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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/06/2012 OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER January 6, 2012 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT/ch SUBJECT: General Information Redevelopment News • The recent State Supreme Court decision upholding the legislature’s abolishment of redevelopment statewide initiated a lengthy and tedious process which includes the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency and its board. The Agency will most likely hold a special meeting in the near future to act on various items as required by the state law, but regular meetings of the Agency have likely ended. In light of this, we want to thank our ‘current’ and former Agency members for the many hours each have contributed in bettering our community through redevelopment. Additionally, special recognition is in order for our current Agency members who have made tough and significant decisions regarding local redevelopment over the past years. Thanks go out to: Mr. Fred Prince (Agency Member since 2003) Mr. Phillip Bentley (Agency Member since 2004) Mr. Larry Koman (Agency Member since 2006) Mr. Larry Pickett (Agency Member since 2008) Mr. James Knapp (Agency Member since 2009) Mr. Danny Ordiz (Agency Member since 2006) Mr. Neil Sidhu (Agency Member since 2011) • In light of the decision, the League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association are attempting to talk the legislature into extending the deadline to dissolve redevelopment agencies from Feb. 1st to April 1st. In addition, discussion among the “Big 10” (the 10 largest cities in California – including Bakersfield) is focused on ensuring that payment of redevelopment debt will be protected and the possibility of re-creating Honorable Mayor and City Council General Information January 6, 2012 Page 2 acceptable to the Governor. We expect these concepts will continue to evolve; we will keep you apprised as new information becomes available. Miscellaneous News  Governor Brown released a first glance at his proposed budget this week. Although it does not seem to suggest takes from local jurisdictions, it does peg the State’s deficit at $9.2 – nearly $4 million less than the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office recently estimated. The figures rely upon a collection of tax increases to be placed on the November ballot and be approved by voters. As in the past, the State’s final adopted budget rarely seems to resemble the budget proposed by the Governor very early in the process. It should also be pointed out that it sometimes takes weeks of analysis to find issues that may impact us. An article is enclosed. High Speed Rail News  A report issued this week by the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group echoes many of the statements made by various groups concerned with the High Speed Rail Project and its management. Specifically, the report recommends the Legislature not approve roughly $2.7 billion in bond funds, which would be matched by about $3.5 billion in federal dollars to begin building the first phase of the project. The group, comprised of appointed and at large members, was created under Proposition 1A to analyze for lawmakers the feasibility of building and financing the project. An article providing additional insight is enclosed.  We have finally been contacted by the Authority on a very preliminary basis about our draft EIR comments. At this point mostly to say they will meet with us in the future. TRIP News  Motorists traveling on Allen Road next week (in the vicinity of the Westside Parkway construction) should watch for flaggers and be prepared to stop for crossing truck traffic. The contractor for Westside Parkway Phase 6a will be moving the remaining dirt required for this phase of construction from Tuesday, January 10th through Thursday, January 12th between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. A news release is enclosed.  The City of Bakersfield and the Thomas Roads Improvement Program (TRIP) invite the media and the public to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the Allen Road/Westside Parkway Interchange on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 3 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the future Honorable Mayor and City Council General Information January 6, 2012 Page 3 interchange site on Allen Road, between Brimhall Road and Stockdale Highway. This phase of the Westside Parkway will construct the bridge for Allen Road to cross over the Westside Parkway as well as the Westside Parkway connecting ramps to and from the east, retaining walls and sound walls. A news release is enclosed. Event Schedule There are multiple public event scheduled for the next week at City facilities:  Bakersfield Condors Hockey Jan 6, 7 & 13th; 7 p.m. Rabobank Arena Tickets: $8-$25  Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever Jan 13th ; 4 p.m. & 7 p.m. Rabobank Theater Tickets: $18-$50 Reports For your information, we enclose the following information:  The Streets Division work schedule for the week beginning Jan 2nd; and  A letter from Bright House Networks regarding changes to its programming. AT:rs:ch cc: Department Heads Roberta Gafford, City Clerk advertisement | your ad here Back to Article High-speed rail shouldn't be funded, report says Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Sacramento -- The Legislature should refuse to authorize billions of dollars in bond spending for the first phase of California's high-speed rail project, a peer review group advising lawmakers on the rail plan concluded in a report Tuesday. The group, commissioned under Proposition 1A to analyze for lawmakers the feasibility of building and financing the bullet train system that would connect Northern and Southern California, reiterated concerns it and others have raised about the nearly $100 billion project, including inadequate future funding. The report recommends the Legislature not approve about $2.7 billion in bond funds, which would be matched by about $3.5 billion in federal dollars to begin building the first phase of the project in the Central Valley. Those federal dollars are contingent on that phase being finished by late 2017. "We cannot overemphasize the fact that moving ahead on the (high-speed rail) without credible sources of adequate funding, without a definitive business model, without a strategy to maximize the independent utility and value to the state, and without the appropriate management resources, represents an immense financial risk on the part of the state of California," wrote Will Kempton, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group. Kempton is the former director of Caltrans and now leads the Orange County Transportation Authority. Officials at the California High-Speed Rail Authority had strong negative reactions to the report, calling it a "narrow, inaccurate and superficial assessment" in a letter to lawmakers responding to the peer review. Thomas Umberg, chairman of the rail authority board, said, "What is most unfortunate about this report is not its analytical deficiency, but that it would create a cloud over the program that threatens not only federal support but also the confidence of the private sector necessary for them to invest their dollars." Budget question It's not clear whether Gov. Jerry Brown will include funding in his next budget proposal for the initial stretch of track, an approximately 130-mile section from Fresno to Bakersfield. The governor is expected to release his spending plan next week. He could request the Legislature to approve the funding prior to the budget deadline of June 30, but delays into future years could put the federal funding in jeopardy. During an end-of-the-year interview with reporters last week, Brown strongly defended the state moving Printable version: High-speed rail shouldn't be funded, report sayshttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/BAKF1M... 1 of 2 1/4/2012 5:48 PM © 2012 Hearst Communications Inc. | Privacy Policy | Feedback | RSS Feeds | FAQ | Site Index | Contact forward with high-speed rail. "I believe California is a leader. It's a leader in energy. It's a leader in medical research. It's a leader in venture capital and I'd also like to see it be the leader in high speed rail," he said. The governor went on to say, "Spain, China, Japan, France, Germany - all these countries can afford it. California, I believe, can." Brown's spokesman, Gil Duran, said in a statement Tuesday, "The peer review report will be evaluated by the Legislature, but it does not appear to add any arguments that are new or compelling enough to suggest a change in course." Lawmakers, who reconvene today for their annual session, will hold hearings on the high-speed rail plan over the next few months. Robin Swanson, spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, said the report was not a "game changer" in terms of whether the Legislature would approve funding for high-speed rail, but said the report would receive appropriate consideration. "It doesn't seem to raise any new questions, but they're all valid questions that deserve to be vetted out," Swanson said. Business plan The peer review group raised a number of concerns, but the most significant were about how the project ultimately would be paid for and the lack of a final business plan that includes things like ridership and timing of construction for phases of the project. State voters approved nearly $10 billion in bond funding in 2008 for the project and estimates for the total cost have continued to increase, more than doubling to a current estimate of nearly $100 billion. The federal government has dedicated $3.5 billion to the project, but the remainder has yet to be secured. State Sen. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale (Butte County), has been an outspoken critic of the project and its escalating costs. He said he would submit a bill for consideration today to have another public vote on the plan, given its increased cost and more specific details on the route and other parts of the project. He called the peer review group's report a "devastating blow" to the project and predicted that the Legislature would not fund it this year. "I think the Legislature would see such a backlash from angry constituents around the state if they continue to push forward with spending on this," LaMalfa said. E-mail Wyatt Buchanan at wbuchanan@sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/BAKF1MKFOG.DTL This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle Printable version: High-speed rail shouldn't be funded, report sayshttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/BAKF1M... 2 of 2 1/4/2012 5:48 PM ON POLITICS IN THE GOLDEN STATE Jerry Brown proposes deep cuts to schools if voters reject tax plan January 5, 2012 | 1:29 pm Gov. Jerry Brown's 2012 budget calls for $4.8 billion in cuts to public schools if voters reject the tax increases he is trying to place on the November ballot. The budget, which says the state faces a $9.2-billion deficit, was erroneously released online Thursday, several days before the governor was due to roll it out. His office was scrambling to arrange an early-afternoon news conference to discuss it. The Times obtained a copy of the document. It paints a better fiscal picture than just a year ago, when the state faced a $26-billion deficit. Brown's budget anticipates closing the current gap through a combination of spending cuts and the tax increases, which would kick in at year's end, providing $4.4 billion in revenue. Even if those tax increases pass, the governor proposes slashing welfare by nearly $1 billion and Medi-Cal by $842 million, as well as making other reductions in education. Should the tax initiative be rejected, the additional education cuts would kick in. Those reductions are the equivalent of three weeks of the school year, the document says. A majority of the Legislature needs to approve the budget before it becomes a reality. Democrats who control the Capitol say they don't want to make additional cuts until they get new revenue estimates in May, in case the economy continues to improve and erases more of the deficit. ALSO: Students sample the large shelf of California literature Mandarin immersion program flourishes at L.A. school Gov. Jerry Brown says he will increase education funding -- Anthony York and Nicholas Riccardi in Sacramento Photo: California Gov. Jerry Brown. Credit: Steve Yeater / Associated Press LOCAL Jerry Brown proposes deep cuts to schools if voters reject tax plan - latim...http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/01/jerry-brown-... 1 of 4 1/6/2012 8:57 AM Thomas Roads Improvement Program 900 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 200, Bakersfield, California 93301 Telephone: (661) 326-3700 • Fax: (661) 852-2195 Managed by the City of Bakersfield in cooperation with County of Kern • California Department of Transportation www.Bakersfieldfreeways.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Janet Wheeler January 6, 2012 TRIP Public Information (661) 326-3491 Traffic Advisory Increased truck traffic on Allen Road Motorists traveling on Allen Road next week (in the vicinity of the Westside Parkway construction) should watch for flaggers and be prepared to stop for crossing truck traffic. The contractor for Westside Parkway Phase 6a will be moving the remaining dirt required for this phase of construction from Tuesday, January 10, 2012 through Thursday, January 12, 2012 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Trucks will be crossing Allen Road just north of the recently-opened detour. Traffic delays of up to five minutes should be anticipated. Motorists are advised to stay alert while traveling through this area, and to watch for construction equipment and personnel. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience this work causes the traveling public. For additional information on the Westside Parkway project, please visit our website at www.BakersfieldFreeways.us. # # # Thomas Roads Improvement Program 900 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 200, Bakersfield, California 93301 Telephone: (661) 326-3700 • Fax: (661) 852-2195 Managed by the City of Bakersfield in cooperation with County of Kern • California Department of Transportation www.Bakersfieldfreeways.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Janet Wheeler January 06, 2012 TRIP Public Information (661) 326-3491 Groundbreaking ceremony scheduled Allen Road/Westside Parkway Interchange The City of Bakersfield and the Thomas Roads Improvement Program (TRIP) invite the media and the public to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the Allen Road/Westside Parkway Interchange on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 3 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the future interchange site on Allen Road, between Brimhall Road and Stockdale Highway. This phase of the Westside Parkway will construct the bridge for Allen Road to cross over the Westside Parkway as well as the Westside Parkway connecting ramps to and from the east, retaining walls and sound walls. The interchange is expected to take about one year to complete and is expected to be operational when the other phases of the Westside Parkway open in late 2012. For additional information, call Janet Wheeler at (661) 326-3491 or visit the TRIP website at bakersfieldfreeways.us. # # # Week of Jan 9_2012_Work Schedule Page 1 of 2 STREETS DIVISION – WORK SCHEDULE Week of Jan. 9, 2012 – Jan. 13, 2012 Resurfacing/Reconstructing streets in the following areas: Reconstructing streets in the area south of Planz Rd and west of Wible Rd (weather permitting) Miscellaneous Streets Division projects: Video inspection of City owned Sewer & Storm lines to evaluate condition of pipes Repairing Curb & Gutters at Bus Stops in various areas Crack Sealing on Chester Ave north of 30th St. to River Bridge (weather permitting) Crack Sealing on “H” St from California Ave to Brundage Ln (weather permitting) THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Week of Jan 9_2012_Work Schedule Page 2 of 2 STREETS SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, Jan. 9, 2011 Between So. “H” St. & Union Avenue – Pacheco Rd. & Hosking Rd. Between Stockdale Hwy. & Truxtun Ave. (ext.) – Coffee Rd & Partridge Ave. Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2011 Between 99 Hwy. & So. “H” St. – Ming Ave. & Panama Ln. Cul-De-Sacs on the north side of Magdelena Ave., west of So. “H” St. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2011 City areas between Brundage Ln. & Ming Ave. – So. “H” St. & Union Ave. City areas between Wilson Rd. & Pacheco Rd. – So. “H” St. & Union Ave. Between Casa Loma Dr. & Planz Rd. – Madison Ave. & Cottonwood Dr. Between Planz Rd. & Brook St. – Madison Ave. & Hale St. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2011 Between Carr St. & California Ave. – Mohawk St. & Stockdale Hwy. Between Stockdale Hwy. & Marella Wy. – California Ave. & Montclair St. Between La Mirada Dr. & Chester Ln. – Montclair St. & No. Stine Rd. Between California Ave. (ext.) & Stockdale Hwy. – No. Stine Rd. & 99 Hwy. Between Stockdale Hwy. & Ming Ave. – New Stine Rd. & Ashe Rd. Between Mountain Ridge Dr. & Ashe Rd. – Taft Hwy. & Berkshire Rd. Friday, Jan. 13, 2011 Between Ming Ave. & White Ln. – Buena Vista Rd & Old River Rd. Between Stine Rd. & 99 Hwy. – Ming Avenue & Adidas. Between Panama Ln. & Birkshire Rd. – Gosford Rd. & Stine Rd. NOTE: If raining, there will be no street sweeping service and all street cleaning personnel will be assigned to cleaning plugged drains and part circle culverts.