December 3, 2025

New Town Planning & Building Director Sarah Cawrse

The Town is excited to announce that Sarah Cawrse started as the new permanent Planning and Building Director on December 1^st!

Sarah brings over twelve years of experience across municipal government, quasi-governmental agencies, and private sector planning and design, offering a unique perspective that bridges policy, regulation, and implementation. Sarah joins us from Denver, Colorado, where she ran her own planning and design consulting firm, Flora Strategies. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Urban Strategy & Design, overseeing the River North (RiNo) Business Improvement District and General Improvement District in Denver—two quasi-governmental special tax districts responsible for funding and delivering public-realm improvements, infrastructure projects, business support, and community-serving programs. In this role, she led district-wide planning and implementation, managed governance structures, and oversaw a $5 million annual budget. Sarah also has direct local government experience working for City of Boulder as a Principal City Planner and the City and County of Denver in Associate and Senior Planner roles. There, she managed long-range plans, development reviews, and complex regulatory initiatives requiring close coordination across departments and applicants. She previously served as an appointed member of the Denver Planning Board (their Planning Commission), where she reviewed and made recommendations on land use policies, regulations, and planning initiatives.

She holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and a Master of Arts in Urban Design from Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. As a Cal Poly alumna, she is the chair-elect of the Cal Poly Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council. 

Sarah is “thrilled to be joining Portola Valley as the new Planning and Building Director. I look forward to working closely with the Town Council, staff, and community to support the town’s unique character, strengthen resilience, and advance thoughtful planning and building initiatives. I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to learn from the community and to work for a town nestled in a beautiful setting, where it is a priority to support a vibrant community while enhancing the surrounding natural landscape.”

We are incredibly thankful to Sarah for joining us and bringing her experience and passion to the Town’s Planning and Building department to ensure it continues to run efficiently and effectively. We are excited to welcome her into this new role and look forward to integrating her into our current initiatives as well as future work that supports Portola Valley as a high-quality place to live, work and recreate.  

 November 14, 2025

Portola Valley Local Road Safety Plan Released for Public Review

The Portola Valley Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) provides the Town with a clear and proactive roadmap for strengthening safety on our roads, trails, and pathways in a way that reflects the community’s values and long-standing commitment to preserving our rural character. Developed by the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety (BPTS) Committee with support from Town staff, the plan evaluates more than a decade of crash data, extensive public feedback, and current transportation trends. The LRSP acts as a strategic framework for making informed, long-term investments in safety. The plan also positions Portola Valley to pursue state and federal funding opportunities that require an adopted LRSP. For example, grant funding through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) OBAG 4 County & Local Program, as well as for future funding opportunities under the Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Program.

The findings in the plan underscore both the opportunities and challenges ahead. The LRSP identifies several key intersections for closer study and outlines practical strategies to reduce conflicts, improve visibility, and support safer travel for everyone using our roadways and trails. These strategies include targeted speed management measures, upgraded signage, improved pedestrian and cyclist crossings, and enhanced trail connectivity. The plan also integrates wildfire and seismic considerations to help ensure that roadway improvements support emergency preparedness and evacuation planning.

Looking forward, the LRSP highlights a set of project concepts that will help the Town maintain safe, resilient, and accessible transportation corridors as Portola Valley continues to evolve. From intersection improvements and expanded crosswalk enhancements to school-area circulation projects and continued outreach to the cycling community, the plan provides a thoughtful menu of options that can be pursued over time as resources allow. Adoption of the LRSP demonstrates the Town’s commitment to public safety, responsible stewardship of our transportation network, and ongoing collaboration with residents, partner agencies, and visitors who rely on Portola Valley’s roads and trails every day.

Town Council consideration of the LRSP is tentatively scheduled for the regular meeting on December 10th. Public comment will be accepted before in writing to the Town Clerk, and in person at the meeting. 

That’s a Wrap! - After Action Report Town Council Meeting of November 12, 2025 

Council Meeting Date: November 12, 2025 (Full Agenda link) 

Video Link: Town Council Meeting Video Recording 

Details of each item can be found in the Agenda

The City Council met for the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 7:02 pm.

Following Roll Call the Council received the annual Mid-Peninsula Open Space District Annual Presentation by Joshua Huge, Governmental Affairs Program Manager.

The Town Manager Report included the following information:

• The Town and County have initiated work on the 2026 San Mateo County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Plan evaluates hazard vulnerabilities and outlines mitigation actions that the Town will implement to minimize injuries, property damage, and community disruptions caused by disasters. The County is running a survey to kick off this planning project, which we hope you will participate it.
• Additionally, the Town’s Local Road Safety Plan is finished and will be available on the Town Manager blog this week. This has been prepared and reviewed by the Town Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee. It will be reviewed by the Town Council on December 10th.
• I attended a parent coffee talk this morning at Corte Madera School hosted by the Portola Valley School District on E-Bikes and Youth.
• Our planning and building department is focused on improving service to the community. We now have planners in the Town Hall available to answer questions, and you can also schedule virtual meetings with them directly from the Town website. We will continue to make operational improvements, such as posting a list of building permit submittals and permits issued monthly.
• We recognize the importance of the annual town finance audits. My monthly update to the community is that the fiscal year 2022-23 audit is anticipated to be provided to the town in December 2025 or January 2026. The fiscal year 2023-24 audits should be provided in June or July 2026. Finally, we should have a draft of the financial statements for fiscal year 2024-25 by September 2026. The fiscal year 2025-26 proforma statements should be completed then as well.
• Finally, the Town Hall will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th.

The Council accepted public comments on items not on the agenda.

The Council moved on to the Consent Agenda (~7:42pm) consisting of items a to d. Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine in nature and are generally considered in one motion and adopted by a single vote of the Council.  Included in this month's Consent Agenda were the approval of the Special Meeting Minutes of October 22, 2025; the approval of the Regular Meeting Minutes of October 22, 2025; the review and acceptance of the Warrant List of November 12, 2025; Consider Adoption of a Resolution Appointing a Director and an Alternate Director to Serve on the Board of Directors of Pooled Liability Assurance Network Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (PLAN JPA) on Behalf of the Town of Portola Valley. The warrant list and minutes were pulled for a separate vote. Following an opportunity for comments and questions, the Council approved all items.

Next up was Public Hearing Agenda (~7:57 pm) which consisted of one item, the consideration of the introduction of an Ordinance to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local amendments. After a presentation by staff, the Council asked questions and discussed the item, then voted to introduce the Ordinance (~9:37pm). The Ordinance will be considered for adoption at the next regular meeting of the Town Council.

Next up with the Regular Agenda (~9:38pm), which included three items: 

• Receive Presentation on the Community Survey from Godbe Research. As this was only a presentation, there was no Council action.
• Update by Town Council Safety Element Subcommittee. An update was provided, and no action was taken.
• Consider Approval of a Professional Consultant Services Agreement for Completion of Safety Element Update with Urban Planning Partners, Inc. The Council approved the agreement.

The last item on the Agenda was the Subcommittee, Liaison Committee, and Regional Agency Report. (~10:33 pm).

Having cleared the entire Agenda, at approximately 10:34 pm, that as they say - was a wrap! 

The next meeting of the City Council is a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, November 26 at 7 pm. This meeting may be cancelled, so please watch for a cancellation notice posted on the Town website.For more information and calendar of events, visit the Town's website.

Thanks for reading!
 
Darcy Smith
Town Manager
Town of Portola Valley
dsmith@portolavalley.net   

November 12, 2025

I attended a parent coffee talk this morning at Corte Madera School hosted by the Portola Valley School District on E-Bikes and Youth. Here is the link to the presentation.

Presentation Summary:

As e-bikes and motorized scooters become more popular, safety and legality have become growing concerns—especially for young riders. Recent data show that many of the vehicles marketed to children and teens are not actually “e-bikes” under California law and may pose serious legal and safety risks. Legally, a true e-bike:

• Has pedals,
• A motor of 750 watts or less, and
• A top speed of 20 mph.

Vehicles that exceed these limits are considered e-motorcycles and must be registered with the DMV, insured, and driven only by licensed riders. These cannot be used on roads, sidewalks, or bike paths. It matters because:

• Youth ages 10–15 are five times more likely to suffer serious e-wheel injuries than other age groups.
• In recent Marin County incidents, all crashes involved illegal e-motos, most driven by minors under 16.
• Parents can be held legally and financially responsible for crashes involving unlicensed riders.

What the Law Says

• It’s a crime to drive or allow someone to drive an unregistered or unlicensed motor vehicle.
• Police can impound illegal e-motos and cite unlicensed riders.
  Parents may face misdemeanor or even felony charges if a child’s safety is endangered.
• E-scooters require a drivers’ license, so middle school students must not ride scooters.

Why to Say “No” to Throttle “E-Bikes”

Throttle-powered bikes that accelerate without pedaling often exceed legal limits. Labeling them as “Class 2 e-bikes” doesn’t make them legal. Beyond the safety risks, parents could be held liable in civil court for injuries or damages caused by an unlicensed rider.

Tips

To improve your safety using E-Bikes, please consider attending a one-hour Intro to E-Bikes course offered by Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

Look at the San Mateo County Office of Education Online E-Bike Toolkit that includes guidance on laws, educational materials for families, and safety tips for students.

As a reminder, any bike with a motor must be ridden on streets and are not allowed on Town paths or trails.

This was an excellent presentation- thank you to the presentation team here

L to R:

• Theresa Vallez-Kelly, MPH, Coordinator, Safe Routes to School, Student Services Division, San Mateo County Office of Education
• Kendra Toy, Program Manager, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
• Danielle Martinez, School Resource Officer, San Mateo Sheriff’s Department (with her amazing Therapy K9 Ben!)
• Bob Mittelstaedt, E-Bike Educator, E-Bike Access
• Roberta Zarea, Superintendent, Portola Valley School District