Sign our petition to city council.

City Council will consider the Parks and Recreation Commission recommendation to rededicate the Measure E site as parkland on Monday, April 3. The agenda and instructions for how to participate are posted here. Scroll down to Item 12 and click on "Download PDF" to view the staff report.

Please send an email to City Council in advance of the April 3 meeting, encouraging them not to make a hasty decision. They need to understand all options for the Measure E site (what technologies look promising?, what new regulations should we be prepared to address?, etc.) They should engage the Utilities Advisory Commission and Planning and Transportation Commission, and not rely solely on the limited perspective of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The email for City Council is city.council@cityofpaloalto.org.

Provide an oral comment at the City Council meeting on April 3. See ideas for talking points below.

Let your friends and neighbors know you support keeping options open for the Measure E site, and encourage them to get involved.

Contact us: info@ClimateActionPA.org

Measure E Site Talking Points

1. Start by introducing yourself. Who are you and why do you care about this issue? Do you have a personal story to share?
2. Palo Altans care deeply about sustainability. In 2011, 65% of the voters approved Measure E, making 10 acres of the former landfill site available for an organic waste-to-energy conversion facility.
3. Palo Alto has ambitious climate protection goals, including becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Sustainable technologies will play a critical role in enabling us to meet our goals. The Measure E site, right next to the wastewater treatment plant, is an ideal location for an environmental facility.
4. Waste conversion technologies are evolving quickly, yet City Council hasn't received an update in many years. Silicon Valley Clean Water in Redwood City is using pyrolysis to turn sewage sludge into green energy and biochar, which sequesters carbon dioxide.
5. Palo Alto's Parks and Recreation Commission was split on whether to recommend rededicating the Measure E site as parkland. The vote was 4-2-1, and even some of the Commissioners who voted in support expressed concerns that converting the Measure E site to parkland might not be in the City's best interest.
6. City Council should direct the Utilities Advisory Commission and/or the Planning and Transportation Commission to weigh in on the Measure E site to get their perspectives on the best use of the land.
7. PFAS (Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), also known as "forever chemicals," are harmful to people and the environment. PFAS in wastewater and sewage sludge will likely be regulated soon, and Palo Alto might no longer be able to dispose of our sewage sludge on agricultural land in the Central Valley. Pyrolysis is proven to destroy PFAS.
8. The Measure E site is already heavily impacted, and cannot be reverted back to wetlands. Designating it as parkland would likely result in very few improvements to the site. There is no rush to rededicate the site.
9. It's important for Council to understand all options before making a critical decision on the future of the Measure E site.