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January 29, 2024 City Council Emails
701-32 DOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 1/29/2024 Document dates: 1/22/2024 – 1/29/2024 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Cc:Shikada, Ed; Lait, Jonathan Subject:follow up on planning for a bond issue Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 1:16:39 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from slevy@ccsce.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. My voice is gone and will not be able to speak tonight but will come asap to speak at public comment period I know that BAHFA is hoping to bring a regional bond issue for Nov 2024 and hope the council will support the BAFHA effort asap. I know also that the first receipts from our business tax will start coming in. But I think the proposed multi-purpose local bond will serve two additional importantpurposes: 1) It could bring in large $ immediately for urgent city priorities that are struggling from lack of funding and 2) It will show funding partners and review agencies that PA residents are willing to put their own "skin in the game". We are neither a poor community measured by income or wealth or would rank as one of the neediest in a DEI world. So starting a planning effort now to commit local resident and business $s would< I think,make us more attractive for co-funding in a very competive world Stephen Levy From:Roberta Ahlquist To:Council, City Subject:2024 #1 priority Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 12:42:43 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from finnroberta@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ BUILD LOW-INCOME HOUSING FOR OUR WOKERS, SENIORS, THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD O LIVE HERE, BUT WORK HERE. TAKE BOLD STEPS TO ADDRESS THE CITY’S REQUIREMENTS. IMPLEMENT RENT CONTROL: RENTS CONTINUE TO RISE AND THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO WHAT SOME TENANTS ARE RECEIVING IN INCREASES. Sincerely, Roberta Ahlquist Co-chair of Senior Low0income housing Committee From:Roberta Ahlquist To:Council, City Subject:Pririties for 2024 PASS CEDAW ORDINANCE Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 12:38:17 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from finnroberta@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. What are the priorities you would like to see the City Council adopt for 2024? I FULLY SUPPORT THE STATMENT BELOW, SUBMITTED BY CHERRILL SPENCER. IT IS TIME FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ACTION. SINCERELY, ROBERTA AHLQUST, RESIDENT OF PALO ALTO "Back in October 2018 the Palo Alto City Council passed this motion: Motion passed by Palo Alto City Council (9-0) on October 1st 2018 regarding an ordinance based on CEDAW: Direct Staff to study and return to Policy and Services Committee with options for a City ordinance endorsing the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Staff’s work should include: i. Affirming the City’s commitment to the principals of the United Nations convention of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women; ii. Discussion of the potential for a gender analysis, including potential focus, scope, and phasing of an analysis, and roles of City staff, the HRC, and Council; iii. Policy and Services Committee should return to Council with a prioritization of one or two areas of focus; iv. Priorities should be given to areas where the City can make the greatest positive impact on the lives of the women and girls in Palo Alto; and v. Work generally within existing budgets, and City resources, and can accomplish goals within one to two years. && That motion was passed over 5 years ago and still no ordinance has been produced by City staff. I and my fellow branch members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom ask you to prioritize the drafting of this ordinance. Below is a link to a United Nation's document that was signed by city mayors from all over the world. The commitment, launched under the banner of the Generation Equality and aligned with several blueprints of its Action Coalitions, highlights concrete action that cities can take in support of gender equality and ending violence against women. It calls for increasing women’s and girls’ meaningful participation, leadership, and decision-making power in cities and communities, and for the inclusion of women’s voices throughout all processes. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2023/12/city-mayors- make-commitments-to-advance-action-on-gender-equality-globally" From:hglann@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Feedback on priorities for 2024 Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 11:56:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members: I know we are all disappointed by our failure to make enough progress on both climate and housing in 2023, but I am optimistic that Council can take tangible steps to accelerate our results in the year ahead. We at 350SV Palo Alto Climate Action will continue our successful efforts from 2023 to engage the community in a variety of electrification events. For example, we plan to work closely with CPAU to target the Whole Home Electrification Pilot area, once the grid in this area has been fully upgraded. We are expanding our focus to include renters as well as homeowners; we’ve established a partnership with the Palo Alto Renters Association to reach the 45% of households in Palo Alto who rent. Just as our climate actions follow the recommendations of scientists, I strongly encourage you to also use science as you evaluate housing opportunities in our city. Modeling from UC Berkeley demonstrates the pivotal role that infill housing plays in reducing emissions in Palo Alto. Please visit https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/ca- scenarios/index.html and enter Palo Alto into “Location 1” to see the results for yourself. Sincerely yours, Hilary Glann Co-Leader, 350SV Palo Alto Climate Action hglann@gmail.com From:Alison Cormack To:Council, City Subject:Priority for 2024 Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 9:11:01 AM alisonlcormack@gmail.com appears similar to someone who previously sent you email, but maynot be that person. Learn why this could be a risk CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the members of the City Council, As you prepare to work on the annual priorities tonight, I wanted to reiterate my recent public comment about how you can be the Council that makes it possible to build a new community center. This is an achievable goal for thiscalendar year and one that the Council can and should spend significant time and attention on. While we use the word Cubberley as shorthand for this work, it is really about more than rebuilding physicalinfrastructure that is deteriorating badly -- it is about creating a place for the community to gather to learn and playand express themselves and recover, and all the other wonderful activities that are currently at Cubberley, or couldbe if the space was there. Best wishes for this evening and this year, Alison Cormack From:Elizabeth Lee To:Council, City Subject:CEDAW Date:Monday, January 29, 2024 8:02:45 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from liz@funghi.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Honorable City Council of Palo Alto, I’m writing to second Cherrill Spencer’s request for CEDAW. Thank you. Elizabeth Lee, LMFT 650 346-4071 liz@funghi.com Author of The House at 844 1/2 http://goo.gl/BauAk From:George Lu To:Council, City Subject:Council Priorities for 2024 Date:Sunday, January 28, 2024 10:32:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council, Expanding on my previous comments from the Open Town Hall portal, I urge the council to consider: 1. City-Led Development. a. The city should take an active role in affordability and livability. To this end, Council should consider creating an adhoc committee and/or development office. b. Most notably, a single developer (Presidio Bay) owns ~9.5 acres in Palo Alto east of San Antonio / Charleston. We should be actively working with them to dedicate some land as a park. c. We should similarly explore more transit-oriented development on city parking lots. Existing plans from Midpen and Alta are excellent, but expensive. We should proceed with 100% affordable plans, but also explore private partnerships on other lots. If we are open to (1) developing multiple lots in a single agreement and (2) including market-rate housing, hotel, or office space, we could get more affordable units with benefits like public space, retail, and/or (reasonable levels of) parking. 2. San Antonio / South Palo Alto Investment. a. We should reexamine our capital investment priorities, and find a clear budget + timeline for San Antonio investments. b. We should goal on concrete deliverables like: i. acquiring land for a centrally-located park and library ii. measurable goals on green coverage + planting iii. reducing ambient noise levels and improving air quality, by both lobbying Caltrans for a noise wall and planting more trees along 101. iv. completing area plans, including studies on cycling / bus access 3. Road safety. a. We should adopt an ambitious but feasible Vision Zero plan. i. We know traffic injuries are preventable and prevalent in Palo Alto. See a map of auto collisions from September to November, and how there are multiple incidents along Greene, the Bryant Bike Boulevard, etc. ii. As part of existing studies, we will likely adopt a Vision Zero plan anyways. However, these studies (Safe Streets for All; Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan) will wrap up in late 2024 / early 2025. iii. By adding a council priority, we can accelerate existing studies; guarantee that we adopt a goal in 2024; and move toward implementation. b. Council should also take more explicit oversight on road safety. i. The most recent traffic calming measure to appear before the PTC (Crescent Park) took 5 years to complete a pilot, with permanent installation still ongoing. ii. We should be iterating quickly with a strong Council mandate, especially along our school routes. While previously-mentioned studies could help us move more quickly in some respects, we need to revamp the process to ship these projects an order of magnitude faster (while still including community feedback). 4. Climate Change. a. Climate change is one of the areas where the city has ambitious, metric-based goals with a timeline. We should acknowledge setbacks, but stick with our goals. Best George Lu (Representing myself, and not the PTC of course) From:Aram James To:Angel, David; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; David S. Norris; Jeff Moore; Josh Becker; JulieLythcott-Haims; Michelle; Reifschneider, James; Robert. Jonsen; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Vicki Veenker; Perron,Zachary; Zelkha, Mila; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org Subject:After LA police raid home of Black Lives Matter attorney, a judge orders photographs destroyed Date:Sunday, January 28, 2024 10:31:20 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. After LA police raid home of Black Lives Matter attorney, a judge orders photographs destroyed https://share.newsbreak.com/60jbjppn From:Aram James To:Council, City; DuJuan Green; Friends of Cubberley; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Kaloma Smith;Lewis james; Michelle; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Roberta Ahlquist; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; WILPFPeninsula Palo Alto Subject:Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza Date:Sunday, January 28, 2024 10:03:50 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Cease-Fire in Gaza https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/us/politics/black-pastors-biden-gaza-israel.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare From:Aram James To:Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Josh Becker; KEVIN JENSEN; Raj Jayadev; Raymond Goins; Reifschneider, James;Robert.Jonson@shf.sccgov.org; Sean Allen Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; District1@bos.sccgov.org; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing; Enberg, Nicholas; Jensen, Eric; GRP-City Clerk; GRP-City Council; Greg Tanaka; Human Relations Commission; Joe Simitian; Joe Simitian; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Kaloma Smith; Linda Jolley; Palo Alto Free Press; Roberta Ahlquist; Sally Lieber; Shikada, Ed; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Perron, Zachary; Zelkha, Mila; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie; ladoris cordell; Foley, Michael Subject:21 bodycam videos caught the NYPD wrongly arresting Black kids on Halloween. Why can’t the public see thefootage? - ProPublica Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 11:22:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 21 bodycam videos caught the NYPD wrongly arresting Black kids on Halloween. Why can’tthe public see the footage? - ProPublica https://apple.news/ACzeG681BTuianmf1INOQmA From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Braden Cartwright; Council, City; EmilyMibach; Jensen, Eric; Greg Tanaka; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Linda Jolley;Gardener, Liz; Palo Alto Free Press; Reifschneider, James; Roberta Ahlquist; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Stump,Molly; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; Zelkha, Mila; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie;kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:City of Palo Alto in Big Trouble Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 9:32:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. City Manager where have you been? City of Palo Alto is in Big Trouble on completing1. housing element and 2. now plans for grade-separation -3. continued delays and cost over runs re the new No Public Safety Building. What grade do you give our current city manager. D- or F ? C- D + -some other grade? https://www.paloaltoonline.com/2024/01/25/palo-altos-rail-plans-in-flux-after-caltrain-review/ From:Shani Kleinhaus To:Council, City Subject:Please prioritize the Natural Environment and Biodiversity in 2024 Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 6:26:13 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from shani@scvas.org. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Stone and Council members, On behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and as a resident of Palo Alto, I wish tothank you for prioritizing Climate Change and the Natural Environment in 2023, and ask that this priority continues into 2024 with focus on biodiversity. The City of Palo Alto has made progress in addressing our natural environment 2023: TheUrban Forest Master Plan has been adopted, the Horizontal Levee project is advancing, and so are the planning processes for reducing light pollution and for protecting birds from collisionwith glass and man made structures. In 2024, I hope to see an update to the city’s Creek Protection ordinance to protect water quality in creeks and protect riparian corridors from encroachment. In addition, habitatprotection and enhancement in parks and open space is important - Palo Alto residents should be able to experience nature throughout the City, and enjoy the biodiverse region we all live inand at the same time develop resilience to climate-driven threats such as fire and sea-level rise. With great appreciation, Shani Kleinhaus, Ph.D. Environmental Advocate, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society Palo Alto resident From:Jeff Hoel To:UAC Cc:Hoel, Jeff (external); Council, City Subject:TRANSCRIPT & COMMENTS, 01-03-24 UAC meeting Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 5:19:17 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from jeff_hoel@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. Commissioners, Here's a TRANSCRIPT of portions of your 01-03-24 UAC meeting, with my COMMENTS -- paragraphs in red beginning with "###". (Presentation slide titles are paragraphs in orange beginning with "###.") I didn't transcribe everything. Sorry. 01-03-24 UAC meeting video https://midpenmedia.org/utilities-advisory-commission-32-132024/ 01-03-24 agenda -- with staff reports and presentation slides https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/2/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory- commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2024/01-jan-2024/01-03-2024-packet.pdf Thanks. Jeff -------------------Jeff Hoel731 Colorado Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94303 ------------------- ================================================================================================= UAC meeting -- 01-03-24 Attended by Chair Segal, Commissioners Phillips, Mauter, Metz, Croft. (Absent: Vice Chair Scharff and Commissioner Forssell) Council Member Lauing attended via Zoom. 0:00:12: Chair Segal: Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the January 2024 -- Happy New Year! -- UAC meeting. We can start withcommissioners identifying themselves. 0:00:27: Commissioner Croft: Commissioner Croft present. 0:00:31: Commissioner Metz: Commissioner Metz. 0:00:35: Commissioner Mauter: Commissioner Mauter present. 0:00:37: Commissioner Phillips: Commissioner Phillips present. 0:00:40: Chair Segal: And Chair Segal present. And do we have any commissioners online? Or not as of yet? [pause] ### Absent: Vice Chair Scharff and Commissioner Forssell. ### I think Council Member and UAC Liaison Lauing attended via Zoom. Great. We have a quorum, so we'll move forward. We do not have any additions or deletions or changes to the agenda. Arethere any comments from the public on matters not on the agenda? 0:01:06: Jenelle Kamian: This is Jenelle Kamian, Program Assistant. If anyone from the public would like to speak on an item not on the agenda, please raise your hand or dial *9 on your phone. No hands raised. 0:01:18: Chair Segal: Great. So, we'll move on to approving the minutes. Does anyone have any comments to the minutes of the December 6th, 2023 meeting? No comments. Then -- 0:01:32: Commissioner Phillips: I move we approve the minutes. 0:01:34: Commissioner Croft: I can second that. 0:01:36: Chair Segal: And I think we can do it by hand since we're all present. All in favor of approving the minutes as submitted, raise your hand. It's unanimous. So, we will move on to the Utilities Director Report. 0:01:52: Director Batchelor: Thank you, Chair Segal. Evening, commissioners. Happy new year to all of you. This is a great time to ensure that your account information is up-to-date, and stay connected with us. So, we've been pushing hard for residents to be enabled to sign up and giving us additional numbers -- cell phone numbers, things like that -- to be able to update our outage management system. So, it allows us to be in a much more -- response to power outages. So, we have our texting capabilities up and running. All the numbers that we have in our system is up -- been up-to-date. But if anybody would like to add some additional numbers to that, if they can go online to the cityofpaloalto.org/outages. Or they can call our customerservice number, and we can add those extra cellphone numbers into your account, so that if there were some type of outages,you will be starting to get text messages now. And if anybody would like to kind of unsubscribe from that, all they have to do isreply stop or quit, and they won't receive any more of the messages on outages in their areas. So, we're happy to be able tolaunch that. We were able to update all that information this last -- past month. So, we are able now to text message toanybody for a power outage. 0:03:32: A little bit about -- Just a quick update on fiber to the premise and the grid mod, as the City's working to upgrade increasing the electric grid load. We are -- As we have talked in the past, that both the grid mod and the fiber projects are working hand in hand in the first pilot phase. And we're hoping that construction will begin in the pilot areas in first quarter of '24, coming up here. So, hopefully, by the end of March timeframe, we'll be able to have construction start. That would be able to allow, then, fiber to be deployed, as well as grid mod. And then, after that period of time, the idea is, then, we'll continue with the grid mod updates, moving into the larger areas that we have shown in the past, along with the fiber. And so, we should start seeing some results by mid-year of this year on the fiber project itself. And seeing subscribers come on. ### Does this mean that the first FTTP subscribers will start receiving service on or before 06-30-24? Will the City be providing information online about the details of how the infrastructure will be deployed at a premises? One of the things -- just as a reminder -- that construction crews will be working in some of the back yards. We will also have contractors that will be working on vegetation and clearing some trees in those areas. There will be having IDs and badges. We will notify customers in the neighborhood area the we'll be moving into ahead of time, to let them know that we'll beaccessing their back yards. If they're not at home, or if they would like and prefer to have us actually make contact with themahead of time, then they'll be able to give us a call and set an appointment up that we'll be able to go in their back yards andwork on their poles at that period of time. And then, it's not just for the fiber, but it's also for adding additional transformers andequipment in those back yard easement areas. 0:05:42: We're also starting off -- We're committed to providing safe drinking water to the residents. We're -- In accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we're performing an inventory of lead service lines, to determine if there's lead pipesin the water distribution system, on both the public side as well as on the private side. ### In a way, this topic is too important to be relegated to a paragraph in an oral Utilities Director's Report. According to EPA,water systems must "comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions requirement to prepare and maintain an inventory ofservice line materials by October 16, 2024." This document cites a number of other relevant documents.https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-ruleThis eight-page "Fact Sheet" is one place to start.https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-06/EPA-Factsheet-Combined-06072023%20508-final.pdf It says (page 6) that water systems serving more than 50,000 people must post results online, optionally as a map. Will staff do such a map? Customers -- We're currently working during our normal hours. We've already started this, moving forward. We are actually going to be going to do a presentation to the school district as well, because the schools are going to be involved in this. That we're actually going to have to test their facilities in the coming months. That we will be meeting with the school district, to make sure that if there are lead lines or any kind of faucets or anything like that that will need to be replaced, we're going to be asking them to put a plan together for each of the schools, so that we can take a look at where these locations will be located on the premises of the schools. So, it's going to be a huge undertaking. We do have a little bit of time, from a way of looking at -- About '27 or '28, we have to be completely done with the system at that point, and then we'll be continually ** -- going toother areas of the City to continue on with that path. But we need to have the plans brought to us from the schools. As wellas, private schools will be included in that. And then all the public schools that we have. In Palo Alto. 0:07:33: The last thing is just a little bit about water supply and hydro conditions. El Nino season has resulted in warmer but not wetterweather. And then usually in the watersheds, Palo Alto relies on that hydro generation and water supply. Water shortages inboth the hydro system and the regional water systems. We're in pretty good shape going into the winter. And it's still possiblethat we'll be at average or above average in the coming months. So, we'll continue to give updates as we get them from -- Starting in February, we'll give you another update on what the outcome is. Hopefully, with these rains that we just received, and the snowpack will start, and it will fill up the rest of the reservoirs the rest of the way. So, we're looking forward to that portion of it. 0:08:19: Also, too, is that we're going to be discussing our preliminary rate and a little bit about our forecasts that will be coming up. We do have a subcommittee from the UAC for the budgeting purposes. And we're going to hold a meeting probably within a week or so -- we'll be contacting Commissioner Phillips, Croft, and Scharff about trying to set up a meeting to actually go over these preliminary numbers, having a little bit better understanding. And then we are going to Finance on the preliminary numbersthe first part of February. And then, we will be coming back to all of you in March to actually talk about what those finalnumbers might look like. And then, we have one more try, at Finance in April. And then, after the April timeline, we'll be goingto Council then. Sometime. Usually it's about the first part of June that we'll be going for the budget adoption. That happens. Usually there's two readings in June. And budgets will then be approved by July 1, moving forward. So -- Yes? 0:09:39: Commissioner Phillips: [not amplified] ** 0:09:47: Director Batchelor: That is correct. 0:09:48: Commissioner Phillips: [not amplified] Forcing function. Work backwards. 0:09:50: Director Batchelor: Yes. 0:09:51: Commissioner Phillips: [not amplified] Thank you. 0:09:51: Director Batchelor: Yup. 0:09:56: Commissioner Phillips: Now that I've finished my question, it's working. 0:09:58: Director Batchelor: Yes. So, we work backwards from that -- those final rate projections. And they will come -- adopted -- inthe July 1 timeframe. And with that, that concludes my report. 0:10:13: Chair Segal: Thank you, Director Batchelor. Any questions on that? OK, we'll move on to new business. And are there any comments from the public on Item 3, ### Item 2. Approval of the 2025 Preliminary Financial Forecast and Rate Projections? 0:10:30: Jenelle Kamian: This is Jenelle Kamian, Program Assistant. If anyone from the public would like to speak on Item 2, pleaseraise your hand or dial *9 on your phone. We have one hand raised via Zoom. David Coale. You may speak. 0:10:51: David Coale: Hello, commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you. I've always been very impressed abouthow Utilities project way into the future to cover their costs. And on this item, I'm surprised that there's no talk about the end ofgas. And the rates that might be affected by this. There's no date set on the end of gas, but we know it's coming. And so, it seems that any talk about rates, or capital improvements, or other things that might affect that have -- were not in the report at all. So, I would be happen to see some discussion about that, as we move forward, because this is going to happen, and it is something that we need to cover. So, I hope that you can take that up in your discussions, so that we are prepared to meet our future obligations, as we know that that will be happening. Thank you so much. 0:11:53: Chair Segal: Any other public comments? I guess we can turn -- Is there a presentation on this? 0:12:00: Director Batchelor: We do, Chair. So, I'll start off. I'm introducing Lisa Bilir, our Senior Resource Planner, that will start off. And then, we also have a host of staff with us tonight. Jonathan Abendschein will be talking a little bit about -- around theelectric. And Karla [Dailey], who is our Director for Resource Planners, is here. And Eric Wong. Probably online? 0:12:25: Karla Dailey: He's here. 0:12:25: Director Batchelor: Ah. Eric Wong is here, too, who is our Associate Resource Planner -- Or, no, he's actually a Resource Planner now. Sorry about that. Is that -- He's here tonight to help with the presentation. So, with that, I'm going to turn it over to Lisa. 0:12:44: Lisa Bilir: Thank you so much, Dean. And I'm just sharing my presentation here. I'll start off by giving a brief overview. And then, Jonathan will go though the electric slides. And then, I'll go through the gas, water, and wastewater. Please feel free to interrupt us and ask any questions that you have. We're planning on -- This is a long presentation. We're planning on hittingthe highlights and the key slides. But we would be more than happy to go back through any and every slide that you have anyquestions on. So, just let us know. So, a little word about what these preliminary projections are. This is early in the processfor developing the rate projections for fiscal year '25, that will go into effect July 1st of this year. And we -- What these mainlylook at is the year-end reserve balances for the end of fiscal year 2023. But we're in the process of combing through all of thecosts and revenues, and coming up with our projections. So, these may change. But we really want to get your feedback andinput, and incorporate that into the forecast. As Dean mentioned, we'll then be taking this to the Finance Committee. Andwe're developing our financial plans to bring to you -- the full financial plans, and all the details -- in March. 0:14:19: ###. Slide 2 -- Preliminary System Average Rate Projections (packet page 20) So, first, I want to just show you the overall rate projections, and talk a little bit about what has happened over the last year. Basically, in mid- -- Basically, last year, the Council approved the first in a series of rate changes needed in order toaccommodate some industry trends. And, in particular, as you know, there were gas price spikes -- energy price spikes -- lastwinter. And that depleted the Utility's reserves. Many of the Utility's reserves. And so, this is a plan to gradually bringreserves back up to within the guideline ranges across the utilities. And this is -- This follows on the increases that were putinto place in fiscal year 2024. 0:15:13: Chair Segal: Can I ask you one question, though, on that? 0:15:14: Lisa Bilir: Yes. 0:15:14: Chair Segal: Because -- You said to bring back reserves. But it looks like the wastewater reserve doesn't come back for quitea few years. 0:15:24: Lisa Bilir: Yes. 0:15:24: Chair Segal: Around 2025. 0:15:25: Lisa Bilir: So, the plan -- And I'll talk in detail about wastewater, but -- And let me correct myself. Thank you for that. That this is a plan to gradually bring the reserves back to within guideline range within the five-year period. Some of the utilities are a little bit more quick than the other utilities. But we're trying to take a gradual approach. We're here to, you know, get any feedback you have on that. If you want us to take a different approach, or look at some different alternatives. So -- yeah. 0:15:53: Commissioner Croft: Can I ask a question, too, on that. Because the reserves was something that I highlighted as I wentthrough it. And, in terms of the reserves being used by the gas spike, did we take reserves from all the different utilities for thatgas spike? Is that why they're all low? 0:16:11: Lisa Bilir: No. Let me say -- 0:16:11: Commissioner Croft: ** OK. 0:16:11: Lisa Bilir: -- a couple of other things. Trends that I wanted to talk about. 0:16:15: Commissioner Croft: OK. 0:16:15: Lisa Bilir: One is that during the pandemic, the City aimed to keep the rate increases as low as possible, because residentsand businesses in Palo Alto were also being impacted by the pandemic and economic impacts. So, that also depleted thereserves over time. And last year, we set in place this plan that had several -- that had a five-year rate trajectory. And so,that's what we're presenting here tonight, is actually similar to what we were proposing last year for fiscal year '25. But wereturn every year, to explain our proposals and provide more detail, and change the direction if needed. 0:17:03: So, the other thing that happened in the last couple of years was a drought. So, in 2021 and 2022, the drought was ongoing,and it didn't come to a close until between December '22 and March 2023, when we had 31 atmospheric rivers that came toCalifornia, and the drought came to a close. So, that -- you know, our customers really responded to that call for conservation,and reduced their water consumption. And that did reduce the -- That was fantastic, but also did reduce our water salesrevenue. And we are -- changed our projection to reduce that in the future, because we're projecting that there will be somerebound, but it may be not as much as we thought. It may take longer than we thought. So, there's some different factors thatimpact all the different utilities. And it's not all because of the gas price spike. 0:18:05: So, this proposal, if you look at what's in the red box, there's a 5 percent increase for the electric utility. And, as you can see, last year, there was a 5 percent decrease. And this was primarily because of the removal of the hydro rate adjustor that was - - The Council was able to remove that because of the end of the drought. 0:18:30: And for the gas utility, we're proposing a 9 percent increase. And one of things that we're going to be asking for your guidance and direction on tonight is the amount of the General Fund Transfer. What this table reflects is the transfer of 11.9 percent. And I'll go into the details of that when we get on to the gas utility. 0:18:54: The wastewater utility proposal is for a 9 percent increase. And this is, as you mentioned, to bring the reserves back to withinthe guideline range, and also to bring revenues up in line with the costs, going forward, in order to be able to sustain a rate ofmain replacement in the sewer utility, which is very important, and we discussed that with you and with the Council last year. 0:19:27: For the water utility, this is a proposal for a 5 percent increase, which reflects a 9 percent increase on the distribution rate. And I meant to say that for the gas utility, what's shown in this chart is the overall bill increase. So, it's a larger increase on the distribution rate. And I'll talk in more detail about that. But that larger increase is only on the distribution rate. And this is setting aside any increases on the supply rate, and just looking at what that distribution rate would look like, out of the whole gas bill, in order to try to give a clear picture of what that impact is. So, similarly, on the water utility, we're proposing a larger increase on the distribution rate. But in terms of how it impacts the whole water bill, from the customer's perspective, it's a 5 percent increase. 0:20:19: We're not expecting a refuse increase this year, but are expecting increases in future years. And for storm drain, thatincreases with CPI. So, we've modeled that as 3 percent in this chart for right now. That's not final yet. And the overall impactis 5 percent, or $20.50, for the average residential customer. With a bill -- In the footnote, it says with a bill in 2023 of $369. 0:20:52: So, with that, I'm going to -- 0:20:56 ###. Slide 3 -- Ongoing Cost Containment Oh, I wanted to talk a little bit about cost containment. We're not able to do cost containment in a way that it reduces the rates. But we're trying to mitigate the need for rate increases as much as possible, so that the rates don't increase as fast as they otherwise would have. And we're highlighting it here because it's very important in the work that we do, both on an ongoing basis and, you know, highlighting some of our achievements, as well as, going forward, what some actions are. So, you'll see some repetition from previous years. This is just to try to keep it at the top of our minds -- that cost cont- -- the importance of our cost containment work. 0:21:45: ###. Slide 4 -- Recently Implemented Cost Containment ##. Slide 5 -- Future Potential Cost Containment ###. Slide 6 -- Electric Utility And, with that, I would like to turn it over to Jonathan Abendschein. He's going to walk through the electric presentation. 0:21:54: Chair Segal: Before we go into electric, I did have a couple cost containment questions. 0:21:59: Lisa Bilir: OK. 0:22:01: ###. Slide 5 (again) -- Future Potential Cost Containment 0:22:00: Chair Segal: Because on the next slide, where you list actual containments, ###. Slide 4 (again) -- Recently Implemented Cost Containment ###. Slide 3 (again) -- Ongoing Cost Containment a lot of these -- 0:22:09: ###. Slide 4 (again) -- Recently Implemented Cost Containment Lisa Bilir: This one? 0:22:09: Chair Segal: They're all great, you know, things to be proud of, and -- But a lot of them seem a little bit older. And I'm wondering whether we have any kind of big opportunities, like some of these listed here, that you think are coming down the pike. Or are we looking for those? I mean, it seems like we put some attention on government funding, whether state or federal. Which is great. And I hope we continue to pursue those. It doesn't seem like we've had great luck with those. And is there any other opportunities that are out there? 0:22:54: Lisa Bilir: Yeah. We've tried to include some dollar figures. And some of these reflect multi-year efforts. But we've -- Theway this is structured is that -- 0:23:10: ###. Slide 3 (again) -- Ongoing Cost Containment we're trying to show ongoing efforts, 0:23:12: ###. Slide 4 (again) -- Recently Implemented Cost Containment and then, what we've recently implemented, ###. Slide 5 (again) -- Future Potential Cost Containment and then future potential cost containment. And so, this slide is trying to capture, I think, what your question is getting into, in terms of possible future things. And maybe there's things we need to add to this list. 0:23:31: Chair Segal: Yeah. And so it's partly my oversight to -- without ** [laughs] because you do have it. Some of it. Down here. Iguess I would love to see more -- I don't know what. Um. If -- Do we have someone whose specialty is trying to get fundingfrom government at all levels? Is there someone whose role is that? 0:23:53: Director Batchelor: So -- I can take this -- So, I think, Chair Segal -- So, one of the things -- Yes. So, we are looking at opportunities for any kind of grid mod grants that might be out there. We continue to look for fiber grants that are out therefrom the feds, or even from the state standpoints. We've also looked at -- looking out for grants for EVs. And chargers. And opportunities like that. We applied -- As you know, we applied for some large ones last year. We did try, later in the year, toapply for two other ones. We were turned down on those. And we continue to look for -- And so, the fiber folks -- We dohave a person that looks for those grant opportunities in the fiber folks. Funds. And then, also, between engineering and afew of the other folks on Karla's team are looking for any opportunities. You know, through NCPA. We try to work with them,to see if there's some opportunities to kind of go together with some NCPA others. And we continue to look at that on amonthly basis, to see what's coming up. And we're -- You know, we can, maybe, possibly, apply for some of these. So, wecontinue to do that. And we do have staff looking at those. 0:25:19: Karla Dailey: Yeah. Karla Dailey. I would just add to that that we an interdepartmental team of City staff that meet once a month to go over the list of grant opportunities, and try and identify what might apply to any department, including Utilities. So, it's a pretty -- There's a structure in place for trying to make sure we don't miss anything. 0:25:44: Chair Segal: That's great. And do we have someone on the oppo- -- like on the grant-writing side? I know it's a very, you know, special skill. And do we have someone in-house, or someone we use on a consultation basis for that? 0:25:59: Director Batchelor: So, when we wrote the grant for our grid mod, we actually used a consultant through NCPA. We did try touse -- There is a grant company, or someone that's on -- from the outside for the City as well. We've used them as well,helping us with some of the fiber -- um -- grant applications. And then, amongst ourselves. As well. 0:26:22: Chair Segal: Thanks. 0:26:24: Commissioner Phillips: I have questions about [item] 2 on this slide. What is number 2, "explor[ing] prepay of renewable power purchase agreements to monetize municipal tax-exempt debt"? And, the third one, which is -- I thought we had already laid off some of our transmission assets. Are there additional transmission assets? Or is this the one that we've already laid off? 0:26:48: Karla Dailey: I can speak to both of those. On the transmission -- layoff of transmission -- that is the one you've alreadyspoken of, Council hasn't approved that yet. That goes to Council on the 16th of January. So, that is the one that's beingreferred to there. The prepay of renewable power purchase agreements -- that one is a project that we're looking at withNCPA to potentially put a prepay structure in place for the Calpine Geo project, ### This project was presented to UAC on 02-01-23.https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2023/02-feb-2023/02-01-2023-id-14678-item-1.pdf that is already approved, and we're already a project participant. And this is a structure that's been used on the gas side by many, many gas util- -- municipal gas utilities across the country. That is an IRS-codified legal way to take advantage of the tax-exempt status of the municipal utilities, to prepay for energy. And it's being used more frequently on the electric side now. So, we're investigating potentially doing that with this contract. 0:27:53: Commissioner Phillips: Is the question the applicability and the legality of it? Or -- I mean, why wouldn't we do it? 0:27:59: Karla Dailey: Um. It's -- It takes a lot of work to put them together. And Palo Alto, on its own, is really not large enough to doone of these. And so, for this one, particularly, Silicon Valley Power is a really important participant. They're large, and have alarge share of that project. And so, there's actually a commission meeting at NCPA coming up this month where this will bediscussed, and we'll get more of a feel for whether we have enough interest and kind of critical mass to get this going. 0:28:36: Commissioner Phillips: Thank you. 0:28:39: Commissioner Croft: I had a question about fiber, which is not -- I don't recall having seen it in the -- these slides. Um. Which-- And I know we've asked about it in prior meetings, to possibly see a little bit more detail. I'm curious about the projected kindof financials of fiber. We've got a pretty large reserve. And I still don't -- I don't understand exactly how that reserve getsfunded. Does funding the reserve, and funding all the capital costs of putting fiber in place come out of other rates that arepaid? So, as we're looking for opportunities to kind of reduce these -- increases in cost every single year. I'm just curious tosee the value proposition of fiber. And I don't have enough background, just having been new here, to know like the criticalstrategic importance of fiber. But I would definitely be interested in seeing like a projected income statement balance sheet. Like, how much we're investing, how much we expect to get back from it some day. 029:55: Dave Yuan: Dave Yuan, Utilities Strategic Business Manager. In regards to the fiber, yeah, we are putting together a source and use statement, for both dark fiber and fiber to the premises. It's still very -- in preliminary mode. Depending on how fast we can construct the network, as Dean mentioned earlier. In regards to the use of the funds, each of the enterprises are separate. We cannot comingle the funds. So any of the fiber reserves is dedicated to, usually, the telecom side, or communication. And the same for our electric and gas. We may be able to loan monies to each of funds. But there has to be a repayment schedule. But we can't spend the funds on different utilities. 0:30:32: Commissioner Croft: So, is that how the Fiber Fund was originally -- the reserve is -- came from a loan from another utility? 0:30:38: Dave Yuan: Yes. The Fiber Fund was originally -- probably the 1990s -- it was spun off of the Electric Fund. I think theElectric Fund spent like $2 million on the infrastructure. The Fiber Fund did pay it back in the early 2000s. And the reserves have been built on the fiber leasing for the last 25-30 years. So, that's how we've accumulated that $30-something million. That's all from the fiber program. 0:30:02: Commissioner Croft: OK. And then, if there's -- this is just a favor to ask. Like, if there's any kind of past meeting or document that kind of talks about the strategic importance of fiber, I'd love to review it. ### I'd be interested in what staff provides here. Meanwhile, ... ### Community Broadband Networks advocates for local control of broadband. Here's their vision statement.https://communitynets.org/content/our-vision ### 02-01-21: "Why Fiber?" -- by consultant Doug Dawsonhttps://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/02/01/why-fiber/ 0:31:12: Dave Yuan: Sure. And we can also review it at the Budget Committee, since you're one of the members, if you think so. 0:31:17: Commissioner Croft: OK. We can talk about whether we want to spend time on it in this meeting or not. All right. Thank you. 0:31:21: Dave Yuan: Thanks. 0:31:35: Lisa Bilir: Are we ready to go on to electric? OK. 0:31:42: ###. Slide 6 -- Electric Utility ###. Slide 7 -- Electric Rate Proposal Jonathan Abendschein: All right. Good evening, commissioners. Jonathan Abendschein, Assistant Director of the UtilitiesDepartment. And I'm filling in tonight for our Senior Resource Planner in charge of Electric Rates, Micah Babbit, who can't behere tonight for happy reasons. He's -- parental leave a little earlier. So, I'll fill in as best I -- a little earlier than expected. So, I'll fill in as best I can. I have mostly reviewed the electric forecast with him, and anything I can't answer for you tonight I willget back to you about. 0:32:18: I'm going to go through the -- We have a number of slides. I'm going to go through them -- through every single one of them --for the electric utility. But we may move through them a little bit quicker with later utilities, because some of the trends were onthings like construction and inflation are common across many utilities. And so, you'll see some repeating themes. I reallywant to emphasize that the electric rates in particular are very preliminary. There have been a LOT of things changing in the forecasts, even past the time this presentation was put together. And so, I'll give you some updates on things that you can expect to see that will be a little bit different when the Financial Plan comes to you, as we go through the slides. 0:33:10: What we're tentatively looking at here is a 5 percent rate increase in FY 2025. Which is consistent with what we forecasted last year. But there are -- I would say that we're in a little bit of a better position this year than I think we forecasted we were going to be when we did our last year's forecasts. And there are three major one-time, short-term positive indicators. The first is the good hydroelectric generation in FY 2024, because of the heavy rains in the winter[s] of 2022/2023. There have also been some opportunities to sell some of our surplus resource adequacy. So, that's generating capacity that we are required todemonstrate to the Cal-ISO that we have available in case of tight grid conditions. And we have some surplus of that. Andwe've been able to sell it at higher prices than usual. As well as surplus renewable energy credits. And then, the third factoryou already know about. It's the settlement related to the lawsuit with the federal government over our hydroelectric powerfrom the Central Valley project. And those are allowing us to -- Our reserves, I think, will be in a better position than we wereexpecting. But that is offset to some extent by some major one-time negative indicators. Some major costs for electrification,fiber, and some customer-related investments and general capital investment that are also impacting reserves. And some ofthat will ideally be offset by bond financing in the near-term. 0:35:21: So, I think the net effect of that, on balance, I think -- we think it's positive. And so, as we -- For the FY 2025 and FY 2026 rate changes, I think we're hoping to do a little bit better -- what it's going to allow us to do is really manage the impacts of a cost of service study that we're doing. We're expecting some adjustments, because of changes in consumption patterns, to how we charge different customer groups. So, for those who aren't familiar with it, a cost of service study is a study that utilities do periodically, to make sure that costs are allocated fairly among customers. And a lot of times -- Those are done every few years, and a lot of times they result in some shifts in costs being charged to different customers. And when that happens, you'll have some different rate increases for different customer classes. So, we do expect some classes are going to see larger increases than others. But I think what we're hoping is that we'll be able to -- with this more favorable reserves that we're seeing -- that we're going to be -- we're hoping we'll be able to keep the increases to all classes to 5 percent or less. And some may see less than 5 percent. So, we'll have more information on that as we come back to you in March. 0:36:46: In the longer term, on the other hand, some of these short-term benefits, like the good hydro and the surplus resourceadequacy sales and rec sales, we're expecting to start to phase out. And we're expecting -- And transmission costs areexpected to continue to increase. So, for those -- And there's continuing and increasing grid investment. And so, for thosevarious factors, I think we're starting to see that we're going to expect bigger increases in the out years. More like 5 percent per year rather that the 2 percent to 4 percent that are reflected in these slides. Next slide, please. 0:37:32: ###. Slide 8 -- Electric Utility Cost Structure So, this is a look at our cost structure in the past fiscal year, 2023. The major cost driver in the electric utilities is our electric supply cost. And that's in the blue there on the pie chart. And in FY '23, it was $107 million [56 percent]. That was significantly higher than our ten-year average supply costs, in -- or, our supply costs in previous years. And some of that had to do with the gas price spikes, which also drove up power prices as well. But embedded in our power supply cost is transmission cost. That's about 30 percent of the -- of last year's expenses. And often it's higher than that as a percentage. So, transmission is really significant. And it's continuing to increase over time. The rest of our costs -- the other 44 percent --is related to electric distribution costs. And those continue to rise steadily, due to inflation. And some of the challenges thatwe have around recruitment and retention do drive some increases as well. For example, having to, you know, compete onsalaries and benefits, and having to rely on contractors for operations and maintenance, given the staffing challenges we'vehad. Next slide, please. 0:39:04: ###. Slide 9 -- Long Term Cost Trends And this chart is just meant to illustrate some of those long-term trends I talked about on the first slide. Um. The -- You can see the increasing supply cost trend over the next several years. Some of that may come down a little bit in the near term, butit increases in the longer term. So, I think what you're looking at is a pretty reasonable approximation of what you can expectto see. Distribution costs, as I was mentioning earlier, increasing over time due to grid investment. And these things arehaving some upward pressure on rates. Next slide, please. 0:39:42: ###. Slide 10 -- Long Term Cost Trends: Supply Now, this chart is digging down a little bit into the supply cost trends. And, again, here, you can see the breakdown between transmission and generation and overhead. And I think the really big thing to recognize here is, the transmission is growing pretty significantly. Generation is -- looks like it's growing pretty significantly, but some of that is just an artifact of the fact that FY 2025 has pretty low supply costs because of the low hydroelectric generation. In general, generation is not increasing as quickly as transmission. Transmission is becoming more and more a part of our electric supply costs. Next slide, please. 0:40:33: ###. Slide 11 -- Long Term Cost Trends: Distribution And here, you can see our spending on the distribution side. And estimated capital spending. And what we're showing here isjust the existing capital projects. And -- And I'm sorry. So, I can't see everybody in the chambers, and I just got a ping thatthere was a question. 0:40:55: Commissioner Phillips: Hi, Jonathan. Can you hear me? 0:40:58: Jonathan Abendschein: Yes. 0:40:59: Commissioner Phillips: On the previous slide -- 0:41:02: ###. Slide 10 (again) -- Long Term Cost Trend: Supply So, how much of the increase is -- because this is total -- coming from increased demand, versus increased unit cost? If thatmakes sense. Since we're going -- 0:41:16: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. No. That's a good question. In THIS projection, not much of the increase is coming fromincreased demand. They're -- We're doing a separate set of analysis and projections, related -- I mean, you saw some of this in the integrated resource plan -- related to the -- you know, in the ballpark of 30-40 percent overall increases that we could see related to electrification. If the community were to move on the S/CAP goals as quickly as we're aiming for. But that's not reflected in this slide. So, what you're seeing here really illustrates increases in costs per unit, as opposed to increases in demand. 0:42:05: Commissioner Phillips: So, it's essentially assuming flat demand. Is that more or less correct? 0:42:11: Jonathan Abendschein: It's -- There's some increase. But it's not the largest part of the overall increase in costs that you'reseeing here. 0:42:22: Commissioner Phillips: And how much of this cost is unit cost? I mean, ** we already contracted for, on the generation. So,by generation -- I mean, this is the power we're purchasing. And 99.9 percent of it somebody else is generating, I take it. Andthe transmission -- How much of that is already contracted in, and how much is uncertain? Say when we're looking at 2025 and 2029? 0:42:50: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. Most of this contracted in already. 0:42:53: Commissioner Phillips: Pardon? 0:42:55: Jonathan Abendschein: The vast majority of this -- Sorry. The vast majority of this is contracted in. Can you hear me OK? 0:43:02: Commissioner Phillips: Yes. I can. So -- 0:43:04: Jonathan Abendschein: Oh, good. 0:43:04: Commissioner Phillips: So, this is -- The biggest uncertainty in this would be if there was some increase in demand. But youfeel very confident about the transmission and generation unit costs. 0:43:18: Jonathan Abendschein: Well, I wouldn't say -- So, any forecast, especially when you get 4 or 5 years out is a little bit uncertain. I mean, there's a lot of uncertainty in the power market. So, I would say, no, we don't feel certain about these costs. And, in fact, that's something to really emphasize, that I'm going to emphasize a little bit later, that the -- any of these forecasts that we're doing with the electric utility are especially uncertain, because of all the investment we're doing, because of what's -- you know, all the ups and downs in the -- that we've seen in the energy markets. And then, because of load uncertainty, around things like electrification. So, no, I wouldn't say that we're certain. I think those numbers do change. For example -- 0:44:07: Commissioner Phillips: Certain is not something I would ever ask for from a forecast. But -- 0:44:12: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. 0:44:12: Commissioner Phillips: If we've contracted in, then the unit costs for transmission and overhead, which is under our control, isdifferent. But if we have ** -- 0:44:18: Jonathan Abendschein: Well, it's -- The unit costs of generation are more certain. The costs for transmission are not. Because we don't contract for transmission. We're paying the rate that the California Independent System Operator charges us. And forecasts of that rate have been pretty uncertain in previous years. 0:44:45: Commissioner Phillips: I guess what I'm interested in -- maybe we should talk -- is the fact that I just see that PG&E is doing something like on January 1st -- that 22 percent rate increase. Which is a transmission-driven -- primarily -- rate increase, to,you know, deal with that. And to the extent that we're insulated from that sort of increase, which also would occur in the future,or not. But maybe it's a -- 0:45:14: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. Some -- That's a question that I'd have to get back to you on. We need to dig a little bit moredeeply into it. I can tell you that we do hire a -- We do have someone that does -- that tracks the transmission rate cases thatPG&E does, both with FERC and the CPUC, and generates a forecast for us. So, we have the best information that a transmission expert can give. And -- But I don't think we're 100 percent insulated from those types of investment. It really depends on whether the investment is related to PG&E's customers or, you know, customers more broadly. And so, yourquestion is getting into an area that I really want to call on our transmission consultants to be able to answer. 0:45:08: Commissioner Phillips: Fair enough. Thank you. 0:46:12: Commissioner Mauter: Jonathan, may I ask one other brief question? In, sort of, some of your analyses, are you starting tolook forward at the marginal cost associated with incremental increases in electricity demand as well? Like, as we increase the amount of electricity that is being consumed within the City, are these marginal transmission costs and marginal generation costs likely to change significantly because we don't have that generation under contract, or because we enter some like different tier of transmission? 0:46:47: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. So, right now, my understanding is, the marginal costs for transmission are -- they're uniform. 0:46:55: Commissioner Mauter: OK. 0:46:55: Jonathan Abendschein: We don't -- Yeah. The marginal costs for generation -- We actually have some protection, becausewe have some surplus. 0:47:02: Commissioner Mauter: Right. 0:47:42: Jonathan Abendschein: And so, we actually have some more certainty than other utilities might have on our marginal costs. When we start to exceed -- So, and now, we're getting into an area that it would really be great to have someone from our electric front office to speak to. But my understanding is that as we're -- as we get beyond those contracted -- um -- those contracted surpluses that we have, that, at least temporarily, prices in the renewable market have gone up, and so the marginal costs may be a little bit more than our average costs right now. But don't quote me on that one. I think we need to hear from our front office planner on that one. And I think there's a lot of uncertainty there, too. There is a lot of -- There are alot of things changing in the renewable energy markets at the moment. 0:48:03: Commissioner Mauter: And just -- Can you remind me how much system surplus do we have right now, that we're selling? 0:48:12: Jonathan Abendschein: Um. 0:48:14: Commissioner Mauter: In terms of like a percentage of overall -- 0:48:16: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. You know, it varies from year to year. I don't have the answer to that one. I'd have to get back to you on that one. 0:48:21: Commissioner Mauter: That's OK. Thank you. 0:48:25: Commissioner Croft: I just had a question about transmission in general. How transmission cost is formulated. Does it haveanything to do with how far the energy -- Like, if we're contracting for -- You know, we have these opportunities for contracts in various geographic regions. Does transmission costs vary with, you know, distance that it's traveling? Or are we just handed, basically, a cost for it passing the threshold into Palo Alto? On the transmission side? 0:48:56: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. We're largely handed a cost. So, it's complicated. In one sense, we're handed a cost forevery unit that we bring into Palo Alto. But there's also -- When we choose what generation we contract for, the price at whichwe're able to sell that -- the power from that generator to the Cal-ISO -- the Cal-ISO almost acts like a central clearinghouse. And so, there's energy that's purchased, you know, when it comes into Palo Alto. And we're forced to sell our generation tothe Cal-ISO as well. And when we sell that generation, there is what's called congestion. And loss adjustments made to theprice. And that's where the -- It's not so much about distance. It's about how much inefficiency a particular generator in aparticular location adds to the grid overall. That is baked into those prices. But it's less about what we buy and more about when we have a generator that's sort of hedging us against price risks, it incurs some of these costs associated with inefficiencies on a transmission system. And that's how those -- That's how the grid differentiates between different generators. But not so much with loads. 0:50:43: Commissioner Croft: Thanks. Would you say that, then -- I'm not sure if I'm interpreting this correctly, but if we were more matched, in terms of power coming in to power needed, that transmission costs would be lower, because we wouldn't incur that congestion -- 0:50:59: Jonathan Abendschein: It wouldn't affect it. Our individual -- So, the grid -- So, we're part of a larger grid, that -- And thosecongestion and loss prices are related to the efficiency of California as a whole. That entire Independent System Operator. How well we match -- And, in fact, this is the whole point of having an integrated grid, is that, you know, your different entitiesdon't have to match their generation and their load precisely, because that creates serious inefficiencies in itself. And so, no,our generation and our load matching doesn't reduce our transmission costs. What it does do is protect us against pricespikes better. But we have our hedging -- our short-term hedging program that we use to protect us against price spikes, asopposed to our long-term renewable program. 0:52:00: Commissioner Croft: Thanks. Thanks a lot. 0:52:06: ###. Slide 11 (again) -- Long Term Cost Trends: Distribution Jonathan Abendschein: OK. Um. All right. I think I -- I think when we left off, I was going to talk a little bit about thedistribution side of the utility. And estimated capital spending. So, what we're showing here is both our distribution operationsand our distribution capital expenses. And you're not seeing here the -- all of the costs associated with full grid modernization,because that is so much money that you can't pay for it, you know, over the course of 5-6 years. up -- you know, with the usualcash investment financing that we've been using. We're going to have to issue debt. And you can see that debt servicestarting to kick in in the FY '25 to FY '29 period. And we'll provide a little more detail on the assumptions behind this and ourfinancial plans in March. But, in general, you know, our operational costs are increasing steadily. You've seen, recent years,significant increases, again, related to recruitment, retention, and contracting. And then, you see really significant increases incapital investment. Some of that, adjusted while I was doing -- the fact we're doing more capital investment. Some of it's related to debt. But some of it, also, is just related to construction inflation, which has been for a long time and continues to be an issue for all public agencies and utilities that are trying to invest. And it all relates to, you know, shortages in the utility construction industry. And, again, that's a common thread that you're going to see in the other utilities as well. Next slide, please.. 0:54:05: ###. Slide 12 -- Supply Cost Drivers All right. I've already talked a little bit about these supply cost drivers. So I won't touch on all of them. But there are just a couple of items of -- additional items that I can note here. In addition to the resource adequacy, the renewable energy credits,the hydroelectric. We do regular advocacy to try and reduce the increases in transmission costs. And there is a rate case thatwe're intervening in, in collaboration with other publicly-owned utilities. And we are expecting to see some reducedtransmission costs from that. Possibly a small refund in the future related to that one. And then, of course, on January 1st,2025, we're going to have a geothermal project coming into our supply portfolio. That's another driver. 0:55:03: ###. Slide 13 -- Distribution Cost Drivers Distribution costs. I think the -- you know, some of these inflationary factors we've already talked about. The other thing, that Ihaven't really talked about, is just utility equipment. A lot of the equipment that we purchase is in really high demand. Some of that affects availability. And delays projects. Some of it affects costs. So, that's another driver that we're dealing with. Nextslide, please. 0:55:32: ###. Slide 14 -- FY 2025 Preliminary: Electric Cost and Revenue Projections All right. So, this shows the standard revenue and cost chart. You can see the blue line at the top. That's our revenues, year-to-year. And then you can see the different costs in the bar charts stacked up below. You can see our commodity costs in blue, capital investment below that, transfers, operations, and then, new debt service, that's also coming online, related to grid modernization. Again, you know -- 0:56:09: Commissioner Phillips: On this slide, what is the 21 percent rate change in 2024? 0:56:14: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. So, this slide is showing the -- So, what happened there is that there was an increase in thebase rate of 21 percent. And then a reduction in the hydroelectric rate adjustor. And the net of those two was a decrease of 5percent. And that maybe would have been the more accurate -- um -- chart to show. It's a little bit hard to show both theeffects of the hydroelectric rate adjustor and the base rate in this chart. So, that's what's going on there. 0:56;46: Commissioner Phillips: Yeah. It probably would be best -- I mean -- So, the graph on the table on packet page 20 [i.e., Slide2] showed minus 5 percent. So, -- 0:56:57: Jonathan Abendschein: Yeah. 0:56:58: Commissioner Phillips: I think that's a more realistic representation of what the customer saw. At least I hope so. 0:57:02: Jonathan Abendschein: I agree. I agree. And we can take that comment and fix that when we come back to you in March. Ah, OK. So, I -- I'm -- The major thing that I just want to point out on this chart, again, going back to what I was saying on thefirst slide, is that we may end up having a little bit more flexibility in FY 2025 and FY 2026, to -- you know, to try and managethe differing sort or rate changes for different customer classes that we're going to see from the cost of service study. So, wemay -- Some customer classes may be able to see less than 5 percent in FY 2025. We'll see how that -- the final study turnsout. But in future years, we're really expecting something a little bit more like 5 percent per year, rather than what you'reseeing here. Next slide. 0:58:00: ###. Slide 15 -- Electric Supply Operating Reserve Projections Um. So, you can see -- You know, there's a little bit of a timing issue with the settlement -- the money from the settlement with the federal government. So, it looks like we're really, really flush at the end of FY 2023. But once we do all the transfers that we got approved for FY 2024, our operations reserves will be below minimum. So -- And -- But we do expect to get back up to the target over the forecast period. And then, next slide. 0:58:38: ###. Slide 16 -- Electric Supply Operating Reserve Projections [bar chart] Commissioner Phillips: Jonathan, just to make sure I understand, could you go back up two slides? 0:58:42: ###. Slide 15 (again) The next slide before this, please. 0:58:45: ###. Slide 14 (again) -- FY 2025 Preliminary: Electric Cost and Revenue Projections So, the difference between the revenue line and the cost line is the amount that's going into the reserves. Is that theassumption? 0:58:54: Jonathan Abendschein: Yes. 0:58:54: Commissioner Phillips: And, of course, FY 2025 and FY 2026. And FY 2027. 0:58:58: Jonathan Abendschein: It's not just the operations reserve. It's a variety of reserves. For example, we received some money related to participation in the cap-and-trade program. And that -- Or repayments from other utilities related to loans we madefrom the Electric Special Projects Reserve. And those revenues -- They show up as revenues, but they actually will bedumped right into other reserves. And they don't -- They aren't really used to help the operations reserve. So, there's someof that going on over the next few years. So, it's possible, in some projections, in some years, where it looks like we're insurplus, but actually those revenues are reserved for some other purpose. So they're not really used for the expenses that areseen here. It's hard to separate those out. But in an ideal world, we would be separating those out. 0:59:49: Commissioner Phillips: Got it. But the idea of planning for revenue that's substantially higher than costs in those years is, in part, largely driven by the desire to fill up the reserve. Is that correct? 1:00:02: Jonathan Abendschein: That's right. That's right. And this is one area where we might be in a little bit better position, because of some of the positive factors that I laid out earlier. And you'll see some of that here on Slide 16. 1:00:19: ###. Slide 16 (again) -- Electric Supply Operating Reserve Projections [bar chart] So, for example, you can see some increases in the cap-and-trade local decarbonization reserve. They're relatively small, butthey are increases. The big thing I really want to point out here -- Oh, and then the repayments to the Electric SpecialProjects Reserve, that I was talking about. You can see that reserve increasing. But the big thing I really want to point outhere is that the hydro stabilization reserve, in this projection, is only $8.5 million. And than was sort of the minimum wethought was prudent, to remove the hydro stabilization adder in July. It is below the minimum -- that -- we're -- If that reserveis below $11 million and we have a bad -- a down hydro year, it's possible we may end up needing to put in the hydrostabilization adjustor AGAIN. And I think we'd like to avoid that. So, some of what you're going to see when we bring back our March proposal is using some of the one-time revenues associated with -- that are hydro generation and resource adequacy sales to replenish that reserve, so we're in a better position for future dry years. We'd really like that to be at the target level of $17 million at least. 1:01:46: Commissioner Croft: Can I ask a question on the prior slide? 1:01:48: ###. Slide 15 (again) -- Electric Supply Operating Reserve Projections Jonathan Abendschein: Please. 1:01:49: Commissioner Croft: So, when we go below the minimums -- so, in this case, it looks like about $7 million at the end of '24 --can you talk about what the transfers either were or are planned to get us down there, and do we -- have we approved those,that -- 1:02:10: Jonathan Abendschein: Yes. ------------ 2:21:01: Chair Segal: And thank you, Lisa, for the presentations. I think we're done. We can take -- Let's come back at 8:30. Quickbreak. And then we'll turn to Item 3. Thanks. 2:21:18: BREAK 2:32:21: Chair Segal: Welcome back. We'll now turn to Item 3, an Update on the Five-Year Capital Improvement Program Progress and Projections. Are there any comments from the community? 2:32:37: Jenelle Kamian: This is Jenelle Kamian, Program Assistant. If anyone from the public would like to speak on Item Number 3,please raise your hand or dial *9 on your phone. We have one hand raised on Zoom. David Coale, you may speak. 2:32:55: David Coale: Thank you, commissioners. And thank you for the discussion of the end of gas on the previous item. I canappreciate the complexities there, so I'm glad has allocated funds to study that. And thank you very much for the discussion. On this next item, I did not see any projects related to the wastewater treatment plant, in terms of treating forever chemicals, or the PFAS chemicals. I believe this is another item that will come up in the future, that the City should be planning for. One of the most effective ways to treat this is with the pyrolysis of our wastewater effluent. Our neighbors in Redwood City have shown quite well that this is cost-effective, and actually energy-neutral, or energy-positive. So, it seems that a discussion -- again here -- about future capital improvement projects related to that would be pertinent for your discussion this evening. Thank you so much. 2:34:05: Chair Segal: Thank you. Do we have a presentation? 2:34:09: Director Batchelor: We do, Chair Segal. Thank you very much for this. So, this was an update that we wanted to bringforward to you tonight, to talk about from a water, gas, wastewater, as well as an electric operation five-year capitalimprovement program, going back a few years and then looking forward. Tonight, I have with me Matt Zucca, who is theWater Gas Wastewater Assistant Director, and Mohammad Fattah, from engineering. He's our new -- been with us now for -- 2:34:41: Mohammad Fattah: Five months. 2:34:42: Director Batchelor: Five months. Sorry. Five months. And he is our Electric Manager for our engineering group. So, he will be giving the update on the electric side. With that, I'm going to turn it over to Matt. 2:34:54: Matt Zucca: Good evening, commissioners. Matt Zucca. What you have before you is -- and shown on the screen -- is atable. Sort of looking back in time and also projecting forward five years. Evaluating the -- currently what's being shown -- thewater, gas, and wastewater capital projects. I'll just walk the viewers through the table briefly, and then address some of theitems that are in yellow. The green were sort of on-target in terms of scope and budget. The yellows were, I would say, somedeviations from what was originally intended. So, the table itself is structured that as you go down, you're moving forward intime, starting at fiscal year 2019. You'll see a group of projects. WMR is water main replacement, GMR is gas mainreplacement. And SSR is sanitary sewer replacement. We number these things sequentially, and occasionally split them upinto an A and B, for different reasons. And as you go through the columns, we have the project name. Sort of the original anticipated construction year. The year it was actually constructed. The proposed budget. The contract amount, that we ended up finally -- this would be the final contract amount, after change orders and everything. And then, the actualconstruction period. Sort of a status and comments as well. And then, again, if it's green, it was pretty much as planned. And it was in yellow, there was sort of a slight deviation. 2:36:12: Starting off at the top, I would say that ... ------------ 2:44:57: Mohammad Fattah: Thank you, Matt. Thank you, Dean. Commissioners. 2:45:00: ###. Packet Page 91 -- Table 1 -- CIP Project Status Summary for FY 2019-2028 -- Electrical and Fiber Optic Engineering Nice to meet you. And it's good to be back in Palo Alto. I was part of the founding team on the fiber side, here, back in 2000. And I went around the globe, and came back, and ended up back in Palo Alto here. So, I'm very excited. My story is not going to be as flowery as Matt's here. We -- As you can see, we don't have as much activity there. But that's certainly going tochange here as well. We've been impacted by COVID. Things came to almost a screeching halt. You can see that weworked a couple of projects here -- capital projects here, as well. And then, we were impacted by a mass exodus ofengineers, either retiring or moving on from the City of Palo Alto, there as well. We have a -- We've been recruiting. We'vehired younger engineers. So, our approach to obviously bring things back together is going to be a little bit different there. We've reorganized the team under functions now. So, we've got a T&D team, ### T&D = transmission & distribution. Is this specifically electrical transmission & distribution? we've got a substation team, we've got a team that focuses on customer service -- customer support as well. And then, we've got a team that focuses on fiber to the home and fib- -- the dark fiber backbone system there as well. 2:46:19: Our strategic focus is -- number one -- is grid modernization there. So, there's a big emphasis, of course, on driving the modernization effort here as well. The penetration of electric vehicles in Palo Alto is second to none in the nation here. We're about 30-35 percent. It's incredible the number of applications that are coming through permitting for adding Tesla power walls, as well as connecting vehicles. Apartments are rewiring their parking lots, their -- wherever cars are parked. And everyone wants to have a charging station. So, we're keeping up with the demand, of course. And so, electrification is real. It's happening. We're seeing a doubling of the demand. And, as you've probably heard in previous sessions, that our capacityis probably at 50 percent of where it needs to be. There's a -- about a 25 percent CAGR ### CAGR = compound annual growth rate on the increase of electric vehicles there as well. And so, that's an annual increase of about 25 percent there as well. Thereare incentives for citizens in Palo Alto to move into heat pumps, both for environmentals as well as for heating their water --their water heaters as well. And there are many takers for these services. Again, it's pent up demand as well. 2:47:50: So, grid modernization. We have broken up the City into sectors. And we have a good feel for areas that need to be primary areas for focus. For the moment, we've looked for synergies, because we have a parallel project going on, which is fiber to the home. And we've combined the two projects, in order to achieve economies of scale and be able to drive cost-efficient construction for the upgrade of the network, both for the fiber as well as electric network there as well. The fiber to the premise project is ongoing. We are currently in design. In the design stage of the effort there as well. But we expect that we're going to break ground sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, by placing and replacing poles initially. And then starting to move the infrastructure forward. Initial areas of change -- We are going to -- We are focusing on replacing the 4 kV, which is antiquated, from the '50s. ** or 4kV system into 12 kV, potentially retiring some substations there as well, to consolidate our efforts and focus on driving efficiencies on the 12 kV and transmission system there as well. As part of grid mod, it's a five-year program, of course. I think you've seen parts of it there as well. We're currently focusing on driving the learning curve, sothat we learn how and where areas -- we can get the biggest bang for our buck -- will be there as well. We anticipate the firstsegments of the grid mod services to become -- or come -- live some time in the June-July timeframe of this year here as well. With a fiber network following there as well. ### Following when? And that is the pilot program, or pilot area, that's been selected for this program there as well. 2:49:51: Second, we have -- Or, third, I'd say, strategic focus is the Hanover Substation, which is the Tesla project, which is currentlygoing through permitting. And we anticipate breaking ground with Tesla sometime in the next 3-4 weeks there as well. Withan anticipated turn-up date of September. There'll be more to come on the Hanover Substation upgrade project as well. It's amajor public-private effort/strategy there as well. And the reason why I'm saying it's a major effort -- because Tesla is movingvery quickly. We're not able to -- given the processes that we have to follow, we can't move as quick. So, the investment isactually being made by Tesla, which will be recovered eventually by the City of Palo Alto. Right? For operation. 2:50:45: And then, of course, new customer connections. We're seeing apartments start to come up. Condominiums as well. Our efforts, of course, are to try to position the fiber facilities at these apartments as they come together, so prospective buyers or tenants will have options for communications services which will include dark fiber or lit fiber from the City of Palo Alto there as well. ### I don't understand why or how staff is considering including dark fiber for apartments and condominiums. ### Is it staff's intention to "pass" each premises within each MDU, so that FTTP services can be offered there, provided that the MDU owner allows it? ### In Palo Alto, a few MDUs are dark fiber customers. They use their dark fiber connections to provide fiber-based servicesto the MDU's premises. 2:51:13: We certainly - We've gone through a SWAT analysis, identified our key threats. The key threats are supply chain instabilityand labor shortage. I did mention that there are several folks from engineering staff who have left Palo Alto. So it's been achallenge in terms of recruiting and hiring new engineers. Engineers are moving into more lucrative areas. You know, AI is really big. ML is really big. ### ML = machine learning. So, there's a major move there. But we've been successful in hiring younger engineers who are really passionate about the power industry. ### How about hiring engineers who are really passionate about the FTTP industry? Some who are seeing the power industry going through a renaissance right now, moving from being a stogy service provider of electricity to being truly the backbone of anything that's electric that has to be charged. And the growth of the electricmarkets there as well. 2:52:10: In terms of labor shortage, we're trying to hire and create an environment where it's sticky for the younger folks, so that theycan grow. We're creating a rotation program, so engineers -- We're too small to have specialized engineers, but 2-yearprograms where they can spend time designing and building and supporting and maintaining substations. And then they'llrotate to transmission. Rotate through distribution. Do customer connections, customer services. And they'll essentially be well-rounded engineers once all that is done there as well. 2:52:49: I talked about supply chain instability there as well. So, cost of transformers has more than doubled in the past 5 years. We're having to contend with this. The lead time for transformers is anywhere between 60 [and] 300 percent of what it used to be in the past. Cable -- especially aerial cable -- is -- with the fires that have gone on in California -- has become a very difficult commodity to get a hold of. So, we have a huge emphasis focused on trying to drive relationships between vendors and and manufacturers, of course. Right? Although Palo Alto is small. But I think we're trying to affiliate ourselves with other local utilities there as well. And, as part of that, driving product management expertise in a center of excellence for supply chain there as well. In terms of training the new engineers that are coming on board here to specialize in transformers, or poles, orelectric cables, or wires, or switches, and so on and so forth, as well. And with the goal of, obviously, approaching and beingcloser to our supplier community here, to have a voice, of course, there. And help drive cost-efficient supply chain there aswell. ### What about the supply chain for fiber components? A year or so ago, there was a shortage of lots of componentsnationally, apparently due to hoarding in anticipation of imminent BEAD funding. But more recently, the shortages seem tohave disappeared, apparently in anticipation of delays in BEAD funding.https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/fiber-lead-times-have-dropped-drastically-it-wont-last 2:54:10: So, to point you back to the spreadsheet here, we've had several projects that we've focused on here in the fiscal year '23-'24. And then, essentially, Underground District 46, which was actually completed. And then, the capacitor installation bank inHanover Substation. Those were two successful projects that were completed before we had the mass exodus of theengineers that left the company here as well. Currently, we're focused on the Foothills Underground Program. And that'sobviously for fire prevention there as well. The reason why it's been delayed 'til next year is, we're seeking easements forsome of the electrical facilities that have to go on in the space there to support that. The AMI project is ongoing, of course. Right? It's got its own program that it's following there as well. And then, we're going through a major update of our substationsecurity systems there, including cameras, walls -- raising the walls as well. There as well. And several of these substationsare currently going through permitting for the modifications that are going to take place there as well. And the last -- but not least, of course -- substation breaker replacement. We have all circuit breakers which have been there for 50 years or so. Some of them are -- don't have spare parts and so on and so forth. So, we're going through a major review of the existing infrastructure there, to invest and bring it up-to-date there as well. 2:55:54: The two major projects that I would say 80 percent of the engineering staff is focused on is grid mod and FTTP. And we're making every effort to try to see where we can find synergies there as well, so if we're visiting a pole, we're visiting the pole once there as well, to do both the electric as well as the communications infrastructure there as well. 2:56:20: Any questions I can help address? Yeah. 2:56:26: Commissioner Phillips: On the AMI Project -- So, as I look at a spreadsheet -- the actual for the projects that are ongoing -- isthat the actual spend to date? That's not compared to the budget. Right? 2:56:40: Mohammad Fattah: Yes. 2:56:41: Commissioner Phillips: So, when I look at the AMI Project, which is now scheduled to go through July 1st, $5.3 million has been spent, out of a $11.6 million budget. Is that correct? 2:56:54: Mohammad Fattah: That's right. Yes. 2:56:55: Commissioner Phillips: And the green means it's on-budget. But my understanding was, like, I thought we were going to beAMI-complete residentially by -- much sooner than that. So, is that a stretched-out project? Or -- 2:57:12: Mohammad Fattah: It's stretched-out. Yeah. 2:57:13: Commissioner Phillips: So -- To me, it's a little bit confusing to be green and delayed by more than a year. 2:27:19: Dave Yuan: Yeah. For the residential side, we're still on target to finish by December of 2024. It's just the commercial sidethat we're not -- We're expecting to finish by the middle of next year. 2025. ** 2:27:28: Commissioner Phillips: OK. That's great. So, you're still on target for the end of -- 2:27:33: Dave Yuan: '24. 2:27:33: Commissioner Phillips: '24 for residential. OK. 2:57:36: Dave Yuan: And as of today, I think we've installed 12,000 meters already. So, we're about 16 percent done. So, -- ### 12,000 is 16 percent of 75,000. ### This "Utilities at a Glance" page (08-23-22) provides information about how many customers each utility has. (It took me a while to find it. Should this information be in an easily findable place and updated periodically?) https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Utilities/Customer-Service/Utilities-at-a-Glance Utility Residential Commercial TOTAL ------- ------ ------ ------ Electric 25,876 3,973 29,849 Water 16,579 4,029 20,608 Gas 21,451 2,319 23,770 ------- ------ ------ ------ TOTAL 63,906 10,321 74,227 2:57:41: Commissioner Phillips: Out of 24,000 -- 22,000 -- 2:57:44: Dave Yuan: 12,000 right now. 2:57:45: Commissioner Phillips: Yeah. OK. 2:57:45: Dave Yuan: So, yeah. So, we're moving towards there. We're confident that we can get it done. 2:57:50: Commissioner Phillips: Thank you. 2:57;54: Commissioner Metz: Hi. Thank you for your presentation. On grid mod, which looks like it's $160 million over the next 5years, when will we be able to see some detail of what's in there? 2:58:07: Mohammad Fattah: It's actually a work in progress. I don't have a specific date of when we'll come back to the UAC. But we're actually actively working through the four segments of the City that we're focused on. Driving the inventory of how many poles we have, how many miles of cable and wire we have, and which ones need to be replaced. So, there'll be a formal program that's going to be presented to you here. I don't have a date for it as of yet. 2:58:37: Commissioner Metz: OK. Thank you. 2:58:40: Chair Segal: I had one kind of nit. But in the packet, on page 124, ### That is, on page 33 of the Utilities Quarterly Report for FY 2024-Q1. at 5.4.1 on Fiber Sales, there's this comment that "Magellan had to perform engineering redesign and surveying work ... tominimize and align underground construction with ... grid modernization...." Can you explain what that is, and how much we'repaying them extra for that? 2:59:09: Mohammand Fattah: [unamplified] Do you want to -- Yeah. [amplified] Yeah. So, essentially, Magellan started -- their wholefocus was on fiber. But then, as we took a step back and we said, well, you know, this is an area that -- this is the preliminaryarea that we're going to invest for grid mod as well. So, we brought the two together. And it made sense for -- There was a --um -- Magellan was acquired by another company. ### ENTRUST Solutions Group.https://entrustsol.com/brands/magellan-advisors/ And, essentially, that company has contracts with PG&E and AT&T and local companies. ### Is this, potentially, a conflict of interest? ### Is Mohammad saying that ENTRUST's relationships with PG&E and AT&T would be of positive benefit to the City? Or that ENTRUST's acquisition of Magellan made Magellan more capable of doing the expanded scope of work? It made sense for us to partner with them ### Let me object to the use of the term "partner." Magellan/ENTRUST is not a "partner." It's a consultant/contractor. Right? as well for the electrical design work as well. So, essentially, they're doing both the fiber as well as the electrical design workas well. 2:59:58: Chair Segal: But -- OK. So, maybe I misread it. Because it reads to me here is that they had to do -- not additional work butRE-work of prior projects that they worked on. I -- I don't know, Dave, do you have something to add? 3:00:17: Dave Yuan: [unamplified] Sorry. I guess -- [amplified] Would you re-ask the question? Sorry. 3:00:19: Chair Segal: Yeah. I guess I'm just trying to understand. It said Magellan had to perform redesign and surveying work. And I'm just wondering what that repeat -- whether or not it was repeat, I guess. 3:00:33: Dave Yuan: All right. Got it. 3:00:33: Chair Segal: And how much more we're spending. 3:00:34: Dave Yuan: Like Mohammad said, the original -- their plan was to do the telecom side of it. But, now, since we're adding the grid mod with it, they're going to have to go back and redo the poles on some of them. So, some of the poles that didn't need replacement because of the telecom side may need replacement now, because of the extra weight we'll be adding onto the poles. So, I think that's what they're looking at, too. 3:00:58: Chair Segal: OK. And I thought we also were -- Is that part of the pole replacement pro- -- OK. Got it. Thanks. 3:00:58: Mohammad Fattah: Essentially, the scope widened there. Yeah. ### Summary: Essentially, the City failed to follow its "dig once" and "string once" policies by failing to notice that both thefiber project and the grid mod project would need to assess the suitability of poles for their respective projects. ### The report Chair Segal quoted also said "minimize and align underground construction." Staff's explanation didn't talkabout that, and I don't understand it. 3:01:10: Chair Segal: Thank you so much. 3:01:11: Mohammad Fattah: Thank you. 3:01:15: Chair Segal: OK. We'll turn to Commissioner Comments and Reports From Meetings. Any comments or meeting reports? Probably not. Maybe some good holiday parties? [laughs] Any future topics for upcoming meetings that we need to consider? 3:01:35: Commissioner Croft: I had one topic, which is actually in the Quarterly Report. ### Packet page 101. It was mentioned that there -- Utilities staff regularly reviews new renewable energy generation proposals. And there were a couple of solar proposals, that we decided we weren't interested in. "Staff decided not to move forward with them due to adesire to diversify the City’s electric supply portfolio." So, we just went though the process of hearing about, you know, whatour long-term plans are. Our desire to contract for new renewables going forward. And it was heavily weighted towards solar. And, you know, I was one of the people who was kind of sad to see some of these -- or, disappointed to see some of thesemore stable supply -- you know, base supplies expiring. And seeing if we could continue with those. So, one of the thoughts Iwould -- One of the things I would like to hear about is -- There was a defense of the solar -- you know, it seems likeeveryone's -- you know, we know there's going to be a lot more solar built in the next decade. Or decades. And there was acomment made that even if we do go with a lot of solar, the benefit of trading our solar away, or selling our solar away, is,we're taking gas offline elsewhere. And, to me, it sounds like, you know, there's lots of solar being built everywhere. And I'd like to kind of delve into that a little bit more, to understand, if we are investing in more solar, and we have even more oversupply, in, you know, daylight hours in the summer, and we're trading those away, I imagine there's got to be some long- term forecasts about the buyers of that excess energy. And who are we taking -- Are we truly taking gas offline over the long- term? Or is it just in the short-term, until everyone else also is in the same position of having over- -- you know, built a lot of solar? So, I guess the request would be, you know, if we are saying that investing in solar is still where we want to be, because we're still taking offline gas, you know, with the excess solar that we have, I'd like to kind of understand where is that energy going? Who are the people who are using gas, who are taking our excess solar energy, and what do those projections look like over time? So, if we're entering a new solar contracts, do we have confidence that there's a place for that excess energy to go over the long term? Um. I don't know what you call that [laughs] in terms of a topic. But it's almost like, you know, projection of renewables, and where our excess -- what is the projection for -- you know, it going to eventually -- we're going to have to PAY someone to take our excess? Or is there -- How long is the market going to exist? 3:04:40: Commissioner Metz: Um. Two things. One is the topic we just discussed. Namely, getting some flesh for the grid modproject, since it's the biggest capital project on the table, and there's -- we haven't seen any detail for it. Also, there's a -- butnot quite new things. But there's a long list of things that are not calendared, that are sort of below the calendar, that it wouldbe good to at least tentatively schedule. 3:05:11: Director Batchelor: Commissioner Metz, so, to answer your first question, I think the thing is is that, if you remember -- um -- it was last month, or the month before that, when Jonathan came and talked a little bit about the reli- -- resiliency and a study that we were going to do. I think part of your -- some of your questions will be answered in that portion, as well as, we can get you some -- if -- I mean -- I guess this goes back to the whole discussion about looking at maps, looking at what -- details that you're really looking for. I mean, I guess the question is is that this is more of a construction type of project portion. 0:05:56: Commissioner Metz: Right. 0:05:56 Director Batchelor: I know that we've had conversations. And I know that it's probably difficult for the commission to thinkabout that. We are looking at $3[00]-$350 million. We come to you. We ask you to look at an approval portion of a budgetdollar amounts. And we talk about what's in those dollars, but we don't really give you full details on a project like this. And Ithink the thing is is that, you know, we do owe that information to all of you, that -- where those dollars are going to be spent,and how they're spent. The question about it is -- that I guess I'm still struggling with in my own mind -- is, you know, what is that report actually look like? And how can I help kind of craft this report that -- you know, that -- that it's going to help all of you, to be able to answer the questions around what this grid mod is, and what are we going to do, and how are we going tospend these dollars. I guess. So, you know, I'm -- Like I said, I apologize for this, 'cause I keep on going around and around this. But I'm struggling on what the commission -- or how I can show all of you in a report standby [?] that basically is a -- inmy mind -- I guess I'm just making this way too simple in my mind -- is is that it's a construction project that -- If we didn't call itgrid mod, and we just said that we were going to upgrade the system -- we're going to upgrade the system, and we're going toput in some new transformers, and we're going to add some new poles, we're going to add some new wire, and away we go. 3:07:39: Chair Segal: Maybe one -- I don't know if this will be helpful, but we're going to have to issue a bond. 3:07:44: Director Batchelor: Yup. 3:07:44: Chair Segal: And with that will be some discussion about why the voters are being asked to approve a bond. ### Is it clear that Council would ask voters to approve a bond? Council could decide to do a revenue bond without asking voters to approve it. (For example, see this UAC Colleagues Memo, page 8.)https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2022/09-14-2022/09-14-2022-id-14742-item-6.pdf 3:07:51: Director Batchelor: Right. 3:07:51: Chair Segal: And so, maybe it's -- if -- Thinking about it from that perspective, of how we are going to inform voters about a bond. And then, knowing ahead of -- And then having that in our minds ahead of time, as we talk about it, might be one way to approach it. 3:08:11: Commissioner Metz: I think it's about -- you know, here are our goals. Or, here's a reason why the ratepayers in Palo Alto should spend $300-plus million. Here's what we will achieve is you spend that money. Here's what we'll spend it on. And when. And here's what we won't spend it on. And here's why. You know, I think -- you know, like -- I guess I'm just sort of surprised by the question, in the sense that -- Like, for wastewater treatment. Right? We have budgets for $20 million for this, $30 million for that. And we ask questions. Why do you need this thing. And it was explained. And it makes sense. Andwe just do it. So, I think it's the same thing here. We just -- I'm just sort of puzzled that we have like $2 million items withdetails and a $300 million item with none. It just doesn't make sense. 3:09:02: Commissioner Phillips: I think -- speaking -- maybe speaking for myself, what I would like to see is, what is the end state? What do we get for the $300 million? Not in terms of, you know, extra poles or transformers or -- 3:09:16: Commissioner Metz: Exactly. 3:09:16: Commissioner Phillips: -- this. But, in the end of -- as a citizen, ### Grid mod affects all residents and businesses, not just citizens. But is Commissioner Phillips' point that the people eligible to vote on a bond are all citizens? you know, what would I be able to do, when this is complete -- or, how will my life be different -- or, commercially -- or, how willthe environment be improved? You know "grid modernization" is a relatively easy phrase to say. But I'm not 100 percent surewhat it all entails, and how much of it is, you know, some substratum of things we need to do anyway, just to kind of maintainour system. But the other question is, OK, if we don't do this, you know, in Palo Alto, we will not be able to support more thanthis many electric vehicles. Or we will not be able to support more than this many homes that install solar. Or this other thing -- 3:10:00: Commissioner Metz: ** some regulation. 3:10:01: Commissioner Phillips: Or whatever. 3:10:02: Commissioner Met: Or whatever. 3:10:02: Commissioner Phillips: Because, you know, I -- sure -- you know, maybe -- maybe you are hypothesizing -- maybe looking too much into details -- a construction project. Yeah, I get that. At the end of the day, that's what it is. But it's a construction project, hopefully, with a purpose. To build a capability. And I would like to understand what that capability is. 3:10:22: Director Batchelor: So, I guess that, when I look at it -- And this is -- I guess this is where I really struggle -- is that -- When Tomm Marshall has brought a few of his presentations, I understand that they're pretty cryptic, and they're very short. However, it does talk about what the value is at the end of the project portion. It talks about that -- You know, we are going toincrease the capacity to the homeowners, so that they can do a whole electrification at their home. Right now, today, we don'thave enough capacity to be able to do that for [EV] charger[s], stove, heat pump water heater, range, so on. And so, I guess,I'm trying to step back into all of your shoes, and trying to understand that -- what I can bring. I think this helps a little bit moreabout talking about -- you know, it's more than just, as you mentioned, Commissioner Phillips, about adding some poles,adding some wire, whatever. The -- whatever goes into construction standpoint. And the engineering. And I get,Commissioner Metz, understanding about -- you know, maybe I can look at it as, OK, what is the value? Because we alwaystalk about the value when we replace a water tank. OK? It comes to the end of the life. We need to replace it. Dah, dah, dah. So, I have a little bit better of an idea, that I can formulate. And we'll talk to the team about what we can do about bringing a report in the next couple of months to the commission on what this project actually looks like, and what the values are going to be. Because I agree that there has to be something for it -- for all the residents, as well as -- you know, maybe the thing is is that when we look at this bond, in the future portion of it, it's going to have to have the scope, and we're going to have to explain really what we're asking the bond. And I think that -- you know, I think that we need to start getting the word out to the public, as a whole, and actually have them start understanding about where these large costs are going to be, and what the effect of that cost of that bond's going to be, from a ratepayer's standpoint. And I don't think right now -- Probably, if we talked to the average person -- if we brought ten people in here, they probably don't really know that much about what grid mod's all about. So -- So, I need to think about that. 3:13:04: Commissioner Phillips: [unamplified] ** 3:13:05: Director Batchelor: Yeah. 3:13:05: Commissioner Metz: Right. Yes. 3:13:09: Director Batchelor: So, I thank you for that. 3:13:11: Chair Segal: And then, you know, we have quite a long list of to-be-scheduled. And a pretty blank calendar. And I don't know if putting some of them on the calendar is problematic from your end. But it would be nice to see the list shrinking, and seeingthem calendared. Even knowing that some will have to get moved around as things come up. 3:13:37: Director Batchelor: Yeah. We can do that. Um. I mean, we cleared -- you know, it did take us a little bit of time, from a staffstandpoint, to clear out some of the items that had been on there for some period of time. We can go through here. We willschedule up some of these items that still need to be back in discussion in this coming next 11 months. ### I'm guessing that when Director Batchelor talked about items that need to be "back in discussion," he was NOT asserting that they needed to come back as "DISCUSSION" items. Recall that Vice Chair Scharff has said that ALL of UAC's itemsshould be ACTION items, just in case UAC wants to give its advice to Council in the form of a vote. In the rolling calendar. And then, we can take a look, and see what else comes up. And, Commissioner Croft, we'll also take alook at putting something together about talking about solar. And then, you know, what the advantage of the solar. And then,how does it impact taking off generation. As a whole. 3:14:28: Commissioner Croft: Yeah. I just -- I just don't want to influence the choices that anyone's making with an uneducated view. Right? [laughs] 3:14:37: Director Batchelor: Right. 3:14:37: Commissioner Croft: It's like a -- 3:14:39: Director Batchelor: Exactly. 3:14:41: Commissioner Metz: Many of these topics that are on the list but not on the calendar impact grid mod. Right? Like thedistributed energy discussion. The solar discussion. All those things have to be ingredients in the -- how the grid turns out. Right? 3:14:57: Director Batchelor: Yeah. And I think that there's like -- Like the second transmission line update. ### The City already has THREE transmission lines, but only one transmission line corridor. See this 02-08-21 staff report to UAC, "2nd Transmission Corridor Update." https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/uac-informational-reports/2021- informational-reports/03-02-2021/id-11873.pdf This report was only informational. There was no agendized item, so UAC didn't discuss it or act on it. ### The second transmission line (corridor) was mentioned briefly during UAC's 10-12-22 discussion of the 2018 StrategicPlan Implementation. See video (2:51:45)https://midpenmedia.org/utilities-advisory-commission-31-10122022/and minutes (page 6).https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2022/10-12-2022/10-12-2022-final-uac-minutes.pdf"Staff submitted an application to CAISO, which was not selected but we were provided feedback. We are in the process ofworking with a consultant on submitting a follow-up application." So, would UAC like to know what CAISO (Cal-ISO) said? ### Since then, the "second transmission line" (corridor) has appeared continuously on UAC's 12-month rolling calendar as a "to be scheduled" item. You know, maybe that's something that I can give once in a while in the General Manager's Meeting ### Does he mean the Utilities Director's Report? Because there really isn't a whole lot of movement on that. You know, we're still trying to work through Cal-ISO and PG&E on this. This is not a hot topic for PG&E right now. But I do have some -- a little bit more insight on that. So, maybe some of these could be that I could give an update on a quarterly basis. And then, if there's something that does happen, then we can bring back as a report, as a whole, to the commission. With that. ### Director Batchelor seems to believe that UAC can't contribute to making something happen. 3:15:36: Commissioner Metz: There's one of these that I flagged -- I see as sort of a differing category. Which is the cybersecurity. You know -- 3:15:42: Director Batchelor: Yes. 3:15:42: Commissioner Metz: -- we had a discussion of that, I think maybe a year ago. And, unfortunately, it's a moving target. Weshould probably an update on that. 3:15:51: Director Batchelor: Yeah. I think that, as we talked about it, I think this on in the last couple months about cybersecurity. And then, also, the permit process. 3:16:00: Commissioner Metz: Yeah. That I ** 3:16:01: Director Batchelor: Yeah. I need to reach out to the Director of IT, ### Darren Numoto.https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Information-Technology and then also Jonathan Lait, who you all met, for the process -- the permitting process. You know, I just need to reach out tothem and figure out a timeline when they can come speak to us, as a whole, on the commission. 3:16:26: Chair Segal: Thank you. I think we're ready to adjourn. Anyone want to move to adjourn? [laughs] 3:16:32: Commissioner Phillips: So moved. 3:16:34: Commissioner Mauter: Second. 3:16:35: Chair Segal: We can all wave, like in the Zoom days. ### The video shows it was unanimous. Thank you, everyone. [laughs] 3:16:38: Commissioner Croft: Thank you. 3:16:39: Chair Segal: Happy New Year! 3:16:40: Director Batchelor: Yes. Happy New Year! ==================================================== From:Martha To:Council, City Subject:pay toilet Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 3:55:27 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from marthalg@sonic.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, I don't understand why you would consider removing the pay toilet on the corner of Hamilton and Waverley. The rent seems like a pittance compared to the rest of the city budget. I"m sure there are other ways to pay for it like considering cutting back on bonuses for the employees for doing the job they are hired to do, and use that money for the toilet. Everyone would like the city to be clean and a self-cleaning toilet seems ideal for cleanliness. Another option is set up a nice restroom for everyone and hire someone to keep it clean like they do in Europe. Anyway one reason we like the Stanford Shopping Center is the clean restrooms open to everyone. It appearsUniversity Ave. is losing more and more businesses to the shopping center like Lululemon and Restoration Hardware. Which one is next? Sincerely, Martha Gregory From:Annette Glanckopf To:sukiroo@hotmail.com; Jocelyn Dong Cc:Shikada, Ed; Council, City Subject:Re: Fw: debate Jan. 31 for Eshoo candidates Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 1:28:26 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.png ,I think 7 pm Snnette Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android On Sat, Jan 27, 2024 at 1:20 PM, Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> wrote: Thanks so much! I don't know why the announcement didn't include that information. I've forgotten, what time does it start? Natalie From: Jocelyn Dong <jdong@embarcaderopublishing.com> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2024 12:42 PM To: Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> Cc: Bill Johnson <bjohnson@embarcaderopublishing.com>; Editor Weekly <editor@paweekly.com>; Frank A. Bravo <fbravo@embarcaderomediagroup.com> Subject: Re: Fw: debate Jan. 31 for Eshoo candidates Hello Nat, Thanks for your email. The Midpen Media Center will also be broadcasting the Jan. 31 Congressional Candidates Debate live on Cable Channel 30. I hope you'll be able to watchit that way. Best, Jocelyn On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 1:12 PM Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> wrote: I object that the debate, being held in City Hall, can only be seen in person or by YouTube. Read my email below. Natalie Fisher From: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 2:44 PM To: Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> Cc: City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: RE: debate Jan. 31 for Eshoo candidates Hello Nat, The January 31 event isn’t sponsored by the City, it’s sponsored by Palo Alto Weekly and just being held at city hall. The format is decided by the Weekly. Attached is a link to other events sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Looks likeyou can watch their congressional candidate forum on zoom and perhaps available on other formats as well. Best regards, --Ed Ed Shikada, City Manager ICMA Credentialed Manager (650) 329-2280 | ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 1:19 PMTo: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: debate Jan. 31 for Eshoo candidates Some people who received this message don't often get email from sukiroo@hotmail.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. This debate can only be seen in person or on YouTube. Why isn't it broadcast onthe City's channel 26 since it is taking place in the Council Chambers? Two of thecandidates are even Council members! This is so unfair to people who can't come to City Hall or watch YouTube. I wantto know why this is being done. Natalie Fisher -- Jocelyn Dong Editorial Director | Embarcadero Media Foundation 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto 94306 (650) 326-8210 | (650) 223-6514 direct Sign up to get EXPRESS, the Weekly's free daily e-edition, by going to www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram From:Mark Grossman To:Council, City Subject:City priorities - sustainability Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 10:11:42 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from grossman_mark@yahoo.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. The city must extend its leadership on the sustainability front. These are the valuable initiatives that must be strengthened - * converting gas appliances to electric * enforcing the ban on gasoline-powered landscaping equipment, including education and incentives* reducing single-occupant and school-commute vehicle traffic * plastic waste reduction * ensuring the City is not holding its funds in fossil fuel-supporting investments and banks. Thank you, Mark Grossman Coordinator, 350 Silicon Valley From:Abdalla Morsy To:Administrative Services; EnjoyOnline; Parks; Office of the CIO; Info, Plandiv; Building; City Mgr; Council, City Subject:Request for Data on Microgrid Implementation in Palo Alto for Thesis Research Date:Saturday, January 27, 2024 7:41:35 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from civil.eng.morsy@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear I hope this email finds you well. My name is Abdalla Morsy, a Master's student in CivilEngineering at Cyprus International University, currently specializing in Civil Engineering. I am reaching out to you regarding my ongoing thesis project titled "A ComprehensiveEvaluation of Microgrids as a Viable Energy Management Strategy for Sustainable Smart Cities." Given the innovative and forward-thinking approach of Palo Alto in sustainable urbandevelopment, I am particularly interested in conducting a case study on the application of microgrids in your city. To enrich my research and ensure its thoroughness, I am kindlyrequesting access to specific data pertinent to microgrid implementation in Palo Alto. Below is a comprehensive list of the data I am seeking: 1. Technical specifications of microgrids in Palo Alto, encompassing their size, location, energy sources, generation capacity, storage capacity, and distribution network.2. Energy consumption data for connected loads across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, including historical trends, consumption patterns, and peak load times.3. Operational performance data of microgrids, covering energy generation, consumption, losses, and overall efficiency over a significant period.4. Investment costs and operational expenses associated with deploying and maintaining microgrids in Palo Alto.5. Cost-saving metrics attributed to microgrid adoption, such as reduced electricity bills and enhanced grid stability.6. Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions reduction and other pollutant mitigation achieved through microgrid utilization.7. Energy efficiency enhancements realized through microgrid integration. 8. Integration strategies for renewable energy sources within Palo Alto's microgridinfrastructure. 9. Regulatory framework governing microgrid development, operation, and integration in PaloAlto. 10. Government policies, subsidies, and incentives promoting microgrid adoption within thecity. 11. Public perceptions and attitudes towards microgrids in Palo Alto. I understand the significance of this request and greatly appreciate any assistance you canprovide. Access to this data will significantly contribute to the depth and accuracy of my research, enabling a thorough evaluation of microgrid viability for sustainable energymanagement in smart cities, with Palo Alto as a prominent case study. I am open to meeting in person or discussing further details via phone at your convenience. Thank you very much for considering my request. Your cooperation in this matter isinvaluable to the advancement of my academic pursuits. Warm regards, Abdalla Morsy Civil Engineering Master's StudentCyprus International University Institute of Graduate Studies and ResearchLefkoşa, TRNC Email: civil.eng.morsy@gmail.comStudent Email: 22213356@student.ciu.edu.tr Mobile: +90 539 137 2793 From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; David S. Norris;Dennis Upton; Dennis Upton; Don Austin; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing; Friends of Cubberley; Greg Tanaka; HumanRelations Commission; Jack Ajluni; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims;KEVIN JENSEN; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Linda Jolley; Michelle; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Raymond Goins;Roberta Ahlquist; Rosen, Jeff; Salem Ajluni; Sameena Usman; Sean Allen; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor SusanEllenberg; Vicki Veenker; Zelkha, Mila; dennis burns; Figueroa, Eric; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley,Michael Subject:Re: Against Imperialism in Palestine and Beyond Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 5:26:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 5:15 PM Silicon Valley DSA <info@siliconvalleydsa.org> wrote: Dear Aram , This is Laksh from Silicon Valley's Democratic Socialists of America chapter. Over the past several months, I've had the honor to meet and work in solidarity with you, Palestinian allies, followers of all faiths, and working people from all walks of life, as we have demanded an end to the U.S. and Israel's genocidal campaign against Palestine. We have had some successes recently with the Santa Clara County Democratic Party supporting a strong ceasefire resolution. Working with allies, we also pressured San Jose's City Councilmembers to unanimously call for a cessation of hostilities, though not as urgently as we demanded. And in November, we supported efforts to flip Congressman Ro Khanna, who hesitated for far too long on supporting a ceasefire. Despite strong public support, most of our politicians are spineless, bought off by military and settler-colonial interests, and openly fear calling for peace. As socialists, we organize every day to defeat these warmongers, because we know liberating the international working class means standing against imperialism everywhere. I am writing to you today because SVDSA is in this struggle for the long haul. We are committed to forming a permanent International Solidarity Working Group, and we hope you will join us. Fill out this form to plug in and get involved. Amidst this period of exceptional suffering, I have seen a beautiful silver lining: the people's unprecedented support and understanding of the plight of Palestinians. I have faith especially in our younger generation — who clearly see the atrocities being committed despite the mainstream media's mythological pro-Israel propaganda. This is a time for hope. But we have to meet the moment. That means sticking together, staying involved, organizing, mobilizing, and building towards our goal for a free Palestine and prosperity for all. In the short term, our group remains focused on ending the genocide. But we cannot stop there. The Palestinian people deserve reparations and liberation, and we will work with our allies in the BDS and anti-apartheid movement towards these ends. As the U.S. escalates its attacks and once again destabilizes Yemen, we must also look more broadly towards ending the West's long-standing destruction in Southwest Asia and beyond. We truly believe Palestine is freeing us, and we want you to be a part of this movement to stand against the US war machine! Fill out this form and join us as we push the warmongers out of power. I look forward to seeing you as we organize — behind the scenes and on the streets! In Solidarity, Laksh On behalf of Silicon Valley DSA's Palestine Solidarity Group Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emailsfrom Silicon Valley DSA, please click here. From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Baker, Rob; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Dave Price; David S.Norris; Dennis Upton; District1@bos.sccgov.org; Don Austin; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach; Friends ofCubberley; Greg Tanaka; Human Relations Commission; Jack Ajluni; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; JoeSimitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; KEVIN JENSEN; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewis james; LindaJolley; Gardener, Liz; Lydia Kou; Michelle; Raj Jayadev; Raymond Goins; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; SupervisorSusan Ellenberg; Vara Ramakrishnan; Vicki Veenker; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Zelkha, Mila;cindy.chavez@os.sccgov.org; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; dennis burns; dennis.burns@cityofpaloalto.org;Figueroa, Eric; Foley, Michael; walter wilson; yolanda Subject:Breaking news on the crisis in Gaza Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 5:02:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. View in Browser BREAKING NEWS: ACT NOW » Aram: Today, in the monumental case about Israel’s alleged breaches of the Genocide Convention, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures that could help protect the Palestinian people in the occupied Gaza Strip from further suffering and irreparable harm. Amnesty International has already warned of the risk of genocide in Gaza. The ruling issued by the ICJ ordered six provisional measures including for the Israeli government to refrain from acts under the Genocide Convention, prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to genocide, and take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Crucially, the Court also ordered the Israeli government to preserve evidence of genocide and to submit a report to the Court, within one month, of all measures taken in line with its order. This decision offers a glimmer of hope for the more than 2 million Palestinian civilians suffering in Gaza. However, the ICJ ruling alone cannot put an end to the atrocities and devastation Gazans are experiencing — we need your voice to amplify our efforts now. This ruling should be a wake- up call to the Biden administration to uphold its responsibility to prevent genocide and stop sending weapons to Israel or risk complicity. With each hour that we wait for leadership to do the right thing, more women, children, and entire families are killed. More than one million people have already signed Amnesty's global petition demanding an arms embargo and a ceasefire to end the bloodshed in Gaza, but we noticed your name is missing. Will you take action today? ADD YOUR NAME TO DEMAND A CEASEFIRE NOW The U.S. must take action toward a ceasefire today. Our latest research and investigations have uncovered horrific violations including: The torture, ill-treatment, enforced disappearance, and mass detention of thousands of Palestinian men and boys and a number of women and girls at the hands of Israeli forces.1 Sickening images, videos, and accounts verified by Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab show detainees stripped of their clothes, beaten, interrogated, deliberately humiliated, and held in inhumane conditions.2 The use of U.S.-made weapons in deadly and unlawful Israeli military strikes on homes full of civilians. Amnesty identified such weapons in two recent attacks that killed a total of 43 civilians, including 19 children. In both cases, survivors told Amnesty there had been no warning of an imminent strike.3 The fact that in just over three months, the death toll in Gaza has passed 25,000 and at least 85% of Gaza’s population is internally displaced.4 The unlawful siege is inflicting unfathomable levels of suffering that's putting Palestinians in Gaza at risk. Aram — our voices are vitally important right now. Since the escalation of this crisis, the Amnesty community has shown up for people at risk. Urge your members of Congress to call for an arms embargo and a ceasefire. Your action today could help end human rights violations and save lives. A ceasefire is the most crucial means to prevent further death, destruction and attacks on civilians. LET'S PUT AN END TO THE SUFFERING Thank you for never giving up on human rights, Elizabeth Rghebi Amnesty International USA P.S. Amnesty findings have been cited in legislation demanding accountability from the Biden administration. The international community is looking to Amnesty to investigate attacks and shine a light on violations. Our campaigns are bringing millions of people to act for human rights together. We need you with us. Donate to sustain our work to protect civilians. [1] https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-office-opt-disturbing- reports-north-gaza-mass-detentions-ill-treatment-and-enforced-disappearances-possibly-thousands- palestinians [2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/urgently-investigate-inhumane-treatment-and- enforced-disappearance-of-palestinians-detainees-from-gaza/ [3] https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/israel-opt-us-made-munitions-killed-43-civilians-in-two- documented-israeli-air-strikes-in-gaza-new-investigation/ [4] https://www.amnestyusa.org/aiusa-toolkit-occupied-palestinian-territories-and-israel/ DONATE NOW © 2024 Amnesty International USA 311 W 43rd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036 | 1-800-AMNESTY Please don't reply to this email. You can send questions to aimember@aiusa.org. We’re so happy you’re here to hear about the most important updates on human rights! If necessary, you can opt to receive fewer emails or unsubscribe here. From:Debbie Mytels To:Council, City Cc:Greer Stone; Lydia Kou; Pat Burt; Lauing, Ed; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Greg@gregtanaka.org; Veenker, Vicki Subject:Council"s 2024 Priorities: Climate and Housing Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 3:37:33 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from debbie.mytels@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members, As you develop your priorities for the 2024 calendar year, let me add my voice to those who are asking for continued attention to two major issues: Climate Protection and AffordableHousing. As Friday's Weekly article (Jan. 26, 2024) points out, the City is not meeting its goals for climate protection. While there have been challenges in staffing, at the City and among itscontractors, and also some supply chain issues, the falure to meet last year’s goals should be a signal to "double down" on oversight and resources for this important priority. Failure to meetour goals will send a terrible message both to our citizens who care deeply about this issue — and to other communities that are striving to follow Palo Alto’s lead. A recent article in the Chronicle (1/19/2024) points out that, overall greenhouse gasemissions in the US fell by 1.9% last year. While this decline is not enough to meet theinternational goals of the Paris Accords, it is an early step in the right direction. As our community emerges from the pandemic, let’s show that climate is a priority by doing a lotmore to engage the community in switching from gas to electricity. How about banners on City Hall, a "thermometer" showing our progress in reducing Greenhouse emissions eachmonth, a demonstration center to show how well new electric appliances work, recognition for business that are switching to electric, and more car chargers at multi-family homes? Thereare many proven ideas that would demonstrate that climate protection is our priority. Similarly, affordable housing continues as a problem in this community. Efforts to build more units such as the ADU program are beginning to show some progress, but the deficit of homesrelative to the number of jobs here is still an issue. Having failed to meet requirements for regional housing allocations, the City is now subject to the "builder’s remedy." As a"wildcard" response to the need for housing, new "out-of-zone" projects may offer some valuable solutions — and they may also exacerbate problems of traffic gridlock. By choosing housing as one of the Council’s continuing priorities, I urge you to take some proactive steps to creatively examine our housing deficit. Can the Council convene a housingtask force, bringing together land-owners, interested citizens, low-cost housing developers, Stanford land managers, the new Renters’ Association — as many others as have a stake inthis question — to come up with some creative ideas? Ask for citizen researchers to fan out around the country to look for new ideas: co-housing, cooperatives, mixed use developments,"tiny home" villages… Let’s put our community’s brain-power to work on this and make affordable housing a true priority for the year ahead. Thanks for considering these ideas — and for your efforts to lead our City during thechallenging year ahead. Sincerely, Debbie Mytels Debbie Mytels2824 Louis Road Palo Alto,CA 94303650-759-0888 debbie.mytels@gmail.com The use of "natural" gas is about 40% of the typical home’s greenhouse gas emissions, soswitching your appliances to electricity makes a big difference. Using gasoline in yourcar is about another 40%, so getting an EV is another important climate change solution. From:Lawrence Garwin To:Council, City Subject:Re: 2024 Priorities Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 3:16:01 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from lawrencegarwin@yahoo.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. In case my previous email fell through the cracks, I resubmit: 2024 Palo Alto City Council Priorities (In no particular order, so please read the entire list. Thank you for your kind consideration ofthese suggested Council priorities.) Continue focus on reducing climate change. (More detailed suggestions below.) Roads: Resurface dangerously bumpy bike lanes. Be sure they are kept free of obstructions, such aswaste bins; the one by the high school that is eastbound on Churchill from Alma to Emerson is frequently blocked, forcing cyclists into the heavy vehicle lane. Install and diligently maintain reflective paint, reflectors, and warning signs on all bulb-outs, medians, traffic circles, etc., that narrow biking and driving lanes throughout the city. (Cartire strikes have darkened or removed much of the reflective paint and reflectors, where there was any.) Currently, many of these create a huge hazard in that someone going straight downa street (particularly in the bike lane) can easily hit them without warning. Design future ones and possibly retrofit current ones to have a soft landing spot, such as a bush, for cyclists whohit these curbs and flip over their handle bars. (This is a serious suggestion.) Review all roadway signs, starting with those along bikeways, that say, “Not a ThroughStreet”. Amend them, as appropriate, to say, “for motor vehicles” or “except for bicycles and pedestrians”, as often there’s a path out the other end. Make all signage throughout the cityappropriate for bicyclists (and pedestrians, where appropriate), as they are legitimate road users and must be encouraged to reduce climate change, pollution, and the ills of sedentaryliving. Clarify, perhaps with CA DMV collaboration, whether bicycles are considered “vehicles” and have signage reflect this standard. Air: Enforce the existing gasoline leaf blower ban, expand it to be city-wide (not just for residentialproperties) and cover all landscaping tools. Make available a more effective downloadable flyer for folks to share with offending property owners and yard care workers. State theamount of the fine. Create a reporting tool for easy, anonymous, offense reporting. Have warnings sent out without the need for staff intervention. Ban all indoor fireplace wood fires, as they destroy the air quality for blocks around the offender’s home and are truly ineffective at heating the home. Require all wood stoves to be low emission and fed with outdoor air; catalytic converters and pellet stoves allow relatively clean wood burning and outside air intakes substantially lowerthe emissions from burning wood in a well-sealed house and the air infiltration in a leaky house. Consider banning all indoor wood burning and further regulating outdoor fires. Support building and transportation electrification to displace fossil fuel use, including evening peak-electric-load gas peaker plants. Encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by people living in multi unit and rental housing by expanding and diligently maintaining publicly available level 1 and 2 EV chargers in theneighborhoods and DC Fast Chargers in retail areas. (Many municipalities very affordably install level 2 chargers on street light poles.) Require all remodels and new dwelling units tobe EV charger ready. Encourage/require work place charging (standard 120 VAC, 15 amp outlets are all that’s needed for most commutes) to make use of the statewide surplus of solarenergy during the day. Encourage/require solar photovoltaics near daytime chargers to reduce or eliminate the need for grid or building service upgrades to charge EVs. Lobby the Federal government to incentivize maintaining, not just installing, DC FastChargers for long distance travel. Install and encourage electric load shedding and power storage, including smart breaker panelsand bidirectional electric vehicle chargers, whether behind the meter or municipally owned or contracted. Incentivize the former by providing rebates and introducing instantaneous two-way electricity pricing and a communication structure for customers’ equipment to automatically respond to price fluctuations. (OhmConnect currently provides a limitedincentives-for-load-shedding service to PGE and other utilities’ customers; perhaps OhmConnect could be engaged to do the same for PA in at least the short term.) Educate localcontractors and residents on how to install and use the aforementioned load shedding and grid storage equipment. Aggressively encourage building electrification and natural-gas-free buildings by giving hugeincentives to not pipe gas to new or remodeled buildings and large rebates to folks who do transition their appliances from gas to electricity. Progression: Increase the reliability of theelectric supply to reduce resistance to giving up gas appliances such as stoves, water heaters, wall furnaces, and gas fireplaces that currently don’t require electricity. Make no new gasconnections. Ban installation of new gas appliances. Require existing gas appliances to be replaced by a certain date. Cap off older lines to prevent leakage. Cap off all unused lines.Stop supplying gas altogether or transition non-electrifiable needs to biogas, possibly supplied through the remaining gas pipeline network. Reinstate a $2300 or more rebate for DIY heat pump water heater installations. Railway: Follow the lead of other cities on the Peninsula by cost-effectively grade separating the railway crossings with a hybrid approach of raising the tracks and lowering the cross streets togo underneath. Be sure that there are low sound walls on the elevated tracks to protect the nearby homes from wheel noise. (The electrified locomotives will be much quieter than thecurrent diesel ones, so tall sound walls are not needed.) On Jan 26, 2024, at 2:47 PM, Lawrence Garwin <lawrencegarwin@yahoo.com> wrote:Honorable Council Members, Please add to my previously submitted suggestions, the following: Prioritize Biodiversity and the Natural Environment as a city priority for 2024: Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce light pollution and protect the Dark Sky. Develop and adopt regulations that should help reduce bird-collision hazards. Develop and adopt regulations to protect water quality in creeks and protect riparian corridors from encroachment. Develop and adopt regulations to reduce the use of plastic in landscaping, especially artificial turf. Continue to study and implement protections to our baylands, and protect the community from the impacts of sea level rise. Thank you. Lawrence Garwin Palo Alto From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Wagner, April; Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Bryan Gobin; CaitJames; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; David S. Norris; Don Austin; Donna Wallach; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing;Enberg, Nicholas; Friends of Cubberley; GRP-City Council; Greg Tanaka; Human Relations Commission; JackAjluni; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; KEVIN JENSEN; Kaloma Smith;Karen Holman; Lewis james; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Marina Lopez; Megan James; Van DerZwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; Reifschneider, James; Roberta Ahlquist; Rosen, Jeff; Salem Ajluni; SeanAllen; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Tim James; Vara Ramakrishnan; Vicki Veenker; WILPFPeninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; Zelkha, Mila; dennis burns; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie;kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; ladoris cordell; Foley, Michael; yolanda Subject:Watch "South Africa"s President Unveils Powerful Response to ICJ Ruling!" on YouTube Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 2:28:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. #southafrica #israel #palestine #africanews #benjaminnetanyahu South Africa's President Unveils Powerful Response to ICJ Ruling! - This is His Message to the World Following theWorld Court's directive for Israel to take measures to prevent genocide during its conflict with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa addresses thecourt's decision. Notably, the ruling did not explicitly call for an immediate ceasefire. https://youtu.be/Qi23d_lWxjQ?si=012ubuW9yXBImF-m From:Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo To:Council, City Subject:You"re Invited: Celebrate Lunar New Year Date:Friday, January 26, 2024 12:02:18 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from info+friendsjmz.org@ccsend.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. 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 Friday, February 9. 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 Unsubscribe city.council@cityofpaloalto.org Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by info@friendsjmz.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Subject:Hamas vs Netanyahu Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 9:20:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Twentyfive years ago I was tasked with cleaning out what was then the kiln room at the Jr Museum. The room had been used for storage of last resort since the '70's. One relect was a proclamation from then Mayor Kirk Comstock declaring that Palo Alto was "a nuclear free zone." A lot of good that did. There's a lot that can be done to put pressure on the federal government to press pause on the assualt on Gaza, but not at a city council meeting. Sometimes I think people get all riled up about things they can't do anything about - or that are very, very difficult to do anything about - so that they don't have to take responsibility for issues that they could and should be advocating for like . . . housing? Deborah Goldeen, 2130 Birch St., 94306, (650)799-3652 From:matt@evolutionaryteams.com To:palo-alto@fridaysforfutureusa.org Subject:FFF Follow Up – Jan 19 (Week #106) Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 6:43:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking onlinks. As we gathered, John stopped by and asserted that we are going to hell. John gave us an opportunity to practice our generous-listening skills so we invited him to join us and share his thoughts about our alleged destination as long as he agreed to our working-together agreement and listen to our thoughts. He was not interested in listening to us so he wandered off. Honestly, I was disappointed. Given that we have put 250 zettajoules of excess energy into Earth’s oceans and atmosphere, John’s metaphoric description of where we are heading might not be far off the mark. Next, we discussed the wording of our working together agreements. Amy pointed out that our use of the word “hog” in the context of dominating a conversation is form of speciesism. We all agreed to update the wording to “Don’t Monopolize the Conversation.” Thanks, Amy, for this astute observation. Rick paraphrased a Paly graduate with an angelica voice, Joan Baez, saying the antidote to anxiety is action as we next turned to planning the upcoming march. First, we reviewed the march goals and landed on a few: 1) Bring the climate crisis into the conversation; 2) Demonstrate that people care; 3) Have a small information pamphlet to hand out to anyone who wants it; and, 4) This first one is an experiment – just do it! Casey modeled our Save The Trees ponchos – thanks, Casey, for getting those! Jeanie and Michelle from Florida expressed their admiration for our climate signs and our action. Florida is on the front line of climate collapse with rising sea levels and “Blue Sky Flooding,” with hot-tub temperature seas driving marine life die-offs, and with severe storms driven by that hot sea water. We appreciate them and their concerns. Also, thanks to Sel for taking our photo this week. This week Debbie organized a neighborhood canvass planning meeting with the city’s heat pump water heater program team. I was encouraged to hear how the city is marketing the program, making it available to all income levels, and planning to accommodate residents who have a sudden gas water heater failure and want a solution that avoids having to buy a new gas unit. Once we finalize the direction and creation of canvass materials, we will hit the streets—stay tuned! Robin had her new heat pump water heater installed this week! She says it is working great. She is relieved to now have her gas line turned off. Congratulations, Robin! Prolific Ingrid created another climate song for our musical repertoire. Weather permitting, we will debut this latest addition this Friday. Thanks, Ingrid! Amy was excited to share that the City of Edinburgh has endorsed the Plant-based Treaty and developed Plant-Based Treaty Action Plan. Given the devilish treatment of animals and hellish methane emissions of a meat diet, it’s important to shift to plant-based diets. Amy asks, why not here? Shall we ask the City of Palo Alto to endorse the Plant-based Treaty and develop an action plan as part of S/CAP? This Friday is a dress rehearsal with signs and costumes. Also, let’s decide on the goal and content of the pamphlet. Keep Up the Fight and See You Friday! Dropouts*85 In Progress 230 Installations Total Full Service HPWHs installed 158 140 117 90 70 27 16 12 8 Total DYI HPWH installed 44 43 37 n/a 13 Total HPWHs installed 202 183 154 90 83 Target Installations 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 Monthly Installation Rate Monthly Installation Rate 19 29 64 7 43 13 9 4 7 Target Monthly Installation Rate 83 83 83 83 83 83 83 83 Highlighted numbers not accurate because of missing data point *Drop outs: not have enough space for a heat pump water heater, requiring relocation of the water heater or a “split” system with the compressor outside (both options are quite a bit more expensive). Weekly PhotosFFF Jan 19: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H7R39W9xeKyqeNUS6What We Are Reading/Watching/Listening to: Julie Lythcott-Haims Substack: https://jlythcotthaims.substack.com/p/israel-palestine-and-me Climate One podcast: https://www.climateone.org/listen-watch/podcasts The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens (podcast): https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/ Follow Fridays For Future Palo Alto: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fridaysforfuture_paloalto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fri4Future_PA Email notifications of FFF Palo Alto events: https://mailchi.mp/c8c130127345/join-fridays-for-future-palo-alto You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in supporting climate action in Palo Alto. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please let me know. Matt Schlegel Organizer Fridays For Future Palo Alto Cell: 650-924-8923 Email: Palo-Alto@FridaysForFutureUSA.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fridaysforfuture_paloalto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fri4Future_PA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMGKrv_ADB5k7HPK9FJO_Hw Web: https://fridaysforfutureusa.org/local-groups/palo-alto/ Email List: https://mailchi.mp/c8c130127345/join-fridays-for-future-palo-alto From:Mircea To:Lait, Jonathan Cc:Gerhardt, Jodie; Hoyt, George; Gaines, Chantal; Peter Sung; Eggleston, Brad; City Mgr; Yendler, Ariella; French, Amy; City Attorney; Council, City Subject:Re: 23REV-00749 Resubmission - Pending Planning Review Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 5:42:56 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.png image005.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage010.png image012.pngimage013.png Jonathan, I just resubmitted C3 revision with the small SF/Table corrections comments from Jodie. Beyond those, updates we are done. There is no next week, I made it abundantly clear, I asked for a meeting today. I am available anytime tomorrow zoom or in person. Thanks Mircea On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 5:31 PM Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: - City Council Email address Good evening, Mircea. I was able to talk with Amy French. She’s working to clarify what specific planningcorrections/actions are required to advance the project. She will need to collaborate with Mr. Hoytfurther tomorrow and will follow up with you. If the follow up actions she’ll communicatetomorrow do not meet your expectations, we can find time to meet early next week. JONATHAN LAIT Director Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2676 | jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2024 4:47 PMTo: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George<George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@CityofPaloAlto.org>;Peter Sung <psung@sungengr.com>; Eggleston, Brad <Brad.Eggleston@CityofPaloAlto.org>;City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Yendler, Ariella<Ariella.Yendler@CityofPaloAlto.org>; French, Amy <Amy.French@CityofPaloAlto.org>; CityAttorney <city.attorney@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>Subject: Re: 23REV-00749 Resubmission - Pending Planning Review Jonathan, I am awaiting a reply today. Thanks Mircea On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 1:12 PM Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hi Mircea, I received your email. I’ll follow up with Jodie and @French, Amy and get back to you today. JONATHAN LAIT Director Planning and Development Department (650) 329-2676 | jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2024 8:35 AMTo: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gerhardt, Jodie<Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>;Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Peter Sung <psung@sungengr.com>;Eggleston, Brad <Brad.Eggleston@CityofPaloAlto.org>; City Mgr<CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; Yendler, Ariella <Ariella.Yendler@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Fwd: 23REV-00749 Resubmission - Pending Planning Review Ariella, We need a meeting ASAP this AM. Pls schedule it. Jonathan Lait must be in the meeting. Issue/Conforming Wall GC Bid: We had 2 comments (3 Piers and construction equipment) from Jodie on the GC Conforming bid proposal on 1/8/24 both addressed on 1/15/24 resubmission. Today on 1/25/24, Jodie came up with more questions on Conforming GC wall bid. If there were other questions on GC conforming GC wall proposal those questions should of been asked in the 1st review 1/8/24 Comments and they were not. Applicant Damages: I am financially obligated to a buyer who has to remove his contingencies today, and the city will be responsible for all damages if buyer cancels the contract. Property is under contract now: 3880 El Centro St, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 |MLS# ML81944729 | Redfin Thanks Mircea ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 7:32 AMSubject: Re: 23REV-00749 Resubmission - Pending Planning ReviewTo: Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org>Cc: Yendler, Ariella <Ariella.Yendler@cityofpaloalto.org>, Hoyt, George<George.Hoyt@cityofpaloalto.org>, City Attorney <city.attorney@cityofpaloalto.org>,<city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>, City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>, Gaines, Chantal<Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org> Jodie, this is absolutely ridiculous. You are doing this on purpose and is n0w abundantly clear.This is pure discrimination and intentent delays and you have no idea of the current site conditions. 1. You had the GC proposal a month ago and now you argue about the details of the proposal which you never had comments before. We responded to your comments on that topic which was 3 piers why they are needed and construction equipment to be removed and that topic is closed. Everything you stated that is not neededis been reviewed by the Structural engineer Peter Sung. Do you need a letter from him to state what is needed? This is nuts but we will get that proof. Do you want to argue now with Peter Sung our structural engineer and our GC that put together the proposal on that? where do you want to take this?To court? I will make that happen after today. 2. The AC equipment specs/noise are attached in the C2_3880_DOCS as you requested under unit number and HIGHLIGHTED/MARKED up which dBA is applicable to this unit.Bookmarked.We also noted on Plan Sheet M1 you have a copy of the dbA Specs highlighting the dbA noise level. 3. THE GARAGE WALLS ARE NOT DEMOED GO ON SITE AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF. EXISTING GARAGE WALLS AND ROOF IS IN PLACE YOU CAN SEE THE GARAGE WALLS ARE UP FROM THE PICTURES REQUESTED BY ENGINEERING AND ATTACHED ON C2_3880ElCentro_DOCS UNDER STRUCTURAL. This is ridiculous you do not even know existing site conditions and you make comments. I do not have time for this nonsense. Schedule a meeting at 9:30 AM. Mircea On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 6:24 AM Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Mircea, I have added all of my Planning comments. Overall, we need to ensure all of thenumbers/FAR calculations are consistent across the whole plan set. I didn’t see any specs forthe outside noise producing equipment. Lastly, both George and I reviewed the conformingand non-conforming evaluations and we have some comments. Please let Ariella know if ameeting would be helpful. 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 You don't often get email from mircea27v@gmail.com. Learn why this is important Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms &Applications | Planning Applications Mapped From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 7:37 PMTo: Yendler, Ariella <Ariella.Yendler@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Gerhardt, Jodie<Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Re: 23REV-00749 Resubmission - Pending Planning Review Jodie, We were told that we would get all comments on yesterday's EOB, and then George mentioned that we should get it through Ariella this AM. Now we are PM and nothing. We are not trying to rush staff but as Ariella confirmed all comments should it came yesterday EOB. Even before I submitted the 1/15/24 resubmission I sent you a courtesy email outlining my answers to your 1/8/24 comments so I ensure we are fully calibrated. I did not get a response on that email and then just submitted on 1/15/24 and my answers should address all your comments. None of your comments from 1/8/24 were showstoppers as far as the project construction but all were new comments. If we keep adding new comments every time we resubmit we will never build homes so in this 1/15/24 resubmission I expect to see that all your comments have been addressed by me 100% and we got to move forward. Thanks Mircea On Wed, Jan 24, 2024 at 3:26 PM Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> wrote: Ariella Jodie is been informed all along of this responses separate and before weresubmitted but she did not answer. Applicant allowed all the time in eachreview as needed by the city so it is no different now. We cannot get at every review a new planner with new comments we got a permit on 11/2 under Elizabeth and then it got switched. Itjust cannot take more then 2 revisions to close this. We are now on 2 revisions. Thanks Mircea Sent from my iPhone On Jan 24, 2024, at 11:54 AM, Yendler, Ariella<Ariella.Yendler@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hi Mircea, I checked in with Jodie and she's still working on comments. Hopefully we should have this done by the end of the day! We want to make sure that there's no mistakes on our end so as to make this issuance as smooth as possible. Thank you for your patience! Ariella Yendler From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com>Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 11:17 AMTo: Yendler, Ariella <Ariella.Yendler@CityofPaloAlto.org>Cc: Hoyt, George <George.Hoyt@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: Re: 23REV-00749 Resubmission Hi Ariella, From George's email, it sounded like we will receive any comments from Jodie, if any, this AM. I look forward to a conclusion on this resubmission. Thanks Mircea On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 11:12 AM Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> wrote: Thanks Ariella, look forward for all responses today. Mircea On Thu, Jan 18, 2024 at 3:44 PM Yendler, Ariella<Ariella.Yendler@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Hello, Yes, your resubmission has been routed to all staff and comments are dueon 1/23/24. Ariella Yendler Project Coordinator II Development Services Center Direct: 650-329-2652 General: 650-329-2496 Email: ariella.yendler@cityofpaloalto.org Link to Building Permit Status Tutorial: how-to-check-record-status-of-a-record-online.pdf (cityofpaloalto.org) Online Permit Services:https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/ds/development_services_online_permitting_services.asp Accela Citizen Portal (Login, Register for Account, Inspection Scheduling, Permit Fee Payment) https://aca.accela.com/paloalto/Default.aspx For ACA portal login issues: pdsdata@cityofpaloalto.org (65) 329-2441 From: Mircea <mircea27v@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 2:54 PMTo: Yendler, Ariella <Ariella.Yendler@CityofPaloAlto.org>Subject: 23REV-00749 Resubmission CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clickingon links. Ariella, just checking with a submission on 1/16 and a completion of the review on 1/23 and if my resubmission is been routed to all staff. Thanks Mircea From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce News & Updates - January 25, 2024 Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 3:24:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. NEWS & UPDATES - January 25, 2024 Chamber Mixer & NonProfit Board Match - February 13 SAVE THE DATE - 2024 Tall Tree Awards Carbon Markets - Sustainability Dialogue Series 4 Caltrain Electric Train Tour - By Invitation Only LA SCUOLA Enrollment & Italian Immersion Programs Chamber Mixer and NonProfit Board Match Connect with fellow professionals & business owners:Tuesday, February 13th, 2024 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Hanahaus Palo Alto 456 University Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Hosted By:The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Special Keynote Speaker: Christian ButzlaffChief Sustainability Solution Architect, SAP Topic: SAP as an Exemplar and Enabler of Sustainability Food & Beverages provided by Tacolicous Register Online Expand Your Network and Leadership Our NonProfits are looking for interested business leaders & volunteers as potential committee members or Board Members for their NonProfit. Here's some of the NonProfits you can match with at the event: Achieve Kids Avenidas Channing House Gamble Garden Jr Museum & ZooKarat School Project La Comida de California Neighbors Abroad Palo Alto Community Child CarePalo Alto Community Fund Palo Alto Players PAST Heritage Sibling Cities USAYMCA Bonus: Book a Free Professional Headshot! HanaHaus has partnered with local photographer, Dean Birinyi, to offer freecomplimentary headshots to attendees so you can kick of 2024 with a brand-new LinkedIn profile picture! If you would like to secure your spot for a professional headshot in advance, please use this calendar link. We look forward to seeing you there! Members: FREE Non-Members: $25 >Register Now< Mark Your Calendar 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards Recognizing our Outstanding Business Professional Businessperson Citizen Volunteer NonProfit Purchase Tickets Beginning February 1st Carbon Markets Sustainability Dialogue Series 4 Date: Friday 26th January 2024 Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm PST Location: Berlin Hall, Hanahaus, Palo Alto 456 University Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Speaker: Ms Mercedes Bankston Topic: Deliberations on carbon markets in today's world. Agenda: 3:00pm - 3:15pm - Registrations 3:15 pm to 3:45 - Discussion/Presentation on carbon markets with Mercedes Bankston, Impact investor and Advisor at Founders Institute, Narayan - GovEva (joining online), Mainak Mukherjee - Stanford Doerr's Sustainability school and Harsha, IICSR 3:45 pm to 4:15 pm - Presentations from Impact Entrepreneurs 4:15 pm to 4:25 pm - Summary/feedback/roadmap 4:25 pm to 5:00 pm - Snacks/Drinks and Business networking Free Event for Chamber Members Use Promo Code: PABA Register Online Attend the presentation on Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gDd6qxHW Meeting ID: 876 7379 3739 Passcode: 871760 Caltrain Electric Train Tour New Caltrain train By Invitation Only Caltrain is hosting an invite-only tour of one of their new electric trains on February 2 from 10:30a-11:30a at San Jose Diridon Station. Join us to explore the modern interiors, learn about the exciting new service benefits, and get a glimpse of what Caltrain will be like in Fall 2024. RSVP here by January 31 to reserve your space. This tour is by invitation only. Please note your company/affiliation when registering. Getting There To arrive at San Jose Station in time for the tour, consider taking southbound train #110 or #504. Check train times from your starting location at www.caltrain.com/schedules. After the tour, northbound trains #507 and #117 will depart San Jose Station at 11:41 AM and 11:52 AM, respectively. LA SCUOLA Enrollment & Italian Immersion Programs LA SCUOLA - Enrolling Now flyer Spazio Gioco - Italian Immersion Program: 3 - 4:30 PM Dopo Scuola - Italian Immersion Program: 4:30 - 5:30 PM Learn more and sign up: In-Person Tours Spazio Gioco - Italian Immersion Program: 3 - 4:30 PM Dopo Scuola - Italian Immersion Program: 4:30 - 5:30 PM 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 at info@paloaltochamber.com. From:Elizabeth Lee To:Council, City Subject:San Francisquito Creek Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 2:55:32 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from liz@funghi.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ To the attention of Greer Stone: Please do not use money to research installing concrete flood walls on San Francisquito Creek. Please vote NO on this in the next JPA meeting. The creek is a beautiful, natural wildlife habitat right across the street of our home, and its natural beauty brings us much joy. Thank you. Elizabeth Lee, LMFT 650 346-4071 liz@funghi.com Author of The House at 844 1/2 http://goo.gl/BauAk From:Deborah GoldeenTo:Council, CitySubject:HousingDate:Thursday, January 25, 2024 11:56:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________ Saying it again: What were you all thinking? (“You” refers to Palo Alto city councils over decades - not particular individuals.) From:Jonathan To:Council, City Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 10:49:20 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from jseder@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the City Council: Dear Mayor Stone, Vice Mayor Lauing, and Palo Alto City Council Members, Please do not support a cease-fire resolution in the war for Israel's survival against Hamas terrorists and Iran and its proxies. This is a divisive subject and a complicated foreign policyissue, with the usual problems of information quality in time of war. Conflict in the Middle East has nothing whatsoever to do with managing the City government. The City Council should stick to City matters. I do hope that Council will review time, place, and manner regulations on speech, and directthe Police Department to enforce those regulations and take appropriate action when protests interfere with the everyday activities of people going about their usual business - or threatenanyone's health or safety. I am a long-time Palo Alto resident and homeowner. Jonathan Seder Fulton Street From:Andrea Eckstein Gara To:Council, City Subject:Comment for Priority setting meeting Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 9:53:58 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from aegara@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers,I am asking you to continue prioritizing climate this year, with special emphasis on homeelectrification and the housing/climate connection.It's been exciting to see the HPWH up and running. Hopefully in 2024 we can reach even more householdsI think it's so important that, despite the HPWH focus, we don't let older gas furnaces be replaced. They can last such a long time, and every replacement now will make it harder toreach our goals. Let's get an incentive program for those with furnaces over 10 or 12years old (targeting first, those homeowners who pulled a permit a decade ago). Finally, We know that climate and driving are inexorably linked. And driving and housing are inexorably linked. If we are not helping people to live where they work and shop, we arecontributing to the problems of smog and traffic (not to mention our housing crisis). Let's continue to look at our old restrictions on development in light of the new conditions on theground, paving the way for higher density in our city! Thanks for all that you do,Andrea 350 SV Palo Alto From:Aram James To:Cindy Chavez; Council, City; David S. Norris; Don Austin; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; JoshBecker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Lewis james; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Michelle; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen;Shikada, Ed; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Vicki Veenker; Zelkha, Mila; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:COLUMBIA SCOLDS STUDENTS FOR “UNSANCTIONED” GAZA RALLY WHERE THEY WERE ATTACKED WITH CHEMICALS Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 9:28:57 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. COLUMBIA SCOLDS STUDENTS FOR“UNSANCTIONED” GAZA RALLY WHERETHEY WERE ATTACKED WITH CHEMICALS https://theintercept.com/2024/01/22/columbia-university-palestine-protest-skunk/ From:At Amy Sung To:French, Amy; Historic Resources Board Cc:Council, City; Sarah Luo; Mao Sipian; Isabel Castellano; Compass Subject:Resend: Objection to eligibility for local inventory for 2150 Cowper Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 2:34:50 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from amy@amysung.com. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Ref: Agenda item (#2) at the 1/25/24 HRB Meeting Honorable Board members and Ms. French, I am writing on behalf of my clients Jianqiang Qiu and Mao Sipian who live overseas and whose prior emails were sent and not received by HRB. They requested that I write to you to object to be considered for the eligibility for local inventory listing of the properties with owners who have objected to listing on the local inventory. THANK YOUThank you for not recommending listing our home over our objections. It is however alarming that the board will be meeting to affirm an eligibility of those homes, our home included. THERE SHOULD NOT BE AN “ELIGIBLE” PALO ALTO INVENTORY LISTWe urge you to NOT submit our home on any Eligibility List, Real or Potentially. We do not believe our home should be subject to such a list Without Owner’s Expressed Consent. Furthermore, we believe there should not be an “ELIGIBLE” Palo Alto Inventory List. A HUGH FINANCIAL BURDEN AND LOSS We love our home just like many neighbors in Palo Alto do. But to become a Historic property or even being considered eligible, will subject us to incredible financial burden and loss. We will be subjected to: Architectural Review with uncertain timeline and outcome Historic Review with ad-hoc process and subjective reading of rulesConfine to existing or original style and structure regardless of our family needs Unreasonable high cost of upkeep and maintenanceAnguish on market when we want to sell with prolonged Days on Market Meager takers to make offers to our home, andResulted in fewer offers and much lower price. FEAR OF MISSING OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY We fear the current pursue of involuntary homes to the list could oppress opportunities for those wishing to submit their homes that are truly historic in presentation and worthy of taxpayer funded preservation. We appreciate your time and attention to our concerns and comments. Regards,Amy Sung _____________________________________A Local Realtor and Palo Alto Resident PS. We resend this letter with minor corrections and re-formatting. From:Rebecca Leon To:Historic Resources Board; Council, City; French, Amy Subject:Objection to "Eligible" PA Inventory List Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 8:41:44 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from rebeccaaleon@me.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the Members of the City of Palo Alto HRB and City Council, We are writing on behalf of our parents who own the home at 2230 Amherst Street in Palo Alto, and have previously submitted a letter of objection on their behalf to being included in the inventory list. Thank you for notadvancing their property for listing on the Historic Inventory. As we are not able to speak in person at the 1/25/2024 HRB meeting we are writing to state that we object to theformation of an “eligible” Palo Alto inventory list. Their home is already designated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places which the City is using todetermine local land use process and restrictions. We object to the formation of a new category (the “eligible”inventory list) as this new categorization may be used in ways that are not foreseeable, transparent or delineated atthis time, and that may be used to restrict property owner’s rights, etc. Thank you for your consideration,Deborah Leon and Rebecca Leon for Isabelle and Robert Leon2230 Amherst StreetPalo Alto, CA 94306 From:David Coale To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Abendschein, Jonathan Subject:City Priorities Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 8:33:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, Here is my list for council priorities and why: - Climate Change - Bike Ped Infrastructure - Rail Crossings - Housing - Climate Change Lots of good work here but we need to get programs off the ground. The HPWH program only did about a quarter of what was planned and while there is a backlog, which is good, the provider said they could handle a lot more and are now backed up. We also need to get to where we can do installations on burn-out as that is when new gas water heaters are installed and will last the longest. This same (similar) program needs to be done for gas furnace replacement as well, in addition to commercial HVAC replacement, since that is where half our gas is used, in the commercial sector. Transportation is the biggest part of our GHG emissions that we need to address and while EVs are zero missions, they do nothing to address congestion and parking problems and that is why we also need to prioritize our Bike Ped infrastructure. If you have any doubts about why Climate Change still has to be #1 see this article in Palo Alto online: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2024/01/24/despite-lofty-goals-palo-alto-is-behind-schedule- on-climate-change-programs -Bike Ped Infrastructure Palo Alto’s bike and ped infrastructure has languished since the Ross Rd “improvements”. Our Bike/ped update is over due while we need these improvements now more then ever with increased housing and with the Builders Remedy we are not likely to realize any improvements with all the housing that will be coming along, so we need to really get moving on this. Also with the Builders Remedy and reduced parking requirements, along with rail crossing construction coming along, we need to get ahead of the traffic nightmares with good bike/ped infrastructure. -Rail Crossings This really needs to be completed and bike/ped under crossings need to be put in place before rail crossing construction begins. Without this, we are setting our selves up for horrific traffic problems as rail construction begins. The Rail Committee has been meeting for a long time and this needs to finish up so that we can move forward. -Housing Housing comes last as we need to get our infrastructure in place first with Bike/ped and other amenities – think 15 Minute City designs. There is a lot of housing going in south Palo Alto with not much to support it, especially bike/ped. Palo Alto’s housing plan needs to be finished ASAP so that we can get some control on the housing being proposed, but we need to move faster then the Palo Alto Process to build the needed supporting infrastructure. Thanks for your consideration and service, David Coale From:Amy Sung To:French, Amy; Historic Resources Board Cc:Council, City; Sarah Luo; Mao Sipian; Isabel Castellano; Compass Subject:Objection to eligibility for local inventory for 2150 Cowper Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 7:27:01 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from amy@amysung.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Ref: Agenda item (#2) at the 1/25/24 HRB Meeting Honorable Board members and Ms. French, I am writing on behalf of my clients Jianqiang Qiu and Mao Sipian who live overseas and whose prior emails were sent and not received by HRB. They requested that I write to you to object to be considered for the eligibility for local inventory listing of the properties with owners who have objected to listing on the local inventory. THANK YOU Thank you for not recommending listing our home over our objections. It is however alarming that the board will be meeting to affirm an eligibility of those homes, our home included. THERE SHOULD NOT BE AN “ELIGIBLE” PALO ALTO INVENTORY LIST We urge you to NOT submit our home on any Eligibility List, Real or Potentiall y. We do not believe our home should be subject to such a list Without Owner’s Expressed Consent. Furthermo re, we believe there should not be an “ELIGIBLE” Palo Alto Inventory List. A HUGHE FINANCIAL BURDEN AND LOSS We love our home like many neighbors in Palo Alto. But to become a Historic property or even being considered eligible, will subject us to incredible financial burden and loss. We will be subject to: Architectural Review with uncertain timeline and outcome Historic Review with ad-hoc process and subjective reading of rules Confine to existing or original style and structure regardless of our family needs Unreasonable high cost of upkeep and maintenance Anguish on market when we want to sell with prolonged Days on Market Meager takers to make offers to our home, and Resulted in fewer offers and much lower price. FEAR OF MISSING OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY We fear the pursue of involuntary homes to the list could oppress opportunities for those to submit homes that are truly historic in presentation and worthy of taxpayer funded preservation. We appreciate your time and attention to our concerns and comments. Regards, Amy Sung _____________________________________ A Local Realtor and Palo Alto Resident Virus-free.www.avast.com From:Liz Gardner To:Palo Alto Forward; Amie Ashton; Council, City; Team JulieforPaloAlto; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Greer Stone;Veenker, Vicki; Holman, Karen (external); Aram James; Gennady Sheyner; Tanaka, Greg; Lydia Kou; Shikada,Ed; Palo Alto Renters" Association; HousingElements@hcd.ca.gov Subject:Re: Priority Setting & Master Planning Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 6:06:13 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from gardnerjaqua@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi All: Re: housing development in the San Antonio area. tonight at Mitchell Park Library. I cannot make tonight's meeting with Cal Poly and community planning. Family priorities. I would like to contribute some thoughts. I do not see a way to do this from the city website or the Palo Alto Forward announcement of this event. RE: ROLM/INDUST/COM area of Fabian, San Antonio, Bayshore including Industrial Way and the like (South East Palo Alto) Some of my thoughts to forward to the Cal Poly Volunteer team and City of PaloAlto Development department staff: Taking commercial properties and overlaying a residential "zone" has manydrawbacks: namely the ordinances afforded Palo Alto residential SFH within cityR1 Zones get many privileges that overlays on industrial site do not including a lot noise, light, air pollution ie freeway, auto traffic, street lighting manufacturing. These city ordinances for noise like gas powered leaf blowers and such are notafforded to overlay communities. As well, upzoning commercial to residential hasadverse affects on identifying these zone as residential from commercial properties. That said there are deep environmental and social reasons that upzoning properties far and away from city parks, city services, public transportations, bike lane deserts,not near healthy grocery shopping options and not under the City of Trees canopy, zones that sit on top or alongside a massive freeway Hwy 101 and artiel high traffic roads lacking sufficient bike lanes over 2 miles from Cal-Train and no bus service. This leaves humans stranded in a hinter ville. The pollution on these parcels are manyfold. Not least of all, that many of these parcels ID'd from commercial to residential are privately owned and are far away from schools, public services and God knows what toxins lay in the surface soil and/or ground water table. These have been manufacturing areas for decades and are not suitable at present for human habitat. As these properties are on par with Climate Change and Sea Level Rise. How a city can justify such anenvironmentally sensitive area sound for homes for humans is beyond pale. Thisend does not justify the means. This is not a good area in which to grow homes for family or build community or connect people. Please look at Rohnert Park and Windsor to research how "planned" communitiesare designed wrongly and isolating from community building, equity, inclusion. What is also a discrepancy: By geographic mapping this is actually South/East PaloAlto (Within City of Palo Alto). I keep hearing it referred to as South Palo Alto. It'sactually by map the eastern part of Palo Alto. Yet it keeps getting a designation as South Palo Alto, as not to confuse with the City of East Palo Alto. This area Sincerely, Liz GardnerPalo Alto On Mon, Jan 22, 2024 at 8:56 AM Palo Alto Forward <info@paloaltoforward.com> wrote: Liz -- Action Alert - Monday, 1/29 - Council Priorities The people have spoken! Housing has once again been identified by the public as the most important issue the city should tackle in 2024. Join us on Monday, January 29th at 6:00 p.m. at the Mitchell Park Community Center. Wewant to reinforce the public's message on housing and convey our own at the Council'sannual priority setting meeting. We'll meet up at 6:00 p.m., identify folks who want tocomment, hone our messages, and speak during the public comment period scheduled tobegin at 6:20 p.m. Your collective voices make a difference and Council needs to hear us! Bring yourfriends and your enthusiasm, we'll bring the signs. Not sure what to expect or nervous about speaking, email us at info@paloaltoforward.comand we'll give you more details. Coffee with Friends & Housing Allies Special thanks to the Stanford Housing Justice Working Group (HJWG) and the Los Altos -Mountain View Community Foundation Solidarity Fund volunteers for making Sunday'scoffee hour a huge success. Save the date ** March 2 ** for the HJWG's Housing Conference that will bring together ahost of community and campus housing organizations, members of the public, and students.It is a free event. We'll see you there. Planning for Bikes & Housing Don't forget two great ways you can help shape our community for the better: 1) Participate in a community workshop for the Bicycle and Pedestrian TransportationPlan update on January 31st. The workshop will be held on Zoom. Learn more and signup here. 2) Join city staff and Cal Poly students at the Mitchell Park Community Center on January24th for an in-person workshop to gain community feedback regarding future housingdevelopment in the San Antonio area. More information is here. Palo Alto Forwardhttps://paloaltoforward.nationbuilder.com/ Palo Alto Forward This email was sent to Gardnerjaqua@gmail.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. From:Michael Dreyfus To:Council, City; Historic Resources Board Subject:Historic Resources Board Meeting January 25 Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 6:04:30 PM Attachments:PAHistoricFinal.pdf Some people who received this message don't often get email from m.dreyfus@ggsir.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please consider the attached update letter in your Board meeting tomorrow morning. Subject: An Updated Open Letter to the Palo Alto Historic Resources Board, the Palo Alto City Council and Palo Alto Homeowners January 24, 2024 Honorable Council Members and Board Members, The following members of the residential real estate community wish to address issues we are experiencing with Palo Alto’s current historic resource practices and the current plan to shift approximately150+ properties from being eligible for historic status to the local Palo Alto Historic Inventory. Many of us have lived in Palo Alto and have owned historic homes. Collectively, we have sold much of Palo Alto historic inventory. This letter is a result of the many clients who have sought our insights regarding the implications of the City's recent initiative to designate their properties as “Palo Alto Historic Inventory" and selling listed, eligible, and potentially eligible historic homes. 1.Historic status reduces a property’s value We would like to first address the claim by some City officials and Historical Resources Board (HRB) members that assigning a property historic status doesn't devalue it, and may in fact increase its worth. Based on our extensive experience, we can categorically refute this. In Palo Alto, a historic classification can reduce a property's value by 10% to 20%. This is essentially common sense; owning property is about the rights that come with it. The more these rights are limited, the lower the property's value becomes. Historic designation constrains the alterations one can make to a property, and thus directly decreases the values of homes with that designation. Many of us can point to concrete examples where historically designated homes have sold for less than they would have without the designation. We also know from direct experience that home buyers in Palo Alto view historic homes as problematic and shy away from engaging with them. Local realtors would unanimously prefer to lift the historic designation if possible. While it's arguable that such a status preserves a property's existing condition, it must be acknowledged that this preservation comes at a considerable financial cost to the owner. The purpose of Historical Preservation per Palo Alto Ordinance 16.49.010 to “(c) Stabilize and improve the economic value of certain historic structures, districts and neighborhoods” is in direct contradiction to the reduction in property values. 2. There should be no “eligible” for Historic Status on the Palo Alto Inventory List The HRB voted (6-1) at the January 11, 2024 meeting that it would not recommend listing properties over the objections of the property owner. This is good news that properties will not be recommended to council to be placed on the inventory list over owner objections. However, the staff recommendation for the January 25th meeting to “affirm the eligibility [emphasis added] for local inventory listing of the properties with owners who have objected to listing on the local inventory”. Such an “eligible” list should not exist because it’s a new categorization that may be used to restrict owner rights, etc. For example, all properties included in the current survey are designated “eligible for the National Register of Historic Places” which the City of Palo Alto is using to determine local land use process and restrictions which are ambiguous and not transparent and to require inclusion in the present-day process for nomination to the local inventory. What does “eligible” for Palo Alto’s Inventory mean? Palo Alto’s Historical Preservation Ordinance is planned to be updated and those updates could have implications to an “eligible” Palo Alto Inventory list in the same way as “eligible” for the National Register has implications. If an eligible status is to exist it should also be at the consent of the home owner. 3. The existing historic ordinance is ambiguous and results in arbitrary and capricious interpretation For over two decades, Palo Alto has contended with the effects of an unofficial historic preservation policy, despite a 52% majority defeating Measure G in 2000. In the subsequent 23 years, this de facto policy has been inadvertently strengthened, by City staff and consultants, leading to the categorization of previously unmarked homes as historic. This has bred confusion within the real estate sector due to constantly evolving interpretations and a lack of consistent procedure. The 1-4 category classification system currently in place is ineffectual. The terminology used to qualify homes is subjective and highly interpretative such as “identified with the lives of historic people” or “a type of building which was once common, but is now rare”. What makes a person historic? How rare is it, one of a kind? 4. Current code statement that recommendations from historic review are “voluntary” is not true in practice Decisions by the Historic Review Board and staff seem capricious and lack clear directives. Although the ordinance states “Compliance of the property owner with the recommendations (HRB) shall be voluntary, not mandatory”, this does not include the direction from staff or the Architectural Review Board. We have collectively witnessed clients (and some of our personal properties) experience required compliance with review decisions to proceed through the planning process. There is a great deal of process and direction that is mandatory, not voluntary, and is instituted through the review process. 5. Overreach on what qualifies as historic and the taint of “eligible” status There's a growing ambiguity and overreach surrounding what qualifies as historic. The City now tentatively considers any property labeled "eligible" for historic status as such, burdening homeowners with the responsibility, and expense, to prove otherwise. This involves engaging a City-appointed consultant at the owner’s expense (often $7,000 to $10,000) and securing an affirmative ruling. This presumptive approach to historic status is not only burdensome for property owners but also disrupts the clarity and predictability that should be inherent in real estate processes. Moreover, there appears to be a conflict of interest to have the same historic consultants perform a survey to determine if properties are historic and also be hired by the City and residents to consult on historic design and preservation of properties for improvements or to pursue affirmative rulings. Each property deemed historic becomes the “Total Available Market (TAM)” of paying customers for historic consulting firms. 6. Changes a current homeowner or prospective buyer can make to a home is made on an ad-hoc basis with no rules or established guidelines to follow There are no established rules to read to tell you what you can do with an historic home. Can you expand it, can you change the windows, can you change the floorplan, can you change the back or sides, can you add a story? Can solar panels be installed on the front of the home? Instead, you must go to the cost and expense of drawing up plans to get comments on what will or won't be allowed. Home buyers are lost and so run from buying historic homes. At the December 14, 2023 HRB meeting, it was mentioned a subcommittee will form to discuss financial implications of historic homes. If you are interested in information from the real estate community we are available to contribute to your effort. It is time for the City to acknowledge the negative financial and procedural burden the historic system is placing on Palo Alto homeowners. The decision to declare a house “historic” should be brought out of the shadows and have a clear set of qualifications and process that requires the “informed consent” of the homeowner, not an “opt-out” that requires an objection letter. The following 31 local real estate agents have indicated support for, and agreement with, the points raised here. Michael Dreyfus, Lucy Berman, Leannah Hunt, Laurel Robinson, Brian Chancellor, Mary Gullixson, Brent Gullixson, Tom LeMieux , Julie Lau, Umang Sanchorawala, Terri Kerwin, Monica Corman, Mandy Montoya, Morgan Lashley, Greg Celotti, Xin Jiang, Arti Miglani, Jennifer Pollock, Adam Touni, Mary Jo McCarthy, Noelle Queen, Kristin Galvin, Gloria Young, John Young David Gray, Omar Kinaan, Ashley Banks, Mary Gilles, Brian Ayer, Shena Hurley, Ryan Selby Hollland. From:Dan Rich To:Historic Resources Board Cc:Council, City Subject:Reiteration of objection to 471 Channing being listed on the historic inventory Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 5:13:48 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from danielhrich@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. In advance of your meeting in the morning, I just wanted to reiterate my previous email stating our objection to 471 Channing Ave being listed. Thank you for capturing this and for the recent vote to not proceed with those properties with an objection. We all love our old houses and want to maintain the character of Palo Alto. In my opinion, however, there simply needs to be more, and clearer, incentives for the property owners to participate in this program. In addition, I am somewhat confused by the item in the staff report that states the desire to “affirm the eligibility for local inventory listing of the properties with owners who have objected to listing on the local inventory” Is this a new categorization? What does “eligible” for Palo Alto’s Inventory mean? This is adding new ambiguity and confusion for property owners and I urge you to hold off on this action. Thank you. Dan Rich 471 Channing Ave From:pennyellson12@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Fre truck in our fires station matters. Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 2:17:16 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from pennyellson12@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council, The City continues to refer to the Emergency Response Station at Mitchell Park as a Fire Station. The sign on the building says it is a fire station. There is no fire truck there--no water for fighting fires. The sign is incorrect, and citizens in the affected area should be notified by mail of this change because our fire insurance companies ask us to report proximity to the closest fire station. I don’t know how reporting incorrectly might affect coverage after a fire. The city’s website also incorrectly lists Station 4 as a fire station. I just read this article in which former Palo Alto Fire Chief Eric Nickel is interviewed about Eichler structures and fires. It helped me understand why some residents of my neighborhood were so concerned when they learned that the Station 4 fire truck had been eliminated. I also understand better the concerns Fire Chief Blackshire expressed about making this cut when it was being considered. https://www.eichlernetwork.com/blog/dave-weinstein/how-good-practices-prevent-eichler-home- fires#:~:text=In%20an%20interview%2C%20Palo%20Alto,the%20materials%20used%20in%20them Having now read this article, please consider the potential delays that may be caused by fire service coming from the alternative fire stations: Fire Station 3 – Traveling across town from the north side of Embarcadero Road, crossing Embarcadero Road and Oregon Expressway. At some times of day, this can be very slow. Fire Station 5 on Arastradero Road—Traveling across El Camion real and the train tracks and (for folks further east) across Middlefield and Louis/ Montrose and Fabian. As we enter a new budget cycle, please consider restoring fire service to former Fire Station 4 at Mitchell Park. Average citywide response times are not relevant to this decision-making. Response times to locations in the southeast quadrant of the city would be more relevant to understand risk I this area. Thank you for considering my comments. Penny Ellson Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Mark Samson To:sfo.noise@flysfo.com Cc:Sky Posse Post; Palo Weekly; Council, City; City Attorney Subject:Your jet noise overhead in Palo Alto is ruining what I worked so many years for — the quiet enjoyment of myhome , and my latter stages of work in asset management /please cease and desist/ jetnoise.net| Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 1:31:58 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from marksamson@me.com. Learnwhy this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links.________________________________ Paul, the city Council, Palo Alto City Attorney, stop, jet noise, Hi, The implementation of ground-based aviation guidance, system has taken what was a fantastic lifeand turned it upside down. I really don’t know how an organization or business entity or individual.can take so much from me after so many years of planning, saving and sacrificing to live in ourhome; it’s just been eviscerated by the jet which is 24/7/365 now and drives me literally crazybecause it’s interrupting my work, interrupts my peace of mind, interfering with my marriage and my health, please make this stop. If you’re unwilling to do it, please put me in touch with someonewho can seek legal remedies —take legal action and I can involve myself in that…https://stop.jetnoise.net/ Mark Samson Stopping to report another jet… From:Hamilton Hitchings To:Council, City Cc:Eggleston, Brad Subject:2024 - Hamilton Ave Storm Drain Project (#9) Date:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 10:36:20 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from hitchingsh@yahoo.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, A number of houses in Palo Alto were flooded on New Year’s Eve of 2022 including on Louisa Ct and Newell Place. There is a quick straightforward project that can reduce the likelihood of this from happening next time the San Francisquito Creek floods and also save other homes. In general, this project would help reduce on street flooding in the Duveneck neighborhood next time the creek over tops. This project is the Hamilton Ave Storm Drain Upgrade that would place a 4 foot in diameter storm drain under Hamilton Ave from Center Drive to Rhodes Drive. This project would be funded with the storm drain upgrade money and could be started in summer of 2024. It was described in the City’s June 2015 Storm Drain Master Plan Update written by Schaaf & Wheeler as Project 9 and was listed as High Priority and is one of the top of remaining storm drain projects. It can happen with sufficient council and staff support. Please consider prioritizing this project as part of your Goal Planning exercise next Monday. It can fall under a priority like Health & Safety or Climate Adaption. Then please include it in the budget for adoption for June 2024. Thank you. City’s June 2015 Storm Drain Master Plan Update written by Schaaf & Wheeler - Page 129: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/public-works/engineering- services/webpages/stormwater/storm-drain/storm-drain-master-plan-update-june- 2015.pdf Hamilton Hitchings View this email in your browser From:LWV Palo Alto Speaker Event CommitteeTo:Council, CitySubject:LWV Palo Alto Speaker Event SurveyDate:Wednesday, January 24, 2024 9:14:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. League of Women Voters Palo Alto Members, Happy New Year! 2024 promises to be an important year for the work we do at the League. We would very much appreciate your input to help us plan speaker events for the year ahead. If you haven't done so, please click below to respond to a brief survey by no later than Monday, January 29th! Thank you, LWVPA Speaker Event Committee Take the Survey Now LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Email Email Copyright © 2024 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. Questions? Contact us at communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:Roey and Paula Shaviv To:Council, City Subject:To Palo ALto City Council regarding the call by the Arab Resource & Organization Center (AROC) to agendize a call for a cease fire resolution in Gazza Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 8:56:36 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from shaviv-family@outlook.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council, I have been a citizen of Palo Alto for over 20 years. I attended multiple City Council meetings. Yesterday I spent several hours in the City Council meeting listening to both sides of the debate. Ironically, today Reuters reported in an article titled “One-month Gaza truce focus of intensive talks” that “One offer by Israel is to end the war if Hamas removes six senior leaders from Gaza, said a seventh source, a senior Hamas official. However, Hamas "absolutely" rejected the proposal”. (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/one-month-gaza-truce-focus-intensive-talks-sources- say-2024-01-23/). Intense negotiations continue. I do hope that these negotiations will result in a peace agreement. And I do hope that those who called for a cease fire would embrace the Israeli offer, or other proposals, for the return of the hostages and an agreement between the two sides, leading to peace between the Palestinians and Israel. Having said that, I do think that the Palo Alto City Council should not take part in this debate. Our system of government is built on separation of power and leaves foreign policy to the Federal Government and The State Department. We elected you as our representatives to govern the city and address the local issues facing the City of Palo Alto. Please adhere to the mandate you have. With gratitude and respect Roey Shaviv Ph.D. From:Carolyn Godfrey To:Historic Resources Board Cc:Council, City; French, Amy Subject:Agenda item #2: Historic Resources Board (HRB) Recommendation to Council Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 5:38:06 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from carolyngodfrey3@gmail.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Board members, Thank you for removing our property from the list to be sent to the City Council for inclusion in Palo Alto’s Historic Register. Our property was initially included only because someone lived there who is essentially unknown and not of interest to Palo Altans today. We would like our house to be treated like any other non-historic house in Palo Alto. We were disappointed to learn of the plan to create a separate list of “eligible” properties, which could be used to impose additional regulations. We strongly urge you not to create such a list. Regards, Carolyn Godfrey and Hal Prince 211 Middlefield Road From:Lydia Callaghan To:Historic Resources Board; French, Amy; Council, City Subject:Public Comment for January 25 Historic Resources Review Board meeting Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 3:41:34 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from lydiacallaghan2011@gmail.com. Learn whythis is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Historic Resources Review Board, City Council, and Amy French, I am the owner of 855 Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto. I cannot attend the January 25 meeting,so I am writing to reiterate my strong objection to my home’s inclusion in the Palo Alto Historical inventory list. I want to thank the Historic Resources Review Board for the just decision not to advanceproperties to the City Council for inclusion on the list over owners’ objections. I also strongly urge you not to create a list of eligible properties for the Palo Alto Historical inventory list. Such a categorization could limit property owners’ rights, even if their homes are not on the list. Like many, I believe the current procedures for developing historic home status areinconsistent and not transparent. This opaque process places an extreme burden on property owners and infringes upon our rights. I urge you to move to a fair process whereby homes areincluded on the list through informed consent rather than the current opt-out process. Thank you, Lydia Lydia CallaghanPronouns: she, her From:Jeanne FlemingTo:Sauls, Garrett Cc:Lait, Jonathan; Clerk, City; Council, City; Architectural Review Board; Planning Commission; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject:RE: Cell Tower ApplicationsDate:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 12:41:51 PM Attachments:image004.pngimage007.pngimage009.pngimage010.pngimage011.pngimage012.pngimage014.pngimage015.pngimage016.pngimage018.pngimage019.pngimage020.pngimage021.pngimage022.pngimage024.pngimage025.pngimage026.pngimage027.pngimage028.pngimage030.pngimage031.pngimage032.pngimage033.pngimage034.pngimage036.pngimage037.png Much appreciated, Garrett. Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 7:52 AM To: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Hi Jeanne, I will do my best to let you know as soon as I know. Best regards, Garrett Sauls Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 329-2471 | Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org NEW Parcel Report | Palo Alto Municipal Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Application Forms & Handouts | Planning Applications Mapped From: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2024 3:59 PM To: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Architectural Review Board <arb@cityofpaloalto.org>; Planning Commission <Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: Re: Cell Tower Applications Thank you, Garrett. Good to know. And, of course, I would, as always, appreciate your telling me if anything changes on that front. Regards to you, Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2024 7:19 AM To: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Hi Jeanne, I haven’t heard from any of the carriers that they are looking to submit applications for new small cell installations this year. Best regards, Garrett Sauls Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 329-2471 | Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org NEW Parcel Report | Palo Alto Municipal Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Application Forms & Handouts | Planning Applications Mapped From: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Sent: Friday, January 19, 2024 3:20 PM To: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Architectural Review Board <arb@cityofpaloalto.org>; Planning Commission <Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Hi Garrett, Thank you for your prompt and helpful reply, including the information about the macro tower modifications. Quick question: Do you have any reason to anticipate receiving one or more applications for new small cells in the first half of 2024? My best, Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 4:25 PM To: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Hi Jeanne, Thank you for the well wishes and I hope you have had a good start to your new year as well! We did not receive any new small cell applications since we corresponded last year. I have only had a handful of Tier 1 Wireless facility modifications for existing macro sites at: 101 Alma Street, 1985 Louis Road, 2047 E. Bayshore Road, and 3000 El Camino Real. Nothing yet so far this year for macro site modifications. Best regards, Garrett Sauls Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 329-2471 | Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org NEW Parcel Report | Palo Alto Municipal Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Application Forms & Handouts | Planning Applications Mapped From: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 1:52 PM To: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Architectural Review Board <arb@cityofpaloalto.org>; Planning Commission <Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: Cell Tower Applications Hi Garrett, I would appreciate it if you would tell me whether there are any new-since-August-3rd applications for small cell cell towers in Palo Alto. As always, thank you for your help. Regards to you, and best wishes for the new year, Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023 4:09 PM To: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications I will be sure to let you know whenever any of the carriers have submitted projects for new cell towers. Best regards, Garrett Sauls Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 329-2471 | Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org NEW Parcel Report | Palo Alto Municipal Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Application Forms & Handouts | Planning Applications Mapped From: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023 4:05 PM To: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Architectural Review Board <arb@cityofpaloalto.org>; Planning Commission <Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Thank you for your prompt and helpful reply, Garrett. On behalf of United Neighbors, I would be most appreciative if you would give me a heads up 1) when a new cell tower application is submittedand 2) when you or your colleagues learn that a new application is in the offing. My best, Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023 3:53 PM To: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: RE: Cell Tower Applications Hi Jeanne, Below are my responses: 1. We haven’t received any new small cell applications this year so far. 2. So far this year I’ve only received two applications for macro cell tower modifications and both are Tier 1 applications: 2047 East Bayshore Road (DISH), 4005 Miranda Avenue (AT&T). 3. I haven’t heard from any of the carriers that they are interested in applying for new small cell applications this year. In the past and to this point, I’ve only ever heard from AT&T or Verizon about small cell projects. Nothing from DISH or T-Mobile. Let me know if you have any questions. Best regards, Garrett Sauls Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 329-2471 | Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org NEW Parcel Report | Palo Alto Municipal Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Application Forms & Handouts | Planning Applications Mapped From: Jeanne Fleming <jfleming@metricus.net> Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023 3:42 PM To: Sauls, Garrett <Garrett.Sauls@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Clerk, City <city.clerk@cityofpaloalto.org>; Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; Architectural Review Board <arb@cityofpaloalto.org>; Planning Commission <Planning.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org>; chow_tina@yahoo.com; todd@toddcollins.org; wross@lawross.com Subject: Cell Tower Applications CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Garrett, I would appreciate it if you would answer three questions: 1. Since January 31, 2023, has the City of Palo Alto received any new applications for small cell node cell towers? 2. Since January 31, 2023, has the City of Palo Alto received any new applications for macro cell towers? 3. Does Staff anticipate receiving applications for new small cell nodes and/or new macro towers before the end of the year? As I understand it, applicants typically preview their intentions. Thank you, as always, for your help. I have, of course, checked the City’s websites to see if there have been new cell tower applications sincethe beginning of the year, and I don’t see any. Nor have I received any notifications related to cell towers from Building Eye. But I want to besure I am correct that no cell tower applications have been filed with the City in the last seven months. Sincerely, Jeanne Jeanne Fleming, PhDJFleming@Metricus.net650-325-5151 From:Aram James To:Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; Dave Price; District1@bos.sccgov.org; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing;GRP-City Council; Greer Stone; Greg Tanaka; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; LindaJolley; Gardener, Liz; Zelkha, Mila; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg;citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:Re: Julie Lythcott Haims calls for a cease fire in Gaza?????? Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 11:41:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Request # 2: Please explain the nature of the cease-fire you say you called for at a recent Palo Alto Human Relationship Commissionmeeting. Thanks so much, Adam On Mon, Jan 22, 2024 at 11:40 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Re: Julie Lythcott Haims calls for a cease fire in Gaza?????? On Mon, Jan 22, 2024 at 11:15 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Julie,I saw nothing in the press re your call for a cease fire. Did you call for an immediate permanent cease fire or some type of watered down compromise cease fire that calls forboth sides to agree? Please let me know the details of your call for a cease-fire. The last thing I want is to misrepresent the nature of the cease fire you called for. aram On Mon, From:Aram James To:Council, City; Dennis Upton; Ed Lauing; Friends of Cubberley; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission; JaxAjluni; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; KEVIN JENSEN; Gardener, Liz; Salem Ajluni; Shana Segal; WILPFPeninsula Palo Alto; Zelkha, Mila; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:Re: Greer Stone, Time for a call for a cease-fire now? Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 11:34:14 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 12:02 AM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: 21 soldiers killed in biggest single Israeli loss during Gaza combat, Israeli military says Hey Greer Stone( newly elected Palo Alto city mayor) How bout a cease-fire now? Aram P.S. Hey Greer, Give me a call so we can discuss an immediate call for a cease-fire. 415-370-5056 https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/01/23/middleeast/gaza-israeli-soldiers-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html View this email in your browser From:LWV Palo AltoTo:Council, CitySubject:Join LWV Candidate Forums Ahead of the March 5 Primary ElectionDate:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 10:14:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. California Primary - March 5, 2024 Congressional District 16 Candidate Forum (Zoom) Saturday, February 3, 2024 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm League of Women Voters of Palo Alto will be hosting a Candidate Forum for Congressional District 16 (Anna Eshoo's seat) on February 3, 2024. We invite everyone to come listen to the candidates and learn where they stand on pertinent issues. The mailing of vote-by-mail ballots begins on Monday, February 5, and presidential primary election in California is on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Candidate forums like this are one way the League makes democracy work! The event is co-sponsored by the following Leagues: LWV of Cupertino-Sunnyvale LWV of Los Altos-Mountain View LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley LWV of San Jose/Santa Clara LWV of North & Central San Mateo County LWV of South San Mateo County You may submit questions to the candidates in advance using the question submission link below or in your registration confirmation email. Time permitting, we will also take questions during the event. Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 5 Candidate Forum (Zoom) Hosted by LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley Wednesday, January 31, 2024 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge, Office 5Candidate Forum (Zoom) Hosted by LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley Register Now Ask Your Questions Register Now Tuesday, February 6, 2024 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm California State Assembly District 23 Candidate Forum (Zoom) Hosted by LWV of Los Altos-Mountain View Wednesday, February 7, 2024 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm LWVPaloAlto.org Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Email Email Copyright © 2024 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 Register Now Register Now Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Questions? Contact us at communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims Cc:Council, City; David S. Norris; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach; Josh Becker; Linda Jolley; Michelle; Zelkha, Mila; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:Senate debate 1/22/2024 Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 2:25:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Killing 25,000 civilians, it’s catastrophic, and it will never lead to peace for the Israelis, northe Palestinians,” Lee said. Unlike Schiff and Lee, who each took firm positions in support or opposition of aid to the Israeli army, Porter hedged. She reiterated that Israel should work“toward a lasting bilateral cease-fire in Gaza,” and said she wanted all the hostages freed and the resources to rebuild Gaza, as well as to ensure Israel is secure and a Palestinian state “canthrive.” From:Aram James To:Council, City; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Shikada, Ed; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:Shangri-La and the Incomplete Homeless Housing Projects Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 12:23:00 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Shangri-La and the Incomplete Homeless Housing Projects https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/shangri-la-and-the-incomplete-homeless-housing- projects/ From:Aram James To:Cindy Chavez; Council, City; David S. Norris; Ed Lauing; GRP-City Council; Greer Stone; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian;Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Lewis james; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Raj Jayadev; Roberta Ahlquist; SeanAllen; Shana Segal; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Vara Ramakrishnan; WILPF Peninsula PaloAlto; Zelkha, Mila; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:21 soldiers killed in biggest single Israeli loss during Gaza combat, Israeli military says Date:Tuesday, January 23, 2024 12:13:00 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 21 soldiers killed in biggest single Israeli loss during Gaza combat, Israeli military says https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/01/23/middleeast/gaza-israeli-soldiers-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html From:Aram James To:Council, City; Greer Stone; Julie Lythcott-Haims Subject:Please show respect for all Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 10:27:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please show respect for all speakers cut off all speakers at 1 min sharpe. Everyone both sides going over. Removal all that cut of other while they speak. Best, Aram James From:Aram James To:Council, City; Ed Lauing; Greg Tanaka; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Gardener, Liz; Salem Ajluni;Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; citycouncil@mountainview.gov Subject:U.S. doctor in Gaza describes "mass exodus’ of families fleeing Khan Younis following strikes Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 9:46:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Israel-Hamas war: Israel proposes 2-month cease-fire in exchange for all remaining hostages Hamas previously said it wouldn't accept any deal without a permanent cease-fire. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna134989 From:Farha Andrabi To:Council, City Subject:Resolution for Cease Fire in Gaza Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 8:15:32 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from farhaandrabi@hotmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. January 22, 2024 Dear Palo Alto City Council members My name is Farha Andrabi Navaid. My family and I have been residents of Palo Alto since 2014. All three of my kids graduated from Paly, where my son was a student of Mayor Stone. I am the president of Mountain View Palo Alto Musalla, the Islamic center for local Muslims. I am writing to convey our sentiments and concerns about why the Palo Alto City Council needs to urgently pass a resolution for cease fire in Gaza. To begin with, the Israel-Gaza war is enabled through our tax money. As a result of this war Islamophobia and Arab hate is spreading at an alarming rate all through our nation. Israel's indiscriminate bombing of Gazan civilians has led to the death of more than 25,000 innocent Palestinians and left more than 65 thousand wounded. The majority of the victims of this bombing are women and children. Israel's frenzied bombing in Gaza has also resulted in the death of some Israeli hostages. We need to terminate our support for Israel's inhuman and barbaric campaign of death for all humans, animals, plants, or anything living in Gaza. I heard members of the Palo Alto City Council taking pride in our city's advanced environmental protection program. What effect do you think Israel's bombing is having on the environment for the people of Gaza? The residents of Palo Alto cannot claim any higher standards of ethics if we wish the best for ourselves and the worst for others. The people of Gaza are just as human as any resident of Palo Alto. Let us be a city that is also known for taking the lead in being on the right side of history by passing a resolution for cease fire in Israel Gaza war. By passing a resolution for cease-fire in Gaza, you will not only humanize the people of Gaza but also the Muslim and Arab residents of Palo Alto. As a publicly visible Muslim woman in Palo Alto, I need this resolution to feel safe again walking on the streets of Palo Alto. This basic privilege was taken away from me after a man intentionally ran his truck over an Arab Muslim student on the Stanford campus in October, 2023. One may wonder why the truck driver dared to commit such a heinous crime on the campus of a prestigious university like Stanford. The answer is quite obvious. Our public officials at the National and local levels, mainly our president refuse to listen to our pleas and use their influence to secure cease fire in the Israel- Gaza war. Our leaders' silence on the issue of cease fire in Gaza is sending a clear message to the American public that the lives of Muslims and Arabs are dispensable. It is no surprise then that all across our nation there have been cases of stabbing and shooting of peaceful Muslims in their neighborhoods and even in their homes, as was the case with Wadea Al Fayoume. The 6 year old, Palestinian American Muslim, was stabbed 26 times at his home by his family's landlord in October, 2023. The boy later died at the hospital. My community and I hope you will keep Palo Alto safe for all residents, and choose justice and humanity over all other considerations by passing a resolution for cease fire in Gaza. Thank you With hope and kind regards, Farha Andrabi Navaid 2303 Ramona Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 From:Farha Andrabi To:Council, City Subject:Resolution for Cease Fire in Gaza Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 8:11:31 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from farhaandrabi@hotmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. January 22, 2024 Dear Palo Alto City Council members My name is Farha Andrabi Navaid. My family and I have been residents of Palo Alto since 2014. All three of my kids graduated from Paly, where my son was a student of Mayor Stone. I am the president of Mountain View Palo Alto Musalla, the Islamic center for local Muslims. I am writing to convey our sentiments and concerns about why the Palo Alto City Council needs to urgently pass a resolution for cease fire in Gaza. To begin with, the Israel-Gaza war is enabled through our tax money. As a result of this war Islamophobia and Arab hate is spreading at an alarming rate all through our nation. Israel's indiscriminate bombing of Gazan civilians has led to the death of more than 25,000 innocent Palestinians and left more than 65 thousand wounded. The majority of the victims of this bombing are women and children. Israel's frenzied bombing in Gaza has also resulted in the death of some Israeli hostages. We need to terminate our support for Israel's inhuman and barbaric campaign of death for all humans, animals, plants, or anything living in Gaza. I heard members of the Palo Alto City Council taking pride in our city's advanced environmental protection program. What effect do you think Israel's bombing is having on the environment for the people of Gaza? The residents of Palo Alto cannot claim any higher standards of ethics if we wish the best for ourselves and the worst for others. The people of Gaza are just as human as any resident of Palo Alto. Let us be a city that is also known for taking the lead in being on the right side of history by passing a resolution for cease fire in Israel Gaza war. By passing a resolution for cease-fire in Gaza, you will not only humanize the people of Gaza but also the Muslim and Arab residents of Palo Alto. As a publicly visible Muslim woman in Palo Alto, I need this resolution to feel safe again walking on the streets of Palo Alto. This basic privilege was taken away from me after a man intentionally ran his truck over an Arab Muslim student on the Stanford campus in October, 2023. One may wonder why the truck driver dared to commit such a heinous crime on the campus of a prestigious university like Stanford. The answer is quite obvious. Our public officials at the National and local levels, mainly our president refuse to listen to our pleas and use their influence to secure cease fire in the Israel- Gaza war. Our leaders' silence on the issue of cease fire in Gaza is sending a clear message to the American public that the lives of Muslims and Arabs are dispensable. It is no surprise then that all across our nation there have been cases of stabbing and shooting of peaceful Muslims in their neighborhoods and even in their homes, as was the case with Wadea Al Fayoume. The 6 year old, Palestinian American Muslim, was stabbed 26 times at his home by his family's landlord in October, 2023. The boy later died at the hospital. My community and I hope you will keep Palo Alto safe for all residents, and choose justice and humanity over all other considerations by passing a resolution for cease fire in Gaza. Thank you With hope and kind regards, Farha Andrabi Navaid 2303 Ramona Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 Sadly, our Public officials at National and local levels, mainly our president refuse to listen to our pleas and use their influence to secure cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war. leaders' silence at this issue is also sending a mee right sage across our country that some lives , particularly those of Mus;lims and Arabs are despensible. It is no surprise then that all across our nation we witness the stabbing and shooting of peaceful Muslims and Arabs in their own neighborhoods. This rising tide of Islamophoboa and Arab hate leaves our community members feeling very vulnerable and insecurer in their own neighborhoods. Early this month a Stanford student was intentionally run over by a truck on the campus. Personally, I loved walking in my beautiful city. But in the present scenario I don’t feel safe to even take a stroll alone in my neighborhood. Even if I am walking with other family members, I don’t cross streets without worrying about whether the car standing at the stop sign could have intentions to hurt us. We want to feel safe and protected in our neighborhood and in our country. You have taken a positive step to humanize us and to give importance to our concerns. I thank you all for that and hope other city council members will follow in your footsteps to do the same. From:Andrew Martin To:Council, City Subject:Fix city council Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 6:04:44 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from 123andy@gmail.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, Is there a reason you cannot postpone all comments on non-Palo Alto local issues to the end ofthe agenda? The hijacking of our city council by well meaning residents who wish to vocalize their opinions on the Israeli/Hamas conflict is a disservice to those in our community whowish to be heard for reasons over which the city council could actually act in a meaningful way. Additionally, the reduction in the time for free comment for local issues is also adisservice for people that need to raise a legitimate concern. Please take back control of your own forum. You serve the community and this is a waste of our collective time. -Andy From:Camilla Wickman To:Council, City Subject:Ceasefire Resolution: Public Comment Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 5:57:33 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from camillamqw@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. "What you don't see on TV: Children holding limbs of their parents or siblings. Girls who got their periods for the first time with no pads, painkillers, and not even a mother to look after them. Fathers spending hours and hours a day in search for some water or food for their children. Parents sleeping hungry because they would rather their children eat the limited amount of food they were able to find. Elderly wishing to get killed rather than getting displaced yet another time." I lifted this quote from the Instagram page of Palestinian journalist and social media presence,Plestia Alaqad. My name is Camilla Wickman, and I am a Palo Alto resident urging the City of Palo Alto to add a ceasefire resolution to the agenda. The continuous attack on Palestiniancivilian life by the IDF these past three-and-a-half months has shown us, in the most horrific way possible, the extreme end of humanity's capacity for violence. Even my instagram page(one of the only platforms illustrating Palestinian perspectives) has become something close to a hell. While Palo Alto is just one corner of the U.S., it is my hope that the collective effort ofinfluential American cities like ours will encourage a nationwide institutional withdrawal of support for this completely unethical war. Please, please, please add this resolution to theagenda. Thank you, Camilla Wickman From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Executive Leadership Team Subject:RSVP Requested by January 23nd: State of the Valley Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 5:50:03 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.pngimage005.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.pngimage004.pngimage011.png Importance:High Hello Mayor and Council Members, I wanted to send a friendly reminder on this RSVP request for the State of the Valley event on Friday, March 1 at 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. If you wish to attend, please let me know by 12 PM tomorrow, January 23rd. After that time, we will extend the invitation to ELT. Currently in attendance we have: Council Members Veenker, Burt, and Lythcott-Haims. If you do not see your name and wish to attend, please let me know and we’ll get you signed up. Thank you! Best, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Tran, Joanna Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 1:03 PM To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: RSVP Requested by January 22nd: State of the Valley Hello Mayor and Council Members, Following up to Ed’s message on the State of the Valley Conference, please also let me know if you are planning on attending in-person or virtually by January 22nd. I’ve provided information on the event from Joint Venture Silicon Valley below. What is State of the Valley? Think of it as an objective assessment of our region's health and vitality, not unlike what happens when you visit the doctor for your annual physical exam. Our principal tool is the Silicon Valley Index, a nationally-recognized publication that provides hundreds of indicators measuring the health of our complex ecosystem. At the event you can count on comprehensive briefings telling you which indicators are going up, which are down, and which are sideways. But it's more than an assessment. It's also an opportunity to talk about what it all means: where are we headed as a community? What are the most important trends shaping our future? How can we mobilize to address our challenges? Inaddition to one of our nation's leading futurists you'll hear from a rich sampling of our region's experts and thought leaders sharing their deeply informed perspectives. Yet it's also more than this. Think of it as an old-fashioned town-hall meeting where we all come up out of our trenches and celebrate our common purpose, and all the things we cherish about our remarkable region. Our in-person guests will enjoy food, audience engagement, and what people say is Silicon Valley'sbest networking opportunity; our online guests will enjoy a high-quality livestream provided by Brandlive, the opportunity to socialize with other online guests in chatrooms, and the ability to comment and pose questions to the speakers. All participants will receive downloadable copies of the 2024 Index. When? Friday, March 1 at 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m Where? San José State University, Diaz Compean Student Union, 2nd Floor Ballroom Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 7:57 PM To: Greer Stone (gstone22@gmail.com) <gstone22@gmail.com>; Greg Tanaka (greg@gregtanaka.org) <greg@gregtanaka.org>; Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Kou, Lydia <Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lythcott-Haims, Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Pat Burt (pat@patburt.org) <pat@patburt.org>; Veenker, Vicki <Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org> Cc: Executive Leadership Team <ExecutiveLeadershipTeam@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: WEEKLY COUNCIL BRIEFING – January 9, 2024 The 2024 State of the Valley Conference by Joint Venture Silicon Valley is Friday, March 1 at San Jose State University and will be a hybrid event from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We are planning to sponsor a table as we have in previous years. Please let Joanna Tran know by Monday, January 22 if you would like to attend. Email your RSVP to Joanna Tran. Once we confirm councilmember attendance we will offer the seats to staff. From:Sonni Rodriguez To:Council, City Subject:I would like to speak Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 5:37:15 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from sonnirodriguez@icloud.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please add me to the list my name is Soneida please add me to the list. Soneida From:Eva Wang To:Council, City Subject:Agendizing a Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 5:06:37 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from eva.wang1715@gmail.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: My name is Eva Wang, and I am a Palo Alto resident. I would like to call for agendizing aceasefire resolution for the ongoing conflict in Gaza. I and many other Palo Alto residents are in support of a ceasefire and we would like to see it addressed here. Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely,Eva Wang From:Elan Loeb To:Council, City Subject:Ceasefire amendment Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 4:35:50 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from elanloeb@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I am a lifelong Palo Alto resident and a Jew. The genocide in Gaza is inhumane and we needto lift all of our voices to address this. Please, do not let this go unaddressed. Over 30,000 people have died. When your grandchildren ask you what you did during the genocide, let itbe that you called for peace, a permanent and lasting ceasefire. Thanks, Elan3746 la Calle ct From:Kelley Langhans To:Council, City Subject:Public comment for 1/22 meeting: gaza ceasefire Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 4:27:17 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from klanghans94@gmail.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 resident of Palo Alto, and I would like to call for agendizing a ceasefire resolution forthe ongoing conflict in Gaza. I support ceasefire. This is genocide. Best, Kelley Langhans From:Tita Kanjanapas To:Council, City Subject:Submitting a public comment Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 4:15:26 PM Attachments:Agendize a ceasefire resolution.pdf Some people who received this message don't often get email from tkanjanapas@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello, My name is Tita Kanjanapas, I am a resident of Palo Alto and I would like to submit this public comment for the Monday January 22nd Palo Alto City Council meeting. This is to call for agendizing a ceasefire resolution. I've attached the comment as a PDF to this email. Best,Tita I am providing public comment to call for agendizing a ceasefire resolution for the conflict in Gaza. My name is Tita.Ive been a resident of Palo Alto for 6 years.I immigrated here 9 years ago from Thailand to go to Stanford for mechanical engineering and I’ve stayed.I loved the life I got to live here in the bay,and in Palo Alto.Last year I got my green card through being an electromechanical engineer at a semiconductor start up and now I call this place one of my homes.Though Thailand is also my home. There are a million reasons why everybody needs a ceasefire in Gaza and I’m just going to focus on one. Im going to read to you a short excerpt that was first published in the Guardian. “The planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. The vast majority (over 99 percent)of the 281,000 metric tons (MT)of carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent)estimated to have been generated in the first 60 days following the October 7 Hamas attack can be attributed to Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza,according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by researchers in the UK and US. According to the study,which is based on only a handful of carbon-intensive activities and is therefore probably a significant underestimate,the climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 MT of coal. The analysis,includes CO2 from aircraft missions,tanks and fuel from other vehicles,as well as emissions generated by making and exploding the bombs, artillery and rockets.It does not include other planet-warming gases such as methane.Almost half the total CO2 emissions were down to US cargo planes flying military supplies to Israel.” —--- To reiterate.In just 60 days,and we are now more than 100 days in,What israel and the US has done has produced more carbon dioxide than what 20 of the worlds most vulnerable nations produce in a year. Thailand is one of these countries. This is absolutely insane.We as humans are currently facing an extinction event caused by a climate crisis of our own doing.What Israel and the US military is doing is fasttracking this climate crisis.There are 30,000 Palestinian people who have been killed.If that genocide was happening in Palo Alto,that would mean one in two people,so half this room would be dead.Most of which are women and children.This is already unforgivable.AND it will be nothing,it will be a speck of dust,compared to the number of people everywhere who will die from what this bombardment is doing to our climate crisis.It will be dust compared to the millions of Thai people,again,who live in one of the most vulnerable countries to the climate crisis,who will die as sea levels rise,as rain disappear,as drought starves us.My family.My friends.My people. There are fast genocides and there are slow genocides.The Palestinians are experiencing the fast one,and we must do everything we can to prevent the loss of life that happens every moment that we stall a ceasefire.But we are idiots if we do not recognize how our fates are tied to the fates of Palestinians.If we do not recognize that we are slowly killing ourselves.If we do not pass this resolution,we will feel it too. We must agendize the ceasefire and pass a ceasefire resolution.