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George Rodericks

City Manager's Blog

The City Manager's Blog is an online educational tool to provide general information to the community in open communication style. Periodically, the City Manager will post articles of general interest covering topics such as the Town's budget, budget process, capital projects, upcoming meetings, community issues, public safety, and general Town operations.

Articles in the blog are not designed as press releases or Town publications, rather, they are written in more of a conversational style. The Blog does not have a comments feature but readers are free to respond to the Blog and its entries view email directly to the City Manager.

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Jul 11

June 2016 City Manager's Monthly Report

Posted on July 11, 2016 at 2:36 PM by grodericks grodericks

City Manager's Monthly Report - June 2016

Monthly-report.pngWelcome to the City Manager's Monthly Report Blog! 

The City Manager's Monthly Report Blog is a consolidation of issues, communications, and Town activity during the prior month that have been reported to the City Council as part of their weekly email from the City Manager. Sometimes information is duplicated over the course of several emails to the City Council to ensure that it is reviewed.

As I review the information to include in the Monthly Report, to the extent possible, I remove duplicate updates (older emails get shorter) in favor of the most recent - although some will be duplicative if there is other relevant information included; I try to remove information regarding events that have already occurred; and I edit information that requires update - hopefully to make it more useful. Overall, the information is generally the same as it was presented to the City Council in their weekly Council email.

The Report reads with the most recent first. As always, if you have any questions or comments regarding the Monthly Report, please feel free to contact me via email or phone.

My weekly email typically goes out every Friday. 

Regards,

George Rodericks
City Manager
Town of Atherton
(650) 752-0504
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us
#AthertonTalks

June 24 Weekly Council Notes

1. Team-Building/Goals Workshop

Working with Theresa, Nancy Hetrick will be meeting with each of you for about 30 minutes to discuss the August Team Building Workshop. Thank you for taking the time for the pre-meeting. I think it will be important for each of you to come to the meeting with the same expectations. Nancy will be sharing the format of the meeting and discussing any issues of concern related therein.

The August workshop is not a goal-setting workshop. It is an opportunity to build and reinforce the positive team (both Council and Executive) moving forward. 

2. Managers Meeting - Menlo Fire Nexus Study

I am meeting on June 30 the City Managers of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park as well as a representative from the County to discuss the Fire District Nexus Fee Study and next steps/recommendations. Consideration of the Nexus Fee Study is on hold pending the outcome of these discussions and next steps. It is tentatively scheduled for the September Study Session. 

3. ECR HAWK Beacon Project

This project is moving ahead as planned. No significant delays reported. 

4. Atherton Fiber

We have received comments from Atherton Fiber on the draft agreement and are reviewing the issues internally. I will be setting up a meeting with Atherton Fiber after July 4 to discuss the draft Agreement and next steps. There are some issues that have arisen related to Atherton Fiber obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), the impact on a potential franchise agreement with the Town, and the efforts of Zayo and Wave Broadband service enhancement. 

5. Marsh Road Project

The project is moving along and remains slightly ahead of schedule. Flaggers will continue on the project into the coming weeks to help mitigate identified impacts. 

6. No Train Horn - Quiet Zone

The issue of sounding the horn within the Atherton Station has largely been addressed. Caltrain and the FRA are paying attention to the Almanac articles that have been recently printed on the Atherton Quiet Zone. The FRA’s position remains that the Atherton Station is designated as an at-grade pedestrian crossing (public). Caltrain asserts the same position as you can see from the most recent linked correspondence  Regardless of those assertions, only the northbound train sounds the horn as it passes through the station (the SB train sounds in the station for the Watkins Crossing) and the sounding in the Station NB is not consistent engineer to engineer. Staff’s position is that Caltrain is in substantial compliance with the Town’s quiet zone. We have received a copy of the CPUC law that Caltrain is referencing noting that they will sound the horn at all crossings. 

The Town’s consultant asserts that the Station’s pedestrian boarding areas are incorrectly designated as crossings. They are not owned by the Town and it was Caltrain that filed the designation with the FRA. Further, even if they were designated as crossings, the CPUC rule is referencing horn sounding at highway-rail grade crossings not pedestrian crossings.

At this time, we have determined that given Caltrain’s substantial compliance, unless the horn sounding through the station becomes a nuisance, the Town will address the station crossing issue as part of the feasibility analysis on the Watkins Crossing. If improvements to the Atherton Station need to be made to properly perfect the quiet zone once Watkins has quad gates, we will address the issue(s) with Caltrain (station owner) at that time. 

7. PG&E LED Conversion Program

The PG&E LED Conversion Program has begun in Atherton. There is a recent article (linked here) related to health safety concerns and LED lights. PG&E has purchased all their light conversion packages for communities in San Mateo County. However, they are also producing a response to the American Medical Association’s press release. Once the Town receives that statement/response, we will provide it to the community. Hillsborough is also moving forward with their conversion program (as have many other communities in PG&E’s territory) - and as have many communities with their own LED lights. 

8. ADAPT Disaster Drill

We will be working with ADAPT on their next Disaster Training Exercise. We will be participating in the exercise, setting up the EOC, coordinating with volunteers, advertising, and observing. 

9. FAA Rules on Drones

Linked here is a recent article on drones and the FAA rules. At the conference in Monterey this week it was noted that one of the good things that came from the rule is that local regulation of drones at less than 400 feet is not preempted by federal law. 

10. Peninsula Clean Energy - Meeting New CEO

Council Members DeGolia and Widmer and myself will be meeting in July with the Peninsula Clean Energy new CEO, Jan Pepper. 

11. Planning Commission Meeting - June 22

The Planning Commission took the following action at its June 22 Meeting:

- Accepted for filing the Annual Sacred Heart Master Plan Update for 2016 and TDM Reporting
- Recommended the City Council approval a Conditional Exception to the Subdivision Ordinance for a Lot Line Adjustment at 279 Park Lane and 60 Santiago. 
- Approved a Special Structure Permit for a tennis court in the rear yard at 355 Stevick Drive.

As a note, PG&E is scheduled to make a presentation to the Commission on its pipeline safety program and progress on any tree removal activity - July 27. 

12. Stormwater Resource Planning Effort - Grant Program

I reported that staff had considered participating in the Stormwater Resource Planning Effort Grant Program under the Regional Water Quality Control Permit and submitted the possibility of a detention basin (filtration system) at the Park as a possible grant project (draft concept). We have withdrawn the possibility. The decision to withdraw is based on the new understanding that the facility that would be scoped out for Atherton would be required to address any mercury or PCB issues that are currently county-wide issues not specific to Atherton. If Atherton has placed such a facility in Town, the long-term maintenance obligation would fall directly on the Town. In short, the Town would be responsible for clean-up and maintenance of a system whose contributors were upstream without remuneration. If a project could be scoped that does not require the extensive long-term maintenance and operation of a large pump station and subsurface filtering chamber, we might reconsider participation. 

Any project would need to be vetted by the Council before formal submission for consideration. 

13. Green Bicycle Lanes - Valparaiso and Middlefield - MENLO PARK

Menlo Park will be installing green bike lanes at a few intersections in Menlo Park. The roll-out includes a few spots within Atherton on Valparaiso and Middlefield. They have applied for and received an encroachment permit from the Town. With the proximity of these improvements, we will take the opportunity to use their project to help educate our residents about further green lanes along Middlefield in Atherton in advance of our project implementation.

14. Mosquito & Vector Control District - AB 1362

In January, the SMCMVCD moved in opposition to AB 1362. One of the two nay votes to not oppose was the Town’s Trustee Mason Brutschy. The legislation reduces the number of trustees on the Board and changed the appointment process from local agencies to the County City Selection Committee. It essentially eliminates the one-city one representative concept for the Board. If the Town would like to add its voice to the issue, please advise. Here is a link to the bill information. It is presently back in Committee.
 
Special Event Permits Authorized as of June 24, 2016
This is a list of the upcoming Special Event Permits approved or under review.
  • June
    • June 3 - NASDAQ Summer Concert - Menlo College (TBD)
    • June 10 - NASDAQ Summer Concert - Menlo College (TBD)
    • June 11 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • June 18 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • June 17 - Company Picnic - Menlo College (11 am - 3:30 pm)
    • June 18 - Company Picnic - Menlo College (11 am - 6 pm)
    • June 19 - Father’s Day BBQ - Circus Club (5 pm - 9 pm)
    • June 20 - Steve/Kates Camp - Encinal School (7:30 am to 6 pm) through August 19
    • June 24 - NASDAQ Summer Concert - Menlo College (TBD)
    • June 25 - Company Picnic - Menlo College Quad (9 am to 4 pm)
  • July
    • July 4 - 4th of July BBQ - Circus Club (4 pm - 9 pm)
    • July 9 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • July 9 - Bike for Breath - Encinal Elementary School/Streets (4:30 am - 2 pm)
    • July 15 - NASDAQ Summer Concert - Menlo College (TBD)
    • July 16 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • July 16 - Company Picnic - Menlo College Quad (9 am to 4 pm)
    • July 19 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • July 20 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • July 22 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • July 27 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • July 29 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
  • August
    • August 2 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • August 3 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • August 4 - Music @ Menlo - MA High School (8 pm - 10:30 pm)
    • August 6 - Company Picnic - Menlo College (11 am - 3 pm)
    • August 8-14 - Horse Show - Separate Permit
    • August 12 - Company Picnic - Menlo College Quad (9 am to 4 pm)
    • August 13 - Company Picnic - Menlo College Quad (9 am to 4 pm)
    • August 13 - Bark For Life - HPP (10:30 am - 1:30 pm)
  • September 
    • September 3 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • September 3 - Wedding - 214 Oak Grove (4:30 pm to 1 am)
    • September 5 - Labor Day BBQ - Circus Club (5 pm - 9 pm)
    • September 10 - Polo Match - Circus Club (10 am - 7 pm)
    • September 17 - Las Lomitas School (streets) (8:30 am to 11 am)
    • September 18 - Atherton Now Family Affair (1 pm to 5 pm); or
    • September 25 - Atherton Now Family Affair (1 pm to 5 pm)
  • October
    • October 7 - SHS Under the Lights (4:30 pm - 9:30 pm)
    • October 27 - Halloween Party - Circus Club (7 pm - 9 pm)
June 17 Weekly Council Notes

1. ECR HAWK Beacon Project

This project is moving ahead as planned. We anticipate its completion in the next 30 days. PG&E will be the last step in the project to “energize” the signal. Once done, it will be fully operational. Before completion, we will begin a public education campaign about how to use it both from a pedestrian perspective as well as a vehicular perspective. It might take a bit for folks to get the hang of how it works (vehicles mainly). For pedestrians it operates just like a crosswalk. 

A question arose as to whether we could modify the HAWK such that the flashing red signalizing go when safe to the vehicles could be a solid red until the crosswalk countdown completed. This could prevent some confusion for drivers seeing the flashing red but also seeing some cars in Lane 1 or 2 moving based on the location of the pedestrian. After researching the MUTCD, the operation and light sequencing for the Hybrid Pedestrian Beacon is identified as “shall” comply not “should or may” - therefore, operation must be standardized. 

2. Marsh Road Project

The project is moving along and is slightly ahead of schedule. The second round of traffic counts were posted on the website this week. We continue to identify hot spots for traffic control. Flaggers will continue on the project into the coming weeks to help mitigate identified impacts. 

3. LAFCO - Martha Poyatos

This week I met with Martha Poyatos, Executive Director of LAFCO to discuss the status of the Woodside Annexations/De-Annexations; De-Annexation Processes, County Islands, and Atherton’s Sphere of Influence. An additional conversation revolved around the cost of fire services and options for the Town moving forward. I discussed the possibility of conducting a feasibility study to independently work through financing of fire services, collection of property taxes, cost of services, as well as the process for detachment and contract for services. Martha will provide me with the names of a few consultants that conduct such work. I will be putting together a summary document for the Council’s consideration moving forward. I will ask for the Council’s direction on whether to proceed with hiring a consultant to conduct that independent analysis. The Fire District will be invited to participate in these discussions. The issues are not related to service delivery or quality of service delivery, rather, the cost of fire services for the Town. 

4. No Train Horn - Quiet Zone

The Quiet Zone became effective on Monday, June 13. It only impacts the Fair Oaks Crossing. Compliance has been relatively good; however, there are a few instances of non-compliance. These have been reported to Caltrain and Caltrain will continue to educate their engineers to gain compliance. One issue that has arisen is the requirement to sound the horn within the Atherton Station when entering, leaving, or passing through the station. Caltrain and the CPUC both identified in their comment letters that the Atherton Station was a separate, DOT-identified, at grade crossing. They both asked if the Town would be including the station within the quiet zone and if so, a diagnostic review would be required and additional Safety and Security Measures may need to be added. The Town responded that we did not intend to include the station in the quiet zone. Both the Rail Committee representative and Stephanie Anzia (consultant) agreed that horns would not be sounded in the station, despite the comments by the CPUC and Caltrain. They advised that FRA rules would take precedence over any policy. However, the station itself is listed with the FRA as an at grade crossing. As defined, this would trigger the sounding of the horn. 

We have a meeting setup with LeeAnn Dickson from the FRA next week and will be getting confirmation from Caltrain as to their policy and rules from the CPUC, but below are my thoughts. 

The Atherton Station is a separate, DOT and FRA regulated at grade crossing. Both the CPUC and Caltrain pointed that out to us in their letters. Atherton has 3 at grade crossings registered with the FRA - Fair Oaks, Watkins, and the Atherton Station. Caltrain, pursuant to CPUC and FRA rules are required to sound the horn at all at grade crossings, unless they meet the risk index calculation requirements or have all of the required SSMs. The Atherton Station does neither. Both Caltrain and the CPUC called this to our attention in their letter of response. 

Caltrain echoed the CPUC’s letter stating that the Town’s Notice of Intent did not include the five pedestrian crossings at the Atherton Station. They advised that if the Town intended to include them in the Quiet Zone then a diagnostic review and SSMs or Risk Index needed to be done for them. Further, Caltrain advised that it was their operating rule to sound the horn when any train moves through the station. Further, they advised that this was the case in the event of trespassers or other hazardous situations. We responded that that was understood echoing FRA Rule 22.23(a)(2) referencing only the emergency situation comment - ignoring the operating rule comment - our advisors said that the FRA guidelines take precedence over Caltrain policy. 

The CPUC went even further and identified the DOT Crossing numbers of the 5 pedestrian crossing within the Station. They noted that pedestrian grade crossing located within the boundaries of a quiet zone must be included in the quiet zone. We responded that the crossings are independent of the quiet zone and they have their own warning systems. This played right into the issue raised by Caltrain that their operating rule requires that they sound the horn in the Station. 

I suspect not addressing the Atherton Station comments (horn sounding and inclusion within the quiet zone) was answered without full knowledge of the consequences of doing so. The Final Rule requires that pedestrian crossings included within the boundaries a quiet zone be included within the quiet zone for the purposes of a diagnostic review and implementation of any required improvements. We side-stepped this by saying they were not within the quiet zone, had their own warning devices, and were not regulated by the Town. In doing so, we left them subject to the policy rules of Caltrain and the CPUC which require that they sound the horn when entering the station as the pedestrian crossings are considered DOT-numbered pedestrian at grade crossings under the Final Rule and FRA. Without the quiet zone, the sounding of the horn in the station was indistinguishable from the sounding of the horn in advance of the Fair Oaks or Watkins crossings. Now that Fair Oaks is a Quiet Zone we can discern when the train is sounding the horn entering the station in advance of the uncontrolled crossings within the station. 

We are awaiting responses from Caltrain and the CPUC and will be meeting with the FRA on Monday. 

5. PG&E LED Conversion Program

Letters will start going out on Monday, June 20 from PG&E about their LED Conversion Program. We will be coordinating that information with news flashes and other educational mailers to advise of the upgrade program. 

6. Elm Tree(s) in Park

It was noted that near the back of one of the parking lots in the Park there is an Elm tree that may be diseased. Staff will investigate the situation before it spreads to other Elms in the Park. 

7. Curb Painting in Town

As the Council may have noticed, there are flyers being taped to mailboxes about curb waiting. The Town received numerous calls from residents about the flyers and on Tuesday, one of our officers in an unmarked unit observed what he perceived as suspicious activities in the Fair Oaks area. He stopped and made contact with the suspect. The individual turned out to be in the area posting the flyers. From that contact, we obtained information to trace the true source of the curb painting company (the phone # was a voice mail box). A letter was issued on Wednesday to a Mr. Phelan, San Francisco. Enforcement activity will continue on this item. 

8. Daily Post Article - Salaries and Benefits

Linked here is a recent article on salaries for the City of Menlo Park  The salary noted in the article is for the Town Arborist in Menlo Park. The position is noted at $108,490 per year. For comparison, Atherton’s Arborist position is $104,028. 

9. Civic Center Project

Work continues to reduce the square footage of the building in line with the Council direction to make it more efficient. Rough working drawings for a Monday meeting reflects approximately 2,000 square feet removed by making changes to Admin, Lobby, and Police as well as the Council Chambers. There are still numerous issues that need to be worked through for functionality and form, but the project is certainly moving in the right direction. The May 2016 Cost Estimate reflected a construction-only cost per square foot of approximately $600 a square foot — at that amount, a 2,000 square foot reduction equates to approximately $1.2 million. This is building only. There are also budget reductions that will be achieved by landscaping ad alternates and other items. We are moving in the right direction.  
June 10 Weekly Council Notes

1. Joint Purchase Agreement - Las Lomitas School

As mentioned in last week’s Council Notes, we received contact from Las Lomitas about the Town’s interest in jointly purchasing an adjacent property that could be used as a school field/detention basin for the Town. We investigated the potential and found that the idea simply did not pencil out for the Town. The suggestion has been withdrawn. 

2. Fire District Drone Program

The Fire District has advised that they have received official authorization from the FAA to fly “drones” under 400 feet anywhere in the Country. The District will be connecting with local law enforcement to work through some use policies and protocol issues. The July 6 Study Session will include a report from the City Attorney on drones and options for the Town to consider regarding regulation. 

3. Arts Foundation Open House

Thank you to those that attended the Atherton Arts Foundation Art & Wine Open House for the resident artist at Town Hall. Positive comments from all attendees on the event, the opportunity and the vision. I talked as well with folks that believe the event would be ever more popular if it were held in the new Town Hall spilling out onto the Civic Court. 

4. Marsh Road Project

The project is moving along at an acceptable pace. The second round of traffic counts completes this week. We will be comparing to the pre-project counts and identifying hot spots and times to address traffic issues or additional mitigation measures. 

5. Surveillance Camera Registry

Lt. Wade is establishing a Surveillance Camera Registry Program coordinated with the Town’s digital RIMS (Records Management System). This would be a voluntary registry system of security cameras throughout Town. We would invite the community to joint the Town’s “crime prevention efforts” by registering their security cameras or video surveillance systems with the Police Department. We would keep the registry confidential and while we would not have access to the footage, we would be aware of a camera that might exist to aid an investigation in or around a particular area. If a crime occurs in the vicinity of the known camera, we would contact the program participant and request a copy of the footage for evidence or leads. This prevents the door-to-door asks that take up valuable time in an investigation. We would plot them on a map along with their range of visibility and surveillance. 

6. Election - Tax and Bond Measures in California

Here is a link to how most local tax and bond measures:


7. Presidential Visit - Westly

The Town has received full reimbursement for costs associated with the President’s visit. 

8. Internship - Menlo College

The Town is participating in the Menlo College Summer Internship Program by hosting an intern. The program runs from June 6 to August 12 and consists of a total of 400 hours (approximately 40 hours a week). Bobby Caldwell has been working with the Mayor and various departments this week as his first week “in the program.” We anticipate a regular work schedule and rotation such that he gains experience across all Town departments. In addition to working with the various departments on particular projects, he will be attending Council and/or Committee meetings both local and regional with the Mayor and potentially other members of the Council. If you are attending a meeting that you think might be of interest to an interested college student, let us know and we can put you in touch with him. 

In the meantime, you will see him around in front of and behind the counters - usually Monday through Thursday. I have added authorization in the budget to hire Summer Intern Help up to a maximum 400 hours or $7,500. While Mr. Caldwell’s internship is “free” and he does not anticipate being paid for the time, I think it is something the Council should consider not just for this year, but each year.

9. Heino - K-9

We received a reminder from former Atherton PD Sergeant, Gary Evans about the remains of Atherton K-9 Officer Heino buried at the end of the walk behind my office. Mr. Evans wanted to make sure that the remains and plaque are properly cared for during the Civic Center Project. 

10. Park Events and Activities Log

Linked here are the HP Park Events Log and Revenue Log for May 2016  Of note, the Park Program Revenue budget started out at $152k and we now project $197k in total revenue from the Park Programs (social fees, meeting fees, class fees, weddings, day use, and admin fees). 

11. LAFCO - Martha Poyatos

I am meeting next week with Martha Poyatos, Executive Director of LAFCO to discuss the status of the Woodside Annexations/De-Annexations; De-Annexation Processes, County Islands, and Atherton’s Sphere of Influence. 

June 3 Weekly Council Notes

1. Budget Calendar for FY 2016/17 Budget 

The next meeting on the Budget is its adoption on June 15. 
  • Public Meeting #1 - April 6, 2016 - City Council Study Session (Joint Meeting with the Finance Committee) 
  • Public Meeting #2 - May 4, 2016 - City Council Study Session (Joint Meeting with the Finance Committee)
    • Presentation of the Operations Budget
  • Public Meeting #3 - Finance Committee Meeting (May 10 2016)
    • Review of Capital Improvement Budget
  • Public Meeting #4 - May 18, 2016 - City Council Regular Meeting
    • Presentation of the Capital Improvement Budget
  • Public Meeting #5 - June 1, 2016 - City Council Study Session
    • Final Review of Entire Budget to include Special Revenue and Other Funds
    • Review of the Parcel Tax for FY 2016/17
  • Public Meeting #6 - June 15, 2016 - City Council Regular Meeting
    • Public Hearing and Adoption of Budget
    • Adoption of the Parcel Tax for FY 2016/17
2. ABAG/MTC Merger - Affect on ABAG PLAN

A question arose at the last Study Session regarding the affect of the ABAG/MTC merger on the ABAG PLAN and its continuing fiscal solvency. Back in April, the Town received an email from the Executive Director of ABAG PLAN noting that the Merger Plan calls into question ABAGS continued financial health, solvency and financial condition. However, that does not represent the fiscal health of ABAG PLAN. The two are separate. ABAG PLAN continues its excellent fiscal health despite the merger. There are some issues that will affect ABAG PLAN moving forward and those continue to be evaluated by the Executive Committee, but there are no barriers that have been identified to continuation of ABAG PLAN. 

Nevertheless, staff will have alternatives in the wings evaluated for consideration if needed. 

3. Marsh Road Project

Work began on this project on May 31 - with a few glitches. All of those issues have been worked. We sent out a couple of social media pieces (News Flash, Next Door, Twitter, etc.) in response to some concerns raised in the newspaper blogs. Generally, the feedback was negative at first, but as the traffic patterns normalized, most of the feedback has been positive. We were instructed by Menlo Park to direct traffic down Ringwood earlier than our detour permit authorized and then redirected by the County to do the opposite and stay with the permit restrictions until mid-June directing traffic to Willow. The two agencies directives are in conflict and since the Town has a permit to direct to Willow until mid-June that’s what we have instructed any posted flaggers to do. As a reminder, these permits are issued by the adjacent agencies to allow the Town to detour and place signage through their collector streets. I sent out a news flash last night that has been echoed in a Next Door post today. We will also be adding a “reminder” to the bottom of every news flash about the closure. The website also has a flashing Alert along the top banner for the closure. 

The construction project itself is proceeding as planned. 

4. PG&E Light Conversion

PG&E has advised that they are planning to convert 229 PG&E owned street lights in Atherton to LEDs. I anticipate giving them the “go ahead” next Wednesday. It’s a voluntary program and customers must “opt-in” in order to be put in the cue. PG&E has asked if Atherton would like to be the first in. It is at no cost to the Town. If necessary, we can add deflectors to the lights at adjacent resident request. That’s a cost of about $200 per light. We have a few out there now, but not many. PG&E is obtaining the opt-in from the Town first before noticing the community of the changes to come. Once started, it could be completed by the end of summer. In addition to a small energy savings (we pay the energy costs on these lights), the Town would receive the GHG credits. PG&E owns and maintains the lights. This will also save the Town money on the pending feasibility analysis included within the Town’s CIP.  If there are any issues with my authorizing continuation of the program please let me know by Tuesday next week. These are PG&E owned lights. If we do not jump into the program now, we will be placed at the end of their cue for replacement and asked again at the completion of the program. 

 

Tag(s): Quiet Zones, Planning, Park, Marsh Road, Land Use, Greenheart, Event Garden, El Camino, C/CAG, #AthertonTalks