City Clerk

Commission Appointments

On Tuesday, September 11, City Council appointed the following individuals to seats on City Commissions: Frank Bishop and Jude Kirik (Design Review Commission); Chad Martin (Environmental Commission); Hilary King (Public Arts Commission); Mehruss Jon Ahi, Ronit Bodner and Kimberly Mosley (Planning Commission); Margo Horn, Nomi Trapnell, Sepideh Zoufonoun and David Moore (Historical Commission). Congratulations to each and thank you for your service to the Los Altos community. 

Assistant City Manager

Investing in Emergency Preparedness Skills

Several staff members participated in emergency preparedness drills coordinated throughout the Bay Area. Los Altos Public Information Officer (PIO) Erica Ray trained with the PIO team in the Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), practicing public messaging and media monitoring. Facilities Coordinator Alyssa Fujikawa and CERT Volunteer Cookie Murata observed the Care and Shelter drill held in Cupertino, learning how our neighboring city deploys volunteers and staff to provide these services in an emergency. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ann Hepenstal observed the Palo Alto Office of Emergency Services drill, held in a mobile EOC. Staff will leverage these learnings and observations to improve our City’s emergency preparedness planning.

Additionally, City staff who have roles in Los Altos’ Emergency Operations Plan attended in-house training this week to review Emergency Operations Center (EOC) organizational structure and procedures.  In preparation for the City’s annual EOC practice drill in October, staff reviewed their positions in the EOC along with the Incident Command System, which is used across California and the nation to coordinate emergency response. As staff trains and drills to respond to emergency events, we encourage community members to get prepared and review their plans to respond to emergencies as well. Planning resources are available online at losaltosca.gov/emergencyprep. 

September is Emergency Preparedness Month

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Jean Mordo proclaimed September to be Emergency Preparedness Month in Los Altos. Throughout the nation, September is marked as Emergency Preparedness Month, prompting us all to check our preparedness levels and take a few more actions to strengthen our readiness. 

Below are a few quick actions you can take to increase your readiness:

Find out more information on how to prepare for emergencies at  Ready.gov.

Police

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy

The Los Altos Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy kicked off this week with a packed class! Los Altos Police Captain Scott McCrossin had the honor of swearing-in thirty-five CERT trainees as Disaster Service Workers. Each individual has committed to completing this 21-hour training to prepare themselves to respond to life-threatening events in their community.

CERT members prepare, organize and work together as a team to provide essential services to the community during and after a disaster, playing a vital support role in the City’s disaster response efforts. 

Public Works

El Monte Avenue Sidewalk Gap Closure Project - Public Meeting and Complete Streets Commission (CSC) Meeting on September 26, 2018

An Open House has been scheduled at the Community Chambers at City Hall on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, from 6-7pm to provide information and gather input regarding the El Monte Avenue Sidewalk Gap Closure project. This Safe Routes to School project is intended to improve pedestrian safety for the many local school children traveling along El Monte Avenue as they walk to and from school. The project limits extend between Almond Avenue to the north and Clark Avenue to the south. The project includes the addition of a five-foot wide decomposed granite pedestrian pathway with pressure treated wood header on the west side, storm drain improvements, ADA compliant curb ramps, high visibility crosswalks, and a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at Almond Avenue and Mills Avenue. Parking on the west side of El Monte Avenue between Almond and Higgins Avenues will be eliminated as part of this project.  

Staff and the design consultant will be available to provide information, answer questions and receive feedback at the Open House. The Complete Streets Commission (CSC) will hold its regular meeting following the Open House at 7pm. The CSC is scheduled to receive an update on the project and the public is welcome to attend to gather information and provide input on the project. 

Los Altos Community Center

A public meeting was held on the evening of September 11, 2018 to allow City Council to review and consider adoption of the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and approval of the design review application for the new Los Altos Community Center. The design team of Noll & Tam Architects presented an overview of comments they received from the Complete Streets Commission, Planning Commission, as well as City Council at their July 10th meeting. Noll & Tam discussed their response and/or design changes incorporating those comments. A review of the landscape design, exterior character and materials, interior materials, and other building features were presented. The current project design achieves LEED Gold equivalency. The new community center will be an all-electric building with solar panels that will allow the maximum number of LEED points for onsite power production.

City Council adopted the Initial Study, MND, and approved the design review application for the Los Altos Community Center with further direction to consider standing seam metal roof as a bid alternate. The project is on schedule for Construction Documents to be developed for bidding in Spring of 2019 with the next Council action to be approval of a construction contract in Summer of 2019. The project is scheduled for completion in 2020. A three-dimensional model of the Community Center will be on display at the Los Altos Main Library beginning today, Friday, September 14. Be sure to stop by to check it out. For additional information, visit the project webpage or contact Theresa Yee, Project Manager.  

San Antonio Club Playground Renovation

Students from the Recreation & Community Services Department’s Tiny Tot program enjoyed the first day of school playing on new playground equipment at the San Antonio Club. Crews finished the installation of a new playground structure and spinner last week. Work on the preschool playground at the Los Altos Youth Center is scheduled to begin the week of October 1, 2018.

Windimer Drive Storm Drain Ditch Improvements  

The City received one bid last week to construct improvements on 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 project includes clearing and repairing the existing concrete ditch, replacing failed retaining walls, and construction of a new storm drain inlet and access gates. It is anticipated that the project will be awarded at the September 25th City Council meeting and that construction will begin in late October or early November.

Construction Site Stormwater Inspections

The Engineering Division is in the process of gathering data on active construction sites throughout the City. Each September/October, city engineers and inspectors visit active construction sites to ensure proper stormwater best management practices (BMP’s) are in place in advance of the rainy season. Polluted runoff from construction sites can negatively impact local drainage infrastructure by conveying sediment and other pollutants to our creeks and Bay. 

Recreation & Community Services

Teen Game Night

Attention Los Altos Teens in grades 6 - 12! Join us at the Los Altos Youth Center (LAYC) tonight, Friday, September 14 ^th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for our Teen Game Night! We’ll have a variety of games like ping pong, Wii, board games and free snacks. We hope to see you there!

Reminders

Los Altos Has Talent

Registrations for the 1 ^st Annual Los Altos Has Talent: Teen Talent Show are due today, Friday, September 14 by 5 p.m. Teens in grades 6-12 are encouraged to audition for the show, scheduled to take place on Friday, November 9 ^th from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center (LAYC) located at 1 N San Antonio Road. All acts must have at least one member living or attending school in Los Altos and are required to submit a  Talent Show Application. For more information, visit our website at Los Altos Has Talent. 

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.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Grant Park Community Center, Room 3

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Monday, October 1, 2018

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Hillview Community Center, Room 2

97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos

Friday, October 19, 2018

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

Grant Park Community Center, Room 3

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

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

Grant Park Community Center, Room 3

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos