Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
View MoreValley Water awards $1.88 billion contract to rebuild Anderson Dam
Valley Water awarded a $1.88 billion contract on Friday, July 24, to rebuild Anderson Dam, Santa Clara County's largest reservoir, with construction starting in January 2027 and lasting about seven years — a project that will affect groundwater supply and water rates countywide, including in Palo Alto.
Local Government
View MoreStudent-designed stickers to arrive with Palo Alto's mail ballots
Santa Clara County's Registrar of Voters selected six student artists as winners of its first-ever "I Voted" sticker design contest, and their artwork will ship to more than one million voters — including all Palo Alto residents — in October mail-ballot packets ahead of the Tuesday, November 3 election.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto water bills climb as two agencies raise rates
Water costs are rising across Palo Alto this summer as Valley Water's 9.1% groundwater charge increase adds about $5.63 per month for customers served by San Jose Water Company, while city water customers face a separate 8% hike from rising Hetch Hetchy costs.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto adds $500 bonus to heat pump water heater rebates
Palo Alto is offering homeowners an extra $500 off heat pump water heater installations through its Electrify My Home program, available through October 31, 2026, bringing the all-in cost to as low as $2,100.
Local Government
View MoreNew federal law could fund Palo Alto office-to-housing conversions
A federal housing package co-authored by Rep. Sam Liccardo creates a $100 million-per-year pilot to convert vacant office buildings into affordable housing and expands ADU loan options, both directly relevant to Palo Alto's 1.6 million square feet of empty office space and growing backyard-unit market.
Local Government
View MoreCounty budget crisis strips school-based mentors from at-risk youth as classes near
Santa Clara County's $787 million budget deficit has forced Fresh Lifelines for Youth and Catholic Charities to eliminate school-based youth programs, removing mentors and counselors that served hundreds of at-risk students annually just weeks before the new school year begins.
Local Government
View MoreDaily Post editor argues Palo Alto is illegally withholding appraisal behind $65.5M Cubberley deal
The editor of the Palo Alto Daily Post contends the city is violating California Government Code Section 7928.705 by refusing to release the real estate appraisal used to set the $65.5 million Cubberley land purchase price, but the city's own MOU language may complicate the legal claim ahead of the November sales tax vote.
Local Government
View MoreCockroaches, plumbing failures found at Palo Alto's publicly funded Opportunity Center
Palo Alto code enforcement issued a second notice of violation against Abode Housing for pest infestations and plumbing problems at the 88-unit Opportunity Center, with $1,000-per-day fines looming if deadlines of July 27 and Aug. 5 are missed.
Local Government
View MoreEast Palo Alto revokes 75-year-old salvage yard's permit after fire damage, persistent violations
East Palo Alto's Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Monday, July 13, to revoke Infinity Salvage's special use permit at 2091 Bay Road, ordering the decades-old vehicle recycling plant near the Baylands Nature Preserve to close after persistent code violations and unrepaired fire damage.
Local Government
View MoreThree candidates already in as Palo Alto council filing period opens
The formal nomination period for three Palo Alto City Council seats opened Monday, July 13, with three candidates having already filed campaign paperwork and one guaranteed open seat after Council member Julie Lythcott-Haims announced they won't seek reelection.
Local Government
View MoreSanta Clara County projects $1 billion hospital shortfall as federal Medicaid cuts hit one-year mark
A county assessment published July 10 projects Santa Clara Valley Healthcare will face a shortfall exceeding $1 billion by fiscal year 2027-2028 under H.R.1's Medicaid cuts, threatening the emergency and trauma system that one in four county residents depends on.
Local Government
View MoreNonprofit behind KMTP television files for 7-story tower on University Avenue
The Minority Television Project, a nonprofit that owns KMTP-TV and runs STEM scholarships for Black students, filed a preliminary SB 79 application for a 7-story, 17-unit mixed-use building at 135 University Ave. in downtown Palo Alto, becoming the sixth such proposal before local restrictions take effect July 16.
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