Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in East Palo Alto public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
3 issues in public safety with high priority
Day of Remembrance Proclamation Controversy
A proclamation recognizing October 7 as a Day of Remembrance split the community, with about 25 speakers divided between supporters mourning attack victims and opponents calling it one-sided and erasing Palestinian suffering. It failed 2-1 because city rules require a majority of all five seats.
General Plan Safety Element update and Palo Alto Airport impacts
The city just adopted its updated safety playbook for flooding, sea level rise, groundwater emergence, earthquakes and extreme heat. Council members pushed to add blunt language that the Palo Alto Airport — with its leaded aviation fuel and crash history — burdens East Palo Alto neighborhoods, calling it an environmental justice issue.
Emergency preparedness program
Council members pushed for a full update on the emergency preparedness program, evacuation routes and signage, and possibly using churches as resilience centers, citing earthquakes, floods, and a recent fatal Highway 101 crash that gridlocked traffic.