City Manager Weekly Update
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Smoke-Free Los Altos Community Survey
At its March 13, 2018 meeting, City Council will consider an ordinance to expand the City’s current smoking prohibitions to include all public places such as sidewalks, streets, outdoor dining areas, and places of employment, as well as both common areas and individual units of multi-unit residences. Pursuant to the ordinance, smoking will only be permitted in private single-family residences, their respective yards and private vehicles. The ordinance applies all types of smoking products including tobacco, e-cigarettes, vaporizers and marijuana. Should the ordinance be adopted, the law will take effect 31 days following adoption. Please share your thoughts on the proposed ordinance by participating in the City’s
Open City Hall survey. To learn more, visit
losaltosca.gov/smokefree.
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Permit Tracking Software – TRAKiT
As staff continues to move forward with implementation of TRAKiT, Senior Planner Steve Golden will be taking over as the primary project manager. Zach Dahl, Planning Services Manager, will continue to be very involved in the process and will be working closely with Steve, but for day-to-day management of the effort, Steve will be taking the lead. While with Morgan Hill, Steve managed their implementation of TRAKiT and has a very deep well of knowledge about the permit tracking software and the implementation process. Steve and Zach will help ensure that the transition to this new software is successful.
City Council to Review Accessory Structure Regulations
The rules governing placement of accessory structures (garden sheds, workshops, ect.) are scheduled to be reviewed by City Council at their meeting on February 27. The Planning Commission has reviewed the regulations and voted to recommend the new regulations to the City Council. The accessory structure regulations are being evaluated because these structures have the potential to be converted to accessory dwelling units, so their placement on a property needs to be carefully selected to help minimize impacts that activities within these structures can have on adjacent properties.
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Public Meeting: School Route Improvement Projects
On Monday, February 12, 2018, the Los Altos Complete Streets Commission will review and discuss proposed school route improvement projects that include walkway and intersection improvements at various locations near schools. An Open House to discuss the projects with the public will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the Commission meeting following at 7:00 p.m. At this meeting, City staff will provide a brief history of the project and engineering consultant, CSG Consultants, will present concepts for the proposed improvements. This meeting is an opportunity for residents to gather information, voice their support and discuss concerns regarding the proposed improvement concepts. The meeting will be held at Grant Park Community Center, Rooms 2 & 3, 1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos. Staff reports and materials have been posted online at
losaltosca.gov/csc212. Questions may be directed to the Public Works Department, Engineering Division at (650) 947-2780 or
engineering@losaltosca.gov.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Public Meeting
On February 9, Public Works and Police Department staff attended a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) public meeting organized by parent organizations from Montclaire Elementary, Cupertino Middle and Homestead High schools. This meeting included representatives from school officials and parents. Along with city staff, attendance included Councilmember Lynette Lee Eng, Complete Street Commissioners Maluf and Fenton, Planning Commissioner Enander, County Traffic Engineer Ananth Prasad and a representative from Supervisor Simitian’s office. The meeting was moderated by a representative from Green Town Los Altos.
City staff provided a brief review of recent project accomplishments in the school vicinity and shared information about upcoming SRTS projects at six locations and the public meeting scheduled for February 12, 2018. Mr. Prasad provided an overview of the County Expressway System and its operations, explained how the pedestrian and bicycle adaptive sensors work and listed upcoming Measure B projects on Foothill Expressway. Parent representatives highlighted current issues and concerns relating to expressway intersection crossing safety at Grant/St. Joseph, Arboretum and Homestead/Vineyard intersections and provided suggestions to address those issues. These suggestions will help the City and County to plan short and long-term improvements in this area.
PG&E Gas Main Upgrades (Jay Street at El Monte Avenue)
PG&E continued to work on upgrading the gas line at the intersection of Jay Street and El Monte Avenue this week. Work includes replacing existing gas pipe, underground vaults, controller cabinet and ventilations pipes. During construction, Jay Street will be closed between 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Local access will be provided from N. Clark Avenue. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.
City of Mountain View – El Camino Real Streetscape Plan Technical Advisory Committee
Engineering staff from Los Altos were invited to, and participated in the first of three Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings this week on the City of Mountain View’s El Camino Real Streetscape Plan. The goal of the effort is to establish consistent design standards for future development along El Camino Real in Mountain View and identify locations for three new signalized pedestrian crossings in the corridor. Future TAC meetings will occur in April and August of 2018.
Orchard Tree Planting Update
The City’s orchard maintenance contractor has been working to prepare the orchard for planting new trees. Visitors are cautioned to avoid entering the orchard Friday, February 9 through Monday, February 12. Holes have been pre-dug in preparation for tree planting. These holes will be difficult to see due to heavy groundcover, posing a trip-hazard for those walking through the orchard. Once planting is complete, strategic watering will be carried out for the new trees.
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Community Emergency Response Team Training
Are you interested in taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in the Los Altos community? CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training may be for you! CERT academies are offered in the communities served by Santa Clara County Fire Department and rotate throughout the year. Skills taught include personal preparedness, organizing resources, basic medical operations, basic search and rescue, fire extinguisher use, and basic damage assessment. The CERT Academy includes (6) nightly sessions and a final skills exercise. Students must attend all (7) class meetings to receive a Certificate of Completion. The next CERT academy will take place in the Town of Los Altos Hills beginning March 5, 2018. For more information, contact Santa Clara County Fire Department at (408) 378-4010 or visit
sccfd.org. To register, you may call or
enroll online.
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Invitation to Apply for a City Commission
City Council would like to invite residents to apply for appointment to openings on the following Commissions: Complete Streets, Design Review, Environmental, Financial, Parks and Recreation, Public Arts and Senior. Each Commission serves as an advisory body to City Council on their respective topics. Serving on a Commission provides a unique opportunity for residents to positively influence decisions made on behalf of the greater Los Altos community. Interested parties can find more information about each Commission
online and must submit
applications by Tuesday, February 27. For more information, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 947-2720.
Survey: Dog Park & Off-Leash Hours for Dogs
The Los Altos Parks and Recreation Commission is working with the City to learn more about the interests of the community as it relates to dog activity in the parks. To accomplish this, the Commission would like to gather input via an online survey from both the dog owning and non-dog owning community on the possible inclusion of dog-friendly amenities and policies within the parks. Regardless of dog ownership, the Parks and Recreation Commission would like to hear the public’s thoughts on this topic. Your answers will help us understand the desire and concerns of the community regarding dog activity in Los Altos parks. We look forward to receiving your response by Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
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City of Los Altos | (650) 947-2700 | www.losaltosca.gov
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