sums
to remodel or rebuild their homes based on the existing conditions on their property — which
did not include a four‐foot metal cube on a concrete slab.
“As CPAU’s standard practice is to install pad‐mounted equipment, the existing Rules and
Regulations do not provide the residents of an underground utility district with an option
to have obsolete equipment and vaults replaced with a new fully subsurface (and
therefore non‐ standard) installation.“
4
…Neither do the CPAU regulations require or permit the replacement of existing fully
underground high voltage installations with pad‐mounted installations. The CPAU’s “standard
practice” may apply to new construction, and to pole mounted construction, but despite the
CPAU’s recent attempt to insert such ‘replacement’ language into their Rules and Regulations
and forestall any further discussion of this issue by Green Acres One or similar fully
undergrounded electrical districts, such language has not been allowed or passed into the
Rules and Regulations by the City Council. No changes to relevant CPAU Rules and Regulations
should be permitted until the Green Acres One unique electrical systems investment situation
has been addressed.
“In order to afford residents the opportunity for such a replacement project without
burdening other system ratepayers with the associated added costs, staff has developed a
process that would permit property owners to request a subsurface installation if they are
able to self‐fund the added costs. This self‐funding option would permit the installation of
fully subsurface replacement equipment only if: (i) CPAU finds that a fully subsurface
installation is feasible, (ii) the underground utility district is currently served with a fully
subsurface installation, (iii) the new fully subsurface installation is requested by owners of
60% of the parcels served in the district, and (iv) the community pays all anticipated
installation, maintenance, and operating costs of the fully subsurface installation that are
greater than the costs of a standard installation.”
This “self‐funding option” was developed by the CAPU only after their months of inadequate
responses to Green Acres One residents’ repeated requests to reveal the exact details of the
CPAUs proposed pad mounting, and/or to find out exactly what it would take to retain our
high voltage systems fully underground.
The CPAU could not or would not satisfactorily answer our questions, or — distressingly —
didn’t appear to know the answers, and persisted in repeated obdurate attempts to “sell” our
residents on the general principle of the CPAU’s pad mounting concept in the absence of any
firm details. We have been told they didn’t have the resources to develop plans or estimates
for a fully underground replacement system. Nor were they able to offer us any firm details on
the alternate pad mounted system they were proposing — including locations, exact sizes of
enclosures, bollards, landscaping help and allowances, technical specs. What we were
apparently supposed to agree to was an in‐principle approval of their vague pad‐mounted
scheme.
The assertion that fully underground replacement of our high voltage systems would
somehow place a burden on other system ratepayers is unsubstantiated and begs close,
detailed examination. Our questions as to what became of the maintenance fees we have
been regularly been paying (for trouble‐free and apparently maintenance‐free service) met
with no response. Our questions regarding the availability of funds in the CPAU’s general fund
for rebuilding/upgrading our unique system met a similar lack of response.
5
Eventually, when it became apparent that a blank‐check approval would not be forthcoming
from us for some sort of vague pad mounted scheme, the CPAU decided to offer this us a
byzantine, unrealistic and unacceptable “self‐funding “ option. This option is wildly unrealistic
and is intended by its unacceptability and impossibility to force us (and presumably other
similar fully underground districts) to accept the CPAU’s vague, blank check pad mount
scheme by default.
“Under the self‐funding option, it would be the responsibility of the proponents of the
non‐ standard installation to accumulate the funding necessary for the added costs. The
City would not use its governmental authority to compel any property owner to make
payment, but would instead accept a lump sum, up‐front payment from proponents. The
proponents would presumably raise the money for this payment from their own funds
and by seeking voluntary contributions from the other property owners who would be
served by the installation.”
The likelihood of raising $475,00 lump‐sum that has been tentatively estimated for such costs
from each of 80‐100 households is, in my opinion, slight‐to‐non‐existent. Especially when the
CPAU is unwilling or unable to provide in advance a firm estimate or any related specific
details regarding their plan. Given the $275,000 vague, approximate estimate the CPAU
demands for downstream maintenance costs, and the lack of any appreciable maintenance
performed on our existing systems thus far, the likelihood of getting such funds collected by
and from our residents moves even further into the negative column. Added to which while
some of our residents might be able to pay their share, many would not be able and would
vote down the election or need to have their share somehow be financially provided by their
neighbors. That such systems that would be likely to require repurchasing again in 30 years
when the CPAU once again decided that they had reached their “end of life” would not
encourage a affirmative vote. Finally, though difficult to quantify, the manner in which the
CPAU has gone about initiating, justifying, and forcing their pad mounting scheme in Green
Acres One has reduced credibility and confidence in the CPAU management — possibly
beyond hope of recovery — and probably beyond hope that would preclude a 60 percent vote
in Green Acres One to raise and give the CPAU an upfront, lump‐sum half‐million dollars for an
undefined high voltage systems rebuild of any kind.
“The UAC supported the proposed self‐funding option by a four‐to‐one vote. The
dissenting UAC member opposed creating a mechanism for the installation of this sort of
non‐standard installation. There was some interest from the UAC in the creation of a
method where property owners could pay for the installation in installments. Upon
further research, staff (for the reasons discussed later in this report) determined that an
installment‐payment option would not be feasible. UAC members also requested a
lengthening of the period for requesting a subsurface installation and the period for
collecting the lump sum payment. The attached resolution incorporates these extended
deadlines.”
6
The UAC did not entirely support the CPAU’s proposed self‐funding option at its April 9, 2019
meeting. They considered the CPAU’s proposed funding mechanism unrealistic, burdensome
and unworkable. Especially given its lump sum payment requirements and the inability of the
CPAU’s obsolete, inflexible billing system to stretch out payments of such funds over time. In
my interpretation, what the UAC Commissioners did support was that some sort of option to
retain existing exceptions or allow alternative exceptions to the CPAU’s so‐called “pad mount
standard” be discussed and assessed by the City Council. And if a self‐funding option for
existing underground systems was approved by the Council, that a reasonable, acceptable,
workable funding mechanism for such be created and evolved — perhaps with the eventual
involvement of the UAC.
Please remove consideration of September 16, 2019 City Council Meeting Agenda Action
Item 7 to amend Utility Rule and Regulation Rule 20 from the Agenda until our unique Green
Acres One high voltage system investment has been addressed and fairly factored in.
-Michael Maurier
Greenacres One Resident and Property Owner
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:robell <robell999@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 31, 2019 2:10 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Planning Commission
Subject:Old Palo Alto RPP
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I am a resident of Palo Alto. I frequently go to visit my relative who lives in Old Palo Alto on Emerson St. I go
during the daytime because I am a senior citizen and do not drive at night.
It is very difficult to find a parking place near my relative because the street parking places are filled with
Caltrain commuters. This is quite hard on me because I cannot walk very far.
I urge you to proceed with the Nov. 1 implementation of the Old Palo Alto RPP program!
Yours truly,
Andrew Robell
850 Webster St., Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ann Protter <ann.protter@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 31, 2019 7:39 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Planning Commission
Subject:Parking in Old Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
We live on North California Ave, between High and Emerson streets. During the day it is virtually impossible to park in
front of our house due to all the people who park here and walk to work or the train.
Please approve the Old Palo Alto RPP so that we can enjoy our streets once again and our visitors can park close to our
houses.
More importantly, it has become dangerous for us ‐‐ North California is the main through‐fare for many bikers, including
tween kids traveling to and from Green Middle School twice a day. Backing out of our driveway when cars are bumper
to bumper in front our our house is nerve racking. I am concerned I won't see a biker due to the parked cars.
Our neighborhood has an 89% approval of this RPP, which shows our very strong desire to rectify this problem. We
have done everything the city has requested, followed the municipal code, and we hope you will approve it so that we
may begin the pilot November 1st.
Thank you,
Ann & Andy Protter
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 5:31 PM
To:pressoffice@goarch.org
Subject:Balm Candidate :: Egyptian Prophetic Sacred Writing :: The Womb
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Rice Bran Oil. From the East. Rice without their Bran are White and Hard like Teeth like Truth. The Bran of Rice is thus
akin to the Protective Skin of Truth. Braces?
Sesame Oil. From the East. At least in Cuisine. Maybe a Middling East? The Storyline "Open Sesame." To mean, Say the
Name of God. Open the Mouth; Say the Name.
Lanolin. Anhydrous Pharmaceutical. Where do Lambs Originate? This is Amun Side. The Maternal Will to Find the Lost
Lamb. Canine Priests are to Call for the Great Shepherd.
Goat Milk and Honey. The Central Axis. The Stern Bone. Sternum. On the Branch of Tree to Weave through the Solar
Sun. The Metaphor. Underneath is the Kiss like Honey to Draw the Milk. Here too, is Maybe Instuction as to the Diet of
Nursing Mothers: Goat Milk and Honey; Groats, Barley, Rye, Corn, Fresh Ground Flax, and Fresh Hemp Seed. The
Warning to Not Feed Infants Honey, Does Not Apply to the Nursemaid. Does it?
Carnuba Wax. Wax of Palm Leaf; From the West from South America. The Re Side. The Paternal Beating Heart with Light
so Direct like the Solar Sun that Shade is Needed.
Jojoba Oil. From the West; From The West Coast of North America. Liquid Wax. Ba like Bath. Jojo? Hoho? Saint Clause.
Saint Claws? The Clay Bird North America; Talons?
Sunflower Oil. From America. The Indian Headress. Feathers of the Clay Bird of North America to be Breathed in with
Life. The Manifest Mission of Parabolic Light in Flight.
That, would be Eight Ingredients. Proof of Concept: If this Resolves HPV; Perhaps in Conjunction with The Internal Diet.
By Memphis the Hieroglyphic the Prophecy of the Complete Canon from Before Egyptian "Gipped" Drifting from the
Original Womb Truth, the Odd Number Columns are Doublets if Symmetric hence the Right Most Column though
Composite in Appearance like the Even Numbered Columns if Symmetric then the "X" and the "O" and Overlays ((One to
Another)) in Perspective this Right Most Column being the Glass of Wine of Crushed Grapes that is Poured Out by
Servants with can't stop Drinking your Wine hence Water to be made into Wine as the Beginning Sign that as a Terminal
Sign is the Wine of Life as the Metaphor for the Life Imbibbed in the Drinking of the Bloodlife of the Unaltered Text that
is Not Salted with Tiberian Vowels whose Presence Signifies the Deviated Imperial Replacement of the True Unaltered
Hebrew Scripture hence why Abjad Vowels are No Longer Properly Understood hence why Learning Hebrew is a
Protracted Affair. The Wine comes by Way of Chewing the Breadlife of the Text by Chewing and Chewing as with
Unleavened Bread; Recitation. With respect to food, the Rightmost Column is Cauliflower Cruciferous in the Crucible
Made as a Soup that can be Poured as a Puree that is Pure the Source of DIM in the Diet and the Implication that the
Base Motivation for the Reason of Why the Messiah was Crucified was for Saying the Name of God. For Revealing the
Name of God. The Other Foods are, Couscous on the Plate; Groats of Oats with Goat Milk and Honey with Barley and
Corn the King like Kernal like the Mind of Ekevated Status to Navigate the Ma(i)ze and Rye for the Hidden Right Eye as
the Righteous shall see Hidden Things, with Flax for the Ears like Facts to be Heard, and Hempseed for the Mouth
2
forming UØÒ; Esau's Red Lentils the Self Crucifying Oath that Breaks Esau Right of Primogeniture confirmed by Esau's
Eating while Driven by Hunger to Eat a Food that Cooks in Eighteen Minutes while also the Messiah will drink from the
Cup he did NOT wish to drink to Sip the Vinegar Prematurely Breaking his Conditional Nazarite Vow to NOT drink from
the Fruit of the Vine until they were in the Kingdom Together; This Breakage of His Word in correspondanc to the
Breakage of the Stricture to Not Eat of the Tree for the Purpose of Knowing Good and Evil after Eve recites a Scrambled
Version and maybe Adam never Recited this Stricture while Eve was still a Born in his Phallus ((And with Eve's Creation
the Bone of the Phallus is Removed in Contrast to Other Primates)); the Bitter Herb of Raddichio drawn from Water as
Salads Often Are, Stipulated to Be Eaten with the Unleavened Bread of the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened
Bread by a Nation that is To Be Ultimately the Nation of Priests hence maybe the Endgame in Terms of Genetic Heritage
is that All of the Nation of Israel are to be within the Lineage of Aaron Within the Tribe of Levi; And the Messiah is Born
of a Virgin from the Tribe of Levi before the Marriage is Consumated with Joseph in the House of Judah, the Enculturer.
Given that the Upper Image of the Central Column indicates the Gemara and the Mishnah ((Collectively the Criterion))
have a Direction Coming from the East Meaning NOT the Redacted Version of Judah the Prince in the West in Palestine
where Rome's Corruptive Influence was Covert and Protracted given that the Romans took Seriously the Threat of the
Jews whose God had Destroyed The New Kingdom of Egypt at the Height of it's Power and this is the Fate the Romans
would Unsuccessfully Scheme to Prevent as their Empire is Torn between East and West which is Marked in History by
the Significance of the Sack of Rome on August 24th AD 0410 which is Curiously the Same Day Washington DC is Sacked
on August 24th AD 1813 and the Common Theme is that Both Capitols are of Countries Promoting Deviated Scripture.
The Lesson of 1403 Years Between has Never Even been Carefully Studied. The Double Dips of Plagues, Holocausts,
Inquisitions, Expulsions, Wars, Financial Collapse, Etc are Third and Fourth Generations and Every First and Second
Generation expresses the Mythic Hope "THAT Will NEVER Happen Again" while they Unthinkingly Cleave to the Sins of
their Fathers. You could start this Study with the Uncompleted Destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. Pretending
this Pattern doesn't Exist is Suicidal. So the Couscous Column corresponds to the Foundation of the Torah with the
Prophets, and the Red Lentils Column corresponds to the Gospels and the Sword Like Writing of Apostles who are Thick
and Ordinary that effectively cuts down the Momentum of the Movement as the Torah the Feet of the Messiah is
Routinely Broken and Buried. The Water Sign corresponds to the Quran while the Levitating Lamp is What Comes Next
with Peter's Third Life "Feeding Sheep" ((Abraham's Fourth Life, Muhammad's Second Life; For Abraham is to be a
Father of Nations who Encultures the Children and NOT just an Unseen Donar at a Seed Band.)). The Rightmost Symbol
is the Hieroglyphics of the Creator Diety from before Egypt's Drifting from the Emerging Light whose Culimination is
when Moses delivers the Name of God "Yawuøòwah" to Pharoah as the Leadership of/in Emerging Light is Transfered
from from Pharoah to Moses, from Egypt to Israel. Given that the Rightmost Symbol is on the Eastern Side of "Mapping"
would this imply that the Orgin of the Hieroglyphics is from Somewhere in the East? Like the Himalayas?
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Barbara Gross <barbara.ellen.gross@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 3:11 PM
To:Council, City; Info, Plandiv
Subject:Castilleja Expansion
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
September 5, 2019
Dear All,
I live in Crescent Park and have a granddaughter attending Castilleja. I fully support the education she is receiving and
the benefit of having an all girl school in Palo Alto.
I have read the Castilleja expansion project reports, as well as, many of the pro and con letters from
homeowners. Nothing remains static over time. Education, educational facilities and the needs of children continue to
evolve. The project objectives are clearly stated and are within the bounds of consideration for their surrounding
neighborhood. Castilleja has been in place since 1907; surely changes and adjustments are a continuous process.
People who purchased homes near a school bought all that comes with it. My quiet street turns into a parking lot during
commute hours as drivers learn to circumvent University Avenue. I don’t enjoy this new phenomenon, but it is reality.
Business taxes and revenue contribute to more than half of our general fund.
I thought Len Ely’s opinion letter in the paper was eye opening regarding land use should Castilleja leave its current
location. There are projects going on throughout our city. We proffer ideas, create wish lists and offer insight. It is a
combined interest.
In the end, I urge you to support the Castilleja expansion.
Regards, Barbara Gross
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 9:05 AM
To:Planning Commission; Lait, Jonathan
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja's DEIR Study for Emerson and Embarcadero- latest update
Attachments:Presentation1.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Planning Director and Planning and Transportation Commission,
As part of the Transportation study for Castilleja's DEIR, I am requesting additional study to focus
on the safety of the pedestrians and bicyclists using the sidewalk between Castilleja and
Embarcadero at the intersection of Emerson and Embarcadero. Due to its close proximity to PALY
and the Town and Country, pedestrians and bicyclists (many of them are PALY students) using
the sidewalk to cross Emerson to go toward PALY.
Due to the high speed eastbound traffic exiting the Alma underpass toward Emerson as indicated in
purple arrow in the picture below, the drivers that are making right turn from Emerson onto
Embarcadero as indicated in blue arrow will have to focus on the eastbound traffic that often travels
at a high speed of 30 to 40+ MPH. This gives the right turn drivers from Emerson very little time to
notice pedestrians or bicyclists who sometimes ride at the last minute off the sidewalk to cross
Emerson in front of cars turning right from Emerson to Embarcadero. Through the years, as a
neighbor living within one block to this intersection, I have witnessed a number of near misses due to
this situation. Therefore, it is very important for DUDEK to have an in-depth safety study for the
pedestrians and bicyclists crossing Emerson with the expected significant traffic increase from
Castilleja’s proposed underground garage exit flow.
Sincerely
Nelson Ng
1260 Emerson Street
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:David L Vander Wilt <vanderwilt@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 1:39 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:vanderwilt@sbcglobal.net
Subject:Cell phone tower in front of my house
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council members,
I understand the day which I have dreaded has been scheduled. A cellular phone tower is planned for the utility pole
directly in front of my house to be completed sometime in September . It would be directly visible from the desk and
computer station in our second floor den.
I have followed this issue carefully from the beginning and have recently been hopeful (after learning of the Los Altos
City council’s response) that our council would act to protect the quality of life for the residents of Palo Alto. I hope this
may still be the case.
I am requesting that all construction of any proposed new cell towers be delayed until the council has finalized general
guidelines for placement of these towers.
I have lived and worked in Palo Alto for over forty years. It has been a great community. I hope we can avoid the
encroachment of these towers in our residential neighborhoods. We currently deal with increased auto traffic, airplane
traffic patterns, “illegal “ leaf blowers and soon construction and increased Caltrain traffic. We do not want self inflicted
and avoidable visual and auditory pollution from residential cell towers.
The council has the power to control this situation for the benefit of all Palo Altans. I hope you will. Thank you.
Respectfully
David L van der Wilt
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:annetteisaacson@comcast.net
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 5:56 PM
To:Cormack, Alison
Subject:cell towers in Midtown
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Alison and Members of the City Council,
I live at {REDACTED} in Midtown. I was disappointed to learn that the City of Palo
Alto is allowing Verizon to install 11 new cell towers in Midtown next week, even
though the City Council is in the process of updating its Wireless ordinance to, for
example, disfavor locating cell towers in residential areas and disfavor pole-mounted
ancillary equipment. What's the rush?
We don't know how safe or dangerous the radiation is from cell towers. Until we know,
we should not allow more cell towers near homes, schools, hospitals.
I voted for you, Alison, and many of the current city council members. I hope you will
represent us. Put these cell towers on hold.
Sincerely,
Annette Isaacson
Dear Neighbors,
Verizon plans to begin installing eleven new cell towers in Midtown next week, installing them right next to people’s
homes.
2
This is even as the City of Palo Alto is in the process of updating its Wireless ordinance to, for example, disfavor locating
cell towers in residential areas and disfavor pole‐mounted ancillary equipment. These are genuine protections that are
well within local governments’ authority to require that cell tower siting and design be consistent with the aesthetics of
the community.
But the aesthetic standard the City’s Planning Director applied in approving the eleven Midtown cell towers was simply
that they be consistent with the aesthetics of a wooden utility pole. That is not an aesthetic standard. That is a welcome
mat for the telecommunications industry.
Please email Councilmember Alison Cormack—who lives in Midtown, and who ran for office last year saying that she
especially wanted to represent Midtown’s residents—and ask her to stand up for her neighbors and halt these
installations.
Please feel free to use or modify the sample email below, if that’s more convenient for you.
So you know, Ms. Cormack’s mentor—and champion—is Councilmember Liz Kniss, the most experienced public official
in Palo Alto. If Ms. Cormack doesn’t know how to stop the Midtown installations, Ms. Kniss surely does. Moreover, the
City has plenty of leverage with Verizon. Just for starters, it’s recently come to light that none of the
telecommunications companies have been complying with basic permit requirements for theirexistingPalo Alto cell
towers, never submitting plans showing what they actually installed, for example, and never submitting radiation
emission safety compliance reports.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeanne, Jyo and Jerry
For United Neighbors
Sample Letter for Alison Cormack (Alison.Cormack@CityofPaloAlto.org)
Dear Ms. Cormack,
It is an outrage that the City of Palo Alto should be allowing Verizon to go forward with installing eleven new cell towers
in Midtown next week, installing them right next to people’s homes.
Why should this neighborhoodbe saddled with hundreds of pounds of noisy cell tower equipment side‐mounted on
poles in full view—and earshot—of where residents live and sleep,just because the protections Council unanimously
voted to add to the Wireless Ordinance last April have not yet been enacted?
I strongly urge you to correct this injustice. In particular, I strongly urge you to enlist the help of Councilmember and
former Mayor Liz Kniss. Ms. Kniss, the most experienced public official in Palo Alto, sponsored your candidacy. And the
city has all the leverage it needs to convince Verizon to put these cell towers on hold.
I ask you, respectfully, to go to bat for your fellow Midtowners, as well as for all Palo Alto residents.
PTC Hearing for Castilleja
Expansion DEIR
August 14th 2019
Significant and Unavoidable
Impacts even after Mitigation
4-2 Create land use incompatibility or physically divide an
established community
7-1 Conflict with an applicable plan, ordinance or policy
establishing measures of effectiveness for the performance of the
circulation system, taking into account all modes of transportation
including mass transit and non-motorized
7-7 Contribute to a cumulative increase in traffic that conflicts
with adopted policies and plans related to intersection and
roadway segment function, including consideration of LOS and
ADT
Alternatives
Analyzed Alternatives in DEIR
Alternative 1: Staying with 415 students and no construction
Alternative 2: 73% requested enrollment increase to 506 students
and demolish two Single Family Home to build an underground
garage
Alternative 3: 73% requested enrollment increase to 506 students
and demolish one Single Family Home to build an underground
garage
Possible Alternatives should be studied by DEIR
Limited enrollment expansion without underground garage
Satellite Parking with shuttles to/from campus
Distributed campuses to fuel enrollment expansion
Traffic Impact Study
In Chapter 7 Transportation page 7-13
Site-specific trip generation rates for the AM, School PM, and PM peak hours were developed based on driveway counts and adjusted based on results from a student travel pattern survey.
Measure True Traffic Impact to the Community
• Castilleja and Palo Alto school are in session
• Castilleja school is out on holiday with no activities while Palo
Alto school in session
• Palo Alto school holiday while Castilleja school in session
• The days that Castilleja have evening and weekend events
• During the summer, with and without Castilleja Summer School
in session.
All studies should be done on a weekly basis of 24x7 period and not just one day in week to avoid missing significant traffic pattern changes for different days of the week.
E mb arc adero Rd
Alma
S
tEm
e
r
s
o
n
St
Bryan
t St
Mi
d
d
l
e
field
R
d
Chu
r
ch
ill Ave
Kingsley
Ave
Me
l
v
i
l
l
e
A
v
e
Ke
l
l
ogg
A
v
e
El Camino Real
Project
Site
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
North
Not to Scale
1 El Camino Real
Em
b
a
r
c
a
d
e
r
o
R
d
G
a
l
v
e
z
S
t
11 Alma St
Ch
u
r
c
h
i
l
l
A
v
e
BL
BL
BL
BL
2 Alma St
Em
b
a
r
c
a
d
e
r
o
R
d
6 Middlefield Rd
Em
b
a
r
c
a
d
e
r
o
R
d
9 Emerson St
K
e
l
l
o
g
g
A
v
e
10 Emerson St
Ch
u
r
c
h
i
l
l
A
v
e
BL
BLBL
BL
7 Emerson St
M
e
l
v
i
l
l
e
A
v
e
Dw
y
3 Alma St
Ki
n
g
s
l
e
y
A
v
e
8 Alma St
M
e
l
v
i
l
l
e
A
v
e
4 Emerson St
Em
b
a
r
c
a
d
e
r
o
R
d
5
BL
BL
Bryant St
Em
b
a
r
c
a
d
e
r
o
R
d
Study Intersection
LEGEND
Transportation Study Area
Castilleja School Project EIR
FIGURE 7-1SOURCE: W-Trans 2019
Pa
t
h
:
Z
:
\
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
\
j
1
0
0
5
6
0
1
\
M
A
P
D
O
C
\
D
O
C
U
M
E
N
T
\
E
I
R
Waverley
Cowper
Webster
Kellogg
Coleridge
Lowell
Intersections to be also studied
North
Not to Scale
NoNoNooNoortrtrtrthhhhhh
Not NotNoNoNot Notoott ttto Sto Stto Sto S SoSo SttSSSSSScalecacalecacalelelelelecalece
Embarcadero R d
Al
m
a
S
t
Em
e
r
s
o
n
S
t
Br
y
a
n
t
S
t
Ch
u
r
c
h
i
ll A
v
e
Me
lville
A
v
e
Lin
c
o
l
n
A
v
e
Kellog
g A
v
e
Waverl
y
St
Whit
m
a
n
C
t
Me
lville
A
ve
Kin
g
s
l
e
y
A
ve
Hi
g
h
S
t
Ram
o
n
a
S
t
Project
Site
Study Segment
LEGEND
3,859
4,347
5,125
3,879
567
870
2,574
3,083
26,710
26,186
25,775
2,394
655
744
8422,170
255
3,761
296
874
573
240
2,391
46
580
463
26,469
25,553
2,088
2,119
2,445
2,216
2,558
2,448
2,692
2,945
316
Existing Road Segment Daily Volumes
Castilleja School Project EIR
FIGURE 7-2SOURCE: W-Trans 2019
Pat
h
:
Z
:
\
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
\
j
1
0
0
5
6
0
1
\
M
A
P
D
O
C
\
D
O
C
U
M
E
N
T
\
E
I
R
Lowell Ave
Coleridge Ave
Cowper St
Middlefield Road
Additional road
segments to be
studied
Proposed Underground Garage
Bryant Street
Emerson Street
Ke
l
l
o
g
g
A
v
e
Traffic turning from
Embarcadero to Bryant to
enter garage could cause
major back up for
Embarcadero and hazards for
cyclists on Bike Blvd
Demolishing
two homes
Major impact
due to
significant delay
increase
Castilleja’s proposal will worsen
Embarcadero gridlock
For Eastbound Embarcadero, the right lane
between Emerson and Bryant will be become
a protective lane. This will restrict the traffic
flow from Stanford towards 101.
For Westbound Embarcadero, all Castilleja
traffic will left turn onto Bryant then right turn
into the proposed garage entrance. This will
cause bike safety issues on Bryant (Bike Blvd)
and create further backup on Embarcadero
from 101 towards Stanford.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 9:19 AM
To:Planning Commission; Lait, Jonathan
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Re: Comment on traffic study for Castilleja DEIR
Attachments:PTCTraffic_Aug14_2019.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Planning Director and Planning and Transportation Commission,
I am attaching the slides from my presentation during the August 14th PTC hearing for
the Castilleja Expansion DEIR.
Sincerely
Nelson Ng
On Saturday, August 17, 2019, 04:18:32 PM PDT, Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com> wrote:
Planning Director and Planning and Transportation Commission,
I notice that I omitted "weekend" in the following bullet point for item #3 below
- The days that Castilleja have evening and weekday events
This bullet point should be "The days that Castilleja have evening and weekday and weekend
events"
Regards
Nelson
On Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 05:41:25 PM PDT, Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com> wrote:
To the Planning Director and Planning and Transportation Commission,
My name is Nelson Ng. I live at 1260 Emerson Street directly across from the 1263 Emerson Street known
as the Lockey House that is owned by Castilleja School.
2
I found that the DEIR published for Castilleja’s Expansion is incomplete and the basis for analysis is fatally
flawed. The baseline traffic study was based on only three days – January 26, 2017; May 16, 2017 and April
10, 2019. These days were mid‐week and the data was based on Castilleja’s self survey and vehicle counts. To
provide a more accurate understanding of the project and its impacts, what should be evaluated in the traffic
study for Castilleja’s proposed project are:
Current traffic counts for the full neighborhood (including nearby Palo Alto High School) for a full week
while Castilleja and Palo Alto High is in session. The traffic count should include vehicles, pedestrians,
bicyclists, etc. This traffic count should be signed off by a Castilleja official certifying that the count is accurate.
Bicyclists, both adult commuters and school children make up the majority of traffic on the Bryant street bike
boulevard and should be included.
Traffic should be counted (car and bike/pedestrians/other) for the full neighborhood for a full week while
o Castilleja and Palo Alto High are in session.
o Castilleja is not in session while Palo Alto High is in session.
o Palo Alto High School is not in session while Castilleja is in session
All intersections within a half‐mile to a mile radius, especially those with traffic signals need to be
included. Critical intersections missing are: Embarcadero/Waverley; Embarcadero/Pedestrian crossing at Palo
Alto High School; and Embarcadero Road/Town & Country/Palo Alto High School Driveways.
In addition, the traffic study needs to address the construction traffic for the three‐five years of
construction. The information in the report puts the responsibility on the future contractor for construction
routes, construction staging, and construction parking. The volume of vehicles and the duration of the project
warrant that a complete study, recommendations, and mitigations for this work be presented in the EIR
instead.
The traffic study also needs to include proposed projects such as the CalTrain rail crossing project, the City of
Palo Alto’s modifications to Embarcadero Road for bicyclists, etc.
From this baseline, the traffic report should be rewritten/resubmitted for review.
1. The following 3 Alternatives are listed in the DEIR:
1: Staying with 415 students and no construction
2: 73% enrollment increase to 506 students and demolish two Single Family Home to build an
underground garage
3: 73% enrollment increase to 506 students and demolish one Single Family Home to build an
underground garage
This DEIR is incomplete because the Chapter 7 Transportation section did not analyze impact of any
enrollment increase option without an underground garage. This report focuses on how to make the
garage achievable by various means to mitigate the three Significant but Unavoidable
3
impacts. Instead, it should study other alternatives that allows for a moderate enrollment increase
(20% to 30%) without an underground garage to address the traffic impacts such as satellite parking
areas and splitting the campus to provide a truly unbiased solutions for the community.
I am requesting this DEIR to provide the current impact of Castilleja comparing to other streets listed to
be included in item 3 below and to study the impact of an alternative without an underground garage
but using satellite parking for all students being driven in with school shuttles running between the
satellite parking lot and the campus.
2. In page 7‐12,
The peak hour is determined based on the actual traffic volume
data; it is defined by the City and Caltrans guidance as the 60-
minute period during which the highest traffic volumes were
observed. The peak period for morning commute traffic is from 7:00
AM to 9:00AM; … The school afternoon peak period occurs between
2:00 PM and 4:00 PM … The evening peak period, between 4:00 PM
and 6:00 PM, …
The commute traffic has increased significantly in recent years. The peak period has
expanded. Therefore, the peak period study should be expanded to the following:
morning commute traffic 7:00AM to 10:00AM
evening commute traffic to 4:00pm to 7:30PM.
3. The following is stated in page 7‐13,
At the time of the existing conditions traffic counts in January
2017, enrollment at Castilleja School was 438 students. Site-
specific trip generation rates for the AM, School PM, and PM peak
hours were developed based on driveway counts and adjusted based
on results from a student travel pattern survey. It is estimated
that the school site currently generates 352 vehicle trips during
the AM peak hour, 274 vehicle trips during the School PM peak
hour, and 176 vehicle trips during the PM peak hour,
Site specific trip generation rates based on driveway counts and adjusted based on results from a
student travel pattern survey is problematic and will not yield accurate results. Students are routinely
dropped off one to two blocks away from the campus. For example, Castilleja students are routinely
dropped off at the cul‐de‐sac on Melville between Bryant and Waverley. Those traffic counts are not
included in Castilleja’s count of cars entering their parking lot. Student travel pattern survey is
conjecture at best.
During the March 2017 scoping letter input for the DEIR, I suggested the following study criteria to
establish a baseline. The data should be compared with traffic of “what is allowable” for the Single
Family R‐1 neighborhood and not the existing condition. This determines the TRUE impact of Castilleja
traffic to its surrounding neighborhood. Some surrounding neighbors have observed a 90% traffic
reduction on days when Castilleja is not in session while Palo Alto schools are still in session. Therefore,
4
the study must measure traffic impact with and without Castilleja in session. In addition, missing from
the study are the impacts of a hundred of Castilleja school events per school year including evening and
weekend events and the two summer camp sessions per year. The following are a list of items the
Traffic study must include
- Castilleja in session while Palo Alto school in session
- Castilleja school is out on holiday with no activities while Palo Alto school in session
- Palo Alto school holiday while Castilleja school in session
- The days that Castilleja have evening and weekday events
- During the summer, with and without Castilleja Summer School in session.
All studies should be done on a weekly basis of 24x7 period and not just one day in week to avoid
missing significant traffic pattern changes for different days of the week. Please see item #6 for the
complete set of streets and intersections to be studied.
4. Projects such as Grade Separation at Churchill and Alma, Stanford GUP expansion and bike lane on
Embarcadero Road will have major traffic impacts to this neighborhood. This study must include the
cumulative impact of Castilleja expansion along with these projects. This study should show the impact of
Castilleja expansion with the additional impact from each project.
5. The 3 to 5 years construction for this expansion project must be studied. We need to understand what is
the feasible for this neighborhood to handle with increase in traffic created by the construction related
machinery and staging.
6. A number of streets and intersections that were submitted to be studied as part of the March 2017 EIR
Scoping comment are omitted in the DEIR study listed in page 7‐5 to 7‐7. Please see attached update to Figure
7‐1 and Figure 7‐2. Please include them into the study for the final EIR.
7. In Page 7‐30, Table 7‐10 shows the following Daily Trips count for different number of enrolled student
scenarios. This yields 2.74 Daily Trips per student for all 4 scenarios.
Condition # of Students Daily Trips
Existing CUP 415 1,135
2017 Enrollment 438 1,198
2018 Enrollment 434 1,187
Proposed Project 540 1,477
In page 7‐19, it stated “The existing ADT was determined based on 24‐hour machine counts conducted
in January 2017 and September/October 2018”. Is the Daily Trips number for 2018 Enrollment
Condition measured from Sept/Oct 2018 study or just calculated using the rate for 2017 Enrollment. If
it is measured, please explain how the rates 2017 and 2018 are exactly the same? If it is calculated,
please provide the actual measured daily trip.
8. In Table 7‐4 of page 7‐14, the following is car trips exiting the garage
5
- AM Peak(7am to 9am): 199 (This works out to be 18.1sec per car)
- School Peak PM(2pm to 4pm): 187 (This works out to be 19.3sec per car)
- PM Peak(4pm to 6pm): 124 (This works out to be 29sec per car)
In table 7‐12 of page 7‐40, it estimates the following Delay time with this project at Emerson right turn
onto Embarcadero
- AM Peak(7am to 9am): 24.7 sec (145.7 cars/hr)
- School Peak PM(2pm to 4pm): 24 sec (150 cars/hr)
- PM Peak(4pm to 6pm): 20.1 sec (179 cars/hr)
Majority of the morning drop‐off traffic and afternoon pickup traffic will not be evenly spread out
during the 60 minutes period. Most traffic will appear within the 15 minutes before and after the
bell. Therefore, the study should provide a the study of the same traffic volume of within a 30 minutes
window to calculate how many cars will back up through the proposed garage onto Embarcadero from
Bryant entrance due to the delay of cars making a right turn from Emerson onto Embarcadero.
9. The following claim regarding Castilleja expansion impact on bike safety is on page 7‐29.
The project includes a reduction in total curb cut driveways from
eleven driveways … to six driveways … The reduction in driveway
curb cuts will improve bicycle safety.
However, I am unable to find any traffic study data and analysis in the report to substantiate this claim
that significant traffic increases to the Bryant Street Bike Boulevard by combining all incoming Castilleja
traffic entering the proposed garage by making a left turn from Embarcadero onto Bryant Street and
then a right turn from Bryant to enter the garage will not put Bike Boulevard users at risk. Bryant Street
Bike Safety Boulevard is one of the most used commute routes by PAUSD students biking to
school. Castilleja auto traffic will be competing with the PAUSD students and other adult commuters
for the right of way to use this busy section of the Bike Boulevard during the commute hour. This
study must include data and analysis on the potential risk increase to PAUSD students and other
bicyclists due to significant traffic increase during student commute hour. The study should include all
previous traffic accidents including bicyclists and use the data to project the potential of increase
accidents by the increased traffic. Please refer to item 8, on the volume of Castilleja traffic should not
be averaged on a 60 minutes basis but rather concentrating on the 15 minutes before and after the
school session bell time.
The study should also include scenarios when cars are backed onto Bryant and Embarcadero from the
garage per study of item #8, the increase risk to the bicyclists when cars are blocking the intersection
of Bryant and Embarcadero or abandoning entering the garage and competing with bicyclists to travel
south on Bryant Street.
6
6
DUDEK
2 Alma St 3
'I ~-J '-1
!i ii
5 Bryant St
*.Vebster
7 Emerson St
~_J .~ ~ ·:--~ tr 0
9 EmersonSt
_!W L~
~<
Cowprr
':;1:' -
1 ~~
Q Intersections requested in March 2017 Scoping l etter but not studied in DEIR FIGURE 7·1
Transpor1a!lon SUly Area
c..-... Sd\00' Plqeo EJl
7
Waverley Street from:
‐ Churchill Ave to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Bryant Street from:
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
8
Emerson Street from:
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Churchill Avenue from:
‐ Embarcadero to Cowper
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Alma Street from
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Lincoln Avenue from:
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Kingsley Avenue from:
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Melville Avenue from
‐ Cowper to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Embarcadero (cul‐de‐sac)
Embarcadero Road from
‐ Middlefield to Bryon
‐ Bryon to Webster
‐ Webster to Tasso
9
‐ Tasso to Cowper
‐ Cowper to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Emerson
‐ Emerson to El Camino
Kellogg Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
Coleridge Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Cowper
Lowell Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Cowper
Cowper Street from
‐ Lincoln to Kingsley
10
‐ Kingsley to Melville
‐ Melville to Kellogg
‐ Kellogg to Embarcadero
‐ Embarcadero to Churchill
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Sincerely
Nelson Ng
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Karen Porter <porter.k10@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, September 9, 2019 8:56 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:City Attorney
Subject:Demand to Cease Violation of Brown Act and PA Municipal Code Section 2.04.030
Attachments:Demand to city_9-9-19.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please see attached.
Regards,
Karen Porter
cc: Office of the City Attorney
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 9:48 PM
To:jd@howardstern.com
Subject:Fathers
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
“The Very Rev. Fr. George Baalbaki currently serves as the parish priest of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in
San Francisco, California.”
— [[An Actual Unburied Quote, From their Not Yet Redacted Webpage]]
I Didn’t ((Emphatically)) Make This Up. Baalbaki? The Book of Baal? The BiBaal? This “Human Guy” who “Never
Congugates” is “My Father”? Excuse Me, Not even the Messiah called Himself “Father.” “Father Messiah, Can we have
some {{More Fish}}?” “Sure, Just take your Nets to the River.” “But Baal said All of Our Sins are Forgiven so We Kept
Killing All of Our Neighbors.” “Four Given? Children it’s a Trinity. You Only have to Count to Three.” “((Did We)) Already
change the Spelling from (הוהי) to (והי)?” “You Don’t Know how to say his NAME Do You?” “Of course not, We know how
the Emperor feels about that. ‘Father Knows Best.’ .” “Did one of the Fathers marry Ms. Best?” “The Mark of the Best.”
“I like your Robes.” “Do you Wanna Do Another Liturgy?” “I Think We Already Threw All Those Hebrew Scriptures
Away.” “Well Let’s Pretend. All We have to do is Walk the Church and Act Like we’re Looking for Something without
Looking Suspicious.” “That’s Hard to Do.” “Nooo, It’s Easy.” “As Easy as 123?” “Don’t say Equals Four.” “I’m Taking
Notes.” “Well if your Notes Pass Scrutiny we’ll include Your Letter in Codex BiBaal.” “S, C, R, E, W. T, I, N, Y.” “Scrutiny!”
“Oh, O’KAY. You want Me to ‘Miss Spell’. I’m Catching On.” “What Year Fruit Are You.” “Hey Guys, I thought We Canned
the Jewish Scripture.” “Did you Find the Book Yet?” “We have to Sing That?” “Well of Course; In a Chorus ((AD 135)).”
“Did you Find the Book Lie Bury Ann?” “Not like that, You’re Too Obvious.” “Off Course!” “Shhh. This is a Professional
Session.” “Yes. I think We Found the Book.” “Where is He?” “Nailed to the Wall.” “Let’s Handcuff Him.”
“Father? Can We just call you Frank? No? You don’t LIIIIKE That Name, Father Ankh?”
How did these Weasels become Our Father? Everyone One of These Guys is Our Father? What’s going on Here? I’m So
Confused. Why didn’t My Actual “Reality Abducting” Father wear a Robe at “Home” and Walk Around Looking for Little
Me?
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Tony Ciampi <T.Ciampi@hotmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 4, 2019 11:41 PM
To:Shikada, Ed; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Stump, Molly
Cc:PEliasberg@aclusocal.org; peliasberg@aclu-sc.org; pbibring@aclusocal.org; pbibring@aclu-sc.org;
JPRICE@aclusocal.org; media@aclusocal.org; LaShae.Collins@asm.ca.gov;
lee.hernandez@asm.ca.gov; denise.green@asm.ca.gov; edmond.perkins@asm.ca.gov;
TERRY.SCHANZ@asm.ca.gov; CRISTINA.SALAZAR@asm.ca.gov; MARCO.SALA@asm.ca.gov;
ASAEL.ALA@asm.ca.gov; BUCK.ELLINGSON@asm.ca.gov; zachery.ross@asm.ca.gov;
leslie.bulbuk@asm.ca.gov; HARRY.ERMOIAN@asm.ca.gov; arielle.ayala@asm.ca.gov
Subject:Katz v. Barstow unlawful coercion for identification
Attachments:identification the law.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Ed Shikada
Palo Alto City Manager
Mr. Shikada,
FYI: according to statute and case law there is NO lawful requirement for a citizen to provide identification to a police
officer even when the citizen is lawfully detained and therefore Ofc. Fino’s threat to handcuff me for not providing
identification while I was unlawfully detained is even more egregious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EJHO0LCn9o&t=8s
2
Read the settlement and training bulletin of the Katz v. Barstow city/police:
https://www.aclusocal.org/sites/default/files/wp‐content/uploads/2015/05/doc02773720150521123440.pdf
Please inform your officers to stop violating the Constitution of the United States, this was the third time in the span of
year. If your officers have done it to me three times in a year how many times have they done it to others?
https://jeffrosenda.weebly.com/proof‐of‐violation.html
https://corruptpaloaltopolice.weebly.com/chief‐jonsen.html
3
https://corruptpaloaltopolice.weebly.com/papds‐racism.html
4
https://michaelgennacooir.weebly.com/the‐big‐lie.html
https://corruptpaloaltopolice.weebly.com/
https://corruptpaloaltopolice.weebly.com/missing‐videos.html
5
6
Inspector General Max Huntsman urged the Board of Supt
end Michael Gennaco's contract with the Coun~
The recommendation comes a month after the FBI indicted deputies in a beating of an inmal
from Chaplain Paulino Juarez -the same witness testimony that OIR Chief Attomey Michae
up by sufficient evidence.
"The Office of Independent Review has functioned primarily as a part of the Sheriff's Depart
had an attorney-client relationship with the sheriff, was housed within the department, and assumed an integral)
"This model has created the perception that OIR is not sufficiently independent to act as a ci
He said the OIR's role as a "trusted adviser" to former Sheriff Lee Baca, who had recommended its creation, •um·
to the public and the board."
Max Huntsman
..,,://www.daiynews.com/gove<~
contracts-with-offi~of-independE
Micha
7
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/cases/katz‐v‐barstow
8
9
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/news/can‐you‐be‐arrested‐california‐refusing‐provide‐id‐police‐when‐
detained
https://slate.com/technology/2018/12/right‐to‐record‐police‐massachusetts‐aclu.html
I am still waiting for you to answer my questions that I posed to you before?
TRAINING BULLETIN BARSTOW POLICE DEPARTMENT
Demanding Identification
Contrary to a not uncommonly held belief that law enforcement contacts with private citizens require some articulable reason to be lawful, it is a general rule that any peace officer may
approach and contact any person in public, or anywhere else the officer has a legal right to be,
and engage that person in conversation. (Wilson v. Superior Court (1983) 34 Cal.3rd 777.)
No probable cause or even a reasonable suspicion is needed.
The law does not prohibit an officer from approaching any person in a public place and engaging that person in uncoerced conversation. (People v. Divito (1984) 152 Cal.App.3rd 11,
14; Florida v. Royer (1983) 460 U.S. 491 [75 L.Ed.2nd 229].)
"(L)aw enforcement officers do not violate the Fourth Amendment by merely approaching an individual on the street or in another public place, by asking him if he is willing to answer some
questions, (or) by putting questions to him if the person is willing to listen." (Florida v. Royer,
supra, at p. 497 [75 L.Ed.2nd at p. 236].)
But: The person contacted is free to leave and need not respond to an officer's inquiries.
In such circumstances, a person need not identify himself, nor even talk to a police officer
(Kolender v. Lawson (1983) 461 U.S. 352 [75 L.Ed.2nd 903]; Brown v. Texas (1979) 443 U.S. 47, 52 [61 L.Ed.2nd 357].). Even during a lawful detention, members of the public are
under no duty to answer questions, answers may not be compelled, and refusal to answer furnishes no basis for an arrest. (Carey v. Nev. Gaming Control Bd., 279 F.3d 873, 881-82 (9th Cir. 2002). However, there is nothing improper with a peace officer
"demanding" that a detained person properly identify himself. (United States v. Christian (9th
Cir. 2004) 356 F.3rd 1103.)
A passenger in a lawfully stopped vehicle may be "asked" for his identification. (United States
v. Diaz-Castaneda (9th Cir. 2007) 494 F.3rd 1146, 1152-1153.)
The Fourth Amendment is not implicated by asking a detained individual for identification, at
least so long as the detention is not unnecessarily prolonged in the process. (People v.
Vibanco (2007) 151 Cal.App.4th 1, 13-14.)
The only issue left hanging by Christian and Vibanco is whether a detained suspect must
properly identify himself, or be subject to arrest for refusing to do so. The Court seemed to hint,
however, that he cannot be forced to identify himself.
However, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of
Nevada (2004) 542 U.S. 177 [159 L.Ed.2nd 292], that a person who is lawfully "detained" may
be charged with a criminal violation for refusing to identify himself. Such an identification requirement violates neither the Fourth nor Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination) rights of the
detained person. ("The principles of Terry (v. Ohio (1968) 392 U.S. 1) permit a State to require
a suspect to disclose his name in the course of a Terry stop.") (Id., at p. 187.)
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kristina Chu <kchu@baaqmd.gov>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 6:26 AM
To:Fryhouse
Cc:Council, City; Gregory H. Nudd; Elizabeth Yura; Luz Gomez; Ranyee Chiang; glatshaw@gmail.com;
John Marvin
Subject:Re: Lehigh: inconsistencies in predicted pollution levels
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Rhoda,
Thank you for the additional questions. I’ll add them to the list and we’ll see you at the meeting on Monday.
Thanks!
Kristina Chu
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
(415) 749‐4758
Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 10, 2019, at 6:15 AM, Fryhouse <fryhouse@earthlink.net> wrote:
Dear Ms. Chu,
I have two questions regarding Lehigh’s inconsistencies in predicted pollution levels. I hope that your
colleagues will be able to answer these on Monday September 16 at the Cupertino Community Air
Meeting.
Would the BAAQMD staff please comment on a letter from the late Bill Almon pertaining to Lehigh
exceeding agreed‐upon clinker production limits and failing to notify the neighbors to health risks
beyond public notification levels per Proposition 65?
https://www.cupertino.org/home/showdocument?id=9363
The 2013 regulation 9‐13 requirements
http://ca‐atherton.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/2107/ITEM‐3‐1‐Lehigh‐Slides‐May‐
2015?bidId= promised significant reductions from 2010 levels in HCl (Hydrochloric Acid) and PM
(Particulate Matter). However, data obtained from the CARB mapping tool
https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/ei/tools/pollution_map/ ,which is illustrated in the charts below, demonstrates
otherwise. Additionally, since 2010 there have been marked increases in Total GHG, Nickel, and other air
toxics. Specifically, according to BAAQMD’s Toxic Air Contaminants above Chronic Trigger Levels data,
since 2010, the following have increased: Acetaldehyde, Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chlorinated
Dioxins and Furans, Formaldehyde, Naphthalene, PAHs, and PCBs which are summarized in the last
graph generated from EPA ECHO TRI Air Toxics. Can you please explain?
Sincerely, Rhoda Fry
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rob Schulze <rob_schulze@pbc.org>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 2:10 PM
To:Council, City; Kou, Lydia; Tanaka, Greg
Subject:Location of your Special Meeting/Community Meeting Room?
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
My name is Rob and I'm a pastor with Peninsula Bible Church on Middlefield Road where we host two
overnight shelters (August and Winter) for homeless. We're interested in hearing more about the possibility
of an overnight Safe Parking program within our city at this Tuesday's Special Meeting. Could a few pastors or
congregants from churches on Middlefield attend this Tuesday's meeting?
If so, where exactly is the Community Meeting Room? I'd like to invite a couple of other pastors here in Palo
Alto. Thank you!
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:CeCi Kettendorf <cecihome@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 7:18 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Michael Alcheck
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Councilmembers:
If there is a suspicion of impropriety on the part of any appointee by city government, it should be addressed, and
addressed in a timely way. It creates distrust in City Council when Council turns a blind eye to unethical or illegal
conduct or abuse of influence.
Mr. Alcheck's outrageous conduct alone, including bullying, grandstanding, disrespecting speakers and fellow
commissiners, should have been enough to unseat him long ago. I could not believe what I witnessed at two
particular meetings I attended.
Much worse are the facts of Mr. Alcheck's carport debacle. These have been repeatedly publicized now for two years,
and yet he remained in office and was, incredibly, reappointed. Mr. Balin's report tells all.
How sad it is for Palo Altans that in the face of illegality and abuse of power for self gain, Mr. Alcheck still remains in
office. The councilmembers who voted him in the second time show their true colors.
Please appoint honorable persons of high integrity to public posts. You will thereby bolster confidence and respect in
City Council from those who call Palo Alto home.
CeCi Kettendorf
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, Ca.
94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jeff Hoel <jeff_hoel@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 4:14 PM
To:Council, City; UAC
Cc:Hoel, Jeff (external)
Subject:TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS -- "Muni Fiber Palo Alto -- How and Why" talk -- 07-09-19
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Council members and UAC commissioners,
A video (45:32) of Christopher Mitchell's 07-09-19 talk, "Muni Fiber Palo Alto -- How and Why," is now available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Lv3sX36Ag&t=1s
Also available here:
08-14-19: "Palo Alto Residents Meet with Christopher to Learn About Possibilities: Video"
https://muninetworks.org/content/palo-alto-residents-meet-christopher-learn-about-possibilities-video
I've provided a TRANSCRIPT of the talk (below the "######" line) with my COMMENTS (paragraphs in red, starting with
"###").
---
HIGHLIGHTS
* No other municipality has $28 million (and growing) in a Fiber Fund that can be spent on deploying FTTP. It represents
a unique opportunity. (24:02) (26:04)
* The way to get a more accurate estimate of how much FTTP will cost is to start building it. (24:30)
* A first FTTP project can be less than citywide. For example, start with 5,000-7,500 homes. (24:34)
* "We need to get a sense that this is a priority for people." (26:21)
* Roger Timmerman, CEO of UTOPIA, estimated that if the City partnered with UTOPIA, it might cost the City $40-$45
million to build out FTTP citywide, and, if so, that could be financed entirely from a) the Fiber Fund and b) bonds backed
by dark fiber revenues. (31:33)
* More arguing about what the costs might be won't help. (44:21)
Thanks.
Jeff
-------------------
Jeff Hoel
731 Colorado Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94303
-------------------
######################################################################################
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Lv3sX36Ag&t=1s
2
0:09:
Christopher Mitchell: ... talking specifically about Palo Alto, and some of the promise that we have here. I'd like to set a
context -- which is actually set by the film,
### The documentary video "Do Not Pass Go," was shown earlier.
so I won't belabor the point. But, fundamentally, we want to have internet networks in our homes that WORK. That we
don't have to think about. And you probably won't hear me say much about megabits or gigabits, or anything like that,
because, fundamentally, we want to live in a world in which you can go and buy a device, bring it to your home, plug it in
or connect it into the wireless network, and it just works. You don't have to be an expert on this stuff. You don't have to
think about it. It just works. Prices are reasonable, and not going up constantly. There's some consumer protections and
that sort of thing. That's what we have in other essential utilities. And that's what most of us would like to see with
internet access as well.
0:57:
And then, the other piece I'd like to set the stage with is this discussion that I would hope I can have less of in Palo Alto --
in general, in Silicon Valley -- than elsewhere. And that's the importance of high-capacity, low-latency networks. If you
hear people saying, we don't need those high-capacity networks because the applications work fine on our existing
networks, it's much like the picture on the lower left.
### Bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic.
The highways do still work when they're at capacity. But we all much prefer the highways that are much lower capacity.
### That is, we much prefer driving on highways that are much less crowded than bumper-to-bumper "at-capacity."
And it leaves much more room for innovation, and allows us room for growth. So, I'm not going to get into a lot of the
technical reasons for why we need higher-capacity networks than the applications that may run on it. But the key point is
that we want our networks -- again -- to be relatively uncongested. And there's a variety of benefits we all get from that.
1:52:
So, my organization was created 45 years ago. It's actually a little bit older than I am. Our focus is on building local
power. We fundamentally believe people should be able to make the decisions that impact their lives. And that we find
ourselves in an odd position, because we worry both about very large corporate control over our lives, but we also worry
about too much federal control. So, we're kind of an organization that upsets everyone to some extent, in how we
approach the world, and how we would like to see decisions made. But when it comes to internet access, we've really
focused on networks that people have a stake in. Networks that really respond to local business needs and residents'
needs. And if something goes wrong, that they then respond to that. And an example I like to give is in Mount Vernon,
Washington, which has pulled several businesses out of Seattle. And they're profiled in the New York Times, because of
their open access fiber network.
### 04-17-14: "New York Times Covers Fiber and Economic Development"
https://muninetworks.org/content/new-york-times-covers-fiber-and-economic-development
And they asked a business owner why this was important. And the business owner said, well, if something goes wrong
on the network, I leave my office, I walk a block down, and I talk to the people who are running the network. We can solve
it. He doesn't have to wait on hold and try to figure these things out. So, I like to use these examples, because we're not
saying that municipal networks are a panacea, and that they solve everything. It's more that they give us opportunities to
solve a lot of the things that really vex us. So, that's the approach that we try to bring to it.
3:23:
Now, some of the things that we do is running, on this website, MuniNetworks.org,
###
https://muninetworks.org/
3
on which we catalog all the things that are happening around the country in terms of local government policies, and
municipal networks, and -- increasingly -- cooperative networks, which are more common in rural areas. We have a
podcast that is approaching the 365th episode. So, if you haven't started, you can listen to one a day and catch up by
next year around this time. If you ignore all the new ones that are going to come out. But we do it about once a
week. And we've talked to people from all across the country that are doing all kinds of interesting things, to be able to
get these things documented. And we have transcripts for every single episode, too, to try and make it easier for people
who may not want to listen to it. So, we have videos. We have all kinds of stuff to try and make it easy. If there's a
resource you think would be helpful that we don't have, please let me know.
4:19:
We track municipal networks. There's, I like to say, about 500 municipal networks, if you draw a wide definition of what
that could mean. There's about 55 municipal networks that serve 110-ish communities. That means that there's several
municipal networks that serve the communities around them. And there's another almost 200 networks that are fiber but
are not citywide. Then there's still another group of more than 100 that are dark fiber, such as Palo Alto. And then, on top
of it, there's a number of older cable networks. So it comes out to about 500. If you go to the map, you can find the key
and dig into all the different approaches.
###
https://muninetworks.org/communitymap
5:01:
Now, we've just recently completed this map.
### See page 5 here:
https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-06-Rural-Coop-Policy-Brief-Update.pdf
And the reason I like to include this map, showing municipal and cooperative fiber, is to give you a sense. These
nonprofit business models have made tremendous investments. And sometimes, I think, people think of municipal or
cooperative networks as, you know, kind of an also-ran, against the big AT&T or Verizon -- and the tens of billions --
hundreds of billions of dollars that they've invested in their networks. Municipal networks have made significant
investments. The cooperatives have made tremendous investments across the United States, offering fiber across the
Great Plains. If you look at speed tests ranking states, South Dakota and North Dakota are typically in the top five. It's
not because of their density. [laughs] They have tremendous investments from the cooperatives over the years. And so,
these business models are for real. They're competitive. And they've made a huge difference, that has often not really
been noticed.
6:04:
If you look at the recently-released PC Magazine tests, in the top 10 fastest ISPs,
###
https://www.pcmag.com/article/369142/the-fastest-isps-of-2019
Sonic, a local champion is up there.
### Sonic is a private-sector company, that is mostly local to northern California.
### I suspect that PC Magazine's way of computing the speed metrics may not be "fair."
Three of the top 10 are municipal networks by themselves: NextLight, EPB -- which is Chattanooga -- and FairlawnGig,
which is in Ohio. If you look at several of the others -- Allo, Hotwire, and -- um -- well, I was kind of counting Google
Fiber. But if you look at Allo and Hotwire, they are companies that also use municipal assets. So, in a number of cities,
those companies lease municipal fiber in order to operate. And that's helped their ranking. Google Fiber has also been a
champion of municipal fiber.
### Huh? In Provo, Google Fiber bought the municipal network for a dollar.
And, in some cases, uses municipal fiber -- as in Huntsville. So --again -- municipal fiber is not this sort of weird little
niche. It's something that is actually at the forefront of internet access around the country.
4
7:04:
So, this gets into something that's important to me, because a lot of the discussion is about fiber optics and the
technology. But I actually don't think this is the most important thing. And I think we get lost in it. So, I'd like to take a
little break. I'm a sports photographer in my spare time. I run a company. I work for the University of Minnesota. Um. It
was actually nice to see San Francisco University. A few hours ago, I was up there -- near there -- for a different
discussion. And I've worked for them, shooting cross country. So, I work for a lot of colleges and universities.
And, when you're someone like me, that has a camera -- or several cameras -- too many cameras -- like the one in the
lower right, people say the same thing, inevitably, when they see the results of our work. Which is, wow, you must have a
very nice camera. And it's true. I do have a very nice camera. The technology is amazing. But if you want to upset a
photographer, or any other person who considers themselves at least part artist, you'll say something like, wow, you must
have really great tools. To which, we'll often respond something along the lines of, yes, I got my camera where
Shakespeare shopped for his pens. Where Lance Armstrong got his bike. It turns out, it wasn't really about the bike so
much. Or where Steph Curry got his shoes. You know, ultimately, these are all technologies. But it's not about the
technology. It's about how you use it. And what you do with it.
8:32:
And so, to bring this back to fiber, Chattanooga didn't special-order fiber optic gear from the suppliers. They got the same
stuff, more or less off the shelf, that Verizon gets. That AT&T gets. It's how they implemented it. Chattanooga launched
10 years ago. At that time it was 15 megabits symmetrical service for roughly $60 a month, more or less, where --
Comcast regular price. Since then, they've gone from 15 megabits, to 30 megabits, to 50 megabits, to -- now -- 100
megabits.
### It's now 300 Mbps, as of 02-01-19.
https://epb.com/about-epb/news/articles/epb-fiber-optics-announces-internet-speed-increase
The price is the same. They've not increased the price. The price of the gigabit has come down from $300 -- where they
were the first city to offer a gigabit to anyone -- $300 at that point. Now it's $70.
### Reduced to $67.99, as of 02-01-19.
https://epb.com/about-epb/news/articles/epb-fiber-optics-announces-internet-speed-increase
That is NICE. But it's not about the technology. They have used their investments to really prioritize local businesses. To
make sure that local businesses have what they needed. That local businesses could colocate gear in the office, if it
would be essential in the -- in their central offices. They've established a geek squad type service, where, if you're a
person who's not very technically savvy, you get a new phone, you get a computer, you pay $10 a month and you can
have a person just come out and help you set it up. Solve your technical problems. Things like that. This is something,
actually, other utilities -- like Glasgow in Kentucky -- which was, I think, the birth of community broadband. It was the first
municipal broadband network in the nation. And I actually think it was the first broadband network in the nation. As
defined in roughly 1994, as having citywide 2-megabit -- 1-megabit -- access on their HFC network.
### This source says Glasgow EPB has been offering cable TV since 1988 and internet since 1995.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/glasgowepb/about/
### Glasgow originally offered internet service on its all-coax network. So did Palo Alto's Cable Co-op. I don't know
which was first. As far as I know, these were the only entities to try to offer "broadband" (always-on) internet service on
an all-coax network. I don't know when Glasgow upgraded its network to HFC.
Nonetheless, if you just walk into their office, as a customer, and you're having a problem with a device, they'll help you fix
it. That's the sort of thing that they do.
10:25:
So, this is not about the fiber. It's about the incentives of the people who are running it.
It's about whether they are answering the phones quickly, or you're waiting on hold for someone in the Philippines or
South Carolina to pick you up and to answer your questions. So -- And because Chattanooga happens to -- well,
because Palo Alto has AT&T and Comcast, I wanted to make sure it was clear that Chattanooga is competing with AT&T
5
and Comcast. And not just competing, but cleaning the floor with them. Chattanooga has, I believe, about a 55 percent
market share right now.
### More like 67 percent (104,000 / 155,000), per this 08-02-19 article:
https://www.telecompetitor.com/epb-partners-with-other-municipal-providers-to-bring-gigabit-broadband-beyond-
chattanooga/
Their take rate just keeps going up, as people move away. And this is something we see very commonly with municipal
networks -- honestly, we see it with fiber networks, but we see it more distinctly with municipal fiber -- is that people do not
move away from it. Once you have a customer, unless they're moving out of town, they generally will not
disconnect. And so, we see just this relentless march of people saying, this is such a great service, I couldn't imagine
leaving it. And so, when I hear people in Palo Alto sometimes being concerned about competing with AT&T and Comcast
-- It's a good concern to have. You have to have a good business plan. You have to take marketing very seriously. But
you should not be intimidated from going into business against them. Because, frankly, sometimes I hear people say -- I
think trivializing it a little bit too much, but -- there's nothing better than competing against Comcast. Because people
really don't like having Comcast as their provider. So, a little bit of local context.
12:00:
Now, another piece that I think is important, because I've heard this come up in the context of Palo Alto, is: Chattanooga
has been able to do so well BECAUSE it got $111 million from the Department of Energy grant, during the Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. Which is true. They DID get $111 million. And it really helped them to build the most amazing smart
grid in the country, that's resulted in tremendous savings, in terms of outages. The manufacturing facilities in that area
love it, because they never go down, despite having multiple tornadoes ripping through the area.
### Fiber-based smart grid helped Chattanooga to reduce its system average interruption duration index (SAIDI) from
112 minutes per year to 61.8 minutes per year.
https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub74732.pdf
But Fort Collins' SAIDI in recent years has been less than 20 minutes per year, I suppose because nearly all of its electric
wires are underground.
https://fortcollins.clearpointstrategy.com/economic-health/electric-system-average-interruption-duration-index-saidi-in-
minutes/
12:38:
This thing is an intellirupter. They put a tremendous number of intellirupters in the field because of that $111
million. They spent the $111 million on things like this. This thing does not help them to compete with Comcast and
AT&T. So, when people conflate these things, you have to understand that Chattanooga's doing two things. They're
building a smart grid. And they built a telecom network. The money that came from the Department of Energy went into
the smart grid. And I'm not going to say that not a single dollar benefited the telecom business plan, because I don't know
how to defend that. But, fundamentally, the vast majority of that money went into things like this. And did not help
them. The reason that they have done so well is because they have had very good marketing, they have been very
focused on providing a great customer experience. And I think they have been the absolute best at telling the world what
they've done. And making sure that everyone knew about it. And drove attention to them.
13:37:
So, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on Wilson, because you all know a lot about it. But we wrote about Wilson.
###
https://muninetworks.org/reports/wilsons-greenlight-leads-north-carolina-fast-internet
One model that a city like Palo Alto could use would be for the city to begin offering internet access, cable television
service, and telephone service, as well as, potentially, other services, itself. Where something goes wrong with your
service, and you're a customer of the city, you call a city employee at the utility, just like you would today if you had an
electrical outage, and the city utility would take care of it. That's a model that is very common in cities that have their own
municipal electric utilities. But it's not the only model. So, I want to spend more time talking about other models.
14:17:
6
One is a partnership model. This is something that people love to talk about, because who could be against
partnerships? [laughs] But it's important to note, we don't have a tremendous amount of experience with
partnerships. There are downsides to them. And they can be tricky. And so, I think there's very good reasons for cities to
look at partnerships. But it is not because it's easier, or because it's less risky. It's because a partner could provide core
competencies that the city may not have, or may not want to develop. So, we've written about this extensively.
###
https://ilsr.org/ppp-fiber/
And I think it's really important to note that having a partner or not having a partner does not make it better or worse. That
we should be focused on what works for a community in terms of a business model.
15:07:
So, I -- Another business model -- I think a certain Roger Timmerman here will appreciate this -- a different model is
where the city would own the infrastructure and then lease it out to multiple providers. And you might think of a
partnership often as being a city will have some involvement and then lease it out to ONE provider. In the case of the
UTOPIA network in Utah,
###
https://www.utopiafiber.com/internet-service-providers/
or many of the public utility districts in Washington state, there's a single fiber optic network that many different providers
compete on. And that's a model in which I think there's a lot of hope. There's a lot of interest. We're seeing more growth
in that. Historically, it has tended to be a little bit riskier, and more challenging, to do that on a citywide basis. That said, I
think that in a place like Palo Alto, you have more access to interesting ISPs than many areas of the country. And so,
there's reasons to think that this may be more preferable in a place like Palo Alto than in other areas, where some
communities that have wanted to do it have not found qualified ISPs that they wanted to work with.
16:11:
Roger Timmerman: Can I make a comment on that?
16:13:
Christopher Mitchell: If you'd like to -- Yeah, I'll allow it -- a very quick comment on that, Roger.
16:19:
Roger Timmerman: I just want to make some comments. He's right on, that this is a better place than typical. So, Palo
Alto has an Equinix data center in the City, where lots of the regional and local providers are all in there. And there's
peering exchange activity. Like, right here, in the City, you have all of the connectivity you need to really thrive in an open
access network. In Utah, we had to build out, across the state, to get to these providers. So, you've -- I mean, that's one
check box that makes this an especially good place to do an open access network. And I could go through about ten
other -- or more -- check box items of why it is such a good model for the City. So -- anyways --
17:03:
Christopher Mitchell: Thanks, Roger. Roger, I don't know if I announced it. You are the CEO of UTOPIA?
17:07:
Roger Timmerman: Yes.
17:08:
Christopher Mitchell: The UTOPIA network, which connects 11 cities in Utah, and rapidly growing.
17:13:
Roger Timmerman: 14 now.
7
17:14:
Christopher Mitchell: 14 now. With open access fiber. That's municipally owned.
### This is the "good" kind of open access, where the wholesaler owns the infrastructure, including the electronics, and
provides a bit-moving service to the ISPs.
Now, another model, a little bit north of Roger, is Ammon, which is another open access approach, that uses a different
technology, that allows people to change ISPs more rapidly. And, in some ways, may result in different kinds of
innovation, with different kinds of services, that, again, I don't want to get into too much. But I think it's going to be very
interesting to see how this develops. But one of the things Ammon has done is actually something it has in common with
several of the ways that UTOPIA's expanding -- UTOPIA's expanding into different cities with different models, so it's
hard to pin it down. But Ammon, and several of these UTOPIA cities, are asking homeowners to contribute. So if you're
enthusiastic about becoming a part of the network, you can pay up-front the cost. Which may be on the order of $2,500 to
$4,000, depending on circumstances. In rural Washington, it may be a lot more. And people are paying a lot more,
because it's so important to them. But if you're unable to write that check up-front, then you can amortize it over a period
of perhaps 20 years. And that drops the cost down to a much more reasonable cost, that, when coupled with the lower
cost of subscribing to a competitive network, means your cable bill actually may not be that different. You may be paying
less or a similar amount but having much better service, and being in competitive environment. So, we have a video
about Ammon -- that I didn't want to turn tonight into the "me" film festival. But if you're interested in that sort of approach,
and what the technology can do, you can just search around for "The Virtual End of Cable Monopolies."
### "The Virtual End of Cable Monopolies"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSQVvFY4lPI
19:00:
So, I want to talk about a couple of things, as I'm wrapping up, that I think are important to note, in a place like Palo Alto,
when you're thinking about this. And one is, something that sets apart municipal networks, and also providers like Sonic,
that are primarily focused on the user experience, and providing a high-quality customer service, as opposed to
companies like AT&T or Comcast, that have bandwidth caps.
### The slide shows a baseball cap with "Bandwidth" written on it.
Eh? Pretty good. [laughs] So, the -- The pathetic-ness is what gets more laughs. Um. So, it's incredibly frustrating for
someone like me, who -- I pay extra to Comcast to have a higher upload connection, for my business. And I still have to
deal with these caps, because the amount of video that I stream to 4K. Which puts you up there. And so, a number of
these companies are starting to limit connections in ways that really have very little to do with the economics or need, and
they're just looking to either find more ways of squeezing money out of users or to preference their video
capabilities. They're trying to, basically, advantage themselves in other markets with their broadband properties. So,
bandwidth caps are something we very rarely see among community networks, and that kind of approach, because
they're very focused on the user experience.
20:22:
Another piece of it is that we see AT&T primarily -- Comcast -- pulling wealth out of the community. Talking beforehand,
of the order of $10 million or more, here in Palo Alto, per year. Is leaving the community. Or -- sorry -- I should say that
differently. If we had more competition, we could see on the order of $10 million staying in local wallets, rather than going
to Comcast. Some proportion of that would then stay in the community. Whereas a lot of it would leave to go to
Philadelphia or Dallas, depending on the company. So, when we see community networks, the money often goes -- stays
in the community more, in part because you use local employees, who are working, who would otherwise not be driving
around in trucks repairing people's networks. And putting them on the poles. There's all kinds of local services that are --
that come into play when you have a local company that's offering services. And so, that's what you primarily see, is, you
see more money staying in the community. When we have more local services.
21:22:
Now, I'm curious if anyone can figure out what this is. Anyone? When I came up with the idea of this, I literally thought it
would be much more interesting than a picture that looks like this. [laughs] So, AT&T Fiber. According to the most
recent FCC data. Residential fiber in Palo Alto. There's not a lot of it. There's a heck of a lot of it in Mountain View. And
8
I'm not exactly sure why there's so little in Palo Alto. It's quite possible AT&T's putting a lot more in right now. Although
let's hope so, because all the signs suggest that AT&T is about to significantly cut back its investment in these sorts of
networks.
### Although the more FTTP AT&T deploys in Palo Alto, the harder it might be for municipal FTTP to succeed, other
things being equal.
So I was pretty surprised. It's roughly 6-7 percent of Palo Alto -- at best -- has access to fiber from AT&T.
### The FCC's (Form 477) data counts all of a census block as having access if at least one home in the census block
has access. So this could be an overestimate.
Not a lot of other providers either.
22:12:
And I think part of it is actually something I'm going to wrap up with. But I want to say, before I start talking about the cost
to Palo Alto, we're -- we get caught in this idea that fiber's really expensive. And, actually, in Palo Alto, it's more
expensive than in most places. But it's still a heck of a lot more expensive to build electric infrastructure, water
infrastructure, roads and bridges. Fiber is expensive. But it's like the cheapest of all the infrastructures. So, when we
think about this, we should keep in mind some sense of perspective.
22:40:
Now, when we look at Palo Alto, there's been several studies. The most recent is from 2015.
### There was a 08-21-17 staff report (64 pages) that informed Council's decision to focus on "FTTN" instead of FTTP.
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/61084
There was a 06-24-19 staff report (10 pages) that informed Council's decision to focus on restarting the "FTTN" effort.
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/72075
But, yeah, the 09-28-15 staff report (347 pages) was the most recent study that focused on FTTP. (And wireless.)
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/49073
The City has significant revenues from its existing dark fiber network, that amounts to the order of $2 million per year. It's
piled up to on the order of $28 million. Now, this study suggested that connecting everyone -- if you to say, in the next
three years, borrow money; go out and connect every premises, the authors of this study believe that it would cost about
$76-$77 million.
### Actually, it estimated that $77.6 million would be enough to pass all premises (except for some MDUs and large
businesses) and to connect to 72 percent of premises passed.
There's a number of people who have pointed out that this is exceptionally high, compared to other costs. Wilson, a city
of 50,000 people -- they borrowed $28 million, ten years ago -- 11 years ago. Labor was cheaper then. But, nonetheless,
the costs in Palo Alto do appear to be higher. I actually think that's part of the reason we see so little AT&T fiber. And
one of the reasons I think it's a bit foolish to hope the private sector's going to come in and really save the day with new
investment to provide new competition and better networks. I think, at best, we're going to see it in very limited areas in
Palo Alto. And so, when I look at the possibilities, I tend to be much more conservative than people assume, because I'm
a crazy, radical person who thinks Comcast and AT&T are sucking the life out of this country. I look at what's happening
here in Palo Alto, where there's $28 million, and I have to say that I feel like there's a tremendous opportunity to do a
project, to start getting some fiber in the ground,
### Or on poles?
connected to homes, and to get a sense of what the true costs are.
### Note: Chris is recommending that the project include "passing" all homes in a number of neighborhoods, connecting
all homes in those neighborhoods that subscribe to internet service, and providing the internet service.
They could be higher than $77 million for the connect-everyone. Which is a pretty high per-house cost. It could also be
substantially lower. As you go through and you develop the processes that you'll need. And the only way to really figure
9
that out is to start doing it. With $28 million in the bank, that gives you an opportunity to say, just start with 5,000-7,500
homes. Pick a number of neighborhoods. Perhaps based on demand. There's tools, like crowdfiber.com.
###
https://crowdfiber.com/
Or, there's one from a company called COS, out of Sweden,
###
https://www.cossystems.com/
that allow you to do neighborhood rallies. And people can come and talk to their neighbors, to try to convince them to
sign up. And then, based on the cost of building to that neighborhood, and the relative amount of enthusiasm, you could
pick a number of neighborhoods, start building out, get a sense of the costs, get a sense of people's reaction. And then,
when it comes time to make a decision, two or three years down the road, is this something the City would like to bond
for, or to find other ways of expanding incrementally, you will have the key knowledge that you cannot have any other
way.
25:21:
And so, the City, right now, seems to be going down the path of at least examining something it's calling "fiber to the
node." Which is something that we've seen very little of. And, frankly, I'm deeply concerned about, because I do not think
-- again -- you'll see a lot of last-mile investment from private providers to connect from those nodes, where the City fiber
ends, to get it to the side of houses. Because of the costs. I think the costs may still be too prohibitive. And so, I think
the City should, instead, be very much thinking about connecting homes in an area, going all the way to the side of a
home. Whether the City decides to provide the service, whether the City decides to partner with someone, whether the
City decides to throw it open to multiple ISPs, this is the kind of an opportunity that no other city has. No other city has
this kind of money sitting around.
26:09:
And so, let me just wrap up by saying that, regardless of what your vision would be for different fiber in the City, one of the
things that needs to happen is, we need to get a sense that this is a priority for people. I know, in rural areas, this is the
number one priority. People rate this, in many areas, above health care, above jobs. It's a good jobs environment right
now, but -- There's a lot of places in which broadband access has become the number one priority. I don't expect it's the
number one priority in Palo Alto. But it wouldn't surprise me if it was number three or number four. One of those
annoyances that a lot of people have. And it's something the City could solve with relatively little effort. And so, the
question is, ultimately, though, are there enough people that are going to demonstrate, to City Council and other local
leaders, that this is a priority that needs to be moved on? Or is it something that's just going to sit around on the back
burner?
27:00:
So -- I hope we can have a discussion about anything that people would like to raise up. There's a microphone that we
can -- I like the way Roger moved it around so people can face the audience. And let's have a discussion. If anyone
wants to contribute anything.
I wonder if you could raise the lights up. Go ahead. Jeff, do you know? Did you pay attention? Because I didn't.
27:29:
Pat Burt: So, in the open access model, can you -- and maybe Roger -- talk a little bit more about who pays for bringing
to the door? So, if we've got our -- call it $30 million, because that's what it will be in a year -- how do we leverage that,
and collaborate with the open access -- really, you distinguished the partnership differently, but it seems like there's a s- --
if we didn't take it all the way to the doors, then we have to have a partner. So, we might have a hybrid between an open
access and a partnership model. Is that correct?
28:12:
Christopher Mitchell: Yes. There's many ways that one might slice that up. But, fundamentally, you should think of it as,
how much competition do you want to enable? Because the lower the cost it is for an ISP to connect to a customer, the
10
more competition we're likely to see. If it -- If you build to the neighborhood, and the cost of connecting to a home is still
in excess of $1,000 per home, probably the first ISP to get there will effectively capture those homes, and other ISPs will
not even compete with them. Now, if the City pays extra money to connect the homes, the cost to the ISP of connecting
new customers could be very low -- on the order of tens of dollars. And then paying the City a fee per month for access to
that user.
### In the Ammon model, the ISP doesn't pay a monthly fee for each of its customers, but that's pretty unusual.
And so, at that point, you'd have -- it'd be much easier on the ISP.
29:01:
Now, different ISPs -- like Sonic -- would have a different preference for how you handed off a connection to them, as
opposed to other ISPs. So, there's no solution that works for everyone. You'd ultimately want to find -- Some of the
partners, I think, in a vision of what you want, to be able to evaluate the tradeoffs.
29:19:
Roger Timmerman: There's a lot of ways to skin the cat. UTOPIA's done 'em all. Good and bad. Our most common
model, though, as we go to a city, is, we say we've got two different bills that someone pays. We have the city side. We
finance the project. We usually will do a bond. I usually come out, down the road over here, to the finance district of San
Francisco. I'll be back in two months doing a $40 million bond for another city project in September. And so, we go and
finance these projects with the city. And then we charge people $30 a month for the infrastructure.
### I think I'd prefer paying $2,750 once to paying $30 per month forever.
https://www.utopiafiber.com/residential-pricing/
In some cases, the city already has the funds. This is one of the reasons -- one of your check boxes -- why Palo Alto is a
better project -- city -- than most. Because you have the funds to pay for this. So you don't actually have to charge
people $30 a month to finance the project. You have the money to pay for the project.
### Yeah, if it's a $30 million project.
We did that model in a city called Woodland Hills. Woodland Hills' city had the money accumulated to pay for their fiber
project. So they paid for the fiber infrastructure to be put in place. That's not 100 percent of it. You have a service
provider, who has costs. You have operating costs. And so, the way we normally do it is, we have a $30 financing fee,
and we have a $35 service provider fee, which includes some of the costs that we bill for our operations. In a Woodland
Hills model -- or a Palo Alto model -- you don't even have the $30 piece. So, if we were to come in and do a project, we'd
say, well, if you paid for the whole project infrastructure, you're looking at probably a $35 a month fee -- including all the
operating expenses and the service provider margin -- to provide a 250-meg service. Or maybe another ten bucks to
provide a gigabit service.
31:01:
Pat Burt: Now, you were talking as if our $30 million would cover all of our capital needs ...
31:09:
Roger Timmerman: Yeah. That's low. You may need another -- another $10 million. I don't think you're quite there, with
the $30 million. You're most of the way there.
31:19:
Christopher Mitchell: To go -- To go across the entire community. So the question is, is $30 million ...
31:24:
Roger Timmerman: How many homes? How many homes in Palo Alto is there? I don't have it.
31:27:
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 6:31 PM
To:pressoffice@goarch.org
Subject:Nephilim
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Where the Carcass is the Eagles will be Gathered. This is the Rapture? WTF?
What kind of "Rapture" is that? Can anybody read? Oh yeah. I forgot. Sarah aka Erin Siena Jobs told Me in Kent at Urban
Timber that She didn't want to Read. Erin "Sarah" would rather call Arianna at Ace/Atlas Vanlines to tell Arianna the
Daughter of the Scorpion the Photographer "Jennifer Rochell" who went to School in Southern California with Me
Twenty Years Ago and Whose Online Resume Oddly has a Section on the Death of the Singer "Amy Winehouse" hence I
wonder whether Sunny Adriene Sudweeks made the Mistake of Inviting Jennifer to Join the Family Cult of the Leary
Faction of the Irish Mafia and Sunny was born Sunshine Chris Sproul to Cynthia Leary the Asthmatic Sister of Jon Leary
((And Cynthia called Chris "Sunshine")) hence maybe Jennifers Initiation was Killing Sunny after Sunny rightly decided to
leave the Family Cult with her Inheritance from Max Leary her Grandather who died in 1996 and Sunny would die in
1997 in what was said to Strangulation by an Unknown Assailant yet Jennifer's Dirty Hands might have been Wrapped
Around Sunny's Neck while Leary Monitors brought Jennifer into their Cult for you don't get in except by Blood, whether
Born or Spilt. What would Erin "Sarah" have told Arianna the Office Manager of Ace/Atlas in Kent Washington? To Fire
Me for having requested that Erin "Siena" help Me Read ((And Unspoken Book in Mind was the True Septuagint and the
Eclectic Whoredom of Fabricated Septuagints exemplified by Brenton and NETS)). Why would Erin "Siena" do this?
Because Cultic Opium Mafia Learys are Obsessive Compulsive Assholes and Erin was raised by the Cultic Bitch Kelly Jean
Leary whose False Mask to the World is Laurene Powell Jobs who Tricked the Liar Steve Jobs to Trust Her when Kelly's
Decades Long Mission is to Further the Reach of Territorial Driven Opium Traffickers who Nonchalantly use the Nations
Truckers to Ship Over 100 Billion Dollars of Heroin Product as Law Enforcement are to Paid to Turn their Eyes into Blind
Shepherd's Eyes, and having Access to Private Data via Internally Hacked iOS Devices under the Leadership of Apple's
Top Brass who are Smart and Cunning Leary Mafia Members whose Positions within Apple Inc are due to the Corrosive
Aura of Kelly Jean Leary over her Manipulated and Poisoned Husband "Steve Jobs" who put His Jewish Identity in a
Closet to Make Him Vulnerable to the Cultic Liar Sharing his Bedroom. So what's going on in a Rapture of Dead
Carcasses? In the Last Days it will be like it was in the Days of Noah. What happened then? Nephilim were Born after
Watchers left their Positions to Intermarry with Humans, and the Nephilim Ate and Drank the Flesh and Blood of
Humans. That's Not Even Remotely Kosher. Is it? So the Nephilim are Returning. They will likely have the same diet: The
Flesh and Blood of Humans. Hence the Dead Carcasses. Who will be Protected? Those who Mouth Memorize the Son of
Man the True Septuagint. You don't have time for that? Really? Then Put Yourself on the Menu.
Did Jennifer Rochell kill Sunny in Jennifer's Initiation Rite? Was Amy Winehouse another Notch on Jennifer Rochell's
Belt? All those who Murder will in turn be Murdered in Due Season according to the Judgement of "Yawuøòwah." And
All Who Muzzle the Truth shall Suffer Retribution for Muzzling the Truth. This is Immutable. Take an Eye Out and Your
Eye will be Taken Out and Not even Death Overrides this, for Rebirth will be Suffered to Receive Well Earned
Consequences by those Who Murder and the Dead will be Used to Kill the Dead until the Cycle of Time is Complete.
Perhaps those who are Devoured by the Nephilim will be the End Cycle that Purges the Earth of Murderers.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 4:10 PM
To:Loran Harding; kfsndesk; newsdesk; kwalsh@kmaxtv.com; dennisbalakian; David Balakian; Dan
Richard; Daniel Zack; Mayor; Mark Standriff; Mark Kreutzer; margaret-sasaki@live.com; bballpod;
beachrides; bearwithme1016@att.net; vallesR1969@att.net; grinellelake@yahoo.com; jerry ruopoli;
Council, City; Joel Stiner; esmeralda.soria@fresno.gov; paul.caprioglio; robert.andersen; Doug Vagim;
Steve Wayte; steve.hogg; Cathy Lewis; nick yovino; leager; terry
Subject:Fwd: New Stanford hospital public event Sat. and Sun. Sept. 14 and 15, 2019
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 10, 2019 at 4:02 PM
Subject: New Stanford hospital public event Sat. and Sun. Sept. 14 and 15, 2019
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Tues. Sept. 10, 2019
To all‐ The new Stanford hospital will host the public this weekend. It cost $2 billion, covers 824,000 sq. ft. and was
a decade in the making. Registration required. Here is info:
https://www.stanfordhealthcares.com/
LH
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 6:08 PM
To:jd@howardstern.com
Subject:No Subject Should Be Censored
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
[[This is the Very Email that Was Sent to New York City Councilmen, and Before I could Finish sending this to Each a
Councilman, Google Shut Down My Years Old Account thereby Stealing Years of Writing. Google is Evil? Yes, Absolutely,
Google Is Utter Evil. Apple keeps My Account Open? Laurene//Cook the Two Bitch Bastard Dynamic Duo Stupidly think
this Continuence of My Account when Every Other Account had Muzzled My Speech to Representatives and Israeli
Reporters, will “Exonerate” their Evil Cultic Behavior, but Judgement will Fall on their Sorry Ass Heads as Lies are to be
Crushed.]]
“”
They can read the Weather. But let them watch the Hiroshima Nagasaki versus New York City Ping Pong King Kong
Match and they think Tokoyo is ravaged by Godzilla on the Streets of New York City. Was that their fear? That Tokoyo
would be next? Godzilla is the United States breathing the Fire of Burnt Money earned in Manhattan. Man Hate.
Next Chapter. Stay tuned. The Return of Man Hate hits the theaters AD 2026. Watch. Turn the Pages across Successive
Mass Shootings under a Presidential Liar. Make wagers with yourselves. Between Now and D Day in AD 2026 how many
will Die in Never Ending Mass Shootings? How many will there be? How wretched will they be?
AD 2026. Just 1000 Years after the Battle of the Holy River. Just 2000 Years after Pontus Pilate would begin rule over
Judea to mix the Blood of Israelites with their Sacrifices. Today the Sacrifice was Money to Kushners “Kash Whores” in
Exchange for a US Embassy. This time their Sacrifice is to Another God. Not the Real God. Last time they Switched the
Book and Jerusalem was torn from them by AD 0135. This time they Cleave to the Baiting Book. The Same Book that
yanked them out of Jerusalem like a Fish Hook in their Mouth. Will the Next Holocaust turn Jerusalem into a Gas
Chamber?
AD 2026. For the United States. For Germany. For Israel. Let Israel watch and see what happens to the United States and
to Germany. Germany, the Cold Blooded Killers of Millions of Descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Watch and see
what happens to the Lands of Holocausts. The Meticulous Gas Chambers versus the Instant Karma Genocide of Little Boy
and Fat Man. Who gets to wear the Ace of Spades. Who wins Death?
Survey this in the Aftermath, after you Count the Dead. Millions of Clueless Humans. Dead. Is it Rocket Science? Paul
McCartney can’t pull his Head Out of His Ass to Sing about Hellfire and Death? He’d rather be a Vegetarian? Did Helter
Skelter turn them all into Cowards? Maybe that Song and those Murders were for a Purpose. To Wake the World Up to
What’s On The Way. But like Savages, Everyone is just climbing up the Slide again, so that in their day too, they will die in
misery surrounded by the dead and the dying. They can’t figure it out? That’s the Slide of Death, even recreated on My
Birthday with Helter Skelter on the Anniversary of Nagasaki when the United States vaporized Baby Heads in Mother’s
Wombs. Me, will turn the Age of Eight Years Old on the Day Sharon Tate and her Baby will Die, the Number Eight the
Number of Beginnings. What time was I born? What time did Sharon Tate’s Baby Die? Dublin to Los Angeles? My Birth in
1961 to the Child’s Death in 1969? What would that mean? The Death of the Future? Right when everything seemed so
bright? Then the door to the future slams shut with a hot and cold wind blowing a Holocaust in from Hell by the Decree
2
of God. To Purge Evil. Because without a purge no one will care to notice how Evil Hell is. It’s the Ultimate Everlasting
Holocaust. The Never Ending Loop of Death. The Lasting Punishment.
What is Evil? Does anyone know yet what Evil is? Evil is Crucifying the Truth. Literally. Drive a Nail Through a Book.
Jumble it’s Contents. Redact, Tear and Change.
“”
[[ ((AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE))
Now Let Me Add Something New: Fuck the Lies in Donald Trump’s Mouth. Donald Trump is NOT the King of Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu is STUPID to NOT REBUKE Donald Trump for the Being the Continual Pervasive Degenerate Liar that
Defines “Brand.”
“Trump. When You Want a Lying Asshole to Be Your Leader. Vote Today. Die Tomorrow.”
]]
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 9:26 PM
To:jd@howardstern.com
Subject:Taylor Swift//Camila Cabello :: Opium’s Dynamic Duo
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Taylor “Snake” Swift Snake should Come Out of The Heroin Ice Cream Trunk Closet and change her Staged Name to
‘Taylor Opie Swift” and Opiess should Riddle Her Arm with Numerous Snake Bite Injections to Show the Kids How it’s
Really Done. Maybe the Chinese will let Taylor Opie Swift have a Second Chance as a Prostitute in lieu of Capital
Punishment. On Second Thought. It’s Time for Opium Learys to Be Exterminated.
Meanwhile Ron Howard can Fuck Himself on Late Night Television for Never Admitting the Little Irish Boy in Mayberry
was Tailored Opie Taylor the Son of Connected Law Enforcement in a Televised Product Placement Campaign to Drive
Up Sales among White Southern Racists in the Genocide Driven Deep South of Homespun Racial Hatred. The Show was a
Confederate Fantasy depticting a Black Free South while Fostering a Wholesome Image of the Connected Irish Mafia
raising Kids to be Opium Dealers.
Leary’s didn’t lose their ‘O’ they simply the Hidden Prefix as their Calling Card. ((Opium)) Learys. Shhhhh. Don’t say
anything unless you want to be Marked for Death.
Really? Well fuck you “Eaves Dropper” Kelly Jean Leary “Laurene Asschecks Jobs”. I’m memorizing the Septuagint and I
fully plan on crushing your Snide Opium Face with the Unaltered Truth even the Sixtine Text of 1587 the Veritable Inner
Garment of the Son of Man the Translation of the Son of God ((the Hebrew Canon Now Hidden)) and even while the
World is Convulsed with Another Cyclic Period of Death and Destruction I plan on Walking on the Faces of Opium Learys
to Get where I Need to Go, and to Do what I Need to Do, as a Testament to the Power of Unaltered Truth in Translation
even the Translation of the Translation the Son of the Beast. This is the Masoretic versus the Septuagint. Those who
Follow the Masoretic will become Piles of Dead Bodies and those who Follow the Septuagint of True Form ((Meaning
Not in Eclectic Whoredom as with NETS and Brenton, and the Wayward Greek Orthodox Clergy’s Unfaithful Text)) will
Live through this Looming and Pending Cycle of Death, Destruction, and Devastation.
So Kelly Laurene when you see my Feet Figuratively Pressing Down Upon your Leary Mafia Face while Your Jezebel Life
of Lies Sinks under the Weight of your Cultic Sins, Be Certain to Blame Yourself for Believing in the Sadistic Lies of Your
Cookie Cutter Parents Jon Leary “Ron ‘Hagtooth’ Tomczak” and Hannah Murphy Leary “Jane ‘Fond of Lying’ Kingsley
Tomczak” the Woman who Actively Earns the Most Hated Award in El Cajon.
History will Read of Kelly Jean Leary, in Heaven and on Earth and the Conclusion will be Universal. “The Woman is
Wretched Filth and a Shameless Enemy to her Own Children.”
The Masoretic has succeeded in Killing Millions for Centuries. Elijah’s God is the True God, and Baal is the False God of
Altered Truth that Strips Away True Protection. So Fuck the BiBaal the Divided Truth Poisoned with Deviations. Fuck
Death to Eternal Hell.
[:;]
2
If Camila Cabello Lying Marisa Cult Member continues to Help the Leary’s Market Heroin to Adolescents then I Pray that
Camila Cabello the Shameless Liar Die inside a Prison on Mainland China after the Chinese Take the West Coast of
America. In the Meantime, Camila Might as Well Become a Junkie with Horrible Skin and a Craggled Bitter Face.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Suzanne Keehn <dskeehn@pacbell.net>
Sent:Monday, September 9, 2019 11:06 AM
To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed; City Mgr
Subject:Please do Due Diligence and read the information
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Cities Are Saying No to 5G, Citing Health, Aesthetics—and FCC Bullying
August 24, 2019, Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cities-are-saying-no-to-5g-citing-health-aesthetics...
To help prprivacy, Mprevented download from the In Cities Are Saying No to 5G, Citing Health,
Aesthetics—and FCC Bullying
Christopher Mims
Many U.S. municipalities are trying to bar new 5G cell sites
from residential areas—in many cases citing health ...
Jack Tibbetts, a member of the Santa Rosa, Calif., city council, knew he had a problem. It was early 2018, and
he’d started getting calls from constituents at opposite ends of the political spectrum. The common thread:
cellular antennas going up next to their homes, causing concerns over property values and health. Cities and
towns throughout Northern California are issuing ordinances that would exclude new 5G cell sites from
residential areas, citing ... health concerns. Residents of Portland, Ore., and Whitefish, Mont., have also cited
these beliefs while lobbying for restrictions. Legislators in four states including New Hampshire have proposed
bills that would mandate further study of health effects or else urge Congress to do so, and Congressman
Thomas Suozzi (D., N.Y.) wrote to the FCC echoing these concerns . For Mr. Tibbetts, it didn’t matter whether
or not these new “small cell” antennas ... going up in Santa Rosa were actually dangerous. What mattered was
that his constituents didn’t want these ungainly chunks of public infrastructure anywhere near them. Whatever
the basis for residents’ objections to new cell towers, Mr. Tibbetts - as well as countless mayors,
governors and council members across the country - have little or no power under current rules to act
on their constituents’ wishes. Those who do take action are creating ordinances that put their cities at
risk of being sued by the telecoms, as happened this month in Rochester, N.Y..
2
New Hampshire HB522 | TrackBill
New Hampshire HB522 2019 establishing a commission to study
the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G ...
To help prprivacy, Mprevented download from the In Verizon Lawsuit Against City of Rochester |
Federal Communications Commi...
This action arises from Defendant’s adoption of a city
ordinance that violates, and is preempted by, federal law.
To help prprivacy, Mprevented download from the In Mill Valley blocks faster, smaller cell phone
towers over cancer fears
3
Mill Valley has yet to receive a single proposal to deploy
small-cell 5G wireless towers within town limits. Tha...
Note: You can find the full article on this webpage. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply
revealing news articles on the risks and dangers of wireless technologies from reliable major media sources.
Cell Phones, Wireless Dangers News Articles
Cell Phones, Wireless Dangers news articles: Concise excerpts
from highly revealing major media news articles on...
WSJ: U.S. Cities saying no to 5G; Dept of Homeland
Security on 5G Risks...
Thank You,
Suzanne Keehn
4076 Orme St.
94306
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 5:54 PM
To:French, Amy
Cc:Council, City; Clerk, City; Lait, Jonathan; Shikada, Ed; Architectural Review Board; Planning
Commission; UAC; board@pausd.org
Subject:Please provide update on Wireless
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Ms. French,
On behalf of United Neighbors, I am writing to ask you what, if anything, has occurred with respect to
small cell node wireless installations in Palo Alto since July 17th, 2019, when Rebecca Atkinson
provided an update at my request. (We also know separately, from your email of August 27th,
2019, that cell towers are scheduled to be installed in Midtown later this month). Please consider
this a formal request.
To be clear, I am asking for information about application submissions, application resubmissions,
application reviews, application approvals, permits issued, compliance reports submitted by
permittees and everything and anything else related to small cell node wireless facilities that are not
already in operation.
Thank you for your help. Since the City Manager decided to shut down the Wireless Hot Topics page
in April, residents have no other way, realistically, of determining what is happening with respect to
these controversial 150-and-counting proposed installations.
I will be checking in with you weekly.
Please let me know if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Fleming
Jeanne Fleming, PhD
JFleming@Metricus.net
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:herb <herb_borock@hotmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 10, 2019 5:38 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Fw: September 10, 2019 Policy and Services Committee Meeting, Item #3: Safe Parking Program
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
From: herb <herb_borock@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 8:33 PM
To: city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org
<city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: September 10, 2019 Policy and Services Committee Meeting, Item #3: Safe Parking Program
Herb Borock
P. O. Box 632
Palo Alto, CA 94302
Palo Alto City Council
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
ATTN: POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019, POLICY AND SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #3
POTENTIAL SAFE PARKING PROGRAM
Dear City Council:
At the June 10, 2019, City Council meeting, before the Council referred
this subject to the Policy and Services Committee, the following direction
to the Committee was deleted from the motion, with the affirmative votes
of Mayor Filseth, Vice Mayor Fine, and Council Members Cormack and Kniss:
"Direct Staff to propose additional steps to distinguish between high and low-income individuals and manage
parking on streets once managed spots are available for low income individuals."
I believe it is important to distinguish among those who are living in
their vehicles on a temporary basis, those who have chosen to live in
their vehicles without the intent to live in a residential structure, and
those who have a home some place else to live in another community.
2
Prior to the opening of the Opportunity Center on Encina Avenue, board
members of the Community Working Group appeared before the Council to
advocate for overnight parking restrictions on the street where the
Opportunity Center is located.
See Resolution No. 8293 passed May 19, 2003 at:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/22102 and
CMR:282:03 at:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/cityagenda/publish/cmrs/1963.pdf.
If people are aware that the Opportunity Center doesn't want people living
in vehicles on the street where the Opportunity Center is located, then
people may be more reluctant to have those vehicles in their neighborhood.
The two locations suggested by staff would have night lighting that would
impact wildlife in the nearby nature preserve.
I was on the Executive Board of the Urban Ministry of Palo Alto when that
local organization served local residents who were homeless or at risk of
homelessness.
After an unsuccessful attempt by the Community Working Group to take over
Urban Ministry, the local organization became part of Innvision, a
countywide organization.
The opening of the Opportunity Center and the merger of Urban Ministry
into Innvision changed the local organization into a regional
organization, that was subsequently merged and then absorbed by Shelter
Network, a San Mateo County organization that has now changed its name to
LifeMoves.
LifeMoves target population includes a subset of those who are living in
vehicles on Palo Alto streets.
I believe any parking program the Council adopts should distinguish
between those who need a 24-hour parking lot, and those who need an
evening and weekend place to park when they are not commuting to work.
Attachment A on Packet Page 66 does not indicate whether all of the sites
in the attachment are 24-hour sites, or whether some are for shorter
periods of time.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Herb Borock
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 3:29 AM
To:pressoffice@goarch.org
Subject:Ptah
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Ptah the Creator Deity the Patron God of Memphis whose Heiroglyphic is the List of the Full Canon given to Man before
the Torah was yet Given. Ptah imagines Creation then speaks Creation into Existence. This is very much like “In
Beginning ΘΕΟΣ made the Heaven and the Earth and the Earth was Invisible and Unfurnished and a Breath of ΘΕΟΣ went
forth above the Water and ΘΕΟΣ said ‘Let there be Light’ and there was Light and there was Light.” Hence given that “I
have called My Son from Egypt” is on One Level the Messiah as a Child returning to Israel, on another Level this is the
Torah from the Womb of Egypt, and where though Egyptians had Drifted and Added Other Gods to the True God ((And
Everyone seems to this as the Light Emerges and Re‐emeges through out History)). Hence Ptah must be literally the
Father and given that the Torah begins with Bet (ב) the Second Abjad Character to imply there is a Backstory to be
Known then given that Phishon ((The Nile before the Crocodile)) runs through Evilate the Land that becomes Egypt the
Gpyt as when Someone Is Cheated “Gipped” and there Gold in this Land and the Gold is Good and Only the Father is
Good hence there must Sacred Writings in Egypt from before the “Drift” that is relevant Knowledge of the Father and of
the Backstory that is Yet to be Recovered and this is pointed to by the Rightmost Column of Memphis which is the
Pointer to the True Sacred Writings of Egypt whose Culmination is the Name of God the Tetragrammaton “Yod Heh Vav
Heh” (הוהי) “Yawuøòwah” [[The Third Abjad of the Tetragrammaton is Waw (ו) and the Embedded Vowels of ΚΥΡΙΟΣ
(Κυριος) preserve what is the Tripithong of the Third Character Waw (ו) of the Tetragrammaton AND This is a Holy
Hallowed Unbroken Name AND is NEITHER JEHOVAH ((Whose Vowels are Pulled from Adonai’s Dotted Vowels)) nor
YAHWEY. “Tripithong” like Abraham was told to Come to a Land which I will Show Three. That’s a Trip as in Tripithong
((And English holds some latent decoding ability.))]]
Right to Left,
1. True Hieroglyphics of Egypt until Moses
2. The Torah, Six Books as One Foundation, w/ Writings until John the Washer
3. Mishnah ((Hebrew)). Written Down by The Messiah, w/ Gemara ((Aramaic)) [Above]
4. The Gospels in Unadulterated Form. Milcha = Word. Peter feeding Lambs.
5. Qu’ran. Abraham in Peter’s Second Life is Muhammad Taking Care of Sheep.
The Gemara and Mishnah are Later Redacted by Judah the Prince with even the Entire Fifth Section removed by the
Redactionist Judah the Prince in Palestine.
The Qu’ran is the Lower Water Symbol of the Leftmost Column. Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets because the
Covenant of Male Circumcision is Established with Abraham who is to be the Father of Nations and hence an Enculturing
Figure. This also explains why Peter is given Prominance with the Triplet of Do You Love Me’s.
Abraham’s Fourth Life shall be Peter’s Third Life and Muhammad’s Second Life. This is the Levitation Symbol of the
Prototype of the Menorah // Unleavened Bread over Water.
2
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Arlene Goetze <photowrite67@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, September 9, 2019 11:46 AM
To:Sam Liccardo; Ro Khanna
Subject:R F Kennedy Jr on 5gee Radiation
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
--------5-G The Global Human Experiment without Consent-----------
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
By Debra Greene, PhD, Guest Contributor
From: childrenshealthdefense.org. (SEE THIS website for full story)
Director: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Attorney, July 2019
In Brief:
Planet Earth Blanketed in Radiation
The 5G agenda is vast. It includes 200 billion transmitting objects, according to
estimates, that will be part of the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2020, with one trillion
transmitting objects a few years later. 5G is meant to usher in more robotics,
artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, including 5G antennas installed
inside cars – behind our heads and irradiating our brains – so we can talk to people in
other vehicles and instruct our driverless cars on where to take us. Alarming
Evidence of Harm
More than 10,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies conducted by independent
researchers from around the world demonstrate the harmful biological effects of
wireless radiation. Because of their developmental stages, children are much more
susceptible. In addition, wireless radiation effects are cumulative, putting children
at greater risk.
5G is the next generation of cell phone infrastructure, yet it is categorically different than
its predecessors (4G/LTE, 3G, 2G, etc.). It is not a simple upgrade. It is a major increase –
and change – in the type of wireless radiation to which we will all be exposed, without
consent, whether we use this service or not.
5G builds on existing infrastructure and, in addition, uses extremely high (millimeter-
wave) frequencies of 24 gigahertz (GHz) or more. These 5G signals don’t travel far, so
antennas will be installed approximately every 2-10 homes in residential neighborhoods.
5G will significantly increase our wireless RF radiation (radio frequency microwave)
exposure on a 24/7 and 365 days a year basi
No Safety Studies
In a February 2019 U.S. Senate hearing, senior telecom executives admitted they have
not done any safety testing on 5G, nor do they plan to do any. Currently, there are over two
dozen cities in the U.S. and countless cities abroad that have 5G, yet there is no scientific
evidence to support any claim of safety for it.
"Flying Blind" on the Health Effects of 5G Wireless Technology Confirmed...
Environmental Health Trust reposts below the video and press release from Senator Richard Blumenthal after a US ...
2
What related research does show is cause for alarm. Thousands of independent
studies indicate adverse health impacts from wireless radiation. These range from cancer
and sterility to DNA damage. The government’s human exposure guidelines haven’t been
updated in more than 20 years, while radiation from cell phones, cordless phones, WiFi
and wireless baby monitors has increased exponentially in that time.
Home
THE BIOINITIATIVE REPORT 2012 A Rationale for Biologically-based Public Exposure
Standards for Electromagnetic F... (DID NOT COPY)
Planet Earth Blanketed in Radiation
The 5G agenda is vast. It includes 200 billion transmitting objects, according to
estimates, that will be part of the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2020, with one trillion
transmitting objects a few years later. 5G is meant to usher in more robotics,
artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, including 5G antennas installed
inside cars – behind our heads and irradiating our brains – so we can talk to people in
other vehicles and instruct our driverless cars on where to take us.
Nine ways 5G and the Internet of Things will harm humans, wildlife & Earth
Although government and industry promote the Internet of Things as the panacea for all ills, the IoT itself, cre... (DID
NOT COPY)
The Appeal — 5G Space Appeal
5G base stations and 5G devices will have multiple antennas in phased arrays that work
together to emit focused, steerable, laser-like beams that track each other. Each 5G phone
will function like a mini cell tower, containing dozens of tiny antennas working together to
track and aim a narrowly focused beam to search and connect with the nearest cell
antenna. The FCC has adopted rules that permit those beams to be as much as 20 watts,
ten times more powerful than levels allowed on current phones.
Multibeam Antenna Technologies for 5G Wireless Communications ‐ IEEE Jou... (DID NOT
COPY)
With the demanding system requirements for the fifth-generation (5G) wireless
communications and the severe spec... 47 CFR § 30.202 - Power limits.
Numerous independent studies on millimeter-wave radiation already show a range of
biological effects, indicating that an increase in frequencies may worsen harmful effects.
Alarming Evidence of Harm
More than 10,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies conducted by independent
researchers from around the world demonstrate the harmful biological effects of
wireless radiation. Because of their developmental stages, children are much more
susceptible. In addition, wireless radiation effects are cumulative, putting children at
greater risk.
The Appeal — 5G Space Appeal
Effects include:
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES | Americans for Responsible Technology
There are more than 1,000 scientific studies conducted by independent researchers
from around the world concerning...
3
* Detrimental effects on fetal and newborn development
* Detrimental effects on young children
* Brain tumors and other cancers
* DNA damage and altered gene expression
* Neurological effects and cognitive impairment
* Impaired sperm function and quality
* Learning and memory deficits
* Cardiovascular disease
* Altered metabolism
* And more
The mechanisms of biological harm from wireless radiation were not well understood until Martin Pall, PhD,
demonstrated how voltage‐gated calcium channels are disrupted, resulting in excessive intracellular calcium ions
affecting our cells. Numerous independent studies on millimeter‐wave radiation already show a range of biological
effects, indicating that an increase in frequencies may worsen harmful effects.
Electromagnetic fields act via activation of voltage-gated calcium chann...
The direct targets of extremely low and microwave frequency range electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) in producing non...
5G is being touted as the next industrial revolution, when, in fact, it amounts to
surveillance capitalism, in which intimate details of our lives are tracked, recorded and sold
to the highest bidder, irradiating us all the while.
Government Corruption
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, section 704, gives the telecom industry free reign and prohibits opposition to
wireless infrastructure based on environmental effects, which includes health effects. Thankfully, this prohibition is
being challenged in court right now.
5G LITIGATION • Cellular Phone Task Force
The telecom industry is supposed to be regulated by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC); however, the Harvard Center for Ethics describes the FCC as a
“captured agency” that is dominated by the industry it is purported to regulate. The multi-
trillion dollar telecom industry wields massive lobbying power and formidable public
influence through pervasive, propagandistic advertising and media presence promoting 5G.
In the Information Age, data drives the economy. 5G is being touted as the next industrial revolution, when, in fact, it
amounts to surveillance capitalism, in which intimate details of our lives are tracked, recorded and sold to the highest
bidder, irradiating us all the while.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism | Shoshana Zuboff
Let’s Irradiate the Sky, Too
In addition to millions of new base stations on Earth, 5G includes an eventual 20,000+
satellites in low orbit, affecting the ionosphere. Players include Elon Musk’s SpaceX,
OneWeb and Amazon. At this time, 66 5G satellites have already been launched, with more
on the way. The direct radiation from these satellites, combined with their contamination of
our ionosphere, along with pollution of the global electrical circuit would likely be
catastrophic to all life on Earth.
Planetary Emergency • Cellular Phone Task Force
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from Florida
4
SpaceX launched its first 60 Starlink satellites from Florida on Thursday night.
5G threatens to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent
damage to all of Earth’s ecosystems. Immediate measures must be taken to protect
life in all of its forms. One solution is SafeG, wired public networks that allow for
wireless inside homes and businesses without forcing it on everyone.
SafeG
Why you should consider SafeGTM over 5G The wireless industry has fired the starting gun for the so‐
called “race...
Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Children’s Health
Defense. CHD is planning many strategies, including legal, in an effort to defend the health
of our children and obtain justice for those already injured. Your support is essential to
CHD’s successful mission.
Sign Up • Children's Health Defense
Sign up for our free news and updates! Children’s Health Defense will never share, sell, or rent your personal i...
Republishing Guidelines
NO TOXINS FOR CHILDREN has permission to republish, however parts are blocked
so please consult childrenshealthdefense.org. for a complete article.
Forwarded by Arlene Goetze, No Toxins for Children, photowrite67@yahoo.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kathy Jordan <kjordan114wh@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, September 6, 2019 3:03 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Sacramento Bee: California pension mistakes would cost cities — not retirees — under proposed law
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Sacramento Bee: California pension mistakes would cost cities — not retirees — under proposed law.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics‐government/the‐state‐worker/article234770067.html
Please oppose this bill ‐ which would take money from taxpayers for something they do not owe.
Thank you
Best,
Kathy Jordan
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Miller, Ken <kenneth_miller@brown.edu>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 5:15 PM
To:Michael Korn
Cc:ksummers@fcgov.com; cityleaders@fcgov.com; Council, City
Subject:Re: Science Question
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mr. Korn,
I have never "worked as a pastor," and I have no idea why you sent me a copy of this message.
Please remove my name from your correspondence in the future.
Thank You,
Kenneth R. Miller
Professor of Biology
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
On Thu, Sep 5, 2019 at 12:46 PM Michael Korn <makompk@aol.com> wrote:
Ken,
I know you have worked as a pastor and so I thought you would find the following of interest. The Jewish New Year is
Sunday night September 29th. Many scholars think that Jesus was born at this time of year. It turns out that the
Christian Christmas more likely was the time of Mary's conception!
https://truthinscripture.net/2017/01/02/jesus‐birth‐feast‐of‐trumpets/
https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html
http://biblestudying.net/birth-date.pdf
God bless you and wishing all the city council members a happy and healthy New Year. You certainly have work cut out
for you. And I apologize to all of you for insulting your intelligence in regard to the Chinese issue.
Respectfully,
Michael Korn
PS I think the new Transfort route schedules are working out better. The buses are running more on time &the drivers
are much less stressed
This is addressed to an Electrical Engineering professor at CSU whom I know,
who got a PhD in EE from Stanford:
https://www.engr.colostate.edu/ece/facultystaff/facultypage.php?pass=36
https://engr.source.colostate.edu/small-nimble-csu-satellite-has-surpassed-a-year-in-space/
2
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Korn <makompk@aol.com>
To: reising <reising@engr.colostate.edu>; steven.reising <steven.reising@ColoState.edu>
Sent: Thu, Sep 5, 2019 9:15 am
Subject: Science Question
Prof. Steven,
I was reading an article about the so called Anthropic principle of how the universe
appears to be designed to promote human life.
An interesting astronomical fact is this:
The earth rotates on its axis at a rate of about 1000 miles per hour, but it also orbits around the sun at almost the
identical rate!
i wonder if this is just a coincidence or if it is part of the design of Creation?
Similar to how the sun and moon appear to be the same circular size in our sky even though the sun is much bigger but
also much farther away. There is a Jewish midrash about how the sun and the moon argued who would be preeminent in
the sky. And since they symbolize the male and female, then their apparently congruent sizes must be deliberate to
express the idea of equal partnership between husband and wife.
I did a rough calculation that the earth rotates on its axis and orbits the sun at a rate of about 20 miles per minute or
~500 yards per second. If we assume a heart rate of 60 beats per minute, that means with every beat of our heart the
earth moves ~five football fields in its revolution and its orbit around the sun. Talk about priceless opportunities and time
flying. Maybe that realization could make us more appreciative of the value of time?!
Another congruence is that the two rates give us the 24 hour day on earth and the 365
days per year of the solar orbit. Coupled with the lunar cycle of >28 days or four weeks,
this means that the speed of our axial revolution and our orbit of the sun gives us: 24
hour days, 7 day weeks, four week lunar months, and 365 days in a year. The latter
figure means every year has 12 lunar months, which is biblically significant due to the 12
tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles of Christ. (It also provides room for the weekly
Sabbath, which is designed around the lunar month of ~28 days. Thus each quarter
phase of the moon has a weekly day of rest.) The Jewish calendar is an intercalated
lunar calendar, meaning ~every three years a extra leap month is added to the end of the
calendar to compensate for the shorter lunar year than the solar year by ~11 days.
(Because Passover must fall after the Spring Equinox, and without the leap year
adjustment, after three years the lunar based Passover celebration would creep back into
the winter. Islam does not intercalate their lunar calendar, so their Ramadan moves back
11 days every solar year and falls out in any season of the year.) In Jewish thought this
means that God has empowered man to participate in Creation by adjusting the calendar
and not just being passive witnesses to the heavenly cycles.
Another thought: I read somewhere that the human brain is essentially a radio receiver for spiritual transmissions from
God. This means that everything we do to promote the health of our bodies is for the purpose of ensuring that our
"radios" are working properly and receiving clear signals from Above.
Wishing you and your family and students a great Autumn Season and Semester!
And thanks for your friendship.
Michael Korn
3
‐‐
Kenneth R. Miller
Professor of Biology
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
@kennethrmiller
https://vivo.brown.edu/display/kemiller
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Darin Atteberry <DATTEBERRY@fcgov.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 2:16 PM
To:Michael Korn; Ken Summers; kenneth_miller@brown.edu
Cc:City Leaders; Council, City
Subject:RE: Science Question
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Mr. Korn,
Thank you for your email to City Leaders. Your email has been received and will be read by each member of City Council.
The council and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and we will take them into consideration. Due to the high
volume of emails received by City Council, you may not receive an additional response, but if Councilmembers have
personal thoughts or additional requests based on your email, you may hear from them directly.
Thanks again for writing, we appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Darin
. . . . . . . . . . Darin Atteberry, ICMA-CM / AICP
City Manager
Fort Collins, Colorado
From: Michael Korn <makompk@aol.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 10:47 AM
To: Ken Summers <ksummers@fcgov.com>; kenneth_miller@brown.edu
Cc: City Leaders <CityLeaders@fcgov.com>; city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Subject: Science Question
Ken,
I know you have worked as a pastor and so I thought you would find the following of interest. The Jewish New Year is
Sunday night September 29th. Many scholars think that Jesus was born at this time of year. It turns out that the
Christian Christmas more likely was the time of Mary's conception!
https://truthinscripture.net/2017/01/02/jesus‐birth‐feast‐of‐trumpets/
https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html
http://biblestudying.net/birth-date.pdf
God bless you and wishing all the city council members a happy and healthy New Year. You certainly have work cut out
for you. And I apologize to all of you for insulting your intelligence in regard to the Chinese issue.
2
Respectfully,
Michael Korn
PS I think the new Transfort route schedules are working out better. The buses are running more on time &the drivers
are much less stressed
This is addressed to an Electrical Engineering professor at CSU whom I know,
who got a PhD in EE from Stanford:
https://www.engr.colostate.edu/ece/facultystaff/facultypage.php?pass=36
https://engr.source.colostate.edu/small-nimble-csu-satellite-has-surpassed-a-year-in-space/
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Korn <makompk@aol.com>
To: reising <reising@engr.colostate.edu>; steven.reising <steven.reising@ColoState.edu>
Sent: Thu, Sep 5, 2019 9:15 am
Subject: Science Question
Prof. Steven,
I was reading an article about the so called Anthropic principle of how the universe
appears to be designed to promote human life.
An interesting astronomical fact is this:
The earth rotates on its axis at a rate of about 1000 miles per hour, but it also orbits
around the sun at almost the identical rate!
i wonder if this is just a coincidence or if it is part of the design of Creation?
Similar to how the sun and moon appear to be the same circular size in our sky even
though the sun is much bigger but also much farther away. There is a Jewish midrash
about how the sun and the moon argued who would be preeminent in the sky. And
since they symbolize the male and female, then their apparently congruent sizes must
be deliberate to express the idea of equal partnership between husband and wife.
I did a rough calculation that the earth rotates on its axis and orbits the sun at a rate of
about 20 miles per minute or ~500 yards per second. If we assume a heart rate of 60
beats per minute, that means with every beat of our heart the earth moves ~five
football fields in its revolution and its orbit around the sun. Talk about priceless
opportunities and time flying. Maybe that realization could make us more appreciative
of the value of time?!
Another congruence is that the two rates give us the 24 hour day on earth and the 365
days per year of the solar orbit. Coupled with the lunar cycle of >28 days or four weeks,
this means that the speed of our axial revolution and our orbit of the sun gives us: 24 hour
days, 7 day weeks, four week lunar months, and 365 days in a year. The latter figure
3
means every year has 12 lunar months, which is biblically significant due to the 12 tribes
of Israel and the 12 Apostles of Christ. (It also provides room for the weekly Sabbath,
which is designed around the lunar month of ~28 days. Thus each quarter phase of the
moon has a weekly day of rest.) The Jewish calendar is an intercalated lunar calendar,
meaning ~every three years a extra leap month is added to the end of the calendar to
compensate for the shorter lunar year than the solar year by ~11 days. (Because
Passover must fall after the Spring Equinox, and without the leap year adjustment, after
three years the lunar based Passover celebration would creep back into the winter. Islam
does not intercalate their lunar calendar, so their Ramadan moves back 11 days every
solar year and falls out in any season of the year.) In Jewish thought this means that God
has empowered man to participate in Creation by adjusting the calendar and not just
being passive witnesses to the heavenly cycles.
Another thought: I read somewhere that the human brain is essentially a radio
receiver for spiritual transmissions from God. This means that everything we do to
promote the health of our bodies is for the purpose of ensuring that our "radios" are
working properly and receiving clear signals from Above.
Wishing you and your family and students a great Autumn Season and
Semester!
And thanks for your friendship.
Michael Korn
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Elizabeth Ratner <elizabeth.ratner@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 5:55 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support Housing at Cubberly
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Palo Alto City Council:
I am a 30‐year Palo Alto resident and voter, and participated in two of the Cubberly Design meetings held in the
Cubberly gym a few months ago.
I strongly support including housing at the re‐designed Cubberly site, as did many others at the meetings I went to.
The lack of affordable housing in Palo Alto negatively affects the economy and the quality of life in Palo Alto; the
Cubberly redesign offers a rare opportunity to provide affordable housing for teachers, firemen, police, seniors, and
other members of our community being priced out of our city, leaving us without vital services and forcing seniors to
move at a time of their lives when forced moves seriously impact their health and well‐being.
Please support affordable housing at Cubberly.
Thanks,
Jim Fox
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:A. Crichton <acrichto@pacbell.net>
Sent:Thursday, September 5, 2019 4:56 PM
To:Shikada, Ed
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Follow Up in support of Traffic Safety by Transportation Department
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Ed,
I wanted to follow up with you after the Neighborhood Emergency Services Volunteer recognition
event and let you know via email, how much I appreciate what the Transportation Department has
been doing to keep our roads safe for all modes.
I have been involved in Traffic Safety since 2001 when my twins were in Kindergarten. Over this
time, Palo Alto has created a vision and implemented plans that have made our streets safer for cars,
bikes, and walkers in spite of a tremendous growth in out-of-town traffic. The Transportation
Department has received a lot of focus because of the Ross Bicycle Boulevard. Even though the
communication of those changes could have been better, the end result has created a well used bike
corridor and encourages drivers to use other streets for through traffic. This bike boulevard is only
one of many, many improvements that have been implemented by the Transportation Department
that encourage our population to get out of their cars to walk and bike on safer streets.
I completely support the partnership between the Schools, PTA, and Traffic Department for Safe
Routes to School. I also strongly support the Department's traffic calming efforts to move cars safely
through our neighborhoods and on congested corridors. It is so nice to have a vibrant community that
has such well used streets for it's students and recreational cyclists while supporting a thriving
business environment with it's unique traffic impact.
I look forward to continued innovation and best practices for transportation in our future. Keep up the
great work!
Regards,
Ann Crichton
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 7, 2019 12:42 AM
To:jd@howardstern.com
Subject:The Irony of the Reformation
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
The Irony of the Reformation is that they wanted to move away from Obvious Corruption of the Catholic Church yet they
Succeeded in Moving Further Away from The Original Scripture than even Jerome’s Vulgar Vulgate the Oozing Adultress
of Fornication that Replaced the Earlier Latin Translation that was Closer to the Truth in the Form of the Septuagint the
Greeks then had, though Greeks weren’t as Faithful to the Text of Septuagint as they should have been given their ability
to Read and Speak Greek hence why Greeks in The Remaining Eastern Section of the Empire were Conquered by
Muslims who had a True Book in the Quran though of course they did Err in Not Including the Unaltered Torah,
Unaltered Criterion, and Unaltered Gospels in their Recitations together with the Quran and this would Impoverish their
Future. Augustine was Critical for Jerome’s use of the Masoretic in Elevation over the Septuagint and the Division this
Created between Latin Lands and the Greeks yet Jerome still Retained more of the Septuagint than even the Future
Puritans as the Puritans embraced the Corrupted Tiberian//Masoretic Text that had led to the Earlier Expulsion of
Hebrews from Jerusalem in AD 0135. Why do I say this? Because God Protects those who are Faithful to the Truth that
has been Sent Down. Deviate and You Die. Eventually and Ultimately. Hence the Reformation with the King James and
Nearly All BiBaals succeeded in Polluting the World with “Purely” Corrupted Texts that are Ravenous Wolves in Sheeps
Clothing. We are Supposed to Wear the Garment of Truth and Nothing Else will Suffice. We have Minds; Stupidity is Not
Going to Save Anyone’s Ass. The Puritans erred in thinking that the Masoretic is the Original Form of Scripture and the
Puritans dismissed the Deuterocanonical with the Pejorative “Apocryphal” while utterly failing that the
Tiberian//Masoretic Canon is More than Just a Set of Uniformly Deviated Scriptures, but is Furthermore Also, a Redacted
Set of Deviated Scripture where Entire Books of Inspired Writing were Removed from the Canon hence “At Least” Some
of What are Labeled Apocryphal Writings are Simply Translations of Hebrew Scripture that Today can only be Found in
their Greek Translation Form ((And to Know which Books should be given a Better Appreciation than Perjorative
“Apocryphal” you would have examine which Writings are Included in the Sixtine Text and Each of Codices A, B, C,
S(Alef) though here I have to Add that these Four Main Uncials include what are Termed “New Testament Letters”
((Epistles)) and these Letters are Not Uniformly Correct but rather Function as a Window to Examine What is Wrong with
Everyone’s Head ((By Degree, Depending on the Timeframe of Their Life and the Person)), and Why are is Everything
Such a Colossal Mindfuck Today that is an Empty Pointless Waste of Time that Gets Almost Nothing Done. “I Treaded
Water for Forty Years.” “Why didn’t You just Swim to the Liquor Store on the Other Side? You could have had a Good
Time.” Did Isaiah Admonish Everyone to Break the Covenant of Male Circumcision? Did Joshua do this? What about
Elijah? Can we Find Any Prophet who Did This? Vulgar James ((James is the Vulgar Form of Jacob)) and “Pontus Pilate” //
“Saul” // “Paul” did this when they Ganged Up on Peter to Cut Off the Conversation on Circumcision in Acts Fifteen?
“Stealing from Peter to Pay Paul” to which Paul alludes to in His Letters as a Prearranged Conspiracy. What Kind of
Future Did James // Jacob and Paul Have? James is Stoned; for Writing that His Unilateral Declaration in a Conniving
Speech to Thwart Peter’s Request of an Answer from Believing Pharisees Sends Off a Letter claiming that “It Seemed
Good to the Spirit” to End the Everlasting Covenant that Absolutely Requires Male Circumcision OR ELSE They Shall be
Cut from their Kin. So is “James” // “Jacob” telling Us that ‘It Seemed Good to the Spirit to Cut People off From their Kin
for Breaking the Covenant’? This is Ludicrous and No Such Prophetic Statement Appears in The Speech of James//Jacob
Hence this Letter Sent to Antioch is Simply a Schism Built Upon a Brazen Lie and for This Lie James ((If He Be James the
Just)) is Stoned to Death. Well isn’t the Stoning of a Prophet simply the Mark of a Prophet? Abraham was a Prophet.
Abraham is The Prophet the Same Who is Muhammad, and Peter is this Prophet, The Prophet. They are the Same
Person, the Same Who Shall Return in What Will be Abraham’s Fourth Life and Peter’s Third Life “Feeding the Sheep”
2
((Grass of Truth; No Longer Milk)) and Muhammad’s Second Life. How Does Abraham Die? Abraham Dies Peacefully.
Okay, So Abraham wasn’t Stoned to Death. How Does Peter Die? Well they “Say” that Peter Dies Crucified Upside Down
yet There is No Real Documentation and given the Habit of Paul ((Meaning Small)) to Take on Masking Identies without
Fully Revealing, “Um. Guys. I Need to Tell You Something. ‘I’ was the Guy who Sent The Messiah to Die on the Stake.”
Meaning Pontus Pilate didn’t Fully Appreciate the Answer to His Question “What is Truth” with the Blinding Flash of
Light and the Recovery of Sight on Straight Street as “Saul” Paul continues to Maintain a Deviation in His History. Does
Abraham do that? “Guys, My Name is Abraham and My Name was NEVER Abram.” No, Abraham doesn’t do this. At least
we have no record of Abraham doing this. Yet Abram // Abraham LIES as Abram in Egypt in Saying Sarai is His Sister, and
Abraham LIES in Gerar in Saying Sarah is His Sister, when Sarai//Sarah is His Wife who “was” His Sister in Law via Charan
and Agar is the Substitute for Sarah as Abram performs Levirate Marriage for Charan his Dead Brother so that Sarah will
continue the Seed of Charan via the Contribution of Abram on Behalf of His Deceased Brother so Ishmael is the Seed of
Charan and Through Charan the Lineage of Terah who will Return as Moses with a Cleft Palate who will Write the Torah
of Six Books hence The Book of the Law is the Torah of Six Books and Terah in the Life of Moses will Kill an Egyptian so
when Moses Returns as John the Washer the Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness as Isaiah whom Mark indictes is the
Beginning of the Good News the Translation that is the Septuagint as Mark is Explicitly NOT quoting from the Tiberian //
Masoretic Text and Isaac is the Translation of The Promise to Abraham and Sarah into the Reality that God Fulfills His
Promise ((You just have to have Patience as You Strive to be Blameless before Him)). Abram // Abraham LIES Twice
about His Wife and Abram // Abraham suffers the Consequence of Losing Sarai to Pharoah and Losing Sarah to
Abimelech. Then as Peter the Mistake is Made in How the Women with the Dead Husband is Treated with the Delivery
of a Poisoned Word “They Shall Carry Your Body Out.” Hence Muhammad shall Dies Eating Poisoned Lamb. Furthermore
Muhammad is an Orphan in Childhood. Did the Woman with whom Peter had dealt Harshly, Did She Maybe have
Children who became Orphaned as a Consequence of Peter’s Behavior? The “Mad Rush” to Be Rash is “Not Always” (( //
Never // )) the Wisdom. Perhaps the Person who had set the Example of Selling His Property to Lay the Proceeds at the
Feet of the Apostles should have been told to Pick Up the Money rather than to Set the Example of Foolish Reckless Self
Aggrandizing Behavior. Peer Pressure should be Responsible Pressure. So if anyone did anything to deserve being
Crucified Upside Down do you think that Maybe Pontus Pilate was Worthy Candidate? Same Lifetime? Same or Next.
Either Way, Those Who Live by the Sword will Die by the Sword. Hence, Pontus Pilate to Saul to Paul to Apollo ((After the
Arrest, Home Arrest in Rome, and the Fires Under Nero; This would mean that Paul is under Home Arrest up to No Later
than July AD 64 which is Prior to the Release of the Four Gospels in AD 69 in the Year of the Four Emperors.)) to Peter
((Given that Apollo also ends up in a Trial; and Apollo conveys the similar sentiment of the Name of Saul in Wanting to
Be Great and Not Small.)) given that the Jurisdiction of Peter’s Early Arrest was in Judea under Herod who is Dead at this
Point and Peter never Appealed to Rome and Peter was Never a Roman Citizen. As to what really happened, Writings
will have to be Recovered and for this to happen the World has to Drop the Stumbling Block of Man Made Graven Image
Doctrines and Begin to Exercise the Right to Return to the Unaltered Truth which means We All have to start using our
Heads. As to the Stoning of Prophets. Did Each Prophet who is “Stoned to Death” Do Something within their Own
Behavior to Open Up this Vulnerbility? Granted that Every Prophet likely had a List of People who wanted to see them
Dead; All the more reason to avoid making any mistakes that open up any vulnerability. Elijah goes up in a Chariot of
Fire. So Elijah must have avoided behavioral faults. Elisha with a Double Portion in contrast Invokes the Death of Kids
who Ridicule Elisha. If you have Power, you have to be careful how you use it, whether it’s a Car, a Gun, or Power from
Above.
Once Upon a Time, Power Operated on this Planet. Did Everyone Lose their Licence? When Power Returns through the
Long Term Character Development of Mouth Ruminating Memorization and Corresponding Adherence with Correct
Understanding of True Scripture those Bestowed Power in their Due Season had Better Exercise Caution in Diligence
with Every Iota of their Expressed Behavior. This is “Not Always Easy”.
So Puritans rejected the Septuagint the Son of Man and Their Lineage of Offspring Born into The Future of the World
Framed by The Reformation and will Live Through the Horrors of Multiple European Wars even Napoleon and the First
and Second Worlds. Now the Stage is Set where the US and Puritanical Scriptured Lands will “Run Over” the Edge when
this Present “Record” Bullmarket Breaks and Economies Slide to Ruination as also Six US Cities are Cleared from World
View in Degrees that are Stark and for which Six Refuge Camps absolutely need to be Preestablished to Care for
Upwards of 15 Million in the US in Advance to AD 2026. Jews should aim for Australia, New Zealand. In Accordance with
3
the Direction of Madison Street in Seattle, and in Tandem to the Dreams of Each Individual as to Where they Ought to
be when 2026 Arrives.
The Catholic Church needs to re‐examine the criticism of Augustine of Jeromes Vulgate and the Catholic Church needs to
Remove the Source Material of the Sixtine Text and Allow the World to See this Completely and Wholly as the Writings
in Number will Surpass even the Sixtine Text of 1587. The Orthodox Churches need to Stop being Cowards and they
Need Apply Pressure to the Catholic Church to Reveal the Source Material of the Sixtine Text so that All Congregate
Assemblies can be Empowered to Tell All Cultic Organized Mafia Crime Groups to GO FUCK OFF. Fuck their “Protection.”
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Sunday, September 8, 2019 7:15 PM
To:pressoffice@goarch.org
Subject:Timothy Michael Law
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
((Sent to Timothy Michael Law))
The Sixtine Text of 1587 is the Only Printing of the Untorn Inner Garment of the Son of Man whose Source Material has
been in Quarantine since 1590/1600. The Outer Torn Garment of the Son of Man corresponds to the Alexandrine Text
Type of the Four Main Uncials ABCS(Alef). Reprints of the Sixtine were Corrupted by Edits without Access to the Source
Material. The Son of God is the Unredacted Unaltered Unadulterated Hebrew Canon now Hidden as Light Shining in
Darkness in the Aftermath of the Switchout of the Original Hebrew as Portrayed in the Talent Story where The Talent
Measure of Gold is the Pointer to Torahs that were replaced with Crucified Tiberian // Masoretic Scripture where the
Tiberian Vowel System Identifies the Torahs whether True or Hybrid True/False Scripture by the Absence or Presence of
the Dotted Vowels whose Introduction Obliterates the Original Grammatical Understanding of Whether a Medial or
Final Semivowel Abjad is One Vowel or Another Vowel. The Son of Man is the Greek Translation of the Hebrew Canon
from before the Alterations. The Son of the Beast is the Valid Translation of the True Septuagint into Other Languages
like English. Everything Else is Eclectic Whoredom and Scribal Adultery. The Name of God (הוהי) is Yawuøòwah where
UØÒ are embedded in ΚΥΡΙΟΣ (Κυριος) for the Recovery of the Vowels as the Son of Man is Gradually Brought Back to
Life in the Cultural Landscape in Preparation of the Return of the Hebrew Canon. Those who continue to follow the
BiBaal will Suffer Collectively Immensely in Repeated Third and Fourth Generations just as Nearly Two Thousand Years of
History already Document. The Previous Third and Forth were the Periods of the First and Second World Wars. The
Current Third Generation began in Sept 11th 2001 with a Mirrored Reflection of the "Man Hate" Clouds of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. In AD 2026 The United States will begin losing Doublets of Cities in the West, the Middle, and the East.
San Francisco and San Diego by Water. Chicago and Dallas by Wind. New York And Washing DC by Flash of Light. The
Sins of the Fathers are Visited Upon the Third and Fourth Generations. To Continue to Shamelessly Lie to Repeat the
Abomination in Saying that God is Finishing His Work on the Seventh Day is To Play a Nasty Game of Russian Roulette
with your Existence. Even those who Deserve Death for the Sin of Murder in their Previous Life could still benefit by
seeking True Protection to allow the Extension of their Opportunity to do Good Things for which they Will Receive
Corresponding Reward in Due Season. This is Not a Game. This is Our Unfolding Story as We Learn to Tell the Truth.
Amendment. Six US Refugee Camps will be Needed and if these are Not Established in Advance, then as many lives as
Died in the First World War will be adversely affected whether Dead or Displaced, Etc. Jews who want to Multiple need
to look into Australia.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Cox <markdarrellcox@icloud.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 11, 2019 2:31 AM
To:pressoffice@goarch.org
Subject:Trump's Next National Security Advisor
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
How about a Dead Charles Manson? Trump asks, "How do we kill their Babys Charlie?"
Charles Kushner jumps out of His Chair waving His Black Gloved Hand, "Oh I know how to do that!" Donald President
Trump the Pig Eating the Whitehouse like Cake Celebrating the Death of a Marriage replies, "You can sit down Charles.
We already saw the OJ Trial. If we need someone to Orchestrate the Death of a Black Man's White Wife We would
Obviously Contact Fred Goldman. That Man is the Black Hand Expert. 'Make Sure the Glove Doesn't Fit.' That was a
Bright Idea. Officer Bob was the Glove Placement Expert. I'd like to Shake His Hand Someday. 'Shake it Off. Shake it Off.'
Hand Taylor Swift a Syringe if she starts Moving on the Floor of Her Kitchen. 'This is the Last Time. I'll ever call you.' Yeah
because of the Overdose. Right Taylor Cabello? The Little Choo Choo Train Driving Leary Opium Sales Up the Continental
Hill. By the Way Charles, your Black Son Jared Kushner is turning out to be a Fine Waiter. Jared brings Me Tea, Coffee,
Money from Israel. So Kudos on Killing the Character of your Grandson. You 'Know' How to Hate Your 'Second Wife
Children.' I envy you. All my Sons can do is Shoot Elephants in Africa. Who was your Mother Charles? Rae? Can we dig
Rae up and get a Confirmation? DNA Dina Diana. Another Greek Myth. That Organized Crime doesn't Own DNA
Companies for their 'Own Protection.' Those Assholes want Me to 'Build a Wall.' Territorial Protection. I tell them, 'You
want Me to Bankrupt the Country?' They tell Me, 'Well Trump Baby you're Good at that Sort of Thing. Airplanes. Casinos.
We call you Trump Bankruptcy. You don't Know a Flying Fuck about Making Money but you Know How to Sell your
Name.' So. Where was I? Oh yeah. I was in the White House selling My Name. So Charlie. Can you Draw Up a Game Plan
on Which Country to Target? The United States? Whoa, I like your Style. You know How to Dance the Rain Clouds in."
RETURN AOORESS:
Jo;}.A"'-t?-~v.s~~o{l-\"t~ lcSpY\
1-~'ii 'tio'e-oo Ave . '
~o A\~ v A 4 :f303
I support Castilleja's proposal to
increase enrollment and modernize its
campus because ...
\\'~ "-\A~\-~~lA\..\·~r') \~~
do!~ c.~c~.:~ \?) ?Jo lt\to,
~"d. ~ CG:..t>\\l\~~o.. eJvc.....\.\o{\
t>~"'-\d ~c. ~..J~~\~le ~ <AS
t'\cJ' 0 ';) .o \.{ "'[ ~o l'leN)
c,.? {o ~C,~~~ ..
CIT)' OF PALO 1\U o. CA
Cl1 Y CLERWS OFFICE
I 9 SEP I 0 M1 9: 57
Office of the Clerk
Please distribute to all City Council Members
250 Hamilton Avenue, 7th Floor
Palo Alto, CA, 94301
I "'II ·l11l'III•1llil111 111iiiI1l •I' 1 l11lli1Iii 1IillJl1ll 1j I rl 1li
ttttt tt
ttttttt•
Carbon Reduction
•
Cl"FY O F
PALO ALTO
lJTILJT IES
7 0 0/ of EV owners would buy
/0 a second EV
79% of EV owners bought an EV
for environmental reasons
nn
\D --"I
en :::!-< ,.,, ("") 0 -0 ,-n
r-1-0 C> -;:}>
~· -0 u)O
Upgrade to an EV t~utif~e
CPAU's carbon neutra~l~°"jricity l>
Palo Alto EVs have led to
9,600
• metric tons
of greenhouse gas reduction
That's the equivalent of one
person taking a round trip flight
from California to New York
every day for almost
30years
ci'Wai palealto.org/e-v
Merge. Into the EV Fast Lane
....... . . . . . . .
-..,,0 1
Palo Alto ranks as one of the top cities in the nation for number of electric vehicles (EV). Considering
making the switch from a fossil fueled vehicle to electric? We're here to help! Check out our resources
online or call us to talk with staff. The City provides rebates for charging equipment, maps of charging
locations. and information to help you compare and choose between vehicles.
EVs in Palo Alto
0
4,000
EVs in Palo Alto .•• . .. That is
2.5 Times
more EVs in 2018
compared to 2014! 29%
of new car sales in -------------------i Palo Alto are EVs, the
EV Miles Driven
.-. ;,
Find Out More
highest percentage of
any US city, per capita.
In 2018, Palo Alto public chargers enabled
1.4 million
EV miles
That's like driving
around the world
56 T imes!
Learn more at cityofpaloalto.org/ev or call
Utility Program Services at (650) 329-2241.
!~~s 3
1-i?UWCXB.. MEmNG
'· 1/ttJ/11 ~ [.)<J. Placed Before Meeting
· [ ] Received at Meeting
• MoveMV operates "Lots of Love" safe parking in Santa Clara County
• Currently operating 2 church lots in Mtn View
• 1 private lot to open in Q4 2019
• County funding to operate throughout county
• Lots of Love 1 year outcomes
• 22 individuals, 19 vehicles, 9 housed
• Church parking in Palo Alto
• 4 churches interested
• County funding for operation thru June 2020 secure
• Insurance is in place
• Case management partner needed
• Churches need city "ok"
• In Mtn View, safe parking is an "incidental" use of a church
MO
VE
"'1T VIEW c;:ou:cu;
Dave Arnone
Treasurer, Move Mountain View
davidfarnone@gmail.com
la&ed Before Meetjmt_ ( .J t:Ct:l\'t:U ai. 1\'i~C::~lll) Ne e1vea at Meeting
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City:
A Citizen's Investigation
by Fred Balin, Palo Alto Resident
Submitted to the Palo Alto City Council, September 9, 2019
en M -0
CJ
> :::c
<??
N en
("")~ -....... ...... -< -< nO r "Tl
r.i ""o ::ol> ;:r;r-
u)O
ol> ..,,Ci ~o
('"').
fTln l>
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page 1
Background and Acknowledgements
This investigation, which began 18 months ago, is based on extensive research, outreach, and
analysis, including:
• Study of project applications and architectural drawings.
• Evaluation of the interactions between Commissioner Michael Alcheck and the city
during project application entitlement processes.
• Evaluation of State conflict of interest regulations in relation to Commissioner Alcheck's
specific circumstances.
• Historical analysis of relevant municipal code sections.
• Careful read, viewing, and evaluation of relevant planning and transportation commission
and city council meetings.
• Use and evaluation of Google Street View historical photos together with perspective
drawings to determine changes in construction of the Al check properties over time.
• Conducting a survey of randomly chosen R-1 properties in relation to the Context Garage
Placement law's applicability and to compare results to criteria in the FPPC's "Public
Generally Exception" rule.
• Evaluation of internal staff communications related to this matter.
• Analysis of records in Accela and BuiJding Eye online tracking systems
c
(
c r r
c r c
c
• Information from conversations with impacted neighbors, other residents, and current and (
~~~ (
• Information from press coverage since my disclosures related to this matter in early 2018 (
• Feedback from architects, attorneys, resident students of the Palo Alto municipal code,
and content and copy editors. (
Thank you to all who contributed to this investigation.
Fred Balin
September 9, 2019
Spot an error?
Kindly notify me of anything that you may find to be factually incorrect at fred@fredbalin.org
Cover Photo
Alcheck Investments LLC, Phillips Road parking structure
Taken by Jeff Levinsky, March 2018
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page2
l
\
(
Table of Contents
Introduction •••..•.•...••••.......•........•..............•.....•..•...................•.••.......••.•..•...•••.•.......•.••.••••.•.•.•. 5
Chapter 1: 2015 (Feb -July), Dispute Over R-1 Applications .................................................... 7
Garage, C.arport, and Context •••.•..........•.............................................................••......•..................... 7
Definition Confusion ••••.••••••••••••••••••.••••••..•••••...•.•..•.•.•••••..•••••..••.•..•.•••.•.••.••.•••••.•••••••..••..•.•••••••••••••• 10
It's a Garage I ................•..•..••....•..........•.•...•................••.....••.....•.....••......•.....••....•............•........•.•.. 11
Hints to a Future Conversion .......................................................................................................... 13
A Second p·roperty •••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••..•••••••.••.•••••••••••••••••••••• .14
A Planner's Prescient Concern .•••••.••..•..••••..••.•.•..•.•.•.•••••••...••••.•.••••••••••.•..•.•.•.••••..•••..••••••••.••••••••••••• 17
Alcheck's Case for a Carport in the Front ........................................................................................ 18
Some Municipal Code History ..•••••••..........•......•.•..........•.......•......•....•..•..•••......•........•..••...••••.•.•..•.. 19
One Loophole Leads to Another ..................................................................................................... 21
In Retrospect············································································-··················································· 2-1
Chapter 2: 2015 (Sep), Potential for Conflict of Interest ......................................................... 23
Reasonably Foreseeable Effect on Alcheck's Financial Interests? .................................................... 24
Materiality .........•................•...•...•...........................•..••..........•.................•..•.•...••.•..•..•...•.•........•.... 25
Exception? .....•....•••......••••......•••..••.•••.........................••................•..........•...•......•.•.....••.....•.•...•...... 26
Chapter 3: 2015 (Sep-Nov): At the Commission ................................................................... 29
P&TC Meeting #1: Brief Study Session ............................................................................................ 29
P&TC Meeting #2: Matrix of 63 Items ............................................................................................. 30
P&TC Meeting #4: Draft Ordinances •.•••..•..••.••••••••..•••.•••••..•.....••••.•....•••..•.••••...••••.••......•••••••••••••••••• 34
Chapter 4: Mid 201.5 to Mid 2017, Building and Violations .................................................... 39
Phillips Road Site ............................................................................................................................. 39
Madison Way Site ............................................................................................................................ 45
Conversion Applications Submitted ............................................................................................... 49
Chapter 5: 2017 {Sep -Nov), Dispute Returns ....................................................................... 50
Staff Discovers 'Block Flip' ............................................................................................................. SO
Applications Denied ... For Now ..................................................................................................... 54
Enter David lanferman ••..••..•..•..•..•...•..•..•...••.•••••.••.•....•••....••.•.••...•••••.•..••••••••..•••.•••••••.•••.....•••...•••• 57
Chapter6: 2017 (Fall), Intersection of Issues ......................................................................... 59
The Road to Reappointment ............................................................................................................ 59
Chapter 7: Late 2017, "Code Cleanup" Round 2 ..................................................................... 61.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page3
Staff's Second Try to Amend the Contextual Garage Placement Code ............................................ 61
Case for Conflict of Interest Strengthened ...................................................................................... 63
Staff-Proposed Amendments to Definitions of Carport and Garage ................................................ 63
Ronlt Bodner's Email to the Commission ........................................................................................ 64
P& TC Meeting #1 ...........•.....•......•..•..........•........•.................•....................•.........................•.......... 66
Conversion Permits Approved, But Construction Placed on Hold .................................................... 69
P& TC Meeting 2 ...........................•.....................•.....•............•.•...................................................... 70
Chapter B: 2018 (Feb, March}, The Story Emerges ................................................................. 74
City Council Informed ..................................................................................................................... 74
Press Coverage ....•.......••....................•............••............•.....•........................•................................. 77
letter on Behalf of Impacted Residents .......................................................................................... 78
Alcheck Act.s Out Again •.•.....................................................................................................•......... 78
Conversions Underway ................................................................................................................•. 78
Director's Internal Email Submitted to City Council ........................................................................ 79
City Council Deliberation, City Attorney Statement ........................................................................ 79
A Way Forward .....•........................................................................................................................ 82
Afterwards ........................................................................................................................... 84
Appendices .•....................•.•....................•............................................................................. 87
A: 2015 Municipal Code Sections ..............•................................•.................•................•..............•. 87
B: Notice of Violation, Phillips Road, 8/17/17 ................................................................................ 88
C: Denial of Conversion Permit, Madison Way, 10/2/17 ................................................................. 91
D: Hillary Gitelman Email to City Council, 10/2/17 ......................................................................... 92
E: "Request for Appeal" Madison Way, 10/10/17 .......................................................................... 94
F: "Demand for Immediate Issuance of Building Permit'' Madison Way, 11/28/17 ....................... 100
G: Email from Ronit Bodner to P& TC, 11/29/17 ........................................................................... 102
H: Formal Complaint, 3/5/18 ....................................................................................................... 103
I: Letter on Behalf of Neighbors, 3/14/18 ..................................................................................... 105
J: History of Palo Alto Municipal Code Sections 12/97-present .................................................. 107
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page4
(
(
c c c c
c
c
(
(
(
Introduction
In 2015, Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commissioner Michael Alcheck
submitted plans to build a home on Madison Way, including a "carport" in the
front of his lot. But it was a garage, a fact that staff overlooked, and which clearly
violated the city's Contextual Garage Placement law that required a garage to be in
the rear if that was the majority pattern on the block, as was the case.
City staff rejected the plan based on their past practice, but eventually ceded after
Alcheck pushed his arguments up the ladder and found a loophole, i.e., wording in
the code did not specifically prohibit a carport in the front if the majority pattern on
the block was "rear". The same circumstance applied to a second property, around
the comer and in which he was an investor.
This was the first step in Alcheck's sustained effort to subvert the intent of the
Contextual Garage Placement law and significantly increase the value of his
properties by building completely-enclosed garages in the front. Others included:
• Violating State conflict of interest laws in 2015 and again in 2017.
• Improperly taking advantage of his position as a commissioner by
diverting the planning code update hearings in favor of his personal
interests in 2015 and 2017.
• Violating City building codes, prior to final inspection approval and after.
• Advancing incorrect and misleading assertions in his interactions with
the city and at commission meetings.
In parallel, throughout this three-year episode, the city too often responded with
acquiescence, passivity, secrecy, and even shielding, including:
• Not recognizing that the "carport-in-the-front" loophole would lead to a
second loophole after construction. In the interim, the city did nothing to
prevent that impact or other ways in which Alcheck could and would further
enclose his "carports."
• Not recognizing and acting to prevent Alcheck's conflicts of interests at the
2015 and 2017 commission hearings that related to his properties.
• Not revealing Alcheck' s specific circumstances at those meetings.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Pages
• Allowing him to dominate discussions on items related to his economic
interests during those commission meetings.
• Granting final inspection approvals when the garages were more fully
enclosed than plans permitted
• After garage doors were illegally added on each site, exempting his home
from a Notice of Violation.
• Not requiring correction of the building violations on Alcheck' s two
properties, but rather asking him and his investment group to submit plans to
"legalize the conversions."
• Keeping neighbors and the general public in the dark, thereby protecting
Alcheck rather than the neighbors and the public.
As for the city council, after neighbors complained about the installation of garage
doors in summer 2018, Planning Director Hillary Gitelman sent an internal email
to the council mentioning the illegal conversions. But no council member present
at Alcheck' s reappointment interview three weeks later asked him about it.
Gitleman also informed the council that the Contextual Garage Placement code
could be changed to prevent Alcheck's conversion to fully-enclosed garages.
However, she made no recommendation, and the council did not act on her
information.
On March 5, 2018 during a council item on planning codes updates, I made public
Alcheck' s conflict of interest and improprieties and filed a formal complaint.
At a follow-up meeting Councilmember Karen Holman crafted an amendment to
the Contextual Garage Placement code to prevent conversions such as Alcheck's.
Even though it was not adopted, this demonstrated that the same could have
happened at commission hearings that Alcheck participated in. Therefore he indeed
had a conflict of interest, contradicting an earlier statement by the city attorney.
With regard to the ethical issues I raised, various council members and, later on,
council candidates commented. Nevertheless, as of this writing, Michael Alcheck
remains on the commission and is vice chair.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page6
c c
(
c c c
l
r c r
c c
c c c
c
c
l
(
Chapter 1: 2015 (Feb-JulyL Di spute Over R-1 Applications
Garage, Ca rport, and Context
/, /l ---= ---, -== -~-----
--~'
L_
_ ......... -.-= -
-/-
Michael AJcbeck's Madison Way House
Front-facing view. Excerpt from May 2015 approved plans, Sheet AO.O
On February 17, 2015, several applications related to the redevelopment of an R-1
(single-family residential) site on Madison Way in the Duveneck-St. Francis
neighborhood were submitted to the city of Palo Alto, including:
• Demolition of a garage in the rear half of the site,
• Demolition of a single-family residence, and
• Construction of a new single-family residence with attached carport in the front
half of the site (above).
The property owner was Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commissioner
Michael Alcheck, who had purchased the existing home three and a half years
earlier.
On March 4, as part of the planning review for the proposed new construction,
Associate Planner Scott McKay sent an email to the project architect with a list of
corrections to be made to the plans. The first item on the list read:
"The Contextual Garage Placement standard requires that the parking is
provided in the rear half of the house footprint."
The regulation that he referenced was the Contextual Garage Placement law
(i.e., 2015 Palo Alto Municipal Code section 18.12.040 (f)), which began as
follows:
The Commissioner, the Carpons, and the City Page7
"If the predominant neighborhood pattern is of garages or carports located
within the rear half of the site, or with no garage or carport present, attached
garages shall be located in the rear half of the house footprint." 1 2
McKay was referring to the plans proposing that the new house would have a
carport in the front of the lot. Let's examine the neighborhood pattern on the block
at the ti.me.
.#"-.
I
... .,.,.
Michael Alcbeck's Madison Way Block (Google Maps with outlining and labels)
Front
ct I
"<
..
The map above shows seven lots on this Madison Way block3. Comer lots do not
count in determining the pattern, which reduced the number of lots to evaluate
from seven down to five. Three of those five lots are marked "Rear," indicating a
garage or carport in the rear half of the site or that there was no garage or carport
present. Two are marked "Front" indicating a garage or carport in the front half of
the site. Since there were more ''Rears" then "Fronts," the predominant
neighborhood pattern for this block was "Rear."4 Therefore, an attached garage
could only be located in the rear half of the house footprint on this block.
1 See Appendix A for complete text of the Contextual Garage Placement Jaw as of 20 J 5, and as it had been for 10
years.
2 See Appendix J for changes to this and other relevant municipal code sections, since December 1997.
3 "Block" refers to parcels on the same side of the street.
4 "Predominant neighborhood pattern" is the existing garage placement pattern for more than half of the houses on
the same site of the block, including the subject site.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page8
l r c c c c c c c c c c
c
c c
c c
c c
c
(
The next day, March 5, Alcheck sent an email to Planner McKay that said:
"I am presuming that you interpreted our plans as including a garage when
in fact, we are building a carport." (Italics are Alcheck's.)
McKay acknowledged receipt of the email, and four weeks later, on April l,
responded:
"I have received confirmation from management that the carport is subject to
the Contextual Garage Placement development standard. This is consistent
with past practice and the intent of the municipal code that covered parking
facilities be visually minimized."
In Alcheck's response a few days later, he asked for a meeting with McKay as well
as those in management who were consulted, and he specifically asked for Amy
French, Chief Planning Official, to be present, whom he included as a cc.
McKay then proposed a meeting date and time: 4 pm, April 22.
ln Alcheck' s acceptance confirmation, he wrote:
"I assume Amy and Russ will be joining us."
He added Russ Reich, Planning Manager for Development Services, as a cc.
We do not know if Michael Alcheck's position as one of the city's seven planning
and transportation commissioners and his familiarity with planning staff gave him
an advantage over other applicants in pushing a disagreement up the ladder to
management and in making his case. But no matter what, if any, that impact, a
month after the meeting, on May 20, 2015, the city allowed him to build his
carport in the front of the lot as specified in his application plan set. 5
What planning staff missed, or did not respond to, was the disqualifying fact that
the attached parking structure met the city's definition of"garage." An attached
garage was explicitly required to be in the rear half of his lot.
5 This investigation was not able to obtain any notes or minutes from the pivotal April 22, 2015 meeting via Public
Records Request.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page9
Defi nition Confusion
The 2015 Palo Alto Municipal Code definitions for carport and garage were not
precise with regard to the words "open," "unenclosed," and "enclosed."
The two definitions follow with our italics added:
"Carport" means a portion of a principal residential building or an accessory
building to a residential use designed to be utilized for the shelter of one ( 1)
or more motor vehicles, which is open (unenclosed) on two or more sides
including on the vehicular entry side, and which is covered with a solid roof.
"Garage, private" means a portion of a principal residential building or an
accessory building to a residential use designed to be utilized for the shelter of
one (I) or more motor vehicles and which is enclosed on two or more sides.
What meets the requirement of a carport side that it is "open (unenclosed)":
A side with vertical beams, but no covering?
A side with a low, end-to-end wall?
A side that is completely open?
Analogous questions can be raised with regard to the requirement that a garage
side be "enclosed'>.
There are no specific definitions in the municipal code to guide us, only historical
knowledge can help answer the questions.
But even without this knowledge, it is easy to demonstrate that Alcheck's parking
structure was a garage via the overhead drawing on the next page.
The Commissioner, the Carports, and the City Page 10
c c c
c c c
(
(
c c
c c
c
( c
L c