VOLUME 8, ISSUE 18 | AUGUST 6, 2020
THE VALLEJO WEEKLY
A Message from the Fire Chief On Monday, July 20, the Vallejo Fire Department (VFD) began its Firefighter Apprentice Academy with 16 recruits. This is believed to be the largest academy class in the Department’s history. These recruits are attending training at the VFD Training Tower. It remains vital for the Department to avoid dipping below minimum staffing levels (72 firefighters), as this situation results in excessive firefighter fatigue, and increased mandatory overtime.
The hiring of sixteen recruits effectively increases the Department’s staffing by 19%. If all recruits are successful in completing the academy, the Department’s overall staffing will increase from 69 to 85 firefighters. This short-lived staffing increase will result in physical relief for over-worked firefighters and a reduction and non-dependence on overtime for daily staffing needs. The Department projects an attrition rate (the reduction of personnel from resignations, retirements, etc.) of five members per year, over the next three years, so these new hires are arriving at a good time.
A MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF
Since January 2019, the Department has lost eight tenured members, or 9% of its workforce, due to retirements and resignations of members accepting enhanced employment offers with other agencies. In August 2019, the Department graduated six firefighter apprentices, who are nearing their one-year probation period. One recent graduate from the August 2019 class has already resigned. Most of the funding for this academy recruit class came from the City’s success in securing a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). The SAFER Grant's requirements include the City’s financial commitment over a threeyear period.
The Department anticipates the graduation of Class 2020/21 in early December 2020. More information regarding the event with be forth coming. - Daryl C. Arbuthnott, Fire Chief
VPD Welcomes Interim Assistant Chief Allio
PERSONNEL
The Vallejo Police Department is pleased to welcome Joseph Allio as the Interim Assistant Police Chief for the City of Vallejo. Allio began serving in his new role with the department on July 20. Interim Assistant Chief Allio comes to the role following a 33year career in law enforcement. He retired from the City of Fairfield as its Police Chief in 2017, and served as the Interim Police Chief for the Vallejo Police Department from June 25, 2019 to November 11, 2019. “Interim Assistant Chief Allio is a seasoned law enforcement veteran and will be an invaluable asset to this department as we continue to improve and evolve,” said Chief of Police Shawny Williams. “Having the right leadership team in place is essential to accomplishing our mission of providing a high standard of public safety to Vallejo.” See the full press release by clicking here.
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Join Our Team! 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)
PERSONNEL
Visit governmentjobs.com/careers/Vallejo for more information and to apply.
VPD Cracks Down on Dangerous Sideshow Activity
“This type of lawless activity is a quality of life concern for any community and is especially frustrating for our citizens,” Captain Potts stated. “We listened to those concerns and our increased enforcement is a reflection of that. We are extremely proud of our courageous police officers who continue to keep our community safe and enforce these incidents during challenging times.” The Vallejo Police Department would like to thank our officers and allied agencies for aiding in the successful response. Read more about VPD's existing and proposed plans for mitigating sideshows and the penalties participants may be subjected to by clicking here. To read the full release, click here.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 18
DEPARTMENTS IN ACTION
On Sunday, August 2, the Vallejo Police Department (VPD) coordinated a successful zero-tolerance approach to dismantling sideshow activity in Vallejo. In order to effectively respond to the crowds of more than 200 sideshow participants, VPD enlisted the support of allied agencies in Solano and Napa County. As a result, officers made eight arrests, impounded eight vehicles, issued three citations and engaged in one agency assisted vehicle pursuit leading to an arrest in Berkeley, CA.
PROGRAM & PROJECT UPDATES
Downtown Parking Rehabilitation
Lots
The Downtown Parking Lots Rehabilitation Project, which began on May 18, is in the final stages of construction. The City parking lots include Lots D, H, I, K, L, M, and J. The major work that has been completed, to date, includes installation of new asphalt and concrete. The concrete work executed included new curb, gutter, sidewalk and curb ramps. New Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approved curb ramps were installed outside of City Hall on Santa Clara Street. Additional work completed was done in order to install new accessible parking spaces to adhere to current ADA standards. The final stage of construction will finalize the striping for the ADA parking stalls. The substantial completion of this project is currently scheduled for August 14.
Safe Routes to School The Safe Routes to School Project, a federally-aided project improving pedestrian and bicycle access for two schools in Vallejo (Johnston Cooper Elementary and Lincoln Elementary) and five schools in Benicia, began on July 7. Work includes new ADA-compliant curb ramps, widened sidewalks, pedestrian counting heads and warning signs and a pedestrian high-visibility crosswalk. To date, the majority of sidewalk and driveway improvements have been completed at Cooper Elementary, and demolition work has started at Lincoln Elementary. Substantial completion of the project is expected in September 2020 for the Benicia schools, and in December 2020 for the Vallejo schools.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 18
Vallejo Police Department Updates
PROGRAM & PROJECT UPDATES
Change is Beginning...and More is Planned! The Vallejo Police Department and the City of Vallejo would like to thank all of the community members who shared feedback on the proposed improvements to the VPD. Since Chief of Police Shawny Williams presented the plan on June 16, 653 members of the public visited the Open City Hall webpage regarding the plan, and 131 individuals and groups provided comments. We appreciate those comments, plus all that we’ve heard via social media, virtual meetings and other outreach efforts over the past 45 days. The City and VPD staff are currently reviewing comments and incorporating feedback and an update on the VPD improvement plan will be shared with the community later this month.
Use of Force Analysis Dashboard Now Available The Vallejo Police Department is pleased to announce that as of July 29, interactive dashboards using the Police Force Analysis System are available to the public on the Police Department’s website. The dashboards provide comprehensive and detailed use of force data from 2017 – 2019, and are set to be updated on an annual basis. This announcement comes after an extensive data extraction process and assessment of VPD’s use of force data that began in February 2020, conducted by an independent consultant, Police Strategies, LLC. The full press release is available here. Be sure check out the dashboard and watch the recap of the Virtual Community Forum and Demo led by Bob Scales, CEO of Police Strategies, LLC.
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VPD Community Interaction The Vallejo Police Department enjoys interacting with members of our community! Check out snapshots of our officers and staff working and staying active at the Waterfront in Vallejo.
COMMUNITY
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. Page 7
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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.
VALLEJO NEWS
To register for this event, click here. For more details about this forum, email publicforum@gvrd.org or call (707) 648-4604.
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West Nile Virus Activity Detected in Solano County 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."
To read the full press release, click here.
Prepare for Natural Disasters Listos California has launched a text message campaign encouraging the public to complete five easy and free steps to prepare for wildfires, earthquakes and floods. This tool also connects Californians to the COVID19.CA.GOV website for all information on the virus and resources on how to slow the spread. Californians can sign-up by texting “LISTOSCA” to 72345. The text message campaign is available now in English, Spanish, Filipino Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and Hmong. Messages will prompt users to take steps like:
Signing up for emergency alerts from a participant’s county
Finding phone numbers that will be needed in an emergency and knowing evacuation routes
Packing a Go-Bag to be ready for evacuation
Creating stay boxes for sheltering in place
Encouraging friends and neighbors to also prepare.
To read the full article, click here.
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THE VALLEJO WEEKLY | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 18
VALLEJO NEWS
“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.”
Town Hall Meetings: COVID-19 Situation
Update
on
Solano
County’s
Solano Public Health is hosting town hall meetings to provide a Solano County COVID-19 update. During the town halls, Solano County Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas, will provide a brief data synopsis, an update on reopening, and reminders for bringing people back to work safely. The first town hall meeting will occur on August 24, from 5-6:00 p.m. and the second is August 27 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held via Microsoft TEAMS
August 24: Click here for the link or call (323) 457-3408 with conference ID 725 292 792#
August 27: Click here for the link or call (323) 457-3408 with conference ID 461 864 509#
VALLEJO NEWS
For more information visit the Solano County Public Health’s website or Facebook page.
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Food is Free Solano Food is Free Solano is a group of people dedicated to providing free food to those in need in the Solano County area. Services provided by the organization are their “Park-It Markets” and their Food is Free Stands. Already, Food is Free has over 40 sites throughout the county distributing more than 280,000 pounds of produce. Food is Free Solano accepts donations that will be distributed towards their other sites. The services became essential to the community when COVID-19 caused a mass amount of job loss; many residents became reliant on these services to help them get through these difficult times. Recently, KRON4 wrote an article about a Vallejo resident who created/runs her own stands to help her community. She saw how hard COVID-19 impacted her family and community that she wanted to contribute to help ease others. Her efforts are to help are backed up with donations she gathers and with the helps of Food is Free Solano. To read more about Food is Free Solano, visit their website.
New Dawn Vallejo is Nonprofit of the Year New Dawn Vallejo Corporation was named Nonprofit of the Year by Senator Bill Dodd. “New Dawn Vallejo has stepped up in a community with great need, helping families receive critical services,” Sen. Dodd said. “They are a major asset to Vallejo and a model for other nonprofits to follow. I’m proud to give them this well-earned recognition.” New Dawn Vallejo, founded in 2013, provides a wide array of services to children and families as well as other organizations that serve them. The nonprofit has helped hundreds with youth mentoring, summer academic and lunch programs and seasonal food giveaways, along with financial literacy and debt-relief training. They have partnered with local law enforcement to improve community relations, and launched a popular late-night basketball program. “We appreciate the recognition as we organize a systematic approach to changing our city and county, one youth at a time, one family at a time and one community for all,” said the Rev. Dr. Dante Quick, president of the New Dawn board and pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. “Whether it is youth internships, math programs, free summer camps, trauma-informed Pre-K programs, Black infant health partnerships or late-night basketball, we are indebted to our partners who enable a holistic approach.” To read the full press release, click here.
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VALLEJO NEWS
To read the KRON4 article, click here.
VALLEJO NEWS
Vallejo Watershed DIY Cleanups
Alliance
While coronavirus concerns remain, and public health guidance continues to recommend against public gatherings, the Vallejo Watershed Alliance is still actively engaged in improving Vallejo's waterways and helping the community connect with the outside world. In August, the Vallejo Watershed Alliance is planning to head to Hanns Park (on Skyline off Redwood) and River Park to address any trash issues. Here's how it will work:
Select a day and time that you and your household will pick up trash.
Email Info@VallejoWatershedAlliance.org with your preferred location, day, and time.
Need supplies? They can provide disposable gloves, trash bags, hand sanitizer, waiver, and loaner pickers, and they'll be happy to drop them on your porch.
Leave the filled trash bags next to the garbage cans at the park. Once your cleanup is complete, let Vallejo Watershed Alliance know how much trash was removed (number of bags filled) any items that are too big for the bags, and how many people were there. Vallejo Watershed Alliance will notify GVRD, who will dispose of the filled bags.
If you're borrowing pickers, let them know when they can retrieve the items from your porch.
Feel free to send them a couple of photos of you and your group in action!
The usual rules of COVID apply: don't do this if you feel ill or have a fever, face coverings are strongly recommended, keep at least six feet of social distance with people who aren't in your household, and sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow. For more information about the Vallejo Watershed Alliance, visit their website here.
Have a positive community story or event you'd like to submit for consideration in a segment of Vallejo News? Send us an email!
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