HomeMy Public PortalAboutJanuary 2, 2024 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: 1/2/2024
Document dates: 12/26/2023 – 1/2/2024
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction
in a given week.
From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
To:Council, City
Subject:You"re Invited: Celebrate National Bird Day
Date:Tuesday, January 2, 2024 9:30:39 AM
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Logo_Full_Color_CMYK.jpg
To purchase tickets for the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, please go to
Enjoy! Online and book your visit for Wednesday, January 10. We hope to
see you then!
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zooinfo@friendsjmz.org | www.friendsjmz.org
DONATE NOW
Connect with us
Friends of the JMZ | 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
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From:Yahoo Mail.®
To:David Meiswinkle
Subject:Kirsch: single most important interview I"ve ever done: former Kaiser nurse Gail Macrae
Date:Tuesday, January 2, 2024 12:15:15 AM
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https://kirschsubstack.com/p/the-single-most-important-interview
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: || <smacko9@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, January 1, 2024 at 12:06:30 AM EST
Subject: Kirsch: single most important interview I've ever done: former Kaiser nurse Gail Macrae
The single most important interview I've ever done: former Kaiser nurse Gail Macrae
90% of the COVID deaths in hospitals were attributed to COVID treatment protocols. ICU doc
estimated up to an 80% increase in mortality due to the COVID vaccine.
Steve Kirsch
Jan 1
video/text-Executive summary
The single most important interview I've ever done: former Kaiser nurse Gail Macrae
---------------
Nurse Gail Macrae reveals stunning facts about the COVID vax and protocolsvideo & comments:https://rumble.com/v4482jt-nurse-gail-macrae-reveals-stunning-facts-about-the-covid-vax-and-protocols.html
--
================================================
The single most important interview I've everdone: former Kaiser nurse ...
Steve Kirsch
90% of the COVID deaths in hospitals were attributed to COVIDtreatment protocols. ICU doc estimated up to an 80...
Will the Truth Prevail in 2024?
Carl Jung is noted as saying,
“If you do not acknowledge that evil exists in this world, youwill be annihilated to your exact level of naïveté.”Karen KingstonJan 1https://karenkingston.substack.com/p/will-the-truth-prevail-in-2024
From:Yahoo Mail.®
To:Honky
Subject:HAPPY NEW YEAR
Date:Sunday, December 31, 2023 10:15:46 PM
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From:Kate Crane
To:Council, City
Subject:Fwd: The construction on Bryant and Everett
Date:Sunday, December 31, 2023 2:37:58 PM
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Dear City Council,
Below is a note to my property manager and I pose a similar question to you. Why is JohnHackmann permitted to do construction in his units on Everett and Bryant, roughly 302 to 310,
every day of the year? He started in October 2022. I asked code enforcement for help and theyclosed the complaint with no violation. Yet 15 months of construction with NO PERMITS and
consistent Sunday construction throughout this whole time. He has also used the corner as aconsistent dumping ground, which is also something code enforcement has addressed
separately.
John Hackmann has zero respect for city regulations or for the tenants who are 15 or 20 feetaway from the noise he has generated near daily, including Sundays and holidays, for over a
year.
Please help.
Best,Kate Crane
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kate Crane <katecrane@gmail.com>Date: Sun, Dec 31, 2023 at 2:28 PM
Subject: The construction on Bryant and EverettTo: Janice Garsh <250curtner@gmail.com>
Hi, Janice,
I believe you’re aware of the ongoing construction on the corner. It started 15 months ago. Ijust called PAPD again because of Sunday construction, which is illegal. He runs saws and
hammers and loud power equipment every day of the week, including holidays, and now thereis a fence around the complex, so PAPD can’t necessarily get in to issue a warning or a ticket.
The man who owns these corner buildings has created an incredible and distressing nonstop
disruption since October 2022. He has no respect for holidays and Sundays. What is the ownerdoing to help?
Thank you,
Kate
From:Aram James
To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; DuJuan Green; Enberg, Nicholas; Jensen,Eric; GRP-City Council; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; KEVIN JENSEN; Linda Jolley; Rosen, Jeff;Sean Allen; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Barberini, Christopher; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Lee, Craig;cromero@cityofepa.org; dennis burns; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie; Foley, Michael
Subject:YEAR IN REVIEW Crime, scandals and public safety are back in public eye
Date:Saturday, December 30, 2023 11:04:26 PM
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.YEAR IN REVIEW Crime, scandals and public safety
are back in public eye
Crime, scandals and public safety are back in public eyehttps://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=c2a3a66b-0dbd-484f-a0bb-d4b3e8a53190&appcode=SAN252&eguid=2bce5ae0-5602-4a8a-999d-19321b0e0361&pnum=3#
For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here:
From:Sager, Sherri
To:Council, City
Subject:AB 1882 notification
Date:Friday, December 29, 2023 2:59:59 PM
Attachments:image001.png
LPCH AB-1882-Notification-City Council.pdf
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Attached please find our official AB 1882 Seismic status notification.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sherri
Sherri R. Sager
Senior Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer
Government & Community Relations Department
Site: 4700 Bohannon Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Mail: 725 Welch Road, MC 5524
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650.497.8277
Fax: 650.724.1104
ssager@stanfordchildrens.org
www.stanfordchildrens.org
Discover Stanford Children's on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any attachments may containconfidential or privileged information for the use by the designated recipient(s) named above.If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received thiscommunication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copyingof it or the attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,please contact me and destroy all copies of the communication and attachments. Thank you.
From:Victoria S. Ramirez
To:Council, City
Cc:Jason Joseph Hill; Jennifer Torai; Molly Swenson (SHC)
Subject:Annual Status Update on 2030 Seismic Requirements for Stanford Hospital
Date:Friday, December 29, 2023 10:04:19 AM
Attachments:image001.pngSHC AB 1882 Notification - City Council.pdf
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Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
In accordance with AB 1882 (2022), please find attached Stanford Health Care’s annual status
update and report on the 2030 seismic requirements for Stanford Hospital.
If you have any questions about these new requirements, or the attached, please do not hesitate to
reach out to myself and my colleague Jennifer Torai (jtorai@stanford.edu) for further information.
Sincerely,
VICTORIA S. RAMIREZ, MPA
she/her/hers
Director of State and Local Government Affairs
Winter closure note: the Government Affairs office will be closed from Thursday, 12/21/23 through
Wednesday, 1/3/24 – returning on Thursday, 1/4/24.
Stanford Health Care
Office of Government Affairs – Stanford University
301 Ravenswood Avenue
A/B Wing, 2nd Floor, M/C 5539
Menlo Park, CA 94025
cell: 650-374-8729
vsrmirez@stanford.edu
Office of Government Affairs
Confidentiality notice: This communication and any attachments may contain confidential or privileged information for the use by the
designated recipient(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this
communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or the attachments is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact me and destroy all copies of the communication and
attachments. Thank you.
From:Neighbors AbroadTo:Council, CitySubject:Children´s Appeal 2023Date:Friday, December 29, 2023 7:04:47 AM
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View in browser
Neighbors Abroad Holiday Children’s
Appeal
Dear members and friends,
This has been a monumental year for Neighbors Abroad - our 60th
Anniversary. So many of our members and friends have celebrated with us,
and we are grateful for the generous donations we have received. As the
year comes to a close, as always, we’d like to tell you about our children’s
programs.
This year, I received a letter from a graduate of our Scholars Program in
Palo. The lovely young woman told me that without Neighbors Abroad’s help,
she would not have been able to attend college, and that she intends to give
back in the same manner throughout her life. We expanded the program this
year and began the Iraida Espinosa Memorial Scholarship, named after one
of our former presidents and designed to benefit students in Palo who wish
to become teachers.
In July, we visited Oaxaca. It was rewarding to see the children preserving
their culture through the dance programs from Calpulli Center, benefitting
from the health and nutrition programs put forth by Vidas y Sueños, and
getting clean water from the V&S rainwater reclamation tanks installed with
our partnership. This year, we lost our long-time treasurer, Jim Newton, but
have established a scholarship in his name to benefit students at the
Albergue Josefina.
Your donations provide a huge impact in the lives of the children in these
programs. I know they join me, and the entire Neighbors Abroad Board in
thanking you and wishing you all the best in 2024!
Sarah Burgess
President, Neighbors Abroad
Palo, Leyte, The Philippines.
From our Vice President of Palo, Ellen Valentine.
In Palo, your donations fund our Palo Children’s Library, the Scholars
Program, community outreach and, soon, our Children’s Science Program.
Our Children’s Science Program will teach climate science in relation to the
environment, addressing first hand the impact of climate change and sea-
level rise in Palo, Leyte.
The Scholars Program offers students from low-income families a chance at
higher education and gives them the opportunity to improve both their lives
and that of their families. We have attached some of the student's thanks.
Our community outreach connects the community to the Children’s Library, a
timeless haven for knowledge that persists through electrical brownouts and
blackouts.
Oaxaca, Mexico.
From our Vice President of Oaxaca, Flor Molina Sanchez.
Vidas y Sueños supports communities outside Oaxaca City through
sustainable projects fostering cultural and economic exchange. In 2023, we
expanded access to clean water in the municipality with an additional 50
rainwater reclamation tanks in households.
Centro Calpulli provides critical services to children in need, offering
breakfast, after-school computer classes, a staffed library, nutrition courses,
and education in children’s rights and cultural preservation. The center
empowers the most vulnerable children by imparting life skills, and
preserving their cultural heritage through dance performances.
Albergue Josefina continues to foster integral child development by offering
shelter, education, health, and clothing to parentless children. With an entry
age of 3, the shelter supports their journey until family reunification or
completion of higher education. The Albergue, with its atmosphere of
affection and respect, provides a home that grants medical and emotional
355 Alma Street, Palo Alto
CA 94301 United States
You received this email because you signed
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us.
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support to the children it houses.
Your support makes a difference
Donate here
Neighbors Abroad
From:Aram James
To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Braden Cartwright; Cecilia Taylor; Council, City; D Martell;David S. Norris; DuJuan Green; EPA Today; Enberg, Nicholas; GRP-City Council; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; JulieLythcott-Haims; KEVIN JENSEN; Kaloma Smith; Linda Jolley; Michelle; Raj Jayadev; Raymond Goins; RichardKonda; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Sheriff Transparency; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Barberini, Christopher;citycouncil@mountainview.gov; dennis burns; Tannock, Julie; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; ladoris cordell
Subject:Watch "Rampart Area K-9 Contact 11/27/23 (NRF066-23)" on YouTube
Date:Friday, December 29, 2023 12:35:57 AM
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https://youtu.be/N2TfxbbGOOA?si=BgPxiuns5sRhKspA
From:Samina Sundas
To:MVPJ Steering Committee; Diana Gibson; officefirstpaloalto@gmail.com; Greg TanakaSubject:New Year Eve Vigil
Date:Thursday, December 28, 2023 3:43:20 PM
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Please join us to save lives,Samina
From:Mircea
To:Council, City
Cc:McDougall, Paul@HCD; Gerhardt, Jodie
Subject:Palo Alto Protected Tree Ordinance Agenda - Jan 16th 2024 City Council Meeting- Housing Development Needed
Date:Thursday, December 28, 2023 1:42:13 PM
Attachments:3880ElCentro_UrielHernandez_EmployeeComplaint.pdf3880ElCentro_PA_GC_IncidentReport.pdf
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Dear City Council Members, As you plan to review the protected tree ordinance, think
of last winter and trees that should have been removed to prevent accidents,
electricity interruptions, etc. This is a liability not just for the city but for the
homeowners.
It is mind blowing to see that roots that run into the foundation of a property are still
questioned by the Urban Forestry department that manipulates on-site results so UF
can justify with the replacement equivalent of many more trees. You have a
disgruntled, unprofessional, discriminating Urban Forestry department that only
writes citations, and assigns make-up fees through lies while creating incomplete
public records/UF reports and ignoring site/tree FACTS. When Dave Docktor was in
charge, none of this happened. It was a good open communication channel with a
plan. This UF department has no plan and when they make a mistake they blame the
property owners and write citations if anything happens with any tree. A review of all
UF department employees is overdue.
There is always a fear by the UF department of allowing a tree to be cut because " the
neighborhood" will get upset. My answer to that is, why not whoever wants that tree
that impacts one's property/foundation adopted by that neighbor with all its
problems? There should be no tree staying in front of any development of an
Addition, JADU or New Construction nor if it interferes with property foundation.
Furthermore, there are trees that have trunks above Utility Lines, Sewers, and water
lines, and the city of PA does not recognize those as issues and reasons for removal.
Why NOT? They should be added as reasons for removal even as a protected tree.
Why I am supposed to maintain a sewer line at a cost of $1000/year for two cleanings
because roots of that tree runs into my sewer line? I should have the option to remove
that tree on top of my sewer line even a protected one and replace it with smaller ones
on a different location or pay in lieu fees to the city to be planted someplace else.
City arborist like Peter Gollinger making statements " we can save the roots of a tree
running into a foundation" are just WRONG since you/CC, the city, the GC nor the
owner wants to take on liabilities on what will happen in the future when those roots
expand beneath your house. So to stop this nonsense, adopt proper tree removal
regulations and allow trees to be removed and replaced with other trees instead of
having your life driven by a tree location inside your property.
You were elected to do a job act like that and take action and listen to constituents,
otherwise it looks to me that you agree with the current polices and behavior of city of
Palo Alto employees from Urban Forestry Department.
Mircea
Palo Alto property owner since 2007
From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
To:Council, City
Subject:Support the Friends this Holiday Season
Date:Thursday, December 28, 2023 12:05:32 PM
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Dear Friends,
This past year has been an exciting one for the Friends. Thanks
to the generosity of our donors, we continued to support and
enhance the JMZ, most notably with the opening of the new,
permanent exhibit, the California Dinosaur Garden. For the first
time, we brought the JMZ’s Science Outreach program to the
Redwood City School District, while continuing to serve children
in the Ravenswood City School District and East Palo Alto
Charter School. We continued to make the JMZ more inclusive
and accessible, collaborating with local organizations like
Friendship Circle, CoolineKids and Vista Center for the Blind, to
introduce and bring new families to the museum and zoo. These
are only a few highlights of our work this year, which you can
read more about in our Annual Report.
With the calendar year coming to a close, we hope you will
consider donating to the Friends. We are offering a fun
promotion to donors: gifts of $100 or more made through
December 31 will enter you in a raffle for a chance to win a
private animal experience at the JMZ.
Donate Now
Thank you for being a valued member of our community. We
are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our donors
who allow us to fund and expand our impactful programs.
Your donation to the Friends supports:
Photo credits (top to bottom): BQ Creative, Scott Nakajima, Tina Keegan, and Eron Truran.
Donate Now
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo | 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
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From:Jaya Pandey
To:Council, City
Subject:Palo Alto Protected Tree Ordinance
Date:Thursday, December 28, 2023 9:43:26 AM
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Dear City Council Members,
I would like to draw your attention to the City's Heritage Tree Protection Guidelines
that are mostly unfavorable to the Homeowners who have Heritage Trees in their
premises.
We have a Big Redwood tree close to the structural foundation and during storms and
wet weather branches falling on the roof top and on the deck have created a hazardous
situation and damages. Our reach out for removal/replacement of the tree leads to a
discussion to get "Arborist report" and provide a reason for removal as if our voice as
a Homeowner is not of much value.
City doesn't pay for damages, property tax or for any injuries that possibly could
happen so unsure why the stringent intervention is required.
City also has not been able to resolve a messy hazardous situation created by my rear
neighbor's oak tree leaning in my property and apparently their main concern is that
utility lines are clear.
I request a consideration of revisiting the guidelines and empowering homeowners
who are educated and informed of environmental impact to take the decisions that are
right for their property and safety of the families.
This shouldn't be in the hands of Urban Forestry that has no stake whatsoever in terms ofdamages to the property and the residents.
Photos attached to show the messy situation with trees on the property for a review.
We look forward to your consideration for making the guidelines flexible and allow
homeowners to remain in charge of the decisions about removal/ replacement of the
unsafe trees.
Thank you!
Jaya Pandey and Jayendu Jayendu
From:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
To:Council, City
Subject:2024 Tall Tree Awards - Now Accepting Nominations
Date:Wednesday, December 27, 2023 8:30:48 AM
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Calling For Nominations! - 2024 Tall Tree Awards flyer
Mark Your Calendar
2024 Tall Tree Awards
Thursday, April 18, 2024
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Oshman Family JCC | 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto
Recognizing our Outstanding:
Business, Professional Businessperson, Citizen Volunteer, NonProfit
Organization
>Submit Your Nomination<
Event Info
Purchase Tickets Beginning January 15th
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:Mircea
To:Gerhardt, Jodie
Cc:Conrado diaz; Lait, Jonathan; French, Amy; Gollinger, Peter; Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa; Dao, Veronica; Nguyen,
Vinh; Shikada, Ed; City Attorney; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Kou, Lydia; Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Veenker,
Vicki; Tanaka, Greg; McDougall, Paul@HCD
Subject:PTC Appeal 23TRE-00157/23BLD-02245 : 3880 El Centro St. Palo Alto - Unwarranted Barriers/City of Palo AltoMade up fees on JADU Development
Date:Wednesday, December 27, 2023 1:16:20 AM
Attachments:image001.pngimage002.png
Jodie, Till City of Palo Alto Urban Forestry delivers a complete factual report, not the
misleading one that discriminates against me while assigning unwarranted fees there
is nothing to discuss.
There is no time associated with staff when the city of Palo Alto has a misleading and
incomplete public record created by two City of Palo Alto employees who are paid by
taxpayers/me.Period.
My arborist and my structural engineer both came on site and evaluated the roots
situation and delivered the complete reports sent to the city with the same conclusion
that the redwood tree had to be removed regardless of the roots damage for either
having roots running through the JADU foundation channel for which there is no
solution to save the existing roots (Peter Golinger also agreed that is no solution to
preserve the redwood tree roots) or into the existing house foundation. Unless the
City of PA will take the liability for preserving the redwood tree roots, do not even talk
about it since you want to preserve a tree at the owner's expense. Not happening.
Peter Gollinger ignored those facts and, in the end, delivered a misleading report that
suited him and his department and ask me to plant or pay the equivalent of 12- 24 box
trees, $7800. Attached reports, again.
Peter Gollinger, with his incomplete report and requesting the owner to
plant 12- 24 box trees (or pay the city $7800), represents another barrier
that the City of Palo Alto throws in front of developers building housing
units when HCD repeatedly ordered the city of Palo Alto to stop placing
barriers and build housing.
I had a similar issue with Peter Golinger and Uriel Hernandez earlier this year when
Urban Forestry accused me that I cut the shrubs/vegetation and one EST 9 inch
diameter tree on city right away after I received email confirmation that the owner is
responsible for maintaining the city strip. Furthermore, Peter Gollinger claimed that
he and Uriel called me during that time and told me not to remove that EST 9 inch
diameter tree. City phone records will prove that was a pathetic lie. If I am responsible
for maintaining the city right away do not ask me later why I removed all shrubs,
vegetation and a EST 9 inch diameter tree that all impacted the light into the property
and was overgrown/20-25 ft high.
I am demanding that the city of Palo Alto City Council investigate this entire behavior
and departmental actions by City of PA employees. I will be calling at the 1st City
Council meeting in January and get this issue on the public record.
Mircea
On Fri, Dec 22, 2023 at 12:57 PM Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org>
wrote:
Mircea,
As noted in PAMC Section 8.10.140 - “All appeals must be filed within fourteen days of
posting of notice on the property pursuant to subsection (b)(4)(ii).” While appeals aregenerally not accepted without payment, I know you have had some questions, therefore the
Chief Planning Official agrees that we may extend the payment deadline to Jan 4, 2024. Ifthe full payment is made by this date, the appeal will still be considered timely.
As noted in PAMC Section 18.78, the process requires both a PTC and Council hearing.
The two fees, totaling $5,184, cover staff’s time associated with this appeal process. Notethat outside of this fee, additional information from your project arborist may also be
required and would be at your expense.
Sincerely,
Jodie Gerhardt (she/her), AICP
Manager of Current Planning
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 329-2575 | jodie.gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms &Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
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From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 2:27 PMTo: Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Nguyen, Vinh <Vinh.Nguyen@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Conrado diaz
<Superiorlevelconst@gmail.com>; Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>;French, Amy <Amy.French@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gollinger, Peter
<Peter.Gollinger@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa<Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; City
Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Dao, Veronica<Veronica.Dao@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Re: PTC Appeal 23TRE-00157/23BLD-02245 : 3880 El Centro St. Palo Alto
Thanks. It is not clear what is the deadline for Urban Forestry appeal and if is 30
days from when (?? removal, redwood tree permit issued etc) and is not clear if
appellant can go straight to CC and if the appeal fees are the same for city council as
for PTC.
Mircea
On Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 11:21 AM Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org>wrote:
Mircea,
As this tree removal is part of development on an R-1 property (PAMC 8.10.050), theappeal is being processed in conformance with PAMC Section 8.10.140 (c)(2) and
Section 18.78. Section 18.78 calls for PTC and Council hearings and states that “thedecision of the City Council is final”.
As noted in previous emails, the following fees from the City’s Municipal Fee Schedule
are required to continue processing this appeal.
Sincerely,
Jodie Gerhardt (she/her), AICP
Manager of Current Planning
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 329-2575 | jodie.gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms &
Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 10:33 AMTo: Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Dao, Veronica <Veronica.Dao@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Nguyen, Vinh<Vinh.Nguyen@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Conrado diaz <Superiorlevelconst@gmail.com>;Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; French, Amy<Amy.French@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gollinger, Peter<Peter.Gollinger@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Vargas-Aguilera, Elisa<Elisa.Vargas@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Attorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>;
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City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: PTC Appeal 23TRE-00157/23BLD-02245 : 3880 El Centro St. Palo Alto
Jodie,
I am not sure what you meant with the last sentence. I never ever removed a tree
without a Permit. Let's get that straight. What are you talking about?Pls clarify. I
had a permit for all trees removed from 3880 El Centro and that can be attested
by Urban Forestry. I never in my career removed trees without a permit please let
me know who said that and where are the facts.
I am dealing with Urban Forestry, which has an incomplete report of the facts on
site (missing information that was brought to Peter Gollinger's attention) and he
made a decision to ask the owner to plant 12 trees to justify to the neighborhood
why the redwood tree must be removed. I am also dealing with Uriel Hernandez,
that blamed me in front of 3 people that provided declarations of what he said
that was " convenient for me" for the roots to be damaged. A total unprofessional
sham that will be exposed. This is how the city employees should act with
residents when I pay your salaries? Inconceivable. In the meantime I will meet
with city attorney to discuss this issue.
2. Please clarify what appeals go to Director of Planning and what appeals go to
PTC and on what basis.
3. Please clarify what are the fees to take the appeal at city council since we will
decide. There is no rush for appeal in January this needs to be done right and I
need to evaluate.
4. I also want to know what is the last agency action remedy (PTC or CC) before
taking it to court.
Thanks for your help
Mircea
On Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 10:11 AM Gerhardt, Jodie<Jodie.Gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Mircea,
Staff has received your appeal request and we are actively processing it. Our aim is toschedule a PTC hearing for January 31, 2024. As mentioned in an earlier email, pleaseensure all of the necessary fees for the appeal are paid promptly to facilitate the process.
Regarding the last sentence in your email below, please keep in mind that all protectedtrees need a permit from the City before they are removed.
Sincerely,
Jodie Gerhardt (she/her), AICP
Manager of Current Planning
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 329-2575 | jodie.gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms &
Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 7:39 PMTo: Dao, Veronica <Veronica.Dao@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gerhardt, Jodie<Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Nguyen, Vinh<Vinh.Nguyen@CityofPaloAlto.org>
You don't often get email from mircea27v@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
Cc: Conrado diaz <Superiorlevelconst@gmail.com>; Lait, Jonathan<Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; French, Amy
<Amy.French@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gollinger, Peter<Peter.Gollinger@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: PTC Appeal 23TRE-00157/23BLD-02245 : 3880 El Centro St. Palo Alto
Jodie, Veronica and Nguyen -
Attached is the form requested for the appeal to be heard by PTC. Please let me
know where to pay $700 and to whom I need to send all supporting documents
for the appeal and by when.
1/17 or 1/31 PTC is fine because on 1/16 City council will meet on revisiting trees
topic and I will attend and email city council. Clearly, Urban Forestry project
review process failed in this case and UF needs to be substantially more
involved upfront before a building permit is issued and guide the applicant as
Dave Docktor did for many years when roots issues were found before
construction started. Furthermore, when trees impact an existing foundation
the owner has the absolute right to remove the tree regardless of
type/size/dimensions and replace it based on the size of its canopy.
Thanks
Mircea
650-996-1114
On Wed, Dec 6, 2023 at 9:15 AM Gollinger, Peter<Peter.Gollinger@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Hello Mircea,
Thank you for sending that information over as requested. We have reviewed themunicipal code and discovered that it does not reference a director’s hearing as an
option in this instance. Instead, you will need to appeal directly to the Planning andTransportation Commission.
This can be done by completing the attached form and submitting the form to the
emails listed in the instructions. Please note that there is a fee associated with anappeal to the PTC. The FY24 application fee is $700. There may also be an
additional deposit needed but we are still trying to confirm.
Based on my conversations with planning staff about this process, this appeal couldbe heard at either PTC meeting in January. Currently those are scheduled for 1/17
and 1/31.
Please accept my apologies for sending the incorrect information previously.
Peter Gollinger
City of Palo Alto – Public Works
Urban Forester
D:(650) 496-6946 WE-7320BM
From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023 9:05 PMTo: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Gollinger, Peter <Peter.Gollinger@CityofPaloAlto.org>; City Attorney
<city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>;Conrado diaz <Superiorlevelconst@gmail.com>Subject: Appeal 23TRE-00157/23BLD-02245 :3880 El Centro Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Becautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Jonathan, Peter asked me to email you to set this one up for review as I need
to exhaust all the mitigation options offered by the city. I am taking this
situation very seriously and look forward to exhausting this last step with
the city.
The base of Appeal: The reason for Redwood tree removal that generated themitigation planting requirement included as a condition of 23TRE-00157/23BLD-
02245
Reason for Appeal:
The owner disagrees with UF's assessment of the redwood tree's reason forremoval because of the damage inflicted to the redwood tree roots vs redwoodtree roots running into the Existing foundation emphasized by the attachedstructural letter and therefore, disagrees with UF's request to plant 12 trees asa replacement for the redwood tree when the owner should be responsible forreplacing it with only 3 24-box trees.
1. After the urban forestry completed their NOV report on 11/21/23 I asked thequestion why nobody was talking about the current redwood tree roots running into
and close to the existing foundation and I did the exploratory roots and proved tobe the case and got structural engineer letters that point out that the current
redwood roots indeed will have an impact into the existing foundation, therefore, itdoes not matter if the roots were impacted/damaged since under the PA UF tree
regulation any tree that impacts the structural foundation can be removed atowner's request and replaced with the proper number of trees based on the size of
the canopy. The City of PA did not ask the property owner to do more exploratorytrenching in the proposed JADU area, which would have turned out an earlier
discovery of the existing redwood roots some very close to the surface. In the end,the redwood tree roots were found, and the city of PA now blames the property
owner. The key here is that with the redwood tree system discovered between11/29-11/30 that there was no way that the JADU could be properly built in the
area without removing the tree. I expect guidance from UF not to blame me at theend and to make me responsible for finding that the redwood tree roots were
running into the existing foundation. See attached pictures. This entire redwoodtree exploratory trenching could have been ordered by the city dating back in
March 2023 when we discussed and discovered that the Cedar tree in the rear hadroots running into the existing foundation and was permitted to be removed under
my structural engineer letter requiring immediate removal (see attached permit)and the redwood tree roots impacting existing foundation is no different.
2. Redwood Tree roots discovered during the trenching of the new JADU
foundation were running into the future JADU foundation that has a permit(BLD23-02245) approved meaning the structure cannot be changed.The owner is
not going to take on any liability that the roots system that runs across the entireJADU trenching channel, the GC cannot offer any foundation warranty and city
does not want to be liable for future foundation damages/claims so therefore theredwood tree had to be removed per structural and arborist report regardless of
damaged or intact roots.
NOV notice has inaccurate info as follows:
1. TPZ verification was signed off by Uriel on 11/3/23 see attached screenshotmeaning we passed TPZ not as stated that posts were missing which was after the
fact brought up to owner's attention and installed the same day. This "fencing" finewas also included in the $3,000 citation. See attached email.
2. UForestry had the chance to provide comments during the 3 reviews that we hadtill BP was approved and they were on site and never pointed out if we had issues.
Owner suggested to UF in March 2023 to also do an exploratory on the redwoodtree roots to see if we can find any roots but did not have any guidance even during
BP review process 8/18/23-11/2/23 when building permit was approved.
3. When the NOV was wrote UF totally ignored the redwood tree roots runningthrough the entire JADU approved foundation area which is substantially relevant
since there is NO foundation solution to deal with the entire root system in theJADU area and that can be attested by our arborist and city arborist too. Saying
that the roots were damaged and that is why we need to remove the redwood isfalse. We need to remove the redwood because it impacts Existing foundationand the new JADU foundation under permit 23 BLD-02245. If anybody at thecity wants to explain to HCD (Paul McDougall) why the city of Palo Alto creates
delays in the JADU creation for a tree that the property owner had the right toremove with a permit, go ahead.It is unjust what the city of PA just did, and I will
not tolerate it and I will stand up for all developers that support me in ensuring cityunderstands the owner's rights and failed city processes.
City of Palo Alto continues placing financial barriers in front of developers that are
generating housing units, in this case imposing a citation of $3000 for theaccidental incident of the GC employee (see GC attached declaration) that
damaged the roots and also demands 12 trees to be planted which we will notaccept under any circumstances and ready to make the case of failed Urban
Forestry exploratory roots process and rejecting land owner's rights to remove treesthat impact the existing foundation.
Thanks
Mircea
650-996-1114
3880 El Centro St, _RedwoodTree_ArboristLetter.pdf
3880ElCentro_PA_GC_IncidentReport.pdf
3880ElCentro_PA_PermitRemoval_RedwoodTree.pdf
3880ElCentro_PA_RedwoodTreeIncident_PropertyOwn...
3880ElCentro_PA_StructuralEngineerRedwoodTreeRe...
From:Office of Supervisor Susan EllenbergTo:Council, CitySubject:D4 December NewsletterDate:Tuesday, December 26, 2023 11:00:39 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links.
Greetings D4 residents & friends -
As we count down the final days of 2023, I find
myself looking back on the successes and
progress our County has made over the year
through new policies, investments, and
community efforts, and simultaneously looking
ahead to the coming year and the
achievements and growth we will undertake in
2024.
I encourage you to be on the lookout for my
Year in Review updates on our social media
channels over the next few weeks to share
highlights of County and my office’s
accomplishments this past year. The full Year in
Review will appear as part of the January 2024
newsletter. Also in January, please SAVE THE
DATE for my State of the County address
scheduled for January 25th at 5 pm at the
County Administration building at 70 West
Hedding Street in San Jose. Lots more to follow
on that!
Until next month, I hope the current year’s end
and new year’s beginning find you in good
health, safe, and surrounded by loved ones.
Six New Housing DevelopmentsFunded
During the December 5th Board of Supervisors
meeting, my colleagues and I approved $47.4
million in funding for six new affordable housing
developments! $36.1 million of this funding
comes directly from the voter passed Measure
A Affordable Housing Bond.
When Measure A was initially passed by voters
in 2016, it set the goal of creating 4,800 new
affordable rental housing units through its $950
million in funds. Through seven years of
implementation, there are now 5,127 new
apartments and 56 housing developments in
various stages of development that will surpass
the original goal.
It is evident that Measure A has played a key
role in the creation of affordable housing
throughout the County and will continue to
expand the County’s ability to achieve its
housing priorities.
New Homes for FormerFoster Youth: The Hub SanJose at Parkmoor & Meridian
The County is taking another significant step in
supporting foster youth and transitional age
youth (defined as 18–25-year-olds who had
been part of the foster care system) through the
creation of an innovative housing and
community services development. The Hub is a
youth-led and organized community center,
dedicated to supporting current and former
foster youth. It will also include 80 housing units,
40 of which will be designated for transitional
age youth. Onsite resources will include
computer labs, life skills classrooms, college
preparation classes, school supplies, mental
health services and other resources.
All our children and youth deserve the support
that so many better resourced youths receive
from their own families. For our foster and TAY,
their success is our success.
Thank you, Supervisor Chavez, for your
leadership on this project that has been in the
works for more than a decade!
Valley Medical Center andSanta Clara County HealthSystem Acknowledgements
This month, the Valley Medical Center and
Santa Clara County Health System received
prestigious awards/acknowledgements for the
work they are doing in the County.
The Health System received the 2023
California Association of Public Hospitals
and Health Systems (CAPH)/California
Health Care Safety Net Institute (SNI)
Quality Leaders Award (QLA) for their entry
“An Integrated Transitions of Care Model
for Vulnerable Populations: Developing
Best Practices and Closing Gaps for
Justice Involved Individuals with
Executive Function Disorders.”
Valley Medical Center was named a high
performing hospital for Maternity Care,
the highest award a hospital can earn from
U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity
Care
These Awards are more than deserved for our
talented and passionate healthcare workers.
Thank you and congratulations to all our county
healthcare employees for supporting our
community and making our health system one
of the best in the nation!
Mission Street RecoveryStation
The County improved on one of our tools to
address intoxicated individuals who encounter
law enforcement but aren’t charged with
committing serious harm. Law enforcement
officers can bring those individuals to our newly
renovated and expanded Mission Street
Recovery Station (MSRS) to receive sobering
and mental health/drug triage services. MSRS
seeks to stabilize clients through a focus on
recovery, rehabilitation, and linkages to services
The new location offers recliner chairs; private,
ADA-compliant bathrooms with showers;
laundry facilities; a kitchen; and available
blankets, eye masks, and other important
supplies.
TRUST (Trusted ResponseUrgent Support Team)
At the December 12th Board of Supervisors
meeting the Board directed administration to
explore a direct phone number to reach the
County’s 24/7 non-law enforcement mobile
crisis response team (TRUST). This direct line
would supplement 9-8-8, the County’s existing
crisis and suicide prevention hotline.
Thank you, Supervisor Lee, for bringing forward
this referral!
San Jose Earthquakescommit to creating NewPublic Fields at Santa ClaraCounty Fairgrounds
The San Jose Earthquakes are building a 30-
acre state-of-the-art soccer training facility at the
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and, thanks to
strong partnerships between the Earthquakes,
the County and the City of San Jose, the team
will also build four public soccer fields at the
site. Much more to come on this subject so
definitely stay tuned! Special Meeting onDepartment of Family andChildren’s Services Protocol
On Tuesday, December 19th, the Board held aspecial meeting to review and discuss the policiesand protocols of our Department of Family andChildren’s Services in response to the tragic deathof Baby Phoenix. We heard from nearly 100
and treatment rather than relying on
incarceration or the utilization of expensive
emergency resources to address substance use
disorders.
members of our community, presenters, and staff.The Board requested that our County
Administration return to the February 6th Board ofSupervisors meeting with additional information onhow we can make improvements to our system. Iam so honored to be part of a community that isdedicated to child safety and well-being and lookforward to seeing what we can all do together inthis vein.
Blog Post: If it’s important to do, it’simportant to do it right.
In this month's blog post I offer my thoughts on
some new mandates and policies that address
the State and County's mental health crisis.
Medium
That’s it for now! As always, if you need
anything, I and my team are here to provide
assistance and support.
Warmly,
Susan Ellenberg
Board President Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 4
70 West Hedding
East Wing, 10th Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 299-5040
Email Supervisor Ellenberg
District 4 Website
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From:Aram James
To:Baker, Rob; Braden Cartwright; Council, City; D Martell; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; DuJuan Green; EmilyMibach; GRP-City Clerk; Human Relations Commission; Jay Boyarsky; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Linda Jolley;Zelkha, Mila; Raj Jayadev; Raymond Goins; Rosen, Jeff; chuck jagoda; dennis burns
Subject:Re: Cease-Fire Now! Christmas Eve Vigil -Palo Alto
Date:Monday, December 25, 2023 6:43:16 PM
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On Sun, Dec 24, 2023 at 9:54 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: