September 6, 2018
City Manager Weekly Update

Community Development
Downtown Vision
At its meeting on Tuesday, August 28, the City Council adopted the Los Altos Downtown Vision Plan – “As a guiding document that we can all aspire to.” This was the culmination of many months of work, valuable input, and advice by the Los Altos Community and it will help guide the community as it evaluates and plans for change in Downtown Los Altos. One product of the Vision Plan was the development of an electronic 3D model of the existing Downtown. With this model, the City will now be able to evaluate future projects, future policies, and a variety of site development standards in ways that they could not be evaluated in the past.

Annual Parking Permits
As a reminder, annual parking permits available for Downtown business owners, employees and contractors went on sale Tuesday, September 4 online at losaltos.thepermitstore.com. Current parking permits for 2017/18 will expire on September 30, 2018, however, please do not discard the current parking permits until then to avoid a citation. The permits for next year will be valid from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019. Business owners are urged to inform employees of the upcoming parking permit sales, so they will have the appropriate permits starting in October.
Police
Crime Reports
CrimeReports.com combines the value of police data with the ease-of-use of Google-based mapping and an analytics module so members of the public can view police data in a high-impact map or summary descriptive format. CrimeReports.com allows users to:

  • Filter crimes by location or address, crime type and customizable date range
  • View data on the crime map or in a list view
  • View national sex offender data alongside crime in your neighborhood
  • Sign-up for free, automated, email crime alerts

Los Altos Police data is uploaded to CrimeReports.com at 2 a.m. daily. To review recent police activity, visit crimereports.com. You may also sign-up to receive daily, weekly or monthly crime alerts via email. Information can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet or personal computer.
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. 
 
Traffic Control Plans and Safety Training
This week, Public Works Engineering Staff attended a four-hour training workshop to review State and Federal regulatory requirements and best-practices for safety in traffic control. Effective traffic control serves a very important purpose in protecting workers from being struck by cars or trucks. In addition to protecting workers, proper traffic control also helps keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. Regular training helps to ensure safe and effective traffic control is practiced by City Staff and by contractors working in the City’s public right-of-way. Los Altos citizens can also help protect workers, cyclists, and pedestrians by driving carefully, especially near road work, and always observing traffic control signage and instructions. 
 
Flood Outreach - Multi-Jurisdictional Program for Public Information
Los Altos, along with ten local cities, the County of Santa Clara, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) continues to be an active participant in the Community Rating System (CRS). CRS is a voluntary program of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that allows participating communities to earn flood insurance premium discounts for their residents and businesses by performing floodplain management activities that meet or exceed NFIP requirements. The Program for Public Information (PPI) encourages participating CRS communities to work together with local stakeholders to design a program for community outreach on flood risk reduction that best fits local needs. The regional Annual PPI Report was presented to the District Board on August 31, 2018 and can be viewed on the District website  here  ( pages 9 – 51 ).

Construction Award – Annual Street Resurfacing and Alley Resurfacing Projects
City Council awarded the construction contract for the Annual Street Resurfacing Project to Interstate Grading & Paving Co. This work includes asphalt dig-outs and overlay on various streets throughout the City. Asphalt dig-outs and base failure repairs will be performed at various alleyways in Downtown. Work is anticipated to start by mid-September and notification letters will be mailed to affected residents. Updates to this project will be provided on the City website . 

Bid Opening – Street Treatment and Alley Resurfacing Projects
The City’s street treatment project provides preventative maintenance and extends the useful life of Los Altos streets. Surface treatment for various alleyway surfaces in Downtown is part of this project. The City received five bids from contractors seeking to perform slurry seal and micro-surfacing throughout the City. Bids are being reviewed and it is anticipated that the project will be awarded at the September 11 City Council Meeting. 

Bid Opening – First Street Resurfacing
The First Street Resurfacing project will make repairs to First Street between State Street and Shasta Street, including correcting base failures, milling existing pavement, asphalt overlay, and restriping. The City received 2 bids from qualified contractors. Bids are being reviewed and it is anticipated that the project will be awarded at the September 11 City Council Meeting.
Recreation & Community Services
Teen Game Night
Join us at the Los Altos Youth Center (LAYC) on Friday, September 14th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for our Teen Game Night for Los Altos Teens in grades 6-12! There will be fun games like ping pong, Wii, board games and free snacks. It’s a great way to spend Friday night. For more information, contact the Recreation & Community Services Department at (650) 947-2790.

On-Demand Ride Reimbursement Program
The City of Los Altos has begun a pilot program to provide on-demand ride reimbursement members of the Recreation & Community Services Senior Program. This is a program that was created to aid local seniors in becoming more mobile within the Los Altos community. The program is a pilot program to be evaluated in the upcoming year.

To be eligible for on-demand ride reimbursement, participants must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Ride services must take place between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019
  2. You must be an active member of the Los Altos Recreation & Community Services Senior Program. (2018/19 annual membership rates are $26 Resident / $40 All Others)
  3. Ride must begin and end within the City of Los Altos or Town of Los Altos Hills with no stops outside those city boundaries.
  4. You must use an on-demand ride company that can provide official verification of ride cost and transportation start and finish points.
  5. Driver gratuity will be reimbursed up to $3 per ride.

For more information, please contact Senior Program staff at (650) 947-2797.

Senior Program Welcome Back Coffee
After a weeklong break, the Senior Program at Hillview hosted a welcome back coffee event this week. Staff wanted to show their appreciation by providing coffee and treats. Welcome back coffee will take place at the Grant Park Senior Program on Monday, September 10. For more information, please contact Senior Program staff at (650) 947-2797.
Reminders
City Hall Closed Friday, September 7
The City of Los Altos has implemented a “Defined 9/80 Schedule,” in which staff will work 80 hours over nine days every two weeks. Every other Friday, City Hall will be closed to staff and the public. The first closure date will be on Friday, September 7, 2018. A complete list of public counter and administrative office hours, as well as a schedule of Friday closures, are available on the City’s website at  losaltosca.gov/hours. 

Los Altos Has Talent
Teens in grades 6-12 are encouraged to audition for our 1 st Annual Los Altos Has Talent: Teen Talent show scheduled to take place on Friday, November 9 th from 6:00 - 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 by September 14 at 5:00 p.m. 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
City of Los Altos | (650) 947-2700 | www.losaltosca.gov