VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17 | JULY 30, 2020
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY
Mayor’s Message Dear Fellow Vallejoans, Covid-19 has changed life as we know it. We were once free to gather with others, walk around in public without masks, and dine in at our favorite restaurants. It’s important for us as a community to support each other as much as we can and that includes supporting our local businesses in this time of economic hardship brought on by Covid-19. The City has also sought to find creative ways to allow businesses to continue to thrive during this time. One of the wonderful things that I see happening across the City are local businesses are beginning to take advantage of the special outdoor dining permit the City’s Planning and Permitting Department has made available in coordination with the Economic Development team. This permit allows local businesses to make use of public sidewalks in front of their restaurant
MAYOR’S MESSAGE
or café*. There is also the option for these businesses to use one or more (up to four) parking spaces, on-street the street or within a parking lot, in the front of the building occupied by a restaurant or café. You might hear people sometimes refer to these spaces as parklets. If you are interested in having a change of scenery, getting outdoors, and supporting local businesses, I encourage you to take a look at this list/map of businesses in Vallejo who currently have outdoor spaces open. Just remember Covid-19 is still very much a part of our lives, and it’s important that we are still mindful to practice social distancing, wear masks (when not eating), and washing our hands with soap and water regularly. If you are a business who is interested in obtaining a temporary outdoor dining permit, you’re in luck, because right now the permit is FREE!** For more information on outdoor dining permits and how to obtain them, click here. Your Mayor, Bob Sampayan * Must maintain a four-foot clearance for pedestrians ** Permits are free through November 1, 2020
Join Our Team!
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 17
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On July 20, a "strike team," which included five Vallejo Fire Department personnel, was sent to assist Cal Fire with their response to the Gold Fire, located near Modoc National Forest. The Department also sent one Captain to the same fire as part of an Incident Management Team. Typically, strike teams can be deployed for up to fourteen days before returning to Vallejo.
In addition to fighting the fire, strike teams often provide assistance by cutting fire breaks with heavy equipment such as bulldozers, lay fire hose lines, help contain the fire through controlled burns, act as relief for other crews, and much more.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17
DEPARTMENTS IN ACTION
Fire Department Provides Mutual Aid to Cal Fire
Cities of Vallejo and Benicia Partner to Provide Homeless Individuals Shelter During Pandemic
PROGRAM & PROJECT UPDATES
The cities of Vallejo and Benicia were recently highlighted by the League of California Cities for their efforts in providing homeless individuals shelter during the pandemic. At the beginning of Project Roomkey, both cities were able to help 125 residents to date. The cities partnered with the Hampton Inn in May, securing more than 100 rooms for residents, and in June, secured an additional 77 rooms at the Rodeway Inn for participants who tested positive for COVID-19, or who were suspected to be positive. In partnership with other community organizations, Vallejo and Benicia committed to housing at-risk homeless individuals for 60 days with
24-hour private security, hygiene items, food delivery, daily health and wellness checks (including COVID-19 testing), case management, and administrative program support from city liaisons, county social services case workers, physicians/nursing students, and local nonprofits. “Seeing the need in our community, Vallejo took a proactive approach to deliver services that have largely been left to the county in other areas,” Nyhoff said. “I am proud of our city and our tireless staff for seizing this opportunity to provide resources to the most vulnerable among us.” For many cities, the Project Roomkey initiative ended June 30, but the City of Vallejo has extended the program to July 30. The city is currently working with Solano County to extend the program through August, or longer. Assistant City Manager Anne Cardwell said, “Our intention is to keep this program going strong for as long as possible as we transition into the next phase of the program, Homekey. Typically, a project like this would take years to implement, and it has been amazing to see so many individuals and organizations truly rise to the occasion. Vallejo is proud to be a leader in this initiative.” To read the full article, click here.
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17
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Vallejo Police Department Proposed Improvements and Community Feedback
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PROGRAM & PROJECT UPDATES
The City and the Vallejo Police Department are making changes based on community feedback, and we know more change is needed to get to where we need to be. Go to opentownhall.com/9067, now through July 31, to share your feedback on proposed VPD improvements.
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17
Outdoor Permits
COMMUNITY
The City's Public Works and Planning teams worked together collaboratively and quickly to get yet another business in Vallejo open and operating outdoors - Good Day Cafe! The City is currently working to revise the outdoor dining process to include outdoor seating and services for salons and barbershops to match the State’s guidelines released last week. The permit will remain free until November 30, 2020. For additional information on the outdoor permitting process, please click here.
VALLEJO NEWS
Report the Receipt of Unsolicited Seeds from China Ed King, the Solano County Agricultural Commissioner, is urging Solano County residents who may have received unsolicited shipments of plant seeds from China to contact the Solano County Agriculture Department to coordinate safe disposal. Seed packets should not be opened, shipped or disposed of by residents to prevent a potential dispersal of invasive plants or quarantine pests. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) notified California County Agricultural Commissioners of reports of homeowners receiving unsolicited seeds from China. The CDFA is coordinating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine any necessary actions for shipments received in California. In the meantime, the CDFA is recommending County Ag departments hold on to the seeds until safe disposal instructions are provided. If you or someone you know received unsolicited seeds from China, please contact the Solano County Agriculture Department at (707) 784-1310 to coordinate safe disposal. To read the full release, click here.
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GVRD Ten-Year Master Plan Forum Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) is developing a comprehensive ten-year master plan to see where their parks can grow, how their programs can expand, what improvements can be done for their facilities, and better ways to serve the community. GVRD will hold a Public Forum to gather community input for their 10 year master plan on August 20 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Input from community members of all ages and neighborhoods is highly encouraged. "During this COVID time, we will be asking the citizens of Vallejo to participate in our ten-year master plan. At first, it may be difficult to answer questions about what you want to see in Parks and Recreation when you cannot currently participate in group activities, but it is a great time to reflect upon what you want to see from GVRD as we move forward. If history teaches us anything positive, it is that even the difficult times eventually pass. We look forward to seeing you and your families in our parks and programs soon," says GVRD General Manager, Gabe Lanusse, in his recent message to the community. To register for this event, click here.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 17
VALLEJO NEWS
For more details about this forum, email publicforum@gvrd.org or call (707) 648-4604.
VALLEJO NEWS
West Nile Virus Activity Detected in Solano County The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division and the Solano County Mosquito Abatement District (SCMAD) have confirmed that a bird from the city of Benicia has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). The California Scrub-Jay was collected July 12, in eastern Benicia. As of July 28, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that four human cases from three counties tested positive for West Nile Virus. West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitos become infected when they feed on infected birds. "This marks the official start of West Nile virus season in Solano County," said Dr. Christine Wu, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Health Officer for the County. "This is an important reminder for residents to take the necessary precautions to avoid coming in contact with mosquitoes, such as using insect repellent when outside and eliminating standing water where mosquitos can breed." “The District is increasing mosquito monitoring throughout the areas with West Nile Virus activity,” says Richard Snyder, Solano County Mosquito Abatement District Manager. “I urge residents to join us in our prevention and control efforts by making sure they don't have any standing water on their property and to report any unmaintained swimming pools and stagnant water by calling us at (707) 437-1116.” To read the full press release, click here.
Vallejo Makes List of Top Housing Markets on the Rise In a recent study conducted by SmartAsset, twelve Bay Area cities were on a Top 50 list of housing markets on the rise, with Vallejo landing at number 16. In order to determine the top rising housing markets across the country, SmartAsset looked at data from 2014 and 2018 for 317 US cities with a population greater than 100,000 across the following three metrics: housing demand, five-year change in median home value, and five-year change in median household income. To view the full article and list of other Bay Area cities, click here. To view the study from SmartAsset, click here.
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