City Manager Weekly Update
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Welcome New Commissioners
At its meeting Tuesday night, the City Council appointed Teresa Morris and Scott Spielman to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission; David Marek to serve on the Planning Commission and Chris Nagao to serve on the Senior Commission. We congratulate each of the new appointees and thank all those who applied to serve on one of these Commissions.
The Complete Streets Commission is currently recruiting new members. If you’re interested in advising your City Council on transportation solutions that enable safe, attractive, comfortable and independent access and travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and motorists, please consider applying! Applicants must be residents of the City of Los Altos to be considered for an appointment. Members are appointed for four-year terms. Applications are due by Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Interviews are scheduled to take place Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Applications can be picked-up at Los Altos City Hall, downloaded as a
PDF
, or submitted
online
. Submit completed paper applications to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall. For more information, call (650) 947-2720 or visit
losaltosca.gov/cc
.
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Emergency Preparedness for Faith Communities
On June 5th, Los Altos Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ann Hepenstal welcomed representatives from faith-based organizations in greater Los Altos area to a free workshop: “Disaster Planning for Faith-based Organizations.”
Hosted by the Los Altos PREPARES program of the City of Los Altos, this workshop was specially designed to share information on emergency preparedness planning while also serving to connect the congregations for future collaboration and preparedness work. The group recognized the trend of faith-based organizations rallying to answer needs in their communities following disasters such as the recent California wildfires. Led by a speaker from CADRE, a local network of organizations ready to help the community in a disaster, the attendees worked through a self-assessment of their organizations’ preparedness and discussed practical steps they could each take to strengthen their preparedness. Los Altos Police Captains Scott McCrossin and Katie Krauss presented training and information related to active assailants and discussed special considerations for faith communities. The attendees will plan a future meeting to further collaborate on emergency preparedness and share their disaster response plans. Two of the congregations have already scheduled a follow-up presentation from the Los Altos Police Department.
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Amateur Radio in Action June 22 and 23
On June 22 and 23, you can meet amateur radio operators (“hams”) and see a temporary ham station in action during the annual Field Day. In our community, amateur radio operators are trained and ready to help provide emergency communication services when telephone lines and other regular communication channels fail. In addition, amateur radio can offer many activities, serves as a great hobby and can connect fellow operators in friendship.
The Foothill Amateur Radio Society invites you to enjoy a great view of the Bay, learn about ham radio, and chat with the hams operating the station located next to Maryknoll Seminary. Stop by to visit any time during the operating period of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 22 and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, June 23. If you don't have an amateur radio license, you can register and sign up to operate a Get On The Air station, where a coach guides you to make your own contacts on air. This is a great way to experience amateur radio without having a license. The
FARS website
has more details on the Field Day including a
map
with directions. For more information on the Foothill Amateur Radio Society, visit
https://www.fars.k6ya.org/
. To learn more about getting your amateur radio license or assisting with emergency communications services, visit the Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Services website at
www.laares.org
.
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New Dates!
City Council Open Office Hours
Interested in speaking with your elected officials about a specific topic or issue? If so, please plan to attend City Council Open Office Hours for an opportunity to personally connect with a member of the Los Altos City Council. 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 to attend. City Council Open Office Hours are scheduled as follows:
Sunday, June 23, 2019
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Coupa Café
4748 W El Camino Real, Los Altos
Monday, July 1, 2019
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Grant Park Community Center, Room 3
1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Coupa Cafe
4748 W El Camino Real, Los Altos
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Le Boulanger
301 Main Street, Los Altos
Thursday, August 15, 2019
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Farmers' Market
State Street at Third Street, Downtown Los Altos
Friday, August 30, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Grant Park Community Center, Room 2
1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos
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Engineer Obtains Professional Engineer (P.E.) License
In early June the California Department of Consumer Affairs State Board of Professional Engineers notified Andrea Trese in the Engineering Services Department that she passed the Professional Engineer (P.E.) exam. This achievement is not just a certificate to place on the wall but an acknowledgement that Andrea has finished the multi-year process to ensure that she has the technical knowledge and skills to work as a Professional Engineer for the City of Los Altos and the State of California. Applicants must have already passed the Engineer-In-Training (EIT) exam and have at least four years of professional experience before applying to take the P.E. exam. The State of California Principles and Practice of Engineering exam is a three-part test – the P.E. Civil exam which is 8 hours, the Seismic Principals which is 2.5 hours, and the Engineering Surveying exam which is also 2.5 hours.
To successfully pass all these exams is a lifetime achievement for any engineer. It is a validation of their hard work and dedication, their knowledge and experience, their desire to excel and to provide their best to the State of California and their employer. The City of Los Altos is both honored and proud to have another fully qualified and licensed Civil Engineer on staff. Please join us in recognizing Andrea for her efforts and success.
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Welcome new Assistant Engineer
We are pleased to announce that Kathy Kim joined the Engineering Services Department as an Assistant Engineer this week. Kathy joins us from the Town of Hillsborough Public Works Department where she worked as a consulting Assistant Engineer managing various Capital Improvement Projects, reviewing grading and drainage plans for private development, and inspecting engineering projects. She also has experience assisting in surveying and developing construction plans while working as an Assistant Engineer for CSG Consultants and at PM Design Group. Her experience also includes internships with the City of South San Francisco and Rieser Building Group and research assistant work with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources. Kathy is a graduate of the University of California, Davis where she obtained her B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and has her Engineer-In-Training (E.I.T.) certification. Please join us in welcoming Kathy to the team!
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Maintaining Los Altos
Members of the Parks Division have been hard at work beautifying downtown Los Altos, preparing sporting fields and as always, battling weeds! Recently completed work includes preparing the baseball field at Hillview Community Center for Little League, refreshing landscaping downtown as well as planting fresh flowers near Veterans Community Plaza. Many thanks to the Parks Division for keeping Los Altos looking great!
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Special Olympics Torch Run
Members of the Los Altos Police Department are proud to once again participate in the Special Olympics Northern California Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Run will take place this afternoon, Thursday, June 13th. Expect traffic delays as police motors escort runners down northbound El Camino Real between 3 – 4:30 p.m. Runners from Los Altos Police Department will meet runners from Mountain View Police Department on El Camino Real near Clark Avenue around 3 p.m. and will carry the torch down El Camino to pass off to runners from the Palo Alto Police Department near Los Altos Avenue. The mission of the Law Enforcement Torch Run is to support Special Olympics Northern California through fundraising and public awareness, while enhancing the quality of life of Special Olympics athletes. It is a year-round fundraising campaign that culminates every year at the Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games in June.
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Recreation & Community Services
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Summer Concerts Begin Today!
We hope you plan to join us tonight, Thursday, June 13, for our first summer concert of the season! We’ll be enjoying your favorite hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today performed by The Peelers. Join us at Grant Park (1575 Holt Avenue) at 6:30 p.m.
Our second Summer Concert will be held on Saturday, June 22nd from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Grant Park. Come join us for a wonderful summer night of music provided by the Peninsula Symphony. Bring your family, pack a picnic dinner and enjoy the classical sounds of this local symphony! For more information about our upcoming concerts,
click here
.
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City Offices Closed Friday
Los Altos City Hall, the Maintenance Services Center and Recreation & Community Services front office will be closed on Friday, June 14, 2019 as part of the Defined 9/80 Schedule. 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
.
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National Night Out
The Los Altos Police Department is looking forward to celebrating National Night Out with YOU on Tuesday, August 6th! Residents are asked to lock their doors, turn on their front porch lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and law enforcement. Many neighborhoods choose to host a block party, ice cream social, a cookout at a park or some other community gathering. National Night Out is celebrated in communities across the U.S. and was created to enhance police-community partnerships. The event helps spread awareness about crime prevention programs and the impact citizens can have on reducing crime, drugs and violence in their community. Local neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations play a critical role in assisting the police department in these efforts and can help make our neighborhoods safer. Plan and register your neighborhood event by Friday, July 19, 2019 and Officers will be sure to stop by for a visit. For more information or to register, visit
losaltosca.gov/nno
.
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Book Your Summer Camps Now
Still thinking about fun activities for the children this summer? The City of Los Altos offers wonderful summer camps! Summer camps will be starting the week of June 24th. There are camps available for the following age groups: 3- 5 years, 5- 6 years, 7-8 years and 9-11 years. For more details visit
losaltosrecreation.org
or call (650) 947-2790.
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Glorious 4th
The City of Los Altos Recreation & Community Services Department would like to invite you to the annual Glorious 4th event that will be taking place on Thursday, July 4, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. This event will be held at Shoup Park. There will be plenty of food, music, kid’s games and more!
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On-Demand Ride Reimbursement Program
Did you know the City offers an On-Demand Ride Reimbursement Program for senior 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 has expanded to allow rides to El Camino Hospital. This is a pilot program to be evaluated in the upcoming year. For more information, contact the Senior Program at (650) 947-2797.
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Clean Water and Sustainable Storm Drainage Initiative
The deadline to submit your Clean Water and Sustainable Storm Drainage Initiative ballot is approaching. This initiative seeks approval of Los Altos property owners for the City to begin collecting a Storm Drainage Fee to establish a dedicated funding source for the City’s Clean Water Program. If approved by voters, the fee will be used to proactively maintain, operate, repair and upgrade the City’s 55+ miles of pipes and over 1,350 storm drain inlets. The Clean Water Program protects our neighborhoods and properties from local flooding, reduces pollutants and trash in our local creeks before they flow into the Bay, and rehabilitates and improves our aging storm drainage infrastructure though Capital Improvement Program projects identified in the City’s Stormwater Master Plan. Ballots were mailed to property owners last month and are due back to City Hall by 5 p.m. on June 18, 2019. For more information, visit
www.losaltosca.gov/cleanwater
.
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Wildfire Town Hall
Assemblymember Marc Berman is hosting a Wildfire Town Hall on Saturday, June 22 from 9 - 11 a.m. in the Portola Valley Community Hall. This Town Hall will give the public a chance to hear from a panel of experts from across the district on wildfire prevention efforts. CAL Fire and CAL Office of Emergency Services will share state level efforts while local responders will provide information on how to make your home more fire resistant. PG&E will provide essential information about their work to reduce fires including turning off power in certain weather conditions. This panel will provide community members with relevant information from experts across many jurisdictions. Refreshments will be provided. This event is open to the public. For more information, visit
www.assembly.ca.gov/berman
.
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City of Los Altos | (650) 947-2700 | www.losaltosca.gov
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