INFORMATION BY AND FOR THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS

March 10-14, 2023

WEEK 15

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City Manager’s Note

Dear Neighbors,

Housing Element

A series of events led to the advertising and eventual cancelling of our previously scheduled Special Council meeting on Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th. The meeting was to discuss the latest revised draft of our Housing Element in response to HCD comments from March 17th. Ultimately the draft housing element was posted on the Town’s website for public review and input here on Tuesday April 11th. Since our last submission we have made even more changes in response to HCD comments and made additional progress in discussions with our opportunity sites.

The Housing Element is now scheduled to be heard on April 20th at our regular council meeting. The current April 20th agenda posted here.

Our goal is to submit the revised housing element to HCD after our Council meeting on April 20th with the hope that HCD deems us in substantial compliance by May 31st.

Budget

Staff is working diligently in preparation of the proposed Annual Budget for the 2023/24 Fiscal Year. The plan is to take the budget to the FIC, followed by a joint meeting between the FIC and Council on May 25th and then adoption by the City Council at their June 15th regular Council meeting. Staff is working on aligning the annual goals set in January 2023 with the proposed budget of FY24. Winter storms, the Housing Element, other land use issues, the rise in residential burglaries, staffing needs, capital improvement needs, and rising costs have made things interesting.

Coming to your mailbox, soon!

Look out for the next edition of the Quarterly coming to your mailbox later this month.

1. Residential Burglaries

Last week there was another residential burglary in our community. This time it was on the town’s western edge with a similar pattern to other cases: A glass door entry at the back of the home in the afternoon hours. Here’s another thread of information you may find useful: Of the 69 burglaries in the last 15 months, 21 of them occurred on the same block as a previous rip-off. The point: Burglars come back to the same areas they’ve previously hit if they were successful!

Crime prevention tip of the week: 

The following ideas may be considered unusual or different; but, worthwhile to consider:

1. Put out a “Beware of Dog” sign: even if you don’t have a dog—burglars may think twice about entering your home. If you like high-tech, there’s even motion activated equipment available to amplify the sound of a barking dog from inside the home when motion is detected outside.

2. Use decoys: place false safes or empty locked jewelry boxes in plain sight. In their haste, criminals may grab these decoys and abscond with nothing of significant value.

3. Deploy fake cameras which are obvious to reflect high levels of security. Seeing these, a casing burglar may move on.

Note:

Our pilot private security unit will be staffed up and rolling through Town later this month.

2. AdHoc Committees

On occasion, when the City Council wants to explore a topic in more detail with staff before raising it to the entire council, they will form an AdHoc Committee. These 2-councilmember teams have a specific agenda, are limited in duration, and help the council develop a topic that will eventually come back to the council for final consideration and action. They are not open meetings unless the council wishes to make them open, but the council reports out on the meetings at future council meetings. Based on community feedback this report shares the content and purpose of AdHoc Committees to help keep the community informed.

Broadband Ad Hoc Committee Meeting 

On Monday April 10th the Broadband Ad Hoc Committee met and discussed the next steps for the Broadband Feasibility Study and the Wireless Telecommunication Facility Ordinance update. The Ad Hoc Committee provided comments to the consultant on the Draft Broadband Feasibility Study and requested that the Study be placed on an upcoming Technology Committee agenda. Members of the public will be able to review the draft Study and provide public comment during this upcoming committee meeting. In regard to the Telecom Ordinance, staff presented preliminary code updates to this section of the zoning code and received comments from the Ad Hoc Committee. Staff is still planning to present the ordinance updates at a future Planning Commission meeting.  

Residential Burglaries Ad Hoc Committee Meeting

The Residential Burglaries Ad Hoc Committee was scheduled to take place on Tuesday April 11th but was cancelled. Staff provided updates to the Councilmembers via email instead. The members will report out to the Council at the April 20th council meeting.

3. Virtual coffee with the Sheriff

Please join the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Los Altos Hills Town Staff for the Virtual Coffee with a Sheriff event - a monthly program to enhance public safety and communication in the Town. 

This program was created to enable the Sheriff's Office the chance to interact more successfully with the citizens they serve each day. The goal is casual, one-on-one conversations between residents and Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. There are no speeches and no agendas. This is an opportunity for you to meet your neighborhood members of the Sheriff's Office in a relaxed environment, build bonds, and share ideas to make our communities even better.

This monthly event will take place on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 2-3pm 

Next Meeting Information:

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 2:00-3:00 PM

Zoom Information Here:

http://bit.ly/CoffeeWithTheSheriffLAH

Meeting ID: 865 1379 0200

Passcode: 94022

Phone: 669 900 6833

4. Around Town - Past and Future

Honoring 20 Years of Volunteering for Hoppin Hounds

Vice Mayor Mok honored Rebecca, Val, and Patty for their 20 years of volunteer service at the Hoppin’ Hounds Biscuit Hunt event on Saturday, April 8. There was a total of $1,328 raised in donations for Pets in Needs, which is a no kill shelter that services Los Altos Hills. 

New Signs

Town staff worked with the Parks and Recreation Committee and Victoria Dye Equestrian to update the signs. Public Works installed them this week.

Ribbon Cutting and Food Truck Social 

Come celebrate the new multipurpose and concession building at Purissima Park. Our ribbon cutting event will include a food truck social, crafts, cornhole and more!

Wednesday, April 19

Ribbon Cutting 4:30

Food Truck Social 5-7 pm

Recreation Roundtable

This week, staff attended a virtual Parks and Recreation Roundtable. Parks and Recreation leaders from South Central Los Angeles shared new initiatives to play safely and build community. They’ve had success with a new hybrid sport, badminton-volleyball, anyone?

Sheriff's Report

Planning and Building

Job Opportunities

Public Works

Click the Icon above for the Town calendar.

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