Agenda — Portola Valley City Council, February 9, 2022 (part 2 of 2)

6 Mayor Hughes thanked Mr. Weber for his presentation, adding that he has used their yellowjacket removal services. When a gardener finds a nest, removing is unpleasant if they are not properly equipped, and having the District be able to come out and do this is a very useful service, as well as all their other services. Mayor Hughes thanked Ray also for all of his work within the town. (9) Annual Council/Committee and Commission Workshop
Town Manager Dennis said this is the third year that this item has been on the Council’s agenda. It is the formal kickoff of the FY 22-23 budget development. He said starting with the committees and commissions is an important and integral portion of the budget development process. The workshop allows the Council to hear from committee chairs or representatives on the issues they have discussing or plan to discuss in coming months, and which of them they would like to see included as part of the Council’s budget priorities. The Council priority process is the next piece of the development of the budget. This will happen at the Council’s next meeting on February 9th, where there is discussion, partly based on the current night’s discussion, partly on staff input, and partly based on other information, starting to hone in on what the Council would like to set as priorities for the coming year. These two components guide the staff as they put together the budget for review by the Finance Committee and the Council in June of 2022. Discussion will include how Council Liaisons fit into this process. The Liaison serves as a resource as needed in all the committee and commission meetings. Councilmembers attend those meetings and when they have provided direction to any individual committee, it is typically a goal to transmit that information via the Liaison. Committees make a variety of recommendations to the Council, both through this process and other programs they wish to see implemented.

Town Manager Dennis invited chairs, or representatives thereof, to share what their committees have been thinking about and discussing.

Bonnie Crater, representing the Nature and Science Committee, thanked Councilmember Aalfs for coming to their meetings as Council Liaison. She said most of their programs in previous years had been in-person, either indoor education programs at Town Center or outside. In 2021, due to the pandemic, they switched to on-line meetings and were grateful for the support from the Town, particularly Kari, who set up their Zoom meetings and helped them advertise their programs. In 2021, they ran nine online events. Hundreds of Portola Valley residents attended. They held five wildflower talks from Dan Quinn, a local photographer. Other residents spoke about ticks and Lyme disease, earthquakes, climate change in the arctic, and galls. The talks are all posted on the Nature and Science page, with links to the events from 2021. She said for 2022, they are hoping as the weather warms to do some outdoor educational events around nature and science for Portola Valley. They are planning four events. A star party will include local astronomers and looking at some sort of celestial event through telescopes provided by the astronomers. They hope to do an event called, “Our Watery World,” talking about all the water elements of nature, an event particularly suited to children. They would like to do an event around pollinators and wildflower seeds, to try to promote the natural environment. Lastly, they hope to do a compost day as an educational event, teaching how to do composting with a do-it-yourself composter, or they may have some sort of offer to allow folks to purchase a composter. The events will be relatively inexpensive to run, but they are requesting $1,500, which is about their usual request, for various banner advertising and other event costs.

Kim Marinucci, Chair of Race and Equity Committee appreciated Councilmember Derwin and Councilmember Richards serving as their Liaisons. She shared on what it was like to start a new committee. She spoke about stages of group development – it is formed; it begins to storm; then you start to norm; and then you hit your stride and start performing. She said she would put their committee at the norm and perform stages, and added that they did not skip the storm stage, as there was a lot of storming. She said two members left the committee. Another person joined, and they have one opening.

They are getting their bearings on what they are about and what they are doing. They have a mission statement and objectives for the committee and are doing some standard things such as looking at Town policies and determining where their bias may be. Because they have a committee member on the Housing Committee, they have a housing subcommittee within their group, which is important, intensive work, and they have not gotten into the depths of it yet. There is another subcommittee looking at how to ATTACHMENT #3

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7 attract more people of color to Portola Valley. Additionally, some who went to the Town Picnic may have interacted with them when they put up the Town seal and asked people what they thought, what it represented to them, how they felt about it, and what other kinds of symbols would represent Portola Valley today. They found it to be a great way to engage people in conversations leading to other related topics. They now have a subcommittee, includng almost everyone on the committee, that is looking at using the Town seal, not as the most important issue, but as something tangible that is not necessarily high-stakes as a way to engage people in the skill of dialog about Portola Valley’s problematic history and what to do about it. She said in the end, they will make a recommendation to the Town Council about what the committee thinks should be done about the Town seal. Their intent is to use the process as a way to practice listening to each other and discovering how to, not just cancel, but finding the middle ground. They were asked to put together a budget just as they were forming. She said they have a small budget of $1,750, which she thought, as they discover more of who they are and what they will be doing, that may change.

Dale Pfau, Chair of Emergency Preparedness Committee, spoke of a few of the things impacting the budgeting process. They are pursuing an upgrade to the Emergency Communications radios, which are primarily amateur band radios, from analog to digital radios. Through Ham bands they can get on the internet and have access to worldwide communications between people who have availability to repeaters. They will be upgrading, which will allow them to coordinate better with CERT partners and probably with the virtual EOC. He said this could cost $7,000 to $8,000 over the course of the year. Mr.

Pfau reported that, in concert with CERT, much of what they have historically done for medical supplies is now transitioning to CERT. They now have a CERT trailer onsite. The EPC also has medical supplies in the Buckeye Room. They will be going through them to consolidate them. They will retain some medical supplies in the Buckeye Room, but will probably need about $2,000 to update and refresh the emergency medical supplies. The Committee supports a number of outreach events through the year. One is the Emergency Communications and Safety Day in June, the Town Picnic, and they generally have another event with Woodside Fire, for which they generally need about $2,000. He said there are two new members joining this year, so they hope to increase their outreach efforts.

Ed Holland, Chairman, Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee, thanked Mayor Hughes for his help as Council Liaison. He presented the significant actions of the Committee in 2021, particularly pursuing the outcome of the Pedestrian Safety Study and starting to see the implementation of those things come into shovel-ready projects, including striping and changes at various intersections, particularly crosswalks, to improve safety. The Committee is taking an interest in the Housing Element participation, with regard to how changing uses, ADUs and properties, and an increase of population in the town might influence pedestrian safety, on street parking, school safety, and safety during emergencies. They hope to have input on these things within the Housing Element process. Another significant area of consideration has been continued interest and concerns over parking related to recreational visitors in town, particularly associated with Windy Hill. They started with a study raised by concerns of residents of Willowbrook Drive and also drawing into that a more holistic view, taking into account a review of the parking on Portola Valley and at the top of Alpine Road. They have seen changes begin on some of those items, such as red lining in certain areas of Willowbrook. There is a report from their consultant, Paul Krupka, which is ready for high-level review of the Committee to look at the possible changes in signage on Portola Road and perhaps on Alpine. These things have been slow in coming around, but he said he is learning that it is simply how things work. He hoped they could pursue them with as quick a pace as possible. He said Howard Young has been a great liaison with the Town Center and staff. Mr. Holland also noted a huge success in collaboration with Parks and Recommendation, which is also a potential consideration for a budget item, with a need to work out cost and implications. Last year they reverted to a new Town Picnic in collaboration with Zots to Tots. The event was a huge success. The support from the Town to enable the road closures to happen and support from law enforcement and Town volunteers was incredible. He felt it should be a model for the event going forward. He reflected that without the ability to do things like that, it simply is not Portola Valley. He hoped to look at the budgetary implications of doing these sorts of things, and the organizational and cross-committee work to make them happen again as a routine and comfortable kind of procedure.

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8 Catherine Magill, Chairman, Conservation Committee, spoke of the Committee’s core values – to provide guidance and information to the community to ensure that Portola Valley development maintains harmony and subservience to the environment. She said that their main responsibilities are to do site visits associated ASCC reviews, providing advisory information, both to the ASCC as well as an opportunity to educate the homeowner on using native plants, how to care for them, and trying to maximize the use of appropriate low-water use for the environment. The Committee does tree removal permits. One of their big jobs has been oversight and guidance for Mr. Young and the Public Works group on maintaining a number of the high priority Town-owned properties, such as the Town Center, Spring Down, Frog Pond, Triangle Park, and Ford and Rossotti Fields. The Committee offers Mr. Young guidance on when things should be mowed. They helped restore the meadow at Spring Down and provided guidance on trying to keep the weeds down to allow the wildflowers they seeded to come out. They are working with Mr. Young to develop a five-year plan so that he knows in advance how to plan. This year, because of the rain in November, mowing needed to be earlier than in past years. The Committee has been working with the Fire Department to help provide information for clearing, trying to get rid of as many flammable or invasive trees as possible, and working on making sure the clearing is thoughtful and pays attention to nesting periods and other things that may not be on top of mind. They have been working with the Housing Committee on Committees. Their main focus besides the review responsibilities is providing educational and communication tools. They have created a brochure for the Native Plant Demonstration Garden in the Town Center. They have worked with Mr. Young to replant plant and give it a facelift. The Committee provides a “Tip of the Month,” and “What’s Blooming Now,” which give a bit of information to the community on what is happening in the environment and suggestions on native plants for gardens. She said they are doing an in-person Broom Pull this year, and they also hope to do an evening lecture later in the fall. Ms. Magill remarked that the Committee takes its education role seriously, and they expect to continue that and working on refining some of the guidelines that the Town is going to be using for ADU approvals. They expect to need $4,000 to $5,000 to support their activities, although they spent much less than that this year because of COVID. They do not have any huge things on their to-do list. She thanked Councilmember Richards for being the Council Liaison.

Scott Elrod, Chair, Sustainability Committee, summarized the Committee’s activities over the past year.

They are focused on citizen behavior, and he said they need to walk a fine line in terms of educating people about options, encouraging different behaviors but not pushing too hard or being preachy. He said they had a great display of options for people at the Town Picnic, including technologies to limit watering, limit showers and such. One big interest of the Committee was in coming up with a backup power option which people could adopt, short of getting a gas generator. The Committee looked at a lithium ion battery bay system that could run a small number of appliances and lights and a refrigerator for up to 18 to 24 hours, including a solar charging unit. This was a demo at the Town Picnic, and they are now going to make this available for loan to Portola Valley residents via the Library. The Committee worked on a detailed climate change reading list, which is now on the town website. There are a lot of postings on the PVForum website. The Committee has been all about education, and it will continue to have that focus.

He said in the coming year they will emphasize revamping the website, which is quite outdated. They do see the Committee of Committees and the focus on ADUs as being a principal way to effect sustainability.

They are intrigued by the notion of checklists, even in the case of ministerial approval of ADUs. He thought that might be the way committees can influence how things are done, not be an item on whether they are done, but to try to put some of the interest of the different committees into the way things are done. He said they are looking forward to the rollout of the smart water meters and will play a role in sending out information packets to people about how to benefit from them. Mailings around such things will be one of their cost items. The budget has been variable, in the $4,000 to $10,000 range. The past year it was closer to $10,000, in part because they purchased the demo unit to loan out. He said there may be other pieces of hardware that represent options for people that they would want to buy and make available as loaner items through the Library. He said their budget would likely need to remain at about $10k. During COVID they have had to cut way back on events. There have been some events that the Committee has championed in the past – the Sustainability Book Club, seminars, and a movie series which seemed quite popular. They hoped to get back to some of those things in the near future. He was appreciative of Councilmember Derwin’s working with the Committee.

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9 Patty Dewes, Chair of the Parks and Rec Committee, shared the Committee’s priorities for 2022, which are basically the same as for 2021. First, she mentioned the successful Zots to Tots and Town Picnic. As several people had referenced, it was the only communitywide event held in the Town for 2021. They had a tremendous outcome with almost twice the number of people as in the past registered to run, race, bike, walk in the Zots to Tots race. She announced that if anyone ordered a Zots to Tots t-shirt and don’t have it yet, they should call John Meyers, because “he needs his garage back.” She said they hoped they will be able to have the Zots to Tots and Town Picnic in 2022. Their budget last year was about $22,000 and they feel that is more than adequate, and they would request that for 2022 as well. Ms. Dewes listed other things they worked on in Parks and Rec. One was the court usage policies and practices which has become a conversation point with many people, as pickleball continues to gain in popularity and participation. There are almost 200 pickleball players registered in the group that they manage. They play on the courts every day for two to three hours, with between 20 and 40 participants. It is growing and, as such, is creating demands on the courts, so they feel they need to think about making some changes. In particular, they are considering a proposal to dedicate one court to pickleball fulltime to eliminate having to put up and take down the nets and having permanent nets so that people could play pickleball anytime which they cannot do presently. To the extent that this is done, they want to ensure the tennis players are treated equitably with time on a court dedicated to tennis only. There would be one more court that could be reserved for either tennis or pickleball. She said with the reservation system installed last year, they could manage that effectively. Ms. Dewes said these are the types of opportunities the Committee is looking for, to allow people to use the courts the way that they would like to, while ensuring that they are available for all. She noted that they need to also accommodate the Corte Madera tennis team as well.

The team will start up in March after missing last year due to COVID. They will use the courts in the middle of the day, which takes time away from residents, but it is the right thing to do for their neighbor.

Ms. Dewes brought up the town’s fields – soccer and baseball. Parks and Rec is looking at the field usage fees for those. In the past the fees have been player-based which seems to have grown out of favor, particularly with some neighboring towns, and it is difficult to manage for some teams that have different populations for their players. They are looking at doing analysis on moving to a per-hour based field usage fee, and this will be coming back to the Council in the next couple months if it is necessary to do anything. Ms. Dewes commented on her pet project for someday, a dog park. She said there are several rogue dog parks around town because they don’t have an organized one. She said at Town Center off-leash dogs are a constant presence, and illegal, as well as unsanitary and unsafe. The Committee continues to look for opportunities for a dog park, working closely with other committees to make sure that if they do identify something, that it meets the tone that the Town is striving for, as well as the dogs and their owners. She said they have put in an application to the State of California, and offered up to $200,000 for a grant for some type of Parks and Rec project. They have put in a request for $180,000 to put restrooms at Ford Field, which has been a need for quite some time. There are porta potties there, but restrooms would be nice. She said $180,000 is less than half of what they think they would need to put restrooms in at Ford Field. The difference, if granted, would have to be made up by either Town funds or private funds. They have done this before, as with the Ford Field renovation and the Town Center. The Town has been somewhat generous, but it is something they would have to work on in 2022. Regarding any impact from the Housing Element decision and actions, Ms. Dewes felt that for Parks and Rec that would primarily be focused on if there’s more people in town, there will be more demand on the Town’s facilities. She said they would need $22,000 for the Town Picnic. Also, if one court is dedicated to pickleball, there will be some equipment costs, which they are researching at present. If a dog park were identified, they would need fencing and materials for it. Right now, the only known quantity is the Town Picnic. Everything else is work in progress.

Nan Shostak, Geologic Safety Committee, said the Committee is newly reformed. There are now four members, with space for one more. Chet Wrucke was Secretary of the Committee when they last met and is the de facto leader until new officers are elected. The first meeting is planned very soon, at which time they will elect officers and prepare a budget. She expects the financial needs to be minimal, if any, and the Committee will notify the Council of their budget decision. The Committee’s priorities for the immediate future will be to work with Town staff and the other committees on the evacuation plan and the Safety Element. They anticipate working with the Planning Commission on an ongoing basis during early phases of development proposal, to help with site assessments before any buildings are planned. They

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10 anticipate being a full partner with Town staff and the geologic consultant, Cotton Shires, early in the process of assessing sites for development where there is any question of seismic hazard.

Gary Hanning, Chair of the Trails and Paths Committee, said that, recognizing their budget is largely in the Public Works Department, the Committee does not have a lot of budget needs for committee activities. Their number one priority for this year is bringing back the Horse Fair, which is a community outreach program with the goal of connecting residents with the history of Portola Valley’s equine past.

They last held the Horse Fair in 2019, at which time they had good turnout. Each year the attendance had been growing, largely with families and kids. COVID forced them to put the Fair on hold, and they look forward to resurrecting the program. The date is set for May 14th at Town Center. He thought the budget for it would probably be the same as the last year, unless there has been a significant increase in cost for vendors and facilities, which they do not anticipate. Another of their priorities is Alpine Trail and Safe Routes to School, Trails and Paths. Alpine Trail is unique in that it is present on both sides of Alpine Road and also includes sections designated for multi-uses and single use. Bikes are allowed on some sections and not on others. Horses are allowed on certain sections and not on others. They hope to improve signage, which would be an undetermined amount. Public Works would probably carry some of the cost.

They also hope to work with the School District to better map out the Safe Routes to School between Corte Madera School, Town Center and Alpine Hills, as well as the Nathorst Triangle.

Mr. Hanning continued, sharing that the Trails Committee also plans to produce a new trail map this year and have begun work on it. The existing trail map is over 20 years old, so they are looking at using more modern technology for the map with an overlay of all the town trails. They hope to better identify starting and endpoints, the usage of each trail, and have a map that can be used electronically as opposed to a printed map. This will require some funding which is yet to be determined, depending on the mapping tools used and associated royalties associated with them. Also, any consultants hired to actually do mapping would require funds. Another priority for the Committee this year will be to support the Building and Planning Department with a checklist for ADUs and SB 9 projects, to be used by ministerial reviewers to screen applications for compliance with regulations related to trails and paths. For example, drainage, scoring of driveways that cross the trail, landscape near trails, mechanical equipment and hardscape. The reviewers do not have a lot of such information to make the determination whether the project would fit well with any existing trail. With the new trail map and the checklist, a ministerial reviewer would be able to quickly determine if there was a trail on the project site and, if so, whether it meets the requirements on the checklist.

Finally, another priority of the Trails and Paths Committee will be to continue to support the Public Works Department. Mr. Hanning thanked Mr. Young and his team for being advocates for the trail system and doing a great job maintaining and keeping the trail system open and safe. Without them, their trail system would collapse. Although they are a small team, and mostly unseen, they do an amazing job, whether mowing, clearing trees, et cetera. The Committee will continue to support Public Works with identifying short and long-term maintenance issues on the trails. They have been developing a capital-intensive project list, the budget for which would likely come out of the Public Works budget. They are helping to identify and prioritize projects on the trail system that will require larger than normal capital outlays. For example, re-weatherizing a trail with base rock. To allow the trails to be open year-round to all classes of trail users, it requires use of certain materials on the trails and conforming to certain standards to keep them safe during rainy months. The Committee is also working with Public Works to coordinate volunteer workdays on the trails, something they want to bring back. Most trails in Portola Valley were originally built by volunteers. They will experiment with a trail day coming up in the Ranch. Outside and local volunteers will be used to accomplish some tasks. If this is successful, they hope to do more of them. Mr. Hannng concluded with thanks to Mayor Hughes for his support as their Liaison for a number of years.

Vice Mayor Wernikoff was excited to hear about the projects the Committee is working on. In regard to the Alpine Trail, she said a pet peeve of hers lately is the increase of trash, seen everywhere in California.

She felt this is seen more on the Alpine Trail than on other ones, given its proximity to the road and traffic.

She wondered if this is ever discussed within the Committee and if they consider it part of their purview.

Mr. Hanning agreed and said largely due to the pandemic, they saw a dramatic increase in the number of users of all of he trails. With that came more trash, more user violations, et cetera. The Committee works

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11 with Mr. Young on this. He said it may seem easy to just put a trash can out there, but it actually isn’t that easy, with the cost and logistics involved. It is something they have looked at in the past, but something he did not feel the Public Works Department can handle in its current form. He said if the Council would like them to look deeper into this issue, they would be happy to do that. Generally, they try to stay true to their Trails and Paths element, which is built on the honor system that says, “What you bring in, you take out.” For the most part, he feels it works, particularly pre-pandemic. However, post-pandemic, it may not be the best solution. He said it is within their purview and they may be able to address it, depending on funding and support for it, not just with money, but also with staffing support in the Public Works Department. Mr. Hanning went on to acknowledge every property owner in town who hosts a trail on their property, as they deal with things like trash, dog droppings, increased number of users. They are often overlooked and under-thanked. On behalf of the Trails and Paths Committee, he thanked them for everything that they put up with in order to provide an amazing community service to the residents and to the general public.

Mayor Hughes recommended the PVConnect app, which can be used on trails to take photos of things such as an accumulation of trash, a fallen tree, et cetera. In the PVConnect app it can be automatically tagged with the GPS coordinates. The Public Works can then go out and take care of such things.

Ed Holland said as a regular trail user he has seen an increasing use of bicycle use on trails, which is generally not permitted. When he has occasionally spoken to people about it, they have claimed the don’t know anything about it, because there is no signage. He wondered if Trails and Paths had any plans to improve that information to support those rules being upheld. He commented that he wanted to know when the volunteer days are, as he enjoys the trails very much and would love to help. Mayor Hughes responded that the Committee will be looking at improving signage and additionally, working on the trails map, which help people understand better which trails are for what purpose.

Mary Hufty commented on behalf of the Westridge Architectural Supervisory Committee, in conjunction with Mr. Hanning’s presentation and his great work on the trail system. She said Westridge has about ten miles of trails within the Westridge community which it offers to the public. They carry the expense for its maintenance and have been honored by good cooperation between the Town Manager and Mr. Young, who have been wonderful about helping them, but essentially the cost of maintaining the trails goes to Westridge. The map has included Westridge trails in the past and will continue to do so. They hope, however, that the contributions of the Westridge community will be recognized in terms of both finances and significant volunteer work to keep the trails open.

Rita Comes was appreciative of all the people in town who are volunteering their personal time to serve on councils and committees. She said she would like to hear from some of the committee, such as the Undergrounding Committee and others, when talking about housing and making plans for infrastructure in the future. She did not remember them having a meeting in a while. She reiterated the phones issue and other infrastructure issues they are running into without having someone to follow up with in the town.

Mayor Hughes replied that he is the Liaison to the Undergrounding Committee and he thought there is some work around undergrounding budgeted for this year. He has noted emails regarding organizing a meeting and getting something on the calendar. He said once the date is set, she is welcome to make public comment there.

Mayor Hughes invited comments or thoughts from the Councilmembers and Town Manager.

Town Manager Dennis extended appreciation to the Chairs and Committee members who do incredible work on behalf of the Town and continue to be the bedrock for everything they do. He appreciated hearing from them on the things they are looking to see included on next year’s budget. He looked to the Council for any recommendations, suggestions, opinions to help with the process. Staff will come back at the next meeting with detailed notes on what was heard so that the Council can consider them, in addition to the detailed minutes. He said a big thank you and requested to hear from the Council if there was anything they would like to be highlighted.

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12 Vice Mayor Wernikoff echoed the thanks for the amount of time community members spend volunteering on committees. She wanted to highlight an item in the Consent Agenda and draw attention to red page 49, where all of the committees are listed, including all of the vacancies, for those who may want to get involved and participate.

Councilmember Aalfs thanked all of the committee members who spoke, as well as all of the volunteers in town. He was interested to see the next round of this. Most of what he heard sounded very appropriate as continuations of the good work of the committees.

Mayor Hughes also thanked the volunteers for time spent on the committees. That which was presented by the various Chairs was a very high-level overview of what the committees work on. Many individual items are highly detailed, technical discussions about issues that are not as obvious as they seem. The level of complexity the committees attend to is very deep and a tremendous help to staff and the Council. [The Council took a five-minute break]
(10) Recommendation by Town Manager – Resolution Adopting Volume 1 and Introduction, Chapter 15 (Town of Portola Valley Jurisdictional Annex) and the Appendices of Volume 2 of the San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (a) A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Portola Valley Adopting Volume 1 and Introduction, Chapter 15 (Town of Portola Valley Jurisdictional Annex) and the Appendices of Volume 2 of the San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (Resolution No. ___)
Town Manager Dennis presented this continuation of an item on the December 8th Council agenda. The Council had requested it be continued to a later date. The initial staff report from the December 8th agenda could be found on the top of red page 66. He welcomed two guests to the meeting – Dan Belville, Director of the Department of Emergency Management, formally OES with the County of San Mateo; and well as Bart Spencer, Lead Consultant for Tetra Tech, who works with staff on development of local hazard mitigation plans. He said the staff report covers the primary elements of the discussion quite well.

He highlighted the issues around not adopting the multi-jurisdictional local hazard mitigation plan, stating that the plan, as developed, is a plan that is worked on between 20 cities in the County of San Mateo. It is the largest geographic area in California that puts together a joint plan. It is an accomplishment that everyone in San Mateo is quite proud of in regard to continuation of this cooperation between cities. The plan is a vehicle for communities pre- and post-disaster to apply for grants for mitigation, adaptation, resiliency, et cetera. The County component is Volume One. The chapter associated with a town is the vehicle through which they can make application for grants. Portola Valley is currently unable to do so because the plan has not been adopted by the Council, and there are currently a number of grants that he would look into and/or apply for, related to a variety issues, including fire.

Town Manager Dennis pointed out on red page 61 a description and context to the conversations staff has had over the development of the hazard mitigation plan with the County. Chapter One is primarily a County product with some input from the cities. The County uses a variety of data sources to put together, particularly where there were community concerns shared by staff and the Council, on exposure and loss rates associated with fire. Those tables are directly related to the very high fire severity zone maps that are created by Cal Fire. On page 572 of the Plan, it shows the different assessments on wildfire. In the very high fire severity exposure table, for example, that corresponds directly with the very high fire severity zone in Portola Valley, regardless of adoption by the Town Council. This is about nine percent of the town. In conversations he had with one of the consultants in August and continuing into September and December, staff indicated some concern related to what the data set appeared to be showing about fire risk in Portola Valley, particularly around the high and the moderate zones. He confirmed this with various staff at the County, and the consultants. The exposure tables for high and moderate are related to the draft maps and appear to tell an incomplete story from the perspective of the data set they are using, which is the richest data set that they have in order to compare across San Mateo County fire risk. Staff communicated this and that they would like to see opportunities to correct

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______________________________________________________________________________________ TO: Mayor and Members of the Town Council
FROM: Jeremy Dennis, Town Manager
DATE: February 9, 2022
RE: COVID Business Assistance Grant (CBAG) Program Update

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Town Council update the existing COVID Business Assistance Grant program, from the General Fund to American Rescue Plan funds, to support local businesses impacted by COVID

BACKGROUND
On April 29, 2020, the Town Council budgeted up to $100,000 for the SMC Strong program to support local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Attachment 1). Only three businesses ultimately accessed funds through the grant program. As $10,000 was available through the existing fund within the SMC Strong program, only $20,000 was utilized from the $100,000 Town allocation.

The Town Council then approved in the summer of 2020 the COVID Business Assistance Grant (CBAG). The CBAG was funded by the General Fund using remaining unallocated SMC Strong program funds. Seven businesses participated in the CBAG.

DISCUSSION
The American Rescue Plan funds can be used to support businesses in the following ways:
• Loans or grants to mitigate financial hardship such as declines in revenues or impacts of periods of business closure;
• Loans, grants, or in-kind assistance to implement COVID–19 prevention or mitigation tactics;
• Technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs.

FISCAL IMPACT
None. Funds from the American Rescue Plan are available for this use.

ATTACHMENT

1. CBAG Program Summary

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY

STAFF REPORT

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
.

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Updated January 31, 2022
Town of Portola Valley
COVID Business Assistance Grant (CBAG)
This guide is provided as a reference Portola Valley commercial business owners/operators property owners and commercial businesses interested in applying for funding through the Town of Portola Valley’s CBAG.

To apply, please email Town Manager Jeremy Dennis at [email protected] ATTACHMENT #1

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Updated January 31, 2022
Overview
Program Guideline
The Town of Portola Valley COVID Business Assistance Grant (CBAG) program for commercial property owners and tenants with businesses located in commercially-zoned areas. Eligible commercial property owners and tenants can receive a grant if your business has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. CBAG is funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan.

Only currently occupied commercial buildings will be eligible to receive grant funding.

Program Area
Although the Town of Portola Valley is dedicated to serving businesses of all types, this program is only available to businesses that engage with the public and have street-facing commercial frontage in the Town’s commercially zoned areas.

Funding Available
The Town has set aside $100,000 for this program; up to $10,000 in one-time moneys is available per business in grant funding. Grants will be made on a first- come, first-served basis until the program’s funds are expended. Should additional funds be available after the first round of grantees has been selected, additional applications shall be reviewed as they are submitted.

Required Submittals
Qualified commercial businesses shall submit to the Town a rationale for their application that should include impacts of COVID on their business as allowed under the Final Rule; • Loans or grants to mitigate financial hardship such as declines in revenues or impacts of periods of business closure;
• Loans, grants, or in-kind assistance to implement COVID–19 prevention or mitigation tactics;
• Technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs.

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Updated January 31, 2022
Application Instructions and Checklist
Applicants should fill out the Application, and Supporting Information.

Applications are reviewed and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If an applicant satisfies all conditions as stated herein this application packet, they will receive the requested funding amount, or an inquiry for additional information.

CHECKLIST:

Please make sure to complete each segment of the application, and ensure that all information requested is included. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and applicants may receive a list of requested items. If you need clarification on what is needed to complete the application, you can contact Town Manager Jeremy Dennis at [email protected] Have you included:

Application
Description of COVID impacts resulting in a need for funds □
□

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Updated January 31, 2022
Town of Portola Valley
COVID Business Assistance Grant
Application
Applicant Information
Business Name:

Business Address:

Applicant Name:

Applicant Mailing Address:

Applicant Telephone:

Applicant Email:

Are you the owner or tenant of the building? Owner Tenant Application Confirmation
I certify that all statements on this application are true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any intentional misstatements will be grounds for disqualification. I understand that this is a grant agreement with the Town and that I will meet my obligations according to the plan agreed upon between the Town and me. I further agree to comply with all Town ordinances and the design requirements and recommendations of theTown.

Page 120 ends

Updated January 31, 2022
Applicant Signature Date

Page 121 ends

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Colleagues Memo
TO: Members of the Town Council
FROM: Mayor Hughes
DATE: February 2, 2022
RE: Revisit the Committee Handbook policies on harassment

RECOMMENDATION
The council should form a subcommittee to develop changes to the Committee Handbook section on harassment, and/or direct such work to the Race & Equity committee. Additional related elements of the Handbook might also need amendment, for example the policy on removal of committee members, which currently requires the concurrence of all three of the Mayor, the council liaison, and the committee chair.

Any proposed changes would be subject to adoption by the full Council.

BACKGROUND
On Feb 10, 2021, this council adopted amendments to our Committee Handbook incorporating for the first time the beginnings of a “Code of Conduct” for committee members and commissioners, prohibiting them from engaging in harassment. While this policy on harassment is a good start, I believe that we should revisit it to incorporate a few additional elements not currently present.

The primary concern is that while the policy prohibits “physical, verbal, and visual conduct when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment”, as well as harassment based on Protected Status, it does not, as written, encourage the opposite – positive engagement, support for other committee members, staff, and the public, and the fostering of a sense of inclusion for all in the work of the committees.

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Page 2 ends

Many organizations do have such positive encouragement elements in their codes of conduct for volunteers.

The National League of Cities published a document that reports 81% of surveyed local officials have experienced harassment, threats, and violence. 87% report that such incidents have increased in recent years. Here are the NLC Report and Western Cities article discussing the report and related issues.

In recent years in Portola Valley, multiple committee members have resigned from committees because they were made uncomfortable or worse while volunteering there.

Such experiences dissuade constructive involvement in the work of the Town and undermine the spirit of Portola Valley. We should ensure that our committees and commissions are not a burden on volunteers; volunteers should not dread attending their committee meetings for fear of being attacked or having to watch others be attacked or demeaned.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
This list is by no means complete:

A short example from the DNC: https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/VirtualVolunteer-Code-of-Conduct-website.pdf Many sections of the AIHA (The American Industrial Hygiene Association) do not apply, but some of the elements under “Respect”, “Honesty”, “Responsibility”, “Professionalism”, “Community” may have useful elements to draw on:
https://www.aiha.org/membership/member-center/aiha-membership-and-volunteer-code-ofconduct The Institute for Local Government has compiled a list of Codes of Conduct and civility policies from cities in California: https://www.ca-ilg.org/civility

Page 123 ends

#13

There are no written materials for Council Liaison Committee and Regional Agencies Reports

Page 124 ends

#14

There are no written materials for Town Manager Report

Page 125 ends

TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST
Thursday – January 27, 2022

1. Agenda – Ad-Hoc Housing Element Committee – Monday, January 31, 2022

2. Agenda – Wildfire Preparedness Committee – Tuesday, February 1, 2022

3. Agenda – Bicycle, Pedestrian & Traffic Safety Committee – Wednesday, February 2, 2022

4. Agenda – Planning Commission – Wednesday, February 2, 2022

5. Agenda – Emergency Preparedness Committee – Thursday, February 3, 2022

6. Notice – C/CAG Committee Vacancies for BPAC and CMEQ Attached Separates (Council Only)
(placed in your Town Hall mailbox)

1. None

Page 126 ends

______________________________________________________________________________

MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M.

Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Below are instructions on how to join and participate in a Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting Online:

Please select this link to join the meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89622449465?pwd=K21uYlBxcW4yREN5bTV6aG50alpxUT09 Or: Go to Zoom.com – Click Join a Meeting – Enter the Meeting ID Meeting ID: 896 2244 9465 Passcode: 644998
Or Telephone:

1.669.900.6833

1.888.788.0099 (toll-free) Enter same Meeting ID and Passcode *6 - Toggle mute/unmute.
*9 - Raise hand.

Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please send an email to [email protected] by 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting. All comments received by that time will be distributed to Committee Members prior to the meeting. All comments received are included in the public record.

We encourage anyone who has the ability to join the meeting online to do so. You will have access to any presentations that will be shown on your screen and can easily provide comments using the “raise your hand” feature when the Chair calls for them.

Approximate timeframes are provided for agenda items as a guide for the Chair, Committee Members, and the public. Actual times may vary.

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
4:30 PM – Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee Meeting
Monday, January 31, 2022

THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD

VIA TELECONFERENCE ONLY
#1

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Agenda – AHHEC
January 31, 2022

Page 2 ends

Committee Members:

Jeff Aalfs - Town Council Subcommittee Al Sill - ASCC Representative and Vice-Chair Aimee Armsby Jocelyn Swisher - Chair
Sue Crane Nicholas Targ - Planning Commission Representative Sarah Dorahy Bob Turcott
Erik Doyle Janey Ward
William Kelly Sarah Wernikoff - Town Council Subcommittee Anne Kopf-Sill - Planning Commission Representative Helen Wolter Andrew Pierce - Race and Equity Committee Representative Staff Contacts:

Laura Russell - Planning & Building Director
Adrienne Smith - Senior Planner
4:30 PM - CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee on any subject not on the agenda may do so now. Please note however, that the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items not on the agenda. Comments will be limited to two minutes per person.

PRESENTATION

1. Summary of Ad Hoc Committee of Town Committees Meeting #1 – Judith Murphy, Chair (30 Minutes)

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

2. Affiliated Housing Program (1 Hour 15 minutes)
a. Current program, partners and next steps

3. Update on SB 9 (20 Minutes)
a. Update on December Town Council meeting and contents of SB 9 urgency ordinance

STAFF UPDATE

4. Review forthcoming Committee meeting topics and schedule (5 Minutes)

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

5. Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee Meeting of 1/18/22 (5 Minutes)

ADJOURNMENT

COMMUNICATIONS DIGEST
Public comments received since the last meeting will be distributed to the Committee at the end of each agenda packet.

Page 128 ends

Agenda – AHHEC
January 31, 2022

Page 3 ends

AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
For more information on the items to be considered by the Committee, please email [email protected].

Any writing or documents provided to a majority of the Town Council or Commissions regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at Town Hall located 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA during normal business hours. Copies of all agenda reports and supporting data are available for viewing and inspection at Town Hall.

ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 851-1700. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.

PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public Hearings provide the general public and interested parties an opportunity to provide testimony on these items. If you challenge any proposed action(s) in court, you may be limited to raising only issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the Committee at, or prior to, the Public Hearing(s).

Page 129 ends

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Wildfire Preparedness Committee
Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 4:00 PM
Virtual Meeting
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M.

Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87960443634?pwd=K3o2eWg4enc2WCs5RHBVSG8wcGhHQT09 To access the meeting by phone, dial:
1-699-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute - press *6 / Raise Hand - press *9
Meeting ID: 879 6044 3634
Password: 003836

MEETING AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Open Communications for Items not on Agenda

3. Approval of Minutes from December 7, 2021, Meeting

4. Presentation of Evacuation Study (Bob Grandy, Fehr and Peers)

5. Review Charter (attached), Consider any Updates/Revisions

6. Discuss Goals / Priorities for 2022

7. Introduction to Wildfire Maps (Ray Moritz)

8. State of Wildfire Preparedness (MJ Lee)

9. Standing Items - As Needed
a. Fire Marshal Update
b. Staff Updates
c. Review of Committee Correspondences/Items of Note

10. Adjourn
#2

Page 130 ends

SPECIAL VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

To access the meeting by computer, click on the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84743144037?pwd=OWxVcTZYd0YyOFBGdmVWU1ZuOFNOUT09 To access the meeting by phone, dial:
1-699-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
Meeting ID: 847 4314 4037
Password: 805471

1. Roll Call.

2. Review/ Approval of the Minutes of the December 1st, 2021, Meeting

3. Resident and Committee Open Comments

4. Sheriff's report:
a. Accidents and Citations
i. Request for statistical details of tickets issued.
b. Request for Monitoring:
i. Speeding
ii. Stop sign violations.

5. Public Works Update:
a. General update
b. Parking Controls Associated with Windy Hill visitors

6. Ongoing Committee Business
a. Portola Valley Housing Element (HE) update Discussion of Committee Priorities and Concerns
b. Request for updates on the “Stanford Wedge” EIR

7. Events:
a. 2022 Event ideas

8. Matters Arising

9. Next meeting scheduled March 2
nd
, 2022. Default time 8:15 AM, Via Zoom
Adjournment

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety
Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 – 8:15 AM
Zoom Teleconference
#3

Page 131 ends

_____________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Below are instructions on how to join and participate in a Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting Online:

Please select this link to join the meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86223153264?pwd=RGZOc3F5dHRMbk5KS1M2c0NFbnljZz09 Or: Go to Zoom.com – Click Join a Meeting – Enter the Meeting ID Meeting ID: 862 2315 3264 Passcode: 796859
Or Telephone:

1.669.900.6833

1.888.788.0099 (toll-free) Enter same Meeting ID
*6 - Toggle mute/unmute.
*9 - Raise hand.

Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please send an email to [email protected] by 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting. All comments received by that time will be distributed to Commissioners prior to the meeting. All comments received are included in the public record.

We encourage anyone who has the ability to join the meeting online to do so. You will have access to any presentations that will be shown on your screen and can easily ask questions using the “raise your hand” feature when the Chair calls for them.

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
7:00 PM – Special Meeting of the Planning Commission
Wednesday, February 2, 2022

THIS SPECIAL MEETING IS BEING HELD

VIA TELECONFERENCE ONLY
#4

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Agenda – Planning Commission Meeting
February 2, 2022

Page 2 ends

7:00 PM - CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Commissioners Goulden, Hasko, Targ, Vice-Chair Kopf-Sill, Chair Taylor

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Planning Commission on any subject not on the agenda may do so now. Please note, however, that the Planning Commission is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items not on the agenda.

PUBLIC HEARING

1. Review of an application for Architectural and Site Development Review for a new horse barn, corral, site development permit, and new landscaping, File # PLN_ARCH0007-2021, 270 Mapache Drive, David and Jane Pejcha (J. Garcia)

COMMISSION, STAFF, COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

2. Annual Election of Chair and Vice Chair

3. Commission Reports
a. Update on Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee (Kopf-Sill and Targ)

4. Staff Reports
b. Update on Safety Element Update process (Russell)

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

5. Planning Commission Meeting of December 15, 2021

ADJOURNMENT

AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
Any writing or documents provided to a majority of the Town Council or Commissions regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at Town Hall located 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA during normal business hours. Copies of all agenda reports and supporting data are available for viewing and inspection at Town Hall and at the Portola Valley Library located adjacent to Town Hall.

Page 133 ends

MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

To access the meeting by computer, click on the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84321420552?pwd=VnhtaXEyRlJ5MjRwcENvZTBzTkNIZz09 To access the meeting by phone, dial:
1-699-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – press *6
Raise Hand – press *9
Webinar ID: 843 2142 0552
Password: 905198

1. 8:00 Call to order
o Members: Dave Howes, Dale Pfau/Chair, Chris Raanes, Ray Rothrock, Jerry Shefren, Craig Taylor, Bud Trapp, Vic Schachter, Marianne Plunder o Guests: John Richards/Town Council, Rob Lindner and Selena Brown WFPD

2. 8:01 Roll Call

3. 8:03 Oral Communications
o Note that issues brought up under oral communications that are not on the agenda will be limited to 2 minutes

4. 8:05 Review and approval of minutes;
o Motion; Approve minutes of January 6, 2022
o Appointment of Secretary

5. 8:05 Welcome New Members
o Vic Schachter
o Marianne Plunder

6. 8:06 WPV-CERT/WFPD Report (Brown/Lindner)

7. 8:15 Subcommittee Reports
o Communications (Rothrock)
Status of Rothrock/Town AM Radio Operating Agreement
o Wildfire Committee Report (Pfau)
o Outreach (?)
o CERT/Town/Woodside Integration Committee (Raanes)

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Regular Meeting of the
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Thursday, February 3, 2022 - 8:00 AM
Via Zoom
765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028
#5

Page 134 ends

o WPV-Ready Liaison (TBD)
o Town Council Meeting of January 26 (Pfau)

8. 8:25 Town Report
o Update on AM Radio Signs
o Update on Virtual EOC meetings with users to demonstrate integration with CERT o Update on Backup for Town Internet
o Update on Cal Water Site – AM Radio relocation
o Update on Safety Element and expectations for EPC input

9. 8:30 Discussion – EPC input to Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee (Pfau) 8:35 Save the Date – Annual “Emergency Communications and Safety Day” o Saturday, June 25; Town Center location reserved
o WPV-Ready, WPV-CERT, WFPD are all invited

10. 8:35 Discussion – Town medical supplies and CERT medical supplies (Shefren/Brown) o CERT Trailer update
o Town medical supplies status
o Integration/Disposition

11. 8:45 Discussion – Additional town staff (Shefren)
o Should the town consider hiring someone to support
• Neighborhood emergency preparedness
• Firewise communities
o How to integrate/support WPV-Ready, WPV-CERT, WFPD

12. 9:00 Next meeting is March 3, 2022
o Quorum check
o Agenda items for next meeting

13. 9:00 Adjourn

Page 135 ends

C/CAG

CITY/COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS

OF SAN MATEO COUNTY
Atherton • Belmont • Brisbane • Burlingame • Colma • Daly City • East Palo Alto • Foster City • Half Moon Bay • Hillsborough • Menlo Park • Millbrae • Pacifica • Portola Valley • Redwood City • San Bruno • San Carlos • San Mateo • San Mateo County •South San Francisco • Woodside Date: January 24, 2022
To: All Councilmembers of San Mateo County Cities and Members of the Board of Supervisors; All City/County Managers; All City Clerks; All Interested Parties From: Marie Chuang, C/CAG Chair
Subject: C/CAG Committee Vacancies
The City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) currently has vacancies on three of its standing Committees. The vacancies are:
3 Seats – Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) (Elected officials of City Councils and/or the Board of Supervisors)
2 Seats – Congestion Management and Environmental Quality (CMEQ) Committee:
• One (1) seat for an individual representing the San Mateo County business community
One (1) seat for an individual representing agencies with transportation interests in San Mateo County Please see Attachment A for more information on the two Committees. Individuals wishing to be considered for appointment to any of the two Committees should email a letter of interest to:

Sean Charpentier, C/CAG Executive Director
City/County Association of Governments
555 County Center, 5th Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
[email protected]
Individuals interested in serving on the BPAC Committee must be an elected official on one of the twenty City Councils in San Mateo County or an elected official on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors1 .

Individuals may send a letter of interest by 5:00 pm on February 3, 2022. Appointments will be considered at the February 10, 2022 C/CAG Board meeting. If there are fewer letters of interest received by February 4, 2022 than seats vacant on the Committees, the recruitment will remain open until filled. If you have any questions about the Committees or this appointment process, please contact the C/CAG staff member noted in Attachment A: Committee Descriptions and Staff Contacts.

Sincerely,
Marie Chuang
Chair, C/CAG Board
Enclosure: Attachment A: Committee Descriptions and Staff Contacts 1 No more than two Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee members can reside in the same jurisdiction. #6

Page 136 ends

ATTACHMENT A: Committee Descriptions and Staff Contacts

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) provides advice and recommendations to the full C/CAG Board of Directors on matters relating to bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects. The BPAC advises the C/CAG Board on priority projects for funding through the Transportation Development Act Article 3 grant program and the One Bay Area Grant program. In the upcoming year alone, the Committee will participate in the selection of up to $30 Million of active transportation projects in the County.

Meetings are held bi-monthly on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Prior to the COVID-19 Crisis, the meetings were held in the San Mateo City Hall. During the COVID-19 Crisis, the meetings have been held over Zoom. The BPAC has approximately six meetings per year. No more than two BPAC members can reside in the same jurisdiction. There are three vacancies for elected officials on this committee.

For more information about the Committee and Meeting agendas, contact Kaki Cheung at [email protected]; and/or see https://ccag.ca.gov/committees/bicycle-and-pedestrian-advisorycommittee/.

The Congestion Management and Environmental Quality Committee (CMEQ) provides advice and recommendations to the full C/CAG Board on all matters relating to transportation planning, congestion management, travel demand management, coordination of land use and transportation planning, mobile source air quality programs, energy resources and conservation, and other environmental issues facing the local jurisdictions in San Mateo County. The role of the CMEQ Committee also includes making recommendations to the C/CAG Board on the allocation of funding for specific projects and activities addressing these programmatic areas. The Committee meets on the last Monday of each month from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Prior to the COVID-19 Crisis, the meetings were held in the San Mateo City Hall. During the COVID-19 Crisis, the meetings have been held over Zoom. There are vacancies for the following seats:
• One (1) seat for an individual representing the business community in San Mateo County • One (1) seat for an individual representing agencies with transportation interests in San Mateo County
For more information about the Committee and Meeting agendas, contact Jeff Lacap at [email protected]; and/or see: https://ccag.ca.gov/committees/congestion-management-andenvironmental-quality-committee/

Page 137 ends

TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST
Thursday – February 3, 2022

1. Agenda – Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee – Tuesday, February 8, 2022

2. Agenda – Woodside Highlands Road Maintenance District RAC – Tuesday, February 8, 2022

3. Agenda – Race & Equity Committee – Tuesday, February 8, 2022

4. Agenda – Cultural Arts Committee – Thursday, February 10, 2022

5. Agenda – Nature & Science Committee – Thursday, February 10, 2022

6. Email from resident K. Vahtra re Volunteer Code of Conduct

7. Email from resident R. Day re April 21, 2020 Decision of California’s Fish & Game Commission

8. Email from resident R. Comes re Town of Woodside discussion of Mountain Lion Habitat and the implementation of SB9
Attached Separates (Council Only)
(placed in your Town Hall mailbox)

1. None

Page 138 ends

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
To access the meeting by computer, click on the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82466536273?pwd=MU1QVS9KN1Z6Mlo2R1pXSVZtK0pldz09 To access the meeting by phone:
1-699-900-6833 or
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Meeting ID: 824 6653 6273
Password: 486003

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

3. Oral Communications

4. Approval of Minutes for May and December 2021

5. Old Business
a. Website Update
b. Vision Statements for Next Open Space Parcels
c. Housing Element Advisory Committee of Committees

6. New Business
a. Committee Leadership
b. Wildfire Mitigation
c. PV Donates
d. Dog Park

7. Adjournment
Town of Portola Valley
Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee
Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 4:30 PM
Special Videoconference Meeting via Zoom
Time - Date94028
Time - Date
#1

Page 139 ends

__________________________________________________________________________________________

VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81872361687?pwd=WjdHL1Jqdis0aWtZS3ZXVU11aUVHQT09 Phone into Zoom Meeting:
1-669-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
Meeting ID: 818 7236 1687
Password: 181769

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call: Members present, absent and guests; Assign Secretary for meeting

3. Oral Communications

4. Approval of Minutes from December 7, 2021, Meeting

5. Business
1) Projects Schedule & Reports
Paving Subcommittee:
a) 2
nd Phase Planning (Schuele)
b) Resident Input Regarding Road “Stretching”
Drain Subcommittee: Placement (Grant)
Spring Clean Up: April 23, 24, 2022: Comments/Planning
2) Financial Statement (King)
3) Projects from Prior Meeting: Follow-Through

1. Santa Maria: Yellow Line Along Lower Santa Maria (Aliosio, Godfrey)

2. Yellow Dash Lines Along mid-Santa Maria (Crow)

3. Signage: Russell/LeRoy (King) (McDonald)

4. Mirror Replacement: Lower Santa Maria (Schuele)

5. Drain Repair: below 144 Santa Maria (Godfrey)

6. Emergency Fire Road Fence Repair (Schuele)

7. Oak Tree on Lower Santa Maria with Caution Tape (Schuele/Godfrey) 4) New Projects

1. Santa Maria “Leaning” Tree (Isaacson)

2. Open Drain Box below 31 Santa Maria (Crow)
Town of Portola Valley
Woodside Highlands Road Maintenance District
Residents’ Advisory Committee Meeting (WHRMD RAC)
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 – 5:30 PM
Special Videoconference Meeting via Zoom
Time - Date94028
Time - Date
#2

Page 140 ends

6. Other Business:
1) Water Issues:
a) Pipe between 133 (Do) + 141 (Orchard) Santa Maria
b) Water through garage 56 Santa Maria (Connell)

7. Adjournment:

Date & Time of Next Meeting

Page 141 ends

__________________________________________________________________________________________

VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On March 17, 2020, the Governor of California issued Executive Order N29-20, suspending certain provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act in order to allow for local legislative bodies to conduct their meetings telephonically or by other electronic means. Pursuant to the statewide Shelter-In-Place Order issued by the Governor in Executive Order N-33-20 on March 19, 2020, and the CDC's social distancing guidelines which discourage large public gatherings, Portola Valley Town Council meetings are being conducted electronically. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance.

Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Join Zoom Video Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82332911945?pwd=TVVpUTdLRTNvTjJGaWE5Wnc0NklIdz09 Phone into Zoom Meeting:
1-669-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
Meeting ID: 823 3291 1945
Password: 389360

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

3. Oral Communications for items not on the agenda

4. Approve Meeting Minutes for January 11, 2022

5. Old Business:
1) Subcommittee updates (Housing Element, Housing Subcommittee, Town Seal, Town Policies, etc.)

6. New Business:
1) Black History month activity
2) Year-long calendar
3) PV Donates: What projects do we want to see fundraised under PV Donates (see attachment)

7. Adjournment
Town of Portola Valley
Race & Equity Committee
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 – 7:00 PM
Special Videoconference Meeting via Zoom
Time - Date94028
Time - Date
#3

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TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Cultural Arts Committee Special Meeting
Thursday, February 10, 2022, 1:00 PM
Videoconference Meeting

CULTURAL ARTS COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency.

AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81361419875?pwd=MTVaaWVMSXV1N043dkE5NjROY3Y3UT09 Phone into Zoom:
1-669-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
Meeting ID: 813 6141 9875
Password: 296310

1. Call to Order & Roll Call

2. Oral Communications (anything not currently on the agenda)

3. Approval of prior meeting minutes:
• Thursday January 20, 2022, via Zoom

4. New February 2022 Business:
• Additional new CAC member: Phil Barth
• Jeremy – Kids Movie Night - Heidi
• PV Donates for 2022 Fundraising
• PV Palooza Planning and Fundraising
• Summer Concert Series 2022 Planning
• Local artists collection and photography / archives – Sue Chaput o Update from Subcommittee (Sue, Ryan, Mimi, Jerrie)
Other Business: None
Announcements: None
Date & Time of Next Meeting: March 10, 2022 (normally scheduled date) Adjournment:
#4

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__________________________________________________________________________________________

VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M.

Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance.

Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.

Join Zoom Video Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85965656761?pwd=ajlTZFZQNlpOVEZIZDd1b1c1VXQwQT09 Phone into Zoom Meeting:
1-669-900-6833
1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
Meeting ID: 859 6565 6761
Password: 188013

1. Call to Order

2. Oral Communications (Anyone wanting to address the Committee or anyone wanting to speak on an item not on the agenda)

3. Minutes of January 13, 2022 meeting

4. Reports: Bonnie – Town Meeting

5. Planning:

Andrew suggests July 1 – 3, Sept. 30, October 28-30 for Star Party May 6, 31, Oct. 21, Nov. 19 for Meteor Showers

6. Water/Event

7. Suggestions for future programs

8. Action Items :

Program proposals including setting dates

9. Discuss Composting ideas

10. Adjournment:

Next meeting – March 10, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Town of Portola Valley
Nature and Science Committee Special Meeting
Thursday, February 10, 2022 – 5:00 PM
Special Videoconference Meeting via Zoom
Time - Date94028
Time - Date
#5

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1 Sharon Hanlon
From: Karen Vahtra
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2022 4:15 PM
To: Craig Hughes <[email protected]>; Sarah Wernikoff <[email protected]>; Maryann Moise Derwin <[email protected]>; John Richards <[email protected]>; Jeff Aalfs <[email protected]>
Cc: Sharon Hanlon <[email protected]>
Subject: Volunteer Code of Conduct
In the recent years, our town has lost several volunteers because of extremely challenging situations within the committee settings. We have a Commission and Advisory Committee Policies and Procedures last updated in 2015. The current procedure only specifies the following:
“Removal — If the Mayor, the council liaison and commission/committee chair all concur that a member is not fulfilling the duties (i.e. repeated failure to attend meetings, violation of ethical standards, disruptive behavior, repeated failure to abide by Commission/Committee handbook rules, etc.) of the committee, the Mayor may revoke the appointment of a commission/committee member.” No where in this document is any requirements for a code of conduct or anti-discrimination or harassment policy.

In both my professional and volunteer positions in life, I have been required to up front agree to a set of professional and ethical conduct before working or volunteering. In organizations both large and very small, a system exists to allow an individual to contact a neutral professionally trained party to discuss the situation and correct it when deemed a valid concern. Often this process can result in a corrective action that restores harmony to the organization and does not require the removal or resignation of any volunteers.

In Portola Valley, the volunteer must convince three people: the Mayor, the council liaison, and commission/committee chair of their case in order to remove that individual. No process exists to warn or reprimand the individual prior to removal. The requirement to convince three non-trained community members with potentially existing ties to the troublemaker is an onerous task for the whistleblower.

I urge the Town Council to develop a modern Code of Conduct for volunteers (committee and commission members, and the town council) supported by a reporting mechanism, an investigative procedure, and corrective actions.

Karen Vahtra, former town volunteer
Many policies are available on the web to use as a model. I found a “Code of Conduct - Volunteers” from Codepath which can serve as a starting point for discussion. https://codepath.org/conduct/volunteer
Here are some key highlights:

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the specific policies of this Code of Conduct. Any violation of this Code may result in disciplinary action, including the cessation of your volunteer position at CodePath and removal from the CodePath community.

If what you’re doing is making someone feel uncomfortable, that counts as harassment and is enough reason to stop doing it.
#6

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2 Our policy is to take prompt action to enforce this Code of Conduct and all of our other policies. Depending on the seriousness of the violation and the other relevant circumstances, violations of this Code may result in a formal or informal warning or reprimand, suspension, cessation of volunteer services, or other disciplinary action, including removal from the CodePath community.

If you become aware of any violation or suspected violation of this Code, or are asked to depart from this Code of Conduct, please report it immediately to [email protected] . All complaints will be investigated and prompt corrective action will be taken, as appropriate. Interim measures may be taken, as appropriate, when a complaint is made. We will not discipline, discriminate against or retaliate against, or tolerate any discrimination or retaliation by any other person against, any person who in good faith reports a violation or suspected violation of this Code.

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1 February 1, 2022
Portola Valley Town Council
Town Center
765 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
Portola Valley Planning Commission
Town Center
765 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
Re: April 21, 2020 Decision of California’s Fish & Game Commission Dear Mayor Hughes and Chairperson Taylor,
On April 21, 2020 the California Fish and Game Commission designated the Central and Southern Coast Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) of mountain lion as a Candidate Species under the California Endangered Species Act. A copy of the Commission’s April 21, 2020 written findings for its decision is attached.

I respectfully request the Town of Portola Valley to review and enforce the Commission’s April 21, 2020 decision by suspending all action on any lot split or subdivision application under SB-9 pending final decision of the Commission to deny protection to the designated sub-species of mountain lion. I also request that the Town include a copy of this letter in the Town Digest and public Agenda packet for the next Town Council meeting.

Pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2068, a
"'Candidate species' means a native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant that the commission has formally noticed as being under review by the department for addition to either the list of endangered species or the list of threatened species, or a species for which the commission has published a notice of proposed regulation to add the species to either list."
#7

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2 The State’s designation of the Central and Southern Coast ESU of mountain lion as a Candidate Species includes the sub-species of mountain lion occupying the CC-N (Central Coast North) habitat and thus all of Portola Valley.

Until the Fish and Game Commission makes a final decision to deny protection, the decision to grant the CC-N mountain lion Candidate Species status within the designated habitat area precludes application of SB-9 within that area. Pursuant to Government Code section 66411.7(a)(3)(C), a local agency may ministerially consider and approve a parcel map for an urban lot split pursuant to SB-9 “only if the local agency determines that the parcel map for the urban lot split ... satisfies the requirements specified in subparagraphs (B) to (K), inclusive, of paragraph 6 of subdivision (a) of Section 65913.4.” Section 65913.4(a)(6)(J) of the Government Code precludes application of SB-9 to lot splits or subdivisions located on a site that is
“habitat for protected species identified as candidate, sensitive, or species of special status by state or federal agencies, fully protected species, or species protected by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.), the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code), or the Native Plant Protection Act (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 1900) of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code)."
Section 17.13.020(m) of the Town’s recent SB-9 emergency ordinance specifically adopts and incorporates this mandatory exemption from SB-9 for all lands within protected habitat as an express exemption from SB-9 within our Municipal Code:
"The parcel does not contain habitat for protected species identified as candidate, sensitive, or species of special status by state or federal agencies, fully protected species, or species protected by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.), the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code), or the Native Plant Protection Act (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 1900) of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code)."

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3 Consequently, our Municipal Code also requires the Town to refrain from any consideration of SB-9 applications until the Commission renders a final decision.

Because the State’s designation of mountain lion within the Central and Southern Coast Evolutionary Significant Unit includes all of Portola Valley, the requirement to protect and maintain mountain lion habitat throughout Portola Valley is also directly relevant to the Town’s pending update and amendment of its Housing Element. Please ensure that the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee is advised of the law’s requirement to protect mountain lion habitat throughout Portola Valley.

Sincerely,
Rusty Day
Cc: Jeremy Dennis, Portola Valley Town Manager
Laura Russell, Director, Portola Valley Planning and Building Dept.

Cara Silver, Town Counsel

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CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION

NOTICE OF FINDINGS
Mountain Lion
(Puma concolor)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2074.2 of the Fish and Game Code, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission), at its April 15-16, 2020 teleconference meeting, accepted for consideration the petition submitted to list an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of mountain lions (Puma concolor) in southern and central coastal California as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.

Pursuant to subdivision (e)(2) of Section 2074.2 of the Fish and Game Code, the Commission determined that the amount of information contained in the petition, when considered in light of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (Department) written evaluation report, the comments received, and the remainder of the administrative record, would lead a reasonable person to conclude there is a substantial possibility the requested listing could occur.

Based on that finding and the acceptance of the petition, the Commission is also providing notice that the Southern California/Central Coast ESU of mountain lions is a candidate species as defined by Section 2068 of the Fish and Game Code.

Within one year of the date of publication of this notice of findings, the Department shall submit a written report, pursuant to Section 2074.6 of the Fish and Game Code, indicating whether the petitioned action is warranted. Copies of the petition, as well as minutes of the April 15-16, 2020 Commission meeting, are on file and available for public review from Melissa Miller-Henson, Executive Director, California Fish and Game Commission, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1320, Sacramento, California 95814, phone (916) 653-4899.

Written comments or data related to the petitioned action should be directed to the Department contact via email ([email protected]); include “Mountain Lion ESU” in the subject line. Comments may also be submitted by mail, addressed to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Branch, Attn: Esther Burkett/Mountain Lion ESU, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090. Submission of information via email is preferred.

April 21, 2020 Fish and Game Commission
Melissa Miller-Henson
Executive Director

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1 Sharon Hanlon
Dear Council Members,
On Tuesday January 25th, 2022, I attended the hybrid Town Council Meeting for the Town of Woodside, California. You can listen to the audio of this very informative meeting using this link https://www.woodsidetown.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/town_council/meeting/3 3002/tc_meeting_2022‐01‐25.mp3 There was a discussion about the Mountain Lion Habitat and how it changes the implementation of SB9 in those areas of a Mountain Lion Habitat. Because of this, all SB9 applications will be suspended in the Town of Woodside, CA until further notice.

There was also an article in today’s Almanac concerning the mountain lion habitat information discussion that happened at that
meeting. https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/02/woodside‐freezes‐sb‐9‐projects‐ with‐town‐citing‐excemption‐for‐mountain‐lion‐habitats?utm_source=express‐2022‐02‐ 02&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=express
As a resident of this beautiful town, I hope that Portola Valley investigates the Mountain Lion Habitat issue regarding SB9 since our town abuts with the Town of Woodside.

Thank you for all that you do.

Rita Comes Whitney
Westridge
#8

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Portola Valley City CouncilFebruary 9, 2022

Portola Valley City Council
February 9, 2022