After fielding complaints about golfers damaging sensitive wetland habitat in the Palo Alto Baylands, the city has installed fences, added signage and instituted a new “local rule” in an effort to keep the area pristine. The issue of golfers trampling on Baylands plants surfaced in 2023, when a complaint from a local environmentalist prompted intervention from...
Google failed to give notice of Mountain View layoffs, union alleges
The Alphabet Workers Union representing Google employees has filed a complaint with the state alleging that Google did not provide adequate notice of mass layoffs that occurred in Mountain View in April. The union claims that Google announced the layoff of hundreds of employees on its mobile device teams on April 11, which was reported by news organizations at...
Mountain View ekes out balanced budget amid economic uncertainties
Mountain View is getting ready to greenlight a budget that is narrowly balanced, with little wiggle room to shore up money for new expenses as it grapples with an economic slowdown and the possibility of federal funding cuts. “Our budget is less robust than it has been in prior years,” said City Manager Kimbra McCarthy, who presented...
Palo Alto adopts $1B budget, revamps ambulance service
Facing a turbulent financial outlook, Palo Alto adopted on Monday a $1-billion budget that revamps the Fire Department’s ambulance service, expands funding for nonprofit groups and delays decisions on budget cuts until later this year. The spending plan that the City Council adopted by a 6-0 vote, with Councilmember Greer Stone absent, includes one major...
Mountain View could ban e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco sales
Mountain View is seeking to establish a citywide ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco, electronic cigarettes and vape related products, with a goal of bringing down nicotine use among teens and young adults. In a 6-1 vote, the City Council provided direction Tuesday evening for city staff to pursue a local ordinance in...
Google looks to sell Middlefield Park property in Mountain View
In an abrupt turnabout, Google is looking to pull back on its commitment to build high-density housing in an area of Mountain View slated for major residential growth. The tech behemoth confirmed to the Voice that it is exploring the sale of Middlefield Park, a 40-acre site in the East Whisman area – a part...
Mountain View backs 7-story office building at San Antonio Center
A massive office building at The Village at San Antonio Center is on track to getting built, following a yearslong delay after the developer put the project on hold during the pandemic to reassess its feasibility. The Mountain View City Council unanimously approved the 7-story commercial development at the corner of San Antonio Road and California Street...
Palo Alto explores use of drones in police work
The Palo Alto Police Department is exploring the possibility of acquiring drones for a variety of uses in police work and for other city departments. Police Chief Andrew Binder said during a May 6 meeting of the City Council Finance Committee meeting that Palo Alto is one of the only police agencies in Santa Clara...
El Camino bike lanes in Mountain View are here
Long known as a route that many bicyclists will go out of their way to avoid, El Camino Real is getting a major upgrade, with dedicated bike lanes being installed throughout the Mountain View, Los Altos and Palo Alto portions of the roadway. The project has been many years in the making and is now...
Mountain View’s downtown businesses see tariffs as obstacle to staying afloat
When Sara Puga walked into her family’s Mexican restaurant last week, she encountered a shattered glass door and the possibility of a burglary. It turned out nothing was taken from Los Portales, the restaurant that her family has run for decades on Moffett Boulevard. But the break in came at a bad time, Puga said....