Upcoming Town Hall Closure | | |
Town Hall will be closed Friday July 3 for the Independence Day Holiday.
Per the Town's Noise Ordinance, no construction or landscaping activities allowed on July 4th for Independence Day.
Fireworks are not allowed per the Town's Municipal code and can be subject to a fine.
| | Public Review Period: Safety Element Draft | | |
The 2026 Draft Safety Element is available for public review by Town Committees and the community. The Town’s technical team, including staff and consultants, as well as support from the Town Council subcommittees, have developed this 2026 Draft based on:
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The 2022 Draft Safety Element, including previous comments from Committees and community members on the 2022 Draft.
- Guidance from the Town Council subcommittees.
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The existing Safety Element, last amended on July 28, 2010.
- State law, guidance from the State and regional agencies, and best practices.
All information, including the 2026 Draft Safety Element document and information on how to provide feedback, is provided on the Safety Element Update webpage.
To receive updates on Safety Element matters, you may sign up for eNotifications on the Town’s website by going to the “Community” page, navigating to “Stay Informed,” then “Subscribe to Town eNotices” and selecting Safety Element.
| | Emergency Preparedness and Safety Day - June 27 | | |
Do you have go-bag? Do you have an AM radio? Do you have a family meeting plan? Do you have radio to call for help when the cell phones and landlines are down. Can administer first aid? Do you have back up power?
Join us for the Emergency Preparedness and Safety Day at the WPFD Station 8 (Alpine and Portola Roads) on Saturday, June 27 10:00am-3:00 pm. There you can meet Town volunteers who provide emergency services and extensive radio/digital communications with participation from PV Emergency Preparedness Committee, WPV-CERT, PV Amateur Radio Club (ARRL Field Day) and you.
WPV-CERT is the local Community Emergency Response Team, 60+ volunteers and growing. From first aid to sandbag deployment, from traffic assistance to radio communications during emergencies or other town events such as Zotts to Tots, the CERT team is trained and ready to assist in our community. Come by and meet them. Learn about them. Pick up information about BEING PREPARED. Come have some fun with your Town.
PV Emergency Preparedness Committee is a standing Town committee with primary responsibility for advising Town Counsel on how the town can be better prepared by studying evacuation plans, cell phone tower matters, occasional road matters regarding public safety, and so forth. The EPC also operates the Town AM radio on 1680 as well as coordinates with WFPD on many projects.
Portola Valley Amateur Radio Club. PVARC, call sign KM6DLG, is the local ham radio club. The club maintains several local amateur radio repeaters, assists with the CERT repeater networks, and gets together to discuss and learn about communications, digital communications and more. On June 27, PVARC will establish a Field Day Station and in part participate in a national communications contest across the USA. With a ham as your guide, everyone can operate a ham radio on this day. Ham radio today is not what your grandfather did!
Hope you can come by to say hello and meet many of your neighbors!
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Conservation Committee
Tip of the Month
| | The lush greens of spring should be fading from our dry meadows and hillsides. If they aren’t, this is the time to check for some of our most problematic invasive weeds and make plans to control them this summer. If these weeds haven’t arrived yet, protect your property by minimizing soil disturbance, asking contractors to clean their equipment, covering disturbed soils with mulch, and sowing disturbed areas with a native seed mix in fall (October-December). | | |
Italian Thistle, Carduus pycnocephalus
This annual or biennial aster has purple flowers and spiny stems and is in its last gasp for the
year, setting seed in meadows and woodland alike. It forms dense stands, which displace native vegetation and are a fire hazard. (Image: Arroyo trail, 5/31/26).
Blooms Purple flowers, March-June.
Found in Sun and shade; flourishes in meadows and under oaks, in disturbed soils, construction sites, and along trails and roads.
Spreads by Wind.
Control Best controlled by pulling before flowering. If pulled after flowering starts, put plants in
garbage bags and dispose of them in the trash. Mowing may set them back, but does not prevent them from setting seed.
Learn More https://wric.ucdavis.edu/weed-management-notes (temporarily found here)
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Yellow Star Thistle, Centaurea solstitialis
This annual aster is recognizable for its vicious, spiny flower heads that stick in skin and clothing; it forms dense stands that rapidly deplete soil moisture and displace native vegetation, and is toxic to horses. (Image: Sand Hill Road, 6/2/2026).
Blooms Small yellow flowers, June-Aug.
Found in Sunny areas; flourishes in disturbed soils, construction sites, grassland, and on roadsides.
Spreads by Seeds spread easily on construction equipment and car tires, shoes or clothing, and wind. Birds also eat and disperse seed.
Removal Wear protective clothing and pull before flowering. If pulled after they start flowering, put the plants in garbage bags and dispose of them in the trash. Otherwise, they will still set seed. Mowing may set them back, but does not prevent them from setting seed.
Learn More
https://wric.ucdavis.edu/weed-management-notes (temporarily found here)
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/yellow-starthistle/#gsc.tab=0
https://www.cal-ipc.org/docs/ip/management/pdf/YSTMgmtweb.pdf
| | (Image: Yellow Star Thistle in bloom) | | |
Stinkwort, Dittrichia graveolens
This annual aster forms pyramidal or rounded tufts that stay conspicuously green after grasses go dormant. Its foliage is pungent and sticky with resins that can cause skin irritation, and that make the plant a fire hazard. (Image: Corte Madera neighborhood, 5/31/26)
Blooms Small yellow flowers, Aug-Dec https://portolavalley.cc/dittrichia
Found in Sunny areas; flourishes in disturbed soils,construction sites, horse corrals, and on roadsides.
Spreads by Tiny, barbed seeds spread easily on construction equipment and car tires, shoes or clothing, and wind.
Control Best to wear protective clothing and pull before flowering. If pulled after flowering starts, put the plants in garbage bags and dispose of them in the trash. If left on the ground, they will still set seed. Mowing may set them back, but does not prevent them from setting seed.
Look-alikes There are several native wildflowers that grow in similar conditions and could be confused with Stinkwort. https://portolavalley.cc/dittrichialookalikes
Learn More
https://my.ucanr.edu/repository/fileaccess.cfm?article=159998&p=KPLSCU
https://wric.ucdavis.edu/weed-management-notes (temporarily found here)
• Brought to you by the Portola Valley Conservation Committee •
| | (Image: As of 6/6/26, Dittrichia is up to a foot tall and pulls easily. If pulled now, before it blooms, it can be dropped on the ground and left to dry out) | | Prepare for Power Outages | | |
The warmer weather arrived has, during the summertime power outages are more likely. In recent months the Town of Portola Valley has experienced a few power outages. These power outages disrupt the day to day of the entire Town.
Be prepared before the next outage. PG&E has outage preparedness resources, outage support and more information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Visit the Town website to learn more on the steps you can take to be prepared for future disruptions caused by planned and unplanned outages.
| | July 4th Activities Around the Bay Area | | |
With the 4th of July right around the corner, The Town would like to remind all residents and community members fireworks are prohibited in the Town of Portola Valley. Per the Town's Municipal code all fireworks- including "safe and sane" fireworks are prohibited within the Town of Portola Valley. Possessing, selling, or using fireworks is dangerous and can result in criminal charges and fines of up to $1,000.
Avoid fines and create a plan to celebrate this holiday in a fun and safe way! Gather family and friends to attend a 4th of July Parade, or watch a professional firework display.
How to spend the 4th of July with fun, festive activities through out the Bay Area!
San Francisco
Peninsula
South Bay
North Bay
East Bay
Northern/Central California
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Grilling Season Safety
WFPD Ready Resident
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Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off:
San Mateo County Residents
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Half Moon Bay is hosting a household hazardous waste drop-off event for all who live in San Mateo County!
Do the words caution, warning, danger, or poison appear on a label? If so, it's hazardous!
| | HIP Housing: Rent your ADU | | |
A central feature of the Town’s Housing Element is its reliance on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a primary strategy for meeting Very Low‑ and Low‑Income housing requirements. This approach assumes that residents will choose to make their ADUs available as part of the community’s housing supply. ADUs can serve a wide range of needs: they offer flexible living space for multi‑generational households, create downsizing opportunities for homeowners, and can generate rental income. They also function well as shared family quarters or caretaker housing, often with minimal added cost.
Additionally, renting your ADU to a member of the community is another scenario that exists today that will help the Town reach its state mandate. To help with that effort, the Town has partnered with HIP Housing, a nonprofit organization that has provided housing and Home Sharing services in San Mateo County since 1972.
HIP Housing can help you find a suitable renter for your ADU by:
• Conducting one on one interviews to understand both the homeowner's and the renter's needs
• Completing background checks
• Verifying renter income
• Developing a comprehensive agreement
• Offering follow-up support
| | Presentation: Behind the Bark | | |
The San Mateo County History Museum, at 2200 Broadway in Redwood City, will present Laura Gill of the Marine Mammal Center, who will tell stories of some of the Center’s most common patients, including sea lions, elephant seals and harbor seals, during her discussion Behind the Bark, at 1 pm on June 20. Admission is free with the cost of admission to the Museum -- $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors. The talk is sponsored by Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation. Go to www.historysmc.org for more information.
For More Information Contact:
Mitch Postel
San Mateo County History Museum
mitch@historysmc.org
650-299-0104
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