City Clerk

City Council Open Office Hours on the Downtown Green

Visit Open Office Hours on the Downtown Green and personally connect with Los Altos City Council members. At each event, 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.

Sunday, August 5, 2018

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Downtown Green

Third Street, Between Main and State Streets (Downtown)

Sunday, August 19, 2018

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Downtown Green

Third Street, Between Main and State Streets (Downtown) 

Community Development

City Receives Grant for Historic Evaluation

The City received some wonderful news this week. The State Office of Historic Preservation has notified the City that its application for a Certified Local Government Grant for Federal Fiscal Year 2018-19 was selected for funding under the Certified Local Government Grant Program. This grant funding will permit the City of Los Altos to contract with a historic preservation consultant to prepare a Historic Structures Report (HSR) for the Halsey House at Historic Redwood Grove Nature Preserve. Congratulations to the Historical Commissioners, Elisabeth Ward and Heather Farquhar of the Los Altos History Museum, and the City of Los Altos Public Works Department for their work preparing the successful grant proposal.

Community Center Project Recommended by Planning Commission

At its meeting last night, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the environmental review and approval of the design review application for the new Los Altos Community Center. Although in support of the overall architectural concept of the proposed buildings, the Commission noted that careful attention needs to be paid to the windows and their detailing/trim. It also suggested the use of more natural material and less stucco on the exterior walls be explored, understanding cost considerations must be made. The City Council is slated to consider this project at its meeting of September 11, 2018.

Public Counter Hour Adjustments

Just a reminder that beginning on Monday, August 6, 2018, the Public Counter at City Hall, which includes Planning, Building, Engineering and Finance, will begin closing at 4:00 p.m. This is to allow staff time to train and test the new permit tracking system so there will be a successful launch, with minimal public inconvenience, at the end of the year. The front doors at City Hall will remain open and other departments within the City will remain available.

Police

Swearing-In and Promotional Ceremony

The Police Department held a Swearing-in and Promotional Ceremony on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The Department is pleased to welcome our newest Officers, Anthony Friebel, Aimee Major, Nicolas Mendieta and Rick Schoonover. The ceremony also celebrated the recent promotion of Sergeant Michael Taylor, and the hiring of Communications Officer Dina Taylor and Community Services Officer Jennifer Pena. Our new K-9 Officer Bo was also warmly welcomed to the Department as part of the ceremony that was well attended by family, friends and co-workers of the honorees. Photos from the event can be viewed on our Facebook page.

Public Works

New Stop Signs on Main Street

City maintenance crews completed installation of new all-way stop signs at two intersections in Downtown Los Altos: Main and Second Street and Main and Third Street. The decision to install additional stop signs at these intersections followed a recent engineering study that included analysis of traffic data, accident history and other criteria necessary to evaluate the implementation of multi-way stop control in accordance with the City of Los Altos Stop Sign Policy and Federal and State guidelines. Multi-way stop control improves safety for all users of the road by facilitating interaction between vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Temporary message boards have been placed in each direction of travel on Main Street to alert drivers of the new stop signs in advance of their approach. Los Altos Police Officers will be actively monitoring traffic to enforce the new stop signs.

Los Altos Community Center

Design plans for the new Los Altos Community Center are roughly 90% complet e. In addition to ongoing public outreach efforts, the project has been making its way through City Commissions to gather Commission input on various elements of the project.

A project update was provided to the Public Arts Commission on July 26, 2018. At this public meeting, the design team gave a general overview of the Community Center’s building characteristic through an outline of the exterior materials palette, renderings and floor plan. Potential future art locations were presented for consideration of artistic bike racks, accent wall murals, sculpture or three-dimensional art, interior art, and a community art display area. The Public Arts Commission will consider types of art and optimal locations for placement at the Community Center and provide recommendations.

On August 1, 2018, city staff attended the Los Altos History Museum Board of Directors meeting.  A project updated was presented to the Board followed by a discussion of the project impacts related to the History Museum. Board members expressed concerns about the temporary impacts related to parking, loading areas and museum access. The City is committed to working with all campus stakeholders to mitigate impacts and will be working closely with these stakeholders as construction planning develops.

The Planning Commission advises the City Council on planning and transportation issues including automobile circulation, pedestrian, bicycle and handicapped access, and public transportation on all public streets, roadways and paths. At the Planning Commission meeting on August 2, 2018, city staff and the design team provided a Community Center project update. Feedback from the Complete Streets Commission’s review of the project in May and Council direction provided at its meeting on July 10, 2018 were reviewed. The Noll & Tam design team presented options for reconfiguring the pedestrian connection from the Library to the Community Center as well as options exploring a vehicle round-about suggested by the Complete Streets Commission to prevent illegal U-turns at the building entry closest to the History Museum.

The Planning Commission approved a motion to recommend to City Council approval of the design with comments. The comments include review of the required fire lane, providing visual breaks in the stucco to be used in portions of the building exterior, integrating native evergreen tree species, and maintaining the pedestrian connection as currently designed. The design team will integrate the comments into the design and present the updates to City Council at the September 11, 2018 meeting.

The community center project is slated for construction completion in 2020. 

RFP for Police Station HVAC Upgrades

The existing Police Station was built in 1967 and many components in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) are near the end of their useful life. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on June 21, 2018 and nine proposals were received by the July 31, 2018 proposal due date. The RFP Evaluation Committee will review and score the proposals based upon criteria contained within the RFP. Interviews will be conducted for a short-list of the top-rated proposals.

RFP for EOC and Restroom at Police Station

The City plans to add a code compliant Essential Facilities Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with restroom at the existing Police Station. A Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on June 21, 2018 calls for an approximately 1,000 sq. ft. of new EOC space and related storage. This EOC will double as a briefing and training room and include approximately 200 sq. ft. of new space for restrooms. On the proposal due date of July 31, 2018, seven proposals were received. City staff will score the proposals and conduct interviews of those receiving top-ratings.

Windimer Drive Storm Drain Ditch Improvements  

The City issued a request for bids this week to perform construction improvements on the Windimer Drive storm drain ditch. The project includes clearing and repairing the existing concrete ditch, replacing failed retaining walls, construction of a new storm drain inlet and access gates. Bids are due Thursday September 6 ^th and it is anticipated that the project will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder at the September 25 ^th City Council meeting.

Recreation & Community Services

Summer Concerts

Our eighth Summer Concert will be held on Thursday, August 9th from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Grant Park (1575 Holt Avenue). Join us for shakin’ good time with Rick Torres as Elvis. Rick Torres will be performing the popular hits of Elvis Presley, so put on your blue suede shoes and get ready to dance and have a great time! To view our remaining Summer Concerts, visit losaltosca.gov/summerconcerts.

 

Hillview Senior Program

Coffee on the Patio: Come one, come all to Coffee on the Patio. Located right outside the Hillview Senior Center, Room 10. Join us on Friday, August 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Coffee and delicious fruit and snacks will be served to make your morning extra joyful. Donations are welcome.

Advanced Care Planning Workshop: This 3-day workshop includes videos, discussion, how to talk to doctors, question periods, help with the documents, and completion of a legally binding Directive. Your agent is welcome to attend the final session with you. If you have a current Directive, please bring it with you. The Workshop will be held Mondays on August 6, 13 and 20 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center, Senior Program Room 12.

Grant Senior Program

Speaker Series: Join us on Wednesday, August 15 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 4 for a discussion with Santa Clara County Fire Department regarding home emergencies.

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

Reminders

Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards Committee

The Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards Committee is recruiting to fill one open seat. This Committee selects community members to be recognized for their volunteer service and organizes a luncheon in their honor each December. This recruitment is for one term expiring in March 2021. Applicants must be residents of the City of Los Altos to be considered for an appointment. The deadline to submit applications is Wednesday, August 15, 2018 and interviews are scheduled for Tuesday, August 28, 2018. Submit applications onlin e or to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, located at 1 North San Antonio Road, Los Altos. For more information, call (650) 947-2720.

Downtown Green

The Downtown Green is back, and you won’t want to miss the many fun, free events we have planned this summer. Check out the Downtown Green calendar to see our lineup of summer concerts, movies, camps, yoga classes and more! Visit losaltosca.gov/downtowngreen.

Los Altos Hills vs. Los Altos Softball Game

Recreation staff from the City of Los Altos and Town of Los Altos Hills have partnered to plan the 1 ^st Annual Los Altos Hills vs. Los Altos Adult Softball Game! We hope you will come cheer on your hometown on Saturday, August 18, 2018 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at Purissima Park, 27400 Purissima Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. Want to join the Team? Contact Sarah at srobustelli@losaltoshills.ca.gov or (650) 947-2518 and she will put in you touch with your Team Captain.

Los Altos Has Talent

Teens in grades 6-12 are encouraged to audition for our 1 ^st Annual Los Altos Has Talent: Teen Talent show scheduled to take place on Friday, November 9 ^th from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center (LAYC) located at 1 N San Antonio Road. All acts must have at least one member living or attending school in Los Altos and are required to submit a  Talent Show Application by September 14 at 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit our website at Los Altos Has Talent.