Hi Mr. Cogan,Thank you for explaining thoroughly the current status of the downtown newspaper racks. It's encouraging that
progress is being made. The new Newspaper Rack Municipal Ordinance no doubt will help to address many of the concerns both the
City and the Community have had with the various stand alone and multiple green racks for sometime.I'm pleased that the MAP
prepared in a graphical format that was requested by one of the Council Members is being prepared. Given the scope of the project,
no doubt being able to identify what is being proposed will be very helpful.I look forward to this topic coming back to the City
Council, perhaps as early as this May 2018 for the Second Reading of the new Ordinance. In the meantime, it may be helpful to
address a few other related concerns, such as the following:1) Has a BUDGET for the first year's implementation of the Ordinance
been created, in other words, what will it cost to enforce the ordinance and to remove existing boxes?2) Has the amount of the
FINES, penalties and related costs for the Master Fee Schedule been determined?3) Will VIOLATIONS be a civil or criminal action?4)
Are 100% of the GREEN BOXES being thrown away, or will useable boxes simply be repainted, cleaned up and continued to be used?5)
As the Council expressed caution and concern over possible FIRST AMENDMENT issues, has this been thoroughly vetted out, with
outside council? 6) Once the Ordinance is enacted, giving the City the right to oversee the newspaper racks, would you consider
then giving the PUBLISHERS and distributors the opportunity over a 90 day or so period to self-regulate? This was suggested on
multiple occasions by two of the five City Council members.7) How much time is anticipated during the first year of the Ordinance
for the various CITY DEPARTMENTS to implement the Ordinance, such as the a) Public Works Department, b) Legal Department, c) the
Police Department's Code Enforcement Department, the d) Finance Department, e) Business Development Department and f) and/or areas
of the City? 8) Given the City's current number of staff VACANCIES, is there capacity to take on this project, at this time,
without sacrificing other important services provided to the community?These and other concerns perhaps can be addressed in May
2018 when the Newspaper Rack Ordinance comes back to the City Council. As with most things in life, there are pros and cons. It
isn't all black and green.Respectfully,Jim Lewis- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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FROM: COGAN, JIM C <"COGAN, [%22COGAN%2C?SUBJECT=RE%3A%20CITY%20PRIDE]>
DATE: THU, 5 APR 2018 17:35:03 +0000
MR. SILZER
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EMAIL. AS COUNCIL MEMBER CLINE MENTIONED, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE WHICH
WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO REGULATE AND ADDRESS UNMAINTAINED AND/OR ABANDONED NEWSRACKS IN MENLO PARK ON MARCH 13, 2018.
REGARDING YOUR QUESTION, THERE WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THEIR USE IN MENLO PARK. THE "OLD NON USED NEWSPAPER
BOXES THAT ARE AN EYE SORE AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA" AS YOU REFERRED TO THEM, (AND I AGREE) WERE INSTALLED DECADES AGO AS PART OF
AN UNCODIFIED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND PUBLISHERS IN AN EFFORT TO RESTRICT THE PLACEMENT OF MODULAR (INDIVIDUALLY BRANDED)
RACKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SINCE THEN, THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA AND A 24-HR NEWS CYCLE HAS RESULTED IN MANY NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS ABANDONING PAPER CIRCULATION, RESULTING IN THE SITUATION YOU REFERENCED.
ON OCTOBER 25, 2017 THE CITY HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING FOR STAKEHOLDERS (PUBLISHERS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, RESIDENTS, BUSINESS
OWNERS) TO RECEIVE INPUT ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE COMPLAINTS OF ABANDONED AND/OR UNMAINTAINED NEWSRACKS IN MENLO PARK. THERE WAS A
REQUEST AT THAT TIME BY ONE OF THE PUBLISHERS TO ALLOW THE PUBLISHERS 6 MONTHS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES WITHOUT AN
ORDINANCE. UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE CITY TO ENFORCE MAINTENANCE STANDARDS OR REMOVE ABANDONED
NEWRACKS, SUCH AS THE ONES YOU REFERENCED IN YOUR EMAIL. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 6 MONTHS SINCE THAT FIRST
MEETING AND CLEARLY THE ABANDONED NEWSRACKS ARE STILL THERE AND GENERATING CONCERNS.
ON DECEMBER 5, 2017, THE CITY COUNCIL GAVE DIRECTION TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE TO DEVELOP A PERMIT PROCESS FOR ALLOWING NEWSRACKS,
WHILE SETTING PLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS. IT IS OUR INTENTION, THAT PART OF THIS EFFORT WILL BE REMOVING ALL OF THE
UNUSED AND/OR ABANDONED NEWSRACKS.
ON FEBRUARY 8, 2018, STAFF HELD A SECOND COMMUNITY MEETING TO RECEIVE INPUT ON THE PROPOSED DRAFT ORDINANCE. IN ADVANCE OF THE
MEETING, THE DRAFT ORDINANCE AND DRAFT PERMIT APPLICATION WERE DISTRIBUTED TO EVERYONE WHO HAD ATTENDED THE OCTOBER 25TH COMMUNITY
MEETING OR CONTACTED THE CITY SEPARATELY ABOUT NEWSRACKS. EXTENSIVE OUTREACH WAS CONDUCTED TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY, PUBLISHERS AND
DISTRIBUTORS WERE NOTIFIED. A PERSONAL EMAIL INVITATION WAS SENT TO ALL EDITORS, PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLISHERS IDENTIFIED AS
DISTRIBUTING WITHIN THE CITY. PERSONAL PHONE CALLS WERE MADE TO STAKEHOLDERS, THE MENLO PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCED THE
MEETING IN ITS NEWSLETTER, A COUNCIL DIGEST ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED, IT WAS POSTED ON THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE AND IT WAS POSTED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. ADDITIONALLY, INMENLO AND THE ALMANAC PUBLISHED ARTICLES ABOUT THE
MEETING. AT THE MEETING, STAFF RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK REGARDING THE PROPOSED DRAFT ORDINANCE. DISTRIBUTORS AND PUBLISHERS
EXPRESS
ED APPRECIATION THAT THE ORDINANCE WAS NOT TOO RESTRICTIVE, ALLOWED THEM TO BRAND THE NEWS RACKS WHILE ALLOWING THEM TO DISTRIBUTE
AT LOCATIONS THEY KNOW BEST SERVE THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND STAFF ANSWERED ALL FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AND,
AFTER THE MEETING, MADE MINOR EDITS TO THE DRAFT ORDINANCE AND PERMIT APPLICATION.
ON MARCH, 13TH THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE. HOWEVER, RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING THERE WAS ONE
CONCERN FROM A PUBLISHER THAT THE NEW PLACEMENT STANDARDS MAY BE TOO RESTRICTIVE. THERE WAS A REQUEST AT THAT TIME THAT STAFF
DEVELOP A MAP TO ILLUSTRATE WHERE NEWSRACKS WILL BE ALLOWED, BASED ON THE NEW STANDARDS FOR PLACEMENT TO ENSURE SIDEWALK ADA
ACCESSIBILITY AND AVOID CONFLICTS WITH CROSSWALKS, BIKE PARKING, BENCHES, ETC. STAFF IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THAT MAP AND WILL
INCLUDE THE MAP AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE STAFF REPORT FOR THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE. WE ARE HOPING TO BRING THAT BACK TO
CITY COUNCIL IN MAY.
BELOW IS A LINK TO THE MOST RECENT STAFF REPORT.
HTTPS://WWW.MENLOPARK.ORG/DOCUMENTCENTER/VIEW/16912 [HTTPS://WWW.MENLOPARK.ORG/DOCUMENTCENTER/VIEW/16912]
THANK YOU AGAIN, FOR YOUR EMAIL AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE.
SINCERELY,
JIM COGAN
HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
CITY OF MENLO PARK
DIRECT: (650) 330-6614
JIM C. COGAN
HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
CITY HALL - 2ND FLOOR
701 LAUREL ST.
TEL
MENLOPARK.ORG
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FROM: CLINE, RICHARD A
SENT: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018 2:05 PM
TO: RONSILZER CC: COGAN, JIM C SUBJECT: CITY PRIDE
HI RON, WE JUST DISCUSSED THIS AT A RECENT MEETING. I’M CC’ING JIM COGAN WHO CAN FILL YOU IN ON THE TIMELINE.
THANKS FOR THE NOTE.
CHEERS,
RICH CLINE
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On Apr 4, 2018, at 2:00 PM, ronsilzer
is there an ordinance on the books that deals with the old non used newspaper boxes that are an eye sore around the downtown area?
(example) attached.
< 20180404_101255_resized.jpg>
Received on Thu Apr 05 2018 - 10:37:01 PDT *
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