Assistant City Manager

April is Earthquake Preparedness Month

All are encouraged to take a few simple steps to help prepare family, pets and neighbors to stay safe in the event of an earthquake. Know what to do: Drop, Cover and Hold on! If an earthquake occurs, get down on the ground, under a sturdy piece of furniture if you can, and hold on until the shaking stops.

Take four quick steps to be better prepared and avoid injury:

More Information

Learn how to prepare to be self-reliant in the first 72-hours following a disaster - register for a complimentary Personal Emergency Preparedness class scheduled for May 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at Hillview Community Center:  losaltosca.gov/PEP

In Los Altos, neighbors help neighbors with emergency preparedness and response through the Los Altos Block Action Team, Community Emergency Response Team and Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Learn how you can get involved at losaltosca.gov/emergencyprep.

City Clerk

City Council Open Office Hours

The Los Altos City Council is pleased to host Open Office Hours on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Hillview Community Center, Room 2. One City Council member will be available to the public for this two-hour period to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest with community members. You may drop-in anytime during the two-hour window. Everyone is welcome.

Additional Open Office Hours

Thursday, April 19, 2018

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

Grant Park Community Center, Room 3

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Monday, April 30, 2018

2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Hillview Community Center, Room 2

97 Hillivew Avenue, Los Altos

Thursday, May 17, 2018

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

Grant Park Community Center

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Police

April is (also) Distracted Driving Awareness Month

It’s been 10 years since “hands-free” became the law, but distracted driving remains a serious safety challenge in California. Traffic officers have issued hundreds of thousands of citations over the past three years to drivers for texting or calling on a hand-held cell phone. Recent legislation now makes it illegal to use your smartphone apps will driving. Still, we’ve all seen other drivers on a device driving in a dangerous manner next to us on the road.

We urge all drivers to silence their cell phones and devote their attention to the road. No text, call, or social media update is worth risking a crash. If you have teen drivers in your household, remind them of the dangers of distracted driving and share with them the safety tips outlined below to eliminate distractions while driving:

The Los Altos Police Department is committed to seeing a decrease in the number of traffic collisions that are caused by distracted driving. This can only be accomplished through the diligence and cooperation of the public – so please, drive safe and focus on the road. 

Public Works

Redwood Grove Partial Closure

Due to the severe drought we experienced in recent years, trees in Redwood Grove suffered greatly. Last year, the City took steps to remove several large redwood trees which had died and posed a risk of falling and causing injury. The cut trees have remained onsite as the City worked to retain a contractor to mill the wood for re-use. A contractor has been secured and plans to start milling the wood next week. To accommodate this work, a portion of Redwood Grove will be closed for three to five days for the safety of the public. The closed area will be clearly marked and visitors are urged to keep out of the work zone. City staff will be onsite to address questions and direct park patrons around the work site. The lumber will be used for the community garden at Woodland Library as well as benches, fence, gazebo, and picnic tables in City parks. 

 

Public Works Sidewalk Liability Training

Staff from both Engineering and Maintenance Services attended regional training this week on best practices for managing sidewalk liability. The training helps City employees to recognize unsafe sidewalk conditions and to appropriately respond once identifying these conditions.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Event

The City of Los Altos will once again partner with the County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste Program to host a recycling and disposal event in Los Altos on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Drop-off may be made by appointment only. Call (408) 299-7300 or visit  hhw.org to schedule your appointment. The drop-off location will be disclosed once your appointment is made.

Acceptable items to dispose of include:

Recreation & Community Services

Dodgeball Tournament

The 4 ^th Annual Dodgeball Tournament that took place on Friday, March 30, 2018 at the Egan Junior High gym was a great success. There were 30 youth that attended this very fun event, which was sponsored and led by the Los Altos and Los Altos Hills Youth Commission.

Annual Spring Egg Hunt

The Annual Spring Egg Hunt was a great success! Roughly 950 joined us for this fun event on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at the Hillview Community Center. In addition to the Egg Hunt, participants enjoyed carnival games and a visit with E. Bunny. This event would not have been possible without the support of staff and the many groups of volunteers that were present on this day. A big thank you goes out to volunteers from Boy Scouts-Troop 37, Los Altos High School, The Los Altos National Honor Society, Tiny Tots Preschool, 4-H Rolling Hills, Santa Clara County Library and Sound Trax. Thank you to our event sponsors as well: Cranberry Scoop, Linden Tree Books, Adventure Toys, Gourmet Works, Baskin Robbins, Sweet Shop, Area 151, Bumble, Safeway, Target (Mountain View), Happy Hallow Zoo and Park and Children’s Discovery Museum.

For more information about our programs, please visit LosAltosRecreation.org or call (650) 947-2790.

Senior Program Updates

 

Medicare Updates (Speaker): CMS will be rolling out new Medicare cards and Medicare Updates. Join us to learn more about Medicare updates in this coming year. This discussion will take place on Thursday, April 26, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Hillview Community Center, Senior Program Room 11 (97 Hillview Avenue). Please RSVP by calling (650) 947-2727.

 

Mini Trip: Join us on Monday, May 14, 2018 for a guided tour, meditation session and a vegetarian lunch at the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale. The cost is $37/members and $47/non-members and includes the tour, lecture, meditation session, lunch, transportation and gratuity. Seats are limited. Participants must arrive at the Hillview Community Center by 9:45 a.m. Please RSVP by calling (650) 947-2727.

Expanded Pickleball Schedule: There are now two nights available for evening Pickleball. Pickleball is now available at Egan Gym on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please contact Los Altos Senior Center for more information at (650) 947-2797.

Reminders

Commission Recruitments

City Council would like to invite residents to apply for appointment to openings on the Environmental, Complete Streets and Planning Commissions. Each Commission serves as an advisory body to City Council on their respective topics. Serving on a Commission provides a unique opportunity for residents to positively influence decisions made on behalf of the greater Los Altos community. Interested parties can find more information about each Commission online and must submit applications by Friday, April 20. For more information, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 947-2720.

April LAYC Dance is Tonight

The next LAYC Dance for Los Altos middle schoolers is scheduled for tonight, Friday, April 6, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Dance will be held at the Los Altos Youth Center located at 1 N. San Antonio Road. Play ping pong or dance as the D.J. plays your favorite songs!

Summer Job Opportunities

If you are looking for a fun and exciting place to work for the summer please check job postings for positions available in our Recreation & Community Services Department. Individuals must be 16 years or older to apply.