Approved September 18, 2025
Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Regular Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 6:00 P.M.
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California & 333 McMurray Road, Buellton, CA 93427
Present: Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, Council Member George Tyson
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Peter Pirnejad, Deputy City Manager Code Einfalt, Public Works Director WooJae Kim, Community Development Director Jay Bradford, Finance Director Thomas Leung, Community Services Supervisor Emina Mahic, and City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller
CALL TO ORDER (6:00 P.M.)
Mayor Tankha called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member Tyson were present.
Council Member Swan attended the meeting at 333 McMurray Road, Buellton, CA 93427.
1. AGENDA REVIEW
The agenda was accepted as presented.
2. PRESENTATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
A. Appointment to the Los Altos Hills Joint Volunteer Awards Committee Council Member Tyson made a motion to appoint Laura Schmidt to the Los Altos Hills Joint Volunteer Awards Committee. Vice Mayor Bhateja seconded the motion. Approved, Vote 5- 0
3. PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Mayor Tankha opened PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR.
Jim Waschura, speaking as a Planning Commissioner, provided a brief update to the Council on the Housing Element and other Ordinances.
Megan Crissman, a resident of Los Altos Hills and board of the Los Altos-Mountain View Community Foundation (LAMVCF), spoke about the role the foundation played in the local area. 2 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
Sergio Jimenez, the Government Affairs Representative from PG&E, introduced himself and noted that he was a point of contact for any power emergencies.
Vice Chair Bhateja thanked Mr. Jimenez for attending and noted that he would reach out to him if he had any questions.
Mayor Tankha closed PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR
4. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS (items provided solely for informational purposes) A. Treasurer’s Report
B. Disbursement Report
C. Quarterly Investment Report
Finance Director Thomas Leung stated that the Treasurer’s Report, Disbursement Report, and the Quarterly Investment Report agenda items were informational and did not have a staff report.
5. CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Approval of the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes - April 17, 2025 * Removed from the Consent Calendar
Council Member Swan requested that Item 5A be pulled from the Consent Calendar.
Council Member Swan clarified a comment that was attributed to her in the draft minutes with more precise language.
Council Member Swan motioned to APPROVE the April 17, 2025, minutes, Item 5A on the CONSENT CALENDAR with the correction. Council Member Tyson seconded.
MOTION PASSED: 5-0
AYE: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson
NOES: None
RECUE: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
B. Approval of the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 15, 2025 *Removed from the Consent Calendar
City Clerk Arika Miller noted that ITEM 5B would be pulled from the Consent Calendar and presented at a later Council Meeting.
C. Resolution Awarding the Corporate Yard Locker room Phase I Project to Argos Construction, the Lowest Responsible and Responsive Bidder, in the amount of $175,000 and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract; and Approving Project Contingency Funds of 3 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
$35,000 and Authorizing the Public Works Director to Approve Potential Contract Change Orders within the said funds – APPROVED, VOTE 5-0
D. Resolution Rejecting Non-Responsive Bids from Skyline Landscapes, Jahn Plumbing, Inc., and Rodan Builders, Inc. for the Lower Arena Improvements at Westwind Community Barn Project; Awarding the Project to Nebo Construction, the Lowest Responsible and Responsive Bidder, in the Amount of $159,112 and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract; and Approving Project Contingency Funds of $30,000 and Authorizing the Public Works Director to Approve Potential Contract Change Orders Within the Said Funds – APPROVED, VOTE 5-0
E. Opposition to Assembly Bill 306 - APPROVED, VOTE 5-0 F.
G.
Resolution Directing that the Pride Flag be Raised for the month of June 2025 - APPROVED, VOTE 5-0
Resolution Granting an Extension of the Expiration Dates for Building Permits for Various Residential Properties as listed in the Staff Report - APPROVED, VOTE 5-0 Mayor Tankha opened Public Comments for the Consent Calendar.
There were no Public Comments.
Vice Mayor Bhateja made a motion to Approve the Consent Calendar, removing ITEM 5A and ITEM 5B. Council Member Mok seconded the motion. APPROVED, VOTE 5-0 MOTION PASSED: 5-0
AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson
NOES: None
RECUSE: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
6. ONGOING BUSINESS – NONE
7. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Receive and File the Annual Workforce Vacancy, Recruitment, and Retention Report as Required Under AB2561
Finance Director Thomas Leung explained that the presentation and staff report were included in the packet, noting that this item required a public hearing. He stated that since the Town had no bargaining groups and only one vacancy, there was minimal impact.
Mayor Tankha opened the Public Hearing for Comments.
There were no Public Comments.
Vice Mayor Bhateja motioned to Receive and File the Annual Workforce Vacancy, Recruitment, and Retention Report as Required Under AB2561. Council Member Mok seconded. 4 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
MOTION PASSED: 5-0
AYE: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson
NOES: None
RECUE: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
B. Consideration of a Resolution Adopting the Proposed FY 2025-26 Operating Budget and FY 2026-30 Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan Budget and Gann Limit for the Town of Los Altos Hills and Resolution Approving the FY 2025-26 Salary Schedule Finance Director Thomas Leung presented the staff report on the FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget for review and adoption.
Vice Mayor Bhateja commented on the comparison between Los Altos Hills and other cities in terms of salary ranges were different because those cities were larger and their corresponding employees had more responsibilities.
Director Leung noted that he left out the largest cities in the comparison study. He noted that he continued to include some large cities because those were the cities Los Altos Hills had to compete with for staff. He noted that larger cities had more support staff and therefore their employees had fewer responsibilities for each role, which made their jobs less difficult. He noted that the Town’s salaries were still below the other cities.
Council Member Tyson commented that smaller organizations did not have the same support structures and that Town staff frequently performed tasks outside their described roles. He supported erring on the higher side of wages instead of on the lower side and risk losing staff.
Council Member Mok noted that the previous city manager had a staff turnover rate of 25% each year for a period of 6 years, so over a period of 3 years, the entire staff had turned over. He stated that the Town loses a lot of institutional knowledge when that happens and things get dropped with the new staff. He was in favor of paying either average or above-average wages to reduce turnover.
Mayor Tankha shared her observations during the previous city manager’s tenure and supported a better salary range. She noted that staff were extremely helpful. She stated she wished there were comments to explain the information.
Councilmember Swan commented that they asked Town staff to work longer hours and complete more duties and was in support of higher wages.
Mayor Tankha also noted that Town staff also did not have the same professional development opportunities as other city staff and perhaps that could be factored into their compensation.
Vice Mayor Bhateja commented on smaller organizations and Councilmember Tyson’s comments and thanked Director Leung for his contributions to the Town budget.
Mayor Tankha also thanked Director Leung for his contributions to the Town budget. She stressed more transparency be included in the budget.
Mayor Tankha opened the Public Hearing for Comments.
5 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
There were no Public Comments.
Mayor Tankha noted that if the public had no comment, then that represented a huge achievement.
Council Member Tyson motioned to Adopt a Resolution for the Proposed FY 2025-26 Operating Budget and FY 2026-30 Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan Budget and Gann Limit for the Town of Los Altos Hills and Resolution Approving the FY 2025-26 Salary Schedule. Council Member Mok seconded.
MOTION PASSED: 5-0
AYE: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson
NOES: None
RECUE: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
8. NEW BUSINESS
A. Council Discussion and Staff Direction on how to Disperse the Community Service Grant Fund Finance Director Thomas Leung explained how the City Council has dispersed the Community Service Grant Fund over the past 5 years.
Council Member Tyson provided comments in support of the proposed disbursement of the Community Service Grant Fund options and made some observations.
Council Member Mok offered comments that differed from Councilmember Tyson’s position and stated his reasoning.
Council Member Swan offered comments in support of Councilmember Tyson’s position and stated her reasoning.
Vice Mayor Bhateja noted that he would prefer to see the residents contribute directly to these organizations so they could receive a tax deduction and proposed specific actions to support this approach.
Mayor Tankha provided clarifying comments pertaining to the purpose of the grant funding.
She noted that she would support giving CSA more funding and the other organizations $5k.
City Manager Pirnejad provided clarifying comments regarding the list of charitable organizations that was presented.
Mayor Tankha asked for Public Comments.
There were no Public Comments.
Council Member Tyson made a motion to Approve the 2025-26 Community Services Grant Fund Disbursement as listed below. Council Member Swan seconded the motion.
APPROVED, VOTE 5-0
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Friends of Deer Hollow Farm 5,000
Hidden Villa 10,000
Los Altos Chamber of Commerce 5,000
Community Services Agency (CSA) 10,000
Rotary Club of Los Altos (Art in the Park) 1,000
Total $ 31,000
9. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ON
OUTSIDE AGENCIES
A. Status Report from All Council Members on Subcommittees and Outside Agencies Activity Council Member Tyson provided an update on the Rule 20A Project Mayor Tankha asked that the LAHCFD give reports at City Council Meetings to reach more residents monthly during the fire season and quarterly for the remainder of the year. - There was a consensus among the Council to approve this request.
Council Member Mok stated that this year’s Town Picnic was a great success and expressed gratitude to Community Services Supervisor Emina Mahic, the Parks and Recreation Committee, Town staff, and all the volunteers who helped make the event so successful.
10. STAFF REPORTS
A. City Attorney Steve Mattas had no report.
B. City Clerk Arika Miller introduced the City Clerk and the Community Services Department’s new intern, Elnara Babayeva. Clerk Miller also stated the electronic voting system has officially launched and will be utilized in Council Meetings in place of the roll call vote. Upcoming Council Meetings were also announced, including the City Council Study Session on Monday, July 21, 2025, at 4 PM and the Regular City Council Meeting on Monday, July 21, 2025, at 6 PM.
C. Planning Director Jay Bradford provided an update on staffing within the Community Development Department. In addition to the staffing updates included in the budget, several new developments were reported. This month, the Town welcomed Ms. Bageshri Thakar as its new Assistant Planner. Ms. Thakar holds a Bachelor of Architecture from CEPT University in India and a Master of Urban Design from UC Berkeley. Her professional background spans architecture, local government, and community engagement, with a focus on sustainable urban systems and land-use planning, making her a strong fit for the Town’s needs. The Town is also actively recruiting for an Associate Planner position to further support the department’s workload.
Additionally, the Town’s contracted service provider for building inspection and code enforcement has made staffing changes. Mr. Jaime Avalos has been assigned as the new Code Enforcement Officer, and a replacement Building Inspector will support operations over the next three months.
D. Finance Director Thomas Leung introduced Gabriella Currie, the new summer intern in the Finance Department. Gabriella is studying Finance at the University of Arizona and has already made strong progress. She is currently reviewing unclaimed property, contacting claimants, and posting notices.
7 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
It was reported that the RMRA and Gas Tax audit has been completed. After four weeks of fieldwork, the auditor found no issues and is now finalizing the report.
Preparation is also underway for the Town’s annual audit, with final fieldwork scheduled for October.
Director Leung thanked the Council for their support during the budget process. The adopted budget will be loaded in July, and printed budget books will be distributed to the City Council and the Finance and Investment Committee in the coming weeks.
E. Public Works Director WooJae Kim provided the following update:
Matadero Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization Project The contractor, B&D Construction, will be mobilizing next week on June 30, and most of the construction work is expected to be completed by August. There will be a few days during construction when a lane of Page Mill Road will need to be closed, but traffic impact is anticipated to be minimal.
Safe Streets for All (SS4A)
This week, staff submitted a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant application to U.S. Department of Transportation before the deadline. If approved, the grant would be used to conduct a traffic Safety Action Plan, which would also include guardrail analysis for upgrading and potentially adding more guardrails where needed. The grant amount staff applied for is $180k, which would require 20% matching funds. The Town should hear back grant application by the end of the year.
F. City Manager Peter Pirnejad provided the following update:
City Manager Pirnejad provided an update on the Housing Element progress and the timeline for remaining work in 2025 and early 2026. The Town continues to make steady progress toward compliance with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), while responding to community feedback and shifting policy priorities.
Key Steps Taken in 2025:
• February 2025: Council allocated staff and consultant resources to assist the Housing Element Ad Hoc Committee with exploring amendments, evaluating a multi-family zoning district, and reconsidering the Twin Oaks Development Agreement.
• May 2025: The Housing Element Ad Hoc Committee was dissolved. Council directed staff to consider alternative housing sites without disrupting the January 31 HCD deadline, signaling a future study session on site alternatives. Staff was also directed to revisit the Housing Element amendment process through a structured Council review.
• April – June 2025: Council expanded the Michael Baker contract to support Housing Element work. Legal and planning resources were dedicated to support the amendment process, zoning code updates, and related environmental documentation.
Remaining 2025 Deliverables:
• September 18, 2025: HCD submittal for Housing Element compliance. 8 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
• October 16, 2025: Council review of Housing Element amendments, including o Environmental Impact Report (EIR) o Multi-family zoning o Objective Design Standards o Land Use Element updates o Affordable housing linkage/in-lieu fees
• November 20, 2025: Second reading and adoption of Housing Element-related ordinances and resolutions, and an initial study session on alternative housing sites.
Looking Ahead – Early 2026 (Q1):
• Follow-up study session on new site inventory for the Housing Element. • Continued evaluation of long-term compliance strategies based on HCD feedback and community direction. It was noted that the Town is on track to meet key state compliance milestones while also planning responsibly for future housing needs. Work on alternative housing sites is scheduled for late 2025 and will continue into early 2026, providing further opportunities for Council and community input.
Speed Enforcement
Recent measures have been implemented to enhance road safety, including the installation of additional static speed signs at strategic locations to encourage compliance with posted limits.
Mobile speed feedback signs have also been deployed to collect data on vehicle speeds, which is shared with the Sheriff’s Department to inform enforcement priorities. The Sheriff’s Office has conducted several speed-related traffic details in the past six months, providing insights into areas of concern. Specific locations with frequent reports of speeding are being prioritized for increased enforcement and monitoring.
PAUSD Liaison
The Palo Alto Unified School District has a dedicated board member representative for Los Altos Hills families. Residents or Council Members interested in connecting with the representative are encouraged to contact Board Member Rowena Chiu. Mayor Tankha and staff have a scheduled meeting next week to initiate this relationship.
KMVT Services
KMVT has begun providing services for broadcasting public meetings. KMVT ran the current meeting and will take over full management of the broadcasting room starting July 1. Services will include Planning Commission, City Council, and Fire District meetings.
Coyote Town Hall
Due to increasing resident concerns about coyotes in Town, a Town Hall was held on living with coyotes. The meeting took place in person and on Zoom in the Council Chambers from 6–8 p.m. yesterday. A recording is available on the Town’s website for viewing. Follow-up questions may be directed to Cody.
Summer Intern Program
The Town has welcomed five summer interns who will serve through August:
• Victor Vu – Community Development Department; background in Economics from UC Davis; pursuing a Master’s in Urban Planning at San José State University. 9 City Council June 26, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
• Elnara Babayeva – Community Services Department; student of Interaction & Game Design at California State University, East Bay.
• James Conroy – Public Works Department; recent UC Merced graduate in Civil Engineering. • Gabriella Currie – Finance Department; studying Finance at the University of Arizona. • Matthew Philbin – City Manager’s Office; studying Economics and Linguistics at San Diego State University. Council Members visiting Town Hall this summer were encouraged to greet the interns.
Contract Management – Laserfiche
The Town’s new online contract management portal is now operational. The public can access information on expiring, new, and existing contracts in the Town’s database. For questions about system use, residents and Council Members may contact Cody.
Upcoming Events
Fourth of July Parade
• Date: July 4, 2025
• Time: Gather at Town Hall from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m.; parade begins at 10:00 a.m. • Route: Fremont Road to Gardner Bullis School
• Highlights: Refreshments and watermelon treats; participation by the Los Altos Hills Horseman’s Association with horses at the parade’s end.
Movie Night at the Park
• Date: Friday, August 1, 2025
• Time: Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.; movie screening from 8:15 to 10:00 p.m. • Location: Purissima Park
• Feature Film: Moana 2
• Hosted by: LAH Youth Commission
• Additional Info: Free event (dinner not included); dinner available from Daniel’s Kitchen with sweet treats from Mister Softee. Registration required.
COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS - NONE
ADJOURN
Mayor Tankha adjourned the meeting in memory of Lester Earnest at 7:44 PM, Respectfully submitted,
Arika Birdsong-Miller City Clerk