Upfront California Avenue area
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Commission voices support for new ‘tech corridor’
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#ALIFORNIA !VENUE CONCEPT PLAN COULD SEE DEPARTURE OF &RY S ADDITION OF HOMES
#OMMISSIONER !LEX 0ANELLI SAID THE MOVE WOULD FIT 0ALO !LTO S LEG ACY AS AN INCUBATOR FOR TECH COM PANIES h'OOGLE AND &ACEBOOK SPENT THEIR TODDLER YEARS HERE AND THEY EVENTU ALLY GREW UP AND MOVED TO PLACES WITH BIGGER CAMPUSES THAN WE COULD PROVIDE AND THAT S /+ v HE SAID h7E DON T WANT TO BE DOMINATED BY ONE BIG COMPANY IF THEY HIT HARD SHIPS )F WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF SMALL ER COMPANIES IT HURTS US LESS v #OMMISSIONER 'REG 4ANAKA TOOK THE IDEA A STEP FURTHER BY PROPOSING
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-ICHAEL !LCHECK COMMISSIONER 0ALO !LTO
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@)NCREASING DENSITY IS THE ONLY WAY OF INCREASING VIBRANCY "EFORE RETAILERS RUSH IN THE TRAFFIC HAS TO BE THERE
THAT THE TECH CORRIDOR BE EXPANDED INTO A hTECH BLOCK THAT S NOT JUST A SKINNY CORRIDOR NEXT TO THE TRACK v (E PROPOSED THAT IT EXTEND TO 0AGE -ILL 2OAD !SH 3TREET AND /L IVE !VENUE WITH THE AREA CLOSEST TO %L #AMINO 2EAL RESERVED FOR RETAIL SPACE 7HILE THE COMMISSIONERS PRES ENT AGREED #ARL +ING AND !RTHUR +ELLER WERE ABSENT THAT 0ARK "OU LEVARD WOULD MAKE A GOOD LOCATION FOR TECHNOLOGY THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PLANS SUCH AS DEVELOPER *AY 0AUL S PROPOSAL TO BUILD TWO MAS SIVE OFFICE BUILDINGS AT 0AGE -ILL 2OAD COULD OFFSET THE CONCEPT PLAN WHICH HAS ALREADY SPENT YEARS BOUNCING BETWEEN #ITY #OUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION AND COMMU NITY MEETINGS )N ADDITION TO THE TECH CORRIDOR COMMISSIONERS ALSO DISCUSSED REPURPOSING THE ADJACENT LAND WHICH CURRENTLY HOLDS RETAILER &RY S %LECTRONICS 4HE PROPERTY IS OWNED BY THE 3OBRATO /RGANIZA TION AND &RY S LEASE IS UP IN AT WHICH POINT THE ELECTRONICS GI
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Map by Shannon Corey
EMBERS OF 0ALO !LTO S 0LAN NING AND 4RANSPORTATION #OMMISSION CAME OUT IN FAVOR OF TRANSFORMING A SEGMENT OF 0ARK "OULEVARD INTO A hTECH CORRI DORv FILLED WITH STARTUPS AND INCUBA TORS 7EDNESDAY NIGHT -AY 4HE IDEA CAME UP AS PART OF A WIDE RANGING DISCUSSION OF THE CON CEPT PLAN FOR THE #ALIFORNIA !VENUE AREA THE ACRE SECTOR OF THE CITY THAT EXTENDS FROM #AMBRIDGE !VE NUE TO &RY S %LECTRONICS ON 0ORTAGE !VENUE !MONG THE IDEAS FLOATED BY COMMISSIONERS WAS MOVING #ITY (ALL FROM DOWNTOWN 0ALO !LTO TO THE #ALIFORNIA !VENUE AREA 4HE CONCEPT PLAN WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS IS MEANT TO GUIDE FUTURE LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA 7HILE 0ARK "OULEVARD ALREADY HOUSES COMPANIES SUCH AS 'ROUPON AND !/, THE NEW PLAN WOULD SEEK TO GIVE THE CORRIDOR A MORE COHESIVE IDENTITY AS A HAVEN FOR TECHNOLOGY RELATED BUSINESSES BY ENCOURAGING SMALLER OFFICE SPACES THAT WOULD AT TRACT STARTUPS
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0ALO !LTO IS CONSIDERING ESTABLISHING A hTECHNOLOGY CORRIDORv IN THE #ALIFORNIA !VENUE AREA AS PART OF AN OVERALL CONCEPT PLAN ANT CAN OPT TO RENEW ITS LEASE FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS #ITY STAFF PRESENTED THE COMMIS SION WITH TWO OPTIONS DESIGNATE THE AREA FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICE BUSI NESSES TO REFLECT ITS CURRENT USE OR
DESIGNATE IT AS A MIXED USE ZONE TO ENCOURAGE A BLEND OF BUSINESSES AND HOMES 7HILE MOST COMMISSIONERS AGREED (continued on page 10)
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Palo Alto to further debate manager salaries #ITY #OUNCIL SENDS PROPOSAL TO CHANGE COMPENSATION SCHEDULE TO &INANCE #OMMITTEE FOR MORE DISCUSSION by Gennady Sheyner ALO !LTO S DRIVE TO GIVE ITS GROUP OF MANAGERS OF PRO FESSIONALS A PERCENT RAISE THIS YEAR HIT A SPEED BUMP -ONDAY NIGHT -AY WHEN THE #ITY #OUN CIL DECIDED THAT THE COMPENSATION LEVEL OF THESE EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE STUDIED IN GREATER DETAIL BEFORE A FINAL DECISION IS MADE 4HE COUNCIL DISCUSSED AN ONGO ING EFFORT BY THE (UMAN 2ESOURCES $EPARTMENT TO BRING THE SALARIES OF THIS EMPLOYER GROUP IN LINE WITH WHAT THEY WOULD GET IN OTHER CIT IES 4HE GROUP OF ABOUT EM PLOYEES WHICH INCLUDES ENGINEERS
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ATTORNEYS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND MID LEVEL MANAGERS IS THE ONLY MAJOR LABOR UNIT THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO A UNION 4HE GROUP IS SLATED FOR A PERCENT RAISE UNDER A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT #ITY -ANAGER *AMES +EENE UNVEILED LAST WEEK 5LTIMATELY STAFF HOPES TO FIND THE MEDIAN SAL ARY FOR EACH OF THE CLASSIFICA TIONS IN THE GROUP AND MAKE SURE THAT EACH EMPLOYEE FALLS WITHIN PERCENT OF THE MEDIAN IN HIS OR HER CLASSIFICATION h7E RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO EXIST WITHIN A MARKETPLACE AND WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE RE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN CAPABLE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE CITY v +EENE TOLD THE COUNCIL h4HIS IS WHAT THE PAY PLAN IS DESIGNED TO DO v !N ANALYSIS THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN CONDUCTED FOUND THAT MOST OF 0ALO !LTO S MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS ALREADY HAVE COMPENSATION AT OR ABOVE THE MARKET MEDIAN PARTICU LARLY WHEN THEIR BENEFITS ARE FACTORED IN A FEW HOWEVER FALL BELOW THE MEDIAN LINE ! STUDY CONDUCTED BY +OFF !SSOCIATES WHICH COLLECTED DATA FOR OUT OF CLASSIFICATIONS FOUND THAT 0ALO !LTO S BENEFIT PACK
AGE IS GREATER BY ABOUT PERCENT THAN THE COMPARISON CITIES GROUP AS A WHOLE 4HE GROUP OF CITIES AGAINST WHICH 0ALO !LTO WAS COMPARED IN CLUDES !LAMEDA !NAHEIM "ERKE LEY "URBANK &REMONT (AYWARD ,ONG "EACH -OUNTAIN 6IEW 2EDWOOD #ITY 2OSEVILLE 3AN *OSE 3AN -ATEO 3ANTA #LARA AND 3UNNYVALE 4HE COUNCIL DIDN T HAVE ANY MAJOR ISSUES WITH THIS RETHINKING OF SALA RIES THOUGH MEMBERS DECIDED THAT THE ISSUE IS SUFFICIENTLY SENSITIVE TO MERIT FURTHER ANALYSIS BEFORE ANY DE
CISIONS ARE MADE 4HE COUNCIL VOTED WITH 'AIL 0RICE DISSENTING AND ,IZ +NISS ABSENT TO SEND THE ITEM TO ITS &INANCE #OMMITTEE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION 0RICE ADVOCATED APPROVING THE PERCENT INCREASE FOR SAY ING THE ADJUSTMENT WAS JUSTIFIED BY THE STUDY h)N THE FUTURE IT WOULD BE IM PORTANT TO BRING IT BACK TO FINANCE v 0RICE SAID h&OR THIS PARTICULAR CY CLE ) DON T THINK IT S APPROPRIATE v 4HE &INANCE #OMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED TO CONSIDER THE SUBJECT ON *UNE N
Budget
DEPARTMENT HEADS AND COORDINATE 0ALO !LTO S VARIOUS EFFORTS RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY h) THINK THAT SIGNALS A MORE FO CUSED AND STRONGER ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY RELATING TO OUR SUSTAINABIL ITY INITIATIVES v +EENE SAID %VEN WITH THE HIRE THE CITY MAN AGER S OFFICE WILL SEE A BUDGET RE DUCTION OF STEMMING IN LARGE PART FROM THE ELIMINATION OF THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER POSITION 4HE ROLE WAS UNTIL RECENTLY FILLED BY 3TEVE %MSLIE /THER DEPARTMENTS ALSO SAW MINOR CHANGES IN SOME CASES FINANCIAL IN OTHERS NOMINAL 4HE (UMAN 2E
SOURCES $EPARTMENT FOR EXAMPLE GOT A BIT OF BOTH )T IS CHANGING ITS NAME TO THE h$EPARTMENT OF 0EOPLE 3TRATEGY AND /PERATIONS v )T IS ALSO GETTING TO DESIGN A CITYWIDE WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES 4HE #ITY #OUNCIL S OWN BUDGET IS SET TO RISE BY TO ACCOMMO DATE MORE COUNCIL MEETINGS MORE AND BETTER MEALS FOR THE COUNCIL ON MEETING DAYS AND THE COUNCIL S TRAVEL AND TRAINING EXPENSES -EAN WHILE THE #ITY #LERK S OFFICE IS LOS ING AN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION 4HE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE NEW BUDGET WILL OCCUR IN THE 0OLICE $E PARTMENT WHOSE BUDGET THE &INANCE
#OMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED TO REVIEW ON -AY 4HE PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD UNFREEZE SEVEN DEPARTMENT POSITIONS MOSTLY RELATING TO TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTIGATIONS 4HE #OMMUNITY 3ERVICES $EPART MENT WHOSE BUDGET WAS SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW 4HURSDAY -AY AFTER THE 7EEKLY S PRESS DEADLINE IS PRO POSED TO GET TWO NEW POSITIONS FOR ITS WELL ATTENDED AQUATIC PROGRAMS !T 4UESDAY S KICK OFF DISCUSSION STAFF ATTRIBUTED THE BRIGHTENING ECONOMIC PICTURE TO BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FORCES 4HE COUNCIL S RECENT REFORMS TO EMPLOYEE BEN EFITS HAVE RESULTED IN GREATER CON
TRIBUTIONS BY CITY WORKERS TOWARD THEIR HEALTH CARE AND PENSIONS !T THE SAME TIME THE CITY HAS SEEN A SURGE IN REVENUES WITH SALES TAXES HOTEL TAXES AND DOCUMENT TRANSFER TAXES ALL GOING UP *OE 3ACCIO DEP UTY DIRECTOR OF !DMINISTRATIVE 3ER VICES SAID DOCUMENT TRANSFER TAXES ARE EXPECTED TO HIT A YEAR HIGH ,OCAL RESTAURANTS AUTO DEALERSHIPS AND APPAREL STORES ARE ALL REPORTING GOOD NUMBERS 3ACCIO SAID h7E ARE EXPERIENCING REALLY GOOD MOMENTUM WITH OUR REV ENUES v 3ACCIO SAID 4HE COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO AP PROVE THE BUDGET IN *UNE N
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THEN GAVE ITS STAMP OF APPROVAL TO THE BUDGETS OF NUMEROUS #ITY (ALL DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING OFFICES OF THE #ITY !TTORNEY #ITY #LERK THE #ITY -ANAGER AND AN /FFICE OF 3USTAINABILITY WHICH WILL MAKE ITS DEBUT THIS YEAR 4HE NEW OFFICE WILL BE STAFFED WITH A MANAGEMENT POSITION THE CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR WHICH +EENE SAID THE CITY IS NOW INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES 4HIS OFFICIAL WILL REPORT TO A BOARD OF
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