Vicki by the Bay

CLIMATE and SUSTAINABILITY

Palo Alto is a national and worldwide climate and sustainability leader. I have chaired the Climate and Sustainability Committee for three years and served on it for four. During my tenure,

  • Palo Alto earned A-list status every year from the largest global carbon disclosure system, recognizing our top-level achievement in emissions reductions and transparency, reducing emissions by over 50% compared to 1990 
  • Earned a gold designation for EV readiness,
  • Launched an Advanced Home Electrification Pilot program, and 
  • To adapt to sea level rise, constructed the Bay Area's first nature-based "living levee," which absorbs increased sea levels without shunting it to our neighbors, all while increasing native plants and natural habitat for our beloved Baylands.

We have more work to do and I’ll continue to leverage Palo Alto’s innovation culture to accelerate our climate and sustainability progress, by prioritizing:

  • further emissions reduction, including through
    • increasing EV infrastructure for multifamily dwellings and elsewhere
    • stewarding the Advanced Home Electrification Pilot program toward a sustainable program that supports residents in electrifying with heat pump appliances, induction cooktops, and more
  • steward our Grid Modernization project to upgrade the city’s aging electricity infrastructure
  • enhance biodiversity and our tree canopy

 

HOUSING

Palo Alto needs more housing and we've improved both our pipeline and our process in recent years. I’ll champion housing that is affordable for families and workers, to enhance and balance our community.

We can get this done by:

  • Preserving existing affordable housing, such as the Buena Vista mobile home park that we saved and is currently being rehabilitated with new, safer utility infrastructure. 
  • Building housing, including affordable housing for different income levels, by continuing to partner with the county, state, non-profits and philanthropists to achieve the requisite funding. For example, during the past year, 
    • Mitchell Park Place opened which includes housing for IDD adults, and Project Homekey which offers transitional housing for unhoused residents
    • We broke ground on all-affordable projects and projects having both market rate and affordable units
  • Planning housing to enhance and fit in with what we love about existing homes, services, and neighborhoods
  • Improve the process for ADUs which add a diversity of housing to single family neighborhoods.

 

A FULL SERVICE CITY 

The job of city government is to provide our residents with services. Palo Alto offers many services that our neighboring cities don't. I’ll champion continued investment in the unique services that our residents rightly expect and deserve. For example:

  • City-owned electric and other utilities; I am Palo Alto's Commissioner on the Northern California Power Agency, which keeps the lights on in our city! NCPA provides electricity that is green, resilient and less expensive than PG&E. Palo Alto also owns our water, gas, fiber, and waste water utilities. I'll continue to fight for lower utility bills. 
  • Operating our own Police and Fire departments, instead of using County sheriff and fire services, allows  customized public safety operations and greater oversight; I support continued investment to ensure sufficient staffing levels.
  • Parks and open spaces enhance our quality of life, supporting physical health, mental health, and community. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve our precious open space from the Bayshore to the Foothills.
  • Libraries: I've embraced the moniker "Library Lady" on Council because of my support for these beloved neighborhood public spaces, where all can gather. They promote learning, social connection, and skill development, all free of cost. 

I’ll address budgeting, revenue, and other issues to support these community assets.