Cover Story
Lease-Up Announcement - 801 Alma Apartments
For more information please go to www.edenhousing.org April 1, 2013 and click on “Now Leasing”. You may also contact Julissa Johnson, Management Agent at (650) 322-2061 or TDD/TTY 1-800-735-2929. *Income Limits, Preferences & Occupancy Standards Apply.
Palo Alto Unified School District Notice is hereby Given that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto Unified School District for bid package: Contract No. JLS-13 Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School – New Landscape and Site Improvements DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: Work includes but is not limited to: Construction of new landscaped areas and modernization of existing walkways , demolition, excavation, site work, irrigation, landscaping, fencing, concrete, miscellaneous metals, framing, lath and plastering , plumbing, finishes etc. Bid documents contain the full description of the work. There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit at 02:00 p.m. on April 17, 2013 at the Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, 480 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities Office Building D, by 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 2013. PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents. Palo Alto Unified School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of labor code sections 1720 – 1861. A copy of the Districts LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306. 1. 2.
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A pre-job conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certified copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred.
Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at Facilities Office, Building “D”. Bidders may purchase copies of Plans and Specifications at ARC Reprographics located at 1100 Industrial Rd. Unit 13, San Carlos, CA 94070. Phone: (650) 517-1895 All questions can be addressed to: Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Patrick Downey Phone: (650) 329-3927 Fax: (650) 327-3588 Page 20ÊUÊÊ «À Êx]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*> Ì " i°V
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ing administrative work — managing the staff, hiring, raising money — and it’s fun, but I’d like to spend more of my time actually doing programs that are focused on climate change and not as much on administrative activities,” he said. Drekmeier said the the role of executive director can be a taxing one, involving long hours and some certain sacrifices. “There’s a lot of pressure behind an executive director,” he said. “He’s a wonderful role model for living his passion. Sometimes there’s not a clear delineation between his work and social life — he carries it with him wherever he goes — and that makes him a great ambassador for Acterra.”
‘Michael is such a strong leader that they won’t find someone with his exact skills. That’s the challenge to make transition possible.’ – Peter Drekmeier, former mayor, Palo Alto With a burn rate of about $120,000 a month, the organization would run out of money after three months if it stopped fundraising, Closson said. That puts extra pressure on him as a fundraiser. “There’s always a low level of stress,” he said. “I’ve adjusted to it pretty well because I’ve been doing it so long. It’s not overwhelming — I don’t lose sleep over it or anything — but you’re always conscious of it.” While the organization looks for a replacement for Closson, he’s using the five months he has left trying to make the transition smooth. He thinks his replacement must have an entrepreneurial spirit and be able to develop new projects. The new director would also have to be adaptable as new climate-change issues come up. “Water is a big issue and is going to be a big issue, and I’m sure we’re only going to get more involved than we are already,” he said. Now that the organization has seen increased interest from businesses, it’s ready to become more Silicon Valley-focused. Acterra Board Chair Judith Steiner said she’s interested in seeing an executive director with experience in the corporate world or in working with corporations who can bridge the gap between nonprofit and corporate cultures. Drekmeier thinks Closson’s replacement will have big shoes to fill. “Organizations develop around leadership,” he said. “Michael is such a strong leader that they won’t find someone with his exact skills. That’s the challenge to make transition possible.” During his retirement, Closson hopes to continue to work in environmentalism on a local level and is particularly interested in promoting the use of distributed rather than
File photo/Veronica Weber
Construction is scheduled to be completed in July 2013. We will begin accepting applications for the lottery Monday, April 1, 2013 up until 5pm, Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
Michael Closson
Twana Karney, former director of Acterra’s Green@Home program, uses the Kill A Watt device to measure how many killowatt-hours are used by a hair dryer that’s left plugged in. centralized energy sources. While he’ll have fewer resources and won’t have the advantage of the credibility that being executive director of a nonprofit like Acterra lends, he said one can “do an awful lot just by talking to people.” Closson’s experience, skills and activities at Acterra have put him in an excellent position to consult with other nonprofits, Steiner said. “Basically he has a vast knowledge of players in the community; he works with local government; and he’s a good writer,” she said. Of course, retirement won’t be all work for Closson. Four days after he retires, he’ll be on a plane to the United Kingdom, where he’ll spend three weeks hiking from the Irish Sea to the Baltic Sea. He also hopes
to spend more time in his beloved Sierra Nevada mountains. “The ideal world is one where I can take projects for a couple months or do something where I’m only working 15 or 20 hours a week that I can space out to have some fun and relax,” he said. “I’m definitely going to play more.” N Online Editor Eric Van Susteren can be emailed at evansusteren@ paweekly.com. About the cover: Michael Closson, executive director of Acterra, is stepping down as executive director in August. Photo by Veronica Weber.
Veronica Weber
801 Alma is a brand new property of 49 affordable family apartments offering 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms. It is located at the corner of Alma Street and Homer Avenue on the combined Ole’s Car Shop site and the former City of Palo Alto Substation Site near shopping and public transportation.
Michael Closson, executive director of Acterra, stands next to a set of markers indicating the low elevations on which many developments along the shoreline are built.