May 11, 2018
City Manager Weekly Update

Assistant City Manager
Strengthen your Neighborhood
A Block Action Team (BAT) helps to build a better neighborhood and a stronger community in Los Altos. Within a BAT, neighbors connect and support each other with block parties and social events, loaning tools, checking in on seniors in their homes, keeping neighbors informed, and more. Neighbors in a BAT also learn how to prepare for emergencies, prevent crime and help each other if something happens. 

To see if your home is located within an existing BAT, click here. If it’s not, it's easy to start a BAT for your neighborhood. Simply sign up to attend a complimentary two-hour BAT Leader training session. You’ll decide which homes to include in your BAT, get some tools and tips for starting up your BAT, and receive training to help you develop an emergency preparedness plan for your neighborhood. If you wish, bring a neighbor, friend, spouse, or other willing participant to be your co-leader! For more information, please visit the BAT website at losaltosbat.org, email info@losaltosbat.org, or call (650) 949-5908.

There are two upcoming BAT Leader training classes: May 21 and June 20, 6:30 p.m. at Neutra House. To register for either session or see additional training dates, click here. Block Action Team is a managed program of the Los Altos Community Foundation in partnership with the City of Los Altos.
Community Development
Affordable Housing Impact Fee
On Tuesday, the City Council held a discussion on an affordable housing impact fee. This fee, which would apply to multi-family residential projects and non-residential projects, acquires funds for enhancing and providing affordable housing. It is anticipated that the funds may help leverage affordable housing opportunities in the future. As structured, the draft ordinance implementing the fee still provides applicants with an opportunity to provide affordable housing on the site of their project in-line with the City’s current affordable housing inclusionary regulations. The ordinance is scheduled to come back to the City Council for further consideration.

Grand Boulevard Initiative
This past Wednesday, the Complete Streets Commission was given an overview of the Grand Boulevard Initiative, which enlists the assistance of all agencies located along the El Camino Real from just south of San Francisco to the City of San Jose. The Vision Statement of this Grand Boulevard Initiative is -

El Camino Real will achieve its full potential as a place for residents to work,
live, shop and play, creating links between communities that promote
walking and transit and an improved and meaningful quality of life.

The groups Guiding Principles include:
 
  1. Target housing and job growth in strategic areas along the corridor
  2. Encourage compact mixed-use development and high-quality urban design and construction
  3. Create a pedestrian-oriented environment and improve streetscapes, ensuring full access to and between public areas and private developments
  4. Develop a balanced multimodal corridor to maintain and improve mobility of people and vehicles along the corridor
  5. Manage parking assets
  6. Provide vibrant public spaces and gathering places
  7. Preserve and accentuate unique and desirable community character and the existing quality of life in adjacent neighborhoods
  8. Improve safety and public health
  9. Strengthen pedestrian and bicycle connections with the corridor
  10. Pursue environmentally sustainable and economically viable development patterns

Following the presentation, the Commissioners followed up with a series of questions intended to assist their understanding of this effort and how the group’s efforts can best be applied to Los Altos.

Economic Development Coordinator
A finalist has been selected to fill the Economic Development Coordinator position, which has been vacant these past several months. Background and reference checks are wrapping up in anticipation of the candidate being able to start work in mid-June. One of the new Economic Development Coordinator’s first efforts will be to get out, provide introductions, and listen to ideas on how they might best be able to assist the business community.
Police
Rockstars
Chief Galea and Officers Wong and Cottrell received Rockstar Awards from the Recreation & Community Services Department this week. Each were honored for going above and beyond in assisting a beloved community volunteer who fell following our recent City Volunteer Awards ceremony. Chief Galea called for medical backup and after determining it would be best for her not to drive, she was driven home by Officer Wong. Officer Cottrell then picked her up the following morning so she could retrieve her vehicle from the event venue. We are honored to receive this award, and even more thankful we could help someone who gives so much to her community through volunteering. 
Public Works
Bike to Work Day
The City of Los Altos Complete Streets Commission (CSC) hosted an energizer station at the corner of Foothill Expressway and Burke Road for the annual Bike to Work Day event on May 10, 2018 from 6:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Commission members, Council members, Public Works and Police Department staff were in attendance. Light refreshments and snacks were provided to riders at this station. Approximately 500+ bicycle riders were counted passing this location, both northbound and southbound combined, which was slightly higher than last year.

Electronic Document Management System
Engineering issued a request for proposals (RFP) this week for a qualified service provider to perform conversion of hardcopy documents and plans into digital format as well as maintenance of the operating software for the storage and retrieval of documents and plans. The work includes the development of a management system for scanning, indexing, geo-referencing to the City’s GIS, and archiving project documents and plans.
Recreation & Community Services
Summer Registration
Summer registration will begin on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. For more information about fun activities that will be taking place during the summer season please visit LosAltosRecreation.org or call 650-947-2790.
Summer Concerts
Our 16 th Annual Summer Concert Series will be starting soon. Summer concerts provide a great opportunity for the entire family to join us for an evening of fun. Below is the lineup for this year’s concerts. Note: concerts are held on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and rotate between Hillview Park and Grant Park.

  • *Special Date/Time: June 16th at 6 p.m.: Peninsula Symphony - Hillview Soccer Field
  • June 21st: Uncle Rico/Classic Rock- Grant Park
  • June 28th: California Beach Boys Experience/Tribute Band-Hillview Soccer Field
  • July 12th -Big City Swing Committee/Swing-Grant Park
  • July 19th -Phil ‘n the Blanks/Rock- Hillview Soccer Field
  • July 26th -The Groove Doctors/Dance Party-Grant Park
  • August 2nd -West Grand Boulevard/Motown/R&B/Soul-Hillview Soccer Field
  • August 9th -Rick Torres as Elvis/Tribute Band-Grant Park

For more information about our programs, please visit LosAltosRecreation.org or call (650) 947-2790.

Senior Program Updates

Hillview Senior Program

Photography Program: The Camera Club and the Los Altos Senior Program are excited to announce a four-week photography program. Learn the basics of photography, no experience necessary. Classes will be held Thursdays starting June 7th from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 12 of at the Hillview Community Center. Participants must bring a camera to class; cell phone cameras will do.

Art on the Patio : Enjoy summer by strolling through our patio and viewing artwork created by our own ArtVentures participants. Join us on June 13 th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center on the Senior Center Patio. Refreshments will be available with a suggested donation of $3.00. For more information or to sign-up, call (650) 947-2797.

Mini Trip: Join us on Monday, May 14, 2018 for a guided tour, meditation session and a vegetarian lunch at the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale. The cost is $37/members and $47/non-members and includes the tour, lecture, meditation session, lunch, transportation and gratuity. Seats are limited. Participants must arrive at the Hillview Community Center by 9:45 a.m. Please RSVP by calling (650) 947-2727.

Grant Park Program

Grant Park Senior Program Speaker Series:
Monday, May 14, 2018 – 10 a.m.: Eric Gee, Generation’s Lab – Cyber Security: The Do’s and Don’ts of Being Online. Worried about your online information being stolen? What happens with information in “the cloud?” If you have these questions then come join us for a very special lecture
Reminders
Youth Commission Now Accepting Applications
The Los Altos City Council invites residents in grades six to eleven to apply for appointment to the Youth Commission. The Youth Commission advises the City Council on matters relating to youth interests and youth concerns. Members are appointed to two-year terms. Eight positions expiring in June 2020 are available; four incumbents are eligible for reappointment. Applications are due by Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for May 21, 2018.

Applications can be picked-up at Los Altos City Hall, downloaded as a PDF, or submitted online. Submit completed applications to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall. For more information, call (650) 947-2720. To view more information about the Youth Commission, click here.
National River Cleanup Day
This year, National River Cleanup Day is on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 9 a.m. to noon. The City of Los Altos is seeking volunteers to lend a hand and keep our local creeks litter-free. Last year, volunteers picked up nearly 88,000 pounds of trash from creeks in Santa Clara County. That’s equivalent to the weight of 33 Honda Civics! There are currently 43 cleanup sites to pick from throughout Santa Clara County, including one on Permanente Creek in Los Altos. Register online to reserve your spot.

City Council Open Office Hours
City Council will host their next Open Office Hours on Thursday, May 17 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Grant Park Community Center, Room 3 (1575 Holt Avenue). One City Council member will be available to the public for a two-hour period to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest with community members. You may drop-in anytime during the two-hour window. Everyone is welcome.
City of Los Altos | (650) 947-2700 | www.losaltosca.gov