G1. Adopt resolutions for fiscal year 2022-23: budget and capital improvement plan; establish appropriations limit; establish a consecutive 1 percent utility users’ tax rate through June 2023; establish the salary schedule effective July 3, 2022; extend rate assistance program through June 2023; establish direction for administration of American Rescue Plan Act funds; and accept award authority and bid requirement through June 2023.
Menlo Park selects Justin Murphy as new City Manager
The City Council voted unanimously to appoint Justin Murphy to be the new City Manager. Mr. Murphy joined the City in 1996 (26 years ago!) as an Associate Planner and he has worked his way up the organization, most recently serving as Interim City Manager. Not only is Mr. Murphy an accomplished public servant and well-respected leader, but he is also a resident of the Willows (District 2). I am delighted to welcome Mr. Murphy into this critical role and I look forward to continuing to work with him.
You can read the City's press release about his appointment here.
Menlo Park Recreation and Community Programs Survey
(Including Aquatics)
The City of Menlo Park wants to hear from residents in an effort to better understand uses and needs for recreation programs and other community services. The survey will inform the discussion and consideration of programming needs citywide and at the new Menlo Park Community Campus facility. Topics covered in the survey include what types of aquatics programming residents prefer (lap swimming, competitive swimming, open swim, etc.), what athletic programs and spaces are most desired and other recreation-related questions.
On May 24, 2022, the City Council declared a Stage 2 drought emergency that requires Menlo Park Municipal Water customers to reduce water use by 20% compared to their water use in fiscal year 2019-20. Water customers must limit irrigation watering to two days a week according to the schedule below and must not irrigate outdoor landscapes between the hours of 8am to 6pm:
Odd street address - Watering days are Tuesday and Saturday
Even street address - Watering days are Wednesday and Sunday
Note: Menlo Park residents are served by several different water companies. Some District 3 residents are part of Menlo Park Municipal Water, while others are served by CalWater. To look up your water provider, click here.
Upcoming Parkline (SRI Campus) Open Houses
Lane Partners, on behalf of SRI (formerly known as Stanford Research Institute,) has submitted a formal application to redevelop the 63 acre campus located on Ravenswood Avenue. The project is making its way through the City's formal review process, which recently included a Study Session at City Council on May 10th.
Outside the City's official review and meeting schedule, the developer, Lane Partners, has decided to hold its own series of meetings to obtain additional community feedback. Two such open houses have been scheduled in July:
Menlo Park Partners with BlocPower to
Electrify Homes and Businesses by 2030
According the City's June 15th press release, "The City of Menlo Park and BlocPower announced a public-private partnership to provide building electrification services to the Menlo Park community. Menlo Park's Climate Action Plan has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
Building decarbonization is a central component of the city’s 2030 climate plan, with fossil fuel consumption in buildings accounting for 41% of Menlo Park’s greenhouse gas emissions. Through the partnership with BlocPower, the city aims to electrify 15 buildings in 2022, 100 in 2023 and 1,000 or more per year in 2024 and beyond. Upgrades in this voluntary program will include the installation of heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters, electric vehicle charging stations, solar, battery storage as well as other efficiency measures."
