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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/09/2009 .Afr 4F vW B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council January 9, 2009 FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information 0 /ems 1. We are continuing to assess the damage caused by the State and the freeze on funds by the Pooled Money Investment Account board. Their actions have created delays for Mohawk, the Westside Parkway, Mesa Marin Park, the Kern River Restoration, and three housing projects. The total damage to us is near $138,793,070! In addition, the "freeze" is even in effect for contracts where work is already underway. It is unclear when or even if we will be reimbursed for those expenses. Our only choice is to use Traffic Impact Fees to pay the contracts, thus reducing our balance and flexibility from that source. Exact numbers are still being analyzed. Other contracts which should have been approved to get the projects ready have been put on hold. As a result, the startup time will be greater to activate these projects whenever the State finally gets its act together. 2. Construction on the Allen Rd. Bridge is progressing well. The first quarter of the bridge deck has been poured and the next quarter of the bridge deck is scheduled to be poured on Wednesday, January 14th. Roadway and sound wall work will continue in conjunction with the bridge work. Paving will start as soon as the temperatures are favorable for this operation. This project is scheduled to be complete on May 22"d. Photos of the progress are enclosed. 3. We are about 70% of the way through with the SR-178/Fairfax project and the contractor is about two months ahead of schedule. The sound wall and retaining walls along the north side of SR-178 are currently being constructed. The bridge superstructure is complete, with the barrier rails and lighting still to be completed. Initial paving of the freeway lanes and the on- and off-ramps has taken place east of the bridge, and additional paving west of the bridge is still to be done. Three quadrants of the interchange have the irrigation system installed and a majority of the landscape planted. To date the City has made progress payments in the amount of $17.2 million out of the original contract amount of$28.9 million. 4. Below is a progress update for each of our major park construction projects: Mill Creek: The Central Park (Phase 1) construction is nearing completion. The pedestrian bridge roof is roughly 80% completed with full completion expected by the end of January. The decorative lights and bollards are installed and functioning. Irrigation work is 95% complete and hydro-seeding is scheduled to take place at the end of March, which is necessitated by the weather. The remaining canal modification work for Phases 2, 4 & 5 was recently completed on December 31St and the canal is flowing once again. Everyone involved with this work deserves congratulations as completing the required Honorable Mayor and City Council January 9, 2009 Page 2 modification was challenging due to the compressed schedule we had to work with. Work will continue to complete the pedestrian crossings and install the park amenities for these phases. Photos of the progress are enclosed. Aera Park: Construction of Aera Park is underway with irrigation work ongoing and construction of the backstops taking place. In addition, construction of the restrooms and concession stand has begun and is scheduled to be complete in April of 2009. Sports Village: The Sports Village project is currently progressing with design and construction documents under development for the Phase 1 soccer complex. Bid advertisement is scheduled to take place in February or March of 2009, and the opening is still on schedule for 2010 Mesa Marin Sports Complex: The Mesa Marin Sports Complex was scheduled to have a Bid Opening on December 19, 2008. However, due to the recent freezing of bond funds contained in the State Pooled Money Investment Account (PMIA), the Bid Opening has been cancelled until we have greater clarity of when these funds will be available again. Kern River Upland and River Edge Restoration Project: This project is currently in the design phase but progress has stalled as the major funding source for this project is also held captive in the PMIA freeze. 5. 1 am pleased to announce the promotion of Ryan Starbuck to Public Works Traffic Engineer. Mr. Starbuck brings 14 years of experience to the job which includes over 10 years as a Civil Engineer III supervising traffic operations in the City's Traffic Engineering section. 6. The 4th Annual Polar Bear Plunge, which took place on New Year's Day at McMurtrey, had an increase of 62 participants this year. The total attendance for the event, including spectators, was 349. 7. The Economic and Community Development Department Activity Report from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 is enclosed 8. The Streets Division work schedule for the week of January 12th is enclosed. 9. Responses to Council requests are enclosed, as follows: Councilmember Benham • Clean up/Graffiti concerns at Bessie Owens School, and Councilmember Couch • Bright House Networks — Cable Service Problems. AT:rs:rk cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk Roberta Gafford,Assistant City Clerk General Information Memo — January 9, 2009 Progress of Construction at Allen Rd. Bridge n 1 1 I u -- General Information - • January • 2009 Progress of Construction at Allen • Bridge r i 01 /06i 2009. t?l3t12t�06 t3-21 e 4 1r tr lit lit bkmcie�albi7f�alilAi �l ���. " —• ke k k' 1i kf� M i ut{�i i�0" flint r t.?Pi iAfil Pri��lt� _f' ��t.rl,s. 11 n a r •tom o a 4F �>-Ali wow r.. r General Information _ • " Progress of Construction Creek •" r i y m i 101�.�7 , 0 110� B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul M. Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: January 5, 2009 SUBJECT: Recent Promotion — Public Works Department I am pleased to announce the promotion of Ryan Starbuck to Public Works Traffic Engineer. Mr. Starbuck brings 14 years of experience to the job which includes over 10 years as a Civil Engineer III supervising traffic operations in the City's Traffic Engineering section. Mr. Starbuck has a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and is both a Registered Professional Civil Engineer and a Registered Professional Traffic Engineer. During his tenure with the City, Mr. Starbuck has worked on a variety of traffic engineering projects including project management for the Traffic Operations Center, Signal Communication System, and Safe Route to School projects. His unique combination of education and extensive traffic operations experience make him well-qualified to assume the responsibilities of Traffic Engineer for the City of Bakersfield. ,°�N U B A K E R S F I E L D U Economic and Community Development Department M E M O R A N D U M January 9, 2009 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager- FROM: Donna Kunz, Economic Development Director SUBJECT: Economic and Community Development Department Activity Report from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS 1. 34th Street Streetscape — Phase I The city portion of this project has been completed and a maintenance district has been formed. Streetscape improvements between Union Avenue and "Q" Street include the installation of trees, shrubs, automatic irrigation and lights. In addition, special design features in the median will be installed by Memorial Hospital. The completion of the city's portion was completed to coincide with dedication of Memorial Hospital's new tower in January 2009. 2. Lowell Park Restroom Construction Project CDBG funds of $350,000 (FY 07-08) are available for design and construction of the restroom facilities to replace the existing deteriorated restrooms at Lowell Park located at 4th and "P" streets. Federal environmental review was completed in October 2007. The Recreation and parks Department is the lead department, and is working with PW in preparing the bid package by early 2009 and expect to begin the bidding process by February 2009. Project completion is anticipated by the end of the fiscal year. NON-PROFIT/PUBLIC FACILITY PUBLIC SERVICE PROJECTS The following various non-profit organizations are being financially assisted to improve the level of service for operating their public facilities. 1. Bakersfield Senior Center CDBG funds are used by this agency to maintain its current level of services, such as a hot lunch program, recreational programs, and entertainment to seniors in southeast and central Bakersfield. An agreement for 2008-2009 funding was approved by Council on November 5 for $65,000. The agency has expended 53% of that allocation. An amendment was approved by Council on December 17 to provide an additional $20,000 due to increased costs associated with operating the facility. SADEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 1 2. Bakersfield Homeless Center Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds are used by this agency for operational expenses such as staff, postage, telephone, utilities, insurance, equipment rental, and maintenance costs. An agreement for 2008-2009 funding was approved by Council on November 5 for $62,000. To date 0% of the funding has been requested by the agency. 3. Bakersfield Rescue Mission Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds are used by this agency for essential services and operation and maintenance expenses including staff costs. An agreement for 2008-2009 funding was approved by Council on November 5 for$62,000. The agency has submitted requests for 41% of the funding. 4. Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds are used by this agency for operation and maintenance expenses. An agreement for 2008-2009 funding was approved by Council on November 5 for $15,200. To date 0% of the funding has been requested by the agency. 5. Martin Luther King Jr Center Roof Replacement This project involves repairing the wooden deck if needed and replacing leaking roof sections A,B,C, and D at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center with a new R-19 multi-ply "cool" roof system to preserve the integrity of the interior of the center. Work is scheduled to begin on the project in February 2009 and estimated completion is in April 2009. HOUSING, ECONOMIC AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROJECTS The following private and non-profit organizations are being assisted by staff to acquire, develop or improve their housing and neighborhood/commercial facilities. 1. Southeast Bakersfield Infill Housing Project The City was awarded a $500, 000 CalHFA loan to build affordable housing on scattered lots in southeast Bakersfield. The RDA assumed all rights and obligations of the loan on February 26, 2003. Round four of the infill housing project began in Fall of 2006. The agreement period will be in place for two years and the contractor will be obligated to complete at least four homes within the two-year period. To date, seventeen new homes have been constructed. Hybrid has completed the construction of a home at 226 East 6th Street and has begun construction their third home located at 1213 Murdock Street. The anticipated completion date is March 2009. 2. Bakersfield College Foundation Construction Alliance for Student Achievement (CASA) Program The Redevelopment Agency approved the donation of three residential lots to Bakersfield College Foundation (BCF) to build infill affordable homes in the Southeast. The CASA program enhances job opportunities among low-income residents while assuring developers and construction firms have an adequate skilled labor pool to meet market demands for affordable housing. This activity addresses the demand for skilled S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 2 craftsmen/women in the construction field, and provides job training skills among minority populations of Bakersfield. The CASA program is participating in the Southeast Bakersfield Infill Housing Project. BCF took title to the lots located at 339 Brown, 124 Hayes and 301 Owens Streets in November, 2005. The 1 st home located at 339 Brown Street has been completed and sold to a low-income family. The 2nd home located at 124 Hayes Street was recently completed and is currently listed for sale. 3. Southeast Neighborhood Revitalization Project— (SE) Staff has developed a three-year comprehensive targeted neighborhood revitalization program. This program includes the addition of one dedicated Code Enforcement position, partial clerical support, equipment, and supplies to provide various code enforcement activities such as removal of junk cars and the demolition of substandard structures. The program focuses on a five-block area bounded by Brook Street to the south, Hale Street to the east, E. Planz Road to the north and Cottonwood Road to the west. Housing Programs currently available for low income residents not exceeding 120% of the area median income include a targeted owner-occupied housing, no interest-deferred rehabilitation loan to $40,000 per unit. Qualifying homeowners occupying substandard homes with clear title to their property may be eligible for down payment assistance up to $35,000 to purchase or construct a new home on their existing lot or purchase a manufactured home. A front porch grant program is also available to improve the appearance of the exterior of a residence. The maximum project cost cannot exceed $5,000 and the program requires a matching contribution of 10% of the total project cost from the applicant. In addition, the Redevelopment Agency approved a sewer grant program not to exceed $10,000 and a demolition grant up to $8,000. The program is funded with Southeast Tax Increment funds. Over the past year staff worked diligently with the property owner at 1818 Lewis Street to guide him through the application process in an effort to replace a dilapidated residence with numerous building code violations, health hazards and safety issues. The residence was scheduled to be condemned had staff not intervened. As of today the residence was demolished and the property owner qualified to purchase a new 1,240 square foot three bedroom two bath manufactured home that is scheduled to be installed within the next 10 days. Working with this property owner was one of the most difficult cases in the entire Filson Area Targeted Revitalization program. Another applicant recently closed escrow on the purchase of an existing property on Filson Street. Staff plans to send out flyers within the next month reminding the residents of the Housing Programs currently available for low income residents not exceeding 120% of the area median income. 4. Home Accessibility (HAI Grant Program The program offers grants of up to $3,500 for constructing accessibility improvements in privately or publicly owned structures for those clients who are physically challenged. This program aids low income physically challenged people who live within Bakersfield's city limits. Since March 2008, thirteen physically challenged households have been provided improvements such as wheelchair ramps, handicap toilets and grab bars. The Agreement S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 3 for 2007-2008 expired in September 2008. A new agreement for 2008-2009 went before Council on December 17, 2008 which includes a budget not exceeding $50,000. 5. West Columbus Affordable Housing Project - Residences at West Columbus On April 9t", 2008, staff sent out a Request for Proposal & Qualifications to four development Firm/Agencies to acquire and develop the 3.5 +/-acre residentially zoned site located at 500 West Columbus Avenue in Bakersfield, California. GEAHI-II was chosen by the City through an in-depth proposal evaluation and a follow-up developer interview. The current owner of the property (LINC Housing Corp.) is working closely with the City to transfer ownership of the property to the new tentative affordable housing developerwhich will be composed of the new LP with GEAHI-II as the managing partner (owner). Underwriting review of the proposed project is being conducted by city staff. A three party assignment, and HOME-CHDO project Agreement is scheduled for approval at the January 14th City Council meeting. The LP will be applying for low income tax credit financing and state financing to assist them with the design and project construction. The project name has recently been changed to the "Residences at West Columbus." Construction of the 56 unit project is expected to begin sometime in March 2009 and when complete, will primarily serve emancipated foster youth. 6. Tax Defaulted Properties Each year the County of Kern compiles a list of real properties for which property taxes have not been paid for a minimum of five years. Pursuant to the County selling these properties at auction, the City or Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency can object to the sale of the properties and purchase them for future public use. EDCD staff has been successful in gaining the right to purchase 23 properties over the past few years. The next tax sale should be held in February 2009. 7. The Parkview Cottages Housinq Project The City was awarded a $1.2 million HELP loan, which was used to acquire a portion of the old foundry site located at 21St and "R" streets. The project consists of 74 single-family housing units, ranging from 1,280 to 1,820 square feet. Each unit will be two stories and have a two/three car garage. One home is in escrow, twelve homes are ready for sale, home buyers currently occupy 30 units, and two units are models. Current market conditions and lack of mortgage financing options for low and moderate- income families have affected the ability to sell the homes. Staff increased the downpayment limits and the developer lowered the prices. A new local broker is aggressively marketing the homes on television and in the local pages. These efforts have increased sales activity to approximately 2-3 units per month. 8. Fair Housing During this quarter, 217 calls were received: 15 were substantial service calls dealing with fair housing issues and five complaints were filed; these are under review by both the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and city staff. Fair housing discrimination complaints and inquiries during this period were categorized by Race 20%, Familial Status 20%, Disability 20%, Religion 20%, and Other 20%. S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 4 9. Baker Street Revitalization Project (Old Town Kern Mixed Use Project) Foundation work and grading has been completed for Phase I of the project on the half block east of Baker Street south of Lake Street. When finished, this phase will include 24 three-story town homes, 13 residential lofts and 9,000 square feet of commercial space on Baker Street. The residential and commercial developments are for-sale units. Neighborhood type services are anticipated for the commercial space. Phase I should be completed by Summer 2009. The next three phases will include more residential and commercial units, and 41,000 square feet of new commercial space, such as a grocery store and pharmacy as possible key anchors. Total project value is approximately $35 million. 10. Mill Creek Linear Park Project Mill Creek Linear Park is a conceptual design of a 1.5 mile stretch of agricultural canal which is being transformed into a major recreational linear park with a "natural creek" and pedestrian corridor that will travel through the heart of downtown Bakersfield along the Kern Island Canal from Golden State to California Avenues. The over all theme of the project is focused on the late 1800's era with a historic flavor to include replicas of a covered bridge and mill house. The Redevelopment Agency received a $10,000,000 loan to provide financing for the project brining the total budget to date to $12.7 that will cover the segments between Golden State Avenue and 18th Street and from Truxtun to California adjacent to the South Millcreek Mixed use Project. Construction of elevated street crossings at 19th and 21 St streets and additional phase of the parkway have begun. At Central Park, the pond rail fence panels are in place and the pedestrian bridge has been installed. The next phases of the Millcreek Linear Park are currently underway. 11. Orphan Grant This project has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget. A grant from the State Water Resources Control Board paid for removing contaminated soil at the city- owned site at 1433 Union Avenue and backfilling the area with clean soil. 12. BEGIN Down Payment Assistance Program State grant funds of $1,560,000 were received from the Building Equity and Growth in Neighborhoods (BEGIN) Program from the California Department of Housing and Community Development(HCD). These funds will be used to provide mortgage assistance to 52 low income first-time homebuyer families interested in purchasing a home within a residential development near Ridgeview High School. Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is the affordable housing developerforthe 52 lots that will be receiving the BEGIN down payment assistance. The down payment assistance will be a 30 year(silent second) loan (deferred) at 1% simple interest up to $30,000. SHE has had considerable delays in delivering the 52 units. The primary delay with the program was the lack of administrative resources for SHE to deliver the mutual self-help building program. Another delay has been SHE's outreach/marketing efforts for qualifying families for this affordable housing project. SHE has completed nine of the 52 homes located on McKee Road. The future of this project is unknown due to the "freeze" of funds by the State of California. SADEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 5 13. South Mill Creek Mixed-Use The Mill Creek South Mixed-Use Project is a commercial and residential plan that will be approximately 10 acres and include a minimum of 80 units of affordable mid rise garden style affordable rental units, 35 market rate urban style upscale condominiums, and 65,000 square feet of commercial space for retail, restaurants, community events, and neighborhood services. The proposed project is located in the Southeast Redevelopment Project Area, alongside the southern tip of Mill Creek. The restaurants in the planned retail development will have outdoor patio seating overlooking Mill Creek, a 1 .5-mile stretch of agriculture canal, which is being redeveloped into a major recreational amenity with a white water look and will travel through the heart of downtown Bakersfield. The planned $60 million, 10 acre mixed-use project will replace a contaminated metal recycling business and auto repair and body shop. In addition, it will replace a dilapidated empty warehouse and a predominantly vacant commercial dilapidated building with several abandoned partial structures. In January of 2008, two firms; Chelsea Investments Corporation and Southwest Consulting Inc., were selected by the Redevelopment Agency for the development. Exclusive negotiating agreements were approved as Chelsea was selected for the development of 70 mid rise garden style affordable rental units and Southwest Consulting, Inc., for the development of 36 urban style upscale condominiums and 65,400 square feet of commercial space. In September 2008, the City Council and Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency approved the Disposition and Development Agreement with Chelsea Investment Corporation for the construction of 70 mid-rise garden style affordable rental units. Construction is anticipated to begin in July 2009 and be completed by August 2010. 14. South Millcreek Plaza Cinema Complex South Mill Creek Plaza is a mixed-use lifestyle, ground-up development on approximately 7 acres. The site is designed to accommodate a total of 89,000 square feet of space, featuring 28,000 sq. feet of entertainment related retail, restaurant space and a 61,000 square feet state of the art 16 screen, 2,600 seat multiplex cinema. Maya Cinemas North America, the developer, plans to develop the project south of Rabobank Arena and Convention Center, and south of the railroad tracks between California Avenue, "M" Street and the Kern Island Canal. Maya Cinemas North America and D.W. Sivers have acquired all the property necessary for the development of the $32 million dollar project and will take 24 months to construct and stabilize. The South Mill Creek Plaza will be a major factor in reducing blight in the area and will provide the Southeast Redevelopment Project Area with an anchor tenant that will be a catalyst for additional development along California Avenue. The ground breaking ceremony was held on July 29, 2008. Construction began on the Maya Cinema phase of the project in September 2008, with completion anticipated in the fall of 2009. In addition, construction on the 28,000 sq. feet of entertainment related retail, restaurant space is estimated to begin in March 2009, with completion by December 2009. 15. Village Park Senior Housing The Housing Authority of the County of Kern (HACK)through its non-profit Golden Empire Affordable housing Inc. (GEAHI) received $2 million in HOME New Construction monies S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 6 from the City of Bakersfield for the construction of affordable senior housing. The proposed project is the development of 60 units (56 one-bedroom units and 4 two- bedroom units) or senior housing in the Downtown Redevelopment Project Area, at the corner of 24th and R Streets. This is GEAHI's second low-income housing tax credit project downtown near 24th and R Streets and will be rented to persons at or below 60% of the area median income. The funds will be used for the construction of the senior housing units as HACK already owns the project property. The total cost for the project is approximately $12 million and will be built adjacent to the Park Place Senior Housing Project, 80 units of senior housing. The City's assistance will be in the form of a loan — 3% simple interest (residual receipts loan rate)over a 55 year period. The remainder of funds for the senior housing project will come from various other state and private funding sources. Project is underway and completion is estimated by no later than spring of 2009. 16. King Square Family Apartments KSA Partners received $850,000 in HOME funds to construct a $14M ± 72-unit family apartment complex at 1601 Lotus Lane. This is a low-income housing tax credit project. The Developer expects to receive$9.3 ± million in tax credit funding, $2.3± million in private long term financing, and $1.5 ± million deferred developer's fee in addition to the $850,000 in HOME funding. A Council action approving the HOME project agreement with KSA Partners occurred February 7, 2007. Construction started in March of 2007. Project was completed late 2008. 17. McDonald Way Sewer Connection Project A construction contract was awarded in May 2007 to HPS Mechanical for septic tank abandonment and hook-ups. Staff has been receiving and processing applications from qualified residents. To date, 31 applications ± have been awarded SCG funds with 1 application being awarded during this reporting period. Additionally another 20 applications are in various stages of approval. Low-income families in the area may qualify for CDBG assistance to connect to the sewer, once it is completed. It is anticipated that this grant amount can be as much as $20,000/connection for eligible applicants. The grant will only be available to low income homeowner occupants. This program will be phased over two fiscal years and will end on April 1, 2009. Total funding for the project consists of $450,000 FY 05-06 CDBG funds with an additional allocation of $400,000 for FY08-09. 18. Graffiti Removal Program - Citywide CDBG funds are used to assist in graffiti removal in low- and moderate-income areas throughout the city, primarily in wards 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. Graffiti removal has been budgeted for the funding year 2008/2009 the amount of $200,000. To date 0% of the funding has been used. S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 7 19. Quantico/Madison Affordable Housing Rehab Project The apartments are located at 1885 Madison Street and owned and operated by Mercy Housing California. HUD(HOME) and TI Funds will be used to benefit about 56 units. City funds in the amount of$450,000 will be used for exterior renovation, on—site improvements and tenant based rental assistance. About$350,000 (TI funds)will be used for exterior and interior rehabilitation and $100,000 (HOME funds)for Tenant Based Rental Assistance to benefit five households(at risk homeless families). A draft Owners Participation Agreement (OPA) using TI funds ($350,000) has been drafted and is under review by Mercy Housing. Construction of the project is anticipated to start by spring of 2009. 20. _Casa Loma Park — Wet Play Area Project Improvements to include wet playground equipment consisting of a circulation pump, filtration system, and concrete base for a county-owned park located at 493 East Casa Loma Drive within the City. The total budget for this project is $500,000.The Council approved an amendment activity to the FY 2007-08 Action Plan in the amount of$375,000 last fall and the remaining $125,000 the County will use park Bond money. The County's Park and Recreation Department will construct the improvements and own and operate them upon completion. The agreement will go before the County on January 6, 2009 and will go before the City Council on January 28, 2009. Construction is expected to start in mid March 2009. Construction should be completed by mid June 2009. 21. Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens CDBG funds of$300,000 (FY 07-08)are available for a social entrepreneurial non-profit to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate a commercial/industrial training facility for a special economic development activity. The proposed multi-million $ project is to be located at the Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens(BARC)training facility on 2240 South Union Avenue it will be a 30,800 ± sq. ft., pre-fabricated steel frame metal building with about 40,000 sq.ft. asphalt paving to be used as a: 1) recycling facility, or 2) internet orderfacility, or a 3) pallet manufacturing facility. The County also has about$300,000 of CDBG funds earmarked for this activity. A minimum of 40 jobs to be created with the total ($600,000) HUD assistance with at least 22 positions or 51% of the jobs to be created earmarked for low income job seeking residents. The project agreement between the City, County and the non-profit has been executed by all parties. EDCD staff in conjunction with the County and BARC have met to discuss the project management and a Notice to Proceed was jointly issued by November. BARC will be the lead agency for this activity and started construction December 2008. Project completion is anticipated by no later than the end of the fiscal year. 22. 19th Street Plaza This proposed mixed use project adjacent to the Mill Creek Linear Park would include office, commercial, and residential space. The developer envisions approximately 35,000 square feet of office and commercial space with a restaurant in a four level building adjacent to the canal; 67 one and two-bedroom units of affordable senior rental housing in a three story structure; a 3,000 square foot food court; and an 80 space parking garage. The RDA has entered into a Disposition and Development Agreement with Southwest Consulting, Inc., to build the project on approximately 2.5 acres of vacant land east of the canal between 18th Street and 19th Street, 501 -19th Street. Engineering and architectural plans have been developed and are in review. S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 8 23. Boys and Girls Club of Kern County Renovation of this existing facility at 801 Niles Street will involve improvements to the roof, ceiling panels, air conditioning, and gym floor. The target date for completion is December 2009. Staff is currently working on an agreement for this agency's request of$40,000 and is awaiting reply from the agency to complete the agreement. 24. Acquisition & Relocation — Catholic Charities This project will involve acquiring the parcel located at 525 - 18th Street and relocating the tenant, Catholic Charities. $400,000 of CDBG funds were approved in the FY08/09 Action Plan. An amendment to the Action Plan for an additional $281,578 was approved by the City Council at their July 30, 2008 meeting. The site then will be converted into park space in connection with the Mill Creek Linear Park Project. Target date for completion is Winter 2009. 25. Habitat for Humanity— 1812 Filson On May 5, 2008, the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency approved an agreement to sell a vacant parcel located at 1812 Filson Street to Habitat. This parcel was purchased by the Agency through a tax default sale. Habitat for Humanity volunteers and the prospective new homeowner will begin construction on the home in September. The completed home will then be relocated to the Filson Street address. This parcel is also located within the 5- block Southeast Targeted Neighborhood program area. The home is expected to be completed by March 2009 and a family should be occupying the home by April 2009. 26. E. California Avenue Property On May 7th, 2008 The City of Bakersfield Economic and Community Development Department posted a Request for Proposal & Qualifications on The City of Bakersfield's EDCD webpage to acquire and develop the 2.69 +/- acre commercially zoned parcel on East California Ave. between S. Owens Street and S. Robinson Street. Postcards were sent to potential participants for notification of the City's Request for Proposal and Qualifications. The RFP/Q was circulated for a 45 day period and the deadline for submittals was June 20, 2008. One proposal was received from Becker Commercial Properties in conjunction with Grubb & Ellis ASU & Associates. However, Becker Commercial was unsuccessful in procuring tenants for the development and decided to withdraw their proposal. The Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce has shown interest in the property and is currently reviewing the RFP/Q. The Chamber's President along with a partnering developer will evaluate the feasibility of a potential development and will consider submitting a proposal to the department by March 2009. 27. Green Gardens II Golden Empire Affordable Housing, Inc., II (GEAHI-II) is requesting $600,000 in HOME funds from the City of Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency. The funds would be used for the development of a new 24 unit permanent supportive housing complex designated for chronically homeless individuals. The housing will consist of 24 - 412 sq. ft. one-bedroom units. Total project cost is estimated at approximately$4.4 million and will utilize various funding sources. S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 9 The project is located at 2300 S. Union Ave., approximately at the northeast corner of the intersection of Union Avenue and White Lane. The project encompasses approximately 2.01 acres and is located in the Southeast Bakersfield Redevelopment Area. The City is currently reviewing the application from the Housing Authority of The County of Kern and the NEPA review for the project is nearing completion. Project construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in March 2009. 28. Friendship House — Community Action Partnership of Kern Community Action Partnership of Kern requested $247,342 for improving the outdoor sports complex located on the Friendship House Community Center property at 2424 Cottonwood Road while $3,039,000 has been secured from the State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation. This project was reconsidered and funding identified from year end closings and savings. This project was included in Amendment # 3 FY 07/08 Action Plan. The NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review is underway. The agreement is expected to go before Council in early 2009, with construction completion by end of the 2009 calendar year. S:\DEBBIE'S\EDCD Activity Reports\2nd Quarter Update 2008-09.doc 10 Page 1 of 2 STREETS DIVISION — WORK SCHEDULE WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2009 — JANUARY 16, 2009 Resurfacing/Reconstructing streets in the following areas: Reconstructing streets in the area between Club View Drive and Sanders Lane, east of Ashe Road. Miscellaneous Streets Division projects: Working on the Mill Creek project. Working on the Aera Park project. THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Week of January 12-2009—Work Schedule Page 2 of 2 STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, January 12, 2009 Between So. "H" Street and Union Avenue — Pacheco Road to Hosking Road. Between Stockdale Highway and Truxtun Avenue Extension — Coffee Road to Partridge Avenue. Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Between Highway 99 and So. "H" Street — Ming Avenue to Panama Lane. All cul-de-sacs on the north side of Magdalena Avenue, west of So. "H" Street. Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Streets within the City Limits in the area between Brundage Lane and Ming Avenue — So. "H" Street to Union Avenue. Streets within the City Limits in the area between Wilson Road and Pacheco Road — So. "H" Street to Union Avenue. Between Casa Loma Drive and Planz Road — Madison Avenue to Cottonwood Drive. Between Planz Road and Brook Street — Madison Avenue to Hale Street. Thursday, January 15, 2009 Streets within the City Limits in the area between Stockdale Highway and Ming Avenue — Ashe Road to Gosford Road. Between El Portal/Laurelglen Blvd. and Ashe Road — Ming Avenue to So. Halfmoon/Olympia Drive. Between Ashe Road and Stine Road — Ming Avenue to So. Half moon/Edge mount Drive. Between Coffee Road and Wilson Road extension — White Lane to So. Halfmoon/Olympia Dr. Friday, January 16, 2009 Between Stockdale Highway and Ming Avenue — Allen Road to Old River Road. Between Old River Road and Coffee Road — Ming Avenue to Ridge Oak/NVestwold Drive. Between Ridge Oak/Westwold Drive and White Lane — Old River Road, east to the PG&E easement. Between White Lane and Asperata Drive — Gosford Road, west to the PG&E easement. Between White Lane and Cedarwood Drive — Stine Road to Wilson Road extension. Week of January 12_2009_Work Schedule 0 S A K E R S F I E L D CITY OF BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT — MEMORANDUM Al", Q TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: January 6, 2009 SUBJECT: CLEAN UP/GRAFFITI CONCERNS AT BESSIE OWENS SCHOOL Referral No. 48 COUNCILMEMBER BENHAM REFERRED CORRESPONDENCE FROM RAMON CAMACHO REGARDNG CONCERNS OF GRAFFITI AND SIDEWALKS/STORMDRAINS NEEDED TO BE CLEANED TO STAFF AND REQUESTED STAFF PREPARE A LETTER FOR HER SIGNATURE EXPLAINING WHAT ACTION THE CITY IS TAKING AND THANK HIM FOR NOTIFYING HER. Traffic Engineering will contact the school to determine whether or not the signs in question are still in use. If they are no longer needed, the signs will be removed. If they are still in use, they will be replaced with new signs. Staff will look at the storm line that goes from the catch basin to the main storm line to determine if the main line can handle more capacity Since the flooding caused dirt to accumulate on the sidewalk, the sidewalk will be cleaned by City staff. The School District is responsible for planting and maintaining trees in the park way. As a courtesy, staff will forward Mr. Camacho's concerns to them. Attached is a letter from Councilmember Benham to Mr. Camacho in response to his concerns. G:\GROUPDAT\Refen-als\2008\12-17\#48 Graffiti Bessie Owens.doc z 0 X00100-Z..- B A K E R S F I E L. T C A L I F O R N I A F �"£ January 6, 2009 I Mr. Ramon Camacho 815 Chico Street CITYCOUNCIL I Bakersfield, Ca 93305 J Harvey L.Hall Mayor Dear Mr. Camacho: Harold W.Hanson Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. City staff has reviewed Vice-Mayor them and will be addressin Wards g your concerns as follows. Irma Carson Traffic Engineering will contact the school and if the signs are no longer needed Ward] they will be removed. If the signs are still needed, they will be replaced with new ones. Susan M.Benham Ward When Curb gutter and sidewalks were installed the storm line was not replaced. Ken Weir However, the Streets Division will be looking at the storm line on the two catch Ward basins on Beale Avenue to determine if the main storm line can handle more capacity. David Couch Ward 4 It is the responsibility of a property owner to maintain the sidewalk in a safe Jacquie Sullivan condition, as per sections #5610 to #5614.1 of the State of California Street and Ward 6 Highways Code. But, since the dirt on the sidewalk was caused by the recent flooding, the Streets Division will be assigning a crew to clean the sidewalk. In Zack Scrivner the future it would be up to the school or the school district to maintain the Ward 7 sidewalk. It is the School District's responsibility to plant and maintain trees along the parkway in front of the school. As a courtesy, City staff will forward your concerns to them on this issue. I hope your concerns have been addressed. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours Truly, Sue Benham Councilmember, Ward 2 1501 Truxtun Avenue•Bakersfield,California 93301 •(661)326-3767•Fax(661)323-3780 s B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM January 8, 2009 TO: Alan TandyyCity, Manager FROM: � Rhonda Srtrfl"ey, Assistant to the City Manager SUBJECT: Bright House Networks — Cable Service Problems Council Referral #45 Councilmember Couch requested staff look into the complaints of cable service problems with Bright House Networks. At the December 17th, 2008 City Council meeting, Councilmember Couch requested that staff investigate various problems being experienced by Bright House Networks cable television customers, as a result of the concerns described by their customers, Jayme R. Seeger. Attached is a detailed report from Bright House explaining the reasons for the technical issues and the efforts they are making to correct the various problems that have been reported by their subscribers, including those described by Ms. Seeger. The division president of Bright House indicates they are making significant progress in resolving the technical issues, but he acknowledges that there are still problems which they are diligently working on, and he encourages all customers who are having problems to please report them, as each case is unique and needs to be addressed individually. With regard to the particular complaints brought forward by Ms. Seeger, Bright House's Vice President of Engineering and several technicians visited her residence to troubleshoot her issues in December. They did find a loose connection that appeared to be a significant contributor to the problem. It was repaired, and the latest software was applied to her converter box. In addition, they left her with a DVR, so she could record any issues if she saw them. Bright House staff contacted Ms. Seeger this week, and she indicated that she is still experiencing problems and will get back to them with further details. The division president has indicated that his staff will continue to work with her to correct the source of the problems. Referral Response#45 Bright House Networks—Cable Service Problems January 8, 2009 Page 2 Staff will continue to communicate with Bright House management regarding Ms. Seeger's problems, as well as the broader technical problems that many customers are experiencing throughout Bright House's service area. We will update you as we receive more information from them on the results of their efforts to solve the problems. :rks Attachment 3701 North Sillect Avenue Joseph R. Schoenstein Bakersfield, CA 93308 Division President Tel (661) 634-2260 Bakersfield Division Fax (661) 395-3378 bright house NETWORKS January 5, 2009 Rhonda Smiley Public Information Officer City of Bakersfield 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Fifth Floor Bakersfield, CA 93301 Dear Ms. Smiley: Over the course of the past few months, Bright House Networks has experienced some unusual technical issues that have impacted some of our customers. I appreciate the opportunity to provide both yourself and the City Council some background information about these issues. Our priority at Bright House Networks is to provide outstanding customer service. Unfortunately, the issues that have been bedeviling us recently have left many customers disappointed.The issues fall into three categories: Terrestrial Interference Bright House Networks has invested millions of dollars in upgrading our plant and infrastructure over the past several years. Recently we have experienced some issues with terrestrial interference with the reception of our signals from one particular satellite. The channels impacted included Fox News Channel, Lifetime, Speed, Golf, the Encore Movie channels, HGTV, Food and the California Channel.This external interference has been random in nature and, unfortunately, out of our control. I can report that it has affected more cable systems than just Bright House Networks. In an effort to isolate the root cause, we have been in contact with four cable systems in the area:Time Warner Cable in Barstow; Charter in Porterville; Comcast in Coalinga; and Suddenlink in Bishop.These cable systems, along with our stand-alone system in Avenal, all experienced this same kind of terrestrial interference on the same channels during the same time frame.The FCC was engaged in mid-November to help us isolate the problem, as it appears someone is using a frequency they should not be on. Further, a firm that specializes in tracking this type of issue has also been engaged. The interference typically started around 5 PM and stopped around 8 PM. It went on for several weeks, and then stopped. It has reappeared only intermittently recently. We will continue to work with the FCC and the other cable operators to locate the source of this interference and get it stopped once and for all. Converter Box Related Issues Some of the issues we have had recently trace back to the converter boxes we have deployed in the field. These issues include audio fade and/or no audio as well as freezing. As you are aware, Bright House Networks partners with credible national vendors including Scientific Atlanta (now owned by Cisco).As soon as these problems began emerging, we engaged our vendors and have been able to isolate several issues. The vendors developed software "patches" to resolve some of these problems. We have seen a significant decrease in these issues, but continue to have constant monitoring not only here with our local Bright House Network engineering team, but also in our vendor laboratories.Additional "patches" are in testing now, and we are hopeful they will provide further relief. Recently acquired Suddenlink system As the City is aware, Bright House Networks completed the acquisition of the Suddenlink cable system in July of 2007. We have been diligently working to upgrade the newly acquired cable plant to support all of the advanced services Bright House Networks offers including Digital home phone service and On Demand channels. The physical transition of this system has taken the better part of the year.There have been significant improvements and upgrades made to the Suddenlink cable plant, fiber and overall infrastructure to allow the launch of these popular interactive services including My Account on Demand, Movies on Demand, popular new High Definition channels and upwards of 23 Free on Demand channels. Because of the magnitude and thoroughness required of these efforts, this project has taken longer than we would have liked and caused greater disruptions of service; however, we have proactively communicated with customers including multiple automated informational calls. We are pleased to report that we are not only coming to completion of this project, but also have been able to increase the availability of services to customers and also increase our cable plant reliability going forward. Additionally, we are utilizing frequencies in these homes that have not been used before, and this can expose problems with the wiring in the home, including loose fittings and/or poor quality or cracked cables, which require a service call to identify and repair. In summary, we are aware that these technical issues exist and we have committed a significant amount of both local and corporate resources to find resolution as quickly as possible.Those resources will continue to be focused on these issues until they are fully resolved.We are confident that we are making good progress toward that end. In the meantime, if customers have concerns they should be encouraged to contact us so that we can troubleshoot their particular issues. As you can see from the above, there is no single smoking gun or fix. Each case is different. On a related note, you will be pleased to hear that we continue to make it easier for our customers to interact with us. Over the last year, we have expanded our local customer service phone hours by an additional 15 hours per week, extending our hours from 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Monday—Friday for customer convenience. In addition, the appointment times for service calls have been narrowed down to as low as a one-hour window. We continue to work diligently to schedule as many service calls in tighter windows as possible. Thank you for the opportunity to address these concerns. We remain committed to delivering the highest quality service, and are confident we'll have these issues tackled shortly. Please let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Joe Schoenstein Division President