Resources

Community & Civic Groups

1. Palo Alto Neighborhood Association

   Get city-wide updates of interest to all Palo Altans on the PAN website.  PAN disseminates valuable info on Emergency prep, neighborhood organizing and also lobbies City Hall on behalf of residents’ concerns. PAN also sponsors City Council Candidate debates at election time. Input from all the neighborhoods is aggregated there.  We can report our concerns to our PAN rep and she’ll take them to PAN. Our current PAN rep is Becky Sanders

2. Join Nextdoor.com for Ventura

   Exchange hyperlocal info, tips and opportunities on the community-building social network.

Come to or Watch Local Government and Board Meetings

Watch City Council, Commission and Committee Meetings Online

1. Live and/or via Replay from Midpen Media Center’s website. 
2. Council Meetings can also be seen live on Mondays at 6 pm: Comcast Channel 26 or ATT U-Verse Channel 99 – pick Palo Alto 26 –  a great time to catch up on your paperwork or do arts and crafts.  
3. COME TO ALL MEETINGS in person at City Call, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto

Watch PAUSD Meetings Online

1. Live and/or via Replay from Midpen Media Center’s website.
2. School Board Meetings can also be seen live the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 6:30 pm: Comcast Channel 28 or ATT U-Verse Channel 99 – pick Palo Alto 28
3. Attend Meetings in Person at the District Headquarters, 25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto

Watch Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Archived Meetings

 

Got a Problem?

Get to the right people!

 Palo Alto Police Department – non emergency number is 650-329-2413

 Palo Alto 311 – Got a pothole or other annoyance to report.  Download this app and send them a picture and make a report!

Code Enforcement

• If you have found a code violation, check in with the code enforcement team.
• and you can also use Palo Alto 311 (see above).  Our code enforcement officer’s name is Brian Reynolds.  His telephone number is 650-329-2413 during normal business hours.

Municipal code

Chances are that something that is bothering you is bothering others in your neighborhood.  Check to see if the nuisance is actually protected or prohibited by referring to our Municipal Code.  It’s not hard to read, but can be scary looking at first glance.

 

Development Watch Dogs Resources

As a Neighborhood association, we are dedicated to the preservation of neighborhood quality of life… from traffic to parking to noise to safety to emergency preparedness.  How will development rapid development impact Ventura and other Palo Alto neighborhoods.   How do large mixed use buildings or planned communities constructed on our borders or within our borders impact us?  And how can we tell when they are coming and do something before they are literally “set in stone.”

Subscribe to Regular Email Updates from the City of Palo Alto.  You can set your preferences for topics you particularly want to follow

Subscribe to the Development Services Monthly Newsletter – and see all the projects in the pipeline throughout Palo Alto

Research the Status of a Property – Sometimes we don’t understand what is going on with a property in our neighborhood.   Maybe we want to get in touch with the owner.  Especially if it is a rental property and the owner may not be aware of what is happening.   You can find all this information online. 

One of the ways citizens often miss out is not understanding the zoning codes.  It’s not that hard.  This wonderful PDF describing Land Use in the city of Palo Alto shows the designated zones and has a key.  Of particular interests to neighborhood life is the retention of CS zones – Community Serving Commercial zones.  By retaining this type of zone around our neighborhood we can make sure that there is room for MOM and POP SHOPS and make sure that businesses that serve the neighborhood are maintained.    LINK TO PDF.