HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/02/2012
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
March 2, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT /ch
SUBJECT: General Information
Miscellaneous News
• As part of the ongoing Streetscape Improvement Project on Q Street,
crews will begin construction operations at the intersection of Truxtun
Avenue and Q Street on Monday March 5 th . During this phase of
construction, traffic will be restricted to one lane in all directions on both Q
Street and on Truxtun Avenue. This will result in traffic delays, so drivers are
urged to use alternate routes. A n ews release from Public Works is
enclosed.
• The Convention and Visitors Bureau announced this week that Adventist
Health, the parent company of Bakersfield’s San Joaquin Community
Hospita l (SJCH), will hold its 2012 Western Regional Marketing and Business
Development Conference in Bakersfield October 22 – 23. More than 80
Adventist Health employees from its four state Western Region will be
traveling to Bakersfield for this conference alon g with other Adventist
Health representatives from Ohio and Florida. A news release is enclosed.
• The Stockton City Council voted on Tuesday to enter mediation with its
creditors. This is the first step to help avoid bankruptcy for the City. The City
has a projected deficit for next fiscal year of between $20 million and $38
million. The housing boom and subsequent bust, mounting debt and
perpetually rising labor costs have forced the C ity to seek the financial
relief. An article is enclosed.
• As a reminder, I will be out of the office Monday, March 5 th . Steve Teglia
will be in charge and the office will have my contact information.
High Speed Rail News
More information is slowly coming to light related to the projected start of
construction of the high speed rail project. The Authority now p rojects the
first section of the initial construction segment , which is proposed to
stretch from Madera to just south of Fresno , will break ground in early 2013.
This is later than expected, as it was believed the Authority needed to
begin construction by 2012 to receive $3.3 billion on federal funding. The
Honorable Mayor and City Council
General Information
March 2, 2012
Page 2
Authority now states it needs only to complete the first section by 2017 to
retain eligibility for the funding . An article is enclosed.
Event Schedule
There are multiple public events scheduled for th e next week at City facilities :
2012 CIF State Wrestling Championships
March 2 nd ; 9 a.m.
March 3 r d ; 9 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Rabobank Arena
Tickets: $11 -$25
Mamma Mia
March 8; 7:30 p.m.
Rabobank Theater
Tickets: $40 - $62.50
Re port s
For your information, we enclose the following information:
A letter from Bright House Networks regarding changes to its
programming.
AT:st:ch
cc: Department Heads
Roberta Gafford, City Clerk
Public Works Department
Raul Rojas – Public Works Director
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE C ontact: Rick Millwee
Thursday, March 01, 2012 Construction S u perintendent
(661) 326 -3049
Reconstruction of the Intersection of Trux tun Avenue and Q Street
As part of the ongoing St reetscape Improvement Project on Q Street, t he City of Bakersfield
will begin construction operations at the intersection of Truxtun Avenue and Q Street on
Monday March 5, 2012 . This phase of the project w ill entail complete reconstruction of the
pavement in the intersection, installation of a new traffic signal, installation of concrete
crosswalks, and construction of ADA access ramps at all corners of the intersection. During
this phase of construction, traffic will be restricted to one lane in all directions on both Q Street
and on Truxtun Avenue. This will result in traffic delays, so drivers are urged to use alternate
routes.
T raffic is expected to be restored to full capacity on these streets in mid -April and all
construction in this intersection is estimated to be complete on June 1, 2012 . The City thanks
the public for t heir patience during the construction of these improvements .
For more information, please contact Rick Millwee , Public Works Co nstruction Superintendent,
at (661) 326 -3049.
# # #
City of Bakersfield • Public Works Department • 1 600 Truxtun Avenue
Bakersfield, California • 93301
(661) 326 -37 24 • Fax (661) 852 -2120
- m o r e -
For Immediate Release
March 1 , 2012
For more information :
Misty Glasco, Marketing and Events Specialist
Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau
(661) 852 -7282
Jarrod McNaughton, Vice President
San Joaquin Community Hospital
(661) 869 -6560
Adventist Health Chooses B akersfield for 2012 “Nexus” Conference
dventistAHealth,AtheAparentAcompanyAofABakersfield’sASanAJoaquinACommunityAHospital (SJCH),
announced today it will hold its 2012 Western Regional M arketing and Business Development
C onference in Bakersfield October 22 – 23 . This will be the first time that the conference, known as
“Nexus ,” will be held in Bakersfield.
Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L. Hall made the announcement at the Bakersfield Convention and
VisitorsABureau.AA“ dventistAHealthAisAaAvaluedAmemberAofAou rAcommunity,”AHallAsaid.AA“ItAhasAinvestedA
heavily in Bakersfield and I am pleased to see the company wanting to show off Bakersfield to its other
memberAhospitalsAthroughoutAtheAWest.”
Joining Mayor Hall for the announcement was Robert J. Beehler , CEO of San Joaquin Community
Hospital. “WeAareAdelightedAthatA dventistAHealthAhasAchosenAtoAhostAoneAofAtheAlargestAcompany -wide
meetingsArightAhereAinABakersfield,”AheAsaid.AA“TheAcityAstaffAhasAdoneAanAexcellentAjobAtoAbeAsureAourA
colleagues from hospitals acr oss the western United States and Hawaii are seeing the very best that
BakersfieldAhasAtoAoffer.”
The Adventist Health conference will be held at San Joaquin Community Hospital with The Padre
Hotel as the official hotel host for conference goers , according to David Lyman, Manager of the
Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. More than 8 0 Adventist Health employees from its four -
state Western Region will be traveling to Bakersfield for this conference along with other Adventist
Health representatives f rom Ohio and Florida .AA“BakersfieldAcontinuesAtoAbeAchosenAasAhostAcityAforAaA
varietyAofAgroupsAandAsportingAevents,”ALymanAsaid.AA“WeAareAhonoredAtoAaddA dventistAHealthAtoAtheA
growing list of groups that have selected Bakersfield, and know our community will make them feel
welcome.”A
Jarrod McNaughton, SJCH’sAViceAPresidentAofAMarketingAandADevelopmentAsaid,A“WeAareA
delighted to showcase San Joaquin Community Hospital to our sister hospitals from across the US. From
our new cancer center that will be c lo se to completion when the conference takes place to our award
winning stroke and chest pain center s ,ASJCHAisAaAhallmarkAhospitalAthatAweAareAproudAtoAshare.”
San Joaquin Community Hospital is part of Adventist Health, a faith -based, not -for -profit
integrat ed health care delivery system with nearly 20,000 employees serving communities in California,
Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on the health values of the Seventh -day Adventist Church,
Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 18 acute care h ospitals, more than 135 clinics (rural
health and physician clinics), 14 home care agencies and four joint -venture retirement centers. We
invite you to visit www.sjch.us or www.adventisthealth.org for more information.
# # #
Associated Press
Published Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012
STOCKTON, Calif. -- The city of Stockton in California's crop-abundan t Central Valley has the
second-highest foreclosure rate in the nation and one of the highest crime and unemployment
rates. It was named America's most miserable city in a national magazine - twice.
And now, officials say this river port city of 290,000 is on the brink of insolvency and could become
the nation's largest city to fall in to Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection.
The City Council voted late Tues day to use a new California la w to enter mediation with its
creditors. City leaders said they hoped the plan to renegotiate Stockton's debt would help it avoid
bankruptcy.
Dozens of residents spoke against the move, saying they feared it would do the opposite, KRCA-TV
reported.
"If they vote for mediation, it is the first step towards bankruptcy," former City Manager Dwane
Milnes said. "That means 1,000 people could lose retirement benefits."
Stockton will be the first city to test the state law, Assembly Bill 506, which is less than 2 months
old. It requires local governme nt agencies to undergo mediation or hold a public hearing and
declare a fiscal emergency befo re filing for bankruptcy.
In 2008, Vallejo became the biggest California ci ty to file for bankruptcy, and it emerged from
bankruptcy last year.
In recent years, thousands of new homes mushro omed in Stockton, part of a housing boom in
suburban development that attracted bu yers from the Bay area and beyond.
But when the economy crashed and the construc tion bubble burst, Stockton was battered by
foreclosures and lost income fr om property taxes and other fees . Multi-year labor contracts with
escalating costs added to the burden, forcing offi cials to make deep emergency cuts to the city
payroll, including its police department.
"It's been so challenging. Since 2008, the whole ma rket was essentially turned upside down," said
Randy Thomas, a Stockton real estate broker with the Cornerstone Real Estate Group. "A lot of folks
were losing their homes. A lot of people were getting evicted, and it's been tough on a lot of
people."
City leaders say Stockton could soon be unable to pay its debts. The city has a $15 million deficit -
$6.6 million from the last fiscal year and $8.7 mil lion expected for the current fiscal year, according
to documents.
Forecasts also show deficits rang ing from $20 million to $38 mil lion for the fiscal year 2012-2013
Stockton could become biggest city to go bankrupt - Wire Business News...http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/28/v-print/4297626/stock ton-aims-to-av...
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and increasing in subsequent years.
Some residents are losing faith.
Marty Carlson, a waitress at Bradley's American Bistro in downtown Stockton, said business, along
with her tips, has been on the de cline for years. She's had enough , she said, and plans on leaving
Stockton soon.
"They're (the city) not the only one going bankru pt," Carlson said. "It's time to move on. I'm
ready."
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Wozniacka reported from Fresno, Calif.
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Follow Gosia Wozniacka at http ://www.twitter.com/GosiaWozniacka
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Online:
Stockton Council agenda: http://bit.ly/zX9EO1
Stockton Council: http://bit.ly/wpzKoR
Stockton could become biggest city to go bankrupt - Wire Business News...http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/28/v-print/4297626/stock ton-aims-to-av...
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By Tim Sheehan
- The Fresno Bee
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 | 09:37 PM
Construction of a high-speed train line in the centra l San Joaquin Valley was supposed to start late this
year. Now, officials say, it's not likely to start until early 2013, even if state l egislators approve billions in
bond money this spring.
At its meeting Thursday in Sacr amento, the California High-Speed Rail Authorit y will learn about an
updated schedule for the $6 billion construction project.
The slowdown in the schedule is the result of revision s to environmental reports for the 120-mile Fresno-
to-Bakersfield section of the rail line -- part of the backbone of a proposed 520-mile system of electric
trains connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. Late r extensions would add lines to Sacramento and
San Diego.
About $3 billion in federa l stimulus and trans portation funds earmarked for t he project in 2010 and 2011
were based on construction starti ng by September 2012. But a 2013 star t isn't expected to endanger the
funds, high-speed rail officials said, because the more important deadline is having the work completed
by late 2017.
An environmental report for the tr ack segment was issued last fall, but two months of comment and
public hearings across t he Valley attracted a slew of objections, including opposition in Kings County to a
route that would take trains through farmland east of Hanford.
That uproar prompted rail authority engineers to withdr aw the environmental report in order to revise it
with a new alternative that bypasses Hanford to the we st. The authority expects to issue the revised draft
report this summer, triggering another round of pub lic hearings and comment, months after the authority
originally expected to hav e a final version approved.
Now, a final report is not expected to be ready unt il this fall, said Jeff Abercrombie, the authority's
regional director for the Central Valley. But, he adde d, a board vote approving the report and making the
final choice on route options "is st ill anticipated before the end of 2012."
Local officials hold out hope for construction starti ng this fall. Fresno County Supervisor Henry R. Perea,
in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with the Federal Railroad Administration, said that "all efforts are
focused on awarding contracts and tu rning dirt by the end of the year."
But as delays mount, that seems more and more unlikely.
A memo to the state rail authority board for Thursday's meeting suggests that a contractor likely won't be
chosen nor contracts awarded until early 2013 for the first construction segment -- a stretch through the
city of Fresno from north of the San Joaquin River south to American Avenue. That work is expected to
- High Speed Railhttp://www.fresnobee.com/201 2/02/28/v-print/2740638/rail-project-dela...
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cost between $1.5 billion and $2 billi on. Later contracts would extend the work north past Madera and
south nearly to Bakersfield.
When the Obama administration announced it was awarding federal funds to California for the
high-speed rail program, the money came with several strings. In addition to requiring that the money be
used to start construction in the Valley, where hi gh unemployment created a need for economic stimulus,
the grant agreements were based on a project schedule that called for environmental reviews to be
finished by fall of 2011 and the st art of construction by Sept. 30, 2012.
While there is flexibility for when construction must start, the state faces a firm deadline for the work on
its Merced-Bakersfield sections to be completed by September 2017.
"We believe the time allowed is more than reasonable," said Roy Kienitz, undersecretary for policy with
the U.S. Department of Transportation, in a letter to the California rail authority last summer. "Deadlines
are necessary to ensure that funds are used with all due speed."
Awarding contracts and meeting d eadlines will be moot, however, if the state Legislature refuses to
authorize the sale of Proposition 1A bonds to matc h the federal contribution s. Prop. 1A, approved by
California voters in 2008, provides up to $9 billion to build a hi gh-speed rail system in the state.
"Withholding these matching funds would put Califor nia's high-speed rail project in serious jeopardy,"
Kienitz told state officials last year.
- High Speed Railhttp://www.fresnobee.com/201 2/02/28/v-print/2740638/rail-project-dela...
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