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HomeMy Public PortalAboutAugust 28, 2023 City Council Emails701-32 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: 8/28/2023 Document dates: 8/21/2023 – 8/28/2023 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. From:Dave StellmanTo:Becchetti, Benjamin Cc:City Mgr; osbaldo@or-builders.com; VCondon@wongelectric.com; manu@k9ventures.com; Moffatt, Pete; bill@paloaltoglass.com; cathi@lerchconstruction.com; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; swong@wongelectric.com;RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com; davestellman@gmail.com; nancy@drewmaran.com; Patrick Kelly; Dan McKinley; Maor Greenberg; McDonough, Melissa; Reifschneider, James; Tanaka, Greg; Lauing, Ed; Kou, Lydia; Transportation;Veenker, Vicki; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Marguerite Poyatos; Patrick Kelly; John Lerch; Lester Wong; Dori DoromboziSubject:Re: Industrial/Transport/Commercial concerns Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 8:17:47 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from dave@paloaltoglass.com. Learn why this is important Hello Ben and thank you for your detailed email. I will assume you will be our point of contact with the city since no one else has replied. In response; We appreciate your efforts to increase patrols in our area to once a week; this should help. PLEASE keep it up. I think that if your people can see first hand just who is really inneed and get them some help vs. those who are just playing the park-and-move game, they can better target their enforcement. And speaking of enforcement, as you state in yourreply; "If a vehicle moves once during that requisite 72 hour period, even if they return to the same spot, they are in compliance of the regulations". Does this make any sense toyou? It sure doesn't to any of us. If someone is doing this it is obvious to everyone that they have no intention of ever leaving, and they know there is nothing we can do about it.After your last warnings were placed we saw some of the multi-vehicle owners start their standard drive-around-the-block-and-repark scenario. Local employee's quickly movedtheir personal vehicles into these spaces. This worked great until we had to go home, and by morning they were back exactly where they were before, in front of our businesses.Please let us know the process for getting this regulation changed to something you can actually enforce like a half-mile relocation, or maybe a 72 hour NO re-parking requirement?The city of Atherton's parking regulation seems pretty simple; " Parking or leaving any vehicle on a public street or highway for seventy-two or more consecutive hours is prohibited. The regular or permanent storage or parking on any publicstreet, right-of-way, alley or driveway of house campers, house cars, buses, trucks over 1-1/2-ton, commercial vehicles, disabled, dismantled, or junked vehicles or parts thereof,trailer coaches, tractors, boats, and boat or horse trailers is prohibited." Seems reasonable. Since we are going to actively attempt to resolve this problem in our area, would it be possible for us to receive the weekly report of warnings posted, citations issued and vehiclestowed you are referring to? It would be very helpful to us to see your progress, and possibly help with on-site information to your officers. You mention that over the last twoweeks you placed 72 hour tow warnings on 21 vehicles. 13 moved (no progress, let's change the regulations), 6 were cited (please follow up on these with towing if they won'tleave), and 2 were towed (thank you, its a start!). Even if it's just an email like this one from you every Monday that would be so much help to us. We do appreciate the Police Department's help with this, and please do continue to work with the other agencies involved to resolve this problem. Dave Stellman On Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 12:17 PM Becchetti, Benjamin <Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hello Dave (and others ), I am responding to your message concerning parking and other associated issues in the area surrounding your business(es). Thank you for writing the City with your concerns. If you have not already, I would encourage you to read the City’s blog post from March 2021 describing our parking enforcement efforts along El Camino Real, which presents some similar challenges. Please note that police are not legally allowed to enforce parking restrictions in private lots (e.g., vehicles parking without permission). Officers can ask the vehicle owner not to use private business lots for their personal purposes, and perform a civil standby to ensure safety if any such vehicle is towed, but the tow itself must be initiated by the property owner. We have marked and cited vehicles in your area on a weekly basis for the last month, and approximately bi-weekly prior to August. We have issued several citations for various violations such as expired registration. As we have found to be a best practice among other cities, we mark for 72-hours, cite if there is a violation upon re-check, and repeat this process again before considering towing any vehicle, including RV’s. If a vehicle moves the requisite distance once during that 72 hour period, even if they return to the same spot, they are within compliance of the regulations. This process also includes some personal contact from an officer to speak with the owner about available social services. Our goal is to obtain voluntary, legal compliance wherever possible. Over the last two weeks, the Department marked 21 vehicles for apparent 72 hour violations (tow warnings). 2 of them were subsequently towed, while 6 vehicles were cited. Of the remaining 19 vehicles, 13 were moved and deemed in compliance with the parking regulations during that time. In addition to our Community Service Officers attending to weekly parking issues, we have two officers patrolling that area on a regular basis in response to your ongoing concerns, in a marked police car and sometimes in an unmarked (undercover) vehicle. They have been instructed to look for electrical theft issues, illegal dumping, and other nuisance violations. What can complicate enforcement efforts is that many of these offenses are legally classified as infractions and are, thus, not enforceable by the police after the fact, even with video. In other words, an officer must see the violation occurring to take enforcement action. The Police Department will continue to consult with the City’s Transportation and Public Works Departments (wastewater treatment), as well as the City Manager’s Office, to identify additional strategies for mitigating the issues you’re experiencing. Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions, Ben Lieutenant Ben Becchetti Investigative Services/Traffic You don't often get email from dave@paloaltoglass.com. Learn why this is important Palo Alto Police Department 650-329-2232 From: Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2023 10:41 AM To: Tanaka, Greg <Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Kou, Lydia <Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Transportation <Transportation@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Veenker, Vicki <Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Binder, Andrew <Andrew.Binder@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Stone, Greer <Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lythcott-Haims, Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Osbaldo Romero <osbaldo@or-builders.com>; Veronica <VCondon@wongelectric.com>; Moffatt, Pete <pete@petemoffat.com>; Nancy Powers <nancy@drewmaran.com>; Patrick Kelly <info@basketmaterials.com>; John Lerch <john@lerchconstruction.com>; Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com>; Bill McLane <bill@paloaltoglass.com>; Lester Wong <lwong@wongelectric.com>; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Dori Dorombozi <dori@k9ventures.com>; Steve Wong <swong@wongelectric.com>; Cathi Lerch <cathi@lerchconstruction.com>; Dave Stellman <davestellman@gmail.com>; Ramon Moreno <RamonMorenoSchool@gmail.com>; Marguerite Poyatos <marguerite@paloaltoglass.com> Subject: Street Parking Problem CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. I am writing this email on behalf of the commercial building and business owners on Commercial, Transport and Industrial Streets, to address the "homeless" problem in our area. I have included our Mayor, Vice Mayor, Police Chief and city council members. I am copying the local building and business owners in the hope that this thread can continue on and allow an ongoing dialog for present and future problems by hitting "reply all" by all parties. I currently own a building on Transport Street. Over the last few years the "homeless" problem has gotten progressively worse, and is now at the point where something must be done. I paraphrase "homeless" because this is not the only thing going on here. Our streets have become a free storage lot for anyone's car, truck, trailer or motorhome. Years ago our parking enforcement would at least swing by occasionally to place "You Will Be Towed" signs on their windshields; this has now been abandoned or is unenforced and when we call in a vehicle that never moves we are told by the police; "Our instructions are that if a vehicle has current registration, there is nothing we can do. Tow companies say motorhomes and trailers are too much trouble because of habitation and personal belongings, and the Palo Alto City Council does not want to get into a war with the homeless community over street parking. Complain to the city council". So here we are. Our streets currently have so many vehicles either being lived in or stored here that there is no longer room for our employees or customers to park. I was recently told by one business owner that an employee was actually ticketed for parking too close to a handicap ramp. Really? With everything else going on here this is what you choose to enforce? Where would you suggest we park if you won't clear our streets? We are finding extension cords plugged into outdoor outlets overnight stealing power. Our dumpsters are being filled with all kinds of debris - some of which we have even been reprimanded for by the city waste disposal for hazardous materials when we have no control over it. And last but not least, it is becoming almost a daily occurrence for someone to dump their human waste down the storm drains requiring the city to send a crew out to clean it up. When is enough enough??? We all realize there is a homeless problem, but should we be forced to accept these conditions in one of the most prosperous cities in the county just because our city leaders don't want to make waves and enforce our existing laws? We are respectfully requesting that due to the ongoing and increasing problems listed above, the city starts enforcing the already existing 72 hour parking limit. Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code: "The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires that any vehicle parked on a public street be driven at least one-half mile every 72 hours, even if it re-parks in the same location. Ifyou would like to report a vehicle that you believe is violating this ordinance by remaining parked for more than 72 hours without driving, please complete the formbelow". (available online through the City website, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Home ) "If you'd prefer, you can also leave this information on our recorded Abandoned Vehicle Hotline at (650) 329-2258". "When we receive a complaint (we receive over 1,200 such complaints City-wide annually), our Community Service Officers respond and place a warning notice on thevehicle with the details of the law. Placing this written notice is required by the Municipal Code. We then return 72 hours later and take enforcement action asappropriate. This could include a citation, a tow, or both." If this was actually done and citations and towing were carried out 72 hours after a notice, I don't think it would take long for word to get out that this is not a good place topermanently park or store your vehicle and maybe we could have our neighborhood back. Everyone seems concerned about rights, but what about ours? I will leave the end of this email open for responses from our city leaders, and in the hope that any other building or business owners will add their experiences andcomments as well. Regards, Dave Stellman From:Sheriff Transparency To:Aram James Cc:Robert. Jonsen; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Reifschneider, James; Josh Becker; Wagner, April; Mila Zelkha; Michael Gennaco; Stephen.Connolly@oirgroup.com; Shana Segal; Council, City; Jeff Rosen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Perron, Zachary; DuJuan Green; Kevin Jensen; dennis burns; Tim james; Chuck Jagoda; james pitkin Subject:Re: Gassing in the jails, Daily Post, August 28, 2023, by Aram James Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 4:13:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Aram, Well stated. Has Sheriff Jonsen reformed anything? Sounds like the repeated request for aninterview is an LA Sheriff Dept tactic. Chiefs and Sheriffs here in the Bay Area will typically speak up on issues as these when the public needs to know. This sounds like a human rights nightmare and for the Sheriff to continue this archaic move totear gas someone for refusing medication when no other jail facility does, is reckless in our opinion. So, even if it's a court order, by finding other ways to work with an inmate seems to be a betterobjective? Have they tried working with on duty mental health professionals to assist rather than 'oversee'? Seems pretty heavy handed to use tear gas for an inmate not cooperating. We've reviewed theprevious article and understand the intent of 'Clear Out', but applied to those refusing meds? We hope this is being used as a 'last resort'? While we agree to save folks on both sides fromany injuries, really, a court order? The same court system who will find the Sheriffs Office liable should an inmate die as a result? And us taxpayers paying the cost to the families? What is the response from the County's PSJC, the OCLEM and CCLEM people?Or are they just paid mouthpieces to speak up when they need to aside from Sheriff Jonsen's silence? Even though our issues with transparency is focused based on the Sheriff himself and the pasttransgressions involving the Sheriff which we feel he needs to be held accountable for, its disturbing to us that since reading the original article you posted about using tear gas oninmates, nobody has said much with regards to this tear gassing situation? How is it that other jails, including Alameda County does not employ this tactic? We would appreciate if there was any County response if we did miss it, to repost here so we can follow. If there were no responses, plain disgusting but not surprising. SCCSTG On Mon, Aug 28, 2023, 11:23 AM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone <IMG_0399.jpg> From:Magrissa Funnie To:Becchetti, Benjamin; Council, City Subject:Re: Fabian Way complaint Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 12:57:39 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from mikkifunnie@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important Good morning, I would like a follow up! I see no, not one car has been moved. I work in Downtown PaloAlto and you have to move every two hours or be ticketed. You have to have a permit to park in certainareas. Why? Not here where I live. I’m tired of the stuff, barbecue’ s going on in the street awhile yourcommunity services vehicles drive by! This is not a dumping ground and yet when you drive by you feelthat way! Downtown palo does not get treated this way! We are ticketed everyday where we work!Discrimination! I am beginning to think you guys want them there. Out of site out of mind, not indowntown. My block is not a dumping ground, rats and cockroaches. At least request they clean up. Havethe city clean up! Do something we pay property taxes and this is what we get. Not a happy camper, thismakes me sad. I would like a copy of policy from city council telling me I have to live with your messthey are creating. Where is it written broken RV’s with NOO vehicle Tags belong on public streets, where is it written where no cars are being towed on public street that arenot running and registered. This ad hoc way of helping others is counter to the downtown. Please schoolhas started the seniors can’t walk down the street. What are you doing to help us. I see more car Drive or better walk down the street and see the trash! Don’t be scared! You ask us to do it everyday.This not how we want to live. City council stop looking for a pickle ball court and look for a spot to put the rv’s your rules! Still your constituents Sent from my iPhone On Aug 9, 2023, at 7:10 PM, Magrissa Funnie <mikkifunnie@yahoo.com> wrote: I am a happy camper, don’t want to see anyone out on the street but I also want to be able towalk down my street. Thank you, thank you! Nothing further, I appreciate you attention tomy email. Thank you again! Sent from my iPhone On Aug 9, 2023, at 9:49 AM, Becchetti, Benjamin<Benjamin.Becchetti@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:  Hello Margissa, I received your complaint about the vehicles down on Fabian Way. In addition to marking those for 72 hour violations by our Community Service Officers, we are going to have our traffic detail as well as two other officers attempt to make contact with the residents and see if we can better gain some compliance to any parking regulations. We commonly cite and exhaust all resources before we resort to towing an RV for several reasons. Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions, comments, or would like to speak further. Ben Lieutenant Ben Becchetti Investigative Services/Traffic Division/Parking Palo Alto Police Department 650-329-2232 -----Original Message-----From: Magrissa Funnie <mikkifunnie@yahoo.com>Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 12:46 PMTo: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: RV Encampment on 3800 Fabian way [Some people who received this message don't often get email frommikkifunnie@yahoo.com. Learn why this is importantat https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification Protect yourself from phishing - Microsoft Support Learn how to identify a phishing scam, designed to steal money via fake emails. aka.ms ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________ Good morning my name is magrissa Funnie and I am writing it to you today because ofthe RV encampment at 3800 Fabian Way. There are about 20 RVs parked on one blockwhich is adjacent to a school and senior citizen complex and other types of housing.There is an an abandon boat that people are living on at night. The vehicles weretagged by the police department about a month ago. They have yet to follow up on thethree day notices of towing. Other cars have moved into the area since then so now Ihave 25 RV vehicles on one city block. We need help! Can anyone help us? We can’teven walk down one side of street. We need help. Please on your way to work drive bywhat we see everyday and see what we see. It does not make you enthusiastic aboutcoming to your own home after a hard day’s work. We are old and tired and just want tobe able to walk down your own block. Please help your constituents live out their latterdays in peace. Thank you for your timeMagrissa FunnieSenior citizen650-283-6250 From:Aram James To:Robert. Jonsen; Sheriff Transparency; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Shikada, Ed; Reifschneider, James; Josh Becker; Wagner, April; Mila Zelkha; Michael Gennaco; Stephen.Connolly@oirgroup.com; Shana Segal; Council,City; Jeff Rosen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Perron, Zachary; DuJuan Green; Kevin Jensen; dennis burns; Tim james; Chuck Jagoda; james pitkin Subject:Gassing in the jails, Daily Post, August 28, 2023, by Aram James Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 11:23:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone<IMG_0399.jpg> From:Aram James To:Rebecca Eisenberg; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Binder, Andrew; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Stump, Molly; MilaZelkha; Josh Becker Subject:Silicon Valley water district helps the homeless and environment - San José Spotlight Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 9:09:04 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-silicon-valley-water-district-helps-the-homeless-and-environment/ Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Perron, Zachary; Reifschneider, James; Binder, Andrew; Wagner, April; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Council, City;Josh Becker; Michael Gennaco; Shana Segal; Jeff Rosen; Sheriff Transparency; Julie Lythcott-Haims; RebeccaEisenberg; ladoris cordell; Molly; Stump, Molly; Joe Simitian; Mila Zelkha; Shikada, Ed; DuJuan Green; KevinJensen; Vara Ramakrishnan; dennis burns; Chuck Jagoda Subject:From The Mercury News e-edition - Sheriff details fatal shooting by ‘madman’ Date:Monday, August 28, 2023 6:57:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sheriff details fatal shooting by ‘madman’ https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=2537ce6e-4295-4a9b-87d5- 68b2a5db71ac&appcode=SAN252&eguid=4d84ab41-19f0-4d87-b258-3b43a6746094&pnum=13# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Wagner, April; Reifschneider, James; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Josh Becker; Shana Segal;Michael Gennaco; Jethroe Moore; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen; Sheriff Transparency; Joe Simitian;Sean Allen; Rebecca Eisenberg; Mila Zelkha; Perron, Zachary; ladoris cordell; Kevin Jensen; DuJuan Green;dennis burns; Julie Lythcott-Haims; chuck jagoda; Enberg, Nicholas; Jay Boyarsky; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg;Vara Ramakrishnan; Angie Evans; Cindy Chavez Subject:Meet Porcha Woodruff, Detroit Woman Jailed While 8 Months Pregnant After False AI Facial Recognition - YouTube Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 11:30:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgTLQ9La80&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Tannock, Julie; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Shana Segal;Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Michael Gennaco; Josh Becker; Foley, Michael; Jensen, Eric; Figueroa, Eric; JeffRosen; Sheriff Transparency; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Perron,Zachary; james pitkin; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Kevin Jensen; Enberg, Nicholas; Jay Boyarsky; HumanRelations Commission Subject:The Untold Abuse Of Black Male Slaves By White Women - YouTube Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 7:57:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ > >  > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CDBUf42qNo > > > Sent from my iPhone From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; bearwithme1016@att.net;beachrides; bballpod; Leodies Buchanan; David Balakian; fred beyerlein; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; Doug Vagim;dennisbalakian; dan.richard@earthlink.net; dallen1212@gmail.com; Daniel Zack; eappel@stanford.edu;cramirez.electriclab133@gmail.com; Scott Wilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov;huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; info@centralvalleyteaparty.com; Sally Thiessen; jerry ruopoli; JoelStiner; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Mark Standriff; Mayor; merazroofinginc@att.net; margaret-sasaki@live.com; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; MY77FJ@gmail.com; news@fresnobee.com; nick yovino;newsdesk; russ@topperjewelers.com; Dan Richard; Steve Wayte; terry; tsheehan; vallesR1969@att.net;yicui@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: Action in Sacto re HO insurance Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 3:39:58 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Sun, Aug 27, 2023 at 2:48 PM Subject: Action in Sacto re HO insuranceTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Sunday, August 27, 2023 To all- IMPORTANT: If you own a home in California, read this. Not sure if it's action, but at least some Republican Calif. State Senators sent a letterdated Friday, August 25, 2023 to elected California State Insurance Commissioner Lara saying that the homeowners insurance situation in California has reached the crisis stage. CA Senate Republicans Send Letter To Insurance Commissioner Lara Over FalteringHomeowners Insurance Market – California Globe There are things he can do to help the situation without action by the legislature and governor, they say. Apparently he has done little to nothing so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hadnever heard his name. They say the legislature is ready to take action if he needs them to. He needs them to. Urge Gov. Newsom to get involved in this. Likewise the legislature. You would have to bebrain-dead if you own a home in California and are unaware of what is happening with regard to homeowners insurance here. Five big insurance cos. have either pulled out of the Californiamarket or have severely limited the property they will insure. The endless wildfires in California are causing claims they cannot bear and so something has to give. Newsom has had very little to say about the wildfires that now ravage California for about10 months per year destroying thousands of homes and businesses and killing people. Can you believe what you are reading? Guess he's too busy out shopping. The smoke alone isdamaging our health. It contains 5,000 compounds and I'll bet a few of them are carcinogens. But silence from Newsom. Not one word from Newsom about the health effects of all the smoke. Dr. Jon LaPook on CBS Evening News said one time that the smoke contains 5,000compounds. One disease I like that it causes is fibrosis of the lungs. One's lungs become tough and leathery and one cannot get air. The medical community knows what wildfire smoke cando to a person, but not one word from Newsom about it. We have ONE DC-10 tanker now in use in California. Diane Feinstein got seven small planes from the Coast Guard to be converted into tankers that can carry 4,000 gallons ofretardant per flight. Until a couple of years ago we also had the 747 Global Super Tanker owned out of Colorado that carried 19,000 of water-retardant per flight. It went bankrupt. Itwas used on the fringes of the Camp fire. We were paying $16,000 per hour to use it. It was flying out of McClellen. I keep urging that California buy and convert 50 old 747s. If they cost $100 million each tobuy and convert to tankers, 50 would cost $5 billion, not an unheard of sum for the State of California to spend. We should form a consortium with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana,Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Canada to buy, convert and use these 50 747 tankers on our endless wildfires. All of these entities are now having wildfires. Spread the cost toobtain and to use them. This would get at the heart of the homeowners insurance crisis in California. Florida is ever worse off due to hurricanes, but hurricanes are hard to stop. We can do much better infighting our wildfires here. If you own a home in California you are in danger of real trouble wrt homeownersinsurance on that home. Start pouring the letters into Newsom and the legislature and tellthem to fix the homeowners insurance disaster that is befalling California. Maybe we need a new elected State Insurance Commissioner too. L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. CA Senate Republicans Send Letter To Insurance Commissioner Lara Over FalteringHomeowners Insurance Market – California Globe From:gel@theconnection.com To:Council, City Subject:AT&T Lead Cables Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 12:39:00 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from gel@theconnection.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello City Council, Several weeks ago I brought up the question, does Palo Alto still have the old AT&T lead sheathed phone cables in use. This issue was brought to our attention through the Wall Street Journal investigative reporting. Since then Utility engineers have contacted AT&T to find out. There was no clear response from them. In my walking around in just a few areas in Palo Alto I have found a couple of these old cables. See attached: One was on Embarcadero between Bryant and Waverley. The other is on Bryant between Embarcadero and Kingsley. These cables can be identified by the gray color. Also the way they are supported between the power poles. The lead cable is supported by wire clips, spaced about every foot or so. These clips hang off of a heavy duty steel wire cable. That picture on Embarcadero shows an area where the cable sags down a little. If you look close you can that the wire clip is missing. There was no support and so the cable just sagged down from the heavy weight. I’m guessing that these old cables are still in use and AT&T has no plans to remove them. AT&T says they are safe, but the WSJ reports say otherwise. I don’t see anything happening to remedy the situation, but I just wanted this to the Council’s attention. Take Care, Gary Lindgren 585 Lincoln Ave. Palo Alto CA 94301 650-326-0655 Check Out Latest Seismometer Reading Be Like Costco…do something in a different way Don’t trust Atoms…they make up everything Fortune Favors The Brave A part of good science is to see what everyone else can see but think what no one else has ever said. The difference between being very smart and very foolish is often very small. So many problems occur when people fail to be obedient when they are supposed to be obedient, and fail to be creative when they are supposed to be creative. The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours. It is sometimes easier to make the world a better place than to prove you have made the world a better place. Amos Tversky From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Steve Levy Subject:The New DOF Population Projections Have Serious Methodological Problems Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 11:33:47 AM Attachments:Numbers-Aug2023-New-DOF-Population-Projections.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, The attached Numbers in the News is a review of the recently published interim population projections from the California Department of Finance (DOF). I identify two methodological problems and review some of the findings. The bottom line is that the DOF projections are inconsistent with the continued job growth forecast by all the major regional planning agencies in California over the next 30 hears and with state policy and regional plans to add a substantial amount of housing. This quote from DOF acknowledges the limitations of their projections which seem to mostly continue recent trends and not consider changes as is done by the regional agency long- term planning. "These projections assume economic stability throughout the forecast period. Changes inimmigration, education, housing, or transportation policy could have significant effects andare not considered here.” The projections do NOT provide a rationale for saying the state does not need to meet the RHNA goals as some have argued. Steve From:Aram James To:Robert. Jonsen; Molly; Jeff Rosen; Binder, Andrew; Jethroe Moore; Sean Allen; Council, City; Reifschneider,James; Josh Becker; Wagner, April; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Hornung, Joel; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric;DuJuan Green; Kevin Jensen; Shikada, Ed; dennis burns; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Jethroe Moore; Joe Simitian;Sheriff Transparency; Human Relations Commission; Shana Segal; ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Perron, Zachary;Rebecca Eisenberg; Jeff Rosen; Enberg, Nicholas; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Jay Boyarsky; Cindy Chavez;Afanasiev, Alex; Angie Evans; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:From The Mercury News e-edition - Court case dismissals rampant Date:Sunday, August 27, 2023 3:59:33 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Court case dismissals rampant https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=2d060a2e-0948-4a6c-a517- dd06ec004402&appcode=SAN252&eguid=2cce6513-464a-4299-a2a2-77f6336352c5&pnum=2# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Sheriff Transparency; DuJuan Green; Kevin Jensen; dennis burns; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Council, City;Binder, Andrew; Braden Cartwright; Reifschneider, James; Josh Becker; Wagner, April; Michael Gennaco; JoeSimitian; Shana Segal; Shikada, Ed; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Cindy Chavez;Perron, Zachary; District1@bos.sccgov.org; Robert. Jonsen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Human Relations Commission;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Enberg, Nicholas; Jay Boyarsky; Vara Ramakrishnan; Angie Evans; chuck jagoda Subject:Auditors find use of tear gas in Santa Clara County jails appropriate Date:Saturday, August 26, 2023 8:25:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ FYI: https://www.ktvu.com/news/auditor-recommends-use-of-tear-gas-in-santa-clara-county-jails Sent from my iPhone View this email in your browser LWVPA Fall Kick Off Event Sunday, October 1, 2023 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm From:LWV Palo Alto Speaker SeriesTo:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA Fall Kick Off Event with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe SimitianDate:Saturday, August 26, 2023 8:59:46 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from publicity@lwvpaloalto.org. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. The Foster Museum 940 Commercial St. Palo Alto Light Hors d’Oeuvres Will Be Served Join us for engaging conversation with our Guest Speaker. Bring a friend and introduce them to the League! Featuring our Guest Speaker: Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian Bridging the Divide — Hope for the Future Supervisor Joe Simitian will share his thoughts, based on his own experiences, on why he believes there is a way to push through and past our current polarization, and the role for the LWV Palo Alto in this process. Submit your questions for Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian in advance here. Please share with others who may be interested. About our Speaker: Register Now Joe Simitian was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2012, re- elected in 2016 and 2020​​​. He represents the Fifth District, which includes Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, and portions of Sunnyvale and San Jose. Joe's public service over the years includes stints as a member of the California State Senate, the California State Assembly, Mayor of Palo Alto, President of the Palo Alto School Board, as well as an earlie​r term on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The Colorado College. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University, as well as a Masters degree in City Planning and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. During his tenure in the State Legislature, Joe authored high-impact legislation on energy, water, environment, education, privacy, elder protection, and highway safety. Joe brings a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds to his work. He has served at all levels of state and local government. Joe also has hands-on experience in the private sector as a public school’s attorney, businessman, and certified city planner. Along with a breadth of international interests and experience, Joe's professional education and training particularly apply to his work in public service. LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Email Email Copyright © 2023 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Barberini,Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Shana Segal; Michael Gennaco; Foley,Michael; Tannock, Julie; Sheriff Transparency; Robert. Jonsen; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen;Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Perron, Zachary; Enberg, Nicholas; Jay Boyarsky; SupervisorSusan Ellenberg; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Kevin Jensen; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:Last-minute legal maneuver keeps Antioch cops from testifying about racism within their department...for now Date:Friday, August 25, 2023 6:13:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ fyi: https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/25/last-minute-legal-maneuver-keeps-antioch-cops-from-testifying-about- racism-within-their-department-for-now/ Sent from my iPhone From:John Lerch To:Moffatt, Pete Cc:Manu Kumar; Dave Stellman; Tanaka, Greg; Lauing, Ed; Kou, Lydia; City Mgr; Transportation; Veenker, Vicki; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Osbaldo Romero; Veronica; Nancy Powers; Patrick Kelly; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Dori Dorombozi; Steve Wong; Cathi Lerch; Dave Stellman; Ramon Moreno; Marguerite Poyatos Subject:Re: Street Parking Problem Date:Friday, August 25, 2023 5:43:22 PM Attachments:IMG_7409.pngimage.png Some people who received this message don't often get email from john@lerchconstruction.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. City of Palo Alto, I want to add my support to the letters that you have received from my neighbors. My name is John Lerch. I have lived in Palo Alto since 1949, and have been a General Contractor in this area since 1972.My office/shop is at 923 Industrial Avenue in Palo Alto. My business is located in the loop that starts and ends on Charleston avenue and is defined by Commercial,Transport and Industrial Avenues. For many years, we would see a few vans or campers parked overnightoccasionally that would move-on after a short stay. What we have now is 15-20 motorhomes, campers, vans that are being lived-in and are parked permanently in ourneighborhood. The impacts of this situation are many:PARKINGWe are all running businesses in this area, with parking needs for our employees and for our visitors. On most days,there is only limited parking on the street because of the spaces taken up by these permanent vehicles. DEBRIS/ENCROACHMENT~ Our dumpsters are frequently being used for getting rid of the garbage from these vehicles. ~ My parking area is a regular dumping ground for dogs. My employees and visitors are sick and tired of running over or stepping in this dog poop.~ They frequently dump the urine/sewage from their occupation into the street drains.~ The street gutters in the vicinity of these vehicles are full of food wrappers and other garbage that never getscleaned-up.~ They run generators that pollute the air and are very noisy.~ They plug-in to receptacles owned by businesses along the street and use the electricity to power their lights,coolers, etc. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTI personally have not seen any violence caused by the people staying in these vehicles, but I have had many customers express concern about the safety of the neighborhood.It looks like we are operating on the wrong side of the tracks, in an area that you would not want to walk through atnight. But we are all paying Palo Alto rental rates!There is no discount for operating in a lousy neighborhood that the City of Palo Alto refuses to clean up. Please help us out here!!! John Lerch923 Industrial Avenue On Fri, Aug 25, 2023 at 7:10 AM Pete Moffat <pete@petemoffat.com> wrote: City of Palo Alto Leaders I have lived and worked in Palo Alto for over 30 years. We have been at our current location at 947 Industrial Ave for over 20 years. Understanding that housing in this area is difficult and expensive I think has made most of us more tolerant of the RV living in our area. In the last 6 months we have had a large influx of new people and this seems to have brought larger issues with trespassing, trash and sewage. We are having people plug into our building to power their RVs,leave trash on the street, dump trash in our recycling bins, dump sewage into the storm drains and most recently dump sewage onto the streets and gutters. As a building contractor I am quite aware of how well Palo Alto does with job site work hour and noise enforcement and I am not understanding how we can not get some help with sewage and garbage being dumped on our streets. Pete Moffat 947 Industrial Ave Palo Alto CA 94303 650 493 8899 On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 11:22 PM Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com> wrote:City of Palo Alto Leaders, We have been in the building at 927 Industrial Ave since 2014. As Dave Stellmanmentioned in his email to you below, the problem with RV-dwellers on our streets has reached a tipping point and is impacting our businesses, our employees, andour customers/clients. The RVs and their “supporting vehicles” that usually serve as storage are parkedon the street almost permanently. By allowing this to happen, the City hasprovided a license and permission for others to follow suit and their numbers haveincreased. They take up the street parking spaces leaving no spaces available forthe workers or visitors. The presence of these vehicles reflects poorly on our businesses and leads to anegative perception and experience for clients, customers, and guests. We can’tkeep our space clean because there is litter and trash being thrown around. Someof the RV-dwellers are rude and belligerent towards our staff and employees, andmultiple employees have complained about feeling unsafe when coming to orleaving work. We file reports with the Abandoned Vehicle form like clockwork at this point. TheCommunity Service Officer responds by leaving warning notices on the vehiclesand once in a while a citation too. But we’ve also seen the same warning noticesand citations ripped up and thrown on the ground with blatant disregard for theCity’s authority. Some of the RV-dwellers also park their supporting vehicles (for storage, ormotorcycles) on our private property. When we’ve politely asked them to refrainfrom doing so, we’ll get ignored, abused, or shown the finger. When we call theCity Police we’re told that we should call a towing company to have them towed.That advice from the police doesn’t help any as it will only escalate the tensionbetween the business owners and the RV-dwellers. If we have these vehiclestowed, we are likely to face repercussions in the form of further antagonization ofour employees and clients, and possible damage and vandalism to our propertyand vehicles. We have businesses to run, but we also have lives to go home to. We cannot bepresent at our property 24 hours a day, especially on nights and weekends whenthe activity picks up. We have cameras to be able to see what’s happening, butnone of that will help to prevent any damage to our property, especially when theCity isn’t going to back us up and take action. There is human excrement to be found on our streets and storm drains. There isurine stored in plastic bottles left around on the streets. We have peopletrespassing on our property, smoking right outside our doors, throwing stuff inour city-issued recycling, compost, and landfill bins, and often leaving a mess forus to clean up or re-sort so that our bins get picked up by the collection trucks. We understand that the City wants to be humane and not take away the primaryshelter from people who may be disadvantaged. However, doing so without anyregard for the businesses that are impacted by this policy means that the City isbeing willfully negligent of the needs of the businesses that are impacted by this. Since pictures speak louder than words here is a picture taken right outside ouroffice today (August 23, 2023): Please notice the trash / fast food wrappers littered on our property. The RV withits door open often has a generator running right in front of it. The noise and thefumes from the generator can be heard all the way inside our office. Themotorcycle in the picture is parked on private property and the owner of theRV/motorcycle continues to park it there even after being politely requested tomove it to the street. Here is the same motorcycle parked on another part of our property and Ringdoorbell capture of people trespassing and smoking on our property: The City won't tow any of these RVs and the RV-dwellers on our street are wellaware of this. They blatantly ignore any warning notices or citations. Maybethey’ll move up or down a few spots over the weekend when the street is mostlyempty. But we’ve seen the same vehicles on our street for years and new onesare appearing because by now everyone knows that the City of Palo Alto won’t doanything about it. To see this in Palo Alto is extremely disappointing. Clearly, the City’s laws andregulations are not applied equally to everyone. The City’s lack of enforcementhas fostered an environment of blatant disregard for any applicable laws, regulations, or even common decency I would like to second the note that Dave Stellman sent on behalf of thecommercial building and business owners on Industrial Ave, Commercial St, andTransport St, and implore the City to do its job in providing safe, and cleanstreets in our neighborhood. Your prompt attention and action in this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Regards, Dr. Manu Kumar927 Industrial AvePalo Alto, CA 94303 On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 10:41 AM Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:I am writing this email on behalf of the commercial building and business owners onCommercial, Transport and Industrial Streets, to address the "homeless" problem in ourarea. I have included our Mayor, Vice Mayor, Police Chief and city council members. Iam copying the local building and business owners in the hope that this thread cancontinue on and allow an ongoing dialog for present and future problems by hitting"reply all" by all parties. I currently own a building on Transport Street. Over the last few years the "homeless"problem has gotten progressively worse, and is now at the point where something mustbe done. I paraphrase "homeless" because this is not the only thing going on here. Ourstreets have become a free storage lot for anyone's car, truck, trailer or motorhome.Years ago our parking enforcement would at least swing by occasionally to place "YouWill Be Towed" signs on their windshields; this has now been abandoned or isunenforced and when we call in a vehicle that never moves we are told by the police; "Our instructions are that if a vehicle has current registration, there is nothing we can do.Tow companies say motorhomes and trailers are too much trouble because of habitationand personal belongings, and the Palo Alto City Council does not want to get into a warwith the homeless community over street parking. Complain to the city council". Sohere we are. Our streets currently have so many vehicles either being lived in or stored here that thereis no longer room for our employees or customers to park. I was recently told by onebusiness owner that an employee was actually ticketed for parking too close to ahandicap ramp. Really? With everything else going on here this is what you choose toenforce? Where would you suggest we park if you won't clear our streets? We are finding extension cords plugged into outdoor outlets overnight stealing power.Our dumpsters are being filled with all kinds of debris - some of which we have evenbeen reprimanded for by the city waste disposal for hazardous materials when we haveno control over it. And last but not least, it is becoming almost a daily occurrence forsomeone to dump their human waste down the storm drains requiring the city to send acrew out to clean it up. When is enough enough??? We all realize there is a homeless problem, but should we beforced to accept these conditions in one of the most prosperous cities in the county just because our city leaders don't want to make waves and enforce our existing laws? We are respectfully requesting that due to the ongoing and increasing problems listedabove, the city starts enforcing the already existing 72 hour parking limit. Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code: "The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires that any vehicle parked on a public street be driven at least one-half mile every 72 hours, even if it re-parks in the same location. If you would like to report a vehicle that you believe is violating this ordinance by remaining parked for more than 72 hours without driving, please complete the form below". (available online through the Citywebsite, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Home ) "If you'd prefer, you can also leave this information on our recorded Abandoned Vehicle Hotline at (650) 329-2258". "When we receive a complaint (we receive over 1,200 such complaints City- wide annually), our Community Service Officers respond and place a warning notice on the vehicle with the details of the law. Placing this written notice is required by the Municipal Code. We then return 72 hours later and take enforcement action as appropriate. This could include a citation, a tow, orboth." If this was actually done and citations and towing were carried out 72 hours after a notice, I don't think it would take long for word to get out that this is not a good place to permanently park or store your vehicle and maybe we could have our neighborhood back. Everyone seems concerned about rights, but what about ours? I will leave the end of this email open for responses from our city leaders, and in the hope that any other building or business owners will add their experiences and comments as well. Regards, Dave Stellman -- pete moffat leed appete moffat construction inc. 947 industrial avepalo alto ca 94303 Office 650 313 2400 -- Lerch Construction Company923 Industrial AvePalo Alto, CA 94303p. 650.843.1144f. 650.843.1161www.lerchconstruction.com From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Robert. Jonsen; Jethroe Moore; Council, City; Sean Allen; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April;Perron, Zachary; Shikada, Ed; Shana Segal; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie;Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen; Sheriff Transparency; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Rebecca Eisenberg;ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Perron, Zachary; Josh Becker; Enberg, Nicholas; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; DuJuanGreen; dennis burns; Kevin Jensen Subject:Los Angeles Times: FBI joins probe of LAPD gang officers suspected of turning off body cameras Date:Friday, August 25, 2023 5:02:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ FBI joins probe of LAPD gang officers suspected of turning off body cameras https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-25/fbi-joins-probe-of-lapd-gang-officers-suspected-of-turning- off-body-cameras Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Barberini,Christopher; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Shana Segal; Michael Gennaco; Foley,Michael; Tannock, Julie; Sheriff Transparency; Robert. Jonsen; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen;Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; Mila Zelkha; Perron, Zachary; Enberg, Nicholas; Jay Boyarsky; SupervisorSusan Ellenberg; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Kevin Jensen; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:Last-minute legal maneuver keeps Antioch cops from testifying about racism within their department...for now Date:Friday, August 25, 2023 4:19:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ fyi: https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/25/last-minute-legal-maneuver-keeps-antioch-cops-from-testifying-about- racism-within-their-department-for-now/ Sent from my iPhone From:Pete Moffat To:Manu Kumar Cc:Dave Stellman; Tanaka, Greg; Lauing, Ed; Kou, Lydia; City Mgr; Transportation; Veenker, Vicki; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Osbaldo Romero; Veronica; Nancy Powers; Patrick Kelly; John Lerch; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Dori Dorombozi; Steve Wong; Cathi Lerch; Dave Stellman; Ramon Moreno; Marguerite Poyatos Subject:Re: Street Parking Problem Date:Friday, August 25, 2023 7:11:25 AM Attachments:IMG_7409.png Some people who received this message don't often get email from pete@petemoffat.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. City of Palo Alto Leaders I have lived and worked in Palo Alto for over 30 years. We have been at our current location at 947 Industrial Ave for over 20 years. Understanding that housing in this area is difficult and expensive I think has made most of usmore tolerant of the RV living in our area. In the last 6 months we have had a large influx of new people and thisseems to have brought larger issues with trespassing, trash and sewage. We are having people plug into our buildingto power their RVs,leave trash on the street, dump trash in our recycling bins, dump sewage into the storm drainsand most recently dump sewage onto the streets and gutters. As a building contractor I am quite aware of how well Palo Alto does with job site work hour and noiseenforcement and I am not understanding how we can not get some help with sewage and garbage being dumped onour streets. Pete Moffat 947 Industrial AvePalo Alto CA 94303650 493 8899 On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 11:22 PM Manu Kumar <manu@k9ventures.com> wrote: City of Palo Alto Leaders, We have been in the building at 927 Industrial Ave since 2014. As Dave Stellmanmentioned in his email to you below, the problem with RV-dwellers on our streetshas reached a tipping point and is impacting our businesses, our employees, andour customers/clients. The RVs and their “supporting vehicles” that usually serve as storage are parked onthe street almost permanently. By allowing this to happen, the City has provided alicense and permission for others to follow suit and their numbers have increased.They take up the street parking spaces leaving no spaces available for the workersor visitors. The presence of these vehicles reflects poorly on our businesses and leads to anegative perception and experience for clients, customers, and guests. We can’tkeep our space clean because there is litter and trash being thrown around. Someof the RV-dwellers are rude and belligerent towards our staff and employees, andmultiple employees have complained about feeling unsafe when coming to orleaving work. We file reports with the Abandoned Vehicle form like clockwork at this point. The Community Service Officer responds by leaving warning notices on the vehicles andonce in a while a citation too. But we’ve also seen the same warning notices andcitations ripped up and thrown on the ground with blatant disregard for the City’sauthority. Some of the RV-dwellers also park their supporting vehicles (for storage, ormotorcycles) on our private property. When we’ve politely asked them to refrainfrom doing so, we’ll get ignored, abused, or shown the finger. When we call theCity Police we’re told that we should call a towing company to have them towed.That advice from the police doesn’t help any as it will only escalate the tensionbetween the business owners and the RV-dwellers. If we have these vehiclestowed, we are likely to face repercussions in the form of further antagonization ofour employees and clients, and possible damage and vandalism to our property andvehicles. We have businesses to run, but we also have lives to go home to. We cannot bepresent at our property 24 hours a day, especially on nights and weekends whenthe activity picks up. We have cameras to be able to see what’s happening, butnone of that will help to prevent any damage to our property, especially when theCity isn’t going to back us up and take action. There is human excrement to be found on our streets and storm drains. There isurine stored in plastic bottles left around on the streets. We have peopletrespassing on our property, smoking right outside our doors, throwing stuff in ourcity-issued recycling, compost, and landfill bins, and often leaving a mess for us toclean up or re-sort so that our bins get picked up by the collection trucks. We understand that the City wants to be humane and not take away the primaryshelter from people who may be disadvantaged. However, doing so without anyregard for the businesses that are impacted by this policy means that the City isbeing willfully negligent of the needs of the businesses that are impacted by this. Since pictures speak louder than words here is a picture taken right outside ouroffice today (August 23, 2023): Please notice the trash / fast food wrappers littered on our property. The RV withits door open often has a generator running right in front of it. The noise and thefumes from the generator can be heard all the way inside our office. Themotorcycle in the picture is parked on private property and the owner of theRV/motorcycle continues to park it there even after being politely requested tomove it to the street. Here is the same motorcycle parked on another part of our property and Ringdoorbell capture of people trespassing and smoking on our property: The City won't tow any of these RVs and the RV-dwellers on our street are wellaware of this. They blatantly ignore any warning notices or citations. Maybe they’llmove up or down a few spots over the weekend when the street is mostly empty.But we’ve seen the same vehicles on our street for years and new ones areappearing because by now everyone knows that the City of Palo Alto won’t doanything about it. To see this in Palo Alto is extremely disappointing. Clearly, the City’s laws andregulations are not applied equally to everyone. The City’s lack of enforcement hasfostered an environment of blatant disregard for any applicable laws, regulations, or even common decency I would like to second the note that Dave Stellman sent on behalf of thecommercial building and business owners on Industrial Ave, Commercial St, andTransport St, and implore the City to do its job in providing safe, and clean streetsin our neighborhood. Your prompt attention and action in this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Regards, Dr. Manu Kumar927 Industrial AvePalo Alto, CA 94303 On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 10:41 AM Dave Stellman <dave@paloaltoglass.com> wrote:I am writing this email on behalf of the commercial building and business owners onCommercial, Transport and Industrial Streets, to address the "homeless" problem in ourarea. I have included our Mayor, Vice Mayor, Police Chief and city council members. Iam copying the local building and business owners in the hope that this thread cancontinue on and allow an ongoing dialog for present and future problems by hitting "replyall" by all parties. I currently own a building on Transport Street. Over the last few years the "homeless"problem has gotten progressively worse, and is now at the point where something must bedone. I paraphrase "homeless" because this is not the only thing going on here. Our streetshave become a free storage lot for anyone's car, truck, trailer or motorhome. Years ago ourparking enforcement would at least swing by occasionally to place "You Will Be Towed"signs on their windshields; this has now been abandoned or is unenforced and when wecall in a vehicle that never moves we are told by the police; "Our instructions are that if a vehicle has current registration, there is nothing we can do.Tow companies say motorhomes and trailers are too much trouble because of habitationand personal belongings, and the Palo Alto City Council does not want to get into a warwith the homeless community over street parking. Complain to the city council". So herewe are. Our streets currently have so many vehicles either being lived in or stored here that thereis no longer room for our employees or customers to park. I was recently told by onebusiness owner that an employee was actually ticketed for parking too close to a handicapramp. Really? With everything else going on here this is what you choose to enforce?Where would you suggest we park if you won't clear our streets? We are finding extension cords plugged into outdoor outlets overnight stealing power. Ourdumpsters are being filled with all kinds of debris - some of which we have even beenreprimanded for by the city waste disposal for hazardous materials when we have nocontrol over it. And last but not least, it is becoming almost a daily occurrence forsomeone to dump their human waste down the storm drains requiring the city to send acrew out to clean it up. When is enough enough??? We all realize there is a homeless problem, but should we beforced to accept these conditions in one of the most prosperous cities in the county just because our city leaders don't want to make waves and enforce our existing laws? We are respectfully requesting that due to the ongoing and increasing problems listedabove, the city starts enforcing the already existing 72 hour parking limit. Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code: "The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires that any vehicle parked on a public street be driven at least one-half mile every 72 hours, even if it re-parks in the same location. If you would like to report a vehicle that you believe is violating this ordinance by remaining parked for more than 72 hours without driving, please complete the form below". (available online through the Citywebsite, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Home ) "If you'd prefer, you can also leave this information on our recorded Abandoned Vehicle Hotline at (650) 329-2258". "When we receive a complaint (we receive over 1,200 such complaints City-wide annually), our Community Service Officers respond and place a warning notice on the vehicle with the details of the law. Placing this written notice is required by the Municipal Code. We then return 72 hours later and take enforcement action as appropriate. This could include a citation, a tow, or both." If this was actually done and citations and towing were carried out 72 hours after a notice, I don't think it would take long for word to get out that this is not a good place to permanently park or store your vehicle and maybe we could have our neighborhood back. Everyone seems concerned about rights, but what about ours? I will leave the end of this email open for responses from our city leaders, and in the hope that any other building or business owners will add their experiences and comments as well. Regards, Dave Stellman -- pete moffatleed appete moffat construction inc.947 industrial avepalo alto ca 94303Office 650 313 2400 From:Steve Oberhauser To:Council, City Subject:City looks at 3 strategies for revitalizing Palo Alto"s flagging retail areas | Town Square | Palo Alto Online | Date:Thursday, August 24, 2023 11:37:39 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from objets2000@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/2023/08/16/city-looks-at-3-strategies-for-revitalizing-palo-altos-flagging- retail-areas Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Hey maybe look at the comments. Your ill planned street closure sure isn't all that popular orwell thought out Stephen OberhauserThe Cobblery From:YIMBY ActionTo:Council, CitySubject:Build more homes, save the planet Date:Thursday, August 24, 2023 9:01:47 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from hello@yimbyaction.org. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Image Building infill housing is an essential climate action. Historically, the environmental movement hasn’t recognized the importance of dense housing. That’s why we need your help spreading the word. Let's build walkable communities and save the environment. Join Us in creating sustainable communities! When we reduce sprawl by building dense, walkable neighborhoods, we reduce gas emissions and pollution from car usage and infrastructure. Cities can support their residents with more high- frequency, traffic-reducing public transportation such as trains and buses. This also leads to increased health benefits as we’re able to breathe cleaner air and use more active transportation like walking and bicycling. Plus, it eliminates transportation financial barriers. Will you DONATE TODAY to support climate resilience? Midrise (Infill Circle Club) $100/MONTH Fourplex (Infill Circle Club) $50/MONTH Triplex $25/MONTH Affordable Home $5/MONTH Together, we can build more energy- efficient buildings that preserve the planet’s natural ecosystems. You deserve to have access to greater green space in your community that you can enjoy with your families, friends, and fur babies. Are you ready to fight for a better future? BECOME A YIMBY CLIMATEACTIVIST YOUR YIMBY ACTION MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP STATUS None DONOR LEVEL None VOLUNTEER LEVEL LOCATION Unknown, Unknown Unknown Add/update location MOBILE ALERTS None None Join or Renew Add/update mobile Keeping this information up to date powers our activism! Need help with your membership? Email hello@yimbyaction.org. Image YIMBY Action is a network of pro-housing activists fighting for more inclusive housing policies and a future of abundant housing. Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails fromYIMBY Action, please click here. View this email in your browser LWVPA Happy Hour Discussion From:LWV Palo Alto Speaker SeriesTo:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA Happy Hour Discussion: September 12thDate:Thursday, August 24, 2023 8:29:39 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. The Abortion Talks and Civil Discourse Tuesday, September 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm 1985 Cowper Street, Palo Alto Join us for community building, nibbles, and conversation as we discuss how we can all work to improve civil discourse. View the 95-minute The Abortion Talks: A Documentary in the comfort of your home prior to attending and come ready to share your takeaways. Directed by Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins, this 2022 documentary describes the aftermath of John Salvi's murder spree at two Brookline abortion clinics when leaders from opposing sides of the abortion debate meet together in secret talks. Register to receive a free-of-charge screening room link and password to view the documentary. Our special link ends at 11:59pm ET on September 20. Register Now LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Email Email Copyright © 2023 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Reminder this Saturday and Sunday: Festival of the Arts Street Closures Date:Thursday, August 24, 2023 8:00:22 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 40th Annual PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS SATURDAY AUGUST 26 – SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2023 UNIVERSITY AVENUE 10:00AM – 6:00PM WE ARE WRITING YOU TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF THE PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY AUGUST 26 – SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022, FROM 10:00AM – 6:00PM EACH DAY. AS THE PRESENTER OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, THE PALO ALTO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS REACHING OUT TO BUSINESSES TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FESTIVAL CROWDS OVER THE WEEKEND & TO PROVIDE YOU WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEEKEND. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF PALO ALTO HAS FACILITATED THE PERMIT PROCESS FOR THE FESTIVAL WHICH INCLUDES AUTHORIZEDSTREET CLOSURES AS FOLLOWS: THE FOLLOWING STREETS WILL BE CLOSED BEGINNING 1:30AM ON SATURDAY AUGUST 26th THROUGH 11:00PM ON SUNDAY AUGUST 27th. Ø  UNIVERSITY AVENUE BETWEEN HIGH STREET and WEBSTER STREET AND THE FOLLOWING STREETS BETWEEN LYTTON & HAMILTON §  COWPER, KIPLING, WAVERLY, FLORENCE, BRYANT, RAMONA, EMERSON, TASSO o HIGH STREET & WEBSTER STREET WILL REMAIN OPEN TO TRAFFIC ATALL TIMES o LOT T (Lytton/Kipling) will also be closed for the festival weekend NOTE: ALL CARS ON THESE STREETS PAST 1:30AM SATURDAY AUGUST 26 WILL BE TOWED AT THE VEHICLE OWNER'S EXPENSE The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce does not provide security for individuals, business, or personal property (such as bikes and strollers) but the city's Police Department will have officers in the area. Should there be any concerns or a disturbance, please contact 911. --- PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: WE WILL BE DELIVERING POSTERS & POSTCARDS SOON. PLEASE DISPLAY OUR FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS POSTER IN YOUR WINDOW ANNOUNCING THE WEEKEND. EXPAND YOUR WEEKEND HOURS THE FESTIVAL BOOTHS ARE OPEN BETWEEN 10:00AM – 6:00PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. EXPAND YOUR WEEKEND HOURS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CROWDS TO VISIT YOUR STORE. OUTDOOR FOOD & BEVERAGE RESTAURANTS / CAFES MUST HAVE AN OFF-SALE PERMIT IN ORDER TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE YOUR SITE WITH OPEN CONTAINERS OF FOOD OR BEVERAGES. ALL OTHER OFF- SITE VENDING IS PROHIBITED. IT IS AGAINST ABC REGULATIONS FOR ANY ESTABLISHMENT SELLING ALCOHOL TO POUR INTO A CUSTOMER’S FESTIVAL GLASSWARE DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS OUTSIDE YOUR BUSINESS DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE FESTIVAL PARAMETERS. NO HELIUM / MYLAR BALLOONS. BALLOONS ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND ARE NOT PERMITTED AT PALO ALTO EVENTS UNUSUAL IN-STORE ACTIVITIES IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE YOUR BUSINESS FOR AN OUT OF THE ORDINARY BUSINESS ACTIVITY YOU MUST HAVE TEMPORARY USE PERMIT FROM THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SIDEWALK DISPLAYS ARE PROHIBITED ENCROACHMENT PERMITS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR THIS WEEKEND ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS AT OUR BOOTH DROP OFF ADVERTISING FLIERS FOR YOUR BUSINESS & WE WILL GLADLY DISTRIBUTE THEM AT OUR BOOTH FOR THE WEEKEND FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS …. FOR A GOOD CAUSE PORTIONS OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT SUPPORT NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email at info@paloaltochamber.com. This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe click here. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email atinfo@paloaltochamber.com. From:Aram James To:Jose DEBUG; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Richard Konda; Council, City; Dave Price; Robert. Jonsen; Binder,Andrew; Shikada, Ed; Reifschneider, James; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Foley, Michael; Michael Gennaco; Raj; Wagner,April; Joe Simitian; Shana Segal; Sheriff Transparency; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; MilaZelkha; Perron, Zachary; Josh Becker; Enberg, Nicholas; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; DuJuan Green; dennisburns; Kevin Jensen Subject:Santa Clara County"s use of tear gas at jail halts military equipment purchases Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 5:32:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________https://www.ktvu.com/news/santa-clara-countys-use-of-tear-gas-at-jail-halts-military-equipment-purchases Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Jose DEBUG; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Richard Konda; Council, City; Dave Price; Robert. Jonsen; Binder,Andrew; Shikada, Ed; Reifschneider, James; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Foley, Michael; Michael Gennaco; Raj; Wagner,April; Joe Simitian; Shana Segal; Sheriff Transparency; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; ladoris cordell; MilaZelkha; Perron, Zachary; Josh Becker; Enberg, Nicholas; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; DuJuan Green; dennisburns; Kevin Jensen; Human Relations Commission; Vara Ramakrishnan; Cindy Chavez; Jay Boyarsky; Afanasiev,Alex Subject:Santa Clara County"s use of tear gas at jail halts military equipment purchases Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 5:32:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________https://www.ktvu.com/news/santa-clara-countys-use-of-tear-gas-at-jail-halts-military-equipment-purchases Sent from my iPhone From:Aram James To:Robert. Jonsen; Sheriff Transparency; Jethroe Moore; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; Reifschneider, James; SeanAllen; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Hornung, Joel; Shikada, Ed; Josh Becker; Perron, Zachary; DuJuan Green;Kevin Jensen; Shana Segal; dennis burns; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Human Relations Commission; JulieLythcott-Haims; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; Mila Zelkha; ladoris cordell; Enberg, Nicholas; Supervisor SusanEllenberg Subject:Re: ‘Brady’ list cop who worked at six agencies finally loses license - YouTube Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 4:29:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone > On Aug 23, 2023, at 10:55 AM, Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: > >  > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiB25rc3mUM > > > Sent from my iPhone From:Elizabeth Goldstein Alexis To:Council, City Subject:CEQA/NEPA exemptions for grade sep projects/ shallow deck Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 3:08:35 PM Attachments:Screenshot_20230710-174120.png Broadway Grade Sep Presentation to Council 02.07.22.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is a presentation from a Burlingame city council meeting regarding the Broadwaygrade separation project. There were two items that may be relevant to Palo Alto. First, the project was able to avoid full CEQA and NEPA analysis by utilizing exclusions/exemptions designed to encourage grade separation projects. Is there a reason wewould not also do this? This project also has received state grant money. Secondly, the project is going to eliminate the hybrid aspect by utilizing a thin deck bridge forthe train. Is this something we should simply assume when analyzing and developing thealternatives that we are looking at? RegardsElizabeth Alexis From:Yvonne Tso To:Council, City Subject:Complaint of No Fire Trucks at Mitchell Park Fire Station Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 1:16:46 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from yvonnetso@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Whom it May Concern: I am a concerned citizen. I learned that the Mitchell Park fire station has NOT had a fire truck at this fire station for 2 years already! There are 2 ambulances at this fire station but no fire trucks. The City of Palo Alto has had proportionally more fires in South Palo Alto than in other parts of Palo Alto. This is causing a major problem with no fire trucks at the Mitchell Park fire station! How can we have a fire station with NO fire trucks? This is so unacceptable for the safety of the City of Palo Alto!!! Safety should be a number one priority for the City of Palo Alto!!! Hope that you will be going to resolve this problem very soon? Yvonne Tso 788 Holly Oak Dr, Palo Alto From:Dave Stellman To:Tanaka, Greg; Lauing, Ed; Kou, Lydia; City Mgr; Transportation; Veenker, Vicki; Binder, Andrew; Council, City;Burt, Patrick; Stone, Greer; Lythcott-Haims, Julie Cc:Osbaldo Romero; Veronica; Moffatt, Pete; Nancy Powers; Patrick Kelly; John Lerch; Manu Kumar; Bill McLane; Lester Wong; david@paloaltoconcrete.com; Dori Dorombozi; Steve Wong; Cathi Lerch; Dave Stellman; Ramon Moreno; Marguerite Poyatos Subject:Street Parking Problem Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 10:42:00 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from dave@paloaltoglass.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I am writing this email on behalf of the commercial building and business owners on Commercial, Transport and Industrial Streets, to address the "homeless" problem in our area. Ihave included our Mayor, Vice Mayor, Police Chief and city council members. I am copying the local building and business owners in the hope that this thread can continue on and allowan ongoing dialog for present and future problems by hitting "reply all" by all parties. I currently own a building on Transport Street. Over the last few years the "homeless" problem has gotten progressively worse, and is now at the point where something must be done. Iparaphrase "homeless" because this is not the only thing going on here. Our streets have become a free storage lot for anyone's car, truck, trailer or motorhome. Years ago our parkingenforcement would at least swing by occasionally to place "You Will Be Towed" signs on their windshields; this has now been abandoned or is unenforced and when we call in a vehiclethat never moves we are told by the police; "Our instructions are that if a vehicle has current registration, there is nothing we can do. Tow companies say motorhomes and trailers are too much trouble because of habitation andpersonal belongings, and the Palo Alto City Council does not want to get into a war with the homeless community over street parking. Complain to the city council". So here we are. Our streets currently have so many vehicles either being lived in or stored here that there is nolonger room for our employees or customers to park. I was recently told by one business owner that an employee was actually ticketed for parking too close to a handicap ramp.Really? With everything else going on here this is what you choose to enforce? Where would you suggest we park if you won't clear our streets? We are finding extension cords plugged into outdoor outlets overnight stealing power. Ourdumpsters are being filled with all kinds of debris - some of which we have even been reprimanded for by the city waste disposal for hazardous materials when we have no controlover it. And last but not least, it is becoming almost a daily occurrence for someone to dump their human waste down the storm drains requiring the city to send a crew out to clean it up. When is enough enough??? We all realize there is a homeless problem, but should we beforced to accept these conditions in one of the most prosperous cities in the county just because our city leaders don't want to make waves and enforce our existing laws? We are respectfully requesting that due to the ongoing and increasing problems listed above,the city starts enforcing the already existing 72 hour parking limit. Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code: "The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires that any vehicle parked on a public street be driven at least one-half mile every 72 hours, even if it re-parks in the same location. If you would like to report a vehicle that you believe is violating this ordinance by remaining parked for more than 72 hours without driving, please complete the form below". (available online through the Citywebsite, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Home ) "If you'd prefer, you can also leave this information on our recorded Abandoned Vehicle Hotline at (650) 329-2258". "When we receive a complaint (we receive over 1,200 such complaints City-wide annually), our Community Service Officers respond and place a warning notice on the vehicle with the details of the law. Placing this written notice is required by the Municipal Code. We then return 72 hours later and take enforcement action as appropriate. This could include a citation, a tow, or both." If this was actually done and citations and towing were carried out 72 hours after a notice, I don't think it would take long for word to get out that this is not a good place to permanently park or store your vehicle and maybe we could have our neighborhood back. Everyone seems concerned about rights, but what about ours? I will leave the end of this email open for responses from our city leaders, and in the hope that any other building or business owners will add their experiences and comments as well. Regards, Dave Stellman From:Aram James To:Foley, Michael; Robert. Jonsen; Reifschneider, James; Binder, Andrew; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore; Council, City;Shikada, Ed; Barberini, Christopher; Tannock, Julie; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Hornung, Joel; Josh Becker;Shana Segal; Michael Gennaco; Human Relations Commission; Sheriff Transparency; Wagner, April; JulieLythcott-Haims; Rebecca Eisenberg; Mila Zelkha; ladoris cordell; Enberg, Nicholas; Perron, Zachary; Jeff Rosen;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Kevin Jensen; Afanasiev, Alex; Vara Ramakrishnan;Jay Boyarsky; Cindy Chavez; Joe Simitian; Supervisor Otto Lee; Cerise Castle; Tanaka, Greg; Angie Evans;Stump, Molly; Randall Higgins Subject:CNN: Prosecutor asks judge to dismiss a felony charge against an unarmed Black man who was bitten by police dog in Ohio Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 9:54:31 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Prosecutor asks judge to dismiss a felony charge against an unarmed Black man whowas bitten by police dog in Ohio A prosecutor is asking a judge to dismiss the felony charge against an unarmed Black semi-truck driver who was attacked by a police dog after a chase in Ohio on July 4. Read in CNN: https://apple.news/AXYMNotfZTTufUFNW4FY5Rw Shared from Apple News Sent from my iPhone From:Mary E Slocum To:Council, City Subject:No Fire Trucks at Station #4 Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 9:05:24 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from maryeslocum@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, It has come to the attention of my Los Arboles/Palo Verde neighborhood that there are no firetrucks at Fire Station #4. This raises many concerns, foremost being protection of life and property from fire. The devastating fire that destroyed our neighborhood dry cleaner, coffee shop, breakfast placeand wine shop in February 2023 not only destroyed property and hurt business but it made a striking negative impact on the social life of the neighborhood for all age groups which afterthe Covid 19 pandemic we take for granted no more. This was a meeting place to get together, relax, and stay in touch. Now it is gone and the burnt building stands there as a reminder ofwhat we have lost. The question we are all asking now is, “Could the outcome of this fire been different if there had been a faster fire response?” How did not having fire trucks at Station 4 affected theoutcome? We need to be more transparent with more direct communication to residents when the City makes changes such as removing fire trucks from close by. Residents need a voice andparticipation in these decisions. We need to revisit the plan for providing fire services to our neighborhood during demolishment and construction of a new fire station with the affected neighborhoods. Thanking you, Mary Slocum3404 Cork Oak Way -- Be well. Be mindful. Mary Your Mindful Life on Apple Podcasts https://yourmindfulpractice.com From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce News & Updates - August 23, 2023 Date:Wednesday, August 23, 2023 9:00:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. NEWS & UPDATES - August 23, 2023 Save the Date: Palo Alto Festival of the Arts - Aug 26-27 Chamber Mixer & Networking Event Palo Alto Festival of the Arts - Aug 26-27 Celebrating 40 Years - Palo Alto Festival of the Arts There’s something for everyone at the 40th annual Palo Alto Festival of the Arts from 10-6 Aug. 26-27 along University Avenue, proudly hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce. There will be 250 quality artists in all genres, Kids’ Art Studio, Italian Street Painting Expo, live music, and delicious food and drink. See the full list of participating artists and entertainment lineup at www.paloaltochamber.com/ festival. Free admission and plenty of parking all around the Festival. We hope to see you there! August 26-27, 2023 10:00 am - 6:00 pm >Directions to the Festival >Festival Map Chamber Mixer & Networking Event Tuesday, September 19, 20235:30 pm - 7:30 pm Volvo-McLaren Palo Alto 4190 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306 Palo Alto Volvo-McClaren will be discussing the future in automotive trends Connect with fellow professionals and business owners. Enjoy light refreshments and drinks. Chamber Members: Free Guests: $20 >RSVP Online See Our Upcoming EventsLearn More About The Chamber ​ PALO ALTO CHAMBER & VISITORS CENTER 355 ALMA STREET | PALO ALTO | CA | 94301 | 650-324-3121 WWW.PALOALTOCHAMBER.COM This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email atinfo@paloaltochamber.com. From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; beachrides; Leodies Buchanan; bearwithme1016@att.net;bballpod; David Balakian; fred beyerlein; Council, City; Cathy Lewis; Doug Vagim; dallen1212@gmail.com;dan.richard@earthlink.net; dennisbalakian; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov;George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; Sally Thiessen; jerry ruopoli; JoelStiner; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Mark Standriff; Mayor; margaret-sasaki@live.com;merazroofinginc@att.net; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; MY77FJ@gmail.com; nick yovino;news@fresnobee.com; newsdesk; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; terry; tsheehan;vallesR1969@att.net; Daniel Zack Subject:Fwd: Options traders and NVDA Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:44:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Tue, Aug 22, 2023 at 3:37 PM Subject: Fwd: Options traders and NVDATo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Tues. Aug. 22, 2023 To all- Options traders expect an outsized share move after Nvidia earnings are announced after the close on Wednesday. Could be 11% either way. The majority of the bets are that the shareswill close above $500 by Friday, 8-25-2023. I'm with them. If it happens, it will make my purchase of NVDA in March at $232 seem prescient. The current price makes it seem soalready. Would that all of my investments turned out this way. Nvidia options show traders positioned for outsized share move after earnings | Reuters L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Ken Horowitz To:Council, City Subject:Council meeting 08/21 Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 7:36:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello Mayor Kuo Since the closed session scheduled from 5:30 till 7:00pm was canceled, it would have been more appropriate for the Council to take a break and reconvene the meeting at 7:00pm and follow the times in the published agenda for the public benefit Thank you for your consideration Ken Horowitz 525 Homer Ave Palo Alto Sent from my iPad From:Aram James To:Robert. Jonsen; Binder, Andrew; Perron, Zachary; Reifschneider, James; Council, City; Wagner, April; Sean Allen;Shikada, Ed; Shana Segal; Joe Simitian; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Josh Becker; Sheriff Transparency;Human Relations Commission; Jeff Rosen; Rebecca Eisenberg; Mila Zelkha; ladoris cordell; Hornung, Joel;Jensen, Eric; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Enberg, Nicholas; DuJuan Green; dennis burns;Kevin Jensen; Afanasiev, Alex; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:WATCH: Male-Karen Squares Up In Grocery Store & Catches Hands - YouTube Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 6:34:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b485aHIP-cA > > > Sent from my iPhone You don't often get email from rameshkonda.phd@gmail.com. Learn why this is important From:Clerk, City To:Council, City Subject:FW: Exclusive Meet & Greet Consul General of India (San Francisco) Dr. Srikar Reddy on Wed, 8/23 at 6:00pm at ICC Milpitas Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 11:20:56 AM From: Ramesh Konda <rameshkonda.phd@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 9:41 AM To: Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Exclusive Meet & Greet Consul General of India (San Francisco) Dr. Srikar Reddy on Wed, 8/23 at 6:00pm at ICC Milpitas CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and the City Council Members, City of Palo Alto, I would like to invite you and your team to join us to meet & greet the newly joined Consul General of India (San Francisco) Dr. Srikar Reddy. He joined the Indian Consulate, San Francisco office yesterday (8/21). (https://india.postsen.com/News/961994.html) On behalf of the Association of Indo Americans (AIA), we are hosting an exclusive meet & greet session with Dr. Srikar Reddy and elected officials. Date: Wed, 8/23 at 6:00 pm to 6:45 pm Venue: India Community Center (ICC), 525 Los Coches St, Milpitas, CA 95035. RSVP link: https://tinyurl.com/ExclusiveMeetGreetCG Please RSVP when you get a chance Sincerely, Dr. Ramesh Konda Advisor, Association of Indo Americans (AIAevents.org) Cell: 510-565-2495 From:Tony Svensson To:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa Cc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, CitySubject:Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:39:29 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important got it(last name is Svensson) On 22 Aug 2023, at 10:32, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Good morning Mr. Svennson, I’m writing to give you an update. Our Code Enforcement Officer Mr. Hartley visited 2251 Bowdoin Street and did not witness a leaf blower being used at the property. He did however speak to the Superintendent of the site and provided him a verbal warning. The Superintendent acknowledged that there were some folks working at the site that were from out of town that didn’t know the rules about leaf blowers. Even though this was the case, he shared that he would assure that no one else uses a gas leaf blower at the site. I am hopeful that this will resolve the issue at this location. Unfortunately, this does not mean that you may not experience more disruption. If you find yourself in this situation again, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will continue to monitor this district for gas leaf blowers. Thank you, <image001.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.org https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image002.png><image003.jpg><image004.png><image005.png><image006.png> <image007.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 2:50 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605. Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later. Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gas leaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.org https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote, 1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that 2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> You don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important From:Tony Svensson To:Ellner, Robin Cc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, City Subject:Re: More Evidence of How Utterly Confused The City of Palo Alto is Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:38:41 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important I never once said that there were gas leaf blowers at 2264 Bowdoin Street... On 22 Aug 2023, at 10:30, Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you very much for this email. Sometimes when complaints come in, the complainant will provide their own address instead of the address where the violation is/has occurred in error. As you and I had spoken about earlier, the code enforcement case that I am creating is for 2251. I appreciate you taking the time to confirm all the information provided is correct. Regards, <image001.png>Robin Ellner Administrative Associate III Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2603 | robin.ellner@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:22 AM To: Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>; Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: More Evidence of How Utterly Confused The City of Palo Alto is Robin, In addition to your confusion about where the gas leaf blowers where operating, here’s what I promised to send you: 1. In January 2018, I filed a complaint of gas leaf blowers in College Terrace. 2. On 18 January 2018, the City crafted the attached warning that we received in the mail, quote, “the City has received a complaint regarding the following alleged violation at the above mentioned address” (the letter incorrectly states that the address is 2264 Bowdoin Street). Note: In all cases, 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR home address and there have been NO gas leaf blowers operating at our address. The gas leaf blowers are elsewhere in College Terrace. Tony Svensson <image003.jpg> On 22 Aug 2023, at 10:01, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: NO-NO-NO! Incorrect: 1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin As I already wrote in my emails to your colleague "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> and then to you, here are the facts: 1. 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR address, NOT the address where multiple leaf blower infractions occurred. On 22 Aug 2023, at 09:52, Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote: Thank you very much for the email chain Mr. Svensson. As I was not part of the earlier conversation I was not aware of your earlier complaints which includes 2264 Bowdoin St. 1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin 2. There are a couple of days/times that a gas leaf blower was used at 2251 Bowdoin – Wednesday, August 16th at 7:50 am and Monday, August 21st at around 1:30 pm I have verified that we have not received any other complaints outside of yours and will open a code enforcement case for each address, issue a Notice of Violation with a follow-up inspection at both addresses. Since 2251 has had a landscaper/gardener on different days of the week and times, I will schedule the follow-up inspections accordingly. You don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any other questions or concerns, I am available Monday – Thursday, 6:00 am – 4:30 pm. If I do not answer, it is because I am either on another call or in a meeting. Regards, <image001.png>Robin Ellner Administrative Associate III Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2603 | robin.ellner@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 9:30 AM To: Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: Fwd: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] here Begin forwarded message: From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date: 21 August 2023 at 14:50:20 GMT-7To: "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: "Reynolds, Brian" <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hartley, Craig" <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hoyt, George" <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Burt, Patrick" <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Council, City" <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605. Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later. Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gas leaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.org https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote, 1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that 2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> From:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa To:Tony Svensson Cc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, City Subject:RE: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:32:06 AM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngimage006.pngimage007.png Good morning Mr. Svennson, I’m writing to give you an update. Our Code Enforcement Officer Mr. Hartley visited 2251 Bowdoin Street and did not witness a leaf blower being used at the property. He did however speak to the Superintendent of the site and provided him a verbal warning. The Superintendent acknowledged that there were some folks working at the site that were from out of town that didn’t know the rules about leaf blowers. Even though this was the case, he shared that he would assure that no one else uses a gas leaf blower at the site. I am hopeful that this will resolve the issue at this location. Unfortunately, this does not mean that you may not experience more disruption. If you find yourself in this situation again, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will continue to monitor this district for gas leaf blowers. Thank you, Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.org https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development- Services From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 2:50 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605. Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later. Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gas leaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.org https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote, 1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that 2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> You don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important From:Ellner, RobinTo:Tony SvenssonCc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, CitySubject:RE: More Evidence of How Utterly Confused The City of Palo Alto isDate:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:30:34 AMAttachments:image001.pngimage002.png Mr. Svensson, Thank you very much for this email. Sometimes when complaints come in, the complainant will provide their own address instead of the address where the violation is/has occurred in error. As you and I had spoken about earlier, the code enforcement case that I am creating is for 2251. I appreciate you taking the time to confirm all the information provided is correct. Regards, Robin EllnerAdministrative Associate III Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2603 | robin.ellner@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:22 AMTo: Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>; Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: More Evidence of How Utterly Confused The City of Palo Alto is Robin, In addition to your confusion about where the gas leaf blowers where operating, here’s what I promised to send you: 1. In January 2018, I filed a complaint of gas leaf blowers in College Terrace.2. On 18 January 2018, the City crafted the attached warning that we received in the mail, quote, “the City has received a complaint regarding the following alleged violation at the above mentioned address” (the letter incorrectly states that the address is 2264 Bowdoin Street). Note: In all cases, 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR home address and there have been NO gas leaf blowers operating at our address. The gas leaf blowers are elsewhere in College Terrace. Tony Svensson On 22 Aug 2023, at 10:01, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: NO-NO-NO! Incorrect: 1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin As I already wrote in my emails to your colleague "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> and then to you, here are the facts: 1. 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR address, NOT the address where multiple leaf blower infractions occurred. Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important You don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important On 22 Aug 2023, at 09:52, Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote: Thank you very much for the email chain Mr. Svensson. As I was not part of the earlier conversation I was not aware of your earlier complaints which includes 2264 Bowdoin St. 1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin 2. There are a couple of days/times that a gas leaf blower was used at 2251 Bowdoin – Wednesday, August 16th at 7:50 am and Monday, August 21st at around 1:30 pm I have verified that we have not received any other complaints outside of yours and will open a code enforcement case for each address, issue a Notice of Violation with a follow-up inspection at both addresses. Since 2251 has had a landscaper/gardener on different days of the week and times, I will schedule the follow-up inspections accordingly. Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any other questions or concerns, I am available Monday – Thursday, 6:00 am – 4:30 pm. If I do not answer, it is because I am either on another call or in a meeting. Regards, <image001.png>Robin Ellner Administrative Associate IIIPlanning and Development Department(650) 329-2603 | robin.ellner@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 9:30 AMTo: Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Fwd: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] here Begin forwarded message: From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date: 21 August 2023 at 14:50:20 GMT-7To: "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: "Reynolds, Brian" <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hartley, Craig" <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hoyt, George" <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Burt, Patrick" <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Council, City"<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605.Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later. Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gasleaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim)Planning & Development Services(650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.orghttps://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote, 1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that 2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbonfootprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations.Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailedto tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have furtherquestions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel:(650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer BrianReynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> From:Tony SvenssonTo:Ellner, RobinCc:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, CitySubject:More Evidence of How Utterly Confused The City of Palo Alto isDate:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 10:22:58 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important Robin, In addition to your confusion about where the gas leaf blowers where operating, here’s what I promised to send you:1. In January 2018, I filed a complaint of gas leaf blowers in College Terrace.2. On 18 January 2018, the City crafted the attached warning that we received in the mail, quote, “the City has received a complaint regarding the following alleged violation at the above mentioned address” (the letter incorrectly states that the addressis 2264 Bowdoin Street). Note: In all cases, 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR home address and there have been NO gas leaf blowers operating at our address. The gas leaf blowers are elsewhere in College Terrace. Tony Svensson On 22 Aug 2023, at 10:01, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: NO-NO-NO!Incorrect:1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin As I already wrote in my emails to your colleague "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> and then to you, here are the facts: 1. 2264 Bowdoin Street is OUR address, NOT the address where multiple leaf blower infractions occurred. On 22 Aug 2023, at 09:52, Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org> wrote: Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important You don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important Thank you very much for the email chain Mr. Svensson. As I was not part of the earlier conversation I was not aware of your earlier complaints which includes 2264 Bowdoin St. 1. You made a complaint on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for gas leaf blower usage at 6:40 am at 2264 Bowdoin 2. There are a couple of days/times that a gas leaf blower was used at 2251 Bowdoin – Wednesday, August 16th at 7:50 am and Monday, August 21st at around 1:30 pm I have verified that we have not received any other complaints outside of yours and will open a code enforcement case for each address, issue a Notice of Violation with a follow-up inspection at both addresses. Since 2251 has had a landscaper/gardener on different days of the week and times, I will schedule the follow-up inspections accordingly. Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any other questions or concerns, I am available Monday – Thursday, 6:00 am – 4:30 pm. If I do not answer, it is because I am either on another call or in a meeting. Regards, <image001.png>Robin EllnerAdministrative Associate III Planning and Development Department(650) 329-2603 | robin.ellner@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org <image002.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 9:30 AM To: Ellner, Robin <Robin.Ellner@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Fwd: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] here Begin forwarded message: From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date: 21 August 2023 at 14:50:20 GMT-7To: "Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa" <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: "Reynolds, Brian" <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hartley, Craig" <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Hoyt, George" <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Burt, Patrick" <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>, "Council, City"<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605.Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later. Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gasleaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim)Planning & Development Services(650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.orghttps://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PM To: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote, 1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that 2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbonfootprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I haveinvestigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue tospread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbonfootprint.You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Important Information: Palo Alto Festival of the Arts 2023 Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 9:00:23 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 40th Annual PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS SATURDAY AUGUST 26 – SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2023 UNIVERSITY AVENUE 10:00AM – 6:00PM WE ARE WRITING YOU TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF THE PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY AUGUST 26 – SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022, FROM 10:00AM – 6:00PM EACH DAY. AS THE PRESENTER OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, THE PALO ALTO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS REACHING OUT TO BUSINESSES TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FESTIVAL CROWDS OVER THE WEEKEND & TO PROVIDE YOU WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEEKEND. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF PALO ALTO HAS FACILITATED THE PERMIT PROCESS FOR THE FESTIVAL WHICH INCLUDES AUTHORIZEDSTREET CLOSURES AS FOLLOWS: THE FOLLOWING STREETS WILL BE CLOSED BEGINNING 1:30AM ON SATURDAY AUGUST 26th THROUGH 11:00PM ON SUNDAY AUGUST 27th. Ø  UNIVERSITY AVENUE BETWEEN HIGH STREET and WEBSTER STREET AND THE FOLLOWING STREETS BETWEEN LYTTON & HAMILTON §  COWPER, KIPLING, WAVERLY, FLORENCE, BRYANT, RAMONA, EMERSON, TASSO o HIGH STREET & WEBSTER STREET WILL REMAIN OPEN TO TRAFFIC ATALL TIMES o LOT T (Lytton/Kipling) will also be closed for the festival weekend NOTE: ALL CARS ON THESE STREETS PAST 1:30AM SATURDAY AUGUST 26 WILL BE TOWED AT THE VEHICLE OWNER'S EXPENSE The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce does not provide security for individuals, business, or personal property (such as bikes and strollers) but the city's Police Department will have officers in the area. Should there be any concerns or a disturbance, please contact 911. --- PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: WE WILL BE DELIVERING POSTERS & POSTCARDS SOON. PLEASE DISPLAY OUR FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS POSTER IN YOUR WINDOW ANNOUNCING THE WEEKEND. EXPAND YOUR WEEKEND HOURS THE FESTIVAL BOOTHS ARE OPEN BETWEEN 10:00AM – 6:00PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. EXPAND YOUR WEEKEND HOURS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CROWDS TO VISIT YOUR STORE. OUTDOOR FOOD & BEVERAGE RESTAURANTS / CAFES MUST HAVE AN OFF-SALE PERMIT IN ORDER TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE YOUR SITE WITH OPEN CONTAINERS OF FOOD OR BEVERAGES. ALL OTHER OFF- SITE VENDING IS PROHIBITED. IT IS AGAINST ABC REGULATIONS FOR ANY ESTABLISHMENT SELLING ALCOHOL TO POUR INTO A CUSTOMER’S FESTIVAL GLASSWARE DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS OUTSIDE YOUR BUSINESS DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE FESTIVAL PARAMETERS. NO HELIUM / MYLAR BALLOONS. BALLOONS ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND ARE NOT PERMITTED AT PALO ALTO EVENTS UNUSUAL IN-STORE ACTIVITIES IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE YOUR BUSINESS FOR AN OUT OF THE ORDINARY BUSINESS ACTIVITY YOU MUST HAVE TEMPORARY USE PERMIT FROM THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SIDEWALK DISPLAYS ARE PROHIBITED ENCROACHMENT PERMITS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR THIS WEEKEND ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS AT OUR BOOTH DROP OFF ADVERTISING FLIERS FOR YOUR BUSINESS & WE WILL GLADLY DISTRIBUTE THEM AT OUR BOOTH FOR THE WEEKEND FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS …. FOR A GOOD CAUSE PORTIONS OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT SUPPORT NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email at info@paloaltochamber.com. This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe click here. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email atinfo@paloaltochamber.com. From:NTB To:City.Clerk@cityofaloalto.org; Council, City; City Mgr Subject:Thank you for your decision Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 8:05:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Kou, Vice-Mayor Stone and Councilmembers, I want to express my gratitude for your decision at last night's Council meeting to cancel the closed session on Cubberley in favor of proceeding with more transparency. It was the rightmove, one that brings hope for right action in this matter. Thank you. Sincerely, Nina BellGreenAcres 1 You don't often get email from mprater@coxcastle.com. Learn why this is important From:Shikada, Ed To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Stump, Molly; Nose, Kiely; Gaines, Chantal Subject:FW: Comment Letter on City of Palo Alto Housing Element Date:Tuesday, August 22, 2023 7:32:08 AM Attachments:image001.png2023-08-18 - Grubb Letter to HCD re Palo Alto HUE (002).pdf Councilmembers, It appear that the attached letter was intended to be sent to the city council among others, so I am forwarding in case you did not it directly. Respectfully, --Ed From: Prater, Merinda F. <MPrater@coxcastle.com> Sent: Friday, August 18, 2023 6:09 PM To: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: FW: Comment Letter on City of Palo Alto Housing Element CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, This e-mail was sent earlier to everyone involved. I was alerted by our system that it did notgo through. I apologize. Merinda Merinda F. Prater Assistant to Gregory Caligari | Annie Mudge | Margo Bradish Kaitlin Kelleher | Alec Nicholson | Jason Chiu Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP 50 California Street | Suite 3200 | San Francisco, CA 94111 direct: 415.263.5550 main: 415.262.5100 From: Prater, Merinda F. <MPrater@coxcastle.com> Sent: Friday, August 18, 2023 3:36 PM To: 'Irvin.Saldana@hcd.ca.gov' <Irvin.Saldana@hcd.ca.gov> Cc: 'Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaltoAlto.org' <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaltoAlto.org>; 'Ed.Shikada@CityofPaltoAlto.org' <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaltoAlto.org>; 'mwatson@grubbproperties.com' <mwatson@grubbproperties.com>; 'tedohanlon@gmail.com' <tedohanlon@gmail.com>; 'Ftetel@grubbproperties.com' <Ftetel@grubbproperties.com>; Bradish, Margo <mbradish@coxcastle.com>; Harris, Arielle O. <AHarris@coxcastle.com> Subject: Comment Letter on City of Palo Alto Housing Element Good afternoon Mr. Saldana, On behalf of Grubb Properties and Margo Bradish, please find attached a letter providingcomments on the City of Palo Alto’s Housing Element as well as details regarding continuing barriers to development relevant to Grubb’s residential project in Palo Alto. Thank you. Merinda Merinda F. Prater Assistant to Gregory Caligari | Annie Mudge | Margo Bradish Kaitlin Kelleher | Alec Nicholson | Jason Chiu Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP 50 California Street | Suite 3200 | San Francisco, CA 94111 direct: 415.263.5550 main: 415.262.5100 Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP 50 California Street, Suite 3200 San Francisco, California 94111-4710 P: 415.262.5100 F: 415.262.5199 Margo N Bradish 415.262.5105 MBradish@coxcastle.com www.coxcastle.com Los Angeles | Orange County | San Francisco August 18, 2023 VIA EMAIL Attn: Irvin Saldana California Department of Housing & Community Development Housing Accountability Unit 2020 West El Camino Avenue Sacramento, CA 95833 Email: Irvin.Saldana@hcd.ca.gov Re: Barriers to Housing in Palo Alto’s Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update Dear Mr. Saldana, On behalf of Grubb Properties (“Grubb”), we would like to provide information regarding existing and worsening barriers to housing in the City of Palo Alto (“City”) by detailing how the City’s existing development standards and fees are threatening the viability of an approved multi-family project, as explained below. We are asking the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) to consider these very real constraints on housing in undertaking its continued compliance review for Palo Alto’s Draft Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update (“HEU”), which as of the date of this letter remains out of compliance. As further detailed below, Grubb’s experience trying to develop a residential project in the City is emblematic of many concerns raised by HCD in its letter dated August 3, 2023 (“August Letter”) regarding the City’s May 8, 2023 HEU.1 A. Grubb’s Multi-Family Project on San Antonio Road Is In Jeopardy. Grubb is a multi-family and commercial developer with a rich history and a deep commitment to creating housing for those who have historically been excluded from homeownership. Founded in 1963, Grubb has delivered essential housing for underserved communities for six decades. As a vertically integrated company, Grubb not only builds housing, but also owns and operates its projects. Grubb aims to provide housing at a price point that serves the missing middle and intentionally avoids building “luxury” products. Grubb is the owner of the property located at 788-796 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto (APNs 147-03-041 and -042) (“Property”), a 0.99-acre site that currently is entitled for a mixed- use condominium project consisting of 102 units and 1,803 square feet of ground floor retail, with two levels of basement parking containing 126 stalls (“Project”). As currently entitled, 16 1 All citations to the City’s HEU are to the May 2023 version unless otherwise noted. Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 2 of the Project units would be restricted as affordable, with 11 units for low-income families and five units for moderate income families. The City approved the Project in late 2020, and Grubb subsequently purchased the Property with the intention of building the Project as a rental project (not condominiums).2 Unfortunately for Grubb, and the Palo Alto community, the Project is now in jeopardy. Difficulties with development of the Property pre-date Grubb. The Property was included in the City’s Site Inventory for the Fifth Cycle Housing Element Update, but due to market conditions and significant delays associated with the permit process, the original developer chose to sell the project. The City now relies on the Project to meet its Sixth Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (“RHNA”), identifying it as an “Entitled and Proposed Development,” also known as a “pipeline project.” In the August Letter, HCD stated “[i]n order to demonstrate the likelihood that the units will be built in the planning period the analysis must consider any barriers to development, phasing, anticipated build-out horizons, market conditions, and other relevant factors to demonstrate their availability in the planning period.” and “an analysis of cost and financial feasibility is required.” (August Letter, pp. 2, 4.) The Property serves as a prime example of how barriers to development in the form of restrictive development standards, permitting delays, and high development fees, combined with poor market conditions, prevent residential units from getting built in the City, as detailed below. B. The City’s Zoning Ordinance and HEU’s Proposed Policies Do Not Promote Residential Development. The August Letter states: “while the element provides some analysis on the likelihood of residential development in zones where 100 percent nonresidential uses are allowed, the analysis is unclear as to how and if existing policies incentivize residential development in nonresidential zones.” (August Letter, pp. 2-3.) There are a host of policies that specifically disincentivize residential development in nonresidential zones, and these policies in turn threaten financial feasibility of multi-family housing development projects and the HEU’s estimates of realistic capacity. The base densities alone are too low to provide a sufficient economic incentive for redevelopment with residential uses. Presidio Bay Ventures previously raised this issue as to the GM/ROLM Zones specifically, as did Palo Alto Forward.3 The CS zone has a maximum height 2 While the City’s code currently only requires a below market rate (“BMR”) in lieu fee for apartment projects, Grubb remains willing to build the 16 affordable units on the Project site. 3 Presidio Bay Ventures Letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oBYfQ3dNzsmBoGDe7Dbo1BX8VijX4jsA/view Palo Alto Forward Letter: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62a9436bd6d4d10e631a56f0/t/6498936afc23ab3227c261db/1687720813232/ PAF+Cmnts+-+Adopted+Housing+Element+%2806.14.23%29.pdf Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 3 of 50 feet, maximum of 30 dwelling units per acre,4 and maximum floor area ratio (“FAR”) of 0.6 for residential floor area under base zone standards.5 Here, the Project’s FAR increased to 2.0 only after applying the City’s Housing Incentive Program (“HIP”). Note, projects using the HIP cannot use the State Density Bonus Law (“DBL”), and as a result the higher FAR allowed with application of the HIP cannot be treated as part of a site’s base zoning when estimating realistic capacity for residential development in the HEU. The approved Project, constrained by maximum density, FAR, and height restrictions, in addition to burdensome parking requirements and park fees (discussed further below), is not economically feasible with 102 units. For context, a seven to eight story mid-rise product is abundantly common throughout California and is largely the standard in multi-family development. Grubb’s Project in the City is the only one in its portfolio that does not fit this product type. Similar to the points made by Presidio Bay Ventures, Grubb’s average density in California is in the range of 180+ dwelling units per acre. An FAR of 4:1 and a maximum height of 85 feet is what is generally needed to make this product type work. Given the land costs and development impact fees in the City are some of the highest (if not the highest) in Grubb’s entire California portfolio, achieving these densities and allowing for greater height is even more critical to making a project pencil. These issues are not exclusive to Grubb or the Project and call into question the City’s assumption in the HEU that sites in the CS and CC zones can provide up to 1,049 RHNA units, as identified by Palo Alto Forward in its June Letter.6 Even with the HEU’s proposed up-zoning of CS and CC zones to 40 dwelling units per acre, this density is less than half the density for the Project as approved, and as stated above, even with 102 units the Project is not financially feasible. The City’s HEU acknowledges that limitations on density represent a constraint due to economies of scale (HEU, p. 4-4), and yet no major changes are proposed to fix the issue in the HEU. Instead, the HEU repeatedly points to a pending economic feasibility study. (See e.g., HEU, pp. 4-23, 4-43, 5-16.) Another constraint is the City’s Retail Preservation Ordinance (“RPO”), which prohibits conversion of “ground-floor Retail or Retail-Like” uses that were operating as of March 2, 2015, with any non-Retail or non-Retail-Like uses, absent a specific exemption. (Palo Alto Municipal Code (“PAMC”), § 18.40.180.) The available exemptions are narrow, including two exemptions for certain 100 percent affordable housing projects and one partial exemption for residential or mixed-use projects in the CS zone with 30 dwelling units per acre or more. The latter exemption—one of several zoning ordinance amendments approved in connection with the entitlement of the Project—applies to projects that are outside the Ground Floor (GF) combining district and that replace at least 1,500 square feet of any existing Retail or Retail-Like use. 4 The Grubb Project entitlements included a zoning code amendment that eliminated maximum residential density for sites on San Antonio Rd between Middlefield Road and E. Charleston Road (Ord. 5512), but it appears that revision was un-done as the City’s code no longer provides this exemption in Table 4 of Section 18.16.060. 5 See PAMC, § 18.16.060. 6 See FN 3. Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 4 (PAMC, § 18.40.180(c)(4).) The City’s parking requirements also were modified in connection with the entitlement of the Project to provide that “on CS zoned sites abutting San Antonio Road between Middlefield Road and East Charleston Road, the first 1,500 square feet of ground-floor retail uses shall not be counted toward the vehicle parking requirement.” (PAMC, § 18.52.040, Table 1, note 4.) The HEU proposes to further refine the RPO by waiving its applicability to properties listed in the Sites Inventory (except for 51 sites located on strategic retail/pedestrian nodes on El Camino Real and sites within the GF/R combining district). (HEU, p. 4-47.) HCD directed the City to “provide additional analysis on the City’s RPO” and “how units that are not exempt . . . will develop.” Grubb’s Project as approved must provide 1,500 square feet of retail use, and this requirement is one of several economic constraints weighing down the Project. The retail use requires a higher clearance, and alongside existing height and FAR restrictions, results in yet another limit on the number of units that can be built. In addition, while the City’s zoning code allows a parking reduction for up to 1,500 square feet of retail use, the Project as approved includes parking for the retail space because during the public hearing process there was significant community concern about parking for the retail space. C. The City’s Parking Requirements Are a Significant Barrier to Multi-Family Residential Development. The City’s current zoning requirements with respect to parking and height pose additional burdens and barriers to the development of multi-family housing. Of all the jurisdictions where Grubb is developing, Palo Alto is the only jurisdiction that counts above-ground parking in a project’s FAR calculation. (Palo Alto Mun. Code, § 18.04.030(65).) This methodology has the impact of either limiting the number of units that can be built on site based on FAR and height limits or forcing the applicant to build costly subterranean parking. The City’s HEU identifies this issue, acknowledging that “height limits, combined with parking requirements, can pose a challenge in attaining maximum allowable density,” yet the HEU only identifies vague proposed policies of incentivizing “smaller unit sizes and reduced parking” as well as a look at building heights, all of which would be reviewed in a future financial feasibility study. (HEU, p. 4-43.) Specific recommendations and reductions in parking requirements need to be implemented now in the City’s HEU and later zoning code amendments. Delaying action until a later undetermined economic feasibility study is not an acceptable means of brining the HEU into compliance. The HEU identifies the cost of parking construction as ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 per space (or more given increases in land and construction costs) and acknowledges that parking “in underground or structure parking facilities, or if required to be covered or enclosed, can significantly increase the cost of housing and could affect the feasibility of various housing projects in the city.” (HEU, p. 4-44.) The Grubb Project is proof that the City’s development standards surrounding parking—which either force a project to construct underground parking or to reduce density—directly threaten economic feasibility of projects. Grubb’s latest construction estimates reveal that the per-space parking cost is approximately $100,000 for underground parking. Based on the number of stalls required, if Grubb were to construct above-ground Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 5 parking incompliance with FAR and height restrictions, the Project would lose two floors of residential units, cutting the Project’s density in half. The City should revise its development standards and parking requirements to ensure multi-family development projects do not continue to be faced with such barriers. These revisions could be achieved through various mechanisms, such as not counting above-ground parking toward FAR, increasing height limits, and reducing per-unit parking requirements. Grubb would suggest that the HEU implement the following parking reductions, with the ability of a project to further reduce these counts through additional transportation demand management (“TDM”) measures: Type Parking Ratio Studio 0.75/unit* 1-bedroom 0.75/unit* 2-bedroom 1.5/unit* *Inclusive of guest parking and van/ADA spaces. If applied to the Grubb Project, parking ratios would reduce the total number of parking stalls required from 126 spaces to 80 spaces. If applying a cost ratio of $100,000 per stall, this revision would reduce the Project’s costs by $4.6 million. D. The City Must Evaluate Its Development Impact Fees as a Constraint on Housing Development and a Threat to the Financial Feasibility of Housing Projects. The Project is subject to payment of the City’s parkland dedication in-lieu fee (“Parkland Dedication Fee”) (a Quimby Act fee triggered by subdivision) as a condition of approval. At the time of Project approval, the Parkland Dedication Fees for the Project were estimated to be approximately $4,116 per unit, and the fee structure took into consideration the square footage of units. Toward the end of 2021, however, the City significantly increased its park fees based on findings by the firm DTA in a “Park, Community Center, and Library Development Impact Fee Justification Study.” In the City’s 2023 Fee Schedule, the Parkland Dedication Fee is $75,076.89 per single family unit and $51,747.91 per multi-family unit, regardless of unit square footage. For projects that do not require subdivision, a separate park impact fee (“Park Impact Fee”) applies, which the 2023 Fee Schedule indicates is $62,039.67 per single-family unit and $45,884.72 per multi-family unit. The City’s proposed 2024 Fee Schedule would increase these fees by an additional 5.27 percent to reflect the most recent public Construction Cost Index for the Bay Area.7 As applied to Grubb’s Project, the Parkland Dedication Fee alone is now 13 times the amount it was in 2020, reflecting an estimated aggregate change from about $420,000 for the Project to $5.28 million—or an increase of approximately $4.86 million. If the Project 7 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/administrative-services/city-budgets/fy-2024-city- budget/proposed/municipal-fee-schedule-amendments-fy24.pdf Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 6 were to be constructed as an apartment project and pay the Park Impact Fee, the aggregate fee change would be approximately $4.26 million. As acknowledged in the City’s HEU, the Annual Report on City Services for 2019-2020 identifies the City as “one of the highest impact/capacity fee charging cities for both single- family and multiple-family home construction,” and this finding was made prior to the City’s adoption of the increased park fees. (May HEU, p. 4-66.) As mentioned above, the City identifies the Project as one of the pipeline projects being used to meet its Sixth Cycle RHNA requirement. As a direct result of the increased park fees, the Project (either as a condominium project or an apartment project) no longer is financially feasible as entitled. The City’s draft HEU includes a buffer of 780 units with respect to identification of units needed to satisfy its RHNA obligation, but that buffer will be reduced immediately by more than 10 percent if the Project does not move forward—an outcome that is a very real possibility given the Project’s entitlements are due to expire in early 2024, and there is no resolution in sight on either park fee. A Housing Element must provide an analysis of potential and actual governmental constraints upon the development of housing for all income levels, including land use controls, building codes and their enforcement, site improvements, as well as fees and other exactions required of developers. (Gov. Code, § 65583(a)(5) (emphasis added).) HCD’s prior comment on the City’s April 2023 draft HEU identified the HEU’s lack of explanation pertaining to high development impact fees, stating: While the element describes required fees for single family and multifamily housing developments, including impact fees, [] the element states that impact fees/capacity fees are considered the highest in the County. In addition, [] the City recognizes that current planning/permitting and development fees add substantial cost to residential development. The element should provide a comprehensive analysis assessing all required fees and their proportion to the development costs for both single family and multifamily housing. In addition, the element could also provide information on how the city provides financial assistance to affordable housing developments. Based on a complete analysis, the City should provide additional policy and programs to mitigate the cost and impact of required fees on residential development.8 (Emphasis added.) The City’s May 2023 draft HEU did not make any meaningful attempt to explain how the Parkland Dedication Fee and Park Impact Fee are not constraints on development. Indeed, the 8 https://paloaltohousingelement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SclPaloAltoDraftOut032323-1.pdf Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 7 City’s May 2023 HEU acknowledges that, as a percentage of development costs, fees on multi- family development (16 percent) are more than double the amount on single-family homes (7.2 percent), and the park fees are the single-biggest contributing factor to this cost. (May HEU, pp. 4-66, 4-67.) This disparity is unsurprising as the fee is not calculated on a per square foot basis. Grubb’s Project serves as a specific example of how the City’s fees directly inhibit multi-family development. As identified in the City’s HEU, the City provides development impact fee exemptions for accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”) of less than 750 square feet as to all fee categories and provides waivers of most fees for ADUs exceeding 750 square feet, while also making the fee proportional to the size of the primary unit. (HEU, p. 4-62.) Yet, multi-family units of the same size or even smaller are subject to all development fees and there is no correlation to the unit’s square footage. (Id.) In other words, as to the City park fees, a 5,000 square foot home with a 750 square foot detached ADU will pay the same fee as one 550 square foot multi-family unit. This result is precisely the type of constraint on housing that requires critical review and revision. In 2021, the State Legislature specifically restricted the ability of cities and counties to do exactly what the City has done with its fee structure. Assembly Bill 602 added Section 66016.5 to the Government Code, which imposes new findings requirements for impact fee nexus studies prepared on or after January 1, 2022. The bill requires the nexus study to “calculate a fee imposed on a housing development project proportionately to the square footage of proposed units of development” unless the local agency can make alternative findings pertaining to why square footage was not appropriate as a metric including but not limited to an explanation of how the “fee bears a reasonable relationship between the fee charged and the burden posed by the development.” (Gov. Code, § 66016.5(a)(5)(emphasis added).) If set against new AB 602 standards, based on the above information, the City’s fee structure would not comply. * * * * * We were not surprised to see that HCD found the City’s May HEU non-compliant with Housing Element Law. We request that HCD direct the City to fully address the constraints on housing and punitive development impact fees (in particular Parkland Dedication/Park Impact Fees) identified above. In order to demonstrate that its HEU is compliant, the City should be required to revise its zoning code to address barriers to housing in the areas of maximum density, FAR, and building height, and development standards pertaining to parking and per-unit parking requirements, as well as shifting all residential development fees for multi-family projects to a per-square-foot formula. Each of these issues represent unreasonable constraints on the development of sorely needed multi-family housing in the City. Palo Alto City Council Members May 8, 2023 Page 8 Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleague Arielle O. Harris (aharris@coxcastle.com) should you have any questions with regard to this request. Sincerely, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP Margo N. Bradish cc: Mr. Jonathan Lait, Planning Director Mr. Ed Shikada, City Manager Megan Watson, Grubb Properties Frank Tetel, Grubb Properties Ted O’Hanlon, Consulting Project Manager 105345\16928439v5 From:Deborah GoldeenTo:Arce, OzzyCc:City Mgr; Council, CitySubject:Hostile to Bikes Sign on Cal AveDate:Monday, August 21, 2023 6:07:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Ozzy - When Cal Ave was first closed and these signs appeared, I wrote you and requested this signage be redone. The red circle with red slash over a bike rider is a powerful image that immediatelyconmmunicates “No Bike Riding!” Cal Ave is a bike route. Ridiing bikes is allowed in the street. Every single pedestrian who looks at this sign automatically assumes that every cyclist who is riding theirbike - legally - and out of necessity - because this is an essential bike route arterial - is breaking the law. Because of this sign, cyclists get an excess of harassment. Not only it this sign conveying a message that is false, 63% of City of Palo Alto green house gas emissions are from CARS. If you want that to change, you need to support cycling, not punish people forcycling. Change these signs. ASAP. Thank you. Deborah Goldeen, 2130 Birch St., 94306, (650)799-3652 From:Deborah Goldeen To:Transportation Cc:Leslie Bulbuk; Council, City; City Mgr Subject:BTPT Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 5:58:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________ Could you please include regulation and clarification of electric assist bicycles, scooters, skateboards and unicyclesin your BTPT discussion? I use a Class ONE electric assist bicycle for almost all my transportation needs - about 7,000 miles a year. I’ve beentold that an automobile, even an electric one, uses 70 times the amount of energy as an electric assist bike. Using anelectric assist bike has allowed me to quadruple the number of trips I make by bike and eliminate most of my caruse. Since 63% of Palo Altos green house gas emissions comes from cars, I assume the city is in full support ofelectric assist bike use. The problem is, because there is no state regulation addressing the many different types of electric assist vehicles,the proliferation of options include scooters that go 50mph, electric “assist” bikes with throttles as in they are reallymotorcycles - this is ALL Class TWO bikes, hacking of electric assisst bikes so they go 40 to 54 mph and the factthat people are so uniformed about these “bikes” that vehicles sold as electric motor “bikes” are now being passedoff as electric assist bikes. I have been encountering these eletric “assist” vehicles being ridden at speeds in excess of 35 mph several times aweek on seperated bike/ped paths and several times a day in bike lanes. Two days ago I clocked a Class TWOelectric “assist” bicycle going 25mph on Stanford Ave and watched in horror as it blew through the stop sign atStanford and Yale without even a fraction of a second pause. There is also the problem that, because of the electric assist, the “cyclist” is no longer reliant on the gyroscopic forcecreated by large diameter wheels to stay upright in the first few seconds when accelerating from a stop. This means“bikes” with fat, small tires are proliferating. The fat, small diameter tires allow for greater dexterity andmaneuverability, which mean lots more zipping in and out of traffic and in and around cars. These fat tired, smalldiameter wheeled bikes are now commonly ridden by middle school aged kids. Because these abuses are so flagrant, history suggests that there is going to be an extreme reaction in the oppositionto electric assist bikes, throwing the baby out with the bath water. I have written a dozen or so emails to Marc Berman’s aides chronicaling what I am witnessing. I have yet to get areply. City of Palo Alto is not known for expiditing anything, but this problem is already out of control and it is gettingworse everyday. Thank you for your consideration, Deborah Goldeen2130 Birch St., 94306(650)799-3652 From:Elizabeth Goldstein Alexis To:Council, City Cc:Ellson, Penny Subject:Fire station #4 Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 5:13:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I'm sure you have heard from everyone from my area of town who has just figured out thereare no fire trucks at Mitchell Park anymore because of budget cuts and reallocation towards ambulance service. I have less strong feelings than most - without seeing data about servicelevels and travel times, it is hard for me to know whether this was the right call. Regardless, I would question why we have been blindly moving forward with a $15 million expansion and rebuild of this fire station, just because it was listed as a priority in 2014. Arewe realistically going to fund the additional staff that would make 5 bedrooms necessary? Is there a timeline for adding back staffing such that this would be necessary? https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Public-Works/Engineering-Services/Engineering-Projects/Fire-Station-No.-4-Replacement-Project?transfer=c5f7f27e-7b1f-4e6a-bd73- 1bffdaffea34 Regards Elizabeth Alexis From:Deep To:Council, City Cc:Burt, Patrick; Veenker, Vicki; Lauing, Ed Subject:Community Concerns: Ensuring Safety at Lytton Plaza Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 4:18:45 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from mesuvodeep@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention a recent issue that hasbeen affecting the ambiance and safety of the Lytton Plaza area in Palo Alto. The issue at hand pertains to the escalating and concerning presence of homeless individuals in /around the vicinity of Lytton Plaza, which has increased drastically in recent months. Thissituation has precipitated a range of concerns that necessitate immediate attention: 1. Disruptive Behavior: These people openly engage in drug use, engaging in intimidating behavior towards pedestrians, and exhibiting unruly conduct, particularly during theweekends. This conduct has created an environment that feels unwelcoming and unsafe for both residents and visitors. 2. Erosion of Public Space: Once renowned for its vibrant atmosphere replete with live musicand a communal gathering space, Lytton Plaza has regrettably degenerated. Families and elderly couples, especially during the weekends, now feel increasingly uneasy about visitingdue to the disruptive presence of those who are causing disturbances. This decay in cleanliness and ambiance is profoundly disheartening to those who have cherished the area for years. 3. Personal Experience:Throughout my five years of visiting Lytton Plaza, I have neverencountered the current level of disorder and untidiness that currently pervades the space. Activities that once brought joy—indulging in ice cream, playing ping pong, or relishingmusic—-have now been compromised for both residents and visitors alike. I am driven to write to you due to my profound concern for the decline in the quality of LyttonPlaza. It is disheartening to witness the transformation of such a beautiful space into a state of disarray. I cannot remain passive in the face of this situation. After discussions with colleaguesand friends in this area, I have decided to bring this matter to your attention. With utmost confidence in your capabilities as esteemed members of the Palo Alto City Council, I believeyou possess the insights and capabilities to address this issue effectively and restore Lytton Plaza to its former splendor. I deeply appreciate your attention to this matter. With warm regards, Dr. Deep Mukhopadhyay ᐧ From:Aram James To:Sheriff Transparency; Robert. Jonsen; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Sean Allen; Jethroe Moore;Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Josh Becker; Cerise Castle Subject:A right-wing sheriffs group that challenges federal law is gaining acceptance around the country | AP News Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 3:24:54 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ https://apnews.com/article/constitutional-sheriffs-5568cd0b6b27680a28de8a098ed14210 Sent from my iPhone From:Zendesk To:Council, City Subject:We"re testing your support email address Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 3:11:56 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from support@support.zendesk.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. You added a support email address in Zendesk Support, and we've sent you this email to test the connection between this email address and your Zendesk account. If you didn't request this email, don't worry, just delete it and nothing will happen. If you did request this, and you already set up automatic forwarding between your email box and your Zendesk account, this email will be forwarded to support@paloalto.zendesk.com and we'll know that the forwarding is set up and you're good togo. On the other hand, if you haven't set up automatic email forwarding, you should do that now to make sure email from this inbox makes it to your Zendesk Support. If you have questions about how to set up email forwarding or any other questions about this email, please feel free to reply to it and a ticket will be created with our Customer Support team. You can also visitus at https://support.zendesk.com and submit a ticket there. ZFVTest:BAh7B0kiG3JlY2lwaWVudF9hZGRyZXNzZXNfaWQGOgZFVGwrCBvziDTnDkkiDHNlbnRfYXQGOwBUbCsHJOHjZA==- -0f1459cb2f7b77f1a2cc35e6415ac9ae86168b0b This email is a service from City of Palo Alto. Delivered by Zendesk Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important From:Tony Svensson To:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa Cc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, City Subject:Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 2:50:43 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important Pulled from your web site: (650) 329-2605.Have not lodged complaint on 311. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150Starting just after 1 PM today, ending some 15 minutes later.Previously: On 17 Aug 2023 at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the worksite on 2251 Bowdoin Street. (I walked over to talk to them and was completely ignored.) Before that: Numerous! And diligent calling to Police (recently Code Enforcement) has yielded Nada. Re, your suggestion, “Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email.” Respectfully: I really do not WANT to have to deal with this. It’s your job. On 21 Aug 2023, at 14:17, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an importantstep in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been usefulin many of our neighborhoods. We may find that this may not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leafblower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we willlocate this gas leaf blower and provide them with a warning and potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, <image002.png>Elisa Vargas, CCEOCode Enforcement Supervisor (Interim)Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.orghttps://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services <image003.png><image004.jpg><image005.png><image006.png><image007.png> <image008.png> From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PMTo: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt,George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking onlinks. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone numberyields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us,specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s CodeEnforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote,1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Altohas in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement sincethe 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air cleanand reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blowercomplaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed anopportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concernsreported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and haveasked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7,2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violationswere sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood andmake it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We areworking diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers areprohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by TonySvensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A responsewas generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this responsemight have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regardingLeaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving LeafBlower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping theair clean and reducing our carbon footprint.You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer CraigHartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel:(650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer BrianReynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel:(650) 329-2358 <image001.jpg> From:Aram JamesTo:Robert. Jonsen; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki; Jeff Rosen; Shikada, Ed; Council, City; Sean Allen; Josh Becker; Reifschneider, James; Michael Gennaco; Foley, Michael; Raj; Binder, Andrew; Diana Diamond; Wagner, April; Gennady Sheyner; dennis burns; Joe Simitian; Kevin Jensen; Human Relations Commission; Sheriff Transparency; DuJuan Green; Jay Boyarsky; Shana Segal; Rebecca Eisenberg; Mila Zelkha; ladoris cordell; Jethroe Moore; Enberg, Nicholas; Perron, Zachary; Vara Ramakrishnan; Afanasiev, Alex; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Tanaka, Greg; Angie EvansSubject:Benitez case example of a two-tiered system -Daily Post, August 21, 2023Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 2:44:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone<IMG_0328.jpg> From:Aram JamesTo:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Tanaka, Greg; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; Binder, Andrew; Jethroe Moore; Human Relations Commission; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Robert. Jonsen; Sean Allen; Raj; Shana Segal; Josh Becker; Joe Simitian; Michael Gennaco; Sheriff Transparency; Foley, Michael; Tannock, Julie; Wagner, April; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Mila Zelkha; Emily Mibach; ladoris cordell; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Enberg, Nicholas; Perron, Zachary; Rebecca Eisenberg; Reifschneider, James; Vara Ramakrishnan; Afanasiev, AlexSubject:Benitez case example of a two-tiered system -Daily Post, Monday August 21, 2023 by Aram JamesDate:Monday, August 21, 2023 2:32:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone<IMG_0328.jpg> Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important From:Vargas-Aguilera, ElisaTo:Tony SvenssonCc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, CitySubject:RE: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 2:17:21 PMAttachments:image002.pngimage003.pngimage005.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.png Mr. Svensson, I understand that hearing this gas leaf blower(s) is very disrupting and we are here to assist. Firstly, could you please share the code enforcement phone number that you are calling with me? Secondly, were you able to lodge a complaint via 311? If not, or do not wish to, I can enter them for you. This is an important step in our process that we have been using to identify violations by date, time, and location. So far, this strategy has been useful in many of our neighborhoods. We may find that thismay not be the most effective strategy in your situation. I would be most appreciative if you would provide me all the dates, times, and location(s) of when you have heard the gas leaf blower(s). Then every time you hear this gas leaf blower send me an email. With your diligent assistance, I am certain we will locate this gas leaf blower and provide them with a warningand potentially a notice of violation. Thank you, Elisa Vargas, CCEO Code Enforcement Supervisor (Interim) Planning & Development Services (650) 885-8565 | elisa.vargas@cityofpaloalto.orghttps://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services From: Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35 PMTo: Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: Reynolds, Brian <Brian.Reynolds@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hartley, Craig <Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Burt, Patrick <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Importance: High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote,1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations.Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice ofViolations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0Bowdoin Street 0College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers areprohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329- 2358 From:Tony Svensson To:Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa Cc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, City Subject:Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street] Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 2:16:18 PM Importance:High Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking onlinks. The crew operating the gas leaf blower is from Legacy Roofing & Waterproofing, (408) 467-0150 On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:34, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone numberyields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us,specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s CodeEnforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote,1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Altohas in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement sincethe 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air cleanand reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations. Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0 College Avenue 8 Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 <230821GasLeafBlower.jpg> From:Tony SvenssonTo:Vargas-Aguilera, ElisaCc:Reynolds, Brian; Hartley, Craig; Hoyt, George; Burt, Patrick; Council, CitySubject:Re: Leaf Blower Concerns in College Terrace District [2264 Bowdoin Street]Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 1:35:31 PMImportance:High Some people who received this message don't often get email from tonyb@trimarket.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Attached is an image of the STIHL gas leaf blower operated at 2251 Bowdoin Street, as previously reported. On 21 Aug 2023, at 13:18, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: AGAIN, the same gas leaf blower is operating at 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the Code Enforcement phone number yields, “Code enforcement is not available, leave a message.” What a joke, you guys ought to be ashamed of yourself. On 17 Aug 2023, at 08:26, Tony Svensson <tonyb@trimarket.com> wrote: Ms. Vargas-Aguilera: Today at 07:50, the house is woken up by a gas leaf blower literally across the street from us, specifically at the work site on 2251 Bowdoin Street. Calling the police some 15 minutes later yields the response, “We don’t handle that anymore, it’s Code Enforcement, I will connect you.” which results in some 15-20 signals and then a disconnect. Elucidate further how this factual dead-end maps with the City’s stated, quote,1. “We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood.” and how that2. “...reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” Conversely, and to be clear, this instead reflects on the City’s complete lack of code enforcement since the 2005 gas leaf blower ban and the commensurate lack of an interest in, quote, “keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint.” What’s the plan here? Mr. Svensson On 7 Aug 2023, at 13:11, Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa <Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mr. Svensson, Thank you for your email. We are working diligently to address the gas leaf blower complaints in your neighborhood. We were upset to hear that we might have missed an opportunity to address your concerns. I have investigated your leaf blower concerns reported within the College Terrace District where 2264 Bowdoin Street is located and have asked Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley to provide me with an update. Leaf Blower statistics for College Terrace District between January 1, 2023 - August 7, 2023: Opened valid Leaf Blower cases in College Terrace District:11 Total Closed cases: Warning letters were sent out to property owners. No repeat violations.Of these seven (7) cases, two (2) cases were violations observed by Officer C. Hartley and Notice of Violations were sent out. 7 Currently Open: Open complaints are currently on schedule to be inspected.4 Street locations for valid leaf blower locations:Numbered Opened Stanford Avenue 0 Amherst Avenue 0 Bowdoin Street 0College Avenue 8Dartmouth Street 1 Hanover Street 1 2300 Columbia Street 1 We understand that gas leaf blowers disrupt the quiet enjoyment of your neighborhood and make it a priority to reach out to anyone who takes the time to enter a complaint. We are working diligently to continue to spread the word that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in residential neighborhoods and enforcing when necessary. A complaint was received by Code Enforcement Officer C. Hartley via email by Tony Svensson tonyb@trimarket.com on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 6:40 AM. A response was generated and emailed to tonyb@trimarket.com on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 10:54 AM that yielded no further communication. It is highly possible that this response might have been forwarded to you SPAM mailbox. If you have further questions regarding Leaf Blower cases in your district, please feel free to email me directly. I am hopeful that the information brough forth in this email reflects our evolving Leaf Blower Enforcement Program and the commitment the City of Palo Alto has in keeping the air clean and reducing our carbon footprint. You are always welcomed to report gas leaf blower though our 311 App, or you can contact any one of our code officers. Code Enforcement Officer Craig Hartley:Craig.Hartley@CityofPaloAlto.org Tel: (650) 329-2503 Lead Code Enforcement Officer Brian Reynolds:Brian.Reynolds@cityofpaloalto.org Tel: (650) 329-2358 From:mark weiss To:Council, City Subject:Fountain, radish Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 1:27:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I was serious about the fountain, which I don’t like. I was joking about Ed Shikada looking for a radish.From our archives: (and mainly because someone came to my door today, asking to compare notes on the bigquestions of the universe and mentioned she was “Consuela” the former assistant, for 36 years a city employee, to James Keene): Interim assistant city manager Ed Shikada tolead search for Palo Alto mascot Jim Keene has named the former city manager of San Jose Ed Shikada to an interim position on the 7th floor of 250. Word on the street is that Keene is sick and tired on Our Fair City not having a mascot. Shikada in San Jose worked very closely with Sharkey (the hockey mascot, but an ad hoc or blue ribbon overall mascot as well). This is not an April Fool’s Joke. This actually came up because Tsuchiura our sister city has a mascot and we don’t. in a related matter, (then) Mayor Karen Holman has asked staff to look into enlarging the elevators to accommodate her frequent visits from uber-supporter Niner, one of the Bol Park donkeys. Niner likes 250 Hami but is somewhat claustrophobic in the lift. The Stanford Tree (which incidentally is a woman of color, for the first time) could not be Ed Shikada (left) and an unidentified former San Jose co- worker translates as “rooty” reached for comment. Perry: andand: coinkydinky, peter hartlaub of brand chron ran a blurb about Crazy Crab; he did not mention jon crawford the ad wizard and brain-trust there, but kudos nonetheless, for remembering even 30 years later that he was an anti-mascot and to be booed. Palo Alto needs a mock mascot more than a totem per se. This fell off the rails several edits ago but the actor who played the crab also apparently had a character named Dick Nimby, probably too hip for the 94304. New content or discont: Maybe fill the fountain with thousands of fast, cheap and out ofcontrol robotic crabs like at MIT labs. Chaos crabs. Or “ice 9” as my close friend Kurt Vonnegut (we met once, 1983, Dartmouth) might suggest. Mark Weiss“Plastic Alto”—- especially of alto were the Spanish word for loud cracked crab