City Manager Weekly Update - December 2, 2016

Vote for Your Favorite Artistic Bicycle Rack Design Submission
The City is pleased to have received a great selection of artistic bicycle rack design submissions! Now comes the hard part - selecting which designs will be brought to life and installed on city streets. You are invited to view each of the submissions and vote for your top four favorites right from your computer, smart phone or tablet. To do so, visit our website by clicking here. 

Assistant City Manager

Aircraft Noise Update
The final meeting of the Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals (Committee) was held on November 17, 2016 and the Committee’s final report has been completed and is now posted on the City website. The Final Report transmittal letter, authored by Select Committee Chair and Santa Clara County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Simitian, was sent with the Report to Congressmembers Eshoo, Farr and Speier who established the Select Committee.

The Report is almost 30 pages but the Recommendations are succinctly summarized as:

• Fly at higher altitudes;
• Fly over locations with fewer people;
• Avoid noisy flight maneuvers; and,
• Implement noise reducing retrofits where possible.

The Select Committee addressed the issue of the SERFR flight procedure/path in favor of a flight procedure/path along the ground track formerly used for the BSR flight procedure/path. This is on page 5 of the Report, item 1.2 Feasibility Group 2: Transition the SERFR Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) Back to the BSR Ground Track Prior to EPICK.

Supervisor Simitian concludes his letter with, “Having conveyed these Recommendations to you, we now ask that you continue your engagement with the FAA to ensure their timely implementation to the fullest extent practicable. The Committee believes these Recommendations have the potential to provide real relief. We hope that relief arrives sooner rather than later.”

Community Development

Permit Tracking Software Being Reviewed
Permit tracking software is currently being reviewed by the Community Development Department along with the Public Works Department. Presentations have been given to staff by software vendors and the information gained at these presentations is being analyzed to assist in the determination of which suite of software will best suit City needs. The permit tracking software presently used by the City is no longer supported and it was clear from the presentations by software vendors that new programs offer a wider range of tools that will better allow staff to track, manage, and archive the plans and documents that are part of all development applications.

Los Altos Community Investments Project and Public Park at Downtown Parking Plaza 7
Staff is preparing the agenda reports for the upcoming December 13, 2016 regular meeting of the City Council and Study Session with the Planning and Transportation Commission. At the regular meeting, City Council will review an Exclusive Negotiating Rights Agreement between the City and Los Altos Community Investments that, if granted, will allow each to further evaluate the potential for a public-private partnership that could result in the development of a park with underground parking at Parking Plaza 7. At the joint workshop with the Planning and Transportation Commission, the City Council will have an opportunity to provide feedback to the Los Altos Community Investments team on two concepts for a mixed use building to be developed on properties they own adjacent to First Street. One concept is for a two-story mixed use building and the second concept is for three story building. Although a formal application for a project has not been submitted yet, staff has provided some feedback to the Los Altos Community Investments Team and they are taking this feed back into consideration. Each of the two proposals to be shared at Tuesday’s meeting include a concept for a public park on Parking Plaza 7.

Training on the Horizon
Staff has been in contact with a land use consulting group and has requested a proposal to provide land use and design review training intended to provide skills that can be used when decision-making bodies consider and review development applications. The goal is to have the training tailored to the unique circumstances and qualities of Los Altos and provide a foundation of review by which projects that meet with community expectations and goals can be fostered and achieved. More on this in the future.

CERT Training
Interested in learning how you can be of service to your neighborhood and community when recovering from a disaster such as earthquake, fire or flood? Our fire service providers, Santa Clara County Fire Department, will host their next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training in Campbell beginning Tuesday, January 10. This training series will be held each Tuesday and Thursday through January 26 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and January 28 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The cost is $35, which covers basic personal protective equipment. The CERT program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their immediate area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. To register, contact Santa Clara County Fire Department at (408) 378-4010 or communityoutreach@sccfd.org. Participants must be age 16 or over and must attend each training date to become certified.

Operation Second Chance
The Los Altos Police Department is once again participating in Operation Second Chance. This county-wide program runs December 1 through 31 and provides individuals with non-violent misdemeanor criminal and traffic warrants an opportunity to receive a citation with a new court date in lieu of being booked into the County Jail. Individuals can go to any Santa Clara County law enforcement agency to receive their warrant citation, which will require a new “Promise to Appear” in court date. Operation Second Chance is directed towards most misdemeanor warrants, no matter what the bail is, including those warrants stamped “No Cite and Release,” and “No Bail.”

The following warrants DO NOT qualify for this program:

• Felony warrants
• Warrants involving violence (including all domestic violence warrants)
• Warrants involving a firearm
• Warrants involving resisting arrest
• Warrants involving giving false information to a peace officer

Persons with these types of warrants however, are urged to take this opportunity to turn themselves in so they can resolve their matter in court. More than 3,300 people have taken advantage of the Operation Second Chance program over the past decade and avoided spending the holidays in jail by self-surrendering. For more information or questions, contact the Los Altos Police Department at (650) 947-2770. For a full list of participating law enforcement agencies and days/hours available to accept self-surrenders, click here.

Public Works

Preparing Downtown for the Holidays
The Parks crew has completed decorating the two large palm trees at the corner of San Antonio Road and W. Edith Avenue across from City Hall. In years past we had used traditional white holiday lights, but this year we opted to use energy efficient LED lights. This allowed us to double the number of lights, creating a more dazzling effect while still saving energy. The crew also went with the latest trend in palm tree lighting and put green LED lights on the palm fronds. This gives a tropical holiday look which is appropriate for palm trees. Additionally, the Parks crew trimmed trees and planted holiday plants in downtown pots. 

Sewer Improvements - Structural Reach Replacement
This Capital Improvement Project replaces segments of pipes throughout the City which have been identified as having moderate to severe structural defects. This week, the City’s contractor, EPS Inc. dba Express Plumbing performed work on the replacement of the sewer main on Dracena Lane using the pipe reaming method. Next week, the contractor will change locations and begin work on St. Charles Court.

Annual Sewer Service Charge Posted on Property Tax Bill
The County of Santa Clara Tax Collector has mailed tax bills to property owners for Fiscal Year 2016/17. Residents are encouraged to review their bill when received. If you have a question on a posted sewer charge, please see the additional information at the link below. Information concerning the sewer appeals process for those with a qualifying condition is also available online. The deadline to file an appeal is December 31, 2016. For more information, visit the Annual Sewer Service Charge webpage.