VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16 | JULY 23, 2020
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY
Mayor’s Message My Fellow Vallejoans, I wanted to take a moment to briefly return to our candid discussions last week about the trash situation that is plaguing our beautiful City. It’s important that I remind our residents that while we have staff to help in this effort, they cannot be everywhere at once. I have also spoken with our City Manager about the possibility of bringing back the illegal dumping hotline, where citizens and businesses can call in and leave a message reporting illegal dumping or the accumulation of trash. In the meantime, It’s important that we all continue to take pride in our City. I kindly ask that we join together in keeping our community clean because the work of one or just a few won’t solve the problem, we all must do our part. If you see a piece of trash on the ground, please pick it up and place it in a trash receptacle if you are able to. You can also place a request for clean-up at our See-Click-Fix portal. I am committed to doing my part and I hope you will join me in that effort.
MAYOR’S MESSAGE
Moving on to another issue in our City, sideshows. I am just going to come out and say it, sideshows are downright illegal and a huge nuisance in our community! Over the last couple of weeks, I, along with the other council members, have been in receipt of dozens of emails and voice messages from angry residents regarding these sideshows. I want to assure you all that we share those concerns and frustrations with you and we are committed to doing what we can to bring these dangerous and disruptive gatherings to a halt. We have connected with our Chief of Police, Shawny Williams, and I am happy to report that Chief Williams is actively working on a plan to combat these sideshows in Vallejo. Currently, the consequences for participating in these sideshows can range from an automatic 30-day impound of your vehicle all the way up to, and including a misdemeanor citation. Either way, it’s an extremely costly endeavor for what one might consider a “little bit of fun.” I hope that in my coming weeks of messaging I will be able to share the Chief’s plans to combat these sideshows with you, in more detail. Until next week, Vallejo. Your Mayor, Bob Sampayan
Employment Opportunities
PERSONNEL
The City of Vallejo is pleased to offer the following employment opportunities:
Communications Operator II (Lateral)
Police Cadet
Police Officer (Entry - Academy Graduate)
Police Officer (Lateral)
Police Officer (Recruit)
Visit governmentjobs.com/careers/Vallejo for more information and to apply.
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16
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Fire Department Recruits Begin 20-Week Academy On July 20, the Vallejo Fire Department began a 20-week fire academy with sixteen new recruits. This is the largest Academy class in the history of the Department.
PERSONNEL
Twelve of the sixteen recruits are hired from a SAFER-funded (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response) grant, designed to assist local fire departments improve their staffing levels, and protect and serve their residents. A significant portion of their salary costs are covered for three years. The remaining four recruits fill current vacancies. In order to keep recruits and staff as safe as possible, masks are worn when indoors, and when a minimum of six-feet distance cannot be kept. Classroom activities have also been moved from the training classroom to the apparatus bay so recruits can remain spaced out and the apparatus bay doors can be opened to facilitate air flow. Like and follow the Vallejo Fire Department on Facebook, and stay tuned as we follow their fourmonth journey as they prepare to serve our community!
COVID-19 Testing Get free testing for COVID-19, even if you have no symptoms. The OptumServe community testing sites are available to anyone, including agricultural workers, undocumented individuals, residents, and homeless individuals.
Questions? For more information:
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Visit: solanocounty.com/COVID19
Call: COVID-19 Warmline at (707) 784-8988
Email: COVID19@SolanoCounty.com
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16
COMMUNITY
Schedule your appointment today at lhi.care/covidtesting. For those without internet access, call (888) 634-1123. Testing is free, and you will receive test results within 2-5 days.
Sign Up for Alert Solano In order to receive important messages during emergencies, the City of Vallejo urges local residents who live, work, play, or travel through Solano County to sign up for its emergency alert system. Alert Solano efficiently delivers messages and information during incidents and emergencies as they occur via email, cell phone, and/or text messaging. To register, click here.
How To: Watch a Live, Virtual City Council Meeting Did you know there are now three ways to watch a live, virtual City Council Meeting?
COMMUNITY
You can now watch via any of the following methods:
Stream via the City’s website, at cityofvallejo.net/streaming
Watch Vallejo’s local Channel 28
Join the Zoom webinar, by clicking here
How To: Share Public Comment at a Virtual City Meeting Want to submit a public comment at a virtual public meeting? Check out this "how-to" video showing just how to share your comments at public City meetings. Please note that hyperlinks to submit public comment will close at the conclusion of public comment for each item. To access meeting video and agenda details, please click here.
Looking to Run for Office in the City of Vallejo? The nomination period for Vallejo candidates opened on July 13. Prospective candidates must review the Candidate Information Guide on the Voting and Elections page of the City's website. You can also find other useful information on the Voting and Elections page regarding how to run for office, voting by mail, and polling locations. Please note that due to COVID-19, new protocols for potential candidates have been set. You can view those protocols here. THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16
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City Hall Hours City Hall is currently open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many staff continue to work remotely, with procedures implemented in response to COVID-19. Updates and resources are available at cityofvallejo.net/nCOV.
Virtual Town Hall - Proposed VPD Improvement Plan Join City Manager Greg Nyhoff and Chief of Police Shawny Williams for a Facebook Live Town Hall Thursday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m., regarding the proposed plan to improve the Vallejo Police Department (VPD).
We’ll also be engaging in the Comments section during the Facebook Live and addressing your questions during the event. Now more than ever, we’re committed to transforming our police department and we look forward to the discussion!
Disaster Training for Non-Profits Is your organization prepared for the next disaster? Beginning this month, the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) is offering free community preparedness trainings, in partnership with the Bay Area Urban Security Initiative, to get your organization and staff prepared! CVNL will be offering ten trainings starting this month, and will continue until November 2020. The next series will be held via Zoom, on Monday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m., and Tuesday, July 28 at 11:00 am, and will cover organizational and personal preparedness. To register and learn more, please click here. For assistance with registration, or questions about the upcoming training series, please contact Patricia Alger, Program Assistant, Volunteer Services at (415) 448-0304 or palger@cvnl.org. Page 5
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16
COMMUNITY
See the Facebook Live by visiting the City of Vallejo's Facebook page at 6:00 p.m.: facebook.com/cityofvallejo. We invite members of the Vallejo community to send us your questions about the plan. Check out the proposed VPD improvement plan at www.opentownhall.com/9067, and email us your questions at pio@cityofvallejo.net.
Caltrans I-80 Six Bridges Project Public Meeting Caltrans District 4 is scheduled to begin work to increase the vertical clearance on six bridges within the City of Vallejo that cross over Interstate 80 (I-80), as they do not meet the current vertical clearance design standards.
COMMUNITY
The six bridges affected in Vallejo are those at I-80 and:
Magazine Street
Benicia Road
Georgia Street
Springs Road
Tennessee Street
Redwood Street
Caltrans will increase the vertical clearance at each bridge, one at a time, starting with Springs Road. The work is anticipated to take approximately four months per bridge. A complete four-month closure of Springs Road at I-80 is anticipated to begin in late Fall. A public informational meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, July 29 at 4:30 p.m. via the following meeting ID: 914-0075-0676. Those who prefer to dial into the meeting, rather than access via Zoom, may do so by dialing (669) 900-6833 and entering the meeting ID above. For additional information, click here. To the view the flyer in a larger format, click here.
City of Vallejo Issues Proclamation Honoring Vallejo Together Founder Maria Guevara At the July 21 Special City Council Meeting, Mayor Bob Sampayan issued a proclamation honoring the life of Maria Guevara. The late Guevara was a Vallejo resident, and made many great efforts in helping the Vallejo Community throughout her life. She is most well known for founding the nonprofit, Vallejo Together, in 2010. In collaboration with the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD), Vallejo Together created "Aaliyah's Closet," which provides essential clothing and hygiene products to students and families in need. Guevara also relaunched Unity Day as an annual celebration of Vallejo's diversity. In 2016, she was recognized as Solano County Woman of the Year by Congressman Mike Thompson. To learn more about Vallejo Together, you can visit their Facebook page.
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Free Docent Tours of Mare Island Naval Cemetery The Mare Island Historic Naval Cemetery has seen a lot of changes since the fires in October 2019. Sign up to take a free tour led by volunteer docent, Kyle Green, learn the history, and see what's next for this historic site. Guided tours take place each Saturday in August. Due to COVID-19 protocols tours are limited to 15 persons.
The Solano Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announced this week that the application deadline for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the Small Business Administration has been extended to August 8, and that SBDC is available to assist in the process. Experienced consultants will work one-on-one with business owners - and their services are free. “Over 99 percent of businesses in Solano County are considered small businesses, with 500 or fewer employees,” said Tim Murrill, the director of the Solano SBDC. “All of these businesses qualify for the free services offered by the SBDC. We are here to help our business community navigate the COVID-19 crisis.”
The PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive the loan in its entirety if all employee retention criteria are met and funds are used for eligible expenses. For the loan to be forgiven, at least 60 percent of the funds must be used for payroll costs. The remaining 40 percent can also be used for payroll or on mortgage, rent and utilities. “A PPP loan could make all the difference in the world for a business struggling in today’s COVID economy,” Murrill said. “Our consultants are here to help streamline the application process.” For more information, visit www.solanosbdc.org or call (707) 646-1071.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 16
COMMUNITY
Solano Small Business Development Center Ready to Lend a Hand
VALLEJO NEWS Touro University’s “Diversity Now” Webinar Series: “Building Pipelines for Black Male Teacher Success” In response to anti-Black racism and the potential of losing Black male educators and students, the California Council on Teacher Education’s recent webinar, “Building a Pipeline for Black Male Teacher Success,” helped address the need for more Black male teachers, locally and nationally, by hearing Black male educators’ experiences and offering specific actions to begin building pipelines for Black men to succeed in education, teacher education, and schools. Through local discussions with experts in education, Touro University California (TUC) seeks to spark deeper conversations that stimulate action and lasting change in Solano County schools, and throughout the state. Join experts from TUC’s Graduate School of Education for a panel discussion responding to the webinar. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Ijeoma Ononuju, coordinator of the Equity, Diversity & Inclusive Education program, and will be held via Zoom at 3:30 p.m. on July 29. All are welcome to attend this free event, however advance registration is required. This is the first of TUC’s "Diversity Now" webinar series that will be delivered weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. through September 30. To read the full list of dates, click here.
Census Caravan Seeks Volunteers for Weekend Event A parade of cars will travel through parts of Fairfield and Vallejo from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday as part of the Solano County census count efforts. “Participants are asked to display on their vehicle census messaging to raise awareness of the 2020 census and the importance of registering to vote,” Solano Census said in a statement. Participants can gather at St. Stephen CME Church, 2301 Union Avenue in Fairfield, or the Old Raley’s Shopping Center, 4300 Sonoma Boulevard in Vallejo. “At 11:00 a.m., attendees will leave with, and follow the caravan, honk horns and drive through the Census Popup/PPE/Food Giveaway points. Or, attendees can volunteer at any of the giveaway points,” organizers said. Social distancing and mask safety will be required.
To read the full article from Daily Republic, click here.
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