ORINDA WAY
Winter 2017
W I N T E R 2XXXV 017 Volume Issue I
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A Publica on of the City of Orinda
2017 Paving Project Completed! The City is pleased to announce the 2017 Annual and Measure J & L Paving Project is complete. Under this contract, 25,000 tons of Hot Mix Asphalt was used to pave 11.80 centerline miles of roadway; 140,000 square yards of roadway base was pulverized and treated with over 3,000 tons of cement; and approximately 1,500 linear feet of new storm drain pipe of various sizes has been installed, with over 4,000 feet of new concrete curbs, gu ers and diches constructed. In addi on, approximately 10,560 linear feet of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) dikes, along with over 1,500 linear feet of HMA ditches were installed. The City also preserved/re‐established over 300 survey monuments and replaced 21,120 feet of centerline yellow striping. In 2018 the City of Orinda plans to perform pavement rehabilita on on 70 street segments of 55 streets. The streets selected for construc on in 2018 can be found on the City’s website at www.cityoforinda.org under the Roads and Infrastructure tab on the le . Design work to prepare the plans, specifica ons, and es mate began in July 2017. Various ac vi es are being performed throughout the City by the design consultant team, including loca ng exis ng underground u li es, closed circuit televising
(CCTV) of storm drain pipes, deflec on tes ng of the pavement sec ons, and taking core samples of the pavement sec on. The scope of work for 2018 consists of two types of pavement rehabilita on (1) Full Depth Reclama on (FDR) and (2) Mill & Overlay. FDR is an economical, in‐place recycling alterna ve to road reconstruc on. Mill & Overlay rehabilita on method is used when the exis ng pavement shows signs of surface failures that are not so severe to warrant FDR. The process involves removal of the top few inches of asphalt pavement by milling and replacing it with new asphalt overlay. The City plans to adver se the 2018 Pavement Rehabilita on Project in February 2018. Pavement construc on work is expected to start during the month of May and con nue through October 2018. The final schedule for each street will be determined by the Contractor. Residents will be no fied prior to the start of construc on. It is expected that construc on at each street segment should take approximately 2 weeks for comple on. Informa on on the 2017 project and the roads scheduled for 2018 can be found on the City’s website at: www.cityoforinda.org under the Roads and Infrastructure tab on the le .
Sign up for the City’s weekly email newsletter, the Orinda Outlook Visit www.cityoforinda.org Click on the “Orinda Outlook“ button and the “Notify Me” button on the left to receive email alerts and up to date information on City events and activities 22 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563
• (925) 253-4200
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Art and Garden Center and Wilder Ballfields 4 & 5 Under Construc on Soon a er the groundbreaking ceremony in early June of this year, Wilder developer Brooks Street began construc on on the Art and Garden Center and the two remaining ball fields in the Wilder neighborhood. The approximate 6,600 square foot, “L‐shaped” Art and Garden Center will consist of a single room and three adjacent rooms separated by two par on walls, with a small lobby area separa ng the spaces. Recrea on programming and opportuni es for private rentals are expected to keep the facility very busy. We expect that both fields will be in high demand immediately upon opening. Field #4 will be an ar ficial turf soccer/so ball field, similar to exis ng Fields #1 and #2 although unlighted. Field #5 will be an unlighted youth baseball field with a dirt infield and natural grass ou ield. An approximate 7,000 square foot children’s play area rounds out the new park ameni es. The fields should be completed early in 2018 and the Art & Garden Center is an cipated to open by Fall of 2018. For addi onal informa on, contact: Todd Trimble, Director of Parks and Recrea on at rimble@cityoforinda.org or 925‐253‐4202.
CITY CENT$
The City of Orinda like most ci es, finances the services it provides with a variety of funding sources. In June 2017 the City Council adopted a Two Year Budget, which provides a financial plan for City programs and services. The City operates under a Fiscal Year which begins each July 1st and ends on June 30th. The total adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2017‐18 (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) iden fies $34.6 million in expenditures. Some expenditures are from restricted funds that can only be used for specific purposes. For example, State Gas Tax must be spent on ac vi es related to Streets and Roadways; likewise voter approved bond proceeds can only be used for Road rehabilita on projects and cannot be used for general opera ng costs. The total General Fund Budget includes $14.260 million in expenditures. The General Fund is the most discre onary funding source and it is used to fund the majority of on‐going opera ng costs including Police Services, Parks and Recrea on, Public Works, Planning, and Administra on. This Fund also includes sub‐accounts related to the Measure L Add‐On Sales Tax. This is an addi onal one‐half cent sales tax collected in the City. The funds have been used to improve the pavement of City Streets. Like many of the organiza ons in the community which support civic projects, the members of the City Council serve the community without pay. The chart displays “How General Fund Monies Are Spent”. Public Safety accounts for 35% of the total General Fund spending and Parks and Recrea on accounts for 19%. The General Government component includes various support services including: Administra on; City A orney; City Clerk; Finance; Human Resources; Informa on Technology and General Services. HOW THE CITY SPENDS GENERAL FUND MONIES $14,221,776 (Fiscal Year 2017‐18 Including Measure L Local Sales Tax)
Visit us on the Web www.cityoforinda.org
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ORINDA WAY
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Downtown Orinda: What’s Next? Downtown Orinda, at the geographic center of our city, is where residents gather for recrea on, to socialize and to dine and shop. Downtown is split by Highway 24 and BART, with the “Crossroads” district (also known as the Theatre District) on the southeast side and the “Village” district on the northwest side. Over the past year, the Orinda Planning Department has been busy gathering input and genera ng ideas on how downtown might be er serve residents and visitors in the years to come. The plans and guidelines that govern downtown date from the 1980s. There is a need to re‐examine these plans to address 21st century challenges such as retail leakage to nearby communi es, mul ‐modal connec ons between the two sides of downtown, revitaliza on of San Pablo Creek and preserving the city’s history and unique sense of place while mee ng our regional obliga on to bring transit‐oriented housing and jobs to downtown. In Spring 2017, the Urban Land Ins tute and Na onal Main Street Center conducted stakeholder interviews and prepared reports with insights on a vision for downtown Orinda and next steps to address downtown’s challenges. Final reports from these two organiza ons are available HERE on the City’s website: What’s next? In 2018, the Planning Department is upda ng the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan, which will provide a blueprint for design, construc on and programming of public gathering spaces and pedestrian and bike infrastructure and connec ons throughout downtown.
Stay tuned ‐ we will be looking for YOUR input throughout this process! In light of the recent fires in the North Bay, we want to take this opportunity to express the importance of communica on before, during and a er catastrophic events. The Northern California Fires revealed the importance of being advised of evacua ons and imminent dangers. When First Responders need to make important safety no fica ons, i.e. fire evacua ons, the primary method of making calls is through the Contra Costa County Community Warn‐ ing System (CWS). The County Emergency Opera ons Center will u lize the CWS system to make phone calls to every house/cell phone in the affected area. As more and more people drop their landline telephones and rely solely on cell phones, it is impera ve that your cell phones be registered so that the aler ng agencies can contact you.
To sign up for alerts to be sent to your cell phones go to www.cwsalerts.com
In addi on, Orinda’s Police Department and the Moraga Orinda Fire Department use Nixle for various community no fica ons and alerts. It's very easy to sign up. Text your ZIP CODE to 888777 for local mobile alerts. Finally, please consider checking with your neighbors who might not have the technical ability to register phones and addresses. In the event of an emergency, we want to do our best to reach out to and account for everyone. Another great op on to prepare for emergencies is Lamorinda CERT a community based disaster response team for the ci es of Lafaye e, Moraga and Orinda and the surrounding unincorporated areas in Contra Costa County, California. They train volunteer emergency responders and plan for emergency and disaster response including preparedness, search and rescue, small fire suppression and medical response. Visit www.lamorindacert.org to learn more, schedule classes and learn ps for survival. 22 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563
• (925) 253-4200
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NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON A CITY OF ORINDA COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION
Administra ve Staff
CITY MANAGER Steve Salomon CITY ATTORNEY Osa Wolff
The City of Orinda is seeking applica ons from resident volunteers to serve on the City’s:
CITY CLERK Sheri Smith
FINANCE Paul Rankin, Director
Planning Commission (2) Parks & Recrea on Commission (3) Ci zens’ Infrastructure Oversight Commission (3) Finance Advisory Commi ee (3) Historical Landmarks Commi ee (1) Traffic Safety Advisory Commi ee (4) Art in Public Places Commi ee (1) Public Works Aesthe c Review Commi ee (3)
POLICE Mark Nagel, Chief of Police PARKS & RECREATION Todd Trimble, Director PLANNING Drummond Buckley, Director PUBLIC WORKS & ENGINEERING SERVICES Larry Theis, Director
The City of Orinda is also seeking applica ons from resident volunteers to serve as the City’s Liaison to the following local agencies:
HUMAN RESOURCES Pamela Foster, Manager
EDITOR OF THE ORINDA WAY
Tonya Gilmore
We would like to hear from you. Send your comments or ques ons to publicinfo@cityoforinda.org or call 253‐4291
DIRECTORY Administra on 253‐4220 City Clerk 253‐4221 Parks & Recrea on 254‐2445 Public Works & Engineering 253‐4231 Planning 253‐4210 Police Offices 254‐6820 Police Dispatch 284‐5010
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Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District Trustee (1) County Connec on Ci zens Advisory Commi ee (1) Contra Costa Advisory Council on Aging (1)
Statement of Interest forms are available from the Orinda City Clerk's Office located at 22 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563 If you have any specific ques ons regarding the recruitment, please contact Sheri Marie Smith, City Clerk at 925‐253‐4221 or ssmith@cityoforinda.org Applica on forms may also be downloaded from the City’s website at www.cityoforinda.org. Completed Statement of Interest forms should be submi ed to the City Clerk’s Office by Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 5:00pm. Qualified applicants will be invited to interview before the City Council.
Food Trucks Here to Stay! On October 3, 2017, the City Council directed staff to extend the pilot food truck program into a long‐term contract. Since mid‐August, Taste of the World (TOW), a food truck organizer based in Contra Costa County, has been holding weekly food truck events in the Orinda Community Center parking lot. The event is held every Thursday between 5 pm and 8 pm, with six trucks plus a beer and wine trailer. The trucks rotate, with a different mix of trucks and cuisines each week. In addi on, TOW provides live musical entertainment, tables and chairs, trash cans, and games. The City’s Parks and Recrea on Department assists with event set‐up, coordina on and clean‐up. Staff distributed surveys to solicit feedback from residents and local business owners. Resident support for the program was overwhelmingly posi ve, with 91% of respondents in support of con nuing the program. People are thrilled to have a family‐friendly community event where they can socialize with friends and neighbors. Feedback from local businesses is mixed so far. Areas for improvement include cross‐promo on and more collabora on with local businesses, avoiding parking conflicts, and adding more sea ng. Come visit the food truck event on Thursday and see what all the fuss is about! Visit us on the Web www.cityoforinda.org