It's so wonderful to see kids back at "normal" school this year! Our local school districts deserve tons of accolades for bring kids back full time to in-person instruction, while also balancing the changing dynamics of the pandemic. And with the influx of kids heading to school, we're seeing lots of kids walking and biking to school - which is a great thing. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks there have been at least two local car-related incidents involving kids on bikes - both elementary and high school age (both kids will be fine). The schools are doing what they can to educate the kids on safe biking and walking behaviors, but it is incumbent on us, adult, driving members of our community, to slow down and remain aware of our surroundings. Thank you in advance for your attention to keeping our streets safe, for users of all modes of travel, and for those of all ages and abilities.
Below are some additional items that may be of interest.
Residents Needed to Serve on Menlo Park's
Independent Redistricting Commission (Deadline Oct 15th)
At the August 31st meeting, the City Council voted to establish an Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) to set Menlo Park’s electoral boundaries for City Council districts following the 2020 census. Now the City is seeking Menlo Park residents to apply to serve on the IRC. The Commission shall be comprised of seven (7) commissioners and two (2) alternate commissioners. Applications and more information are available on the City's website here. Deadline to apply is October 15, 2021.
Provide Feedback into City Manager Recruitment
Menlo Park recently launched a recruitment process in anticipation of City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson's upcoming retirement. The City Council-selected recruitment firm, The Hawkins Company, is conducting outreach to residents and stakeholders about what qualities are desired in a new City Manager. Below are links to two upcoming community meetings (the content is the same at both meetings), and an online survey (deadline is September 30th). Thank you in advance for engaging in this process.
Did you know that the City Manager is one of only two positions that is appointed by the City Council? The other is the City Attorney. The City Manager serves as the chief executive of the city. To learn more about the City Manager/City Council form of government (vs. a Strong Mayor form of government) click here.
Housing Element Community Meeting - September 23rd at 6:30pm, Video about the Housing Element and Affordable Housing and More
On September 23rd (at 6:30pm) there is a Housing Element community meeting to review preliminary strategies to meet housing needs and to give feedback on where new housing should be located. More information about this meeting, including the Zoom link, can be found here.
To help residents prepare for the meeting on the 23rd, I made a video presentation (see below) walking viewers through some of the challenges that will need to be addressed via the Housing Element process, especially those related to affordable housing. If you have 30 minutes to spare (there was a lot to cover!) you may want to check it out. You can find the video below and in a special newsletter on the topic I sent out on Wednesday, September 15th.
To access the presentation slides reviewed in the video, click here.
There are also two more important meetings about the Housing Element tentatively scheduled for October; one joint Housing Commission and Planning Commission meeting tentatively scheduled for early October and a City Council meeting tentatively scheduled for late October. I will continue to keep you posted.
To learn more about the Housing Element you can visit the City's Housing Element webpage at www.menlopark.org/he. You may also want to check out a past newsletter of mine that summarizes key aspects of this important planning process.
Two Large Housing Approved in District 1
On September 14th, the City Council heard the appeals of recent Planning Commission approvals of two large housing projects in District 1. The Council ultimately denied the appeals and both Menlo Uptown (483 units) and Menlo Portal (335 units) have now been approved by the City. To learn more about these projects, and the Council's decision-making process, please see the Almanac's coverage of the topic.
Save the Date
Switch to Clean Energy: The Importance of Electrifying our Homes
(Sunday, October 10th at 4pm)
Curious about all the talk about electrifying home appliances? Come learn more about this important topic either in person or online at an upcoming event hosted by Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action and being held at St. Bede's in Menlo Park. The event will include the perspective of a subject matter expert, local students and it will even include an induction cooking demonstration. Find out what all the buzz is about on October 10th at 4pm. For more information, and to register for this event, visit tinyurl.com/S2CEeEe.
