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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/27/2006 B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE+ MEMORANDUM January 27, 2006 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT/,, SUBJECT: General Information "7 1 . We thank the LAFCO board members for granting approval of our sphere of influence request this week. We also appreciate the unified support we received from numerous business and community representatives. Special thanks go to Stan Grady and his staff for their diligent efforts on behalf of the City. 2. Congratulations to Vice-Mayor Maggard, who will be honored with a Distinguished Leadership award by KernCOG at their Regional Awards of Merit event on March 3rd He will be recognized for his efforts to protect the northeast bluffs for recreational and quality of life issues. We also offer congratulations and appreciation to Congressman Thomas, who will receive the Chairman's Award of Regional Cooperation for his efforts in securing the federal transportation funding that will upgrade and transform our regional highway system. Please contact Amber to make your reservation arrangements. 3. The blue and white collar employees unanimously accepted the proposed contract for salary and related benefits this week. We hope to place the agreement on the February 22nd meeting agenda for your approval. 4. Beginning February 8t", a new state law will increase the types of items to be handled as household hazardous waste, including batteries, fluorescent lights, and electronic devices that contain circuit boards. Household hazardous waste is collected by the County at their special waste facility at 4951 Standard Street, located in the area off Gilmore, north of Rosedale Highway and west of Highway 99. The Solid Waste Division is beginning an educational campaign to inform the public. A memo and educational posters are enclosed. 5. 1 will be out of the office next Wednesday through Friday to attend the League of California Cities City Managers' annual conference in Pasadena. John Stinson will be in charge during my absence, and the office staff will be able to contact me. Honorable Mayor and City Council January 27, 2006 Page 2 6. Responses to Council referrals are enclosed, as follows: Vice-Mayor Maggard • Additional information regarding the group home on Dorset; Councilmember Couch • Update on the subdivision wall near Grand Lakes and Ming; Councilmember Sullivan • Confirmation of the Graffiti Neighborhood Watch Program information to be presented at the February 6th Community Services Committee; Councilmember Scrivner • Report on efforts to increase Police presence and law enforcement efforts at Valley Plaza. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk December 15, 2005 KERN COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS ANNOUNCES REGIONAL AWARDS OF MERIT PROGRAM WINNERS For additional information, contact: Robert Phipps or Ron Brummett, (661) 861-2191 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Organization: Kern Council of Governments What: 16th annual Regional Awards of Merit Program winners When: 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. awards program, Thursday, March 3, 2006 Where: Holiday Inn Select in Downtown Bakersfield Why: To honor outstanding achievements and significant contributions to this region's quality of life in 2005. On March 2, 2006, Kern Council of Governments will honor 17 individuals for making significant contributions to this area's quality of life through innovative, cooperative efforts during its 16th annual Regional Awards of Merit Program. Recipients of the 2005 Regional Awards of Merit, as decided by Kern COG's Executive Committee, are divided among nine broad categories and include: Journalism: John Ciani of the Ridgecrest Daily Independent for his dedication to transportation and civic issues in Ridgecrest Community Involvement: Lois Cheney, for her volunteer work with the League of Women Voters, California State University, Bakersfield and the Kern Transportation Foundation. Local Government: California City Mayor Larry Adams for his work to bring jobs and better education to Southeast Kern. Transportation: Chester Moland, chief executive officer of Golden Empire Transit, for his tireless work to convert GET's bus fleet from diesel-powered to compressed natural gas. Ken Volpe Environmental Resources and Conservation Award: John O'Gara, an environmental planner with the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) at China Lake for his role in developing the station's Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Richard A. Maxwell Public Safety Award: California City Police Chief Linda Lunsford for her dedication to the city's police department. Distinguished Leadership — Public Group or Organization: Phillip Arnold and William Porter for their volunteer efforts to 1) spare China Lake NAWS from the latest round of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, and 2) to form an alliance of community leaders and local and state governments from six southwestern states to develop a unified complex of military bases to better serve national defense. Distinguished Leadership — Public Official: Bud Bankston, transportation director for the Kern High School District, for having the largest compressed natural gas bus fleet of any school district in the nation. Patricia Ebel, engineering manager for the Kern County Roads Department for her dedication to the Kern region's transportation network. Distinguished Leadership — Elected Official: Fran Florez, Shafter mayor, for her guiding leadership on the Shafter City Council and as chairwoman of the California High-Speed Rail Commission. y Mike Maggard, Bakersfield City councilman, for his efforts to protect the bluffs near Lake Ming for recreational and quality-of-life purposes. Lifetime Achievement— Public Official: ➢ Randall E. Scott, director of plans and programs with the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards Air Force Base in recognition of his contributions to enhancing our air and water quality, and improving transportation effectiveness. Lifetime Achievement — Private Citizen: Bill Cooper and Rich O'Neil, who helped establish the Kern River Parkway Foundation. Lifetime Achievement — Elected Official: Kern County Supervisor Barbara Patrick for being a careful and well-informed manager of county resources. Chairman's Award of Regional Cooperation: The Honorable Bill Thomas for helping to secure $726 million in transportation funding from the federal government for the Kern region. Kern COG celebrates its 36th anniversary in 2006, and this is the 16th year the agency has recognized those programs and people in our region whose ideas and hard work have made life in Kern County better for us all. The awards banquet will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2006 at the Holiday Inn Select, 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, Calif. 93301. Cost is $25 per person, which includes a buffet of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. Reservations are due by noon March 1 by calling 861-2191 or faxing 324-8215. No money will be accepted at the door. RECEIVED JAN 2 7 2006 • CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE B A K E R S F I E L D CITY OF BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: January 25, 2006 SUBJECT: Household Hazardous Waste Additions For many years, household hazardous waste (HHW) such as unused paint, pesticides, and cleaning chemicals have been directed to the Kern County special waste facility for proper recycling or disposal. The City has historically supported the issue of state grants to the County for this public drop off facility and has promoted its use. Beginning February 8th, new state law will increase the number of items to be handled as HHW. Examples of the new items are batteries, fluorescent lights, and electronic devices with circuit boards inside. Businesses have been prohibited from putting these items in the trash for a couple of years; the law is now phasing in the requirement for households. The County has added a warehouse to the existing HHW facility to handle the new volume of material. Public education on this new law has been withheld in most of California until this point, because of the possibility of a state time extension. The date has been finalized, and staff will now begin a public education effort in coordination with the County. The Solid Waste Division will incorporate this information into educational information routinely provided to homes and businesses. Our goal will be to reduce the amount of time needed for the Fire Department Hazmat Section to spend as the enforcement agent. Samples of educational posters and stickers provided by the state are attached. Cc: Fire Chief Ron Fraze Ralph Huey PACityManger\Household Hazardous Waste.doc January 25,2006 h, • • Kern County Special Waste Facility ^� �.. 4951 Standard St, Bakersfield DEPARYh7ENT Of TOXIC (SW corner of Standard&Foster Streets) SUBSTANCES CONTROL Thurs&Fri 10 am—4 pm, Sat 8 am—4 pm Hrinq !lour batteries to: For more information call 661-862-8900 t t i1 It haza rd. k,w collection fact mercury t Oter.This flu r nr compact# . Kern County Special Waste Facility ltltrl5, 4951 Standard St, Bakersfield (SW corner of Standard&Foster Streets) a s Thurs&Fri 10 am-4 pm,Sat 8 am—4 pm For more information call 661-862-8900 vapor Zero Waste—You Make It Happen! Bring your lamps to: q p'" BA BAKERSFIELD POLICE MEMORANDUM 1✓µLARY 11 �91,IF0R?R lip RECEIVED TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: W. R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE V�°� JAN 2 5 2006 DATE: JANUARY 20, 2006 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SUBJECT: GROUP HOME AT 5809 DORSET COUNCIL REFERRAL NO. 1385 (WARD 3) Vice-Mayor Maggard requested staff address the Group Home problems of Robert Brennan at 5809 Dorset. Captain Tim Taylor spoke with constituent, Robert Brennan, who has complained on behalf of the neighborhood. This is a recurring complaint and staff last dealt with the problem in May 2005. Mr. Brennan feels the group home disrupts the neighborhood, creates uncomfortable living conditions for its neighbors and may not be tending to its residents which creates unsafe conditions for them. Mr. Brennan knows the City doesn't have licensing control over the group home and his efforts to have something done through the County and State have met with little result. Unless there is a dependent care issue which warrants police intervention we don't have much standing either - the dependent juveniles, who are all autistic can not, by law, commit a crime. Mr. Brennan would like police reports accomplished for all our responses and we would gladly accommodate him except that there's never any evidence of a crime. I offered to handle his reports telephonically as a peace disturbance and he seemed receptive to that idea - although this seems to be something County or State investigators should be doing since they have dominion over the group home. Captain Taylor spoke with Suzanne Ashe, the group home program director, who assured him that the residents are well cared for, and they recently admitted a severely autistic resident who was having some problems acclimating to her new living conditions. None of the residents - there are three - are adults; all are juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17. The supervisor ratio is high but occasionally a resident will run out of the home with the supervisors in hot pursuit - Ms. Ashe states they are never allowed to wander the streets. She will be calling Mr. Brennan to follow-up on his concerns. The neighborhood has an active neighborhood watch group which meets periodically on Sunday afternoons. I will have our Sunday watch commander contact Mr. Brennan and arrange to attend these meetings. W R R/tdt/vrf • RECEiVED B A K E R S F I E L D JAN 2 6 2006 CITY OF BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: January 25, 2006 SUBJECT: Update - WALL NEAR GRAND LAKES Referral No. 1351 COUNCILMEMBER COUCH REQUESTED STAFF CONTACT VALERIE CODY REGARDING A WALL ON THE EAST SIDE OF GRAND LAKES, SOUTH OF MING AVENUE TO BE REMOVED; STAFF TO CONTACT HIM AND AND ADVISE OF THE STATUS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR THAT AREA; DETERMINE IF THE ENTRANCE WILL MATCH WITH HAYWORTH; AND ADDRESS POTENTIAL CONCERNS OF WHERE THE ACCESS STREET WILL ENTER GRAND LAKES. Public Works Staff has been in contact with Valerie Cody on this tract development and discussed the wall location. The tract is consistent with all conditions and requirements of the City for development on the Collector road (Grand Lakes). Access is consistent with other existing roads intersecting with Grand Lakes. The tract map plan was approved by the Planning Commission with no comments received or public opposition to the approval. The tract will not match up with Hayworth and no special concerns of the access point have been identified. The appeal period for this tract map has expired with no appeals received to Public Works staff's knowledge. CADOCUME-1\Iskinner\LOCALS-1\Temp\Ref#1351 Wall Near Grand Lakes.doc 13AKF CoRPORATF Aw r� BAKERSFIELD POLICE ' U d MEMORANDUM �q !) AryU 11. �. "IFOX� TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER RECEIVED FROM: W. R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE`""tip JAN 2 5 2006 DATE: January 20, 2006 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SUBJECT: Graffiti Neighborhood Watch Program Council Referral No. 1381 (Ward 6) Council Member Sullivan requested the Police Department present information regarding implementing a Neighborhood Watch Program at the Next Community Services Committee Meeting. The Graffiti reporting is a component of Neighborhood Watch. Crime Prevention Supervisor Karen Bennett has been contacted and confirmed the re-release of a public service announcement regarding graffiti and Neighborhood Watch. A staff member will attend the February 6th Community Services Meeting. RB/vrf p C ,#ORg fo �s'� BAKERSFIELD POLICE lip MEMORANDUM RY 11, c J'JF O1 RECEIVED TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: W. R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE ve JAN 25 2006 DATE: JANUARY 25, 2006 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SUBJECT: POLICE PATROL AT VALLEY PLAZA Council Referral No. 1372 (Ward 7) Council Member Scrivner requested the Police Department research the feasibility of providing an increased presence at Valley Plaza through the use of high visibility patrols, gang enforcement sweeps, continued beat officer assignments, mutual agency intelligence operations, and ongoing community awareness. Request the department provide the above without substantially impacting available resources. The Police Department continues to provide a presence at Valley Plaza through the use of a foot beat officer who reports to Valley Plaza to handle calls for service for several hours a week. Having the officer at valley Plaza during high call for service times reduces the need to dispatch field units to the Valley Plaza to handle petty theft and other calls associated with the various businesses. On January 19, 2006 our Crime Prevention personnel conducted a business watch meeting with Valley Plaza merchants and management to discuss a variety of issues impacting the mall. The Police Department is evaluating all available means of decreasing law enforcement problems at Valley Plaza. We will periodically sweep the plaza with our Special Enforcement Unit and will increase our uniformed presence through increased extra patrol with on-duty personnel, assigned to the area, across all shifts. Additional efforts will include Kern County Probation and State Parole to target prior offenders on parole or who have terms of probation and may be in violation of the conditions of those terms. This will be an on-going endeavor and will include the Valley Plaza's management team and a collaborative community awareness initiative. TDT/vrf