Upfront
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5NDER 4ATE S PROPOSAL UN DERGROUND HORIZONTAL PIPES AND WELLS WOULD ACT LIKE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM ,AYERS OF GROUNDWATER WOULD BE INJECTED WITH A SUGAR BASED SOLUTION FOR THE MICROBES TO INGEST 0UMPS WOULD EXTRACT THE WATER AND TREAT IT WITH MORE SO LUTION THEN RECIRCULATE THE WATER INTO THE LAYERS TO KEEP FEEDING THE BACTERIA OVER A WIDER AREA #LEAN COMPACTED SOIL WOULD CAP SOME OF THE MOST POLLUTED AREAS AND RAISE THE AREA ABOVE THE FLOOD PLAIN ,EACH SAID )F THOSE METHODS DO NOT SUC CEED THE COMPANY WOULD BE ASKED TO DEVISE A DIFFERENT STRAT EGY ,EACH SAID #LEANING THE SITE WOULD TAKE ABOUT FIVE YEARS WITH MONITORING FOR YEARS MORE 4ATE ESTIMATED
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-ICKELSON ARGUED THAT IN REC OMMENDING THE TAX INCREASE THE COMMITTEE WAS LARGELY BEING DRIV EN BY POLLS )T DID NOT CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF FAIRNESS AND THE UNINTEND ED CONSEQUENCES OF RAISING THE TAX RATE (E PREDICTED LARGE EMPLOYERS WILL TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE TO SAVE MONEY
"UT THE FACTORY GROUNDBREAKING COULD BEGIN SIX MONTHS AFTER AP PROVAL BY ALL REGULATORY AGENCIES AND IF THE PROJECT IS APPROVED AND PERMITTED BY THE CITY HE SAID ,EACH SAID THE FACTORY COULD BE BUILT AND OPERATED AT THE SAME TIME CONTAMINATED AREAS ARE BEING CLEANED ! PARKING LOT WOULD COVER THE MOST CONTAMINATED AREAS $OUGHTY SAID THE REMEDIATION STRATEGY AND POTENTIAL FOR A BUSI NESS AT THE SITE ARE ENCOURAGING 4HE %0! WILL GIVE THE #ITY #OUNCIL AN UPDATE ON THE 2OMIC LAND ON *AN 2USS %DMONDSON #ALIFORNIA $EPARTMENT OF 4OXIC 3UBSTANCES #ONTROL SPOKESMAN SAID THE AGEN CIES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEW ING A CONCEPTUAL REMEDIAL DESIGN PLAN AND THEY WILL LIKELY APPROVE IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH MODI FICATIONS h$43# AND %0! HAVE PROVIDED COMMENTS ON THE PLAN AND WE ARE
NOW WAITING FOR A REVISED PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED v HE SAID IN AN EMAIL 4IM 4IGHT VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE FOR !MERICAN 'AS SAID COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES WILL ATTEND THE *AN #ITY #OUNCIL MEETING BUT A FORMAL COMMUNITY PRESENTATION WOULD OCCUR AT A FU TURE DATE AFTER ESCROW CLOSES !MERICAN 'AS ALSO PLANS TO FUND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE FEDERAL %" )MMIGRANT )NVES TOR 0ROGRAM WHICH GRANTS VISAS TO FOREIGN INVESTORS WHO INVEST IN A NEW COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE IN QUALIFYING RURAL OR ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AREAS 4IGHT SAID 7ITH AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT EXCEEDS PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL AVERAGE %AST 0ALO !LTO QUALIFIES AS A FEDERAL hTARGETED EMPLOYMENT AREA v ELIGIBLE FOR CAPITAL INVEST MENT BY FOREIGN INVESTORS N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.
-ICKELSON SAID THE CITY IN PRO CEEDING WITH CONSIDERATION OF A TAX ISN T ASKING THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS IT SHOULD BE CONSIDER ING WHETHER THE TAX WOULD BE FAIR WHETHER IT S LOGICAL IN RELA TION TO USE AND WHETHER THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE PAYING THE TAX ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE 2ATHER IT IS PROCEEDING WITH THE TAX SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS TOLD BY A CONSULTANT THE TAX WOULD PASS -ICKELSON ALSO CRITICIZED #ITY
-ANAGER *AMES +EENE S RECOM MENDATION ON *AN THAT THE COUNCIL FIRST CONSIDER VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES BEFORE PROCEED ING WITH IDENTIFYING THE PARTICU LAR PROJECTS EACH SHOULD FUND !T THAT COMMITTEE MEETING +EENE OBSERVED THAT THE CITY HAS A hVERY LONG LIST OF POTENTIAL NEEDS v WITH A PRICE TAG THAT IS hMORE THAN ANY PARTICULAR FUNDING MEASURE THAT WE CAN ADVANCE RIGHT NOW v +EENE RESPONDED -ONDAY THAT
CityView A round-up
of Palo Alto government action this week
City Council (Jan. 13) Housing Element: The council approved revisions to the city’s zoning code to accommodate several Housing Element policies, including an increase in the number of units allowed in CS (services commercial) zones and a policy to plan for an emergency shelter on an industrial parcel east of U.S. Highway 101. Yes: Berman, Burt, Holman, Kniss, Price, Scharff, Shepherd No: Klein, Schmid Density bonus: The council adopted a density-bonus ordinance that creates a menu of design exceptions and concessions available to developers of affordable-housing projects. Yes: Berman, Burt, Holman, Kniss, Price, Scharff, Schmid, Shepherd No: Klein
Board of Education (Jan. 14) New elementary school: Board members discussed whether they wanted to eliminate any scenarios, such as moving an elementary-school “choice program,� in deliberations on where to locate and draw boundaries for a new elementary school. Most said they want to keep their options open. Action: None Paly Performing Arts Center: The board discussed solicitation of bids for a new, 583-seat theater at Paly, for projected groundbreaking April 15 and occupancy in August 2016. Action: None
Architectural Review Board (Jan. 16) 2209-15 El Camino Real: The board approved the design for a new threestory, 9,571-square-foot building that would replace an existing building that includes R&B Seafood and Peninsula Locksmith. The new development will include financial services on the ground floor, office space on the second floor and a residential unit on the third floor. Yes: Unanimous
HE HAD NEVER SUGGESTED RAISING MONEY WITHOUT CONSIDERING WHAT THE MONEY WOULD BE USED FOR (IS &RIDAY RECOMMENDATION HE SAID WAS MEANT TO ASSIST THE COUNCIL IN MANAGING ITS COMPLEX CONVERSATION OVER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS h) D NEVER MAKE A RECOMMEN DATION THAT COULD AT ALL BE SEEN TO LOOK AT ANY TAX INCREASE AS SOME
THING CASUAL OR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT BE SPECIFICALLY DEDICAT ED TO PARTICULAR PURPOSE v +EENE SAID h) THINK THAT S VERY CLEAR OUT OF THE ENTIRE EMPHASIS THE COUNCIL HAS PUT FORWARD IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS ON INFRASTRUCTURE v N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.
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