As many of you know, I began my civic involvement as a Safe Routes to School advocate. Last week marked the beginning of school for many children in our community. For those of you who are parents, I hope your school season kick-off went/goes well. If you need any suggestions on the best ways to get to school via bike, foot or transit, check out these maps, or just reach out and we can chat (my info is below). And to all of us who may find ourselves trapped in school traffic, please be patient and drive with extra caution.
Signature Development, on behalf of Meta (formerly Facebook,) is looking to redevelop 59 acres in District 1 with a mix of commercial and residential uses. The mixed-use project, known as Willow Village, proposes a "bonus" level amount of development in exchange for 50% of the value of the additional zoning capacity. This study session is a follow-up to the May 24th study session about whether the proposed Willow Village community amenities satisfy the requirements for the additional zoning capacity.
At the previous meeting on this topic, the Council discussed the framework for defining an amenity, and as stated in the staff report, "generally that the amenity should serve existing residents." As a result of this feedback, the applicant revised their proposed amenity list and Tuesday night's agenda item is an opportunity for the community and Council to weigh in on the updated proposal.
In addition to the staff report containing the details of the changes to the community amenities proposal, it also outlines the next steps and timeline for the project overall, stating "Staff continues to review the land use entitlements and develop the final EIR for the proposed project. If the Final EIR, DA negotiation process, and land use entitlement review (e.g. vesting tentative maps, masterplan plan set, draft CDP, draft BMR housing agreement) are completed by early October, the Planning Commission could review and recommend on the final EIR and land use entitlements at a meeting in October with the City Council taking initial actions on the proposed project in November 2022. These dates are tentative and subject to change depending on the status of the environmental and entitlement review."
Staff is seeking direction from the Council regarding desired elements of a request for proposal (RFP) for an aquatics operator at Burgess Pool and the future Menlo Park Community Campus (MPCC) aquatics center. (Note: At the July 26th meeting, the Council approved a one-year contract with Tim Sheeper to continue operating the Burgess Pool through August 31, 2023 and that Tim Sheeper is invited and encouraged to respond to the RFP.)
This agenda item contains the results of a citywide survey that has resident feedback about the aquatics program. It also has very high level information on what a city-run pool program (vs. an outside contractor) would cost and data from other local jurisdictions about their pool operations. At Tuesday's meeting the Council will receive an overview of this information and hear community feedback about priorities related to selecting an aquatics operator.
The City charges fees for various services to recover costs and to minimize the usage of general taxes on programs and services that primarily benefit individuals. The Council has a User Fee Cost Recovery policy to help staff set fees - the policy outlines those services that have low, medium and high cost recovery by city department, and includes the rationale for the determinations. Once the policy is set, the Staff then sets the master fee schedule to reflect the Council direction.
The main amendment in this agenda item is to support the City's Climate Action Plan by incentivizing residents to electrify their existing homes. Permit fees related to the installation of new electric appliances would be waived, and permit credit would be granted for addition/alteration/remodel projects that include the conversion of gas to electric equipment or electrical panel upgrades that support capacity for full building electrification. The projected annual cost of the forfeited revenue to the City to subsidize the electrification permit waiver/credit program is between $135,000 to $175,000, an amount that is covered in this year's Climate Action Plan Capital Improvement Program budget.
The section of the Menlo Park Municipal Code pertaining to the timing requirements for filling a City Council vacancy (Section 2.04.190) currently contradicts State law. Given that City Councilmember Ray Mueller is a candidate for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, if he is elected to that office there may be a vacancy on the City Council following the November 8th election. Because of this possibility, Staff is seeking direction on how to proceed to bring Menlo Park's City Council vacancy policy into compliance.
The staff report for this item contains a series of options for the Council to consider. These include filling by an appointment, by special election and/or variations of these choices.
This it is currently scheduled to come before Council on September 13th (Subject to Change)
Other Items of Interest
Below are some additional items of interest:
Gymnastics Program Reactivation Update
I know how dear the Menlo Park gymnastics program is to so many families in our community. It has been heartbreaking to see the center closed for so long. The good news is that reactivation efforts are underway and the program is on track to reopen in November/December (subject to change). As stated in the staff report on department updates in the Parks and Recreation Commission's August 24th agenda, "this amount of time is necessary to carry out the staff recruitment, training, facility preparation, program development, and other startup preparations." I look forward to seeing kids tumbling and soaring soon!
San Mateo County Youth Climate Ambassador Leadership Program
Deadline to Apply is Monday, September 5th at Midnight
The Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) Leadership Program provides 9-12th grade students in San Mateo County with the opportunity to dive into social and environmental issues contributing to the global climate crisis. During this year-long program, students will attend monthly online workshops that cover a variety of topics to strengthen their knowledge in climate change, build individual skills, and support regional capacity among youth to lead action on climate change.
San Mateo County Civics 101 Academy
Program Starts Tuesday, September 6th - Apply Today
The Civics 101 Academy is a free course that provides an in-depth look at County programs, services and finances. Participants will primarily learn from and interact with department heads or their designees regarding topics such as health, public safety, human services, parks, public finance and more. The class will meet Tuesday evenings from Sep. 6 through Nov. 1. Light snacks will be served.
PBS NewsHour from Thursday, August 18th:
"American cities, states can’t find enough workers despite
an influx of federal funding."
My husband and I were watching the PBS NewsHour on Thursday night and a piece aired that made me think of our local community. As described on the NewsHour website, "The number of Americans filing for unemployment fell to 250,000 last week, dipping for the first time in three weeks. But as students across the country return to school, many districts are facing staff shortages. State and local governments are severely understaffed, affecting not only education but almost every service they provide, from trash pickup to policing."
The City of Menlo Park shares the staffing challenges covered by PBS that are hitting jurisdictions across the country. As our dedicated City Staff work hard to recruit and rebound from cuts implemented during the worst of the pandemic, please know that they are doing their best. I am truly grateful to all of our employees that are serving this wonderful community.
