Hope is in the air. Between graduation celebrations, high vaccination rates and the beautiful weather, I am feeling more hopeful these days than I have in many months. I am in awe of and in debt to those in our community who have carried us to this moment. Here's to recognizing and honoring the "helpers," and to continued good news and good health.
Warmly,
City Council Meeting Tuesday, June 8th at 5pm
The City Council meeting agenda for June 8th is here. It includes:
Links to staff reports for each item
Login/call-in information
Ways to weigh in on the issues being discussed
Below are just a few of the agenda items on Tuesday:
M1 - Public Hearing on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget.
Tuesday's meeting is an opportunity for members of the public and City Council to weigh in on the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Direction given by Council on Tuesday night will be incorporated into the budget which is scheduled to be adopted at the June 22nd Council meeting.
The proposed budget includes a "baseline" spending plan, which maintains service and staffing at 2020-2021 levels. Two major policy questions will be explored on Tuesday night:
Given what we know (and don't know) about COVID and economic recovery, what service level enhancements/restorations should be added back in this budget (ranging from planning capacity to policing to library staffing and more)?
What funding sources should we use to pay for the additional services/staffing?
M2 - Update Community Amenities Process for the Bayfront Area
This item concerns development projects in the Bayfront Area between the Bay and Highway 101 (aka M-2 Area). During ConnectMenlo (the 2016 General Plan update), regulations were established that enabled developers to receive "bonus level" development (increased floor area ratio, density and/or height) in exchange for "community amenities." A list of community amenities desired by residents was established, and developers were meant to choose something from that list in exchange for additional development potential. Since 2016, the resident needs and priorities have evolved, and the following community amenity process changes will be considered in a public hearing:
Establishment of an in-lieu payment option. Instead of a developer delivering an item on a pre-determined community amenity list, they can instead provide an in-lieu payment option and the money will be set aside in a fund to be used at a later time.
Creation of a development agreement option to fund items not on the community amenity list. Another way for a developer to provide a community amenity would be for them to propose an amenity that is not on the approved list. This would option would be executed through a negotiated development agreement.
In addition, the Council will also be weighing in on how to go about updating the current community amenity list, and what type of a procedure to establish to govern the review, approval and/or denial of a proposed community amenity.
N1 - Award Contract to Demographer for the City Council 2020 Census Redistricting Process
This item kicks off the redistricting process for the City of Menlo Park. In 2018, Menlo Park transitioned from "At-Large" to "By District" elections. As part of this transition, a 5-District map was established (see above). Even though Menlo Park recently went through this process, due to the new census numbers about to be released (currently expected on September 30, 2021), all jurisdictions around the country will be redrawing their district lines. The first step in the redistricting process is to hire a demographer to aid the city in the map drawing. While not part of the current agenda item, another step that will soon take place is the City Council deciding whether to use itself, an independent or advisory committee, or hybrid of both independent and advisory committees to assist in the process. I will keep you updated on this topic as it progresses.
N2 - Adopt an Emergency Ordinance Prohibiting Fireworks
The City Council has been receiving complaints from residents about the fireworks that are being set off in the lead up to the 4th of July. This agenda item aims to address this issue by making it illegal to sell or use fireworks within the City (it is based on a similar law recently passed by the County of San Mateo). The ordinance establishing a $1000 fine and makes the violation of this law a misdemeanor (punishable up to $1000 and 6 months in jail).
Along this topic, the City of Menlo Park, in cooperation with East Palo Alto and Menlo Park Fire, have created a task force to address this issue. They have already confiscated over 1,500 pounds of illegal explosives in the last month. You can read about this effort in the Almanac here.
Other Items of Interest
Below is a handful of additional items that may be of interest.
Housing News
As you probably heard, SRI International announced plans to redevelop their 63-acre campus (currently named Parkline) in the middle of District 3. Links to both the Almanac and the Mercury News articles about this can be found here. Please note that SRI has not yet submitted formal plans to the City of Menlo Park and that both the developer, Lane Partners, and the City, through its formal review process, will be seeking public feedback. I will keep you informed via this newsletter of community meetings and other opportunities to share your thoughts as I learn about them. I did notice that Lane Partners has established a project website at https://menloparkline.com/ that provides some information and a sign-up to be added to their mailing list about the project. (Note: I am only including this link for informational purposes, not as an endorsement of the project.)
Speaking of housing, I do want to encourage you to learn more about the Housing Element process that the City is just beginning. While it is a state mandate, it is also an opportunity for neighbors to discuss and weigh in on how we want to grow as a community over the upcoming decade. We must add housing in Menlo Park...how and where we do so is up to us. Stay tuned for lots more information about this process and ways to be heard. In the meantime, you can check out this overview about the Housing Element to get up to speed.
Caltrain Electrification Delayed Until 2024
It was reported this week that the Caltrain Electrification project, which was supposed to be completed in 2022, is delayed until 2024. You can read about it in the Almanac here. It is unknown yet what impacts, if any, this will have on Menlo Park-specific rail projects, such as grade separation and the Middle Avenue undercrossing. I will let you know when I learn more. Note that the 2021-2022 budget includes funding to study the implementation of Quiet Zones at all four rail crossings.
Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 - Comment by July 20th
Plan Bay Area 2050 is a blueprint for the 9 Bay Area Counties on what polices and investments need to be made for the growth that is anticipated. The draft plan contains some very interesting pieces of data related to Housing, the Economy, Transportation and the Environment. The map above of the jobs/housing numbers is an example of the type of information to be found in this document. You can check out the draft plan and provide feedback by July 20th at https://www.planbayarea.org/draftplan2050.
E-Bike Rebate Program - SOLD OUT
Due to overwhelming demand, an $800 rebate for the purchase of an e-bike for income-qualified residents ran out of funds in just 5 days! Peninsula Clean Energy, working with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition established this program to encourage e-bike adoption as a sustainable, healthy and economical transportation option. 300 lucky individuals were able to take advantage of this offer...the money was intended to last for 3 years! A waitlist (found here) has been created for those who remain interested in and are qualified for this program. As an avid e-biker myself, I am thrilled that there is so much interest in this program and hopeful that more support can be found to cover the huge demand.
