Assistant City Manager

Safely Dispose of Unwanted and Expired Medications

Los Altans have a new, free and convenient disposal site for unused or expired medications - the lobby of the Los Altos Police Department! The tamper-protected collection kiosk is accessible 24/7 and offers a free, safe, and convenient way for residents to dispose of their medications.

In 2015, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors adopted a Safe Drug Disposal ordinance, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide easy, efficient, and convenient opportunities for all residents to properly dispose of their medications. This kiosk is maintained and operated by MED-Project, a program of the Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group (PPSWG), a U.S. membership association of major manufacturers of prescription and over-the-counter medicines that addresses household disposal regulations.

The MED-Project kiosk accepts:

The MED-Project kiosk does not accept:

To use the kiosk, follow these easy steps:

For information on how to dispose of other hazardous materials, visit the Santa Clara County Recycling & Waste Reduction Division.

City Clerk

Commissions Now Accepting Applications

The Los Altos City Council invites residents to apply for appointment to the Financial Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission. Each Commission contributes knowledge and expertise that helps guide and inform decisions made by the City Council. Serving on a Commission is a fantastic way to give-back to your community and residents are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Applicants must be residents of the City of Los Altos to be considered for an appointment. Applications are due by Wednesday, November 29, 2017 and interviews are tentatively scheduled to take place Tuesday, December 12, 2017. 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 about any open recruitment, call (650) 947-2720 or visit losaltosca.gov/cc.

Final Day to Submit Volunteer Service Awards Nomination

Today, Friday, November 03, 2017 is the final day to submit nominations for the 35 ^th Joint Los Altos and Los Altos Hills Volunteer Service Award. Applications and instructions are available at jointvolunteerawards.com or can be picked up at Los Altos City Hall or Los Altos Hills Town Hall. Awardees will be recognized at a luncheon on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the Crown Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto. Registration is required to attend the awards luncheon.

Community Development

Downtown Vision Community Workshop

A second Downtown Vision Community Workshop will take place Wednesday, November 29, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N San Antonio Road. Community members are invited to review and provide input on the four future scenarios for the Downtown. The consultant team will conduct a number of activities with the workshop participants that are intended to elicit which, or which combination, of the four scenarios best represent how the Downtown should evolve over time. The workshop will be followed by an online engagement opportunity that will run to mid-December so those who did not have an opportunity to attend can provide their thoughts and ideas online. Be on the lookout for a postcard in the mail that will provide more details and information about this opportunity to help shape the future of the Downtown.

Planning Commission Workshop

The Planning Commission held a study session Thursday, November 2, 2017 to provide early feedback on the architectural and site design of the 389 First Street project. The Commission provided feedback to the applicant and noted that this will be the first project of its size and height on this side of First Street and it will be crucial that an appropriate project be developed as it will set the tone for future development in the area. The Commission also relayed to the applicant that an appropriate pallet of materials and finishes in the application of the materials will be key if this is to be a successful project. There were a number of comments regarding the tower entry element – the architect was encouraged to evaluate this feature and develop a design that identifies it as the entry to the residential units, but keep it in-line with the pedestrian scale of this segment of First Street. Once revised plans for the project are submitted by the architect, the project can continue moving through the formal review process with the Complete Streets Commission, Planning Commission and City Council.

Historic District Designation Process Under Review

The Historical Commission has proposed an amendment to the Historic Preservation regulations, which will be considered by the City Council at its meeting on November 14, 2017. The proposed amendments to the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance have updated the historic district designation process to be consistent with the City’s existing process to establish a single-story overlay district. The amendments include an increase in the percentage of property owners required to initiate a historic district, an updated process for establishing district boundaries, a resident voting process to authorize a historic district, clarification for when a historic district application is deemed complete, and updated public noticing requirements. The modifications to the Historic Preservation regulations were initiated by the City Council in response to comments from the public expressing concern about the relatively small number of property owners that could initiate the process to establish a historic district.

Police

Pumpkin Carving with a Cop

We’re pleased to report roughly 100 community members joined us for our 2 ^nd Annual Pumpkin Carving with a Cop event held last Saturday, October 28, 2017 at Hillview Community Center. We had a great time getting to know the children and adults who attended as we assisted with their pumpkin carving masterpieces! To view photos from the event, be sure to visit our Facebook page.

Public Works

Grant Park Community Center Improvements

This week work crews completed renovation improvements to the Grant Park Community Center classroom and restroom wing. The improvements included new flooring, counters, sinks, toilet facilities and ADA improvements. WIFI access work will continue and is expected to be completed within two weeks.

Cured-In-Place-Pipe (CIPP) Corrosion Rehabilitation Project

The City’s contractor, Insituform Technologies, LLC, completed the lining of one 24-inch sanitary sewer main located on Del Medio Avenue (between Miller Avenue and Silva Avenue) in October. Last week, the sewage system was tested before the bypass of the sewage was activated on Covington Road. The contractor will complete the work associated with the lining of two 30-inch sanitary sewer mains located on Covington Road between Seena Avenue and Golden Way, and between Russel Avenue and Covington Court by the end of this week. The crew will begin de-assembling the above-ground bypass system early next week.

Meter Station Rehabilitation – City of Palo Alto

The City of Palo Alto’s contractor, Anderson Pacific Engineering Construction, Inc., started working on a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) in early October to replace aged components inside the meter station located at 1137 North San Antonio Road in Palo Alto. The Palo Alto meter station receives sanitary sewer flow from both the City of Los Altos and the City of Mountain View. The sewage flows entering the meter station will continue to be bypassed until next Wednesday. This project will be completed by the end of next week.

Reminders

Community Center Architectural & Landscape Characteristics Survey

Community members are invited to review a series of architectural and landscape images and rank those they believe to be the best fit for a Los Altos Community Center building within the Civic Center campus. The deadline to complete the Open City Hall survey is Monday, November 13, 2017 at midnight. Insights gathered from the survey will assist the project team as they work towards developing a Community Center design that reflects the preferences of the Los Altos community. Click here for survey

30 ^th Annual Gingerbread House Exhibit

Registration is now open for all Gingerbread House Exhibitors. Make your edible Gingerbread creation and enjoy the smiles that you will bring by showing the community your work at our 30th Annual Gingerbread Exhibit. New location this year…Grant Park Community Center, Room 4. Register online at losaltosrecreation.org (Activity #252501-01) or pick-up/print out an application/flyer at the Recreation and Community services office and at various locations. For more information call (650) 947-2790.

Public Meeting: Downtown Green

The Los Altos City Council will consider the 2018 Downtown Green Project on November 28, 2017. The first of two public meetings was held on Thursday, November 2 and another will take place on Wednesday, November 8 at 12:00 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N San Antonio Road. Please plan to attend to view the proposed 2018 Downtown Green’s design and details, consider the project and provide feedback. You may also share your thoughts about the Downtown Green via our Open City Hall survey.

City Council Open Office Hours

The Los Altos City Council will host Open Office Hours on the following dates and times:

Sunday, November 12, 2017

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Hillview Community Center, Room 2

97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos

Monday, November 20, 2017

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Grant Park (Room 3)

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Thursday, December 7, 2017

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Hillview Community Center, Room 2

97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Los Altos Main Library, Orchard Room

13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos

One City Council member will be available to the public for these two-hour periods to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest with community members. Everyone is welcome.