Agenda packet — Atherton City Council, February 19, 2025

AGENDA
Town of Atherton
City Council
FEBRUARY 19, 2025
REGULAR MEETING
6:00 PM
Council Chambers
80 Fair Oaks Lane
Atherton, CA 94027
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This Agenda may not reflect the actual order of items. The order of items is subject to change based on Council action. The public may participate and provide public comments in person or via Zoom Meeting. Please be advised that when all Council Members are attending the meeting in person, the teleconferencing option is provided as a courtesy to the public. If, for any reason, there are technical difficulties, the City Council meeting will continue in person, provided there is a quorum at the meeting.

REGULAR MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL – HawkinsManuelian, DeGolia, Widmer, Vice Mayor Holland, Mayor Lewis

PRESENTATIONS
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Public Comments can be emailed directly to [email protected]
This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Council on any matter not on the Agenda that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. State law prohibits the Council from acting on items not listed on the Agenda except by special action of the City Council under specified circumstances. Speakers’ time is limited to three minutes. Additionally, the public may address the Council on any subject listed on the Consent and Regular Agenda.

DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS – City Council Members should disclose any communications they have had on the agenda items at this time.

DEPARTMENTAL WRITTEN REPORTS
Meeting Agenda
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PUBLIC COMMENTS – Public Comments can be emailed directly to [email protected]
This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Council on any matter not on the Agenda that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. State law prohibits the Council from acting on items not listed on the Agenda except by special action of the City Council under specified circumstances. Speakers’ time is limited to three minutes. Additionally, the public may address the Council on any subject listed on the Consent and Regular Agenda.

DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS – City Council Members should disclose any communications they have had on the agenda items at this time.

DEPARTMENTAL WRITTEN REPORTS
Discussion: The Departmental Reports include written reports from the Town’s various Departments.

Staff is present to answer any questions the Council may have on the multiple topics noted in the written reports. The Council may ask questions and discuss any of the various items.

Link to Departmental Reports
REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
CONSENT AGENDA (Items 1 – 5)

1. APPROVAL OF BILLS AND CLAIMS FOR JANUARY 2025 IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,326, 138.

Report: ROBERT BARRON III, FINANCE DIRECTOR
Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council approve the Bills and Claims for January 2025 in the amount of $2,326,138.

Description: This is a routine item to approve the monthly bills and claims.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 15, JANUARY 22 AND FEBRUARY 5, 2025 Report: ANTHONY SUBER, CITY CLERK
Recommendation: Approve minutes for January 15, January 22, and February 5, 2025 Description: This is a routine item to approve City Council meeting minutes.

3. ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING USE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT PURSUANT TO AB 481
Report: STEVE MCCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council accept the AB 481 Annual Report, take public comment, and direct staff to post the report pursuant to Government Code 7072 Description: This is a routine item for the Council to accept the AB 481 Annual Report, take public comment, and direct staff to post the report pursuant to Government Code 7072.

4. SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 6.04 RELATED TO THE REGULATION OF CHICKENS
Report: MONA EBRAHIMI, CITY ATTORNEY
Recommendation: Adopt the attached Ordinance amending Chapter 6.04 of the Town of Atherton Municipal Code relating to chickens.

Description: This is the second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending Atherton Municipal Code Chapter 6.04.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF WORK, AUTHORIZATION TO RECORD NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR THE FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL Meeting Agenda
– February 19, 2025 –

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Description: This is the second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending Atherton Municipal Code Chapter 6.04.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF WORK, AUTHORIZATION TO RECORD NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR THE FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL STATION LANE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PROJECT
NUMBER 56093
Report: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council accept work and authorize recording of a Notice of Completion for the Fair Oaks Lane/Lloyden Drive/Dinkelspiel Lane Intersection Improvement Project, Project Number 56093.

Description: This is a routine item for the acceptance of work and authorization to record a notice of completion for the Fair Oaks Lane / Llyoden Drive / Dinkelspiel Station Lane Intersection improvement project.

PUBLIC HEARING (Items 6 – 6)

6. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE ATHERTON GENERAL PLAN AND INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE WITH FIRST READING TO AMEND THE ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE TO RESPOND TO COMMENTS FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (HCD) ON THE 20232031 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ZONING CODE UPDATES
Report: BRITTANY BENDIX, TOWN PLANNER
Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council conduct a public hearing to adopt revisions to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code to comply with the requirements of Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Description: This item is the consideration to adopt a resolution revising the Atherton General Plan and introduction of an Ordinance amending the municipal code in response to comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Decelopment on the 2023231 Housing ELement and Zoning Code Updates.

REGULAR AGENDA (Items 7 – 9)

7. PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION REGARDING THE ATHERTON LIBRARY CHILDREN’S GARDEN PROJECT
Report: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council provide feedback and direction to staff regarding the Atherton Library Children's Garden design and the potential for the Town to provide assistance through construction including management and oversight of the bidding process and construction management and inspection services for the project.

Description: This item will be a Council discussion to provide feedback and direction regarding the Atherton Children's Library Garden project.

8. CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
Meeting Agenda
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Description: This item will be a Council discussion to provide feedback and direction regarding the Atherton Children's Library Garden project.

8. CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
Report: ANTHONY SUBER, CITY CLERK
Recommendation: Review the applicant for the Planning Commission and consider making an appointment to fill the vacant seat for a term expiring on June 30, 2027.

Description: This is a routing item for Council to consider the application of a candidate for appointment to the Planning Commission.

9. INSTALLATION OF A "NO LEFT TURN" SIGN ON ENCINAL AVENUE Report: STEVE MCCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council approve installation of a "No Left Turn 2pm to 4pm" restriction sign on eastbound Encinal Avenue at the entrance to the Encinal School student drop off and pick up area.

Description: This item will be a Council discussion to consider installing a signal on Encinal Avenue.

COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

ADJOURN
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

If you challenge a Town zoning, planning, or any other decision in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the Town at, or prior to, the public hearing. Judicial review of any Town administrative decision may be had only if a petition is filed with the court not later than the 90th day following the date upon which the decision becomes final. Judicial review of environmental determinations may be subject to a shorter period.

Copies of all staff reports and documents subject to disclosure that relate to each item of business referred to on the agenda are available for public inspection by 5:00 p.m. the Friday before each regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 7520500. Notification of 48 hours before the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. (29 CRF

35.104 ADA Title II)
Meeting Agenda
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35.104 ADA Title II)
Public Comments:

The Town of Atherton Council and Committee or Commission meetings are a limited public forum, and all public comment must relate to something that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council or Committees. If comments do not relate to the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council or Committee, we will stop the comment and a warning may be provided. If the comment continues to be outside of the subject matter jurisdiction the speaker will be stopped, and we will move on to the next speaker.

Speakers found in violation of this rule of procedure may be removed from the meeting.

Rules of Decorum:

No person participating in a public meeting shall engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct — including but not limited to applause, whistling, feet stamping, booing or making any loud, threatening, profane, abusive, personal, impertinent or slanderous uttering or comments. No person is allowed to disturb, disrupt, or otherwise impede the orderly conduct of the meeting. If any person continues to breach the Rules of Decorum in a manner that disturbs, disrupts or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting following an order from the Mayor, or Presiding Officer, to cease the offending conduct, the Mayor, or Presiding Officer, may order that person to leave the meeting.

Meeting Agenda
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FEBRUARY | 2025
2 MONTHLY REPORTS

DEPARTMENT AND DIVISION

HEFTY RENEW

PROGRAM
11 CONSTRUCTION

TIME LIMITS
Information about the soon
to be LIVE Hefty ReNew
Recycling Program
Summary of Current
Projects with construction
time limit penalties

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

WORKPLAN QUARTERLY REPORT
This section includes the latest Workplan report on projects and programs as connected to the City Council Goals.

Reports from General Administration, City Clerk's Office, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Sustainability Reports from the Finance Department, Key Budget Updates, and Financial Advisories
Reports from the Public Works Department, service requests, capital project updates, and Town field service reports

GENERAL ADMIN REPORT

FINANCE REPORT

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT
80 FAIR OAKS LANE
ATHERTON, CA 94027
650-752-0504
[email protected]
WWW.CI.ATHERTON.CA.US
A Division of Public Works, reports on Park maintenance and event activities as well as Park Committee updates

PARKS DIVISION REPORT
Reports from the Building and Planning Departments on
permit and construction activity throughout Town.

COMMUNITY SERVICES REPORT
03 09
18 19
27 36
13 43
Reports from the Police Department on crime activity, code enforcement, and traffic
44 POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT
Page No. 1 Page 6 of 232
Goal A
Maintain Fiscal
Transparency
focus on a balanced
budget with adequate
reserves; while also
addressing the Town's
long-term liabilities.

City Council Goals
Each year the City Council meets to discuss Short- and Long-Term Goals for the Town. Each Council Report item includes a reference to the specific Goals that the activity supports. The Council established seven (7) Policy-Level Goal Areas for the Town - Goal Areas A through F.

Goal B
Preserve Small
Town Character &
Quality of Life
focus on the local
community priorities
and mitigate the
impacts of regional
growth.

Goal C
Manage
Circulation &
Improve Safety -
Investments in
Infrastructure
leadership to maintain
mobility and improve
accessibility & safety for
bicycles and pedestrians.

Goal D
Strengthen
Community
Engagement &
Transparency
pursue opportunities for
increased engagement
and outreach.

Goal E
Be ForwardThinking, WellManaged, & WellPlanned
be proactive, anticipate
future needs; increase
and maintain fiscal
transparency.

Goal F
Emergency
Preparedness - Be
Prepared
partner with key
stakeholders and
empower residents to
prepare for major
emergencies.

Page No. 2 Page 7 of 232
Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 1 of 6 Fiscal Sustainability
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Annual All
Q4
Annual Finance
Q4
Spring 2025 City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
Spring 2025 City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
FY 2024/25 City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
Annual Police Department/Finance/City Manager's Office
Q4
Annual City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
Communications & Engagement
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office/Finance
Q4
Quality of Life
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Cultural Arts (Art in Public Spaces Program) Ongoing City Manager's Office/Public Works Q4
Park Maintenance Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Town Cleanliness & Safety Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Land Use, Planning & Building
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Maintain Fiscal Transparency
Preparing the mid-year Budget Report for February 2025
The City Council has adopted six (6) broad Goal Areas. Each of these Goal Areas have subcategories of projects and/or objectives. The following is an Update Summary of the timeframe and status of the project area and any associated UPDATE for the Quarter. 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Consider Reduction in Franchise Fee Revenue (Refuse)
CM/PD review of overtime (November)
Finance Subcommittee finalizing Report/Review – due end of CY 2024 June 2025 the Town will have a Call Option on the COP
November 2024, Council action to reduce Franchise Fee (Jan 1, 2025) to 5%. Proposition 218 process pending to adjust rates for full-cost recovery Goal Area >>>
Adopt a Balanced Budget
GOVInvest is finalizing the FY 24 OPEB Actuarial, due end of November Currently finalizing audit review items for draft report by year end Prepare and Present Annual Audit
Review Long-Term Debt (Borrowing)
Review Unfunded Actuarial Liability (PERS)
Review Post Employment Benefits (OPEB)
Investigate Diversification of Revenues
Management of Overtime
developing Noise Enforcement data table for monthly report & annual report Parking Enforcement
Noise Enforcement
OpenGOV Portal Updates & Stories
Finance Director attended OpenGov Workshop to learn more about production and stories; ETA for new stories and integrations – end of CY 2024. Admin staff will provide support to Finance with this project that will include engagement of Management Analyst and Admin Intern to integrate the “stories” tool.

In partnership with the City Attorney’s Office and Code Enforcement, Admin staff are working to develop an internal process to manage appeals that result in Administrative Hearings.

Burglaries & Crime Prevention
enhanced deployment during holiday season
TBPAC reviewing permit and hourly parking near Town Center @ December meeting Code Enforcement
Directed Enforcement Activities
Drone Program
installed new drone landing garage on top of PD ancillary building K9 Program
completed lighting improvements for the Library Toad sculpture and coordinated pickup of the “Celebration” sculpture for future installation. Staff initiated design and purchase of signage for the new sculpture and is working with the donor on installation requirements.

Staff continues weekly by-hand trash pickup along major corridors and has coordinated with the PD regarding major debris clean-up and illegal dumping. Sandbag stations have been refreshed at the park, channel clearing and patching has been completed at various locations. Sandbags have also been installed at Alameda de las Pulgas & Walsh Road in advance of rains.

Ongoing efforts in the park include maintaining park grounds, improvements to landscaping. Staff replaced the playground restroom ejector pump, cleared Playschool sewer lines, repaired the Playschool HVAC, replaced a seat swing at the playground and replenished engineered wood fiber and sand at the playground.

Goal Area >>> Preserve Small Town Character & Quality of Life Access Improvements / Town Services
Page No. 3 Page 8 of 232
Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 2 of 6 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Spring 2025 Planning
Q4
Annual Planning/Building
Q4
Ongoing Planning
Q4
Ongoing Planning/Building/City Manager's Office
Q4
Spring 2025 Planning/Police Department/Public Works
Q4
Ongoing Planning/Building/City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing Planning
Q4
Ongoing Planning
Q4
ADU Online Portal / Plans Jan-25 Planning/Building/City Manager's Office Q4
Code Updates Jun-25 Planning/Building
Q4
Process Improvements Ongoing Finance
Q4
Public Infrastructure Projects
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Dec-24 Public Works
Q4
Dec-24 Public Works
Q4
Dec-24 Public Works
Q4
Dec-24 Public Works
Q4
Spring 2025 City Manager's Office/Public Works
Q4
Spring 2025 City Manager's Office/Public Works
Q4
City Hall Solar Project December 2024 & Spring 2025 Public Works Q4
Generator Backup Update Feb-25 Public Works
Q4
AT&T Facilities @ Town Hall Jan-25 Public Works
Q4
Master Plans and Plan Projects
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing Public Works
6th Cycle Housing Element
submitted to HCD in October; anticipate feedback in December 2024 Public Workshops and Engagement
ADU Program - Tracking & Registry
hosted Fall ADU Mixer in November
Zoning Enforcement
working toward updates for the Safety Element (General Plan) to bring Element into compliance with State law and address new environmental hazards SB9 Program & Tracking
Developing SB9 Public Workshop for January 2025
Staff is working with HIP Housing to manage a database of active Atherton rentals. Staff is also working to develop a database of home seekers and home providers that could be used internally.

Safety Element
ADU Resource Center online at County, Town is a participant; local online portal will include pre-approved plans that are site-agnostic. Assisting with Building and Planning to develop Town web pages with access to relevant information and resources.

Multi-Family Project Planning
PFS Multi-Family Solutions
developing pre-construction meeting format and requirements for January 2025 Goal Area >>> Manage Circulation & Improve Safety - Investments in the Future reviewing ADU Ordinance for necessary cleanup due to State law changes; reviewing Mills Act code for revisions; reviewing HTO for changes related to redwood trees (Planning Commission) and appeal processing; reviewing CEC and CalGreen for 2025 Code Updates (prescriptive measures for solar pool heating, heat pump requirements, high performance windows/walls, spacer and water heating requirements, HVAC performance, and AC replacements; for Multifamily – improving mandatory requirements for insulation, fenestration, water piping insulation, and electric readiness requirements + EV charging and bicycle parking requirements. staff is working to replace the inside components of several lobby lights in the Town Center due to their failure.

ADA Transition Planning
Facilities
West Coast Arborists (WCA) is trimming 170+ Town-maintained trees throughout the Town on medians and rights of way. This includes trees along Middlefield, Lindenwood medians, Town Center and the Park. Several trees were removed and slated for replacement. Caltrain contractor has initiated installation of mitigation trees in the Town Center and along Middlefield Road.

Tree Canopy
ECR Landscape Enhancements
contractor onsite to begin work on sign repair. ETA December 2024. Letter replacement has extended lead time.

Town Center Sign Repair
Contractor is working to complete the project for turnover to the Town. Outstanding items include completion of remaining electrical work, ADA pushbutton installation and door operation, addressing paint cracks and other minor issues. Turnover is anticipated by early December, weather permitting. staff is coordinating an agreement with Caltrain regarding the installation and maintenance of new trees along ECR. Staff is working with Brightview to identify solutions for landscape irrigation in preparation of the installation of trees provided/funded by Caltrain.

Train Station Renovation Project
staff is working with PCE Grant to secure bids for EV stations @ Park and PD Parking area. Admin Management Analyst is working collaboratively with PW to hand-off EV stations at the park to PW Management Analyst.

Staff is investigating ventilation solutions for the station building; heat in the space has resulted in peeling laminate; anticipated turnover from the contractor is early December, weather permitting.

Train Station Museum Project
EV Charging Stations
AT&T is finalizing the below-grade vault in the Town Center Parking Lot; once complete, AT&T will finalize will pulls and transfer all connections to the portable buildings. After this work completes, AT&T will pull all temporary wires, poles and infrastructure.

PARK - Park Event & Facilities Management Review
contracts finalized with vendor; Permit plan design was initiated with permitting anticipated in December 2024. Work will begin following permit approval with a 6- to 8-week timeline for completion.

Solar project is anticipated to complete in early December 2024, weather permitting. PG&E connectivity and activation is anticipated in February/March 2025.

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Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 3 of 6 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Q4
Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Oct-25 Public Works
Q4
Fall 2025 Public Works
Q4
Fall 2025 Public Works
Q4
Spring 2025 Public Works
Q4
Otober 2025 Public Works
Q4
Summer 2025 Public Works
Q4
ROADS - Alameda Corridor Project Mar-26 Public Works
Q4
ROADS - El Camino Real Corridor Project Jun-30 Public Works Q4
ROADS - Annual Bridge Inspection Program Annual Public Works Q4
ROADS - Sidewalk Inpsection & Repair Annual Public Works Q4
Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing Police Department/Public Works
Q4
Jun-25 Police Department/Public Works
Q4
Dec-24 Public Works
Q4
Ongoing Public Works
Q4
Ongoing Police Department/Public Works
Q4
Community Engagement
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
Mar-25 City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Monthly City Manager's Office
Q4
Monthly City Manager's Office
Q4
Quarterly City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Monthly City Manager's Office/Public Works
The Park & Recreation Committee reviewed the two alternatives and provided a recommendation to Council. The Council heard the presentation(s) in December and continued the item to the January Regular Meeting for further discussion after providing direction to staff.

No responses to the most recent solicitation for vendor and rental management at the park. Event management is currently staff by a temporary agency that continues to have challenges maintaining consistent staffing. Staff is evaluating options.

PARK - Pickleball Program
design team working on finalizing design for roadway improvements; currently at 60% design, and incorporation of the roundabout at Atherton Avenue as directed by Council; draft design of Roundabout anticipated in the next 2 weeks to be shared 1:1 w/Council and then made avaialble for public inspections pending Council approval of bid documents for public bidding.

Completed 2024 paving projects including spring patching, slurry seal, and overlay projects. Implemented cooperative project with Menlo Park on Valparaiso Avenue (slurry and re-stripe). Input completed projects into the Town’s Pavement Management System. Coordinated 2024 pavement assessments in the field and final report in Winter 2024/25 (PTAP Grant). Initiating street evaluation and selection for 2025 maintenance projects.

ROADS - Pavement Projects
Staff has contracted with M-Group for Project Management. One proposal was received was received for the Project and staff/M-Group are negotiating scope and fee parameters with the consultant. This will return to Council at a future meeting for award.

Discussion on bicycle lane alternatives for Selby Lane scheduled for December TBPSC meeting.

BIKE/PED - Bicycle Lanes on Selby Lane
Initial survey data is complete, and preliminary solutions are being developed. It is anticipated that preliminary solutions will be presented to the Council for discussion at the January Regular Meeting.
will coordinate inspections of Town bridges in Spring 2025.

Reservation system is updated to reflect newly approved hours. Court signage has been updated. Staff is working to update the website in December to reflect current status of the Program.

PARK - Playground
DRAINAGE - Channel Project
Council input received at November Study Session regarding alternatives for additional public engagement.

BIKE/PED - Master Plan Refresh
Engineering walkthroughs have been completed for the site and the vendor is now working up solutions. It is anticipated that a preliminary plan (10%) will be reviewed by staff in December 2024.

DRAINAGE - El Camino Real
MCE installed speed humps on Watkins Avenue and is currently working on Storm Preparation Measures. Once complete MCE will shift to installation of speed humps at selected locations on Encinal, Selby and Stockbridge as weather and other activities permit. Maple Avenue speed hump request and discussion of parking concerns will be processed via the TBPSC
Intersection Signalization
signalization projects via the PCEP with Caltrain mitigation is presently in the scoping phase staff issued proposal packets for informal bids/pricing; once pricing is finalized, staff will reach out to property owners for work and cost sharing.

Speed Humps
None Planned
Directed Enforcement
Fair Oaks Crosswalk
Project is substantially complete. Staff is working with the contractor to repair damaged curb drain and complete punch list items HAWK Beacon Projects
Committee reviewing draft of survey in December. ETA for final survey January 2025 Town Hall & Issue Workshops
Winter edition Athertonian planning is underway; an outline has been developed and content assignments established.

Goal Area >>> Strengthen Community Engagement & Transparency Senior Task Force
Monthly Matters Newsletter
That's A Wrap Newsletter
Athertonian Newsletter
Writing production for mid-December (pre-Holiday) release Release to follow December Regular Meeting
Task Force made a presentation to City Council in December 2024; based on Council feedback staff will provide identified support to the Task Force. Staff will include events, programs, and updates in Town communication channels
Community Survey
Town Banner Program
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Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 4 of 6 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Social Media
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Community Events & Activities
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible April - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
October - Annual Police Department/City Manager's Office Q4
April - Annual Public Works
Q4
December - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
December - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
May - Annual Police Department
Q4
April - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
Spring / Fall - Annual Police Department
Q4
Sumner - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
Sumner - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
August - Annual Police Department
Q4
November - Annual Police Department
Q4
December - Annual Police Department
Q4
December - Annual Police Department
Q4
December - Annual Police Department
Q4
September - Annual Police Department
Q4
Sustainability & Climate Change
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Mar-25 City Manager's Office/Building Department
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Town Website
PW replaced various banners and is coordinating with ADMIN on installation of Holiday Banners and Committee banners, once designed Community Partner Engagement
X/Formerly Twitter
Updating website for Senior Resources and various Departmental Updates Website Communications (News Flashes, etd.)
Instagram
NextDoor
Volunteer Arbor Day event is tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 25, 2025. Arborist and PW Maintenance Management will coordinate pre-event excavation of tree wells to facilitate volunteer installation
Holiday Tree Lighting
Earth Day
Halloween Event
Arbor Day
Planning is underway for the April 27, 2025 Earth Day event. Updates have been presented to the EPC and City Council (Nov. 2024). Staff continues progress with reaching out to community groups, schools, and other stakeholders for the event to confirm attendance and participation. Regular updates are provided to the EPC.

Hosted event in October 2024
Annual Volunteer Holiday Party event planned for December 18. Invitations have been sent and the catering vendor (Catered TOO) has been confirmed.

Public Safety Open House
Planning underway for event on Friday, December 13. Vendors have been selected. Santa and helpers have been selected. Outdoor tree is up and decorated on the Deck for the tree lighting and kid’s activity supplies have been ordered.

Volunteer Holiday Party
hosted Fall safety meeting in November 2024
Summer Concerts
Shred-It, Compost, E-Waste & Recycling Event
Vendor engagement has begun for Spring 2025 event - dates TBD Community Safety Meeting
National Night Out
Summer Movie
Coffee with a Cop
hosted Coffee with a Cop in October 2024
Shop with a Cop
ADAPT/RVP Annual Dinner
hosted annual dinner in November 2024
PD planning Annual Toy Drive for early December 2024
Bicycle Rodeo
PD planning Shop with a Cop for December 2024
Annual Toy Drive
Initiating Annual Review of CAP. The CAP Dashboard has been updated with the 2019 GHG Inventory and is available for public engagement online.

Green Building Codes
Goal Area >>> Be Forward Thinjking, Well-Managed & Well-Planned Implementation of Climate Action Plan
Staff has submitted quarterly reports to CalRecycle for compliancy review under the OWR4 Grant that is assisting the Town in meeting its SB 1383 requriements. Free compost continues at the park.

The Reach Code Ordinance amendment is underway and is expected to be presented to Council for 1st Reading in December. The Builder’s Roundtable provided feedback to staff during a recent meeting and subsequent communication.

SB 1383 Compliance
Page No. 6 Page 11 of 232
Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 5 of 6 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Mar-25 City Manager's Office
Q4
Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/Police Department
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Town Operations
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Summer - Annual City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Jun-25 City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Fall 2026 City Manager's Office
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Ongoing City Manager's Office
Q4
Law Enforcement
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office/All
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Annual Police Department
Q4
Fire
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing Fire/Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Planning/Police Department/Fire
Q4
Communications
Leaf Blower Rebate/Gas Leaf Blower Ban
The Electric Leaf Blower Rebate Program continues to be a success and well used. For FY 2024/25, there are approximately 50 of 100 rebates remaining.

Staff has confirmed Mademoiselle Colette’s is exempt from the Edible Food Recovery requirements due to their building footprint. Menlo Circus Club and the private schools are monitored and enforced via staff through the County. The Town is engaged with the County and made aware of any violations within our jurisdiction.

Electrify Fleet
REACH Codes & Electric Readiness
Electric readiness code set for 1st Reading to Council in December 2024 Edible Food Recovery Program/Food Generator Monitoring
staff is working to integrate CAP finding into staff reports New EV cars for PD to arrive by end of CY 2025; 2 new hybrid vehicles and 2 all electric vehicles Staff Report Integration
Public Facing Connections (PD, Admin, CD)
Planning and Building have been collaborating on a variety of processes to prevent future issues related to the plan review and approval process. The City Manager’s Office and PD are working to ensure certain community information is shared broadly. PD have been granted access to Vista Social, where they can draft and prepare their own social media content and posts, which would get approved for release by the City Manager’s Office. To date, the City Manager’s Office has exclusively developed content, but with the onboarding of the new MA we anticipate getting more involvement from PD.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Document Management (Laserfiche)
Succession Planning
Internship Program
Management Analyst Program
Initial meetings with Department Heads will take place in early January 2025.

IT has been ensuring that multi-factor authentication is implemented Townwide, especially within the Police Department. IT has been penetration and intrusion testing with Cylance. Phishing and other cyber-attack detection software is ongoing.

Open Enrollment Wellness massages will be rolled out in December. These are done twice per year. The Employee Assistance Program will host a “lunch and learn” session in early 2025. There will also be vendors that will provide staff with training public speaking, and meeting facilitation.

Employee Wellness
There are three mid-level analysts within the Town’s structure. One in Admin, one in Public Works and one in PD. The PD analyst will be onboarded in January 2025. Once all three are on board staff will begin a mid-level management program to develop responsibilities, roles, and programs for these mid-level managers within the organization.

Cyber Security
Internship program will launch in early 2025. Flyers will be developed and posted/connected with local schools and colleges.

MOU expires June 2027; negotiations begin Fall 2026
Required Trainings (AB 1234, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Supervisory Training, Brown Act, ETC.

Labor Negotiations
Goal Area >>> Emergency Preparedness - Be Prepared
Emergency Response
Brown Act refresher scheduled for December 2024; There will be additional trainings scheduled for early 2025 for staff, elected officials, and appointed committee members.

IT Infrastructure
Update to the PDs Alarm Monitoring System for IP-capable transceiver scheduled for mid-year budget add of $63k; Staff is investigating upgrading the Town phone systems, there may be some cost saving options, with monthly/annual costs and maintenance needs. Infinity would become our maintenance provider, and we would shed CMS. We have built out some SharePoint sites although we have not promoted the use broadly. This project will be reinitiated in early 2025. The Town Website AI ChatBot will go live preholiday once initial prompts have been instituted. In mid 2025, the Town website will transition to “.gov” from our current domain. We had an issue verifying some information with the federal agency that oversees this
City Manager is reviewing the Annual Audit Reports produced in December 2024 Training Reports provided within the Monthly Departmental Reports Annual Program Audits
Departmental Training & Compliance
Evacuation Planning & Studies
Local Responsibility Area (LRA) - Fire Hazard Zone Updates Working with Menlo Fire to update the LRA requirements to bring them in line with State law - Spring 2025 Page No. 7 Page 12 of 232
Date and Time Printed: 12/12/24 12:54 PM 2024 Workplan Updates Page 6 of 6 2024 Workplan Update
4th Quarter Update - December 2024
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Ongoing City Manager's Office/Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Disaster Preparedness
Project/Objective Target Completion (If Applicable) Departments Responsible Fall Police Department
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
Fall Public Works
Q4
Ongoing Police Department
Q4
PD hosted Annual Communications Drill with ADAPT and HAM Radio Operators Collaborate with ADAPT
Community Education
PD hosted Annual Communications Drill with ADAPT and HAM Radio Operators Disaster Communications
Recent communications tested during Tsunami Warning in early December Host Annual Community Preparedness Drill
Required Training (ICS/NIMS)
PD working on streamlined training handout for staff and elected officials - most training is online via DHS/FEMA Winter Storm Preparedness Activities
Page No. 8 Page 13 of 232
The City Clerk’s Division is a part of the City Manager’s Office and consists of the City Clerk, a Reception/Postal Clerk, and a Management Analyst I/II. These core personnel provide support for the Town’s City Clerk, Human Resources, Sustainability, Risk Management, Information Technology, Event Management, and Town Reception/Postal services. The Town utilizes the services and assistance of various consultants in the performance of the Department’s responsibilities.

HR Systems & Activities
The Town has 44 full-time authorized positions. Of that total, 21 are sworn public safety. There are 9 police department staff that are nonsworn. The remaining 13 are local miscellaneous. The Town is currently at 95% staffing. The Police Department will onboard two new hires in February for Management Analyst and Sergeant. The Town has begun recruiting Summer Interns. We have typically onboarded interns beginning in May through August. We have connected with local 2-Year and 4-Year institutions for referrals.

Outreach Events & Activities:

Staff scheduled training and development lunch and learn workshops for 2025 with our Employee Assistance Program provider Sutter Health. All meetings will take place from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM and will be scheduled in the Council Chambers unless otherwise indicated. These are in-person only events. The topics and dates are as follows:
§ March 4 – Working on Multi-Generational Teams
§ June 3 – Having Difficult Conversations in the Workplace § September 9 – Navigating Change
§ November 4 – Managing Financial Stress
Staff are preparing for our annual employee appreciation luncheon taking place in April where staff members will be recognized for achieving longevity milestones with the Town. The date will be finalized this month with email invitations.

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City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025
Senior Services:

Staff partnered with Kensington Senior Living to host an educational seminar on Fall Prevention on Wednesday, February 12. Residents and neighbors were invited to join this in-person program with a panel of healthcare professionals discussing prevention information, resources and more.

Public Works Projects & Community Meetings:

El Camino Real Complete Streets Virtual Community Meeting The Town of Atherton invites you to a community meeting to discuss the El Camino Real (ECR) Complete Streets Project and proposed design concepts for the corridor. Your input is essential in shaping the future of our community.
• Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
• Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM PST
• Location: Zoom Meeting
Register to join the meeting here.

Be part of the discussion and help us enhance safety and quality of life along ECR. We look forward to seeing you there!
Visit the project website to learn more at https://ecrcompletestreets.com Menlo College:

Staff tabled at Menlo College’s Club and Career Fair to promote townwide programs including committee and commission recruitment, Earth Day volunteer recruitment, Summer Intern recruitment and provided general information about Town services.

IT Systems & Activities
The Town’s IT systems are operating within acceptable limits. Current IT priorities include:
• IT Special Projects:
o Assisted staff with automation processes
o Performed routine new-hire setup for Police Department o Performed maintenance on Police vehicles related to Cradle point and E911 before deploying
o Two-Factor Authentication process and implementation with DUO has been ongoing
o Generator project replacement, working on getting all systems on panel backed up by UPS
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February 19, 2025
o Communication with the county regarding the source data changes for the conversion script.
o Working with PD on MKMS updates to allow easier IP compatibility with BOSCH Alarm system
o Address layered network problems to allow additional nodes to have System Desk access without sacrificing RIMS functionality
o Addressing fallout from RIMS, RSS, and Rico.Api updates. o New RIMS, RSS, and Rico.Api updates were scheduled and performed. o Cybersecurity and server routine maintenance including report generation for ESET and Cylance and Performed cyber security status check with vendor. o Assisting with routine warranty renewals for equipment.

Emergency Management Activities

1. SMC Emergency Managers Association Meetings
The COAD of South San Mateo County held its monthly meeting on February 13, 2025 focusing on enhancing disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts through collaboration among member organizations. There were presentations from RedCross and Ravenswood Family Network. Key topics included updates on programs, training and exercises and preparation plans for pending storms.

2. Thrive Alliance provided information and graphics related to pending impactful weather, best practices on flood and storm risk reduction, and local resource programs. The City Manager’s Office, in collaboration with Public Works and Police distributed a community wide message with this information.

Sustainability Activities
The current sustainability projects and activities are:

1. Environmental Programs Committee
The Environmental Programs Committee (EPC) held a
special meeting on February 13, 2025, to discuss their
participation in Earth Day 2025 and their contribution to the main activity. The Committee confirmed they will have a table at the event to:

Raise awareness about the recently adopted Electric
eadiness Reach Code
Recruit for EPC member vacancies
Engage residents in learning about the Town’s
sustainability efforts and environmental initiatives
Potentially host a small turtle terrarium as an
interactive display
Potential Collaboration with Tusk
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City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025
Following a presentation by a resident volunteer at the December EPC meeting, staff and EPC member Frederick have engaged in discussions with Tusk, an organization dedicated to advancing wildlife conservation across Africa. a. During public comment, the resident introduced Tusk’s mission and their interest in collaborating with the Town or EPC to support their annual Tusk Turtle Trail event. b. The Tusk Turtle Trail is a public art initiative featuring sculptures of endangered species, designed by prominent artists and celebrities. In 2025, the trail will highlight the leatherback turtle with six unique sculptures placed in a highly visible location.

Previous trails have featured rhinos, lions, and gorillas. c. have been initiated through local schools and outreach to student services staff, with informational sessions planned for February and March. Several vendors have been confirmed and we recently secured financial contribution from CalWater. To date, 10 volunteers have been confirmed for support during the day. Staff are closely monitoring the $10,000 budget allocation and plan to reduce expenses for the bicycle valet by using volunteers to manage a self-service bike rack.

2. Waste Reduction
a. CalRecycle Site Visit
On January 23, 2025, staff participated in a site visit with CalRecycle representatives to discuss Atherton’s sustainability programs and SB 1383 compliance. The discussion covered key program areas, including:
• Organic Waste Recycling: Residential and commercial collection systems, contamination monitoring, outreach efforts, audits and enforcement mechanisms.
• Edible Food Recovery: Program implementation, inspections, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Procurement: Compliance with recovered organic waste and recycled-content paper procurement mandates.
• Funding Opportunities: Grants and other resources to support SB 1383 implementation.
b. Compost Pile
The Compost pile continues to be a free and well used product offered at Holbrook Palmer Park. The pile is restocked regularly every 2-3 months, or when it is visibly low. This compost pile is funded by the SB1383 Organic Waste Recovery Grant.

3. Electric Leaf Blower Program
The Town of Atherton's Electric Leaf Blower Program continues to perform well as we move through the FY24-25 cycle. At the current rate, we are receiving approximately 8 rebate applications per month. As of February 2025, there are about 38 rebates remaining under the FY24-25 program. Staff has received positive feedback from residents regarding this initiative with some residents sharing stories of their use of the rebate to offset expenses incurred by contracted landscapers.

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City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025

4. Refuse & Recycling Subcommittee
The Refuse & Recycling Subcommittee met for a special meeting on February 10, 2025.

The committee received a presentation from the Hefty ReNew Program, which aims to help municipalities continue improve its recycling efforts by taking material NOT accepted in current recycling programs but uses the same carts and hauling trucks. Residents have the chance to opt-in by separating hard to recycling plastics and placing them in specific bags that will be sorted at our local MRF. Acceptable contents are then removed and sent to a facility to be converted into resources such as park benches, lumber, and drainage materials. Staff plans to work with the Hefty ReNew team GreenWaste Recovery (GWR) to launch this optional program. The committee also reviewed quarterly reports and held a discussion on the aging report.

5. Climate Action Plan Dashboard
As part of the ongoing efforts to keep our Climate Action Plan (CAP) Dashboard current, staff have engaged KLA to assist with brand development related specifically to the dashboard that will be use to help raise awareness and generic interest among residents.

Staff has set a goal for April 2025 to launch an updated sustainability CAP logo that will be featured at the Atherton table during our annual Earth Day. Messaging around issues like climate change must be carefully crafted and often refined for different audiences. This is exactly what KLA’s brand development process will focus on. Through this dashboard add on service, the KLA Team will review and assess existing messaging and work with Page No. 13 Page 18 of 232
City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025
Town staff and stakeholders to refine existing messaging and create new messaging based on a target audiences.

6. RICAPS Meetings
Regionally Integrated Climate Action Planning Support (RICAPS) will host in-person quarterly meetings in 2025. These convenings will feature guest speakers, updates from the implementation groups, and collaborative workshops on key projects. The format of these meetings may evolve throughout the year, but the intent is to foster deeper connectivity and co-learning among jurisdictions to drive effective climate action implementation, the next meeting is on March 4.

At the last RICAPS meeting there were updates from jurisdiction staff making and local partners. Peninsula Clean Energy discussed their roll out of some new residential building electrification programming and RICAPS formally launched the Implementation Groups, which will focus on building electrification, mode shift, and EV charging infrastructure.

Building Electrification

1. PCE Member Agency Grant
Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) launched two new programs in 2024: the Member Agency Energy Grants and the GovBE Electrification for Public Buildings program. Atherton has been allocated $181,946 from the Member Agency Energy Grants, part of PCE’s $11.5 million community reinvestment initiative. This funding can support projects such as EV charging station installations, landscaping equipment electrification, streetlight upgrades, and government facility retrofits.

Agencies have 24 months to utilize the funds, with 50% disbursed upfront and 50% upon project completion. Staff in the City Manager's Office and Public Works have been collaborating on potential projects for the PCE Member Agency Energy Grant application.

After careful review, we have narrowed the project scope to include the installation of two posts with four Level 2 EV chargers at the entry lot of Holbrook-Palmer Park and one post with two chargers at the Police Department parking lot to support EV infrastructure for the Police Department. These installations will also include the necessary infrastructure to accommodate future demand for additional chargers.

In addition, the grant application will include the purchase of electric lift equipment for Public Works.

ADU Match Program
HIP Housing continues to assist both home providers and seekers with interviews, applications, background searches, and matching services. They provide us with monthly home seeker profiles to be posted on our ADU webpage.

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City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025
Recent outreach has focused on building relationships with local schools, faith-based communities, and major businesses. You can also catch HIP Housing tabling at the Menlo Park Farmers Market as part of their ongoing outreach efforts! Staff are coordinating with HIP Housing to potentially feature one of our ADU Matches in a future edition of the Athertonian.

City Clerk Activities CURRENT and ON THE HORIZON
The Winter edition of the Athertonian has
been released. To read the digital version
click here.

There are currently 3 active Public Records Act Requests to which staff have responded. There are currently 4 open General Liability Claims.

Public Information Stats & Analytics
Town staff have been sharing timely information about the Housing Element, community events and meetings, programs, emergency preparedness information, and news on social media.

Residents, community members, and other public agencies have viewed and interacted with the town from January 1 to January 31. Impressions refer to the number of reactions, views, comments, shares, and reposts of Town-generated content.

Platform Number of followers Impressions or Accounts
Reached
Twitter/X 0 new followers, a total of 627
followers
599 impressions (77%
increase from January)
Instagram 23 new followers, a total of
1,633followers
3k impressions (164%
increase from January)
Facebook 3 new followers, total of 602 followers 699 impressions (47 % increase from January)
NextDoor 35 new members, a total of 5,643
members, and 2,423 households
claimed
200 impressions (10 %
increase from January)
The Cross Channel Report is a cumulative report of social media performance across X, Instagram, and Facebook for the Town. One key metric staff is working to increase is our general Page No. 15 Page 20 of 232
City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025
social media activity. In this reporting period we had 26 posts which represents a 63% increase month over month.

Town website subscriber group:

Distribution List Subscribers
Atherton Online 1,651
News Flash (CM & PD) 1,567 & 1,572
Alert Center (CM & PD) 1,365 & 1,494
Calendar (Meetings) 1,579
• Website Analytics:
o January 1 – January 31: 5,900 Users
o Last 7 Days Total Page Views: 17,061
§ Agendas = 689
§ Police Department = 442
§ Business Licenses = 442
• YouTube Analytics
o 359 Subscribers (1 new in the last 30 days)
o 1022 Videos
Newsflashes

1. NewsFlashes
Our focus on public information and social media engagement continues to strengthen connections with residents and the broader public. Recently, we shared winter storm preparation best practices and resources, information on El Camino Real Street Project community meetings.

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City Clerk Monthly Report
February 19, 2025

2. Social Media
Our social media posts complement the newsflashes by presenting similar information but in a more casual, engaging tone. These posts reach a broader public audience and utilize vibrant event flyers, supporting images, and eye-catching graphics to capture attention.

Through the months, Social Media channels have increased engagement through follows, likes and account interactions. This has influenced staff to revisit the Town’s Social Media Policy in hopes of updating it in 2025.

The top posts for January were:
196 Impressions 268 Impressions

Page No. 17 Page 22 of 232
The Finance Department consists of a Finance Director, Accountant and Junior Accountant. These core personnel provide the bulk of the Town’s accounting and payroll support. The Department utilizes the services of outside auditors, property tax analysts, and investment advisors in support of their efforts.

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Revenues and Expenditures
Year to Date
Months Complete – 7
% of Year Complete – 58.3%
Budget Revenue % Received
Park Program $ 115,000 $ 43,192 38%
Planning Permits $ 850,300 $ 281,149 33%
Business Licenses $ 290,000 $ 241,388 83%
Police $ 368,861 $ 413,055 112%
Sales Taxes $ 442,400 $ 263,235 60%
Miscellaneous $ 1,150,096 $ 576,129 50%
Public Works $ 659,700 $ 277,095 42%
Franchise Fees $ 1,076,000 $ 228,293 21%
Building Permits $ 2,203,280 $ 1,248,602 57%
Property Taxes $ 15,845,385 $ 11,031,203 70%
Total $ 23,001,022 $ 14,603,341 63%
Budget Expenditures % Received
City Council $ 66,615 $ 17,920 26.9%
Administration $ 1,400,943 $ 807,706 57.6%
City Attorney $ 310,000 $ 114,646 36.9%
Finance $ 882,763 $ 549,966 62.3%
Planning $ 1,426,970 $ 860,968 60.3%
Building $ 1,659,166 $ 906,656 54.6%
Interdepartmental $ 1,172,460 $ 676,396 57.6%
Police $ 10,171,871 $ 6,319,121 62.1%
Public Works $ 3,683,887 $ 1,530,903 41.5%
Total $ 20,774,676 $ 11,784,782 56.7%
Page No. 18 Page 23 of 232
The Public Works Department consists of a Public Works Director, Maintenance Manager, Associate Engineer, Town Arborist, Office Specialist and Management Analyst (new). These core personnel are supplemented by various contract service personnel and service vendors that operate on a Task Order basis. These include but are not limited to MCE, West Coast Arborists, Contract Sweeping Services, CalWest Lighting, Tony’s Clean Team, Interwest Group, and BrightView Landscaping.

Field Public Works Services are provided under contract via MCE. MCE provides four (4) personnel to perform general Town maintenance support including, but not limited to, vegetation trimming for sight distance and sign clearance, Park restroom oversight, meeting setup/takedown support, sign replacement, minor asphalt/DG repairs, street sign and marker replacements, basic maintenance for Town-maintained trees/plantings along roadways, Town event support, minor drainage projects and maintenance, basic building support services and minor roadway maintenance (pothole repairs). MCE personnel generally work from 7 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday; but, these same personnel provide emergency call-out services for after hours and on weekends.

Landscape maintenance services at Holbrook-Palmer Park and at the Town Center/Library complex are provided by BrightView Landscaping (BrightView). BrightView is also responsible for emptying Town-owned garbage cans at the Park and Town Center.

Street Sweeping
Street Sweeping is a contract service via Contract Sweeping Services.

Month Curb Miles Weight (tons) Cubic Yards
January 24 38 6 12
February 24 38 12 6
March 24 38 6 12
April 24 39 6 12
May 24 39 6 12
June 24 38 6 12
July 24 36 4 12
August 24 37 6 12
September 24 38 10 5
October 24 65 3 18
November 24 60 18 6
December 24 60 24 12
January 25 38 12 6
Total 334 77 71
Page No. 19 Page 24 of 232
Services Requests
• Banner installation on Middlefield Road at Marsh Drive • Replaced bike lane sign on Ravenswood Avenue
• Cleared debris in Atherton Channel
• Cleared drains on Loyden Park Lane at Lloyden Drive and across El Camino Real • Installed speed humps on Encinal Avenue, Watkins Avenue and Stockbridge Avenue • Power washed baseball stands at Holbrook-Plamer Park
• Cleared median curb on Fair Oaks Lane and Atherton Avenue • Repaired gate at Gilmore House
• Replaced swing at Holbrook-Plamer Park playground
• Installed tree placards at Holbrook-Plamer Park
• Replaced street marker on Walsh Road at Broadacres Road • Repaired bike lane signage on Middlefield Road
• Pothole repair on Stockbridge
• Installed reflectors along Alameda de las Pulgas bike lane near Atherton Avenue • Installed reflectors on Fair Oaks Lane
• Reset bollard on Middlefield Road in front of James Avenue Lindenwood Gate General Maintenance and Special Services
• Weekly litter removal Along ECR, schools (Fridays 2 staff, 2 hours). • Remove Litter on Marsh Road, Middlefield Road & Alameda de las Pulgas. • Park General Duties: Garbage Cans, Town wide & ECR litter, ECR landscape & Corp yard clean-up, vehicle/tool maintenance.
• Fire extinguishers (checked/re-charged)
• Park General daily duties – mowing, empty garbage/recycling, restroom oversight, fire extinguishers (checked/re-charged), playground inspections, elevator inspections, open/close buildings, meeting room set-ups/tear downs.

Page No. 20 Page 25 of 232
Photographs of Work Performed
Speed Humps on Encinal Avenue
Speed Humps on Watkins Avenue
Speed Humps on Stockbridge Avenue
Page No. 21 Page 26 of 232
Drain Cleaning on Lloyden Park Lane
Powerwash of Baseball Stands at Holbrook-Palmer Park
Marker replaced on Walsh & Broadacres
Page No. 22 Page 27 of 232
Pothole Repair on Stockbridge Avenue
Reflectors installed on Fair Oaks Lane
Bollard reset at James Avenue Lindenwood Gate
Page No. 23 Page 28 of 232
See Click Fix January 2025
Page No. 24 Page 29 of 232
Public Works Maintenance
Budget versus Expenditures Thru December 2024
Shor
t
Code
Accounting Code Description Budget Actual %
A01 101-53-52031-053 Streets $400,000 $224,138.27 56.0% A02 101-57-52031-057 Parks (Grounds
& Facilities)
$325,000 $60,818.48 18.7%
A03 101-59-52031-059 Other Facilities $175,000 $12,578.45 7.2% A04 213-30-52031-000 Library $20,000 $23,731.36 118.7%
A05 101-58-52031-000 Tennis $10,000 $5,141.52 51.4%
E06 101-58-52030-058 Event Services $10,000 $226.48 2.3% Total $940,000 $285,815.65 30.4%
$-
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
$400,000
Streets Parks Other Fac Library Tennis Events
Public Works Budget to Expenditures
Budget Actual
Page No. 25 Page 30 of 232
Public Works Maintenance
Budget versus Expenditures Thru January 2025
Shor
t
Code
Accounting Code Description Budget Actual %
A01 101-53-52031-053 Streets $400,000 $256382.72 64.1%
A02 101-57-52031-057 Parks (Grounds
& Facilities)
$325,000 $69,318.18 21.3%
A03 101-59-52031-059 Other Facilities $175,000 $13,138.57 7.5% A04 213-30-52031-000 Library $20,000 $24,270.79 121.4%
A05 101-58-52031-000 Tennis $10,000 $5,998.44 60.0%
E06 101-58-52030-058 Event Services $10,000 $226.48 2.3% Total $940,000 $369,335.18 39.3%
$-
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
$400,000
Streets Parks Other Fac Library Tennis Events
Public Works Budget to Expenditures
Budget Actual
Page No. 26 Page 31 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 1 of 9 The Public Works Director oversees general Park maintenance and activities. The Park has several contract service personnel and vendors that manage various activities at the park.

Park Event Services are typically provided via contract. With the departure of Catered Too, temporary personnel have been contracted to manage all park events and rental services, to include rental of fields, buildings, and picnic areas until a permanent vendor is contracted. MCE provides facility support on a Task Order basis.

BrightView Landscaping provides landscape maintenance services for the park. Player Capital provides management and general maintenance of the six Tennis Courts.

There are three (3) structures available for event rental at the park – the Carriage House, the Main House, and the Pavilion. Outdoor venues may also be rented, and these include the Event Garden, Water Tower Green and North Meadow. Picnic areas in the park may be reserved for small group day rental. Menlo Atherton Little League manages and maintains the Willie Mays Ball Field.

Facility Rentals for January 2025
Month North
Meadow
Children’s
Picnic
Area
Jennings
Pavilion
Main Carriage
House w/
NM
Field D Other House
23-Dec 0 2 1 1 0 0 0
24-Jan 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
24-Feb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24-Mar 3 4 1 1 0 0 2
24-Apr 4 2 0 0 0 0 0
24-May 3 7 2 4 1 0 0
24-Jun 6 9 0 2 2 0 0
FY 23-24 28 37 7 12 9 0 6

24-Jul 4 2 0 0 0 0 0
24-Aug 6 2 3 3 4 0 0
24-Sep 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
24-Oct 5 0 1 1 0 0 0
24-Nov 3 1 1 0 0 0 0
24-Dec 1 0 2 1 0 0 0
25-Jan 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
25-Feb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Mar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Apr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-May 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Jun 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FY 24-25 23 7 7 5 5 0 0
Page No. 27 Page 32 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 2 of 9 Types of Rental Activity for January 2025
Month Social Gathering Wedding Corporate
Gathering Other
23-Dec 4 0 0 0
24-Jan 2 0 0 0
24-Feb 0 0 0 0
24-Mar 10 0 0 4
24-Apr 3 0 0 3
24-May 14 0 1 2
24-Jun 15 0 4 0
FY 23-24 81 0 6 15

24-Jul 6 0 0 0
24-Aug 16 1 1 0
24-Sep 4 0 0 0
24-Oct 7 0 0 0
24-Nov 5 0 0 0
24-Dec 4 0 0 0
25-Jan 3 0 0 0
25-Feb 0 0 0 0
25-Mar 0 0 0 0
25-Apr 0 0 0 0
25-May 0 0 0 0
25-Jun 0 0 0 0
Total 45 1 1 0
Page No. 28 Page 33 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 3 of 9 Revenue from Rental Activity for January 2025

Month Revenue Fees 10% Catering Fee Revenue to Town
23-Dec $2,500.00 $1,413.84 $3,913.84
24-Jan $850.00 $0.00 $850.00
24-Feb $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
24-Mar $9,100.00 $0.00 $9,100.00
24-Apr $1,375.00 $0.00 $1,375.00
24-May $12,275.00 $0.00 $12,275.00
24-Jun $8,650.00 $0.00 $8,650.00
FY 23-24 Total $59,695.18

24-Jul $1,000.00 $0.00 $1,000.00
24-Aug $18,160.00 $0.00 $18,160.00
24-Sep $2662.00 $0.00 $2662.00
24-Oct $4652.00 $0.00 $4652.00
24-Nov $3617.00 $0.00 $3617.00
24-Dec $9417.00 $0.00 $9417.00
25-Jan $987.00 $0.00 $987.00
25-Feb
25-Mar
25-Apr
25-May
25-Jun
TOTAL $40,405.00
Page No. 29 Page 34 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 4 of 9 General and Special Services for January 2025
• Pick up litter/trash.
• Remove trash bags.
• Blow/Pick Up Tree Leaves & Debris
• Inspect and Maintain Restrooms
• Inspect and Maintain Playgrounds
• Inspect and Maintain Main House Elevator
• Control undesirable weeds throughout property.
• Cut back and remove tree brush and dead vegetation.
• Apply seasonal fertilizers to turf and plants.
• Inspect and maintain landscape irrigation.
• Inspect and maintain landscape irrigation well and filter system. • Monitor potable water usage daily.
• Water non-established trees throughout the park (scheduled) • Blow tennis courts 2x per week, as required.

For January:
• Power Washing Baseball Field Stands
• Repaired gate at the Gilmore house
• Repaired lighting fixture at the Playschool
• Replaced Swings at the Playground
• Installed tree placards
• Event location trash removal
• Playschool heater repair
New and Future Planned Projects:

Page No. 30 Page 35 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 5 of 9 Tennis Court Usage/Reservations
Player Capital Tennis (PCT) manages court operations.

Month
PC
Court
Hours
# of
Students
Private
Lessons
Key
Holder
Hours
Public
Court
Hours
Clay
Court
Hours
Pickleball
Court
Hours
23-Dec 672 309 397 349 0 6 N/A
24-Jan 631 325 377 335 0 4 8
24-Feb 542 297 323 299 0 6 15.5
24-Mar 653 337 441 393 0 5 24
24-Apr 677 344 462 422 0 11 52.5
24-May 724 365 472 433 0 8 84.5
24-Jun 741 371 496 425 0 42 124
FY-23-
24 8,052 3,889 5,306 4,465 0 126 308.5

24-Jul 812 415 443 465 0 64 75
24-Aug 705 408 433 380 0 39 117.5
24-Sep 805 315 407 395 0 15 116
24-Oct 797 342 397 325 0 22 132.5
24-Nov 667 345 415 362 0 6 169
24-Dec 642 295 367 322 0 15 125
25-Jan 597 299 351 321 0 9 167
25-Feb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Mar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Apr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-May 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25-Jun 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 5,025 2,419 2,813 2,570 0 170 902
Page No. 31 Page 36 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 6 of 9 Photographs of Work Performed in January 2025
Power Washing of baseball stands
Playschool Light Fixture Repair
Page No. 32 Page 37 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 7 of 9 Playschool Heater Repair
Playground Swing replacement
Page No. 33 Page 38 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 8 of 9 Playground Toddler swing replacement
Event Location Trash Removal
Page No. 34 Page 39 of 232
Parks Division Monthly Report –January 2025 Page 9 of 9 Park Tree Placards installed
Page No. 35 Page 40 of 232
Submitted by:

Interwest Consulting Group
Community Services
Monthly Report
January 2025
Town of Atherton
Building Department
80 Fair Oaks Ln.

Atherton, California 94027
Phone: (650) 752-0560
Page No. 36 Page 41 of 232
Town of Atherton
Building Safety Inspections
Construction and Permit Summary
Based on Fiscal Year - Year to Date
Fiscal Year for Budgetary Comparisons
Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
2024-25 2023-24
Total Construction Valuation1:
$14,933,367 $180,648,309 $88,259,395
Plan Check Fees Collected: $40,725 $266,137 $226,857
Permit Fees Collected: $96,682 $889,224 $613,318
Other Fees Collected: $7,350 $84,260 $46,288
TOTAL: $144,757 $1,239,621 $886,463
Applications Received: 88 517 438
Residential:

New Single Family Residential Permits
Issued: 1 16 15
New Accessory Structures Issued: 15 144 136
Addition / Alteration Permits Issued: 9 52 70
Reroof / Water Well / Grading Permits
Issued: 23 112 103
Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical
Permits Issued: 17 122 117
Demolition Permits Issued: 0 13 18
Non-Residential:

New Permits Issued: 3 4 0
TOTAL Permits Issued (2) 68 463 459
Inspections Performed: 795 5,024 4,425
Footnotes:
1 Valuation: For permitted projects during this period. 2 The total permits issued for each Fiscal Year reflect totals through the corresponding month

PLAN CHECK

INSPECTIONS

REVENUE

PERMITS
Jan-25
Page No. 37 Page 42 of 232
Staff Level Reviews
Planning Commission Items
Plan Review
TOTAL 62
Town of Atherton
Building Safety & Inspection
Tree Removal Info. / Consu / C.E
Planning Commission met for their regular meeting on January 22, 2025, the following occurred.

Public Hearing Items:
3A. Consideration of a Special Structures Permit (Application SSR25-0001) to construct a detached garage with a reduced front setback at 72 Barry Lane (APN 070-201-050), in the R1-A zone. The Commission received a presentation from Staff and the Applicant. The Commission voted to APPROVE the special structures permit. 3B. Request for Heritage Tree Removal of one heritage tree to accommodate a remodel of the main residence and construct landscaping at 50 Lilac Drive (APN 061-062-060). The Commission received a presentation from Staff, the Town Arborist, and the Applicant. The Commission voted to APPROVE the tree protection zone exception.

The Planning Commission also met for a special meeting on January 29, 2025. Three Commissioners participated in-person (Chair Lane, Vice Chair Polito and Commissioner Levison).

Public Hearing Items:
3A. Consideration of a resolution recommending amendments to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code to implement changes to the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Chapter 17 of the Atherton Municipal Code. The proposed changes address comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on the Atherton Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates that were adopted by the City Council on October 16, 2024. The Commission received a presentation from Staff. The Commission voted to APPOVE a resolution recommending that the Council adopt the changes requested by staff to comply with HCD.

The next scheduled Planning Commission meeting is February 26, 2025. 14 3
97 23
12 13 19
Planning Projects
January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025
Inspections
This Month
Activity Activity
Fiscal Year to Date
Arborist Activity Summary
January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025
Site Visits
Page No. 38 Page 43 of 232
Summary of New Single Family Residential Permits Issued by Month 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
1 5 1 1 0 1
3 0 1 2 1
2 0 2 5 0
1 4 2 3 0
2 0 4 1 3
0 3 3 4 2
Jan. to June Totals 1 13 8 13 15 7
2 1 3 2 4
5 3 2 2 5
2 4 2 3 2
5 0 3 1 1
1 0 1 3 3
0 2 2 1 3
July to Dec Totals 15 10 13 12 18
1 28 18 26 27 25
Project
Type
No of
Plan
Checks
Average
Review
Days
Target
**
Overdue
Plan
Checks
91 8 10 0
77 4 5 0
9 2 3 0
0 0 0 0
Total Number of Plan Checks 177
** Target: in working days
Major Plan Check: New Houses, New Accessory Structures, New non-Residential Minor Plan Check: Small Additions, Reroof, Alterations, Misc.

Town of Atherton
Building Inspection & Plan Check
Month
January
November
July
August
September
October
February
March
April
May
JuneMinor
Plan Check
Cycles
1st Review
Subsequent Rev.
1st Review
Subsequent Rev.

December
Total New SFD
Permits:

Plan Check Performance
January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025
Major
Plan Check
Page No. 39 Page 44 of 232
Summary Graphs
58 62 90 71 89 76 95 75 65 88 64 42
88 78 65
82 55 50 62 53
105 68 87
35 50 68
509 532 566
514 548 543 522
715
767
950
668
607
795
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Counts
Plan Checks, Permits, Inspections
PC
Permits
Inspections
$20,521,301
$12,970,492
$15,725,004
$9,041,275
$4,550,746
$8,500,073
$14,588,655
$49,730,313
$29,398,259
$33,871,412
$1,907.582
$3,254,891
$14,933,367
$0
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
Valuation
Page No. 40 Page 45 of 232
Summary Graphs
$233,830
$138,598
$127,197
$121,195
$99,535
$145,756
$187,509
$210,803
$172,902
$321,439
$96,730
$81,773
$132,953
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
$400,000
$450,000
Fees
$84,260
$266,137
$889,224
$1,239,621
$132,080
$530,400
$1,528,800
$2,191,280
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
Other Plan Check Fees Permit Fees Total
YTD vs. Budgeted
FYTD 24-25
Budgeted 23-24
Page No. 41 Page 46 of 232
Town of Atherton
Summary of ADU's - JADU's - SFR,
Entitled, Permitted, Finaled
February 1, 2023 to February 28, 2023 February 1, 2023 to February 28, 2023 Feb March April June Total July Aug Oct Nov Dec Total Totals Entitled ADU 3 3
Pemitted ADU 3 3 3
Finaled ADU 0 0 0
Entitled JADU 0 0
Pemitted JADU 1 1
Finaled JADU 0 0
Entitled SFR 1 1 1
Permitted SFR 1 1
Finaled SFR 1 1
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Totals
Entitled ADU 53 35 26 114
Pemitted ADU 25 44 46 115
Finaled ADU 17 24 14 55
Entitled JADU 10 9 4 23
Pemitted JADU 5 8 0 13
Finaled JADU 0 2 7 9
Entitled SFR 20 17 26 63
Permitted SFR 26 18 28 72
Finaled SFR 17 29 11 57
1 Jan
3 0
1 1
0 May Sept
Page No. 42 Page 47 of 232
Project Address Issue Date CTL Deadline Adjusted CTL ** Penalties Pd. Est. Completion 202 Atherton Ave 3/29/2021 3/29/2024 8/15/2024 $250,000 6/1/2025 90 Almendral Ave 4/14/2021 4/14/2024 8/31/2024 $250,000 7/1/2025 55 Melanie Ln 9/15/2021 9/15/2024 2/1/2025 $30,000 3/1/2025 Total Penalties Deposited: $530,000
NOTE: Penalties do not become revenue to the Town until all appeals have been exhausted. * Under new modified ordinance. Additional Penalty fees due ** Covid-19 CTL adjustments due to shutdown.

Year Amount Forfieted
2015 thru 2018 $511,200.00
2019 $307,200.00
2020 $329,600.00
2021 $333,000.00
2022 $828,000.00
2023 $559,000.00
2024 $780,000.00
2025
Total to Date $3,648,000.00
Town of Atherton
Building Safety & Inspection
Active Construction Time Limit Penalties
January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025
Forfieted Construction Time Limit Penalties
Page No. 43 Page 48 of 232
The Atherton Police Department consists of 31 personnel, sworn and non-sworn. Of the sworn personnel, there is a Police Chief, a Commander, five (5) Sergeants, and fourteen (14) Officers.

Non-sworn personnel consist of an Executive Assistant/Training Manager, a Communications Supervisor, two (2) Code Enforcement Officers, a Community Services Officer, and five (5) Dispatchers.

These personnel provide 24-hour police patrol, dispatch, traffic enforcement, school resource, crime investigation, crime prevention and other law enforcement services to the community.

Personnel typically work a 12-hour shift schedule (4-on/3-off) with a priority staffing level of three (3) sworn personnel at all times.

Graphics and data provided in this report can be found via CitizenRIMS. CitizenRIMS is an active, online database of calls for service to the Atherton Police Department available via the Town’s website. The database provides information on active and historic calls for service, criminal activity and statistics, missing persons, stolen vehicles, arrests, and crime bulletins. Through CitizenRIMS residents can also sign up for Security Camera Registration and Vacation Home Checks.

Visit CitizenRIMS using the preceding link or this QR Code >>>>>>>>>
Overall Activity for the Month of January 2025
During this reporting period, there were 37 investigations. Of that total, 16 offenders were cited, arrested, referred to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, or referred to the San Mateo County Juvenile District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Offenses included driving with a suspended license, misdemeanor warrant, felony warrant, possession of paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, DUI, felony domestic violence, criminal evading, petty theft, possession of stolen property, vandalism, and violation of parole.

Of the 1,813 total police incidents for the month, 1,137 were officer-initiated incidents. These incidents resulted in 489 citations being issued for vehicle code and other violations. Officers initiated 905 other types of incidents that included investigating suspicious vehicles, traffic collisions, citizen flag downs, home checks, code enforcement and construction checks, follow-up investigations, pedestrian stops, traffic enforcement details, medical calls, and welfare checks.

Page No. 44 Page 49 of 232
Traffic Incidents
Overall, there were 256 traffic incident locations, some with multiple stops, for the reporting period. The map below indicates the locations of the incidents for this reporting period.

Page No. 45 Page 50 of 232
Traffic Collisions
There were 19 collision locations during this reporting period. The map below indicates the locations of the incidents for the reporting period.

Traffic Complaints
There were two traffic complaints for the month. A complaint about speeding vehicles in the 100 block of Selby Lane and a second complaint about vehicles turning from Selby Lane onto El Camino Real (right turn violation).

Page No. 46 Page 51 of 232
Bicycle Traffic Stops
There were 3 bicycle related calls initiated during January. The 3 calls were for improper lighting, a stop sign violation, and a red light violation. These calls resulted in 3 verbal warnings.

Page No. 47 Page 52 of 232
Criminal Activity and Suspicious Circumstances
The Department responded to 77 locations (some locations multiple times) for property crimes (6), person crimes (6), and incidents of suspicious circumstances (68).

Page No. 48 Page 53 of 232
Municipal Code Violations
The Department responded to approximately 26 incidents/calls for service regarding municipal code violations. Those incidents included but were not limited to construction work hour violations, construction parking violations, right-of-way encroachments and obstructions, nonpermitted work on private/public property, overgrown/non-maintained vegetation, mobile food vendors, free speech/real estate/construction signs, animal nuisances, zoning questions/violations, unmaintained properties, fire damaged structures, neighbor disputes, and heritage tree concerns.

Page No. 49 Page 54 of 232
Holbrook Palmer Park
Holbrook Palmer Park had 83 incidents during this reporting period, 76 of which were security checks, foot patrols by officers, and closing/opening the park. The other incidents were an ordinance violation, animal calls, traffic enforcement, people stuck in an elevator, and a welfare check.

Premise Watch
Officers completed 615 House/Vacation checks during the reporting period.

School Incidents
Officers responded to 193 school incidents during the reporting period. These incidents were mostly officer-initiated security checks and adapt a school visits.

Incidents of note from this reporting period:
• On 01/20, a domestic battery occurred on a school campus. The subject who committed the battery was arrested.
• On 01/24 & 01/29, bicycles were stolen from a school campus. Investigators were able to identify the subjects who committed the thefts and submitted reports to charge the subjects.

The current reporting period is highlighted in the table below. All other columns represent the months preceding and prior year.

Page No. 50 Page 55 of 232
Response Times
In general, there are 3 types of Calls for Service from the Police Department. In order of priority:

High, Medium, and Low.

High Priority calls are in-progress events where persons or high-value property are in immediate danger and requires a multiple officer response. This is a lights and siren response to a crime in progress, injury collision, or medical emergency.

Medium Priority calls are in-progress events without immediate danger to persons or property.

Multiple officers may be necessary for these calls. These calls take precedence over all other calls for service and require an immediate police response (non-lights and siren), but the incident may not be in progress. The most common medium priority calls are burglary, robbery, sexual assault, and residential burglary alarm activations. The latter is the most frequent call in Atherton.

Low Priority calls are other calls for service. Events that may no longer be in-progress, so immediate response is not as urgent. Normally requires a single officer. Officers may or may not be immediately dispatched to these calls. Low priority calls are dogs off leash the Park, parking violations, construction noise or activity, and follow-up police reports.

During the Reporting Period there were:

Priority Level Number of Calls Average Response Time Goal High 4 1:50 <4 minutes
Medium 257 5:33 <6 minutes
Low 266 11:41 <8 minutes
Response times are calculated from the time the call is dispatched until the time the officer arrives on the scene. The table below depicts the Department’s Medium Priority response times for the past 6 months.

MONTH YEAR RESPONSE
TIME
December 2024 5:45
November 2024 5:50
October 2024 5:20
September 2024 4:50
August 2024 5:50
July 2024 6:00
Page No. 51 Page 56 of 232
Total Training Hours for the Reporting Period: 50 HOURS

NAME TRAINING/HOURS DATES
Davidovich Red Dot Instructor/18 hours Jan 15 - 16
Davidovich K9 Emergency Medical/16 hours Jan 24 – 25
Romero K9 Emergency Medical/16 hours Jan 24 - 25
The table below depicts the amount of officer-initiated activity and the number of traffic citations issued for the past six months:

MONTH OFFICER INITIATED ACTIVITY CITATIONS
January 1,137 489
December 1,690 386
November 1,411 310
October 1,306 643
September 1,579 734
August 1,735 632
July 1,634 639
Page No. 52 Page 57 of 232
Code Enforcement Activity Report
Summary:

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Page 72 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Regular Meeting – January 15, 2025

Page 1 of 4 ends

REGULAR MEETING
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Lewis called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL – Hawkins-Manuelian, Widmer, DeGolia, Vice Mayor Holland, Mayor Lewis – Present

PRESENTATIONS
• Michael Gallagher Introduction
Deputy City Manager / City Clerk Suber introduced Front Desk / Receptionist Gallagher as a new hire.
• Police Department Therapy Dog – Emmy Introduction
Chief McCulley introduced Emmy and Sergeant Fong, swearing in Emmy the Police Departments therapy dog.
• HIP Housing Calendar Presentation
Community Outreach Specialist, Kevin Joyner presented the annual HIP Housing annual calendar.
• Atherton Library Annual Report
Ginny Miles, Library Manager and Nick Hernandez, Librarian presented the report.

PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE
DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS – City Council Members Councilmember Mayor Hawkins and Vice Mayor Holland both had disclosures.

MINUTES
Town of Atherton
City Council
JANUYAR 15, 2025

REGULAR MEETING

Page 73 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Regular Meeting – January 15, 2025

Page 2 of 4 ends

DEPARTMENTAL WRITTEN REPORT
Council Member DeGolia commented on the PCE Member Agency grant discussed within the Administration report.

REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION – by City Attorney Ebrahimi City Attorney Ebrahimi noted that Council met in Closed Session on existing Sanchez litigation, there was no public comment and there was no reportable action.

CONSENT AGENDA (Items 1 – 7)

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 18, 2024 AND JANUARY 8, 2025

2. APPROVAL OF BILLS AND CLAIMS FOR DECEMBER 2024 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,695,376

3. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PRIMARY GRANT

AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN MATEO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION

AUTHORITY FOR FUTURE MEASURES A AND W FUNDING
Adopted Resolution No. 25-01

4. AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR THE LLOYDEN PARK SIDEWALK RESTORATION

PROJECT

5. APPROVAL OF REFUND REQUEST – 71 SELBY LANE

6. 2025 COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Pulled by Mayor Lewis for discussion.

7. SECOND READING OF ELECTRIC READINESS ORDINANCE (REACH CODE) TO AMEND SECTION 15.19.030 OF THE ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE Adopted Ordinance No. 670
MOTION by Widmer, Second by Hawkins to approve the Consent Agenda Items 1 – 7.

AYES: Hawkins, DeGolia, Widmer, Holland, Lewis
NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

PUBLIC HEARING – NONE

Page 74 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Regular Meeting – January 15, 2025

Page 3 of 4 ends

REGULAR AGENDA (Items 8 - 9)

8. APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ALTA PLANNING + DESIGN, INC. FOR THE TOWN OF ATHERTON BICYCLE AND

PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN UPDATE, AND DEFERRAL OF THE SELBY LANE

BICYCLE LANES PROJECT
Public Works Director Ovadia made a report and presentation.

Council discussed issues related to Safe Routes to School, bicycle and pedestrian counts, traffic modeling software, community outreach, more frequent review of Master Plans, demographic changes, and forward looking perspective.

Council approved the Professional Services Agreement and deferral of Selby Lanes Project; asked that staff investigate the possibility of traffic monitoring software; ensure that Alta increases community outreach where appropriate, and that local data is collected and used in any analysis.

MOTION: By Lewis, Second by Holland to authorize the City Attorney to prepare and City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. for the Town of Atherton Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update in the total amount not to exceed $250,000, including contingency. It is further recommended that the City Council defer implementation of the Selby Lane Bicycle Lanes project.

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

9. PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION REGARDING THE HOLBROOKPALMER PARK PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT Public Works Director Ovadia presented the item showcasing the conventional playground options and Magical Bridge options.

Council discussed issues related to playground groundcover, playground equipment, seating areas, shade, project timing, fall zones, size, and funding.

Council provide specific direction to staff regarding rubberized groundcover, the inclusion of interactive musical play equipment, addition of shade coverings, addition of a wood swing bench(es), inclusion of sandbox, additional picnic tables, addition of chess/play tables (nonconcrete), inclusion of a willow hut or similar structure, possibility of inclusion of some play structures from the existing play area, fencing, revisions to swing sets and the possibility of additional equipment that can be accommodated based on accommodated based on space and funding.

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Town of Atherton City Council Regular Meeting – January 15, 2025

Page 4 of 4 ends

COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS – None

ADJOURN
Mayor Lewis adjourned the meeting at 8:25 pm.
________________________
Anthony Suber, City Clerk

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Town of Atherton City Council Special Meeting – January 22, 2025

Page 1 of 2 ends

SPECIAL MEETING
Vice Mayor Holland called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL – Hawkins-Manuelian, Widmer (Absent), DeGolia, Vice Mayor Holland, Mayor Lewis (Absent) – Present

PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE

SPECIAL MEETING ITEMS

1. EL CAMINO REAL STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS

PROJECT
Public Works Director Ovadia introduced the item and consultant Eric Biland, P.E. from Freyer & Laureta, Inc.

Biland led the council through a presentation that covered the existing drainage system, flooding events along the El Camino Real corridor, the impact on the community, flooding solutions, conceptual designs, and preliminary cost estimates.

Council held a detailed discussion on flooding issues, challenges and benefits associated with solutions, and timelines for implementation.

City Attorney Ebrahimi provided some guidance on how the Town deals with water management and flooding.

2. UPPER ATHERTON CHANNEL STABILIZATION PROJECT
Public Works Director Ovadia presented the item to Council with Eric from Tetra Tech and noted the damages sustained by erosion due to the history of rain events.

MINUTES
Town of Atherton
City Council Special Meeting
JANUARY 22, 2025

SPECIAL MEETING

Page 77 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Special Meeting – January 22, 2025

Page 2 of 2 ends

Eric presented an overview of the channel and his inspection. He discussed hydraulic models and flood mapping, conceptual design solutions, and considerations.

Council provided feedback on the proposed design solutions to address existing damage and repairs to the Atherton Channel.

COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS – NONE

ADJOURN
Mayor Hawkins-Manuelian adjourned the meeting at 5:28 pm. ________________________
Anthony Suber, City Clerk

Page 78 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Special Meeting – February 5, 2025

Page 1 of 3 ends

SPECIAL MEETING - STUDY SESSION
Mayor Lewis called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL – Hawkins-Manuelian, Widmer, DeGolia, Vice Mayor Holland, Mayor Lewis – Present
Vice Mayor Holland participated remotely as per AB 2449

PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE
ACTION ITEMS – PUBLIC HEARING

1. ADOPTION OF AN URGENCY ORDINANCE AND INTRODUCTION AND FIRST

READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 6.04 RELATED TO THE REGULATION OF CHICKENS
City Attorney Ebrahimi provided a background for the item and explained the need for the urgency ordinance, noting health and safety concerns.

City Manager Rodericks provided guidance on the general rules related to the urgency ordinance and general ordinance.

MOTION: By Widmer, Second by Holland to adopt the Urgency Ordinance and introduction and first reading by title only of an Ordinance amending Chapter 6.04 of the Town of Atherton Municipal Code relating to chickens, as amended.

AYES: Hawkins, DeGolia, Widmer, Holland, Lewis
NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

ITEM 2 was reordered and heard before ITEM 2

2. CONSIDERATION OF CREATION OF A CHARTER CITY COMMITTEE (EITHER AD HOC OR STANDING); AND, IF CREATED, APPROVAL OF A CHARTER FOR

THE COMMITTEE

MINUTES
Town of Atherton
City Council
FEBRUARY 5, 2025
SPECIAL MEETING – STUDY SESSOIN

Page 79 of 232 ends

Town of Atherton City Council Special Meeting – February 5, 2025

Page 2 of 3 ends

City Manager Rodericks provided a brief review of the history of the item, options for Council consideration in developing a Charter Committee via Ad Hoc Committee or Standing Committee.

Council held a brief discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of an Ad Hoc Committee versus a Standing Committee.

MOTION: By Lewis, Second by DeGolia to create a Standing Charter City Committee to evaluate the creation of a Town Charter.

AYES: Hawkins, DeGolia, Widmer, Holland, Lewis
NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

3. RECEIVE AND FILE THE MID-YEAR BUDGET REPORT FOR FY 2024/25 Finance Director Barron III presented the mid-year budget review for the General Fund for FY 24-25. He noted projections for total revenues to be $26.3m, which represents an increase of $817k over anticipated adopted budget. Director Barron provided details about ERAF revenue and property tax in lieu of VLF revenue.

Council held a brief discussion on the item.

This item is a receive and file only and requires no further action by the Council.

4. DIRECTION AND FEEDBACK REGARDING TRAFFIC STUDIES AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
Public Works Director Ovadia presented an overview of the varies traffic studies completed to assist with outlining areas where traffic flows can be improved and cut-through traffic reduced.

Council discussed recommendations related to the traffic studies presented throughout Town.

Council provided their support for specific sites of consideration for improvement. Council encouraged staff to seek regional partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions for improvements.

Council provided feedback and direction to staff. This item will return to Council at future meetings for further discussion and action.

COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS – NONE

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Town of Atherton City Council Special Meeting – February 5, 2025

Page 3 of 3 ends

ADJOURN
Mayor Lewis adjourned the meeting at 5:47 pm.
________________________
Anthony Suber, City Clerk

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2346840.1 14537.007
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – CONSENT AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: STEVE McCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING USE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT PURSUANT TO AB 481

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council accept the AB 481 Annual Report, take public comment, and direct staff to post the report pursuant to Government Code 7072.

BACKGROUND:

In January and June of 2022, the Council was informed of Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481), codified in Government Code §§ 7070, 7071 and 7072, which prescribes certain procedures for law enforcement agencies as they relate to the funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment, as defined. Among the required procedures, a law enforcement agency that receives approval for a military equipment use policy is required to submit to the governing body an annual military equipment report for each type of military equipment approved by the governing body within one year of approval, and annually thereafter for as long as the military equipment is available for use.

With approval of Council this report will be made available to the public on the Town's website.

ANALYSIS
AB 481 Definition of Military Equipment:

AB 481 has designated certain types of law enforcement equipment as "military equipment." The Atherton Police Department has equipment that meets the criteria, including:
• 40MM tactical single shot launcher, quantity - 3
• 40MM kinetic energy projectiles, quantity – 29
Item No. 3
Town of Atherton

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2346840.1 14537.007
• 40MM CS kinetic energy projectile, quantity – 14
• Nighthawk Unmanned Ariel System (UAS) Autonomous Drone - 1 Use of Equipment:

To limit the escalation of conflict where deployment of lethal force is prohibited or undesirable.

Situations for use may include, but are not limited to:
i. Self-destructive, dangerous, and/or combative individuals ii. Barricaded suspects
iii. Riot/crowd control and civil unrest incidents
iv. Training exercises
Related Complaints or Concerns Received in 2023:

None
Audits; Violations of Use Policy; Action Taken:

In 2024, the 40MM launchers and munitions were not used during a use of force incident, subsequently there were no policy violations.

In 2024, there were 118 drone flights. All flights we in accordance with policy for training or for calls for service.

Equipment Training:

For 2024, all required equipment training was competed by assigned personnel.

Annual Cost of Equipment:

Annual costs can range from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on use and acquisition.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for approval of the AB 481 Annual Staff Report.

GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goal:
• Goal E – Strengthen Community Engagement and Transparency

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disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item ____ has or __X__ has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
____ Transportation Committee (meets every other month)

ATTACHMENTS
None

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Item No. 4
Town of Atherton
4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – CONSENT AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: MONA G. EBRAHIMI, CITY ATTORNEY
DATE: FEBRUAY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 6.04 RELATED TO THE

REGULATION OF CHICKENS

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the attached Ordinance amending Chapter 6.04 of the Town of Atherton Municipal Code relating to chickens.

BACKGROUND
In 2016, the City Council of the Town of Atherton amended Chapter 6.04 of the Town of Atherton Municipal Code to enact regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property. The ordinance was enacted.

San Mateo County has historically handled animal control responsibilities for the Town of Atherton and other cities within San Mateo County. In 2023, in an effort to better coordinate with San Mateo County, Chapter 6.04 was deleted and reenacted to create a uniform and orderly administration of the County's animal control program. However, as reenacted, there was an inadvertent omission of any regulation relating to the keeping of chickens on private property. This ordinance would reenact the provision of the code enacted in 2016 relating to the keeping of chickens on private property.

At its February 5, 2025 meeting, the City Council adopted an urgency ordinance and introduced and waived the full reading of the regular ordinance. The Council also requested that the ordinance expressly state that unless an animal is permitted as set forth in the municipal code, it is prohibited.

Staff recommends that the City Council now adopt this ordinance.

ANALYSIS

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
Currently, Chapter 6.04 of the Town of Atherton Municipal Code does not provide for regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property. This ordinance would reenact the previous regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property that were enacted in 2016.

POLICY FOCUS
Amendment of the ordinance is a significant issue for the City Council. Having regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property is important to maintain the health and safety of people in the Town of Atherton.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact in approving this ordinance relating to the keeping of chickens on private property.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposal has been determined to be exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Section 15305, minor alterations in land use limitation.

GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:

1. Protect the health and safety of people in the Town of Atherton by reasonably regulating the keeping of chickens on private property.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,600 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but not limited to media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service providers (water, power, and sewer) and regional elected officials.

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item ____ has or __ has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets as needed)
____ Civic Center Advisory Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)

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February 14, 2025

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
____ Transportation Committee (meets every other month) ____ Tree Committee (meets each month)

ATTACHMENTS
ATTACHMENT 1 – Ordinance NO. 671

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February 14, 2025

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
ORDINANCE NO. __

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF ATHERTON AMENDING CHAPTER 6.04 OF THE ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE

RELATING TO THE KEEPING OF CHICKENS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton desires to regulate the keeping of animals within its jurisdiction such that unless the keeping of an animal is expressly allowed, it is prohibited; and WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton desires to allow its residents to keep chickens on private property pursuant to reasonable regulations; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has before enacted regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton wishes to reenact those same regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property.

The City Council of the Town of Atherton does hereby ordain as follows:

SECTION 1: Chapter 6.04 of the Atherton Municipal Code is amended by adding Section 6.04.045 to read as follows:

6.04.045 Chicken Regulations.

A. Lot Size Requirements. No legal lot less than 20,000 square feet in area shall be permitted to maintain chickens.

B. Number of Chickens

1. Up to 3 chickens are permitted on lots between 20,000 square feet and 40,000 square feet in area.

2. Up to 10 chickens are permitted on lots greater than 40,000 square feet and 80,000 square feet or less in area.

3. Up to 20 chickens are permitted on lots greater than 80,000 square feet in area.

4. No more than 40 chickens may be permitted on school properties that are 2.0 acres or greater in area for educational purposes.

C. Roosters are prohibited on any property in Town.

D. Chicken Enclosure Requirements

1. A chicken enclosure is defined as an outdoor area inside a fence where

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
chickens are kept and allowed to walk around. A chicken enclosure shall also contain within its allowable buildable area, a chicken coop. A chicken coop is defined as an enclosed building where female chickens are kept which also provides protection from the elements and predators.

2. All chickens must be maintained and kept at all times within the chicken enclosure to ensure against trespass onto neighboring or public property.

3. Not more than one chicken enclosure is allowed per property.

4. The chicken enclosure shall comply with the following development standards:
a. Setbacks and Location. The chicken enclosure shall be located in the main building area. In addition, the chicken enclosure may encroach into the side and rear yard setbacks by not more than fifty percent of the required main building side and rear yard setbacks, or 20’ from side and rear property lines, whichever is greater. The chicken enclosure shall be located a minimum of 8 feet from the main building on the property. b. Height. The chicken enclosure shall not exceed six feet in height. c. Square Footage. The maximum allowable square footage for chicken enclosures, which shall contain a chicken coop as defined by this section, is 120 square feet.

E. Sanitary and Health Requirements

1. All chicken enclosures shall at all times be kept and maintained in a clean, sanitary and sightly condition; any enclosure found to be in an unclean, unsanitary or unsightly condition is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and subject to summary abatement as authorized by law.

2. Any water runoff from the cleaning and maintenance of the chicken enclosure shall be retained on the same property and shall not run onto adjacent properties or the public right of way.

3. All chicken enclosures shall be maintained to be well-ventilated, free from odor, prevent a breeding place for flies, pests or vermin, and secure from predators.

4. Chicken feed shall be stored in a rodent and predator proof container.

5. All permits shall be subject to conditions of current biosecurity practices as listed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to reduce the risk of introducing disease.

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
F. Permit Requirements

1. Any person wishing to keep chicken(s) on any property within the town shall first obtain a Chicken Permit from the Town Planner or Town Planner’s designee. The Chicken Permit application shall include the property owners of record, legal lot size of the parcel, the number of chickens to be maintained on the property, a site plan with details of the chicken enclosure, including setbacks and height calculations as outlined by this section. The City Manager may revoke a Chicken Permit if the keeping of the chicken(s) constitutes a nuisance. The Chicken Permit is not transferable to successor owners of the property upon which the Chicken Permit is issued.

G. It shall be the duty of the City manager, the Chief of Police and the City Attorney to enforce this chapter. No oversight or dereliction on the part of any official or employee of the town vested with the duty or authority to issue permits or licenses shall legalize, authorize, waive or excuse the violation of any provisions of this chapter.

H. The keeping of any animal not expressly permitted or regulated by this Code shall be deemed prohibited.

SECTION 2: Severability. The City Council hereby declares it would have passed this Ordinance sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and section by section, and does hereby declare that any provision in the Ordinance severable and, if for any reason any sentence, paragraph, or section of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining parts of this Ordinance.

SECTION 3: Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be posted in at least three public places according to law and shall take effect and be in force from and after 30 days after its passage and adoption.

Introduced on the 5th day of February, 2025.

Passed and adopted as ordinance of the City Council of the Town of Atherton at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of February, 2025 by the following vote:

AYES COUNCILMEMBERS:

NOES COUNCILMEMBERS:

ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS:

ABSTAIN COUNCILMEMBERS:

ATTEST: CITY CLERK

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February 14, 2025

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
MAYOR

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4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
ORDINANCE NO. 671

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF ATHERTON AMENDING CHAPTER 6.04 OF THE ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE KEEPING

OF CHICKENS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton desires to allow its residents to keep chickens on private property pursuant to reasonable regulations; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has before enacted regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton wishes to reenact those same regulations relating to the keeping of chickens on private property.

The City Council of the Town of Atherton does hereby ordain as follows:

SECTION 1: Chapter 6.04 of the Atherton Municipal Code is amended by adding Section 6.04.045 to read as follows:

6.04.045 Chicken Regulations.

A. Lot Size Requirements. No legal lot less than 20,000 square feet in area shall be permitted to maintain chickens.

B. Number of Chickens

1. Up to 3 chickens are permitted on lots between 20,000 square feet and 40,000 square feet in area.

2. Up to 10 chickens are permitted on lots greater than 40,000 square feet and 80,000 square feet or less in area.

3. Up to 20 chickens are permitted on lots greater than 80,000 square feet in area.

4. No more than 40 chickens may be permitted on school properties that are 2.0 acres or greater in area for educational purposes.

C. Roosters are prohibited on any property in Town.

D. Chicken Enclosure Requirements

1. A chicken enclosure is defined as an outdoor area inside a fence where chickens are kept and allowed to walk around. A chicken enclosure shall also contain within its allowable buildable area, a chicken coop. A chicken coop is defined as an enclosed building where female chickens are kept which also provides protection from the elements and predators.

2. All chickens must be maintained and kept at all times within the chicken enclosure to ensure against trespass onto neighboring or public property.

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Ordinance No. 671 Page 2 of 3February 19, 2025
4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009

3. Not more than one chicken enclosure is allowed per property.

E. Sanitary and Health Requirements

2. Any water runoff from the cleaning and maintenance of the chicken enclosure shall be retained on the same property and shall not run onto adjacent properties or the public right of way.

3. All chicken enclosures shall be maintained to be well-ventilated, free from odor, prevent a breeding place for flies, pests or vermin, and secure from predators.

4. Chicken feed shall be stored in a rodent and predator proof container.

5. All permits shall be subject to conditions of current biosecurity practices as listed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to reduce the risk of introducing disease.

F. Permit Requirements

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Ordinance No. 671 Page 3 of 3February 19, 2025
4907-1231-3862.1 014537.009
the property, a site plan with details of the chicken enclosure, including setbacks and height calculations as outlined by this section. The City Manager may revoke a Chicken Permit if the keeping of the chicken(s) constitutes a nuisance. The Chicken Permit is not transferable to successor owners of the property upon which the Chicken Permit is issued.

SECTION 3: Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be posted in at least three public places according to law and shall take effect and be in force from and after 30 days after its passage and adoption.

Introduced on the 5 day of February, 2025.

Passed and adopted as ordinance of the City Council of the Town of Atherton at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19 day of February, 2025 by the following vote:

AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:

NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:

ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:

ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS:

ATTEST: CITY CLERK
MAYOR

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Item No. 5
Town of Atherton

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT - CONSENT AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF WORK, AUTHORIZATION TO RECORD NOTICE

OF COMPLETION FOR THE FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN

DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL STATION LANE INTERSECTION
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PROJECT NUMBER 56093

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council accept work and authorize recording of a Notice of Completion for the Fair Oaks Lane/Lloyden Drive/Dinkelspiel Lane Intersection Improvement Project, Project Number 56093.

BACKGROUND
The Council awarded a construction contract on April 17, 2024, to Suarez & Munoz Construction, Inc. for $443,575.00 and authorized change orders up to $45,000.00 for a total amount of $488,575.00. This project includes pedestrian improvements including extension of the sidewalk along Lloyden Drive, installation of an elevated crosswalk, solar powered street lighting, solar powered Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, access ramps and warning surfaces, and installation of a bioswale and bioretention area, planting and irrigation system per Town standard specifications and special provisions. Work under the contract has been completed.

ANALYSIS
The original contract price was $443,575. There were three (3) contract change orders associated with the project totaling $10,239, bringing the project construction total to $453,814. The contract change orders are summarized as follows:
• Installation of a pedestrian pushbutton (PPB) post and wiring associated with one of the rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) that was relocated due to a conflicting utility. • Installation of 130 square feet of rock swale from to Fair Oaks Lane to the bioswale.

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Acceptance of Fair Oaks Lane/Lloyden Drive/Dinkelspiel
Station Lane Intersection Improvement Project
Project No. 56093
February 19, 2024

Page 2 of 3 ends

• Cutting of the existing concrete curb on Fair Oaks Lane to assist in collecting water into the rock swale.

1. Original Contract $443,575.00

2. Install PPB post and wiring $2,797.00

3. Install rock swale $6,028.00

4. Sawcut concrete curb $1,414.00
Total $453,814.00

POLICY ISSUES
There are no significant policy issues related to this item. The item is consistent with the Town’s adopted 5-Year Capital Improvement Program.

FISCAL IMPACT
A total of $488,575.00 was approved for project construction. The final construction contract amount with all approved change orders described above is $453,814.

GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal Area B – Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life • Goal Area C – Create and Expand the Town Center/Library • Goal Area D – Manage Circulation and Improve Safety
• Goal Area F – Be Forward-Thinking, Well-Managed, and Well-Planned

PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the item is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL

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Acceptance of Fair Oaks Lane/Lloyden Drive/Dinkelspiel
Station Lane Intersection Improvement Project
Project No. 56093
February 19, 2024

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This item has not been before a Town Committee or Commission.

ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 - Notice of Completion

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RECORD REQUESTED BY:

TOWN OF ATHERTON_____________
AND WHEN RECORDED MAIL TO:

CITY CLERK, TOWN OF ATHERTON
80 FAIR OAKS LANE _____________

ATHERTON, CALIFORNIA 94027____
___________________________________________________________________________ No fee pursuant to Government Code Section 6103 SPACE ABOVE THIS LINE FOR RECORDER’S USE

TOWN OF ATHERTON

NOTICE OF COMPLETION

FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL LANE INTERSECTION

IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
PROJECT NO. 56093

ATHERTON, CALIFORNIA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT Robert Ovadia, Engineer of Work for the Town of Atherton, County of San Mateo, California, on the 19th day of February, 2025 did file with the City Clerk of said Town a Certificate of Completion for the work described in the construction contract awarded to Suarez & Munoz Construction, Inc. on the 17th day of April, 2024, said contract being executed on the 5th day of June, 2024.

That said work and improvements were accepted as completed on the 31st day of January 2025 and that acceptance for completion of said work was ordered by Motion of the City Council of said Town and that the name of the surety on the Contractor’s bond for performance, labor and materials on said project is The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, 1340 Treat Blvd. Ste 400, Walnut Creek, California 94597.

That said work and improvements consists of pedestrian improvements including extension of the sidewalk along Lloyden Drive, installation of an elevated crosswalk, solar powered street lighting, solar powered Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, access ramps and warning surfaces, and installation of rock swale, bioswale and bioretention area, planting and irrigation system installation per Town standard specifications and special provisions. Work under the contract has been completed.

That I, Robert Ovadia, City Engineer of the Town of Atherton, am authorized by said Motion to execute and file this notice with the County Recorder of the County of San Mateo.

BY: ______________________ ATTEST: ________________________ Robert Ovadia, City Engineer Anthony Suber, City Clerk
______________________ _______________________
Date Date
‘I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.’ ______________Atherton, CA___________________
(Date and Place) (Signature) Robert Ovadia, City Engineer

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TOWN OF ATHERTON

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
PROJECT NAME: FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL

STATION LANE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT

PROJECT
PROJECT NUMBER: 56093
LOCATION: FAIR OAKS LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL

STATION LANE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN:

1. That on January 31st, 2025, the Public Works project known as FAIR OAKS

LANE/LLOYDEN DRIVE/DINKELSPIEL STATION LANE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, Project Number 56093 was completed in accordance with the plans and specifications as required by the Town of Atherton.

2. That the name and address of the party filling this notice is:

Town of Atherton
80 Fair Oaks Lane
Atherton, California 94027.

3. That the name and address of the Contractor responsible for the construction of the project is:

Suarez & Munoz Construction, Inc.
2490 American Avenue
Hayward, California, 94545

4. That the name and address of the Contractor’s surety is:

The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company
1340 Treat Blvd. Ste 400, Walnut Creek, California 94597 Walnut Creek, California 94597

5. That the project is described as:

This project consists of pedestrian improvements including tree trimming, tree removal, sidewalk, pathway grading, signing, stripping, solar powered street lighting, solar powered RRFB implementation, curb and gutter, curb ramp, milling, AC tabletop, bioswale and bioretention area construction, including planting and irrigation system installation per Town standard specifications and special provisions.

BY: _________________________ _______________________
Robert Ovadia, P.E. Date
City Engineer
ATTEST: ____________________________ _______________________ Anthony Suber Date
City Clerk

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Item No. 6
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – PUBLIC HEARINGS
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRITTANY BENDIX, TOWN PLANNER
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING REVISIONS TO

THE ATHERTON GENERAL PLAN AND INTRODUCTION OF AN

ORDINANCE WITH FIRST READING TO AMEND THE ATHERTON

MUNICIPAL CODE TO RESPOND TO COMMENTS FROM THE

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT (HCD) ON THE 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT AND
ZONING CODE UPDATES.

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council conduct a public hearing to adopt revisions to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code to comply with the requirements of Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

BACKGROUND
Throughout the Town’s efforts to adopt a 6th cycle (2023-2031) Housing Element, the City Council and Planning Commission have held several public hearings to discuss various updates required to achieve state certification throughout the iterative Housing Element review process with state partners. On October 16, 2024, the Atherton City Council adopted revisions to the 2023- 2031 Housing Element and Municipal Code Amendments to implement development standards for multifamily housing. This package of updates to the Town’s housing programs were intended to address requirements of state housing law and to receive certification of the Town’s housing element by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). After a required public notification period, the updates were sent to HCD for review.

DISCUSSION

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Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates
February 19, 2025

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On December 30, 2024, the Town received a comment letter from HCD requiring additional changes to the adopted Housing Element and Atherton Municipal Code to receive certification. (Attachment 1) The items raised by HCD and necessary changes required by the Town are summarized in the next section of the report, along with any related changes proposed by staff. On January 29, 2025, the Planning Commission considered revisions to the Housing Element adopted on October 16, 2024. After the Planning Commission hearing, on February 4, 2025, Staff had an informal conversation with HCD about the changes presented to Planning Commission. HCD requested slightly more analysis, which is shown as highlighted track changes in Attachment 2.

The track changes that were made for the Planning Commission are shown as regular track changes. A link to the Housing Element, as adopted on October 16, 2024, is included at Attachment 3 for reference.

The revisions listed below also include one change to the adopted Atherton Municipal Code, specifically Section 17.36.030 ‘Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements’ that is shown in Attachment 4. A link to the Zoning Code changes, adopted on October 16, 2024, are included in Attachment 5.

Any additional materials related to the Housing Element update process are maintained on the Town’s website at: https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/627/Housing-Element-Update Revisions listed below have been made to the adopted Housing Element in response to HCD’s comment letter issued on December 30, 2024. Italicized sections in the “Staff Action/Proposed Changes” column indicate changes made after Planning Commission review on January 29, 2025.

HCD Letter Summary of
Direction Staff Action/Proposed Changes Reference
Suitability of
Nonvacant
Sites
Provide more analysis
of the Menlo School
and Sacred Heart
School sites; similar to
what was provided for
the example sites.

In Section 3.414 Multi-Family
Overlays (RM-20 and RM-40)
staff has expanded the description
of the Menlo School and Sacred
Heart sites and included
supporting site graphics. This
information reflects the examples
provided in the adopted Housing
Element for Gonzaga University
and Northeastern University.

Staff included additional
information analyzing how the
Menlo School and Sacred Heart
sites have adequate infrastructure
and existing conditions do not
preclude development. Additional
analysis describes how the sites,
currently primarily used for
parking (Menlo School) and lowdensity housing (Sacred Heart), could be understood to contribute
See pages 92-
94 of
Attachment 2.

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Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates
February 19, 2025

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to lower FAR (Floor to Area
Ratios) than what could
potentially be supported by
development indicators.

Modify Table HE-17
to be organized by
indicators utilized as
redevelopment
indicators.

Table HE-17: ‘Recent
Development Trends’ includes a
list of recent development trends
observed in the Bay Area that
could be applied to the Town’s
identified housing opportunity
sites. To address HCD’s comments
staff expanded the table to include
additional columns that capture
redevelopment trends. These
factors, shown in purple on Table
HE – 17, correlate to the Site
Inventory analysis in Table HE –
18 (page 104). Additional
narrative context is also included
to describe each redevelopment
trend.

See pages 97-
99, and 102 of
Attachment 2.

Electronic
Sites
Inventory
HCD reminded the
Town to update the
electronic sites
inventory; if the
Town’s response
includes any inventory
changes.

No changes have been made to the
sites inventory; therefore staff is
not proposing any modifications.

N/A
ProgramSpecific ItemsProvide clarification in
the RM-20/40
standards and in the
Housing Element that
housing developments
with 20 percent
affordability to lowerincome households do
not require
discretionary action.

Upon further discussion with
HCD, to address this item the term
"ministerial approval" should be
explicitly written into the relevant
Code section. The existing terms
in the Atherton Municipal Code
“permitted by-right” and “zoning
clearance” are not considered
sufficient to convey ministerial
actions. Staff has modified this
language in both Section 3.420 of
the Housing Element and Section

17.36.030 of the Atherton
Municipal Code.

See page 120
of Attachment

2. See also
Attachment 4.

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Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates
February 19, 2025

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Provide more context
in the Housing
Element and,
potentially, in the RM20/40 standards about
the Clovis decision
and its application to
Atherton.

Staff has discussed with HCD that
discussion of the Clovis ruling is
addressed in Section 3.420
‘Zoning Shortfall Analysis.’ To
supplement this assertion staff
provided a distinction between
when housing is and is not
approved at the staff/ministerial
level. The purpose of this
requirement is not to challenge the
Town’s approach, but to document
it. Additionally, the changes
clarify that housing in the Public
Facilities and Schools (PFS) zone
that is not identified in the
Housing Element still requires a
Conditional Use Permit
(discretionary review).

See pages 119-
120 of
Attachment 2.

Revise the SB-9
program, Program

3.811(B), to evaluate
development trends
and identify
alternatives, if
necessary, in a midcycle check-in.

Staff has revised Program

3.811(B) to include the
consideration of development
trends and assumptions at the midcycle check-in. The revised language also includes
“alternatives” as a mid-cycle
option for policy direction, with
the intent to ensure the Town can
pursue alternative programs, if
desired, and is not limited.

Staff slightly modified the
language to clarify that alternative
sites to meet RHNA may be
considered if SB-9 development
trends and assumptions are not
being met by the mid-cycle checkin (review of the 2027 Annual Progress Report in March 2028).

See page 177
of Attachment

2. In addition to the HCD required changes noted above, staff also recommend making these additional changes to the adopted Housing Element:

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Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates
February 19, 2025

Page 5 ends

• Page 120: Included the minimum allowed densities for the RM-20 and RM-40 MultiFamily Residential Overlay Zones. These minimum densities were included in the Development Standards adopted on October 16, 2024, but were not previously included in the Housing Element itself. This change provides consistency between the documents. • Page 131: In response to informal HCD comments, included additional narrative clarifying the qualitative objective design standards that apply to multi-family development and where they are found in the newly-adopted code.
• Page 176 and 181: Program 3.812(A) addresses the Town’s goals to develop Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Staff recommends revising Program 3.812(A) to include a conservation objective of 8 units for extremely-low income (ELI) households. This would allow ADUs rented at rates suitable for extremely low-income households (i.e., resided in without paying rent or paying less than the appropriate annual extremely low-income rental limit for San Mateo County) to be counted towards meeting Housing Element goals. In 2023-2024 Atherton received rental surveys from property owners that indicated 29 ADUs in the Town are offered at ELI rates. Therefore, the Town has already met an objective of 8 units. Including it as a program measure facilitates the Town’s documentation of this achievement in Annual Progress Reports and in the next Housing Element cycle.

The items raised within HCD’s recent comment letter do not mention an issue with the Town’s approach to meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) or Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) goals, especially through the Town’s RM-20/40 and RM-10 multifamily housing overlay program and the adopted development standards. Accordingly, staff is not currently recommending any changes to those programs. The Town is proceeding with the development of an inclusionary housing ordinance and fulfilling Housing Element programs as appropriate.

At the January 29, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, the Commission voted unanimously 3-0 to recommend approval to adopt revisions to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code to comply with the requirements of Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD).

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was prepared for the Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates project and adopted on by the City Council on October 16, 2024. The changes described to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code described in this report and provided in the attachments are consistent with the scope of the IS/MND and do not result in any environmental impacts or changes to the adopted Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). The IS/MND, MMRP and supporting technical studies are available on the Town’s Housing Element website: https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/627/Housing-Element-Update

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council consider the information included in this report and adopt a resolution adopting amendments to the Atherton General Plan and Municipal Code. The resolution is included as Attachment 6.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates
February 19, 2025

Page 6 ends

Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Legal advertisement of this hearing was published in The Almanac newspaper and mailed to owners and occupants within the Town and within 500 feet of the Town’s boundaries, 20 days prior to the hearing date.

ATTACHMENTS

1. HCD Comment Letter dated December 30, 2024

2. Track Changes version of the January 2025 Draft Housing Element

3. Adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element (Oct. 16, 2024)

4. Municipal Code Text Amendments

5. Adopted Zoning Code Amendments (Oct. 16, 2024)

6. Draft Resolution Adopting Amendments to the 2023-2031 Housing Element

7. Draft Ordinance Adopting Amendments to Atherton Municipal Code Section 17.36.030

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Page 1 of 3 ends

ATHERON MUNICIPAL CODE

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
JANUARY 29, 2025
Text in Red reflects changing to existing (Black) text.

Chapter 17.36 PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS DISTRICT
(PFS)

17.36.030 Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements
Table 17.36.030-1 (Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements for PFS District) identifies the allowed uses in the PFS district subject to the development standards of this chapter and all other provisions of this title. Allowed use provisions are symbolized in the table as follows:

P =Land use permitted by right
CUP=Land use permitted with approval of a conditional use permit Table 17.36.030-1. Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements for PFS District Zoning District Land Use PFS
Public library P
Public school P
Town corporation yard P
Town hall and associated
community uses P
Accessory dwelling unit in
conjunction with multifamily
residential uses
P
Emergency shelters P4
Multiple-family residential uses P5
Single room occupancy P5
Churches and places of worship CUP
Convents CUP
Country clubs CUP
Residential associated with
primary nonresidential use of
property on same site1
CUP

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Atherton Municipal Code – Proposed Amendments – January 2025

Page 2 of 3 ends

Private schools CUP2,3
Public utilities and facilities,
uses, and structures
CUP
Transportation terminal facilities CUP
Notes:
1 Examples include dorms or teacher housing associated with school site, convent when associated with religious institutions, etc. and not located on sites with a multifamily overlay.
2 Where a master plan for a private school has been prepared and filed with the town for public record, any application for a conditional use permit shall be compared to the master plan for consistency with that document. All building and/or faculty changes, improvements, or new construction shall require a conditional use permit. To that end, all conditional use permit applications shall include the following:
a. Maps and diagrams showing the proposal in relation to the master plan layout; b. History of student and faculty growth and projections of future growth, including an analysis of that growth’s consistency with the master plan projections; c. A traffic and parking analysis of the proposal and comparison to the master plan projections;
d. A circulation plan showing how the traffic and pedestrian circulation will function upon implementation of the proposals; and
e. Other information that might be required for specific proposals, such as noise analyses, lighting plans, landscape screening plans, heritage tree locations, and other similar information.
3 In addition to other conditions of approval, the planning commission shall require the following items where relevant:
a. Identification of the approved uses and hours of operation; and b. Clustering of high intensity or noise-intense structures and uses (such as gymnasiums, theaters, athletic facilities) away from neighboring residential uses, where possible.
4 Emergency shelters shall be permitted only when located within the Town Civic Center property and pursuant to Section 17.36.060; defined as Lots 1, 2, 24, 25 and 26, Watlinton Park RSM (Resubdivision Maps) 5/8.

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Atherton Municipal Code – Proposed Amendments – January 2025

Page 3 of 3 ends

5 Shall only be permitted by-right (i.e., as a staff-level decision and ministerial review, without discretionary review) on sites with a Multifamily Overlay District (RM-20/40) designation. Subject to compliance with objective design standards in section 17.36.070 (Multifamily Overlay District RM-20/40).

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Attachment 6

DRAFT TOWN OF ATHERTON
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO.

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF ATHERTON,

CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE ATHERTON GENERAL PLAN TO REVISE THE 2023-2031 HOUSING ELEMENT
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has been diligently working on an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle to identify and address the Town's housing needs; and WHEREAS, the California Legislature has found that “California has a housing supply and affordability crisis of historic proportions. The consequences of failing to effectively and aggressively confront this crisis are hurting millions of Californians, robbing future generations of the chance to call California home, stifling economic opportunities for workers and businesses, worsening poverty and homelessness, and undermining the state’s environmental and climate objectives.” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has further found that “Among the consequences of those actions are discrimination against low-income and minority households, lack of housing to support employment growth, imbalance in jobs and housing, reduced mobility, urban sprawl, excessive commuting, and air quality deterioration.” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and WHEREAS, the Legislature adopted the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) which states that “In 2018, California ranked 49th out of the 50 states in housing units per capita… California needs an estimated 180,000 additional homes annually to keep up with population growth, and the Governor has called for 3.5 million new homes to be built over 7 years;” and WHEREAS, State Housing Element Law (Government Code Sections 65580 et seq.) requires that the City Council adopt a Housing Element for the eight-year period 2023-2031 to accommodate the Town of Atherton (Town) regional housing need allocation (RHNA) of 348 housing units, comprised of 94 very-low income units, 54 low-income units, 56 moderate- income units, and 144 above moderate-income units; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2023, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved Resolution 2023–2 adopting an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle, which did not constitute a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and submitted the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for review and certification; and
WHEREAS, on April 4, 2023, the State Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter to the Town of Atherton indicating that while the adopted housing element addresses many statutory requirements, additional revisions are necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the California Government Code); and

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WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has continued diligently to address those comments and adopt any related amendments to the Atherton Municipal Code beyond the statutory deadline of January 31, 2023, while also continuing to work on the rezoning amendments to facilitate housing sites as identified in the adopted Housing Element; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2024, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to continue the project for further discussion; and WHEREAS, on August 28, 2024, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a second public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to recommend adoption; and
WHEREAS, on September 18, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to continue the project for further discussion; and WHEREAS, on October 16, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to recommend adoption; and
WHEREAS, on October 16, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved adopting an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle and submitted the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for review and certification; and WHEREAS, on December 30, 2024, the State Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter to the Town of Atherton indicating that additional revisions are necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the California Government Code); and
WHEREAS, on January 29, 2025, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review further revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element and the Atherton Municipal Code to comply with State Housing Element Law, considered public comment and voted to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve revisions recommended by staff; and
WHEREAS, on February 19, 2025, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Atherton Municipal Code, considered public comment and voted to continue the project for further discussion; and WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved a resolution revising the Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle and directed staff to submit the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for review and

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certification; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby approves revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element and related General Plan amendments based on the findings, supported by substantial evidence in the record, that:

1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated by reference into this action.

2. The City Council finds and determines that adoption of the revised Housing Element will not have a significant effect on the environment and that the revisions are consistent with an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration that was prepared and adopted for the Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates project.

3. In accordance with state law, the City Council hereby finds as follows:
a. The revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element are consistent with and reflective of the General Plan’s goals, policies, and intent to encourage orderly growth and development in a manner that preserves the public's health, safety, and welfare because it addresses changes that have occurred in the Town's housing needs by implementing the policies, procedures, and programs contained in the updated 2023-2031 Housing Element.
b. As required by Government Code Section 65585(e), the City Council has considered the findings made by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) included in the Department’s letter to the Town of Atherton dated December 30, 2024 consistent with Government Code Section 65585(e), and the revised 2023-2031 Housing Element bas been set forth in Attachment 2 in the staff report, to substantially comply with the requirements of State Housing Element Law as interpreted by HCD.
c. The revised 2023-2031 Housing Element substantially complies with State Housing Element Law, as provided in Government Code 65580 et seq. and contains all provisions required by State Housing Element Law, as shown in Exhibit A to this Resolution, incorporated herein by this reference.

4. The City Council of the Town of Atherton hereby rescinds the current 2023-2031 Housing Element adopted on October 16, 2024; and adopts the revised 2023-2031 Housing Element.

5. The Town Planner is directed to transmit the adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review pursuant to Government Code Section 65585(g). The Town Planner, in consultation with the City Manager, is further directed and authorized to make all non-substantive changes to the Housing Element to make it internally consistent or to address any nonsubstantive changes or amendments requested by the Department to achieve certification.

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PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the Town of Atherton on this 19th day of March 2025, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Elizabeth Lewis, Mayor
ATTEST:

Anthony W. Suber, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:

Mona Ebrahimi, City Attorney

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Attachment 7
DRAFT ORDINANCE NO. ___

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF ATHERTON TO AMEND SECTION 17.36.030 OF THE ATHERTON MUNCIPAL CODE TO IMPLEMENT THE 2023- 2031 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ZONING CODE UPDATES PROJECT
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has been diligently working on an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle to identify and address the Town's housing needs; and WHEREAS, the California Legislature has found that “California has a housing supply and affordability crisis of historic proportions. The consequences of failing to effectively and aggressively confront this crisis are hurting millions of Californians, robbing future generations of the chance to call California home, stifling economic opportunities for workers and businesses, worsening poverty and homelessness, and undermining the state’s environmental and climate objectives.” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has further found that “Among the consequences of those actions are discrimination against low-income and minority households, lack of housing to support employment growth, imbalance in jobs and housing, reduced mobility, urban sprawl, excessive commuting, and air quality deterioration.” (Gov. Code Section 65589.5.); and WHEREAS, the Legislature adopted the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) which states that “In 2018, California ranked 49th out of the 50 states in housing units per capita… California needs an estimated 180,000 additional homes annually to keep up with population growth, and the Governor has called for 3.5 million new homes to be built over 7 years;” and WHEREAS, State Housing Element Law (Government Code Sections 65580 et seq.) requires that the City Council adopt a Housing Element for the eight-year period 2023-2031 to accommodate the Town of Atherton (Town) regional housing need allocation (RHNA) of 348 housing units, comprised of 94 very-low income units, 54 low-income units, 56 moderate- income units, and 144 above moderate-income units; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2023, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved Resolution 2023–2 adopting an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle, which did not constitute a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and submitted the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for review and certification; and
WHEREAS, on April 4, 2023, the State Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter to the Town of Atherton indicating that while the adopted housing element addresses many statutory requirements, additional revisions are necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the California Government Code); and

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Attachment 7
Ordinance ______ Page 2 of 6 Date
WHEREAS, the Town of Atherton has continued diligently to address those comments and adopt any related amendments to the Atherton Municipal Code beyond the statutory deadline of January 31, 2023, while also continuing to work on the rezoning amendments to facilitate housing sites as identified in the adopted Housing Element; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2024, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to continue the project for further discussion; and WHEREAS, on August 28, 2024, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a second public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to recommend adoption; and
WHEREAS, on September 18, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to continue the project for further discussion; and WHEREAS, on October 16, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Zoning Code Update project and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH# 2024050574) to consider public comment and voted to recommend adoption; and
WHEREAS, on October 16, 2024, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved Ordinance 669 to amend Title 17 of the Atherton Municipal Code to implement the adopted revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, on December 30, 2024, the State Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter to the Town of Atherton indicating that additional revisions are necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the California Government Code); and
WHEREAS, on January 29, 2025, the Planning Commission of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to review further revisions to the 2023-2031 Housing Element and the Atherton Municipal Code to comply with State Housing Element Law, considered public comment and voted to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve revisions recommended by staff; and
WHEREAS, on February 19, 2025, the City Council of the Town of Atherton held a duly noticed public hearing to introduce and review revisions to Atherton Municipal Code Section

17.36.030, the 2023-2031 Housing Element and Atherton Municipal Code, considered public comment and voted to continue the project for a second reading; and WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025, the City Council of the Town of Atherton approved a

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Attachment 7
Ordinance ______ Page 3 of 6 Date
resolution revising the Housing Element for the 2023-2031 cycle and directed staff to submit the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for review and certification; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby approves the 2023- 2031 Housing Element and related General Plan amendments based on the findings, supported by substantial evidence in the record, that:

The City Council of the Town of Atherton does hereby ordain as follows:

SECTION 1. RECITALS. The recitals set forth above are true and correct and are hereby incorporated herein by this reference as if fully set forth in their entirety.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS. In accordance with all requirements Atherton Municipal Code Section

17.18.040, the City Council hereby finds that the proposed Zoning Code are consistent with the goals, policies, and implementation of the Atherton General Plan.

SECTION 3. COMPLIANCE WITH CEQA. The proposed Zoning Code amendments will not have a significant effect on the environment and that revisions are consistent with an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration that was prepared and adopted for the Housing Element and Zoning Code Updates project.

SECTION 4. ADOPTION OF ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS. The City Council of the Town of Atherton hereby amends Section 17.36.030 of the Atherton Municipal Code as follows:

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Attachment 7
Ordinance ______ Page 4 of 6 Date
Town hall and
associated community
uses
P
Accessory dwelling unit
in conjunction with
multifamily residential
uses
P
Emergency shelters P
4 Multiple-family
residential uses
P
5 Single room occupancy P
5 Churches and places of
worship
CUP
Convents CUP
Country clubs CUP
Residential associated
with primary
nonresidential use of
property on same site1
CUP
Private schools CUP2,3
Public utilities and
facilities, uses, and
structures
CUP
Transportation terminal
facilities
CUP
Notes:
1 Examples include dorms or teacher housing associated with school site, convent when associated with religious institutions, etc. and not located on sites with a multifamily overlay. 2 Where a master plan for a private school has been prepared and filed with the town for public record, any application for a conditional use permit shall be compared to the master plan for consistency with that document. All building and/or faculty changes, improvements, or new

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Attachment 7
Ordinance ______ Page 5 of 6 Date
construction shall require a conditional use permit. To that end, all conditional use permit applications shall include the following:
a. Maps and diagrams showing the proposal in relation to the master plan layout; b. History of student and faculty growth and projections of future growth, including an analysis of that growth’s consistency with the master plan projections; c. A traffic and parking analysis of the proposal and comparison to the master plan projections;
d. A circulation plan showing how the traffic and pedestrian circulation will function upon implementation of the proposals; and
e. Other information that might be required for specific proposals, such as noise analyses, lighting plans, landscape screening plans, heritage tree locations, and other similar information.
3 In addition to other conditions of approval, the planning commission shall require the following items where relevant:
a. Identification of the approved uses and hours of operation; and b. Clustering of high intensity or noise-intense structures and uses (such as gymnasiums, theaters, athletic facilities) away from neighboring residential uses, where possible. 4 Emergency shelters shall be permitted only when located within the Town Civic Center property and pursuant to Section 17.36.060; defined as Lots 1, 2, 24, 25 and 26, Watlinton Park RSM (Resubdivision Maps) 5/8.
5 Shall only be permitted by-right (i.e., as a staff-level decision and ministerial review, without discretionary review) on sites with a Multifamily Overlay District (RM-20/40) designation.

Subject to compliance with objective design standards in section 17.36.070 (Multifamily Overlay District RM-20/40).

SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, clause or phrase in this Ordinance, or any part thereof, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections or portions of this Ordinance or any part thereof. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases may be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall be posted in at least three public places according to law and shall take effect and be in force from and after 30 days after its passage and adoption.

Introduced on the 19th day of February 2025.

Passed and adopted as an ordinance of the City Council of the Town of Atherton at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of March 2025 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

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Attachment 7
Ordinance ______ Page 6 of 6 Date
ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:
__________________________________
Mayor Elizabeth Lewis
ATTEST:
__________________________________
Anthony Suber, City Clerk/Deputy City Manager

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Item No. 7
Town of Atherton

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT - REGULAR AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION REGARDING THE
ATHERTON LIBRARY CHILDREN’S GARDEN PROJECT

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council provide feedback and direction to staff regarding the Atheron Library Children’s Garden design and the potential for the Town to provide assistance through construction including management and oversight of the bidding process and construction management and inspection services for the project.

BACKGROUND
The Town and the San Mateo County Libraries (SMCL) Governing Board approved the use of restricted library funds for an Atherton Library Children’s Garden and project management in 2024. SMCL contracted with Miller Company Landscape Architects (Miller) to reimagine the space behind the Atherton Library to provide a developmentally appropriate outdoor learning environment for young children and their families to connect with and explore nature through open-ended play.

The garden design was developed after a community engagement process, which included input from the Atherton community and the Friends of the Atherton Library. Input was gathered by holding a series of public workshops and collecting comments on-site by leaving the design presentation boards up in the library so that people who weren’t present at the community meetings could leave feedback.

In addition to the public workshops and feedback, SMCL coordinated with the Friends of the Atherton Library (Friends) and adjacent property owners regarding the input received and improvement concepts and ideas. Through this engagement process, Miller developed conceptual designs that incorporated the feedback and input from the Friends, neighbors, and community stakeholders.

ANALYSIS

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Atherton Library Children’s Garden
February 19, 2025

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The reimagined 6,500 square foot garden will complement the existing mature redwood trees, incorporating a whimsical willow hut, boulder mound, natural branch tunnel, and an accessible tree house structure that will invite social interaction and imaginative play. The design provides for full accessibility throughout. A new ramp with handrails connects the existing northwest paved pathway to the existing deck area. New paving will provide an extended area adjacent to the library staff room and replace the existing decomposed granite paving that is currently degrading the building’s siding. Community members will navigate through the ground level garden area on an accessible engineered wood fiber pathway system that connects the various elements. The garden will have native plantings throughout, adapted to grow in the context of the existing Redwood trees and be placed away from existing Oak trees. All new plants will be irrigated with a drip system.

The design is approximately 90% complete and prior to finalization, SMCL is seeking Council feedback on the project design and layout. Following Council feedback, the design team will prepare plans for submittal to Planning for review and for any variances (fence height, structure location [setbacks from property lines and existing buildings], height, etc.) that may be required for project approval, then to the Building Department for any required building permits. The design team and SMCL are finalizing some details regarding operational aspects, including hours, security (with PD), and fence height and access type from the Ashfield Road side of the garden.

Under the Library JPA Agreement, San Mateo County Libraries is responsible for library operations including staffing, services and programs, collections, furniture, fixtures and equipment, etc. Member cities are responsible for maintenance and repair, which includes utilities, janitorial, facility improvement costs including capital projects, etc. Library restricted funds may be used for these items.

The preliminary construction cost estimate for the project is approximately $415,000, not including contingencies, construction management and inspection services. Actual prices will be determined based on contractor bids obtained through a competitive process. Funds for the project are allocated through the Library JPA as part of the restricted funds approval process.

SMCL is seeking Town support to assist in bidding the project and for construction management and inspection (CM&I) services. Staff solicited a proposal from Interwest Consulting Group for CM&I services for the project. The estimated cost of CM&I services is approximately $60,000.

Restricted funds would support these services.

FISCAL IMPACT
None at this time, however, next steps would incur additional costs.

Project construction costs, including CM&I would be funded through SMCL library restricted funds as noted above – approximately $415k for construction (market dependent) and $60k for construction management and inspection.

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Atherton Library Children’s Garden
February 19, 2025

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GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal Area B – Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life • Goal Area C – Create and Expand the Town Center/Library • Goal Area F – Be Forward-Thinking, Well-Managed, and Well-Planned

POLICY ISSUES
The policy focus for this item is regarding Council direction regarding the proposed children’s garden at the Atherton Library and Town assistance in implementation.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the item is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item ____ has or X has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets as needed)
____ Civic Center Advisory Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
____ Transportation Committee (meets every other month)

ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – Project Layout and images
Attachment 2 – Construction cost estimate

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Item No. 8
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – REGULAR AGENDA
TO: CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ANTHONY SUBER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER/ CITY CLERK
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING

COMMISSION

RECOMMENDATION
Review the applicant for the Planning Commission and consider making an appointment to fill the vacant seat for a term expiring on June 30, 2027.

BACKGROUND
There is a mid-term vacancy due to the resignation of Planning Commissioner Bryant in January 2025. The Town conducted routine recruitment to fill the vacancies utilizing standard methods that include posting advertisements in local papers, across social media, and community engagement (word of mouth) outreach. The Council last appointed to the Planning Commission in August 2024 appointing Sandy Levison to a term expiring June 30, 2028.

Staff is presently conducting the annual Committee and Commissions recruitment to fill upcoming term expirations for all committees.

The Planning Commission has one (1) vacancy to fill a 4-Year term expiring on June 30, 2027.

There is one (1) applicant for the Council to consider. • Leugers, Jerome
Appointment Process
It is recommended that the Council consider appointing with a motion announcing the Commission and term being considered and then hold a vote. The City Clerk is able to assist with voting sheets if requested.

FISCAL IMPACT

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Planning Commission Appointment
February 19, 2025

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None.

GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal Area E – Strengthen Community Engagement and Transparency

POLICY FOCUS
The Council is not obligated to appoint candidates presented and may choose to extend the candidate recruitment process as it deems necessary. The Council reserves complete discretion in appointments.

Town Commissions and Committees represent a key component of civic engagement within the community. The participation of the members is a vital part of the Town’s public engagement and review process. These groups have the ability to gather public input on an issue and provide feedback and recommendations to the City Council for consideration.

When evaluating applicants for Commissions and Committees, the City Council should consider the role of each committee, the amount of oversight needed, cost effectiveness, efficiency in decision-making, and the desire of the City Council for direct policy involvement on particular issues.

Staff will continue recruitment for Committees with ongoing vacancies.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,400 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders –to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire Protection District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item has not been before a Town Committee or Commission\

ATTACHMENTS

1. Committee Applicants

2. Commission and Committee Roster

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Planning Commission Appointment
February 19, 2025

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4. Resolution No. 24-27 Governing Committees)

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2346840.1 14537.007
Item No. 9
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – REGULAR AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: STEVE McCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2025
SUBJECT: INSTALLATION OF A “NO LEFT TURN” SIGN ON ENCINAL AVENUE

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve installation of a “No Left Turn 2pm to 4pm” restriction sign on eastbound Encinal Avenue at the entrance to the Encinal School student drop off and pick up area.

BACKGROUND
On Encinal Avenue, around Encinal School, there is significant traffic congestion and related safety concerns occurring during the staggered afternoon student pick-up times, between the hours of 2:00pm and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. This has been a long-term ongoing problem. The main cause of the congestion during this time is traffic stopped on eastbound Encinal Avenue, waiting to turn left into the school student pick up area. The pick-up area is normally full of cars which are turning into the pick-up area from westbound Encinal Avenue.

For traffic stopped on eastbound Encinal Avenue, the waiting time to be able to turn left into the pick-up area is lengthy. This causes traffic on eastbound Encinal Avenue to back up significantly.

Frustrated drivers in the back up routinely pass stopped traffic on the left in the oncoming lane or on the right in the bike lane. These illegal traffic movements create safety issues for other drivers and pedestrians.

Encinal School staff have done everything possible to improve the flow of student pick up traffic.

Directed traffic enforcement has been used often in this area but violations and related complaints from residents and parents have continued.

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2346840.1 14537.007
In response to the continued traffic safety issues, a temporary “No Left Turn 2pm to 4pm” sign was installed on eastbound Encinal Avenue at the entrance to the Encinal School pick-up/drop off area in October 2024 to evaluate the restriction as a solution.

The Police Department Traffic Officers reviewed the congestion and safety of the area during the months of October through January.

ANALYSIS
A review of the temporary restriction indicated a decrease in congestion and a reduction in nearmiss incidents related to traffic passing in the oncoming lane or in the bike lane during the restriction period. Vehicle delay times at the intersection were also reduced during the restriction hours. Concerns were raised by some drivers regarding alternate routing options, but those have been addressed.

The request to make the restriction permanent was reviewed by the Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and the Committee recommends that the Council approve installation of the signage.

FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of installing the signage is estimated at $300 - $400.

CONCLUSION
Based on data analysis, safety improvements, and community feedback, staff recommends the permanent installation of the "No Left Turn Between 2 PM and 4 PM" sign to enhance traffic safety and efficiency.

GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal B: Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life • Goal D: Manage Circulation and Improve

PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about this item is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.

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2346840.1 14537.007

COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item _X___ has or ___ has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
__X__ Transportation Committee (meets every other month)

ATTACHMENTS
Proposed Signage Location Google Street View Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.463704,-
122.1859233,3a,90y,30.7h,66.98t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swtGs4ktCG0ay_V5JyLfttA!2e0!6shttp s:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixelspa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h %3D600%26pitch%3D23.01597119151741%26panoid%3DwtGs4ktCG0ay_V5JyLfttA%26yaw %3D30.696064138682438!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDIwMy4wIKXMDS oASAFQAw%3D%3D

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Atherton City CouncilFebruary 19, 2025

Atherton City Council
February 19, 2025