Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/09/2012 OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER March 9 , 2012 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT SUBJECT: General Information Good News • An article in this month’s edition of American City and County Magazine shines a spotlight on the recent opening of Phase I of the Sports Village and the community involvement that has contributed to the success of the facility. The article is enclosed. • We received word this week the Bakersfield Amtrak station ranked 8th nationwide for overall station experience and ranked 5th in station cleanliness in a survey of station users. The survey included stations with over 250,000 boardings and alightings for the 2011 calendar year. Thank s goes to our General Services staff and our vendors that work at the Amtrak station for making the riders experience great in Bakersfield! • We received word this week Caltrans has acquired the needed right of way to construct an auxiliary lane on Route 99 from Olive Drive to Golden State Highway. Construction is anticipated to begin in June 2012. • We learned this week the California Transportation Commission (CTC ) staff is recommending $26 million be allocated for construction in 2012 for Phase 6C of the Wests ide Parkway as part of the 2012 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The funding is not approved until t he Commission adopt s the STIP at its March 28 th and 29 th meeting. Phase 6C includes about two miles of freeway, a bridge at Renfro Road and the Stockdale Highway tie in at Heath Road. • We have received a letter notifying us the City has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association. The award is bestowed upon state and local government s which submit a budget document deemed outstanding by a panel of reviewers. Thanks are due to Chris Huot and several members of the Finance Department staff. This is the 11 th year in a row we have received the award. The award letter and a certificate of recognition are enclosed. Honorable Mayor and City Council General Information March 9, 2012 Page 2 Miscellaneous News • As a reminder, ticket packages for the 2012 Park at Riverwalk Concert Series are on sales now. The kickoff event for this year’s series in the Atlanta Rhythm Section on March 31 st at the Bright House Networks Amphitheater. Tickets are only $7.50 a piece if you buy a package for all six concerts and only $10 for individual concerts. The concerts are always a fun event to attend. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Rabobank Arena box office. • As part of continuing work on grade separation work at Hageman Road and Allen Road, the County will be restricting traffic at multiple intersections in the area s beginning on Monday. The closures are anticipated to last approximately one month. A news release from the County is enclosed. High Speed Rail News  More jurisdictions and elected officials voiced concern and opposition over the high speed rail project this week: o The City of Lemoore passed a resolution on Tuesday evening in opposition of the high speed rail project. The document cites several reasons for opposing the project, including failure by the Authority and the f ederal go vernment to coordinate with the local governing bodies on health, safety and welfare concerns, as well as impacts to local planning documents. o Three Fresno City Councilmembers authored a letter to the High Speed Rail Authority this week – posing a total o f 26 questions and requesting the Authority respond within 60 days. The questions focused the potential effects of the high-speed trains on businesses and tax revenues in the city. An article is enclosed. o The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted this week to support legislation that would halt state spending on the high speed rail project. AB 1455 , authored by Assemblywoman Diane Harkey , would prevent the state from spending the remainder of the $9 billion in bonds approved by voters for th e rail system.  We also learned this week the Government Accountability Office –the investigative arm of the Federal Government - will be examining some of Honorable Mayor and City Council General Information March 9, 2012 Page 3 the most fun damental questions surrounding the high speed rail project, including cost, ridership and potential ticket prices. The study is in response to a request to analyze the project made last December by members of congress, including Kevin McCarthy. An article is enclosed. Event Schedule There are multiple public events scheduled for the next week at City facilities :  George Lopez March 10 th ; 8 p.m. Rabobank Arena Tickets: $38 -$48  Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra: A Masterwork by Brah ms March 10 th ; 8 p.m. Rabobank Theater Tickets: $34 - $50  Blake Shelton March 13 th ; 7:30 p.m. Rabobank Arena Tickets: $25 – $49.75  Bakersfield Condors Hockey March 14 th ; 7 p.m. March 16 th ; 7 p.m. Tickets: $8 -$25 Reports For your information, we enc lose the following information:  The Streets Division work schedule for the week of March 12 th ; AT:rs:ch cc: Department Heads Roberta Gafford, City Clerk print | close Naming rights, partnerships with athletic groups cover costs Tue, 2012-02-21 18:51 American City and County Bakersfield, Calif., opened the first phase of a master-p lanned sports complex last year that was funded by a combination of naming rights, partnerships, grants an d park development fees. Once it is built out, the 200-acre Sports Village will contain 16 soccer fields, four yout h football fields, 10 softball diamonds, a community center, paved walking paths and numerous picnic/children’s play areas. Building on Bakersfield’s history of partnerships and naming rights with public facilities that began in 2004 with the McMurtrey Aquatic Center , city staff negotiated a five-year lease agreement with American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), Region 73 to maintain and operate the first eigh t lighted soccer fields of the sports complex. Phase I development began in November 2009 and included the eight fields with concessions, restrooms and a parking lot. In addition to maintainin g the fields, AYSO, Region 73 agreed to complete the interior of the concession stand for their operations. To save maintenance costs, the city installed a purple pipe system that uses tertiary water from the adjacent wa ter treatment plant for irrigation of the fields. Park development funds were used to construct the fields, which opened in July 2011. City staff had sought naming rights for the complex since its inception, but no one would commit until the fields were completed. After opening day, St ate Farm agreed to a five-year nami ng rights deal for $500,000, to be paid in two equal installments early in 2012 to assist with construction of Phase II. Scheduled to open in 2013, the next phase will include four soccer fields and four youth football fields. The local youth football organization has agreed to maintain and operate th e football fields, and contribute towa rd lights and goals. Once Phase II opens, more than 4,000 youth will be participating in active sports, in addition to various tournaments and adult sports leagues with year-round activities. Mark Item As: Article User-Submitted Content Status: Accepted Source URL: http://americancityandcounty .com/parks-amp-rec reation/combined-effort-funds-sports- complex Combined effort funds spor ts complexhttp://americanci tyandcounty.com/print/parks-amp-recreation/combined-... 1 of 1 3/6/2012 3:07 PM Hanford Sentinel Breaking news: By Mike Eiman | Posted: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 9:14 pm LEMOORE - The Lemoore City Council passed a resolution tonight opposing the California high-speed rail project. The resolution, which passed within minutes, adds Lemoore to a growing collection of Valley cities and counties who have come o ut against the $98.5 billion project. Among those opposed are Kings, Madera, Tulare and Kern counties and the cities of Hanford, T ulare, Bakersfield and Wasco. Lemoore Planning Director Holly Smyth said the resolution was based on the one passed by the Kings County Board of Supervisors in October. The document cites several reasons for opposing the project, including failure by the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the Federal Railroad Administration to coordinate with Kings County on health, safety and welfare concerns, as well as impacts to l ocal planning documents. It further criticizes the scant 60-day review period given by the Authority for the more than 30,000 pages of Fresno-to-Bakersfield environmental review documents. The reporter can be reached at 583-2458. Lemoore opposes high-speed rail http://www.hanfordse ntinel.com/lemoore-opposes-h igh-speed-rai l/articl... 1 of 1 3/7/2012 8:28 AM By Tim Sheehan - The Fresno Bee Wednesday, Mar. 07, 2012 | 11:56 AM Three Fresno City Council members say they w ant immediate answers to more than two dozen questions about the potenti al effects of California's proposed hi gh-speed trains on businesses and tax revenues in the city. In a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Author ity, Council President C lint Olivier and council members Andreas Borgeas and Lee Brand said they want to know: -- That the authority has "properl y considered and evaluated" how t he planned bullet-train route through Fresno will disrupt businesses an d other properties along the way. -- What efforts the authorit y will take to assist businesses with relocation. -- How the potential loss of property taxes, busines s taxes and sales tax may af fect the city's treasury. The letter had 26 questions and the council memb ers said they want answers in 60 days. "There is a sense of urgency and there are unanswered questions," Borgeas said, noting that the authority recently approved the terms under which would-be contractors can submit bids for the first phase of constructi on through the city. "As council members, we have a fiduciary obligation to protect the city," he added. "The detrimental effects of this project on the community could be profound." The questions from Olivier, Borgeas and Brand include asking for: -- The total number of bu sinesses that will be af fected by the high-speed ra il route along the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight tracks through the city. -- How many businesses face total relocation and how many may be subject to partial relocation. -- The amount of business, sales and property taxes paid to the city last year and over the last five years by affected businesses. -- The total loss Fresno's treasury might feel from the potential loss of thos e revenues in the future. The members also want to know how many employees face relocation or termination at the businesses along the rail route. Other concerns include ho w the authority will determi ne fair market value for property and fo r businesses - Updates http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/03 /07/v-print/2750818/fresno-council-... 1 of 2 3/7/2012 12:26 PM facing relocation and what assistance the authority c an provide to the city in dealing with permits and other needs for relocating businesses. The council members announced their concerns at a news conference at Alert-O-Lite, a company that provides safety equipment and barricades for traffi c and construction work. The company, which has expressed interest in working with contractors on providing equipment for the massive construction project, is one of many along South Railroad Avenue south of downtown Fresno that would be subject to relocation by work on the high-speed train line. T he train tracks would clos e a stretch of Railroad Avenue. Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin's office issued a statement today indicating her office continues to work with the high-speed rail authority and busi nesses that will be affect ed by the rail route. "Minimizing the impact to businesses along the high-spe ed rail corridor is the city's top priority," she said. "We have been working on a weekly basis over the pa st three months ... to figure out the best ways to avoid businesses along the alignment." A stretch from the north end of Madera to the south end of Fresno is projected to be the first portion to be built of a 520-mile high-speed ra il system connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles through the San Joaquin Valley. The 29-mile s egment is expected to cost be tween $1.5 billion and $2 billion. The high-speed rail author ity has about $6 billion to build be tween Madera and Ba kersfield. That includes $3.5 billion in f ederal stimulus and rail improvement fund s for the first stage s of construction, which would be matched by about $2.7 billion from Proposition 1A, a high -speed rail bond approved by California voters in 2008. - Updates http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/03 /07/v-print/2750818/fresno-council-... 2 of 2 3/7/2012 12:26 PM Supervisors Favor Halt to Spending for State's High -Speed Rail Project Posted: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 6:57 pm The Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously voted to support legislation that would halt state spending for the planned $98-billion high -speed rail project . Republican Assemblywoman Diane Harkey of Dana Point is trying to create a bipartisan, statewide coalition of cities and counties to support her bill. Four counties in the Central Valley — Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare — have v oted to officially oppose the Anaheim -to -San Francisco rail project. Harkey’s bill takes a different approach: prohibiting further state funding except what is already committed in contracts when the bill takes effect. “High -speed rail’s not working,” said Harkey in a telephone interview. “I think it could have been fixed a few years ago, but now it’s too far down the track.” The rail project was approved by voters in 2008 but has been plagued by management and financial problems and a series of critical reports from state auditors and its own peer review committee. As a Republican in a legislature dominated by Democrats, Harkey is counting on local governments to provide the support her bill needs to overcome political hurdles. Although several Democrats also have voiced skepticism about continuing the rail project, federal rail officials and Gov. Jerry Brown have been pushing for it to continue. “I’m trying to rally support,” she said. With statewide polls showing most voters now oppose the project and with all 80 Assembly members and half of the 40 -member state Senate up for election, local opposition may translate into legislative support for her bill, Harkey said. While her bill would prevent spending the remainder of the $9 billion approved by voters for the rail system, it would al low an additional $950 million to be spent on improving local transportation lines. All five Orange County supervisors also sit on the board of the Orange County Transportation Authority, which has voted to remain neutral on high -speed rail in order to be eligible for any local funds if the project moves ahead. — TRACY WOOD McClatchy Newspapers Published Thursday, Mar. 08, 2012 WASHINGTON — Federal auditors are now scrutinizing California's politically embattled high-speed rail program, in a search for fa cts that could turn up the heat. Prompted by Republican congress ional skeptics, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office has started examining some of the most crucial questions surrounding the California project, including cost, ridership and potential ticket prices. "The fact that they are looking at it is good news for the taxpayer, and it's good news for the high-speed rail authority itself," Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, Calif ., said in an interview Thursday. "We shouldn't just go out and waste money." The government watchdog agency confirmed Thur sday that it is undertaking the California high-speed rail study in response to a congress ional request made last December. A dozen House members, including Denham, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and eight others from California, made the original request. With the help of some $3.6 billion in federal funds, combined with state dollars, the California High-Speed Rail Authority intends to start construction on an initial route connecting Bakersfield to Merced. Ultimately, the state plan calls for high-speed rail lines connecting Los Angeles with San Francisco, at a currently estimated price tag of some $98 bill ion. The federal auditors are supposed to probe some of the plan's most sensitive aspects, including: -- The amount of state and federal money that wi ll be needed both to complete the project and to operate it annually. --The accuracy of the ridership projections re lied upon by state officials in determining cost-effectiveness. The California High-Speed Ra il Authority has projecte d attracting between 88 million and 117 million passengers annually by the year 2030. -- The price of tickets necessary to keep the rail project self-sustaining without continued reliance on government subsidies. For its own studies, the rail authority pegged ticket costs at half the average airfare between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other studies have previously raised similar questions, and the Republican-controlled House Committee on Transportation and In frastructure last year hosted a long hearing into the project. But the new GAO study will be the first independent federal inquiry of its kind. "The importance of a thorough and independent au dit cannot be overstated," McCarthy said in a statement. "California taxpayers will be on the hook... and we need to know the truth about the viability of this project." GAO will ask questions of California's high-speed rail plan - McClatchy ...http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/08/v-print/4322587/gao -will-ask-questi... 1 of 2 3/8/2012 2:35 PM When McCarthy, Denham and other lawmakers requeste d the federal inquiry, rail authority officials said that they would welcome the additional fact-finding as they seek to regain public momentum. "I think it's good," Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, Cali f., a high-speed rail supp orter, said of the new study. "I support full tran sparency, as long they do a thorough and fair job." The Government Accountability Office serves as the investigative arm of Congress, and it often finds fault or program vulnerabilities, though sometimes after the fact. On Thursday, for instance, the agency revealed that Pentagon costs to implemen t a 2005 round of milita ry base-closings jumped by $14 billion, or 67 percent, over or iginal Defense Department predictions. GAO spokeswoman Jennifer Ashley sa id Thursday that while the Cali fornia rail study is under way, "we don't have a release date as of yet." Follow Michael Doyle on Twitter ON THE WEB California High-Sp eed Rail Authority MORE FROM MCCLATCHY: House Republicans want inquiry into California high-speed rail Obama's high-speed rail plans hit traffic in Congress House panel derails California's high-speed plans GAO will ask questions of California's high-speed rail plan - McClatchy ...http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/08/v-print/4322587/gao -will-ask-questi... 2 of 2 3/8/2012 2:35 PM Week of March 12_2012_Work Schedule Page 1 of 2 STREETS DIVISION – WORK SCHEDULE W eek of March 12, 201 2 – March 16 , 201 2 Resurfacing/Reconstructing streets in the following areas: Reconstructing streets in the area south of Planz Rd and west of Wible Rd (weather permitting) Grind & Res urface Manor St between Columbus & River Bridge (weather permitting) Grind & Resurface at Lake Ming Rd & Alfred Harrell Hwy (weather permitting) Miscellaneous Streets Division projects: Video inspection of City owned Sewer & Storm lines to evaluate co ndition of pipes Repairing Curb & Gutters in the area south of Flower and east of Robinson prior to street reconstruction Crack Sealing on Panorama between Mt. Vernon & Haley (weather permitting) (CDBG funded area) Installing & Repairing curb, gutter & sidewalks in the area east of Oleander & south of Palm St. Various concrete repairs in the area south of Wilson Rd and west of Hughes Ln Various concrete repairs north of University Ave and east of Wenatchee Ave THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BL ANK Week of March 12_2012_Work Schedule Page 2 of 2 STREETS SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, March 12 , 201 2 Between So. “H” St. & Union Avenue – Pacheco Rd. & Hosking Rd. Between Stockdale Hwy. & Truxtun Ave. (ext.) – Coffee Rd & Partridge Ave. Tuesday, March 13 , 201 2 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 , March 14 , 201 2 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 , March 15 , 201 2 City areas between Stockdale Hwy. & Ming Ave. – Ash e Rd. & Gosford Rd. Between El Portal/Laurelglen Blvd. & Ashe Rd. – Ming Ave. & So. Halfmoon/Olympia Dr. Between Ashe Rd. & Stine Rd. – Ming Ave. & So. Halfmoon/Edgemount Dr. Between Coffee Rd. & Wilson Rd. (ext.) – White Ln. & So. Halfmoon/Olympia Dr. Friday, March 16 , 201 2 Between Stockdale Hwy. & Ming Ave. – Allen Rd. & Old River Rd. Between Old River Rd. & Coffee Rd. – Ming Ave. & Ridge Oak/Westwold Dr. Between Ridge Oak/Westwold Dr. & White Ln. – Old River Rd., east to the PG&E easement. Between White Ln. & Asperata Dr. – Gosford Rd,, west to the PG&E easement. Between White Ln. & Cederwood Dr. – Stine Rd. & Wilson Rd. (ext.) 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.