Agenda packet — Los Gatos City Council, January 24, 2023

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How to participate: The Town of Los Gatos strongly encourages your active participation in the public process, which is the cornerstone of democracy. If you wish to speak to an item on the agenda, please complete a “speaker’s card” located on the back of the chamber benches and return it to the Town Council. If you wish to speak to an item NOT on the agenda, you may do so during the “Verbal Communications” period. The time allocated to speakers may change to better facilitate the Town Council meeting.

Effective Proceedings: The purpose of the Town Council meeting is to conduct the business of the community in an effective and efficient manner. For the benefit of the community, the Town of Los Gatos asks that you follow the Town’s meeting guidelines while attending Town Council meetings and treat everyone with respect and dignity. This is done by following meeting guidelines set forth in State law and in the Town Code. Disruptive conduct is not tolerated, including but not limited to: addressing the Town Council without first being recognized; interrupting speakers, Town Council or Town staff; continuing to speak after the allotted time has expired; failing to relinquish the podium when directed to do so; and repetitiously addressing the same subject.

Deadlines for Public Comment and Presentations are as follows:
 Persons wishing to make an audio/visual presentation on any agenda item must submit the presentation electronically, either in person or via email, to the Clerk’s Office no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting.
 Persons wishing to submit written comments to be included in the materials provided to Town Council must provide the comments as follows:
o For inclusion in the regular packet: by 11:00 a.m. the Thursday before the Council meeting
o For inclusion in any Addendum: by 11:00 a.m. the Monday before the Council meeting o For inclusion in any Desk Item: by 11:00 a.m. on the day of the Council Meeting

TOWN OF LOS GATOS

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AGENDA
JANUARY 24, 2023
110 EAST MAIN STREET

LOS GATOS, CA
7:00 PM
Maria Ristow, Mayor
Mary Badame Vice Mayor
Matthew Hudes, Council Member
Rob Moore, Council Member
Rob Rennie, Council Member

PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC PROCESS
Town Council Meetings Broadcast Live on KCAT, Channel 15 (on Comcast) on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Rebroadcast of Town Council Meetings on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7:00 p.m.

Live & Archived Council Meetings can be viewed by going to:
www.LosGatosCA.gov/TownYouTube

IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, IF YOU NEED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT THE CLERK DEPARTMENT AT (408) 354-6834. NOTIFICATION 48 HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING WILL ENABLE THE TOWN TO MAKE REASONABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY TO THIS MEETING [28 CFR §35.102-35.104]

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TOWN OF LOS GATOS

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AGENDA
JANUARY 24, 2023
110 EAST MAIN STREET

LOS GATOS, CA
7:00 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE
This is a hybrid meeting and will be held in-person at the Town Council Chambers at 110 E.

Main Street and virtually through the Zoom webinar application (log-in information provided below). Members of the public may provide public comments for agenda items in-person or virtually through the Zoom webinar by following the instructions listed below. The live stream of the meeting may be viewed on television and/or online at www.LosGatosCA.gov/TownYouTube.

PARTICIPATION
To provide oral comments in real-time during the meeting:
 Zoom webinar: Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join: https://losgatoscagov.zoom.us/j/82800061199?pwd=ZzhPZHJYTU1WMmJXSXNvbEx3b1REZz09 Passcode: 569257. You can also type in 828 0006 1199 in the “Join a Meeting” page on the Zoom website at https://zoom.us/join and use Passcode: 569257.  Join by telephone: Join by Telephone: Dial: USA 877 336 1839 US Toll-free or 636 651 0008 US Toll. Conference code: 686100
o If you are participating by calling in, press #2 on your telephone keypad to raise your hand.
 In-Person: If you wish to speak during the meeting, please complete a “speaker’s card” located on the back of the chamber benches and return it to the Town Clerk. If you wish to speak to an item on the agenda, please list the item number. The time allocated to speakers may change to better facilitate the Town Council meeting.

When called to speak, you may be asked to provide your full name and your town/city of residence. This identifying information is optional and not a requirement for participation. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes, or such other time as the Mayor may decide, consistent with the time limit for speakers at a Council meeting. If you wish to speak to an item or items on the Consent Calendar, please state which item number(s) you are commenting on at the beginning of your time.

If you are unable to participate in real-time, you may email to [email protected] the subject line “Public Comment Item #__ ” (insert the item number relevant to your comment). Comments received by 11:00 a.m. the day of the meeting will be reviewed and distributed before the meeting. All comments received will become part of the record.

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RULES OF DECORUM AND CIVILITY
To conduct the business of the community in an effective and efficient manner, please follow the meeting guidelines set forth in the Town Code and State law.

The Town does not tolerate disruptive conduct, which includes but is not limited to:
· Addressing the Town Council without first being recognized; · Interrupting speakers, Town Council, or Town staff;
· Continuing to speak after the allotted time has expired; · Failing to relinquish the microphone when directed to do so; · Repetitiously addressing the same subject.

Town Policy does not allow speakers to cede their commenting time to another speaker. Disruption of the meeting may result in a violation of Penal Code Section 403.

MEETING CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public are welcome to address the Town Council only on matters listed on the agenda. To ensure all agenda items are heard and unless additional time is authorized by the Mayor, this portion of the agenda is limited to 30 minutes and no more than three (3) minutes per speaker. In the event additional speakers were not able to be heard during the initial Verbal Communications portion of the agenda, an additional Verbal Communications will be opened prior to adjournment.)
OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.)

1. Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for New Ordinances.

ADJOURNMENT (Council policy is to adjourn no later than midnight unless a majority of Council votes for an extension of time)
Writings related to an item on the Town Council meeting agenda distributed to members of the Council within 72 hours of the meeting are available for public inspection at the front desk of the Los Gatos Town Library, located at 100 Villa Avenue, and are also available for review on the official Town of Los Gatos website. Copies of desk items distributed to members of the Council at the meeting are available for review in the Town Council Chambers.

Note: The Town of Los Gatos has adopted the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure §1094.6; litigation challenging a decision of the Town Council must be brought within 90 days after the decision is announced unless a shorter time is required by State or Federal law.

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Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov

TOWN OF LOS GATOS

COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/24/2023
ITEM NO: 1
DATE: January 19, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for New Ordinances.

RECOMMENDATION:

Affirm and/or refine existing Strategic Priorities and determine the priorities for new ordinances.

BACKGROUND:

Every year, the Town Council considers its Strategic Priorities for the next two years. In past years, Strategic Priorities consisted of specific policy efforts that could be completed within a relatively short time frame of a few months. More recently, Strategic Priorities have evolved to address more complex issues facing the Town that may involve multifaceted approaches, such as addressing transportation and traffic (see Attachment 1).

The Council’s identification of Strategic Priorities is a critical step in the budget process for the next fiscal year by determining the policy priority areas . The next step is for the Town Council to provide specific budget direction for the preparation of the Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 Operating and Capital Budgets (scheduled for February 21, 2023).

The goal of the session is to affirm and/or refine existing Priorities. Given the work that is underway with existing Priorities, the Town organization has no staff capacity to add new items on top of the existing ones; however, there is capacity for refinements of existing Priorities as discussed in this report. In addition, the Town has limited financial capacity to add significant new items as Town revenues continue to be impacted by the pandemic and insufficient relative to expenditures.

This report discusses the Town’s staff capacity, existing Strategic Priorities, accomplishments to date, work in progress, opportunities for refinements, and a list of recommended ordinances.

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PAGE 2 OF 5
SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for Ordinances
DATE: January 19, 2023
DISCUSSION:

Staff Capacity
The Town of Los Gatos provides the key local government services of Public Works, Parks, Library, Police, and Community Development with the necessary support services of Information Technology, Finance, Clerk, and Human Resources. The Town Manager’s Office leads and guides these administrative duties and closely collaborates with the Town Attorney’s Office to support the work of the Town Council. From the Council’s priority setting, the work of the Town Departments and Commissions is aligned to meet these Priorities.

As a service organization, each Department devotes approximately 90% of its staff time and other budget resources providing core services to the community. These core services contribute to the quality of life in Los Gatos and were recently affirmed through a community survey. The community is accustomed to high quality municipal services provided by talented, skilled, and caring employees. Some of these services had to evolve given the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to the changing needs of the community. In addition, Town Departments have had to absorb new work required by State mandates without adding new employees. Based on the Council’s leadership, staff is also implementing community vitality and economic recovery actions to assist businesses, residents, and non-profits during these challenging times.

The remaining 10% or so of Department resources are allocated to special projects, such as Strategic Priorities. All of these services and projects are supported by the Town’s Operating and Capital Improvement Budgets.

As we learned last week, the same staff who work on these initiatives are also an integral part of the Town’s response in an emergency. For all of these reasons, the Town organization has no idle capacity for big, new Priorities.

Existing Strategic Priorities
Attachment 1 depicts the Ongoing 2022-2024 Priorities, organized under the major topics of Safety, Prudent Financial Management, Quality of Life, and Traffic/Transportation. Per Council direction, the depiction of the Priorities show the interconnectedness of the major topics.

Accomplishments. Several items were accomplished during 2022, including the reinvigoration of community policing; sale of the Venue to Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District; entry into the lease for the Los Gatos Theatre; the construction of the Dittos Lane Affordable Housing Development; adoption of Objective Standards for multi-family development projects; voter approved measure to modernize the Business License Tax; funding for wildfire mitigation

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SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for Ordinances
DATE: January 19, 2023
DISCUSSION (continued):
vegetation management; and implementation of a pilot downtown business employee parking permit program.

Work in Progress. There are important efforts underway in each category. For Traffic/Transportation, these efforts include wayfinding for downtown parking; a nexus study for an update to the Town’s Traffic Impact Fee and a potential Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee; and several active transportation improvements that are in the design and/or bidding phase.

Under Prudent Financial Management, the Town continues to put funding aside for future pension and Other Post-Employment Benefits obligations; the Finance Commission is discussing new revenue opportunities and other ways to address the Town’s fiscal challenges; and the Town is working on the potential transfer of New York Avenue and other streets to the High School District.

With respect to Safety, the Police Department has made great strides in many aspects of public safety as discussed at the January 17, 2023, Council meeting. In addition, the Town is continuing to manage roadway vegetation to reduce the Town’s risk of wildfire and seek funding for a siren system as identified in the Ad Hoc Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Emergency preparedness activities, including Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recruitment and training, are ongoing.

The Holiday Parade and the recent storms provided an excellent opportunity for Town staff to work with CERT and our Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to augment our lean resources.

A variety of efforts are underway in the Quality of Life category. The Town Manager’s Office is taking the lead in preparing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan as directed by Town Council, which should be finished in Summer 2023. The Senior Road Map is nearing completion by the Senior Services Committee. Economic and community vitality efforts are well underway, including the semi-permanent parklet program, the extraordinary rebounding of community events, and technical assistance to businesses seeking to locate or expand in Los Gatos. Town staff continue to enhance the variety of communication methods with the community to foster engagement in Town efforts, including but not limited to Farmers Market booths, expanded social media presence, website redesign, and pushing out information regarding community workshops, Council meetings, and other participation opportunities.

The Housing Element is scheduled for Council consideration next week with follow up work to refine the document in response to the California Department of Housing and Community Development comment letter. The Housing Element is the Town’s affordable housing plan.

Once the Housing Element is certified, the Town must begin to work on key implementation

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PAGE 4 OF 5
SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for Ordinances
DATE: January 19, 2023
DISCUSSION (continued):
programs as required by State law (e.g., rezoning the properties identified in the Sites Inventory).

While the 2040 General Plan was adopted in 2022, a referendum on the Land Use and Community Design Elements necessitates further Council direction after the certification of the Housing Element. The adopted 2040 General Plan also contains a large number of Implementation Programs to be completed during 2020-2025, annually, or on an ongoing basis (Attachment 2). There are a lot of important items, including actions in the updated Environment and Sustainability Element; however, staff is not asking the Council to prioritize any of those items and add them to Strategic Priorities until the Housing Element work, including site rezonings, is complete.

The Council adopted an Ordinance to provide local rules for the implementation of Senate Bill 9 and directed additional work which is scheduled for Council consideration in February.

Opportunities for Refinements. The Council is welcome to refine the existing Priorities, clarify its objectives, and/or provide additional direction. For example, the Town Council may want to provide initial direction on two Town properties (224 W. Main and Pine/Calfhill Court) as part of the “sell or lease certain Town properties” under Prudent Financial Management.

List of Ordinances
A growing aspect of municipal governance is the proliferation of state mandated laws which require local ordinance development. In addition, decisions by the courts are mandating local ordinances to implement their rulings.

In coordination with all Town Departments, the Town Attorney has provided a list of potential ordinances to amend the Town Code in Attachment 3. This list is in priority order based on work already in progress, State laws, service delivery, and emerging conditions. The Council is welcome to adjust the priorities for this work.

Public Comments
Attachment 4 contains public comments received prior to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 20, 2023.

The comments include a mix of policy, service, and budget requests.

Priority Setting Process
After review of the materials and consideration of public testimony, the Council may take the following steps to set priorities:

1. Affirm and/or refine the current Strategic Priorities; and

2. Determine the priority order of potential ordinances.

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SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for Ordinances
DATE: January 19, 2023
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS:

The completion of the Strategic Priorities aligns the work of the Town Departments, Boards, Commissions, and Committees. The Council’s affirmation of existing Priorities and any refinements inform the Council’s budget direction discussion scheduled for February 21 and the preparation of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2023/24 Operating and Capital Budgets for Council consideration in May.

Specifically, on February 21, the Town Council is scheduled to discuss the Five-Year Financial Forecast and the sensitivity of the Forecast to changes in key revenue and expenditure assumptions (i.e., alternative scenarios). As part of this discussion, the Council may direct forecast revisions. The Five-Year Forecast provides important context to the Town Council’s budget direction for the preparation of the Proposed Budget.

The Finance Commission is scheduled to discuss these same financial items at its February 13th meeting, providing any comments and recommendations for Council consideration.

COORDINATION:

The preparation of this report was coordinated with all Town Departments.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The work of this session together with the Council’s budget direction in February informs the preparation of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2023/24 Operating and Capital Budgets. The Priority setting session itself has no fiscal impact.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:

The Council’s work associated with Strategic Priorities is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.

Attachments:

1. 2022-2024 Strategic Priorities

2. Los Gatos 2040 General Plan Implementation Programs 2020-2025, Annual, and Ongoing

3. Ordinance List

4. Public Comments received prior to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 20, 2023

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Prudent Financial Management
Quality Of LifE
Traffic/Transportation
Safety
Address Pension & OPEB
Obligations
Explore New Revenue Opportunities
Sell or Lease Certain Town
Properties
Community Vitality
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Efforts
Community Where Older Adults Thrive &
Senior Road Map
Events & Other Town-Wide Efforts
Community Engagement
Environmental Sustainability/Climate
Resiliency
Economic Vitality & Pandemic Recovery
Policies & Ordinances
Semi-Permanent Parklets
Land Use Planning
General Plan 2040
Housing Element
Affordable Housing
Dittos Lane Affordable Housing
Objective Standards
SB9 Implementation
Comprehensive Parking Study
Short, Medium, and Long-Term
Actions
Transportation Demand
Management
Measure B Transportation
Projects
Bicycle & Pedestrian
Improvements
Community Shuttle
Summer/Rush Hour/School
Traffic
Regional Transportation Issues
Community Policing
Emergency Preparedness
CERT Recruitment & Training
EOC Readiness & Emergency
Plan Development
Fire Protection
Vegetation Management
Implementation of Ad Hoc
Wildfire Mitigation Plan
Ongoing Strategic Priorities
2022-2024
ATTACHMENT 1

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
RSEJ A
Community-Based Budget Process.  Develop and facilitate a community-based budgeting process to provide the public an opportunity to identify funding priorities annually.  This program could feature in-person and online engagement opportunities. Town Manager n RSEJ B
Equity Evaluation of the Proposed Budget.  Annually evaluate the proposed Capital Improvement Budget and any service
expansion/contraction in the Operating Budget to ensure that all neighborhoods are treated equitably in the availability of services and infrastructure investment. Town Manager n
RSEJ C
Town Staff Diversity and Other Training.  Require all Town staff to undergo on-going diversity and implicit bias training. Town Manager n n RSEJ D
Expand Recruitment for Town Employment Opportunities to Attract Diverse Candidates.  Determine effective recruitment strategies to attract diverse candidates to Town employment opportunities.  Work with educational institutions and other entities to promote local government job opportunities with middle school, high school, technical school, and college students.

Town Manager, Human
Resources n
RSEJ E
Social and Racial Justice Equality Survey.  Develop an annual survey which measures the successfulness of advancing social equity and diversity Town-wide. Town Manager n n
RSEJ F
Social and Racial Justice Commission.  Form a Social and Racial Justice Commission that will serve as an advisory board to the Town Council to advance the Town’s racial equity work. Town Manager n n RSEJ G
Racial, Social, and Environmental Justice Outreach.  Develop clear and inclusive outreach materials to increase and advance racial, social, and environmental justice initiatives. Town Manager n n RSEJ H
Career and Job Training.  Coordinate with the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to organize an annual career and job fair with local employers to highlight local employment and employment training opportunities for Los Gatos residents. Town Manager n n RSEJ I
Diversity, Sensitivity, and Awareness Training.  Develop diversity, sensitivity, and awareness training courses and curriculum for residents, business owners, and local organizations to take part in.  Training could include, but is not limited to, an informational column in the weekly newsletter and/or links to recommended online material, lectures, and community engagement events. Town Manager n n Programs

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
RSEJ J
Citizens Police Academy. Implement a Citizens Police Academy, or similar program, to educate community members in law enforcement policies, practices, and problem-solving, as well as promoting the opportunity for one-on-one interaction with Department members in a relaxed environment.

Town Manager, Police
Department n n
RSEJ K
Community Engagement. Develop mechanisms to communicate and engage members of the community who are not typically active in civic issues to foster relationships with the Town and the Police Department. This can be accomplished by leveraging technology and by focusing resources on non-enforcement interaction with the community.

Town Manager, Police
Department n n
RSEJ L
Acceptance of Food Vouchers. Research the viability of increasing support for the acceptance of food vouchers at local food retailers and farmers markets. Town Manager n
RSEJ N
Capital Improvement Prioritization. Create a defined set of criteria that measures and prioritizes equitable distribution of Capital Improvement (CI) Projects Town-wide.

Parks and Public Works,
Town Manager n n
RSEJ Q
Expand Outreach and Communication Materials to Enhance
Transparency and Participation.  Develop clear and inclusive outreach materials, expand media campaigns, and implement other strategies to engage the public in the Town’s processes. Town Manager n MOB A
Annual Progress Report.  Provide a periodic progress report to measure whether the VMT implementation measures are
successful at reducing the overall VMT. Parks and Public Works n MOB B
Transportation Analysis Guidelines.  Develop and adopt
transportation analysis (TA) guidelines that define the VMT analysis methods, significant impact thresholds, TDM programs, and mitigation programs consistent with the requirements of Senate Bill 743. Parks and Public Works n
MOB C
Nexus Study to Implement the Transportation Impact Fee
Program.  Perform a nexus study and implement the Town’s multimodal transportation impact fee (TIF) program to mitigate negative transportation impacts of new developments and redevelopments where appropriate. Parks and Public Works n MOB D
Community Shuttle System.  Evaluate a community shuttle system to serve transit needs within the Town limits that is linked to and coordinated with other transit services.

Parks and Public Works,
Town Manager n
MOB E
Educational Programs on Safe Bicycling. Continue to coordinate with local organizations to provide educational programs on safe bicycling practices for cyclists of all ages and experience levels. Parks and Public Works n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
MOB F
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. Update the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan periodically to reflect the Town’s priorities. Parks and Public Works n
MOB G
Sidewalk Maintenance Plan. Maintain sidewalks, ensuring hazard free sidewalk surfaces and the provision of adequate vertical and lateral clearance. Parks and Public Works n
MOB K
Public Trails on Private Property. Monitor conservation easements for public trails on private property to ensure that trails are maintained. Parks and Public Works n
MOB N
Address Cut Through Traffic. Develop and implement appropriate vehicle control devices to reduce the impacts of cut-through traffic such as safety hazards, speeding, noise, and other disturbances in accordance with the adopted Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy. Parks and Public Works n
MOB O
VTA System Enhancements. Coordinate with VTA to identify locations for and implementation of in-lane bus stopping at key locations with merge challenges and where queue jump
treatments for busses at intersections would be possible and effective, and pursue funding for design and implementation of queue jump treatments from new development, either through individual project contributions or the Town’s Transportation Impact Fee program. Parks and Public Works n
MOB Q
Maintain Emergency Access Points. Develop and adopt design standards and implement a maintenance program for emergency access points.

Parks and Public Works,
Town Manager n
MOB R
Review Parking Requirements. Periodically review Town Code parking requirements, standards, and parking controls to ensure that they are adequate to meet demand.

Police Department,
Community
Development n
PFS A
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Review and update the Town’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance with improved large landscape conservation programs and agency incentives for nonresidential customers.Community Development n
PFS B
Water Audit Programs. In collaboration with efforts by local water purveyors, promote water audit programs that offer free water audits to single-family, multi-family, large landscape accounts, and commercial customers. Collaborate with purveyors to enact conservation programs for commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) accounts and create programs to install ultralow-flush toilets in facilities.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
PFS C
Artificial Turf. Determine the appropriate use of artificial turf and consideration of alternative ground covers.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
PFS D
Dual Plumbing Incentives. Develop incentives for dual plumbing in new development.

Community
Development n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
PFS F
List of Priorities for Storm Drain System Improvements.  Develop a list of priorities for improvements to the storm drain system based upon the Storm Drain Master Plan. Parks and Public Works n PFS G
Green Stormwater Infrastructure.  Incorporate Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) elements, such as infiltration and biotreatment, into Town projects to provide opportunities for stormwater collection and treatment, per the Town’s GSI Plan. Parks and Public Works n PFS H
Green Stormwater in Complete Streets Policy.  Modify the Town’s Complete Streets Policy to include Green Stormwater
Infrastructure. Parks and Public Works n
PFS I
Waste Education.  Expand educational programs to inform residents about reuse, recycling, composting, waste to energy, and zero waste programs. Parks and Public Works n
PFS J
Energy Saving Steps. Continue to adopt the following energy saving steps for Town facilities and operations: §  Conduct, with assistance from PG&E, a thorough energy audit of all Town facilities to identify cost-effective opportunities for conservation and use of solar energy systems; §  Establish realistic yearly goals for reductions in Town energy costs and keep Town personnel aware of program status; and §  Establish a fuel conservation program for the Town vehicle fleet and require Gas Cap driver training for all employees who use fleet vehicles. Parks and Public Works n PFS K
Improve Efficiency in Existing Buildings.  Study possible measures to improve energy and water efficiency in existing buildings. Parks and Public Works n PFS L
Encourage Sustainable Purchasing Practices.  Develop policies, incentives, and design guidelines that encourage the public and private purchase and use of durable and nondurable items, including building materials, made from recycled materials or renewable resources. Finance n
PFS M
Energy Conservation Requirements.  Amend the Town Code to establish regulations, in addition to Title 24 requirements, that promote and require the conservation of energy and the use of renewable energy sources.

Community
Development n
PFS N
Outdoor Lighting Standards. Establish outdoor lighting standards in the Town Code to address energy efficiency, dark sky conservation, and healthy ecosystems.

Community
Development n
PFS P
Staff Training. Train all plan review and building inspection staff in green building and energy efficiency materials, techniques, and practices.

Community
Development n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
PFS Q
Facilitate Green Building Practices. Identify and remove regulatory or procedural barriers to implementing green building practices in the Town, by updating codes and guidelines, and identifying incentives for LEED certification or similar.

Community
Development n
PFS S
LEED Exceptions Program. Establish a LEED Certification Exception Program and Checklist for small businesses who can prove it is financially infeasible to cover the costs for LEED Certification, but still want to reap the benefits, while implementing required sustainable building and construction practices.

Community
Development n
PFS T
Annual Review of Health and Service Programs Program Review.

Annually review health services programs the Town supports to assure they meet the health needs of target groups. Town Manager n PFS U
Identification of Missing Services.  Identify health services that are not readily available in Los Gatos and add them to the Town’s economic vitality efforts. Town Manager n
PFS V
Identify the Needs of Youth.  Town staff shall meet with agencies as needed to identify the needs of youth in the community. Town Manager, Library n PFS X
Display of Youth Artwork.  Encourage youth art by periodically displaying youth artwork in gallery space in the Town Council Chambers, Library, and the Civic Center. Town Manager, Library n PFS Y
Develop Internet Safety Program.  Work with the Library, Police Department, and LGS Recreation to create a program to educate youth about internet use safety.

Town Manager, Library,
Police Department n
PFS Z
Encourage Positive Behavioral Choices. Work with local schools and other community organizations to educate and encourage positive behavioral choices. Police Department n
PFS AA
Promote Youth and Senior Programs. Continue to utilize traditional communication tools and new media and technology to promote youth and senior programs as best suited to meet their needs.

Town Manager, Library,
Police Department n
PFS BB
Involve Youth Commission. Create additional opportunities to involve the Youth Commission with other Town Commissions. Town Manager n PFS CC
Continuation of Community Unity Program. Continue the
Community Unity program to encourage youth and adult
volunteer opportunities and access to resources.

Town Manager, Police
Department n
PFS DD
Support Family Education. Support continuation of positive parenting and family relationship courses and programs provided by regional agencies and other resources.

Library, Police
Department n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
PFS FF
Identification of Safety Improvements. Identify safety improvements that will allow for safe walking and bicycling to schools.

Parks and Public Works,
Police Department n
PFS HH
Collaboration with LGS Recreation.  Collaborate with the LGS Recreation and other local organizations to develop a program to provide additional social, educational, recreational, and fitness programs for seniors. Town Manager n
PFS II
Connect with Seniors. Connect seniors with existing resources in the community. Town Manager n
PFS JJ
Set Funding Priorities.  Annually set funding priorities which include funds for senior needs. Town Manager, Finance n PFS KK
Coordination with VTA.  Seek funding and coordinate with VTA to provide lower prices or subsidized public transit fares for seniors.

Parks and Public Works,
Town Manager n
PFS MM
Update Disaster Preparedness Tools. Update as needed,
communication tools to encourage disaster preparedness for neighborhoods, and make it available to all residents.

Town Manager, Police
Department n
PFS OO
Funding Opportunities for the Library. Investigate various funding mechanisms for ongoing operation and expansion of the library facility, services, and programs.

Library Services, Town
Manager n
PFS SS
Limit Alcohol and Tobacco Outlets. Explore establishing zoning code limitations on the density of alcohol and tobacco outlets near sensitive receptors such as schools, childcare facilities, senior housing, parks, etc., consistent with State law.

Town Manager,
Community
Development n
OSPR B
Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines. Update the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines as needed to include measures that address open space in new development.

Community
Development n
OSPR C
Review Open Space Standards. Review and update the open space standards as needed, specifying the type and quantity of open space required for new developments.

Community
Development n
OSPR D
Develop a Los Gatos Creek Restoration Plan. Work with the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the California Department of Fish and Game, and Caltrans to seek, develop, and obtain funding for the restoration of channelized segments of Los Gatos Creek. Parks and Public Works n OSPR E
Identify Los Gatos Creek Trail Access Opportunities. Identify additional opportunities and funding mechanisms for restoration projects and trail connection opportunities to increase access along the Los Gatos Creek Trail. Parks and Public Works n OSPR H
Assess Existing Parks. Conduct an assessment of existing parks to identify any unmet recreational needs and implement new facilities as parks are upgraded. Parks and Public Works n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
OSPR I
Install Park Signage. Install interpretive signage at parks when feasible and appropriate, providing a description of features such as the park’s history, native species that live in or near the park, accessibility indicator (level of difficulty), and existing or historic waterways. Parks and Public Works n
OSPR J
Adopt Best Management Practices. Adopt Best Management Practice park service standards for the Town. Parks and Public Works n ENV B
Tree Ordinance. Review the Tree Ordinance periodically and update as necessary to ensure regulations meet leading
standards for tree health practices.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
ENV C
Williamson Act. Work to maintain Williamson Act agricultural preserve contracts in the Town and SOI.

Community
Development n
ENV D
Re-Designation of Properties Not in Williamson Act. Designate all Williamson Act properties Agriculture and remove the Agriculture designation for those properties that are no longer under the Williamson Act.

Community
Development n
ENV E
Ecosystem Protection. Promote and support ecosystem
protection and environmental education programs for residents and developers. Parks and Public Works n
ENV F
Landscape Maintenance Education. Develop and provide
education programs for Town staff, residents, and developers regarding landscape maintenance, soil health and retention, and irrigation practices that protect the urban forest and wildlife species, along with water supplies.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
ENV L
Recreational Trails. Limit development of recreational trails in riparian corridors. Parks and Public Works n
ENV N
Bird Safety Ordinance. Adopt a Bird Safety Ordinance to reduce bird collisions with windows that provide development standards and performance measures that regulate building design and lighting implementation.

Community
Development n
ENV O
Dark Skies Ordinance. Adopt a Dark Skies Ordinance that addresses light pollution, building lighting design, and impacts to wildlife.

Community
Development n
ENV P
Air Quality Standards. Adopt standards that target reduction of very fine particulate matter (PM2.5) through a combination of incentive programs and control measures, as well as establishing standards for other criteria pollutants.

Community
Development n
ENV Q
Development Near Heavily Traveled Roads. Implement BAAQMD standards for designing buildings that will be situated near heavily travelled roads to minimize exposure to vehicle emissions.

Community
Development n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
ENV S
Particulate Matter. Promote understanding of health impacts from particulate emissions and offer information to residents and businesses about steps for reducing particulate matter, such as reducing or eliminating wood-burning stoves and fireplaces or transitioning to “green” dry cleaning facilities.

Community
Development n
ENV T
Alternatives to Individual Auto Use. Develop a comprehensive TDM program to encourage ride sharing, biking, walking, and other alternatives to individual auto use. Parks and Public Works n ENV U
EV Charging Stations. Update the Zoning Ordinance to establish a ratio for electric vehicle charging stations as a ratio of total required parking for new projects or substantial renovations.

Community
Development n
ENV V
Electric Vehicle Parking Incentives. Provide incentives, such as giving priority in plan review, processing, and field inspection services, for new and existing commercial and residential projects that provide parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles and have a charging connection.

Community
Development n
ENV W
Sustainability Information Center. Establish and maintain a “sustainability information center” at Town Hall to inform the public and distribute brochures and provide information.

Community
Development n
ENV Y
Design Review Standards for GHG Emissions. Develop applicable Planning and Building design standards to evaluate a project’s contribution to GHG emissions and bring all planning materials into line with these standards.

Community
Development n
ENV Z
Continually Assess Local Climate Change Vulnerabilities. Every five years, Town staff shall reassess progress toward GHG reduction goals and update the Sustainability Plan to ensure continued progress in reducing GHG emissions from operation of Town facilities and services and from the community.

Community
Development n
ENV AA
Green Building Initiatives. Develop an incentive program to encourage individuals and businesses to complete green retrofits on properties through incentives such as tax credits and financing opportunities. Town Manager n
ENV BB
Heat Island Mitigation Guidelines. Prepare specific heat island mitigation building guidelines in line with the Sustainability Plan and the Green Building Ordinance (Ordinance 2257). Amend applicable building and remodel Commercial Design Guidelines to integrate these specific guidelines.

Community
Development n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
ENV CC
Plant Based Education.  Develop and implement a plan to educate and support residents about the environmental, economic, and social benefits of shifting to a plant-based diet, examples of which may include informational materials, educational programs, community events, coordination with schools and businesses, or guidelines for procurement. Library, Town Manager n
ENV DD
Climate Change Education.  Work with local organizations to support educational programs that raise awareness about climate change and resiliency actions, including ways residents and business owners can contribute to GHG reduction, including increased recycling opportunities (hazardous household waste, ewaste, and large household items). Town Manager, Parks and Public Works n
ENV FF
Regional Cooperation.  Collaborate with large regional employers to increase availability of ride share and other programs from Los Gatos to corporate campuses and central areas in Silicon Valley cities where the employers are located. Town Manager n
ENV GG
Upgrade Town’s Vehicle Fleet.  Identify opportunities to increase and/or change the Town’s vehicle fleet to maximize the use of alternative fuels. Parks and Public Works n
ENV HH
Green Building Technical Assistance.  Provide technical assistance, directly or through referral services as appropriate, to developers and homeowners wishing to incorporate green
building techniques.

Community
Development n
ENV KK
Solid Waste Reduction.  Adopt programs that reduce the number of materials entering the solid waste stream to achieve Statewide waste reduction targets. Parks and Public Works n
ENV LL
Recycling Access.  Revise recycling facility requirement to include a variety of waste-reduction facilities, including food and garden composting and hazardous waste. Parks and Public Works n ENV MM
Zero Waste Education.  Provide ongoing education about the environmental benefits of reducing wasteful consumption and avoiding products with excessive packaging, recycling, refilling empty containers, separating food and yard waste for
composting, and using rechargeable batteries, among other topics.

Parks and Public Works,
Town Manger n
ENV OO
Solar Implementation in Los Gatos. Incentivize installation of rooftop solar and onsite energy storage on all new construction, including parking facilities, using the latest in green building technology.

Community
Development n
ENV RR
Adaptive Reuse. Develop a policy to address adaptive reuse of historic buildings including mixed-use, arts spaces, and other innovative uses that help preserve the historic nature while making the buildings usable spaces.

Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
ENV SS
History Archives. Seek funding to support preservation and curation of the local history archive at the Los Gatos Public Library. Library n
ENV TT
Indigenous People Language. Review and update language used in the Environment and Sustainability Element in regards to Indigenous People to be consistent with the Town’s work on a land acknowledgement.

Community
Development, Town
Manager n
ENV WW
Water Reuse. Develop an ordinance and guidelines to provide for the installation of grey water reuse in residential and business uses, particularly for landscape irrigation.

Community
Development n
ENV YY
Sustainable Water Practices. Educate residents and businesses about low-water landscaping, limited pesticide application, and other water-sustaining practices. Implement these in municipal practices.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
ENV ZZ
Water Audit Programs. In collaboration with efforts by local water purveyors, promote water audit programs that offer free water audits to single-family, multi-family, large landscape accounts, and commercial customers. Collaborate with
purveyors to enact conservation programs for commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) accounts and create programs to install ultra-low-flush toilets in facilities.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n

ENV CCC
Require Noise Buffers. Amend the Town Code to require buffers or separation between noise-generating uses and noise-sensitive uses.

Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works n

ENV GGG
Study Gardening Equipment Ban. Study a ban that requires gardening equipment to be mitigated when it creates adverse noise.

Community
Development n
SAF A
Plan Review. Annually review and refresh key staff on the contents of the Los Gatos Hazards and Safety Element, the Santa Clara OAHMP, and the Los Gatos HMP to ensure processes and procedures are streamlined and coordinated.

Town Manager,
Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works, Police
Department, SCC Fire
Department n
SAF B
Review Emergency Services. Regularly review the adequacy of emergency services in the Town. Plan and develop law
enforcement infrastructure and technology according to overall need and Town growth.

Town Manager, Police
Department, SCC Fire
Department n
SAF C
Evacuation Routes and Planning. Develop, evaluate, maintain, and update evacuation routes and protocols for high-risk fire hazard areas, SRA’s, and VHFHSZ’s that are consistent with AB 747 and local ordinances (Title 14, CCR, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, Articles 2 and 3 (commencing with section 1273.00)). As necessary prepare improvement plans that identify appropriate mitigation measures to further implementation of evacuation routes.

Town Manager, Police
Department, SCC Fire
Department n n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
SAF D
Emergency Drills. Conduct emergency hazard drills with key stakeholder organizations, community groups and organizations, outside agencies, and local and County officials across the community to improve preparedness for known threats and hazards.

Town Manager, Police
Department, SCC Fire
Department n
SAF E
Hazard Preparedness. Coordinate with reginal agencies to update and distribute information on how to prepare for and lessen the potential impact of earthquakes, floods, fires, public health emergency, and other safety hazards. Help and encourage all households to prepare for two weeks of self-sufficiency Town Manager, Police
Department, SCC Fire
Department n
SAF F
Fire Safety Education. Provide public education on fire safety, including wildland and structural fire prevention, evacuation protocols, and guidelines for defensible space and other hazards around structures.

Town Manager,
Community
Development, Fire
Department n
SAF G
Wildfire Protection Plan. Create a checklist for applicants to complete and submit a fire protection plan to assess and mitigate fire risks for all new development within SRA’s and VHFHSZ’s. Fire protection plans shall include: 1. Risk analysis; 2. Fire response capabilities assessment; 3. Fire safety requirements (i.e., defensible space, infrastructure, and building ignition resistance); 4. Mitigation measures and design considerations for nonconforming fuel modification; 5. Wildfire education strategies; and 6. Plan maintenance and limitations.

SCC Fire Department,
Community
Development n
SAF H
Review of Fire Related Ordinances. Update the Town’s
development standards to either directly adopt or meet the minimum standards of title 14, CCR, division 1.5, chapter 7, subchapter 2, articles 1-5 (commencing with section 1270) (SRA Fire Safe Regulations) and title 14, CCR, division 1.5, chapter 7, subchapter 3, article 3 (commencing with section 1299.01) (Fire Hazard Reduction Around Buildings and Structures Regulations) for SRAs and/or VHFHSZs.

Town Manager, SCC Fire
Department n n
SAF I
Hillside Roadway Assessment. Coordinate with Santa Clara County Fire Department to assess hillside roadway access to allow efficient evacuation for residents and access for emergency personnel vehicles.

Parks and Public Works,
SCC Fire Department,
Town Manager n
SAF J
Disaster Recovery.Ensure the Town has a disaster recovery plan in place that is reviewed and updated as needed, at a minimum of every five years. The plan should include an interim recovery strategy, model post-disaster recovery ordinance, and a postdisaster re-development plan.

Town Manager,
Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works, SCC Fire
Department n
SAF K
Test Essential Bridges. Every five years, assess the Town’s bridges whose destruction would cause serious access and other
problems after an earthquake. Parks and Public Works n

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Element Responsible, Supporting
Department(s)
2020 – 2025
Annual
Ongoing
Programs
SAF L
Ensure Earthquake Safety in Essential Town Buildings. Ensure Town structures that house essential functions are earthquake safe.

Town Manager,
Community
Development n
SAF M
Retrofit. Provide information for seismic retrofits of structures throughout the Town, particularly those building types that would affect the most people in the event of an earthquake.

Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works n
SAF N
Review Flood Zones. Annually review all areas subject to flooding as identified by FEMA or the State Department of Water
Resources, as required by AB 162.

Parks and Public Works,
Community
Development n
SAF O
Prevent Inappropriate Development in Flood Areas. Adopt floodplain zoning to prevent inappropriate development in areas subject to flooding.

Community
Development n
SAF P
Flood Mitigation. Implement flood mitigation requirements of FEMA in Special Flood Hazard Areas as illustrated on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works n
SAF Q
FEMA Community Rating System. Participate in FEMA’s
Community Rating System to reduce flood insurance for local residents and businesses.

Community
Development, Parks and
Public Works n
SAF R
Public Health Messaging. Collaborate with community partners and stakeholders to develop, test, and disseminate timely public health messaging to targeted populations through trusted representatives or spokespersons. Town Manager n

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ATTACHMENT 3

TOWN OF LOS GATOS

OFFICE OF THE TOWN ATTORNEY

MEMORANDUM
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Councilmembers
From: Gabrielle Whelan, Town Attorney
Date: January 20, 2023
Subject: Ordinance Priorities
The Town Attorney’s Office is continually evaluating the Town Code for needed updates and provides this memorandum to assist the Town Council in its Priority Setting Session. The list is in order of recommended priority. As you know, issues may arise during the year that can alter these priorities.

1. Amendment to Town’s Concealed Carry Weapons Ordinance and Adoption of “Sensitive Places” Ordinance
The Town Code includes an ordinance authorizing applications for “concealed carry weapons” permits. This ordinance needs to be updated in order to comply with a recent Supreme Court decision (New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen) holding that requiring “good cause” for the issuance of concealed carry weapons permits is unconstitutional. In addition, staff recommends that the Town Council consider adoption of an ordinance prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons in “sensitive places” such as public buildings and schools.

2. Various Zoning Code Amendments to Comply with Updated Housing Element.

State law requires that General Plans and Zoning Codes be internally consistent. The Town will need to update its Zoning Code to comport with the Town’s Updated Housing Element.

3. Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance
The Town should update its accessory dwelling unit (“ADU”) ordinance to comply with recent changes to State law, which include the following:
a. Allowance of separate conveyance of ADU under specified conditions; b. Reduced application review time; and
c. Exemptions and limitations on impact fees.

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pg. 2

4. Density Bonus Ordinance
The Town should update its density bonus ordinance to comply with recent changes to State law, which include the following:
a. Reduced parking requirements; and
b. Limits on impact fees charged to affordable units.

5. Lot Merger/Adjustment Ordinance
Lot Mergers occur when two or more parcels are combined into a single legal parcel. The Town’s existing process to merge parcels does not comply with the State Subdivision Map Act, which preempts local ordinances, and must revised. The Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended the proposed ordinance and the proposed ordinance is scheduled for introduction at the Town Council’s February 7th meeting.

6. Sign Ordinance
The Town’s Sign Ordinance was adopted in 1976 and was last updated and amended in 1992.

Based upon the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, the Town’s current Sign Ordinance should be revised to remove content-based regulations. In addition, the Sign Ordinance should be updated to clarify where temporary signage (such as campaign signage) may be located.

7. Subdivision Ordinance
The Town’s subdivision ordinance needs to be clarified in a number of technical respects in coordination with an update to the Town’s standard specifications regarding road width and drainage.

8. E-Bike Ordinance
E-Bikes have proliferated in the Town and staff recommend adopting an ordinance addressing their use, including requiring the use of helmets, imposing speed restrictions, and restricting EBikes in specified areas such as trails. The Youth Commission is currently developing proposed ordinance provisions with the Police Department.

9. Wireless Facilities Ordinance
The Town’s current Wireless Facilities Ordinance was adopted in 2003 to conform to the 1996 Telecommunications Act. It should be updated to comply with the ongoing changes to State and Federal legislation. AT&T is proposing installations in the public right of way. Such installations could be on existing Town-owned structures, such as streetlight poles, or could involve the companies putting in their own new poles. The amendments should include siting

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pg. 3
and design standards to preserve the aesthetics of the Town but to also facilitate providing competitive, varied, and high-quality wireless communications service infrastructure.

10. Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
The Town needs to amend its water efficient landscape ordinance to comply with updates to State law.

11. Parking Space Requirements Ordinance
The Town’s parking space requirement should be updated. For example, staff recommended reducing the number of requested parking spots in hillside developments to reduce the need for grading.

12. Noise Ordinance
The Town’s Noise Ordinance was adopted in 1991. With the changes to the Town’s Entertainment Policy, the Town needs to analyze and determine whether the noise levels set forth in the Noise Ordinance adequately protect the residents of Los Gatos from unnecessary, excessive, and disturbing noise and vibration.

13. Tobacco Retailer Ordinance
The Town has partnered with the County of Santa Clara to establish a tobacco retailing program that regulates the sale of tobacco products and prohibits the sale of specified tobacco products to minors. The County has recently updated the countywide ordinance and the Town needs to update its ordinance to match County requirements in order for the County to continue enforcement in the Town.

14. Public Nuisance /Blight/Administrative Abatement Hearing Ordinance It would be helpful to develop a comprehensive public nuisance ordinance to clearly define public nuisances and clearly set forth the Town’s enforcement mechanisms. Also, the Town’s Administrative Abatement of Violations section should be updated.

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ATTACHMENT 4

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Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov

TOWN OF LOS GATOS

COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/24/2023
ITEM NO: 1

ADDENDUM
DATE: January 23, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for New Ordinances.

RECOMMENDATION:

Attachment 5 contains Council Member comments and Attachment 6 contains public comments received between 11:01 a.m. Friday, January 20, 2023, and 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2023.

Attachments received with the Staff Report:

1. 2022-2024 Strategic Priorities

2. Los Gatos 2040 General Plan Implementation Programs 2020-2025, Annual, and Ongoing

3. Ordinance List

4. Public Comments received prior to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 20, 2023 Attachments received with this Addendum:

5. Council Member Comments

6. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m. Friday, January 20, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.

Monday, January 23, 2023

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From: Rob Moore <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:25 PM
To: Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>
Cc: Wendy Wood <[email protected]>; Janette Judd <[email protected]> Subject: Strategic Priorities Addendum
Hi Laurel,
Please correct me if any of this is not the correct procedure.

I would like to include the two attached documents as an addendum to for Tuesday’s Strategic Priority Special Meeting. The first is a document outlining my proposed refinements as well as direction on existing strategic priorities. The second is a scan of my mark up of the 2022-2024 Strategic Priorities to make my proposed changes as clear as possible.

Thank you very much!
Take care,
Rob
Rob Moore
Councilmember, Los Gatos Town Council
ATTACHMENT 5

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Strategic Priorities Refinements Addendum
Proposed by Rob Moore
Language changes:
 Change “Transportation Demand Management” to:
o “Traffic Calming”
 Change “Community Where Older Adults Thrive & Senior Road Map” to:
o “Community Where Older Adults Thrive & Support Implementation of Senior Road Map”
 Change “Affordable Housing” to:
o “Affordable Housing Partnerships/ Homeless Support”
 Delete “Semi-Permanent Parklets”
 Delete “Dittos Lane Affordable Housing”
 Delete “Objective Standards”
Refinements/ Direction
Below is additional elaboration/ direction on existing strategic priorities and on proposed refinements:
 Traffic Calming
o The reason for this change is to move the emphasis from traffic demand management closer to the idea of “complete streets.” This better aligns our strategic priorities with the 2040 General Plan (ex. Complete Streets and Reduce Vehicle Speeds as outlined in 5.3 MOB-4) and addresses growing community concerns related to traffic safety.
o Given the recent traffic fatality on Blossom Hill Road and other concerns with speeding throughout all areas of Los Gatos, the Town should be investing in traffic calming efforts. These could include roads diets, slow streets, and/ or greater enforcement.
 Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements
o Among other important Bike and Ped improvements, staff should seek out improvements and upgrades to streetlight and sidewalk infrastructure, especially in historically underinvested parts of the town. Neighborhoods in Los Gatos that were annexed relatively recently from Santa Clara County often have no sidewalks and few streetlights, despite having just as much need for these important safety features.
 Sell or Lease Certain Town Properties
o The Town should be very intentional when it comes to the use of Town-owned properties. The Town owns few properties and a significant portion of land in Los Gatos has been built on.
o As such, the Town should explore options and partnerships for using the parcel of Town-owned land located at 224 W. Main for affordable housing. The

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facilitation and creation of affordable housing is a major goal of our draft Housing Element and our 2040 General Plan as a whole. Space is often the greatest constraint, so Town-owned property should be seriously considered for use as affordable housing.
 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts:
o Town staff are currently working hard to complete a town Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan which should be finished in Summer 2023, as identified in the staff report. Completion of this report, then implementation of tangible actions, should be a top DEI priority.
o These actions include those already identified in the 2040 General Plan like the creation of a Social and Racial Justice Commission and in-person diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings for staff and Council.
 Community Where Older Adults Thrive and Support Implementation of Senior Road Map:
o First, the grammar and verbiage in this bullet is a little confusing. I’d be interested to hear from other Councilmembers who have been intimately involved with senior issues what changes to this language make the most sense. o With the Senior Road Map nearing completion, the emphasis on this item should be shifted to support the actions identified in the completed report. o Additionally, the Town should continue to explore ways to empower existing senior service providers and ensure the highest level of care and services for our older adults in Los Gatos.
 Affordable Housing Partnerships/ Homeless Support
o This language change will help clarify Council’s intentions when it comes to affordable housing and supporting disadvantaged community members. o The creation of affordable housing is an important priority for many groups and community members including the Los Gatos Community Alliance, the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition, and local faith groups. As such, Town staff should proactively reach out to various organizations in the community like nonprofit housing developers, housing advocacy groups, philanthropic housing funders, and the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing to create partnerships in order to facilitate affordable housing development in Los Gatos. o The Town should also explore options to provide greater support to our residents who are experiencing homelessness. As of now, there are few options and resources provided by the Town to help these vulnerable community members. The Los Gatos faith community is interested in being a partner to accomplish this, as are local nonprofits who experts at supporting those experiencing homelessness. Town staff should explore housing options (both permanent housing and temporary housing, such as an extreme weather shelter) as well as best practices for providing services under serious resource constraints.

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Other direction:
 Empowering commissions:
o Once we get to budget setting, I would like to devote a few thousand dollars to each “project oriented” commission. This will give them a greater ability to work on the projects they have identified as important for the year. We have already allocated $1,500 per year for this purpose to the Arts and Culture Commission.

This should be expanded to include commissions like Complete Streets, Parks, etc.

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ATTACHMENT 6

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From: Jan English-Lueck
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2023 11:30 AM
To: Town Manager <[email protected]>
Cc: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>; Arn Andrews <[email protected]>
Subject: Advocating a shift in financing NUMU through reduced rent

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council
The Honorable Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie
110 E. Main St.

Los Gatos, CA 95030
January 20, 2023
Dear Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie, I am a faculty member at San Jose State University, an anthropologist of Silicon Valley, and a longtime collaborator with New Museum Los Gatos, NUMU. My colleagues, such as the late Pat Dunning, and I have worked with the Forbes Mill History Museum of Los Gatos since the early 2000s. As you know their collections moved to NUMU. In 2017, I worked with them on the exhibit Cement Prairie, capturing the stories of Native American relocated to the Bay Area. I am working with them now on their collaboration with the Muwekma Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area and Mosaic America. I am writing today to encourage you to treat NUMU | New Museum Los Gatos as an integral part of its strategic priorities by removing rent payments from NUMU’s lease with the Town of Los Gatos.

The institution is a vital part of the region’s ecosystem of museums. They are a leader in museum studies and they amplify the voices of artists not usually recognized. They take the time to learn about the communities with which they work, such as our region’s Native Americans. I have watched them mentor dozens of San Jose State University students over the years, and hope they will be in a strong position to mentor them in the future. I’m aware that NUMU is asking the Town to reduce rent for 106 E. Main Street to $1 per year to support NUMU’s ongoing responsibility to maintain and steward the Town of Los Gatos’ history collection and provide art, history, and cultural educational services to the Los Gatos community. What would Los Gatos be without NUMU? I fully support this arrangement and hope that the Town can financially prioritize NUMU for years to come.

Thank you,
Dr. Jan English-Lueck
Anthropology Department
San Jose State University
--
Dr. Jan English-Lueck (she, her, hers)

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Author, Cultures@SiliconValley 2nd edition
Professor of Anthropology
San Jose State University
San Jose CA 95192-0113
(email to arrange phone or Zoom calls)

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From: jaimin desai
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2023 2:37 PM
To: Council <[email protected]>
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023-2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Jaimin Ketan Desai

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From: Cindy Walker
To: Town Manager
Subject: Town Traffic
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:35:31 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER

1. Enforce sound ordinance for vehicles. Too many modifications to muffler systems w sports cars racing around town making loud and disturbing sounds.

2. More crosswalks on Arterial Streets and Speed Flashing Light monitors.

3. Reduce speed limits around town to 30mph and 25mph within a mile of schools.

4. 25mph around curves. On all Arterial Streets.

Cheers, Cindy ♀ Sent from my iPhone

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From: Sweta Desai
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 7:06:29 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood. We are located at the intersection of Westhill Dr and Belgatos road and merging onto Blossom Hill Road from Belgatos Road is nearly our only accessible routine.

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Sweta Desai.

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From: Debbie Sy
To: Town Manager
Subject: Traffic safety at Harwood Rd. & Belhaven Dr.

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 8:27:55 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Manager at Town of Los Gatos,
Thank you for soliciting input from Los Gatos residents about traffic safety in the town. It is wonderful that the town is being proactive in preventing accidents.

I live on Belhaven Dr. and find that drivers frequently do not stop at the stop sign when they go down Harwood Dr. (at the intersection of Harwood Rd. and Belhaven Dr). Even if I am stopped first at the Belhaven stop sign, they don’t always stop when driving down Harwood.

One day, my neighbor posted her son at the intersection to tally how many people actually made stops at the intersection. Only about 50% of the drives stopped at the sign! There is also a dip at Harwood which makes it difficult to see how fast a car is moving because it creates a blind spot for drivers stopped at the Belhaven stop sign. Combined with people not stopping at the sign, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

I would love to see a speed bump at the stop sign on Harwood Dr. for drivers driving downhill at the intersection of Harwood & Belhaven. Please keep the many hikers, cyclists, dog walkers, drivers, and children walking to school in my area safe. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Debbie Sy

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From: steve scurryn
To: Town Manager
Subject: Traffic Safety observation
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 10:31:40 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
As a VanMeter parent, I’ve always been very concerned with kids (and some adults) bicycling the wrong way down south-bound Los Gatos Blvd. in front of the Old Adobe barbershop in the mornings.

As parents in cars are exiting Van Meter after drop-off, they are looking over their left shoulders to look for a break in a traffic & not expecting there to be a child in a bike going the other way in the bike lane. But lots of kids headed to VM and Fisher that live on the West-side of LGB don’t want to take the time to cross LGB.

I hope that’s clear — thanks for all you do!
Steve Curry

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From: Patricia Baker
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2023 2:50 PM
To: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: Support for LGS Recreation Proposal for 55 Plus Programming and Services

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Mayor Ristow and Council Members,
As a member of the 55Plus group I am requesting your support of the LGS Recreation 55 Plus Program and therefore the seniors of Los Gatos in the upcoming budget cycle. While I understand our town faces many challenges and claims on its resources. Please consider financially supporting the 55 Plus program. I have appreciated the support I have received from the 55 Plus Program. It is the go to resource for services and programs for my age group.

Sincerely,
Patricia Baker

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From: Patricia Baker
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2023 3:07 PM
To: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: RE: Support for Designating an Overnight Warming Center in Los Gatos for Homeless

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Mayor and Town Council,
While rarely in the front lines of service to the homeless, I have over the years supported those who do work directly with the homeless in Los Gatos. I have been impressed with the resources available from our faith communities to assist those in need as well as with members of the Los Gatos police who work in this area. As the new budget process gets into full gear, please prioritize our homeless residents. Specifically, designation an overnight warming center is critical in the winter months.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Patricia Baker

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From: Debbie Sy
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 3:39:21 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Debbie Sy

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From: Erica Engin
To: Council
Subject: Strategic Priority - BHR- Help us keep our community safe Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 4:41:03 PM

Our children cross Blossom at Harwood and Leigh to attend local schools. There have been efforts to address Blossom traffic near the Blossom Hill elementary and we would like to see the same consideration for our growing family filled community.

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Thank you
Erica Engin
Sent from my iPhone

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From: Sriram Narayanan
To: Council
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:02:48 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road, in particular, the stretch between the intersections of Leigh Ave and Harwood Rd. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Sriram Narayanan
Resident of Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood

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From: Sriram Narayanan
To: Council
Subject: Los Gatos resident: Road safety on Blossom Hill Road Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:05:40 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Resending with the subject line this time...

Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Sriram Narayanan
Resident of Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood

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Download full resolution images
Available until Feb 20, 2023
From: Blake
To: Town Manager
Subject: [Traffic Safety] Belwood-Belgatos
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:17:10 PM
Attachments: PastedGraphic-1.png

EXTERNAL SENDER
Town Manager Prevetti,
Thank you for reaching out to the town citizens for input on traffic safety.

In addition to the traffic safety issues along Blossom Hill Road that were highlighted previously in the Verbal Comment time of the 1/17 Town Council meeting, I do have five observations for my immediate neighborhood I thought would share for your visibility.

1. Excessive speed along Belgatos Rd. This is a 0.3 mile stretch of uninterrupted straight road without stop signs or any speed mitigation. The northbound direction is also a downhill slope (-3%) On weekdays most of the traffic is going to and from Mulberry School by parents dropping their kids off as part of their commute. On weekends we have many visitors to the park (see item 5).

2. J-walking. The location of crosswalks (Leigh and Harwood) is simply not convenient for school kids or pedestrians traveling to our park. The existing traffic pattern on BHR lends itself to an increase in J-walking.

3. Crosswalks at the corner of Belgatos & Belvue are almost always overlooked by motorists. Relating to item (1) above, cars are also typically traveling above the speed limit. I live here at the corner of this intersection and make this frequent observation.

4. The stop sign at Belwood Gateway and Harwood is frequently ignored, especially by motorists on Harwood — and particularly by those traveling downhill in the northbound direction.

5. Parking at the Belgatos park is limited. My observation is that the park became more popular during the pandemic. As such, parking always spills out onto the surrounding streets on weekends. Parking capacity is maybe only ~35% of peak demand.

The PDF attached contains information on the five items discussed above, as well as the previously-communicated item regarding Blossom Hill Road.

Thank you for your concern!
Best,
Blake Thornberry

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Jan. 21st, 2023
Traffic Safety Observations
Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood
Los Gatos, CA

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Belwood-Belgatos Traffic | Additional Observations
Mulberry School
& Playground
Belgatos Park
& Playground
My Home, 199 Belvue
Excessive speed very common.

0.3 mile stretch straight stretch
(-3% grade) of residential road
without a stop sign. Lots of traffic
connecting to Belgatos Park and
Mulberry School.
1 2
3 4
5 1
J-walking. School kids crossing
to/from School (Leigh, Noddin,
Union). Hikers and recreational
users of the Belgatos Park
2 Disregard for cross-walks. Cars
driving fast up and down the street
often disregard cross-walks,
imperiling pedestrians.
3 Running of stop sign. Cars in the
North-South direction frequently
run the stop sign. Cars traveling
northbound are coming down a hill
and usually at high speed.
4 Limited parking. The park has
become more popular of the years
and weekend traffic almost always
spills out onto surrounding streets.
5 Traffic Safety with regard to the
Belwood-Belgatos interface w/
Blossom Hill Road has been shared
previously and is not included here.

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Belgatos-Belwood Traffic | Additional Observations
Excessive speed very common.

0.3 mile stretch straight stretch
(-3% grade) of residential road
without a stop sign. Lots of traffic
connecting to Belgatos Park and
Mulberry School.
1 1

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• Four primary access points from the neighborhood to BHR: (1) Westhill, (2) Belgatos, (3) Belwood Gateway, & (4) Harwood • Three-of-four access points have zero traffic controls against BHR traffic, affecting the majority of the neighborhood • BHR is a 4-lane cross-traffic road with no turning lane or demarcated shoulder for bikes / parking • Only the Harwood point of access has stoplight controls, but it not convenient for the majority of the neighborhood (1) Westhill
• No BHR traffic controls
• 4-lane cross traffic
• No BHR turn lane
• No BHR bike lane or demarcated shoulder
(2) Belgatos
• No BHR traffic controls
• 4-lane cross traffic
• No BHR turn lane
• No BHR bike lane or demarcated shoulder
(3) Belwood Gateway
• No BHR traffic controls
• 4-lane cross traffic
• No BHR turn lane
• No BHR bike lane or demarcated shoulder
(4) Harwood
• Stoplight traffic controls
• 4-lane cross traffic
• Yielded left turn onto BHR
• No BHR bike lane or demarcated shoulder
BHR & Belwood Traffic Safety | Traffic Flow
Westhill
Mulberry School
& Playground
Belgatos Park
& Playground
Belgatos Belwood Gtwy Harwood

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1 2
Excess Speed
• two lanes of traffic lends itself to
higher rates of speed and aggressive
passing behavior from motorists
Cross Traffic
• two lanes of traffic in both directions
leads to task saturation in the
motorists turning onto BHR
• complexity of light traffic increases
3 No Turning Lane
• (A) There is no turning lane to aid
motorists in making a left turn on to BHR
• (B) Motorists taking a left from BHR to
Belgatos risk being rear-ended
4 Limited Line-of-Sight
• vegetation and parked cars obstruct
view of oncoming traffic from the left.
• concurrent left/right turning (two cars
turning at once) limits visibility for
both cars
1 4
3A
5 2
3B
5 Poor or Non-existent Shoulder Markings
• Bicyclists face multiple hazards:

Navigating parked cars without being
struck from behind
Impulsive drivers turning from
Belgatos who are trying to execute a
stressful turn
BHR & Belwood Traffic Safety | Safety Hazards

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From: Diane Michaelis
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill Rd. - Belgatos Rd. Traffic safety Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:18:15 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Los Gatos Town Council,
As a resident of the Belwood-Belgatos neighborhood, I strongly support making traffic safety on Blossom Hill Rd at Belgatos Rd a strategic priority.

Entering and exiting Belgatos Rd from or onto Blossom Hill Rd is extremely dangerous and as recently witnessed, deadly.

Please consider improving traffic safety in our town for us, the residents, as well as for the families dropping off and picking up their young children at the school and for the families visiting Belgatos Park.

Thank you for your help.

Diane Michaelis

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From: Jamie Butcher
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill/Belgatos Safety
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 5:21:57 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Los Gatos Town Council,
My name is Jamie Butcher and I am a member of the Los Gatos Community, a mother of 3 school aged children, and the parent coordinator for traffic and safety at Noddin Elementary School in the Union School District. I am writing to express my concern with the regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

The dangerous condition of the traffic pattern along this particular section of Blossom Hill Road is sadly not new since the deadly accident a few Sundays ago. The speeding has long presented an elevated risk of serious injury and death and is in need of your immediate attention.

In the past couple of years there have been lengthy conversations of how to keep our students and families in the Belwood-Belgatos neighborhood safe, especially since returning to in-person school back in the 2021-2022 school year. Aside from the concern for the Blossom Hill/Harwood intersection, the amount of speeding and red-light running that occurs on a daily bases from Leigh to Harwood is out of control.

At the beginning of year, I spoke to Police Sergeant Greg Borromeo and discussed some options for traffic safety.

We were able to get two crossing guards and a change in our light at Harwood and Blossom Hill to help aid the students walking/biking to school and every once in awhile had LGPD ticketing. However, that does not help with the speeding that occurs and the families that drive, kids that bike, or students that walk to school from other exits of the neighborhood. In addition, the amount of traffic we have coming from Mulberry School, Bright Horizons preschool and our beautiful Belgatos Park and trails adds to the need of additional traffic safety.

I have come to realize that I just will not risk turning left from Belgatos Road onto Blossom Hill. Families have instructed their teenagers to not make that left. How can we change that to make this safer for the drivers, our children, our bikers so we do not have another devastating injury or death in our community? Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life will continue to be the daily norm. Please help make traffic improvements on Blossom Hill Road a strategic priority.

Thank you,
Jamie Butcher
Belhaven Drive

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From: Kat
To: Town Manager
Subject: Main Street @ College
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 9:30:36 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Hello,
I live at E Main St in town for over 10 years now. I am writing in hopes that someone will actually do something about the dangerous intersection at the corner of Main Street and College Ave. Those of us that live at E Main St park behind the building and the alleyway is our access. This is a 4 way stop but most people don’t realize it because it is so poorly marked. It’s always been an issue but since the parklets were installed it is seriously dangerous. I have almost been hit over a dozen times, leaving and turning into the alleyway.

The best part is also having people look at me like I’m doing something wrong just trying to get to my home, it is not a pleasant experience. Is it possible to have the sign be in the center of the intersection instead off to the side where no one can see it? I would really appreciate it if someone could look into a safer solution for all of us.

Thank you.

Kari Trevino
--
Warm regards,
Kat's Flower Affair

KARI ANNE TREVINO (KAT)

FLORAL DESIGN / OWNER DESIGNER

LOS GATOS, CA

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From: Linda Higgins
To: Council
Cc: Mark ICE Husband Higgins
Subject: Belgatos Traffic
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 11:34:23 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos Belwood community,We are writing to express our fears in regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

We have lived in Belwood for 36 years and the number of times we have left via Belgatos Road and/or Belwood Gateway to Blossom Hill Road has long contributed to an elevated risk of serious injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting Belgatos park and the many who attend the former Mulberry school on Belgatos Rd.

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on Blossom Hill Road between Union and Camden. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred at Belgatos and Blossom Hill Road on January 8th is just the latest. The death of a beautiful 19 year old young man is beyond tragic.

This needs to stop. It could have been any one of us who live in our beautiful Belwood neighborhood or our families or friends who visit.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm. What will it take to either put a traffic light, stop sign or speed bumps on this section of Blossom Hill road? Between the speed of drivers and the side shows that occur, something needs to change.

Please make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a priority. The time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents. You are the change agents, so please make this right.

Thank you.

Linda and Mark Higgins

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From: m.rhine
To: Town Manager
Subject: Traffic and Safety Observations
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 8:05:36 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Hello,
As a resident of Los Gatos for over 30 years, my biggest traffic concern is the safety of exiting Belgatos Road onto Blossom Hill Road.

The recent fatality confirmed the danger of this intersection.

Another intersection which I repeatedly see people UN-intentionally running red lights, is where Oka Road meets Lark Avenue. Drivers on Lark, coming east, don't stop.

It's super scary coming out of Oka Road and seeing drivers unknowingly (?) drive right thru the intersection, when they have a red light. I've seen this many times; they aren't trying to be sneaky or run the red light, they just drive-through.

Thank you,
Molly Rhine
Los Gatos
Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device

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From: Yanowsky, Mark
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:42 AM
To: Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>; Arn Andrews <[email protected]>; Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Council <[email protected]> Cc: Michèle Jubilee
Subject: letter of support for NUMU

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council
The Honorable Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie
110 E. Main St.

Los Gatos, CA 95030
January 22, 2023
Dear Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie, As a Los Gatos HIgh School art teacher for 2 years, I am writing today to encourage you to treat NUMU (New Museum Los Gatos) as an integral part of its strategic priorities by removing rent payments from NUMU’s lease with the Town of Los Gatos.

I’ve been a teacher for 29 years, and when I arrived at LGHS I was pretty overwhelmed by the amount and depth of art culture here in Los Gatos. This is a vibrant community, and the amount that art is celebrated here is special. It’s a draw for the town. A highlight of my first year teaching here was my experience with NUMU’s youth art program called ArtNow. The amount of esteem my students felt in NUMU’s commitment to celebrating them as artists and their hard work was powerful. NUMU creates an event that truly treats the students like the real artists they are. The amount of detailed and nuanced planning in their approach to teen artists is like nothing I’ve seen. It is a treasure the town of Los Gatos can be proud of and support financially with enthusiasm. The impact on students is very powerful. I would love to see this continue into the future.

I’m aware that NUMU is asking the Town to reduce rent for 106 E. Main Street to $1 per year to support NUMU’s ongoing responsibility to maintain and steward the Town of Los Gatos’ history collection and provide art, history, and cultural educational services to the Los Gatos community. I fully support this arrangement, and hope that the Town can financially prioritize NUMU for years to come.

Thank you,
Mark
--
Mark Yanowsky
Art Teacher
Art 2,3,4
Graphic Design 1

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From: Jessica Ertell
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill Rd. Traffic Concern
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:47:22 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
I am a resident of the Belwood community and would like to express my traffic concerns on Blossom Hill Rd. The tragic accident that recently happend a couple of weeks ago really impacted our community. Now leaving the community, I have second thoughts on making the left hand turn on to Blossom Hill, and choose to take a longer route just to have some sort of security by taking the traffic light on Harwood. This road between Union and Camden, is treated as a freeway, with speeding cars and red light runners.

My daughter who is currently at Noddin Elementry, asks when will she get to walk to school by herself, and because of this street being so unsafe, I can't think of when I would feel comfortable.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023-2025.

Thank you.

Jessica Ertell

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From: Sharad Gandhi
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:03:25 AM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Thank you.

Sharad Gandhi

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From: Sriram Narayanan
To: Town Manager
Subject: Traffic safety: strategic priority -- Blossom Hill Road (Belwood/Belgatos neighborhood) Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:09:50 AM
Attachments: BHR - Improvement - Narrow right lane.pdf
BHR - Improvement - Add turn lane.pdf
BHR - Improvement - Post Speed Radars.pdf

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Town Council Manager,
As a long term resident of the Belwood neighborhood, I'm deeply concerned about the lack of traffic controls on Blossom hill road between intersections of Leigh Avenue and Harwood Road. Recently, we have seen a rash of serious accidents that have led to loss of life and serious injury. To prevent such incidents from recurring, I have three suggestions for improving road safety on Blossom Hill Road. I've limited my suggestions to those I believe Los Gatos can implement autonomously, and so I've limited them to the Eastbound section of Blossom Hill Road; as I understand, the Westbound half may fall under SJC jurisdiction, and may require additional cooperation between the two cities.

1. Paint shoulder lines on the eastbound right hand shoulder. The shoulder line will help aid drivers turning left from the neighborhood onto blossom hill road. The resulting narrower lines will also help reduce the speeds on BHR by preventing the illusion of it being a wide open highway. Please see attached a diagram of this idea (BHR improvement - narrow right lane).

2. Provide center turn lane to aid drivers turning left into and out of the neighborhood. See attached drawing (BHR -- add turn lane).

3. Post speed limit signs WITH radar indicator of "Your Speed". These signs will serve a reminder to the drivers and help reduce speeds on Blossom Hill Road. Please see the drawing (BHR - post speed radars) in attachment.

Thank you
Sincerely,
Dr. Sriram Narayanan
Belwood/Los Gatos Resident
Concerned parent

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Google Maps 1/22/23, 10:08
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2361872,-121.9166107,132m/data=!3m1!1e3 Page 1 of 1 Imagery ©2023 Maxar Technologies, Map data ©2023 Google 20 ft Add a turn lane to aid left turns

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Google Maps 1/22/23, 09:58
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2360739,-121.9162622,132m/data=!3m1!1e3 Page 1 of 1 Imagery ©2023 Maxar Technologies, Map data ©2023 Google 20 ft Extend shoulder line to make right line narrower

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Google Maps 1/22/23, 11:02
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2361191,-121.9166301,132m/data=!3m1!1e3 Page 1 of 1 Imagery ©2023 AMBAG, CNES / Airbus, Maxar Technologies, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA/FPAC/GEO, Map data ©2023 100 ft Post speed radars

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From: Srividya Vemulakonda
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:38:56 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
We are new Los Gatos Town residents and Happy to call this home. However, I am writing to express our concern regarding traffic and road safety.

We are in the Belwood community and have witnessed speeding and reckless driving on Blossom Hill Road near the Belgatos Community. This neighborhood is home to many families with young children and includes a school(daycare through 5th grade), and a park that opens up to many hiking trails.

The dangerous condition of the traffic pattern contributes to an elevated risk of serious injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting our beautiful park, hiking trails, playground, and school..

We became aware that over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Srividya Vemulakonda

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From: Sue Jamieson
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill Traffic Mitigation
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 12:33:02 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you and kind regards,
Sue Jamieson
Los Gatos CA 95032

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From: Liz Linehan
To: Council
Subject: BHR - Belgatos road safety
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 5:07:33 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

The main issue that effects me daily are cars parked near the junction Belwood Gateway and Blossom Hill preventing clear visibilty to make a left or right turn.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Thank you.

Liz Linehan

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From: Edward Lozowicki
To: Clerk
Cc: Maria Ristow; Mary Badame; Matthew Hudes; Rob Rennie; Rob Moore Subject: Special Council Meeting, January 24, 2023
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 8:21:12 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Town Clerk, Please include the below e-mail as a supplement to the Council's Packet for the January 24 Special Meeting.

Thank you, Ed Lozowicki
Dear Council Members, I am writing about the Public Safety component of the Strategic Plan to be discussed at the Council’s upcoming Special Meeting. My wife and I have lived in the Town for over 40 years and our children went to school here. I am a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Mary’s Church. The Society’s mission is to help the poor and needy. The Society partners with volunteers at St. Mary’s, United Methodist (UMC), and St.

Luke's churches to help the homeless neighbors in the Town. For example UMC volunteers provide showers and St.

Vincent de Paul volunteers provides laundry vouchers and cleanliness supplies for them.

Several of these homeless neighbors are physically or mentally disabled and struggle to survive. In conversation with several of these folks at UMC during the storms, I learned they lost their tents, sleeping bags, clothing and other possessions, or had them soaked, in the storms. The impact was exacerbated by the very cold nights we experienced. When we met these folks were visibly shaken, muddy and shivering. Their health and safety was and is at risk.

Where could they go to get warmth and shelter from the storms and cold? There are no warming centers in the Town. The nearest warming centers at Camden Community Center and Seven Trees Community Center were at or near capacity.

I am asking the Council to arrange a day and/or night warming center for these neighbors during severe weather emergencies. I believe that the churches would partner with the Town to establish a warming center. It should be a strategic priority as a matter of public heath and safety.

Sincerely,
Ed Lozowicki

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From: Shelby Roshan
To: Council
Subject: BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:44:12 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community of Belgatos, I am writing to let you know of my concern about traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

The dangerous traffic along Blossom Hill Road has long contributed to an elevated risk of severe injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting Belgatos park, the playground, and Mulberry school (daycare through 5th grade).

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the fatal accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, there will continue to be even more unfortunate accidents and/ or deaths. The traffic moves much too fast on Blossom Hil and its nearly impossible to turn out of the neighborhood on Belgatos Drive due to cars parked on the main street blocking the view of oncoming traffic. This is dangerous and unforgiving.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025.

Thank you for your support.

Shelby Roshan
Pejman Roshan
, Los Gtatos

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From: Chris Tanimoto Jr.

To: Council; Town Manager
Cc:

Subject: Another Vehicle Accident Fatality Waiting To Happen On Blossom Hill Road and Belgatos Neighborhood Roads Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:04:58 AM
Attachments: Town Council Ltr.docx

EXTERNAL SENDER
To: Town of Los Gatos Council And Town Manager
Please refer to the attached letter:

Thank you,
Chris Tanimoto

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January 23, 2023
To: Town of Los Gatos Council and Town Manager
Re: Another Vehicle Accident Fatality Waiting To Happen On Blossom Hill and the Belgatos Neighborhood Roads

Dear Council Members and Town Manager:

I am Chris Tanimoto who resides on Westhill Dr. near Leigh Ave. for the past 17 years. Since 2006, I have seen traffic increase dramatically in recent years. From my perspective, the one lane to two lanes on both sides of Blossom Hill Road driving towards Leigh Ave. encourages speeding way over the designated 35 MPH speed limit. This recent fatality is a wake-up call that is waiting to happen, again! I have to admit that there is no simple solution along this stretch of road because it involves the City of San Jose, lack of bicycle lanes, a school zone at Harwood & private grade school on Belgatos Road, businesses, and residences. In addition, the Town is projecting a $10 million plus budget deficit.

Having stated the aforementioned, there are two proposals that I would like to present that could be cost effective, and could have an immediate impact as follows:

Speed Limit Signage: Paint a 35 Mile Speed Limit on the pavement where the one lane becomes two lanes on both sides of Blossom Hill Road and also place a flashing 35 MPH Speed Limit Sign on both sides of Blossom Hill Road(Los Gatos jurisdiction). Please note that currently there is no signage of any type in this location and also there is only one Flashing 35 MPH Speed Limit sign just before Belgatos Road. Further down where the businesses are located, there is a 25 MPH Non-Flashing sign indicating a school zone only when children are present to Harwood Road. After Harwood Road, it becomes the City of San Jose jurisdiction.

There needs to be an updated analysis to determine what type of signage will help reduce the speeding and at the very least, on the Los Gatos side of the road.

Of course, it would be appreciated if the City of San Jose would do the same.

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Page Two:

No Parking Vehicles Over 6 Ft. High: Instead of pursuing “red curb” restrictions to assist those drivers making a left turn out of Belgatos; this ordinance would still allow residents to park vehicles under the height limitation; which is better than restricting all vehicles. Enforcement will not be available so the residents will have to report violations, similar to the Leaf Blower Ordinance. I acknowledge that this proposal may be more than simple; however, it deserves being addressed now rather than later.

Thank you,
Chris Tanimoto

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Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov

TOWN OF LOS GATOS

COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/24/2023
ITEM NO: 1

DESK ITEM
DATE: January 24, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Affirm and/or Refine Existing Strategic Priorities and Determine the Priorities for New Ordinances.

RECOMMENDATION:

Attachment 7 contains public comments received between 11:01 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2023, and 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

Attachments received with the Staff Report:

1. 2022-2024 Strategic Priorities

2. Los Gatos 2040 General Plan Implementation Programs 2020-2025, Annual, and Ongoing

3. Ordinance List

4. Public Comments received prior to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 20, 2023 Attachments received with the Addendum:

5. Council Member Comments

6. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m. Friday, January 20, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.

Monday, January 23, 2023
Attachments received with this Desk Item:

7. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

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From: Alan Leventhal
To: Council
Cc: Maria Ristow; Mary Badame; Matthew Hudes; Rob Moore; Rob Rennie; Laurel Prevetti; Arn Andrews Subject: Letter Supporting the New Los Gatos Museum (NUMU) Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 11:06:50 AM
Attachments: Letter City of Los Gatos RE- NUMU.pdf

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Honorable Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and City Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie,
It is with great pleasure that I submit this letter of support on behalf of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe with regards to the significant role that the New Los Gatos Museum (NUMU) plays for the citizens of the citizens of the City of Los Gatos, and the broader Santa Clara County and Bay Area communities. It is our hope that the city's administration will embrace the museum's mission by not fically demanding that, as a public institution, NUMU has to pay monthly rent to the City of Los Gatos.

Respectfully submitted,
Alan Leventhal
Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Archaeologist and Ethnohistorian
Faculty Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, San Jose State University

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MUWEKMA OHLONE INDIAN TRIBE

OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA REGION
’Innu Huššištak Makiš Mak-Muwekma “The Road To The Future For Our People” 20885 REDWOOD ROAD, SUITE 232, CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546
E - MAIL: [email protected] ♦ WEB: WWW.MUWEKMA.ORG

TRIBAL CHAIRPERSON

CHARLENE NIJMEH

TRIBAL VICE CHAIRPERSON
MONICA V. ARELLANO

TRIBAL SECRETARY
GLORIA E. ARELLANO-GOMEZ

TRIBAL COUNCIL

JOANN BROSE

RICHARD MASSIATT

FRANK RUANO

SHEILA SCHMIDT

CAROL SULLIVAN

TRIBAL ETHNOHISTORIAN -

ARCHAEOLOGIST

ALAN LEVENTHAL
City of Los Gatos Town Council
The Honorable Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame,
Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie
110 E. Main St.

Los Gatos, CA 95030
January 20, 2023
Dear Mayor Ristow, Vice Mayor Badame, and Council Members Hudes, Moore, and Rennie, As you may already know the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and I, as both a San Jose State University Anthropology Department faculty member (1978-2019) and Tribal Archaeologist, have continuously volunteer our services to work collaboratively with the Los Gatos Museum staff on several archaeological and cultural exhibitions about the Tribe’s history and heritage. The first two exhibits that we worked on were at the Forbes Mill Museum first in 1998 titled “Making a Living and Ceremony, Ritual , and Symbol.” The second exhibition at Forbes Mill was exhibited from 2009-2010 titled “The Ohlone:

Past and Present.”
In 2015, we worked again with the NUMU staff, the SJSU Anthropology Department, and the Tribal leadership on two exhibitions titled “Back From Extinction: Prehistory, History and Heritage of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area,” and the “Cement Prairie” about the relocation of Native American families and veterans to the Bay Area as a result of the “Termination” and “Relocation” programs implemented by the U.S.

Government to conduct forced acculturation of Native people during the late 1940s through the 1970s. In all of these exhibitions, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe allowed for the display and interpretation of their ancestral heritage material culture derive from several of their ancestral heritage sites spanning the past 5,000 years.

Presently, as you may also know, the Muwekma Tribal leadership and I are presently continuing that collaboration with the SJSU Anthropology Department, and Museum staff, to tell other aspects of the Tribe’s history and heritage, that addresses both the “Politics of Erasure” and the Tribe’s “Reclamation” of its sacred places and ancestral heritage sites, as well as its efforts to regain its previous Federally Recognized status.

Over the years the educational benefits to the general public and school groups have been immeasurable, and we have tirelessly committed our time towards that benefit. It has come to our attention that the City of Los Gatos is planning to charge NUMU rent which is essentially unheard of for city-based museums that serve the public in a multitude of capacities including areas of educational art programs, curating historical collections, and cultural-related educational services to the greater Los Gatos community. My own background was with the Departments of Education and Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. I fully support the Mission and Vision of NUMU, and hope that the Town of Los Gatos can financially find ways to support NUMU as a public educational institution.

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Sincerely,
On behalf of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, Alan Leventhal, Muwekma Tribal Archaeologist and Ethnohistorian Emeritus Faculty, Department of Anthropology, San Jose State University Letter supported by:

Monica V. Arellano, Vice-Chairwoman and MLD, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe Cc: Muwekma Tribal Council

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From: shailaja venkatsubramanyan
To: Council
Subject: Speech for Council Meeting on January 24th
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 11:38:21 AM

EXTERNAL SENDER
My name is Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan, and I have lived in Los Gatos for more than 12 years. I have tried adhering to a plant-based lifestyle for nearly 30 years. I am aware that the most common stereotype of someone with my inclinations is that of a scrawny, proteinstarved, self-righteous, obsessive, and depressing preacher who cares more about animals than they do about humans. To be honest, I quite enjoy the jokes - the good ones - about people like me. But, more importantly, I am glad that we are at least talking about this lifestyle choice that is on the rise across the globe.

Based on scientific data, I am convinced that plant-based diets are a cost-effective way to solve so many of our climate and health problems. According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the livestock sector contributes to 14.5 percent of global human-induced greenhouse emissions. The climate impact of plant-based food is smaller than that of animal products, so switching to more plant-based food could reduce emissions. When it comes to health, numerous studies have shown that consuming animal products can be detrimental to our health. Regular meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of other conditions such as heart disease, pneumonia, diverticular disease, diabetes, and several cancers. During the pandemic, researchers from Harvard Medical School found that a healthy plant-based diet was associated with decreased risk of severe Covid. Diet influences immunity through nutrients that support antibiotic and antiviral defense, as well as through the microbiome.

When humans are confronted with data that go against commonly held beliefs and culture, the natural tendency is to reject it. It takes effort to look at scientific data and make changes. We want good health for ourselves and our loved ones. We want to leave a healthy planet behind for future generations. To this point, I want to ask the town to please fund plant-based education programs. Just to give you a couple of examples of the possibilities - we could get speakers of renown to help educate our residents about the benefits of a plant-based diet and get plant-based chefs to teach us how to cook healthy food. In short, let’s make taking proactive steps to address climate and health issues a priority.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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From: Lisa Furlong
To: Council
Subject: BHR Belgatos Traffic Safety
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 11:48:26 AM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Thank you.

Lisa Furlong
--
Lisa

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From: Debra Townley
To: Town Manager
Subject: Los Gatos Town Council Meeting Jan 24, 2023- Prioritize Homelessness Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 12:33:28 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Debra Townley and I am a board member of the Affordable Housing Network, an advocate with Survivors of the Streets at Sacred Heart Community Services, a former home owner in Blossom Valley (Palmia) and a current resident in Permanent Supportive Housing. I am also a Lived Experience Advisory Committee member at West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

As the agency that serves our homeless population, WVCS sees firsthand that dire need for support for our unhoused community members. I am writing to ask you to include homelessness as a strategic priority.

Prior to becoming homeless due to circumstances beyond my control, I was a business owner, teacher, active participant at my children's schools, foster parent, and good neighbor. I have seen firsthand the suffering, discrimination, bullying, violence, deterioration of health and early death that is the direct result of not having a place to call home.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of our residents, including those without a home.

In community,
Debra Townley

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From: Stacy Dobner
To: Council
Subject: t: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 12:53:01 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Stacy and Rich Dobner

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From: John Shepardson
To: Council; Laurel Prevetti; Police
Subject: Traffic Stops//Enforcing Speed Limits
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 1:10:12 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Mayor Ristow, Council, Town Manager Prevetti and Police Chief Field:

First Issue:

I’m convinced we and the vast majority of people in town are in favor of equal treatment under law.

1. The traffic stops are about 50/50 White Persons v. Persons of Color.

2. LG Demographics are 75% White.

3. I think it’s important to dial down on why there is a difference.

4. What are the stats on persons pulled over and where do they live and work?

5. Why are people being pulled over?

6. In practice, are we treating people equally? If not, change to get there. If yes, let’s be in a strong position to explain the stops.

Second Issue:

LG should put a greater emphasis on really going no more than the speed limit. Let’s face, many drive over the speed limit.

Honestly, I catch myself going to fast, slow down and then often I got drivers behind me driving up close and pushing for more speed—as if not going over the speed limit is wrong or unreasonable driving.

We can enforce speed limits rigorously and set a tone. The cost will be some disgruntled entitled drivers; the benefit will be be saving lives, avoiding injuries, less stress on the roadways, safer walking and biking for kids and it’s good for businesses as well.

I suggest we do a complete diagnostic on the town’s roadways, determine the areas of highest risk for injuries and take immediate steps to mitigate the risks. Because we certainly can’t eliminate all risk is no excuse to practically minimize risks on the roadways. Let’s do what we can.

Respectfully,
John A. Shepardson, Esq.

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From: Janet Farabaugh
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 2:09 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>; Town Manager <[email protected]>; Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Support for Unhoused Initiatives in Los Gatos

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Janet Farabaugh and I am a Board Member with West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

As the agency that serves our homeless population, WVCS sees firsthand, every day, the continuous and growing need for support for our unhoused community members. I am writing to ask you to include homelessness as a strategic town priority going forward.

Our Board has heard from previously unhoused individuals who lived in the Los Gatos area that the homelessness is solvable in Los Gatos, as the number of unhoused in the town is far fewer than in adjacent cities. Your support of priorities related to the unhoused can provide concrete evidence that Los Gatos, a generally prosperous community, is concerned and compassionate towards the less fortunate among us and can serve as an example for other localities.

Thank you for your consideration.

In community,
Janet Farabaugh
Janet Farabaugh
Board Member, West Valley Community Services
Finance Committee
West Valley Community Services
10104 Vista Drive
Cupertino CA 95014
[email protected]
Website- wvcommunityservices.org
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | WVCS Blog Chefs of Compassion | WVCS in The News

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From: Vivian Dang
To: Clerk; Town Manager; Council
Subject: Help the Homeless
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 3:28:51 PM
Attachments: image.png

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Vivian Dang and I am the Development Coordinator at West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

Being a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Committee has opened my eyes to the different needs of the people in the community. We often associate these needs with food, water, etc., all things that truly are a means of survival. What rarely comes to mind are other things that the unhoused may need. Sure you can give them food but where can they heat things up? You can give them a few blankets, but is that the equivalent of being warm indoors? These are the things that don't pop into our heads right away. The lived experience members bring these needs to us and we need to start listening and pushing to provide the support they are in need of.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of our residents, including those without a home.

Thanks,
Vivian
(Pronouns: she, her, hers)
--
Vivian Phuonglinh Dang
Development Coordinator
West Valley Community Services, Inc.
10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014
Direct: 669.245.4128 | Main: 408.255.8033 | Fax: 408.366.6090 We need your help more than ever before. Please donate today to help your community! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | WVCS Blog Chefs of Compassion | WVCS in The News

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From: debbiegary
To: Council
Subject: Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 3:29:28 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community, I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood. Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

The dangerous condition of the traffic pattern along Blossom Hill Road has long contributed to an elevated risk of serious injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting our Belgatos park, and the school (daycare through 5th grade) on Belwood Rd. Leigh high school young drivers are especially at risk trying to turn left onto Blossom Hill Road to get to school. Many of the people trying to turn left across Blossom Hill are kids and parents during rush hour 8-9am. The traffic on Blossom Hill is fast moving and trying to turn left out of Belgatos or Westhill Drive is difficult if cars are parked blocking the view on the left. I’m requesting that the traffic improvement that can help at minimal cost is some red curb zones to keep the view turning left on to Blossom Hill clear.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you.

Regards,
Debbie Gary and Steve Gary
. Los Gatos
Cell
Virus-free.www.avast.com

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From: Susan Burnett
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 3:27 PM
To: Maria Ristow <[email protected]>; Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Rob Rennie <[email protected]>; Rob Moore <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurel Prevetti <[email protected]>
Subject: Adult Recreation Center
Dear Council,
Please help maintain the many important services that the ARC and NUMU provide. This recreation center has functioned for many years meeting the different needs of our town. I remember as a little girl it served as a wonderful gathering place for the kids of Los Gatos. We would have Friday night dances and then daily and week-end activities, it was a wonderful friendly gathering place. It is too bad there is not something like that for our youth these days, that is the problem we are no longer a village looking after our children, in my view. We spend money on special projects, not looking at what the majority of ALL the citizens of Los Gatos would profit from, young and old; this is why on hearing something said, that the ARC was non-essential, was actually hurtful. What is not more important than a wonderful gathering place, offering so many enjoyable services to members of our community and especially those over 55. This makes our community stronger and provides a place for socialization, where else could this happen? I think helping to maintain the ARC especially, should be part of our, Strategic Priority. I am writing as a private citizen, while also serving on the HPC and PC.

Thank-you,
Susan Burnett

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From: Yansong Li
Subject: Comment on prioritizing homelessness in the strategic priorities Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 4:03:04 PM
Attachments: image.png

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council of Los Gatos,
My name is Johnson Li and I am the Client Services Coordinator at West Valley Community Services.(WVCS) - a nonprofit that services the West Valley Area including the Town of Los Gatos.

As the agency that serves and supports our homeless population, WVCS sees firsthand that dire need for support for our unhoused community members. I am writing to ask you to include homelessness as a strategic priority.

As someone with case management experience, and someone who has talked with other staff who have gone to places like the Los Gatos Showers, I see the critical need for homeless services like the showers so that the homeless can have a place to keep clean, and get access to necessary supplies and services such as a food pantry, services to help them find income, et cetera.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of the residents of Los Gatos, including those who do not have a home.

In Community,
Johnson
(Pronouns: He, Him, His, 他)
--
Johnson Li
Client Services Coordinator
West Valley Community Services, Inc.
10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014
Direct: 408-956-6095 | Main: 408.255.8033 | Fax: 408.366.6090 We need your help more than ever before. Please donate today to help your community! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | WVCS Blog Chefs of Compassion | WVCS in The News

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From: Gabrielle Le
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Los Gatos Town Council, Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 4:34:26 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Hello, As a member of the Los Gatos community, I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

The dangerous condition of the traffic pattern along Blossom Hill Road has long contributed to an elevated risk of serious injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting our beautiful park, playground, and school (daycare through 5th grade). Over the years there have been many serious collisions on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly collision that occurred on January 8th is just the latest. Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm. Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023-2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing collisions. Thank you. Gabrielle Le

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From: Elizabeth Olmos
To: Council
Subject: homelessness priority
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 4:39:29 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Elizabeth Olmos and I am a case manager at West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

I work with and assist our unhoused community members as the case manager at WVCS for the unhoused. Everyday I see the lack of awareness they have to different resources available and sometimes there is no resource available for the help they are seeking. They often disclose with me that they feel neglected and would love to see the City and Town doing more for them.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of our residents, including those without a home.

In community,
Elizabeth
(Pronouns: she, her, hers, ella)
-----
Elizabeth Olmos
HTH Program Case Manager
West Valley Community Services, Inc
10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014
Direct: 408.618.6299 | Main: 408.255.8033 | Fax: 408.366.6090 We need your help more than ever before. Please donate today to help your community! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | WVCS Blog Chefs of Compassion | WVCS in The News

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From: Murali Vijayaraghavan
To: Council
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 4:59:30 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you, Murali Vijayaraghavan

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From: Jo Greiner
To: Clerk
Subject: Winter Warming Center for Our Homeless
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 5:59:18 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
I am the Outreach Director at St Luke's Episcopal Church in charge of administering our Soup Kitchen and Outreach Program for our local Unhoused men and women. This winter has been a brutal time for them, some dealing with hypothermia. Though we provide warm sleeping bags, tarps, and tents as requested, a far better solution would be a Night Warming Center that would protect them from the rain, wind, and very cold temperatures. These stoic individuals range in age from 45–78, some with physical and/or mental disabilities, and they remain among the most vulnerable population in Los Gatos. It is our fervent hope that the Council will seriously consider a solution to this urgent need, be it an indoor or outdoor covered space. I remain Hopeful!
Jo Greiner: St Luke's

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From: Reg Thompson
To: Council
Cc: Rob Moore; Erica Cosgrove
Subject: Strategic priorities: Blossom Hill Road - Belwood Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 6:13:36 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council, we are residents on Westhill Drive in the Belwood neighborhood of Los Gatos. In our 10 years as residents, we have been extremely concerned about the traffic safety situation on Blossom Hill Road leaving the Belwood neighborhood, in particular when drivers turn left out of the neighborhood onto Blossom Hill Road from either Westhill Dr., Belgatos Rd or Belwood Gateway. Two issues make this left hand turn particularly perilous - (1) when cars are parked along Blossom Hill Road, visibility is extremely poor, and reduces the time one has to react while turning left, and (2) the speed of drivers along Blossom Hill Road makes any error in judgment while turning left potentially deadly (and even makes turning right unusually hazardous). For 10 years, we have feared that this combination would lead to a fatality, and while we do not know the exact details of the deadly accident on January 8, 2023, we were devastated but not surprised that this accident occurred, as such an accident had long been predictable.

In the wake of the January 8 accident, the community has stepped up to implore the Town to take action to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and at the intersections of the three Belwood streets. Many ideas have been presented, including prohibiting parking along some stretches of Blossom Hill Road to improve visibility, and we would like to add our voices to those of our neighbors in asking the Town to make Blossom Hill Road traffic safety a top priority. At this point, the Town and Council are on notice of this dangerous situation, and it needs to be addressed immediately before anyone else loses their life.

Sincerely,
Reg Thompson and Erica Cosgrove

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From: Clarice Masini
To: Town Manager
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 6:18:45 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
My family lives in LG and I totally agree something must be done to control the traffic, get a engineer before another human being is killed Thank you
Clarice Masini

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From: thomas sandoval
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill Road-Belgatos Traffic Safety
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 6:42:19 PM

The dangerous condition of the traffic patterns along Blossom Hill Road has long contributed to an elevated risk of serious injury or death — not just for residents of the neighborhood, but also for families visiting our beautiful park, playground, and school (daycare through 5th grade).

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest. I myself had one near accident at the Belgatos intersection as I tried to make a left into the Belwood neighborhood.

Unless something is done to improve the situation, the serious traffic safety risk to drivers along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community will continue. Please make traffic safety improvements to Blossom Hill Road along the Belwood community a Strategic Priority for 2023-2025. We don’t need any more life changing tragedies because of your inaction.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter!
Thomas Sandoval
Los Gatos

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From: Marna Taylor
To: Clerk; Town Manager; Council
Subject: Strategic Priorities - Unhoused in Los Gatos
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 6:43:23 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts regarding the most vulnerable members of our community, our unhoused. As the coordinator of the weekly shower ministry at Los Gatos United Methodist Church, I ( along with our volunteers) see the great need for more regular, dependable services for these people. Specifically:
1) A designated professional case manager whom clients could have an established relationship with to help with social services, finances, accessing medical care and more. As volunteers, we are not trained to provide these types of services, and yet clients present with needs every week.
2) Shelter during severe weather, throughout the year. With climate change making weather patterns more extreme, those living outside are exposed to more days of intense heat, cold and wet weather. We only need to look at the horrible storms of a few weeks ago to see the devastation in this community - people lost their belongings, one man was stranded in a tree above the creek for 12 hours, people reporting dogging falling trees and fearing for their lives.

Local, temporary cooling and warming shelters are desperately needed. 3) A regular funding source for the cleaning of the showers and restrooms. Each year we need to apply for a grant from the Town and compete for funds for the weekly cleaning. Currently this ministry receives funding from both the Los Gatos United Methodist Church and the Town of Los Gatos. This is not a "special project" with unique program aspects that change each year, like many of the great projects funded through grants by the town. It's a regular shower for our unhoused residents, most of whom have lived in our community for many many years. Having a defined line item for this $150/week expenses would enable the shower program to know that funds don't need to be re-secured every year, reducing the risk of funding not being available with very little notice. and demonstrating a firm commitment by the Town to support this essential service.

Thank you.

Marna Taylor

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From: Anusha Mannava
To: Clerk; Town Manager; Council
Subject: Strategic Priority
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 6:45:16 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Anusha Mannava and I am Program Associate at West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

At WVCS, we have a Lived Experience Advisory Committee that brings together staff and clients to work closely with one another to advance social change that positively impacts our clients, our organization, and our community. Through this committee's work, I've been able to learn so much from the lived experiences of our clients. Their perspective has stressed the importance of helping unhoused people to better our community.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of our residents, including those without a home.

In community,
Anusha Mannava
--
Anusha
(Pronouns: she, her, hers)
--
Anusha Mannava
Client Services Associate
West Valley Community Services, Inc.
10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014 <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2FWest%2BValley%2BCommunity%2BServices%2F%4037.323906%2C-122.0295467%2C17z%2Fdata%3D!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808fb5af5d44f9b7%3A0x96c8d04571b27ee4!8m2!3d37.323906!4d122.027358&data=05%7C01%7Cclerk%40losgatosca.gov%7Ccbcc967fb7b94a8e986b08dafdb4fafb%7C6d38cb6747eb4d139e7c523cd7ccecd5%7C0%7C0%7C638101251162386625%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4TV4Gdy4kuep8%2FObUySFDKS%2BSXxv%2B6U818kkm54nA5U%3D&reserved=0> Direct: 408.471.2204 | Main: 408.255.8033 | Fax: 408.366.6090

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From: Mary Ann Carr
To: Council
Subject: letter
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 7:27:02 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
To
Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road.

Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in further injury and death.

Thank you.

Mary Ann Carr
Los Gatos, CA 95032

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From: Gerald Smith
To: Council
Cc: Gerald Smith
Subject: [STRATEGIC PRIORITIES] Blossom Hill Rd - Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 7:33:28 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
As a member of the Los Gatos community, I am writing to express my concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood. We have lived in this neighborhood for almost 20 years and we’ve seen an increasing number of incidents over the recent years. This includes excessive speeding, reckless driving, endangerment of walkers at intersections going into the neighborhood, and a disregard for traffic signals at the Leigh and Harwood intersections with Blossom Hill. The corner of Belgatos Road and Blossom Hill Road has particularly become the focal point for many of these driving behaviors and has sadly resulted in a number of recent accidents.

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road a Strategic Priority for 2023- 2025. Until then, the time taken to implement these improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you. Gerald and Claire Smith
Los Gatos, CA 95032

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From: Jackie Erickson
To: Council
Cc: Brad Erickson
Subject: Blossom Hill-Belgatos Traffic Safety
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:04:58 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council,
As members of the Los Gatos community we are writing to express our concern with regard to traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood.

Over the years there have been many serious accidents on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

The intersection is scary when turning left from Belgatos onto Blossom Hill, particularly since the cars parked along Blossom Hill often block the view and make it so difficult to see and judge the speed of oncoming vehicles.

We often go blocks out of our way coming to/from our home just to avoid having to use this high risk intersection.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the BelwoodBelgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Please help to make traffic improvement on Blossom Hill Road an urgent Strategic Priority for 2023, as the time taken to implement improvements will sadly be measurable in more life-changing accidents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jackie & Brad Erickson
Los Gatos

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From: TiffLHansen
To: Council
Subject: Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos Neighborhood concern Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:14:48 PM

Over the years there have been many serious accident on this stretch of Blossom Hill Road. Sadly, the deadly accident that occurred on January 8th is just the latest.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

I know these things take some time, but I ask that the town of Los Gatos takes immediate action on at least making the 4 houses (2 home on either side of belgatos) have a red curb. It’s extremely hard to see with cars constantly parked there.

I do have faith that this neighborhood will not rest until we keep the home owners, the park visitors, mulberry and bright horizon school families and Children SAFE.

Thank you,
the Hansen’s (concerned LG residents)

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From: Katrina Brinkman
To: Council
Subject: Subject: [Strategic Priorities] BHR-Belgatos Traffic Safety Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:43:57 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Los Gatos Town Council
As part of the Los Gatos community, I would like to alert you to the traffic issues in the Belwood-Belgatos neighborhood
It is very difficult for us to leave our neighborhood. Multiple times cars have crashed into the fencing on the house at Belgatos Road/ Blossom Hill. On Sunday January 8th, a teen passed away making a left turn onto Blossom Hill --a turn I have made multiple times. This was a day that did not have a lot of traffic as it was the weekend.

Our neighborhood has homes, a well visited park, a daycare and private elementary school.

Unless something is done to improve traffic safety along Blossom Hill Road and the Belwood-Belgatos community, risk to life and limb will continue to be the daily norm.

Thank you.

Katrina Brinkman

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From: Benaifer Dastoor
To: Clerk; Town Manager; Council
Subject: Los Gatos Town Special Meeting on Strategic Priorities for the coming year Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 8:56:38 PM

EXTERNAL SENDER
Honorable Mayor and Council,
My name is Benaifer Dastoor and I am Manager of Client Services at West Valley Community Services (WVCS), a nonprofit that serves the west valley community including the Town of Los Gatos.

As an agency that serves our homeless population, WVCS sees firsthand the dire need for support for our unhoused community members. I am writing to ask you to include homelessness as a strategic priority.

It is inhuman to let our fellow citizens remain unsheltered and live in deplorable conditions which impacts their physical and mental health. Everyday in my field of work I hear heartbreaking stories of how an individual or family became homeless. I have not come across anyone who has chosen homelessness over a roof on their head to start with. It is the circumstances – high rent, lack of affordable housing options in cities they live in, low wages, loss of work, unplanned medical expenses due to illness which took their homes away from them. Once caught in the downward spiral with no affordable options available they are reduced to living on streets and cars – days turn to months and months turn to years.

The longer we ignore the problem of homelessness the cost to the society will be enormous – we then are not just battling with homelessness but also substance abuse, deteriorating mental and physical health, loss of productivity – all of which will require huge investments. It is time that people in power and cities with millions of dollars in their coffers now focus their attention on this humanity and explore options of shelter, affordable housing for the unsheltered.

Again, please include homelessness as a strategic priority. We have a responsibility to care for all of our residents, especially the most vulnerable among us – those without a roof over their head.

Thank you for your time.

In community,
Benaifer Dastoor

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From: Lisa Wade
To: Council
Cc: PlantBasedAdvocatesCore
Subject: My Verbal comments for the Strategic Priorities meeting Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 10:46:03 AM
[EXTERNAL SENDER] Please be careful when clicking on links or opening attachments.

My Verbal comments for the Strategic Priorities meeting My name is Lisa Wade and I have lived in the town of Los Gatos for over 30 years. I want to thank the town council for all you do.

My request is for the town to provide a small amount of funding for the Green Monday program. We realize that the town cannot provide funding for new programs. The Green Monday Resolution was adopted by the town council in 2018 and has been manifested as a handful of library programs that were all very well received.

Starting this year Plant-Based Advocates has partnered with the library to provide monthly programs to educate the public on the hows and whys of plant-based eating. We had a cooking demo earlier this month that was very popular with an outstanding attendance of 113 participants People are very interested in this topic and they want more.

In order for these library programs to continue we will need funding. Plant-based advocates is paying for the initial programs this year, but we are a self-funded nonprofit which means that we as individuals are literally paying for the programs from our own pockets. This is clearly unsustainable. Also, we have not been able to afford any in-person cooking classes that have been requested by the residents. The zoom class was a huge success but people can learn so much more from an in-person demo or class.

So why do we think the town should fund plant-based education when budgets are so tight?

1. A small amount of money would go a long way. The city of Mountain View conducted a consumption-based Green House Gas emissions inventory and found that funding plantbased education would give them the biggest bang for their buck in addressing climate change.

2. Residents of Los Gatos have asked the town to fund plant-based education.

During the General plan process, the Town council received hundreds of emails from residents of Los Gatos asking for plant-based education. In fact, there were more emails received about housing and plant-based education than any other issue on the General plan. We also submitted a petition from residents with about 300 names. People want to eat fewer animal products but they don’t always know what to eat instead. They want education.

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3. It gets to the root of the problem
Most people who have spoken at council meetings during the General plan process have been in favor of town funding for plant-based education. However, there have been some who have said that while plant-based eating is a good idea they don’t understand why the town should fund it when the town is experiencing serious problems like the threat of wildfires and flooding. This is exactly why we need to fund such programs. We need to get to the root of the problem. Of course, we need a robust fire prevention program and emergency relief services but these problems will only get worse if we don’t address the root cause. The beauty of plant-based education is that it can make a huge impact with very little funding. it will go a long way in preventing these problems in the first place. We have to start addressing climate change and other environmental issues. Diet change addresses so many problems greenhouse gas emissions, water scarcity, species extinction, pollution of our land and water and the list goes on. Let’s get to the root of the problem or things will only get worse. Let’s not get lost in crisis management let's do something to prevent or mitigate our toughest problems. Even traffic won’t be an issue if we don’t save our planet.

4. City government can actually make changes.

It is very difficult to make changes on a federal or state level because of bureaucracy and powerful lobbying. Local government officials can actually make important changes and that is what we are asking you to do. The city of Mountain View allocated $30, 000 for plant-based education which is a drop in the bucket of the city budget. We are not even asking for nearly that. $5,000 or less would go a long way in making a big impact.

So many residents have asked the town to provide education so they can learn how to eat delicious, nutritious plant-based foods. They want to know what they can eat to get their protein on a plant-based diet. Plant-based education is also important for those who don’t yet understand why we should prioritize plant-based eating. Some people don’t yet know about the huge impact a diet shift can make. Let’s get the information out there so people can make informed choices.

Thank you!

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(2) The TM makes reference to the Town’s financial condition in her cover letter, but frankly we have no idea what the real condition is since the GF FY 22 revenues were at least $4m greater than the adopted budget (how did that happen?) and operating expenses were at least $2m less because of the number of open positions. And that doesn’t include the $3.4m in ARPA revenue.
3) Mark to market adjustments are non realized adjustments (it was a debit to revenue) and they need to be added back to properly determine cash flow. Furthermore the Town’s bonds are held to maturity and redeemed at par and therefore a loss is never realized.

Observations:

1. The Senior Services direct and indirect scopes of work (Exhibit F) are, terribly lacking. They are inadequate at best and certainly not a management tool.

2. Reading between the lines, it seems that the Council has realized that the Senior Services costs money to operate, but they have no clue as to how much it does cost in todays' dollars. All they see is the inadequate list of requirements, and a request to abate rent and pay for the expenses of running the senior programs - which by the way are found in our current Strategic Priorities.

3. I note that the original lease lists the services as "direct" and "indirect". Then in the governance reference, it refers to "baseline" and "essential" with no definition of either. As written, it seems to be apples vs oranges. That is the type of thing that needs to be cleaned up.

4. Using the 2009 agreement is useless in our opinion and a complete renegotiation should be committed to by all parties. As I read Councilmember Hudes suggestions moving forward, he seems to be supportive of keeping ARC alive for another year as this overall revamping of the lease, and review of the vast amount of services now offered, determine whether or not the Town is getting less than, or more than they bargained on. It's my opinion that Ms. Rollett has run such an efficient, popular program that it would have gone on unnoticed for years had it not been for the board pulling back Rec funds that subsidize the Senior Programs.

Putting everything on the table will take some time and there may be some give and take, but the end result would be a thorough statement of expectations and costs. I think that's what should eventually resolve this problem mainly caused by a poorly executed list of expectations, and then receiving much more than the Town pays for.

In summary:

The Town has more than enough money that can forever abate the lease costs to both the ARC and NUMU. No other towns charge their service organizations rent. For example, Los Gatos does not charge the library rent.

The ARC and NUMU are well run machines with talented a management. Let's not lose more top managers.

The expectations in Exhibit F are too loose to measure success or failure. They need a major overhaul.

Jak Van Nada -
Los Gatos Community Alliance

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otherwise confidential. If you are not an intended recipient, use and disclosure of this message are prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message and any attachments.

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San Jose l Danville
1570 The Alameda, Suite 316
San Jose, CA 95126
208 W. El Pintado Road
Danville, CA 94526
DEAN C. ROSSI

ATTORNEY AT LAW
OFFICE 408.495.3900 | DIRECT 408.495.3907
[email protected]
January 24, 2023
Via Electronic Mail Only
Ms. Maria Ristow, Mayor
[email protected]
Ms. Mary Badame, Vice Mayor
[email protected]
Mr. Matthew Hudes, Council Member
[email protected]
Mr. Rob Moore, Council Member
[email protected]
Mr. Rob Rennie, Council Member
[email protected]
Ms. Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
[email protected]
Mr. Arn Andrews, Assistant Town Manager
[email protected]
Mr. Rob Moulden, Town Arborist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Re: Eucalyptus Trees
Dear Gentlepersons:

Please be advised I represent David and Anita Goddard of 18251 Overlook Road, Gerard Hayden and Mary O’Connell of 18151 Overlook Road, Nate and Bobbi Vandegrift of 18201 Overlook Road, and Linda Rodriguez of 600 Pennsylvania Avenue (collectively, “Residents”).

As you may be aware, on January 10, 2023, at approximately 2:00 a.m., two eucalyptus trees owned by the Town of Los Gatos (“Town”) fell directly on properties at 18201 Overlook Road, and 18151 Overlook Road. This is not a situation where one tree knocked over another; rather, one tree fell and then the adjacent tree fell. These trees crushed two cars, a sewage line, hardscape, etc., at 18201 Overlook Road. The trees also crushed utility lines. The trees fell very close to homes and a few feet more could have caused serious bodily injury to occupants of the homes. The cars alone were worth approximately $100,000. The trees also damaged a car on 18151 Overlook Road. The trees snapped a telephone pole in half, which resulted in power disruption for four days. It took the Town over three days to clear the fallen eucalyptus trees.

The stumps still remain. Several residents were unable to exit their homes for days due to tree blockage and fallen power lines. Telephone service is still out with cables on the ground and

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Town of Los Gatos
December 3, 2022

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draping trees nearly two weeks after the event. I understand approximately 18 eucalyptus tree remain on Overlook Road from Wissahickon Avenue up to Chestnut Avenue. All of these trees are on Town property.

My clients have had an arborist look at the trees and I understand they are approximately 150 years old. The two trees that fell were approximately 147 feet tall. The fallen trees are not the tallest of the trees located on the Town’s property. It is estimated that the remaining trees are approximately 170-180 feet tall. Many of the trunks are seven to eight feet in diameter. The largest is nine feet in diameter. These trees are a matter of feet (less than 30) from several homes. These trees, due to their size and proximity to homes, can only fall within an angle of roughly 20 degrees to avoid hitting a structure. Even within this narrow angle, other property is destroyed. The arborist opines that these trees pose an imminent danger to the Residents.

There is a history with these trees. In 2018, residents attempted to engage with the Town regarding concerns over the Town’s management of these eucalyptus trees. Steve Regan assured David Goddard and other concerned residents in an August 2, 20218 e-mail that, "The ...

Eucalyptus trees have been found to be in good health and structurally sound." He characterized the Town’s approach as “proactive.” David Goddard questioned why a more aggressive approach, with a focus on “protecting property and life, [was] not being taken with these trees.” Rob Moulden wrote in response that he was satisfied with recent pruning of these trees, and assured concerned residents on August 24, 2018, that the trees were stable and were being properly maintained by thinning out on a regular basis (every 5+ years).

The Town’s strategy for managing the risk posed by these eucalyptus trees is outlined in a proposal with subject line “Tree Trimming and Maintenance Services,” dated May 30, 2018.

This proposal was prepared by Steve Regan, Parks and Public Works Superintendent, and submitted by Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager, to the Los Gatos Town Council meeting on June 5, 2018. Regarding the Overlook eucalyptus trees, Steve Regan refers to the trees as "approximately 100 feet tall and 48 inches in diameter". This is completely inaccurate. Steve Regan writes in his proposal: "Proactive tree care through removal of up to 25% of the canopy [every 7 years] greatly reduces the chance for structural failure and fire hazard." It appears this program has failed.

To be fair, Steve Regan correctly acknowledges that eucalyptus trees in general and these trees in particular require high levels of maintenance and pose a "real danger...especially during heavy rain storms and high wind events." There are regular high wind events on Overlook Road and winds blow over the pass from Santa Cruz. This is the reason the trees were planted 150 years ago. There were only orchards present then. The trees were meant as a wind break.

Steve Regan also correctly acknowledges that eucalyptus trees pose a "high fire danger." The neighborhood is in the "very high" wildfire risk zone; in fact, the highest. Please refer to the Los Gatos 2040 plan for a map and discussion. If these eucalyptus trees go up in flames, the entire Glen Ridge/Almond Grove neighborhood is at risk as embers leap forward.

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Town of Los Gatos
December 3, 2022

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Los Gatos rezoned the Overlook neighborhood for single family housing in approximately1970. Most of the current housing was built around that time. Despite this, and despite assertions to the contrary, the Town’s strategy for managing the adjacent eucalyptus trees has not been “proactive” and has been based on incorrect assumptions regarding the actual size of these trees. Many other Bay Area cities are taking real responsibility for protecting residents' lives and property by removing city eucalyptus trees and mandating removal of private ones, as well. Examples include San Francisco, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills, Oakland (the Oakland zoo is removing 300 Eucalyptus to protect the animals as well as people).

Residents on Overlook Road are currently collecting signatures in support the removal of these 18 remaining eucalyptus trees. To date, approximately 30 neighborhood households have expressed support. A list will be forthcoming.

We are in the process of obtaining a written report from an arborist, which will confirm that these trees pose a significant and immediate health and safety risk, and could cause bodily injury. I am not an arborist; however, it is common knowledge that eucalyptus trees are not native to this area. Eucalyptus trees are prone to falling down because they have shallow, spreading roots that do not sufficiently anchor the trees. Eucalyptus trees are also a fire hazard.

Eucalyptus oil emit flammable fumes, which are easily ignitable, causing the trees to explode.

The Town of Los Altos, for example, previously unanimously approved the introduction of a eucalyptus policy mandating their removal. The council cited fire risks and the shallow root system posed a significant threat to residents. This is an example of how cities in this area have handled the threats posed by eucalyptus trees.

The Residents demand that the Town remove these 18 eucalyptus trees and that adequate funding be appropriated in the current budget cycle for this purpose.

The Residents respectfully request that this letter and the matter of the eucalyptus trees be addressed as a desk item in the Town Council Meeting today.

Very truly yours,
DEAN C. ROSSI
DCR/ceje
cc: Client

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Town of Los Gatos
December 3, 2022

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Los Gatos City CouncilJanuary 24, 2023

Los Gatos City Council
January 24, 2023