Menlo Park Community Forum

Dear Mr. Murphy, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing for the fourth time this week to express my deep and growing concern regarding the incident that occurred at the Belle Haven Community Campus on July 30, 2025. While many seniors believed the situation was part of an emergency drill,...

Hi Nikki, Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response. I appreciate the clarity you provided regarding the safety features of the BHCC building and the City’s investment in emergency preparedness. It’s reassuring to know the facility was designed with resilience in mind, particularly to ser...

Dear City Council Members, As you are likely aware I am a co-founder and current Chair of Menlo Spark, am a former two-term Environmental Quality Commissioner (and two-time Chair), and one of the leaders of the Menlo Park Green Ribbon Citizens’ Committee in 2007. I am a 29-year resident of the Wi...

Dear members of the Menlo Park City Council, I have looked over the 846 pages included with the attached email and I would respectfully suggest that multiple unbiased opinions be obtained to determine if the “All Electric/No Gas” rules should be temporarily waived so that the grid that supplies ele...

Dear Esteemed City Council Members and Senior Staff, In an effort to be kind, empathetic and enthusiastic with our youth, I'd like to suggest that Menlo Park police cars carry bike helmets. So that when they encounter youth who are riding without helmets they can provide a solution in addition t...

Thanks, Betsy. I have a couple of thoughts about the gas-powered blower ban. While it would be great to ban all blowers to eliminate the dust they generate, that isn't practical. Even I use a small, battery-powered blower on my gravel where a rake doesn't cut it. I use a broom everywhere else...

Hi Betsy and city council, Thank you so much for the summary, busy week. We are so eager to see Gas Leaf Blowers (item C2) banned, that it is frustrating to us that there's a 21 page report, for which the recommendation is merely "prepare another report". Cannot the city council vote prompt...

Dear Mayor Combs and Council Members, Thank you for adopting a bold Climate Action Plan last year! Please continue Menlo Park’s leadership and prioritize Climate Action in 2021. Our region has increasingly been threatened by climate impacts including, wildfires and hazardous air quality from smo...

Dear city leaders, It’s time for another round of town halls to engage the public on city activities during this trying time. We need reassurance that the city is working to keep us informed and inspired. As public health protocols continue, I’ve noticed that other cities have produced public ...

Honorable Council Members, For several years, Menlo Park City Councils have agreed in principle that it would be good to review the Menlo Park El Camino Real / Downtown Specific Plan for the potential to add more housing including affordable housing, to help address the dire shortage, affordability...