City Clerk

City Council Reorganization

The City of Los Altos is pleased to welcome new Councilmembers Anita Enander and Neysa Fligor! Both were sworn in at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 4. Councilmember Lynette Lee Eng was elected Mayor by her colleagues on Council, with Councilmember Jan Pepper being elected Vice Mayor. The swearing-in of Councilmembers Enander and Fligor marks a historic event in Los Altos - the first all-female Council in Los Altos history! We wish the entire Council all the best as they work together to represent the residents of Los Altos and move us forward into 2019. Special thanks to outgoing Councilmember Mary Prochnow and Mayor Jean Mordo. Your leadership on Council is commendable and we thank you for your years of service to the Los Altos community. Click here to view more photos on our Facebook Page.

City Staff Practices for Emergencies

On November 29, City Manager Chris Jordan, Police Chief Andy Galea and other key staff participated in a planning drill of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Liaisons from California Water Service, American Red Cross and neighboring jurisdictions supported the drill. In the training scenario, the City was in day four of response to a major, area-wide earthquake. Staff practiced their EOC roles and procedures, discussed the data provided under the scenario, and planned their actions to guide the City’s response. The drill participants then spent a half hour discussing what they learned, areas identified for improvement and ways to strengthen the City’s response capabilities and plans. The Los Altos Disaster Council will review the drill results at their January meeting and provide guidance to staff on improvement priorities. 

Community Development

Tracking Construction Waste Goes High Tech

Building and Engineering Divisions are working together to implement a new cloud-based waste diversion and tracking system to enhance the City’s Construction and Debris Ordinance. This new software, from Green Halo Systems, WasteTracking.com, will save staff time and money by requiring construction projects to track their own construction and demolition debris. This new software will enhance the City’s ability to accurately track, monitor and report construction project waste flows to the State. 

Minimum Wage Rate Increases in 2019

As of January 1, 2019, the minimum wage rate in the City of Los Altos is increasing from $13.50 per hour to $15.00 per hour. The Los Altos Minimum Wage Ordinance applies to adult and minor employees who work two or more hours per week, tips not included. Under the Ordinance, employees who assert their rights to receive the City’s minimum wage are protected from retaliation. Employees may file a civil lawsuit against their employers for any violation of the Ordinance or may file a complaint with the City of Los Altos. The City will investigate possible violations and will enforce violations of the minimum wage requirements by ordering reinstatement of employees, payment of back wages unlawfully withheld, and penalties. If you have questions or need additional information, call (650) 947-2620 or email  info@losaltosca.gov.

Police

Theft from Vehicles

On Friday, November 30, Los Altos Police received various reports of thefts from vehicles and residential garages. These crimes occurred overnight on Christina Drive, Tiptoe Lane, Truman Avenue, Elmhurst Drive, Oakhurst Drive, Heritage Court, Awalt Court, Fallen Leaf Lane, Payne Drive and Loma Prieta Court. In all cases, the suspects targeted unlocked vehicles to steal items from within. In some cases, suspects located a garage door opener, accessed a garage and located additional unlocked vehicles from which to steal property. Please review and adhere to the following tips to reduce the chance of becoming a victim of these crimes:

You know your neighborhood best. If you observe any suspicious activity or individuals in your neighborhood, err on the side of caution and give us a call to report the activity. Our 24/7 non-emergency number is 650-947-2770. Dial 911 if you observe a crime in progress. The Los Altos Police Department recently created a short video to educate the public on this very topic. Click here to view the video on our Facebook Page.

Shop with a Cop

On Tuesday, December 4, Officers Major, Nava, Kam, Wong, Cottrell and Janda kicked off the holidays at the 11 ^th Annual Shop with a Cop, Heroes and Helpers event! The Shop with a Cop Foundation of Silicon Valley brings law enforcement agencies from all around the Bay Area together each year to brighten the holiday season for deserving children. 165 local schoolchildren were selected to participate in this event, earning their spot by being the highest readers in their school’s Readers and Leaders reading campaign or maintaining perfect attendance for the school year. Each child was provided a $150 Target gift card to spend on their holiday wish list. Officers were paired up with a child to help locate items in the store and keep track of spending. Santa made a grand appearance escorted by a Police motorcade and dutifully posed for pictures with each of kids. This event is one our officers look forward to each year and fun was had by all in attendance! Click here to view a video of the event shared on our Facebook Page.

Public Works

Carmel Terrace/Altamead Drive Discussion

City Council is scheduled to receive an update on Carmel Terrace/Altamead Drive neighborhood parking at a Study Session on Tuesday, December 11. The Council will discuss if existing “no stopping” and parking permit restrictions installed on Carmel Terrace/Altamead Drive as part of a pilot program should continue. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and will take place in the Community Meeting Chambers at Los Altos City Hall located at 1 N San Antonio Road. The discussion item is #6 on the Council Agenda. For more information, a staff report for this item is available online.

CalWater Water Main Upgrade – Marich Way

CalWater plans to upgrade an existing water main at Marich Way between Casita Way and Jordan Avenue and a portion of Panchita Way between Marich Way and Alvarado Avenue. The new 8” water main will be installed on the north side of Marich Way. CalWater will maintain access to the impacted streets for residents who live in the affected area. CalWater will begin the project next week with some utility prep work. No construction activities are permitted between December 16 and January 1. Excavation and installation of the water main is scheduled to being January 2. The tentative schedule to complete the project is by the end of March 2019. It is anticipated to have minor traffic delay during the construction period. For additional information please contact CalWater at 650-917-0152 or visit www.calwater.com.

Annual Street Resurfacing

The City is scheduled to perform various street treatments as part of its Annual Street Resurfacing Project, which aims to repair and maintain the asphalt pavement in the City. Treatments will include deep lift asphalt pavement repairs (cut & plug), pavement milling and overlay, and asphalt overlay on existing pavement. This week, the City’s contractor completed work on the following streets:

For the rest of this week and the week of December 9, weather permitting, the contractor plans to complete asphalt pavement repairs on Brookmill Road, Orr Court, Randolph Parkway and El Nora Court. During the paving operations, temporary traffic control measures will be in place to assist drivers and pedestrians. It is anticipated to have minor traffic delays during construction.

Windimer Drive Storm Drain Ditch Improvements  

The City’s contractor, C2R Engineering, is progressing in the construction of improvements to the Windimer Drive storm drain ditch. This Capital Improvement Program project was prioritized in the City’s Stormwater Master Plan to address historic flooding risks. The contractor has completed replacement of failed segments of retaining walls. Weather permitting, the next steps include repairs to the concrete ditch and installing a new storm drain inlet at the end of the concrete ditch.

Festival of Lights Cleanup

If you're a reader of the Los Altos Town Crier, you may have seen an article (or two) in this week's paper about the Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade. This longstanding Los Altos holiday tradition has been marred for some in recent years by attendees who disregard rules set forth by the Festival of Lights Foundation pertaining to early set-up of chairs, tarps and blankets along the parade route. Some public streets were rendered virtually impassable, causing pedestrians to walk in the street in an unsafe manner. There was also a large amount of trash left behind and excessive amounts of chalk and tape used by some to mark their viewing area. The result was the largest clean-up effort ever required for this annual event, which for the first time included pressure-washing of streets and seating areas to clean chalk and tape remnants. The City will work to proactively educate the public about event rules and encourage attendees to utilize readily available trash receptacles for future events. 

Recreation & Community Services

Hillview Senior Program

Wednesday, December 12: There will be a Holiday Movie Marathon beginning at 1 p.m. in Room 12. Free for members, $1 for non-members. Please note: the last movie day will be on Wednesday, December 19.

Friday, December 14: Come celebrate the holiday with us at our annual Christmas Luncheon. This deliciously catered holiday lunch will take place in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Hillview Community Center at noon. There will be raffle for orchids and other goodies for this very special event provided by the Los Altos Legacies. There is a suggested donation of $10.00. If you are interested in attending, please sign-up in Room 10 at the Hillview Community Center Senior Program.

Questions about Senior programming can be directed to Senior program staff at (650) 947-2797.

Reminders

Holiday Camps All Season Long!

There are a variety of Holiday Camps available before and after the holidays designed for youth ages 3-13. Holiday Camps include Coding 1-2-3, Mining & Crafting, Model Design(STEM), Camp Candy Cane, New Year’s Adventure Camp and more! For more information, please visit our website .

2019 Fun Run

Start your new year off with a brisk 5k (3.1 mile) walk, run or roll (strollers or wheelchairs) through Downtown Los Altos at our New Year’s Day Fun Run! Participate in the run or cheer on your family and friends. It’s a great way to welcome 2019! The Fun Run is held rain or shine and begins at 9 a.m. at the corner of Main and State Street. This free event is open to all ages, and pre-registration is not required. All participants must sign-in the day of the event. Dogs must be on a leash, and please, no bikes! Contact the Recreation & Community Services Department for more details at (650) 947-2790.

City Council Open Office Hours

Visit Open Office Hours and personally connect with Los Altos City Council members. At each event, 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 to community members. All are welcome.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Grant Park Community Center, Room 3

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos