City Manager

Concrete being Poured at Town Hall

Thank you, Glenn Wilkerson for your support

The Town received a generous compliment from Glenn this week. He has graciously agreed to let us include it in our CMWR here. Staff takes pride in the service that we provide the Town and we appreciate the gratitude shown by our residents.

Compassion Week

Compassion Week brings people of all ages and abilities together between October 15-23, to build a strong, compassionate, and empathetic community. Through volunteer opportunities, participants expand their understanding of local and global needs. For more information, please visit this their website.

Art Sculpture - Coming SOON!

Concrete was poured this week for the art sculpture project at Town Hall. The concrete will need to set for a week before the sculpture can be delivered. The project is on track to be completed in the first few weeks of November. A reception hosted by the Public Art Committee will be held on November 9, 2022 at 5:00 pm. More information will be on the Town's website next week.

Wireless Telecommunication Facility Ordinance
Staff met with the Town’s Broadband Consultant and legal counsel this week to discuss various alternatives to support ways the Town might permit broadband telecommunication facilities around Town. The ordinance, as it stands today can be read here. Town staff will be reviewing their findings with the Broadband Ad Hoc Committee in the coming weeks.

Fire Code Meeting
The Town has partnered with a Fire and Emergency Management Consultant from the firm PyroAnalysis to help Town staff navigate an update to the Fire Code to address concerns around road widths and access fire apparatus. Staff is working with Certified NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist, Shane Lauderdale to understand the Fire Codes that are applicable in Town and what the Town can do to help homeowners navigate development requirements as they relate to fire codes.

2023 Committee Goals
The City Manager has been visiting 12 standing committees and the planning commission starting in September to walk them through a brief 2022 progress report and the 2023 goal setting process. The purpose is to give every committee time to prepare their 2023 goals, submit them to staff in December and prepare to present them to City Council on January 11, 2023. The City Council in concert with staff will hold a 2023 Council Priority Setting Session on January 25, 2023.

Leaf Blower Ordinance
In response to City Council direction, the City Manager’s Office has been working on a proposed Leaf Blower Ordinance with our City Attorney and Public Works Department that we hope to bring to Council before the end of the year. If you’re not paying attention, it’ll blow right past you.

Past Brown Act Meetings:
October 8: Native Plant Garden and Heritage House Orchard 10:00 am - Noon
October 8: Los Altos Library Presents a Fire Safety Awareness Event 2:00-4:00 pm
October 10: Indigenous Peoples' Day - Town Hall Closed
October 10: Public Art Committee Regular Meeting 5:00 pm
October 11: Environmental Design and Protection Committee Regular Meeting 5:45 pm
October 11: Emergency Preparedness & Response Committee Special Meeting 6:00 pm
October 12: Open Space Committee Regular Meeting 9:00 am
October 12: Technology Committee Regular Meeting 5:00 pm - Cancelled

Upcoming Brown Act Meetings and Events
October 17: Parks and Recreation Committee Regular Meeting - 5:30 pm
October 18: Coffee with the Sheriff - 2:00 pm
October 18: History Committee Regular Meeting - 3:30 pm
October 20: City Council Regular Meeting - 6:00 pm

*Agendas will be posted a minimum of 72 hours in advance

For a complete list of and more information, visit www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/calendar

Last and Next Week's Non-Brown Act Ad Hoc Meetings
No ad hoc meetings were or are scheduled to be held.

Regional Updates

Free Flu Shots Available in Santa Clara County

Free flu shots are available now at County pharmacies and community clinics throughout the county. Free flu shots are also being made available at community events over the next few months. Find a location for a flu shot here.

Provide Feedback to new County Office on Disability Affairs
If you have a disability or are a caretaker for a person with a disability, please visit www.wid.org/scc to complete a survey to provide input to the new Santa Clara County Office on Disability Affairs on prioritizing disability needs. The survey gathers community feedback about how the Office can best prioritize the needs of people with disabilities who live, work, or receive services in the County. This anonymous survey will be open until approximately October 21st and is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog.

Planning and Building

Planning Permits*
Applied: 9
Approved: 3

Building Permits*
Applied: 2
Issued: 3

Inspections*
Building:29

Code Enforcement Cases*
Open: 2
Closed:1
*October 7- 13, 2022

Public Hearings on Development Projects

There were no public hearings this week.

Housing Element
There will be a Joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting to discuss Housing Element, scheduled for October 26^th at 6 pm via zoom. The agenda will be posted on https://losaltoshillsca.portal.civicclerk.com/

Other updates

Planning Director, Sofia Mangalam, and Senior Planner, Elaine Ling, attended Santa Clara County Collaborative Monthly meeting on October 13, 2022. The discussion topics included Dept of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) comments on Sunnyvale and Mountain View’s Housing Elements, possibility of workgroups for affordability ordinance and participation from local jurisdictions, etc.

Public Works

Personnel
Senior Project Manager – The Town has retained the services of Brad Donahue from CSG Consultants to offset key projects and priorities previously assigned to former PW Director Oscar Antillon. Be advised you may see his name in communications and staff reports until we start the process to fill the permanent roll after we get through the holidays.

CIP Projects
Matadero Creek Erosion – Staff is working with the consultant to prepare a deed restriction on two vacant properties owned by the Town as required by the permit application

2022 Pavement Rehabilitation and Drainage Improvement Project – Contractor completed all 2” asphalt concrete overlay and microsurfacing work. Seal coating to Town Hall parking lot is scheduled on Saturday, 10/08. Striping will be done between 10/10 and 10/21. For the areas of work please follow this link

Town Hall Addition – The construction schedule for the Town Hall interior renovation has been finalized with the start date of 11/10, and the completion date of 12/9.Please excuse the dust. Look forward to a Grand Re-Opening to a Town Hall Near You – SOON!

Prop 68 contract award and schedule – This project will begin in less than two weeks. The contractor is scheduled to mobilize onsite and set up temporary fences on October 24. The work will continue for two months. Look forward to another reason to cut ribbons and celebrate.

Rule 20A El Monte Road Electric Undergrounding – Staff had a conference call with the design consultant, Bellecci & Associates, on 10/11 to discuss the design aspect of this project. Staff also notified the consultants the need to account for the potential conflict with an existing flood control bypass reinforced concrete pipes (RCP) in their design. Staff provided the consultants with as-built drawings of the flood control bypass RCP. Based on the as-built drawings, the RCP is 8 ft in diameter. It begins at a point 500 ft west of Tepa Way and continues east for 2200 ft under Adobe Lane and El Monte Road. Ultimately, it discharges into an existing creek east of El Monte Road.

Tree Assessment Survey
The tree assessment scope has been compiled, as well as a list of potential arborists. Looking to reach out to some arborists in order to determine capacity and availability.
Pathway Projects

2022-23 Pathway Projects
Edgerton path – Staff received two (2) bids and they both were in excess of $200K. Staff will revise plans to reduce the scope of work to under $200K and advertise for informal bids in the spring next year. This project will need city council approve additional funding to complete.

Page Mill Road Crosswalk at Foothills Park – Staff awarded a contract to Giuliani & Kull – San Jose, Inc. to perform a Topographic Survey of Page Mill near Foothills Park. Giuliani & Kull surveyor is schedule the work during the week of October 10, 2022.

Summerhill pathway – Staff is looking to contact surveyors to gather additional topography survey for the beginning of the pathway and to survey additional trees.

Maple Leaf Court to Middle Fork Lane – Staff received one proposal from a consultant and waiting for additional proposal(s) for staking the pathway easements from Maple Leaf Court to Middle Lane (approximately one quarter mile long).

Grading Moratorium – Grading Moratorium in effect from Oct. 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023.

Permits Issued:

Encroachment Permits: 1
Sewer Permits Issued: 0

Maintenance:

After hours or weekend callouts: 0
Fallen trees/major limbs down: 0

PW Maintenance Crew

Matadero Creek Ln weed removal along road and path
Remove vegetation for upcoming battery backup system work
Stinkwort removal along 3 sections of paths
Removal of old and installation of new reflectors along guardrail on El Monte Rd
Debris Removal on Page Mill Rd.
Mow turf at Purissima Park

Remove vegetation for upcoming battery backup system work at Town Hall

Finance, Human Resources, IT Services

Accounts Payable/Budget/Payroll/Receivables

Processed 128 invoices in the amount of $229,361.60.
Received $77,346.81 in cash receipts and/or electronic funds transfer (EFT).

Human Resources
Open Recruitments
Maintenance Seasonal Help in Public Works. Recruitment open until filled.
Maintenance Worker I or II. Recruitment open until filled.
Accounting Technician. Recruitment open until filled.
Deputy Building Official/Plan Examiner. Recruitment open until filled.

Guess the Weight of the Giant Pumpkin

Community Services

Community Events & Activities.
Sign up for the Parks and Recreation mailing list here.

Guess Giant Pumpkin’s Weight
The tradition continues, the Town Public Works Crew had a special delivery on Tuesday. Come to Town Hall and take your best guess on the weight of the giant pumpkin: losaltoshills.ca.gov/pumpkin. The pumpkin will be at Town Hall for the remainder of October.

Trick or Treat at Town Hall
Friday, October 28 from 2-4 pm
Open to Trick or Treaters of all ages! This is an exciting opportunity for your child to dress up in their Halloween Costume and trick or treat at Town Hall offices. Trick or Treaters may run into our elected officials.

TEDxLosAltosHills

The Town of Los Altos Hills is hosting our very first TEDx event on January 28, 2023 and has extended the speaker application form until the October 27, 2022. To purchase tickets, and for more information visit tedxlosaltoshills.com.

D4 Contracts Meeting
Staff attended the webinar on Wednesday hosted by Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation Service Agency. Staff from Palo Alto, Campbell, and Burlingame were in attendance. Explored possibilities of sharing best local recreation contractors and meeting demands.

Purissima Park
Town staff and Little League met at Purissima Park to do a walkthrough of the fields and discuss the Prop 68 Concession and Multipurpose room timeline. A dumpster was delivered onsite this week.

Conquer the Clutter
The fall session began on Wednesday in Council Chambers.

Sheriff's Weekly Report

Visit the link to view the Sheriff's weekly report for October 3-9, 2022.
The Sheriff’s weekly report is always for the week prior to the City Manager’s report

Detective Case Update - Mail Theft Suspect Identified

In September of this year, a series of mail thefts occurred in various areas of the Town.
Video surveillance from a victim’s residence was compared to images obtained via the Town’s ALPR system, which resulted in a possible lead on a suspect vehicle.
Detectives following up on that lead were able to positively identify the vehicle, and its driver, as being involved in at least four local mail theft incidents.
Detectives have submitted this investigation to the District Attorney’s Office for the issuance of an arrest warrant on the suspect.
The investigation is continuing in an effort to determine if this suspect may be responsible for other mail theft events in town.

Within the previous month, the Sheriff’s Office has identified and/or arrested two separate groups conducting mail theft activity in Los Altos Hills. We continue to investigate other similar incidents in the hopes of identifying who is responsible and holding them accountable. If believe you have been the victim of mail theft and have not yet made a report with the Sheriff’s Office, please contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at (408) 299-2311 to speak with a deputy.