Hi Laura,
Thanks for your email. The Brown Act forbids the City Council from discussing anything that was not properly agendized for the meeting 72 hours in advance.
Best,
Betsy
[cid:CMP_Email_Logo_100dpi_05d92d5b-e8e3-498f-93a6-d0da509bd602111111111.png]
Betsy Nash (she/her)
Mayor
City Hall - 2nd Floor
701 Laurel St.
tel 650-380-3986
menlopark.gov
See www.pronouns.org to learn more about why I share my pronouns.
From: Laura Melahn
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 11:05 AM
To: _CCIN
Subject: Request Before Election Day: Housing Element Amendment and Replacement Parking Funding
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
As you approach your final scheduled meeting (tonight) before the November 3 election, I am renewing two requests for Council action.
1. Housing Element Amendment. Will Council initiate an amendment to replace the downtown parking plaza housing sites with realistic, buildable alternatives? I first urged Council to pursue this approach in November 2025. I renewed that request in September 2026, following the City’s Strategic Economics assessment, and provided a complete proposed Housing Element amendment for your consideration. I have attached that proposed amendment again here.
2. Replacement Parking Funding. Will Council act on Supervisor Ray Mueller’s October 13 letter to Council requesting a resolution committing the City to contribute the funding shortfall required to construct replacement parking for the downtown lots, with the possible funding sources identified?
Either action would give voters what they have been missing on Measure P: a funded plan, or a replacement for one.
With ballots already in voters’ hands and Council approaching its final scheduled meeting before November 3, I ask you to state publicly whether you intend to pursue either of these actions, and on what timeline.
These questions remain consequential for Menlo Park regardless of the election outcome. We need a realistic path to building the housing we’ve promised, protecting downtown businesses, and meeting our obligations to the state.
Sincerely,
Laura Melahn
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Attachment: Proposed Housing Element Amendment (https://teammenlopark.com/amendment) Financial model: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18lgX_oYkQhO4Ka92D80t0IeCPSRfY06dtsfonfX9xtM/edit?gid=1299974299#gid=1299974299
