Portola Valley Weekly Update January 26, 2023

Town Council Summary January 25, 2023

A summary of the most recent meeting held on January 25 is now available. Town Council held a budget study session with the Town’s Committees and discussed next steps on the remaining steps on the adoption of the Town’s Draft Housing Element.

Recent Draft Housing Element Meeting Recordings and FAQ

Please see recordings of the most current meetings

• January 24, 2023 – Planning Commission review of Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ISMND) and response to comments
• January 25, 2023 – Town Council review of work program and schedule

To stay up to date on the process, please sign up for Town eNotices and choose Housing (calendar) and Housing News.

Useful Links:

• Track the Housing Element update public meeting process (including links to recordings and other helpful documents from all the public meetings)
• FAQ on the Housing Element update and related environmental review process
• Town's Housing Element Update webpage
• Town's Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee's webpage

DATE EXTENDED - Apply to be an Architectural and Site Control Commissioner by January 27

The Portola Valley Town Council is seeking two volunteers to serve on the Town's Architectural and Site Control Commission (ASCC). One of these term’s expires in December 2023 and the other expires in December 2024.

The ASCC consists of five members appointed by the Town Council, and meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. The ASCC is charged with the review and approval of design review applications and site development permits, including applications for new homes, second units, larger additions, second-story additions, and commercial buildings. In addition, the ASCC provides comments on conditional use permits, subdivisions, variances, and other matters referred by the Town Council, the Planning Commission, or Town Staff.

To apply, please submit a letter of interest to the Town Council to towncenter@portolavalley.net by 5:00 pm on January 27, 2023. The Town Council will conduct interviews and appoint new members at a scheduled meeting during the week of January 30, 2023. This time is TBD, dependent on the number of interviews to be conducted. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Town Clerk, Melissa Thurman at towncenter@portolavalley.net.

Staff Changes at Town Hall

Friday will be the last day with Portola Valley for Melvin Gaines, Assistant Town Manager. He leaves the Town to become the next City Manager for East Palo Alto. His experience and skill he brought to Portola Valley has helped become the Town become more efficient and created stronger bonds to the community. He has been a valued part of the team and he will be missed. If you would like to send him a note before his departure you can email him at mgaines@portolavalley.net.

The Town has appointed an Interim Assistant Town Manager for the next six months. We are excited to have Corie Stocker join the team. She comes to us from previous management positions at Scotts Valley and Half Moon Bay. Her experience will be a real benefit to both residents and staff. You can send her a welcome at cstocker@portolavalley.net.