Menlo Watch: City holds refresher course on open-meeting law Menlo Watch: City holds refresher course on open-meeting law (May 04, 2005)

Instead of holding a regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 3, the city of Menlo Park is hosting a public training session on the Brown Act, the state's open-meeting law.

The council earlier this year directed staff to organize the session, after the city was criticized for holding meetings of a child-care task force without public notice.

The legal firm Nossaman Guthner Knox and Elliott, which has offices in San Francisco and other cities, will conduct the session. It's expected to begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 701 Laurel St. and last about two hours, with time for questions and answers.

Besides the public, city council members, commissioners and staff members have been invited to the event to get a refresher course on the law.

For more information about the session, go to menlopark.org or call 330-6620.
Safeway study session set for council

The Menlo Park City Council is planning to hold a study session on the large-scale Safeway grocery store project on Tuesday, May 10, before the regular council meeting.

The project involves demolishing the 165,000-square-foot Safeway store at 525 El Camino Real and building a new store of about 66,000 square feet, along with 11,500 square feet of additional retail area on the site.

So far, the project has involved much community outreach and study, including a traffic study. A staff report for the study session, which will give an update on the project, will be ready late this week, planning staff said.

The session is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at 701 Laurel St. For more information or to read the staff report, go to menlopark.org, click on "City Council" and go to the May 10 agenda.

Haven planned for hazardous waste Haven planned for hazardous waste (May 04, 2005)

Colorful paint may look festive swirling down the drain, but the environment won't thank you for it.

Fortunately, residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Redwood City and East Palo Alto have another option for disposing of household hazardous waste: they can bring it to a special drop-off location for free in Redwood City on Saturday, June 11.

Permissible items also include paint thinners, pool and photo chemicals, motor oil, batteries, pesticides and herbicides, drain openers and cleaning solvents.

To take part, residents must make an appointment by calling 363-4718 or going to www.smhealth.org/hhw/appt. Appointments are limited.

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