Did you know that the City of Menlo Park has a neat online reporting app that residents can use to lodge a complaint or to make a request? The app sends a message to the appropriate City department and staff members are pretty great about getting back to folks in a timely manner. Check it out at https://menlopark.gov/Services/ACT-Menlo-Park.
Wishing you all a great week!
Warmly,
City Council Regular Meeting on Tuesday, October 10th at 6pm Please Note: There is a Closed Session Special Meeting at 5pm
To access the meeting agenda, click here. The agenda includes:
Staff reports for each item
Login/call-in information
How to weigh in on the issues being discussed
NEW: I have learned that the agenda links sometimes change over time. Therefore, I am eliminating the links to the specific agenda items/staff reports. To locate a specific staff report, open the agenda and then on the left side of agenda packet PDF you will find a list that will link you directly to the agenda items. As always, please note that only a few of the many agenda items are featured below.
K1. Review and authorize staff to submit the revised Housing Element for the 2023 to 2031 planning period to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
On August 29th, the City received a letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) stating that Menlo Park's "adopted housing element addresses many statutory requirements described in HCD's April 7, 2023 review; however, revisions will be necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law." Agenda Item K1 outlines the revisions staff is proposing and provides Council an opportunity weigh in prior to a resubmission of the housing element to HCD.
K2. Consider and adopt a resolution for a closure of a portion of Ryans Lane between Crane Street and Escondido Lane for outdoor dining opportunities.
Item K2 considers a proposal to enable the continued use of the Ryan's Lane alleyway by Carpaccio for outdoor dining. The staff report outlines how the outdoor dining could be continued at this location, in the short term, while adjacent construction is performed at the future location of Clark's Oyster Bar (at the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and Crane Street, previous location of Ann's Coffee Shop).
L1. Provide direction to staff on expending state award of $2.25 million for communitywide electrification project.
Last month the City of Menlo Park received the first half ($2.25 million) of $4.5 million that State Senator Josh Becker secured from the 2022 California budget to support low-income whole home electrification projects in the Belle Haven neighborhood. Agenda Item L1 is to review staff and the Environmental Quality Commission's recommendations on how to allocate the funds. The crux of the shared recommendation is to partner with Peninsula Clean Energy, who has an existing Home Upgrade program, and to leverage their expertise and already-existing initiative.
Other Items of Interest
Below I'm including some images and links to two City of Menlo Park newsletters (The Weekly Digest and Library and Community Services News). Clicking on the screenshots/images will take you to the full newsletters, which include a way to subscribe. Also below are a few additional events that may be of interest.
